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Debuting Today: Bobby Flay Radio

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:30:57 -0800

Celebrity chefdom sure is far-reaching. Rachael Ray does daytime TV, Paula Deen dips candles, and now Bobby Flay is hosting a radio show.

Bobby Flay Radio debuts today on Sirius Satellite Radio. On the talk show, the chef will offer advice to men on dating and dressing, talk sports, and discuss current affairs. Oh, and talk about food. Explained the show's host:

Food transcends so much now. It's become so much part of lifestyle. How you eat, plate it, how you dress, and how you live all have a lot to do with one another.

Flay's wife, actress Stephanie March, will also make occasional cameos on the show.

Are you looking forward to another extension of Bobby Flay's brand, or do you think the chef, restaurateur, TV host, and food personality has a little too much on his plate?

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Corn Pudding Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:50:27 -0700

When a beloved vegetable is at the peak of its short season, like corn is right now, I can't help but buy it impulsively. This means, of course, that I arrive home with loads of produce and no particular game plan for how to use it. But then I remembered that I've always wanted to make corn pudding, a dish that rivals mac and cheese in the comfort category.

Since I've got a surplus of fresh corn, I'll be removing the husk and silk from the ears myself and slicing the kernels off the cob to make pudding for a crowd. But if you're hoping to keep it speedy and simple, stick with a recipe that calls for frozen corn instead. Either way, you'll savor this sweet-salty side. Decide which is for you when you read more

Jamie Oliver and Ryan Seacrest Serving Up Reality Show

YumSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:45:14 -0700

Seems Jamie Oliver and Ryan Seacrest have more in common than a shared love of spiky hairdos. They also want to help Americans eat better. The British chef is preparing a new reality show produced by Seacrest, where Oliver will touch down in America's unhealthiest cities and give its residents good-food makeovers using local resources.

This isn't Oliver's first stab at improving the eating habits of everyday folks. In the UK, he has worked extensively on children's nutrition, including a 2005 TV series called Jamie's School Lunches, which prompted education officials to remake school meals. The idea struck a chord with radio host/TV producer Seacrest:

Seacrest said he talked about school lunches during a segment on his KISS FM morning radio show and was struck by the amount of listener response. Then he heard Oliver was looking to bring his public service campaign stateside. The resulting ABC show will not only tackle a city's schools, but workplaces and other avenues for change.

ABC has already ordered at least six hours of the show, which will focus on cities that have shown on up lists of "America's fattest." But ABC exec Vicki Dummer says the point isn't to make fun of Americans: "Jamie has been through this mission before. He will be an advocate for change, but not act like, 'I'm from Britain and you Americans are fat.'"

What do you think of this idea for a show? Do you think it sends the right message?

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Papa John's Founder Tells Customers Not to Overeat Pizza

partysugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:00:10 -0800

Late last week, the founder of Papa John's pizza chain, John Schnatter, warned customers against eating too much pizza. The unexpected advice was given during an interview with BBC's Radio Four program in the UK. Schnatter got himself into trouble when he said:

Pizza's actually healthy for you if you don't eat too much of it. You can't eat five or six slices but if you eat one or two slices it's very nutritious.

The BBC presenter, Adam Shaw, was quick to respond pointing out that he's not sure Papa John's "investors would want to hear you [Schnatter] tell people don't eat too much of our pizzas." Although some may see this as a horrible slip, I think Schnatter is responsibly representing the everything-in-moderation diet. Perhaps, if the creator of Garden of Eatin' blue corn tortilla chips had warned Oprah not to eat an entire bag, she would not have gained the weight.

What do you think of his comment? Was it wrong for him to state the truth because it could negatively affect the sale of pizzas?

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Did Bobby Flay's Restaurants Violate Labor Laws?

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:36 -0800

Let's hope Bobby Flay is ready for his latest throwdown: a lawsuit from his restaurant employees.

New York-based employees of Bold Food, the celebrity chef's restaurant group, have filed a labor violations lawsuit, alleging that the company cheated its employees out of wages. In the suit, filed late Thursday night in New York federal court, the employees claim the company engaged in improper tip-pooling practices, didn't pay correct overtime wages, and failed to reimburse workers who bought their own uniforms. Although the food personality has yet to comment on the lawsuit, I hope he's able to come clean on the issue.

With multiple Food Network shows, a slew of restaurants, several cookbooks, a brand-new Sirius radio show, and other endorsements, it's clear that the celebrity chef has his hands full. What do you think of the lawsuit?

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In the Kitchen With Tom and Padma

partysugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:15:27 -0700

One memorable highlight of the Food and Wine Classic was the Top Chef demonstration. Instead of featuring the winners or cheftestants, fans watched Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi cook together. He made an asparagus, mushroom butter fondue and she made flautas. The dynamic duo was incredibly entertaining as they flirted, fought, and got a little drunk. It was so wonderfully amusing that we took an exclusive video to share with you!

