Kitchen Chat® – Margaret McSweeney (Margaret McSweeney)

Make holiday entertaining a little easier with tips from Rachael Hollis and Food Network’s Michelle Buffardi. Rachel Hollis, celebrity event planner, entrepreneur and founder of www.thechicsite.com, and Hollis Co shares hacks for the hostess from her book Upscale Downhome. With clients including Bradley Cooper and many other stars, Rachel will help you make your guests feel like VIPs without breaking your budget. Michelle Buffardi shares tips from her book Great Balls of Cheese, giving us a new look at a holiday tradition. New flavor profiles and creative crafting will make your holiday cheese ball the star of table.

"Savor the Day" is the tagline of my life. It's a reminder to find and live your joy while connecting with family and friends. The multi-talented Wyatt Russell exemplifies how to "Savor the Day" and savor the sip with his approach to life and work. In addition to his athletic and acting careers, Wyatt is an entrepreneur as co-founder of Lake Hour, a line of ready to drink Sparkling Cocktails evoking the fond memories of “real leisure” and “sit-back-and-sip” camaraderie of a day on the lake with family and friends. We had a fun Kitchen Chat at the finale of the fifth annual Pr%%f Awards at The Palms in Las Vegas. Congratulations to Lake Hour for winning a double gold award at the Pr%%f Awards! I had a great time being one of the judges at the 2023 Pr%%f Awards.

For Wyatt, a remote lake in Canada was the special gathering place for family time and inspiration. World-class hockey talent was what brought the family to Canada in the summers, when Wyatt was just 10, to support his passion and gift. Wyatt co-founded and launched Lake Hour in 2023 with friend and film producer, Richard Peete. They became great friends when their wives introduced them to each other. During a family vacation and while in a hot tub, Wyatt and Rich created the idea of Lake Hour which features a sparkling and fresh cocktail to capture the flavor and special memories and stories of being at a lake with family and friends. To avoid the fake sugar taste of many ready-to- drink cocktails, Wyatt and Rich chose to use premium vodka and 100% blanco tequila as the base of the drinks and only 3.4 grams of raw cane sugar. The flavors include Honeysuckle Ginger with vodka, Peach Jasmine with vodka, Rosemary Yuzu with vodka and Watermelon Cucumber with tequila and are available right now in markets across the US include Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma. Please always remember to drink responsibly and only if you are 21 years or older.

As many of you know, Wyatt is starring in the popular Apple TV's Monarch: Legacy of Monsters with his father, Kurt Russell. How exciting that Kitchen Chat had the first media interview about this show!

What are some of your favorite memories and stories at a lake?

Savor the Day and Savor the sip!

Visit the KitchenChat home page at Kitchenchat.info

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Welcome to the new Kitchen Chat series called A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality. In this first episode, we will visit The Pierre New York, A Taj Hotel. This iconic place has defined luxury and hospitality since 1930 in New York City. The culinary history is epic in that Auguste Escoffier, known as the father of the world's chefs, was the opening chef at The Pierre and even designed the kitchen. As a frequent guest of the hotel and a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, I wanted to learn more about The Pierre. 

Here is the video link to this special Kitchen Chat https://youtu.be/DLuiEpx0Nrg

Celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship Day 2020 with Cynthia Rowley.

Tis the Season for giving.  Jen Lilley's heart for children has turned into an unexpected fundraising effort to provide 25,000 toys to children around the globe.  Christmas is Not Cancelled is in its third year of bringing joy to the world.  The deadline for donations is December 9, 2023.  However, you can always donate next year if you miss the deadline.  

Participating in Christmas is Not Cancelled is a great way for children at home to learn about the impact of charity.  Jen talks about the importance of creating moments of empathy while raising her kids.  

Jen and her husband are raising four children, age seven and under, including two wonderful children they adopted from the Childhelp Foster Care Program.

Watch the video youtube: https://youtu.be/pyscOGYzvhA

To learn more visit https://www.Kitchenchat.info 

Let's celebrate International Women's Day with Rohini Day! She is an accomplished businesswoman who has worked with the World Bank, a large consulting firm and even launched the women's program at James Beard Foundation. She left the corporate world to pursue her passion of opening an Indian and Latin American fusion restaurant in Chicago called Vermilion.

Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita recently had a Kitchen Chat to discuss cuisine with Rohini and her important initiative called Let's Talk Womxn. Let's Talk is a collaboration of women restaurateurs to build combined economic power. It's not an organization, but rather an action-led ,pavement by women business owners as peers. Throughout March, Let's Talk Womxn will be celebrating International Women's Day and Women's History Month across 12 states with delicious feasts. Foodie friends, please consider attending one of these celebrations and support the initiative.

It was great to actually film a Kitchen Chat with Rohini Day in Vermilion and visit the kitchen and meet the chef. A special thank you to Middleby Corporation for sponsoring this Kitchen Chat and for supporting Let's Talk Womxn.

Join us for the video version of this podcast and take the exclusive tour of Vermilion's Viking Kitchen at https://youtu.be/Ma03WoDKGHo

Flavored butters from around the globe sound enticing, and as Kitchen Chat discovered they are  easy to make and utterly delicious. Trained in the kitchen of M.F.K. Fisher, Chef Sheana Davis shares her priceless recipes and the origin story of her now world-famous compound butter passion in her wonderful new book: Buttermonger.

As a young culinarian, Chef Sheana was mentored by the pre-eminent M.F.K. Fisher, and was introduced to compound butters, 3-2-1 cocktails, and other hospitality & culinary "essentials". Later, and throughout her distinguished culinary career, Chef Sheana continued to draw upon the lessons from the legendary "Miss Frances" as she was known, and built upon them to develop her own personal "signature" style and philosophy of flavor. 

In this episode of Kitchen Chat,  Chef Sheana's generous narrative is a link to the highest culinary Mt. Olympus, and an inspiring lesson in a culinary tradition which we become a part of, just by preparing our own, exquisite, signature compound butter  a la Chef Sheana Davis and the legendary M.F.K. Fisher.

Are you ready to keep it simple in the kitchen? Yasmin Fahr, author of Keeping it Simple will inspire and encourage you on today's Kitchen Chat. Yasmin is a food writer and recipe developer featured in Serious Eats, The Kitchen, Epicurious, Taste, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and The Los Angeles Times. Her new book will build your culinary foundation and will provide a more organized approach for cooking.

Yasmin has curated over 60 easy weeknight one-pot recipes. These "one-pot wonders" will provide less stress and less mess in your kitchen. How does charred corn, avocado and feta salad with pan-seared fish and mushrooms and ricotta toast sound?

Come into my kitchen and join Yasmin and me for a delicious plate of inspiration.

Recipes excerpted with permission from Keeping It Simple by Yasmin Fahr, published by Hardie Grant Books February 2020, RRP $24.99. Flexibound.

Chef Alice Waters is a counterculture culinary hero who has helped pioneer the farm to table movement in the United States at her iconic restaurant Chez Panisse. At age four, she won a costume contest dressed as "Queen of the Garden" that featured produce from her parents' Victory Garden. This win was just a mere glimpse into her future as an award winning chef, cookbook author, philanthropist, activist and advocate for sustainability and freshly grown produce.

Recently, Chef Alice Waters graciously greeted me at her Chez Panisse office in Berkeley. A lovely glass teapot sat atop the small round table. She had filled the teapot with her favorite recipe from the garden -- fresh mint with hot water. We sipped and chatted about her latest book Coming to My Senses: The Making of A Counterculture Cook. She shared stories and lessons from her edible education including life changing moments in France when she discovered the incomparable tastes of the farmers markets, including les fraises des bois (strawberries from the woods). Chef Alice Waters brought back the literal and figurative seeds that would become the harvest of a delicious revolution. The actual seeds she planted in her backyard at Berkeley were the ingredients of a Mesclun Salad originating in Provence, France. Almost every dish at Chez Panisse has a little salad. Chef Waters explains, "A salad punctuates something that is rich and brings balance to the plate."

Chef Bill Kim and Yvonne Cadiz-Kim are both highly respected throughout the hospitality industry. Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita and I had a Kitchen Chat with this dynamic duo. As chef/owner of Urban Belly and chef/partner of Crate & Barrel's The Table at Crate, Chef Kim is navigating the new normal.

Carry out is the main focus for Urban Belly, and Chef Bill and Yvonne have amplified the process for controlling the restaurant's environment to keep everything sanitized and to keep everyone safe.

