Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All

Posted on December 25, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

I’m actually not a Christian, but I celebrate Christmas anyway out of family tradition, so I’m not singling out one religion’s holiday. I’d celebrate all of them if I could! LOL
Anyway, I spent my Christmas Eve, which is also my eternal 39th birthday, at a place (pictured at the entrance driveway) called Orange Hill Restaurant.
Though [...]

Don’t Let Them Use Your Credit Card to ‘Hold’ Reservations

Posted on December 22, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

Planning for my umpteenth 39th birthday on this Wednesday, Christmas Eve, I enquired of a local restaurant I’ve been dying to try. We got so far as the time, date and table location (upstairs or downstairs), but once I gave them my name for the reservation, I got the clincher: "Now, if you could just [...]

Wine Exchange Does Tastings Right

Posted on December 22, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

The Wine Exchange in Orange, Calif., usually holds two wine tastings a week, but the place is currently on hiatus for the holidays. I mean, the store is open, but the wine tastings are on hold until January.
Which is too bad since the Wine Exchange definitely has the right approach to tastings. The tastings usually amount [...]

Wine Tailor Lets You Make Your Own Wine, Sort Of…

Posted on December 17, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

You don’t get to crush the grapes as Lucille Ball did on a segment of I Love Lucy, but you sort of get to produce your own wine at a place called The Wine Tailor in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., on the site of California’s oldest winery (started 1839).
The Wine Tailor is a franchise of Wine [...]

Martha Stewart Guests on ‘Top Chef’

Posted on December 15, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

It’s Christmas time on Top Chef this Wednesday, with two very special guest judges: television host, author and magazine publisher Martha Stewart, and actress Natasha Richardson.
First, Martha will be guest judging a holiday-themed quickfire challenge (I have some pics of Martha and Padma chillin in the Top Chef kitchen, let me know if you’d like [...]

‘Top Chef’ Judge Maybe Too Crafty, Sued in Wage/Tip Tiff

Posted on December 13, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

The top judge for Top Chef, Tom Colicchio, is being sued by a former employee for illegally diverting tip money to supervisors, not paying the service staff the tips they were owed, and not paying overtime.
The waitress suing him, Nessa Rapone, worked for his Craftbar location in Manhattan, one of many restaurants owned by Colicchio’s [...]

Is That Really Butter on Your Movie Popcorn?

Posted on December 12, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | 1 Comment

No, it’s a chemical substance called diacetyl, and it’s enough of a health risk that the American Public Health Association (APHA) and its OSH Section came up with a song at its annual meeting this past November.
Watch the video for the group’s rendition of "Popcorn Lung Roadhouse Blues."

‘Top Chef’ Crew Prepares Shower Grub for Gail Simmons

Posted on December 9, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

Tomorrow night (Dec. 11, 2008) on Top Chef, Padma solicits the chefs’ help in arranging a bridal shower for Top Chef judge Gail Simmons and her friends. The chef’testants must team up to cook Gail the wedding shower she has always dreamed of. Will they be able to live up to her high expectations, not [...]

Iron Chefs Go Mano a Mano This Week

Posted on December 8, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | Leave a Comment

For five nights starting tonight on Fine Living Network, the Iron Chefs of Japan go head to head, battling each other for the top crown. Since the stakes are so high, the Iron Chefs (including Morimoto) will be rolling out their most creative recipes and their most daring moves, so it should be a fun one.
It’s called "Grand [...]

Robert Irvine: There He Went, Here He Comes

Posted on December 7, 2008 - Filed Under Food News | 1 Comment

After being fired for resume fraud, Dinner Impossible chef Robert Irvine has been welcomed back into the fold by Food Network bigwigs and is in production now for six new episodes to begin airing in January.
Seems that the Brit fudged a bit when he claimed that he had cooked for the Royal Family and for [...]

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