Kitchen Chat with Margaret McSweeney

“Hockey mimics life.  It’s important to stay mentally focused no matter if the momentum changes.” Daniel Carcillo, two time Stanley Cup winner, formerly with Chicago Blackhawks Unexpected blows in life can happen to us all.  However, unexpected blows in the hockey rink can change the course of one’s life after the game.  Daniel Carcillo ( http://www.chapter5foundation.com ) shares how he is helpin...

"Hockey mimics life.  It's important to stay mentally focused no matter if the momentum changes." Daniel Carcillo, two time Stanley Cup winner, formerly with Chicago Blackhawks Unexpected blows in life can happen to us all.  However, unexpected blows in the hockey rink can change the course of one's life after the game.   Daniel Carcillo shares how he is helping  athletes pave a new path to better...

Food is sport, especially at the IKA/Culinary Olympics.   Chef Stafford DeCambra, President of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) ( https://www.acfchefs.org/download/documents/President/bio_decambra.pdf)has brought home 11 gold medals.  Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita ( https://www.instagram.com/jaimelaurita/?hl=en )and I had a pop-up Kitchen Chat with Chef DeCambra at Middleby’s booth ( https://...

Food is sport, especially at the IKA/Culinary Olympics.  Chef Stafford DeCambra, President of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) has brought home 11 gold medals.  Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita and I had a pop-up Kitchen Chat with Chef DeCambra at Middleby's booth at the National Restaurant Show.   ACF is celebrating its 90th birthday this year.  Founded in 1929 by  a group of chefs, ACF certifi...

“We want to inspire Americans to be the best version of themselves.   That’s our goal.”  Chris Gannon, Founder of Bolay   ( http://kitchenchat.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_1283-2-711x750.jpg)   You never know where my Kitchen Chat journey will bring me.  Recently, I attended an incredible Mastermind Group in the South Florida TikiHut of Fred Fishback.  What was extra special about this meet...

You never know where my Kitchen Chat journey will bring me.  Recently, I attended an incredible Mastermind Group in the South Florida TikiHut of Fred Fishback.  What was extra special about this meeting is that Fred's father and my father were both stationed in Nuremberg post World War II after Fred's father valiantly served our country during that war.  My brother sent a photo to me and it appear...

Today’s foodies appreciate the full experience of what it takes to create and curate a meal, whether it’s in their own kitchens or in restaurants.  We like to understand the chefs’ inspirations and techniques.  We also like to know about the sourcing o...

On today's Kitchen Chat®, we will learn about the technology and commercial equipment in the restaurants and how that impacts the way we cook at home.   Chef Jaime Laurita and I did a pop-up Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential booth at the National Restaurant Show and interviewed Tim FitzGerald, CEO of Middleby Corporation and David Brewer, COO of Middleby Corporation.  Middleby is one of the...

It's kitchen confession time..... I grew up in the South and never actually made biscuits. My dear friend Chef Carla Hall along with Chadwick Boyd recently brought Biscuit Time to Kitchen Chat! How fun to learn how to make biscuits alongside Chef Jaime Laurita in the beautiful Viking and La Cornue Middleby Residential showroom at the Merchandise Mart.  Biting into a hot biscuit brought back tastes...

“Giving Kitchen for us is really more about stability for food service than anything else.  And within the financial grant program we’ve been able to award over $2.5 million to over 1,600 members of our community in the state of Georgia.” Jen Hidinger-Kendrick, co-founder of Giving Kitchen ( http://kitchenchat.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/IMG_9908-750x530.jpg) In 2012, Jen Hidinger-Kendrick’s h...

In 2012, Jen Hidinger-Kendrick's husband, Chef Ryan Hidinger was diagnosed with late stage terminal cancer of the gallbladder. Friends, family and the Atlanta community rallied behind her family and raised over $300,000.  Jen said that this outpouring gave Ryan a peace of mind and that the community’s overwhelming response to the Hidingers' crisis set the intent, beliefs and values for the Giving...

Drew Nieporent, Founder of Myriad Restaurant Group Drew Nieporent, founder of Myriad Restaurant Group including Nobu and Tribeca Grill, is the perfect matchmaker for the pairing of food and film. Just hours before joining Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential Showroom, he hosted lunch for opening day of 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival. Many of his restaurants’...

