PeasOnMoss Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kimberly Schaub - Peas On Moss
Join Research Chef Kimberly Schaub from PeasOnMoss.com as she talks about food science, product development, and food research with chefs, culinary scientists, research chefs, and product developers. Experience the food manufacturing world through experiences, hilarious stories, and conversations about R&D.
Chef Wiley Bates III is a popular speaker for the young professional networking group, and he held our attention for over an hour sharing his lived experiences as well as the recommendations for pivoting a career "when the SHIFT hits the fan." Adam Howell co-hosted the discussion.
The Founder of the Food Edge Conference, Lauren Abda joined us for an entrepreneurship conversation with the RCA Hustlers Under 40. Food Edge is an annual conference that brings together the food industry’s largest brands, dynamic start-ups, disruptive leaders, and leading researchers to discuss the future of food. Packed with 2 days of inspiring speakers, innovation workshops, and fireside chats, the summit explores trends, strategies, and capabilities that help food innovators and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Food Edge explores food innovation with a focus on sustainable sourcing, recipe innovation, product design, customer experience, and social media.
This podcast continues to be sponsored by . Get information about sugar replacement and optimizing your high intensity sweetener systems. Let them know that you heard about them on PeaOnMoss.
PeasOnMoss discusses career management and active growth to help you get and promote in product development roles with Justin Kanthak, and ; Jacob Burton, executive chef at Renaissance Hotel, Reno, NV, and founder of ; and Wiley Bates III, Sales at
To start by saying that 2020 has been the most insane half-year ever is a gross understatement. In some ways I've seen our world and communities come together, focusing on a distant horizon of "better," while recognizing that a lot of work needs to be done to get there. In others, I've seen fear and suspicion lead to traumatized relationships. In all this, people have continued to eat, and our food industry has continued to produce, but in different areas, at different volumes, and at different costs. I've kept the podcast schedule essentially on track, with a very brief acknowledgement of today's challenges, because the show is focused on the industry, not on social justice. But, a holistic view of the industry does have to include the challenges that each of our members take on, and I will not be silent about this. As we move into the next season, we are pivoting the podcast from guest-focused interviews to topic-focused features. Now you'll be able to hear more diverse perspectives about a single subject in the same episode. I have loved the insights shared by the guests who have joined the show, whether they were experienced research chefs sharing their hard-earned lessons, or entrepreneurs discovering the complexities of the food industry. Thank you for following it for the past four years, and I'm hopeful that it can continue for the years to come. As we pivot to the new style, I decided to indulge in a monologue about my journey, to share with you some of the influences that led me to the product development world. Next week, we'll look at career management and how involvement in a professional organization can shape your growth as a worker and eventually a leader. TraceGains is a proud sponsor of PeasOnMoss. TraceGains is a cloud-based supplier relationship and quality management platform that helps food and consumer-packaged goods companies deliver on brand promise.
Stephanie Robbins and Kimberly met at the 2019 in Chicago when she served as the VP of Marketing at La Terra Fina. She, alongside her colleague Dan Howell, shared a compelling presentation on fostering collaborative relationships between product development and marketing. They described how the development of a trusting and synergistic cross-functional team led to more product success, quicker launches with fewer errors, and a better workplace. Stephanie joined us on PeasOnMoss podcast to expand on that presentation and to tell us about work she's doing post-La Terra Fina. Stephanie does individual for food businesses in marketing (and gives perspectives about food business entrepreneurship) and is working with a business partner in a new snack concept, soon to be announced. Get in touch with her at
Former VP of Marketing at La Terra Fina has a bright outlook for her future and doesn't carry regrets about her last work. From working to foster a strong cross-functional team at LTF, to learning to respect and trust the expertise of her teammates, Stephanie possesses a strong self-awareness of her internal strengths. In this preview, Stephanie and Kimberly catch up in 8 months of life and work and consider the next steps. Our connection is an example of how important networking events are to expand our circles and relationships, but the honest and vulnerable conversations that we get to have among a few are the marks of connections that go beyond professional introductions. You won't make friendships like this at every event, but when you do, they're so valuable and are the highlights to our careers. Since 2017, IconFoods has sponsored the PeasOnMoss podcast. Icon Foods specializes in supplying the health food industry with natural alternatives to sugar. We have nutritive and non-nutritive solutions to your clean label conundrum. Whether you are an established brand looking to reformulate for your consumers, or a food startup looking to break into the low-carb industry, we can get you the ingredients you need. We specialize in Ketogenic, Diabetic, Paleo, and Sugar-Free product solutions.
We're taking a break this week from our usual interview show to give our community time to consider the events of the week and our individual and social responsibilities to seek social justice for every single member of our food and beverage industry and of our society overall. I have been so blessed and honored to share the stories of our diverse food and beverage community, and it's in the spirit of sharing the stories that I stand with our black community as we all struggle through recent violence, murder, and subsequent protests and riots. Racism has no place in our community, and we all hurt when one member is hurt. Right now, it's our black brothers and sisters who are being hurt disproportionately to others. There are various organizations that provide information about the issues, the systemic racism, and actions we can take, including changing how we talk about race issues, how to identify racist behaviors and attitudes, how to educate and learn from each other, and how we can work together for solutions. Here is a list of resources I've referenced to help me learn. They're from several perspectives, from businesses to specific advocacy groups, spiritual (Christian) perspectives and industry announcements. If you have some others that I could share, please let me know.
Justin Kanthak wears several hats, notably as the head of the snack segment for Griffith Foods and as the president of the professional trade organization, the Research Chefs Association. In March 2020, the US food industry was tremendously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with the cancellation of international and trade conferences, and the RCA annual conference was forced to cancel the in-person gathering. The weight of understanding what could be done instead weighed on the RCA board leadership, and Justin joined the podcast to share his thoughts about how the industry will change and what we can do as product development professionals. The Research Chefs Association conference is currently on-going as RCA PoweredUp. It is open to members and non-members alike. Get more information at their conference home page: Tune in next week for the full special episode with Justin.
Aaron Chan's grandfather founded the Mon Hei Bakery to bring Chinese pastries to the burgeoning International District of Seattle with funding from investors. While the concept itself isn't new in this modern food startup world, the significance is the timing: the year was 1979. Fast forward over thirty years, and the Mon Hei Bakery was a provider of affordable and old world Chinese dumplings, hom bao, egg tarts, and mooncakes. Regulars flocked there to buy fresh snacks, and the Chan family had established themselves as active members of the community. Tragically, on Christmas Eve 2013, the building in which Mon Hei was based burned down, taking with it the legendary bakery. Aaron joined the PeasOnMoss podcast to share his family's story about food entrepreneurship and surviving after a business tragedy. Though his parents didn't want him to go into the bakery business, he felt the call rise up in his heart after the fire and observing how his parents have struggled to understand how they can still participate in their community without a bakery. It's ultimately a story of hope, and it's a unique perspective of food business operations from a family business.
When Aaron Chan joined the PeasOnMoss podcast to share the story of the Mon Hei Bakery in Seattle, WA, the city's first Chinese bakery, he explained that a documentary was being created about his grandfather's food start-up and the mission to bring affordable Chinese pastries to the West Coast. You'll get to hear the full story of the bakery, the fire, and the business' work in the six years since the tragedy next week. And keep an eye out on Instagram for updates about Mon Hei and where you can get their pastries (or order them for your next event). The coronavirus pandemic has struck us hard, but I've been amazed by how we have come together to support wherever we can. If you are able to donate, there are various nonprofits for restaurants and hospitality industry workers, including World Central Kitchen, Mercy Chefs, Big Table, and the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund. Find out about your local community efforts to support small food businesses and continue to be active. I'm looking forward to seeing you in person at a future conference, but for now, I am proud to be able to still bring you these podcast episodes and am grateful for the support and friendship of this community.
Kiran Bains is a relatively new graduate with a masters degree in nutrition science and owner of a nutrition consulting business . Kiran and Kimberly connected through LinkedIn and decided to record our introductory call as a conversation starter for younger professionals. Kiran has a passion for introducing nutrition science majors to a wider variety of career opportunities than are typically described. She also has a passion for marketing and understanding how marketing teams could leverage nutrition expertise and how nutrition professionals could market their messages to engage consumers. While this conversation is personal in the sense of talking about one individual's career opportunities, it's also an example of how our friendships and network can be useful for connections beyond our own career advancement. I also share some strong opinions about personal brand awareness, because with nutrition backgrounds, it's vital to maintain brand integrity when associating with product brands. Since 2017, IconFoods has sponsored the PeasOnMoss podcast. Icon Foods specializes in supplying the health food industry with natural alternatives to sugar. We have nutritive and non-nutritive solutions to your clean label conundrum. Whether you are an established brand looking to reformulate for your consumers, or a food startup looking to break into the low-carb industry, we can get you the ingredients you need. We specialize in Ketogenic, Diabetic, Paleo, and Sugar-Free product solutions.
A past member (a gold medalist, in fact) of the , Chef Wiley describes his journey as coming from humble roots being surrounded by big players who took him on and pushed him to excel. His superpower: relentless commitment to being better, learning more, and personal improvement. Chef drops incredible insight and knowledge throughout his story, and it's impossible to choose the single best lesson he shared. Today, chef is the Food Service Manager for , having transitioned to sales to learn the other side of the business. He came from hotel food service, worked at Yum Brands, and worked as a corporate executive chef. Since he loves talking with people, identifying their problems and providing solutions, he took on the challenge of sales, but cautions that it's not for everyone. Never resting, Chef continues to challenge himself. TraceGains is a proud sponsor of PeasOnMoss. TraceGains is a cloud-based supplier relationship and quality management platform that helps food and consumer-packaged goods companies deliver on brand promise.
Chef Wiley Bates III strongly feels that if he hadn't worked for the chefs and supervisors he had, he doesn't know where his career would have gone. Now, as a corporate chef and manager, he takes it as his mission to find the people on his team who need that type of nudge, too. Mentorship isn't an accidental activity - it's deliberate, it's observant, and it's flexible. In this preview, Chef takes us through his mentorship theory and gives middle managers some action items to start implementing in our workplaces. The coronavirus pandemic has struck us hard, but I've been amazed by how we have come together to support wherever we can. If you are able to donate, there are various nonprofits for restaurants and hospitality industry workers, including World Central Kitchen, Mercy Chefs, Big Table, and the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund. Find out about your local community efforts to support small food businesses and continue to be active. I'm looking forward to seeing you in person at a future conference, but for now, I am proud to be able to still bring you these podcast episodes and am grateful for the support and friendship of this community.
Chef Erich Chieca is a 3-term Research Chefs Association board member whose active volunteerism has been just one of the superpowers that has helped Chef create a enriched career through friends and mentors who gave him opportunities. Reflective and thoughtful, Chef Erich emphasized that no matter the product we make nor the role we have, we are still in the hospitality business. Whether you're in R&D or sales, you have to identify your customer and find ways to serve them. Volunteering with the RCA is one way to really develop your career network, which will open doors for you. It's also an excellent way to get leadership experience through taking on a volunteer activity for the RCA, such as conference planning, local chapter service projects, or even running for a board position. Since 2017, IconFoods has sponsored the PeasOnMoss podcast. Icon Foods specializes in supplying the health food industry with natural alternatives to sugar. We have nutritive and non-nutritive solutions to your clean label conundrum. Whether you are an established brand looking to reformulate for your consumers, or a food startup looking to break into the low-carb industry, we can get you the ingredients you need. We specialize in Ketogenic, Diabetic, Paleo, and Sugar-Free product solutions.
Sadler's Smokehouse Director of Culinary Sales Chef Erich Chieca is an experienced chef who was invited to the research chef world through a friend at Gordon Food Service. As a research chef and sales manager, Chef has seen diverse product development teams. In this PeasOnMoss podcast preview. I ask Chef how he describes the differentiation that a research chef brings to a product development team and how we contribute uniquely from food scientists. As cross-functional partners, research chefs can enhance the capabilities and culinary intuition of a team. Next week, Chef Erich shares his origin story and how his friendships introduced him to the Research Chefs Association. TraceGains is a proud sponsor of PeasOnMoss. TraceGains is a cloud-based supplier relationship and quality management platform that helps food and consumer-packaged goods companies deliver on brand promise.
James Beard awarded is recognized as a solid resource in the food writing and professional world as a writer who takes the time to gather the facts and produce well-researched, thoughtful articles, tested and true recipes, and leadership by example. From his work on , a food website sharing articles, recipes, insights, and science with a variety of readers, to the publication of the food-science-based cookbook , and contributions to the , Chef Kenji also serves as the chef partner for the Bay Area-based restaurant . He is experiencing firsthand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In all that, he took the time to work with a few food safety experts to share his up-to-date knowledge about coronavirus and whether food and food service play a role in transmission. His long article helps to clarify and calm fears, and he plans to continue updating it since his first publication on March 20 and recent update March 30. I caught up with Chef Kenji to quickly talk about why he wrote the article and to share his observations to date. Check out the article - - and be sure to go back occasionally to see what has been updated. Chef Kenji is active on Instagram and Twitter and very, very responsive to thoughtful engagement.
