State of the Union: Food Terrorism

By JULIETTE ROSSANT As President George W. Bush prepares for the 2006 State of the Union address, Superchefblog wondered: what is the State of our Food? Last year ended on a new lownote of terror-mongering in this country, with the pent-up story finally released by The New York Times due to publication of James Risen's new book, State of War. Five years after the fact, we finally know that the U.S. Government has been spying on us, its own citizens. Who picks up the check (so to speak) when the National Security Agency starts spying on you through Food? You laugh? Save your breath and wait until you get profiled by what you order up, because the check is on you (so to speak). After all, "you are what you eat," so there must be a Food Profile for terrorists, right? All the government has to do is get hold of your credit card history to check what food you've purchased and from where -- starting with those suspicious Arabs down on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn -- or your recent Open Table reservation. "Agent X, we seem to have come across an eating pattern similar to those of Osama Bin Laden...... "MY GOD! OSAMA BIN LADEN IS IN NEW YOUR CITY!" the agent, concludes, remembering certain photos of Bin Laden. Next thing you know, the Department of Homeland Security has raised the national threat level from Yellow ("Elevated") to Red ("Severe") -- just what does that mean? -- and it's nine months under lock and key as a guest of Uncle Sam, courtesy of the Patriot Act. Then there are all those "foreign" chefs to worry about...... Austrian-born Wolfgang Puck has referred to his salmon and caviar pizza as his "Jew Pizza": does that make him anti-Israeli or even pro-Palestinian? It might be a tougher call than you think for an NSA agent to figure out: while Wolf's ex-wife and business partner, Barbara Lazaroff may be Jewish, his current squeeze Gelila Assifa is Ethiopian -- and we all know that Ethiopia's near-majority is Muslim (see CIA World Factbook). What about all that charity work -- any of Islamic charity? "We'd better check." And where do we start with all those French chefs -- because isn't France where those Muslim riots occurred last Fall?...... Or the Spanish chefs, with their proximity to Morocco and run-in with terrorism on 4/11? Did Superchefblog implicate Jose Andres (pictured above) last year by calling him a "mole" (see previous article)? If Uncle Sam as Big Brother (the George Orwell concept, not the UK or US television shows) doesn't grab you (literally), how about our own homegrown Food Terrorism? It's bad enough that the government cannot seem to decide which foods are good for you (remember the new Food Pyramid?) and which are not (remember the future's food science in Woody Allen's movie Sleeper?). Now, we've got vigilantes roaming the country in the guise of Political Correctness police. Such socio-political control is commonly thought to be limited to Muslim countries (in the form of mutawa`a), but apparently PETA and associated organizations feel differently, starting with the Foie Gras War (see latest article and especially "Foie Gras War: Voodoo and Vigilantes"). The legislation against on foie gras producers and consumers in Washington (state), California, Illinois, and New York is disheartening. Some chefs have spoken out strongly against the bans, but too many others are swayed by faulty science, scare tactics and misinformation by the eco-terrorists pursuing these bans. If a product is USDA grade and safe for humans, consumers should have the right to eat what they choose. Legislation needs to be channeled toward proper food labeling and inspection, so that consumers can be forewarned and stil have the right to choose. Bans are for things like cigarettes, which cause health problems not only for smokers but, more importantly, second-hand smokers. Food rules lead to food police and that leads to gray mush on a paper plate. If we made rules about what we are allowed to eat and what is forbidden, the world would be a pretty dull place. One highlight from last year arose from a lowpoint in the form of chefs and restaurateurs who rallied to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina and other associated disasters. Cat Cora's Chefs for Humanity has continued to be particularly active in helping victims. And Cat Cora also won the popular vote for Superchefblog's nationwide readers' poll to help get the first woman ever selected as executive chef at the White House -- and now Cris Comerford is both our first woman and first minority chef there (see our complete coverage). In other news, Food Reality TV continued to crank out new, formulaic shows that teach little and fail to win audience loyalty like Emeril Lagasse. Chefs continue to thrive and expand their businesses. And the number of Super Chefs are expanding -- stay tuned for profiles of new Super Chefs coming during 2006. Super chefs: Emeril Lagasse Wolfgang Puck Previous articles: [Chefs & Politics - complete coverage] [White House - complete coverage] [Food Television - complete coverage] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to superchefblog

