Yes, Chef! A Conversation with Luke 14:12 Volunteer, Anthony DeGeorge
Anthony DeGeorge talked with us about how his career as an accomplished chef brought him to the unlikely place of co-founding a nonprofit for kids and volunteering with Luke 14:12.
Photo credit: Josh Bethea @joshbethea_photo
Meet Chef Anthony DeGeorge, a Luke 14:12 volunteer who began serving with us in 2019. Anthony is an accomplished chef who has previously cooked for a Michelin-starred restaurant. Today, he is owner-chef for Plant Power, a privately catered meal delivery service, and co-founder of Nashville Kids Cook, a nonprofit with a mission to teach kids how to prepare nutritious meals for themselves and their families. We spoke with Anthony to learn about how his expertise and passion for food connects to his work as a chef and teacher.
A World-Traveling Chef Settles in Nashville
Anthony’s interest in cooking began as a teenager on the west coast in Central California. He wanted to attend an expensive culinary school, but the chef at his restaurant advised against it. Instead, Anthony learned on the job. “I cooked whenever and wherever I could,” Anthony says.
After turning 18, Anthony began traveling. “While I lived in Montana, I immediately tried to work at the nicest restaurant in town, but I ended up elsewhere and worked my way up to that restaurant,” says Anthony. He was working at a country club in Portland, OR, when he read an article about food in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy. Shortly thereafter, Anthony’s chef asked, “What do you want to do in the next five years?” When Anthony mentioned the Piedmont, it turned out that his chef had a connection to the region. Anthony’s chef encouraged him to follow this dream, and Anthony attended professional school in Italy for an Italian food and wine speciality. When he completed the program, Anthony was placed at a Michelin-starred restaurant, La Ciau del Tornavento.
Anthony reached his early life goal of becoming an executive chef, but he felt his life calling him to something more. Today, he delights in bringing healthy, nutritious meals directly into people’s homes with his meal delivery service, Plant Power.
Anthony had been in Italy for two years when he returned to the U.S. due to a family emergency. He kept cooking though, and worked in many kinds of venues, even a circus. Anthony’s job with Cirque du Soleil began as a temporary opportunity. Then he was offered a permanent position on tour. They toured North America, and then traveled to Australia, Tai Wan, and Japan. Coming full circle, a vegan restaurant in Portland hired Anthony as their head chef. Today, Anthony’s cuisine reflects the influence of cultures around the world. He has been in Nashville for six years, and during this time has worked for the Italian-American restaurant Giovanni and AVO, a restaurant that sources local foods for its plant-based menu.
A Career Transforms into Something More
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a factor in Anthony’s transition out of restaurant service. He says,
“Covid changed everything in terms of restaurant work. I ended up deciding that I wanted to try to just make food for people and deliver to their homes. It started as something to do to earn a couple bucks. I cooked mostly for my friends and some professional contacts at first. It worked really well for those early days of Covid. Over time, my client list kept growing. The company is now called Plant Power, and we operate as a weekly delivery service for the plant-based meals I create.”
Anthony co-founded Nashville Kids Cook in 2020, with a mission to teach children how to create sustainable, nutritious meals for themselves and their families.
Yet the biggest change Anthony had made is co-founding a nonprofit in 2020, Nashville Kids Cook. Nashville Kids Cook is born out of Anthony’s desire to empower kids to create healthy meals for themselves,
“I really want to teach kids about healthy eating. It’s hard to drive down the street or turn on the tv without being blasted by ads for foods that are objectively bad for you. And we send this message to kids who are easily influenced. With Kids Cook, we can give kids opportunities to learn about healthy foods. It also helps adults learn about healthier alternatives we can feed kids.
“Usually, a price tag is attached to this kind of learning that limits those who can attend, and we don’t want that. The only cost involved for participants is the cost of the groceries and any kitchen tools needed that week. We want children to know that they can buy a bag of rice and a few vegetables, and they can make themselves a really nice dinner. They don’t have to settle for only processed foods.”
Kids Cook pivoted to online classes for pandemic safety reasons in its early days. Anthony has found that the hands-on activities have translated well to a virtual learning environment and that parents are close by to supervise. Classes are about an hour long. Anthony and his business partner Kristen Edmonson, a registered dietitian, send a shopping list for the session, and participants make the recipe together during class. Anthony teaches cooking, as well as kitchen safety and sanitation. Individual classes are free for students.
Eating as an Ethical Act
Anthony’s ethical approach to cooking and eating extends beyond his commitment to educating the next generation about healthy food. Anthony says he “first became vegan for social reasons,” but…
“…the longer I’m on a plant-based diet, I become more receptive to the environmental and ethical reasons. Being vegan is an ethical belief that becomes part of who you are and how you view the world. The foundation of veganism is to reduce the harm you do in the world. It’s a big part of my life and one of the best decisions I’ve made.”
Anthony’s commitments to sustainable, plant-based foods and serving the food insecure are central to his work today.
Anthony’s global and plant-based influences show up on his weekly menus for his meal service. This week, Anthony is serving Mushroom Bolognese Pasta, Farro & Broccoli Salad, and a Spanish Rice Bowl to his clients.
Anthony’s love for food has also led him to work for food access for underfed people. Working to eliminate food insecurity is a commitment that Anthony and Luke 14:12 share. Anthony attributes this ethic to his mother:
“My awareness of food insecurity started with my mom. She operates a café for the food insecure that is based on a pay-what-you-can model.
I have found that you work to feed people who are hungry because you want to help, but it starts to make you feel good. It’s supposed to be selfless, but I get gratification from it too. Like the personal ‘thank you’ from someone you serve, and it’s genuine. It was hard to leave the restaurant, but not being so focused on profit is better for me. It’s a better experience than people just paying me for the food I make.
In the past, I’ve done fundraising campaigns and political advocacy, but I have 20+ years of culinary experience. I’m ultimately good at food. I’m good at taking a potato and making it into something delicious.”
Let’s Get Cooking
Outside of his work, we wondered what Anthony is cooking in his own kitchen these days. He describes a Scallion-Ginger Sauce made of equal parts scallion and ginger:
“Here’s how you make it, essentially. Mince fresh ginger root. You can do this by hand or in a food processor. If it has a dark-colored peel, peel it first, but if not, it doesn’t need peeled. Next, take a bunch of scallions. Slice the green and white parts of scallions and toss the roots. You will need an equal amount of green to white parts of the scallions.
Next, place the ginger and scallions in a heat-resistant metal bowl and salt them, with way more salt than you think you need. I like to add a pinch of MSG here too. Then heat a neutral oil on the stove (canola, avocado, safflower, etc.), just enough to completely submerge the ginger and scallions. As soon as the oil smokes, pour it on top of the ginger and scallions. They will crackle and pop in the hot oil. Stir with a metal spoon and cool.
Keep the sauce covered in the fridge for about a week, or you can store it in the freezer a long time. This sauce is delicious on so many foods, steamed rice, sandwiches. I’m finding many uses for it.”
In addition to trying out the Scallion-Ginger Sauce, you can read more about Nashville Kids Cook at their website, www.nashvillekidscook.com. Kids ages 8-12 can register for Anthony’s virtual cooking classes. They are cooking from their homes, so kids don’t have to live in Nashville to register.
Anthony’s students join him and his business partner, a registered dietician, for free, one-hour cooking classes, focusing on plant-based nutrition.
Anthony, we are thankful to have you volunteering with Luke 14:12!
Photo credit: Josh Bethea @joshbethea_photo