Understanding Value in Dining with Chef Paul Gaskins from The Inn at Celebration
Chef Paul Gaskins joins us today to delve into the pressing issue of rising food costs and their implications for both the culinary industry and consumers. As we explore the intricacies of ingredient pricing, it becomes evident that these financial dynamics not only influence how restaurants curate their menus but also significantly affect the dining experiences of patrons. Chef Paul, from the Inn at Celebration, shares his culinary expertise by preparing exquisite dishes such as seared scallops paired with passion fruit leche de tigre and a crab and kimchi fried rice enhanced with saffron aioli. Through our discussion, we aim to illuminate the broader context of food value in today's economy, examining how these escalating costs shape our perceptions of quality and affordability in the dining landscape. Join us as we navigate the intersection of culinary artistry and economic reality, providing insights that resonate with chefs and diners alike.
In this thought-provoking episode of the Walk-In Talk Podcast, Chef Paul Gaskins engages in a comprehensive discussion about the intricacies of the culinary industry amidst rising food prices. With his trademark culinary flair, he prepares two delectable dishes, utilizing ingredients that are both accessible and innovative. The conversation delves into the vital themes of sustainability and the shifting perceptions of value in dining experiences. Chef Paul articulates the delicate balance between maintaining quality and ensuring affordability for guests, while also addressing the need for chefs to be resourceful and creative in their approach to menu development. As he shares his culinary philosophy, listeners are invited to reflect on the broader implications of food sourcing and the artistry involved in transforming humble ingredients into exceptional dishes. This episode is a compelling exploration of the intersection between culinary excellence and economic realities, offering valuable insights for anyone passionate about the world of food.
Takeaways:
- The escalating prices of ingredients profoundly influence the operations of restaurants and the perceived value of dishes.
- Chef Paul Gaskins emphasizes the importance of creativity in menu design amidst rising food costs.
- The culinary world is witnessing a shift in what constitutes luxury dining, moving beyond traditional expensive ingredients.
- Utilizing leftover ingredients creatively is not only sustainable but also a testament to a chef's ingenuity and resourcefulness.
- Diners today are more discerning, seeking memorable flavors rather than merely judging based on portion size.
- Increasing awareness of food sourcing and costs is essential for fostering appreciation for the culinary arts.
Transcript
You've just stepped inside the Walk and Talk podcast, number one in the nation for food lovers, chefs, and storytellers.
Speaker A:I'm Carl Fiordini, your host, shining a light on the flavor, the hustle, and the heart of the industry.
Speaker A:We're the official podcast for the New York, California and Florida restaurant shows, the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, the US Culinary Open at nafm, and the North American media platform for the Burnt Chef project, recorded.
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Speaker A:Comes alive and I get the first bite.
Speaker B:Find out more info at the Walk and talk dot com.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the Walk and Talk podcast.
Speaker A:Today I'm joined by a returning guest who always brings something exciting to the table.
Speaker A:Chef Paul Gaskins, executive chef from the Inn at Celebration.
Speaker A:In the studio, he's cooking up two incredible dishes.
Speaker A:Seared scallops with passion fruit leche de tigre and chocolo watermelon radish salad and a crab and kimchi fried rice finished with saffron aioli.
Speaker A:Just hearing that and, you know it's.
Speaker B:Going to be good, But I also.
Speaker A:Want to go deeper into a conversation that affects everyone.
Speaker A:Not just chefs, not just diners, but all of us who buy food every day.
Speaker A:Ingredient prices are climbing everywhere, and that changes how restaurants build menus, how guests perceive value, and even how families shop and cook at home.
Speaker A:So with Chef Paul, we're going to explore what rising food costs really mean and how they're shaping the way we look at food as a whole.
Speaker A:Chef Paul, welcome to the program.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:What a day.
Speaker B:I mean, really, what a.
Speaker B:What a day.
Speaker B:Those dishes.
Speaker B:I just ate six pounds of rice.
Speaker B:I was just saying, like, literally, while you guys were, you know, out there in the studio, you know, doing what you're doing, I scarfed rice and crab and scallops and everything.
Speaker B:You did a hell of a job today, Jeff.
Speaker C:Appreciate it.
Speaker C:Appreciate that.
Speaker C:It was a pleasure to be back and pleasure to cook.
Speaker C:Cook again.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's been a minute.
Speaker B:Let's jump into the dishes.
Speaker B:What did you do today?
Speaker C:So the mindset was to use something that was very easy to acquire, not too expensive.
