KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Lidia Bastianich, James Beard Awarded Chef, Restaurateur, and Author. 

and

New Yorker’s Adam Gopnik. 

Their conversation will be about  

“The Power of Local: Taste and Terroir”

LIDIA BASTIANICH

Lidia is an Emmy award-winning public television host, a best‐selling cookbook author with a dozen books published to date, a successful restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Most importantly, Lidia has accomplished all of this by marrying her two passions in life–her family and food–to create multiple culinary endeavors alongside her two children, Joseph and Tanya.

Lidia’s cookbooks, co-authored with her daughter Tanya, include Lidia’s Celebrate Like an Italian, Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine, Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking, Lidia’s Favorite Recipes, Lidia’s Italy in America, Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy, and Lidia’s Italy—all companion books to the Emmy winning and four-time nominated television series Lidia’s Kitchen, Lidia’s Italy in America and Lidia’s Italy. Lidia’s most recent book is her memoir My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food, which was released on April 3, 2018.

Lidia is the owner/co-owner of three acclaimed New York City restaurants – Felidia, Becco and Del Posto, and is a partner in Eataly, the iconic Italian grand market in NYC, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Among the numerous awards and accolades Lidia has earned are two National Emmy Awards for Outstanding Culinary Host (2013 and 2018) and seven James Beard Awards, including Best Chefs in America, Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, and Best Television Food Show.

ADAM GOPNIK

Adam Gopnik has been writing for the New Yorker magazine since 1986. During his more than thirty years at the magazine, he has written hundreds of essays, from personal memoirs to reviews and profiles, along with much reporting from abroad. In 1995, he left New York to live and write in Paris, where he wrote the magazine’s “Paris Journal” for the next five years. An expanded collection of his essays from Paris, Paris To the Moon, appeared in 2000, which The New York Times called “the finest book on France in recent years.” Gopnik’s books, ranging from essay collections about Paris and food to children’s novels, include Paris to the Moon, The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food. Gopnik has won the National Magazine Award for Essays and for Criticism three times, as well as the George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting. In March of 2013, Gopnik was awarded the medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Republic. Two months later, he received a honoris causa from his alma mater, McGill University. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Rhode Island School of Design that same year. He lives in New York with his wife, Martha Parker, and their two children, varyingly present, Luke and Olivia.

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PANELIST BIOS

SEAN BARRETT
Sean Barrett, a lifelong veteran of both the restaurant and commercial fishing industries of New York, is a co-founder of Dock to Dish®, an organization headquartered in Montauk which operates the Community Supported Fishery program of New York State. In June of 2017, the United Nations Foundation invited Sean to present his wild seafood sourcing model at the opening ceremonies of International Oceans Week in New York—and then identified Dock to Dish as a “breakthrough innovation” that is putting participants “on a path to healthy, valued and understood oceans.”  He serves on the executive board of GreenWave.org where his team works to pioneer and advance restorative 3D ocean farming, and was appointed by Governor Cuomo to serve as a council member representing commercial fisheries on the Marine Resources Advisory Council at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Sean has been featured in numerous publications from the New York Times to Vanity Fair, in TV documentaries as well as appearing in “American Catch: The Fight for Local Seafood” by NY Times best-selling author Paul Greenberg.

KATIE BALDWIN
Katie and her partner, Amanda Merrow, are farmers, educators, and founders of Amber Waves farm in Amagansett. Katie was born in Pasadena, CA and spent her early years in a small rural town outside of San Antonio, TX. She graduated with a BA in International Studies from the University of Southern California and worked at the Council on Foreign Relations in Manhattan. The decision to make a career shift and explore food from the ground up began with the book This Common Ground by Amagansett’s Quail Hill Farm founder, and mentor, Scott Chaskey. This led Katie on a path to experiencing food production on different farms in Southern California and discovering her passion for farming. Katie came to Long Island and signed on for a season’s long apprenticeship with Scott Chaskey at Quail Hill. Here she met her business partner (and best friend!) Amanda, and the two decided to go into business together and start their own farm, Amber Waves, in 2009. “At first we daydreamed about a pizza farm,” Ms. Merrow said. “We pictured a miniature dairy with a couple of goats and a vegetable patch. Then it hit us that we’d love to grow the wheat to make an entirely local loaf of bread.”  A decade of working with the land and feeding a community has created a deep appreciation and connection to Amagansett, where Katie lives with her husband Dan and daughter Beatrice.

