Ah, to be Chef Gordon Ramsay and to have free time to sit around and spout ridiculous nonsense.
His newest attention-getting quote? His Highness thinks that restaurants should be fined for using out-of-season vegetables. Yep, fined.
The money quote: "There should be stringent laws, licensing laws, to make sure produce is only used in season and season only." Now, I'm all for using in-season fruits and veggies - we all know they're more flavorful, more fresh, and usually more decently priced - but stringent laws?
If I want to order summer squash in the dead of winter, or a strawberry tart in October, or pumpkin soup in July, that's my prerogative, dude. Don't take that away from me.
I read a good number of food blogs. Not all of them, of course, as that would make it impossible to do anything else, but most of the important ones. In all of my reading, a lot of people talk about Top chef, but I never really got into it. No, my heart belongs in Hell's Kitchen.
I have only come across one post on Hell's Kitchen this season, and I really don't understand. In my humble opinion, there is simply nothing to dislike. Where else are you going to get this mix of tension, ego, and profanity? Is Top Cheflike this and I've missed it? I don't know. All I know is that there is very little else I find quite as entertaining on television.
I know several people who absolutely hate Gordon Ramsay. I like to think I see through his mean exterior to the cuddly teddy bear underneath (I have met a few European chefs just like that). His outbursts of exasperation are priceless. I mean, who has not wanted to bang their head on the counter at a co worker's incompetence? Yes, I know that his management style wouldn't go over very well in the US, but it makes great TV.
If you're a fan of Hell's Kitchen, let me know what you think. If you're not a fan, let me have it. Can anyone convince me that Top Chef is better? I don't think so, but you can try.
My father's college degree is in the History of Country Music (truly). I grew up with a lot of country, bluegrass, folk and other roots music playing in the house. Because of this early childhood conditioning, to this day I am a huge fan of old-timey music. However, I've never had much of a tolerance for currently popular Country music (although, Dolly Parton can do no wrong in my eyes).
So, when a PR person for the Fritos company offered to send me a couple of bags of Tim McGraw's new Spicy Jalapeño Fritos, I was skeptical. I was curious what the chips would taste like (being a lover of all things spicy) but had a scornful reaction that went something along the lines of,"What's a Country music star doing lending his name to chips? Jimmie Rodgers would never have done something like that!" It did nothing to elevate my opinion of current Country music.
However, after tasting the chips, I am forced to admit that they are darn tasty. They aren't actually all that spicy, but they capture the heat and greenness of a jalapeño pepper in a way that is addictive and delicious. And, they can't be that terrible for you, since the Frito was originally invented as a health food!
These chips are currently available in select areas around the country and will be for sale nationwide soon.
Last night's episode of Top Chef showed that there is a difference between being a great chef and being able to cook a meal in a home. Take Stephanie, for example. She can win challenges by the handful, but when asked to cook a meal for four, she overcooked a pot of couscous and tried to make a sauce out of peanut butter and tomatoes. In a way, it made me feel a bit good about my own cooking skills -- like, please, I cook dinner every night for 2-10 people and it (occasionally) looks a (a little bit) better than the turkey on rice that Mark made for the Quickfire.
In the days before the internet, cooking shows had to figure out an easy way for viewers to get a hold of the recipes featured on their programs. There was typically an address that one could write to to obtain the recipes. Alternately, they would leave the ingredient list and instructions up on the screen for some time at some point during the program, so that a quick transcriptionist could hurriedly jot them down. Sometimes, the only option for the viewer was to take notes while watching (my Aunt Doris always watched Julia Child with steno pad and pencil in hand).
This book, Julia Child and Company, was something of a revolution. Printed in 1978, it came out at the very same time as Child's show of the same name began to air. That way, viewers could watch the show at leisure, unworried about catching every nuance of the recipe as they knew they'd have Child's clear and careful written instructions to reference later on. Now, thirty years later, we can't follow along with the series, but we can still utilize the recipes in the book.
It is organized by menu, which is fun in that you can see just how Child would have served a meal (it's not just French food in this volume, she incorporates a variety of cultural favorites). However, if you don't want to recreate an entire show's worth of food, you do have to poke around a bit more to find what you're looking for. If you're a fan of Child and want another opportunity to "hear" her calm, helpful voice in the kitchen, this is a good book to add to your collection.
