Mujica to Host Telemundo’s “Top Chef: Estrellas”

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Aylín Mujica’s television career is cookin’ up…

The 38-year-old Cuban telenovela actress, model and ballet dancer will serve as the host of Top Chef: Estrellas, the Spanish-language version of Bravo‘s popular culinary competition series Top Chef.

The new original version from Telemundo will feature eight Hispanic celebrities competing for the Top Chef title and a $100,000 prize, which will be doled out to the charity of their choice.

The celebrities will be featured cooking their favorite dishes under the guidance and coaching of professional chefs. Like the U.S. version, the chefs will participate in weekly competitions and use different “tools” in their preparations to impress the celebrity chefs and survive the competition. L

Latina chef and TV host Lorena Garcia will host alongside Jaime Martin Del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu.

Telemundo is looking to build on the massive success of La Voz Kids, the network’s Spanish-language version of NBC’s The Voice.

Mujica most recently starred as the main villain, Fernanda, in Corazon Valiente. She’s also had roles in Aurora, Niños Ricos, Pobres Padres and La Dueña.

Arteta to Direct Bravo’s “Rita” Drama Pilot

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Arteta has landed his pilot project…

Following his success at the helm of the CW‘s The Carrie Diaries pilot, The 48-year-old Puerto Rican filmmaker has been tapped to direct Bravo’s hour-long pilot Rita.

The family drama, starring Anna Gunn, Colin Salmon and Robbie Kay, centers on Rita (Gunn), a sharp, candid private-school teacher who struggles to raise her three teenage children while dealing with the absurd bureaucracy and domineering parents at her school.

The project was written by Krista Vernoff.

Arteta is best known for directing the indie film Chuck & Buck, which earned him the Independent Spirit Award’s John Cassavetes Award. His resume includes directing television projects like Homicide: Life on the Street, The Office, Ugly Betty and American Horror Story.

Aguilera to Perform on NBC’s Hurricane Sandy Benefit Telethon

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast, Christina Aguilera is stepping up to help.

The 31-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer and The Voice coach, who was born in Staten Island, will perform at Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together, a one-hour live benefit telethon organized by the networks of NBCUniversal — including NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, MSNBC, Style, Syfy and USA.

Hosted by Today anchor Matt Lauer, the telethon will be broadcast from NBC’s the New York studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It’ll air live across the East Coast and tape-delayed on the West. Additional networks could join the broadcast of the telethon prior to airtime.

Along with Aguilera, the list of performers includes: Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Sting. Additionally, the telethon will feature appearances by Jimmy Fallon and NBC News’ Brian Williams.

Money collected will be donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together will be broadcast live on Friday, November 2 at 8:00 pm ET.

To donate, people can visit http://www.redcross.org/, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Hernandez Heading to Universal Television

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando J. Hernandez is taking a universal leap…

The former Ryan Seacrest Productions executive will be heading to Universal Television to serve in the newly created position of SVP of Alternative Development.

In that role, Hernandez will be responsible for all Universal Television reality productions, spearheading new development and overseeing the studio’s in-house producers and ongoing talent deals.

Hernandez most recently served as the EVP of Development and Production at Ryan Seacrest Productions, a position he held since 2009. There, he oversaw all aspects of the company’s original programming, spearheading the development and production of the company’s slate of non-scripted and scripted television properties, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians for E!, Shahs Of Sunset for Bravo, Married To Jonas for E! as well as the pilot for Draw Something at CBS and the upcoming ABC special TV’s Most Dynamic Duos.

Earlier in his career, Hernandez served as executive producer on TV Land’s She’s Got The Look, ABC Family’s Venus & Serena: For Real, and MTV’s Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave.

Quincoces Joining the Cast of “The Real Housewives of Miami”

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Quincoces will be adding some serious sizzle to The Real Housewives of Miami…

The Cuban-American chef—voted Miami’s “hottest chef” by Eater magazine last year—will be joining the cast of Bravo’s South Florida-based reality series for its upcoming second season, which offers “an inside look into the aspirational lives of seven women as they juggle family, work, and a spicy social scene in the hottest city in the world.”

