Cooking Your Way Through Life

When did you realize you were actually an adult, and do you still feel like you are faking it?

TJ Tekurio is back on the show, and if you are new here, he is the reason this podcast exists. It led to my cookbook and then my YouTube channel, so every conversation with him means something. This one is fun, insightful, and packed with gems.

We talk about how we both still feel like we are faking it as adults, and how we definitely have moments where it clicks that we are fully grown lol. Those moments are not always the ones you would expect.

On the culinary side I get into grocery shopping. Now that you have adult money, do you spend it at the store the way you wanted your parents to, or not?

When did it click for you? Tell me wherever you are listening.

Follow TJ: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tjtekurio TikTok: @tjtekurio TJ is a Show Director and Choreographer with Disney Live Entertainment.

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood88

Main character energy, and why nobody is bigger than the program.

Fair warning: my mic went out during this episode, so you will hear the adjustment lol. I left it in because it proved the point of the whole conversation. No matter how much we think we are the main character, we are not. Even my own episode had to adjust around a mic issue, which is a pretty perfect reminder to stay humble.

We talk about how we are all here together as an ensemble, and how that is what makes everything work so well. Everybody plays a part, and the story is better because of the people around you.

On the culinary side I get into the main course and why it is nothing without support. The best entree still needs the sides, the sauce, the seasoning, and the team behind it, and people are no different.

Who has been a supporting character in your story? Tell me wherever you are listening.

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood88

Tricks or treats, and which one are you in someone else's life?

For spooky season I took this episode old school and filmed it in black and white. It is a Halloween episode with a lot more depth than the theme suggests.

We talk about being a treat versus being a trick, and about attracting tricks versus treats into your own life. Sometimes we think we are a treat for someone, but in reality we are the trick too lol. It takes some honest reflection, and I think you will see yourself in it.

On the culinary side I get into how sometimes we have to trick people into trying new things. People are set in their ways, especially with food, and a little trickery can open someone up to a flavor they would have refused if you had told them upfront.

Grab a Halloween snack and settle in.

So which one are you, a trick or a treat? Tell me wherever you are listening.

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood88

Things we pretend to like, a few confessions, and why you should never trust a single bite.

This episode almost did not make it. I lost about 70% of the content I filmed in Atlanta, and this conversation with Jamal was part of it. So while I was in Athens, Greece, Jamal and Lexi hopped on with me online and we recorded it all over again. I am so glad we did.

We get into all kinds of things we pretend to like, including some things I found out Lexi pretends to like for Jamal lol. A few of these confessions caught me completely off guard, and I think you will recognize yourself in some of them.

On the culinary side we talk about why the first taste of something should not be the only taste. If you have only tried something once, or only had it prepared one way, how do you really know you do not like it? Sometimes a different method or a different cook is all it takes to change your mind.

Listen to the full episode, and then go follow Jamal and Lexi.

What do you pretend to like? Tell me wherever you are listening.

Follow Jamal & Lexi: Instagram: @jbyeldell | @lexiwandesigns | @lexisrisuwanyeldell | @blackcrownath | @heykhanompang.thecorgi

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood88

Overrated vs underrated hot takes on all kinds of things, and a guest who is not shy about sharing his opinions.

This week I am joined by Asher, and for an episode called Overrated and Underrated I knew he was going to have plenty to say lol. Asher has a deep background in food and beverage as a former bar owner, general manager, and F&B professional, and today he works in Destinations and Operations at Celebrity Cruises.

This is a fun one and we cover a lot of ground. We talk about what everybody loves that we think is overrated, what is underrated and deserves more attention, and whether people really like certain things or are just following the hype. We also dig into whether social media has made us genuinely like things or just convinced us we are supposed to, and the things we used to roll our eyes at until we changed our minds.

On the culinary side we go behind the bar and behind the menu. We break down the $25 cocktail vs the $12 cocktail and how price, presentation, and reputation shape what we expect before we even taste it. Then we get into the menu item that sells vs the one the staff loves, and what popularity does and does not tell you.

There is also a quick-fire round where Asher calls things overrated, underrated, or properly rated and has to defend every answer. Brunch, espresso martinis, all-inclusive resorts, buffets, cruise ship food, and more.

What is overrated and underrated in your world? Tell me wherever you are listening.

Follow Asher: Instagram: @smashresroh

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood