Anthony Bourdain, the infamous traveling chef now on almost every lifestyle channel in existence- had quite a story to tell in one of his first bestselling books: “Kitchen Confidential“. Finally, after many trial and tribulations, he had found his sous-chef extraordinaire, Steven Tempel, for the Supper Club in New York, where Bourdain had just been made head chef. To say that Steven was eccentric was, according to Bourdain, putting it mildly…

Nevertheless, Bourdain reveals in the very frank and no nonsense book (as in how it really goes down in the restaurant business), Steven was somewhat of a genius. It turns out that Bourdain had recruited Steven from Casa Nostra Restaurant, in Northern California, where he had been working in the kitchen with “idiot savant” and “baking genius” Adam Real-Last-Name-Unknown!!

Kitchen Confidential is an excellent read and here at Celebrity Chefs we highly recommend it. As it turns out, the owner of Casa Nostra Restaurant (which was known for serving the best italian cuisine in town)- Joey Velardi, has recently opened up a branch in Manila, Philippines- where it is receiving rave reviews from the locals and in fact Bourdain recently visited for his show “No Reservations“.

Let’s hope Bourdain doesn’t steal the chef again

A finalist from last fall’s Top Chef “Just Desserts” television series has been indicted on child pornography charges in Texas.

Morgan Wilson, 38, of Plano, is facing three second degree felony charges of possession with intent to promote child pornography. He was arrested Dec. 7, 2010 in the wake of an investigation that alleges Wilson transmitted files, to an undercover officer, that contained sexually explicit images and video of children as young as toddlers, the Plano Courier Star reported this week.

Wilson was a controversial figure on the Top Chef series who was frequently hot tempered and “prone to angry outbursts,” People.com reported. Continue reading »

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Have you ever wanted to become like one of the celebrity chefs you religiously follow on TV (and elsewhere you can find them)? I know I would give an arm and a leg to be like Nigella Lawson – for more reasons than her cooking, obviously. I’d also sell my most precious gadget to be like Jamie Oliver. Or, rather, be with Jamie Oliver – but that’s a totally different story.

All kidding aside, I think that every home cook has this inner desire to meet the standards of their celebrity chef of choice. That is perhaps one of the biggest reasons that this obsession about celebrity chefs (and everything associated with them) has taken a stronghold in society. While not all of us may be as talented as Gordon Ramsey, I do believe that a little ingenuity and sense of adventure can take our cooking to a whole new level. All that we need is a push and some help. Continue reading »

In the busy world we live in, eating has been done on the run. A lot of people admit that they don’t have the time or have never learned to cook for themselves. This situation is why many fast food chains so successful.

Enter the celebrity chefs. These masters of the kitchen are inspiring a whole new generation of cooks and no, they are not all women. In fact Food Network says that their demographics are 50% percent male for all their shows.

Many guys say that Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay have helped them develop their taste for gourmet food. The best part is that they can cook it for themselves at home. In fact the Food Network has more male chefs than female ones, just as the male professional chefs outnumber the female chefs.

As Rachael Ray puts it, pop culture and TV has made cooking cool and manly. She says, “You see a lot more men on TV with food, good food.”

Irregardless whichever sex we are, those of us who aren’t that great in the kitchen are thankful to have some truly great chefs to learn from.

With a dozen best-selling cookbooks tucked under his belt, Jeff Smith, is best known for hosting the popular American cooking show that began in Washington. The show was aired in PBS from 1988 to 1997.

Smith was a United Methodist who graduated at the University of Puget Sound in 1962 and Drew University in 1965. His first run at food ventures was the Chaplain’s Pantry where he held cooking classes to the public and stored deli and kitchen supplies as well.

Being in the celebrity status that he is in the world of cooking, Smith has had his share of controversies as well. Legal issues concerning sexual harassment in the 70s were just some of the trials that Smith had to go through.

Known to be the food genius that he is, Smith has authored several books under his wing including The Frugal Gourmet (1984), The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine (1986), The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American (1987) and The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome (1989).

First of all, I simply cannot imagine celebrity chef Jamie Oliver speechless. This guy is definitely physically appealing but part of his attractiveness stems from the way he talks – which to me seems non-stop! Anyhow, remember his foray into the wild American eating culture? Apparently, he tried the drink which has been dubbed as the unhealthiest drink in the country and was left, well, speechless.

So what’s in this drink?

Here’s what you need:

• LOTS of chocolate ice cream
• LOTS of peanut butter
• Heavy cream (LOTS, preferably)

Put these ingredients together and then blend. Yup, the mixture blends, and it blends well!

So what’s the problem with the drink? Think about it – you don’t need to be Sheldon Cooper to realize just how many calories are in this drink. To be exact, the drink has more than 12 percent butter-fat content. The total number of calories equals the amount that the average person needs in one day: 2,010!

If the numbers do not impress you, think about it more. The drink is equivalent to 68 rashers of bacon. If it’s sweet stuff that you like, think about 30 chocolate chip cookies. Baad but good!

