Cameron Grant was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, developing his love of food from his mother. She ran a successful catering business out of their home, and combined with the family’s extensive fruit and vegetable garden, he learned to appreciate local produce at an early age.

A stint as Executive Chef of “Laudisio,” in Boulder, Colorado, led to a stage at a restaurant in Piemonte, Italy. Five years later, he and his wife moved back to Italy to open their own restaurant in the heart of Piemonte’s wine country.

Cameron returned to the U-S in 2012, opening Fresco 21 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. Then two years ago, he opened Osteria Langhe in Chicago’s Logan Square, where he still cooks the food he’s obsessed with from Northern Italy. Just a few months ago, he and his business partner opened Animale, with an emphasis on cooking authentic Roman and Italian dishes, which means plenty of offal.

This week, an autumnal challenge as Rick Bayless and Cameron Grant attempt to create an easy, weeknight meal using the fall staple, canned pumpkin.