Speaker C:And then at the same time, in particularly, the second dish was to use a leftover product and turn into a brand new dish.
Speaker B:Like what?
Speaker C:So the.
Speaker C:The rice itself was used yesterday for a different application.
Speaker C:And then we saved over the rice and turned it into a kimchi fried rice with crab.
Speaker B:What made you think crab and kimchi?
Speaker B:Like, what.
Speaker B:What drove you to that?
Speaker C:Mainly just I was thinking seafood in general, and then the kimchi is always a great way to add acid and texture and flavor to things.
Speaker B:The aioli took it to another level.
Speaker C:It adds the creaminess that's needed to add a different element or a different aspect of the dish.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Like a whole nother dimension, because, you know, you can eat it without it, and it's great.
Speaker B:And then you add it.
Speaker B:You mix it in another dimension.
Speaker C:Saffron helps that aspect too.
Speaker B:100.
Speaker B:So wait a minute.
Speaker B:Let's get back.
Speaker B:Let's get to this.
Speaker B:Let's talk about the ceviche.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:The ceviche itself.
Speaker C:The original idea was octopus, but I kind of twisted it up and did scallops today.
Speaker C:Passion fruit.
Speaker C:That is something that's very native to Peru.
Speaker C:During my adventures in Peru, kind of picked up that little element or that little part of my game.
Speaker C:And then I just tried it to twist it a little bit.
Speaker C:So we added lots of flavors.
Speaker C:Everything from fish sauce to lime juice, orange juice, passion fruit to ginger that you probably wouldn't even imagine that would be in there.
Speaker C:And then a little bit of heat with a little bit of chili oil.
Speaker B:That was my favorite.
Speaker B:Okay, I appreciate it.
Speaker B:That was my favorite.
Speaker B:And that.
Speaker B:That leche de tigre was stupid.
Speaker B:So delicious.
Speaker B:You can use that, I think, on just about almost anything.
Speaker C:You know, the funny thing is, fish sauce is not one of those things that you would think about using unless you're in the industry, and that's something that you would take up.
Speaker C:But it has a lot of depth in fish sauce.
Speaker B:I told my mother in law, she's Cuban.
Speaker B:I told my mother in law what we're doing here today.
Speaker B:She always asked God low, why don't you, you know, as you asked me what.
Speaker B:And I told her, and she says, oh, my God.
Speaker B:You know, she loves.
Speaker B:She loved it, like, the sound of it.
Speaker B:So I'm gonna bring some of that home.
Speaker C:Please do.
Speaker C:Please, please let me know her thoughts.
Speaker C:Please.
Speaker B:This is a little bit different in terms of savage.
Speaker C:Correct.
Speaker C:Because we added a hot element to it.
Speaker C:Usually ceviche is totally cold and something that you're just used to, whether it's close to a sashimi or yellowtail or some kind of fish with it.
Speaker C:But I noticed that people are venturing out with other elements to it.
Speaker C:So ceviche is not just the traditional fish anymore.
Speaker C:People are adding other elements to it.
Speaker C:So I decided to add the scallops today.
Speaker B:When you're approaching a dish like you did for the first one and you're looking at costs, everything's a little bit strange today.
Speaker B:In the economy of things, I feel like it might be trending a little bit better.
Speaker B:I think it's improving slowly, albeit.
Speaker B:How are you approaching putting dishes together, building out your menus?
Speaker B:In today's environment, creativity is a big.
Speaker C:Aspect of it, and to be creative, it can't be just me.
Speaker C:I use my team, my cooks, my lead cooks, my sous chefs, and we collaborate and we create ideas.
Speaker C:Ultimately, it is me in the sense that I finalized the dish, but the thought process is it's a group effort.
Speaker C:Also, I built the ideas off of how can I do this where it's not so expensive and sustainability is probably a key aspect of that or key word to think about.
Speaker B:Well, first off, let me just say this.
Speaker B:You brought Diego today as your in house sue over here, and I just want to say he did a spectacular job.
Speaker B:You're awesome.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker C:Thank you, dear.
Speaker B:Would you say that diners are more aware of where their money is going on the plate, or do they still kind of judge everything by their portion size?
Speaker C:I think it's a little bit of both.
Speaker C:Portion size means a lot to people because they want.
Speaker C:You want to make sure that your dollar goes as far as it can.
Speaker C:So, you know, if you're spending $30 on a plate, you want to make sure that you don't have to go to another restaurant afterwards, whether it's a fast food place or even go home and have to have a bowl of cereal because you're, you know, you're still hungry.
