"morimoto" news and stories

Sunday night means so much to us Americans. It's a time for family feasts -- a time for reflection. A last chance for calm before the work week. Meanwhile, over on the Food Network, it's just another opportunity for shrieking, back-flipping, strobe-lit, fog-machined insanity.

Yes, another Sunday means another Iron Chef defending his or her honor in the futuristic appliance showroom that is the "Kitchen Stadium." In this season, at least, we've about given up on there being any shocking upsets, any major ripples in the order of the Iron Chef universe as we know it.

Even this week's defender, Chef Morimoto -- who, if you believe Wikipedia, has one of the lowest win percentages of any of the current Iron Chefs -- has seemed fairly invincible as of late. So we were hopeful when yet another random chef was plucked from semi-obscurity -- or rather, Minneapolis -- to attempt to ascend to the throne.

Was it just us, or did everything about last night's Iron Chef America match-up scream "a lamb led to slaughter"? We were trying our hardest not to judge a book by its cover -- er, an eager challenger by her appearance -- really, we were.

But from the instant the producers threw up the hand-drawn visage of the night's competitors -- the little-girl-next-door-ish Dena Marino, wearing a dainty little bob and a downturned pout to match, versus the streamlined, intense stare of reigning Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto -- we had a bad, bad feeling.

When The Chairman announced the night's secret ingredient -- figs! -- Marino looked like a fearful little puppy who was about to get spanked with a newspaper. The contrast continued as the chefs got down to business: While Marino was gingerly slicing fig meats from their skins, Morimoto was crucifying an eel, driving a spike through its head and fastening it to the cutting board so he could better get at its flesh. Let's just say something told us this challenge wasn't going to be a fair fight.

In a welcome respite from subpar airport fare, "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto is partnering with hospitality and food service company Delaware North to provide fast-casual eateries serving Japanese bar food in airports across the country.

The bistros, appropriately titled Skewers, will serve an assortment of yakitori -- skewered grilled or deep-fried meats and vegetables -- served with rice bowls for portable consumption, as well as soups and salads. The restaurants' settings would take the form of two different models -- a take-out counter and a traditional sit-down approach -- and both would feature open kitchens.

According to Vito Buscemi, director of Concept Portfolio for Delaware North, the line has "great menu variety and great presentation -- all the meats and vegetables are grilled right in front of you. It's very quick, convenient and healthy, and we think it's going to have mass appeal."

StarChefs, the "magazine for culinary insiders," celebrated New York's "Rising Stars" on Tuesday with a gala tasting in New York City.

Slashfood popped in to check out the fare and gaze at culinary stars like honoree and "Top Chef" Season One winner Harold Dieterle and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto (whose New York restaurant Chef Jamison Blankenship was honored and whipped up a bouillabaisse) as well as Babyface (who knew the hitmaker was a foodie?).

Del Posto's pastry chef, Brooks Headley, paired pea shoots with strawberry gelato, while mixologist Maxwell Britten made Gingerbutter Collins with scotch whiskey. Best overheard conversation of the night: "She puts bacon in everything now, even chocolate chip cookies." We'll have to try that.

Food porn after the jump.

Next week, we'll get to see the best of the best try to best each other. Iron Chef Japan, one of our favorites, is having a civil war on Fine Living Network! It's Grand Battle Week!

Five Iron Chef Japan chefs, including Morimoto, will battle it out against each other every night at 11pm Eastern for Grand Battle Week, December 8-12.

Fine Living Network is doing an excellent job of feeding our Iron Chef Japan addiction. Our favorite so far was Attack of the Vegetables week when they aired "Cooking Japanese Like Morimoto," an ingenious cover of "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors.

Here's how the Google translator says Grand Battle Week in Japanese.

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And here are some other things it says:

Slash Food: ???????

I Haven't Changed My Facebook Status in Hours: ???????Facebook???????????????

Pass the Imitation Crab: ????????

This is really only fun for a little while. Whatever. Watch Iron Chef Japan.

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