Hot Off The Press Podcast

Welcome to the Raw Ingredients podcast with your host, Chef "Panini" Pete Blohme! In this episode, Chef Pete is joined by special guest Chef Bell as they explore the diverse career paths available in the culinary world. With decades of combined experience in the industry, Chef Pete and Chef Bell discuss the various career options available to aspiring chefs, including catering, personal chef services, culinary education, and more. Throughout the episode, they provide valuable insights on the challenges and rewards of each path, offering practical advice and tips for those looking to pursue a career in the culinary arts. They also share their personal experiences, from traveling the world to hone their craft to working with high-end clients. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned professional, this episode of Raw Ingredients is a must-listen for anyone interested in a career in the culinary world. So tune in, relax, and join Chef Pete and Chef Bell as they explore the many different paths that can lead

Welcome to the Raw Ingredients podcast, a show that delves into the world of culinary arts with some of the most innovative chefs and food enthusiasts. Hosted by Chef "Panini" Pete Blohme, this episode features a special guest, Eric Rivera, founder of the Vintage Hospitality Group in Montgomery, Alabama. In this episode, Eric shares his journey as a chef and entrepreneur, from running hotel restaurants to creating one of the most innovative restaurant groups in Alabama. Listeners will hear about Eric's passion for bringing diverse flavors and techniques to the table and how he incorporates his multicultural background into his cooking. As two chefs who are committed to creating unforgettable dining experiences, Eric and Pete discuss the art of menu planning and the importance of using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. The conversation also touches on how to create a dining experience that not only tastes great but also tells a story and creates a lasting memory. Throughout the episode, the discussion also d

Welcome to the Raw Ingredients podcast, where we delve into the world of culinary arts with some of the most talented chefs and food enthusiasts. With our host, Chef "Panini" Pete Blohme, and today we are honored to have Monti Carlo, a finalist on Master Chef, and that is just the start of her cooking career, as our special guest. In this episode, Monti Carlo shares her incredible journey from auditioning for Master Chef just to earn $50 for being on camera to becoming a culinary professional who is a member of the prestigious James Beard Association, promoting inclusion in the industry. We discuss the importance of taking every opportunity that comes your way and how hard work, persistence, and a positive attitude can help you achieve your dreams. As two chefs with different backgrounds, we also explore the art of fusion cooking and how to blend diverse flavors and techniques in the kitchen. We touch on the significance of using fresh, high-quality ingredients and the importance of sourcing them sustainably.

  Are you mired in a moor of mediocre? Do you long for the glories and triumphs of days past but lack the knowledge and know-how you need to make everything old new again? Well, listeners, you’re in luck this week because for the low, low cost of … well, absolutely nothing … on this week’s Raw Ingredients Podcast, Chef Pete has an off-the-menu special that is tailor-made to satisfy your appetite for amazing advice - it’s the charismatic and riveting Kayla Robison, the chef and culinary influencer that was the driving force behind pushing the renowned Arnold’s of Cincinnati from the plateau it found itself on for years into an enigmatic eatery celebrating a brand new heyday. Chef Kayla and Chef Pete will give you the recipe for revitalization that you crave - with such daring ingredients including the classic rebranding, the mildly difficult menu redesign, the crowd-pleasing community outreach and so much more - no matter what your vocation may be, the tips, tools and tricks the chefs will prepare for you this

There’s a lot of famous Browns out there - from Bad, Bad Leroy to kid detective Encyclopedia, Godfather of Soul James to Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby - but this week, Chef Pete sits down with one of the best Browns of them all … Friend of the Podcast Todd “Get Around” Brown. Get Around Brown has … well … gotten around as a chef, caterer and restaurant consultant, so he has relevant and useful experience in almost every aspect of the industry and he and Chef Pete talk about his experiences, influences and the challenges facing the culinary industry today. Get Around’s passion for the culinary arts certainly shines through during this entire episode, so grab a plate and hunker down for a heaping helping of this week’s Raw Ingredients podcast.   https://www.instagram.com/getaroundbrown https://getaroundbrown.com https://getaroundbrown.com/social-media  

