What's Cookin' Today Hour ONE:
Jerry O'Connell Stops By to Talk About His Role as Pete Kaczmarek in the Defenders
With an impressive body of work that encompasses film and television, Jerry O'Connell has emerged as one of Hollywood's most versatile and sought-after talents. His film credits include "Obsessed," "Scream 2," "Can't Hardly Wait," "Mission to Mars," "Jerry Maguire," "Kangaroo Jack," "Tomcats" and "Stand By Me." Other independent film credits include "Baby on Board," "Yours, Mine and Ours," "Man About Town" and "Room 6." In 2004, O'Connell sold the screenplay for "First Daughter," which starred Katie Holmes. O'Connell executive produced the film, which was directed by Forrest Whitaker. In motion pictures, he will next be seen starring in the remake of Joe Dante's 1978 cult classic, "Piranha 3-D," about a school of flesh-eating piranhas released into a summer resort. O'Connell's other television credits include "Sliders," "The '60s" and television movies "Nora Roberts' Midnight Bayou" and "What The Deaf Man Heard" on CBS. O'Connell previously starred in the drama, "Crossing Jordan," as a character who crossed-over to another series, "Las Vegas." O'Connell began his acting career at the age of 11 but took a break from acting and did not return to it full-time until after he completed his BFA at New York University. O'Connell was born and raised in New York and currently resides in Los Angeles with wife, actress Rebecca Romijn, and their twin daughters. His birth date is Feb. 17.
Sports Caster James “JB” Brown will be joined with Former NFL Player, Nolan Harrison III, to Tell Us About Family Opportunities Through Education!
In an effort to reinforce the importance of college and advanced education and demonstrate how it can transform a family, AARP and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) today announced a new education initiative—Family Opportunities Through Education—that will assist students and their families in getting into higher education institutions. Through Family Opportunities Through Education, teens in participating markets will have the opportunity to apply to be paired up with an NFL Player and an AARP member who will be their mentors throughout their college preparatory and application process. The program will begin as a pilot in seven states (California, New York, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia and Washington DC) this fall, with an expansion planned in 2012 to the 32 markets with NFL teams. A comprehensive co-branded advertising program with radio, print and social media will launch in the fall to encourage students to apply to participate. One student will be selected in each market. To expand the reach of the program beyond just those students selected, local information sessions with schools, churches and local developmental programs will be offered for communities in the targeted markets so students and families have the tools they need to help get their children into college. Through this new mentoring program, AARP and the NFPLA hope to demonstrate to communities that gaining access to higher education is a very real possibility.
In the coming months, education partners and organizations will be engaged on a local level to help support students and their families with education and life-skills development options. They will also help to shape the criteria for the program which begins with identification of the student’s aspirations and current competency level. Students will also have the opportunity to work with local AARP volunteers in their area on a series of exercises and tools focusing on interviewing skills, essay writing, career path options, scholarship application process, college application, acceptance, and how to matriculate and graduate with a degree in their chosen field. Family Opportunities Through Education is the second initiative launched by the two organizations who began working together in 2010 on a community involvement initiative tied to AARP’s Create the Good program. This next level of growth allows the organizations to build on community engagement, resulting in social change.
The NFLPA and AARP made the announcement today at the annual NFLPA Super Bowl press conference in Dallas, Texas. Host of CBS NFL Today, Showtime’s Inside The NFL and AARP’s Community Ambassador, James “JB” Brown, has been involved with community engagement initiatives with AARP for the past two years and will help recruit and mentor NFPLA players throughout this process.
JAMES J.B. BROWN. He is a native of Washington , DC and brings a lifetime of experience and service—both in the sports arena and in his community—to the table. A well known figure in the sports and broadcasting arenas and the host for CBS Television Network's NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY, Brown’s personal passions include an active community and family life, mentoring youth as a Pastor at his church, philanthropy and neighborhood engagement. Through his JB Awards, in partnership with NFL Players, he annually raises in excess of one million dollars for Special Olympics DC.
NOLAN HARRISON III ---Former NFL Player and the Senior Director of the NFLPA. Harrison is a former American football defensive lineman who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Washington Redskins.
Susan Guerin, ( “Gerr-in”) Director of Marketing for Falafel Republic Tells Us Everything We Ever Wanted To Know About This Mystery Orb of Edible Fun, AKA - The FALAFEL!
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For those listeners who don’t know, what is falafel?
For those listeners who don’t know, what is falafel? • Are there health benefits?
• What are other serving suggestions for falafel?
• Does it complement beer or wine?
• Where is Falafel Republic available?
Susan will give us the scoop!
