Super Chef

Ayala's Herbal Water

2009-10-01T08:45:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Ayala's Herbal Water retails for $24.00 for a case of 12 bottles, 16 ounces each -- that's $2 per bottle.

That kind of water is not cheap -- so, how good is it?

Super Chef testers tried all six flavors and have a one-word summary: "clean."

Ayala Laufer Cabana, a pediatrician and herbalist, created them. They have zero calories but plenty of powerful taste.

The six flavors are: lemongrass + mint + vanilla, lavender + mint, mint + lavender, clove + cardamom + cinnamon, ginger + lemon peel, and lemon + verbena + geranium.

They range from sweet (lemongrass + mint + vanilla) to decidedly unsweet (lavender + mint). Some work better than others. The mint + lavender and clove + cardamom + cinnamon have the most distinct, interesting tastes. The lemongrass + mint + vanilla is also distinct but somehow far sweeter than the others (and less refreshing). Lowest ranking (to our tongues) were the mildly sweet-tasting flavors of ginger + lemon peel and lemon + verbena + geranium.

The outstanding flavor was lavender + mint. It was so clean to the palate, it seemed to transport the imbiber instantly to a spotless beauty spa, all in white... Now, that may not be what most people want when they take a swig from a two-dollar bottle of water, but fashionistas are likely to find Ayala's Herbal Water more enticing than rival, store-bought waters like... Aquafina?

Think of these waters as an extension of the flavor profiles of dishes. Would you pair a clove + mint + vanilla water with a deconstructed rice pudding, or drink it hours later so that you can recall the taste?

We incline to the latter.

Super Chef sees real potential market share for this water.

Previous articles:
[Products & Endorsements - complete]

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Lamees Ibrahim: The Iraqi Cookbook

2009-09-30T09:25:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Lamees Ibrahim's The Iraqi Cookbook (Interlink 2009) is a serious book about Iraqi cuisine. It is large and handsome and clear, but it has a serious aim of bringing authentic Iraqi recipes to Iraqis who have grown up outside their country – generations who no longer can read Arabic cookbooks or who have not grown up learning to cook with their mothers and grandmothers.The book opens with a two page spread of a photograph of an Iraqi family at a meal. Lamees is cutting Stuffed Whole Lamb (p. 131), while the rest of the family is laughing and smiling. The photo underscores her aim, since she is serving a child.

For the rest of us non-Iraqis, The Iraqi Cookbook opens up a rich world of Arab regional cuisine that will be somewhat familiar to those who know Turkish, Lebanese and Syrian food. Lamees' book will also help humanize and illuminate a culture and country that has been wrapped up in war, deprivation, and fanaticism.

What better way to a nation's heart then through its taste buds?

One of the most important dishes in Iraq, and most of the Arab world, is Kubba, which takes up a whole chapter in The Iraqi Cookbook:

Kubba is a shell made mainly of either rice flour, boiled rice, mashed potato, or cracked wheat (burghul). It is then stuffed with ground meat and mixed with one or more of the following: chopped onion, chopped parsley, flaked almonds, pine nuts\ and spices. (p. 75)

Lamees includes recipes for Kubbat Mosul (p.76) flat, thin sheets of stuffed kubba and Kubbat Halab (p. 90) a kind of football shaped kubba with a rice shell. There are also sauced versions like Kubba Labaniah (p. 93) stewed in a yogurt mint sauce, and Kubbat Hamidh (p. 94) stewed in a tomato sauce. The recipes include the name in Arabic as well as its transliteration in English and the English name.

Throughout the book there are imaginative recipes using eggplant from Kubbat Bathhinjan (p. 86) in which the kubba is stacked on a fried eggplant slice like a burger bun, and topped with a slice of tomato. Eggplant Turnover (Maqloobat Bathinjan) (p. 164) is a marvelous turnover dish in which the rice is layer on top of meat, peppers and onions with eggplant at the bottom of the pot. After cooking, it is turned over for serving. Margat Bathinjan or Eggplant Stew (p. 199) is a mixture of lamb, tomatoes, eggplant and spices served over rice.

There are chapters on Iraqi pickles, cakes and pastries, sweets, nuts, jams, and drinks. Each chapter starts with a short essay on ingredients, such as a review of the rice available in Iraq:

During the 1980s political turbulence in Iraq had a devastating effect on the marshes and the rice farming in the south, at which point demand for long-grain rice multiplied. (p. 153)

It is aromatic amber rice of the south that most Iraqis will be thinking about. It is too bad that there are no recipe head notes full of Lamees' more personal memories.

Anyone fascinated by Middle Eastern food will enjoy The Iraqi Cookbook. It illuminates a proud and interesting people.

Previous articles:
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]

New York Magazine: Twenty Biggest Chef Empires

2009-09-28T10:35:00.002-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Just what we needed in the middle of an economic downturn - another list of the biggest and richest chefs.

The goal of New York Magazine's "The Twenty Biggest Chef Empires" is to answer the question: "Which chef has his hand in the most pots around the globe?" (Notice the gender bias: "his"?)

While their list certainly beats the dwindling number of chefs on "Forbes' Celebrity 100" (last count down, to just two chefs), it is really more a convenient count of what these chefs own. It does not attempt to show net worth or wealth (or debt), like the Forbes list: it simply catalogs the accumulation of restaurants, TV shows, cookbooks, and "miscellaneous" such as flavor sprays (David Burke) or recipes for an online dating site (Todd English).

Before the current "economic downturn," many Americans seemed to have started valuing gross assets over net like this -- but the rest of us seemed to have learned what net value really means when artificially high property values plummeted, eventually bringing down mighty Lehman Brothers and bringing on the worst economy since the Great Depression.

Apparently, New York Magazine did not learn this lesson. Rather than even attempt to value their chefs' assets by current market value (after all, such valuation takes real research -- more than just counting up what you can find on the Internet), they valued according to their own arbitrarily self-created formula:

4 points = Restaurant
3 Points = Television
2 Points = Cookbooks
1 Point = Miscellaneous

How do they justify this point system? "We consider operating restaurants to be more important to a chef's empire than his ancillary product deals."

Really?

Maybe New York Magazine should have asked the chefs about that!

Are restaurants really of greater value to an empire-building celebrity chef then all other activities?

The article doesn't say -- nor does it clarify what it means by "value": sheer monetary value or publicity power?

As anyone in the food business knows, all restaurant deals are not created equal. Some are consulting contracts. Others are owned with partners. Still others are lease deals. Just having the largest number of restaurants can be very misleading. The varying nature of ownership deals means they will vary in the money they generate for the chef.

Following their logic, who else could be their No. 1 chef but hello!-I'm-going-bankrupt Gordon Ramsay!

To add to the insanity, article also states that too many restaurants can be detrimental -- in which case, why did they pick Gordon Ramsay...?

And who on staff there thinks that cookbooks are valuable? Sure, everyone once in a blue moon, a chef (and/or co-author) cranks out a book that either sells well (Mario Batali's Molto Mario), looks beautiful (Thomas Keller's The French Laundry Cookbook), or services real cooking needs (Tom Colicchio's Think Like a Chef). Other than these, forget it: cookbooks do not add to the bottom line in most cases. At best, most cookbooks are marketing tools -- but of course the New York Magazine articles does not say whether it considers cookbooks in terms of dollars earned or marketing potential.

