Latest news with #Zimmern
Business Wire
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Emmy and Four-Time James Beard Award-Winning Chef Andrew Zimmern to be Honored at AltaSea's Blue Hour
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is proud to announce its sixth annual fundraiser, Blue Hour 2025: The Culinary Arts of Blue Food, an event that connects science, culture, food and community by combining food technology to tell the story of and raise awareness for the emerging blue economy. AltaSea will honor celebrity chef and restaurateur Andrew Zimmern with the Innovation Award, presented by ocean advocates Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau. Phillippe is an Emmy-nominated ocean storyteller, Founder of EarthEcho International, and the grandson of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. AltaSea will honor Chef Zimmern with the Innovation Award in recognition of his contributions to sustainable seafood and the blue economy. The Innovation Award is given annually to people who display ingenuity, drive progress, and solve some of the world's most pressing problems with innovative solutions. As a chef, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and global citizen, Zimmern has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance, and understanding through food. Zimmern's work, including his co-creation of the Emmy and James Beard Foundation award nominated PBS documentary-series Hope in the Water, his work telling stories on and about our global water systems for over 20 years on television across 12 series, his authorship of the new cookbook The Blue Food Cookbook, his advocacy for fresh and salt water food systems as a global ambassador for the United Nations World Food Program, the Nature Conservancy, creating access to sustainable fish and seafood as a pillar of his work with the Environmental Working Group, and as a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture inspires us all to take global action for healthier oceans and a more sustainable food future. Now in its 11 th year, AltaSea has developed a 35-acre ocean technology campus that is home to many innovative climate solutions focused on the ocean in a variety of industries, including aquaculture, carbon capture, renewable energy, and ocean exploration. AltaSea also partners with high schools, colleges, and universities to provide educational experiences for the next generation of climate scientists and innovators. Sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Carrix, Air Products, Arc Boats, Enlyst Fund, AltaSea Trustee Dr. Geraldine Knatz and others, Blue Hour 2025: The Culinary Arts of Blue Food will feature chef demonstrations, exquisite culinary creations, literal works of art from food, live music, and distinctive entertainment. It will also feature a variety of ocean food and drinks, curated by award-winning Chef Sammy Monsour. The event will take place on September 27, 2025, at AltaSea's Lands End (Berth 60), with doors opening at 5:30 PM and the awards ceremony starting at 8 PM. For more information and tickets, please visit: 'I'm honored to receive AltaSea's Innovation Award and to celebrate the blue economy,' said Chef Zimmern. 'AltaSea's work in promoting sustainable aquaculture and seafood inspires a new way of thinking about our relationship with the ocean, aligning with a belief I've long held: sustainable seafood is key to both nourishing communities and preserving our oceans for future generations.' Zimmern's upcoming book, Hope in the Water: The Blue Food Cookbook, set to release on October 28, 2025, is a 'seafood bible looking at blue food from water to plate: a tangible delicious cookbook for how to best buy, prepare, and cook from our oceans and waterways sustainably.' 'Sustainable seafood is a critical pillar of the blue economy. Andrew Zimmern's career has brilliantly showcased how good sustainable seafood can be,' said AltaSea President & CEO Terry Tamminen. 'We are thrilled to honor him at the Blue Hour for his transformative contributions to ocean health through his culinary innovation and advocacy.' AltaSea will also honor the Chadwick Ocean Institute with the NextGen Award, which honors emerging leaders or institutions that help shape a better and more sustainable future. Founded in 2024, the Chadwick Ocean Institute is a K-12 program that extends learning beyond the classroom, immersing students in real-world ocean science, research, and sustainability. Students get hands-on experience, providing them with a strong foundation with jobs in the emerging blue economy. The institute has a dedicated space at AltaSea called 'The Co-Lab', a vibrant hub for ocean innovation where students, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, and policy shapers converge to explore new frontiers in marine science and technology. AltaSea Trustee Eric Johnson will receive this year's Cornerstone Award, given annually to a member of the AltaSea family that has been instrumental in AltaSea's growth. One of AltaSea's earliest champions, Johnson's contributions to AltaSea support both the development of K-12 educational components and as lead advisor for the construction of the campus. Upon joining the board of trustees, Johnson a real estate developer by trade, led the prioritization of