Walk-In Talk Podcast
We are a Food Podcast. We are blessed to have been ranking on Apple Podcast Charts since November of 2022 in the Food Category and have been the #1 podcast spot in the United States for more than a year! Along with the podcast comes amazing food photography by John Hernandez from Ibis Images.
Powered by our partnership with brands like RAK Porcelain USA, Metro Shelving and many other amazing companies - Walk-In Talk Podcast, hosted by Carl Fiadini and team, combines culinary expertise and experiences to provide an insightful and engaging exploration of the food industry.
Our podcast is a must-listen for food industry enthusiasts, as we provide unique insights into everything from recipes to how Chefs are navigating high inflation while also discussing the importance of mental health in the industry.
Walk-In Talk Podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the food industry. Our show provides a fun and entertaining vibe to our podcast.
Don't miss out on upcoming episodes where we will continue to cook up thought-provoking discussions on important industry-related topics - so come uncover restaurant mayhem with us!
Check out our website for more food industry-related content, including:
https://www.thewalkintalk.com
Restaurant Recipes
Cocktail recipes
Walk-In Talk interviews
The Restaurant Life Magazine
Best beef in the business!
www.peninsulafoodservice.com
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Walk-In Talk Podcast
Two-Time Chopped Winner Opal Poullard: From Military to Mentoring - A Culinary Journey of Resilience and Inspiration
Chef Opal Poullard’s journey from the military to the culinary world is an inspiring tale of resilience and dedication. She shares her experiences, from competing on Food Network's Chopped to her upcoming goals of fostering the next generation of chefs through mentorship.
• Chef Opal's military background and its influence on her culinary career
• Transitioning from the military to competing in culinary competitions
• The importance of mentorship and training in the culinary industry
• Global culinary influences and how they shape Chef Opal's cooking style
• Future plans for a cooking school and community engagement
Look for Chef Opal at the U.S. Culinary Open at the NAFEM Show in Atlanta February 26th-28th.
Follow her IG @chef_opal_
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Thank you for listening to the Walk-In Talk Podcast, hosted by Carl Fiadini and Company. Our show not only explores the exciting and chaotic world of the restaurant business and amazing eateries but also advocates for mental health awareness in the food industry.
Our podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the industry. Don't miss out on upcoming episodes where we'll continue to cook up thought-provoking discussions on important topics, including mental health awareness.
Be sure to visit our website for more food industry-related content, including our very own TV show called Restaurant Recipes where we feature Chefs cooking up their dishes and also The Dirty Dash Cocktail Hour; the focus is mixology and amazing drinks!
Thank you for tuning in, and we'll catch you next time on the Walk-In Talk Podcast.
https://www.TheWalkInTalk.com
Leave a review and rating, please!
Hello Food Fam. This is the Walk Talk podcast, where you will find the perfect blend of food fun and cooking knowledge. I'm your host, carl Fiodini. Welcome to the number one food podcast in the country. We're recording on-site at Ibis Images Studios, where food photography comes alive and I get to eat it. Here's a humble request to give us a follow on instagram at walk and talk show, please, and thank you. I am into quality made smoked fish dips and spreads. I know you are too. Check out our friends over at crab island seafood company. Visit them at crab islanddipcom to order yours. Today here in studio we have the chef, carl Riding, co-owner of actually, crab Island Seafood Company. He's going to be cooking up two dishes after the show today. Be sure to follow us on socials to check out the photography and film work from today's productione.
Speaker 1:Exciting announcement from Metro. So are you ready to transform your restaurant's kitchen? Metro is thrilled to introduce a brand new way to nominate your favorite eatery for the 2025 Kitchen Storage Makeover, now with a whopping $100,000 value. I'll be posting a detailed video to get into those details on Instagram. Check it out. Today, our featured guest is Chef Opal Pillard. She's a true culinary superstar with an incredible journey that's taken her from Los Angeles to being a guest chef at the White House and all the way to celebrity chef status. She's a two-time Food Network Chopped Champion, a certified EC, a culinary educator par excellence. We're thrilled to have Chef Opal on the show today to share her remarkable story and talk about her upcoming cooking competition at the US Culinary Open next month. But first let's find out what's on today's menu. Oh man, that's just. It's just a sweet spot. I don't know what to tell you guys. Chef Carl, welcome back to the studio. Nice for having me. Man, I tell you what these are exciting times, my friend.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Very exciting. There's so many new things happening. There's new talent coming into Walk Talk in general. Walk Talk Media at large. Man, I can't wait to get into that as the weeks progress. What are you cooking today, dude?
