So who is Ted Allen? How did he become famous? What does he do?

As I mentioned, he is a regular in Iron Chef America, but he actually started out as one of the guys in Queer Eye for a Straight Guy. He’s also made regular appearances in Top Chef. His career has skyrocketed like a firecracker on the 4th of July and he has now two shows on The Food Network: Food Detective and Chopped.

More than his busy schedule on the boob tube, Ted Allen also has his hands full with writing gigs. He has been contributing to the magazine Esquire. He used to be a food critic and editor.

He does have a lot on his plate, and he has degrees to back everything up too! He has a Bachelors in Psychology (Purdue University) PLUS a Masters in Journalism (New York University). Ted Allen is not just your run-of-the-mill food critic or cooking show judge – he adds a plus factor to everything he touches. For more of Ted Allen, watch out for those shows I mentioned above.

Also, come to think of it, its rather nice to have a show that in unabashedly entertaining in a game-show way, without the usual jazzy music and media-whore chef types you get on the Food Network these days.

So here, from Ready Steady Cook, is the simplest of recipes by chef Phil Vickery, quintessentially English and delicious for quick late night snacking:

Mushrooms On Toast

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients
4 slices bread
2 tbsp olive oil
For the mushrooms
300g/10oz mixed mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
Greek-style yoghurt and paprika, to serve

Method
1. Heat a grill pan. Brush the bread with oil and grill for 1-2 minutes per side.
2. For the mushrooms, heat the butter in a pan and add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the parsley at the end and serve on the toast with a dollop of Greek-style yoghurt and a sprinkling of paprika.

Technorati Tags: Ready Steady Cook, Mushrooms, Mushroom on Toast, UK cooking show, Recipe

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.

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).

Perfect for a quick weekday supper and easy enough to whip up when unexpected guests arrive, this is one dish that will please the entire family (just omit the salsa for the little ones and serve it as in the photo above, with greens and pasta).

Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

1 chicken breast
30g/1oz Emmental cheese, grated
sprig fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil

For the basil oil
1 tbsp olive oil
small bunch fresh basil leaves

For the salsa
avocado, peeled and stone removed
red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 lime, juice only

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket lengthways into the thickest part of the breast. Stuff the pocket with the cheese and fresh thyme and season the breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add the crushed garlic. Fry for one minute then add the chicken breast and fry until golden-brown. Turn the breast over and transfer to the oven to roast for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. For the basil oil, place the olive oil and fresh basil leaves into a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. For the salsa, finely chop the avocado into small cubes and place into a bowl. Sprinkle over the chopped chilli and squeeze over the lime juice.
5. To serve, place the chicken onto a warmed plate. Add a spoonful of the salsa and drizzle the fresh basil oil around the edge of the plate.

TV has a hundred and one tricks to make cooking look really fast and easy. This includes making some of the dishes before the show starts or having the make up of the celebrity chefs constantly retouched so that they don’t look like they sweat while they cook – like the cooks truly do.

This is why the shows of Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray are so popular. Almost all the dishes that they feature on their shows really are prepared within the time allotted by the network. Add that the food really comes out delicious, as well as beautiful to look at, is it any wonder that their fan base keep growing?

Here’s an easy recipe from Chef Bobby Flay (Throwdown With Bobby Flay) that is really great. Try this Philly Cheese Steak for yourself:

Ingredients:

• 2 to 2 1/2 pound strip loin, trimmed
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Soft hoagie rolls, split 3/4 open
• Provolone Sauce, recipe follows
• Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows
• Caramelized Onions, recipe follows
• Sauteed Peppers, recipe follows

Directions:

Place steak in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes; this makes it easier to slice the meat. Remove the meat from the freezer and slice very thinly.

Heat griddle or grill pan over high heat. Brush steak slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds per side.

Place several slices of the meat on the bottom half of the roll, spoon some of the cheese sauce over the meat, and top with the mushrooms, onions, and peppers.

Provolone Sauce:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, heated
1 cup grated aged provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the provolone and Parmesan until combined; season with the salt and pepper.