Super Chef has some experience with lists and calculating wealth (see the book Super Chef and the Celebrity Chefs section of the Forbes annual Celebrity 100 issue, 1999-2001). We have seen too many chefs over-expand to become over-burdened by debt and commitment. In such cases, too many restaurants are often a big liability. Since marketing activities like consulting on products, or endorsing products do not require additional debt, chefs that focus on "miscellaneous" growth, as long as they have a few high-profile restaurants, will probably see a better bottom line.

New York Magazine proves the point themselves with Emeril Lagasse. They give him 12 points for (3) restaurants, 3 points for (1) TV show, 14 points for (7) Cookbooks -- but 25 points for (25) Miscellaneous. That leads them to rank him as only No. 7 biggest chef. In contrast, they rank Joel Robuchon No. 4 on their list because he scores 19 with (?) Restaurants, 2 (with (0) TV Shows, 16 with (8) Cookbooks, and 1 with (1) Miscellaneous. If they value restaurants 4 points, how did they arrive at "19"? And how did they award "2" points when TV shows are worth 3 in their system -- and Robuchon has none?

As for gender, the article makes no comment, although they list 19 male chefs and only one (1) female. (Lidia Bastianich). Were non-chefs food personalities like Rachael Ray and Paula Deen considered or not? We don't know: the magazine does not even define what they mean by "chef."

In response to their closing line: "Who's the king of all chefs, and who's a merchandiser?" Super Chef replies, "We certainly don't know from you."

Previous articles:
2009 Forbes Celebrity 100: 2 Chefs
Forbes: Women Are Heating Up the Restaurant World
Forbes Celebrity Chefs 2007: Food Network Heaven
Forbes Tastemakers 2
Are British Super Chefs Richer
Forbes Celebrity 100 Chefs 2006: Cute?
Juliette Rossant: Forbes Tastemakers
Celebrity Chefs from 2005 Forbes Celebrity Chef 100
Latest Forbes Celebrity Chef Column

Food Flicks: News Hour on Norman Borlaug

2009-09-25T09:15:00.003-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

PBS's The News Hour talks so Gary Toenniessen of the Rockefeller Foundation about the late, great Dr. Norman Borlaug. (The Rockefeller Foundation backed much of Dr. Borlaug's work.)

Father of the Green Revolution
Run time: : 6 minutes 45 seconds

Transcript:
The News Hour

Related links:
Climate Change (Rockefeller Foundation)

Previous articles:
Norman Borlaugh: Scourge of Hunger
[Food Flicks - complete]

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Princess Tea: Janeen Sarlin

2009-09-24T08:55:00.003-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Throwing a party for kids (or, for that matter, adults) is about more than just the food. Kids need activities, decorations AND food, and the food better be well presented. Janeen A. Sarlin with Noelle Shipley's Princess Tea: Parties and Treats for Little Girls (Chronicle 2009) includes everything from food to fun in a pretty little book about eight different tea parties.

This is a personal book written by two women, inspired by one of the women's grandmother (cookbook writer Sharon Shipley) who wanted to write a book about princess teas for her grandchildren. The idea is simple:

Each tea party has five components: teas and juices, costumes, crafts and activities, recipe, and decorations. Remember that all theses can be customized and changed, and the themeses may be seen as catalysts for the creative ingenuitiy of you and your princess. (p. 9)

This is a book to share with a special little girl, and let her decide what to make and what to do at the party.

Since so much tea comes from China, it's appropriate that the first party is Lotus Princess Tea (pp. 13-22) featuring a Chinese motif. The suggestions for decorations include paper lanterns, yellow chrysanthemums, and teacups without handles. The activity (p. 16) is to decorate and make paper fans. Each party includes a mix of savory and sweet recipes, so little girls can eat a balanced meal. The recipes include Steamed Vegetable Wontons (p. 17) Chinese Barbecue Drumsticks (p. 20), and Green Tea Ice-Cream Parasol Princesses (p. 21). There are plenty of very cute pictures of little girls in their party best by Sheri Giblin. For the Lotus Princess Tea, the girls are in Chinese costumes, and there are photos of Chinese slippers and fans and pretty teapots.

The other party themes are Underwater, Cowgirl, Fiesta, Country Garden, Indian, African and Fairy Princess Teas. That should be enough to get through the princess years.

Previous articles:
Barbara Beery: Green Princess Cookbook
Barbara Beery: Fairies Cookbook
[Kids Reviews - complete]

Related sites:
Sheri Giblin Photography

Scott Uehlein: Canyon Ranch: Nourish

2009-09-23T08:21:00.000-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Go to a day spa for a special treatment – mud facial or massage or whatever you want – then get out your copy of Scott Uehlein's Canyon Ranch: Nourish (Viking Studio 2009) and keep the illusion going.

Canyon Ranch is a byword for health, luxury, and comfort because for nearly thirty years we've made it our business to make guests feel loved and cared for…We don't just feed our guests, we nourish them. (p. xi)

And, frankly, that is what we want out of our food at home whether or not we ever go on a spa vacation.

The first section on Canyon Ranch Nutrition Basics covers basic ingredients and issues like not using artificial sweeteners to choosing pasta and preparing herbs and spices. There are helpful photographs by Julie Toy demonstrating techniques for folding burritos or making medallions.

The recipes themselves range from Californian to Asian and Mediterranean inspired dishes. What connects them is that they are by and large all low fat, low calorie with colorful, bright flavors. Each recipe is followed by a list of calories, fat, protein, and other nutritional elements. After a chapter on Beverages and Snacks and Breakfast, the chapter on Starters and Sides starts with Flatbreads (p. 74) tortilla-like thin bread made with whole wheat, seven-grain cereal and blackstrap molasses. Toppings include Artichoke and Tomato (p. 77), Mediterranean (p. 78) and Pear and Blue Cheese (p. 80). Many of the recipes are vegetarian like Vegetable Nori Roles (p. 86) with cucumber, red pepper and avocado in brown rice or Roasted Tomatoes with Radicchio (p. 88). Others are tweaked standards like Macaroni and Cheese (p. 110) that calls for multigrain macaroni and whole wheat bread crumbs.

In the Soups chapter that follows, the colors in the photographs pop out of the page. First, a burst of yellow - Yellow Gazpacho (p. 121) is made of yellow tomatoes, yellow pepper topped with crabmeat. Then a burst of summer green – Chilled Cucumber Soup with Arugula (p. 122) followed by two red soups – Spelt Berry Gazpacho with Cilantro Lime Shrimp (p. 125) and Cream of Tomato Tarragon Soup (p. 126). Each soup would make a great start to a slimming meal.

It's early autumn – still time for fresh garden vegetables and light meals. Canyon Ranch: Nourish is a fine cookbook to remind you to eat right.

Previous articles:
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]

Norman Borlaug: Scourge of Hunger

2009-09-22T09:55:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Norman Borlaug has left us.

Never heard of him?

The man who saved Mexico and India from starvation in the 1950s and 1960s?

The man who is the Father of the Green Revolution?

Read on...

Norman Borlaug was a plant scientist responsible for averting famines that would have plagued the second half of the 20th century. His hard work helped develop crops that produced more and helped Third World countries toward self-sufficiency. The Times of India has called him "Professor Wheat... the man who helped us, to a great degree, feed ourselves."

