evolutionaries

Meet four more HRN Hall of Fame inductees – they're all writers who have changed the way we talk about food. We take a look at the journeys that shaped their literary voices, explore the culinary landscape they work with, and examine the transformative effect their work has had on what we eat and where it comes from.

The name Michael Pollan is synonymous with books which have inspired millions to think and eat differently. It’s no surprise he joins our Hall of Fame with best-selling classics like The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The Botany of Desire. Dr. Temple Grandin is the author of more than a dozen books. By redesigning the process for handling animals in meatpacking plants and slaughterhouses, she’s probably eased the suffering of more animals than any person in history. Elizabeth Andoh, who has appeared on HRN eight times over the last four years, is the author of six books on Japanese cooking, including two IACP award-winners, An Ocean of Flavor and Washoku. And finally, former HRN host, Jessica B. Harris is a foremost scholar on the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. She is the author of twelve critically acclaimed cookbooks documenting African American food and food culture.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

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This week on Meat + Three we’re bringing you an interview with an HRN Hall of Fame standout featured on HRN’s special series Evolutionaries.

Jamie Oliver is a chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and TV host. In the late 90s, he was a young restaurant cook who happened into his own show “The Naked Chef” where he cooked to his credo: “It’s got to be simple. It’s got to be tasty. It’s got to be fun”. As his career evolved, Jamie worked tirelessly to improve the nutritional quality of school foods in the UK and beyond, a mission that initially met mixed responses from the press and the public, but delivered extremely impactful success stories and lasting results. He has won several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award for his show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution as well as a Ted Prize for his efforts to fight diet-related diseases. He also started the Jamie Oliver Foundation to improve the lives of people all over the world through food education. Jamie currently writes for publications in the UK and around the world, including his own Jamie Magazine. He also has the YouTube channels Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube and Drinks Tube, plus five award-winning apps, and has published eighteen bestselling cookbooks. Tune in to hear Jamie’s story in his own words.

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Jamie Oliver is a chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and TV host. In the late 90s, he was a young restaurant cook who happened into his own show "The Naked Chef" where he cooked to his credo: "It's got to be simple. It's got to be tasty. It's got to be fun". As his career evolved, Jamie worked tirelessly to improve the nutritional quality of school foods in the UK and beyond, a mission that initially met mixed responses from the press and the public, but delivered extremely impactful success stories and lasting results. He has won several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award for his show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution as well as a Ted Prize for his efforts to fight diet-related diseases. He also started the Jamie Oliver Foundation to improve the lives of people all over the world through food education. Jamie currently writes for publications in the UK and around the world, including his own Jamie Magazine. He also has the YouTube channels Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube and Drinks Tube, plus five award-winning apps, and has published eighteen bestselling cookbooks. Tune in to hear Jamie's story in his own words.

Photo courtesy of David Loftus.

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Ariane Daguin is the owner and co-founder of D’Artagnan – one of America’s largest specialty-meat-and-game distributors. D’Artagnan is one of the worlds most trusted manufacturer of pates, foie gras, all natural organic poultry and game. Ariane’s journey is a true American success story. The gascony born Daguin was born into a culinary family of great fame – but she longed for something different. She moved to New York with dreams of becoming a journalist. Her dreams were re-routed and in what seems like the blink of an eye, Ariane Daguin became one of the most important women that the American food world has ever known. This program was sponsored by Bonnie Plants.

Betty Fussell is an American success story – and one of the most celebrated and beloved writers in food. Over the last 50 years her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Savuer, Vogue, Food & Wine and many more varied publications. Her memoir, Kitchen Wars was performed in Hollywood and New York as a one woman show by actress Dorothy Lyman. She’s written more than 11 books and has taught courses in English Literature, food writing and food history. Betty has seen it all and remains as sharp as the young writers making waves in today’s food world. She grew up in the depression and did everything she could to break free of the traditions ad restrictions in her day that held women back.