Quincoces, who happens to be a practicing lawyer in her spare time, self-published her first cookbook, Cuban Chicks Can Cook, as a tribute to her mother and a legacy for her daughters. After the book quickly sold out in local bookstores, she was contacted by a large publishing house to write her second cookbook, Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine.

In addition to bringing Quincoces, The Real Housewives of Miami will welcome newcomers Lisa Hochstein, supermodel Joanna Krupa and celebrity dentist Karent Sierra to the show.

Meanwhile, first season scene-stealers Lea Black, Adriana de Moura and Marysol Patton will be back as series regulars, while Alexia Echevarria will return in a recurring role.

Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Miami is set to premiere on Thursday, September 13 at 10:00 pm with a 75-minute episode.

Alves Partnering with Macy’s & I.N.C. International Concepts

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s back to work for newlywed Camila Alves…

The 30-year-old Brazilian model, television host and fashion designer—who married Magic Mike star Matthew McConaughey last month—is the new face of Macy’s’ I.N.C. International Concepts line.

Alves apparently won over the department store after a house visit.

“When Macy’s approached me about this, I told them we need more than a meeting in New York,” she explained to Women’s Wear Daily. “I had the team to my home in Austin, cooked some food and had some wine. They’ve got to really like me — it’s a big partnership.”

Alves will appear in television and print ads for I.N.C. International Concepts and Macy’s starting in September.

In 2010, she hosted the Bravo network’s third season of its reality television show Shear Genius.

Carey Pens & Performs “Bring It On Home” for President Obama

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey didn’t just host a fundraiser for President Barack Obama recently… She also performed a new song that she wrote in his honor.

During the star-studded event at New York City’s Plaza Hotel on Thursday night, the 42-year-old part-Venezuelan singer performed “Bring It On Home,” a triumphantly inspirational ballad, similar to Carey’s hit “Hero.”

“Just finished performing Hero, We Belong Together and BRING IT ON HOME — a song I wrote especially for the event,” Carey tweeted, posting a photo of herself in a black ball gown.

Before the Plaza party, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended Sarah Jessica Parker‘s presidential fundraiser at the actress’ Manhattan home.

Meryl Streep, Project Runway judge Michael Kors, Vogue‘s Anna Wintour and Bravo‘s Andy Cohen were among the celebrities in attendance.

Parker introduced Obama at the event, giving him a hug and kiss and saying those in attendance were gathered “hopefully, with enormous enthusiasm.” She also called Michelle Obama “radiant and extraordinary” and said she had been doing “amazingly important things these last four years.”

Alves Marries Matthew McConaughey…

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Alves is now a mother and a missus…

The 30-year-old Brazilian model, television host and fashion designer married her love of six years and the father of her children, Magic Mike actor Matthew McConaughey, in Austin on Saturday, according to Us Weekly.

“There were about 100 of his close friends and family there,” one wedding guest tells the magazine of the “high-end,” campout-themed event. “[The ceremony] was very emotional. There was a moment when . . . [Matthew] leaned down and whispered something in [Camila’s] ear and you could see a tear coming down her face. Everyone let out a collective sigh.”

Following the ceremony, guests — including Woody Harrelson and filmmaker Richard Linklater — celebrated all night long, camping out in state-of-the-art tents set up on McConaughey and Alves’ property.

“It’s definitely a campground, but they weren’t exactly roughing it,” one source explained. “They have showers, restrooms, and air conditioning. It’s very unique, high-end camping.”

Alves and the 42-year-old actor, who met at a bar in Los Angeles in 2006, have two children together, 3-year-old Levi and 2-year-old Vida. McConaughey proposed to his Brazilian-born love this past Christmas.