Ashley Koff is a registered dietitian nutritionist and marketing expert who has built a reputation on looking at the food industry from a unique perspective. What started as a service to review products for brands through the eyes of nutrition professional, the program Ashley Koff Approved seeks to provide an assessment of food products that would contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Now, Ashley has expanded her programs to include the Beyond Brands, a nutrition strategy program for food businesses, and Better Nutrition Program, focused on healthcare providers and their patients. Ashley shares some pointers on creating food products that are focused on nutritional benefits and leading the charge in raising the bar in nutrition trends rather than following them. The coronavirus pandemic has struck us hard, but I've been amazed by how we have come together to support wherever we can. If you are able to donate, there are various nonprofits for restaurants and hospitality industry workers, including World Central Kitchen, Mercy Chefs, Big Table, and the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund. Find out about your local community efforts to support small food businesses and continue to be active. I'm looking forward to seeing you in person at a future conference, but for now, I am proud to be able to still bring you these podcast episodes and am grateful for the support and friendship of this community.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Ashley Koff is a recognizable nutrition and marketing expert with the Ashley Koff Approved 3rd party nutrition evaluation service as well as collaborations among healthcare practitioners and food brands. While not a product developer herself, Koff has some insights to share with R&D teams and food brands who seek to make nutritional claims. In this preview, Koff echos comments that I've heard from other guests on the show: the product should be delicious before you even think of the claims. To learn more about better nutrition tools visit and for more information about Ashley Koff RD visit Since 2017, IconFoods has sponsored the PeasOnMoss podcast. Icon Foods specializes in supplying the health food industry with natural alternatives to sugar. We have nutritive and non-nutritive solutions to your clean label conundrum. Whether you are an established brand looking to reformulate for your consumers, or a food startup looking to break into the low-carb industry, we can get you the ingredients you need. We specialize in Ketogenic, Diabetic, Paleo, and Sugar-Free product solutions.
founder Krishna Kaliannan is our guest for the PeasOnMoss podcast this week. Krishna Kaliannan is the Founder and CEO of Catalina Crunch, a Keto-Friendly Cereal in Delicious Dark Chocolate and Cinnamon Toast. Krishna started Catalina Crunch because he believed it shouldn’t be so darn hard to eat Keto and have fun doing it! As a Type-1 Diabetic and Epileptic, Keto has helped Krishna both manage his diabetes and eliminate seizures. So Krishna is trying to spread Keto as far and wide as possible so folks all over can experience the benefits. Beyond the need-based innovation, Krishna has really embraced the learning curve of getting to know the food industry. Perhaps its his science background that enabled him identify and embrace industry-specific terms, or perhaps its a realization that success in food business start ups is to both bring an innovative product and to become a subject matter expert as quickly as possible. The PeasOnMoss podcast is sponsored by Bell Flavors and Fragrances. Since 1912, our passion at Bell Flavors & Fragrances has been to create and deliver flavors, fragrances, botanical extracts and specialty ingredients that captivate the world’s taste buds and stimulate the senses.
Krishna Kaliannan's keto cereal brand is right at the threshold of breaking out big in the retail world after success in e-commerce and local brands. It would be easy to predict the meteoric rise and risk of failure that we see in other food startup brands. Kaliannan recognizes that these are pitfalls that startups can trip on - scaling up so quickly that they can't keep up with demand or that promises they made to their consumers might be compromised in order to be more cost or manufacturing efficient. In this preview, I didn't shy from these questions, having lived some versions of the story in past roles, and it was refreshing to hear a brand founder recognize the risks and do what he can to mitigate them. is New England’s leading food innovation conference, bringing together nearly 400 brands, investors, and entrepreneurs to connect, share, and find their EDGE. The event will take place on May 6+7 at the Innovation and Design Building in Boston and focus on industry trends, explore strategies to drive innovation, and discover the breakthrough technologies to help food companies stay ahead of the curve.
Chef Jeffrey Cousminer joined us on the PeasOnMoss podcast to share his experiences as a research chef and to reflect on the Research Chefs Association's legacy. From the early days of the founding of the RCA through the various education courses he has taught and the mentorship of product developers, Chef Jeff has been involved in many facets of our career and professional organization. Today he consults under his own consultancy business, Food Alchemy, with the witty tagline “We Put the Food Back IntoFood Science." TraceGains is a proud sponsor of PeasOnMoss. TraceGains is a cloud-based supplier relationship and quality management platform that helps food and consumer-packaged goods companies deliver on brand promise.
When you're a co-founder of an organization (or one of the original 20), it can be challenging to watch it evolve and grow in the hands of other leaders and volunteers who came after you. There's an element of belief that you have been able to share the original objectives and trust that the organization will meet the needs of its members. Chef Jeff has been a voice in the RCA to encourage reflection upon our legacy but has also recognized that the way we differentiate our members within the food industry has to change to continue to enable to us to add value. In this preview, Chef shares his thoughts about the future of the RCA and offers some insights for those who might be at the second half of their careers. Since 2017, IconFoods has sponsored the PeasOnMoss podcast. Icon Foods specializes in supplying the health food industry with natural alternatives to sugar. We have nutritive and non-nutritive solutions to your clean label conundrum. Whether you are an established brand looking to reformulate for your consumers, or a food startup looking to break into the low-carb industry, we can get you the ingredients you need. We specialize in Ketogenic, Diabetic, Paleo, and Sugar-Free product solutions. Looking for a different, in-depth, and personal conference about product strategy? The takes place in Chicago March 2-3, 2020. Hear from legacy brands and start-ups and how they're innovating and leading food trends.
Business lawyer Abe Cohn is the managing partner for Cohn Legal PLLC, and he has a unique expertise in food business. Cohn joined us on PeasOnMoss to break down some of the key ways that a legal counsel can help food businesses and discusses the necessity of protecting a business' intellectual property, registering and protecting your brand, and licensing it - all tasks that Cohn recommends you accomplish early in your food business journey. From registering your business name to trademarking a product name or filing a patent, Cohn Legal has experience in working with food businesses, which face unique challenges in business. The PeasOnMoss podcast is sponsored by Bell Flavors and Fragrances. Since 1912, our passion at Bell Flavors & Fragrances has been to create and deliver flavors, fragrances, botanical extracts and specialty ingredients that captivate the world’s taste buds and stimulate the senses. Looking for a different, in-depth, and personal conference about product strategy? The takes place in Chicago March 2-3, 2020. Hear from legacy brands and start-ups and how they're innovating and leading food trends.
Abe Cohn, the managing partner of Cohn Legal PLLC, is next week's guest on PeasOnMoss, and this preview features a special message for food business owners and managers. In our full episode, Cohn and I talk about the importance of protecting your brand, and he describes the perfect time to do so is as early as possible. Listen to his explanation and how a business law firm like Cohn Legal could help your business. Contact for details. Since 2017, IconFoods has sponsored the PeasOnMoss podcast. Icon Foods specializes in supplying the health food industry with natural alternatives to sugar. We have nutritive and non-nutritive solutions to your clean label conundrum. Whether you are an established brand looking to reformulate for your consumers, or a food startup looking to break into the low-carb industry, we can get you the ingredients you need. We specialize in Ketogenic, Diabetic, Paleo, and Sugar-Free product solutions.
In 2015, Shehzad ventured into the cannabis industry, as VP of R&D at Cannabistry™ – a professional research, development and branding company dedicated to bringing outstanding product innovation to the legalized cannabis industry. Over the past four years, he has spearheaded the creation of a world-class research and development team, which has brought numerous products and technologies to market. With innovation focused on patient needs, the Cannabistry team of engineers, scientists, regulatory specialists and branding gurus are actively creating and reimagining the wide range of cannabis categories by unlocking and optimizing many of the key chemicals found in Cannabis. Shehzad earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology and holds an MBA in Finance and Operations Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. PRODUCTS: Discover a Life Rooted in Wellness! Powerful plant-based essential remedies for everyday conditions positioned for success in the wellness market. We offer essential oil tinctures and topical ointments made from blends of herbs and spices, inspired by ancient Ayurvedic philosophy of holistic wellness, and amplified with cannabis extracts to bring you back into your natural state of balance. Explore “The Wondrous Power of Nature.” MISTIFI™ is devoted to those seeking pure innovative and undisputed perfection; cannabis connoisseurs with a discerning palette for quality, flavor, and experience in the convenience of a vape pen. Uniquely positioned for the lifestyle market and designed with luxury in mind. Contact Info: This podcast is sponsored by Bell Flavors and Fragrances - Your competitive advantage. Find out more at Looking for a different, in-depth, and personal conference about product strategy? The takes place in Chicago March 2-3, 2020. Hear from legacy brands and start-ups and how they're innovating and leading food trends.
Research and development professionals know that it's vital to use the same ingredients in formulating from the bench to the plant and among the various teams. Slight variations in ingredients at the bench could result in wildly different commercialized products. So, how does a team work with cannabis ingredients when they can't be legally transported across state lines? In this PeasOnMoss podcast preview, Cannabistry's EVP Shehzad Hoosein explains how his organization has worked within those restrictions and produce formulas based on the product profile rather than being subject to ingredient variations. Tune in next week for the full episode. This podcast is sponsored by Bell Flavors and Fragrances. Since 1912, our passion at Bell Flavors & Fragrances has been to create and deliver flavors, fragrances, botanical extracts and specialty ingredients that captivate the world’s taste buds and stimulate the senses. Looking for a different, in-depth, and personal conference about product strategy? The takes place in Chicago March 2-3, 2020. Hear from legacy brands and start-ups and how they're innovating and leading food trends.
Sarah Masoni is the Director of Product and Process Development at Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center (FIC). Located in Portland, Oregon, the FIC is one of 13 experiment stations across the state affiliated with the College of Agricultural Sciences at OSU. Sarah joined us on PeasOnMoss to share how she has spent the last 19 years honing the visions and products of food entrepreneurs through various classes and hands-on work with them. This podcast has been loyally sponsored by Icon Foods for two seasons. Find out why it's important to them to support this podcast and about their sweetener solutions.
Oregon State University Food Innovation Center Director of Product and Process Development Sarah Masoni joined us on the PeaOnMoss podcast to tell us about her work at the Innovation Center, and we chatted about the challenges that entrepreneurs face bringing their food concepts to reality. One unique trend coming forward is the blossoming of international cuisines such as African food and ingredients. Because there is less familiarity - and possibly limited availability of supply - entrepreneurs take on different challenges when commercializing their food items. In this preview, Sarah and Kimberly discuss the challenges of interpreting a food on a different continent and the priorities that the entrepreneurs have to choose to successfully and affordably produce their products. This podcast is sponsored by . is a cloud-based supplier relationship and quality management platform that helps food and consumer-packaged goods companies deliver on brand promise.
Chef Jaime Mestan is the recently promoted VP of Culinary Innovation at Vienna Beef, and she's an , public speaker, author, and newly minted career coach. Chef Jaime represents the next generation of research chefs, who mix together our culinary experiences with food manufacturing processing and food science and technology. When she's not doing product innovation for Vienna Beef, Chef Jaime has written a book () and offers career coaching () for culinary professionals looking for ways to get into R&D. For both Chef Jaime and Kimberly, involvement in the Research Chefs Association has helped us solidify our identities and our craft as research chefs and has provided opportunities for us to volunteer, lead, and give back. Come meet us at the upcoming April 15-17 in San Diego and set your career apart. Looking for a different, in-depth, and personal conference about product strategy? The takes place in Chicago March 2-3, 2020. Hear from legacy brands and start-ups and how they're innovating and leading food trends.
VP of Culinary Innovation at Vienna Beef Chef Jaime Mestan is also the Treasurer for the Research Chefs Association, so when Chef Jaime and I talk about the RCA, we automatically reflect on the history of the organization, how far it has come, and what its future could look like. In addition to her work in product innovation and volunteering at the RCA, chef Jaime has also just published an e-book about professional networking, called . Check it out on . Interested in finding out how to grow your career? Chef Jaime also offers coaching focused on chefs interested in crossing to R&D at .
Formerly known as Steviva Ingredients, named because CEO and Founder Thom King first started importing and processing stevia leaf products, has gone beyond commodity sweeteners and is the leader of single and blended high intensity and non-nutritive natural sweeteners and alternatives to sugar and sucrose. Thom joined Kimberly on PeasOnMoss to wrap up the year, reminisce, and anticipate 2020. Get information about and see what they can do for your reduced sugar formulations.
Season 3 sponsor TraceGains Founder and CEO Gary Nowacki is here this week on PeasOnMoss to share about and the technology solutions they bring to food manufacturers and CPG brands making their work more efficient. is a cloud-based platform that helps food and consumer-packaged goods companies innovate faster. TraceGains Network is where R&D, procurement, quality, and regulatory departments discover and collaborate with over 27,000 global supplier sites to safely bring new products to market. Check out their demo and see how they can help you, no matter the size of your business. We're so grateful that TraceGains saw value in PeasOnMoss and have helped us pay for fees that it takes to record, edit, and host the show. Gary even interviewed Kimberly on the TraceGains C to C podcast, and you can find the episode .
Director of Culinary Applications & Corporate Executive Chef Christopher Warsaw joined us on PeasOnMoss to give us a deeper dive into the capabilities that has distinguished . Bell Flavors and Fragrances the PeasOnMoss podcast and has been an example of customer focused innovation and solutions-oriented service. Chef Chris details how a research chef is vital to the success of a flavor company, and gives examples of how their influence helps progress innovation and stay on top of trends. Sponsorship pays for the fees that it takes to record, produce, and publish the podcast episodes. We appreciate the trust that Bell F&F puts into PeasOnMoss to tell the stories of the people in our industry and share insights about our work.
Chef, food scientist, account director, and RCA president Justin Kanthak is an impressive millennial and future leader, and you could ever accuse him of resting on his laurels. He joined us on the show to share his journey with us, and I pepper him with questions throughout regarding leadership, career advancement, and asking smart questions. We got deep in our discussion really quickly, so there isn’t a typical intro and welcome, but the depth of the topic was so good that I didn’t want to stop us. Though he’s probably going to get credit or blame for shaking up the RCA in ways it hasn’t seen with regard to how the up-and-coming generation is stepping into leadership, it has been a fire slowly building. I’m excited for this new chapter for our organization, and Justin does a great job explaining his vision for its future. This podcast is sponsored by - data management for the complex supply chain simplified.
Chef, food scientist, account director, and RCA president Justin Kanthak is an impressive millennial and future leader, and you could ever accuse him of resting on his laurels. He joined us on the show to share his journey with us, and I pepper him with questions throughout regarding leadership, career advancement, and asking smart questions. We got deep in our discussion really quickly, so there isn’t a typical intro and welcome, but the depth of the topic was so good that I didn’t want to stop us. Though he’s probably going to get credit or blame for shaking up the RCA in ways it hasn’t seen with regard to how the up-and-coming generation is stepping into leadership, it has been a fire slowly building. I’m excited for this new chapter for our organization, and Justin does a great job explaining his vision for its future. This podcast is sponsored by - data management for the complex supply chain simplified.
Chef Kurt needs very little introduction in the Research Chef Association industry. Indomitable seems to be the word that comes to mind when I think of him. From his journey through restaurants to R&D, he is already a leader in his work. But, Chef Kurt has survived a health misadventure that should have shut down his career right at the pinnacle. Hear the story from his own words. His determination to heal and bring that experience into his work is inspiring, but it also should make us question the hurdles we are facing. Maybe they aren’t as big as they feel? This podcast is sponsored by . Contact them for flavor and fragrance needs, and let them know that you heard about them on PeasOnMoss.
Chef Kurt needs very little introduction in the Research Chef Association industry. Indomitable seems to be the word that comes to mind when I think of him. From his journey through restaurants to R&D, he is already a leader in his work. But, Chef Kurt has survived a health misadventure that should have shut down his career right at the pinnacle. Hear the story from his own words. His determination to heal and bring that experience into his work is inspiring, but it also should make us question the hurdles we are facing. Maybe they aren’t as big as they feel? This podcast is sponsored by . Contact them for flavor and fragrance needs, and let them know that you heard about them on PeasOnMoss.
