Clifford Wright, The Best Soups in the World; from Portland OR, Steve Smith, Steve Smith Teas, ultra-fine teas & Matt Christianson, Chef, Urban Farmer Steakhouse; Simona Bunin, Gourme Mist, the Essential Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Spray Misters.  

OTM finds out "what & where to...." with Lessley Anderson, Senior Editor, Chow.com, "dedicated to food in all of its glory", discussion on Food Trends 2009 versus 1999; Robert Reid, US Travel Editor, Lonely Planet, The Best in Travel 2010 & 1000 Ultimate Ultimate Experiences; Sous Chef Matt Cleal, Simpson's Birmingham, UK, Peter's Birthday Treat; Talking to Experts on North American Whiskey at The 2009 Pittsburgh Whiskey Festival.

John Besh, Chef-owner Restaurant August, Besh Steak, Luke, Domenica, La Provence, etc., New Orleans, My New Orleans; then a "Cheese Course"; Allison Hooper, Vermont Creamery, In a Cheesemaker's Kitchen; Tom Slattery, Global Sales & Marketing; US Distributor for Collier's Welsh Cheddar, Fayrefield Foods Ltd; Crewe, UK.

Via Veneto, Rome at its swankiest!!  & a Great Book about Beer.  Michele Buono, General Manager & Barbara Legnani, Meeting & Events Supervisor, Grand Hotel Flora; Cinzia Fanciulli (then General Manager, since moved to new opportunity) Grand Hotel Via Veneto; Christina Perozzi, The Naked Pint: An unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer.

Rome at Christmas - the Eternal City still is - and we dined accordingly.  Massimo Tezulli, Sommelier & Marco Gallotta, Chef, co-owners, with translation by Cristina, Primo al Pigneto; Gianni & Chef Iole Cappellanti, Paris Ristorante; Silvia Sallorenzo, Chef-Partner Babette Ristorante; Frasca Leonardi, Da Sabatino, Cave San Ignazio.

Thinking of The American South, Foods & Destinations.  Matt & Ted Lee, Simply Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor; Sam Beall, Owner, The Blackberry Farm luxury Estate & Spa, Walland TN, The Blackberry Farm Cookbook; Chris Hastings, Co-owner & Chef, The Hot & Hot Fish Club, Birmingham AL, The Hot & Hot Fish Club Cookbook.

Cheese, Glorious Cheese!!  Max McCalman, Curriculum Director of the Cheese Education Program at Artisinal, NYC, Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoissership from a Maitre Fromager; Mike Gingrich, Co-owner, Uplands Cheese - Pleasant Rideg Reserve, Dodgeville WI; Sid Cook, Master Cheesemaker, Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle WI; Pat Ford, Owner & Cheesemaker, Beehive Cheese, Uintah, UT.

Sweets for the Holidays, or any other time for that matter.  Rose Levy Beranbaum, Rose's Heavenly Cakes; David Guas, DamGoodSweet - Desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth, New Orleans Style, planning to open a Pastry-Savory Bakeshop in the DC area; DeDe Wilson, TV Cooking Personality, Unforgettable Desserts.

Lidia Bastianich, Felidia NYC, Lidia's Kansas City MO & Pittsburgh PA, Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy, with companion PBS series; Mark Peel, Chef-Owner, Campanile, Los Angeles CA, New Classic Family Dinners; The Great Grain versus Grass Fed Beef controversy: Chef Karla Contreras, Giant Eagle Market District & Chef Scott Popovic, Cetified Angus Beef, Wooster OH; John Wood, US Wellness Meats, Monticello IL.

Food & Dining Trends for 2010; Ree Drummond, "Pioneer Woman Cooks"; Denny Mike Sherman, DennyMike's BBQ 'Cue Stuff, York, Maine; Katya Popov & Olga Lenova, Fully Loaded Teas, Mississagua, ONT Canada

Soup, Pasta & Lebanese Cuisine.  Marti Wymer, Creator, Spoonful of Comfort, Care Packages featuring Chicken Soup; Anna Thomas, Love Soup; Giuliano Hazan, Thirty Minute Pasta Cookbook: 100 Quick & Easy Recipes; Kamal Al-Faqih, Classic Lebanese Cuisine: 170 Fresh & Healthy Mediterranean Favorites.

OTM Thinking of Thanksgiving.  Stephanie Beck, Meyer Corporation, manufacturers of the KitchenAid Roaster; Michael Symon, Chef-Owner, Lola, Lolita & Bar Symon, Cleveland & Roast, Detroit, Author, Michael Symon's Live to Cook, including invaluable tips to make your Roast Turkey a success; Lindsay Gifford, Gifford's Family Ice Cream, Makers of the "World's Best Chocolate Ice Cream" and many other flavors; Zora O'Neill & Tamara Reynolds, Forking Fantastic: Put the PARTY Back in the Dinner Party.