Speaker 2:What do you got? Well, first I have a cornbread pancake with our Mexican street corn crab dip on top and a tequila marinated flank steak, and then the second one is a beer-battered cod stuffed with our spinach artichoke crab dip, and then risotto fries and remoulade.
Speaker 1:So Crab Island Seafood. So I know you guys right, you and Tom chefs, you guys do a tour. Well, one chef and you know a super, super awesome kitchen guy, right, my assistant, your assistant.
Speaker 2:We're all laughing at each other.
Speaker 1:Explain to the audience why Crab Island Seafood is a step up above what you're going to get at the grocery store.
Speaker 2:Well, I think, first and foremost it's quality ingredients. And not only that, it's very different from what you're going to actually find at the grocery store, and on top of that, you can actually cook with these. They're very versatile. They're good on their own.
Speaker 1:It's just a plain good dip so I know that you're using loins, you're using cream cheese, you're going above and beyond and it's still priced pretty competitively I'm, which is shocking me too, especially the way prices are going these days.
Speaker 2:We're still able to get a very good price point for everything you are being carried at a pretty large distributor.
Speaker 1:Who is it? A cheney brothers international proud to be there if somebody's looking to find out more about you. What's your uh? What's your instagram?
Speaker 2:crab on seafood dips, so it's a flank steak, tequila marinated. So I took obviously tequila, some garlic onions, smoked paprika, I blended it all up and actually let it sit in that for two days. So it's gonna be good and juicy which dish did we pick for this?
Speaker 1:what plate? It's one of the new digi plates from rack. Oh, I love it okay, excellent, all right. Well, look, let's do this without further ado. I'd like to bring chef opal onto the show. Chef, how are you doing today? I'm doing great, thank you man, I'm so excited we've been talking, you and I, for I don't know what two months now trying to get this booked.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's been busy. I'm glad I was able to get on.
Speaker 1:I'm glad that Nick and Polly sent your information over. I'm super, super stoked about having you on today and to talk about your story, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Let's start with your military career. You're a retired Air Force veteran 20 years, correct?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's correct. I spent a little over 20 years in the Air Force. How did the Air Force influence you getting into the kitchen?
Speaker 3:The Air Force influenced very much. Largely, when you think about the kitchen, we think about the brigade system if you want to take it all the way back, and we're talking about the technical cooking aspect of French culinary. So there's a lot of militant aspects that go into the operation day to day. As many know, that work in any type of restaurant operation or whatever you may do, everything has to be methodical and that really helped me quite a bit with being able to have the mental fortitude, have the determination and the strength and so forth to be able to take on that portion of my career. When I was able to take on that portion of a career you know, I know we'll talk and get more into it because I was not always a chef starting out that was great to be able to have that history. When I was able to get into that.
Speaker 1:What was your detail when you were there?
Speaker 3:So when I started off in the Air Force, believe it or not, I left Los Angeles. I needed to get out as quickly as I could. You know, I grew up in the inner cities. I wanted something better for myself. I didn't want to become a statistic. Talked to some recruiters, I actually had a job set out for food service or some kind of administrative job. The job ended up getting canceled and I still needed to leave on time for boot camp.
