What's Burning

Susan Jung is the author of Kung Pao & Beyond - Fried Chicken Recipes from East and Southeast Asia (Quadrille, 2023). She is the food columnist for Vogue Hong Kong and the Academy Chair for the Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau region of World's 50 Best Restaurants and Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Previously, Susan was the food and drinks editor for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, a position she held for almost 25 years. She also worked as a pastry chef in San Francisco, New York and Hong Kong On this episode, Susan joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses sophisticated dishes from a Chinese menu, the tasty array of East and Southeast Asian fried chicken, and how the world's great cuisines originated in poverty. Follow Susan on Instagram @susanjungfood and Twitter @susanjungfood.

Mark Bittman has been writing about food since 1980, and has been a leading voice in global food culture and policy for more than a generation. He has written thirty books, including the How to Cook Everything series, Food Matters, VB6 (the first popular book about part-time veganism), and, in 2021, Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food from Sustainable to Suicidal, which The New York Times called “epic and engrossing.”   Bittman spent three decades at the Times, where he created “The Minimalist” – a weekly column that ran for thirteen years without interruption – and had a five-year stint as the Sunday Magazine's lead food writer. At that same time – 2010 to 2015 – he became and remained the country's first weekly opinion writer at a major publication to concentrate on food. His influence on mainstream attitudes about food and agriculture during that period is immeasurable, and he is still consulted frequently by politicians, policy-makers, academics, NGO and non-profit leaders, and others concerned about the future of food.   He continues to produce books in the How to Cook Everything series, the general cooking bible for a quarter-century, and has hosted or been featured in four television series, including the Emmy-winning Showtime series about climate change “Years of Living Dangerously” and “Spain ... On the Road Again,” with Gwyneth Paltrow. He has won countless awards for journalism, books, and television. .   Bittman was a regular on the Today show from 2005 to 2010 (and still appears occasionally, as recently as this past October), and has been a guest on countless television and radio programs. His 2007 Ted Talk, “What's wrong with what we eat,” has been viewed five million times, and he was among the opening speakers at this year's Aspen Ideas Institute, where he spoke about Community Kitchen. He is a fellow at Yale and is on the faculty of Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. Bittman is currently the editor-in-chief of The Bittman Project, which produces a newsletter, website, and the podcast “Food, with Mark Bittman.”   Mark lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with his partner, Kathleen Finlay, who runs the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming and is the founder of Pleiades, a national network of women leaders addressing environmental and social justice. He is the founder and current leader of Community Kitchen, about which more information is forthcoming months.  On this episode, Mark joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses improving the industrial food system in America, developing a national network of non-profit restaurants, and why nutritious food is a human right. Follow Mark on Instagram @markbittman, Facebook @markbittman and Twitter @bittman For more on Mark and his work, visit:  www.markbittman.com

Barb grew up in Baltimore and spent much of her childhood in a Chinese restaurant. It was there that she developed a love for food as well as the frantic energy and deep hospitality that restaurants generate. She has an undergraduate business degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and a Masters Degree in Hospitality from the Cornell Hotel School. Barb has been at Mattson since 1997 and is currently Chief Innovation & Marketing Officer at North America's most successful independent developer of foods and beverages. Mattson provides insights, strategy, innovation and product development services to retail CPGs, foodservice suppliers, ingredients suppliers, chain restaurants, and supplement companies.  Barb is known as a taste, food trend, innovation, consumer insights, and product development expert.  As part of Barb's role in the innovation projects that make up her daily job, she is required to taste food and figure out how to make it better. After more than 2 decades doing this, she's honed her tasting skills and ability to help others make food taste better. She shared this insight with the world when her book Taste: Surprising Stories & Science About Why Food Tastes Good was published in 2013. The paperback version is simply titled TASTE. Barb was instrumental in helping The San Francisco Cooking School integrate the science of taste into their curriculum by teaching the fundamentals of taste to each incoming class during the school's 10 years in San Francisco.  Barb has served on non-profit boards including La Cocina, San Francisco's incubator for low-income women of color, The Plant Based Food Association, and the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine & Food Science at the University of California, Davis, and Mattson. Barb is also a contributor to Forbes.com where she writes about the food industry.  Barb is a performer at heart, and has given dozens of talks across the food and beverage industry, as well as a short TED Talk on umami at the main TED Conference on the mainstage in Long Beach.  Barb lives with her hyper-taster husband and two artisan cats, and splits her time between San Francisco and Healdsburg, in the heart of Sonoma wine country. She can be bribed with good tomatoes.  On this episode, Barb joins host Mitchell Davis and explores the concepts of “taste empathy” and “stomach share,” plus discusses the importance of learning how to taste critically in order to cook. Follow Barb on Instagram @barbstuckey and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/barb-stuckey-3110b51/ For more on Barb and Mattson, visit:  www.MattsonCo.com   

Dana Cowin is an award-winning tastemaker and innovator in media, food and branding. After 21 years as the Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine magazine, Cowin launched Speaking Broadly, an independent media company to promote less-established voices in the worlds of food, creativity and sustainability and to deepen our understanding of ourselves as well as the pleasure of travel, cooking, eating. The company produces a podcast, zine and events. Her current project is Feeding Broadly, an uplifting dinner series that highlights the power of regenerative ingredients and intimate conversations.   As part of her work to empower the leader within all of us, Cowin also coaches executive teams, founders and creatives and consults for fast casual and consumer packaged goods brands.  Cowin is a sought-after speaker with appearances on Top Chef and Beat Bobby Flay, moderating panels at places like SXSW and the 92nd Street Y, delivering keynotes on empowerment, food and entrepreneurship.  Cowin is on the board of Food Education Fund, Hot Bread Kitchen, the Food Council of City Harvest and Culinary Council of God's Love We Deliver. On this episode, she joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses personal storytelling through food, the importance of shaping menus to protect the planet, and how curiosity contributes to a chef's success. Follow Dana Cowin on Instagram at @fwscout and @speakingbroadly   For more on Dana and her work, visit: danacowin.com

Alon Turkaspa is an agrifood tech visionary and expert, dedicated to using tech and science to solve global challenges. With a background in physics and an MBA from Tel Aviv University, he spent almost a decade in the semiconductor industry before pure luck led him to revolutionize livestock farming. Alon's passion for agritech extended to working with startups tackling tough challenges in crops, poultry, and indoor farming. He strongly believes that feeding the world's population in a healthy and sustainable way can be achieved by seamlessly integrating food tech and science with startups, large food companies, and the collective creativity of chefs and food visionaries. Now managing the agrifood tech sector at Start-Up Nation, he supports over 750 startups, empowering Israel's high tech to drive global solutions. Alon cherishes his family life, and is married to Lior, with three children: Noam, Lia, and Gali. His unwavering commitment to fostering innovative solutions reflects his belief that a brighter, more sustainable future is within reach. On this episode, Alon joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses Israel's dynamic agritech scene, how the food industry is tackling global challenges, and cutting edge techniques to make what we eat healthier. Follow Alon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonturkaspa/ To learn more about Start-Up Nation Central, visit: https://startupnationcentral.org/ To learn more about Israeli startups and ecosystem players, visit: https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/ Companies working in the agritech space with several mentioned in the episode, include: BlueTree: Reduces sugar content (up to 50%) from a 100% squeezed natural orange juice.  Visit: https://bluetree-tech.com/   Tastewise: Accelerates growth with AI expertise for food and beverage market intelligence for real-time innovation, marketing, and sales. Visit: https://tastewise.io/home   Vanilla Vida: Makes natural flavors more available and affordable, while liberating food companies from the dependence on synthetic materials.  Visit: https://vanillavida.com/  Wonder Veggies: Agrifoodtech innovators on a mission to revolutionize the vegetable market by marrying the benefits of fresh vegetables with healthy probiotics. Visit: https://wonderveggies.co/  myAir: A data-driven smart-food company, offering a personalized nutritional solution to deal with the number 1 silent killer in the world: chronic stress. Visit: https://myair.ai/  Maolac: By tapping into functional proteins that are 95% biosimilar to breast milk, they are making nature's best nutrition available for everyone. Visit: https://www.maolac.com/   Amai: Replaces sugar with a healthy sweet protein that tastes like sugar. Visit: https://amaiproteins.com/  

Leah Koenig is the author of seven cookbooks including the acclaimed The Jewish Cookbook and Modern Jewish Cooking. Her newest cookbook, PORTICO: Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen will be published by W.W. Norton on August 29, 2023. (It is now available for pre-order) ​ Leah's writing and recipes can be found in The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Epicurious, and Food52, among other publications. She also writes a weekly newsletter, The Jewish Table, which shares recipes and stories from the world of Jewish food.    In addition to writing, Leah leads cooking demonstrations and workshops around the country and world. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and two children.    On this episode, Leah joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses kashrut as a major through-line of Jewish cuisine, navigating the world of cookbook publishing, and why climate change is our most burning issue today.   Follow Leah on Instagram: @leah.koenig   For more on Leah, visit: thejewishtable.substack.com & leahkoenig.com

Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory, Events at Cornman Farms, Miss Kim and Zingerman's Food Tours.  Zingerman's produces, sells and serves all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $68,000,000 a year in annual sales.  Ari was recognized as one of the “Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books, including Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon (Zingerman's Press), Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service, Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating (Houghton Mifflin), Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Building a Great Business, and Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Being a Better Leader. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 3; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Managing Ourselves.  Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business was released in summer of 2016.  In 2017 Ari was named one of “The World's 10 Top CEOs (They Lead in a Totally Unique Way)” by Inc. Magazine.  In 2018 Ari released the pamphlet, “The Art of Business; Why I Want to be an Artist.”  Another pamphlet, “Going into Business with Emma Goldman” came out in June, 2019.  “Humility; A Humble, Anarchistic Inquiry” came out in October, 2020.  “Working Through Hard Times; Life and Leadership Learnings from 2020” was published in the first weeks of 2021 and Ari's most recent work, “The Story of Visioning at Zingerman's: Four Visions, Forty Years, and a Positive Look Towards the Future,” came out in the spring of 2022.  His newest work is another pamphlet, “A Taste of Zingerman's Food Philosophy: Forty Years of Mindful Cooking and Eating.” On this episode, Ari joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the importance of having a vision, the imperfect craft of hiring, and the need to infuse dignity into an organization. Follow Zingerman's on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter   For more on Zingerman's, visit: zingermansdeli.com. To place an order, visit: zingermans.com. For Zingerman's books, visit: zingermanspress.com  For Zingerman's training, visit: zingtrain.com Ari may be reached at: ari@zingermans.com