Speaker C:So portion size does take probably front, front, front, I guess front and center.
Speaker C:But then at the same time, I would say if you can impress them with flavors and you can impress them with something that's memorable, that they can come back and they can recognize that, hey, I really had a good dish here and it was worth $30, then you can get repeat business, you can get return business.
Speaker C:And then at the same time, they can remember it as a great dish and like, hey, that was worth $30.
Speaker B:I think there's a lot of misconceptions because you have elevated establishments where you're going to get something that's not your typical traditional, you know, home style meal.
Speaker B:And people who aren't accustomed to that, they're going to leave unhappy.
Speaker B:Typically not because it doesn't taste good.
Speaker B:It's because they look at the fact that there's three peas on a plate, you know, with a schmear of something, and they don't understand all of the work that went into the schmear or the drizzle or Whatever that sauce is, the science behind all of that, they don't get it, and they're looking for a big plate of something.
Speaker B:I feel like a lot of people still eat with their eyes.
Speaker C:Almost definitely.
Speaker C:Most definitely.
Speaker C:People eat with the first thing is your eyes, and then after that, then becomes taste and what it looks like.
Speaker B:And so when you have a piece of museum art on a plate, a lot of folks don't get it yet.
Speaker B:A lot of people do.
Speaker B:Obviously, I'm, you know, especially the last 25 years of this, you know, dare I say, Food Network esque.
Speaker C:I would say social media is a big.
Speaker C:A very big part of that.
Speaker B:But I still, in my travels and the people who I come across, man, it's.
Speaker B:It's still out there to be.
Speaker B:People get hung up on that.
Speaker C:I think they look at still like going back to our conversation about value for dollar or dollar for value.
Speaker C:But I believe you can still, because of the environment today with social media and like you said, the Food Network and Food Network chefs and all the glamour chefs that are out there, I think people still can recognize that there's talent there and recognize what it took to.
Speaker C:To put that together.
Speaker C:It's not just the cook.
Speaker C:It's not just the chef.
Speaker C:You know what, there's a dishwasher in the back washing the dishes.
Speaker C:Somebody's got to clean and make sure everything is sanitized and ready to go.
Speaker B:Hardly anyone, unless you're in the industry would understand when the.
Speaker B:If your dish pit isn't keeping up and you don't even have enough silver to go back out, you know, if you're flipping tables that fast or turning them quickly, the stress that puts on the entire building, it starts with, you.
Speaker C:Know, I hate to say it, but it actually starts in the dish bed.
Speaker C:It truly does.
Speaker B:There's different levels of chefdom, let's say, then you have your home cooks.
Speaker B:What lessons can a home cook learn from a pro?
Speaker C:Use all ingredients.
Speaker C:So you buy an onion, you're not gonna use it all for one dish that you make.
Speaker C:Let's say you're making meatloaf.
Speaker C:You're not using that whole onion.
Speaker C:You might need to use that onion the next day or the next day.
Speaker C:So when you do shop, shop and use all items, use everything that you buy, and create meal plans or meals that you.
Speaker C:You can basically cross utilize products throughout.
Speaker C:You want to be able to make your dollar go further.
Speaker C:So the only way to do that is traditionally is to meal plan and buy things that can be cost utilized.
Speaker B:A lot of Times.
Speaker B:That has to do with prep, though.
Speaker C:It does.
Speaker B:So that means.
Speaker B:That means somebody at home may have to take some time, sit down and actually look at their week.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because if you're going to go buy, let's say, the onion and I can tell you from my refrigerator at home, and I don't do the cooking.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:I don't, truth be told.
Speaker B:Mm, Shocker.
Speaker B:Right, John?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But I see a lot of stuff that just ends up in the garbage.
Speaker B:I'm talking produce.
Speaker B:If there was a plan past whatever that was gonna be used for initially, that $15 of fruits and veg that ends up in a trash can, we'll go another week and a half because it's already half prepped out or whatever.
Speaker B:It's already in containers or you freeze it or whatever it is.
Speaker B:Am I crazy?
Speaker C:No, you're.
Speaker C:You're exactly right.
Speaker C:In a sense I have.
Speaker C:I'm fortunate in the sense that I do live next to a farm and this farm produces produce.
Speaker C:So when I need something, I, I'll go to farm and I just buy what I need.
Speaker C:So being, I guess, ostentatious and buying too much of one ingredient is, yeah, you're going to end up with some trash.
Speaker C:You're going to end up with some stuff that's going to end up in the trash.
