Posted October 14th, 2010 by Vicky in Chef, General, Interview

Giada De Laurentiis may seem to lead the glamorous life. She’s a very popular celebrity chef. She has a brand new show on the Food Network called “Giada’s Weekend Getaways” aside from her “Everyday Italian”. She has a thriving catering business, endorses a number of products and is about to release her third cookbook “Everyday Pasta”. With all of that on her plate, her schedule is quite gruelling.

Unlike “Everyday Italian” which is pretty laid back and shot in her kitchen, “Giada’s Weekend Getaways” had this pretty chef hopping from one location to another, from one city to another and checking out some of the hottest places to go. They had her jet skiing, learning to salsa and driving around in a convertible in a single episode. That was the pace of the past eight months worth of work.

It’s a good thing that she and husband clothing designer Todd Thompson have decided to put off having kids for a while. The pace right now is very hectic. De Laurentiis says they’ll probably wait a couple of years before settling down and having a family.

Technorati Tags: Giada de Laurentiis, Everyday Italian, Giada’s weekend Getaways, Glamorous Life

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Posted September 23rd, 2010 by Vicky in Chef, General

If you never noticed, most professions in this world require some sort of uniform attire. For lawyers you have the business suit and tie. For pilots, stewards and the like, they have their own corresponding uniform to wear to work. Even athletes wear their uniforms proudly during each of their games and yes, playing a sport is still considered a professional job. But, what most of you may not know is that chefs not only have a uniform as well, but it comes in so many different styles that you may have never heard of or noticed before.

Most of you would probably be very familiar with the standard Chef Coat. It’s an all white long sleeved garment that has a very loose fit, also known as a chef jacket. Down the center, you will usually find two columns of buttons that are aligned symmetrically. When worn with a chef apron, this is the stereotypical uniform for this profession.

But, there are many different variations of the chef’s coat and they even have corresponding titles for it. For example,  women’s chef coats are exactly like the standard ones except the shirt closes on the side instead of the center.

If you are looking for a drastically different kind of chef’s coat, the Japanese use one that looks more like a Kung Fu uniform. There are no buttons and the sides simply overlap and are fastened by a belt around the waist.

Aside from those mentioned, there are actually so many more kinds of chef’s coats around the world. Actually, almost every nation in the world has a distinct design that makes their chefs and food unique. The topic is all very trivial but definitely interesting and worth taking a look at just for the sake of doing so.

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Posted August 10th, 2009 by Vicky in Chef, General, News

Next time someone approaches you and says they have connections to Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, or any other celebrity chef, think twice. Especially if the person is named Kenneth Goldsmith.

Actually, you do not have to worry much about Goldsmith anytime soon. He has been convicted of his crimes and has been jailed, where he will stay for the next 3 ½ years. Goldsmith hails from Norton Disney, Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. He has conned a lot of people into thinking that he was a trained chef and that he is good friends with renowned celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey. His modus operandi was to convince entrepreneurs to invest in his “business.” Using his supposed connections with the other REAL celebrity chefs, he was able to persuade a lot of people. The result? He was able to live an extravagant lifestyle, which he enjoyed with his girlfriend Kirsty Emmans.

Naturally, the scam came to light, as most other scams normally do. The couple were caught, tried, and sentenced. In the meantime, the celebrity chefs in question walk away smelling like roses.

I find it quite funny how Goldsmith made up stories about his relationship with the chefs, though. There is this one story about how, when they were much younger, Goldsmith flushed Jamie’s head down the toilet. Now why would anyone want to do that?

And what do Oliver and Ramsay have to say about this? Nothing, I guess. They have not released statements, and perhaps they should just keep it that way.

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Posted May 19th, 2009 by Vicky in Chef, General, Television

Are you a fan of making the impossible possible? Then you probably love Food Network’s show Dinner: Impossible. Hosted by Robert Irvine, the show is packed with excitement as he struggles to meet deadlines with ambitious goals.

