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The Secret Behind the Chef

YumSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:00:18 -0700

Yesterday I brought you a quick video tour of my behind the scenes look at Hubert Keller's show, Secrets of a Chef. While I was there, I chatted with everyone from executive producer Marjorie Poore to the gals from the Culinary Institute who were prepping the back kitchen. It was an amazing morning and completely fascinating to see a show come together. We were there for a few hours - a teeny amount compared to the cast and crew's long 16 hours days - and I can't wait to tell you guys about what I learned. To check out all the details, just hit the "Start" button.

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Get a Sneak Peek at the Secrets of a Chef

YumSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:00:17 -0700

Recently I had the opportunity to take a behind the scenes look at Hubert Keller's cooking show Secrets of a Chef. Filmed in the Napa Valley, his fantastic PBS show is a mix of great cooking, relaxed presentation, and fun. I was absolutely nervous to meet such a prestigious chef, but it wasn't him I should've been scared of, it was his producer Marjorie Poore!

An award-winning cooking show producer with a meticulous eye for detail, she knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to tell people what that is. In fact, I watched her command Chef Keller to pick up a pot and put it back down five times until the angle was just right. Her technique was thoroughly impressive and the entire crew was a treat to work with.

I'll have more about the experience later, but for now I'll leave you with a video of what it was like. Consider it a little amuse-bouche.

Getting to Know Anne Burrell

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:00:08 -0700

Let me introduce you to Anne Burrell. Anne's a multi-tasker with many roles in the food industry. First and foremost, she's the executive chef of a restaurant, Centro Vinoteca, in New York City. She works at the restaurant six days a week and isn't much of a home cook. In her downtime Anne competes as Mario Batali's sous chef on Iron Chef America. However, her latest role is as a hostess of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, a new show on Food Network. This Sunday (at 9:30 a.m.) Anne's coming to a kitchen near you and she's teaching you how to cook like she does in her Centro Vinoteca. Earlier this week I chatted with the former Culinary Institute of America instructor, to see what she had to say, read more.

PartySugar: With your show, what are you hoping to teach the American people?
Anne Burrell: I want to help people understand that they can do restaurant food at home. I want to take the fear factor out of cooking. Cooking is such a daunting task to a lot of people and it doesn't have to be. It's not really rocket science. Once you know the techniques, like how to understand high heat, you can do it. When you cook, you have to be entirely comfortable. Cooking is like a dog when you're nervous, it knows your nervous. A lot of people think that cooking is genetic, and they say, oh I cook because my mom cooked. But cooking isn't genetic, you have to learn how to do it first before it becomes common sense. In the restaurant, we are always looking for ways to maximize flavor and minimize effort and that's what I'm going to teach you to do.
PS: Tell me about working with Mario Batali on Iron Chef.
AB: Well this season we are not doing it, due to conflicts in Mario's schedule during filming, but we are still very much a viable team. Being on Iron Chef is every bit as stressful as it seems. I just do my best and tell myself, I'm not going to be the reason Mario loses.

PS: What's your advice to the every day, home cook?
AB: My advice, sadly it doesn't seem that exciting, is to read the recipe! Read the recipe from start to finish before you begin to cook. When I was learning how to cook, I never wanted to read the recipe, but now I see how important it is because you can start doing what I call "crap detecting" where you filter out steps. Basically, you modify the recipe to get rid of the crap. Sometimes you'll read a recipe that says, saute the onions in one pan and the mushrooms in another and later you will combine the two in the same pan, so why not eliminate those first steps? Saute them both in the same pan, and save time while making the dish more flavorful.

PS: What's your favorite kitchen tip?
AB: Use salt! Generously use salt. Taste everything as you go along. Really sitting and tasting the food is something the home cook is reluctant to do. Food should taste good, you have to control that quality.

PS: What did you have for lunch today?
AB: I had a turkey sandwich on rye toast with mayo, lettuce, and potato chips. I always put potato chips in my sandwiches because I like that crunch.