Speaker C:And unfortunately, your dollars are ended up in that very same spot.
Speaker B:Guest comes in, they sit down, they open the menu, they look and they see pricing.
Speaker B:And let's just say it's a little bit higher than what they're accustomed to or what they thought it was going to be.
Speaker B:What would you wish that they understood about how that menu item is costed out?
Speaker C:I think the, probably the biggest, one of the biggest misconception is I would say probably proteins.
Speaker C:Proteins are expensive.
Speaker C:Beef is expensive.
Speaker C:Chicken is expensive.
Speaker C:Seafood can be expensive, depending on what you want.
Speaker C:It is.
Speaker C:I, I would love, if customers would understand that, you know, go.
Speaker C:Go to the grocery store and try to buy a ribeye at steak.
Speaker C:It's going to cost you 25, 30 bucks for that one or two steaks or whatever it may be.
Speaker C:It does cost.
Speaker C:I do not want to put that cost on the gas.
Speaker C:My, my goal is to create plates and create food that is flavorful and at the same time cost effective.
Speaker C:Not only for my business or the business that I work for, but for the guests, for the clients, because I want them to understand that, hey, I'm not here to, to take money out of your pocket, just to be taking money out of your pocket.
Speaker C:I want you to have a memorable experience.
Speaker C:At the same time, I want you to come back because it was affordable.
Speaker B:When we were filming your dishes and your storytelling segment earlier, you'd mentioned in most case scenarios, the cost doesn't even get passed down to the guest.
Speaker C:That's the goal.
Speaker C:The goal is not to pass it on to the guests.
Speaker C:Once again, you want the return guests.
Speaker C:And if you pass the cost onto the guest, it will be noticeable.
Speaker C:They will notice, especially if they're returning customers, they come two or three times a week and they're going to notice it.
Speaker C:Yeah, the price went up 50 cents or the price went up a dollar or things of that sort.
Speaker C:We do have a business to run.
Speaker C:We do have to pay our employees.
Speaker C:We there, there's a lot of components to that version of it.
Speaker C:But at the same time, I don't believe in that.
Speaker C:We should push that onto the client to now we create a brand new dish that's a little more expensive.
Speaker C:It needs to be explained to the guests.
Speaker C:It needs to be from the server or the chef needs to come out and be able to explain, hey, you're getting, you know, you're getting a 16 ounce rib eye.
Speaker C:This is a little bit, little more price than if you got a 10 ounce ribeye.
Speaker C:So there's a difference.
Speaker B:Yeah, you know, a lot of this also translates from, let's say distributor to, to chef or buyer.
Speaker B:Because when you're buying bulk and you start pricing or costing down to the ounces, it's really not a huge pop in, in, in cost.
Speaker C:It's not, you know, where that cost comes from.
Speaker C:Like you said, if you buy a bulk, you can buy a New York strip, strip loin.
Speaker C:You're going to cut X amount of steaks out of that strip line.
Speaker C:You're going to cut them at X amount of ounces per steak.
Speaker C:The cost is actually the labor.
Speaker C:People don't think about it.
Speaker C:Somebody has to cut this, this strip loin down to stakes and it takes time.
Speaker C:You have to clean it, you have to cut it down, you have to package it, you have to get it ready for the, you know, service.
Speaker C:So there's a labor component that people do not calculate.
Speaker B:Robot robots.
Speaker C:I don't know if that's gonna work in kitchens.
Speaker B:I am not a proponent.
Speaker B:We see them at the trade shows where it's like robo do everything correct and it's, they're pretty amazing.
Speaker B:But I genuinely, well, I genuinely want to believe that like a skilled knifesman in the kitchen isn't going to be Overtaken by an AI robot.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:Let's hope that we, you know, we can still keep jobs and keep our, our artistry together.
Speaker B:It's truth.
Speaker B:I just had a conversation this week about AI taking over salespeople's jobs.
Speaker B:As you know, we're getting into a place where everything is online ordering.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:You know, you're not really having that same conversation with your distributors, customer service department, your salesperson, things like that.
Speaker B:It's just, it's a really scary trend.
Speaker C:Since AI has kind of taken over that version.
Speaker C:It has been scary.
Speaker C:There was a point in time where I refused to buy online.
Speaker C:I refused to buy anything online.
Speaker C:And going to the malls or going to the stores was the way you shop because you want to actually see it, physically see it to go to an online version.
Speaker C:Especially in this industry and being a chef or cooking or.
Speaker C:I just, I have a hard time seeing it.
