Chef's Story

Tune in for a brand new episode of Chef’s Story , as host Dorothy Cann Hamilton sits down with none other than David Burke. Burke graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and soon thereafter traveled to France where he completed several stages with notable chefs such as Pierre Troisgros, Georges Blanc and Gaston Lenôtre. Burke’s mastery of French culinary technique was confirmed when, at age 26, he won France’s coveted Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur for unparalleled skill and creativity with his native cuisine. David Burke returned to the U.S. as a sous chef for Waldy Malouf at La Cremaillere and then for Charlie Palmer at The River Café, where he ascended to executive chef and earned three stars from The New York Times. In 1992, Burke opened the Park Avenue Café with Smith & Wollensky CEO Alan Stillman, and then, in 1996, he became vice president of culinary development for the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. Burke has been honored with Japan’s Nippon Award of Excellence,

Chef’s Story is back for another great season as host Dorothy Cann Hamilton is in conversation with Tim and Nancy Cushman.  A Boston native, Chef Tim Cushman earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz & Classical Guitar from Berklee School of Music in Boston, then moved to California in the early 1980’s to pursue the music business. Cushman took a job in a restaurant, as many aspiring musicians do. That was the start of what would become a culinary adventure around the world. He has spent years cooking around the world in Japan, France, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico and Taiwan. In that time, he also served for seven years as a Corporate Chef with Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago, where he developed menus for the group’s new concepts. In 1994, Cushman launched his own consulting business, Ideas in Taste, and developed menus for a variety of restaurateurs, from independents to large operators. Presently, Cushman and his wife, Nancy, are Co-Proprietors of o ya, an award-winning, contemporary Japanese r

This week on _ Chef’s Story _, host Dorothy Cann Hamilton sits down with Chefs Kirsten Dixon and Mandy Dixon of the Tutka Bay Lodge and Winterlake Lodge located in Alaska. Kirsten has been cooking in the backcountry of Alaska for more than twenty years. She is a passionate culinary student, educator, and an avid gardener. Kirsten spends most of her time at Winterlake Lodge, where she frequently teaches cooking classes in the kitchen or gives tours of the herb garden. Kirsten attended culinary school at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and she holds a master’s degree in gastronomy (food history) from Adelaide University in Australia. She has published several cookbooks, including The Winterlake Lodge Cookbook, and is currently working on a new book project. Kirsten completed an MFA program in creative writing at Goddard College, Vermont. Kirsten has written for and has been featured in many national and international publications. Kirsten won an award for “Best Female Chef USA” for The Winterlake Lodge Cookbook at th

Ming’s love of cooking was forged in his early years. Ming was raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he spent hours cooking alongside his mother and father at Mandarin Kitchen, the family-owned restaurant. His experience also taught him about restaurant operations and the art of making customers happy. Ming headed east to attend school at Phillips Academy Andover. From there, Ming continued to Yale University,earning his degree in Mechanical Engineering. During this time, Ming spent his summers attending Le Cordon Bleucooking school and apprenticing at area restaurants in Paris. After graduating from Yale, Ming moved to Paris and trained under renowned Pastry Chef Pierre Herme and then on to Osaka with Sushi Master Kobayashi. Upon his return to the United States, Ming enrolled in graduate school at Cornell University, earning a Master’s degree in Hotel Administration and Hospitality Marketing. Tune in to hear more from this fascinating chef as well as his path to opening Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon, authoring a pleth

The daughter of a foreign correspondent and a food writer, Sara Jenkins grew up all over the Mediterranean, eating her way through its cultures and learning to cook. She began her kitchen under with Todd English at Figs in Boston, then went on to work as a chef in Florence and in the Tuscan countryside, as well as on the Caribbean island of Nevis, before returning to the United States. In September 2008, Sara opened Porchetta, a storefront in the East Village focusing on the Italian roasted pork, typically sold as street food. Her brick and mortar Porchetta has been wildly successful, receiving a four-star review from New York Magazine. In November 2010, Sara opened Porsena, where she draws on her Tuscan and Roman childhood with a pasta-centric menu. As Mario Batali put it, “She’s one of the few chefs in America who understands Italy and how Italians eat.” Tune in to hear all about Sara’s childhood living around the world, her path to the professional kitchen, and more delectable details from her life-long re

