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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Chef Carla Hall's Soul Food

  Chef Carla Hall is on a Soul Food journey to “redefine soul food, to reclaim it.”  Her new cookbook Carla Hall’s Soul Food shares her passion from the past and her plan for the present to make Soul Food an official cuisine.  What a delightful honor to visit with Carla in her New York…

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The 2018 James Beard Awards

What an honor for Kitchen Chat to once again be on the Red Carpet at the James Beard Awards to capture the excitement and stories of the nominees and participants.  Thank you Chef Jaime Laurita, brand ambassador for Viking, for being my co-host. Highlights of the evening included meeting two icons:  Chef Jose Andres, recipient…

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Potluck with Ali Rosen: Bring It!

Ali Rosen is redefining potluck one dish at a time.  As she says, “If potlucks bring to mind covered dish dinners, it’s time to rebrand.  Think of them instead as outsourced dinner parties: when everyone brings a dish to share, entertaining is as easy as setting the table.” As a Southern transplant living and working…

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Gale Gand: A Passion for Pastries

“I didn’t pick the restaurant industry.  It picked me.”   Chef Gale Gand on Kitchen Chat   Award winning pastry chef Gale Gand has a passion for pastries.  She has won two James Beard awards, including one for Outstanding Pastry Chef and one for Outstanding Service for her former restaurant Tru.  Gale Gand is a…

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Kevin Boehm and The Boka Restaurant Group

“Chicago is a choice for me.  When I had a six table restaurant in the Florida Pan Handle in 1993, my dream always was that maybe some day I’ll be able to have a restaurant in Chicago and sit down with the smartest restaurant people around.” Kevin Boehm, co-founder of Boka Restaurant Group At age…

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Korean BBQ with Chef Bill Kim

“There are differences but there’s more commonality in ethnic groups.  I try to find the common denominator of  ingredients in different cultures and apply it to what I do.”  Chef Bill Kim, UrbanBelly Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita and I had a kitchen chat in the Viking and La Cornue Showroom in Chicago with Chef Bill…

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