Learn to cook a 3 course meal, right alongside Gordon Ramsay, as he shows you how to create meals in under an hour. That’s right, FOX is taking a cue from the BBC once again and hosting a new show called Gordon Ramsay’s Cookalong LIVE.

From FOX’s website:

Have you ever wanted to make a delicious three-course meal for your family? Want to invite your friends over for a unforgettable dinner? Or would you just like to treat your taste buds to something special? For the first time ever, Chef Gordon Ramsay is going to show you how to do just that, as he invites viewers all over America to cook along with him from the comfort of their very own kitchens.

Prior to each show, you can go to the Cookalong webpage on FOX and download a list of ingredients, a shopping list, equipment list and you will actually be cooking alongside Gordon for the one hour! Isn’t that crazy??

The first episdoe is a three course meal comprising of:

• Starter Course: Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Chili and Tomatoes
• Main Course: Steak Diane with Sautéed Potatoes and Peas
• Dessert: Quick Tiramisu

It will be interesting to see if America is ready for a real, teaching, cooking show in Prime Time. I think it will such a departure from normal that it just may get an audience. Just think if it goes well, it just may boost ratings for all my favorite Saturday morning cooking shows on PBS!

Maybe we’ll even see a different side of Gordon that we have yet to see and that’s the passionate chef who enjoys sharing his gift of cooking.

Tune in on Tuesday, December 15 and look for me in the audience (if they even show the audience)! I will be attending the LIVE show for our East Coast friends and taped for the West Coast at 9pm on FOX.

Katie Lee

Katie is the food and lifestyle contributor for The Early Show and has appeared on Oprah, Today, Extra, The Martha Stewart Show, Paula’s Best Dishes, and Iron Chef America. She has been featured in publications such asPeople, Vanity Fair, Town & Country, and InStyle, and writes a regular column for Cosmopolitan. For those that remember, Katie was also the first host of Bravo’s Top Chef.

Katie will share her expertise and tips on throwing a great dinner party. Her delicious Chrismukkah menu was created for a group of friends who celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah.

She’ll teach this hands-on class using recipes from her latest book THE COMFORT TABLE: Recipes for Everyday Occasions (Simon Spotlight Entertainment; October 2009; Hardcover; $26.00). The class fee is $79.00 (book sold separately). Lee will autograph books after the class.  Space is limited to 16 students.

The Menu for this class includes: Mini Potato-Leek Latkes with  Spicy Apple Chutney; Wild Mushroom Soup “Cappuccino”; Herb-Roasted Salmon; Stewed French Lentils; Spinach and Three-Cheese Phyllo Pie; Mexican Wedding Cookies; Triple Chocolate Brownies and Campari and Blood Orange Sparklers Mocktails

Newport Beach, CA – Corona Del Mar 832 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Register online http://cookingclasses.surlatable.com or call 949.640.0200

Los Angeles, CA – Farmers’ Market 6333 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Register online http://cookingclasses.surlatable.com or call 323.954.9190

You can purchase a copy of The Comfort Table from the FoodieInDisguise Online store. We will also be doing a giveaway of Katie Lee’s book, look for a blog post on that this weekend!

Even after 12 weeks of Pro Baking at school, a teaspoon that and a tablespoon this along with a 1/4 cup of this and 3/4 cup of another thing, I can’t bake.

So…I dove into my library of recipes and pulled out a recipe from a chef acquaintance of mine from Washington DC. He did a couple of classes for me at Sur La Table in Arlington and was pastry chef of one of my favorite restaurants at the time, Ten Penh and DC Coast.

David Guas who is now the owner of DamGoodSweet Consulting in Washington DC. He recently released his new book, DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style. It’s a great book and I’ll get into a full review later today.

So I decided to try my hand at Red Velvet Cake. More accurately, cupcakes. It’s a pretty straight-forward recipe. I’ll followup with Part II of this entry after the bake sale.

Below is my batch of cupcakes heading into my pre-heated oven…

Photo credit of David Guas: DamGoodSweet.com and Simone Rathlé

This is a free event and will be held at 5:00pm at the Sur La Table in SCP. Bob will also be signing copies of Knives Cooks Love – written by Sarah Jay and Sur La Table. Copies of the book will be on sale prior to the book signing.

