On Today's Show: CRNtalk.com
Exec Chef Chef Rick Hirsch Damariscotta River Grill Coastal Maine
Chef Gale Gand "Tru" Chicago Pastry Chef/Partner
Miss America 2009 Katie Stam from Chicago
Katie Lee "Holiday Tips with Katie Lee"
Lindt Master Chocolatier, Ann Czaja
Exec Chef Chef Rick Hirsch Damariscotta River Grill Coastal Maine
Since its successful launch in late 2003, the Damariscotta River Grill has firmly established itself as a welcome addition to the coastal Maine dining scene. Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Rick Hirsch (Executive Chef) and Jean Kerrigan (General Manager), the popular restaurant has been a favorite of locals, summer visitors and vacationing celebrities alike. "At the Damariscotta River Grill, we're known for our regional, upscale comfort food," Chef Rick Hirsch noted. "While there is a creative, fusion edge to some of our dishes, our uniqueness is really our simplicity." The Damariscotta River Grill is equally regarded for its impressive wine list, which features a generous selection of both Old- and New-World varietals. Our wine selection is actively updated with a focus on wines that are affordable and represent the best in value and variety we can find. To that end, Wine Spectator awarded Damariscotta River Grill its 2008 Award of Excellence as well as honored the restaurant as it "features inexpensive wine pricing." The restaurant team's longtime involvement and interest in the "wine world" led them to form their popular Damariscotta River Grill Wine Club in February of 2006. The restaurant's owners have hosted a variety of established vintners from the U.S. and abroad during the Wine Club’s monthly food and wine "classes," and the wine club's membership continues to grow. Rick Hirsch, Chef/Ow ner of the Damariscotta River Grill and Anchor Inn Restaurant, brings over two decades of culinary experience to his well-known restaurants situated in mid-coast Maine. While earning his business degree at Ohio University, Hirsch cooked during summer breaks at several Maine restaurants. Wanting to experience other food cultures he headed to the Virgin Islands where he joined the busy teams of two restaurants on St. Thomas. Hirsch returned to New England for his formal culinary training at Providence, Rhode Island’s prestigious Johnson & Wales University. His longtime goal of owning his own restaurant came to fruition soon thereafter when Hirsch, with his business partner, Jean Kerrigan began operating the popular Anchor Inn Restaurant in Round Pond, Maine. The Anchor Inn Restaurant, which in 2007 celebrates its 20th-year celebration, each year becomes a central gathering spot for returning "summer people" and locals alike, all drawn by the seasonal restaurant’s authentic, savory New England cooking and Hirsch’s top-notch Maine seafood specials
Chef Gale Gand "Tru" Chicago Pastry Chef/Partner
McCormick has teamed up with Chicago chef Gale Gand to host an interactive virtual cooking demonstration on Dec. 3rd at noon and we’d like to extend an invitation to your listeners to attend. Gale can also talk about the hot holiday flavor pairings this season, offer some quick holiday baking tips and reveal the new recipes she’ll be demonstrating on Dec. 3. Recognized in 2001 as Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year by The James Beard Foundation and Bon Appetit magazine and in 1994 as one of Food & Wine’s Top Ten Best New Chefs, executive pastry chef Gale Gand was schooled at La Varenne in Paris. Today, she is executive pastry chef and partner for TRU, the renowned four-star Mobil, five-diamond AAA, Relais & Chateaux Relais-Gourmand restaurant she runs with culinary partner chef Rick Tramonto. A native of Deerfield, Ill., Gand is an accomplished cookbook author with six titles to her credit. Her most recent cookbook is “Chocolate and Vanilla”, released in late 2006, she is currently working on her next cookbook about brunch, due for release in April 2009. Gand is the host of the long-running Food Network’s “Sweet Dreams,” and has two shows currently in production, “The Heirloom Recipe Project” for PBS and “The Answered Chef”, an online educational cooking series at www.AnswersTV.com. She has appeared on Martha Stewart and this year judged Bravo's hit series "Top Chef." Prior to conceiving TRU’s highly acclaimed dessert and cheese program, Gand began her career at the Strathallen Hotel in Rochester, NY, then later worked at The Gotham Bar & Grill and Jam’s in New York City. She moved to Chicago and worked at Carlos’, Pump Room, Bella Luna and Bice. Gand then worked abroad in England at the five-star hotel Stapleford Park. Upon returning to Chicago in 1993, she was pastry chef at Charlie Trotter’s and then with Tramonto opened Trio, Brasserie T and in 1999, TRU. A lifelong root beer aficionado, Gand has her own root beer company and also produces a vanilla cream soda. A supporter of sustainable agriculture, eating locally and the environmental movement, Gand is a member of the National Restaurant Association's Conserve Initiative Action Council and forages annually for local ramps and mushrooms with her son for her restaurants. She is involved in many community causes, including Art Smith’s foundation, Common Threads, which teaches children racial and cultural diversity through the culinary arts and teaches pastry and baking after school to children at her son's middle school. Gale is married to an environmentalist, Jimmy Seidita, has a son, Gio, and twins, Ella Nora and Ruby Grace. For more information on Gand, visit www.galegand.com
