Welcome to Miami Miami exudes joy. With warm weather, a rapidly growing food scene, and such a creative spirit, it has become one of my favorite travel destinations. People are living out loud in Miami, and everything from the music to the food and the attitude about life is a reflection of that. And although… Read More →
Spit Soup Every once in a while I stumble upon a food and think, “What sick mind came up with this idea in the first place?” Bird’s nest soup falls into that category. I’d like to meet whoever first decided to soak a bird’s nest in water overnight, then pick feathers and feces out of the… Read More →
This Year’s Required Reading There have been too many wonderful cookbooks published in 2013 to mention, but here are 25 of my favorite. No matter what type of cook you consider yourself to be, these are cookbooks that should be in your library. From recipes for simple weeknight meals to authentic Asian dishes and impress-your-guests… Read More →
Welcome to the Future By Andrew Zimmern Apps and i-whatevers are old news in the venture capital meccas of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The big investment frontier is now food, and what’s going on out there is revolutionizing what we eat, how we eat and how it gets to us. Hampton Creek Foods is… Read More →
Minnesota’s Blue Ribbon Bakers When it comes to prize-winning cakes, cookies, muffins and breads, Candy Freeman and Lois Thielen are the women to beat. The Minnesota natives jumped into the competition baking circuit nearly 20 years ago, and have since won too many ribbons to keep track. This year, Freeman’s orange bundt cake won Grand… Read More →
Celebrating the Life of a Legendary Chef I have known Shin Tsujimura since his early days at Hatsuhana in New York City. He had come from Hatsuhana in Tokyo and after a brief run in the NYC outpost, he joined up with Nobu Matsuhisa and has been a part of that world class group for… Read More →
Kings of Dude Food As chef/owners of the widely acclaimed restaurants Animal and the seafood-centric Son of a Gun, Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo are anchors of the Los Angeles food scene. These rockstar chefs turned successful restaurateurs also recently opened Trois Mec with pop-up king Ludo Lefebvre, plus another project in the works. Dotolo… Read More →
Mmm…Blood In many cultures, blood consumption plays an important role in a healthy lifestyle. Enthusiasts say the red stuff keeps you strong, and can even warm you up on a cool day. Chug a glass of blood and your body temperature will indeed rise a few degrees–seriously! Overcoming the psychological hurdles (not to mention the… Read More →
Divulging the Food Network Allen Salkin’s new book From Scratch: Inside the Food Network is a fascinating chronicle of the evolution of a television network, from a scrappy start-up to an influential powerhouse that turned food into a cash cow and chefs into celebrities. The former New York Times reporter paints a behind-the-scenes picture, including… Read More →
Redefining Haute Cuisine in Paris Chicago-born chef Daniel Rose has made a big impression on Paris’ dining scene with his insanely popular restaurant Spring. Considered part of the bistronomy movement in Paris – where chefs have ditched the Michelin institution, ornate decor and 5-dollar-sign prices for bistros with high-quality food that won’t break the bank… Read More →
Obsessed with Entrepreneurship Jason Wang has brought renewed energy and killer business acumen to his father’s acclaimed Xi’an Famous Foods, a string of casual yet highly-regarded restaurants in NYC serving the authentic cuisine of China’s Shaanxi province. The family-run empire is a result of old world techniques (his father, David Shi, is an incredible chef who… Read More →
Changing Lives Through Food Darrie Ganzhorn is the executive director of Santa Cruz’s Homeless Garden Project, an incredible nonprofit that provides job training, transitional employment and support services to those in need on a 3-acre organic farm and garden. Trainees and volunteers grow and harvest fruits and vegetables that sustain daily lunches and fundraising farm… Read More →
Music City’s Most Innovative Chef After honing his skills at The French Laundry, Noma and Sea Change, Erik Anderson moved to Nashville to helm the kitchen at The Catbird Seat, a restaurant where free expression is encouraged and interactivity is the norm. Scoring a reservation may be a challenge, but once you’re in, you won’t… Read More →
Democratizing Entrepreneurship By Andrew Zimmern The long awaited Travail Kickstarter campaign is live. Check it out #prevailtravail. The campaign closes on October 10th, and represents a sea change in terms of how local restaurants get funded. To me, these types of projects have democratized entrepreneurship (obvi!), allowing customers to help push dollars to restaurants they believe in.… Read More →
Living the Sweet Life in Paris A veteran pastry chef who spent 13 years working for Alice Waters at Berkley’s famed Chez Panisse, David Lebovitz has written six cookbooks including the best-selling The Perfect Scoop and The Sweet Life in Paris (stay tuned for the upcoming My Paris Kitchen, due out in 2014). After choosing the expat life in Paris… Read More →
