Big Apple Life

A collection of posts on Life in the Big Apple along with interviews with foodie friends

Arthur Von Wiesenberger

Arthur and I met when he was touting bottled water. (He still does, click here to check out his site.) We, in fact, were of the fortunate few who got to visit the Italian and French sources for Acqua Panna, San Pelligrino, Perrier and Vittel. That Great Springs Safari was in the days of the over-the-top amazing press trips. Today, Arthur hosts the award-winning weekly television and radio program, Around the World, www.atw.tv, where I'm part of his team. He also hosts the weekly food program Nipper's Table Talk on Cox Television and AM 1290 KZSB, Santa Barbara, www.nippers.com. Which specific food product, ingredient or gadget would you never give up? [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:46:44-04:00May 26th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|2 Comments
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Steven Raichlen

Known best as America’s master griller, my friend Steven Raichlen went back into the kitchen for his latest cooking guide — Man Made Meals: The Essential Cookbook for Guys is for men and the way they cook, written in the easy-going and entertaining voice like his 30 other books.  Those other cookbooks have won many awards, including five James Beard ones, and includes the The Barbecue Bible and How to Grill (each with more than 1 million copies in print). I caught up with this prolific writer recently just as he was heading to Europe. Steven stopped and took a moment to respond to our Guest Foodie questions. Which food [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:47:11-04:00May 13th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl has so many hats, I'm not sure which to tout first! This born and bred New Yorker wrote her first cookbook at 21, was the restaurant critic of both the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, was the Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet Magazine until its demise and is a book author (including her acclaimed, memoir Tender at the Bone.) Her first novel Delicious! goes on sale May 6. It's about a character who leaves California for New York to start a new job at — non other than— a food magazine.  (Hmm, is it a bit autobiographical?) In addition, Ruth has been honored with many awards including [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:48:16-04:00April 29th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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New Taste of the Upper West Side in May

The 2014 New Taste of the Upper West Side  begins in Theodore Roosevelt Park on Tuesday, May 27th (with a rain date on Thursday, May 29th) at 7 pm with a cocktail event under the stars to celebrate and raise funds for New York City’s Theodore Roosevelt Park ($150/person) Travel Channel’s Adam Richman and  Food Network star and Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli (Butter Restaurant) will host Friday, May 30th's Comfort Classic from 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm, at the Grand White Tent on Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets. The duo will oversee 40 restaurants from the Upper West Side showcasing their comfort dishes and competing to win [...]

By |2017-08-31T14:10:59-04:00April 17th, 2014|Rambling, xyz misc|0 Comments
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A Taste of Excellence, Time Warner Center, NYC

Attend the  epicurean event on Thursday, April 24th, 2014 beginning at 6:30 pm on the second floor of the Time Warner Center, NYC. The Restaurant and Bar Collection at Time Warner Center offers an evening of fine dining, wine and entertainment. Enjoy canapés served by Union Square Events and sip specially crafted cocktails from Center Bar and Stone Rose Lounge during an open-bar cocktail hour. Dine on dishes from A Voce, Landmarc, Porter House New York and Masa. End the evening on a sweet note with desserts and cordials, accompanied by live jazz from Jazz at Lincoln Center. To purchase tickets ($95/person), click here.  

By |2017-08-31T14:10:59-04:00April 16th, 2014|Rambling, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Lorraine Pascale

Cooking show host and model Lorraine Pascale — best known in Britain — is touting her latest cookbook,  A Lighter Way to Bake, here in the USA.  That book offers 100 of her favorite sweet & savory recipes made a bit lighter, from everyday breads and savory meals to teatime treats, puddings and cakes. Her two TV shows, Simply Baking and Home Cooking Made Easy now air on The Cooking Channel. Note: You can find the recipes for the *starred items in this interview in A Lighter Way to Bake. Which food product or gadget would you never give up? I would never give up my KitchenAid mixer as I [...]

By |2017-09-01T17:50:37-04:00April 15th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Taste of Tribeca May 2014 (NY)

Taste of Tribeca — an outdoor food festival featuring a variety food from the top chefs and restaurants of New York — will be held Saturday, May 17, 2014 from 11:30am to 3pm. All proceeds will go towards the continuation of the arts and enrichment programs at local public schools, PS 150 and PS 234. Ticket — which are on sale now —for the general tasting event are $45 for advanced purchase or $50/day of event, which includes six tastes from any participating restaurant. Also available are the premium seating ticket for $350, $680, $950 for tables of two, four and six that includes personal food runners, reserved seating, designer t-shirts and a gift bag from [...]

