Tsunami Update 2: Race Against More Death

By JULIETTE ROSSANT As the death toll passes 135,000 just before noon EST today, there is a new tension in tsunami headlines. The Guardian this morning reads with a plea " 'Please help. Give us aid' ." The Times of London reads "Indonesia gives up counting its dead." If you recall from a previous article, I expressed fears about politics in aid: who will ever be able to say whether the number of separatist Acehnese dead was acerbated by "delays" from Indonesia's government? Egypt's Al-Ahram says it all, perhaps, with this bold summary: "Swept Away." Web traffic continues to come in from all over the tsunami-effected region -- and small wonder, when a survey of global newspaper headlines reveals such mounting desperation: - BBC: Push to speed up tsunami relief - Economist: The race to aid the tsunami survivors - FT: Relief drive as quake death toll continues to rise - NYT: Many Still in Need as Aid Is Trickling to Stricken Area - LAT: Sumatra's Isolated West Coast Devastated - FAZ: Immer mehr Opfer: 150.000 Tote befürchtet - SDZ: Die meisten Toten kommen nicht nach Hause - Corriere: Tragedia senza fine, sempre piu vittime - Le Figaro: Plus de 125 000 morts, 5 millions de déplacés - El Pais: Indonesia acogerá en enero una cumbre para afrontar las consecuencias del 'tsunami' - La Vanguardia: Se elevan a 145.000 las víctimas mortales del maremoto Food bloggers continued to support relief by furthering news and donation efforts: - le Hamburger et le Croissant referred readers to superchefblog's news-and-donation articles in "Tsunami." - Cheap Recipe listed superchefblog's news-and-donation articles in her own "Tsunami Relief Donations," saying "Send me an email that you donated (any amount to any organization of your choice), and I'll send you my e-book on saving money on your groceries." - Feeding Dexygus Seconds mentioned listed superchefblog's news-and-donation articles in "tsunami aid" As for Donations, Superchefblog continues to ask that you give to both medical and food relief aid agencies and continues to recommend Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for medical aid and UNICEF for food aid: see read more in previous articles (below). Previous articles: Tsunami Update 1: Foodies Help 2004 Tsunami: How Foodies Can Help Baking From the Heart

New Year's: New Orleans Food Incubator

By JULIETE ROSSANT [Note to readers: a 2004 Tsunami is forthcoming.] Incubators in the dot.com boom era weren't for eggs or preemies. They were places where start-up companies could get support, including funding from investors, for their businesses. (Anybody remember the indie movie Startup.com? Read the BBC review.) I have always wondered why their weren't incubators for food products, since it is expensive and risky for a chef to launch a new sauce or chocolate without major funding and advice. And successful food products have the potential to earn chefs more than restaurants or books or other activities. It turns out that out of 800 incubators in the US there are 20 exclusively dedicated to food, according to Charles D’Agostino, executive director of the Louisiana Business and Technology Center at Louisiana State University. Business New Orleans reports that Greater New Orleans Inc. has replaced the former New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce and MetroVision and is spearheading economic development for the ten-parish region. Among its efforts is a food business incubator to help local chefs and restaurateurs grow their dreams. The LSU Food Science Department, in cooperation with the LSU AgCenter’s test kitchen, will provide expertise in recipe development and consistency. Besides startups, some restaurants and chefs have also shown interest in using the incubator. D’Agostino said a number of restaurants that make their own sauces and other products in-house say they want to rent space on a part-time basis to free up their own kitchens. The New Orleans incubator should be up and running with kitchen space somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 square feet by 2005. Will fancy food fairs of the future be stocked with more and more New Orleans food products? Move over, Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, and Susan Spicer. Let's see more incubators all over the country during 2005: Happy New Year, Foodies. Previous articles: Paul Prudhomme Magic Growth World Series Chefs Serve Baseball Motley Fool Mulls Over "Frankenfish" (or Emeril's Notches on B&G Foods)

