Brittney "Stikxz" Williams on Blending Jamaican Heat with Italian Flair

Award-winning chef, Food Network Hot Lister and half of the power team who launched Beto & Son, Julian Rodarte stars in this episode. He credits his abuelita’s resourceful culinary skills and his father’s food artistry for inspiring his success. Julian reveals what it took to get his mentor to support his dreams and when he began pursuing this passion. He compares what he learned about the technical side of the industry in culinary school to the business aspect his father taught him. Julian dishes on what it was like competing on Beat Bobby Flay alongside his dad, who’d been dreaming of that moment since he was a child. The first-generation American shares how his family’s farm-fresh Mexican dishes inspired his palette and what hosting dinner parties growing up taught him about running a restaurant. Julian explains what he strives for at each of his concepts and the influence aromas and music have on guests’ overall experience. Finally he spills the secret to his award-winning nitrogen margaritas and who was really the brains behind the viral champagne vending machine.Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow Julian Rodarte on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chefjulianrodarte/Follow Julian Rodarte on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julian.rodarte.5Follow Julian Rodarte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChefJulianRFollow Julian Rodarte on YouTube: youtube.com/@chefjulianrodarte4266 Follow Julian Rodarte on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@chefjulianrodarteCheck Out Julian’s website: https://www.julianrodarte.com/Learn More About Tournament of Champions: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/tournament-of-championsFind episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/julian-rodarte-reveals-restaurant-secrets-and-his-culinary-competition-experiences Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Maalis 202347min

Award-winning chef, restaurateur and creator of several food lines, Stephanie Izard takes us on a culinary exploration of entrepreneurship. On a mission to create pleasant and inviting experiences for her diners, she’s opened seven unique restaurants in Chicago and LA that bring international flavors to upscale, casual dining tables. She shares the inspiration behind her goat-themed endeavors and the influence her travels to Peru, China and Taiwan had on her Cabra and Duck Duck Goat dishes. The Iron Chef and Top Chef winner reflects on her experience going head-to-head with friends on cooking competition shows, comparing the unpredictable and exciting atmosphere to her carefully contrived restaurants. Stephanie reveals where her passion for food came from, the secret to packing punch into each plate and how she’s curated her fearlessly fun persona that network fans and restaurant regulars love.  Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow Stephanie Izard on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanieizardFollow Stephanie Izard on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephizardFollow Stephanie Izard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephanieizardFollow Stephanie Izard on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanieizardCheck Out Stephanie’s website: https://stephanieizard.com/Learn More About Tournament of Champions: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/tournament-of-championsFind episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/stephanie-izard-the-goat-of-the-chicago-food-chain-on-competing-against-friends Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Helmi 202337min

Seattle-based chef Shota Nakajima talks about how he processes achievements, like making the Food Network Hotlist, and how he tends to take things one day at a time. Shota describes how the Pacific Northwest shaped his culinary perspective and how he enjoys being in nature to forage for ingredients and clear his mind. He shares how he fell in love with the hospitality industry by holding down two jobs at just fifteen years old and how that led to working in a Michelin star restaurant in Japan all before the age of twenty. Shota shares his thoughts on restaurant hierarchy and how he pivoted his operations to foster a more collaborative model with his employees. He describes his experiences on various food competition shows and how Tournament of Champions is a different beast. He reveals the touching way Guy Fieri supports the competitors and why he loves the blind judging before nerding out over his love of anime. Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow Shota Nakajima on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefshota/Learn More About Tournament of Champions:https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/tournament-of-championsFind episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/shota-nakajima-on-sushi-rice-secrets-toc-cold-sweats Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Helmi 202339min

Chef JJ Johnson shares how his family nurtured his passion for food and why he decided to pursue culinary school. JJ talks about his time studying in Ghana and falling in love with West African cuisine. He shares his affection for rice and why you can explore most every culture through their rice dishes. JJ explains why he wants to become the Michael Jordan of the culinary world and what it means to have tenacity and dedication to a craft. JJ talks about hosting The Cookout at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival and why it’s important to hold space for black culture and cuisine at these events. He discusses his James Beard nominated Food Network video explaining the versatility of collard greens and why they don’t get the hype they deserve before revealing his favorite food spot in Harlem.Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow JJ Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjj/Watch Everything You Need to Know About Collard Greens: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=375355280330206Find episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/jj-johnson-on-rice-as-the-throughline-of-our-lives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Helmi 202340min