LAURA ROSE DAILEY
Laura Rose Dailey originally hails from upstate New York, and spent her college years in Vermont. She now lives in Brooklyn, where she studies spiritual herbalism with Karen Rose at Sacred Vibes Apothecary in Flatbush, and works as the Produce Department Head at a small market in Fort Greene. Before moving to NYC, Laura Rose spent four growing seasons on the East End of Long Island farming, teaching and slinging produce to Hampton chefs at Amber Waves Farm. She also spent two Long Island winters at Amber’s sister farm, Cruz del Sur, in José Ignacio, Uruguay.  She loves working with and making medicine with plants (especially the abundance of ‘weeds’ growing all around us in the Northeast!) and is excited and humbled to speak on their behalf.

MICHAEL DOALL
Mike Doall is a marine scientist, ocean farmer, and an advocate for shellfish restoration and restorative aquaculture on Long Island.  For nearly 30 years, Michael has worked to better understand and find solutions to Long Island’s most pressing marine environmental issues, including declining shellfish populations, harmful algae blooms, and the impacts of nutrient overloading and climate change on marine ecosystems.  As the Associate Director for Bivalve Restoration at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences, Michael currently oversees several large-scale clam and oyster restoration projects, designed to improve water quality and overall ecosystem health in Long Island’s estuaries, as well as restore and enhance local commercial shellfisheries.  Michael also believes that shellfish aquaculture can be a powerful restorative tool for coastal ecosystems, and in 2009 put this conviction into action by starting a commercial oyster farm on Long Island’s East End, which he co-owned and operated until 2017.  Today Mike applies his commercial aquaculture experience to marine restoration science, and recently started a project to evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of integrating sugar kelp into Long Island oyster farms.

LAURA DONNELLY
Laura Donnelly became a pastry chef after 20 years in the news business in Washington D.C. at NPR and NBC News. Not wanting to leave journalism behind, she became the food editor of the East Hampton Star, and her weekly column and reviews are a favorite of East End readers. Laura developed recipes for Sheila Lukins’ Silver Palate and has contributed recipes to Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa television programs and books. She made the pies for the movie “Waitress.”

SHONA DRYSDALE-GAWRONSKI
Grew up in Greenwich Village NYC and East Hampton NY . She graduated from the United Nations International School then moved to the South of France where she discovered her passion – cooking and eating. .She returned to the States to study art at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs but shortly returned to The Hamptons (needing to be close to the ocean) where she has lived for the past 35 years. She transferred to culinary school in Manhattan while baking at Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa in East Hampton, where she baked for 5years . She was the Head Pastry Chef at Loaves & Fishes and become sous chef with Sybille Pump for ten years, at the same time Shona was starting a family and began working at Provisions where she become their full time Baker -creating all sorts of healthy treats. Now she cooks with the head chef at Serene Green in Sag Harbor.

DAVID FALKOWSKI
David Falkowski is one of a handful of small-scale farmers licensed to grow hemp and produce hemp-derived products in New York State. He opened Sag Harbor’s Open Minded Organics (OMO) Apothecary in April of this year, which is the first East End CBD-product devoted storefront. Among his customers are those looking to learn more about the CBD industry, as well as many who cannot afford traditional health care.

CLAUDIA FLEMING
Claudia Fleming is a renowned pastry chef, restaurateur, author and culinary innovator. Early on, Claudia set a new course in American pastry, deftly letting fresh fruit, spices, nuts, grains, and dairy guide her as she created seemingly simple, but utterly unforgettable desserts.

The James Beard Society recognized her as the nation’s Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2000. During her extended collaboration with Tom Colicchio at the iconic Michelin starred American restaurant Gramercy Tavern, she developed a changing menu of tarts, custards, cakes, petits fours, and the like, which showcased the best of each season and reflected her training in American and French kitchens.

In 2006, she married Chef Gerry Hayden. Together, they bought a place in Southold, Long Island, surrounded by acres of farmland and near food producers. Together they opened the North Fork Inn & Table; their goal: to create a food destination like those they loved in rural France. They succeeded and were universally celebrated for their elegant complementary sweet and savory menus.

Chef Hayden succumbed to ALS in 2015. Today, Fleming continues to serve her celebrated food in the Inn’s dining room, along with casual fare from the North Fork Food Truck, all accompanied by her extraordinary sweet and savory treats and desserts.