Miss America 2009 Katie Stam from Chicago
With many active-duty military fathers and mothers not home while fighting for our country, Americans are being asked to step up and say “thanks” to the families of our troops this holiday season. As part of its long-standing commitment to the military, and their families, Sears is kicking off the second year of its Heroes at Home Wish RegistryTM. Adding to that, the retailer is also introducing its new Jobs for Vets program, which will provide job mentoring and placement to returning military veterans and their families. Last year, the Heroes at Home Wish Registry helped thousands of military families. For many, the wishes were simple and practical including everything from warm clothes to new toys for their children to a Christmas tree and other holiday decorations for their homes. In fact, many veteran families that were helped by last year’s efforts have shared their stories to encourage customers to donate to the program this year. One family shared: “Heroes at Home last year made Christmas much nicer for my kids. I was able to buy them all some really nice gifts. We have never been able to spend money on new decorations due to finances, so we let the kids all choose new things and hung them when we got home. Having been a part of this program last year made our Christmas very nice. I hope that this program gives another family the joy that it brought us last year.” This fall more than 20,000 active members of the military registered to participate in the Heroes at Home Wish Registry. Now through Dec. 31, customers can visit www.Sears.com/heroesathome and read stories, like the one above, as well as donate to the Heroes at Home Wish Registry. Upon making a donation, customers can include a note to the families and wish them happy holidays. Donations made to the Wish Registry are not tax deductible and will be used to purchase Sears gift cards that will be equally distributed to all registered families. What’s more, this year Sears is expanding its military support by working with the non-profit organizations MyVetwork Foundation, Inc. and The American Legion, to create the new Jobs for Vets program. As a part of this initiative, the Heroes at Home program will also help provide job placement and mentorship assistance to military veterans. MyVetwork is an online social networking community custom designed to be the most valuable and sustainable community of individuals in the U.S. military — whether active duty, retired or veteran — and their spouses, families and friends. The American Legion is the nation's largest veterans organization. It was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation. Job mentorship and placement are provided through MyVetwork and The American Legion at no cost to veterans and their families. Sears Holdings’ ongoing commitment to assisting troops and their families includes several recruiting and employment programs, as well as a military pay differential to Sears associates employed (full time) who are reservists serving on active duty. Reservists who are employed full time are allowed to continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental programs.
Katie Lee "Holiday Tips with Katie Lee"
Between the heartfelt gifts, festive decorations, and family gatherings, everyone is looking for special, yet quick and easy seasonal shortcuts to make the holidays memorable and stress-free. Join Katie Lee, lifestyle expert and author of The Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions, as she shows entertaining made easy with great hassle-free tips on how to:
Plan and prep your party ahead of time to save countless hours in the kitchen
Keep your party casual and comfortable for your guests and their kids
Wow your guests with flavorful, simple snacks that will leave a lasting impression
Make affordable homemade gifts for extras on your holiday list
Plus, Katie Lee will announce America’s grand prize winner of the Chex Party Mix Recipe Contest! Home cooks nationwide submitted their favorite homemade Chex Party Mix creations and America has voted for their favorite recipe out of the five finalists: Buffalo Chex Mix, Chex Pumpkin Pie Crunch, Chexicago Party Mix, Deviled Chex Mix and Lemon-Rosemary Chex Mix.
Suggested Interview Questions Include:
What’s the most important thing to keep in mind when entertaining for a variety of taste buds and ages?
What is a simple recipe for at home entertaining that will impress guests?
What should families always have on hand to prepare a last minute holiday treat?
What are some creative and inexpensive host / hostess gift ideas for party guests and extra people on holiday gift lists?
Lindt Master Chocolatier, Ann Czaja
Swiss-trained American Maître Chocolatier Ann Czaja worked for Lindt & Sprüngli in Switzerland before returning to the U.S.A. While living and working in Zurich for nearly 14 years, Ann had the opportunity to study pastry and chocolate from the world's foremost authorities. It was a very intense but rewarding experience. Her advice to anyone interested in entering the profession is to treat the chocolate with respect, because it can be extremely temperamental. One of the things that Ann is most passionate about is the rich cultural history of chocolate. She thinks it is an amazing natural product and enjoys talking about it almost as much as working with it.