Elise M. Harris: Inside the Quest to Redefine Culinary Standards and Balance Fine Dining with Healthy Nutrition

As part of our series about the lessons from influential ‘TasteMakers’, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Elise M. Harris AKA “The Diva Chef”.

As a French, classically-trained chef, Elise lives and breathes fine cuisine. Crafting delicious meals for clients is one of her passions. And this passion leads her to share it with all of you. Whether you want to improve eating habits, if you are looking to add a little flair to your weekly dinner routine, or simply preparing a romantic evening for two, Elise makes it entertaining and manageable.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restauranteur or chef?

Growing up in a single parent household my mom worked a lot! I never really like the taste of canned food. So I made my own. One of my earliest memories of making something on my own was a Cornish hen! I remember 9 year old me pulling that rock solid bird from the freezer thinking…do I have to thaw this out before I cook it?!

Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?

Healthy eating has been my focus for the last twelve years. But, for the first 10 years of my career I worked in all Italian restaurants. Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved Italian food. I am classically trained in French cuisine which just appealed to me more and grew up on creole food.

10 years ago when I started my bodybuilding career it’s like a light bulb went off for me! I realized how important nutrition was when I started trying to reach my health and fitness goals. It’s like a light bulb went off for me.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you since you became a chef? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?

During my career I auditioned for Hell’s Kitchen and my mentor Chef got wind of it before my audition . When working the line in fine dining it’s tough! There is a lot of prep work before dinner service on top of being slammed from the moment it starts! One day I showed up to work and had a mystery basket of ingredients ready for me. I had to do a mystery dish challenge everyday before I even got started on my work. I grew to love that and the disciple it took. And you’ll see if you watched the show my creativity always shined during the mystery basket challenges. The lesson I learned in this is stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready! Period.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? How did you overcome this obstacle?

Realizing I didn’t fit inside the box was probably the hardest thing I faced at the beginning. I absolutely don’t fit the the mold of what your typical female chef is and I’m okay with that. I overcame it by paving my own path and staying true to myself.

In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about? –

The key is creating any dish that people love is to make the dish with passion.

Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal for you’?

The perfect meal for me is both a balanced meal but also one that is packed with flavor! Nobody wants boring food!

Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost? –

It comes naturally from my heart. I am always inspired by seasonal ingredients and the feeling that you get when you cook someone a dish they love. There is freedom in cooking.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have? –

Of course I am! I really believe that my upcoming projects. Will inspire, motivate, and change the world. While getting healthier. One meal, one rep at a time.

What advice would you give to other chefs or restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout? –

Keep your personal goals center focused. Stay focused on reaching your dreams and surround people who inspire, motivate, and pour into your cup.

Thank you for all that. Now we are ready for the main question of the interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Chef” and why?

- [ ] You won’t be using tweezers to put cute little garnishes on plates all day. It’s tough work!

- [ ] This is hard work! I’m saying it again

- [ ] Find yourself a mentor

- [ ] Some days will be tougher than others

- [ ] You will be walking into a male-dominated industry

What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?

My signature dish. Braised beef short ribs with sweet potato mouse. Green beans and Crispy pancetta

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Ending child food insecurity b/c it starts there. And I could remember being poor growing up and having food insecurity.

Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!