Everyone cares to be listened to. And as a chef, you have a platform, especially through social networking. When people are listening, you need to use your voice in a positive way. I’m excited that all the great chefs have gotten involved in hunger relief in America. I just spent time with Tom Colicchio, Todd English and Rick Bayless at the Capital Food Fight. It was a fundraiser and a great competition among Washingtonian chefs for DC Kitchen, which is a wonderful program that helps alleviate hunger in that area.
As a chef with Type II diabetes, I also use my voice to get the message out about eating healthfully with that disease. Social media allows me to be an activist as well as an ambassador and connect with people worldwide. I joined forces with Merck and Taking Diabetes to Heart and three months ago, I had over 2 billion media imprints!