Andrea Borghini is Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Milan, Italy, and Director of Culinary Mind, an international center promoting philosophical thinking on food with a multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach. His research develops theoretical tools to rethink how we speak, structure, sense, and feel about food, eating, and culinary cultures.  Born and raised in two small towns of central Tuscany, he professionally trained and worked in New York City and the Boston area for over 15 years. His recent articles include:  ‘Seven Philosophical Questions About Recipes' (Bloomsbury, 2022);  ‘Cooking and Dining as Forms of Public Art' (Food, Culture, and Society, 2021, with Andrea Baldini); 'Hot Grapes: How to Locally Redesign Geographical Indications to Address the Impact of Climate Change' (with Nicola Piras and Beatrice Serini), World Development Sustainability, Volume 2 (2023); 'The Justice and Ontology of Gastrospaces' (with Matteo Bonotti, Nicola Piras, and Beatrice Serini), Ethical Theory and Moral Practice (2023). ‘Defective Food Concepts' (Synthese, 2021, with Nicola Piras and Beatrice Serini); ‘Eating Local: A Philosophical Toolbox' (Philosophical Quarterly, 2021, with Nicola Piras and Beatrice Serini); ‘From Obesity to Energy Metabolism. Ontological Perspectives on the Metrics of Human Bodies' (Topoi, 2021, with DavideSerpico); Andrea co-edited the collection of essays: A Philosophy of Recipes: Making, Experiencing, and Valuing (Bloomsbury, 2022, co-curated with Patrik Engisch). On this episode, Andrea joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the philosophical implications of cooking, deriving meaning through food, and the question of who really owns a recipe. For more on Andrea, visit: https://sites.unimi.it/borghini/ and https://www.culinarymind.org/  

Long before turning his attention to architecture, David Rockwell, FAIA, had a fascination with immersive environments. Growing up in the United States and Guadalajara, Mexico, David was a child of the theater, and was often cast in community repertory productions by his mother, a vaudeville dancer and choreographer. There, he experienced the power of collaboration in service of a shared artistic goal and witnessed the ways in which narrative and design created meaning and lasting memories. Later, he would bring his passion for theater and curator's eye for the color and spectacle of Mexico to his practice. Through this unique lens, David founded Rockwell Group in 1984. Now a 300-person, cross-disciplinary architecture and design firm based in New York with satellite offices in Los Angeles and Madrid, Rockwell Group emphasizes invention and thought leadership. Merging architecture, theater, craftsmanship, and technology to create unique narratives for each project, the firm's work includes hospitality, theaters, cultural and educational institutions, transportation hubs, set design, products, exhibitions, festivals, and urban interventions that engage the public realm. Projects include the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York (Restaurant and Lobby Interior Architect); 555 Pennsylvania Avenue and Hopkins Student Center for Johns Hopkins University (Washington, D.C. and Baltimore); Coqodaq, a new restaurant concept from Simon Kim (New York); Nobu restaurants and hotels worldwide; One Madison Avenue (New York); CIVILIAN Hotel (New York); City Harvest's Cohen Community Food Rescue Center (Brooklyn); Zaytinya (New York). David Rockwell's latest book, DRAMA, developed in collaboration with designer Bruce Mau was published by Phaidon in May 2021. Honors include the National Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum; the Presidential Design Award; the AIANY President's Award; two Emmy Awards; a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for She Loves Me; the 2009 Pratt Legends Award; induction into the James Beard Foundation Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America; Interior Design magazine's Hall of Fame; and inclusion in Architectural Digest's AD100. Known for his commitment to non-profit and community organizations, David Rockwell serves as the Chair Emeritus of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) and as a board member of Citymeals on Wheels and New York Restoration Project.  On this episode, David joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the intersection of theatre, hospitality and architecture, restaurants as the ultimate public square, and the difference between a dive and a dump. Follow Rockwell Group on Instagram @rockwellgroup and LinkedIn @rockwellgroup For more on the Rockwell Group, visit: www.rockwellgroup.com

James Beard Award Nominee Elizabeth Blau is recognized for the impact of her leadership, innovation and philanthropy over a nearly four-decade career. Elizabeth is widely credited with transforming Las Vegas into a world-class culinary destination. Today, she is known for helping shape the global dining scene by bringing award winning chefs and restaurateurs to international real estate mixed use projects as well as luxury resort developments.  In 2002, she founded Blau + Associates, expanding it into one of the leading restaurant development and consulting companies. Along with her husband Chef Kim Canteenwalla, she operates successful signature restaurants including Honey Salt in Las Vegas and Vancouver, Buddy's V's Ristorante on the Las Vegas Strip, Crown Block Restaurant at the Reunion Tower in Dallas and a portfolio of acclaimed restaurants at the Parq Vancouver Resort & Casino. She also is author of “Honey Salt: A Culinary Scrapbook,” which was named Best Cookbook of 2018 by Food & Beverage Magazine. Recipient of the 2022 Cornell Hospitality Innovator award, Blau serves the global hospitality community through advisory and board roles for organizations such as École Hôtelière de Lausanne, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration (her alma mater), trustee emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America and global advisory board member emeritus at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. In 2020, she co-founded the non-profit Women's Hospitality Initiative to develop and implement programs for women to achieve leadership positions in the restaurant industry. During the pandemic, Elizabeth co-created Delivering with Dignity, a program that has delivered over 750,000 chef prepared nutritious meals to the food insecure community. On this episode, Elizabeth joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the high mortality rates of restaurants, the importance of experiential dining, and the need to address food insecurity. Follow Elizabeth on Instagram: @elizabthblau, Twitter: @elizabethblau1, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.blau.5 and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-blau-ba845b6/   For more on Elizabeth and Blau + Associates, visit: www.elizabethblau.com

Born in Caesarea on Israel's Mediterranean coast, Asaf Doktor, better known to his friends as Dok, turned his childhood love of food into a successful career as a chef, restaurateur and champion of local Israeli ingredients Along with his brother, Yotam, Dok, owns three of Tel Aviv's most popular and interesting restaurants: Ha'Achim (“Brothers”); Abie, a seafood restaurant with an impressive 3m long wood fired grill; and Dok, a celebration of local Israeli ingredients. At Dok, all but one or two items in the entire restaurant, including at the bar, are sourced from within Israel. On this episode, Dok joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses valuing Israeli produce, celebrating seasonality, and the creativity that comes from cooking with limitations. Follow Dok and his restaurants on Instagram: @asafdok, @haachim_restaurant, @makolet.Haachim, @abie.restaurant, and @dok.restaurant. To learn more about Ha'achim, visit: https://www.haachim.co.il/

Johanna Mendelson Forman is a premier expert on gastrodiplomacy, social gastronomy and how food is central to survival and resilience in the world's most active conflict zones. Her groundbreaking work is derived from her distinguished career as a practitioner and policymaker working with the U.S. government, the United Nations and the World Bank. She is one of the leading voices in the global Social Gastronomy Network, a movement that is helping a new generation of chefs and food activists address a wide range of issues including climate change, food waste, sustainability and global hunger. Her extensive list of professional credentials includes her ongoing roles as an adjunct professor at American University's School of International Service and Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, where she heads the Food Security Program. In 2015, her accomplished career in international affairs led her to create Conflict Cuisine®: An Introduction to War and Peace Around the Dinner Table – a curriculum designed to educate about food security, gastrodiplomacy and the issues she about which she is so passionate. The creation of Conflict Cuisine® expanded Johanna's work to address the relationship between food entrepreneurship, gender and inclusion. Johanna is a highly regarded expert in the specific regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, with extensive field experience in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Central America Colombia and Brazil. As such, she is frequently featured by national media including the Wall Street Journal, NPR and CNN. She has also authored a number of opinion pieces in prominent publications, most recently The Hill (February 2021). She holds a JD from Washington College of Law at American University, a PhD in Latin American History from Washington University, St. Louis, and a Master's of International Affairs from Columbia University. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College. In 2017, she helped launch the Livelihoods In Food Entrepreneurship Project (LIFE), a consortium of organizations under the Center for Private and International Enterprise. This program, which is supported by the U.S. State Department, aids Syrian refugees and Turks using food entrepreneurship as a tool for social integration. In 2019, she co-edited the LIFE Project cookbook of recipes contributed by refugees, The Cuisines of Life: Stories and Recipes of the New Food Entrepreneurs of Turkey.  On this episode, Johanna joins host Mitchell Davis and provides us an understanding of gastrodiplomacy, explores social gastronomy and offers perspective on the paradoxical power food has to both create and resolve conflicts.

A member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Chef Sean Sherman was born and raised in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Cooking in kitchens across the United States and Mexico for over 30 years, Chef Sean is renowned nationally and internationally in the culinary movement of Indigenous foods. His primary focus is the revitalization and evolution of Indigenous foods systems throughout North America. His extensive studies on the foundations of Indigenous food systems have led to his deep understanding of what is needed to showcase Native American cuisine in today's world. In 2014, Chef Sean opened the business, The Sioux Chef, designed to provide catering and food education in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. He and his business partner, Dana Thompson, also designed and opened the Tatanka Truck, which featured 100% pre-contact foods of the Dakota and Minnesota territories. In October 2017, Sean and his team presented the first decolonized dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in Manhattan. His first book, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, received the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook for 2018 and was chosen one of the top ten cookbooks of 2017 by the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Smithsonian magazine. That same year, Chef Sean was selected as a Bush Fellow and received the 2019 Leadership Award from the James Beard Foundation. Chef Sean currently serves on the leadership committee of the James Beard Foundation Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans and was recently awarded The Ashoka Fellowship. In July 2021, Chef Sean and his partner Dana opened Owamni by The Sioux Chef, Minnesota's first full service Indigenous restaurant, featuring healthy Indigenous food and drinks. Owamni received the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in June 2022. The Sioux Chef team continues with their mission to help educate and make Indigenous foods more accessible to as many communities as possible through their non-profit arm, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS) and the accompanying Indigenous Food Lab professional Indigenous kitchen and training center. Working to address the economic and health crises affecting Native communities by re-establishing Native foodways, NĀTIFS imagines a new North American food system that generates wealth and improves health in Native communities through food-related enterprises. On this episode, Sean joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses preserving culinary traditions of Native American communities, advocating for Indigenous food systems globally, and navigating cultural appropriation in the 21st century.  

