- Culinary Specialist Michael Barna
Meet Taste of Home Culinary Specialist Michael Barna! Michael conducts Cooking School shows throughout the country, focusing primarily on the Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont areas. “I love being on stage, entertaining and sharing my love of cooking,” exclaims Michael. “It’s all about bringing the family back to the dinner table!”
Michael currently resides in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania with his wife and their two cocker spaniels. Michael earned an Associate of Occupational Studies degree from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Furthermore, Michael’s background includes facilitating private and online cooking classes, conducting local and national television commercials, and competing in national recipe contests. After graduating the CIA, Michael headed to Atlantic City where he helped open three gourmet casino restaurants. And when he moved to Philadelphia, Michael accepted the position of Executive Sous Chef at a prestigious 5 Diamond 4 Star hotel. Michael later became the Executive Chef for a major national gourmet specialty food shop. When not “wowing” attendees at Cooking School shows, Michael loves drumming, motocross, watching classic vintage movies, and enjoying great food.
To learn more about Michael, take a look at some of his answers to questions below!
Tell us something about yourself that very few people know? I am a culinary hand model.
If we were to open your refrigerator at home, what would we find? You would find tons of fresh fruit, great cheeses, olives, great condiments, and dessert wine.
What is your favorite book? Hands down, The Pro Chef.
Do you have any special holiday traditions? What foods were cooked for celebrations or special events? Every holiday I like making special foods from scratch like my family did many years ago. In regards to celebratory or special occasions, I especially enjoy preparing gefilte fish and making a Sadar plate from scratch with horseradish and parsley from my garden.
What was your favorite food growing up? Italian food and Captain Crunch.
When did you start cooking? Who taught you to cook? I started cooking at age 9 and my Nan and my Mom were the ones who taught me how to cook.
Do you remember your grandmother’s cooking? What was her specialty? Very much so! Her speciality was Hungarian and comfort food. It was all comfort food from her loving hands.
Awesome show tonight at Akron, Ohio. Thanks for letting me help you out on the stage, it was awesome. I enjoyed watching you cook and u can’t wait to go far in my Xinary Arts degree and maybe I can be like you someday. Good luck on the rest of the shows you have.
Hey Dan, you and the other students were AWESOME assisting me on stage! Thanks so much and it’s said that you have to “pay your dues” in the industry and you certainly have a boost up after working with a live Taste show. Good luck and hope to see you next season.
See you on STAGE!
My daughter and I were in the audience tonight.. Fantastic show! You were very organized and speedy and a joy to listen to and learn from. You are by far the BEST CHEF ever to do the Akron show and I have been coming for a few years. Great Recipes also.
Looking forward to next year.
Thank you Edna. I’m glad it shows from stage my love of my job and your kind words always propel me to get better every show. Go to tasteofhome.com and check out other amazing recipes for all your summer parties.
Take care
What a great show at Quaker Square in Akron, Ohio. I have attended many Taste of Home Cooking Schools and this one has to be the best. Michael gave so many good tips and he inspired me to come home and try the recipes. Tonight the desert will be the Pineapple Upside Down Muffins.
Way to go Susan! That’s my favorite recipe from stage and I’m sure it will be a big hit in your home as well. You sound like you would be the perfect fan to join our new Club Taste of Home! Go to clubtasteofhome/show for all the details.
ENJOY your summer!
Was at the show in Akron, Ohio last night. What a great time. This was the best show ever and I have been to a lot of shows in different areas of Ohio. It went by so fast I couldn’t believe it. Great tips and great recipes. Thanks so much
Thanks so much for the kind words Barb. I had such a great time in Akron with WQMX radio station and of course so many of the great people I met. Now get in the kitchen and make your family and friends proud when you easily make all the recipes you learned from stage.
Have a wonderful summer!
You were awesome in Corning NY> I did pick up some great hints that I didn’t know. Like how to cut a pepper, and using bags instead of cups using mixer. I can go on and on. all in all you were very interesting, and I certainly will go again. thank you for a wonderful evening.
Hey Virginia,
I love to give up those highly confidential chefy tricks. A lot of chefs don’t give them up but at Taste of Home, that’s what were all about… cooking, caring and sharing!
Glad you had fun and see ya on stage in 2014!
Enjoyed your show in Corning,NY last night. We had a group of 29 women going to the show.Our only gripe was the few amount of vendors…The door prizes were great! Looking forward to the fall show in Williamsport.Had a blast. Thanks to the Corning Leader for sponsoring the event.Super job Theresa,Kurt, and Penny!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Cin!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the show! We actually had more vendors this year than last year. Unfortunately, we don’t have the room there at CMOG for much more! Hopefully with the new construction we will have room to expand in the future!! Thank you for your continued support – See you again, soon!
