Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Dear Subscribers,

If you are planning to visit Spain anytime soon, you might want to forego smoking for a while.  The country has passed a law prohibiting smoking in restaurants and bars – yes, bars as well.  This is definitely an interesting read.  This is just one of the many selections we have prepared for you this week.  If you are a chef, you might find the article on Salt Becoming Gourmet an interesting read as well.  If you are not a chef, you might be surprised that there are many kinds of salts – and some of them are being used in gourmet cooking.

Have you checked out the Miele Guide list lately?  Asia’s first independent food guide has released its list of Asia’s top 20 restaurants.  Singapore’s Iggy’s has made it to the top of the list.  On the other hand, western chefs are seemingly finding it hard to swallow Japan’s culinary ascendancy.  The Michelin Guide’s stars are definitely drawing shots.  Speaking of foreign cuisines, the Thai cuisine has certainly inspired foreign chefs to try their hand at perfecting this particular Asian cuisine.  The question is can foreign chefs conquer Thai cuisine?

These are just a few of what we have in store for you this week.  We assure you we have more interesting selections to offer, so scroll down now.

Again, if you would like to check out our previous editions, please click here. If you own a blog and you broadcast your own newsletters, we would be very interested to get your URL address and other pertinent details about your newsletter.  Also, please do share our ezine with your friends, family or colleagues.

October 27, 2010, Volume 1, Issue 40

Your editor: Matthew Goudge, matthew@chefblogdigest.com

ChefBlogDigest ezine:  http://www.chefblogdigest.com

Advertise here contact: matthew@chefblogdigest.com

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Taste the international flavors of igourmet.com

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Featured Articles

Spain to ban smoking in bars and restaurants

Smoking is to be banned in all bars and restaurants in Spain after parliament on Wednesday voted unanimously in favour of a new anti-smoking bill.

Salt goes gourmet

Artisanal balsamic vinegars, extra virgin olive oils and handmade cheeses have been joined by an unexpected companion on the trendy grocery aisles. Salt has gone gourmet. And the iodized kernels in the salt shakers of our youth are being replaced by tony, colorful sea salts with names like Hawaiian Red Alaea, Lake Grassmere Sea Salt, Cyprus Black Lava Finishing Sea Salt and Qab-nab Taab.

Asian Restaurant Guide Ranks Top 20

The Miele Guide, which calls itself Asia’s first independent food guide, released its list of the region’s top 20 restaurants today.

Channel Seven’s Iron Chef premieres to lacklustre ratings

FOR the second time this year, the Seven Network has paid big bucks for a TV format that has been a huge success overseas, only for it to fall a little flat with Australian audiences.

Michelin Stars Draw Shots

Some Western Chefs, Critics Find Japan’s Culinary Ascendancy Hard to Swallow

Michelin’s latest dining guide dished out heaping servings of three-star reviews to restaurants in western Japan—raising objections from Western and Japanese chefs alike and sparking grumbling over whether the high ratings are merited.

Two Eateries Put Bali on the Map in Foodie Stakes

Two Indonesian establishments have scored coveted spots on the annual Miele Guide’s Top 20 Restaurants in Asia.  Mozaic came in at No. 6, while Ku De Ta followed down the list at No. 18.

Who, what, why: Is foraging fruit legal?

Thursday is National Apple Day. Some may mark it with an apple picked from a nearby tree’s laden branches. But is this – and foraging for other fruit, fungi and foliage – legal?

Harvard Class Takes Science To The Kitchen

According to Zester Daily, Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences teamed up with Ferran Adria’s Fundacion Alicia and the ThinkFoodGroup to create an undergraduate course called “Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter”. The course teaches basic principles in applied physics and engineering through food and cooking.

More Stars for Japan’s Culinary Crown

According to the latest guide from restaurant arbiter Michelin, the new global champion in three-star dining is…Kansai.

Have Food Blogs Come of Age?

The Mainstream Culinary World Finally Acknowledges Bloggers

What do a Lithuanian model in Paris, a British dot-com consultant and an undergraduate Luxembourgian in London all have in common? They all write successful food blogs in their spare time. Ironically, their knowledge of haute cuisine is arguably greater than that of many newspaper restaurant reviewers in the U.K., where the writing often seems to be seen more as a place for humor rather than about the food itself.

Go vegetarian to save planet, scientists tell Government

Diets should change to help the planet with beef replaced by pork, cheese by eggs, ice-cream by yoghurt and whisky by beer, according to research for the Food Standards Agency.

Can foreign chefs conquer Thai cuisine?

Thai food must be among the most popular cuisines in the World. There is now a Thai-style restaurant in almost every major city on the planet.  So you wouldn’t have thought that opening another Thai restaurant would be controversial. Unless of course the chef is Australian and the restaurant is in Bangkok.

More articles and news from the World Wide Web

to fill your insatiable appetite!

Organic wine standards could change for the better

This week, the Huffington Post ran an innocuous, poorly written and edited piece about organic wine that nobody seemed to read; there are no comments.  Yet it’s actually a huge story, about US law regarding organic wine possibly changing for the better.

Eurofile | What’s Really Cooking in Paris?

Paris just may be the English-speaking world’s favorite non-English-speaking city, which explains why so many Paris lovers take a proprietary interest in the French capital. To wit, they desperately don’t want it to change, which explains why they often react to news that it has with real anguish, even indignation.

Gordon Ramsay`s father-in-law quits his role in chef`s business empire

Chris Hutcheson, Ramsay’s wife Tana’s father, has left his role as the chief executive of Gordon Ramsay Holdings after falling out with the fiery chef and Tana, 37, is said to be ‘distraught’.

