BURN! Michael Chiarello Ditches Food Network for Bravo

Not one to sit around and rest on his laurels, Michael Chiarello, star of Food Network's probably-not-going-to-ever-tape-new-episodes Easy Entertaining, will be appearing on Bravo's Top Chef Masters, the Top Chef spinoff that features 24 professional chefs competing for $100,000 to be donated to charity. The new series premieres on June 10 at 10 pm ET—three days after Food Network's big show The Next Food Network Star premieres its fifth season.

Someone's out for a ratings war!



While I was never the biggest fan of the ChiChi, he is obviously a very good chef and I think his talents will pay off in a competition like this one. That being said, he's up against some pretty tough competition:

- Rick Bayless – Frontera Grill, Chicago, Ill.
- Wilo Benet – Pikayo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- John Besh – Restaurant August, New Orleans, LA
- Graham Elliot Bowles – Graham Elliot Restaurant, Chicago, Ill.
- Michael Cimarusti – Providence, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Wylie Dufresne – wd~50, New York, N.Y.
- Elizabeth Falkner – Orson, San Francisco, Calif.
- Hubert Keller – Fleur de Lys, San Francisco, Calif.
- Christopher Lee – Aureole, New York, N.Y.
- Ludo Lefebvre – Ludo Bites, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Anita Lo – Annisa, New York, N.Y.
- Tim Love – The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth, Texas
- Rick Moonen – Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nev.
- Nils Noren – French Culinary Institute, New York, N.Y.
- Lachlan McKinnon Patterson – Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, Colo.
- Cindy Pawlcyn – Mustards Grill, Napa Valley, Calif.
- Mark Peel – Campanile, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Douglas Rodriguez – Alma de Cuba, Philadelphia, PA
- Michael Schlow – Radius Restaurant, Boston, Mass.
- Art Smith – Table Fifty-Two, Chicago, Ill.
- Suzanne Tracht – Jar, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Jonathan Waxman – Barbuto, New York, N.Y.
- Roy Yamaguchi – Roy's Restaurants, San Diego, Calif.

****************************************

Hmmm... looks like June will be a very busy month for food TV competitions. I wonder which one will come out on top.

Michael Chiarello Opens 'Bottega' This Friday

Even when not filming his Food Network show Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, which I have the sneaking suspicion hasn't been filming new episodes for a while now, Michael Chiarello is still plenty busy. He's got another show on sister network Fine Living, is the owner of the NapaStyle store and product line, and will be opening a new restaurant in the Napa Valley area this Friday, Dec. 5.


(There he is looking dapper at this past Feb's South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Not a drop of perspiration on the man, and it was like 90 degrees!")

Bottega, Chiarello's newest offering to Napa, is housed in a vintage space at the V Marketplace area of Yountville, CA and features two large fireplaces, an outdoor terrazzo, and working wine room with a private dining table. According to Eater SF (which has great coverage of the spot), "signature dishes include warm pecorino cheese 'pudding' and house-made veal tortellini."

Yum.

Chiarello also has several Bottega updates on his personal blog talking about the challenges of picking a wine list, getting construction completed on time, etc. He really understands what a blog is all about. Good for ChiChi!

Any NapaValians planning on going this weekend?

Michael Chiarello Promotes Braces-Friendly Halloween Treats; Kids Without Braces Laugh While Eating Snickers

Even though Michael Chiarello and his Food Network show Easy Entertaining is slowly fading into that region of very early morning programming -- sandwiched between an infomerical for Debbie Myers' green bags and an 8 year old rerun of Molto Mario -- the NapaStyle maven isn't slowing down.

Chi-Chi has teamed up with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) to provide braces-friendly Halloween recipes for the more than five million children and adults in North America who currently wear braces.


"My family and I love to create special meals together, but when my
daughter recently got braces, we had to modify some of our favorite recipes,"
says Chiarello. The braces-friendly recipes we've come up with -- like Green
Goo Slimedoo and Black and Orange Bon Bons -- allow my daughter to enjoy the
holiday without causing harm to her braces. Plus, they are fun to make
together."

