Hey, it's Roy Wood Jr. Up Next is a special presentation of the Daily Show podcast Beyond the Scenes, where we go a little deeper into segments that originally appeared on the show. In this episode, I sit down with Daily Show correspondent Ronnie Chang, Daily Show Segment director Sebastian Di Natal, and chef Bruno Abate to discuss his program Recipe for Change. The program helps empower formally incarcerated individuals through the culinary arts, and we also discussed the redeeming qualities of Chicago pizza. I like Chicago pizza. You know, debate for me anyway, take a listen, Hey, welcome to Beyond the Scenes. Now. I've tried to explain what this podcast is. Do you know what this podcast is. This podcast is after you've had a great night in the club and then you go out on the sidewalk and there's a hot dog on a grill. It's not even a grill, it's someone who's created a grill type device, and it's savory, and it's bacon wrapped and it's delicious. It was exactly what you needed. You only left the house to go to the club, but you left with the bacon wrapped hot dog under questionable sanitary conditions. That's what this podcast is all about. And this week I've got food on my mind because we are talking about pizza and how it relates to the criminal justice system. Let's roll the clip. Oh, this is what people in Chicago called pizza, Like I find decent slice in the city, and so this stupid boy, I couldn't find a single place that sold real pizza, just these deep dish dough dumpsters. This isn't pizza, this isn't even human food. After hours of only deep dish, I finally found a place that served delicious, normal pizza high the Cook County Jail. This goal mate pizza. It's actually made by and sold two inmates as papa training program called Recipe for Change. You know reivism rates like it's expensive to incarceerate people, It's not expensive to give him a skill. The man giving them that skill local restaurant chef Bruno about it, who volunteers his time and expertise to tease inmates how to cook the best pizza in Chicago. That's right, we are talking about food in a piece that focused on an organization called the Recipe for Change program and it's a program that helps people that are incarcerated in Chicago's Cook County Jail to learn how to make the best pizza in town and take those skills back out into the world to do something amazing with their lives. To help us break this down a little later, is the CEO and creator of that program, the wonderful, Wonderful Chef Bruno about but now joining us. It's Daily Show segment director Sebastian Dinatal and Daily Show correspondent Runnage Hang h, hey, thanks for having us now, Sebastian, because you are Italian, should I start with you? I don't want to. What's woke this way for me to do this? Well, usually stop the onscreen talent, but whatever, Well, yeah, but you're not really a talent in this case. The pieces the talent, so I know that was really relevant to this whole thing. But go ahead, yeah, Ronnie. As an ally to our marri and era Americans, I think it is important that we asked them first what they feel comfortable with when we're talking about pizza. Fine, go ahead, yeah, thank you. And we're we're recording this very close to uh Christopher Columbus Day, so it's very important that we as a people finally have a voice. I'm getting a voice to the voiceless, really, so thank you for having me on and understanding the play of Italians that we face every day. What is the gist of this piece running for the people who haven't seen it? Cook County Jail in Chicago had a program where they taught UM inconcerated UM people there how to make pizza while they were incocerated, to kind of make use of at time, so they have the skill sets when they leave. That's the top level cliff notes of what we knew of the story going in coming out of it. I mean, you know, I learned a lot more. I'll let you get to it, but that's the kind of almost the you know, the most basic way I could describe what's going on here. And I know in the piece Sebastians, whose decision was it to have Runney destroyed all of these beautiful deep dish pizzas in the spirit of him going to the jail? And that was my decision and all entirely my decision. I'm a I'm a proud New Yorker and a proud lover of food and pizza and Italian. We were tasked to do a piece about Chicago, specifically because we were doing a series. We were doing a week of shows in Chica Ago when this piece came around. Uh, I kind of wanted to start it off as like a Ronnie foodie kind of piece to make people think it was about like, oh, Chicago Deep Dish. Dailey show is gonna really rip into Chicago Deep Dish. But we and like every other New York based show has done that a million times. So after the first minute, we realize it's not just a piece shooting on Chicago Deep Dish pizza, which it is, but it has a another layer to it, which is the rehabilitation aspect that I really wanted to explore. But yeah, we had way more takes and different shots of destroying pizzas that sadly we had to cut for time. But I was I took so much pleasure in Ronnie punting those pizzas, throwing them in the river. Yeah, in the archives. You gotta have to check the archives. I mean. I was also mentioned this was Sebastian's actual fuss piece. I'll the field this when I got out of the office. I managed the it managed the getting the field with us. Yeah, how Sebastian, how difficult was it working with the Cook County Jail to speak with people on the inside that were going through this program, Like, what's that process? Because I've never done that on this show. Yeah. I guess one of the advantages of being a first piece, which I really wasn't sure what any protocols for any of it was, so I would just you know, ask a a segment producer or my boss or a coordinator like, hey, have we done this before? Can we do this? Can we talk to a jail? And they were like, we can reach out And normally in the past it's been kind of tougher to get inside of jails and film there. But I think when we pitched this um too the Cook County Jail and the Sheriff Tom Dart in his office, we really wanted to focus and make it a point to say, like, this is we really want to highlight this program. It's such an incredible program and we want to feature, uh, these people that are part of the program as well as the owner. This is something we want to really highlight that we think is really good for criminal justice reform. And that was and they were like great, Sure, as long as you don't like, you know, make any jokes about like escaping prison or anything. That was the That was the kind of uh yeah, that's the only stipulation that they had up top was like, yeah, just keep it to the program and imagine what we the first the very first thing we did was yeah, I feel me those guys where we escape from Yeah. In October, Ronnie Chang smuggled thin cruss pizza out of Click County jail. Well, Ronnie loved pizza, but he also hated Chicago deep dish. He had to find a way to get thin crust pizza to the people of Chicago. All it takes to get pizza out is cheese, though, and time that in a big gas poster. He crawled through a river Marianera and came out smelling like basing. Yeah, but you know you gotta given. And they were fine, and they afterwards where they were like, yeah, we wish you hadn't done that, But the pieces great, So thanks. Can we talk a bit about that little segment because I mean, it was two seconds in the whole field piece, but it took like hours of filming and it was me crawling in the fall cold in Chicago, in in in tomato sauce out of a tube in the middle of a field and that was househole. Um yeah, I was crawling out of this tube covered in tomato sauce into a cold field. And you know, in the field, it's not like there's you know, there's not like a hot room waiting for you. You're just after you crawl out of a tube in tomato sauce, just outside. You're just outside, you wet and tomato sauce for about an hour. And Maya Ericson, who works at the show now, she that was one of her first kind of pas A production assistant jobs when she went to go buy me some sweatpants from the Star. Yeah. Yeah, By the way, that sweatpants that she bought me was amazing, Like I still use it until today, four years later. I used it for flying. Is one of the best no brand sweatpants is um I've ever seen. So shout out Maya for gating me that sweatpants. Former Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams. You know, she told me, Ronnie when we first started. She pulls them to the side. There's a lot I can tell you about this job, but the only thing you need to know is that sometimes you're gonna be changing clothes in strange places. You're going to have to learn how to do that. Often, if you're changing clothes in strange places, it's probably a good piece. Like so then with everything that going on with this piece, Ronnie and you're crawling around it, which also, by the way, I didn't know that that was part of the piece, because like when we're picking all of these Chicago pieces, you know, some of us are pitching stuff and we see other Chicago stories that are on the board. That's probably like eight or nine stories that we know we're only going to get to four or five. And I saw Deep Dish, and I was like, m I think that one Deep Dish, Like, now, you know what, let me do the gang territory things. And I'm gonna be honest, I'm kind of glad I did the gang territory thing because I remained dry. Uh well, hey, you know what again that Sebastian said, the context of these were Daily Show was live in Chicago, and so the mandate was we wanted to do a week of field pieces in Chicago. Um, and so that's the context around this piece. So that that kind of motivated the research and the pitching behind this piece. But to be honest, I mean, this piece was great even if you know. I mean, I'm glad we got an excuse to find the story because the focus on Chicago for that week. But this was a great story regardless. And I don't want to jump the gun here. I'm trying to answer your question. This guy. I got so much to say about this field piece, but I