Burt Wolf: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American journalist}}

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{{Infobox person

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| name = Burt Wolf

'''Burt Wolf''' is an American journalist, writer and TV producer. He has written and produced over 4,000 segments for [[Cable News Network]] (CNN){{fact}}, 800 segments for the [[American Broadcasting Company]] (ABC){{fact}}, 125 half-hour programs for the [[Discovery Channel]]{{fact}}, 26 half hours for the [[Family Channel]]{{fact}}. and 250 half hours for [[PBS]]{{fact}}.

| image = Burt Wolf on-___location in Amsterdam.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Burt Wolf on-___location filming TRAVELS & TRADITIONS for public television

| birth_name = Burton Wolf

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1938}}

| birth_place = New York City

| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|death date†|birth date†}} -->

| death_place =

| nationality = American

| other_names =

| occupation = journalist, writer, TV producer and host

| years_active =

| known_for = Travels and Traditions TV series

| notable_works =

| alma_mater = New York University (B.A., English)

}}

'''Burton Wolf''' ("Burt"), born 1938, is an American [[journalist]], [[writer]], [[entrepreneur]], [[chef]], and [[TV producer]]. He is the host and author of nine internationally syndicated television series that deal with cultural history, travel and gastronomy, including ''[[Travels & Traditions]]'' hosted with his son [https://www.instagram.com/nicholaswolftv/profilecard/?igsh=ejB5OXZsdnVjMGty Nicholas Wolf]. In addition to TV syndication, his TV shows are available for free on [https://youtube.com/@burtnicholaswolf?feature=shared YouTube].

==Biography==

He has written or edited more than 60 books{{fact}}, as well as authoring a weekly column for [[The Washington Post]]{{fact}}.

Burt Wolf was born in New York City, in 1938, and as a boy helped out at his grandmother's housewares store in the Bronx. In a 1993 interview with the ''Los Angeles Times'', Wolf stated, "My grandmother owned a cooking equipment store," he said. "I literally grew up in the cooking business. So all the time I was training myself for food."<ref name=buck/>

Wolf attended [[The High School of Music & Art]] in New York City,<ref>{{cite news |title='I Noticed That the Woman in the Orange Shirt Was Losing Her Balance' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/25/nyregion/metropolitan-diary.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825093543/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/25/nyregion/metropolitan-diary.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-08-25 |access-date=7 September 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=25 August 2024}}</ref> and New York University where he earned a BA degree in English Literature. Although he grew up thinking he would become a lawyer, Wolf supported himself by working in restaurants.<ref name=buck/> He left New York University Law School to become the writer-publisher of a series of self-help books. He later sold the publishing house in 1968.<ref name=shapiro>[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20075025,00.html Shapiro, Harriet. "TV's Newest Star Chef, Burt Wolf, Cooks by His Own Rules of Thumb", ''People'', Vol. 12, No. 20, November 12, 1979]</ref>

Wolf went to work for an investment banking firm in Switzerland. "The banking group was interested in investing in food companies and asked me to investigate it for them," he said. "I did a lot of research on companies that make cooking utensils. Out of that came a book called 'The Cook's Catalogue.' I edited it and did some of the writing."<ref name=buck>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-31-tv-852-story.html Buck, Jerry. "Profile: Consuming Passion", ''Los Angeles Times'', January 31, 1993]</ref>

== Publishing ==

During his 35 years as a journalist, Wolf has written or edited more than 60 books including ''The Cooks' Catalogue'', which ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' described as "the definitive book on cooking equipment."<ref name=hotel/> From 1979 to 1982, he wrote a weekly column syndicated by ''The Washington Post'' and in 2000 was a regular contributor to the online publication Salon.com.<ref name=salon>{{cite web |url = http://archive.salon.com/press/releases/2000/01/06/wolf/index.html |title = Salon.com Signs Television Sales Agreement with Burt Wolf and Accelerates Broadband Plans |accessdate = 2007-01-07 |work = Salon.com |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070210132632/http://archive.salon.com/press/releases/2000/01/06/wolf/index.html |archive-date = 2007-02-10 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

