Welcome to a very special edition of Kitchen Chat: A Taste of History, Hospitality, and Luxury, broadcasting from the iconic InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco.

Perched atop Nob Hill, the InterContinental Mark Hopkins has reigned as a San Francisco landmark for nearly a century, a beacon of elegance and a witness to the city's vibrant and transformative history. From its breathtaking panoramic views to the legendary Top of the Mark lounge, this distinguished hotel has played host to a constellation of illustrious dignitaries, celebrated figures, and discerning travelers from around the globe.

I was especially touched by the story of the Squadron Shot, a tradition that continues today. During World War II, soldiers would go to Top of the Mark for a shot of their favorite drink before shipping out and upon returning home. Families would watch the ships sail from the windows at Top of the Mark. Those who have served or who are serving are invited for a complimentary shot at Top of the Mark, an award winning sky lounge. And anyone can donate a bottle to continue this tradition. You can even write a personalized note to thank them for their service.

Thank you again to Chalkboard Communications for this delicious and delightful stay at InterContinental Mark Hopkins.

✅ Be sure and visit KitchenChat.info for more interviews and recipes. 

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#KitchenChat #TasteOfHistory #InterContinentalMarkHopkins #SanFranciscoLandmark #NobHillViews #LuxuryTravel #TopOfTheMark #WorldWarIITradition #SquadronShot #HospitalityAndHistory #MilitaryTradition #TravelInspiration #SkyLounge #ThankYouForYourService #HistoricHotels #ChalkboardCommunications #TravelElegance #SanFranciscoExperience

Let's step into a realm of timeless elegance and culinary artistry in Edinburgh, Scotland and London, England at The Balmoral and Brown's Hotel, where luxury, history and hospitality are brought to modern life as part of the Rocco Forte Hotels portfolio of extraordinary properties.

The Balmoral, a majestic hotel that captures the spirit of Scotland is located in the heart of Edinburgh and overlooks Edinburgh Castle. The hotel's iconic clock tower, a prominent feature of the city's skyline, has become a beloved symbol of Edinburgh. The hotel's elegant interiors adorned with bespoke Balmoral tartan and inspired by the beauty of the Scottish Highlands, create a truly unforgettable experience.

Brown's Hotel is in the heart of London's elegant Mayfair. Founded in 1832 by James and Sarah Brown, it's one of London's oldest luxury hotels and exudes traditional Victorian sophistication with modern amenities.

Please visit Kitchenchat.info for more inspiration for your next culinary and cultural destination.

John Robert Sutton is known as the Indiana Jones of Food. As an accomplished food archeologist and importer of food which has taken him to over 120 countries, Sutton hosts Foods that Matter on Curtco Media.

• He shares some fascinating history about food and some great food trends around the world that you should know about. From a plant based perspective Sutton shares the following:
• Honey will play a greater role as a natural binder in food bars. You see it already being used for sunflower seed bars.
• Cashew apples from Brazil are being used in ice cream. Sea buckthorn, bright orange berries which have the highest concentration of vitamin C are being used in teas and creams.
• Rosemary will play an important role in wellness, and more beverages will be infused with rosemary.
• Sprouted nuts will grow in popularity as they release nutrients and minerals. From a luxury splurge, Caviar of Kalix is one of the best caviars in the world and is often served at royal dinners and at the Nobel prize dinners.

Be sure and visit KitchenChat.info for more interviews and recipes.

Subscribe to the KitchenChat podcast on Apple Podcasts, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kitchen-chat-margaret-mcsweeney/id447185040 or Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3PpcTPpvHEh8eOMfDUm8I9

Welcome to a very special edition of Kitchen Chat, where we meet an award-winning U.K. Master Chef and delve into his legendary world of luxury, history, and hospitality. I'm your host, Margaret McSweeney, and I'm delighted to take you on a spectacular journey to Loch Lomond, Scotland. 

Today, we're visiting Cameron House, a historic baronial stone castle nestled on the shores of Loch Lomond. This renowned resort has a rich history, hosting dignitaries and royalty over the centuries. Join me as we explore its luxurious amenities, appointments and ambiance from its award-winning spa to its exquisite dining options. 

My dear friend May Wong and her dogs joined me on this journey. Our special guest today is the humble, remarkable, and passionate Chef Rohan Wadke. He has been instrumental in elevating Cameron House's culinary offerings, earning the resort prestigious accolades, and drawing discerning guests from around the world. Chef Rohan, generously shares insights into his culinary journey, his innovative dishes, and the sustainability initiatives he's championing at Cameron House. 

Prepare to be captivated by the enchanting atmosphere of Cameron House and the culinary artistry of Chef Rohan. Let's embark on this gastronomic adventure together.

Be sure and visit Kitchenchat.info for more celebrity chef interivews, recipes and luxury hospitality.

