For many chefs, young and old, cooking is an outlet used to share passion, knowledge, and a love of food. This is certainly the case for Jack Witherspoon, a 14-year-old chef who has had quite the journey with cooking. After Jack relapsed from Leukemia in 2006 he started cooking and has since published his first cookbook “Twist it Up,” raised more than $100,000 for pediatric leukemia research, and he has appeared on The Tonight Show, Bonnie Hunt Show, Rachael Ray Show, and a number of different news programs.
We sat down with Jack to talk about everything from his earliest memories in the kitchen to his long-term goals in the kitchen.
Foodstirs: What’s your first memory of being in the kitchen?
Jack: My first memory of being in the kitchen would be with my mom. I watched a lot of cooking shows on TV but my mom was my first “hands on” teacher. I remember starring into the spice cabinet with her as I chose ingredients to create new flavor combinations. She was a good mentor but sometimes I had to try things out for myself. Whether things turned out good or bad it was a great learning experience.
F: What originally sparked your interest in cooking?
J: When I was 6 years old I relapsed with leukemia. I had gotten it first when I was 2… I went through 3 years of treatment. The doctors thought I was cured, but to everyone’s surprise it came back one year after my treatment ended. So, with my relapse I was forced to stay in the hospital a lot. It was during this time that I stumbled upon the Food Network… it didn’t take long before I was hooked. I fell in love with cooking and I have been cooking ever since!
F: How did cooking help you get through your battle with leukemia?
J: I have had leukemia 3 times. The first time I was really young so I don’t remember too much from then… but when I relapsed at 6 and then again at 11 I was older… I had to figure out how to deal with my treatment and my isolation. I wasn’t able to go to school or see friends or play sports. My immune system was compromised and I couldn’t be exposed to germs because any infection would put me back in the hospital. When I discovered cooking it was one of the few things I could do that leukemia couldn’t stop me from doing! It was a great outlet for me to be creative and I could share with others. Cooking has also been a vehicle that has allowed me to give inspiration and to show others how you can overcome challenges in life. I have written and published my own cook book and have established the Jack Witherspoon endowment which has raised over $100,000 for pediatric leukemia research. Cooking has given me purpose….it is very much a part of who I am.
F: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
J: What I like best about cooking is the creative aspect of it. I like making things from scratch…I get a real sense of accomplishment when I make a successful dish and people like it.
F: If there’s one piece of advice that you’d give to an aspiring chef, what would it be?
J: If I was going to give an aspiring chef one piece of advice it would be to cook from the heart. Cook with feeling and passion and your food will feel the love and be delicious!
F: How do you see cooking fitting into your future? Is it something you’d like to study more in the future on a professional level, or is it something you’d simply like to continue sharing with your family?
J: I plan on making food and the culinary world my lifetime career. I would like to pursue formal training, own my own restaurant and maybe, someday even have my own show! It’s a lot to strive for but setting and achieving goals is what keeps life exciting!
F: Can you share with us anything that you’ve learned from cooking that can be applied to other areas of life?
J: Well, I’ve learned that in cooking there is a lot of trial and error. If something doesn’t work out the first time there’s always another way to do it to make it better. So… in life, sometimes you’ll have failures and struggles…. just like in cooking, you have to come up with a new recipe on how to do it!
F: Can you share the details of your favorite recipe with us? We’d love to share it with our readers!
J: One of my favorite dishes is Spaghetti Carbonara…. I made it on the Hallmark Channel’s “Home and Family” show last May. The creamy garlicky sauce, the chewy, salty pancetta and then topped with lemon zest and roasted asparagus…it is just to die for! You will be coming back for seconds, guaranteed!
Returning to our kitchen?