04/27 Top Chef, Carla Hall, The Chew, David Copperfield, Bahamas, Paul Clary, Clary Ranch, Steve Evans

 
Top Chef's Carla Hall - The Chew

The Chew and Top Chef's Carla Hall. In addition to the show, Carla will be on hand to talk about her role as a judge for Nestle's Crunch's 75th Birthday Showdown Baking Competition



David Copperfield - Bahamas

David Copperfield has been hailed by audiences and critics alike as the greatest magician in the world. He is the first living illusionist to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was knighted by the French government. He, along with Steven Speilberg, Martin Scorsese and Colin Powell, received the Living Legend award from the United States Library of Congress. Among many other achievements, he has been named “Magician of the Century” and has won over 21 Emmy awards. Copperfield performs more than 600 shows per year at the MGM  Americans give up an average of three vacation days per year (that’s a combined 226 million vacation days), eschewing a bit of relaxation for the daily grind of demanding careers. Illusionist David Copperfield and athlete/actor Rick Fox are no different. Like many people, they were busy with everyday life when they finally stopped to take a break in The Islands Of The Bahamas. Grand and during his 10 weeks off he takes a break in Exuma, Bahamas, getting recharged and re-inspired. He credits this sabbatical with giving him the refresh needed to return home and wow crowds with new illusions


Paul Clary - Clary Ranch

Clary Ranch is located in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast AVA, about 5 miles due west of Petaluma and 11 miles from Tomales Bay. Clary Ranch Wines was founded by grower & winemaker Paul Clary, who planted the estate vineyards in 2000.

The vineyards consist of 5 blocks of Pinot Noir on about 12.5 acres and 2 blocks of Syrah on about 2.5 acres. The Pinot Noir clones are Dijon 133 & 667, and Pommard 4. The Syrah clones are Syrah 174 and Shiraz 1. The Pacific winds blow strongly through the end of August, and the grapes depend upon the warm, still days of September and October to ripen. Clary Ranch is on the extreme edge of cool-climate viticulture on the continent. The latest Syrah harvest has been just before Thanksgiving!

The grapes are harvested at night, and brought to the winery cold. After destemming and crushing, the juice is cold soaked for 5-10 days. Natural fermentation is allowed to begin, and the fermenting must is inoculated with a commercial yeast (Assmanshausen for Pinot, a Rhone strain for Syrah) after the Brix has dropped about 10 degrees, in order to provide natural flavor complexity while insuring against a stuck fermentation. The must is punched down 3-4 times daily, never pumped over. The wine is pressed just before dryness, and allowed to complete fermentation in barrel. Malolactic fermentation is facilitated by the remaining heat of primary fermentation.

Barrel aging lasts for 18-24 months. 50% new barrels are used. Pinot Noir is aged in French oak barrels from various coopers, and the Syrah is aged in a mixture of French and American oak. After bottling, the wines are aged for another 1-2 years prior to release.

The resultant wines reflect an elegant balance that has been heralded by wine critics and fans alike. In 2007, Wine Spectator named Clary Ranch as among "The Hot New Dozen of California Pinot Noir". Wine Enthusiast said that Clary Ranch is one to "keep an eye on". Allen Meadows of Burghound, often tough on California Pinots, has enthusiastically acclaimed Clary Ranch Pinot Noir as having "impeccable" balance. Clary Ranch Syrah, in very limited production, has a fast-growing base of fans who have fallen in love with its peppery black fruit, which provides the absolutely perfect complement for grilled and roasted meats.

STEVE EVANS - "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

04/25 Wayne Tucker, Bio S.I. Technology, Rachael Snedecor, Livermore Festival, Craig Haserot, Sojourn Cellars

Wayne Tucker - Founder/VP Sales Bio S.I. Technology  

Bio-S.I.™ is an all-natural organic liquid soil inoculant, used for sustainable plant growth that is ecologically safe for the environment. "Rebuilding Soil Naturally"

Bio-S.I.™ is not an enzyme product. We have a broad and diverse spectrum of living organisms not seen in other products. We have no laboratory-engineered microbes; we do not buy from an outside source. We do not use manure in any phase of production. As a change agent, we reverse the negative effects of over 70 years of farming practices that have poor tillage practices, over use of chemicals and salts in the soil, while rebuilding and restoring with our program. Bio-S.I.™ is applied in a program that reduces the amount of fertilizer and other chemical inputs. Most products are enzyme only; Bio-S.I.™ is a solution that contains a broad and diverse population of living microbes that produce the enzymes needed to produce the materials for the plants’ health and growth needs for better soil. Our products do not contain any laboratory-engineered microbes nor are they grown in a laboratory setting. We add no chemicals to inactivate the microbes so that gas will not be produced when they are put into containers.

Rachael Snedecor - LIVERMORE FESTIVAL

2013 Livermore Wine Country Festival is the largest celebration of wine, craft brews, arts, crafts, shopping, dining, entertainment and hometown charm in the East Bay! Over 150,000 attend each year to explore over 300 vendor booths and to shop at Downtown's incredible specialty boutiques. Enjoy our collection of restaurants that are globally inspired and locally enhanced! Downtown Livermore — the place to come home to! Livermore Downtown is committed to preserving Livermore's historic downtown district as the destination place for Livermore residents who want to eat, drink, shop, gather to meet neighbors, and enjoy cultural activities in their hometown.

