Iron Chef José Garces on Latin Food, Family Traditions & CookUnity Meals

Summary

Stay Tranquilo Podcast Summary
Episode: Iron Chef José Garces on Latin Food, Family Traditions & CookUnity Meals
Host: Stay Tranquilo Network
Date: April 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Stay Tranquilo dives deep into the personal and professional journey of Iron Chef José Garces, a celebrated chef and passionate promoter of Latin cuisine. The conversation explores the roots of his culinary inspiration, the importance of family and generational traditions, the diversity and authenticity inherent in Latin cooking, his experiences as a chef in media, and his mission with food delivery platform CookUnity. Listeners also get a taste of Garces’ philosophies on balancing creativity and health in the kitchen, advice for aspiring chefs, and insights into ongoing cultural influence through food.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Finding Passion Through Family & Heritage

Timestamp: 02:22 – 07:22

• Garces’ Culinary Roots:

  • Explains that his love for food and cooking began in his Ecuadorian-American household, surrounded by family members who were excellent cooks, especially his grandmother, Mamita Amada.
  • “My parents were both immigrants from Ecuador in the late...60s. I was born in the early 70s...Food was always a big part of that in my house.” (José Garces, 02:22)
  • Garces reflects on balancing assimilation with maintaining Latin roots.

• Generational Influence:

  • Both host and guest reminisce about grandmothers’ roles in passing down recipes, traditions, and memories through food preparation.
  • “I look at...why I enjoy to cook is because of my abuela, right?...You’re just eating the food because it tastes good...but I wasn’t really immersing myself in the kitchen as she was cooking.” (Podcast Host, 04:32)

• Passing It On:

  • Garces discusses bringing his own mother into his home when raising his children, highlighting how cultural and culinary exposure shaped the next generation’s values and skills.

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2. Keeping Traditions Alive

Timestamp: 07:22 – 09:43

• The host shares his Cuban-American tradition of continuing the family’s Noche Buena pig roast, underlining how food rituals keep cultural heritage vibrant.
• Garces relates with his own experience of joining Cuban Noche Buena celebrations with his ex-wife’s family in Miami:
  • “We celebrate the holidays and special occasions and birthdays together. And Noche Buena has been in Miami for...many years. So I get it and I love...that tradition.” (José Garces, 09:43)

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3. Discovering a Culinary Career

Timestamp: 10:09 – 15:56

• The Leap to Profession:

  • Garces explains feeling uninspired in traditional academia and finding his true calling in culinary school.
  • “I was a high school athlete, and...structure and discipline around in my life was important. And I found that in the kitchen pretty quickly.” (José Garces, 10:52)
  • Realized his competitive advantage, passion, and drive while excelling beyond classmates.

• Navigating Self-Discovery:

  • Both host and guest emphasize that discovering what you don’t want is as important as what you do, and encourage trial, error, and exploration for young people.
  • “It’s scary to think 20 years can go by and you’re like, oh man, I still haven’t found that...Again, I feel lucky.” (José Garces, 13:53)

• Pivot to Latin Cuisine:

  • After classical French training and stints in various cuisines, Garces realized the culinary market lacked authentic Latin representation.
  • “When I made that decision to, like, hone in on Latin cooking, that also changed my whole trajectory...” (José Garces, 15:37)

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4. The Diversity and Complexity of Latin Cuisine

Timestamp: 17:04 – 21:39

• Distinctiveness of Latin American Foods:

  • Garces references his book, The Latin Road Home, which explores five Spanish-speaking countries’ cuisines.
  • “Each country has had its own share of conquerors and other inspirations...That’s the beauty of cooking is, you know, the influences.” (José Garces, 17:04; 18:46)

• Regional Influences:

  • Caribbean: More African influence.
  • Mexico: Pre-Hispanic roots, Spanish influence.
  • South America: European influences (Argentina/Chile), diversity in practices like meat cookery.
  • He comments on the friendly rivalry between Ecuadorian and Peruvian ceviche.

• Culinary Expansion:

  • Describes his recent move to Portland, Maine, where he hopes to introduce more Latin cuisine.

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5. Authenticity in Restaurant Concepts

Timestamp: 21:39 – 23:18

• Research & Respect:
  • Garces stresses on authentic research and travel prior to opening any restaurant, always seeking to honor the culinary traditions.
  • “Any restaurant brand that I created or concepted always involved a pretty deep dive into culture in terms of...going to...the country and creating that cuisine.” (José Garces, 21:57)
  • Accepts that absolute authenticity is elusive, but striving for it is key.

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6. The Iron Chef Experience & Media Exposure

Timestamp: 23:18 – 26:43

• Competing Against Bobby Flay:

  • Reflects on the pivotal moment battling Flay with various types of melon as the main ingredient—this win helped launch his TV career.
  • “We just brought, I think, a little more contemporary style of cooking to Kitchen Stadium that day...we managed to beat Bobby, which was fantastic.” (José Garces, 23:36)
  • Becoming an Iron Chef opened doors and shifted his professional life.

