Damiano Liso
My name is Damiano Liso, and I’m an Italian baker. Baking is my life. Without it, I wouldn’t be happy anymore. I love experimenting and creating new combinations of bread and pizzas and being able to express myself through baking.
I started my journey at 11, watching my older brother work, but I learned to love and respect food by watching my mother cook for my family. I started my kitchen journey working in the family pub. At the time, I considered it a bad job, then slowly learned to love it. It made me understand the life of someone who works in the kitchen. In the process, I also learned you have to respect all the components of the kitchen: your colleagues, the equipment that are like family members to me, and above all, you have to respect the food!
When I was 20, I opened my business, going through many difficulties but mostly skepticism from everyone except my parents. But that’s okay. It’s crucial to always believe in what you do and don’t stop believing in yourself.
Currently, I am visiting the culinary cultures of other places. I have been to Sydney, and now I am in Volpaia, Tuscany. I’m so grateful to be able to do this now. I have learned that every moment is precious, even the ones in the kitchen with one’s colleagues.
Sorakom Keawsamerta
I was born in Chiangmai, Thailand and now live between Bangkok and Virginia.
I was a MasterChef Thailand finalist in 2019 and have been living in Virginia for 7 years since my spouse opened a restaurant in Middleburg.
For over 30 years, I have been cooking with a deep passion that originated from my grandmother’s teachings and the happiness I felt witnessing her culinary skills. Today, I proudly co-own two Thai restaurants in Virginia, USA, and had the privilege of being a finalist in MasterChef Thailand in 2019. My experience drives me to impress people with my recipes, and witnessing their smiles brings me immense joy. I aim to create lasting dining experiences through my culinary journey.
One day I realized that as a leader in the kitchen, I could actually make a difference in other people’s lives and change the way they see things. There was this line cook who was going through a tough time and wasn’t sure about sticking with a career in the culinary world. I asked him to help me out with a special recipe, and I made it clear that he was the only one I was letting in on the secret. That really perked him up, and ever since that day, I’ve seen a huge change in him.
Just know that as a leader, your actions in the kitchen can go a long way and have a significant impact on others.
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Photo by b.j.w.k.
Dr. Chef Parvinder Singh Bali
Dr. Chef Parvinder Singh Bali
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I’m a native of Baramulla in Kashmir who dreamed of being a neurosurgeon but pursued Mechanical Engineering. Unable to keep up with my studies & medical exams, I took some time to work at a hotel. A passion grew so strongly in me that I ventured to be the ‘Rat in Ratatouille’. I joined the Oberoi Center of Learning and Development (OCLD) to build my career in the kitchens. My first posting was in the Oberoi New Delhi pastry kitchen, where I worked under numerous expat chefs to gain knowledge and skills, leading me to win a gold medal at the Oberoi Culinary Olympics in 1996. I became the youngest pastry chef of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and was sent to Australia to train with the best chefs.
During my training days, I had to prepare a pure chocolate cake, and since I had never made one, I completely messed up. I was yelled at, and from that day, I decided to make the best cakes. I trained for 16 hours a day until I got my cake right. This birthed my interest in pastries.
Over the past 30 years in the industry, I have visited many countries to do Indian Food promotions & festivals, working with world-renowned MOF pastry chefs like Stephane Treand, Stephane Glacier, Jean Francoise Arnaud, and Sebastian Chevalier.
I have authored five books, which are textbooks for catering colleges in India, Kenya, Nepal, and Malaysia. Today, I am currently working with OCLD in Delhi, India, as Corporate Chef L&D & have completed my Pro Certification Level 2 from the Culinary Institute of America.
One thing I wish to change in this industry is the working hours and the pay, especially at the staff level.
What is your favorite street food?
Raj Kachori- it’s an Indian Street food where a ball of crisp pastry is filled with yoghurt, tamarind and mint chutney
Which restaurant or food stand do you recommend? (Different from yours) (Add its Instagram handle if possible)
Jamavaar at the Leela hotel
What is your guilty pleasure?
