01/30What's Cookin' Today
Herb Mesa, Celebrity Chef, Finalist on Food Network’s The Next Food Network Star And Fitness Expert Speaks With Us About Plans For National Heart Health Month
Herb Mesa is a restaurant-trained chef, and a self-taught healthy cuisine chef, as well as a certified personal trainer and fitness guru. As a first generation American of Cuban and Puerto Rican parents living in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Herb grew up on the flavors of the Caribbean. But with these richly intense flavors also came saturated fat, calorie-rich food in large portions. Starting his career in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher, Herb worked his way up to chef and, later, executive positions such as Director of Catering and Assistant General Manager at luxury hotels. Managing multi-million dollar budgets, menu planning and numerous staff, Herb excelled in every aspect of the culinary and hospitality industry, Herb eventually became a certified personal trainer and nutrition & wellness consultant and worked at a local family gym. He conquered food without sacrificing the flavors he loved by beginning a business for himself in 2003 called The Energy Chef, with which he taught individual clients, corporate groups and gym members how to make satisfying, nutritious dishes and incorporate exercise into their lives. Now works as a personal chef, restaurant consultant and personal trainer in Atlanta, specializing in preparing innovative and creative meals using distinctive culinary ideas for health-conscious individuals and families; dinner parties and events for celebrity and high-profile clients, and one-on-one fitness and lifestyle coaching.
Most recently, Herb was featured as a finalist on the Food Network's premier reality cooking competition, The Next Food Network Star, where his excitement, enthusiasm and motivation for a healthy lifestyle. According to the American Heart Association, 79 million Americans suffer from vessel and heart diseases. To combat heart disease, Celebrity Chef Herb Mesa is partnering with WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, encouraging Americans to “Set a Healthier Table.” The program asks Americans to pledge to set a healthier table as a simple way to manage their families’ cholesterol and protect overall heart health. For every pledge made at SetAHealthierTable.com, $$1 will be donated to WomenHeart. One of Herb Mesa’s tips for lowering cholesterol is to choose foods containing plant sterols and incorporate them in every meal of the day. Plant sterols are found in certain cooking oils, fruits, vegetables and legumes and help with managing cholesterol levels and improving overall heart health.
CHEF FABIO VIVIANI JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT MONTH
Italian chef Fabio Viviani was born on October 10, 1978 in Florence. After the need to help out the family and get a job presented itself at the young age of 12 Fabio applied to work in a bakery where first he was told he was too young and then later invited to work nights so that no one would know. In 1992 at age 14 Fabio began working at the very busy Il Pallaio, a casual Trattoria in Firenze, Italy with stellar, Italian comfort food and a 120 seat cover. An average night in the restaurant proved to be total mayhem as 700 to 800 guests came through each night. Fabio thrived in this high pressure environment and managed to become sous chef by age 16. Between training in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine at IPSSAR Saffi, working with culinary luminaries such as Simone Mugnaini, Alessandro Panzani and Saverio Carmagini, and managing and/or owning serveral restaurants and nightclubs in Italy Fabio found himself a young, well-respected business man in Italy but he was ready for a change. Fabio moved to Ventura County, California at the age of 27 and now works as the owner and executive chef of Cafe Firenze, a renowned Italian restaurant in Ventura Country and Osteria Firenze, a popular Los Angeles Italian eatery. Aside from working in his restaurants Fabio has many projects that he is passionate about– when he’s not busy promoting healthy eating for children, he is also an endorser of Italian mineral water producer San Pellegrino, Bialetti Cookwear, Bertolli Olive Oil, and Santa Margarita Winery. Fabio Viviani has published two successful cookbooks including the Cafe Firenze Cookbook and an e-book Did I Really Make Breakfast which made it onto multiple Amazon bestseller lists within weeks of release. Fabio is perhaps best known in America for appearing on season 5 of Bravo’s reality series Top Chef and earning a place among the final four contestants. Before he was eliminated from the competition, he was named Fan Favorite. Fabio returned to Bravo in 2010 to compete in their Top Chef All Stars edition.
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician... Seriously That's All That Needs to Be Said
Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold & Kumar series, and the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. He hosted the 63rd Tony Awards on June 7, 2009 and the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, 2009. On March 7, 2010, he made a surprise appearance at the 82nd Academy Awards, delivering the opening musical number. On August 21, 2010, he won two Emmy Awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony. On December 11, 2010, Harris hosted Spike's Video Game Awards, before hosting the 65th Tony Awards on June 12, 2011.
He was named as one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010. In September 2011, Harris was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
•On Monday, January, 30th, Neil Patrick Harris will be working with M&M’s to reveal the first public image of M&M’s Ms. Brown •The SWEET reveal will take place at noon PT in The Grove •Another sweet reveal will be hosted concurrently at M&M’S World in New York City •Fans can also follow the events live on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mms. •Since January 24th, Ms. Brown has been hidden behind an oversized 20-foot package of M&M’S Milk Chocolate Candies in both LA and NYC •Ms. Brown will officially be introduced to the world during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLVI. About Ms. Brown •Ms. Brown has spent seven decades working behind the scenes as Chief Chocolate Officer to help make M&M’S the #1 chocolate brand in the world. •As fans seek to learn more about the companies behind the brands, Ms. Brown has chosen this moment in time to step outside of her executive office to remind the world that M&M’S is not your average milk chocolate.
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