Farm to Table Dinner at Laughing Fork Farm with Nicholas Leiss

Chef Nicholas loves to call the Hudson Valley home. He visits the farmers, artisans, and producers for the

inspiration on the seasonal recipes he offers to home cooks and neighbors.

Nicholas Leiss started is journey in gastronomy, hospitality, and fine dining when he started cooking on a

step stool at the age of 5 by his grandmothers’ side. Years later, at the age of 14, he began cooking

professionally under the greatest chef he knows, his mother at the restaurant she was running. Nicholas

took his passion for cooking and focused his attention in a culinary program his senior year of high

school. Soon after high school, he was encouraged to attend The Culinary Institute of America by his

high school mentors. After graduating from The CIA, Nicholas has been fortunate to cook and learn

under the tutelage of many great chefs such as Rene Redzepi of Noma, Tom Colicchio, Didier Elena, and

Geunter Seeger. Over the years of cooking in the bountiful Hudson Valley and being influenced by chefs

Brandon Collins, Jessica Winchell and Vincent Morcaski, led him to defining his cuisine of progressive

farm to table. Nicholas is currently writing about the regional terroir of the Hudson valley on his blog

Farm2Chefs Table that focuses on getting people back around the dinner table like he did with his family

as child.