Zagat Restaurants: Tao Celebrates Decade Of Robust Eats, Glamorous Fetes

Tao in Midtown is looking back on 10 years of celebs and champagne and celebrating its big anniversary with an exclusive red carpet party.

Israel’s foreign workers are diversifying its cuisine

Israel’s foreign workers, who mostly comes from Asia, are introducing Tel Aviv’s gourmet chefs to Asian cuisine, which has been wildly popular.

Top 10 List of Interesting Facts About Coffee

Yup you heard right coffee was first discovered by a goat! Read more facts about coffee.

Food safety managers matter when it comes to hygiene in restaurants and delis, FDA study shows

FDA: Hire a food safety cop … please.

It may not be able to get a food safety bill through Congress, but the Food and Drug Administration soldiers on in efforts to improve hygiene, sanitation and other elements of a safe food supply

16 Cheap, Healthy, Organic Foods

Can you eat healthy, whole foods, organic diet, even on a shoestring budget? As a frequent and thrifty shopper, I know it can be done — even if you’re not a vegetarian.

Ricotta Gnocchi Are Sticky and Lumpy (and Just Right)

YOU think you know what gnocchi are: small, fork-tine-indented potato dumplings served with pesto or tomato sauce. They’re starchy, thick and filling, and rarely made well enough at home to justify the work.

But gnocchi don’t have to be only that.

APP EXCLUSIVE: Search Me

How do modern maîtres d’ balance the potential of using the Internet to elevate diners’ experiences against the risk of unsettling them?

Recycling Used Coffee Grounds

Now that you have had a good cup of your favorite coffee brand, you are left with the used coffee grounds.  You can either throw them away or use them for another purpose.  However, to better help the environment and save some money at the same time, you can recycle your used coffee grounds.  Here are some of the ways that you can recycle your used coffee grounds.

Tips in Transitioning to Organic Food

Transitioning from conventional table foods to organic ones can be a bit difficult, especially if you are used to eating at fast food restaurants. For this reason, here are some tips for an easy transition

RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES!

Rush Hour Gourmet

Whether for a Halloween party or Sunday football game, fall food should be hearty, flavorful, and easy. This recipe is all three.

The Only Vegetarian Crock Pot Recipe You’ll Need

ve found an amazing vegetarian recipe to keep you busy this winter. Butternut squash with brown sugar and cinnamon slowly cooked will help keep you on the shelf. (I’m also going to try this with pumpkin, and other winter squashes — yummmm.)

Top 10 Vegan and Vegetarian Fennel Recipes for Fall

Fennel is one of my favorite fall vegetables. It has a pronounced anise flavor, but don’t let that stop you from trying it. I know plenty of people who despise black licorice who love fennel. Once you give fennel a chance, you’ll realize that this aromatic vegetable lends itself well to a variety of fall dishes.

Thai Fish Cakes-Tod Mun Pla

This is one of my favorite version of the popular Thai Fish Cakes (or Tod Mun Pla). This version contains red curry paste and long beans.

Malaysian Banana Pancakes with Lemon Coconut Curd

As I am a complete sweet tooth, I thought I would share a recipe of my Mum’s that I am incredibly fond of – Malaysian Banana Pancakes. Whenever we had overripe bananas in the house my Mum would mash them up and make these deliciously fragrant pancakes for breakfast.

Thanksgiving Admission and Hasselback Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic Butter Sauce

These potatoes are on my list for this year’s meal. You’ll have to excuse me because I don’t know their food history. The plan is to make two styles-savory (this recipe) and sweet (with sweet potatoes, brown sugar and butter). Seriously good with an impressive appearance minus the difficulty.

END

Chef Blog Digest Ezine is a newsletter delivered to opt-in subscribers every Wednesday. It is geared towards chefs, cooks, culinary students, foodies and gastronomically-minded folk in general.  If you know of any of your colleagues or friends who may be interested in receiving our weekly ezine, PLEASE do not hesitate to recommend our site and ask them to subscribe.  If you like this email, please forward a copy to your friends or colleagues.

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Thank you for reading.  Rest assured we will be sending you even better tidbits next week on our next issue.

Disclaimer: The links are active at the time of distribution.  We apologize if you encounter problems with the links.  Furthermore, ChefBlogDigest collects and runs articles and ads in good faith.  We do not any guarantee expressed or implied.  Please use your judgment when responding to offers featured in our weekly ezines.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Dear Subscribers,

We have really great articles for you this week.  We are particularly happy with this week’s selections.  We hope you will enjoy going through the links we have gathered for you this week.  If you are new to the list, we would like to thank you for taking the time to subscribe.  If you have a Facebook account, please do not hesitate to visit our page and click “LIKE”.  Please add us as well.

Speaking of Facebook, we have met some interesting people in Facebook.  They own or run websites that are interesting and informative.  You should check out Studio Gourmet. It’s actually all about a talk show that is all about food.  If you are a foodie, you should definitely check out this site – and of course, the talk show as well.  The schedule is all in there.  By the way, if you are a blogger who loves food, cooking and football, you should check out this chef’s site as well. He’s a nice chap we met in Facebook as well.

Of course, we have met some interesting people in Twitter as well.  Many of them have really great recipes to share.  For instance, check out this recipe  Garlic Chocolate Truffles. I definitely would recommend this.  Speaking of Twitter, we’d truly appreciate it if you could please follow us.

Although we have really great selections for you, we definitely recommend the following read:

• Pack Your Favourite Flavours with the Mobile Foodie
• The big fat diet con: Food manufacturers sell low-calorie products but boost other nasties
• Tricks Restaurants Use to Get You to Spend More
• Non-foodies food guide: Four foodie fallacies — busted!
• McDonald’s Happy Meal resists decomposition for six months

Check out other interesting links below.

