The Food Seen

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, John Fraser takes an anthropological approach to restaurant life. Nix, his latest offering, is steps away from the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC, and aims to create a category for vegetarian cuisine that is all it’s own. Here, Fraser flexes his creative muscles to create something so satisfying, that you’ll ask for Carrots Wellington and/or Buffalo Fried Cauliflower by name, and not think of it as unfulfilling “health food”. In his early years at The French Laundry, then cooking through Paris, Fraser became aware that there is this connection of food & culture, more than the microcosm chefs often live within. Cooking doesn’t have to be under the gene of judgement anymore, and Yukon Potato Fry Bread can exist in the same space as a tandoor oven. Leading by example, Fraser only hopes the precursor that was meatless Mondays finds its place throughout the week.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN ... we delight in having on Jack Inslee, who if you don't know, has been the man behind the scene of HeritageRadioNetwork.org for the past seven years. Our dynamic engineer & producer, Jack's made all us hosts sound our best, and now it's time to hear from him just before he leaves New York City for Washington, DC, for a new gig in radio. Recently returned from a European tour with Odetta Hartman's "222" album, Jack will regale us with eating shark in Iceland, a far cry from his frozen food suburban supermarket existence. Hear how #foodradio and his own tastes evolved during his tenure at HRN, as we send him off with a special musical performance by legendary NYC brass ensemble, Hungry March Band.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Kristin Donnelly asks that everyone bring a dish. Growing up outside of Philly, a family full of dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins, every birthday and holiday was a potluck. After years of the same old casserole, Kristin became a trained cook, and began writing about food, eventually joining staff at Food & Wine Magazine. There, she focused on well-being, and while exposed to top chefs techniques and recipes across many lands, she looked to apply these flavor concepts to how she feeds her family at home. In her cookbook, "Modern Potluck", Kristin not only enables us how to prepare Deviled Eggs 4 ways, Seven Layer Salad with Mediterranean spices and quinoa, Stuffed Poblano Peppers, Scallion Pull-Apart Bread, and a selection of pies (sweet, savory, and slab), but also guides you how to bring them to the party without worry. An updated look into the conviviality of shared meals, Kristin takes away the stress of cooperative entertaining, which in turn, brings u

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, after a decade working as a landscape designer, Ron Paprocki moved to Europe to study pastry at Elisabeth Knipping Schule in Kassel, Germany. After an apprenticeship and diploma, Paprocki moved to New York City, to man the dessert program for Gordon Ramsay at The London. Eventually, Paprocki joined the #1 Zagat rated and NYTimes 3-starred Gotham Bar and Grill. Aware the restaurant's legacy and location, he utilized the nearby Union Square Greenmarket to showcase the natural acidity of fresh fruit in contrast with his master chocolate work. Recently, Paprocki launched a confectionary line, called Gotham Chocolates, influenced by a trip to Schwyz, Switzerland to meet with the historic chocolate company, Felchlin. Paprocki's pastry arts draws from New York classics, as seen in his wrapper art inspired by The New York School of artists like Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella. This is a true story of old world meets New York.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, how did a certified cicerone from the beer industry take an ice cream meltdown (in a good way), to heart? Stef Ferrari, founder of Hay Rosie Craft Ice Cream Co., takes us on her Ice Cream Adventures, which is also the title of her current cookbook. Growing up visiting her favorite Connecticut farms for a scoop, matured into a sophisticated palate of adult flavors like Fernet & Coffee, Sriracha Popcorn, Cacio e Pepe, and Sea Salt & Sourdough. Don't worry, Ferrari can easily satiate your inner child too (e.g. Oreos & Ovaltine), with every shake, sundae and swirl. So chill out, and enjoy this journey through cup and cone.

