Why Food?

"I am obsessed with other people's obsessions" This quote sets the tone for how engaged and involved you become when you read Cork Dork. Bianca Bosker, previously the executive tech editor at the Huffington Post, left her job and set out to understand Sommeliers and their obsessions, whilst trying to become a certified Somm in under one year. In today's interview we get to hear about Bianca's journey from philistine to blind taster, the sacrifices she made, is fine wine a genuine industry or just a playground for the rich, and the truth about how knock-off mass production wines are created. Bianca has an incredible story and deserves respect and applause for the depths that she went to in one year. This book has opened my eyes to the true value of wine and has become a springboard to continue my education. Cork Dork is now available online and in-stores. Follow @bbosker on Instagram to see more.

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As the founder & CEO, of Dig Inn, a successful farm to table restaurant group based in New York and Boston Adam Eskin was thrown in the deep end right from the start.

With an Economics degree from Brown University, Adam quickly entered the world of finance where he ascended the corporate ladder. His first insight to the world of food came when Wexford Capital acquired a small chain of bodybuilding restaurants, at the time of the protein craze during the mid 00's. Adam soon assumed responsibility for the transformation and revival project of the restaurants which would become Dig Inn.

Dig Inn is an inspiring company with direct connections to the farms that they source from. In the modern era where food companies alternate their fluffy descriptors depending on whats in vogue, Dig Inn has maintained the same vision from day one. They are a farm-to-table, seasonal restaurant group which serve healthy and nourishing food at very affordable prices.

This was the company that I wanted to work for when I first moved to New York, and it still magnetizes me to this day because it’s core ethos is so encouraging. Adam Eskin has thrown himself in to an industry where, on paper, he had no right to succeed, but with humility and ambition he has constructed a machine that will eventually shift the food industry.

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A winner of 16 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards during his 25 years as a food critic for GQ, Alan Richman is one of the most revered, yet controversial figures in the restaurant scene over the past two decades. His feuds with Anthony Bourdain, David Chang and Creole cuisine have captured the media, but there is a much greater depth to Richman’s career and personality that deserves to be heard. His journey into the world of food and wine was by coincidence after serving in the army, followed by a period as a sports reporter for the Philadelphia Bulletin in the 1970s. With over a quarter century reporting on restaurants and food trends, Richman lays bare his thoughts on the industry, the coveted position of the celebrity chef and whether the position of food critic is one in danger of extinction.

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Imagine if you're first restaurant job was at a two Michelin-starred restaurant and within that restaurant you were the Head Sommelier, quite the start in the industry.

Max Coane's life was dedicated to music from the age 6, it was his obsession. As a producer, sound-engineer, songwriter and musician he worked in some of the finest recording studios around the world. In his early twenties he was introduced to the sophisticated world of wine and this love interest slowly came to a tipping point where he chose wine over music.

This is not a wine-geek conversation, this is an insight into how Max views the world of hospitality and what he can offer it. "

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Chef Yo graduated with a masters from the Theatre Directing program at Columbia University. A native of Thailand, he found himself working in Thai resturants in New York, climbing the ladder from busboy to server to manager. The hospitality industry never appealed to him-it was simply a means to an end-but when he graduated and struggled to find work in the theatre he went back to basics. Chef Yo reached out to two friends and together they opened up Pinto, a Thai restaurant in the West Village. After four years in business their head chef had to return to Thailand and with such a tight budget, Chef Yo took the mantle of head cook. He learned from repetitive practice of recipes in the French Laundry cookbook and slowly found his own identity. The real change came with perspective. The endeavor of opening a restaurant was a project to finance a play, never a career. It was only once Chef Yo accepted Pinto was an extension of him and something he would devote himself to that the restaurant began to succeed.

As Exec Chef and owner of two restaurants, Pinto Garden and Pinto Brooklyn Heights, this story shows that it’s never too late to learn again.

Pinto Garden in the West Village can be found on 117 w 10th St

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Homa Dashtaki is the owner of The White Moustache, a coveted New York producer of both Persian and Greek style yoghurts, labneh and whey probiotic drinks. Homa started the company with her father after she was laid off from her Wall Street job during the 2008 recession. This is a story of perseverance - The White Moustache encountered so many hurdles during its infancy which would cause most business owners to give up but Homa was determined the business would succeed.

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Jonathan Mendez, co-founder of Saloniki Greek introduces us to his new restaurant and his previous career path as a lawyer. Saloniki Greek takes traditional Greek dishes with New England ingredients to reproduce some delicious classics. In this episode we talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of Greek Street food here in the states, and what to look for when you want some quality feta cheese.

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Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna are the co-founders of the delicious, creative and playful ice cream company, Ample Hills. They both have past careers as teachers, Brian later went on to become a screenwriter and director before founding Ample Hills. Ample Hills are known for their chunky ice creams and wacky names but did you know they make every single ingredient from scratch? Brian gives us a basic guide on how to deconstruct a food and recreate it as ice cream and we get Ample Hill's opinion on the artisanal ice cream scene and where they draw their inspirations from.

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Timothy Caspare, the Chef de Cuisine at the trendy Italian spot Pasquale Jones, hasn’t always been a chef. On today’s show we talk about his time as an English teacher at a rough high school in New Jersey, his retreat to Italy for his formal cooking education, his quick ascent at Eleven Madison Park and his nuggets of wisdom to balance a highly regimented profession with creative flair.

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As the founder of Brooklyn Oenology, Alie Shaper has taken the centuries old wine concept of terroir and modernized it within the Brooklyn environment. Alie is a graduate of Engineering from Cornell University which is where her passion for wine was ignited. After graduating Alie moved to San Jose as a military contractor to work on various projects. She soon returned to New York in pursuit of the wine industry. In 2010 Brooklyn Oenology opened a tasting room in Williamsburg, stocking food and beverage treats from the New York region. Ali is unique in the humane way that she approaches her wines - she has very much taken something from the old world and made it comfortable within its surroundings.

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