After the demo, Tom and Padma answered audience members Top Chef questions. To find out the TC secrets they shared with the crowd, read more.

Filming for Tom lasts five weeks. Filming for Padma lasts six weeks. Each episode is shot in two days: one day for the quickfire, the following day for the elimination challenge.
They judge each chef based on their last dish.
The judges have no interaction whatsoever with the cheftestants. If the chefs talk to Padma while shooting the quickfire challenge a producer will ask them to step away from the judge. The judges only know the chefs by their first names and only find out who they really are after elimination.
The cheftestants are put in a house and are forced to interact with each other. They have no phones, money, credit cards, books, televisions, radios, or any other contact to the outside world.
The guest judges who were invited on the show are friends of Tom.
When Tom first met Padma, he was skeptical and assumed she was no more than a pretty face. However, she impressed him with her food knowledge and eating abilities.
Padma says Tom spent more time in the makeup chair than she did because of his shiny head.

Simple Tip: Decorate the Bathroom

partysugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:15:03 -0700

Creating a soothing and inviting bathroom that is clean and pleasant smelling is essential to any party's success. If you have a disgusting bathroom it won't matter how amazing the food is, guests will only remember the gross bathroom. Here's how you can take your bathroom from every day to party day:

Start by cleaning it. Wipe down the mirror, clean out the sink, and wash the floors.
Hang fresh towels or stack nice bathroom napkins near the sink.
Make sure its stocked with essentials: toilet paper, tampons, Advil, Kleenex, etc.
If you don't want your guests to use or see something, put it away in a safe, hidden place.
Add a lush flower arrangement and light-scented candles.
Set up an ipod with soothing music or turn a radio to the classic music station.

How do you make your bathroom a welcoming space? Share your tips with us below.

Who's Going to Win This Year's James Beard Awards?

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:11:51 -0700

A little over a month ago, we tipped you off to the 2008 James Beard Awards Long List, and well the time has come: the long list is now a short list. This morning the official list of nominees was released. There are 52 categories including cookbooks, journalism articles, television, radio, web, restaurant design, and most importantly the restaurants and chefs themselves.

To discover some of the biggest award nominees, just read more.

For the full rundown, be sure to visit the official list of full nominees.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Joe Bastianich/Mario Batali, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca; New York, NY
Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants; Seattle, WA
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises; Chicago, Il
Wolfgang Puck, The Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group; Beverly Hills, CA
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-Georges Management LLC; New York, NY

Outstanding Chef Award
Grant Achatz, Alinea; Chicago, IL
José Andrés, Minibar; Washington, DC
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles, CA
Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar & Grill; Birmingham, AL

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Boulevard, San Francisco, CA; Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes, Owner: Pat Kuleto
Campanile, Los Angeles, CA; Chef/Owner: Mark Peel
Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY; Owner: Danny Meyer
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten
The Slanted Door, San Francisco, CA; Chef/Owner: Charles Phan

Best New Restaurant
Anthos, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Michael Psilakis, Owner: Donatella Arpaia
Central Michel Richard, Washington, DC; Chef/Owner: Michel Richard
Fearing's at the Ritz Carlton, Dallas, TX; Chef/Owner: Dean Fearing, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles, CA; Chef: Matt Molina; Owners: Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich
Osteria, Philadelphia, PA; Chef/Owners: Marc Vetri, Jeff Michaud; Owner: Jeff Benjamin

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A 16; San Francisco, CA
Sean Brock, McCrady's; Charleston, SC
Gavin Kaysen, Café Boulud, New York, NY
Johnny Monis, Komi; Washington, DC
Matt Molina, Osteria Mozza; Los Angeles, CA
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon; Portland, OR

Outstanding Pastry Chef Award
Gina DePalma, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca; New York, NY
Pichet Ong, P*ONG; New York, NY
Nicole Plue, Redd; Yountville, CA
Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson, Tartine Bakery; San Francisco, CA
Mindy Segal, HotChocolate; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Aureole, Las Vegas, NV; Wine Director: Steven Geddes
Bin 36, Chicago, IL; Wine Director: Brian Duncan
Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY; Wine Director: John Ragan
Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Wine Director: Andy Chabot
Picasso, Las Vegas, NV; Wine Director: Robert Smith

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Award
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines; Sebastopol, CA
David Lett, The Eyrie Vineyards; McMinnville, OR
Bobby Stuckey, Frasca Food and Wine; Boulder, CO
Terry Theise, Terry Theise Estate Selections; Silver Spring, MD

Outstanding Service Award
Canlis, Seattle, WA; Owners:The Canlis Family
Gary Danko, San Francisco, CA; Owner: Gary Danko
Spiaggia, Chicago; Owner: Tony Mantuano
Terra, St. Helena, CA; Owners: Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani
Vetri, Philadelphia, PA; Owner: Mark Vetri

Announcing the 2008 James Beard Award "Long List"

YumSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:15:51 -0800

The first round of nominees for the 2008 James Beard Awards have just been announced. Well not really, the judges were sent the "long list" earlier today, and the folks at Grub Street managed to get their grubby little hands on a copy.