Again, if you would like to check out our previous editions, please click here. If you own a blog and you broadcast your own newsletters, we would be very interested to get your URL address and other pertinent details about your newsletter.  Also, please do share our ezine with your friends, family or colleagues.

October 20, 2010, Volume 1, Issue 39

Your editor: Matthew Goudge, matthew@chefblogdigest.com

ChefBlogDigest ezine:  http://www.chefblogdigest.com

Advertise here contact: matthew@chefblogdigest.com

Advertisers Section:

DiningTables.com – IT’S HERE; EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

eFoodsDirect.com – We’ll feed you tomorrow at today’s prices!

Save $15 on any $150 purchase at eWineRacks.com

Taste the international flavors of igourmet.com

ONLY $44.95 – 1 GAL Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil. SAVE 40%!

Featured Articles

Flay’s “Throwdown!” Green Chile Cheeseburgers

“Early Show” Resident Chef Shares Recipe for One of His Favorite “Throwdown!” Dishes

Bobby Flay goes head-to-head every week on his show, “Throwdown!” with cooks who have staked their claim as masters of certain iconic dishes — buffalo wings, chicken cacciatore, or sticky buns, for example — even though he may never have cooked these things before. The results are always entertaining — and delicious.

Chef Pierre Gagnaire – The Famous French Chef

Pierre Gagnaire is a very famous French chef and the owner of Pierre Gagnaire.  If there is one thing that could best describe him is that he defies the norm when it comes to French cuisine.

Marcus Wareing, Tetsuya Wakuda and Peter Gilmore at the World Chef Showcase 2010

“Cooking is giving,” says Tetsuya Wakuda during his presentation at the World Chef Showcase. Perhaps this is why he looks so earnest and eager-to-please.

The big fat diet con: Food manufacturers sell low-calorie products but boost other nasties

Do you know the difference between low-fat, low-calorie, lean and light? Do you wonder what ‘healthy’ on a label really means? Our investigation shows that many so-called light or healthy versions of major food brands are often very similar to the original.

Playing with his food

He is known as Hong Kong’s ‘demon chef’, with a cuisine style he’s dubbed X-treme Chinese. Alvin Leung tells Kim Knight why he’s driven to push the boundaries of taste.

Pack Your Favourite Flavours with the Mobile Foodie

There is a lovely scene in the Lord of the Rings where Samwise drops a little box and almost gets Frodo killed trying to catch it. The all-important box contained Sam’s seasonings, “because you never know when you are going to have a roast chicken or something.” He might have been better off with the Mobile Foodie Organic Spice Kit.

LA Restaurants Snubbed by Michelin

Michelin isn’t going to publish an L.A. restaurant guide this year because they think people here prefer to select the restaurant, not based on the number of Michelin stars, but based on the number of stars who go to the restaurant. Ouch.

Tricks Restaurants Use to Get You to Spend More

Food Network’s Claire Robinson, of “5 Ingredient Fix,” Tips Their Hand

Nothing on a menu happens by accident. Bold and colorful fonts or borders around certain options result in an increase in sales of the item. Photographs can also increase sales, but they must reflect what the actual menu item will look like.

If You Eat These Eggs, You are Being Ripped Off

The Cornucopia Institute has released a report that exposes widespread abuses in the production of organic eggs, primarily by large factory farms.

Mumbai’s 10 best new restaurants in 2010

The only thing we don’t like about these 10 best breaks from dal sabzi is booking in advance

From the hottest table and most coveted seat, to the sexiest starter and most enticing soundtrack, CNNGo replays the year in restaurants, bringing you the best of what’s arrived on Mumbai’s culinary circuit in 2010.

Non-foodies food guide: Four foodie fallacies — busted!

1.  Only trendy restaurants use local ingredients. The hot new urban dining spots like to flaunt their locavore status, but they’re not the only ones utilizing produce, dairy and meat from the area.

Top 10 Fast Food Recipes You Can Make at Home

You can complain about it all you want, but it’s a fact: some fast food is delicious. It gets a whole lot better with fresher, tastier ingredients. Here’s our top ten favorite fast food recipes that you can make at home.

Authentic Philippines cuisine on the North Side

The Philippines are a literal melting pot, partly due to the fact there have been several different ruling countries over the years.  For fans of good cuisine, that just means a diverse menu.

Food: Malaysia, truly India

We all know of Chinese food and its Manchurian and Schezwan offerings, Thai food with its lightly spiced curries and Japanese food with its sushi variants.  Comparatively, little is known about neighbouring Malaysian cuisine which is a delightful blend of different cultures and influences.

More articles and news from the World Wide Web

to fill your insatiable appetite!

Organic, Slow or Local: Exploring Food-Based Communities

How do communities and beliefs shape how and what people eat? And conversely, how do food values and preferences help people find and create communities?

Unlikely Allies in Food Stamp Debate

Seventeen years ago, Ann Landers got a letter from “Upset in Texas,” a checker at a grocery store, complaining about customers on food stamps. One woman bought a “fancy birthday cake” for $17. Another bought a “luxury” bag of shrimp for $32.12, and so forth. “Can’t something be done about the freeloaders who are costing us taxpayers millions?” Upset complained.

Chef Aims to Revive the Dying Art of Butchery

Chef Frank Bonanno would ace David Letterman’s “Know Your Cuts of Meat” contest blindfolded, with one hand tied behind his back. He’d win by touch alone. That’s how well he claims to know his meat.

Hilton hotel’s David Gale named Manchester’s Chef of the Year

David Gale was the popular choice when he was named Manchester’s Chef of the Year last night – because the cheering crowd had just enjoyed his wares.