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Bruce Kalman, chef/owner of Union and Knead & Co. in Los Angeles, recollects his days working the deck oven at his family friend’s pizzeria in Paramus, NJ. This instilled Bruce with a sense of culinary exploration, and a little bit of rock & roll, while firmly rooting his passion in Italian simplicity. Bruce spent time in Chicago with Paul Bartolotta at Spiaggia, learning to respect every ingredient, a true Tuscan mantra. Handcrafting pasta became a focus, if not institution, to his cuisine, so when he moved out west to Californ … he was lucky enough to find Grist & Toll, the first urban flour mill in LA for over 100 years, as his neighbor. Now, Bruce makes Squid Ink Garganelli by hand, with their whole grains. Not to mention he plays a mean guitar, to make pasta a la chittara, and in “Foie Grock”, the #1 chef-lead alternative rock cover band with Duff Goldman on bass. This from a guy who once opened for Meatloaf, but that’s another story.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we take the humble chickpea, and blend it into a sensation. Hummus, has it's origins in 13th century Egypt, has long been a stalwart of Middle Eastern mezze, and is currently a three quarter billion dollar market. Sabra, and it's CMO Eugenio Perrier, are reimagining this versatile spread's contemporary palette; with the launch of their "Unofficial Meal" campaign, they're looking to interact on a human level, and not just because it's "Appy Hour". Over 25% of American households now stock hummus, over 20 million Americans eat it on a regular basis, but how did this Levantine legume become such a spreading phenomenon?

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we reconsider the chicken with Aliza Eliazarov, who's compelling backyard poultry portraits ask, when does a bird become a "wing." During her time at the School of Agriculture at University of Connecticut, Aliza may have majored in Environmental Engineering, but an underlying interest in preservation and conservation issues found it's way into her photography. Aliza's seen South Central Farmers on strike because their land was being sold to developers, when Bolivia’s first indigenous President, Evo Morales, took office and had an agrarian reform plan to give land back to the people who had been displaced, when freegans went dumpster diving and opened up a world of food rescue. Her current exhibition, "Waste Not" on view at Fovea in Beacon, NY at the Hudson Beach Glass Gallery, until July 3rd, explores these topics through still life, seen in tableaus of gleaned produce from supermarkets and restaurants. When Aliza's not foraging for forgotten food, she'

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, semi-famous thespian, Joel Marsh Garland, grew up eating government cheese, his family giving to the same food drives that they collected from. Red beans & rice, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels and butter, and Chinese steamed pork buns steam buns, were all part of of the greater pu pu platter of that is Joel's culinary life. Food fascinations aside, Joel brings the same passion he has for finding a food's origin and authenticity, that he does to the methodology which informs his acting career. As C.O. Scott O'Neill in Orange Is the New Black, prison food consists of 40 Go-gurts, bowls of oatmeal, 10 bologna sandwiches, an Abba-Zaba bar, but behind all the Red Velvet cake baiting, there's a smart and sensitive character, much more than the accumulation of meals he eats.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, former pastry chef and Momofuku milk maid, Alison Roman, brought her creative talents to the test kitchens of Bon Appétit, nurturing her innate ability for developing stunning beautiful (and delicious) recipes, eventually becoming Senior Food Editor. Following a Short Stack Editions about Lemons (with a lemon coconut tea cake that's a must add to anyone's repertoire), and time working for BuzzFeed Food, Alison is now writing her first, of two, cookbooks; DINING IN, is due out in Fall 2017. Until then, at least we have boozy popsicles to tide us over, via Alison's appearance on Rachael Ray (video). Spicy Grapefruit Margarita Pops anyone?

