Thomas Keller

• An early look at Thomas Keller's upcoming cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home. — Grubstreet
• With stabbing deaths on the rise in the UK, one knife manufacturer has taken matters into his own hands. — Eat Me Daily
• Tickets for October's New York Wine and Food Festival are now on sale. — Eater
• Take a trip to the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. — Serious Eats
• Find out how the ultimate hostess, Jenn Sbranti, has been spending her Summer. — Hostess With the Mostess
• What does India have to do with India Pale Ale? — Chow

Source

• Semi homemade be gone: Sandra Lee gets a seasonal fresh-ingredient makeover. — Eat Me Daily
• Mustard manufacturer Grey Poupon wants Obama to pardon Dijon lovers. — Grubstreet
• Ten food moments from The Office. — Chow
• Be inspired: An adorable owl is a fun theme for a baby shower. — Hostess With the Mostess
• Thomas Keller's casual Napa Valley eatery, Ad Hoc, is now serving breakfast. — Eater SF
• Lemon and basil make a healthy and delicious pasta salad. — Serious Eats
• Menus and party plans inspired by your favorite television shows. — The Epi-Log

Source

Yesterday Restaurant magazine and S. Pellegrino announced its famed list of the world's 50 best restaurants. The list is developed by a large panel of well-regarded international judges consisting of 806 chefs, restaurateurs, food critics, and journalists.

For the fourth year in a row, Ferran Adriá's experimental Spanish restaurant, El Bulli, has been named the best eatery in the world. Coming in at sixth, Thomas Keller's Per Se is the highest-ranking US restaurant.

The most shocking news, however, is that Gordon Ramsay's flagship London establishment, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which was number 13 on last year's list, is totally absent from this year's. To check out the complete list, read more

• Once shunned, the affordable carnation is making a centerpiece comeback. — Hostess With the Mostess
• Love cilantro? Check out this new website devoted to the fragrant herb. — Serious Eats
• Tips for building the ultimate green kitchen. — Chow
• One writer argues that food cannot travel and cuisine is limited to the place where it's made. — Gourmet
• Trader Joe's is now selling hard boiled peeled eggs. — The Kitchn
• Get excited for Thomas Keller's next big deal, Ad Hoc at Home, a family-friendly cookbook. — Eat Me Daily

Source

• If you're at a loss over what to make for dinner, plan your meal around a bowl of rice. — Los Angeles Times
• Why chef Thomas Keller loves a less-than-perfect roast chicken, flaws and all. — Washington Post
• Is the whoopie pie the next cupcake? — New York Times
• It's time to reconsider drinking inexpensive Merlot. — Wall Street Journal
• Aquaculture proponents argue fish farms are the only way to meet America's increasing appetite for seafood. — Chicago Tribune
• You'll never guess which brand of frozen potstickers won a blind taste test. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Savor a sweet-and-sour Sicilian version of caponata. — Boston Globe

Now that Top Chef is over, I've got another professional chef showdown to discuss: Iron Chef. I'm a huge fan of not only the American version, but also the Japanese version that started it all. Recently, I had an opportunity to catch up with America's very first Kitchen Stadium winner, chef Ron Siegel, now the executive chef at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

On a sunny morning I met with the chef in his kitchen, which recently launched a small bites and half bottles menu. I was taken by his humility — "I'm not doing a great service here," he told me, "I'm just cooking" — and his candidness. To see what else he had to say, read more

Got guests over watching the Super Bowl this weekend? You can employ the help of a low-maintenance slow cooker during the game yet still impress your party with cassoulet. One of the benchmarks of classic French cooking, it's characterized by a copious mélange of grand meats, from duck confit to fine sausages.

Since this rendition was adapted from a recipe developed by celebrity chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller, it won't fail you! To wow your family this weekend, read more

The two-day culinary Olympics, known as the Bocuse d'Or, took place yesterday and today in Lyon, France. A 28-year-old chef, Geir Skeie, from Norway won the competition. There was much hope in the food industry that the American competitor, Timothy Hollingsworth, would win. However, Hollingsworth didn't even place. A Swedish chef took home the silver, while the French chef walked away with the bronze. This year was the first time that the Americans made a conscious effort to win the competition. Thomas Keller and a team of American chefs searched the country for a possible contender to represent the US. In July eight American semifinalists were announced. Hollingsworth won the highly-publicized competition in September and spent the next several months preparing for the finals at a special training facility near the French Laundry in California.

In the Bocuse d'Or finals each chef has to prepare two dishes: a seafood entry and a meat entry. The food is judged by 24 chefs from 24 countries. Two-thirds of the score goes to the quality of the food, while the final third counts for presentation.

Hollingsworth has yet to comment on the competition, but he is no doubt feeling (like most American foodies) a little disappointed in the outcome. To check out a huge gallery of images from the cooking competition, read more