Sunny Anderson...Food Network Personality,Author,Air Force Veteran

Sunny Anderson was born born April 9, 1975 in New Orleans, Louisiana and grew up as an Army brat, which allowed her to travel the world (living in Germany and other places) and sample many local cuisines with her parents, who were food enthusiasts. She attended Madison High School in San Antonio, Texas and upon her graduation she joined the United States Air Force in June 1993, where she earned the rank of Senior Airman and worked as a military radio host in Seoul, South Korea, then worked for Air Force News Agency radio and television in San Antonio from 1993 to 1997. She was honorably discharged from the Air Force in June 1997.

 While growing up traveling the world as an Army brat, Sunny's parents always encouraged her to indulge in the local cuisine. When she joined the Air Force as a radio broadcaster and journalist, she continued her trek through the world for news stories while indulging in culinary finds along the way. Upon leaving the Air Force an award-winning broadcaster, she continued her travels as a radio DJ in many cities, culminating in her dream job in New York at a #1 rated radio station. There, as a hobby she began cooking for her friends in the entertainment business and turned her growing client list into a catering company. That led to a guest appearance on Food Network’s Emeril Live! in 2005 and shortly after, she left her radio career and closed her catering business to focus on chasing yet another dream, sharing her recipes with the Food Network audience. Things worked out in 2007 with her first show, Gotta Get It, a food gadget show, quickly followed by Cooking for Real, How'd That Get On My Plate and other Food Network show appearances. Her cooking style combines classic comfort foods along with unique flavors inspired by her many travels.  With an understanding of everyday life and the belief that real people deserve down-to-earth, delicious meals, Sunny offers real food for real life. Sunny is currently working on a new Food Network show The Kitchen and just released her New York Times Best Selling debut cook book, "Sunny's Kitchen", on Clarkson/Potter.

Sunny lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn with her 4 rescue cats, Cheddar Cheese, Truffle Tycoon, Milky Mouth and Sea Salt.

http://www.sunnyanderson.com/meet-sunny#sthash.jaNYouWL.dpuf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_Anderson

G. Garvin...Celebrity Chef,Author,Entrepreneur,James Beard Award Nominee,Philanthropist

Being raised by a single mother and surrounded by four sisters, the determined 13-year-old Garvin traded after-school football practice for a job at The Old Vinings Inn in Atlanta, soaping dishes while soaking up the inner workings of a high-end kitchen operation. Two years later, he became the youngest cook at the downtown Ritz-Carlton, where he worked after school and during the summer.

Garvin moved to the West Coast in 1988 to open the Ritz-Carlton’s Rancho Mirage resort in Palm Springs. Soon after, at the age of 20, he moved to Europe to further his culinary training and serve as an apprentice to Jean Pierre Maharebacha. There, he gained a wide range of on-the-job experience taking kitchen positions in Hamburg and Warsaw, documenting everything he learned. After nearly two years, he returned to Atlanta to become sous chef of the award-winning Italian restaurant Veni, Vidi, Vici. However, the lure of the West Coast drew him back, this time to Los Angeles.

Acclaimed Chef, Cookbook Author, Television Host, James Beard Nominee, and Philanthropist, all words that describe Chef Gerry Garvin, simply known as G. Garvin. Chef Garvin started his culinary career in his hometown, Atlanta, Georgia at the Ritz Carlton-Downtown, as the youngest line cook in the gourmet dining room. He was chosen to move to Palm Springs, California to open the Ritz Carlton-Rancho Mirage, where he worked under Chef Jean Pierre Dubray. With a promising career ahead, he relocated to Los Angeles, California, took on a position as the dining room Sous Chef at Noa Noa. After spending 3 years there, Chef Garvin then headed to the Four Seasons, Beverly Hills. He went on to become the Executive Chef of Morton’s and Kass Bah.

After spending some time in Los Angeles, Garvin returned to Atlanta to work with the Buckhead Life Group at Veni Vidi Vici and Pricci. He later returned to Los Angeles and partnered with Keyshawn Johnson to open Reign Restaurant. After Reign was off to a great start, Chef Garvin opened his signature restaurant, G Garvin’s, where he continued to cater to and host High Profile dinners for such clients as Former President Bill Clinton to Halle Berry to the Former Prime Minister of Israel.

Chef Garvin continued to make a name for himself, as he is in the homes of millions for 7 seasons on the TV One network with, Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin (airing in the US and Brazil). His increasing popularity earned this talented artist a second series on the same network entitled G. Garvin: The Road Tour. Eventually, Food Networks’ Cooking Channel tapped him to host the series, Road Trip with G Garvin. This show is currently in its second season.

garvin has mastered offering a one-size-fits-all approach to cooking with sophistication and simplicity

Garvin is also a notable author. His first cookbook, "Turn Up the Heat" with G. Garvin debuted in October 2006. Its widespread success quickly prompted a second printing and won an American Literacy Award and a nomination for a NAACP Image Award. It was also chosen as a participant in the 2006 Library of Congress National Book Festival. Garvin's highly anticipated sophomore effort, Make it Super Simple with G. Garvin, a collection of recipes for super simple, healthful and delectable dishes, was released in February 2008. A third cookbook, Dining In, released in October 2008, features all new, fine-dining recipes that will provide even the most inexperienced cooks with recipes and guidance to create the most impressive gourmet meals at home. Garvin has mastered offering a one-size-fits-all approach to cooking with sophistication and simplicity, proving that even the most basic cooking palate can create flavorful of dishes.

Ever the entrepreneur, Garvin has developed his own line of spices, G. Garvin’s Spices, a line of Gourmet Nuts and G Garvin’s Wines. He also develops recipes for such clients as Kraft Foods, Tyson Foods and The Coca-Cola Company. Restaurant consulting, another aspect of his career, where he helps restaurateurs realize their vision by overseeing all aspects of new operations, polices and procedures, recipe development and the creation on menu’s placement of Executive Chef’s and General Managers.

Garvin's impressive resume and philanthropic efforts has warranted such accolades as the 2007 Man of the Year award by Women Moving Forward in Business and Third Best TV Chef by Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine in 2006 (behind Jacques Pepin and Emeril Lagasse.) Additionally, Garvin has been a popular guest on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Good Morning America.

To further make an indelible mark on culinary history through his One Bite At Time Foundation Garvin has launched his culinary boot camp which is geared towards kids ages 16-19, whom will experience not only the education side of the culinary field but also experience the hospitality, restaurant front of house, management and operational skills as well as hands on cooking experience. Through this seven day sleep over camp Garvin expects to change lives and introduce kids to a new career choice, culinary arts. Through Garvin's efforts he hopes to aid in breaking down the diversity barriers within not only the cooking industry, but in society as a whole where chefs of color are often categorized more often by race than profession.

http://www.chefgarvin.com/biography

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/chefs/g-garvin/bio.html

Aaron McCargo, Jr...Celebrity Chef,Author,Restaurateur

Aaron McCargo, Jr. (born 1971) is an American chef from Camden, New Jersey. He is best known as the winner of the fourth season of the Food Network's reality television show, The Next Food Network Star.

He has a preference for meats and bold, spicy flavors, and avoids overly complex recipes. He calls the food he cooks "soul food," but with multiple cultural influences. Big Daddy's House features members of his family as guests, and each recipe was advertised to utilize five or fewer ingredients (although they usually include more than five).

In 2010, Aaron’s cookbook entitled, Simply Done, Well Done entered bookstores nationwide offering up the delectable menu choices showcased on his series in an easy to prepare, simple way making his good cooking available in people’s kitchens everywhere.   Aaron also launched a product line of spices thereby furthering his quest to make flavorful, bold foods available to everyone.

McCargo grew up in Camden, New Jersey, and is one of six children. He became interested in cooking at age four, when he began baking cakes in his sister's Easy-Bake Oven. He began cooking in his family's kitchen at age seven. He was encouraged by his father, Aaron McCargo, Sr., who is a fine cook, and his mother, Julia, who has a preference for food with a great deal of flavor. He first studied cooking in a home economics class at Pyne Point Middle School in Camden, and began cooking as a Junior Volunteer in the kitchen of Cooper University Hospital in Camden at age 13. He took further cooking classes at Camden High School, graduating in 1989. He attended the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing, New Jersey but did not complete the program, leaving after one year to assist his mother with his brothers.

Following his graduation from high school, McCargo took a month-long cake cooking class at Wilton Cake in Audubon, New Jersey and began selling cakes and cookies throughout Camden. He has worked in nine restaurants in New Jersey (some while doing on-the-job training during his year at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College), including T.G.I. Friday's, Steak 38, Holmes Lounge, the Marlton Tavern, and the former Harbour League Club in Camden, and the Armadillo Steakhouse & Saloon in Edgewater Park Township, New Jersey as sous chef; he also worked at the Armadillo Steakhouse & Saloon in Barrington, New Jersey. Aaron was introduced to the Burlington County, New Jersey area when he opened Citrus in Westampton, New Jersey with Ian Russo.

He opened his own restaurant, McCargo's Creative Cuisine, in 2003. The restaurant was located across from the U.S. Federal Courthouse on Cooper Street, in Camden near Rutgers University in Camden, and closed in 2005. He has worked as an executive chef, including at the catering division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he oversaw approximately forty jobs per day. He left his job there on June 6, 2008 due to his demanding television schedule.

In 2008, McCargo entered the fourth season of Food Network's The Next Food Network Star at the urging of his wife. He beat out 3,990 other entrants as the winner of that year's competition, the finale of which aired on July 27, 2008. He was awarded a six-episode commitment for his own cooking show on Food Network. His show, Big Daddy's House, premiered on August 3, 2008 and ranked as the number one “in the kitchen” weekend show during its initial six-episode run.Food Network renewed the show for a second and third season. Since then, he has made many public appearances, and is particularly interested in teaching young people to cook and encouraging them to follow their dreams. McCargo's own dreams are to open his own restaurant on the Camden Waterfront and to introduce a line of soups

McCargo makes frequent guest appearances of Spike TV's Bar Rescue

McCargo lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He has a Roman Catholic background. His wife is named Kimberly and they have three children (sons Joshua and Justin, and daughter Jordan). He has a strong Christian faith and is a member of The Living Hope Christian Center in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. He enjoys watching boxing, as well as playing the drums and listening to music. Aaron also enjoys Bible study,playing tennis,eating Buffalo wings, watching sports, and traveling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_McCargo,_Jr.

http://www.aaronmccargo.com/about

Gina and Patrick Neely...authors,restaurateurs,television personalities

Food Network celebrities Patrick (Pat) and Gina Neely are successful examples of hard work, a great opportunity and strong business savvy. They are the co-owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que restaurant in downtown Memphis,Tennessee and Neely's Barbecue Parlor in New York City. They also host two popular Food Network television programs named Down Home with the Neelys and Road Tasted with the Neelys. The pair co-wrote cookbooks The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook: Down-Home Meals for Every Occasion,Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook, and Back Home with the Neelys: Comfort Food from Our Southern Kitchen to Yours.

http://www.ginaandpat.com/about.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Neely