Glenn Roberts founded Anson Mills in 1998 in Charleston, South Carolina, to rematriate lost foods of the 18th and 19th century Southern Pantry. Today, Anson Mills grows and produces artisan organic landrace grain, legume, and oil seed ingredients for chefs and home cooks worldwide and provides culinary research support for pastry chefs, bakers, brewers, and distillers through Anson Mills Research Lab. Anson Mills provides pro bono seed biosecurity for the growing community of Southern organic place based identity preserved landrace crop farmers. Glenn is a recipient of the USA Artisan of the Year and National Pathfinder Awards and a founding member of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation. On this episode, Glenn joins host Mitchell Davis and offers a modern take on ancient grains, describes how geography-agriculture-history inform cuisine, and highlights the flavor of biosecurity. Follow Glenn on Twitter and Instagram: @ansonmills and on TikTok: @anson_mills. For more on Glenn and Anson Mills, visit: ansonmills.com. Plus, for more on his work and the field, visit: https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/stuttgart-ar/dale-bumpers-national-rice-research-center/ 

Marjon Andesha's culinary journey started at a young age.   Born in Colorado and raised in California in a traditional Afghani home, Marjon grew up embracing diverse cultures and traditions.  Marjon's parents built and ran many restaurants and this made food a core part of Marjon's soul and upbringing.   She grew up learning from her mother's love for food and from her father's commitment to serve people with a great food experience. She learned and believed that love for food must be coupled with a passion to serve people.   In 2004, Marjon moved to Abu Dhabi with her family. She began cooking at home and entertaining her friends and family with her delicious meals. Her friends advised her to open a restaurant and share her passion with the people of Abu Dhabi.   In 2011, Marjon opened Nolu's – named after her son Noah and daughter Lujayn. Nolu's is a concept that fuses Marjon's Afghani earth roots with California's palates of health and color. In 12 years, Nolu's has grown to become one of the most admired brands with many people in the UAE and across the region coming to try it.   The concept also provides healthy to go offerings, wellness meal plans, and catering that have been proven successful in the business community. Since opening, Nolu's has won many awards as a top restaurant and became a favorite destination for the UAE leaders, VIP's and world dignitaries.   With this success, Nolu's has expanded across Abu Dhabi into Dubai with 10 concepts around the region. Having lived in the region for 18 years and counting her experience and background makes her a vital asset to the culinary scene. On this episode, Marjon joins host Mitchell Davis to share her journey as a female restaurateur in the Emirates, to highlight the UAE's expanding food scene, and to celebrate the kaleidoscope of flavors found in Afghan cuisine.   Follow Marjon and Nolu's on Instagram @marjons_experiences @marjon.andesha and @nolusrestaurants and Facebook @nolusrestaurants For more on Marjon and Nolu's, visit https://www.nolusrestaurants.com/

Paul Hobbs is a world-renowned winemaker. In 2013, Forbes Magazine referred to Hobbs as “The Steve Jobs of Wine”. He has been twice named “Wine Personality of the Year” by Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate. Over his 40+ year career, Hobbs has received more than ten 100-point scores across his portfolio—a rare feat that places him in the top echelon of the world's winemakers. He graduated from Newfane in 1971, earned his BS in Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame in 1975, and MS in Viticulture & Enology from the University of California, Davis in 1978. Regarded as an international visionary for his accomplishments in the vineyard and winery, Hobbs combines his childhood roots on the family farm in Western New York with an innovative scientific approach to refine the art of winemaking. He is recognized across the globe for breaking with tradition and forging new paths in the pursuit of excellence; both in stewardship of the land, and the crafting of wines that represent the purist concept of place – leading the way in the early 90's as a pioneer of site-specific, vineyard designate wines. Robert Parker notes that “Paul Hobbs is like a good truffle-hunting dog when it comes to finding great vineyards.” In 1979, he was appointed a member of the inaugural Opus One winemaking team joint venture between Robert Mondavi / Mouton Rothschild of Bordeaux. Later, a first trip to Argentina in 1988 marked the beginning of what today has become a highly consequential South American winemaking career. Prominently featured in Ian Mount's “The Vineyard at the End of the World: Maverick Winemakers and the Rebirth of Malbec,” Hobbs is recognized for his legendary status as the pioneer winemaker who played the leading role in launching the variety's rise to fame. Today, Hobbs is owner and vintner for eight wineries around the world: Paul Hobbs, Crossbarn, and HOBBS (California), Hillick & Hobbs (Finger Lakes, New York), Viña Cobos (Argentina), Crocus (Cahors, France), Yacoubian-Hobbs (Armenia), and Alvaredos-Hobbs (Galicia, Spain). On this episode, Paul joins host Mitchell Davis to explain terroir, share life lessons learned from winemaking, and discuss finding integrity in the way food is grown. Follow Paul Hobbs and his wineries on Instagram @phwinery, @hillickandhobbs, @crossbarnwinery and Facebook @phwinery, @hillickandhobbs, @crossbarnwine and Twitter @crossbarnwinery. For more on Paul and his wines, visit https://www.paulhobbswines.com/  

Dahlia Graham – Co-Founder / CEO, Fruition Chocolate Works   Dahlia Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fruition Chocolate Works, an award-winning bean to bar chocolate maker in New York's Hudson Valley that has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bon Appetit. With her husband Bryan Graham, she sources transparent, high-quality cocoa beans, which are then carefully crafted into dark, milk, and white chocolate bars and confections.    Dahlia holds a B.S. in Human Development with a minor in Spanish and International Studies from Binghamton University, and a Masters in Teaching from Pace University.  She is a Teach for America Alumna, and previously held the role of Director of Educational Programs at REACT to FILM in NYC. She also founded Corazón de Dahlia, a nonprofit organization that provided education and community development to impoverished, marginalized Peruvian children and families for 10 years.   Bryan Graham – Founder / Creative Director, Fruition Chocolate Works   Bryan Graham is the Founder of Fruition Chocolate Works and Confectionery. From a very young age, Bryan has been passionate about chocolate, pastry and food of all types. Bryan attributes his interest in the field of baking and pastry to his grandmother, an outstanding baker. During visits to her farm in upstate New York, Bryan learned how to pick perfectly ripe ingredients and transform them into pies, cakes, jams and jellies. At the age of 16, Bryan began an in depth study through a high school mentor program where he became an apprentice at the renowned Bear Café in Woodstock, New York. Within the first week of working beside Executive Pastry Chef Heather Haviland, Bryan confirmed his love for pastry. After showing commitment to the craft and dedication to the restaurant, Bryan was offered a permanent position as an assistant to the baker and Pastry Chef. At age 18, after graduating high school, he took over that role. Five years later, Bryan decided to continue with a formal education at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He completed his externship at Jacques Torres Chocolates in NYC. However, it wasn't until Bryan made a tiny batch of chocolate from bean to bar with Chef Peter Greweling that an interest in the history and science of chocolate and confectionery was sparked. Since, Bryan has educated himself on the science, technique, and craft of chocolate. In 2013, Bryan was named Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America by Dessert Professional Magazine. He and his team continue to be recognized with a multitude of awards including Good Food Awards, Academy of Chocolate Awards, and International Chocolate Awards. On this episode, Dahlia and Bryan join host Mitchell Davis and discuss Cacao's long journey from bean to bar, the temperamental nature of chocolate, and why every small business should find a bookkeeper they can trust. Follow Fruition Chocolate Works on Twitter: @TasteFruition, Instagram: @fruitionchocolate and Facebook: @FruitionChocolate For more on Fruition Chocolate Works, visit fruitionchocolateworks.com

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show's inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on BRAVO's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now entering its 20th anniversary season. She was most recently a co-host of The Good Dish, the daily syndicated series offering delicious recipes, real-life wisdom, and conversations on the topics of the day, and was formerly host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE. In February 2012, she published her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for best general cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail's world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining. Gail frequently appears on other daytime television shows such as TODAY on NBC, Rachael Ray and The Talk, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by The New York Post. She is the co-founder of Bumble Pie Productions, and the newest Global Ambassador for Children in Conflict, an international organization committed to protecting, educating and providing critical aid for the world's most vulnerable children affected by war. Gail sits on the board of several other nonprofit organizations and philanthropic endeavors, including City Harvest and Hot Bread Kitchen. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole. On this episode, Gail joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses what it takes to stand out on Top Chef, the democratization of restaurants, and the importance of being treated with respect in the kitchen. Follow Gail on Instagram @gailsimmonseats, Facebook Gail Simmons and Twitter @gailsimmons. For more on Gail and her work, visit: https://gailsimmons.com/

