Things we pretend to like, a few confessions, and why you should never trust a single bite.

This episode almost did not make it. I lost about 70% of the content I filmed in Atlanta, and this conversation with Jamal was part of it. So while I was in Athens, Greece, Jamal and Lexi hopped on with me online and we recorded it all over again. I am so glad we did.

We get into all kinds of things we pretend to like, including some things I found out Lexi pretends to like for Jamal lol. A few of these confessions caught me completely off guard, and I think you will recognize yourself in some of them.

On the culinary side we talk about why the first taste of something should not be the only taste. If you have only tried something once, or only had it prepared one way, how do you really know you do not like it? Sometimes a different method or a different cook is all it takes to change your mind.

Listen to the full episode, and then go follow Jamal and Lexi.

What do you pretend to like? Tell me wherever you are listening.

Follow Jamal & Lexi: Instagram: @jbyeldell | @lexiwandesigns | @lexisrisuwanyeldell | @blackcrownath | @heykhanompang.thecorgi

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood88

Overrated vs underrated hot takes on all kinds of things, and a guest who is not shy about sharing his opinions.

This week I am joined by Asher, and for an episode called Overrated and Underrated I knew he was going to have plenty to say lol. Asher has a deep background in food and beverage as a former bar owner, general manager, and F&B professional, and today he works in Destinations and Operations at Celebrity Cruises.

This is a fun one and we cover a lot of ground. We talk about what everybody loves that we think is overrated, what is underrated and deserves more attention, and whether people really like certain things or are just following the hype. We also dig into whether social media has made us genuinely like things or just convinced us we are supposed to, and the things we used to roll our eyes at until we changed our minds.

On the culinary side we go behind the bar and behind the menu. We break down the $25 cocktail vs the $12 cocktail and how price, presentation, and reputation shape what we expect before we even taste it. Then we get into the menu item that sells vs the one the staff loves, and what popularity does and does not tell you.

There is also a quick-fire round where Asher calls things overrated, underrated, or properly rated and has to defend every answer. Brunch, espresso martinis, all-inclusive resorts, buffets, cruise ship food, and more.

What is overrated and underrated in your world? Tell me wherever you are listening.

Follow Asher: Instagram: @smashresroh

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood

Things I learned way too late and why I am not calling it regret because that is not what this is.

There is a real difference between regretting something and wishing you had a piece of knowledge earlier. Today is a solo episode and it is fully in that second space. If you know better you do better and I stand on that completely. The frustration is not that I eventually learned these things. It is that I could have used them sooner.

I talk about the idea that growth is not a straight path and it was never meant to be. You are going to fail. You are going to have to learn some things more than once. And the only thing that actually determines where you end up is whether you keep going.

On the culinary side I bring it into the kitchen and connect the lessons to how we develop as cooks and what it looks like to apply a growth mindset to the food we make every day.

I also want to hear from you. What do you think you learned way too late? Drop it wherever you are listening because this is the kind of conversation that is better when more people are in it.

Follow Chef Hollywood: Website: https://chculinarycreations.com Instagram | Facebook | TikTok: @ChefHollywood88