My Kitchen Rules: Chef Lorraine

Here in Las Vegas, we are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by a plethora of incredible chefs. These chefs are not only amazing in the kitchen but are also devoted to giving back the community and enriching the lives of children that aspire to be like them. In this series, we put a spotlight on these wonderful chefs. This week, we were able to catch up with Chef Lorraine Moss in the interview below!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Right now, I am the Co-Host of a podcast called 2 Sharp Chefs. I originally started as a T.V. journalist but then decided to attend culinary school. I worked as a chef for seven years and then started the podcast with the goal of bringing chefs together.

Why did you decide to become a chef?

I have been cooking since I was a child with my family. My dad and mom come from a multiracial background and I learned the value of expressing yourself through food. Food showcases what a culture is like. I also loved that as a chef, you get to make people happy!

Who was your role model as a kid?

Growing up I watched a lot of PBS and discovered Julia Child. She felt very real to me and made cooking feel fun. I loved that she would make mistakes on TV and laugh them off. She taught me that the most important thing is trying.

What is your favorite cuisine?

I love a lot of American foods but am also a huge fan of Portuguese and Filipino cuisine since it is part of my parent’s background. Eating foods from those countries helps me feel closer to my family and culture.

How can kids get involved in cooking?

Kids learn a lot by watching. It is important for them to cook side by side with an adult, giving them the chance to copy the motions.

If a child told you they wanted to be a chef, what advice would you give them?

Experiment, grab cookbooks, and try making a ton of recipes. The only thing that makes you a better cook is experience. I make myself go through at least five days of recipes a week! Just be fearless, what’s the worst that can happen?

About Chef Lorraine Blanco Moss

Lorraine Moss grew up in California in a multiracial family with an eclectic background. Her palate was exposed to Latin and European flavors from her mother’s side and Asian and island spices from her father’s side. Family gatherings included a multitude of smells and tastes that represented all of America in its immigrant history.

Up until 2013, Moss cooked only for loved ones. A UCLA graduate in Communication Studies, she was also an Emmy nominated TV news journalist. But after a decade, she had burnt out. Her husband Mitch asked her the question we should all ask ourselves: “If you could do anything for a living, what would you do… even if you weren’t paid?”

Cooking was the answer, and so she returned to school and earned a culinary degree at College of Southern Nevada. While Moss was volunteering for Chefs for Kids, she met a wonderful person who became her first chef mentor and gave her a shot on the line. Moss prepped and cooked crab cakes, scallops and lobsters at Gallagher’s at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Although she suffered several burns and cuts, she was promoted quickly to chef de partie. From there, she moved on to Bazaar Meat and staged at e by Jose Andres.

Moss earned a mentorship with the prestigious James Beard Foundation and worked as sous chef for Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken at Border Grill in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. She has volunteered and cooked for No Kid Hungry, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, as well as Cool Comedy, Hot Cuisine to benefit the Scleroderma Research Foundation. Moss even got to cook for a week with several Michelin starred chefs at the James Beard House. She also worked as a sous chef at Joe’s Stone Crab.

Moss now hosts a chef, hospitality and food podcast called 2 Sharp Chefs & A Microphone with chef photographer Louiie Victa.

Moss lives in Henderson with her husband Mitch Moss and two dog children Dexter and Mickey. She loves to travel, try new restaurants and wineries and spend time in the water swimming, paddle boarding and boating.