Giant Fork & Spoon: Recent Episodes
Archive
Conversations with people about their relationship to food and how food traditions and habits are formed. We will talk with chefs, foodies, and just about anyone to gain incite on how we came to be the eaters that we are. Chef Elaina Alexander is your host, leading the explorations of all things food, especially in the Chicago scene.
Foodie and Mixologist Nikolaus Hill brings his perspective to the table. His history, opinions and perspectives bring fresh air to the conversation about food and beverage. Join in on just one of the conversations I've had with this learned colleague over the years. We meet, at least annually, at The Chosen Few House music festival on Chicago's lakefront and with treasured mutual friends.
Morehouse graduate, marketing strategist, REALTOR, Digital publisher of Bean Soup Times, Author of and student of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Toure and I tear it up, covering ground such as his conversion to the Muslim faith, his diet transition, his experiences growing up, and the differences between the teachings of the Nation of Islam and traditional practice.
Listen to a illuminating interview with funeral home owner Perry Heard, Jr. Chicago native, veteran, and graduate from Mendel Catholic High School. Perry went on to own 3 funeral parlors around the country.
We visit with Chef Joseph Stepney and discover his pathway to his culinary career. Native of Joliet, Illinois, Chef Stepney is a son of a chef who is now raising a new generation at home. Listen in as he talks about his experience in culinary school and the industry.
Wife and mother of two, Kim teaches a 90-day immersion class to ditch diets and learn to drop the pounds forever. Learn how she changed her life, dropped the pounds, and went from a size 20, pre-pregnancies, to a size 6!
https://www.facebook.com/kim.csutak
Calling in from Malaysia!!! This guest is a strict vegan and an advocate for economic and social change. He is not a soft-spoken individual. Don't ask me what all those letters behind his name mean... not my field of expertise. In the voice of Kanye... "GENIUS." I always enjoy talking with the intellectuals who come with fire and passion for their causes.
Chef Elaina continues her conversation with T'Juan Smith. They cover his reasons for being vegan, he explains his reasons for moving to Malaysia and how COVID has effected his work/life balance. ADVISORY WARNING: LANGUAGE
Tjuan L. Smith, CSSBB, PMP, PSM I International Change Agent | Information Cyber Security | Continuous Improvement | Bridged Gaps via Broad Picture
Standard Chartered Bank
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Tjuan L.’s Profilelinkedin.com/in/tjuan-l-s-b4497626
Website tlsglobal.org (Company Website)
Email tls.global@gmail.com
.
Calling in from Malaysia!!! This guest is a strict vegan and an advocate for economic and social change. He is not a soft-spoken individual. Don't ask me what all those letters behind his name mean... not my field of expertise. In the voice of Kanye... "GENIUS." I always enjoy talking with the intellectuals who come with fire and passion for their causes.
Tjuan L. Smith, CSSBB, PMP, PSM I International Change Agent | Information Cyber Security | Continuous Improvement | Bridged Gaps via Broad Picture
Standard Chartered Bank
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Tjuan L.’s Profilelinkedin.com/in/tjuan-l-s-b4497626
Website tlsglobal.org (Company Website)
Email tls.global@gmail.com
The convo was so good, it went into OVERTIME!
Erika Jarvis, is Chicago born choreographer, educator, writer, producer, and model. Over the past fifteen years, her collaborations with performing and visual artists, through her writing and choreography, have brought the eyes of Chicago upon her. One of the most modest artists, she prides herself on being a Creative Soul, a mother of two, an Artistic Director of her performance company, "Creative Soul Entertainment", author, and a strong advocate for the arts in the community. Ms. Jarvis has performed and choreographed for companies, television, and artists. The list includes Cirque De Soleil, Dave Scott, Red Eye Newspaper, Barcardi Silver, Kraft Foods, Dance Chicago, Latin Street Dancing, Miss Black Illinois Pageant, Mr. A.L.I., Quentin De Alexander, Jenny Jones Show, Miller Genuine Draft, Columbia College Chicago, and several youth organizations. Jarvis has also been recognized for her event planning for private organizations and political figures.
