Speaking of ... College of Charleston

The Recipe for Success: How to Host a Cooking Show

• University Communications • Season 3 • Episode 23

Share episode

Send us a text

Lauren’s tips for hosting dinner parties:

  • Get people involved and feel wanted in the kitchen, give them tasks
  • Handwritten timeline
  • Get as much done ahead of time as possible

Resources from this episode:

Focaccia Bread Recipe

Les Dames d’Escoffier 

Lauren’s Favorite Cookbooks:

1. "Deep Run Roots" by Vivian Howard

2. "Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking" by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart

3. "Dining In" by Alison Roman

4. "Everyday Italian" by Giada de Laurentiis

5. "Essentials of Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan

6. "Chasing Flavor" by Dan Kluger 

Lauren’s Faves:

Butchers: 

Farmers: 


amy: So, Lauren, thank you for being here. Um, we, you graduated from the College of Charleston in 2019. How did your experience. We're jumping right into academics, but how did your experience shape your path toward becoming a private chef, and as you are today, a TV host? 

lauren: Well, the academics at the college Charleston were very helpful because of course I learned a lot in the classrooms, but I really love.

lauren: So what I really love the most about the College of Charleston is the network and all the faculty who all know people and they're willing to connect the students to people in our community to make all the learning make sense in real life scenarios. So when I came to College of Charleston, I studied, I, so when I came to college.

lauren: Charleston, I studied two things, so I got a double major in business and hospitality and tourism management. And I spent a lot of [00:01:00] time with the shot scholars, which is a great, that's 

amy: a great program. Yes. 

lauren: Oh my gosh. I highly recommend the Shot Scholar program. And 

amy: did you I, I don't wanna get too far off track.

amy: Yeah, but did you have to, I forget how it works. Did you have to apply to be a shot scholar and. Sure. And did that inc. Explain that a little bit for people who might be interested. 

lauren: So first I heard about the program through one of my professors, and I thought it was only for students who wanted to become, have roles in the corporate world.

lauren: And I've always been really entrepreneurial. And so before I learned more, I, I wasn't sure. But I quickly realized that it was an amazing program being someone entrepreneurial. And it doesn't mean by being in the program you have to, to join the corporate world. Um, I learned different skills and about leadership and.

lauren: It's helpful, which is 

amy: probably really helpful for, for current students to hear that because I bet that [00:02:00] assumption still exists of that this program is, is for business majors or for people who wanna go into the corporate world. So it's good to know that it's open to all sorts of majors. 

lauren: Yes, it is. And the interview process was.

lauren: Tough. They ask some really hard questions and they always joke and say, oh, a couple of y'all barely made it. But I like to think that's a joke. It definitely is. Right? Right. Yes. 

amy: All right, so that from, from that program, um, but then what came next? 

lauren: And so that was senior year. And so that was one of the last programs that I did at the college.

lauren: And when I graduated though, I kept, I always loved the College of Charleston because I had to figure out a way to stay involved with them after graduating. Mm-hmm. So I applied for the innovators. Program grants and the Innovators program is available to all students, I believe, that are seniors at the College of [00:03:00] Charleston that wanna launch their business full-time.

amy: Very cool. We'll make sure, I'll make sure I put more information about that in our show notes. Yes. 

lauren: Absolutely. And that's how I, I then launched my private chef business full-time. 

amy: So, so yeah. Let's, let's dig into that. The private chef, um, you, you, your culinary style blends coastal, southern, and coastal Italian influences.

amy: So what drew you to those traditions? And, and how do they come through in your work? Like what, how did you learn to cook as a kid? Did you, are your, is your family Italian? Yes. Talk about that. 

lauren: So shout out to my mom and my grandmom, who I called nana. I grew up in Philadelphia and my nana was always cooking chicken cutlets meatballs with a lot of sauce.

lauren: I used to eat the sauce. I can hear a little 

amy: bit of ide. Oh yeah. All 

lauren: the sauce. Yeah, the sauce. And I was always in the kitchen and both [00:04:00] my nana and my mom are super clean while they cook, so I learned to be the same. And you know, meaning doing 

amy: the dishes while you cook. Yeah. Yeah, 

lauren: and I learned that all those things were important while cooking, setting the table.

lauren: And so I started working in restaurants when I was 15. Oh wow. Or maybe 16. Yeah. As an intern in Philadelphia with a chef named Carlo DeMarco at a restaurant called 3 3 3 Belrose. 

