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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

Top Chef Vegas: Episode 2

partysugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:30:30 -0700

With Top Chef Masters officially over we can finally turn our attention to getting to know the 16 remaining chefs on Top Chef Vegas. The second episode aired last night and after watching, I've come to several conclusions. Mike might be the world's biggest douche, Kevin's beard and Jesse's lip ring are distracting, and Jennifer scares me. To discuss all the delicious details, read more.

Todd English: hot or not?
Re: Jennifer - Does a female have to be mean and tough to succeed as a chef?
Do you enjoy the behind-the-scenes videos Bravo airs during the commercials?
My favorite line: "It's true, gay guys grow flowers better than straight guys." What quote stood out in your mind?
Was Ashley being too sensitive or does she have a right to be offended?
Isn't it weird that the bachelor/ette parties are in the exact same place?
Did the producers choose the boys vs. girls challenge because they knew it was easy drama? The boys put down the girls, the girls put down the boys. The boys think they are better, the girls think they are better. The boys act stupid and jump in the pool, the girls act superior and annoyed. It seemed scripted.
That being said, don't the boys' dishes seem way more sophisticated than the girls?
Could the brothers make it to the final three?
Overall, how do you feel about this season so far?

Did I forget something? Please bring up more discussion points below!

Photo courtesy of Bravo

How Well Do You Know the Top Chef Judges & Contestants?

partysugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:50:24 -0700

Hey Top Chef fans, get excited: the new season debuts this Wednesday night at 9 p.m.! To get everyone in the mood for the next round in Las Vegas, I put together a fun quiz that tests your knowledge of the judges and past contestants. I'll list a judge's quote, and you have to guess which cheftestant it's about. So, what are you waiting for? Play away!

Question 1 of 10

"In the end, she realized her strength. She's a chef who needs to roll something over in her brain, try it out 15 different ways, refine it, and then she'll nail it."

Michelle, Rachel, and Mindy Glam Up NBC's TCA Party

Molly — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:10:10 -0700

NBC and Bravo had their chance to play party host in Pasadena last night for the TCAs. Michelle Trachtenberg could only stay for a second before heading to her mom's birthday party, but she still dished even more on Gossip Girl - check out the exclusive interview in today's PopSugar Rush! Most of the cast of The Office came out to support their show, and Mindy Kaling even gave Buzz the scoop on the upcoming Jim and Pam wedding! Rachel Zoe and her husband also posed on the red carpet as they gear up for season two of Rachel's show and the launch of her newsletter. There's a lot more to come from all our interviews and the events are rolling on today, so don't forget to check out all of our TCA coverage here .

To see more from the party including B.J. Novak, Benjamin McKenzie, Jay Leno, Mindy Kaling, and others, just read more.

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Images include: B.J. Novak, Benjamin McKenzie, Greg Grunberg, Howie Mandel, Jay Leno, Kathy Griffin, Mary McCormack, Michelle Trachtenberg, Rachel Zoe, Yvonne Strahovski, Adrian Pasdar, Gail Simmons, Chevy Chase, Tiffani Thiessen, Mindy Kaling, Joel McHale, Zachary Levi, Oscar Nunez; Kate Flannery, Creed Bratton, Roger Berman, Taylor Shilling, Aubrey Plaza, Gail Simmons, Sarah Lancaster, Aimee Teegarden, Connie Britton

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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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.

A Look at the Food & Wine Classic Quickfire

partysugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:39 -0700

The final event at the Food & Wine Classic features the current winner of Top Chef on Sunday morning. Normally it's a cook-off between the cheftestant and an acclaimed chef like Jacques Pepin. However, this year they decided to do something different and pit two Top Chefs, Stephanie Izard and Hosea Rosenberg, against each other. The chefs were given 25 minutes to create a gourmet breakfast for Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, Dana Cowin, and a lucky audience-member who bid $15,000 to act as a guest judge. Want to know what went down at the quickfire? Keep reading

Gail and Tom Reveal Details From Top Chef Vegas

partysugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:50:41 -0700

At the beginning of every Top Chef episode, Padma Lakshmi reminds viewers that the winner will make a special appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, so it's no surprise that much of the events at the festival are devoted to all things Top Chef. Take Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio's demonstration, entitled "In the Kitchen with Top Chef," for example. The two culinary minds created dishes (her: a strawberry lychee cocktail and shrimp pea pasta; him a lobster pea ravioli), provided tips on how to cook more like a top chef, and best of all, revealed details from the upcoming season that recently finished filming in Las Vegas. To find out what Gail and Tom had to say, read more.

