Foodie Interviews

Interviews with food professionals

Bob Okura

Bob Okura isn't a household name, but the foods that he's created are known by millions. As the chef for the Cheesecake Factory, Bob is responsible for developing “cravable” — as he calls them — menu items for their up-scale casual dining menu. I met Bob a few years ago on a food professionals' trip to Chile, where we traveled around the country, learning both about its cuisine and US exports. Everyone on that trip had a special bond, as our flights departed Santiago toward the US, a few minutes before midnight on February 26, 2010, a few hours before the devastating earthquake. I thought of Bob recently, and reached [...]

By |2017-09-02T09:36:46-04:00March 17th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Gary Danko

San Francisco chef and restauranteur Gary Danko and I had met many decades ago when I attended an artichoke trip on the west coast. Since then, I've watched his career explode as he opened his eponymous restaurant in San Francisco. Gary's won three James Beard Foundation awards, including Best Chef California, Best New Restaurant and Outstanding Service. If you haven't been to Restaurant Gary Danko (800 North Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109), I suggest you add it your must try places to dine. Yes, it's that good. The restaurant received his sixth Five Star rating from Mobil as well as a Relais & Chateau designation. I recently caught up [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:50:32-04:00March 1st, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Claire Criscuolco

Claire and I met as fledgling foodies, when that term didn't really exist. She had recently opened her now landmark (39 years young) vegetarian restaurant Claire's Corner Copia in downtown New Haven, while I was the new food editor at the New Haven Register. We've been friends ever since. Since then, Claire's opened a second restaurant (Basta Trattoria, right next door to Claire's Corner Copia), penned four cookbooks (Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook, Claire's Classic American Vegetarian Cooking, Claire's Italian Feast and her most recent Welcome to Claire’s), written for — and been featured by — local and national publications, been a guest chef on TV and is now on the [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:52:34-04:00February 16th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Frances Largeman-Roth

I met Frances Largman-Roth umpteen years ago. Our paths have continued to cross over the years as her career evolved to a Portrait of Frances Largeman-Roth & Family for her cookbook, "Eat Your Colors" 2012 New York Times best-selling author, TV personality, Health magazine Food and Nutrition Director  and more, including mother of two.  Herlatest cookbook, Eating in Color: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for You and Your Family, published in January. I caught up with her recently to get her responses to my Guest Foodie questions. What follows are her responses. Which food product or gadget would you never give up? Nuts — I keep so many nuts in the [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:55:02-04:00February 3rd, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Ellie Krieger

You may recognize my friend Ellie Krieger from her popular Food Network and Cooking Channel program — Healthy Appetite. Ellie is also the author of the New York Times best-selling cookbooks The Food You Crave (recipient of James Beard and IACP awards), So Easy, Comfort Food Fix and Small Changes, Big Results. Her newest book Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less just published this month, with 150 recipes using use easy to find ingredients. Each takes less than 30 minutes to get on the table - and that includes chopping everything and pre-heating the oven.  I caught up with this busy lady recently and asked her [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:54:54-04:00January 19th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Marc Murphy

I ran into Marc Murphy recently at Food Network's 20th Anniversary Party, just before Kingside — his newest venture —  opened. That restaurant takes its inspiration from Marc's childhood: his French heritage, Italian roots, American schooling and his love of travel. Kingside is in the Viceroy Hotel, on 57th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. I asked Marc to respond to our Guest Foodie questions. That's what follows. Which food product or gadget would you never give up? The Japanese mandolin! It's an amazing, versatile gadget that can turn anything into dust and is a must in any kitchen. What do you like to serve when you entertain? I like simple [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:57:14-04:00January 7th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Carolyn O’Neil

Last week I had lunch at Rouge Tomate in New York City with this week's guest foodie, Carolyn O'Neil, who  told me about her latest cookbook (Southern Living Slim Down South Cookbook: Eating well and living healthy in the land of biscuits and bacon) and the work she'd doing as a nutrition advisor for a new site offering "just the facts" from various experts (www.bestfoodfacts.org). This is one busy gal. You may recognize her face, as Carolyn reported on food and travel at CNN for nearly 20 years. She currently writes a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Healthy Eating Out,” contributes to WebMD as a nutrition expert and appears [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:58:47-04:00December 10th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Charlie Trotter, in memory