Livermore Downtown is a member of the California Main Street Association. Backed by the National Historic Trust and the National Main Street Center, Main Street projects take a holistic approach towards economic development. By promoting historic preservation and downtown merchants, and supporting a coordinated approach to design and development, Main Street projects help towns preserve their past as they revitalize their economic and cultural present — they truly become vibrant hometowns that future generations can enjoy.

Livermore boasts a beautiful downtown area, steeped in history reflecting the cattle and wine industries that created a thriving community. We have a very eclectic selection of restaurants and retail shops offering everything from home decor to gift items, fine wines, and, of course western wear.

Our Annual Wine Country Festival, Certified Farmer's Market, Holiday Parade, and Downtown Halloween Carnival bring people to the center of town year round to celebrate the bounties of our agricultural heritage and spirit of our community.


Craig Haserot - Co-founder/Proprietor of Sojourn Cellars


He oversees sales, marketing, and operations, and he also plays important roles in the finance and winemaking functions of the winery. And while he enjoys his work in all of these different facets of the winery, his favorite part of his job is spending time with customers at release parties, wine events, and Tasting Salon gatherings.

During his nearly ten years in the wine business, Craig has immersed himself in all the aspects of the winery business. On the winemaking front, he has served as unofficial assistant winemaker, planted our estate vineyard (Home Ranch Vineyard), and managed grower relationships at a total of 14 vineyards in 2009. Craig’s main responsibility, however, has been to lead Sojourn’s sales and operations, and his success in these areas has enabled Sojourn’s production to grow to 5000 cases.
After growing up in San Marino, California, Craig attended Humboldt State University and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. He began his 16-year sales and sales management career in computer software with Ashton-Tate and left it in 2001 after working at Micromuse. Sojourn produced its first Cabernet Sauvignon in 2001 and Craig planted the Home Ranch Vineyard in 2002.
Craig lives in Sonoma with his wife Ellen and their two daughters, Natalie and Julia.

04/24 LARRY LIPSON, CHEF PAUL PRUDHOMME, EMMITT SMITH

LARRY LIPSON - COSTA RICA

THE FORMER FOOD & BEVERAGE CRITIC FOR THE LA DAILY NEWS (50 YEARS) FILES A WEEKLY REPORT ON WINE AND FINE DINING. LARRY ALONG WITH HIS WIFE LILLIAN AT THE LIPSON INSTITUTE FOR FINE WINE STUDIES IN COSTA RICA HAS A WEEKLY REPORT DETAILING HIS LIKE , DISLIKES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.


EMMITT SMITH - SUPER BOWL CHAMPION

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME RUNNING BACK EMMITT SMITH HAS ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SUCCESS ON MANY STAGES — IN THE NFL, ON DANCING WITH THE STARS AND AS A PHILANTHROPIST. NOW HE’S SHARING SOMETHING HE HAS COMMON WITH MORE THAN 8 MILLION AMERICANS.   GOUT - OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD EMMITT JOINS US TODAY TO TELL US MORE.

A respected entrepreneur, a sought-after speaker, bestselling author and one of the most valuable personal brands in the sports-entertainment field — these are just a few of the ways to describe Emmitt Smith.

Smith first rose to prominence via an illustrious football career, which included three Super Bowl championships as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and the honor of being the only player to have won a Super Bowl MVP, NFL MVP and NFL Rushing Crown in the same season. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010, Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, having amassed 18,355 yards during his 15 seasons.  Smith’s charm and charisma, which made him one of the sports world’s most popular personalities during his playing career, quickly translated to the entertainment world following his retirement. In 2006, Smith’s cross-over appeal became even more apparent when he, along with dance partner Cheryl Burke, was crowned winner of the hit ABC reality show “Dancing with the Stars.” Most recently in the fall of 2012, Smith once again took to the dance floor as part of the inaugural “Dancing with the Stars All Stars” cast and finished fourth, the last male contestant standing.  Currently President & CEO of Emmitt Smith Enterprises, Inc., Smith leads a team of talented individuals who oversee the company’s many ventures — including Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, the marketing and management of the Emmitt Smith brand, and the company’s two core businesses, EJ Smith Construction and E Smith Legacy, a real estate company.  As well known for his character and integrity as he is for his athletic ability, Smith continues to give back to the community and support higher education via Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, an organization that annually awards college scholarships and provides enrichment opportunities to underserved youth.  Smith continues to share his personal and professional stories with organizations across the country. He has been a member of the President's Health and Fitness Council, and has been recognized by numerous organizations for his leadership and public service. He also authored the 2011 book, Game On: Find Your Purpose — Pursue Your Dreams, which chronicles his story from humble beginnings growing up in Pensacola, Fla. to his rise in the business world.  Smith is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Recreation. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He is married and the father of five children.

Chef Paul Prudhomme - K-PAUL'S RESTAURANT NEW ORLEANS 

Chef Paul Prudhomme has propelled the distinctive cuisine of his native Louisiana into the international spotlight and continues to push the limits by creating exciting and new American and international dishes.

Chef Paul learned the importance of using the freshest ingredients while cooking at his mother’s side and continues to use only earth’s finest harvests. As the youngest of 13 children, Chef Paul was always adventurous. His strong curiosity of life and cultural customs motivated him to leave Louisiana in his early 20’s and travel across the United States to experience every culinary environment possible. From an Indian reservation all the way to the finest, five-star restaurant, Chef Paul learned to love, appreciate and blend the flavors of his younger years with those of many other cultures.

