On the heels of yesterday's random, miscellaneous Top Chef related news, comes official TC Season 3 news! Bravo TV has finally announced contestants and judges (don't worry, Padma's still the host). They've also let us in on this elusive mystery "special." As mentioned before, season 3 starts on Wednesday, June 13, but the June 6 special 4-Star All-Stars, which pits chefs from Season 1 and Season 2 against each other, sounds fantastic!

In addition to 15 new contestants, this season also has a new judge. That's right, Ted "Queer Eye" Allen is now officially a full-time TC judge! I don't know about you guys, but I am honestly excited about this - I love that guy. But enough of my blather, let's check out the contestants. To see the 15 hopeful contestants (8 guys and 7 ladies), read more

For some reason, I thought everyone would be pretty excited about my American Idol Food Challenge - I guess I was wrong. Turns out you are all excited about seeing the results, but not so excited about actually entering... (thanks to those who have already!)

So, in a last-ditch effort to guilt persuade you to enter my challenge, I'm extending the deadline to NEXT Tuesday, May 15.

To participate all you have to do is come up with a dish that makes you think of American Idol. It can be a cocktail, a dip, a full dessert, anything. If it makes you think of Idol then serve it up!

Here's how you enter:

• Write about your creation by May 8 May 15 (be sure to include a link to this here post). If you don't have a blog, you can always sign up for a TeamSugar account and post it there.
• Send me an email by May 8 May 15 (the roundup will be posted on May 11 May 18) with the following information:

  - Your name & location
  - Your blog name
  - Permalink for your post
  - What you made and why
  - A 100x100 pixel image of your creation (optional)

Send the emails to yumsugar[at]gmail[dot]com with the subject "American Idol Creation" (or send an PM or use the contact form) - I can't wait to see what you guys come up with! I'll post the full roundup on May 11th May 18th.

YumSugar Out!

Image Source

If the person you call "Mom" is a foodie at heart, here are some great gift ideas that will be sure to wow her this Mother's Day.

My favorite pick works well for moms who love to travel and eat out, or moms who like to stay in and cook. A new collection called 86 Recipes is a series of recipe boxes that contain (you got it) 86 recipes each. However these aren't just any recipes, these are recipes from some of the best restaurants in the country. Available in a New York or San Francisco edition (New Orleans is launching this summer), each box contains 86 recipes with tips on presentation, wine pairings, plus a photo, map and contact info of each restaurant. Where else can you get 86 practically-famous recipes (SF - Gary Danko, Tartine Bakery, Chez Panisse; NY - Daniel, Aquavit, Prune) in one place? Oh and why 86? That's restaurant slang to indicate that a popular item has been sold out. However each box also comes with a bunch of other origins for the name "86" - but you'll just have to get it to find out. SF edition is $19.99, NY edition is $24.99. Pick one up for mom, and pick up the other for yourself. Oh and if you're lucky, maybe you'll win a trip to NY or SF for mom too!

Two more great gift ideas for your mom, just read more

Recently I went to brunch with my family and ordered some amazing cheese and berry crepes. Ever since, I have been searching for a reason to make my own version and this week I've finally found one: Mother's Day! I'm whipping up a super special brunch for my mama, complete with a homemade card, fruit salad, and egg sandwich (my mom's an old fashioned kind of girl and likes her food simple and scrumptious). I've already covered the savory section of the breakfast and while the fruit is slightly sweetened, I want a decadent finish. Crepes filled with a sweet marscarpone cream cheese mixture, topped with a bright strawberry sauce, will be a perfectly sweet ending to the meal. You know the drill: for the recipe, read more

Last night the who's who of the food world all came out for the James Beard Foundation Awards. If you're not sure what that is, let me just say that it's sort of like the Oscars of the food world. They give awards to several categories of cookbooks, journalism, chefs, media, and more (including humanitarian & lifetime achievement awards). The "They" is a group of Awards Committees consisting of food-industry professionals. The judges are chosen by the committees and choose the winners by reviewing all entries and voting via secret ballot. Oh and just to be fair, if you're a judge, you can't enter to win in that category.

So now that all the rules and regulations are spelled out let's talk about the winners. The big "star" of the night was David Chang (pictured) of Momofuku in New York who won the award for Rising Star Chef of Year. Also noteworthy was Traci Des Jardins of Rubicon here in San Francisco, she was one of the few female chefs to win anything (she won the Pacific regional award for Best Chef).

For the list of winners and a gallery of folks on the red carpet, including: Martha Stewart, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi with NY's Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Salman Rushdie and Bobby Flay (who was inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America), read more

So yesterday Yum shared a recipe for a non-alcoholic pink lemonade stating that When the heat gets up there (and I know, some people enjoy this weather, but not me) I really need something that can quench my thirst. The some people she is talking about here is me! I love this weather and nothing beats sipping a cold margarita on a hot day - close your eyes and you can be instantly transported to Mexico. Luckily reader, fairy_MK recently shared her recipe for a pink lemonade margarita over in the Let's Have A Drink group on TeamSugar. According to MK even the macho beer drinking men were downing these margaritas! Thanks MK for the awesome recipe! To take a look, read more

If you're a candy fiend (and I know some of you are!) you might want to start saving your wrappers. TeamSugar member Jinx has compiled a great gallery of things made with candy wrappers. This Starbust wrapper bracelet is pretty cool, but be sure to check out the dress. - TeamSugar

Today I'm planning a simple and elegant brunch for Mother's Day. My mom is a fairly picky eater (onions give her heartburn) so I'll be making a breakfast menu suited to her likes and needs, rather than to mine. I think that cooking a special meal for someone is the most honest, pure way to really show them how much you love them. My mom doesn't cook so I am lucky enough to be able to make her meals all the time and that's why this menu has to be different. I want it to stand out from the crowd. I'm making her a fresh fruit salad and as the main event, a breakfast sandwich. The English muffin egg sandwich has four trusted ingredients (and I know mom loves them all!): spinach, bacon, cheese, and milk. This recipe would also be great for a late night snack so check it out now and read more

I've been craving Mexican inspired food like crazy lately! Although I had tons on Cinco de Mayo, I just can't get enough. Quesadillas have become my go to quick fix meal because they are super easy to make, cook quickly, and feed my Mexican food craving! These shrimp quesadillas have a Greek twist: hummus, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese filling. Add tortillas to your pantry staples list and when you need dinner in a hurry fill with whatever you have on hand (leftover chicken, day old pesto, the last of a bunch of random cheeses, etc.). Now that the weather has turned warm, making them on the grill is super fun because it gives the quesadillas a nice smoky flavor and those pretty grill marks. Make these quesadillas tonight and read more