A podcast hosted by award winning longtime journalist and radio personality Linda Gassenheimer titled, “Food News and Views” is available here at the link. On it Linda interviewed the Chef de Cuisine 0f ‘Sereia’ restaurant Miguel Massens in Coconut Grove as well as me regarding the upcoming Jacques Pépin Foundation…
Category: Posts
THE TROTTER PROJECT
Where to begin? For now let’s start with present tense. This month I became the newest Board Member of The Trotter Project. You can copy and paste from below and put that in your browser. It will show you how the vision of Chef Charlie Trotter continues to flourish despite…
EATER NAMES ORLANDO’S ‘TOP 38!’
Eater 38 is out with the top honors. “Legendary Florida chef Norman Van Aken continues to navigate the restaurant’s direction along with chef de cuisine Carlos Robles Molina at the helm. Even in its third incarnation, the menu’s original Latin-Caribbean DNA is still intact, though flavors from Japan and Southeast…
“Culture and Cuisine”. The Seeds of Fusion!
I purchased this book at a shop on Fleming Street in Key West in February of 1988. I was part owner of my first restaurant. It was called “MIRA”. I was also in the middle of a huge amount of culinary self-analysis as to what I was going to do…
’90 at 90′ Galas for Chef Jacques Pépin!
The Director of Operations for the Jacques Pépin Foundation, Marissa Ain and the foundation’s Culinary Producer, Susan Wilbur invited me to head up two major dinners in Florida for the program titled, “90 at 90” to celebrate the life of the amazing Chef and Educator. The ones I am helping…
When Rita Moreno met Leonard Bernstein
True story. I was approximately 38 years of age. It happened at ‘Louie’s Backyard’, (the beautiful restaurant). My editor, Risa Kessler was down from NYC. I never dined in/at the restaurant then as I was too busy cooking. BUT she was my editor and a force of nature and delight….
LULU’S PROVENCAL TABLE
1998 April 1st: Janet, our son Justin and I flew to Paris. We met with our great friends Proal, Connie and the children Rebecca and Matthew. A Family Vacation!! The first night we dined at ‘L’ Ami Louis’ on the 2nd. It was coming down in sheets when we arrived and…
JEREMIAH TOWER; MY TREASURE BOOK SERIES
The first time I met him in person I was speechless for a few moments. That is something that doesn’t happen very often. I was thrilled a few years later when I was invited to cook a dinner for the ‘Tenth Anniversary of Food Arts Magazine” at The Plaza Hotel…
Tapas; A Treasure Book
In 2004 we opened a sprawling restaurant in Coral Gables. I knew we needed to be quite a bit different than my original restaurant both in concept and price points. This would be a more casual, boisterous place with lunch and dinner as well as a market within the 10K…
AVENTURA MAGAZINE’S ‘FOODIE ISSUE’
Sara Liss the fine Miami based writer has penned a cover article for the rich ‘Foodie Issue’ Aventura Magazine. Take the link over to page 70 to begin reading it and enjoying the dishes my chef/colleagues/pals Brad Kilgore, Scott Lindquist, Michael Schwartz and Andrew Mayer assembled in the home of…
JOIN ME ON SUBSTACK!
The one thing we know, especially at this age for some of us, is that life is always changing. It is so true of tech and what we know about it … or don’t! I am thankful that I had so many years to hone my crafts of cooking and…
MADHUR JAFFREY; A TREASURE BOOK
Google this woman’s amazing life for an example of one who has and continues to have an adventure filled life. She was an international movie star while still quite young and living in India, her native country. Then in her 30’s she began to write her cookbooks. Indian cuisine naturally…
The Laurel Hotel and Spa, Auburn
As pre-arranged a gentleman named Jarald picked Janet and I up at the Atlanta airport around 1:30. We’d come in from Miami. Nice man with a soft Texas accent I would guess. He transported us to the college town of Auburn in Alabama. The ride was smooth with some gently…
‘Love, Charlie’. Now on Netflix
For those who have yet to know the background let me give it as briefly as I can. Charlie graduated from college in Madison, Wisconsin and took a job working as a busboy in a restaurant in Lake Forest, Illinois where I was the Executive Chef. It was the fall…
FLAVORS UNKNOWN; A Podcast Interview with Chef Norman Van Aken
Hello Everyone! I am pleased to share the new podcast hosted by Emmanuel Laroche. (Linked here). Emmanuel has had many fine guests on including Nina Compton, Sean Brock, Will Guidara and more. He is very experienced in the art of the interview from having done this for years. I plan…
THE INFATUATION; ORLANDO’S BEST!
The best restaurant and bar guide in Miami for me is not Yelp. It is called ‘The Infatuation’. I don’t agree 100% of the time but it is the most interesting. And they are not swayed by the $$$$ silly places that abound as of late. The Infatuation is also…