“When the food world was French, I was American.” [19:00]

–Betty Fussell on Evolutionaries

Nathan Myhrvold is the former Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, and co-founder of Intellectual Ventures. He tells us about his profound interest in cooking, and his difficult introduction into the world of becoming a chef. Nathan discusses the modernization of French cuisine, as well as the differences between modern cuisine and traditional fine dining. Then, he describes the development of his endeavors in writing Modernist Cuisine, and how digital photography proved to be an essential part of creating the ideal reading and learning environment for the reader. Finally, Nathan tells us about a few ‘radical’ ideas for improving wine that would absolutely shock most wine connoisseurs. This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

“Technologoy has consequences, some of them bad consequences, but so far we’ve been able to figure them out.” [20:00]

–Nathan Myhrvold on Evolutionaries

There’s perhaps no greater expert on the food and foodways of the African Diaspora than Doctor Jessica B. Harris. Jessica is the author of 12 cookbooks, and in her more than 3 decades as a journalist, she’s written book reviews, theater reviews, travel, feature, and beauty articles too numerous to note. She’s a founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, she’s decorated with awards and honors, and holds multiple degrees, including a doctorate in Performance Studies from NYU. Doctor Jessica B. Harris damn near knows it all when it comes to African and Caribbean cuisines and culinary history. She’s a living legend. This program has been sponsored by Tekserve.

“Food has always been important.” [13:30]

“Instead of writing just straight travel, I would write about travel with a food bent.” [14:30]

Jessica B. Harris on Evolutionaries

John Besh is a chef with a passion for preserving the rich cuisine of New Orleans. He was profoundly active in providing meals for thousands of people devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and in 2011 he established the John Besh Foundation, which provides scholarships, grants, and loans to those in the New Orleans area with the drive to ignite change in their communities. Today, John owns nine restaurants which celebrate the cuisine of southern Louisiana. This program has been sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

“Now you start to see chefs carry the banner of culture…I now have a responsibility to preserve the good stuff.” [19:30]

John Besh on Evolutionaries

Forty years ago Kermit Lynch seemed like an unlikely wine hero. A struggling musician with a fledgling handbag business no one, least of all himself, would have predicted his groundbreaking future as a wine importer and retailer in Berkley California. The American wine-drinking landscape has been forever changed by his work. Kermit is the recipient of two James Beard Awards and was knighted by the French government with their prestigious “Legion d’Honneur”. In 1988, Kermit wrote “Adventures on the Wine Route”, which many consider to be the best wine book on the business. Tune in to Evolutionaries to hear his story, in his words. This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards and Sons

“Of all the unsulfured wines I’ve imported, only one of them was 100% consistent.”
Kermit Lynch on Evolutionaries

Ari Weinzweig is the co-owner and founding partner of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, a family of small food related companies and ventures. Zingerman’s Community of Businesses has since evolved to nine businesses from the first original deli in 1982, revolutionizing the idea of food mail orders, and the way people eat in Michigan. On this special episode of Evolutionaries, hear from Ari himself on how Zingerman’s became so instrumental in the food industry. This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA.

“Relationships are relationships. There’s a mythology that relationships are supposed to be forever, but most of them aren’t for whatever reasons. Each of us as individuals is growing and evolving, and I think that we’ve never held it against somebody if they don’t want to work with us.” [15:50]

“Part of our current vision for Zingerman’s 2020 is that we leave our world a better place than when we got going.” [16:00]

— Ari Weinzweig on Evolutionaries

Eric Asimov is an American wine critic for the New York Times, with articles also published in the International Herald Tribune. Asimov attended Wesleyan University, graduating in 1980. In 1984, he went on to work at the New York Times as an editor in National News. In 1992, Asimov conceived and wrote the “$25 and Under” column, dedicated to “restaurants where people can eat lavishly for $25 and under. The popularity of his reviews and articles led to Asimov’s yearly compilation books of the $25 and Under columns, published from 1995 to 1998. Asimov was given the new position of Chief Wine Critic of The New York Times in 2004, as a result of his numerous writings about wine since 1999. As Chief Wine Critic, he writes two columns, “The Pour” and “Wines of the Times” (or, as it may be, “Beers of the Times”), both of which appear in the paper on an alternating bi-weekly schedule. In March 2006, Asimov began writing a wine blog, also titled “The Pour”. On this special episode of Evolutionaries, learn more about Eric’s role as a wine critic, and what he thinks his job entails as the wine industry continues to grow. This program has been sponsored by International Culinary Center.

