PDA Entertainment Search Results

Name Description
Mary Ann Esposito Mary Ann Esposito is one of America's best-known and most loved television chefs, with a PBS program, Ciao Italia!, in its 12th season. She is as renowned for her knowledge of traditional Italian cuisine as for her warm, encouraging approach to instructing her audience. Esposito was steeped in the artistry of Italian cooking from childhood; both her grandmothers were Italian natives and professional cooks. The members of her household invested a lot of time and energy preparing each meal as it was prepared in Italy. As a child, Esposito had no plans to pursue a cooking career, but absorbed a tremendous body of culinary expertise from her family. After college, she worked as a high school teacher for several years. A trip to Italy inspired Esposito to open her own catering business. On successive trips, she studied the native flavors and dishes of each of Italy's 23 regions. She enrolled in Italian classes at the University of New Hampshire, where she completed a master's degree in history. Her show reflects all of these interests and experiences, infusing each episode with personal anecdotes, historical background, patient instruction and a great deal of charm. Esposito has studied and taught in numerous cooking schools throughout Italy. In addition to producing numerous seasons of Ciao Italia!, she has written many cookbooks on Italian food. Her book, Ciao Italia: Bringing Italy Home, features over 130 recipes and observations of Italian life. The book highlights five major regions of Italy including the Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Campania and Sicily. She is also the author of Ciao Italia: Traditional Italian Recipes from Family Kitchens, Mangia Pasta!: Easy-To-Make Recipes for Company and Every Day, What You Knead, Nella Cucina: More Italian Cooking from the Host of Ciao Italia and Celebrations Italian Style: Recipes and Menus for Special Occasions and Seasons of the Year.
Cheryl Forberg Cheryl Forberg is a professional chef and the nutritionist for NBC's The Biggest Loser, where her role is to help overweight contestants transform their bodies, health and ultimately, their lives. A culinary and nutrition expert, she travels throughout the United States as a speaker and a spokesperson. Ms. Forberg received her culinary education at the California Culinary Academy (CCA) in San Francisco. After graduating from the CCA, she embarked on a European apprenticeship journey, which culminated in stints at top French restaurants from Champagne to Strasbourg. Upon return to the United States, Ms. Forberg was chosen for the opening team of Postrio, Wolfgang Puck's first venture in northern California. Ms. Forbergs passionate interest in healthy cooking led to an exodus from restaurant kitchens and an entree to some of the most prestigious households in America. During this period she held the coveted position of Private Chef for Lucasfilm, Ltd. in northern California. She went on to earn a degree in Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics and an RD (registered dietitian) credential from the University of California at Berkeley. As a former research dietitian at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, she had the opportunity to integrate her scientific background into recipe creation for a variety of dietary protocols. This distinctive skill set enabled her to extend her culinary expertise beyond celebrated restaurant kitchens into the creation of inspired recipes that are also healthful. She has developed a clear and concise recipe format, easily understood by novice students. In 2005, she won the prestigious James Beard award for healthy recipe development. Cheryl is also a food and nutrition journalist, and her writing and recipes have appeared in mainstream culinary and health publications, including Sunset, Health, and Prevention magazines as well as the Washington Post. She is currently on the Advisory Board for Prevention magazine.
Jon Haggins Motivational speaker who inspires people to get up and go, that anything is possible. My background includes fashion, travel, interior and food. I have been featured in and have written for numerous publications. I have also been a spokesperson for Procter and Gamble's Ultra Detergents. The Museum of the City of New York is presently exhibiting a retrospective of my fashion designs. And the Schomburg Library has acquired my fashion archive of photographs and editorials. I am the producer and host of GlobeTrotter Jon Haggins TV; a half-hour weekly travel show that's available in 2 million Time Warner subscriber homes in New York City and streamed over the Internet. In addition, I have contributed travel segments to NPR Radio. NPR has a listening audience of 25 million. GlobeTrotter Jon Haggins TV is a fun, informative and entertaining program that features destinations, foodies and guests from around the world. The main goal is to expand our audience horizon beyond their couch and allow them to discover many dreamy far away places where they can reach for the stars. I have written The African American Travel Guide, which is an informative book, that offers advise on where to get a passport, where to exchange money, security precautions, bartering in the markets and what to pack etc. I also share narratives of my travel experiences. In addition to my book, I have contributed short stories to Eric Copage's -Soul Food Book. I was an invited speaker at the Smithsonian Museum in DC and have appeared on numerous radio and TV shows such as: CNN-Daybreak, Joan Hamburg-WOR Radio, Sunday Classics with Hal Jackson WBLS Radio, Sean Cort-Breakfast Cort and the Bob Law show on WWRL Radio, Geraldo, Regis & Kathie Lee, Saturday Morning Tribune, Midday Live, Evening Magazine and The McCreary Report, just to name a few. And let me not forget that I was a voice for FOX-TV's public service announcement, "It's Ten PM. Do you know where your children are?" My fashions have graced seven Cosmopolitan Magazine covers and eighty-five inside pages. They have also appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Essence, New York Magazine, Town and Country, New York Times etc. Celebrities such as Diana Ross, Helen Gurley Brown, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Debbie Allen, Felicia Rashad, Racquel Welch, Diahann Carroll, Lynn Redgrave have worn my fashions. Cornel University honored me with a month long exhibition of my designs in the Johnson Museum. I have also designed costumes for several Off-Broadway shows and several Soap Operas and TV shows, such as: The Debbie Allen Special, As the World turns, One Life to Live, Love boat, Star Search and Good Day-New York. And special projects for Clairol, Matrix, Estee Lauder, Revlon, Seagram, Procter & Gamble and Chesebrough Ponds.
