John C. Schopp cooks with jazz, creating an intimate communion with his guests that’s all about nourishing the essence of another human being.

By Lynn Schwartz

John Schopp, chef-owner of Center Stage Catering located in Rocky Mount, Va., believes that if you wrap your brain around what you want to do with your life, everything will fall into place. Doors open. Connections appear.

Schopp’s doors opened to music. Jazz. And while Schopp does play guitar, his path was not about making music, but about feeding the musicians. This is a task that he takes seriously and is fully present for, approaching his menus with the same artistic focus that is required of a musician when creating or performing a song.

Staying in Tune
Intent on nourishing the artist’s soul, Schopp views preparing a meal like making music. “A musician works from the beginning to the end of the song,” he says. “How they fill that space inside is what makes the music. It’s the same with food.”

Center Stage Catering’s website describes it even further, comparing its chefs to jazz musicians and the food they create to a well-executed jam session—fresh, spontaneous, playing off of each other and the audience energy—all within the parameters of the song. This approach to food has made all of Schopp’s clients, even those without musical talents, very happy.

Like the many herbs cultivated for healthy, flavorful dishes and cocktails at the new Seasons 52 in West Los Angeles, executive chef and partner Jessica Koine finds a place to grow.

By Lynn Schwartz

It is not unusual for chefs of small, independent restaurants to be committed to a seasonal menu. They often support local farms and farmers’ markets in an attempt to bring the freshest ingredients to their customers. But it is impressive when a corporate, multiunit company is forward-thinking enough to practice a similar sustainable philosophy.

Seasons 52 (a brand of Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, including Red Lobster, Olive Garden and The Capital Grille) is capitalizing on the growing consumer interest of eating with the seasons. Not only does Seasons 52 purchase locally, but they are dazzling customers with an extensive, indoor herb garden and a spectacular outdoor “living wall” of culinary and non-edible plants. As executive chef of the recently opened Century City venue in the heart of West Los Angeles, Jessica Koine must create seasonal, health-oriented dishes that are less than 475 calories. She must also cultivate her green-thumb abilities while tending to more than 150 edible plants.

Ris Lacoste, owner of RIS in Washington, D.C., got her big break while typing recipes at La Varenne Écôle de Cuisine in France. Today a chef celeb and successful restaurateur, she has a particular message for women in culinary: You can handle the job. Lacoste should know.

By Lynn Schwartz

Ris Lacoste has been a culinary shining star in Washington, D.C., for more than two decades. She arrived in the nation’s capital from New England in 1987 to help Chef Bob Kinkead open Twenty-One Federal and then Kinkead’s American Brasserie. Washingtonian magazine named them Restaurateurs of the Year in 1992. Lacoste then spent 10 years as executive chef of Georgetown’s 1789 Restaurant, where her innovative, regional fare earned numerous awards and national recognition.

Lacoste is also a writer and created “Cooking for Julia,” a PBS documentary celebrating Julia Child’s 90^th birthday. When Lacoste faced a big birthday of her own, 50, she knew it was now or never to open a restaurant, and RIS, situated in the heart of D.C.’s West End, was born. “I suppose opening a restaurant is really a young man’s job,” Lacoste says, “but I also know that RIS is successful because I’ve come with years of experience. I know what I want. I know how to get things done.”

An interview with father and son Michel and Sébastien Bras of France.

By Brenden Blaine Darby

A small glance, a deep breath, a long pause and a lingering stare. These two men seem to dance with each other on a cerebral level, always interacting with the other’s thoughts. My questions are pondered in their own unique way and only answered once all the right words are ready to be expressed. While speaking, they look at each other to make sure they are always extracting and mixing their ideas together.

Moti Mahal Delux, a legendary high-end restaurant chain that is responsible for the invention of tandoori chicken, operates more than 100 locations throughout India, Nepal and London. This year, chef Gaurav Anand, a native of Punjab, India, has opened the restaurant’s first U.S. location, bringing the flavorful cuisine of the Mughal Empire to Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

By Lynn Schwartz

Gaurav Anand is no stranger to Mughlai food nor to Moti Mahal Delux. “I have been eating this food since my childhood,” he says. “There is nothing canned or frozen. It’s fresh, well-balanced and layered with spices.” Mughlai cuisine, known for its artful blending of spices, magical flavors, aromas and textures, dates back to the Imperial Kitchens of the Mughal Empire, when royal chefs composed the rich and exotic cooking style for Mughlai kings.