Speaker C:I have a hard time seeing AI taking hold or taking a foot into it.
Speaker B: plus years ago, early: Speaker B:This is just before blackberries came out, you know, smartphones.
Speaker B:And I remember no matter where you were on your old flip phone, you would have to answer that call, stop whatever you were doing.
Speaker B:And if you didn't have your book with you, you had to write on your hand, you had to write off on a piece of cardboard like you were anywhere you would like.
Speaker B:I used to have this like just random ripped pieces of cardboard in my house or in the car because, you know, you just.
Speaker B:Your orders, this is your livelihood.
Speaker B:It's on this stupid piece of paper that's you're scribbling on.
Speaker B:I get it.
Speaker B:And now, and then it went to, you know, BlackBerry, then iPhone.
Speaker B:And now we, you know, everything is like full digital.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker B:It's easier to text and communicate with you in the kitchen than it is to pick up the phone.
Speaker C:That part I can see it.
Speaker C:I mean, technology has taken that, taking a hold of that version of it, and we've all become accustomed to that version of it.
Speaker C:Once again, I just don't see it in our, in our career fields.
Speaker B:Well, picture this if you will.
Speaker B:Your, your chatgpt for the kitchen knows what you need, right.
Speaker B:And just automatically populates.
Speaker B:It automatically goes straight to the distributor, then at the distributor's warehouse, it's, you know, some, you know, robot pulling your stuff, getting on it.
Speaker B:All you need is AI guests.
Speaker B:And it's a full complete circle now.
Speaker C:You, you're exactly right.
Speaker C:You know what I mean?
Speaker C:If we go to AI guests, then just, let's go for it, then we're all in.
Speaker B:All in on a robot.
Speaker B:What happens when a chef has to choose between sourcing a high and high quality ingredient just to keep the dish affordable?
Speaker C:So my answer to that, in the way I believe it, you're going to have some high end dishes, you're going to have some low end dishes.
Speaker C:The low end dishes cost you a little bit less.
Speaker C:So theoretically, if you sort enough of the low end dishes and just a few of the high end dishes, it balance out.
Speaker B:So, so in reality, what you're saying is when you build your restaurant concept, you're winning or losing starts there, Correct?
Speaker B:Right, correct.
Speaker B:Because if you're like, hey, you know, I want to be the swankiest place in town and all your menu items are, you know, 50 bucks and up, you're in bad shape.
Speaker C:You're never going to make it.
Speaker C:You need something to balance that.
Speaker C:You're not going to be able to sell everyone a $50 steak.
Speaker C:You're going to need something, you're going to need some of those 34, 35 pieces of chicken, whatever version of you want to make, and you need enough of them to compensate for that 50 steak.
Speaker C:Now that's not to say you don't want to sell that 50 stick because the more you sell, the more profit margin that you would get as a businessman.
Speaker C:But let's be, let's be real.
Speaker C:Be real, I guess, and you need to sell some lower cost items just to balance out the cost to you.
Speaker B:And just to get people in the door.
Speaker C:And just to get the people in the door.
Speaker C:You know, the higher end steak houses, they have lower end things on their menu.
Speaker C:They just need to, they sell enough of those so that the higher end stuff doesn't affect them as much.
Speaker B:What I've always found fascinating in, in this game, you can bring in a lower quality piece of meat and you work that meat and all of a sudden it's delicious.
Speaker B:And you would never know that it was a select or a choice piece of beef.
Speaker B:I think that's where the, I think that is where the magic and mastery of making money happens.
Speaker B:Now, I'm not, just to be clear, I'm not saying like somebody brings in a lower quality piece of meat and then, you know, promotes it and sells it as something, as a higher quality.
Speaker B:I'm not talking about that.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker B:I'm saying, hey, we're going to have a lower priced menu.
Speaker B:Item.
Speaker B:It's a lower quality piece of, you know, beef or whatever, but we're going to make it the.
Speaker B:The best tasting piece of meat ever.
Speaker C:That's the goal for every chef.
Speaker C:The goal for every chef is to.
Speaker B:Turn.
Speaker C:A very ordinary product into something amazing.
Speaker C:So making something that, for instance, the rice today, you know, it's rice.
Speaker C:I mean, rice is a sustainable thing.
Speaker C:To turn leftover rice into something else.
Speaker C:That's what you need to do as a chef.
Speaker C:And that's what we're, as chefs, that's what we are tasked to do, to be creative enough to turn something that's very ordinary into something to your point, amazing.
Speaker B: In: Speaker B:So I go to dinner, it was a family dinner, and I was with my father, and there was maybe 20 of us.