The idea of cooking as a career might have come to Evan Hanczor unconsciously. Evan spent summers strawberry picking and cooking with his family in Florida, and went to college at Tulane, in its gastronomically rich New Orleans setting. By the time he graduated and moved to Connecticut, Evan knew cooking was his calling, eschewing more schooling to take a hands-on position at The Dressing Room in Westport. Evan moved to New York City in 2009, working at Locanda Verde before nabbing a spot at Brooklyn’s Egg, where he mastered the many expressions of Southern cooking. In 2012, George Weld and Evan opened Parrish Hall, whose Northeastern culinary expressions and sustainable infrastructure earned Evan much praise. And while Parrish Hall closed, Evan returned to Egg with a richer repertoire and a continued focus on his team and community. Hailing from Virginia and the Carolinas (the heart of American breakfast country), George Weld settled in New York in his 20s and upon opening Egg at age 33, his Southern roots w

This week on Chef’s Story, tune in as Dorothy Cann Hamilton finds that it’s not the awards or the notoriety that fuels the fire for Chef/Restaurateur Cathy Whims. It’s the quest to offer historically-based, authentic dishes that celebrate a sense of place and a local producer’s passion that keep the beloved Portland, Oregon culinary treasure at the stove. She and her partner, David West, opened Nostrana in 2005 and quickly earned The Oregonian’s coveted designation as Best Restaurant of the Year. Nostrana is an Italian road-house in Southeast Portland serving classical and inventive seasonal dishes reflective of Cathy’s close, personal relationships with Northwest farmers. Prior to establishing Nostrana as well as Oven and Shaker, Cathy’s take on a pizza-serving urban saloon, she was part of the kitchen and eventually co-owner of Portland’s pioneering prix-fixe Italian restaurant, Genoa. Cathy attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she relays to Dorothy that she majored in Latin. In t

This week on A Chef’s Story, Dorothy Cann Hamilton is Joined by Jonathan and Justin Fox, owners of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q in Atlanta. After growing up with Texas barbecue, the Fox brothers were underwhelmed by the Atlantan barbecue after moving there in 1998. So they decided to take matters into their own hands and learn to cook barbecue themselves. In 2007, they opened the Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q restaurant. Now they are incredibly successful and are cooking up to 3000 lbs of meat in their kitchen at any given time. On today’s show, the Fox Bros. discuss what inspired them to learn to cook barbecue, how they choose what meats to cook in their restaurant, and the cooking process that makes their meat delicious enough to make them runners up for the title “Best Overall Bar-B-Q” In Atlanta. “There’s not a lot of secrets to what we do, it’s just a long process.” [13:00] “[Brisket usually has] more fat and connected tissue. And when you slow cook it for long periods of time it’s usually going to make it a lot more tender.

This week’s featured guest on Chef’s Story is Paul Bartolotta. In 1980, Paul graduated from the Restaurant and Hotel Management Program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. His cultural education began with New York restaurateur, Tony May, owner at the time of the Rainbow Room and founder of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani, the international food society devoted to maintaining the traditions and standards of classical Italian colleagues. Initially instituted as a six-month tour of duty for Paul, this stint evolved into a seven-year education of the highest order. Working in some of the country’s most prestigious restaurants, the aspiring Chef studied all phases of managing a first class restaurant. Paul was Executive Chef/Managing Partner of Spiaggia, located in Chicago, from 1991 to 2000. He developed his culinary artistry in some of Europe’s most distinguished restaurants. Winner of the coveted James Beard Best Midwest Chef Award in 1994 and The James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2009, Bartolotta dire

