Turkey Confidential Guests

Over the course of two hours, we'll field your calls of course, but we'll also check in with a few friends.

Jacques Pépin

A best-known chef, cookbook author, and cooking teacher, Jacques Pépin has published 26 books and hosted 11 acclaimed public television cooking series, the most recent of which was a companion to his book Jacques Pépin More Fast Food My Way. A new book and PBS-TV series, both titled ESSENTIAL PEPIN, were just released in October. The book encompasses more than 700 recipes from Pépin's long career, some of which he will demonstrate on the accompanying television series.

Pépin was born in Bourg-en-Bresse, near Lyon. His first exposure to cooking was as a child in his parents' restaurant, Le Pelican. At age thirteen, he began his formal apprenticeship at the distinguished Grand Hotel de L'Europe in his hometown. Moving to the United States in 1959, Pépin first worked at New York's historic Le Pavillon restaurant and then served for ten years as director of research and development for the Howard Johnson Company, while attending Columbia University.

A former columnist for the New York Times, Pépin is a contributing editor to Food & Wine magazine. He also regularly participates in that magazine's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. In 2009 Pépin received the Governor's Award of Excellence for Culture and Tourism from Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell. In October 2004 he was awarded France's highest civilian honor, the French Legion of Honor. Since 1998 he has been Dean of Special Programs at the French Culinary Institute in New York. Pépin is a founder of the American Institute of Wine and Food and a member of the International Association of Cooking Professionals. He and his wife, Gloria, live in Madison, Connecticut.

Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor is the host and writer of A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer's Almanac heard on public radio stations across the country and the author of more than a dozen books, including Lake Wobegon Days, The Book of Guys, Love Me and Homegrown Democrat. He was born in Anoka, Minnesota, in 1942 and graduated from the University of Minnesota. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and daughter. He has two grandsons. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Letters and the Episcopal church.

Jane and Michael Stern

Jane and Michael Stern drive around America looking for good food and exploring popular culture. Their collaboration has yielded over forty books, including the restaurant guide Roadfood, the cookbook Square Meals, the memoir Two for the Road and, most recently, The Lexicon of American Road Food. In addition, they have written the pop-culture best-sellers Elvis World and The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste. In 2006, Jane Stern's memoir, Ambulance Girl, was made into a Lifetime TV movie directed by and starring Kathy Bates. The Sterns contribute weekly to The Splendid Table and host the interactive website, Roadfood.com and are contributing editors at Saveur Magazine.

Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl is a writer and editor who was the Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet Magazine for ten years until its closing in 2009. Before that she was the restaurant critic of the The New York Times, (1993-1999), and both the restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times (1984-1993). As co-owner and cook of the collective restaurant The Swallow from 1974 to 1977, she played a part in the culinary revolution that took place in Berkeley, California. Ms. Reichl has been honored with six James Beard Awards (one for magazine feature writing and one for multimedia food journalism in 2009; two for restaurant criticism, in 1996 and 1998; one for journalism, in 1994; and Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America, 1984) and with numerous awards from the Association of American Food Journalists. In 2007, she was named Adweek's Editor of the Year. She received the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, presented by the Missouri School of Journalism, in October 2007. Ruth received the 2008 Matrix Award for Magazines from New York Women in Communications, Inc., in April 2008. She is also the recipient of the YWCA's Elizabeth Cutter Morrow Award. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan and lives in New York City with her husband, Michael Singer, a television news producer, and their son. Ruth is Editorial Advisor at Gilt Taste and tweets at @ruthreichl.