The list is the best of the best in the US, and features quite a broad range. The categories are Restaurateur, Best Regional Chef (separate categories for each region), Pastry Chef, Rising Star Chef, Chef, Restaurant, Service, Wine Service, Wine & Spirits Professional, and Best New Restaurant.

It's interesting to me that New York City gets its own category, but since it's such a hot bed of culinary delights, I guess it's only fair to the rest of the Northeast. The lists definitely run the gamut of flavors and styles. There are some obvious names - like Mario Batali, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Wolfgang Puck - but there are some newcomers as well. Here at Sugar HQ, we're excited by the inclusion of several of our new fave eateries (SPQR and Spruce in San Francisco).

If you're curious, check out the entire long list of nominees. It's interesting to note that the cookbooks, newspaper articles, webcasts/radio, and restaurant design are not on this list. Those will surely be announced in the weeks to come, and when they do, we'll definitely let you know!

So, were any of your favorite chefs or restaurants on the long list? Do you feel that your region is well represented?

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The Next Food Network Star - 3.7 Recap

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:01:38 -0700

So um, wow. Did you guys see this coming? If you haven't watched the latest episode of the Next Food Network Star and are afraid of spoilers, then move right along, because something interesting actually happened this time.

I knew there had been a bunch of controversy over Jag's background - and thought it was a bit weird that Food Network has made no official comment about it - however I didn't think he would actually make it to the final two, so I assumed it wouldn't be a problem. Guess I was wrong. Jag made it to the final two only, you can't vote for him. To find out what happened, and why Jag was eliminated, read more

Okay, I've jumped ahead of myself, so let's back up a minute and start at the beginning of the episode. It starts off with Jag, Rory and Amy mixing up breakfast and what looks like mimosas, only to be joined by guest judge Bobby Flay and several folks from Food Network's PR team. They're told that they're doing a mini-media junket and are then whisked off to the XM Radio Stations to join the Ron & Fez show. Amy does wonderfully, Jag ends up talking trash about Food Network and Rory falls into every trap possible.

After the radio interview, the contestants are whisked back to the studios where they are interviewed and photographed by Star magazine. Jag keeps it positive and avoids questions about his past, Rory talks about how Food Network needs a bolder female personality (really? RR isn't bold enough?), and Amy keeps it real.

Once the interviews are over, they then head over to the Rachael Ray studios where they will each present their signature dish in front of a live studio audience. Amy is up first and does a good job of presenting, but accidentally comes across as snobby. Rory gets some funny looks from Bobby Flay (who seems bored out of his mind to be here) and pushes Rachael out of the way. While Jag wows the audience with jokes and charm, despite the fact that his recipe seemed more difficult. Oh and I wanted to take a second to note, despite what you think of RR, she's really good at her job. I noticed that whenever the contestants started to falter, she asked just the right question to get them back on track. Too bad she couldn't have come in and coached them earlier...

When the press junket is finally over, the judges decide that Rory is staying (my theory: RR is getting bigger than Food Network and Rachael lite is better than no RR at all) as is Jag (the guy is unstable and ridiculous, but he can sure entertain a crowd). I was absolutely stunned when they sent Amy home. She wasn't my favorite (I stopped having one of those weeks ago), but I thought she had the largest chance of staying in.

Now's where the interesting part comes in. We cut to commercial break, and when we return there is some white text on a black background describing the fact that Jag lied about both his service in Afghanistan, as well as his culinary education. They then show Jag telling the judges that he doesn't want to tarnish the FN name and is therefore resigning. I don't know about you guys, but I thought it felt more than just a little rehearsed. It's as if they said, you broke the rules, you're out of here, but so that we don't look dumb and you look like a good guy, you have a chance to resign on film. I mean, Jag's speech seemed like acting, don't you think? Oh and don't they do background checks on these folks? Shouldn't they have found this out before the public did???

So with Jag eliminated, who are you going to vote for? Amy or Rory? You've got until tomorrow - Tuesday, July 17 - at 9am/8c to get your decision in.

Does the fact that Amy is a "side-talker" (as in usually talks out of the side of her mouth) drive anyone else crazy? I think I'd vote for her over Rory, but it still drives me insane.