Speaker B:So we went to a.
Speaker B:This is a south Florida.
Speaker B:Went to a restaurant, and he's looking at the menu.
Speaker B:My father can cook, right?
Speaker B:We.
Speaker B:He owned a restaurant.
Speaker B:Like, he knows, you know, he knows what he's doing.
Speaker B:He's looking at the menu.
Speaker B:There's people everywhere.
Speaker B:And he says, hey, Carlo, $15 for a meatloaf.
Speaker B:And I'm just like, bob, don't order it.
Speaker B:You know, like, don't order it.
Speaker B:He's.
Speaker B:I'd make this at home for like $3.
Speaker B:Like, yeah, but you're.
Speaker B:Come on, stop.
Speaker B:This is.
Speaker B:Stop.
Speaker B:But this is what you're contending with.
Speaker B:And I bring that up because rice is one of those things where people make it home.
Speaker B:Let's talk ingredients for a second.
Speaker B:What ingredients are overlooked that people can use that are amazing with flavor?
Speaker C:I would say, honestly, vegetables.
Speaker C:Vegetables are so much overlooked.
Speaker C:And the reason why I said that, let's say cabbage.
Speaker C:You know how many things you can do with cabbage?
Speaker C:You can broil cabbage, you can grill cabbage, you can roast cabbage, you can base, you can boil cabbage, you can kraut cabbage.
Speaker C:You can do so many things with cabbage that, you know, you don't think about it.
Speaker C:You don't think about vegetables that way.
Speaker C:You don't.
Speaker C:You don't look at vegetables that way.
Speaker C:You don't look at a tomato, what you can turn a tomato into.
Speaker C:People don't look at what is in front of them.
Speaker C:That's relatively inexpensive.
Speaker C:Produce is not super expensive.
Speaker C:It really, truly is not.
Speaker C:We are so bent on eating meat and eating heartier things to get full.
Speaker C:But I'm be honest with you, me and my wife, we cook vegetable dishes two to three times a week.
Speaker C:And it's just.
Speaker C:It's Vegetables.
Speaker C:It's just vegetables.
Speaker C:We took a.
Speaker C:We took a spaghetti squash and stuff it with more vegetables.
Speaker C:It makes something out of it that.
Speaker B:Actually circles back to how to get more longevity under your.
Speaker B:Out of what you're buying or what you're buying and how you save more money in your pocket.
Speaker C:Correct, Correct.
Speaker C:It does.
Speaker B:Are you listening, people?
Speaker B:I mean, this is what I'm talking about.
Speaker B:I just talked to somebody yesterday or the day before, and they're entering a competition.
Speaker B:And the ingredient, the special ingredient is squash.
Speaker B:The dish has to be, like.
Speaker B:Of squash.
Speaker C:Squash for.
Speaker C:I get you.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I'm like, oh, man.
Speaker B:I mean, just, you know, find the.
Speaker B:The squash blossom and the flour and fry it.
Speaker B:And you can actually use, like, a spaghetti cut.
Speaker B:And, you know, you get the squash blossom and you do the whole.
Speaker B:You know, and he's like, yeah.
Speaker B:And, you know, take an acorn squash and gut it.
Speaker B:You can use that as the bowl.
Speaker B:It's like, oh, man, that's dope.
Speaker B:That's gonna be.
Speaker B:That's gonna be pretty badass.
Speaker C:You know, it works.
Speaker C:It.
Speaker C:Vegetables are filling.
Speaker C:You know, you don't always have to have a starch.
Speaker C:There's a lot of times where me and my wife, we will eat maybe a protein, maybe it's a lean protein, and then we eat vegetables.
Speaker C:So going back to your question, I truly believe vegetables is one, and produce is one of those things.
Speaker C:You know, fruits can also be used.
Speaker C:You can make fruit savory.
Speaker C:They have sugars in them.
Speaker C:But if you grill a pineapple, it doesn't taste like a pineapple much anymore.
Speaker C:Once you grill it, it changes.
Speaker C:Peaches.
Speaker C:Fruits are the same way.
Speaker C:You can do many things with them, and they're healthier for you.
Speaker B:If you saw the difference in cost.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, and I'm speaking commercially, the average case cost for a box of produce is about $20, I would say.
Speaker C:Yes, I would agree with that.
Speaker B:A box of your average, you know, beef is $125 or more.
Speaker B:Or more.
Speaker B:I'm saying Costco.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Correct.
Speaker C:Cost, huh?
