YumSugar

Top Chef Recap 5.12: The Last Supper

partysugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:08:00 -0800

We were down to the wire on last night's episode of Top Chef. With only 5 cheftestants left, they were truly put to the test in the final New York City elimination. Each had to make a special dish for a world-renowned culinary figure. Want to discuss the details? Well please (warning: spoilers ahead) read more.

Why hasn't Fabio won a quickfire challenge?
Was this the longest quickfire challenge? They had an entire hour to make eggs!
What would be your last supper?
Were you glad to see Harold the winner of season 1, during the commercial break? I was!
Is Stefan overly confident?
Whose last supper dish was the weakest? Whose was the strongest?
Was Fabio the unfair winner? After all, his dish - roast chicken, potatoes, and salad - was an easy, home-style dinner.
Was Tom especially hard on the cheftestants during judges' table?
Are you surprised Carla made it this far?
Who are your picks for the final three? I'll start: Stefan, Hosea, and Carla.
Are you excited for the final in New Orleans? I can't wait!

Source

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:15:47 -0700

Besides enjoying lamb and couscous at the Marcus Samuelsson BlueStar demonstration, I also savored the tasty beef stir-fry pictured below. The beef was eaten with a special type of Ethiopian flat bread. Do you know what it's called?

Would You Eat This Lamb and Couscous Without Utensils?

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:30:49 -0700

Last week before interviewing Marcus Samuelsson, I ate his African spiced lamb chops and mango lime couscous. The pairing was delicious: the meat was moist and succulent and the couscous flavorful and exotic.

While the ingredients were not grossly insane, the method for eating the dish was out of the ordinary. There were no serving utensils and the chef requested that we eat the lamb while using the bone to scoop the couscous out of the bowl.

I greatly enjoyed sucking on the lamb bone as it doubled as a spoon, however I can understand how some people might not be interested in eating without utensils. Do you have a problem with it?

Meeting Marcus Samuelsson

partysugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:20:16 -0700

Last week I was invited to a demonstration hosted by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. An awarding-winning chef and cookbook author, Samuelsson is known for his role as chef and owner of Aquavit, New York City's innovative restaurant devoted to Scandinavian cuisine. Taking inspiration from his Ethiopian roots, the chef recently opened his first African restaurant, Merkato 55. His love for African cuisine was illustrated at the demo where he cooked shrimp piri piri in lettuce wraps and rack of lamb with couscous. In San Francisco to promote BlueStar cooking ranges, Samuelsson took some time out of his hectic schedule to speak with me. To see where he likes to eat in San Francisco and hear what he has to say about his buddy Rocco DiSpirito, read more.

Samuelsson is friendly yet focused, personable yet professional. The chef, who was angered by buzzed, pretentious fans who interrupted our interview, clearly values respect, privacy, and consideration.

His favorite places to eat in San Francisco: Samuelsson enjoys the Ferry building and all it has to offer. He recommends "the Mexican food stand behind the building" because "it has the most amazing breakfast burrito." The Slanted Door and Coi are other favorites.
The difference between food in San Francisco and food in New York: Both cities are incredibly "magical in different ways." Out of the two, "New York has a true reflection of the world. The entire world is right there. However, New York doesn't have the same sort of relationship to farmers. The relationship, the bond that the chef has with farmers, that was started by Alice and the Berkeley hippies is still something that is very San Francisco."

The ingredients he can't live without: Anything in season. Samuelsson enjoys the farmers' markets and is quick to point out that New York City has over 42 farmers' markets.

On a typical night at Merkato: The restaurant is so new that he is focusing on communicating. It's his goal to teach everyone (the customers, his staff, food writers, the purveyors) the "elegant nuisances of African food." Although the majority of African ingredients can be found in 13 mom and pop stores, Samuelsson hopes that in the future African ingredients will be common and found in stores nationwide.

His tip for the everyday home cook: Understand the seasons. Look at food as you would clothes. Just as you wear certain things in the Winter and other things in the Summer, you should do the same with food. Even fish has seasons. If he were to serve a meal tonight, he would use wild salmon and pair it with delicious heirloom tomatoes. He says, "rather than try and make complicated dishes, make simple dishes that highlight the food that's in season."