Ivan's journey began with a dishwashing job at a sushi bar when he was 15. He discovered a culture and cuisine that would shape the rest of his life. Upon graduating high school, Ivan decided to major in Japanese language and literature at the University of Colorado, Boulder. After graduating, Ivan immediately moved to Japan to teach English and he quickly cemented his love of everything Japanese. He returned to the US in 1990 and enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, and began his culinary training. Upon graduation from the CIA, and stints at Mesa Grill, Lutece, and Restaurant Associates, Ivan returned to Tokyo to live in the country that he fell in love with. He had still never given thought to combining his love for cooking and Japan, but that was soon to change. Ivan was anxious to start a food-related business in Japan but was unsure of which direction to take. He thought about opening a cooking school, a sandwich shop, even a pizzeria. It was his wife's suggestion that he open a ramen shop. This move seemed destined for failure in a country where ramen enjoys a cult-like status. Incredibly, Ivan not only succeeded but became one of the top ramen shops in Tokyo, an unheard of accomplishment for a foreigner. In 2010 a second shop, Ivan Ramen Plus, was opened. In 2012, Ivan returned to NY with the hopes of opening a business back home, while continuing to operate his two shops in Tokyo. In the meantime, his cookbook  "Ivan Ramen" was published. His first venture in the US, Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop, opened at the Gotham West Market on 600 11th Avenue in November of 2013 to huge crowds and critical acclaim. Soon after, his US flagship, Ivan Ramen opened at 25 Clinton Street on New York's Lower East Side. Although only Ivan Ramen remains open, it continues to enjoy critical acclaim and has been mentioned in countless magazines, websites, blogs, and television programs. Ivan is widely recognized as the American authority on ramen and all things Japanese. His effortless crossover from American to Japanese cultures has given him a distinct advantage. He speaks fluent Japanese and has a deep understanding of the culture which allows him to present a product that appeals to both Japanese and American audiences. In February of 2017 Ivan was featured in the hit NETFLIX series CHEF'S TABLE, instantly vaulting him into the company of some of the world's great chefs and restaurateurs. This honor has driven even more fans of ramen to his restaurant, where he continues to serve them his uniquely  "Ivan" cuisine.  On this episode, Ivan joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses how as an American he became a ramen sensation in Japan, finding wonderful inspiration from horrible restaurants, and why it's important to have razor sharp knives. Follow Ivan on Facebook @ivanramen, Instagram @ramenjunkie and Twitter @IvanRamenNYC. Get your copies of Ivan's books: Ivan Ramen Cookbook and The Gaijin Cookbook For more on Ivan and his work, visit: www.ivanramen.com

Naama Shefi is a kibbutznik and New Yorker, whose work sits at the intersection of food, culture, community building, and art. In 2017, she founded the Jewish Food Society, which preserves and celebrates Jewish culinary heritage through a digital recipe archive and dynamic events. In the summer of 2021, she launched Asif: Culinary Institute of Israel, a center in Tel Aviv dedicated to exploring the diverse and creative food culture of Israel. Previously, Naama curated programs promoting Israeli and Jewish culinary culture through the hit pop-up The Kubbeh Project and the Israeli Consulate in New York. She also immersed herself in start-up culture as the marketing director of EatWith, which hosts pop-ups in 160 cities. Food, Naama believes, is one of the most profound ways to build community. On this episode, Naama joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses Israel's diverse food traditions, preserving Jewish culinary heritage, and why rugelach are just as exciting as croissants. Follow Naama on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @naamashefi.  Follow the Jewish Food Society on Facebook and Instagram @jewishfoodsociety & Asif on Facebook and Instagram @asif.tlv. For more on Naama and her work, visit: Asif.org & Jewishfoodsociety.org.

Born in Mumbai, Chintan became interested in the culinary world at a young age. When of age, he enrolled in one of the most prestigious culinary schools in India, the Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development where he trained under the finest chefs from Oberoi Hotels. His professional career began at a hotel restaurant in Mumbai, where he spent eight years in the kitchen learning traditional Indian cuisine and techniques. During this time, Chintan traveled throughout the sub-continent in order to develop a deeper connection with the way locals ate and became well versed in the bold spices and dishes he came across. Eventually Chintan left India for bigger opportunities. His culinary career took him to an extremely diverse set of locales including Singapore, Cleveland, Atlanta, and finally New York. It was in New York that Chintan joined the Michelin-starred Junoon for a brief stint before he met restaurateur Roni Mazumdar in 2017 and became the chef at the modern and upscale Rahi, followed by Adda Indian Canteen for which Chintan was the winner of the 2019 StarChefs New York Rising Star and within a year after Adda opened the restaurant was on the short list to be nominated for a James Beard Foundation award for “Best New Restaurant” Food & Wine Magazine's "Top Ten Best New Restaurants 2019", Eater National's Best New Restaurants 2019” and Bon Appetit's "Top 50 Best New Restaurants of 2019". In 2020, Chintan was looked at as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards "Best Chef in the NY Region". In 2021 the duo opened Dhamaka, for which Chintan won The James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef New York State. The first win in this category for an Indian chef. Dhamaka was also named the #1 restaurant of the year by The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and one of the top 50 restaurants in the country by The New York Times. Dhamaka was also nominated for the James Beard Foundation “Best New Restaurant of 2021” award. Chintan has also taken cuisine to the next level by partnering with artist Mattia Casalegno in Aerobanquets RMX, a virtual reality experience combining food and fantasy, which took place at the James Beard House, and continues to tour the globe. In 2022, he and partner Mazumdar opened the quick service eatery Rowdy Rooster serving Indian spiced fried chicken for which Food & Wine Magazine named them as one of 16 people and companies changing the way we eat and drink in 2022. The pair will soon open Kebabwala celebrating India's long tradition of fresh, and flavorful, kebabs which vary across the country, and Masalawala located in Park Slope, Brooklyn featuring regional Indian cuisine. Chef Pandya's mission is to push the boundaries of what Indian food means in America. He continues to break new ground on an under-appreciated but phenomenal cuisine. On this episode, Chintan joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses Fun Dining vs. Fine Dining, the importance of being financially savvy, and why it's okay to be shellfish in learning. Follow Chintan on Instagram @chefchintan. For more on Chintan and his restaurants, visit: https://unapologeticfoods.nyc/

Fabio Parasecoli is Professor of Food Studies in the Nutrition and Food Studies Department at New York University, researching the cultural politics of food in the fields of intangible heritage, media, and design. His recent books include: Knowing Where It Comes From: Labeling Traditional Foods to Compete in a Global Market (2017); Food (2019); Global Brooklyn: Designing Food Experiences in World Cities (2021, co-edited with Mateusz Halawa); and Gastronativism: Food, Identity, Politics (2022). On this episode, Fabio joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the ideological use of food as a political tool, unpacking the meaning of “Food Design”, and teaching students to think differently versus teaching them to do different things. Follow Fabio on Facebook and LinkedIn under Fabio Parasecoli, and on Instagram and Twitter @fparasecoli. For more on Fabio, visit: https://fabioparasecoli.com/  

Bronwen Percival is the cheese buyer for Neal's Yard Dairy in London. In addition to working with cheesemakers and the company's maturation team to select and optimize the quality of the cheese they sell, she works to mobilize collaboration between cheesemakers and the scientific community. In 2012, she instigated a biennial conference on the Science of Artisan Cheese. In early 2014, she spent two months in the Dutton Lab at Harvard University studying the role of marine-associated Proteobacteria on cheese rinds. Along with Dr. Benjamin Wolfe, she co-founded the website MicrobialFoods.org, a scientific resource for producers, purveyors, and enthusiasts of artisan microbial foods. She is the co-author, with her husband Francis, of Reinventing the Wheel: Milk, Microbes, and the Fight for Real Cheese (UC Press, 2017). On this episode, Bronwen joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses cheese as a cultural artifact; coming to grips with the environment, sustainability and changing diets; and the importance of asking awkward questions.  Follow Bronwen on Instagram: @bronwenpercival. For more of Bronwen's work and cheese, visit:  https://scienceofartisancheese.com/, https://microbialfoods.org/,  https://www.londongastronomyseminars.com/, and https://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/

Clay Williams photographs food, drinks, and the people and places that define food culture. Over the last 15 years his adventures have taken him on road trips through Argentina and South Louisiana. They have found him hanging off the back of food trucks from Paris to The Bronx. He has sweat it out in tight kitchens with Michelin-starred chefs and wandered through fields of livestock with butchers and chefs seeking the origins of the meat and produce they purvey. And in the last two years, he's documented how the pandemic has impacted the people, restaurants, and communities throughout New York. Most recently, Clay's work has allowed him to photograph the food and stories of James Beard Rising Star Chef Kwame Onwuachi and Gullah Matriarch Ms. Emily Meggett, whose cookbooks were released in Spring of 2022. When he's not on set shooting cookbooks, you can find him on assignment for The New York Times, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The James Beard Foundation. In 2019, Clay co-founded Black Food Folks, a platform for professionals working in food and food media. The organization has provided a space to connect, collaborate, and share stories within the community. From 2020 through 2021, Black Food Folks hosted over 200 live conversations among members of the community and provided over $85,000 in grants to Black-run organizations in food and food media throughout the country. Most recently, Black Food Folks has launched a podcast, Black Desserts, currently in its second season. If Clay isn't behind the camera, he might be behind the stove cooking at home or out exploring local gems around the world. He lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, with his wife, Tammi Williams, a textile artist and founder of Yarn & Whiskey. Clay is available for assignments and projects  in New York and Philadelphia, and is happy to travel further afield. He is a member of @DiversifyPhoto. On this episode, Clay joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the changing depiction of food in photography, the need to build trust with ones subject, and the importance of anticipating a shot and framing it before it happens (especially in the kitchen!). Follow Clay and his work on Twitter and Instagram: @ultraclay and Clay Williams Photo on Facebook. To see more of Clay's work, visit: claywilliamsphoto.com

