It was a real treat to welcome Jason Lewis, a culinary development chef for Aramark, into the Pennsylvania Kitchen! Lewis, who works at the Culinary Innovation Center at Aramark’s world headquarters in Philadelphia, has a background in fine dining, mainly in Washington, DC, where he worked alongside many high-profile chefs. Though he was trained in high-end restaurants, the recipes he brought in to share are practically the definition of home-style comfort food (with a PA focus, of course): shoofly pie and Schnitz un Knepp. Both of these are homages to Lewis’ nanas, both of whom would make these dishes frequently when Lewis was a kid.
As our behind-the-scenes video shows, Lewis has a silly streak, perhaps cultivated through time spent with his five children: Tristan, Cecelia, Tucker, Kerrigan and Chandler. He and his wife Amanda, the kids, and their dog Larousse (named after the “Bible of classic cuisine,” Larousse Gastronomique) live just outside Philly in Lansdale, PA. Take a peek at the video shoot we had with Lewis, and then stay tuned for his full recipes and videos in our Pennsylvania Kitchen series!
- Video and photo: Dish Works
