FoodieBuddha.com

Top Chef Masters, a spinoff of Bravo TV’s popular Top Chef, is scheduled to premier its second season on April 7, 2010.  As these things come and go, networks try to make a big deal of announcing the cast for any upcoming season of a reality TV show.

After several months of rumors, the lid was popped on this can just a short while ago.  For comedic relief, I’ve included a little screen shot of a search I did on the topic.  Notice how the first four search results all said “Exclusive.”  HA!  Okay, useless eye candy shot and all that good stuff after the jump!

Continue reading…

Later today, Atlanta’s best bar meets restaurant (a.k.a. Holeman + Finch) is set to be a location for an upcoming episode of the Food Network’s Chefs Vs City.

The premise of the show centers around a challenge from the show’s hosts (one part Aarón Sánchez and one part Chris Cosentino).  They find two local foodies chefs and dare the challengers to eat some of the more adventurous dishes from the city they call home.  While I’m not one of the challengers (good thing – cuz I’ll put most any dish in my tummy), it’s no surprise the H+F showed up on the schedule.

The gastro pub is best known for their burger, their hot dog [it is freakin awesome], and their cocktails.  However, true fans know that the establishment serves up what most people would call “exotic” parts of the animal.  Chances that the veal brains and/or the rabbit livers show up? I’d say strong to very strong.  More later as the details leak out.

While the Food Network seems the likely destination for all the best food TV shows, that heavy weight belt might actually go to The Travel Channel.  In addition to Tony’s food porn-erific No Reservations, TC is home to Man v. Food, Adam Richman’s tribute to all things gluttonous.  The competitive eating show lands in Miami tonight, February 3rd, for a 2-hour special that starts at 9pm EST.

Included in the festivities is a live broadcast of Richman trying to take down a 48 oz. steak from none other than Don Shula’s eponymous Shula’s Steakhouse.  As the Super Bowl hits Miami on the 7th, it’s no surprise that Man V Food decided to incorporate grub from the restaurant of the only man to ever lead an NFL team to a undefeated season through their super bowl (my Pats were still better yo!).

For the past few weeks, Travel-C has been bringing the media blitz.  Like the slave to trends that I am, I’ll ride that wave and grab you a copy of the gratuitously bikini clad Nori … who has 3-minutes to down three milkshakes in Babe v Food.  If you want more Adam, be sure to check out 411 Mania’s interview with the dude.

I have a soft spot for any television show that comes with an amended warning label.  Moreover, if the show happens to espouse the intrinsic benefits of glutonistic hedonism, I’d say that show is a dream come true.  Such is the case with No Reservations, that Travel channel icon of television programs.  Hosted by none other than the heavily inked Tony Bourdain, No Reservations allows the viewer at least 60-minutes of food porn at its best.

If forced to explain the show, I can only say that it has a distinct personality and cadence.  Consider it GI Joe meets Julia Child. After all, you’re as likely to find Tony unloading a M60A into some poor defensless target as you are to find him consuming some large and in charge salsa verde enchillada (one such episode found him doing both inside of 10-minutes).

The new season starts in Panama and ends with you simply craving more.  While Tony himself doesn’t ever seem to get burried in the kitchen, he’s constantly being bitch slapped by some unusual animal part splashed with some hellishly intense spice.  His language is crass, his vernacular is spectacular, and the entertainment level is high.  Get on this and get on it now.

For full details, check out the No Reservations homepage.  Back with more after my travels wind down.

I’ve been waiting months for this evening.  The Food Network should be the “it” place for all foodies.  In what is sure to be lots of fun, Iron Chef America’s season premier is tonight.  The episode, tagged as the Super Chef Battle, will feature Mario Batali & Emeril Lagasse on one side, and Bobby Flay & Cristeta Comerford on the other.  Comerford, in case you are wondering, spends her days as the executive chef for our first family.  Michelle Obama will also make an appearance.  Keep reading for all the goods!

Continue reading…

On most any given Sunday, you’ll find me somewhere other than in front of my TV (usually in bed or at brunch).  However, a few weeks ago, I was told that CBS’ Sunday morning news program, aptly named Sunday Morning, aired their annual Food Issue.  Though I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve watched the vignette styled news program, I made it a point to set my DVR.  Here’s a recap of the episode, complete with its own tip of the hat to the ATL.

Continue reading…

Though I’m a much bigger fan of the Japanese original (that’s a wiki link), Iron Chef America isn’t half bad.  Hosted by Atlanta’s own Alton Brown on the Food Network, the competition show features a number of great cooks (remember the Richard Blais episode?).