In Style Celebrity Weddings: Bobby Flay & Stephanie March

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Super chef Bobby Flay and super star Staphanie March have their wedding featured on ABC's Insight Celebrity Weddings tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST. The wedding reception was held at Daniel Boulud's Restaurant Daniel. Super chefs: Daniel Boulud Bobby Flay Previous articles: Bobby Flay: Married and Motivated Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to superchefblog

FOOD FLICKS: Julia Child Interviews

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation sponsored a three-hour interview with Julia Child on June 25, 1999, which is available on Google Video in six parts (below) -- just move your cursor over the image, and a title will come up that tells you the contents of that section. FOOD FLICKS: FOOD FLICKS: Gordon Ramsay the Sailor FOOD FLICKS: Google Video Julia Child: Update: Julia Child's Channel Saved - For Now James Beard, Emmys to Honor Julia Child Julia Child Remember'd, by Judith Jones Forthcoming on Julia Child: The Spy, the Student, the Master Previous articles: Trailer of The Meatrix 2: Revolting Before STORE WARS: The Meatrix Star Wars' Super Chef: "Droidmaker" George Lucas STORE WARS: The Making of the Movie Year's Most Important Movie: STORE WARS Inside Scoop on Dinner in the Control Room Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Google Video, Food Flicks --> back to superchefblog

Chinese New Year: Martine's Chocolate Dogs

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Remember eating chocolate cigarettes when you were a kid? There was something so tantalizing about eating a sweet that looked like something you should never eat. You could preserve a strong anti-cigarette posture and still practice being a glamorous, grown-up movie star. Eating a dog isn't quite the same thing -- more like a grown-up's "animal cracker." There is that sadistic but delicious decision facing each bite: snout, tail, legs -- or a bit of all of them? Martine's Chocolates make exquisite chocolate pups -- perfect for a post-banquet treat on Chinese New Year, which starts January 29, 2006 (Chinese year 4073). Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. In case you haven't heard or guessed, this is the Year of the Dog, so it's appropriate to pop one of these lucky omens into your mouth. Whether you are a dog lover or despise sharing your city street with that genus of mammals, they are sinfully fun to eat. Martine's dogs come in a whole slew of breeds from Cocker Spaniels to Great Danes to Schnauzers. (Don't forget the Lassie dog, too -- or the French bull dog, pictured above.) Martine's chocolate dogs are all rich, smooth and intensely flavored. Superchefblog asked Martine Leventer Pechenik where the idea for the dogs comes from: I started to make "A" dog years ago. I don't remember when, but I know I just melted when I saw a mold for a small Yorkshire: he looked exactly like the one my Mother had, with the same cute look. To this day, he is my favorite one. I added the others little by little, as I "met" them, until I decided to have a whole line of dogs: there are so many different breeds on the streets of New York, it always surprises me(nothing like it in Paris!). So I keep trying to find new molds too. Of course, I love dogs, too! And Valentine's Day is a great way to show your love. Previous articles: The Sex in Chrismukkah Easter Special: Super Pastry Chefs Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, chocolate, valentine's --> back to superchefblog

Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Traveling Cookbook

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels through the Great Subcontinent (Artisan 2005) is a stunning coffee table cookbook by two globetrotting photographers and husband-and-wife team Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. Ever so lightly, this tome will transport you to landscapes, faces, and cuisines of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The recipes that the authors present are recreations of inspiring dishes they have encountered on their travels on the subcontinent. Each recipe head note recalls where the recipe came from and how the authors changed it and serve it in their Canadian home. The making of the book is the subject of an hour-long documentary by Jacques Menard for the Food Network Canada. The book wanders all over the subcontinent in no particular order. The table of contents groups recipes by ingredient, but as you leaf through the gorgeous pages, there are other headings like The Winchester with a lovely photo of rice meal mounded on leaves in a mountain village of Orissa, not actually a meal at The Winchester Cafe. On the facing page is an essay about eating at the Winchester in Sri Lanka where the food is south Indian Tamil. One of the authors (whoever is "I" for this essay) writes about eating hoppers (soft steamed skillet breads) and sambhar (tamarind-based soupy lentil stew) rather than the typical heavy meal of "rice and curry". He/she also describes the clear divisions in Sri Lankan society between Sinhalese Buddhists, Tamil Hindus, and Muslims. But in the Winchester, I somehow didn't notice the little statue of Buddha standing near the cash register, and the food had me fooled. The place had a Sinahalese feel, but the food was Tamil, and so was most of the staff. Then I was told that the owner was Sinhalese. When I finally got to meet her, I learned that she had visited Tamil Nadu, in South India, a few years back. She liked the food so much that she had learned to make it and soon she started serving it in the restaurant, along with Tamil dishes from Sri Landa. This may not sound like a big deal, but here in Sri Lanka, after two decades of civil war, it is a big deal. (p. 146) You may never want to make hoppers (recipe on p. 121) and lentil stew (recipe on p.188), but you may want to read observations: why eating on holiday matters in more ways than just energy for more fun. Mangoes & Curry Leaves is full of essays on food memories like the one following a photo of a Hindu shrine near Darbar Square in Kathmandu of a woman making an offering under the title Rebirth. The essay begins with one of the author's mother's death and then a trip to Ladakh noth of the Himalaya. The author goes to a monastery for a festival attended by pilgrims. One day a woman from Dard, a region off-limits to foreigners shares apricots with the author/s: After I'd eaten the fruit, sucking its tart flesh off the pit, she showed me how to crack the pit and extract the "almond" within. Later, during a break, we walked together to one of the tea stands and had tea and bread, dunking the bread in our tea as we watched the passing scene. And ever since, whenever I bit into a tart dried apricot, that encounter comes back: the sharp bright sun, the shy alert smile of the Dard woman, the scents of dust and goatskin and hot tea. (p. 185) There is no mention of conversation between the author/s and the Dard woman, and only a little discussion of the disputed territory between Pakistan and India. This is a passage about what food means, evoking memory, place and understanding. Book details: Publisher Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Previous articles: Manju Malhi's India With Passion Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks --> back to superchefblog

World Woman Week?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT This month, women of the world won presidencies: Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Finland's Tarja Halonen. Now, the big question: how many of them will put cuisine and nutrition on their national agendas? (You remember Tarja Halonen -- the Conan O'Brien look-alike? CNN and others have been following the story -- and now Tarja has won!) Previous articles: [White House Woman Chef - complete coverage] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to superchefblog

FOOD FLICKS: Gordon Ramsay the Sailor

By JULIETTE ROSSANT For our first "Food Flicks" feature, courtesy of Google Video, Superchefblog presents England's super chef Gordon Ramsay, ever so British in an interview that discusses his penchant for sailing and cooking, dated November 15, 2005. Click here to watch our first FOOD FLICK feature: "Gordon Ramsay on the BBC" (run time: 3 min 36 sec) Stay tuned for more "Food Flicks" each Friday! Super chefs: Gordon Ramsay Previous articles: Gordon Ramsay v James Bond Gordon Ramsay: Women Can't Cook Gordon Ramsay: A Chef For All Seasons Gordon Ramsay: In the Heat of the Kitchen Gordon Ramsay on Jay Leno: Funnier than Hell Hell's Kitchen a la Apprentice: You're Fired! Hell's Kitchen on ICE Sneak Peak: Hell's Kitchen, with Gordon Ramsay Gordon Ramsay Joins Richard Branson in Fox's Reality TV Hell [Food Television - complete] [Chefs & Politics - complete] [Humor - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, video --> back to superchefblog

FOOD FLICKS: Google Video

By JULIETTE ROSSANT With the launch of Google Video (see David Pogue's review in The New York Times), Superchefblog is launching Food Flicks each Friday, for some end-of-week video entertainment. While the technoids argue the merits (see "Related news," below), Google Video is a indisputably step up from Real's RealPlayer, Microsoft's Windows Media Player, or even Apple's Quicktime: if you think it runs quickly and smoothly (if sometimes a bit grainy during these their Beta days), just resize your browser window and see it runs! First up is Gordon Ramsay: come see tomorrow! Related news: International Herald Tribune O'Reilly MacDev Center I-Newswire iLounge Information Week Chicago Tribune San Francisco Chronicle Sydney Morning Herald San Jose Mercury News Los Angeles Times Previous articles: AOL Features Superchefblog - Again AOL Features Superchefblog Todd English Chefs MTV Video Music Awards Video Killed the Radio Star: Can Radio Resurrect Rocco DiSpirito? Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, video --> back to superchefblog

