Friday, July 8, 2011

7/8 Doug Stephan, Joey Chestnut Competitive Eater, Hurley's Restaurant, Movie Guy Steve

What's Cookin' Today Hour ONE:

We're Talking With Doug Stephan!

Doug is passionate about radio. Ever since he was a freshman at Heidelberg College in Ohio, he has made it his life's work to create quality programming that entertains, engages and enriche s radio listeners. In the process, Doug has created one of the largest and most successful independent radio organizations in the country.

But the road to success in radio is rarely easy. After graduation, Doug didn't work full-time in radio. Instead, his early career paths exposed him to a wide variety of experiences - from teaching middle school English to running a number of family businesses - although he was never far from his true passion.

He worked on-air wherever and whenever he could - sometimes on 3 stations at the same time - weekends, evenings, whenever he got the chance -all the way from Boston to Providence, Rhode Island. In the early 1980s, while looking for his big break, he was Operations Director at WEEI-AM, a Boston news station,.

Finally, in 1988, he got the chance to do the radio show he dreamed about when he was chosen by American Radio Network to host a new program, GOOD DAY USA. Once again, the road wasn't smooth. With ARN being battered by a series of ownership changes, Doug decided to risk everything to do the show he believed in - and took control of the program.

He changed the name to DOUG STEPHAN'S GOOD DAY, purchased his own satellite time, set up a studio in his home and then found radio stations to run the program. In the beginning, he even sold his own advertising. To support GOOD DAY, he worked on-air at national powerhouses such as KABC, Los Angeles and KMOX, St. Louis.

All of the hard work, vision and ingenuity paid off as DOUG STEPHAN'S GOOD DAY is currently heard on over 350 radio stations by over 3 and a half million listeners every week. Doug is now among the top national talk radio personalities according to TALKERS magazine.
His company, Stephan Multimedia, is the largest independent producer of talk radio programming in the country, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC, and his reach has extended to Podcasting and the Internet.
But the statistics and growth are only a small part of Doug's success story. The real story is the relationship that he has cultivated with his listeners.

As Doug says, 'I love helping people start every day as a good day, which can include an offbeat slightly crazy story, a shot of humor, or the top news you need to know. Sometimes I like to describe the show as the fun, foibles and frustrations of day-to-day life - filtered through the psyches of both myself and the listener.

The listeners are so important because I am motivated to help people grow - and that includes me. I like to engage, provoke, entertain and inform - to stimulate, sometimes in unexpected ways. Some people even call me a contrarian. I like to think of myself as an entertainer with a mission'.

Doug Stephan is on the Board of Trustees at Heidelberg College and the 4H Foundation Board. He has received numerous industry awards and provided community service for Big Brothers. His children live and work in Los Angeles.

What's Cookin' Today Hour TWO:

We're Talking With Joey Chestnut - The American Competitive Eater!


Joseph Christian "Jaws" Chestnut
(born November 25, 1983) is an American competitive eater. The 6-foot-tall (1.8 m), 218-pound engineering student is currently ranked first in the world by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. He is a Vallejo, Californianative who currently resides in San Jose, California.

On July 4, 2007, Chestnut won the 92nd Annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, beating six-time defending champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi by consuming 66 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes, which set a new world record. The following year, he successfully defended his title by winning a 5 hot dog eat-off after tying Kobayashi in consuming 59 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. On July 4, 2009, Chestnut outlasted Kobayashi again, by consuming a new world record of 68 hot dogs and buns and winning his third consecutive title. On July 4, 2010, Chestnut took home his 4th consecutive Mustard Belt eating 54 dogs and buns. The 2010 contest was a runaway victory, as Kobayashi did not compete due to a contract dispute with Major League Eating. On July 4, 2011, he won his fifth-consecutive championship with 62 hot dogs and buns.


We're Talking With Bob Hurley, Chef and Owner of Hurley's Restaurant

Almost 2 decades ago Chef Bob Hurley planted his roots firmly in the California Wine country, first as a chef at Domaine Chandon, then later as Executive Chef at Napa Valley Grille.

In November 2002, he opened his own restaurant, Hurley's Restaurant, in Yountville CA. Chef Hurley describes his menu as local California cuisine high in flavor and influenced by the Mediterranean so that it fits very well with wine. The regular menu offers a wide array of options. the "Wine Country" theme allows diversity so that it is not tied down to a particular style or ethnicity. It is creative food done simply and he always has two or three wild game selections as well.

The menus are revised about three times each year to take advantage of seasonal changes, particularly with produce and seafood. Fall brings on wonderful risottos with wild mushrooms, squashes, and in the chilly winter it's time for the deep rich braises with root vegetables, and hearty potato based soups. His summer menu lightens up again with fresh ripened heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, and wonderful summer stone fruit.

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:

Zookeeper – Kevin James is a lonely zookeeper trying to win back his ex- girlfriend with a little bit of help from the animal kingdom.

Horrible Bosses – Three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective intolerable bosses... permanently.

Beats, Rhymes & Life:The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest - A documentary portrait of A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time.



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