Today’s Guest, Jessica Coon, works at Texas Food Solutions, the first company in Houston, Texas, providing commercial High Pressure Processing (HPP) tolling to Southeast Texas and Louisiana. We re-met at a recent trade show and started chatting about the pros and cons and myths of HPP, and it occurred to me that we should have recorded the discussion. So, I invited Jessica to join the show and tell us all about the technology as well as detail her journey from the restaurants to this seemingly high tech processing method. She and I started talking about Imposter Syndrome as well, because as a chef, a female, and a technical expert, she has caught herself with some negative self talk before. I really appreciated her mantra and understanding how to address it. Get in touch with Texas Food Solutions - they do contract R&D nationwide and are centrally located. - Facebook:@Texasfoodsolutions - Instagram:hpptestkitchen - Twitter:@HPPTestKitchen This podcast is brought to you by . Supply chain data management at your fingertips. Join them and this podcast, bringing product development insights to the podcasting world.
Being a research chef and food scientist is a unique combination, and it could be easy to let the negative internal voice make us feel like we aren't good enough. Imposter Syndrome is a strong feeling that the American Psychological Association describes as feelings of fraud and a "specific form of intellectual self-doubt." I have asked several of my podcast guests about how they deal with their own imposter syndrome, and the answers received are always great suggestions for addressing our own. Check out how Jessica addresses it with confidence. This podcast is brought to you by . Supply chain data management at your fingertips. Join them and this podcast, bringing product development insights to the podcasting world.
Chef Karl Marsh is no stranger in the Research Chefs Association, having logged nearly twenty years as an active research chef and serving on the certification commission for the past two years. Now as the chairman of the certification commission, Chef Karl is leading the charge to improve the exam, refocusing both the CCS and CRC exams to emphasize culinology knowledge while also vetting the experiences of the food scientists and chefs. Together with the committee volunteers and the certification management team led by Elizabeth Dombrowski, the commission is reviewing exam qualifications, certification renewal processes, and supporting the members who have earned the certifications. Go to the RCA homepage and click on "" to get information about the certification. In addition to his volunteer work, Chef is also a research chef working with , a ready-to-eat, single-serving meal service delivered to your door. Chef Catherine Proper is credited for getting Chef Karl to come to Freshly, and we spend a little bit of time talking about her impact on both our career growth. This episode is brought to you by - non-sugar sweetener solutions for your sugar reduction needs. Iconfoods.com
Chef Karl is becoming the face for the Research Chefs Association certification commission, and he was part of the team who rewrote the exam this year, updating the questions and making them even more relevant and representative of a culinologist's experiences. He shared 3 main bullets about himself, and they're reflective of how his career has grown. 1. I have a passion for developing healthy meals and really enjoy the challenge that accompanies it. 2. I am a passionate about certification through the RCA and I am happy to help anyone in the process. 3. I would not be where I am today in my career and life without the RCA and my certification. Next week, you'll hear how the RCA has helped him build his career, and credits former Research Chefs Association President Catherine Proper for demonstrating just how close-knit the professional network is. This podcast is sponsored by . Natural sweetener solutions for businesses of all sizes.
This is a really special episode for folks who have been listening to the podcast for a few years. Deepak Rajmohan was a season two guest while he was studying his masters of food science at Oklahoma State University. He had shared how he reached out to over 200 professionals on LinkedIn and spoken with over 50 to learn about the industry and to get some advice. Fast forward two years, and Deepak had graduated and worked for Danone in the Happy Family Organics group. We reconnected at the - a surprise reunion for us both - and scheduled a podcast catch up. Since that meetup, though, Deepak has taken the plunge into entrepreneurship and has moved home to India. In this episode, Deepak reflects on his journey so far and gives some hints about his early stage research. He also talks about US vs Indian food industry, functional ingredients, and the receptivity to his bringing his culture to his workplace with ideas for innovation. This was such a fun episode to record with Deepak, and he’ll definitely be back. This podcast is sponsored by . From sweet to savory, they've got you covered.
This was a fun and special episode to record with a returning Season 2 guest - Deepak Rajmohan. We connected when he was studying his master's of food science at Oklahoma State University, and we caught up at the American Food Innovate Summit in Chicago. He talks about why he chose to come to the US to study and what he has observed about the attitudes towards food between India and the US. We cover functional food, ayurvedic medicine's influence on food, and international flavors in this preview. Tune in next week for the full episode. This podcast is sponsored by . From the exploration of new taste sensations, to the creation of memorable fragrances, to the enhancement of health through botanical extracts, Bell Flavors & Fragrances is your competitive advantage.
Today’s guest is Director of R&D for , Dan Howell. We met at the in Chicago, the organization for whom he is the chair person. He and his sales & marketing colleague Stephanie Robbins gave a talk about emotional intelligence and how building strong friendships in a company and a project team leads to better product development. I was so intrigued, and Dan joined me on the show to elaborate on several of the insights he and Stephanie shared. He also chatted about how he annoyedhis way into an internship at , and how his policy of being completely honest about his experience and his company’s needs have led to his career success. As the chair of the , he gets to open for several of the talks at the event. When registration opens for the US summit, I’ll share the link. This year, we’ll also be featuring several of the 2019 speakers on the podcast, so stay tuned. This podcast is sponsored by . For more than 15 years, Icon Foods has helped hundreds of manufacturers transition to healthy, alternative sweeteners and clean label sugar reduction. Their in-house expertise can create custom solutions specifically for your product!
Today’s guest is Director of R&D for , Dan Howell. We met at the in Chicago, the organization for whom he is the chair person. He and his sales & marketing colleague Stephanie Robbins gave a talk about emotional intelligence and how building strong friendships in a company and a project team leads to better product development. I was so intrigued, and Dan joined me on the show to elaborate on several of the insights he and Stephanie shared. He also chatted about how he annoyedhis way into an internship at , and how his policy of being completely honest about his experience and his company’s needs have led to his career success. As the chair of the , he gets to open for several of the talks at the event. When registration opens for the US summit, I’ll share the link. This year, we’ll also be featuring several of the 2019 speakers on the podcast, so stay tuned. This podcast is sponsored by . For more than 15 years, Icon Foods has helped hundreds of manufacturers transition to healthy, alternative sweeteners and clean label sugar reduction. Their in-house expertise can create custom solutions specifically for your product!
Chef Mark has a colorful origin story, starting as a dishwasher when he was 15 and then spent the last 24 years growing his skills as a chef - graduating from the - and coming over to R&D with Burley Foods. Burley Foods represents about 45 ingredient manufacturers, so Chef Mark spends his day helping find solutions for customers leveraging the ingredient resources he has. He joined us on the podcast today to tell us about his journey and what he would do with a can of beans today. This podcast is sponsored by . Find out how they can help with a variety of flavor needs, from sweet to spicy to savory.
Chef Mark Chura is from and is responsible for sending some listeners and new friends to the podcast - in fact, I met a new scientist at the American Food Innovate Summit in Chicago in February because she had been keeping a look out for me because he had shared the podcast with her. Chef Mark has a colorful origin story, starting as a dishwasher when he was 15 and then spent the last 24 years growing his skills as a chef - graduating from the - and coming over to R&D with Burley Foods. Burley Foods represents about 45 ingredient manufacturers, so Chef Mark spends his day helping find solutions for customers leveraging the ingredient resources he has. He joined us on the podcast today to tell us about his journey and what he would do with a can of beans today. This podcast is sponsored by . Find out how they can help with a variety of flavor needs, from sweet to spicy to savory.
Dr. Ashley Colpaart is the founder and CEO of , a national network of shared commercial kitchen space serving small food companies. Director of Community Rachael Miller was an early t and shared the concept of connecting commercial kitchen space owners to possible rental clients. Finding a commercial space can be so challenging and is a hurdle in starting a food business. Food incubation and food business development are key in helping entrepreneurs break into the industry, and it's big business now. Ashley is joining us on this special recording sharing about the upcoming Food Incubation Summit in Austin, Texas. Info about the event: The only event of its kind, the annual Food Incubation Summit is 2-day event complete with education sessions, tours, networking events, and culminating in an evening of food, music, and celebration of all things food incubation. Each year The Food Incubation Summit explores a city’s strengths, challenges, and best practices in building a vibrant food system, directly from local leaders that live, work and eat there.
Stan Sagner went from media to line cooking and back to media, though now in a more strategy-focused way. His transition to culinary is similar to several that I’ve met who attended culinary school “later in life” - he was working in a fast-paced, stressful world and wanted to get out. So he went into cooking. Only then did he realize how ironic that move was. Then again, Stan has been able to combine his love for food and expertise in media and has worked as a journalist, a food critic, and now a food business strategist. We’re connected through the Specialty Food Association where I was able to speak in the Big Ideas forum in June. This podcast is sponsored by , founding sponsor for the past two years. Find out how they can help you with your sweetener solutions, and tell them that you heard about them through PeasOnMoss.
Food writer and professionally trained cook Stan Sagner went to culinary school while he was also working full time in a high stress media role. Though he was surviving his classes, he recounts a story of how a chef instructor told him that he would have to choose whether he was going to focus on the course or stick to his full time job. Embedded in that lesson is the advice: do it well, or don't do it at all. This is a good reflection for those who believe that they can do it all - including me. I have to ask myself: is it worth it, and am I bringing my best effort? This podcast is sponsored by , founding sponsor for the past two years. Find out how they can help you with your sweetener solutions, and tell them that you heard about them through PeasOnMoss.
Taylor Walker is the newest addition to the leadership team at , having joined the organization about a year ago. As the director of brand protection, Taylor leverages her experience as a food scientist and plant operations professional and brings a unique eye to commercialization and production management to the CuliNex consultancy known for its clean label product development. She and I are connected by Adam Yee, the founder of , and we discuss how membership in a professional organization has helped shaped her career and how the has fostered growth for its segment in the food industry. This podcast episode is sponsored by Bell Flavors and Fragrances. Find them at
Taylor Walker is the newest addition to the leadership team at , having joined the organization about a year ago. As the director of brand protection, Taylor leverages her experience as a food scientist and plant operations professional and brings a unique eye to commercialization and production management to the CuliNex consultancy known for its clean label product development. She and I are connected by Adam Yee, the founder of , and we discuss how membership in a professional organization has helped shaped her career and how the has fostered growth for its segment in the food industry. This podcast episode is sponsored by Bell Flavors and Fragrances. Find them at
Chef Jonathan Deutsch was a recent guest on PeasOnMoss, and Kimberly shared the Big Ideas stage with Chef Jonathan. Jonathan talked about innovation in the healthcare sector and proposed that medical food service should be considered a specialty category, worthy of consideration, elevation, and innovation. He then presented about a new product concept that he and the team created. I invited him to the podcast to discuss the show and his presentation. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods, innovations in non-sugar sweeteners. They've got a variety of solutions and blends for a wide selection of categories, from frozen desserts to beverages. Visit them at
Josh Zloof is from , and when his PR team reached out to set up an interview, I was intrigued. utilizes existing markets for premium coffee to educate consumers about their coffee, which they don’t like to call instant. From their unique format (test tubes) to their desire to make premium coffee both convenient and more affordable, the sudden coffee team is changing how we should think about quick coffee and our daily habit. This podcast is brought to you by . With multiple locations internationally, they can meet you where your manufacturing needs are. Contact them and let them know that PeasOnMoss sent you.
Josh Zloof is from , and when his PR team reached out to set up an interview, I was intrigued. utilizes existing markets for premium coffee to educate consumers about their coffee, which they don’t like to call instant. From their unique format (test tubes) to their desire to make premium coffee both convenient and more affordable, the sudden coffee team is changing how we should think about quick coffee and our daily habit. This podcast is brought to you by . With multiple locations internationally, they can meet you where your manufacturing needs are. Contact them and let them know that PeasOnMoss sent you.
Jonathan Deutsch is a professor of culinary arts and food science at and active member of the research chefs association and specialty food association. in 2014 he co-founded the , bringing real-world product development projects to students. He offers commentary on culinary education programs and questions the absolute value of a training program that has been argued as one that could be replaced by self-teaching and on-the-job raining. Then he offers the idea in which culinology might be the solution in finding a place for culinary education programs that cannot be as easily taught “on the job.” For the past two years, this podcast has been sponsored by , your partners for sugar reduction formulations. From syrups to granulated sweetener blends and groundbreaking work in allulose, they have options for your product.
Jonathan Deutsch is a professor of culinary arts and food science at and active member of the research chefs association and specialty food association. in 2014 he co-founded the , bringing real-world product development projects to students. He offers commentary on culinary education programs and questions the absolute value of a training program that has been argued as one that could be replaced by self-teaching and on-the-job raining. Then he offers the idea in which culinology might be the solution in finding a place for culinary education programs that cannot be as easily taught “on the job.” For the past two years, this podcast has been sponsored by , your partners for sugar reduction formulations. From syrups to granulated sweetener blends and groundbreaking work in allulose, they have options for your product.
Susie Bautista is a flavor chemist whom I came to know through her blog, . Her newest adventure is actually in education, and she has experience teaching trough her volunteer work in STEM workshops sharing about scents. She has worked in the food and flavor industry for about 25 years - 18 as a flavor and application chemist. During those years, she helped clients develop new market product concepts - primarily beverages, dairy, seasoned goods, and bakery products. She also helped her employer streamline flavor production. She shares her experiences in food flavor and scents - and the sense of smell - through her blog and for the “scents of slime” STEM presentations for youth. This podcast is brought to you by . Flavor ingredients, fragrances, botanical extracts to captivate the sense.
Susie Bautista is a flavor chemist whom I came to know through her blog, . Her newest adventure is actually in education, and she has experience teaching trough her volunteer work in STEM workshops sharing about scents. She has worked in the food and flavor industry for about 25 years - 18 as a flavor and application chemist. During those years, she helped clients develop new market product concepts - primarily beverages, dairy, seasoned goods, and bakery products. She also helped her employer streamline flavor production. She shares her experiences in food flavor and scents - and the sense of smell - through her blog and for the “scents of slime” STEM presentations for youth. This podcast is brought to you by . Flavor ingredients, fragrances, botanical extracts to captivate the sense.
