On the Menu covers the 25th Anniversary James Beard Foundation Awards.  Three Young Star Chefs in NYC (in alphabetical order of Restaurant Name): Aaron Chambers, Executive Chef, Boulud Sud, www.danielnyc.com/boulud_sud.html; Alex Stupack, Chef-Partner & Matt Resler, Agave Program Director, Empellon Cocina & Empellon Taqueria, www.empellon.com/; Andrew Schrenker, Chef-Partner, Recette, www.recettenyc.com.

OTM in London part 5  Fine Casual Ethnic Dining (is French "ethnic"?). Jose Pizarro, Owner, Pizarro, www.josepizarro.com; Will Smith, Partner, Les Deux Salons, www.lesdeuxsalons.co.uk; Martin Morales, Owner, Ceviche Peruvian Kitchen & Pisco Bar, www.cevicheuk.com. And a Change of Pace to end; Kim Ode, Rhubarb Renaissance, but of course you know that Rhubarb is native to Peru & Much-loved in England!

 

Celebrating US Cuisine - the 25th Annual James Beard Awards, and a Special 25th Anniversary Cookbook; Dr. Mitchell Davis, Executive VP, James Beard Foundation, www.jamesbeard.org; Kit Wohl, The JBF Best of the Best, www.kitwohlco.com.  Issues in Food Politics, Professor Marion Nestle of New York University, Why Calories Count & Food Politics.  The South as a New Culinary Melting Pot, Paul & Angela Knipple, The World in a Skillet: a Food Lover's Tour of the New American South, worldinaskillet.com/

Italian in London; Jacob Kennedy, Rosie Yeats, Masisimo Mioli

OTM in London part 3 - Everyone loves Italian Cuisine, London included, three Great Ristorantes/Osterias/Enotecas; Jacob Kenedy, Chef-Proprietor, Bocca di Lupo & Gelupo, www.boccadilupo.com, www.gelupo.com; Rosie Yeats, Head Chef & Leonardo Hoxha, General Manager, Aurelia, www.aurelialondon.co.uk; Massimo Mioli, Chef & Elisa Bedin, General Manager, Co-owners, Dego Wine Bar & Restaurant, www.degowinebar.co.uk.

London Hotel-based Chefs; Bruno Loubet, Brendan Fyldes, Alyn Williams, Sriram Aylur

OTM in London, part 2; Hotel-based Dining.  Bristot Bruno Loubet (Chef-owner) at The Zetter Hotel  & Townhouse, www.bistrotbrunoloubet.com, www.thezettertownhouse.com; The Lyttelton at The Stafford by Kempinski, Ursula von Platon-Horande, Regional PR Director, Kempinski Hoteliers, Brendan Fyldes, Executive Chef; www.thelyttelton.com/www.kempinski.com/en/london/the-stafford-london/welcome; Alyn Williams at The Westbury, Alyn Williams (Chef-owner), www.westburymayfair.com/alyn-williams-at-the-westbury-,restaurent_viewItem_2-en.html; Sriram Aylur, Chef & Director of Operations, Bombay Brasserie & The Quilon Restaurant at 51 Buckingham Gate, www.bombaybrasserie.co.uk, www.quilon.co.uk, www.51-buckinghamgate.com/.

London Adventure 2012, Art Museums; Chefs Philip Howard, Joel Antunes, Henry Harris

On the Menu's 2012 London Adventure Part 1.  London's Great Art Museums & Very Special Exhibits; Lucien Freud Portraits at The National Portrait Gallery, www.npg.org.uk/freudsite/; Yayoi Kusama at Tate Modern, www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/yayoikusama/tickets.shtm; Picasso & British Art at Tate Britain, www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/picassoandbritain/default.shtm; Turner & Claude at The National Gallery AND the just purchased Titian "Diana & Collista", www.nationalgallery.org.uk/.  First Instalment of London Dining - British Chefs Cook French & a Great French Chef opens a New London Dining Destination; Philip Howard, Chef-Partner, The Square, Mayfair, now open 21 years, www.squarerestaurant.com, Mentor for "a Generation of Modern British Chefs", and STILL in the Kitchen; Joel Antunes, a Native of Southern France, previously a "Superstar" in London & Atlanta GA, now at recently opened Kitchen Joel Antunes at The Embassy, Mayfair, embassymayfair.com/restaurant/; Henry Harris, Chef-Owner, Racine, celebrating his 10th Anniversary of "Distinctly French Cuisine" in Knightsbridge, www.racine-restaurant.com.  Three fascinating stories & three sensational meals!!!  Tune in for the next 4 weeks for More London Dining.

We preview OTM's upcoming Annual Trip to London, lots of Fine Art and Fine Dining are on our menu!!  Chef Jeremy Lee, "a voice from our past".  We're re-running Chef Jeremy's interview from 2011 at The Blueprint Cafe, because we hear he's cooking a great new menu at Sam & Eddie Hart's Quo Vadis.  And back home in the USA; Mike Forbes, The California Olive Ranch, Olive Orchards & Fine Quality-Reasonably Priced Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Oroville CA, www.cal-olive.com; Barbara Magro, Author & Publisher, Recipes to Remember, Buy a copy at www.recipestoremember.com which donates a significant part of the price to The Altzheimer's Foundation in S Florida.