Earlier in the day, Bob will be hosting a hands-on Master Knife Skills class at the Newport Beach Sur La Table. Reserve your spot for a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn knife skills from the foremost kitchen knife-maker. Bob Kramer is the only former chef in the United States to have been certified as a Master Bladesmith by the American Bladesmith Society. He belongs to an elite society of master culinary knifemakers and is the only one who specializes in kitchen cutlery. Cooks Illustrated once wrote “The Kramer knife outperformed every knife we’ve ever rated.” Put simply — Mr. Kramer is king of the kitchen knife. The class is hands-on and costs $100.00.

Connoisseurs wait years for one of Bob Kramer’s originals, but Sur La Table has partnered with him to create an exquisite line of artisan knives only available at Sur La Table. Don’t miss your chance to join the master himself as he shares his methods of using cutlery through demonstrating cuts, sharpening techniques and explaining why the new Shun Bob Kramer line will make kitchen prep a joy.

“Chefs Lose For Good is a perfect example of how participating Festival talent is taking their commitment to the Festival’s beneficiaries to the next level,” says Schrager. “We are grateful for their dedication and participation in this initiative, and thank Weight Watchers for providing us with an additional opportunity to work with Share Our Strength(R) to end childhood hunger in America.”

Festival chefs who have confirmed their participation in the “Chefs Lose For Good” initiative include among others: Michael Lomonaco (Porter House New York), Philippe Massoud (ilili), Anita Lo (Annisa), Elizabeth Karmel (Hill Country), Jacques Torres (Jacques Torres Chocolate), and the Festival’s own Lee Schrager. Beginning the first week in September and ending on October 8th, 2009, the start of the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, these chefs have committed to dropping the pounds to help Weight Watchers inspire people to get healthy and give back to their communities. The chef’s weight-loss will help Weight Watchers support hunger relief organizations like Share Our Strength(R).

The national Lose For Good(TM) campaign from Weight Watchers recently kicked off its second year. As Members and online subscribers lose weight from August 30th to October 17th, 2009, Weight Watchers will donate up to $1 million to two hunger fighting organizations — Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger. Members can also participate in local food drives at Weight Watchers meeting locations. Jenny McCarthy, a passionate activist and actress, has also joined the campaign to generate awareness about this important cause.

As a campaign ambassador, McCarthy will participate in media appearances and appear in a public service announcement encouraging Americans to get healthier while also helping to end hunger. Last year’s campaign participants donated 1.5 million pounds of food and lost 4 millions pounds to help fight childhood hunger. More information on the campaign can be found at www.weightwatchers.com/loseforgood.

The 2009 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival takes place October 8-11th, 2009! Ticket information and the full line-up of new and returning events can be found at www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com, or by calling 866.969.2933. For more Festival updates follow founder and director Lee Schrager on Twitter, www.twitter.com/Lee_Schrager.

For more information on Weight Watchers Lose For Good campaign, click here…

Photo credits: Torres/Ben Muessig; Schrager/Miami Art Zine; Lomonaco/Reuters; Moussad/NYTimes; Lo/Jaimie Trueblood

For those of you who recall, Richard and Jamie were 2/3 of Team Rainbow - the gays and lesbians of Top Chef 5. Patrick packed his knives in the first episode. Emceeing the event today was Paul McCollough. Some of you may remember Paul as a contestant on The Next Food Network Star. He owns and manages a catering company here in Los Angeles.

Richard and Jamie started the event with a Quickfire Challenge; dice 4 onions, chiffonade basil and slice 2 oranges Imperial style. The Quickfire was neck and neck but Richard prevailed. Next was the real challenge. They both had 25 minutes to create their dishes. Richard was making a Watermelon/Cucumber Gazpacho and Jamie presented a Tomato Salad with Feta and Watermelon. The judges for the event were Robert Gant, Elizabeth Keener, Wilson Cruz and Edison Briones. After the judges did their tastings, the VIPs at the event also got to taste the dishes and vote.

So who won? Who was presented with the big GOLDEN WHISK??

It was an audience tie, but the judge’s vote but Richard ahead and he wins the Top Chef Invasion Challenge! Congrats to Richard. The Watermelon/Cucumber Gazpacho was wonderful. Lite and sooo tasty! The winning recipe can be found at WannaBChef.com.

