Off The Menu

“I think we all tend to carve out a lane for ourselves, so we can live in a way that feels consistent and affirming. Chef is certainly in that situation at the start of the series, using his job and its perks to make himself feel superior and satisfied. But life can be so much more than building ourselves a comfy throne.

Being a dedicated spiritual seeker, I believe our greatest possibilities are reflected in nature. Without limits, we are meant to connect, grow, and blossom — becoming our most open, involved, and flourishing selves. In other words, we are meant to change. Coming from a family of traditional Italian immigrants, I know and love many proud people who see change as impossible or threatening. Through Chef, I’ve explored how someone like them can re-discover their ability to change and, slowly yet surely, blossom.

My family aside, we all tout about how we can’t and don’t want to change. In time, age gives us all the ultimate excuse. The way off this beaten path, I feel, is to show ourselves that there is another way. Maybe, seeing someone who is so insistent and immalleable gradually open up, recognize the humanity in the incarcerated, and sincerely change can help illuminate that path?

This mini-series offers humor, heart, culinary delight, visceral filmmaking, rich music, and so much more. As wonderful as all that is, it’s a means of inspiring us to take a step towards change. Through Chef, we’ll witness how, no matter the age or circumstances, nobody is unfit to blossom.”