03/06 LARRY LIPSON, DIEGO ORTOLI

LARRY LIPSON - COSTA RICA

THE FORMER FOOD EDITOR FOR THE LA DAILY NEWS (50 YEARS) REPORTS WEEKLY ON FOOD & WINE FROM HIS RETIREMENT HOME IN COSTA RICA.  HE AND HIS WIFE LILLIAN, OPERATE THE LIPSON INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED WINE STUDIES AND OFFER OPINIONS ON FINE DINING AND WINE RECOMMENDATIONS.


Diego Ortoli - Owner and Executive Chef of Portofino Cucina Italiana

“I was born and raised in Naples, Italy, a city of fresh ingredients, hidden restaurants and delicious dishes.  While the food culture of Naples is in my blood, I discovered my true passion for Italian cuisine when I started working in restaurants in America.   For several years I shared my passion by running a small Italian restaurant in West LA, but the real showcase for my expertise and simple but elegant vision of Italian wines and food came when I opened Portofino Cucina Italiana in Downtown LA.” Portofino Cucina Italiana, features real Italian cuisine – with ingredients flown in straight from Italy, and rare Italians wines not found in the U.S. Portofino blends tradition and simplicity to make you feel at home the second you walk through our door. The restaurant also includes vegetarian options as well as a gluten-free menu.

On Wednesday, March 13th, Ortoli presents a 4-course Italian gourmet dinner with wine pairings, starting with a reception at 6:30 PM. A vegetarian menu will also be available that evening. www.portofinodtla.com

 We’re doing a fabulous wine dinner at Portofino Cucina Italiana and Joel and I would love to get Diego on your show prior to the 13th to talk about his restaurant and our upcoming event. We have ingredients that are being flown in from Italy to make our wine dinner even more special!  Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Puglia, buffalo mozzarella from Napoli, and Sea Bass from Orbetello – just a few of the ingredients flown in from Italy for Portofino Cucina Italiana! This intimate family-owned eatery in downtown LA, started two years ago by Naples-born Executive Chef Diego Ortoli, features rare Italian wines, a gluten-free menu, and authentic Italian recipes.   On Wednesday, March 13th, Ortoli presents a 4-course Italian gourmet dinner with wine pairings, starting with a reception at 6:30 PM. A vegetarian menu will also be available that evening.www.portofinodtla.com

03/05 Sloane Stephens, Frito-Lay, Stephen Kalil

Sloane Stephens - American Tennis Star

You have all seen the recent video of Serena Williams slamming her racquet after she lost to teen tennis sensation Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.  Since then, Stephens has been recognized as the rising super star of pro tennis, and we are proud to make her available for interviews.   This is especially timely for the eight markets that have USTA events coming to their area this summer, but there are plenty of fans in every market who will find Ms. Stephens a fascinating personalty.  Find out the amazing family story behind this phenom, and also about some exciting news from the US Open!  Teen tennis phenom Sloane Stephens, the American tennis  player whose star continues to rise after her upset of Serena Williams and semifinal appearance in the Australian Open, is trying to maintain a level of normalcy in her life. Stephens has risen to #17 in the world rankings, and her inspired tennis and enthusiasm has fans clamoring to know more about the 19-year-old.   Following an appearance on "Ellen" and other national shows, the twitter following for Sloane increased to more than 61,000 followers.

Stephen's mother, Sybil Smith, was a swimmer for Boston University who in 1988 was the first African-American female to be named First Team All-American in Division I history.   Her father, John Stephens, played in the NFL. He was killed in an automobile accident in 2009, just before the US Open.


 
Executive Research Chef for Frito-Lay, Stephen Kalil

To celebrate National Potato Chip Day on March 14, why not chat with a potato chip expert about what unique potato chip flavors you may be able taste around the world? You can even get an inside look at how new flavors are created and end up on grocery store shelves.

