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All the News That's Fit to Eat - Mar. 4, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:50:43 -0800

With their meaty texture, mild brine and vivid hue, Castelvetranos have become this year's olive of choice. - San Francisco Chronicle
If you think organic food is safer, think again. - New York Times
Make an authentic Roman spaghetti alla carbonara at home. - Boston Globe
Kitchen twine is one tool no home cook should be without. - Los Angeles Times
Find out what the creators of Open That Bottle Night enjoyed on its 10th anniversary. - Wall Street Journal
5 unusual recipes that call for nine items or fewer. - Washington Post
Top Chef 4 winner Stephanie Izard has a weekly video podcast. - Chicago Tribune

Catching Up With Top Chef's Jen Biesty

partysugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:45:29 -0800

What do you do when your 15 minutes of Top Chef fame have ended and the latest crop of cheftestants are the talk of the town? Well, you take a tip from season 4's Jen Biesty and go back to the kitchen. Not just any kitchen, but a well regarded kitchen in one of the busiest parts of town. Chef Biesty is currently the executive chef at San Francisco's Scala's Bistro. Located off of the bustling Union Square, Scala's Bistro has been catering to tourists for the past 14 years. Biesty took over the kitchen in October and recently debuted a new menu. Last week I dined at the classic San Francisco bistro. It's not a hotspot or overly trendy, but an old time San Francisco place with dusty rose lighting and a welcoming atmosphere. To find more out about the experience, read more.

When I spoke with Jen she was wonderfully polite and somewhat reserved. The powerful personality that was portrayed on Bravo's culinary competition was replaced with a quiet focus on the food. She explained that although Scala's is a bistro, the cuisine is mostly Italian with subtle French influences. Like most chefs in the city by the bay, Biesty's menu is based on seasonal, local ingredients.

While she did not comment on the current season of Top Chef, the chef, who is no longer romantically involved with fellow TC 4 contestant Zoi, mentioned that she's reading "a cookbook about culinary gastronomy by that famous French guy."

When my sister proudly told Biesty that her food "inspired her to be a better chef," Biesty modestly nodded, said a courteous "thanks," and turned to resume her post in the kitchen. It was clear that Biesty wanted the food to do the talking - proving that she's ready to shed her image as reality TV competitor and assume her rightful role as respected chef.

Wondering what Chef Biesty's food is like? Click on one of the images below to find out more about her unique, delicious dishes.

View 16 Photos ›

Yummy Links: From a Drink Calculator to Stephanie Izard

partysugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:00:07 -0800

Hosting a New Year's Eve party? Use this drink calculator to determine how much alcohol you'll need. - Evite
A soup recipe for every season. - The Kitchn
Learn how to make the classic Champagne cocktail. - Cookthink
From cocktails to dinners to dessert, here are ten recipes that use vodka. - Chow
Barley risotto is healthy and delicious. - Serious Eats
Catch up with Top Chef Season 4 winner, Stephanie Izard. - The Epi-Log

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The Best of Top Chef

partysugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:00:35 -0800

No contestant was eliminated on this week's episode of Top Chef, so I didn't get to interview the losing chef. Thus, I've decided it's a great time to take a look back at what happened on the show this year.

2008 was an exciting time for the reality competition: viewers got to indulge in two exciting seasons in two important cities - Chicago and New York.

We witnessed the crowning of the first female chef and watched what happened when Europeans were thrown into the mix. Here, I've rounded up my favorite moments from season four and the first half of season five.

My crouton cooking lesson with Ryan Scott.
Spike showing off his mad butchering skills.
The return of Sam Talbot as a guest judge.
Andrew's introduction of the phrase "culinary boner" to the food industry.
Padma and Rocco together again: eating 16 deep-dish pizzas.
The first competing couple.
The ongoing, entertaining feud between Dale and Lisa.
Gail's bridal shower!
The contestants putting the competition aside to help Radhika and Hosea get their dishes done.

Did I forget something? What were your favorite Top Chef moments?

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This Year's Best Food Reality Contestant

YumSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:00:32 -0800

In our Best of 2008 coverage, we asked you who your favorite cheftestant was this year. Between Top Chef, Next Food Network Star, and Hell's Kitchen, there was plenty of heat in the kitchen, but the results were clear: Stephanie Izard, the winner of Top Chef 4, won 29 percent of the vote! Yum is right with you: Stephanie was our favorite this year, too.