Tsunami Update 1: Foodies Help

By JULIETTE ROSSANT [Updated in "Tsunami Update 2: Race Against More Death"] First of all, hurray for Foodies of good heart! My website tracking shows scores of people flowing through my previous report "2004 Tsunami: How Foodies Can Help" and out through that page, which indicates to me that they are going direclty to make online donations. BBC has confirmed that blogs are helping. I will thank fellow Food bloggers at the end of this article: right now, I am tracking hits from countries that encircle the region, so we are being effective -- now we need to increase the momentum. News Update: - Death Toll: The Red Cross prediction yesterday was right: the death toll in Indonesia alone shot up to over 80,000 over the past 24 hours, mostly from the core quake region of Aceh. Add 25,000 from Sri Lanka and you're already close to the 114,000 dead proclaimed at this hour by the BBC -- sorry, that's 120,000, just in from Reuters since I started writing. - American Assistance: US Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman announced the formation of an international coalition between the US, Australia, Japan, and India as well as plans to increase financial aid from $35 million -- to an undisclosed amount, according to The New York Times. Links for News Updates: - Tsunami Updates - News Hour updates - UNDP - Tsunami updates - ReliefWeb updates Donations - Start Counting: Several news organizations have contacted me, amazed that Food blogs could leverage the Internet to drive donations. They are asking for donation count, so to prove our effectiveness, I'm asking that when you make a donation, please return to this site and leave a comment about whom you gave to and how much, like this: Recipient - "ABC". Amount - "XYZ." (You need not leave your name or contacts, though you are welcome to -- Muslim victims will admire you all the more for anonymity, as Islam believes that "credit" in Heaven is dependent on humility on Earth.) Don't doubt the need: CTV Canada is reporting that aid workers are already overwhelmed with the extent of destruction, even after the initial outpouring of donations. Donations - Recommendations: The big question right now is whether to send money for medicine or food: I say, send both. Donations - Medical Aid: My personal recommendation for medical remains strongly Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) -- on BBC radio online, I just heard MSF "commandos" talk about landing in one country and heading straight out for the islands to start logistics. MSF are tops, no doubt about it. Here are links to them, again, for immediate online donations: - MSF global donation links - MSF USA donations - MSF Canada donations - MSF UK donations - MSF France donations - MSF Hong Kong donations - MSF UAE donations - Red Cross donations - CARE USA donations - CARE Canada donations - The Economist list - New York Times list - BBC list - ABC World News Tonight list Donations - Food Aid: As for food aid, my experience and observations point toward UNICEF. First, UNICEF targets children, the main victims of this catastrophe. Second, UNICEF has offices all over that region. Third, UNICEF came forward early and so seems eager (if not ready) to channel efforts. Here are links to UNICEF, for immediate online donations. I am listing all UNICEF country offices with online donation sites here, since otherwise you have to hunt around their various sites to do the same: - UNICEF USA online donations - UNICEF Canada online donations - UNICEF Canada don en ligne - UNICEF New Zealand online donations - UNICEF Australia online donations - UNICEF UK online donations - UNICEF Spain donativos on-line - UNICEF Austria Online-Spende - UNICEF Germany Online-Spende - UNICEF Belgium Noodhulp SOS Kinderen van Azie - UNICEF Belgium Urgence SOS Enfants d'Asie - UNICEF France don en ligne - UNICEF Denmark Hjælp katastroferamte børn - BBC list of aid links Victims - How To Contact: Although only 12 Americans are reported dead (though thousands missing) according to CNN, our blogs span the globe via Internet, so here are links to expedite the contacting of victims: - Tsunami Missing Persons - BBC Missing Persons Message Board - TsunamiHelp Thanks - Fellow Food Blogs: Last but not least, the following Food blogs linked back as I requested to superchefblog's previous article "2004 Tsunami: How Foodies Can Help": - Smallbites - Pinkcocoa Tabetai - Pilgrim's Pots & Pans - le Hamburger et le Croissant Other Food bloggers have been posting as well on the Tsunami, and their articles include: - Tsunami help, Forensic experts needed on Chez Pim - Tsunami Help Blog on Chez Pim - Tsunami relief on Chez Pim - Cooking for Tsunami Victims in India on shiokadelicious! - Thank You for Your Concern on shiokadelicious! - South Asia Earthquake And Tsunami Relief on Seattle Bon Vivant - Tsunami Relief on Tomatilla! - Please Help The Quake And Tsunami Victims on Cheat Eat - South-East Asia Earthquake on Via Ritiro N.7 Diary As for you others bloggers, Food and non-Food, and emailers, please continue to link to superchefblog articles and to those carried by others (which superchefblog is linking to reciprocally). As Lucy explains in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, "These five fingers individually are nothing, but when I curl them together into a single unit, they are a fight force terrible to behold!" Let us be terribly effective together, as good men and women. This catastrophe dwarfs 9/11. The situation in Iraq is a silly sideshow compared to the death and destruction wreaked by the 2004 Tsunami. Don't give a lot at any one time, but give often. I will come back on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to update you on the situation in the region and to let you know where help is needed and how. The Media, you can be sure, will drop this news rather quickly, but as a former head of OxFam UK said on BBC radio this morning, the effects of this crisis will continue for weeks, months, and years. If you can imagine that you were one of the victims, then you will understand why it is important to donate -- not quantity from a few, but vast sums from many, which is what superchefblog is trying to help achieve. Please help -- and please do not tire as this issue resurfaces again and again on superchefblog. There is only one long-term strategy for this strategy: give a little as you can, over time. A mere $5 per week -- a bit off of groceries or meals eaten out -- for the next year would cost you some $250 for 2005: what better New Year's Resolution can there be? (By the way, as soon as I posted yesterday, I used my own article to make a donation to MSF USA. And I will be donating weekly, as I recommended. "Practice what you preach.") Related articles: - Tsunami Update 2: Race Against More Death (December 31, 2004) - 2004 Tsunami: How Foodies Can Help (December 29, 2004)

2004 Tsunami: How Foodies Can Help

By JULIETTE ROSSANT [Editor's Note: This article was updated on December 30 and December 31, 2004.] What can we do to aid the victims of the 2004 Tsunami, whose 9.0 underwater quake began offshore of Indonesia on the morning of December 26, 2004? Individually, we can do little -- but together, well channeled, just a little from each of us can do a lot. I am calling on all Foodies to make donations (below) to aid agencies -- online, whatever the amount, right now. I am asking that you also please link this message to any and all food blogs and beyond to other blogs, on and on, in attempt to tell others how they can help right now. Take $10 out of your groceries and/or meals out and send it to one of these groups. Don't doubt that even a few dollars help -- because the world's leading nation, the United States of America, had offered only $35 million in aid as of the close of business yesterday, December 28, 2004, according to a television interview with US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The death toll of the 2004 Tsunami has risen daily by the tens of thousands. In case you missed the news, the death toll during yesterday evening's TV news programs was proclaimed at over 60,000 people (News Hour, NBC, ABC, CBS), topping last year's earthquake in Bam, Iran, whose final count exceeded 25,000. This morning, the Red Cross expected the figure to surpass 100,000 deaths. The death-toll lag has come from the country nearest the underwater epicenter of the earthquake, Indonesia. Politics will play a part in aid, since countries like Indonesia and Sri Lanka have problems with their effected peoples, e.g., Indonesia's Acehnese and Sri Lanka's Tamils, which are both separatist groups. Put this into perspective: this earthquake was so big that it shifted islands off Indonesia and even made the Earth wobble. Just days after the tsunami, drinking water has hit the top of the needs list of many. Aid agencies and nations are racing to undertake the largest humanitarian relief effort in history (read more from The News Hour). A follow-up crisis is brewing in the form of disease and starvation (read more from BBC). If you're wondering which aid agency to send to -- a good channel -- I recommend Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), based on my on experiences covering Kurdish refugees after the Gulf War. These are the altruist, hard-core elites of aid. When they pulled out of Afghanistan in July and Iraq last month, the world noticed -- it was like Captain Miller having to cancel Saving Private Ryan. MSF's website is so busy that I am listing their specific country bases, of which the most easily accessed (and well targeted) is the MSF UAE page. The Economist of London and The New York Times have some of the best links to effective groups. Links for donations and aid agencies: - MSF global donation links - MSF USA donations - MSF Canada donations - MSF UK donations - MSF France donations - MSF Hong Kong donations - MSF UAE donations - Red Cross donations - CARE USA donations - CARE Canada donations - The Economist list - New York Times list - BBC list - ABC World News Tonight list Links for updates: - BBC News - South Asia - News Hour updates - UNDP - Tsunami updates - ReliefWeb updates You have my permission to copy and paste this message (with its HTML coding, so the weblinks remain), or you may simply link to this entry. Updates to this article: Tsunami Update 1: Foodies Help - December 30, 2004 Tsunami Update 2: Race Against More Death - December 31, 2004 --> back to Superchefblog