Jarvis remains as determined and committed as ever to fighting for Breast and Ovarian Cancer prevention amongst teenage girls who are at risk. Always insisting on presenting pure creativity as she sees it, she has maintained a place as a voice in the artist community. Founded in 1998, Creative Soul Entertainment is a Chicago-based performance ensemble committed to promoting self-confidence, creativity, and education to aspiring performers and dance enthusiasts. The group consists of artists of multiple backgrounds ranging from Ballet, Belly dance, Breakdance, Capoeira, Hip-Hop, and House to Modern, Steppin', and Tap. Creative Soul is recognized for its energetic and cultural choreography while incorporating spoken word artists, DJs, and fashion designers. She began her formal dance training with Deidre Dawson, at Roger C. Sullivan High School. As Erika's mentor and "second mom", Ms. Dawson opened opportunities for her to audition and receive a scholarship from Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater. After graduating from Sullivan High School, she attended Columbia College Chicago with a focus on Dance Education. Her influences and training with Joel Hall, Kirby Reed, Shirley Mordine, Krenly Guzman, and Dardi McGinley inspired her to continue her studies and contribute to the dance community.
https://www.facebook.com/erika.jarvis.94/about_overview
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MzBeaHavenChi?ref=profile_header
https://m.facebook.com/UnleashYourInhibitions/
Erika Jarvis, is Chicago born choreographer, educator, writer, producer, and model. Over the past fifteen years, her collaborations with performing and visual artists, through her writing and choreography, have brought the eyes of Chicago upon her. One of the most modest artists, she prides herself on being a Creative Soul, a mother of two, an Artistic Director of her performance company, "Creative Soul Entertainment", author, and a strong advocate for the arts in the community. Ms. Jarvis has performed and choreographed for companies, television, and artists. The list includes Cirque De Soleil, Dave Scott, Red Eye Newspaper, Barcardi Silver, Kraft Foods, Dance Chicago, Latin Street Dancing, Miss Black Illinois Pageant, Mr. A.L.I., Quentin De Alexander, Jenny Jones Show, Miller Genuine Draft, Columbia College Chicago, and several youth organizations. Jarvis has also been recognized for her event planning for private organizations and political figures.
Jarvis remains as determined and committed as ever to fighting for Breast and Ovarian Cancer prevention amongst teenage girls who are at risk. Always insisting on presenting pure creativity as she sees it, she has maintained a place as a voice in the artist community. Founded in 1998, Creative Soul Entertainment is a Chicago-based performance ensemble committed to promoting self-confidence, creativity, and education to aspiring performers and dance enthusiasts. The group consists of artists of multiple backgrounds ranging from Ballet, Belly dance, Breakdance, Capoeira, Hip-Hop, and House to Modern, Steppin', and Tap. Creative Soul is recognized for its energetic and cultural choreography while incorporating spoken word artists, DJs, and fashion designers. She began her formal dance training with Deidre Dawson, at Roger C. Sullivan High School. As Erika's mentor and "second mom", Ms. Dawson opened opportunities for her to audition and receive a scholarship from Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater. After graduating from Sullivan High School, she attended Columbia College Chicago with a focus on Dance Education. Her influences and training with Joel Hall, Kirby Reed, Shirley Mordine, Krenly Guzman, and Dardi McGinley inspired her to continue her studies and contribute to the dance community.
https://www.facebook.com/erika.jarvis.94/about_overview
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MzBeaHavenChi?ref=profile_header
https://m.facebook.com/UnleashYourInhibitions/
Chef Chris Williams is a young innovator that has deep roots in the Chicago culinary scene and has worked for some of Chicago's finest food companies. We met working with C-CAP and AfterSchool Matters and getting to know him has been a delight.