Now that you know a little bit more about Anne, will you watch her show?

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Neapolitan-Style Mac and Cheese Is Dangerously Addictive

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:30:49 -0700

I don't take advantage of them too often, but lazy Saturdays are the best. Not only because I'm at home enjoying doing nothing, but also because my favorite shows on KQED, San Francisco's public television station, all happen to be on: Check, Please!, Made in Spain, Lidia's Italy, and Secrets of a Chef.

Recently the boy and I were watching an episode of Lidia's Italy in which she prepares a Neapolitan version of mac and cheese. Her recipe called for ditalini in lieu of macaroni, smoked provola instead of American or cheddar, and bacon, potatoes, and diced tomato. We sat there in captivation, practically smelling the sizzle of smoked bacon vaporizing in our living room.

We were so tantalized that we drove to the grocery store to make it immediately, with the notes I'd taken while watching the show as our guide. It tasted just as good as we'd hoped. Later, I got my hands on the book for the written recipe. Want it? Read more.

Top Chef Masters: Episode 6

partysugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:30:40 -0700

The first round of Top Chef Masters was completed last night. The final quartet of chefs included no females, but Jonathan Waxman, Roy Yamaguchi, Michael Cimarusti, and Art Smith. The best thing about this episode was the return of Gail Simmons. Did you watch? If you are interested in discussing, read more.

Is it bad that I secretly want Jonathan Waxman to win simply because he trained Bobby Flay?
Have you ever been to Roy's? Do you like his Hawaiian Fusion?
If you competed on Top Chef Masters, what would your charity be?
How fabulous is Art Smith? Wouldn't Richard from Top Chef 5 consider him a teddy bear?
Whose quickfire dish looked the best to you?
There was a lot of camaraderie between the masters, do you think the regular Top Chef contestants would have felt differently about the shop-for-each-other elimination challenge?
How inspiring was it when the chefs set each other up with wonderful ingredients?
When should a chef cook out of his comfort zone and when should he stick to what he knows?
"Gael Greene and I go way back." Do you think Jonathan and Gael had a fling in the 80s?
Are you excited for the Champions Round?

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Must-Read: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:40:24 -0700

"The best food doesn't have to be challenging in its preparation, but should recall our fondest food memories," Melissa Murphy writes in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. That pretty much sums up the philosophy of this cookbook ($17.82), penned by the brainchild of Brooklyn's popular Sweet Melissa Patisseries. Here, the French Culinary Institute-trained pastry chef reveals the secrets behind the refined, yet homespun, baked treats that the bakery's known for. Was the tome a sweet success? Find out when you read more

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:50:09 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

What's the secret to making perfectly balanced, creamy guacamole?
Aldo Sohm, Le Bernadin's sommelier, has suggestions for pairing grilled fish with wine.
Rock and Rye is an American classic that marries rye whiskey and rock candy.
Courageous chefs around the country have started adding gizzards to their menus.
Seven inexpensive yet refreshing rosé picks.
Dunkin' Donuts fans, rejoice: The chain has brought back its signature Vanilla Bean Coolatta.

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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).

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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

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Must Read: It's About Time

partysugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:15:09 -0800

If you live in the Boston area you may be familiar with Chef Michael Schlow.
A James Beard Award-winning chef, Schlow owns three wildly successful restaurants: Radius, Via Matta, and Great Bay. Although I've never dined at one of Schlow's establishments, I recently got my hands on his cookbook, It's About Time ($24.71).

Different from most cookbooks, this tome is not separated into courses. Instead each section represents a specific time - be it a cooking time (Time to Eat and Now) or a time in one's life (Time to Celebrate). To find out more about this excellent cookbook, read more.