Now, a couple of Iron Chef’s (Mario Batali & Bobby Flay), will join Emeril Lagasse in a Super Chef Battle at the White House.  I must admit, it saddened me to hear that Atlanta’s White House Restaurant was not the hosting location.  Instead, the trio will take a trip to our nation’s capital to challenge White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and first lady Michelle Obama.

The episode, a two-hour special, will premier Sunday January 3rd, 2010 at 8pm.  The challenge at hand?  Create a meal for America using the White House Kitchen’s local produce as the secret ingredient.  Talk about taking Farm to Table to the next level?  I’ll be watching!

[via prince of petworth]

Yesterday, I mentioned how online media portal Hulu.com added Martin Yan’s Hong Kong to their repertoire.  Today, I figured that I might as well expand on that post just a bit.  If you don’t spend a lot of time on the computer, and/or don’t try and stay plugged in to the “what’s happening at an internet near you,” it is quite possible that the name Hulu is nothing more than a head-scratcher.

The joint-venture startup launched just shy of three-years ago and currently houses thousands upon thousands of hours of television.  Unlike some of those other sites offering free television programming, Hulu has several major advantages.  Most notably, it’s legit … so everything is super duper high quality.

The site offers commercial-supported streaming video of TV shows and movies from TV stations like NBC, Fox, ABC and many other networks and studios.  Of particular interest to ya’ll is the website’s Food & Leisure channel.  There you’ll find all shows from the likes of Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsey (who doesn’t love to see Gordo go ape all over some moronic excuse for a restaurateur – aka Kitchen Nightmares).  Meanwhile, Bravo TV shows like Top Chef are available for your viewing pleasure, as is the Food Network’s Good Eats with Atlantan Alton Brown, and the PBS show Diary of a Foodie.

Even if food related television isn’t your favorite, Hulu is definitely worth a visit.  The site is just loaded with great stuff.  Alright folks, until we eat again.  Meanwhile, any of you who actually have employees working under you – make a beeline for your IT Department and ask them to block the website … otherwise, you’re gonna have some ravenously unproductive people in your office in about 30-minutes.

Chef Martin Yan is best known for his TV Show Yan Can Cook.  If you’ve ever seen it, you’ll remember Yan for his high-energy performances backed by a thick accent and a happy-go-lucky attitude.  Now, Yan has found his way over to the über awesome site Hulu.  This shopping mall of online TV programming features high-quality feeds of most every popular show (and even some long-lost gems).  Best of all – it’s 100% free!!!! [Technophobes such as myself may have heard that Hulu is moving to a premium only option – this isn’t the case.  They are simply going to offer a premium option].

The show is entitled Martin Yan’s Hong Kong.  As the name implies, each episode, you’ll find Yan visiting some of his favorite Hong Kong restaurants and getting chefs to teach you their favorite recipes.  To wet your whistle, check out this interview with Chef Yan over on the Hulu Blog.

I’ve taken the liberty of embedding one of the episodes here.  However, you’ll find the whole dumpling over on Hulu’s website.

Warning: Watching this show may cause irreversible hunger, itchy stomachs, dreams of giant rice monsters, and a desire to jet set to Hong Kong just as soon as possible.

Get your DVRs ready for Saturday afternoon.  Long before he graced our screen as the darling of Top Chef, Atlanta’s own Richard Blais showed up TV sets across the states on an episode of the Food Network’s Iron Chef America.  The challenge, which took place back in ‘06, featured chickpeas as the ingredient du jour and a battle of fisticuffs between Blais and the well-regarded Mario Batali.

Keen eyes will notice the One Midtown Kitchen logo across Blais’ breastplate.  At the time of filming, he was the executive chef at 1MK.  Appropriately, Blais brought his sous chef at the time, one Eli Kirshtein, along for the ride.

For those unfamiliar with the show, a challenger will enter a 1-hr cook-off against one of a stable of cook masters, appropriately named “Iron Chefs.”  The trick is that a single ingredient is used as the basis for the meal.  Though I much prefer the Japanese version, complete with kitschy voice dubbings, the US version comes with Alton Brown’s quick witted commentary.  I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t seen it yet.

And speaking of Blais, you’ll be able to get your fill of him on Saturday.  In what is probably a coincidence, Richard and his funktastic hairdo will be on the main stage of Taste of Atlanta 2009 from 12pm-12:45pm.  So head out in the early afternoon to see him live, then check him out on the tube just before dinner time.

Battle Chickpeas: Batali vs. Blais

Re-airs on the Food Network on Saturday October 10th, 2009.

5pm-6pm, 11pm-12am, 2am-3am (on Sunday)
Comcast channel 57 or 857 for HD