Teri Turner aka No Crumbs Left is a modern day Julia Child.  She is passionate and articulate about sharing her recipes and cooking tips all while making us all feel like we are in her kitchen.  Recently, Teri joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential showroom in Chicago to discuss her new cookbook, No Crumbs Left. How fun that some of her "crumbles" from Instagram joined us in the showroom.

International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is "taking it to the next level" under the leadership of its new CEO, Tanya Steel.  Some of the founding members of IACP include Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Nathalie Dupree and Anne Willan.  Steel's impressive resume includes being Editor in Chief of both Epicurious and Gourmet, a best selling cookbook author, the award director for Julia Child Award, adjunct professor at New York University along with many other accolades.  Recently, Steel joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me in the Middleby Residential showroom in New York City for a Kitchen Chat to discuss the upcoming conference in Santa Fe.    She is dedicated to giving this group of culinary professionals a national voice and has created a platform of Eat, Engage and Empower for IACP.

Chef Bill Kim and Yvonne Cadiz-Kim are both highly respected throughout the hospitality industry. Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita and I had a Kitchen Chat with this dynamic duo. As chef/owner of Urban Belly and chef/partner of Crate & Barrel's The Table at Crate, Chef Kim is navigating the new normal. Carry out is the main focus for Urban Belly, and Chef Bill and Yvonne have amplified the process for controlling the restaurant's environment to keep everything sanitized and to keep everyone safe.

"Hockey mimics life.  It's important to stay mentally focused no matter if the momentum changes." Daniel Carcillo, two time Stanley Cup winner, formerly with Chicago Blackhawks Unexpected blows in life can happen to us all.  However, unexpected blows in the hockey rink can change the course of one's life after the game.  

Daniel Carcillo shares how he is helping  athletes pave a new path to better assimilation in life after they stop playing.   Chef Jaime Laurita and I spoke with Carcillo during the National Restaurant Show where he was signing hockey pucks and taking photos with fans at the Middleby booth.

Join Margaret McSweeney and Jaime Laurita for a Kitchen Chat with Elisa and Rob Buildner about the farm to table culture in the rolling New England Hills. The Berkshires are are a cultural mecca and food hub thriving with small farms and specialty food. Elisa and Rob's cookbook share and celebrate these homegrown secrets.

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all who celebrate as a dad, granddad, or as someone who is a father influence in another person's life.

For this week's celebration of Father's Day, I am spotlighting James Beard Award winner, Chef Bradford Thompson. He has a special tradition with his children to engage them in the appreciation of food preparation and fine dining. From a very young age, his children have understood how families connect in the kitchen. His daughter videotapes him creating recipes. For back to school celebrations, Chef Bradford and his daughter have a special tradition of going to fine restaurants and creating opportunities for her to appreciate the choreography of the dining and hospitality experience.

As we await the beautiful produce that will soon be arriving at our Farmer’s Markets, I thought it would be a good time to celebrate Spring with this encore piece featuring Alice Waters. Always remember to take a moment and Savor the Day!

Chef Alice Waters is a counterculture culinary hero who has helped pioneer the farm to table movement in the United States at her iconic restaurant Chez Panisse. At age four, she won a costume contest dressed as “Queen of the Garden” that featured produce from her parents’ Victory Garden. This win was just a mere glimpse into her future as an award winning chef, cookbook author, philanthropist, activist and advocate for sustainability and freshly grown produce.

Recently, Chef Alice Waters graciously greeted me at her Chez Panisse office in Berkeley. A lovely glass teapot sat atop the small round table. She had filled the teapot with her favorite recipe from the garden — fresh mint with hot water. We sipped and chatted about her latest book Coming to My Senses: The Making of A Counterculture Cook. She shared stories and lessons from her edible education including life changing moments in France when she discovered the incomparable tastes of the farmers markets, including les fraises des bois (strawberries from the woods). Chef Alice Waters brought back the literal and figurative seeds that would become the harvest of a delicious revolution. The actual seeds she planted in her backyard at Berkeley were the ingredients of a Mesclun Salad originating in Provence, France. Almost every dish at Chez Panisse has a little salad. Chef Waters explains, “A salad punctuates something that is rich and brings balance to the plate.”

Her favorite quotes include: “The destiny of nations depends upon the manner in which they were fed” Brillat-Savarin and “We are what we eat.” Chef Alice Waters explains that “When you eat fast food, you eat the values of the fast-food culture – that farming and cooking are drudgery. Food is something precious and should not be wasted.” Her passion for sharing this lesson with others, especially children, became the impetus of The Edible Schoolyard Project. Chef Waters emphasizes a key tenet to an edible education: “Don’t ever compromise the idea of sustainability. That’s the bottomline.”

Are you ready to create a vital and bold flavor profile with the produce? Chef Rick Bayless, a Maestro of Mexican Cuisine, provides tips, techniques and recipes from his latest cookbook More Mexican Everyday that will delight your palate.  Chef Bayless is an award winning chef, restaurateur, entrepreneur, cookbook author and philanthropist.  Over the past decade, his Frontera Farmer Foundation has funded over $1.5 million in grants to help small midwestern family farms bring delicious produce to the marketplace.  Chef Bayless is a Renaissance man and chef who savors the authentic flavors of Mexico and shares his expertise and passion with the home cook.

"Latin American Cuisine is like a house. I see Mexico as the front door with all the dishes we are most familiar with. But once you open and walk through that door, you can see twenty other kitchens full of food, vibrancy and amazing ingredients." Sandra Gutierrez.

Sandra Gutierrez and I met in the White House Garden in 2015 during an International Association of Culinary Professionals conference. We have become dear friends throughout the years on our respective culinary journeys. Sandra has written four cookbooks and is an award-winning journalist. In 2019, her work was recognized as part of the permanent FOOD exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. On September 15, 2021, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sandra was honored by the Smithsonian Institute as a Woman to Know and one of seven Latinas Who Shaped American Culture.

Sandra Gutierrez is known as The Julia Child of Latin American Cuisine. Just as Julia brought authentic French recipes to the home cooks in America, Sandra has brought authentic recipes from Latin America to the homes cooks in America. Further uniting them in culinary history, Julia and Sandra even share the same publisher, Knopf. Sandra's new book, "Latinisimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America" is the book she has had in her heart for thirty years. 

During our Kitchen Chat, Sandra provides insights into and recipes reflecting the cultural fusion through food across Latin America. She begins in her grandmother's kitchen in Guatemala and takes us on a delicious journey of shared ingredients that are prepared in ways that reflect the uniqueness of each country throughout Latin America. Sandra explains how the recipe for Lomo Saltado, the national stir-fry of Peru, depicts cultural culinary fusion with ingredients from Inca (potatoes and tomatoes) beef tenderloin (loco) brought by Europeans and soy sauce (sillao) from Asia.

On a side note, I especially enjoyed the Brazilian recipes in Sandra's cookbook. During my graduation school days, I actually lived in Rio de Janiero and enjoyed eating the fejoida and other delicious meals there. As the Brazilians so beautifully say, "Aproveite" which is my life's tagline to Savor the Day. Enjoy this delicious journey with Sandra Gutierrez in her latest book, LATINISIMO and discover the flavors of Latin America.

“Everything changes. The only thing that remains immovable across the centuries and fixes the character of a people is cooking.” Victor Hugo

The Cathedral de Notre Dame holds a special place of legacy for Chef Florian V. Hugo and for me. Chef Florian is the great great great great great-grandson of the literary maestro Victor Hugo, author of Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables and many other great works. He is an accomplished French chef who has lived and worked in New York City for two decades and he is author of “Les Contemplations Gourmandes” a biographical cookbook inspired by his forefather, Victor Hugo. Our mutual friend, Rita Jammet, Chief Bubble Officer and a founder of La Caravelle Champagne, introduced Chef Florian and me. Rita knows of my deep connection to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame was the last place my father visited in Paris before he passed away in the Charles de Gaulle Airport. His colleague who was traveling with him said they walked through Notre Dame for an hour, and that my father lit a candle and said a prayer of forgiveness and blessing for someone who had wronged him in a business deal.

During this Kitchen Chat, Chef Florian and I discuss Notre Dame and how this majestic cathedral reflects an important lesson and inspiration to rebuild and restore when we encounter unexpected challenges in life, both from a professional and personal perspective. It is exciting that Notre Dame will be reopening later this year. Michel Picaud, president of Friends of Notre Dame de Paris has worked hard to fundraise across the globe to help restore this important place. If you are interested in helping restore and preserve this place of history, here is a link to donate.