“The first few pieces I did was on beer in New York. Then I moved on to the Heath Bar. I was marching in a different direction, and there was less competition for that – I ended up with the job in it.” [07:04]

“My job is to help people think of wine as a cultural expression.” [15:05]

— Eric Asimov on Evolutionaries

Alain Coumont is a Belgian chef and restaurateur, and founder of Le Pain Quotidien. Coumont is the son and grandson of grocers. His grandmother ran a hotel in front of the train station in Huy, Belgium. As a child in Belgium, Coumont spent countless hours perched on a chair, watching his grandmother make bread. Then, in 1977, after a voyage to the United States, where he was impressed by the success of Michel Guérard, he abandoned his classical studies and enrolled in the Hotel School of Namur in Belgium. After graduating, Coumont worked in a number of highly regarded restaurants including Michel Guérard, Georges Blanc, and Joel Robuchon. However, as a young chef in Brussels, Coumont could not find the right bread for his restaurant. Passionate about quality, he returned to his roots and opened a small bakery where he could knead flour, salt and water into the rustic loaves of his childhood. Today, Le Pain Quotidien has grown into an international chain operating in many countries around the globe. It sells organic bread and cakes in a homey, rustic style, focusing on their communal table and their simple, elegant boulangerie fare. Learn more from the founder of such an impactful chain in this week’s special episode of Evolutionaries! This program has been sponsored by GreatBrewers.com.

“In people’s minds bread was cheap. When bread regulation came, people came to see the “100 dollar” loaf. It helped the business and it was a fair price.” [14:10]

— Alain Coumont on Evolutionaries

Jim Lahey studied sculpture before learning the art of bread baking in Italy. When he returned to New York City in 1994, he opened Sullivan St Bakery in Soho with little more than the wild yeast he hand-cultivated in Italy and a desire to bring the craft of small-batch bread baking to America. In October 2000, Lahey built the Sullivan St Bakery headquarters in Hell’s Kitchen, where he has become renowned not just for his bread, but for his Roman-style pizza, rustic Italian pastries and cookies. Lahey and his businesses have been featured in Vogue, Bon Appétit and The New York Times, and he has appeared on the Martha Stewart Show and NBC’s Today show. His innovative no-knead bread recipe that ignited a worldwide home-baking revolution was first published in an article by Mark Bittman in The New York Times in 2006. This article became the basis of Lahey’s first cookbook My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method, and now his just-released, My Pizza: The Easy No-Knead Way to Make Spectacular Pizza at Home. On this special episode of Evolutionaries, learn how Jim has become one of the most important and well known bread makers today! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“You need to have an understanding of the feel of the materials in order to get the right result. Even if its being done with machinery, you need to have a sense of how things are supposed to feel, i.e. the dough.” [14:10]

“I have noticed, that the bigger the bakery, the harder it is to get consistent results without machinery.” [17:20]

— Jim Lahey on Evolutionaries

Joan Gussow is a professor, author, food policy expert, environmentalist and gardener. Hailed as the matriarch of the eat-locally-think-globally food movement, Joan Gussow is Professor emerita, and former chair of the Nutrition Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she has been a long-time analyst and critic of the U.S. food system. Joan is the author of numerous books, and she has delivered thousands of lectures, speeches and testimonies. A former art researcher at Time Magazine, Joan is now a celebrated homesteader, and currently lives and grows organic produce on the West Bank of the Hudson River. Her passion for speaking truth to power paved the way for today’s radical farmers, chefs, and those fighting for a just food system. Joan was born in 1928 in Alhambra, CA, and graduated in 1950 from Pomona College in Claremont, CA, majoring in Biology, before she landed a job at Time Magazine as a researcher. Tune-in to this week’s episode of Evolutionaries to hear from such an influential leader in the food movement, and make a difference today.

