Curtis Aikens TOPICS: Education Entertainment Inspiration Nutrition Chef Food FEE CATEGORY:* 10.0k to 15.0k TRAVELS FROM: California Video Profile Request This Speaker

Curtis Aikens: Profile

Celebrity Chef

A native Georgian, Curtis' attraction to produce began as a small boy, as he followed his Grandfather Curtis through the garden. His interest grew during high school, when he worked at the Conyers, Georgia A&P Market. "I was supposed to be in the grocery department," he recalls, "but I hung out in produce because that's where all the action was." His enthusiasm soon became a career.

After attending Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Curtis vacationed in California, and was drawn to relocate, quickly finding work at an Alpha Beta grocery store in the San Francisco Bay Area. During this seven-year stint in California, Curtis opened his first produce company, called Peaches. Next, Aikens moved to New York, to head the produce departments at Dom's Wholesale Market and at Balducci's He was responsible for such clients as the United Nations Cafeteria, the Plaza Hotel and the US Open Tennis Tournament. Curtis' television career began as a consultant and food stylist on commercials for Pizza Hut, Pillsbury and McDonalds.

In 1988, Curtis returned to Georgia to begin Aiken's Family Produce, Inc., a wholesale and retail supplier of produce for clients which ranged from the Rockdale County School System to the TV series In the Heat of the Night and the feature film Glory.

Curtis' career as a television personality and author began in 1988. Currently. He resides in Novato, California and Conyers, Georgia and is the father of two young sons, Curtis, Jr. and Cole.

He has been with the Food Network since its inception, previously as the host of Pick of the day, From My Garden, Meals Without Meat, and Food IN A Flash. Curtis is Quick to point out that his expertise with produce does not mean that he is "anti-meat." "I just love fruits and vegetables," he says.

Curtis is also a regular cast member of ABC's Good Morning America, where he dispenses both food-related advice and creative, healthful recipes. Then at ABC in 1991, as part of the popular morning show, Home, hosted by Gary Collins and Sara Purcell, who dubbed Curtis "The Home Grocer". Curtis is (to our knowledge) the only African-American culinary personality featured regularly on network television.

A natural for television, due to his good-natured charisma and unaffected charm, Curtis has appeared before the worldwide audience of CNN (where he fielded cooking questions "live" via international telephone). His other television credits include the Oprah show, Entertainment Tonight, The NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, as well as dozens of other local network affiliates.

NBC Nightly News did a feature story about Curtis' own remarkable struggle with illiteracy, and his devotion to helping the thirty million American adults who are unable to read. ABC's World News tonight featured Curtis' participation in the First Annual Literacy Festival in Cairo, Georgia. As a literacy advocate, Curtis is a popular speaker at festivals and conferences throughout the country. He has been an invited guest at the White House, visiting President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush, and has met with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Curtis is the author of Curtis Cooks With Heart and Soul, published by Hearst Books, as well as Garden Grocer's Guide to the Harvest and Curtis Aikens' Guide to the Harvest, both published by Peachtree Publishers. These popular books combine delicious down-home cooking with Curtis' unique philosophy. He donates a portion of the royalties from these books to literacy programs across the country.

Curtis' latest book, to be titled Recipes to Weight Loss and Its Control, was inspired by the fact that he has recently shed over fifty pounds, and will be available in the fall.

As a food consultant, Curtis has worked with The United States Open Tennis Tournament, The New York City Plaza Hotel, and The United Nations Cafeteria. Curtis supplied produce for the TV series In the Heat of the Night, and for the feature film Glory. He has been consultant and food stylist on commercials for Pizza Hut, Pillsbury and McDonalds.

As a chef, Curtis is in much demand as a celebrity guest of fine restaurants. His cooking, which blends his Southern upbringing with his subsequent California influence, also incorporate nuances gleaned from extensive travels in the US and Europe. His current fascination is with the cuisine of the Pacific rim.

A partial list of the TV stations which feature Curtis' produce and cooking segments include: KABC and KTTV, Los Angeles; KGO, San Francisco; WGN, and the ABC and NBC affiliates, Chicago;WVEU and WXIA, Atlanta; WALB, Albany, GA.; WSAV, Savannah, GA; WCSC, Charleston, SC; WYFF, Greenville, SC; WRDW, North Augusta, SC; WRCB, Chattanooga, TN; WTSP, Tampa, FL and WTCV, Tallahassee, FL. Curtis is featured regularly on some of the most popular radio stations in the country, including KNBR San Francisco, WOAI San Antonio, KDKA Pittsburgh, KMOX St. Louis, KTAR Phoenix, KNOX Denver, KNST Tucson and KWNK Los Angeles.

The subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles, Curtis has appeared on the cover of USA Today. Curtis Aikens' Video Cookbook, a home video cassette featuring recipes and produce tips, is now available.

---

SUPPORTING LITERACY PROJECTS

Curtis G. Aikens was 26 years old when he learned to read. Six years later, he had become a published author. How did this charming articulate man get by for so many years? How does an adult manage to be successful in business when he's illiterate? Moreover, how did Curtis Aikens make that long journey to literacy?

When racial desegregation finally came to Georgia, Curtis was a second-grader at an all-black school. Despite his youth, he was well aware that something had always been missing from his education "It wasn't learning" he recalls, "It was babysitting." His life changed when he was given the choice to transfer to Pine Street Elementary, a previously all-white school. However, this second chance was in some ways too late; Curtis was hopelessly behind his classmates. Reluctant to be discovered, Curtis channeled his ample talents into a charade of literacy. His keen intellect helped him remember everything he heard in class. Forced to take a test, he would scribble illegible answers--when the teacher asked for a translation, he could answer orally. Curtis' appealing, likable personality caused people to be predisposed to helping him out. No one wants to see a nice guy fail. And so, Curtis Aikens made it through high school, into college, and actually owned his own business without ever really knowing how to read.

In the early 1980's, Curtis moved to California, finding work in the produce business. From 1981 to 1986, he operated his own successful produce company, Peaches. He learned to speak correctly by watching television, but he was still haunted by problems of illiteracy. Success scared him. He developed a pattern of destroying what he had achieved, for fear his illiteracy would be discovered. "I thought I was too stupid to succeed," Curtis remembers. "I felt I didn't deserve it."

Then one day, while watching television, Curtis Aikens saw a commercial for the Marin County Free Library Literacy Program. He decided to get help and at age 26, he finally learned to read. Today, he is a popular television and radio personality, a celebrated chef and culinary consultant, and the published author of three books: Garden Grocer's Guide to the Harvest, Curtis Aikens' Guide to the Harvest and Curtis Cooks With Heart and Soul. His fourth book, titled Recipes to Weight Loss and Its Control was published in the fall of 1997.

Now an outspoken advocate for literacy, Curtis shares his story with schools and literacy groups across the country, and donates a portion of his royalties to literacy programs.

* Please note that while this speaker's specific fee falls within the range posted at the top of this page (for Continental U.S. based events), fees are subject to change without notice. Also note that most celebrity keynotes begin in the $25,000 and up range (most list "Contact for Fee Schedule"). For current fee information or international event fees, please contact your Speakers Platform representative.