What culinary fad has jumped the shark — and what's here to stay? At The Taste in Los Angeles, we interviewed a star-studded lineup of Food Network chefs, from Giada De Laurentiis to Duff Goldman, to see what they think will be the next food trend. From doughnuts to drinking vinegar and food trucks to farm-to-table cuisine, we heard it all, but there's one sizzling hot food trend that everyone seems to be gunning for. Watch the video to find out what it is!
We took a moment to savor the sweet side of things at the Taste in Los Angeles, where we caught up with baker extraordinaire Duff Goldman, the star of Food Network's forthcoming Sugar High. We made a pit stop in front of his breathtaking custom angel cake to get his opinion on faddy foods like cupcakes and deep-fried butter, as well as his advice for beginning bakers. Keep watching to find out more.
Chopped, the Food Network's culinary competition, is following in the footsteps of Top Chef and debuting a special five-episode season featuring "All-Stars." Sixteen of the network's food personalities will battle to win $50,000 for their favorite charity. Big names such as Duff Goldman and Anne Burrell are participating along with the likes of Next Food Network Star contestants Debbie Lee and Lisa Garza and regular Chopped judges Aaron Sanchez and Jacques Torres.
I've never been much of a fan of Chopped — the secret ingredients always seem totally bizarre — but I'm curious to see how the celebrity chefs will handle the tough challenges. Do you watch Chopped? Are you interested in checking out Chopped All-Stars?
The demos, food, and cocktails weren't the only things at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. There's also the tents, the people, and the beach. Basically, there was a lot going on! From celebrity chef sightings to late-night parties, I snapped photos of it all. At one point, I had total sensory overload. To get a better look at the event, I've put together a large gallery of images.
Check it out after the break.
Source: Flickr User fj40troutbum
A week ago, nonconformist food writer Anthony Bourdain, slow food queen Alice Waters, and celebrity pastry chef Duff Goldman took the stage at Food For Thought, a panel discussion that took place in Hartford, CT. There, the three rather different famous food figures discussed, among many other subjects, sustainable food, last meals, celebrity status, and food aphrodisiacs.
Waters made no mention of Bourdain's recent comments about her — in an interview with DCist, he spewed, "Alice Waters annoys the living s**t out of me . . . There's something very Khmer Rouge about Alice Waters that has become unrealistic." While the two got along, they expressed contrasting views on the local and organic food movement. To learn their standpoints and view a clip of the titillating discussion, read more
If you live near the Mall of America and you love cupcakes — or baked goods in general — then you'll want to mark your calendars. This Sunday, Mar. 30, Share Our Strength is putting on the "World's Largest Bake Sale." It will be hosted by Food Network's Sandra "Semi-Homemade" Lee and Duff "Ace of Cakes" Goldman. Together they will be on hand to promote the over 40,000 baked goods made by students at the Arts Institute International Minnesota using Food Network celebrity recipes.
While there Lee will be signing copies of her book, and Goldman will be attempting to set the Guinness Book record for the world's largest cupcake. When asked about the event, Goldman said:
What better way to fight hunger than a cupcake the size of a Shetland Pony? We're really excited to be a part of this event for Great American Bake Sale.
I could probably think of a few better ways, but hey he's there for a good cause, so I'll let him have his moment.
If you're interested in attending, the event begins this Sunday at 11 a.m.
While Tinseltown was partying at The Oscars, our favorite celebrity chefs were demonstrating their skills at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. While there is definitely a lot of partying going on, during the day the chefs displayed their culinary skills and talked about their books. Naturally some of them did with a beer in hand, and all of them did it with a huge smile on their face. Unfortunately I didn't have the pleasure of being there — maybe next year?! — but from the looks of these photos, everyone is having a great time.
As part of our Best of 2007 coverage, we asked you to name your favorite (noncooking or nonreality) food TV show. The majority of you — 26 percent — felt that Duff and the gang over at Ace of Cakes should have walked away the victor. However I'm going to have to go with the second-place winner, No Reservations. Perhaps it's my I'll-eat-anything-once spirit, but I love the way Bourdain travels the globe in search of the best eats. Yes, he does have that snarky demeanor, but he manages to do it humbly and is always the most gracious guest. Whether he's drinking pints in Ireland or sharing meals with school children in Ghana, Bourdain offers a wonderful snapshot of the world, one meal at a time.
