Show Details

Biography

Kitchen Chat with Margaret McSweeney

As host of Kitchen Chat on Webtalkradio.net, Margaret McSweeney believes that you’re never too old to learn something new – even how to cook. Margaret, a middle-aged mom, lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, David and their two teenage daughters. She is a former vice president in corporate finance at a New York City bank, a published author and an internet radio show host.

After earning a Master’s Degree in International Business, Margaret moved to Manhattan where she worked near Wall Street for seven years. She found true love in the Big Apple and married David. After the birth of their oldest daughter in New York City, the new family moved to the Chicago suburbs where their second daughter was born over a year later.

People always say that you ultimately end up doing what you loved to do in third grade. For Margaret, that included writing and talking. For several years, she wrote a neighborhood column for Daily Herald, the largest paper in the Chicago suburbs. She is a published author of three inspirational books with two more scheduled for release in 2011 and 2012. In addition, she writes freelance articles for the ezine www.makeitbetter.net With an appetite to taste the fullness of life, Margaret dishes on topics with guests about food, family, fitness and finances on her internet radio show, Kitchen Chat.

Margaret has a heart for charity and serves on the Leadership Advisory Board for WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger). All proceeds from the Pearl Girls™ book goes in full to help fund a safe house in the Chicago suburbs for WINGS and to build wells for school children in Uganda through Hands of Hope www.handsofhopeonline.org

Archived Shows

• Kitchen Chat – Bean Cuisine

  Discover the world of beans with James Beard award winning cookbook author, Crescent Dragonwagon as she discusses her latest book: Bean by Bean. With over 175 recipes featuring beans in soups, salads, skillets, casseroles, and even desserts, Bean by Bean will become a go-to resource for the home chef. Be inspired to sample the variety of tastes and textures of beans in dishes from around the world such as the United States, India, Africa, France, Italy, Hungary, Spain, Greece, Brazil, Mexico and the Middle East. Do you have a favorite recipe with beans? Drop me a note at margaret@kitchenchat.info I’d love to hear from you!

  

• Kitchen Chat – Great Tastes for Healthy Living

  A clean lifestyle doesn’t mean boring food! Get ready to take a lot of notes on how to combine great taste with healthy living! Amie Valpone, a culinary nutritionist and publisher of Easy Eats, a gluten free online magazine provides delicious tips for healthy flavor. Avocado in cookies anyone? Jacquelyn Rieke, owner of Nutty Stephs located in Vermont shares the special taste of her handmade products available online including the popular gluten free granola and dark chocolate bars. Savor the dark chocolate sourced from small farms in Ecuador. Learn why maple syrup makes a great sugar substitute for your favorite foods.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Sous Vide served with Southern Hospitality

  Chef James Briscione (winner of Food Network’s, “Chopped”) and his wife, Brooke Parkhurst (a food writer) share cooking tips and techniques on this week’s Kitchen Chat. This culinary couple co-authored Just Married and Cooking with 200 recipes and entertaining ideas. Learn about their cooking classes at Institute of Culinary Education, and join them in the kitchen at DeGustibus Cooking School for Valentine’s Day.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Tastes of Tuscany and Chicago

  Are you eager for a culinary adventure? If so, this week’s Kitchen Chat is just for you. Join Jens Bauerle, founder of Gourmet Destinations on a culinary tour of Tuscany from farm to food. Discover an organic chili pepper farm and learn about Cinte Senesi Pigs as you visit the Tuscan countryside. Gather at the table and enjoy delicious Tuscan meals. For something closer to home, take a Chicago Food Walk with Rebecca Wheeler to explore the exotic tastes on Argyle Street and sample some pho (a rice noodle).

  

• Kitchen Chat – Sips and Tips

  Wine and coffee are on the table for this week’s Kitchen Chat. Discover sparkling wine from Argentina with Craig Brautigam, proprieter of Grand Cru Wine Merchants in Lake Forest. And get a savory sneak peek into the culinary art of roasting coffee from Chef Tim Coonan, founder of Big Shoulders Coffee. Let’s connect! “Kitchen Chat” me with your favorite recipe.