the redevelopment of Berths 58 – 60. Johnson and his family are pillars of the San Pedro community. As President of Jerico Development, Johnson has helped transform and revitalize the LA waterfront by leading the West Harbor project, a public private partnership with the Port of Los Angeles. West Harbor is a 42-acre ground-up retail, dining and entertainment destination being developed through a joint venture with the Ratkovich Company, Osprey Investors, and SSA Marine. His family's foundation, the Crail Johnson Foundation, has helped underprivileged youth in urban Los Angeles since 1988 and is one of AltaSea's founding donors. Blue Hour 2025: The Culinary Arts of Blue Food will feature four immersive and inspiring 'Blue Food' pavilions, offering guests a chance to explore exceptional ocean-based cuisine while discovering the future of the blue economy and sustainable aquaculture. The pavilions will be curated by Chef Sammy Monsour, a Michelin Award-winning chef known for sustainable seafood and Southern-inspired cuisine. 'I'm excited to showcase four unique ways to enjoy sustainable seafood, celebrating the ocean's bounty while advancing a more sustainable future,' said Chef Monsour. 'The funds raised by Blue Hour supports AltaSea's Ocean STEM, which provides educational programs to students throughout Los Angeles at no cost, giving them an opportunity to learn about the vast opportunities within the blue economy. These range from sustainable food and regenerative aquaculture to underwater robotics and more.' This year's event spotlights vendors and collaborators deeply connected to AltaSea's mission to accelerate ocean innovation: LA Harbor College Pavilion – Blue Economy Culinary Arts: In partnership with LA Harbor College's acclaimed Culinary Arts Program, this pavilion will spotlight next-generation culinary talent. Students will prepare recipes inspired by our 2025 Blue Hour Honoree, Chef Andrew Zimmern. Seaweed Pavilion – Featuring Kelp Ark: This pavilion will highlight the power of seaweed as both a sustainable food source and a regenerative force for our oceans. A featured well-known LA chef, selected by Chef Sammy Monsour, will create culinary experiences that celebrate seaweed's diversity. In collaboration with Kelp Ark, this pavilion will emphasize the ecological and culinary significance of marine plants. Braid Theory Pavilion – Sustainable Innovation Meets Cuisine: Curated in partnership with AltaSea partner Braid Theory, this pavilion will explore ocean-conscious packaging and the future of eco-friendly food innovation. It will blend food artistry with storytelling, integrating sustainable materials into the culinary journey. Blue Robotics Pavilion: This 'coastal café' pavilion will bring a chef-curated tasting of oysters that champion shelf-stable, sustainable options for ocean-based nourishment. To complement the Pavilions, Trani's Dockside Station and Chef Dustin Trani will provide a curated menu of food offerings. Dockside is a seafood forward California cuisine full-service restaurant celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year. Chef Dustin Trani is a fourth-generation celebrity chef and owner. The Trani family is a San Pedro institution that has consistently set the standard in the town's food scene. In addition to the various food offerings, internationally-acclaimed conceptual artist and composer Beatie Wolfe will showcase selections from her award-winning climate art portfolio that includes 'Smoke and Mirrors' and 'From Green to Red.' These pieces use art to communicate over six decades of climate data to raise awareness. Earlier this year, Wolfe released two studio albums 'Luminal' and 'Lateral' with Brian Eno, one of the most influential figures in the music industry. About AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, located on 35 acres at North America's leading seaport by both container volume and cargo value, is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just, and equitable world. For more information on AltaSea, please visit:
Eater
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Dallas Is Shut Out at the James Beard Awards, Except For Cafe Momentum's Chad Houser
On June 16, the 'Oscars of food,' as the James Beard Foundation Awards are colloquially known, went down, and Dallas had one honoree break the city's losing streak of 31 years. Chad Houser, the founder and CEO of Cafe Momentum, accepted the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work with children and teens who the justice system has impacted. Cafe Momentum will receive $20,000 to continue its work from the Michael Phillips Humanitarian Fund. While introducing him, Andrew Zimmern, chef and host of Bizarre Foods , choked up and dropped an f-bomb. 'What this man does affects me and my family,' Zimmern said. 'It's a personal, personal thing and I'm a huge admirer of this human being and what he's done for so many, especially as a formerly incarcerated person.' Houser's first word after Zimmern put the James Beard medal over his head? 