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It's a fine time for foodies at the Museum of Art

MEREDITH GOAD

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Staff Writer

Lou Ekus says the first time he heard Rachael Ray doing a radio interview in upstate New York, talking about her family and her new book, he knew ''there was something special there.''

The rest is food TV history.

''I'm not going to say I discovered her,'' Ekus says, ''but I did help her get noticed by the Food Network.''

Todd English, Mary Ann Esposito, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Sara Moulton and Ming Tsai also have Ekus to thank for helping to turn them into big-time culinary stars.

Ekus is a media trainer based in Massachusetts who teaches chefs the skills they need to perform well in front of the camera or microphone. The Food Network and other media companies hire Ekus and his company, AirTyme (motto: ''We teach the people you watch!'') to work with chefs on the brink of TV or radio stardom.

Ekus will be speaking at the Portland Museum of Art on Feb. 27. His lecture is part of a special food-related schedule of events tied to the museum's new exhibit that's opening Thursday.

Food has long been seen as art, and ''Objects of Wonder: Four Centuries of Still Life from the Norton Museum of Art'' celebrates that idea with works that have a culinary theme and celebrate food from pears to eggs. With Portland being such a foodie town, it seemed natural for the museum to cook up a few events to serve as side dishes.

A series of movie nights hosted by local chefs on Sundays during February is sure to be satisfying. But the highlight will actually come in March, when Judith Jones, the woman who discovered Julia Child, comes to the city to talk about her life in food.

Ekus says he's looking forward to speaking in Portland, a city that is gaining national recognition for its food scene.

''It's amazing to see what's happened to your area in the past five years,'' he said.

Ekus has been in the media training business for 25 years. His first big client in the food world was Norman Van Aken, the south Florida chef known as the father of ''New World Cuisine.'' After coaching a few more big-name graduates, he soon became the ''go-to guy'' for media training in the food business.

Ekus says most chefs tend to be uncomfortable in front of a lens. He shows them how to speak and move in front of a camera, and how to translate their skills in the kitchen to the studio. A few chefs seem to be naturals, but the vast majority have to work hard to become successful on television, he said.

''The producers are looking for someone who's going to sparkle in front of the camera,'' he said. ''And if you don't sparkle, you're out.''

So, who sparkles? And who fizzles?

Ekus won't dish, although he promises to tell some good stories during his lecture. He just won't pair the embarrassing stories with actual names.

He does promise this: ''When you come to see me speak, you will never watch a food show in the same way again.''

He also says he'll provide some take-home tips that audience members can use in their own lives.

''If they listen carefully, they're going to be able to take tools away from this that they'll be able to use with their bosses at work, with their co-workers, with their families, in business deals and negotiations,'' he said, ''because it's all about good communication, and good communication is very powerful.''

Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:

mgoad@pressherald.com