amy: Is it still here today? It 

lauren: is, yeah. Yes. Now Carlo is a private chef. Oh wow. And we talk almost every day. Yeah. 13 years later.

amy: That's awesome. 

lauren: And I just love him so much, but I've had a lot of mentors that helped me figure out how to turn my, like passion of cooking into a career. Mm-hmm. 

amy: Yeah. That's, that's, um, I would think mentors like that are super important. Speaking of mentors, you apprenticed with a major foodie [00:05:00] icon, um, Natalie Dupree, and then you also worked with chef, um, Bob Wagoner.

amy: So what, how did they, how did, how did their teachings shape the way that you cook and, and tell stories today? 

lauren: So, oh my gosh, I have been so fortunate with my mentors. And they had been, but she's a big deal. Like for anybody 

amy: who, who doesn't know who she was. I mean, she had multiple books and I mean she was renowned author and, and chef.

lauren: Yes. And so, yeah, Natalie Dupre. We first connected through Ladas Safier, which is people called LDEI. S it's, uh, acronyms. 

Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: And so, so through La Doms, I received a few scholarships and one of the doms. And this was after 

amy: graduation? Or this was while you were still in school? 

lauren: While I was still in school.

lauren: Okay. I received three while I was still in school. And one of the doms named, um, Susan Wiley [00:06:00] referred me to speak with Natalie, which then turned into Natalie inviting me to a dinner party, which was very, very thoughtful. Mm-hmm. I was a junior at the time, and I, I, I've always been a fan of Natalie and even more so when I moved to Charleston, I learned even more about her.

lauren: And when I told my mom that I was going to meet her, she. Hmm. She got so excited and so long story short, uh, Natalie is an amazing woman. She was an amazing woman. She passed in January Of, of this year? Yeah. In 2025. Yeah. And she was 85. Wow. But as her apprentice, I worked with her in her kitchen to develop new recipes.

lauren: She taught me how to Like 

amy: one-on-one. 

lauren: One on one. You and she. Yeah. Yes. 

amy: That's amazing. 

lauren: For. For a long time. Yeah. And she had so much patience and generosity, [00:07:00] and I learned the basic techniques and then how to fix a mistake that you make in a kitchen when you have guests knocking on your door and mm-hmm.

lauren: How to be adaptable in life. 

amy: And, 

lauren: and 

amy: then you talked a little bit about, you started off working in restaurants. And then, um, learning from Natalie, how, how did you decide, or, or what made you wanna decide to make that switch from being in a restaurant to working more individually with clients? 

lauren: I realized through working in restaurants that that was a great place to finesse techniques mm-hmm.

lauren: And work under pressure. But I was missing the. Person to person connection that you get when you're cooking in someone's home. 

Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: And so when I went to apprentice with Natalie at her home, she always had dinner parties. You know, book author signing parties mm-hmm. And people from all over the city.

lauren: [00:08:00] And I, I realized how special that was and I wanted to do that, uh, with in my life. So she really gave me the knowledge and the tools to figure out how to do that. Yeah. 

amy: Yeah. Okay. So now, um, sort of the main reason that we brought you here is to talk about the fact that, that you are pretty successful at this young age in life.

amy: Thank you. And you have your own TV show, which is huge, which is called, now we're Cooking, um, on SCE tv, which is super exciting. So tell us about that. When, how did that all, how did that all. Fall together. How did that happen? And um, and then tell us a little bit about what that's like to be cooking on TV in front of a camera.

lauren: Yeah, so working with S-C-E-T-V has been my greatest joy, and it has always been a dream of mine. And I'm a big believer that whatever you set your mind to, you might as well go ahead and, and, [00:09:00] and do it and put your all in. Mm-hmm. When I first met S-C-E-T-V, I was in school, the College of Charleston in the ton.

lauren: Okay. 

Speaker 3: Yeah. 

lauren: And, sorry, sorry. So when I was in school at the college, I met S-C-E-T-V and one of the woman that was a mentor was Kobe, had a See Kobe from. ETV endowment. Okay. And she said to always stay in touch. And so, 

amy: so really it was through the Shot Scholars? Yeah. Through a connection that you made there?

amy: Yes. That's great. I didn't know that. Yeah, 

lauren: because one of the directors, bill Finn is the treasurer for ETV. 