Cookbooks: King Arthur Flour, Karen Barker

By JULIETTE ROSSANT My desk is weighed down by the newly arrived King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion (Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, October 2004), a thick, luscious volume of cookies both rustic and refined. Among the reams of recipes for cookie-jar staples, I found some fun, off-beat cookies like ANZAC Biscuits (p. 83), Lavender Cookies (p. 284), and a picture of cookies that look just like ones my grandmother used to make, Brown-Edge Cookies (p. 63). This book is a treasure trove of chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie recipes. It's an exciting book to have, along with other more personal takes on desserts and cookies, like Sweet Stuff (Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press, April 2004). Barker herself recommends a shelf of books at the end of her volume (A Baker's Bookshelf, p. 353), a smart move since most recipes are built on other recipes and to get beyond a primer often takes up far too much of most cookbooks. But even Barker includes a chapter on the basics (A Baker's Building Block, p. 23) if you don't happen to have your own baking bible handy. Her recipes are strongly American for the home cook –- no far-out recipes here, rather a homey warmth with fun takes on the classics like Black Walnut Angel Food Cake with Sorghum Syrup (pp. 226-9) and Blenheim Ginger Ale Sabayon (p. 189-90). Previous articles: Manju Malhi's India With Passion Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner All Hail Alfred Portale Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs

Hello, Christmas Island!

By JULIETTE ROSSANT One day not too long ago, I noticed that superchefblog had been visited by someone from a place called Christmas Island, Australia. Now, I have heard of a lot of places called Christmas, my favorite being Christmas Cove, Maine, but not this one. So, I looked for it on the map and found a wonderful relief map (below) in the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection of the University of Texas at Austin and even an official stamp (right), the likes of which I had never seen. According to the CIA World Fact Book, Christmas Island was discovered on its namesake day by the Brits in 1643 and held as a British protectorate. Settlement began in 1888, phosphate mining in the 1890s. Britain transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Two thirds of the island is a national park of 85 square kilometers (that's just under 33 square miles, or a little over 5 x 6 miles for the math-challenged), according to the Australian Department of Environment and Heritage (now there is a liberal-sounding government department!). Besides the post-industrial phosphate-mining glories of Christmas Island National Park, I was of course interested in the food, so I looked for restaurants and local fruits and vegetables. The Christmas Island Tourism Association (CITA) lists 17 restaurants, which is quite a few for a tiny island that is mostly nature preserve, so, in honor of restaurateurs in remote locations, here is the official list as of May 2004: Golden Bosun (Chinese) Wah-Hoo Cafe Tracks Tavern Rumah Tinggi Christmas Island Club Season's Palace Malay Club Sukaramai (Malay) Poon Saan Club (Chinese) Cla Noodle House (Chinese) Seaview Rockfall Cafe Poon Saan Pool Hall Silver Birch Garden (Chinese) Barney's Crisp Chicken Poon Su Coffee Shop Grubz Up Cafe The famed food is Christmas Island's Red Crab (gecarcoidea natalis), described in 1888. There are millions of them (those are red crabs in the photo above, crossing the street with a bicyclist during migration) and their life cycle well documented, but I see little evidence that they are served cold or hot, if you take my meaning... The vegetation includes 126 species unique to Australia, but again there is no mention of food. Perhaps considering the delicate ecosystem as well as the 28 rare or threatened species, Christmas Island does not want to encourage tourists to gorge on its exotica. I'm intrigued... "ecotourism"? There is also a Christmas Island Internet Administration, though I could not determine whether there is an Internet cafe or availability through hotels. Rates are not cheap, but then one major point in going all the way to Christmas Island would be to get away from it all, right? Not that Christmas Island is unaffected by world events, even the wars in the Middle East and Central Asia -- yes, the recent big news was a Perth judge's conviction of a Pakistani man for smuggling Afghan refugees from Indonesia -- that's right -- to Christmas Island. Let us wish these islanders, online and not, well: Merry Christmas, Christmas Island! (If you want to say Merry Christmas to Christmas Island, just email them at cita@christmas.net.au.

Merry Christmas, Michael Mina

By JULIETTE ROSSANT You know it's been worth the struggle when, after a city-wide strike, one of your restaurant reopens with a flourish, while another makes end-of-year mention in a nation-wide magazine like TIME. This is how much of the year has gone for chef Michael Mina. After he opened the new Restaurant Michael Mina (see previous article, "The Rise of Restaurant Michael Mina") in San Francisco, backed by tennis god Andre Agassi and survived the strike, he reopened Aqua Las Vegas (after retaining all the Las Vegas properties following his fall-out with partner Charles Condy) as Michael Mina Bellagio, thanks to pal Gamal Aziz, long-time admirer -- and president of the MGM Grand. TIME wrote: In Las Vegas, Aqua restaurant is being reworked as Michael Mina Bellagio, with chef Mina infusing the menu with the distinctive flavor combinations from his signature restaurant in San Francisco. Perhaps the surest bet in a city that loves to gamble: the new Michael Mina Bellagio will be worth checking out. Nice! Merry Christmas, Michael. Merry Christmas, everyone. Previous articles: Restaurant Michael Mina Resurfaces World AIDS Day I: Michael Mina Michael Mina Meets SF Unions Maturely Agassi's Star Palate: Michael Mina The Rise of Restaurant Michael Mina

Todd English: Trip Over Table?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Where is Todd English's show Open Table? I have searched the Internet and found nothing of late... There is another show listed besides American Chef (about which I've written before -- see "Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild"). The new show is called Food Trip with Todd English. SGPTV, the company with advertising rights for the show describes it thus: Todd English is among the nation's culinary royalty (not to mention one of People Magazine's 2001 "50 Most Beautiful People"). He's bringing his talent and taste for reinventing traditional cooking to public television, on Food Trip with Todd English. Todd will travel to a different location in each episode, drawing inspiration for new recipes from the native cuisine and ingredients of each locale, then presenting viewers with his creative twist on traditional fare. This combination of hands-on advice, delicious delicacies and a variety of specialty segments ensure that Food Trip with Todd English will draw an engaged audience of public television viewers — the exact market that you want to reach! By advertising, you would be eligible for guest appearances by Todd (get in line, behind his restaurants -- or not), plus "acknowledgement in companion book" plus "your company's corporate logo on the program's Web site" -- oh joy! Hello? What makes anyone think this turkey will fly any farther or higher than Open Table? Unless, of course, this is the same show, reworked -- reconcepted -- re-heated? And what is the latest on American Chef? Let's see, how many "food trips" can I count by chefs? Maybe Todd finally got past his own chapter in Super Chef and started reading (and learning about) the others. Well, I discussed Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger's TV shows, including Tamales World Tour. I talked about the Food Network's show Wolfgang Puck and even interviewed the producers at Weller/Grossman. Maybe he just watched the Food Network on any given day to catch Bobby Flay or someone touring the nation, or another nation... In any case, what makes anyone think that the PBS crowd is a target audience for Reality TV shows? "Food Trip"? Not a lot of creativy in food television these days -- or in any TV these days. Reruns rehashed ad nauseam. Yuck! In the conclusion to Super Chef, I speculate as to whether TV is the best medium for chefs after all: so far, no one has challenged me on it. Previous articles: Gordon Ramsay Joins Richard Branson in Fox's Reality TV Hell Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner More Reality TV Chefs (Or Less)? Todd English Flipflops Between Bush and Kerry? Real TV Cooking? Kitchen Confidential a la Sex and the City Super Chef vs. Governator: Todd English Fights For Foie Gras Rights Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned By Me! Iron Chef: America vs USA Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild Rocco Barred from Reality TV Restaurant Rocco: Trapped in Reality TV's Twilight Zone?