03/04 Eddie Osterland, Tom DeMichael

Eddie Osterland - America's 1st Master Sommelier

Eddie Osterland, America's 1st Master Sommelier, has helped hundreds of executives and CEOs become successful power entertainers, and he speaks to more than 30 organizations per year, including companies such as Accenture, General Mills, Citigroup, IBM, Merrill Lynch, GE, Ford, UBS, Discover Card, Sprint, Procter & Gamble, Oracle and American Express.  Eddie has been featured as a wine expert by Esquire Magazine, Jet Set Magazine, and was the Director of Trade Education for the International Wine Center in New York City. He served as the wine editor for Restaurant Business Magazine for nearly a decade, and has regularly contributed his expertise to the National Restaurant Association.

Eddie Osterland is an internationally acclaimed expert in the culinary arena of food and wine. For more than 25-years he has delivered workshops and given highly entertaining dinner talks to corporate audiences on power entertaining with wine and food. Eddie has the distinction of being America’s very first Master Sommelier, the highest international distinction that a professional can attain in fine wine and beverage service. He holds the prestigious degree of Diplôme Universitaire d'Aptitude à la Dégustation (DUAD) from the Université de Bordeaux, in Bordeaux, France. Upon completing his studies there, he went on to pass the grueling Master Sommelier Diploma in London in 1973, on his very first attempt! From there, he become head sommelier at the Hôtel de la Poste in Beaune, Burgundy, France—an American running a French wine cellar! In 2008, he was the only Master Sommelier invited to entertain corporate clients at the China Olympics. Eddie is the Business and Entertaining Coach for Vistage International, the world’s leading CEO organization with more than 14.000 members worldwide. http://www.eddieosterland.com/


Tom DeMichael - "James Bond FAQ"

Over the last 50 years, moviegoers around the world have spent more than five billion dollars to escape into a world where they can pretend they drive a Bentley, Rolls-Royce, or Aston Martin; a world where they get the chance to save millions of lives; a world where they can make love to the most beautiful women imaginable; a world where martinis are shaken, not stirred. Women want to be with him. Men want to be him. The name is Bond…James Bond. James Bond FAQ by Tom DeMichael (Applause Books, $22.99, February 2012) covers the gadgets, girls, guns, gangsters, and goings-on of everyone’s favorite secret agent. Completely up-to-date as to include Skyfall (2012), the book focuses primarily on the Bond films, but also includes Ian Fleming’s books, composers of Bond music, and unofficial Bond projects, such as TV versions and other films.

Leaving no stone unturned, James Bond FAQ discusses both the characters and the portrayals of Bond’s villains, friends, and beauties. Also included are cast lists, movie posters, photos and illustrations seldom seen in print, profiles of producers and directors, synopses, and production stories. DeMichael also ranks the actors who have played James Bond from worst to first and gives his reasons why, guaranteed to cause discussion and debate among the most passionate of Bond fans. Tom DeMichael (Chicago) holds a degree in U.S. History and has published numerous books and magazine articles in subjects as diverse as the U.S. Civil War, American film, collectible toys, American firefighting, and television's greatest game shows. A devout and longtime student of cinema, he has followed the screen exploits of James Bond since the age of ten. By his own estimate, he has watched Goldfinger more than fifty times.

03/01 MAUREEN MAHER, HEIDI BARRETT, LARRY VAN ALLST, STEVE EVANS

MAUREEN MAHER - CBS NEWS - "48 HOURS"
 
48 HOURS "The Usual Suspect" airs on Saturday, March 2, 2013 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)  An executive with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and president of the Corvette Memphis Club (CMC), Tina Caronna was a vibrant member of her community.  Her disappearance in suburban Memphis on October 25, 2008 was a shock to all who knew her.  After two days of searching, the missing-person case changed to a homicide when the 44-year-old’s body was found in the passenger side of her car. Her partially nude body was covered with beach towels, and duct tape was over her mouth.

Tina’s social life had revolved around cars.  She and her husband of 15 years, Joe, travelled often in their three corvettes to various CMC events.  Tina met Joe in 1993.  She was divorced, with a four-year-old son.  Joe, also divorced, was managing a shoe store, where Tina, known for her collection of hundreds of shoes, was a regular.  The couple married several months after they met.  Joe soon became involved in finance as well - running his own company, Caronna Investments.