• Unexpected Paths:

  • At 10 or 15, Garces saw himself in sports, not TV cooking competitions.
  • “The competitor in me was always there, so I think I brought that competitiveness from my...childhood and middle school years to the table and yeah, still do every day.” (José Garces, 26:06)

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7. The Intersection of Food, Sports, and Healthy Living

Timestamp: 27:31 – 32:22

• Food & Competition:

  • Stresses that, like athletes, chefs are always competing, whether for flavors or business.
  • “So when you’re in a marketplace, you’re competing...you raise sales, have our food really be a business...that’s just the reality of it.” (José Garces, 28:04)

• Health & Nutrition:

  • Remarks on the shifting focus toward food as fuel, particularly through CookUnity's platform.
  • “There is a health and wellness aspect to cooking now that really aligns with competitiveness and being healthy and using food to fuel yourself.” (José Garces, 28:56)

• CookUnity’s Approach:

  • Highlights how the service meets a wide range of dietary needs—low fat, high protein, low carb—while maintaining taste.
  • Balancing “creative, unique menus” with health consciousness.

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8. Creativity, Variety and CookUnity

Timestamp: 32:22 – 35:12

• Creative Freedom:

  • CookUnity allows chefs to express their individuality, not restricting creativity, and encourages responding to market needs (e.g., more healthy options).
  • “There’s this abundance of just creativity when you have several chefs that kind of come together....there is nothing closer in competition, in my opinion, for the fresh food that you get at cookunity.” (José Garces, 33:41)

• Quality and Freshness:

  • Asserts that CookUnity meals are restaurant-quality, made from scratch, never industrialized or compromised.

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9. Fun Rapid-Fire Questions & Personal Favorites

Timestamp: 35:20 – 41:35

• Sports Teams:

  • Garces roots for both Philadelphia and Chicago teams, given his time in both cities.

• Stadium Food Evolution:

  • Praises the trend of local chefs, including himself, serving unique, home-style food in stadiums instead of just basic concession fare.

• Advice to Aspiring Chefs:

  • “Find your niche. Find out where you’re going to be most comfortable, where you could be most effective...The industry can be kind of a grind, right? If you’re in it and you’re not speaking up...you’ll just be a cog on the wheel.” (José Garces, 37:49)
  • Encourages setting clear, achievable goals, advocating for personal ambition and growth.

• Top Ecuadorian Dishes:

  • Empanadas de verde, Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche, and encebollado (seafood soup).
  • “My grandma used to make...empanadas de verde...My fallback is Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche. Ecuador produces the best shrimp in the world...And then I would say...encebollado.” (José Garces, 39:14)

• Ecuador vs. Peru—Ceviche Debate:

  • Diplomatic answer, praising both—recognizes Peru’s culinary mastery and Japanese influence (Nikkei cuisine).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Food was always a big part of that in my house. And my parents, my grandma, all really great cooks. My grandma in particular, Mamita Amada, was an amazing cook. She was the matriarch of our family, taught everybody how to cook.”
  — José Garces, 02:37

• “When you talk about generational influence...that’s how we keep these Latin traditions alive.”
  — Podcast Host, 06:02

• “When I made that decision to, like, hone in on Latin cooking, that also changed my whole trajectory and my whole way of thinking about this career and where I could do with it.”
  — José Garces, 15:37

• “The beauty of cooking is...the influences.”
  — José Garces, 18:46

• “Any restaurant brand that I created or concepted always involved a pretty deep dive into culture...to really honor the cuisine, honor it the best I can.”
  — José Garces, 21:57

• “We managed to beat Bobby, which was fantastic. Great. But that led to my next step, which was becoming an Iron chef.”
  — José Garces, 23:57

• “There is a health and wellness aspect to cooking now that really aligns with competitiveness and being healthy and using food to fuel yourself to, you know, be the best competitor you can be.”
  — José Garces, 28:56

• “Find your niche...But...the industry can be kind of a grind...you have to really aspire to hit the goals that you’d like to do.”
  — José Garces, 37:49

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Garces’ Family History & Cooking Roots: 02:22 – 07:22
• Chronicling Cultural Traditions: 07:22 – 09:43
• Becoming a Professional Chef: 10:09 – 15:56
• Differences Within Latin Cuisine: 17:04 – 21:39
• Honoring Authenticity: 21:39 – 23:18
• Iron Chef & Competition Stories: 23:18 – 26:43
• Food, Sports, and Wellness Intersection: 27:31 – 32:22
• CookUnity & Creativity: 32:22 – 35:12
• Rapid Fire Q’s, Advice, Ecuadorian Dishes: 35:20 – 41:35
• Resources & Garces’ Foundation Info: 42:52 – 43:57

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Resources Mentioned

• Chef Garces’ Website: chefgarces.com
• CookUnity Platform: cookunity.com
• Garces Foundation: Philanthropic initiative supporting immigrant communities in Philadelphia
• Books:
  • The Latin Road Home
  • Other cookbooks featured on his website

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Conclusion

This rich, heartfelt episode explores not just food and cooking, but identity, tradition, creativity, and personal growth. Chef José Garces reflects the best of both culinary mastery and cultural stewardship, reminding listeners to honor their roots, be open to growth through exploration, and find joy in the traditions and flavors shared across generations.