In July 1979, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen® opened its doors in New Orleans. In only a few years, his French Quarter restaurant attracted world travelers and continues to excite diners today. Diners are especially pleased to learn that K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen now takes reservations. Renovations were completed at the restaurant at the end of 1996 doubling the seating capacity. Today, K-Paul’s Catering division satisfies palates in New Orleans and “anywhere on the planet!”

As a result of endless requests for his seasoning secrets, Prudhomme created his own line of all natural (Koshersupervised) herbs and spices. Today, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends® are distributed in all fifty states and in more than 25 other countries. His blends are popular with both home cooks and professional chefs. In addition, Chef Paul produces his own seasoned and smoked meat s (andouille and tasso). All are available through Magic Seasonings’ Mail-Order catalog, which also features cookbooks, giftpacks and cooking tips (online at
www.chefpaul.com ).

Chef Paul recently added Magic Salt Free Seasoning®, Salmon Magic®, Shrimp Magic® and Sweetie Magic™ to his dry seasoning line and developed a line of sauces-marinades for retail and institutional use. He expanded manufacturing capabilities to a 130,000 square-foot plant which now produces custom blends, bulk sizes and contract packing for otherfood companies at Chef Paul’s AIB approved New Orleans area plant. Chef Paul consults with restaurant chains and large food manufacturers around the world to develop complete menus or selective menu items and specialty dishes. He and his Product Development team and R&D Kitchen can also create specific flavor profiles or duplicate existing ones.

As one of America’s best-known chefs, Prudhomme has been featured often on the three major television networks’ prime time programs. He has made guest appearances on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, 20/20, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Larry King Live, Nightwatch with Charlie Rose, the QVC Shopping Channel, CBS Early Show and the Weekend Today Show. In the Summer of 2002, Chef Paul’s life story was featured on A & E Biography.

Chef Prudhomme has been the subject of numerous articles and has penned many himself as well, in such prominent national magazines as Omni, Life, Time, Newsweek, Bon Appetit, Metropolitan Home, Travel and Leisure, Playboy, Food Arts, and National Geographic Traveler.

Among his many accolades and awards, Chef Paul received the “Restaurateur of the Year” award in 1983 from the Louisiana State Restaurant Association . Chef Paul was the first American–born chef to receive the coveted Merite׳ Agricole of the French Republic and was honored in 1986 as “Culinarian of the Year” and also “Culinary Diplomat”- Chef and Child Foundation (1994) by the American Culinary Federation . Chef Paul also took part in America’s Promise , one of the nation’s leading youth development organizations. The National Restaurant Association has bestowed upon Chef Paul both the College of Diplomates Award (1993) and the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award (2001). He was honored as Nation’s Restaurant News “Fine Dining Legend Award” winner and selected as Chairman of the National Food Safety Education Month in 2001. Some of the local awards Chef Paul has received are the 1994 Louisiana Public Broadcasting Legend Award, the WYES Public Television President’s Award (1999-2000), and the Ella Brennan Savior Faire Award from the ACF-New Orleans Chapter. In May of 2003, Nation’s Restaurant News inducted him into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame and he received Bon Appetit’s Humanitarian Award in 2006.

An international presence, Chef Paul has made personal appearances and given lectures and seminars all over Europe and the Orient. He is devoted to feeding the American troops in bases around the world. He served as a consultant to Team USA of the American Culinary Federation, and participates actively at conventions, seminars and food trade shows nationally and internationally as a guest lecturer and in support of his Magic Seasoning Blends® . He spends time at universities and culinary schools around the world, giving educational seminars for students in all walks of life.

Chef Paul has cooked for heads of state as well as members of the U.S. Congress. Charity work is dear to Chef Paul’s heart and he lends his support to many major fundraisers, which benefit charities such as Meals on Wheels, Easter Seals, the March of Dimes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters,and the National Alzheimer’s Association. Prudhomme was the first Chef to participate in the Robert Mondavi “Great Chef of America” series and was one of 12 chefs chosen from around the world to participate in the celebration of Jerusalem 3000th year anniversary where each chef created a Kosher dish to be served at the King David’s Feast in March 1996.

A best-selling author, Chef Paul has written nine diverse cookbooks and produced six cooking videos, two of which were at the top of the Billboard’s chart for fifty-three consecutive weeks. Five of Chef Paul’s cooking series are based on his cookbooks, Fork In The Road, Fiery Foods, Kitchen Expedition, Louisiana Kitchen and Always Cooking and are currently aired on Cable Television and/or The Public Broadcasting System. Chef Paul’s latest book, Always Cooking, was released in the spring of 2007.

04/23 Kelsey Timmerman, Where am I Eating, Chef Claud Beltran, Noir Food & Wine

Kelsey Timmerman – Author of Where am I Eating

Kelsey's grandfather was a farmer and his dad grew up farming, but as an adult Kelsey couldn't even make a box of Mac 'n Cheese. In 2009 the US government began to require Country of Origin labels on most foods and Kelsey set out on a journey to discover where his food came from.  He followed his Starbucks coffee to Felipe, a Colombian coffee farmer and father of three who faced falling coffee prices and the dangerous mountainside where the coffee grew.  He followed his Dole banana to Costa Rica where he got up at 4am and biked into Dole's banana jungle in a monsoon alongside Juan. He followed his chocolate bar to the Ivory Coast where he met a 20-year-old slave on a cocoa farm who left his parents in Ghana without saying goodbye.