It doesn't sound mind-blowing to think that you would do a product development project by starting with the end in mind, and we spend a lot of time scoping our projects and describing what success looks like. Aidan Altman and Andrew McClure took it a slight step further: they started with how they would manufacture it and who should ideally use it. I'm used to interviewing brilliant and persistent entrepreneurs who failed their way forward through mistakes to commercialize their products, but the Fora Foods founders thought about the manufacturability of their product even before they had finalized the product. What's more, they don't have decades of food science research to rely on. Maybe it allowed them to think outside the box, and they definitely thought outside the creamery. Special thanks to the two sponsors of the podcast, and . Check out how they can help you with your formulation challenges.
Remember the popularity of using canned chickpea (garbanzo bean) water to whip up meringues? Aquafaba is an incredibly functional ingredient, and it's a byproduct of various chickpea processing businesses. The founders of Andrew McClure and Aidan Altman knew that, and when they were working out a way to make a non-dairy butter that would have superior functionality to the others on the market, they harnessed the properties of aquafaba. Hear their story and how they started with the end user in mind: the chef and the baker. Big thanks to for signing on as the second sponsor of PeasOnMoss. Get information about them at their website and find out how their flavor and aroma systems could help your formulation work.
Terry Madden's background is in aseptic and process engineering, but he didn't start in a traditional food science or engineering school. He recognized that a career change was necessary to keep his job, and he cross-trained into the industry. His journey from car mechanics to food safety builds a strong case for how our varied backgrounds enhance the skills we bring to the product development and food manufacturing industry. Special thanks to our newest sponsor, . Flavor Ingredients, Fragrances, Botanical Extracts to Captivate the Senses since 1912.
Adam Yee is the founder of the popular podcast and website , and I have really enjoyed watching his career and business grow over the past years. You can hear past interviews of both of us on each other's pages to get our backstories. Adam attended the this year, and it was so fun to see our worlds come together. Adam has been doing a lot as an entrepreneur and has been traveling quite a bit, so we decided to commemorate our third year of podcasting. In this episode, you'll hear us recap his trips and some of the insights he shared with the different food science program students he's been presenting to. We also discuss how to build a career and how to address imposter syndrome. This podcast has been sponsored by Icon Foods for two years, and we're so grateful for their continued commitment to PeasOnMoss. Founder Thom King was a and also appeared on Adam's show. Contact Icon Foods to explore high intensity and natural sweetener solutions that will help you reduce your sugar usage, and ask them about their work with allulose.
Terry Madden's background is in aseptic and process engineering. He was on the commissioning team for two ground-up plant builds and commissioned numerous UHT systems for aseptic and ESL along with all the ancillary dairy equipment. In this preview, you'll hear Terry talk about aseptic processing build-outs and how the structure influences the processing of the finished product. Right now he’s working in business development for Hydrite Chmical, focusing on plant sanitation and optimization. You can find him on LinkedIn - just like i did - sharing insights to the industry. Special thanks to our newest sponsor, . Flavor Ingredients, Fragrances, Botanical Extracts to Captivate the Senses since 1912.
Chef Michael Oraschewsky joined us on PeasOnMoss to chat about bringing spreadable bacon to the masses and touches on the key partnerships with subject matter experts, leverage university resources, and the getting seed capital through crowd funding. He also previews a tomato sauce collaboration with the Philadelphia-based hunger relief organization, Philabundance, and their work in upcycling less choice produce in their program Abundantly Good. Look for the gourmet bacon jams in your specialty grocers or online at Philabundance and Abundantly Good details are at This podcast is brought to you by Icon Foods, a global supplier of all natural, GMO-Free, Kosher, low calories, low carb sweeteners and sugar substitutes for food manufacturers. Check out what they can do for you at
Michael Oraschewsky is the Chef and Co-Founder of TBJ Gourmet. He took a simple bacon jam recipe from his restaurant menu and turned into a nationally selling CPG. He is on the cutting edge of the emerging Upcycling trend which is helping to curb waste in our food supply chain. In this episode preview, we talk about some of the experiences he had in bringing bacon jam to the people and how he leveraged academic and expert services to help him be successful. Look for the gourmet bacon jams in your specialty grocers or online at Philabundance and Abundantly Good details are at This podcast is brought to you by Icon Foods, a global supplier of all natural, GMO-Free, Kosher, low calories, low carb sweeteners and sugar substitutes for food manufacturers. Check out what they can do for you at
As one of the founders of r, Andress is currently the President and CEO and oversees the vision and strategy for this zero-calorie, natural sugar replacement. With an early career in radio, Andress is a former top-rated morning show personality. She currently resides in New Orleans and can often be seen on weekends competing in Stockdog Trials with her crew of Border Collies and Australian Shepherds. This podcast is brought to you by , our original sponsor. They have innovative sweetener systems that can fit a variety of product formulations. Find out how they can help you.
is a delicious natural sweetener that measures cup-for-cup just like sugar! Swerve is made from ingredients found in select fruits and starchy root vegetables, and contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives or flavors. It’s zero-calorie, non-glycemic and safe for those living with diabetes, since it has no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels. Look for it in your favorite grocery store. Andress talks about how creating positive disruptions in the industry will encourage us to rethink the future of food. This podcast is sponsored by , natural sweetener solutions to help you reduce the sugar in your product formulations. Find out how they can help you today - and tell them PeasOnMoss sent you!
Education and Content Specialist Sara Kay wrote an interesting article about developing products that allow them to make certain health claims. I reached out on LinkedIn, and then the conversation really got going. Not wanting to hog all the juicy information, I thought, we better get Sara on the show! Sara wanted to share this with the PeasOnMoss audience: "We have a really exciting event coming up this April in Chicago, April 7-9, called the Specialty Food Business Summit, focused on makers of specialty food and which is open to members and non-members of the SFA. Full information on the Summit can be found at , or people can email me at skay@specialtyfood.com" This podcast is sponsored by , maker of natural sweetener blends to help you reduce the sugar in your formulas. Contact them and let them know that PeasOnMoss sent you!
Specialty food is a category of food products unto its own and the CPGs that provide products for the various categories that fit within the description have one of the largest and most exciting shows in the food industry - the Fancy Food Show. In this preview Specialty Food Association content and education specialist Sara Kay and I talk about how interesting the industry is and what the SFA is doing to help start-up business owners build successful food businesses. This podcast is sponsored by , the source for customized natural sweeteners. Contact them to help you solve your sweetener challenges. Join us at the next show, held twice a year in San Francisco and New York City. Find out if your brand is a good fit for the .
Barton Dewing was one of the Season 1 podcast guests and one of the most popular ones from that season. In this episode we talk about crossing careers and crossing food categories. At one of the dinners at RCA last year, Barton chimed in when one of the younger research chefs expressed concern about changing jobs, and he reminded them and reminds us that we take our experience and knowledge with us, wherever we go. That knowledge helps us pick up and move faster each role and responsibility we take. Hear his thoughts in this episode. This podcast is sponsored by . Find out how their natural sweetener solutions can help you reduce the sugar in your formulas. Celebrate Handy Seafood's 125th anniversary with them. Check them out and look for them in stores.
Barton Dewing talks about the importance of ingredient specifications and how they impact the success of your finished product. Join in sponsoring this podcast and keeping us on the air. Go to and check out the sponsor page for details. Chef Barton is the directory of culinary development at Handy Seafood, an international seafood brand based in Maryland. Handy is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Check out all their products and look for them in stores.
Chef Nick Landry is an active research chef and is quickly becoming one of the faces for Southeastern Mills as well as for research chefs in the trade. He doesn’t seem to be home very much with all the photos he takes at various trade shows, but somehow he balances working for one of the staple brands in the industry with his demanding job on the bench. Chef Nick tells us about his journey to becoming a corporate research chef and how being sure to leave all relationships in the most positive way possible was his key to breaking into the field. He wraps it all up with telling us why it’s important for him to give back to the RCA and gives a little call to action to spur us to be more active in our community - whether that’s professional membership or cooking for your neighbors. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements.
Chef Nick Landry is an active research chef and is quickly becoming one of the faces for Southeastern Mills as well as for research chefs in the trade. He doesn’t seem to be home very much with all the photos he takes at various trade shows, but somehow he balances working for one of the staple brands in the industry with his demanding job on the bench. Chef Nick tells us about his journey to becoming a corporate research chef and how being sure to leave all relationships in the most positive way possible was his key to breaking into the field. He wraps it all up with telling us why it’s important for him to give back to the RCA and gives a little call to action to spur us to be more active in our community - whether that’s professional membership or cooking for your neighbors. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you.
Shannon Theobald just founded the Working Group which focuses on the future outlook for food, and I am connected to Shannon through a fellow developer in the Research Chefs Association. Though she isn't a research scientist herself, she is focused on sharing accurate information about the emerging field of printing food using proteins and food materials. Shannon joins us on the podcast to tell us about the work and potential future. In this preview Shannon talks about how her attitude of "vicious optimism" is her secret to walking into new opportunities and not being fearful. Join us next week for the full episode and details about the working group. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you.
Ever approach the threshold of a room full of strangers who are gathered to network? Do you feel excited, or do you feel some fear? Shannon Theobald just founded the Working Group which focuses on the future outlook for food, and I am connected to Shannon through a fellow developer in the Research Chefs Association. Though she isn't a research scientist herself, she is focused on sharing accurate information about the emerging field of printing food using proteins and food materials. Shannon joins us on the podcast to tell us about the work and potential future. In this preview Shannon talks about how her attitude of "vicious optimism" is her secret to walking into new opportunities and not being fearful. Join us next week for the full episode and details about the working group. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you.
Chef Winston Riley joined us on the podcast today. I met him in Puerto Rico when then president Catherine Proper asked him to share some history of the word culinology and the stories of the early days of the Research Chefs Association. Since then, he has been a big fan and encourager, and I wanted to get him on the show to give a perspective of what he has seen over the past 20+ years with corporate chef work, the research chef industry, and the professional association that ties us together. He recently opened in the Kansas City area. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you. Want to meet in person? Come to the - take advantage of the PeasOnMoss media partnership special - click the link on the home page.
Today’s guest is Tim Forrest. A business consultant who has worked almost every job in the supply chain industry, Tim brings a unique perspective of how to launch a food business in today’s new market. He’s really passionate about helping food business entpreeneurs take every advantage they have, and this is a power-packed conversation. Tim is opening up a webinar series for folks interested in getting a kick start in their food business. Details for how the PeasOnMoss audience will get special access are coming soon. Visit for more information about Tim. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they’ve developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you.
Chef Robert Saia is a self-trained chef, food science expert, and nutritionist, and he has been working on solving problems in the kitchen ever since he began working in food service. He and Mrs. Chef joined me on the podcast to share details about the book and provide a great giveaway for our PeasOnMoss podcast listeners just in time for the holidays! Sign up for the and be entered for a copy of the e-book! This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you. Want to meet in person? Come to the - take advantage of the PeasOnMoss media partnership special - click the link on the home page.
Jeff is a nationally acclaimed marketing leader, specializing in reigniting and revitalizing brands and categories. He is best known for GOT MILK?, transforming the now famous phrase from a local tag line into one of the best known, most influential campaigns in advertising history. A campaign licensed nationally by companies including Nabisco, Nestle, General Mills and Kellogg. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you. Want to meet in person? Come to the - take advantage of the PeasOnMoss media partnership special - click the link on the home page.
Jeff Manning is not your typical mad man advertising man, but he does have a pretty nifty history. He worked on the California milk processor board side of the advertising slogan “got milk.” He is one of the speakers for the upcoming American Food Innovate Summit in Chicago Feb 4-5, and he came to the show to give us a preview of what he plans to share at the innovation summit. This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you. Want to meet in person? Come to the - take advantage of the PeasOnMoss media partnership special - click the link on the home page.
Joshua Smith has enjoyed a wonderful career at So Delicious, and has a godfather-like affection for several of the products that have made So Delicious a staple in the non-dairy products category. From the younger days as an independent brand through partnerships and acquisitions, Joshua has grown in his career as the company has. He shares that that experience was like and his optimism for the future. We also talk about Expo West and the changes that the Natural Products show - and the category - have undergone over the past decade. This show is sponsored by Icon Foods. Find out from them how they could help you reduce sugar without losing your sweet identity. Join them in supporting the show - find out how you can help us grow.
Food product developer Joshua Smith is a connection through Katie Jones, the founder of the Food Heroes Podcast, a former colleague at So Delicious. In this preview, Joshua talks about why he has stayed for several years in the same business while many middle managers and developers (myself included) have moved to different companies for promotions and opportunities. This show is sponsored by Icon Foods. Find out from them how they could help you reduce sugar without losing your sweet identity. Join them in supporting the show - find out how you can help us grow.
Andrew Garrett laughs easily, but don't think that this doesn't mean he doesn't take his work seriously. The founder of NW Elixers, a chef-created cooking sauce brand in Portland, OR, Chef Andrew has also worked with Icon Foods commercializing sugar free sauces for the ketogenic community. He shares some of the challenges of what it is like to force himself to relinquish the ownership of every single step in a product manufacturing process in order to focus on the most important elements of business and co-packing. You can find NW Elixers in the Pacific Northwest and buy his product online at This podcast is sponsored by . Get information about sugar free formulations and find out what they've developed lately to help you solve your sugar reduction requirements. Become a and help grow the podcast and the value-add we can offer you. Want to meet in person? Come to the and take advantage of the Thanksgiving special 2-4-1 deal!
Next week's podcast guest is R&D Chef Andrew Garrett. After acknowledging his obsession with condiments and sauces, Chef Andrew shared how he came to found NW Elixirs and why co-packing was the biggest challenge he faced as a food business entrepreneur. In this preview he shares what the biggest two lessons were for his work as a research chef. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods, the source for high intensity, natural sweeteners. Get details at . Join them and sponsor PeasOnMoss. Contact us at . Find Chef Andrew's products at
Food product developer and writer Katie Jones didn't start out with the plan to be the next big podcast host, but after years of writing about food and experience as a food product developer, she was looking for another way to contribute to the industry. Since she already interviewed experts in the field for articles in various food publications, she thought podcasting would be a breeze. It's not. But she discovered something else: a platform to tell the stories about food businesses with unique, community-focused and industry-changing missions. She joins us on the podcast to talk shop and about some of the lessons she learned in her first 20 episodes. This show is sponsored by Icon Foods. Find out from them how they could help you reduce sugar without losing your sweet identity. Join them in supporting the show - find out how you can help us grow.
