On Valentine's Day: What Chefs Want

After spending so much of their time cooking for others, nothing says "I love you" quite like a romantic timeout from the kitchen, and having a meal prepared especially for YOU.

As such, the good folks over at Epicurious asked single chefs from across the country what their perfect Valentine's Day meal would be.

And, since Valentine's Day is one of the busiest of the year in the restaurant business, for those chefs who were polled, enjoying their dream meal on V Day really is the ultimate fantasy.

And, since I'm not a chef and no one asked me anyway, I don't mind saying that besides a preliminary gift certificate for an extreme mani-pedi at my favorite NYC nail spa (V Day red manicure, for sure), for this person who the finds herself spending a lot more time in the kitchen these days than expected, anything from the video clip annals of my forever muse, the late, great, Julia Child featuring her awesome winter stews and "comfort food" would be as close to fantasy as I could possibly get.

In any case, read more here to find out what the chefs said.

Then grab on to a glass of wine and watch as Julia shows you how to make the perfect Beef Bourguignon stew in this vintage clip.

Miss you, Julia.                                                                                     

Ginger Margarita: Not Just For Summer

I was at an after work party yesterday and I was amazed at how some things can work so well off-season -- as well as in season.

Take for instance the absolutely scrumptious ginger margarita I had last night from an expert downtown NYC mixologist.  (A super duper fancy term for one who exceeds above and beyond being just your average, ordinary bartender or barkeep). Even though I have to admit that thoughts of summer on such a cold January night in New York did in fact cross my mind, and I'd really be lying if I said otherwise.

Anyway, here's a clip with one of my favorite chefs (and mixologists), Ming Tsai, giving you the secret to a spectacular ginger margarita. Self indulgent clip spoiler: The secret is in the ginger syrup that you make yourself. 

Watch the clip. Ming shows you how.

The Future of In-Flight Meals

Be honest. When's the last time you actually saw THIS on a commercial flight??
(I'm talking about the chef's hat and the smile, of course.)

Happy 2012.  I'm baaaaccck.

And as always, I'm back also promising to be a far more diligent blogger in the year 2012. (Cough, cough...clears throat.)  Okay, never mind.

Anyway, after my recent holiday travels that were solely on America's jam-packed highways this time around, I ran across this tasty morsel of food for thought:

The year is 2050. You’re on Global Airways’ three-hour flight from Los Angeles to Singapore and you’re famished. Does a robot present your dinner pill on command, or are harried flight attendants still asking “chicken or beef” and dropping rubbery entrées onto tired trays?

It seems futurists and culinary visionaries have wildly varying, mind-boggling theories on how airline meals will look decades forward, but the experts seem to agree on one thing: We’re not going to merely swallow a pill in the sky and call it supper. Because after all... where would the real fun be in THAT?

To find out more, read here.

Gourmet Live

Cook. Shop. Eat. Unlike the Julia Roberts movie with a "similar" title, that pretty much sums up our lifestyles this time of year. And the folks over at Gourmet Live are dedicated to making those three activities fun, easy, and delicious.

They start in the kitchen with contributor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez, who scores on all three counts by turning out five very different cookies from one simple dough. On the savory front, They're sharing a sumptuous new recipe for Provençal Short Ribs with Olives and Herbs. The active time is just an hour to make this impressive centerpiece for your Hanukkah feast or other celebratory spread. 


So read more here, including recipes for holiday cookies and rich short ribs—plus a chat with comedian David Cross

T'is The Season

While many Black Friday shoppers were out pepper spraying their fellow Americans after Thanksgiving to steer them away from the deep-discount merchandise that they camped out at Wal-Mart's doorstep with a couple of cans of Vienna Sausage and Triscuits to purchase, it's good to know that the good people over at Epicurious were doing things constructively. Such as compiling a list of 12 days of food ornaments perfect for hanging or giving this season. 


There's pizza, Tabasco sauce, and even a holiday taco. 


Clearly, I truly know of no other "lighthearted" way to get into the spirit of the holiday season.


Read More here   

The "Non" Recipe Cookbook

No, seriously.

And when it comes to following recipes, the sound of the smoke alarm ringing in your ears is never a good start. But in his new book, Cooking Without Recipes, food writer Philip Dundas promises to teach you to cook delicious meals with instinctive, effortless ease. Freed from the shackles of someone else's instructions, Dundas promises, your kitchen can become a playground -- minus the trusty iPad or the plastic recipe card file you just don't have the heart to toss in the bin. (Yeah, the one with all the sauce stains on the aging, yellowing index cards for Aunt Lola's beef goulash and Grandma Kate's chicken paprikash)

Take a few risks, Dundas echos through the pages reassuringly, and "you'll work it out".

I like it!

Read more here, and watch the clip below.

Anthony Bourdain, Publisher

My favorite bad boy chef and author, Anthony Bourdain, rolled up his right sleeve to show off his tattoo — not of a beating cobra heart or other adventure from his Travel Channel show "No Reservations. It comes from a book, Sarah Bakewell's "How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer," which describes a coin Montaigne had struck. Bourdain explains that the coin, and the tattoo, bear the 16th century essayist's "personal motto, basically, 'I suspend judgment' in ancient Greek."

This month, Ecco, part of HarperCollins, announced that it will create an imprint for Bourdain, putting out four to six books a year that he brings to the publisher.

Read more here