McDonald’s Happy Meal resists decomposition for six months

Vladimir Lenin, King Tut and the McDonald’s Happy Meal: What do they all have in common? A shocking resistance to Mother Nature’s cycle of decomposition and biodegradability, apparently.

Sugar and spice make an unexpectedly nice dessert

After experimenting with a variety of spices in cookies, brownies and other treats, one woman finds the right combinations to balance sweetness and zest.

With this fry, I thee wed: Couples can marry at McDonald’s

Fast-food franchises in Hong Kong are now booking wedding parties

If McDonald’s has its way, the traditional white wedding arch will be replaced by the golden ones. Some of the fast-food chain’s restaurants in Hong Kong are now allowing customers to “supersize” their order to include McNuptials.

Celeb Chef Mario Batali Sued Over Tips By Staff At Yet Another Restaurant

Back in July, pony-tailed celeb chef Mario Batali found himself the subject of a lawsuit filed by workers at five of his NYC area restaurants for allegedly withholding credit card tips from the staff. Absent from that litigation were employees at Batali’s flagship eatery Del Posto… until yesterday when 27 members of that restaurant’s staff sued, claiming they weren’t paid a legal wage.

10 Picks From Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival

Our Guide To Exploring Disney’s Marketplaces Around World Showcase

t’s a phrase that usually goes along with along a wedding, but the theme of old, new, borrowed and even blue goes just as well with the 15th annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival.

Cockroach infestation closes Kim Huoy Chor Asian Cuisine

The owners of Kim Huoy Chor Asian Cuisine in St. Paul just couldn’t beat the roaches.

John Lennon, baker

A recent segment on NPR’s Weekend Edition called “All We Are Saying: Three Weeks With John Lennon,” introduces tape recordings that writer David Sheff made while interviewing Lennon in New York over a three-week period in 1980.

Mastering the Art of French-Japanese Cuisine

The French restaurant L’Osier is tucked along the upscale Namiki-dori street of Tokyo’s tony Ginza District, where luxury shops attract customers with deep pockets. Five years ago, when Bruno Menard took over as head chef from Jacques Borie, who had run the kitchen for 20 years, it was packed every night with customers clamoring for classic French food.

New taste of conflict cuisine

What’s the difference between a restaurant that claims to serve Afghan food and anything they eat in Afghanistan?

5 Keys to Beating the Big Organic Hoax

I love shopping at the fruit and veggie stand near my house. It makes me feel good to know where my food is coming from. And now I don’t need to go to a huge store any more to sort through all the produce stamped “organic.” I’m feeding my family better than organic.

RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES!

Ellen’s Lemon Basil Salad Dressing

Toss a green salad with this dressing, and no additional herbs will be necessary. It is perfect for chicken salad or drizzled over a cooked chicken breast; use it over shrimp, salmon or sliced tomatoes.

Hey, pudding! Paula Deen whips up dreamy desserts

Try her almond rice pudding, chocolate biscuit bread pudding and more

Makes 8 servings

Recipe: Grilled lamb chops with yogurt-cilantro sauce

Garlic Chocolate Truffles

Ah yes, the elusive garlic truffles. These were the ultimate favorite at last night’s dinner party. All of my guests requested goodie bags to take some home to unsuspecting family members and friends. So chocolaty, so rich, so creamy, so garlicky. The ones without garlic were really good, too.

Recipe: Culina, Modern Italian’s Garganelli Pasta

Culina, Modern Italian, will offer traditional and modern Italian dishes using many fresh California ingredients.

Asparagus, artichokes, English peas and favas give this pasta dish a lot of flavour.

White Chocolate Walnut Blondie Recipe with Maple Butter Sauce

This recipe is not just about the brownie, though the rich chewy bar filled with white chocolate and walnuts could certainly stand on its own. This dessert is made even more alluring by the maple butter sauce drizzled—or generously poured—over the top. Think warm, sticky caramel melting a scoop of ice cream down the sides of a tender brownie.

Grilled Poutine Pizza

I love blending flavors and techniques from all over the world, so pizza is a great platform for culinary experimentation.

Maple Oat Nut Scones: Starbucks Copycat Recipe

Now that it’s fall, I find myself craving bowls of oatmeal and fresh baked goods, still warm from the oven, accompanied by a warm cup of coffee.

END

Chef Blog Digest Ezine is a newsletter delivered to opt-in subscribers every Wednesday. It is geared towards chefs, cooks, culinary students, foodies and gastronomically-minded folk in general.  If you know of any of your colleagues or friends who may be interested in receiving our weekly ezine, PLEASE do not hesitate to recommend our site and ask them to subscribe.  If you like this email, please forward a copy to your friends or colleagues.

If you receive an error trying to connect to any of the above pages, please feel free to contact us at matthew@chefblogdigest.com

To inquire about sponsorship and advertising opportunities please contact us at: matthew@chefblogdigest.com.  Just think chefs, foodies, cooks and culinary students receiving this ezine can also find a link to your business or website!  So, grab this opportunity to grow your business.

Please send comments, good or bad to this email:  matthew@chefblogdigest.com

Thank you for reading.  Rest assured we will be sending you even better tidbits next week on our next issue.

Disclaimer: The links are active at the time of distribution.  We apologize if you encounter problems with the links.  Furthermore, ChefBlogDigest collects and runs articles and ads in good faith.  We do not any guarantee expressed or implied.  Please use your judgment when responding to offers featured in our weekly ezines.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Dear Subscribers,

How did you find last week’s links?  We sincerely hope you like them.  We usually share some of the links in our Facebook page.  So, if you have a Facebook account, please do not hesitate to visit our page and click “LIKE”.  Please add us up as well.  We also have a Twitter account.  We’d truly appreciate it if you could please follow us.