Tamar Adler emulates MFK Fisher in her remarkable first book, An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace; Shauna Sever tells OTM there's more than meets the eye with Marshmallows - who knew?  You will now! Marshmallow Madness is her book, get in touch with Shauna & her Blog, Piece of Cake, at www.shaunasever.com; Jeni Britten Bauer, Jeni's Ice Cream, Columbus OH (and one store in Nashville TN), www.jenisicecream.com, Jenis Splendid Ice Cream at Home; Sybil Taylor, Steam Whistle Brewery, Toronto Canada, www.steamwhistle.ca, tells OTM Why you should include a Tour of the Brewery in your Toronto itinerary - and their only brew, a traditional Bohemian-style Pilsener is great too!!

Interesting People with Fascinating Life Stories - a Restaurant & Cookbook, 2 Bakeries & their Secrets .... and it's Arthur's Fault.  Michael Chernow, Partner, The Meatball Shop(s) New York City, www.themeatballshop.com, The Meatball Shop Cookbook; Dawn Casale & David Crofton, Partners, One Girl Cookies, Brooklyn NY, www.onegirlcookies.com, One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes... from Brooklyn's Beloved Bakery; David Arrick, The Butch Bakery - soon to reopen in NYC, www.butchbakery.com, The Butch Bakery Cookbook; Arthur & Laurel Shelmandine, It's Arthur's Fault, Sauces, Marinades, Condiments, Rubs, etc., Jericho VT, www.itsarthursfault.com.

Italian Wine & Bread to start, then Cooking Pots & Plates.  Marco Caprai, Owner & Winemaker, Arnaldo-Caprai, Montefalco Rosso & 100% Sagrantino wines, Montefalco, Umbria, www.arnaldocaprai.it; Carol Field, www.carolfield.com, The Italian Baker (revised edition); Mark Kelly, Director of Marketing, Lodge Manufacturing, S Pittsburgh TN, www.lodgemfg.com, Manufacturers of Cast Iron Cookware since 1896, The Lodge Cast-Iron Cookbook; Shax Riegler, Features Editor, House Beautiful, Dish: 813 Colorful, Wonderful Dinner Plates.

A Significant New Book about Chefs & Cooking, Jeff Scott, www.jeffscottstudio.com, Notes from a Kitchen: a Journey Inside Culinary Obsession.  Three Fascinating Food Creators, their Foods & their Stories; Elias Cairo, Olympia Provisions, Charcuterie & 2 Restaurants in Portland OR, http://www.olympiaprovisions.com; Mike Fitzgerald, Founder & CEO, Halfpops, Woodinville WA, www.halfpops.com, "Half-popped" Snacks; Keith Wahrer, Co-founder & Creative Director, Rhythm Super Foods, Austin TX, www.rhythmsuperfoods.com.  

Four Great Contributions to Culinary Literature - and Some Great Recipes too!  Ed Levine, Founder, Serious Eats, www.seriouseats.com: Serious Eats: a Comprehensive Guide to Making & Eating Delicious Food wherever you are: Virginia Willis, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress them up for Company; Melissa Clark, www.melissaclark.net, Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delicious Dishes you can't wait to Make; Beata Zatorski, Rose Petal Jam.

Fascinating stories of Olive Oil, Great Books on Spanish & Latin American Foods & Cooking.  Tom Mueller, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil; Claudia Roden, The  Food of Spain; Lorena Garcia, Lorena Garcia's New Latin Classics, www.cheflorenagarcia.com.

Three Great Additions to the Literature of Italian Cuisine.  Colman Andrews, The Country Cooking of Italy, also Founder - The Daily Meal, www.thedailymeal.com; Mary Ann Esposito, Host of PBS' Ciao Italia, Ciao Italia Family Classics; Francine Segan, Food Historian & USA Ambassador for the Italian Confectioners & Pasta Association, Dolci: Italy's Sweets

Cooking Like a Professional: Jaques Pepin, Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food, includes DVD; Brad Barnes, The Culinary Institute of America, The Professional Chef, all new 9th Edition, Tablet version available; Molly Stevens, All About Roasting: a New Approach to a Classic Art.

Focus on Home Cooking: John Besh, Besh Restaurant Group, New Orleans LA, My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking; Lee Clayton Roper, A Well Seasoned Kitchen: a Mother-Daughter Culinary Journey; Jennifer Reese, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter; Lisa Yockelson, Baking Style: Art*Craft*Recipes.