Speaker B:That's a huge variance.
Speaker B:And obviously, you can stretch those fruits and veggies to go so far.
Speaker B:You can dehydrate, you can freeze them.
Speaker B:You can do all sorts of really amazing things and get different flavors from all of what you can do with it.
Speaker C:So a lot of vegetables have the.
Speaker C:Have the same texture, or some of them can be portrayed as the same texture as meat.
Speaker C:Mushrooms is, you know, that's the common one, of course.
Speaker C:But things like cabbage, Romanesco cauliflower.
Speaker C:I mean, you turn that to a cauliflower steak.
Speaker C:It's on my menu.
Speaker C:It's one of my dishes on the menu.
Speaker C:It's a color of our steak that we sell and it's a total vegan dish.
Speaker C:This is all vegan.
Speaker C:And it's with that black rice that you had mentioned.
Speaker C:Talk about, it's a Fort Benton rice.
Speaker C:But you know, you do things different a little bit.
Speaker C:It's a little more cost effective meal.
Speaker C:That's not to say I don't have steaks on my man, because I do.
Speaker C:And people, the average clientele wants that.
Speaker C:But I will make it affordable for you to come.
Speaker C:I'm not trying to into your pockets.
Speaker B:So do you think that the, the economy of things, the cost of things is keeping people at home right now or is dining out still essential?
Speaker C:I think dining out still essential.
Speaker C:And the reason why I say that is because of social media nowadays.
Speaker C:Social media is driving people still to go see what's the latest trend, what's the latest fad or dish that people are creating, what's the latest restaurant, what's the hottest spot.
Speaker C:There's all kinds of restaurants out there that are coming up with, in all kind of chefs that are coming up with new dishes and new ways of, of cooking.
Speaker B:I use the analogy of my wife and I often, she's.
Speaker B:I, I like to experiment with food.
Speaker B:And therefore if you brought me a spoon that's layered with a few ingredients on there and it's just going to be a flavor explosion, I'll pay for that because I want to, I want to, I want to try that.
Speaker B:I want to see what that is.
Speaker B:Even if just one spoon, I would agree.
Speaker B:Well, wifey, she's like, well, no, I want like a piece of chicken, I want the rice, I want a salad.
Speaker B:I want to, you know, very traditional, very traditional.
Speaker B:And I don't want that.
Speaker B:I have traditional at home every single day.
Speaker B:If I go out, I want to, I want some sort of high end cocktail mixed nice, beautiful thing and some badass like just layered, flavored, full of spoonful of awesomeness.
Speaker C:You know, because it's a memorable experience that you're looking for.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:If not, why go out if you're, if we're going to go out, go out for something interesting, not for something you can make at home.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker B:Like the meatloaf.
Speaker C:Well, I even turn meatloaf into something amazing too though.
Speaker B:True story.
Speaker B:No, I mean, listen, was it you that made the meatloaf?
Speaker B:Who made meatloaf?
Speaker B:Recently somebody here did meatloaf, didn't they?
Speaker B:Huh?
Speaker B:Maybe it was at home.
Speaker B:I don't even know anymore.
Speaker B:Everything is a blur.
Speaker B:My, my food life is an absolute blur.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Yeah, because we did this great stuff today.
Speaker B:I'm going to go home and they made pollo frita today.
Speaker B:So my mother in law says I'm a very blessed man with food.
Speaker B:I think we all have a preconceived notion of luxury when it comes to dining, but we also now have a very acute understanding of inflation.
Speaker B:How do those two words ultimately go together in today's food world?
Speaker C:What is considered luxury nowadays could be something totally different than what it, what it used to be.
Speaker C:Luxury used to be caviar and things of that sort.
Speaker C:Luxury nowadays is not a caviar.
Speaker C:Luxury is something that.
Speaker C:It could be scallops, it could be a crab cake.
Speaker C:That's just been elevated enough in today's cooking world.
Speaker C:And the chefs of the cooking world have learned how to take the average ingredient and make it luxury.
Speaker C:There's categories for food.
Speaker C:There's, there's fine dining, there's casual, there's, there's theme.
Speaker C:Fast food, of course, but there's a crossover amongst all three of them, or four of them, excuse me, are the categories that I just mentioned.
Speaker C:There's a crossover where you can take something that was very.
Speaker C:For instance, you could take a burger, an elevator burger, to make it a gourmet burger.
Speaker C:So luxury is a perception now is not necessarily the ingredients anymore.
Speaker C:It's a perception now is what, what we perceive as something that is gourmet or something above what is norm.