personally learned a lot doing it, you know, um, beyond just the comedy elements. And also I'm not from America, so when there was this like Deep Dish Chicago rivalry, I was like, you know what, I don't even care. I would say whatever you want me to say. It's not it's not my fight. I was just apparently people hate Deep Dish. Okay, I'll play that game. I will say that about Ronnie, and I don't compliment him almost ever. But of the correspondence, all of you guys are are very down, but Ronnie is always the most down to do literally whatever I asked of him, or any of us ask of him. And you know, if I had asked you or Costa or DESI can you get into this tube filled the marinera so you would eventually do it, But why what is the joke this guy Shion And I think we can. I just crawled through and then you add saw some the computer yeah, and graphics, And I think what was so good about having Ronnie was he trusts all of us immensely with what our visions are. And he also just doesn't give a shit about like what people are like observing, because there were a lot of people giving us looks when we were like stomping on pizzas and throwing them against the walls and stuff, but he was just like so down. It's just it helps so much with the process to have talent that is just on board from the get go, so you can be out in the field and you're not like you're saying roy having these like conversations like all right, throw the pizza out, and then they're like wait, wait, wait, why am I throwing the what what is the motivate? Ba blah blah blah. And Ronnie just has like a complete kind of blind trust, which is helpful to allow us to like get as many crazy kind of moments. Ronnie Chain is the goal standard in the building for how daring. Are you willing to go? How much? How far are you going to go to do something? And that's always It's the thing I kind of mumbled to myself. Sometimes there's some of the other correspondence too, but it's well, should I do this? Yes, you have to do this? Never forget Runnie Chain ate half a stick of butter on live television and swallowed it. I mean, hey, I take after you guys are That's right? You're done. You didn't get that from me. Hey man, I'm not in Chicago gang territory trying to do coldy. I'm just throwing pizza as the you know, city people who are used to seeing everything. Top three wildest things on the air, in my opinion in the history of The Daily Show. Top three wildest things Steve Carrell eating a spoonful of Crisco, Runnie Chain eating half a stick of butter, and Costa and I when we went out to do the Florida Algae Peace um in the swamp and Costa was standing with no mask on next to a full green algae plan for the photo. And it's a gorgeous photo. But bro, that is some toxic ship right there three ft from your nostrils. What are you doing well? Hey, Daily Show Top three. We made it deptifying comedy acts. After the break, we're gonna talk with the founder and president of Recipe for Change, Chef Bruno, about about why he does what he does and what he thinks of Sebastian Slander of the Deep Dish. Joining us now is the gentleman that is the founder and the creator and the president and the CEO and the five star general of Recipe for Change. I'm not sure if those are all his exact titles, but Chef Bruno, about that. I pronounced that right, brother, Yes, right, yes, yes, you see that. Sebastian. Yeah, one of the few wants to say my last name. Everybody said I bought the baby, so before we started everything, I have a question that I never had to run it for the last four years. When I saw you the last time, we'll pay for the sauce of the mozzarella that you have a new tube and new pants. Oh we are got donations for that. Yeah, donation from whom from the people of Chicago who supported the piece. Okay, that's why I saw that. I said, that's not my mozzarella. Mozzarella was coming from the deep dish pizza and it looks greasy and bad. And even the marinara the color, the color was not really red like the Italian. To me, it was like a model, you know, Chef, we didn't want to use your blue. We were never just fact yours. Yeah, we didn't want to use your ingredients because in filming, you know, you go through a lot of them and you destroy them, and we didn't want to Yours are so sacred. We didn't want to use yours are ingredients. Yeah, we're just some public school marinaritive for problem and some of it was blood. It wasn't even Marianna. Yeah, only a chef would critique the food. The quality of the food used to crawl through. That is chef high standards. He's got high standards, man. I saw that when I was in his program. He's got very high standards. Royal'll let you get into it, but yes, so let's talk a little bit about Recipe for Change. Chef, what was the impetus for you starting that program? What did you see? What problem did you see in Chicago that you believe pizza could solve? Well, I, I you know, listen, I never see any problem and white. I'm an immigrant that came in this country to do what the old the immigrants do, work right, to make a better future for for the family and h and be a respectable uh series and so um, I don't have a no idea uh that you know, this will happened to me about the jail and U and so and like I said many time, and it's was really a call from God and uh so it just happened one night and all this happened to me. And I never been in prison and jail. I don't have a history with my family about prison and jail. So it really was a truly a call. And and I started right down of what could I do to change the prison system in America? After I saw this documentary A triator in the morning. There America, there's beautiful country incarcerated, you know, two thousand, seven hundred and kids you know, uh under fourteen with the life in prison with no prole at the time, think about it, there was you know American cancer. Kids are ten years old, eleven years old, twelve years old. I don't know if you guys have kids and think about it, just to stop it for a second, if you have a kid, and and think about a kid at ten eleven years old be life in prison? Are you saying America? What the fuck? Yeah? I think that's universal across all languages right there. But you know, everything makes sense after a while. And I, you know, I was all this miracle happened and I was in uh in junior prison after two weeks to start teaching. Those kids are to make you know, some food. And they don't understand me when I was talking while you see my accent as very strong, my English is not that good, and I don't understand them why they speak really you know, the American U English plus. But there was some connection. There was some connection when I was taking the spoon and and and say, hey, it tastes dry, and they were making faces. So did I start funding the connection between the food and them? And and so every time I was going there, it was it was it was a paradise. I discovered that, you know, they were making me better. Every time I was going out to after the teaching the class, I feel bad and bad, I feel with more energy, Oh my god. And that's what I gave me the power to continue and to think more, what can I do more? What can I do more. And and that's you know, uh now I am in a Cook County. Jael and Annie saw everybody saw on TV our beautiful our kitchen is and what we do. Yeah. I think what's really amazing about your program, Chef, is that you know, on the one hand, of course, it's teaching job skills that are translatable once you get to the outside, because we talk about America's prison system being a place for punishment instead of a real place for rehabilitation to learn skills. But what you also instilling is like this level of dignity, something to create, something to have a sense of pride, and something that you can pour yourself into. And I think that's what makes everything that you're doing just topped a bottom so amazing. You know a lot of people think I do this program why for the job. People don't understand the job is not the solution. The solution is to restore what's broke inside all these people m hm, the d nity, the self esteem, the old believe even themselves. So this is at all the little pieces that we need to connect with them. It's not about the job, but if by provide a job, and now you start with the restaurant to downturn and everybody was coming out and I tried myself, but my own skin come to work. Soon you get out and they will come in and work. They were like, you know, panic attack, they have been panic attack, they have been problems. They they don't know what to do, and you know, and soon they get some money, they go back to do the same the same lifestyle. So the program is based and give you back to make you believe what you can do. It to make you believe that you know, you are a human like you anyone and and we make mistake, but you know we can forget the mistake and start a new life anytime we want. And so that's what the problem is about, you know, making them um believe what they can do it and make them understand. I mean, you know, hey, if you sell drugs, how much money you make fifteen thousand a year? Twenty a year? If you go to work, you're gonna make more money and you're not risking to be in prison for five, six, seven years. So that's what I said to them. Might say how much money did you make your selling drugs last year? Uh twenty? Then you're not a good businessman? Are some bad drugs. Now you're gonna respectively. It makes sense, right. Yeah. That's also cool about Chef is that he's I found him equal parts inspirational, aspirational and practical. So the way he approached the program was all of those things. You know. It wasn't just let's all be better people. It's like, you can make more money if you're better us. It's like, this makes perfect sense. Good good will sales better than cocaine. Chef another question, Well, let me this, let me ask Sebastian and running a question first, and it's going to tie into something I have for you, Chef, Sebastian Ronnie, was there anything in the piece that did not make it in that you had to edit out? Like ah, because yeah, somebody like