Listen to Mouth of Wonder — the most hilarious, thirty-minute, weekly radio show about food out there — every Saturday from 11:30 - 12:00 Mountain Time on KSFR 101.1 FM, public radio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or streaming on the web at ksfr.org.
John Margraff was born on a sultry, late summer morning in September. It was so quiet that early, you could hear his mother’s water break. He grew up in a fun-loving family in Philadelphia and enjoyed superb family meals. John studied classical music for 12 years, and then somehow slipped into the restaurant world. He worked as a chef for 20 years in some of the East Coast’s best restaurants and gourmet establishments. Cut to Santa Fe, he got tired of the unsocial hours of the kitchen and invented Salon MarGraff — a salon-style event in his palatial home, that showcases both cutting-edge artists and his delightful gourmet food.
Monica and Bram Meehan are both New Englanders by birth, graphic designers by training, comic readers by avocation, and married by mutual consent. They produce a spectacularly infrequent comic book called Raised By Squirrels (it's not about squirrels), enjoy hiking, and love eating good things. Especially when Stacy cooks them.
Bernice Pearl (also known as "Mother of Rula") has recently moved to Santa Fe from New York to be near her family, and so far so good. Besides missing easy access to Mallomars, a decent rye bread, bagels, and Bialys, she is loving the experience. Bernice is a volunteer at the Southside public library an a knitter in the Love Armor Project. She is also learning to cook because — although woman cannot live on chocolate alone — she is willing to try!
Susan Purdy is an author with 25 books under her belt. She is an accomplished artist, baker, and world traveler. She taught Stacy everything about high-altitude baking when Susan asked her to be her assistant on Pie in the Sky, the definitive high-altitude cookbook. She lives in Connecticut, but is a frequent visitor to the southwest where she enjoys all Santa Fe has to offer and loves to teach baking classes whenever possible.
Angela Reece was raised in Southern Florida, and has lived all over, but decided to settle where she is happiest — Santa Fe. Angela's found her true calling at Walter Burke Catering, where she plans everything from weddings in the desert, to conventions with people parachuting from the sky, to intimate dinners and small parties. While not planning other people's shindigs, she enjoys hosting her own, hiking, camping, and leading the Disco Brawlers, Santa Fe's new Roller Derby team.
Before attaining radio stardom at KSFR — where she has the sexiest voice on the air — Laurell Reynolds used to be a landscape gardener and artist. She has lived many wonderful places besides Santa Fe, such as the Berkshires, Hawaii, and Southern Oregon. Laurell, a Capricorn, was born in Kansas and has a bachelor's degree in Fiber Arts. Some of her passions are gardening, politics, music, and — of course — chocolate.
Reformed Rock 'n' Roller and former reality television camerawoman, Lexie Shabel directs character-driven, independent documentaries. Her lifelong passion for cooking currently takes her into the world of retreat communities where she has had the opportunity to use food as medicine for others — after healing herself from breast cancer. Check out Gringa Productions for film clips, alternative treatment blog and recipes.
Future star Jody Gage originally came to Santa Fe to work at the Santa Fe Opera — her main man Andrew Sluk just came along for the ride. Cut to three summers later and they have made a true home here. Andrew brings his flair for international cuisine to the kitchen of Walter Burke Catering while Jody continues to rise behind-the-scenes at the Opera. They both enjoy the southwest food scene and are big fans of red and green chile.