Jimmy Schmidt
Respect, Taste & Nutrition
My simple inspiration is to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the bounty of nature. Seasonal ingredients captured at their peak of flavor and nutrition, in contrasting and accentuating collisions of flavors inspire the senses to nourish both mind and body and engrave warm memories for years to come. “We are what we eat”, may reflect more than mere physical properties alone. The simultaneous energizing of all our senses of vision, smell, touch, hearing, taste and umami may be a direct path to our soul and inner well being. Cooking applies my unique perspective of nature’s flavor, biological and nutritional components to elevate the taste and align the nutrition to a delicious nourishing harmony.
Life is a Journey
Jimmy was born and raised in the farmlands of Central Illinois, introduced into the wild bounty of the region by his parents by foraging through country forests, wetlands, and even railroad sidings. Wild vegetables, tree nuts, and bountiful game enriched the family diet and implanted a love for seasonal food deep into his soul.
Jimmy loved to learn, excelling quickly through the principle studies of Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois. He transferred to Luberon College in Avignon, France (1974) for language credits with French Culinary Arts and Institut Technique du Vin Wine Programs, sparking his passion for food and wine under the mentorship of Madeleine Kamman. Following Madeleine back to her school in Boston, Modern Gourmet, he enrolled in the Profession Chef and French-Italian Regional Cuisine curriculums with top honors(1976), simultaneously with hands experience leading her award-winning restaurant Chez la Mere Madeleine.
1978, he moved back to the Midwest to the London Chop House in Detroit. The rich bounty of the Great Lakes and local Michigan fields inspired a midwestern cuisine elevated by contemporary culinary technique. This was at the core root of the American Food movement, first recognized and celebrated by Food & Wine Magazine Honor Roll of American Chefs (1983) and Cooks Magazine Who’s Who of Cooking in America (1984), New York Times (1984) as well as an Restaurant & Institute Ivy Award (1980). Jimmy took time during his biannual European wine buying trips for the restaurant to assist Madeleine with the opening of her new school in Annecy, France(1981)
1985, Denver Rattlesnake became Jimmy’s next culinary adventure celebrating the rich warm flavors of the Southwest. The massive grill, bar and restaurant project generated national food waves recognized by Metropolitan Home(1986), James Beard Great Chef Award(1987), Restaurant & Institution Ivy Award (1988), Nations Restaurant News Hall of Fame (1989).
The Detroit Rattlesnake hatched in 1988, stimulating Jimmy’s next chapter of a Contemporary Midwestern Cuisine, honored by James Beard Best Chef Midwest(1993), Detroit Monthly Restaurant of Year (1995), Gourmet Magazine America’s Best Restaurants (2000).
1989, Washington D.C. Adirondacks (Rattlesnake) opened in the grand restored Union Station in the former Presidential Quarters. The opulent architecture was matched with Saarinen furnishings to frame the bounty of the Potomac and Atlantic, honored by Washington Journals top 4-star review. Jimmy followed Madeleine to the opening of her new School for American Chefs at Berlinger Vineyards, St Helena California(1991), as an occasional guest contributor. With Young Presidents Organization, Jimmy expanded his business education with Harvard University from 1998 – 2001.
In 2001, Rattlesnake Palm Springs California was born to celebrated an unique desert oasis cuisine. The warm fertile land sparked a new level of rich natural flavors with a healthy foundation, honored as USA Today’s 10 Best Destinations in Southern California and 5 Star Diamond Award from American Academy of Hospitality Sciences.
In 2009, Jimmy and his Rattlesnake Team moved to develop a new restaurant in the historic La Quinta Resort named after its’ founder W.H. Morgan. Morgan’s in the desert was born and established a new level of contemporary Desert Cuisine, elevating taste in harmony with nutrition. The wonderful oasis setting was the home for years of JBF Celebrity Chef dinners. Morgan’s was voted a “Top destinations in Southern California” in 2015 by USA Today, Huffington Post “Innovator Farm to Fork”, Waldorf Astoria “Taste Awards” and Schmidt as guest chef judge on Top Chef.