Speaker 3:My recruiter, as most recruiters did, talked me into taking a job called security forces with the intel that I could possibly retrain at some point. Security forces for many of that, if you don't know, for the Air Force, security police, military police as well as combat, is involved with that. So that's what I got into and what I did and I stuck with it and I'm thankful for it. I met great people. I did things that I never thought I could possibly do. I did that for almost 14 years before I jumped into the chef world, which some great opportunities were offered to me after I got back from a deployment to Afghanistan. So you know, much of what I went through kind of pretty much set me forth on the path to be able to take on any challenge or anything I aspired for or dreamed of, and all that I went through set me up for a better path, to be able to be more successful when it came about.
Speaker 1:How did going from the military to the food network like? Isn't that like a culture shock? Like to go from Afghanistan to, you know, a studio?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I think it was some time. It wasn't just an overnight thing. That was about a nine year span in between that. So you know, through that time I was cooking. When I actually got into a job, I started applying for a position in 2017.
Speaker 3:I was allotted to apply to be a private chef, which is called an enlisted aide in the military for generals. So I went through quite a bit of training prior to they sent us to the Culinary Institute of America to do pro-chef courses. I was already studying on my own with my own degree in hospitality through the American Military University. At some point, when I was an instructor for an advanced culinary program, I got certified through the American Culinary Federation and became a CEC Certified Executive Chef.
Speaker 3:So I had all these things lined up prior to going on to CHOPT, which I think was more of a push for me to be able to be accepted because I had that well-rounded background. So for me it was more of years spent studying, years spent training, years spent learning as much as I could Again, military background that when I was able to go on the Food Network yeah, it was a shock, of course, being on TV and going through cooking with all the cameras in your face and the high tempo. But I really, really do attribute a lot of the work that I had to put in people that helped me get there and a lot of the mentorship that I received prior to getting there that helped me get through it when you're deployed and you're away and you're going to be gone for a while.
Speaker 1:I is, I presume. I don't know, but I presume that you think it's endless. It's not something that you're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when you do fast forward from being deployed nine years to Food Network.
Speaker 1:You still don't forget. That's kind of built into your, your psyche, your persona. It's built into you. It's who you are. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely so. To go from 130 degree temps to cameras in your face, that's gotta be like in your head at some point. You had to just go. How did I get here? And this is so amazing, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, and it was so fast paced through the day when I did compete on the first show and then going to the second show. But by the end of the first show, when I got that statement from Ted, when he said, hey, you're the top champion, I just I couldn't believe it. But everything rushed over for me because it wasn't just all military, it was you know my background, where I came from, where a lot of people didn't make it to doing what I could to do better for myself, my life and my career in the military, to all the things that I had to go through. You know, I wanted to serve my country. So it's not just that, I was just put through it. But you go through things even when you want to be a part of it and you want to serve your country. But you go through things even when you want to be a part of it and you want to serve your country.
Speaker 3:But it was an emotional moment for me because I couldn't believe that all the things that I aspired for and dreamed of were unveiling at that moment and I thought about those days in the desert when it was hot and cold and cold, believe it or not. Where I was, it snowed, and being out on foot patrols and doing convoys when I didn't think that I was going to. You know, you don't know if you're going to make it back to your destination and there's constant warfare going on and going through. You know different types of terrorist attacks and stuff that were happening to the soldiers and Marines and airmen and sailors, everybody that was there, Everything that we went through. It kind of just unfolded and explains why. Whoever has watched the show or will in the future, I was very emotional because I could not believe that where I came from and where I made it to. So it was a lot of a lot of work, a lot of faith and belief that something else was out there for me in the end.
Speaker 1:Well, without, without getting mushy. I sincerely appreciate your story and appreciate your service and everyone else as well for that matter. You know it's a, it's a, it's a proud thing, thank you. So we've had other food network winners and contestants on the show, and I always ask the same question, which is you go on, you compete, you win. How did that change your life?
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, it changed it drastically, I in the better way, the best way possible. You know for me when it happened, the show was actually taped in the fall of 2022 and then aired around spring of 2023. So when all this was happening, there was a lot of media coverage that went on with it. It was my last year in the military. I was getting at 20 years. I did a little over 20 or six months I served was just the epitome of the path that sparked for me was creating a lot of good opportunities that were set forth for me prior to even leaving. So it did very well. I will say that. You know, chop did create that path for me that I'm super thankful for and will always be.