Emeril Lagasse Who knew that a kid working in the local Portuguese bakery would burst with a bam! into the culinary scene, opening a series of successful restaurants, hosting popular TV shows, and becoming one of the most recognizable chefs of all time? As a boy, Emeril Lagasse began bread and pastry making at a Portuguese bakery in his Fall River, MA, neighborhood. Turning down a music scholarship to follow his culinary dream, Emeril worked his way through the Johnson and Wales University culinary program to earn a doctorate. After school, Emeril turned his eye toward the classic cuisine of France. He polished his skills in Paris and Lyons before returning to the US, where he worked in several fine restaurants in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Building a reputation through his use of only the freshest products, he came to the attention of Ella Brennan, the doyenne of New Orleans' culinary community. She persuaded 26-year-old Emeril to move to the Big Easy, where for nearly eight years he presided over Ella and Dick Brennan's legendary restaurant, Commander's Palace. Emeril opened his own restaurant in 1990. From the day its doors opened, Emerils Restaurant and its owner drew ecstatic praise. Congratulations came not only from the local New Orleans gentry and the writers who prowl the region for culinary news, but also from such national magazines as Esquire, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure, as well as from such noted food critics as John Mariani and Gene Bourg. Following the success of Emerils Restaurant, Emeril opened multiple establishments. NOLA, which opened in New Orleans French Quarter in 1992, and Emerils New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, which premiered in 1995, both draw crowds of fans and rave reviews. In 1998, Emeril also reopened the classic Emerils Delmonico in New Orleans. Two more restaurants quickly followed in 1999 - Emerils Orlando at Universal Studios and Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas. In January 2002, Emerils Tchoup Chop opened its doors in Orlando. In August 2003, Emerils Atlanta opened its doors, followed by Emerils Miami Beach in November. In addition to his restaurants are a series of books; his latest are There's a Chef in My Family, and Emerils Pot Luck. Despite his success, Emeril remains devoted as ever to using fresh, top-quality ingredients and employs cottage industry ranchers, farmers and fishermen to ensure that he always gets the best. He constantly invents new cuisine, much to the delight of his regular customers and the fans of his Food Network specials and shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril. Emeril lives with his wife Alden, son Emeril, Jr. and daughter Meril.
Rachael Ray Rachael Ray is an Emmy-winning television personality and author who currently hosts the syndicated series Rachael Ray. In addition, she currently hosts (either in first-run or reruns) at least four different programs on cable television's Food Network (30 Minute Meals, $40 a Day, Inside Dish, and Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels), and has authored a series of cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept.
Kevin Roberts Kevin Roberts is THE FOOD DUDE on San Diego's own 103.7 FREE FM, Friends of Fox and ESPN's Cold Pizza. Listen to his streamlined radio show every Saturday from 3:00 - 4:00 PM. www.1037freefm.com Current spokesman for Frank's RedHot sauce, Chef/Writer Kevin Roberts has been cooking as long as he’s been able to reach the counter. He perfected his craft as a cook for television and extreme sporting events. After fruitlessly searching the market for cookbooks geared to young adults, Kevin decided to come to the aid of all his hungry peers in search of real food (not wrapped in greasy paper). The result, Munchies, is the beginning of a series designed to boost the confidence of the cuisine impaired. Kevin proves that it’s not only cool to cook, but fun too, giving readers food freedom with recipes that are cheap, simple, tasty and healthy.
