Initiatives to raise the profile and support of Women in the Food & Beverage industry:  Claudia Wu & Kerry Diamond, founders of Cherry Bombe, an acclaimed biennial, high-quality Magazine, NYC, www.cherrybombe.com; Kari Underly, Butcher, Meat Expert & Teacher, founder Muscolo Meat Academy, Chicago IL, www.rangepartners.com, The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional's Guide to Butchering & Merchandising; Susan Citron, Partner, A Woman’s Palate, Fox Chapel PA & Rutherford CA, www.awomanspalate.com.

Belated Valentine’s Day greetings to all.  THE Charleston (SC) Wine & Food Festival – 10th Anniversary – Cathryn Zommer, Director of Communications, www.charlestonwineandfood.com.  Then we stay close to home to celebrate a Fine New Restaurant: Chef Dennis Marron, The Commoner at Hotel Monaco, www.thecommonerpgh.com & www.monaco-pittsburgh.com; and a Sweet New Venture, Chef Chad Townsend and his wife Lauren launch an Artisanal Ice Cream business, Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, why and how they’re doing it, www.millieshomemade.com.

Mostly  about Grains, Flours & Baking, plus a surprise ending:  Alice Medrich, Berkeley CA, http://alicemedrich.com, Flavor Flours: a New Way to Bake with Teff, Buckwheat,  Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains, Nuts & Non-Wheat Flours; Shanna & Tim Mallon, Nashville TN, http://foodloveswriting.com, The Einkorn Cookbook; Erin Patinkin & Agatha Kulaga, Brooklyn NY, www.oven.ly, Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery; and to finish charming stories for Young Travelers, Liz Manzine, Bella and Harry, www.BellaandHarry.com.  Lots of activities on the website.

Sweet things to Eat & Drink:  Dorie Greenspan, "culinary guru" (by New York Times), Creator "Tuesdays with Dorie" an online baking club, her latest of 10 Cookbooks, Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere, NYC & Paris, http://doriegreenspan.com/; Mario Molinari, Chief Operating Officer, Molinari Italia, Producers of Molinari Sambuca Extra (Declared Extra by Italian Law since 1970), Molinari Caffe Liquore & Limoncello di Capri, Citavecchia & Roma Italy, www.molinari.it; John Wabeck, Beverage Manager, Spoon & Willow Restaurants, Pittsburgh, Inventor Common Decency Gin, www.spoonpgh.com; Joy Richardson, Brand Representative, Haagen Dazs - how an Ice cream maker moves into Limited Edition flavors & Gelato, www.haagendazs.us/Products/Gelato/.

AS OTM BEGINS ITS 12TH YEAR, WE WISH ALL OF OUR LISTENERS AND FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD A HAPPY & PROSPEROUS 2015. Three good conversations--Three different stories that became Cookbooks:  Norman Van Aken, Illustrious Chef, Norman's Orlando FL, www.normanvanaken.com; No Experience Necessary; Eric Skokan, Creator, Black Cat Farm, Chef-Owner, Black Cat Bistro and Bramble & Hare, Boulder CO, http://blackcatboulder.com/; Eric Skokan's Farm, Fork, Food; Dana Cowin, Editor in Chief, Food and Wine Magazine, NYC, www.foodandwine.com, Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen.

We wish a Happy and Prosperous New Year to our Listeners and Friends all around the World, as On the Menu begins its 12th Year. All Southern and Mostly Texan.  Jack Gilmore, Chef-Owner Jack Allen's Kitchen, Austin TX, www.jackallenskitchen.com. Jack Allen's Kitchen: Celebrating the Tastes of Texas; Terry Thompson-Anderson, Fredericksburg TX, Texas on the Table: People, Places and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State; Chris Chamberlain, Nashville TN, https://www.facebook.com/TheSouthernFoodie, Southern Foodie's Guide to the Pig.

