Maureen Petrosky is a professional chef, author and Lifestyle expert. Maureen has made regular television appearances as a food and wine expert conducting segments relating to hot topics in the culinary industry. Maureen has appeared numerous times on NBC’s The TODAY Show, CNN, CNN Headline News, FOX News Channel, the Food Network, and the broadcast network affiliates across the country, representing her own projects as well as appearing as an on-air spokesperson for Better Homes and Gardens, and as a Contributing Editor for Bon Appétit magazine. Most recently Maureen has appeared as a judge for Food Network’s Iron Chef America. In addition, Maureen appears on many webisodes for different television networks and magazines and has hosted DVD series for both PBS and Cuisinart. Maureen is also featured on numerous radio prorams and is the featured Wine Expert for “A Chef’s Table” on National Public Radio. Maureen authored her first solo lifestyle book, The Wine Club, A Month-by-Month Guide to Learning About Wine with Friends. The book includes her best recipes as well as wine and entertainment tips. She has contributed as a freelance writer covering food, wine, travel, and the restaurant scene for CNN Interactive, Bon Appétit, Better Homes and Gardens, Wiesner Publications, vinesugar.com, vino.com, Newcomer Magazine, and The Wine Report. Currently, she has a regular wine column in NJ Life Magazine and most recently has been writing for Scripps Networks Inc.’s FoodNetwork.com and FineLiving.com. HELENE LEADS - FOX'S MASTERCHEF
She was eliminated this past Tuesday GORDON RAMSAY, JOE BASTIANICH AND GRAHAM ELLIOT ANNOUNCE THE “MASTERCHEF” TOP 18 FINALISTS Stockbroker, Homemaker, Contractor, Health Coachand Series’ First Blind Contestant AmongThe Top 18 Competition ContinuesTomorrow, June 26 ,on FOX After a nationwide search drew nearly 30,000 hopefuls, the Top Amateur Cooks were flown to Los Angeles for a chance to become America’s next MASTERCHEF. Following a grueling round of auditions and culinary boot camp, the MASTERCHEF judges have chosen this season’s Top18 finalists: Stacey Amagrande, MontiCarlo, Michael Chen, TaliClavijo, Samantha de Silva, Felix Fang, Christine Ha, Mike Hill, Helene Leeds, Scott Little, Dave Mack, Josh Marks, David Martinez, Frank Mirando, Tanya Noble, Becky Reams, Anna Rossi and Ryan Umane. Only one finalist will be crowned the MASTERCHEF winner and walk away with a cookbook deal and the$250,000 grand prize.Jonathan Monfort - President and Founder of "Nostalgia Kitchen"
Izetta was a pioneer for women in business back in the 1930's. It was 1938 and the country was recovering from the Great Depression and Europe was on the doorstep of WWII. Izetta was a homemaker who dreamt of owning her own business. An opportunity came up to purchase Betty's Place, a roadhouse restaurant just outside Russell Kansas and Izetta knew she had found her calling. With money her mother lent her, Izetta became the owner. On top of that, the restaurant's BBQ recipe, which was already famous and was the best kept secret in town, was an additional cost of $150 (that's $2300 in today's dollars). Grandma knew she had to have it, so as collateral, Izetta put up her prized China set. Grandma Izetta kept the restaurant's name and the cook (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) and soon jumped into serving hungry folks down home cookin'. The restaurant was on the Victory Highway (Highway 40) just west of Russell, the main road for anyone traveling to, from, or through town. People came hungry and left with full bellies. They arrived tired and departed renewed. It was not only a place to eat, but also a place to catch up on local news, meet travelers from far and wide and get to know your neighbors. Russell, Kansas, with fewer than 5000 inhabitants and home to future Senator Bob Dole, was serving up some amazing BBQ. Needless to say it was a great investment and Grandma got her fine China back. The restaurant thrived until the 1950s, when Interstate 70 was built and took nearly all road traffic away from Highway 40. Unfortunately, the new Interstate was not kind to Grandma Izetta and the restaurant closed down. But the recipe remained Izetta's prized possession, so much so, she left it as a special line item in her will, bequeathed to her only child Hathalie. In 1968, Izetta passed away and Hathalie was let in on the biggest secret of her childhood - the recipe to the famous BBQ sauce and other recipes that were used at the restaurant. Hathalie remembers helping the cook pluck fresh chickens out back at the restaurant and meeting a lot of weary travelers. As a homemaker and then later a teacher, Hathalie would make big batches of the BBQ sauce and give it out to her family and friends. She also served it to her four boys growing boys. She never divulged the recipe, not even to her husband or her children. Years later, as Hathalie (my mother) got older, I asked her for the recipe. She looked at me skeptically, and said she would give it to me, as long as I did something with it. I promised her I would and She quietly handed me the original recipe papers-written in Grandma Izetta's hand over 70 years ago. The paper was delicate, yellowed and stained from years of stove-side vigilance. And that folks, is how Grandma Izetta's BBQ sauce was born. I still can't believe she handed me those recipes!