Olivia Wilder Times™

New weekly talk show featuring offbeat news stories, perhaps TV, movie, entertainment talk. Gossip. Trivia. Things that annoy. Things that amuse. Urban Dictionary: WTF does that mean? Meet my Facebook friends: Who the hell are these people? Craigslist post of the week, and so much more. You are encouraged to call. Vent. Rant. Giggle. Rave. Perform a talent. We don't care, it's all good, and it's all for fun. Grab a beverage of choice (I prefer a filthy dirty martini) and join us!  This week's co-host is the uber-talented, Sean Hurley.  Sean  lives with his wife and son in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where he contributes regularly to New Hampshire Public Radio, sometimes as himself - sometimes as his alter-ego, "Sherwin Sleeves". His fictional podcast "Atoms, Motion & the Void" has been heard on XM Satellite Radio, as well as NHPR and Chicago Public Radio. (He's very modest, too.)  website: http://www.atomsmotion.com

A favorite guest on Olivia Wilder Times, Sean Kanan, returns to catch everyone up on his uber-busy life.

Sean plays bad boy, Deacon Sharpe on "The Young & The Restless".  This is the same role he originated on "The Bold & The Beautiful".  Next up for this talented actor is a lead in the feature film, "My Trip Back to the Darkside".  Currently Sean can be seen as a recurring guest panelist on FOX's "Red Eye" and on HLN's "Showbiz Tonight".  Watch for his upcoming book, "The Modern Gentleman" this coming fall.

Please register a user name and sign in to participate in live chat. You may also phone with one question or comment for Sean on 347-215-7536.

Art of Living favorite and Season 5 winner of "The Next Food Network Star," Melissa d'Arabian, returns to talk about her cooking adventures and challenges as her own Season 5 of "10 Dollar Dinners" has commenced on July 3rd.

Also, our Wine Curmudgeon, Jeff Siegel, will be here to talk about summer wines- oh, so fine!

Call 347-215-7536 to speak to either of my guests.

New weekly show featuring offbeat news stories, perhaps TV, movie, and entertainment talk. Gossip. Things that annoy me. Things that amuse me. Urban Dictionary: WTF does that mean? Meet my Facebook friends: Who the hell are these people? Craigslist post of the week, and so much more. You are encouraged to call. Vent. Rant. Giggle. Perform a talent. We don't care, it's all good.

My guest cohost this week is Hanja Kochansky, a writer, actress, singer-songwriter, aromatherapist (healer) free spirited, iconoclast, citizen of the world.

At age six, she was a refugee fleeing from World War ll-torn Croatia to Italy. Five years later, she emigrated to apartheid South Africa, where she remained until going back to Rome in the 1960's to become an actress. She was cast as Elizabeth Taylor's handmaiden in "Cleopatra."  She married an Englishman and fully experienced the sex, drugs, & rock and roll era in swinging London, had a daughter, was a battered wife-then-divorcee, and worked at the Playboy Club as a Blackjack croupier.

In 1972 Hanja wrote "Female Sexual Fantasies," the first book of its kind in our times. It was published in America, where it sold 250,000 copies, and in England and Australia.

More highlights of Hanja's exciting life: Married a charismatic handsome American actor, had a daughter, was a battered wife, divorced, found her spirituality in India in a temple, co-created a commune in Sardinia, acted in films and wrote songs in Rome, performed a one-woman cabaret show of songs she composed, was certified as an aromatherapist in London in 1991, established the first aromatherapy studio in Rome.

She is currently working on a book and lives in London.

Second generation Chinese-American, Chef Wong traded fashion for a culinary career, attending The French Culinary Institute (The FCI). Lee Anne worked for several years at Aquavit, and later served as part the opening staff at Jean Georges Vongrichten’s Chinese venture, restaurant 66. She has also cooked and staged in critically acclaimed kitchens all over the world.  After returning to The FCI as the Executive Chef of Event Operations, Chef Wong brought her culinary skills to an even wider audience when she appeared as a cheftestant on Season One of Bravo’s Flagship Series “Top Chef”. She returned to the show as a Supervising Culinary Producer on "Top Chef," and its spin-off "Top Chef Masters." She has also worked as a culinary consultant for movies and tv programs. Chef Wong has used her culinary skills to help further charitable causes, such as Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR), Project By Project, and she sits on the Board of Directors for The Gohan Society.

Lee Anne is working on a food art book and is developing her own travel TV show about her culinary travels. She is currently creating Marks Mark’s first ever Virtual Recipe Cookbook, compiling recipes from the culinary world’s top chefs, mixologists, and industry professionals. She can also be seen on The Cooking Channel’s new hit series “Unique Eats”, featured as a contributor who has traveled all over to sample some of the country’s most unique food. Chef Lee Anne Wong will continue to bring her global cuisine to the public as she explores new, exciting areas of the culinary world, via TV, internet, print, and in person.

"Wine Curmudgeon," Jeff Siegel, returns, and Todd Kliman, author/restaurant critic, joins us as well.

Call 347-215-7536 with a question for any guest.

