Margaret McSweeney's Blog, page 4

Monica Rothgery: Lessons from the Drive Through

Monica Rothgery, former COO of KFC US, part of Yum Brands, shares inspiring lessons about excellence along with surprising insights into fast food kitchens. Monica’s recent book, “Lessons from the Drive-Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders” goes beyond optimal team management practices and provides great advice for everyone who is pursuing excellence in their lives.

A great tip to attract and retain loyal employees and to create an environment where team members feel valued is to invest both monetary and relationship capital. Engagement is essential. Take the time to learn about your team members and always show respect. The team members impact the customer experience. Monica’s advice to optimize customer service is to not overreact or take things personally. She taught her team members to respond to a frustrated customer by saying: “That shouldn’t have happened. Let me fix it for you.” That validating response can help diffuse emotions. Her customer service tip can be applied in many home or business life situations. She emphasized that frontline management greatly impacts people, not only the team members but also the customers. Many first jobs are at fast food restaurants. Management needs to realize that they have the power to positively change lives.

You may be surprised to learn about the time and effort KFC and Yum Brands take to innovate new flavors and offerings. The Food Innovation Team even studies trends in fine dining as part of their innovation and creation approach. Chicken and Waffles and Nashville Hot are examples of this practice.

Bottom line, Monica encourages everyone to increase the top line of life, i.e. finding and doing the things that bring joy. She recommends writing down what depletes you and what brings you joy and fulfillment and to focus always on the joy. Monica reminds us that abundance follows joy.

Savor the day!

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Executive Pastry Chef Riccardo Menicucci: A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality at Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel

Thanks to Executive Pastry Chef Riccardo Meniccuci and his team, Beverly Wilshire is a sweet destination, especially during Oscars Week. This year’s amenities included a film projector made of Valrhona Manjari, a luxury chocolate, in addition to a thoughtfully designed and braided croissant representing the team of talented people required to create a film. And of course it was topped with gold!

Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, has a long history within the entertainment industry. This luxury hotel opened in Beverly Hills in January of 1928. The Beatles even held their first press conference in the Champagne Room.

Here’s a look at our video chat:

And who can forget the iconic movie Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts that featured Beverly Wilshire. Several menu items at The BLVD recognize the film including The Pretty Woman Cocktail, and Chef Meniccuci created a chocolate stiletto amenity as a nod to the movie, too.

Chef Meniccuci is a Food Fashionista. He grew up in Florence, Italy where many of his family members are fashion designers. He brings that same talent and aesthetic in designing the exquisite desserts at Beverly Wilshire along with a Michelin-starred culinary background.

Here are Chef Meniccui’s three top tips for the home pastry chef:

When you make pastry cream, you don’t need to boil your milk. It’s very important. Otherwise you cook the proteins of your milk and it tastes different.Always mix your dry ingredients with a whisk so you don’t have chunks of flour in your mix.Don’t ever feel afraid to leave your comfort zone. There is no losing or winning, only trying.

Beverly Wilshire is one of my favorite hotels in the Los Angeles area to stay and to host events. This historic place provides a taste of luxury at every turn, and their staff is professional and always willing to accommodate and personalize your experience. The BLVD staff even printed customized keepsake menus just hours before a pre-Taste Awards party that I hosed to honor my friend, Lisa-Renee Ramirez, Emmy-Award winning executive producer, director and creator for Allen Media Group.

Thank you, Beverly Wilshire and Chef Menicucci for this Kitchen Chat along with the photos you provided.

Thank you, foodie friends! What are some of your favorite destinations?

Savor the day!

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Chef Alice Waters – Queen of the Garden Encore

As we await the beautiful produce that will soon be arriving at our Farmer’s Markets, I thought it would be a good time to celebrate Spring with this encore piece featuring Alice Waters. Always remember to take a moment and Savor the Day!

Margaret McSweeney and Alice Waters

Chef Alice Waters is a counterculture culinary hero who has helped pioneer the farm to table movement in the United States at her iconic restaurant Chez Panisse. At age four, she won a costume contest dressed as “Queen of the Garden” that featured produce from her parents’ Victory Garden. This win was just a mere glimpse into her future as an award winning chef, cookbook author, philanthropist, activist and advocate for sustainability and freshly grown produce.

