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Richard: "Everytime I Get Close to a S'more, I Tear Up"

partysugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:00:11 -0800

When one thinks of Thanksgiving desserts, s'mores don't necessarily come to mind. Unless you're Richard Sweeney, of course. Last week's axed Top Chef contestant will forever be haunted by Thanksgiving s'mores. I spoke to Richard, who was surprisingly cheerful, today about his time on the show, life after the knife, and the Foo Fighters. To find out what he had to say about his experience, read more.

On his decision to make s'mores: I'm trying to think exactly how it came up. They requested chocolate and bananas and first we thought about doing a frozen banana with a warm chocolate sauce. I can't remember if they were my idea or not. I noticed lots of little things since I've watched the episode, and ultimately, I shouldn't have done that dessert. I did dessert for the Craft challenge and desserts are usually the kiss of death on Top Chef. Why I chose another one is beyond me. I should have stayed away from desserts and avoided them for awhile, but I thought I could do the s'more. Now everytime I get close to a s'more, I tear up.

On serving the Foo Fighters: I think they know actually a lot more than you would probably guess about food. Especially for what we got to see on air, they edited out a lot. They picked up on a bunch of little things we did. My team lost, so I don't think they appreciated my food very much. I think the initial comment that Dave made - when he said it, it sounded really bad, but it was done in a joking way. I didn't take it offensively. At judge's table, I realized the vanilla cream sauce I made had fallen and it did look kind of like spit. It was disappointing that I didn't get to find out what they thought about the other dishes I made. I did a spin on a Caprese salad. They wanted a mayonnaise-based salad, so I made a pesto mayo for Caprese. I made a spicy sweet potato dish that the judges really liked. When I went into the stew room, I didn't think I was totally safe, but knowing I had one good dish and two bad, and Jeff had three bad, and Danny had two bad, I thought I was somewhat safe because Jeff and Danny had no positive critiques. I went back thinking I wouldn't be on the chopping block.

On Tom and Padma: This is such a popular question. It's really hard to get to know them super well. You don't have a lot of contact with them. We don't finish a quickfire challenge and have a beer together, so it's really hard to know their personalities. But from the promotional shoots and the time spent with them, I noticed that Tom's a quiet guy. He kicked it to himself. His professionalism really shows. He wants it to be about the food and not about personality.

Padma's just as beautiful in person. All the gay guys at the bar ask me that. After she spit out Ariane's dessert, the next time she saw Ariane, she went up and asked her if she was OK. It was nice to see that human side of the judges. It's their job to judge us and not be our friend, but it's nice to see that human side. We see that little by little at events, too.

On living with the eliminated contestants in the sequester house: We drink a lot. I made lots of sangria. I came up with about 30 sangria recipes because we got sick of wine by itself. We had cable, but no Internet or phone connection. We watched the Olympics and we went out together sometimes. We were actually in Jersey City. No one expected us to be there and when we went out we would get a questioning look. It was relaxing and stressful at the same time. You want to know what's going on in the kitchen, but if your not in the competition you want to go home. It was almost too relaxing. We got stir-crazy. It's still very confined. The cast and production people are taking you where you need to go. When someone was eliminated, we were stuck in the house all day waiting for them. It was a stressful, relaxing, weird drunken time for all.

On the remaining chefs: Stefan is someone to watch out for. He's the most traveled and has been doing this for a long time. He knows his stuff. Fabio has consistently been doing well. There's a couple other people who haven't gotten a lot of face time yet. Ariane bouncing back this week, was a testament to her. To be in the bottom two weeks in a row and come back in a challenge where everyone is asking her about the turkey, we didn't trust her, and to come out on top is hard. She stepped up and showed she can do it.

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Introducing Top Chef After the Knife

partysugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:15:05 -0800

Ever wonder what happens to the Top Chef contestants after Padma gives them the boot? Well starting this Wednesday, you can find out!

Magical Elves, the production company behind Top Chef, has announced its new web series, After the Knife. The show will air every Wednesday at 11 p.m. EST on Bravotv.com.

Each week viewers can follow the defeated chef into a house where the previously eliminated chefs are residing. I think it will be fun to see what life is like for the cheftestants after they get cut; I definitely plan on tuning in! The majority of you can't get enough of Top Chef, so tell me: Will you watch the web series After the Knife?

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Ming Tsai Talks Food, Cooking, and Top Chef Masters

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:50:32 -0700

I've been sold on Ming Tsai ever since he was a barrel of laughs in Aspen, so when I heard he was headed west, I knew I had to meet him. Ming was in town hosting a benefit for Macy's Come Together, a campaign to provide 10 million meals for families in need. I caught up with him in the green room before his demo, where he shared his thoughts on the importance of cooking for others, why you shouldn't buy a $4.99 skillet, and whether we're likely to see him on Top Chef Masters. Read his thoughts after the jump

Fast & Easy Dinner: Tomato and Grilled Veggie Stack

partysugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:50:23 -0700

When the weather is incredibly hot, I crave crunchy, cool vegetables and flavorful salads. However, after a month and a half of Summer, the same old salad can get boring. This recipe takes the salad concept and translates it into a fork and knife meal. Instead of being tossed together, the ingredients are artfully layered, making a dish that is beautiful to look at and fun to eat. Besides being a no-fuss weeknight meal, this veggie stack is also great at a luncheon. It can be plated hours before serving. Sound interesting? Check out the recipe.

Michael Symon's Pointers For Preparing Meat

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:30:54 -0700

At his seminar in Aspen, Iron Chef Michael Symon had a lot to share beyond flavor and spice. The pork-loving chef demonstrated how to make a double-bacon "BBLT" sandwich, with bacon, pork belly, lettuce, and pickled tomato, and kept the crowd entertained with his wisecracking (in addition to wanting to kill the inventor of the garlic press, Michael also wants to go after the guy who invented turkey bacon). As he paid homage to the pig with his 'wich, he also had plenty of pointers to offer when it comes to preparing meat. See them after the jump.