Three Great Books from Three very special & talented Women.  And a Very Merry Christmas to Our Listeners Everywhere.  Cortney Burns, Co-Chef, Bar Tartine, San Francisco, www.bartartine.com, Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes; Rene Erickson, Chef-Owner, Boat Street Cafe, The Walrus & the Carpenter, The Whale Wins, & Barnacle, Producer Boat Street Pickles, Seattle, www.boatstreetcafe.com, A Boat A Whale & Walrus; Recipes and Stories; Karen Page, NYC, www.karenandandrew.com, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible.   

Assorted Voices: Jamie Bissonnette, Chef-Owner, Coppa & Toro, Boston MA, Toro NYC, www.coppaboston.com, www.toro-restaurant.com, The New Charcuterie Cookbook: Exceptional Cured Meats to Make & Serve at Home; Keith Schroeder, Founder & CEO, High Road Craft Ice Cream, Atlanta GA, www.highroadcraft.com, Cooking Light's Mad Delicious Cookbook: The Science of Making Healthy Food Taste Amazing; Philip Shen & Kim Pham, San Francisco CA, Terri Phillips, Portland OR, www.behindthefoodcarts.com, Food Truck Road Trip: a Cookbook; Malin Elmlid, Berlin Germany, www.thebreadexchange.com, The Bread Exchange:Tales & Recipes from a Journey of Baking & Bartering..

Mostly about Fermentation & other Preserving Techniques - plus a musical treat: Cathy Barrow,Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen food blog, Washington DC, www.mrswheelbarrow.com, Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry: Recipes & Techniques for Year-Round Preserving; Branden Byers, host of Fermup weekly Podcast & Blog, Madison WI, www.fermup.com, The Every Day Fermentation Handbook: a Real-life Guide to Fermenting Food - without Losing your Mind or your Microbes; Kirsten & Christopher Shockey, Applegate Valley OR, Fermented Vegetables; and Heather Scott, Teacarinas--teacups that double as ocarinast, St LO Ocarina, St Louis MO, www.stlocarina.com.

An interesting Ethnic Mix - how to cook like an Indian/Syrian/Mexican:  Anupy Singla, Indian for Everyone: the Home Cook's Guide to Traditional Favorites, www.indianasapplepie.com; Joumana Accad, Taste of Beirut, www.tasteofbeirut.com; Margarita Carrillo Arronte, Mexico: The Cookbook, Mexico City; Jim Peyton, Naturally Healthy Mexican Cooking, www.lomexicano.com.

Pastry, Cakes & Nuts!!  Nick Malgieri, Dir. Baking Program, Institute of Culinary Education NYC, Nick Malgieri's Pastry: Foolproof Recipes for the Home Cook; Jane Hornby, Oxford UK; www.janehornby.com, What to Bake & How to Bake it; Andrea Tutunjian & Cara Tannenbaum, Institute of Culinary Education NYC, In a Nutshell; Cooking and Baking with Nuts & Seeds..

BLOCKBUSTER first cookbooks from three renowned Chefs:  Sat Bains, Too Many Chiefs only one Indian, Sat Bains Restaurant with Rooms, Nottingham UK, info@restaurantsatbains.net; Dominique Ansel, The Secret Recipes, Dominique Ansel Bakery, NYC, www.dominiqueansel.com; Massimo Bottura, Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef, Osteria Francescana, Modena Italy, www.osteriafrancescana.it.  Delicious dialogues..

OTM at Gastronomika 2014, San Sebastian, Spain.  Note: To include all tha Star Chefs interviewed, this program runs longer than usual.  But we're sure you won't want to miss a thing.  First, Roser Torras, Festival Director. Then: representing Italy, the featured guest country, Massimo Bottura, Osterria Francescana, Modena, www.osteriafrancescana.it; & Carlo Cracco, Ristorante Cracco, Milan, www.ristorantecracco.it; representing  host Spain - Juan Roca & Jordi Roca, El Celler Can Roca, Girona, www.cellercanroca.com; Peruvian superstar Virgilio Martinez, Lima Peru & London UK, www.centralrestaurante.com.pe; additional 3-Stars from Spain, Carme Ruscalleda, St. Pau, St Pol de Mar & Tokyo Japan, Moments, Barcelona, www.ruscalleda.com; Quique DaCosta, Quique DaCosta Restaurant, Denia, http://www.quiquedacosta.es; And our coverage would not be complete without the divine Elena Arzak, Arzak Restaurant, San Sebastian, www.arzak.info.    :