Chef Rocco DiSpirito reminisces on his time as an executive chef in the early nineties and how reviews and critics could make or break an establishment. Rocco talks about how social media has leveled the restaurant review playing field and how the New York City food landscape has evolved over the past few decades. He talks about his early food memories and the honest, hardworking upbringing with his family that led to his first job selling Italian ice. Rocco shares how the role of a chef has evolved and why he hired a coach to guide him through interactions with customers in his restaurants. He talks about starting therapy in elementary school and why everyone needs a trained therapist in their life. Rocco reveals why he loves creating cookbooks so much after authoring fourteen and why, even with the internet and social media, cookbooks remain special. He talks about his friendship with Guy Fieri, how they met, and why he loves filming together on Guy’s shows. Rocco talks about how intense the blind judging is on Tournament of Champions and how he has to wait to find out who cooked the dishes he loved. Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow Rocco DiSpirito on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roccodispirito/Learn More About Guy’s Ranch Kitchen: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/guys-ranch-kitchenLearn More About Tournament of Champions: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/tournament-of-championsFind episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/rocco-dispirito-on-shy-chef-secrets-why-cookbooks-are-still-special Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Helmi 202351min

Michelin-trained chef turned TikTok sensation, Poppy O’Toole opens up about her rise to viral fame and how her decision to move back in with her parents during the pandemic inspired her to pivot career paths. The “Potato Queen” details her decade-long culinary ascension from making tea in a retirement home to working in a pub, that eventually led her to become a junior sous chef at a Michelin star restaurant before the UK went into lockdown. Her newfound TikTok stardom came with inevitable internet trolls and hateful comments on her posts and she shares how she copes with sexists and negative people online and in the restaurant industry. Poppy reveals what impact she hopes to have on the culinary world, what motivates her to keep creating and sharing her recipes and why she chose potatoes as her staple ingredient. In this episode, she shares the secret to making her favorite recipes, which she’s introduced to the world through her 25 Days of Potatoes video series on TikTok and new cookbook Poppy Cooks: The Food You Need, with flavors ranging from crispy chips to potato-based desserts baked into every page.Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow Poppy O’Toole on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppy_cooks/Follow Poppy O’Toole on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@poppycooksFind episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/poppy-otoole-on-tiktok-tots-and-dealing-with-trolls Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Tammi 202344min

NFL retiree Vince Wilfork talks about why he loves retirement and how he spends most of his time lately. He reveals what it was like to work with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and the surreal moment he was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. As a Floridian, Vince sets the record straight of whether Florida should be considered “southern” and the meals he loves to cook for his family. Vince affectionately talks about his many pairs of overalls and how they have become his signature look. He dives into what it was like to film a food competition show and the behind-the-scenes moments with his co-host Sunny Anderson on NFL Tailgate Takedown. Vince shares his favorite NFL stadiums and what city’s tailgate dish he loves the most before revealing his feelings about that famous ESPN Body Issue cover. Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow Vince Wilfork on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincewilfork/Learn More About NFL Tailgate Takedown: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/nfl-tailgate-takedownFind episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/vince-wilfork-on-tackles-tom-brady-hosting-nfl-tailgate-takedown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Tammi 202334min

Two-time Chopped champion, chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur Kathy Fang reveals all of her thoughts behind her new reality show, Chef Dynasty: House of Fang. The quiet competitor unpacks why growing up in her family’s booming San Francisco restaurant left her hungry for a different lifestyle, driving her brief pursuit of 9 to 5 office jobs. She explains how her love for connecting with people through food, passion for experimenting with new ideas and traditional personality inspire her own restaurant’s menu and atmosphere. Kathy reveals what really goes into the “Fang Flavor,” how her culinary perspective influences her professional and personal relationship with her parents, and her aspirations for her one-of-a-kind restaurant, House of Fang. She shares what recipe this chef mastered first, her favorite memories from Chopped and the Hong Kong dish she misses most. Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow Kathy Fang on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefkathyfang/Follow House of Fang of Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fangrestaurantsf/Follow House of Nanking on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseofnankingsf/Learn More About Chef Dynasty House of Fang here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/chef-dynasty-house-of-fangFind episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/kathy-fang-on-collaboration-experimentation-and-maintaining-a-taste-of-tradition Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Tammi 202353min