Well after 17 years, Bon Appetit magazine gets a make-over. Barbara Fairchild, Editor of Bon Appetit, said it was time for a change. The logo is playful and depicts the magazines bold new look. Look forward to more design changes in the pages over the next few months. You’ll notice the “o” and the accent mark are a different color from the dark chocolate brown of the rest of the logo. Each month the “o” and accent will be a different color. I think that’s …

So remember a few posts back I said that Nigella Lawson as in town for a book signing? Well I couldn’t go, but my friends Aaron and Davey went. Aaron had his iPhone with him and Nigella stopped the line to ask questions about it. She said that she was buying one as soon as she gets back to the UK.
I’m so jealous, wish I could have gone! :)
Here is a pic of my friends: 
P.S. This pic was taken using the iPhone built-in camera, not bad!

I was catching up on the TiVo and watching Nigella Lawson’s cooking show, Nigella Express. Coincidentally she was in Pasadena this past Saturday signing her new book Nigella Express. I was going to go and see her, but my hip kept me in bed.
Anyway, I’m watching the episode called Razzle Dazzle, fast party foods. She is making an avocado-crab wrap. She is assembling the wrap and she says to put a sprinle of lime juice on the crab mixture. I’m expecting a wedge …

I was watching HSN and Chef Jaime Gwen was on promoting the Command Performance Cookware. In the course of plating a dish she made using this cookware, she reaches over into a bowl of chopped parsley and proceeds to garnish the plate of food. She not only garnished it, she sprinkled the garnish all over the outer rim of the plate.
I don’t know about you, but I find over-garnishing a plate is gratuitous and adds nothing to the flavor of the dish. In fact, …

Alice Medrich is the Queen of Chocolate! Without a doubt, she has gotten the title cuz she deserves it! I met Alice Medrich in 2004 where she taught a Chocalate class for me at my cooking school when I worked at Sur La Table. In 2004 she released “Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate“.

Alice Medrich was the founder of the dessert shop, Chocolat, in Berkeley. She also released her cookbook, “Chocolat“.
I’m going to find the photos I took during her …

Tonight officially marks the close of Season Three of Top Chef.
There is only one phrase that I will bring to the post from tonite’s show.
From Dale: “Beauty is only a lightswitch away…”
Love it!

Tonight’s episode of Top Chef was one of the best ever! This year they pared it down to a final three configuration. We’re down to Casey, Hung and Dale. Personally, I wanted to see Casey or Dale win. The final challenge was to develop a 3 course menu. They had time to prep in 2 stages. In stage 1, they got some help in the kitchen. Normally, they bring back some of the past chefs to help in the kitchen.
In a surprising twist, the sous …

it seems that the surge in business may have been testing. This is probably the first time the staff was tested in a full house experience.
Doug and I decided to start with drinks…

It’s Sunday night and I’m watching the Food Network Challenge. Today’s challenge is a cake decorating challenge and a cute guy that I saw on another cake challenge was on!

This time he is the assistant to the person competing. The cute guy?? His name is Tad Weliczko from New York. Tad competed in the Simpons Cake Challenge a few weeks back. He didn’t win, but I was rooting for him all the way. His assistant on that episode was James Rosselle. …

Well after a good workout, I decided to cook some dinner. I did about 30 minutes cardio in the little gym here in the apartment complex.
Tonight I sauteed a chicken breast tht was sliced in half then flattened. In the skillet was some olive and canola oil. Salt and Pepper the breasts, lightly dust with flour. Cook getting brown on both sides, then remove from pan and keep in oven at 250 while we saute some shallots, garlic and Cremini mushrooms. …

I am totally convinced that strawberries that you find in generic containers and on sale for 2 for $5.00 aren’t as good as other marked or un-marked boxes of strawberries. I bought some strawberries on Friday night and by the next afternoon, they had already started to mold. The ones that weren’t moldy I kept and they weren’t very sweet.
I don’t normally push “brands”, but I’m a firm believer in Driscoll Berries. The berries are more consistent in size, good color without coloring …