One thing that is great about podcasting is the relationship we build with our guests and our audience. Some of my good friends in the industry started as guests on the show. In this clip, I chat with Katie about imposter syndrome - whether I feel it, and how I deal with it. You'll hear Katie's perspective in next week's full interview, but here's my most recent approach to how I landed a senior scientist role without a master's in food science. (Hint: it takes a lot of late night reading to make sure I'm still filling the gaps, and it takes humility to ask others to help educate you) This show is sponsored by Icon Foods. Find out from them how they could help you reduce sugar without losing your sweet identity. Join them in supporting the show - find out how you can help us grow.
Chef Dan Follese is your modern-day traveling fixer, but not in the Mob sort of way. He's a consulting R&D Chef who has a knack for speaking to the marketing and brand managers as well as the operators, developers, and chefs in a team. Instead of introducing line extensions, he helps brands refresh their offerings and expand their customer base by showing them how to repurpose and showcase their existing ingredients in the food trends of today. Chef Dan is a member of the Research Chefs Association, but we're connected through the interesting articles that he posts on . See how Chef Follese can help you repurpose current products into new opportunities without doing NPD. This podcast is brought to you by Icon Foods. Get information about natural sweetening systems at Help us grow the podcast - go to for details.
Chef Eric Rivera is one of my first podcast guests, and we recorded his interview when he was first moving back to Seattle. Fast-forward a few years, and both of us are in very different roles. Chef Eric has founded , an innovative pop-up restaurant and chef business incubator space. After a year in the Coffee Flour space, Eric has moved the location and has founded his own on-going pop-up, Lechoncito, serving Puerto Rican delights for business lunches and dinners. He's even taking a group to Puerto Rico next year! Never held back by fear, Chef Eric talks about why it's important to encourage or even push growth and why he's glad his own chef teammates outgrow his business. This episode is sponsored by Icon Foods, a trusted source for sugar alternatives. From R&D to manufacturing, Icon Foods can help you reduce sugar without losing flavor. Go to to get details - tell them PeasOnMoss sent you. Join our conversations about food product development - go to www.peasonmoss.com to find out how.
Alan Reed is the Executive Director of the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network, and he joined us to introduce the CFBN. Chicago is a hub for food manufacturing and restaurants, and the network appears to be the first one that brings together both sides of the industry and provides a platform to collaborate. They do multiple events each month, so if you find yourself in Chicago, make sure you check out an event. This podcast is sponsored by . Get more information about natural sugar replacement at .
Conversations with Chef Greg Grisanti are always fun. A previous guest of the podcast, Chef Greg returned to the show to talk about best practices in research chef work and how the work compares to restaurant cooking. From restaurant work to cleaning up labels at quick service restaurants, Chef Greg has seen lots of different ways to have a vibrant culinary career, and he's still excited about the future. Special thanks to our founding and only sponsor, Icon Foods. Join them, help us grow the podcast. www.peasonmoss.com
While Chef Greg and I were wrapping up our podcast recording, we started talking about next year's Research Chefs Association conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Turns out, Chef is from Louisville, so he shares some insights about the city and gets us really excited about visiting the conference. Listen to the full episode next week, but in the meantime, get excited for the RCA . . This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods - . Find out how sugar replacement can be accomplished naturally. Join Icon Foods and help keep this show going. www.peasonmoss.com
Inspected, safe kitchens scaled for commercial use (bigger stoves, refrigerators, etc) are required to prepare food consistently and safely, but if you're newer to the business or too small for a full-scale co-packer, where do you turn? Rachael Miller joins us on the podcast to tell us about The Food Corridor, a business incubator that connects commercial kitchens with users, whether for catering chefs, small scale production, or hosting special events. Rachael is The Food Corridor's Director of Community. She helps shared kitchens connect with other kitchens and food businesses; and promotes educational opportunities for shared kitchen professionals across North America. For more, check out their , , , or join one of their private Facebook communities: (NICK) and the . Join Icon Foods in sponsoring this podcast. Get information about them at . Contact us for sponsorship details at
Research Chef Chris McAdams is a talented voice in the RCA and culinology world and shares his knowledge through Culinary Culture, a consultancy in Austin, Tx. Culinary Culture is a group of passionate research chefs who offer consulting services for food-based businesses. Through trend research, innovative ideation, and unsurpassed industry experience, Culinary Culture delivers imaginative, craveable products that consistently exceed your expectations. In part 2, Chris and I review the 2018 Culinary Institute of America World of Flavors and about food cultural appropriation. We dig into it, because the main theme of the WOF this year was about the immigrant impact on cuisine in America. We started exploring a very, very deep topic, which I feel merits a much longer discussion, and this is an ongoing debate at tables throughout the country. In our excitement to discuss what cultural food trends will sweep the nation, it's vital to keep an awareness to the risks of appearing to appropriate a culture's food in the pursuit and passion of the cuisine. Sound off to me - let's get a discussion going. Get in touch with Chef Chris at This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods, our founding sponsor. Join them for the next year.
Research Chef Chris McAdams is a talented voice in the RCA and culinology world. As a writer for various sites, including the RCA student committee's The Culinologist and Culinary Culture's blogs, Chris uses every dining out and experience to share with the readers. Chris has followed a crazy pathway to his R&D career, from the Air Force, to college, to culinary school, and eventually to Culinary Culture. Culinary Culture is a group of passionate research chefs who offer consulting services for food-based businesses. Through trend research, innovative ideation, and unsurpassed industry experience, Culinary Culture delivers imaginative, craveable products that consistently exceed your expectations. In Part 1 of this 2-part episode, you'll hear Chris' journey and work as a consultant. In part 2, Chris and I discuss this year's Culinary Institute of America World of Flavors and about food cultural appropriation. Get in touch with them at This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods, our founding sponsor. Join them for the next year.
I've been off-air for two weeks, and thank you for sticking around! Chef Matthew Raiford was the keynote speaker for the 2018 Research Chefs Association Conference, and he spoke about diversity, service, acknowledging our histories (including the parts we aren't proud of), and the future of the culinary world, including the research world. He owns two restaurants in Georgia, and he spends no less than 10 hours per week volunteering his time for various nonprofits. Our conversation was an unscripted conference call that he took in the car, and you'll hear how he weaves his food philosophy and chef practice into every element of his life. Chef Farmer Matthew Raiford can be found on the line at and This podcast is sponsored by . Join them in sponsorship, and help us grow to the next level.
Food technologist Andrea Zeng and I worked together as the product development team at Lundberg Family Farms renovating their snack line, creating new rice meal kits, and developing frozen items for them. Andrea has since moved into chocolate product research and development, drawing on her time managing the Cal Poly Chocolates Food and Nutrition Science student product development and management program. Now a chocolate technologist, she joins us to talk about product development across different brands and the similarities and differences among them. We recorded this episode last fall, so Andrea is not the newbie any more. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods. Get information about their non-sugar sweeteners at . Join them and sponsor the show.
Andrea Zeng worked with me in a past R&D role, and although she crossed food categories when she moved to a new job at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, she had past experience working in chocolate science. Here she gives some foundational advise on how you could cross from one category to another and how passion for the category is the key to cross-over. Thanks to Icon Foods for being the founding sponsor. Check out other episodes at
Wendy Lu McGill is CEO/Founder of Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch (RMMR), Colorado's first and only edible insect farm. With a background in sociological research in international development and intercultural communication, Wendy Lu brings a global perspective and deep understanding of the why and how of farming insects for food. She joins the PeasOnMoss podcast to dispel some myths about insect protein, share top reasons to consider alternative protein sources, and why insect protein shouldn't be considered an alternative but a future. FB Twitter Insta Thanks to Icon Foods for being the founding sponsor. Check them out at Help them and help us keep the podcast going.
Wendy Lu McGill is CEO/Founder of Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch (RMMR), Colorado's first and only edible insect farm. With a background in sociological research in international development and intercultural communication, Wendy Lu brings a global perspective and deep understanding of the why and how of farming insects for food. Wendy Lu was a guest panelist during the 2018 Research Chefs Association Conference, the discussion I was honored to host. She's arguably the rancher of the smallest animal protein sources that we should be consuming more widely. Hear how she moves conversations from the "ick" factor to a meaningful conversation about the future of food security. FB Twitter Insta Big thanks to Icon Foods for being the sponsor of the podcast. Get more information about them at . Got an idea for the podcast?
Food scientist Lindsey Wisener started WiseBev two years ago to balance her work and life responsibilities and has experienced great growth. With a specialty in beverage development, she started her niche business by getting hired by companies that already knew her quality of work, and the calls kept coming. Now she runs a thriving business in a popular food category and shares some great insights about founding her own business and how it compares to the corporate world. PeasOnMoss is sponsored by Icon Foods. Get information about natural sweeteners and sweetener blends at Support PeasOnMoss at Connect with Lindsey's team at
When you've worked in product development and food science for ten years, you have earned some intense stories about projects that almost failed. Lindsay's story is a classic, and I couldn't believe how real it felt. Hear the start of her story in this nail-biting preview, and download the full episode next week to find out how she saved it! Get in touch with Lindsay at . Thank our show's sponsor, Icon Foods, at Support PeasOnMoss and consider joining an upcoming conversation.
Jessica Goldstein is the head of business development and sales for NuSpice, a company based in New Jersey, but she travels the nation and the world to develop business relationships and bring a personal touch to the relationships among vendors, customers, and the supply chain. Her key to success: focus on problem solving - it helps her focus on the client's biggest needs and sets the tone of working together rather than placing blame. Connect with NuSpice at This podcast is brought to you by Icon Foods. Connect with them at . Join them in sponsoring the podcast - get information at
NuSpice business developer and sales VP Jessica Goldstein manages a team of experienced individuals, many of whom are older than her. How does she acknowledge her youth but also maintain management? She has a solid staff, and she treats them with respect and acknowledgement of their experiences. And she trusts them to be incredible. Hear this perspective in the preview and listen to the whole episode next week. Get in touch with NuSpice Thanks to Icon Foods for being our sponsor. Please join them in keeping us on the air.
Chef Robert Saia joins us on PeasOnMoss to describe his unique careers as both a nutritionist and chef and how he has leveraged those experiences in restaurant management, culinary instruction, and food business entrepreneurship. Humorous and quick-witted, the conversation covered topics from how food science helps him be a better chef and how he is preparing for the Certified Executive Chef exam. Check out his program and app at You can reach Chef Robert on LinkedIn, and he's also active on Facebook. This podcast is brought to you by Icon Foods, the source for natural sweetener systems. Get more details at . Join them in sponsoring the podcast - inquire at Join our new topic-focused discussion episodes. Contact us on the website.
Chef Robert Saia is a personality, a passionate educator, and a Renaissance man. An entrepreneur who never let degrees and pedigrees get in his way, Chef Robert is constantly looking for needs and ways to fill them. In this preview he talks about how he uses food science to explain to culinary students how the knowledge of what's going on at a molecular level could make them better cooks. Next week, you'll get to hear about the Menu and Recipe Genesis app that he has created to help with recipe development and brainstorming. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods. Join them in keeping the podcast going for another year. Get in touch with Icon Foods at and find out about sponsoring for a year, a month, or even a specific episode.
Before I (Kimberly) crossed into product development, I was on the pathway to studying a Master's of Food Science and taking the registered dietitian certification (RD). I don't often meet very many registered dietitians in product development, but the Research Chefs Association has members from all specialties, including Chef and Registered Dietitian Stephanie Green. She discusses how nutrition and culinary arts are interrelated and how nutrition scientists are vital in food product development. Get in touch with Chef Stephanie at This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods. Find out about how natural sweeteners can help reduce calories for your products. . Join them in sponsoring us for a year. Email us at
Chef Stephanie Green is both a clinical dietitian and a chef, and she is active in food education, food styling and photography, recipe development and consultation. She joins us on POM to share her career and tell us about the unique niche she has filled in combining clinical dietetics with professional cooking. This week is a preview, and next week you'll get to laugh along with Kimberly as Stephanie describes her "slow" season, which is packed with educational events, teaching, cooking demos, cookbook writing, and content creation. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods. Go to to get details about the latest innovations in natural sweeteners. Join them and sponsor this podcast. Get details at . We'll start topic-specific episodes soon - suggest a theme or join a conversation. Contact us on the website.
Chef Anne Hildebrandt Druschitz is a corporate research chef at Edlong Dairy Technologies and helps to show how the Edlong products in various finished product applications. Anne crossed into R&D from restaurant work when she had the opportunity to work for a flavor company. She realized that her true passion was the R&D process, from development through commercialization. She shares her journey, what it is to be an application chef, and how she blends her passion for meal creation with food science.
One thing chefs can do when we get together is tell great tales, and Chef Anne Druschitz shares how integral a strong culinary background combined with food science is in working with a customer. In this segment, Anne and I are talking about the considerations in non-dairy ice cream, and she starts to describe how many iterations it could take to create a flavor system that meets the customer's needs. Let's just say, the alphabet is sometimes not long enough to cover all the tests required. Special thanks to Icon Foods for sponsoring the podcast. Join them this year and become a PeasOnMoss sponsor. Get details at IconFoods.com and PeasOnMoss.com
Nope, this isn't a live broadcast of the show, but here is the podcast episode that we recorded with a live audience at the Research Chefs Association Conference in Savannah. My guests were Dr. Darryl Holliday, Asst. Professor of food science at University of Holy Cross Emily Munday, Director of Operations at CuliNex Chef Kami R Smith, Director of Culinary Showcasing at Pecan Deluxe Chef Barbara Zatto, RCA board member and regional director Get more information about the Research Chefs Association at . Find your local region and attend an upcoming event. Special thanks to Chef Jason Behrends, President, and the RCA Board for inviting me to be a guest speaker for the conference and for the personal support they have given through sharing the show. Be part of my next season: contact me through to find out about becoming a sponsor or being a featured expert on an upcoming topic. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods, natural sweetener solutions.
Chef Charlie Baggs is the founder of Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations, a consulting chef business based in Chicago. From product innovation to serving as the technical team by retainer to various food businesses, CBCI also offers education, food tours, and representation at trade shows. Chef Charlie joins us on the PeasOnMoss podcast to talk about the evolution of consulting chef work, his career, and his systems for training chefs and developing leaders. On April 9, CBCI will be presenting a culinary basics course for food scientists who are preparing to study for the Research Chefs Association Certified Culinary Scientist exam. Go to to get details. This podcast is sponsored by our founding sponsor, Icon Foods. Join them in supporting the show for another year. Get more information on . Find out how Icon Foods can help you use natural sweeteners.
