Journalism
Groundbreaking Television Journalist Denisse Oller Sacrifices Emmy-Winning Career to Pursue Her Passion for Cooking
Ana Gonzalez Ribeiro
Tuesday, December 22 2009
One of the most honored women journalists in Spanish-language television, Denisse had a fruitful career covering international events and anchoring national broadcasts for several large television networks. After 25 illustrious years, Denisse decided to leave it all behind to pursue a different passion—cooking. Why would someone with a rewarding career decide to jump into uncharted waters and take such a risk? Like many Americans, she wanted to find true happiness despite the complete departure from her familiar life. People like Denisse are willing to take chances—in the end, such chances are what make life fun, interesting and worth living.
Asked why she decided to leave an accomplished career in journalism to pursue other passions, Denisse responded, “Life is just too short.” Despite two decades covering wars and the Washington beat, being stationed in Florida and Los Angeles, meeting newsmakers and headliners, witnessing history in the making and becoming the first Puerto Rican to anchor a national news show, she could never shake her underlying restlessness to create—not just to report—news. She had the urge to be her own boss and to gain some measure of control over her life. “It is not just about cooking food; it’s about cooking up a new life, creating, living fully, going over the list of things I wanted to do, then doing them.” Denisse decided to finish a cycle in her life and begin another.
There was no one particular moment when she realized the necessity to switch careers. “It was something that happened gradually, a natural progression,” she explains. “I really needed to evolve; it was almost physical and emotional. I needed not to be scared to do what I had to do. I looked to myself and into my soul and knowing how restless I was, I knew I had to do something else. It was a matter of now or never.”
Upon leaving the news field, Denisse was free to pursue her desires, but admits she felt a bit unfocused. A feeling of, “Ok, what do I do now?” began to settle in. Despite initial self-doubts, within months she committed to several endeavors exploring her passion for cooking.
After attending and graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, Denisse returned to the television studio—this time in a fresh and more stimulating role. She began hosting a popular cooking/interview segment on Telemundo, “A La Mesa con Denisse,” which allowed her to remain visible to a public used to seeing her on the network’s nightly 6 o’clock news.
Since beginning her television-cooking segment, Denisse’s culinary ventures have branched and expanded. She now operates Boca Dulce (a company selling gourmet confections with a Latin twist), teaches a Latin cooking class once a month, and writes columns on food and culture for NewsWorks.
“It’s not easy,” reflects Denisse when asked about advice for those considering a career change. “But if I’d have known how much I would enjoy the process, I would have done it long ago.”
Before embarking on a new route, she suggests that people take a deep look at themselves. “Ask yourself questions like, ‘What is my passion?’ and ‘What makes me happy?’” Organization, study, planning and self-preparation are all imperative to success. “Learn as much about the subject as you can, but really, once you have all the pieces to the picture in place, the biggest step is just to go for it. You have to start somewhere, and if you fail, keep trying.”
“People question your sanity after leaving an established career, but you have to keep going. It can drive you to despair, but that’s also the beauty of it. You are learning about life, and you are learning about yourself.” Having many professional connections did not make the transition any easier. “It has been much harder than I thought—for 25 years I did the same job, which defines you and gives you parameters to live by.”
Although it has been an extended process, Denisse is finally content with her career path. She remains constantly evolving. “It keeps you alive!” she exclaims, and although she has always followed the motto, “Do your own thing,” she has had her share of stumbling blocks, and highs and lows. “The key is to get up after you fall, dust yourself off and keep going.”
Denisse’s Journey
• 1982 - After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico and the City University of New York, begins working in the broadcast media industry, starting as a news reporter for New York’s metropolitan-area Telemundo-WNJU channel 47.
• 1986 - Moves to Univision and WXTV, becoming news anchor of the first nationally syndicated Spanish-language weekend newscast, seen each weekend on over 400 affiliates throughout the United States, and Central and South America.
• 1993 – Begins hosting the network’s nightly primetime newscast, seen by an even broader audience in more than 22 countries.
• 2007 – After a diverse career, with interview credits of newsmakers like Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II and Carlos Fuentes, five Emmy Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in investigative reporting, pursues a culinary career.
• 2009 – Hosts “A La Mesa con Denisse” on Telemundo/NY, is finishing her first book, teaches a monthly cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and publishes food-related articles for The New York Post’s Tempo section.
Journalism - Multichannel News
AARP Preps Latino-Focused Show. Offering will target Spanish speaking seniors.
By Laura Martinez
Wednesday, December 16 2009
AARP Broadcast, the TV and radio arm of the AARP, this month shot the pilot of what is expected to become its first-ever Spanish-language television show.
Viva su Segunda Juventud will be hosted by a pair of renowned female TV personalities. A pilot was shot Dec. 11 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
An AARP spokeswoman declined to divulge further details on the show, including potential distribution partners. But according to an open call to the audience, Viva su Segunda Juventud will be hosted by Mayta Prida and Denisse Oller, as well as the editor of AARP Segunda Juventud magazine, Gabriela Zabala-Goddard. The half-hour program will include news, current topics, health and finance targeting Hispanic seniors.
AARP Broadcast currently produces two half-hour programs, My Generation and Inside “E” Street, which are distributed nationally through syndication. The shows, which aired on Retirement Living TV in 2009, will be distributed to public TV stations by Maryland Public Television starting in 2010.
The Brooklyn Paper
Red Hook wendor wins the Vendy Award
By Sabrina Jaszi
Wednesday, September 30 2009
In a vindication of our borough’s world-class food scene, one of the Red Hook vendors won the coveted “Vendy Award” on Saturday, proving to any remaining doubters that the humble soccer field chefs are the city’s culinary elite.
The winners, Fernando and Yolanda Martinez, have run the Country Boys Taco Truck for 16 years since emigrating from the Pueblo region of Mexico.
The pair served up its famed huaraches, tacos and quesadillas to 700 attendees at the Queens Museum of Art in a grueling four-hour competition against biriyani brokers, waffle makers and schnitzel sellers.
In the end, the Martinezes were crowned the winners by a panel of celebrity chefs.
“All of the dishes were excellent, but the flavors in the Martinezes’ huaraches were perfectly fresh, balanced and harmonious,” said Denisse Oller, one of the judges.
In addition to taste, the couple got high marks for generous portions, clean presentation and fast, friendly service.
The victory came in the Martinezes’ first appearance in the competition. But they were well prepared for the contest, having watched in shock as the ball fields’ famed papusa maker, Rafael Soler, was snubbed in a still-painful affront last year.
Though the Red Hook vendors have been around since 1974, and are more popular than ever, their future is not secure because the city forces them to bid for the land on which they cook.
But Cesar Fuentes, executive director of the Food Vendors Committee of Red Hook Park, thinks that the Martinez victory will help get the city bureaucrats off his group’s back.
“The Vendys win sends a very strong message to the city, especially to the Health Department, that street vendors are hard-working people who have earned the love and trust of the community, and in this downward economic cycle their services are especially important,” said Fuentes.
So for now, at least, you can expect even longer lines at the Country Boys Taco Truck for the rest of the dwindling season at the Red Hook soccer fields.
“Word gets around fast,” said Fuentes. “Fernando will reap the rewards of the win — and so will all the vendors at the ball field.”
The Country Boys Taco Truck operates at the Brooklyn Flea, every Saturday at Bishop Loughlin HS (Lafayette Avenue, between Vanderbilt and Clermont avenues in Fort Greene); and at the Red Hook ball fields (Bay Street at Clinton Street in Red Hook) on weekends.
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