This week on Chef’s Story host Dorothy Cann Hamilton interviews one of the new living legends of New York chefs, Bryce Shuman. Bryce tells us about his life, when he lived in the arctic, traveled to San Francisco for culinary school, and how he came to his restaurant Betony. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “I think now I’m innately very accepting, I think that has helped me become the person that I am, I try not to judge people.” [14:00] “I wanted it to be a fine dining restaurant, I wanted to work at a restaurant that had 3 Michelin stars and 4 stars from the New York Times, these things were important to me.” [36:00] “There are may opportunities that will pull you away from the restaurant but you have to decide what is more important.” [44:00] — Bryce Shuman on Chef’s Story See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chef Mark Ladner joins Dorothy Cann Hamilton for a special interview on Chef’s Story, recorded at the USA Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015! Chef Ladner touches on his childhood, his formative food memories, his career trajectory and his advice for aspiring chefs. He also explains what drove him to open his pop-up gluten-free pasta concept, Pasta Flyer. Mark Ladner is the James Beard award winning chef of Del Posto. Chef Ladner’s education began in Cambridge, MA at independently owned and operated pizza counters, followed by formal culinary schooling at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. He moved to NYC in the early 90’s and worked with several well-regarded restaurateurs, before meeting Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich and opening Babbo Ristorante as Sous Chef in 1998. Ladner has since opened Lupa Osteria Romana (1999), Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (2002) and Del Posto (2005) as Chef/Partner at each restaurant. Mark co-authored Molto Gusto (Ecco, 2010) with Mario Batali. This program was brought

Colman Andrews is an American writer and editor and authority on food and wine. In culinary circles, he is best known for his association with Saveur magazine, which he founded with Dorothy Kalins, Michael Grossman, and Christopher Hirsheimer in 1994 and where he served as editor-in-chief from 2001 until 2006. After resigning from the magazine in 2006, he became the restaurant columnist for Gourmet. In 2010, he helped launch a food and drink website, The Daily Meal, and serves as its editorial director. He is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on Spanish cuisine, particularly that of the Catalonia region, and toady he sat down for a conversation with host Dorothy Cann Hamilton for a conversation about the brown derby, his parents influence in his life, and his journey as a food writer. This program was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “I was an english major, and then in fact a radio major…I didn’t spend much time studying.” [13:00] “Theoretically if you have any interest in food or drink at an

This week’s guest on Chef’s Story is chef Jimmy Bradley. The chef-owner of two popular New York City restaurants – The Red Cat, The Harrison – Jimmy Bradley presides over neighborhood joint that have become destinations for guests from around the city, and the country. A purveyor of straightforward, occasionally irreverent, food and contagious conviviality, all of it wrapped up in an attitude-free package, Bradley has helped contemporary diners rediscover the intrinsic value of classic Mediterranean cuisine, reinterpreted for a modern American clientele. He and his recipes are regularly featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and other food publications, as well as on local and national television programs. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “I took jobs from very early ages – I forged my working papers.” [09:00] –Jimmy Bradley on Chef’s StorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf

Brooke Williamson’s entire life has always been about food. Ever since she can remember, Williamson wanted to become a chef or a restaurateur. After working with some of the country’s top chefs, her dream has finally been realized in the form of successful ventures such as Amuse Café, Beechwood, and projects with chef-husband Nick Roberts, Hudson House in Redondo Beach, The Tripel and 4-in-1 concept Playa Provisions in Playa Del Rey. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. “I was a tomboy as a kid. I played sports and loved to run. Im still a very psychical person. It’s how I relieve stress. I’m not the type of person to ask for help easily.” [11:00] “I’m just as passionate about raising my son as I am running my own restaurant.” [37:00] –Brooke Williamson on Chef’s StorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week’s guest on Chef’s Story is Soulayphet “Phet” Schwader. Born in a small village outside the capital of Laos, “Thangone,” Soulayphet Schwader immigrated to the U.S. at a very young age. Growing up in Kansas Soulayphet recalls a youth spent clamoring for a ham sandwich instead of the traditional Laotian lunch his mother would pack for him each day. It wasn’t until he secured his first job as a fry cook, while studying philosophy in college that the possibilities inherent in his colorful background began to materialize. Schwader began his formal education at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. After completing an externship at Dundee Bistro in Oregon where he was exposed to the nuances of wine and its relationship to food, Schwader came to New York to work under Patricia Yeo at AZ. Working with an award-winning team that counted Chef Pino Maffeo among its members. When Chef Maffeo headed to Boston to open Restaurant L, he recruited Schwader as his Chef de cuisine, who was able to explore his

