 |
|
| Chef's Story: Press Release |
For information, contact:
Rose Marie Morse, 212-861-2397, Rmorse@morse-partners.com
Dorothy Hamilton, 646-254-7506, dhamilton@frenchculinary.com
Aimee Gautreau, 914-238-2698, aimee.gautreau@verizon.net
AMERICA'S LEADING CHEFS
REVEAL "FIVE-STAR" STORIES OF FOOD AND CAREERS
IN CHEF'S STORY, NEW 26-PART TELEVISION SERIES
OF EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
Dorothy Hamilton, Founder and CEO of New York's French Culinary Institute, is Host
Twenty-seven of America's greatest chefs confide the history and secrets of their success in CHEF'S STORY, a new 26-part series of interviews inspired by Inside the Actors Studio, debuting on public television stations beginning in April 2007. Each half-hour program focuses on a master chef whose life, work, and evolution as a food legend is explored in rich and entertaining detail. Personal and professional revelations, often complemented by a cooking demonstration, take place before a student audience.
CHEF'S STORY is hosted by Dorothy Hamilton, founder and CEO of The French Culinary Institute (The FCI), one of America's foremost culinary institutions, located at The International Culinary Center in New York -- and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for The James Beard Foundation. Hamilton brings a breadth of knowledge to the chefs' own stories, drawing out reflections, histories, and opinions with an engaging directness that puts each guest at ease.
The cooking luminaries featured in season one are a virtual Who's Who of culinary achievement: José Andrés, Dan Barber, Lidia Bastianich, Rick Bayless, David Bouley, Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, Tom Colicchio, Cat Cora, Robert Del Grande, Todd English, Dean Fearing, Bobby Flay, Suzanne Goin, Thomas Keller, Patrick O'Connell, Charlie Palmer, Jacques Pépin, Michel Richard, Alain Sailhac, Arun Sampanthavivat, Marcus Samuelsson, André Soltner, Jacques Torres, Charlie Trotter, Norman Van Aken, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
"These are icons, at the forefront of the American revolution of fine dining," said Hamilton. "Yet it is valuable to know who they are as people. They represent a fascinating arc that goes back to changes in American culinary tastes and dining that began in the 1970s and 80s. Talking with them provides a remarkable insight into food, culture, and success."
CHEF'S STORY was recorded at The French Culinary Institute's International Culinary Theater, transformed into a high-tech television studio. The televised series features montages of entertaining photographs shot by Matthew Septimus during production and in the chefs' own restaurants. Sixty of these photographs will illustrate the official series companion book, "Chef's Story -- 27 Chefs Talk About What Got Them Into the Kitchen," edited by Dorothy Hamilton and Patric Kuh, to be published in the Spring by Ecco/HarperCollins.
CHEF'S STORY is produced by Soho Culinary Productions, Full Plate Media, and Lemnos Development in association with The FCI. The executive producer is Douglas Hamilton (Soho Culinary Productions). Co-executive producers are Susie Heller and Harry Bernstein (Full Plate Media), and John Servidio (Lemnos Development). Director is Bruce Franchini.
Partial funding is provided by All-Clad Metalcrafters. KQED San Francisco is the series' presenter. Distributor to public television stations is American Public Television (APT).
Information about CHEF'S STORY can be found at www.chefs-story.com. Information about The French Culinary Institute and Dorothy Hamilton: www.frenchculinary.com.
THE FRENCH CULINARY INSTITUTE,
LOCATED AT THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER
Founded in 1984, The French Culinary Institute (The FCI), located at The International Culinary Center in New York City, teaches the culinary protocol, language and techniques upon which all Western cuisine is based. The FCI offers a rigorous six-month program by day or a nine-month program by night for aspiring or working culinary professionals and serious amateurs. The FCI's faculty is headed by an all-star line-up of distinguished Deans -- all of whom have received top honors in the culinary world -- including Alain Sailhac, Vice President, Dean Emeritus; Jacques Pépin, Master Chef, Dean of Special Programs; Jacques Torres, Master Chef, Dean of Pastry Arts; André Soltner, Master Chef, Dean of Classic Studies; Cesare Casella, Dean of Italian Studies; Alan Richman, Dean of Food Journalism; and Andrea Robinson, Dean of Wine Studies. In 2006, The FCI received "The Award of Excellence for Vocational Cooking School" by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). The FCI was cited as the most prestigious cooking school in the world by France's Channel 2 -- Europe's most influential television network.
THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER
The International Culinary Center, located at 462 Broadway in SoHo, is the new home of the renowned French Culinary Institute (The FCI). This new entity gives The International Culinary Center the platform for introducing new programs, like Italian Studies, while still maintaining the heritage of training at The French Culinary Institute. The International Culinary Center offers an exciting, wide range of study to prepare students to work in all of the fields available in the culinary arena. The expanded 72,000 square foot space features four new complete kitchens, including a one-of-a-kind kitchen for the new Italian Studies program.
ALL-CLAD METALCRAFTERS
Based in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, All-Clad Metalcrafters offers five lines of premium quality cookware at major department and specialty stores nationwide, along with premium quality All-Clad kitchen tools and other kitchen accessories. All-Clad products are widely admired and sought after by top restaurant chefs and serious home cooks seeking all-professional equipment to enhance their cooking experience. For more information, visit www.allclad.com or call 1-800-ALL-CLAD.
KQED
KQED (www.kqed.org) is a service of Northern California Public Broadcasting, Inc. (NCPB). KQED Public Television 9, one of the nation's most-watched public television stations during primetime, is the producer of local and national series such as Quest; Check, Please! Bay Area; Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way; and Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures. KQED's digital television channels include KQED HD, KQED Encore, KQED World, KQED Life and KQED Kids, and are available 24/7 on Comcast. KQED Public Radio, home of Forum with Michael Krasny, Pacific Time, and The California Report, is the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation with an award-winning news and public affairs program service (88.5 FM in San Francisco and 89.3 FM in Sacramento). KQED Education Network brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and the general public through workshops, community screenings and multimedia resources. KQED Interactive offers video and audio podcasts and live radio stream at www.kqed.org, featuring unique content on one of the most-visited station sites in public broadcasting.
AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION
For 45 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations. APT distributes more than 300 new program titles per year and has 10,000 hours of programming in its library. It is responsible for many public television milestones including the first HD series and the 2006 launch of the Create channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. APT is known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming. It has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as JFK: Breaking the News, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves' Europe, Great Museums, Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way, America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia's Family Table, California Dreamin' -- The Songs of The Mamas & the Papas, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, The Big Comfy Couch, Monarchy With David Starkey, and other prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs and classic movies. For more information about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
|
|
|
