The James Beard Foundation announced the final nominees for the 2012 James Beard Awards at an event in Las Vegas today, and Food Network has not one but three reasons to celebrate: Ted Allen and Ina Garten are nominated for Best TV Food Personality/Host and Chopped has been nominated for Best Television Program, In Studio or a Fixed Location.
The winners of each category will be announced on Monday, May 7, in New York City as Food Network’s own Alton Brown hosts the event.
Alton won’t be the only Food Network chef making an appearance on stage. On Friday, May 4, James Beard Award-winning chef and Food Network Iron Chef Michael Symon, along with four-time James Beard Award-winning correspondent Martha Teichner, will co-host the annual James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards Dinner.
Soup and bread are one of the most natural pairings I know. Truly, what goes better with a bowl of warm, belly-filling soup than a roll, hunk of baguette or even just a slice of basic, buttered toast?
The trouble I so often run into is the fact that I buy lovely loaves of bread to go with my batches of soup and inevitably end up chucking the last third of the loaf as it’s gotten too stale to be eaten. For someone who tries to keep the grocery budget in check and prevent food waste, this can be an awful blow.
Happily, there is an answer to my bread-waste issue and it’s found in (another) pot of soup. For centuries now, frugal Italian cooks have been reviving those day-or-two-old bread ends by adding them to the soup kettle. They work to thicken the soup, give it a silky consistency and generally manage to transform a humble vegetable broth into a sturdy, substantial potage.
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, there’s no way to deny it: The holiday season is here. I, for one, welcome the onslaught of parties, cookie exchanges and evenings spent shopping and wrapping gifts. There’s something so joyful and cozy about the many moments of celebration that will be folded into the next four weeks.
With so much packed into so little time, there’s never been a better time for project cooking. It’s just good sense to invest a few minutes over the weekend in a pot of something filling that can be quickly reheated for dinner one night and lunch the next day.
What’s more, in this season of entertaining, having a recipe tucked in your repertoire that is simple enough to prepare but sufficiently elegant to add to the buffet at your holiday open house is a very good thing.
Right now, I’ve found that the recipe that checks all these boxes is Ina Garten’s Chicken Bouillabaisse. It comes together in just a few steps, and dirties just a plate, a Dutch oven and a food processor or blender. The bulk of the time the recipe demands is hands off. You can relax (or prep that next batch of cookie dough) while the oven does the work and fills your home with warming scents. All this and more is what makes it perfect for The Weekender.
Alton Brown has teamed with Welch’s and Zagat to introduce the Taste of Harvest Guide for 2012, which includes a free downloadable guide for picking fresh, local and seasonal foods to encourage and excite people about eating produce. Fitness Magazine featured this must-have eating guide and spotlighted Alton’s love for the fall harvest, when nutrients and flavor are at their highest levels. The guide encourages shopping at farmers’ markets for fresh items to prepare at home and finding restaurants that are offering seasonal fare.
On weeknights, getting dinner on the table is more a matter of survival than it is an act of creativity. Monday through Friday, I rely on the same 10 or so meals to keep us fed. These are the things I know by heart and can make without consulting books or a website for measurements or cook times.
When the weekend rolls around, I’m ready to stretch my culinary legs a little bit and try something beyond my standard turkey burgers and roasted broccoli, delicious though they may be. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not cooking up 10-course gourmet meals, but I do try to pick at least one recipe per weekend that requires a bit more time and energy. Around these parts, we call that dish The Weekender.
This last Sunday, we had plans to gather with friends for dinner. My promised main dish needed to be portable, made with poultry and outrageously delicious. The recipe that fit the bill? Ina Garten’s glorious Chicken Pot Pie.
This Sunday, the six remaining Food Network Star contestants face not one, but two all-star personalities — Rachael Ray and Ina Garten. So we just have to ask the question: Who would you rather cook for?