Dr. Borlaug received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1970 for his work.

Dr. Borlaug's drive came personal experience:

As a boy, he hadn't known what hunger was. He came from a small Norwegian farm in Iowa, the land of butter-sculptures and the breaded tenderloin sandwich. But on his first trip to "the big city," Minneapolis, in 1933, grown men had begged him for a nickel for a cup of coffee and a small, dry hamburger, and a riot had started round him when a milk-cart dumped its load in the street. He saw then how close to breakdown America was, because of hunger. It was impossible "to build a peaceful world on empty stomachs." (Economist)

Today, Dr. Borlaug's work remains unfinished. His death last week comes at a time when more and more Americans are living below the poverty line. Share Our Strength is appealing for participation in its many programs that provide food to children and families. Events like the 27th American Wine & Food Festival that supports Los Angeles Chapters of Meals on Wheels is more important then ever. Chefs, as much as farmers, politicians, and retailers, are pivotal in encouraging people to give, and coming up with creative ways to help their communities fight hunger.

"Fight hunger." Those are the words of Dr. Borlaugh. We must all continue the work of Norman Borlaug. Fight!

As Muckety wrote in an article entitled "Few can match the contribution of Norman Borlaug": "Norman Borlaug saved more people from starvation, as many as a billion in developing countries, than anyone else in history."

So, take a moment and read at the obituaries below: you will come to appreciate this great man who has passed beyond us.

Obituaries:
PBS The News Hour (link to video)
Economist
Wall Street Journal
New York Times
Times of India
Hindustan Times
Economic Times (India)
Press Trust of India
Univision
Il Financiero
El Universal
La Cronica del Hoy
El Occidental
El Observador
Los Tiempos
La Nacion
El Comcercio
Xinhua
Houston Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
Los Angeles Times
Chicago Tribune
Guardian
Times
Telegraph
National Post
Dallas Morning News
Forbes
CNN
Boston Globe
Reuters
Detroit Free Press
Philadelphia Inquirer
Washington Post
Pioneer Press

Related websites:
Nobel Prize for Peace (1970)
Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation
Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
Wikipedia
Norman E. Borlaug Center for Southern Crop Improvement
Carter Center
AgBioWorld
The Atlantic Monthly

Previous articles:
Mother's Day: Share Our Stength, Trickle Up
California Spirit XXII
[Chefs & Charity - complete]

Rocco DiSpirito: Twitter Cook

2009-09-21T08:30:00.015-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Rocco DiSpirito has hit upon an interesting twist for his new cookbook. According to the AP he is using Twitter and Facebook to get his fans to help him write his book. He tweets questions about what to include, and mines the resulting tweets and posts. This approach makes sense because the book, due in March, is a collection of healthy versions of comfort food, the kind of food many people crave and eat. His fans demand recipes and Rocco writes them.
It's also a great publicity tool. Wouldn't you want to buy a cookbook that you contributed to? Wouldn't you want to buy a cookbook that you helped design?

Take it one step further – if this is a cookbook conceived and, to some extent, created in cyberspace – why doesn't it remain there? Why would you want to buy a book when you are a tweeter? Is a twitterer a cookbook buyer? Isn't it easier to get a recipe online then to get it in a book or a magazine or a newspaper?

Do all these twitters add up to a clamoring death knell for cookbooks – at least of the hard-copy variety?

Previous articles:
Branding: Rocco DiSpirito and Bertolli
Rocco DiSpirito: Top Chef Chicago
Would You Buy a Car from Rocco DiSpirito?
Rocco Does Broadway via Chicago
Rossant on Rocco: New York Daily News
Rocco DiSpirito: Super Duper Bowl
"F" is for... "Rocco"?
Xmas Spirits: "Club Rocco" Brand?
Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner
Rocco DiSpirito: Pretty in Pink?
Rocco DiSpirito: Ridiculed in the Rainbow Room
More Reality TV Chefs (or Less)?
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?
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]

FOOD FLICKS: RIP Keith Floyd

2009-09-18T09:05:00.000-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

How good can television chefs be?

Look no further then the late Keith Floyd, who died recently after finishing off a meal of oysters, shrimp and partridge and a glass of fine red wine.

He owned restaurants in France, Spain, and Britain and currently in Thailand. He published approximately 25 books (according to his own website) and appeared in 20 television series including programs in the 1980s like Floyd on Fish, Floyd in France, and Floyd on Food. They were unscripted, funny and irreverent, and taught many in the UK and around the world to enjoy cooking.

Slow-Cooked Beef in Red Wine - Floyd Cooks - BBC
Run time: : 04 minutes 32 seconds

Related news:
Gardian, Times online, Mail on Sunday,BBC, Independent

Previous articles:
[Food Flicks - complete]

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National Aquarium's Seafood Dining Series

2009-09-17T07:20:00.002-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Eating fish in an aquarium is a bit like munching on gazelle or crocodile at the zoo - or is it?

Where else can you get top chefs interested in sustainable seafood, cook to help support aquariums?

If you are in Baltimore, or planning to be, then check out Fresh Thoughts, the National Aquarium's seafood dining series. Three different local chefs are preparing seafood feasts at the National Aquarium, staring some of the more plentiful species. First up, Galen Sampson of Baltimore's The Dogwood on September 22, 2009 from 6:30-9 p.m. He will be focusing on sustainable oysters. The program starts with a demonstration by the chef, then continues with a oyster-inspired meal featuring an appetizer of oysters three ways followed by either oyster stew or oyster stuffed chicken breast.

Next up will be John Shields of Gertrude's, located in the Baltimore Museum of Art, followed by a chef from Roy's in January.

The best part might be that guest get to stroll through this amazing aquarium after dinner (without mobs of school children and their parents).

Previous articles:
Mary Sue Miliken & Susan Feniger: Cooking for Solutions
[Chefs & Charity - complete]

Tom Colicchio: 'wichcraft

2009-09-16T09:15:00.000-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Do you need a sandwich cookbook? Why not? If there are cookbooks just about milkshakes or burgers, why not sandwiches? Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft (Clarkson Potter 2009) definitely takes its cue not from Tom's Top Chef (see Super Chef: Top Chef: Tom Colicchio) fame and his spreading empire of 'wichcraft eateries.

On the cover are various bits of information that are a bit confusing. Tom (of Top Chef) and Sisha Ortuzar have their names in the top right, but on the bottom left is also says text by Rhona Silverbush and photographs by Bill Bettencourt.(Could it be possible that Rhona is Tom's sister-in-law?) So, who is responsible for the book? Perhaps that ambiguity is the point. Who is responsible for 'wichcraft - the book and the restaurants? Tom himself, as the overriding imagination, but more directly his sous chef, Sisha, and as for the words, well, they are by Rhona. It's similar to any restaurant – the imagination is from the executive chef, but the chef de cuisine or the sous chef manages the actual day-to-day operations, and then line cooks execute the dishes.

If you subscribe to the belief that sandwiches should be made with the same care as food we sit down to for a lengthier meal, then this is the book for you. The message is: there is no point in going through to trouble of buying this book, getting inspired by a recipe, if you aren't also going to get top quality, organic or sustainable foods, excellent bread, and patiently put together a great sandwich.