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we talk Crucial Detail with Martin Kastner, a former blacksmith from Western Bohemia, who was raised eating out of soup bowls, and later in life, found himself collaborating with Grant Achatz from Alinea after receiving a vague email simply stating, "I'm a chef looking for new ways of serving food." Little did he know, they'd forever change tableware (e.g. wax bowls, upright spoon, porthole) and the way we interacted with objects in general. From how we move through space, to our sensory perception, Kastner saw food as a medium transcending boundaries, curating a 5 hour, 25 course a tasting menu. Kastner used the same theatrics to help the USA team win their first medal at the Bocuse d'Or, a biennial culinary olympics. Soup, in general, especially due to Achatz's "Hot Potato Cold Potato," will never be the same.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we step on the gas of a 1952 Probat. This German cast iron machine can fire through 22 kilos in a day, but when did how we take our coffee become the Third Wave of caffeinated culture as we know it? Darleen Scherer started roasting beans in-house at Gorilla Coffee (Park Slope, Brooklyn) in 2002. Over a decade later, she brings us Supercrown Coffee Roasters, which doubles as a café where you can get your pour over, and a weekly subscription service which sends out boxes of peak harvest picked, roasted in season coffee beans from Huila (Colombia), Cajamarca (Peru), and the Korngi District of Rwanda. We'll talk aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and sit through a cupping with Darleen who happens to be a Sensory Judge for the US Barista Championship. And don't ask for milk, no, "well roasted coffee doesn't need milk", but there's that Coffee Milkshake (sweet cream, espresso, grinds) just in case you don't take it black.

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, with a vegetarian Hindu father from North India, and a Catholic mother from Goa in the South, a former Portuguese colony, Nik Sharma was born in Bombay to a polytheistic family, that celebrated the regional flavors in their diverse national cuisine. Nik moved to San Francisco as a molecular biologist, working in the pharmaceutical industry, but rather than splicing genes, he yearned for more time to hone his chops in the kitchen. In a leap of faith, Nik trained as a pastry chef, and found his father’s photography profession, help document his food, and the processes behind his creations for his award winning blog, A Brown Table. Inflecting simple dishes with Indian accents, like North Indian-Style Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Spicy Sweet Corn, Honey Sage Tumeric Wings, Goan Chili Rolls (not Hot Dogs), and Carrot Halva Ice Cream, Nik brought his own masala (spice) to his assimilated cuisine, dispelling the misconceptions that Indian food is greater than naan.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Fernando Aciar of OCafe in NYC, was used to seeing 10 woman in the kitchen at a time, making tomato jam, drying quince paste on the dining room table, which sat there for 2 months at a time. He grew up in the hills of Argentina, not quite the Andes, but his connection to the land was a strong as the fires he set while work for Chef Francis Mallmann. He'd help open up his restaurants in Mendoza, Uruguay, and Long Island, before finding solace in Sao Paolo, Brazil, his now adopted country of cuisine. Fernando stopped cooking for a couple years to study design, researching the beauty of natural architecture, focusing on recycled materials, even compostables. This certainly helped him create all day space (OCafe), for a time when coffee shops have become the new diners. He pushes for clean, simple comfort, best illustrated by a Pão de Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread, both crunch and soft. Needing more tactility in his life, he began making pottery as Fefo Studio, handleless c

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Paul Salmon comes from the land down under, but in New York City, he's known for bringing Jamaican cuisine and culture to the masses. In the early 1990's, Paul decided to move into hospitality (from a career in finance), and bought The Rockhouse Hotel in Negril, Jamaica. With Spanish, British, African, Indian and Chinese accents, it was a spice blend known as "jerk" which really defined this island nation. Fried plantains, curried goat, rice and peas (which are actually beans) and beef patties all found their way to Miss Lily's, Paul's restaurant that serves roti (flatbread) and Red Stripe (beer) hand in hand. Importing these ideas was as hot as the rum trade, and now in NYC, you can find Melvin's Juice Box cleansing our souls with fresh coconut, and Radio Lily playing the likes of Jimmy Cliff. We may not be surround by bougainvillea vines in the urban jungle, but we surely follow Miss Lily's beat.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we spritz with Leslie Pariseau & Talia Baiocchi, co-founders of PUNCH, a website devoted to the stories behind what and why we drink, as authors of the aforementioned verb/noun, "SPRITZ: Italy's Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail". We'll start drinking with the Greeks and Romans, who mixed their wines with honey and herbs. Austrian soldiers traversed Northern Italy during the Habsburg monarchy, who were used to Riesling so they diluted their the regional varietals to make them more palatable. Then there's that story about a bartender, a punch, and a bloody nose. But where oh where does the spritz really come from? Bitter liqueur found fame in the 1920s - 1930s, with Select, Campari, Martini & Rosso ... but it was the American white wine spritzers of the 1980s, and the addition of Prosecco in the 1990s, that not only brought the spritz to prominence, but also made us lose site of those bacari (Venetian wine bars) and Milanese establishments like Bar Bass, whic

