Anthony Bourdain

What began a couple of weeks ago as a rumor has now been confirmed: Top Chef All-Stars will premiere on Bravo on Dec. 1. According to TV Guide, 18 of the previous cheftestants will compete in the ultimate Top Chef showdown. To make the series even more exciting, everyone's favorite bad boy foodie, Anthony Bourdain, has joined Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi, and Gail Simmons as a regular judge.

Although the participating chefs have yet to be announced — they will be revealed tonight on the Top Chef: DC reunion show — the wonderful folks at Eater have a good idea of who is set to appear. For the past couple of weeks, filming has taken place in New York City, and they've spotted everyone from Carla Hall to Stephen Asprinio to Marcel Vigneron.

After a somewhat boring seventh season, I'm excited to see some of my favorite chefs return for another chance at the title. How about you? Will you watch?

Yesterday, I watched the 100th episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Travel Channel show and was delighted to learn about a movement in Paris that's gravitating towards affordable bistros serving fine-dining food. Even Bourdain's simple meal at the butcher's, which he describes as Disneyland, seems to be more satisfying than fancy restaurants with Michelin stars. This trending change will make a trip to Paris easier on the wallet, because oftentimes a huge part of our travel expenses generally goes to food. Food is a more intangible factor in our travel budget because unlike plane tickets and hotel rooms, we're not paying for it before we set out on our trip.

Personally, I believe that this is partly driven by the flagging economy — many countries have risen to meet the local demand for more affordable food during this economic downturn.

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One of my favorite travel shows, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, marks its 100th episode on the Travel Channel tonight as its irreverent host heads to Paris for the perfect meal. For me, the exotic locations are what make No Reservations stand out amongst other food shows. (Well that, and Bourdain being the charming curmudgeon that he is).

On that note, as a TV fanatic, I often feed my travel urges by turning on the TV (it's much cheaper than a plane ticket). Sometimes I'm in the mood for the less-controversial Samantha Brown, other times I want the heartier fare of Man v. Food (to see the places host Adam Richman goes more so than watching him shovel food in his face). Do you have a favorite travel show?

Photo courtesy of Travel Channel

• Gail Simmons opens up about her role as hostess of Top Chef: Just Desserts. — Feast
• Tips for making homemade sausage. — Huffington Post Food
• Everything you need to know about Morimoto's new Napa restaurant. — Inside Scoop
• Be like Thomas Keller and make your own cured lemons. — Food Wishes
• How to refuse dessert politely. — Chow
• On a hot night, serve chilled cucumber soup for dinner. — The Epi-Log
• Anthony Bourdain is hosting a food writing contest. — Eater
• Catching up with the Food Network's Adam Gertler. — Serious Eats
• Find out how President Obama prefers his pizza slices. — Grub Street CHI

• 11 ways to jazz up baked goods from a box. — Rachael Ray Blogs
• A look at a former Top Chef contestant's restaurant's family meal. — Inside Scoop
• One great-grandfather's recipe for Basque salt cod. — The Atlantic
• Find out what Bourdain really thinks of Martha Stewart, Sandra Lee, and Gael Greene. — Eater
• Is it OK to bring a baby to a bar? — Chow
• How to make a meal with the odds and ends of leftovers.— The Epi-Log
• Padma Lakshmi and Amanda Hesser discuss food TV. — Grub Street NY
• Learn the proper technique for cutting French fries. — Serious Eats
• Must make: Spanish roasted potato salad. — food52

Source: Flickr User trekkyandy

• A first look at Anthony Bourdain's soon-to-be-released book, Medium Raw. — Grub Street NY
• Announcing the winner of the Food52 and Cook's Illustrated recipe-off. — Slate
• How to date a chef without getting fat. — iVillage
• An all-encompassing guide to paprika. — Serious Eats
• Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is launching a Summer booze cruise in New York City. — Eater NY
• Rick Bayless's menu for the recent state dinner at the White House sounds amazing. — Huffington Post Food
• Learn how to make pad Thai at home. — Chow
• Entertaining pros provide their advice for the perfect party invitations. — The Epi-Log
• Find out why the liqueur Curaçao tastes like oranges, but is blue in color.— The Atlantic

• Why it's important to stock your pantry with pasta. — The Epi-Log
• Watch a preview of Guy Fieri's upcoming NBC game show. — Eater
• Here are 10 ways to photograph food. — Chow
• Frank Bruni reminds us that the famed El Bulli is hardly a restaurant where anyone can dine. — Diner's Journal
• Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert are getting their own radio show. — Grub Street NY
• What is the future of food journalism? — The Faster Times
• Learn how to make clarified butter. — Serious Eats

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

• The secret to making super aromatic tea is ginger.
• Tips for pairing wine with Winter fruits.
• The FDA is investigating the fake "unfaithful" Tiger Woods Gatorade campagin.
• A stray pig was found at a Quiznos drive-thru window.
• Anthony Bourdain discusses the new season of No Reservations.
• A cheese recall has hit the national markets.

• What to expect from Anthony Bourdain's new book, Medium Raw. — Grub Street NY
• A retrospective of the decade's best cookbooks. — Eat Me Daily
• Top Chef contestant Eli is leaving Atlanta and moving to New York City. — Eater
• How cute is this Cookie Monster-themed child's birthday? — Hostess With the Mostess
• Is there an edible cure for insomnia? — The Epi-Log
• Tips for making your food gifts more environmentally friendly. — Serious Eats
• An inside look at San Francisco's latest food war.— Chow
• Participate in every food blogger's favorite holiday charity, Menu For Hope 6— Chez Pim

• Celebrate the premiere of New Moon by making vampire cookies. — Baking Bites
• Fabio Viviani talks turkey. — Endless Simmer
• Find out why ground beef is dangerous. — The Atlantic
• Are you on Team Martha or Team Rachael Ray? — The Epi-Log
• Anthony Bourdain is not happy that the Travel Channel is now under Food Network's ownership. — Eater
• Google has launched a new food-centric portal. — Grub Street SF
• A detailed description of Guy Fieri's just launched road tour. — Eat Me Daily
• Michael Chiarello on brining turkey. — Chow
• Worried about what wine pairs with turkey? How about serving beer instead? — Serious Eats