The show will stream on The Locher Room YouTube channel and Facebook to entertain fans around the world during the COVID-19 crisis at 8 p.m. EST. Co-hosted with Laura Wright (Carly from ‘General Hospital’) and Alan Locher, host of The Locher Room, the live event is produced by Daytime Cares, an organization that celebrates and highlights the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, encourages volunteerism, and assists those who are in need.

We caught up with ‘Days of Our Lives’ veteran actress (AKA Nicole Walker) and Daytime Cares co-founder Arianne Zucker to discuss her charitable organization, life in lockdown, her new podcast “Everything From A to Z,” and what’s in store for the soap queen.

What was the inspiration behind co-founding Daytime Cares?

It’s always so interesting how people begin new businesses, create ideas and collaborate together. As my fellow co-founders, Bob Wall and Sonia Blangiardo and I were working on some other ideas, the corona virus hit us all pretty hard. We decided to put our project on hold and Daytime Cares was created by Bob and Sonia. We all spoke about how we wanted to do something more because people are now at home during the day looking for ways to help or donate or looking for resources to help their family and neighbors.

What are the goals of Daytime Cares?

Daytime Cares is in its early growth stages, but the long term goal for this website is to be interactive in more than just finding non-profits they can donate and volunteer. We are working on providing informative videos on what people can do financially during COVID-19 and we will provide updates as the weeks progress. The most important goal for us is to make sure people can receive the answers they need to find the help they are looking for. We are available through email and take those questions and provide vidoes for the Daytime Cares website. We know many people have the same question, so it is great for us to be able to share answers to the best of our ability on the website.

We are focusing on two nonprofits:

Disaster Responder Assets Network https://disasterassets.org/ focusing on hosting free and confidential online support via Zoom for front line Healthcare workers and First Responders and so much more.

Feeding America https://www.feedingamerica.org helps millions of children and adults get the meals they need to thrive.

We will have the two organizations on our https://www.daytimecares.com/ home page and you can donate directly to one or both organizations and watch the donations grow through the evening.

Tell us about your “Everything From A to Z” podcast. What do you hope to achieve with it? Who do you hope to feature on it?

Everything From A To Z was actually inspired by my friend Sonia Blangiardo. I write, host, edit and post the show. Everything From A to Z is about helping people “Find the Hero in you”. Since I was young, I always knew I was supposed to give back and do more to help in this world. I always believed that each and every one of us has a superpower and it’s just a matter of who or how someone says something that resonates with you to help you find your hero within yourself.

My long term goal is helping people on an individual, corporate and goal oriented level which I have just begun to do with “Sunset Sessions and Aloha Vibes” which you can find out more information on my website http://www.ariannezucker.com/.

I’m earning my way interviewing some wonderful guests who have incredible journeys and inspire others to do the same. I have so far interviewed heroes such as a Principal, a Life Coach, an Accounting Professional, a Doctor of Chiropractic, and the list is growing. Of course, as time goes on, I imagine my guest list to grow as I do.

In what ways have your fans reached out to you during this isolation time?

The fans really enjoy seeing Tik Tok videos I do with my daughter. I’ve done about three of them with her and fans seem to go wild for them. However, between the podcast, Daytime Cares, Cameos and Tik Toks, I have to find time for my family. It seems as though I’m busier now than before the isolation. Which is wonderful.

What are your favorite qualities of Nicole Walker?

I have one big favorite quality of Nicole. She is slowly growing into an HONEST woman. She has learned from her mistakes. Even though her mistakes were always because of her long desire for love and affection.

Here is what I miss. All of her “Bad Girl” qualities. She was funny, savvy, dressed great, and didn’t care what anyone thought of her.

What has been a pivotal moment in your career that has helped shape you today?

