Tuna tartare is one of those dishes that we love to order at restaurants, but never really made at home — that is, until now. We spent some time with Top Chef contestant Stefan Richter to learn the best way to prepare this raw fish dish. Watch the video to learn how easy it is to make in your own kitchen, then read more to print Stefan Richter's recipe for tuna tartare.
Bravo's Top Chef is undeniably the biggest food reality cooking show in America today. So how's it working out for stars of the show who aren't on Life After Top Chef? To find out, we tracked down some of the show's biggest stars at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Chefs from seasons past, including everyone from Harold Dieterle to Ed Lee, weigh in on what's next for them, whether life's really changed since Top Chef, and what advice they have for chefs on the upcoming Top Chef: Seattle.
Early Fall is a perfect time to give the body a clean slate, but detox mode isn't defined by a diet of lemons and maple syrup. Candice Kumai of Top Chef fame began developing this recipe on her search for a healthier version of fat-laden coleslaw. What Kumai ended up creating was a detox and diuretic salad that stands strong on its own. Apples at the peak of their season marry with the dynamic duo of red and Savoy cabbage, combining for a fiber-filled meal that aids in digestion. The addition of fennel seeds adds to the fiber factor, plus a kick of cayenne boosts your metabolism. Keep reading for this Fall detox salad recipe.
With only a month left before season 10 of Top Chef begins, host Padma Lakshmi is gearing up for the Nov. 7 premiere. She sat down with us to talk about the surprises of the season, her fascination with Seattle cuisine, and what she's eating and drinking this Fall.
YumSugar: Top Chef Seattle follows two blowout seasons (All-Stars and Texas), but does this season have the potential to surpass them both?
Padma Lakshmi: I hope it does. I can tell you it was a lot of fun and very exciting. I didn’t know what to expect, because I had never really spent any time in Seattle. I had a blast, so I hope that the audience will too.
YS: How would you describe season 10?
PL: Unexpected, in one word.
YS: What was the most challenging part of hosting this season?
PL: I think not gaining too much weight. Honestly, I think I ate more on this season of Top Chef than any time before and I’m not sure why that is. I think I didn’t expect for there to be such wonderful, abundant food in Seattle. It is a very serious food town, from the goat cheese to the crab to all of the salmon. I ate constantly. I think I must have gained 13 pounds.
Rejoice, Top Chef: Just Desserts fans! Season one winner Yigit Pura has a new San Francisco patisserie, Tout Sweet, opening this Saturday, Sept. 8. Billed as a French patisserie inspired by Northern California produce, this très chic pastry shop is sure to tempt all but the most stalwart sweets-averse. For those of you living outside the SF Bay Area, don't fret: chef Pura is currently penning a cookbook titled Sweet Alchemy, due out next Fall, and has plans for eventual nationwide expansion.
We fell for laid-back single mom and chef Antonia Lofaso on Top Chef, but we're doubly in love after the release of her first book, The Busy Mom's Cookbook, this month. Pick up a copy to score 100 practical, delicious recipes and tons of tips to get your kids excited about new foods. "Having my daughter in the kitchen has made her a more adventurous eater, but it's also been about getting her to the supermarket and letting her pick out her own fruits and vegetables," Antonia told us. "Let your kids explore — even if they pick up a pile of beets and don't know what they are. Before you know it, you'll have a kid who loves to eat beets and brussels sprouts!"
Antonia shared a few of her favorite recipes with us (check out her best blueberry muffins recipe and caramel-almond popcorn recipe), but we're most excited about her go-to Sicilian broccoli pasta, which you can whip up in a mere 20 minutes!
"My grandma made me for me all the time, and I loved it," Antonio says. "I know it sounds crazy that a kid could actually love broccoli, but I did! It's all about using roasted broccoli, which you can make the night before. Roasting gives the broccoli this great color and caramelization; it has a nutty, warming quality to it, and even picky kids love it!" And the best part: because the broccoli can be made in advance, you can get this filling, healthful dish on the table in no time flat!
Fans of Top Chef will remember Antonia Lofaso as the laid-back and likable single mom from season four who made a return appearance on Top Chef All-Stars, where she competed in the finals. We were recently invited to celebrate the launch of Antonia's The Busy Mom's Cookbook (it hits bookshelves on Aug. 2, but you can pre-order on Amazon.com now), where she demonstrated four seasons' worth of recipes, sharing personal anecdotes and helpful, practical tips along the way.
Antonia's cookbook, which is divided into categories like "The Better Brown Bag," "Sunday Dinner," and "Kids in the Kitchen," is filled with practical, yummy recipes that your kids will actually eat, with sidebars featuring handy pointers. Here, check out Antonia's 7 Rules For the Busy Mom's Kitchen:
If Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, and Top Chef Just Desserts isn't enough for you, Bravo's announced a brand-new series, Life After Top Chef, which will follow four former contestants around the country. Bravo states:
For the first time cameras are taken outside of the Top Chef kitchen and into the lives of Bravo's most beloved former contestants as they reach milestones in their personal lives and culinary careers. From opening their own restaurants to expanding their growing franchises, viewers will follow Jen Carroll in Philadelphia, Richard Blais in Atlanta, Fabio Viviani in Los Angeles, and Spike Mendelsohn in DC.
Sounds like Fabio wasn't kidding when he told us last month that he had further plans for reality TV. "You're going to see me getting up in the morning, you're going to see me doing some sports, some hobbies I have, but my show will be more about everything that's going on in my life rather than let's see who Fabio's dating, or let's see who Fabio's barking at," he told us.
Will you watch Life After Top Chef?
Photos: Camilla Salem, Diane Bondareff, courtesy of the National Pork Board
In case you missed it, last night Paul Qui took home the title on season nine of Top Chef. The executive chef of Uchiko and East Side King in Austin, TX, who won eight of the 16 elimination challenges on Top Chef Texas, beat out fellow finalist Sarah Grueneberg by coming out on top in an elimination challenge with a clam dashi broth and coconut-Thai chile ice cream.
Besides holding the champion title and being $125,000 richer, Qui now faces a higher public profile than he's ever held before. Whether you watch the show or now, there's no doubt you'll be seeing much more of him — so here are a few things you should know about the newly crowned Top Chef.
For more on Qui, keep reading.
