It seems Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio has been bitten by the product placement bug, or perhaps he’s just come to find it normal after having to find creative ways to pitch products in segments on Top Chef. (A Dr. Pepper Challenge?)

Colicchio is now appearing in a TV ad for Diet Coke that emphasizes a need to “keep it simple”. having seen tom on Top chef, even that statement sounds a little strained. The commercial does very little to inspire me to buy any soda, but it is shot somewhat tastefully. I just hope this isn’t the beginning of the era of Tom Colicchio turns Billy Mays.

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I found this article in one of my notifications. I have to say that I think it says a lot about chef Ramsay.

London, February 22 (ANI): Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has hired a nine-year-old to be a part of his show after being impressed with the lad’s hilarious mimicking of him on cyberspace.

Child-actor Felix Light had done three videos in a “Little Gordon” advertising campaign for restaurant recruiting firm Caterer.com.

The ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ host revealed he had a laughter riot after watching the kid shout at waiters, restaurant managers and dinnerladies with bleeped F-words in a spoof of his TV show, ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ on You Tube.

“When I saw the videos of Felix impersonating me I thought it was hilarious,” the Mirror quoted Ramsay as saying.

“I was with my son Jack, who is eight, and my wife Tana. I said, ‘Look, come and see Daddy when he was little’.

“We all sat there laughing our heads off. Felix had me down to a T. I thought we just have to get this kid on Hell’s Kitchen. He’s a star,” he added. (ANI)

[From Gordon Ramsay hires 9-year-old ‘Little Gordon’ for US show | Skyblue.in]

Honestly, if he can laugh at himself, or at others portraying his on-screen persona he’s got one up on a lot of celebrities. Many would have sued the company that originally employed “Little Gordon”. Ramsay hired him instead. That’s one series of shows I’m very seriously looking forward to.

If you haven’t seen “Little Gordon”, take a peek here.

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It looks like Gordon Ramsay’s former mentor isn’t too happy with the image he portrays or the light that it puts other chefs in:

Marco Pierre said he only starred in ITV’s Hell’s Kitchen to repair the damage done by foul-mouthed Ramsay, who stars in Channel 4’s Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.

He felt Ramsay’s bad language and huge ego were destroying the reputation of talented chefs who work outside the spotlight.

He said: “When I did Hell’s Kit­chen it was because I did not like the way certain people were portraying my industry.

[From Daily Express | UK News :: Marco Pierre White: Ramsay's filth has dragged us into the gutter]

What do you think? Is Marco right, or do you think the public in general can see past Ramsay’s shouting and cursing to the talented chef?

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I just received my copy of Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation, by Christopher Styler and I have to say definitively that this is a book that can help anyone who’s just starting to really think about plating as what it is, an art form.

This book won’t be of much help to the serious food stylist, as it specifically covers the art of plating from a chef’s perspective and not a photographer’s perspective (I’ll be getting a few of those soon), but if you’ve ever wanted to get a good feel for the plating style of a fine restaurant this is a great place to start.

The author covers 8 istinct plating styles in the book, each of which comes with a recipe for the dish so that you can practice the plating if you’d like.  The photography is excellent and I found that the step-by-step plating instructions were concise enough for me to follow. In fact, if you notice a difference in the photos in this site over the next few weeks, it will be due in large part to this book.

It’s not often that I go out of my way to recommed a product here at CBSOP, but i think that this is one of tose that you really need to see for yourself.  It has inspired me to be better at what I do in the kitchen and to make my presentation reflect the care and passion that I put into the food itself. Do yourself a favor and go get a copy of Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation for yourself or the cook in your life. you’ll be glad you did.

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At least that’s what Pennsylvania’s The morning Call thinks, and I happen to agree with them. The Morning Call ran an article on my dear friend and fellow food blogger Anne of Cooking with Anne, Short Order Mom and A Thousand Soups this morning that covers her life, her passion for food and her incredible success. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it.

I must say though, the reporter that wrote the story does not seem to know all that much about blogging and paints a picture of grave competition in the food blogging arena. I’d like to be the first to tell anyone thinking of starting a food blog that this is simply not true. Foodies are a jovial and friend-centric bunch. We tend to get along with everyone else in this little corner of the Internet and I think you’ll find that you can make some pretty good friends very quickly. I know that I have.

Barring that little statement, this is Anne’s moment and I want her to have the spotlight. Go take a look at the article, including the gorgeous shot of both the lady of the hour and a platter of her most scrumptious looking sliders.

