Aaron Barnett Chef Canada born, LA-bred chef Aaron Barnett was on the path to becoming a veterinarian when he decided to bail and pursue his passion. From an early age, Aaron Barnett’s parents instilled in him a love of food. He was eating snails and dining on his mom’s home-made ceviche when other kids were munching PB & J. He attended culinary school in California before working in Vancouver, BC,…

6 Questions with Lacey Stone Who’s been the biggest influence/guiding force behind what you do? Being an athlete has had the biggest impact on my life. To be a great athlete, you have to be mentally tough no matter what comes your way. I’ve applied the skills of a master athlete to the way I lead my life and train my clients to succeed inside and outside the gym. Michael…

6 Questions with Kristofor Lofgren What is your vision with Bamboo Sushi? Our whole goal is to have as much of a conversation with people as possible. We have the burger for the carnivorous folks, the sushi in the middle to work on ocean conservation, and then we have a ton of vegetarians and vegans that come in. We have this bell curve, so everyone can be together talking, conversing…

6 Questions with Traci Des Jardins How did life on a farm influence your approach to cooking? I think it's important that people have a connection to the life given for the steak that's on your plate. One of my favorite questions is, if you had to kill what you eat, what would you eat? Could you kill a cow? A pig? It's not easy and I don't think it…

Jonathan Zaragoza Chef If Jonathan Zaragoza knows how to do one thing, it’s cook. The Chicago-based executive chef of his family’s Birrieria Zargoza has been on a meteoric rise since he could hold a spatula or roast his own goat—which weren’t that far apart. At 22, he was listed on Zagat’s “30 Under 30,” at 23 he was executive chef at prestigious Logan Square restaurant Masa Azul. Then he rejoined…

6 Questions with Giorgio Rapicavoli What do you remember most about growing up part-time in Italy? I think the craziest thing that I can remember more than anything are the smells. The bakeries I went to growing up have a distinct smell, the macelleria where you get coffee has a smell, the cheese shop, the salumeria, my uncle’s garden—I can remember the particular smell of the peppers. So there are…

Naomi Pomeroy Chef and Restaurateur Naomi Pomeroy has been cooking since age three. She wrote her first recipe at four. Granted, that recipe involved chewing up almonds and mixing them with sprinkles. Nevertheless, that almond mush cake set her on a trajectory to be named one of Food & Wine’s 10 Best New Chefs, a James Beard award-winner, and an Iron Chef competitor. Marie Claire called her the next Alice Waters, but really,…

6 Questions With Elias Cairo What surprised you most about Switzerland? Without a doubt, it’s this insane hyper-focus on precision—no matter what it is. So, if it’s an artisan that’s making a cheese, it’s this hard work to do something rewarding that’s just in their culture. If a train is late in Zurich, it’s on the front page of the newspaper. How did your time in Switzerland shape and influence…

6 Questions with Gavin Kaysen What’s exciting to you right now in the world of cooking? I love to see how easy it is to share and see what others are doing. I feel like it is making our world of food a stronger community. Food is about bringing people together at a table. My challenge to everyone is, what is that majestic moment that you can bring to that…

Jason Neroni Chef At 16 years old while working at Disneyland’s prestigious Club 33, Jason Neroni discovered his love and aptitude for cooking—and that’s only where the magic started. From there, Jason stacked up an impressive resume working in California, New York and Europe at some of the world’s most storied kitchens: Le Cirque, Blue Hill, Essex House, The Tasting Room, 71 Clinton Fresh Food and Superba, to name a…