ALFREDO FONTANINI
Professor Fontanini was born in the Italian city of Brescia – known for being the hometown of Camillo Golgi, the father of modern neuroscience, and “casoncelli,” a better tasting cousin of ravioli. After graduating from medical school in Italy, he earned a PhD in Neuroscience in a joint program of the University of Brescia and Caltech. After completion, Alfredo moved to Boston for postdoc at Brandeis University and in 2008 started his own lab in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Stony Brook University, where he became the chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior in 2018. Dr. Fontanini’s research group is interested in the neurobiology of taste and taste-related behaviors. In addition to his professional roles, Alfredo’s interests revolve around biotech R&D, classical guitars, puppies, and his Ducati moto.

KATE FULLAM
Kate is the Executive Director for East End Food Institute (formerly Amagansett Food Institute), a nonprofit organization based on the Stony Brook Southampton campus whose mission is to support, promote, and advocate for local food and local producers. Prior to joining East End Food Institute, Kate built her career at Group for the East End, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and most recently at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. To complement over a decade of experience, Ms. Fullam earned a Master of Nonprofit Administration in 2011. She is a founding member of the Good Ground Community Garden in Hampton Bays, where she resides. Her wide range of experience with local and regional issues related to the environment, economy, science, and human health are now united toward the goal of creating a more sustainable and equitable local food system.

PATTY GENTRY
Patty Gentry is the founder and farmer of Early Girl Farm in Bellport. A graduate of Westhampton High School, Patty went on to Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, where she completed an associate’s degree in culinary arts. Patty spent her earlier life in the kitchens of local and New York City restaurants working her way from line cook to chef. She worked at top Manhattan restaurants Arcadia and Lobster Club cooking with Chef Anne Rosenzweig, and then in the kitchen at the Ross School in East Hampton, where she first met many of the local farmers that she would eventually call friends and mentors.

Patty, however, wanted to grow food rather than cook for others, and to be the person responsible for cultivating, picking and packing the produce she was used to signing for at the kitchen door. She does this for many of Long Island’s chefs, providing a great variety of perfect produce from her rich and densely planted four acres. Patty is the subject of a new documentary, “The Soul of a Farmer,” from Oscar nominated and James Beard Award winning filmmaker Roger Sherman.

PAULA GILOVICH
Paula Gilovich is a writer and producer. As a producer, she created the exhibits of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh at ABC Home, and served as the ambassador to his senior monastic team at Plum Village. She has produced talks and events for Oprah Winfrey, Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege MD, Dr. Brené Brown, and Chef Tom Colicchio, among many others. As a writer, she has contributed to The Stranger, The New York Times, Allure, many online publications and several anthologies. She is pleased to be joining Food Lab again this year as a moderator.

JOHN GILSTRAP
John is Vice President/Co-founder of Hudson Hemp LLC, one of New York’s early successful organic hemp cultivators and processors based in the Mid-Hudson Valley. John has over 25 years of experience in the private and public sector. John served as special adviser to Governor Cuomo’s Small Farmer task force for 2 years in his former role as EVP of Business Development for New York State. John is launching a Hudson Hemp affiliated CBD experience lounge product line focused on urban markets in the fall. He recently co-founded the New York Cannabis and Hemp Trade Organization to advocate for small farm businesses, women, and minority-owned businesses and to foster rural/urban ties.

ROZANNE GOLD
Rozanne Gold is a celebrated chef, author, journalist, and philanthropist known for her prolific voice and storied career. At the age of twenty-four, she was the first chef to New York Mayor Ed Koch and went on to become consulting chef to New York’s iconic Rainbow Room and Windows on the World.  Named the “personal trainer of food writers” by Julia Moskin of the New York Times, she has won four James Beard Foundation Awards honoring her work. Gold is the author of thirteen cookbooks and more than six hundred articles about food, trends, and dining culture. She is a frequent guest on National Public Radio and hosts a new podcast called “One Woman Kitchen” produced by MouthMedia Network.

Compassion has been at the core of Rozanne’s work. After Hurricane Sandy, Ms. Gold established a pop-up kitchen in Brooklyn to prepare and deliver 185,000 meals to those in need. More recently, Ms. Gold, a former Trustee of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, has been an impassioned hospice worker and end-of-life doula. A graduate of Tufts University, she received her MFA in poetry at the New School where she now teaches “The Language of Food,” which explores the intersection of cuisine and commerce, poetry and prose. This course, the first of its kind, establishes menu language as a literary form.

LOUISA HARGRAVE
Louisa Hargrave co-founded Hargrave Vineyard, Long Island’s first commercial vineyard and winery, in 1973. Since selling the business in 1999 she has published a memoir, The Vineyard (Viking, 2003), started and directed the Stony Brook University Center for Wine, Food, and Culture (2004-2009), worked as a wine judge, consultant, and columnist, and traveled widely in pursuit of fine wine, good tastes, and spontaneous laughter.  Louisa is a key and respected voice in promoting the sustainability of agriculture and viniculture on the East End.

