How does a professional chef get started in the kitchen? I interviewed Chef Clark Frain, executive chef at Terra GR restaurant, and his answer actually shocked me. In spite of his beginnings and his favorite food as a kid that made me cringe a little, I loved chatting with a real chef and watching his eyes light up as he talked about making delicious food that gives people a wonderful experience at the table.
PLUS Chef Clark takes us into a real restaurant kitchen where he demonstrates his favorite food as an adult—pizza! But this isn’t just any pizza – Terra’s “margherita pizza” starts with a Neapolitan style crust, which means it starts with a “poolish” and ferments overnight (a little bit like sourdough) for special air bubbles by the crust, and it’s topped with homemade tomato sauce, hand-pulled mozzarella, and fresh local heirloom tomatoes, and then fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, special salt and Parmesan on top after baking. I wish we could have seen the making of the bread the day before and the pulling of the cheese, don’t you?
You can find Chef Clark’s restaurant here and there are some yummy looking recipes out there for overnight pizza dough like this one.
Can’t see the video? Click to watch “How Chef Clark Frain Got Started” on YouTube.
No time to watch the whole video? Here are the notes!
How Chef Clark Got Started
- 0:27: Chef Clark has been in the food industry since he was 15 years old. He has now been an executive chef for the last 7-8 years.
- 0:44: Learn what the different chef jobs and titles mean.
- 1:45: Can you guess Chef Clark’s favorite kitchen tool?
- 2:23: Chef Clark shares his favorite foods now and in childhood including his pizza toppings of choice.
- 3:32: We talk about how tastes change and just because you didn’t like something before doesn’t mean you won’t like it next time you try!
- 4:03: Chef Clark tells me his first memory of cooking something to serve to his family when he was a kid.
When you’re like, nine years old, being able to make dinner, or serve a dish at a family thing…yeah that was cool. – Chef Clark
My son Paul wrote a real cookbook!
He and 4 friends have published a cookbook by kids, for kids, all healthy foods—Chef Junior.
If you want to see how kids write to kids and get some fab bonuses for supporting these 5 teen authors, buy the book and then redeem the bonuses the kids created!
Experience that Led to Being a Chef
- 5:06: Hear Chef Clark’s experience learning to cook and how he took the initiative to teach himself new things.
- 6:11: Chef Clark’s grandfather was also a chef! He remembers helping to stir batter and peel potatoes in his parent’s kitchen as a child.
- 7:04: Becoming a chef was almost a happy accident. After getting his first job in high school, Chef Clark realized that he really enjoyed working in a restaurant and decided to pursue further education and a career in cooking.
- 7:48: What was Chef Clark’s biggest kitchen fail!?
- 9:54: Fortunately, Chef Clark has only been injured once in the kitchen. It’s important to pay attention when you’re using a knife! He recommends that parents be very hands on and build confidence when they’re teaching their kids to use knives.
Most Important Goals as a Chef
- 11:25: Is making the food healthy or making the food taste amazing more important to you?
- 12:05: Safety is Chef Clark’s number one thing to learn in the kitchen.
- 12:53: It’s always possible for your tastes to change, even as an adult! Chef Clark encourages kids to give everything a try (or two)!
- 13:49: Experimenting with different ways of cooking and using the same ingredient is a fun way to be creative in the kitchen.
- 14:34: Chef Clark issues a chef’s challenge for all our kid listeners!
- 15:42: We head into the kitchen and make a margherita pizza!
- 17:46: Our pizza comes out of the oven. Yum!
Check out Chef Clark’s restaurant here!
Chef Clark Frain, executive chef at Terra GR restaurant where he makes amazing food for the surrounding community. He has been featured on “Burger Night Bonanza” on the Food Network.
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