Chef Florian also discusses the journey of writing “Les Contemplations Gourmandes”as a way to honor Victor Hugo and to get to know his forefather through their mutual love for food. He used letters, writings and menus of dishes that Victor Hugo loved, and Chef Florian created the delicious recipes. What a special delight to see a photo of Victor Hugo’s “potager” kitchen garden in Guernsey where he was exiled after standing up to Napoleon. Chef Florian featured a handwritten note from Victor Hugo in 1860 that reads, “Aujourd’hui pour la 2 fois de l’annee, nous avons mange de nos asperges,” which roughly translated means: “Today for the second time this year, we ate our asparagus”. Chef Florian recounts how he has read so many books by great people about Victor Hugo and his life; however, he felt that he got to know his ancestor on a personal level through this book. 

On a personal note, my culinary journey with Kitchen Chat has helped me get to know and understand my father through conversations about food and sitting at the table to share meals with some wonderful people in the industry. It was a true honor to meet and befriend Chef Florian Hugo.

The statistics are staggering.  According to Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, nearly 80,000 people in Chicago are facing food and shelter instability.  Michael Airhart exemplifies what one person can do to tackle a huge problem.  For many years, he has cooked meals in his kitchen, has gone out into the streets, under bridges and into shelters to help feed and encourage those who are in need.  What an honor it was to recently interview Michael Airhart in the Middleby Residential showroom in Chicago along with Justin Cunningham and Essence Smith of SocialWorks to discuss their collaboration with Taste for the Homeless on June 22nd.  Chef Jaime Laurita and I joined Michael along with a team from SocialWorks to spend time with some of the people in Chicago who are ministered by Michael and share with them the delicious meal that Chef Jaime made for them.

"When a stir fry is cooked, it possesses "Wok Hei (hay)" which means life force. I like to call it the breath of a wok." Grace Young aka Stir Fry Guru.

Grace Young will teach you the insiders' secrets of seasoning your wok. Also known as Stir Fry Guru and a Wok Therapist, Young is a prolific cookbook author.

Grace Young has recently partnered with the James Beard Foundation to help #SaveChineseRestaurants through Instagram. Post a dish from your local Chinese restaurant and tag a friend along with James Beard Foundation on Instagram and use the hashtag #SaveChineseRestaurants. During this pandemic, we have lost over 30% of Chinese restaurants. Young is interviewing restaurant owners in NYC's Chinatown to provide insight into the impact on businesses.

Bourbon is a big trend, and I especially love how women are a key part of this resurgence.   Bourbon Women chapters are all gaining momentum across the country.  Recently, the Four Roses Bourbon Legend, Al Young joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential Showroom in Chicago.  We had a fun Bourbon and Bites event in the showroom and of course featured Four Roses bourbon.

Do you want more confidence at the grill? Today's guest, Chef Matthew Eads shares recipes and tips from his cookbook Grill Seeker: Basic Training for Everyday Grilling As a U.S. Marine for thirteen years, Chef Matt knows firsthand about basic training. He recently joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me in the Middleby Residential showroom at the Merchandise Mart for a Kitchen Chat.

What is aquaculture? Have you ever tried sea grapes? Chef Andrew Zimmern shares his passion for solving the issues of feeding the planet. "Sea Vegetables are the new wave of eating, so delicious and so good for you," Andrew explains.

Family Dinner, Andrew's new show, will be premiering on Magnolia in 2021. Chef Jaime Laurita and I have had the honor of meeting Andrew twice on the James Beard Foundation Awards Red Carpet in Chicago in 2017 and 2018.

Andrew is delightful and knows how to savor the day. 

Make late night plans for May 4th and join the delicious celebration of Iconoclast Dinner Experience (IDE) with Lezli Levene Harvell, founder and curator.  Chef Jaime Laurita will be hosting this special event in the Middleby Residential Showroom in the Merchandise Mart.  

Although the menu will be a surprise, several James Beard Foundation Award nominees (past and present) will be presenting this feast including : Chef Jerome Grant, Chef Gabriel Hernandez, Chef Mashama Bailey, and Chef Gregory Gourdet.  

The mission of Iconoclast Dinner Experience is to broaden the culinary conversation to include the diverse voices from throughout the globe making significant contributions to food culture.

As we all know, charity begins in the kitchen.  Net proceeds from the evening will benefit students at  Spelman College who are from Jamaica or Sub-Saharan African countries.  

Lezli Leven Harvell attended Spelman and strongly believes that her eduction there propelled her to where she is today.  In addition to being a food enthusiast, she is also a pediatric dentist.

It's kitchen confession time..... I grew up in the South and never actually made biscuits. My dear friend Chef Carla Hall along with Chadwick Boyd recently brought Biscuit Time to Kitchen Chat!

How fun to learn how to make biscuits alongside Chef Jaime Laurita in the beautiful Viking and La Cornue Middleby Residential showroom at the Merchandise Mart.  Biting into a hot biscuit brought back tastes of my childhood and the delicious food that my father would make.

This is a Kitchen Chat you will want to keep as a tutorial on how to make the perfect biscuits every time.  And of course you have the best teachers ever with Chef Carla and Chadwick.  They are our biscuit buddies!

Join Cowboy Kent Rollins and his wife Shannon on the chuckwagon trail as they share recipes for life, love and delicious meals in the new book Faith, Family & The Feast: Recipes to Feed Your Crew from the Grill, Garden and Iron Skillet. Kent's parents taught him an important lesson at a young age; "Faith, love, and food will get you through anything in life that might happen to you."

Chef Dave Choi has a passion for a plant based lifestyle. He encourages us to consider a three day challenge of eating meals without sugar, yeast, dairy and animal protein which he explains are the sources of inflammation. He says, “After three days ask yourself, do I feel better?”

His message to eat what is grounded to the earth is truly his life choice. Chef Choi opened the first vegan restaurant in Chicago, Amitabul. He explains that in a plant based lifestyle, one only eats what grows from the ground. He also stresses that vegetables should be steamed since eating them raw requires a larger amount of probiotics for digestion.

Chef Choi also shares some insightful sources of natural probiotics including spices such as ginger, garlic, tueric kale, oregano and basil. In addition to advocating nutrition for the body, Chef Choi also encourages nourishment for the soul with his Just Bee Meditation.

His son continues Chef Choi’s traditions of healthy eating through his company Healthful Habits, Inc. His son works with corporations to help curate and create a healthier lifestyle for employees. As Chef Choi says, “Take one meal at a time to be more conscious about what you eat.”

As we know, charity begins in the kitchen. On today's Kitchen Chat, we are featuring Chef Didier Durand, Executive Chef of Marchesa and Chef James De Marte, Chef/owner of Pisolino along with his business partner, Rachel De Marte. These two chefs joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me in the Middleby Residential Showroom for cooking demos. Their restaurants are participating in CHILL on November 14, 2019, an annual event at the Merchandise Mart to benefit three Chicago charities: Saturday Place, The Lynn Sage Foundation and Respiratory Health Association Over 70 restaurants are featured this year and each showroom will have delicious food and wine. As Blair Loftspring, Managing Director of Leasing and Marketing at the Merchandise Mart says, "It's a great reminder that the showrooms are open to the public Monday through Saturday."

Satisfy your sweet tooth with Perfectly Golden: Adapatable Recipes for Sweet and Simple Treats, a delicious new cookbook by Angela Garbacz, pastry chef and owner of Goldenrod Pastries in Lincoln Nebraska. Recently, Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita spoke with Chef Garbacz about this popular trend of people spending more time baking in their kitchens. Home baking has never been bigger. Flour is in high demand and Chef Garbacz helps us understand if including how to tell if the dough feels right or how to tell if a cake smells like it is done.

"If you make a syrup for a sorbet or souffle, take jasmine flowers and infuse them into a passionfruit base. Coax the flavor out from what already exists. Be intimate with your ingredients." - Chef Sherry Yard.

Let's celebrate flavors with Chef Sherry Yard, James Beard Award winning Outstanding Pastry Chef and a host of The Great American Baking Show. As a creator of the legendary Spago Beverly Hills' chocolate "Oscars" at The Governors Ball and as a mentor on The Great American Baking Show, Chef Sherry exudes and shares her passion for creating sweet and memorable moments through flavor with Kitchen Chat's co-hosts Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita.

