The beloved Chef who wrote this ‘Treasure Book’ I love passed away in January of this year. As the video portrays I have memories and things I want to share with you. His Memorial which I was invited to was quite recent. The turnout included many of the top chefs…
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PODCAST WITH CHEF MIGUEL MASSENS AND MYSELF
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…
NORMAN’S ORLANDO IN THE NEWS!
As many of you know we are doing a Gala Dinner to celebrate the life, work and 90th Birthday of the Legendary Chef Jacques Pépin! This great article written by Orlando’s Ricky Ly in his blog, “Tasty Chomps”. The link will give you the wonderful details. We have a handful…
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…
’90 at 90′. A GALA CELEBRATION FOR CHEF JACQUES PÉPIN!
Hit the link and read this wonderful story written by Orlando based award winning journalist Faiyaz Kara! The evening just less than one month from now will be one for the books. After reading his column check out this menu and roster of Chefs. And YES there will be welcoming…
SOW PROJECT. A NON-PROFIT TO HELP OUR INDUSTRY
As you will see from the video I am a ‘Culinary Advisor’ for ‘The Sow Project” which was founded by Ben Vaughn. Fellow culinary advisors include Andrew Zimmern, Sophina Uong, Simon Majumdar, Dr. Audrey Elion, José Mendin and more. We are all about helping educate, feed and employment. Please see…
TREASURE BOOK, ‘CHEZ NICO’
If one were to take a guess naming a chef operating in England as one of first ones to receive the ultimate Three Star Status by the Michelin Guide, I would bet very few would know it was the person I’m featuring today. Many might guess or know Marco Pierre…
A TREASURE BOOK, “JOE BEEF, THE ART OF LIVING”
Even the subtitle is appropriately renegade, ‘A Cookbook of Sorts’. The Canadian trio of authors on this book are David McMillan, Frédéric Morin and Meredith Erickson. Their restaurant has been hailed by many including my occasional travel buddy the great, late Tony Bourdain. You need to go to or be…
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…
Treasure Book: The Essential Cooking of Michel Bras
It was not originally on the itinerary at all, but as the months drew closer to our going Charlie came to one of his famously resolute decisions and told Steve Greystone, “We’re going to add in Michel Bras. Norman can’t go to France without dining there!” With that he pulled…
Treasure Book, “The New James Beard”
As I have told the story before the very first cookbook I bought was, “Theory and Practice of Good Cooking” by the one and only James Beard. That was in 1978. Four years later he released, “The New James Beard”. It is of note that his editor was the superb…
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….
CITY CUISINE, A TREASURE BOOK
Way back before the two dynamos named Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger became nationally known as ‘The Too Hot Tamales” they were still somewhere pre-California. I want to go from just memory land here ‘pre Google’. The folks who were affecting the industry had to do it from a…
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…