•    What our reliance on imported food means for us, and for the people who produce our food
•    The practices (good and bad) of major companies like Starbucks and Dole
•    How consumers can make small changes that will have a huge impact on the lives of farmers around the world

Kelsey’s writing has appeared in publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Condé Nast Portfolio and has aired on NPR.  His extensive travels have given him an understanding of environmental issues and the relationship between man and land that perhaps only his grandpa would recognize. 



CHEF CLAUD BELTRAN - Co-owner/Chef of Noir Food & Wine, Pasadena

LA TIMES: Pasadena, while delightful in so many other ways, has never been long on plausible adult restaurants, dining rooms where the cooking was serious, the noise level was reasonable and the wine list extended to more than a few dozen usual suspects. And a pretty high percentage of those restaurants over the past decade or so, places where you wouldn’t mind dragging a foodie after a movie or a public lecture at Caltech, have turned out to have something to do with Claud Beltran, a slightly odd chef trained under Thomas Keller.

04/22 GABE MEYERS, BOTTLEROCK FOUNDER, TODD BOTTORFF, TURNER PUBLISHING

GABE MEYERS - BOTTLEROCK FOUNDER

As BottleRock Napa Valley delivers the best in music and comedy through an incredible who’s who lineup, its food, wine and beer offerings will also strike a chord with attendees. Iconic Napa Valley chefs and restaurateurs such as Cindy Pawlcyn, Masaharu Morimoto, Todd Humphries, and Ken Frank will share the culinary stage with superstar vintners like Silver Oak, Miner Family, Rombauer, and St. Supery, along with artisan beers and micro-brews. Offering a culinary festival experience second to none, BottleRock has tapped the Cindy Pawlcyn Napa Valley team including managing partner Sean Knight to manage the culinary effort and establish BottleRock as having the ultimate food and wine experience.

Situated on four stages spread over 26 acres on the grounds at the Napa Valley Expo in the City of Napa, more than three dozen chefs and restaurateurs will join more than 50 wineries and artisan brewers during the inaugural BottleRock Napa Valley May 9 - 12. Food purveyors including Mustards Grill, Oenotri, ZuZu, Grace’s Table, The Girl & the Fig, Azzurro Pizzeria and Enoteca, Tra Vigne, Fish Story, Farmstead, The Model Bakery, C Casa, Barbers Q, and Gott’s Roadside, will be paired with some of the finest wines in the world, such as Grgich Hills, Beaulieu Vineyard, Hahn Family Wines, Ceja Vineyards, Flora Springs, Freemark Abbey, Sterling Vineyards, Acacia, and Regusci Winery. Coupled with beers and craft brews such as Bud Light, Sierra Nevada, Gordon Biersch, Hangar 24, Speakeasy, Goose Island and Napa Smith, BottleRock Napa Valley provides the very best to quench attendees’ thirsts and whet appetites.

“We can’t throw a music festival in the Napa Valley without providing great food, wine and brews,” stated festival founder Bob Vogt of WillPower Entertainment. “Napa Valley is known far and wide for extraordinary wine with a dining reputation to match, and BottleRock Napa Valley will absolutely reflect that culinary scene. It’s another feature that we feel will define BottleRock as a one of the most engaging music festivals anywhere.”

"We are thrilled to be involved with what is destined to be Napa Valley's preeminent event combining world-class musical talent with delicious Napa food and wine," says culinary partner Cindy Pawlcyn.  "BottleRock is such a natural extension of the valley's hospitality and talent, the surprise here is that it hasn't been done before."

In addition to the carefully curated cuisine, BottleRock Napa Valley features an incredible lineup of more than 80 artists, bands and performers, including; Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Furthur featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, Jane’s Addiction, The Shins, The Avett Brothers, Train, The Flaming Lips, The Black Crowes, Macklemore  & Ryan Lewis, Cake, Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite, Primus, Alabama Shakes, Jackson Browne, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, along with America’s hottest comics such as Jim Gaffigan, Demetri Martin, Aasif Mandvi, Anthony Jeselnik, Tig Notaro, Jim Breuer, Greg Behrendt, Wyatt Cenac, Rob Delaney, Kristen Schaal, Bill Burr, J Chris Newberg, andNatasha Leggero. The complete festival lineup can be found at www.bottlerocknapavalley.com.

Festival passes are on sale now and begin at $139 for a single day pass, $329 for a 3-day pass, $399 for a 4-day pass, and $599 for 4-day VIP passes. Passes are on sale at www.bottlerocknapavalley.com.

More information can be found at http://www.bottlerocknapavalley.com/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BottleRock Napa Valley, or follow on Twitter at https://t/, #bottlerocknapavalley.


Todd Bottorff - Turner Publishing

Todd Bottorff has served as President and Publisher of Turner Publishing since 2002. Mr. Bottorff earned degrees in liberal arts from the University of Virginia and a masters of business administration from Harvard University. Prior to Turner Publishing, Mr. Bottorff worked as a business consultant at McKinsey & Company and served as a senior member of the management team for a venture-funded technology startup and a publicly listed dot-com turnaround.