'Fuck.' In his speech, Houser listed his thanks, and said, 'I'm often asked if Cafe Momentum has to be a restaurant and I always say 'Yes.' Our industry is an integral part of every single community across the country. We provide a gathering space to celebrate, to breathe, and sometimes to have a conversation you didn't know you needed to have.' He went on to say that the Beards honor acknowledges that Cafe Momentum can change the outcomes of kids in the justice system 'one meal, one conversation at a time.' Houser turned out to be the only Dallas nominee to bring home an award — despite having the most finalists in the state of Texas, the city was locked out of any other wins. The 2025 James Beard Award finalists from Dallas were Mabo for Best New Restaurant, Bar Colette for Best New Bar, Regino Rojas of Purépecha as Best Chef: Texas, Starship Bagel for Outstanding Bakery, and RJ Yoakum in the Emerging Chef category. On the day of the awards, it was announced that Georgie parted ways with Emerging Chef nominee RJ Yoakum. Each year, the James Beard Foundation recognizes restaurants, bars, and hospitality professionals in categories such as Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best New Chef. The first James Beard Awards ceremony was held in 1991, when chefs such as Rick Bayless, Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck emerged as winners. In recent years, the awards have been under increased scrutiny following the cancellation of its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to allegations of misbehavior and abuse against nominated chefs, as well as a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs in the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable, with plans to return in 2022. In recent years, the awards have shifted the Best Chef category to a regional model to better recognize the diversity and depth of talent. Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards. See More:
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
James Beard Awards 2025: Chefs, celebrities and notable Chicagoans walk the red carpet
To kick off the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards red carpet outside the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Kristen Reynolds, the new president and CEO of Choose Chicago, made it loud and clear: Chicago has every intention of keeping the coveted awards in the city. 'We are definitely keeping the James Beard Awards beyond 2027,' Reynolds said while walking the star-studded red carpet. 'I mean, we are the host of 'The Bear!' We have to have the James Beard Awards in Chicago, everybody relates Chicago with cuisine and world-class dining, so it's a perfect location.' This year commemorates the 35th anniversary of the awards, which have been held in Chicago since 2015. The awards are currently slated to be held in Chicago through 2027, a move that was announced in 2018, but there hasn't been official word if it will stay in the city beyond 2027 or move elsewhere. Mayor Brandon Johnson, who walked the red carpet a little after 5:30 p.m. said he will do everything in his power to prioritize keeping the award show in Chicago. 'I know they can go anywhere else in the world, but I think it's only fitting here, particularly a city, that a black Haitian immigrant and a Potawatomi woman established — a city of immigrants from around the world have found refuge here in Chicago. The migration from the South, like my family, the 77 unique neighborhoods, it really is the spices and the different seasonings that are not only on the plates across restaurants in Chicago, but it really reflects the beauty of our city as a whole,' Johnson said. Awards show co-host Andrew Zimmern, best known for shows such as the 'Bizarre Foods' franchise, emphasized the significance of the event, speaking about the diversity of Chicago's culinary scene. Zimmern highlighted the role chefs play in social justice issues, including immigration, food waste, the climate crisis, pay equity, gender equity and healthcare. 'The magic of these awards is that there are a lot of people who have toiled in anonymity for a long time — they're going to win an award tonight and it's going to change their life, it's going to change their business, it's going to change their community, and it's going to change our country for the better,' Zimmern said on the red carpet. 'And what's going to happen is we're going to have more advocates out there who are winners, who people are going to pay attention to. We're going to have more hopeful warriors on our side. We can sit here in despair about the national issues at hand that negatively affect us, but I truly believe that the antidote to despairing is hope.' Zimmern noted chefs such as Jose Andres, who have been actively involved in providing humanitarian aid to individuals worldwide, including Palestinians in Gaza. The crowded red carpet was a proud moment for several Chicago nominees, including Thai Dang of HaiSous for the Best Chef: Great Lakes category, who expressed immense joy at being named a finalist. Dang has been a semifinalist in the Great Lakes category four times. 'I'm feeling incredible, honestly it's an incredible freaking feeling,' Dang said. 'To finally make it and be here on this red carpet and walk among great people that have been doing this for years, it's such an incredible honor. I don't care to win or lose, I feel like a million bucks. I feel like I've won.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Best Chef-Approved Midwestern Pizza Comes...From This Gas Station?