Vote "superchefblog" Best Food Industry Blog

By JULIETTE ROSSANT I just got a lovely note from Kate Hopkins of The Accidental Hedonist that superchefblog has been nominated for "Best Food Blog - Food Industry" category for the 2004 Food Blog Awards: Please click here to add your voice to the count! Thank you - Juliette

Manju Malhi's India With Passion

By JULIETTE ROSSANT A stunning new cookbook arrived by mail, and I can't wait to try some recipes. The author is Manju Malhi, who had a cooking show on the short-lived Taste Network called Simply Indian back in 2001. Following the show came a first book, Brit Spice (London: Penguin, 2002), which announced her "Brit-Indie" style (according to her publicist Mary Jones). India with Passion (London: Mitchell Beazley, 2004), the book which now graces my home, is full of stunning pictures of the ingredients, the dishes, and the people of India. The Times of London wrote, "This book takes you all over India, sampling regional delicacies... The recipes are temptingly simple, though you will need to stock up with the most important spices. Malhi is not an obsessive purist, and will allow you to use cheddar instead of Indian cheese, and butter instead of ghee..." Top British food photographer Jason Lowe added visions not only of enchanting food but also the magic of India, even at its poorest. The book covers all points of India, North, South, East and West, identifying the main culinary influences of each area. It is a great primer for those of us who think that Indian food is all the same over the whole Subcontinent. I am off to find the Indian ingredients I need for the recipes at Grand Mart in Gaithersburg, Maryland, recommended by India's cookbook queen, Madhur Jaffrey. Previous articles: Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE Book Links: Publisher Amazon.com Technorati Tags: chefs restaurants food cookbooks biography branding -> back to superchefblog

Xmas Shopping: Rating Celebrity Chef Cookware

By JULIETTE ROSSANT NBC 17 in Raleigh, North Carolina, reported on the finding of the Good Housekeeping Institute (GHI), who have examined Celebrity Chef cookware. For this test, they look Rocco DiSpirito, Nigella Lawson, and Emeril. Rocco DiSpirito's 10-piece cookware set @ $220 (on sale at QVC for $148.98) ($164) received a favorable review, particularly for its handles that stay cool and its pots with built-in pouring spout. Emeril Lagasse's Emerilware Waffle/Sandwich/Pizzelle Maker ($60) also received a favorable vote -- "Bam!" imprint and all. 10-piece set is $199.99. Emeril's partner is one of the top in the industry -- All-Clad. Nigella Lawson's measuring cups and measuring spoons ($24.99 and $19.99 per set) were found inaccurate last year, and this year GHI still found problems with the 1/3 cup measure -- while only one measuring spoon was accurate. Wolfgang Puck's cookware remains the most interesting to me. I examined his pots and pans in Super Chef (pp. 35-36) with as much detail as Wolf and his partner were ready to share. You see, unlike most super chefs and celebrity chefs, Wolfgang has sourced his pots and pans himself, so when he hawks them on the Home Shopping Network, he is pocketing a far larger margin than most others, too. "Peppy and cheap" sums up his cookware deal (now, where did I hear that line before? Leave your answer in "Comments," below, please.) Previous article in Forbes: Corn Dog Cuisine [Emeril Lagasse] Previous articles: Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned By Me! Agassi's Star Palate: Michael Mina Does Emeril always kick products up a notch?

Gordon Ramsay Joins Richard Branson in Fox's Reality TV Hell

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Brish super chef Gordon Ramsay is joining British billionaire Richard Branson by launching his own Reality TV show. That is, he's having a go of it again, really, this time in the American market. Announced for launch on Fox TV this Fall but re-scheduled for January 2005, Hell's Kitchen will be an American version of a UK show with the same name. Fox, which also airs Branson's show Rebel Billionaire, describes Hell's Kitchen as "a culinary boot camp that features a group of wannabe Cordon Bleu cooks and aspiring restaurateurs running a top-class restaurant, overseen by world-renowned but terrifying Head Chef Gordon Ramsay" which will "serve helpings of terror, tears, tantrums and triumphs." What fun, eh what? Ramsay is being billed as a chef variation of American Idol's Simon Cowell and The Apprentice's Donald Trump. According to The Los Angeles Times, Ramsay re-writes the definitionn of "over the top" along more British lines -- choking on a rotten scallop in an alley way, Ramsay hurls "a string of bleeped-out expletives that makes Tony Bourdain sound like Captain Kangaroo" as it airs currently on BBC America as Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares in a four-part series. (Click here to watch a video clip.) Are we talking over-exposure here? I mean, either BBC is out to take back the British lion's share of Reality TV, or somebody is making as many deals as they possibly can -- in fear that the Reality TV bubble has already burst? And this is not to mention the already intense line-up of Reality TV cooking shows lining up for 2005, as already reported here on superchefblog: super chef Todd English's bid on (the once venerable) PBS with American Chef (see links, below) and the Food Network Iron Chef rework entitled Iron Chef America, itself a second version of the first American version by Lionsgate Entertainment and UPN called Iron Chef USA, also featuring Todd English (called "'an abomination" and "an insult to food fans" by The San Francisco Chronicle and described in Super Chef, pp. 112-114, 126). It's all so incestuos, so fatuous -- such bad taste (pun intended)! Still, maybe there is a way for Ramsay to make it on Fox: rename the show Kitchen Hell's Rebel Survivor-Apprentice-cum-Idol and have done with it! Shoot them all down in one fell stroke, eh what? Oh, jolly good show! Oh, well done, Commander! -- Quite! Previous articles: World AID's Day II: Iron Chef Cat Cora Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner More Reality TV Chefs (Or Less)? Real TV Cooking? Kitchen Confidential a la Sex and the City Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned By Me! Iron Chef: America vs USA Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild Rocco Barred from Reality TV Restaurant Rocco: Trapped in Reality TV's Twilight Zone?

