The Food Seen

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Bonjwing Lee, the man formerly known in anonymity as The Ulterior Epicure, travels the world for food. Raised in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of immigrant Chinese parents, Bonjwing was brought up to experience culture through cuisine. Eating what the locals ate from Paris to Rome to Mexico, Bonjwing’s appetite for culinary anthropology, and of course a great meal, truly spans the globe. This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “I love the story of food and the history of food. It’s what fascinated me most.” “I don’t eat out because I want attention, I eat out because I love eating out.” “We’ve started to embrace the local farmers doing it right, and doing it well in Kansas City.” — Bonjwing Lee on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Harold Dieterle, may be best know for being the first winner of Bravo’s Top Chef, but it took much longer than one season of television to ready him for competition. Hear about how Harold grew up with Sicilian Sunday suppers, traveled to Spain, too his two-star education on Long Island to Manhattan and the maturation that came with that move. As chef/owner of West Village neighborhood restaurant, Perilla, and contemporary Thai offshoot, Kin Shop, Harold continually challenges himself with new flavors and cuisines, even outside of TV. This program has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “I got myself pretty caffeinated, and I was jawing off all sorts of nonsense, and these guys were like, ‘Oh, yeah, this guy’s great. He’s made for T.V.'” — Harold Dieterle on his Top Chef audition, THE FOOD SEEN “Young cooks nowadays- they’re so soft! They don’t want to just do it and get their hands dirty.” — Harold Dieterle on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Sandy Chilewich has revolutionized tabletops from the ground up, well, legs actually. Founding HUE hosiery in the late ’70’s, Sandy used textile design innovations to put chilewich’s now signature placemats on the tables of NYC restaurants like Tom Colicchio’s Craft. This program has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Who would think that placemats could bring the world together? …I think it’s because you look at it, and you get it.” “Designing within constraints is where I am the most creative.” — Sandy Chilewich on THE FOOD SEEN

Today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN is an “offaly” good one. Chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco, CA, and proprietor of tasty salted pig parts at Boccalone, joins us to talk low-cuts and guts. His new cookbook, “Beginnings”, is just that, a start to a great meal, as well as part of the bigger conversation, about Chris’ past, perseverance, pork, and his contemporary Italian palate. This program has been brought to you by Fairway Market. “You don’t have to scream and yell to get someone to eat a [expletive] carrot, but you do have to scream and yell to get someone to eat a cut of meat they aren’t familiar with.” — Chris Cosentino on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, wine wunderkind Joe Campanale, the twentysomething co-founder/owner/sommelier of Dell’Anima, L’Artusi, Anfora, and soon to be opened, L’Apicio, talks his first sip of ice wine in the Finger Lakes when he was 13 years old and his ascension since. Learn how to talk about wine, what goes into conducting a tasting, and which wines pair best with food. This program has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “I would go the the farmers’ markets, and just smelling all of these herbs, fruits, vegetables- and paying attention to them- I really loved the sensory experience of smelling everything. When I tasted those same flavors in wines, I was able to articulate them, because I could remember what something really specific smelled like, even if I had never been exposed to it before.” “Everything you need to make wine exists on the grape.” — Joe Campanale on THE FOOD SEEN

Cheese, bacon, and bread. Sounds like an excellent sandwich, right? Well, it’s also the still life subjects of this week’s THE FOOD SEEN. Mike Geno painted a porterhouse during art school, and from there on out shed the “starving” aspect of being an artist. His most recent collection “Fromage/Homage”, elevates simple pieces of cheese to high art. This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “I never considered cheese because it’s this whole subculture that I never indulged in.” “Every time I paint a cheese, I learn more about cheese…My knowledge of meat really helped me learn about flesh tones.” “Finally, cheese is getting the center stage as opposed to being a prop for other still-lifes.” — Mike Geno on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Marja Vongerichten, host of PBS’s Kimchi Chronicles, talks about growing up in Northern Virginia with adoptive parents, being raised on American culture, and deciding to take the journey back to Korea to find her roots, recipes, and family. From bibimbap to bulgogi, Marja’s quest to educate herself and the US about the foods of her heritage, not only reconnects her with her past, but hopefully she’ll also find her biological parents. This program has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “Food was really the first vehicle into my culture. I tasted some of these things- certain kimchis- and the taste just came flooding back. My taste buds remembered.” “Korean food is so healthy. A lot of foods are medicinal due to necessity.” — Marja Vongerichten on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, James Peterson recounts his mouth watering memoirs . Upon leaving the lush land of NoCal, he traveled to Paris, backpacked through French vineyards looking for work, and had a life changing lunch prepared by a vigneron’s wife. From there, he worked for Michelin starred chefs, met Richard Olney in the buff, translated French pastry cookbooks, opened a restaurant in NYC, took to writing his own cookbooks, and taught himself photography therewith. His first book, Sauces won the James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award in 1991. 15 books later, and decades of dedication, James releases the 2nd edition of Vegetables, which has sold over 100,000 copies. This episode has been sponsored by Fairway Market. “It was learning about wine that carried me into cuisine. My original interest was in wine, and that got me interested in cooking.” “I wanted to take traditional French cuisine and refine it.” — James Peterson on THE FOOD SEEN