  

• Kitchen Chat - Recipes, Ramp and Rosie's

  What’s in season? Melissa Clark, acclaimed cookbook author and food writer for the NY Times walks us through a farmers’ `market and selects ingredients for seasonal recipes featured in Cook This Now! Judy Rosenberg, founder of the iconic Rosie’s Bakery in Boston shares her favorite recipes from Rosie’s-Bakery-All-Butter-Cream-Filled-Sugar-Packed along with childhood memories of being Marilyn Monroe’s neighbor in New York City.

  

• Kitchen Chat - Fighting Cancer in the Kitchen

  It’s a “food fight” on Kitchen Chat! Carolyn Lammersfeld, Director of Nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) discusses how food can help prevent and fight cancer. Carolyn shares great recipes and meal plans from Wholesome Temptation CTCA’s cookbook.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Two Chefs from The Heartland

  3 Star Michelin Chef Christopher Kostow,and Breakout Chef of the Year,Chef Matt Eversman share a passion for food and kids. With his 12 Days of Christmas at Meadowood, Chef Christopher raises money for Share Our Strength to end childhood hunger in America. Chef Matt, whose restaurant OON will open in 2012, works with teens to create nutritional food for Chicago schools. He also stars in a new food crime show Chicago Kitchen Patrol

  

• Kitchen Chat – An App and An Appetite

  Is it 5:00 and you don’t know what to make for dinner? Don’t panic, Elisa All, founder of 30 Second Mom, is here to help. The new 30 Second Mom app gives great quick ideas for recipes and meal planning right on your smartphone. (available on i-phones in December). Do you have a love/hate relationship with food? Beth Aldrich, nutrition expert and author of Real Moms Love to Eat encourages you to have an affair with food and actually lose weight in the process. She shares those tips in the second segment of this week’s Kitchen Chat.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Culinary Quest in Chicago and in Your Kitchen

  Sharon Meyers, co-president of ChicaGourmets and New York Times bestselling author, Kathleen Flinn  will encourage you on your personal culinary quest. Sharon invites you to experience the exciting tastes of Chicago, and Kathleen inspires you to become fearless in your own kitchen! Kathleen shares how she taught nine women how to cook in her latest book The Kitchen Counter Cooking School Her life-changing challenge motivated me to publicly announce my goal of learning how to cook before my 50th birthday in March 2012. Can I do this??

  

• Kitchen Chat – TURKEY TALK: TIPS FOR A FIASCO FREE THANKSGIVING

  Is this your first time to cook a Thanksgiving turkey or your 75th? There’s always something to learn on Kitchen Chat. Bruce Meller, the inventor of the Ultimate Turkey Rack discusses how to cook a turkey upside down! And Marty, supervisor at Butterball’s Turkey Talk Line, (1-800-Butterball) shares professional tips to get your Thanksgiving turkey from the freezer to the table. And for added entertainment, click on the video to watch my first time to ever prep a turkey. (I have a lot to learn in the kitchen) Please share your turkey tales and Thanksgiving tips with me!

  

• Kitchen Chat – A Culinary Tour in Paris

  Intimidated by French cuisine? Wendy Lyn, founder of The Paris Kitchen will put you at ease with her insights and stories about chefs, restaurants and outdoor farmer’s markets in Paris. Learn about Poulet de Bresse and why this blue-footed bird is in high demand. Wall Street Journal recently named Wendy Lyn as one of the top ten culinary guides in Europe. If you’re heading to Paris, check out her website The Paris Kitchen to schedule a tour, find out the latest food and wine trends in Paris, discover recipes from chefs and to even view photographs of gorgeous food. Please keep in mind that her sought- after private culinary tours book months in advance. Bon appetit!
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• Kitchen Chat – Celebrity Chef Tour in Chicago

  Take gourmet to a new level Chicago style with Chef Jonathan of Davanti Enoteca and Chef Cory of Mercat a la Planxa, two of the featured celebrity chefs for this year’s tour. Learn about black garlic and other secret ingredients for this special 8 course dinner on November 9th to benefit the James Beard Foundation. Jeff Black, president of Celebrity Chef Tour, offers Kitchen Chat listeners a promotional $50 discount toward the cost of this dinner. Just type “Sage” when buying tickets at Celebrity Chef Tour

  

• Kitchen Chat – Tweaks and Trends for Your Kitchen

  Does your kitchen need a touch-up or a complete make-over? Soapstone or granite counter tops? Bruce Sauer and his son, Nick of Sauer Kitchen Solutions offer great tips for making design decisions to fit any size budget for any size kitchen.

