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1/21 We've Moved!

We've Moved This Blog to: http://whatscookintoday.blogspot.com/

You can still use this blog to access the What's Cookin' Today Hour 1 archives, though! Just scroll on down the page and "click" any of the shows that you'd like to listen to!

Kisses and Hugs,

Your Friends & CRN

1/20 Wodka Vodka, Rebecca Feely - Game Day Party!

James Dale tells us all about Wodka Vodka!

While walking through the Polmos Bialystock distillery in Eastern Poland, a relic from Poland's communist era was discovered, Wodka Vodka. Polmos was a Polish state-owned monopoly that controlled the spirits market. Founded in the late 1920s, it was the leading vodka producer in Poland, mostly because the communist authorities forced all distilleries to become a part of the monopoly. The bottle that was found was pale blue with a tattered paper label indicating, simply "Wodka". Although the generic label, "Wodka" meaning Vodka in Polish, is similar to what American's would consider a blue label brand, Wodka is a traditional formula founded on the backs of the true founders of Vodka, the Polish people. This simple design and off-center, hand-stamped price screamed "old work and authentic" - a minimalism that led to the creation of a new brand of "Wodka".

Rebecca Feely, Wife of Arizona Cardinal Jay Feely, Tells Us How to Plan a Perfect Game-Day Party!

Okay fans: Time for a game day bash that’s much more than just chips, couch and keg. Who really has the experience to put together that super football party? Not the players…they’re on the field! Their wives! Join Rebecca Feely – wife of Arizona Cardinals Placekicker Jay Feely. She’ll be ready to coach you for a party worthy of the pros!

Wife of NFL player Jay Feely, Mother of 4, Univ of Michigan alumni, Author, Former Model, previously on BabyStory, avid reader of parenting, health and theology

1/19 Neil McNally- Rosenthal Wines, Larry Lipson Brings Us The Costa Rica Flavor!

Neil McNally Gives Us a Virtual Tour of Rosenthal Wines in Lovely Malibu, CA

Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate vineyards are six miles from the world-renowned beaches, at over 1,500 feet elevation in a sun-kissed valley. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Meritage, and Chardonnay are produced from the 29-acres of vineyards on our estate in Malibu – Newton Canyon. George Rosenthal's commitment is to continue defining world-class wines from his unique Malibu estate, while constantly seeking new heights of excellence.

CRN Costa Rica Reporter and Former Daily News Food Critic, Larry Lipson, Brings us the Food Report from Abroad!

* What's the Wine of the Week?

* Tell us about those Costa Rican spices and fruits, Larry!

* What are some tips on dining out on a budget (without looking like a cheapskate)?

All this and more food, wine, travel and entertainment topics - right here on What's Cookin' Today!

1/18 Jules Follett, Roni Noone

1/18 Jules Follett and Roni Noone visit with Eric & Paul!

Jules Follett, talks to Eric & Paul about her book- Sticks 'n' Skins: A Photography Book About The World Of Drumming

Discover the heartbeat of music in this 560 page full color coffee table book. Sticks 'n' Skins is dedicated to late drumming photographer Lissa Wales and opens with a tribute to her work. Illuminating the eclectic world of drumming over the past 70 years, the book features never-before-seen photos and stories of legendary artists including Louie Bellson (Benny Goodman), Steve Gadd (Barbra Streisand), Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan), Hal Blaine (Elvis Presley), Ginger Baker (Cream), Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones), David Garibaldi (Tower of Power), Anton Fig (Late Night with David Letterman), Nigel Olsson (Elton John), Chad Smith (The Red Hot Chili Peppers), and many more. Sticks 'n' Skins is not only visually inspiring with its stunning photos, but also preserves the legacy of the drumming community. Sure to become a music lover's collector's item, this extraordinary book offers fans young and old a new perspective on some of the biggest names in music history.

Roni Noone talks to Eric & Paul about Fitness in 2011!