  In this episode of Raw Ingredients, host Pete Blohme sits down with acclaimed chef and restaurateur Jay Hajj to explore the culinary world and discuss the art of cooking. Jay Hajj is the owner of the popular Boston-based restaurant, Mike's City Diner, and has been featured on numerous food shows, including Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." Pete and Jay delve into the challenges and rewards of running a successful restaurant, and how Jay's Lebanese heritage has influenced his cooking style. They discuss the importance of fresh, locally sourced ingredients and the impact of food on our overall health and well-being. Throughout the episode, Jay shares stories from his many years in the restaurant industry, including his experience cooking for celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kevin Bacon. He also offers valuable advice for aspiring chefs and restaurant owners, emphasizing the importance of hard work, perseverance, and a deep love of food. Whether you're a professional chef or just a home cook looki

What do you know about Bulgaria? That it is the oldest country in Europe? That it has over 40,000 cultural landmarks? That it is the birthplace of yogurt? Well, maybe you knew none of those things, but after this week’s episode of the Raw Ingredients Podcast, you’ll know all about this beauty of the Balkans after enjoying Chef Pete’s amazing chat with Chef Nina Manchev from Las Vegas’ Forte Tapas. Get ready for an all-encompassing conversation about the importance of seasonal and local produce, regional herbs and spices you’ll want to stock your pantry with. They’ll also discuss how challenging bringing another country’s cuisine to the American table can be, as well as the cultural significance of being able to celebrate the cuisine of your homeland. So, grab a plate and get ready to tuck in for this week’s Raw Ingredients Podcast. https://www.instagram.com/nina_manchev/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/fortetapas/?hl=en https://www.barforte.com/ https://www.facebook.com/forte.tapas/ https://www.youtube.com/us

We’ve got an interesting invitee on this week’s Raw Ingredients podcast, as Chef Pete sits down with a fellow chef who has the honor of being a famous first - hailing from the great state of New Jersey, where he owns and operates the landmark Bayway Diner - it’s Chef Michael Giunta, whose Bayway Diner was the first restaurant ever featured on the iconic Food Network series “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (and a shoutout to Best Friend of the Pod Guy Fieri, of course).   From learning the craft at legendary culinary haunts that included Le Jardin and The Greenhouse to owning his own successful restaurant and catering business, Chef Mike certainly know his way around a kitchen and is known for his culinary artistry, his willingness to innovate and try new things, and his stick-to-it-ive-ness that has helped him persevere throughout his storied career. You’ll enjoy hearing his inspirational insights and sensational stories as he and Chef Pete talk about what it takes to go the distance in the crazy culinary game.

From her start at Bennigan's to winning a James Beard Award for Best Midwest Chef, this week's special guest on The Raw Ingredients podcast has gone the distance, shown persistence and is a model example for showing what a can-do attitude can, indeed, do - it's the owner and executive chef of the renowned Belfry restaurant in Kansas City - Friend of the Show Celina Tio.   Celina has worked in almost every possible part of the culinary world and has steadily risen through the ranks to earn her award-winning status, so she and Chef Pete have a meaningful discussion about how to mentor the next generation of upcoming chefs and culinary artists and making sure to actively promote diversity and inclusiveness as the absolute necessities they are. Creating positive and supportive work environments doesn't just happen naturally, so the chefs will have you some great recipes to cook up a quality workplace that will have employees beating down your doors to come and join.   This week's episode is one that should not b

El Pollo may be Loco, but this week's special guest for The Raw Ingredients is far from Loco in her dedication and drive to continue to develop new ideas and opportunities within the food industry - it's Heather Gardea, Vice President of Research and Development for El Pollo Loco.   Heather, a fellow CIA alumna, and Chef Pete have a free-ranging, wide-spanning conversation about the food industry at large and the many different ways people can be a part of that ever-expanding economic driver. Whether its farm to table, production, distribution, food science and technology, sustainability ... the industry of eating is as expansive as the waists of those of us who help fuel that industry. Heather provides a great perspective of what the industry as a whole looks like and she and Chef Pete will show you that working in the culinary arts is a lot more than just making and serving food.   So, grab a plate and dig in to this week's episode of The Raw Ingredients - we always leave you hungry for more.   https://www.

