"ming tsai" news and stories

Over the weekend a tweet from celebrity chef Rick Bayless caught our attention. It read: "O, wht 2 do? Peanuts all thru r kitchen, severe allergy guest. Cnt serve in good conscience, 4 his safety. Says we owe him $ 4 inconvenience."

While we were unable to reach the chef to get the gritty details, the incident certainly caught the attention of Bayless' Twitter followers and those with food allergies -- who agreed that the chef made the right call, including Chris Wiess, VP of advocacy and government relations for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).

"When I first read the tweet, I was impressed with his response. It does seem like he took the issue to heart. If a restaurant manager or employee looked around and assessed the situation, and felt that they couldn't provide a safe meal, we wouldn't want them to take a risk. What Rick did was very admirable," said Weiss.

For chefs and restaurant owners, guests with food allergies aren't going away anytime soon, and the consequences are deadly serious. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 100 to 200 people die in the United States from severe food allergy-related reactions each year. (Keep reading, and take our food-allergy poll after the jump.)

Over at Manhattan's Harvard Club this weekend, it was Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto vs. Ming Tsai vs. Anne Burrell in a bizarre but hilarious late-night battle for karaoke supremacy as part of the New York City Wine & Food Festival. Morimoto was first up at the mic, belting out a Japanese tune with conviction -- but not a whole lot of tunefulness.

After his uneven performance, a sober Morimoto offered an excuse: "With no drink, it's the first time."

Next up at the "Rock & Roll with Morimoto and Friends" event was Ming Tsai.

One of our favorite events of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival was the cleverly titled Dim Sum & Disco party at the Setai Hotel. The late-night Asian soiree (it started at 11 p.m.) was hosted by Ming Tsai and the Setai's Jonathan Wright. There were bountiful displays of gourmet dumplings and innovative Ty Ku cocktails. Tsai's offerings included braised oxtail and foie gras shumai with sambal-soy syrup; and Island Creek oysters with a wasabi mignonette. Wright did black truffle and scallop har gau with a truffle emulsion; uni tempura with Osetra caviar and ginger crème fraiche; and fried Kurabuto pork belly with chili jam. Both chefs worked the line and interacted with diners.

After imbibing dozens of fresh and delicious dumplings and Ty Ku libations from master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim, the stylish crowd danced to Donna Summer until the wee hours of the night. It was by far one of the liveliest events of the festival and one we hope returns next year.

Be sure to follow Slashfood's SOBE coverage on Twitter.

• Have a spot of sherry -- it's making a reentry on the cocktail circuit.
• Pastry chefs around the country offer their tips for a well-stocked baking pantry. (Hint: Chocolate is a must.)
• Truly transformative: Peel some oranges, add some red wine and let the magic happen.
• Ming Tsai offers this recipe to unleash your inner [year of the] tiger on Valentine's Day.

Korean Kalbi with Tofu and Oyster Mushrooms. Photo: Special*Dark, Flickr.

• The ins and outs of harvesting cranberries: the history, the pros, how the good ones "bounce," plus a cranberry time line.
• Animal Farm's Jersey Cow butter hits hot spots like French Laundry and Per Se.
• Weymouth's Dunkin Donuts is one of the few in the country that take the "time to make the donuts" slogan to heart, by making the breakfast treats fresh.
• Taking a few steps into the past with a look at Tilly & Salvy's Bacon Street Farm -- a grocery store dating back to 1938.
• Chef Ming Tsai writes about Tokyo's exotic street eats while visiting the city for his dad's 80th birthday.
• The Stork Club will try to bring life back to the corner that used to hold Bob's Southern Bistro.
• A Q&A with Patricia Yeo of Ginger Park.
• Partially prepared foods allow the busy to cook at home under time constraints.
• "The Gastrokid Cookbook" says you shouldn't "cook down" to kids.
• Twenty-six years later, India Quality is traditional fare without the fusion confusion of many new digs.
• Taste Coffee House brings high coffee culture to the Boston area.
• Woo Jung Restaurant serves up Korean food with a homey and familial feel.
• Recipes: Locro, Garlic Ramen Noodles, Beef and Veggie Stir-Fry, Chicken Caesar Salad, Vegetable Curry, Accidental Agrodolce Chicken.