“I feel very touched that when I first came up with the notion of eating locally, I came to that conclusion on a purely theoretical basis. But it’s accepted now. There’s been a huge change.” [1:07]

“The biggest difference I noticed over the years – that message of Do For Yourself was really really big.” [17:30]

— Joan Gussow on Evolutionaries

Joan Nathan is an award-winning American author of cookbooks and a global authority on Jewish cuisine. Her goal is to preserve Jewish traditions by interviewing cooks and documenting their recipes and stories for posterity. On the latest episode of Evolutionaries, hear Joan recall the journies, parties, dinners, events and relationships that shaped her illustrious career. From her work co-founding the 9th Avenue Food Festival to her three yearsliving in Israel working for Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem – Joan has seen and experienced more than most can hope to in a lifetime. For Joan Nathan, food is all about cultural context, and she’s got tons of it. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“When you break bread with people and say to them ‘I like your food’ – it just starts communication, and that’s what I learned the most.” [06:20]

“We’re better cooks now than we were 30 years ago, I’m sure of it.” [09:45]

–Joan Nathan on Evolutionaries

Paul Saginaw is the founding partner at Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, a gourmet food business group headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The original business and current flagship operation is Zingerman’s Delicatessen, which got its start with a small selection of great-tasting specialty foods, a host of traditional Jewish dishes and a relatively short sandwich menu. Today, Zingerman’s Delicatessen is an Ann Arbor institution, the source of great food and great experiences for thousands of visitors every year. The Deli serves up thousands of made-to-order sandwiches with ingredients like premium Black Angus corned beef and pastrami, free-range chicken and turkey, housemade chopped liver and chicken salad. The Deli also stocks an exceptional array of farmhouse cheeses, estate-bottled olive oils, varietal vinegars, smoked fish, salami, coffee, tea and much, much more. Thirty years later, what started as a little deli has grown into Zingerman’s Community of Businesses. In 1997, Monahan sold his share of the company to Saginaw to focus on his original business venture, Monahan’s Seafood Market. As Zingerman’s grew, it expanded its offerings to imported gourmet foods, making its own bread at Zingerman’s Bakehouse and creating dairy products at Zingerman’s Creamery. It opened a second restaurant, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, which focuses on regional American cuisine. The enterprise now owns several brand names, including the aforementioned enterprises in addition to Zingerman’s Mail Order, Zingerman’s Coffee Company, Zingerman’s Training, Inc., and Zingerman’s Catering. Zingerman’s sponsors several mail-order food clubs and occasional culinary study tours. Tune in on this special episode of Evolutionaries to hear Paul’s insight into effectively running a business partnership, and how strategizing his business plan eventually brought him success down the road. This program has been sponsored by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

“We had a vision of this business and this type of organization. We wanted to invite everyone who we were working with to come in, and help run the business.” [11:30]

“Our attempt was that we were going to bring in the finest products. Service was going to differentiate us. People were willing to pay a premium for something that wowed you.” [13:10]