On this special podcast, Chef Sherry has some great advice for aspiring "cheftesants" for The Great American Baking Show. In addition, she highlights a great memory with Julia Child and gives a lesson on ganache from her first cookbook, The Secrets of Baking: Simple Techniques for Sophisticated Desserts and spotlights her favorites in Desserts by the Yard: From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills: Recipes from the Sweetest Life Ever.

On November 8, Chef Jaime Laurita and I will emcee the Celebrity Chef Ball for Meals on Wheels Chicago. It's extra special this year as the organization will be honoring the legendary Ina Pinkney. Ina is a dear friend and mentor. Her experience as a restaurateur, cookbook author, brand ambassador, a polio survivor and a woman entrepreneur is impactful. Ina's passion to share her knowledge with others is her hallmark.

On a personal note, Ina has been a constant source of encouragement during my recovery process post broken knee - all while she is recovering from a broken leg!

Chef Thai Dang will be one of the celebrity chefs featured at the event. He is the Executive Chef of Haisous, a highly acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant in Chicago. Ina has been a mentor and friend to Chef Dang during his culinary journey. And how fascinating to learn about banana blossoms!

As the grandson of a Butcher, Chef and Southern Gentleman Matt Moore's passion for meat is literally in his bones. As the author of the acclaimed  A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen, South's Best Butts and Serial Griller, Chef Moore shares his rich legacy of recipes and methods for both 'low and slow' or 'fast and hot' cooking. 

Chef Moore shares his latest book , Butcher on the Block and celebrates the local Butcher as a culinary hero with stories, coveted family recipes, and expert tips from the people behind the counter who sell meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, and trimmings all around the globe. 

Julia Child always had that special "joie de vivre." I so wish that I had met her. Through Kitchen Chat, however, I have been able to get to know her through the stories and anecdotes shared by our guests.

"Riding in Cars with Julia Child" will be the first in this special series. It features three wonderful chefs: Jim Dodge, Dorie Greenspan and Sanford D'Amato, each with a unique experience of riding in a car with Julia.

Join Margaret McSweeney and Jaime Laurita as they talk with Serial Griller Matt Moore. Learn the secrets of grilling the ultimate comfort food.

Matt traveled 10,000 miles to explore hot and fast grilling as documented in his new book, Serial Griller- Grillmaster secrets for flame-cooked perfection.

Chefs Matt worked with include James Beard outstanding chefs Michael Solomonov, Ashley Christensen and Meathead. Ashley encouraged Matt to use the practice of “shaping fire” while grilling.

Based out of Nashville, Matt lives in the heart of the city, He spends 200 days of the year on the road and returned home in time for the March 2 tornado. Enduring minor damage to his home, his grill was unscathed. The shelter in place that followed the tornado has provided opportunity. Matt has found himself home and grilling with his family every evening on his Kamado style grill. Join the conversation as Matt shares ideas for grilling with the family using unique flavors and methods.

Restaurants are the hearts and souls of each community. Comprising 10% of the overall workforce in the U.S. with eleven million employees and adding $1 trillion to the economy, the restaurant industry is an essential player in the economic health and well-being of this country. This industry is feeling the brunt of COVD-19 pandemic, both for the employees and for the restaurateurs, and the effect is even more far reaching as farmers, fishermen, beverage distributors, linen services and other food and service suppliers are impacted. Restaurants are uniting to find solutions to sustain the workforce through this time and strategize on how to effectively navigate the landscape for what the "new normal" of the industry will be going forward.

You never know where my Kitchen Chat journey will bring me.  Recently, I attended an incredible Mastermind Group in the South Florida TikiHut of Fred Fishback.  What was extra special about this meeting is that Fred's father and my father were both stationed in Nuremberg post World War II after Fred's father valiantly served our country during that war.  My brother sent a photo to me and it appears that Fred's father and my father are both in that picture! As you know, the reason I began my Kitchen Chat culinary journey is to honor my late father.  Meeting Fred is truly a hug from heaven.  And it was great to meet Fred's friend, Chris Gannon, founder of Bolay, who provided a delicious and most memorable meal to the Mastermind attendees.

During his visit to Chicago for National Restaurant Show, Chris Gannon filmed a Kitchen Chat with Chef Jaime and me at the Middleby booth.  If you are an entrepreneur, you will learn some great insights into growing your own business and if you are a foodie, you will discover Bolay, a great fast casual restaurant group that Chris Gannon created to be a healthier option with nutrient rich foods.

Emmy Award Winning Actor and Daytime TV's favorite villain, Thaao Penghlis, recently released his cookbook: "Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time." This Australian-born Renaissance Man has traveled the world and hosted memorable dinner parties in his Hollywood Hills home with high profile celebrities. While this cookbook imagines the perfect meals for celebrities he has met, his actress friend Doris Roberts once wrote a thank you note praising his meticulous detail to the ambiance, food, and presentation.

Kourabiedes literally changed his life. While Thaao was working as an apprentice at an art gallery in Manhattan, Jacqueline Kennedy knocked on the door. The gallery owner was out to lunch so Thaao invited then Mrs. Kennedy to have some tea and kourabiedes which he had baked. How ironic that the son of Greek immigrants would serve Greek wedding cookies to the future Mrs. Onassis. Of course the featured entree that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis inspired was Thaao's Moussaka. recipe. He shares his delicious touches to this Greek dish including shiitake mushrooms and peeling the eggplants to remove any bitterness. Thaao also highlights delightful stories about other celebrities during our Kitchen Chat.

Thaao hosts a podcast called "Thaao Penghlis' Lost Treasures," a thrilling detective story-style exploration of Greece's greatest contribution to the world's literature, the poet Homer.

Here is Thaao's great wisdom for life and success.

1. Never allow people to be the leaders of your life or tell you what's next. I believe you plant your own seeds and trust.
2.  
3. If someone's not opening the door, it's meant that you look elsewhere. Don't let them be your dominant in the ways they've taken you away from something. Out create them.
4.  
5. Make your life great. Don't shortchange it. Don't let people dismiss you. If they do it means that you have just been blessed by someone who has let you go onto another side of your track.
6.  
7. Be the cause and not the effect.

Enjoy the great recipes and stories in Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time.

Savor the day!

For more Celebrity Chef interviews and recipes visit Kitchenchat.info 

Do you want to be a hero in your kitchen? Marge Perry and David Bonom share the tips and recipes for one pan meals that will expand the palates with even more flavor for your family. Recently, I stopped by Read it and Eat in Chicago where this dynamic duo was preparing Ooey Gooey Mac and Cheese from their new cookbook Hero Dinners: One-pan Meals that will Save the Day. Their recipes will make you rethink everything you thought about meal preparation.

My friendship with Dave and Marge began at IACP, a wonderful organization you should check out. They have been mentors and encouragers along my culinary journey.

What are your favorite ways to introduce new flavors to your friends and family?

Today on KitchenChat your host Margaret McSweeney talks to Garry and Leslie Roark-Scott of Ubon's Barbeque at Chicago's "Windy City Smokeout".

Garry died just a few weeks after this interview in 2018. I purposely held onto this video to let some time pass before reaching out to Leslie to ask her permission to share this special Kitchen Chat. Leslie encouraged me to share this to honor her father, and I thought that the week of Father's Day would be such a fitting time.

My heart aches for her and her family as they continue to mourn the loss of Garry. Both Leslie and I were truly blessed to have fathers who encouraged their daughters to pursue their dreams. This special interview captures the love and pride Garry had for his family. He was especially pleased that Leslie and her son, Jason are continuing the family legacy of BBQ.

Leslie fully credits her father for opening that door for her. "I feel like sometimes I am kinda a pioneer for women in BBQ. Since I started almost thirty years ago, I've seen the path change from a footpath to an interstate system. There are so many amazing women in BBQ right now," Leslie said. And Garry expressed how proud he was that Leslie and Jason would be cooking at the James Beard House for a special event called, "A Night in Yazoo City."

Here's to Garry Roark's beautiful legacy of family and food.

"Joy comes from cooking for other people." -- Chef Mary Sue Milliken.