Veronica “Roni” Noone started blogging in 2005 as a way to help stay accountable on her personal weight-loss journey. Five blogging- filled years later, her mission is simple: inspire and share her ideas to live a lighter, healthier life. She does this through her blogs Roni’s Weigh – a place for weight loss tips, insights and inspirations; and GreenLiteBites – a food blog filled with healthy and delicious recipes and cooking tips. In 2008, Roni founded SkinnyMinnyMedia, LLC, a company designed to help her manage the business side of blogging. As a web publisher, healthy living blogger and social media fanatic, Roni spends most of her time blogging consulting to individuals and companies throughout the United States. When she’s not planning a conference that is.

In 2010, Roni founded FitBloggin’, a conference to bring new and seasoned health and wellness, fitness and weight-loss bloggers together for knowledge, personal growth and networking. The sold-out conference brought together more than 150 bloggers and reputable sponsors such as New Balance, Quaker, JELL-O, Tide, WeightWatchers and many others. FitBloggin’ occurs annually in Baltimore, Maryland.

Recognizing the power of blogging, Roni also started and maintains a supportive online community called BlogToLose. Today, BlogToLose has almost 4000 members and it is consistently growing.

Roni has represented and consulted for a wide variety of clients in the health and fitness industry including: WeightWatchers, Kraft, Vitalicious, and Subway®, Johns Hopkins University, Quaker, NutraLite, and POM.

Roni has also gained notoriety by being published and quoted in many publications including: CNN, Women’s World, Women’s Day, and Wired. Her inspirational marathon story was featured in the wildly popular book, Operation Beauty. She also speaks at various events and conferences, including the recent BlogHer’10 conference. Click here here to see other press mentions.

Roni holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Masters of Science in Instructional Technology. She resides outside of Baltimore, Maryland where she enjoys being active online and outdoors with her husband and son.

1/17 Winemaker Denise Shurtleff from Cambria Estate Winery

1/17 Winemaker Denise Shurtleff from Cambria Estate Winery

Erik Hines meets Winemaker Denise Shurtleff!

Long before the Santa Maria Valley benchland was recognized as a great winegrowing region, the native Chumash Indians knew it as "tepuztli," meaning copper coin. Later, Spanish settlers translated the word as Tepusquet. As part of an 1837 Mexican land grant, "Rancho Tepusquet" was home to cattle and row crops throughout the 1800s.

Proprietor Barbara Banke acquired a large portion of the original Tepusquet Vineyard (planted between 1970 and 1971) in 1986 to serve as the site for Cambria winery. Over the last two decades the vineyard has been expanded, replanted and updated with new clones and rootstocks to take advantage of the unique climatic and geological conditions of the Santa Maria Bench.

Denise went to California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, received her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and Food Administration, then joined Cambria in September 1999.

When not making wine Denise lives with her husband and two sons on their five-acre property. As a family, they enjoy camping, kayaking, swimming and sports in general. Denise loves to cook and grow fruits and vegetables on their land.

1/14 Chef Marc Thuet & Biana Zorich - Conviction Kitchen, Theresa Albert- Ace Your Health

Erik Hines visits Conviction Kitchen! Theresa Albert tells us how to ACE our health!

Chef Marc Thuet & Biana Zorich - Conviction Kitchen

What do you get when you take one of the country’s top chefs, throw in a kitchen crew of ex-cons with no culinary experience, and give them just weeks to open a high-end restaurant from scratch?

In season two of Conviction Kitchen, world-renowned executive chef, Marc Thuet, and his wife and business partner, Biana Zorich, put their reputations on the line again – this time in Vancouver – with another high-stakes challenge that will push them and their charges to the limit.

With the clock ticking, Marc and Biana must train a staff of former offenders, create a tantalizing gourmet menu from scratch, and overhaul owner Daniel Frankel’s martini bar in the heart of the city’s gay village. But can they handle the stresses of running businesses in two time zones? Will they be able to follow the rules while working in someone else’s restaurant? And with limited time and funds, will they be forced to compromise on their usual level of fine dining?

As for the ex-cons, dealing with culinary boot camp will be only their first challenge since the real test will be making it past opening night. After all, they’ve got mere weeks to help build a profitable business or owner Daniel will pull the plug, and they’ll lose out on this once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn their lives around. Can these convicted criminals cook themselves up a bright new future on the other side of the law?

