I met Zac Huffines while still planning what turned out to be the one and only Hot Plate Iron Chef event. (Liz and I are in the process regrouping) He reached out through the events Facebook page, asking what the process of getting involved in the event was.
Zac Huffines | Full Belly, Full Soul
My response was succinct. “You just did. Tell me your story Zac Huffines”.
His response set the bar for all others.
I have a select few questions I’ll pull from while I’m chatting with chefs (and when I’m meeting new people in general, apparently.) Zac’s initial answer has been bar none the most well rounded and to the point.
Huffines moved to the greater Columbus area after a childhood in Missouri, moving throughout the kitchens of the city, finding his home at P.C. Events.
This dude is good with words. And he’s even better with food. Full belly, Full Soul is right. He’s the executive chef at P.C. Events in Powell, and when he feeds you, you can taste the true attention and care for the flavors he’s chosen.
Part of my process of vetting a chef for the participation in a Cook.Eat.Explore event, is to first ask after them a bit. If the responses I get back are “who?” or “Nope. Don’t know ’em”, the next step is cooking for me.
What your favorite dish to prepare is and watching you prepare it, it shows me everything about how what your approach to food is, on all the levels. (You also better believe I’ll be photographing it.)
Chicken and waffles, as it turns out, is his, with a spicy pineapple syrup over the top.
HOLY. CRAP. CHICKEN & WAFFLES.
My deep seeded love for chicken and waffles bloomed last summer. It’s kind of a thing at this point, in a big way. Zac’s chicken and waffles, the flavors together, they’re fucking perfect. Sweet, savory, and the perfect tang of pineapple to finish them off.
The day that Huffines was in my studio for his portraits, I’d stubbed my toe (graceful is not something I’m often accused of being) and while I don’t remember what his response was, I know that I gave him the bird, (you know, the finger), his response was as follows, and sums him all the way up.
“Don’t worry Kate, everyone hates me a little bit, that’s a part of my charm”.
Need catering? You can reach Zac through Instagram to set up a consultation and tasting by clicking here.
Want to work with me? Hello@cookeatexplore.com
