Rachel Ray -

by gansie

I Mention Rachael Ray in this Post

The Jewish calendar is lunar and therefore Passover can land anywhere between the end of March to the end of April. My birthday is at the end of March, my mom’s birthday is at the beginning of April and my sister’s birthday is at the end of April so it’s a always a hold your breath moment to find out who’s birthday will take place during this dreaded no-bread, no-cake, no-ice cream, no-soft pretzel eight day stretch.

This year it’s so early that this spring themed holiday can’t feature the season’s produce. We usually serve asparagus, but this year we still had to rely on winter’s hold overs. I’m a bit tired of winter squash, as is the rest of the Northeast, I’m sure.

With Passover, though, I wanted to think of something slightly new. Maybe not in flavor, but in form.

by tvff

Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: JOSE!

The latest and greatest news about celebrity chefs, served up buffet style.

– Yep, I’m happy because my boy Jose Garces took home the crown. You’re happy because now I’ll stop going on and on about this. Also, be sure to check out our interview with Garces and the other finalist, Jehangir Mehta.

After the jump…sorry fellas — no Martha v. Rachael Cat Fight, Art Smith tries to bring the cuddly chef thing to the tube and a lesson for all fast food marketers: don’t mess with Fiddy.

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by tvff

Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: Lasagna to Go!

The latest and greatest news about celebrity chefs, served up buffet style.

– Apparently, this is not a figment of your twisted imagination: Rachael Ray is selling a suitcase that will transport your lasagna.

– Alton Brown + Multitaskers + Bacon = five kinds of awesome!

After the jump…fresh fruit from a Food Network personality, Garces looks to exact revenge for the defeat of the Phillies and Tom C. goes On the Road.

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by tvff

Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: 100% Hand-Made

Following up on ML’s Table for 12 post, I’ve been thinking about cheating. Do you feel better (more authentic, more accomplished, etc.) when you cook a dish using absolutely no pre-processed ingredients? Health concerns aside, do you feel better knowing that everything that appears in your dish started out at the most elemental level possible? Or are there certain prepared items that are just fine to include, like mayonnaise and canned chicken stock? I just ask because I made Caesar salad (not pictured above) from scratch the other night, and I was a little extra jazzed about the fact that everything — down to the breadcrumbs — was home-made.

So, is it OK to compromise on the “authenticity” of a dish by taking one or two Sandra Lee-esque shortcuts, or does making a dish in a completely elemental way truly add a meaningful touch?

I apologize for making you think on a Wednesday. Here’s some smörg to cleanse the palate.

– A look at Bobby Flay‘s newest cookbook, which just so happens to be part of the prize pack for our grilling contest. Be sure to enter by midnight tonight!

– Two former Hell’s Kitchen contestants, including Robert Hesse, are joining the kitchen at a restaurant in the Hamptons. The post gently refers to Robert as “memorable.” You’ll likely remember him as the giant dude who collapsed at the Borgata. Yeah, that’s memorable, alright.

After the jump…Ray-Ray keeps collecting the hardware, a culinary-journalism crisis of epic proportions and Tony Bourdain takes aim at your favorite grocery store.

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by tvff

Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: Apparently, Brian Boitano Has a Sense of Humor

In journalism, there is a concept called “burying the lede.”

The “lede” (an insider-ish spelling of “lead”) is the most important or juiciest part of the story. So, if you were to bury the lede, your story would include a bunch of paragraphs with mundane information and then, as you’re getting to the end, you insert a bombshell revelation like it was nothing. Burying the lede isn’t good when you’re a journalist. But when you’re writing a press release, burying the lede is really bad because you want to grab hold of the reader’s attention as soon as possible to sell whatever it is you’re selling.

And so I have to call out the folks at Food Network for their latest press release, which features a number of new shows that will be premiering in the coming months. Another Alton Brown show…a new season of The Next Iron Chef…Sandra Lee…blahblahblah…nothing earth-shattering. And then I get way down near the bottom.

WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO MAKE?

Premieres: August 2009

Everyone knows Brian Boitano won an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. What they don’t know: Brian is an accomplished cook who loves to entertain! In this new series, Brian takes viewers on a reality cooking adventure as he creates amazing food for a new event in each episode. Funny, knowledgeable and irresistible, Brian brings himself and so much more to What Would Brian Boitano Make?

Whaaaaaat?!? Are they really going to have a show title that refers to the legendary pre-South Park The Spirit of Christmas? (See video above…language extremely NSFW) There is simply no way that this is not the best show on Food Network, even before it debuts.

More delicious smörg after the jump…

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