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Steamy Sam Talbot Is Glad

partysugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 06:01:31 -0800

Glad has announced the results of this summer's steamiest chef contest. A promotion for their microwave steaming bags, the contest allowed online readers to vote for the best looking Glad chef. Surprise, surprise, the winner is ~~my future husband~~ Sam Talbot. The fan fave from Top Chef Season 2 totally blew away the rest of his steamy competitors.

As his reward, Glad's donating $30,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Sam's charity of choice. The money isn't the only thing Glad's giving away. They've created a free downloadable calendar featuring all five of the chefs and their recipes. I've already printed out mine and will be hanging it in the kitchen where I can read the recipes and admire the good looking chefs!

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The Search For America's Steamiest Chef

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:01:31 -0700

Some of you were upset with our list of the hottest guys on Food Network, so to make up for it, I have to tell you all about Glad's new "steamy chef" contest.

To promote their new SimplyCooking Microwave Steaming Bags, the folks at Glad have selected five chefs - they're calling them the "Culinary Fab Five" - who will compete for the title of America's Steamiest Chef. The chefs don't have to do much, as it's up to you to decide who's "steamiest." The winner of the contest will have $30,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, while the other four chefs will donate $5,000 each.

So who's in the running to be the steamy chef? The current leader is Top Chef Season 2 fan-fave Sam Talbot, but he's followed closely by Dave Lieberman, Govind Armstrong, G. Garvin and Aaron Sanchez. Of these five guys, who would you want steaming up your kitchen? And while you're voting, don't forget to enter the contest. The winner gets to go to Miami for a Top Chef VIP prize and dinner with the Steamiest Chef!

Source: PR Newwire

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.

'Wich of the Week: Spanish Monte Cristo

partysugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:00:08 -0700

I'm not much of a Monte Cristo fan. The classic sandwich straddles breakfast and lunch by placing ham, turkey, and cheese between two slices of French toast. The entire thing is topped with powdered sugar and jam resulting in a dish that to me, is messy and too sweet.

However, when I came across this Serrano ham and manchego cheese variation, my love for all things Spanish overcame me, and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did, this sandwich is wonderful!

The quince paste isn't as cloying as strawberry preserves and the addition of mustard provides a delightfully savory tang. Although the bread is dipped in egg before being placed in the saute pan, it tastes more like a really crispy grilled ham and cheese than French toast. To check out the recipe, read more.

Spanish Ham and Cheese Monte Cristo Sandwiches
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

8 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough or country-style French bread (each about 5 x 3 inches)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 ounces Manchego cheese, thinly sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
4 tablespoons membrillo (quince paste) or quince preserves
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

Directions

Arrange 4 bread slices on work surface. Spread each with 1/2 tablespoon mustard. Top each with 1/4 of cheese, then 1/4 of ham, folding to fit.
Spread 1 tablespoon quince paste on each of remaining 4 bread slices; place bread, paste side down, atop ham.
Beat eggs in pie dish until well blended.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 large skillets over medium-low heat.
Working with 1 sandwich at a time, hold sandwiches tightly closed and dip into beaten eggs to coat on all sides. Place 2 sandwiches in each skillet.
Cover and cook until bottoms are golden, about 4 minutes. Turn sandwiches over. Cover and cook until bottoms are golden, cheese is melted, and egg coating is cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.

Serves 4.

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Julie & Julia's Julie Powell Sets the Record Straight

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:20:00 -0700

The highly-anticipated film Julie & Julia, set for release Aug. 7, has sparked a renewed curiosity about both protagonists portrayed in the film: The late Julia Child, as well as writer Julie Powell, author of the memoir Julie & Julia. Over drinks, the self-effacing Powell, who was in town promoting the film, discussed the movie, the extramarital affair that is the subject of her next book, and her response to less-than-kind feedback from both Julia's editor, Judith Jones - and Julia herself. Get the scoop when you keep reading