Fed up with theories that Top Chef Chicago is nothing more than a lesbian morality play? Been reminiscing about the good old days of last season and wondering what your favorite contestant, Casey Thompson, has been up to? Lucky for you, so have we. Casey, Executive Chef of Dallas's Shinsei Restaurant, was one of the final three contestants during Top Chef Miami, and I could tell from the other end of the phone line that her life hasn't slowed a bit since then. She's supposed to be blogging about this season, but since she admits that she hasn't quite found the time, read on to find out what she thinks of this year's contestants, her favorite cooking ingredients, and where you may see her in the future.
How did you decide that you wanted to become a chef?
I was going through some changes in my life. I was living in Houston and working for a different job, and it was one of those decisions like, "Do I move now do I start a new career? Is this the time?" How did I decide to work in a restaurant? My mother didn't think it was a good idea for me to go back to school. It was expensive and a lot of time. She recommended that I work in a restaurant to see if I even liked it, and I did.
April showers bring May flower-covered cupcakes. Yes, spring is in full swing, time for the ultimate in stunningly beautiful, impress-all-your-friends-with-little-effort cake decoration: sugared flowers.
Martha Stewart has an instructional video on how to candy flowers, definitely a Good Thing. Start with pesticide-free edible flowers, such as pansies, marigolds, roses, dianthus, violets. Mix egg white or meringue powder in water and brush onto the petals with a clean paint brush, then sprinkle front and back with extra-fine sugar. Dry on a rack for two to four days until completely dry, then use to make adorable cupcakes like the ones in the picture.
Dan over at The Food in My Beard has created a hilariously goofy TV Chef Kitchen Quiz, which you cooking show fans should check out stat. He's basically taken stills from the shows and erased the person from the scene, leaving behind a blurry white blank that looks like a Yeti's taken over at the frying pan for Rachel Ray. The game is to guess what show it is by looking at the kitchen. How well do you know Paula Dean's cabinets, Giada de Laurentiis's tile backsplash? Basically, just how much time do you spend in front of the Food Network every night? If you guess them all right, we may have to stage some sort of cooking show intervention, or get you a puppy.
I have something of a crush on Marion Cunningham. I love her Lost Recipes book and I often flip through my edition of Fannie Farmer, just to read her down-to-earth, wise words about cooking (and by extension, family and home). She is on my list of food writers with whom I would love to sit and talk (I would do most of the listening), as she has experienced the entirety of the modern-day food revolution.
Last Saturday, I found myself in a used bookstore and as I skimmed the food section, Cunningham's The Breakfast Book nearly jumped off the shelf and landed straight in my hands. At $4.50, it was a bargain and I do believe that it will pay dividends for years to come. It is chock full of recipes that work for everyday morning meals (the Cereals section will help you happily shake up your basic oatmeal routine) as well as ones that are better for special brunches and holiday celebrations (Featherbed Eggs on page 159, a baked dish of bread, custard and cheese that is similar to a Strata, is destined for my next festive brunch).
The Quick Breads section alone makes the book worthwhile, especially since that section is filled with recipes that appeal to people trying to increase their whole grain intake (I can't wait to try the Buttermilk Barley Biscuits). I realize that I've waxed poetic about a great many cookbooks and that you all can't possibly incorporate all of them into your collection. However, if you are a particular lover of breakfast, this is a book you must look over.
Kendra Wilkinson, one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends, is a huge fan of Olive Garden. Playboy tells us that in her hundreds of visits there she concluded that, "The waitresses are often as hot as the food." She decided to run a search to find the "Girls of Olive Garden." The winners will get to model for Playboy.
The Playboy website specifically states that this contest is not affiliated with Olive Garden. It doesn't strike me as a match with Olive Garden's image as a "comfortable, home-like Italian setting where everyone is welcomed as family and friends." Does your Grandma cook up and serve her spaghetti in the nude?
Marisa told you a couple of months ago about Dinner: Impossible chef/host Robert Irvine losing his job because he embellished his resume just a tad (he lied about his experience, including a tiny fib about, um, doing Princess Di's wedding cake). Now the Food Network show has named a new host.
Michael Symon will be the new guy who comes into people's homes to help them with their cooking and tackles crazy food challenges. Not only is Symon one of the Iron Chefs of the network, he actually won the Next Iron Chef competition. The new shows will start airing this summer.
Jamie Oliver is known for his super fresh, simple cooking, so it's no wonder that he says he would never cook a heavy meal for a date.
In an interview for Men's Health, the German edition of the magazine, he said that heavy foods eaten during a date won't leave much room for more, later, of you know what I mean. The thing is that Germans like heavy food, such as kloesse dumplings.
I guess that'd be like telling an American not to have steak and potatoes for the main course while on a date. But then, as this article notes, Jamie is married to a model, so maybe he knows a thing or two.
On last night's episode of Top Chef, judge Tom Colicchio arrived at a Chicago Bears game wearing a Bears jersey, a scarf, and a beret. Honestly, it doesn't get more Top Chef than that. The show loves to engage with people and local foods of the cities where it tapes, but in the end its really just about whose pineapple is grilled to perfection and whose liver coconut slaw (don't worry -- not a real dish) doesn't have enough seasoning. You can't help but love it.
Pollsters are now looking at how consumer behavior, including eating, affects voter choice. Dr. Pepper is for Republicans, Sprite is for Democrats. Clinton supporters snack on Fig Newtons, McCain fans on stuffed-crust pizza. While some results are weird, others are predictable - Whole Foods is a dead giveaway of liberal orientation.
Cookbook author Susie Fishbein is providing observant Jews with gourmet Passover recipes, including turmeric, tomato and spinach matzoh balls.
**#!*@! souffle! *$*#*!* emulsification! Chefs like to curse in the kitchen. Really.
Eric Asimov talks kosher wine - you don't have to be Jewish to like them.
The Minimalist does Hangtown Fry - eggs, bacon and...oysters.
Cakes masquerading as muffins make breakfast less guilty. Includes a recipe for spicy ginger muffins with currants and toasted pecans.
Food, or lack thereof, in Holocaust concentrations camps is still a taboo subject for survivors, writes Jewish cooking maven Joan Nathan.
Cindy McCain shares her favorite family recipes. Except they were ripped off from the Food Network. A rogue intern is apparently to blame.
I would like to announce that tickets have gone on sale for Tales of the Cocktail 2008, the worlds premiere culinary and cocktail event that takes place each summer in New Orleans. This year the event runs from July 16-20th, 2008. If you are a mixologist, bartender, cocktail and spirits writer, or just a fan of cocktails; then Tales of the Cocktail is an event that you have to attend.
Between now and then you can read all about the events, seminars, etc. at Blogging Tales of the Cocktail 2008 where I (and another one of my fellow Slashfood bloggers) and "more than two dozen of the world's most prolific and widely read bloggers in the fields of fine spirits and cocktails are focusing their attention on Tales of the Cocktail, which takes place July 16-21. These bloggers are contributing regular posts about the sessions, celebrations and people of Tales in the months leading up to the event. In mid-July, these bloggers will descend on New Orleans, and each day they'll take a few moments away from the revelry to post frequent updates about the panels and parties taking place during Tales of the Cocktail."
So all you cocktail fans and fanatics, head on over and get your tickets for Tales of the Cocktail 2008 in New Orleans, before they are all sold out.
Ah, to be Chef Gordon Ramsay and to have free time to sit around and spout ridiculous nonsense.
I read a good number of food blogs. Not all of them, of course, as that would make it impossible to do anything else, but most of the important ones. In all of my reading, a lot of people talk about Top chef, but I never really got into it. No, my heart belongs in 
My father's college degree is in the History of Country Music (truly). I grew up with a lot of country, bluegrass, folk and other roots music playing in the house. Because of this early childhood conditioning, to this day I am a huge fan of old-timey music. However, I've never had much of a tolerance for currently popular Country music (although, Dolly Parton can do no wrong in my eyes). 
Spoilers! Spoilers!
Fed up with theories that 
April showers bring May flower-covered cupcakes. Yes, spring is in full swing, time for the ultimate in stunningly beautiful, impress-all-your-friends-with-little-effort cake decoration: sugared flowers. 
Marisa told you a couple of months ago about Dinner: Impossible chef/host Robert Irvine 
Jamie Oliver is known for his super fresh, simple cooking, so it's no wonder that he says he would never cook a heavy meal for a date. 
Spoilers! Spoilers!
A fraking amazing Battlestar Galactica cake
Iced Tea 101
Pierogies + cheese + onions + kraut = Parmageddon!