Mary Sue Milliken: California Beats Japan

By JULIETTE ROSSANT "There will be no losers. There will be only winners," proclaimed actor-gubernator (and former restaurateur) Arnold Schwarzenegger before California super chef Mary Sue Milliken took on Japan's original Iron Chef at the recent Taste of California event in Tokyo, Japan (see Flickr photo). California was declared the winner by virtue of its California-grown ingredients, including walnuts, raisins, oranges, and figs. Thumbs up, Mary Sue -- this sure beats the headache Nike got from its TV ad portraying Le Bron James as he vanquishes Chinese cartoon characters. Just one question, though: how many people suspect Arnie is standing on a platform? By my recollection, he's might stretch to 5'10" (others agree) and Mary Sue over 5'8", but he towers above her in that photo... A little Hollywood magic, perhaps? Smoke and mirrors? -- Or, how about a simple pair of platform shoes for the gubernator? Please leave comments! Related news: State of California XXX Orange County Register BBC Previous articles: SOS: Baking from the Heart Elections West: First Drinks on Mary Sue & Susan Halloween Mexicana: Day of the Dead a la Super Chef New York Welcomes 'Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine' Mary Sue & Susan: California's Restaurateurs of the Year Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild Julia Child: The Queen Is Dead Blue Hill: Everybody Must Get Stoned Live With Chef Larry

Marcus Samuelsson Flees Philly

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Super chef Marcus Samuelsson is parting ways with Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr with hardly half a year under their belts, according to Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Michael Klein. "Both called the split amicable and mutual," said the article. Both men are incredibly busy. Samuelsson, who also closed a restaurant in Minneapolis this year, can hardly afford the time for once-a-week visits by train, as he is currently in the process of moving his flagship restaurant Aquavit to a new location in New York. Starr is a bit busy, too, with 13 restaurants, including Buddakan and Morimoto, both of which he is also planning to open in New York. Starr's other star chefs include Masaharu Morimoto at Morimoto, Douglas Rodriguez at Alma de Cuba, and Alfred Portale at Striped Bass. Who could imagine being so rich that you could afford to lose one star and still keep three? Previous articles: Jean-Georges Vongerichten in Minneapolis All Hail Alfred Portale Chef Don Pintabona Advises Innovation

Tom Colicchio Moves Craftbar

By JULIETTE ROSSANT In her "Off the Menu" column in yesterday's New York Times, Florence Fabricant reported that super chef Tom Colicchio will be moving Craftbar around the corner in February 2005, from 47 East 19th Street to 900 Broadway. Craftbar will be replacing Morrell's, whose owners are closing down that venerable institution. The expanded Craftbar will still feature the food of chef Akhtar Nawab. I just hope Tom hires Bentel & Bentel again to design the new interior and doesn't skimp on the look. I described Peter Bentel's designs all through pages 186-198 and the design of Craftbar specifically on 198 in Super Chef. Florence doesn't spill the beans on what Tom is planning on doing with the old Craftbar space. Seacraft or Cakecraft? -- I'll try to find out. Previous articles: Danny Meyer Moves Uptown with Bentel & Bentel Tom Colicchio: a-Kickin' and a-Copin' --> back to superchefblog

Food Section's fun article on Thomas Keller

By JULIETTE ROSSANT I found a fun piece on fellow blog The Food Section about super chef Thomas Keller as he toured Los Angeles for his new book, Bouchon, named for his cafe Bouchon. I interviewed Thomas in the summer of 2002, and he talked about his pending expansion beyond the French Laundry and Bouchon in the Napa Valley with things like Bouchon Las Vegas and Per Se in New York's new Time-Warner Building. Since Keller had not expanded outside of Napa at the time I was writing Super Chef, he did not yet fit my definition of a super chef. (Read The Food Section's blog entry by clicking here.) Previous articles: Adam Sandler's Secret Spice: Thomas Keller Stock, by Thomas Keller After the Hurricane, Norman Van Aken Breezes Gently In Agassi's Star Palate: Michael Mina

Xmas Spirits: "Club Rocco" Brand?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Well, it may be wine, technically speaking, and not spirits, but nevertheless online retailer Wine.com and Chef Rocco DiSpirito announced today a new chef-branding effort called the "Rocco Wine Club." The deal is that on a monthly basis Wine.com will send members shipments of fine wines that have been hand-selected by Rocco, along with pairing recipes from Rocco, served (formerly) at Union Pacific and Rocco's 22nd and/or listed in his cookbooks Flavor and the new Rocco's Italian American. If a monthly care package doesn't grab you, you can opt for the Christmas special of "Rocco's Italian Wine and Cookbook Collection" as a one-shot deal. I'm a little conflicted here, in that I could be recommending for the Christmas holiday a copy of my own book, Super Chef to be enjoyed a little wine as you read and unfold the fascinating careers of Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Palmer, Todd English, Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger, and Tom Colicchio. No, I'm not going to do that -- though I do think any strong-minded person might just look over Rocco's selection and order as needed, not as packaged. What I am interested in, though, is the difference between this and, say, the selections of someone like Alain Ducasse. When I intereviewed him for the Forbes' Celebrity Chefs list a few years ago -- you know, I'm going to pick this up in another blog entry... (LINK FORTHCOMING) Previous article from the Forbes Celebrity 100: Alain Ducasse (2001) Previous articles: Adam Sandler's Secret Spice: Thomas Keller Rick Moonen Sets Seafood Straight Coffee Puck: Heats in Your Hands Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner Stock, by Thomas Keller Emeril!: The Magazine? Buzz-Buzz-Splash, Super Chef Rocco DiSpirito: Pretty in Pink? Rocco DiSpirito: Ridiculed in the Rainbow Room More Reality TV Chefs (or Less)? Alain Ducasse: Hyper Chef -- Now Serving Mars Emeril Adds Some Spice To B&G Foods' IPO Video Killed the Radio Star: Can Radio Resurrect Rocco DiSpirito? Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Claude Troisgros: Riding de Rocco DiSpirito Star Rocco Barred from Reality TV Restaurant Rocco: Trapped in Reality TV's Twilight Zone?