Drew Nieporent, founder of Myriad Restaurant Group including Nobu and Tribeca Grill, is the perfect matchmaker for the pairing of food and film.  Just hours before joining Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential Showroom, he hosted lunch for opening day of 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival.   Many of his restaurants' partners are celebrities including Robert De Nir...

Danny Meyer is a Renaissance Restaurateur who leads and lives by the tenets of Enlightened Hospitality. The salient core is that each business has the same stakeholders and “choosing how the stakeholders are prioritized will often create a virtuous cycle where one good thing leads to something better.” Danny Meyer chooses to prioritize his staff members at Union Square Hospitality Group and even e...

“For a long time, the American public was kind of fickle. They fell in love with gin, vodkaand wine.  Those are all good beverages, but they kind of kicked bourbon to the bottom shelf … Now drinkers are taking another look at it. There’s more interest in the category and people are becoming more educated and more discriminating.”  Al Young,  Four Roses Bourbon Legend       ( http://kitchenchat.inf...

Bourbon is a big trend, and I especially love how women are a key part of this resurgence.   Bourbon Women chapters are all gaining momentum across the country.  Recently, the Four Roses Bourbon Legend, Al Young joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential Showroom in Chicago.  We had a fun Bourbon and Bites event in the showroom and of course featured Four Roses...

The statistics are staggering.  According to Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, nearly 80,000 people in Chicago are facing food and shelter instability ( https://www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/) .  Michael Airhart exemplifies what one person can do to tackle a huge problem.  For many years, he has cooked meals in his kitchen, has gone out into the streets, under bridges and into shelters to...

The statistics are staggering.  According to Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, nearly 80,000 people in Chicago are facing food and shelter instability.  Michael Airhart exemplifies what one person can do to tackle a huge problem.  For many years, he has cooked meals in his kitchen, has gone out into the streets, under bridges and into shelters to help feed and encourage those who are in need.  W...

Teri Turner aka No Crumbs Left is a modern day Julia Child.  She is passionate and articulate about sharing her recipes and cooking tips all while making us all feel like we are in her kitchen.  Recently, Teri joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential showroom in Chicago to discuss her new cookbook, No Crumbs Left. How fun that some of her "crumbles" from Inst...

( https://webtalkradio.net/files/2019/05/Tanya_Steel_Danny_Meyer.jpg)International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) ( http://iacp.com ) is “taking it to the next level” under the leadership of its new CEO, Tanya Steel. ( https://tanyasteel.com )  Some of the founding members of IACP include Julia Child ( https://juliachildfoundation.org ), Jacques Pepin ( http://www.pbs.org/food/chefs/...

International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is "taking it to the next level" under the leadership of its new CEO, Tanya Steel.  Some of the founding members of IACP include Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Nathalie Dupree and Anne Willan.  Steel's impressive resume includes being Editor in Chief of both Epicurious and Gourmet, a best selling cookbook author, the award director for Julia...

“Our Chicago event is our way of kicking off the James Beard Foundation Awards weekend.  And this particular event celebrates JBF recognized chefs of color.”  Lezli Levene Harvell, Founder and Curator of Iconoclast Dinner Experience ( http://kitchenchat.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/LezliHarvell-750x495.jpg) Make late night plans for May 4th and join the delicious celebration of Iconoclast Dinne...

Make late night plans for May 4th and join the delicious celebration of Iconoclast Dinner Experience (IDE) with Lezli Levene Harvell, founder and curator.  Chef Jaime Laurita will be hosting this special event in the Middleby Residential Showroom in the Merchandise Mart.   Although the menu will be a surprise, several James Beard Foundation Award nominees (past and present) will be presenting this...

Discover the tastes of terroir and enjoy a sip of the world with Monique Huston, national director of Winebow Spirits. According to Huston, "People are hip into looking at terroir of spirits and getting a sense of the land." Just as with wine and food, the soil and weather can influence the taste of spirits. Mezcal in Tulum is one of the hottest trends these days, and Huston even provided a sample...