Chris Santos

How did you get involved with City Harvest?
Initially through donating food from the restaurant and participating in charity fund raising tasting events.

Why is hunger an important issue for you?
The very core of what we do as chefs, beyond the pleasure we hope to bring to diners and the creative outlet that it provides for us, is to provide nourishment and sustenance. The thought that all across the world, and especially right here in this great city that I feel privileged to live in, there are people going hungry is heartbreaking. And in trying to give back it just seems like the natural charitable cause I am drawn to because of my life long relationship to food and feeding people.

How has your involvement with City Harvest affected your outlook on food and/or hunger in New York City?
Because of the many ways in which you can give through City Harvest, and because of the tireless work City Harvest does to raise awareness of this very serious problem. I am constantly reminded that despite all the work so many great chefs and organizations are doing alongside City Harvest, the fight against hunger is an enormous one that requires constant attention and is still in need of more chefs, more resources, more giving.

What is your favorite hidden gem of a restaurant in New York?
For a hidden gem I'd have to with Franny's in Park Slope. Great food and my go to spot when the garden is open.

What is your favorite type of food to eat?
I tend to like authentic comfort foods, of either Mexican, Latin American, Italian or Spanish descent.

What is your favorite type of food to make?
Foods that are cooked slowly and with love, while you drink wine all afternoon while cooking! Braises, risottos, polentas, cassoulet, that sort of thing.

What can you not live without in your kitchen?
Sounds silly, but a Microplane grater. I use it for everything, juicing red onions, zesting and grating garlic and cheese

What is in your refrigerator?
Ha! Let's see..... usually we have Gatorade, a random selection of beer, a bottle of prosecco, fresh orange juice, about 12-15 bottles of hot sauce, some hummus, and usually some leftover takeout after a busy night at the restaurant.

What inspired you to become a chef?
A lifelong love affair with food (both haute and junk) and the creative outlet it offered me paring the endless shapes, colors, textures, tastes...I see my self as a craftsman and I was just drawn to this craft naturally from a young age.

What is your favorite junk food?
I don't consider it junk food per se, but it is fast food: I LOVE a Bahn-Mi sandwich pretty much anytime. And I'm a burger junkie. Provided it's got cheese and bacon that is.

What is the most interesting part about being on Chopped as a guest judge?
Watching young chefs deal with the pressure. It's not just the mystery basket, its cooking on tv for the first time of their lives, cooking against a clock with the judges commenting on your every move, speculating your next. Its cooking with 10 cameras hovering you. It's a very intimidating set of circumstances and its humbling to watch young, inexperienced chefs walk through their fears in front of you.

What plans do you have for 2010? Anything new coming up?
My partners and I are opening a huge 10,000 square foot, 275 seat restaurant in summer 2010. And there are about a half a dozen other things on the back burner, including some TV projects that will hopefully follow in 2011.

Do you have any suggestions for people on a limited budget that would still like to enjoy a nice meal out?
Watch how much you drink or bring a bottle of wine with you! Most restaurants charge only a modest corkage fee, and this is a way to cut your bill dramatically! Also people tend to arrive at restaurants very hungry and over order--I do it all the time! So try to remember to have a healthy snack about 2 hours before your reservation and share a few plates with your date instead of of both of you ordering full meals. And go back to the restuarant and do it again soon, just to be fair!

What was the last best meal you had?
Recently I have had amazing meals at Faustina, Lure and The Breslin. Hard to pick which was the best.

What would your last meal be?
Cassoulet in Toulouse with lots and lots of red wine with my beautiful wife Taryn.

• At the Chef's Table
• The Food Council