Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
Xenos will join three other Greek chefs on season 60, episode two of “Chopped.” The competition show revolves around mystery ingredient baskets and features three rounds of cooking. After each round, one chef will be eliminated and the remaining two will battle it out in the dessert round.
“Working with Mediterranean classics and surprises in the baskets, four chefs try to stand out while honoring their shared culinary playbook,” reads the description of the episode on Food Network’s website. “The competitors feast their eyes on a special cookie in the appetizer basket, which appears to be staring back. Then, the chefs get a leg up with lamb in the entrée round and are inspired by nostalgic favorites in the dessert basket.”
Food is the cornerstone of Greek culture
Xenos is a second generation Greek-American whose grandparents immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. Her parents grew up in Chicago and moved to the Dayton region in 1986.
“Food is basically the cornerstone of Greek culture and Greek hospitality,” Xenos said. “When I was little, anytime we would go and visit my mom’s Greek friends, they would invite you in and have a plate of cookies.”
During holidays and celebrations, Xenos said they always have a traditional spread of food to mark the occasion.
She recalled growing up in Kettering where her mom stayed home with her and her brother while her dad was at work. Once she was a teenager, her mom started working again.
“I would just come home from school and cook dinner for everybody and follow recipes from cookbooks,” Xenos said. “That’s kind of where it started. I really loved it and it was a creative outlet for me.”
She not only learned to cook from her grandmothers, but also the elders of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Xenos said she would spend her summers cooking and baking as the church prepared for The Dayton Greek Festival.
“Summer after summer doing all of that, it just became really second nature to me,” Xenos said. “I really liked it.”
From journalist to personal chef
Xenos wanted to pursue a career in the culinary industry after high school, but back then she didn’t understand fine dining and what a career as a chef could look like.
She was involved in journalism programs during high school, so she decided to go to Ohio University and focus on magazine journalism. Upon graduating in 2002, she went to Cincinnati and worked at F&W Media as a book editor.
“I was editing fine art instruction books that were step-by-step books and that really helped me out now writing cookbooks,” Xenos said.
In 2005, she moved to Los Angeles to work for an entertainment magazine called “Where.” During her time at the magazine, she “mostly covered the restaurant industry and chefs because the Los Angeles dining scene was really coming into its own at that time.”
“I think just being around all the chefs and going to restaurant openings every week and just being really immersed in that and then finally having an understanding of fine dining I just kind of rekindled...,” Xenos said. “I was always cooking, but it kind of refocused me and what I wanted to do.”
She continued to work for the magazine and attended cooking school in the evenings.
“Cooking school really gave me the tools to feel confident in my cooking,” Xenos said. “During that time, I learned about private cheffing and also at the same time I connected with a company called, “Eat With” and I started throwing pop-up dinners at my house just to see if I liked cooking for people.”
After much success, she pursued a full-time career as a personal chef in 2017 under Sweet Greek Personal Chef Services.
“I love nourishing people,” Xenos said. “I want people to eat high quality, very tasty food. I think people need to have that available to them, so it makes me really happy that I can provide that service to my clients.”
A dream come true
Before filming the episode of “Chopped” in February, Xenos had been auditioning for several different shows over the last couple of years. She said a casting company had found her on Instagram and the rest is history.
Xenos auditioned for “Chopped” in spring 2023 and didn’t find out she made the show until Jan. 2024.
“It was the most intense thing I’ve ever done,” Xenos said.
Xenos knew the episode was Greek-themed, so she brainstormed a list of dishes she could possibly make for each round. Her husband made her mystery ingredient baskets as practice to help prepare for the show.
The biggest challenge for Xenos during filming was the stove.
“I feel confident working in different kitchens,” Xenos said. “You never know what you are going to walk into, but for something very industrial like that, that was definitely a little curveball for me.”
Xenos said she is used to working in home kitchens and the stoves used on set were industrial — something you would find in a restaurant. She said the burners are probably 10 times more powerful compared to a home stove.
Something she reminded herself during filming was that her biggest competition was herself.
“Whatever ends up happening, doing your best is the most important thing,” Xenos said.
Outside the kitchen
Xenos enjoys practicing yoga, hiking and traveling when she’s not at home in the kitchen. During her travels, she takes cooking classes to learn different cuisines.
Her parents still live in Kettering and when she visits them, she likes to shop at Dorothy Lane Market. Some of her favorite restaurants in the Dayton region include The Pine Club, Salar, Wheat Penny, Meadowlark, Winds Cafe and Greek Street.
“I’ve been gone from Dayton for awhile, but I really love coming back and seeing how the community has evolved,” Xenos said. “I think the dining scene in Dayton is the best it has ever been.”
MORE INFO
Xenos’ episode will re-air on Food Network at 3 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 and 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29. For more information on the episode, visit foodnetwork.com/shows/chopped/episodes/big-fat-greek-kitchen.
Xenos is also the co-author of “Opa! The Healthy Greek Cookbook,” that was published in Nov. 2017. For more information on Xenos’ personal chef services or to try one of her recipes, visit mysweetgreek.com or her Instagram (@xtinaxenos) and Facebook (@sweetgreek) pages.
FOOD & DINING NEWSLETTER
Sign up for the Dayton Daily News’ weekly food and dining email newsletter. Click “my account” when you visit daytondailynews.com.
About the Author
