Episode 285: Bruce Kalman of Union and Knead & Co. in LA

THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Bruce Kalman, chef/owner of Union and Knead & Co. in Los Angeles, recollects his days working the deck oven at his family friend’s pizzeria in Paramus, NJ. This instilled Bruce with a sense of culinary exploration, and a little bit of rock & roll, while firmly rooting his passion in Italian simplicity. Bruce spent time in Chicago with Paul Bartolotta at Spiaggia, learning to respect every ingredient, a true Tuscan mantra. Handcrafting pasta became a focus, if not institution, to his cuisine, so when he moved out west to Californ … he was lucky enough to find Grist & Toll, the first urban flour mill in LA for over 100 years, as his neighbor. Now, Bruce makes Squid Ink Garganelli by hand, with their whole grains. Not to mention he plays a mean guitar, to make pasta a la chittara, and in “Foie Grock”, the #1 chef-lead alternative rock cover band with Duff Goldman on bass. This from a guy who once opened for Meatloaf, but that’s another story.