As we continue to celebrate the women of ISS in honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we’re featuring one of Guckenheimer’s ambitious young chefs who has made her mark on the industry and paved the way for other up-and-coming female culinary artists within the company.

In this edition of Spill the Beans, Chef Krissy Stearns shares her story of finding her passion for cooking, coming up the ranks in a competitive industry, along with some of her best sustainability forward culinary creations.

With it being Women’s History Month, are there any women who have inspired your career?

Growing up I was surrounded by women who are excellent cooks. I have wonderful childhood memories cooking in the kitchen with my grandmothers and mom, making dishes that gave me great joy and comfort. I realized early on that cooking and the joy it brings is something I wanted to share with others. 

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with both my grandmothers. With my paternal grandmother, we would often make crepes and spätzle or spend time together mixing Italian sodas; however, one of my favorite dishes still to this day was passed down to me from my other grandmother. She made the best Japanese Somen noodles that are so simple yet packed with delicious flavors. The combination of these experiences really sparked my interest in cooking. 

I addition to their impressive self-taught culinary skills, they were also very driven, successful women in their fields which was also inspiring to me. I wanted to emulate that same passion in a field I equally loved, and I’ve been lucky enough to find that in cooking.

What guidance would you give to your younger self and to other female chefs starting out in the industry and at ISS Guckenheimer?

The piece of advice I would give to my younger self and to women breaking into this competitive industry is to know that there is space for them to lead, and that they are just as capable as their male counterparts and belong alongside any chef—no matter their level of experience. 

Also, I would say to trust your instincts and take chances because they often lead to either great success or are important learning experiences. But most importantly, have confidence in yourself and your skills because there is no reason why you can’t lead and do what others are doing in the kitchen to be successful. 

What inspired you to start incorporating more beans into your culinary creations?

I’ve always loved discovering new varieties of beans because they come in so many different shapes and sizes and are really fun to play around with to create new dishes.

What’s so great about beans is that they’re a natural ingredient to incorporate into many different types of dishes because so many places across the world eat beans in some capacity.

Beans in general are also easy to flavor to make the dish lean towards whatever palate you want, and they’re incredibly nutritious—packed filled with protein and fiber—so it’s really a great food source to work with.

What is your favorite bean to cook with and why?

My favorite to cook with are gigantes beans because they’re really big (almost whimsical looking!) and easy to work with. In fact, we’re currently testing out a margarita pizza bean recipe using the gigantes beans as the base and adding lots of delicious aromatics and pizza toppings such as diced tomatoes, cheese, and Italian blend spices.

Is there a specific method you use to prepare beans before cooking, and can you share a few tips for cooking beans?

I love using the Instant Pot or a pressure cooker to cook beans because it makes the cooking time so much faster. I soak my beans overnight, give them a good rinse, and then instead of boiling them, I use the Instant Pot.

For individuals and families who have busy schedules, the Instant Pot is a great hack because it’s a big timesaver compared to boiling beans and even if you forget to soak them overnight, they’ll turn out fine in the pressure cooker. 

What’s your most creative bean or lentil creation?

When I’m creating a new recipe, or working with a classic, I often research how other people have done it and combine different techniques and methods to give it a different twist and make it my own. That’s exactly what I did when developing one of my favorite creations, a Crunchwrap Supreme. It’s made with lentils, but you can use beans, and it’s been a big hit with everyone who tries it.  

I’ve also gotten creative using aquafaba in mocktails. Aquafaba is the liquid found in the cans of many legumes and chickpeas and has the same functional properties as egg whites. I’ve used it to mimic the froth found in some mocktails. It can also be used to create meringues and even marshmallows.

Chef Krissy’s pro tips and hacks for cooking with beans.

Pro tip 1: Use an Instant Pot to reduce cooking time. Note, cooking times vary depending on the type of bean and if they’ve been soaked or not—always refer to a recipe for best results.  

Pro tip 2: Freeze your beans if you’ve cooked too many. 

Pro tip 3: Accidentally overcooked your beans? Not to worry, turn them into a refried beans recipe. 

Pro tip 4: Save aquafaba liquid by freezing it into ice cube trays to have an egg white alternative on hand.