[Show as slideshow]

More pictures to come!

Special guests Jamie Lauren and Richard Sweeney from Bravo Television’s Top Chef, as well as incredible food from Los Angeles area restaurants will be on hand. They are also hosting a silent auction as well as hosted cocktails. Special Emcee for the event with be Paul McCollough who was a contestant on Food Network’s The Next Food Network Star.

DJ Joe Gathreaux, Bailey featuring Boom Kitty and Dangerous Muse are scheduled entertainment for the event.

Our judges for this Top Chef challenge are actors Robert Gant, Elizabeth Keener and Wilson Cruz along with Event Chair, Edison Briones.

The event is to celebrate GLAAD’s work and accomplishments. For more information on this event, visit http://www.glaad.org/hancockpark

You can purchase tickets for this event at: http://www.glaad.org

GLAAD does some of the most important work in the entertainment and media industries in regards to representation of the GLBTQ community in the media whether it be on TV, Radio, Film or the Internet.

GLAAD is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Join us in a few weeks when we giveaway another cookbook!

Scott Mindeaux, Editor
FoodeInDisguise.com

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It’s that time of the month! We have another cookbook giveaway. This month we are featuring Memorable Recipes by Renée Behnke.

Renée has been throwing dinner parties for years and she has learned that whether it’s an intimate party of a few guests to two hundred guests, the most important thing to remember is that it’s about creating an experience for your guests, creating a memory for all to share. Memorable Recipes gives you help in throwing a great dinner party with tips and tricks, do-ahead methods and allowing you to enjoy the party instead of being in the kitchen.

This exciting collection of delicious recipes, ingredients, tools, and preparations is inspired by the memorable gatherings hosted and celebrated by Renee Behnke.

Renée is the president emeritus of the culinary mecca Sur La Table, and she brings a bounty of tastes from around the world to her new work. The 140 unique recipes Renée has created from her home and discovered in her worldly travels, will keep family and friends connected. By sharing her experiences of many different cuisines and how they translate back to the American table, Memorable Recipes makes everyone feel at ease and happy to share time in the kitchen. Memorable Recipes is published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

To qualify for this cookbook giveaway, simply leave a comment in the comment section of this post. You need to make sure you enter your email address in the address field otherwise I’ll have no way to reach you. In addition, tell me and our readers about your most recent dinner party – either as a host or guest and why it was memorable to you.

We’ll pick a random winner from the qualified comments* at the end of the day on June 15, 2009.

Good luck!!

* Qualified comments must have a valid email address and you need to tell us about your most recent dinner party, either as a host or a guest, and what made it memorable for you.

[NOTE] Email addresses will not be used for any other purpose than for this contest. Your email address will not be shared, nor will be visible on the website.

Broadcast & Cable

A town has already been selected and shooting will begin in August. The town’s name has not been released.

Jamie Oliver had a series in the UK called  Jamie’s School Dinners, that followed Jamie and his fight to get unhealthy food removed from school cafeterias. In the ABC program, Oliver will work in tandem with town officials to offer its residents better food options.

While the focus of the ABC show won’t solely be on lunch programs, Jamie want’s to help those in the town figure out where local produce can be found and what resources the town has for better, healthy living.

Photo Credit: JamieOliver.com

I just saw a trailer for a movie I’m sure I will want to watch over and over again. A new movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams is scheduled for release on Friday, August 7, 2009

The film follows Julie Powell (Amy Adams), a government office worker, who decides to cook her way through legendary cook Julia Child’s classic cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in one year’s time. Thru the support of her husband she goes on this cooking spree from her small kitchen in Queens, NY. She blogs about her daily experiences, gaining a loyal following along the way.

Meanwhile, while we watch Julie make her way thru Julia’s book, we get to see Julia Child’s experiences in going to cooking school and her culinary journey. Meryl Streep plays Julia Child masterfully and is a bit uncanny.

The movie is an adaptation of two books: Julie Powell’s Julie & Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homm.

The movie is directed by Nora Ephron. A Columbia Pictures film.

Photo credit: imdb.com

Has anyone noticed how huge Rachael Ray’s Empire has grown? In a short amount of time, she has built several successful shows on the Food Network, has her own daytime talk show, has a cutlery line, then she debuted her orange handle cookware. Next she comes out with table and serving ware. Oh, and let’s not forget all of her cookbooks.