DOROTHY KALINS
Dorothy Kalins is a lifelong editorial innovator. She was the founding editor-in-chief of Metropolitan Home, the award-winning design publication, then founded Saveur magazine and became its editor-in-chief. Saveur was based on an idea Kalins had that forever changed the category of food magazines—connecting readers to authenticity in ingredients, experiences, and traditions. In 2001, Kalins joined Newsweek as Executive Editor, and helped direct Newsweek’s National Magazine Award–winning coverage of 9/11.

Under the banner of Dorothy Kalins Ink, Dorothy collaborated [on books] with former Chez Panisse chef and New York Times food columnist David Tanis; with Chef Michael Anthony and restaurateur Danny Meyer on the Gramercy Tavern Cookbook;  and again with Michael Anthony on V is for Vegetables, which won the 2016 James Beard Book Award. In 2016, Kalins produced Zahav, the definitive work on Israeli-American cuisine with the award-winning chef Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook, which was awarded the 2017 James Beard Book of the Year. In 2017, Kalins wrote and produced The Shake Shack Book, followed by Israeli Soul, in 2018.

In 2013, Dorothy Kalins was voted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who in Food & Beverage. In 2018, she was honored with induction into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Matrix Award from Women in Communications.

TAYLOR KNAPP
Taylor Knapp is chef/owner of PAWPAW and Head Snail Wrangler (and owner) of Peconic Escargot – both located on the North Fork of Long Island.

Taylor grew up in the suburbs of Indiana before heading east to Providence, RI to study culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University. While there, he worked for hyper-local restaurants Gracies and L’Espalier. After graduating in 2010, he travelled, staging in some of the world’s best restaurants including Noma in Copenhagen, Azurmendi in Bilbao, and Alinea in Chicago. Taylor settled on the North Fork of Long Island to help open a restaurant at the famed Jedediah Hawkins Inn. It was there that Taylor began to develop the relationships with local farmers, fishermen, and foragers that have become so crucial to the success of PAWPAW. PAWPAW Pop-Up started in the early spring of 2015 and wasn’t meant to last more than a month or two. Nearly five years later, it’s often quipped to be the world’s longest running pop-up restaurant. It’s here, that three times a month, 32 guests sit down and dine on a 9 course tasting menu crafted entirely from the North Fork’s bounty of vegetables, fruits, and sustainable proteins. Dishes like crispy duck tongues, carrot salami, and smoked eel hushpuppies grace the menu. Peconic Escargot was born in 2013 when Taylor realized there were no domestic snail farms in operation (seriously, not a single one). Which meant that every snail eaten in this country came either canned or frozen from Asia or Europe. He set out to change that. Peconic Escargot became the first USDA permitted snail farm in the US. It has been featured on the menus of Eleven Madison Park, Daniel, Minibar, and countless others. Peconic Escargot has been praised in page of The New York Times, Washington Post, Popular Science, The Wall Street Journal, Wine and Spirits, and an episode of Tastemakers that aired on PBS. Needless to say, business is slow.

JAY LIPPIN
Chef Jay Lippin’s background includes tenures as Executive Chef at The Odeon and Cafe Luxembourg in New York City, Executive Chef at Crabtree’s Little House Restaurant in Chappaqua, NY, and most recently as Executive Chef at Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor, NY. He was also a winner of the TV show “Chopped” and WFAN’s “Tailgating Essentials & Barbecue Contest.” Jay is a member of the Slow Food East End board of directors and a tireless advocate for local food and producers. He is especially interested in cooking endangered heirloom produce to ensure future biodiversity for the planet and for diverse flavors in the kitchen. Working in partnership with Glynwood, and Hudson Valley Seed Library, and local farms, he participated in the Kitchen Cultivars grow out projects, a program combining seed saving, education, and tastings of heirloom varieties. Now serving as a guest chef at East End Food Institute, Jay is using his talents to benefit local farms and foodies by creating delicious products from surplus local farm produce.

ANITA LO
Anita Lo is a Michelin starred chef and cookbook author based in New York City. As a Maylasian American born in Michigan, educated at Columbia University in New York, and trained at L’Ecole Ritz-Escoffier in Paris, her book Cooking Without Borders shared her multi-cultural influences and her concept of fusion cooking. Her 2018 book, SoLo, a Modern Cookbook for a Party of One, won Eater’s Cookbook of the Year and was nominated for an IACP Best Cookbook award. Chef Lo is best known for her work at the helm of Annisa, a contemporary American fine dining restaurant in the West Village which she owned and operated for 17 years, and which received a three-star rating from the New York Times and a Michelin star among other accolades. She was the first female chef to collaborate for a state dinner at the White House under the Obama Administration. Lo has appeared on numerous television shows and films including Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America and The Heat, currently airing on Netflix.

