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Submitted by Amy Pennington on April 6, 2016
I believe life happens quickly. Be prepared to get the most out of it.
I believe people who cook and feed others are some of the most generous and warm people on the planet.
I believe food unites us.
I believe in a person’s personal choice when it comes to food, free of dogma and preaching.
I believe real food has real flavor. You can keep the fake stuff.
I believe sharing a meal with strangers strengthens us all.
For the past 20 years I’ve been immersed in food in one way or another. As a former graphic designer and art director in the food industry I’ve surrounded myself with great food before I began branching out into photography and blogging as a way to expand and share my passion for all things food and drink. High and low, near and far, food and flavor have always been my driving force and the stories that shape how and what we eat have always captivated me.
I began my blog in 2005 as a way to share my personal take on food and those behind-the-scenes moments I experienced in my work. It’s a labor of love that has led to some of life’s most interesting moments all over the world.
Mattbites has been recognized by numerous publications, editors and writers and is one of the charter members of Martha’s Circle, a selection of lifestyle blogs selected by the editors of Martha Stewart Living. In September 2008, I made my favorite cookie recipe with Martha Stewart during her daytime television show devoted to the topic of blogging.
In 2009 I began teaching workshops devoted to food photography as well as speaking on food styling and photography at conferences, schools and colleges. Keep an eye for this space for upcoming dates and if you’re interested in more please email me.
My first cookbook called On A Stick! was released by Quirk in May 2011. My second book, Focus On Food Photography For Bloggers, was released in 2012 and features tips and tricks for everyone.
I live in Long Beach with my partner Adam Pearson (a food stylist!) and three dogs.
Matt will lead the A Deep-Dive into SnapChat session on Saturday.
Submitted by Amy Pennington on April 4, 2016
Simply Recipes was noted in Time Magazine’s 50 Coolest Websites of 2006 as being a “great resource for cooks”. We aspire to be just that, a great resource for you and others who love to cook. Elise says........
How I got started
Several years ago I started writing down the recipes I had grown up with and posting them to my website. I had just turned 40, and had spent most of my adult life working as a hectic Silicon Valley consultant with little time to cook, let alone learn how to cook beyond what I had learned growing up. I come from a big family—six kids—and thought what a terrific family project, to document our family recipes! Both my mother and father are excellent home cooks, mom by necessity to raise us all, and dad because he loves to eat well and enjoys the experimentation of trying out new recipes.
Well, the family recipe blog that started in 2003 has blossomed and taken on a life of its own. Simply Recipes now reaches millions of visitors each month!
For the first seven years of Simply Recipes, almost all of the cooking was done in my parent’s kitchen in Carmichael, California. In April 2010, most of the cooking for the site shifted down the street to my kitchen (also in Carmichael). These days I cook less with my parents and more often with friends, including my French sweetheart Guy who was raised in Provence, as well as food blogger Hank Shaw, and chef Kathi Riley who cooked for many years at the Zuni Cafe and Chez Panisse.
Elise will lead the A Deep-Dive into SnapChat session on Saturday.
Submitted by Sheri Wetherell on March 22, 2016
Lifestyle Chef Johnny Carino proudly calls St Simons Island Georgia one of the Golden Islands his home with his partner of 6 years Austin Carino, his two rescue dogs Scooby and Gucci and his rescue Cat Ella. His career started after his graduation from the prestigious Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island at the age of 17 and he brings over 30 years of restaurant experience. Though no longer involved Johnny is the namesake of the Johnny Carinos Restaurants Chain which began in 1994 out of Dallas, Texas.
Johnny was an avid competitive bodybuilder and today at 53 lives the same lifestyle he did when he competed nationally. Chef Johnny has a beyond positive spin on life, he has overcome removal of major organs and was rendered diabetic in 2010 after the organ removals. His positive way of thinking and looking at things along with his love for lifestyle living has made him an inspiration too many.
Chef Johnny stared in his PBS Cooking show “Break Me off A Piece of That” which was on the air for 65 shows over 6 years. His show featured easy to make gourmet food dishes that were healthy and full of bold flavors. Today he is one of 16 Seafood Ambassadors for the Seafood Nutrition Partnership and shares his life of health and wellness with many through speaking and cooking show engagements across the United States.
Full of energy this New York Born and raised chef will delight you with passion and his fun and vibrant way he speaks about how to better your life through eating habits, organic and sustainable foods, and simply being aware of what you eat by reading labels of everything you buy.
Chef Johnny will lead the Lifestyle Food session on Saturday.
Follow him on Twitter @JohnnyCarino, Facebook, Instagram
Submitted by Sheri Wetherell on March 7, 2016
Amy Sherman is a San Francisco–based freelance writer, editor, blogger and cookbook author. She is the publisher of the food blog Cooking with Amy and author of Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers, Wine Passport Portugal and A Microwave, A Mug, A Meal. She currently contributes to online outlets including Food Network, Fodor’s, OpenTable, Coca-Cola Journey and Refinery 29. She has focused on culinary travel for the past few years and in addition to blogging for travel outlets, she has also written travel features for magazines including A La Carte, Via and Avianca (inflight) and appears frequently as a guest on Dining Around, a syndicated radio program.
Amy will co-host Culinary Travel Writing on Saturday, July 30.
Submitted by Sheri Wetherell on March 7, 2016
Jessica van Dop DeJesus is a travel media specialist living in Washington, DC and the editor of the foodie travel blog The Dining Traveler. Jessica’s passion for traveling began 19 years ago when she was a young US Marine, since then she has been to 42 countries on and off duty. Jessica is from a bi-cultural upbringing having split her childhood between Puerto Rico and Western NY State. These experiences and her background give Jessica a broad perspective on food and travel. Her content has been published by the Travel Channel, USA Today, Budget Travel, Edible DC, Telemundo, Where Traveler, and INK361. She's currently working on her first book, Dining Traveler Guide to Puerto Rico.
Jessica will be co-hosting Culinary Travel Writing on Saturday, July 30.
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