Trailer of The Meatrix 2: Revolting

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Can a movie sequal be as good as the original? The fans of The Meatrix, Free Range Studios' blockbuster, are about to find out. Be the first one on your block to catch a sneak preview of The Meatrix 2: Revolting. Click here to watch the trailer, now. Subsequent articles: Meatrix 2 Opens Today Related websites: GRACE Factory Farm Project GRACE Public Fund MySpace: Moopheus Friends of Rural New York Sustainable Table Blog The New Farm Previous articles: Before STORE WARS: The Meatrix Last Supper for Star Wars Star Wars' Super Chef: "Droidmaker" George Lucas STORE WARS: The Making of the Movie Year's Most Important Movie: STORE WARS Gabby Hayes: White House Chef? A Bite Out of "The Gates" Inauguration Spells Alphabet Soup Disaster Slow Food Thanksgiving, by Alice Waters and Prince Charles Politics, Billboards & Champagne Politics, Chefs & Billboards Inside Scoop on Dinner in the Control Room Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, politics, movies, trailers --> back to superchefblog

Jamie Oliver New Year: School Lunch

By JULIETTE ROSSANT What is the cost of change? In the UK's countrywide school food revolution brought on by Jamie Oliver, the first victim is fatty food maker Cantebury Foods. The company called in administrators when it was unable to meet its debt payments. Canterbury Foods had supplied processed foods like sausage rolls and meat pies to pubs, restaurants, hotels, fast-food outlets and wholesalers who sold to school caterers. Paul Ainsworth, the chief executive of the company, told to The Times of London: “We made a lot of fatty foods and a lot of salty foods. There has been a change in the whole industry. Unfortunately events have overtaken us.” Last week a management buyout saved three of six factories and two hundred employees. A further four hundred workers are yet to learn their fate, according to The Times. The article goes on to say that Canterbury Foods sales have been declining since last July. “I don’t blame Jamie Oliver,” Mr Ainsworth said. “He’s been a catalyst for change. It’s a good change.” Canterbury Foods tried to change too. It brought out lower-fat sausage rolls but to no avail. School lunches in the UK and the US have to change. Superchefblog has made its New Year's resolution: to publicize the improvement of school lunches in the United States (see previous article). Chefs: get out there, and rattle your pots and pans, and let's see some change in the New Year! Let's catch up with the UK. Fatty food makers selling to schools will have to change their products or suffer the fate of Cantebury Foods. Previous articles: Jamie Oliver on Vodafone Live Fat Lady Sings Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver: Real Guts Jamie Oliver: School Lunch Alice Waters: Ms. Smith Goes to Washington Wall Street Journal: Beef over Chef Sponsorship? Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to superchefblog

RIP: Martin Luther King, Jr.

By JULIETTE ROSSANT On this the 38th year since his assassination, Superchefblog pauses publication to remember a national hero by reprinting this epitaph for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968): Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God. —Robert F. Kennedy (November 20, 1925 - June 5, 1968) reciting from the Greek playwright Aeschylus -- two months and one day before his own assassination. Video: Last speech of Martin Luther King Jr., April 3, 1968 (courtesy of Google) Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy --> back to superchefblog

Walter Scheib: ScallopGate?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Let's call it "Scallopgate." Did President Bush's former top chef Walter Scheib feed scallops to the Commander-in-Chief despite his requests that scallops not appear in the first family's meals? Or is Walter being slandered by some East Wing mischief maker? Can the President's stomach effect world affairs? What is wrong with scallops anyway? What is wrong with this story? David Letterman had this say: And President Bush fired the guy, the former chef, for serving scallops. I'm thinking, well, gosh, is this the guy he should be firing? What about those guys who got us into Iraq? Why didn't he fire those guys? [source] The Wall Street Journal reported in an article on Laura Bush: A hint of the steel behind her smile was evident early this year, when the White House ushered out longtime head chef Walter Scheib. One East Wing official, breaking months of silence on the issue, cited a "level of arrogance" Mr. Scheib displayed in preparing dishes the Bush family detested -- scallops in particular, which kept appearing on menus despite repeated complaints. Mr. Scheib declined to comment. Now The New York Daily News got into the act, quoting Walter: There was never any request to take scallops off the menu. If there had ever been any request like that, I can assure you there never would have been a scallop in the building. The chef reckons that the bivalve found its way onto the presidential table only about 11 times - and every time, "The First Lady approved the menu."... Besides, Walter told NYDN, "It was an amicable parting" and that he was pleased that they hired one of his staff members to succeed him -- Cristeta Comerford. Maybe Walter is right and Mrs. Bush wanted to put her own stamp on the White House kitchen. Maybe 11 orders of scallops was one too many. Broccoli, scallops -- maybe food is just that powerful. Related news: New York Daily News Philadelphia Inquirer Wichita Eagle weblog Previous articles: White House Woman Chef: Thanks Kitchen Chat with Walter Scheib Wanted: White House Chef [White House - complete coverage] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, food blogging, Walter Scheib, Cris Comerford --> back to superchefblog

