"top chef" news and stories

Here's this week's installment of Slashfood's exclusive exit interviews with the latest "Top Chef All-Stars" contestant to get the boot. In an effort to prevent spoilers, we've included the text after the jump.

Federal regulators are threatening to crack down on for-profit schools that are eager to take students' cash, but aren't necessarily coming through with lucrative paying gigs upon graduation. Those for-profit schools include a number of culinary schools around the country that are increasingly taking the heat. Several are embroiled in actual lawsuits.

According to Politico, the Department of Education is expected to set what many call "gainful employment" rules as early as this month. That move could severely limit the ability of for-profit schools to access federally-backed student loans. That means cooking schools like Le Cordon Bleu, Art Institute of Houston, Western Culinary Institute and dozens more, might be facing their own elimination challenge as they face increasing pressure to prove their students are able to secure jobs upon graduation, and have the ability to pay back student loans that can quickly reach $50,000.

Attorney Michael Louis Kelly, who is suing Career Education Corp. (the parent company of Le Cordon Bleu) on behalf of California students, told NPR that the school made unrealistic promises.

"The model doesn't work," Kelly told NPR. "You can't got to school, accumulate $30-, $40- or $50,000 in debt and then go into an industry where you're going to have to start out at $8 or $12 an hour."

Oh, it's time. Time for the home-stretch confidence. Time for the daring flavor combinations. Time for the bravado. Time for the beards and bikinis.

No, that's not a euphemism. The former was provided, rather feebly, by Richard, who summed up the key to being among the final four on Top Chef: "I've been bakin' bread, growin' a beard -- all the things you have to do in the finale!"

The latter was provided by Padma (what, you were expecting Mike Isabella?) who introduced the night's challenge while striking her best SI swimsuit cover-model pose. Cue the lascivious comments from the aforementioned Mike.

Inviting the chefs to hop aboard a boat chartered by some dude who looked like Sammy Hagar, Padma led the foursome to an island in the Bahamas where they were given the Survivor treatment: Cook only with what Bravo left on the shore and, just to add physical insult to culinary injury, go snorkeling in shallow water to supply your own conch for one of your proteins.

For eight seasons, we've watched the contestants on Bravo's "Top Chef" chop, simmer, and sauté -- now you can finally taste what they dished up. Our friends at iVillage have 21 recipes from Top Chef contestants, from Richard Blais' vegetarian tacos to Carla Hall's green eggs and ham. The best part? In your kitchen, there's no time clock, no judges panel, and nobody needs to pack up their knives and go home.

Get all 21 Top Chef recipes at iVillage.com.

Here's this week's installment of Slashfood's exclusive exit interviews with the latest "Top Chef All-Stars" contestant to get the boot. In an effort to prevent spoilers, we've included the text after the jump.