Kitchen Chat

This episode of "Kitchen Chat" embarks on a journey to the enchanting Mendocino Coast, where we will explore the legendary Little River Inn, perched on a hillside with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The tranquility, beauty and hospitality of Little River Inn have welcomed guests for nearly a century. It doesn't matter if you are traveling solo, as a couple or with a family, Little River Inn...

Get ready for a captivating journey to the heart of Mendocino Wine Country for a very special Kitchen Chat and Wine Tasting!   Join Host Margaret McSweeney as she travels to the picturesque vineyards of Lula Cellars, a boutique winery nestled in the acclaimed "Deep End" of the Anderson Valley. This isn't just any visit; it's the 2024 harvest, a time of vibrant energy and anticipation, and Margaret...

Welcome to a very special edition of Kitchen Chat: A Taste of History, Hospitality, and Luxury, broadcasting from the iconic InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco.   Perched atop Nob Hill, the InterContinental Mark Hopkins has reigned as a San Francisco landmark for nearly a century, a beacon of elegance and a witness to the city's vibrant and transformative history. From its breathtaking pa...

Let's step into a realm of timeless elegance and culinary artistry in Edinburgh, Scotland and London, England at The Balmoral and Brown's Hotel , where luxury, history and hospitality are brought to modern life as part of the Rocco Forte Hotels portfolio of extraordinary properties. The Balmoral, a majestic hotel that captures the spirit of Scotland is located in the heart of Edinburgh and overloo...

John Robert Sutton is known as the Indiana Jones of Food. As an accomplished food archeologist and importer of food which has taken him to over 120 countries, Sutton hosts Foods that Matter on Curtco Media. He shares some fascinating history about food and some great food trends around the world that you should know about. From a plant based perspective Sutton shares the following: Honey will play...

Welcome to a very special edition of Kitchen Chat, where we meet an award-winning U.K. Master Chef and delve into his legendary world of luxury, history, and hospitality. I'm your host, Margaret McSweeney, and I'm delighted to take you on a spectacular journey to Loch Lomond, Scotland.     Today, we're visiting Cameron House, a historic baronial stone castle nestled on the shores of Loch Lomond. T...

"The table becomes the bridge to our cultures." Caryn Antonini   My dear friend, Caryn Antonini is a culinary ambassador who reminds us that food is what connects us around a global table. Influenced by her father and worldwide travels, Caryn has launched Cultivated by Caryn, a podcast and radio show to share her love of cooking, dining and bridging cultures. She also did a TedX Talk about the Lan...

Emmy Award Winning Actor and Daytime TV's favorite villain, Thaao Penghlis, recently released his cookbook: "Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time." This Australian-born Renaissance Man has traveled the world and hosted memorable dinner parties in his Hollywood Hills home with high profile celebrities. While this cookbook imagines the perfect meals for celebrities he has met, his actress friend...

Celebrity Chef Dave White recently released his first cookbook "Salted:A Recipe Book with a Story to Tell." This new book spotlights 50 of his favorite recipes and adventurous travels (photos included) around the world.   Before he was the chef on Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean," Chef White cooked in some of the finest kitchens in London and Paris and was a top competitor skier. In the book's e...

Monica Rothgery, former COO of KFC US, part of Yum Brands, shares inspiring lessons about excellence along with surprising insights into fast food kitchens. Monica's recent book, "Lessons from the Drive-Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders" goes beyond optimal team management practices and provides great advice for everyone who is pursuing excellence in their lives.   A great tip to attrac...

Kitchen Chat Host and Founder Margaret McSweeney is joind by Executive Pastry Chef Riccardo Menicucci for "A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel". The Beverly Wilshire is a sweet destination, especially during Oscars Week. This year's amenities included a film projector made of Valrhona Manjari, a luxury chocolate, in addition to a thoughtfully design...

As we await the beautiful produce that will soon be arriving at our Farmer's Markets, I thought it would be a good time to celebrate Spring with this encore piece featuring Alice Waters. Always remember to take a moment and Savor the Day! Chef Alice Waters  is a counterculture culinary hero who has helped pioneer the farm to table movement in the United States at her iconic restaurant  Chez Paniss...

"Latin American Cuisine is like a house. I see Mexico as the front door with all the dishes we are most familiar with. But once you open and walk through that door, you can see twenty other kitchens full of food, vibrancy and amazing ingredients." Sandra Gutierrez.   Sandra Gutierrez and I met in the White House Garden in 2015 during an International Association of Culinary Professionals conferenc...