Dr. Ian Smith Dr. Ian Smith is currently the medical/diet expert on VH1s highly rated Celebrity Fit Club, host of Meet the Faith on BET, and the creator and founder of The 50 Million Pound Challenge. Dr. Smith is also the host of his own nationally syndicated radio show HealthWatch on American Urban Radio Networks. He is the former medical correspondent for NBC News network and for NewsChannel 4 where he filed reports for NBCs "Nightly News" and the "Today" show as well as WNBC's various news broadcasts. He has appeared extensively on various broadcasts including The View, The Tyra Banks Show, Larry King Live, and Anderson Cooper 3600. He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, Mens Health, and the New York Daily News, and has been featured in several other publications including, People, Essence, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, and University of Chicago Medicine on the Midway. Dr. Smith's work has been honored by several organizations, including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his coverage on the momentous events beginning on Sept. 11, 2001. Dr. Smith is very active in charitable causes, serving on several boards including the New York City Mission Society, American Council on Exercise, and the New York Council for the Humanities. Dr. Smith graduated from Harvard College with an AB and received a masters in science education from Teachers College of Columbia University. He attended Dartmouth Medical School and completed the last two years of his medical education and graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Smith is also the author of five books, the #1 New York Times Bestseller Extreme Fat Smash Diet, the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Fat Smash Diet, the critically acclaimed The Blackbird Papers (2005 BCALA fiction Honor Book Award winner), Dr. Ian Smith's Guide to Medical Websites, and The Take-Control Diet. He is currently at work on his second novel
Ming Tsai Ming’s story began in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio where he spent countless hours cooking alongside his mother and father at their family-owned restaurant, Mandarin Kitchen. His love of cooking (and eating!) great food was forged in these early years, while he gained valuable experience in both the front and back of the house. With food still deeply ingrained, Ming headed east to attend school at Andover and then on to earn his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Yale University. During this time, Ming never strayed far from the kitchen; while at Yale, he spent his sophomore summer at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. Upon graduation, Ming decided to focus on food and set out to learn as much as he could in kitchens around the globe. Ming trained under renowned Pastry Chef Pierre Herme in Paris and in Osaka with Sushi Master Kobayashi. By the time Ming returned to the United States, he knew he had made the right decision to pursue his true calling in the world of food. To get closer to his (and every chef’s) dream, Ming enrolled in graduate school at Cornell University to earn his master’s degree in Hotel Administration and Hospitality Marketing. From there he went on to hold positions in both front and back of the house at establishments in Chicago, Atlanta, California and Santa Fe, where he continued to learn varied styles of cuisine.In February of 1998, Ming’s dream became reality. He and his wife, Polly, opened the doors to Blue Ginger, a bistro-style restaurant dedicated to East-West cuisine. Located in the Boston suburb of Wellesley, Massachusetts, Blue Ginger brings urban dining and sophistication to the Boston suburbs.Since opening, Blue Ginger has impressed diners from Boston and beyond with its unique East-West cuisine. In its first year, Blue Ginger received 3 stars from the Boston Globe, was named “Best New Restaurant” by Boston Magazine, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as “Best New Restaurant 1998” and Esquire Magazine honored Ming as “Chef of the Year 1998.” Five years later the popularity continues. The James Beard Foundation crowned Ming as the “2002 Best Chef Northeast,” while the 2002-2003, 2003-2004 & 2004-2005 Zagat Restaurant Guide rated Blue Ginger as the “2nd Most Popular Boston Restaurant.” In 2005, Ming was honored as “Restaurateur of the Year” by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. Ming is also a founding member of Chefs For Humanity, a coalition of chefs and culinary professionals who came together in response to the tsunami tragedy in 2005. Chefs For Humanity organizes relief and fundraising for people in need throughout the world. Most recently, Ming was in Gulfport, Mississippi, with Chefs For Humanity, cooking for the police force and displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina. In the winter of 2000, Ming was approached by Target, who proposed the idea of a partnership. With the backing of such a trendy, quality-focused retailer, Ming would be able to give even more people the opportunity to create East-West food at home that is flavorful and healthy, while at the same time being fun and affordable. From Target and Ming’s partnership, the Blue Ginger line was launched. “Blue Ginger” is exclusively available at SuperTarget stores nationwide. The easy to use, high-quality cookware and delicious Asian-inspired ingredients and snack foods allow home cooks to experiment and create their own versions of Ming’s East-West fare. In January 2004, Ming’s noodle bowls, rice bowls and stir-fry kits debuted across the country. These tasty, exotic meals bring East-West cooking from the microwave or skillet to your table in minutes!