Speaker 3: Ah, okay. 

lauren: And he was kind enough to invite me to a board meeting there and I made some connections. And I always knew in the back of my head that I would love to work with them. Right. In some extent one day.

amy: Yeah. How do you just stop there for a second and because I, some of our listeners [00:10:00] are college students. Yeah. You know, and so I would love to, for you to maybe give a little bit of advice 'cause that's has to be sort of high pressure. I mean, you're at this. Uh, this meeting of the endowment or with the, with SETV people and you know that you need to make a good impression and you know that you're there to make connections and like, that's a lot for a younger person to pull off.

amy: And you also, in your head, you had the goal of, of, that you wanted to, to make a lasting impression with, with A-C-E-T-V. So. Yeah. Was there, did SHOT Scholars help set you up for that kind of event or you just, are you just a, a energetic person who can kind of handle that? 

lauren: Absolutely. Shot Scholars helped me.

lauren: Make that connection. And by being in that program I was, I was in situations that were at first intimidating as a young college student mm-hmm. To be talking to like CEOs of big liquor [00:11:00] companies. And, but once you start doing it, you realize that people are pleased to speak with young, ambitious. Really?

lauren: Yeah. Young, ambitious students. And so it's okay to say hi and introduce yourselves Yeah. And express interest. And so I, I learned to always carry handwritten thank you notes. 

amy: Ooh, that's a good tip. 

lauren: Yes. 

amy: Because especially now where nobody writes. Handwritten anything. I would think even now that would stand out even more.

lauren: Yes. Because I, I always want to make someone smile and I always wanna make the most out of the opportunities presented to me because who knows if they will come again. 

Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: And so going up to that board meeting. I was like, all right, let's, let's make the most of this. Took my selfie with a big Clifford, the red dog in there.

Speaker 5: Good for you. 

lauren: Um, and so, and then a few, few, um, sorry. A few years later I [00:12:00] spoke with Kobe and we, you know, we talked on and off and say, hi, how are you? And always maintain that communication. But I finally had an idea. Of a cooking show 

amy: and that this had just been like, like I'm fascinated to know how, how entrepreneurs come up with these ideas.

amy: You know, like, is this just, this has been something that's, you've been mulling over in the back of your mind throughout the day. Like it's, 

lauren: it has been always a idea that I, I used to watch cooking shows. Mm-hmm. I loved how I did. You have 

amy: some favorites? Yes. Yeah. 

lauren: Like Giata. Yeah, of course. On a garden and Allison Roman.

lauren: Mm-hmm. To name a few. And I've learned to, to to love Vivian Howard, who's also on PBS. And. Uh, when I moved down here, I, I got to meet her and work with her. 

Speaker 3: Oh wow. That's great. Yeah. Yeah. And so she still has a restaurant here? She does. Does, 

lauren: yeah. Lenore [00:13:00] and Handy and Hot. 

Speaker 3: That's right. 

lauren: And they're excellent restaurants.

lauren: So I always had this cooking show idea and I wanted to learn the business of television. So I also found a mentor in the, the television business industry from a different company. 

Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: Um, named Buddy and Buddy taught me about the different types of television shows. So there's over the top and then there's streaming cable, and I learned how to actually make.

lauren: This idea feasible. 

Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: And how to pitch it. So I learned the importance of having a plan. What's the target audience, um, the channels. And so when I went to pitch the show to ET TV, I had all these ideas. I already knew how to formulate them. Right. You make it easy 

amy: for 

lauren: them to say yes to. Yes, absolutely.

lauren: And I think people really appreciate that. Mm-hmm. That you're [00:14:00] not just have a. You know, you wanna have a cooking show and that's awesome, but Right. You know, I'm business and how are we gonna do this 

amy: and who are, who is the show for answering all of those questions. Yeah. Yeah. 

lauren: And so, and then from that initial meeting, we then went through a process called the Green Light Process.

lauren: And so that went through a series of reviews and we did a pilot episode, and then I was the producer and the host. And what's that means is I, I formulated the, the stories and the recipes and the prep and equipment and um, that's a ton of work. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, it has been, it has been rewarding.

lauren: Mm-hmm. And fun. 

amy: Yeah. 

lauren: Yes. 