On cooking more like a top chef:

"Always use fresh lemon juice!" Gail said when mixing her cocktail, "never that gross stuff that comes in a plastic lemon."
Like Michael Symon said at his seminar, Tom recommends not using extra virgin olive oil for sautéing. "It's a waste of money," explaining that one should use regular olive oil for most things and extra-virgin for dressings and garnishes.
Be creative! Tom likes to take the same three ingredients - like tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese - and see how many distinct dishes he can create with those simple items.

On Top Chef Vegas:

"I've never eaten better on and off the show." Gail openly praised the Las Vegas culinary scene and the next crop of cheftestants.
Tom agreed: "The chefs are more talented, more efficient cooks. Every season there's a surprise, especially Carla comes to mind, but this time there's lots of surprises."
Both Tom and Gail stood by the show's "only as good as your last dish" mantra. Gail explained, "That's the reason we have guest judges because they don't know the contestants like Tom and I do." Then Tom added his two cents, "Look at the Giants vs. the Patriots. Yes the Patriots were a better team, they went into the Super Bowl never loosing a game, but the Giants won fair and square. No one said, 'oh the Patriots win because they played a better season.' The show is the same way."
While Gail takes no part in the final cheftestant selection, Tom looks at the last 20 resumes to make sure none of the prospects previously worked in his kitchen.
The last thing Gail said was, "Season 6 is really amazing," and in an homage to Bravo, "You'll just have to watch what happens."

Hearing all of this are you excited for TC Vegas?

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Let's Dish: What Are Your Wedding Pet Peeves?

partysugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:50:46 -0700

When I chatted weddings with Gail Simmons a couple of weeks ago, she shared her tips for hosting an eco-friendly big day and let me know her wedding pet peeves. "When the wedding doesn't reflect the personality of the couple, that really bugs me." Also on her list: a menu that lacks creativity, and dessert buffets. "Twenty-foot-long tables covered in cakes and desserts - it's so wasteful, people take one slice and don't really need or want more than that."

I agree with Gail to an extent, I've never been a fan of buffets - but not because they're wasteful, because they promote overeating! My biggest pet peeve at a wedding reception, however, is a bad Champagne toast. Oh and running out of alcohol is a big no-no.

How about you? Now's your chance to get them off your chest: what are your wedding pet peeves?

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Gail Simmons on Eco-Friendly Weddings

partysugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:00:41 -0700

Last week when I spoke with Gail Simmons about weddings, I was blown away by her inspirational ideas. Although she may not come across as a green goddess when she's judging Top Chef, she's actually very eco-conscious. Having an environmentally friendly wedding was very important to her and her now-husband, Jeremy. To find out her suggestions for throwing an eco-chic event, read more.

Send a save the date email. Instead of sending formal save the date cards, Gail chose to save paper. She let her loved ones know when and where her wedding would take place through a short, but sweet email.
Cut back on the invite. Gail examined every aspect of the invite and asked herself where she could use less paper. "I've never understood why wedding invites come with two envelopes. What is that second envelope for? Why is it necessary?" She ditched the extra envelope and sent information on hotels and lodging to only out-of-town guests.
Use recycled paper. This is a no-brainer! Gail printed all of her wedding stationary on regular sized, 100-percent recycled paper.
Don't waste the flowers. "Flowers are such a big thing, but they are wasteful. They cost so much money, are on a table for a couple of hours, and then what?" Gail came up with a clever way to lengthen the life of her wedding flowers. While she and her guests were dancing the night away, her wedding planner gathered the vases and wrapped each bouquet in craft paper. When her friends and family left the wedding, they were given a bouquet of fresh flowers to take home!
Give an eco favor. Gail's wedding favor was a reusable farmers market tote bag. "My friends still use them to this day."

Did you go green at your wedding? Share your stylish eco-tips with us below!

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