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Top Chef Vegas: Episode 12

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:12:49 -0800

It was down to five cheftestants on last night's episode of Top Chef. The final Las Vegas challenge - the next two shows take place in Napa, California - highlighted the Bocuse d'Or, the world's most prestigious classical cooking competition. A plethora of big name chefs including Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud, guest judged. Ready to discuss? Keep reading.

Guess Who?

partysugar — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:00:32 -0700

Can you guess which chef was hamming it up with fellow French chef and this week's guest Top Chef judge, Daniel Boulud?

Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:07:52 -0700

Every Fall, to honor the return of television's most exciting shows, I like to host an informal premiere party. Two years ago I was all about Ugly Betty and last year I celebrated Heroes. This week I'm turning my attention to one of the CW's hottest shows: Gossip Girl. The third season debuts next Monday and I'm having my sister and best friends over for a dinner/watching party.

Since it's a weeknight, the menu is fairly simple. However, the recipes I plan on using are created by acclaimed chefs from New York City. When the girls arrive, I'll have Daniel Boulud's warm Camembert with wild mushroom fricassee ready and waiting.

For the main course, I'll throw together Mario Batali's spaghetti with shrimp and chiles. On the side, I'll serve a simple mixed green salad. For these scrumptious recipes, read more.

Warm Camembert With Wild Mushroom Fricassee
From Daniel Boulud

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnut pieces
One 8-ounce wheel of ripe Camembert in its wooden box, at room temperature
1 tablespoon walnut oil
3/4 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed, caps thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large sage leaves, minced
Sourdough toasts, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 minutes longer. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and sage; season with salt and pepper.
Invert the Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the cheese. Serve with the toasts.

Serves 4.

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Spaghettini With Shrimp
From Mario Batali

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 fresh Anaheim chiles, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound bay or small gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 ounces spaghettini
1 bunch arugula, washed, spun dry, and chopped into ribbons (2 cups)

Directions

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt.
In a 12-inch saute pan, saute the garlic in the olive oil over moderate heat until lightly brown, about 1 minute.
Add the chiles and continue cooking about 30 seconds longer. Add the wine and butter and boil over high heat for 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp, stirring until just cooked, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and remove from heat.
Add the spaghettini to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions, until tender but still al dente.
Drain the pasta and add the spaghettini to the saute pan with the shrimp. Place the saute pan back over medium heat. Stir gently until the spaghettini is coated with sauce, then toss in the arugula. Stir quickly until combined and arugula just wilted, about 30 seconds. Check the seasoning and transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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Chatting It Up With Iron Chef Challenger Ron Siegel

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:00:15 -0800

Now that Top Chef is over, I've got another professional chef showdown to discuss: Iron Chef. I'm a huge fan of not only the American version, but also the Japanese version that started it all. Recently, I had an opportunity to catch up with America's very first Kitchen Stadium winner, chef Ron Siegel, now the executive chef at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

On a sunny morning I met with the chef in his kitchen, which recently launched a small bites and half bottles menu. I was taken by his humility - "I'm not doing a great service here," he told me, "I'm just cooking" - and his candidness. To see what else he had to say, read more.

YS: How did winning Iron Chef change your life?
RS: When you're younger, you're not necessarily open-minded. I was younger, and set in my ways of cooking. Going to Japan introduced me to a lot of other influences. I don't watch TV. I haven't even seen Iron Chef in 10, 11 years. But I'm sure there are some great chefs; there are great chefs everywhere.

YS: How would you describe your style of cooking?
RS: It's very simple - everything is made based on what's available. The menu changes every day, and the farmers market sets the tone. The preparation is similar, but the garnishes may change. [Points to fruit he's cutting.] These are pineapple guavas from my neighbor - I gave his kids a ride, so he told me to take them. I don't know what I'm going to do with them, but they have a great smell.

YS: Who are your culinary influences?
RS: Thomas Keller, George Morrone, and Daniel Boulud. When I worked for Thomas Keller as his opening sous chef [at The French Laundry], it was crazy, long hours. But I've learned a lot; I've learned about perfection. And Julia Child. She wasn't some hottie; she just knew how to make great food. But she probably couldn't get a show now.