On the Menu's wonderful visit to Valencia, Spain - Part 2

Alejandro Garcia Llinares, Gerente, Casamontana, Valencia; Rafael Galvez Benedito, La Matandeta, Alfalar; Pepe Balaguer, Owner, La Pepica, Valencia; Jorge Breton Parts, Chef & Javier Andres, Co-owner, Lasucursal, Valencia; Maria Velasquez, Co-owner, Bodegas Los Frailes, Fontanars dels Alforins.

On the Menu's wonderful visit to Valencia, Spain - Part 1

Quique Dacosta, Chef-owner, Ristorante Quique Dacosta (formerly El Poblet), Denia; Raul Aleixandre, Chef-owner, Ca' Sento, Valencia; Ricard Camarena, Chef-partner, Arrop Ricard Camarena, Valencia & Arrop, Gandia.

Gesine Bullock-Prado, Confections of a Closet Master Baker, she's just as "no nonsense" as sister Sandra; Paula Wolfert, Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking; Andrea Nguyen, Asian Dumplings; Laura Kelley, The Silk Road Gourmet.

Fred Noe, Master Distiller, Jim Beam, recorded at the 2008 Pittsburgh Whiskey Festival - the 2009 Festival is November 13 at Heinz Field; Bob Harkins, Cold River Vodka, Freeport Maine; Cristiano Creminelli, Creminelli Fine Meats, Salumi & Sausages, Springville UT; Geoff Repella, Byrd Cookie Company, Savannah GA.

On behalf of Cystic Fibrosis Pittsburgh Chapter's "A Passion for Wine", Nov 7, Ken Freeman, Freeman Winery, Sebastopol CA & Tim Kilcullen, Capital Wines & Spirits, North Wales PA; Interviews at Nicky USA's Wild about Game event, Mt. Hood OR; Geoff Latham, event sponsor & founder Nicky USA; Tom Douglas, Cook-off Judge for the event, owner Tom Douglas restaurants & other ventures & author of several cookbooks, Seattle WA; Dustin Clark, Executive Chef, Wildwood Restaurant, Portland OR; Mauel Recio, Viridian Farms, Dayton OR; Paul Bosch, Host Chef for the event & Executive Chef, The Resort at the Mountain, Welches OR; Philippe Boulot, Executive Chef, The Multnomah Athletic Club & Culinary Director, The Heathman Restaurant & Bar, Portland OR.

OTM in Portland OR - 2nd instalment.  The Allison Resort & Spa, Newberg OR; General Manager Pierre Zreik, Executive Chef Nathan Lockwood; Indulge special event at The Jupiter Hotel, Stephen Cassell, Hotel spokesperson; David Kreifels, Chef-Owner, Laurelhurst Market; Jocelyn Barda, Co-Owner, Bakery Bar; Benjamin Bettinger, Chef-Owner, Beaker & Flask; Ryan Csansky, Owner-Distiller Artisan Spirits; Matt Mount, Distiller, House Spirits. 

Portland OR Interviews - 1st installment: Greg Higgins, Chef-owner, Higgins Restaurant & Bar; Gabriel Rucker, Chef-owner, Le Pigeon; Doris Rodriguez-Platt, Owner, Andina Restaurant (Peruvian); Pradeep Chandrana, General Manager, East India Co. Gr...ill & Bar (yes, Indian).

Mike Colamenco, Mike Colamenco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC; Bettina Schormann & Jeff Crump, Earth to table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm; Madeline Scherb, Taste of Heaven.

Langdon Cook, Fat of the Land, Adventures of a 21st Century Forager; David Leite, The New Portugese Table, Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast; Jacques Dahan, Noble Ingredients, Michel Cluizel Chocolates.

Randall Grahm, Winemaker Extraordinaire, Bonny Doon Vineyards; Alan Zalayet, Eisch Breathable Wineglasses & No-drip Decanter; Sheri Tate, SiverMoon "liquor-infused" Desserts.

San Diego, pick destination for Fall, a great Cracker substitute & Pluots.  Kate Buska, San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau & Adam Bussell, Chef de Cuisine, Vela Restuarant, Hilton Bayshore, San Diego; Seth Novick, Kitchen Table Bakers Aged Parmesan Crisps; Chip Brantley, The Perfect Fruit, Good Breeding, Bad Seeds & the Hunt for the Elusive Pluot.

Dedicated to Drink!!  Dale DeGroff, Mixologist Extraordinaire, The Essential Cocktail, Cocktails with Mount Gay Rum; John Harney, Founder & Michael Harney, CEO, Harney Teas; Susanna Mojico, Rishi Teas.

Still in England - Old Friends & a new Restaurant venture.  Then some WONDERFUL Gourmet Crackers.  Vito Scaduto, formery Partner, Red or White Restaurant Bar & Wine Shop, Trowbridge (formerly Restaurant GM, The Bath Priory), now at The Three Gables, Bradford-on-Avon; Tina & Tony Bricknell-Webb, Percy's Country Hotel & Restaurant, Virginstow, W. Devon, talking about Percy's & Tina's forthcoming Cookbook; Lesley Stowe, Owner, Raincoast Crisps, Vancouver, BC Canada.