What he thinks of his pal Rocco DiSpirito: Samuelsson feels Rocco is tragically misunderstood by the food industry. He believes Rocco is the best chef in America and is sad that one teeny mistake ruined his reputation as a chef. He's also confident that Rocco has what it takes to make a come back

After speaking with the chef, I was eager to get home and practice what he preached. The next time I'm in New York, I hope to eat at one of his restaurants.

Source

Yummy Link: Everything You Wanted to Know About Ethiopian Restaurants

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 05:51:19 -0700

If you're hoping to try Ethiopian food, you might want to check out this ultimate Ethiopian food resource. Here you'll find Ethiopian restaurants around the world, recipes and more - like this interview with Ethiopian born, acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson. - Ethiopian Restaurant

Bravo Picks Up Second Season of Top Chef Masters

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:30:52 -0700

As Bravo's Top Chef Las Vegas reaches the halfway mark, the network continues to expand its Top Chef empire. First it released plans to shoot Top Chef 7, and now the network has announced that it's bringing back Top Chef Masters for a sophomore season.

The second season of Masters, which was the highest-rated first season competition series in Bravo history, will see the return of Gael Greene, James Oseland, and Jay Rayner as critics, as well as bubbly (and slightly bubbleheaded) host Kelly Choi. This time, however, Top Chef veteran judge Gail Simmons will also have a place at the Critics' Table.

Now for the fun part. Guessing who will star on the show next. Any takers? Here are my guesses: While it sounds like Ming Tsai probably won't be a contender, what about Marcus Samuelsson, Tom Douglas, Kent Rathbun, and Charlie Palmer?

Photo courtesy of Bravo

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

partysugar — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:30:42 -0700

Here are six items you must have to make it through the month of July.
Check out Steven Raichlen's tips for better barbecue.
Meet Chef Marcus Samuelsson.
Test your coffee I.Q.
Make homemade versions of these childhood favorites: nutter butters and marshmallows.
Beer: it's not just for boys!
What foods did you once dislike but now love?
Hell's Kitchen is down to the final two.
Do you know Starbucks by the numbers?

All The News That's Fit To Eat - Feb. 6, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:18:31 -0800

Come eat Tet for the Vietnamese New Year. - Boston Globe
Hungry for a morning meal? Here are 14 memorable movie breakfasts. - Entertainment Weekly.
If lentils sound unappealing to you, think again. Special lentil varieties are finding their way into kitchens of chefs and home cooks. - San Francisco Chronicle
Ever wonder how folks with obsessive-compulsive disorder cope with restaurants? Plus, Mark Bittman has a new blog and Marcus Samuelsson's African eatery opens this week. - New York Times
Learn how to make your own butter. - Tuttifoodie
LA's Little Saigon is home to a revitalized dining scene. - Los Angeles Times
Usually eaten during Lent, capirotada is a Mexican bread pudding full of flavor. - Houston Chronicle
Celebrate Chinese New Year with the symbol of long life: noodles. - Chicago Tribune
Is this the banh mi of my dreams? - Washington Post
Discover the bold bites of Spanish flavor, including a Spanish Corrida Lemon Drop. - Seattle Times

Around the World in One Thanksgiving

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:01:38 -0800

Growing up in a multiracial house, Thanksgiving was a smorgasbord of flavors. We had classic stuffing along with piles of rice and stir-fried vegetables. Although Thanksgiving does often mean a great, big Turkey with all the fixings, for some it means a marriage of those classics with their heritage.

Recently, New York Magazine asked several of New York's top ethnic chefs to create globalized yet traditional Thanksgiving menus. Each chef took the classics - turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green beans or Brussels sprouts, and pumpkin pie - and reinvented them to suit their culinary culture. The result was five delicious sounding menus: Mexican (Aarón Sánchez), French (Laurent Tourondel), Italian (Fabio Trabocchi), Chinese (Joe Ng), and African (Marcus Samuelsson). If you're looking for a way to spice up your Thanksgiving, you could try one of these menus, or mix and match to create your own.