LAURA LUCIANO
Laura Luciano is on the board for Slow Food East End, Slow Food USA, and since 2017 has been the Slow Food Governor for New York State, where she oversees all regional chapters and shares her unwavering passion for biodiversity, food sovereignty, and coveting culinary traditions.  Laura grew up fishing with her father (and still does), where they would drift the Shinnecock Bay for flounder and fluke, midnight crab on the Quantuck Bay for Blue Claws, and feet for clams along the shores.  Laura’s blog–“Out East Foodie”–shares the edible stories of the North and South forks of Long Island, as well as her fond memories as a child fishing with her father and eating his famous blue claw crab sauce over linguini.  Professionally a graphic designer, Laura lives in Hampton Bays in a house that has a rooftop garden filled with heirlooms and is an Ark of taste varieties, where she hosts potlucks and dinner parties for like-minded people to come together to talk and enjoy amazing food and drink and share inspiration in a great space.

LESLIE MERINOFF
Leslie Merinoff wants you to truly experience flavor. Growing up with a family in the food and beverage business gave her an early immersion into the sensory pleasures and the thrilling history of eating and drinking. Leslie’s first “job” at the Amagansett CSA Quail Hill Farm taught her about the building blocks of flavor.  When Leslie turned 21, she started a ‘where/what/how to drink’ website/consulting business/events agency with now husband, Brian Kwasnieski, based in Burlington, VT. After returning to NYC, Leslie worked in the distilled spirits business for over two years. Itching to get back to her entrepreneurial, process-oriented roots, she joined The Noble Experiment distillery in Brooklyn, NY. Owned and operated by women dedicated to advancing this golden age of spirits, The Noble Experiment makes award winning, small batch Owney’s Rum. It was during this time that Leslie spoke and captivated audiences with her presentation at the Food Lab’s First Annual Conference on “Growing a Business.”  Following her message to attendees, after over two years helping founder Bridget Firtle take Owney’s Rum to the next level, Leslie is now heading into a challenge of her own making, as she and Brian launch a new distillery incubator, Matchbook Distilling Co. Based on the North Fork in Greenport, Matchbook Distilling Co. will bring drinkers, brand owners, distillers and farmers closer together for better drinking.

EBERHARD MULLER
Chef Eberhard Müller, along with his wife Paulette Satur, are owners/operators of Satur Farms. Everything began 22 years ago when the two purchased their original farm on the North Fork of Long Island, with the intention of growing some vegetables and herbs for Chef Müller’s restaurant. Colleagues in New York City asked if they might be able to buy their produce, and the farm as a business became a reality.

Eberhard Müller arrived in this country from the Black Forest of Germany, after having worked for three years in Paris with Alain Senderens at the three-star Michelin restaurant L’Archestrate. He shot to fame when he opened Le Bernardin with Gilbert LeCoze and was awarded four-stars from The New York Times. He later became Chef of Lutèce after Andre Soltner’s retirement.  After thirty years in restaurant kitchens, he has taken on a new challenge of growing produce and supplying chefs and consumers with the raw ingredients that he found difficult to procure at a freshness level meeting his exacting standards.

Satur Farms grows leafy salads, specialty vegetables, herbs and recently released a line of organic salad dressings.

WILL PECKHAM
Will Peckham originally hails from Coastal Maine, where he grew up sailing on his parents’ trawler yearly from Damariscotta to the Abaco in the Bahamas. After graduating from Middlebury College with a degree in Economics in 2014, he spent two years working as an investment banker in New York City in the biopharmaceuticals sector. Seeking to combine his roots on the water and an entrepreneurial spirit, Will moved to Southampton in 2016 to found West Robins, a sustainable shellfish farming company based in the Great Peconic Bay which supplies discerning clients from Montauk to Manhattan.

