When you think of MREs, gourmet cuisine might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, that's exactly what we explored at the World Food Championship in Dallas, where chefs battled to elevate the humble Meal Ready to Eat into a culinary masterpiece. Savor the tales of these kitchen warriors as they wrestle with the notorious salt content to produce dishes that dazzle the taste buds. We didn't stop there; we also sank our teeth into the smoky perfection of Texas barbecue and paid homage to a local boudin that stole our hearts. In a heartfelt segment, we sat down with Chef Michael Hogan, who candidly shared his fight against health hurdles and how the culinary community's support became the secret ingredient in his recipe for a remarkable comeback.
In the world of competitive cooking, it's not just about the glitz of the victory; it's the spirit of unity and the relentless drive for self-improvement that really tells the story. Listen to how one chef's quest for another bacon category medal embodies the dedication and hard work that goes into making it to the top, punching in as the sixth best in the world. Chef Hogan's stirring "never surrender" mantra isn't just lip service – he lives it, and it's a message that extends to our army of food enthusiasts.
As we wrap up, we extend a cal
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Thank you for listening to the Walk-In Talk Podcast, hosted by Carl Fiadini and Company. Our show not only explores the exciting and chaotic world of the restaurant business and amazing eateries but also advocates for mental health awareness in the food industry.
Our podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the industry. Don't miss out on upcoming episodes where we'll continue to cook up thought-provoking discussions on important topics, including mental health awareness.
Be sure to visit our website for more food industry-related content, including our very own TV show called Restaurant Recipes where we feature Chefs cooking up their dishes and also The Dirty Dash Cocktail Hour; the focus is mixology and amazing drinks!
Thank you for tuning in, and we'll catch you next time on the Walk-In Talk Podcast. https://www.TheWalkInTalk.com
Also rate and review us on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27766644/reference/
When you think of MREs, gourmet cuisine might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, that's exactly what we explored at the World Food Championship in Dallas, where chefs battled to elevate the humble Meal Ready to Eat into a culinary masterpiece. Savor the tales of these kitchen warriors as they wrestle with the notorious salt content to produce dishes that dazzle the taste buds. We didn't stop there; we also sank our teeth into the smoky perfection of Texas barbecue and paid homage to a local boudin that stole our hearts. In a heartfelt segment, we sat down with Chef Michael Hogan, who candidly shared his fight against health hurdles and how the culinary community's support became the secret ingredient in his recipe for a remarkable comeback.
In the world of competitive cooking, it's not just about the glitz of the victory; it's the spirit of unity and the relentless drive for self-improvement that really tells the story. Listen to how one chef's quest for another bacon category medal embodies the dedication and hard work that goes into making it to the top, punching in as the sixth best in the world. Chef Hogan's stirring "never surrender" mantra isn't just lip service – he lives it, and it's a message that extends to our army of food enthusiasts.
As we wrap up, we extend a cal
Get ready to innovate your space with Metro! As the industry leader in organization and efficiency, Metro is here to transform your kitchen into a well-oiled machine.
With their premium solutions, you'll experience the Metro difference. Metro's sturdy and versatile shelving units, workstations, holding cabinets, and utility carts are designed to streamline operations and maximize your productivity.
Metro: Your partner in organization and efficiency.
Here is a word about our partners:
Citrus America revolutionizes the retail and hospitality sectors with profitable solutions: - Our juicing machines excel in taste, hygiene, and efficiency. - Experience fresh, natural, and exciting juices as an affordable luxury. - We promote a healthier lifestyle by making it effortless to enjoy fresh, natural ingredients. - Join us in transforming the way people enjoy juices.
Thank you for listening to the Walk-In Talk Podcast, hosted by Carl Fiadini and Company. Our show not only explores the exciting and chaotic world of the restaurant business and amazing eateries but also advocates for mental health awareness in the food industry.
Our podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at the industry. Don't miss out on upcoming episodes where we'll continue to cook up thought-provoking discussions on important topics, including mental health awareness.