amy: And how I, I mean, I love, I love watching cooking shows and I, it's such a great way for the, you know, a regular cook with, there's gonna be a better word for that, but just, you know, someone who isn't super skilled at cooking, but to be able to watch [00:15:00] someone on TV show you how to do it.

amy: And then you're like, okay, I, I can do that. I, you know, she walked me through the whole process. So I think I can do that. Yeah. And so, um, but I think what's so fascinating is like, I mean like watching any professional on tv, I guess that you do it so gracefully, thank you. And you talk and you're able to carry on your thought.

amy: Wow, you're cutting and chopping and mixing and cooking. And to me that seems like. That's the ultimate of, of multitasking. Like how did you learn? Was that you've learned that over time or did you have a coach work with you? Like how do you talk and tell a story and cook at the same time? That seems impossible.

lauren: It's a lot of hats. Yeah. And it's hard. It's to be real. I. Such a hard time in the beginning. Yeah. 

amy: And because when you're really concentrating, it's like you don't, you're not talking, you're trying to concentrate on what you're doing. 

lauren: Yes. And the easiest [00:16:00] part for me with the cooking show was the actual.

lauren: Cooking and filming part. Right. And the hardest part was figuring out the logistics and making sure it made sense. Like, could this recipe be done in a way pre-production that aligned with everybody's timeline and. Is this the story that we wanna tell and what is the story and who are the characters?

lauren: Mm-hmm. And, and, and to just have the opportunity to have that creative freedom is a real gift. 

amy: Yeah. Um, but yeah. So you were, you got to make all those choices about what the menu was gonna be Yes. And what the stories were. Sound like and, and each you had that creative freedom. I did. That's that's 

lauren: awesome.

lauren: I, it's, it took me probably six months to figure out, you know, what, to make fine tune the recipes at least. And, but, but 24 7, I'm thinking [00:17:00] about it and I keep a notepad next to me on my nightstand. 'cause when you wake up in the middle of the night Yeah. I'm like, oh, maybe I need actually. Two pots instead of one.

lauren: Yeah. Because what if that one, you know? Yeah. Things like that. Um, 

amy: and have there been funny times and, and this whole first season was filmed in your home? I don't, I don't know if Yeah, if we mentioned that already, but sounds like you have this whole crew in your kitchen and I guess that's where your skill of learning from your grandmother and your.

amy: And your mom cleaning while you cook because you, when the shows that I have watched, your kitchen looks immaculate. 

lauren: Thank you. 

amy: Oh, thank you. Not at all how my kitchen looks. Yeah. How does she keep that so clean while she's 

lauren: cooking? They did some great TV magic. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Um, and I, I worked a lot behind the scenes on a few food network shows and National Geographic shows as the culinary producer and then the culinary producer's assistant.

lauren: Oh, that's 

Speaker 3: helpful. 

lauren: Yeah. And during college, you've. This, this time [00:18:00] to do that. Right. And um, and if there's ever anybody that wants to learn, I'd be glad to teach them. And, um, but I, I sought out those opportunities. 'cause you learn a lot. 

amy: Yeah. And just ask, I think, you know, you ask people to help or if you can learn from them.

amy: Yeah. I think it doesn't hurt to just ask. And I mean, you have done that and it's worked in your favor. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. So how do you also, I think about how are you cooking and not looking at the people, like not being distracted by the people behind the camera. Oh, they're funny back there. Yeah. So.

amy: The crew. Amazing. Do you have any funny examples of like, of a ta like spilling a pot of water or burning, hopefully not burning yourself, or, 

lauren: I've got some off camera I could tell you. Yeah. Um, but I have, let's see. Um, we're like cussing. Oh yeah. While you're cooking by accident or something, you should see my mom and I, we, we filled the cannolis and she got a real kick outta that one.

lauren: Yeah. And of course, [00:19:00] um, she makes all these jokes and so do I and. At some point I kept calling the steak. I was cooking cake. Yeah. They kept happening. It was like three times. Yeah. But you just get tired, right? And you're like, all right, whatever this thing is right. Piece of meat. Right. This lemon, I mean orange.

amy: Yeah. It's like, all right, time, time for bed. And then, and do you practice ahead of time? Like would you, you would cook whatever you decide, like give us an example of one dish or something. So Yeah. Of maybe of, yeah. Of one of your favorites that you've done on the show that people responded to. Well, and, and do you cook it ahead of time to make sure everything works and then do it on the show?