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Kristina Gill takes us on a tour of Cucina Romana , which can be followed through every bite of pasta (Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Alla Gricia, Amatriciana and more), in her book, "Tasting Rome." Though Kristina grew up in Nashville TN, surrounded by the splendors of her family's small gardens, her grandmother's seasonal produce deep freeze, and a panty of boxed goods like Rice-a-Roni, Pillsbury biscuits and Shake'N Bake, it wasn't until Kristina left for college, and spent time abroad in Italy, that she began buying cookbooks, and taking a deeper look into a well versed culinary history. Kristina left her job in Foreign Affairs and Policy to gain more free time to explore the foods of Italia, started a blog, learned photography, and launched "In The Kitchen With" on Design Sponge, where she collected interviews and recipes from people working in the design and lifestyle fields. These fascinations combined, a compendium seemed inevitable, and with co-autho

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Chloe Coscarelli may have sweetly introduced herself to the culinary world through vegan cupcakes on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”, but it’s her QSR restaurant “by CHLOE”, that’s leading the charge of the plant-based phenomenon. Raised in sunny Santa Monica, where seasonal produce is year round, it seemed a funny choice for Chloe to open her restaurant in NYC. But with every crisp of shiitake bacon topping of “Mac N’ Cheese” (made with a sweet potato-cashew sauce), or her irresistible veggie burgers (a tempeh, lentil, chia, walnut blend), it’s no wonder that veganism isn’t just about health, religion, or eco-consciousness anymore. It’s also delicious! It’s no replacement for meat, because it isn’t supposed to be, so listen in to hear why more of more of the population is moving towards plant-based cooking, and loving it.

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we find out why eating out of a bowl, bests eating off of a plate. Lukas Volger is the owner of Made by Lukas, a ready-to-shape ground & seasoned veggie patty company (available in 3 tasty flavors: kale, beets, carrot parsnip), and author of two vegetarian cookbooks (Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Vegetarian Entrees That Won’t Leave You Hungry). Lukas’ bold (and vegetarian) takes on ramen, pho, bibimbap and dumplings, fill the pages of his most recent cookbook, BOWL, with a brilliant collection of one dish meals that will gratify any eater … and certainly cut down on dishwashing. Lukas is also the editorial director of biannual Jarry magazine, exploring where food and gay culture intersect.

On today’s episode of THE FOOD SEEN, we tap Casey Elsass and his New Hampshire roots, to bring us into maple season and plenty of Sugar on Snow Suppers. Casey is the founder of Bushwick Kitchen, née Mixed Made, producer of Trees Knees Mountain Maple (Cinnamon & Spicy versions too). He’s recently authored the latest Short Stack Editions: Maple Syrup, and wants you know, if it starts with “Log”, “Aunt” or “Mrs.”, it’s not real maple. From trees in the Catskills Mountains, Casey will convert maple skeptics like maples cover starch into sugar, especially with recipes like Maple & Root Beer Baked Beans, Poutine with Spicy Maple Bacon, and Potato Doughnuts with Maple Glaze, all which celebrate New England (and Québécois) regional classics. Globally inspired dishes like Guinness Scones with Maple-Whiskey Butter and Maple Miso Wings which make you believe maple isn’t just for pancakes anymore.