Cook's Companion: Stephanie Alexander

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Stephanie Alexander writes on her website: The nouvelle cuisine movement in France was inspiring ... chefs, the liberalising of the liquor laws allowed for new styles of eating, more of the young middle-class were spending their holidays abroad, the food media grew rapidly and instantly reported everything new, and of course there was the general affluence of the early eighties. You're forgiven if you think Stephanie Alexander is writing about Northern California or New York State. She is not. Stephanie Alexander is on of Australia's most accomplished cooks, restaurateurs, food writers, and television chefs. Australia went through a similar revolution in cuisine to America's and Stephanie was in the thick of it. Her latest book, the thoroughly revised and expanded The Cook's Companion (Lantern 2004) is a key to Australian home cooking and ingredients. Throughout are lovely photos by Earl Carter of the land, the produce and the farmers of this rich, sparsely populated country. This is a book about Australian food, but because it is so encyclopedic, it is also a book about Australia. The Cook's Companion at 1100 pages (300 pages were added to this addition) is organized like the Larousse Gastronomique with over 100 entries on ingredients like Figs (p. 442), Okra (p. 662) and Trotters (p. 991) arranged alphabetically. "For each ingredient there is information on varieties, season, selection, storage, preparation and cooking, as well as recipes and quick cooking ideas." says Stephanie's website. But unlike the Larousse, this is a very personal book, and even if her cooking is largely French, these are her interpretations of classic recipes. Stephanie have published five cookbooks: this is the second edition of the original, published in 1996: The Cook’s Companion (1996), was a product of my growing belief that despite all the surface interest in restaurants and ‘fancy food’ we were raising children and young adults with little if any understanding of what to do with fresh food in their daily lives. When faced with independent living these young people were at best anxious or, at worst, unable to cook for themselves. Sound familiar? The wonderful cheese section (p. 235) not only describes various kinds of cheeses but includes recipes that feature cheese like Cheese Straws (p. 244) and Gougeres (p. 244) but also recipes for Sally Clarke's Oatmeal Biscuits for Cheddar Cheese (p. 243). There are also recipes for main courses and desserts like Chocolate and Cinamon Cannoli (p. 254) Check the wonderful section on Kangaroo and Wallaby meat, recently renamed Australus after a country-wide competition that is part of an effort to get Australians eating their local game. "My own great-grandfather's diary records entertaining the local parson with a fine roast of wallaby in the 1870s in Gippsland, Victoria." writes Stephanie (p. 505) Evidently, kangaroo tail makes very good soup and consommé, and chefs in Australia are quite inventive in substituting kangaroo for venison or other game. The recipes include a warm Salad of Roasted or Grilled Kangaroo (pp. 508-9) and Maggie Beer's Barbecued Kangaroo with Anchovy Vinaigrette and Soft Polenta (pp. 509-10). Not surprisingly, there is a fine section on Lamb, one of Australia's most important products both for wool and meat. The recipes span the globe, just as Australia has lured immigrants from the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa and Europe. Stephanie's recipes include two different marinating pastes, a Seven-hour Leg of Lamb with Anchovy and Garlic (p. 532) and Irish Stew (p. 534) perfect for a St. Patrick's Day feast in two months' time. She suggests two-tooth or hogget neck and shoulder chops for the dish. A brown brand indicates an age between 15 and 24 months old; this meat is called hogget or two-tooth. Historically, two-tooth was very important, especially to country families. It is rarely seen nowadays other than at fresh food markets, where those on a budget can still buy whole or cut-up sides for very reasonable prices. (p. 521) There are also additional recipes along the margins and other recipes scattered in different sections throughout the book, like a fine Roman Lamb Stew (p. 883) flavored with rosemary, soffritto and sage. In Superchefblog's unending search for great rabbit recipes, happily Stephanie has a fat section on Rabbit and Hare (p. 833). These non-native animals without natural predators have wreaked havoc on Australian grasslands and native species of plants and animals. What better way to deal with the problem than eating them? The Cook's Companion has recipes for Hare Pasta Sauce (p. 841), which doubles up as a filling for Hare Won Tons (p. 841). There is also a Roasted Saddle of Hare with Beet roots and Chocolate (p 847) for which you'll need to make Hare Stock (p. 841) and several recipes for rabbit pie. Stephanie even has a wonderful French Ballontine of Farmed Rabbit Stuffed with a Herb Mousse (p. 846). The recipes in The Cook's Companion are for Australian kitchens so temperatures are given in Celsius, and some ingredients like silver beet (Swiss Chard) or witlof (Belgian Endive or Chicory) have Australian names. There are also several kinds of shellfish native to Australia that might be unfamiliar to Europeans or Americans, but most can be substituted with other varieties. Most importantly, Australian, British, and American volume measurements differ. For instance, 1 cup is 237ml in America, 250ml in Australia, and 284ml in Britain. Stephanie includes a large, helpful section on measurements with several invaluable charts (p. 64-8). Let this fine book lead you through Australian food and entice you to take a trip "downunder". Book details: Publisher Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Previous articles: Ozzie Dining Downunder and Bushfood [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks --> back to superchefblog

