Tag Archive for: taste awards

Award Winner Profile: Food Wishes shares Secrets to Online Success

HE HOSTS AND PRODUCES “FOOD WISHES,”
HAS WON MULTIPLE TASTE AWARDS,
HAS MILLIONS OF VIEWERS AND BLOG READERS,
AND HAS EXPANDED HIS ONLINE VIDEO COMPANY TO COMPLETE PROFITABILITY

 

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An Interview with “Food Wishes” CHEF JOHN MITZEWICH

 

QUESTION: John, what exactly is Food Wishes?

CHEF JOHN: Food Wishes is the name of my show on YouTube, which features more than 800 video recipes.

The concept is a show based on the “food wishes” of the viewers, as in, “I wish I could make a great pizza at home.”

Q: How did you come up with the name?

CJ: When I first started I worked with a few friends on a site called “Wish Upon a Stove.” When I went off on my own, I changed it to “Food Wishes.”

Q: How many recipes a week do you prepare?

CJ: I film 2 or 3 new video recipes every week.

Q: So, where do you get the ideas for the recipes?

CJ: The viewers’ own “food wishes!”

Q: Do you create them all, or do you use other recipe sources?

CJ: Some I create, some are inspired by things I see online, or viewers send in recipes.

Q: You were primarily on YouTube. Did you initially decide for this to be your main platform?

CJ: When I started, YouTube was the only video hosting site I actually knew about. But then I discovered the large food community there, and they discovered me, and that’s been the main platform since.

Q: How many viewers do you usually have on YouTube?

CJ: We get over 3 million views a month.

Q: Wow, any tips for aspiring YouTube stars?

CJ: Your content has to be entertaining, but it’s really all about quantity. You have to produce lots of content, like 2-3 videos a weeks for a couple years if you want to build a large audience.

Q: But now you are also on AllRecipes.com. How did that come about?

CJ: They approached me regarding a partnership, and it ended up being a perfect fit. We have the same missions: get people to discover the joys of  cooking at home, provide them with all of the necessary (and fun) tools and inspiration to create great meals.

www.FoodWishes.com

EXCERPTED FROM THE SEPIA REPORT

The Sugar Lab’s 3D Sugar Printing System

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INNOVATOR PROFILE: The Sugar Lab

Milestone

Winner of the 2014 Innovation Award by the TASTE AWARDS. Acquisition by 3D Systems. Press coverage in major media, as well as launch of Los Angeles studio space.

Founders or Inventors

Liz and Kyle von Hasseln, co-founders of The Sugar Lab.

Their background

Kyle and Liz both have backgrounds in molecular biology, but about 5 years ago they decided to transition to architecture, and graduated from SCI_arc with Masters of Architecture. SCI_arc makes it a point to embrace emerging technologies as design tools, and that institutional stance meant that they were exposed to a lot of cool technology during their time there, and were encouraged to use it in novel ways. Throughout graduate school both Kyle and Liz were fascinated by free form fabrication in general, and unorthodox 3D printing configurations and materials in particular. Their graduate thesis, although it had nothing to do with sugar, centered on the development of a novel fabrication system. Their shared curiosity for the range and utility of 3D printing definitely contributed to an interest in applying the technology to the genre of food.

Concept & Innovation

The Sugar Lab is a micro-design firm for 3D printed sugar. 3D printing transforms sugar into a structural, sculptural element that can interact with food on different terms. 3D printed sugar can be used to sweeten or to ornament, but it can also start to define the form of the food instead of the other way around, or even to support it structurally. For example, Kyle and Liz are very excited to be working right now with several talented cake artists at a well-known bakery in Hollywood. The goal is to design a four-tiered wedding cake with a 3D printed sugar cake-stand, plus 3D printed sugar-tiers supporting cake tiers. It will be a traditional cake silhouette in which sugar plays anything but a traditional role.

That’s an exciting part of 3D printing sugar — transforming sugar into a structural, sculptural medium that can start to define the form of the food instead of the other way around, and even to support it structurally.

Inspiration

sugarlabIt started about two years ago, when they were graduate students in architecture. Kyle and Liz were living in a tiny apartment in Echo Park (Los Angeles) with a correspondingly tiny outdoor kitchen. They didn’t have an oven, and when they realized that meant they couldn’t bake their friend Chelsea a cake for her birthday, it was decided to try to 3D print one instead. Eventually Kyle and Liz managed to print a simple cupcake topper that spelled out ‘Chelsea’ in cursive sugar. Chelsea loved it! After they graduated, they optimized the printing process and started The Sugar Lab.

