Articles posted in ‘Celebrities’

Open Letter to George Duran

Saturday, August 27, 2011

To Mr. George Duran:
On behalf of the the culinary world, we hereby revoke your dodin bouffant; apron; and most of all, your right to call yourself a ‘chef’.  You sir are an embarrassment to those in the culinary industry working hard to maintain and enhance a culture of food as one of the best parts […]

2010 DIFFA’s Dining by Design: Table Hop & Taste

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) holds a Dining by Design event every year (see our 2009 coverage here). It is a glorious exhibit of dining tables spanning sleek, fabulous, emotive, stark, schematic, thematic, colorful, monochromatic, and inspirational. To top it off, Table Hop & Taste is a 3-hour special, where restaurants set up […]

Ocean Spray’s Bogs Across America (with Duff Goldman and Tyler Florence)

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

I always thought Ocean Spray was another one of those mega corporations, or under some umbrella with 400 other brands. It’s not! It’s a grower-owned cooperative of about 600 cranberry farms, most of which have been growing and harvesting cranberries for several generations.

The Bazaar by Jose Andres

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

If you’re dining in Los Angeles, you need to read My Last Bite. Jo knows all the best restaurants in the area. That’s how I knew about
The Bazaar at Jose Andres 465 South La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, which was the highlight of the Southern California portion of our […]

James Beard Luncheon Aboard Queen Mary 2

Saturday, August 1, 2009

My mom and I were the last to arrive to the James Beard Luncheon, unintentionally. Between traffic and the construction redirecting the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel entrance, we were nervous that we’d miss out on so much. When we arrived, we were lucky enough to snatch a few hors d’ oeuvres, like this beautiful shrimp cocktail, […]

Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

Friday, July 31, 2009

Garlic and Sapphires, by Ruth Reichl, is a fun and easy read, the perfect commuter or airplane book. She talks about all the funny disguises she went through as the NY Times Food critic and each one is paired with a restaurant review. I went through the book thinking, if only I had been reading […]

The Adjective Concept

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The idea of a tasting menu or a degustation, where a diner orders nothing and chooses to experience a progression of small courses that was designed by a chef with the intent to showcase his/her skill, is a fairly new concept.  It began with the French in the early 20th century, but only in the […]

Dan Barber’s Foie Gras Parable

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Dan Barber, a local super Chef speaks at TED on the future of sustainable farming.  His focus is on a Spanish approach to producing natural, friendly fois gras.  This video is worth 20 minutes.

Chicken Caesar Salad

Thursday, April 30, 2009

I’ve always loved Caesar Salad but I haven’t ordered it in restaurants for years. Often, it ends up tasting like a heavy gloppy ranch or just creamy parmesan dressing. Caesar dressing should have anchovies in it yet often, it seems like it’s been left out.
The craving hit before lunch yesterday so I asked Lon to […]

Top Chef 6: Las Vegas!

Monday, April 27, 2009

The rumors have been confirmed by Kate Aurthur of the LA Times (via Yumsugar), that the next season will be shot in Las Vegas.  Filming begins next week.
In my mind, Vegas is a great place for the show, seeing as how it is THE Mecca of celebrity chefs looking to extend their culinary reach.  I’m […]