I never had braces as a kid, so I luckily never had to worry about these things. I also wasn't that big on candy, so my bag of sweets sat mostly untouched in a drawer all year long.

Still, look at all the things the AAO says kids with braces need to stear clear of:

- All hard candies
- All chewy candies
- Caramel
- Nuts
- Licorice
- Taffy
- Jelly beans
- Hard pretzels
- Bubblegum
- Popcorn (including unpopped kernels)
- Taco chips
- Ice

I'm fine without the licorice (yuck!) and jelly beans... and who is giving out ice on halloween!?! I guess in these tough economic times, that's what it's come down to.

"Alright kids, everybody gets one cube. You need help popping it out of the tray and into your candy bag? Have a happy Halloween now!"

I think I may try to give out ice just to see what the kiddies do.

Restaurant Alert

• Michael Chiarello to open a yet-to-be-named restaurant in the V Marketplace complex in Yountville, Calif. He'll also open up a flagship NapaStyle store there.
  
  California to be renamed "Chiafornia" soon.
  
  
• Tyler Florence will open his first restaurant in the remodeled Hotel Vertigo. The hotel (currently the York) was featured in Hitchcock's masterpiece...you guessed it... Vertigo.
  
  Nothing I love more than eating one of Tyler's heart-stopping meatloafs (as in it will literally clog your arteries within minutes) and feeling so dizzy I want to puke.

Food Network hosts a SWEET dessert party

On Nov. 16, Food Network, along with Ferraro Rocher, hosted the SWEET dessert party, a preview event for the first:

Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, coming in Fall 2008.

(These festival names are a mouthful!)



Rachael channeled her inner Oompa-Loompa for the event, with her mega spray tan proudly showcasing a deep chocolate-orange hue-- perhaps serving as an homage to the famous Willy Wonka candy makers?



And how is it that Ingrid Hoffmann, well-known as Food Network's most scantily dressed star, is wearing the most clothes!?!

I guess Miami girls have a hard time adjusting to New York weather.



Even Chiarello showed up! That's quite a jaunt from his Napa-valley abode, just for a lil' old candy party.

Businesswire has the deets on the goodies:

Guests will sample the mouthwatering creations of New York’s premiere pastry chefs, chocolatiers, and bakers, including such notable James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef award winners and nominees as Le Bernardin’s Michael Laiskonis (2007 winner), Dessert Studio at Chocolat Michel Cluizel’s Will Goldfarb (2007 nominee), Jean Georges’ Johnny Iuzzini (2006 winner), and Karen DeMasco of Craft (2005 winner). Also participating in the festivities will be Food Network stars Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis, Michael Chiarello, Duff Goldman, Cat Cora, Sandra Lee and Ingrid Hoffmann

Luckily, there was a good cause thrown in. The event benefitted Share Our Strength and the Food Bank for New York City.

Plus, you got a nice photo opp with G and R:



Doesn't that look... nice.

************************************

I didn't get a chance to go, but I'm hoping to make it to the actual festival next year. Check out http://www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com/ for more info.

[Photos via Wireimage]

I post this every year...

I love Ellie. I hope she's Elvira for Halloween.


Oh, and I hope she has Dracula Chiarello as her date.

Chiarello goes Progresso

It seems like you haven't "made it" as a TV chef unless you have about 15 endorsements going for you, and Michael Chiarello is no exception.

He already has his Napa Style line of home goods and speciality food items, but now the Italian "tastemaker" is teaming up with Progresso (you know you've bought their cheese or soups) to showcase some specialty recipes.

Chef Michael Chiarello has spent more than 20 years creating the perfect fusion of his Southern Italian heritage with the Napa Valley lifestyle he fell in love with as a child. Now, in celebration of Italian Heritage Month, he’s sharing his creation with eight new recipes for Progresso® – recipes he hopes will help home chefs celebrate the joys of simple, vibrant meals and easy entertaining all year round.