Chef doing all this great stuff, you also still have to balance that with jokes. Yeah, we were pretty lean in terms of what we shot with Chef himself, not only the conversational part of it. I mean there was oh my god, yeah, we cut a ton of the chef roasting deep dish with Ronnie. They're like they're standing at like a table and yet uh, Chef was like for like a half an hour to forty five minutes, just like insult after insult on Deep Dish Pizza. That like, it was funnier than I could have ever written, any of our writers could have written, just slamming it. What do you think about this Deep dish pizza? It's it's got to be each people shouldn't eat this. It's like a brick. Look at this. Look. I mean, I don't know where do you buy this? I don't want to know, but this is shade. That was the hardest stuff to cut because he was really like literally figuratively ripping into it and then literally ripping the pizza apart. And yeah, that was the best stuff. That was the hardest to cut because he like and he threw in the trash at all. That whole ship I didn't. I usually am very very controlling in particular about what I want to capture on camera, but almost that entire scene where Ronnie's like, well, describe what's wrong with Deep Dish pizza, Bruno just went off. I didn't give him any direction and he threw in the trash can. I didn't even know that was coming, so we like had to follow that. That whole thing was so beautiful. It was very coming from a very authentic place as well. Yes, yes, you know, yeah that and he hates to wasting food man, So for him to, yeah, for him to throw away a deep dish, it was like he doesn't even consider this human food. Yeah. I tried to keep as much of him talking about the program because that's what the piece was about, as best I could. And so, yeah, we didn't cut almost any of the program stuff, any of the stuff with the participants. Uh yeah. The other stuff that we just cut were mostly just joked stuff, more pizza stuff, some Ronnie interactions. So Sebastian running what I really wish could have been in the piece, And there's only so much time. I was just I'm always curious when people are doing good things in the community, without a doubt, there's always some asshole or some group of people who don't support it or try to find something wrong with it. Chef, what are some of the resistance that you found to your program over the years. Who are your hater Chef? That's what I'm trying to ask you, very bluntly. Who doesn't like deep dish in the jail? Oh my god, nobody likes a deep dish? You know. They call it the deep ship. Uh chef Roy is asking you who is opposing your program and are you are you well? Do you feel supported by your community in this program or do you have people that are giving I think we are, you know, we we know, we know. There is some separation and everything. A lot of people they don't care, you know, a lot of people. This is why we have this situation in America. A lot of people saying, all these people should be in jail forever. There's a criminal you know so, and but we do. We are fortune that we have more people they think different that they think that we should rehabilitated. The people that share support a program, you know. And I have to say that I never personally, you know, anyone say to media, actually I don't like the program more, you should not do it, or something like that. I would to that point. We uh. I was trying to in the beginning look for people opposed to like as the as the first time piece for me. The the formula as always to find a really cool thing or a good thing and then find someone opposed to it make fun of that person. But for this piece, I was I couldn't find anyone other than some like really fringe like people belong in jail forever and can't be rehabilitated. Kind of nut jobs that I wasn't interesting in interviewing, but across the board, and I think the Sheriff Tom Dart was a huge uh proponent of this, and he had a ton of Chef Bruno correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like there were a couple of programs like yours recipe for change, like gardening program there was there was a good amount of rehabilitation programs going on that seemed to be like overwhelmingly uh supported by most people in the community, which is why for me it was this piece was such a slam dunk. It was like we can really highlight some good. Yeah, we found a rare thing in America, and I think everyone can get behind. Especially on paper, it's already a good idea, but when you go and see what they're actually doing, you gain another level of respect, which is what happened to me of what was going on, of the mutual respect happening in the in the kitchen, um, what they were actually doing, the skills they're learning, um, you know, even the even even the financial reasons, like Chef would tell me, like he just bring his own ingredients in, so he wouldn't it would have cost to stay any money. You know, in some examples, I don't put you on the spot, chef, But what I'm saying is that it was all around like a like a good thing for everybody. Well, the rare things in America where it seems like everybody one from this everyone in the Cook County jail wants to be a part of this great program. I learned how to be a I learned how to work with a lot of other people. Basically, I've learned how to eat better. Chef. What is it about deep dish pizza that gets you so upset? It makes me upset? Why it's a good idea. It's a good idea. The pizza is a good idea. That pizza the way they want to do it. You know, in Italia we call a focastr piana. So it means, you know, the two dough why you have one on the bottom, one on top, and then you kind of feeling that in the middle. The problem means, you know, when you're using you know, a pound of cheese and then a pound of sauces and equalities. Also, so it's so bad and that's what you know. When you come to Chicago, you see a lot of you know a lot of people over wait why they eat that pizza? So they I'm against why there is a way to make something light, call it deep dish pizza. But you can do light. You can do with the motor reality. You can do some with the samazano tomato. If you use all these bad ingredients and you put it like you know, two pounder of the stop inside, it's become like a brick. Like I said in the show, it's a brick. It's not a pizza. And that's one's lies. It's like, you know, you're eating a brick. It goes in your stomach. And so that's what I don't like about it. The idea is phenomenal, you know. I wish I can make one for you right now and see a lie wilcome, you know, if you want to, if you want to stop. It's like you know about quantity and not the quality. And that's what it makes me crazy. Chef. I appreciate your sentiment for good ingredients, but you're talking to a man that eats McDonald's, armies and subway. But thank you. Nonetheless, I have a question about the evil ution of your program. Now I know that your program has evolved since you last talked with Ronnie. Could you talk to us a little bit about the food truck program and what you're doing for women and also the golf Well not only not only that, I mean you know, um the good things around and say before and it touch a good point is you know, I don't ask no money to state, the government nothing. This is all private money I have. I own a restaurant and no millions of people and that's what I do every day. Please donate a dollar and that's how we we we got the money. In the sense of the show, the Daily show. We have a beautiful kitchen a woman that we could create the woman division. So now we all we teach also the woman and we we have like almost seven thousand square feet to kitchen. After that too. Before COVID, we raise the money to buy a truck and now we have those beautiful tory feet uh truck that we bought it and uh and now we are in the process to building a kitchen inside. The goal of the truck is um too. This time a little difference. I want to see if I can break these rules. I'm not sure. My would be my dream to utilize the people they have minimum crime so they can go out of the jail and the money go on the truck work and when after the finish they work, they go back to the jail. It's a kind of rehabilitation. You know. Now I'm reading and I'm going to work. Then I come back, you know, in the same place much used to leave. So from there, if we have a profit, okay, the part of the profit will go in an account for the people, for those people they work, so when they go out, they're gonna have some money. It makes sense, what I say. That's great, and that's different than what it used to because when we started there, that was a big conceit of the piece was that you could only sell and give the pizza to incarcerated people, right like you couldn't sell it outside of the prison or the jail. So that's um, that's awesome, that's awesome. And all the profits consider that you know, we have we don't when I say profit, we don't have a billion like uh, you know, we have a little, very little, a few thousand dollars. But you know, we give you back to the cook county. It goes in the problems to other to help other problems. Why all the pluggers did in jail, they don't have money. So you know the person who comes to read the Bible or other stuff, so we we help them, and with that money to we found it more program inco County jail with the money. So so let me get this right, Chef, you self funded program to help people learn how to make pizza, but you're really giving them life skills. Then you set up a food truck that they can go and apply to pizza skills on. And then the money made from the food truck you're splitting with the county so that they can make other programs better. Oh my god, you might make me hate Deep Dish. I might hate Deep Dish Pizza for a week on your behalf. Just to honor you, chef, we gotta not to mention making great food as well. If you actually try, the food is amazing. The food is actually amazing. It adds to the culinary landscape of Chicago. The goal is you have in the end, you know, some money that I can border on the stide that when you