For more information on the Falafel Republic, go to their website http://www.falafelrepublic.com
What's Cookin' Today Hour TWO:
Everybody Loves a Party and Debi Shawcross Tells Us How To Throw a Perfect Super Bowl Shindig!
Debi helps us with these important questions:- For those out there who don't yet have a Super Bowl party menu planned, what do you suggest they do to pull it together? Is it too late?
- What does the ultimate Superbowl menu look like?
- Are you hosting a party? Or going to a party?
- How can you prevent your guests from bringing the same dish to your party?
- What types of drinks are best for a Superbowl party? Beer? Wine? Mixed drinks? How best to serve?
- Aside from potato chips and dip, what are some snack type foods you can serve to take it up a notch?
- Are there certain foods you should avoid serving at a Superbowl party? Are some trickier than others to serve/eat during the game?
- What do you think about serving food in the same room as the TV? Okay to have bowls of snacks out on a table in front of guests? Or better to serve in a separate room?
Debi Shawcross is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and Arizona State University. After completing a specialized study in wedding cakes from CCA, Shawcross launched the wildly successful Silver Spoon Desserts of San Francisco. With a move to Richmond, VA, in 2003 she opened Signature Menus, providing specialized cooking classes and dinner club instructional sessions that cater to private parties and corporate events. She is the author of the best-selling Signature Salads, now in a third printing. Shawcross is a regular guest on Virginia This Morning and a repeat guest on Martha Stewart Sirius Radio. Her blog “Table Talk” was named to Saveur Magazine’s “Sites We Love: Best on the Web” and she remains a contributing blogger to Food Gawker and Skirt! Magazine.
About the book - Friends at the Table: Shawcross knows exactly how to reign in a frantic host, deliver a perfect four course menu and entertain without tripping on the delicate timing of it all. She aims to fix the supper club frenzy in Friends at the Table. It is a gorgeous, step by step plan that details what to prepare, how to prepare, what to drink, how to present and the clockwork timing of everything involved. A 24 hour countdown / task manager in addition to wine pairings makes this a truly solid guide. Menus are sectioned into Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall and offer options from grand and elegant to more casual and ethnic.
Winemaker and Former San Franscisco 49'er President & CEO Carmen Policy Gives Us His Outlook on the BIG GAME!
Today, Carmen gives us an insiders look on the Super Bowl, from his own experience with the 5 time Super Bowl champs, the San Francisco 49'ers. Carmen answers these questions:
- Do the Steelers have a definite edge having been in the Super Bowl and winning in recent years with many of the same players?
- What are the intangibles that could impact the game?
- Does Green Bay have to win to truly move beyond Bret Favre’s shadow?
- You have been to 5 Super Bowls with the 49ers, what was it like the night before the game?
- What was it like at the Victory Parties?
Carmen’s first career was that of a trial lawyer providing an opportunity to help defend and promote the interest of his clients in a competitive and dramatic setting. He moved from the courtroom to the gridiron. Following from his successful career in law, Carmen joined the San Francisco 49ers organization, where he played a key role in all five of the 49ers' Super Bowl winning teams, helping to establish them as one of the preeminent franchises in all of sports. He and Gail found their new life and their new home in San Francisco to be a virtual fairytale come true.The San Francisco 49ers became an extension of a strong sense of family that they both carried with them from their native Ohio. After 25 years of happily toiling in the NFL vineyards and creating a treasure trove of memories and accomplishments, Gail and Carmen realized, sometime in the 1990’s, that they were compelled to pursue the amazing lifestyle and challenges that winemaking and Napa Valley offered. Wine, sunshine, great food and romance were the enticements that could not be resisted.
For more information about Carmen Policy's winery, check out the website at www.casapiena.com!
Movie Guy Steve Evans Gives us the Movie Hits and Misses!
Steve Evans, the Movie Guy, is going to tell us what we need to run out and see and what we can avoid in the movie theaters, this week! So, grab your popcorn, folks! Get your movie news and reviews right here on the What's Cookin' Today show! Steve “The Movie Guy” will take a look at what’s hot at the box office and the new films being released this weekend including…
- The Roommate - A psychological thriller starring Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly about a deranged college freshman who becomes obsessed with her new roommate.
- Sanctum – A 3-D action thriller from Executive Producer James Cameron which follows a deep-sea diving team. The team, headed by a father and son, gets trapped in an underwater cave system, and face a two-day battle for survival.
- The Other Woman – Academy Award Nominee, Natalie Portman stars as a young newlywed struggling to find a way to connect with her precocious new stepson.
- Waiting for Forever - A down-on-her-luck actress re-connects with a long-lost childhood friend who never stopped loving her.