Tom opens the book with 'wichcraft's menu, each sandwich photographed and labeled and divided up into breakfast, cool, warm, and finally sweet sandwiches. It's a handy guide to the book, but the photographs are again reproduced with each recipe and so it ends up being a bit like looking at a HoJo's menu. Then Tom dives in with the story of 'wichcraft and how he collaborated with Sisha. This is interesting, along with the dialogue between the two of them that follows, for those who want to know how an idea –any idea – gets developed. It's the kind of business story background that readers of Super Chef should enjoy.

The recipes are fun twists on classic sandwiches. Even the American PBJ (p. 39) gets homemade rhubarb jam and butter mixed into the peanut butter to smooth and mellow the flavor. For the Las Vegas 'wichcraft, the team invented their version of steak and eggs: Skirt Steak with Fried Egg, Oyster Mushroom, and Parsley Vinaigrette (p. 44). It is a glorious sandwich for the very hearty. That's balanced with a vegan sandwich, Chopped Chickpeas with Roasted Peppers, Black Olives, Lemon Confit, and Parsley (p. 59), the 'wichcraft take on Middle Eastern flavors.

There are also more luxurious sandwiches like Lobster with Sweet Potato-Fennel Slaw and Tarragon Vinaigrette (p. 72) perfect for a picnic at an outdoor classical music concert perhaps? Pair that with Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Pickled Vegetables, Aged Cheddar, and Horseradish (p. 152) and you'd have a version of surf and turf.

'wichcraft is a fun book for summer entertaining ideas. As long as you can get top quality ingredients, elegance and taste is between two slices of bread.

Previous articles:
Top Chef Masters
Top Chef's Tom Colicchio Courts Sara Lee
Tom Colicchio: Top Chef 2
Top Chef 2: Already Casting
Top Chef: Tom Colicchio
Fast Company: Tom Colicchio's Dream Job
Tom Colicchio: a-Kickin' and a-Copin'
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]

Washington DC: Turkish Restaurant Week

2009-09-15T09:15:00.014-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

The idea of restaurant week is catching on. There are kids' versions (see Super Chef's Kids' Restaurant Weekand now there is Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week in the Nation's capital.

It turns out there are more then enough Turkish restaurants in and near Washington DC to fill up this event.

Sponsored by the American Turkish Association of Washington DC (ATA-DC), the event takes place from September 18 -26, 2009. You can get a four-course Turkish meal for $25 per person. There are seven participating restaurants – one for each day of the week for those starved for the grand cuisine of the Ottomans.

If you prefer to learn about the cuisine along with noshing, then catch Celebration at the Sultan’s Palace, a cooking demonstration by Channon Mondoux of Renaissance Cuisine on September 21 at Sur La Table in Arlington, Virginia - you'll get to eat and learn at the same time.

Here is the list:

Café 8
Café Divan
The Levante's Dupont Circle
Meze Restaurant and Lounge
Rosemary’s Thyme Bistro DC
Temel Restaurant
Westchester Restaurant

Although not participating in the week special, Super Chef also like the following regional Turkish restaurants:

Kazan Restaurant
Nizam's Restaurant

For more information check out the Turkish Restaurant Week website.
Afiyet olson

Previous articles:
Greg & Lucy Malouf: Turquoise
Claudia Roden: Arabesque
Jose Andres: Zaytinya with Ladies in Lavender
Sufi Cuisine: Nevin Halici

Duff Goldman: Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery

2009-09-14T09:15:00.016-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Most celebrity chefs endorse food products, cookware, or table furnishings. Not Duff Goldman. Think of him like a grown up kid. His Food Network reality show, Ace of Cakes, is all about the fun, surprise, and challenges of making art out of cake. Super Chef caught up with Duff in the midst of filming Season 8 of Ace of Cakes. He told Super Chef that he wanted his first product to be a toy. The toy he chose was the Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery.

Super Chef has already reviewed the Girl Gourmet Cup Cake Maker (see Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker). It is a nifty toy that lets kids make and then decorate cupcakes that are gluten-free and tasty –at least kids think so.

The Cake Bakery takes an Ace of Cakes spin on small layer cakes. Kids make cake batter by adding water to a dry mix. They cook the batter in the microwave in 30 seconds. Then they make fondant from another mix. They can drape the two-layer mini-cake with fondant, and then decorate it further on a spinning-decorating turntable with an air powered gel decorator gun.

Super Chef invited an aspiring foodie kid to try out the Cake Bakery. The pastel blue and pink – and the Girl Gourmet name – won't stop a boy from enjoying the toy. It turns out to be fun and challenging to mix the batter, get it into the two layer molds, and set the mold into the microwave container. It is even more fun to make the fondant, kneading and rolling it out on the non-stick mat. It is tricky getting the fondant onto the cake in one piece – but that's part of the learning curve. The toy doesn't do everything – foodie kids have to figure out for themselves how they want to decorate their cake, what fondant flavor goes best with chocolate cake, and how to mend the cracks that form. They have to master the turntable, figure out where to put the white gel, and sprinkles.

The point is that there are so many variations – they won't come out with a cookie cutter cake that looks like some variation of a cake on the box. They use their imagination – and then eat the results. The only glitch: the set that Super Chef's assistant played with only had two packets of cake and four packets of fondant - not nearly enough to get proficient.

Super Chef turned to Duff Goldman for more insight about the toy:

Super Chef: How did you get involved with the Cake Bakery?

Duff Goldman: I told my agents we should get involve with licenses, 'I want toys' and they said, 'No, you should do chef stuff.' 'I want toys.' They put the word out, and Jakks came to us to team up. They had the idea of the cake bakery. They kind of wanted a tricked out Easy-Bake Oven. It isn't fair to call it that, it is so much more. With the Easy-Bake, you cook with a light bulb, you burn yourself – it’s a big pain and it's gross. I wanted something that works, something that the kids will play with and learn from and practice hand eye co-ordination. Eventually they will coordinate left and right hand, which is really cool. The tools are really miniature versions of tools we use, the fondant rolling mat, the texture mats – everything you need to make a two-tiered cake. Kids will learn subtractive versus additive sculpture, that is etched in rather then add on.

We went back and forth, all this crazy idea, this is what is feasible what isn’t.
We had to hit a price point, which is the biggest thing hampering the toy.

Super Chef: So this toy appealed to you because it doesn't do everything for the child, they have to figure it out?

Duff Goldman: It is like a video game. At first you don't know the controls, but as you play with it, and work with it, you understand what this thing is, what it can do.

Super Chef: When did you get involved?

Duff Goldman: About 14 months ago out in California, we sat down with Jakks and went through item by item. They were keen on my input. I told them that you are not putting my face until I play with it and it has to be quality and good and exciting for the kids. This is fun and exciting, and that makes me so excited. You have to understand your craft, and little kids are going to understand that you have to get Craft right before Art.

When I first went to Jakks, I wanted to see some of the other stuff they make. They showed me the other lines. I saw show room full of toys; I walked around, playing with all this stuff. I love playing with toys. Everything was quality. After I was done with that, I want you to know, I wanted to make sure it was quality. There are so many things I have said no to. I don't need my own brand of dog food.

Super Chef: Are kids going to be able to see you using the toy?

