YumSugar

Keep 'Em Guessing With Complex Flavors of Tonnato Sauce

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:30:02 -0700

Two weekends ago, I joined a friend at a potluck dinner organized by Slow Food San Francisco. While I do support the movement's good, clean, and fair principles, I also realized I'd probably be dining amongst a fair share of victory garden-sowing, microwave-loathing culinary crusaders. Eager to please the environmentally aware diners at the potluck, I decided to bring a wholesome spread of unadulterated vegetables fresh from that morning's farmers market, served alongside a rustic Italian tuna sauce.

Flash-forward to dinner - I'd returned to the serving table for seconds after filling my plate with a few too many vegan farro and quinoa courses the first time around. As I reached for my tonnato and vegetables, and the guy next to me in line interrupted. "Have you tried that? I can't figure out what it is, but it is absolutely delicious. And have you ever seen a purple carrot before?!" I blushed, explained what went into the tonnato, and considered my mission to impress Slow Foodies accomplished. See the crowd-pleasing recipe.

A New Battle Begins Over The Next Iron Chef!

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:45:51 -0700

Days before the season finale of The Next Food Network Star - and hot off the heels of another captivating Top Chef Masters round - we've learned more about another foodie reality TV show. After the first successful iteration of The Next Iron Chef in 2007 (alums Michael Symon, Chris Cosentino, and Aaron Sanchez have all become Food Network personalities), the show is returning for a second season on Oct. 4.

This season will purportedly "take the contestants from Los Angeles to Japan to New York to compete in the food fight of their professional lives." Alton Brown hosts once again, with the competitors facing the wrath of three judges: returning panelist and restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, Vogue food writer Jeffrey Steingarten, and sustainable advisor (and Slow Food Nation director) Anya Fernald.

Who will be next to join the likes of Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, Mario Batali, Michael Symon, and Masaharu Morimoto (who just confirmed plans to open his first West Coast restaurant)? I've got my speculations - and I'd love to hear yours below. Find out who the 10 contenders are.

Yummy Links: From Milkshakes to Frank Bruni

partysugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:50:02 -0700

Twelve milkshake recipes that will have your mouth watering. - Chow
Learn how to put together a colorful candy buffet. - Hostess With the Mostess
What do you think will be Nate Appleman's next move? - Eater SF
Going camping? Learn how to make trout en papillotte. - Serious Eats
Every recipe on Epicurious now has wine pairing suggestions. - The Epi-Log
A look at the food of Apollo 11. - Eat Me Daily
Frank Bruni has officially unveiled his memoir. - Grub Street

Top Dishes From Food & Wine's Best New Chefs

YumSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:50:00 -0700

Every event I attended at the Food & Wine Classic this year was incredible, but my favorite meal at the Classic was the annual Best New Chefs Dinner, bar none. At a gorgeous estate in Aspen, festival-goers had a chance to sample top bites from the 10 sensations who were crowned this year's Best New Chefs. Scope out both the chefs and the dishes that took center stage that night when you keep reading.

View Slideshow ›

Announcing the 2009 James Beard Award Winners

partysugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:15:25 -0700

While the fashion world turned its eyes to the Met's Costume Institute Gala, the food glitterati had a celebration of their own last night.

The James Beard Awards, the food industry's equivalent to the Oscars, were announced in New York City at an awards ceremony hosted by Stanley Tucci (star of the upcoming Julie and Julia), Emeril Lagasse, and Cat Cora. The festivities celebrated "Women in Food" with a postceremony gala hosted by Lidia Bastianich. Thirty-eight awards were presented, while the Journalism and Broadcast Media Awards were announced the night before at a special dinner.

The top winners were Blue Hill's Dan Barber (Outstanding Chef) and San Francisco's darling Nate Appleman (Rising Star Chef).

To check out a list of winners and a gallery of images of the chefs in their finest, including Martha Stewart, Ted Allen, and Cat Cora, read more.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group; New York, NY

Outstanding Chef Award
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA

Best New Restaurant
Momofuku Ko, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: David Chang

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Gina DePalma, Babbo; New York, NY

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Le Bernardin, New York, NY; Wine Director: Aldo Sohm

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY

Outstanding Service Award
Daniel, New York, NY; Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow

For more details, check out the official list of categories and award winners.