Enjoy the read, and tell a friend!

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It looks like being a superstar chef doesn’t make you immune to childish behavior. Mario Batali has banned one Gordon Ramsay from all of his restaurants after Gordon took offense to a comment Mario made about his food, calling it “dull and outdated and said he didn’t get New York.”

Ramsay responded by calling Mario Batali “Fanta Pants” in reference to the orange shorts the superstar chef sometimes wears.

In a recent interview, Batali said the following on the matter:

“Now he goes about town calling me Fanta Pants.” What? Because you sometimes wear orange shorts? “I suppose. And it has to be as a direct result of what you wrote.” Batali has not been slow in responding. ‘I’ve banned him from my restaurants. Ramsay’s people call trying to book tables and I say no. I won’t have him in there. If he called me himself and said, ‘Let’s sit down for a drink,’ I’m sure it would be fine. We’d be cool. But right now it’s not cool.” More wine is poured. Another cigarette is smoked. It’s clear he enjoys the feud. He also insists on telling me that the feud does not extend to Ramsay’s chef colleagues. He wants me to know he likes Angela Hartnett very much, though that doesn’t really do justice to the completely filthy way he expresses his admiration. It’s clear Angela is not banned from his restaurants.

[From Mario ‘Fanta Pants’ Batali Bans Gordon Ramsay From His Restaurants -- Grub Street: New York Magazine's Food and Restaurant Blog]

Mr. Ramsay’s people have not been slow to respond, either.

Ramsay’s rep tried to make light of the simmering dispute, telling Page Six the two egomaniacal chefs will “get together someday and have a good laugh about it all.”

[From "HELL'S KITCHEN" STAR GORDON RAMSAY FROM EATING AT MARIO BATALI'S RESTAURANTS- New York Post]

I’ not sure if this is a battle of egos or just the way chef’s of this caliber muck with each other, but really… I think perhaps that drink is in order.

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Seattle PI restaurant critic Rebekah Denn thinks Shiela Lukins has scored a perfect ten with her new cookbook “Ten”.  As a matter of fact, she’s downright raving about about how wonderful the book and its recipes were and about the Author herself.

It’s not often a food critic gives such high praise, especially about a cookbook.  As Miss Denn states at the end of her article:

New books about food come across my desk almost daily. Some look pretty, but have recipes that are disappointing or downright failures. A surprising number of them are transparent gimmicks or riddled with typographical errors, or they seem devoted to the look of a dish more than the clarity of the directions. It was a pleasure to find Lukins, after all these years, still weighs in herself as a kitchen “10.”

I don’t know aout you, but I think I’m going to be on the lookout for “Ten”.

For the original article, click here.

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The Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport tied for first place this year with Detroit International as the most healthy airports food-wise in the country.  This is based on a survey of the 15 busiest airports in the U.S. by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Not bad DFW!  At least I know if I have to get on a plane in Dallas, I can eat responsibly, rather than just piggin’ out on greasy burgers in a snack shack (That would be OKC’s Will Rogers Intl. Airport…  Shudder!)

The complete story can be viewed here.

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I saw this aricle at Voracious yesterday and had to chuckle.  Spam, Turkeys, and Other Food News of the Week

In this article Jonathan Kauffman discusses the truths behind the food writer and thanksgiving.  As he puts it:

Yes, boys and girls, it’s the start of holiday season, in which the nation’s greatest food writers are forced once again to reinvent the wheel. Every November I say a prayer of thanks that I write for an alt-weekly. God bless the Scrooges of the publishing industry.

How to Host a Successful Holiday Meal by Russ Parsons (LA Times): Spoiler alert — it’s all about delegating properly.

Using Salt and Science, We Can Roast a Nearly Perfect Bird by Andreas Viestad (Washington Post): The debates begin — brining or not brining, stuffing or not stuffing. (More critically, did you think to order the turkey yet?) I think this is the recipe I will try this year. It’s a little involved, but if Viestad swears it’s better than Cooks Illustrated…

There’s a lot more to the article, please check it out.  It really is a great piece of writing.

It is indeed that time of year for us Americans, and in fact the time has already passed for our Canadian Friends.  I’ve already had the brining/no brining discussion with a few people myself. (I do not, by the way.  I think that it changes the texture of the bird, and I don’t make a dry turkey, so…) As for stuffing.  Nope. Stuffing is evil.  I dress on the side.  If I’m feeling particualrly Rockwellian I add the dressing to the bird at the end, then toss it back in the oven for a few minutes.