Informative, in-depth, and emotionally-charged, Conviction Kitchen is spicy kitchen drama served up sizzling hot!

Theresa Albert- Ace Your Health

Is it hard to be healthy in 2011? Theresa tells us that it's soooo EASY! Ace Your Health takes the huge topic of good health and pares it down to simple, small shifts you can easily integrate into a better daily routine. Preventative health is founded on good food and healthy eating habits. In her book Theresa Albert also deals out sensible advice on losing weight, sleeping better, reducing stress and anxiety, community, stretching, and many other aspects that will help round out a new and improved you.

THERESA ALBERT is a registered nutritional consulting practitioner who operates a busy private practice at a corporate medical facility. Her television show Just One Bite introduced her direct, energetic approach to millions of viewers on the Food Network. She is the author of the cookbook Cook Once a Week, Eat Well Every Day and she contributes content and comment for numerous online sources, media outlets as well as corporate clients and food producers. She volunteers with charitable organizations and is an engaging and motivating public speaker on all topics surrounding food and health. Theresa Albert lives in Toronto with her family.

1/13 Sheldon Yeller - Undercover Boss

1/13 Sheldon Yeller tells Erik Hines about his experience as an "Undercover Boss"

Sheldon Yellen has been Chief Executive Officer of Belfor USA Group, Inc., a subsidiary of BELFOR Europe GmbH since 2004 and serves as its President. Mr. Yellen joined BELFOR USA in 2001 after having worked 17 years in INRECON in various management functions. After the acquisition of INRECON, Mr. Yellen served as Chief Operating Officer of the merged company focusing his efforts on transitional and operational issues. He serves as a Director of BELFOR Europe GmbH, Belfor Holdings, Inc., and Belfor USA Group, Inc.

UNDERCOVER BOSS was the Emmy-nominated #1 new series of the 2009-2010 season, averaging 17.7 million viewers. UNDERCOVER BOSS premiered following the Super Bowl to 38.7 million viewers, the largest audience for a new series following the Super Bowl. It also ranks as the biggest new series premiere since 1987 and the most-watched premiere episode of any reality series.

Each week, UNDERCOVER BOSS follows a different executive as they leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies. While working alongside their employees, they see the effects that their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.

Companies whose chief executives will make the undercover journey include such corporate giants such as:

- Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. (Kim Schaefer, CEO)
- DIRECTV (Mike White, Chairman, President and CEO)
- NASCAR (Steve Phelps, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer)
- Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (Fernando Aguirre, Chairman and CEO)
- Frontier Airlines (Bryan Bedford, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO)
- Chicago Cubs (Todd Ricketts, Owner)
- Lucky Strike Lanes (Steven Foster, Co-Founder and CEO)

1/12 Stars of $*#& My Dad Says, Monica Potter, Comfort Food Diet

1/12 Stars of $*#& My Dad Says, Monica Potter, Comfort Food Diet

Will Sasso and Nicole Sullivan, stars of $*#& My Dad Says talk with Erik Hines and Michael Horn about all the secrets behind the scenes of this popular show!

$#*! My Dad Says (pronounced as "Bleep My Dad Says") is an American televisionsitcom produced by Warner Bros. Television and airing on CBS. It is based on the Twitterfeed Shit My Dad Says, created by Justin Halpern and consisting of quotes from his father, Sam. The show premiered on September 23, 2010, and airs on Thursdays at 8:30 pm/7:30 pm Central.

Monica Potter stops by the studio to talk about her NBC’s Parenthood and American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women and Campbell Soup Company, as part of this year’s Go Red For Women “AdDress Your Heart” Campaign.

Over the course of Monica Potter’s 15-year acting career, the Cleveland-born actress has divided her time between the big screen, with projects like Con Air and Along Came a Spider, and the small screen, with series Boston Legal and Trust Me.

Diane Werner – The comfort food diet cookbook – author

The Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook: New Family Classics Collection is about realistic portions combined with exceptional taste to put pleasure back in healthy eating without sacrificing quality or satisfaction. Three complete meals and two snacks for a total of 1400 calories and combined with common sense advice like watch your portion sizes and exercise. Every recipe lists nutrition facts including calorie counts and diabetic exchanges when appropriate. And to inspire and show how the diet part really works, there are testimonials and photos from actual Comfort Food Diet dieters.