When Tina’s strangled body was discovered, Joe told friends and police he believed she may have been murdered in a gang-related car-jacking gone bad.  The car-jacking theory, however, would immediately be called into question when it was revealed how, exactly, Tina’s body was found…  thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry left on her body. Although he had always been a suspect in his wife’s murder, there seemed to be no motive for Joe, who was well-known for showering Tina with jewelry, flowers, and other gifts, to kill her.   Searching for answers, eyes turned to a woman the Caronnas knew from church, Becky Black.  Becky met Joe when she was in her mid-thirties, and as she explains to Maureen Maher, feeling unappreciated in a troubled marriage, she and Joe became involved in an extra-marital affair.  And even after police questioned her, Becky continued to see Joe.  But soon, her support turned to suspicion.  Becky told her husband about the affair – and her concerns about Joe, which she now also shared with police.  Seeing an opportunity, investigators convinced Becky to keep the pretense of the relationship going – and to meet Joe, in her car, in a parking lot.. wearing a wire.

Investigators also learned about a home the Caronnas were planning to buy.  One week before the murder, after many delays, Tina believed the closing was finally going to happen.  Prosecutors believe, with good reason, that Joe, did not want Tina, or the bank, looking into his finances—and that the closing was never going to happen.  The reality was Joe did not even have an approved mortgage.  What Tina would have noticed, say prosecutors, was that Joe had built a financial house of cards — instead of investing all of his clients’ money , his company was scamming  people – including Tina, their closest friends --and even his mistress Becky Black.  Over a period of eight years, investigators say Joe Caronna conned his so-called clients out of more than $780,000.  But with no physical evidence placing Joe at the crime scene, would he ever be charged with Tina’s brutal death?  Maureen Maher has the story.


HEIDI BARRETT - LA SIRENA WINES    

Welcome to La Sirena, where our mission is to make wines of high integrity and purity that are simply delicious. I focus on the wines that I personally love best - Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Moscato Azul (our dry Muscat Canelli). Our flagship wine is our Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a beauty indeed. I have become famous for making this variety during a 30 year career making such wines as Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, and so many more. My philosophy is to make the best wines possible by blending modern technology with traditional winemaking. These are wines of high pedigree that are ultimately handcrafted - a magical blend of art and science. Simply put - an incredibly delicious bottle of wine. All the wines are finely balanced, flavorful, pure and elegant. At the end of the day, if I don’t love it, I don’t bottle it, and the results are in the glass!
Heidi Peterson Barrett grew up in the Napa Valley in a winemaking family and was destined to become one of the world’s foremost winemakers.  It is said that winemaking is a combination of science and art.  With her father a scientist-winemaker and her mother an artist, it’s no surprise that Heidi’s natural born talents led her to the wine industry.  With great enthusiasm, a love for what she does, and an abundance of experience, Heidi’s instinctive gift of integrating the art and science of winemaking is unparalleled.

During her High School years Heidi’s summers were spent in the vineyards and wineries diligently working every task from sorting vine cuttings to working on the bottling line.  She continued her formal education in fermentation science at UC Davis.  While at Davis she was an assistant to Dr. Ann Noble, developer of the aroma wheel.  It was during a college internship at a large winery in Germany that Heidi learned the art of making balanced wines, no matter what the variety.

After graduating from U.C. Davis in 1980 with a B.S. degree in Fermentation Science, she went to work for Justin Meyer at Franciscan Vineyards and Silver Oak Cellars.  In 1981, after subsequent crush jobs at Lindeman’s Wines in Australia and Rutherford Hill in Napa Valley, Heidi became assistant winemaker to Jerry Luper at Bouchaine Vineyards.  In 1983, at age 25, she became winemaker at Buehler Vineyards.  Wearing the title of winemaker for the first time, Heidi attracted critical acclaim by integrating her unique style of winemaking.  Demand for the wines grew, allowing Buehler to more than triple their production to 20,000 cases. 

This wide range of hands-on experience has given Heidi a distinctive approach to winemaking.  “It is important to have diverse knowledge in all aspects of winemaking.  You can’t just step in and be the winemaker unless you have adequate experience in the cellar and the vineyards.  I wanted to make sure that when I finally had the title of winemaker, I had earned it.”

