Michael Chiarello

One chef took home the $100,000 prize on the final episode of Top Chef Masters last night. It was a nostalgic show that looked back at the final three chefs' — Michael Chiarello, Rick Bayless, and Hubert Keller — food memories and culinary careers. Did you watch? Let's discuss the details (spoilers ahead) after the break.

Only four masters remained on last night's episode of Top Chef Masters. The best part was when the Top Chef alum showed up! Did you watch? To discuss the episode, read more

The second episode of the champions round aired last night on Bravo's Top Chef Masters. The chefs faced off in battle burger and the tables were turned when former cheftestant Spike Mendelsohn judged the burgers. Did you watch? Let's discuss after the break

Since I heard Michael Chiarello was competing on Top Chef Masters, I've been anxiously awaiting the chef's return to television. The suspense ended with last night's episode. Chiarello competed against Nils Noren, Rick Moonen, and Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson. There was junk food and the stars of Flipping Out. Did you watch? To discuss the episode, read more

• How chef Michael Chiarello deals with the crazies who come to his restaurant. — Eater SF
• Calling all hot girls: Carl's Jr. wants you to star in its next burger commercial. — Eat Me Daily
• Ten drinks that could only have been invented in America. — Endless Simmer
• Learn how to make perfect French fries a la Bobby Flay. — Serious Eats
• Take a closer look at Brooklyn's UnFancy Foods Show. — The Feedbag
• Is the torta the new banh mi? — Grub Street
• A brown sugar berry cobbler is a welcome finish to a Summer barbecue. — Epicurious
• Michael Ruhlman discusses his new book. — Chow

When the Summer's in full swing, I pretty much live on tomatoes. I eat them out of hand and in salads, drink them in gazpacho — and now, thanks to Michael Chiarello, I can swim in them! In addition to making fresh mozzarella on the spot and singing the virtues of sustainable agriculture, chef Chiarello also introduced the audience to a savory martini made from tomato water, a clear liquid with a delicate, acidic flavor that's produced when tomatoes are strained of their juices. When paired with bocconcini and a chiffonade of basil, this genius non-alcoholic martini resembles a caprese salad in a glass.

The best part: make use of beloved tomatoes by reserving their remains for another recipe (pico de gallo, anyone?). Make this distinctive drink when you read more

I couldn't go to this year's Food & Wine Classic and not attend a seminar hosted by two of Napa Valley's most influential food figures. I'm talking about the session led by culinary authority and Top Chef Masters contestant Michael Chiarello and Peter Jacobsen, the owner of Jacobsen Orchards, a farm that supplies produce exclusively to Thomas Keller's famed restaurant The French Laundry. The two discussed the importance of making economically and environmentally just practices, as well as offered suggestions for advocating sustainability. See their ideas (and more photos) after the jump