ARIEL STRIZOWER and MIKE SALZANO are Christina Cates’s special guests on CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL— a highly popular, new talk show for foodies and those in the hospitality industry. Strizower and Salzano are the creative duo behind the trendy New York City restaurant, Gnocchi on 9th. They started as friends and real-estate partners before venturing into the culinary world. Their restaurant offers freshly crafted gnocchi—an Italian pasta dumpling—served in iconic Chinese takeout boxes, providing a unique twist on fast-casual Italian dining. Their innovative concept quickly gained popularity, leading to the opening of multiple locations and pop-up events around NYC. And on Christina’s show, the team shares their unique insights and experiences and discuss the challenges of scaling a brand. Stop noodling around and give Christina’s show a listen. She offers plenty of food for thought.

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-strizower/">ARIEL STRIZOWER</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/msalzano212/">MIKE SALZANO</a> are Christina Cates&rsquo;s special guests on&nbsp;<a href="https://culinaryconfidentialchristina.com/">CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL</a>&mdash; a highly popular, new talk show for foodies and those in the hospitality industry. Strizower and Salzano are the creative duo behind the trendy New York City restaurant, <a href="https://gnocchinyc.com/">Gnocchi on 9th</a>. They started as friends and real-estate partners before venturing into the culinary world. Their restaurant offers freshly crafted gnocchi&mdash;an Italian pasta dumpling&mdash;served in iconic Chinese takeout boxes, providing a unique twist on fast-casual Italian dining. Their innovative concept quickly gained popularity, leading to the opening of multiple locations and pop-up events around NYC. And on Christina&rsquo;s show, the team shares their unique insights and experiences and discuss the challenges of scaling a brand. Stop noodling around and give Christina&rsquo;s show a listen. She offers plenty of food for thought.

Each week, on CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Christina Cates - a seasoned foodie who has worked at some of the New York City's top restaurants, will share her passion for the culinary world.
Whether you're a professional chef, a restaurant enthusiast, or a lover of good food, Christina dives into the heart of hospitality - exploring the trends, triumphs, and challenges facing the food service profession...And you won't want to miss her chats with some of the most interesting and influential industry voices.
CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Sunday nights, at 9PM...exclusively on AM 970 The Answer.

Each week, on CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Christina Cates - a seasoned foodie who has worked at some of the New York City's top restaurants, will share her passion for the culinary world. Whether you're a professional chef, a restaurant enthusiast, or a lover of good food, Christina dives into the heart of hospitality - exploring the trends, triumphs, and challenges facing the food service profession...And you won't want to miss her chats with some of the most interesting and influential industry voices. CULINARY CONFIDENTIAL, Sunday nights, at 9PM...exclusively on AM 970 The Answer.

Culinary Confidential with Christina Cates

Ariel Strizower & Mike Salzano

This week on Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates unwraps the holiday season's most thoughtful gourmet gifts - delicious and tasty finds that are perfect stocking stuffers for the foodie in your life! Featured brands on this week's show are Arbo's Cheese Dip, HASSY Avocado Oil, Blume Honey Water, and Projo Coffee.

Arbo's Cheese Dip: Founded by Andrew Arbogast, a U.S. Army combat veteran and Apache pilot, this Memphis-born queso turned a family recipe into a fast-growing brand. Bold, clean, and authentic, Arbo's is stocked in thousands of stores across the Southern United States and is a true veteran-owned success story.

HASSY Avocado Oil: Created by Martha Forero and rooted in three generations of avocado farming, HASSY brings pure, cold-pressed oil from Michoacán, Mexico. With refined and extra-virgin varieties, it's a versatile and heart-healthy staple that blends heritage with modern wellness.

Blume Honey Water: Founded by Michele Meloy Burchfield, Blume reimagines ancient honey water into sparkling hydration. With flavors like Citrus Vanilla, Wild Blueberry, and Ginger Zest, Blume champions bee sustainability while offering wellness-forward refreshment.

Projo Coffee: Co-founded by Charbel Mawad and Lisa Hermosillo, Projo fuses premium coffee with superfoods like collagen and digestive enzymes. Taking inspiration from fitness and resilience, Projo's all about energy, empowerment, and nourishment in every cup.

From must-haves to standout stocking stuffers, this episode delivers flavor-forward gifts with rich backstories. Perfect for anyone looking to give with taste and thoughtfulness this holiday season!

This week on Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates unwraps the holiday season's most thoughtful gourmet gifts - delicious and tasty finds that are perfect stocking stuffers for the foodie in your life!&nbsp;Featured brands on this week's show are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arboscheesedip.com">Arbo's Cheese Dip</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hassyfoods.com/">HASSY Avocado Oil</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.blumehoneywater.com/">Blume Honey Water</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://idrinkprojo.com/">Projo Coffee</a>.
Arbo's Cheese Dip: Founded by Andrew Arbogast, a U.S. Army combat veteran and Apache pilot, this Memphis-born queso turned a family recipe into a fast-growing brand. Bold, clean, and authentic, Arbo's is stocked in thousands of stores across the Southern United States and is a true veteran-owned success story.
HASSY Avocado Oil: Created by Martha Forero and rooted in three generations of avocado farming, HASSY brings pure, cold-pressed oil from Michoac&aacute;n, Mexico. With refined and extra-virgin varieties, it's a versatile and heart-healthy staple that blends heritage with modern wellness.
Blume Honey Water: Founded by Michele Meloy Burchfield, Blume reimagines ancient honey water into sparkling hydration. With flavors like Citrus Vanilla, Wild Blueberry, and Ginger Zest, Blume champions bee sustainability while offering wellness-forward refreshment.
Projo Coffee: Co-founded by Charbel Mawad and Lisa Hermosillo, Projo fuses premium coffee with superfoods like collagen and digestive enzymes. Taking inspiration from fitness and resilience, Projo's all about energy, empowerment, and nourishment in every cup.
From must-haves to standout stocking stuffers, this episode delivers flavor-forward gifts with rich backstories. Perfect for anyone looking to give with taste and thoughtfulness this holiday season!

