Meet the FoodE Expert: Ken Grogg
What is your background?
I am a classically trained chef who has worked in French hotels, numerous restaurants, culinary R&D and as a culinary instructor. I worked for 12 years as the chef for three Minnesota Governors. I joined Lunds & Byerlys in 2015 and developed our L&B Meal Creations meal kit program.
What do you love most about being a FoodE Expert?
I enjoy helping our customers experience new ingredients and recipes that they may not be familiar with. I love to help the customers who are trying to recreate a beloved family recipe in their own kitchen for the first time. The best feeling is when a customer comes in with a look of confused panic because perhaps they have to cook for more people than they ever cooked for before, or they’ve over committed themselves in some way, and being able to provide them with solutions that allow them to leave the store relaxed, with a plan and with all the ingredients to make it work.
What new things do you hope to bring to Lunds & Byerlys?
Despite my desire to help recreate those beloved family recipes, I want to help customers expand their culinary horizons and build their confidence in the kitchen. My goal is always to help them feel more empowered to make modifications to recipes to suit their personal tastes, not simply because “that’s what the recipe says”!
What is your favorite meal/snack solutions?
On our family farm in rural Indiana, my Serbian grandmother would make epic feasts three times a day, every day. She was my first major culinary influence, and I continue her tradition of making more food for a meal than will actually be consumed in one sitting. This was and is still done by design, so that the leftover foods can be used to get the next meal or two going quickly. Slight modifications and the inclusion of some new fresh ingredients transform a dish from simple reheat to a delicious meal in its own right. My home refrigerator is typically a cornucopia of ingredients in various stages of re-creation!