YS: How has food changed since you first started cooking?
RS: In the '70s, everyone was smoking and drinking. People are definitely lighter these days. They don't want something that's going to make them feel bad at the end of the day. Also, people want to be who they are - they don't want to have to put on a suit to go out for a good meal.

YS: Where are your favorite places to eat in the Bay Area?
RS: I love Picco and Marché Aux Fleurs. Manka's was probably my favorite before it burned down.

YS: What's your advice for the home cook?
RS: Work on your knife skills! It's all about practicing until you get better at it. Going to the farmers market is a great way to understand seasonality and introduce yourself to things. If you go every week for two years, you're going to know what's in season and what's not. Don't rush cooking food. It's a labor of love, like what I'm doing now [running chicken stock until it comes out clear]. Home cooks can bring that same passion to their food. It's a lot of time, and a lot of work. I'm not sure how I feel about those 30-minute meals.

Biggest Headline of 2008: The Bocuse d'Or Gains Momentum

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:00:41 -0800

This year has been a momentous one for the Olympics - not just in sports, but in the culinary arena as well. The Bocuse d'Or - considered the Olympics of food and the world's most prestigious award for French cuisine - is scheduled for Jan. 28 and 29, 2009 in Lyon, France. The rigorous selection process, however, gained plenty of attention in 2008.

It all began this Summer, when we caught up with Hung Huynh at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic, and the Top Chef Season 3 winner revealed his wish to be a semifinalist - which he was. In July, the American Bocuse d'Or advisory board, which includes Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Tom Colicchio, selected eight semifinalists to compete for the coveted chance to represent the US. The judges appointed were even more prestigious, with highly respected chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten involved in choosing a winner. On September 26 and 27, the semifinalists faced off in a culinary challenge hosted by Al Roker, Food and Wine editor Dana Cowin, and John Besh at the Epcot Center.

After two full days of competition, Timothy Hollingsworth, a sous chef at The French Laundry, was selected as the US representative. Currently, Hollingsworth is training directly under Keller as he prepares to represent America in next month's championships, where Paul Bocuse, the French founder of the competition, will be on hand to observe and officiate. No American chef has ever won the final competition and the closest one has come to seeing gold was sixth place in 2003. Could Hollingsworth be the first?

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Chefs Get Glamourous For Bravo's A-List Awards

partysugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:00:46 -0700

On Wednesday night, Bravo hosted their first-ever award show, the "A-List Awards" honoring those who have made a significant impact on the arts - beauty, design, fashion, food, pop culture - that are featured on the network's shows. Although the awards won't be televised until June 12, you're in luck because I have a sneak peek! Along with the judges Tom Collichio, Padma Lakshimi, Gale Simmons, and Ted Allen, the majority of this season's Top Chef contestants and some from seasons past were present at the event. This award show was hosted by Kathy Griffin who gave awards to the "A-List Chef" and "A-List Restaurant," but as far as I'm concerned, the highlight was seeing the chefs out of the kitchen and on the red carpet!

To take a closer look at the chefs including Daniel Boulud, Jose Andres, Rocco DiSpirito, Brian Malarkey, Dale Levistsky, Dana Corwin, and all of your faves from Top Chef Season 4 - read more.

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Let's Dish: Top Chef 4.4 - Movie Night

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:01:39 -0700

What did you think of last night's Top Chef? I was a little bit disappointed that they were working in pairs instead of as individuals, but I guess that's better than in groups. I also really enjoyed the movie theme and thought that was a fun idea. How about you, what were your fave and least fave parts of the episode? Answer those and my other questions, plus check out a gallery of images from the episode, just read more.

What's with Spike's hats? How many did he bring? How about Nikki, how many do you think she brought?
Whose quickfire techniques were you the most impressed by?
What did you think of Ryan's impersonation of Mark talking about movies? How about his description of A Christmas Story?
Couldn't you imagine Richard making a gumball that tasted like roast beef?
Two words: Andrew Ooompa-loompa.
Were you surprised by how many folks let their team members choose their film?
Which team's food did you want to eat the most?
Do you think the right team won?
Did you think Spike was going to go home instead of Manuel?
And finally, do love Daniel Boulud's accent as much as I do? Did you hear how he said "Morocco"?