Culinary Confidential's Foodie Holiday Gift Guide for 2025

On this week's edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates explores how food and drink become extraordinary gifts to give during the holiday season, and how they can transform into tokens of luxury, thoughtfulness, and lasting memory.

Two remarkable voices join the show: Petra Highby and Priscilla Jimenez.

Petra Higby, CEO and Co-Founder of The Caviar Co., has redefined how Americans experience one of the world's most iconic delicacies. Since launching The Caviar Co. with her sister Saskia in 2015, Petra has made caviar approachable while preserving its luxurious aura. Her company sources sustainable, small-batch roe balancing tradition with innovation.

Joining the show later in the hour is Priscilla Jimenez, known to her audience as The Wannabe Sommelier. With humor and deep knowledge, Priscilla resonates well with her audience - one that has become a loyal following. She makes wine education accessible and fun, with her content demystifying the complexities of wine while offering expert-level insight, approachable reviews, pairing suggestions, and tasting notes resonating across multiple experience levels. Her philosophy is a simple yet powerful one - wine should be a source of joy and connection, not intimidation.

On this week's edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates explores how food and drink become extraordinary gifts to give during the holiday season, and how they can transform into tokens of luxury, thoughtfulness, and lasting memory.
Two remarkable voices join the show: Petra Highby and Priscilla Jimenez.
Petra Higby, CEO and Co-Founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecaviarco.com">The Caviar Co.</a>, has redefined how Americans experience one of the world's most iconic delicacies. Since launching The Caviar Co. with her sister Saskia in 2015, Petra has made caviar approachable while preserving its luxurious aura. Her company sources sustainable, small-batch roe balancing tradition with innovation.
Joining the show later in the hour is Priscilla Jimenez, known to her audience as&nbsp;The Wannabe Sommelier. With humor and deep knowledge, Priscilla resonates well with her audience - one that has become a loyal following. She makes wine education accessible and fun, with her content demystifying the complexities of wine while offering expert-level insight, approachable reviews, pairing suggestions, and tasting notes resonating across multiple experience levels. Her philosophy is a simple yet powerful one - wine should be a source of joy and connection, not intimidation.

Petra Higby & Priscilla Jimenez

On this week's edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates is joined by two guests that bring family, fashion, and Campbell's products to the table. Celebrated New York fashion designer Cynthia Rowley is known for fearless use of color, surf-chic aesthetic, and decades of shaping American style. From ready-to-wear to swimwear and accessories, Cythnia has transformed everyday inspiration into runway art.

Joining Cynthia on the show is her daughter, Kit Keenan. An entrepreneur and digital creator, Kit blends wellness, cooking, and fashion into her creative work. She also made headlines as the youngest contestant on Season 25 of ABC's The Bachelor, bringing her sharp wit and modern perspective to a national audience.

Together, the mother-daughter duo will explore how food and fashion have always been part of the fabric of their family's story - rituals in the kitchen, creative expression, and the way personal style shows up everywhere, including at the dinner table.

Cynthia and Kit also share details on their newest collaboration with Campbell's Soup - The Sides Collection, a limited-edition holiday collection that transforms comfort food nostalgia into wearable art. Think festive bags and accessories that make something as simple as holiday sides into runway ready fashion!

Expect a belated Thanksgiving feast of conversation, one where taste meets trend and holiday traditions meet innovation.

On this week's edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates is joined by two guests that bring family, fashion, and Campbell's products to the table. Celebrated New York fashion designer Cynthia Rowley is known for fearless use of color, surf-chic aesthetic, and decades of shaping American style. From ready-to-wear to swimwear and accessories, Cythnia has transformed everyday inspiration into runway art.
Joining Cynthia on the show is her daughter, Kit Keenan. An entrepreneur and digital creator, Kit blends wellness, cooking, and fashion into her creative work. She also made headlines as the youngest contestant on Season 25 of ABC's The Bachelor, bringing her sharp wit and modern perspective to a national audience.
Together, the mother-daughter duo will explore how food and fashion have always been part of the fabric of their family's story - rituals in the kitchen, creative expression, and the way personal style shows up everywhere, including at the dinner table.
Cynthia and Kit also share details on their newest collaboration with Campbell's Soup - <a href="https://www.campbells.com/sidesseason/">The Sides Collection</a>, a limited-edition holiday collection that transforms comfort food nostalgia into wearable art. Think festive bags and accessories that make something as simple as holiday sides into runway ready fashion!
Expect a belated Thanksgiving feast of conversation, one where taste meets trend and holiday traditions meet innovation.

Ariel Strizower & Mike Salzano

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