If you think about it, pizza tells the most beautiful immigrant tale. What started out with very humble beginnings in Naples, Italy traveled across the ocean, landed in America and did the impossible. Not only did it survive but wait for it, pizza thrived and became a staple food across the country. (Could pizza be the culinary peer of Alexander Hamilton?) From New Haven clam pizzas to Chicago deep-dish and Detroit-style pan pizza to the oh-so-controversial Hawaiian, everyone has a different regional claim to what the best pizza should be. And Midwesterners are no exception. If you crave a solid pizza in the heartland (outside of Chicago), there's a high chance you'll get in your car and head straight to the bright red-roofed building of your local Casey's gas station. Related: Founded in 1959, Casey's is the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States. Casey's has a devout following, and for good reason. Chief among them? Casey's iconic made-from-scratch Midwestern-style pizzas. Ask anyone who's road-tripped through Kansas or Iowa and they'll tell you a pizza pit stop at Casey's is a must. Even celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern is a huge fan of Casey's pizza. 'I love gas station food and have tasted three lifetimes' worth throughout my travels, and Casey's pizza rises to the top,' Zimmern told Parade in an exclusive interview. And Zimmern is far from the only fan. The pizzas are so beloved that in 2024, Casey's sold 45 million pizzas. Related: 😋😋SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Pop Kitchen newsletter. 🍳🍔 Casey's pizza isn't just regarded as the best gas station pizza in the Midwest. It's regarded as the best pizza in the Midwest—full stop. And like any good pizza, the magic comes down to the dough, which is made fresh every morning by the kitchen team working at every Casey's location. "Pizza comes down to the crust. If the crust isn't good, there's no saving the pizza," Zimmern explains to Parade. "You can put the most artisanal, glorious stuff on there and I would say you're ruining those glorious artisanal ingredients because the platform isn't right. It's like having bad rice with sushi." The love and attention to detail Casey's puts into every pizza is why it stands out in a noisy market of mass-market chain pizzas. As a Casey's fan and brand collaborator, Zimmern has visited Casey's locations to see how the pies are made. "They (the kitchen team) are docking the dough (putting holes in it) and what that does is promote even cooking. Better ingredients, smarter cooking. It's really a Midwestern icon," he says. Related: Casey's offers a variety of classic pizza toppings, like sausage and pepperoni, plus specialty pies, including BBQ Chicken and Taco Pizza, but the Breakfast Pizza is probably the pizza the chain is most known for. It's a fan favorite and comes loaded with scrambled eggs and cheese, topped with your choice of bacon, sausage or vegetables. Every so often, Casey's will also offer limited-edition pizzas. And this year, just in time for National Barbecue Day, the regional chain is bringing back its beloved BBQ Brisket Pizza. Related: Casey's BBQ Brisket Pizza features their signature made-from-scratch dough topped with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, jalapeños, red onions and a creamy ranch dressing drizzle. The star of the pie is the double-hardwood, pit-smoked beef brisket that's dry-rubbed, slow-smoked for up to 16 hours, hand-trimmed and piled high for a smoky, savory bite in every slice. 'Their homemade pizza is packed with big flavors, unique textures and fresh ingredients. The BBQ Brisket Pizza is a perfect example of that," says Zimmern. "I can't wait for their guests to rediscover it this summer. Gas station pizza is my guilty pleasure—been saying it for about 20 years—and Casey's is simply the best.'
New York Post
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Gas station food is ‘extraordinary' and ‘hiding in plain sight,' says top chef
Gas station food is as much a slice of American cuisine as a single serving of pizza, according to one celebrity chef. In an interview with Fox News Digital, chef Andrew Zimmern, based in Minnesota, said he's spent the better part of 25 years traveling the country in a van. 'I'm not sure there's someone else alive who's probably stopped as many places to eat as I have in the last two-and-a-half decades,' he said. That's what Zimmern said makes him qualified to vouch for gas station food, which he believes is more appealing to hungry Americans than it may appear. He's now partnered with the Iowa-based Casey's gas stations to promote their new barbecue brisket pizza. 'I really think that what it has to do with is our own sense of adventure,' Zimmern said. 'We don't have to cross the ocean on a 19th-century tramp steamer to have an adventure. We can walk into some place and try a regional food or a regional treat that happens to be for sale in that particular shop and have just as much of a warm, fuzzy feeling.' 4 Gas station food is as much a slice of American cuisine as a single serving of pizza, according to celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern. FOX News 4 But good gas station food goes beyond just pizza, Zimmern said. Andriy Blokhin – The chef praised the new barbecue brisket pizza at Casey's, which he touted for its 'real, wholesome ingredients, stuff I'm happy to feed my family.' He added, 'And by the way, in today's price-conscious world, there should be a pizza that's a whole pizza that can feed a family of four people really easily and not cost you a million dollars.' But good gas station food goes beyond just pizza, he said. 4 Zimmern said traveling on the road makes him qualified to vouch for gas station food, which he believes is more appealing to hungry Americans than it may appear. billtster – 'When you're in Arizona and you have a breakfast burrito at a gas station with three grandmas in the back rolling up homemade chorizo with eggs and crispy potatoes and handing them to you, you are in a very, very, very special place, and you're about to eat something really extraordinary – and they're all hiding in plain sight.' Zimmern also makes no apologies about eating what he wants when he's on the road. 'You try to maintain your healthy lifestyle up until the time that you have a cheat moment or a cheat day,' he admitted. 4 'We don't have to cross the ocean on a 19th-century tramp steamer to have an adventure. We can walk into some place and try a regional food or a regional treat that happens to be for sale in that particular shop and have just as much of a warm, fuzzy feeling,' Zimmern said. Joni – 'If I drank slushies and ate pizza three meals a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, I'm not sure it would really be great for me,' he said. 'That said, I choose not to live in a world where I need to not eat pizza. I choose to live in a world where I get to eat pizza when I want, and I get to have an orange slushy made with my favorite Mexican soda brand.'
