Back in November Bobby Cresap, invited me to a cooking demo at the Big Green Egg Academy in Tucker. I got to see Bobby make a Turducken along with a bunch of some other mouth-watering festive sides. Bobby was even so kind as to let me interview him.

What influences led you to cooking?
My main influence for leading me to cook was my mother and grandparents. My Mom cooked a lot and my maternal grandparents lived here in Atlanta and we all cooked together. My paternal grandparents lived in New Orleans and we went down there several times a year when I was young and more when I got older so I was exposed at a very early age to some of the best food in the world.

Do you have a favorite restaurant / restaurants in Atlanta?
My favorite restaurants are Kevin Rathbun Steak, Atkin’s Park, Muss and Turner’s, and La Violette. If I’m jonesing for a burger it’s either the Vortex for a sit down or 5 guys for a quickie.

Besides the BGE, what is your favorite kitchen gadget?
My favorite kitchen gadget would be a toss up between my spice grinder and my knives. I have the Wusthof IKON blackwood knives and I love them.

If you were to open a restaurant with any type of cuisine, what would it be?
If I were to open a restaurant it would be a Cajun place that served southern food with a french flair and BBQ.

What is your favorite thing to cook on a Big Green Egg?
My favorite thing to cook on the EGG® would probably be steaks or pulled pork, or chicken…..

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
My favorite thing to cook at home is fried chicken made in my 150 year old cast iron huge pan.

What is your favorite comfort food?
Burgers are my comfort food or Chinese food or chocolate depending on the comfort I’m looking for.

What is something about you or your work that nobody knows?
When I was in culinary school I was completely broke all of the time. I would come home from class and stop at Burger King on the way home and then I would sit and watch re-runs of the Great Chefs series and pretend that whatever they were cooking is what I was eating instead of the Whopper with Cheese. To this day I can still hear that wonderful voice describing what each of the chefs were doing whenever I smell Burger King.