“Stay tranquilo. That’s where we are.”
— Podcast Host, 42:44

Transcript

[Chef Jose Garces]

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[Chef Jose Garces]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

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[Chef Jose Garces]

Hello.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Hi, this is Regional Power and Utility

[Chef Jose Garces]

calling to inform you of an outstanding balance. I thought I paid that. You're scheduled for immediate shutoff unless it's resolved today. Uh, I can help you make your payment right now. Learn to pause, reflect, and protect yourself from scams with the help of the AARP Fraud Watch Network. Nice try. Visit aarp.org fraudwatchnetwork to recognize fraud. Sooner the younger you are, the more you need AARP Latin cooking. When I looked at the spectrum of the marketplace and what was out there competitively from other chefs and other cuisines, I saw that Latin cooking still had a huge, huge hole in it. Still, you know, big market, and still, to this day, still kind of open. It's not like, you know, there hasn't been a big ascension of Latin chefs promoting Latin culture and cuisine that I've seen. There certainly are some, but could be more. And. And so when I made that decision to, like, hone in on Latin cooking, that also changed my whole trajectory and my whole way of thinking about this career and where I could do it.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

All right, guys, welcome back to another episode of Stay Tranquilo, our Cafecito Icrochetta set segment. Today, we are joined by a special guest, chef Jose Garces. A pleasure to have you here. Thank you so much for taking the time.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Great to be here. Thanks for having me.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. So as part of this, I know you're involved with Cook Unity, so I definitely want to bring that up as part of this conversation. But before any of it, you know, a big part of all of what we like to do here at State Tranquilo is. Is share stories. Right. And we would love to be able to share your story. Tell us a little bit about how food and cuisine and cooking became such a part of your life.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Wow. Well, it's such a. It's such a long story. I mean, I've been. Been doing this for almost 30 years, so. A little over 30 years, and really, it started for me in my home, my Parents home. My parents were both, they were both immigrants from Ecuador in the late 90s 60s. I was born in the early 70s. I won't date myself too much, but. And I grew up in a Ecuadorian American household. You know, my parents, you know, really just trying to make ends meet, you know, bring, put food on the table, give us a good education and you know, create a, create a good home environment and at the same time maintain our, like Latin roots or Ecuadorian roots. While I was out there on the street, you know, trying to be American, you know, kind of really, you know, socialize and kind of, you know, live this lifestyle of assimilation while keeping true to my roots. So food was always a big part of that in my house. And my parents, my grandma, all really great cooks. My grandma in particular, Mamita Amada, was a amazing cook. She was the matriarch of our family, taught everybody how to cook. In fact, I brought her to me in her late 80s. I had this thought that she could help me raise my one year old daughter at the time, and a little misguided in the planning. She was cooking all the time. She wasn't watching my daughter. But no, it really, it started at home for me and you know, I think being exposed to such great cooking and that, you know, was a familial event, especially on the weekends. But my mom would get home from, get home from work and she would make a meal and oftentimes I was there after school. I was her, you know, her sous chef in the moment she recruited me. And I just had a love for the kitchen from, from a young age. And again, having those Latin flavors introduced were, were really at. Still at the center of my cooking. Still guide me every day after all these years.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

No, that's amazing. And it's funny, right? When you talk to, you know, people in your space, right? I, I think there's a commonality in the fact that there's always some sort of family influence, right? Generational influence. But I think even deeper than that is kind of like you mentioned, right, that Latino aspect, right? Because it's such a true part of our culture, right? It's a true part of our identity. I look at, you know, I'm not a chef by any stretch of the imagination, but I look, I do enjoy to cook, right? And part of the reason why, I believe to this day why I enjoy to cook is because of my abuela, right? Being in the kitchen with her, seeing her. And for me it was interesting because I, you know, I've, I've always Been close to my grandmother growing up, and she was a big part of, you know, even raising me at a young age. But she actually was brought back into our household late in life. Right. So I got to appreciate her and. And her cooking in a very different way than I did when I was young. Right. You know, when you're, you know, maybe 8, 9, 10 years old, you're just eating the food because it tastes good, right? And you're like, okay, that's great.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Right.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

But I wasn't really immersing myself in the kitchen as she was cooking. You know, fast forward, you know, 20 years, few years before she passes away. She's there cooking every single night, and she's like, what do you want? You want a rocan pollo tortilla?

[Chef Jose Garces]

Right.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

It was always something. And I look at it now, and I'm like, man, you know, know, I'm so glad that I had to. I had that as part of my life. Because when you talk about generational influence, right?

[Chef Jose Garces]

And.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

And in your case, you know, your. Your work's influence, it's cool to see how it's passed on from generation to generation, because that's how we keep these Latin traditions alive. And I think that's something that's so unique in this space.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Agreed. And I think if you were raising a family, I'll say this. And I had the good fortune of bringing my mom into my world when I raised my kids, and she was such an inspirational, such a motivating factor for the kids, not only from the language standpoint, but from the food. I mean, they came home and they had great meals every day after school, and I think they so appreciated that. Now, my children are now 1's 23 and 1's 19, and they're. They're good cooks. They enjoy the kitchen. They enjoy making food. And so I think that in that moment, I was like, man, I really could use my mom's help because I'm working and I'm doing things. But the. The language and cultural impacts of having their grandmother around was. Was, I think, amazing for them. And really, I think I've seen them grow up so. So far to be, like, really good, responsible adults, but also ones that care about tradition, care. Care about, you know, Latin foods and cooking.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

