by Melissa d’Arabian Last week was fun. So now I’m back, this time playing virtual Chopped 30,000 feet in the sky (I forgot my headset and how many times can I see Arbitrage anyway?), so here goes. My 30 seconds to plan starts now! Appetizer basket: smoked eel, cream cheese spread, quince paste and haricotRead more »

by Justin Warner According to a legend, nearly a mile beneath the foundation of Food Network headquarters in Chelsea Market, there exists a culinary lab of the most peculiar type. Comestibles from all over the world are gathered and transported here. The ingredients are tasted by robotic tongues. The flavor data is analyzed and eachRead more »

by Sunny Anderson It’s my turn to take a stab at the famed Chopped basket. I’m sure I’d come up with something different from these options if asked today, tomorrow or the day after. It’s the beast that is Chopped! Appetizer basket: Fruitcake, shad roe sack, vodka and Tokyo scallions I’ve only cooked shad roeRead more »

by Melissa d’Arabian I have to admit that watching Chopped actually stresses me out so much that if I watch when it airs late in the evening, I find that I can’t sleep. My husband thinks it’s “fun” to press pause and spit out quickly what he would do if he were getting the basket.Read more »

Every Wednesday, Justin Warner, winner of Food Network Star, Season 8, is remixing the Chopped Champion baskets as seen in the episode the night before in pure Justin Warner style: edgy, intense, passionate and full of wit. If you’ve ever watched an episode and found yourself yelling at the TV that you would have madeRead more »

Every Wednesday, Justin Warner, winner of Food Network Star Season 8, is remixing the Chopped Champion baskets as seen in the episode the night before in pure Justin Warner-style: edgy, intense, passionate and full of witty. If you’ve ever watched an episode and found yourself yelling at the TV, “I would have made this andRead more »

By Ron Ben-Israel, contributions by Kate Kenny and Nikki Junda Ron Ben-Israel has raised the bar on the newest season of Sweet Genius with more unusual techniques and inspired flavor combinations. That made the Sweet Genius team think back to the previous seasons. After revisiting the best moments from old episodes and the 10 bestRead more »

By Ron Ben-Israel I once made a few cakes for dessert — some coffee cakes. The recipe that I tried was not accurate; it said butter the pan, but should have said butter then flour the pan. Half the cake came out and half of it didn’t, and it had a big crack on the side.Read more »

By Ron Ben-Israel, contributions by Kate Kenny and Nikki Junda In this new season of Sweet Genius, the chefs I invited into my kitchen really raised the bar with unusual techniques and inspired flavor combinations. Candied vegetables? Champagne candies? Pizza dough Rocher? Why not. The path to genius is never ordinary. And speaking of unusualRead more »

by Steve Greenberg (pictured right) As an Invention Hunter (aka product scout), I’m always searching for the next great kitchen gadget. For the purpose of this blog, let’s define “gadgets” as those inexpensive must-have tools that fit in your kitchen drawers. Here are my picks for the top five kitchen gadgets under $10: Norpro EggRead more »