Probably a few years ago when I realized my value. I actually took a year off of work and I found out some wonderful things about who I am as a person. Not working will do that for you. It makes you deep dive into who you are and where you want to be in your life. Not to say that working on yourself isn’t difficult because it is. I just always find the positives in that difficult journey. Let’s not forget some tears. I look back and see where I am now and I truly believe when you believe in yourself from the depths of your stomach (soul), that dream, that wish, that goal has already happened for you.

Where is your Soap Opera Digest Award currently?

Flashback! My Soap Opera Digest Award is exactly where it should be. On the book shelf holding up my series of Twilight books! Thank you for asking.

What is your current favorite quarantine activity?

My daughter’s P.E. time. She can play a mean game of handball. It gives me one heck of a workout!

What can we expect in the near and/or distant future of Arianne Zucker?

If all goes well, I’ll be hosting a show somewhere in a studio, not in quarantine at home, while still working on “Days,” filming and narrating shows. Along with building my podcast, and all the things I talked about early in this article. Girls gotta dream.

For more information, visit https://www.daytimecares.com/

The post Soap opera diva Arianne Zucker talks live COVID charity event, new podcast & more appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Chef Lee shared some insight into what makes him tick in the kitchen and beyond:

As a chef to the stars, who has been your all-time favorite celebrity to cook for and why?

While working in Hollywood I had the chance to cook for some of the most famous actors and actresses alive, as well as celebrities in all arenas. One of my proudest moments however was cooking for singer Demi Lovato, because this opportunity came when I was already working back in Vietnam. I cooked for Demi while she was visiting Saigon, and had the chance to show off some of the amazing cuisine of my home country as well as the fusion dishes I have created based on the unique ingredients available there. It was an honor that she was blown away by the flavors of Vietnam.

If you were forced to make only one dish for the rest of your career, what would it be?

The humble egg roll sold on the streets of Saigon is one of the most perfectly balanced dishes in the world. I made a name for myself serving this simple dish made with the finest quality ingredients when I released my $100 egg roll back in 2011. I would be totally satisfied spending the rest of my career devoted to this authentic Vietnamese staple.

What is the most luxurious or oddest ingredient you have used in a dish before?

The $100 egg roll was stuffed full of luxurious ingredients–Maine lobster tail, Alaskan king crab, Sevruga caviar and gold leaf, paired with fresh raspberry and Sauvignon Blanc reduction dipping sauce. They were routinely served with Dom Perignon champagne. All in a simple egg roll!

What is your secret to success as a chef?

I never stopped. I have been working in restaurants since I was a kid helping family, and when I was in school I started a business catering for guys in my class who wanted to impress their girlfriends. I was so persistent that I worked in the prestigious Bel Air hotel for a year as a volunteer until I had proved myself well enough to deserve a job as banquet chef. If you keep moving forward, you’ll get where you’re going somehow.

What is your best advice for aspiring chefs?

Persistence is key, as I said above–but you also have to keep learning. I took some intensive courses to improve my knowledge, but even when I was working at Bel Air I never stopped learning. There were always international chefs passing through our kitchen to learn what we did, and I always took the opportunity to pick up as much as I could from them as well. It gave me the knowledge to create dishes with influences from all over the world.

What has been your most treasured moment of your career thus far?

Catering for the Oscars with almost no advance notice and an extremely limited budget–and we pulled it off! One of my most unforgettable experiences with all the glamor of show biz and the magic of fine dining, all set against the high-adrenaline panic of catering deluxe cuisine on the fly!

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grow up?

I was a lonely immigrant kid who didn’t understand English well, so I spent a lot of time watching TV. My favorite show was Three’s Company, and I really admired the character of Jack Tripper, played by the late John Ritter, who played a comedic chef. I wanted to be just like him–that’s why I call myself Chef Jack Lee.

For more info on Chef Jack Lee, visit: chefjacklee.com

For more info on March of Dimes, visit: marchofdimes.org

For more info on the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction: signaturechefs.marchofdimes.org

The post Inside the Mind of Celebrity Chef Jack Lee: $100 egg roll, fave stars to cook for, and how he got his name appeared first on Backstage Socal.