In 1988, she left Buehler to become an independent winemaker, consulting for a number of small wineries.  Within a week she was hired by Gustav Dalle Valle at Dalle Valle Vineyards where she remained as winemaker until the spring of 1996.  It was there she took her talents to the next level, creating wines of “cult” status.  Her powerful yet elegant Cabernets from Dalle Valle Vineyards  include the famous proprietary blend  “Maya”  which received perfect 100 point scores in two consecutive vintages ( ’92 and ’93) from Robert Parker and record-breaking bids at the Napa Valley Wine Auction.  In 1992 she began making wine for Screaming Eagle, her most celebrated and, undoubtedly, her most successful project to date.  The 1992 and 1997 vintages garnered another set of perfect 100’s from Parker.  A 6-liter bottle of the ’92 Screaming Eagle set a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction selling for $500,000.  A vertical offering sold for $650,000 at the 2001 NVWA. These coveted accolades coupled with her philosophy of winemaking have earned her such great respect from Robert Parker, Jr. that he tipped his hat by proclaiming her the “The First Lady of Wine” and TIME magazine dubbed her “The Wine Diva of Napa Valley”.

Heidi, who loves the ocean and especially SCUBA diving, began making wines under her own label, La Sirena,  in 1994.  “I was looking for a name for my wine which would be fun and magical.  La Sirena, which means “the Mermaid” in Italian and Spanish is a lovely expression of my two great passions!”  Heidi’s winemaking style lends itself so seamlessly to the Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,  her proprietery Pirate TreasuRed blend, and dry Muscat Canelli (Moscato Azul) she hand-crafts for La Sirena. The La Sirena Cabernet Sauvignon follows the same winemaking style and blend that she made in the past for Screaming Eagle.

Since 1988 she has developed an impressive client list of ultra-premium wineries.  In addition to her very own wines from La Sirena, she is currently the winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Lamborn, Kenzo Estate, Au Sommet, Vin Perdu, and Fantesca.   Past winemaking clients include Screaming Eagle(14 years), Dalla Valle(8 years), Jones Family(12 years), Grace Family(6 years), Vineyard 29(6 years), David Arthur, Barbour Vineyards(15 years), Revana (10 years) and Showket(12 years).

As well as her winemaking talents, Heidi is an accomplished artist and helicopter pilot and lives in Calistoga with her husband, Bo (winemaker at Chateau Montelena) and their two daughters, Remi and Chelsea.


LARRY VAN AALST - SOMMELIER

LARRY HOSTS A WEEKLY PROGRAM ON CRN AND ALSO IS AN EXPERT ON WINE WHO IS SOUGHT AFTER FOR EVENTS, TASTES AND MAJOR SOMMELIER EVENTS IN  THE SAM FRANCISCO AREA. HE COMMENTS ON THE INDUSTRY AND HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT WINE.

 
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.

02/28 PAULA SHOYER, BOB CABRAL, KATHERYN WINNICK

PAULA SHOYER  -  PARIS TRAINED PASTRY CHEF & COOKING TEACHER

Passover is one of the most important holidays of the Jewish calendar and is when families get together for the Seder meal.  Passover baking is the greatest annual challenge in the Jewish kitchen because Passover dessert recipes cannot use flour, yeast, soy milk, or even pure vanilla, and shifting from flour to matzoh cake meal and potato starch is not intuitive, even for experienced bakers.   As dessert plays an important part of the Seder meal, you need fabulous desserts to end your evening.  This Passover, pastry chef and teacher, Paula Shoyer, shares delicious and easy desserts for Passover from her best-selling cookbook, The Kosher Baker.   Producing flavorful and appealing desserts that are kosher has been a challenge for Jewish cooks. Without access to butter, cream, milk, cheese, yogurt, or other dairy products, creating a delicious and memorable dessert for holiday meals requires more than simple substitutions and compromises.  Paris-trained pastry chef, Paula Shoyer decided to change that.  Using all her creativity and love of dessert, she developed The Kosher Baker, the indispensable kitchen companion providing a wide range of dairy-free desserts, from family favorites and time-honored holiday classics to stylish and delicious surprises of Paula's own creation.