Chef Matthew Burton from Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations joins us in a special segment to share about next week's Culinary Basics class in Chicago, designed to prepare candidates for the Research Chefs Association's Certified Culinary Scientist exam. Next week, you'll hear the interview with Chef Charlie - it's a big one with lots of great knowledge! Register for April 9th's course at the RCA website, Get more information at Charlie Baggs' CBCI site, Thanks to Icon Foods for sponsoring the podcast. Join them in sponsoring - find out more at . Get information about natural sweeteners from Icon Foods at
Chef Joy Isaacs is the Director of R&D at Kent Precision Foods Group, and she spends her time managing her staff and balancing project goals with work-life balance. But she didn't spring forth as a perfect manager - that has taken years to develop and hone her skills on top of her development as a food scientist and chef. This call highlights the impact of how a strong network and good reputation in the industry can lead to opened doors and a successful career.
As we were wrapping up a powerful interview, Chef Joy Isaacs dropped a huge value bomb of advice for current students and early career scientists. Find out why she believes your training as a product developer starts after graduation. Hear the rest of the interview next week! Big thanks to Icon Foods for being our sponsor of the podcast. Help us keep the show on the air and join Icon Foods as a principal sponsor. Find out more at PeasOnMoss.com. Check out Icon Foods at Iconfoods.com
Chef John Draz came onto PeasOnMoss to talk about his journey from chef to culinary school instructor and to corporate R&D. He also shares some insights about clean label meat science, the learning curve in crossing into food manufacturing, and talks about the changing face of food science.
Chef John Draz is next week's guest, so here's a preview of what you'll hear. Visit us at Peasonmoss.com to get information about the upcoming Research Chef's Association and to find out about our sponsor, Icon Foods.
Chef Ernest Miller is like many of the guests that come onto the show: creative, adventurous, involved in various activities in addition to his primary job. A corporate research chef for Coast Packing, a company that specializes in selling animal fats, Chef Ernest doesn't just stop there. He spends his time as an instructor at various museums and schools throughout Southern California teaching food history. The founder of the Healthy Fats Coalition, Chef is also on a mission to break through the myths of the dangers of saturated fat sourced from animals, like beef tallow and bacon fat. A prior Marine who then graduated from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis and Yale Law School alumnus, Chef had a wealth of knowledge and stories.
Chef Ernest Miller is an educator at heart, and he likes to spend time educating consumers and colleagues. In this preview, you hear which food books he references for fun and the ones that have provided incredible food education and history to scientists, chefs, and home enthusiasts alike.
From breaking out on his own as a sole proprietor and contracting consultants to now building a corporate team, Mark has gone through several stages of business growth. He shares his experiences and observations and offers some insights about being an ideal client for consultants. Mark is a return guest, and you can hear his original episode in Season 1. Information about CuliNex: PeasOnMoss is sponsored by Icon Foods. Find out more: Help us educate product developers - individuals and businesses are invited to join the conversation and sponsor
Mark Crowell is the founder of CuliNex, a product development consulting company based in Seattle, WA, He returns to the show to talk about the differences of founding and growing a business. In this preview, he shares what his greatest strength is as a business owner, and next week, he shares about the changes at CuliNex and his plans for the future.
Whether you're a few hundred miles from home or several time zones away, there are always smells and tastes that can take you straight back to your family's table. When Matt and Ted Lee moved up to New York, they found themselves in a familiar predicament that many regional ex-pats do: feeling homesick for familiar foods. Since nobody was selling authentic foods, the brothers took it upon themselves to represent the cuisine to their new home. Matt shares their experiences, and how they went from a catalog of boiled peanuts to representing Southern cuisine around the nation through writing and recipes. He also talks about their latest adventure - republishing beloved older cookbooks and introduce a new audience to some great old classics.
Whether you're a few hundred miles from home or several time zones away, there are always smells and tastes that can take you straight back to your family's table. Matt Lee talks about the Lee brothers' latest adventure - republishing beloved older cookbooks and introduce a new audience to some great old classics. In this preview, you'll hear Matt's thoughts about book publishing and what could set your idea apart.
Research Chefs Association North Central co-chair Colby Darling joins us from General Mills and shares some incredible information about considerations in process engineering and successful commercialization of food products. He also shares how to consider consumer expectations for a product and balance it with the desire to continue tweaking (formulating) a product. We get pretty detailed in product development, category management, and consumer insights. Find your RCA regional chair at . Connect with Colby at the next event and reach out through LinkedIn. This podcast is supported by ICON Foods. Would you like to help us keep the show on the air? Please contact us.
Happy New Year, PeasOnMoss listeners! Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. We're excited to bring you Season 3 of the podcast and to use this year to mix things up a little. Chef Colby Darling has been working with General Mills for several years, but he keeps his restaurant experience fresh by taking advantage of business trips (with manager approval) to research food trends and discoveries and to spend time in professional kitchens whenever he can. It's a great idea to keep a pulse of the food service industry and keep your knife skills sharp. The PeasOnMoss Podcast is supported by ICON Foods, and we invite your business to support us, too. Contact us at
Dr. Michael Cheng has been mentioned on PeasOnMoss before by alumni of the Southwest Minnesota State University, and for good reason: he established the Culinology program there and has gone on to begin building out the program at other schools. Currently the interim Dean at Florida International University, Michael directs the Food and Beverage Program. He shares with us why it's vital to have programs that combine culinary arts and food science and the opportunities he sees for graduates with the Culinology program. Join us at the RCA in Savannah! PeasOnMoss is brought to you by Steviva Ingredients. Natural sweetening solutions.
Dr. Michael Cheng has been mentioned on PeasOnMoss before by alumni of the Southwest Minnesota State University, and for good reason: he established the Culinology program there and has gone on to begin building out the program at other schools. Currently an associated professor at Florida International University, Michael directs the Food and Beverage Program. He shares with us why it's vital to have programs that combine culinary arts and food science and the opportunities he sees for graduates with the Culinology program. Join us at the RCA in Savannah! PeasOnMoss is brought to you by Steviva Ingredients. Natural sweetening solutions.
Rachel Zemser is a fixture in the Northern California region IFT and RCA events, and it seems like she knows everyone there. After years in corporate research and development work, she started her own consulting business a few years ago, specializing in commercialization of brand new concepts. She lays it all out and tells is straight on this interview, which we recorded at the IFT conference this year. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods, and we can't do this without them. Find out about natural sweetener systems and how they can help you solve your biggest flavor challenges. Let Thom know that you found them through PeasOnMoss. Become a partner in the podcast and website by contacting us at Remember to share the show with your friends and write a review so we can featured on the front page of iTunes!
Rachel Zemser is a fixture in the Northern California region IFT and RCA events, and it seems like she knows everyone there. After years in corporate research and development work, she started her own consulting business a few years ago, specializing in commercialization of brand new concepts. She lays it all out and tells is straight on this interview, which we recorded at the IFT conference this year. This podcast is sponsored by Icon Foods, and we can't do this without them. Find out about natural sweetener systems and how they can help you solve your biggest flavor challenges. Let Thom know that you found them through PeasOnMoss. Become a partner in the podcast and website by contacting us at Remember to share the show with your friends and write a review so we can featured on the front page of iTunes!
Robert Danhi is an active member of the Research Chefs Association, celebrity chef, cookbook author, and entrepreneur. I met him in Portland when he and his business partner Karena Wong were presenting an early version of an R&D software at the RCA annual conference. This year, in Puerto Rico, Chef and Ms. Wong introduced the RDCoder, an innovative app that enables R&D professionals to research food products and keep a detailed record on the sensory, recipe, and process steps of a new product development. He sat down with me at the Institute of Food Technologists conference in Las Vegas to chat about his career and about the new app and reminded us the keys to being a successful chef and entrepreneur.
Robert Danhi is an active member of the Research Chefs Association, celebrity chef, cookbook author, and entrepreneur. I met him in Portland when he and his business partner Karena Wong were presenting an early version of an R&D software at the RCA annual conference. This year, in Puerto Rico, Chef and Ms. Wong introduced the RDCoder, an innovative app that enables R&D professionals to research food products and keep a detailed record on the sensory, recipe, and process steps of a new product development. He sat down with me at the Institute of Food Technologists conference in Las Vegas to chat about his career and about the new app and reminded us the keys to being a successful chef and entrepreneur.
This episode is brought to you by Icon Foods. Imagine your scrumptious desserts free from added sugars and guilt. I met Rachelle through Adam Yee's My Food Job Rocks! , and I just loved her story and journey. From cooking instructor to private chef to a famous celebrity, Rachelle has done a lot. Today, she has the dream job - demonstrating to professionals and home cooks the joys of experiencing high performance luxury cooking and food preparation equipment. As the Culinary and Events manager of the Miele showroom in San Francisco, she is often the first one to show customers how to use the equipment. She tells us about Miele and some of the home/professional equipment that can make all the difference. Connect with Chef Rachelle at Schedule a visit of the Miele Experience Center at
This episode is brought to you by Icon Foods. Imagine your scrumptious desserts free from added sugars and guilt. I met Rachelle through Adam Yee's My Food Job Rocks! , and I just loved her story and journey. From cooking instructor to private chef to a famous celebrity, Rachelle has done a lot. Today, she has the dream job - demonstrating to professionals and home cooks the joys of experiencing high performance luxury cooking and food preparation equipment. As the Culinary and Events manager of the Miele showroom in San Francisco, she is often the first one to show customers how to use the equipment. She tells us about Miele and some of the home/professional equipment that can make all the difference. Connect with Chef Rachelle at Schedule a visit of the Miele Experience Center at
This episode is brought to you by Icon Foods. Transitioning off sugar has never been so sweet or easy. Chef Ethan and I are connected through Chef Jeff Cousminer, an original founder of the Research Chefs Association, and I developed a slight chef crush when I found out that he used to cook at Philadelphia's Alma de Cuba, where Josh and I have enjoyed some amazing meals! Ethan studied food science at Drexel and worked in an analytical lab before joining the Devault Foods team, developing meat-centric menu items for food service support, such as meatballs and sandwich meats. He joins us on the show to tell us about his journey and how important it is to source ingredients from large scale manufacturers so that you can reproduce the formula.
PeasOnMoss is made possible with the generous sponsorship of Icon Foods. Check out their product portfolio at Dr. Darryl Holliday is a food scientist, chef, and professor with a passion for food science and education, innovation, and product commercialization. Common criticism of academia is that instructors lose touch with the industry, with its realities of time constraints, costs, and production schedules. Not so with Dr. Holliday (ahem), who maintains a thriving consultancy and offers support to food businesses through both the college and his private work. He shares his observations about the ingredients for successful product development and how timing and luck are just as important as creating a great product. At the most recent Research Chefs Association Awards Ceremony, Darryl is the one who jumped up and pledged to sponsor PeasOnMoss to help keep it running, and his generous announcement encouraged others to pledge as well. Won't you join the sponsorship? Find out at . Get in touch with Darryl at Plan to attend the 2018 RCA Conference in Savannah, GA. Get details at
Dr. Darryl Holliday is hard to miss: he's tall, hilarious, and witty. I met him at the New Orleans Research Chefs Association Conference, and he mentored me as I wrote a curriculum for the first ever CareerLabs presentation at Prepa Tec Los Angeles, an International Baccalaureate public school. Engaging, determined, and unflappable, Darryl is both chef and professor and wears both hats well. At the most recent Research Chefs Association Awards Ceremony, Darryl is the one who jumped up and pledged to sponsor PeasOnMoss to help keep it running, and his generous announcement encouraged others to pledge as well. Won't you join the sponsorship? Find out at . Get in touch with Darryl at Plan to attend the 2018 RCA Conference in Savannah, GA. Get details at
The word microbiome is probably something you would expect to hear on Nova, but health enthusiasts talk about it as having a major impact on our health today. George joins us to talk about the microbiome and recent research about it. He also gives some hints about the interesting business opportunities that exist in supporting a healthy microbiome. As nutraceuticals become more and more popular, product developers need to know how to respond to trends and think about how to incorporate them into their new product design. Keep science on the air! Sponsor PeasOnMoss and visit for details, recent articles, and how to sign up to be a guest on the show.
George Roche and I connected at the IFT/RCA Mixer at the Winter Fancy Food Show, and this is a preview of our interview together next week. It's also an announcement about our founding corporate sponsor: Steviva! Thom King was our guest on Episode 15 of Season 2, and he believes so much in the podcast that he has chosen to sponsor the show! I'll share another exciting announcement in the preview itself.... listen up! Get in touch with Steviva at
Jeff Crace has had many adventures and taken each head on. From serving in the military to computer science and finally to food business development, there doesn't seem to be much that Jeff hasn't done. He shares his journey and sneaks in leadership lessons throughout, and his career shows that every step and job taken informs how you are as a leader and business developer. Recognizing the value of involvement, Jeff is also the Southwest Regional Chair for the Research Chefs Association, and he never skips an opportunity to meet new friends. Not afraid to try something new, Jeff promotes black garlic, among other high quality ingredients, and even dared his colleagues to taste it with a chocolate cupcake. Connect with Jeff at Garlic King and California Garlic Company at Send us guest ideas and sign up to be a sponsor at
Thom King launched into the stevia business before it was considered a food product and was firmly a supplement. After stevia and other naturally derived, high intensity sweeteners were promoted to food status, Steviva took off. Now the brand offers more low-calorie sweeteners, including Monk fruit and agave, and the retail line features creative blends from syrups to coffee sweeteners. Thom provides a crash course in high intensity sweeteners and helps correct a few misunderstandings that I had about them. Find out more about Steviva at See what the PeasOnMoss team is up to at . There you can read recent articles, sign up to be a guest, or get information on sponsorship.
The thing I love about going to trade shows is that you meet innovators and entrepreneurs at varying stages of business growth. I wandered through the Oregon State Food Innovation Center's Incubator Alley to meet with entrepreneurs who were often first launching into the market to see what was new. I was in for a treat! I met Phoebe Smith Buls, the founder of Other Foods, and she really impressed with a tender loaf bread that was paleo diet compliant. If you have eaten gluten free breads in years past, you know how crumbly and miserable that experience can be. Well, after lots of testing and flops, Phoebe landed on a great recipe that can really meet the desire for bread without blowing the paleo diet. Hear how she iterated and what some of her challenges are in starting a food business. Help keep us on the air! Contact us to find out about sponsoring and advertising. Got a product development story? Find out about how to get on the show, too.
Phoebe Smith Buls was showing off her Other Foods baking mixes at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, CA. I caught up with her to talk about why she's passionate about the baking blends she made, which are designed to be allergen friendly and delicious. Hear her talk about her passion for her work and why it's important to indulge occasionally.