Bonnie: I got the news that Charlie Trotter was found dead in his apartment in Chicago on my phone while sitting at a Wüsthof luncheon at the Beard House. I — like the rest of the culinary world — was shocked. Charlie was only 54. Charlie and I actually bonded not only over food, but over gymnastics, too. When we met in the early 90s and Charlie discovered the mutual talent of our youth, he put his hands on the rug, his feet in the air and began walking across the floor at the Fancy Food Show reception. He looked at me and expected me to do that same. Thank goodness [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:58:39-04:00November 8th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Kevin Zraly

As Wine Director, Kevin Zraly was preparing for the October 2001 25th anniversary celebration of Windows on the World along with the opening of their new wine cellar. Because of the construction at that time, there was limited service for breakfast and lunch; Kevin stayed at his home upstate on September 11. "I'm trying to carry on a legacy," he explained. "We still call it the Windows on the World wine school for a reason, the book is still called Windows on the World Complete Wine Course for a reason. We want to keep the name out there. You know it, I know it but I was talking to a [...]

By |2017-09-03T13:03:40-04:00October 27th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Steve Dolinsky

Steve Dolinsky  has won an amazing 12 James Beard Awards for his TV and radio work. Yes, he's that good. He's also in great company as Alan Richman's writing in GQ received 14 while Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group won an unprecedented 25 James Beard Awards ! Steve still reports stories each week for ABC 7 (Chicago), The Chicago Tribune, The Globe & Mail (Canada) and writes for The Chicago Tribune, The Globe & Mail (Canada).  Stay tuned to his website for details of at food tour he'll be conducting in New Orleans in March 2014, one that AAA Group Travel is organizing with him. I caught up with [...]

By |2017-09-04T19:40:19-04:00October 13th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Katherine Alford

Food Network addicts are familiar with the faces in front of the cameras, but there's lots of hidden talent behind the scenes. Katherine Alford, this week's Guest Foodie, joined Food Network in 2000. She was recently promoted to senior vice president (SVP) of Culinary, overseeing the busy Test Kitchens, developing recipes for Food Network Magazine, cookbooks, network shows, promotional initiatives, and both FoodNetwork.com and CookingChannel.com. In addition Katherine, oversees their airport and sports stadium restaurants, product line at Kohl’s, events and their wine Entwine. This is some busy lady! Katherine did, though, find the time to respond to our fun questions. What follows are her responses: Which food product or [...]

By |2017-09-03T13:06:09-04:00October 1st, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Mollie Katzen

Mollie Katzen is a happy home cook, better know as the cookbook author who changed the way we eat — at least according to Health magazine. Mollie — who has over over six million books in print — is best known as the author-illustrator of the vegetarian classics, Moosewood Cookbook and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. She's also an  inductee of the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame. Her newest book — published yesterday — is The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2013). "I'm very excited about my new book," said Mollie. "It's my biggest book yet (275 recipes, 500 pages) and it reflects [...]

By |2017-09-04T15:56:35-04:00September 17th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Patricia Cobe

This week's Guest Foodie is an experienced foodie. She's coauthored cookbooks (The Kosher Gourmet and The American Heart Association Kids’ Cookbook), been the Executive Editor of Mr. Food’s EasyCooking and has contributed to Ladies’ Home Journal, Women’s Day, Good Housekeeping and other consumer magazines. Today, she's Senior Editor of Restaurant Business, a trade publication for the restaurant industry. She's currently asking chefs and restaurateurs to name their favorite restaurant dishes (other than their own!) from the last year for Restaurant Business's annual Clean Plate Awards issue. Their fun responses from last October's issue…range from Andrew Carmellini's (Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Lafayette) marinated grilled octopus at Mandolin, Miami, to Jose Garces [...]

By |2017-09-04T15:40:36-04:00September 3rd, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Amelia Saltsman

Earlier this year when visiting Santa Monica (CA) farmers' market, I kept my eyes peeled for my friend Amelia Saltsman, author of the Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook thinking it would be serendipitous to run into her while there. Fortuitous it was. I spotted her giving a private tour to a group who had "purchased" her services at a silent auction. That market tour was so successful that Amelia decided to start doing them for the general public. If you're planning to be in the Santa Monica area and are interested in getting additional information on that click here. We recently caught up with Amelia and posed our Guest Foodie [...]

