Informal learning is a lifetime pursuit, and WGBH has been the place to matriculate ever since Julia Child ignited America's love affair with food back in 1963. Today, WGBH's Laurie Donnelly, who once collaborated with Child in her legendary Cambridge kitchen, is working with The French Chef's successors, as executive producer for lifestyle programming. "Contemporary chefs have achieved superstar status," Donnelly observes, "but our mission here at WGBH is to sift out the true pioneers and leading talents in the world of cooking—natural teachers, like Ming Tsai."

The chef and host of Simply Ming, shown here with his mother (and guest star), Iris Tsai, adds, "People no longer have time to spend hours cooking. My goal is to make food interesting and fast, bridging East-West cuisine with master recipes made from a handful of ingredients that can yield a week's worth of meals. I want to show people how they can put food on the table quickly, without compromising either quality or sanity!" Series like Simply Ming, now in its second season, give viewers "direct access to the country's leading culinary lights," Donnelly says." And like all of our lifestyle programs, they showcase experts sharing their skills to improve, and simplify, viewers' lives."