Exhibit: Culinary Art

By JULIETTE ROSSANT How do chefs express themselves in other art forms? Well, start first with what forms of art outside of Cuisine, and one answer is not only Painting but the chance to sample some wares at a gallery opening Thursday night in Manhattan. Rossi, a New York-based humor and food writer, currently a columnist for Bust magazine -- also a bi-weekly radio host on WOMR -- also a catering chef with The Raging Skillet -- and also painter and co-founder of The Lost and Found Gallery in Crown Heights, Brooklyn -- is, in addition to these other exhibitionism-oriented tendencies ("Jewish-white-trash-deviant" is how she describes herself), curating "Culinary Art," an exhibit which opens tomorrow night, Thursday, January 12, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m: "Culinary Art," featuring Provincetown's Salvatore Del Deo and local heroes Dennis Foy, Miha Juric and Rossi herself, will be on display. "Culinary Art" runs January 12 - March 12,2006. The Artist's Room Gallery is located at 335 East Houston Street at the corner of Ridge Street in Manhattan (see map). Please note: outside of Thursday night's reception, gallery hours are by appointment only, so call (212) 463-0872. Also, next door is "the gourmet, stainless steel kitchen of The Raging Skillet catering company," so Art-inclined Foodies and Food-inclined Arties might get a two-fer with every visit. Previous articles: Food Forever: Pieter Claesz Food in Painting: Kenneth Bendiner Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine --> back to superchefblog

Melissa Perello: Boss Before 30

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The February 2006 issue of Marie Claire (a Hearst publicaton) features six women who became their bosses before the age of 30 -- including Melissa Perello, chef of Fifth Floor, located in a Kimpton hotel in San Francisco. At 24, she was executive chef at Charles Nob Hill for the Aqua Development Corp before Michael Mina split with his partner Charles Condy. Marie Claire promises "the secrets to their sweet success," and part of Melissa's story is starting out young. “I was 8 years old when my mom came home and found me in the kitchen deboning a leg of lamb!" (Available in print only, now on newsstands.) Super chef: Michael Mina Related news: San Francisco Chronicle Food & Wine Wine Spectator San Francisco Examiner SF Weekley James Beard Foundation California Tourism Previous articles: Profile: Melissa Perello for White House Chef Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, food blogging --> back to superchefblog

Wolfgang Puck on 'Las Vegas'

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The NBC Las Vegas episode airing on Monday (January 9, 2006) focuses on a restaurant opening -- by Wolfgang Puck. With Wolf on NBC, his show Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class will go on "hiatus," the Food Network confirmed to Superchefblog, with two seasons safely in the can, waiting for re-runs. (Check your TV Guide for details.) No chef game (see our left-hand column for "Chef Games") out of this TV show (see previous article), but more NBC poker, if you're into that kind of thing. Radio Interview: Bob Rivers Show Super chef: Wolfgang Puck Press release: WolfgangPuck.com Related news: ABC News (AP) USA Today Boston Globe Herald Tribune Houston Chronicle (AP) Miami Herald Las Vegas Weekly Monterery Herald Netscape - Celebrity TiVo Reuters Associated Press (AP) Previous articles: Rob Kautz: Cursed to 99 Cents Only? Requiem for Granita Fly Avion (Wolfgang Puck Included) Applause for Gamal Aziz and Tom Kaplan Iron Chef Pizza Wars: Batali vs. Puck Todd English: Pots and Pans Pucked? Iron Chef America: Running on Empty Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, food blogging, television, Las Vegas --> back to superchefblog