PDX’s Leading Lady She gained street cred from her placement on Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs list in 2012, a stint on the current season of Top Chef Masters and a couple James Beard nominations, but Jenn Louis’ incredible farmhouse fare need only be tasted to win you over. The chef/owner of two of… Read More →
I ♥ Ox Heart Ox heart is lean, since it’s almost pure muscle, with very little fat and collagen. And coming in at around two pounds apiece, ox heart is offal-y large. It tastes like beef, which makes sense because oxen are cattle that have been trained as draft animals. Oxen are usually eaten after… Read More →
Indian Cooking in a Midwestern Kitchen Raghavan Iyer’s new cookbook, Indian Cuisine Unfolded, opens up the world of Indian cuisine for the American home cook by recreating some of his favorite dishes with ingredients found in the typical American grocery store. The Bombay native also narrated a Twin Cities Public Television documentary called Asian Flavors based on… Read More →
Advocate for Healthy Kids Already an accomplished cookbook author and entrepreneur, Sally Sampson decided she wanted to address obesity by inspiring kids to cook and eat real food. In 2010, she launched ChopChop, a nonprofit quarterly magazine that features nutritious recipes, as well as food-related fun facts and games, and in 2013 ChopChop was named Publication of… Read More →
The Man Behind the World’s Best Burger Josh Capon, the executive chef and partner of New York City’s Lure Fishbar, B&B Winepub and El Toro Blanco, talks about the importance of consistency and quality in the restaurant biz, how to make a great burger and his favorite Manhattan eats. AndrewZimmern.com: You’ve worked in several esteemed kitchens… Read More →
Celebrating a Time-Honored Classic Mindy Fox, cookbook author, food writer and food editor at La Cucina Italiana magazine, shares her tips for the perfectly roasted chicken, ways to reinvent the iconic dish and her favorite picnic-ready recipes. AndrewZimmern.com: As the food editor of La Cucina Italiana and author of several cookbooks, you obviously have a… Read More →
Road Trip Fork on the Road Andrew and Molly are on the road on this week’s Go Fork Yourself. On a three-hour car ride to Iowa, they chat about road food, cars, GPS, and where you’ll find the cleanest pit stops. Questions We want to include your listener questions in upcoming podcasts. If you want… Read More →
Congratulations JBF Award Winners! I just returned from the James Beard Foundation Awards in NYC, the nation’s most prestigious awards ceremony honoring professionals in the food and beverage biz. Winners of the Foundation’s annual Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards were presented on May 3, at Gotham Hall in New York City, during a ceremony hosted… Read More →
Latin Flavor Ingrid Hoffmann has built a large following around her Delicioso brand – she’s the lovely host of a popular TV show on the Cooking Channel and Univision, the creative director of a Latin-influenced cooking line and a best-selling cookbook author. Ingrid shares her go-to recipes for entertaining, tips for healthy eating habits from… Read More →
Southern Charmer John Besh is one of the most celebrated chefs in the American South, with nine acclaimed restaurants (including his ever-popular flagship August), two award-winning cookbooks and a beloved cooking show. The James Beard award-winner is New Orleans’ biggest advocate, not only playing a crucial role in helping the city rebuild after Hurricane Katrina,… Read More →
Southern Charmer John Besh is one of the most celebrated chefs in the American South, with nine acclaimed restaurants (including his ever-popular flagship August), two award-winning cookbooks and a beloved cooking show. The James Beard award-winner is New Orleans’ biggest advocate, not only playing a crucial role in helping the city rebuild after Hurricane Katrina,… Read More →
Hunter Gatherer A few years ago, Georgia Pellegrini traded in her high heels for cowgirl boots and a shotgun, foregoing a cubicle on Wall Street for a “field-and-stream-to-table” life in Texas. The hunting enthusiast decided to get back to her roots, attending culinary school and cooking at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, before writing Food Heroes, which… Read More →
Hunter Gatherer A few years ago, Georgia Pellegrini traded in her high heels for cowgirl boots and a shotgun, foregoing a cubicle on Wall Street for a “field-and-stream-to-table” life in Texas. The hunting enthusiast decided to get back to her roots, attending culinary school and cooking at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, before writing Food Heroes, which… Read More →
Falling in Love With Chinese Cuisine Chef and James Beard award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop is an expert when it comes to Chinese food and culinary culture. The native Brit was the first foreign student, and one of only a few women, to graduate from the acclaimed Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. Since then, she’s mastered… Read More →
Falling in Love With Chinese Cuisine Chef and James Beard award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop is an expert when it comes to Chinese food and culinary culture. The native Brit was the first foreign student, and one of only a few women, to graduate from the acclaimed Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. Since then, she’s mastered… Read More →
