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Chef Steven Stroh is passionate about food.
His culinary ambitions began at the early age of 5 and by 12, he was competing in mock "Iron Chef" style cooking contests hosted by friends and family in his hometown of Oxnard, CA. Key ingredients like eggplant were transformed into creative dishes such as Crispy Eggplant Chips with eggplant tapenade (appetizer), Teriyaki Eggplant Skewers over pasta (main course), and Baked Eggplant with brown sugar served with a scoop of ice cream (dessert). His interest in cooking continued while at Northwest Missouri University, where he played football and pursued a business degree. It’s no surprise that he ended up cooking for his friends and teammates or whoever pitched in looking for a "real" meal. Upon his return to California, Steven helped Nick Fisher open a tapas bar, The Cave, which complimented Nick’s wine store in Ventura. Steven was one of the first to cook in the new kitchen following its grand opening. There he apprenticed under Chef Gary Daniels for three years, all the while continuing to cook for friends and family. As a result of frequent requests, Steven began making pestos in small batches, experimenting with unique flavor combinations. The pestos were so well received, that as calls for orders increased, he decided that it was time to seriously look at launching a product line. Partnering with Red Hot Foods in Santa Paula, the first batch of pestos were completed on 12/22/11, and Chef Stroh’s Pestos opened for business. His "Culinary Dreams Come True" had became a reality. As of today, Chef Stroh’s Pestos are carried in twenty-two stores spanning five different counties in California, with interest continuing to grow. Outside of the kitchen, Steven coaches high school football at his alma mater. He currently resides in the beautiful Heritage Valley, CA. |
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