If you missed last week’s episode, catch up with this recap or watch the latest exit interview on Food Network’s Star Blog.
Watch an all-new episode: Sunday, July 24 at 9 p.m. Eastern/ 8 p.m. Central
Sandra Lee has been named one of Crain’s 50 Most Powerful Women in New York. You can meet Sandra and join Crain’s in commemorating the accomplishments of all 50 honorees on September 19 at an exclusive luncheon — pre-register for the event here.
Ina Garten and Alec Baldwin have joined forces for the charity event, Barefoot Under the Stars, which has helped raise $600,000 for conservation and environmental protection groups that work to restore habitats along eastern Long Island.
You need just five ingredients to make Ina's classic macaroons.
It’s time for 12 Days of Cookies, FoodNetwork.com’s annual cookie swap. Each day visit us here on the Dish for a peek at new holiday cookies, party-planning tips and top techniques for rolling, spooning, slicing, baking and decorating delicious sweet treats to give – or keep – from favorite Food Network chefs. Then visit Cooking Channel’s blog for great takes on holiday baking from Cooking Channel chefs and Food People alike – cookies by the dozen to celebrate all season.
Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside—those are the qualities of a perfect Coconut Macaroon, and Ina Garten’s recipe will guarantee you get celebratory results every time. All you have to do is pull together a mere five ingredients and bake them until their frilly tops are kissed with gold. Then arrange them on a pretty plate and pass them around.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so I was really excited to put together our online Breakfast feature. After the pancake explosion I created for Mother’s Day, I tried to focus mostly on bacon and eggs for this one. But the carb-lover inside me couldn’t resist adding French toast and sticky buns. (I love to watch Bobby struggle with baking in Throwdown: Sticky Buns)
And, of course, I added muffin recipes. Muffins are a great grab-and-go breakfast treat, and they usually freeze well, so they can be a cheap, healthy, home-made frozen pastry. Ina’s Blueberry Muffins look like the most-loved on FoodNetwork.com, but Sunny’s Sunny Morning Muffins caught my eye.
It was announced today that Food Network has 10 nominations in the 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards!!
Check out the categories our guys and gals are up for:
Outstanding Culinary Program Barefoot Contessa – Food Network Giada at Home – Food Network
Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie – PBS Grill It! With Bobby Flay – Food Network
Simply Ming – PBS
Outstanding Lifestyle/ Culinary Host 30 Minute Meals – Food Network Barefoot Contessa – Food Network Grill It! With Bobby Flay – Food Network
Peter Perfect – The Style Network
Simply Ming – PBS
Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary Program Giada at Home – Food Network Guy’s Big Bite – Food Network
The Martha Stewart Show – Syndicated
The Old House – PBS
Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee – Food Network
The Bonnie Hunt Show – Syndicated
The Ellen Degeneres Show – Syndicated
The Tyra Banks Show – Syndicated
The View – ABC
Outstanding Achievement in Makeup Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee – Food Network
The Bonnie Hunt Show – Syndicated
The Price is Right – CBS
The Tyra Banks Show – Syndicated
The View – ABC
“The show will be telecast on the CW Television Network on Sunday, August 30th, 2009 from the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.”
Sweet and Sour Chicken: Cooking the chicken quickly over high heat gives this dish a crispy crust without the deep fryer, while fresh orange juice in the sauce and lots of vegetables keep it nutritionally balanced.
Chicken and Asparagus Crepes: Fill store-bought crepes with shredded rotisserie chicken, ricotta cheese and herbs. Top with fresh asparagus and a light, lemony sauce.
Shrimp and Snow Pea Salad: Ellie uses pre-cooked shrimp to make this Asian-inspired salad super-fast. Make a quick sesame dressing, then add in radishes, scallions and fresh, crisp snow peas.
Ellie's Tuscan Vegetable Soup: Packed with vegetables, beans and fresh herbs, Ellie’s soup makes for quick and healthy comfort food.
It’s time for 