“Just asked Camila to marry me, #MerryChristmas,” the actor tweeted December 25, posting a sweet photo of the newly-engaged pair sharing a smooch.

“I found the woman I wanna make a family with, hopefully live our life out together,” he declared to Esquire magazine in March 2011. Still, the head-over-heels pair saw no reason to rush things, because, as Alves told ET Canada this past March, they already felt like a married couple.

“We’ve been living a married life for over six years now,” explained Alves. “We have homes together, we have family together, we have kids, we’ve built a life together. So we’ve been living a married life this whole time.”

Added the former host of Bravo’s Shear Genius, “A lot of people, sometimes they’re so stuck on ‘I gotta get married, I gotta get married,’ that they forget that the really important thing is to have a healthy home, a healthy family, a healthy family for your kids and to have everything going in a good, peaceful way.”

As young as her children are, Alves admitted her kids were excited when their parents decided to make their union official.

“Levi actually understands what it means now that mama’s going to have the same last name as they have, so that’s neat!” the model explained.

So what about plans to expand their family?

Teased Alves, “We’ll see!”

Chef Garcia Helping Taco Bell Upgrade Its Menu

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

If you’re planning to make a run for the border in the coming months, you may soon find some unexpected items on the Taco Bell menu…

The fast-food chain is getting an upscale makeover this summer, with a little help from celebrity chef Lorena Garcia, who was born and raised in Venezuela.

In early July, Taco Bell plans to rollout an updated menu with new additions created by Garcia for its nearly 5,600 U.S. restaurants.

The new items will feature ingredients like black beans, cilantro rice, citrus- and herb-marinated chicken and cilantro dressing.

The introduction of the items that Taco Bell executive Brian Niccol calls “gourmet Mexican,” is the company’s way of venturing onto the turf of casual-dining chains like Chipotle and Qdoba, two chains known for higher-quality ingredients.

It’s a departure from Taco Bell standards like tacos, burritos and chalupas that the fast-food company’s core young-adult customers have grown to love, although those mainstays will remain on the menu.

Menu items like the Cantina Burrito Bowl and the Cantina Burrito, according to Niccol, are aimed at customers looking for more than a quick bite on the go.

Niccol credits Garcia, who will appear on Bravo‘s Top Chef Masters this summer, as the force behind the Cantina Bell menu that the chain hopes to eventually expand.

“She brought a lot of new thinking, a lot of fresh approaches to our ingredients that change the flavor profile of the brand,” Niccol said.

The additions, which will go nationwide on July 5, will cost more than Taco Bell’s customers have paid in the past, but the new items will also be bigger than the chain’s regular burritos. The Cantina Burrito Bowl and Cantina Burrito, offered with chicken or steak, will sell for nearly $5 a piece. A vegetarian option will be offered, also for nearly $5.

Side dishes include chips and pico de gallo or corn salsa, chips and guacamole, or black beans and rice. Each will sell for $1.49.

Garcia, a featured guest on NBC‘s Today and The Biggest Loser, started working with Taco Bell in the fall of 2010.

“They were looking to … expand their food to offer new flavors with great taste,” she said. “I saw this as an opportunity to help create diversity to the Taco Bell experience.”

Alves Engaged to McConaughey!

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Alves will be making an honest man out of Matthew McConaughey in the near future…while breaking the hearts of millions of women!

The 42-year-old actor proposed to his longtime girlfriend on Christmas Day. He announced the move in a tweet that included a photo of the happy couple kissing and read, “just asked camila to marry me, merry Christmas.”

McConaughey and the 29-year-old Brazilian model/television host have been dating since 2006. They have two children together, 3-year-old son Levi and 23-month-old daughter Vida.

Alves, who hosted the third season of Bravo’s reality television show Shear Genius, has her own line of handbags.

In addition, she and McConaughey are committed to McConaughey’s charity, the j.k. livin foundation, which is, “…dedicated to helping teenage kids lead active lives and make healthy choices to become great men and women.”

No word on a date for the nuptials.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Bravo