Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless is the owner of Chicago restaurants Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, XOCO, and Tortas Frontera at O’Hare Airport as well as Frontera Fresco, his upscale,quick-service concept at Macy’s State Street, Old Orchard, and Union Square. More recently, Rick took on consulting chef responsibilities at the new Red O in L.A. Rick was awarded 1995 Chef of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, 1998 Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, and 2002 Cooking Teacher of the Year by Bon Appétit. In 2007, Frontera Grill was namedAmerica’s Outstanding Restaurant of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. In 2009, Rick Bayless was crowned TopChef Master on the Bravo network. Rick hosts Mexico: OnePlate at a Time on public television, now in its eighth season, and just recently released his newest cookbook, Fiesta at Rick’s.
Michelle Bernstein
Since drawing the national spotlight in the mid 1990’s, Chef Michelle Bernstein has remained one of the region’s most well-respected and successful chefs/restaurateurs. A Miami native of Jewish and Latin descent, this passionate culinaire has dazzled diners and critics alike with her sublime cuisine and a personality as bright and vibrant as the Florida sun. “My food isn’t heavy handed or unnecessarily complicated,” says Bernstein, a James Beard Award winner(Best Chef South 2008) and author of Cuisine a Latina (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2008). “You don’t need heavy handed technique and over the top presentations to make a dish work. It’s about amazing ingredients, layered flavors and simplicity. My style of cooking is inspired by my own food memories and it’s the simple, soulful cooking that stays that I remember from my travels. I cook the food I love and I think that love translates to the diners.” These days, Bernstein is busier than ever. She recently opened Crumb on Parchment, a cozy café in the heart of the Miami Design District, and continues to operate herSouth Florida restaurant: Michy’s. Beyond a family of successful restaurants and her own family (she and husband/partner David Martinez recently became parents), Bernstein dedicates time to Common Threads, an after-school program for underprivileged kids, is actively promoting her new line of cookware and cutlery, “Michelle B,” and regularly appears on an array of national TV shows, from Top Chef to Good Morning America.
Cat Cora
Since making television history in 2005 as the first and only female Iron Chef on Food Network’s Iron Chef America, Cat Cora has become one of the largest names in the culinary community. In May 2012, Cora expanded her repertoire to host, as she steps out of her chef’s jacket into this new role alongside co-host Curtis Stone, in Bravo’s new reality series Around the World in 80 Plates, which follows 12 chefs competing in a culinary race across 10 countries in 44 days. Beyond her television credits, Cora is also a contributing food & lifestyle editor for O, the Oprah Magazine.
To date, Cora has successfully launched several unique restaurant concepts. In 2008, she partnered with Macy’s to open Cat Cora’s Que (CCQ), a casual barbeque restaurant featuring her favorite takes on global BBQ. In 2009, Cora partnered with Disney to open Kouzinna by Cat Cora at Disney’s Board Walk Resort. Kouzzina’s menu consists of Cora’s time-honored Mediterranean family recipes and personal Greek favorites. In 2011, she opened Cat Cora’s Kitchen, a sophisticated dining option for airport travelers with locations in the Virgin Terminal 2 at San FranciscoInternationalAirport and the GeorgeBushIntercontinentalAirport in Houston, Texas.
Cora is the author of three top-selling cookbooks and in March 2011, the mother of four boys, released her first children’s book, Suitcase Surprise for Mommy (Dial Books, 2011) a sweet and comforting tool for kids and parents to use when Mom or Dad have to travel.
In January 2011, the savvy chef launched her first line of versatile cookware with Starfrit, Canada’s leading purveyor of eco-friendly cookware and kitchen gadgets. The line features an array of practical, stylish and eco-friendly kitchen essentials to make mealtimes easy for the at-home cook. That same year, she teamed up with Gaea, the leader in Greek specialty food products, to debut Cat Cora’s Kitchen, her own line of olive oils, vinegar, cooking sauces, tapenades and olives. In addition, Cora has her own collection of wines under the Coranation label.
Outside of the kitchen, Cora is an avid philanthropist and in 2004 she founded Chefs for Humanity in response to the tsunami disaster in Indonesia. Her charity is dedicated to preventing hunger, reducing obesity and providing help to those in emergency conditions.
For more information please visit, follow Cat on Twitter (@catcora) and Facebook.
Tom Douglas
Chef/Owner/Restauranteur
Tom Douglas, along with his wife and business partner, Jackie Cross, owns ten of Seattle’s most exciting restaurants: Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Palace Kitchen, Lola, Serious Pie (with two locations), Seatown Seabar and Rotisserie, Cuoco, Ting Momo, and Brave Horse Tavern. With almost 30 years in the biz, Tom helped put Seattle on the culinary map by cooking global cuisine using regional and seasonal ingredients.
Tom also runs a retail bakery, Dahlia Bakery, a biscuit sandwich bar, Serious Biscuit, a catering business, Tom Douglas’ Catering and Events, and an event space, Palace Ballroom. All of Tom’s restaurants are located in the downtown Seattle and South Lake Union neighborhood.
