Celebrity Chefs

3 Cooking Shows You Should Not Miss in 2013

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The first month of the new year is already over, but in case you were totally caught up in the frenzy of the holidays, and you have not had the chance to get your celebrity chef fix, then let me help you get started! There is a bunch – no, more than a bunch – of cooking shows that have been getting people excited even before the 2012 holiday season.

That’s really enough reason to make sure that you have a good cable or satellite TV provider so that you do not have to worry about gaining access to all the new (and returning) exciting cooking shows. Tip: check out GetDirectTV.org to surmount this issue.

Now, I know just how busy life can be, and you may not have the time to allot to all the fun cooking shows showing on TV these days. That’s why I’ve decided to limit this list to only three. If you have time for only a handful of cooking shows, let it be these!

Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery

Gordon Ramsay has sealed his fiery reputation, but what has made him very famous has also turned off quite some viewers. The great thing about his new cooking show is that old timers will still love watching the chef do his thing in the kitchen – minus the F bomb, while those who feel that he has been too abrasive on TV will see a softer side.

That being said, Ultimate Cookery does give you a good look at the kitchen and cooking techniques. Ramsay’s enthusiasm about the food really helps as well.

Chopped Champions

Chopped is a fast-paced cooking show which really demands a lot from the chef contestants. If you liked Chopped, then you will probably enjoy Chopped Champions, where the heads of 16 previous winners of Chopped will be put on the block. The prize? $50,000. That ought to make the competition even snappier.

The Taste

Anthony Bourdain for the women. Nigella Lawson for the men. (And women. What can I say? She is hot!)

The Taste was one of the most anticipated new cooking shows for 2013, but its two-hour premier did get the rough tongue of critics. Still, ratings show that the premier did “okay”. That’s better than bad, isn’t it?

Granted, the premier did not please critics. I think that the concept is still solid – The Voice for cooking, is what has been uttered in places – and that the show can still make it. Give it a go, is what I suggest.

Do you have your own must-see cooking shows this year? Share them with us!

Originally posted on February 4, 2013 @ 6:08 pm

Nigella’s Magic Mousse recipe

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Forget the gingerbread house. Your holiday dessert should be simple to prepare, so you can spend more time with your family (that is what Christmas is about, right?). Here’s a quick chocoalte mousse recipe from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook, Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast.

Nigella says that most mousses need to be made the day before, to allow the egg yolk to set. Here’s her “instant” alternative. She does away with eggs, which not only saves time but allows you to safely feed it to young children.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) soft butter
9 oz best-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup hot water from a recently boiled kettle
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Pour the marshmallows, butter, chocolate, and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Melt over gentle heat, stirring occassionally. Remove from heat and let cool.
3 Whip the cream with the vanilla until it’s got a thick consistency. Fold it into the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Pour into individual dishes or cups and chill until ready to serve.

Watch Nigella’s regular TV show, Nigella Express on the BBC Channel for more recipes and tips.

Originally posted on December 24, 2010 @ 10:30 am

Celebrity iChefs

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Celebrity chefs may be in their element in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean that they venture out into the unknown as well. Not that Apple (the tech company, not the fruit associated with Newton) and its plethora of gadgets and applications can be considered unknown. After all, it has revolutionized consumer electronics in the past decade or so.

Anyhow, it seems that celebrity chefs are taking the battle to the mobile scene. In the past year, various chefs have been releasing their own iPhone apps in an effort to stay current. Jamie Oliver (of course he’s going to be mentioned) released his cookery app late last year and gained the distinction of being the top-grossing app in the UK within days of the release! Up till now, it has remained in the top 5.

Recently, Nigella Lawson has decided to join the Apple fray. She released her own app last week, dubbed Quick Collection. Within hours, the app became the top selling lifestyle app in the UK. Now how impressive is that?

As for what’s going on in that pretty head of hers, this is what she had to say:

I am iPhone-obsessed and app-addicted anyway, so feel particularly excited about my own ‘Nigellapp’.

This really feels like an application that is comfortable to use, either to inspire after a long day, or give general and specific cooking tips. I am very proud of this gorgeous little greed-gadget.

Nigellapp – now that’s funny! If you’re okay with spending ₤4.99 for 70 recipes and 40 minutes of video, you should download this app now.

Originally posted on April 27, 2010 @ 9:50 am

Nigella’s call for cooks

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Nigella’s website now welcomes contributions from home chefs — yes, people like you! You can contribute your own recipe, or go through the handy “search by ingredient” function to cook something up from whatever’s in your pantry.

Nigella seems to be affirming that yes, anyone can cook. Too bad not everyone can look as good as she does in an apron!

Originally posted on June 11, 2008 @ 9:21 pm

Nigella cutting kids off from her will?

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Nigella Lawson has assets worth about £110 million (and her hubby, marketing guru Charles Saatchi, isn’t exactly dirt poor).

But she has no plans on leaving her kids (Cosimo and Bruno, and stepdaughter Phoebe) huge amounts of money. She wants them to “know that I am working and that you have to work in order to earn money,” adding that “I am determined that my children should have no financial security. It ruins people not having to earn money. Husband Charles disagrees.

So what will Nigella do with her money? Maybe leave it to charity. She’s been very active with cancer organizations, after her mother, sister and first husband died from the disease.

Originally posted on March 13, 2008 @ 3:31 am