Monday November 21, 2011
I read a really interesting article a few months ago about gratitude. In fact, it was about a gratitude exercise where you spend an hour walking through your house and then outside your house and you look at everything you have and express gratitude for it. It's amazing how many things we just take for granted - like windows, for instance. They keep out the weather but they let the light in. When's the last time you looked at your windows and thanked them? There's something about gratitude that changes your mood for the better. And in that spirit, I would like to express gratitude for all those who helped make the Heirloom Meals Thanksgiving special.
Firstly to JP Lipa, my amazing, talented, brilliant Director and Cinematographer. JP "got it". He understood that Heirloom Meals was a storytelling show with recipes and cooking as the glue. Add his artistry, attention to detail and intense work ethic and voila, the perfect match for Heirloom Meals. And, if JP wasn't enough, he comes attached to his brother, Chris who handles all the production details for their company Eleven 11 Images. To help frame why JP is impressive....he shot Michael Jackson's last video. Here's his camera with the late singer, the same camera that shot the Heirloom Meals special:
Next, it's my Mom and family I need to thank. If you've seen the special, you will see how important Mom is to me. She has always been my inspiration, my guide, my best friend. Dad is also a role model - he is the type A, entrepreneur with a heart of gold. And then layer on all the memories of my grandparents and there are not enough thank you's!!
Next, is my new family - Jim, my three step kids and all that living with Jim in the Berkshires has to offer - our beautiful house, our chickens, cows and horses. Jim has supported me every step of the way. I am a lucky girl, I am!!
Next is my friend and assistant, Donna. I am grateful for having Donna in my life BUT now I am grateful that she is recovering from her lumpectomy. She'll be getting radiation treatments for 30 days but her prognosis is excellent!
Next, is my new friend Ken Zuckerman from Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs who started this whole thing anyway....his belief in me and Heirloom Meals propelled the making of the special. He also promoted the show by organizing the 4 premiere screenings we had last week and helped secure all the pledge items for New Hampshire Public Television and WGBY that will be airing in December. I tip my hat to you!!
Next, I am grateful for Lauren Zivyak whose energy and enthusiasm for the project and for Erin Gernon, my amazing summer intern who both stood by my side before and during the shoot. And for Madeline Finnerty for being available to help during the shoot and Jake DeVarrennes for all his help!
Then there are all the great guests whose beautiful, heart-felt stories and recipes created the rich fabric for the show. And then there are the sponsors who took a chance on an idea.
All this thanking has me feeling euphoric! Try it, you won't be disappointed!!
Lastly, THANK YOU ALL for watching an enjoying the show.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Tuesday November 15, 2011
Continuing in my spirit of thanks - I want to thank KWC, a manufacturer of gorgeous faucets for sponsoring my TV special.
As many of you know, I am an interior designer and have access to these beautiful faucets for my clients. In fact, I just used 6 of their kitchen faucets for a big project I just completed. They were the perfect blend of artistic form and function for which my client and I were searching.
KWC is an ideal sponsor because of their heirloom quality and because they are a kitchen product. THANK YOU for celebrating the richness and diversity of American cooking!!
