Alex Talese

Connect Who or what inspires you to cook?

My father & my Italian heritage. Cooking isn't just about making food, it's an act of caring for others and nourishing them. I was taught that from an early age, as I was my dad's little sous chef helping make the most delicious creations, from what I now realize, wasn't from much. My dad could create a feast from pretty much nothing and anything. I never felt that I went without. That's what cooking is for me, seeing a bounty in a bare cabinet. Joy is created through food.

What's your all time favorite dish to make?

A dish called Ouef de Pecheur. It's a take on a French dish, with a sage cream sauce that baste mussels that are served over brioche toast points and eggs. I learned to cook this at a restaurant I worked at , I used a crusty sourdough instead and the flavors simply , SING.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Pay my father back for his anmazing lessons in cooking annd hospitality by opening a food truck where we can cook and create together. A life long dream.❤️ Go Birds!