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Kellan and Ashley Joke About Robert in SF, Aniston Hits the Stage in NYC, and Twilight Dominates People's Choice Noms!

Molly — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:29:32 -0800

Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene popped up to San Francisco yesterday for a fan event where they joked about shaving Robert Pattinson's head and what vampires smell like. They also have reason to celebrate - the Twilight saga dominated today's People's Choice Award nominations. Plus, we have video of Jennifer Aniston at last night's 24 Hour Plays in NYC and Spencer Pratt threatening to get a vasectomy. Watch PopSugar Rush now!

Iron Chef America Goes to the White House

partysugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:15:28 -0800

Last month Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, and Mario Batali headed to the White House. The chefs filmed a two-hour special of Iron Chef America that will open the upcoming season of Iron Chef on Jan. 3.

First Lady Michelle Obama got in on the fun, challenging the chefs to create a meal for America using only ingredients grown in the White House garden.

According to his Twitter, Flay joins forces with the White House chef Cristeta Comerford to battle Lagasse and Batali. The judges are a trio of females, chef Nigella Lawson, actress Jane Seymour, and swimmer Natalie Coughlin. Longtime host Alton Brown provides his usual enthusiastic commentary.

Over the past year the White House garden has spent plenty of time in the spotlight and I'm excited to get a better look at it on Iron Chef. How about you? Will you tune in?

In Italy, Obama Daughters Dabble in Gelato-Making

YumSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:00:02 -0700

Meet Malia and Sasha Obama, first children - and future gelato makers? While President Obama was in Rome, Italy, for a G-8 summit, the US embassy contacted the Italian capital's most renowned gelato parlor, Giolitti, to arrange an insider's ice cream tour for the commander in chief's daughters. At the historic gelateria, Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, donned aprons to become frozen-dessert makers for the afternoon. The sisters, accompanied by their grandmother, made blackberry and banana gelato. According to parlor owner Nazareno Giolitti, "Right after they made gelato, they tasted it straight from the machine, and the youngest one said, "It really tastes like blackberries." The girls, who Giolitti said "ate with great gusto," left with a whopping 6.6 pounds each of their ice cream, and took some home for the first lady.

Giolitti later showed a local television station a tub of some of the blackberry flavor the Obama girls created, saying that the leftover ice cream was immediately picked up by customers who wanted their cones filled with it. If I were him, I would have sold it for a killing on eBay.

Are you as envious as I am that the Obama girls had the opportunity of a lifetime at Rome's most famous gelateria?

First Couple Faces Criticism For Dining Decisions

YumSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:33 -0700

The first couple have continued to convey political messages about food with their recent dining choices. The Obamas spent Saturday evening in Manhattan, where they dined at James Beard Award-winning chef Dan Barber's restaurant Blue Hill before catching a Broadway show.

Within hours, news sites were awash with commentary on the first couple's romantic dinner. "Is it possible to be too political at mealtime?" the Washington Post posited, noting the couple has adopted a pattern of choosing eateries with strong local ties and sustainable food agendas. The Times' Frank Bruni called the decision "too pat and controlled," portraying the president as overly somber and self-restrained when it comes to enjoying food.

Ironically, the same day the Obamas were chided for overthinking dinner, the Times also criticized the First Lady for not going far enough in her message about food. Writer Amanda Hesser lauded Michelle Obama for bringing attention to the local foods movement, then criticized her for stopping short of promoting cooking. Wrote Hesser: "Terrific local ingredients aren't of much use if people aren't cooking them . . . Just as she highlighted American fashion by wearing the clothes of young designers, she could call attention to cooking by bringing America's talented young chefs to the White House for a food summit meeting."

Shouldn't the Obamas be commended for making educated dining choices? Is the media coming down too hard on the presidential couple? How do you feel about the food selections the Obamas have made thus far?

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How Much Do You Know About the First Garden?

partysugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:30:26 -0700

The Obamas have been causing a lot of buzz since they moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Not only are they puppy-proofing the premises, but they've also planted a much talked about garden. Have you been following all the hype? Find out now when you take my quiz on the first garden.

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Obamas to Plant White House Garden Today

YumSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:30:53 -0700

Today is the day that Alice Waters and other Slow Food supporters have been waiting for: the Obamas will begin planting a garden on the White House lawn, the first such victory garden to be created since the one Eleanor Roosevelt planted during World War II.

The garden, which will be overseen by Sam Kass, the Obamas' former private chef from Chicago, will provide food for the first family's meals and formal dinners. White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford will write menus based on what's available in the garden.According to First Lady Michelle Obama, the biggest reason for growing a garden is to educate children about the benefits of growing fresh produce locally. She said:

There’s nothing really cooler than coming to the White House and harvesting some of the vegetables and being in the kitchen with Cris and Sam and Bill, and cutting and cooking and actually experiencing the joys of your work.