James Beard Award- winning Pastry Chef, Dominique Ansel has shaken up the pastry world with innovation and creativity at the heart of his work. Chef Dominique is responsible for creating some of the most fêted pastries in the world, including: the Cronut® (named one of TIME Magazine's “25 Best inventions of 2013”), The Cookie Shot, Frozen S'more, Blossoming Hot Chocolate, and many more. He is the Chef/Owner of eponymous bakeries in New York City and Hong Kong, and has been named the World's Best Pastry Chef by the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards. He is also the recipient of the Ordre du Mérite Agricole, France's second highest honor. Perhaps what has been most widely been reported on is Dominique's creation of the Cronut®, his signature croissant-doughnut hybrid pastry that first launched at his eponymous Bakery in New York in May 2013, soon becoming the world's first-ever viral pastry. Within hours, photos of the Cronut® spread across the social media sphere, and a single blog post about this brand new pastry was linked to over 140,000 times in just the first day. Within days, guests visited from all around the world to line up for blocks around the bakery, rain or shine. Taking two months and more than 10 different recipes to perfect, the Cronut® isn't simply croissant dough that's been fried. Made with laminated dough that has been likened to a croissant (but instead uses a proprietary recipe), it's first proofed then fried in grapeseed oil at a specific temperature. Once cooked, each Cronut® is 1. rolled in sugar; 2. filled with cream; and 3. topped with glaze. The entire process takes three days to complete. Today, Cronut® pastries are available only at Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York, with the flavor changing every month, never repeating. In its first year, TIME Magazine named the Cronut® one of the “25 Best Inventions of 2013,” and it has since appeared in the news across the world, from Good Morning America to the The Today Show, ABC's The Chew, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Live with Kelly & Michael, CNN's Piers Morgan Live with Anthony Bourdain, E! News, Bloomberg, and more. It has also been featured on TV shows like Modern Family, The Mindy Project, Jeopardy!, Two Broke Girls, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Gilmore Girls, and others. But before the Cronut®, a time that our very first guests refer to as B.C. (“Before Cronut®”), it all began years ago from humble beginnings. Growing up in a small town in France just north of Paris, Dominique never set out to become a chef. At the age of 16, he began working at a local restaurant in order to help support his family. There was a free culinary school in his hometown, so he enrolled in their apprenticeship program, first as a savory cook and then as a pastry cook. It was the precision and scientific nature of pastry that appealed to Dominique immediately, and from then on, he knew what he was meant to do. At age 19, Dominique went on to complete his military service in French Guyana in South America as part of a community program teaching locals how to cook. Upon returning to France, he used all of his savings to buy a beat-up car and drove to Paris, dropping off resumes at any bakery he could find. He later landed at the legendary French pastry shop, Fauchon, as one of 30 seasonal holiday workers. He was told only one employee would remain at the end of the season, and when the time came, he was the one they chose. Dominique stayed with Fauchon for nearly eight years, eventually leading international expansion, traveling the world opening new shops. In 2006, Dominique moved to New York City with just two suitcases to serve as the Executive Pastry Chef of Daniel Boulud's renowned restaurant Daniel. During his six years there, the restaurant earned its coveted third Michelin star and a four-star review from The New York Times. In November 2011, with a team of just four employees, Dominique opened Dominique Ansel Bakery on a quiet Soho street. Serving both sweet and savory items with pastries reigning supreme, the bakery became a neighborhood destination and was named Time Out New York's best bakery and Zagat's highest ranked bakery in the city. Signature creations like the DKA (Dominique's Kouign Amann) and made-to-order Madeleines quickly became guest favorites. It wasn't until May 2013 that a new creation Dominique deemed the Cronut® launched, putting this small Soho shop on the map worldwide. The Bakery became the birthplace of more new creations and internationally beloved inventions, from the Frozen S'mores to the Cookie Shot, Gingerbread Pinecone, Christmas Morning Cereal, Blossoming Hot Chocolate and more. In 2020, Dominique launched Dang Wen Li by Dominique Ansel in Hong Kong, featuring a capsule collection of brand new pastries created exclusively for Hong Kong, made-to-order specialties, and classic French viennoiserie. 2021 brought the launch of two new shops: a new location of Dang Wen Li by Dominique Ansel opened in June 2021 at H Queen's in the heart of Hong Kong's Central neighborhood. And in July 2021, Chef Dominique launched Dominique Ansel Workshop, a croissant counter inside of his Flatiron NYC kitchens, with a menu celebrating all things viennoiserie – from classics reimagined to old-school French recipes recreated with a modern twist. Coming up in Fall 2022, Chef Dominique will be opening his first shop in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. Dominique Ansel Las Vegas will feature a number of his signature creations as well as a collection of brand new pastries made just for the city. Dominique published his first cookbook, DOMINIQUE ANSEL: The Secret Recipes (Simon & Schuster), in October 2014, featuring a number of signature recipes from his flagship Dominique Ansel Bakery in NYC. His second cookbook, Everyone Can Bake, debuted in April 2020, with his favorite go-to recipes for bases, fillings, and finishing so readers can mix-and- match and create endless possibilities of delicious desserts at home. Outside of the kitchen, Dominique is a dedicated supporter of various charitable organizations, including the fight to end hunger with Food Bank for New York City, City Harvest, and God's Love We Deliver. In the Cronut®'s first year alone, he helped to raise over $100,000 by auctioning off just 24 Cronut® pastries. On this episode, Dominique joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the backstory and beyond the Cronut®, the importance of not giving up easily, and why it's best to work for people you believe in. Follow Dominique on Instagram @dominiqueansel For more on Dominique and his work, visit: www.DominiqueAnsel.com

Kevin Patricio is the co-founder and CEO of Basqueland Brewing. Kevin emigrated from the United States to Spain in 2011 with his family and now resides in San Sebastian in the Basque Country. Kevin's professional career started in New York City at Food & Wine Magazine in 1998. After six years at the magazine he left to pursue a career in the kitchen. He continued to consult for media and spirit companies until the kitchen took him completely. He trained in NYC classics like The Red Cat, Blue Hill, as well as Arzak in San Sebastian. It wasn't until he was running a kitchen in San Sebastian in 2011 that craft beer came knocking.  “In the USA, I took the availability of craft beer for granted. Almost everywhere you go, you're never far from good beer. That all changed when I got to the Basque Country in 2011. The craft beer culture was pre-embryonic. I really wanted to complete the experience for customers in and out of the restaurant which in this case meant having quality, local beer.” He opened Basqueland Brewery in 2015. The brewery is one of the largest independent breweries in Spain and has been named Best Brewery Spain four times in five years (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022) by the Concurso Nacional de Cerveceros, Fira Poblenou; as well as Best Brewery two years in a row (2021-2022) in the international competition, Barcelona Beer Challenge. It can be said that Basqueland is best known for their IPAs, from West Coast to DDH and session to DIPA. The team takes great care with all styles from its crisp, clean Santa Clara Helles Lager to massive pastry stouts and zingy sours. “We strive to make the best beer we can in whatever style.”  Basqueland has recently opened Basqueland Izakaia in San Sebastian–a small tavern with Asian bar food and organic wine. It has become a beacon for Asian food in San Sebastian. Kevin hosts guest-chef pop-ups which have included Andy Ricker of Pok Pok and wine guest Nico Boise, the sommelier from Restaurante Elkano. On this episode, Patrick joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses how as an American he's making a splash on Spain's craft beer scene, the culinary treasures of the Basque country, and why the five French mother sauces are “a little dusty and on the shelf”. Follow Patrick and his work on Instagram: @kpatricio; @basquelandbrew and @basqueland_izakaia To learn more about Basqueland Beer, visit: www.basquebeer.com

Gabriella Ganugi is an architect and the founder of Florence University of the Arts – The American University of Florence, an institution for higher education situated in 6 campus locations in the historic center of Florence, Italy. FUA-AUF currently collaborates with over 140 colleges and universities worldwide. The institution features a distinct educational model developed by Gabriella and copyrighted in Italy where learning is integrated in and supported by community engagement. Community-facing projects are grouped under the university's non-profit foundation and include the Palazzi Community Center (an intercultural and intergenerational space for the Florentine community opened during the pandemic in Fall 2020), Fedora Pastry Shop, Sorgiva Spa, Dimora Guest Apartments, Pomario Botanical Retail Store, Ganzo Restaurant, the exhibition galleries Corridoio Fiorentino and F_AIR (which includes a residency program for artists), the fashion store FLY, CCIS Center for Cultural and Italian Studies, FUA-AUF's university press Ingorda, and EntrepreLearn Lab. Gabriella is the recipient of the 2010 AIAE Association of Italian American Educators “Educator of the Year” award and the Florence Chamber of Commerce award for extraordinary female entrepreneurs. She also received the University of South Florida President's Global Leadership award in 2012 for her efforts in cultural and international crossovers in education. Her memoir, published by Ugo Mursia Editore in Italy, recounts the story of a young Tuscan girl who grew up to make an impact on international education and was spotlighted in several events and presentations in Italy, the US, and Belgium. She lives in Florence and New York City. On this episode of What's Burning, Gabriella's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around the idea that to learn you need to be a good teacher, the beauty of connecting students with community and why a meal isn't just something you eat at your desk in Italy. Follow Gabriella on Facebook @gganugi and on Instagram @gabriellaganugi For more on Gabriella and her work, visit: https://www.gabriellaganugi.com/en/, http://fua.it/ and https://apicius.it/

Paul Newnham is the Director of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Advocacy Hub, a secretariat catalyzing, convening, and connecting NGOs, advocacy groups, civil society, the private sector and UN agencies to coordinate global campaigning and advocacy to achieve food systems transformation. To this end, the SDG2 Hub facilitates a network of 1000+ chefs from over 90 countries to support chef action on the SDGs. Chefs are equipped with a simple set of actions called the Chefs' Manifesto, to drive progress to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The Hub also lead the development of the Good Food For All Campaign that has been taken on by the UN Food System Summit to drive Public Engagement. Paul is a strategic innovator and executive leader with demonstrated expertise in driving teams, connecting people, sustainability and development, and delivering impressive global solutions to complex community challenges. He is a passionate and dynamic leader with twenty five [25]+ years of proven expertise in Sustainability, Food Systems, Non-Profit Management, Communications, Campaigning and Advocacy, delivered through consistent and competitive methodologies, strong network development, superior client service and executive presence. His extensive knowledge of the Not-for-profit sector and vast experience in managing complex stakeholder relationships is complemented by his work with communities in Africa, Asia, The Middle East, Europe and The Americas. A skilled communicator, with a narrative that entices people to get on board, Paul starts movements that make global impact and change. He possesses strong business acumen, and exceptional advocacy skills, with the ability to build deeply engaging relationships and influence decision makers, improve practices, drive change, and deliver impactful solutions to complex problems alongside communities around the world. On this episode, Paul joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the role food plays in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, climate change's impact on our food supply, and why training as a chef shouldn't be done in a bubble. Follow Paul on Instagram @paulnewnham, Facebook @mrpaulnewnham, Twitter @SDG2AdvocacyHub and LinkedIn. To learn more about Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Advocacy Hub, visit: https://sdg2advocacyhub.org To learn more about Good Food For All, visit: https://www.goodfood4all.org

