Click Here to Visit Site – Choose “Home-Cooked Gifts…” Video Link to View

Click here to watch the segment

From store demonstrations and corporate ad pitches to books and webisodes, the market is saturated with faded stars such as Curtis Aikens and Graham Kerr of The Galloping Gourmet

By David Sax

After weaving his way through a maze of living room sets with unpronounceable Swedish names, Curtis Aikens was ready. “Good afternoon, Ikea shoppers,” says Aikens, in an avocado green chef’s jacket, before a crowd of 10 or so customers listening to muzak and fondling sleek crock pots. Undeterred, Aikens announces with gusto, “Today, we’re having fun in the kitchen!” Yet the showroom kitchen in the Emeryville (Calif.) superstore was a humble reminder of glory days past for the former celebrity chef who once commanded $450,000 a year in salary and endorsements. The previous day, Aikens led a demo by an escalator at a Sacramento Ikea. “It’s called ‘making it work,’” says Richard Gore, the architect behind Aikens’s comeback attempt. “We’ll make lemonade from lemons.”

Click here to read and comment on the full article, please post your comments here as well!

What people are saying!

Curtis is an incredible person and quite inspirational. His passions extend far beyond the kitchen and remains to be an amazingly successful person.
Ryan May 25, 2011 5:05 PM GMT

I have never met a person with such a positive outlook on life when it seems the chips would be down for most of us.He has inspired many of us who are fortunate enough to call him a friend.This article should be about Curtis giving of himself to help others without any monatary gain.True, he is a wonderful chef,but so much more. I do hope Michele Obama would consider Curtis to help in the educating of our young.
Tom Maloney May 25, 2011 11:25 AM GMT

Interesting article. I could have done with out some of the pejoratives eg “faded” but on the whole, was inspired by the work of Curtis Aikens, vision, sense of purpose, personal integrity- I hope I run into him at IKEA.
SOPHIE OTIS May 24, 2011 10:59 PM GMT

“Everybody has the right to/think whose food is the/most gorgeous/And I nominate Georgia’s.”
- Ogden Nash

The British poet couldn’t help but write in verse, even in this part of a preface he wrote for Harriet Ross Colquitt’s The Savannah Cook Book of 1933, in what is probably the grandest accolade ever given this state’s culinaria. Just as Flannery O’Connor stated in a letter that you can find a Southern writer tucked in the depths of every wood in the South, Georgia has an indigenous population of chefs who will selectively appear out from under the shadow of pine or emerge from some brambly thicket suddenly into the national spotlight. Curtis Aikens is an example of this mysteriously generated brand of fame, coming all the way from his obscure Conyers beginnings to Food Network multi-show renown. His road less travelled was more a map of frequently switched paths, as he went from California produce dealer to cookbook author to food show host, all the while keeping up a stealthy philanthropic career in literary advocacy.

Aikens’ humanitarianism led him out west to the Navajo nation, where his efforts to literate the tribes’ children granted him unusual access to this wary people’s usually exclusive world. It was out of this experience that Aikens was introduced to “maize” cakes, which he found to be a distant cousin of his mother’s corn fritters, and Aikens found his own twist in a recipe that combines both Native and African elements. It’s not likely that Aikens would have left out his mother’s contribution to the recipe, for he calls her “the best cook, chef, and culinary guru” he ever knew.

Aikens begins the recipe with mashing boiled peeled potatoes, the adhesive for the hearty meatless cake. He cuts fresh corn kernels straight off of the cob (this is usually done by placing the cut end of a shucked cob flat on a work surface and driving the knife down all sides until cleaned, severing the kernels as close to the core as possible). He then mixes the mashed potatoes and fresh kernels with grated sharp cheddar cheese, masa harina (Mexican corn flour), baking powder, and tomato salsa (a bit of water replaces the usual egg for a malleable liquifier). Now having a firm, but not tough (overmixed) cake, Aikens fries them in canola oil that’s been heated to 375 degrees until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

For a great dish that your whole family will enjoy try “Potatoes Like Lasagna.”  A warm hearty full flavored dish that both vegetarians and non-vegetarians can love! Enjoy! And Tell me what you think!