Speaker B:You can go back to the caviar with that, you know, growing.
Speaker B:When I was, well, when we were all growing up, you thought caviar, you thought like.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker C:The rich and the famous.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But now people are doing caviar bumps, you know, like in their casual and their shorts and flip flops.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:You know, I, I don't.
Speaker B:There's some sort of connection between.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Luxury or perceived value.
Speaker B:Correct, Right.
Speaker B:But I think like today, I don't know.
Speaker B:I don't know if people are getting dressed up anymore.
Speaker B:I feel like we're going through these different stages.
Speaker B:Like in the 90s, everybody got dressed up to go everywhere.
Speaker C:Correct.
Speaker B:Everywhere.
Speaker C:And now you're in flip flops, in some Tommy Bahamas Dockers or something.
Speaker C:When they say.
Speaker B:Right, but then you, but then you have those.
Speaker B:I think it's the hipster crowd that kind of lives that lifestyle.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Where they're still, they still kind of get dressed up a little bit.
Speaker B:They have a very distinct style.
Speaker B:I do believe that they're going to do caviar bombs, you know, in conjunction along with a, you know, Tommy Bahama flip flop word.
Speaker B:The flip flop wearing folks.
Speaker B:I feel like that's a, that's a thing.
Speaker B:And you can count me in on that too, by the way.
Speaker B:I'm, you know, I don't discriminate on the camera.
Speaker B:Hey, chef, look, you know, costs go up, costs go down.
Speaker B:You know, we happen to be in this, like, you know, middle stage where they're a little bit still high, but maybe it looks like they're going to start eking down.
Speaker B:Doesn't that give a highlight?
Speaker B:Doesn't that illustrate the fact that there's people out there that are working the farms?
Speaker B:There's people out there in the kitchens working 15, 18 hours a week.
Speaker B:Like, doesn't that bring the attention back to them?
Speaker C:It should.
Speaker C:It should bring back the attention to the, to the farmer.
Speaker C:And like you said, the hard workers that are in the kitchen, the ones that are actually preparing all your meals when you do come and visit their establishments, the farmer.
Speaker C:I think I mentioned earlier that I have a farm near me and I've done a couple little cooking shows at the farm to help their business.
Speaker C:And the thought is behind all that was just to help them get noticed by more and more people.
Speaker C:Where I live, it helped drive business and it helped when they have a chef come and do something at their farm, it helps their business.
Speaker C:And then the other version of it is majority of my vendors, specifically produce, are farmers.
Speaker C:And I buy from specific farms knowing that I'm helping those forms and their sustainability for their employees.
Speaker C:And I think it's a great thing.
Speaker B:So if you could change one thing about how people see food's worth, what would it be?
Speaker C:I think the, probably the biggest perception for food and people, how people view food is they need to understand that food is obviously we needed to.
Speaker B:To survive.
Speaker C:We need water and food.
Speaker C:We need to be able to eat and drink when we need to eat and drink.
Speaker C:I'm sure of that.
Speaker C:But my enjoyment in cooking comes from seeing my customer's face after I fed them and the fact that I can create something that they really, truly enjoy.
Speaker C:And then they let me know that they truly, truly enjoy that.
Speaker C:That that's why I cook.
Speaker C:That's why I enjoy it.
Speaker B:I couldn't have said it better myself.
Speaker B:You and I are simpatico on that, I think.
Speaker B:John, too.
Speaker B:You get a headshake.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Got a head shake, Chef.
Speaker B:And Diego, you guys rocked it out today.
Speaker B:Sincerely.
Speaker B:Sincerely.
Speaker B:You did.
Speaker B:And I appreciate the fact that you came out and we need to do more of this, okay?
Speaker B:Because the truth is, you kind of fell off for a minute, man.
Speaker B:And, you know, I know you're busy out there, you know, buying cool, cool stuff in Argentina, you know?
Speaker B:You know, you listen, you're having a great time.
Speaker B:You're having a great time, man.
Speaker C:You got little travels.
Speaker B:Yes, yes.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:Your Abram from Argentina was dope.
Speaker C:I appreciate that.
Speaker B:That leather, beautiful, dope ass apron.
Speaker B:How do people find you?
Speaker C:Chef Paul G. And I'm at the inet celebration.
Speaker C:Come find me.
Speaker B:Excellent.
Speaker B:John is as per usual.
Speaker B:You're badass, man.
Speaker B:Appreciate you guys.
Speaker B:Thank you for coming out.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:We are out.
