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2006 IACP Award Finalists (14) Cookbook Reviews (7) Blogs (15)

Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs 2008
Every year Food & Wine Magazine chooses 10 up-and-coming culinary superstars. 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of the Best New Chef awards. Past winners include Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Rick Bayless, Gary Danko, Todd English, Allen Susser, Tom Colicchio, Gale Gand, Suzanne Goin, John Besh, and other greats.

2008 Chicago Rising Star Chefs
Rising Stars represent the future of American Cuisine. They are young culinary professionals that exemplify the contemporary American dining scene. Rising Stars are creative, passionate, ambitious, and, of course, incredible chefs creating delicious food. They also show a strong desire to support the culinary community by sharing their knowledge.

Finalists of the 2008 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards
Over 9,600 entries were received for the 2008 James Beard Awards. Those entries were then reduced to 5 finalists in each of the 19 Restaurant and Chef awards categories which include Best Chef in 10 different U.S. regions, Best New Restaurant, Rising Star Chef of the Year, Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Chef, and others.

Nominees for the 2008 James Beard Foundation Media Awards
The James Beard Foundation is the most prestigious organizaton in the professional culinary world. Formed in 1986, the James Beard Foundation was created by Julia Child and Peter Kump to preserve the home of James Beard and his legacy as America's father of gastronomy. The James Beard Foundation Awards were established in 1990 to recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their field.

2008 James Beard Foundation Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalist Nominees
Over 9,600 entries were received for the 2008 James Beard Awards. Those entries were then reduced to 20 semifinalists in each of the 19 Restaurant and Chef awards categories which include Best Chef in 10 different U.S. regions, Best New Restaurant, Rising Star Chef of the Year, Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Chef, and others.

Top Chef Chicago
Bravo TV's Emmy Award nominated show Top Chef returns for a fourth season, this time on location in Chicago. Head judge celebrity chef Tom Colicchio (Craft restaurants) returns with host/model Padma Lakshmi, judge Gail Simmons (Food & Wine Magazine), and Ted Allen (Robert Mondavi Wines) along with 16 talented chefs competing for the big prize. Top Chef Chicago premieres Wednesday night, March 12.

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
What does gourmet food mean? It all depends on who you are and what country you're standing in. If you happen to be chef and food writer Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, you're idea of gourmet food differs from most of us.

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
Photos from season 2 of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

White House Menu for the Dinner with the Prime Minister of Denmark
This menu was created by White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford for the Prime Minister of Denmark, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and Mrs. Rasmussen.

80th Academy Awards Governors Ball
For the 14th consecutive year, Chef Wolfgang Puck (Spago's) oversees the food of the traditional post-Academy Awards party, the Governors Ball. Some 1,500 guests of the 80th Oscars were seated for the delicious menu created by Puck, pastry chef Sherry Yard, and the rest of his team. Here is a collection of photos of the food, decor, and celebrities from the 2008 Governors Ball.

Quotes from Bravo's Top Chef Guest Chefs
If you watch Bravo's Top Chef, you know that every episode features one of today's hottest chefs as a celebrity guest judge. Past celebrity judges have included Anthony Bourdain, Rocco DiSpirito, Alfred Portale, and Norman Van Aken among others. Here is a collection of their thoughts on food, cooking, and other topics.

Top Chef 4: Chicago - Chef Bios
Bravo TV's Emmy Award nominated shop Top Chef returns for a fourth season, this time on location in Chicago. Head judge celebrity chef Tom Colicchio (Craft restaurants) returns with host/model Padma Lakshmi, judge Gail Simmons (Food & Wine Magazine), and Ted Allen (Robert Mondavi Wines) along with 16 talented chefs competing for the big prize. Top Chef Chicago premieres March 12, 2008.

Interesting Facts of the 2008 Oscar's Governors Ball
Here's a list of fun facts about the magnitude of work and materials that went into creating the 2008 Governors Ball, the main celebration following the 80th annual Academy Awards presentation.

2008 Governor's Ball Menu of the 80th Annual Academy Awards
Chef Wolfgang Puck (Spago's) will once again (this will be the 14th consecutive year) create the menu for the Governor's Ball, the celebration after the 80th annual Academy Awards. According to Chef Wolfgang, the menu will "feature locally grown, sustainable and organic ingredients, providing guests with a culinary experience that will please even the most discerning of palates.”

Casting Call for Hell's Kitchen Season 4 with Gordon Ramsay
Want to become an instant celebrity chef? Fox TV's "Hell's Kitchen" with Chef Gordon Ramsay is having an open casting call for season 4. This season's prize has not been announced but in the past has included having your own restaurant - a dream of many would-be chefs.

Top Chef Miami - Season 3
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James Beard Awards 2007 - A Behind the Scenes Look Photo Gallery
Here's a behind the scenes look photo gallery of the 2007 James Beard Awards, the most prestigious event in the food industry.

Top Chef 3 Miami - Contestant Bios
Season 3 of Top Chef will be held in tropical Miami with 15 new contestants competing for $100,000. Top Chef is definitely the best show in the cooking reality shows. Returning this season to judge the contestants are celebrity chef Tom Colicchio (Craft, Craftbar, Craftsteak)and Gail Simmons (Food & Wine). Model and actress Padma Lakshmi returns to host Top Chef. New to the judging panel will be Ted Allen of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

2007 IACP Cookbook Awards - Finalists and Winners
The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is a worldwide organization made up of 4,000 members involved in culinary education, communication, and the restaurant industry. The annual IACP awards were created to encourage quality in cookbook and food literature and to spread awareness of culinary publications.

