Meet Chef James Cameron of Brother 2 Brother Catering

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef James Cameron.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My passion for cooking is long lived, I starting as a child in mother’s kitchen. The first meal I cooked was pancakes and sausages. I often took over the kitchen, cooking dinner for the whole family around the age of 12 under my mother’s supervision. I began my professional career at the age of 19, managing a local Fish N’ Chips restaurant “Chesley Fipps Fish and Chips” and later I studied under master chef Beverly Salsky, successful Restaurateur, and personal chef to many affluent in Canada.

I continue to elevate my culinary skills by attending classes and exploring new recipes each week, which are reflected in our ever-evolving menu. I have a certificate from the online course Top Chef and recently finished a Master Class online with Chef Gordon Ramsey.

My second passion is singing, I am known as “The Singing Chef”. I am a classically trained singer and have been featured on several recordings. I have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and I am a current member of Riverside Lyric Opera Company. My real passion is for Jazz music. I often perform with my wife Cookie (Anna Cameron) who is also a member of RLO and we are featured artists in the Cotton Club Revue, an annual presentation fundraiser.

I also love to share my culinary passion by giving back to the community, I volunteer in several kitchens to feed the homeless, Veterans and many others in need.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Whether you think you can or you can’t you are right. I have failed my way up the ladder to success. I’d try something and try and try and try until I got it right. I would always change something with each new try but I’d never quit. Finally, something worked. Once it worked I’d repeat that process each time with positive results. I always keep in mind that insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expect a different result. So, I’d always change something.

I was taught to go all out and hold nothing back. If mistakes happen learn from them. My past doesn’t equal my future, learn and moved on. Leave the past behind, always look forward.

Some obstacles that I’ve had to deal with are lacking the funds to purchase equipment and leasing a commercial kitchen to start the business. Being told that the timing for a new business was a bad idea. Good people with good intentions but giving negative advice.

So, I went back to the basic play book that I learned years ago. Write down your goals and review them daily morning and at night before going to bed. Visualizing where I wanted to be. Actually putting myself there in my mind and always believing in the outcome now as real and tangible.

Doors began to open and they are continuing to open for us. The fact that I am doing this interview is not a coincidence. By the way reading your goals out loud is most powerful.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Brother 2 Brother Catering – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our company is built on a love of all people. Learning about different cultures and the foods that are popular in those cultures. We use the best products available for all our dishes.

We specialize in French Creole but we are well versed many cuisines styles. I take a dish and add my style to it.

As an example we make a meat lovers lasagna. It has several layers, 4 meats, chicken Italian sausage, spiced ground beef, beef pepperoni, and a house made turkey sausage. The lasagna is then built by layering with a ricotta cheese that is infused with basil and parmesan cheese, on each past sheet with Mozzarella and a wonderful red sauce with a slight hint of rosemary. It’s baked to a lovely finish with just the edges beginning to brown.

I made this dish for a nonagenarian group of bridge players. Who have lunch once a month. I was hired to provide the lasagna which was well received. One of the guests at the event was a U.S. Navy Admirals wife. She told the host that it was the best lasagna she had ever eaten. The words got to me and I thought, what a nice thing to say. Later that afternoon it hit me, this lady was 90 plus years old she’s had a couple of lasagna’s in her lifetime. That brought a smile to my face. On another occasion, we made the same dish. I was asked to come to the table because a guest wanted to meet the chef. So, I went to her table and that lady stood up and gave me a hug saying in a whisper to me she had to meet me because she didn’t believe I was not Italian.

My profession is the most important profession there is in my humble opinion. Here is why. It is important that each chef approach the craft with a mindset that is like a skilled surgeon. We must wash first our hands like a skilled surgeon and all equipment in the same manner. Treat each food component with integrity. Because we are preparing food for human consumption. Food fuels our bodies. Without fuel, we do not live.

It gives me great joy to see someone smile as the enjoy good food the eyes sparkle its magic to me.

What sets us apart is this. We treat each day like it’s the last day because tomorrow is not promised to anyone. So, I make it a top priority to give each person I am blessed to serve my best meal. So, if it is the last day they will have received the best meal we can possibly make. We do this with every meal weather it is Chateaubriand or a peanut butter jelly sandwich.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our future is very exciting. We are planning a television show that will revolve around cooking, music and the best of everything for all to have and consume. I see us having some of the top musicians and performers on the program. I’ll cook for them and we will perform music and just share much love. It will be great TV very positive message and up lifting for the soul.

We also plan to offer a fine dining experience for 10 couples a few times each month, with wine parings from some of the best vintners locally and worldwide. The meal will be held in our kitchen in Costa Mesa. We are also vegetarian specialists and I plan to have a vegetarian menu option. Of course, we will feature our Prime Plus cut steaks in several ways over the course of the months that will follow.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1147 Railroad Corona CA 92882
• Website: www.brother2brothercatering.com
• Phone: 951-334-1017
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Donna Edman Photography
Brother 2 Brother Inc.