Paul Prudhomme Magic Growth

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Congratulations are due to Paul Prudhomme, who recently won the Jefferson Parish Economic Commission (JEDCO) annual Business Retention Award for keeping business in New Orleans's first suburb. Online news source Bayoubuzz throws some light on this early pioneer into Super Chef product lines. It turns out that Prudhomme's company Magic Seasoning Blends, founded in 1982 and employing some 60 people, had bought land in a neighboring St. Charles Parish to accomodate a new facility, but in the nick of time a building down the street from Magic Seasoning went on the market and the company purchased the building for its expansion. Magic Seasoning Blends is not small potatoes: it supplies supermarkets, caterers, the military, all kinds of food manufacturers, hotel restaurants, and shoppers. It also exports to distributors in Australia, Chile, Finland, Holland, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. Although Wolfgang Puck's career is often cited as "the" super chef model (see Super Chef, chapter 1), Paul Prudhomme expanded his businesses earlier than Puck's 1983 launch of frozen foods under Dr. Robert Koblin (see paulprudhomme_72dpi200pxl256c.pngSuper Chef, p. 25). What kept me from defining Chef Paul as a super chef is that he only has one restaurant, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen (compared, say, to Puck's dozens). (Check out Pableaux Johnson's article "On Being Chef Paul" in the December 2004 issue of Food Arts. Also, check out his blog Bayou Dog.) Previous articles: Coffee Puck: Heats in Your Hands Fly With Wolfgang Puck Express After the Hurricane, Norman Van Aken Breezes Gently In Paul Prudhomme Seasons US Troops at Gitmo Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs Euro Puck Puck in a Box

Foie Gras War

By JULIETTE ROSSANT In last week's New Yorker, editor (and poet) Dana Goodyear weighed in on a quiet little war that has been growing between animal rights activists and foodies. The activists want all cruelty to animals stopped; the foodies want the best food money can buy. Lately, David Rosengarten has joined the fray with an article in his Rosengarten Report entitled "Foiegracalypse Now," urging foodies to enjoy foie gras while they can, while admitting that three other major producers -- Israel, Hungary, and France -- all oppose the method of getting the goose to give foie gras, namely le gavage. Naturally, America's two foie gras producers, Hudson Valley Foie Gras and Sonoma Foie Gras advocate le gavage as socially acceptable by weight of 5,000 years of practice: Ariane Daguin told me much the same a few weeks back (see previous article). Nevertheless, in September, "gubernator" (and presidential wannabe) Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to a bill banning the sale and production of foie gras in California by July 1, 2012. Hollywood is weighing in on the matter, and Arnie may need a job again should he lose the governorship or be barred from the presidency. And the stars have been jumping on board the animal protection vis-a-vis food like they have about fur. Thus, Farm Sanctury can pull showcase support from stars Babe's James Cromwell and The Birds's Tippi Hedren. Regardless of what they may or may not say in public, California chefs like Wolfgang Puck, "chef to the stars" that he is, must feel very conflicted, in that many of their best regular guests may be evolving into strong opponents of foie gras. Whatever foodies believe or feel, palate-wise or otherwise, I think the trend has been set and the days of foie gras' production via le gavage are numbered. I love foie gras myself, but the argument of a small interest sections of foodies seems unlikely to withstand the onslaught of a more popular appeal to stop humans from hurting the Goosey Looseys, Henny Pennys, and Chicken Littles of this world. And, as The New Yorker noted, New York state will have the issue put forth in its assembly early next year. (Click here to read the full story online.) Previous articles: Alain Ducasse: Hyper Chef -- Now Serving Mars From Boulud's gourmet hamburgers arise... delicate Philly cheesesteaks? Super Chef vs. Governator: Todd English Fights For Foie Gras Rights The Rise of Restaurant Michael Mina Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, foie gras, New York, California --> back to superchefblog

Julia Child Remember'd, by Judith Jones

By JULIETTE ROSSANT In case any of you missed it, The New York Times ran a piece yesterday by Knopf editor Judith Jones about how she became the editor of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. If ever you cared about Julia, this piece by Judith is a must read -- and excellently written by a veteran editor of six decades. Previous articles: Martin Yan: The Un-Cola Super Chef Mary Sue & Susan: California's Restaurateurs of the Year Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild Forthcoming on Julia Child: the Spy, the Student, the Master Suzanne Goin Eats a la Julia Child Julia Child: The Queen is Dead Corn Dog Cuisine (from Forbes)

Adam Sandler's Secret Spice: Thomas Keller

By JULIETTE ROSSANT When Spanglish hits cinemas a week from this Friday (December 17), according to the UK's Contact Music, comedian-turned-actor Adam Sandler will be portraying a chef -- well, an expert BLT sandwich-maker. To master the art of preparing bacon, lettuce, and tomato, Sandler turned to the first person you would expect: Thomas Keller. There are the usual PR-hyped, trying-to-be-real-life soundbytes. How about these stilted lines from the often funny Sandler? "Thomas went out of his way. I got to work at his kitchen at the French Laundry and his whole staff gave me their time and confidence. I worked at home practising over and over making that BLT and making a bunch of other stuff that, before this movie, I probably hadn't eaten." I don't know... When someone composes musical works about food along the lines of -- Woke up in the morning Put on my new plastic glove Served some reheated salisbury steak With a little slice of love (Adam Sandler, "Lunchlady Land," They're All Gonna Laugh At You 1993 -- click here for sample in WMP) -- I'm just not sure that person should be playing a chef. I'm just not sure whether I want yesterday’s meatloaf as today’s sloppy joe -- a la Sandler -- you know? In more formal terms, I'm talking about branding here: is Adam Sandler someone with whom Thomas Keller wants to associate his brand -- per se (no pun intended)? I suppose that, what, with Keller's new chicken stock out, BLTs are just more of the basics for him, but -- Thomas, is superchefdom worth this? Previous articles: Stock, by Thomas Keller Jackie Chan, Super Chef? Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs Les Enfantes Terribles devient terriblement vieux Helly Kitty, Meet Emeril Lagasse Chef Branding: B&G Foods Exposes Emeril? Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs And Now Puck Paints, Two! Does Emeril always kick products up a notch? Just a Spoonful of Aerosmith Makes the Emeril Go Down? Gourmet Gyms Are Hardly A New Trend Business Week revisits old turf of niche agriculture Wolfgang Puck Examines The Examiner

