Attached to Touch

A demonstration by the Top Chef of how important texture and touch is in the kitchen, with an analysis of how the brain processes feeling by the author of Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind. A book signing follows the program.

Meet the Speakers

Tom Colicchio’s first three stars from The New York Times were awarded as executive chef of Mondrian. Since then he has been similarly acknowledged for Gramercy Tavern (with Danny Meyer), his signature venture Craft (2002), and Colicchio & Sons (2010), all in New York. Craft was awarded The James Beard Foundation Award for “Best New Restaurant” in 2002. That same year, he received The Bon Appétit American Food and Entertaining Award for “Chef of the Year.” The New York Times revisited Craft in September 2011, ten years after its debut, upholding its three stars and stating that the restaurant is “as magical and delicious as it was when it opened.” Following Craft and its casual sibling, Craftbar, Colicchio opened Craftsteak at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (2002), Craft and Craftbar in Los Angeles (2007; 2009) and Craftsteak at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods (2008). ‘wichcraft now has 15 New York City locations, as well as locations at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Westfield Center in San Francisco. Colicchio has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation “KitchenAid” Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by ‘wichcraft (2009). As head judge on Bravo’s hit reality cooking series “Top Chef,” the Emmy-winning show is currently in its eleventh season. In May 2010, Colicchio was awarded The James Beard Foundation’s coveted “Outstanding Chef” award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

David J. Linden, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage in the brain and a few other topics. He has a longstanding interest in scientific communication and served for many years as the Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurophysiology. He is the author of two bestselling books on the biology of behavior for a general audience, The Accidental Mind (Harvard/Belknap, 2007) and The Compass of Pleasure (launched at the Rubin in 2011) which, to date, have been translated into 17 languages. This program marks the publication of Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart and Mind.