Speaker 1:You'll be competing in the prestigious US Culinary Open at the NAFM show in Atlanta this February. You know, with your background I can't imagine. I mean, you must have nerves of steel just coming from where you come from. But you're still going to be. You're still going to be competing against Michelin, beard and other Food Network winners. How does that? How does that fly with you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, listen, you know I do have a face that I put on that. A lot of people think that I'm not nervous. I'm always nervous. There's nerves going into everything that I do, but I try to go with the confidence that I'm going to make it through, no matter what.
Speaker 3:You know competing against these other levels and areas of the culinary field, I think it's an awesome opportunity. It's unique in the fact that you talk about the Michelin-starred chefs that are going into this James Beard chefs. There's also culinary instructors that work at prestigious colleges around America. These chefs here they work with different businesses, which is great. They may have the doors open for different kitchens that they can practice in and so forth, but it's a little different for me. I've been working with a lot of different businesses within my area, since I don't have a brick and mortar. Fountainhead Country Club has opened their doors. Chef Todd Reynolds, who's also a CEC, was very generous to open the kitchen for us to practice in here soon.
Speaker 3:Our Time Kitchen in Baltimore, maryland. Chef Katina Smith that you know I'm connected through Map Impact, which is a nonprofit for women chefs, so there's been chefs that have been open to help me out. I don't work with other younger chefs. You know you got to have a Comey chef that's between the ages of 18 and 25. So I actually had tryouts for that and was able to pick a person that is thankfully going to go for the ride with me, chef Isabella. So I'm thankful for that 21 year old young chef who's aspiring for more and wants to learn more. So it's great I get to train someone along the way and we're competing at a level that a lot of people don't get to do with these many different types of chefs on this type of platform. So I think it's an amazing opportunity.
Speaker 1:So you mentioned about how other chefs in the competition you know they have their brick and mortar and they get to you know train on a regular basis. How are you training? How often?
Speaker 3:It's been a lot of me doing a lot of the building process. I have a young chef that's kind of in the basics and I'm going to be teaching her advanced level the last month and a half here we'll be building, ramping up more two to three times a week within the kitchens. I had some trouble just getting into a kitchen to get the person in to help us out with doing that, but we're finally on a good path. It's going to be different for every single chef, but I have a plan, a training plan, for this person, so they're able to get through it as smoothly and seamlessly as possible, learn as much as they can. This is not new for me, by the way.
Speaker 3:I used to train chefs in a six-week program when I was an instructor in the military where they had to be up to par for their positions working at the White House or the Pentagon or for generals, and this program was just equivalent to a two-year program for a culinary school that chef would go to on the outside. So you know, I feel confident. With my background, especially as an instructor and also, you know, a certified culinary educator on top of the CEC certs that I have, I will have the ability to actually teach this upcoming chef in a different way than others may have the ability to. So it's it's going to be great. I'm looking forward to it. You know we're starting up here in the next week with other face-to-face training. You know we've been doing meetings, brainstorming things like that kind of getting on the same page with everything coming up. So it's been a building process but it's been pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Well, mentorship is a huge task to take on. I've done that. So my background is 30 years of. You know the food service distribution and sales. I come from the business as well, on the restaurant side. But I've been working with chefs for quite a number of years and in that period of time I've mentored quite a few people and it takes a lot out of you when you do that. You know, mentally, emotionally, it's great when your mentee, you know, picks up and actually does the right thing and become successful. And man, I tell you it's a, it's a, it's a kick in the belly when it goes the other way. Or you take them under your wing and then they split, or whatever it's, it's a, it, it's a, it's an anchor. Not a cool thing at all. But with that said, as a passionate educator, you, your story, has the ability to empower. Do you actively look for mentorship, such situations or scenarios?