"Everything changes. The only thing that remains immovable across the centuries and fixes the character of a people is cooking." Victor Hugo   The Cathedral de Notre Dame  holds a special place of legacy for Chef Florian V. Hugo and for me. Chef Florian is the great great great great great-grandson of the literary maestro Victor Hugo, author of Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables and many othe...

" Savor the Day" is the tagline of my life. It's a reminder to find and live your joy while connecting with family and friends. The multi-talented Wyatt Russell exemplifies how to "Savor the Day" and savor the sip with his approach to life and work. In addition to his athletic and acting careers, Wyatt is an entrepreneur as co-founder of Lake Hour, a line of ready to drink Sparkling Cocktails evok...

"Find a great need in a near edge and act upon it to make a difference" as my father always encouraged. This has proven to be a powerful recipe for action, especially for Nancy Brinker, a three-time Ambassador and New York Times best-selling author, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. She launched two impactful charitable organizations from her kitchen table. Nancy is regarded as the lead...

What a joy it was to take Kitchen Chat on the road recently to New York's famed Becco and sit down with Lidia Bastianich in celebration of the publication of her sixteenth cookbook! Time with Lidia, a multiple Emmy and James Beard Award winning public television host, author, entrepreneur and fellow member of Les Dames d'Escoffier is always inspiring. Her most recent book is called Lidia : From Ou...

Tis the Season for giving.   Jen Lilley's heart for children has turned into an unexpected fundraising effort to provide 25,000 toys to children around the globe.   Christmas is Not Cancelled is in its third year of bringing joy to the world.   The deadline for donations is December 9, 2023.   However, you can always donate next year if you miss the deadline.     Participating in Christmas is Not...

"Sophisticated Fun" is the mantra for Chef Michael Mignano, Executive Chef/Culinary Director at The Pierre, a Taj Hotel.   Since 1930, this iconic hotel has defined "timeless New York City luxury," and Auguste Escoffier was the opening chef and designer of the original kitchen.   Chef Mignano continues this outstanding legacy of luxury and hospitality at The Pierre.   To honor and celebrate Karl L...

Welcome to the new Kitchen Chat series called A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality. In this first episode, we will visit The Pierre New York, A Taj Hotel. This iconic place has defined luxury and hospitality since 1930 in New York City. The culinary history is epic in that Auguste Escoffier, known as the father of the world's chefs, was the opening chef at The Pierre and even designed the ki...

Nestled amongst 370 acres of gardens and grounds is the grandeur of the historic Cliveden House. Originally built in 1666 by the Duke of Buckingham, the last owner was William Waldorf Astor who rebuilt the estate to what it is today. The National Trust is the owner of Cliveden House which is now a breathtaking luxury five star hotel. Recently, I booked an overnight stay at Cliveden House through A...

Join Margaret McSweeney and Chef Lee Burton at a table by a tree-lined gravel driveway in front of an 18th century villa in Antibes for a special Kitchen Chat. Both Chef Lee and Margaret share Alabama roots and enjoyed connecting the dots of mutual friends and southern childhood taste memories. Enjoy the background sounds of cicadas singing and the birds chirping.    As the foodie friends of Kitch...

Highly acclaimed pastry chef Eric Lanlard, owner of Cakeboy Cookery School in London shares some great tips to enjoy an Afternoon Tea. As Chef for the Royal Ascot Afternoon Tea, Chef Lanlard prepared around 6,500 Afternoon Tea servings this season including 20,000 scones. Queen Anne founded Ascot Racecourse in 1711 and even stopped there often on her ride from Windsor for an Afternoon Tea before t...

As the grandson of a Butcher, Chef and Southern Gentleman Matt Moore's passion for meat is literally in his bones. As the author of the acclaimed  A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen, South's Best Butts and Serial Griller, Chef Moore shares his rich legacy of recipes and methods for both 'low and slow' or 'fast and hot' cooking.  Chef Moore shares his latest book , Butcher on the Block and celebrates t...

Flavored butters from around the globe sound enticing, and as Kitchen Chat discovered they are  easy to make and utterly delicious. Trained in the kitchen of M.F.K. Fisher , Chef Sheana Davis shares her priceless recipes and the origin story of her now world-famous compound butter passion in her wonderful new book: Buttermonger . As a young culinarian, Chef Sheana was mentored by the pre-eminent M...