If you are wondering what chef and television hostess Lidia Bastianich is resolving to do in 2011, our friends at Slashfood have found out the answer. She's not wasting food and she is encouraging her fans to do the same.
Bastianich is asking home cooks everywhere to make a commitment to leftovers and, quite simply, not throw any food away. To find out more about her grassroots campaign, head over to Slashfood for the full story.
Much like the semifinalist announcement, the list of emcees for this year's James Beard Awards reads like a who's who of the culinary world. Yesterday, the foundation revealed that the awards show, which takes place May 3 in New York, will be hosted by none other than Hollywood culinary legend Wolfgang Puck, Food Network gadget geek Alton Brown, and Italian grande dame Lidia Bastianich. Top Chef Masters host Kelly Choi and daring TV diner Andrew Zimmern will host the Media & Book Awards Dinner in a ceremony held the night before. In the past, the James Beard Foundation has made some bizarre host choices like Kim Cattrall and Stanley Tucci, so this year's lineup seems much more in line with the culinary intentions of the event itself.
Plus, I think Alton would make a great, if eccentric, emcee. Who would you like to see host the Oscars of the food world?
I don't take advantage of them too often, but lazy Saturdays are the best. Not only because I'm at home enjoying doing nothing, but also because my favorite shows on KQED, San Francisco's public television station, all happen to be on: Check, Please!, Made in Spain, Lidia's Italy, and Secrets of a Chef.
Recently the boy and I were watching an episode of Lidia's Italy in which she prepares a Neapolitan version of mac and cheese. Her recipe called for ditalini in lieu of macaroni, smoked provola instead of American or cheddar, and bacon, potatoes, and diced tomato. We sat there in captivation, practically smelling the sizzle of smoked bacon vaporizing in our living room.
We were so tantalized that we drove to the grocery store to make it immediately, with the notes I'd taken while watching the show as our guide. It tasted just as good as we'd hoped. Later, I got my hands on the book for the written recipe. Want it? Read more.
Yesterday Giada De Laurentiis was on the cover of the New York Post magazine. The article discusses her life as a new mother and her role as one of the industry's sexiest chefs. Giada refuses to describe her cooking style as a form of porn, but admits that her show is different:
The way we shot close-ups, I just wanted the food to look beautiful. I thought that's what Americans loved about Italy — that it is so sensual and romantic. It's not PBS-style cooking. Lidia Bastianich, sorry, but she's kind of boring. I mean, I love Lidia, but you can fall asleep watching her. And Mario Batali? I love Mario to death...but he's not romantic or sensual. Those are the things I bring to the table.
I find it hard to believe that Giada would so quickly put down her peers and am curious to see what you think of the matter. Do you agree with Giada? Are Mario and Lidia boring? Which celebrity chef has the best Italian cooking show?
If the thought of Tom Colicchio's "Braised Monkfish with Pork Belly, Leeks and Cabbage" gets you all hot and steamy — and no "braised monkfish" is not a euphemism for anything — then you may be interested in this online auction. The show is called "Photography for Philanthropy" and it features photographs of food from star chefs such as Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud, Jean Georges Vongerichten, and Lidia Bastianich. They've all worked with famed photographer Diana DeLucia, who has captured their masterpieces with her lens.
If you'd like to have one these bow-chicka-bow-wow food photos on your wall, all you have to do is bid. The minimum bid is $250, or you could it buy it immediately for $950. Oh and the best part is that the proceeds are going to City Harvest.