Company URL http://www.the-sugar-lab.com/

EXCERPTED FROM THE SEPIA REPORT
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TASTE AWARDS Call for Entries continues through August 28

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Currently Accepting Nomination Submissions through August 28th.

TASTE AWARDS Finalists are selected from nomination submissions by the ACADEMY OF MEDIA TASTEMAKERS, a diverse and respected association of food & wine editors, writers and bloggers, chefs, fashion journalists, television producers and stations, online video platforms, mobile device providers, retail and technology enterprises, and others.

There is also a set of Viewer’s Choice Awards, selected online by the general public.

Selected winners of the 6th Annual TASTE AWARDS will be announced in December 2014

Winners of the TASTE AWARDS (aka the TASTY Awards) will receive their honors in January 2015 at a Red Carpet celebration in Hollywood.

To submit nominations, go to www.TheTasteAwards.com

 

OFFICIAL TRAILER:

 

Star of Award Winning Series MasterChef Jr. Launches Resort Program for Kids

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TV competition series, MasterChef Junior, won a TASTE AWARD in January 2014 for its outstanding programming. Now, the winner of the series is partnering with a resort in Mexico for a new type of program… for kids.

They have recently announced the rollout of the Generations Riviera Maya by Karisma Launch of Little Eko Chefs, hosted by MasterChef Junior Season 1 winner, 13-year old Alexander Weiss.  Over the weekend of August 15 – 17, 2014, the celebrity guest chef will kick-off the exceptional kids program at the newly opened Gourmet Inclusive® resort on the Mayan Riviera.

MasterChef Juniorimage005During this exclusive weekend, Generations Riviera Maya invites guests to join Alexander on a three day culinary adventure for the entire family (offered complimentary to guests staying from 8.15-8.17). The Little Eko Chefs Weekend will include a sampling of Little Eko Chefs as well as one-of-a-kind opportunities to interact with Alexander, including a meet and greet with mocktails and photos, a live culinary performance, and a cooking class for kids to watch and learn from Alexander, personally.

Offering a first taste of Little Eko Chefs, Generations Riviera Maya invites guests to join Alexander, 13-year old wunderkid and first-ever winner of MasterChef Junior, on a three day culinary adventure for the entire family.  The Little Eko Chefs Weekend will provide a select group of children (and parents) a sampling of Little Eko Chefs as well as exclusive opportunities to interact with Alexander, including a meet and greet with mocktails and photos, a live culinary performance, and a cooking class for kids to watch and learn from Alexander, personally.  Guests of the Little Eko Chefs Weekend will also be invited to enjoy a Pasta Dinner on the Chef’s Market deck overlooking nothing but the azure sea and sky; a special turndown amenity for children before bedtime; and a goodbye afternoon ice-tea party.

A sampling of Little Eko Chefs classes includes:

 

  • The History of Chocolate – Kids will start with the cacao bean and convert it with artisanal equipment into chocolate mixing with all the corresponding ingredients. Finished chocolate will be molded it into bars with Eko Kids wrappers.
  • Tamale Making Class – In this fun class, kids will learn the process making both savory and sweet tamales in a corn husk or banana leaf before eating for lunch
  • Sushi Class – Kids will learn the history of sushi before being taught how to properly fill and roll sushi
  • Shaved Ice – This cool class (literally!) will teach kids how to shave ice themselves using natural fruit based toppings
  • Pasta Class – Kids will learn how to make their own pasta dough and turn it into spaghetti and raviolis to share for dinner with your family
  • Mexican Tortilla Making – From start to finish, kids will learn the entire process of tortilla making, including how to grind corn by hand, turning it into tortilla dough, forming tortillas in the press and even learning additional side products to create like tortilla chips, empanadas and sopes. Ole!
  • Mexican Sweets (Dulces Mexicanos) – In this class, kids learn the history of and preparations in making these delectable unique Hispanic sweets
  • Greenhouse Harvest – Kids will visit the nearby Greenhouse to pick tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and herbs before bringing them back to the Eko Kids kitchen for garden fresh soup and salad making
  • Artisanal Ice Cream Making – Kids will create their own mix of fruits to blend and mix before pouring into the ice container to be spun by hand until ice-cream is formed
  • A Taste of the Senses – What you see is not what you taste!  This interactive activity teaches kids that what is seen with our eyes can vary dramatically from what’s expected