THOUGHTS: A SAD GOODBYE TO MY TEAM ALTON FRIEND CRISTIE SCHOEN

I don't often write about daily life... I mostly write to try to help with your plans for a get-together, a holiday, a celebration, or even just dinner with the family. I occasionally write about travel and bigger life events, like weddings. My end goal is to help you celebrate life with those you love.

Tragically, one of my Food Network Star friends and her little family will never be able to do that again. So today, I'm writing about Cristie Schoen so you might know her and remember her as a passionate Southerner, healthy living and eating advocate, athlete, outdoorswoman, caring friend, daughter, sister, chef, wife, and mother-to-be. Rest in peace, Cristie. You will live on in the hearts of all of those you've blessed, fed, and touched with your kindness and love.

Cristie had recently married her boyfirend J.t. Codd, was living on her dream farm and expecting their first baby, a girl to be named Skylar. The very last thing I expected to hear from or about my Food Network Star cast mate Cristie was that she was missing. I certainly never expected to learn that she had been murdered.

A neighbor Cristie and J.t. befriended is charged with their murder and the murder of their unborn child. Robert Jason Owens is a contractor and lived less than a mile from them. They not only hired Owens to help with projects around the farm, Cristie opened her home to this monster, inviting him to their wedding. She had also cooked Thanksgiving dinner for him and others in the area; she rented the local community center to feed everyone in her new hometown who had no place to go. Typical Cristie. She loved to love everyone through her food. I saw her post on Facebook and her open invitation for Thanksgiving. And she didn't just cook, she decorated the room in her signature yellow and went the extra mile to make the day really special with a menu that reflected her Mississippi roots.

I first met Cristie in Alton Brown's Atlanta studio in early November 2011. We were both there to audition for Food Network Star and were vying for one of only five spots on Alton's team from the fifty or so people assembled. I knew she would be in the cast... she was absolutely stunning, had a great work ethic, and sparkling crystal blue eyes that flashed... "I want this.... I really want this." So it was not a big surprise to see her there on the first day of filming. WATCH CRISTIE'S CASTING VIDEO

Our Food Network Star Season 8 teammates had this to say about Cristie: 

Food Network Star winner Justin Warner reflected on his first memory of Cristie saying: "I stepped out of the casting shoot to get some fresh air. Cristie soon joined me, only with the intent of introducing herself and offering me company. That's who she was. Bright, sunny, incredibly friendly and kind... a breath of fresh air indeed."

"Cristie was one of the first people I met during the Atlanta auditioning process! What wasn't to love about her striking appearance, but those big blue eyes and her southern drawl warmed my heart.  We shared a bond with our spiritual connection and roots to New Orleans. During the show, Cristie saw positive in everything!  She was a fearless firecracker'" remembers Judson Todd Allen.

Says Emily Ellyn: "I remember when I first saw Cristie Schoen. We were in Atlanta for our interview with Alton Brown.  She had beautiful blue eyes and a smile that shined between her positive pep talks, helping EVERYONE in that room feel more at ease, That positive encouragement, love, and joie de vivre was present in every conversation we shared. Cristie was like sunshine; a positive radiant woman, that warmed the hearts of everyone she met."

Cristie quickly became our Team Alton cheerleader. She was high-energy, highly competitive, and positive- all rolled up into a pint-sized but very powerful package. She was a true team player. I hated she was the first to be eliminated during the restaurant competition because she worked hard to help most of us with our dishes in spite of the fact she wasn't very happy about her own course. It hurt her feelings so badly that the judges misread her passion for healthy eating as anger. She was frustrated that she didn't communicate her point of view clearly because she truly wanted to help people live better lives through a healthier diet. WATCH CRISTIE'S FOOD NETWORK STAR BIO VIDEO

In her final challenge, Cristie raced around the kitchen like the Roadrunner, not scared, not intimidated, nor worried. She confidently told the story of her brother and cooking eggs for him upon his return home from the military. I thought she did a great job and was impressed with her calm in the face of elimination. I'm not sure I could have handled that pressure like she did. It was painful to watch her walk through those big doors leading out of the studio after her they let her go. She had given it her all.

I feel very sure that Cristie gave it her all in her final moments, too. I imagine that she gave that monster who killed her quite a fight, trying to protect her baby, her husband and her own life. As a former cop, my hope is the detectives are carefully compiling the evidence necessary to put Robert Jason Owens in prison for the murder of Cristie Schoen, J.t. Codds, and baby Skylar until the State of North Carolina executes him in punishment for his crimes. Until then, I hope the prison inmates give him a welcome party he won't ever forget and that his life ends so that he may never be able to hurt another human on this earth.

FYI-Owens is also a suspect in the cold case disappearance of Zebb Quinn, an Asheville teen missing since 2000.

To Cristie's family and closest friends: My prayers are with you as you struggle to comprehend what has happened.

Farewell, Cristie. We will all miss your beauty, passion, energy, positive attitude, and your kind heart. Rest in peace with J.t. and Skylar by your side. Gone too soon, gone way too soon.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

Q & A WITH FOOD NETWORK STAR JUSTIN WARNER

Almost daily, someone asks me "what's so-and-so (insert name of celebrity chef) really like?"

So I decided to create a new monthly feature with little known personal facts about some of your favorite celebrity chefs and Food Network stars. My first interview had to be with my Food Network Star BFF Justin Warner. 