Be sure to visit our website for more food industry-related content, including our very own TV show called Restaurant Recipes where we feature Chefs cooking up their dishes and also The Dirty Dash Cocktail Hour; the focus is mixology and amazing drinks!
Thank you for tuning in, and we'll catch you next time on the Walk-In Talk Podcast. https://www.TheWalkInTalk.com
Also rate and review us on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27766644/reference/
Speaker 1:
All right, can you believe it? It is 503 on day four. We have another about hour less ago. We are still live in Dallas. This is recorded in Dallas, live at the World Food Championship. We have another, michael Hogan, who has just got done literally just got done doing the fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight club, fight club. That's my club, that's what it was. We just got done eating for the first time. We'll talk about that MRE first, and then we'll drop right over to Michael. What did you think about that contest and what does tell the listeners what that contest was about?
Speaker 3:
So the contest was our veterans today's veterans day and it was very clever and asking them to use an MRE a meal ready to eat, as it was usually when they're out in the field and kind of converted with their own ideas and spices and other proteins and things, but at the same time having to incorporate. The more they incorporated the kind of the more credit they got for what they utilize on the MRE, which seems kind of easy in certain ways, but those things are packed with so much salt so you're having to balance a lot of different things out. So I really thought they both did.
Speaker 1:
Both teams executed really really well yeah, definitely one team that I would have eaten, the whole meal three or four times in a row. Yeah well, carl had one too. I literally had to tell Carl they're bucky. I'm like, hey, I tapped him on the shoulder. I'm like slow down, slow down. I.
Speaker 2:
I would.
Speaker 1:
I can't imagine eating. I had some good, some really good tacos earlier.
Speaker 3:
Actually I had a couple of those tacos as well and it's a charcoal company.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, texas barbecue. Yeah, texas charcoal yeah, I called even made booted yeah, yeah, which was so cool, which is the Louisiana thing for these Texas boys that are really really well yeah, and that's coming from you. That's a big time, because you know how to make that. Now it's just pure episode on that, geo. Yes, that's awesome, chef. I'm sitting here staring at you and I'm seeing like 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, you need more room yeah, I got.
Speaker 2:
I actually have a new chef code coming awesome, it's all the gals posted dropping out there with a little bit, so it's got my new logo on it too, so that's all.
Speaker 1:
That's so the on your hat is the new logo.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so so the C stands for chef, the M is for Mike, and then our Michael, and then the H is for Hogan and then, if you notice, there's four little dots and our old logo was about our old name, was spiced your life from your meats and so. But we had a full over.
Speaker 1:
That's slower again, because I thought I heard my sure life, your meats.
Speaker 2:
I wanted that so I could sell a t-shirt that said rub your meat on the back of it. And I sold it to you, so our logo. I might still have some of home, I ship it to you. But our logo was a poorly clover, so the four dots on the hat represents that poorly clover. So I brought that old thing to the news. So so that's what it stands for.
Speaker 3:
So so chef yes we could too.
Speaker 3:
Before WFC, I'm looking at my phone, you know, on Instagram, and I see you got the bit. You're putting your arms up in the air, doing the muscle flex thing and I'm like Michael Hogan's coming back, he's inspired, he's ready to go. You know, it was this year seven, year eight, all the above. And then I see you and you tell me about these, the spiral downhill that you had health wise. So, like, tell us and we don't have to get into detail what was going on. But I mean you, you really had to pull yourself. You debate, or whether the night it was.
