Meet Will Levatino

We were lucky to catch up with Will Levatino recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Will , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

When I was 18, I was in a very bad car crash, where I broke my neck, my femur, and a few other bones. I was in a coma after surgery and when I came to was told that I would be quadriplegic. There is a part of me that just wouldn’t accept that as an answer, I refused to believe what they were telling me and that that was my future. And I am one of those miracle stories you hear about where one day I started to get feeling in my toes then my feet, ankles, knees, etc., etc. to this day, I still have to push through my disability , but all the things I face don’t compare to what I’ve already overcome

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My father was an avid home cook and my grandmother was also an incredible home cook. I grew up around many different cuisines and techniques because of them. Growing up, In any friend group or situation, I was always the cook mostly because I was the only one who knew how to cook. I never saw it as a talent just as something you do. Later in life, I discovered that I do have a gift.and it is something special I should embrace and share with others. I am also an avid fisherman and combined my two worlds by opening a seafood restaurant that serves under utilized species, off cuts, and by-catch. On YouTube, I use it as a platform to teach people how to utilize more than just the fillets of a fish and to think twice about fish they would never consider eating. When cooking something not typically used or an off cut, your skills in the kitchen are very important to be able to make it delicious. If I can open peoples minds to not only eating things that they deem “trash fish” but also showing them just how amazing it can be I’ve done my job. We are going on 10 years at the restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, so we are doing something right and the response that I’ve gotten from my YouTube is that people who watch are now more open minded to eating other parts of the fish than just the fillet. It shows me I’m getting my message out there. To be a good cook goes beyond just putting good flavors together you have to consider the impact of the product you’re using. To be mindful, sustainable, and educated in what you are putting on the plate. Cooking for people is an intimate affair, and if you can use food to open peoples minds to get them to think outside of the box is truly an accomplishment

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think a lot of times we look beyond what’s already inside of us. It is important to hone in on what you are passionate about then refine the skills to pursue that passion. At times I think we even overlook what subtle things bring us joy. People get discouraged when they aren’t immediately good at something, but I truly believe the joy should come from learning. Each discovery and technique , I’ve learned along the way, has brought me more joy than the final product . The joy should come from the process Not the end result. The most important skill or quality is a passion to learn. Not to seek perfection but to seek improvement. Then consistency. Without consistency you have nothing

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am looking to connect or collaborate with anyone with a story. And what I mean by that is that by the time the plate of food gets in front of you so many things have happened before that from the farmers to the family recipes passed down to the conversation at a coffee shop that inspired a dish to the ceramic maker that made that dish! Food can resonate in so many ways whether it be art, community, sustenance, employment, etc., that everyone has a relationship with food. My YouTube is more than just a cooking channel. It is a space of ideas and inspiration and forward thinking.. What I’d like is for anyone with a passion in life, let me cook for them and have them tell me their story

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Cookingwithclams.com
• Instagram: Clams_levatino
• Youtube: Cooking with clams