Celebrity Chef Jeffrey Saad-United Tastes of America
Chef Jeffrey Saad has been traveling the country this year filming his new Cooking Channel show “United Tastes of America.” From town to town, one thing remains the same: Americans are hungry for the familiar, a return to simple basics. While the holiday season is a bustling time of year, it’s also the perfect time to get back to basics in the kitchen. Chef Jeffrey Saad will lend a hand to help families celebrate the simplicity of cooking traditional favorites together and creating new memories in the kitchen. As a father of two, Jeffrey is no stranger to the importance of baking and cooking as a family, and spending quality time with loved ones.
Jeffrey Saad began his food career working in a Chicago diner at the age of 13. Since then, he’s been formally trained as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, as well as the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Saad was a top contender on the popular show, “Next Food Network Star” and is host of the Cooking Channel’s “United Tastes of America” where he travels the nation exploring the history behind iconic foods that are traditional favorites enjoyed across America. The show airs on the Cooking Channel on Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. EST.
Jan Ross-Wine Cruise
Jan Ross' blog posting of October 25 gives a quick look at her feelings and itinerary: "One week from Friday, my husband and I will embark on what I keep referring to as "the trip of a lifetime." A few days in Montreal, which was originally intended as simply a stop to make our Europe flights shorter but has turned into an important part of the trip, then a few days in Amsterdam before we embark on a wine-tasting river cruise with AmaWaterways which will culminate in three days in Paris. We have never been to Montreal, Amsterdam, Germany (where most of the wine-tasting part of the trip will happen) or France. Everything is new to us. We have only flown internationally once before."
AmaWaterways Wine Cruise, officially known as "Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel" will take place on the luxurious MS AmaLegro and involve a number of interesting wine experts. The special 7-night itinerary includes visits to world-famous wineries, off-site dinners hosted by renowned winemakers, onboard lectures and more. Hosted by AmaWaterways President Rudi Schreiner, the 7-night cruise will travel from Amsterdam to Trier, Germany, followed by three nights in Paris. Accompanying the cruise will be winemaker Jim Clendenen, owner of the internationally-acclaimed Au Bon Climat winery in Santa Maria, California and Archie McLaren, founder and chairman of the Central Coast Wine Classic. A portion of the cruise proceeds will be donated to charities supported by the Central Coast Wine Classic, one of the country's preeminent wine auctions.
Cruise Highlights Include Dinners & Wine TastingsHighlights of the "Vineyards of the Rhine and Mosel" itinerary include a dinner and wine tasting with a representative from the renown Georg Breuer winery at the Ruedesheimer Schloss in Rudesheim, Germany. The scenic Rhine Gorge town of Rudesheim is famous for its quaint wine taverns and surrounding vineyards, including the family-owned Breuer estate. In Koblenz, guests will discover a 2,000-year old wine town at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers.
Chef Rocco DiSpirito-Celebrity Chef & TV Personality
Want to add a little Italian flair to your holiday table this season? Celebrity Chef and TV personality Rocco DiSpirito will divulge his secrets for hosting a true Italian meal that will bring the flavors and traditions of Italy home this holiday! According to Rocco, la cucina is the heart of any Italian home – it’s where the passion for food and family is rooted. During this interview, Rocco will take you into his family’s kitchen at the holidays and share some of his favorite stories and advice for creating a perfect holiday meal – with half the work grandma put in! Rocco DiSpirito's road to fame began when he was 11 years old while helping his mother, Nicolina, in her own kitchen -- an experience that sparked his intense interest in food and cooking. Now one of today's most exciting chefs, followed by millions, the Jamaica, Queens, native entered the Culinary Institute of America when he was 16. He graduated in 1986 and studied at Jardin de Cygne in France before earning a B.S. in Business from Boston University in 1990. After working at restaurants in New York and Boston, he joined Lepinasse's opening team, then opened Union Pacific in New York's Gramercy Park as chef and owner. Food & Wine named him its Best New Chef in 1999, and the following year, Gourmet magazine called him “America's Most Exciting Young Chef.” DiSpirito opened Rocco's 22nd Street in the summer of 2003, while cameras for NBC's The Restaurant watched and took notes. Later that summer more than 8 million viewers a week tuned in to see the ups and downs of DiSpirito's family-inspired eatery. In 2004, DiSpirito began his radio career at WOR AM710 and hosted Food Talk in over 300 East Coast markets. Having increased listeners and ratings, he took his show across the country through syndication. DiSpirito is the other of several cookbooks including 5 Minute Flavor, Rocco’s Real Life Recipes, Rocco Gets Real: Cook at Home, Every Day and Rocco's Italian American which was co-written with his "Mama" Nicolina DiSpirito.
Jim Koch-Founder and Brewer of Samuel Adams
Today, we're a team of about 750 people, and we all share a common passion for bringing great Samuel Adams® beers to beer lovers everywhere. We've worked hard and are incredibly proud of the many successes we've enjoyed over the years. The Boston Beer Company has been cited as one of the best companies to work for by Boston Magazine, one of the Best Entry-Level Jobs by The Princeton Review, and our beers have won more awards than any other in history. Jim has been named an "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Inc. Magazine. Our brewers keep amazing us with innovative new brews, including Samuel Adams Utopias® and our Samuel Adams® Barrel Room Collection. Jim has believed from the beginning that the more you know and understand about beer, the more you'll appreciate a beer like Samuel Adams Boston Lager®. To begin that mission, all new employees go through intensive training on everything from ingredients, brewing, and beer styles, to taking care of the beer once it leaves the brewery. We're all beer lovers and protectors of the beer so we're trained how to identify off flavors and how to troubleshoot the causes. The passion for beer continues with an annual homebrew competition that we all take part in. One of our wholesalers once asked Jim why he invested so much in training his people, when ultimately they might leave. Jim smiled and replied without hesitation: "What if I didn't train them, and they stayed?" Each year, usually in January, everyone gathers together. One of the highlights of the meeting is the beer trivia contest. With a culture so steeped in beer education and knowledge, winning is a pretty big deal. Recently, one of the hotel bartenders who was watching as the various teams arrived in costume with music and much enthusiasm and fanfare, said, "I've always known Samuel Adams made the best beer in America, but now I see this is the greatest company in America." When you look around you see that The Boston Beer Company is a team of enthusiastic people who are passionate about beer and who really love coming to work every day to provide American drinkers with the best beer possible. The Boston Beer Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol, SAM. For financial and related information, please visit our website at http://www.bostonbeer.com/ .