THE FOOD SEEN returns with a hot new episode all about BBQ! Classically trained chef turned barbecue champion, Adam Perry Lang, delivers a new set of active grilling techniques his most recent cookbook, Charred & Scruffed, forever changing the lexicon of BBQ: Scruffing (roughing up the meat to create more surface area where seasonings and bastes can cling) Clinching (cooking meat directly on the coals to enhance crunch) Hot Potatoing (turning and moving the meat constantly to control heat buildup) Cooking High to Slow (especially effective for crust development in larger cuts) f you don’t feel like firing up your grill, you can always visit one of Adam’s restaurants. He is the founder of Daisy May’s BBQ in NYC, co-founder with Jamie Oliver of Barbecoa in London, and meat maestro at Carnevino in Las Vegas. This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “People talk about French technique like it’s abstract. It’s really just tremendous structure. And even with cooking barbecue, as unruly as it is,

Today marks THE FOOD SEEN’s 100th episode! A big thanks to all the past guests, future interviewees, lovely listeners, and everyone at HeritageRadioNetwork.com for all of the support! Scottish-born, NYC-based illustrator, Peter Arkle, comes to the studio for a visit. Hear about Peter creative process, on how to roast (and draw) the perfect coffee bean, sketching potatoes on lazy Sundays, and what makes him say “slainte”! Recently returning from a trip to his native Scotland, Peter worked with Scotch whiskey makers, anCnoc, on designing their next bottle. They’ll be launching their brand stateside at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic come mid May. In the meantime, check out this video of the distillery on the “behind the scenes” of their collaboration. This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “A lot of drawing food involves slightly sort of abstract things. It’s like blobs of color, and you get away from line quite quickly.” “Whiskey is perfect for the Scottish climate, and part of the New York cl

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Mindy Fox, cookbook author and food editor at La Cucina Italiana magazine, takes a life trip through American suburbs, to Paris and back, begins cooking professionally, meets Julia Child, returns to publishing, co-authors cookbooks with chefs Sara Jenkins and Karen Demasco, writes her own, A Bird in the Oven and Then Some: 20 Ways to Roast the Perfect Chicken Plus 80 Delectable Recipes, which lands on the New York Times Best Cookbooks for the Year in 2010, and recently releases her follow up, Salads: Beyond the Bowl: Extraordinary Recipes for Everyday Eating, and she’s hungry for more! This episode has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “The way you cut a vegetable- such as endive- if you cut it thinner, it tastes one way, and if it’s thicker, it tastes another way.” “With this book, I hope to inspire people to eat more salad and better salad because it really is a satisfying dish.” —Mindy Fox on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, with a life long interest in food and it’s ability to inspire, Elizabeth Thacker Jones presents the FOOD BOOK FAIR, the first ever event bringing together food publications from around the world alongside a dynamic set of events celebrating food writing, reading, and activism, with such authors as Harold McGee (On Food and Cooking), Marion Nestle (Why Calories Count and Food Politics), Colman Andrews (Author and Editorial Director, The Daily Meal). Held on FRI MAY 4 – SUN MAY 6, 2012, at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg (Brooklyn, NY), there will be a multitude of food-related panel discussions, and books abound! This program has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “There is a need to learn where our food comes from, and perhaps also there’s also a historical perspective and a ‘sense of place’ to the way we consume.” —Elizabeth Thacker Jones on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, we dote on Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, as she unmusses all the fuss in tiny kitchen cooking (her’s is 42 sq ft). Deb adventures through recipes with fearlessness, sharing new tastes, techniques, and personal food revelations, through her charming prose and insightful photography. I’m sure I’m not the only one excited for The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, coming out this Fall! This program was brought to you by Edwards. “I don’t think cooking came from who wrote recipes professionally, it came from people who passed around recipes with their own marks in the margins” “Cooking shouldn’t be about how much money you can spend on ingredients, it should be about feeding your family. It should be accessible- food shouldn’t be about class.” — Deb Perelman on THE FOOD SEEN