An ice cream sundae with choco chips, nuts, crushed waffle chips
What ingredient do you find overrated?
Truffle
What ingredient do you think is underrated?
Millets
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
Small offset spatula
What is your worst kitchen nightmare?
Getting locked up in freezer and not being able to come out
Spotted by @alandmello @intlchefdayindia 🔪
Amy Smith
My name is Amy Smith.
I can’t recall a time in my life when I wasn’t immersed in the kitchen. Growing up in New Jersey, I consistently found myself alongside my mother or grandmothers, “helping” them cook. Since I was 8, I told everyone I wanted to become a chef. I debated other routes during my teenage years but always returned to the kitchen.
I’ve worked in various kitchens for almost a decade since receiving my Baking and Pastry and Food Service Management degrees at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. At 19, I attended a culinary internship in South Carolina, thinking it was a baking internship. It turned out to be at an upscale golf resort, and although I’ve cooked a lot, I never had to at that level professionally. However, I learned how to adapt and ended up not only loving it but excelling at it.
In my senior year, needing money, I started working at a coffee shop in Rhode Island to make money. Thinking I’d be there for 3 months tops, I stayed for almost 3 years. Within this role, I helped to build their food program and grew into management roles where I learned a whole other aspect of the business. Dealing with guests and becoming close with regulars showed me how much I loved not only the back of the house but the front of the house.
An invaluable lesson learned is that staying comfortable hinders growth. So I moved to another coast, San Diego, and went back to a line cook role. Because of my love for both the front and back of the house, I have been fortunate to work the bar and kitchen @marisilajolla . Now I’m back in the kitchen working under executive Chef Cameron.
To my fellow cooks, adapt, trust the process, and work with people who recognize your strengths and weaknesses. I hope to see more and more women involved in higher-level kitchens. The industry is improving and moving in that direction, but being the only woman in spaces in this industry is still too common.
What is your favorite street food?
Halal
Which restaurant or food stand do you recommend? (Different from yours) (Add its Instagram handle if possible)
Communal Coffee @communalcoffee
What is your guilty pleasure?
Wine
What ingredient do you find overrated?
Truffle
What ingredient do you think is underrated?
Honey
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
Hands
What is your worst kitchen nightmare?
Ticket machine never stopping
Interview & 📸by @mwatsonnyc official HOTK Reporter in San Diego 🌊
Greg Rosshett
Greg Rosshett
I love the fishing industry for its freedom and the opportunity to reconnect with our primal roots. Back then, we were hunters and gatherers; we weren’t catered to by everything you see up and down the street. I feel more in touch with my human race out there; I’m paying my way in blood essentially and providing sustenance for people. Working outdoors allows me to witness the beauty of marine life and the last frontier of wilderness. I see pods of dolphins, whales, and all kinds of marine life.
However, the way the fishermen get paid by the buyers is unfair. Operating costs are $4000, covering fuel, filters, and food, yet the outdated pay structure echoes prices from the 1970s. After a week of strenuous work, I bring home a mere $300, a fraction of what I could earn elsewhere in a day. I spend time away from my family, friends, and loved ones, and it feels like I’m standing on my graveyard sometime. It’s disheartening.
My goal next year is to recover fully and return to fishing, either resuming full-time cutting or exploring the possibility of becoming a buyer. I aim to transition to a less physically demanding role while piecing my life back together. There’s a potential opportunity in Hawaii involving longline fishing that will get me back into fishing full-time, but waiting on my hand to recover is the one thing slowing me down.
If my hand isn’t yet recovered, I could still be captain in Hawaii, but I want the crew’s respect. Being actively involved in baiting, cutting, fishing, and pulling is crucial to maintaining a positive dynamic with the crew.