— Paul Saginaw on Evolutionaries

Wylie Dufresne was born in 1970 in Providence, Rhode Island before moving to New York in 1977. In 1992 he completed a B.A. in philosophy at Colby College, Maine. After college, Wylie enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York and was then employed at Jo Jo’s from 1994 to 1997. He was then hired to work on the opening of Restaurant Jean Georges, eventually becoming the sous chef. In 1998 Dufresne was hired as chef de cuisine at Vongerichten’s Prime in The Bellagio, Las Vegas. In 1999 he left Prime to become the first chef at 71 Clinton Fresh Food, a 30-seat restaurant on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Dufresne opened (named for the chef’s initials and the street address) in April of 2003, on Clinton Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. His partners in the venture are Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and restaurateur Phil Suarez. He is the winner of the 2013 James Beard Foundation Best Chef NYC award, American Chef and restauranteur who has redefined the culinary landscape with his careful attention to technique and thoughtful imagination. His restaurant pushed American avant garde cuisine to the next level by combining a voracious curiosity with a careful attention to scientifically sound techniques and creative innovation. Wylie has worked in restaurants since the age of 11 and feels drawn to the team mentality and physicality of working in a professional kitchen. He compares the experience to playing professional team sports, which was always a personal aspiration. After spending years working with Jean-Goerges and perfecting classic French techniques, Wylie set out to find his own style and opened to world wide acclaim. The dishes at pushed diners’ perceptions of what food should look and taste like, and challenged cooks to always push for perfection by consistently asking the question, “why”? Wylie has always hoped that diners, cooks, and chefs walk away from saying the experience made them think. After dominating the NYC restaurant scene, his newest restaurant Alder has continued in the tradition of sound technique framed by an insightful and witty creativity. On this episode of Evolutionaries on HeritageRadioNetwork.org, listen as Wylie tells how he went from the world of the classical French masters to one of the most respected and imitated chefs in the world. This program has been sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

“Asking “why” to make better food, understanding what an egg is made of, why green vegetables turn brown, what’s happening to the chicken, what does cooking an egg actually mean?” [11:25]

“I wanted to create a place where some of the answers can be on hand…we have helped come up with some answers” [12:17]

“Making a personal memory into something commercial is difficult…my grandmother might smell different than your grandma.” [15:29]

“Talk about what your doing, not where you are shopping.” [17:54]

“Whoever dies knowing the most, wins.” [21:33]

— Wylie Dufresne on Evolutionaries

Meet Rick Bayless, an award winning American chef and restauranteur who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is perhaps best known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time. Bayless was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into a family of restaurateurs and grocers specializing in the local barbecue. Having begun his culinary training as a youth, he broadened his interests to include regional Mexican cooking as an undergraduate student of Spanish and Latin American culture. After finishing his undergraduate education at the University of Oklahoma, he did doctoral work in Anthropological Linguistics at the University of Michigan and, from 1980 to 1986, lived in Mexico with his wife, Deann, writing his first book Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking From The Heart of Mexico. On his Evolutionaries profile, listeners come to know Rick for his passion surrounding Mexican culture – particularly the importance of celebration and partying through the context of cuisine. This program was sponsored by Bonnie Plants.

Meet Eric Ripert – one of the most adored and celebrated chefs working in America today. Eric Ripert is the chef and co-owner of the New York restaurant Le Bernardin, which ranks 18 on the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The celebrated restaurant holds three stars from the Michelin Guide, a “29” food rating from the 2011 Zagat Guide, the highest of any restaurant in the city, and has upheld a four-star review from The New York Times for over two decades. It has never dropped a star throughout four reviews, and is the only restaurant to maintain four stars for that length of time. We proudly present his life story on Evolutionaries. Hear him recount his upbringing in Andorra, his time spent with Jean-Louis Palladin in Washington DC, and his career defining work at Le Bernadin. Discover how he overcame the oppressive confrontational kitchen culture of France to embrace a more relaxed and loving management style that he implemented in the kitchen at Le Bernadin. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

Meet Harold McGee, the man who literally wrote the book on science & cooking. His career defining book,On Food & Cooking, has been referenced as a cooking bible for a generation of forward thinking chefs and culinary professionals. On Evoluationaries, discover how a question from a friend on beans and flatulence inspired Harold to make a career of researching and writing about what happens when we cook, prepare and consume food. Harold McGee is largely responsible for the molecular gastronomy/modernist cuisine movement and is cited as a major influence from the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Alton Brown and Dave Arnold. Harold’s passion for gastronomic knowledge has changed the way we eat food in this country, and his journey is as inspiring as his work. This program was sponsored by Tekserve.