A Look at the Food & Wine Classic Quickfire

partysugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:39 -0700

The final event at the Food & Wine Classic features the current winner of Top Chef on Sunday morning. Normally it's a cook-off between the cheftestant and an acclaimed chef like Jacques Pepin. However, this year they decided to do something different and pit two Top Chefs, Stephanie Izard and Hosea Rosenberg, against each other. The chefs were given 25 minutes to create a gourmet breakfast for Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, Dana Cowin, and a lucky audience-member who bid $15,000 to act as a guest judge. Want to know what went down at the quickfire? Keep reading

Simple Tip: When Potlucking, Label Your Kitchen Tools

partysugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:30:10 -0700

Last weekend I attended a potluck-style picnic on the coast. I brought three dishes; two required a sharp knife and the third needed a bowl for serving. Instead of purchasing a disposable knife and bowl, I decided to simply bring my everyday kitchenware. To ensure they weren't lost, I labeled both items.

I placed a piece of a clear scotch tape on the side of the knife and the bottom of the bowl. With a sharpie, I wrote my name. After the party, if one of my friends ended up with the tools, she would know it belonged to me.

Got a tip for not losing your kitchen tools when potlucking? Please share with us below!

Saving the Top Tier of Your Wedding Cake

YumSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:15 -0700

It's de rigueur for newlyweds to save the top tier of their wedding cake to enjoy on the first anniversary. The idea behind this tradition, which dates back as far as the late 19th century, is for couples to savor the cake once again - as well as the memories of the big day and the first year of marriage.

Enjoying a well-preserved piece of wedding cake should be a pleasant reminder of your big day, so make sure it isn't ruined by a dry, smelly cake wrought with freezer burn. Learn how to properly store the top layer of cake when you read more.

To store the cake:

Designate a person to save the top tier once the cake cutting begins.
Set aside any fragile and large ornaments or decorations, such as the cake topper.
To avoid a stale cardboard taste, ensure the cake sits on wrapped cake board. A cardboard cake board should be wrapped with foil.
Place the cake in a freezer until the icing becomes firm, 20 minutes to three hours, depending on the icing.
Cover all of the cake's surface area with a generous amount of plastic wrap, avoiding air pockets.
Follow plastic wrap with two layers of aluminum foil.
Place wrapped cake in an airtight storage container and freeze for a year.

To enjoy the cake:

One day before your first anniversary, begin defrosting the cake: transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator.
After two hours, remove the cake from its wrapping. Continue to defrost in the refrigerator.
Bring the cake to room temperature before consuming.
Serve and enjoy.

If you know you'll be moving within your first year, lack the freezer space, or simply don't want to bother with the process of freezing your wedding cake, order a small, six-inch anniversary cake from the same bakery. Ask for similar cake flavors and fillings and have it adorned like your wedding cake (you can even save your cake topper to be placed on it). Use the cake knife and serving set from your wedding, and enjoy the memories of the special day with fresh cake.

Did you celebrate your first anniversary with the top tier of your wedding cake? What are your cake-preserving tips?

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Get Your Grill On With Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños

partysugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:00:01 -0700

Recently my friend Jeffrey bragged about an amazing appetizer - cream-cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped grilled jalapeños - he had made for a party. Never one to be outdone, I decided immediately to make bacon-wrapped cheese-filled jalapeños that were better than his. After scouring the Internet for the perfect recipe, I chose one from Food Network because it incorporates sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil in the cream cheese mixture.

The resulting appetizer is wildly delicious, intensely spicy, and downright addictive. The most difficult part is removing the seeds from the jalapeños without cutting the entire pepper in half. For best results I recommend using a sharp paring knife and small spoon. To look at the recipe, read more.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños
Modified from Food Network

Ingredients

12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2 cloves chopped garlic
3/4 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Pinch salt, fresh cracked pepper
16 jalapeño peppers (larger than average size will make them easier to stuff)
8-16 slices of bacon* (depends on the size of your peppers)
Skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes

Directions

Preheat the grill.
Mix the cream cheese with chopped garlic, Monterey jack, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until mixture is soft and manageable.
Slice each jalapeno lengthwise on one side, being careful not to cut the jalapeno in half. Remove the seeds if you don't think your friends can handle the heat, otherwise leave them if desired. Depending on your pepper, you may have to slice around the stem of the pepper to create a manageable opening to squeeze the filling in.
With a small spoon, scoop a liberal amount of the cream cheese mixture into each jalapeño. Be careful not to overfill as the filling may spurt out during cooking.
Wrap each pepper with a strip of bacon, securing the opening in the pepper. Secure the bacon with a skewer.
Barbecue the peppers until they're lightly roasted, or until the bacon is fully cooked. Enjoy!

Makes 16.

*For a vegetarian variation, wrap the jalapeños in a basil leaf.

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Let's Dish: What Are Your Culinary New Year's Resolutions?

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:30:34 -0800

Every January, we are filled with renewed determination to be more organized, stop smoking, or lose weight. While I make plenty of common New Year's resolutions, since food and cooking are such an important part of my life, I make culinary resolutions as well. Whether it's sharpening my knife skills, learning an unknown kitchen technique, or experimenting with exotic cuisines, I always feel like I have something new to learn.

After reading Michael Ruhlman's Elements of Cooking, I've been wanting to make my own veal stock from scratch - a long, drawn-out process that takes more than a day. But the famous author and Next Iron Chef judge has made so many arguments about veal stock adding depth and body to sauce that I simply have to try incorporating it into my dishes.

What kitchen accomplishments are you determined to make in 2009?

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