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, David McMillan and Frédéric Morin, Quebecers through and through, and proprietors of Montreal’s must, Joe Beef, grace us with their Canadian tongues. Right off the heels of their award-winning volume, The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts, they track back their smoked meat heritage, butter up their French technique, and decant their carnal knowledge of dining, leading them to pleasured life in Little Burgundy. Horse is beef with a different face! This episode was brought to you by Hearst Ranch. Feast your ears to THE FOOD SEEN on HeritageRadioNetwork.com, every TUESDAY at 3PM EST! “[Joe Beef] is restaurant started by two burnt-out chefs on anti-depressants that didn’t want to hear from anybody anymore. We still have a hard time with authority or anybody telling us what to do.” “What ever happened to finesse? Everything is becoming high-end junk food!” “Horse is beef with a different face.” — David McMillan on THE FOOD SEEN “Context is everything, man…try putt

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Sara Moulton, a once reluctant on-air personality, is now one of the preeminent chefs on television. From behind the scenes with Julia Child, to being Gourmet magazine’s in-house chef, and correspondent to Good Morning America, Sara has shaped the way of our American palate, both visually and viscerally. Feast your ears to THE FOOD SEEN on HeritageRadioNetwork.com, every TUESDAY at 3PM EST! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods. “[The difference between American and French cuisine?] Attention to detail, the attention to excellence, and food expense…They were great recipes, and everything had to be just so.. I was very impressed by the way the French live and eat, and still am.” — Sara Moulton on THE FOOD SEEN “When women would come to me seeking advice, I would say ‘Go West, Young Lady!'” — Sara Moulton on Women in New York City restaurants

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, husband/wife owners of dinnerware/house Fishs Eddy, Julie Gaines and David Lenovitz, fell in love 25 years ago over antiques and glassware. Now they’re a stalwart in New York City’s ever-changing dining scene, as seen by their stockpile of classic restaurant plates; a bastion for unadorned Americana at it’s finest (China). This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “I think Americans make the best China. It’s made with love.” –Julie Gaines of Fishs Eddy on The Food Seen

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, food artist Jennifer Rubell makes us interact with art the way we do with food. Large scale installations are paired with public participation, illuminating the grandeur of society through dining and an art history discourse. From 1521 doughnuts nailed to a wall, or a cast of her own head made out of melting Fontina cheese, a mold is being broken of how we experience food and art as one. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “As somebody who creates objects people touch and interact with, I know all too well why ‘do not touch’ is [enforced] at museums.” “Food is something that’s incredibly broad. It can be everything from the most ephemeral unimportant thing, to something that is a carrier of tremendous meaning and cultural significance.” “I’m very interested in vernacular sculpture, meaning the things that you see around you that had to be sculpted or designed. I’m very interested in the form of those things, and our attachment to those forms. In food there are millions of e

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Hugh Acheson chef/owner of Five & Ten, The National, and Empire State South, in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, takes A New Turn in the South (his cookbook) on the road, preaching the gospel of the South … and his Ottawa upbringing. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “First and foremost, I cook for a community and that community is rich and poor. I want to appeal to all of those people. I want everybody to have an excuse at least once a year to come to the restaurant. If I was to isolate it and decide to [source everything locally], it would probably be more expensive food.” –chef Hugh Acheson on The Food Seen

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Colby and Megan Garrelts, met during high dining in the Windy City, only to move back to Kansas City, Missouri, to open up bluestem, a redefining restaurant in the Midwest. Their established and progressive approach to food prophetically highlights their local farmers and purveyors, so much so, that bluestem: The Cookbook, is an homage. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “It’s sad that you can get Kraft macaroni in cheese in the grocery store easier than you can get produce that was grown down the street.” –Colby Garrelts of bluestem on The Food Seen

On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Salvatore Rizzo, owner/director of De Gustibus Cooking School at Macy’s Herald Square, may host a pantheon of chefs, but he still keeps true to his Sicilian roots, growing up picking tomatoes for sauce and making barrels of red wine in his Brooklyn backyard. Through his earnest enthusiasm and energy, he worked his way up from busboy and now runs “The School of Good Taste”. This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. “My [Sicilian] mother used to say, ‘You want to eat sauce with us every Sunday? You better make it with us!'” “Everybody is always fascinated by molecular gastronomy..people like to see [science] because it’s something they normally wouldn’t do in the kitchen.” –Salvatore Rizzo of De Gustibus Cooking School on The Food Seen