Back in 2004, Tad Weyland was a passionate home cook who was pretty sure he was about to get laid off from his job in the music industry. After 20 years in Los Angeles, the Hawaii native needed a next move, and cooking seemed the obvious choice.
He turned to his friend and chef Neal Fraser, who allowed Weyland to work in his now-shuttered restaurant, Grace. For a year, Weyland worked Thursday nights and all day Sundays for free in order to gain real-world kitchen experience, while continuing to work his day job.
Seven years later, and Weyland has worked at a handful of Los Angeles restaurants, including Chinois on Main and Huckleberry in Santa Monica. Currently, he is sous chef at Heirloom LA. In addition to his kitchen duties, Weyland also produces mixers for Heirloom’s bar.
For the latest edition of the Sous Chef Series he shared his recipe for homemade ginger ale. Good on its own, you can also spike it with bourbon or rum for an easy cocktail.
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