Well several months ago I was at the market and in the cooking oils section, specifically Olive Oils. Lo and behold, there it was: EVOO as she lovingly refers Extra Virgin Olive Oil as. But that wasn’t all, she also has Modena Balsamic Vinegar! But it doesn’t stop there when it comes to pantry items. Rachael also has her own beef and chicken stocks. Made to her specification by the folks at Colavita, she doesn’t want to sacrifice flavor for the convenience of a prepared stock.

But it doesn’t stop there…I’m sure you have all seen the commercials on TV for her new line of dog food, Nutrish. High quality pet food made to exacting specifications by Rachael. Proceeds from the sale of Nutrish also benefit her charity Rachael Rescues which helps distribute funds to pet charities and organizations that help animals in need.

Oh! One more thing, Rachael also has a line of bed linens and towels for your home as well. Just think, your home can be a Rachael Ray home. Martha, move over!

It’s probably safe to say that her start on the Food Network propelled her to where she is today. If she were to leave the Food Network, that would send a blow to the Food Network that in my opinion has shows that aren’t up to par with other cooking shows of the past.

So here is my personal take on Rachael Ray. When she first came onto the scene on the Food Network I watched her shows. The whole “30 minutes” idea was kinda kewl and we all need ideas for fast, easy meals. Well Rachael came to the rescue. The fact was the food was real. No fancy this or that, just easy to cook meals that anyone would enjoy eating. Yes the episodes really take like 7-9 hours to produce, but all in all, those meals can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.

Her little quirks like the “EVOO” and her “mmmmm” where kinda catchy and I never had a “garbage bowl” until Rachael came along. Then Rachael started doing more “lifestyle” shows like here $40 a day. Interesting concept. I thought to myself, could I really do that in real life? While a good idea, I know that while on vacation, spending only $40 a day was pushing it. But it was nice seeing her travel from place to place, around the world, showing us that you can eat on less than $40 a day. It was kinda inspiring, but I know my eating habits! :)

When her daytime TV talkshow came to CBS, I have probably only watched it like one or two times. If I remember correctly, the two times I watched was when the contestants from “The Next Food Network Star” would come to her show. Rachael is very involved with the community and does alot of charity work.

I have never purchased any of her products, though I do own two pieces of cookware that my sister got for me one Christmas – yep, orange handles and all! Maybe I will try out some of her EVOO or her chicken stock just to see what the quality is like.

Have you used any of Rachael’s pantry items? What’s it like?

Photo Credits: rachaelray.com and foodnetwork.com

While I was there I had the pleasure of working with Carla Hall, one of the Top 3 in Season 5 of Top Chef. I have been trying to get in touch of Carla since I found out she was going to be on the show before Season 5 aired. We have run into each other on Twitter after the show ended and she briefly said hello.

I really want to get to DC to congratulate her for her accomplishment on Top Chef. I want to share a glass of wine and a meal with her and catch up with her and see hear from her myself what being on the show was like and where she is going next in her food life. Carla was one of my favorite chefs to work with. If memory serves, I was introduced to Carla by another great DC area chef, Janis McLean.

Another reason to get to DC is to visit Teddy Folkman at Granville Moore’s in NE. As the Executive Chef of Granville Moore’s, Folkman has gotten the reputation for the best Moules on the East Coast! Well, ok…maybe in the Mid-Atlantic. What are Moules you ask? Mussels. But not just any mussels, these are mussels prepared in Belgian fashion. Granville Moore’s is all about supporting their Belgian fetish, whether it be the food, the drink (oh the beers!) and even the patrons.

Teddy’s moules made its way up the East Coast and the Food Network decided they were going to have Bobby Flay challenge Teddy to a Throwdown! Well that challenge was won by Teddy himself – a testament to his genius.

Teddy Folkman has just found out that he is one of the contestants on this year’s season of The Next Food Network Star! Can you believe it! Look forward to seeing Teddy and the other contestants as they battle it out for a show of their own on the popular Food Network. The Next Food Network Start premieres on June 7, 2009.

