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Play Our Chef Faceoff!

Susannah Chen — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:15:19 PDT

Would you rather eat a meal cooked by Gail Simmons or Padma Lakshmi? Jean-Georges Vongerichten or Eric Ripert? Well, thanks to our faceoff game, you can stop wondering! Play Who's the Better Chef now - just start clicking!

Fabio Viviani on Upcoming Ventures and the Health Trends That Bug Him

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:19:22 PDT

Photo: Camilla Salem

Recently, we had the chance to spend some quality time with Italian charmer Fabio Viviani. After homemade pasta and cappuccinos for breakfast, and a series of hilarious one-liners, we grabbed a table at Casa Tua in Miami, and got to dishing. Even though he'd been out until 4 a.m. the night before, he had plenty to say about reality TV, the world of vegan cuisine, and his take on health food.

YumSugar: You rose to fame on Top Chef. Do you have any further plans for reality TV, on Bravo or anywhere else?

Find out his answer, plus other things he's been up to, when you keep reading.

Get to Know the 2012 Finalists For America's Top Food Awards

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:40:09 PDT

America is home to more than 100,000 head chefs - and today, a select few of them will be given nods as finalists for the James Beard Awards, the industry's top honors.

Among those who made the cut from the list of last month's semifinalists: David Chang, Tom Douglas, and Ina Garten.

Winners will be announced on May 7 in an award ceremony at New York's Lincoln Center, to be hosted by none other than Food Network's Alton Brown. The event, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, only promises to be more lavish than years past.

To see the list of finalists, keep reading.

Fabio Viviani: His Best One-Liners

Susannah Chen — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:49:29 PST

After a very late night the evening before, we were kicking ourselves for signing up for a Bertolli demo with Fabio Viviani at 9 a.m. the next day. But he greeted us with coffee (scratch that - cappuccinos!), and gave us a warm Italian welcome (you'd have never known that he'd gone to bed at 4:30 a.m.). "I'm not famous enough to have my own party in South Beach, but I do like to cook," Fabio said, as he introduced himself humorously before making fresh pasta. After that, we knew we'd be OK.

In fact, we were more than just OK - we were in stitches with the former Top Cheffer's zingers. To see a few of his best quotables from the morning, keep reading.

Homemade Pasta Is Fast and Easy With Fabio Viviani

Camilla Salem — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:45:25 PST

While in Miami, we had the chance to nurse our hangovers, Italian style. Chef Fabio Viviani's Bertolli demo was filled with laughs, mispronunciations, and homemade, fresh fettuccine. All in all, it was great fun, and we were surprised to learn that making pasta at home doesn't have to be the headache that it's made out to be. With a food processor, a pasta press, and a few staple ingredients, you can have fresh pasta in a matter of minutes.

A few helpful tips that Fabio made sure to stress: an "Italian tablespoon" is not the same thing as an American tablespoon (see above photo), quality products and ingredients shouldn't be messed with, and that extra-virgin olive oil shouldn't be used in high-heat situations.

If you're up for a pasta challenge, find the recipe when you keep reading.

8 Things to Know About Top Chef Texas Winner Paul Qui

Susannah Chen — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:22:21 PST

In case you missed it, last night Paul Qui took home the title on season nine of Top Chef. The executive chef of Uchiko and East Side King in Austin, TX, who won eight of the 16 elimination challenges on Top Chef Texas, beat out fellow finalist Sarah Grueneberg by coming out on top in an elimination challenge with a clam dashi broth and coconut-Thai chile ice cream.

Besides holding the champion title and being $125,000 richer, Qui now faces a higher public profile than he's ever held before. Whether you watch the show or now, there's no doubt you'll be seeing much more of him - so here are a few things you should know about the newly crowned Top Chef.

He's a James Beard Award semifinalist. Qui's been nominated as a semifinalist for the Best Chef: Southwest award and will find out if he's a finalist come March 19. Qui was named a semifinalist in the Rising Star Chef award category last year but didn't make it to the finalist round. Perhaps this year's TV win will give him the extra edge?
He hopes to expand his culinary presence. Qui has expressed interest in opening an eatery in New York someday.

For more on Qui, keep reading.

The Ultimate South Beach Wine and Food Festival Experience

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:03:58 PST

If you find yourself feeling a little bit left out because you didn't get to party in Miami with your favorite chefs and culinary personalities, don't worry. YumSugar has got your back. We have put together the ultimate 2012 SOBEWFF experience, complete with all the events we attended and the awesome people we had a chance to meet and learn from. After clicking through these photos, you'll be able to chat with your friends about how hilarious Bobby Flay was after he chugged his second mojito and how buttery and amazing stone crab really is. It'll be like you were there with us! And don't worry. We'll obviously keep your secret . . .

Spotted in SOBE: Culinary Personalities From A to Z

Camilla Salem — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:10:00 PST

The South Beach Wine and Food Festival offered some of our favorite people in the food world the chance to kick back, drink mojitos, and hang out with one another. Even though we were at a food event, the wine and cocktails part seemed to be the first thing on everybody's mind. From Bobby Flay chugging his two huge drinks on stage to Michael Chiarello doing a bit of a pole dance, click through to see who we spotted.

A Buzzed Bobby Flay Keeps the Audience Roaring in South Beach

Susannah Chen — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:00:25 PST

We've seen a lot of Bobby Flay cooking demos throughout the years, but over the weekend in South Beach, Flay was the funniest we'd seen yet.

"Wow, I'm wasted," the Food Network chef admitted to the crowd, after pounding down two giant mojitos in a row. The inebriated audience only encouraged him to drink more. For the most entertaining of Bobby's bytes, keep on reading.

Where in SOBEWFF Is Fake Guy Fieri?

YumSugar — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:36:47 PST

It's no secret here at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival that Guy Fieri's demo is hands down the most highly anticipated cooking demo of the festival. After all, last year's saw fanatical crowds and the onslaught of a slurricane machine.

While Guy's demo this year was a feat not to be missed, perhaps even more entertaining was the presence of a Guy Fieri impostor who we caught sight of while waiting for Guy's demo to begin. We thought he was the man of the hour himself from afar, with the shirt, the goatee, the spiky platinum tips, and the sunglasses - but quickly realized this man wasn't rocking the same sun glow that, hours before, was pouring us cups of homemade jungle juice at the SOBE afterparty.

It's no secret that Guy Fieri has impostors, but this one had no fear of showing up his favorite celebrity chef. Where did he turn up, one might wonder? Well, everywhere: in the tents tasting off-the-hook food, chatting it up with other festival-goers, and waiting for his idol to take center stage. Keep clicking to see some of the places we spotted Guy Fieri's impersonator.