FOOD AS THE ULIMATE CLASSROOM

What if the most transformative lesson a child ever receives isn’t found in a textbook—but on a plate?

This Sunday, November 15th, at 9 PM ET on AM 970, Culinary Confidential host Christina Cates sits down with Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn, Executive Director of Pilot Light, the Chicago-founded nonprofit quietly rewriting how America teaches children about food, health, community, and the world around them.

In 2010, four celebrated Chicago chefs—Paul Kahan, Matthias Merges, Jason Hammel, and Justin Large—answered a call inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. What began as a single-day experiment in one elementary school has grown, under Alexandra’s leadership since 2014, into a national movement. Pilot Light now reaches more than 143,000 students across 28 states by integrating food into everyday subjects: math, science, history, literacy, and beyond.

This isn’t a cooking class or a nutrition lecture. It’s food as a living teaching tool—helping kids understand where their food comes from, how it connects them to their communities, and how their choices shape the future. The result is more than healthier eaters; it’s a more curious, informed, and empowered generation.

Christina Cates is a seasoned hospitality professional with more than 20 years in New York City’s restaurant world. A graduate of The Art Institute of New York City’s Restaurant Management program, she rose through the ranks at iconic rooms including Tavern on the Green (from hostess to Assistant Restaurant Director), The Palm, and Almond Tribeca. A true foodie, world traveler, and mother of two living in Rutherford, New Jersey, Christina brings insider knowledge, global perspective, and a gift for storytelling to every conversation. She launched Culinary Confidential to pull back the curtain on the people, ideas, and systems shaping how we eat.

Meet the Guest: Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn

Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn has served as Pilot Light’s Executive Director and first staff member since 2014, transforming a grassroots chef-led idea into a nationally recognized force in food education. A Bryn Mawr College alumna, she holds a Master of Public Health (epidemiology concentration) from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a doctorate in health education from Teachers College, Columbia. Before Pilot Light, she managed the Stroke Center at Harlem Hospital and worked on research faculty at Columbia’s Neurological Institute, pioneering arts- and culture-based public health education (including the early days of Hip Hop Public Health). Her work centers on making food education practical for teachers, engaging for students, and powerful enough to change futures.

One school. Four chefs. One extraordinary idea. And a movement proving that when we teach children through food, we invest in far more than what’s on their plates.

Culinary Confidential with Christina Cates

Sunday | 9 PM ET | AM 970 The Answer

Streaming globally on all major podcast platforms

Pull up a chair. You might learn a thing or two ....

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You can also stream the show here:

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