Lev Berlin and his friends at SlantShack were trying to create customizable jerky and needed to create nutrition facts panels for the different options.Most nutrition database services are often very expensive and may be more than is needed for companies starting with a single product. Consulting services can also cost quite a bit. Berlin created ReciPal, an online system that draws its data from USDA databases and offers the system to small-to-medium companies. Now ReciPal is available for businesses to create recipes, labels, and product inventories. Find out more about ReciPal at Want to join the conversation? Email me and find out about opportunities to sponsor the show and become a guest. Like the series? Write a review and help us get featured on the front page!
ReciPal founder Lev Berlin created the software to create nutrition labels and maintain facility inventory out of his own business needs and recognizing that the big expensive systems weren't right for every business. Hear how he believes they're differentiated in the marketplace.
Graham Kerr, arguably known best for his decades' long television presence as the Galloping Gourmet, doesn't really gallop in the kitchen anymore. His focus has shifted away from cooking and eating rich, indulgent food to sharing meals with friends and family that nourish life and support health. He and his wife Treena were strong supporters of my growth from nutritionist to culinologist, and Graham both inspired and challenged me to think differently about my career as a nutritionist chef and the opportunity is presents to be both a skilled technician and a guide for others. This is a very special interview with my mentor and role model, and I am honored to bring it to you. We talked about what it is to be past the crest of a career and how he spends his time. We also talk about Treena, who passed in September 2015. What you'll hear isn't a chef simply reliving days past; you get to hear from a man who is considering the ways he can give back to his community, his readers, and his fans. If you find value in these podcasts, please sponsor it to keep it on the air. You can get details at . See what Graham is up to:
Graham Kerr, arguably known best for his decades' long television presence as the Galloping Gourmet, doesn't really gallop in the kitchen anymore. His focus has shifted away from cooking and eating rich, indulgent food to sharing meals with friends and family that nourish life and support health. He and his wife Treena were strong supporters of my growth from nutritionist to culinologist, and Graham both inspired and challenged me to think differently about my career as a nutritionist chef and the opportunity is presents to be both a skilled technician and a guide for others. This is a very special interview with my mentor and role model, and I am honored to bring it to you. We talked about what it is to be past the crest of a career and how he spends his time. We also talk about Treena, who passed in September 2015. What you'll hear isn't a chef simply reliving days past; you get to hear from a man who is considering the ways he can give back to his community, his readers, and his fans. If you find value in these podcasts, please sponsor it to keep it on the air. You can get details at . See what Graham is up to:
ReGrained co-founders Jordan Schwartz and Dan Kurzrock have the most delicious way to address food waste - and especially grain waste from beer making: eat the grain. As UCLA students, Dan and Jordan wanted access to craft beer, but being too young to hit the local pub at the time, they made their own. Unlike many home brewers who simply sadly discard their spent grains, Jordan and Dan decided to figure out a way to repurpose the ingredients. A new snack food was born, and Jordan and Dan went into the bar business instead of the beer business. Dan and I recorded this episode way back in January, so you'll hear us mention Winter Fancy Food, where they had a booth. You missed them at that show, but you'll get to see them again. Good friend and pastry chef Phil Saneski (and co-founder of the Research Chefs student committee) has since joined their team, so you'll definitely hear from them again. Like the show? Help keep it on the air and sign up to be a sponsor! Check out to get more information. You can also check out The Culinologist podcast series and read our latest articles by contributors, Anna Chow and Kevin Gorey. Find ReGrained at your local grocer (or request it!) and at
ReGrained co-founders Jordan Schwartz and Dan Kurzrock have the most delicious way to address food waste - and especially grain waste from beer making: eat the grain. Like the show? Help keep it on the air and sign up to be a sponsor! Check out to get more information. You can also check out The Culinologist podcast series and read our latest articles by contributors, Anna Chow and Kevin Gorey. Find ReGrained at your local grocer (or request it!) and at
Adam and Sonia Gallegos have established the seemingly first family-friendly brewery that serves non-alcoholic beverages that appeal to guests of all ages, opening it in the small but popular Southern California city of Ojai. Find out why Adam prefers brewing kombucha to brewing beer and why the kombucha bar should be the next new quick service cafe concept. Like to hear stories about business or product development? Let us know on our contact page on PeasOnMoss.com. Interested in sharing your story or sponsoring? Just let us know.
Listen to the full interview next week as Adam Gallegos of Revel Kombucha and Kimberly discuss discuss kombucha brewing and being an entrepreneur in the food industry! Find new articles on our redesigned website by Kimberly and our new contributors Anna Chow and Kevin Gorey! Like to hear stories about food business or product development? Let us know on our contact page on PeasOnMoss.com. Interested in sharing your story or sponsoring? Just let us know.
I first met Dr. Cesar Vega Morales at the Modernist Cuisine kitchen laboratory. He was conducting blue-sky research and exploring the application of food science in commercial kitchens, and I was cooking and learning. He had just edited The Kitchen as Laboratory book, a collection of food essays teaching profound lessons in the science of food. He also served as one of the expert reviewers of Nathan Myrvold's Modernist Cuisine. Today he is a Principal Research Scientist working for Mars in the Netherlands, and he has spent his last several years working in researching and developing affordable, nutritious foods that both meet the health needs of the target population while also meeting the financial requirements to keep the entity in business. Cesar explains why he chose to get a PhD in food science and how it is a way to quicken your career progression but isn't a shortcut. He also draws a distinction between product development and product design, and why it's important to know your desired end result before getting started. Want to join the conversation? Sponsor the show? Email and get details.
Last week, we interviewed Right Brain Consulting owner William Madden, but we had to truncate the interview. Today, as a special bonus, here is Will's origin story and how some of the best life decisions come from a college bet (...not). Like what you heard? Want to join the conversation or help us stay on the air? Contact us on
William Madden didn't mean to go into food manufacturing, but a bet at Georgia Tech piqued his interest in barrier packaging, and the rest is a funny and adventurous history. He came onto the podcast to share some keys to success for product development and how his specialty as a contract negotiator was honed by sitting on both the customer and co-manufacturer's perspective. You can get in touch with William at and emailing him at Want to join the conversation? Email me and find out about opportunities to sponsor the show and become a guest. Like the series? Write a review and help us get featured on the front page!
Chef John Corey and I met through Shawn Wenner's (Ep. 20) Entrepreneurial Chef e-magazine and professional networking group. A seasoned contestant chef in internationally renowned competitions, Chef John shares what it's like to prepare recipes intended for competing against other chefs who are at the top of their games. Chef John also tells us his big plans for taking his catering business national and how you could get into the catering business. Check out Chef John at Want to join the conversation? Sponsor the show? Email and get details.
Culinologist Webb Girard has a varied background in food product development and manufacturing. From dried meat to crackers to fresh pasta, Webb has survived his share of "death by iteration" and manufacturing nightmares. Now that he's a developer and project manager with Culinex, he has the opportunity to expand his portfolio in clean label product development and mentorship of the Culinex interns and new culinologists. Want to join the conversation? Sponsor the show? Email and get details. Listen here.
Master's Degree in Food Science at Oklahoma State University candidate Deepak Kumar Duraivelu Rajmohan reached out to PeasOnMoss through LinkedIn. He had heard the Culinology episode with Chef Barton Dewing and thought it was very informative about the food manufacturing industry. Over the past few months, he has interviewed over 50 professionals in the industry, asking them for advice about getting into the product development field and about skills that would distinguish him. In our interview we talk about mentorship, how and why he has reached out to so many professionals, and about his upcoming internship and why he felt it was vital to do one before entering the workforce. At OK State University, his research broadly focuses on flavor modification and organoleptic enhancement of Spirulina protein. Want to join the conversation? Sponsor the show? Email and get details.
The Research Chefs Association 20th Annual Conference and Culinology Expo was held in Puerto Rico, and it was a great success! Even though it was a further trip for some of the members, we still had over 800 chefs, product developers, and professionals attend. Multiple cooking competitions, including the first ever food-waste competition, were held at the student and professional levels. Top notch educational sessions covering topics from emerging food trends and cutting edge technology were presented. I sat down with a few of the members and leaders, including Pinnacle Foods' Chef Christopher Posner and Cherilyn Whitehouse, Tyson Foods' Dr. Jason Behrends (new RCA President), and Pecan Deluxe Candy Company's Chef Kami R. Smith (RCA Director of Membership) to get their thoughts about the conference and why they love it. I also chatted with Allan Hancock College's Culinology Program Coordinator Christine M Bisson about a crowdfunding effort she's doing to spread the word about Culinology on her college's campus. The funding campaign ends on April 17, so get donating! Finally, this year, I received a President's Award for the podcast efforts and for featuring the research chefs of the RCA. Want to join the conversation? Let me know if you have some R&D advice to share or are interested in becoming a sponsor.
Research chef Anne-marie Ramo brings her sharp witty humor to the bench as an R&D consultant and took some time to share her story with us. Anne-marie started off in the culinary world and has taught cooking classes and written school food menus. After spending years at Aidells sausage perfecting the ultimate BBQ and becoming an expert in how sausages are made, Anne-marie moved back to Seattle and joined the Culinex team. As both a product developer and project manager, Anne-marie was involved in the operations and internship management. When we recorded the episode, she was working as part of the Culinex team, but she'll soon be heading out on her own. Find out why it took years to make the ultimate BBQ and why she doesn't really think she nailed it. Get in touch with Anne-marie at Check out her coming business at The Emancipated Kitchen Want to join the conversation? Sponsor the show? Email and get details.
Product Developer Chef Christine Murnaghan is like the Q behind James Bond, and she helps new and developing artisinal food brand owners transition their recipes from delicious home recipes to scalable formulas as well as providing an innovative perspective to existing food companies. In her spare time, she also has her own entrepreneurial streak and serves oysters in the summers at the farmers market. If you have gained value from the podcast, would you consider personally sponsoring or inquiring of whether your organization would contribute? Just $10 per month from a few sponsors would keep the show going. Got a business to share or tips for successful R&D? Be a guest on the show. Email for details.
Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food Author Ali Bouzari has a strong identity of being both a experienced chef and PhD food scientist, but he doesn't feel like Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. Rather, he draws from both worlds and has crafted his own identity as a culinary scientist. Join us for an encore appearance with Ali as we talk about fine dining, well-designed food product development experiments, and what he has in his pantry at Pilot R+D. Check out Ali's book at your local bookstore and online. Creating a product and need a restaurant/food manufacturing eye? Check out Pilot R+D and meet their talented staff at If you have gained value from the podcast, would you consider personally sponsoring or inquiring of whether your organization would contribute? Just $10 per month from a few sponsors would keep the show going. Got a business to share or tips for successful R&D? Be a guest on the show. Email for details.
Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast! Stella Culinary and Freeculinaryschool.com founder Chef Jacob Burton has gone back to restaurants - as the Executive Sous Chef of a new hotel in Reno, NV. He sat down with us to talk about his work and what he's excited about. In our conversation, we talk about the operational and financial responsibilities of chefs and how the mentality is what sets them apart from talented cooks. He busts myths about leaving your current industry to open a restaurant and the costs - financial, mental, and personal - that will affect your business. This interview isn't for the faint of heart, and it is packed with information. Check out Chef's website at If you have gained value from the podcast, would you consider personally sponsoring or inquiring of whether your organization would contribute? Just $10 per month from a few sponsors would keep the show going. Got a business to share or tips for successful R&D? Be a guest on the show. Email for details.
Chef Catherine Proper has been a lifelong member of the Research Chefs Association after joining during her college years. After serving on several volunteer leadership committees while also progressing her career, Chef Catherine has a deep understanding of the legacy of the organization and a keen eye on the future. She joined us in this final Culinologist-focused podcast to share how Puerto Rico was chosen as the locale to celebrate our organization's 20th anniversary and what she's looking forward to at the event. Conference is March 14-17, 2017. Find out about the RCA and Culinology at Register for the RCA Conference here: - early bird pricing ends Jan 13 - Advanced Registration ends Mar 6 Kimberly will be recording some interviews there, so if you're interested in being a guest on the show, just send us an email at . If you have gained value from the podcast, would you consider personally sponsoring or inquiring of whether your organization would contribute? Just $10 per month from a few sponsors would keep the show going. You can specify if you want to support the podcasting effort in general or support a specific series - PeasOnMoss or The Culinologist. We’ll be back with Season 2 of the PeasOnMoss podcast shortly with more interviews and a deeper dive into the mis en place that makes food business entrepreneurs successful and launches products in development. That is, after all, why the blog and podcast are called PeasOnMoss. PeasOnMoss, because mis en place made me sound like I had it all together.
The BlueCart app justifies having your cell phone on the line and in the walk-in, and now you don't have to keep track of a clipboard and pen nor deal with bad handwriting and remembering to place your purchase order message to some sales rep's voicemail. Founders Jagmohan Bansal and Konstantin Zvereff recognized a big gap in efficiency when it came to restaurant management of inventory and purchase orders. After stints overseas and observing multi-location chain restaurants nationwide, they realized that they could support BOH management by streamlining purchasing across different vendors and brands. Konstantin joins us on PeasOnMoss to share the development of the concept from MBA class assignment to tech start up in Redwood City, CA, and why chefs won't have to worry about whether a PO was placed on time for that weekend's menu.
Founder of Culinex, Certified Research Chef Mark Crowell's interview was packed with wisdom and insight about growing an independent consultancy for research and development. I selected a portion of his interview to share again, because it was one interview that really changed how I looked out over my career future and considered my next, next steps. Find Culinex at . If you have gained value from the podcast, would you consider personally sponsoring or inquiring of whether your organization would contribute? Just $10 per month from a few sponsors would keep the show going. You can specify if you want to support the podcasting effort in general or support a specific series - PeasOnMoss or The Culinologist. We’ll be back with Season 2 of the PeasOnMoss podcast shortly with more interviews and a deeper dive into the mis en place that makes food business entrepreneurs successful and launches products in development. That is, after all, why the blog and podcast are called PeasOnMoss. PeasOnMoss, because mis en place made me sound like I had it all together.