lauren: Yeah. So. The focaccia bread. 

amy: Oh, yum. 

lauren: And right. And. It's a, it's a recipe that is so approachable. It uses just a few ingredients and all you need is about three hours and maybe four. That's a lot. [00:20:00] Yeah. Well, you don't, while that's resting, you can make the other recipes. Okay. So you basically cook. It does everything itself, which is the trick.

lauren: And I had to test that out. So in the recipe, I knew that I wanted to show the dough rising at different stages. Mm-hmm. So. I woke up early to get the dough rising, so that was ready for the camera, made the bread the night before, hid it in my office, and then, then when, 'cause that was my staging area, and then took the, um, the bread out of the oven that I cooked the night before.

lauren: Right. But they think it's right, right, right. TV magic, right? Yeah. Yeah. So that's, that was all, um, a learning curve. And I'm a, I, I am a perfectionist, especially when it comes to, um, when other people are trusting me to do a really good job. I want to do that. Mm-hmm. And I need to do that. And so I put a [00:21:00] tremendous amount of pressure on myself.

lauren: Be, and because I have to, but it is tiring, but it's worth the, the hard work. Right? 

amy: Yeah. 

lauren: And 

amy: then how, so you wrapped up season one and you're gonna launch season two in March, 2026, which is fantastic. And so, um, so did you get feedback from season one that made. That made you wanna do things any differently in season two or, or what's changing from, um, season one to season two?

lauren: So season two is different because we have guests on site. Oh, with me in the kitchen. That's fine. So you might see some familiar faces. Um, you can't 

amy: tell us. No, 

lauren: not yet. Let me check. Yeah. And um, and so I have a guest with me, and so instead of just me cooking and talking to the camera in the TV business, they call that a dump and stir [00:22:00] show.

lauren: Huh. This is more of like a, I'm the host, right. Having a talk show. And what I've learned is I love that. 

amy: Yeah. Takes the pressure off of you a little bit maybe. 

lauren: Yes. And I want my guests to shine. Right? I'm like, do y'all need to hear about this person? Yeah. And in the meantime, we're gonna teach you this recipe.

amy: So I'm excited to that. And the recipe is related to the guests in some way? Yes. Yeah. 

lauren: I picked each recipe for each guest because it reminded me of them. Oh, even in like a cheesy way. Yeah. And um, so 

amy: what's, 

lauren: sorry. 

amy: Yeah. And so there are, so how many, is it a full, what's, what will be season two? Is it six months?

amy: Is it 12 months? What's the season of the show? 

lauren: So the, we're still building out the structure of it. Yeah. But it's slated to be released in early 2026. Right. Um, the, i, I believe it's one per week. Okay. [00:23:00] Or it could be a little different, but I'll get back to you on that. Yeah. 

amy: And, and we can put all of that in show notes about where people can find the show, where they can watch the show and all of that.

lauren: Oh yes. It'll be on sce tv.org. pbs.org, the PBS app, and then it will go broadcast throughout the state on television. 

amy: Nice. Yes. 

lauren: Yeah. And it's free to watch. Um, so yeah, 

amy: come on now we're cooking. And you said that you are not filming this season in your kitchen. You have moved out of your house, which I'm sure is Yes.

amy: A good thing. 

lauren: So that was fun. We took. About a week. The whole crew, well, the crew from ETV, me and my assistant. Mm-hmm. And we all stayed in a beach house on Folly. Oh, nice. So it was like, it's my favorite place. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Isn't it so much fun there? I love it. I love, I love it. So it was like going back to camp for a week and, um, we all stay in the same house and.

lauren: Including my guests that [00:24:00] came from outta town and we cooked at night and got ready for the next day. And to me it was, that was exciting and a little bit nerve wracking. Yeah, there's a lot of unknowns, but. I knew that we would just get it done, have fun and keep, make sure it's professional and organized.

amy: So you filmed multiple episodes in during that time period in that house? Yes. Yeah, 

lauren: so we did two episodes. So episodes are the 10 minute digital episodes. Okay. And when you combine two of those, you get the broadcast episode. 

