Gail Simmons

Gail Simmons has a pretty full plate right now: in addition to being in charge of special projects at Food & Wine magazine, she's also got some pretty steady gigs as a judge on Top Chef and the host of Top Chef: Just Desserts. But on top of that, her first book, Talking With My Mouth Full, was just released yesterday.

Over the phone, we caught up with Gail, who despite being at the top of her game, offered plenty of her time to share candid thoughts on everything from the health hazards of celebrity chefdom to her plans 15 years from now.

Find out her thoughts on current food issues, her plans for now (and later), and the one question she'd be happy to never hear again, when you keep reading.

Wondering how to keep your skin and body in balance during the season of holiday stress and excess? Gail Simmons knows a thing or two about food and beauty, and she's happy to help. She's not only special project director at Food & Wine and host of Top Chef: Just Desserts, but also an ambassador for Eucerin, and a big believer in beauty from the inside out. Gail gave us a slew of great tips for keeping your body and face in balance no matter how cold it gets or how demanding your father-in-law is. To find out how to eat your way to inner and outer wellness, just keep reading.

Gail Simmons revealed to us that the second season of Top Chef Just Desserts would air before the end of the year, and now Bravo's finally unveiling more details.

The latest season of the Top Chef spinoff will premiere Aug. 24 at 10 p.m. on Bravo. It'll be led by the usual suspects — Gail Simmons as host, Johnny Iuzzini as head judge, with Hubert Keller and Dannielle Kyrillos as regular judges — plus a few famous guest judges, among them Cat Cora, Francois Payard, and the Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz. Oh, and the cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Bravo's revealed the season two lineup of contestants, too.

Will you tune in?

Photos courtesy of Bravo

Gail Simmons knows good food, and good skin, when she sees it. Simmons has made a name for herself as an elite food critic and host of Top Chef: Just Desserts. Now, she has joined the Eucerin Skin First Council, which raises awareness of skin care as an important aspect of overall health.

I got the chance to speak with her about the connection between your eating and your skin, what foods can give you a gorgeous glow without the bronzer, and how to give your diet a beauty boost. To find out all about her skin food secrets, just keep reading.

Top Chef Just Desserts is back and better than ever: just ask the show's returning host, Gail Simmons. Simmons talked shop about the Bravo show's second season, not confirming an air date but hinting that "the second season will air before the end of the year."

Will season two have the same frenzied, diva- and drama-filled cast of characters that the first season had? "The chefs, the pastry chefs on this next season are really, really special — really talented. I mean, what they accomplish just blows my mind," said Gail. As for what will change on-set: "I think the way they're going to make it different is just that everything is going to be bigger, higher, sweeter, more colorful, more visual, and the challenges are going to be even more unbelievable."

Sounds like a lot more of, well, everything! Are you excited to tune in to Top Chef Just Desserts 2 when it returns?

• How to cook moist and tender chicken breasts. — The Kitchn
• Today marks the one-year anniversary of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. — Obama Foodorama
• An update on Grant Achatz's upcoming eateries Next and Aviary. — Eater Chicago
• A backstage look at Martha's appearance on Letterman. — The Martha Blog
• Four things you should not buy at Trader Joe's. — CBS MoneyWatch
• A brownie mix that's worthy of its steep price tag. — Chow
• Jimmy Fallon will be the guest judge on tomorrow's episode of Top Chef All-Stars. — The Feast
• Must make: granqueso and serrano ham macaroni and cheese. — 30 Days 30 Ways With Macaroni and Cheese

Gail Simmons has a suggestion for you this holiday season: don't overlook the arsenal of versatile ingredients already in your pantry. In her latest episode of KitchenDaily's Pantry Project, the Top Chef: Just Desserts host shows how cocoa adds a depth of flavor to both traditional baked desserts and savory entrées.

Using dark, acidic natural cocoa and the more alkaline Dutch process cocoa powder, Simmons created three recipes that display the ingredient's versatility: spiced hot chocolate with cardamom and chili powder, espresso and chocolate cupcakes, and smoky baby back ribs. To get the recipes and a demonstration of what Gail calls "probably the easiest recipe for baby back ribs you will ever find," head over to KitchenDaily.

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?