Breakfast Anytime: Stepping Outside My Kitchen with Smithfield Foods
- Chef Jamie Daskalis
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
In the fall of last year, I received an email that stopped me in my tracks.
A marketing agency called Foodmix reached out to introduce themselves and share that they were working with Smithfield Culinary on a Breakfast Anytime campaign. They asked if I would be interested in traveling to Chicago to help create breakfast-forward dishes designed to work across other day parts, lunch and dinner.
When I asked how they found me, their answer caught me off guard in the best way: They had done a breakfast-focused search in the southern region, and Johnny D’s and myself came highly recommended through their research. That moment felt incredibly validating.
Smithfield is truly best-in-class when it comes to breakfast meats, and to be recognized by a brand of that caliber, especially given the depth of breakfast talent across the South, meant more than I can easily put into words. It felt like an acknowledgment not just of Johnny D’s, but of the years of work, consistency, creativity, and care that built it.
It was an honor to collaborate with Smithfield and the talented chefs involved in bringing this campaign to life.
Chicago, Comfort Zones, and Creative Confidence
The opportunity to travel to Chicago was exciting for me in ways that went beyond the kitchen.
Leaving my comfort zone, working in a kitchen I had never been in, alongside chefs I had never met, was deeply inspiring. It pushed me creatively and reminded me that stepping outside your everyday environment can unlock ideas you didn’t even know were waiting.
The experience gave me permission to play with flavors and combinations that I might not typically put on the Johnny D’s menu, while still staying true to who I am as a chef.
It reaffirmed something important for me: I can hang with the big dogs.
Travel has a way of reminding you how big the world really is and how small you are within it. That perspective is grounding and motivating all at once, and this trip did exactly that.
Why Breakfast Has Always Been Home
Breakfast has been part of my entire career, from my first day in a restaurant to what will likely be my last.
I grew up in the diner business, where breakfast was the heart of everything we did. We served breakfast all day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across two diners. Breakfast wasn’t just a meal, it was the foundation of the hospitality world I grew up in.
To me, breakfast is the most special meal of the day. It’s meant to be shared with people you love, family, friends and chosen family. A good breakfast sets the tone emotionally, physically, and mentally for the day ahead. Nourishing our bodies is one of the most important things we do each day, and breakfast is the start of that process.
The Breakfast Anytime campaign allowed me to bridge parts of the day that aren’t always considered together. Breakfast meats, in particular, are far more versatile than people give them credit for and this campaign was an opportunity to show just how creative they can be beyond the morning hours.
The Dishes I Created
For the campaign, I prepared three dishes: Brisket Totchos, a Spiced Cuban Omelet Sandwich, and a Loaded Brunch Noodle Bowl.
While none of these dishes are direct extensions of Johnny D’s, they are very much an extension of me.
Although the Brunch Noodle Bowl was my favorite, as it reflects my style of cooking and taste, the Brisket Tatchos, for the late night snack, felt the most personal. Growing up in New York, late nights often ended at a local diner, and loaded cheese fries were my go-to at 2 a.m. That sense of comfort and indulgence inspired the totchos, because sometimes a late night filling meal makes the difference between getting up for work the next day or staying in bed laughing about the night before.
The Cuban Omelet Sandwich is exactly the kind of breakfast sandwich I would serve if I specialized in them, bold, layered, and satisfying. The maple mustard I created for it just hits all the right taste buds.
Seeing these dishes come together reminded me how much of our personal history shows up on the plate, whether we realize it or not.
Collaborating With Inspiring Chefs
One of the most meaningful parts of this experience was the opportunity to work alongside chefs from different backgrounds, regions, and culinary styles, each bringing their own voice to the table. I was truly honored to collaborate with such a talented group:
Chef Kalergis Dellaportas of BelAir Diner (New York City) — whose classic diner roots and thoughtful approach to breakfast brought depth, experience, and authenticity to the kitchen.
Chef Judy Wang of Judy’s Family Cafe (Galesburg, Illinois) — whose warmth, creativity, and family-driven style of cooking reflected the heart of hospitality in everything she created.
Chef Trina Gregory of Se7en Bites (Orlando, Florida) — whose bold flavors, pastry background, and fearless creativity brought incredible energy and inspiration to the collaboration.
Working alongside these chefs was a reminder of how powerful it is to come together, share ideas, and learn from one another, especially when we all come from different kitchens but speak the same language through food.
A Full Circle Moment
When the campaign finally went live this past week, I felt a sense of pride.
Not just in my own work, but in what all of us created together, the chefs, the food stylists, photographers, and the entire Smithfield team. Knowing that my three recipes are now part of Smithfield’s culinary resources feels like a full-circle moment.
When I was first learning to cook, I relied heavily on resources, recipes, and inspiration from others until I found my own voice. To now be part of that process, helping other chefs and restaurateurs create dishes for their menus, is incredibly meaningful.
This campaign connects directly to where I’m headed next. I hope it leads to more opportunities like this. I hope to continue growing Making It Delicious, offering recipes, spices, and sauces to both home cooks and restaurants. I want to keep writing, creating, and finding inspiration both inside and outside of Johnny D’s.
As my visibility continues to grow beyond my own space, I remind myself to always remember where I came from, the work it took to get here, and to never take success for granted. Complacency is a slippery slope and staying curious, humble, and creative is what keeps me grounded.
Looking Ahead
This experience reminded me that as big as this world can be, you can still shine brightly.
And sometimes, all it takes is stepping outside your kitchen to remember just how far you’ve come.