I’ll be sharing stories, tips, tricks, and cooking techniques that anyone can use at home. Joining me are in studio guests each week. Let’s Get Kenspired!
Chef KLP offers tailored experiences built on skill, culture, and connection. Let’s explore how we can elevate your next event, project, or culinary experience!
An unscripted cooking show filmed in real kitchens with real people. No prep. No pretense. Just fire, flavor, and conversation. Watch it live or sit in the room.
From festivals to food halls, Chef KLP shows up to speak truth and cook real. Demos, panels, hands-on workshops—he does it all.
Yes, he’ll bring the kitchen to you. Whether it’s a living room or a luxury suite, he creates meals that connect people.
Ken L. Polk is a Chicago-based chef, educator, and culinary consultant with over two decades of professional experience. A product of two Southern parents, Chef Ken’s earliest lessons in food came from family cookouts and Sunday breakfasts—meals rooted in tradition and care. His first step into professional cooking began in his neighborhood, assisting a former Naval chef and caterer. He soon found himself preparing requested meals for clients at his father’s auto shop.
Ken went on to study at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC), where his early experience translated into a formal culinary foundation. He sharpened his skills in kitchens across Chicago, including Carlos’, Nick’s Fishmarket, and OneSixtyBlue, and later worked in Atlanta, including at The Ritz-Carlton. There, he co-founded an events company that catered to the city’s professional crowd.
After returning to Chicago, Ken focused on culinary education and community impact. He taught with Chicago Public Schools, Le Cordon Bleu, C-CAP, Share Our Strength, and other institutions, all while running a private Gourmet Services company across Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York.
Chef Ken is currently the Executive Chef at Batter & Berries, a well-known brunch destination in Lincoln Park. He is known for original, globally influenced dishes that reflect his Southern heritage and broad culinary perspective. Each plate is crafted as a one-of-a-kind experience, never replicated and always evolving.
Chef Ken’s work centers on collaboration, creativity, and cultural relevance. He brings the same precision and curiosity to food that he does to the arts, science, and design. His goal is simple: create food that connects people—and keeps them coming back.
from: https://www.chicagostarmedia.com/
Introducing “Chicago Chefs Cookbook,” a collaboration between Mariano’s and Chicago Chefs Cook to benefit Chi-Care, a nonprofit that works to end hunger in Chicago.
Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure like no other as Chicago Chefs Cook proudly presents the Chicago Chefs Cookbook. This magazine-style cookbook features the remarkable talents of 46 chefs from all over Chicagoland, showcasing their creativity and passion for cooking while supporting a worthy cause. Proceeds from the cookbook benefit Chi-Care, a registered 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to ending hunger across Chicagoland.
Chicago Chefs CookBook is available at all 44 Mariano’s locations, with proceeds going to Chi-Care.
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