Kumari Shreya
Hulu’s ‘Chefs vs. Wild‘ is an entertaining mixture of some of the best elements of cooking shows and survival challenges. In each episode, two chefs have to search for prized ingredients from the wild with the help of their foraging partner. After exploration time is over, they must prepare a delicious 3-course meal for the judges and hopefully win the competition.
The first season of the reality series featured several talented culinary experts, including Chef Sammy Monsour. His confidence and determination piqued the interest of many viewers who are curious about what the chef has been up to recently. If you are in the same boat, here is everything we know about Sammy’s current whereabouts.
Sammy Monsour’s Chefs vs. Wild Journey
Chef Sammy Monsour appeared in the first episode of ‘Chefs vs. Wild’ season 1. Having grown up with parents who were cooks, he had an impressive amount of experience to back him up on the show. Sammy had 48 hours to collect the ingredients he wanted from the wild areas of Coastal British Columbia, and accompanying him in his foraging journey was survival expert Robin Lafreniere. With a plan in mind, the chef was ready to make the best of his time on the show.
In the initial hours, the duo found delicious juniper berries and spruce tips, which Sammy immediately began incorporating into his tentative plans for the upcoming cooking challenge. The mountainous terrain of his designated foraging area helped him find pine mushrooms, something he was pretty excited about. When the time came for the team to build a shelter, Sammy wanted to smoke-dry age his pine mushrooms over the campfire.
However, Robin suggested against the idea since using a snare wire over as fire is a safety hazard and could harm them physically. Regardless, Sammy was determined to do as he planned and expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that his partner was opposing him. The next day, the chef wanted to find some crap apples which could be used in many ways. This led to minor arguments between Sammy and Robin, with the former confessing he would not give up easily and was determined to push hard and find what they were looking for.
Fortunately, after a lot of work and Robin’s guidance, the duo was able to find crab apples and even stumbled upon sumac, which delighted the culinary expert. Come next night, Sammy decided to take advantage of the dark and capture some beetles, which he hoped to incorporate into his meal.
When the time came for the cooking challenge, Sammy and his opponent, Chef Viet Pham, were provided with elk heart and sirloin. With Robin as his sous-chef, the former had 4 hours to make a delicious meal out of the given and foraged ingredients. At the end of the challenge, Sammy presented Tortellini in Brodo as his appetizer, which was tortellini stuffed with elk heart and beetles in smoke-dry aged pine mushroom broth.
When it came to entrée, Sammy served juniper brined elk loin with crab apple purée. Furthermore, the 3-course meal featured beignets with spruce brittle and dried sumac as dessert. Though Kiran Jethwa and Valerie Segrest presented some critiques, the two judges did find his cooking delicious. Nevertheless, in the end, Viet was declared the cook-off winner, but Sammy was pretty happy with the experience and thankful for Robin’s partnership.
Sammy Monsour is Promoting Sustainable Cooking
Sammy Monsour is an active chef and a food and climate activist based in Charleston, South Carolina. As of writing, he has opened four restaurants, of which two are located in Downtown Los Angeles, while the other two are situated in Downtown Boston. In fact, Preux & Proper, perhaps his most well-known establishment, received a Bib Gourmand in Michelin’s 2019 California Guide. The chef has also been recognized by James Beard Foundation, Zagat, Eater, and Food & Wine.
As an activist, Sammy always strives to use sustainable cooking methods and sources. Over the years, the chef has shown his support for several activist movements and has been featured in multiple television shows. Presently, he is a member of the James Beard Foundation’s Smart Catch Advisory Board and Global Goals Advocate at Chefs’ Manifesto. Additionally, Sammy is a part of the Seafood Watch’s Task Force.
Using his impressive social media following, Sammy likes to share important facts and details about various environmental issues. Besides, he seems to have plans regarding a cookbook he is writing with his wife, Kassady, about food from the coastal south. We wish Sammy and his loved ones the best in their lives and hope they have a wonderful future ahead.
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