FOOD FLICKS: Pangea Day

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Not since the Beatles brought the Rolling Stones and friends together to sing "All You Need Is Love" has there been a global event quite like this one... Tomorrow, Saturday, May 10, starting at 2:00 P.M. EDT, you can link up with much of the world to watch video from all over the world. Be a part of Pangea Day. Enjoy! Pangea Day Run time: : 03 minutes 30 seconds Instructions: Pangea Day: What is it? Pangea Day: How to watch online Pangea Day: How to attend an event Related news: Variety The Hollywood Reporter San Francisco Chronicle Los Angeles Times Conde Nast Portfolio Previous articles: [Food Flicks - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, food flicks, Valentine's Day --> back to Super Chef

Mother's Day: Marcus Cookware

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Let's talk pots and pans. If you are going to give your loved one – mother, girlfriend, grandma, wife – pots and pans on Mother's Day, be sure that they are sexy and sleek, well designed and strong – everything you know she is. What do you get? Super Chef likes Marcus Samuelsson's new cookware. Super Chef tested a 10-piece set of Marcus' cookware, made by Regal Ware in its West Bend, Wisconsin plant. It included: 8 qt Stock Pot with Lid 3 qt Sauce Pan with Lid 2 qt Sauce Pan with Lid 10" Saute Pan with Lid 12" Fry Pan 8" Fry Pan It's a handy combination of sizes and shapes that will probably cover everything your mom might cook. Marcus Cookware is well designed with heavy, extra long handles that provide balance and keep the heat away from Mom when she is pouring your favorite soup or taking a braised pork roast out of the oven – just make sure she has plenty of room in her cupboards or better yet, hang them up for all to see. The lid handles are raised high so she won't risk burning her knuckles. The pots are 3-ply stainless steel around an aluminum core, so they won't burn her food. They are handsome and sexy – with a magnetic stainless steel finish. Sexy? Sure, these pots and pans, which come with a photo of handsome Marcus on the box, make cooking into something sexy – or as sexy as your favorite mom wants it to be. They will look good in her kitchen and remind her of you every time she uses them (and you clean up)! Super Chef has recommended knives, cutting boards, and skewers. Now it's time for some fine pots and pans. They'll last longer than chocolates, flowers, shoes, and handbags – and there is the added benefit that Mom will invite you to dinner! If Mom doesn't yet know Marcus Samuelsson, she soon will. He just opened Merkato 55 in New York's Meat Packing District and will open C-House, a seafood restaurant, on the ground floor of the new Affinia Chicago Hotel in June. Come this fall, she can catch him on BET J, hosting a new program called Urban Cuisine. Mom will be way ahead of the neighbors in the Cool Department. Previous articles: Marcus Samuelsson: Marcus Cookware Marcus Samuelsson: Starbucks Marcus Samuelsson: BlueStar Tap Project: $1 for UNICEF Marcus Samuelsson Hits Route 66 Marcus Samuelsson Flees Philly [Products & Endorsements - complete] [Chefs & Branding - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Marcus Samuelsson --> back to Super Chef

Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Each of us who travels the globe and tastes what we think are classic examples of a peasant or sophisticated dish comes away with an idea of how that dish should be made correctly. What makes Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart (Zov 2005, reprinted 2008) such an interesting cookbook is that it offers new ways to use Middle Eastern ingredients alongside traditional recipes. Intertwined with the recipes are Zov Karmardian's memories about markets, food, and cooking. Zov is the chef/owner of Zov's Bistro in Tustin, California – not far from L.A. Zov's memories range from trips through Beirut in 1959 to a Nice market in 1998. The recipes roam the Mediterranean, but rely on the spices and basic recipes of the Armenian Middle Eastern kitchen. She uses of spices like sumac, Za'atar, the fragrant thyme, oregano and marjoram spice bend, and Aleppo pepper (see her Pantry Essentials on pp. 12-14). But there are also influences from the Asian pantry and California cuisine. Recipes are lightened and full of flavor. Middle Eastern food is abundant in its appetizers, salads and mezza, and Zov starts with four excellent and very traditional spreads – great for Spring lunches: Hummus, Walnut and Pomegranate Dip (p. 24), Fire-roasted Eggplant Dip (p. 26) and Yogurt Cheese Spread (p. 27). You may have only tasted za'atar on bread, but Zov coats chicken with it with excellent results. She uses Armenian ingredients like basturma (or pasturma) in Mixed Baby Greens with Air-Dried Beef and Sherry Vinaigrette (p. 54). By the end of the chapter Zov moves on to Mexican inspired Avocado-Lime Guacamole (p. 210). If you have had manti in Afghani or Turkish restaurants served with a garlicky yogurt sauce, then you'll find Zov's version quite different. Her Manti (p. 113) are small dumplings in a chicken broth and yogurt sauce. In the photo by Pornchai Mittongtare the dumplings are open revealing the meat stuffing inside. The photos of her Lahmajoune (p. 150) show small, thick flatbreads with a substantial meat and tomato topping, while lahmajoun or lahma ba'jin in Turkey, Saudi Arabia or the Gulf are usually thin and crisp with very little topping. Perhaps this is the Armenian version? In any case, piping hot out of the over, these are very tasty snacks. Previous articles: [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef

Mother's Day: Share Our Stength, Trickle Up

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The seriousness of the world food shortage, food riots, and the threat of large-scale starvation and malnourishment is growing daily. Mother's Day is the perfect day to decide to make a difference – or to continue making one - by giving to a charity. After all, our mothers nourished and fed us, and too many mothers around the globe struggle to do the same for their children. Super Chef would like to encourage every reader to consider making a gift in honor of their mother or grandmother or the significant women in their lives. Of the many worthy charities around the globe, Super Chef suggests two campaigns: Share Our Strength and Trickle Up. Both will send cards to your mother in honor of your gift. Share Our Strength points out that a gift of $35 can help feed a mother's child three meals a day for more than a month. Trickle Up in partnership with local agencies, provides business training and seed capital to launch or expand a microenterprise, and savings support to build assets. that help mothers around the world provide better lives for their children. Click here to donate to Trickle Down. Click here to donate to Share Our Strength. Happy Mother's Day. Previous articles:Mother's Day: Mary Poppins in the Kitchen Mother's Day: Perry's Mother's Day: Finding Betty Crocker Restaurants for Relief: September 27 SOS' Bill Shore: Top Leaderp SOS: Katrina Benefit Tsunami Update 5: Chefs Counter [Chefs & Charity - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging. Mother's Day --> back to Super Chef

Mother's Day: Skewers & Spice

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Want to give a strong hint to Mom about what you want to eat on Mother's Day (May 11, 2008)? Send her Fire & Flavor's Skewers & Spice. Gena Knox's handsomely packaged wood skewers and spice rubs come with everything but the meat – so pick that up on the way over to Mom's house. Super Chef tried three flavors: Asian Rub, Everyday Rub and Mustard & Herb on shrimp, beef and chicken. The pack comes with eight single-use skewers and a spice pack that you sprinkle over protein along with some olive oil. The flavors are fresh tasting and come through the grilling process well. (It would be nifty if the skewers themselves added flavor – rather like mint-flavored toothpicks.) They are easy to use and toss away after the meal. Skip the flowers and bring the stems! Previous articles: Mother's Day: Mary Poppins in the Kitchen Mother's Day: Perry's Mother's Day: Finding Betty Crocker [Products & Endorsements - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Mother's Day --> back to Super Chef

Mother's Day: Cuisine Solutions - FiveLeaf

By JULIETTE ROSSANT You've returned home from a trip to find the refrigerator empty and an important guest (your mom?) is coming for dinner. What do you do? Skip take-out, and dig in your freezer for Thomas Keller's "Mac and Cheese" or Poached Lobster Tails with Orzo and Lobster Sauce with Mascarpone Cheese. Cuisine Solutions is re-launching its FiveLeaf series of frozen sous-vide dishes and Super Chef tried the lot. The once frozen lobster came out of its plastic pouch piping hot, firm, fresh-tasting, and succulent. The orzo that accompanied it was a bit stuck together, but with gentle fork pressure it separated and into its lush sauce of marscapone, tarragon and lobster stock. It is a rich meal that only needs vegetables and a salad – picked up at a farm stand on the way home. Would mom appreciate all the work? Sure, you'll be mixing that salad and preparing the asparagus. FiveLeaf uses sous-vide technology, which means that the lobster, sauce and pasta are vacuum sealed and then slowly cooked in water at very low temperatures. It is the same cooking technique used by the Thomas in his restaurants. The difference is that the food is flash frozen and then reheated at home. Reheating means, you boil a large pot of water, turn the heat off and put in the packets. Cover the pot and the food heats from frozen to service in 12 minutes. The other offerings are Charlie Trotter's Lamb Sirloins with Apricot Sauce, Daniel Boulud's Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine Reduction Sauce, and Mark Miller's Barbeque Pork Ribs with Tamarind Sauce. The ribs are heated by placing them in a hot oven for 15 to 22 minutes (depending on whether they are frozen or not) so that the sauce is caramelized and the ribs are heated through. These are for serious garlic lovers. The FiveLeaf dishes have nothing to do with cook-in-bag frozen vegetables or microwave-safe food. Most French supermarkets sell sous-vide versions of famous chef's dishes that are perfect when you want to eat home but still have substantial and luxurious meal you might have in a restaurant. Now all you have to do is buy in advance! Previous articles: Mother's Day: Mary Poppins in the Kitchen Mother's Day: Perry's Mother's Day: Finding Betty Crocker [Products & Endorsements - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Mother's Day --> back to Super Chef