Chef Andre Natera sits down with Emmanuel Laroche, host of the Flavors Unknown podcast and author of A Taste of Madagascar, to explore the global story behind vanilla production and the process of writing a food book.

Laroche shares his experience traveling to Madagascar, where roughly 80% of the world’s vanilla is produced, including the realities of hand pollination and the challenges of sourcing ingredients in remote regions.

The conversation also covers Madagascar’s broader food ecosystem, including pepper, honey, cocoa, and caviar, and explores why many farmers grow vanilla for export rather than local use.

Laroche breaks down his writing process and explains how aspiring authors can move from concept to published book through traditional publishing channels.

• How vanilla is grown and why it requires hand pollination• How to write and publish a food book• Why understanding ingredients changes how chefs cook

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Flavors Unknown on Instagram

LINKS & RESOURCES

Subscribe on Substack → https://chefspsa.substack.com/Shop Chef’s PSA Merch → https://shop.chefspsa.com/Visit Chef’s PSA Website → https://chefspsa.com/Sponsored by RATIONAL USA → https://rationalusa.com

Chef Dan Kennedy spent over 20 years in high end kitchens, most recently as head chef at Pasta|Bar Austin before the concept closed in February 2026. He is now working on Morri, his own concept in Austin.

In this episode, Andre Natera and Dan Kennedy argue that social media has replaced technical skill with aesthetic performance, and duck is the clearest casualty.

• Why duck is almost always undercooked and how proper skin rendering changes the entire dish
• Why wagyu and high-fat cuts need more heat than most cooks give them, not less
• How to build a tasting menu around timing and satiety instead of story and ego

Kennedy covers proper rendering technique, skin drying and aging, heat control, extended resting, and pre-service prep decisions that determine outcome before service starts. They also cover lamb, octopus, and grilling over binchotan and wood embers, using cake testers and feel over thermometers, and finishing with fat and flaky salt. On tasting menus, Kennedy favors 5 to 9 courses with canapés, cold starters, and two desserts, structured around deliciousness over narrative. The episode closes with reactions to America's Culinary Cup, commentary on Pasta|Bar's closure, and Chef's PSA merch.

This episode is sponsored by Rational USA. Learn more at https://rationalusa.com

Guest

• Dan Kennedy on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/cocinero_dk/

• Dan's Hip Hop Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6WjAtI8aeONJSnk1FUAeYf?si=vvki6CM9SUSJ-k1BuOm15g

Links

• Subscribe on Substack → https://chefspsa.substack.com/
• Shop Chef's PSA Merch → https://shop.chefspsa.com/
• Visit Chef's PSA Website → https://chefspsa.com/
• Sponsored by Rational USA → https://rationalusa.com

Chef Andre Natera sits down with identical twin chefs Brandon and Jonathan Dearden to discuss rivalry, restaurant leadership, culinary school value, and the realities of running profitable restaurants.

Both twins competed on Top Chef and built careers in very different directions. Brandon pursued fine dining and stages at elite kitchens, while Jonathan focused on leadership roles and restaurant management

The conversation covers lessons from high-intensity kitchens like Alinea, the real value of culinary school, hiring pitfalls with impressive resumes, and how menu engineering helps restaurants stay profitable.

They also discuss competing on Top Chef, the importance of building a chef brand online, and how AI tools are beginning to influence restaurant operations.

What You Will Learn

• The real return on investment of culinary school

• What Michelin-level kitchens teach about discipline and systems

• How restaurant owners engineer menus for profitability

Brandon on Instagram

Jonathan on Instagram

LINKS & RESOURCES

Subscribe on Substack → https://chefspsa.substack.com/
Shop Chef’s PSA Merch → https://shop.chefspsa.com/
Visit Chef’s PSA Website → https://chefspsa.com/
Sponsored by RATIONAL USA → https://rationalusa.com