In 2018, Jimmy and his team embarked on re-imaging the wonderful flavors of American BBQ at Lucky’s Noble Fire & Smoke. Through an innovative approach of curing Wagyu Beef with red spices to seal In the rich flavor and micro nutrients, an incredible broader taste sensation was created. The wonderful BBQ spice flavors we love are laced across other noble ingredients of finfish, shellfish and vegetables, for an innovative culinary direction. A complete line of retail direct to consumers and wholesale to restaurant was created. Awarded Hottest Restaurants in Detroit by Eater Magazine and Best New Restaurants 2019 by the Detroit Free Press. Lucky’s on the road has done numerous pop ups around the country, most notable by repeat sell out performances at Luxor Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Working with Dr. Marvin Moser on Heart Healthy Cooking for all Seasons in 1996 Jimmy learned more about food and nutrition. After engaging with Dr. Robert Atkins in 2000 on new product development, Jimmy created an extensive line of low carb – higher protein products. Since 2004 Jimmy has enjoyed working with Dr. Steven Gundry author of The Plant Paradox, on collaborative dinners exploring taste and nutritional development in Palm Springs.
Journey as an Author
Jimmy’s search for knowledge led to collecting food harvest data, to enable anticipation and capture food at its peak of flavor and nutrition. His early writings were just a personal collection of the flow of beautiful seasonal ingredients which initiated his first book, “A Cook for All Seasons”(Macmillan 1991). Knight Ridder and Gannet Newspapers engaged Jimmy to write weekly in-season food articles published in over 200 cities, for the next 15 years. The articles were compiled into two “Jimmy Schmidt Cooking Class” books published by Detroit Free Press(1994) and Ten Speed Press(1996). In 1996 Pocket Books released “Heart Healthy Cooking for All Seasons” Co-Authored with Alice Waters, Larry Forgione, and Dr. Marvin Moser, combining the best seasonal ingredients with balanced nutrition. Jimmy is currently working on his next cookbook, “The Color of Flavor” an enabling alignment of ingredients by their biological taste properties.
Through the books, articles, events, and awards Jimmy has shared his food creations through the Today Show, Good Morning America, Food Network and local networks across the country. Jimmy was guest Judge on Top Chef California in 2016, with frequent appearances on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, world media coverage for Sustainable Sports Nutrition for Corvette Racing from LeMans, France for 12 years.
Over his cooking career, Jimmy has contributed cooking articles to Bon Appetit, Cuisine, Gourmet, Food & Wine and many more magazines and many collaborative cookbooks.
As a chef, Jimmy was always searching for taste, and for the knowledge to improve taste. This journey led him from the regimented kitchen back to nature, for what we consider flavor is developed simultaneously with nutritional elements. Following the cycles of the season unleashed a continuous bounty of nature to explore.
Beyond taste, we eat for nourishment, and not all that has taste has nourishment. What and how our bodies can process these complex components, how they interact, carrying distinct pH and isoelectric charges is amazing, especially when mixed together! Once the foods that we think taste good are in our bodies the even more complex biome takes over to process into friendly nutrients and combatant autoimmune foes.
Constant research has led Jimmy to the continuous creation of new foods that ignite taste in harmony with superior nutrition. Guided by the engrained core human cravings, Jimmy has evolved many of your favorite foods to excite your palate and nourish your body in harmony with your biome.
The Foods that You Love that Love You Back! (™).
Better Foods = Better Nutrition = Better Health = Better Quality of Life
Jimmy’s primary goal is to improve the nutrition of the world. The growing world population needs sustainable clean protein delivered in the foods they love. The growing world waistline needs sustainable clean nutrients, without the bad stuff, delivered in the foods they love. We can achieve a dual goal of nourishing the growing population through solutions that enable and improve health.
Jimmy founded Innovitality in 1999 to pursue this research and enable these goals. We have enabled many “better for you” products over the years and have much more developed for the market when the consumer is ready. Education is a key gateway to these nutritional advancements.
Product Development
Jimmy has consulted on taste and nutrition product development for many leading food companies in North America, Europe, and South America.
Jimmy was invited to crew (cook) for a competitive ocean racing yacht team(1995). Initially, Jimmy was to improve the quality of the food, but it quickly became clear nutrition was the key to winning. Being on the ocean with an infinite horizon in all directions delivers nothing to measure time as we know. Only the position of the sun which rises up, moves across the sky and eventually sets, means nothing to our internal clock and basically just messes with your mind. But food sets your body clock….breakfast sets morning, …lunch foods set midday and dinner close out the day, with snacks in between to announce the passage of time. Your mind and body need a sense of time set by food ….we do it every day without thinking. Food is your body clock which aligns the body and mind to superior performance! Our yacht racing record proved we ate really well, had a lot of fun and ALWAYS finished at the top.