He studied Baking & Pastry at The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago and graduated in 2008. Let's listen to our conversation with this baking and pastry artist.
https://www.facebook.com/chefchris.williams1/about_overview
Rev. Ebony Only is an ordained minister, human advocate, community leader, compassionate and passionate friend. Topics included are the pandemic, food deserts, political action/inaction, human rights, Southern cooking, reaching maturity growing up in Chicago IL., and her own culinary history.
Chicago native Anthony Waller, Owner of a dynamic company Catering Out The Box, talks frankly about his personal food connections, career, his company, and the personal and professional impacts of the Covid-19 crisis. Employee shortages, product outages, and impossible imports have all had impact on how we conduct food businesses.
https://cateringoutthebox.com/
Let's learn about Mr. Joseph LaPanna, owner and founder of Digital Rhino Consulting.
Former General Manager at Dean & DeLuca - GeorgetownFormer General Manager at Dean & DeLuca - St. Helena, CAFormer Wine Director / Sommelier at Las Colinas BeveragesFormer Operations Manager- Texas Roadhouse at Alshaya GroupFormer Director of Operations at Vino VoloFormer Director of Training at Personica
Let's get to know Chef Hector Moya, owner and executive chef at Las Villas Cubaformerstudent at Johnson & Wales University
Lives in Lorton, VirginiaTopics include the Cuba influences on his life and his culinary journey, his culinary career pathway, how he came to settle in Virginia, his food business, and the impacts of the pandemic.
Interview with Chef Glenn Dettwiler. Executive Chef at American Culinary Federation - consultant, chef, a food writer, and a political and technology pundit. Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, trained Chef, a member and/or Certified with the following agencies, to name a few:
-
State of Oregon - The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Law Enforcement Association.
-
State of California - The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Law Enforcement Association.
-
ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathology)
-
IACP (The International Association of Culinary Professionals)
-
The James Beard Foundation.
CHAT WITH CHEF GLENN DETTWILER, Part #1
Dec. 24, 2021 @ 9AM
(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Interview with Chef Glenn Dettwiler. Executive chef at American Culinary Federation - consultant, a chef, a food writer and a political and technology pundit. Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, trained Chef, a member and/or Certified with the following agencies, to name a few:
State of Oregon - The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Law Enforcement Association.
State of California - The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Law Enforcement Association.
ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathology)
IACP (The International Association of Culinary Professionals)
* The James Beard Foundation.
Interview with Farhana Pari Becker, Architech and mother of two daughters. Topics included Middle Eastern culture and food, Covid impacts on food purchases, diet, and nutrition.
We discussed how the pandemic has impacted her eating habits and food budgeting, what it was like to emigrate to the U.S. from the middle east, what sparked her interest in architecture, and how she is nutritionally raising her daughters.
Culinary instructors report all about the Summer Camp experience @ Uinversity of Chicago. We have a action packed schedule of activities, work experience, industry exposure, chef instructions, team buliding exercises, team projects, exercise, and socialization. Take a listen about what went on this morning.
The catering business is not easy as pie, but it can be as sweet. Chef explores the path Erica Coleman has mapped out for her company within the next few years. Pitfalls aside, a dedication to excellence is the main motivator to both these professional women.
We weave architecture, education, food, and youth mentoring together to bring a picture to the diet challenges of our American kids. What is the cost, what is the difference between the generations of the yuppies and the millennials in terms of culture and eating.
Chef Elaina an Chef Chris met working the International Housewares Show in Chicago for C-CAP. Chris is an almuni of the program and a great pastry chef who is adding more and more skills to his toolbox. With a bright future ahead of him, Chris will likely soon be a well-known chef.
This is a pre-recorded broadcast. Please no phone calls. Direct all inquirie to email, cakesbyelaina@gmail.com
Chef Elaina and Maurice Miles have known each other since the 1980's, as they both attended Whitney Young High School. In our recent past, we have been creating opportunities that will both expand our reach and combine our talents. This ambitious duo have unparreled drive and dedication to the art of food. We will be live on-the-air so we can take questions.