By |2017-09-01T17:50:54-04:00April 10th, 2014|Other happenings|0 Comments
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Nina Simonds

Nina Simonds — best known for her knowledge of Asian cooking — has penned eleven cookbooks including  "Simple Asian Meals" her most recent book. She won four James Beard awards. Nina recently became a “Certified Whole Health Educator” and has launched a wellness management practice teaching clients how to prepare healthy, affordable and easy meals and how to improve their general health and well-being.  We connected many years ago through a professional culinary organizations and have continued our friendship over the years. I recently caught up with her and asked her Guest Foodie questions. Which food product or gadget would you never give up? I would never give up ginger, [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:50:28-04:00March 31st, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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James Beard Foundation Launches Live-Stream Kitchen Cam

Starting on Monday, you can watch the behind-the-scenes action happening at the James Beard House more than 200 nights a year right from your computer. On Monday, March 31, the James Beard Foundation will launch the JBF Kitchen Cam, a live-stream three-angle camera feed that, allowing any foodie with an internet connection to experience the behind-the-scenes action at the Beard House. That night the cam will capturing multiple JBF Award-winning chef Daniel Boulud and his team from DANIEL as they prep, plate, and serve their multi-course menu for “Dinner with Daniel”. The JBF Kitchen Cam will run during most James Beard House Events, including these upcoming dinners: April 3, Coast-to-Coast [...]

By |2017-09-02T09:36:23-04:00March 29th, 2014|Other happenings|0 Comments
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2014 James Beard Media and Book Awards Finalists Announced

What follows are the nominees for the 2014 James Beard Foundation Media Awards — where the winners will be announced on May 2, 2014. 2014 James Beard Foundation Broadcast and New Media Awards Presented Lenox Tableware and Gifts Radio Show/Audio Webcast Here & Now Hosts: Meghna Chakrabarti, Jeremy Hobson, and Robin Young Area: Public Radio Producer: Kathy Gunst The Splendid Table Host: Lynne Rossetto Kasper Area: American Public Media and Public Radio Producers: Jennifer Russell and Sally Swift This American Life Host: Fred Armisen, Ben Calhoun, and Ira Glass Area: NPR Producer: Ben Calhoun Special/Documentary CBS Sunday Morning: “Eat, Drink and be Merry” Host: Charles Osgood Network: CBS Producers: Gavin [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:14-04:00March 18th, 2014|Other happenings, xyz misc|0 Comments
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2014 James Beard Foundation Restauarnt Award Nominees

What follows are the nominees for the 2014 James Beard Foundation Award — where the winners will be announced on May 5, 2014. 2014 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH) Dave Beran, Next, Chicago Curtis Duffy, Grace, Chicago Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland Paul Virant, Vie Restaurant, Western Springs, IL Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia, Chicago Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA) Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore Brad Spence, Amis, Philadelphia Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C. Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI) Justin Aprahamian, [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:14-04:00March 18th, 2014|Other happenings, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Bob Okura

Bob Okura isn't a household name, but the foods that he's created are known by millions. As the chef for the Cheesecake Factory, Bob is responsible for developing “cravable” — as he calls them — menu items for their up-scale casual dining menu. I met Bob a few years ago on a food professionals' trip to Chile, where we traveled around the country, learning both about its cuisine and US exports. Everyone on that trip had a special bond, as our flights departed Santiago toward the US, a few minutes before midnight on February 26, 2010, a few hours before the devastating earthquake. I thought of Bob recently, and reached [...]