Carolyn Steel is a leading thinker on food and cities. A London-based architect, author and academic, she wrote the award-winning Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives (2008) and Sitopia: How Food Can Save the World (2020). Her concept of sitopia, or food-place (from the Greek sitos, food + topos, place) has gained broad recognition across a range of fields in design, ecology, academia and the arts. Carolyn studied architecture at Cambridge University and has since taught at Cambridge, London Metropolitan University, Wageningen University, Slow Food University and at the London School of Economics, where she was inaugural studio director of the Cities Programme. Her lecture series on Food and the City, given at Cambridge between 2002-12, was the first of its kind. Carolyn is a non-executive director of Kilburn Nightingale Architects, a trustee of the Oxford Symposium of Food and Cookery and is currently a Research Fellow at Aeres University in the Netherlands. She writes and broadcasts regularly about food, cities and culture and is in international demand as a speaker. Her 2009 TEDGlobal talk has received more than one million views. On this episode, Carolyn joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the potential to change the world through food, placing value on what we eat, and why the word “mundane” is anything but. Follow Carolyn on Twitter @carolynsteel For more on Carolyn and her work, visit: https://www.carolynsteel.com/

Pati Jinich is the James Beard Award-winning Mexican chef and New York Times bestselling author who has dedicated her career to building a shared understanding between her two neighboring home countries: Mexico, where she was born, and the United States, where she lives currently and is raising her family. She's the executive producer and host of the Emmy-nominated PBS series Pati's Mexican Table, which has brought Mexican flavors, colors and textures into American homes and kitchens for more than 10 years, as Pati takes viewers through the diverse geographic regions of the country. Pati is also the executive producer and host of La Frontera, her PBS Primetime special that debuted in fall 2021, which uses food as a vehicle to showcase the vibrant people and culture along the largely misunderstood and misrepresented US-Mexico border.  Named one of the “100 Greatest Cooks of All-Time,” Pati has won a Gracie Award for her television work, is the resident chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute, has been named one of the “Top 5 Border Ambassadors” by The Council of Americas, and has authored three cookbooks highlighting Mexican cuisine. Pati's most recent cookbook, Treasures of the Mexican Table, released November 2021 and was a New York Times bestseller, was named one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Glamour, Food & Wine, and others. Additionally, Pati is a contributor to the New York Times. On this episode, Pati joins host Mitchell Davis and discusses the mosaic of Mexican cuisine, cooking as a portal to the world, and why chilis are just vegetables with personality. Follow Pati on Instagram @PatiJinich  For more on Pati and her work, visit: PatiJinich.com 

Ivan Brehm, chef-owner of one Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri (established in 2017) and creative interdisciplinary space Appetite (established in 2018) is recognized for having developed a groundbreaking approach to cuisine which he calls Crossroads Thinking. In addition to being a chef and restaurateur, Brehm is inspired by interdisciplinary thinking. The 38-year-old Brazilian chef honed his skills in some of the world's most vaunted kitchens including Thomas Keller's Per Se in New York; Andoni Luis Aduriz's Mugaritz in San Sebastian; and Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck, as well as his Experimental Kitchen, in Bray. Collectively, his professional experiences are significant. His time spent under the tutelage of each culinary iconoclast in his early career exposed Brehm to an incredibly rich diversity and contributed to a unique perspective of interconnection as they are expressed in the fields of cuisine, as well as philosophy, science, arts, and culture. In the ensuing years, Brehm has applied the rigors of research and development to his work in the kitchen. He has done this while also embracing his passion for philosophical and anthropological thought. Over time, Brehm has distilled his practice down to Crossroads Thinking. “Crossroads Thinking is my attempt at highlighting the interdependence of things using food and other forms of expression as a point of departure,” the curious chef explains. “It suggests that no one — no thing — exists in isolation and all things influence one another. Cooking food this way to connect with guests in a way that is deeper and more meaningful to both diners, chefs and servers alike.” Brehm has Culinary Art degrees from Senac, in his native Brazil, and the Culinary Institute of America. After his time at Per Se in New York and Mugaritz in San Sebastian, he worked at Paco Roncero's La Terraza del Casino in Madrid before travelling to Italy where he found himself learning about wine-making and the precious food traditions of Piemonte. In 2006, he moved to London and worked under Claude Bosi at Hibiscus in London before spending over four years with Heston Blumenthal. In 2012, he moved to Singapore to establish the kitchen at Bacchanalia which earned a Michelin star under his leadership. He left the now closed restaurant in 2017 and opened Nouri which earned its first Michelin star shortly after. In 2018, he established Appetite first as a virtual research center, and then — in the midst of a global pandemic — as a creative space at the intersection of food, art and music. The success of this unique space is a testament to people's interest in content rich and meaningful experiences. Brehm has called Singapore home for over a decade. On this episode of What's Burning, Ivan Brehm's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around cooking at the Crossroads, the importance of EQ in the kitchen, and why “local" isn't always better. Follow Ivan on Instagram @ivanbrehm. For more on Ivan and his work, visit: www.appetitesq.com and www.noui.com.sg     

Matthew Kenney is one of the world's first leading chefs at the forefront of plant-based cuisine. A culinary educator, he is the author of 12 cookbooks and a best-selling memoir. As the CEO of Matthew Kenney Cuisine, he oversees a multifaceted lifestyle company specializing in plant-based cuisine throughout several unique markets. He graduated from the French Culinary Institute and, after working in upscale New York City kitchens, opened a number of his own highly regarded restaurants in New York and along the East Coast. Matthew has earned several awards, including being named one of America's Best New Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine and was twice nominated as a Rising Star Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation. He has appeared on numerous food and talk shows, and regularly lectures on the subject of food and health, including two highly-watched TEDx talks. On this episode of What's Burning, Matthew Kenney's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around advocating for a plant-based diet, changing the food system from a chef's perspective, and learning the value of mise en place. Follow Matthew on Facebook @matthewkenneycuisine and on Instagram @matthewkenneycuisine and @foodfutureinstitute. For more on Matthew and his work, visit: matthewkenneycuisine.com

Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University, in the department she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she retired in September 2017. She earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley. Previous faculty positions were at Brandeis University and the UCSF School of Medicine. From 1986-88, she was senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services and editor of the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health. Her research and writing examine scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice and its consequences, emphasizing the role of food industry marketing. Marion is the author, co-author, or co-editor of fourteen books, several of them prize-winning, most notably Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (2002); Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety (2003); What to Eat (2006); Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics, with Dr. Malden Nesheim (2012); Eat, Drink Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics (2013); and Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning) in 2015.  She has also written two books about pet food, Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine (2008) and Feed Your Pet Right in 2010 (also with Dr. Nesheim). She published Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat, in 2018.  Her most recent book, with Kerry Trueman, is Let's Ask Marion: What You Need to Know about the Politics of Food, Nutrition, and Health (2020).  Her forthcoming book with University of California Press is a memoir to be published in October 2022, Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics. Marion's books and activities have won many awards and honors, among them four James Beard awards, Bard College's John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service, the Public Health Hero award from the University of California School of Public Health at Berkeley (which also named her Alumni of the Year), and Les Dames d'Escoffier International's Grand Dame award.  She also has been awarded honorary degrees from Transylvania University in Kentucky, and the City University of New York's Macaulay Honors College. From 2008 to 2013, she wrote a monthly Food Matters column for the San Francisco Chronicle food section. She blogs daily (almost) at www.foodpolitics.com. Her Twitter account, @marionnestle, has been named among the top 10 in health and science by Time Magazine, Science Magazine, and The Guardian, and has more than 140,000 followers.  On this episode of What's Burning, Marion Nestle's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around the problem with nutritional research, the need for people to learn to cook, and food as a marker of identity. Follow Marion on both Twitter and Instagram: @marionnestle.

Marcus Samuelsson is the acclaimed chef behind many restaurants worldwide including Red Rooster Harlem, MARCUS Montreal, Marcus B&P, Red Rooster Overtown, Streetbird at Yankee Stadium and Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House. He was the youngest person to ever receive a three-star review from The New York Times and has won eight James Beard Foundation Awards. Marcus is a longstanding judge on the hit Food Network show “Chopped”, head judge of “Top Chef Family Style” and “Iron Chef” on Netflix's rebooted “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend”. He is the author of multiple books including The New York Times bestselling memoir Yes, Chef and his latest book The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. On this episode of What's Burning, Marcus Samuelsson's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around being an outsider in the kitchen, the unwritten rules of mentorship, and re-defining the meaning of a successful restaurant. Follow Marcus on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @MarcusCooks.

Sam Kass is the former Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition in the Obama administration, Executive Director of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Campaign and the Obama family chef. He is a Partner in Acre Venture Partners. After cooking for the Obamas in Chicago for two years, Sam joined the White House kitchen staff in 2009. During his White House tenure, he took on several additional roles including Executive Director of First Lady Michelle Obama's “Let's Move!” campaign and Senior White House Policy Advisor for Nutrition. Sam is the first person in the history of the White House to have a position in the Executive Office of the President and the Residence. As one of the First Lady's longest-serving advisors, he helped the First Lady create the first major vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden.  Currently Sam is a Partner at Acre Venture Partners. Acre is a venture capital fund investing in the future of food with a mission to improve human and environmental health in the food system. The fund focuses on early stage, highly disruptive impactful companies in the food system focused on agriculture, supply chain and consumer. In 2011, Fast Company included Sam in their list of 100 Most Creative People, and in 2012, he helped create the American Chef Corps, which is dedicated to promoting diplomacy through culinary initiatives. He is an MIT Media Lab fellow and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago. Sam is the author of Eat a Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World, which was published by Clarkson Potter on April 17, 2018. On this episode of What's Burning, Sam Kass' chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around working with Michelle Obama on a healthier America, food and agriculture's role in mitigating climate change, and accidentally smashing the Truman Balcony on the White House gingerbread house!