Mr. Bottorff's civic responsibilities include serving as a board member of Npt, Nashville's public television station(http://www.wnpt.net/), as a Board Member of Humanities Tennessee (tn-humanities.org) including the subcommittee that oversees the Southern Festival of Books (www.tn-humanities.org/festival/index.php), and on the Alumni Board of Montgomery Bell Academy (http://www.montgomerybell.edu/).

THE BESTSELLING MEDITERRANEAN DIET BOOK IN THE MEDITERRANEAN - Join the hundreds of thousands who are eating well and getting slimmer with the new Mediterranean diet book. Featuring delicious, fat-burning, easy-to-make Mediterranean diet recipes, a simple plan, and the psychological tools to stay slimmer, this international bestselling diet sensation takes the incredible flavors of the Mediterranean and adds new fat-burning ingredients that get amazing results.
Harry Papas, a certified dietitian in Greece, lost over 100 pounds by creating a revolutionary nutrition plan: a delicious, fat-burning Mediterranean diet coupled with the self-awareness he needed to combat the triggers that contributed to his weight gain.

Unlike other diets, Slimmer’s delicious meal plan is designed to help you stay slim while actually enjoying what you eat. This easy-to-follow Mediterranean diet plan will allow you to get rid of those unwanted pounds with incredibly flavorful and satisfying meals, full of sustaining, wholesome foods—such as fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, and Greek yogurt—that have been enjoyed for centuries by those in the Mediterranean as well as celebrities visiting Papas’ family restaurant in Greece.

Packed with recipes and practical nutritional advice, Slimmer also helps you understand why you gained weight and provides the psychological support and encouragement you need to successfully lose weight and permanently retain the loss.

04/19 TROY ROBERTS, JUDD FINKELSTEIN, JUDD HILL WINERY, STEVE EVANS

TROY ROBERTS  "48 HOURS" 

“Muscle, Mayhem and Murder" airs on Saturday, April 20, 2013 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). No pain, no gain… The real-life story of the South Florida crime spree so sensational that it inspired the major motion picture now in theaters.

In 1994, a group of body builders from Miami plotted the extortion and kidnapping of a millionaire; their plan, however, went awry, ending in one of the most gruesome double homicide to hit the area, and the escape of a survivor whose account was so incredible, it took months for police to believe it. 
Best friends Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal ran the Sun Gym, known in Miami during the early 90s as THE body builder hangout. A fellow gym member, Jorge Delgado, approached them with the promise of making big money, and a plan to exact revenge on a former partner: Marc Schiller, a successful South American businessman, who allegedly cheated them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Together, Lugo, Doorbal and Delgado kidnapped Schiller and forced him to sign over his assets.  For nearly a month, they kept Schiller in a warehouse, beating and torturing him until he signed over everything he had.   Of course they couldn’t spend Schiller’s money, live in his multi-million dollar home, drive his cars while their captive was still alive… so they force-fed him liquor and sleeping pills and then put him behind the wheel of a car.  Schiller crashed the car, which led to a fiery inferno, but somehow he escaped.  While in the hospital recuperating, he tried in vain to tell hospital personnel about what he had endured, but after a month in the same clothes, not bathing, smelling of alcohol and full of drugs - nobody believed his story; he was written off as a deranged homeless man.

 The Sun Gym gang quickly blew through their fortune from Schiller, so they set their eyes on another millionaire, Frank Griga—known for his adult hotline business, exotic dancer girlfriend, Krisztina Furton, and covetable Lamborghini.  This time Lugo and Doorbal invited the couple to dinner under the guise of discussing a business venture… and then trapped them inside a townhouse where they beat Griga to death and injected his girlfriend with a fatal dose of tranquilizers --- all before extracting any information from which they could profit.

While the gang transported the bodies of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton to the same warehouse where Schiller was tortured, and dismembered them… news of the missing millionaire couple begins to surface.  Metro-Dade police eventually focus their attention on Lugo and his team, with the help of one very surprising source.  Troy Roberts provides a full report on this incredible-but-true case, and speaks one-on-one with survivor Marc Schiller about his ordeal... on this week's all-new 48 HOURS. 


JUDD FINKELSTEIN - JUDD HILL WINERY  

Judd was raised in Napa Valley. He graduated from The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication at Arizona State University with a bachelor's degree in Television Production, but you might say winemaking was in his blood. Since he was a tot, his parents were making wine. From pruning to picking to punching to pressing, Judd has been involved in every facet of winemaking, and he also studied winemaking at UC Davis and Napa Valley College.

One of Judd's other passions is playing his ukulele, both solo and with his band, The Maikai Gents Featuring The Mysterious Miss Mauna Loa. "We perform old-time Hawaiian crooning in the Hapa-Haole style. We started because I wanted some Hawaiian music for a birthday luau I was having for myself and couldn't get the entertainer I wanted. We learned a few Hawaiian tunes and performed them at the party. My friends and family loved it, of course, but the funny thing was that the resort asked us back for a festival they were having later that spring! So we learned some more songs and have been gigging ever since." Why the ukulele?" Someone needed to play it! We thought a ukulele would round out our sound....and I haven't put it down in three years!" Judd has also started a ukulele club in the Napa Valley,

STEVE EVANS - "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

04/18 Jonathan Mitchell, Locanda del Lago, Michael Zislis, Shade Hotel, Michael Silacci, Opus One Wines

Jonathan Mitchell - General Manager of Locanda del Lago in Santa Monica

When Lago opened in April 1991, the upscale Italian restaurant quickly established a reputation as having perhaps the only menu in Los Angeles to focus on the cuisine of Bellagio on Lake Como in Northern Italy.  Today, celebrating its 20th anniversary, Lago maintains that unique identity and attracts an eclectic crowd of foodies, celebrities, locals and travelers.  With its warm, inviting interior, expansive windows and a sidewalk patio overlooking Santa Monica's colorful Third Street Promenade, the restaurant is consistently lauded for imaginative Italian cuisine spotlighting seasonal flavors and the freshest local ingredients.  Co-owner West Hooker, who was born in Milan and has lived and worked in Bellagio, presides over the popular restaurant with General Manager Megan Sheehy, who has been with Lago since 1996.   