Speaker 2:
It was two months, so, like Labor Day weekend, I actually got dehydrated, passed out and cut my head open. So I actually had two staples and I have the scar in the back of my head because I'm almost bald. You can see it pretty good. But then I got a bad case of food poisoning that I had for almost a week and a half. I woke up one morning, passed out, woke up I'd take one of those aluminum catering pans into the bathroom with me. I fell on it, completely crushed it that's how hard I fell, ended up having some internal bleeding, called 911, went to the hospital, was intensive care for three days and that was back on October 11. So I've been kind of healing up from that. I had some low hemoglobin and some iron blood issues and the doctors like no-transcript, you can tell me I'm not going, but when I get home there's nothing you can do to stop me. But also, what happened when I fell? I fell on my shoulder, so right now I can't lift my arm above the bottom of my chest and I can't extend it out. And so with the MRI that they did, they said well, I don't think it's your rotator cuff, but you have some torn muscles, some tendons in there and when you get back from rural food we'll look at it and see if we can reevaluate it.
Speaker 2:
But then, because I've been on short-term disability and not working, I didn't get a disability check. I didn't have the money to come. And the week before I got here well, actually last Thursday, last week I had my brother and sister-in-law from Texas sending $300. I had the Nebraska Park producers, which I do a lot of stuff for, they sent me $500. And then a gentleman who used to sponsor me and pay for our condo, basically he called me out. He had sold his business, so I thought that money was gone. Literally. Last Thursday he called me up let's do coffee and he has me a check for $1,500.
Speaker 2:
So I was able to make it here, and so I was able to come.
Speaker 3:
I heard you say that gentleman's name because he deserves the recognition. Unless he wants to be anonymous.
Speaker 2:
Well, his name was John Matthews. Thank you, john Matthews. He had a company called Justman Brush but he sold it so there's no longer around. But even the Nebraska Park producers they were like. You know the lady idealist goes. You know Mike does so much for us, he helps us out, he creates recipes for us. You know he's really a rock star and we need to help him. So sorry if I tear up a little bit.
Speaker 3:
That isn't awesome.
Speaker 2:
You know, it's just amazing. And then when I got here, there's so many people that I didn't even know were paying attention and they're like Mike, you're here, like yeah, dude, that's the hell of a story that you made it. So yeah, that's what happened. So I'm here and I'm fighting, and I had to fight yesterday and I'm fighting today and luckily I have PJ and Stephanie, my sous chef to this yesterday just really helped me, because I can't lift my arm to do hardly anything, but I was able to chop with one hand and do some things, so it was good. But that's the story.
Speaker 3:
You know, at the end of the day, a chef is a chief. So even if you delegate and be a leader, and how they execute the food, how you want to be executed, that's even better.
Speaker 2:
And the thing about it is is we had talked about it for a while and so they knew exactly what needed to be done and all they did was make a prep list and they went right through it and it was just. I mean, it was just like I was actually kind of bored. But yeah, we did it. We got on the bubble, we got seventh place, but because of the new scoring this year, we were on the bubble. So we had to do the bike club today and we'll find out the results of that in a little bit.
Speaker 1:
I hope that you can continue to keep stacking those years on, as you keep on going.
Speaker 2:
Well, this just means the years that I participate, doesn't mean that those are the years I won. But last year we got sixth overall in the bacon category, so I'm looking for that second medal.
Speaker 3:
That's in the world, people you know. You might think, okay, well, that's sixth, and then he's not number one, that's in the world, that's out of everyone in the world. He is the sixth ranked number six in bacon. Not bacon, bacon, that's a big deal. Yeah, the magic it's the duct tape of all foods.
Speaker 2:
what that's called, that's food group. The food group. Bacon Bacon's a food group.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's its own magical food. So I want to point out something to those nerves, and what we've heard from several of the competitors is that we've always heard the story about community involvement and how the restaurant industry is. And you know we're competing against each other and we all know chefs have no ego whatsoever. So to see someone like you need that helping hand and what the community did for you, it's a volume for what kind of individual you are. So that's often the case.
Speaker 2:
So even like today you know You've been like today there were some issues where I had a lady come in from California who wanted to be part of the group. She came in and helped me serve the bike club. I just met her, mary Lee.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, just met her over here yeah and then my buddy, Ben, who I do some oils and vinegar stuff with. He came in from Michigan and he helped me at the bike club because PJ and Stephanie had some other people they needed a sous chef for and literally we ended up having three or four people kind of tag in and out during the bike club so that I had support and all I could do was talk to the people and promote myself. It was really great how everybody's coming around.