So waht are your thoughts?  Brine or no brine? Stuffing or no stuffing? Smoked, roasted or fried?  Leave a comment and share!

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Is your food bill gobbling up your income?  I’ve found a way to help with that, courtesy of Bret Thompson, executive chef of famed restaurant MILK.  Chef Thompson is releasing a series of recipes at gotmilk.com that will help you share the holiday cheer without breaking the bank.

But I’m not doing the greatest job of telling this story.  here’s the offical press release.  Pass this one along!

PRESS RELEASE

Food Bills Gobbling up Your Income?

Renowned Chef Shares Gourmet Thanksgiving Dishes & Desserts for Under $1

Last update: 12:01 p.m. EST Nov. 19, 2008

SAN CLEMENTE, CA, Nov 19, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — As the cost of putting food on the table continues to soar, families are looking for ways to cut costs without sacrificing taste or nutrition. It seems the price of everyday staples such as eggs and bread are increasing by the minute. A New York Times article reports the price of bread rose by 12 percent and eggs by 25 percent over the past year.(1) ABC News also reports that food prices could jump by another 20 percent next year, according to the USDA Price Forecast. But a renowned Los Angeles-based chef says families can still afford a nutritious, delicious meal this Thanksgiving. Bret Thompson, executive chef of famed restaurant MILK, is teaming up with GOT MILK? to share milk-based gourmet holiday recipes that feed a family of 10 for about 50 to 80 cents per person per dish.

Exclusively available on www.gotmilk.com, Thompson invents palate-tempting milk-based side dish creations like sweet potato gratin with sage and creamed spinach with a parmesan crust to compliment a traditional turkey dinner. The gourmet Thanksgiving recipes also incorporate low fat milk, spinach and almonds — foods considered most nutritious according to the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System. The NuVal system is a rating guide developed by top-ranked nutritionists from around the world, using a number score from one to 100 (with 100 being the best score) to indicate the nutritional quality of a specific food. It places skim milk at 91 as one of the top of ranked beverages. And because Thompson’s recipes feature ingredients that are widely available on special, in bulk or are already cupboard staples, families are able to get the most bang for their buck.

“Families are looking for bargains more than ever, but still want a holiday meal that will please everyone,” says Thompson. “Milk is a key ingredient to traditional Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts, packing nutrition while adding the texture and creaminess everyone craves. I’m thrilled to be able to share healthier menu options that are high on taste, but don’t cost a lot of money.”

Thompson’s menu includes a twist to traditional Thanksgiving comfort foods like creamy green beans with caramelized onions and toasted almonds. His version conserves the creaminess of the dish with a much lower fat content while adding a delicious nutty crunch thanks to the toasted almonds. For a Latin twist, Thompson also created a velvety corn soup with grilled corn pico de gallo.

“You wouldn’t know these delicious gourmet recipes are low fat and cost from 50-80 cents per serving,” says Steve James, executive director of the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creators of GOT MILK? “Chef Thompson shows that families don’t have to go to a five-star restaurant to experience epicurean delights. He truly offers a champagne menu on a milk budget!”

Thompson also says desserts don’t have to be sinful, packed with calories and fat to taste great either. For GOT MILK?, he creates a stunningly mouth-watering pumpkin profiteroles with pie spice sauce as well as an apple cranberry bread pudding.

“Our hope is that families will recreate these recipes at home and make them part of their holiday tradition for generations to come,” says James.

For Thompson’s nutritious, gourmet and affordable recipes as well as tips on how to save money while shopping for groceries this holiday season, visit www.gotmilk.com.

About Bret Thompson & MILK

Before opening MILK in Los Angeles in 2007, Bret Thompson was the corporate executive chef of the Patina Restaurant Group. In the United States, he worked with renowned chefs like Roy Yamaguchi. In Europe, he trained under Michelin starred chefs like Martin Berasategui as well as Alain Passard of L’Arpege and Bernard Loiseau. MILK is located in 7290 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles, where Thompson can be found delighting his clients daily.

About the CMPB

The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. The CMPB’s Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline “Familia, Amor y Leche” (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, following a growing trend in Hispanic food advertising that uses wit and humor to reach audiences. GOT MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at www.gotmilk.com and www.tomaleche.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

(1) The New York Times.15 March 2008 “Costs Surge for Stocking the Pantry.” http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/business/15consumer.html?_r=1&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/F/Food%20Prices&oref=slogin

SOURCE: California Milk Processor Board

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