Plaudits from the press include this comment from one critic:  "Lago is a warm and welcome respite.  As exotic as it is delicious, the food is among the city's very best."  Another described Lago as "Casually classy... the authenticity of the place is clearly one of its assets."  The Los Angeles Times insists that the Antipasto Bar "… is one of our favorites," and the Hollywood Reporter refers to Lago as a "chic, authentic Italian bistro."  Metromix raves, "With the warmth of an old Italian inn and the cool factor of a Santa Monica hot spot, you'll never even know you're on the Third Street Promenade.  Lago has a loyal base of regulars because the customers are treated like kings, and the bustling restaurant is run with astounding ease."  Frommer's promises, "There’s no better place to people-watch than at the outdoor patio," and Gourmet Magazine advised, "Italy meets the Pacific -- authentic cuisine of Milano, Como and Stresa served up in the most California of settings.  Don't miss the Ossobuco alla Milanese."

Lago is dedicated to providing the ultimate dining experience with exceptional selections coupled with meticulous, friendly service.  Chef Maggioni offers the most flavorful ingredients available in conjunction with traditional and innovative recipes, and menus feature produce and other foods from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market (right outside Lago's front door).  Every Wednesday and Saturday, Chef Maggioni seeks the freshest, organic, most flavorsome selections available from Windsor Farms, Harry's Berries, Weiser Farms, Garcia Farms, Coleman Farms, JJ Loned Daughter Ranch, and Lilly's Eggs, while Scarborough Farms delivers fresh organic goods on non-market days.  All pastas, focaccia bread, desserts and gelato are made fresh daily at the restaurant.  The wine list, featuring nearly 400 selections from Italy and California including verticals, half bottles and large format bottles, has received an "Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator magazine every year since 1995, and Luigi Veronelli's The Best Italian Restaurants applauded its "vast and intelligent selection."
www.lagosantamonica.com


Michael Zislis - Shade Hotel & Michael Silacci - Winemaker of Opus One Wines 

Every year, hundreds of wine enthusiasts descend on Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach, when the boutique property hosts California’s top winemakers at its “Ultimate Wine Festival.”

Ultimate Wine Festival goers will enjoy a generous selection of elegantly presented, tray-passed hors d’oeuvres, along with wine tastings of the latest vintages from the various wineries and mingling with winemakers and other wine industry personalities from 4 to 7 p.m. for $125 per person, general admission. Also available, at $200 per person, are admission tickets that include a Reserve Magnum Tasting that will be held just ahead of the Festival, between 3-4 p.m. As the festival is expected to sell out, interested festival goers are advised to purchase tickets in advance.

Participating wineries are (in alpha order here): Alpha Omega; B Wise; Byron; Cade; Cambria; Cardinale; Ceja; Chappellet; DeLoach; Duckhorn; E&J Gallo; En Route; Faust; Flowers; Franciscan; Grgich Hills; Hewitt; Justin; La Sirena; Lokoya; Lobo; Louis M. Martini; Mario Bazen; Mira; Mt. Brave; Mumm Napa; Murphy-Goode; Nickel & Nickel; Opus One; Paruduxx; PlumpJack; Pride Mountain; Provenance; Quintessa; Raymond; Reynolds; Rocca; Rombauer; Round Pond; Seghesio; Silver Oak; Simi; Stanton; Terra Valentine; The Prisoner; Titus; Tobin James; Trefethen; Trinchero; Twomey; V12 Vineyards; and Villa Creek.

04/17 Chef Andrew Zimmern, Travel Channel, Bizarre Foods, Kyle Branche, The Gardenia Room, Chef Suzanne Landry, The Passionate Vegetable

Chef and TV Personality Andrew Zimmern - Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods"

Attention Food Lovers:  IT’S BACK! Voting for the second annual The Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards has returned. Once again, the public has the opportunity to vote for favorites in the world of food…from celebrity chefs to the best food city. Based on popular vote, the most deserving will win.  The nominees for each of the categories have been selected by an expert panel of food personalities led by James Beard Award-winning television host and chef Andrew Zimmern. The nominees will be featured on General Mills’ Tablespoon.com website for the people to cast their votes throughout the month of April. The Munchies award categories include:

•        BEST FOOD REALITY TV SHOW
•        BEST FOOD TV PERSONALITY
•        BEST FOOD BLOG
•        BEST FOOD CITY
•        BEST LATE NIGHT FOOD
•        and 15 more!

More About Andrew Zimmern: Andrew Zimmern is a James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, teacher and is regarded as one of the most versatile and knowledgeable personalities in the food world. As the creator, host and co-executive producer of Travel Channel's hit series, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, he travels the globe, exploring food in its own terroir. He also hosts Bizarre Foods America, every Monday, at 9|8c. In May 2012, Zimmern won the prestigious James Beard award for the ‘Best Television Show on Location.’ He previously won the Beard Award for ‘Outstanding Television Food Personality.’ Zimmern is also a contributing editor at Food & Wine Magazine.   