go out you have something to start and you don't have to go back on the street and sell drugs to pay your rent or or to eat. Now, you're gonna have a some money. We're gonna teach you, We're gonna find a job for you. We're gonna see how you cannot go back, you know, in the same systue. Indeed, so last question for you, chef, will get you out of here. What can people that aren't as connected as you or as famous as you, or their restaurant is smaller and they're not and they don't have the same financial capabilities as you. What can people who aren't celebrity chefs do to get involved in their communities? We need more chef brunos. Well, I know, my listen, I've been I'm really I'm not. I'm not rich. I'm struggling every day here, I would pippy, now is have you thought about selling drugs? I don't have a lot of money, believe me. I I just you know, my goal is always get up in the money. I pray, I say, God give me the energy to do something good every day, and that's what I want to do. And then I'm worried about my employee, my employee of a family, and uh so every chef can do something. Just connect with uh, with your system, connect with jail where you are. Go open yourself and say no one, I'm coming once a week. I'm bringing my dreading. Can I teach them people? That's what I done. I used to do a hundred miles away every Monday to go in a prison of Saint Charles, bring my own food and stay there one out and you know, and teach those guys. Finally, we have a problem to find people to work, and you're gonna find a lot of good people all in the system. They need a chance. So go there and teach them. You're gonna found a lot of people that want to work. So this is gonna help us. Also in the restaurant business. Now that we have a big problem, we can found the dish watch. We're gonna pund chef. We're gonna pund anybody, not even to make a diogaly dish pizza, you know. So I think that's what the chef should do, just to be involved with your community. That's how you start everything. It's like a movement that we can start all the chef the chef movement in America, go and teach people in prison in jail. It makes sense, so no, sounds great like the Chef movement. We should we should get these words do God. I just got it and already got t shirts for sale, So thanks. Thanks for the idea. Though it's called recipe for Change program. He is Chef Bruno about brother. Thank you so much for joining us. We got one more break. We're gonna speak with one of your graduates. Actually, but thank you, chef for extending to us a little bit of your time. I will leave you now to the rest of your day where you can slander deep dish pizza on the internet. Thank you for going to be honest. Thank you, Thank you guys. I really, I really appreciate it that you know, you remembered us. And uh I hope that this it will be a big Ronnie. I love you. I love you, Chef. I'll see you soon. I'm coming to Chicago. I'm doing a show that I'll come and see you. I'll come buy a restaurant. Yeah, please come over. Okay, come to the rest so I want to see you. Okay, we'll do. Thank you, guys, Thank you, God bless you by the Chef movement. Ronnie is still here with me. Fragment director Sebastian Dina tal is still here with me and joining us now. Uh. This brother is a graduate of the Recipe of Change program. It was also featured in the original segment with Ronnie Dion Gillespie. Welcome to beyond the scenes. Thank you, thank you, happy to be here. Good to hear from you man. Thank you again. Now I'm gonna be honest. You know, as one of Ronnie's many black friends. You know, anytime a new one gets added to the rotation, I'm like, you know, who is this Ronnie? You know it was this person all about gotta make sure folks on the square. Now, Dion, Uh, talk to us a little bit. What was your experience like dealing with the Recipe for Change program. It was a like panging experience from me. Uh. I was going through a really some time in my life over the dark time put it because I was in custody, uh, and I was staling with a lot of self guilt for letting like a lot of family of friends down, a co workers, down the community. So I was like carrying at all the burden on my back. So when I got the opportunity to joying rest people change, it was almost an escape from that dark place, and uh it became something that provided some hope, um, and a hopeless moment for me at that time of my life. So rest People changed really changed my life. When let's talk we we didn't get a chance to really get into it with Chef Bruno, but you know, there's when we talk about incarceration and the idea that it's supposed to be a rebilative process where when you come out, a business should be ready to hire you on the assumption that you learned some skills and that you were better than when you went in. Walked me through that process of just trying to find a job once you got back out on the outside. Well, actually, for myself, I've been fortunate. Um, I've found them pointed almost immediately upon my release. And it's partly due to UH resources that was batting to me and rest People Change because of certifications I received for food sanitation restaurant management. So I found the company that was wanted to give me a chance and UH investing me. Um, it's pretty good company. UM, you know, especially the Center. The fact that I was just released like a little over three months ago, so benefits for one K Um, it's a union job, and this is just a stuff of stone. This is not my career. This is a stuff of stone to what's next for me. So for myself, it's been a pretty smooth transition, but it's usually and I like that for many others. So that's why programs like rest people changes. So yeah, because because I'm listening to where you are right now, de and it sounds like you in trans as we speak. Are you headed to work? Yeah? He I appreciate you guys for band with me. Man, this this uh, this commute on public transportation is really rough for that, so I apologize to you guys. Oh no, man, you a man on the goal. We appreciate you making a little time for us while you sit there on the train. So let me ask you real quick. Jeff Bruno said that the job skills are important, but not as as important as being able to offer a positive space for people to work while they're locked up. Could you speak a little bit about that part of the program for you. Yeah, I unequivocally agree with with Chef Bruno because like, um, I was saying like that, I don't I think the most difficult part about me transitioning back to the work place of society. It is my ability to perform or do my job. It's been like the communication aspect, the soft skills, the thing is that people don't use and we talk about because as you guys will may well know light nowhere is your inn ain't to test it then at the workplace. But when you're trying to do something that you're super badger comes to be like, hey stop right now and do this, and you just sit there like okay. So those sol skills that uh I learned the RESCIP people change. It has really been valuable tools that I've been able to implement into the DNA of the core man who I'm trying to become as a man, Like the compassion, uh the integrity just to winning iss to just do the right thing at all times and not take anything personal. I learned a lot of those things at RESCIP. People change. Like I said Chef Bruno, it's changed their lives along with the rest of the staff that works within the mom Chef abel our Glutrishness his son Adriano like it's a wonderful, for amazing program. And because of that program, I've been able to be a part of a platform such as the Daily Show, Like man, this is such a humbling experience for me. Man, So I'm really great for to be a part of this. Man, So we'll get you out of here. On the last question, Dion, do you stand with Deep Dish Pizza? I did, but I was directed by Bruno. So the thing across pizza is the best. Let's let's get more. So I'm not going to glory against the grain. And I will say before we let Dion go, I have to mention, uh, Dion has I think my favorite line from the whole piece, which is where you're going with the pizza? This teacha is genuinely awesome. It was like people lying up around the blocked by this. Actually it's only for inmates, guys. We're gonna rescue Chicago from that book just pizza. I know the piece is great, but this is not how you deve a conflict. All right, I'll be right back, Hey, what are you going with the pizza? Line? We me and the editor of that piece of Mark will still yell each other. Well if we leave or if we, like, you know, taking lunch somewhere else, we'll just what are you going with the pizza? It's a it's a great line. So thank you Dion for incredible delivery. Problem. Thank you guys, well deon brother, will let you get back to your commute. Man, Thank you for making a little bit of time to go beyond the scenes with this brother. Thank you, Thank you guys. You guys to be peaceful, deep blessed man. Thank you, yes, sir, right, all right, bye bye, all right man. Well, Ronnie Sebastian, we did it. We went beyond the scenes on your piece. You look so excited by them like you're because I thought that someone would stand with me in defending Deep Dish pizza and here I stand alone. You're all alone, the man, Why do you even why are you on the side of Deep Dish, because I'm to do with that stuff. I like hi and this is closer to pie support the Cubs for some reason, you're from Alabama like pie. It's a casserole. If anything smashup like whatever it is, it's delicious and it's better than let me stop because I don't want New York City on my ask. Thank you so much for going beyond the scenes and gonna get both for you the funk out of here, and then slander, then cruss once you're off the air. Thanks for having us, right yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, get it, get out of here. Love you see in the building. Build Beyond the Scenes will be back with all new episodes next week. If you want to catch up on our past episodes at the Daily Show dot com, slash Beyond, the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you're listening.