You can check out Michael's recipes at www.progressofoods.com.

I don't really have a problem with them getting their name out there with things like this, and if Progresso is able to sell a few more cheese packets that's fine by me.

It's when companies that aren't even food-related start using Food TV-related people to sell their stuff that I get annoyed.

Who will be Ina's date?

Congratulations to Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Michael Chiarello, Emeril Lagasse, and my fave Ina Garten for receiving Daytime Emmy nominations for their respective Food Network shows.




A list of all the nominations is available here.

True, a lot of the awards are going to the show itself or, in some cases, people other than the host who work on the show. Still, it's a honor just to be nominated, right?

I wonder who Ina will take to the awards? I'm voting for that T.R./P.R./whatever his initials are-guy. I'm sure jOffrey will be out out town.

Here's some more FN-related nominees:

Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Photography (Film or Electronic)

EVERYDAY ITALIAN * FOOD
RICHARD DALLETT, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Outstanding Lifestyle Directing

EASY ENTERTAINING WITH MICHAEL CHIARELLO * FOOD
NATALIE GUSTAFSON, DIRECTOR

Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Editing

EVERYDAY ITALIAN * FOOD
ROBERT KRISCH, EDITOR
MICHAEL SELLERS, EDITOR

Outstanding Lifestyle Host

ESSENCE OF EMERIL * FOOD
EMERIL LAGASSE, HOST

THE MARTHA STEWART SHOW * SYN
MARTHA STEWART, HOST

PAULA'S HOME COOKING * FOOD
PAULA DEEN, HOST

Outstanding Lifestyle Program

BAREFOOT CONTESSA * FOOD
RACHEL PURNELL, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
OLIVIA BALL, SUPERVISING PRODUCER
SOPHIE SEIDEN, PRODUCER
CARL GREEN, PRODUCER

PAULA'S HOME COOKING * FOOD
GORDON ELLIOT, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
MARK SCHNEIDER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
JESSICA SHWEKY, PRODUCER
AIMEE ROSEN, PRODUCER

South Beach Wine & Food Fest Auction!

This year, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (Feb. 22-25; click on the logo in the sidebar for more info) will be hosting several auctions benefiting the Share Our Strength organization Florida International University's School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Teaching Restaurant and its Southern Wine and Spirits Beverage Management Center. Also, Art Bulls for Charity has collaborated with the Share Our Strength Organization for this auction, and are ready for bidding.

In the auction catalogue you will find one-of-a-kind culinary experiences, fantastic getaways, fabulous jewelry and unique wine lots. There will also be a limited number of tickets to some of the sold-out events at this year's Festival. If you missed out on some of the most popular events of the weekend, now is your chance to get these coveted tickets at the last minute.

One of the most sought-after lots is, of course, the "Rachael Ray in New York City and Burger Bash in South Beach," which is currently going for $1,700! Here's what you get:

If you are a Rachael Ray fan, this lot is for you! You and three friends will receive tickets to a taping of The Rachael Ray Show in New York City. While you are there you will spend two nights in a large room at the NYC luxury boutique hotel, Dream. To go along with your spectacular experience, you will get the Furi Rachael Ray Kitchen Trio, signed by Rachael Ray. Finally, to top it all off, you will receive four tickets to the Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray at the 2007 Food Network Wine & Food Festival, on Thursday February 22, 2007.

Wow! Can I be one of the three friends?

If you have the opportunity to attend the festival this year, I'd seriously recommend it. Not only will Food Network stars Giada De Laurentiis, Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Michael Chiarello and more be there, but you're sure to learn quite a bit, eat quite a bit, and have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, if I may be so bold. And did I mention the wine?

Make sure to check out the online auction catalog for your chance to bid on the items. If you're planning on attending, be sure to stop by the Delta Airlines Live Auction, Feb. 25 at the Publix Grand Tasting Village.