  

• Kitchen Chat – A Taste of the South

  Do you love cooking with a cast iron skillet? If so,tune in to this week’s Kitchen Chat with special guest, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson www.allthingssouthern.com. This “Belle of All Things Southern” shares recipes, tips, stories, and even secrets of the skillet! Get your pen and jot down recipes for milk gravy, fried jalapenos, and pork tenderloin. Don’t miss this delicious show!

  

• Kitchen Chat – How to Cook a Book

  On this week’s Kitchen Chat, Nancy Woodruff, accomplished author and Creative Writing Professor at NYU shares the essential ingredients to getting a book published. She shares her own experiences of writing her latest book My Wife’s Affair (Amy Einhorn imprint at Penguin Group). www.nancywoodruff.com now available in paperback. This segment was recorded with an audience at Barrington Area Library http://www.barringtonarealibrary.org/

  

• Kitchen Chat – Delicious Desserts

  Lisa Yockelson, award winning cookbook author and baking journalist, shares favorite recipes and heartwarming stories featured in her latest book Baking Style. Sample these delectable servings on this week’s Kitchen Chat and visit Lisa’s website http://bakingstylediary.com/ for more delicious ideas.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Are you ready for cooking school?

  Chef Carl Raymond (www.chefcarlnyc.com) – chef instructor at Astor Wine Center and chef ambassador for Roland Foods joins us on Kitchen Chat for an inside look at recreational classes and culinary professional programs. Learn about ghee, agave, farfo and even his mom’s recipe for blueberry cake.

  Blueberry Cake

  1 cup sugar
  1/4 cup butter
  1 egg

  1 1/2 c flour
  1 tsp cream of tartar
  1/2 c milk
  1/2 tsp baking soda
  1 cup blueberries
  1/2 tsp salt

  Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Add flour, salt, cream of tartar, milk and baking soda. Fold in blueberries.
  Bake in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Exotic Tastes

  Best selling author, Robin Jones Gunn, visits Kitchen Chat to share some exotic dishes and traditions from Hawaii and The Canary Islands. Author of 75 books, Robin features recipes in her novels. Visit her website www.robingunn.com for more information.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Savor Simplicity

  Carmelita Caruana, founder of Cook Italy- the longest established full time Bologna cooking school – joins Margaret in the kitchen to share tips and tastes from Northern Italy. Carmelita’s essential ingredient to fully enjoy any family meal is to savor each bite. No multi-tasking of the palate. Tune in for a virtual tour of Bologna’s markets and bring home the traditions and recipes carefully handed down through countless generations – including a chicken recipe with juniper berries! www.cookitaly.com

  And please share your special traditions via email. margaret@kitchenchat.info

  Savor the day!

  

• Kitchen Chat – Change is a Mindset Away

  Feeling tired, cranky or overwhelmed? This show is for you! Rob Wienski, http://going4greatness.net/ personal trainer to professional athletes, UR Supermodels, CEOs and sports teams, motivates us to go for greatness. Tune in for some great exercise and nutrition tips to reduce stress and reduce weight. Rob is offering a special discount to Kitchen Chat listeners for his training sessions.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Tenacity in Tough Times

  Are you experiencing some challenges in life right now? If so, this show will encourage you. Dr. Nathaniel Williams, also known as Dr. Nat shares his poignant story of growing up in the foster care system of New York after being orphaned at age five. Given a garbage bag to pack his belongings and separated from all but one of his eleven siblings, he learned first hand how to thrive in life despite one’s circumstances. Tune in and hear Dr. Nat’s inspiring life story and great take-away lessons for difficult times. Check out his latest book, Attaining Your Personal Best. http://www.nj-williams.com/about.shtml

  What has helped you get through tough times? Please share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.