#KitchenChat #LuxuryTravel #CameronHouse #LochLomond #masterchef

"The table becomes the bridge to our cultures." Caryn Antonini

My dear friend, Caryn Antonini is a culinary ambassador who reminds us that food is what connects us around a global table. Influenced by her father and worldwide travels, Caryn has launched Cultivated by Caryn, a podcast and radio show to share her love of cooking, dining and bridging cultures. She also did a TedX Talk about the Language of Food.

After being introduced by our mutual friends, Max Tucci and Jennifer English, Caryn and I met in person last summer while we were both in the South of France. We explored the outdoor food markets in Saint Tropez, dined at the historic Cafe Senequier and met again in Palm Beach for a Kitchen Chat and a lunch at Cafe Boulud at The Brazilian Court with my friend, Nancy Davis, founder of Race to Erase MS.

Caryn and I are both honoring our late fathers who made the world a little smaller through their global palates.

To learn more and get Karen's recipe for Springerle Cookies visit https://www.KitchenChat.info

#CulinaryAmbassador #FoodConnections #GlobalTable #CultivatedByCaryn #podcastlaunch  #KitchenChat #LanguageOfFood #worldtravel  #sainttropez  #CafeSenequier #palmbeach #BrazilianCourt #RaceToEraseMS #inmemory  #GlobalPalates #culinaryjourney  #foodlovers  #DiningWithFriends

Emmy Award Winning Actor and Daytime TV's favorite villain, Thaao Penghlis, recently released his cookbook: "Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time." This Australian-born Renaissance Man has traveled the world and hosted memorable dinner parties in his Hollywood Hills home with high profile celebrities. While this cookbook imagines the perfect meals for celebrities he has met, his actress friend Doris Roberts once wrote a thank you note praising his meticulous detail to the ambiance, food, and presentation.

Kourabiedes literally changed his life. While Thaao was working as an apprentice at an art gallery in Manhattan, Jacqueline Kennedy knocked on the door. The gallery owner was out to lunch so Thaao invited then Mrs. Kennedy to have some tea and kourabiedes which he had baked. How ironic that the son of Greek immigrants would serve Greek wedding cookies to the future Mrs. Onassis. Of course the featured entree that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis inspired was Thaao's Moussaka. recipe. He shares his delicious touches to this Greek dish including shiitake mushrooms and peeling the eggplants to remove any bitterness. Thaao also highlights delightful stories about other celebrities during our Kitchen Chat.

Thaao hosts a podcast called "Thaao Penghlis' Lost Treasures," a thrilling detective story-style exploration of Greece's greatest contribution to the world's literature, the poet Homer.

Here is Thaao's great wisdom for life and success.

1. Never allow people to be the leaders of your life or tell you what's next. I believe you plant your own seeds and trust.
2.  
3. If someone's not opening the door, it's meant that you look elsewhere. Don't let them be your dominant in the ways they've taken you away from something. Out create them.
4.  
5. Make your life great. Don't shortchange it. Don't let people dismiss you. If they do it means that you have just been blessed by someone who has let you go onto another side of your track.
6.  
7. Be the cause and not the effect.

Enjoy the great recipes and stories in Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time.

Savor the day!

For more Celebrity Chef interviews and recipes visit Kitchenchat.info 

Celebrity Chef Dave White recently released his first cookbook "Salted:A Recipe Book with a Story to Tell." This new book spotlights 50 of his favorite recipes and adventurous travels (photos included) around the world.

Before he was the chef on Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean," Chef White cooked in some of the finest kitchens in London and Paris and was a top competitor skier. In the book's endorsement, Captain Sandy Yawn writes that Chef White "was the best chef on Below Deck Med." With mountaintops and valleys in his life, Chef White shares how cooking saved him. He is a big advocate for mental health and openly speaks about his own challenges. 

Having grown up near London, Chef White has a passion for Fish N Chips and hopes to one day open a restaurant. Meanwhile, he continues his culinary adventures on land and sea.

Here are Chef Dave's top tips for the home chef:

1. When you are cooking, it needs to be fun. I never write lists when I go shopping. See what's fresh and organic and what they brought in that morning. Then create something around that ingredient. 
2. Season fish and meat treating them both the same. Let it set out for an hour before you cook it. 
3. Bread doesn't have to be complicated. Just get good flour, all purpose and some quick yeast. Put it together in one pot, warm water, rest and a tiny bit of sugar. Don't overthink. Let it proof once and just bake it at a high heat. It really isn't that complicated. 
4. A bonus tip from Chef Dave White is to use Maldon Sea Salt from Cornwall.

What is your favorite salt?

Be sure and visit Kitchenchat.info for more celebrity chefs and recipes.

Savor the Day!

Monica Rothgery, former COO of KFC US, part of Yum Brands, shares inspiring lessons about excellence along with surprising insights into fast food kitchens. Monica's recent book, "Lessons from the Drive-Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders" goes beyond optimal team management practices and provides great advice for everyone who is pursuing excellence in their lives.