So where can you get this drink? Head on over to a Cold Stone Creamery branch – you’ll be sure to find one of the 400 branches scattered all over the United States. Ask for the PB&C – just make sure you don’t eat anything else during the day. One drink is all you need to complete three meals.

Food and wine festivals are always worth writing about – who wouldn’t want to go to one? If you are in the Malibu area, or you plan on going there in the next several weeks, then you ought to know that the 4th Annual Malibu Calabasas Food and Wine Festival is going to be held on the 19th of June.

It has been described as the celebration of food, wine, and all things Southern Californian! If that isn’t enticing, then I don’t know what is. The location of the festival itself is something worth visiting – the very beautiful Calabasas. Of course, there are activities that will entice anyone who is even slightly into food.

Live cooking demos by celebrity chefs are the highlights of the festival. This year, some really popular names are going to grace the festival: Joachim Splichal, TV Chef Tommy Tang and world champion Chef Frania Mendivil.

Aside from the celebrity chefs, other entities will be participating in the food and wine festival. How does more than a hundred wineries and breweries coming together sound? Various food and wine vendors will also showcase their wares on the said date.

So, from 2 in the afternoon to 7 in the evening on June 19, make sure to drop by Calabasas Inn 23500 Park Sorrento Calabasas, CA 91302 for a one of a kind foodie experience. Visit the official web site of the 4th Annual Malibu Calabasas Food and Wine Festival for ticketing information.

We all know that Jamie Oliver loves to take on public issues and meet them head on. But, did you know that Rachel Ray is also passionate about improving the quality of the food served in schools?

This self-proclaimed big mouthed chef says that she is using it to make her case heard in Congress. She went on a one-day tour to Washington as part of her efforts. On that day, she visited an elementary school and talked to the children about choosing healthy food. She also met with some members of the Congress to lobby her cause. Of course, a food-related visit to Washington is not complete without a visit to the First Lady’s kitchen garden.

So what exactly is Rachel Ray pushing? It is a piece of legislation that will create new standards for school food. The body behind this is the Agriculture Department. And, when we say school food, we mean ALL food that is served in school premises. Aside from cafeteria food, vending machines are also covered. The ultimate goal is to provide healthy choices to the students.

The main problem the bill is facing is the lack of funding. What is proposed is merely half of what the President recommended. Rachel Ray and other lobbyists and supporters are asking for more money to be allocated to the nutrition program.

More than this cause, however, Rachel Ray has also started a charity dubbed Yum-o! The purpose of the charity is to inform children on how to eat in a healthy manner. She’s got it right, I think – you gotta start ‘em young!

In some parts of the world, Fridays are considered to be a “meatless” day. That is, some people do not eat pork, beef, or any other animal flesh (except for fish and other seafood). I think this is because Friday is traditionally believed to be the day that Jesus Christ died. I could be wrong about the reason, but in any case, I am sure about this: Iron Chef Mario Batali has joined a cause. The Meatless Monday cause.

What’s it about? The initiative is being carried out by The Monday Campaigns, together with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The main goal is to cut back on the consumption of meat by 15% by not consuming meat on Mondays.

Now why would they want to do that? The answer is simple: eating less meat can be good for your health. Eating less meat also contributes to the efforts to save the planet.

The idea is noble, and the implementation quite simple – theoretically. For meat lovers, it might not be as easy.

Anyhow, famed celebrity chef Mario Batali, who is known for his love of meat, has decided to join the cause. It might seem ironic at first, since he has this awesome way with all sorts of meat. However, the chef himself justifies his commitment to Meatless Mondays:

“The fact is, most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet, Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn’t a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet. That’s why I’m such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement!”

So how’s the chef going to go about it? All of his restaurants – all 14 of them – will be serving at least two vegetarian options every Monday. Pretty cool, although it would have been more radical if he had decided not to serve meat at all on Mondays, right?

For quite some time, Jamie Oliver’s Italian in Cardiff has been enjoying “exclusive rights” to the area. With the opening of a rival Italian restaurant, however, the celebrity chef’s restaurant just might have to prove itself worthy.

Another celebrity chef, Antonio Carluccio has just opened another Italian restaurant in the vicinity, in fact very close to Jamie Oliver’s own. He is starting out with quite a competitive spirit, mind you. During the launch of his Italian diner at St. David’s Centre, Carluccio sent out a message to his rival saying that Oliver’s restaurant “isn’t real Italian.” Strong words, aren’t they?

And, if the feedback from the customers is any indication, Carluccio just might give Oliver a run for his money. According to Simon Kossoff, Carluccio’s partner and the managing director of the restaurant, their customers have indeed been saying that they are the “real deal.” And all this within a week of the opening!

Obviously, I have not had the honor of dining at Carluccio’s new restaurant, but I wouldn’t mind giving it a try. The prices do not seem too bad as well, with an average meal (including wine) costing about ₤17. This is another strong point in favor of Carluccio – they say that people are quite happy with the price as well as the quality of the food. With the trend in Britain shifting from a fascination with French food to Italian food, no one will be surprised to see this new place flourish. I wonder what Jamie Oliver has to say about it all?