Speaker 3:always, you know, if the opportunity comes, like I said when this was presented to me when I I applied for this competition, knowing what it involved and knowing the harder process I probably have to go through to be able to do it, I wanted that challenge because I believe that it is our job as chefs in the industry to continue to teach, to continue to develop the next generation of chefs we're not going to do this forever next generation of chefs we're not going to do this forever. And there is a level of professional cooking that many of us want to continue on showcasing and setting that standard and setting the par for future chefs that it's our job to continue to train in any way that we can. Whether you own a restaurant, whether you own a cooking school, whether wherever you work in, you know or you work in a restaurant per se in general and your co-workers that you're working with, the training should always be happening. So this opportunity was great.
Speaker 3:I work with the American Culinary Federation. I'm also an evaluator with them. So you know, when I have the ability to go evaluate chefs in different areas of America, I'll do that as well If I have. I still have prior co-workers that are military chef that still contact me for advice working locally with other businesses, be it. If there is any consulting that I do Whatever I can do to kind of continue on that process. I love doing it.
Speaker 1:What would you say to an aspiring cook? I don't want to say chef, because you know some people just get into it because that's the only thing available, but what would you say to that person in terms of advice how they can actually make picking up you know shifts as a line cook into an actual culinary dream?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would just tell people to find their niche. You hear stories all the time where people are doing a job that you know they don't feel that it's right for them. I would tell them to not give up. Continue to search for what they truly want out of it. You know, for instance, there are chefs that work in businesses and different type of culinary businesses that say, well, I'm not making the food that I love, I'm not making what I want to make, I'm not doing actually what I want to do. Well, find the place where someone actually gives you the chance to do that, and it's not necessarily going to happen overnight. You have to be open to the process.
Speaker 3:So, in reference to that, it took me a very long time to build my career, be it the path that I took. I joined the military, of course, so it was a little different, but even in service to this country, I found a way to become a chef, and that's not something that's heard of every day. So I continue to talk to people that opened the doors for me and helped me different leaders, supervisors, stuff like that that tried to find a way to get me into where I wanted to be. And if I wasn't happy in the position I was in, or if I wasn't necessarily doing something that I felt was right for me, or I felt that there was something else out there for me, I had to push for it. So just keep advocating for yourself and find what's right for you. And you know, if it's not something that's right for you in the area of cooking and you still want to be a part of the hospitality industry, find an area that's right for you and that in in that way, we all have something to contribute.
Speaker 1:You know, I always like to say that the the chefs are kind of like the fighter pilots of, you know, of the establishment.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:And I'm just bringing that up because that's apropos than you know, your air force and chef and all that, yeah, I mean. I mean, look, at the end of the day, you don't want to. You want to be the top dog always Like every, every line cook and sous chef and underling chef that I have ever met in my life. When the exec isn't around and you go in and you're like, you know, hey is chef in and they're like, well, he's not here, but you know I can help you. And then they want to just take the reins and you can see it in their eyes and I'm like, all right, you know, one day this person is going to actually you know he's going to he or she is going to amount to something.
Speaker 1:You've had the opportunity to travel around the world and experience all sorts of diverse food cultures. How have those experiences shaped your own culinary style and approach?
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, they are so eyeopening for me. I mean, first off, like I grew up in Los Angeles, there's so much culture there already and I love that you could go to Chinatown or you could go to different areas and experience food. There's nothing like going to the. You know the place of origin. So I got a chance to live in South Korea twice. I lived in Okinawa, japan, for four years.
Speaker 3:It is so different, immersing yourself within the culture, within the country in itself, and you learn even more. There's nothing wrong with food being Americanized, but there's also a different outlook when you go to the country itself and see the way that people actually cook the food or different ingredients they're able to get their hands on. That we're not able to get necessarily imported into our country sometimes, or it may be more expensive. So there's so much at the fingertips that you have when you live in a different country. I just love taking advantage of that the best that I could, traveling.
Speaker 3:I was able to travel through Europe, france, spain, italy so many different places I was able to learn from. I had my first bite of fresh pasta when I visited Italy and it was like no other experience I could ever have. It's hard to eat packaged pasta now when you learn how to make it as well. So, yeah, I mean it was just a super great opportunity. I feel super blessed that I was able to live that experience Again. I did that while serving in the military. I still had any year to military life and it was tough, but you know my days off or any time extra that I had, I wanted to learn as much as possible so that I'd be ready when it was time for me to actually become a chef, because I always believed that I would get that chance.