Duff Goldman: We are going to film me making cakes with the Cake Bakery. I am not going to use anything but what is in the box, promise. I'll talk about how it is something you need to learn how to use. I am waiting for some feedback to make seven or eight talking points.

Super Chef: Are you planning on working on other toys or kid's products? Aprons? Kid-sized tools? A kid's cooking show on the Food Network?

Duff Goldman: It is being discussed, thought about. The biggest thing is that the Food Network has seen me with large groups of kids. I am a kid myself. They always get me in to those. My feeling is let kids make a mess, I used to watch Julia [Child], like cartoons, I think I can do that with kids, The Food Network has tried it in the past. But they haven't met anyone else like me; I have been watching a lot of stuff. Why are kids program so stupid? Because we are so condescending to them. They are so much smarter, more intuitive. They can tell when we are talking down to them. When you talk to them like an equal they so respond. Kids can't lie to you. Right now it is just an idea being tossed back and forth.

Previous articles:
Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker
Ace of Cakes: Valentines 2007
Ace of Cakes: Duff Goldman
[Products & Endorsements - complete]

Vacation: June 17 - September 7, 2009

2009-06-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

Super Chef rests the pen for vacation and wishes all a happy 4th of July.

Top Chef Masters: Episode 2 Chefs

2009-06-12T08:45:00.000-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Recently, Super Chef participated in a group conference call with other journalists to interview four chef contestants in Top Chef Masters, episode 2. What was most illuminating was the wonderful sense of humor in all four chefs: Elizabeth Falkner, Suzanne Tracht, Wylie Defresne, and Graham Elliot Bowles. They truly sounded like they enjoyed themselves and enjoyed poking fun at each other. Episode 2 airs on June 17th at 10pm.

Each participated because they would be helping charities. Each was previously a guest or judge on Top Chef, so they were very familiar with the show's structure and pace.

Here are a sampling of the questions and answers:

Q: There are only four women involved in Iron Chef Masters. How do you feel about that?

Elizabeth Falkner: you know there are a lot of women in the industry, but it is still male dominated. It takes a lot of strength to be a chef. In the case of Top Chef Masters, I agree with Wylie, who said that it's more of sports event. You have to like the culinary side and the competition.

Q: What did you do to prepare?

Graham Elliot Bowles: I practiced a lot of past scenarios. I dreaded anything with pastry.

Elizabeth Falkner: I was sorry I wasn't on the pastry episode. Bring on the pastry.

Q: What advice would you give to contestants now that you have been on the show?

Wylie Dufresne: Move quickly at all times.
Elizabeth Falkner: I honestly think you have to move quickly. You have to train for it, culinarily and physically.
Suzanne Tracht: You have to stay focused. You don't want to run around in circles.

Q: What did you get out of it?

Elizabeth: We had our own camaraderie and challenges. The personality of each chef really comes through the food. We are getting to see the best chefs and see the flavors of what they are doing.

Q: Many of the chefs have multiple restaurants, but you [Wylie] have only one. Is your participation in Top Chef Masters an indication that you are going to expand?

Wylie Dufresne: No, I have no immediate plans. This is an opportunity to spread awareness of what we do at wd-50. It's not because I hope to expand or grow, but I won't rule it out.

Q: Who is the toughest judge?

Wylie Dufresne: We probably all have differing opinions on that. We can't really talk about what happened. We were judged by others beyond the three critics.
Graham Elliot Bowles: In the first episode, the Girl Scouts were the toughest judges.
Suzanne Tracht: It was the first time I met any of them.
Elizabeth Falkner: The judges don't get out as much to the West Coast.
Wylie Dufresne: Gael [Greene] is a tough one. You can go either way. We all faired well. But Gael was the judge who was most concerning. She has a history of what she likes and what she doesn't like.
Graham Elliot Bowles: I would agree with that.

Q: Were there any chefs you wished were part of Top Chef Masters?

Elizabeth Falkner: There are so many good chefs. The chefs on the show are all interesting and fun. We had a good group.
Wylie Dufresne: Our foursome was good fun. Too bad Graham cheated so much.
[Laughter]

Previous articles:
Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Marketing Blitz
Stephanie Izard: Life After Top Chef
Top Chef New York: About Time
Top Chef Junior
Rocco DiSpirito: Top Chef Chicago
Top Chef's Tom Colicchio Courts Sara Lee
Tom Colicchio: Top Chef 2
Top Chef 2: Already Casting
Top Chef: Tom Colicchio
Padma Lakshmi: Tangy Tart Hot Sweet
Tom Colicchio: Top Chef 2
Carrie Nahabedian Knocks Top Chef
Top Chef 2: Already Casting
Top Chef: Harold Dieterle Won
Top Chef: Taste of the Nation
Top Chef: Tom Colicchio
[Chefs & Branding - complete]
[Food Television - complete]

Karen Solomon: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

2009-06-11T09:14:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Are you looking for a great book with kitchen projects to do with your kids this summer?

Or perhaps you want recipes to help you save money by cooking grocery staples at home?

Maybe you've gone strawberry picking or apple picking and now you want to turn your treasure into something special to eat?

Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It (Ten Speed 2009) covers a lot of ground.

It's an easy-to-follow cookbook full of sweet and not-so-sweet projects not specifically targeted to kids – but that's why it's so useful. It is not dumbed down, and so it perfect to use with kids beginning to explore foods and cooking on their own:

I'd always hoped to find those Girl Scout blueprints to the kitchen – the culinary equivalent of knot tying, fire starting and good citizenship– that would be the building blocks for everyday eating. Stocking the pantry and our own refrigerator doors with ingredients that were made by hand for centuries should not be so cumbersome. (p. 1)

This book is about those basic and not-so-basic foods that are so much better made at home. It is not exhaustive - there are only a few recipes for each way of preserving food - but the book will go a long way to getting you thinking and comfortable with putting up your own food.

The first chapter includes a fun recipe for homemade Crackers, Breadsticks, and Flatbread (p. 5) that would be fun to make with children – each can add their own favorite topping.

If your kids are hooked on ketchup, get there to help make their own. Regular Ol'Tomato Ketchup (But Better) (p. 20) includes cardamom and star anise, fun spices to try out. The ketchup keeps for two months in the refrigerator. Canning instructions are provided separately (p.88).

For those who love garlic, Karen has a chapter on pickling, starting with Pickled Green Beans (p. 33) and ending with Kimchee (p. 39) all of which can be made with plenty of garlic.

For the more adventurous, Karen includes recipes for bacon, beef jerky, sausages, and cheese. The kids can help make homemade Butter (pp. 76-77, shaking a mason jar until butter forms. But it's really the second half of the book that contains most of the kid-friendly recipes. Start by making Marshmallows (p. 101), Apple Fruit Leather (p. 103) Graham Crackers (p. 107) and then try some of her fun frozen treats and candy.

The trick will be not making too many of the sweet recipes!

Previous articles:
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]
[Children's Cookbook Reviews - complete]

David Lebovitz: The Sweet Life in Paris

2009-06-10T13:01:00.000-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT
With airline tickets heavily discounted, and the job market looking a little bleak in the US for the foreseeable future, it's probably a good moment to shake off the dust from your plans to live abroad for a year.

If you are a chef or an aspiring chef, Paris might not be your first choice for the expense alone – but it's worth considering.