By |2017-09-02T09:36:46-04:00March 17th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Gary Danko

San Francisco chef and restauranteur Gary Danko and I had met many decades ago when I attended an artichoke trip on the west coast. Since then, I've watched his career explode as he opened his eponymous restaurant in San Francisco. Gary's won three James Beard Foundation awards, including Best Chef California, Best New Restaurant and Outstanding Service. If you haven't been to Restaurant Gary Danko (800 North Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109), I suggest you add it your must try places to dine. Yes, it's that good. The restaurant received his sixth Five Star rating from Mobil as well as a Relais & Chateau designation. I recently caught up [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:50:32-04:00March 1st, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Ritz-Carlton (NYC) Women & Wine Dinner Series

Auden Bistro & Bar — the newly opened restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park — has launched a Women & Wine Dinner series, combining iconic figures of the wine industry with traditional bistro cuisine. Each dinner features a four-course meal prepared by Chef Mark Arnao, with wine pairing by wine director Marika Vida-Arnole using the guest speaker’s. Dinner is served in the private dining room. The upcoming events include the following dinners: • March 18th, 2014 – Debbie Lewis, Owner of Lewis Cellars Winery (Napa Valley) • April 1st, 2014 – Veronique Drouhin, Winemaker • May 21st, 2014 – Stephanie Honig, Owner of Honig Vineyard and Winery (Napa Valley) A [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:14-04:00March 1st, 2014|Other happenings, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Claire Criscuolco

Claire and I met as fledgling foodies, when that term didn't really exist. She had recently opened her now landmark (39 years young) vegetarian restaurant Claire's Corner Copia in downtown New Haven, while I was the new food editor at the New Haven Register. We've been friends ever since. Since then, Claire's opened a second restaurant (Basta Trattoria, right next door to Claire's Corner Copia), penned four cookbooks (Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook, Claire's Classic American Vegetarian Cooking, Claire's Italian Feast and her most recent Welcome to Claire’s), written for — and been featured by — local and national publications, been a guest chef on TV and is now on the [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:52:34-04:00February 16th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Chocolate Wine Pairing at The Ritz, NYC

Ritz-Carlton’s Wine Director, Marika Vida-Arnold  has paired wine from wineries lead by iconic women in wine, with pralinés, orange sticks and ganache created by Pastry Chef Stephanie Grajales. Some sample pairings of  "Chocolate takes Flight" with a feminine touch include: Dark Chocolate Ganache Infused with Fresh Mint, Lauverjat Sancerre Winemaker: Karine Lauverjat Dark Chocolate Orange Peel, Dobogó Tokaji Aszu Winery Owner: Izabella Swack Belle Femme Praliné, Veuve Clicquot Demi Sec Homage to Madame Clicquot Ponsardin These pairing are offered in flights of three for $45 per person beginning on February 9th through February 15th in the Star Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park. For more information, call 212-521-6125. [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:15-04:00February 5th, 2014|Other happenings, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Frances Largeman-Roth

I met Frances Largman-Roth umpteen years ago. Our paths have continued to cross over the years as her career evolved to a Portrait of Frances Largeman-Roth & Family for her cookbook, "Eat Your Colors" 2012 New York Times best-selling author, TV personality, Health magazine Food and Nutrition Director  and more, including mother of two.  Herlatest cookbook, Eating in Color: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for You and Your Family, published in January. I caught up with her recently to get her responses to my Guest Foodie questions. What follows are her responses. Which food product or gadget would you never give up? Nuts — I keep so many nuts in the [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:55:02-04:00February 3rd, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Ellie Krieger

You may recognize my friend Ellie Krieger from her popular Food Network and Cooking Channel program — Healthy Appetite. Ellie is also the author of the New York Times best-selling cookbooks The Food You Crave (recipient of James Beard and IACP awards), So Easy, Comfort Food Fix and Small Changes, Big Results. Her newest book Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less just published this month, with 150 recipes using use easy to find ingredients. Each takes less than 30 minutes to get on the table - and that includes chopping everything and pre-heating the oven.  I caught up with this busy lady recently and asked her [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:54:54-04:00January 19th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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Marc Murphy

I ran into Marc Murphy recently at Food Network's 20th Anniversary Party, just before Kingside — his newest venture —  opened. That restaurant takes its inspiration from Marc's childhood: his French heritage, Italian roots, American schooling and his love of travel. Kingside is in the Viceroy Hotel, on 57th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. I asked Marc to respond to our Guest Foodie questions. That's what follows. Which food product or gadget would you never give up? The Japanese mandolin! It's an amazing, versatile gadget that can turn anything into dust and is a must in any kitchen. What do you like to serve when you entertain? I like simple [...]

By |2017-09-03T12:57:14-04:00January 7th, 2014|Foodie Interviews|0 Comments
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