Chef Philip Tessier: A Conversation From The Napa Valley

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I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF AND AUTHOR PHILIP TESSIER.

HE JOINS US FROM THE  NAPA VALLEY…

WHERE CURRENTLY HE’S EXECUTIVE CHEF AND PARTNER OF MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANT PRESS.

CHEF TESSIER IS KNOWN IN THE CULINARY WORLD FOR LEADING THE FIRST AMERICAN TEAM TO WIN THE SILVER MEDAL…. AT THE INTERNATIONAL COOKING COMPETITION, BOCUSE D’OR….. AND TWO YEARS LATER…..HE COACHED TEAM USA TO THEIR FIRST GOLD MEDAL.  

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

HIS JOURNEY TO THE PRESENT MOMENT….

PLUS….WE TOUCH ON THE EVOLUTION OF PRESS RESTAURANT…WE STEP INSIDE THE MIND OF THE MASTER…AND HEAR ABOUT HIS PATH ….FROM CONCEPTION TO COMPLETION….. 

AND….WHAT’S NEXT FOR CHEF TESSIER….. 

SO I’LL START BY ASKING…..AS WE ALWAYS DO…..“HAVE YOU EATEN YET ?”......

THIS CAN BE A MEAL FROM ANYTIME IN YOUR LIFE….THE HOPE IS WHATEVER MEAL YOU CHOOSE TO TALK ABOUT…. HAS REAL MEANING FOR YOU….THAT IT TRIGGERS A  GREAT MEMORY….. OR EMOTION…..BECAUSE FOOD HAS THE POWER TO DO…. JUST THAT….AND WE LIKE TO HONOR AND EMBRACE THAT CONCEPT HERE….

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OPENING

TAKE ME BACK IN TIME….TO WHEN YOU ARRIVED AT PRESS….INTITIALLY YOU WERE A CONSULTANT….BUT OVER TIME YOU DECIDE THERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY…TO PUT DOWN ROOTS….

LET'S DIVE INTO THE PART OF THIS JOURNEY WHEN YOU’RE OFFICIALLY ATTACHED TO THE PROJECT….IT’S YOUR KITCHEN…..AND IT’S THE FIRST SERVICE WITH YOUR MENU….

DESCRIBE WHAT THAT DAY WAS LIKE …..AND WHAT THE TRANSITION INTO THE FIRST TWO YEARS WAS LIKE ?……..WHAT HURDLES….AND HIGHLIGHTS….STAND OUT TO YOU ?

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THOUGHTS

IF I SAY……”YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE………. YOUR WORDS SHAPE”….WHAT’S THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND ?……IT COULD BE A TIME IN YOUR LIFE… A FAVORITE QUOTE ....ANYTHING….

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FRANCE

AFTER GRADUATING FROM CULINARY SCHOOL YOU WENT TO FRANCE TO WORK…WHAT’S THE BEST MEMORY THAT YOU HAVE FROM THAT TIME IN YOUR LIFE ?

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TRUE

HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE NAVIGATING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A CHEF?

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20

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR 20 YEAR OLD SELF ?….MAYBE IT’S ADVICE, A THOUGHT….OR A FEELING….….

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ADVICE

ERIC RIPERT AND THOMAS KELLER…ARE TWO WELL KNOWN CHEFS IN THE CULINARY WORLD….YOU’VE WORKED FOR BOTH OF THEM….WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY OR LIFE LESSON…OR PRO TIP…..THAT YOU LEARNED FROM EACH OF THEM….. THAT HAS POSITIVELY INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE ?….

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TRIP

LOOKING BACK…WHAT’S ONE TRIP THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON THAT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE…THIS COULD BE AN ACTUAL TRIP….. OVERSEAS…..OR HERE IN THIS COUNTRY….IT COULD BE A TRIP CLOSE TO HOME….. OR….MAYBE IT’S A GOOD MEMORY….LIKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…….OR…..IT COULD BE A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP…..  

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BOCUSE D’OR

LET'S TALK ABOUT BOCUSE D'OR.....IT’S A 5 ½-HOUR COMPETITION…IT'S OFTEN DESCRIBED AS THE CULINARY OLYMPICS….

IT TAKES PLACE ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS….IN FRANCE.

YOU LED THE FIRST AMERICAN TEAM TO WIN THE SILVER MEDAL THERE….AND TWO YEARS LATER…..YOU COACHED TEAM USA… TO THEIR FIRST GOLD MEDAL.

YOUR JOURNEY INVOLVED TRAINING NONSTOP…..YOU HELPED DESIGN A REPLICA BOCUSE D’OR KITCHEN…..TAKE US BACK TO THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE….WHAT WAS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU….WHILE TRAINING ?

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AND TAKE US TO COMPETITION DAY….WHEN YOU COACHED TEAM USA TO THEIR FIRST GOLD MEDAL….WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST HURDLE THAT YOU FACED THAT DAY?

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FLY

IF I WAS A FLY ON THE WALL….WHAT WOULD I SEE IN YOUR LIFE….I’M THINKING ALONG THE LINES OF SOMETHING THAT YOU DON’T OFTEN TALK ABOUT IN INTERVIEWS….OR MAYBE  IT’S SOMETHING SUPER RANDOM…. THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE ABOUT YOU……

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NEXT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU ?.... WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW ? ….WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED FOR IN THE MONTHS TO COME ?

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FINDING INSPIRATION

HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO FIND INSPIRATION EACH YEAR ? .....

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FUTURE

WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL FUTURE LOOK LIKE ?......

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SYNCHRONICITIES

HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SIGNS OR SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT LED TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU….. IN THIS INDUSTRY? ……. 

IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE MOMENT….

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FLOW STATE

A FLOW STATE, ALSO KNOWN AS BEING IN THE ZONE…. IS THE MENTAL STATE WHEN A PERSON IS PERFORMING AN ACTIVITY….. AND IS FULLY IMMERSED…. IN A FEELING OF ENERGIZED FOCUS, CLARITY  AND ENJOYMENT…. IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS…..

IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE WORK….IT’S EFFORTLESS ATTENTION….. THAT YOU’RE GIVING THE ACTIVITY…..IT’S A EUPHORIC FEELING… 

IT’S DURING THIS ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS…. THAT YOUR MIND FUNCTIONS… AT ITS PEAK….AND A SENSE OF HAPPINESS… FLOWS THROUGH YOUR BODY.

FOR YOU IT COULD BE AS YOU’RE COOKING PERHAPS….…..

I’M WONDERING …..IF YOU’VE YOU EVER REACHED THIS STATE ?.....

IF YOU HAVE….PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR SURROUNDINGS…. LEADING IT UP TO IT….

AND WHAT IT FELT LIKE…. BEING IN THAT STATE?

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REMEMBERED

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

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TAKEAWAY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM WITH US …

I BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY…. IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN THE DESTINATION. 

IT’S ON THE PATH THAT WE LEARN….EVOLVE AND….. ENCOUNTER LESSONS…. THAT SHAPE US…. INTO OUR BEST SELVES.

I ALWAYS LIKE ENDING THE PODCAST…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…... THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED…. A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON YOUR JOURNEY…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY ….…

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AND WHERE OR HOW …..IS THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT…. OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU  ?

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OUTRO:

THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW  “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….

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