Loyal listeners and Friends of the Podcast, get out your Sunday best for this week's episode of the Raw Ingredients Podcast because we're having the best sort of event possible - not a just a swell shindig, not just a bountiful box social or a festive fete ... no, it's the best sort of get-together because it's an "Aarti Party" with Chef Pete and this week's special guest - celebrated chef and television hostess with the mostest, the amazing Aarti Sequeria.   As the winner of Season 6 of the Food Network reality show staple "The Next Food Network Star," Chef Aarti has been there, seen that and done it all - private chef, caterer, cookbook author, television personality and arguably the greatest judge on the dais for "Guy's Grocery Games." And she and Chef Pete have a great conversation about something that all of us experience in our worlds from time to time that has to be dealt with - chaos. Through their conversation, Chef Aarti helps to paint an auditory picture of how to weave and construct beauty and mea

It's always important to have self-confidence, to be able to know and believe that you have the strength and ability to rise to any challenge before you - we can all agree that's a positive, right? But what happens when self-confidence turns into pompous self-absorption and our egos outpace our ability - thankfully, we have the perfect guide to answer this age-old question with Chef Pete on this week's Raw Ingredients Podcast - the ever-exceptional restaurateur and television personality Chef Maneet Chauhan.   Born in Amritsar India, Chef Maneet has run the gamut from her humble beginnings at various hotels and restaurants back in India to graduating with honors from the Culinary Institute of America (also Chef Pete's alma mater) to opening her own ridiculously amazing restaurant Chauhan Ale and Masala House in Nashville ... oh, and also competing on a little show you may have heard of before ... "Iron Chef America." That's right, y'all - we have a Kitchen Stadium gladiator on the pod this week, so you know i

This week, Chef Pete brings you one of the most interesting individuals to ever grace The Raw Ingredients Podcast - the man, the myth, the legend ... both in his own mind and just in general ... it's nationally syndicated radio show host Terry Jaymes of the "Lex and Terry Radio Network" fame. You've often heard the phrase "The struggle is real," but no one has had real struggle like Terry Jaymes and still come through it all to turn failure into success each and every time - whether his (mis)adventures in the game of basketball, losing his dream job in the middle of trying to buy a new house for his family, failing to keep a major market radio job and getting fired twice in Dallas (at least they didn't shoot him like they did J.R. Ewing?) ... our man Terry has seen it all and been through it all, and he's bringing his wisdom, wit and a bit of whimsy to us all. He and Chef Pete talk about his amazing abilities to pull success from the jaws of failure in a free-wheeling, fun to listen to episode that you surel

We're normally pretty humorous and cute with these notes here every week, but with this week's focal topic being mental health and taking time to take care of yourself, we thought it best to drop the schtick and focus on the importance of this issue and this week's guest, Tokiwa Sears, who fully understands the burnout and issues facing the food and drink industry.   Sears is the head mixologist for the iconic and James Beard Award-winning One Flew South at the Atlanta Airport. Both she and Chef Pete aren't afraid to talk about the culinary world's seldom discussed secret of burnout and mental health concerns, and Sears even shares what she went through in 2020 when she exited bartending in order to take time for self-care and self-assessment. And while that might not be an option for everyone, she and Chef Pete will talk about ways any and all of us can take of ourselves amidst the hustle and bustle of our work and personal lives.   Do yourself a favor and check out this week's episode of The Raw Ingredients

He's a frequent Food Network regular. An award-winning cookbook writer. A digital series host. A frequent talk show guest. One of People Magazine's "Sexiest Chefs Alive." And the first-ever two-time champion of the "Chopped" TV series. Figure out who this week's guest is? Of course, it had to be the man, the myth, the legend Chef James Briscione blessing us with his presence this week's episode of The Raw Ingredients. Chef Pete and Chef James will take you on a tonal trip through Chef James' life and career where you'll learn that you can't shortcut the seasons of your life where you're meant to grind it out - it's that grinding that gives us the finished, polished edges that make us better than we were. They'll also focus on earning respect through a method that sounds simple but is not the path for the lazy and undedicated - it's called work, hard work and showing your team that you aren't afraid to trudge down into the trenches and muck in with them. So, get ready to be given a lifetime's worth of lessons