Hey, it's Roy Wood Jr. Up Next is a special presentation of the Daily Show podcast Beyond the Scenes, where we go a little deeper into segments that originally appeared on the show. In this episode, I sit down with Daily Show correspondent Ronnie Chang, Daily Show Segment director Sebastian Di Natal, and chef Bruno Abate to discuss his program Recipe for Change. The program helps empower formally incarcerated individuals through the culinary arts, and we also discussed the redeeming qualities of Chicago pizza. I like Chicago pizza. You know, debate for me anyway, take a listen, Hey, welcome to Beyond the Scenes. Now. I've tried to explain what this podcast is. Do you know what this podcast is. This podcast is after you've had a great night in the club and then you go out on the sidewalk and there's a hot dog on a grill. It's not even a grill, it's someone who's created a grill type device, and it's savory, and it's bacon wrapped and it's delicious. It was exactly what you needed. You only left the house to go to the club, but you left with the bacon wrapped hot dog under questionable sanitary conditions. That's what this podcast is all about. And this week I've got food on my mind because we are talking about pizza and how it relates to the criminal justice system. Let's roll the clip. Oh, this is what people in Chicago called pizza, Like I find decent slice in the city, and so this stupid boy, I couldn't find a single place that sold real pizza, just these deep dish dough dumpsters. This isn't pizza, this isn't even human food. After hours of only deep dish, I finally found a place that served delicious, normal pizza high the Cook County Jail. This goal mate pizza. It's actually made by and sold two inmates as papa training program called Recipe for Change. You know reivism rates like it's expensive to incarceerate people, It's not expensive to give him a skill. The man giving them that skill local restaurant chef Bruno about it, who volunteers his time and expertise to tease inmates how to cook the best pizza in Chicago. That's right, we are talking about food in a piece that focused on an organization called the Recipe for Change program and it's a program that helps people that are incarcerated in Chicago's Cook County Jail to learn how to make the best pizza in town and take those skills back out into the world to do something amazing with their lives. To help us break this down a little later, is the CEO and creator of that program, the wonderful, Wonderful Chef Bruno about but now joining us. It's Daily Show segment director Sebastian Dinatal and Daily Show correspondent Runnage Hang h, hey, thanks for having us now, Sebastian, because you are Italian, should I start with you? I don't want to. What's woke this way for me to do this? Well, usually stop the onscreen talent, but whatever, Well, yeah, but you're not really a talent in this case. The pieces the talent, so I know that was really relevant to this whole thing. But go ahead, yeah, Ronnie. As an ally to our marri and era Americans, I think it is important that we asked them first what they feel comfortable with when we're talking about pizza. Fine, go ahead, yeah, thank you. And we're we're recording this very close to uh Christopher Columbus Day, so it's very important that we as a people finally have a voice. I'm getting a voice to the voiceless, really, so thank you for having me on and understanding the play of Italians that we face every day. What is the gist of this piece running for the people who haven't seen it? Cook County Jail in Chicago had a program where they taught UM inconcerated UM people there how to make pizza while they were incocerated, to kind of make use of at time, so they have the skill sets when they leave. That's the top level cliff notes of what we knew of the story going in coming out of it. I mean, you know, I learned a lot more. I'll let you get to it, but that's the kind of almost the you know, the most basic way I could describe what's going on here. And I know in the piece Sebastians, whose decision was it to have Runney destroyed all of these beautiful deep dish pizzas in the spirit of him going to the jail? And that was my decision and all entirely my decision. I'm a I'm a proud New Yorker and a proud lover of food and pizza and Italian. We were tasked to do a piece about Chicago, specifically because we were doing a series. We were doing a week of shows in Chica Ago when this piece came around. Uh, I kind of wanted to start it off as like a Ronnie foodie kind of piece to make people think it was about like, oh, Chicago Deep Dish. Dailey show is gonna really rip into Chicago Deep Dish. But we and like every other New York based show has done that a million times. So after the first minute, we realize it's not just a piece shooting on Chicago Deep Dish pizza, which it is, but it has a another layer to it, which is the rehabilitation aspect that I really wanted to explore. But yeah, we had way more takes and different shots of destroying pizzas that sadly we had to cut for time. But I was I took so much pleasure in Ronnie punting those pizzas, throwing them in the river. Yeah, in the archives. You gotta have to check the archives. I mean. I was also mentioned this was Sebastian's actual fuss piece. I'll the field this when I got out of the office. I managed the it managed the getting the field with us. Yeah, how Sebastian, how difficult was it working with the Cook County Jail to speak with people on the inside that were going through this program, Like, what's that process? Because I've never done that on this show. Yeah. I guess one of the advantages of being a first piece, which I really wasn't sure what any protocols for any of it was, so I would just you know, ask a a segment producer or my boss or a coordinator like, hey, have we done this before? Can we do this? Can we talk to a jail? And they were like, we can reach out And normally in the past it's been kind of tougher to get inside of jails and film there. But I think when we pitched this um too the Cook County Jail and the Sheriff Tom Dart in his office, we really wanted to focus and make it a point to say, like, this is we really want to highlight this program. It's such an incredible program and we want to feature, uh, these people that are part of the program as well as the owner. This is something we want to really highlight that we think is really good for criminal justice reform. And that was and they were like great, Sure, as long as you don't like, you know, make any jokes about like escaping prison or anything. That was the That was the kind of uh yeah, that's the only stipulation that they had up top was like, yeah, just keep it to the program and imagine what we the first the very first thing we did was yeah, I feel me those guys where we escape from Yeah. In October, Ronnie Chang smuggled thin cruss pizza out of Click County jail. Well, Ronnie loved pizza, but he also hated Chicago deep dish. He had to find a way to get thin crust pizza to the people of Chicago. All it takes to get pizza out is cheese, though, and time that in a big gas poster. He crawled through a river Marianera and came out smelling like basing. Yeah, but you know you gotta given. And they were fine, and they afterwards where they were like, yeah, we wish you hadn't done that, But the pieces great, So thanks. Can we talk a bit about that little segment because I mean, it was two seconds in the whole field piece, but it took like hours of filming and it was me crawling in the fall cold in Chicago, in in in tomato sauce out of a tube in the middle of a field and that was househole. Um yeah, I was crawling out of this tube covered in tomato sauce into a cold field. And you know, in the field, it's not like there's you know, there's not like a hot room waiting for you. You're just after you crawl out of a tube in tomato sauce, just outside. You're just outside, you wet and tomato sauce for about an hour. And Maya Ericson, who works at the show now, she that was one of her first kind of pas A production assistant jobs when she went to go buy me some sweatpants from the Star. Yeah. Yeah, By the way, that sweatpants that she bought me was amazing, Like I still use it until today, four years later. I used it for flying. Is one of the best no brand sweatpants is um I've ever seen. So shout out Maya for gating me that sweatpants. Former Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams. You know, she told me, Ronnie when we first started. She pulls them to the side. There's a lot I can tell you about this job, but the only thing you need to know is that sometimes you're gonna be changing clothes in strange places. You're going to have to learn how to do that. Often, if you're changing clothes in strange places, it's probably a good piece. Like so then with everything that going on with this piece, Ronnie and you're crawling around it, which also, by the way, I didn't know that that was part of the piece, because like when we're picking all of these Chicago pieces, you know, some of us are pitching stuff and we see other Chicago stories that are on the board. That's probably like eight or nine stories that we know we're only going to get to four or five. And I saw Deep Dish, and I was like, m I think that one Deep Dish, Like, now, you know what, let me do the gang territory things. And I'm gonna be honest, I'm kind of glad I did the gang territory thing because I remained dry. Uh well, hey, you know what again that Sebastian said, the context of these were Daily Show was live in Chicago, and so the mandate was we wanted to do a week of field pieces in Chicago. Um, and so that's the context around this piece. So that that kind of motivated the research and the pitching behind this piece. But to be honest, I mean, this piece was great even if you know. I mean, I'm glad we got an excuse to find the story because the focus on Chicago for that week. But this was a great story regardless. And I don't want to jump the gun here. I'm trying to answer your question. This guy. I got so much to say about this field piece, but I