This keynote presentation at Roots 2023: Regenerate took a deliciously unique twist as two celebrity chefs—Michael Voltaggio and Maneet Chauhan—answered intriguing questions about the culinary industry and their personal experiences. Although they each brought their own perspectives, both chefs believe that sustainability in their careers goes far beyond the glitz and glamor of being a celebrity chef on television. It’s about a deeper commitment to the community they serve. 

You can discover more about Maneet’s experiences and philosophies in her keynote presentation, “To Grow Again” held at Roots 2023. The television portion of her career has included judging Chopped on the Food Network and appearing on The Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America as well as The View and the Today show. She won the Tournament of Champions on the Food Network in 2021 and judged the finale of the Worst Cooks in America on the same network.

As for Michael, he and his brother Bryan form the Voltaggio Brothers. Michael won season six of Top Chef on Bravo, and the head judge called Michael the most talented of the cooks that have been on the show from “both a sensibility and technical standpoint. He has the chops to pull off what he’s trying to do.” Michael has served as a judge on Top Chef Canada, competed against Chef Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America with Bobby picking him to be one of the three Titans on Bobby’s Triple Threat, and was chosen to be a judge on Food Network’s The Julia Child Challenge. 

Both chefs have even bigger celebrity bios than what’s been described—but we’ve got to get to the Q&A keynote!

Maneet Chauhan

When Maneet first became a chef, Indian food had a bad rap. So, at first, she steered away from this cuisine despite the fact that she grew up in India. Once she realized that she should celebrate Indian food instead of hiding from it, she put her time and energy into demonstrating the true beauty of this cuisine. 

Maneet believes in the importance of sustaining yourself, your team, your cuisine, and the ingredients used. She admitted that appearing on television can add pressure to this quest. 

Through the Morph Hospitality Group, Maneet independently operates three restaurants and, whenever it’s possible, she sources from local farmers. She appreciates their passion and pride and the lifestyles they embrace. Because some ingredients must be bought in bulk, though, she takes a hybrid approach to sourcing.

Mentorship, Maneet said, is crucial for the culinary industry to continue and thrive, so she places an emphasis on encouraging the next generation. Experienced chefs must guide and younger ones must seek connections. Much of her own learning has come from making mistakes and gaining knowledge from her failures, so she can help others by sharing what has worked—and what hasn’t. 

She has helped with Jose Andreas’ World Central Kitchen, March of Dimes, Safe Haven (that keeps families together during tough times in which members could have been separated), and more. She once agreed to help with a local Dancing with the Stars event, believing that she would serve food. Instead, she was expected to dance! She won the event, she said, by providing enthusiasm where she lacked grace. 

Her favorite part of working as a chef is when she creates something new. So, she personally doesn’t use artificial intelligence (AI). She also believes in strengthening connections because each part of the dining chain relies upon the next. Farming should be thought of as cool as they form the basis; chefs connect to them and also to the diners, completing that chain. 

Michael Voltaggio

Michael holds a similar view, believing that people in the industry (and beyond) need to learn how to take care of farmers as well as one another. It’s vital to regenerate the act of hospitality—and to buy more vegetables.

He considers the notion of a celebrity chef as an oxymoron. Although, in many ways, there’s a big gap between someone in a small restaurant and a Food Network chef, at the foundation, they’re the same; as Michael said, they’re all cooks. 

Celebrity chefs have played an important role in bringing people to dining establishments, but the restaurants must do the hard work to maintain their guests. Chefs need to keep both their brains and their knives sharpened. 

People in the industry learned important lessons during COVID, perhaps most notably how everyone must take good care of one another—but, at Roots, Michael questioned why people needed to wait for a pandemic to bring this lesson to the forefront.

Michael has been using local ingredients for two decades now and is a strong supporter of this approach. Supporting farms helps them to thrive, which allows them to keep up the quality that chefs and diners want and need. 

He believes that chefs can learn from each other and benefit from an intersection of ideas, and he has stayed in touch with people who have been part of his culinary journey. In fact, he recently decorated his new restaurant with artwork from a man who once washed dishes for Michael’s establishment. 

Michael has long supported Jose Andreas, starting back when Jose was opening up the DC Central Kitchen and the LA Central Kitchen. Michael once thought that the LA Mission asked him to serve people for Thanksgiving on camera; when he got to the location, though, they thought he’d be cooking for three thousand people. So, Michael did. He cooked for five days straight, even making each person a stuffed potato and making gravy made from ground turkey, volunteering at the LA Mission for several years. 

Applauding These Behind-the-Scenes Chefs

Even though Maneet and Michael entertain us on camera—and although we enjoy what they share on television—at The Chef’s Garden, we believe it’s time to thank them for all that they do when the cameras are off. Thank you, Maneet! Thank you, Michael! Your generosity is deeply appreciated.