Get yourself a copy of The Sweet Life in Paris (Broadway Books 2009), David Lebovitz's account of his adventures and cooking feats as he tries to figure out the city and its inhabitants. It’s a wonderful summer read – funny and self-deprecating, and full of just the kind of insider/outsider information that comes with time abroad.

David starts off by encountering the miniscule moving coffins that pass for elevators in Paris. His rental is unlivable, and when he finally moves in, tiny compared to his American digs:

What the countertop lacks in practicality, it makes up for by not imposing itself and taking up too much space in my apartment. Consequently, my entire cooking area is roughly the size of a rectangular gateau Opera, the size that serves eight. And we're talking eight French-sized servings, not American-sized slabs. (p. 25)

He analyzes the niceties of French manners in a chapter on The Most Important Words To Know in Paris (p. 33). The words turn out to be Bonjour monsieur or Bonjour madame or Bonjour mademoiselle. He ponders how French eat fruit (with a knife and fork), how to eat a sandwich with a knife and fork and so on.

Sprinkled in among David's observations are recipes of dishes he has prepared in France. After he describes the French ability to eat everything with a knife and fork, he has a recipe called Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds (pp. 40-41):

I derive endless fascination from watching them extract each and every morsel of meat from a bony wing with finely honed, surgical precision.

Many of the recipes are French inspired, but other are purely American like Pork Ribs (pp. 83-85) oven roasted and slathered in sauce (including ketchup).

There are plenty of wonderful recipes for sweets, as you might expect from a pastry chef, like Mocha-Crème Fraiche Cake (pp. 199-191) in a chapter on cheese or Lemon-Glazed Madeleines (pp. 221-224) his improvement on the classic recipe. But The Sweet Life in Paris is a book that goes well beyond pastry. Buy it for the writing. Buy it for the comments he makes about being in Paris, shopping in Paris, living in Paris. Buy it for the fun.

Previous articles:
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]

Top Chef Masters

2009-06-09T07:40:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Are you waiting hungrily for Bravo's Top Chef Masters' debut on Wednesday June 10th at 10 p.m.?

Instead of the usual roundup of young chefs hoping to win big and open their own restaurant – and gain widespread media attention – TCM features well established chefs, some of whom do little television cooking, vying for cash awards to their favorite charities. According to the Bravo press release:

The first six episodes will consist of four chefs competing against each other to name one winner. The six winners of each episode will then meet up for the final four weeks when one person will get eliminated each episode until the finale where one winner is crowned Top Chef Master.

Bravo's sponsors, The Glad Products Company and Lexus will also provide a total of $250,000 in prize money in charity donations. The winning chef gets to give away $100,000 to a charity of their choice, and collect plenty of publicity.

The judges include: Kelly Choi, the stand-in for another food writer-ex-model Padma Lakshmi; Gael Greene, who should add depth and humor; and Jay Rayner, a novelist and food writer, and one hopes, and erudite commentator. None have been professional chefs like all the master chefs they will be judging, or like Tom Colicchio, which is unfortunate. His presence in Top Chef gives the series not only an anchor and expert judge, some one well versed in the actual nitty gritty of working in a kitchen, but also an example of a chef that the contestants are aiming to emulate.

Restaurant critics and food writers do not have to be chefs to comment on the food chefs produce. But, Top Chef is focused not only about the food produced, but also on the drama that goes into producing it. The fact that the audience knows Tom is familiar with the kitchen action, makes him a more credible critic. Though Super Chef is not suggesting that the shenanigans that occur in the Top Chef kitchens, or the situations the chefs are thrust into, are "realistic."

The 24 chefs include (in alphabetical order):
− Rick Bayless, Wilo Benet, John Besh, Graham Elliot Bowles, Michael Chiarello, Michael Cimarusti, Wylie Dufresne, Elizabeth Falkner, Hubert Keller, Christopher Lee, Ludo Lefebvre, Anita Lo, Tim Love, Rick Moonen, Nils Noren, Lachlan McKinnon Patterson, Cindy Pawlcyn, Mark Peel, Douglas Rodriguez, Michael Schlow, Art Smith, Suzanne Tracht, Jonathan Waxman, Roy Yamaguchi.

Super Chef is especially excited to see chefs like Puerto Rico's Wilo Benet and Las Vegas-based Rick Moonen compete as well as older chefs who rose to fame before the advent of the Food Network of Bravo.

It is hard to say how these particular chefs were chosen, since there is no information in the press release, and there are certainly more than 24 celebrated chefs in the US. Some chefs have considerable TV experience, while others are rarely on TV. There are four women competing, some Latinos, but no African-Americans, though there are plenty of examples of prominent African and African–American chefs. Why?

What will be fascinating is to see how these chefs actually cook – since many established chefs no longer cook day-to-day, but control their restaurants or restaurant empires, either directly or at arms (or mobile phone) length. This is nothing new – executive chefs in the past did not cook, so much as oversee and check each plate at the pass.

May the most telegenic chef win.

Previous articles:
Top Chef Marketing Blitz
Stephanie Izard: Life After Top Chef
Top Chef New York: About Time
Top Chef Junior
Rocco DiSpirito: Top Chef Chicago
Top Chef's Tom Colicchio Courts Sara Lee
Tom Colicchio: Top Chef 2
Top Chef 2: Already Casting
Top Chef: Tom Colicchio
Padma Lakshmi: Tangy Tart Hot Sweet
Tom Colicchio: Top Chef 2
Carrie Nahabedian Knocks Top Chef
Top Chef 2: Already Casting
Top Chef: Harold Dieterle Won
Top Chef: Taste of the Nation
Top Chef: Tom Colicchio
[Chefs & Branding - complete]
[Food Television - complete]

2009 Forbes Celebrity 100: 2 Chefs

2009-06-08T07:48:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Forbes Magazine's recently published list of the world's richest celebrities, should give the food world pause. In the past decade, the list has included the names of at least four chefs, and sometimes more (See Super Chef's Forbes Celebrity Chefs 2007: Food Network Heaven.)

This year it only includes two: Wolfgang Puck Power Rank #95 with Pay at $18 million and non-chef, food entertainer Rachael Ray at #79 with pay of $15 million.

Last year, in contrast Rachael Ray was at #76, at $18 million; Wolfgang was at #91, at $16 million. New to the list were
Gordon Ramsay at #95, with $7.5 million, and Paula Deen who rounded out the list at #100 with $4.5 million.

All across the globe the restaurant industry has felt the full force of the economic slow down. But, the statistics do not tell the whole story. Restaurants are coming up with novel ways to keep their customers, while cutting costs. Celebrity chef empires are no exception. Celebrity chefs have had to close restaurants (see Antony Worrall-Thompson Closes Four Restaurants).

At the same time, celebrity chefs have been expanding product lines, bringing in more revenue from endorsements. For instance, Paula Deen has a new line of cookware featured in stores like Walmart. They have sought out new media outlets (like Top Chef Masters) to gain wider exposure for their restaurants.

Interesting as it is, the drop from four celebrity chefs to two on the Forbes Celebrity 100, Super Chef is not as interesting as the potential for recovery in the 2010 Celebrity 100. Super Chef bet is that there will be more then two chefs next year.

What's your best guess?

