A recap of all of our 1 on 1 chef interviews from 2015-2016. For more information go to http://in-sight.symrise.com!

1. Symrise in-sight Series
Chef Interviews 2015

2. Symrise in-sight Chef Series
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Featured Chefs
Silvia Baldini, Strawberry & Sage
Melissa Denmark, Gracie’s
Jeffery McInnis, Root & Bone
Paul Kim & Ken Lo, Ice & Vice
Ben Hammond, Cochon
Louis Maldonado, Spoonbar
Kyle Knall, Maysville
Sother Teague, Amor Y Amargo
Sarah Rich, Rich Table
Peter Kelly, Xaviars Restaurant Group

3. Symrise in-sight Chef Series
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Featured Chefs

4. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Silvia Baldini
Founder
Strawberry and Sage
New Canaan, CT
CLICK HERE to read Silvia’s full interview.
Silvia Baldini, founder of Strawberry and Sage, recently won a grueling
12- hour competition on “Chopped.” She is the first woman chef in CT to
bring home a victory on the Food Network show with her award-winning
sweet canederli dessert (think bread dumplings made with standard
pantry ingredients).
Chef Baldini, who formerly had a career as an art director in NYC’s
advertising world, is all about “chic and simple comfort” cuisine.
The name – Strawberry and Sage -- pretty much sums up her
philosophy. Baldini says she wanted the moniker of her business to
combine a bit of both worlds – the savory and the sweet – both of which
she likes to use in her cooking.
Simple ingredients remain her starting point though she’s a big
proponent of kicking things up a notch with interesting combinations.
Among her go-to items: Mediterranean spices like Ras el hanout, za'atar,
sumac, saffron and preserved lemons which add subtle flavor twists. For
example, she likes to mix vanilla and scallop and lemon or use very
tangy flavors to add sweetness. It’s as if, along with the pretty plate, you
also get an unexpected surprise in each bite.

5. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Melissa Denmark
Executive Pasty Chef
Gracie’s
Providence, RI
CLICK HERE to read Melissa’s full interview.
Melissa Denmark admits she always had a passion for baking. Growing
up in Columbia, Maryland, she would practice making chocolate chip
cookies after school, almost daily. “I was always watching cooking shows
and reading cookbooks,” she says. “Baking was in my bones and once I
stopped and thought about it, a career in this industry seemed kismet.”
She enrolled in Johnson & Wales University in 2006 and completed the
Bachelor program in Baking and Pastry Arts. That included learning from
many areas of the industry including a four-star hotel, small scale bakery,
dairy farm, and cake shop. Following graduation, she began working at
Gracie's and now spends everyday working on making memorable
experiences for her guests through food.
The pastry chef, named one of Food & Wine’s “50 Best Pastry Chefs”
and a 2014 StarChefs.com Rising Star, says she loves working with
savory herbs and has fun taking something with a typically savory
reputation and surprising people with a sweet application.
Trends she sees in the pastry world reflect the larger trends going on in
the food world, namely a focus on foraging, preserving, and highlighting
the Earth's bounty. Says Melissa: “It’s a trend that I hope grows and puts
more people in touch with our roots.”

6. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Jeffery McInnis
Executive Chef & Partner
Root & Bone
New York, NY
CLICK HERE to read Jeffery's full interview.
Florida-born Jeffrey McInnis, a “Top Chef” Season Five winner, grew up
surrounded by farm to fork food, both on the fishing boats he spent his
youth on, as well as on his grandparents’ working Alabama farms. The
Johnson & Wales Culinary School graduate has a 20-plus career
spanning a variety of cuisines and cultures and he was nominated
People’s Choice Best New Chef, Food and Wine Magazine 2011.
Now settled in NYC, Chef McInnis is continuing his Southern hospitality
tradition with Root & Bone which he runs with his partner, Chef Janine
Booth, of “Top Chef” season 11.
Symrise sat down with Jeffery and here’s what we found out:
Favorite Ingredients: Corn, Chicken, Olive Oil, Sea Salt
Old Standby Ingredient: Tabasco
New Favorite Ingredient: Espelette Pepper
Secret Spice/Ingredient Weapon: Cumin or Coriander
What trends are you seeing in the kitchen/food world? Southern Food,
Fried Chicken, Korean BBQ
Any new plans/ventures up your sleeve? Yes, a new menu launching in
spring, as well as a great cocktail program!

7. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Paul Kim & Ken Lo
Ice & Vice is all about handcrafted ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt
made in small, customized batches. Chef Paul Kim, one of the founders,
is a savory chef who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and has worked in the
food industry for a number of years. Ken Lo, on the other hand, works in
finance and was never formally trained. Both attended the Ice Cream
Short Course at Penn State, and the rest is history!
“We got into this because ice cream making was a hobby,” explained
Ken. “We wanted to pursue something on our own outside of our normal
jobs. We both love ice cream, and we thought, why not?”
The result is edgy, out of the box flavors like toasted milk ice cream
swirled with sea salt chocolate ganache, nilgiri tea ice cream swirled with
lemon charcoal caramel, green apple buttermilk, white chocolate, and
shiso leaf, and Vietnamese coffee ice cream with doughnut truffle.
“When we're coming up with new flavors, we like to observe the latest
food trends, and study flavor pairings. Some work, some don't. There are
a lot of flavors that we experiment with that don't make it to market. It's all
part of the process, and that's what makes what we do so fun.”
Founders
Ice & Vice
New York, NY
CLICK HERE to read Paul & Ken’s full interview.

8. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Ben Hammond
Chef Ben Hammond’s pig-centric menu of traditional Southern and
Cajun dishes at Cochon is “simple and straightforward”, allowing pork –
his mainstay commodity – to do the talking.
“Pork is incredibly versatile, with a lot of uses,” he says. “It’s not your run-
of-the-mill protein. There are so many cuts that offer a lot of complexity
and flavor, which is why I enjoy cooking with it so much,” he says.
It’s all about respecting the pig and getting as many uses out of it as he
can. “The pig gets killed for a reason; we want to make sure we are
exhausting every option to use the whole animal,” he says. Which means
pork shoulder for charcuterie, skin for crackling, head cheese from the
head, and so on.
In keeping with age-old Southern practices, Chef Hammond is also big
into pickling and fermenting. “I imagine that’s gotten popular within the
culinary world but we’ve been doing it since Day One,” he says.
“We have a long story attached to Southern cooking and Southern
traditions,” he adds. “I know that might sound corny but that’s the way it
is. We like to think of ourselves as forward-thinking.”
Chef
Cochon
New Orleans, LA
CLICK HERE to read Ben's full interview.

9. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Louis Maldonado
Louis Maldonado, one of the top four finalists on Bravo’s Top Chef in
2014, has been called a “Rising Star” (by the San Francisco Chronicle
and StarChefs) as well as an ardent supporter of the farm to table
movement. At Spoonbar, he is known for partnering with local farmers—
many of whom are also winemakers—to raise specialty vegetables,
grains and livestock, all of which end up on his menu.
We caught up with him between shifts and here’s what we found out:
Favorite Ingredients: “I embrace everything when it comes to working with
ingredients. I love cutting fish – it’s very calm and peaceful for me. Same goes
with sauce making.”
What kind of food do you eat when you’re off duty: “I love Mexican
food. I could eat it every day, every meal.”
What trends are you seeing in the kitchen/food world? “Trends are
dangerous because you lose your honesty and transparency in what you are
trying to offer to your guests. I believe you can't think for yourself and have your
own individual ideas when you pay attention to trends.”
What does it mean to be named a “Rising Star” by StarChefs? “I
think it means to me that I have my life together at a young age and with more
time to develop could be a driving force and voice in the industry.”
Executive Chef
Spoonbar
Healdsburg, CA
CLICK HERE to read Louis' full interview.

10. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Kyle Knall
Kyle Knall, a native of Birmingham, AL , has been cooking professionally
since he was 16. He went from high school to culinary school in his
hometown while also working in kitchens for legendary chefs. Post-
graduation he moved to NYC and landed at Gramercy Tavern before
moving onto Chef at Maysville, an American whiskey bar and restaurant
in the Flatiron district.
Among the number one questions Chef Knall is often asked centers on
ingredients: What does he use most? What does he like best? “The
answer sounds like a cop out, I know,” he says, “But the reality is, it all
depends on the season. I like to use what’s available and so that means
now, in the dead of winter, we’re using a lot of squash.”
Spoken like a real southern chef, “Instead of using cognac or another
kind of wine or spirit, we use bourbon,” he says of the Maysville style. He
says it has a lot of depth and that he even uses it to de-glaze pans. “We
like using bourbon to build flavors,” he says. That means roasting
oysters, or sautéing with another ingredient like apple cider.
So what’s next on his plate? Chef Knall has just opened a new place,
Kenton’s, in New Orleans, described as a bourbon and oyster restaurant.
Chef
Maysville
New York, NY
CLICK HERE to read Kyle's full interview.

11. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Sother Teague
There isn’t a cocktail – or an ingredient -- Sother Teague doesn’t seem to
know when it comes to mixology. If he’s not stirring, melding or
experimenting, he’s talking about his favorite topic: Bitters. Asked why
bitters enthrall him, he says: “My former career was as a chef. I have a
tendency toward savory. Bitters and Amari are all relatively savory. It
was a natural progression for me.
And though other ingredients move him, at Amor Y Amargo, he’s set
some pretty stringent rules. “No juice, nothing house-made and we don't
shake drinks,” he explains. “The only sugar we use is cane syrup and
only for Old-Fashioned's. But, every offsite event I do, I'm getting into as
much of the off limits stuff as I can.”
“We only stir at AyA so I'm always shaking and swizzling and rapid
infusing when I’m out and about,” he says. “Basically, techniques I don't
get to use.”
The biggest secret: He doesn’t even drink cocktails. He typically drinks
things neat or simply on the rocks. “I try to enjoy the manors of the
maker,” he says. “Also, I drink like I eat. First to the season, second to
the occasion, and third to the atmosphere.”
Beverage Director
Amor Y Amargo
New York, NY
CLICK HERE to read Sother's full interview.

12. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Sarah Rich
Sarah Rich is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute after working
in a few kitchens, she and her husband opened Rich Table in 2012.
Soon after, in 2014, Sarah was included on Food & Wine‘s “2014 list of
Best New Pastry Chefs” where she was described as “a genius at
transforming familiar American desserts like s’mores, always adding a
savory ingredient—fresh herbs, for instance—to balance out a bit of the
sweetness.”
Symrise sat down with Chef Sarah to find out more:
How do you get your inspiration for your creations? “I really take
inspiration from desserts that I have enjoyed in my past. I usually find
inspiration from childhood favorites and go from there.”
Any new ingredients or flavor combinations you are working with?
“It's exciting as the seasons change to think of new ways to use fruits or
vegetables in my desserts. I made a cherry tomato tarte tatin with white
chocolate and basil sorbet that was really unexpectedly delicious.”
What would people be surprised to know about the "sweet" side of
the business? “How hard it is. Pastry is very specific, very scientific, it
takes a delicate hand. It is just as challenging to develop a balanced, well-
rounded dessert as it is to do the same with a savory dish.”
Chef
Rich Table
San Francisco, CA
CLICK HERE to read Sarah's full interview.

13. in-sight Chef Interviews
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Peter Kelly
Chef Peter X. Kelly, an Iron Chef Winner and self-taught chef, is known
throughout New York State for promoting the foods of the Hudson Valley
and for operating the most critically acclaimed restaurants north of
Manhattan. His Xavier’s Restaurant Group includes Xavier’s at Piermont
in Piermont, NY, The Freelance Cafe and Wine Bar, also in Piermont,
Restaurant X & the Bully Boy Bar in Congers, NY and X2O Xavier’s on
the Hudson in Yonkers, NY. Since the early 90’s Chef Kelly has also
been a vintner. His wines at Xavier’s Cellars in Napa Valley have been
applauded by the New York Times and Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
As for some of his favorite ingredients to work with, the answer is easy:
Locally raised poultry like duckling, quail, pheasants and chickens raised
not far from where his restaurants are located. What’s fresh and what’s
in season have always given him his inspiration but he says “inspiration
is everywhere.”
It seems like Chef Kelly has done it all. But what’s his newest adventure?
Slovenia Vodka, produced in small batches entirely in Europe. “The
quality is astounding as the water source is the Juliene Alps and we use
a bit of buckwheat in the distillate which gives a richness and
smoothness nearly unheard of in vodkas,” he explains.
Founder
Xaviars Restaurant Group
New York
CLICK HERE to read Peter’s full interview.

14. Information, Innovation, Inspiration
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