Chef Mary Sue Milliken continues to enjoy her culinary career with great success in owning restaurants, writing cookbooks, and starring in TV shows. In this Kitchen Chat, Chef Milliken shares the joy of her journey and the life lessons she has learned along the way, including special insight from Julia Child. Chef Milliken's non-profit Regarding Her is helping empower and uplift the next generation of women in the hospitality industry. She is passionate about mentorship and giving back to the industry that she loves. In addition to discussing successful strategy for succeeding as a woman in business, Chef Milliken shares the top three tips for a home chef:

1. Only bring the best ingredients into your kitchen. Try to shop at farmers markets.
2. Always balance flavors and textures.
3. Take the time to eat 80% plant based.

Enjoy Chef Milliken’s recipe for Quinoa Fritters. 

"Find a great need in a near edge and act upon it to make a difference" as my father always encouraged. This has proven to be a powerful recipe for action, especially for Nancy Brinker, a three-time Ambassador and New York Times best-selling author, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. She launched two impactful charitable organizations from her kitchen table. Nancy is regarded as the leader of the global breast cancer movement. Her journey began with promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen that she would do everything possible to end the shame, fear and hopelessness caused by this disease.

Since 1982, Susan G Komen Foundation has invested nearly $1.1 billion in breast cancer research. The second charity that Nancy recently founded is the Promise Fund of Florida, which helps ensure that every woman, regardless of her circumstances has access to life-saving cancer resources. She was shocked to discover that 80,000 women ages 18-65 in Palm Beach County do not have health insurance coverage, and 30% of breast cancers are at an advanced stage when diagnosed.

Kitchen Chat was honored to sit with Nancy at this very kitchen table where she started The Promise Fund of Florida to discuss an issue that is important to both of us. Nancy and I are breast cancer survivors.

Nancy Brinker and I met at Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) event at the United Nations where she was being honored by Wendy Diamond, the founder of the WEDO. During our Kitchen Chat, Nancy and I of course bonded over our love and appreciation of food. She shared highlights from her favorite meals as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary along with her appreciation of her late husband's accomplishments as a pioneer within the restaurant industry. Norman Brinker was the founder of Steak and Ale and CEO of Brinker International which owns Chili's Grill and Bar, Romano's Macaroni Grill and Maggiano's Little Italy. He is credited for revolutionizing the casual-dining restaurants in the United States.

In a full circle, "hugs from heaven" moment, Nancy invited me to join her for the Women of Distinction awards luncheon in Palm Beach which is hosted by Palm Beach Atlantic University. She of course is a past honoree. What she didn't realize is that when my father was president of Palm Beach Atlantic University over thirty years ago, he actually helped create this concept of honoring women in the community.

Please help support the Promise Fund of Florida and make an impact for women to have access to life-saving cancer resources. Thank you, Nancy Brinker for finding "a great need in a near edge and acting upon it to make a huge difference."

Savor the day!

Be sure and visit https://www.kitchenchat.info

“If you preserve the food, you preserve who your family is.” This poignant quote by Joan Nathan, an award winning author of eleven cookbooks including her latest King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from  Around the World, truly captures the essence of why recipes matter.

It was an honor to meet Joan Nathan at Les Dames d’Escoffier conference in Washington, D.C. and discuss the importance of preserving foodways. Not until Nathan was married did she fully appreciate the influence Jewish foodways had on her family.Her mother-in-law was a Holocaust survivor from Poland who remembered all the food and recipes from this country in such a beautiful way.  “It made me realize that I wanted to preserve them,” Nathan explains. After meeting a Yiddish folklore professor who also wanted to share his recipes and stories, Nathan embarked on her own ethnic foodways journey to discover  and preserve beloved Jewish recipes.

Joan Nathan shares her firsthand  experience of the power of how food brings people to the table and breaks down barriers.  While working for Teddy Kollek, the former mayor of Jerusalem, they visited an Arab village for a meeting, and everyone connected over Joan’s favorite chicken dish called  Musakhan (Palestinian Sumac chicken with sautéed onions).

Whole Foods is teaming with Joan Nathan to offer prepared dishes and recipes for customers during the Jewish High Holidays.  The five recipes all featured in her latest cookbook Solomon’s Table: Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking form Around the World include: Cod with Tomatoes, Plumbs, Apples, Onions and Pine Nuts; Slightly Sweet and Sour Cabbage; Seven Sacred Species Salad with Wheat Berries, Barley, Olives, Figs, Dates, Grapes and Pomegranate; Sweet and Crunchy Noodle Kugel; and Tahina Cookies.

"And to the reader, I dedicate this book to you, with hopes that it will inspire you to celebrate life with elegance, grace, laughter, love, and intentions - in the spirit of the Delmonico Way." Max Tucci

Hospitality is a way of life for Max Tucci, the grandson of the late Oscar Tucci, owner of the famous New York restaurant Delmonico's. The Delmonico brothers opened their first establishment in 1827, in 1926, Delmonico's became a part of Tucci's family. All were always welcome at the table in Delmonico's and that is a legacy that Max continues in his own life. He is intentional about making sure people know that they are seen, heard, appreciated and that they matter. In his book, The Delmonico Way: Sublime Entertaining & Legendary Recipes From the Restaurant That Made New York!, Max Tucci spotlights the incredible food and fame of Delmonico's. Above all, however, Tucci shares the beautiful love story of his family whose legacy continues to define hospitality. You will be inspired to create your own traditions around food and entertaining and to celebrate life in "The Delmonico Way."

How special to realize that my late father was inspired by the delicious legacy of Delmonico's to create a special family tradition. My fondest childhood taste memory is that of Eggs Benedict. Each Saturday my father would meticulously prepare the hollandaise sauce and pour it over this special breakfast dish. Eggs Benedict was actually invented at Delmonico's in the late 1860s by Chef Charles Ranhofer who named this dish after Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, a frequent diner at the restaurant.

What a delight to have recently met Max in New York City during the International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards at the Middleby Residential New York Showroom. Our mutual friend, Jennifer English connected us. Max is now a very dear foodie friend, and I look forward to many conversations and delicious meals with him. Please order a copy of his book as a gift for yourself or for a foodie friend.

What are your special food and entertaining traditions?

"The fewer the ingredients, the faster dinner gets to the table." -Sara Moulton.

Sara Moulton is America's Chef to the home chefs.  She was Julia Child's protege, one of the first Food Network stars with her show Cooking Live (1996-2002) and her PBS show, Weeknight Meals is in its eighth season.  Sara Moulton is passionate about educating and elevating home chefs.  She believes that with the right guidance anyone can become a good cook.  Even me!

Recently, Sara Moulton joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me in the Viking and La Cornue Showroom in New York City.  How ironic that Jaime's first television appearance was on Sara's Cook Live show!  Tune in for the fun behind the scene details of that one and for her fond memories of Julia Child.

Vicky Bennison takes us into the kitchens across Italy to meet the beloved "Pasta Grannies" who share their time-treasured techniques and secrets to pasta making. From her home in Italy, Vicky started exploring the food of the area and discovered that only the Italian grandmothers were preserving the tradition of making pasta by hand. She began capturing this culinary this culinary history on video and launched her successful Pasta Grannies Youtube channel.

You will learn heartfelt life lessons and culinary insights from these recipes and stories. Regionally methods and ingredients vary resulting in a wide variety of delicious dishes. Pasta making is an art that requires practice and a recognition of how the ingredients feel when you have achieved the perfect dough.

Vicky Bennison’s book, Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook: The Secret’s of Italy’s Best Home Cooks, will give you the opportunity to try your hand at making pasta that has been passed from generation to generation and experienceing the beauty these Pasta Grannies desire to share with us.

Chef Michael Kornick is a successful restaurateur, active in supporting the community.

His culinary journey has taken him into some of the greatest kitchens in the world. He is a nationally recognized leader in the culinary arts. His inspiration began at home, cooking with his grandmother and mother. Chef Kornick recalls, “They took a lot of pride and passion in bringing family occasions to the table with joy and love, so I started cooking at a very young age.”

At 15 he took a job at a restaurant busing tables and washing dishes. He came of age at a time when American culinary arts and American chefs were just beginning to find a voice in a bigger culinary world. He was “fixed on honing his skills in restaurants that were really actively pursuing something special, something that people believed was going to be important.”

Tara Bench, aka Tara Teaspoon has worked for decades in food publishing and was the food editor for Martha Stewart Living and the food director for Ladies Home Journal. Through these publications, she has always inspired home chefs and has encouraged everyone to view recipes as a guide and to "make it work for you."

