Thomas Keller

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Grant Achatz and Tom Colicchio both used to work for the great Thomas Keller, so when the three chefs reconvened at the new Chefs Club over this past weekend's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, it was just a gathering of great chefs, but also a reunion of sorts.

The three chefs — Achatz of Chicago hot spot Alinea, Colicchio of Top Chef and Craft fame, and Keller of French Laundry — were at the event for a panel discussion hosted by Food & Wine editor in chief Dana Cowin, where the four discussed everything from the state of the restaurant industry to the future of fine dining to what's next for each of them.

Grant Achatz

• On his ticketed dining concept, Next: "I wanted to turn the idea of a restaurant inside out."
• On the state of the restaurant industry: "All these [new restaurant concepts] are coming in, but fine dining is not going out."
• On creativity: "Could you imagine what we could do if we didn't have to serve people?"

To see more thoughts from three great chefs, keep reading.

• Michael Symon reveals details about his role on The Chew. — Food Republic
• Backstage with the James Beard Awards winners. — The Feast NY
• Why junk food is okay for kids to eat. — Huffington Post Food
• A brief history of food blogs. — Saveur
• Must make: strawberry campari tart. — Serious Eats
• The James Beard Foundation has announced a special scholarship program for immigrants. — Eater
• How one husband quietly took over the kitchen. — CNN Living
• A candid Q&A with über chef Thomas Keller. — Grub Street NY

It's National Grilled Cheese Month, and to celebrate, we've gone grilled cheese crazy! From brie, mozzarella, and pear with blue cheese butter to mozzarella with prosciutto and broccoli rabe, there are plenty of gourmet ways to go.

But when it comes to American classics, sometimes the simplest renditions of food favorites can be the best. Take this grilled cheese: it's a favorite creation of renowned chef Thomas Keller. Yes, that's right — the food industry's yoda prefers his GC with old-fashioned cheddar and swiss and a couple Lay's for texture. “The potato chips add crunch and a little bit of salt,” Keller told Men's Health. Fussy and froufrou? We think not. For chef Keller's ultimate version, read more.

Today in France, the world's most well-trained chefs gathered to compete at the Bocuse d'Or — the culinary industry's equivalent of the Olympics. The United States was represented by chefs James Kent and Tom Allan and they were coached by chef Thomas Keller and previous Bocuse competitor Gavin Kaysen.

Despite high hopes that the New York chefs would do better than the previous American team, who finished sixth in 2009, Kent and Allan failed to place once again and came in with a disappointing 10th overall.

The gold medal went to Denmark with Nordic countries Sweden and Norway coming in second and third. Considering that Denmark's Noma was named best restaurant in the world, it's no surprise that the chefs from Northern Europe blew the competition out of the water.

• Packaged chicken is more likely to give you salmonella than fresh chicken. — The Telegraph
• An inside look at America's team at the Bocuse d'Or. — Eater
• The newest Iron Chef, Marc Forgione, has lost his first battle in kitchen stadium. — The Feast NY
• New coffee words you should learn in 2011. — Esquire
• Natives of Vermont will get real maple syrup in their McDonald's oatmeal. — The Consumerist
• Speaking of McDonald's, as its profit increases, so will its prices. — The New York Times
• DiGiorno has released new packaging that combines pizza with cookies and wings. — Huffington Post Food
• Thomas Keller is planning a pop-up restaurant to open at London's Harrods. — Big Hospitality
• Grant Achatz's memoir is now on sale for preorder. — Grant Achatz Memoir
• Good news: alcohol doesn't actually kill brain cells! — The Atlantic

• Find out how long Sherry lasts. — Alcademics
• Details from Le Fooding, a culinary battle between chefs from New York City and San Francisco. — Grub Street SF
• Learn how to make gyoza. — Serious Eats
• A sugar crawl through San Francisco with Top Chef: Just Desserts's Tim Nugent. — Endless Simmer
• Thomas Keller on the importance of the Bocuse d'Or. — Feast
• 17 recipes that will help you celebrate Oktoberfest. — Chow
• Q and A with Grant Achatz. — The Epi-Log
• Meet the Vegetable Express, a new way to sell produce. — The Atlantic
• An inside look at René Redzepi's cookbook, NOMA. — Eater

"I don't get to come here often," Thomas Keller said to a morning audience at this past weekend's Aspen Food & Wine Classic. There's no question the godfather of all restaurant chefs has been busy, between his nine restaurants, six Michelin stars, cookbooks, and Bocuse d'Or leadership, so it was a rare treat to watch him demonstrate how to prepare homemade preserves out of his award-winning cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home.

While Keller demonstrated the versatility of sweet onion tapenade, cured lemons, and mushroom conserva, he revealed his sense of humor when he spoke about being in the first group of Best New Chefs 22 years ago, preparing a lobster dish that was served in a resident's home. "After 600 lobsters, I'm sure that home was never the same again," he joked. The chef also offered plenty of useful advice. To check it out, keep reading.

Last night, the International Association of Culinary Professional (IACP) held its annual cookbook awards in Portland, OR, to acknowledge the best in recipe and literary food writing, photography, styling, and reporting. Ruth Reichl (who co-hosted the awards with Times writer Kim Severson), John Besh, and Thomas Keller all took home top prizes.

Despite the stiff competition, Besh's My New Orleans Cookbook beat out Marcus Samuelsson's New American Table; Keller's Ad Hoc at Home nabbed a prize over How to Roast a Lamb by Michael Psilakis; and Reichl's anthology Gourmet Today edged out compilations from the editors of Cooking Light and Southern Living magazines.

I'm itching to snag a copy of Gourmet Today now more than ever. What IACP cookbooks are on your wish list?

• Eight ways to enjoy eggs all day long. — The Atlantic
• Find out what model Alessandra Ambrosio eats on a daily basis. — Grub Street NY
• Q&A with the great Thomas Keller. — Feast
• Ladurée, Paris's most famous macaron bakery, has just launched a beautiful line of stationery. — Eat Me Daily
• Catch up with Roy Choi, the chef behind LA's wildly popular Kogi truck. — Chow
• Five dishes every teen should master. — The Epi-Log
• One sure sign of Spring? The arrival of Ben & Jerry's new flavors. — Serious Eats

This morning, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) announced the finalists for its 2010 cookbook awards. Among the finalists? Notable restaurant chefs Thomas Keller, John Besh, Marcus Samuelsson, and Michael Psilakis, as well as former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl.

The IACP awards winners in the following categories: American; Baking: Savory or Sweet; Chefs & Restaurants; Children, Youth, and Family; Compilations; Culinary History; First Book; Food Photography and Styling; Food Reference; General; Health and Special Diet; International; Library Food Writing; Professional Kitchens; Single Subject; and Wine, Beer & Spirits. To find out which notable cookbooks have — and haven't — been included, read more.