Iron Chef Battle Wish List

Jessica's comment yesterday got me thinking about future potential Iron Chef battles I'd like to see. If you didn't read it, she had the glorious idea of a:



Unfortunately, Ina barely leaves her house and Paula's too afraid to leave her house (just kidding... keep taking those meds, Paula). I just don't see Ina wanting to do anything that fast. Paula might be into it, but I've seen her on Emeril and other shows. She loses track a lot when around others.

Then, of course, I dreamed a little dream and came up with:



Pairing up these two hotties Italians with someone like Mario Batali (okay, is he hot too?) would be awesome. I think we're much more likely to see a battle between these two than Ina and Paula. Hmmm...

And now that the Food Network received HUGE ratings for the Rachael Ray/Giada battle, it might be more inclined to set another one up.

Who would YOU like to see battle it out in Kitchen Stadium?

Never cook something for the first time for someone you're not sleeping with

I am loving all the comments I have been getting about the recent Chiarello and Sandra posts. It should be noted that I do not hate Sandra or her show:-) I think even Aunt Sandy, in her infinite wisdom, understands there is a somewhat comical nature to her program and plays it up for us, the viewing public. Now, possibly if Sara's Secrets could have had an episode of her scantily clad out on the beach, she'd still be on the air today=)

Thanks to the comment from Jenny V., this article from the San Francisco Chronicle gives us a bit more insight into the life of Mr. Michael Chiarello, heterosexual to the max.

He really does sound like an interesting guy. We even get a mention of his WIFE, Eileen, who is a "skilled photographer." There are a lot of people in this pic, so I put in captions to help you:

HA! Actually, that mysterious man in the background in not credited. I just took an educated guess:-)

Some of my favorite quotes are:

"The rule of thumb is to never cook something for the first time for someone you're not sleeping with."

and

The shows all have strong followings -- especially, he says, in the gay community. "We seem to have a very large gay audience," he smiles, "which is great."

And now some news niblets to tide you over for the rest of the
weekend:

- People in Austin wanna get Rachael's and Paula's addresses!

- Daughter defies the norm, uses Food Network to make great meals for parents.

- Dave Lieberman uses his expertise to pick out the best ice cream scoop on the market.

I am working on reviewing Ace of Cakes from last night and will try to post my review tomorrow. I've heard from several people that they really liked it, so I'm hoping for the best. Have a good Sunday!

The Chiarello

Well, I have no idea what happened with the Dave Does premiere. Does anyone else? I am certain that every print story, every commercial, etc. all listed Aug. 14 as the premiere date. What's the problem, Food Network?

I must forge ahead, though. Dave has dissapointed me in the past and I still forgave him. Wonder what his excuse is this time. Now onto that Napa Valley man we know as Michael Chiarello...

To respond to Amanda's question, I don't think Chiarello is secretly gay. Look at that wedding ring. He is proud to shove it right into the camera (or is he more proud of the potato starch?). I have only really been a Food Network Addict for a year or so, and I must admit that I don't typically watch Easy Entertaining. Every time I do, though, I enjoy what he cooks and love looking at his set and kitchen (that's happening a lot to me with all the new shows like Tyler's Ultimate and Guy's Big Bite... good sets and lighting).

The biggest thing I noticed upon watching a full episode this weekend was his major use of hand gestures. Especially pointing:

He's also a bit like Rachael Ray with his other gestures. For some reason I can tolerate her's more than his.

One of the reasons I can't seem to keep watching Michael Chiarello is the fact that his delivery is not conversational. Even though Rachael exaggerates and does crazy gestures, it just seems like that's the way she talks and acts. We accept that and move onto other concerns like, how is a cut up banana with Reddi-Whip and sliced almonds a "dessert?" Once I figure out how to put some sound files on here I'll post some impressions of his voice. Still, don't get me wrong, the food looks awesome.

So, I will do my best to keep watching Mr. Chi. He has a good show, overall. Let's just tone down the pointing.