Bartender Kyle Branche - The Gardenia Room

Kyle Branche is a 30-year veteran professional and private bartender in Los Angeles. His wide variety of bar experiences in the City of Angels is second to none, having worked in many bars, nightclubs, private clubs, restaurants, hotels, concert venues, and is currently more off the grid today working a busy, yet more flexible schedule as a private on-call bartender with a variety of services, caterers, event planners, brand-sponsored events and private clientele working the party circuit throughout the spread out metropolis. while still holding position in the bar at The Gardenia Room in Hollywood for 23 years.

Kyle was a contributing writer and columnist in the leading beverage magazines from 2002-2012, with 75 published pieces, including the monthly cocktail column "Liquid Kitchen" with Patterson’s Beverage Journal (now The Tasting Panel), feature cover stories, contributing articles, and one online multimedia super feature story on Cognac with Sante Magazine, titled "The Sleeping Spirit". Aside form creating 60+ signature cocktails, his bar line Cocktail Art Productions has produced 18 titles including seven books, two DVD’s, an audio CD Book, cocktail recipe cards, calendars, and postcards.

As a culinary artist, he started his cocktail photography series in 2007. His custom Zazzle store (zazzle.com/KBranche) uses 70 drink images from this series on a variety of everyday products and specialty items, including USPS-approved Cocktail Postage Stamps, Coffee Mugs, Greeting Cards, Men’s and Women’s T-Shirts and Hoodies, iPod Cases, iPad Cases, iPhone cases, Mousepads, Postcards, Hats, Aprons, Necklaces, Prints and Posters, all just for a fun and creative artistic outlet. Kyle also created and designed a board game called “Cocktail Hotel.”

He’s also co-produced and co-hosted the cocktail shows “Liquid Kitchen” and “Beverage Road,” has written a treatment for a one-hour dramatic television series titled “Life Behind Bars,” played the character of “Clive, the Bartender from the Dead” in the short film "The Hounds of Bakersfield," and the part of "Lyle the Bartender" in the upcoming feature film "Frozen Tundra." Other on-camera work includes his two Cocktail Art DVD’s of “live and close-up” specialty and classic drink preparations.

Originally from the historic village of Sackets Harbor, off the edge of Lake Ontario in the Southern part of upstate New York in the Thousand Islands region near Cape Vincent where he was raised on his Grandparents' dairy farm up until the age of seven. From there he moved out West to Arizona,

While in Phoenix as a rack jobber in the music business, where he received sales display awards from Columbia Recording Artists, Journey and Willie Nelson, and then as a manager of a computer warehouse, he also moonlighted on the weekends as a barback at an establishment nearby where he lived. He then got hired at a brand new Embassy Suites Hotel, eventually transferring to Los Angeles and the bigger bar scene in 1985.


Chef and Educator Suzanne Landry - The Passionate Vegetable

 New Cookbook Brings the Fresh Harvest of Health from the Field to the Table “The Passionate Vegetable” by chef and educator Suzanne Landry reveals the pure simplicity and bountiful flavor of fresh vegetables with recipes that are easy and delicious. From the first tender pea shoots in spring to the last brilliant orange pumpkins in autumn, vegetables are the cook’s harbinger of the changing seasons.

Vegetables are often thought of as sides that complement a main dish of meat, fish or poultry. While this is a great way to showcase the garden’s gems, one chef is celebrating vegetables in all their starring roles — breakfast, salads, sides and entrees. The Passionate Vegetable, by fresh food chef and educator, Suzanne Landry, is full of delicious recipes that fit any type of eating style, from vegan and vegetarian, to recipes that include meat. Everyone knows that eating a variety of vegetables every day is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals needed for optimal health. Having taught natural foods cooking classes for over 30 years, Suzanne believes in encouraging and educating people to eat more vegetables and high-fiber whole grains and beans and less meat protein. 

Focusing on the connection between food and healing, Suzanne has created fresh and flavorful dishes that allow home cooks to make the most of seasonal produce from local farmers markets, stands, and gardens and cook tasty, yet healthy, well-balanced meals. More than a cookbook, The Passionate Vegetable reveals the pure simplicity and great flavor of fresh, seasonal vegetables with recipes that are easy to prepare. 

04/16 RICK MAYNARD, KFC, MONTY PAULSEN, PAT PAULSEN VINEYARDS

RICK MAYNARD - COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OF KFC

“No mess. No fuss. No bones about it.” That’s the new mantra at Kentucky Fried Chicken corporate headquarters these days, according to Jason Marker, KFC’s chief marketing officer in the U.S. “It’s just a very simple expression of where we’re going.” Indeed, on Sunday, KFC rolled out Original Recipe boneless chicken in all 4,500 of its U.S. locations.

But this modest innovation may not be just another new offering in a long line of new offerings. Executives at the 61-year-old franchise – long associated with family-sized buckets of traditional fried chicken — are so convinced that boneless chicken is the next big thing that they are starting to envision a KFC that doesn’t have on-the-bone chicken on its menu at all. (MORE: The Real Significance of the Bitcoin Boom (and Bust))

Marker acknowledges that the chain’s customer base is aging, and that off-the-bone chicken is critical if the brand is to stay relevant and contemporary. “We joke a lot that young people today barely know that chicken has bones in it because of all the forms and formats that we eat it in,” he says. “We’ve got to make sure we meet the needs of those people.” In short, they’re trying to cater to the McNugget Generation.