  

• Kitchen Chat – 081511

  Culinary couple Christopher and Kathryn Matthews discuss their epicurean adventures on this week’s Kitchen Chat. Christopher, a wine expert who has been a featured guest on Martha Stewart’ Radio’s Living Today show even shares his family’s recipe for Buttermilk Pie. Kathryn, an independent lifestyles writer who has contributed to New York Times, O Magazine, Bon Appetit, Town and Country and many other media outlets is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute of Manhattan’s La Technique. From local farmers markets to vineyards in the south of France, Christopher and Kathryn share their insights into healthy lifestyles and delicious destinations on their blog:: www.upstatedowntownny.com

  

• Kitchen Chat – On Eagles’ Wings

  At age eighteen, Jon Catlin shares his life lessons learned along the trails of becoming an Eagle Scout. Hear how his service project to help the people of Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota changed the course of his life. Enjoy a four ingredient recipe for campfire cobbler.
  This brilliant young man who has taken summer college undergraduate courses at Harvard, Yale and Northwestern will be a freshman at University of Chicago. Jon provides excellent insight into preparing for college and how to make an application stand out. Visit his blog: www.collegereviewbyj-cat.blogspot.com It’s a great resource for parents and high school students.

  

• Kitchen Chat – Rachel Hauck's Pinch of Faith

  Bestselling author, Rachel Hauck shares her ingredients for writing great stories. And she gives us a sample of what it’s like to write books with country singer, Sara Evans. Rachel chats about her latest book, The Wedding Dress set in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Do you have a great Wedding Day tip to share with any brides-to-be? Please contact me in my kitchen! I’d love to hear from you: margaret@kitchenchat.info Savor the day!

  

• Kitchen Chat – gastrotommy on Kitchen Chat

  Tom Powers aka gastrotommy http://gastrotommy.net/the-story takes us behind the scenes of some great restaurants and vineyards. A successful restaurateur and an acclaimed sommelier, Tom appreciates where it all began – in the kitchen cooking with his mother. Tune in for Tom’s tips on how to become a great home chef. And don’t miss his recipe for chicken potpie!

  

• Kitchen Chat – Louise Sattler, Noodle Kugel and American Sign Language

  Louise Sattler brings her family’s delicious recipe for Noodle Kugel into my kitchen. She chats about her passion for American Sign Language and how it can be a great and easy tool for you! www.signingfamilies.com Louise also shares her tips for starting a new business and encourages everyone to connect via 411Voices, a group of experts ready to connect with you. www.411voices.com

  Aunt Ruthie’s Noodle Kugel (A recipe that has been passed on through the generations. This recipe is a traditional food in our house to be served on the Jewish Holy Days or Chanukah)

  6 ounces or more of medium egg noodles

  3 eggs

  1-pint cottage cheese

  ½ pint sour cream

  ¼ pound of butter

  1 tsp. Vanilla

  ½ cup of sugar

  ½ cup of raisins

  2 or 3 grated apples

  Cinnamon to taste

  Melt butter in a large 9×12 pan. Add cooked noodles and mix with butter. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the noodles. REFRIGERATE for at least one hour. Then cook at 350 degrees for 70 minutes. Aunt Ruthie always added crushed Corn Flakes on the top before baking. I usually leave them off. You also can add pineapple in addition to the other fruit. This was a variation she made.

  ENJOY!!

  

• Kitchen Chat - Is your child on the "summer slide"?

  Expert Beth Engelman aka “Mommy on a Shoestring” shares tips on how to prevent your child from losing up to two months of what was learned during the school year. With recipes for “fraction popsicles” your child will discover that math can be a delicious summer treat! Learn fun projects for all ages that will feed the brain and help entertain–and all on a shoestring budget! For more great ideas, visit Beth’s website: http://www.mommyonashoestring.com/ and check our her article in Make It Better http://makeitbetter.net/family/parenting/3096-4-summer-activities-to-strengthen-math-skills