Mario Batali: 2 Brothers

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Is this Heaven? Where else can matches like this be made? A three-way team, a three-way formula, for a three-way win. Plus, plus, plus. The line-up: NASCAR with their nationally televised raceway events (Media and event venues) 2 Brothers Brand (food products) Mario Batali (more Media venue, more food and kitchen products) You thought Mario was all about authentic Italian? Mississippi-based 2 Brothers, LLC, is a new company formed by the two cousins, sons of the founders of Bryan Foods "Flavor of the South" brand. That company was sold to Sara Lee years ago, but the two cousins, Wilkes Bryan and Bill Atkins, have resurrected family recipes for barbecue sauce. Their website states: In honor of John and WB Bryan, founders of the 1936 Bryan Brothers Packing Company, we’ve created recipes that are rich in both taste and tradition. Use our sauce and seasoning to add a distinctly Southern essence to pork, beef, fish, steak, burgers or anything else you cook in the kitchen or on the grill. 2 Brothers barbecue recipes will be part of Mario Batali's Official Cookbook of Nascar (Sporting News 2006). (See previous article.) The cookbook may also include other Nascar licensees like Hellman's, Master Foods, Castellini, and Monogram Foods according to Mike Reilly, President of 2 Brothers. Nascar selected 2 Brothers as its officially licensed barbecue sauce. What does a Nascar license mean? It doesn't mean that the barbecue sauce is sold at the tracks across the country, which are owned separately. "Our licenses put a Nascar bar on our product, they do some support and help in marketing, selling and positioning of our products." says Reilly. Why is a Nascar license so desirable? Because unlike other sports, fans of Nascar spend days at a track camping out in anything from a tent to a million dollar motor coach. An average of 150,000 fan show up to races, with some races luring 400,000 or more. The fans are very loyal to Nascar, thus a license is a very desirable addition to a new product in the crowded barbecue sauce market, explains Reilly. The way Mario got in on the act through his high school buddy, Rich Bodmer. Rich works for publisher Sports News and is a co-founder and principal of Dyno Marketing, a NASCAR marketing specialist. Rich introduced Mario to 2 Brothers. 2 Brothers President Mike Reilly admits he didn't know who Mario was, but he quickly learned after bringing him to a couple of races. "He resonates with Nascar fans. Mario is a good, approachable guy -- we get that," Reilly told Superchefblog. In fact, Mario, who loves any Media or public attention, got totally revved up when introduced to the multitude of NASCAR fans. Recently, he prepared an old-fashioned BBQ for the drivers and owners at the Nextel Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway (see photo, above). Reilly admitted to Superchfblog that barbecue was outside of Mario's traditional area: It is a push for where his brand has been. It is a new direction. -- That is where we are helping him, moving out of the Italian category he has been in to other products. In fact, Two Brothers is working on new flavors and products with Mario, targeting him for NASCAR fans niche audiences. "He is targeting huge group in million-dollar coaches [campers]. They do their tailgating in style. That is the crew he is going to connect with," says Reilly. Will this have any impact on Mario's TV presence? He has three shows with the Food Network: could his new NASCAR platform pull him away from the Food Network -- or could we see Mario on the Food Network in a new show, like Molto Tailgating? Hey, Food Network: we thought of it first! So, if you want to get a sneak taste on what Mario's cooking with, get yourself some 2 Brothers Original Barbecue sauce (you'll have to talk to 2 Brothers about options on the 2 girls depicted below). Press releases: 2 Brothers: NASCAR 3 [undated] 2 Brothers: NASCAR 2 [undated] 2 Brothers: NASCAR 1 [undated] Previous articles: Mario Batali: Tailgates NASCAR Style Newsweek Cites Juliette Rossant on Mario Batali Juliette Rossant: Forbes Tastemakers - Mario Batali Mario Batali: Molto Italiano Newsweek Bets on Mario Batali's Basting Brush Anita Lo Defeats Mario Batali on Iron Chef America Iron Chef Pizza Wars: Batali vs. Puck Nancy Silverton & Mario Batali's Mozza Molto Mario Massacres Mahi Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine --> back to superchefblog

