Culinary Innovation & Culture: Chat with Corporate Chef Consultant Karen Kaehler | Episode 04

Culinary 360 Podcast

Welcome to episode four of The Culinary 360 Podcast! Today, our Ignite culinary team talks with Karen Kaehler, a corporate chef and culinary consultant. She's worked in a variety of kitchens — the South Beach restaurants of Norman Van Aken, cruise ships in Scandinavia, teaching in classrooms at Johnson & Wales University, and corporate test kitchens for chains like Red Robin. She offers insights into the various industries she has worked in, her mentors, technology, and the importance of culture in the kitchen. Don’t miss this fascinating episode!

👨‍🍳 Our HOSTS
Robert Simmelink
Director of Culinary Services — Phoenix, Arizona
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Luke Simonds
Corporate Chef — Denver, Colorado
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Ryan Devereaux
Corporate Chef — Kent, Washington
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👨‍🍳 DISCLOSURE:

Views expressed in the Culinary 360 Podcast are individual opinions and they do not represent the employers of each host or guest, or the firm with which each host or guest is associated. Our podcasts are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be deemed or viewed as advice or recommendations.

Capitoli

1. Show Start (00:00:00)

2. Introducing Karen Kaehler — Corporate Chef and Culinary Consultant (00:00:39)

3. Studying Hotel Restaurant Administration (00:01:51)

4. Cooking in '80s South Beach and Norman Van Aken (00:02:45)

5. Abusive Kitchens, Women Cooks, and #MeToo (00:04:01)

6. Working for Kitchen Experience (00:04:53)

7. Teaching at Johnson and Wales (00:07:17)

8. Cooking in Antarctica (between marriages) (00:08:58)

9. Culinary Operations Specialist for Royal Caribbean Cruises (00:09:26)

10. Culinary culture and #MeToo (00:10:21)

11. Mentoring up and coming female chefs (00:13:13)

12. Culinary Manager at Boston Market (00:14:49)

13. Working with Luke at American Blue Ribbon Holdings and Red Robin (00:16:16)

14. Soul work: Chef Instructor positions at detention centers (00:18:31)

15. Apprenticeship and culinary as a vocational possibility (00:21:18)

16. Attitude is everything in the kitchen (00:24:17)

17. Robert and Karen's cruise ship adventures cooking at sea (00:26:47)

18. Boston Market Equipment Support (00:31:25)

19. Robert Nograd and Johnson and Wales University (00:32:06)

20. Test kitchens and new technology (00:34:09)

21. Culinary innovation vs retaining employees and consistency (00:35:12)

22. Culinary Mentors vs Wringing People Out (00:37:13)

23. Kitchen book club and building a culture of acceptance (00:39:00)

24. Culinary consulting (00:41:34)

25. Inspiring young kids through culinary programs (00:43:50)

26. Wrapping up with Karen (00:45:59)

27. Key Takeaways (00:46:14)

28. Takeaway: Six degrees of culinary separation (00:46:31)

29. Takeaway: the more kitchen jobs the better (00:47:30)

30. Takeaway: the importance of cross-training in the kitchen (00:48:17)

31. This episode's spin (00:48:34)

32. EoS (00:49:19)