Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll with Andrew Friedman

Chefs are today’s rockstars.  In Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll, the prolific and award winning chef writer, Andrew Friedman, chronicles the compelling story of the first generation of American chefs set in the 1970’s and 1980’s before “fame and fortune” was on their horizons.  He interviewed more than 210 people over the span of…

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Healthy Spice Heroes with Natasha MacAller

Let’s spice things up in 2019!  Natasha MacAller, author of Vanilla Table: The Essence of Exquisite Cooking from the World’s Best Chefs along with Healthy Spice Heroes shares the benefits of spices. She is a fellow member of Les Dames d’Escoffier and we had a fun Kitchen Chat at one of the conferences. Did you know…

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Tasting Italy with America's Test Kitchen and National Geographic

“Italian food isn’t the result of a single culinary style, it’s a mosaic of many cooking traditions that stem from each province’s geography and climate, agriculture history and culture.”  Jack Bishop, Chief Creative Officer at America’s Test Kitchen on PBS Come on a culinary journey with  America’s Test Kitchen along with National Geographic. Their three…

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Abe Conlon: Best Chef of the Great Lakes

  “Fat Rice is a symbol of abundance, generosity and hospitality.” Chef Abe Conlon Chef Abe Conlon’s intense passion for food began at an early age.  Growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts, Conlon developed an international palate influenced by his multicultural suburb with a vibrant Southeast Asian community along with his family’s Portuguese heritage.  During school…

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Cooking with Scraps: From Waste to Taste

Each year over 133 billion pounds of food goes wasted in the United States, with 40% of all food going into the garbage.   Lindsay-Jean Hard is on a passionate mission to share ways to reduce this waste and increase sustainability by writing a cookbook called Cooking with Scraps.  With a master’s degree in Urban…

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Mindy Segal: Hospitality and HotChocolate

“I’ve never lost the perspective of making people happy through my food.”  Mindy Segal Mindy Segal is a successful entrepreneur, restaurateur, and an award winning pastry chef with a huge heart for charity.  (In 2012, she won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef). As a student at University of Wisconsin, she skipped school…

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Dorie Greenspan: The Element of Surprise

Dorie Greenspan is an inspiration.  I am so grateful to have met her early in my culinary journey.  Her genuine kindness and encouragement along with her passion for cooking brings out the best in others and in her recipes.  What a delight to recently have a Kitchen Chat with her in the Viking and La…

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Diana Davila: One of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs

Chef Diana Davila, Executive Chef and Owner of Mi Tocaya Antojeria,  was recently named one of the Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine.   Her neighborhood Mexican restaurant is located in Logan Square in Chicago, and the meaning of its name even evokes the emotional connection between the guests and the…

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Ina Garten: Connecting in the Kitchen

Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, has taught millions of people how to cook.  Her gracious hospitality welcomes Food Network viewers into her kitchen each week to experience comfort and a taste of home.  In her most recent book, Cook Like A Pro, Ina provides great tips and recipes for the home chefs to elevate their…

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