Oh, did I mention that Teddy is just to darn cute! :)

So there you have it. I need to get to DC. Carla, let’s have lunch. Teddy, your West Coast fan is coming to talk about mussels!

A few years ago Joanne started a group called Agave Girls, women who appreciate tequila. 100% agave tequila – not the aspirin-inducing kind we remember from college days. It wasn’t long before the buzz about Agave Girls gained national attention (and tequila became the fastest growing spirit in the U.S.), and pretty soon Joanne’s agent called to say her book proposal for TEQUILA: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails and Bites was accepted!

TEQUILA is an aficionados guide with 60+ recipes for both cocktails and food! One of the cocktails she created is the Surly Temple, which the media is going crazy over and other recipes were contributed by top tequila bartenders around the country.

Joanne recommends the heavenly Prado cocktail developed by Kacy Fitch at the Zig Zag Café in Seattle, WA – it pairs perfectly with my tequila-infused recipes including savory Chorizo Hand Pies and incredibly delicious Coco Loco Tequila Cupcakes.

Prado
Serves 1

A prado is a grassy “meadow” or “field” in Spanish. This aptly named drink is the loveliest green. Airy and light, with a generous dose of agave, this cocktail is sure to impress. Its heavenly foam crown is most easily made by employing an interesting technique: remove the spring from your cocktail strainer and use it in the shaker as a whisk!

2 ounces blanco tequila
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce maraschino liqueur
1 egg white
1 flamed lime peel (see below), for garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the garnish in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Using a whisk or the spring from the cocktail shaker, whisk the drink to create a little bit of foam. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the flamed lime peel.

Flamed Citrus Peel
Remove a 2-to-3-inch long piece of citrus peel using a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. To flame the peel, light the end of a toothpick or bamboo skewer with a lighter. Hold the burning toothpick or skewer about 2 fingers above the rim of the glass and warm the outside of the peel. Then, holding the peel just above the flame, sharply squeeze it, propelling the oil from the peel through the flame and into the glass. Drop the flamed peel into the cocktail.

Reprinted from TEQUILA: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails, and Bites by Joanne Weir. Photography by Lara Hata. Copyright © 2009. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.

Joanne will be doing a book tour and will also be doing a few cooking classes highlighting some of the food and drinks from Tequila. Visit www.joanneweir.com for more information on where she will be and for lots of recipe ideas!

Joanne has had several shows on PBS, most recently she is in her newest season of Joanne Weir’s Cooking Class. Prior to that she had two successful series “Weir Cooking in the Wine Country” and “Weir Cooking in the City”. In addition she has had several cookbooks such as From Tapas to Meze, companion books to her PBS series, most notably “Weir Cooking in the City” which won the 2005 James Beard Award. Other titles include: Joanne Weir’s More Cooking in the Wine Country; Weir Cooking : Recipes from the Wine Country; and You Say Tomato as well as several titles for Williams-Sonoma. Joanne also conducts several culinary tours to France and Italy each year.

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) has just concluded their 2009 conference and have announced the winners of this years IACP Cookbook Awards.

In the baking category, Sur La Table’s The Art & Soul of Baking took home the award.

Noted pastry chef, Cindy Mushet, is the co-author of The Art & Soul of Baking. Cindy is an accomplished pastry chef of over 20 years starting her career in the kitchens of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA . From there she has been the lead Pastry Chef for several restaurants up and down the California Coast.

I had the fortune of meeting Cindy when she was an instructor at The New School of Cooking in Culver City. I describe Cindy’s teaching style as direct, yet with a smile. Cindy’s writings can also be found in places like Gourmet, Food & Wine and the NY Times. Cindy’s first cookbook, Desserts: Mediterranean Flavors, California Style showcases some of Cindy’s best recipes and highlights her ability to amaze your visual senses as well as your taste buds.

Sur La Table certainly has made a place for itself in the home and housewares world. Each Sur La Table store is filled with wonders that any foodie or culinarian could want. Each visit is different as you explore the displays and try every gadget. Their employees are trained on the products they sell and are very passionate about cooking. Sur La Table has had its pulse on America’s cooking scene since 1972. Renée and Carl Behnke purchased the original Sur La Table at Pike’s Market in Seattle and now they have over 70 stores nationwide. In addition to the fine wares they sell, they also have a very successful cooking program where home cooks can come learn new skills or refresh old ones.

