Michael Chiarello is no stranger to reality TV cooking competitions: he was a runner-up on the first season of Top Chef: Masters and has been a guest on Bravo's regular Top Chef series. When I caught up with him briefly at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, I was curious to know what would compel the seasoned chef — who's a fan of YumSugar! — to put himself on the cutting board once Read more

I'm currently obsessed with making homemade pizza, so when I sat down with Michael Chiarello last week at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, I asked the chef how he makes pizza at his house. Here's the method he shared: Chiarello pointed out that like most skills, practice helps, so the more pizza you make the better at it you will become. Start by following his recipe for basic pizza Read more

At the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, I sat down for a quiet chat with one of my favorite food personalities, chef and restaurateur Michael Chiarello. The chef looked laid-back, but debonair in a yellow sweater and formfitting black pants. We talked about his participation on the fourth season of The Next Iron Chef and his other upcoming projects, which include an iconic restaurant and Read more

At food festivals past, I've learned more than enough about new cooking tips and techniques I should be doing — but what about things we shouldn't be doing in the kitchen? At his seminar in Aspen, Cal-Italian maestro Michael Chiarello tackled spicy dishes from Calabria, Italy, but also took the time to touch upon a number of culinary no-nos. While some were highly specific and others were more Read more

Panzanella is an Italian bread salad that's traditionally made in the Summer with day old bread, tomatoes, and basil. However, I love this salad and I make it year-round. So does Michael Chiarello, apparently, because he's got recipes for Spring and Winter panzanellas that incorporate seasonal ingredients. Over the weekend I was invited to a picnic and decided it was the ideal time to experiment Read more

Although it's barely been six months since Marc Forgione was named winner of the Next Iron Chef, the Food Network has already announced the cast of the next round of competitors — and it's more star-studded than ever! Instead of featuring established restaurant chefs hoping to increase their profiles, the participants consist of well-known Food Network stars and Top Cheffers like Michael Read more

You're probably scratching your head wondering why this picture, which looks strangely like French onion soup, is labeled Irish onion soup. Well, let me explain. It's a jazzed up variation of the classic onion and bread-topped soup that uses two important Irish ingredients: Guinness and cheddar cheese. It has the same flavors as the traditional rendition, but the beer provides a delicious Read more

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) has just announced the list of finalists for their 2011 Cookbook Awards. Like the James Beards, the IACP winners are regarded as the best of the best in the food world. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the cookbook honors and finalists include Michael Chiarello, Rick Bayless, and Amanda Hesser. The IACP awards have the Read more

If you're a cheese lover, brace yourself because you are going to be amazed with this recipe. It's for parmesan salsa. Yes, you read that correctly: parmesan salsa! It's a fantastic dip that's made like any regular tomato salsa — with a food processor. Instead of serving with tortilla chips, pair the chunky cheese spread with toasted bread. Seriously, this addictive salsa is to die for; I've Read more

If you've never made your own flavored vodka, I highly recommend you do it this holiday season. The method is simple: you combine vodka with fruit, herbs, or seasonings and let it infuse for about a week. Then you strain the mixture, and the liquid you are left with is homemade flavored vodka. My favorite kind to make is cranberry vodka. The cranberries turn the vodka the most brilliant shade of Read more