No, I mean, we're. We're the next generation, right? So how do we keep those traditions alive? And I think food is one of those things. Music, Right. So many different layers that come to it. My tradition that I. I'm Cuban. Cuban American. Right. My grandparents were born In Cuba. And they. One of the traditions that I grew up with was around nochoena, right, the cajachina and cooking the, the, the puerco or right on, on the 24th before Christmas. And I remember around 18 years old, no one was really willing to keep the tradition alive. My grandfather already had passed away, you know, family members had moved and everyone kind of just does their thing. And I'm like, you know what? I'm going to put it upon myself to, to keep that tradition alive. And, you know, now it's been 12 years where I've been doing the pig every single year. And it's become, you know, like a staple. And it's brought, it's brought everybody together right now. It's like, it's something to look forward to. And I, I look at it, I'm like, shoot, if I don't do this, then what are we doing on Nocho and are we just ordering something from Lagareta or something like that and calling it a day? Right? So it is pretty awesome to see and, and being able to carry traditions through the next generation and the next generation. And hopefully my kids do the same when that time comes.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Good for you. And I'll just tell you, I've, I've been a part of that tradition. And my, my ex wife, my first wife Beatrice is Cuban. Okay. And her family's in Miami. And we've maintained a great relationship, co parenting relationship, beautiful relationship to the fact that we celebrate the holidays and special occasions and birthdays together. And Noche Buena has been in Miami for the last, for many years. So I get it and I love.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Comedy Show Host)]

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this your first date?

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Partner)]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Together.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Partner)]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Comedy Show Host)]

Liberty, Liberty. Liberty.

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[Chef Jose Garces]

Prices may be higher for delivery. Love that tradition one. I think that's special and should be celebrated.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. So obviously family influence for you but when was it for. For you that you realized, hey, not only do I have a passion for this, but this is something that I could turn into an occupation, right. A career, something that at the end of the day is something you're passionate about, but you can obviously make money and make a living off of that.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Yeah. So I went to a few years of undergraduate college education, and I came to realize that it was not for me. Just, you know, academia wasn't really calling me. There wasn't any subject matter, anything was like, oh, I could really do this. And I went to culinary school in search of a vocation or trade because at about 19 or 20, when I was, you know, looking for where I'm going to, where's my path is going, what am I going to do here? And I had no one in the. No one in my family was in hospitality or the restaurant industry or any. Any aspect of it really, other than we love to cook at home and we love good meals.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Right?

[Chef Jose Garces]

So I got to. I got to culinary school and I realized, you know, for me, it was definitely like, I need a vocation, I need to trade, I need to find ways to, like, make a living. And I figured, you know, I like working with my hands. And it was also, I was a high school athlete, and I realized that structure and discipline around in my life was important. And I found that in the kitchen pretty quickly. You know, the uniforms, the crisp white hats, just kind of the brigade style system, the order that was needed in order to. To create meals was something that was a calling. But, you know, really the. The moment where I was like, whoa, like, I'm. I'm cooking amongst all my classmates, and I'm cooking pretty well, and I'm kind of outperforming everybody. I'm thinking about food when I go home. I'm in my home kitchen on the weekend, like, getting my knife skills down, you know, peeling carrots, like chopping onions, just working on my skills. And for the first time in my life, I was inspired to go outside, go above and beyond my, you know, just kind of what the assignments were in front of me. And so it was a discovery, and it was a discovery that again, was very serendipitous, was, you know, I was fortunate to find this, this craft, this. This love that I had. And I really, I'm very thankful for that moment that I walked into that school and it got me and it opened up my eyes to all other aspects of the industry, whether it was working in a cruise line, working in a hotel, working in catering, working restaurants, I was just like, oh, man. And I can travel and go in the search of great food. And so for me, it was just such an amazing discovery at a young part of my life.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely right. I mean, I think 18, 19 years old, right? That's that age where everyone's doing that soul searching, right? It's seeing what you like, what you don't like, and both are just as important, right? It's like you hear so much, oh, you got to do what you love, right? But I think to find what it is that you love, you also have to find what you don't like, right? And I think for you, that was something that happened early on, right? Where you're sitting there in school and you're saying, hey, this just isn't for me. And I think that's, that's a huge part of the process of just self discovery at a young age, just really trying to identify who you are. What are the things that, that drive you every single day? What are the things that are pushing you to wake up and say, hey, I want to do this today, right? Because it's very easy to kind of get caught up in the rat race just saying, hey, I need to make a quick dollar. And all of a sudden 20 years go by and you're like, damn, I never really did what I wanted to do, Right? So props to you to, to going out there and chasing the dream. Because at the end of the day, we know that it's definitely not easy.

[Chef Jose Garces]