Recently, Chef Alice Waters graciously greeted me at her Chez Panisse office in Berkeley. A lovely glass teapot sat atop the small round table. She had filled the teapot with her favorite recipe from the garden — fresh mint with hot water. We sipped and chatted about her latest book Coming to My Senses: The Making of A Counterculture Cook. She shared stories and lessons from her edible education including life changing moments in France when she discovered the incomparable tastes of the farmers markets, including les fraises des bois (strawberries from the woods). Chef Alice Waters brought back the literal and figurative seeds that would become the harvest of a delicious revolution. The actual seeds she planted in her backyard at Berkeley were the ingredients of a Mesclun Salad originating in Provence, France. Almost every dish at Chez Panisse has a little salad. Chef Waters explains, “A salad punctuates something that is rich and brings balance to the plate.”

Her favorite quotes include: “The destiny of nations depends upon the manner in which they were fed” Brillat-Savarin and “We are what we eat.” Chef Alice Waters explains that “When you eat fast food, you eat the values of the fast-food culture – that farming and cooking are drudgery. Food is something precious and should not be wasted.” Her passion for sharing this lesson with others, especially children, became the impetus of The Edible Schoolyard Project. Chef Waters emphasizes a key tenet to an edible education: “Don’t ever compromise the idea of sustainability. That’s the bottomline.”

Here are three tips from Chef Alice Waters for the home chef:

“It’s important to cook everyday.” Take the time to make point of sitting with friends or family and gather for a meal at the table.“Support the farmers’ markets. It’s important to give the money directly to the people who grow the food.”Plant something whenever you can. That’s so important for the planet.”

Here is a link to her latest book: Coming to My Senses: The Making of A Counterculture Cook

Savor the day!

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Sandra Gutierrez: The Julia Child of Latin American Cuisine

“Latin American Cuisine is like a house. I see Mexico as the front door with all the dishes we are most familiar with. But once you open and walk through that door, you can see twenty other kitchens full of food, vibrancy and amazing ingredients.” Sandra Gutierrez

Sandra Gutierrez and I met in the White House Garden in 2015 during an International Association of Culinary Professionals conference. We have become dear friends throughout the years on our respective culinary journeys. Sandra has written four cookbooks and is an award-winning journalist. In 2019, her work was recognized as part of the permanent FOOD exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. On September 15, 2021, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sandra was honored by the Smithsonian Institute as a Woman to Know and one of seven Latinas Who Shaped American Culture.

Sandra Gutierrez is known as The Julia Child of Latin American Cuisine. Just as Julia brought authentic French recipes to the home cooks in America, Sandra has brought authentic recipes from Latin America to the homes cooks in America. Further uniting them in culinary history, Julia and Sandra even share the same publisher, Knopf. Sandra’s new book, “Latinisimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America” is the book she has had in her heart for thirty years. During our Kitchen Chat, Sandra provides insights into and recipes reflecting the cultural fusion through food across Latin America. She begins in her grandmother’s kitchen in Guatemala and takes us on a delicious journey of shared ingredients that are prepared in ways that reflect the uniqueness of each country throughout Latin America. Sandra explains how the recipe for Lomo Saltado, the national stir-fry of Peru, depicts cultural culinary fusion with ingredients from Inca (potatoes and tomatoes) beef tenderloin (loco) brought by Europeans and soy sauce (sillao) from Asia.

On a side note, I especially enjoyed the Brazilian recipes in Sandra’s cookbook. During my graduation school days, I actually lived in Rio de Janiero and enjoyed eating the fejoida and other delicious meals there. As the Brazilians so beautifully say, “Aproveite” which is my life’s tagline to Savor the Day. Enjoy this delicious journey with Sandra Gutierrez in her latest book, LATINISIMO and discover the flavors of Latin America.

