Behind the Scenes with Chef Pat Lee
An Interview with Jessica Wise
Your interest in cooking began watching your mother and grandmother in the kitchen growing up. Describe what that was like and why food culture is generational.
Great question! My grandmother was (still is) the most respected member of the family. She would bring people together with her recipes and meals made with love. One of my earliest memories was watching her make fried fish, grits, and shrimp for us on Friday nights. My mother worked tirelessly every single day to provide for me, my grandfather woke up at the crack of dawn to head to his auto shop to work until the evening, and my uncle worked from morning to night as well. I was in school so I was pretty much occupied with that and we all had busy schedules. But on Fridays, we would get together, eat her fish feast, and just bond as a family. That to me is what cooking is all about, a tradition I keep alive with my own family! It’s something that resonates heavily with our culture.
I want to say that food culture is generational because for centuries, we’ve been oppressed, dehumanized, and made to believe there’s no value in our existence. The world has been a cruel place to us, but food culture for us has been about love, togetherness, and making the most of what we have. We didn’t have a lot growing up, but we had each other.
Tell us about your process. Where do you find inspiration for the next dish?
Ninety percent of the time when I’m cooking, I think of my recipes on the fly. I take a similar approach to Jay-Z (my favorite rapper of all time). When he’s in the studio, he hears a beat, drops an entire verse, and the rest is history. When I’m in the kitchen, I’ll look at what I have in the kitchen, give it a few minutes of thought, and boom, recipe! A lot of the time, I’ll write my recipes out on paper or even type them out rather, because I want to ensure perfection and consistency every time. I want to make sure when I cook risotto (for example), I get the same level of creaminess each time as well as the correct flavor profile.
Where do you usually shop for ingredients?
I encourage everyone to shop at farmer’s markets for their ingredients! Supermarket prices are insanely ridiculous and often not as fresh as they should be. I have a local farmer’s market here where I get my fruits and vegetables as well as any meats or breads (should I decide not to bake it myself). But if I can’t make it there, Sprouts is always a great place to go to!
Describe your dream cooking space. Money is no object.
So I can’t speak for all women, but to my knowledge, a lot of women dream of their ideal wedding and have been since they were children. That was me when it came to my own kitchen! I’ve always pictured having a commercial kitchen with a really large gas stove, two smart ovens (like the ones they show on tv that have Wi-Fi, an air fryer, and all the gadgets), an island with its own separate burner to cook, LED chandelier lights, marble countertops, beautiful oak colored cabinets, I could go on and on! I want my kitchen to resemble my creativity and have me feel like I never want to leave!
What’s something you wish people knew or understand about being a food content creator?
Being a food creator isn’t as simple as frying up some bacon and eggs, making a post, and going viral. It takes consistency, creativity, hard work, and having a passion for this, not just doing it because you think you can make an easy buck. You also have to be willing to step outside the box and switch it up every now and then. Will I ruffle some feathers with this next comment? Probably, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t. If you want to thrive as a food creator, you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone. I’ve seen some creators make the same content over and over and then get frustrated that their follower count isn’t growing, brands aren’t reaching out to them, and they’re not getting their videos pushed by the algorithm. That’s part of the reason I never sweat not having a million views consistently because my recipes aren’t for people who just want quick meals. They’re diverse. But I do have a LOT of major brand deals (big money deals, not just free products) out of them. So if anyone’s reading this, don’t be afraid to do something different. Take chances with your cooking! That’s what being a creator is all about.
Do you ever experience creative blocks? How do you overcome them?
Once in a blue moon, I do come across some creative blocks in terms of cooking. But I personally find them easy to snap out of. I go through a lot of trial and error with my recipes. If I can’t come up with something completely original, I’ll reinvent a classic recipe with my own unique twist. I’ll research recipes that are way out of my comfort zone and try to recreate them, no matter the difficulty. I pride myself on having a diverse palate and it helps me to want to make recipes that often our people aren’t exposed to and/or require a lot of technique. It also ties into my desire to challenge myself as a chef/creator to create recipes that no one else wants to because it's “time consuming.”
It’s often stated that millennials lack life skills like cooking. Do you believe this? Why or why not?
I completely disagree! Millennials grew up with parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who grew up during a time where cooking was essential and the various options of restaurants/access to fast food was little to non-existent. As a result, we were exposed to a need to cook to survive. Plus millennials and Gen Z’ers have access to the internet and platforms such as YouTube to look up how-to’s, something previous generations did not. A lot of influencers on social media in cooking are fairly young and picked up skills simply by watching videos. If anything, I believe we’re more prepared than our elders were.
How do you think millennials have changed or contributed to food culture?
Millennials created social media which has given a lot of people like me the chance to showcase my talents to millions of people at a time when the only way to get exposure as a chef was either through culinary school or an apprenticeship with an actual chef. If you remember when Vine first blew up, a lot of top name comedians blew up because of the platform and it got stand up comedians who took the long road home upset. The same happens with chefs who don’t want to credit social media for the rise in homecook popularity and culinary influence. I believe we’ve found ways to bridge the gap between succeeding with cooking and finding a way to financially thrive.
In addition to being an amazing chef, you’re also a proud dad. How do you balance building a career at home, while also being present at home with your little pumpkin?
It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that! For those who don’t know, my son is on the autism spectrum which poses challenges on his end. Thankfully, he’s very high functioning and continues to be blessed with new skills learned daily and a strong support system. But it's definitely a challenge balancing a full time job, being a content creator, chef, building a loving relationship, and being a parent. Thankfully, my son takes an interest in cooking, watching me in every step of the process and even being a handy little helper from time to time!
Where are you hoping your cooking page will go? What are the plans for the future?
I’m hoping that one day, I can reach enough people and encourage them to live out their dreams. I’ll continue to make authentic recipes and show the world that anyone can cook if you put your mind to it.
As far as future plans? I definitely have some major announcements and surprises down the pipeline. The best is yet to come!
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