Back in the 1970s, when most of us still ate chicken that looked like chicken, the industry’s processors were already working on ways to squeeze profit out of their product. Chicken historically offered meager profit margins — around 2%, says Steve Striffler, a University of New Orleans professor and author of Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of America’s Favorite Food. For decades the only way processors could increase those margins was through mergers or acquisitions. But by the ‘70s, Tyson and other industry giants realized they needed to do more with the chicken itself.



Monty Paulsen - Winemaker at Pat Paulsen Vineyards

Founded by Sonoma County vintner Pat Paulsen and his wife Jane in 1976, Pat Paulsen Vineyards garnered tremendous praise and a wide following, establishing itself as one of the first successful and well-respected of what later has come to be known as “celebrity-owned” wineries. The flagship wine, an Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paulsen Estate Vineyard earned many gold medals throughout the years, taking “Best of Show” awards at prestigious competitions.

SAN FRANCISCO WINE COMPETITION RECENTLY AWARDED PAT PAULSEN VINEYARDS NINE MEDALS! We are delighted to have five silver medals for our Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Alexander Valley Merlot, Red Reserve ParthenOgenesis and North Coast Syrah. PPV Spring Cabernet and Jesse's Vineyard Zinfandel, Heritage Selection Odyssey and MioVigneto white desert wine took home Bronze medals. Congrats to Monty and our guest vintner Dwight Busalacchi (MioVigneto) and Stephanie Jackson (Jesse's Vineyard Zinfandel) who we have collaborated with this past year. More wine, more time, more magic!

04/15 Bill Kurtis, Caroline Klinge, LoSalt, Gary Owens

BILL KURTIS - TALL GRASS BEEF


Founded in 2005 by broadcast journalist Bill Kurtis, Tallgrass Beef Company is the industry leader in the production of grass-fed, grass-finished beef in the United States. After purchasing his 10,000 acre ranch near the town of Sedan, Kansas, Kurtis was compelled to find a sustainable method of raising cattle that was not only good for the environment, but also the animals themselves and the American food consumer. This was the genesis of Tallgrass Beef Company.

Today Tallgrass Beef Company is comprised of a network of family farmers and ranchers across the United States that produce grass-fed, grass-finished cattle according to a strict set of protocols. These stringent standards ensure that food consumers are buying the safest, healthiest, most nutritious beef possible. Tallgrass Beef is a favorite among consumers seeking a healthy, humane source of beef.

In addition to being available for purchase by consumers online, Tallgrass Beef became the first grass-fed, grass-finished product served in many of Chicago's finest restaurants, with a roster of clients featuring James Beard Award Winning chefs Rick Bayless (owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and XOCO restaurants), Charlie Trotter, George Bumbaris and Sarah Stegner. Harry Carays, Praire Grass Café, Frontera Grill, and Topolobombo serve Tallgrass. The brand has expanded to the west coast where Tallgrass Beef is available in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Tallgrass Beef products are also available in select grocery stores, including Sunset Foods and Fox and Obel in Chicago; Fairway Markets in New York; and Sendik's Markets in Milwaukee.

Much like the cattlemen of the old west, Bill Kurtis started Tallgrass Beef with a vision of a healthy, sustainable, delicious beef source for the American consumer. With a steady annual growth rate and a loyal customer following, Tallgrass Beef Company provides customers with a sustainable alternative to traditionally raised and processed beef.



Caroline Klinge - Sales & Marketing Manager of  LoSalt

 

With a background in biochemistry, food science, and catering, Caroline Klinge is the consumer spokesperson for LoSalt®. A reduced sodium salt alternative that contains 66% less sodium than table salt, LoSalt is manufactured at Caroline’s family company Klinge Foods Ltd in Glasgow, Scotland.

Consumers of all ages are making the healthy and happy switch by choosing LoSalt, a blend of two naturally occurring mineral salts – Potassium Chloride and Sodium Chloride – that form an alternative that retains the look and taste of conventional table salt. LoSalt contains 66% less sodium than regular table, sea, and rock salts and its great taste makes it an ideal salt alternative for all types of cooking and use on the table. As with regular salt, it should be used sparingly in cooking and baking.

Since launching in the US in 2009, LoSalt sales have grown rapidly and it is now sold in over 4,500 stores across the U.S.  at supermarkets and natural food retailers including Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, Randall’s, Whole Foods Market, H-E-B, Basha’s, Shoppers Warehouse, Farm Fresh, BI-LO, Shaw’s, Shop Rite, and in the natural foods aisle of Kroger stores (including Ralphs, QFC, Fred Meyer, Smiths and Fry’s). www.losalt.com


GARY OWENS - RADIO PERSONALITY 

Gary Owens (born May 10, 1936) is an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens is equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is frequently heard in television, radio, and commercials. He is best known, aside from being the announcer on Laugh-In, for providing the voice of the Space Ghost on Space Ghost. He also played himself in a cameo appearance on Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 1998. Likewise, Owens provided the voice of Roger Ramjet on The Roger Ramjet Cartoons. He is currently the primary voice of the over-the-air digital network Antenna TV.