I'm personally hoping to try something off of each one, but am probably going to have to start with the Lemongrass Turkey Rolls, the Pumpkin Mash, or the Potato-Gnocchi Gratin. How about you, where would you begin? Which menu sounds the best to you?

Source

2007 James Beard Award Winners

YumSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 13:15:12 -0700

Last night the who's who of the food world all came out for the James Beard Foundation Awards. If you're not sure what that is, let me just say that it's sort of like the Oscars of the food world. They give awards to several categories of cookbooks, journalism, chefs, media, and more (including humanitarian & lifetime achievement awards). The "They" is a group of Awards Committees consisting of food-industry professionals. The judges are chosen by the committees and choose the winners by reviewing all entries and voting via secret ballot. Oh and just to be fair, if you're a judge, you can't enter to win in that category.

So now that all the rules and regulations are spelled out let's talk about the winners. The big "star" of the night was David Chang (pictured) of Momofuku in New York who won the award for Rising Star Chef of Year. Also noteworthy was Traci Des Jardins of Rubicon here in San Francisco, she was one of the few female chefs to win anything (she won the Pacific regional award for Best Chef).

For the list of winners and a gallery of folks on the red carpet, including: Martha Stewart, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi with NY's Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Salman Rushdie and Bobby Flay (who was inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America), read more

Winners list after the gallery. Check out the James Beard Foundation website for a full list of winners (including nominees).

View 27 Photos ›

RESTAURANT AND CHEF AWARDS

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Thomas Keller of The French Laundry
Outstanding Chef Award
Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle
Outstanding Restaurant Award
Frontera Grill Chef/Owners: Rick and Deann Bayless
Best New Restaurant
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Rising Star Chef Of The Year
David Chang of Momofuku Noodle Bar
Outstanding Pastry Chef Award
Michael Laskonis of Le Bernardin
Outstanding Wine Service Award
Michel Richard Citronelle - Wine Director: Mark Slater
Outstanding Wine And Spirits Professional Award
Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards
Outstanding Service Award
Tru Owners: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA

Best Chef: Great Lakes
Grant Achatz Of Alinea

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
R. J. Cooper III of Vidalia
Frank Ruta of Palena

Best Chef: Midwest
Celina Tio of The American Restaurant

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)
David Waltuck of Chanterelle

Best Chef: Northeast
Frank Mcclelland of L’espalier
Best Chef: Northwest
John Sundstrom of Lark

Best Chef: Pacific
Traci Des Jardins of Jardinière

Best Chef: Southeast
Scott Peacock of Watershed

Best Chef: Southwest
Nobuo Fukuda of Sea Saw

Best Chef: South
Donald Link of Herbsaint

AMERICA’S CLASSICS

Aunt Carrie’s Owner: Elsie Foy
Brookville Hotel Owners: Mark and Connie Martin
Doe’s Eat Place Owners: The Signa Family
The Pickwick Owner: Christopher Wisocki
Primanti Brothers President: Demetrios Patrinos
Weaver D’s Owner: Dexter Weaver

BOOK AWARDS

Cookbook of the Year
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Cookbook Hall of Fame
Moosewood Cookbook
Mollie Katzen
Asian Cooking
Cradle of Flavor
James Oseland
Baking and Desserts
Baking: From My Home to Yours
Dorie Greenspan
Cooking from a Professional Point of View
Grand Livre de Cuisine: Alain Ducasse’s Desserts and Pastries
Alain Ducasse and Frédéric Robert
Entertaining and Special Occasions
The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining
Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
Food of the Americas
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Matt Lee and Ted Lee
General
Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every Day
Roy Finamore
Healthy Focus
Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way
Lorna Sass
International
The Soul of a New Cuisine
Marcus Samuelsson
Reference
What to Eat
Marion Nestle
Single Subject
The Essence of Chocolate
John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg
Wine and Spirits
Romancing the Vine
Alan Tardi
Writing on Food
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Michael Pollan
Photography
Michael Mina
Photographer: Karl Petzke

HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

Art Smith

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Barbara Kafka

WHO’S WHO OF FOOD & BEVERAGE IN AMERICA

José Andrés
Jim Clendenen
Bobby Flay
Dorie Greenspan
Michael Pollan

Full list of winners - including nominees

Image Source