== Broadcasting ==

Wolf began making programs about cultural history when [[Ted Turner]] invited him to report for CNN.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.europeantraveler.net/burt_wolf.php |title="European Traveler Interviews Burt Wolf", Heimburger's ''European Traveler'' |access-date=2013-09-28 |archive-date=2018-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117164452/http://www.europeantraveler.net/burt_wolf.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since 1982, Wolf has produced over 4,000 segments for Cable News Network (CNN), 800 segments for ABC (the American Broadcasting Company), 125 half-hour programs for the travel division of The Discovery Channel, and 350 half hours for Public Broadcasting.<ref name=burt>[http://64.78.31.197/burt-wolf-biography/ "Burt Wolf Biography", Burt Wolf Website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002071639/http://64.78.31.197/burt-wolf-biography/ |date=October 2, 2013 }}</ref> The New York Times described his programs as “the best food, travel, and cultural history shows on television.”{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}

Wolf's programs are broadcast on public television to 90% of the television homes in the United States, then translated into Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Mandarin and Korean and syndicated to an international audience of over 100 million.<ref name=burt/> His programs have aired on public television, the Discovery Travel Network and networks in Canada, Latin America, Asia and Europe.

His programs have included ''The History and Future of Shopping'', a five-part series "The History of Immigration to the United States", and a twenty-part series on sacred pilgrimage sites. He is also producing a series for public television entitled ''ARTCOPS''.<ref name=hotel>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hotelresortinsider.com/news_story.php?news_id=134788&cat_id=9 |title="Burt Wolf – An extraordinary personality", ''Hotel and Resort Insider'' |access-date=2013-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013081443/http://www.hotelresortinsider.com/news_story.php?news_id=134788&cat_id=9 |archive-date=2012-10-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These half-hour programs cover the $6 billion of art, jewelry and antiques stolen each year. The programs describe which objects have been stolen, why they are valuable from a historical and cultural viewpoint, how the theft took place and what the public can do to help recover the items. A central theme is the importance of these articles to the world's cultural history.

''Burt Wolf: Taste of Freedom'' explores 13 major American holidays and gatherings: the history, folklore and rituals that have become central to those events. Special attention is paid to different ethnic groups and how they brought their own traditions to the occasions.<ref>[http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/archive/index.jsp?pgmid=12274&date=20041101 "Burt Wolf: Taste of Freedom'', KQED]</ref>

''[[Travels & Traditions]]'' is a series of half-hour programs in which Wolf travels to cities around the world telling the stories of local traditions. In many locations, he also shows how foreign traditions have influenced the city he is visiting.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Burt Wolf: Travels & Traditions|url=http://createtv.com/CreateProgram.nsf/vProgramsByNola/BWTT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002084650/http://createtv.com/CreateProgram.nsf/vProgramsByNola/BWTT%23|archive-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref>

[[File:]]

Wolf's marketing and public relations clients include: Procter & Gamble, eBay, ConAgra Foods, Federated Department Stores, the government of Switzerland, the government of Taiwan, the government of Norway, the government of Canada and the government of Chile.<ref name=hotel/>

== Product development ==

{{BLP unsourced section|date=August 2013}}

He has worked on product development for a number of major companies including Procter & Gamble, General Foods, McCormick and the Origins division of Estee Lauder. He developed the Waring Commercial Blender, the first anodized aluminum pots and pans for home use, as well as major lines of bakeware and cutlery.

== Retailing ==

In 1975, in partnership with Federated Department Stores, he designed and managed a group of 276 food and cooking equipment shops called "Cook's Kitchen" that were installed in Federated stores throughout the United States. The franchise was eventually extended to May Company, Marshall Field, Ives and Macy's outlets.<ref name=cooks>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BURT+WOLF+EVALUATES+INDUSTRY.-a053735886 "THE CO-AUTHOR OF THE LANDMARK 'COOKS' CATALOGUE' GEARS UP TO COMPILE AN UPDATED EDITION", ''Home Furnishings News'']</ref>

== Restaurants ==

In 1989, Wolf designed a limited partnership investment vehicle that was used to develop a branch restaurant in Memphis for the Brennan Restaurant group of New Orleans.<ref name=Brennans>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125036/http://business.highbeam.com/409700/article-1G1-8878441/foodservice-legends-join-forces-launch-brennan-memphis "Foodservice legends join forces to launch Brennan's in Memphis.", ''Nation's Restaurant News'']</ref> He was responsible for raising over $2 million for the restaurant, as well as its physical plan, menu and operating systems. The restaurant is still profitable and has had two expansions.

