Local Chefs Teach You How to Cook Their Specialties in New Video Series

The age of television cooking shows has evolved since the days of Julia Child (The French Chef, 1963) and James Beard (yes, the one whose name is on the prestigious food awards: I Love to Eat, 1946). Now, with dozens of cable networks, YouTube videos and social media platforms offering shows that feature foodies and food producers, there are plenty of programs that put the spotlight on celebrity chefs and top-rated restaurants.

Still, there hasn't been a lot of exposure for Colorado chefs and their restaurants, even when they earn national and international awards and recognitions like a James Beard award or Michelin nod. Sure, they get media coverage for their accolades. But they haven't gotten much chance to show off their cooking skills on camera.

Until now.

On September 10, Chef'n It, a locally-produced cooking show featuring some of the area's best chefs, will start streaming on YouTube. The premiere features Chris Royster, executive chef of Flagstaff House in Boulder.

The entire first season of the show is planned out, with a diverse menu of eight additional chefs including Cliff Blauvelt, founder and executive chef of Odie B’s (Denver); Luke Miller, executive chef of The Greenwich (Denver); Carrie Baird, co-founder and executive chef of Fox and The Hen (Denver); Kenta Kamo, founder and executive chef of Temaki Den (Denver); John Wilson, founder and executive chef of Bella Colibri (Golden); Emily Thompson, executive pastry chef of The Wolf’s Tailor (Denver); Erasmo Casiano, founder and executive chef of Lucina Eatery and Bar (Denver); and Lon Symensma, founder and executive chef of ChoLon (Denver).
The series is hosted (and home-cooked) by Tarah Runco, co-owner and creative director for the boutique marketing agency Behind the Apron Media. After years of experience in advertising and marketing, she became a food influencer on her InstaGram during the pandemic shutdown, and her passion project turned into Behind the Apron Media. Chef'n It is filmed in her downtown condominium's kitchen; every episode, a restaurant chef will walk her through prepping and cooking a favorite dish from their restaurant, with the goal of making the dish easily replicable for home cooks.

"We've filmed five of the episodes so far," Runco says. "We have three more coming up. We're trying to get them all shot by the end of October, because as we get into winter, the day shortens." And natural light is key to the studio ambiance in her condo.

"Along with cinematographer and director Emerson Killion, we started a whole company called Behind the Apron Media," Runco announced at a watch party for the first episode held at that condo behind Union Station. "A couple of years ago, we had a shared passion to bring visibility to the food scene here in Colorado, and we're always exploring new ways that we can help develop and support the industry."
The goal, she says, is to showcase the talented chefs in the area while also making their elevated cooking accessible to regular folks. "To teach how to make a modified version of one of their restaurant dishes, to introduce us to their culinary philosophy and get to know them at a little bit of a deeper level, right in my home kitchen," Runco explains.

For example, in the series premiere, Royster shows how to cook a modified version of his signature braised venison entree in a half-hour session that's relaxed, conversational, friendly and approachable.

Behind the Apron Media has gathered recipes, outtakes, extra footage and more that will be posted on the Chef'n It website starting September 10, when the first episode drops. In the meantime, fans can subscribe to the entire debut season of the series at youtube.com/@BehindTheApronMedia.