Dining With An Accomplished Chef

Chef Leon Brunson

Like most adjustments during this COVID-19 health pandemic, family meals may never be quite the same again.

For some, virtual dining has replaced the brick and mortar restaurants, luck of the draw reservations, and fighting traffic uphill for the best parking spot. No worries, dining-in can add spices and flavors from around the world, delivered right to your kitchen table.

Leon Brunson, an American chef who excites the palates of anyone who

appreciates great food, will prepare a fabulous family meal in your kitchen for all to enjoy. He’ll even cleanup the dirty dishes afterwards – it just doesn’t get any better.

He says he wants to get people excited about cooking at home trying

new ingredients, and those who are motivated to cook inspire him.

Growing up in Panama City, Brunson now lives in Tallahassee,

streaming free online cooking classes to national and international

households, preparing the most common to sophisticated dishes for

families to conquer and enjoy.

While restaurants continue to make scheduling adjustments, the every day

moms and dads can transform the family kitchen for a night into a place to

devour incredible foods with excitement. Brunson’s love for food started

early and continues to spark in this thriving 25-year-old chef, who turned his

home kitchen into an online culinary studio.

And, it all started with having to put gas in his new vehicle. His father

bought Brunson a van for his 16 th birthday. However, dad told Brunson

he had to get a job to pay for the gas. So, he applied for all types of jobs

in Panama City, and after anxiously waiting, finally received an offer.

“Waffle House was pretty much the only place that called for an

interview and I took the job right away,” Brunson said. “I loved my job

and was so excited to go to work every day. That’s when I realized how

much food was a part of my make up. After Waffle House, I got another

job at Firefly on Panama City Beach, and continued working there while

attending culinary school.”

Brunson earned an associates degree in culinary management from Gulf

Coast State College and a bachelor’s of science in neuroscience from

Florida State University. He says his joy for cooking inspired him to

venture deeper into foods and their sustainability.

Merlot braised lamb shank with Parmesan Risotto and natural au jus

Before COVID-19, Brunson worked three jobs that included being a chef

at Kool Beanz Cafe, preparing weekly meals for a private prominent

Tallahassee family, and teaching online cooking classes. As the

restaurant business was changing due to the health pandemic, Brunson

shifted his focus to becoming a full-time entrepreneur.

He now works four to five days a week shopping and preparing the

freshest meals for the private family. He also continues to live -stream

the free weekend cooking classes.

Brunson says he just wants to have people from all walks of life enjoy

his food. Some of his favorite recipes are influenced by international

cuisine, soul food and street food. He wants families cooking at home to

realize the difference between frozen and fresh vegetables and other

foods, and to really get excited about the invigorating tastes that fresh

foods afford.

"There are lots of great chefs who are not household names,” Brunson

said. “I want to connect with them through reviews and online video to

boost awareness.”

Around Tallahassee, his dinner party schedule is booked from word of

mouth advertising. Brunson says he is not trying to compete with

catering companies as that is not his market. Instead, Brunson wants to

provide the highest quality of food produced by area farmers, delivering

the finest tasting dishes to those who invest in taking eating to a higher

standard.

He says by focusing on flavor profiles, he can prepare appetizing food

using crops from local specialty farm groups. Full Earth Farm, Play of

Light Mushrooms and other local providers are among his network for

keeping only the best foods readily available for dinners. Within driving

distance, Georgia also supplies fresh produce and protein for his

culinary extravaganzas.

“The ideal group size for me is around 10 – 15 guests, but I can do more,

depending on the timing, menu and budget,” he said. “Every single day I

am learning more and more about cooking. Japanese Curry is my

favorite. It’s not so readily known as Thai or Indian. It is a comfort food

in Japan with complex spices, rich flavor, and simple preparation.”

Traveling to some of the most sophisticated food spots around the

world, Brunson takes pride in spending time with chefs who are

inclined to show him how to build his portfolio and stand out while

continuing to prepare specialty mouthwatering dishes. Many recipes

are influenced by his travel within the U.S. and Japan.

"S'mores" - house marshmallow chocolate ganache, spicy graham crackers with marshmallow fluff

Larger culinary markets such as Seattle, Savannah, Austin, Chicago and

New York inspire him. His travels to these culinary hot spots and others

provide greater substance and knowledge of the profession that he

enthusiastically creates at cozy private parties and dinners.

Brunson says his idol for the cooking world is Edouardo Jordan, an

American chef and restaurateur based in Seattle, Washington. Jordan is

originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, and is best known for his award-

winning restaurants Salare and JuneBaby, both in the Seattle area.

Brunson says Jordan uses heirloom ingredients in his recipes that set

him apart, making him one of the biggest inspirations for Southern

foods.

Food variation is what Brunson specializes in and perfects for clients.

His enthusiasm to always put forth the extra effort to make every dish

spectacular is what he wants to impress with each presentation. For this

reason, he doesn’t take short cuts or use inferior products.

“Special flavors strike peoples’ pallets differently,” Brunson said. “I

want them to be intrigued by the first bite, and have a memorable last

bite that will keep them intrigued and smells delicious. I would rather

take a loss on an event to make sure the ingredients are of great taste.

I’ll always hold my food to the highest standards.”

Brunson says his ability to purchase the best products comes from

experience talking with farmers and sharing his excitement with them.

In his mind, he is constantly thinking about preparation before ever

entering the kitchen. He says every step of cooking excites him and his

goal is to ensure no food goes to waste.

“I enjoy hearing stories from people about why they love certain foods. I

genuinely care about the sustainability of food and just want to know

how I can bring someone the best food experience they’ll ever have,”

Brunson explained.

While cooking is his main passion, Brunson also competitively

participates in Dance Dance Revolution online, consistently raising

funds for charity. He said this online community supports his culinary

interests by attending the annual Brunson Fest, which is his largest

cooking event. His ultimate goal is to get all his social media branded,

producing online classes, cook book reviews, and feature a YouTube

channel on international cuisine. And, yes, this thriving entrepreneur

will continue his private cooking for special events as his first love and

enjoyment.

“Cooking excites me, and food is endless,” Brunson said.

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