I. I would imagine that I went through a lot of trial and error to get to that point or a lot of odd jobs and different, you know, put myself in different experiences that were like, this doesn't feel good. So when I did find that, and again, I feel lucky. And you're right. Like, it's scary to think 20 years can go by and you're like, oh, man, I still haven't found that. Right? And I know that happens. I know that exists for folks, but again, I'm grateful that I found it. And I think it's a process for sure. And I think everyone should, you know, as if we can mentor the youth to go and really go through that trial and error process, you know, explore, find out what works, what, you know, what is driving you, what is going to drive, what is going to make you wake up every day. And I had, I had a moment in cooking where I was French, classically trained, and I was also. I had opened a Greek restaurant. I'd worked in an American contemporary restaurant as well. In New York and I worked at the Rainbow Room. And even after those experiences, I was like, you know, okay, but where, where, where is this going? You know, I don't have, like, a specialty. I don't have, like, you know, really something that's, again, that's driving me. So I had a pivot in that moment too, and be like, okay. So I realized that, you know, Latin cooking, when I looked at the spectrum of the marketplace and what was out there competitively from other chefs and other cuisines, I saw that Latin cooking still had a huge, huge hole in it still, you know, big market and still to this day, still kind of open. It's not like, you know, there hasn't been a big ascension of Latin chefs promoting Latin culture and cuisine that I've seen. There certainly are some, but could be more. And, and so when I made that decision to, like, hone in on Latin cooking, that also changed my whole trajectory and my whole way of thinking about this career and where I could do with it.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I agree. I think there is a massive gap and still, and, and just Latino focus across the board, right? Whether you're talking sports, food, music, right? Obviously Bad Bunny and like the super bowl, you see what, you know, what type of impact that that has. And I think there's so much insight and data, right, that's behind there saying you got to pay attention to the Latinos. You got to pay attention to that marketplace, right? Because it's the largest growing demographic in the United States. They represent over $3 billion in purchasing power, right? So there's a ton of data to back up exactly what it is that you're saying now. Right? Like, not only do we eat the food, but we listen to the music and we partake in the events, right? So I think there's so much to be said about that market. And, and we do food a little bit differently, right. And I think what's also unique about the Latino market, right, You're. You're, you know, you could be Cuban, you could be Puerto Rican, right? Colombian, Venezuelan. Right? And yes, there's similarities between each one of them, but there's also so much difference in the cuisine. So I would love to get your perspective on that, like how. What is it that makes it so unique? What is it that makes it so special?

[Chef Jose Garces]

Oh, man. Right in my wheelhouse, man. Good job, Good work. Good way to tee that up. That's awesome. Because I wrote a book called the Latin Road Home, which it focuses on five Spanish speaking countries, so Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Cuba and Peru. And I write menus from each country that are weekday menus and full blowout, like weekend menus. And the book is based around that, but it really is talking about the distinction between the various cuisines. And I think what you have is just a lot of different influences. And each country has had its own share of conquerors and other inspirations from different countries, different, like ethnic groups that have come into the country and created that cuisine. So you might have. In the Caribbean, you might have a little more African influence, where in Mexico you might have more Spanish influence. But then obviously the call it ancient cuisine of Mexico that has, man, just lasted so many years and is still relevant to this day. I think that actually that story needs to be told a little bit more. And then, you know, I think you go to South America and it really, it's. I mean, it's so. It's so varied when you get down to Argentina and Chile and kind of, you know, the. The meat cookery and this idea and also like a little more European influence. And then I'm. I'm from Ecuador and have traveled to Peru in search of cuisine as well. And so those countries also have their own unique style and competitive nature. Like, whose ceviche is the best, you know, Peruvians or Ecuadorians, they'll fight about it all the time. And so there's a lot to be told there as far as, like, the differences. But I think it just comes down to just influence who's been there, who settled there, who's spent time and who's imparted their own, like, flavors and styles. And that's. That's the beauty of cooking is, you know, the influences. So I'm actually, I'm here in Portland, Maine, right now. I live. We recently have become Mainers over here. And I'm like, I'm just loving the access to coastal seafood. There's great farms around here as well. And. But now I'm here, right? And now I'm going to start cooking my food in this area, which doesn't really exist that much. There's some of it, but there's not a lot of it. Right. And so I'm hopeful that, you know, I can share some wisdom, some knowledge around Latin culture and cuisine and. Yeah, bring it to Maine, you know, so it's a fun. It's a fun time.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

That's cool.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Yeah. Right.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

It doesn't. It doesn't. Like you said, it doesn't really exist right now. You could be the one to bring it into. Into an area that doesn't really have too much of that presence. And then all of a sudden, you know, that opens Pandora's box of shoot. Maybe more and more people want to start bringing that influence into that area, which I think is. That's. That's how it's got to be.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Well, and I go back to my Philadelphia story. So I was. I've lived in Philly 25 years, just recently moved up here, and I raised my kids in. Philadelphia is a beautiful place for me and my family. We had a great. A great professional career as well as community building that we did there. But when I opened Amada, my Spanish tapas restaurant in 2005, there were zero Spanish restaurants in Philadelphia. Wow. There. There may have been one or two that were saying they were Spanish or they were like a coffee shop sort of thing, doing cafe con churros, but really, no. No restaurants. And so within, you know, we opened Amada in 2005, and I got a James Beard nomination in 2007, and just some notoriety around the restaurant. And next thing you know, there's like, four to five new Spanish restaurants in the area. I'm like, okay, guys, have at it. Go for it. Bring it on. You know, and the more the merrier because we're. We're teaching folks, we're educating them on Spanish culture and cuisine, and that's something that I've had a lot of pride in doing. No matter which concept I created. It really is about bringing culture and authenticity back to the table and sharing those experiences with everybody.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. And I think you bring up a key word in all of this, right? Authenticity. How do people bring out that authenticity? I think it's easy when you have some sort of influence, right. Whether you're from these places, you visited these places and spent some time, but how do you make sure to keep that authenticity?