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Photos courtesy of Bravo

Food Porn for Sale

YumSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:58:31 -0800

If the thought of Tom Colicchio's "Braised Monkfish with Pork Belly, Leeks and Cabbage" gets you all hot and steamy - and no "braised monkfish" is not a euphemism for anything - then you may be interested in this online auction. The show is called "Photography for Philanthropy" and it features photographs of food from star chefs such as Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud, Jean Georges Vongerichten, and Lidia Bastianich. They've all worked with famed photographer Diana DeLucia, who has captured their masterpieces with her lens.

If you'd like to have one these bow-chicka-bow-wow food photos on your wall, all you have to do is bid. The minimum bid is $250, or you could it buy it immediately for $950. Oh and the best part is that the proceeds are going to City Harvest.

Top Chef 3.8 - Restaurant Wars Recap

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:36:13 -0700

Just when I was about to give Top Chef's editors some kudos, I discover that the whole thing was a trick! Warning, if you haven't watched last night's episode - which I liked despite it being a trick - I'm about to lay down some spoilers.

Let's start things off with the quickfire challenge. When the cheftestants head down to the kitchen they are greeted by Padma and high-profile Daniel Boulud - or as Dale said, "Holy S*it it's Daniel Boulud." This time around the company they're promoting is Red Robin, and they're asked to create a new burger inspired by their line of "Adventurer Burgers." Surprisingly, most of the chefs create seafood burgers, and thankfully, Bravo decides to show us each creation. To ~~watch~~ find out what happens, read more

Tre and Sara (no need for the M. since there is only one left) find themselves in the bottom. Boulud felt that both burgers were more like sandwiches, although he did love that Tre's felt the most French. When asked to pick his favorites, Boulud chooses half of the cast: Howie, Dale, Hung and CJ. Ultimately it is the texture of CJ's scallop and shrimp burger that wins Boulud over. As victor CJ doesn't receive immunity - we're far too far along in the competition for that - he does however, get to choose three teammates, because we have finally reached that pinnacle Top Chef moment: Restaurant Wars!
CJ chooses Tre, Brian and Casey, meaning that the other team consists of Dale, Hung, Sara and Howie. The cheftestants have 24 hours to plan, design and run a restaurant of their choice. With 30 minutes to plan, $700 for food, $2500 for decorations and 45 minutes to shop, the contestants are determined to create winning places.

First up is CJ's team. Their restaurant is called "Restaurant April" - which I personally think is quite a boring name - and they're going for a new American cuisine. Their planning is quite smart and diplomatic, roles are passed around easily with Brian being the front of the house. Their restaurant is declared good, but definitely not flawless - Tre's potatoes were beyond smoky and the plates are dusty. Casey even has to come out to the front of the house to calm things down after Brian freaks out just a bit.

On the other side of the wall, the other team is running a restaurant called "The Garage." It's a contemporary take on an American Bistro - well maybe one that got stuck in the 80s, the black and white decor was a bit hated upon - and their food is deemed too heavy and rich for a hot Miami evening. They also made a very amateur mistake of doing scented candles in their restaurant, everyone knows you don't want to smell candles when you eat, you want to smell food!

At judge's panel no one is declared a victor, and just when I think Bravo's editing is finally starting to make for a riveting show - I could not figure out who was going home - we found it's because no one is going home. That's right, no one. It's a tie. In fact, it's a do-over, the challenge is going to happen again next week. It had come down to Dale and Brian, both who were front of the house and I think they couldn't justify sending someone because they weren't good hosts.

Personally I found it a bit interesting and I can't wait for next week. But until then, a few questions.

Did Padma get a new hairdo?
Why on earth would anybody put scented candles in a restaurant?
Which restaurant did you want to eat at?
What did you think of the presence of food blogger Andrea Strong?
Are you glad they're having a re-match?

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Play Our Chef Faceoff and Win!

partysugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:00:17 -0700

Have you ever wondered who is the better chef? Would you rather eat a meal cooked by Rachael Ray or Giada de Laurentiis? Jean-Georges Vongerichten or Daniel Boulud? Well, thanks to our faceoff game, you can stop wondering! As with all the faceoffs, when you play Who's the Better Chef you'll automatically be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 grand prize! For more details on the prize, check out the official rules. Or just start clicking!