From the start, we loved Stephanie for being a great chef who kept it real. Despite her modesty, as the show progressed, she blew us away with her stunning dishes. We were thrilled when she became Top Chef's first ever female winner!

What are your reasons for loving her?

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In the Kitchen With Ryan Scott

partysugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:15:39 -0700

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity of going into the kitchen at San Francisco's Mission Beach Cafe. Chef Ryan Scott, a competitor on this season's Top Chef, invited me in for a crouton cooking lesson. The friendly, good-looking chef told me about his re-creation of the menu and his hopes to build the restaurant's status. With his TC experience behind him, Scott is busy focusing on cooking and making culinary appearances.
His delicious food is comforting yet sophisticated, familiar yet complex. If you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking out the cafe. His homemade croutons (found in everything from soups to salads) are the best I've ever tasted. If you aren't in the area, bring a little bit of Ryan into your home with this amazing crouton recipe.
Instead of writing out the recipe, Scott, a hands on chef, preferred to teach me personally how to make them. To go behind the scenes and learn how to make Chef Scott's scrumptious croutons, take a look at our exclusive video, and read more.

Homemade Croutons
From Ryan Scott

The key to making these delicious croutons is a large quantity of butter. According to Chef Scott, the bread should be fried in a "Jacuzzi of butter."

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
1 bundle fresh thyme, tied together with cooking string
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
4 dried arbol chilies
2-4 cups ciabatta bread, torn into bite-sized pieces

Directions

In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter is bubbling and melted (do not let it brown) add the thyme, garlic, and chilies. Saute for a couple of minutes, tossing to coat with the butter.
When you hear the thyme start to snap and pop, add the bread pieces.
Toss to coat. Cook, stirring or tossing occasionally for 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
Place the bread under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until it is crisped and brown.
If desired, finish on the stove, with 2 more minutes of sautéing.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer croutons to another dish to cool.
Remove the thyme, garlic, and chilies* from the croutons. Enjoy the croutons immediately or keep stored in an air-tight container for 2 days.

Makes 2-4 cups of croutons.

*Do not simply discard these ingredients. Chef Scott uses the thyme bundles to season stocks and the sautéed garlic adds depth to his appetizing aioli.

Print recipe with images | without images

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Is Top Chef's Lisa More Likable Now?

partysugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:15:17 -0700

In an attempt to make herself more likable, Lisa Fernandes, the Top Chef runner-up who everyone loves to hate, has made her first cooking video for Time Out New York. Sporting her fabulously boyish haircut, Lisa takes viewers inside the kitchen of the New York City restaurant where she works, Mai House. She promises to teach us how to make an entire Asian meal, complete with five dishes, for less than $20.

Although she's a little cold to the camera, I can't help but admire her culinary expertise, cooking technique, and confidence despite what others may think. What do you think? Watch the video below and let me know, is Lisa more likable now outside of the competition?

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Top Recipes From Top Chef 4

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:00:59 -0700

The just-ended season four of Top Chef was one of my favorites so far - not just because a female chef finally won (go Stephanie!) but also because I found myself wanting to make more of the recipes than ever before. I've rounded up some of my favorites from this season's challenges; to check out my picks, just click "start," then tell me which dishes you most want to try.

View Slideshow ›

Top Chef Quiz: Cheftestant Reunion

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:15:34 -0700

All season I've been asking if you pay attention to Top Chef. Each week I expect you to score well on our quizzes, and this week is no exception. So did you check out last night's reunion special? How well did you watch? Find out and take our quiz!

Photo courtesy of Bravo.

Take the quiz

Let's Dish: Top Chef Season 4 Reunion

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:47:31 -0700

Well folks with last night's reunion show, the fourth season of Top Chef has finally come to a close. What did you think of the reunion? Check out all of my questions and thoughts, and let us know what you thought of the special, as well as the whole season! All you have to do is, read more.

What did you think of the reunion special? Did you like it better after the season finale?
Were you surprised to hear that Zoe and Jen are splitsville?
What do you think of Spike's comment, "I'm not gay, but I'd probably let him bang me"?

What was your favorite clip segment? I think I liked the judges being overly critical.
What did you think about Tom disagreeing that Dale should have been eliminated?
Are you going to buy a culinary boner shirt?
Did you think it was neat that Stephanie won fan favorite too?
Wasn't the fan favorite announcement sort of anti-climactic?
Who did you want to win fan favorite?

Well that's all, and if you haven't had your fill, don't forget that Top Chef is hitting the road!

Photos courtesy of Bravo