Chef Charlie DeSando is offering Milwaukee’s community leaders a vehicle to talk about their backgrounds and share insights—along with their favorite recipes and cooking tips—on his show, “Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders,” available on his YouTube channel.
DeSando invites a different guest to join him each week in the kitchen of the community room in his condo building. He conducts informal interviews with each person to learn about their work and how they strive to make the city a better place. They cook a recipe of the guest’s choice and then sit down to enjoy the meal.
While growing up in Washington, D.C., DeSando’s father had owned restaurants in that area. During high school and college, DeSando had worked in “every aspect of restaurants, from dishwasher, bartender, server, busboy, maître d’—I’ve always felt comfortable in the kitchen.”
DeSando also lived in Cincinnati with his family before moving to Milwaukee 13 years ago. His wife, Ellen Gilligan, president of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, had always been in high-position careers, DeSando says, so he often got their children off to school and prepared dinner for the family at night.
Approximately five years ago, DeSando launched “Cooking Secrets for Men” (cookingsecretsformen.com), his brand offering approachable tips and shortcuts toward cooking. “Seventy-seven percent of chefs in U.S. restaurants are men, but most men don’t cook,” he observes.
The concept for “Cooking with Community Leaders” grew organically by happenstance. He and Gilligan—who encouraged him to get a hobby after retiring—had been watching episodes of “Selena + Chef,” where singer Selena Gomez cooked remotely with renowned chefs such as José Andrés and Rachel Ray. During each show, she asked the chefs about their foundations or charity work.
“My wife turned to me and said, ‘you can do this,’” DeSando recalls.
Showing Their Fun Sides
The cooking and food aspects of the show are engaging, but DeSando emphasizes that it’s ultimately about the people and their work. “The important part is not the cooking, but rather the community work. We’re all trying to make the city a better place.”
Since launching “Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders” last year, DeSando has interviewed and cooked with leaders such as U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Director of Marquette University Law School’s Lubar Center—and food influencer— Derek Mosley, and Vincent Noth and Orlando Pacheco from Kinship Community Food Center.
DeSando has learned a lot from his guests. “Cavalier Johnson, David Crowley and Gwen Moore all are from the 53206 neighborhood,” he shares. “They have the commonality of being very successful people in a political environment in Milwaukee that all grew up in same neighborhood.”
While DeSando has welcomed many high-profile leaders, he’s also featured grassroots activists such as Gianni Vaccaro to talk about Sauce Milwaukee, her nonprofit in which she provides meals to people in need via bicycle delivery.
Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin’s scheduled appearance on DeSando’s show happened to coincide with the announcement of the Jrue Holiday/Damian Lillard trade, yet Feigin still enthusiastically appeared on the show, DeSando recalls.
Gilligan’s position offers DeSando access to many people in the nonprofit world. Some also happen to be accomplished cooks. In an episode featuring Wendy Baumann, executive director of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), she confidently maneuvers throughout the kitchen as she prepares Tuna Bien Masabe, offering pasta cooking tips along the way.
DeSando sometimes takes the show on the road. Harold S. Vincent High School, one of four Milwaukee Public Schools offering the ProStart culinary program, welcomed DeSando to interview students and teachers, and cook a meal. Derek Taylor from Three Leaf Development is a competition barbecue participant and invited DeSando to his home to prepare barbecue.
“They why’s behind these stories are incredible to hear,” DeSando concludes. “There are no tough questions, we get to cook something, and people are able to show their fun side and not have to be serious. It’s very simple, and it just flows.”