Twenty years ago, chefs were relegated to the back of the house behind closed doors. Since then, reality TV and social media have helped move the job into the public eye. In the final episode of The Makers podcast, chefs Claudette Zepeda and Joe Sasto discuss their experience on Bravo’s Top Chef, how the experience catapulted them into a new career path outside of traditional restaurants, and why newfound celebrity changes what it means to be a chef.

In The Makers, we have conversations with other chefs about how they define their cuisine, approach their craft, and how they see the culinary industry progressing. Listen to the other episodes of The Makers podcast, made in partnership with Maker’s Mark bourbon, by subscribing on your favorite podcast app. Check out chefsfeed.com/makers for more.

Southern food conjures visions of fried chicken, cornbread, and mac and cheese for many, but the cuisine of the American South is far more complex, diverse, and evolutionary than its most famous exports. In this episode of The Makers podcast, Cheetie Kumar and Bill Smith talk about how their heritage and backgrounds influence their menus and how to expand the public's perception of Southern Cuisine.

We’ll be having conversations with other chefs about how they define their cuisine, approach their craft, and how they see the culinary industry progressing. Stay tuned for more episodes of The Makers podcast, made in partnership with Maker’s Mark bourbon, by subscribing on your favorite podcast app. Check out chefsfeed.com/makers for more.

Climate change, the ever-growing wellness movement, and farm-to-table dining has some diners questioning meat consumption and sourcing more than ever. But for chefs, butchering and sourcing great products has always been a part of the equation.

We’ll be having conversations with other chefs about how they define their cuisine, approach their craft, and how they see the culinary industry progressing. Stay tuned for more episodes of The Makers podcast, made in partnership with Maker’s Mark bourbon, by subscribing on your favorite podcast app. Check out chefsfeed.com/makers for more.

Diners often like to throw out the question of “authenticity” when talking about Mexican restaurants. But a growing number of chefs are pushing back on the whole concept and introducing people to Mexican cuisine as a complex and ever-evolving tradition. In our debut episode of The Makers podcast, chefs Gabe Erales, Diego Galicia, and Rico Torres discuss how they are challenging their diners’ expectations of Mexican food at their restaurants in Texas.

We’ll be having conversations with other chefs about how they define their cuisine, approach their craft, and how they see the culinary industry progressing. Stay tuned for more episodes of The Makers podcast, made in partnership with Maker’s Mark bourbon, by subscribing on your favorite podcast app. Check out chefsfeed.com/makers for more. 

The Makers in each episode of this podcast are chefs that approach their craft in a way that might not be the most efficient or cost-effective, but it gives their food distinct character. 

We talk with: Gabe Erales, Diego Galicia, Rico Torres, Jerome Grant, Richie Brandenberg, Cheetie Kumar, Bill Smith, Claudette Zepeda, and Joe Sasto. 

Check out chefsfeed.com/makers for more stories and videos from these chefs and others.