The bad news is that the season will end in August of this year. The good news is that the channel has already given the go signal for a new season. From Monsters and Critics, we get the dish on the chef and his show:

Every Wednesday at 10pm ET/PT, he accepts a variety of missions like an extreme dinner for 200 Winter X Games athletes, preparing odd but tasty combinations of food for 450 Yahoo! employees or taking a gamble on a mission at the renowned casino at Mohegan Sun. Can he complete the task before time runs out or will it be Dinner: Impossible?

Born in England, Irvine began cooking at the age of 15, when he joined the Royal Navy. As part of his service, he worked on board the Royal Yacht Britannia where the Royal Family and their entourages regularly dined.

In addition, Robert participated in a guest chef program, allowing him to cook at the White House.

In his 25 year-long career, he had the opportunity to serve 6,000 servicemen and women on a US aircraft carrier and plan the menu at a spectacular celebrity-studded after-party at the Academy Awards.
Robert also wrote a cookbook entitled “Mission: Cook!” (Harper Collins, 2007). He currently owns his own multi-faceted company, The Irvine Group.

I guess we’re up for more exciting episodes once they finish taping.

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Posted March 31st, 2009 by Vicky in Chef, General, News

I am in an argumentative mood. I am not sure why but perhaps reading all these things targeting celebrity chefs is contributing to it. In my previous post, Jamie Oliver was being attacked by pregnant women in metal cages. Now I read about a Fat Panel saying that celebrity chefs offer recipes that have too much fat in them.

The Straits Times had a write up on this a few days ago:

A REPORT from United Kingdom group, the Fat Panel, has found that the single servings of recipes in celebrity chef cook books contain too much fat.

Some recipes from celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsey’s were found to have more than the entire daily recommended fat intake of 30g for men and 20g for women said a report on Friday.
‘Celebrity chefs are incredibly influential when it comes to what we eat,’ dietician Sian Porter said. ‘While these delicious meals are fine as occasional treats, people do not realise the health implications.’

Mind you, I am not a big fan of either Nigella or Gordon Ramsey but hey, aren’t we thinking adults here? If you see a recipe and you decide to make it, wouldn’t you figure out if there is too much fat in it? And wouldn’t it be up to you to decide whether or not to make it anyway?

Come on, people of the Fat Panel. Don’t take away our treats. Let us decide if we want these recipes or not.

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Posted March 4th, 2009 by Vicky in General, News

For those of you in Jacksonville, Florida, tomorrow is a good day! March 5, 2009, Thursday, is the day of the 23rd Annual Celebrity Chefs Tasting Luncheon And Silent Auction. This charity event will be held from 11 in the morning till 1 in the afternoon at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

I got wind of this event from the blog Florida Foodies – lots of stuff to be found here, by the way! – and after reading about the luncheon, I couldn’t help but wish that I were nearer to Florida! More than the actual foodie experience itself, you can get the satisfaction of knowing that your money is going to a good cause. The luncheon is actually the annual fundraiser of the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary and a large percentage of the earnings from the event will go to worthy causes such as scholarships, homework assistance, and the Child Development Center and Towers Memorial Center. Another beneficiary of this event is the Senior Center and the Adult Rehabilitation Center.

Locals will be delighted to know that the celebrities on the guest roll are as follows:

• Daryl Smith, linebacker, Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Mike Schneider, Owner, Loop Restaurants and Bistro Aix
• Chef Jessica Bright, Chef, TV/Radio Personality & Florida Foodies Contributor
• Jennifer Bauer; reporter for Channel 4
• Victor Blackwell and Jeannie Blaylock, anchors for Channels 12 and 25
• Mark Spain and Dawn Lopez, anchors for Channel 47
• Angela Corey, State Attorney, Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit
• Bill Hughes, General Manager – TPC Sawgrass
• Randy Goodwin , President/CEO PRI Productions
• Sally Evans, Rita Joost and Darleen Unger, Women’s Auxiliary members
• Karen Wolfson, Director, Wolfson Children’s Hospital
• Linda Sherrer, President/CEO Prudential Network Realty

For tickets and inquiries, call 904-301-4841. Tickets only cost $25!

