Kitchen Chat® – Margaret McSweeney

What is a schug and how can it make your life delicious? Danielle Renov's new book Peas, Love and Carrots is bursting with Moroccan-Israeli inspired flavors. Learn about harissa and how it can spice up any dish. Danielle has a collection of recipes for sauces and dips to have ready to elevate any meal. You will feel her passion and love for cooking as Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita chat with Danielle Renov about her new book Peas, Love and Carrots.

Tara Bench, aka Tara Teaspoon has worked for decades in food publishing and was the food editor for Martha Stewart Living and the food director for Ladies Home Journal. Through these publications, she has always inspired home chefs and has encouraged everyone to view recipes as a guide and to "make it work for you."

She discusses the changes in the publishing industry and the role that influencers play. For those aspiring culinary writers, Tara notes that there are many paths that one can take to share their stories, including podcasts, social media, blogs, websites and even self publication. She advises, "First and foremost, start telling that story. Start creating the connection with people to build your audience and get it out there. It can always be restructured into a different format down the road."

Cooking alongside her mother instilled a love of food and culinary communication. She has special memories of making My Favorite Coconut Cream Pie recipe. While many of us are still having to stay home these days, this is a great time to gather together in the kitchen and cook together. Tara Teaspoon will help you "Live Life Deliciously." Enjoy this special Kitchen Chat with Tara and co-hosts Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita.

Spago, Beverly Hills is the iconic flagship of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. Celebrations at Spago are legendary. Did you know that the Oscars parties at Spago predate the Vanity Fair parties? Just days before Covid hit in March, Chef Jaime Laurita and I went to Spago for a very special Kitchen Chat with Barbara Lazaroff, co-founder of Wolfgang Puck Brand and her youngest son, Byron Lazaroff-Puck.

Enjoy the Best of BBQ and Grilling with some of the top experts! Steven Raichlen, Meathead, Mike Mills, and Myron Mixon share their tips and techniques to make you a BBQ Rock Star in your backyard!

Satisfy your sweet tooth with Perfectly Golden: Adapatable Recipes for Sweet and Simple Treats, a delicious new cookbook by Angela Garbacz, pastry chef and owner of Goldenrod Pastries in Lincoln Nebraska. Recently, Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita spoke with Chef Garbacz about this popular trend of people spending more time baking in their kitchens. Home baking has never been bigger. Flour is in high demand and Chef Garbacz helps us understand if including how to tell if the dough feels right or how to tell if a cake smells like it is done.

Join Margaret McSweeney and Jaime Laurita for a Kitchen Chat with Elisa and Rob Buildner about the farm to table culture in the rolling New England Hills. The Berkshires are are a cultural mecca and food hub thriving with small farms and specialty food. Elisa and Rob's cookbook share and celebrate these homegrown secrets.

Chef Bill Kim and Yvonne Cadiz-Kim are both highly respected throughout the hospitality industry. Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita and I had a Kitchen Chat with this dynamic duo. As chef/owner of Urban Belly and chef/partner of Crate & Barrel's The Table at Crate, Chef Kim is navigating the new normal.

Carry out is the main focus for Urban Belly, and Chef Bill and Yvonne have amplified the process for controlling the restaurant's environment to keep everything sanitized and to keep everyone safe.

Today on KitchenChat your host Margaret McSweeney talks to Garry and Leslie Roark-Scott of Ubon's Barbeque at Chicago's "Windy City Smokeout".

Garry died just a few weeks after this interview in 2018. I purposely held onto this video to let some time pass before reaching out to Leslie to ask her permission to share this special Kitchen Chat. Leslie encouraged me to share this to honor her father, and I thought that the week of Father's Day would be such a fitting time.

My heart aches for her and her family as they continue to mourn the loss of Garry. Both Leslie and I were truly blessed to have fathers who encouraged their daughters to pursue their dreams. This special interview captures the love and pride Garry had for his family. He was especially pleased that Leslie and her son, Jason are continuing the family legacy of BBQ.

Leslie fully credits her father for opening that door for her. "I feel like sometimes I am kinda a pioneer for women in BBQ. Since I started almost thirty years ago, I've seen the path change from a footpath to an interstate system. There are so many amazing women in BBQ right now," Leslie said. And Garry expressed how proud he was that Leslie and Jason would be cooking at the James Beard House for a special event called, "A Night in Yazoo City."

Here's to Garry Roark's beautiful legacy of family and food.

Join Margaret McSweeney and Jaime Laurita as they talk with Serial Griller Matt Moore. Learn the secrets of grilling the ultimate comfort food.

Matt traveled 10,000 miles to explore hot and fast grilling as documented in his new book, Serial Griller- Grillmaster secrets for flame-cooked perfection.

Chefs Matt worked with include James Beard outstanding chefs Michael Solomonov, Ashley Christensen and Meathead. Ashley encouraged Matt to use the practice of "shaping fire" while grilling.

Based out of Nashville, Matt lives in the heart of the city, He spends 200 days of the year on the road and returned home in time for the March 2 tornado. Enduring minor damage to his home, his grill was unscathed. The shelter in place that followed the tornado has provided opportunity. Matt has found himself home and grilling with his family every evening on his Kamado style grill. Join the conversation as Matt shares ideas for grilling with the family using unique flavors and methods.

Chef Bill Kim and Yvonne Cadiz-Kim are both highly respected throughout the hospitality industry. Recently, Chef Jaime Laurita and I had a Kitchen Chat with this dynamic duo. As chef/owner of Urban Belly and chef/partner of Crate & Barrel's The Table at Crate, Chef Kim is navigating the new normal. Carry out is the main focus for Urban Belly, and Chef Bill and Yvonne have amplified the process for controlling the restaurant's environment to keep everything sanitized and to keep everyone safe.