Previous articles:
Forbes: Women Are Heating Up the Restaurant World
Forbes Celebrity Chefs 2007: Food Network Heaven
Forbes Tastemakers 2
Are British Super Chefs Richer
Forbes Celebrity 100 Chefs 2006: Cute?
Juliette Rossant: Forbes Tastemakers
Celebrity Chefs from 2005 Forbes Celebrity Chef 100
Latest Forbes Celebrity Chef Column

Maria Elia: The Modern Vegetarian

2009-06-03T10:30:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Keep an eye open for the remarkable cookbooks being published by Kyle Cathie Books. The latest, Maria Elia's The Modern Vegetarian (2009) is a standout. Stunning in presentation, and originality, this is a book that will inspire you to plant a garden, search out perfect sprouts at the farmers market, and re-think vegetarian cuisine. The photography by Jonathan Gregson, captures the colors of dishes and fruits and vegetable in vivid background colors that will make you hungry.

Maria is a British TV chef, journalist, and head chef of the Delfina Studio Café. She was born into the business – her father ran a Greek Cypriot restaurant in London – and followed her passion around the world, including stints at elBulli and The Oriental Cooking School in Bangkok.

What this book does best is explore one vegetable in many different recipes. After all, when asparagus or peas are in season, the idea is to taste them in all their splendor without boring your taste buds with the same textures and flavors.

A recipe is so much more than a log of ingredients, it's about bringing those ingredients together in harmony and letting them come alive to reveal their diverse flavors and textures, in all their glorious simplicity or complexity. For example the "texture of" peas and beets and coffee sections that appear here are collections of recipes that really take that ingredient out of the box and show it in its many different guises (p. 9)

The idea behind each recipe is to contrast flavors and combine textures and then present the dish in a pleasing way.

The first chapter, "Sophisticated Starters," begins with Carrot Pancakes with Hummus and a Feta Salad (p. 14). The photograph shows a thick pancake topped with layers of humus, feta and greens. Feta appears again in Chile-Roasted Feta and Watermelon Slab (p. 18) a fine twist on a traditional mezze served all over the Middle East – cool watermelon, salty cheese and spice. Maria is a huge fan of figs. They are featured in Fig Tarte Tatin with Shaved Manchego and Arugula (p. 20). Again, the dish is all about the sweetness from the figs, the sourness of red wine vinegar, set off by the creaminess of the cheese. Figs are also featured in Roquefort and Fig Crème Brulee with a Pecan Salad (p. 26). Its sweet meets peppery and crunchy.

The heart of the chapter is her exploration of peas. She makes Fresh Pea Stock (p. 29) from pea pods, shallots, mint and basil, and then uses that as the base of Sweet Pea Custards (p. 30), Pea, Basil and Mint Soup (p. 31), and marvelously inventive Pea Jelly (p. 32) flavored with tarragon. The final recipe is Smashed Pea, Dill and Feta Crostini (p. 33) with feta cheese. The recipes uses plenty of herbs – dill, tarragon, basil – but the point is to explore pea flavor.

Maria Elia believes in experimentation. Her recipes are only guidelines, but as such they encourage exploring vegetables in depth, with a sense that each vegetable can be enjoyed in countless ways. The Modern Vegetarian is never dull.

Previous articles:
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]

Forbes: Women Are Heating Up The Restaurant World

2009-06-02T08:30:00.008-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

What should we make of the fact that Heidi Brown has gotten a few more women chefs into the pages of Forbes Magazine?

Her May article in a new section of the magazine called ForbesWomen, "How Women Are Heating Up The Restaurant World" focuses on Traci Des Jardins and the ways women chefs are dealing with the economic downturn.

It profiles the chef along with snapshots of eight other women chefs from around the country. These include: Susan Spicer, Gabrielle Hamilton, April Bloomfield, Jody Adams, Anita Lo, Michelle Bernstein, and Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger.

Typical for Forbes these are the briefest of profiles - the last doesn't even mention that Susan Feniger recently opened another restaurant, Susan Feniger's Street, taking a risk in a difficult economic climate.

The article starts with big names:

Move over, Mario. Take a hike, Emeril. Look who's cooking now: A handful to ambitious and talented female chefs who are running their own restaurants and creating compelling brands, that's who.

Many of these chefs, including Traci, have been around for years, and they certainly do run important restaurants, but are these chefs really creating brands? And, there are now more then a handful of successful women chefs in America. (see Super Chef coverage of the White House Woman Chef that includes over forty important women chefs - there are certainly more now).

Are they competing with Emeril Lagasse or Mario Batali, both of whom have product lines, multiple restaurants around the country, cookbooks and were heavily featured on the Food Network?

The article never really asks why there are no women chefs with Batali-size empires. True, the author writes about family and child rearing duties that do not fit well with the hours of a chef. Yet, many of the women in the article do have kids. Have they simply not wanted to get as big as Mario or Emeril? Have they not wanted to give up their lives in the kitchen for ones centered in media?

The point of the article is that women chefs have it rough and are therefore tough enough to get through economic downturn.

If executive women face challenges in the corporate world, these female culinary go-getters take even more heat. Restaurant kitchens, where every chef must train, are still male-dominated boot camps that often tolerate (or encourage) harassment and ridicule.

Heidi does not investigate how these stereotypes are breaking down in restaurants that are predominantly staffed by women. She does not investigate Traci's management style and compare it to male chefs like Mario Batali or Joachim Splichal, for whom Traci worked.

Traci is getting ready to open a restaurant in Lake Tahoe, CO, while she is also coming up with ways to attract more customers to San Francisco eateries, Jardiniere and Mijita. The article never really gets around to telling why she is opening there and her strategy to cope with the economic climate with a new restaurant.

She laid off 12 to 15 of her staff in January, including her pastry chef. She has also introduced a more reasonably priced Monday-night dinner and wines at a lower price point, following a 15% drop in wine orders in the last quarter of 2008.

How are her decisions different from male chefs, many of whom are doing the same thing? Forbes leaves us in the dark.

For in depth analysis, Super Chef suggests that readers turn to the chapter on the careers of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger or any of the other other chefs discussed and analyzed in Super Chef.

Previous articles:
Forbes Celebrity Chefs 2007: Food Network Heaven
Forbes Tastemakers 2
Are British Super Chefs Richer
Forbes Celebrity 100 Chefs 2006: Cute?
Juliette Rossant: Forbes Tastemakers
Celebrity Chefs from 2005 Forbes Celebrity Chef 100
Latest Forbes Celebrity Chef Column

Kids' Restaurant Week

2009-06-01T08:30:00.001-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Do kids need their own restaurant week?

For Cookie and Gourmet magazines, the answer is "yes."

The two Conde Nast publications are behind the first-ever Kids' Restaurant Week in Washington DC (June 13-21, 2009). That will be followed by Kids' Restaurant Weeks in other cities (New York and Chicago from June 20-28). The idea is to get kids (and their parents) to eat out at fine dining restaurants.

According to the press release, throughout the week, participating restaurants will offer special discounts and fixed-price menus with dinner seating from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. That's when many young children eat dinner and, more important, a time restaurants could use the extra business.