personally learned a lot doing it, you know, um, beyond just the comedy elements. And also I'm not from America, so when there was this like Deep Dish Chicago rivalry, I was like, you know what, I don't even care. I would say whatever you want me to say. It's not it's not my fight. I was just apparently people hate Deep Dish. Okay, I'll play that game. I will say that about Ronnie, and I don't compliment him almost ever. But of the correspondence, all of you guys are are very down, but Ronnie is always the most down to do literally whatever I asked of him, or any of us ask of him. And you know, if I had asked you or Costa or DESI can you get into this tube filled the marinera so you would eventually do it, But why what is the joke this guy Shion And I think we can. I just crawled through and then you add saw some the computer yeah, and graphics, And I think what was so good about having Ronnie was he trusts all of us immensely with what our visions are. And he also just doesn't give a shit about like what people are like observing, because there were a lot of people giving us looks when we were like stomping on pizzas and throwing them against the walls and stuff, but he was just like so down. It's just it helps so much with the process to have talent that is just on board from the get go, so you can be out in the field and you're not like you're saying roy having these like conversations like all right, throw the pizza out, and then they're like wait, wait, wait, why am I throwing the what what is the motivate? Ba blah blah blah. And Ronnie just has like a complete kind of blind trust, which is helpful to allow us to like get as many crazy kind of moments. Ronnie Chain is the goal standard in the building for how daring. Are you willing to go? How much? How far are you going to go to do something? And that's always It's the thing I kind of mumbled to myself. Sometimes there's some of the other correspondence too, but it's well, should I do this? Yes, you have to do this? Never forget Runnie Chain ate half a stick of butter on live television and swallowed it. I mean, hey, I take after you guys are That's right? You're done. You didn't get that from me. Hey man, I'm not in Chicago gang territory trying to do coldy. I'm just throwing pizza as the you know, city people who are used to seeing everything. Top three wildest things on the air, in my opinion in the history of The Daily Show. Top three wildest things Steve Carrell eating a spoonful of Crisco, Runnie Chain eating half a stick of butter, and Costa and I when we went out to do the Florida Algae Peace um in the swamp and Costa was standing with no mask on next to a full green algae plan for the photo. And it's a gorgeous photo. But bro, that is some toxic ship right there three ft from your nostrils. What are you doing well? Hey, Daily Show Top three. We made it deptifying comedy acts. After the break, we're gonna talk with the founder and president of Recipe for Change, Chef Bruno, about about why he does what he does and what he thinks of Sebastian Slander of the Deep Dish. Joining us now is the gentleman that is the founder and the creator and the president and the CEO and the five star general of Recipe for Change. I'm not sure if those are all his exact titles, but Chef Bruno, about that. I pronounced that right, brother, Yes, right, yes, yes, you see that. Sebastian. Yeah, one of the few wants to say my last name. Everybody said I bought the baby, so before we started everything, I have a question that I never had to run it for the last four years. When I saw you the last time, we'll pay for the sauce of the mozzarella that you have a new tube and new pants. Oh we are got donations for that. Yeah, donation from whom from the people of Chicago who supported the piece. Okay, that's why I saw that. I said, that's not my mozzarella. Mozzarella was coming from the deep dish pizza and it looks greasy and bad. And even the marinara the color, the color was not really red like the Italian. To me, it was like a model, you know, Chef, we didn't want to use your blue. We were never just fact yours. Yeah, we didn't want to use your ingredients because in filming, you know, you go through a lot of them and you destroy them, and we didn't want to Yours are so sacred. We didn't want to use yours are ingredients. Yeah, we're just some public school marinaritive for problem and some of it was blood. It wasn't even Marianna. Yeah, only a chef would critique the food. The quality of the food used to crawl through. That is chef high standards. He's got high standards, man. I saw that when I was in his program. He's got very high standards. Royal'll let you get into it, but yes, so let's talk a little bit about Recipe for Change. Chef, what was the impetus for you starting that program? What did you see? What problem did you see in Chicago that you believe pizza could solve? Well, I, I you know, listen, I never see any problem and white. I'm an immigrant that came in this country to do what the old the immigrants do, work right, to make a better future for for the family and h and be a respectable uh series and so um, I don't have a no idea uh that you know, this will happened to me about the jail and U and so and like I said many time, and it's was really a call from God and uh so it just happened one night and all this happened to me. And I never been in prison and jail. I don't have a history with my family about prison and jail. So it really was a truly a call. And and I started right down of what could I do to change the prison system in America? After I saw this documentary A triator in the morning. There America, there's beautiful country incarcerated, you know, two thousand, seven hundred and kids you know, uh under fourteen with the life in prison with no prole at the time, think about it, there was you know American cancer. Kids are ten years old, eleven years old, twelve years old. I don't know if you guys have kids and think about it, just to stop it for a second, if you have a kid, and and think about a kid at ten eleven years old be life in prison? Are you saying America? What the fuck? Yeah? I think that's universal across all languages right there. But you know, everything makes sense after a while. And I, you know, I was all this miracle happened and I was in uh in junior prison after two weeks to start teaching. Those kids are to make you know, some food. And they don't understand me when I was talking while you see my accent as very strong, my English is not that good, and I don't understand them why they speak really you know, the American U English plus. But there was some connection. There was some connection when I was taking the spoon and and and say, hey, it tastes dry, and they were making faces. So did I start funding the connection between the food and them? And and so every time I was going there, it was it was it was a paradise. I discovered that, you know, they were making me better. Every time I was going out to after the teaching the class, I feel bad and bad, I feel with more energy, Oh my god. And that's what I gave me the power to continue and to think more, what can I do more? What can I do more. And and that's you know, uh now I am in a Cook County. Jael and Annie saw everybody saw on TV our beautiful our kitchen is and what we do. Yeah. I think what's really amazing about your program, Chef, is that you know, on the one hand, of course, it's teaching job skills that are translatable once you get to the outside, because we talk about America's prison system being a place for punishment instead of a real place for rehabilitation to learn skills. But what you also instilling is like this level of dignity, something to create, something to have a sense of pride, and something that you can pour yourself into. And I think that's what makes everything that you're doing just topped a bottom so amazing. You know a lot of people think I do this program why for the job. People don't understand the job is not the solution. The solution is to restore what's broke inside all these people m hm, the d nity, the self esteem, the old believe even themselves. So this is at all the little pieces that we need to connect with them. It's not about the job, but if by provide a job, and now you start with the restaurant to downturn and everybody was coming out and I tried myself, but my own skin come to work. Soon you get out and they will come in and work. They were like, you know, panic attack, they have been panic attack, they have been problems. They they don't know what to do, and you know, and soon they get some money, they go back to do the same the same lifestyle. So the program is based and give you back to make you believe what you can do. It to make you believe that you know, you are a human like you anyone and and we make mistake, but you know we can forget the mistake and start a new life anytime we want. And so that's what the problem is about, you know, making them um believe what they can do it and make them understand. I mean, you know, hey, if you sell drugs, how much money you make fifteen thousand a year? Twenty a year? If you go to work, you're gonna make more money and you're not risking to be in prison for five, six, seven years. So that's what I said to them. Might say how much money did you make your selling drugs last year? Uh twenty? Then you're not a good businessman? Are some bad drugs. Now you're gonna respectively. It makes sense, right. Yeah. That's also cool about Chef is that he's I found him equal parts inspirational, aspirational and practical. So the way he approached the program was all of those things. You know. It wasn't just let's all be better people. It's like, you can make more money if you're better us. It's like, this makes perfect sense. Good good will sales better than cocaine. Chef another question, Well, let me this, let me ask Sebastian and running a question first, and it's going to tie into something I have for you, Chef, Sebastian Ronnie, was there anything in the piece that did not make it in that you had to edit out? Like ah, because yeah, somebody like