Speaker 1:I was very fortunate as a child to make fresh pasta with my grandmother. My background is Italian, my background is Italian, my family is Italian. You know both sides going back, so I have that experience as a yeah, it was so awesome. You know just from scratch doing all that and great, great memories, chef, with your unique background and your military service and your culinary training and being on shows like Chopped. When you compete next month at the US Culinary Open, what do you think your odds are to take this thing?
Speaker 3:I think I have just as much of a chance as any other person there. I'm not an arrogant person. I'm not going to sit here and say that I got it completely. I think that we all have a chance. I just seem just thankful to be a part of it. If we go in here and we win this competition, I'm just going to be very proud of the whole process of getting there. Everything, just from everything we talked about so far, just in life, just being able to be presented in this way and in this platform and showing my style of cooking, showing the history of what I've been able to accomplish throughout and being in the same realm competition area of all these other chefs. I'm just thankful for it. I'm happy just to be a part of it.
Speaker 1:Was it? Was it Teddy Roosevelt that said you know, speak quietly and walk with a big stick? I think it was Teddy right, I think it was pretty sure it was so with that said you know, speak quietly and walk with a big stick. I think it was Teddy right, I think it was pretty sure it was so, with that said. I think I think that's you right now. You know, I've spoken with a couple of the, a handful of the other competitors. Everybody has an edge, everybody has some sort of a secret power, but you have like you have a multitude of secret powers of these, you know.
Speaker 1:So I'm really excited to uh, to see what's going to happen there at the event. You know, obviously we're going to be there and the whole crew is going to be there too. So John's going to be doing, you know, food photography. The whole video crew is going to be there. It's going to be super, super entertaining and awesome. I can't wait to see like you and the rest of the gang out there just doing what you do best.
Speaker 3:Yeah, me too. I mean, there's just some really great chefs that are going to be out there and it's an honor to cook alongside anyone. I don't look at anyone as an enemy. We're all competitors, right, we're all chefs, but at the end of the day, we all have something to give to this. Having the ability in our own country to be able to have a competition like this it's not always showcased, it's just it's so great. So, and being a part of the first one is just a really great feat to be a part of. So I totally look forward to it, putting my food out there and the assistance that I'm getting from the chef that's on along the way going with me through this process. Super thankful for her for being a part of it, and I just I look forward to seeing everybody else's food and what they have to offer.
Speaker 1:So it's going to be a fun time. What is your favorite cuisine? I want actually to, and these are. So this is the thing. These are silly questions, but they're great questions. What do you love to cook? But then, really, what do you love to eat?
Speaker 3:So that's a really hard question for me. A lot of people do ask me that because I'm very versatile in the food that I eat. I love a lot of different Asian foods. I would say that's my top number one. Again, getting four years of living in Japan, you'll always see me at some point throughout the month eating some type of Japanese food or making it. I love Korean food. I incorporate those flavors into my cuisine. I love Indian food. You'll see me making curries throughout the year. You know French techniques are always involved in a lot of different cooking styles that I have, because that was the forefront of what I was trained with. And it works out with other food that I actually make or cuisines that I make. But I'm all over the place. I will say you know, if I want a good taco, I'm eating a taco. I mean, I just it's. I'm from California, so you know that's going to happen at some point. I'm always searching for some good Mexican food.
Speaker 1:Well, let me, let me let me pose it a different way. It's Saturday night, You're home, nothing going on. It's going to be a Netflix night.
Speaker 3:Your fridge is full, has everything in it. It what?
Speaker 1:are you going to make?
Speaker 3:I'm probably going to make some pasta most likely.
Speaker 2:You're just saying all the right stuff to me you're telling me all the right things because I'm coming over it's comfort food, it's you can eat it.
