Chris Cosentino, the celebrated chef and avid cyclist, is back with a new passion project that brings together his two great loves: food and cycling. In Shimano’s latest film, Food I Think About When I Think About Cycling, Cosentino embarks on a journey through the Bay Area, where the region’s lengthy growing season and temperate climate provide endless inspiration for both his culinary and cycling pursuits.
Known for his adventurous palate and bold culinary experiments, Cosentino uses the hundreds of miles of roads and trails in the Marin Headlands, north of San Francisco, as both a training ground and a creative incubator. Whether he’s winding through Chinatown, navigating Mount Tamalpais’ wild fennel-lined singletrack, or riding through the grassy hills of Point Reyes, Cosentino finds inspiration for his kitchen creations at every turn. His rides help him stay in tune with the season, guiding him to create dishes that reflect both the local landscape and his vibrant approach to life.
Cosentino’s culinary career has been marked by innovation, particularly in the realm of whole animal cooking. The Rhode Island native and Johnson & Wales University graduate honed his craft in Washington, D.C., and later in the Bay Area, earning acclaim for his inventive Italian dishes and mastery of hand-crafted cured meats. He’s also a staunch advocate for sustainability and reducing food waste, having written the seminal James Beard Award-nominated cookbook Offal Good: Cooking from the Heart with Guts in 2017.
Beyond his achievements in the kitchen, Cosentino has long been committed to philanthropy and the cycling community. He won BRAVO’s Top Chef Masters, donating over $140,000 to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and is a key member of Chefs Cycle, an annual charity cycling event benefiting No Kid Hungry. Additionally, he founded CampoVelo, a weekend-long event combining cycling and culinary experiences to raise funds for Chefs Cycle and World Bicycle Relief.
Cosentino’s contributions to the culinary and cycling worlds continue to be celebrated, with his recipes and articles regularly featured in Peloton magazine, highlighting the connection between these two passions. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, son, and dog, and when he’s not cooking or cycling, he enjoys telemark skiing in his spare time.
With Food I Think About When I Think About Cycling, Chris Cosentino invites viewers to explore the symbiotic relationship between food and cycling, offering a unique glimpse into how these passions fuel his creativity and zest for life.