Bob Cabral - Williams Selyem - Winemaker of the Year 

Bob has been involved in growing and making wine professionally since 1980 and has had an interest in wine and farming since his childhood. A fourth generation farmer and grape grower from the great San Joaquin Valley, he developed a passion for Pinot Noir early, joining the Williams Selyem mailing list in 1985 while still in grad school at Fresno State University. AfterJohn Dyson bought the winery in 1998, Burt Williams recommended that Bob take over as winemaker, which he did on July 29, 1998. The 2011 harvest is Bob's 32nd vintage at a commercial winery. Bob is an experienced winemaker whose meticulousness and patience yield wines that are authentic expressions of each vineyard site. In 2007, one such site found perfect expression and received a 100-point rating from Wine Enthusiast. Our 2007 Litton Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir (now called Williams Selyem Estate Vineyard) was the first domestic Pinot Noir to earn a perfect score from a major wine publication. Bob designed and planted the vineyard to an exact specification of clones, rootstocks, spacing and trellising. This has resulted in wines of the highest quality and worthy of the Williams Selyem Estate name. Each year, the editors of Wine Enthusiast Magazine honor outstanding achievement in the wine world, in that given year and over time. Categories include Wine Person of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, American, European, and New World Winery of the Year, Winemaker of the Year, Wine Region of the Year, and more. The winners will be announced in theDecember 15th issue of Wine Enthusiast.


Katheryn Winnick - The History Channel, "VIKINGS"

Katheryn Winnick may be best known for her juicy recurring role as David Borneaz's love interest in the FOX series Bones, and the films Love And Other Drugs, Killers, and Cold Souls. She currently appears in Stand Up Guys with Christopher Walken and will next co-star with Kurt Russell and Matt Dillon in The Black Marks, and as Charlie  Sheen's ex in A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III. Winnick is not only a rising star in Hollywood, but an accomplished martial artist as well. She is trained as a licensed bodyguard and holds a third-degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and second-degree Black Belt in Karate. Her martial arts mastery serves her well as the fierce warrior yet tender mom, Lagertha, in HISTORY®s ambitious new scripted series, Vikings. The extraordinary untold tales of the lives and epic adventures of these conquering mighty Norsemen come alive in the nine-part series, which also stars Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment, Usual Suspects, Millers Crossing). Vikings is created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors.) The series also sheds light on how much power women wielded in the Dark Ages. They were allowed to own land, divorce their husbands as well as fight alongside them in battle, and ultimately, rule. As much as this epic series looks deep into the Vikings society of warfare and bloodshed, it's a family saga at heart. And Lagertha is a fierce character, warrior, shield maiden and mom.

02/27 LARRY LIPSON, Alison Sokol Blosser, KERRI WALSH JENNINGS, HEIDI SKOLNIK

LARRY LIPSON - LIVE FROM COSTA RICA

LARRY WAS FOOD EDITOR AT THE DAILY NEWS IN LOS ANGELES FOR MORE  THAN 50 YEARS AND NOW REPORTS WEEKLY FROM THE LIPSON INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED WINE STUDIES IN COSTA RICA. HIS REPORTS ON WINE AND FINE DINING HELP CRN LISTENERS TO DISCOVER FOOD AND WINE TREASURES WORLDWIDE.


Alison Sokol Blosser - Oregon Sokol Blosser Winery 

For more than 40 years, before there was an Oregon wine industry, the Sokol Blosser family has been growing grapes and creating exemplary wines. Located on a certified organic, 100-acre property in Oregon’s Dundee Hills sub appellation, Sokol Blosser has consistently captured theterroir of the region as expressed through the brilliance of its estate fruit.  This resolute quest for excellence is also expressed in its environmentally-sensitive winemaking techniques, a core value for Sokol Blosser since the planting of its very first vines in 1971. The winery produces Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and small quantities of Single Block Pinot Noirs under its Sokol Blosser brand name.  It also produces a white blend and red blend under the Evolution brand name. “We feel a sense of social responsibility in conducting our business and our lives the way we do.  This is the only way we could imagine doing it,” notes Susan Sokol Blosser, the winery’s founder. “Not only are our methods healthier for the soil, the vines, and those of us who work in the vineyard, they also lead to better wines.” The winery is now under the care of sister and brother co-presidents, Alison Sokol Blosser and Alex Sokol Blosser. Sokol Blosser Winery is entering a new millennium of winemaking, tasting and sustainability in hiring Allied Works Architecture to design Sokol Blosser’s state of the art tasting room. The project is set for completion in the late summer of 2013. Please visitwww.sokolblosser.com to shop online, for tasting room hours and more information about this award-winning vineyard.