More from Madrid - 3 More Great Restaurants, their Chefs & Owners.  Ricardo Sanz de Castro, Chef-Owner, Kabuki Wellington, Owner, Kabuki Carmona, translation by Victoria, restaurantekabuki.com/; Jaime Noain Larrinaga, Partner, Oscar Velasco Martin, Partner, Adolfo Santos Garcia, Jefe de Cocina, translation by Antonio, La Cesta de Recoletos, www.lacesta.eu; Darrio Barrio, Chef-Partner, dASSA bASSA, www.dassabassa.com.

OTM enjoys "Felice Navidad" in Madrid, Spain's Capital City.  Gerry Dawes, Spanish Travel, Food & Wine Expert helps us set the stage, www.gerrydawesspain.com; Sergio Martinez Echarte, General Manager, SULA Madrid, www.sula.es; Juan Jose Lopez, Chef-owner & Juan Antonio Perez, Chef, La Tasquita de Enfrente, www.latasquitadeenfrente.com.

Mad for Moroccan!!!  OTM heard that Moroccan is the Latest Cuisine Craze, so of course We Found Experts for You.  Mourad Lahlou, Chef-Owner, Aziza, San Francisco, www.aziza-sf.com, Mourad: New Moroccan; Zouhair Zairi, Moorish Fusion Cuisine: Conquering the World; Pat Crocker, Culinary Herbalist, www.riversongherbals.com, 150 Best Tagine Recipes - and on a different but somewhat related subject - Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarborough, Goat: Milk, Meat, Cheese.

Merry Christmas to All of On the Menu's Listeners Around the World!!!  Happy Times in Happy Valley, Sam Glasgow-GM, Geri Jordan-Dir. Food & Beverage, Lisa Palermo-Chef, Steve Clemons-ESSPpa Kozmetika, Carnegie Inn & Spa, State College PA, www.carnegieinnandspa.com, www.esspa.us; Margaret D'Arrigo-Martin, Exec VP Marketing, Andy Boy's Cactus Pears, Salinas CA - Ann's Latest Favorite Food, www.darrigo.com; Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg, The Food Lover's Guide to Wine; Alice Fiering, Naked Wine: Letting Grapes do what comes Naturally.

OTM interviews 4 Great Italian Cookbook Authors; Marc Vetri, Owner/Chef, Vetri, Osteria, Amis & Alla Spina, all in Philadelphia PA, Rustic Italian Food, www.vetriristorante.com; Lidia Bastianich, Partner, Felidia NYC, Public TV Personality, Lidia's Italy in America, www.lidiasitaly.com; Domenica Marchetti, The Glorious Pasta of Italy, www.domenicacooks.com; Ron Suhanosky, Former Chef-Owner, Sfoglia NYC, The Italian Table: Recipes that Bring Everyone Together.

Daniel Humm & Will Guidara, Chef-Partner & GM-Partner, Eleven Madison Park, NYC, Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook, One of this Year's Most Important Cookbooks from the new owners of this Great Restaurant; Allegra McEvedy MBE, Chef Extraordinaire, TV Personality, Co-founder of LEON, London, Bought, Borrowed, Stolen, the Saga of 25 Years of Cooking in 20 countries; James Villas, Prolific Author of 16 Cookbooks, From the Ground Up; Hundreds of Amazing Recipes from Around the World for Ground Meats...., inspired by Villas' Old Friend Craig Claiborne.

OTM's Sicilian Adventure, 3rd & last instalment.  Pino Cuttaia, Chef-Patron, Ristorante La Madia, Licata, www.ristorantelamadia.it, Translation by Michele Savoia, Chef-Owner, Dish Osteria, Pittsburgh, www.dishosteria.com; Alessandro Bursi, Chef-Partner, Il Vigneto Resort & Restaurant, Porto Palo, www.ristoranteilvigneto.com, Translation by Stefania Giovinco of Il Vigneto; Salvatore Gambuzza, Executive Chef, Ristorante Il Granaio di Ibla at Villa Athena, Agrigento, villaathenaagrigentosicily.com; Renee Restivo, Cooking Instructor & Founder Soul of Sicily, Sicilian Tours, Products, etc., Noto, www.soulofsicily.com.

OTM's Sicilian Adventures continue with Several Excellent Places to Stay & to Dine.  Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza, Mazara del Vallo, Germana Abbagnato, Sales & Marketing, Giovanni di Candido, Executive Chef, Gianni Ciotta, Pastry Chef, www.kempinski.com/sicily; Falconara Charming House & Resort, nr. Butera & Licata, Gianni Miani, Partner & Resort Manager, Domenico Zaia, Executive Chef, Renata Scalia, Sales Manager, www.hotelfalconararesort.com; Azienda Agricola Fontanasalsa, Ristorante, Agriturismo, Estate Olive Oil & Wine Producer, nr. Trapani Burgi Airport, Maria Caterina Burgarella, Owner, Rosa & Vincenzo, Chefs, translation by Rosa Lauro-Groto, www.fontanasalsa.it; Casa Talia - unique accommodations with a View!!, Modica Basa, Viviana Haddad, Co-owner, www.casatalia.it