Nominees for 2007 James Beard Awards
The James Beard Foundation is the most prestigious organizaton in the professional culinary world. Formed in 1986, the James Beard Foundation was created by Julia Child and Peter Kump to preserve the home of James Beard and his legacy as America's father of gastronomy. The annual James Beard Foundation Awards honor the best chefs and restaurant professionals in the industry.

Spain's 10: The Summit
Spain's best chefs converge on New York City for the opening of the International Culinary Center.

Spain's 10: The Summit
Spain's best chefs - Ferran Adria, Paco Torreblanca, Juan Mari Arzak, Martin Berasategui, Alberto Chicote, Quique Dacosta, Daniel García, Enrique Martínez, Joan Roca, and Paco Roncero - come together in New York City to celebrate the opening of the International Culinary Center.

Menu from the 2007 Oscars Governors Ball
Once again (this in number 13), Chef Wolfgang Puck ([i]Spagos[/i]) has created an Oscar-worthy menu for the Governors Ball, the traditional Academy Awards post-show party. Puck and his team, along with Sequoia Productions, created an elegant sit-down dinner for 1,500 celebrity guests. Here is the entire menu along with some interesting facts about the amount of products used for the party.

2007 Oscars Governors Ball Photo Gallery
Gallery of photographs from the 2007 Academy Awards post-show Governors Ball.

2007 Grammy Celebration Menu
Along Came Mary Productions (ACM), a well known event producer in L.A. and one of the country's top caterers, was responsible for the 49th Grammy Celebration, the music industries biggest night. The event's menu featured exquisite food stations featuring a variety of international cuisine.

Oscars Governors Ball 2007
A preview of the 79th Oscars Governors Ball, the postshow party of the Academy Awards.

Best Cookbooks of 2006
A list of the best cookbooks of 2006.

Hell's Kitchen starring Chef Gordon Ramsay
Hell's Kitchen, the reality TV series from FOX, starring London Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Summer Reading List - A Gourmet Collection
A selection of books about food, eating, and cooking that will keep you entertained all summer long.

2006 James Beard Foundation Awards
The James Beard Foundation is the most prestigious organizaton in the professional culinary world. Formed in 1986, the James Beard Foundation was created by Julia Child and Peter Kump to preserve the home of James Beard and his legacy as America's father of gastronomy. The annual James Beard Foundation Awards honor the best chefs and restaurant professionals in the industry.

2006 IACP Award Finalists - Cookbook Awards and Bert Greene Awards
The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is a non-profit professional association with over 4,000 members in 35 countries. The IACP supports continuing education of its members who are involved in every aspect of the food industry. The prestigious IACP awards are given each year to cookbook writers, journalists, and other food professionals that have impacted the industry.

Gourmet Magazines for Food Lovers
As gourmet food and celebrity chefs have become more popular, dozens of magazines have devoted themselves to the culinary world. Like anything else, some examples have become outstanding in their field, while others flail helplessly with poor journalism and vision. Here are my choices for some of the best food magazines available.

Food Blogs Good Enough To Eat
Blogs (or web logs) are an interesting phenomenon. Anyone with a computer and an opinion can start a blog, a sort of online diary, for the entire world to read. Food blogs generally relate the dining adventures or cooking experiments of the writer. Many of these blogs are very well written, extremely interesting, and can be addictive. Here are some of my favorite food blogs. Explore these and you may want to start your own. Surely someone out there cares what you had for breakfast.

2005 James Beard Foundation Book Awards
Formed in 1986, the James Beard Foundation was created by Julia Child and Peter Kump to preserve the home of James Beard and his legacy as America's father of gastronomy. The annual James Beard Foundation Awards honor the best of the culinary world. Besides cookbook authors, awards are given to journalists, chefs, restaurant designers, and other professionals in the industry.

Children's Books About Food - A Gourmet Guide
Books are a fun and exciting way to teach children about food. There are many wonderful books that illustrate a variety of topics such as eating right, identifying foods, where food comes from, respecting food and the people who grow or cook it, and other food-related topics. Here are some of my favorite kid's books about food written for ages infant through pre-teen.

The Best Cookbooks Made For Kids
Cooking is an excellent way for children to learn responsibility, teamwork, and valuable skills they can use later in life. Spending time together in the kitchen also creates quality family time and wonderful memories. Here are my choices for kid-friendly cookbooks that are well-written, engaging, and teach valuable culinary skills.

Funny Amateur Food Films
A listing of short films collected by Adam Roberts ("the Amateur Gourmet"). Most are amateur videos of people cooking or attempting to cook, I should say, or enjoying food. Others are more elaborate productions. Classics include Pastry Chef, David Lebovitz (formerly of Chez Panisse) shopping for food in Paris, a music video about pie, and how to make marshmallows (in reverse).

Decoding Ferran Adria - the Documentary
Watch this fascinating documentary about the king of molecular cooking, Spanish chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli. Hosted by Anthony Bourdain. About 45 minutes long.

Oscar Govenor's Ball Preview
For the 12th consecutive year, Chef Wolfgang Puck has been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create the menu for the Governors Ball, the post-telecast celebration following the 78th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 5, 2006. Check out the preview photos.