We will certainly share numerous links in our Facebook page, so please do check us out.  Speaking of links, we have recently read that the Michelin Guide has released its 2011 NY Restaurant Guide.  It seems like it practically echoes the 2010 Guide.  Recently, Zagat also released its 2011 Restaurant Survey.

Aside from these selections, we enjoyed reading the following articles:

• Putting the Feet Before the Belly: How Pork Trotters Became Such a Thing
• René Redzepi Thinks Chefs ‘Make the Best Terrorists in the World’
• Foodie bibles say cheap eats are in
• 8 surprising places to find organic food
• Devoted to oat cuisine
• Your Organic Beer May Be Brewed with Non-Organic Hops

We hope you will enjoy this week’s selections.

If you would like to check out our previous editions, please click here. If you own a blog and you broadcast your own newsletters, we would be very interested to get your URL address and other pertinent details about your newsletter.  Also, please do share our ezine with your friends, family or colleagues.

October 13, 2010, Volume 1, Issue 38

Your editor: Matthew Goudge, matthew@chefblogdigest.com

ChefBlogDigest ezine:  http://www.chefblogdigest.com

Advertise here contact: matthew@chefblogdigest.com

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Featured Articles

Michelin Releases 2011 New York Restaurant Guide

Know what’s in.  The Michelin Guide or Le Guide Michelin has roll out the 2011 New York City restaurant guide.  NYC has not lost its culinary charm.  Michelin has awarded 57 New York restaurants the much coveted Michelin star.  It is definitely a red day in New York.

Tiny New York City eatery earns two Michelin stars

A tiny, casual 12-seat eatery in New York City has earned two Michelin stars, the second highest rating in the ranking of the world’s best restaurants.

8 surprising places to find organic food

Here are some unlikely places beginning to offer chemical-free fare.

Putting the Feet Before the Belly: How Pork Trotters Became Such a Thing

Some of the most welcome offal to come out of the trend of head-to-tail cuisine are pork trotters, a.k.a. pigs’ feet, and we’re now seeing more of this humble pork product pop up on respectable menus in New York, L.A. and San Francisco.

René Redzepi Thinks Chefs ‘Make the Best Terrorists in the World’

Last night’s “Tasting Culture” event at the New York Public Library was billed as a conversation with Ruth Reichl, David Chang, and “best chef in the world” René Redzepi, but by just a few minutes into the hour long pastiche of Q&A, video interludes, and paeans to locavore foraging, it was clear that this was the Redzepi show.

Guest blogger Bernie Schoenburg on the Culinary Institute of America

I am not a foodie, but I enjoy a good meal and interesting surroundings. And I got a chance to have a very interesting experience a couple of weekends ago when visiting daughter Elly at Vassar College, with a dinner at one of the restaurants of the Culinary Institute of America in nearby Hyde Park, N.Y.

Foodie bibles say cheap eats are in

Haute cuisine is so over. Nowadays, casual but tasty specialty food is whetting Gotham’s appetites, according to the 2011 Zagat guide, which hits bookstores today. And it needn’t even come from a restaurant.

Kicking off against noisy kids

A restaurant in the States has banned noisy children. Is the owner right not to tolerate bad behaviour, and where should the line be drawn?

Zagat Releases Its 2011 Restaurant Survey

From the dishes to the decor, a record 40,000 foodies reviewed and rated more than 2,000 restaurants for Zagat’s latest guide.  Tim Zagat, the survey’s co-founder, says while the state of the economy may be hard to digest, he has the scoop on some good news.

Still thoroughly French, Troisgros mixes in a modern touch

“My food is minimalist, with no flounces. I always want balance and precise flavors.”

Through the steady hands of Michel Troisgros, carefully placed Belgian endive leaves were transformed into a scrumptious-looking flower in the blink of an eye.

Gourmet delights

Premium New Zealand oysters, luxury confectionery, and fine olive oils are just three of the items on the menu for three gourmet expos in Dubai later this month.

Make money from underground restaurants

Looking for an intimate restaurant with high quality food and service? Well look no further than the pop-up restaurant – a new underground phenomenon that’s been gaining momentum in the UK over the past couple of years.

More articles and news from the World Wide Web

to fill your insatiable appetite!

Devoted to oat cuisine

Bishop is 64, a bearlike man, bald on top with a grizzle of greying beard, and a white apron pulled tight across his belly. He is hardly Usain Bolt. Yet Bishop has known the sweet feeling of being the best in the world.Devoted to oat cuisine

Red Wine Facts and Myths

Red wine, with its long history dating back to the ancient ages, has accumulated its own collection of facts and myths.  Some of these are true, while many others are false.

Roast Some Organic Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts became one of my favorite fall vegetables—much maligned because people simply don’t know how to cook them. Roasting them to crisp perfection is my favorite approach.

Michelin-star chef Masanti leads a cooking class at Sattui

“Look at his hands. If there is dirt under the finger nails, buy your food from him.”

The importance of dirty hands is not exactly what you would expect to hear as the first words of wisdom from a Michelin-star chef who heads one of the finest restaurants in northern Italy. But this is how Stefano Masanti began preparing 40 foodies joining him for a trip to the St. Helena Farmers Market last Friday.

The latest dining craze: Out of a van

LA is buzzing with the arrival of trucks that offer upmarket fare.

The attraction, drawing diners from up to 50 kilometres away, is the Kogi BBQ food truck, a slightly worn but lovingly cared-for van that offers Korean variants on the humble taco.

Your Organic Beer May Be Brewed with Non-Organic Hops

Have you ever felt like you paid too much for a drink? It’s a very real possibility if you’ve bought organic beer. Despite boasting a certified organic label, your beer may not be made with organic hops.