Chef doing all this great stuff, you also still have to balance that with jokes. Yeah, we were pretty lean in terms of what we shot with Chef himself, not only the conversational part of it. I mean there was oh my god, yeah, we cut a ton of the chef roasting deep dish with Ronnie. They're like they're standing at like a table and yet uh, Chef was like for like a half an hour to forty five minutes, just like insult after insult on Deep Dish Pizza. That like, it was funnier than I could have ever written, any of our writers could have written, just slamming it. What do you think about this Deep dish pizza? It's it's got to be each people shouldn't eat this. It's like a brick. Look at this. Look. I mean, I don't know where do you buy this? I don't want to know, but this is shade. That was the hardest stuff to cut because he was really like literally figuratively ripping into it and then literally ripping the pizza apart. And yeah, that was the best stuff. That was the hardest to cut because he like and he threw in the trash at all. That whole ship I didn't. I usually am very very controlling in particular about what I want to capture on camera, but almost that entire scene where Ronnie's like, well, describe what's wrong with Deep Dish pizza, Bruno just went off. I didn't give him any direction and he threw in the trash can. I didn't even know that was coming, so we like had to follow that. That whole thing was so beautiful. It was very coming from a very authentic place as well. Yes, yes, you know, yeah that and he hates to wasting food man, So for him to, yeah, for him to throw away a deep dish, it was like he doesn't even consider this human food. Yeah. I tried to keep as much of him talking about the program because that's what the piece was about, as best I could. And so, yeah, we didn't cut almost any of the program stuff, any of the stuff with the participants. Uh yeah. The other stuff that we just cut were mostly just joked stuff, more pizza stuff, some Ronnie interactions. So Sebastian running what I really wish could have been in the piece, And there's only so much time. I was just I'm always curious when people are doing good things in the community, without a doubt, there's always some asshole or some group of people who don't support it or try to find something wrong with it. Chef, what are some of the resistance that you found to your program over the years. Who are your hater Chef? That's what I'm trying to ask you, very bluntly. Who doesn't like deep dish in the jail? Oh my god, nobody likes a deep dish? You know. They call it the deep ship. Uh chef Roy is asking you who is opposing your program and are you are you well? Do you feel supported by your community in this program or do you have people that are giving I think we are, you know, we we know, we know. There is some separation and everything. A lot of people they don't care, you know, a lot of people. This is why we have this situation in America. A lot of people saying, all these people should be in jail forever. There's a criminal you know so, and but we do. We are fortune that we have more people they think different that they think that we should rehabilitated. The people that share support a program, you know. And I have to say that I never personally, you know, anyone say to media, actually I don't like the program more, you should not do it, or something like that. I would to that point. We uh. I was trying to in the beginning look for people opposed to like as the as the first time piece for me. The the formula as always to find a really cool thing or a good thing and then find someone opposed to it make fun of that person. But for this piece, I was I couldn't find anyone other than some like really fringe like people belong in jail forever and can't be rehabilitated. Kind of nut jobs that I wasn't interesting in interviewing, but across the board, and I think the Sheriff Tom Dart was a huge uh proponent of this, and he had a ton of Chef Bruno correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like there were a couple of programs like yours recipe for change, like gardening program there was there was a good amount of rehabilitation programs going on that seemed to be like overwhelmingly uh supported by most people in the community, which is why for me it was this piece was such a slam dunk. It was like we can really highlight some good. Yeah, we found a rare thing in America, and I think everyone can get behind. Especially on paper, it's already a good idea, but when you go and see what they're actually doing, you gain another level of respect, which is what happened to me of what was going on, of the mutual respect happening in the in the kitchen, um, what they were actually doing, the skills they're learning, um, you know, even the even even the financial reasons, like Chef would tell me, like he just bring his own ingredients in, so he wouldn't it would have cost to stay any money. You know, in some examples, I don't put you on the spot, chef, But what I'm saying is that it was all around like a like a good thing for everybody. Well, the rare things in America where it seems like everybody one from this everyone in the Cook County jail wants to be a part of this great program. I learned how to be a I learned how to work with a lot of other people. Basically, I've learned how to eat better. Chef. What is it about deep dish pizza that gets you so upset? It makes me upset? Why it's a good idea. It's a good idea. The pizza is a good idea. That pizza the way they want to do it. You know, in Italia we call a focastr piana. So it means, you know, the two dough why you have one on the bottom, one on top, and then you kind of feeling that in the middle. The problem means, you know, when you're using you know, a pound of cheese and then a pound of sauces and equalities. Also, so it's so bad and that's what you know. When you come to Chicago, you see a lot of you know a lot of people over wait why they eat that pizza? So they I'm against why there is a way to make something light, call it deep dish pizza. But you can do light. You can do with the motor reality. You can do some with the samazano tomato. If you use all these bad ingredients and you put it like you know, two pounder of the stop inside, it's become like a brick. Like I said in the show, it's a brick. It's not a pizza. And that's one's lies. It's like, you know, you're eating a brick. It goes in your stomach. And so that's what I don't like about it. The idea is phenomenal, you know. I wish I can make one for you right now and see a lie wilcome, you know, if you want to, if you want to stop. It's like you know about quantity and not the quality. And that's what it makes me crazy. Chef. I appreciate your sentiment for good ingredients, but you're talking to a man that eats McDonald's, armies and subway. But thank you. Nonetheless, I have a question about the evil ution of your program. Now I know that your program has evolved since you last talked with Ronnie. Could you talk to us a little bit about the food truck program and what you're doing for women and also the golf Well not only not only that, I mean you know, um the good things around and say before and it touch a good point is you know, I don't ask no money to state, the government nothing. This is all private money I have. I own a restaurant and no millions of people and that's what I do every day. Please donate a dollar and that's how we we we got the money. In the sense of the show, the Daily show. We have a beautiful kitchen a woman that we could create the woman division. So now we all we teach also the woman and we we have like almost seven thousand square feet to kitchen. After that too. Before COVID, we raise the money to buy a truck and now we have those beautiful tory feet uh truck that we bought it and uh and now we are in the process to building a kitchen inside. The goal of the truck is um too. This time a little difference. I want to see if I can break these rules. I'm not sure. My would be my dream to utilize the people they have minimum crime so they can go out of the jail and the money go on the truck work and when after the finish they work, they go back to the jail. It's a kind of rehabilitation. You know. Now I'm reading and I'm going to work. Then I come back, you know, in the same place much used to leave. So from there, if we have a profit, okay, the part of the profit will go in an account for the people, for those people they work, so when they go out, they're gonna have some money. It makes sense, what I say. That's great, and that's different than what it used to because when we started there, that was a big conceit of the piece was that you could only sell and give the pizza to incarcerated people, right like you couldn't sell it outside of the prison or the jail. So that's um, that's awesome, that's awesome. And all the profits consider that you know, we have we don't when I say profit, we don't have a billion like uh, you know, we have a little, very little, a few thousand dollars. But you know, we give you back to the cook county. It goes in the problems to other to help other problems. Why all the pluggers did in jail, they don't have money. So you know the person who comes to read the Bible or other stuff, so we we help them, and with that money to we found it more program inco County jail with the money. So so let me get this right, Chef, you self funded program to help people learn how to make pizza, but you're really giving them life skills. Then you set up a food truck that they can go and apply to pizza skills on. And then the money made from the food truck you're splitting with the county so that they can make other programs better. Oh my god, you might make me hate Deep Dish. I might hate Deep Dish Pizza for a week on your behalf. Just to honor you, chef, we gotta not to mention making great food as well. If you actually try, the food is amazing. The food is actually amazing. It adds to the culinary landscape of Chicago. The goal is you have in the end, you know, some money that I can border on the stide that when you