Well, I was waiting to hear from my special group. I’ve been on the road so sorry for the delayed chat. What was the name of your group? Was it just a BUNCH of friends or an actual organized group. I could hear you and really love to see large groups having fun at our shows. A little birdie told me in 2015 I may be in the new huge auditorium their building at the museum so LOOK OUT, lots more room!
See you in 2014
My friends and I were at the show in Corning last night. You were great, we were glad the show was early, we left hungry and went for a late dinner on Market Street. The food looked and smelled wonderful. Thanks for the tips on cooking. Although we are amateur chefs, one of my friends and I said if we had it to do over we would have gone to CIA instead of nursing school. But, we will always strive to find better recipes for our family. Thanks again for coming to Corning.
I bet your a terrific cook Cheryl!
I really enjoy going to friends homes to see what their cookin. Yes, CIA was a blast but stick with tasteofhome.com, I learn things all the time from our website.
See ya on stage!
My husband and I were at the Corning, NY show last night (he was the big mouth when we won door prizes
). GREAT show. This was my second show and once again you did a fantastic job and as was the case last year I picked up some wonderful tips that I have already put to use. I look forward to attending again next year. You put on a great show, Chef Michael and kudos to Taste of Home, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning Building Company, Corning Leader, Wegman’s and anyone else I may have left out.
Thank you very much Irene,
Tell your husband I appreciate his enthusiasum and I heard him LOAD & CLEAR after you won! Ha- Please say hi when you attend in 2014, I’ll be lookin for ya!
went to my first Taste of Home cooking school in Corning NY last night. Had the best time and learned some things. I will definitely go again. Thanks for a great night. Thank you to the Leader, Wegmans and the Corning museum of Glass also. Made the pineapple upside down cupcakes today, they were fabulous. Thank you Chef Michael.
Glad you had fun, Deb! Can’t wait to see you next time!
My wonderful sister invited me to last nights show in Corning
and will have to find a way to thank her ( maybe do some cooking for her) This was my first time and do not believe it to be the last, such a great time and many new ideas to try (cooking with the beer) yum lol Thank you all for keeping it interesting throughout…till next time 
Hey Peggy, I think cooking for her would be a FABULOUSE idea! I’m so glad I kept your interest peeking and hope you make all those terrific recipes this summer.
Say hi at our next show!
We caught the show in Corning on Saturday night. LOVED IT!!!! So glad you told us about it. We were at the show you did last October in Williamsport, PA. I love all the helpful tips you throw into your show. They are great and very useful!! We will be at the meet & greet in Williamsport this year again!!! Thank you for a wonderful, entertaining night out!!!!!
Thank YOU Penny,
I love coming back to Corning cause the people are really wonderful and that venue, WOW! I do remember you from Williamsport and thanks for coming to see the show. Hope to see you soon
Fun show at Corning Sat. evening. Every year I learn a new trick or way of doing something and get great new recipes. Thank you so much for coming to Corning. Everyone I spoke with said they had a good time. The only complaint was that we got the box with 10 boxes of concentrated broth and they were all the same – seafood. It wouldn’t have been quite so bad if the boxes had been assorted with chicken, beef, etc. Most people said they had no use for that much seafood broth. Maybe you could pass on the suggestion to Swanson that there be a variety.. Thank you.
Sally,
I believe that the broth was provided by MAINE HARVEST SEAFOOD in Elmira so that is probably the reason for all seafood.
Thanks for replying. That’s good to know and now it makes more sense.
Best wishes ~~ Sally
Actually, the Flavor Boost was provided through Taste of Home and donated by Swanson who is one of their national sponsors. It was our understanding that TOH had received complaints that there were not enough “goodies” in the goodie bags. So this was an attempt to rectify that. Corning just happened to get the “seafood” variety shipment.
Maybe next time it would be possible for Swanson to take boxes of three different broths and mix them so each box has a variety – just a suggestion(?).
Hello I went to the show
Unfortunately, no. Maine Harvest was not responsible for the flavor Boost. However, they were gracious enough to donate a Gift Certificate for a door prize. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the show.
Hi again Sally,
I’m so glad you had a good time because I truly did! If you go on tasteofhome.com you’ll find a great Paella recipe to use up all your wonderful seafood flavor boost to have your very own block party!!
Have a great summer.
At the Corning show when you made the mango lime pie, you used whipped cream that was already whipped you said could be purchased at the grocery store. I never knew you could get whipped cream already whipped – amazing!. I wondered what brand it was and where you find it in the store and how it comes.
OH Sally,
I just ment instead of whipping your own from scratch that would take a ton of time that you can easily purchase Cool XXXX or RediXXXX. Their in tubs and squirt containers in the frozen or refrigerated areas.
Let’s safe some time with Taste of Home!
We misunderstood that you could actually get real whip cream already whipped at the store. I would not have assumed that cool whip or rediwhip would give the same results. Thanks for responding.
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