What’s it like cooking in the White House? Find out on an incredible episode of Chef’s Story with Dorothy Cann Hamilton. She’s joined by William “Bill” Yosses, the coauthor of the book Desserts For Dummies and the former White House Executive Pastry Chef. Yosses was the successor to Thaddeus DuBois who left the same position in 2006. He served as a White House Holiday Pastry Chef for the 2006 holiday season. His most recent project has been to assist in the opening of Paul Newman’s Dressing Room in Westport, Connecticut-a restaurant utilizing locally grown, artisanal and organic food sources. Other Executive Pastry Chef experience includes Josephs Citarella in New York City; planning, designing and opening the pastry department of Bouley Restaurant and Bakery and operating the pastry department of the Tavern on the Green Restaurant in New York City. Mr. Yosses was also Pastry Chef at Montrachet Restaurant in New York City. This program was brought to you by Visit Napa Valley. “There is a lot of scrutiny th

This week’s featured chef on Chef’s Story is Jesse Schenker. Jesse has amassed an impressive culinary history as executive chef and owner of recette and The Gander in New York City. His contemporary approach to creating American classics is a reflection of his devotion to highly-refined technique combined with his passion for comforting and satisfying food. Growing up in Florida, Schenker experienced epicurean pleasures that quickly ignited his passion and set him on the path toward becoming a chef. He began requesting menus from his parents’ dinners and invested in a cookbook collection that has since grown to nearly 350 volumes. His clear intensity for the culinary world found an early start and has not abated since. This program was brought to you by Visit Napa Valley. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Chef’s Story, hear from the world famous Alan Richman, “the most decorated food writer in history.” He has won 15 James Beard Journalism Awards, a National Magazine Award (and was a finalist five more times), and a Bronze Star for service in Vietnam. You won’t find food writers like him at the food magazines. When he received his National Magazine Award, the presenter described him as “the Indiana Jones of food writers.” He has reviewed restaurants in nearly every Communist country (China, Vietnam, Cuba, East Germany), proof that he will go anywhere for a meal. He once reviewed the Chicago restaurant owned and operated by Louis Farrakhan, not known to be a fan of Jewish journalists. In Cuba, he defied government regulations by interviewing starving political dissidents, then rewarded himself with a lobster lunch at the most expensive restaurant in Havana. In 1998, Richman was inducted into The James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, which recognizes culinary industry pro

This week’s featured chef on Chef’s Story is Traci Des Jardins, Chef/Owner of Jardinière, Mijita Cocina Mexicana 
and Chef/Partner of Public House. Before opening Jardinière in San Francisco in 1997, Des Jardins worked in some of the highly acclaimed kitchens in Los Angeles, France, and New York City. Classically trained in French cuisine by some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in the world, Des Jardins style is also influenced by her Mexican and French-Acadian grandparents who taught her how to cook. Throughout her more than two decades in San Francisco, Des Jardins has continued to focus and evolve her style of cooking as well as her restaurants. Over the course of her successful career she has trained and groomed many chefs and front-of-the-house personnel, many of whom now help operate her growing group of restaurants. In 2004 Des Jardins opened Mijita Cocina Mexicana in the San Francisco Ferry Building and in 2010 the second location at AT&T Park, combining the best of Bay Area seasonal and l

Get an inside look at the life of the legendary Peter Kaminsky on today’s episode of Chef’s Story. Peter Kaminsky is the author and coauthor of many books, including Pig Perfect, Culinary Intelligence, Seven Fires and Mallmann on Fire (with Francis Mallmann), and Charred and Scruffed (with Adam Perry Lang). He is a longtime contributor to Food & Wine and a former columnist for The New York Times and New York magazine. He’s a mentor to many chefs and is a real renaissance man. He knows as much about fly fishing as anyone, is the Creator and Executive Producer of the Mark Twain prize for American humor and was a contributor at National Lampoon in the 70’s. Tune in for some real knowledge and insight on this show! This program was brought to you by Visit Napa Valley. “Many of the cookbooks I write in the subjects voice. You have to channel them. “It’s parody without the jokes. It has to sound like them.” [27:00] “[My advice to chefs is to] travel. You won’t be able to do that your whole life when you get t