KC Flavor Champion: Tiffany Sawyer

Tiffany L. Sawyer, founder and principal of Spicy Chef & Bev Consulting, has been a regular participant in Kitchen Collaborative, sharing a wellspring of culinary innovation through the menu ideation program created in 2020 by Summit F&B and Flavor & The Menu. As a chef working in the corporate world, Sawyer does “quite a bit of R&D,” but typically needs to color within the lines of a prescriptive project. “Collaboration and kitchen time for my own personal pleasure” tends to take a back seat, she says of the consequences of professional responsibilities that keep her on the road 75 percent of each month. This is why she prizes opportunities “to take a fun ingredient and think outside the box in order to turn a head, interest another chef and gain the respect of sponsors who are providing the tools that allow us to be trail blazers.”

In this case, Sawyer’s flavor play with Kikkoman Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce in Kitchen Collaborative 2025, checks all the boxes and then some. Her Grilled Plums with Basil-Lemon Shortbread Biscuit & Hoisin Sabayon was one of 12 winning menu concepts and earned the chef a golden ticket to Dubai early in 2026.

Her winning dish reflects Sawyer’s enthusiasm for showcasing products in unexpected applications. For hoisin, “I immediately thought dessert,” she says. “There’s a sweet component in hoisin, in addition to its five-spice flavor. Using it in a sabayon was a unique twist and a perfect fit.” Sawyer admits that this was the first time she has tried hoisin in a sweet application. “But it will not be the last. I will pull this concept through to more R&D in the very near future.”

Her choice to pair the sabayon with grilled plums amplified the plum puree in the hoisin. The basil-lemon biscuit brings in texture, citrus and an herbaceous component, she explains. “In my dishes, I look to have a minimum of four dimensions of flavors.”

Sawyer says her goal was to keep the dessert balanced and not overly sweet. “It’s sweet and tart, with a bit of smokiness from the caramelization of the grilled fruit. The eggs in the sabayon make it rich and creamy, while the hoisin brings in sweet, salty and smoky notes, plus a nice crunch and buttery flavor from the shortbread biscuit,” she says.

“Creating this dish was just a beautiful, fun morning of ideation,” Sawyer recounts. “I was making a hollandaise for the menu of a new restaurant opening at the same time as creating for Kitchen Collaborative. As I was making the hollandaise, I was inspired to make the sabayon, and then all the ingredients came together organically.” She presented the concept using tableware from Libbey.

BLENDING CULTURE & CULINARY

Kitchen Collaborative 2025 menu concepts were judged blindly by sponsor teams that evaluated descriptions, photos and other relevant information. Sawyer will join the chefs behind the other winning dishes on a trip to Dubai with Flavor & The Menu and Summit F&B in January to tour the city and attend Gulfood 2026.

Although Sawyer has traveled extensively since she was a teenager, visiting 47 states and all but one continent, Dubai remains on her bucket list. “It has more of a focus on modern architecture and amenities than many other areas of Asia that I’ve visited, which have a greater focus on local traditions, nature and outdoor activities,” she says. “The culinary, as well as cultural journey is going to be so interesting. I am fascinated with all the different influences and am very much looking forward to the experience.”

Watermelon Coconut Butter-Infused Negroni

Sawyer is one Kitchen Collaborative chef who opted for a little flavor play around libations, specifically mixing up a fresh take on the still-happening negroni. Her Watermelon Coconut Butter-infused Negroni used fruit supplied by Watermelon.org and was served up in glassware from Libbey.

“I have played with so many non-traditional negroni over the last couple of years, and it is so much fun!” says Sawyer. For a recent launch of an Italian steakhouse, she created a dedicated negroni section of the beverage menu. “I developed a range of negroni—for both beginners and expert lovers of the cocktail.” That menu features this watermelon-based version, “and it is a top-seller,” she reports.

Sawyer describes the drink as a “negroni reimagined, kissed with the spirit of summer.” She uses coconut butter to fat-wash the gin, as well as thyme-compressed watermelon ice cubes. “Watermelon has so many up sides,” says Sawyer. “It can be squeezed, compressed, grilled, sliced and used in endless opportunities. For the negroni, it brings a unique sweet, but light and delicate flavor profile.”

Sawyer’s twists on the classic elements of a negroni are subtle. “The gin is infused with coconut butter. The select aperitivo is infused with coffee. I used a classic sweet vermouth, but added cardamon bitters,” she says. “Coffee and coconut go so well together; the flavors are complementary. The bitterness of the coffee is mellowed by the nutty, creamy sweetness and fat of the coconut, creating a smooth, well-rounded, luxurious flavor.” She also selected the coconut butter in an effort to lean into healthier options for the fat back, instead of bacon or brown butter, which were her former go-to choices.

Sawyer was “beyond words” upon learning that her dish was a winner. “Not just to win this amazing trip, but for the honor of being selected from 500 other recipes that I’m sure were incredible,” she says.

“It’s such a pleasure to participate in Kitchen Collaborative,” Sawyer continues. “There is so much enjoyment in looking for a unique way to create a dish that highlights an unexpected ingredient. It’s a chance to let your hair down and cook. It’s what every chef loves.”

MORE INSPIRED TAKES

PGB Cacio e Pepe Chips

Sawyer had her eye on both sides of the bar menu with her Kitchen Collaborative entries. Not only did she spin up her version of a Negroni (featured above), she tapped the ever-giving Cacio e Pepe trend for an inventive bar snack: PGB Cacio e Pepe Chips.

“My menu development and R&D focus of late have been on the elevation, added value and creativity of dayparts and areas of the restaurant business that we tend to spend less time on: breakfast, lunch and bar bites, especially,” Sawyer explains, adding that guests are more likely to explore an unfamiliar dish at a smaller price tag. Bar bites fall into this category, she notes, helping to drive increased beverage sales, which drives the overall bottom line.

“I enjoy creating riffs off classics—both in food and cocktails,” she notes of the value in grounding a dish in familiarity. “Cacio e Pepe has been very trendy for a couple of years. So, I jumped on the trend with the flavor profile.” Her dish features “an amazingly versatile” washed-rind cheese from Real California Milk, a trio of ground peppercorns, inhouse fried potato chips and a hit of salt and vinegar powder.

“I fry the chips a la minute, toss them with kosher salt and vinegar powder and place in the serving vessel. Those are topped with a cheese ‘snow’ and the three peppercorns (PGB) are sprinkled on top,” explains Sawyer.

“The cheese delivers a great pop of flavor with some nutty notes,” says the chef. “It’s crisp, cheesy, tart and mouth-watering,” she continues, going on to highlight the characteristics of her PGB peppercorn trio. “Pink is rose-like, with a sweetness, the oven-dried green adds brine-like grassy notes and the black is a steeped spice, woody and earthy with a citrus-like finish.”

Flavor & The Menu will continue to profile six more chefs behind the winning menu concepts of Kitchen Collaborative 2025 in the months ahead.