She discusses the changes in the publishing industry and the role that influencers play. For those aspiring culinary writers, Tara notes that there are many paths that one can take to share their stories, including podcasts, social media, blogs, websites and even self publication. She advises, "First and foremost, start telling that story. Start creating the connection with people to build your audience and get it out there. It can always be restructured into a different format down the road."

Cooking alongside her mother instilled a love of food and culinary communication. She has special memories of making My Favorite Coconut Cream Pie recipe. While many of us are still having to stay home these days, this is a great time to gather together in the kitchen and cook together. Tara Teaspoon will help you "Live Life Deliciously." Enjoy this special Kitchen Chat with Tara and co-hosts Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita.

"Everything in moderation and everything in celebration."  Ellie Krieger

Ellie Krieger has a passion for making healthy eating delicious.  As a registered nutritionist, author of six cookbooks, host of Ellie's Real Good Food on PBS and host of the Food Network's hit show Healthy Appetite, Ellie Krieger is the leading go-to nutritionist in the media today.  Recently, she had a Kitchen Chat with Chef Jaime Laurita and me in the Viking and La Cornue Showroom in New York City to discuss her latest cookbook, "Whole in One: Complete Healthy Meals in One Sheet Pan, Pot or Skillet."

Chef Jim Dodge has deep culinary and hospitality roots.  Chef Dodge's family has been in the hospitality business in the White Mountains of New Hampshire since 1794.  He worked in every department of his family's New Hampshire resorts.  Although he didn't stay in the family business, Chef Dodge continues the art of hospitality with his impressive pastry chef career.  

I first met Chef Dodge at the very first Julia Child Foundation Awards honoring Chef Jacques Pepin.  What a delight to at last have a Kitchen Chat with him during the IACP conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We sat at a table outside.  You will even hear the birds singing in the background.

Chef Jim Dodge has a true passion for baking and for teaching others the art of baking.  He has won several James Beard awards and is the Director of Specialty Culinary Programs at Bon Appetit Management Company.  He has baked with and baked for the top culinary talent from around the world.  You will enjoy hearing his special stories about Julia Child.

Spago, Beverly Hills is the iconic flagship of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. Celebrations at Spago are legendary. Did you know that the Oscars parties at Spago predate the Vanity Fair parties? Just days before Covid hit in March, Chef Jaime Laurita and I went to Spago for a very special Kitchen Chat with Barbara Lazaroff, co-founder of Wolfgang Puck Brand and her youngest son, Byron Lazaroff-Puck.

"Food is Love"

Caroline Manzo and Chef Jaime Laurita Caroline Manzo is a household name as one of Bravo's beloved Real Housewives of New Jersey and Manzo'd with Children.  Recently, Caroline joined her brother (and my dear friend and co-host), Chef Jaime Laurita and me in the Viking and La Cornue Showroom in New York City for a Kitchen Chat.  

How special to hear Caroline's and Jaime's stories about their childhood taste memories at the family farm where their grandmothers would prepare Italian family recipes including Italian meatballs, panzerotti, and gnocchi.

Enjoy the Best of BBQ and Grilling with some of the top experts! Steven Raichlen, Meathead, Mike Mills, and Myron Mixon share their tips and techniques to make you a BBQ Rock Star in your backyard!

Chef Roy Yamaguchi is the Pioneer of Asian Fusion. Born and raised on a U.S. Army base in Japan, Chef Yamaguchi discovered his love of cooking through a home economics course in high school. A young Chef Roy made roast turkey, and his school counselor was so impressed that he encouraged him to consider cooking as a career. Chef Roy graduated from Culinary Institute of America and he soon created his own identity and style of cooking by showcasing the Japanese cuisine of his upbringing combined with the techniques and flavors of French cuisine. Join Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita on this Kitchen Chat to discover the taste of Aloha with Chef Roy's favorite childhood taste memory and his favorite dish to make in his own kitchen today.

A milestone moment of my culinary journey was sitting down with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse for a Kitchen Chat while sipping fresh mint water. How special for Chef Jaime Laurita and me to recently interview Alice Waters' daughter, Fanny Singer about her new book, Always Home: A Daughter’s Recipes & Stories. This book reflects upon Fanny's childhood memories of life with her parents and of Chez Panisse. Fanny Singer is an accomplished editor, writer, and co-founder of the design brand Permanent Collection. Singer also earned a PhD.

Fanny explains how art and food are connected by the compulsion to create beauty in one’s environment.  Completed just before the pandemic, her book, Always Home, imparts an even deeper meaning during the quarantine.  Fanny shares stories of her mother’s tangible expression of love through creativity.  Their relationship exudes joy, a shared respect for sustainability and an insatiable curiosity to keep learning.

How special for Chef Jaime Laurita and me to recently interview Alice Waters' daughter, Fanny Singer about her new book, Always Home: A Daughter’s Recipes & Stories. This book reflects upon Fanny's childhood memories of life with her parents and of Chez Panisse.

Fanny Singer is an accomplished editor, writer, and co-founder of the design brand Permanent Collection. Singer also earned a PhD.

Fanny explains how art and food are connected by the compulsion to create beauty in one’s environment. Completed just before the pandemic, her book, Always Home, imparts an even deeper meaning during the quarantine. Fanny shares stories of her mother’s tangible expression of love through creativity. Their relationship exudes joy, a shared respect for sustainability and an insatiable curiosity to keep learning.

What is a schug and how can it make your life delicious? Danielle Renov's new book Peas, Love and Carrots is bursting with Moroccan-Israeli inspired flavors. Learn about harissa and how it can spice up any dish. Danielle has a collection of recipes for sauces and dips to have ready to elevate any meal. You will feel her passion and love for cooking as Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita chat with Danielle Renov about her new book Peas, Love and Carrots.

Over 16 million children in the United States experience hunger.  Common Threads is helping lead the way to empower and educate children across the country.  Recently, Linda Novick O'Keefe, the founding CEO of Common Threads joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential Showroom in Chicago's Merchandise Mart. Linda shared with us her passion for educating school age children on how to prepare healthy affordable meals.  She also discussed how Chef Art Smith (Oprah's award-winning personal chef) experienced the power of bringing people to the table while cooking for families impacted after 9/11 in New York City. They felt the power of using food for change and education. Common Threads was born as a result of the experiences with these families in need.

Let's connect in our kitchens! I know this is a difficult time, dear foodie friends. We can all feel a bit disconnected and discouraged. Please know that you are not alone. Please reach out to others in your community.

My dear friend and co-host, Chef Jaime Laurita and I recently had a Kitchen Chat by phone in our respective kitchens. How odd this felt not to actually be in person recording. Just a few weeks ago, we were celebrating on the red carpet in Los Angeles as Kitchen Chat was inducted into the Taste Awards Hall of Fame. Life can change so quickly. Yet connecting and celebrating are still important hallmarks of humanity, even though it might temporarily be in a different way.

Both Jaime and I had separate "Shelter in Place" birthday celebrations a week apart. Thank you for the many birthday wishes that you sent my way via social media.

Candace Jordan is one of Chicago's most celebrated celebrities who loves charity and chicken. Over the course of her modeling career, Candace was featured eight times on the cover of Playboy and was a "bunny" during what was considered the golden age of the magazine.  Now Candace is the one who shines the spotlight on others, especially charities as a social columnist and media personality.  She hosts CandidCandaceTV and writes a weekly Chicago Tribune column called Candid Candace and also a blog.  She recently joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me in the Viking and La Cornue Showroom in the Merchandise Mart for a Kitchen Chat which turned into a fun Chicken Chat.

The plant-based lifestyle is quite trendy these days; however it's now a way of life for me. After an unexpected detour in my health, I began this green journey and am grateful for Robin Asbell and Chef Dave Choi for being my GPS. Whether or not you are fully making the change to plant-based or just adding a little more plants to your plate, Robin Asbell has some delicious dishes for you.

In her new book, Vegan Meal Prep, A 5 week program with 125 ready to go recipes, Robin provides a roadmap of recipes for your journey. Robin takes the mystery out of determining proper proteins and helps restructure your weekly approach to food prep.

Once you understand the basics of vegan meal prep, eating whole plant based foods will be easy. Beans, grain, nuts, greens, and roasted veggies can be easily and flavorfully adapted to any type of cuisine.

Vegan Meal Prep by Robin Asbell © 2019 www.robertrose.ca. Available where books are sold.