Simply put, losing weight has never been easier or tastier. The Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook: New Family Classics Collection is not about what families can't eat and have to give up but what they can and want to eat all day long. It covers every part of the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus side dishes, snacks, beverages, and of course, desserts like Chocolate Pudding Sandwiches, Mini Apple Strudels, Makeover Toffee Crunch Dessert, and Ice Cream Sandwiches. And the six-week meal plan for success takes planning off your shoulders and counts up calories for you. There are notes on exercise, tips on dining out, and even a "buy this...instead of that" section to help readers make nutritious selections at the grocery store (like comparing chips and salsa to potato chips and dip or tub margarine to stick margarine). All that PLUS a free subscription to Healthy Cooking magazine.

Speaking for the team of dietitians, home economists, and editors, who tested and vetted every recipe for flavor and nutritional content, Taste of Home's Food Director Diane Werner, RD, said: "So many of our readers lost 15 to 20 pounds and much more with our sensible, affordable, and delicious approach to eating right and losing weight. Our goal in this volume was to build on the overwhelming success of the first Comfort Food Diet Cookbook. Now we want to get whole families enjoying the foods they love without all of the calories and fat they normally contain— delicious foods that are fit and fit your family and satisfy."

Whether you need to manage your weight, manage your health, or just want to feel and look your best without giving up the foods you and your gang love to eat, The Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook: New Family Classics Collection.

1/11 Travis Payne, BIRDS!!!, New Year's Resolutions

Erik Hines & Eric Joseph bring in Hour 1 of What's Cookin' Today with goodies GALORE!

Erik Hines and Eric Joseph talk to Travis Payne from CBS' brand new Live to Dance!

Travis Payne (born July 5, 1971) is an American choreographer, director, and producer. He is best known for working with Michael Jackson as the choreographer for This Is It until Jackson's untimely demise. Payne also served as the associate producer for This Is It, and along with the director, Kenny Ortega, was extensively and intimately involved in the making of the film. To date, This Is It worldwide gross revenue totaled $261.3 million during its theatrical run making it the highest grossing documentary or concert movie of all time.^[1][2][3]

Payne is the youngest inductee into the Gallery of Greats, and the recipient of numerous nominations and awards. He has been honored with the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography four times for his work with En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa as well as Michael Jacksonand Janet Jackson on the music video /short-film on "Scream" which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. He also received threeAmerican Choreography Awards, including honors for his work on "Scream" and Michael Jackson's Ghosts. Payne was nominated for an Emmy Award for his choreography work withMichael Jackson on the "Dangerous" performance for the 1995 MTV Video Music Awardsopening segment. He was again nominated for an Emmy Award in 2006 for his work on Disney'sThe Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He is also a two-time recipient of the prestigious Music Video Producers Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for his work with theBrian Setzer Orchestra and Ally McBeal. In December 2009, Payne was featured with a write-up in the Michael Jackson Opus and recognized for his choreography and contribution for his work with the King of Pop

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/live_to_dance/

Dancers who want the opportunity to showcase their talents are encouraged to attend the open calls and show why they deserve to be a contestant on LIVE TO DANCE. The most talented and entertaining dancers will receive a callback to audition for Abdul and the panel of experts, all world-class dancers themselves. Callbacks will take place Saturday and Sunday after each open call date.

In one of the most inclusive talent searches on television, dancers with raw ability, in any age group from across the nation (either performing solo or in a group) can audition in any form of dancing - ballet to break dance, tap to tango, or show us something we've never seen before with your own unique fusion of styles - rock ballet, hip-hop clogging or contemporary mixed with capoeira. The most talented dancers who make it through the callback process will have the chance to perform live on CBS in the semi-finals and finals, where they will battle for the right to be crowned LIVE TO DANCE champion and be awarded a $500,000 prize.