My favorite photo with Justin during filming for Food Network Star. Photo: Food Network

My favorite photo with Justin during filming for Food Network Star. Photo: Food Network

Here's the scoop:

I first met Chef Justin Warner of Brooklyn's award-winning Do or Dine restaurant as we were both sitting in a holding pen at Alton Brown's studio in Atlanta, Georgia on November 2, 2011. We were there to audition for Season 8 of Food Network Star and Alton was to select his team from the  50 or so people assembled. Months later, when I arrived to film the show, it was no surprise to find Justin there, too. I was blessed to have Justin by my side day in and day out on Team Alton. When I needed help, he was there for me. He made me laugh. He had/has unique insight. He has years of valuable culinary experience from working in some of New York's finest restaurants---which I lacked. Justin was generous and happy to share his knowledge with me. We bonded. On several occasions, I absolutely would not have finished plating if he had not helped me. (see photo below of the 4-handed plating from our "Meet the Press" episode).

Justin Warner and Martie Duncan Food Network Star 8

What you may not know about Justin is that he was named to Forbes' Top 30 Under 30 list as well as Zagat's Top 30 Under 30 NYC. His restaurant has a Michelin rating. He's been written about in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and he makes regular appearances on Food Network shows. He just opened for Alton Brown's Edible Inevitable Tour at the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York. That's pretty good for a guy who has owned a restaurant for a mere three years in the most competitive restaurant market in the world. Maybe one day the rest of the world will catch on to what I and the folks at TheBraiser.com already know...  This hipster is a lot smarter than you  think and is nothing short of remarkable. Read what they had to say about Justin and why he doesn't have a show on Food Network.

The #1 question I'm asked about Justin is: Does Justin Warner wear lipstick? In fact, when you Google Justin Warner, one of the items that search populates is Justin Warner lips. Really? The answer is, of course not. He is lucky to have naturally tinted tips any girl would die for. He uses Burt's Bees lip balm on them but not lipstick. Get over it, folks. Justin Warner does not wear lipstick. I promise.

The other question I'm frequently asked about Justin is: Are you and Justin really friends or was that made up for the show? We were and are real friends. I know we are kind of an odd pair. You'd never guess a quirky, hipster, skinny jeans wearing, Danny Meyer (The Modern, Union Square, Blue Smoke, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack) trained restaurant rat turned restaurant owner from Brooklyn who raps about food and wine could actually be friends with or have anything in common with a home cook-wedding expert from Alabama who loves entertaining, farm life, polo, Hermes scarves, and Southern rock. I was shocked he knew all the words to the iconic Don McLean song American Pie and he was shocked I would often break out an Eminem rap. We have more in common than it may appear. We are both entrepreneurs. We've both had a job since the age of 12. He's got a good heart. I learn a lot from him. He's extremely interesting and well read. He's a trusted advisor and a close confidant. I'm thankful we met on the show and I'm so happy we remain the best of friends to this day.

My favorite Food Network Star and BFF Justin Warner. Photo: Daniel Krieger

My favorite Food Network Star and BFF Justin Warner. Photo: Daniel Krieger

Q & A WITH CHEF & FOOD NETWORK STAR JUSTIN WARNER

Where you’re from:  I was born in Hagerstown, Maryland.  I spent summers and quite a few years in the Front Range of Colorado.  I consider both to be home.

City of residence:  I live in Brooklyn, New York, in a neighborhood called Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Where you’d love to live someday:  I absolutely must spend a month or two in Japan.  I don’t know where I’d like to begin my family.  It’s a tough decision.

Family:  I live with the best woman on earth, Brooke Sweeten.  We have two turtles; Soupy and Aristurtle, two cats; Merf and Luci, and an awesome dog; Kewpie.

Mentor:  Every boss I’ve ever had has done something to alter my trajectory.  Alton Brown, though, got me in to TV, so I owe him a bunch of credit.

What is your favorite quote?  “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving” is the first thing that came to mind.  That was some dude named Laozi. 

Best advice you ever got?  That’s tough.  I had a boss named Bill Eichelberger who told me we were in business to make “friends, not money”.  I try to live by that. 

Favorite book?  Paul’s Case, by Willa Cather

Justin's ultimate dinner party guest list would include these four:  Jay Z, Mike Nichols, Lana Del Rey, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

And if you had to cook for them, what would you make?  Barbecue, and some fun little hors d’oeuvres.

What are you listening to right now?  Pretty much whatever my girlfriend is playing.  She has the best taste in music.  Future Islands is pretty rad.  I love the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.  Lana Del Rey is good for writing and zoning out.

Favorite cookbook of all time:  The Laws of Cooking and How to Break Them, Warner, 2015 Flatiron Books

Latest accomplishment?  I finished writing my first cookbook.  It should be pretty good. (Editor’s note: It is.)

Guilty pleasure?  Bad rap music, Sour Patch Kids, canned beer, Legos, video games.

Favorite travel destination: Rapid City, South Dakota.  My girlfriend lived there as a kid and her parents are there.  It’s a convenient, pretty, fun little place.

Where do you want to go you haven’t been yet?  Japan, but also the Spanish speaking countries in South America.

Must have travel accessory:  Just my comfortable Dansko shoes.

Best advice, tool, or equipment for the home cook?  The offset spatula is one of my favorite multi-taskers.  It’s probably also the most often overlooked by the home cook.

One of my favorite take-aways from Food Network star was Justin's tempura recipe. He used it for a food court challenge when we had to create a pop-up Italian themed restaurant. His Frito Misto was a hit with our guests and this tempura batter is why. It's light and airy, yet extremely crunchy. The secret is in the rice flour and club soda combo. I love this recipe for fish filets and shrimp; it does not create a soggy or heavy exterior on delicate seafood.  Get the recipe...