KERRI WALSH JENNINGS - VOLLYBALL CHAMPION

Walsh began her career on the indoor volleyball court at Stanford University and garnered a number of  records before transitioning to the sand where she has become one half of the winningest team in beach volleyball history with partner Misty May-Treanor. Married to U.S. volleyball player, Casey Jennings,  Walsh is also the proud mom of two young sons.  


HEIDI SKOLNIK - NUTRITIONIST - OWNER NUTRITION CONDITIONING

Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM is owner of Nutrition Conditioning, Inc., a nutrition consulting practice. A well-known and respected leader in the nutrition and fitness world, Heidi relies on science, not fad, and delivers the most current and proven concepts to promote optimal health. Heidi has frequently appeared on TV shows such as “Dr. Oz,” “20/20,” “Good Morning America,” “TODAY” and TV’s Food Network.  She is often referenced in newspapers and national magazines, such as Men's Health, Self, Glamour, GQ and Real Simple.

When it comes to choosing a healthy breakfast, it can be a challenge to separate food facts from fiction. With the abundance of available information about the nutrition contributions and health benefits of foods and beverages, it can be difficult to know the facts.

02/26 DR. JOEL FISHER, Sarah Cummings, Victoria Dwek, RICHARD PINK

DR. JOEL FISHER - WINE GURU - LA WINEFEST   

Joel M. Fisher, PhD is the wine columnist for the Culinary Connection of the Chefs de Cuisine Association of California. He was a Contributing Editor of Patterson's Beverage Journal. From 1999 to 2006 he was a wine instructor for the Culinary Arts Department of the Art Institute of California-Los Angeles and is a founding partner of the educational Wine Vine and Dine, which conducts programs throughout Southern California. Sommelier for the Escoffier Association of Southern California, Joel is also a member of Patterson Magazine's tasting panel.
Dr. Fisher is a member of the Society of Wine Educators, The Circle of Wine Writers (UK) and was awarded a Wine Enthusiast Media Scholarship for 2005 at the Culinary Institute of America. He is the author of the Wine Work Book now in its 6th edition.


Sarah Cummings - Director of Communications / Sonoma County Vintners

Honore is just returning from Boston Wine Expo, so if you don’t mind, it will be yours truly for the interview! We can chat about the great 2012 crop report for Sonoma County and California, upcoming WineRoad Barrel Tasting Weekends, and much more!



Victoria Dwek  - Passover Made Easy


Victoria Dwek is the managing editor of Whisk, a popular kosher food magazine published weekly by Ami Magazine. Her feature articles take readers behind the scenes to learn from chefs and other professionals in the kosher food world. An experienced journalist and avid hostess, Victoria’s work combines her passions for good food and good writing. She lives in Deal, New Jersey with her husband and children. Passover Made Easy features over 60 triple-tested recipes to make for an easy and delicious Passover week. And at the affordable price of $15.99, this witty, fun to read cookbook is the go-to resource for delicious kosher meals this Passover – and all year long. The ingredients in these unique and creative recipes are easily available and all but four of the 60 recipes in the book are gluten-free (non-gebrokts).  Passover Made Easy gives readers fascinating culinary tidbits, useful preparation tips, full-color photos for each dish; step-by-step plating and food styling secrets, and a wine pairings and Seder wine guide.  With Passover Made Easy, Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek have created the consummate recipe guide for the Seder nights and the entire holiday week.  Offering a unique blend of traditional and creative new dishes, Passover Made Easy lets home cooks serve up delicious meals and enjoy their time in the kitchen.  Passover Made Easy is the first in a series of “Made Easy” cookbooks by Leah and Victoria to be published throughout 2013 and 2014.  For more information go to http://www.artscroll.com/Books/pmep.html. 