Congratulations to Sur La Table and Cindy Mushet. This is a wonderful book! The Art & Soul of Baking has also been nominated for a James Beard Award – news to come on that in May!

The first International Food Bloggers Conference will convene in Seattle from May 15-17, 2009. The conference is organized by Sheri Wetherell, co-founder of Foodista.

The conference will feature three days of sessions on topics regarding food, writing and technology. Culinary notables scheduled to appear are Ruth Reichl of Gourmet Magazine, Renée Behnke of Sur La Table featuring her new cookbook, Memorable Recipes as well as Molly Wizenberg and Jaden Hair.

A preliminary agenda is posted on their website. General admission to the conference is $275 with Early Bird Registration set at $225.

For more information, visit http://ifbc.foodista.com

I remember the first time I got to meet Renée when I was working in one of her culinary programs at the Sur La Table in Arlington, VA. It was May of 2004 and what I remember was being so nervous to meet her and the then new CEO, Kathy Tierney. The visit when very well and she was impressed with what we had done at her Arlington location.

Today, it has been almost 4 years since I had seen Renée. I left Sur La Table in 2005. I was sitting in the audience listening to acclaimed Indian cuisine authority Suvir Saran and he made mention of Renée and pointed towards the audience. I glanced over, saw her and I was so excited. After Suvir’s presentation, Renée was talking to another audience member and was trying to get thru a stantion and in an attempt to release the belt, it had malfunctioned. She was trying to get it back on as she was talking to a fan. I walked up and took the stantion belt from her and she looked up and realized it was me! I saw her remember who I was and I was happy. From there we talked and caught up and she told me she was announcing her new cookbook at the show. Renée was scheduled to do a cooking demo from one of her recipes the next morning. It was such a joy to spend some time with Renée.

The next morning, I was there at 9:15 waiting for Renée to come on stage. She demoed a recipe of  a Red Lentil Curry Soup which is from her upcoming cookbook, Memorable Recipes. Her new cookbook touches on many of the foods she has encountered in her travels around the world and she wanted to show how they translate back to the American table.

Memorable Recipes has wonderful photography and the recipes are structured well. In addition to the recipes, Renée talks about menu plans, do-ahead tips, decor ideas, and shortcuts we can all appreciate. Her book is ideal for anyone who enjoys cooking for themselves and for family and friends. Memorable Recipes features appetizers, soups and salads, sides, main dishes, and desserts. Renée takes the extra step of making wine paring recommendations – not specific wineries, but types of wine.

The book will be released in Late May/Early June from Andrew McMeel Publishing. Renée will be doing a book tour across the US. You are sure to find her doing a cooking demo at many Sur La Table stores. The book will be available thru all major book retailers. You can pre-purchase a copy of her book and have it shipped to you as soon as the book is released!

Renée, congratulations on your book. I look forward to trying all the recipes in your book.

Note: You can pre-purchase her book from my new FoodieInDisguise Store, powered by Amazon.com. Click here to pre-purchase her book with a discount off the $35.00 publisher’s price.

On another side note, Andrew McMeel Publishing is the host to many wonderful cookbooks. In addition to Renée’s upcoming book, they are also the publishers of Sur La Table’s three cookbooks as well as publisher to such titles as The Secrets of the Red Lantern and Pamela Sheldon Johns’ 50 Great Appetizers – a cookbook I have mentioned on this site before. Check out Andrew McMeel Publishing’s full list of cookbooks at http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/cookbooks.html

As each guest chef arrived on site, they found all their prep work done and their station setup on stage. Prior to the show, each chef and cookbook author was asked to submit a prep and ingredient list. Whole Foods provided the food but the prep work was done by eight hard working students from The International Culinary Schools at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago.

For three days, these eight students chopped, minced, sliced and measured out all the ingredients for such chefs as Masaharu Morimoto, Tyler Florence, Ming Tsai, Stephanie Izard, Nathan Lippy, Paula Deen, Renée Behnke, Suvir Saran and Rick Bayless to name a few. Tucked away behind the stage was a prep room that was filled with glass bowls, kitchen utensils of all kinds, All-Clad cookware, KitchenAid blenders, mixers and food processors. KitchenAid and All-Clad were sponsors of the GOHO Kitchen Theater.

