Vacation: June 17 - July 5, 2009

Super Chef rests the pen for a bit of vacation and wishes all a happy 4th of July.

Top Chef Masters: Episode 2 Chefs

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Recently, Super Chef participated in a group conference call with other journalists to interview four chef contestants in Top Chef Masters, episode 2. What was most illuminating was the wonderful sense of humor in all four chefs: Elizabeth Falkner, Suzanne Tracht, Wylie Defresne, and Graham Elliot Bowles. They truly sounded like they enjoyed themselves and enjoyed poking fun at each other. Episode 2 airs on June 17th at 10pm. Each participated because they would be helping charities. Each was previously a guest or judge on Top Chef, so they were very familiar with the show's structure and pace. Here are a sampling of the questions and answers: Q: There are only four women involved in Iron Chef Masters. How do you feel about that? Elizabeth Falkner: you know there are a lot of women in the industry, but it is still male dominated. It takes a lot of strength to be a chef. In the case of Top Chef Masters, I agree with Wylie, who said that it's more of sports event. You have to like the culinary side and the competition. Q: What did you do to prepare? Graham Elliot Bowles: I practiced a lot of past scenarios. I dreaded anything with pastry. Elizabeth Falkner: I was sorry I wasn't on the pastry episode. Bring on the pastry. Q: What advice would you give to contestants now that you have been on the show? Wylie Dufresne: Move quickly at all times. Elizabeth Falkner: I honestly think you have to move quickly. You have to train for it, culinarily and physically. Suzanne Tracht: You have to stay focused. You don't want to run around in circles. Q: What did you get out of it? Elizabeth: We had our own camaraderie and challenges. The personality of each chef really comes through the food. We are getting to see the best chefs and see the flavors of what they are doing. Q: Many of the chefs have multiple restaurants, but you [Wylie] have only one. Is your participation in Top Chef Masters an indication that you are going to expand? Wylie Dufresne: No, I have no immediate plans. This is an opportunity to spread awareness of what we do at wd-50. It's not because I hope to expand or grow, but I won't rule it out. Q: Who is the toughest judge? Wylie Dufresne: We probably all have differing opinions on that. We can't really talk about what happened. We were judged by others beyond the three critics. Graham Elliot Bowles: In the first episode, the Girl Scouts were the toughest judges. Suzanne Tracht: It was the first time I met any of them. Elizabeth Falkner: The judges don't get out as much to the West Coast. Wylie Dufresne: Gael [Greene] is a tough one. You can go either way. We all faired well. But Gael was the judge who was most concerning. She has a history of what she likes and what she doesn't like. Graham Elliot Bowles: I would agree with that. Q: Were there any chefs you wished were part of Top Chef Masters? Elizabeth Falkner: There are so many good chefs. The chefs on the show are all interesting and fun. We had a good group. Wylie Dufresne: Our foursome was good fun. Too bad Graham cheated so much. [Laughter] Previous articles: Top Chef Masters Top Chef Marketing Blitz Stephanie Izard: Life After Top Chef Top Chef New York: About Time Top Chef Junior Rocco DiSpirito: Top Chef Chicago Top Chef's Tom Colicchio Courts Sara Lee Tom Colicchio: Top Chef 2 Top Chef 2: Already Casting Top Chef: Tom Colicchio Padma Lakshmi: Tangy Tart Hot Sweet Tom Colicchio: Top Chef 2 Carrie Nahabedian Knocks Top Chef Top Chef 2: Already Casting Top Chef: Harold Dieterle Won Top Chef: Taste of the Nation Top Chef: Tom Colicchio [Chefs & Branding - complete] [Food Television - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, cookbook reviews --> back to Super Chef

Karen Solomon: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Are you looking for a great book with kitchen projects to do with your kids this summer? Or perhaps you want recipes to help you save money by cooking grocery staples at home? Maybe you've gone strawberry picking or apple picking and now you want to turn your treasure into something special to eat? Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It (Ten Speed 2009) covers a lot of ground. It's an easy-to-follow cookbook full of sweet and not-so-sweet projects not specifically targeted to kids – but that's why it's so useful. It is not dumbed down, and so it perfect to use with kids beginning to explore foods and cooking on their own: I'd always hoped to find those Girl Scout blueprints to the kitchen – the culinary equivalent of knot tying, fire starting and good citizenship– that would be the building blocks for everyday eating. Stocking the pantry and our own refrigerator doors with ingredients that were made by hand for centuries should not be so cumbersome. (p. 1) This book is about those basic and not-so-basic foods that are so much better made at home. It is not exhaustive - there are only a few recipes for each way of preserving food - but the book will go a long way to getting you thinking and comfortable with putting up your own food. The first chapter includes a fun recipe for homemade Crackers, Breadsticks, and Flatbread (p. 5) that would be fun to make with children – each can add their own favorite topping. If your kids are hooked on ketchup, get there to help make their own. Regular Ol'Tomato Ketchup (But Better) (p. 20) includes cardamom and star anise, fun spices to try out. The ketchup keeps for two months in the refrigerator. Canning instructions are provided separately (p.88). For those who love garlic, Karen has a chapter on pickling, starting with Pickled Green Beans (p. 33) and ending with Kimchee (p. 39) all of which can be made with plenty of garlic. For the more adventurous, Karen includes recipes for bacon, beef jerky, sausages, and cheese. The kids can help make homemade Butter (pp. 76-77, shaking a mason jar until butter forms. But it's really the second half of the book that contains most of the kid-friendly recipes. Start by making Marshmallows (p. 101), Apple Fruit Leather (p. 103) Graham Crackers (p. 107) and then try some of her fun frozen treats and candy. The trick will be not making too many of the sweet recipes! Previous articles: [Cookbook Reviews - complete] [Children's Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, cookbook reviews --> back to Super Chef