RICHARD PINK -  OWNER OF PINK'S HOT DOGS

Pink's hot dogs have been specially made for Pink's by Hoffy since 1939. They are all-beef and have a natural casing that makes them snap when you bite into them.  Pink's  chili recipe was specially developed by Betty Pink years ago and is at the heart of Pink's fame.  Pink's is probably the most famous hot dog stand in the country... certainly in Los Angeles!  Located near the corner of Melrose and La Brea, Pink's can be found by looking for a crowd of people and following the aroma of fresh meaty chili and soft hot dog buns.  Pink's is unlike any other hot dog stand in America. For example, it has its own parking lot attendant (parking is free). It has been in the same location for 72 years. It is not unusual to see a Rolls Royce pull up to Pink's (the chili dog ordered will be for the occupant, not the chauffeur!). Movie stars, well-known dignitaries, struggling musicians, businessmen, housewives, school children... all have savored Pink's Famous Chili Dogs.  Paul Pink started his hot dog stand in 1939. It was only a large-wheeled pushcart in those days. The depression was on and money was scarce. Pink's chili dogs, complete with a large warm bun, oversized hot dog, mustard, onions and thick chili sold for 10 cents each. His hot dog wagon was located in "the country", rolling hills of weeds and open spaces. That was the corner of La Brea and Melrose seventy-one years ago! Times have changed, but not Pink's. Oh, in 1946 Paul Pink did trade his hot dog wagon in for a small building (constructed on the vary same spot where the wagon had stood). But the stand hasn't changed since those days. Today, Pink's chili dogs sell for $3.45 each (with inflation and the shrinking dollar, they are a better bargain now than in 1939!). Pink's still gives that very same quality now as then... mouth-watering chili, generously topping an all-beef hot dog with mustard and onions. Quality and service (an average Pink's chili dog can be ordered, prepared and delivered to the customer in less than 30 seconds!) have been the two reasons Pink's has not only survived, but become famous.

02/25 AL PISNER, AJ BARILE'S CHICAGO PIZZA, RICK MAYNARD, KFC

AL PISER - AJ Barile's Chicago Pizza

AJ Bariles Chicago Pizza will be hosting a Spaghetti dinner on Saturday March 2 from 1pm-9pm that will benefit the MacKay family.  The entire Month of March $2.00 from Each Medium or Xlarge  pizza will be donated to the SBCD Memorial fund for MacKay and Collins (officer in LLU Severly injured that fateful  day). 


Rick Maynard - PR Guru at KFC


KFC Corporation (KFC), founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. The company was founded as Kentucky Fried Chicken by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, though the idea of KFC's fried chicken actually goes back to 1930.

02/22 Steve Reynolds, Michael Honig, Hugh Davies

Steve Reynolds - Reynolds Family Winery, Chair, Premiere Napa Valley 

Experience the Excitement of Premiere Napa Valley Week! If you are a member of the wine trade and interested in placing an absentee bid for these wines, please download our absentee bidder information and register your bids. Preview the 2013 Offerings Start strategizing the wines you want in your cellar by reviewing the 2013 Premiere Napa Valley wine portfolio.  

Wednesday, February 20 Napa Valley Rocks World Premiere Cameo Cinema 1340 Main Street, St. Helena 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm  

Thursday, February 21 Premiere Preview Parties Locations throughout the Valley  

Friday, February 22 Multi-Vintage Perspective Tasting Rudd Center, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street, St. Helena 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Drop in at your leisure for this walk-around, three-vintage perspective tasting of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. This tasting provides a snapshot of wine coming to, already in and finishing up in the market, offering insight into how vintages may unfold with time.

 Premiere Preview Parties Locations throughout the Valley Saturday, February 23 Barrel Tasting & Auction The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 2555 Main Street, St. Helena

The weekend's highlight! Taste and network with owners and winemakers from 200 of Napa Valley's finest producers in the barrel room, enjoy lunch prepared by the staff and students of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and then head into the auction room for the fast-paced and high-energy live auction of the 200 made-for-this-event-only wines previewed earlier in the day.