Speaker 3: Okay. 

lauren: So we did eight digital episodes in four days. So two guests a day. Wow. Yes.

lauren: Wow. And that's a wardrobe change. Clean up the set and yeah. Make sure everything looks new. 

amy: And I'm sure you had to go in and make sure this kitchen was properly outfitted with all of your, do you have, do you have, are there certain tools you won't do without, like your, [00:25:00] your must have whisk or something?

amy: Oh 

lauren: yes. I love a zester. Oh, do 

amy: you? Yeah. 

lauren: Yeah. Citrus juicer. Yeah. Good. Sharp knife. I even found a local knife guy that came to my house and sharpened a bunch of knives. Really? Yes. We'll have 

amy: to give him a plug too. Yeah. Yeah. Should I say? 

lauren: Yeah. Okay. Charles, wait, Charleston? No, it's Chris Monroe. 

amy: Yeah. And Charleston Sharp.

amy: Nice. Yes. He just sharpens, or he also makes tools, makes knives. He 

lauren: sharpens knives. Yeah. Tools for a barbershop. Um, I don't think people 

amy: appreciate the difference between like a really sharp. Knife when you're cooking, like it makes such a huge difference. 

lauren: Oh, absolutely. It cuts through paper. Well, I mean, that's easy, but you know when a knife is sharp, when you can just go like that.

lauren: Yeah, yeah, 

amy: yeah. 

lauren: So, um, so that's a great service. Yeah. And shout 

amy: out to him. 

lauren: Shout out. Yeah. Charleston Sharp. Yes. 

amy: Well, and that must have been fun being out at the beach because I know you also love the ocean and you are a, you like to surf, so, 

Speaker 4: yeah. 

amy: Do you get, does that. [00:26:00] Influence your cooking at all, like your love of the water.

amy: I mean, I know, um, we talk about coastal southern food in your recipes, but, but does, does your love of the water impact your cooking at all? Absolutely. Are you, when you're surfing, are you dreaming up new recipes? 

lauren: Oh yeah. I'm pondering life thinking about, I see the shrimp boats out there. Right. So beautiful.

amy: Yeah. 

lauren: Hit up Crosby seafood on my way home. Mm-hmm. It's, uh, the folly and surfing life is just so special. I can't wait for the water to warm up again. Me too. But, um, 

amy: and what a great balance to your seemingly very busy, hectic life to be able to slow down and. 

lauren: Yes. 

amy: Be out on the water. 

lauren: I'll always make time for something outside.

lauren: Yeah. And it's critical. Yeah. It, I believe, for wellbeing. Yes. Yeah. And that, and I've learned that that's okay to have a, have, have lots of fun. Yes. And, and yeah, that's very important. And especially, [00:27:00] um, like fitness is important to me too. Staying healthy. Yeah. Yes. 

amy: Yeah. And do you try to do that with your cooking too?

amy: I mean, we haven't talked. Specifically about any recipes specifically other than other than Coastal, Southern and Italian. But are there some, what's your approach to cooking healthy or, you know? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. 

lauren: So I love sourcing ingredients here locally as much as I can. 

Speaker 5: Yeah. 

lauren: Whether it's fresh seafood from the fishermen, fisherwoman butchers, and the farmers.

lauren: When I first moved here, I went surfing. I met some nice gentleman, uh, in the water that, uh, I think he was a chef too. And he said, alright, if you wanna know a list of 10 farmers, you gotta shop from. I was a freshman in college at this point. He said, come meet me at Chico fao. Nice. And I'll write you a list of 10 farmers.

lauren: Oh, I 

Speaker 3: love it. 

lauren: And I kept that piece of paper in my nightstand for [00:28:00] years. I love it. And I called every single farmer. And now, and hopefully they're 

amy: all still in business. 

lauren: They're still in business. Good. But. Yeah. By cooking what surrounds mm-hmm. It's really easy to keep it, um, keep it, you know, delicious and nutritious.

lauren: Mm-hmm. And sometimes splurge a little bit, that's okay too. Right. But I think citrus, herbs, olive oil and garlic are kind of my pillars of cooking. Yeah. And butter beans. Yum. I love butter beans. 

amy: Yeah, so, so we are here next week is Thanksgiving. Yes. And then we have Christmas and then we have New Year's and we love to celebrate all holidays here in the south.

amy: So, um, do you have a favorite dish, like for these upcoming holidays, do you have any tips you can offer to listeners about. Yummy things that that aren't super complicated. 

lauren: Yeah. So I have a [00:29:00] lot of tips and I think that it's important to get as much done ahead of time as you can. Oh, don't say 