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Interview & 📸by @mwatsonnyc official HOTK Reporter in San Diego 🌊
Ivan Gerasimov
Ivan Gerasimov
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Growing up in Perm, Russia, my parents very often worked until late, so I had to take a collection of recipes and cook from what was in the refrigerator! It was there that my love for the kitchen began.
I always enjoyed cooking and am self-taught. After serving in the army, I took a few courses and landed my first job. It left a lasting impression as I was faced immediately with a shortage of personnel and worked a full shift. Now it’s been 12 years working in the industry.
Working in the kitchen can have its challenging moments, but self-development is what pushes me daily. Also, I cannot sit still at home! Developing and discovering new recipes and ingredients is one of my favorite aspects of this industry. In addition, I enjoy making new acquaintances and expanding geographical boundaries!
The moment when I discovered the smoker was pivotal. From that point, I began to move in this direction. I have grown to love cooking Burgers and BBQ. In our region, this is a young cuisine! My dream is to have a food truck one day.
This profession is unique as it is one of the most selfless ways to please a person. I have learned a lot in this industry, but the most valuable lesson is to appreciate your work and health. My advice to other cooks out there would be to develop, communicate, make friends with people from all countries, and enjoy what you do.
Colleagues, everything is possible! We smoke on a Texas smoker in the outback of Russia in the Urals! Believe in your dream!
Megan Watson
Megan Watson
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I’ve learned that I have the power to create food that not only nourishes the body but also makes people feel good. It’s more than just a job.
I went to school for film and initially took on various jobs, like a prep cook at a catering company, to earn a paycheck. It was in my late twenties that I ventured into this career. It was one of the few things I felt truly skilled at, giving me a profound sense of purpose.
In May 2020, I took a significant leap and started my own culinary business. Working as a party chef for a major catering company, I realized I had the skills and determination to run my own business. Later that month was the murder of George Floyd. The pandemic and his murder have had a significant impact on my life, revealing the harsh realities of the food industry and how it can drain the souls and spirits of its workers.
I realized the immense importance of a plate of food on people’s well-being and how being well-fed can lessen anxiety and stress. I found deep satisfaction in providing mutual aid through my food and connecting with wonderful people along the way. Today I am currently residing in San Diego and working at @emersonandnova
There are several aspects of the industry that I hope will change and evolve:
1. The end of culinary school being necessary or so highly regarded. Spending 50k-100k to then work for free, or minimum wage, is unsustainable.
2. The mindset that French food needs to cost $$$ and Chinese food is expected to be cheap. This disparity is rooted in racism.
3. The brigade system. It still exists
4. Fairtrade and the $$ being fairly dispersed between suppliers, farmers, and cooks.
What ingredient do you find overrated?
Truffles
What ingredient do you think is underrated?
Chinese fermented black beans
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
Microplane
What is your worst kitchen nightmare?
Being alone with no support
Alonzo Zarco
Alonzo Zarco
Initially, cooking was simply a means of making a living when I immigrated to Canada from Mexico. It wasn’t until I could appreciate the emergence of the culinary phenomenon on social media. New TV shows and chefs opened my eyes and changed my vision of the immense talent in the culinary world and all the possibilities within the food industry. I felt inspired and I found a new appreciation for the culinary arts.
A curiosity and necessity to experiment with flavors and dishes arose within me. This led me to create my Instagram account. I never went to culinary school. I learned everything by experimenting and observing other chefs.
Last year, I ventured into food pop-ups, creating A Comer Food Event. We hold events once a month to help me express my creativity and indulge in culinary experimentation. I always elevate my dishes using the bases of traditional Mexican food and local food sources.
I am also the Chef at Salt and Pepper. It was the first restaurant where I started working as a line cook. Nowadays, After ten years in the industry, I am looking to contribute to Calgary’s thriving culinary scene while offering guests a unique dining experience.
I hope the industry evolves and offers better wages for cooks. Usually, servers make more money than cooks, and that is a little disappointing. I would also like new cooks to see that cooking is about detail and perfect timing. It’s essential to ensure the ingredients are used at their peak.
