Burt Bakman

Burt Bakman

It begins deep in the heart of Texas, where Burt Bakman, an Israeli immigrant, found his calling to be a pitmaster. A quick business trip to the Lone Star State instead turned into a chance exploration of barbecue at its source, fostering a lifelong obsession in him...
Ahu Hettema & Nili Yildirim

Ahu Hettema & Nili Yildirim

Istanbul Hawaii cooks modern Anatolia through Hawaii’s season, held between two homelands. Chefs Ahu Hettema and Nili Yildirim, mother and daughter from Mersin on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast, work side by side: one rooted in tradition, the other shaping it with a...
Pyet DeSpain

Pyet DeSpain

Pyet is is a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and an award-winning traveling private chef. She is the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef, a competitor on Tournament of Champions, and a judge on Super Market Stakeout. She is the author of the...
Melissa Miranda

Melissa Miranda

Melissa Miranda is a Seattle-born Filipina-American chef, restaurateur and community builder whose work is rooted in heritage, storytelling and shared table. After studying culinary arts in Florence, Italy, she sharpened her craft across kitchens in Italy and New York...
James Domingo

James Domingo

James Domingo, a Maui native, ascended to the role of executive chef at Hula Grill Kaanapali, marking a remarkable culinary journey deeply rooted in his Hawaiian upbringing. Starting as a lunch line cook at Merriman’s Bamboo Bistro, Domingo climbed the culinary...