Chef Barton Dewing's interview was packed with incredible information, and I wanted to share a section that we removed from his Culinologist interview due to length. It was packed with wisdom that I implemented immediately in my work, and it resulted in a different perspective on R&D projects. The mis en place required to be successful in development of products is essential, and projects fall apart very quickly if contingency planning isn't conducted at the beginning of the project. If you have gained value from the podcast, would you consider personally sponsoring or inquiring of whether your organization would contribute? Just $10 per month from a few sponsors would keep the show going. You can specify if you want to support the podcasting effort in general or support a specific series - PeasOnMoss or The Culinologist. We’ll be back with Season 2 of the PeasOnMoss podcast shortly with more interviews and a deeper dive into the mis en place that makes food business entrepreneurs successful and launches products in development. That is, after all, why the blog and podcast are called PeasOnMoss. PeasOnMoss, because mis en place made me sound like I had it all together.
Over Halloween weekend, creative thinkers and inventors from different business sectors gathered in San Francisco at the to answer this year's theme question: "How can we support parents in effortlessly guiding their children to establish healthier eating, drinking, and lifestyle habits?" Teams were formed, ideas were brainstormed, and concepts were pitched. Meet the team of food science students, entrepreneurs, and RCA member (and the Student Committee President!) share their experience, what their product concept was, and what they plan to do with the prize money. ZombEats team members on the show: Kaitlin Mogentale, founder and owner of , Los Angeles Hailey Zhou, co-founder of the and UC Berkeley student Philip Saneski, president of the student committee and founder of The blog Keep an eye out for these awesome up-and-comers. They're going to change the world. Get involved - now accepting sponsorship of the podcast and blog. Like the show? Rate us on iTunes and Stitcher so we can climb the ranks!
Chan Seattle is located in the courtyard of the Inn at the Market, and is Seattle's only Korean Gastropub. It is Chef Heong Soon Park's second restaurant, with the established cafe Bacco being his introduction to food business ownership and professional cooking. While many food businesses fail, especially when the principal owners are not themselves from the business, Chef Park doubled down and attended culinary school while also running the cafe. All that hard work paid off, and he opened Chan in 2012 and earned a Rising Star Award in Sustainability from Star Chefs in 2015. Chef also opened Tray Kitchen in the Fremont neighborhood, but the ambitious farmer-driven menu required so much on-the-fly recipe development that he opted to focus on his current businesses and his growing family. Hear his origin story and how his perseverance has made Chan a staple in the Market and is routinely listed among must-see restaurants in Seattle. We are connected to Chef Park through Jason Price at Plain Pig PR. Visit Chan when you're in Seattle and find out why Chef differentiates his cuisine from Korean Banchan food. Like our show? Rate us on iTunes and Stitcher and or us a comment at . Really like our show? Sponsor us and help us keep the show on the air. Please share with your friends, too!
Culinologist Maxwell Fluck is a graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University's Culinology program, and he works as a culinary technologist at OSI Group. From working with meat seasoning blends to providing solutions for customers, Maxwell's days are different every day. His journey has featured some great internships and mentorship, and those experiences have begun shaping him into the technologist he is today. Find out why he's obsessed with sous vide machines and why you'll think of him next time you see an advertisement for a Joule or Sansaire.
When you ask your friends for restaurant recommendations for an upcoming visit to the PNW, you're probably expecting a list of restaurants that showcase cedar-planked salmon, coconut cream pies, and coppery oysters. But the restaurant you should add to your list is almost too easy to miss - true Central Texas-style barbecue smoking restaurant Jack's BBQ is hidden in Seattle's SODO neighborhood among industrial warehouses and the bus depot. Having spent a few years in Texas, I had to hear for myself whether Jack was legit, so this podcast episode is Jack's opportunity to prove that he really brings it. Find out why Sir Mix-a-Lot twitter-stalked Jack during his pop-up dinners, and make plans to visit!
Ragozzino Foods Executive Research Chef Barton Dewing says that the measure of successful R&D is in the product's successful scale up - going from benchtop sizes to large manufactured sizes. Practically anyone can make a delicious dish or item when you've got ample time, direct control over all the elements, and the budget to make it. But can anyone make it in the quantities desired within the cost targets? Chef Barton has worked in restaurant kitchens, front-of-the-house, corporate restaurant management, online grocery, and manufacturing. He's also an active member in the Research Chefs Association and is the commissioner of the RCA certification committee. Find out more about the RCA certification programs and which one fits your career:
Chef Ryan is passionate about sharing food and cooking techniques, and we first met when I was writing for the Pike's Place Market newspaper. He had founded the Community Kitchens at the Pike Place Senior Center, and I wrote an article about his mission for the classes. We bonded at Seattle Coffee Works talking about food security and what chefs can do about it. After several years growing the Community Kitchens, Ryan eventually found a great fit for his mission at the FareStart program, one that focuses on providing practical skills training to disadvantaged men and women to help them change their lives. Hear how FareStart makes a difference in the Seattle community and his passion for the new Teen program.
Frisch's Big Boy's R&D Chef Greg Grisanti is one of the original members of the Research Chefs Association, and he tells the story of his career as it happened. From restaurant cooking to QSR menu development, Chef Greg has been around the block a few times. Hear his thoughts about moving towards clean label product development and advice he has for younger culinologists.
Just days to go before the close of his kickstarter campaign, Chef Gavin is working hard to get the word out about the fundraising. There's quite a bit of distance to go, but he's not giving up yet and has gotten some great lessons and plans for the future. Help fund his project at
We are honored to welcome back Ali, as he was previously interviewed for our series in March. Next March 2017, Ali Bouzari will be an Keynote Speaker. Right now we would like to help our followers with a chance to win his book, , the #1 new release on Amazon. More details about the giveaway here. In this inspiring, chef-driven podcast interview co-hosted alongside RCA Student Committee President Philip Saneski, world renown culinary scientist Ali Bouzari talks about the importance of having the lenses of a chef when approaching the bench, how understanding Ingredients gives cooks the "X-ray vision" to fix any culinary problem or make food crispier, and where to contact with him with any food question. Hear more about some of his favorite projects as Co-Founder, CSO of , a northern California-based food innovation research and development company founded by chefs who have built and run R&D labs in some of the world's best restaurants. Here are links to his , , and .
Former Director of Admissions at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Shawn Wenner has spent years watching hopeful students enter the school with dreams of starting their own food businesses. However, so few of them open and run successful businesses. Knowing that many of the issues faced by chefs go beyond their ability to cook and prepare fine menus, Shawn created Entrepreneurial Chef to provide the tools and training needed to help chefs conceptualize, plan, and execute food businesses. From online publications, training modules, and mentorship, Entrepreneurial Chef is a platform designed for food industry folks. Get more information:
Research chef Barbara Zatto earned her chef stripes in New York City before coming to Seattle to cook. She quickly realized that the training made her a unique chef in Seattle, which hadn't quite started the culinary revolution that we enjoy today. After several years in hotel and restaurant food service, Chef Barbara transitioned to R&D. In this interview we discuss her transition to R&D and compare big city kitchens and research kitchens. An active member of the RCA, Chef Barbara is a volunteer Director of Social Media for the Research Chefs Association. Find out more about the RCA at .
Chef Erik Jones started as many of us did - Front of House and cooking through the different stations in the kitchen - and he has just graduated with a degree in Culinology. Now he's on a mission to get culinary arts students to think bigger than the textbook careers for them and to consider corporate R&D. As a co-founder of the RCA Student Committee, Erik is passionate about his industry and shares examples of other ways to use a culinary background. Get information about The Culinologist at Contact Erik about speaking to your culinary arts program:
Chef Subra Balakrishnan has a firm background in hotel food service, and when he took a food science basics course for chefs in Vancouver, he decided to start planning to move into research and development. There wasn't a Culinology course available at the time - there still isn't yet, in Canada - so he studied Applied Culinary Arts. Now that's he's a corporate chef at , Chef Subra is working with the Culinary Institute of Canada to bring Culinology north.
English chef Gavin Draper has spent the last decades in Australia cooking and sharing his food philosophy, and now he's putting his passion project in print. Hear how cruising around the world on the QE2 and international travel led Chef Gavin to Australia and how he eventually specialized his craft into gluten-free cooking expertise. Rather than waiting for a publisher to find him, Chef is self-publishing and is hosting a Kickstarter fundraising event to engage clients and future fans. Connect with Chef Gavin: Check out the Kickstarter, through Oct 7th.
Chef Mark Crowell is well-known in the Research Chef Association, having served as an active member and contributing the first chapter to the new Culinology textbook, released in 2016. Mark tells how a failed Washington, D.C. restaurant may have been the catalyst propelling him into R&D and making him part of some of the fastest growth at Starbucks. He also talks about the specialty of Culinex and discussing entrepreneurship and food business leadership. Find out more about Culinex at .
Pastry Chef and product developer Kami R. Smith kicks off our first interview series with the Culinology Blog from the Research Chef Association. An active member and leader in the RCA, Kami shares her story of going from production baking to pastry school instructor and to research chef. Throughout her narrative, you can hear her sense of humor and personal drive that have made her the type of chef and mentor she is today. Whether you're considering crossing from restaurants to R&D or you've already started, you'll know exactly what she means when she acknowledges that she might drive food scientists a little bit nuts.
Food scientist and product developer Adam Yee is a graduate of Cal Poly's Food Science and Nutrition program and is already making a name for himself as a podcaster as the host of the Foodgrad.com My Food Job Rocks! Hear why Adam started his podcast with less than 2 years in the industry and why being a product developer is a balance of marketing and factory work.
Pastry Chef Philip Saneski is the co-founder and current president of the Research Chef Association Student Committee. Hear why Phil has chosen a path in product development and why he and several student members of the RCA have collaborated to start the student committee. Phil also compares the RCA to the Institute of Food Technologists, providing some insight about the two organizations and how they can work together - and how the members' skills can be so complementary to each other. Find out more about Culinology and the Research Chef Association at . Check out the student committee's blog at .
Katherine Langel and Hannah Dressen are two Culinologists working for Culinex in Seattle, WA. They met while students at Southwest Minnesota State University's international program in Malaysia, and they now work together at Culinex. They share how they found the Culinology degree at SMSU. They also talk about the Research Chef Association and the Student Committee and how you can get involved. Find out more about the RCA at and check out the Student Committee's blog at . Check out Culinex at .
Chef Chris Lobkovich is a force to be reckoned with. With experience working in resort and hotel fine dining, Chris thought he was going to open his own restaurant, as many dream to do. But along the way, he has learned how to listen to customer needs and desires and how to apply his chef experiences in consulting for other restaurants and providing much needed labor for other restaurateurs. Filled with great anecdotes and a quirky self assessment of his skills and where he wants to take his career, Chef Chris' interview provides a fresh perspective of a chef in between gigs.
Chef Michael Bunn has worked almost every category in food service and food manufacturing, and he's not slowing down. From going from cooking on Navy ships to corporate dining and being one of the first Culinology graduate, Chef Bunn's experiences give him a depth of knowledge and keen awareness to common food manufacturing pitfalls. You'll hear his culinary career and some insight about the Research Chef Association annual conference. RCA is celebrating 20 years next year - if you're a product developer/research chef, you should plan to be there - www.culinology.org.
Chef Becky Selengut is part private chef and part comedienne. A Serious Eats contributor and author of cookbooks, including Good Fish and Shroom, Chef Becky shares hilarious and awkward stories of cooking in clients' homes. Chef Becky is also an alumna of the Seattle Culinary Academy and cooked in well-respected restaurants in Seattle, including The Herbfarm, before she started her own business and can now be found teaching classes, private cheffing, and writing books, always weaving in her sharp humor and easy-going style.
Certified Food Scientist and product developer Sherrita Williams had a college roommate that changed her career path when she suggested that Sherrita go into food science. Working with well-known companies like Planters and Kraft, she has developed products that you've probably purchased. With her experience, she maintains a great perspective about the success and failure in the market, and she keeps it real with a quick laugh and swift wit.
American Cheese Society (ACS) Certified Cheese Professional Danielle Slater talks to us about her love for cheese and wholesome food and how Whole Foods Market helped her find her 2nd career and share her passion with customers every day. She also explains why Whole Foods Market partnered with ACS to get a CCP in most of their stores cheese departments and why i't's so important for companies to invest in their employees.
R&D Chef Emily Munday studied nutrition and food science at Johnson & Wales University and planned to become a Registered Dietitian. However, when she didn't get matched with a dietetic internship despite top grades, she leaned on her other training in product development. Now a project leader and product developer for Seattle-based Culinex, Emily shares some bloopers and successes as an R&D expert and gives some career advice for those interested in crossing into the career field.
Fellow Seattle Culinary Academy alumna Pastry Chef Tonyia Smith was assigned a gluten-free baking project during her pastry program, and she discovered her niche market - classical French pastries for people who can't eat gluten. She opened her cafe at the foot of the stairs of the Pike Place Market and experienced quick success and a loyal following. When wholesale accounts and large retail demand pushed her to expand her operations, Tonyia and her business partner opened a production site in South Seattle. Jut as business began taking off, the business struggled with the cramped historical building that desperately needed to be remodeled and had to close. After a pivot and an update to her business plan, Tonyia is back and stronger than ever. Now her products can be found at Safeco Field, at some select hotels downtown, and at her new location in the Central District.
Chef Renata Bocayuva owns and operates the consulting R&D company in Seattle, WA, and has rebuilt her culinary career several times. A graduate of European culinary training, Chef Renata worked in Europe for years before moving to the US, learning English, and starting over as a maitre d' in a restaurant despite her training. After opening restaurants in Seattle, Renata went out on her own and founded her company. Two years into her business, Renata experienced a significant illness that took all her focus for the next two years. Now, she's rebuilding her business while she's healing and learning to deal with her new normal. She shares her story, her perspective, and throws in some advice along the way.
How ambition, luck, and being a badass cook took Eric from the Art Institute to a stage at Noma for Chef Rene Redzepi, serving as a sous chef at Blueacre Seafood in Seattle while a full-time student, and working for Chef Grant Achatz at Alinea as an Research and Development chef. Eric came back to Seattle for Chef Josh Henderson and expanding the Huxley Wallace Collective restaurant group and pushing the culinary scene in Seattle, Washington. Eric also highlights how networking, hard working, and being prepared got him in front of the right people at the right time, providing him with opportunities to expand his career and grow as a cook, a chef, and a leader in the Seattle food scene.
From restaurant ownership to a Top Chef competition and to culinary school instructor at the Walla Walla Community College's Wine Country Culinary Institute, Chef Robin has seen and done it all. She shares her career story as well as some insights about cooks these days and the attitudes that have set apart the successful graduates of culinary school. As my first ever chef, Chef Robin took time to teach technique and develop my eye as a culinarian and to look to the art of culinary work and not just the science. Her training has helped me think differently as a research and development chef - considering the eating experience as well as the execution of foodservice.