Michael Honig - President of Honig Vineyard and Winery - NVV Board of Directors 

At the age of 22, Michael took the reins of his struggling, family vineyard and winery. With an old meat locker for an office, a shoebox marked "miscellaneous" for an accounting system and no training, he began canvassing the streets of San Francisco, selling wine and delivering it himself. As president of the winery, he has built a strong team and transformed the business into a success. With his seemingly endless energy, Michael is often referred to as "the James Brown of the wine industry" and spends 75% of his time out in the world introducing people to Honig wines.

A leader in sustainable farming, he chaired the first California initiative to develop a "Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices," a voluntary program establishing statewide guidelines for sustainable farming and winemaking. He is also involved in an innovative pilot program that trains yellow lab puppies to detect vine mealy bugs in the vineyard.

Michael sits on the board of directors of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, whose mission is to promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley appellation and its wines. He also serves on the boards of several organizations including: the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance; California Farm Service Agency State Committee; Napa Crimestoppers; Tower Road Wine Storage; and is a past board member of the Wine Institute. He lives on the Honig estate in Rutherford with wife Stephanie, daughters Sophia and Lola and son Sebastian, and their dogs Raisin and Kota.


Hugh Davies - Owner, President and CEO of Schramsberg Vineyards 

Schramsberg Vineyards is now in the hands of Jack and Jamie Davies' youngest son, Hugh. Born in 1965, the year his parents Jack and Jamie Davies revived the historic Schramsberg Vineyards property in Napa Valley, Hugh was named President and CEO of the 40-year old sparkling wine house in 2005. Prior to this, he held the dual responsibilities of Winemaker and General Manager. He holds a master's degree in enology from the University of California, Davis, and has his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in Maine.

At Schramsberg, Hugh has led the ongoing effort to fine-tune winemaking and grape growing techniques, building upon the winery’s venerable track record of producing award-winning sparkling wines. Schramsberg’s current stable of vineyards includes more than 90 specially selected sites in the Carneros district of Napa Valley, the Anderson Valley, and along the Sonoma and Marin coasts. The winery's commitment to small lot base wine production has yielded extraordinary blending opportunity for the 8-10 sparkling blends produced each year. Over 200 lots are evaluated after harvest, representing many variables: vineyard terroir, grape clone, barrel fermentation, stainless tank fermentation, malolactic fermentation, etc.

Additionally, Hugh was instrumental in replanting the historic hillside Diamond Mountain District vineyards adjacent to the winery to Bordeaux varietals. They are now used by the Schramsberg winemaking team to make J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon. From the first vintage in 2001, J. Davies has received both public and critical acclaim. Hugh serves on the board of directors for the Napa Valley Vintners (he was President, 2006) and, with his family, he chaired the 2004 Auction Napa Valley. Hugh, along with his brother Bill, heads up the Jack L. Davies Fund, which is committed to carrying on efforts initiated by his father to preserve the Napa Valley for its highest uses: agriculture and wild lands. For prior hands-on experience in the wine industry before joining Schramsberg, Hugh worked with Möet et Chandon in Epernay; Petaluma Winery in South Australia, and Mumm Napa Valley, among others. His political and public service background includes work with the San Francisco Trust for Public Land and assisting California Congressman Tony Coelho in Washington, D.C.

Hugh lives on the Schramsberg grounds with his wife, Monique and his three young sons Emrys, Nelson and Hugh Lawrence. He enjoys spending time with his kids, backpacking and going to the Oakland A’s baseball games. Hugh is dedicated to continuing the quality enhancement of Schramsberg and J. Davies wines. With his leadership, Schramsberg Vineyards is in good, sturdy hands.

2/21 KARYN PHILIPPSEN, Chef Paul Prudhomme

KARYN PHILIPPSEN - LAGUNA BEACH ala CARTE  

SAVE THE DATE! LAGUNA BEACH A LA CARTE - A FOOD & WINE EXPERIENCE, MARCH 7-10, 2013 Your guide to everything food-related in Laguna Beach! Long known as a vibrant arts community, Laguna Beach is gaining a well-deserved reputation as an exciting, cutting-edge dining destination. Dozens of unique restaurants add vibrant culinary color to the Laguna landscape, making the town a picture-perfect place to enjoy decadent gastronomic delights.


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.