Speaker 2:
So the world food championship is more like More than a restaurant. We're like family here I mean, you know a lot of each other and we just always support each other. So if you need something I got, I give it to you.
Speaker 1:
Is what I've seen. Yeah, you know, being a part of the American Color Federation For like 28 929 years.
Speaker 2:
I come here and I'm seeing this and I'm seeing people like hey, what's going on? I walked past him and he's like he hugs somebody's like I haven't seen you and what's going on?
Speaker 1:
And I'm like, wow, this is. And the camaraderie of the restaurant or the service industry, of people that love to put it's just John pause awesome.
Speaker 2:
He's always been one of my competitors in bacon and so Uber driver. I've always competed against him in bacon and we always wish each other the best of luck because you know, that's kind of is. You know, at the end of the day we're all friends, but when it, when it comes down to competition, I mean really, I tell people I'm competing against myself in the clock, nobody else matters, because I can't control what they do. I can only control what I do. So that's the way my attitude is about it.
Speaker 3:
So I have it's it might be kind of an off-question.
Speaker 1:
You're very calm, right You're?
Speaker 3:
oh, I've only seen you very.
Speaker 1:
It's the drugs, medical drugs, but do you do, you come alive when you, when you start cooking.
Speaker 2:
Oh yeah, I'm like that's where all of your energy, yeah.
Speaker 3:
I'm a.
Speaker 2:
Herod chef, and it might be the bourbon that's in my glass, you know.
Speaker 1:
I think the reason why he's kind of relaxed right now is because it's over.
Speaker 2:
I remember I saw you earlier this morning. He's like I can do it now, but I only have to.
Speaker 1:
This time I'm like I rather your head be in the game and not looking at your clock or your watch. I'll come by later, I'm like and I'm glad we did this announcing right now.
Speaker 2:
They're not seeing. I get a text from super, super fight make sure I fight for a bike club. I guess for the people that got to do by club tomorrow night club. Thank you, yeah yeah, my brains right. Yeah, I'm waiting to find out if I make the seventh person for so cook tomorrow, and if I do, I got to go shopping tonight and cut first thing in the morning, so now you did, you get a golden ticket or you had to go from, like the opening day Actually actually because, because I play six, last year I got automatic birth.
Speaker 2:
For this year I just had to pay my entry fee. So so what I made last year went to my entry fee was a sexing amount.
Speaker 3:
Chef, we're gonna have to wrap up.
Speaker 2:
No problem.
Speaker 3:
All the show, no matter when you think you're down, there's always if you're a good person.
Speaker 2:
There's always gonna be good people that you up and you're a testament to that. I have a shoe and it says hands of love Services.
Speaker 1:
You are going for public vote.
Speaker 3:
We are going for public vote. That is how this will be decided. So make a break by the food Entertain. Make them want to vote for you because this is done by fans. So make your way over to the pantry right now.
Speaker 1:
Alright, shout out. Hello, I'm just here for you.
Speaker 3:
Alright, if you want to start off with I have a Sang. You can edit that in Five four, three, two, one.
Speaker 2:
So I have a scene and it's hands down and people go I think all your competitive chef, you think you're this egotistical chef there's a lot of them out there. But hands down tells about me never giving up and everything I've been through in my life, just my little story. There's so much more to it, but I push through everything and even, like you know, right down, I'm not giving up. I'm going the world for you and that's the way it is. So that's my mission, hands down never surrender.
Speaker 3:
Hands down the world.
Speaker 2:
Thank you, you can catch me on Chef Michael Hogan on Facebook Pleasure meeting you. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:
Bye tomorrow man, definitely, you're definitely going to be here.
Speaker 2:
Alright, y'all, you have a great day you guys are out for the rest of your day.
