Foodie Interviews

Interviews with food professionals

Day of Honey

Day of Honey is a new book by author Annia Ciezadlo. The writing is a Memoir of Food, Love, and War, called a “a winsome new memoir” by the New York Times Arts section. In the fall of 2003, Ciezadlo spent her honeymoon in Baghdad, Iraq. Over the next six years, while living in Baghdad and Beirut, she broke bread with Shiites and Sunnis, warlords and refugees, matriarchs and mullahs. Day of Honey is the story of her journey for food and friendship, what she'd refer to as a communion that feeds the soul as much as the body in times of war. The book is woven with recipes and [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:52-04:00March 31st, 2011|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments

KOKO Restaurant + Bar, Montreal: New Chef & Menu

OPUS Hotel Montreal and KOKO Restaurant + Bar announced the appointment of Michele Forgione as Executive Chef. Michele Forgione is redefining the Montreal dining experience. His new KOKO Restaurant + Bar contemporary market cuisine blends modern clean flavors with Western culinary techniques and Quebec specialties using the freshest of ingredients. With seafood starters, including seared scallops with panelle and caper brown butter; mains, from homemade ricotta gnocchi and seared Quebec duck breast, to sushi-grade Japanese rolls of Unagi and sockeye salmon to sea bass and Oka cheese, Chef Forgione's new menu is set to gratify even the most seasoned palates. For more information and the complete menu, click here. KOKO [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:55-04:00March 3rd, 2011|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments

New Chef at Latitude 41° in Mystic

Chef Terrence Maul recently took the helm as Executive Chef at his Mystic restaurant Latitude 41°. Maul has cooked at James Beard events and for Deepak Chopra. He heralds from Ming Tsai’s Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA, having begun his career at Geronimo’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Maul’s food philosophy is simple – look to local farmers and fishermen for the freshest ingredients, while utilizing an American melting pot of cultures and flavors to deliver a unique culinary experience. Latitude 41° participates in the Farm to Chef CT program. In his new role, Maul oversees all food operations at the restaurant including banquets, off-site catering, special events and weekly [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:19:55-04:00February 18th, 2011|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments

21st Century Kitchen Gadgets

Inventive chef Will Goldfarb has given much back to the food community from which he came. This pastry chef come foodie entrepneur has launched a number of interesting projects. WillPowder.com, an earlier venture, is a website selling hard-to-find kitchen ingredients molecular gastronomists the world over desire. Goldfarb's newest creation is WillEquipped.com, a company trying to bring high-tech gear into your home kitchen. This isn't your mall's Williams Sonoma, this site is something completely different. Current offerings are miles away from ordinary, we're not talking stand mixerers here, we're talking science fiction. One of the most interesting products available online is the Hold-o-mat, something so rare that WillEquipped is the only [...]

Cheesburger Cocktail?

What's better than a sandwich? A sandwich cocktail of course! Who said the days of the liquid lunch went out the door with the sixties? Flor de Cana rum looks to bring it back with the utmost in sandwich drinks to get you plastered. In celebration of National Sandwich Day this past November 3 (You didn't know there was a National Sandwich Day? Shame on you!), Flor de Caña rum created some of the most unique concoctions imaginable with the help of some of the finest mixologists behind the bar. Their attempts to liquefy three iconic lunchtime favorites into sandwich libations was a large success, so we now bring you [...]

Knife Skills Made Easy

Most of us have a favorite knife we like to use but how much do we really know about it or how to use it properly? Zwilling J.A. Henckels Complete Book of Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to Use, Techniques & Care is a new book, really delving into the fundamentals of this most noble of kitchen tools. The book covers everything you could ever want to know about cutlery, from basic vegetable cuts to creative garnishes to boning meat and everything in-between. There is even a chapter that provides background information and photos on all the types of knives available, how they are used and how to care for [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:00-04:00November 18th, 2010|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments

IACP Cookbook Awards Call for Entries

Authors and publishers are invited to submit their books for the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) 2011 Cookbook Awards by October 29, 2010. The IACP Cookbook Awards program has been applauding excellence and setting standards in cookbook publishing for the past 25 years. During this special anniversary year, over 500 culinary books are expected to be entered in 17 categories. Cookbook publishing continues to advance in large part because IACP Cookbook Award winners like Rick Bayless, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Julia Child, CCP, Dorie Greenspan and Thomas Keller elevate professional standards year after year. IACP is proud to honor exceptional contributions to the cookbook arena through this annual awards program, [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:04-04:00October 7th, 2010|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments

Michael Symon’s Sopressata Sandwich

The results of Mezzetta’s first “Celebrity Make That Sandwich” contest are in and Iron Chef Michael Symon came out on top with the winning recipe. His Sopressata Sandwich with Magical Mezzetta Pepper Sauce and Fried Egg beat out six talented competitors in a battle to donate $10,000 to their charity of choice. Michael Symon’s Sopressata Sandwich with Magical Mezzetta Pepper Sauce and Fried Egg Makes four sandwiches For Michael’s Magical Mezzetta Pepper Sauce (Makes about 3 cups) 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Mezzetta Sweet Banana Wax Peppers 6 Mezzetta® Brand Spicy Pickled Garlic Cloves 4 Mezzetta® Brand Hot Chili Peppers, coarsely chopped 1 cup yellow mustard 1 cup white wine vinegar [...]

Food Network’s Newest Star

Anne Thornton is the latest 'chef' to join Food Network’s TV roster.   Her show, “Dessert First with Anne Thornton” is set to premiere in October but you can get a sneak peek at one of her tasty desserts right now! Check out Anne’s highly acclaimed Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Pie. Crust 1 box Nilla Wafers (85 cookies) 6 tablespoons butter, melted Preheat oven to 350° F. Finely crush 65 vanilla wafers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or use a food processor. Reserve about ¼ cup of the crumbs to top the pie. Mix together crushed vanilla wafers and melted butter until blended. Firmly press on the bottom, [...]

Chefs and Champagne

"We had our largest attendance ever (1,000 people) and our silent auction raised $70,000," said Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation, describing the Chef & Champagne event in honor of Martha Stewart held a the Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, NY this summer. The food at the receptions was spectacular — each chef's creation bursting with flavor and many local ingredients. Rita Jammet's La Caravelle Blanc de Blanc NV champagne was my drink of choice at the reception (an all-Chardonnay wine); Akvinta, a new high-end Mediterranean vodka produced by a Russian in Croatia, at after party where the chefs could relax and begin to party. Here are some [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:06-04:00September 12th, 2010|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments

The Boathouse at Saugatuck Rowing Club

Living in Connecticut, I'm always looking for places on the water to dine when the weather's conducive. You'd think we'd have many many places to dine, but oddly there are few where you can actually sit outside by the water. One that I recommend is  The Boathouse at Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, right on the Saugatuck River. I took my friend Carol to there for her birthday earlier this summer. We had dined inside at The Boathouse before, but heard they had a new chef and the restaurant was under new management. We weren't disappointed. Chef John Holzwarth's menu changes frequently as he uses what's local and in season.  [...]

Bonnie Tandy Leblang Featured Chef on Cookstr.com

"We are very pleased that on August 10 you will be featured as the Author of the Day on Cookstr.com," said the email from Editor in Chief Katie Workman. " This means your name and photo will be on the home page — the first thing our visitors see when they click onto the site!" The email went on to say that they " hope you will let your friends and colleagues know that you are Cookstr's Author of the Day." and suggested including in my blog or newsletter; posting it on your Facebook page; or tweeting it on Twitter. - bonnie

Remy on The Upcoming Disney Dream

At Le Bernardin last month, I experienced the creations of Chef Arnaud Lallement from l’Assiette Champenoise, a Michelin two-star restaurant just outside of Reims, France. Le Bernardin hadn’t replaced Eric Ripert, nor was Chef Lallement there for regular diners. Instead, a small group was invited to experience the premium dining that will be available at Remy, a dining option on the newest addition to the Disney Cruise Line - the Disney Dream. The Disney Dream is set to sail its maiden voyage on Jan 26, 2011. Remy — paying homage to the diminutive French star in Disney-Pixar’s hit “Ratatouille” - will offer an 8 to 9 course menu created by [...]

CLK Recipe Book

Sick of your crappy little kitchen? So was Jennifer Schaertl, so she decided to write a book about making gourmet meals in her crappy little kitchen. Take that linoleum! Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens is Schaertl's cookbook debut, and she does a great job bringing helpful tips to the reader with space-saving techniques and recipes for the millions of kitchen impaired out there. We've all lived in a place that had a crappy little kitchen (a CLK), you might still live in a place with a CLK actually (I do). Well, it doesn't matter, and it's no longer an excuse for not cooking (so there!). Chef Schaertl thinks that [...]