A great tip to attract and retain loyal employees and to create an environment where team members feel valued is to invest both monetary and relationship capital. Engagement is essential. Take the time to learn about your team members and always show respect. The team members impact the customer experience. Monica's advice to optimize customer service is to not overreact or take things personally. She taught her team members to respond to a frustrated customer by saying: "That shouldn't have happened. Let me fix it for you." That validating response can help diffuse emotions. Her customer service tip can be applied in many home or business life situations. She emphasized that frontline management greatly impacts people, not only the team members but also the customers. Many first jobs are at fast food restaurants. Management needs to realize that they have the power to positively change lives.

You may be surprised to learn about the time and effort KFC and Yum Brands take to innovate new flavors and offerings.  The Food Innovation Team even studies trends in fine dining as part of their innovation and creation approach. Chicken and Waffles and Nashville Hot are examples of this practice.

Bottom line, Monica encourages everyone to increase the top line of life, i.e. finding and doing the things that bring joy.   She recommends writing down what depletes you and what brings you joy and fulfillment and to focus always on the joy.  Monica reminds us that abundance follows joy.

Savor the day!

Link to the book "Lessons from the Drive-Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders", https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Drive-Thru-Wisdom-Frontline-Leaders/dp/B0CWYWXRXL

Be sure and visit https//www.KitchenChat.info for more interesting interviews with top chefs and personalities and subscribe to the audio podcast on Apple.com https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/kitchen-chat-margaret-mcsweeney/id447185040

#FrontlineLeaders #customerservice  #teammanagement  #employeeengagement  #fastfoodsecrets #kfc  #joyfulliving  #lifelessons  #leadershiptips

Kitchen Chat Host and Founder Margaret McSweeney is joind by Executive Pastry Chef Riccardo Menicucci for "A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel".

The Beverly Wilshire is a sweet destination, especially during Oscars Week. This year's amenities included a film projector made of Valrhona Manjari, a luxury chocolate, in addition to a thoughtfully designed and braided croissant representing the team of talented people required to create a film. And of course it was topped with gold!

Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, has a long history within the entertainment industry. This luxury hotel opened in Beverly Hills in January of 1928. The Beatles even held their first press conference in the Champagne Room.

Here are Chef Meniccui's three top tips for the home pastry chef:

1. When you make pastry cream, you don't need to boil your milk. It's very important. Otherwise you cook the proteins of your milk and it tastes different.
2. Always mix your dry ingredients with a whisk so you don't have chunks of flour in your mix. Don't ever feel afraid to leave your comfort zone.
3. There is no losing or winning, only trying.

Beverly Wilshire is one of my favorite hotels in the Los Angeles area to stay and to host events. This historic place provides a taste of luxury at every turn, and their staff is professional and always willing to accommodate and personalize your experience. The BLVD staff even printed customized keepsake menus just hours before a pre-Taste Awards party that I hosed to honor my friend, Lisa-Renee Ramirez, Emmy-Award winning executive producer, director and creator for Allen Media Group.

Thank you, Beverly Wilshire and Chef Menicucci for this Kitchen Chat along with the photos you provided.

Thank you, foodie friends! What are some of your favorite destinations? Savor the day!

Be sure and visit https//www.KitchenChat.info and subscribe to the Kitchen Chat audio podcast on Apple.com, https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/kitchen-chat-margaret-mcsweeney/id447185040

As we await the beautiful produce that will soon be arriving at our Farmer’s Markets, I thought it would be a good time to celebrate Spring with this encore piece featuring Alice Waters. Always remember to take a moment and Savor the Day!

Chef Alice Waters is a counterculture culinary hero who has helped pioneer the farm to table movement in the United States at her iconic restaurant Chez Panisse. At age four, she won a costume contest dressed as “Queen of the Garden” that featured produce from her parents’ Victory Garden. This win was just a mere glimpse into her future as an award winning chef, cookbook author, philanthropist, activist and advocate for sustainability and freshly grown produce.

Recently, Chef Alice Waters graciously greeted me at her Chez Panisse office in Berkeley. A lovely glass teapot sat atop the small round table. She had filled the teapot with her favorite recipe from the garden — fresh mint with hot water. We sipped and chatted about her latest book Coming to My Senses: The Making of A Counterculture Cook. She shared stories and lessons from her edible education including life changing moments in France when she discovered the incomparable tastes of the farmers markets, including les fraises des bois (strawberries from the woods). Chef Alice Waters brought back the literal and figurative seeds that would become the harvest of a delicious revolution. The actual seeds she planted in her backyard at Berkeley were the ingredients of a Mesclun Salad originating in Provence, France. Almost every dish at Chez Panisse has a little salad. Chef Waters explains, “A salad punctuates something that is rich and brings balance to the plate.”

Her favorite quotes include: “The destiny of nations depends upon the manner in which they were fed” Brillat-Savarin and “We are what we eat.” Chef Alice Waters explains that “When you eat fast food, you eat the values of the fast-food culture – that farming and cooking are drudgery. Food is something precious and should not be wasted.” Her passion for sharing this lesson with others, especially children, became the impetus of The Edible Schoolyard Project. Chef Waters emphasizes a key tenet to an edible education: “Don’t ever compromise the idea of sustainability. That’s the bottomline.”