Kids aged 11 and under will pay their age, while adults and children 12 and over will pay $29.00 each. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Eastern Market and Miriam’s Kitchen. Kids’ Restaurant Week festivities kick off with the national launch event on June 13 at Eastern Market, on Capitol Hill neighborhood. The event, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature cooking demonstrations, as well as food tastings with top chefs from other participating restaurants and culinary activities for kids.

By Super Chef's latest count, there are 15 participating restaurants in Washington DC including Art & Soul, Beacon Street Bar & Grill, Café du Parc, Firefly, M Street Bar & Grill, The Hay-Adams and Zola. Super Chef was sorry not to see more restaurants on the list - like Michel Richard Citronelle where the Obamas recently dined.

It is not clear just what the restaurants will be serving to children.

Super Chef canvassed several restaurants, but none had settled on the menu yet.

Super Chef hopes it will not be the usual chicken tenders and spaghetti marinara that hardly challenge children's palates. Let's hope that during Kids' Restaurant Week introduces children to interesting, healthy, correctly portioned dishes.

Let's excite little palates -- and encourage parents to explore food with their kids.

Previous articles:
[Chefs & Charity - complete]

Janet Stein: This Little Bunny Can Bake

2009-05-28T08:38:00.000-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Janet Stein's cute and witty This Little Bunny Can Bake (Random House 2009) is about an unlikely subject: a cooking school for animals called Chef George's School of Dessertology.

The students include a pink rabbit, a poodle, a couple of cats, a tiger, a mouse, a spoon-bill crane, and a dog who hopes the class will make shoe-fly pie. Chef George is a wise and pompous owl who knows everything there is to know about dessert. The students, with plenty of confusing help, finally do create suitable desserts, including the bunny's masterpiece.

The front and back covers hold Chef George's recipes like C.G.'s Divine Chocolate Meringue Cookies and C.G.'s Incredible Crepes. The fun in the book are the lively drawings of the students who definitely have more fun then Chef George.

Previous articles:
[Children's Cookbooks - complete]

Cooking Know-How: Weinstein and Scarbrough

2009-05-27T07:37:00.000-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Some people cannot cook without following a recipe closely. But once they've learned the recipe, they often still need help figuring out how they can and should change it. The trick is recognizing the techniques in the recipe, and understanding how to pair up flavors when you substitute one ingredient for another – pork for chicken, oregano for tarragon, ground beef for ground turkey, and so on. Learning how to do this is key to Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough's Cooking Know-How (Wiley 2009). It is a generous book for those who need guidance and step-by-step help, and a great resource for anyone who has fallen in a rut and needs a new idea for dinner.

How do most people start thinking about a meal – usually by thinking in general terms – a beef stew, chicken with rice, or a curry. That's how the chapters in Cooking Know-How are organized. Say, today at the butcher's or supermarket you find good boneless pork chops. You turn to the chapter on Boneless Pork Loin Chops with a Pan Sauce (p. 33-38) and follow the steps. The authors walk you through the basic recipe with ample photos and sidebars, and tips like "Never Rinse Meat". Once you've understood the basic recipe, they list the steps 1-7 and the variations for each for eight different recipes. For Boneless Pork Loin Chops with Walnuts and Shallots, in step 1, walnut oil is used, then in step 3, shallots and walnuts are added, and in step 4, cinnamon and nutmeg are added. Likewise, there is a list of steps for Boneless Pork Loin Chops with Blackberries and Cream and Curried Boneless Pork Loin Chops.

If you pick up Mussels at the store, there is a basic recipe with five steps followed by eight variations. Some of the recipes are based on a cut of meat (Shanks and Bones p. 330), while others are on a method of cooking (Fricassee p. 139) or a technique (Packets p. 221). There is even a recipe for Ribs (p. 279) with eight variations.

Cooking Know-How is a smart book for a college graduate just starting out in their first apartment – or the home cook who wants a book to turn to for a quick primer on basic recipes with plenty of variations.

Previous articles:
[Cookbook Reviews - complete]

Mario Batali Signature Wood Burning Brick Ovens

2009-05-26T08:47:00.005-04:00

By JULIETTE ROSSANT

Traditionally, the way to start a business is to pinpoint a need and fill it. That is the key to Chicago Brick Ovens success story. They used that principal to start their business and then applied it to a new line of backyard brick ovens branded by Mario Batali. Super Chef received an email from Mario about the new brick ovens and decided to check out the story.

Super Chef spoke to Carmen "Carm" Parisi, one of the three founding partners. He and neighbors, Mark DiGregorio and Bill Paschen found out that they all wanted backyard brick ovens and decided to pool their efforts in order to lower their costs. In their research they quickly discovered that the European-imported ovens took a long time and much paperwork to import, were expensive, and difficult to assemble.

"We imported a European wood burning oven. It was big, heavy, and complex. We saw you had to hire two three people to put it together. These kinds of ovens are big and cavernous. They take three hours to heat up."

They decided to start a company building residential ovens in the US. Their ovens take less then thirty minutes to assemble and a fraction of the time to heat up. Each of the three partners brought outside expertise to the business: marketing know-how, food service knowledge, and residential building requirements.

How did Mario Batali signature line of wood burning brick ovens come about?

"One partner met Mario's brand manager at a trade show. Mario has an affinity for wood burning ovens. He has them in LA and in other restaurants. He is all about wood burning cooking. We looked at his product line and we realized that brick ovens were missing. He tested our ovens and we met with him. He told us, this is exactly what I am looking for." The key was understanding that Mario also had a need that the company could meet.

Mario partnered with CBO on the designs for the Mario Batali line of ovens. The smallest, mobile brick oven, the Amici (PDF), will put you back approximately $3,900. The Etna (PDF) is $7,500 with a sturdy brick base, and the top of the line Vesuvius (PDF) is approximately $9,500 or $12,500 depending on the size. Crave the same wood oven roasted leg of lamb or rosemary scented roasted vegetables Mario or Jamie Oliver pull out of their ovens? You need to get your hands on one of these. Each comes with Mario's name above the door.

Carm explained that the ovens have traditionally been sold as "pizza ovens," but the Chicago Brick Ovens are creating their own category. They do not produce restaurant grade units yet. The company also sells kits outside the Mario line, which can also be assembled in half an hour.

As for Mario, adding ovens to his growing line of signature products opens the door to even more branding of white goods that fit with his cooking style. Super Chef assumes that Mario already has a brick oven cookbook in the works to follow up on his Italian Grill(see Super Chef's review.

Previous articles:
Mario Batali: Italian Grill
Mario Batali: Still on Food Network?
Mario Dumps Iron Chef for Gwyneth Paltrow
Mario Batali's Ernst Benz Watch
Mario Batali Bistro Crocs
FOOD FLICKS: Mario Batali on Jimmy Kimmel
Mario Batali Marketing Webcast
TIME for Mario
Mario Batali: 2 Brothers
Mario Batali Tailgates NASCAR Style
Newsweek Cites Juliette Rossant on Mario Batali
Juliette Rossant: Forbes Tastemakers
Mario Batali: Molto Italiano
Newsweek Bets on Mario Batali's Basting Brush
Iron Chef Pizza Wars: Batali v. Puck
Nancy Silverton & Mario Batali's Mozza
Anita Lo Defeats Mario Batali on Iron Chef America
Molto Mario Massascres Mahi
[Chefs & Branding - complete]