[Chef Jose Garces]

So, you know, we were talking about earlier around, like, just, you know, my exposure to the opportunities that exist in the culinary field, and one of the ones I really treasured, I really like, just was, like, piqued my interest because I'm. I'm a traveler by. By nature and enjoy traveling and exploring. And to do it in this. In the. For the sake of food, for the sake of learning, has been. Has been everything. So any. Any restaurant brand that I created or concepted always involved a pretty deep dive into, like, culture in terms of, you know, going to. If we were opening an Argentinian steakhouse. I spent time in Uruguay and Buenos Aires and Argentina just understanding. And certainly I lived and worked in Spain for some time. And traveled there pretty extensively in order to really honor the cuisine, honor it the best I can. And there's always. I'm never gonna, like, hit it perfectly. Every somebody's grandma is gonna say, hey, that's not really Pulpo Gallego. What are you talking about? You know, this sort of thing. And it's. And that's fine. Nobody's ever gonna be, I think, you know, as authentic as. As. It's just hard to, like, pinpoint that, but definitely trying to stay true to it. And really, I think, to me, that exploration is a big part of it.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, I know you had, you know, an iconic moment with Bobby Flay, so I definitely want to bring. Bring that up. Talk to us about that experience, just being involved with him and just kind of that time of your life and what that meant for you.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Yeah, I mean, I think competitive cooking has been a big part of my life, and it was certainly. And not so much anymore. I'm kind of happy that that part is good. I'll be happy to go judge and hang out. But it was a pretty intense time. I battled Bobby on Iron chef America in 2006. 7. I had actually auditioned that year to become. They had a show called the Next Iron Chef, Season one. So I auditioned, didn't make the cut, but they said, hey, you did pretty good in your audition. Why don't you come and compete on Iron Chef? So Bobby and I did battle melon, and it was like crenshaw melon, baby watermelon, honeydew, all different kinds of melons. And we just brought, I think, a little more contemporary style of cooking to Kitchen Stadium that day. And it was a pretty epic battle. I'll never forget it. And I think, you know, we managed to beat Bobby, which was fantastic. Great. But that led to my next step, which was becoming an Iron chef. So in 2009, I auditioned again for. For the second season of Next Iron Chef, and I beat nine other competitors on that show to become an Iron Chef, which was pretty awesome, like, that whole experience. So on that show, we had battles in Tokyo and then the finale in New York, and it was just epic and kind of life changing in many ways, because once. Once I became an Iron Chef, there just. It opened up opportunities, opened up relationships that I still hold today, and was able to battle pretty. Pretty regularly on television year in and year out on Food Network. And it was. It was awesome. It was so much fun. It was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. And when you kind of look back at it now, obviously, you know, the opportunities and everything that it was able to provide for you.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Right.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

You get that publicity, and so many people become aware of you. But when you look back at it, you know, maybe when you were 10, 15 years old, let's say, right. Did you ever envision yourself maybe doing something like that? You know, taking your. Your cooking onto a show like that?

[Chef Jose Garces]

No, I was. I was. At 10 or 15, I was heavily into, like, football and wrestling.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Okay.

[Chef Jose Garces]

So I thought if I was going to go anywhere, it might be, you know, you know, playing college, playing the NFL, whatever, you know, it was like the dream. Exactly. I didn't think so. The thought of cooking competitively never crossed my mind. Really. Really, it did not. But I. The competitor in me was always there, so I think I brought that competitiveness from my, you know, childhood and middle school years to the table and. Yeah, still. Still do every day. That's awesome.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

That's awesome. So, obviously, sports have been.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

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[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Comedy Show Host)]

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Partner)]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Partner)]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Comedy Show Host)]

Liberty, Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

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[Chef Jose Garces]

Prices may be higher for delivery.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

A big part of your life. Right. Even, you know, I know cook unity. They've, you know, integrated themselves and positioned themselves in the sports space as well. But I want to get your perspective, you know, as a chef. Like, what is that combination between cuisine and sports? Right. I mean, I. I think there's kind of like this growing. What's the word? Kind of like just growing dynamic, right? Like culture and sports and, you know, whether that's through music, that's through food. But I'm curious what your perspective is, right? Like, how do you. Those two worlds kind of collide?

[Chef Jose Garces]

Well, I think first off, from just a competitive standpoint, we are, as chefs, we are in business to, you know, make money. You know, kind of. You raise. Raise dollars, you know, raise sales, have our food really be a business for us, right? So just at its core, so when you're in a marketplace, you're competing, right? You're competing against the guy up the street. My burger is going to be better than yours, you know, whatever. And that's just, that's just the reality of it is we're, we're competing. And so sports is obviously a competitive in nature by, by every stretch. So I do think that sports and, and food really, really collide all the time. And just, again, just, just from a competitive aspect and as chefs, we compete to again, make the best dishes we can make. But I think what's cool, what's happening with food and sports right now, again, outside of like the business side of it, right, is just that, you know, there is that there's a health and wellness aspect to cooking now that really aligns with competitiveness and being healthy and using food to fuel yourself to, you know, be the best competitor you can be. So it's great to see that the chef craft can really mold itself towards using creativity to create healthy, delicious meals. And that's one of the things that's been happening at CookUnity is that they really have, as a company, as a company initiative have said, hey, there's so many special dietary restrictions that folks are out there, they're looking for, they're craving. So let's use our most talented chefs to create delicious, healthy meals. And that's where we're at right now. It's low fat, high protein, really low carb meals that really taste good. And so that's where I think the biggest. Both things are coming aligned. And it's not only for sports. It's also just lifestyle in general. Right. So it's great to see all of that come together.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. Yeah. It is crazy, this health conscious boom that has come, right. I'm here in Miami and I think we've always kind of been like a very health conscious city overall. But since I guess, post pandemic, right, it's really been this big boom of just being more conscious about your health. Right? That's from the food that you eat, just being more active and just kind of creating a very holistic, healthy lifestyle. And food obviously is at the forefront of that, but the reputation around food too, right? And I think you nailed it, right? Food as fuel. And I think more people need to understand that, yes, food is important, right? Like, you shouldn't not eat just to try to, like, lose weight, right? It's, it's eating, but it's eating well and it's it's eating, right. So as kind of like a restaurant owner, right? Where you kind of have that creativity side, right? Where you're trying to create a unique menu and be different out there. How do you balance both creating a unique menu while also being health conscious?