Before each chef came on stage, Beth, the stage manager would come out and make sure that the stage was cleaned and prepped for the next chef. Beth made sure that KitchenAid stovetop was spotless. When Beth was done, the students would bring out the ingredients and set up the positions of each item based on whatever instructions the chef had given them.

For each chef, the students would get to stand on stage with the chef and “sous” for them. In groups of two they would each take turns on the stage. The culinary students were very professional and some point I was wondering if these kids knew how to have fun. They were all serious in front of the audience and performed their duties to the best of their abilities. But no fret, one wise crack from the guest chef and the students would grab a glance at their classmate across the stage and crack a smile.

So what was going on backstage while a chef was on-stage? Considering the schedule we had over the three day period, there was a lot of pots and dishes that had gotten used. The vastness of the great hall that the event was in was enough to mask any noise that was created back stage. For the audience, all they saw was a black curtain. Some of the students were prepping for the next chef, while others were cleaning and washing dishes.

At the end of each day, whatever demo food was left over was snacked on by the stage staff and the students. On one of the days, there was some leftover Pumpkin Pancake batter from the Hearty Boys demo and they made sure that none of that went to waste! Yumm!

Most of the guest chefs were very gracious and did not hesitate to give props to their sous chefs and to the students in the back area.

On the third day, there was a cancellation of one of the guest chefs and one of their instructors, Maria Selas, at The International Culinary Schools at the Illinois Institute of Art had a surprise scheduled for them. There was going to be a cook-off! The students would be put into two groups and compete against each other. Maria had told me the day before and I knew these students would be excited when they found out.

The next day I was running late and missed one of the shuttles from my hotel and missed the moment when the students found out. I really wanted to be there and capture the moment when they found out. The announcement was made just prior to my arrival on site that morning. Damn…

Each of the students would have 15 minutes to prepare a dish that would then be judged by a panel. Each of the students kept focused and kept to the task at hand, take whatever ingredients that is in the kitchen and make a dish. They had to used what was in the pantry and in the fridge, most of which were left over ingredients from the two days prior. After the first four students completed their dishes, they were put out and the audeince then came crashing the stage hoping to get a sample of the cuisine. The second set of students came up and did their dishes and once again the stage was overrun with audience members. I’m not sure that anyone “won” the competition, but you can be sure that each of their dishes was done with the same zeal and determination of the guest chefs they helped these last few days.

None of the students had illusions of grandeur in their quest for culinary greatness. Each one of them knew that lots of hard work, lots of repetitive teaching and practice was going to mold them into the future chefs that we will know in the years ahead.

One of the students, Rebecca Hull, will be pursuing a Food Engineering Degree when she completes her program at the Institute. Eric Vier said when he is done he wants to travel and cook around the world.

Here’s what the students made on their day on-stage:

Rebecca Hull
Roasted Beet Salad with Caramelized Pears

Lynn Beasley
Linguine Pasta tossed with Fried Panchetta and Rosemary

Brittnay Sudlow
Asian Coleslaw Salad with Orange/Chili Vinaigrette

Eric Vier
Steamed Mussels with Roasted Vegetables

Patrick Brown
Mariated Chicken Kabobs w/Feta and Vegetables

Andrew Denton
Seafood Pasta made with Shrimp, Mussels and Squid Ink Pasta served with a Cream Reduction Sauce

Nicole Scherff
Cold Potato & Green Bean Salad with an Italian Vinaigrette
Warm Beet Green Salad with Honey Carrots & Beets

Nicole Montalbano
Chicken Kabobs with an Asian Coleslaw w/Sweet Vinaigrette

I applaud these students and their hard work. As a former cooking school manager, I know how important it is for prep work to be done properly for a cooking demo.

Remember these names, you will see lots of good things from them in the near future.

Here in Southern California, we are proud that the following restaurateurs and authors have been nominated for their various categories. The James Beard Awards will be held May 3 and 4.

OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD

Suzanne Goin
Lucques
Los Angeles

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

The Bazaar by José Andrés at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
Los Angeles
Chef/Owner: José Andrés

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD

Patina
Los Angeles
Wine Director: Eric Espuny

RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Jonathan Gold
LA Weekly
“A Proper Brasserie,” “A Fine Palate,” “Pho Town”

BOOKS – BAKING

The Art and Soul of Baking
by Cindy Mushet, Sur La Table
(Andrews McMeel Publishing)

Show floor shots, Akasha Richmond, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Stephanie Izard, Survir Saran, Todd English, Tyler Florence, Nathan Lippy

[Show as slideshow]

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Special thanks to Ian Ford, a co-worker of mine who lent me his Canon 40D for this event. Thank you Ian. You can view some of Ian’s work on his website at http://www.voxinforma.com

Suvir actually started in the art business before concentrating in the culinary arts. Hosting grand dinners for his friends, he went on to start his journey in food. In 1997, he joined the staff of NYU’s Department of Food and Nutrition, teaching what became some of their most popular classes. Shortly thereafter he started a small catering business that became one of New York’s hottest catering companies as heralded by New York Magazine in 1999. The highlight of his catering career was cooking the first Indian meal ever served at Carnegie Hall for a host of international celebrities and dignitaries in honor of the 50th anniversary of India’s independence in 1997.

Suvir now has two cookbooks, Indian Home Cooking and American Masala: 125 New Classics From My Home Kitchen. In 2008 he started his porcelain dinnerware line. He currently resides in upstate New York home of his American Masala Farm.

If that wasn’t enough, Suvir is the co-owner of Dévi, a 75 seat upscale restaurant in NYC – a restaurant he opened with co-owner Hemant Mathur in October of 2007. Dévi offers the authentic flavors of Indian home cooking as well as dishes inspired by Suvir’s cookbooks. Dévi received a Michelin one-star rating in 2007 and 2008, as well as a three-star rating from New York Magazine and two stars from The New York Times.

Suvir has tought at many classes at cooking schools across the United States including Sur La Table, my former employer. You can find out more about suvir at his website: www.suvir.com

Photo credit: Troy House

Nate Lippy runs an online food blog called Food, Drinks and Rock n Roll. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in 2004, this Florida born dude moved to a tiny apartment in Harlem, NY and went to work for some of the best restaurants in NYC. While moving from small French Bistros to Mexican and then a fine Steak House, he began to ponder where his exact food passion was.

“How can I rock out and cook at the same time?”, “How can I bring people together and have a great time as a career!?” I think I figured it out…or at least I almost have. I suppose the journey from here will be my greatest yet. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

On his blog he has recipes and videos from a unique perspective. I can’t wait to see him perform live in Chicago next weekend.

Here is a video of his last online video, turning those ramen packets into something special:

In their current pregnancies, they were both impregnated with both sets so they don’t know who’s egg is whose. (Sorry if I got the grammar wrong). With that said all four children had the same sperm donor so they are all biologically related.

Cat currently serves as one of the Iron Chefs on Food Network’s Iron Chef America. She currently has several cookbooks and recently collaborated in the creation of the Signature Kitchen at Macy’s Home Store at South Coast Plaza.

Carla talks about the success that the show has brought to her catering company and also discusses her time on the show and how she was thinking Tart, but saying Soufflé! It’s a nice interview!

Go Carla!

Click here for the video stream: http://www.letstalklive.tv/n_videoplayer.cfm?video=ltlcarla0309.wmv&id=159

Cory is the proud owner of Culinary Cory (culinarycory.com). Cory talks about his culinary adventures and loves to cook, cook, cook! He has a great website that recently went thru a make-over and it’s even better than it was before. The idea came to him with an evening out with friends. Since then he has had a site rich with recipes and great photos. His “board of directors” include his partner Brent and friends Deb, Miss Mary and Jimmy.

In celebration of his birthday (which was on March 2nd) he baked a Chocolate Cake. I won’t get any time to bake until this weekend, but I think I’ll have to try this cake out and bring it to work on Monday. Although not a chocolate fan myself (I know don’t hate me) my co-workers have no problem scarfing down chocolate in an instant!

The cake is based on Ina Garten’s (The Barefoot Contessa) recipe (just the cake) and the icing is a Sour Cream Chocolate Icing with White Chocolate Shavings. You can find the recipe on Cory’s website: http://culinarycory.com/2009/03/01/happy-birthday-chocolate-cake

Happy Birthday Cory!