Kelsey Nixon's Still Cooking Up a Storm

partysugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:23:17 -0700

When I first saw Kelsey Nixon compete on the Next Food Network Star last season, I knew there was something special about the perky blonde from Utah. Now, a year after she was kicked off the show, Kelsey is blazing a trail for herself in the food industry. Recently, I had the chance to chat with Kelsey and I was surprised to learn that while spirited, she's not overly hyper. Besides cooking with Spike Mendelsohn on her Food2 show, Kelsey's working as a kitchen consultant in New York City and is Pyrex's new spokeswoman. To find out what Kelsey thinks of Spike and see her impressions of the current cast of NFNS, keep reading

Scoop Your Own Olive Oil and Pine Nut Ice Cream

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:15:32 -0700

On the hot days of Summer, there is nothing like a scoop of ice cream to cool down. While I've enjoyed my fair share of store-bought ice cream, it was finally time to start making my own, so I recently purchased the ice cream attachment for my Kitchenaid. I was nervous about making ice cream (the custard can quickly curdle) and unfortunately, my nerves got the best of me: when I turned up the heat too high my first batch curdled at the very end of cooking!While I was disappointed with my first go, I had to give it another shot and I am glad I did. With a little more patience, I kept the heat lower and the second custard batch was a complete success. Intrigued by David Lebovitz's interesting ice cream combinations in Fine Cooking, I decided to make his unique roasted pine nut and fruity olive oil ice cream. The flavor definitely caught my guests off guard, but once they took a bite, they loved it! The pairing of olive oil and pine nuts is actually reminiscent of the more traditional butter pecan. If you are screaming for ice cream this Summer, keep reading.

Top Chef Masters: Episode 4

partysugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:01:39 -0700

After a week hiatus, Top Chef Masters was back last night with Douglas Rodriguez, John Besh, Anita Lo, and Mark Peel competing for their respective charities. Eggs, magic, Tom Colicchio, and Doogie Howser played supporting roles. Did you watch? Want to discuss the episode? Keep reading.

San Francisco Becomes First City to Require Composting

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:09:33 -0700

If you haven't jumped on the composting bandwagon yet, now might be a good time to start: composting is slowly but surely being written into the law. Last week, San Francisco, CA, became the first US city to pass a bill requiring mandatory recycling of food scraps. The legislation, which takes effect this Fall, asks all of the city's residents and businesses - including restaurants - to compost food scraps. Although a number of dwellers and establishments have voluntarily composted over the years, it is now obligatory.

Under the new rules, companies and city residents could face $500 fines if their garbage isn't organized into recyclable, trash, and compostable categories. Since I don't have a compost pail yet, it's high time that I invest in one. Although it's an extra step when taking out the trash, I'm glad to hear that the local government is being more environmentally conscious - and I hope other cities soon follow suit. How would you feel about mandatory composting in your neighborhood?

Coming Soon: Top Chef-Branded Chardonnay and Carnations

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:40:17 -0700

Sounds like Iron Chef wines will need to make room for some company: Top Chef wines. The New York Times reports that Bravo is moving beyond mere product placement on its shows, and is licensing its own line of products. Besides wine, the cable network's planning floral arrangements, cutlery, and cooking classes. In case your screen wasn't sufficiently overwhelmed with product plugs from Glad, Swanson, and Diet Dr Pepper, future Top Chef episodes will feature food-and-flora arrangements (such as a mix of daisies and brussels sprouts) in the background, with an onscreen graphic telling where to purchase the products.

Want to chop like a cheftestant? There'll also be branded knives from Master Cutlery and online cooking classes led by the contestants. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show while sipping on TC wines by Terlato Wines International, the group behind big labels like Santa Margherita and Rutherford Hill.

With waning advertising revenue, a number of media brands have turned to product licensing to bring in much-needed profits. In the past, Bravo charged a fee for featuring the likes of Glad and Swanson on Top Chef. But with its new licensing arrangements, the network will ring in even more money, receiving cuts from the sale of all its products sold online.

Do you think this will be a successful strategy for Bravo? Could you see yourself buying Top Chef-branded knives, wine, cooking classes, or flower arrangements?

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