Tamar Haspel writes the James Beard Award-winning Washington Post column Unearthed, which covers the intersection of food and science: how what we eat affects us and our planet. She's also written for Discover, Vox, Slate, Fortune, Eater, and Edible Cape Cod. Together with journalist Mike Grunwald, Tamar co-hosts the Climavores podcast, which takes a good, hard, entertaining look at food's impact on climate and environment. When she's tired of the heavy lifting of journalism, she gets dirty. She and her husband, Kevin Flaherty, grow their own tomatoes, catch their own fish, hunt their own venison, and raise their own chickens. If she tells you a wild mushroom is OK to eat, you can believe her. And her book, TO BOLDLY GROW, will convince you to try it. On this episode of What's Burning, Tamar Haspel's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around the inculcation of overeating, our feelings versus the reality of local farming, and why we like Twinkies better than carrots.

Tanya Holland is the founder of Brown Sugar Kitchen restaurant and author of Brown Sugar Kitchen and New Soul Cooking cookbooks. She is also the Chef/Chair of The James Beard Foundation Awards. Her Oakland based restaurant received multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand awards. Tanya is an in-demand public speaker who frequently leads the conversation on inclusion and equity in the hospitality industry. She competed on the 15th season of Top Chef on Bravo, was the host/soul food expert on Food Network's Melting Pot and has appeared on The Today Show, The Talk, CBS This Morning, Hallmark Channel's Home & Family, VH1′s Soul Cities, Sara Moulton's Cooking Live, The Wayne Brady Show, TV One's My Momma Throws Down, and PBS' The Great American Chef's Tour. Tanya may be heard on the critically-acclaimed “Tanya's Table” podcast, produced by MuddHouse Media. On it, she's interviewed numerous celebrities including: Alice Waters, Danny Meyer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Danny Glover, Bonnie Raitt, Phil Rosenthal and more. Tanya has served as co-president of the prestigious Les Dames d'Escoffier Bay Area chapter, and was honored by the City of Oakland when June 5, 2012, was declared “Tanya Holland Day.” A year later she was awarded the Key to The City. Internationally, she served as a Culinary Diplomat for the US State Department in Kazakhstan and Mexico and has taught classes in France for gastronomic travelers. Tanya received her Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language and Literature from the University of Virginia, and a Grande Diplôme from La Varenne École de Cuisine in Burgundy, France. On this episode of What's Burning, Tanya Holland's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around knowledge as power, the importance of searching for a mentor and creating generational wealth through financial access.

A chef and baker, Erez Komarovsky is considered the godfather of Israeli baking and one of Israel's most prominent culinary figures. Erez is one part of "Erez and Hanan" the high-end catering company, head of the “Galilean Cooking School” in Matat, founder of the legendary "Lehem Erez" and the author of many cookbooks. He partakes in special culinary projects and is a mentor and judge on "Game of Chefs", a cooking competition show currently broadcast on Israel's Channel 13. Over a decade ago, Erez moved his residence from Tel Aviv to Mitzpe Matat, in the Galilee. His connection to the land and the opportunities created for him by nature on a daily basis were an invitation to a new phase of creation. His culinary fingerprint consists of plenty of organic vegetables freshly picked from the garden beds he cultivates with dedication, free range Galilean meat and poultry, and breads and focaccias baked in succession in his tabun clay oven. All of these distinguish Erez's Galilean culinary identity. On this episode of What's Burning, Erez Komarovsky's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around Israel's idiosyncratic culinary scene, recognizing food comes from nature not suppliers and bringing one's personality to an onion. 

Joshna Maharaj is a chef, a two-time TEDx speaker and activist who wants to help everyone have a better relationship with their food. She believes strongly in the power of chefs & social gastronomy to bring values of hospitality, sustainability, and social justice to the table. Joshna works with hospitals and schools in Canada to build new models for institutional food service. Her first book entitled Take Back the Tray (May 2020), captures the lessons and experience from her work in changing institutional food systems around the globe. She is an enthusiastic instructor of both culinary and academic students, constantly finding ways to make food stories come alive. Joshna hosts Kitchen Helpdesk, a weekly call-in food show on CBC Radio, and she co-hosts a food & drink podcast called Hot Plate, currently in its 4th season. On this episode of What's Burning, Joshna Maharaj's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around changing menus in public institutions, prioritizing food in a post-pandemic world, and spending less time jumping through other people's hoops.

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and social justice advocate. As the creator, executive producer and host of Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern's Driven by Food and Emmy-winning The Zimmern List, he has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food. In 2020, Andrew returned to television with his MSNBC series What's Eating America, and in 2021, he premiered Family Dinner on Chip & Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network. In 2022, Andrew Zimmern's Wild Game Kitchen will premiere on the Outdoor Channel. All three shows were created by Intuitive Content, the full-service television and digital production company that Andrew heads as both founder and CEO. In 2021, Intuitive Content was named one of the top 100 production companies in the world by Realscreen. Andrew is also the founder and CEO of Passport Hospitality, a restaurant and food service development company. He is passionate about his philanthropic endeavors and sits on the board of directors of Services for the Under Served, Project Explorer/EXPLR, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project and Soigne Hospitality. He serves on City Harvest's Food Council ,is the International Rescue Committee's Voice for Nutrition and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme. Andrew is also a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, fighting to save restaurants affected by Covid-19. He resides in Minneapolis. On this episode of What's Burning, Andrew Zimmern's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around calling for a U.S. Food Czar, reassessing the cost of restaurant food and the impact of conflict and crisis on our food supply.

Nicolas Chatenier is an expert in global fine dining. Committed to this industry since 2004, he's a long standing promoter of avant-garde cuisine. He founded his own consultancy, Notre Chère, to assist fine dining operators in strategic marketing and communications. Since 2015, he has been Managing Director for Les Grandes Tables du Monde, a global association of multi-starred restaurants. He's also the French Academy Chair for the World's 50 Best Restaurants. In 2012, Nicolas published “Mémoires de Chefs” a nostalgic tribute to the chefs from the Nouvelle Cuisine movement. On this episode of What's Burning, Nicolas Chatenier's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around the evolution of French cuisine, reevaluating the importance of technique in the kitchen, and questioning the meaning of "a successful restaurant".

Dominique Crenn is the co-owner and chef of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, where artistry is at the forefront, cuisine is a craft, and the community is an inspiration. “Atelier” can be defined as a workshop or studio, a concept that drives Chef Crenn's modern vision for fine French cuisine. Her highly distinctive French heritage and imaginative gastronomic lair behind the stove at Atelier Crenn is a clear reflection of her unique life story. Growing up in Brittany, France, Dominique Crenn developed a keen interest in cuisine from her parents, who celebrated fine dining. While Crenn credits her mother for her early introduction to the culinary arts, she also attributes her culinary passion to her politician father and his best friend, a well-respected French food critic, who exposed her from a young age to many of the region's best restaurants. It was in San Francisco where Crenn began her formal training as a chef, when in 1988, she moved from France and began working under the tutelage of San Francisco luminaries Jeremiah Tower and Mark Franz for over two years at the celebrated restaurant, Stars. Crenn then went on to make history as the first female executive chef in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she headed the kitchen at the Intercontinental Hotel. After having spent about a decade away from San Francisco, she returned there in 2008 to head the kitchen at Luce, in San Francisco's Intercontinental Hotel. It was there that Crenn earned her first Michelin star in 2009 and again in 2010. Driven by her passion to create a deeply personal project, Crenn opened Atelier Crenn, a place to express her heritage as well as an ode to “poetic culinaria,” in January 2011. Atelier Crenn achieved its first Michelin Star within a year, in October of 2011. In the following year, Crenn made history again when Atelier Crenn received its second Michelin Star, becoming the first female chef in the US to receive this honor. In November 2018, Crenn beat her own record and became the first female chef in the US to receive three Michelin Stars. In the summer of 2015, Crenn opened her second restaurant in San Francisco: Petit Crenn, a place where she presented the core of her culinary upbringing and inspiration in a more casual setting. Petit Crenn is an ode to the home cooking of Brittany, inspired by the dinner parties held by Crenn's mother and grandmother, where she first became mesmerized by the art of cuisine and dining. Later that year, she published her debut cookbook: Atelier Crenn: Metamorphosis of Taste. In March 2018, Chef Crenn opened Bar Crenn, a wine bar situated right next to Atelier Crenn. Bar Crenn pays homage to the Parisian salons of the early twentieth century, luxurious locations in the French capital that sought to inspire political, social, and cultural conversations around fine wine and classic French food. Bar Crenn received one Michelin star in November 2018, adding yet more luster to Chef Crenn's luminous career. Crenn and her teams at Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn were featured on Netflix's second season of the popular Netflix series "Chef's Table." Crenn was nominated in 2016 and 2017 by the James Beard Foundation for Best Chefs in America and received recognition from World's 50 Best Restaurants. In 2017, Atelier Crenn debuted at no. 83 on the organization's list of the world's best restaurants, in 2018 Crenn was honored with the award for Best Chef: West by The James Beard Foundation, and in 2019 Atelier Crenn was named to the World's 50 Best Restaurants at no. 35. In 2021, Atelier Crenn ranked no. 48 on the list and Chef Crenn was honored with the World's 50 Best Icon Award. Crenn continues to be an outspoken and active member of the international culinary community, promoting innovation, sustainability, and equality through her collaborations with organizations such as the Basque Culinary Center and Pan American Development Foundation, as well as her frequent participation in various panels and summits. After years in the culinary world, Crenn has long since evolved from the little girl who sat and dined, entranced by the intricacies and beauty of fine cuisine, although it is still the memories of her childhood that continue to define and extend into her artistic culinary style. On this episode of What's Burning, Dominique Creen's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around building a team that has answers you don't, poetics of food and the expansive responsibilities of a chef.

