TasteMakers

TasteMakers is a monthly interview series with people in the food, photography, design, and lifestyle worlds who have inspired me.

TasteMakers: Bryant Terry

by Aida Mollenkamp —

Bryant Terry

Bryant Terry is an inspiration for all of us to take action.

The food activist, eco-chef, and author is doing more than his part to help make a more just, healthy, and sustainable food system. I first came across Bryant’s work when I moved to the Bay Area and he had just published first book, Grub. As I got more involved in the local food scene, I noticed his book popped up seemingly everywhere I turned. Reading that book was a big piece of my personal journey to become a more conscientious cook and a more eco-friendly eater and I’ve followed his work ever since. Though I don’t personally eat a vegan diet, I find that recipes like Bryant’s make eating meatless all that much easier and delicious.

He is this month’s TasteMaker because we can all learn something from where he’s been and the work he’s doing. He’s now splitting his time to spend more time with his daughter and she has become his muse for his work as you can tell from his interview below. Here’s a bit about Bryant and his latest project, but be sure to also check out his new web series, Urban Organic, and his latest book from which he generously shared this recipe for Chewy Lemon-Coconut Cookies with Lemon Icing.
Continue Reading: TasteMakers: Bryant Terry →

TasteMakers: Jennifer Tyler Lee

by Aida Mollenkamp —

Jennifer Tyler Lee TasteMakers Portrait

Jennifer Tyler Lee is on a mission to prove that getting your kids to eat healthy can be simple and fun. She knows that changing the way we eat is a multi-layered, complex problem, but, with a little creativity and a simple change at the dinner table, this Mom of two has been successful in getting her own kids (as well as many others) to eat healthier. She came up with a fun, engaging food-related card game that her kids immediately took to and eventually evolved into Crunch a Color™.
Continue Reading: TasteMakers: Jennifer Tyler Lee →

TasteMakers: Brianna Beaudry

by Aida Mollenkamp —

TasteMakers Brianna Beaudry portrait

For this month’s TasteMakers interview I wanted to share the unique perspective of those phenomenal food people who work behind the culinary scenes. One such lady is Brianna Beaudry, a culinary renaissance woman who works in food photography and television as, depending on the day, a culinary producer, food sylist, and/or recipe developer. 

We first met a few years back when I needed some help cross-testing recipes for “Ask Aida” and, even though we just talked over the phone and email, it was clear she was a smart, talented lady. Today Brianna is pulling back the curtain of her world to show us behind-the-scenes and share some of her hard-earned lessons about food styling and recipe development. 
Continue Reading: TasteMakers: Brianna Beaudry →

TasteMakers: Dave Caldiero

by Aida Mollenkamp —

Dave Caldiero portrait

Having spent the last few weeks in Hawaii, it only seemed appropriate to spotlight a Hawaii-based food person as this month’s TasteMaker. Dave Caldiero immediately came to mind not only because he’s a friend, but also because he’s at the front lines of the local, organic, sustainable food movement in Hawaii.

Dave is a native New Yorker and his cooking reflects both where he’s from and where he’s been. As the chef de cuisine at Town, a restaurant started by chef-owner Ed Kenney, Dave has embraced the flavors and ingredients of Hawaii while paying homage to his Italian-American upbringing. The crew at Town has been so successful in creating seasonal, local food that they have become synonymous (along with sister restaurant, Downtown) with Hawaii’s local food movement. As the next generation of chefs bring a new voice to food in Hawaii, Dave and Ed continue to lead with their mantra: “Local first, organic whenever possible, with Aloha always.”

Here’s a bit about Dave and what makes him tick; and be sure to check back tomorrow, when Dave shares his top ten essential kitchen tools.


Continue Reading: TasteMakers: Dave Caldiero →