Tom is the author of three cookbooks, Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen (Morrow, 2001), Tom’s Big Dinners (Morrow, 2003), and I Love Crab Cakes (Morrow, 2006). The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook is due out in Fall 2012. In addition, Tom’s specialty food line, which includes Rub with Love spice rubs plus barbecue and teriyaki sauces, is sold nationwide.
Tom lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife, Jackie.
Todd English
Todd English is a renowned chef, restaurateur, author, entrepreneur, and television star based in Boston, Massachusetts and New York City. In 1989, English opened his first restaurant Olives in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which quickly drew national and international applause for English’s interpretive rustic Mediterranean cuisine. In recent years, English has established Olives as one of the most prestigious names in the nation by opening locations in New York and Las Vegas. English is a four-time James Beard Award winner and inductee into the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who in Food and Beverage in America." Todd has authored the critically acclaimed cookbooks, The Olives Table,The Figs Table and The Olives Dessert Table, and his highly anticipated fourth cookbook, Cooking in Everyday English was just released on October 11, 2012. English has also created the record-breaking houseware line, The Todd English Collection, and hosts the Emmy-nominated PBS travel series Food Trip with Todd English.
Todd English Enterprises includes over twenty innovative restaurants spanning the country. Most recently, Todd opened the Todd English P.U.B. at Las Vegas’ CityCenter, and summer 2010 brought the opening of two new restaurants in New York City, his European-inspired Plaza Food Hall by Todd English at the iconic Plaza Hotel, as well as his French-inspired Brasserie Ça Va, located in the heart of the theater district. In December 2010 Todd opened his first dessert concept, Isabelle’sCurlyCakes with his daughter Isabelle in her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. Todd English is also very involved with several local and national charities in addition to UGive.org, including Citymeals-on-Wheels, Share Our Strength, Men with Heart, Men Against Breast Cancer, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Volunteers of America, Autism Speaks, and City Harvest.
Marc Forgione
Marc Forgione,winner of Season Three of The Next Iron Chef, is the chef/owner of Restaurant Marc Forgione in New York City. Recognized with a glowing two-star review from Sam Sifton of the New YorkTimes, Restaurant Marc Forgione is an approachable place “that people walk by and are compelled to enter and where the ingredients are the star.” In addition to the Iron Chef title, Forgione was most recently awarded his third Michelin star in the 2012 guide, making him the youngest American-born chef and owner to receive the honor in consecutive years (2010, 2011, 2012). In spring 2012, Chef Forgione will open American Cut at Revel in Atlantic City, combining his signature take on fine dining with the comforts of the new American steakhouse.
Johnny Iuzzini
Johnny Iuzzini, former Executive Pastry Chef at award winning Restaurant Jean-Georges and café Nougatine in New York City, hails from the Catskills in upstate New York. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with twenty years of kitchen experience since the age of 15, he boasts a heavy list of experience at highly lauded dining locations such as The River Café in Brooklyn, NY, Daniel, Payard and Café Boulud in New York City. His enrichment continued during a journey around the world in 1998 as well as to study pastry at some of the finest patisseries in France including LaDuree under Pierre Herme.
Chef Iuzzini was deemed “Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, followed by accolades such as “10 Most Influential Pastry Chefs in America” by Forbes, “Best New Pastry Chef” by New York Magazine, and named one of the “Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America” two years in a row by Pastry Arts and Design.Entwined in these rankings are several appearances on major network television shows including Martha Stewart, Paula Dean and Tony Danza, as well as being seen on Top Chef Chicago, The Today Show and Good Morning America. During his near decade as the Executive Pastry Chef at Restaurant Jean-Georges, the restaurant received four stars from The New York Times, as well as three Michelin stars, and was considered to one of the world’s 50 greatest restaurants.
Chef Iuzzini is the head judge of Bravo’s culinary competition series Top Chef Just Desserts and the author of DESSERT FOURPLAY: Sweet Quartets From A Four-Star Pastry Chef (Clarkson Potter).
Emeril Lagasse
Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 13 restaurants including three in New Orleans (Emeril’s, NOLA and Emeril’s Delmonico); four in Las Vegas (Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Lagasse’s Stadium); two in Orlando (Emeril’s Orlando and Tchoup Chop); three at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Pennsylvania (Emeril’s Italian Table, Emeril’s Chop House and Burgers And More by Emeril) and his most recent opening in Charlotte, NC with e2 Emeril’s Eatery.
As a national TV personality, he has hosted over 2,000 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America. His latest series is Emeril’s Table on Hallmark Channel, in which he invites viewers to join a group of five special diners at his chef’s table for an intimate shared experience that includes a cooking lesson and recipes geared toward their interests. He is also the host of Fresh Food Fast and The Originals with Emeril both appearing on Cooking Channel.Most recently, Emeril joined Top Chef Texas – season nine of Bravo’s hit food series Top Chef – as the show’s newest chef and restaurateur at the judges’ table.
In addition to his television presence, Emeril has a radio program, Cooking with Emeril, which airs exclusively on Martha Stewart Living Radio on SIRIUS XM.He also has a column in Everyday Food magazine where the chef, his eight-year-old son, E.J., and seven-year-old daughter, Meril, provide delicious family-friendly recipes.