Sunday November 13, 2011
HEIRLOOM MEALS' THANKSGIVING
Top 50 Markets as of 11 7 11
Station Market Time
WNET New York Tuesday, November 22 at 10pm (repeats 11/23 at 3am)
WLIW New York Saturday, November 19 at 3:30pm and Monday, November 21 at 8pm
WLIW Create New York Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
NEW JERSEY NETWORK New York/Trenton Thursday, November 17 at 8pm
KCET Los Angeles Wednesday, November 23 at noon and Thursday, November 24 at 11am
KLCS Create Los Angeles Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KOCE Orange County Los Angeles/Hungtington Beach Wednesday, November 23 at 12:30pm and 4:30pm and Thursday, November 24 at 1pm and 9pm
KVCR Create Los Angeles/San Bernadino Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WTTW Chicago Sunday, November 20 at 2pm
WTTW Create Chicago Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WHYY Philadelphia Sunday, November 13, slot tbd
WLVT Create Philadelphia Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KQED San Francisco Saturday, November 19 at 3pm
KRCB Create San Francisco/Rohnert Park Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WGBH Boston Saturday, November 19 at 4pm
WGBH Create Boston Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
New Hampshire Boston/Durham Thursday, November 24 at 8:30pm; repeats 11/26 at 10:30am and 9:30pm and 11/27 at 2pm
GPB Atlanta (and the entire state) Saturday, November 12 at 1pm
WETA Create Washington DC Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
Houston PBS Houston Saturday, November 19 at 1pm; Saturday, November 24 at 1pm
Houston PBS Create Houston Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WTVS Create Detroit Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KAET Create Phoenix Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KCTS Create Seattle Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WEDU Tampa Thursday, November 24 at 1pm
WUSF Tampa Wednesday, November 23, evening slot tbd
WUSF Create Tampa Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KAWE Create St. Paul/Minneapolis Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KWCM Create St. Paul/Minneapolis Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
Rocky Mountain PBS Denver (and the entire state) Tuesday, November 8 at 2pm
Rocky Mountain PBS Create Denver (and the entire state) Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WPBT Miami Saturday, November 19 at 6pm
WPBT Create Miami Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WVIZ Create Cleveland Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WBCC 2 Orlando/Daytona Beach Saturday, November 19 at 10am
KVIE 2 Sacramento Wednesday, November 23 at 7pm
KETC Create St. Louis Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
OPB 2 Portland (and the entire state) Saturday, November 19 at 5pm
WQED Pittsburgh Thursday, November 24 at 10pm
WQED Create Pittsburgh Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
UNC-TV Charlotte (and the entire state) Thursday, November 24 at 2pm
WTVI Charlotte Tuesday, November 22 at 9pm
WTVI Create Charlotte Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WFYI Indianapolis Saturday, November 19 at 1pm
WTIU Create Indianapolis Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
UNC-TV Raleigh-Durham (and the entire state) Thursday, November 24 at 2pm
MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION Baltimore yes, slot tbd
WNPT 2 Nashville Sunday, November 20 at 8pm
WCTE Create Nashville Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
CPTV Create Hartford Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KBYU Create Salt Lake City Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KCPT Kansas City Wednesday, November 23 at 2pm
KCPT Create Kansas City Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
CET/Think TV Cincinnati Saturday, November 12 at 2:30pm (repeats on lifestyle station 11/19 and 24 at 8:30am
CET/Think TV Create Cincinnati Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WOSU Columbus Sunday, November 20 at 7pm
WOSU Create Columbus Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WMVT Milwaukee Sunday, November 20 at 3pm
WMVS Create Milwaukee Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
SOUTH CAROLINA Create Greenville (and the entire state) Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KLRN Create San Antonio Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WXEL West Palm Beach Tuesday, November 15 at 1pm
WXEL Create West Palm Beach Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
ALABAMA ETV Create Birmingham (and the entire state) Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WGVU Create Grand Rapids Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
VEGAS PBS Create Las Vegas Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WHRO Norfolk Saturday, November 19 at 4pm
WHRO Create Norfolk Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KNME Create Albuquerque Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
OETA Create Oklahoma City (and the entire state) Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
SOUTH CAROLINA Create Greensboro (and the entire state) Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WJCT Create Jacksonville Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KLRU 3 Austin Wednesday, November 23 at 1:30pm and Thursday, November 24 at 9am
KLRU Create Austin Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
KENTUCKY Louisville (and the entire state) Sunday, November 20 at 5pm
WKNO Memphis Saturday, November 19 at 4:30pm
WKNO Create Memphis Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WYES Create New Orleans Saturday, November 19 and Thursday, November 24 at 8:30am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm and 2:30am
WLAE New Orleans Wednesday, November 16 at 8pm
WMHT Albany Saturday, November 19 at 1pm
WSRE Pensacola Saturday, November 19 at 11am
WPTD Dayton Saturday, November 19 at noon and Monday, November 21 at 1pm
IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION Learns Des Moines Thursday, November 24 at 7:30am
WFSU Tallahassee Saturday, November 19 at 10pm; repeats 11/20 at 4pm
IDAHO PUBLIC TELEVISION 3 Boise Saturday, November 19 at 6:30am and 6:30pm; Thursday, November 24 at 6:30am and 6:30pm
WGBY Springfield pledging the show throughout December
And - check your local lostings. I know Alaska and others are airing it, I just haven't gotten the full schedule yet!
Sunday November 13, 2011
I could not have concocted up a show without an amazing group of guests! You are all wonderful and I am so grateful that you are part of this journey!!
Heirloom Meals’ Featured Guests
JO MURKO
Carole’s mother, Jo, was born in Claverack NY but grew up in New York City where she learnt to cook from her mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Carole and Jo’s Italian heritage has a strong influence on their cooking and their recipes. Together in the Heirloom Meals kitchen, they made manicotti crepes using the family recipe and the generations old crepe pan.