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Chef Florian V. Hugo: A Passion for Notre Dame and French Cuisine

“Everything changes. The only thing that remains immovable across the centuries and fixes the character of a people is cooking.” Victor Hugo

The Cathedral de Notre Dame holds a special place of legacy for Chef Florian V. Hugo and for me. Chef Florian is the great great great great great-grandson of the literary maestro Victor Hugo, author of Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables and many other great works. He is an accomplished French chef who has lived and worked in New York City for two decades. He was mentored by Chef Alain Ducasse and he studied under Chef Paul Bocuse. Chef Florian is author of “Les Contemplations Gourmandes” a biographical cookbook which is an homage to Victor Hugo. Our mutual friend, Rita Jammet, Chief Bubble Officer and a founder of La Caravelle Champagne, introduced Chef Florian and me. Rita knows of my deep connection to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame was the last place my father visited in Paris before he passed away in the Charles de Gaulle Airport. His colleague who was traveling with him said they walked through Notre Dame for an hour, and that my father lit a candle and said a prayer of forgiveness and blessing for someone who had wronged him in a business deal.

During this Kitchen Chat, Chef Florian and I discuss Notre Dame and how this majestic cathedral reflects an important lesson and inspiration to rebuild and restore when we encounter unexpected challenges in life, both from a professional and personal perspective. It is exciting that Notre Dame will be reopening later this year. Michel Picaud, president of Friends of Notre Dame de Paris has worked hard to fundraise across the globe to help restore this important place. If you are interested in helping restore and preserve this place of history, here is a link to donate.

Check out our video chat here:

Chef Florian also discusses the journey of writing “Les Contemplations Gourmandes”as a way to honor Victor Hugo and to get to know his forefather through their mutual love for food. He used letters, writings and menus of dishes that Victor Hugo loved, and Chef Florian created the delicious recipes. What a special delight to see a photo of Victor Hugo’s “potager” kitchen garden in Guernsey where he was exiled after standing up to Napoleon.

Chef Florian featured a handwritten note from Victor Hugo in 1860 that reads, “Aujourd’hui pour la 2 fois de l’annee, nous avons mange de nos asperges,” which roughly translated means: “Today for the second time this year, we ate asparagus from our garden.” Chef Florian recounts how he has read so many books by great people about Victor Hugo and his life; however, he felt that he got to know his ancestor on a personal level through this book. On a personal note, my culinary journey with Kitchen Chat has helped me get to know and understand my father through conversations about food and sitting at the table to share meals with some wonderful people in the industry. It was a true honor to meet and befriend Chef Florian Hugo.Just as Victor Hugo once wrote: “Everything changes. The only thing that remains unmovable across the centuries and fixes the character of people is cooking.” What are some treasured recipes that have been handed down in your family?

Savor the day!

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Wyatt Russell: Savor the Sip with Lake Hour Sparkling Cocktail

“Savor the Day” is the tagline of my life. It’s a reminder to find and live your joy while connecting with family and friends. The multi-talented Wyatt Russell exemplifies how to “Savor the Day” and savor the sip with his approach to life and work. In addition to his athletic and acting careers, Wyatt is an entrepreneur as co-founder of Lake Hour, a line of ready to drink Sparkling Cocktails evoking the fond memories of “real leisure” and “sit-back-and-sip” camaraderie of a day on the lake with family and friends. We had a fun Kitchen Chat at the finale of the fifth annual Pr%%f Awards at The Palms in Las Vegas. Congratulations to Lake Hour for winning a double gold award at the Pr%%f Awards! I had a great time being one of the judges at the 2023 Pr%%f Awards.

Here’s a look at our video chat:

For Wyatt, a remote lake in Canada was the special gathering place for family time and inspiration. World-class hockey talent was what brought the family to Canada in the summers, when Wyatt was just 10, to support his passion and gift. Wyatt co-founded and launched Lake Hour in 2023 with friend and film producer, They became great friends when their wives introduced them to each other. During a family vacation and while in a hot tub, Wyatt and Rich created the idea of Lake Hour which features a sparkling and fresh cocktail to capture the flavor and special memories and stories of being at a lake with family and friends. To avoid the fake sugar taste of many ready-to- drink cocktails, Wyatt and Rich chose to use premium vodka and 100% blanco tequila as the base of the drinks and only 3.4 grams of raw cane sugar. The flavors include Honeysuckle Ginger with vodka, Peach Jasmine with vodka, Rosemary Yuzu with vodka and Watermelon Cucumber with tequila and are available right now in markets across the US include Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma.

