5 questions

5 Questions: Joshua Berman

The Purposeful Traveler A prolific travel writer and expert on Central America, Joshua Berman began his writing career after a stint in the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Nicaragua. He now writes a monthly column for The Denver Post, has published travel articles in the New York Times, Delta SKY, Sunset and National Geographic Traveler, acted as my guide…  Read More

5 Questions: Roger Porter

Eating Words: A Norton Anthology of Food Writing Edited by literary critic Sandra Gilbert and professor and award-winning restaurant critic Roger Porter, Eating Words is a vast volume of exquisite food writing, from Biblical times through modern day. It’s a historically and conceptually diverse anthology, that goes beyond mere consumption and explores food’s relation to politics,…  Read More

5 Questions: Kevin Bachhuber

The Country’s First Edible Insect Farm Kevin Bachhuber founded Big Cricket Farms in Youngstown, Ohio in 2014 in response to growing water shortages, the rising costs of protein production and a simple love of eating insects inspired by a trip to Thailand. Big Cricket Farms is the first government certified food grade insect farm in this…  Read More

5 Questions: Josh Friedland

A Way with Words An award-winning food writer and creator of the long running blog The Food Section, Josh Friedland was the man behind one of Twitter’s greatest mysteries—the elusive and satirical personality mash-up known as @RuthBourdain, which won a James Beard Award for Humor. He’s dropped the alternate persona, and has now authored a new…  Read More

5 Questions: Raquel Pelzel

Reimagining Bread & Butter A seasoned writer and recipe developer, Raquel Pelzel started her food career in pastry school before landing a gig in the test kitchen at Cook’s Illustrated and later moving on to Tasting Table as a senior food editor. She’s co-authored 20 cookbooks—including the James Beard award-winning Quick Recipe and the James Beard…  Read More

5 Questions: Tony Maws

Uncompromisingly Committed to His Craft A 2011 James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef Northeast and Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2005, Tony Maws is the owner of Boston’s acclaimed Craigie on Main and the newer, more casual Kirkland Tap & Trotter. An immensely talented chef with ruthless expectations of himself and his staff,…  Read More

5 Questions: Joe Carroll

Feeding the Fire When Joe Carroll opened Brooklyn’s Fette Sau in 2007, he was among the very first pioneers to bring legit barbecue to New York City. A couple years ago, the New Jersey-native expanded his operation to Philadelphia, adding a second Fette Sau to his roster of restaurants (which also includes the neighborhood steakhouse…  Read More

5 Questions with The Dinner Party Download

How to Win Your Next Dinner Party Maybe you’re the shy type who freaks at the idea of striking up conversation at an intimate dinner with strangers; maybe you’ve been hiking the Appalachian trail for the past few months and need a refresher course on culture and current events; or maybe you’re just a food-obsessed…  Read More

5 Questions: Corey Lee

A Technical Wizard Corey Lee is one of the most talented chefs in America. He’s a master technician and a creative wunderkind, cooking on a different level than almost anyone else in the country. Dinner at his three Michelin star San Francisco restaurant Benu is an unrivaled experience—a tasting menu comprised of a cuisine unique…  Read More

5 Questions: Mike DeCamp

Minneapolis’ Young Chef in the Spotlight Mike DeCamp, the incredibly talented and creative chef de cuisine at Minneapolis’ award winning La Belle Vie, just announced he’s leaving his longtime mentor Tim McKee to open a new restaurant with Jester Concepts (the team behind Borough and Coup d’etat). They’ll be taking over Hotel Ivy’s first floor restaurant, formerly Porter &…  Read More

5 Questions: Jake Bickelhaupt

An Impressive Debut After working in some of Chicago’s most prestigious kitchens—Charlie Trotter’s, Alinea and Schwa—chef Jake Bickelhaupt started an underground supper club, or “guestaurant,” called Sous Rising. With his wife Alexa Welsh, Bickelhaupt hosted Michelin-quality meals with a casual, dinner party feel in their Chicago apartment for nearly two years. In early 2014, Bickelhaupt and Welsh opened…  Read More

5 Questions: Marcus Samuelsson

Marcus Off Duty In Marcus Off Duty, chef, award-winning author and TV host Marcus Samuelsson steps out of the restaurant and into his home kitchen, where he teaches readers to cook global, flavorful and approachable recipes. It’s a beautiful book, filled with funky illustrations, stories, personalized playlists, and his tips and tricks for tackling ethnic…  Read More

5 Questions: Matt and Ted Lee

Cookbook Gurus Brothers Matt and Ted Lee grew up in Charleston, South Carolina but attended colleges in Massachusetts. They so missed the foods from back home that they founded The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, a mail-order Southern food company. When an editor of Travel + Leisure magazine asked them to write a story about road-tripping their home state…  Read More

5 Questions: Jean-Pierre & Denise Moullé

French Roots French chef Jean-Pierre Moullé ran the kitchen at Berkley landmark Chez Panisse for more than 30 years until his retirement in 2012. His wife, Denise Lurton Moullé, was born into the Lurton family wine-making empire in Bordeaux, which led to her career in wine distribution and now a business leading wine tours through France.…  Read More

