Suprised by Chef!

It's not everyday you are listening to a podcast about food and get a wonderful testimony! I like all things food...looking at food pictures, reading about food, watching food on TV, listening to a podcast on food, and especially eating food : )

A podcast for Hungry Magazine popped up in my window when I did a search for food pocasts a few months back. To my delight, the host is a Chicago native and captures stories of local restaurants and chefs, which are among some of the top culinary experts in the world.

You might have seen him whipping up a risotto on iron chef, launching a cookbook in your local B&N, or leading your child in the local church youth group? Rick Tramonto is among the leading chefs in the world. He started at Wendy's and worked his way up through Tavern on the Green, Charlie Trotters, Trio, and Tru.

In the egocentric world of chefs, you would expect him to tout his James Beard award, his appearance on Oprah, or his world famed restaurant Tru. Yes he does mention a few of those things, but the emphasis that comes through is his relationship with Christ.

I was impressed by the transformation his life has gone through and the direction it is going.
At the pinnacle of his culinary career, he wants to go to seminary school and be a youth pastor. From having a parent who was in prison himself, he now is very active in the Angel Tree ministry, which actively ministers to families of those in prison.

While working for Charlie Trotter, he remembers this daily statement from him--What one thing can you do better today than you did yesterday, now multiply that times the 50 employees we have working here and you have 50 things that are better than yesterday. Tramanto has carried that value into his own kitchens now and emphasis the importance of working at something with all you heart.

Ending the podcast, the interviewer asks Rick what people he would have to a dinner out of anyone in the world. Rick exclaims Jesus with a passion and remarks he would cook fish, definitely fish because Jesus ate a lot of fish.

Bon Appetit: Culinary Podcast

Thought for the day: Man should not live on bread alone, but on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Duet 8:3