Making the Most of the Farmers’ Market

The editors of Southern Living magazine have compiled Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor (March 16, $29.95),  with recipes and advice for buying and preparing produce from your farmers' market.  The book features over 200 recipes, 150 photographs and a fresh produce priming with  specifics on selecting and storing fresh produce and herbs. Some of the editors of Southern Living magazine tips include: Go early: Avoid choosing from picked-over produce by arriving at your local market as early as possible. Go often: Buy only as much as you will use within a few days, and store produce (except tomatoes) in the refrigerator or in a cool, dark [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:17-04:00April 12th, 2010|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments

“The New Book of Soups” by the Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America (the food CIA) has updated one of their cookbooks to create The New Book of Soups (Lebhar-Friedman $35.00) with over 160 new and improved, recipes created by the chefs at The CIA. Here's a sample recipe, it's for Callaloo - the greens of the taro root,  popular in the Caribbean, where it is cooked and eaten in much the same way as collard or turnip greens are in the Southeastern United States. You can purchase Callaloo at Caribbean markets — or substitute spinach. Callaloo 5 oz slab bacon, rind removed, cut into small dice 3/4 c minced onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 qt chicken [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:20-04:00March 19th, 2010|Foodie Interviews, Recipes, Starters, xyz misc|0 Comments

New Chef at Solea, South Beach

In the brief time since 32-year-old Marc Vidal was named executive chef of Solea at the W South Beach hotel, his menu, offering the savory classic cuisine of Spain, has made it the place to dine for celebrities, foodies, tourists and trendsetters. He serves up artful plates of the finest authentic ingredients from a palette of fresh, soulful flavors that honor the vibrant cuisine of his homeland. Solea offers a food and wine experience from an innovative South Floridian viewpoint. The well-educated Vidal — who honed his skill under Ferran Adria in Spain, and Alain Passard and Alain Ducasse in Paris — showcases his talent with his delightful menu that [...]

Julia vs Julia

Most foodies have likely heard of Julie & Julia by now; a recent film with Meryl Steep depicting the immortal Julia Child and Amy Adams playing Julie Powell, a woman on a quest to cook her way through Child's best dishes. I admit I'm a Julia Child fan. (There is even a famous photo in our household of yours truly as a baby, in the arms of the one and only Ms. Child.) With the movie so popular and so much press about Julia recirculating, I came across an article juxtaposing two 'great' tarragon chicken recipes... one from Julia Child and one from Meryl Streep. It's real Julia vs. screen [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:27-04:00December 1st, 2009|Breads, Sides & Salads, Entrees, Foodie Interviews, Recipes, xyz misc|Comments Off on Julia vs Julia

Michelin-Star Update 2010

The 2010 Michelin Guide was released this month with a number of enhancements, including new symbols highlighting restaurants with: a notable cocktail program a notable cocktail program or a notable sake list small plates valet parking The Bib Gourmand category — AKA “Inspectors’ Favorites for Good Value” — features restaurants serving a meal (two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert) for $40 or less. This latest edition included 85 affordable, yet incredibly delicious recession-proof dining options, with 31 new ones. The Michelin Guide New York City 2010 is now on sale; $17.99. Available at amazon.com.

By |2017-08-31T16:20:29-04:00October 30th, 2009|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|1 Comment

New York Edition: La Palapa Serves Up Antojitos

Dinner at La Palapa was a must after meeting chef owner Barbara Sibley at Share’s sixth annual A Second Helping of Life in September and sampling her refreshing Sopa de Aguacate con Cepitas – Chilled Avocado Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds. Barbara and her co-owner and co-author Margaritte Malfy have two La Palapa restaurants — one in the east village (77 Saint Mark's Place); the other in the west village (359 Sixth Avenue) both serving authentic Mexican cuisine. While perusing the menu, I sipped on their signature Margarita Cazaorees Nectar Agave — a fresh lime margarita with tequila cazadores blanco, cointreau, organic agave syrup and a splash of orange. Before [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:29-04:00October 29th, 2009|Foodie Interviews, xyz misc|0 Comments
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