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Danny Meyer grew up in a family that relished great food and hospitality. Thanks to his father's travel business, which designed custom European trips, Danny spent much of his childhood eating, visiting near and far-off places, and sowing the seeds for his future passion. In 1985, at the age of 27, Danny opened his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe, launching what would become a lifelong career in hospitality.  Thirty years later, Danny's Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) comprises some of New York's most beloved and acclaimed restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, Maialino, and more. Danny and USHG founded Shake Shack, the modern-day “roadside” burger restaurant, which became a public company in 2015. USHG also offers large-scale event services, foodservice solutions for public and private institutions, industry consulting, and educational programming.  Under Danny's leadership, USHG is renowned not only for its acclaimed restaurants but also for its distinctive and celebrated culture of Enlightened Hospitality. This guiding principle of prioritizing employees first and foremost has driven and shaped USHG's ongoing evolution from a small group of restaurants into a multi-faceted hospitality organization. Danny and USHG's diverse ventures have added to the hospitality dialogue in many contexts including dining options in museums, sports arenas, and cultural institutions, as well as prescient investments in burgeoning neighborhoods. Danny's groundbreaking business book, Setting the Table (HarperCollins, 2006), a New York Times Bestseller, articulates a set of signature business and life principles that translate to a wide range of industries. A celebrated speaker and educator, Danny has set industry standards in areas such as hiring practices, innovative leadership, and corporate responsibility and addresses a wide range of audiences on such topics around the country. Danny has been generously recognized for his leadership, business achievements, and humanitarianism, including the 2017 Julia Child Award, the 2015 TIME 100 “Most Influential People” list, the 2012 Aspen Institute Preston Robert Tisch Award in Civic Leadership, the 2011 NYU Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service to New York City, and the 2000 IFMA Gold Plate Award. Together, Danny and USHG's restaurants and individuals have won an unprecedented 28 James Beard Awards, including Outstanding Restaurateur (2005) and Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America (1996). Danny and his wife, Audrey, live in New York City and have four children. On this episode of What's Burning, Danny Meyer's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around hospitality as the most potent business input, relying on one's "north star", and managing through uncertain times.

Chef Michael Elégbèdé is a contemporary Nigerian-American Chef rediscovering, redefining and reinterpreting ingredients and cuisines around Nigeria in a creative and imaginative way. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, the urban center of one of the most diverse countries in Africa, Chef Elégbèdé grew up in a vibrant home before moving to the United States. Returning home after 13 years to rediscover the traditional cuisine of Nigeria, Chef Elégbèdé dedicated his time to meeting with locals. This developed his holistic approach to reinterpreting the various cuisines of the country. He has collated an extensive understanding of traditional recipes, ingredients and age-old methodologies. Chef Elégbèdé practices his craft from his test kitchen, ÌTÀN Test Kitchen, in Ikoyi, Lagos. As suggested in the name, the test kitchen endeavors to tell the story of Nigerian cuisine with a personal touch, made from locally sourced ingredients, using both ancient and modern culinary methods. ÌTÀN uses the fine dining approach to bring Nigerian cuisine, as it has never been seen before, to the cultural center that is the city of Lagos. On this episode of "What's Burning", Chef Elégbèdé's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around the complexity of Nigerian cuisine, food as more than sustenance, and the importance of putting staff first.

Lilly Jan is a lecturer of food and beverage at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. She brings nearly 15 years of experience across the hospitality and foodservice sectors, including catering and events, retail, and television production. Prior to joining Cornell, she was the Director of Culinary Operations for Newbury College in Brookline, Massachusetts. Lilly also served as a faculty member and academic advisor at Newbury College, creating and teaching a range of classes across culinary and hospitality management. She has also taught for Le Cordon Bleu and Boston University.   As a chef, product and recipe developer, and foodservice consultant, Lilly has worked with a variety of food-based businesses, including a food truck, on-demand food delivery, food start-up, and retail food stores. She specializes in operations management, focusing on ushering food business concepts to market. A frequent speaker and media contact on food culture, cooking and Chinese cuisine, Lilly has been featured in print and radio outlets. She worked on TV production for America's Test Kitchen and was a regular contributor for WGNH's Boston Public Radio.  Lilly's research interests focus on workplace culture and career progression in the foodservice industry, food safety and food allergy training and education in restaurants, and culture and cuisine. On this episode of "What's Burning", Lilly's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around what Lilly calls "eating broadly with an open mind", the toxic restaurant culture, and the need to understand that not everyone has the same "why".

Dan Barber is the Chef and Co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, and the author of The Third Plate. A fierce advocate for sustainable, ethical farming and cooking, Dan's opinions on food and agricultural policy have appeared in the New York Times, along with many other publications. He also co-founded Row 7 Seed Company, which brings together chefs and plant breeders to develop new varieties of vegetables and grains.   Dan has received multiple James Beard awards including Best Chef: New York City (2006) and the country's Outstanding Chef (2009). Appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, Dan continues the work he began alongside the team at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture: to blur the line between the dining experience and the educational, bringing the principles of good farming directly to the table.   In 2009 he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.   On this episode of "What's Burning", Dan's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around returning fertility to collapsed soils, the importance of organics, and athleticism in the kitchen.

Jamila Robinson is the Food Editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer where she leads a team of reporters and directs its multi-platform food content franchise.  Previously, Jamila was an editorial director for Atlantic Media where she led content strategy projects for media companies, a senior content strategist for the USA TODAY NETWORK, where she managed editorial strategy for special projects including USA TODAY's Wine and Food Experience; a senior editor for features at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, leading its features and entertainment team.  Jamila is the chair of the James Beard Foundation Journalism Committee, which organizes the highest honor in food media. She is also the North American Academy chair of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. On this episode of “What's Burning”, Jamila's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around engaging with communities, labor issues, and brining your whole self to your culinary experience.

Gaggan began cooking to help his mother. He first started his career in restaurants around India and then in other cities, such as  Bangkok, where he moved in 2007. Before opening his own establishment, he worked in other venues including under Ferran Adria at El Bulli, where many of his influences for molecular gastronomy come from. In 2001 he started a flourishing catering business -  closed six years later - and had a high position as a chef at Taj Hotels. Gaggan then bought himself a ticket to Bangkok for a fresh start at an Indian restaurant in the Thai capital. Since its opening in 2010, Gaggan has won numerous accolades, contributing to Bangkok's status as a world-class dining destination. The restaurant has become No. 1 on the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants for four consecutive years and has just been recognized with two Michelin stars by the Thai edition of the acclaimed French guide. His restaurant's consistently high ratings are a remarkable achievement for an Indian chef in the spotlight of haute cuisine, and shows how the gastronomy world has gradually become more diverse and plural, highlighting also chefs from countries outside the Europe-United States circuit. Gaggan has also been known to host world-class restaurant chefs at four-handed dinners at his restaurant located in Bangkok's hip Lumpini neighborhood. Lately, Gaggan is also proving to be a smart restaurant investor in the city, having opened businesses such as Meatlicious, a casual steakhouse/burger joint and the Sühring Twins' eponymous German restaurant. More recently, he inaugurated Gaa, a European-Asian fusion restaurant (where Garima Arora, the head chef, was recognized as the Best Female chef according to Asia's 50 Best Restaurants) and Wet, a natural-focused wine bar - both run by Gaggan alumni. On this episode of “What's Burning”, Gaggan's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around eliminating hierarchy in the kitchen, nurturing budding chefs, and the cultural value of street food.

Welcome to “What's Burning”, a podcast of the Galilee Culinary Institute by Jewish National Fund USA. On the show, Host Mitchell Davis invites experts from across the food industry and around the world to help reimagine culinary education. The goal is to better prepare the next generation of culinarians, amateurs and professionals alike, to understand the richness and complexity of our food culture and to inspire them to strive for excellence in whatever they do. For the last 30 years Davis has been observing trends in the food world from a variety of vantage points – whether as Chief Strategy Officer at the James Beard Foundation or as Academy Chair of the World's 50 Best Restaurant awards. He's served on advisory boards of culinary schools, hospitality programs, and food studies departments in the United States and abroad.   Throughout this time, Davis has witnessed firsthand how the food profession has evolved from a barely visible vocation onto the pages of celebrity magazines. He's seen the gourmet center of gravity move from France to Japan to Peru to Korea, and back again. And he's watched as the job of cooking has expanded to include elements of political advocacy, social justice, sustainability, and community leadership. There was no network dedicated to food television when he started out. No social media. No academic discipline dedicated to the study of food.   And yet amidst this rapidly changing culinary landscape, much of culinary education has remained the same.   Along with his colleagues at the Galilee Culinary Institute, or GCI for short, they are setting out to explore how culinary education should evolve and adapt to meet this changing food world.  Beyond Escoffier's five French mother sauces, they want to know what fundamental skills students need to acquire in order to enable them to benefit from the vast and varied world of culinary creativity out there. They want to look at what students should learn to manage their careers and motivate their teams to succeed in an opportune but uncertain future.   GCI believes culinary education needs to emphasize the complete, complex food system, from farm to fork, from dock to dish, from laboratory to ladle, in order to inform and cultivate students' passion for food.   As with most education, the goal isn't to teach everything there is to know about food -- that would be impossible given our ever-changing global buffet. Instead, Davis and his colleagues believe it is important to instill a set of values that are key to developing a conscientious approach to the food profession and the curiosity that leads to a life of learning and growth.   As the late American food writer James Beard said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” And by speaking to folks from all aspects of the food industry and from around the world, “What's Burning” hopes to both examine what we share and what makes us different.   This is a particularly poignant time to be looking at culinary education. The restaurant and hospitality industries have faced a serious reckoning in light of the pandemic that exposed challenges to their business model, infrastructure, supply chain and labor force. The stark evidence of climate change has exposed the consequences of the decisions we make about how and where we produce the food we eat. The social justice movement has exposed the complex and messy dynamics of power that have forced us to examine equity, race, cultural appropriation, and income disparity with different sensibilities. The kitchen, the dining room, the grocery store shelf, the plate, are all different nexuses of these cultural threads.   While it may seem that these topics fall outside the realm of culinary education, which has traditionally been more focused on classic cuisines, knife skills, food safety, and other techniques, that's exactly the point. The time to examine what, how, and where we teach students about food is now.   “What's Burning” is a production of GCI, the Galilee Culinary Institute's Rosenfeld School of Culinary Arts, a new culinary education center scheduled to open by early 2023 at Kibbutz Gonen in Israel's Upper Galilee. To learn more visit galileeculinaryinstitute.com  You can enjoy new episodes of “What's Burning” every other Wednesday. You're invited to listen by logging on to: galilleculinaryinstitute.com/whatsburning. Or, you can listen on all podcast platforms where you're also invited to subscribe, rate and review the program.  And feel free to reach out to the “What's Burning” team by sending an email to: info@gcibyjnf.com. Looking forward to having you join this journey of delicious discovery.