== BooksTravel ==

Each year, Wolf spends four months hosting European river cruises to help raise funds for public television. The group takes a trip that is based on one of his programs. They visit the same sites and travel the same route that made up one of the programs.<ref name=wolf>[http://www.burtwolf.com/pdf/1103_Family_Vacation.pdf "Burt Wolf, Travel and Traditions", Burt Wolf website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002131214/http://www.burtwolf.com/pdf/1103_Family_Vacation.pdf |date=October 2, 2013 }}</ref>

== Publishing ==

Wolf was the founder of the Double Elephant Press. For the past forty years, Double Elephant has been publishing signed numbered portfolios containing the work of some of the world's greatest photographers including Walker Evans, Lee Friedlander, Garry Winogrand and Helmut Newton. In 2000, Wolf completed a project in which he worked with curators at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on a PBS television program and companion book examining the relationship between photography and gastronomy and titled ''What Are They Eating In The Photograph?''

== Awards ==

Wolf was the first recipient of the [[James Beard Foundation]] Award for "Best Television Food Journalism," <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.starchefs.com/JBeard/97Noms.html |title=''1997 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominees''| accessdate=2007-01-07 | publisher=Starchef.com}}</ref> and has been nominated for two cable [[Ace Awards]] and an [[Emmy]] in connection with travel and cultural history.<ref name="salon"/>

{{cite web |url=http://www.starchefs.com/JBeard/97Noms.html |title=''1997 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominees''| retrieved=20070107 | publisher=Starchef.com}} </ref> and has been nominated for two cable [[Ace Awards]] and an [[Emmy]] in connection with travel and cultural history. <ref>{{cite web |url = http://archive.salon.com/press/releases/2000/01/06/wolf/index.html | title=''Salon.com Signs Television Sales Agreement with Burt Wolf and Accelerates Broadband Plans'' |publisher=Salon.com}}</ref>

His reports, which are videotaped on ___location around the world, have won awards in the United States, Europe and Asia.

== Books ==

== Selected books ==

* ''Real American Food: Restaurants, Markets, and Shops Plus Favorite Hometown Recipes'' by Burt Wolf and Andrew F. Smith (Hardcover - Jul 18, 2006)

* ''The New Cooks' Catalogue'' (Hardcover - Oct 24, 2000)

* ''Good to Eat: Flavorful recipes from one of television's best known food and travel journalists'' (Hardcover - April 6, 1999)

* ''Gatherings and Celebrations'' (Hardcover - Nov 1, 1996)

* ''Burt Wolf's Menu Cookbook'' (Hardcover - Jul 1, 1995)

* ''Eating Well'' (Paperback - Jun 1, 1992)

* ''Burt Wolf's Table'' (Hardcover - Jul 1, 1994)

* ''What's Cooking'' (Hardcover - Jan 1, 1988)

* ''What's Cooking with TV Food Reporter Burt Wolf'' (Paperback - 1989)

* ''The Best of What's Cooking'' (Paperback - Jan 1, 1985)

* ''Where to Eat in America'' (Paperback - Oct 12, 1977)

== Films ==

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

<references />

== External links==

* [http://www.burttravelsburtwolf.com/ Burt Wolf's website]

*{{IMDb name|id=2365046|name=Burt Wolf}}

{{Authority control}}

{{bio-stub}}

[[Category{{DEFAULTSORT:American journalists|Wolf, Burt]]}}

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:American male journalists]]

[[Category:Travel broadcasters]]

[[Category:American travel writers]]

[[Category:1938 births]]

[[Category:The High School of Music & Art alumni]]

[[Category:New York University College of Arts & Science alumni]]

[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]

[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]