From KCRW, I'm Evan Klineen and you're listening to good food.

Ramadon, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims worldwide began this week.

It's a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection.

So the Islamic rule of fasting during the month of Ramadan is to abstain from water, food,

extra vices that are normally throughout your given day

and to think about what it means

to not have them from the sun up to sundown.

Cameron Gill is the Sioux chef at Peeja Palace in Silver Lake.

He shares what it's like to observe Ramadan in a kitchen when your job is to taste.

Hi, my name is Cameron Gill.

I'm the Sioux Chef at an Indian Italian fusion restaurant called Pisa Palace

and I am one of the second in charge of this very busy restaurant.

I first started fasting for Ramadan fully when I think I was in fifth or sixth grade

it's kind of hard to remember when it all blends together because we did kids

fasts where I'd only fast for half of the day and then at some point it just transitioned and my memory is, oh yeah, it's time for Ramadan and doing it, but I want to confidently say it started in middle school time.

I had to explain Ramadan to a lot of people throughout my life because I went to Catholic school from first to eighth grade and I lived in northern

Virginia. At the time there wasn't a ton of Muslim people in that community that I was in.

There are a ton in Virginia,

but just where I was educated

and some of the friends I hung out around

weren't familiar with the faith.

So through my schooling and through talking with my

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