Thursday, January 31, 2013

01/31 BILL KURTIS, TALL GRASS BEEF, CHEF JOHN BESH, NEW ORLEANS DESMOND HOWARD, SUPERBOWL PICK

BILL KURTIS - TALL GRASS BEEF

Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940) is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files. Previously, he anchored CBS Morning News, and was the longtime anchor at WBBM-TV, the CBS owned-and-operated TV station in Chicago 

He was the narrator in the 2004 Will Ferrell comedy film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Since 2005, Kurtis has become heavily involved in raising and marketing grass-fed beef after purchasing an 8,000 acres  ranch near Sedan, Kansas. While looking for innovative uses for his ranch, Kurtis learned about the health and environmental benefits of grass-fed beef and founded Tallgrass Beef Company. A separate ranch owned by Kurtis and his sister, near Independence, Kansas was the original site that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book Little House on the Prairie and is operated as a tourist attraction. He is also an investor in the Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, Illinois


CHEF JOHN BESH - NEW ORLEANS - M&M's IN SUPERBOWL RECIPES

John Besh (New Orleans multi-award winning chef and restaurateur) to help launch the brand’s new integrated marketing campaign, ‘Better With M.’  The campaign is designed to showcase how M&M’S irresistible chocolate makes moments more fun and delicious.

John Besh is a chef and a native son dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana.  In his restaurants, entrepreneurial pursuits, and public activities, he preserves and promotes ingredients, techniques, and heritage one mouth-watering dish at a time.

Besh grew up in southern Louisiana and has set the benchmark for fine dining in New Orleans – a town whose identity is bound to its food. Each of his nine acclaimed restaurants (August, Besh Steak, Lüke, Lüke San Antonio, La Provence, American Sector, Soda Shop, Domenica and Borgne) celebrates the bounty and traditions of the region.

From the outset of his career, Besh’s talent and drive have earned him continuous kudos: Food & Wine named him one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America” and his flagship restaurant August has featured on the late great Gourmet magazine’s “Guide to America’s Best Restaurants,” and “America’s Top 50 Restaurants.”  Local publications keeping close tabs on the dining scene, like The Times-Picayune and New Orleans City Business, have applauded all his other restaurants as they’ve appeared and won the hearts and palates of discriminating diners.   He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast in 2006, and was awarded Food Arts’ Silver Spoon Award in 2009 for revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans.  John Besh is a frequent guest chef on the NBC Today Show, and has appeared on top programs on The Food Network and the Sundance Channel, as well.

Besh’s devotion to local ingredients and local cuisine also extends to his entrepreneurial projects, including the creation of Besh Restaurant Group Catering; the launch of a line of gourmet products; and the publication of his two cookbooks, My New Orleans in October 2009 and My Family Table in November 2011 (both from Andrews McMeel Publishing). A former U.S. Marine, Besh is proud to have partnered with Baton Rouge-based emergency reconstruction specialists Arkel International, for which he creates high quality ready-to-eat meals for distribution to thousands of emergency response teams and sustained strategic operations in the U.S. and around the world; the novel initiative promotes the Gulf Coast’s food culture as it elevates the Louisiana economy. In recognition of such far-reaching contributions, the Louisiana Restaurant Association named him Restaurateur of the Year in 2008.

Whether served as far afield as North Africa or the Middle East, or by his own hands in one of his New Orleans restaurants, a meal created by John Besh is a thoughtful, flavorful, meaningful delight.


DESMOND HOWARD - SUPERBOWL PICK

Desmond played professional football in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins (1992-1994), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), Green Bay Packers (1996, 1999), Oakland Raiders (1997-1998) and Detroit Lions (1999-2002). Howard was voted the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXI and is the first and only special teams player to win the award. He is one of only four players to win both the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP. Desmond earned his place in Super Bowl lore on January 26th, 1997, when he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown (still a Super Bowl record.) He enters his 9th year as ESPN GameDay analyst having covered the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and National Championship games for ESPN in January 2012. Desmond joined ESPN in experience began as a contribution to Fox Sports’ Best Damn Sports Show Period in 2003 and continued as a correspondent on ESPN 2’s Cold Pizza in 2004 during the show’s Super Bowl coverage. His television honors include being a part of several Sports Emmy winning seasons of College GameDay. For more, visit www.desmondhoward.com

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America:
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