Chorizo in the Middle

Chef Chris Valdes was born into a family restaurant in Miami. Before he could do homework, he was watching his mom stuff a five-hour boliche with chorizo, walking the dining room alongside his dad, and getting what he calls his "pre-training" in the family business of catering to others. In this episode, Chef Claudia Sandoval sits down with her friend Chris to trace his strongest food memories, starting with the day a 10-year-old home alone flipped to Emeril Lagasse on TV, took $20 to the supermarket, and made his first arroz con pollo. Along the way, they talk about manifesting your future and why chefs plate beautifully for everyone else but happily eat plain white rice. At its heart, this conversation is about what it really means to be a chef: cooking with your soul for the people you love. Because for Chris, food is therapy. It's the purest form of love you can offer yourself and everyone at your table. Sixteen years into catering and eleven years on TV, his next chapter is simple: remember why you started. New episodes every Wednesday. You can find Chris Valdes on Instagram @chefchrisvaldes Follow along ⁠@bitefullypod⁠ and ⁠@chefclaudiasandoval⁠ on Instagram Host & Executive Producer: Claudia Sandoval | Producer: Shei Yu | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Mike Fennessy Bitefully is an Immigrantly Media Production. If you like what you hear, write a review at Bitefully and subscribe to Immigrantly Uninterrupted for ad-free episodes. For advertising inquiries, contact us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices