THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS; ST. THOMAS~ST. JOHN~ST. CROIX

 Ever since I was a teen and I took my first trip to the Caribbean, I have been enamored and fascinated by the tropical island lifestyle. From the palm trees, to ',' something about the calypso sounds of the steel pan, the warm trade winds, the white sand beaches and the friendly people of the islands has always given me a feeling of peace and well being. I love the lifestyle, the food, the serenity of it all. I have been  enraptured by all things tropical now for well over.....ahh, ok, there's no real need to get technical. You get the picture! Take 10 days on any tropical island in the Caribbean and by the middle of your first week of white sands, crystalline waters, a few Island Rum drinks and you can't help but to achieve what Michael, a friend of mine who is a native Bahamian calls, the "pace of the Caribbean." He states, "Here in paradise mon, everytin is stopped, but steeel moovin."

It's no wonder that so many people across the globe think of nowhere else to go with their vacations than to the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean. What some Americans tend to overlook, is the fact that we have a part of paradise that we call our own, The U.S. Virgin Islands. No passport needed here, just your driver's license and some sun block. That is, of course if, you are an American citizen. More and more, vacationers are discovering these jewels of the Caribbean. So without further ado let's explore...

St. Thomas

Charlotte Amalie

 

Charlotte Amalie

In 1671, Danish settlers created a permanent colony on St. Thomas, the capital of the US. Virgin Islands and most cosmopolitan of the three islands, which boasts a colorful history of swashbuckling pirates. They named the colony after their queen, Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, built Fort Christian and established plantations. Charlotte Amalie, which showcases some of the best displays of colonial architecture anywhere in the Caribbean, was actually Denmark's second largest city in the 1840s.

Along the waterfront, centuries old warehouses that once contained molasses, rum and spices are now filled with hundreds of duty free shops. Great sights abound also, with a view of Hassel Island, located in the middle of one of the Caribbeans largest and busiest deep water ports. 125 of this little island's 135 acres is now owned by the Virgin Islands National Park.

Havensight

Havensight is an area two miles east of Charlotte Amalie. It is the location of one of the island's cruise ship terminals, as well as many shops, and the Havensight mall. St. Thomas is one of the most cruise-ship visited islands in the Caribbean and has some of the best duty free shopping in this part of the world. About 1.5 million cruise ship passengers land here each year.

Fort Christian

The fort was constructed in the 1600s by the Danish government who occupied the small Caribbean island. As the oldest standing structure in the U.S. Virgin Islands, this fort has served as a town center, a government building, and a jail. It currently holds the St. Thomas Museum, which includes artifacts and art of the Danish period.

The 99 Steps

There are actually 103. Starting on Government Hill and ending right above Haagenhouse, this is a very popular attraction and when you reach the top, you'll find Blackbeard's Castle. Bricks to build the steps were brought from Denmark as ballast in the hold of many sailing ships.

Coki Beach

One of the most popular beaches the island has to offer is Coki Beach, famed for its crystal clear waters and home to Coral World. Here you can rent snorkels and explore the crags and caves of corals reefs located just off the beach and see all kinds of tropical reef fish. If you visit, this beach, be sure to check out some of the marvelous driftwood carvings and custom hand crafted sandals with Peter Eloi. Tell him Lou sent you.

Magen's Bay

St. Thomas is also home to one of the top ten beaches in the world, at # 5 last we checked, Magen's Bay. Shaped like a heart and located on the North Atlantic side of the island, Magen's Bay is a well-protected white sand beach stretching for nearly a mile. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island. Entrance fee to the beach is four dollars per person. Legend has it, Sir Francis Drake used the bay as an anchorage while waiting for ships to plunder.

Paradise Point

One of the very cool things to do, is take the Sky Ride up 700 feet to the crest of Flag Hill, to a spot called Paradise Point, where views at sunset from the observation deck are spectacular. There is also a 1/4 mile hiking trail for the more adventurous, which will take you approximately 100 feet higher than the observation deck. You'll be greeted along the way by wild parrots, mongoose, iguanas and geckos. There is a bar and grill at the top for casual lunches or a tropical drink or two as you check out the stunning views of the harbor.

Food

Carribean Patties

Caribbean patties

Johnnycake

Excellent restaurants abound all throughout the island with cuisines ranging from Caribbean and Dutch to classical French, but for me, the real taste of the islands is located around the many little shops of Market Square. 

It is here that you can get fresh made Caribbean patties (like an empanada or pastiche), containing either saltfish (cod), chicken and beef, or wonderfully warm Johnnycakes and superb Guava-berry Tarts, that are sold sometimes from the trunks of cars or from the many food trucks in and around the market. My favorite for breakfast was a nice saltfish pattie with a hot steaming cup of coffee followed by a buttery Johnnycake! Now 'dats island eatin', mon!

St. John

In 1956 Lawrence Rockefeller, through the non-profit organization Jackson Hole Inc., donated 5000 acres of land on St. John to the National Park Service. On August 2nd of the same year, the United States Congress passed legislation to establish the Virgin Islands National Park. The legislation stipulated that the Park's holdings on St. John could not exceed 9,485 acres. St. John contains a total of 12,500 acres. In 1962 the boundaries of the Virgin Islands National Park were expanded to include 5,650 offshore areas consisting of submerged lands and waters and containing a significant amount of coral reefs, shorelines and marine life. In 1978 the Park again expanded to include Hassel Island, a small island located in St. Thomas' Charlotte Amalie Harbor. The park service today continues to protect the natural and historic treasures of Hassel Island and St. John.

Cruz Bay

A short ferry ride from St. Thomas is it's little sister island, St John. Just 20 square miles , it is home of the Virgin Islands State Park and surrounded by some of the best and most abundant undersea wildlife in the Caribbean, this is the place to experience secluded coves, beaches, sun and sand that is the quintessential picture of a deserted tropical island.

By no means deserted, when you first arrive at Cruz Bay, just a short walk from the dock you are greeted by the visitor's center, boutiques, restaurants and taxis to take you to one of the many beaches and destinations around the island. Stop by the Marketplace, an all inclusive Caribbean-style palazzo or Mongoose Junction, for excellent shopping and dining. The real attraction here, though, is the State Park and the beaches.

Trunk Bay

Voted the second most beautiful beach in the world, this little spot of paradise is home to a famed underwater snorkel trail. It is everything you could hope for in a tropical beach, with pristine sugar white sand and crystal clear waters. Never packed with tourists, it is very easy to find a secluded patch of beach behind on of the many trees that overhang the shoreline and relax while enjoying the warm waters.

Hawksnest Bay

This beautiful bay is the site of scenes shot for one of my favorite movies starring Alan Alda, The Four Seasons.

Virgin Islands State Park

Three fifths of St. John is the national park. This vast natural area is home to over 1000 varieties of plants, including bay rum trees, mahogany forests. Fruit trees such as mango, papaya, genip and plantain and at least 20 different types of orchids. There are many different trails and most information can be accessed at the Visitor's Center in Cruz Bay. If you rent a jeep to explore the island, don't be surprised if goats and donkeys and other wildlife from the forest greet your jeep. Some of the most spectacular water views you will ever encounter await you around every turn.

Annaberg Plantation Ruins

Built from 1797 to 1803 The Annaberg Sugar Plantation is a well preserved example of colonial industry. It produced Sugar, Molasses and Rum. Staff offers presentations a few times a week, or explore on your own. Nightlife is scarce, if any at all, as this islands main attraction is a relaxing day soaking up the sun and sand of one of the 'Jewels of the Caribbean"

St. Croix

Known for its plethora of historic treasures, this is the largest of the Virgin Islands at twenty-eight miles long and seven miles across. Christopher Columbus landed here on the Salt River on his 2nd voyage in 1493, naming the island Santa Cruz. After buying the island from the French in 1733, the Dutch planned more than 300 sugar plantations for the island, which resulted in great fortunes for those plantation owners who converted the cane into rum, sugar and molasses. America's first trade secretary, Alexander Hamilton, grew up here learning about foreign currency as an orphan working for a Christiansted merchant. Point Udall here is the easternmost point of the United States.

Christiansted

This unique Caribbean town looks almost exactly as it did in the 18th century with graceful arcades. Yellow brick is used in most of the buildings having come from Denmark as ballast in sugar and rum sailing ships. Shops and restaurants lead to a boardwalk on the north.

Fort Christiansvaern

Completed by the Dutch in 1749 for protection from pirates, you can tour this historic site.

The Steeple Building

This landmark was built in 1743 and was St Croix's first Lutheran Church. Two Sunday services were held each week. One in Danish and the second in Dutch-Creole for non whites.

The Government House

The Royal Danish government purchases and joined together two private homes in 1771 to create the administrative base for the Danish West Indies and is the St. Croix residence of the Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Frederiksted

Located on the west side of the island, this town also serves as St. Croix's Seaport. Established in 1751 and named after King Frederik V.

Fort Frederick

Finished in 1760, this was the western defense of the island.

Cruzan Rum

Rum has been made here for over 300 years and is made nearby at the Cruzan Distillery. Tours are offered Monday thru Friday. Yes, yes all you rum lovers, a sample is included in the tour!

I hope you have enjoyed this little trip to the Islands. 

Joyous Travels,

Namaste

Lou

Sources; www.visitusvi.com,  www.virgin-islands-on-line.com, www.worldatlas.com, en.wikipedia.org, www.stjohnusvi.com, www.stcroixtourism.com

Up Close & Personal, with Chef Cat Cora

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Chef Cat Cora

Official Bio: Cat Cora is a world-renowned chef, author, restaurateur, contributing editor, television host and personality, avid philanthropist, health and fitness expert, lifestyle entrepreneur and proud mother of six. The Jackson, Mississippi native, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America and went on to cook at two 3-star Michelin restaurants in France, has been captivating audiences since she made her TV debut in 1999, as co-host of Food Network’s Melting Pot with Rocco Di Spirito. She went on to host My Country My Kitchen: Greece, Date Plate, and was one of the featured hosts on Fine Living’s Simplify Your Life. Cat Cora is also a woman who holds a series of “firsts” for women in the culinary industry.

In 2005, Cat Cora made television history when she became the first-ever female Iron Chef on Food Network’s hit show: Iron Chef America. Since then, she shattered the glass ceiling as one of the first females to dominate the historically male culinary industry. After Cat’s Iron Chef debut, she was featured extensively on a number of television shows, including as co-host on BRAVO's "Around the World in 80 Plates" as well as FOX's "My Kitchen Rules.” and ABC’s “Family Food Fight”. In 2006, Cat was awarded Bon Appetit Magazine’s “Teacher of the Year Award” and was named the Executive Chef of the magazine. Since then, she has blazed her own trail through the culinary world, becoming the first female inducted into The American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame.

Cat has opened more than 18 restaurants across the United States and globally, highlighting her platform on health, wellness and sustainability: Cat Cora’s Kitchen, and Cat Cora’s Gourmet Market, located in numerous airport locations throughout the U.S., Cat Cora's Taproom located in the Detroit Metro Airport, Ocean by Cat Cora, an award-winning restaurant in Singapore, CCQ at Macy's, Postino in San Francisco's East Bay, Mesa Burger which can be found in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Montecito, and Olilo by Cat Cora and Wicked Eats by Cat Cora have over 500 pop-ups across the country.

Cat and I at The grand opening of
"Kouzzina by Cat Cora" at Disney World

In 2018, Cat partnered with WW on a first-of-its-kind health food destination inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, called WW FreestyleTM Café: BKLYN. That same year, Cat was also proud to be featured in the permanent collection of the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Museum’s Kitchen Table exhibit in Meridian, Mississippi. Cat founded Little Kitchen Academy, a Montessori-style culinary school for ages 3-teen. Cat continues to be a leader in her industry as she synchronizes her award-winning talents with mainstream accessibility, all while she evolves into a space beyond the culinary world. As if that wasn’t enough, Cora is also a prominent published author of three successful cookbooks, one children’s book and, in 2015, her raw and remarkably candid memoir called Cooking as Fast as I Can: A Chef’s Story of Food, Family and Forgiveness.

Outside the kitchen, Cora is best known for her philanthropic efforts. She is the President and Founder of Chefs for Humanity, a non-profit dedicated to reducing hunger worldwide by supporting humanitarian relief and promoting nutrition education. In 2018, Chef Cat Cora launched her Women’s Empowerment Culinary Internship Program to mentor, give back and help women succeed in the culinary arts. Each year, Chef Cora and family will host a female student in culinary school for a week in Santa Barbara, CA. The candidate will be given the opportunity to have hands on experience in both the back and front of the house at Chef Cora’s restaurant, Mesa Burger. Additionally, they will experience the daily operations of Cat’s business in its entirety.

President Barack Obama awarded her The President’s Volunteer Service Award for helping to address the most pressing needs in her community and our country and The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for building a stronger nation through her volunteer service. Cora currently resides in California with her wife Nicole and their six boys.

COOKING FOR A CAUSE

Outside the kitchen, Cat is known for her philanthropy. She is President and Founder of Chefs for Humanity, an organization that originated in response to the 2004 Tsunami disaster. Modeled after Doctors Without Borders, the not-for-profit gathers the culinary community together to raise funds and provide resources for important emergency, educational and hunger-related causes. Recognizing Cat’s altruistic determination in the food world, UNICEF named her a nutritional spokesperson to help raise awareness for humanitarian crises around the world.

THE INTERVIEW

Visit Cat at her site here: CAT CORA 

Namaste,

L

An evening with Arturo Sandoval

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As a musician with roots in Jazz & Blues, when the opportunity arose to sit down with Arturo for this feature, I jumped at the chance. This is a man I have long admired, first as a person of conviction, secondly as one of a handful of the most elite and gifted musicians that the music world will ever know. He has played with a list of incredible music legends (He winked at me and asked me not to call him that, explaining to me to him that means, "You are either old or dead.") from Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Michel Legrand, Bill Conti, and Stan Getz to Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys amongst many others. He has performed with Celine Dion at the Oscars, John Williams with the Boston Pops and in the Super Bowl with Tony Bennet and Patti LaBelle.

Granted political asylum in 1990 and US citizenship in 1999, Sandoval and his family now call Miami, Florida home. A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. He began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.

Arturo has been awarded 4 Grammy Awards, 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia. He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has recently been seen by millions on the Grammy Awards performing with pop-phenomenon Justin Timberlake as well as on the Latin Billboard Awards with the gifted Alicia Keys, where he was awarded his 6th Billboard Award for “Best Latin Jazz Album”.

Not only a tenured professor at Florida International University, he works nationally and abroad with innumerable institutions and their music departments offering several scholarships, exercise books, clinics and seminars, and has rendered a considerable amount of time working with the NARAS educational program.

Sandoval is also a renowned classical musician, performing regularly with the leading symphony orchestras from around the world. Arturo has composed his own “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra”, which can be heard on “Arturo Sandoval: The Classical Album.” Also, he has been chosen to perform with the foremost orchestras on primetime television, and was asked by John Williams to record on Williams’ original Trumpet Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra. His classical artistry has earned him the respect and admiration from the most prestigious conductors, composers and symphony orchestras world-wide.

During the course of our chat, Arturo spoke of his love of Cuba, his family, and of course, we being who we are, his love and memories from his childhood and the Spanish cuisine prepared by his grandmothers, mother and now, his wife. I feel privileged to have been given access to this wonderful man and his zest for life. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed doing it.

An Evening with Jazz Legend, Arturo Sandoval

Namaste,

L

Up Close & Personal with The Chew's Carla Hall

They say life is a journey of discovery. Some of us find ourselves early in life and we spend our time focused on goals we set at an early age. For others, the journey takes us down diverse paths as we search for who we are, trying to find the passion or direction that finally fulfills. For The Chew's Carla Hall, her inspiration and passion came later in life, transforming and shaping her into the lovely lady who graces our television sets each day. She is full of joy, laughter and an infectious enthusiasm for life and things culinary.

Carla grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. Her influence early on with regard to food came from her two grandmothers, Thelma and Freddie Mae. Carla explained, "Back in the day, we did not eat out very much, we ate at home. I remember every time we went to my grandmother's house for Sunday supper. We went there after church every Sunday and to this day those are still my favorite foods. She made a lot of food. But, I was not interested in cooking. I was into the eating," she laughed. "Being from the south, every holiday or life event is all around food. Weddings, births, deaths, what we did is eat." As an Italian, I fully understand that philosophy. For southerners, as well as for folks of my heritage, the heart of the house is the kitchen. I asked Carla what her favorite food her grandma made and without hesitation she answered, "My Grandmother Thelma made this amazing fried chicken. Her recipe was so simple, just a bit of salt and pepper, but it was so tender and juicy.

Nowadays we'd probably call it organic. But back then, everything we ate was more simple and good."

"Thelma was the one who cooked lots of food," she continued, "and we would eat with her during the week. Grandma Freddie Mae's house is where we went on Sundays. That was more of an 'event' with more of the 'holiday foods'. She would make this corn bread, but she would never put it into the oven until we were on the inside of the door to her house. Now, we came to her house every Sunday right about the same time, but she would never make that cornbread until we were all inside that door. She would never start it before, no matter what. For me, as a kid, it was torture actually because we knew that we wouldn't eat for another 20 minutes and it seemed like longest 20 minutes of my life. I used to wish that my parents could call her and say we were on the way, so it would be ready when we got there. It wasn't like it was a surprise party or anything," she laughed, "she knew we were coming, but it was about her always wanting things to be perfect, with the bread coming fresh out of the oven while we were there."

In high school, when picking a career direction and major in college Carla chose accounting. She explained that she really liked her accounting teacher, which influenced her decision on a major. But, her true passion was for the theater and the performing arts. She loved performing. "I did theater and performed from 12 to 17. I loved it. I was on track to go to a conservatory and major in theater. I wanted to go to Boston University and it was the only school that I applied for. Unfortunately, they were going to defer my admission. I was shocked!" she exclaimed. Hall then followed her sister with a late admission to Howard University, where she received a degree in accounting. Interestingly enough she has been quoted as saying, "I knew as soon as I passed my CPA exam, I wasn't going to be an accountant." She decided to go to Europe and model and it was there, traveling through Europe, that awakened her passion for food and inspired a new career path. I asked her to expand on the experience. 

"My whole thing with the accounting was that I did not want to wake up one day and find I hated my job." She explained, "I really did not know what I wanted to do. People asked 'were you afraid?' I was actually, but I was not afraid of going to Paris. I always knew I could come home. I was afraid of waking up at 40 and hating my job. I was on a quest, on a journey to figure out what I wanted to be, what I wanted to do. When I was at Howard I had done some modeling and I had some girlfriends with whom I had modeled when in college. Looking back," she continued, "my intention was to figure out what I wanted to do and modeling was that bridge between what I didn't what to do, and what I would eventually do.

It was during this time in Europe that the seed and love of culinary was awakened in Carla. I asked her to explain. "First of all," she offered, "I was in a foreign country and there were a lot of American models. On Sundays, we all got together and we would do this big brunch. It was all about the food and making food that made us all feel at home (America). We would make things like Buffalo Wings, or Macaroni and Cheese. I remember running to the market to get turnip greens before they would throw them away, because they would cut them off and sell the turnips, but would throw away the greens. It was all about  a reminder of home. The girls would all compare 'my mom made it like this,' etc. and I had no idea how anything was made because as a kid, as I mentioned, I was just waiting to eat the food, not paying attention to how it was made. I became fascinated. I started buying cookbooks. I gave myself the time to figure it out. Not having to worry about a job allowed me to really figure it out at my own pace. I was having an experience and I realized it at the time. Yes, I was running around, looking for modeling jobs but, I knew this was not going to be my career. I allowed myself the time to really learn about cooking. I got to travel and make food, taste and explore the food of Europe. When I came back to the States, I lived with friends, not having my own place, so I started making food and cleaning. My way of paying them back was to cook for them."

Carla then moved to Washington, D.C. to be with her sister and it was there that she and a friend opened a lunch delivery service as a fluke and, as she put it, "I became 'The Lunch Lady' for 5 years. I made sandwiches. Lots of sandwiches," she remembered chuckling, "I made cakes and biscuits. I had this whole little concept. Mostly turkey, no beef or pork. Healthy salads and such and on Fridays I would make something special. We called it 'The Lunch Bunch.' It was originally The Lunch Basket, because that's how I originally delivered the food. I started with a few clients which then turned into more clients and at its height I probably had about 25 regulars. I bought a used mail truck for about $200. It had one seat and a cooler in the back. It was hard work." 

Fueled with a new passion for culinary, Hall then attended L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland where she completed her culinary training, going on to work as a sous chef at the Henley Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.. She also served as Executive Chef at both The State Plaza Hotel and The Washington Club, and has taught classes at CulinAerie, Sur la Table and her alma mater, L’Academie de Cuisine. I asked what she took away from those years working the line and she explained, "I liked the action. I also liked that at the end of the night you felt like you had accomplished something. You made it through. Being a morning person, I never experienced the culture of hanging out after the shift though. I was older. And," she laughed, "I was tired. I went home and went to sleep."

This is where Hall explained to me that she knew she had finally found herself, her direction and her career path. "I knew because it was hard work, yet I still wanted to do it. I still was enthusiastic. That was truly when I knew this was it. I did not spend many years on the line," she offered. "I went from the restaurants to catering quite quickly. Now that I am planning on opening my own restaurant though, it's a different mindset. It will be my name, my concept, so I really want to make sure that I know every aspect of the business; front of the house and back. I won't necessarily be the chef, but, they will be my recipes, my name on the door and I want to be able to jump on that line anytime they need me to. In any capacity. If my name is on it, there is no way I am not going to be involved in every aspect."

The conversation finally came around to her 'big break,' television and Top Chef. I asked her how it all came about and she explained, "When I did Top Chef, I really wasn't thinking about a career on television. For me, it was a personal challenge that happened to be on television. I didn't do it to get my name out there. None of that was on my mind. It was game, a personal challenge." I asked her if she thought that she was at a disadvantage as a contestant, coming from a catering background while most of her competitors were coming with years of experience on the line in a restaurant. She immediately replied, "A lot of the chefs, when you look at the challenges, the advantage that they had as a restaurant chef was that they had a lot of dishes on their menus that they do over and over again, day after day. They have the muscle memory of doing those same things over and over again. The advantage to a catering background when you have a challenge is, you have to move the food all over the place. You never know where you'll be cooking. You constantly have to be prepared for change, cooking in a different location. Catering gives you that ability. I think that it basically evened the playing field." She continued, "For me, catering is about service, thinking on your feet, on the fly, talking to the client. Many of my competitors were surprised that I was still there, that I stuck around. Top Chef is not only about the food, but how you handle the pressure as a person. How you dig deep and keep going."

We then moved to The Chew, which, as I write this, is one of the top shows on tv. With fellow hosts Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Daphne Oz and Clinton Kelly, the show has taken America by storm. I asked Carla to bring us through how she came to be one of the hosts and she explained, "Folks think that I just got The Chew because of Top Chef. The reality is that right off Top Chef All Stars I was one of 170-200 other people who auditioned. They were looking for 5 people. They put us all together for twenty minutes and we had great chemistry instantly. It's so popular now that people actually get upset sometimes when we take long breaks in between shooting the show, but we really need the time to rejuvenate. To do a daily show, the energy and intense focus we have to bring to keep it fresh, funny and interesting is daunting. It takes a lot out of you, so we do it in what we call semesters, so that on breaks we get to recharge the batteries."

With such a intensive shoot schedule, coupled with personal appearances, a new book tour and working on a new restaurant concept, I asked if her schedule takes a toll on her family. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Matthew Lyons, and stepson Noah. "It's hard, we live in D.C. and my husband is there, he works for the FDA. I am here in NYC. We try to see each other as much as possible, mostly on the weekends. We take turns. He comes up here (to NYC) every other weekend. I go to D.C. unless I have appearances."

I then broached a subject that is a bit controversial and I gave Carla the option of discussing it or not. Recently, she had launched a Kick Starter campaign to help raise money for kitchen equipment for her upcoming restaurant opening and throughout the industry and public it was met with mixed reactions. Some approved while others thought it was not appropriate. As this is Up Close and Personal, I wanted to give Carla the chance to respond in a neutral atmosphere. She graciously
offered, "I definitely would not do it again. I was shocked at people's reactions. I was shocked that people assume that because you are on television it automatically means you are rich. I was shocked that folks also believe everything that they read. There are these websites, solely for entertainment purposes, that supposedly tell you what your favorite tv or film stars are worth and they had a ridiculous number claiming I was worth millions. For instance one of those site lists me as white," she laughed, "I mean to look at me, do I look white?" She continued, "It was a surprise to me, that with my new found celebrity, the public believes that they really know you. And frankly, they don't. I had to get used to that."

It was here that Carla and I discussed why I do these interviews. You see, there is a persona that tv presents to you all that sometimes gets confused with reality. Now that's not to say that the personality or person you admire on tv is being disingenuous. I just mean that  tv doesn't always allow, depending on the format, the opportunity for all of our favorite tv stars true personality and all the info about them to be presented. Here with these interviews, my hope is that you get to know a bit more about the true person, behind the persona. She explained that though she has discussed it here, at the time she chose to remain silent about it and not respond publicly to her detractors. To me that was a sign of class. "It was hard not to respond, but I felt it was the right way to handle it. Another lesson I learned was there were many people who were actually supportive and understood why I did the campaign and I said to myself, 'Why should I let the 1% who had something negative to say, overshadow the 99% who were positive about it.' I really believe that when you do something you have to analyze the lesson that may be presented, take the reactions from the source and either dismiss it or pay attention to it. The choice is ours. But that is easier said than done." She continued, "It did hurt to hear and read the negative comments. I think that sometimes people forget that you are not just this persona on tv but you are a real person with real feelings. I think that what Social Media has done is given a voice to a lot of anonymous people without a face. I doubt some folks would say what they said online to my face. I had to remind myself that an opinion offered without facts is just someone name calling." I have to agree with Carla here. As one who's public life, from gourmetgirlmagazine.com and now this blog and twitter, has revolved around social media. We have to realize that there are folks online, trolls they are now called, who are out on social media just looking for opportunities to hate or make fun. It's become part of the game, as it were.

I then moved the topic to something a bit more sweet, Carla's commercial endeavors. In addition to her cookbooks, Carla's Comfort Foods and Cooking With Love, Comfort Food That Hugs You, she has a line of baked goods available on her website and stores in 8 states. Bite-size cookies that look like a snack, but pair boldly and beautifully with beer, wine and tea. Here you’ll find familiar flavors with a surprising twist, such as the Pecan Shortbread with Vanilla Salt and Goat Cheese with Dried Cranberries with a hint of rosemary. Carla's artisan cookies are made in small batches, packaged by hand and contain only the finest ingredients—European-style butter, unbleached sugar & flour, couverture chocolate, artisan cheeses, fresh nuts, premium spices. I asked about her expansion into the restaurant business. She explained, "We are currently looking for space and hopefully late spring early summer we'll be launching Carla's Southern Kitchen."

To sum up I asked Carla about the whole experience, from Top Chef to The Chew, what's on the horizon and what has been her biggest lesson and had the biggest impact on her. She thought for a moment and answered, "Remembering who I am. My prayer everyday is about my keeping my authenticity. Regardless of people knowing me or not knowing me, it's about who I am and making sure I don't change. Fortunately I came into this notoriety later in life, at age 42. I think it's really hard to grow up in the public eye. If I have one advantage it's that, I hope, I grew up well before the tv fame came, I know who I am and I try to make sure that the person I am is who I present to the general public. I am who I am and I feel that's a blessing.  Being older, I also take it all with a grain of salt. This (fame) can go as quickly as it came. What's also important to me is to maintain something of my own. I think that's why I maintain the cookies because if The Chew went away today, I have the cookie business to fall back on. If I did not, I have to say I'd be really nervous."

We who know Carla also know how much she loves to dance. It is almost as signature to her as her Hootie Hoo! I asked if she could choose what the soundtrack to her life would be, her answer summed up everything I have come to respect and expect from this vivacious lady. "Anything with a beat, especially R & B, something that keeps my feet moving, especially forward."

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this in-depth chat with Carla as much as I did in bringing it to you. I look for more fun, frolic and great culinary things from this lady and I know we'll all be watching and enjoying as she brings us along on her adventures.

To find out more about Carla, her products, cookbooks and where she might be appearing live near you, visit her website at www.carlahall.com and connect with her via social media here; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Till next time,

Lou 

It's Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry 2015! Join the ride to end Childhood Hunger! #ChefsCycle

This post is a special shout out to all my chef friends, restaurateurs and hospitality people out there. As a proud member of the food community, one of the things I'm most proud of is that the hospitality industry is the number one industry when it comes to philanthropic outreach. It has something to do with the fact that the definition of hospitality is; the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. In other words, service. To that end, I'd like to talk to you all about a great initiative that I am involved in with No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength, my good friend Chef Jason Roberts, along with a number of chefs and hospitality professionals that have stepped up with us. It's called Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. 

The first pilot ride was held in May of 2014 with between 11-20 riders who rode their bicycles 300 miles from NYC to Washington, D.C. over a three day period. It was a huge success, raising a little under 25k. This year I'm counting on you all to help No Kid Hungry get the word out about this great cause, or, step up to ride, help recruit or become a sponsor.

For 2015, NKH has expanded your opportunity to join us as a rider, sponsor or donor. There will be two rides on each coast. The West Coast ride will begin in Santa Barbara ending up in San Diego. The East Coast ride will retrace it's 2014 miles, beginning in NYC through Philadelphia and Baltimore and ending in Washington, D.C.

 For many of you that have read my musings over the last 8 years, you all know of my efforts and support of food related charities and organizations. More than 16 million kids in America struggle with hunger. For those not aware, this year over 45 million people in America will be food deficient at some point and over 16 million of those who are going hungry are children. With their Cooking Matters, School Breakfast, Dine Out, Taste of the Nation, Bake Sale, No Kid Hungry This Summer programs and proper nutrition initiatives, No Kid Hungry is committed to making sure that our children get the food they need to grow, be healthy and lead productive lives.

NKH's goal is to have 50 chefs, 25 on each coast raise vital funds and awareness by committing to raise $10,000.00 each by riding all or a portion of either ride.  They are seeking chefs, servers, teams, sous chefs, bartenders, owners or office teams from food and culinary companies who would like to join the ride to make sure kids have access to food where they live, learn and play. For those who may not be able to ride but would like to sponsor a team, rider or, just donate as these riders put their pedals where their hearts are, we are asking you to pledge $1 for every mile they ride. Every $1 you donate can help connect a child with up to 10 meals! Help us make No Kid Hungry a reality. Donate here.

Most of you who read me and follow on twitter are foodies, chefs, hospitality professionals, pr firms and culinary media. This is OUR event! I am asking you to step up and help it be a success. I am not, as many of you know, one to ask for favors or financial help, but this cause is too important and the needs of these children who go hungry or are food deficient are too great to not speak up.

To my corporate friends, they need you to step up and commit needed dollars, supplies, expertise, to support the ride and show the way. They need help with food, lodging, media coverage, social media exposure, as well as gear, energy snacks, bike kits, medical and safety kits. I'm asking you to step up for the kids and get involved.

Every dollar counts! If you are who I call, one of my chefs, a restaurant or hospitality/culinary company that has been involved with me over the years, I'm specifically asking for your love and support. If you would like to find out more about riding, please contact Deb Shore at dshore@strength.org. All others can help by donating, re-tweeting, re-posting, sharing and any other way you can help us get the word out and get involved.

I am counting on all of you to step up with those chefs that have already committed and the rest of #TeamNKH and help us in the fight to eradicate childhood hunger in our lifetime. Together, we can make sure that we leave NO KID HUNGRY!

Visit the website to find out how you can help: www.chefscycle.org

Thanks for your support and please share this with as many as possible!

Lou

Up Close & Personal with The Sandwich King, Jeff Mauro

There are those of us who were born to entertain, imbued with a certain sense of timing, personality, drive and love of people that compels us to be the center of attention. It's a burning desire to make people laugh, or to somehow make an impact on an emotional level. Whether our preferred method of delivery is word or deed, song, painting, or plate of food, the desire to seek a public audience is something we are born with. As an entertainer most of my adult life, I understand. Some of us just have an innate need to bring joy, laughter, tears, or in some cases any type of emotional reaction from those around us, or in the audience. Something about type A personalities. Certainly my friend Jeff Mauro has it. Most of us with this affliction know early on what we want in a career. For me it was writing, music at first, and now well, here you are. For my friend Jeff Mauro, this was true at an early age as well.

I met Jeff back in 2012. We spent a few days together at the Fabulous Food Show in Ohio. We talked about careers, hopes and what the future might hold. He'd won the Next Food Network Star, and now into the 2 season of his show The Sandwich King, had gained attention, his momentum presenting a career upswing that would possibly propel him to household name status and bring him to a next level of public awareness. He was aware of the opportunity and it was very clear in our casual after-hours conversations that he was determined to work hard and take advantage of it. 

Flash ahead to December, 2014. Jeff Mauro is now the star of Food Network's Emmy-nominated Sandwich King, $24 in 24 hrs, and the immensely popular, The Kitchen, with co stars, Geoffrey Zakarian, Katie Lee, Marcela Valladolid and Sunny Anderson. He has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Steve Harvey Show, Chopped, Cupcake Wars and The Rachael Ray Show. When not making TV, Jeff  spends a great deal of time with his wife and first love Sarah, and roughousin’ with his five-year-old son and co-star, Lorenzo. I also hear that he plays above average blues guitar. If you know me at all, you know THAT was music to my ears. 

The thing about Jeff that I admire the most though has nothing to do with fame. It's the fact that no matter how overwhelming his schedule of TV shoots, live show appearances, as well as the frequent appearances on TV, his family stands hands above all the rest of his priorities. We'd talked for some time about him sitting down for an Up Close & Personal and the chance finally presented itself during the 2014 holiday season. His schedule is, to put it bluntly, insane. "Dude, it's crazy," he laughed. "I just got back from the Palm Beach Food & Wine, then flew out to NYC to film The Kitchen, it's nice now over the holidays I can slow down a bit. I'm going on vacation with the family, my wife and son, right after Christmas. But yeah, I basically live to get on a plane." 

Family, to most Italians, including Jeff, is most important. Born in 1978 in Chicago, IL, he was a ham on a roll from the very beginning. As one of 4 kids, he was the family comedian, making the whole family laugh.

Jeff’s flair for the stage was discovered early on in Roosevelt Jr. High 3rd grade's legendary production of "Let George Do It!" From that point on, he immersed himself in the performing arts and flourished. "I was always decent in sports, I kinda liked it, but between you and me, I hated moving. I didn't gravitate toward physical activity. If you see pictures of me I was a chubby kid."

He explained, "It started in the 3rd grade with that play. I went for the part, we all had to audition. I played King George IV. I was like, 'I can do a British accent!' I don''t know where I got it, TV, nursery rhymes, who knows...but I nailed it. Got the part." He continued, "My mom and dad had no idea I had the ability to perform, after all it was third grade. I went out there in the first scene, and breaking into an English accent, quoted lines, ('What ho, what is this nonsense..etc,)' in a Shakespearean manner. My parents from that point on encouraged me into that world. I took Youth Second City classes, was in all the schools plays. I was the funny kid at home and in class. I just wanted to make people laugh from a very young age."

Jeff graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. I mentioned that I had an uncle who had attended Bradley and he replied, "Two of my three siblings, my wife and my sister-in-law all went to Bradley. Out here, everybody goes to Bradley. We don't stray far." Since he was talking about staying in the area close to his roots, I asked him about his keeping things local to his hometown, Elmwood Park and Chicago. He explained, "The only time I lived away from this area, this literal square mile, my whole life, was when my wife and I moved to LA. I was hustling back then, trying to get a cooking show. I went to culinary school out there, but this neighborhood, it always pulls me back. I'm six miles from downtown Chicago, the third largest city in the country. There really is no reason to leave. I notice that folks who've made it in this market (career wise) leave and go to New York or LA. I wanted to stay close and raise my kids here. Have them go to the same schools I went to."

Right after college, armed with a degree in communications, Jeff naturally opened up a deli called Prime Time with his cousin, a fellow chef. Because that's what you do with a degree in communications, you open a sandwich shop. It was there that he honed his people skills and fell in love with cooking and crafting sandwiches. I asked him about graduating top of his class from culinary school. He answered proudly, "Yup, top of my class; never was late, never missed a day." Jeff graduated Valedictorian, packed up his Honda and returned to Chicago. "I felt I needed to legitimize myself, especially if I wanted to be on camera as a professional cook. Practically, if this whole entertainment thing didn't work out, cheffing would be a

fallback." He expanded, "I was 25 or so, it was my second round of school, so I knuckled down....I didn't want to blow it. I showed up early, I cooked harder. I cleaned harder. I was yelling at all the 18-year old students, 'Let's hustle.'"

I asked him what from culinary school had the biggest impact on him as a chef. He answered immediately, "The fundamentals. You can learn from another chef at a restaurant, but I got a good, broad foundation, doing a spectrum of different foods correctly." Instead of going right back to pursuing his TV career, Jeff put in his chef time, as a culinary instructor and successful private chef, while still finding time to be a local comedic performer. "I answered an ad for a corporate chef, for their cafeteria. I went there and the place was a disaster." He remembered, "They had this cafe, the guy doing it all wrong. I transformed it into this destination for people in the offices. I was prepping and cleaning and cooking and interacting all day with all kinds of people. It was great training, steady work and I did my comedy at night."

After 3 unsuccessful audition attempts, he finally landed himself on Season 7 of Next Food Network Star, which he totally won. He offered, "The third time trying out I sent a video. It started because my wife had a premonition. She simply said, 'Send the video, it's going to change our lives,' and she was right." I then touched on his inclusion of his family into his TV show, speaking about the support of his family and especially his wife Sarah. He replied, "My wife was a nurse, I was a cook. We'd known each other since I was a freshman in college. We've been together since we were 21 years old, and she knew I had these dreams. She supported me. She came to LA with me. She was one of 3 people at a comedy show. I want to honor that commitment. I think a lot of people shy away from that, putting their kid, or family in front of the camera, I get that. We're all growing in this together. My son has done 30 episodes of television," he stated firmly. "My wife, my parents, aunts, uncles, they've all been on the show. I want to share this with them. I was approached to do a reality show, cus my family is a bunch of nutzos," he laughed, "but that's where I draw the line."

We talked about his success and accolades for his show Sandwich King and The Kitchen, but I wanted to step back a bit and asked why he stuck to his guns arguing 'sandwiches will sell,' when he won The Next Food Network Star. "It was authentic to me," he explained," I didn't want to change who I was. I think I embody what the sandwich represents, it's an extension of my personality; ya know, kinda fun, loose and creative. I'm not the guy whose going to do farm-to-table, or funky crazy food. Sandwiches was one of the only things not being done on TV that I thought could sustain a series."

Five years later, and a few Emmy nominations would prove Jeff was right. "Luckily I was never persuaded to veer off. I think I gave them a lot, I spoke my mind in those interviews, I hammed it up during the cooking portions." He remembered, "My goal was to show that I could make good television. To show I was producible. That is at least half of the equation, half the job requirements." Jeff brings something to the table that is part of the chemistry of good entertainers. Not only are they producible and able to follow direction, but some like Jeff, have an ability to self produce. They have a certain instinct for where the camera is, the timing, and an overall awareness of the bigger picture that the audience sees.

That brought his new show The Kitchen to the conversation "I love the puzzle of it (television). That's why I like The Kitchen so much, I sit back. I know who's talking when, when to jump in. We're getting into a rhythm now. Geoffery and I are very good friends. He and his wife were one of the first to welcome us with open arms, our wives are good friends." He laughed, "Even though we couldn't be more opposite, he laughs at my crap. We play off each other. When he and Sunny came along to the cast, all of us already had a history, so we were all glad to be working together."

I asked him about his little sidekick, Lorenzo. Does he know who dad is? How does he handle the notoriety, people coming up to Dad all the time, the cameras etc.? He replied candidly, "Oh yeah, he gets it. He's unaffected by it to a certain degree. We never talk about it. If someone brings it up we're honest and open about it. It's all about how we conduct ourselves," he continued. "We teach him you don't act all cooler than everyone else just because you're on TV. I raise him to believe that you work for your stuff. You bring your dish to the sink and clean it for yourself. We live in a normal house, I mean, we live in the same neighborhood I grew up in! We're ten feet from the sidewalk. We sit on the stoop. We are the same. We're normal. He goes to the same catholic school I went to. C'mon , I mean that's amazing! He goes to the same kindergarten classroom I did," he proclaims proudly."It's funny though. When we were out one time and he wanted quicker service, he said, 'you know my dad is The Sandwich King,' and we'll were' like...'Lorenzo!' He laughed, "Needless to say he's a typical Chicagoan. He'll grease a couple of palms, or drop a few names when he has to."

We talked blues guitar, my band days and his collection of guitars and there was some talk of my coming out to play a little blues. Seems Jeff, who's played since freshman year in college, gets together with some of the crew between shoots of his show and they jam. Here is just another example of a constantly creative mind, ever at work trying to find avenues of release. "Instead of sitting there in-between shoots, staring at my phone like a dolt, we play music. It's changed my motivation. The music settles me." With regard to what's coming up in the near future, he mentioned a possible book and some irons in the fire that he is considering, but was very close to the vest. To me, he seems content with the balance and direction of his life right now, and it's clearly evident he's in a good place, content to ride the wave and see where it leads. In wrapping up, on behalf of you my readers, I posed Jeff some questions on a series of topics I thought you might find interesting.

On his most embarrassing moment: 
"It was season two of Sandwich King," he remembers. "We had a brand new set, new production team. It was the first scene, of the first movement, of the first episode...it was the first everything. To raise the stakes a bit higher for me, the head of the network stops in to supervise, Bob Tishman. All new crew, all new director, everything new. I'm prepping for the first scene, chopping parsley and I cut off a good chunk of my thumb. Brand new knife, so sharp you could use it as a razor. Shut down production for three hours. Bob said, 'Don't worry, the  same thing happened to Rachael Ray so maybe it's good luck.'

Jeff's go to kitchen gadget at home:
"I would have to say my flat bottom griddle pan," he offered, "No ridges. You can do like 4 pancakes, 4 eggs, grilled cheese."

Favorite food his mom made growing up: 
"Without question, we would get this on special occasions, like birthdays, Christmas, etc.. Her Braciole. So good. So rich. So delicious."

I finished up and asked him what it's like coming full circle. Judging when he sits in on Chopped vs back when he started, being judged, his immediately response was "It's much better to judge than to be judged, let's get that straight right out of the box. But I love doing this. I sit there and think 'this is

the greatest thing in the world, what I do.' Between shooting episodes on the set, as I sit there it hits me and I can't believe that I'm doing this. It's surreal." With regard to his even more hectic TV and appearance schedule, he added, "I get in and I get out. Once the work is done, my priority is to get back here to my family. Home. As long as I can do that, I'm ok with it."
It's apparent that hard work and dedication pays off. Especially when you've got your priorities right.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into the man behind the sandwich. You can get more information about Jeff on his website: www.jeffmauro.com Follow him on Social Media: twitter, facebook, instagram.

Til next time, 
Lou
All Photos courtesy of Jeff Mauro