Please always remember to drink responsibly and only if you are 21 years or older.

As many of you know, Wyatt is starring in the popular Apple TV’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters with his father, . How exciting that Kitchen Chat had the first media interview about this show!

What are some of your favorite memories and stories at a lake?

Savor the Day and Savor the sip!

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Nancy Brinker: Leading the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer

“Find a great need in a near edge and act upon it to make a difference” as my father always encouraged. This has proven to be a powerful recipe for action, especially for Nancy Brinker, a three-time Ambassador and New York Times best-selling author, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. She launched two impactful charitable organizations from her kitchen table. Nancy is regarded as the leader of the global breast cancer movement. Her journey began with promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen that she would do everything possible to end the shame, fear and hopelessness caused by this disease. Since 1982, Susan G Komen Foundation has invested nearly $1.1 billion in breast cancer research. The second charity that Nancy recently founded is the Promise Fund of Florida, which helps ensure that every woman, regardless of her circumstances has access to life-saving cancer resources. She was shocked to discover that 80,000 women ages 18-65 in Palm Beach County do not have health insurance coverage, and 30% of breast cancers are at an advanced stage when diagnosed. Kitchen Chat was honored to sit with Nancy at this very kitchen table where she started The Promise Fund of Florida to discuss an issue that is important to both of us. Nancy and I are breast cancer survivors.

Nancy Brinker and I met at Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) event at the United Nations where she was being honored by Wendy Diamond, the founder of the WEDO. During our Kitchen Chat, Nancy and I of course bonded over our love and appreciation of food. She shared highlights from her favorite meals as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary along with her appreciation of her late husband’s accomplishments as a pioneer within the restaurant industry. Norman Brinker was the founder of Steak and Ale and CEO of Brinker International which owns Chili’s Grill and Bar, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Maggiano’s Little Italy. He is credited for revolutionizing the casual-dining restaurants in the United States.

In a full circle, “hugs from heaven” moment, Nancy invited me to join her for the Women of Distinction awards luncheon in Palm Beach which is hosted by Palm Beach Atlantic University. She of course is a past honoree. What she didn’t realize is that when my father was president of Palm Beach Atlantic University over thirty years ago, he actually helped create this concept of honoring women in the community.

Please help support the Promise Fund of Florida and make an impact for women to have access to life-saving cancer resources. Thank you, Nancy Brinker for finding “a great need in a near edge and acting upon it to make a huge difference.”

Savor the day!

Foodie friends, what are some of your favorite charities that you discuss at your kitchen table?

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Lidia Bastianich: A Celebration of Family and Food

What a joy it was to take Kitchen Chat on the road recently to New York’s famed Becco and sit down with Lidia Bastianich in celebration of the publication of her sixteenth cookbook! Time with Lidia, a multiple Emmy and James Beard Award winning public television host, author, entrepreneur and fellow member of Les Dames d’Escoffier is always inspiring. Her most recent book is called Lidia : From Our Family Table to Yours published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House and features “More than 100 Recipes Made with Love for All Occasions.” Lidia’s family is at the essential heart of this beautiful book which is a tribute to her Mother Erminia, who passed away two years ago at the age of 100. One of her mother’s favorite dishes that Lidia made for her was Eggplant Rollatini. That recipe is in the new cookbook.

Lidia and I first met through Barbara Lazaroff at Eataly Chicago during the James Beard Awards in 2015. Eight years later, I had the honor of introducing Lidia onstage as the 2023 recipient of The Andrew Zimmern Discovery Award at The Taste Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. 

Lidia looks forward to the upcoming PBS special titled, ” 25 Years with Lidia: A Culinary Jubilee” airing on December 18th. In addition to highlighting her shows, PBS will also share her poignant and inspiring life story of living in a refugee camp for two years and moving to America where she worked hard to build a food empire.