What is your favorite plant-based dish?

Savor the day!

The data points are staggering. 52% of all restaurant workers are women. 71% of servers are women. 82% of hostesses are women. 54% of all culinary students are women. And only 7% of all restaurants are led by women chefs. Daisy Zeijlon, food and gender scholar discusses the "why" behind these numbers along with the "how" to change them.

With over 30 books, Anne Willan is truly one of the world’s preeminent authorities on French cooking and she is one of the nicest and most gracious people you will ever meet. I first met Anne at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference in Chicago during 2014 at a book signing for her outstanding memoir One Souffle at a Time. In February 2015, Chef Jaime Laurita and I enjoyed an afternoon tea in Anne’s kitchen.

Celebrity Chef Dave White recently released his first cookbook "Salted:A Recipe Book with a Story to Tell." This new book spotlights 50 of his favorite recipes and adventurous travels (photos included) around the world.

Before he was the chef on Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean," Chef White cooked in some of the finest kitchens in London and Paris and was a top competitor skier. In the book's endorsement, Captain Sandy Yawn writes that Chef White "was the best chef on Below Deck Med." With mountaintops and valleys in his life, Chef White shares how cooking saved him. He is a big advocate for mental health and openly speaks about his own challenges. 

Having grown up near London, Chef White has a passion for Fish N Chips and hopes to one day open a restaurant. Meanwhile, he continues his culinary adventures on land and sea.

Here are Chef Dave's top tips for the home chef:

1. When you are cooking, it needs to be fun. I never write lists when I go shopping. See what's fresh and organic and what they brought in that morning. Then create something around that ingredient. 
2. Season fish and meat treating them both the same. Let it set out for an hour before you cook it. 
3. Bread doesn't have to be complicated. Just get good flour, all purpose and some quick yeast. Put it together in one pot, warm water, rest and a tiny bit of sugar. Don't overthink. Let it proof once and just bake it at a high heat. It really isn't that complicated. 
4. A bonus tip from Chef Dave White is to use Maldon Sea Salt from Cornwall.

What is your favorite salt?

Be sure and visit Kitchenchat.info for more celebrity chefs and recipes.

Savor the Day!

Let's celebrate Chef Jeremiah Tower's culinary past, present and future. Considered to be the first Celebrity Chef and a creator of California cuisine, Chef Tower's creative genius continues to influence chefs around the world and across generations. During this special Kitchen Chat, he shares delightful stories about Julia Child, James Beard and Anthony Bourdain with Chef Jaime Laurita and me. Chef Tower also touches upon the music in the kitchen at Chez Panisse and shares why he left Stars, his famous restaurant in San Francisco. He explains, "At the very top, you step off. That's why I left and went to the beach. It was time to go fishing. Only Anthony Bourdain understood it. Nobody else did." Anthony Bourdain featured Chef Tower in a CNN documentary, "Chef Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent" which is available on Netflix.

Chef Tower lives in Mexico now and is working on a new book about his experiences of eating food from around the world. In addition, he is partnering with a prestigious institute in Mexico on "la busqueda de la authentic cocina Mexicana" to create a full documentation in every way of the regions of Mexico and their cooking of the hearth in homes and to present new versions that keep the original flavors and tastes.

He remains passionate about focusing on ingredients. Chef Tower truly defines and lives life with exquisite taste and style: "Style has to come from within and it's what you're working with. The real style is finding the perfect fish, knowing how to take care of it, knowing how to cook it and knowing in what ambiance to serve it to your paying customers. Simplicity of food is the real style. Just like the little black dress in fashion."

Chef Jeremiah Tower shares his top three tips for the home cook:

1. Empty out your spice drawer that's got 40 bottles of two year old spices and throw them away. Buy spices in small quantities on the day or week that you plan to cook with them.
2. Healthful eating is more important than ever. Eat healthy food, invite your friends to your home and cook for them. It's all about the ingredients.
3. Don't be afraid to cook. You can always make scrambled eggs if your dish doesn't turn out.

If you are passionate about food, wine, family and friends, Tuscany beckons like few places on the planet with rolling hills and luscious abundance. Nestled in the magnificent, ancient province of Sienna, in the village of Montefollonico, is Tuscan Women Cook, an immersive cooking experience destination curated by Coleen Kirnan, which welcomes global guests for the culinary trip of a lifetime each week of the year.

Join Margaret as she welcomes Coleen from the kitchens of Montefollonico for an inspiring conversation about the total-immersion Tuscan cooking school vacations she hosts in the medieval town in the heart of Sienna. Steps from the bountiful vineyards of Orcia DOC in the heart of Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and the olive trees and farms where the most irresistible traditions and flavors come from, Tuscan Women Cooks shares legacy recipes, techniques and traditions with guests from all over the world.

Tuscan Women Cook  where "guests are warmly welcomed and served special multi-course menus that highlight the freshest ingredients of the season." 

If your Dreamscape is redolent with the perfume of truffles unearthed nearby, shaved paper-thin over fresh-made ravioli, plump with Pecorino delivered from the local dairy farmer, plated with a drizzle of oil pressed from the most recent harvest from olive grove located in the agriturismo just down the road, Tuscan Women Cook might be calling your name. You can always enjoy a taste of Tuscany from your own kitchen with the cookbook: Tuscan Women Cook: Nonnas. Memories. Recipes.

In 2012, Jen Hidinger-Kendrick's husband, Chef Ryan Hidinger was diagnosed with late stage terminal cancer of the gallbladder. Friends, family and the Atlanta community rallied behind her family and raised over $300,000.  Jen said that this outpouring gave Ryan a peace of mind and that the community’s overwhelming response to the Hidingers' crisis set the intent, beliefs and values for the Giving Kitchen. "Tragedy hit and crisis hit for us.  But what happened after that really is what changed the trajectory we believe of the restaurant and food service industry of what we are seeing now with the work we are doing with Giving Kitchen."  

Giving Kitchen is an Atlanta based non-profit that offers stability including financial aid to food service workers in times of crisis such as sickness, injury, death of immediate family member, and national disaster in addition to other programs. And, Giving Kitchen is the 2019 James Beard Foundation's Humanitarian of the Year.  

Food is sport, especially at the IKA/Culinary Olympics.  Chef Stafford DeCambra, President of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) has brought home 11 gold medals.  Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita and I had a pop-up Kitchen Chat with Chef DeCambra at Middleby's booth at the National Restaurant Show.  

ACF is celebrating its 90th birthday this year.  Founded in 1929 by  a group of chefs, ACF certifies the chefs at all levels, including Master Chefs.  In addition, ACF provides culinary schools with accreditation. Having grown up in Oahu, Chef DeCambra's key life ingredients are Ohana and Mana.  

Ohana is the special Hawaiian word for family and Mana means spiritual energy.  He truly exemplifies the Spirit of Aloha, which is hospitality and graciousness.

Did you know that around 10 million in the United States are raising chickens? Lisa Steel, a fifth-generation chicken keeper and founder of Fresh Eggs Daily, has a new cookbook The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected Ways. In this podcast, you will learn about the benefits of a fresh egg, some tips on raising chickens and some great recipes with eggs from her new cookbook.

Watch Lisa make some delicious and simple to prepare, Crispy Lemon-Fried Eggs at https://www.kitchenchat.info

Discover the tastes of terroir and enjoy a sip of the world with Monique Huston, national director of Winebow Spirits. According to Huston, "People are hip into looking at terroir of spirits and getting a sense of the land."  Just as with wine and food, the soil and weather can influence the taste of spirits. Mezcal in Tulum is one of the hottest trends these days, and Huston even provided a sample of an agave that takes 25 years to produce one bottle.  It was so surprising to actually taste the terroir.  Globally, most people consume whisky with soda, coconut water or  green tea.

Join Margaret McSweeney and Chef Lee Burton at a table by a tree-lined gravel driveway in front of an 18th century villa in Antibes for a special Kitchen Chat. Both Chef Lee and Margaret share Alabama roots and enjoyed connecting the dots of mutual friends and southern childhood taste memories. Enjoy the background sounds of cicadas singing and the birds chirping. 

As the foodie friends of Kitchen Chat know, charity begins in the kitchen. Chef Lee has a passion for teaching children how to cook and is involved with a fantastic charity, the Rochford Foundation. He actually left a successful business career mid-life to pursue his passion of culinary teaching. It's a reminder to us all that we should never feel stuck in what we are doing in life. You can always make a proactive and purposeful change.