Speaker 5: that 

lauren: you've done nothing for, for yourself a cocktail, even the night before.

lauren: You can even set the table and you can get your salad dressing made and even just lay everything out so you know where it is. And you can even make that pumpkin pie, apple pie desserts ahead of time and you can do so many things. And, um, there's certain recipes that I enjoy making for the holidays.

lauren: Should I share something? Yes, please. Okay. Yeah. So do you know about, so an appetizer csis. Little bread crisps. Yes. So if you just take a baguette, slice it thinly, put it in the oven until it's crispy with a little bit of olive oil and salt. And then you can top it with anything from whipped goat cheese.

lauren: Yeah. To, uh, fresh vegetables. And recently I made homemade ricotta. Yeah. And did that. 

Speaker 3: [00:30:00] Yeah. 

lauren: But you can make those ahead of time. A few days even. Really? They'll get real crunchy. Yeah. And warm 'em back up in the oven. And if you wanna soften them a little bit, you can spritz just a little water on them. Huh.

lauren: And then add whatever toppings. Don't be afraid to use up anything in your fridge that looks, um, past its prime. Yeah. Because there's a way to make it beautiful. 

Speaker 3: Yeah. 

lauren: And not have to throw everything out. 

Speaker 3: Yeah. 

lauren: And um, and it's important to try to get everybody involved and make everybody feel wanted in the kitchen and to give people a task.

lauren: And if you wanna go ahead and write a handwritten timeline of what you need to do to make your dinner, that is most important, I think. 

amy: Mm, 

lauren: that's a great tip. Yeah. Even down to the 30 minute increments, really. Yeah. Yeah. It sounds crazy, but I It's necessary. 

amy: Yeah. For a perfectionist like yourself. Yeah, yeah.

amy: I might make you share, sometimes. Share with us and I can screenshot it onto our show notes. Yeah. Oh [00:31:00] yeah. Oh, absolutely. People can see an example from a professional. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. 

lauren: Please excuse my handwriting. 

amy: That's, uh, I mean, um, I'm just thinking about all of everything that you're doing and how, because you, you have the TV show, you continue to be a private chef, you continue to give some cooking lessons, like how, how are you managing all of these things?

amy: Um, and, and not, yeah. How are you managing it without being overwhelmed? 

lauren: So I only take on certain parties that I really would love to do. 

Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: And I've learned that I set myself apart by making clear what I specialize in. So I currently can cook for up to 30 people and be able to offer the best culinary experience that I can.

lauren: So family style, fun, communal, and specialized in Italian and Southern, [00:32:00] and I do a hundred percent in people's homes. So they see the whole produce basket. And it's fun to share that, the, the learning opportunity with them too. Mm-hmm. And so by picking and choosing certain events, I don't operate as a caterer.

lauren: I'm a private chef and I cook for many events and not just one family. Yeah. So I've learned to not say yes to everything, though it's tempting. Um, and, and each client is a very. Dear client to me, and I wanna make sure I'm able to give them my all. Mm-hmm. So 

amy: I think that's a great tip for people is not saying, my thought phone is not saying yes to everything.

amy: Because I do think when you're an entrepreneur and you're making your way in the world, there is that panicky of like, yes, I have to, any job that comes to me, I've gotta say yes, yes, yes. But then you can end up. Um, spreading yourself too thin. 

lauren: Yes, and it's so true and it's [00:33:00] important to, so I work, you know, I work alone and, um, I, I say that, but I work really with the farmers and the fishermen.

lauren: But when I'm cooking and I always am hungry to learn. Mm-hmm. And so what I've learned is to save time for going to the library to pick up a lot of cookbooks and just read and just read memoirs about different chefs and. To me it's fun and it's relaxing. Mm-hmm. Um, and spend time with other chefs. I love to help out with other, other projects and I'm open to what's to come.

amy: Yeah. I've done that. Good for you. Good for you. That's just spending time with other chefs. Makes me think of back to, um, in the beginning you mentioned meeting Natalie Dupree through the organization, which I'm not gonna pronounce it because I will mess it up, but tell me about, is that part of your, what's sustaining to you as being a part of that community?

amy: You, yes. Say the word [00:34:00] what it is. 