Wine is also a passion for Lidia and her family. I am excited to schedule a wine tasting at Bastianich Vineyards in Friuli Italy. Meanwhile you can purchase Lidia’s wines and delicious sauces at Eataly.

Since opening her first family restaurant in 1971, Lidia continues to bring joy to the table for millions of people. As Lidia writes in her new cookbook, “My life and my profession are tied to my family, and the heartbeat of my family is the kitchen.”

Savor the day!

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A Kitchen Chat with Great American Family and Hallmark Star, Jen Lilley and Adua Ring

‘Tis the Season for giving. Jen Lilley’s heart for children has turned into an unexpected fundraising effort to provide 25,000 toys to children around the globe. Christmas is Not Cancelled is in its third year of bringing joy to the world. The deadline for donations is December 9, 2023. However, you can always donate next year if you miss the deadline. Participating in Christmas is Not Cancelled is a great way for children at home to learn about the impact of charity. Jen talks about the importance of creating moments of empathy while raising her kids. Jen and her husband are raising four children, age seven and under, including two wonderful children they adopted from the Childhelp Foster Care Program.

A big thank you to Adua Ring, a key team member of Christmas is Not Cancelled, who made this Kitchen Chat possible. Adua and I met at Eataly Chicago for the launch of Giuliana Rancic‘s new Prosecco line. Adua’s pairs recipes with movies on Great American Family channel and Hallmark channel. She also is an entrepreneur whose delicious chocolate bark products are featured on her website She created the Peppermint Palace chocolate bark for the movie The Winter Palace on Great American Family.

Jen also shares some encouraging tips for those foodie friends who may secretly be aspiring actors. She said that it’s never too late to begin. I took that to heart and am inspired to audition some day. Meanwhile, please consider supporting Christmas is Not Cancelled to help provide toys for children this holiday season.

What are your favorite charities to support?

Savor the day!

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Sophisticated Fun with Chef Michael Mignano, Executive Chef and Culinary Director at The Pierre

“Sophisticated Fun” is the mantra for Chef Michael Mignano, Executive Chef/Culinary Director at The Pierre, a Taj Hotel. Since 1930, this iconic hotel has defined “timeless New York City luxury,” and Auguste Escoffier was the opening chef and designer of the original kitchen. Chef Mignano continues this outstanding legacy of luxury and hospitality at The Pierre. As a frequent guest at The Pierre, diner at Perrine and a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, I was intrigued to learn more about the culinary past and future of the hotel. The impressive Two E Bar/Lounge was the backdrop to our Kitchen Chat.

First of all, I must say that Chef MIgnano exudes and defines hospitality with his gracious demeanor and passion for excellence in cuisine and through his utmost respect for his culinary team. While upholding the traditions and methods of Escoffier, Mignano infuses his own talent to enhance the relevance of French cuisine with a modern interpretation. And with The Pierre being a Taj Hotel, delicious flavors from India are infused into many of the dishes available. It’s a true reflection of returning to the The Pierre Grill’s roots of featuring Indian curries served tableside with an open kitchen.

To honor and celebrate Karl Lagerfeld during the 2023 Met Gala, Chef Mignano prepared exquisite amenities for the guests. After much research, Mignano discovered that Lagerfeld believed that buttered toast represents the ultimate in luxury. Mignano creatively included a miniature toast with a side of French butter in the dish. Hospitality is effervescent and is a hallmark at The Pierre, and many staff members have worked at the hotel for their whole career. Chef Mignano learned at an early age from Chef David Bouley that an executive chef should know every aspect of preparing a meal in case someone doesn’t show up. Chef MIgnano is probably one of the only chefs who can prepare a savory banquet for 400 guests while perfecting a wedding cake at the same time. Chef Michael Mignano and Chef MIchael Zebrowski share recipes and techniques from their very successful The Pastry Chef’s Little Black Book. Both Volume One and Volume Two are used by professional chefs and cooking schools. It’s a great gift for any pastry home chef as well.

Dear foodie friend, I encourage you to experience the luxury and excellence at The Pierre, a Taj Hotel. Explore the new in-house museum and dine on the delicacies prepared by Chef Michael Mignano and his culinary team.

Savor the day!

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