How Chef Jacoby Ponder Is Helping To Promote Healthy Eating
An Interview With Martita Mestey
I wish somebody would have explain to me the process of which it takes to become a great chef it’s not an overnight task is definitely some sweat equity you have to pour into this industry in order to yogurt results.
In this interview series, called “Chefs and Restaurateurs Helping To Promote Healthy Eating” we are talking to chefs and restaurateurs who are helping to promote and raise awareness about healthy eating. The purpose of the series is to amplify their message and share insights about healthy eating with our readers. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chef Jacoby Ponder. Celebrity Chef Jacoby “J” Ponder is an award-winning celebrity private chef, food entrepreneur, and Navy veteran. He is the founder of FireSyde Chef & Co. and Chef Ponder & Co., which employs a talented team of chefs from Hampton Roads, Virginia and Atlanta.
Celebrity Chef Jacoby Ponder has made appearances on world famous cooking competitions CHOPPED and Cutthroat Kitchen. Chef Ponder currently leads in-person and virtual cooking classes.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restauranteur or chef?
My inspiration for cooking comes mostly from me growing up in a very rural area of Georgia and remembering my grandmothers’ cooking and the smells of her kitchen., I would have to say witnessing her create miracle meals from scratch was the most inspiring thing ever! These memories ran deep for me and has helped to further my culinary venture into the US military for a period of 10 years.
Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?
I really don’t have a “specific” type of food that I focus on. I really focus on flavor development of all foods at the moment. But If I have to choose it would probably be seafood, specifically salmon and scallops. I live so close to Maryland and Virginia and seafood is a big factor in these areas.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you since you started? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
One of the funniest things that I have found interesting is my ability to adapt and overcome almost any obstacle in the kitchen arena due to my tireless efforts of gains and loses along with failing several times. The main lesson learned was never to give up or give in but to be present and push through adversity.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Unfortunately I have not had the honor of having a mentor in the industry, but I have had advisors to some degree. This has in my opinion most likely hindered my growth and development in a few areas.
In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?
The key is to create something that resonates with the customer, something that transcends them back into a memory of a past time when the food was perfect.
Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal’ for you?
The “perfect meal” would be not only the food but the entire vibe, and ambiance, as well as the company you are with while enjoying that meal. People and good vibes helps to make a good meal into perfect.
Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?
My inspiration comes from just me being in a creative mood. Sometimes from me being curious on how some items may pair together or taste together. I may see something on TV and pull my inspiration from that.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?
I’m currently working on putting together a few adult cooking classes, as well as my new cookbook “Supper.” The cooking classes for adults are already making a really big impact do to how and what I teach during the two hour classes. Not only do I cover health and wellness but I also instruction them how to shop and what to look out for, which overall promotes a health wholesome household.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently leading an initiative to help promote healthy eating. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
As a certified nutritionist, my overall goal is to teach and disseminate holistic lifestyles through natural pathetic healing of food not only educating people on what to eat, but how to eat it, how to prepare it and the benefits of eating clean. In the literal sense you are what you eat also in the sense of you have to eat to live not live to eat.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My backstory to this cause is when I lost my grandmother unfortunately to diabetes. Upon studying and educating myself to find out the type two diabetes is totally reversible through proper diet and exercise. I decided to really dive into nutrition, health, understanding human anatomy and human body. And, this set me on a path to become a teacher.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was helped by your cause?
There were several people who contribute to my learning of how to eat and what to eat and the benefits of food. One specific person a doctor of holistic studies taught elements of healing through eating. This is also related to what the Bible quotes of the nuts in the berries being used to heal the nation. By understanding both doctrines, I have developed an understanding on how food contributes to human wellness.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
• Well there are several things, including the following:
- Emphasis on health and nutrition education in schools,
- Offering free programs for adverse communities in rule areas with food there seems to opportunity to also learn how food affects your body,
- Lastly, the community should hold various companies and pharmaceutical agencies accountable for what they put in our food and how they promote different foods as part of a balanced diet.
- Other entities such as Department of Agriculture USDA, as well as the CDC should probably do more to educate the public on the harmful causes of food related deaths.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Chef or Restaurateur” and why? Please share a story or an example for each.
• Five things I wish somebody would have explained to me before I started my venture.
- To be a chef is hard work, it takes a lot of dedication a lot of hard hours and a lot of sacrifice.
- This is not a well-paying job. They’re hardly any chefs that are millionaires. This is not a very lucrative job. It is a very passionate industry you have to have the passion in order to continue this industry but unfortunately it’s very labor intensive and taxing and not very compensating when it comes to monetary gain.
- I wish someone advised me about the educational opportunities behind food service and how broad our field is when it comes to hospitality.
- We’re probably be investing saving how to implement investments when it comes to certain things food related in the hospitality industry.
- I wish somebody would have explain to me the process of which it takes to become a great chef it’s not an overnight task is definitely some sweat equity you have to pour into this industry in order to yogurt results.
What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?
The most popular item to anyone would have to try to visit my establishment would be my famous ship and grits and my one Fish, two Fish combination which is a salmon croquet along with a deep crispy fried crab cake both the topped with a remoulade sauce and wilted spinach served in a bit of saffron rice.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
The one person I would probably like to sit and talk to would be the late great Dr. Sebi. He educated the food industry about the possibilities holistic eating. What were the gifts of food? What’s bound in food? How are releasing human body? How it survives is through the ages? I would love to just sit and have a conversation with Doc would be amazing.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
