On Today's Show: CRNtalk.com
Wolfgang Puck - Celebrity Chef
The name Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with the best of restaurant hospitality and the ultimate in all aspects of the culinary arts. The famous chef has built an empire that encompasses three separate Wolfgang Puck entities: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. Puck began cooking at his mother's side as a child. She was a chef in the Austrian town where he was born, and with her encouragement, Wolfgang began his formal training at fourteen years of age. Wolfgang Puck recently introduced his new line of 11" thin crust, all-natural frozen pizzas that are available in all Los Angeles-area Albertson's. With them, Wolfgang has provided families with an economical, healthy and delicious way to feed a family- something that is important to all of us today. Through products like this and his additional incentives, like developing healthy school meals for elementary schools, Wolfgang is leading the charge to affect the way we eat- be it in our homes or in his restaurants. Through his program WELL (Wolfgang's Eat Love Live) he is a pioneer for bringing natural food products into grocery stores nationwide. Varieties of his new 11” pizzas include premium ingredients like additive-free pepperoni, fresh basil and premium cheeses. Selections include Cheese, Uncured Pepperoni, Tuscan Style (with pepperoni, sausage and salami) and Four Cheese, Tomato, and Pesto for the foodie child in training. This October, Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck is launching an exciting new line of product, Wolfgang Puck Culinary Iced Coffee. Wolfgang Puck Culinary Iced coffees are organic, kosher and only 120 calories. Flavors include Café au Lait, Crème Caramel, Double Blend Mocha and Vanilla Fusion. Wolfgang Puck is celebrating the 27th anniversary of his American Wine & food Festival on Saturday October 3rd. Over the years, he has raised over 15 million dollars for the Los Angeles chapter of Meals on Wheels guaranteeing the needy a way to receive their daily nutrition. Wolfgang has been instrumental in bringing acclaimed national chefs to LA for the event, yielding a sell-out attendance every year, which makes this event the most charitably profitable culinary event in Los Angeles every year. Wolfgang was actually the first to institute the notion of chefs and restaurants donating their time to worthy causes when he introduced the event in the Spago Hollywood parking lot many years ago. This original event inspired the current environment of food & wine events that are prevalent in many markets today making his reach into the non-profit world even greater. This year, chefs with LA restaurants like Laurent Tourondel, Nancy Silverton and Joachim Splichal will join chefs from national markets like Laurent Gras, Thomas Keller and Jonathan Waxman to celebrate and raise money for Meals on Wheels. To buy a ticket, please visit www.awff.org As a young chef he worked in some of France's greatest restaurants, including Maxim's in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and the Michelin 3-starred L'Oustau de Baumanière in Provence. At the age of 24, Wolfgang took the advice of a friend and left Europe for the United States. His first job was at the restaurant La Tour in Indianapolis, where he worked from 1973 to 1975. Wolfgang came to Los Angeles in 1975 and very quickly garnered the attention of the Hollywood elite as chef and eventually part owner of Ma Maison in West Hollywood. His dynamic personality and culinary brilliance that bridged tradition and invention made Ma Maison a magnet for the rich and famous, with Wolfgang as the star attraction. He had an innate understanding of the potential for California cuisine, and was pivotal in its rise to national attention during the late 1970s. From Ma Maison, Wolfgang went on to create his first flagship restaurant, Spago, originally located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. From its opening day in 1982 Spago was an instant success and culinary phenomenon. His early signature dishes, such as haute cuisine pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar, and Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary, put him and Spago on the gourmet map, not just in Los Angeles but throughout the world. Wolfgang and Spago earned many accolades during its popular eighteen years in West Hollywood, including winning the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year, twice, in 1991 and 1998, and the James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant of the Year in 1994.
D. Major Cohen - Starbucks Coffee Master
Major began his career with Starbucks in 1995 as a part-time barista and soon became inspired to learn more about the world of coffee. After spending eight years in the Boston market with customers and partners (Starbucks employees), Major transferred his obsession and knowledge for coffee and moved to Seattle to join the Coffee department in 2003. Since then, Major has become known throughout the company as the “man with the passion for Coffee”, he has created programs and spoken with baristas around the world that generate enthusiasm, instill pride and lead education for Starbucks coffee and quality. Coffee In An Instant – Major will demonstrate the easy experience of the latest innovation from Starbucks – a transformational instant coffee that has full body and flavor, like the fresh-brewed. It’s quick and convenient, and comes in portable packets that create the perfect cup of fresh brewed coffee fast! The Starbucks VIA Taste Challenge – Viewers can participate in their own Taste Challenge in their neighborhood Starbucks location from Oct. 2 – Oct. 5. Taste Challenge participants will experience the full flavor they know and love and will receive $1 off the purchase of a 3 or 12 pack of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew as well as an offer for a free Tall (12 oz) cup of coffee on their next visit.
Ruth Carey - Nutrition Consultant, RD
Nutrition Consultant in private practice. Extensive experience with print and broadcast media, public speaking and writing, public relations. Expertise in the areas of sports nutrition, nutrition for fitness, cardiovascular nutrition and weight control. Counsels children and adults. Culinary consulting includes recipe development for restaurants and organizations. Ruth Carey is a nutritionist with over 20 years in the healthy living industry tackling everything from sports nutrition to eating disorders to everyday healthy habits. She runs a private practice as well as is the official sports nutritionist for the Portland Trail Blazers. Ruth is also a consultant to the Portland State athletics and the Lewis and Clark track and field teams in Oregon . Ruth is often sought after for her expertise, speaking at national health conferences and writing articles for many well-known publications including Muscle and Fitness Hers, Shape, ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. She is also frequently featured on television and radio programs including FOX 12 in Portland as well as appearances on Good Morning America, Weekend Today Show, CNN and The Food Network. Antioxidants are a big deal and they can be found in many fruits and vegetables we eat daily. They are known to help fight off cancer, lower the risk of heart disease and even slow down the aging process. Yet, most people don’t realize that not all vegetables and fruits are created equal. With all the conflicting information out there today, how can someone build a better salad and enjoy the amazing array of health benefits behind every bite? Ruth Carey, renowned nutritionist, knows the road to healthy, flavorful eating and is here to help listeners learn to heap the fruits and vegetables onto their plate. She will discuss research that shows the hidden benefits of salads and why eating a rainbow of colored fruits and veggies can help ensure you get the vitamins and minerals you need. Ruth will also detail how the healthy oils in salad dressings play a vital role in the absorption of key nutrients such as lycopene and alpha-and beta-carotene, which aid in the fight against cancer and heart disease.