View 22 Photos ›

Source

Summer Supper: A16's Tuna Panzanella

YumSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:00:45 -0700

A few weeks ago, I raved about a new Italian cookbook called A16 Food + Wine that has a delicious (and unique) meatball recipe. Well, I'm still learning great things from it. This week, I made a panzanella with tuna and capers, another item on the menu at the launch party. Every ingredient, from the briny capers to the fragrant basil, was well-balanced.

This is a fantastic meal to make if you've got too much bread or when your loaf is going stale. I left the capers whole, since I like their saltiness and texture. You can easily adjust the recipe to your liking; get your hands on it (and step-by-step pictures) when you read more.

Tuna With Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Capers, and Bread
Adapted from A16 Food + Wine by Nate Appleman

Ingredients

1/2 pound country bread
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Persian cucumbers or 1 English (hothouse) cucumber
1 pound tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 tablespoon capers, soaked 30 minutes and chopped
5 basil leaves, coarsely torn
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil-packed tuna, drained

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, toss the bread with about 1/2 cup olive oil, coating the bread evenly. Spread the pieces in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast for 10 minutes, or just enough for the bread to turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Slice off a piece of the cucumber and taste it. If the skin is bitter, peel the cucumbers. Otherwise, keep the peel. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut into chunks about the same size as the tomatoes.
Place the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large bowl, add the capers and basil, and season with a pinch of salt.
Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and the vinegar over the mixture and toss thoroughly.
Add the tuna and bread and toss again just until incorporated.
Arrange the salad on a platter and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 17 Photos ›

Food Section Sampler - July 15, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:00:30 -0700

Tim Hortons, Canada's beloved doughnut and coffee chain, is taking on New York. - New York Times
Local darling and Beard Award winner Nate Appleman is leaving San Francisco restaurants A16 and SPQR. - San Francisco Chronicle
Frozen fruit soufflés surpass ice cream in complexity. - Los Angeles Times
Inedit, Ferran Adria's new wine-style beer, falls flat. - Chicago Tribune
The hottest topics touched on at foremost spirits convention Tales of the Cocktail. - Washington Post
Cooks are preparing more beef at home - which means markets are able to lower the price of meat. - Wall Street Journal
A pie crust taste test reveals shocking results. - Boston Globe

Photo by flickr user VirtualErn

Food & Wine Announces 2009's Best New Chefs

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:53:19 -0700

It's the moment the restaurant world has been waiting for: Food & Wine just announced the winners of its annual Best New Chefs awards, which are given to the nation's most promising new chefs.

Considering previous winners have included such celebrated chefs as Tom Colicchio and David Chang, this title could mean a very bright future ahead for 10 of the nation's burgeoning chefs. To find out who they are, read more.

Paul Liebrandt, Corton; New York, NY
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast; Portland, OR
Barry Maiden, Hungry Mother; Cambridge, MA
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal; Los Angeles, CA
Bryan Caswell, Reef; Houston, TX
Christopher Kostow, Meadowood; St. Helena, CA
Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene; Atlanta, GA
Mark Fuller, Spring Hill; Seattle, WA
Kelly English, Iris; Memphis, TN

I'm thrilled that my local favorite, Nate Appleman, has finally gotten some national recognition (he's also up for the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year Award). Of course, this means reservations are going to be even more difficult to get! Do you plan on checking out any of these chefs?

Source

Meet the 2009 James Beard Award Nominees!

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:30:53 -0700

Last month, we introduced you to the semifinalists for the 2009 James Beard Awards. This morning, the short list of final nominees was unveiled, and the winners of the awards - nicknamed the "Oscars of the food world" - will be revealed at an awards gala at Manhattan's Lincoln Center on May 4. In addition to the highly anticipated nominations for outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, and outstanding restaurant, among others, the foundation's other honors - in cookbooks, newspaper writing, restaurant design, and blogs - were also announced.

