Meet Chef Ben Peterson

Each month we will highlight some of Chef Ben’s creations with you. This month we wanted to get to know Chef Ben a little better.

How did you get your start in the culinary business? My parents strongly encouraged me to get a job at a local restaurant when I was 18. I applied as a dishwasher but they hired me as a line cook. I went through a one week training class and was appointed to lead cook, in charge of 7 other cooks. From there I was promoted to Restaurant Manager, and then shortly after, due to some luck, Restaurant General Manager. That position opened me up to a lot of training courses in the culinary field and I took full advantage of it. I took it upon myself to pursue more culinary training by attending classes at the California Art Institute. I’ve held several positions in leadership roles and apprenticed under several seasoned chefs.

What is your favorite thing to make? Anything that pushes my boundaries. There is so much more reward when you’re not confident in something and you pull it off.

Do you have any personal creations? Funny thing about this business is it all becomes personal. When you start the process of creating a dish, all the little things your head is telling you to do makes each dish unique.

What is the secret ingredient that you rely on to kick things up? I would have to say it falls
into the classification of acids; lemon, vinegar and certain types of wine. There is an old saying that fat is flavor but acid is life, when you supplement forms of acid into your dish, flavors can take on a whole new meaning.

Anything else you want to ad: My personal motto, and should be cherished by everyone who
wants to get into this business, “Cook every dish like it is your first impression”.