In 1999, Herb Fishel, Director of MotorSports at GM and a Detroit Rattlesnake regular, invited Jimmy to join GM Racing as Director of Sports Nutrition for the upcoming legendary endurance race, the 24 hours of LeMans(France). The brutal race challenges the cars but more importantly the team members against their own personal stamina to compete at this high level over the grueling 36+ hours of the race(pre + post). To achieve a winning performance, the sustainable menu is the human fuel to nourish the body and mind to this high level. During the race with the constant engines rumbling through your soul, food again is the core baseline to set the body and mind clock. It announces the passing of time more than race laps or a ticking giant Rolex clock, maintaining the mind grounded on the goal to win. Results speak for themselves, in 12 years Team Corvette with 6 wins and 19 total podium placings!
One of the secrets to their success was JimmyJuice also known as LifeForce V and Life2Go, a delicious mango-orange-passion drink. Life2Go is a unique blend of proteins and carbohydrates that increase the muscular uptake of nutrients pulling along complex amino acids, electrolytes, and vitamins that are used in the metabolism of energy to fuel steady stamina. “Simply stated it delivers all the right fuel to your cells at the same time to fire,” states Schmidt. It has about 70 calories, Low GI for more stable blood sugar, low carb, a good source of protein and fiber, without any additional sugar.
Helping Feed and Nourish the World
As a cook, Jimmy’s goal has been to nourish the world through direct support of food charities as well as founding and supporting culinary foundations to improve the world we live in.
* James Beard Foundation founded in 1986 with the mission to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. Jimmy was a friend of James Beard cooking at his school before it became the honored Foundation. Jimmy has been a guest chef at the JBF house, honored by JBF Awards 3 times, cooked for the award galas and supported the organization with Celebrity Chef Dinners over the years.
* Chefs Collaborative was founded by Jimmy(Chairman) in 1993, along with Larry Forgione, Catherine Brandel and many illustrious chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Alice Waters. Creating a Charter and Statement of Principles celebrating the pleasures of food but equally recognizing the impact of food choices on collective health, global environment, and cultural vitality. Jimmy was recognized with the Pioneer Award in 2012.
* Citymeals-on-Wheels New York City-It all started June 3, 1985, with an American Chefs’ Tribute To James Beard at Rockefeller Plaza to raise money to feed NYC seniors. Jimmy has continued participating consistently over the years to this event.
* American Wine & Food Festival Los Angeles started in 1982 by Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff to support Meals-on-Wheels of West Los Angeles. Starting at SPAGO parking lot, growing quickly to the Design Center and onto Universal Studies, it is the premier Wine and Food event. Jimmy has cooked every year through its history with Wolfgang.
* Share Our Strength-No Kid Hungry was started in 1984 by Billy and Debbie Shore with the vision to end child hunger. Jimmy joined the cause in 1986 by Founding “SOS Taste of Denver” at Larimer Square to raise initial funds for this cause. Jimmy introduced SOS to every leading chef in America at the time, which quickly grew SOS into a national hospitality funded charitable foundation, through “SOS Taste of the Nation.” Jimmy‘s efforts moved on from Denver to Detroit raising over $1 million dollars for “SOS Taste of Detroit” under his leadership primarily for Gleaners’ Community Food Bank.
* American Institute of Wine and Food was founded in 1983 by Julia Child and Robert Mondavi as a center for gastronomic study, The inaugural dinner at Stanford Place Hotel in San Francisco celebrated American’s finest chefs, including Jimmy, as “American Cooking Comes Of Age”. Jimmy continued to support AIWF Conferences around the country in the coming years as a speaker, chef and resource.
* USDA Team Nutrition Campaign with Ellen Haas, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services in the Clinton Administration, Jimmy was on the chef team to improve the National School Lunch Program. Jimmy worked with Ellen on nutrition initiatives at Public Voice after her service at the USDA.
* Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation was founded in 2002 as an on going tribute to his memory of uncompromising determination to mentor talent and encourage creativity among chefs. Originally dinners across America were held to raise money for Jean-Louis’s medical expenses and the surplus funds were used to fund this organization.