[Chef Jose Garces]

Well, I think it's like you mentioned balance, because even though. Even though there is a craving or a desire for healthy meals, the market still wants to be. They still want to be satiated with delicious, you know, favorable items.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely.

[Chef Jose Garces]

You know, and so while I cook Unity, I often have to balance. I have a few great, really good selling dishes. So I have a. Let's call it JG's Adobo Mac and cheese. It's a chicken Mac and cheese with adobo. And it's just like, calories are not. If you're calorie conscious, it's not the dish for you. But here's the thing, though. It sells. It sells well. So then. But I'm also considering our marketplace for those folks that are seeking healthier options. And so I think it's just being aware and conscious and creating that. Right balance. That. That work, right?

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Yeah, no, definitely, Definitely, definitely. Well, I think, you know, one. One thing that really stands out to me, I tried Cook Unity's meals. I've had, you know, a range of different items that Carlos, you know, who all put this together, you know, was able to get to us. And, I mean, right off the bat, I remember looking through the menu, I'm like, holy cow. I mean, there are so many options to choose from, right? And. And one thing that stood out to me was the creativity. Right. For me, when I think about, like, cooking and food, right, It's a. It's an art, right? It's a. It's a form where you can just kind of, like, be yourself, test things out. You know, even if you, you know, maybe mess up and you put a little too much here, a little too much seasoning here, right? Like, it's a place to be creative and test. Right? And I think, like, Cook Unity's menu does a good job of showcasing that creativity, where you have so many different chefs to choose from, right? Obviously, including yourself, but you have something for everyone, right? Whether you're looking for that comfort food dish or you're looking for that healthy item, it's. It's important to have a little bit of variety because it kind of gets old and boring eating the same thing over and over. At least for me, like, I can't eat the same thing all the time. Every Day. Because then it's like you kind of lose that motivation.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Right, right, right. And I think. I think what's unique about cook unity is it's not. There isn't a master plan around the meals. They're allowing for artists. Chef artists, right. To do their thing. Right. They, they. They're never really trying to pigeonhole us or put us in a place where, like, this is the first time they said, hey, guys, will you. Will you guys focus on some healthy meals? Like, let's. There's. There's a market that wants that, like, and. Right. So perfect, guys, no problem. But there's this abundance of just creativity when you have several chefs that kind of come together. So. And that's. That's the beauty of the menu, is that you have all this variety. And. And again, not because I'm on the platform, not because I love what we're doing, but there is nothing closer in competition, in my opinion, for the fresh food that you get at cookunity. It really is like, you know, if you look at some of our other competitors, a lot of it's, like, mass produced, it's industrialized, it has, you know, maybe some frozen vegetables that are thrown in there, etc. But this is all. What I love about it is it's fresh food delivered to your door. And it all. I mean, my meals all taste really good, so I'm not. But it's. It really is. It's a special thing. I think I'm really bullish on the company, and I hope they continue to grow in a positive way.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely, Absolutely. So before we kind of wrap up here, I definitely want to ask you some fun, rapid fire type questions.

[Chef Jose Garces]

You got it. You're.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

You're from Philly or you lived in Philly for over 20 years. So Eagles, Phillies, Flyers. Is that the lineup for. For sports teams for you?

[Chef Jose Garces]

So I'm one of these unique. Unique, let's say, sports fans. So I grew up in Chicago, too, so I have some. And I split time. I was almost at a certain point. I lived in Chicago 22 years, and Philly 25 years. I've developed great relationships with the organizations in Philadelphia, though. Great people. But I would say Eagles, Bears.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Okay.

[Chef Jose Garces]

I would say Cubs, Phillies.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Fair.

[Chef Jose Garces]

I would say Bulls, Sixers and Blackhawks. Flyers. Even. Even Swap. But, yeah, I, you know, I think again, going back to sports, it's just. It's. It's a great thing to. To be associated and. And really get. Get to know these organizations and. Yeah, what could be. What could be better?

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. It's. It's interesting too, right? All these stadiums, ballparks, right. They've taken upon themselves, like, how do we provide, you know, a more unique food experience in these stadiums, right? It's not just burgers, hot dogs, and chicken tenders anymore, right? I mean, you're. You're seeing sushi in there. You're seeing, you know, pollo. It is crazy to see, especially depending, you know, what cities these, these stadiums are in, these ballparks are right? Where. How do you create kind of a hometown feel through the food and these stadiums, which I think is great. I'm all for that, right?

[Chef Jose Garces]

Well, actually, I have one of my concepts. It's called Buena on the. It's a fast casual taqueria in Philadelphia. And we're in the Sixers and Flyers stadium. We're front and center when you come in.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

I love that.

[Chef Jose Garces]

And so, you know, I personally get offended when I overpay for a hot dog or a cold cheesesteak. Right? So I love that the, you know, the organization said, hey, let's. Let's get the hometown chefs in here. Let's. Let's create meals that are, you know, stadium worthy and are memorable. And. Yeah, that's how it should be. I mean, come on, 100%.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Next question I got for you is if you had one piece of advice for an aspiring chef, right? They're going through the motion, you know, maybe looking to open the restaurant, maybe get that first job. What would be that piece of advice to them?