The first lady, who will dig up soil for the 1,100-square-foot plot of land with fifth graders from a local elementary school, has stressed the significance of healthful eating ever since entering the White House. Last month, she opened up the White House kitchen for a press tour, and recently spoke about the importance of fresh, local eating.

Advocates of farm-to-table eating have been campaigning for a White House edible garden for months now, and there is little doubt that many eat-local proponents consider this to be a huge step in the right direction. To see what fruits and vegetables will be in the White House garden, read more.

Arugula
Spinach
Chard
Black kale
Red romaine
Green oak leaf
Butterhead lettuce
Red leaf lettuce
Spinach
Cilantro
Tomatillos
Hot peppers
Berries
Thai basil
Bees, for honey

What do you think of the project? What would you plant if you were Michelle Obama?

Michelle Obama's Agenda to Focus on Food

partysugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:30:25 -0700

After the election, many prominent foodies had high hopes of President Obama taking on the country's food system. However, they were disappointed when it became clear that the president has more important things to worry about than the nation's obesity crisis. His wife's agenda, on the other hand, will focus on fresh, local, and healthful eating.

Since moving into the White House, Michelle Obama has opened the kitchen up for a press tour while publicly discussing her family's diet. Last week she served lunch at a neighborhood soup kitchen, Miriam's Kitchen, an organization that offers 100 percent homemade dishes to the homeless. Of the experience, Mrs. Obama said:

You know, we want to make sure our guests here and across the nation are eating nutritious items. Collect some fruits and vegetables; bring by some good healthy food. We can provide this kind of healthy food for communities across the country, and we can do it by each of us lending a hand.

I'm happy to see that the first lady is being a role model and encouraging the country to understand the importance of nutritious, fresh, and delicious foods. Only time will tell if her efforts make a significant impact on the way we eat. What do you think of her foodie agenda?

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Michelle Obama Gives White House Kitchen Tour

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:00:13 -0800

Yesterday, before the National Governors Association Dinner - President Barack Obama's first official dinner at the White House - First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford opened up the White House kitchen to reporters from the New York Times and top students from L'Academie de Cuisine, a culinary school in nearby Gaithersburg, MD. Along with First Lady Obama, Comerford, Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, and former Obama private chef Sam Kass gave the community an opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes in the White House kitchen before a large event, and even sampled dishes, from citrus salad with watermelon radishes to Chesapeake crab agnolotti. Then the first lady opened up the floor for questions, asking the first: "Actually, how do you become executive chef of the White House?" she inquired. To watch the video and get a glimpse into the White House kitchen, read more.

Obama also spoke more about the White House kitchen's focus on local produce - as well as the first family's White House dining preferences. For instance, the Nantucket scallops are the president's favorite, while the first lady prefers the "mean waffles and grits." After watching the video, I'm impressed by Michelle Obama's community-outreach efforts as well as her down-to-earth sensibility. Do you agree?

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Obamas Bring Their Private Chef to the White House

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:00:55 -0800

When it comes to the President's preferences, we know he likes johnnycakes and medium-well cheeseburgers. Now we can add one more thing to the list: private chef Sam Kass's food.

Representatives for the Obamas announced yesterday that the family would be bringing Sam Kass on board. The 28-year-old chef, who cooked for the Obamas in Chicago, will now serve as assistant chef to White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford.

"He knows what they like and he happens to have a particular interest in healthy food and local food," said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokesperson for Michelle Obama. Before Kass founded his private chef service, Inevitable Table, the University of Chicago graduate trained at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Europe and also worked at top Chicago restaurant Avec.

According to former White House chef Walter Scheib, having Kass on board will make things easier for Comerford as well. "She will understand better and faster what they like," he said. "She doesn't have to spend months reading the tea leaves."

This news has no doubt thrilled the likes of eat local proponents such as Alice Waters, and I'm wondering if it's just a matter of time before an organic garden gets planted on the grounds. I have to admit, however, that I was surprised to find the Obamas had a private chef. I thought he was one to grab a bite at the drive-in like the rest of us. What do you think of the news?

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Obamas to Keep the Bushes' Chef

partysugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:15:54 -0800

Although there was much speculation over who the Obamas would appoint head chef at the White House, the President-elect and first lady-to-be have chosen to keep the current executive chef in the kitchen. Chef since 2005, Cristeta Comerford is the first woman to hold the coveted position. In a statement released last Friday, Michelle Obama praised the female chef:

Cristeta Comerford brings such incredible talent to the White House operation and came very highly regarded from the Bush family. Also the mom of a young daughter, I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families. I look forward to working with her in the years to come.

Despite pressure from prominent foodies such as Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, and Ruth Reichl, the Obamas have shied away from using the executive chef position to make a political statement about the state of food and agriculture in America. What do you think about the news? Are you surprised they're keeping the Bush's chef? Should they have chosen a more well-known one?

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