Sauteed Mushrooms:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (cremini and shiitake), coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Caramelized Onions:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons canola oil
3 large Spanish onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook slowly until golden brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Sauteed Peppers:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 poblano peppers, thinly sliced
2 Cubano peppers, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in medium saute pan over high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Another reason that has got me thinking about watching the show – or at least getting the DVD set – is celebrity chef Tom Colichio’s appearance. In the Season 2 DVD, there are a lot of extras included – as one can expect of any DVD set. I am particularly interested in the segment where the chef makes a drink (blood, of course) for vampires.

The drink is for vampires who do not want to “eat” humans simply for ethical reasons. Yup, there are vampires who have given up this habit and stay clear of “free-range humans” as well. So, the chef, who has quite a few friends who are vampires, decided to come up with a solution to the dilemma.

If you want a taste of what the DVD has to offer, check out the video below. You’ll certainly want to see more after watching the chef showcase his talents. Oh yeah, did I mention that he’s kinda cute? Even if he’s not a vampire.

If you haven’t already heard, Jamie Oliver’s latest stunt is to conquer America through his show Food Revolution. His aim is not so small: to wage a full-blown war against fat in this country of excess. Indeed, put that way, it seems that Jamie might be fighting a losing battle!

You have to say this of Jamie: he is not a coward. He headed off to Huntington, West Virginia to carry out his crusade against fat. What’s in Huntington? Well, it simply is the unhealthiest city in the country, with the distinction of having the highest rate of diabetes. Good luck, Jamie.

Despite his charms and rational approach (I think it’s pretty rational and quite inspiring, too, actually), the population of Huntington were not charmed. Not at all. Read what the Herald Sun reported:

However, the city’s adult population, nearly half of whom are considered obese, were far from keen to be preached to on the topic of healthy eating.

In one clip of the show, which ran a preview on Sunday, a talk show host at a local radio station is seen berating a stunned Oliver, commenting: “We don’t want to sit around eating lettuce all day. Who made you king?”

I’ll make him my king any day!

Anyway, the resistance and meanness of the people he encountered seems to have worn away Jamie’s chirpiness. Still, I am sure he’ll get back up and continue with his crusade. We’re behind you on this, Jamie!

Dubbed “The Emeril Lagasse Show,” it will be aired on a weekly basis. The hour-long TV show will premiere on the 28th of March at 8pm and will be aired every Sunday. Here’s more information from the Press Release:

“The Emeril Lagasse Show” will feature one of America’s most popular chefs as he has never been seen before. Each week, Emeril will welcome celebrity guests, musicians and entertainers to break news and break bread as Emeril shares his world, his friends and his passions with the studio audience and viewers at home. A house band will be on set, playing live music and interacting with Emeril, guests and audience. The show also will include entertaining and surprising field pieces that will be shot in and around New York City where the show will be taped. TV veteran Karen Katzand After Five Productions, which executive produced Lagasse’s long-running Food Network series, “Emeril Live,” will be executive producer of “The Emeril Lagasse Show”.

Reading that, it sounds quite familiar, doesn’t it? Maybe it is NOT a groundbreaking show, but at least Emeril fans will get to see their favorite chef on TV regularly again.

While the basic idea behind the show will be the same as the original MasterChef in the UK, Ramsay says he will do some things differently, and I am not in the least bit surprised. After all, Chef Ramsay has not risen to popularity because of conformity, has he?

He says that he will not stand for chefs (pros or amateurs) stuffing their faces when tasting their concoctions. Whether it is on or off camera, Ramsay says he will be tasting the food in little bits. He also admitted to having problems with vegetarian dishes and claims that he needs MEAT. That’s the way to go, chef!

So when will we be seeing MasterChef on American TV? I haven’t gotten the exact details but it should be anytime this year – preferably sooner than later. As we all know, however, Chef Ramsay is quite the busy bee. He has several shows in the US already (Cookalong Live, Hell’s Kitchen, and Kitchen Nightmares USA among others), not to mention his UK shows. Then there are his restaurants which are scattered all over.

We just have to wait and see, I guess.