Speaker 3:You can eat it all year, right? So there's so many different ways to make pasta, so many different versions of it, you know. So that's really something that I do continuously make in my home and I love it.
Speaker 1:What is next for Chef Opal?
Speaker 3:Oh gosh, what is next for me? So firstly, chefopalcom If you check that out, you'll see a lot of the happenings, of media engagements that I'll be a part of, Coming up after the US Culinary Open. I'll be involved with Map Impact Again, that is a nonprofit for women chefs here and around the world, and I'll be at their five-year conference in Las Vegas at the Wynn Myself and many other prestigious chefs that you will see on their site Chef Kat Cora, Chef Tiffany Deary so many many prominent chefs that'll be there within the industry promoting women chefs and the successes of our journeys. I'll be speaking there. I'm delving into within the next two years of building my own cooking school.
Speaker 3:I've been kind of silent about my brick and mortar that I'm starting up. Location, not set yet. It'll be somewhere here on the East Coast. I do live near DC, so you know, just look forward to that. It'll have pop up areas as well for other chefs to come in and, you know, collaborate with different dinners. But I'm opening a school that'll be for everyone, not collegiate level, somewhere where you can learn, you know, something simple for yourself, your family and just have a good time. So that's something that I'm working on right now, and the sky is the limit. I am all over the place and I just can family and just have a good time. So that's something that I'm working on right now and the sky is the limit. I am all over the place and I just can't wait for what's next and you may see me on another cooking show here in the near future.
Speaker 1:But I'm just working diligently on my career and continuing on and I'm just thankful for every moment of this journey Side story, 1980s, I don't know, 82, 83, 84, 83, 84, something like that a good friend of mine his name is richard gallagher. He's a japanese, american kid, my family, italian, his family he's living with his grandparents, actually japanese. We were really good friends and what would end up happening is my, my mother would cook, you know, from scratch italian and the grandmother would cook japanese food from scratch and we would trade. It was an amazing experience and where we lived it was kind of like this, almost almost rural, but but it wasn't, it was like on the cusp of rural, so there was like a lot of farms and cattle and, you know, orange groves and stuff. Super amazing to have that as an experience. And when you know, when you're talking about going overseas and all that stuff, I didn't get to do the overseas thing in that capacity, but I have a few of these nuggets where I was getting authentic cooking, you know, from the people of origin.
Speaker 3:And I think that's the best part. I think you know with a lot of chefs, I'll say me mainly, when I make any type of cuisine from another country of origin per se, I want to take someone there, whether they can go, you know, in person, or they never get to go Taking you. There is that experience through the food and that sounds just exactly what you were able to experience in life and I think that's phenomenal when a cook, a chef, whoever we all have the ability to give someone that experience of you, know where we come from or what we have experienced in life, and I think that's the best part about it and that's what I truly love. Doing that with my own food, because everyone doesn't get the chance to travel so someone can take you there is super special.
Speaker 1:Well, I have to tell you this speaking of travel and experiences, the best way to experience, walk and talk media is actually to be here in studio and to cook at some point. I want to figure out a way to get you here and I would love to do some sort of fresh pasta, some Italian dish, and you know, obviously, you know it'll be filmed and photography. It'll be a great experience, but I really you have, you have my, my gears are are just in gear and, yeah, I want to make that happen if you're up for it that is perfect.
Speaker 3:I would love to and we'll keep, we'll work that process for the near future excellent.
Speaker 1:All right, I'll tell you, that was a. That was. That was awesome. Chef, carl, you're coming up buddy all right, you're to be cooking. Yep Ready. I am stoked. I am so stoked. Chef Opal, I really appreciate you coming on the program today. You're amazing. Good luck on this competition. We will see you in person at the end of February. What is it the 26th? The 26th to the 28th? Yes, that's correct. Excellent. What's your website?
Speaker 3:It is chefopalcom, and you can also follow me on Instagram at chef underscore opal underscore.
Speaker 1:I'll make sure to put that in the show notes in the description, chef. Thank you kindly, chef's here in studio. Thank you all kindly, and we are out. We'll see you next time.