Psychic Cheri Mancuso had her first "vision" while at a favorite spot at the Allegheny River, in New York. She saw herself as a young woman tending to her children as they played in the river. It was so real, it stayed with her, and when she entered Metaphysical studies years later, she realized it was a vision of a past life experience. This started a long journey in  Psychic Mediumship.   Cheri's first predictive vision of her always- healthy father dying in a car of a heart attack, happened 3 weeks later, when he was 46. Following that unfortunate vision,  Cheri shut out her visions for many years, until she began having nightly visions of the LA area's "night stalker" murders each night before they occurred. This lead to a five year study in Metaphysics that taught her to understand her psychic ability and control hr visions. She learned how to contact her spirit guides and interpret messages they sent her through the use of symbols. She was able to rid houses of unwanted spirits, find missing objects, and predict clients' futures. Cheri developed a huge clientele, including celebrities and Fortune 500 executives. She began forecasting the stock market, predicting business mergers and trial outcomes, and selecting film scripts for actors/producers.    Her career took a major turn when Cheri was asked to work on a missing person case in Canada. She found the missing man, who had been murdered, in just 4 days, leading her to become a "Psychic Detective," which she believes to be her true calling.    Cheri now lives in Southern California, focusing on her celebrity clientle and taking occasional police cases.

New weekly show featuring offbeat news stories, perhaps TV, movie, and entertainment talk. Gossip. Things that annoy me. Things that amuse me. Urban Dictionary: WTF does that mean? Meet my Facebook friends: Who the hell are these people? and so much more. You are encouraged to call. Vent. Rant. Giggle. We don't care, it's all good.

This week's guest co-host is the absolutely hilarious new YouTube sensation, Hannah Hart, of "My Drunk Kitchen." 

Hannah "Harto" Hart is a SF Bay Area native and recent (as of January 2011) transplant to New York City. To support herself, Harto works as a proofreader for an international translation firm. In her freetime, she can be found listening to music and doing sudoku in cafes. She calls this "writing". She enjoys long meandering walks, impromptu dance parties, and artisinal cheeses.

Recently, Harto decided to make a cooking show and get drunk while doing it. "My Drunk Kitchen" was received with mild (to moderate) attention and has encouraged aspiring alcoholics everywhere. For this she is very proud.

Currently, she stars in, films, and edits all of her own videos. Harto has also written a screenplay, some sketch comedy, and lots of terrible poetry. All of which she hopes one day to share.

http://www.hartoandco.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/MyHarto

Feel free to call in to speak on topic to 347-215-7536. Or, if there doesn't seem to be one- start one up!

This show is the reschedule from May, when Mike was unable to be here.

Chef Mike Isabella, who competed in Season 6 of Bravo's "Top Chef," and subsequently, "Top Chef All Stars," recently, coming in as runner-up to winner Richard Blais, is set to open his first restaurant, "Graffiato," in Washington, DC within a matter of weeks.  The 120-seat Italian-inspired spot will feature snacks, small plates, and artisanal pizzas with seasonal ingredients influenced by the food Chef Isabella grew up eating in New Jersey, prepared by his Italian grandmother.

Chef Isabella's formal training began at The Restaurant School in New York, where he took classes and cooked his way through some of New York City's finest establishments.

After honing his skills in The Big Apple, he traveled down the coast to Philadelphia, first working as a sous chef for James Beard award winner, Douglas Rodriguez, at "Alma de Cuba," then a host of other Stephen Starr restaurants. At El Vez, Mike learned the true craft of Latin cuisine under the direction of Jose Garces, and as Executive Sous Chef of Marcus Samuelsson's "Washington Square," he educated himself on the strenuous, yet exciting task of opening a fine dining establishment.

Relocating to Atlanta, Mike became Chef de Cuisine at a top Greek restaurant, "Kyma," immersing himself in the traditions of one of the world's oldest cuisines. Traveling through Greece and the Middle East, Chef Isabella learned the nuances of these cuisines, which helped form a base for his culinary imagination.

Chef Isabella's first cookbook, "Flavors From a Jersey Italian," is due in Fall of 2012.

Todd Kliman, Food/Wine writer & Restaurant Critic will join us as well.

New weekly show featuring offbeat news stories, perhaps TV, movie, and entertainment talk. Gossip. Things that annoy me. Things that amuse me. Urban Dictionary: WTF does that mean? Meet my Facebook friends: Who the hell are these people? and so much more. You are encouraged to call. Vent. Rant. Giggle. We don't care, it's all good.

This week's guest co-host is Gina McNew, founder of "The Stiletto Monologues," where she advises women to "Put on your Big Girl Shoes and Heel yourself with inspiring stories from women who have walked a mile in their OWN shoes. We offer a light hearted and informative format discussing numerous issues regarding women between the ages of 35 and 65 as well as the shoes they wear." Part of "It's Hip To Be Hot." Gina's website: http://www.itshiptobehot.com

Feel free to call in to speak on topic to 347-215-7536. Or, if there doesn't seem to be one- start one up!

Joshie Berger, recent winner of FN's season 2 of "Worst Cooks in America" returns.

Growing up a Hasidic Jew in Brooklyn, New York,  he had much to overcome on the show. Raised kosher and having a disdain for most foods he would encounter on the show, he used his vibrant energy and a splash of comedy to come out on top. His eccentric personality and interesting life has made him a subject in many formats for interviews and articles. Now, a staunch advocate of science and skepticism he vows to catapult his success into future projects that display how much fun cooking can be and hopefully assist other people overcome food aversions.

Food/Wine writer and restaurant critic for the Washingtonian Magazine, Todd Kliman, will join us as well, to talk about his recent trip to Israel, and what it meant to him.

Please call 347-215-7536 to ask either of my guests a question.