SOS: Baking from the Heart

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Perhaps it isn't too great a challenge to put together a good cookbook for a great cause like Share Our Strength (SOS), but I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful recipes and engaging stories in Baking from the Heart (Broadway Books, September 2004). Editor Michael J. Rosen got more than 50 of the country's celebrity bakers and food writers to contribute recipes. SOS recommends use of the recipes for Great American Bake Sale, which raises money for SOS. (I just added the Great American Bake Sale's blog to links on superchefblog.) Among the most interesting stories were those by super chef Mary Sue Milliken (for Roasted Orange Cakes) and Citizen Cake's Elizabeth Falkner (for Browned Butter-Walnut Tea Cakes). I was also pleased to read Ann Amernick's story about "That Baltimore Cake" she made for her mother and happy to note that her bakery Amernick is located in Washington DC, not far from me. Previous articles: Elections West: First Drinks on Mary Sue & Susan Halloween Mexicana: Day of the Dead a la Super Chef New York Welcomes 'Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine' Mary Sue & Susan: California's Restaurateurs of the Year Julia Child: The Queen is Dead Live With Chef Larry Book Links: Publisher Amazon Technorati Tags: chefs restaurants food cookbooks charity branding -> back to superchefblog

Jean-Georges Vongerichten in Minneapolis

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Since I began writing Super Chef, I have watched the move to smaller cities by empire-building celebrity chefs such as Lidia Bastianich to Pittsburgh and Larry Forgione to St. Louis. Now Jean-Georges Vongerichten is following that trend. He already has restaurants in many of the world's capital cities (though not Washington DC -- yet), and now he is set to open a restaurant in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Vongerichten will open an as-yet-unnamed restaurant in spring 2006. It will be part of the 53-room Chambers Hotel now under construction. The Star Tribune says that, unlike the Minneapolis offshoot of New York's Aquavit that closed last year, Jean-Georges' restaurant will be affordable like his Spice Market in New York City. Is Jean-Georges over-expanding? His restaurants include the original Vong, Mercer Kitchen, Jean Georges, Jo-Jo, Spice Market, 66, Lipstick Cafe, and V Steakhouse in New York City; Vong Chicago; Prime Steakhouse in Las Vegas; Bank in Houston; Dune near Nassau, Bahamas; Vong Hong Kong and Vong London; and Market in Paris. The answer is, probably not. He has presence in eight cities, which is quite a lot, but he has an unusually strong team, led by his business partner Phil Suarez. Why open in Minneapolis? Well, it's a major American city in the MidWest. It is also a hub for Northwest Airlines, which makes travel there fairly easy and affordable as one traverses the States -- not just super chefs but guests, too. So, Marcus Samuelsson caught the bug, even if his restaurant did not work out there. One good litmus test is the presence of another super chef, Wolfgang Puck, who operates a full-service restaurant in the Walker Art Center. If Wolfgang opens and stays in a spot, any super chef should consider the same -- Las Vegas is the perfect example. Lastly, both Wolfgang and Jean-Georges have restaurants already in "nearby" Chicago. I'm just wondering what the new restaurant's name should be... "V-Minnie"? "Market Minneapolis"? Please post your own suggestions as comments to this article, and I will forward them to Jean-Georges by January 1, 2005. What might the prize be, should Jean-Georges pick a name from among these comments? Well, I'll have to leave that Jean-Georges and Phil, but certainly there a dinner should be in the mix -- and that's some fine cooking we're talking about. Previous articles: Designer Water: Super Chefs Promote Next Wave? After the Hurricane, Norman Van Aken Breezes Gently In Larry Forgione: "An American Place" For American Cities And Now Puck Paints, Two!

NFL Redskins Meet Chubby's BBQ Challenge

By JULIETE ROSSANT Over the past 24 hours, a number of visitors to superchefblog have been reading about Chubby's BBQ -- not the first thing I expect readers to beeline for from a blog about super chefs. I contacted owner Tom Caulfield, and he explained: Juliette, This week, I had Randy Thomas of the Washington Redskins in for an eating challenge. If he could eat 6 lbs. of food in one hour, he and three teamates would eat for free for the rest of the year. He ate: 1 lb. of chili and fried garlic and parmesean toast, a triple order of hot crab dip , a full rack of baby backs, 1 lb. of pulled pork, 24 jumbo shrimp, 1 lb. of beef briskit, collard greens, corn bread, cheese cake, and a pumpkin parfait. ESPN, NBC, and Fox 5 sports filmed it. He won, going away! It was on Fox last night and ESPN Tuesday night. Channel 4 will run it this week and during the Sunday Redskins pregame show, either 12/12 or 12/19, 11:30 a.m. It was incredible to watch this guy do his thing! Hope to see you soon. Tom With TV coverage like that, perhaps there is deeper meaning in a visit to superchefblog by an anonymous Disney employee -- as Tom joked, "Maybe Disney will want to merge!" You bet -- sure wouldn't hurt Disney. Previous articles: Back to Chubby's Columbus Day Special: Chubby's BBQ of Emmitsburg

Rick Moonen Sets Seafood Straight

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Following my recent blog enrtry on Rick Moonen and Bumble Bee Tuna, Rick wrote me an email further clarifying his relationship to Bumble Bee and the launch of his new restaurant: Thanks for your kind words about me and my new restaurant, rm seafood at Mandalay Palace. I am excited to bring the very best seafood, ambience and cuisine in the United States to Las Vegas. rm seafood will provide elegant fine dining while downstairs, rbarcafe offers a rocking raw bar and casual ambiance. Both restaurants will feature fresh finds from America's best Fish Markets. rm seafood will open some time late in December: I hope that you will come visit. I do want to clarify one thing. I am not a spokesperson for Bumble Bee. I did develop some recipes and appeared as an invited guest speaker at a recent event hosted by them. Bumble Bee was interested in my perspective as a Chef and seafood expert who is active in ocean conservation. I accepted the invitation and used the opportunity to educate about eco-friendly fish and sustainability issues that are important to me. I welcome their interest and the opportunity to begin a dialogue with the largest tuna producer in the world on issues that are vital to me as someone who makes his living selling seafood and is environmentally conscious. As you may know, preserved tuna has a long history with many cultures and cuisine. Research shows that tuna steaks, in all preparations -- raw, fresh, canned or marinated -- are high in protein and Vitamin B, low in fat and provide essential Omega-3 oils. The premium entre style albacore tuna steaks are a high quality product and offer one convenience option to consumers. Well said, Rick: many thanks for the clarifications. As for tuna, I like mine raw or from Italy (somehow Italian canned tuna is far tastier than the American kind) -- but I will beeline (sorry) for rm seafood when next I am in Las Vegas! Previous articles: Buzz-Buzz-Splash, Super Chef Chef Branding: B&G Foods Exposes Emeril? Lights, Camera, Cooking! (from Nation's Restaurant News)