A Chef as Poet, Rock Star and Chemistry Professor

For a book that celebrates a break with traditional cooking, Colman Andrews’s new biography of the avant-garde Spanish chef Ferran Adrià lays on the cream sauce with a heavy hand.

Mario Batali Talks Smack About Guy Fieri at T.G.I. Friday’s

Mario Batali has just upped the trash-talking ante for the upcoming Asphalt Chef competition against Texan chef Tim Love and Food Network star Guy Fieri.

The Meatless Challenge: 7 Vegetarian Meals for $10 or Less

Now Frugal Foodie has a challenge for you: what’s your best super-cheap yet gourmet vegetarian meal?

The Reluctant Gourmet — The politics of curry

Oh yes, Sri Lankan food is a lot similar to Tamil Nadu and Kerala cuisine. But, where it deviates, it turns intriguingly distinct.

Heston Blumenthal joins the Ski & Snowboard Show

The London Ski & Snowboard Show is offering budding culinary artists the chance to impress world-renown chef Heston Blumenthal at the Show.

How to Store Balsamic Vinegar Properly

If you have just recently purchased a bottle of balsamic vinegar and have no idea how to store it, here are some simple how-to’s on how you can properly.

RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES!

September’s top 5 most-viewed recipes online

Here are the five most-viewed recipes in The Post’s Recipe Finder database for September.

Gluten-Free Crumble Recipes

This week’s Recipes for Health column by Martha Rose Shulman has several gluten-free crumble recipes, including Berry-Rose Crumble, Plum and Fig Crumble With Quinoa-Oat Topping, Peach or Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble With Quinoa-Oat Topping, Pear Ginger Crumble and Apple Crumble. In lieu of flour she uses flour made from quinoa — easy to do in a spice grinder — and gluten-free oa

Slow Cooking Surprises! 10 Warm, Gooey, Wonderful Desserts in a Pot

A slow cooker is a foodie’s dream come true, as you can infuse a medley of flavors and delicousness into a meal just by leaving the Crock-Pot on all day while you’re at work or chasing after the kids.  But there’s one thing you probably would never even consider using your slow cooker for.  Desserts.

18 Ways To Make Scalloped Potatoes: {Recipes}

There are so many different ways to make this classic favorite! This week’s Recipe Hit List is a collection of scalloped potato recipes that I’ve handpicked from around the ‘net…there are a few traditional versions while others have some interesting flavor additions and combinations, even a couple healthified and low fat variations!

Giada De Laurentiis: fall recipes

If our first taste of winter in the high country has you thinking about fall comfort food, Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis has just the thing. She shared some of her fall comfort food recipes with us on 9NEWS At Noon.

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Green Chile Enchiladas

This recipe is the result of a lot of trial and error, but we were pleased with the end result. We made a few perhaps less “authentic” substitutions – flour tortillas were better texture-wise to our liking versus corn, but you could certainly use corn, especially for a gluten-free recipe!

Thai Basil Beef

This is a quick stir fry which goes really well with steamed rice. I love to whip this up when I’m in a hurry.

Fruit Konnyaku Jelly

Serve your favorite fruits with konnyaku jelly in shot glasses, garnish with mint leaves!

END

Chef Blog Digest Ezine is a newsletter delivered to opt-in subscribers every Wednesday. It is geared towards chefs, cooks, culinary students, foodies and gastronomically-minded folk in general.  If you know of any of your colleagues or friends who may be interested in receiving our weekly ezine, PLEASE do not hesitate to recommend our site and ask them to subscribe.  If you like this email, please forward a copy to your friends or colleagues.

If you receive an error trying to connect to any of the above pages, please feel free to contact us at matthew@chefblogdigest.com

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Thank you for reading.  Rest assured we will be sending you even better tidbits next week on our next issue.

Disclaimer: The links are active at the time of distribution.  We apologize if you encounter problems with the links.  Furthermore, ChefBlogDigest collects and runs articles and ads in good faith.  We do not any guarantee expressed or implied.  Please use your judgment when responding to offers featured in our weekly ezines.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Dear Subscribers,

We’re back on track!  Again, we apologized for the delays in the delivery of your newsletters the last couple of weeks.  To make it up to you, we made it a point to scour even more interesting links for you.  We sincerely hope you would enjoy this week’s links.  As usual, we hope you will find our weekly picks interesting, useful and informative.

We certainly enjoyed creating this week’s newsletter.  We enjoyed reading culinary articles, watching cooking videos and lusting after recipes – admittedly, it was hard looking at photos after photos of mouthwatering foods.  We picked out some links shared by our friends in Facebook and Twitter.

We have created a Fan Page for Chef Blog Digest.  Please do visit our fan page and click “LIKE” if you have a Facebook account.  We post interesting links daily that we think you will likely enjoy as well.  If you have a Facebook account, please do not hesitate to add us up in your list of friends.  If you have a Twitter account, please do follow us (@chefblogdigest).

Although we have prepared a number of culinary picks for you, here are our favorite reads – those that you should definitely checked out!

• Michelin Inspectors Name NYC’s Best Value Restaurants
• Culinary Rivals: New York City vs. San Francisco
• Rising to the challenge of (almost) unplugged baking
• Tips from the world’s best restaurant
• Filipino food: Off the menu
• 4 Fat-Free Salad Dressing Recipes That Actually Taste Good? No Joke.

If you are looking for salad dressing recipes, these recipes are definitely noteworthy.  You will actually enjoy your salad for once!  We have a bunch of recipes for you.  We included a recipe of our favorite – or at least one of our favorite Filipino dishes, the Filipino Kare Kare (Ox Tail and Peanut Stew)

If you would like to check out our previous editions, please click here. If you own a blog and you broadcast your own newsletters, we would be very interested to get your URL address and other pertinent details about your newsletter.  Please do send us an email (at matthew@chefblogdigest.com), giving us the link to your site, your newsletter subscription page and a very short description of your newsletter and what it offers.  Thank you.

