Learn about some of the assistants to your favorite celebrity chefs on this HRN Community Sessions segment! Mariana Cotlear, former assistant to José Andres, sits down with Laura Ryan, assistant to chef Tom Colicchio, and Mandy Oser, former assistant to chef Eric Ripert. Learn how all of these women came to work for such high-profile chefs despite their different career paths. Find out how the world of food relates to subjects like law and politics. What is an average day like for a celebrity chef assistant? Listen in to find out why chefs are generally very charitable, and how camaraderie often leads to collaboration in the kitchen. Learn what aspects of the job are the most trying and challenging. Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch, and thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music!

"A big reason I didn't end up in the kitchen is because I can't do the same thing everyday." [11:00] -- Laura Ryan, assistant to Tom Colicchio

"My position is unique; you can take it to a lot of different areas in the industry." [14:35] -- Mandy Oser, former assistant to Eric Ripert

Meet Chef Dale Talde, a first generation Filipino American who made a splash on Top Chef All Stars and is the chef/owner at TALDE, Pork Slope and Thistle Hill Tavern. Chef Talde has been named Food & Wine's 2013 People's Best New Chef for New York City, and is one of the most talked about chefs in the industry right now. On this week's episode of Chef's Story, hear about his rise to stardom from cooking pancakes as a kid to cooking at an Outback Steakhouse in Chicago and messing up chicken entrees horribly. From cultural identity to multi-tasking in the kitchen - get some serious insight from a world-class culinary talent. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

"You have to work on the things you're not good at." [15:00]

"Cooking is like the stock exchange - you multitask, hear something being barked in your ear, continue to work and remember what was yelled in your ear - it's a skill set school never fully teaches you." [22:00]

"If you don't empower your staff to be creative - you're doing a disservice to them. That's what spurs them and makes them better chefs." [45:00]

--Chef Dale Talde on Chef's Story

This week's guest on Chef's Story is Anita Lo, chef and owner of Annisa restaurant in NYC and author of "Cooking Without Borders". Citing multicultural influences, Anita explains how she fell in love with food growing up in Michigan and traveling the world with her self proclaimed "food tourist" family. From France to Iran, Anita took cues from all of her travels and experiences before opening Annisa, in New York's Greenwich Village. Find out what it took to open Annisa and how Anita has found continued success through her cooking, media appearances and writing. What was it like working with David Bouley? How did 9/11 affect the success of Annisa? How did the Food Network affect Anita's career? Tune in to Chef's Story and hear the whole story! This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Learn more about "A Second Helping Fundraiser" that Anita is involved with here.

"I've always called cooking a lifestyle choice of the obsessive compulsive."

"I was taught French cuisine - I had to learn Asian cuisine."

"David Bouley taught me about ingredients. He was farm to table before anybody else was."

"I'm a nocturnal person which fits well with having a restaurant that's only open for dinner."

--chef Anita Lo on Chef's Story