Paula Abdul, the award-winning dancer/choreographer, dynamic performer, multi-platinum recording artist and popular entertainment personality, is executive producer, creative partner and lead expert for LIVE TO DANCE. Abdul will also serve as coach, mentor and advocate for contestants during the performances and elimination process, providing critical input and guidance, while sharing her experience with hopeful contestants. Executive producer, lead expert and mentor Paula Abdul will be joined by host Andrew Günsberg and fellow experts, choreographer Travis Payne and singer/dancer Kimberly Wyatt.

Erik & Eric also go over numerous conspiracy theories regarding the recent rash of bird and fish deaths, New Year's Resolution and all kinds of great stuff on the What's Cookin' Today Show - Hour 1!

1/10 - Nik Miles ,

Nik Miles - host of “The Ride Show” which is seen on 38 Tribune Broadcasting Television stations and websites nationwide including New York, LA, Chicago and Houston. Nik has a clever automotive insight and brings a unique perspective to each radio interview. This London England native has a passion for cars and TV stations find it a pleasure to work with Nik because of his genuine excitement on air. LIVE from the Floor of The Detroit Auto Show Join Automotive Expert Nik Miles as he previews never before seen cars & concepts including:
· Chrysler to debut its all-new 300, its flagship sedan.
· Ford shows new production cars with an all-electric plug-in and plug-in hybrid.
· GM debuts top-secret new Chevrolet and Buick cars.
· Hyundai has an all-new 40 MPG 3-door sports car.
· Smart shows its all-electric car.

1/7 - Seaweed & Baked Alaska!

1/6 - Jessica Szohr, Cat Schwartz,

1/5 - Christopher Knight,

Christopher Knight - Consumer Electronics Show

You know him as Peter Brady from the early 70’s hit sitcom “The Brady Bunch,” but you may not know that Christopher Knight is a high-tech expert. We have Christopher available for interviews on Wednesday, January 5, 2011, LIVE from the Consumer Electronics Show. He’s best known for his role as Peter Brady on “The Brady Bunch,” but there’s a lot more to this former child star. Even though Christopher Knight is no longer a TV regular, he’s been very busy. His love of computers led him to the corporate world of hi- tech. He has served as vice president for several companies over the years, working on million-dollar projects and even co-founded a software company. Join Christopher as he shows your viewers revolutionary new designs, software, and products that will act as a preview of our future world. Regardless of the state of the economy, one thing never changes: our love of new technology. We are always looking for newer, faster and smarter ways to make our lives easier. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show will profile the hottest technology coming to the market for 2011…and beyond!

1/4 - Larch Hanson, James T. Ehler,

Maine Seaweed Co. - Larch Hanson

Through seaweeds, the earth's sea-blood strengthens our own sea-blood that we carry within us. Seaweeds are an excellent source of trace minerals in our diet. As our air and water become more acidified through pollution, minerals are leached and depleted from our land fields, and they wash down to the sea, where the wild seaweeds incorporate them. When we eat seaweeds, we take these minerals back into our bodies, and these minerals help us maintain an alkaline condition in our bloodstream, which is a healthy condition, resistant to fatigue and stress. Seaweeds have admirable qualities: they are flexible, they are tenacious, they are prolific, and they are the oldest family of plants on earth. These plants link us to the primitive vitality of the sea. They strengthen our own primitive glandular system and nervous system. An average family of seaweed eaters will consume a Family Pack within six months to a year. That's 3 pounds dry weight = 30 pounds wet weight = one bushel of wet plants. This is a very concentrated food. Don't fear salt. Salt is necessary to life. If you are willing to sweat, you can move salt through you, and in the process, you will be actively creating your life and your dream from the universe-intelligent structures of the complex salts and trace elements that are available in seaweeds. Your body is an antenna, and your body can't receive and comprehend the whole message from Universe unless it contains all the trace elements of the Universe. Quality counts more than quantity. If you eat the more complex salts of seaweeds, you will have less craving for simple junk food salt, and you will find yourself becoming more whole, satisfied and healthy.

Chef James T. Ehler (Chef, researcher, writer, editor, publisher, webmaster).