5 Questions: Jennifer McLagan

An Exploration of Bitter A James Beard award-winning author, Jennifer McLagan is known for challenging her readers, delving into topics that make us rethink what we eat and why. She’s famously covered Bones, Fat and Odd Bits, each a single subject book with recipes that aims to revive an unloved ingredient. McLagan’s latest book is…  Read More

5 Questions: Dana Cowin

Dana Cowin’s Little Secret As the editor-in-chief of Food & Wine since 1995, Dana Cowin has her finger on the pulse of the food world, harnessing this country’s obsession with food and celebrity chefs, while setting the bar for quality, relevant journalism. Yet she harbored a secret: while she loved to entertain, she lacked confidence in…  Read More

5 Questions: Edward Lee

The Food-Obsessed World of Edward Lee A native New Yorker turned Louisville culinary ambassador, chef Edward Lee stars in the brand new third season of Mind of a Chef—the Emmy-winning PBS series, narrated by executive producer Anthony Bourdain, that delves deep into the inspirations and philosophies of renowned chefs. Lee’s brilliant cooking at his acclaimed…  Read More

5 Questions: Tom Mylan of the Meat Hook

Whole Animal Butchery Without the Self-Congratulatory B.S. Tom Mylan is a butcher. Not because it’s trending, but because no one else in his company wanted to do it. Seven years after launching Marlow & Sons’ local meat program, the largely self-taught meat man is running one of the best butcher shops—The Meat Hook—in New York,…  Read More

5 Questions: The Perennial Plate

Adventures in Sustainable Eating A two-time James Beard Award-winning online documentary series, The Perennial Plate explores socially responsible eating in the United States and abroad. The beautifully shot weekly series was created by Daniel Klein, an activist and chef, and Mirra Fine, a graphic designer, writer and now filmmaker, who impressively research, film, edit, and produce each piece…  Read More

5 Questions: Paul Berglund

Redefining Scandinavian Cooking A former Navy Officer who opted for a chef’s life, Paul Berglund has made a name for himself as the executive chef of Minneapolis’ Bachelor Farmer, where he’s cooking trend-setting modernist Nordic cuisine. We talk with Berglund about the resurgence of Scandinavian food, taking risks and note-worthy chefs in the Twin Cities.…  Read More

5 Questions: Brady Lowe

Heritage Hog Renaissance As the founder of the pork-centric culinary competition Cochon 555, Brady Lowe is on a mission to remind us what true pork tastes like. In each of the 10 cities on the annual tour, Cochon 555 showcases five chefs, five heritage breed pigs and five winemakers to promote breed diversity and whole animal…  Read More

5 Questions: David Kinch

Genius Culinary Innovation David Kinch, chef/proprietor of Manresa in Los Gatos, California, creates some of the most exciting food in America. After working in Europe, Japan and New York, the James Beard award-winning chef moved to the West Coast and opened his flagship restaurant in 2002. Four years later, Kinch famously entered into a partnership…  Read More

5 Questions: Jonathon Sawyer

Rust Belt Revival After years spent working in some of the best restaurants in New York City, chef Jonathon Sawyer is back in his hometown, raising his family and Cleveland’s food profile. He’s become an incredible son of Ohio, who has changed this town’s culinary landscape with his restaurants Noodlecat, Sawyer’s Street Frites, SeeSaw Pretzel…  Read More

5 Questions: Marc Forgione

Like Father, Like Son Marc Forgione, the Michelin-starred mohawked chef who won Food Network’s Next Iron Chef in 2010, began his culinary career working for his father, beloved chef Larry Forgione. After cooking in kitchens in France, he joined Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Prime empire as corporate sous chef, before opening his eponymous NYC restaurant in…  Read More

5 Questions: Jamie Bissonnette

Nose-to-Tail Icon Chef Jamie Bissonnette gained notoriety for his soulful food, innovative style and pork proficiency at his Boston restaurants, Coppa and Toro. Last fall, Bissonnette brought his incredible tapas menu to Manhattan when he opened a second Toro with business partner and fellow empire builder Ken Oringer. As we predicted, New Yorkers are just as infatuated as Bostonians with…  Read More

5 Questions: Travail Kitchen

Hacking Fine Dining Chefs/co-owners of Travail and the Rookery, Mike Brown, Bob Gerken and James Winberg are a trio to be reckoned with. In the past year, they closed the original Travail opening Pig Ate My Pizza in its place, created a dim sum pop-up in North Minneapolis, launched an epic Kickstarter campaign and reopened Travail…  Read More

5 Questions: Marc Escobosa

Exploring FoodieTV FoodieTV, the latest iOS app from Glam Media (creators of foodie.com and Foodie Recipes), offers a curated collection of short-form videos with engaging food and travel content, from guided walks through Beijing’s best street food and step-by-step recipes to spotlights on chefs and independent cheesemakers. We chat with Marc Escobosa, VP of product management…  Read More