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Posted February 28th, 2009 by Vicky in Chef, General, Television

You have to admit it, celebrity chefs fulfill more than the role of being cooks. While they most probably came to fame because of their cooking skills, they are also engaged in so many other activities that they are involved in. This time, we have Michael Quinn encouraging people to stay away from the dangers of alcohol and drugs. The Lancashire Telegraph recently did a feature on him:

An educational visit from a celebrity chef educated Blackburn College hospitality students about the dangers of drink and drug abuse.

Michael Quinn, centre left, told his harrowing tale of how he went from receiving an MBE, being a head chef at the Ritz and cooking for the Queen, to becoming penniless, homeless and narrowly escaping death because of alcohol abuse.

The chef uses his personal experiences to warn young people of the slippery slope to alcohol and substance addiction in the industry, and delivers seminars at various institutions all over the world.

While a good drink is always welcome to top off a great meal, it is general knowledge that moderation is the key. Then again, sometimes indulgent tendencies get the better of us. To this, the celebrity chef says:

“Alcohol is readily available in hotels, restaurants and bars and because it can be a stressful job, young people need to be educated about the dangers of getting into bad habits.”

For those who didn’t know, Quinn was actually an alcoholic himself. The realization that he was one was a big thing for him and now he is using his experience to reach out to others as well. Bravo!

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Posted February 27th, 2009 by Vicky in Chef, General

Are you hankering for a bit of travel in the next couple of weeks or so? Then maybe you should pack your bags and head on over to Charleston for the BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival. This is an event that promises to bring visitors the best of what Charleston has to offer in terms of food and drink. Even better, the proceeds of the festival will be donated to various charitable endeavors.

This year, 1000 people can have the chance to join celebrity chef Bobby Flay as he hosts the event “Flay Down South Charity Luncheon” on the 6th of March. USA Today has this story:

A four-day food and wine festival in Charleston is packed with events ranging from celebrity chef demonstrations and wine seminars to a cocktail cruise, gospel brunch and barbecue with blues music. The BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival, March 5-8, includes 50 events and raises money for the MUSC Children’s Hospital and other charities.

The schedule kicks off with an opening night party March 5 where small plates from 21 of the city’s best chefs will be served.

Among the March 6 events are “Flay Down South Charity Luncheon,” hosted by celebrity chef Bobby Flay; a “Culinary Village” with tasting tents where 70 companies set up samples of food and wine; a cookbook signing; the King Street Sip + Stroll, where merchants host guest winemakers; and a “Cocktails and Conversation” cruise.

If I were anywhere near Charleston, I would definitely find my way to the festival! Even if I were not given the chance to take part in Flay’s session, I am sure there are other things worth visiting the festival for.

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Posted January 29th, 2009 by Vicky in General

If you thought that celebrity chefs are immune to the effects of the economic crunch, think again. Celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson has closed his Oxfordshire restaurant, The Greyhound, due to the economic climate. It seems that not many people are going out to eat – at least in his restaurant – anymore. All of his staff have been let go due to the combination of too many empty tables and increasingly high rent.

The Greyhound was taken over by the celebrity chef 5 years ago and was able to succeed in his efforts to make it a popular dining place. In the past two months, however, there haven’t been enough customers to make the restaurant worthwhile to keep running.

Naturally, Thompson does not feel good about the closure. He said:

We had a hardcore of locals who came to the pub maybe once a fortnight, but they started coming only once every three months. There has just been a sudden realisation from the public that we are in the grip of a recession. To be seen spending money at the moment is seen as obscene.

It is a lovely country pub which we have put our heart and soul into and ran like a big family. To let some people go was a horrible thing and my wife was in tears. I feel sorry for the young chefs who were coming on really well in the kitchen – they will now just have to look for something else.

This kind of news may come as a shock to some but it also probably serves as a warning that it might happen to others as well. Let’s hope not.

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Posted November 14th, 2008 by Vicky in Chef, General, Holidays, News

When Giada De Laurentiis was pregnant — and her nesting instincts started early. She’ll be sharing Thansgiving recipes in her show Everyday Italian But the chef will be reinventing Thanksgiving fare, serving salad instead of corn bread.

She says most of her family is married to Americans, and so it’s become part of her personal family traditions. And have to admit, nothing like a table full of food to satisfy those first-trimester cravings.

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