Did any of your favorite chefs and restaurants make the list? View the all the nominations, or check out a summary of some of the biggest award nominees when you read more.

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants; Seattle, WA
Keith McNally, Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Pastis; New York, NY
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises; Chicago, IL
Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group; New York, NY
Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurant Organization; Philadelphia, PA

Outstanding Chef Award
José Andrés, Minibar; Washington, DC
Dan Barber, Blue Hill; New York, NY
Tom Colicchio, Craft; New York, NY
Suzanne Goin, Lucques; Los Angeles, CA
Paul Kahan, Blackbird; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Babbo, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Mario Batali, Owner: Joe Bastianich
Boulevard, San Francisco, CA; Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes, Owner: Pat Kuleto
Fore Street, Portland, ME; Chef/Owner: Sam Hayward, Owner: Victor Leon and Dana Street
Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL; Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt
Jean Georges, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Nate Appleman, A16; San Francisco, CA
Sean Brock, McCrady's; Charleston, SC
Johnny Monis, Komi; Washington, DC
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon; Portland, OR
Michael Solomonov, Zahav; Philadelphia, PA
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's; New Orleans, LA

Best New Restaurant
The Bazaar by José Andrés, Los Angeles, CA; Chef/Owner: José Andrés
Corton, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Paul Liebrandt, Owner: Drew Nieporent
L20, Chicago, IL; Chef: Laurent Gras, Owner: Richard Melman
Momofuku Ko, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: David Chang
Scarpetta, New York, NY; Chef/Owner: Scott Conant

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Gina DePalma, Babbo; New York, NY
Kamel Guechida, Joël Robuchon; Las Vegas, NV
Pichet Ong, P*ong; New York, NY
Nicole Plue, Redd; Yountville, CA
Mindy Segal, Mindy's Hot Chocolate; Chicago, IL

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Bin 36, Chicago, IL; Wine Director: Brian Duncan
Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Wine Director: Andy Chabot
Le Bernardin, New York, NY; Wine Director: Aldo Sohm
Patina, Los Angeles, CA; Wine Director: Eric Espuny
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV; Wine Director: Robert Smith

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.; New York, NY
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines; Sebastopol, CA
Garrett Oliver, The Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn, NY
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards; Napa, CA
Julian P. Van Winkle, III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery; Louisville, KY

Outstanding Service Award
Daniel, New York, NY; Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow
Emeril's New Orleans, New Orleans, LA; Owner: Emeril Lagasse
La Grenouille, New York, NY; Owners: Charles Masson and Giséle Masson
Spiaggia, Chicago, IL; Owner: Larry Levy
Vetri, Philadelphia, PA; Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin

Source

Forbes Names Top 10 Up-and-Coming Celebrity Chefs

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:28:31 -0700

We all know Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, and loads of other celebrity chefs, but have you heard of Zakary Pelaccio, Nate Appleman, or April Bloomfield? The folks at Forbes magazine think you should be paying attention because you soon will. In recent article, Forbes has named their top 10 up-and-coming celebrity chefs. These are the folks who are part of the next generation to step into the spotlight.

Many of their picks have seasoned careers - despite being young - and have been pegged as James Beard nominees and have previously graced the cover of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs issue. Forbes chose to highlight them due to the fact that many are making waves with their back-to-basics techniques. Susan Ungaro, the president of the James Beard Foundation, agrees with them and says:

Today's rising stars are taking food in an artisanal direction. When they talk about the menu, they can tell you not only where the lamb was raised, but where the butter came from.

To find out who made their list - and if one of these chefs is in your neighborhood, go eat at their restaurant before it takes months to get a reservation! - just read more.

Nate Appleman, A16 and SPQR; San Francisco, CA
April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig; New York, New York
Gabriel Bremer, Salts; Boston, MA
Francois Kwaku-Dongo, l'escale; Greenwich, CT
Jehangir Mehta, Graffiti and Partistry; New York, NY
Johnny Monis, Komi; Washington, DC
Zakary Pelaccio, Fatty Crab and Chop Suey; New York, NY
César Ramirez, Bar Blanc; New York, NY
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon; Portland, OR
Paul Virant, Vie; Western Springs, IL

Source