Born in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York where I lived until age 22. Since then I have lived and worked in Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Arkansas, North Carolina, Key West, Florida, etc. In September 2005 I moved to Winona, Minnesota where I hope to remain. I have been cooking for over 35 years, spending a little more than 5 years apprenticing with several Colorado chefs, and was a working Executive Chef for 20 years. I have been a member of the Chefs de Cuisine of the Pikes Peak Region (American Culinary Federation) and the Colorado Chefs de Cuisine (ACF). I have served as president of the Arkansas State Professional Culinary Association (ACF), and was a founding member and president of the Conch Republic (Florida Keys) Chapter of the ACF. I am a former Executive Chef of the Cripple Creek Country Club, and Brittany Hill Restaurant in Colorado; the Hilton Hotel in Fayetteville, Arkansas; the New Bern Golf and Country Club, North Carolina; Martha's Steak & Seafood, and the Reach Hotel (both in Key West). Since I began to seriously devote more time to writing, I worked as a cook (and webmaster) for Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West, Florida 5 years, until 2001. This enabled me to concentrate on the Culinary Encyclopedia I have been working on for many years. This website, contains some of that material. Beginning in April 2003 I have been working full time on this and several other websites in the Food Reference family: Leonard Alcamo, an old friend whom I have known for most of my life, has recently come back to FoodReference.com after an unsuccessful attempt at retirement. He will be applying his expertise towards radically improving and expanding the Video section, along with work on various other 'marketing' and 'visibility' projects. I am confidant Len will become and remain an integral part of FoodReference.com for years to come. Perhaps his wife Janet may be persuaded to contribute some of her gardening expertise in the future as well. Baked Alaska Also known as: omelette á la norvégienne, Norwegian omelette, omelette surprise, glace au four. Ice cream encased in some sort of hot casing (pastry crust or meringue). Baked Alaska consists of hard ice cream on a bed of sponge cake, the whole thing is then covered with uncooked meringue. This 'cake' is kept in the freezer until serving time, when it is placed in a very hot oven, just long enough to brown the meringue. Some brown it under a broiler, while I have seen others use a small blowtorch (propane) to brown the meringue. Early versions of this dessert consisted of ice cream encased in a piping hot pastry crust. A guest of Thomas Jefferson at a White House dinner in 1802 described the dessert as "Ice-cream very good, crust wholly dried, crumbled into thin flakes." The later version consisting of ice cream on sponge cake covered with meringue and browned quickly in a hot oven, is claimed as being created by many people, and popularized by many others. American physicist Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) claimed to have created it in 1804, after investigating the heat resistance of beaten egg whites. This was called omelette surprise or omelette á la norvégienne. And then there is the story of it being passed on to the French in the mid 19th century when a Chinese delegation was visiting Paris. The Master-cook of the Chinese mission was staying at the Grand Hotel in 1866, and the French chef at the hotel (Balzac?) learned how to bake ice cream in a pastry crust in the oven from him. The name Baked Alaska originated at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City in 1876, and was created in honor of the newly acquired territory of Alaska. An Englishman (George Sala) who visited Delmonico's in the 1880s said: "The 'Alaska' is a baked ice....The nucleus or core of the entremet is an ice cream. This is surrounded by an envelope of carefully whipped cream, which, just before the dainty dish is served, is popped into the oven, or is brought under the scorching influence of a red hot salamander."

1/3 - Don Whittemore,

"Dandy" Don Whitttemore - Ice Cream Maven

Yes, Virginia, there is a Dandy Don. He sits quietly in his office smoking a cigar as you read this. So who is he? Below you can read the biography of this man and the company he built. Don Whittemore is a funny man with a huge personality who loves to make people happy. Good thing he makes ice cream, huh? Once Upon A Time (circa 1962 – 67), Don was a stand-up comedian. He worked under the name Don Harris in Atlanta, Miami Beach & Newport, KY. If you have some free time one day, ask him to tell you some jokes. The next part of this biography starts just after that but still long long ago, in the Time Before CDs. Don was in the record business. He convinced DJs to play records by Frank Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles, David Bowie, and Cat Stevens (to name a few). Some of those records went gold. In 1981 Don and his lovely wife Linda (pregnant with their second child) bought an ice cream shop in Tarzana, California called The Creamery. They thought it would be a gold mine. They were wrong. So they worked their keesters off, got into the wholesale business, and began a catering division. This is how the catering division of their company—now with over 1,000 customers—got its start.