Grove will serve up a Campbell's scoop in Lakewood Ranch

His passion for food burns hotter than the torch he uses to fire up his crème brûlée.

That alone would make Greg Campbell an excellent host for "Cooking with Campbell," billed an an interactive culinary experience hosted by the Grove restaurant in Lakewood Ranch.

"Cooking with Campbell" begins 6 p.m. March 7 and will return at various dates based on demand. It is designed for food enthusiasts "who want to sharpen their kitchen skills while enjoying an expertly prepared meal."

What it won't be is Campbell showing off his skill at chopping a stalk of celery or flipping an omelette.

"People are starting to pay attention to what is in their food," Campbell said. "This is meant to be fun and interesting. We want those who attend to be more knowledgeable."

Campbell, who is the Grove's director of operations along with its executive chef, will touch on many topics which lead to a gourmet experience. That begins long before a person walks into a kitchen.

"How to shop is incredibly important," Campbell said. "And it's been incredibly important to my career."

He learned to shop from his grandmother, Simone Hubert, who took him under his wing after his father died when he was 8 years old.

"She was a big influence on me," he said. "She taught me how to shop. She would go all around and everyone knew she was coming to pick up her meat, her produce. I learned from her that you need to take care of everyone. She would feed them all."

Photo by Jay Heater

Besides being an accomplished chef, Campbell is a skilled storyteller, and that should greatly enhance the experience for those who attend "Cooking with Campbell."

Consider a few of Campbell's gems.

He talked about the moment he knew he wanted to be a chef.

He was 8 and it was shortly after his father had died. Friends of the family had been coming by his home just outside of Augusta, Georgia to show their support.

Campbell went into the kitchen to make something for those who were visiting.

One man ventured into the kitchen to offer some comfort to the 8-year-old. He literally bit off more than he could chew.

"I had grabbed some slices of white bread and I made him a peanut butter and sardine sandwich. What was he going to say to an 8-year-old who had just lost his father? The poor soul had to sit with me, and he was trying to choke down that sandwich."

He knew he liked serving people. And the man eventually became his step-father. His name was John Shoupe.

Campbell was convinced it was a sign that he would be in the culinary world. His mom's new married name was Prudence Campell-Shoupe.

But why did Campbell want to prepare meals for people? He describes it this way.

"I asked for a remote control car for Christmas when I was 12 years old," he said. "And I got it.

"Back in those days, I was what they used to call hyper-active. Now they call it attention deficit disorder. I took that car and I put it together in three hours, then I ran it up and down the driveway a few times. I never used it again."

Using that car was going to be a very similar experience.

"Every single plate of food is a remote control car for me," Campbell said. "But everything changes, and I can do it over and over."

Photo by Jay Heater

Doing it over and over at the Grove means making dishes from scratch.

"Making meals from scratch is unusual in this environment," Campbell said. "The restaurant landscape has changed dramatically the last 10 to 12 years. At the Grove, we are trying to stay true to our creativity. We cut our fish from the whole fish, we make our own breads, and it is important that we cut our own steaks. Nobody is cooking from scratch anymore so I am proud of what we do. The general public needs to understand what we do.

"In today's world, that is not a red velvet cake. It's all premade batter and premade icing. It's vanilla cake with red food coloring. That is not red velvet cake. We make our own empanadas. I guarantee you that 95% of the restaurants that serve empanadas are buying them from Sysco and dropping them in grease."

At "Cooking with Campbell" he will talk about processed foods and additives, along with the health benefits of avoiding them.

He will talk about the benefits of knowing how to cut up a fish.

"We have eight people in both our restaurants (Pier 22 is the other) who know how to cut fish," he said. "Most people are not buying a whole No. 1 yellowfin tuna. We do all the cutting ourselves."

He said "Cooking with Campbell" will help people to be more aware when it comes to picking out fish, meat or produce.

"You can buy scallops that are as big as a silver dollar," he said. "Then you cook it and it comes out as big as a dime."

He said those who attend the event will be "eating and learning."

He expects the class to be well attended.

"People are very interested," he said. "We do a lot of wine dinner and I speak on how I pair food with wine. We have gotten very good feedback, so we wondered, 'Why not a cooking class?"

Campbell will share information he has learned on his many trips around the country talking with farmers and ranchers.

'I once spent seven hour on a bison ranch," he said. "It's all a passion of mine. I love learning about the restaurant business as a whole. I enjoying reading about the supply chain and knowing how it works. 

"I know inside, that we are doing things the right way."