Derek Campanile

Connect What is your signature dish?

I have a couple. For Weeknights, it's my Coastal California Burrito, my SoCal take on the San Diego classic. Crispy beer battered fish instead of carne asada, fries still tucked inside, cabbage slaw, and my Peruvian style aji verde. On the weekends, I love to grill /smoke. Smoked pulled pork is my daughter's favorite and what people expect when we host parties. My Sunday recipe is a pomodoro I learned from my mom. She never wrote it down so after she passed I rebuilt it from memory.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

My mom. She wasn't a fancy cook but she got me in the kitchen young. She had Hodgkin's and was going through radiation, and on the days she felt awful she'd walk me through making my own eggs so I could help out. That foundation is what carried me when I moved out at 18 and had to feed myself. I wasn't starting from zero, I already knew my way around a kitchen because of her. She passed when I was 24 and I still cook with her in mind every time.

What would you do with the $25,000?

First thing, I'd take my family on a real vacation. We've been living check to check for a long time and they've never had the big trip. They've put up with a lot and they deserve it. Whatever's left I'd put into starting a small BBQ catering side hustle. Cooking is how I take care of my family, and catering would let me take care of more people. More than anything I want my kids to see their dad chase something, so they know it's okay to chase their dreams too.