Again, please do not hesitate to share our ezine with your friends, family or colleagues – or anyone who loves food and cooking!  If you have an interesting blog entry that you would like us to share with our subscribers, please do not hesitate to email us with the link.  We are always on the lookout for interesting culinary articles online.

October 6, 2010, Volume 1, Issue 37

Your editor: Matthew Goudge, matthew@chefblogdigest.com

ChefBlogDigest ezine:  http://www.chefblogdigest.com

Advertise here contact: matthew@chefblogdigest.com

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Featured Articles

Michelin brings glad tidings to frugal foodies

The French publication’s latest guide to New York eateries finds plenty of restaurants for foodies who savor a bargain as much as a good meal.

Michelin Inspectors Name NYC’s Best Value Restaurants

These restaurants may not get a coveted Michelin star, but the famously anonymous inspectors for the high-brow guide added 21 eateries across New York City to their list of favorite food deals.

Chef Ambassador Juan Mari Arzak

Of the minority who champion their particular birth homes on the plate, Juan Mari Arzak has to rank as a foremost pioneer. The chef-owner of restaurant Arzak in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain is a stalwart champion not just of his city but indeed, of Basque cuisine as a whole. His efforts to promote the culinary legacy of the Basque region eventually led to what many now refer to as “New Basque Cuisine”.

Chef Juan Mari Arzak – Into Modern and Innovative Basque Cuisine

Modern and innovative Basque cuisine that has not lost its feel of tradition, this is exactly what Chef Juan Mari Arzak offers his diners.  His cuisine is considered as evolutionary, and his expertise in his field has placed his restaurant, Arzak, among the top restaurants of the world.  Right now, Arzak is on the 9th spot.

Culinary Rivals: New York City vs. San Francisco

The New York City vs. San Francisco culinary feud has been going on for years and shows no sign of stopping. Chefs in both cities dismiss it as a joke, and maybe it is, but it’s the kind of joke that hides a not-so-secret hostility.

2nd UPDATE: Compass Group Expects 15% Earnings Growth

Compass Group PLC (CPG.LN), the world’s largest caterer by sales, Thursday said organic revenue growth continued in its fourth fiscal quarter, putting it on track to return to its long-term sales target quicker than expected and resulting in higher earnings this year.

Rising to the challenge of (almost) unplugged baking

After an inveterate baker is forced to make her pies and cakes without a food processor or a standing mixer for a year, she finds that getting back to basics has its rewards.

Some like it haute

Joël Robuchon is not only a great chef, he has a good sense of humour too. In Tokyo, a city which now boasts more Michelin stars than Paris, he has built a Disney-like temple of gastronomy.

Milkshake like cocaine for overeaters: Imaging shows the powerful impact food has on the brain

The same changes in brain chemistry that push drug users to snort cocaine or shoot up heroin may also drive overeaters to consume more calories than their bodies need.

Tips from the world’s best restaurant

With two Michelin stars, a three-month waiting list, and no place for Princess Mary even, you could say that Rene Redzepi knows a thing or two about cooking and restaurants.

Filipino food: Off the menu

Despite all the top L.A. chefs who grew up on Filipino food, the cuisine — a flavorful melange of foods from the Philippines — has yet to assimilate into mainstream culture, much less their restaurants.

More articles and news from the World Wide Web

to fill your insatiable appetite!

Food Network Survey Finds 15% of Chefs Lie About What’s Vegetarian

Am I the only person who was completely horrified by the Food Network’s “25 Things Chefs Never Tell You” survey? Granted, I’m horrified by most things that come from the Food Network — 96oz. hamburgers, pigs’ heads, Anthony Bourdain — but this anonymous, revealing survey sent a shiver up my spine.

Chef Kent Rathbun’s Amazing Bell Pepper Trick

Eating Our Words had the opportunity to attend Central Market’s “From Pint to Plate with Kent Rathbun” class on Monday, just one of many events surrounding Central Market’s “Discover Brewtopia” celebration.  Over the next two hours Rathbun proceeded to cook four courses while the class observed and drank whatever particular beer was called for at the moment.

Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Nightmare’ foreshadowing of chef’s suicide

A New Jersey chef who in 2007 was warned on Gordon Ramsay’s “Kitchen Nightmares” reality show that his troubled restaurant business “is about to [expletive] swim down the Hudson” was found dead Friday in the Hudson River after apparently leaping from the George Washington Bridge.

Four-Star Restaurants (NYC)

A list of resources from around the Web about New York City’s four-star restaurants, as selected by researchers and editors of The New York Times.

Four stars, for extraordinary, is the highest accolade a critic for The New York Times can award a New York City restaurant.  Here are excerpts from the most recent reviews. Below them are the complete reviews.

For Better Pastas, Try Rice Noodles

The thin vermicelli-type noodles called maifun are quite versatile; I found them preferable to the linguine-width pad Thai rice sticks in the non-Asian dishes I tested. They grab sauces in much that same way that angel-hair pasta does, and they’re great in salads and stir-fries.

The Future of McDonald’s

Wednesday afternoon, as McDonald’s opened its 300th Ronald McDonald House in St. Louis, Missouri — little red headed clowns running around, sweeping down counters — Fox Business Network anchor Liz Claman got a tour with the House President and CEO Marty Coyne, during the taping of her show “Countdown to the Closing Bell.”

October Adopts World Vegetarian Day

The Vegetarian society has adopted the month of October as a timeframe to offer information regarding environmental, ethical, humanitarian and personal health benefits of living a vegetarian lifestyle.

Filipino cuisine: Out of the box

Filipino cuisine is getting a much-needed makeover.

