Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? Knowing what you eat is important and we as chefs should know not only what we are feeding people but also where it is coming from.  I try to use organic ingredients when possible but using local and seasonal ingredients is imperative.  Supporting local farmers is important to me and I try to utilize their sources whenever possible.  I always design my menus around seasonality and availability using ingredients at their peak.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? Chickens/Eggs.  Eggs are my favorite things to cook so I would love to raise them myself.

What one seasoning can you not live without? Salt-all kinds

What should every kitchen not be without?A good chef’s knife and tasting spoons.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Thomas Keller.  The first cookbook I ever read cover to cover was “the French Laundry” it inspired me to become a chef and taught me the importance of the industry

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? Gordan Ramsay

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?My last supper would probably have to be my dad’s spaghetti sauce with homemade meatballs, bruschetta, and a tomato-basil platter.  This was the first meal I learned to cook and I love it’s simplicity and flavors.  I remember smelling the fresh garlic and basil as a little girl when this meal was being prepared; these are still my favorite kitchen smells today.  I would enjoy this meal with a bottle of red wine with my family and my dog Sawyer preferably on the water in a warm climate.  I would have to go with a slice of carrot cake for dessert that was heated in the microwave for about 7 seconds.

Suzanne was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and was brought up around good food. With a grandmother or “Nona” as it’s referred to in Italian, hailing from Rome, Suzanne was educated early on about the importance of good food and it’s power of bringing people together.  In college as a hospitality major at the University of South Carolina, Suzanne discovered her passion for food by watching the food network and re-creating the recipes she had seen.  Upon graduation she decided to explore this passion and enroll in culinary school back home in Atlanta.  Suzanne worked under chef Richard Blais at Concentrics’s ONE Midtown Kitchen and chef Eli Kirstein before deciding to start her own business, the Hungry Peach, specializing in private dinner parties.   In 2009 she partnered with best friend, Conor, and the two opened the Hungry Peach Cafe in the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) in Buckhead.  Suzanne has recently paired up with pastry chef Jonathan St. Hilaire to execute his BYOBakeshop dinners concept; family style dinners held the 1^st weekend of every month at his bakery Bakeshop in Midtown.  She creates BYOBakeshop dinner menus based on seasonality and availability, always keeping quality in mind and putting her heart into every meal.

An incredible night by all–details and photos coming soon for Chef Suzanne Vizethann of The Hungry Peach and Farmer Jimmy Franks of Southern Swiss Dairy dinner with a slightly different twist.