Last night's Top Chef All-Stars took things down South, and the butter and the drama were a-flying! The queen of butter herself, Paula Deen, guest judged and presented the cheftestants with the quickfire challenge: deep fry something, y'all! And Paula being Paula, she meant business: "I've deep fried mac and cheese, lasagna, chunks of butter," she told them. "No calamari sprinkled on top of a salad!"
Some of the chefs totally got the concept of Southern cooking, and some clearly didn't (how many times did Dale tell us he cooks Chinese food, not Southern?). Antonia made me nervous with her decision to do a fried shrimp salad (didn't you listen to Paula, Antonia?), but the end result was a decidedly un-salad-like combination of crispy fried shrimp and deep-fried avocado. Unfortunately, she totally spaced and only plated one dish, which prompted my favorite line of the night from Paula: "I could come over there, put you over my knee, and whip your cute little ass!"
Meanwhile, Mike and Richard were working on some chef drama of their own. Mike's fun and creative idea to fry up chicken oysters and serve them in oyster shells was apparently "inspired" by an idea in Richard's notebook. Richard was peeved, Mike was unapologetic, and it only got worse when Mike won the quickfire challenge for his dish! The house was totally abuzz with Mike's disregard for chef law, and Mike reacted by playing the jerk card for the rest of the episode.
More about this episode and the elimination challenge after the break!
From cookbooks to television shows, the nation's most popular female chefs had a busy 2010. As part of our end of the year coverage, we want to know who was your favorite female cooking queen. Share your thoughts below!
It's our favorite time of year: the holiday season! The festive six weeks are packed with food celebrations, crazy parties, and the annual unveiling of Simon Doonan's iconic and amazingly creative windows for Barneys! This November, Simon was inspired by the food industry to craft "A Foodie Holiday," a display that showcases how fashion and food collide. It features some of our favorite Food Network celebrity chefs — from Rachael Ray to Anthony Bourdain, no culinary personality was overlooked! Plus, we chatted with Jamie Oliver, Paula Deen, Emeril Lagasse and more at the unveiling.
To celebrate, we've teamed up with Barneys and our sister site, ShopStyle, to bring you an awesome giveaway worth $5,000 in prizes! We are giving away the following must haves: a Fornasetti Box of Chocolates Plates, an Editions de Parfums Coffee Society candle, a Jonathan Adler Fondue Set, an Armand Diradourian Out to Lunch Pillow, and an Illy Francis Francis X1 Iper Espresso Machine! That's not all — we're also giving away a grand prize to one very lucky winner: a gorgeous and extravagant Valextra travel bag, handpicked by Simon Doonan himself!
Entering is easy — all you have to do is click through the slideshow, add your email at the end, and you'll be entered to win. Check out the official rules here. Good luck!
We chatted with Jamie Oliver, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, and other popular Food Network chefs to find out how they "have a foodie holiday." Watch our video to find out what cooking tips experts like chocolate master Jacques Torres and Food Revolution's Jamie Oliver swear by and what they really think about this bacon food trend. Plus, Paula Deen, Anne Burrell, and other celebrity chefs tell us what they do for the holidays when they're not slaving away in the kitchen. Looking to win your own Ultimate Foodie Holiday? Click here to find out how to enter our giveaway!
Right now it seems as if every chef is looking to the South for inspiration. So why not take a tip from the likes of Alton Brown and John Besh and serve a Thanksgiving meal that oozes with Southern charm? Plan a dinner that highlights simple and delicious cooking. Start with an unfussy roast turkey recipe that's seasoned with lots of salt and pepper and served with a rich turkey gravy.
Keep things uncomplicated and bake an oyster dressing with bacon and hot sauce outside of the bird. It's spicy, bready, and deliciously briny. Whip up a batch of mashed potatoes loaded with sour cream and white cheddar cheese. Finally, round out the menu with a bourbon-cranberry compote. It's the perfect sweet-tart accompaniment to succulent turkey. To be inspired by this collection of curated recipes, keep reading.
When I learned that the concept of white chili is foreign to a number of you, I took it upon myself to make the case for why this stuff is better than a bowl of red. I love tomato-based chili — especially when it's conveniently made in a slow cooker — but I positively crave the white kind. Not just any kind: Paula Deen's white bean chili.
It's green chilies (I prefer the Hatch variety), white beans, chicken, and cilantro, slow-simmered for hours to become a stew that's creamier and more tender than its tomato-based counterpart. Make this white chili, and you'll be the talk of any tailgate. To take a peek at how it's done (like all things Paula, it starts with butter!), read more.
When I went to Paula Deen's demonstration at the Food Network's New York City Wine and Food Festival, I was prepared for anything. It was my first time to see the Southern queen of food TV live, and I had no clue what to expect. One thing I never would have guessed was that Paula did no cooking! She didn't even stir a pot or instruct others how to make something. Instead she entertained the crowd with her wild ways and interesting stories. Like Giada's demo, I learned a lot about the butter-loving Deen. To check out nine fun facts that you may not know about her, keep reading.
Between attending demos, munching on tacos, and sipping spirits, I managed to experience a bunch more serious eats at the Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival. Think burgers, limoncello, and pizza. I've rounded up my favorite dishes and drinks from the experience, so check them out now!