Terrance Brennan: Artisanal Cooking

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Are you a sucker for a good rabbit dish? Take "Rabbit au Riesling with Rutabaga 'Sauerkraut' " on pages 249-251 of Terrance Brennan's Artisanal Cooking: A Chef Shares His passion for Handcrafting Great Meals at Home (Wiley 2005), co-authored with perennial cookbook writer Andrew Friedman. Now, this is a spirited dish! The rabbit is marinated in the Riesling and cooked in rich broth that becomes the sauce. Terrance calls the accompanying sauerkraut "beguiling" with a richness coming from duck fat (watch out, Emeril!) and wine. Together the rabbit and the rutabaga make a sumptuous winter dish. It's almost a Fine Dining children's story: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton Tail, and Peter go rooting in the rutabagas of Mr. McGregor's high-tech, sustainable vegetable patch in East Hampton, NY. Artisanal Cooking, however, is a serious book about how to cook with a commitment to integrity and a passion for ingredients. This cookbook targets a home cook audience, but keep in mind that it is most definitely the product of a restaurant chef. Which is to say, many recipes, adapted from his New York restaurants, are more suited to special occasion than everyday family fare. In his introduction, Terrance recalls the great meals eaten at a Loire Valley farmhouse, the wonderful ingredients from the garden and larder as well as the time taken to enjoy the food. This is a book of French recipes, many very traditional and familiar and others inventive and new. The steps are clear and there are plenty of color photos by Christopher Hirsheimer, that illustrate how a dish will be served and occasionally made: My way of cooking is less about finding hard-to-procure ingredients than maintaining a devotion to a certain integrity and quality in every aspect of the cooking process, even just knowing what to look for when buying meats and produce. Armed with the information in this book, you'll be able to successfully accomplish your own brand of artisanal cooking, even if you do most of your shopping in a supermarket. (p.4) "The Artisanal Pantry" (pp. 10-17) is a good guide to purchasing ingredients from anchovies to oils and vinegars. Terrance's staple recipes are not confined to the typical stocks: he includes flavored salts like Fennel Seed Salt (p. 20), compound butters like Black Truffle Butter (p. 25), flavored oils like Provencal Oil (p. 28 ) and Sauces, Compotes, Chutney and Marmalades. Check out the recipe for Orange Marmalade (p. 42), which makes a wonderful gift. There is an excellent bonus chapter on cheese (p. 50) -- not too surprising since Terrance Brennan is an authority on cheese and owns Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro. It is a good introductory course to cheese, not overwhelming for the novice buyer, and includes five sample cheese courses like the All-American Plate (p. 60). The Hors D'Oeuvres chapter (p. 64) starts with Terrance's superb Picholine's Marinated Olives (p. 65) in which olives (preferably Picholine) are marinated in toasted spices, rosemary, bay leaves and olive oil. He is right that this doesn't take a lot of work and makes ordinary olives spectacular. The headnote describes how important olives are to Meditteranean cuisine, and thus the name of Terrance's New York restaurant, Picholine. There are three recipes for Spoon Hors D'Oeuves (p. 69-71) perfect for those who have an unending supply of teaspoons but very few plates. They are meant to be divided into three teaspoons for each of four guests. If you make all three recipes, that is 36 spoons if you don't double or triple dip. The recipes range from Cauliflower Mousseline with Caviar (p. 69) to Scallop Ceviche with Avocado (p. 71). There are less cutlery-intensive recipes for croustades (pp. 78-80), minatue grilled cheese sandwiches (pp. 85-86) like the Smoked Salmon "Croque Monsieur" that shows off more of Terrance's playful side, taking a turn at the traditional croque monsieur by replacing the ham with salmon and cutting the sandwiches in to kiddie-size bites. It might sound silly, but the photo on page 84 makes you want to make them for your next meal. There are many luscious recipes for winter fare, including venison, pheasant and beef, such as the hearty Daube of Beef Short Ribs with Olives and Orange-Cumin Carrots (p. 237-9). It will transport you to that Loire Valley farmhouse as long as you take your time and care in finding the best ingredients. Previous articles: [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, cookbooks, food blogging --> back to superchefblog