What is your favorite street food?
Mexican Street Food
Which restaurant or food stand do you recommend? (Different from yours) (Add its Instagram handle if possible)
Annabelle’s kitchen. Pat be Betty . Bastion Burgers
What is your guilty pleasure?
Hot sauce. I know it’s damaging but I love it
What ingredient do you find overrated?
Micro greens
What ingredient do you think is underrated?
Cilantro
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
Offset spatula
What is your worst kitchen nightmare?
When customers ask for substitutions or food that is not on the menu.
Mateo Rios
Mateo Rios
I finished high school at 16 in Envigado, near Medellín, Colombia, with doubts about what would follow. My father insisted that I study an administrative career or become a lawyer, while my mother encouraged me to do whatever I wanted but excel at it. As for me, with more enthusiasm than actual talent, I dreamt of becoming a soccer player.
Amidst all this uncertainty, a glimmer of opportunity appeared in the form of a free cooking course that lasted a semester. There, I discovered that I could connect my very being and my imagination with the diverse flavors of my homeland. The following year, I was already enrolled in a professional school to study for 3-years. With a scholarship awarded by the school, I left my country to complete my studies in Argentina.
Upon my return, I began my internships in various restaurants in Medellín. Unfortunately, only one of them offered me a job as a kitchen assistant. Over 13 years, I have worked in all stations and positions until I became an executive chef. Carmen restaurant opened the doors to haute cuisine, introducing me to techniques that continue to teach me something new daily.
The pandemic brought great loss to my family. Still, it also pushed me, along with Rob and Sebas, to create the opportunity to open a “fun dining” concept called X.O., where producers and the product are the stars to make space for new flavors and culinary innovations. Today, we are Carmen group, with six restaurant concepts in two cities in Colombia.
It’s been 14 years in this industry; there’s no doubt that my culinary journey has been transformative. In the future, I hope to see a reduced amount of waste, especially the excessive use of single-use plastic and Styrofoam.
What is your favorite street food?
Empanadas
Which restaurant or food stand do you recommend? (Different from yours) (Add its Instagram handle if possible)
@Celele_restaurante
What is your guilty pleasure?
Perros calientes
What ingredient do you find overrated?
Salmón de cultivo
What ingredient do you think is underrated?
Guatila
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
Cuchillo
What is your worst kitchen nightmare?
Dejar caer un huevo
Pablo Bonilla
Pablo Bonilla
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After dedicating a decade to working in kitchens, a pivotal moment occurred when I realized that I had more knowledge about the gastronomy of other countries than my own. I felt a calling to find my true identity as a chef. I didn’t want to continue portraying different cuisines, which I greatly respect and admire, without knowing the culinary traditions of my own country, Costa Rica. So, I set out to explore the original communities, documenting their techniques and ingredients. Before delving into their culinary wisdom, these communities taught me invaluable lessons in respect – respect for nature, the ingredients, cultural roots, and a deep love for my homeland.
My mindset underwent a profound transformation in these communities, first as a person and then as a chef. I began to appreciate the things that often go unnoticed daily. This shift in perception extended to my view of gastronomy, the industry, and my life while holding space for these communities and providing dignified work for my team. Now, a decade later, I am grateful for the wisdom I’ve gained. I find immense joy in witnessing content, fulfilled individuals working in my kitchen.
I hope to see positive changes in the industry, particularly in treating kitchen staff and mentally healthy kitchen environments.
What is your favorite street food?
Tacos
Which restaurant or food stand do you recommend? (Different from yours) (Add its Instagram handle if possible)
Coconut @rest.coconut
What is your guilty pleasure?
Helado de vainilla y papas fritas en el mismo plato
What ingredient do you find overrated?
El caviar
What ingredient do you think is underrated?
El maíz
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
Horno de carbón
What is your worst kitchen nightmare?
Lo pretencioso
📷Credits: @andresvianaphoto