A Note from Paula Gottlieb Herman

I have loved food my entire life. I even learned to read as a child from my dad’s “Gourmet” and “Bon Appetit” magazine collection. His cooking and catering classes inspired a curiosity in me for all things yummy.

Food has been a major thread running through my career tapestry. Right after college, as Editor of “Key Magazine: This Week in New York,” I would guide NYC visitors to happenings around town, including writing restaurant reviews and attending new restaurant and club openings.

As a Segment Producer for NBC News Sunday Today and Weekend Today, I produced food segments for Al Roker. We did segments on some of the exotics like Japanese dishes of Fugu (Blowfish) and Wagyu (Hand-Massaged Kobe Beef), kept our viewers up on the latest grilling techniques, kitchen gadgets, and more. I also coordinated some of the production elements for Martha Stewart’s and Paul Prudhomme’s cooking segments for the Today Show.

After a 7- year stint at NBC, I launched myself into a career as a Market Researcher. I especially enjoyed doing studies on people’s likes and dislikes of food and beverages. The food and drink taste tests were among my favorite projects. I executed taste tests for Nathan’s Famous, Dunkin’ Donuts, Boston Market, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, Pepsi, and Coca Cola.

I have traveled to many foreign lands and enjoy collecting regional cookbooks from these locales. My trips to Italy, England, Wales, France, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Spain, Mexico, and the Caribbean have made me aware of the spices, textures, and flavors of the food I prepare.

I have been a Party Planner for many years—the go-to person friends, family, and colleagues come to for advice on how to create special events, for fabulous restaurant picks, and for locating vendors for hard-to-get items.

My eye for detail, curiosity, and passion for playing with my food, are all part of the big picture for me. I adore children, and teaching them some of the tools-of-the-trade that my own father passed down to me. So, now, it is my turn to pass the rolling pin to the next generation of li’l chefs!

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