Chef Lee is also busy launching a new show called "Go Local Lee" (https://www.golocallee.net/) This series of videos is aimed at spotlighting local dining and drinking establishments in Redlands, California. From front-of-the-house interviews with diners to back-of-the-house visits to the kitchens, Chef Lee offers diners an intimate look behind the scenes of their favorite eateries, coffee shops and breweries. 

Chef Lee's website: https://www.golocallee.net/

Nestled amongst 370 acres of gardens and grounds is the grandeur of the historic Cliveden House.

Originally built in 1666 by the Duke of Buckingham, the last owner was William Waldorf Astor who rebuilt the estate to what it is today. The National Trust is the owner of Cliveden House which is now a breathtaking luxury five star hotel. Recently, I booked an overnight stay at Cliveden House through American Express Travel's Fine Hotels and Resorts. 

The benefits included a free breakfast and free upgrade. I was traveling with my friend, May Wong from graduate school and her dog, George.

The hotel graciously welcomes pets. (Please refer to the pet policy guidelines).

Cliveden House is a culinary delight. The Lady Astor Afternoon Tea was indeed a delicious highlight. Overlooking the expansive gardens, tea is served in true English fashion.

The signature drink 66 served in the wood-paneled Library Bar is an homage 1666, the year in which the Duke of Buckingham built Cliveden House.

There are several Michelin starred restaurants in the area, and the concierge is happy to help arrange reservations. Charity begins in the kitchen. In the Cliveden House gift shop, a copy of the Chefs at Home cookbook is available for purchase, and a portion of proceeds benefit the wonderful non-profit Hospitality Action.

Subscribe to the audio podcast of Kitchen Chat on Apple, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kitchen-chat-margaret-mcsweeney/id447185040 or Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3PpcTPpvHEh8eOMfDUm8I9 Visit Kitchenchat.info

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Kitchen Chat Host and Founder Margaret McSweeney is joind by Executive Pastry Chef Riccardo Menicucci for "A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel".

The Beverly Wilshire is a sweet destination, especially during Oscars Week. This year's amenities included a film projector made of Valrhona Manjari, a luxury chocolate, in addition to a thoughtfully designed and braided croissant representing the team of talented people required to create a film. And of course it was topped with gold!

Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, has a long history within the entertainment industry. This luxury hotel opened in Beverly Hills in January of 1928. The Beatles even held their first press conference in the Champagne Room.

Here are Chef Meniccui's three top tips for the home pastry chef:

1. When you make pastry cream, you don't need to boil your milk. It's very important. Otherwise you cook the proteins of your milk and it tastes different.
2. Always mix your dry ingredients with a whisk so you don't have chunks of flour in your mix. Don't ever feel afraid to leave your comfort zone.
3. There is no losing or winning, only trying.

Beverly Wilshire is one of my favorite hotels in the Los Angeles area to stay and to host events. This historic place provides a taste of luxury at every turn, and their staff is professional and always willing to accommodate and personalize your experience. The BLVD staff even printed customized keepsake menus just hours before a pre-Taste Awards party that I hosed to honor my friend, Lisa-Renee Ramirez, Emmy-Award winning executive producer, director and creator for Allen Media Group.

Thank you, Beverly Wilshire and Chef Menicucci for this Kitchen Chat along with the photos you provided.

Thank you, foodie friends! What are some of your favorite destinations? Savor the day!

Be sure and visit https//www.KitchenChat.info and subscribe to the Kitchen Chat audio podcast on Apple.com, https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/kitchen-chat-margaret-mcsweeney/id447185040

Join me on a delicious and healthy journey with Deepa Thomas, author of Deepa’s Secrets. As Deepa says, “It’s not rocket science that we are what we eat.” As many of you know, I am a five year breast cancer survivor and have been trying to embrace a healthier lifestyle. However, the constant challenge is trying to find the balance of delicious and nutritious. Deepa’s kitchen chat has literally changed my life. Her recipes empower and nourish and will expand your global palate and help satiate the spirit and the stomach.

Chef Katie Chin and I share a parallel culinary journey. She is honoring her late mother, Leann Chin, who was a successful restaurateur in Minnesota. I am honoring my late father, Dr. Claude H. Rhea Jr., who was a wonderful home chef. Cooking was an expression of love in both of our homes and a bridge to new cultures. What an honor it was to write the foreword to Katie's new book "Global Family Cookbook.

After a fun event in the Middleby Residential Orange County Showroom, Chef Katie and I sat down for a Kitchen Chat to discuss her new cookbook and her online cooking show with her daughter, Becca each Sunday. With over 170 global recipes, Katie provides a taste of the world and brings us all to the table together.

For more Top Chef interviews, recipes and insights visit https://Kitchenchat.info

Subscribe to the audio podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kitchen-chat-podcast-kitchen-chat/id888455352

Drew Nieporent, founder of Myriad Restaurant Group including Nobu and Tribeca Grill, is the perfect matchmaker for the pairing of food and film.  Just hours before joining Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential Showroom, he hosted lunch for opening day of 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival.  

Many of his restaurants' partners are celebrities including Robert De Niro and Bill Murray.  Service is a key ingredient to success, especially in the restaurant industry.  

In 1982, Nieporent was general manager of  24 Fifth Avenue when James Beard walked into the restaurant and requested a Manhattan Neat. The next time Beard walked into the restaurant, Nieporent handed him a Manhattan Neat and will always remember the nod of approval from this culinary legend.  Anticipating a guest's need before being asked is truly the heart and art of hospitality.

Chef Carla Hall is a bouquet of sunshine. Her genuine kindness and enthusiasm for cooking are her hallmarks. During this challenging time, we all need a little sunshine and encouragement. Chef Carla Hall shares what she is cooking during the quarantine and has words of comfort from her kitchen. Get inspired to try your hand at baking bread or starting a family cooking night! Join Chef Jaime Laurita and me for this special Kitchen Chat with Chef Carla Hall.

"New York was the spell, the impetus of making it work. We were three young men and we came to New York to seek fame and fortune. We turned out to be the toast of the town, at least on the East Side." Stephen Bruce

Serendipity3 is a place of celebrating delicious milestones with family and friends while savoring an omelette and sipping a Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. This iconic restaurant recently celebrated 67 years, a rare honor in New York City. Very few restaurateurs can say that James Beard taught them how to cook in the James Beard House. Stephen Bruce, a founder of Serendipity3 shares how America's First Foodie taught him along with his founders, Patch Caradine and Calvin Holt how to make an omelette. Stephen Bruce attributes James Beard for helping create the popular menu staple, Caviar and Cream Cheese Omelette served at Serendipity3.

During this special Kitchen Chat, Stephen returns to the James Beard House for the first time in over 67 years and reminisces about his weeklong cooking lessons with James Beard.

Stephen was one of my first guests on Kitchen Chat many years ago, and I have always wanted to capture his compelling story on camera. He is dashing, gracious, stylish and charming.

"Sophisticated Fun" is the mantra for Chef Michael Mignano, Executive Chef/Culinary Director at The Pierre, a Taj Hotel.  Since 1930, this iconic hotel has defined "timeless New York City luxury," and Auguste Escoffier was the opening chef and designer of the original kitchen.  Chef Mignano continues this outstanding legacy of luxury and hospitality at The Pierre.

To honor and celebrate Karl Lagerfeld during the most recent Met Gala, Chef Mignano prepared exquisite  amenities for the guests.  After much research, Mignano discovered that Lagerfeld thought that  buttered toast was the ultimate in luxury. Mignano creatively included a miniature toast with a side of French butter in the dish.  

Hospitality is effervescent at The Pierre, not only to guests but to fellow co-workers.  Many staff members have worked at The Pierre for their whole career, including  Chef Santiago, the most senior culinary staff member Chef Santiago who has worked at The Pierre since 1981. Chef Mignano learned at an early age from Chef David Bouley that an executive chef should know every aspect of preparing a meal in case someone doesn't show up.  

Chef Mignano is probably one of the only chefs  who can prepare a savory banquet for 400 guests while perfecting a wedding cake at the same time.  

To learn more visit https://www.Kitchenchat.info or Webtalkradio.com. To watch this episode on Youtube follow this link: https://youtu.be/RxuWyeSqrbA 

The Joy of Cooking is a treasured cookbook with millions of home chefs following the recipes and creating taste memories for their families.