Dorothy Cann Hamilton continues her Chef's Story series with award winning chef Dan Kluger of the celebrated ABC Kitchen on the Upper East Side of New York City. Dan explains how he went from growing up on NYC pizza and Chinese food to becoming a high end chef. Hear his experiences working for Danny Meyer and Jean Georges and hear what the audition process to get into Tabla was like. Find out how he handles collaborations in the kitchen and why nothing is more rewarding than putting out an excellent dish in the middle of a busy night at a restaurant. From textures to ingredients learn all about what makes Dan's cooking so sought after and ABC Kitchen so well respected. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

"Being a chef is much more than producing the food, its the full picture of helping with the whole experience - how the food is delivered, what goes on in the front of the house, etc."

--chef Dan Kluger on Chef's Story

Born in England, inspired to draw as a young boy by Salvador Dali’s surrealism, and the fantastical illustrations of Patrick Woodroffe (Judas Priest album covers), and record sleeve artists such as Roger Dean and the work of Storm Thorgerson’s Hipgnosis studio (Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon”, Led Zeppelin, and books like Douglas Adam’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”), Carl went to drawing school, only to find photography more his style, and in 2008, became an international hit while creating his own genre of (food) art. We’ll discuss how Carl builds his own sets out of edible ingredients, conceptualizes what foods belong in the photo, how long it all sits out, and why he lost his sense of smell.

Prop stylist Francine Matalon-Degni’s “Trends in Food Photography” piece in Gastronomica Summer 2010 V10 N3 spans the last few decades, touching on the political climate and how it effects the societal aesthetic. We’ll be joined in the studio by Francine herself, as well as food stylist Rick Ellis and food photographer Beth Galton. This episode was sponsored by Tabard Inn / Route 11. For more information visit www.tabardinn.com