NICHOLAS POULMENTIS
Nicholas Poulmentis is the Chef at Oli.Vine. Oli.Vine is Chef Nicholas’s second restaurant in Astoria. “Astoria is special because it keeps traditional mediterranean food with simplicity.” he says. It also doesn’t hurt that there is a large Greek community. Chef Nicholas was born in NYC, but was raised on the Greek island of Kythira. He studied at the S.T.E. Anavyssos (the leading culinary school in Greece) and at Le Cordon Bleu (a French culinary school). Poulmentis career is long and impressive. With 20 years of experience some highlights include cooking at the White House both in 2013 and 2015, as well as competing in the Food Network show Chopped, receiving praises from Martha Stewart and winning the 10,000 grand prize. Poulmentis said he fell from under his feet when they announced him the winner. Since then, Chef Nicholas has returned to compete on Chopped Champions, and worked in other notable restaurants including Kellari, Theos, and Akrotiri here in Astoria.

ROMAN ROTH
Hailing from Rottweil in Germany’s Black Forest, Roman Roth joined Wolffer Estate Vineyard in 1992. Over the course of 31 years, he established the estate’s distinctive character: food-friendly, elegant wines reflective of Long Island’s distinct terroir. Roman’s contribution to quality winemaking on Long Island was recognized at the 2003 East End Food & Wine Awards, where he was named Winemaker of the Year.  He has also been honored with some of Long Island’s highest winemaking accolades, including 94+ rating for the Christian’s Cuvee, making it the highest-rated wine in Long Island’s history.

TOM SCHAUDEL
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1973, Tom has been a renowned chef-owner and driving force behind many of Long Island’s top restaurants, including Panama Hatties, Downtown Grille and Wine Bar, 107 Forest Ave., Lemongrass, Tease, Coolfish, Passionfish, and Starfish. Tom is currently owner and chef of Jewel and Be-Ju in Melville, aMano in Mattituck, aLure in Southold, Kingfish in Westbury, and Plated Simply Catering and Event Planning in Jamesport.

Growing up on Long Island has seriously influenced Tom’s culinary sensibilities, and his style has been described by Michael Todd of Grapezine magazine as “Atlantic Rim.” He combines classical technique with the best produce, fish and game that Long Island has to offer. Along with numerous television appearances on the Food Network and Long Island’s Channels 12 and 21, Tom began hosting his own radio show “Playing with Fire” on WHLI, every Sunday morning from 9:00-10:00. His book, Playing with Fire: Whining and dining on the Gold Coast, published in 2009, won an Indie book “Honorable Mention” award for humor. Tom has a line of ten wines under the Tom Schaudel “Reserve” label that he makes at Paumanok Vineyards and they are available exclusively at his restaurants. He has received numerous awards over the years from The James Beard House, The Magro Foundation, The Child Life Rainbow Program, The Wine Spectator, The Wine Enthusiast, The Long Island Food Critic, Island Harvest, Long Island Press Best of the Best, Dan’s Papers, and in 2010 was the inaugural inductee to the Long Island Restaurant Hall of Fame.

DANIELLE SEPNIESKI

ROGER SHERMAN
Roger Sherman’s documentaries have won an Emmy, a Peabody, a James Beard Award and two Academy Award nominations. He is a producer, director, cinematographer, still photographer, author, and a founder of Florentine Films. His film, In Search of Israeli Cuisine, a portrait of the Israeli people told through food, conflict and all, has been shown at over 160 film festivals and special screenings around the world and in theaters across the U.S. You can watch it on Netflix. About The Restaurateur, a portrait of Danny Meyer, Kat Kinsman for CNN’s Eatocracy wrote “Beg, borrow as needed, but do yourself a favor and see Roger Sherman’s doc.” Roger is currently at work on a new feature documentary about the Long Island chef turned farmer, Patty Gentry, The Soul of a Farmer, from which selections will be premiered at this Food Lab Conference Opening Reception.

SUSAN SPUNGEN
Susan Spungen is a cook, food stylist, recipe developer, and cookbook author. She was the founding food editor at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia from its inception until 2003. She was the culinary consultant and food stylist on the feature films “Julie & Julia,” “It’s Complicated,” and “Eat, Pray, Love.” She is the author of Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook, What’s a Hostess to Do?, Strawberries (a Short Stack Edition), and co-author of the best-selling Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook. Her newest book, Open Kitchen: Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings is scheduled to be released in Spring 2020. She lives in New York City and East Hampton, NY.

KENNETH  WEINBERG
Kenneth R. Weinberg MD is a Board Certified Emergency Medicine and Medical Marijuana physician. He has practiced Emergency Medicine for over 35 years.

He founded and is CEO of Cannabis Doctors of New York since New York State’s Compassionate Care Act was enacted in January of 2016. The practice, based in New York City and Upstate, certifies patients, educates the public, and advocates for the many benefits of medical marijuana.