lauren: So, LA Doms Dsca, thank you. Of course. It's a tough one. So. La Dom sca for a background on it. It's a philanthropic organization offering scholarships and mentorships to females in the food, wine, and hospitality industries. And when I was And 

amy: so only in Charleston, is it, or is a, is it a national thing or is it just a It's uh, 

lauren: it's international.

lauren: Oh, wow. So I am currently the vice president of our Charleston Chapter of Amazing Ladies The Doms. Mm-hmm. And our group consists of restaurant owners, cookbook authors, uh, food stylists, recipe developers. Private chefs and the list goes on and we're constantly learning from each other. And being a part of that group means a lot.

lauren: 'cause they, they've helped me when I was in college with mentorship and [00:35:00] I strongly suggest to any students, is it open 

amy: to anybody to join or do you have to be like, do you have to apply? 

lauren: So you need five years of full-time professional experience. And we would love to talk to anybody. That's interesting.

lauren: Mm-hmm. Because we really wanna grow our chapter in the diversity of women in it. 

Speaker 5: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: It's different backgrounds, jobs, and experiences. And our goal is to give a lot of scholarships so that we can encourage young women or any woman to pursue continuing their education. And, um, for any College of Charleston students, if you're a woman, um, there is a, a link on our website and the scholarships will open up this winter.

lauren: Oh, perfect timing. So, yeah, we'll be glad to hear from you. 

amy: Yeah. Oh, that's excellent. That's wonderful that you're part of that community and that you're giving back to the community in that way is fantastic. 

lauren: I, you know, a lot of people have, have helped me, [00:36:00] Amy, and I am so excited to, to pay that forward.

Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 

lauren: And, um, being a part of this chapter is really meaningful. 

amy: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you have. You're very impressive for, for such someone so young. You only graduated a couple years ago, and so it's so wonderful to have you back on campus in our studio. And um, hopefully you get to come back again. Thank you.

amy: And we talked about maybe in the future, coming to your kitchen and, and getting some video, doing another podcast with you actually cooking, so Oh yeah, we'll put you to work. 

lauren: Come on down the door's open. Thank you so much for having me. Thanks for coming. This was so much fun. It was 

amy: wonderful. I, now I'm leaving and I'm hungry and I want some butter beans.

lauren: Oh, I'll make some for you. Thank you. Okay. Okay. 

amy: What did we miss? 

lauren: Is that good? What do you think? That 

amy: was 

Speaker 6: awesome. I must like emotionally moved. I know right at the end [00:37:00] when you were saying that 

amy: about giving back, like, I, I felt like I was getting weepy too. Oh, 

Speaker 6: much of it. No, I thought that was awesome. I, I honestly, the only things I really wrote down was.

Speaker 6: I feel like this is less for Lauren and more for you, Amy. Yeah. I feel like there's a lot of ideas in terms of like clips or like promos that we could consider doing more of with the podcast. Mm-hmm. Because Lauren had so many good answers that could be quick clips. Yes. You know, that would really get people to be like, oh my gosh, what's this podcast about?

Speaker 6: Yeah. I agree. So I thought it was awesome. I don't think you missed anything. I think it was a great pace. I think that you. Talking about the college into how Lauren came to be where she is currently. Right. A little bit of the hosting tips. Yeah. Love the cini, spraying some water on it. Tip. Right, right.

Speaker 6: That tip. Yes. 

lauren: They need a little refresh just like we all in the morning. Like 

amy: somebody, you know, I was thinking about, um, LADA because every Tuesday I live at Folly and I go [00:38:00] to the, the veggie bus comes out on Tuesday. You live at Folly? I do. Oh my gosh. Um. And they, those women, I don't know if you know those women, but I love that No Nell's veggie bus that 

Speaker 3: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

amy: They, they were saying to me just the other day, 'cause I had bought, I buy veggies there every week and they were saying, oh yeah, yeah. Even if it starts to get a little soft. She was talking specifically, I think about. Broccoli. She was like, you know, you can just put it in the water for a few minutes and it's, and it's like refreshens it.

amy: I think it was broccoli she was saying, and I was like, oh, really? Because once when I, a veggie gets soft, I just toss it. Yeah. That's an excellent tip. Yeah. Oh, I love that. I know 

lauren: there's so many like tricks. 

amy: David was telling me to turn off the camera. Oh, I had to drive my dad. It wasn't leaving. I could figure it out.

amy: Thank you. Hi. Hello. We don't need to hear the rest 

Speaker 6: of our, I get.