[Chef Jose Garces]

I think I've always and, and mentioned it earlier, is find your niche. Find. Find out where you're going to be most comfortable, where you could be most effective. And if it's. For me, it was like realizing that Latin cuisine was kind of an open market and something that I'm obviously Latino and I could dig into and do. I think that that was a driving point for me. So. And then once you have that. And here's, here's the, the big one is I also, I realized at an early age that the industry can be kind of a grind, right? It can be kind of like a, you know, if you're in it and you're not speaking up and like, you know, trying to move ahead, you'll just be a cog on the wheel. So you have to really aspire to hit the goals that you'd like to do. So if you're. My goal when I first got in the industry was to open my. Open my own restaurant, number one. Like, that's. And I said, hey, when I Get there. I'll be good. And so I got there, and it was a great achievement. I hung out for a couple of years in that moment, and then I said, okay, this is great. Now what's the next thing I could do? And so I really think understanding and creating some achievable goals is a big one.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Absolutely. And I gotta get your top three Ecuadorian dishes.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Oh, easy peasy, man. Easy, easy. So my grandma used to make. And they cook them in manta, these empanadas de verde. Okay. So that's a green plantain empanada. That is what's. What's cool about it is there's no flour or butter in the dough. It's just the plantain and the natural gluten that happens when you rice it three times. Gets really, like, gelatinous and gluteny. Perfect for an empanada skin. Really tasty. That's number one, I think, always. My fallback is Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche. Ecuador produces the best shrimp in the. In the world. And my family is our shrimp farmer, so I get good stuff. And then I would say, lastly, I really love a beach. It's a seafood soup made with plantains and achiote, and it's just very, like, warm and comforting. Something about that. And I'm like kind of a soup guy. And it just really. It embodies Ecuadorian cooking from that area, from that region. And it also has just a depth of flavor with great seafood from the Pacific.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Yeah. Oh, definitely. I got to try that. I've never tried that. And I'm assuming, based off of those facts, that then there's not really a debate. Ecuador does have better ceviche than Peru.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Is that what we're saying here? I can get me in trouble with that one.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Well, I'm gonna. I'm not gonna say better or worse. What I'm gonna say is I appreciate certainly both. Both cuisines and their mastery of seafood and ceviche. But I. I went to Lima and Cusco and went to the fish market in Lima, like, several years back. I mean, it was phenomenal. It was really, really special. So there is a mastery. And what I. I also love their Japanese influence. That's in Peru, the Nikki style cuisine, which kind of lends itself, obviously, to fresh fish and raw tiradito style ceviche. So there's good disciplines on both sides. I hope my Ecuadorian friends and family don't get on me about this.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Well, I will say this right. I mean, I learned that Ecuador, you know, has Is. Is known for ceviche. I didn't know that until we had this conversation. Right. Peru has always been like Peruvian ceviche is always kind of what you see out there in the restaurants, and it's kind of what's always been put out there. So I, you know, now educated in the fact that Ecuador is known for ceviche. And now I gotta, I gotta do a little taste test myself and then I'll get back to you and I'll let you know.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Please do, please do keep me posted.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Awesome. Awesome. Well, Chef, appreciate the time. Thanks so much for one, sharing your story and, and your knowledge in the space. I think there's still so much to talk about in this world, especially around, like, the Latino influence and food. I think there's something to be said about how much opportunity is there, how much passion is, is behind that, and would love to continue that type of conversation as well. But more than anything, I appreciate you taking the time today, sharing your story and bringing some perspective in the food world.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Wow. Well, I appreciate that. It was, it was a pleasure to be here and. Yeah, let me know. Happy, happy to come back. I love, love that, love the, the vibe and topics you guys are covering. It's cool.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, Stay tranquilo. That's where. That's where we are. So if they want to find you, where can they find you?

[Chef Jose Garces]

So you can find me at. Actually you can go to chef garcis.com and you'll see all of my work, all that I'm doing is on there. Cook unity, My pop up dinners. I have actually a really cool aspect to my site. It's called a cuisine library where you can go on and there's a video and full recipe of everything we've been making the last several years. And it's free, no subscription charges. Go on and get cooking.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Amazing. And then your book, they can also find there on your website as well.

[Chef Jose Garces]

You could find it. You could find my. I have two cookbooks on my website. The restaurants are also listed there. And my philanthropic mission, which is the Garces Foundation. We, we help the underserved immigrant community of Philadelphia through two programs, community health care programs as well as English language classes. We have our big event coming up this week on Thursday where we'll host 600 people. It's called. It's a Latin Latin night market and it's our fundraiser for, For. For a good cause.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

I love that. That's amazing. I didn't, I didn't know. Well, appreciate you for, for letting us know that. And if you're in the Philly area, you know, to get involved, obviously. So appreciate it again, chef, for your time. Appreciate everything that you're doing for the community and we'll talk again soon.

[Chef Jose Garces]

You got it. Take care. Thank you.

[Podcast Host / Interviewer]

Thank you guys.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

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[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Comedy Show Host)]

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

Oh, no.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Partner)]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Doug)]

We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Chef Jose Garces]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Partner)]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson (Comedy Show Host)]

Liberty Liberty. Liberty Liberty.

[Chef Jose Garces]

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