STEPHANIE PLUNKETT
Stephanie Plunkett is the Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Norman Rockwell Museum located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She is featured in a segment filmed at the museum that focuses on Rockwell’s iconic Thanksgiving painting, Freedom From Want. It was painted as a part of a series entitled the Four Freedoms—inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt’s speech in 1942. Stephanie discusses the history and technique of the painting, as well as how it embodies the “American Thanksgiving.”
LORING BARNES
Not many can boast of being related to the original Thanksgiving pilgrims, but Loring Barnes can. She is a tenth generation descendant of Governor William Bradford, the first governor of Massachusetts to issue a proclamation of Thanksgiving. She enjoys cooking, and she still has some of her recipes from her pilgrim ancestors. When Loring and Carole are in the kitchen, they make Loring’s aunt’s recipe for cranberry and butternut acorn squash. This segment also features Loring’s family recipe for chocolate pudding cake.
JEREMY STANTON
This segment was filmed at Blue Hill Farm in Western Massachusetts. Jeremy is a farmer and a butcher at a local meat market. He and Carole discussed heritage breed turkeys and the history of turkeys in America. They also focused on sustainable agriculture and food stories from his youth.
ELLIE MARKOWICH
Ellie is part of a diverse family, and Thanksgiving is one of her favorite holidays because it allows her to express a lot of different cultures through cooking. All of the members in the Markowich family were born in a different country. Ellie was born in Brazil, Dmitri in Estonia, Lina (5) was born in France and Lara (2) was born in the US. Ellie and Dmitri met when they were exchange students in Oklahoma. They have lived in Texas, New Jersey, France, and now live in New York. In the kitchen, Carole and Ellie made Ellie’s mother’s recipe for Portuguese cheese bread.
CHADWICK BOYD
Chadwick was inspired to do the Heirloom Meals Thanksgiving special in honor of his grandparents. His grandmother, Clara, taught him everything he knows about cooking, including how to “love” people through food. Although she is no longer alive, she lives on through his business, Lovely & Delicious Enterprises, Inc. His grandmother was known for her Thanksgiving pumpkin pies because of the extra thick crust. Chadwick follower her recipe, but gives it a modern, elegant twist by adding candied ginger to the crust and by adding chipotle powder to the pie filling. Carole and Chadwick discuss how heirloom recipes can be adapted for contemporary cooking as they make his chipotle pumpkin pie.
JILL GERNON
Jill is a mother, wife, and cook who lives in a small farm town in Kansas. She inherited a talent and a love for cooking from her mother, who had a home economics degree. Jill describes her Thanksgiving as traditional Midwestern: turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade rolls, dressing (stuffing), French silk pie. She and Carole talked in the kitchen while making green bean casserole.
COOPER BOONE
Cooper is a cook, farmer, musician, and much more. Born and raised in rural Minnesota, Cooper has deep roots in the country lifestyle, where all of his food was locally grown. Several years into his career as a psychologist, Cooper decided to become a full-time musician. After only a few short years in the music business, Cooper’s already won numerous accolades, including a Hollywood Music Award and an Independent Music Award, and has a roster of impressive credits to his name. Out of his obsession with food and music came “Cooper’s Kitchen”, a web-based series that brings celebrities out of the spotlight and into the kitchen, sharing stories, recipes and singing a tune or two with Cooper.
Cooper and Carole had great chemistry and did a lot of cooking in the kitchen. Cooper’s blue ribbon corn bread country stuffing is a delicious country dressing. It complements his herb and bacon turkey, which cooks with an orange stuffed inside.
ALEX ELMAN
Born in New York City to an American oenophile and a Brazilian chef, Alexandra Elman was exposed to wine and food at an early age. She spent her youth in Brazil, France and New York and this early exposure to an array of food and wines honed both her palate and passion for high quality wines made without manipulation. In her late 20s, due to complications from diabetes, Alex partially lost her vision and after various eye surgeries, lost her sight completely within a year, at the age of 27. She never stopped working in the wine world, and soon discovered that her palate had become even more focused. In 2009, Alex decided to create her own label of wines, and began working with Beverage Alliance in order to form Alex Elman Wines, which released its inaugural portfolio in November 2010.
Carole and Alex sampled different wines and discussed how turkey is the perfect dish that allows for various wine pairings.