This week on The Raw Ingredients Podcast, we've got a great treat for all you loyal listeners straight out of Philly, PA - no, not the Fresh Prince who was West Philadelphia born and raised, if we remember correctly - it's the hilarious and hard-working Chef Brian Duffy, the foremost public figure rocking the surname Duffy in America today (Sorry, Patrick Duffy, but you haven't really done much since "Step by Step" in the 1990s ... and we don't count the TNT "Dallas" reboot nonsense. Do better).   Chefs Pete and Brian talk the talk about walking the walk, as we learn about how Chef Brian's origin story with his culinary career got started through the quintessential Sunday night dinners he enjoyed with his Irish-Italian family. That love and passion for good food and comradery is what spurred his awesome adventures throughout his career and whether it was learning under a James Beard Award-winning chef at The Four Seasons in Philadelphia, creating and crafting the "New Celtic" cuisine, rescuing bars on a cert

Now, normally when the word "boards" comes up in conversation on our show, it's of course going to be a congenial chat about charcuterie - the bougie meat and cheese boards that people love to nosh on but can't pronounce or spell to save their lives. But this week, the Boards in question are Kodiak Boards made by Bear Walker Industries and this week's special guest Bear Walker - and while you could perhaps use them as interesting plating for a capicola or a nice hard smoked gouda, it's probably best to use them for their recommended usage: stunning skateboards that are both fully functional and amazing artwork.   Whether it's serving food with love from your kitchen that turns into a restaurant empire or taking a college art project and working your way up into a full-fledged industry and business, there's a key ingredient you've got to have - passion. Chef Pete and Bear talk about how passion can help fuel the fires that turn craft and talent into bona fide business. They'll also teach us that failure isn't

In life, sometimes we are lucky enough to come across a truly great human being, a sort of person who fits the trope of the "Renaissance Man," someone who has a vast amount of knowledge, expertise and wisdom in a large number of different fields - and this week on The Raw Ingredients, Chef Pete is serving straight to your table a sit-down session with just such a man - his fellow CIA alum Mike Finelli. Mike has run the gamut of the gastronomical game so when he talks, he means business (and having an actual business degree from Fordham doesn't hurt there either). While we normally get to chew and chat with current chefs and culinary characters, Mike's conversation with Chef Pete shows us that sometimes even our podcast has to come out of the kitchen once and a while and see the larger world that is the complete culinary industry - and Mike's long and winding journey to where he is now is an amazing look at achieving your dreams and being open to where the world may take you, which, in his case, meant a nice I

America may be divided in a lot of different ways but there’s at least one thing that we can all agree on - a deep and abiding love for barbecue. (Just don’t get into the regional “Here’s how WE prepare it argument,” or Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and the Carolinas will come out swinging… and that’s just the first tier)   So, who better to procure for this week’s Raw Ingredients podcast than one of the men responsible for spreading the Gospel of Good BBQ, the Prophet of Pulled Pork himself - Mike Fernandez, one of the founders of Moe’s Original BBQ.   Chef Pete whips up a tasty episode with Mike this week, as he takes us from Moe’s slow-cooked start with a street-side smoker, a group of guys and a dream to a multimillion dollar BBQ empire among the Top 10 in the entire country. He and Chef Pete will give you the recipe for figuring out how to make your dreams come true, too - and, spoiler alert, it’s putting in the time, the effort and the sweat equity, an ingredient in successful business just like smoked pa

Well, loyal listeners, we have got quite the amuse-bouche for you this week, one that is literally the top of the tops in the culinary circle - it's Top Chef Season 16 winner and Alabama's own Kelsey Barnard Clark here to share her wisdom and wit with Chef Pete. On this week's episode of The Raw Ingredients Podcast, we chew the fat with the famous fan favorite Chef Kelsey, the first Southerner to bring home that coveted TV title. From her start in high-end catering during her teenage years (including solo catering an entire wedding at the age of 15) and graduating from the Culinary Institute of America to working at some of New York City's marquis Michelin-star eateries like Cafe Boulud under Gavin Kaysen and Dovetail with John Fraser, her gastronomic grounding in Southern cuisine pairs perfectly with the classic French techniques she has learned along her journey to create nouveau food forms that never fail to please. She's currently the Queen of Cuisine in Dothan, Alabama, with her catering company, Kelsey