go out you have something to start and you don't have to go back on the street and sell drugs to pay your rent or or to eat. Now, you're gonna have a some money. We're gonna teach you, We're gonna find a job for you. We're gonna see how you cannot go back, you know, in the same systue. Indeed, so last question for you, chef, will get you out of here. What can people that aren't as connected as you or as famous as you, or their restaurant is smaller and they're not and they don't have the same financial capabilities as you. What can people who aren't celebrity chefs do to get involved in their communities? We need more chef brunos. Well, I know, my listen, I've been I'm really I'm not. I'm not rich. I'm struggling every day here, I would pippy, now is have you thought about selling drugs? I don't have a lot of money, believe me. I I just you know, my goal is always get up in the money. I pray, I say, God give me the energy to do something good every day, and that's what I want to do. And then I'm worried about my employee, my employee of a family, and uh so every chef can do something. Just connect with uh, with your system, connect with jail where you are. Go open yourself and say no one, I'm coming once a week. I'm bringing my dreading. Can I teach them people? That's what I done. I used to do a hundred miles away every Monday to go in a prison of Saint Charles, bring my own food and stay there one out and you know, and teach those guys. Finally, we have a problem to find people to work, and you're gonna find a lot of good people all in the system. They need a chance. So go there and teach them. You're gonna found a lot of people that want to work. So this is gonna help us. Also in the restaurant business. Now that we have a big problem, we can found the dish watch. We're gonna pund chef. We're gonna pund anybody, not even to make a diogaly dish pizza, you know. So I think that's what the chef should do, just to be involved with your community. That's how you start everything. It's like a movement that we can start all the chef the chef movement in America, go and teach people in prison in jail. It makes sense, so no, sounds great like the Chef movement. We should we should get these words do God. I just got it and already got t shirts for sale, So thanks. Thanks for the idea. Though it's called recipe for Change program. He is Chef Bruno about brother. Thank you so much for joining us. We got one more break. We're gonna speak with one of your graduates. Actually, but thank you, chef for extending to us a little bit of your time. I will leave you now to the rest of your day where you can slander deep dish pizza on the internet. Thank you for going to be honest. Thank you, Thank you guys. I really, I really appreciate it that you know, you remembered us. And uh I hope that this it will be a big Ronnie. I love you. I love you, Chef. I'll see you soon. I'm coming to Chicago. I'm doing a show that I'll come and see you. I'll come buy a restaurant. Yeah, please come over. Okay, come to the rest so I want to see you. Okay, we'll do. Thank you, guys, Thank you, God bless you by the Chef movement. Ronnie is still here with me. Fragment director Sebastian Dina tal is still here with me and joining us now. Uh. This brother is a graduate of the Recipe of Change program. It was also featured in the original segment with Ronnie Dion Gillespie. Welcome to beyond the scenes. Thank you, thank you, happy to be here. Good to hear from you man. Thank you again. Now I'm gonna be honest. You know, as one of Ronnie's many black friends. You know, anytime a new one gets added to the rotation, I'm like, you know, who is this Ronnie? You know it was this person all about gotta make sure folks on the square. Now, Dion, Uh, talk to us a little bit. What was your experience like dealing with the Recipe for Change program. It was a like panging experience from me. Uh. I was going through a really some time in my life over the dark time put it because I was in custody, uh, and I was staling with a lot of self guilt for letting like a lot of family of friends down, a co workers, down the community. So I was like carrying at all the burden on my back. So when I got the opportunity to joying rest people change, it was almost an escape from that dark place, and uh it became something that provided some hope, um, and a hopeless moment for me at that time of my life. So rest People changed really changed my life. When let's talk we we didn't get a chance to really get into it with Chef Bruno, but you know, there's when we talk about incarceration and the idea that it's supposed to be a rebilative process where when you come out, a business should be ready to hire you on the assumption that you learned some skills and that you were better than when you went in. Walked me through that process of just trying to find a job once you got back out on the outside. Well, actually, for myself, I've been fortunate. Um, I've found them pointed almost immediately upon my release. And it's partly due to UH resources that was batting to me and rest People Change because of certifications I received for food sanitation restaurant management. So I found the company that was wanted to give me a chance and UH investing me. Um, it's pretty good company. UM, you know, especially the Center. The fact that I was just released like a little over three months ago, so benefits for one K Um, it's a union job, and this is just a stuff of stone. This is not my career. This is a stuff of stone to what's next for me. So for myself, it's been a pretty smooth transition, but it's usually and I like that for many others. So that's why programs like rest people changes. So yeah, because because I'm listening to where you are right now, de and it sounds like you in trans as we speak. Are you headed to work? Yeah? He I appreciate you guys for band with me. Man, this this uh, this commute on public transportation is really rough for that, so I apologize to you guys. Oh no, man, you a man on the goal. We appreciate you making a little time for us while you sit there on the train. So let me ask you real quick. Jeff Bruno said that the job skills are important, but not as as important as being able to offer a positive space for people to work while they're locked up. Could you speak a little bit about that part of the program for you. Yeah, I unequivocally agree with with Chef Bruno because like, um, I was saying like that, I don't I think the most difficult part about me transitioning back to the work place of society. It is my ability to perform or do my job. It's been like the communication aspect, the soft skills, the thing is that people don't use and we talk about because as you guys will may well know light nowhere is your inn ain't to test it then at the workplace. But when you're trying to do something that you're super badger comes to be like, hey stop right now and do this, and you just sit there like okay. So those sol skills that uh I learned the RESCIP people change. It has really been valuable tools that I've been able to implement into the DNA of the core man who I'm trying to become as a man, Like the compassion, uh the integrity just to winning iss to just do the right thing at all times and not take anything personal. I learned a lot of those things at RESCIP. People change. Like I said Chef Bruno, it's changed their lives along with the rest of the staff that works within the mom Chef abel our Glutrishness his son Adriano like it's a wonderful, for amazing program. And because of that program, I've been able to be a part of a platform such as the Daily Show, Like man, this is such a humbling experience for me. Man, So I'm really great for to be a part of this. Man, So we'll get you out of here. On the last question, Dion, do you stand with Deep Dish Pizza? I did, but I was directed by Bruno. So the thing across pizza is the best. Let's let's get more. So I'm not going to glory against the grain. And I will say before we let Dion go, I have to mention, uh, Dion has I think my favorite line from the whole piece, which is where you're going with the pizza? This teacha is genuinely awesome. It was like people lying up around the blocked by this. Actually it's only for inmates, guys. We're gonna rescue Chicago from that book just pizza. I know the piece is great, but this is not how you deve a conflict. All right, I'll be right back, Hey, what are you going with the pizza? Line? We me and the editor of that piece of Mark will still yell each other. Well if we leave or if we, like, you know, taking lunch somewhere else, we'll just what are you going with the pizza? It's a it's a great line. So thank you Dion for incredible delivery. Problem. Thank you guys, well deon brother, will let you get back to your commute. Man, Thank you for making a little bit of time to go beyond the scenes with this brother. Thank you, Thank you guys. You guys to be peaceful, deep blessed man. Thank you, yes, sir, right, all right, bye bye, all right man. Well, Ronnie Sebastian, we did it. We went beyond the scenes on your piece. You look so excited by them like you're because I thought that someone would stand with me in defending Deep Dish pizza and here I stand alone. You're all alone, the man, Why do you even why are you on the side of Deep Dish, because I'm to do with that stuff. I like hi and this is closer to pie support the Cubs for some reason, you're from Alabama like pie. It's a casserole. If anything smashup like whatever it is, it's delicious and it's better than let me stop because I don't want New York City on my ask. Thank you so much for going beyond the scenes and gonna get both for you the funk out of here, and then slander, then cruss once you're off the air. Thanks for having us, right yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, get it, get out of here. Love you see in the building. Build Beyond the Scenes will be back with all new episodes next week. If you want to catch up on our past episodes at the Daily Show dot com, slash Beyond, the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you're listening.