On today’s THE FOOD SEEN, Michael Harlan Turkell hosts a special one-hour episode devoted to The Food Book Fair. Founder Elizabeth Thacker Jones will talk about all of the exciting additions to this year’s lineup, as we’re joined by a few of those guests in studio. Oliver Strand, a NYTimes coffee contributor, and Lars K. Huse of illustration and coffee, discuss their upcoming FBF Coffee Crawl . Melia Marden, chef/owner of The Smile, discusses her new cookbook, Modern Mediterranean. Christophe Hille, owner Northern Spy Food Co., will be on the FOOD + LABOR panel, touches on the “living wage” injustices of working in the restaurant industry. This episode has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Thanks to Cookies for the show's theme music.

"Coffee just moved the needles in a way that no other topic ever has. People were just so engaged after my first article, and I was really interested in that. People really don't know a lot about coffee." [5:15] -- Oliver Strand on THE FOOD SEEN

"I try to make things as simple as they can be, and as best as they can be- whether it's for the restaurant or my cookbook." [28:15] -- Melia Marden on THE FOOD SEEN

"Restaurant work is not like clerical work or office work... a restaurant is like a little military operation. If one person doesn't show up, it's harder to make the ship move." [46:00] -- Christophe Hille on THE FOOD SEEN

Learn about some of the assistants to your favorite celebrity chefs on this HRN Community Sessions segment! Mariana Cotlear, former assistant to José Andres, sits down with Laura Ryan, assistant to chef Tom Colicchio, and Mandy Oser, former assistant to chef Eric Ripert. Learn how all of these women came to work for such high-profile chefs despite their different career paths. Find out how the world of food relates to subjects like law and politics. What is an average day like for a celebrity chef assistant? Listen in to find out why chefs are generally very charitable, and how camaraderie often leads to collaboration in the kitchen. Learn what aspects of the job are the most trying and challenging. Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch, and thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music!

"A big reason I didn't end up in the kitchen is because I can't do the same thing everyday." [11:00] -- Laura Ryan, assistant to Tom Colicchio

"My position is unique; you can take it to a lot of different areas in the industry." [14:35] -- Mandy Oser, former assistant to Eric Ripert

Opera and food- what more could you ask for? Erin Fairbanks and Mariana Cotlear are joined in the studio by the executive director of The Kitchen Opera Company, Norman Schoenfeld. Tune in to hear three of The Kitchen Opera Company's music-themed pieces! Find out how to get in touch with The Kitchen Opera Company to help promote your personal food venture. Hear about the parallels between music and food, and how both are affected by regional cultures. You don't want to miss this musical segment; tune in! This program has been brought to you by Fairway Market.

"The Kitchen Opera Company is intended to break down the stereotypes of what opera is and what it could be. We don't have to play by " [11:55] -- Norman Shoenfeld of The Kitchen Opera Company