At least, that’s how it should be for veteran chef Gene Gonzalez and the Alta Cocina Filipina, a movement for contemporary Filipino cuisine which he co-founded in the 1980s.

Australian chef gets a serve for criticising Thai food

AUSTRALIAN chef David Thompson has stirred up a hornets’ nest just weeks after opening his new restaurant, Nahm, in Bangkok.  A comment by Thompson in an interview with The New York Times about Thailand’s “decaying” cuisine, which he says was taken out of context, has sparked a bunfight in the Thai community, with a few punches thrown in by expat food experts for good measure.

Fusion curry!

From pizzas to kebabs and biryani, the CWG kitchen is dishing out an array of cuisines for delegates.

AS the Commonwealth Games (CWG) are flagged off, Indian chefs get set for another challenge, of creating a sumptuous yet nutritious spread for delegates and sportspersons. Pulling out all the stops, the extensive menu features international as well as Indian cuisine.

Culinary Traditions Exhausting Spain’s Fisheries

“We have little boquerón (a type of anchovy), little jurel (scad), little salmon,” recites a server at a restaurant on the coast in Málaga, the southern Spanish city known for its “small fried fish.”

The capture and sale of immature fish species is now prohibited here. The age-old practice has depleted the area’s fishing grounds.

Top Chef Shows How to Cook a Geoduck

Hung Huynh, winner of Season 3 of Top Chef, prepares the giant clam two different ways, raw and fried.

How to Properly Store Your Red Wine

If you are just starting out in collecting red wine or simply have a bottle or two of your favorite red wine that you want to keep in excellent condition, then here are some very important tips when it comes to properly storing red wine bottles.

How to Choose a White Wine for Cooking

It is not unusual to add wine to a dish that you are cooking.  In fact, the wine lends a very unique taste to the dish that would otherwise have been bland.  However, for those who are not used to using wine in their dishes, here are some very simple tips in choosing the type of white wine that you can use in your cooking.

RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES! RECIPES!

10 Vegetarian Soups & Stews for Fall

One of the best things about fall is trading out summery salads and sandwiches for hearty soups and stews.  Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or an omnivore, these meat-free recipes are sure to please!

Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Dragonfruit Blackberry Sauce

Our tinkering with soda pop in the kitchen yielded a range of recipes and tips.  An especially easy and flavorful way to incorporate these flavors is in vinaigrettes and sauces.

Ramen recipes from Star-Ledger readers

Think of ramen as a fast-cooking type of pasta, and you’re well on your way to coming up with creative uses for this low-cost, quick-cooking noodle.

Use Your (Rice) Noodle

Rice noodles can be a smart, tasty substitute for traditional pasta, writes Martha Rose Shulman in this week’s Recipes for Health.  Here are five new ways to use rice noodles.

4 Fat-Free Salad Dressing Recipes That Actually Taste Good? No Joke.

We thought you might enjoy these fat-free salad dressing recipes (that don’t taste gross!), courtesy of Laura Sullivan from Lemondrop.

Ribeye Crostinis with Caramelized Onions and Bleu Cheese

I came up with Ribeye Crostinis with Caramelized Onions and Bleu Cheese! These little morsels are packed with flavors that will be a hit at any party or soiree — just be sure to make extra because they’ll be gone in a heartbeat.

Spicy Cheesy Triangles

Inspired in one of the blog chef’s that I follow (elComidista) this recipe is slightly different. Born as an example of profitting couisine (taking the maximum advantage of all the ingrendients in the kitchen), I came up with this amazing appetizers.

Grilling Tips & Recipes: Orange-Fennel Shrimp over Watercress

RECIPE: Lemon-Scented Vegetarian Couscous

It’s world vegetarian month! Coriander, lemon, and four kinds of vegetables make a mouth-watering vegetarian couscous.

Filipino Kare Kare (Ox Tail and Peanut Stew)

Kare Kare is a dish that seem complicated to do. But if you compare this with other stews, it’s not too difficult at all. I always cook the meat one day ahead, store in the fridge and remove the hardened fat on the surface the following day.

French bistro cooking: courgette tian

A tian is the name for a shallow Provençal baking dish and anything cooked in it. Sometimes made with cheese and rice, I prefer just vegetables. Baking the courgettes brings out their sweetness and makes a lovely accompaniment to lamb or chicken

Pecan-Praline Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

You can use store-bought pralines to make the crust for this fluffy cheesecake, but Big Sugar’s quick praline recipe is worth the extra effort, as is the buttery caramel sauce that gets pooled on top.

END

Chef Blog Digest Ezine is a newsletter delivered to opt-in subscribers every Wednesday. It is geared towards chefs, cooks, culinary students, foodies and gastronomically-minded folk in general.  If you know of any of your colleagues or friends who may be interested in receiving our weekly ezine, PLEASE do not hesitate to recommend our site and ask them to subscribe.  If you like this email, please forward a copy to your friends or colleagues.

If you receive an error trying to connect to any of the above pages, please feel free to contact us at matthew@chefblogdigest.com

To inquire about sponsorship and advertising opportunities please contact us at: matthew@chefblogdigest.com.  Just think chefs, foodies, cooks and culinary students receiving this ezine can also find a link to your business or website!  So, grab this opportunity to grow your business.

Please send comments, good or bad to this email:  matthew@chefblogdigest.com

Thank you for reading.  Rest assured we will be sending you even better tidbits next week on our next issue.

Disclaimer: The links are active at the time of distribution.  We apologize if you encounter problems with the links.  Furthermore, ChefBlogDigest collects and runs articles and ads in good faith.  We do not any guarantee expressed or implied.  Please use your judgment when responding to offers featured in our weekly ezines.