Pros:

Unlike some cookbooks by restaurant chefs, this publication is totally accessible to the home cook.
There's something for everyone, from the busy mom desperate to feed her kids healthy food fast to the culinary bachelor looking to impress his latest fling with cooking expertise.
You really get to know Michael Schlow as a chef and as a person. In some aspects, this book is autobiographical.
The recipes use common ingredients and feature classic techniques that the home cook will be familiar and comfortable with.

Cons:

The organization of the recipes is hard to follow. The ingredients are listed on the far side of the page and instead of numbering the steps, the instructions are in an easy-to-get lost bulleted list.
Some of the recipes require cooking gadgets - like a mandoline - that most people might not own.

Recipes: There are over 150 recipes that cover every course from appetizers to cocktails to dessert. While the majority are simple, a few are complex with seemingly endless steps. Still, there are plenty that I am interested in making:

Steamed Prince Edward Island mussels with spicy tomato and herb broth
Yukon gold potato soup with shrimp, bacon, and potatoes
Secret agent raspberry bars
Clams in broth
Veal Milanese with arugula, tomato, and red onion salad
The Schlow burger
Jimmy's dancing punch
Homemade ravioli
Individual lemon sabayon tarts

Imagery: The book is filled with pictures, big and small, of the dishes, of the process of cooking an item, and of the ingredients. However, some are in color and others are in black and white; some are centered on the page and others are coarsely chopped out of the book. These inconsistencies aside, the photos are beautiful and mouth-watering.

Overall Rating: This book was a very exciting find, and I look forward to experimenting with Schlow's recipes. While it would not be my first choice for a novice home cook, it would make a great gift for a cookbook collector or foodie who loves recipes.

How To Host a Chili Cook-off

partysugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:00:40 -0800

Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of speaking with three of San Francisco's busiest chefs, the men behind the PlumpJack restaurant kitchens. Jack Falstaff's Jonnatan Leiva, PlumpJack Cafe's Rick Edge, and Balboa Cafe's Jose Lemus each stopped by Balboa to deliver a batch of their ultimate chili. The chefs, along with the firefighters of Station 16, are taking part in an annual chili cook-off, benefiting the San Francisco Firefighter Toy Program. Each chef submitted a recipe for a different type of chili. From now until Friday, November 7th, diners at Balboa will have the chance to sample all four and vote on their favorite. If you don't live in San Francisco you may not be able to taste the chili, but you could host your own chili contest! A chili cook-off is the perfect alternative to a formal Thanksgiving dinner or ideal for game day. To check out my ideas for hosting your own chili cook-off and the PlumpJack chefs' tips for making the best chili, read more.

When Hosting:

Start by asking a few friends (who enjoy cooking) if they would like to submit a recipe for your contest. Be sure you have enough space to keep the chili warm. For example, if four guests are bringing chili, you'll need four stove tops or oven space for several large pots.
A batch of chili serves a large group, so invite a bunch of people over to be judges.
To ensure that the kitchen isn't over crowded, have guests bring the finished chili dish.
Keep the menu varied and interesting by assigning each chef a different type of chili. The Balboa menu includes a beef chili, a pork chili, a vegetarian chili, and a super spicy chili.
Set up a toppings bar with grated cheese, sour cream, charred limes, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, cornbread, etc.
Make the judging anonymous. Give each chili a letter. Print out score sheets and grade the chilis based on taste, texture, smell, color, etc.
Decorate with dried corn and colorful chili peppers.
Serve plenty of cold beer.
Have prizes (a bottle of wine, a limited-edition flavor of Tabasco) for the winning chili.

When submitting a chili recipe:

Keep the recipe simple.
Get a good flavor base by slowly cooking the onions and garlic.
When making vegetarian chili use a lot of vegetables. Grilled mushrooms and grilled tofu are hearty substitutes for meat.
For maximum flavor-melding, cook the chili for a long time. If you need more stove top space, cook the chili in the oven.
Roast chili peppers before adding to the chili.
Take the time to brown the meat before adding it to the chili pot.

Have you ever hosted or attended a chili cook-off? What is your secret for making the perfect chili?

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