Dr. Weinberg has treated hundreds of patients with diseases across the spectrum of the currently thirteen conditions deemed eligible by New York State. He is a cannabis advocate and an emerging thought leader who has lectured on the benefits of cannabis throughout the state, met with elected officials to promote its use, and been featured in various publications and on television.

The 5th Annual Food Lab Conference

Friday, September 13 and Saturday, September 14, 2019
Stony Brook Southampton Campus
39 Tuckahoe Road
Southampton, NY 11968
(631) 632-5119

General tickets include opening reception on Friday, plus panel discussions and lunch on Saturday for $150 per person ($100 for early bird rate). Friday cooking class is an additional $50.

*** FULL SCHEDULE ***

Friday, September 13, 2019

Cooking Class Presented by The Food Lab and East End Food Institute
Time: 2:00 to 4:00pm
Location: South Fork Kitchens by East End Food Institute (Student Center)

In town early? Whet your appetite by attending our Friday afternoon cooking class. The Guardian called Kythira the perfect Greek island. Beyond Astoria, New York, it is the home to Chef Nicholas Poulmentis. This year, Chef Nicholas returns to our Conference to share (and teach) a very special Mediterranean cooking class based on Kythira’s (and his) favorite taste memories. All of his ingredients will be sourced using local, seasonal produce and products to create a special taste memory for all who share this class, which is hosted by Kate Fullam of East End Food Institute.

Opening Reception, Welcome Remarks, and Film Screening
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Duke Lecture Hall in Chancellor’s Hall

The 2019 Food Lab Conference gets underway with cocktails and a selection of local farm and fish featured in beautiful passed canapes prepared by East End Food Institute with Chef Joao Garcia. Welcome remarks will be offered by Creative Arts Associate Provost Robert Reeves, Food Lab Executive Director Geoffrey Drummond, and East End Food Institute Executive Director Kate Fullam.

The program features Patty Gentry, farmer/owner and chef at Early Girl Farm in Bellport in conversation with Dorothy Kalins, the founding editor of Saveur Magazine. Scenes from the film The Soul of a Farmer about Gentry and her farm by Emmy and James Beard Award-winning documentary filmmaker Roger Sherman will be shown.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Food Lab Conference Morning Sessions
Time: Various, Between 9:00am to Noon
Location: Various, See Session Info

Welcome & Light Breakfast
Time: 8:30am
Location: Duke Lecture Hall Lobby

Arrive early to check in and enjoy treats from local food producers, including Carissa’s Breads, Aki’s Kitchen, and more. Sponsor tables will feature samples and information.

Session 1: Taste, Taste Memory, and Eating Mindfully
Time: 9:00am
Location: Duke Lecture Hall

Learn and explore the latest advice on bringing mindfulness to your plate and palate. A panel discussion will feature Rozanne Gold (Moderator), Alfredo Fontanini, Taylor Knapp, Anita Lo, and Leslie Merinoff.

Session 2: Terroir:  More Than Wine? Is there a Long Island Terroir?
Time: 10:00am
Location: Duke Lecture Hall

Many of us are familiar with the term “terroir” when it comes to wine, but what about food? Do Long Island farms and fisheries produce a specific and memorable taste? How can we tap into our sense of this terroir? The panel discussion features Louisa Hargrave (Moderator), Eberhard Müller, Katie Baldwin, and Roman Roth.

ANOLON GIVEAWAY

Keynote: The Power of Local – Taste and Terroir
Time: 11:00am
Location: Duke Lecture Hall

Emmy and James Beard Award-winning TV chef, author, and Long Island resident Lidia Bastianich who is often called “the Godmother of the Italian table” will talk with Adam Gopnik about the power of local food and farms.

Farm to Table Lunch and Cooking Demos with Anolon Gourmet Cookware
Time: Noon to 1:45pm
Location: Lawn Outside of Chancellor’s Hall

Anolon Gourmet Cookware presents Cooking Theater:  Healthy, Tasty and Easy Recipes inspired by Incredible Local Freshest Seasonal Ingredients.  During our 2 hour lunch break, all attendees will be treated to a luncheon presented by East End Food Institute with Chef Jay Lippin. Guests will be seated at one long horseshoe table with a cooking demonstration platform at its focal point. Call it dinner (or lunch) theater!

The Food Lab Conference Afternoon Sessions
Time: Various, Between 2:00 to 5:00pm
Location: Various, See Session Info

Baking Sweet and Savory: Simple to Spectacular
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Duke Lecture Hall

Learn about the often-fickle world of baking and refine your skills by tapping into the knowledge of our expert panelists. The discussion will feature Laura Donnelly (Moderator), Claudia Fleming, and Susan Spungen.

