David Chang

At virtually the same time last night, both Bravo's Top Chef and Fox's MasterChef crowned winners, and both victors defied the odds to take home the top prize. See who won and our thoughts on both, after the break.

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• Armenians are to thank for the world's largest chocolate bar at 9,702 pounds. — Eater
• Whole Foods will be the first nationwide grocer to launch a seafood ratings program. — Eatocracy
• David Chang: people eat better, but creativity is dying. — Fork in the Road
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• Michael Symon will star in Food Feuds, Food Network's knockoff of Food Wars. — Grub Street NY
• Corn syrup is lobbying to change its name to corn sugar. — Consumerist

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• Beloved neighborhood sandwich shop, Ike's Place in San Francisco, has been given an eviction notice. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Exit interview with this week's booted Top Cheftestant, Stephen Hopcraft. — Feast NY
• A look at the grape harvesting immigrants' daily grind. — Eatocracy
• Everything you need to know about the Italian dessert budino. — The Epi-Log
• Yesterday, chef David Chang celebrated his 33rd birthday. — Eater NY

At his sous vide seminar in Aspen, Momofuku chef David Chang urged us not to fear the buttermilk. "Buttermilk is just cultured milk!" he exclaimed — at which point I realized that I knew very little about the stuff.

Although they are both rich, creamy dairy items, the term buttermilk refers to two different products. There's old-fashioned buttermilk, which is the thin liquid left over after the natural process of butter being churned. It's acidic and often has flakes of butter still floating in it. Then there's cultured buttermilk, the thick and creamy fermented milk product that Chang was referring to, and what's typically seen sold in cartons at the supermarket. Sometimes called artificial buttermilk, it contains no butter. It is created by adding a lactic acid bacterial culture to dairy to ferment it, resulting in a tangy flavor and a thicker consistency.

Buttermilk is a popular ingredient in biscuits, scones, and fried chicken batter. (Chang likes to make a buttermilk dressing.) Since it typically has a longer shelf life than regular milk, buttermilk can be a good investment. However, in a pinch, one can make acidified buttermilk, a product made by adding acid such as lemon juice to regular milk. Do you use buttermilk?

Source: Flickr User jeffreyw

In my time spent with Momofuku's David Chang, I've learned that there's never a dull moment with the opinionated chef. When I found out he was demoing in Aspen, I knew I'd be there.

Chang, who was a Best New Chef himself at the 2006 Classic, showed his version of vacuum cooking. "Sous vide cooking will be more popular in the next 10 to 20 years," he declared. Although he recommended a water immersion circulator for home cooks ("they didn't pay me to say this, but PolyScience is the best one out there"), he demonstrated a similar, more affordable technique that he refers to as "sandbagging" or "ghetto sous vide."

He made fun of his jury-rigged concept, but I think it was classic avant-garde David Changian. With a large vat of water, the chef used an instant-read digital thermometer to gauge the temperature at about 140ºF, or 60ºC. Then he inserted a vacuum-sealed piece of meat for about 45 minutes, until the protein was just barely, but uniformly, cooked through. For more about what the Momofuku maestro had to say, read on.

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• One man claims he has not consumed any food or drink in over 70 years.— Good Bite
• David Chang and Michael Pollan are two of Time's most influential people.— Grub Street NY
• Michael Ruhlman discusses his new book and his feelings for Starbucks.— Eater
• Must make: rhubarb bread pudding with whiskey sauce. — Serious Eats

• Why you should eat peanut butter and jelly. — The Atlantic
• The menu for David Chang's next restaurant, Ma Peche, has been revealed. — Eater NY
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• Alice Waters and David Chang have joined forces to promote the edible schoolyard. — Eater NY
• Why chocolate and peanuts are better together than when alone. — Chow
• Do you grocery shop while hungry? — The Epi-Log
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• Jen Carroll chats about her time on Top Chef. — Endless Simmer
• Chefs remake and share their recipes for Starbuck's seasonal drinks. — Chow
• Details from a discussion with Rachael Ray, Mario Batali, and David Chang. — Grub Street NY
• Cherry coconut bars are perfect for holiday baking. — Serious Eats
• Who do you think is the hottest chef in New York City? — Eater NY