By |2017-09-04T19:44:22-04:00August 5th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Michael Romano

Six months after Micheal Romano joined Union Square Cafe (USC) as Executive Chef  The New York Times elevated the restaurant to three stars. Since then, Michael has earned many other accolades, including James Beard awards for “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America” and “Best Chef: New York,” and Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chef in America.” Under his leadership, USC received the #1 ranking on the Zagat Survey Most Popular list an unprecedented nine times. Today he's busy developing cold-pressed vegetable and fruit juices for Union Square Hospitality Group's latest venture Creative Juice, with five locations in New York City and one in Greenwich, CT. Bite of [...]

By |2017-09-04T15:59:49-04:00July 22nd, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Bruce Aidells

You may recognize Bruce Aidells' jovial face from his TV appearances, magazine articles or from packages of Aidells Sausage, sold in supermarkets. Bruce left that company more than a decade ago and is now working with heritage pork purveyors to develop artisan products. I first met Bruce in the 80s when editing his award-winning classic cookbook Hot Links and Country Flavors. That book, with Denis Kelly, received the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Julia Child award for best single subject cookbook in 1991. Bruce has also penned ten other cookbooks (four of which have received cookbook award nominations), with his most current The Great Meat Cookbook: Everything You Need [...]

By |2017-09-04T19:45:35-04:00June 25th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Charlie Palmer

Charlie Palmer's empire just keeps growing.  Last year he opened the Mystic Hotel and Burritt Room + Tavern (that I just reviewed) right off Union Square in San Francisco and he just released a new cookbook "Remington Camp Cooking."  He's also planning additional expansion in NYC and Las Vegas. I was able to spend time with this busy man when he sat down to lunch with me at the launch of his Big Mag Boeuf Sundays, a special end-of-the-weekend menu at Aureole in New York City.  I was able to to get his responses to our Bite of the Best guest foodie questions: Which specific food product, ingredient or gadget would [...]

By |2017-09-04T17:20:26-04:00May 28th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|1 Comment
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George Geary

George Geary, a former pastry chef for the Walt Disney Company, brings humor, energy and experience to everything he does, whether it be a cooking class, demonstration or appearance. Next week George and I are speaking at Camp Blogaway, the original boot camp for food and recipe bloggers. He's speaking on the truth about being a cookbook author, while I'm discussing a blueprint for putting together a food career. As a cookbook author, he's currently busy working on his tenth book, an historical book on Hollywood bygone restaurants chock full of recipes to be published fall 2014. His most recent book (published last fall) is 150 Best Donut Recipes, while [...]

By |2017-09-04T18:10:20-04:00May 14th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Barbara Sibley

With Cinco de Mayo this weekend, we decided it was the perfect time to feature cookbook author, restaurateur and friend Barbara Sibley, who was born and raised in Mexico City. She's chef owner of LaPalapa restaurant serving authentic Mexican cuisine; the author of Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Appetizers (Ten Speed Press) and a fellow Dame (a member of the Les Dames d'Escoffier, a philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the food, fine beverage and hospitality fields). I first met Barbara at Share’s annual A Second Helping of Life a few years ago, as she was one of the guest chefs who was sampling her refreshing Sopa de Aguacate [...]

By |2017-09-03T13:09:57-04:00April 30th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Regina Ragone

My friend Regina Ragone, Food Director for Family Circle, brings more than twenty years of nutrition expertise to the magazine. She had served as the test kitchen director for Ladies Home Journal magazine, was an assistant manager at the Global Consumer Food Center of the Campbell Soup Company and was food editor for both Weight Watchers magazine and the Weight Watchers Publishing Group. As a registered dietitian, Regina has dedicated her career to educating people on the benefits of eating healthy foods. She is the author of Win the Fat War cookbook and Decadent Diabetic Desserts and co-author of Meals that Heal. In March, she started a monthly column in [...]

By |2017-09-04T19:54:51-04:00April 14th, 2013|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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