Lagasse is the best-selling author of 16 cookbooks including Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine. His newest book, Sizzling Skillets and other One-Pot Wonders, debuted in September 2011.
In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children’s educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts, nutrition, healthy eating, and important life skills. To date, the Foundation has given over $5 million to children’s causes in New Orleans, Las Vegas and on the GulfCoast.
Lagasse's restaurant company, Emeril's Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses culinary operations, a test kitchen for recipe development, and a boutique store for his signature products.
Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands in 2008; Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) acquired the assets related to Emeril’s media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, and emerils.com website and his licensed kitchen and food products.
MARCUS SAMUELSSON
Award-winning Chef, Restaurateur & Cookbook Author
Chef Marcus Samuelsson is an internationally acclaimed chef, author and philanthropist. Chef Samuelsson is the author of several award-winning cookbooks and in June of 2012 he released his memoir, Yes, Chef.Among his many accolades, Chef Samuelsson is the youngest chef to ever achieve two three-star reviews from The New York Times and he has been honored by the James Beard Foundation on multiple occasions including “Rising Star Chef” (1999), “Best Chef: New York City” (2003), and “Best International Cookbook” (2007). In 2010, Chef Samuelsson beat out 21 fellow chefs on the second season of the television competition Top Chef Masters on Bravo, winning $115,000 for the UNICEF Tap Project. In December 2010, Marcus opened Red Rooster Harlem, later earning two-stars from The New York Times. Other recent accolades Chef Samuelsson has achieved include being tasked with planning and executing the Obama Administration’s first State dinner; hosting the President at his own restaurant; and being named on the “International Best Dressed List 2011” in Vanity Fair magazine. In March, 2012, Chef Samuelsson opened Ginny’s Supper Club in the space underneath Red Rooster Harlem.
Tim Scott
Tim Scottis the corporate executive chef for Macy’s North and is responsible for creating recipes and menus for twenty full-service restaurants and 45 other fresh food operations throughout the country. With the expansion of the Macy’s Foods Division, he is also currently working on integrating fresh-food conceptsnationwide. He frequently teaches cooking classes forboth adults and children. Tim started cooking professionallyat the age of 14 and is a graduate of the CulinaryInstitute of America.
Nancy Silverton
Nancy Silverton is the co-owner of Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, and Mozza2Go in Los Angeles, as well as Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza in Singapore. She is the founder of the La Brea Bakery and formerly owned and operated Campanile restaurant. She is the author of several books including Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book, Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery,Desserts,and most recently The Mozza Cookbook.
Ming Tsai
Ming Tsai opened Blue Ginger in February 1998, and ever since, the East-West bistro and its chef have been honored with numerous accolades, including the James Beard award for the 2002 Best Chef Northeast. Blue Ginger has been rated among the top five most popular restaurants in Boston by the Zagat RestaurantGuide for the last ten years. In 2008, Blue Ginger expanded, creating three private dining rooms and the Lounge at Blue Ginger, serving an Asian Tapas menu featuring Ming’s Bings. Ming, an Emmy Award winner, currently hosts and is executive producer of the Emmy-nominated public television cooking show Simply Ming, currently in its ninth season. In addition, he producesvodcasts offering tips and tutorials on everything fromfilleting fish to decanting wine. Ming is the author of fourcookbooks: Blue Ginger, Simply Ming, Ming’s Master Recipes, and Simply Ming One-Pot Meals. The chef developed a Food Allergy Reference Book, first used at Blue Ginger, a pioneering system that creates safeguards to help food-allergic people dine safely. He also worked with the Massachusetts Legislature to help write Bill S. 2701, passed in 2009, which requires local restaurants to comply with specific food allergy awareness guidelines. Ming is a national spokesperson for FAAN (FoodAllergy and Anaphylaxis Network) and a proud member of Common Threads, the Harvard School of Public Health's Nutrition Round Table, the Cam Neely Foundation and Squashbusters.
Takashi Yagihashi
Takashi Yagihashiopened his namesake Chicago restaurant, Takashi, in December, 2007 to immediate critical and consumer success. Both EsquireandChicagomagazines named Takashi a "Best New Restaurant" of 2008, and Takashi garnered a rating of 29 inZagat, the highest food rating in Chicago. In 2010, Takashi earned a star rating from theMichelin Guide Chicago,one of only eighteen restaurants to do so. Takashi also operates Noodles by Takashi Yagihashi, a rustic Japanese noodle restaurant that opened in 2006 at Macy’s on State Street in Chicago. Takashi has run such famed kitchens as Okada at the WynnHotel in Las Vegas and Tribute in Detroit.In 2000, Takashi graced the cover ofFood and Wineas one of America’s ten "Best New Chefs" and in2003, he was selected "Best Chef Midwest" by the esteemed James Beard Foundation. His first cookbook,Takashi’s Noodles,was released April 2009; in 2011, Takashi opened Slurping Turtle, a Japanese izakaya style restaurant where he serves up his take on Japanese comfort food. Takashi has appeared and competed on Top Chef, Iron Chef and the Martha Stewart Show.