Restaurant Michael Mina Resurfaces

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Good news came in Wednesday's San Francisco Chronicle: Restaurant Michael Mina in the Westin St. Francis will reopen this Sunday, after being closed for nine weeks because of a hotel strike. Work at 14 hotels involved in the strike resumed November 30, after the union and management agreed to a 60-day truce. According to chef-owner Michael Mina, 64 of 68 employees will be coming back. "We lost two people from the front of the house, a server and a cocktail server. In the kitchen we lost the garde manger and someone who worked on the afternoon tea," he says. Also, "the phones are ringing with reservations." There are just a few reservations left this month... All good things come to those who wait. Or, as they say way down in Egypt land (where Michael has his roots), inn Allah-u ma` al-saabiriin (idha sabiru): God is with those who are patient (if they wait patiently). Previous articles: World AIDS Day I: Michael Mina Michael Mina Meets SF Unions Maturely Agassi's Star Palate: Michael Mina The Rise of Restaurant Michael Mina

Coffee Puck: Heats In Your Hands

By JULIETTE ROSSANT This week, The Los Angeles Times became the first major newspaper to report on a new technology application that may once again do its little part to make life more pleasant -- and yours truly, Wolfgang Puck, will be there to help make it happen. OnTech, a California-based company, is launching a new self-heating can for drinks. Among the first products to employ the new technology are new Wolfgang Puck coffee drinks, to be sold in Kroger grocery stores nationwide in January 2005. (If you're asking yourself, "Why Kroger?", the answer is simple: the Cincinnati-based Kroger owns Ralph's, a more upscale grocer in California and already a Wolfgang Puck ally.) It isn't often that we change the technology we use to prepare food with -- the microwave is perhaps the most recent newfanglement (a development most eloquently discussed by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto in his best-selling book from The Free Press entitled Near A Thousand Tables, which I used as a background source for Super Chef). OnTech's cans use an inner canister filled with calcium oxide to heat beverages upon activation. If you've ever mixed cement, you are essentially mixing crushed limestone with water. Basically, you push on the can to release a set amount of water to mix with a set amount of limestone, turn it over, and wait -- no shaking or stirring. Temperature is controled simply by the measured quantities of water and limestone. Simple, right? Why didn't you or I think of it? OnTech describes this process step by step with an online slideshow. Oh, and get this: they call the water container a "puck" -- because of the shape, of course. OnTech's co-inventor and co-founder, VP Business Development Daniel Gibbs told me by phone yesterday that OnTech had entered negotiations with Wolfgang Puck Worldwide (WPW) after being introduced by one of OnTech's investors. WPW moved quickly and was able to get in on the technology, which has also been sold to several much larger food companies that will launch their products in the very near future. OnTech is already fully funded (sorry, investors), while its package manufacturer, Sonoco, whom it signed up in May 2004, has already scheduled production at capacity. Gibbs said that OnTech's ACNielsen research revealed that the new self-heating container would apeal to people 18-65. As for Wolfgang Puck, he is known for venturing into uncharted territory. He was the first super chef to launch frozen gourmet pizza (see Super Chef, pp. 24-35), the first to get into franchising his fast casual units (Super Chef, pp. 27-47), and now first food producer to use this self-heating container. Will Wolf's coffee appeal to, say, truck drivers, soccer moms, or hip "tweens"? Could the days of waiting for a fresh brew at Starbucks be over? And more importantly, will it help to push anything "Puck" into consumer's hands? Stay tuned for the January launch -- and get ready to ditch that Starbuck mug for a WP coffee can. Meanwhile, don't forget to keep a look out for the OnTech label on more and more products (talk about branding!) Previous articles: Fly With Wolfgang Puck Express Les Enfantes Terribles devient terriblement vieux All Hail Alfred Portale World Series Chefs Serve Baseball Chef Branding: B&G Foods Exposes Emeril? Nick Valenti: Super Chef Master? And Now Puck Paints, Two! Wolf Wines & Dines, or Puck's Party Euro Puck Puck in a Box Wolfgang Puck Examines the Examiner -> back to superchefblog

World AIDS Day II: Iron Chef Cat Cora

By JULIETTE ROSSANT It is still World AIDS Day today. Besides being the first female chef on the Food Network's Iron Chef America, Cat Cora, chef TV star and cookbook author, will be contributing to the 14th annual Feast for AIDS fund-raiser on December 11 in Pebble Beach, CA, to benefit the Monterey County AIDS Project. Previous articles: World AIDS Day I: Michael Mina Iron Chef: America vs. USA More Reality TV Chefs (Or Less)? Real TV Cooking? Kitchen Confidential a la Sex and the City Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild

World AIDS Day I: Michael Mina

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Today is World AIDS Day. The San Francisco Chronicle's Catherine Bigelow reported that chef Michael Mina designed and prepared a dinner sponsored by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) for their Fall Dinner and Auction. During the event, honored actress Shirley MacLaine and Assemblyman Mark Leno for their work and advocacy for AIDS-related projects and legislation. The event was held at the San Franciso Ritz-Carlton, with tickets at $300 and sponsorship running $750-$50,000. Previous articles: Michael Mina Meets SF Unions Maturely Agassi's Star Palate: Michael Mina The Rise of Restaurant Michael Mina

Chef Chris Maher Moonlights on Law & Order

By JULIETTE ROSSANT It's been over a year since I wrote about Chris Maher, chef-owner of Momentitos de la Vida -- and actor. Chris' last movie cast him as a fatherly short-order cook opposite J-Lo in Enough (2002); on TV, he last appeared as a deputy prime minister on Fox TV's hit series 24. Chris and I have kept in touch since then, and yesterday evening an email arrived from him, saying, "I thought I'd let you know I'm on this Wed. I had a great time shooting this show." "This show" -- that's right -- is none other than Law & Order. Tonight (Season 16, Episode E5314, "Enemy"), Chris plays "Khaleel," a warlord who, after previous working with US forces in Afghanistan, is claiming diplomatic immunity in relation to a heroin-related massacre that is traceable back to his character. TV has been moving away from the education-oriented cooking shows epitomized by Julia Child, first to "edu-tainment" like Emeril Lagasse's Emeril Live on the Food Network, and more recently to straight entertainment like NBC's efforts with Emeril (the sitcom) and Rocco DiSpirito's The Restaurant -- but let's face it, no one has found an entertaining angle for a chef show. Meanwhile, Law & Order rocks: way to go, Chris! Previous articles: Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner More Reality TV Chefs (or Less)? Real TV Cooking? Kitchen Confidential a la Sex and the City Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Iron Chef: America vs. USA Rocco Barred from Reality TV Restaurant Rocco: Trapped in Reality TV's Twilight Zone? Lights, Camera -- Cook! (from Saudi Aramco World)