On Today's Show: CRNtalk.com
Linda Jordan - GM Ruth's Chris Steak House - Pasadena CA
From our humble beginnings on Broad Street in New Orleans to our current position as the world's largest fine dining company, Ruth's Chris Steak House has come quite a long way in its first four decades. In 2005, we celebrated our 40th anniversary, and we consider it a celebration of the life of a woman who broke the mold - our founder, Ruth Fertel. Ruth's Chris Steak House (NASDAQ: RUTH) is a chain of over 120 steakhouses across the United States and in several international locations. The restaurant is regarded as an upscale fine dining establishment, marking a gradual elevation in its status since its founding in the 1960s. Ruth's Chris is currently the largest luxury steak company, larger than other restaurants such as The Palm and Morton's chains in number of locations, operating income, and overall profit. On March 22, 2008 the company announced it would be seeking stockholder approval to change its name to Ruth's Hospitality Group to better represent the business after the acquisition of Mitchell's Fish Market . The chain was founded by the late Ruth Fertel, a single mother of two, in 1965, after she bought the existing Chris Steak House in New Orleans. In buying the restaurant, Fertel had to agree that the restaurant keep the "Chris" name for a specified period of time. After the original location sustained a kitchen fire, she relocated the restaurant about one-half mile (0.9 km) to the west on Broad Street and renamed the rebuilt establishment "Ruth's Chris." Under the purchase agreement, the name "Chris Steak House" could not be used at any other location, and she did not want to lose customers already familiar with the Chris name. Fertel started to franchise the restaurant in the 1970s to locations throughout the United States and throughout the world. Advertising efforts are primarily focused in the talk radio market and its male demographic. The chain has cultivated paid endorsements from several radio celebrities, including Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, with the latter proclaiming Ruth's to be his favorite restaurant. Ruth's won the 2006–2007 Golden Icon Award for "Best Steak House Chain"; the Golden Icon Awards are presented annually by Travolta Family Entertainment. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated Greater New Orleans and the chain moved its corporate headquarters to Heathrow, Florida. Like most businesses in the city, two of the chain's locations in the Greater New Orleans area were forced to close because of the storm. The Metairie, Louisiana location has since reopened. Amid much criticism of local officials and media, and on the heels of Morton's steakhouse announcement it would reopen its own New Orleans branch, the corporate offices announced that, due to extensive damage, the old flagship Ruth's Chris on Broad Street would be permanently closed and donated to charity. In May 2008, Ruth's Chris re-opened in New Orleans and is centrally located downtown in the Harrah's hotel at 525 Fulton Street. The restaurant's signature is serving USDA prime steaks that are seared at 1800°Fahrenheit (982.2°C) and served on plates heated to 500°Fahrenheit (260°C). Half an ounce (1 Tbsp) of butter is added just before the plates leave the kitchen in order to cause the meat to sizzle. In addition to steaks, the restaurant also serves entrees of chicken, lamb, fish and shellfish. Portions are generally large enough to serve two or more diners. Side dishes include au gratin potatoes, topped with a bechamel sauce and cheddar cheese. Also available are dessert selections, with the restaurant's signature pecan pie being a staple item throughout the chain. All locations offer smaller, separate rooms for private dining as well as a gift card program. Reservations are recommended and the dress code is usually a range from business/dressy to business casual.
Keith Snow "The Harvest Eating Cookbook"
Armed with a complete set of resources to make the locavore movement inviting, accessible and easy for the home cook, Chef Keith Snow has spent the last three years using web 2.0 to propel his mission. In 2006, Keith developed and launched Harvest Eating, a unique social network dedicated to seasonal cooking. Subscribers receive weekly newsletters and visitors to the website gain access to an ever-growing library of over 325 cooking demonstration videos and over 800 categorized recipes. In the fall of 2009, Keith's audience will expand when he debuts a new PBS television show and cookbook, both aptly titled Harvest Eating. Raised in suburban New Jersey, Keith's family appreciated and valued the importance of fine cooking. Together, they frequented local farmers' markets, but he found his true calling on his uncles' farms: one owned a dairy farm in Goshen, New York and another raised horses and had a wild hatchery where grouse, partridges and other game birds could be found. There Keith was exposed at an early age to healthy, seasonal eating; he remembers a salad made straight from vegetables picked in his uncle's garden as the best he's ever consumed. Keith's career as a chef began almost accidentally. At 14, he filled in for a friend as a dishwasher at a local Italian restaurant and found himself increasingly drawn to cooking. He eventually trained under the direction of the restaurant's disciplined former Navy chef. Keith's talent as a chef evolved into a career and took him all over the country including California, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Colorado. Keith was ahead of his time, thinking about fresh, unprocessed foods, long before organic and seasonal held much meaning for consumers. While still entrenched in the restaurant industry, Keith decided to combine his entrepreneurial spirit with his passion for natural foods and in 1992, at 25, he created Capone's All-Natural Pasta Sauces. Unlike other jarred sauces, these were made without artificial ingredients or preservatives. Originally sold from the back of his car, his product quickly became available on shelves nationwide. In 1998, Keith accepted a position at a small restaurant in North Carolina, where he and his wife were drawn to the serene quality of life. However, in 2000, he became Executive Chef at Colorado's premiere Copper Mountain Resort, overseeing a staff of 12 chefs, 250 employees, and nearly10 million dollars in food & beverage sales. It was at this point in his career that Keith discovered his affinity for food media, making appearances as a guest chef on several local programs. Working long hours and dreading the harsh winters, Keith longed for the comfort of the North Carolina country lifestyle. He and his wife welcomed their first child, Olivia, and a few months later, Keith flew to the east coast and purchased a farm in western North Carolina on the spot. In 2003, Keith relocated his family into an 800-square foot apartment in a barn on the property. Keith currently resides in North Carolina with his wife, two daughters and has a new baby son
Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli - "Alex's Day Off" (Food Network)
Alexandra Guarnaschelli, professional chef, working mom and passionate home cook, invites viewers to share her down-to-earth recipes in Alex’s Day Off premiering Sunday, October 18th at 9:30am ET/PT. Alex shows how cooking her personal and playful style of American, French and Italian fare can be elegant and approachable, with a side of sass. Viewers will enjoy mouth-watering dishes like Mussels on the Grill; Roasted Pork Loin with Brussels Sprouts, Shallots and Garlic; Bibb, Radish and Grape Salad with Bacon Dressing; and Homemade Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar and Hot Blueberry Jam. Premieres: Sunday, October 18th at 9:30am ET/PT – SERIES PREMIERE! “Early Morning Breakfast” Alex transforms favorite morning dishes as she prepares Spice-Rubbed Bacon with Fried Eggs and Toast “Soldiers” paired with Cheese Fondue Hashbrowns and Homemade Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar and Hot Blueberry Jam. For drinks, Alex’s Muddled Screwdrivers complete the perfect early-morning menu. There are few American chefs, much less female chefs who can boast staying power in Michelin-starred restaurants. Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli can boast indeed — she embarked on a culinary journey in France and ended up working in some of the country’s top restaurants including esteemed chef Guy Savoy’s eponymous three-star kitchen. Not surprising for the daughter of esteemed cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli, who spent her childhood surrounded by food. Guarnaschelli learned to eat according to whatever book her mother was working on at the time: one year was devoted to Indian with Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni; another year was devoted to Italian with The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.
"My mother was always coaxing me from my ‘Barbie land’ under the dining room table to peel potatoes, knead bread or assemble a trifle,” says Guarnaschelli, who jokingly continues, "what else could a seven-year-old have wanted from life?" This early emphasis on her palate truly shaped her future in food. On the day of Guarnaschelli’s graduation from Barnard College in 1991, she decided to explore her culinary interests and began working under the tutelage of the acclaimed American chef and restaurateur Larry Forgione.
Kenneth Janso - Senior Brand Manager The Manischewitz Company
The Manischewitz Company is a specialty food company that includes the Manischewitz®, Season®, Guiltless Gourmet®, Asian Harvest®, Rokeach®, Mispacha®, Horowitz Margareten®, Jason®, Mother’s®, Carmel®, Croyden House®, Mrs. Adler’s® and Goodman’s® brands. The company offers a diversified line of premium kosher food products that covers over 60 different categories. The Manischewitz Company announces the launch of the 4th Annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off, a cooking contest designed to encourage home cooks to challenge themselves in preparing a meal that is kosher, simple and delicious and to reach both mainstream and kosher consumers. The contest encourages home chefs to experiment with different ethnic foods and to think of preparing a Kosher inspired meal as part of that experience, in the same way people enjoy preparing Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and other popular ethnic cuisine. Kosher is on the rise as more people are seeking products that are better and purer. Entrants will compete for a chance to be crowned the “King or Queen of Kosher” and win the $25,000 grand prize package including GE Profile kitchen appliances, cash and more. Five finalists will win an all-expense paid trip to NYC to compete live on March 18th at the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan. Contest Deadline is January 31, 2010. This year the cook-off will feature legendary acclaimed chef, Jacques Pépin as the celebrity guest of honor who will act as MC, head judge and award prizes. Pépin is one of America’s best-known chefs, widelyrecognized as the host of eleven acclaimed public television cooking series and the author and publisher of twenty-six cookbooks. Also to coincide with the Cook-Off, The Manischewitz Company has added a new line of ready-to-serve broths to its extensive portfolio of kosher products, giving you additional items to add to your creative recipe! New Manischewitz Broth contains all natural ingredients and real kosher chicken and beef stock to deliver that homemade taste and is available in Chicken, Reduced Sodium Chicken and Beef. It is a required ingredient in this years cook-off. And this year’s event will benefit Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a national month of recognition of the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. The Manischewitz Company is the official corporate sponsor and will support JAHM from now through May 2010 to drive awareness of events and programs.
Steve Evans "The Movie Guy"
Tips on the best & worst this weekend at the Box Office. Steve reviews and comments on all the latest from Hollywood and gets the story behind the film.A veteran of the industry, "The Movie Guy" says exactly how he feels about the movies that you will be watching this weekend. Mike Horn comments on the lineup of big screen offerings but does not always agree with what Steve has to say. This is the movie review program to listen to every week and get the "real deal".