OTM reports on dining in Nashville, and especially the 2nd annual Music City Food & Wine Festival.  Thank you to Infiniti for the use of their Pavilion, Joe Samfilippo, Franklin TN, www.infinitiusa.com. Visiting & Local Chefs collaborate, Mike Lata, FIG and The Ordinary, Charleston SC, www.eatatfig.com  & http://eattheordinary.com. , with Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville, www.cityhousenashville.com; Beer & Liquor in Nashville, Baily Spaulding, Jackalope Brewing Company, www.jackalopebrew.com & Will Atkinson, Corsair Distillery, www.corsairartisan.com;  Two of Nashville’s most exciting new restaurants, Matt Farley, Executive Chef, Acme Feed & Seed, www.theacmenashville.com & Deb Paquette, Chef/Owner, Etch, www.etchrestaurant.com.

OTM heads west from Friuli to Veneto.  Two restaurants we loved 10 years ago, we found were still Great, and “In Search of Soave”, the Veneto’s misunderstood Vino Bianco.  Giuseppe and Lucia Zamboni, with translation by Simone Fortou, Trattoria Zamboni, near Vicenza, www.trattoriazamboni.it; Allan & Atttius Tarlao, Owners with translation by Laura Gereon, Tavernetta All’Androna, Grado; www.androna.it; Giovanni Ponchia, Director, Soave Consortium, Soave, www.ilsoave.com; Laura Rizzotto, Balestri Valda, Soave, www.balestrivaldi.com; Claudio Gini, Avienda Agricola Gini, Monteforte, www.ginivini.com; Marta Magnabosco, Avienda Agricola Monte Tondo, Soave, www.montetondo.it.

Friuli Part 2 – mostly Trieste.  Hedy & Susy Benvenuti, Owners, Duchi d’Aosta, Duchi Vis a Vis & Riviera Hotels & Harry’s Grill, Chef Federico Sestan, Trieste, www.duchi.eu; Bruno Vesnaver, Owner, Antica Ghiacceretta, Trieste, www.anticaghiacceretta; Gianluca & Massimiliano Sabinot, Owners, Vitello d’Oro, Udine, www.vitellodoro.com; Roberto Marussi, Owner. Al Bagatto, Trieste, www.albagatto.it.

Friuli & Veneto 10 years on.  OTM made a first visit to this area of NE Italy in 2004, the year we launched the program - so we thought it a revisit was overdue.  Old friends and New Friends extended warm welcome and generous hospitality at their restaurants, cantinas and lodgings.  At Orsone, Lidia & Joe Bastianich's Restaurant, B&B & Cantina - Andrea Sbrizzo, General Manager, Eduardo Valle, Executive Chef & Kelly Jeun, Sous-Chef, Wayne Young, Sales Communicatio & Marketing Mgr; Cividale del Friui, www.orsone.com ; Valter Scarbolo, Proprietor, Scarbolo Wines & La Frasca Restaurant, Lauzacco, Udine, www.scarbolo.com; Antonella Nonino, Family Nonino, Nonino Distillatori, Percoto, Udine, www.nonino.it.  More from Friuli next week.

A Program of New Stuff- new to OTM anyway.  Vanessa Lengies & Frankie Scanlon, Founders & Owners, Gustus Vitae, Salt & Spice Blends, Venice CA, www.gustusvitae.com; Chef John Doherty, Chicken Soup for the Soul BBQ Sauces, Broths, Meal Builders, etc., www.chickensoup.com/foods/; Tracy Panase, Director of Domestic Marketing, Microplane – new Kitchen Tools to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of its founding; Russelsville AR, www.microplane.com; Christina Arokiasamy, Malaysian Food Ambassador, The Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation, www.malaysiankitchen.us.