Click Here to View the Recipe

Curtis

Thanks for watching!

Okra is a vegetable that has its own unique flavor.  The texture can be
somewhat silky while others describe that texture as slimy. Those of us from the South enjoy okra. It is hard to describe the flavor in words as you can imagine. I suggest you give it a try and let me know if you can describe the taste to me!

Cooking suggestion: Slice 1/2 lb. okra and cook it with 1 diced onion, 1 tomato, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and  1/4 cup of water. Simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Curtis

Theresa,

There are many reasons to become vegetarian–the most common being an increased attention to health, and an awareness of humane treatment of animals. I’ve been meat-free for nearly 20 years, and I’ve never felt better!

I learned that the best approach to vegetarianism is to pay close attention to finding alternative sources of protein.  Many of these sources are highlighted on Pick Of The Day–the most common are beans, tofu, nuts, (+ eggs and dairy products, for non-vegans).  In order to create a complete protein, it is advisable to, at least 3 times each week, eat a meal composed of legumes, corn and squash.

It’s always good to consult a doctor or nutritionist when making serious changes in your diet.  Perhaps you have a friend who is also considering vegetarianism.  This would make your dietary shift a more easy and enjoyable process.  You can share information, and encourage one another as you develop new habits.

Good luck!
Curtis

I Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I have enjoyed you show and recipes! I am 16 and live in Otis, Maine.(a.k.a. No wheres Ville) I have been interested in becoming a chef myself since I was 5 or 6 years old. And I try my hardest to watch your show regularly. I do allot of the cooking for my family and make most of the meals we eat. I have been using allot of your recipes and trying to get my family to eat better. My Father is a REAL meat freak, He just loves meat so I was skeptical about taking meat away from him but I tried substituting Mushrooms(the mushroom burgers) and Tofu. He didn’t really even notice! WOW thanks for all the great inspiration. Keep up the GREAT work and giving us great recipes to use. And one more thing, I Think it is great what you are doing for all the people that can’t read. I hope one day you can come up here to Maine because I would love to meet you.

Thanks Again,
Brandon Miller
Otis, Maine

Dear Brandon,
Thanks so much for your great letter–you made my day! I smiled at the part about Otis being “No Wheres Ville” I remember when I was young and thought my hometown of Conyers, GA was No Wheres Ville. As I got older, I realized that our whole country is made up of towns like Otis and Conyers, and that the people from these towns have just as much potential and opportunity as anyone else in the world. These days, I get letters from fans of Pick Of The Day postmarked Conyers, and those letters sure do make me feel proud! I was delighted to hear about your cooking, and especially that you’ve been creating a healthy menu for your family. Keep up the good work!

Peace,
Curtis

by LIZ BALMASEDA Palm Beach Post Food Editor

Chef Curtis Aikens learned to cook decades before he learned to read. He learned from watching his mother, a woman blessed with Southern culinary talents, in the Georgia kitchen of his childhood.

Learning to cook gave him a career. But learning to read — at age 26 — gave him a mission.

“I feel God put me here for this purpose. I want to share my story, motivate people who have a reading problem and let them know not to be ashamed and embarrassed,” says Aikens, who will speak at the 20th Annual Love of Literacy Luncheon on March 11 in West Palm Beach.

Aikens, one of the original Food Network chefs, is now a cookbook author and motivational speaker at age 52. He has hosted four Food Network cooking shows, appeared regularly on ABC’s Good Morning America and dished on recipes and healthy cooking tips on Oprah, Entertainment Tonight, NBC’s Today Show and other high-profile shows. He’s written four cookbooks. He’s also helped corporate clients — Borden, General Mills, Green Giant and Hershey’s among them — with product messaging.

But he traces all his years of success as a chef to one night 25 years ago. It was the night he happened to see a literacy commercial flash on TV. The message was both devastating and liberating. He had lived his life hiding the central truth of his student years — he couldn’t read. He had dodged notice, distracting teachers and fellow students with his charismatic personality. He had squeaked by with the help of friends.

But he faced a dead end — until that night changed the course of his life.

Click here to visit website and read the full article