Coastal Cuisine: Eating from the Waters Around Us
Time: 3:00pm
Location: Duke Lecture Hall

While local farms often experience the ebb and flow of seasonality, our local waters can provide significant sustenance year-round. Learn more from our panelists, including Laura Luciano (Moderator), Sean Barrett, Tom Schaudel, Mike Doall, and Will Peckhan.

Farm to Pharma
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Duke Lecture Hall

Who hasn’t been wondering about the medicinal applications and newest food innovations with CBD? This is your chance to get information, ask questions, and learn the latest about “farm to pharma” with Paula Gilovich (Moderator), David Falkowski, John Gilstrap, Kenneth Weinberg MD, and Laura Rose Dailey.

Edible East End Presents: Local Wine, Beer, and Spirits Tastings
Time: 5:00pm
Location: Lawn Outside of Chancellor’s Hall

Unwind after a day full of information, food, and friends. Edible East End presents tastings of local beverages, including the best from Channing Daughter’s Winery, Kombat-Cha, Macari Winery, Matchbook Distilling Company, Montauk Brewery, Moustache Brewery, Paumanok Vineyard, RGNY, and Wolffer Estate Vineyard. Light snacks will be provided by East End Food Institute.

Thank you for attending!

*  please note that panel order and times are subject to change

Friday Afternoon Cooking Class – 2PM

In town early? Whet your appetite by attending our Friday afternoon cooking class. The Guardian called Kythira the perfect Greek island. Beyond Astoria, New York, it is the home to Chef Nicholas Poulmentis. This year, Chef Nicholas returns to our Conference to share (and teach) a very special Mediterranean cooking class based on Kythira’s (and his) favorite taste memories. All of his ingredients will be sourced using local, seasonal produce and products to create a special taste memory for all who share this class, which is hosted by Kate Fullam of East End Food Institute.

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Nicholas Poulmentis is the Chef at Oli.Vine.   Oli.Vine is Chef Nicholas’s second restaurant in Astoria.  “Astoria is special because it keeps traditional mediterranean food with simplicity.” he says.  It also doesn’t hurt that there is a large Greek community.   Chef Nicholas was born in NYC, but was raised on the Greek island of Kythira. He studied at the S.T.E. Anavyssos (the leading culinary school in Greece) and at Le Cordon Bleu (a French culinary school). Poulmentis career is long and impressive. With 20 years of experience some highlights include cooking at the White House both in 2013 and 2015, as well as competing in the Food Network show Chopped, receiving praises from Martha Stewart and winning the 10,000 grand prize. Poulmentis said he fell from under his feet when they announced him the winner. Since then, Chef Nicholas has returned to compete on Chopped Champions, and worked in other notable restaurants including Kellari, Theos, and Akrotiri here in Astoria.

Download Recipes in PDF Format: Greek Pizza Dough & Pita Sfakiani

Lunch and Cooking Demo Program
Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Noon
Lawn Outside of Chancellor’s Hall

First Course

• Chilled Cucumber Soup by Aki’s Kitchen
• Sourdough Slices by Carissa’s
• Beet Jalapeno Hummus, Sweet Potato Mint Hummus, and Kale Pistachio Pesto by East End Food Institute

Cooking Demo – Chef Nick’s Goat Cheese Gnocchi

Second Course

• Local Blowfish Tails over Balsam Farms Local New Potatoes with Garlic Scape Pesto by East End Food Institute
• Roasted Balsam Farms Cherry Tomatoes by East End Food Institute
• Green Salad with Amber Waves Farm Wheat Berries and Herbs, dressed withMediterranean Vinaigrette by East End Food Institute
• Chef Nick’s Goat Cheese Gnocchi by Chef Nicholas Poulmentis
• Chef Danielle’s Roasted Summer Squash by Chef Danielle Sepnieski

Cooking Demo – Chef Danielle’s Pan Roasted Summer Squash

Dessert

• Chocolate Truffle Bites by Robert’s Bakestand
• Spiced Tomtao Jam by East End Food Institute

Brief Remarks on Menu and Local Food Sourcing by Chef Jay Lippin and Kate Fullam of East End Food Institute

SPONSORSHIP

The 5^th Annual Food Lab Conference in made possible by the generous sponsorship of Anolon Gourmet Cookware, Breakthru Beverage Group, Edible Long Island, Slow Food East End and Stony Brook University.

For Sponsorship Information, please contact:

Kathleen Russo
Kathleen.Russo@stonybrook.edu

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