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Chefs with Issues is a platform for chefs we love, fired up for causes about which they're passionate. Back in December, Chef Michael Symon sent out what he thought was an innocuous Tweet, reminding his over 20 thousand followers to eschew the center aisles and do their holiday food shopping at the perimeter of the grocery store. Little did he know that he'd be called an "elitist" - and much worse - for his trouble. We invited the Iron Chef to sit down and expound on his wishes for clean, healthy food for all, the importance of cooking with family and why his grandfather just flat-out rocks. Food prices have been rising worldwide, as the cost of raw materials and agricultural products surge, contributing to political unrest around the globe. In December, international food prices broke an all-time high when they rose 25% for the year, led by rising costs for staples like rice, wheat, and maize, the United Nations reported. The sharp rise in food prices, in particular, has become "a source of political instability," New York University economist Nouriel Roubini, told CNNMoney's Poppy Harlow, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week. Read - Tensions rise on surging food prices on CNN Money  Fame Bites goes inside the belly of the entertainment beast. We're dishing out where the celebrities are eating, what they're eating and who they're eating with. A celebrity in her own right, Suzanne Goin has her hands full this weekend. The James Beard Award-winning Los Angeles chef is feeding 1200 celebrities at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her menu includes:
Forget the beef, there’s no fowl in sight: Goin made some interesting menu choices for a crowd that has been famously known for its food peccadilloes. We caught up with her at Lucques, one of three restaurants she co-owns in Los Angeles.  Our fabulous colleagues over at The Marquee blog snagged the recent details of a Louisiana sandwich outing by a certain fawned over vampire. Whatever he ordered - we've got our fingers crossed for blood sausage - we hope it didn't suck.
Read the FULL STORY: Robert Pattinson causes a stir at a Louisiana deli  No doubt you once thought that as soon as your skills were honed, you’d become the chopstick-wielding version of Edward Scissorhands, embarking on a masterful two-pronged exploration of China’s culinary culture. Well, not quite. Chinese dining etiquette is built on tradition, not dexterity. We asked Lawrence Lo, founder of LHY Etiquette Consultancy Limited, to explain the enigmatic cultural origins of some common table manners, just in time for your Chinese New Year banquet. Read the rest of "5 Chinese eating habits explained" on CNNGo.  One of the first things I knew about my now husband is that he had the appropriate level of regard for the people who serve his food. He and I met through online dating (seriously - it works) and one of the key criteria in my profile (in addition to not spitting in the street) was, "You're nice to the waiter and tip well." His first note back included the assurance, "I have to be nice to waiters because I eat out so frequently. They have their own category on my social roster." I'm a firm believer in the notion that how a date interacts with restaurant staff is a huge indicator of how he or she will eventually treat you. It's not just how much they tip (though that's always interesting) - it's the amount of respect they show. In the six years we've been together, my husband and I have made friends with the waitstaff at some of our favorite restaurants, socializing outside of our visits to the restaurant. Why? Because the some of the smartest, quickest, funniest, most gleefully profane and emotionally intelligent people I know find that the profession that best suits those qualities is working front of house. Sadly, not everyone's not on the same page of the menu. I've been out with people who treat their waiter with no human regard, dressing them down, treating them as a servant, asking "What do you do for your real job?" and assuming (most incorrectly) that someone would only take the job because they have to - not because it's their calling. Those people have their own category on my social roster. It's labeled "dis-invited." Previously - A life in waiting  Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.
Taco Bell is steaming mad over a lawsuit alleging that its beef isn't beef, and replied with promises of a counter-suit in an ad slamming the claim as "absolutely false." In a full-page ad appearing in prominent newspapers on Friday, Taco Bell proclaimed, "Thank you for suing us." "Our reputation's been falsely tarnished," said Greg Creed, Taco Bell's president. He told CNNMoney that he's meeting with outside counsel to possibly take legal action on these "egregious" accusations against his beef. Read Taco Bell: 'Thanks for suing us' on CNN Money Previously - Lunchtime poll – Does Taco Bell's beef blending bug you?  While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday and the most delicious finds on TV. Sorry Jack Johnson: making banana pancakes will have to wait for another day. January 28 is National Blueberry Pancake Day, though the fruit in the pancake idea is golden all year round. Blueberries (that is, if they're real) are often touted for their high antioxidant and fiber content, two qualities that superbly match up with pancakes’ high fluffiness and deliciousness content. Be sure to douse 'em with butter and syrup - it’s how Mrs. Butterworth would want it. What's on TV?  At the front of the room, Pierre Siue calls roll. The rest of the room stands in their uniforms quietly, attentively, collectively with pens and pads out ready to jot down the notes from today. A man with slicked-back silver hair approaches the front of the room carrying a wooden tray - part of today's lesson. "This is from Connecticut," he says pointing to the object on the right of the tray. "And this, is from Provence," pointing to his left. "Both are washed rind and will be new cheese selections on the menu this evening." This is DANIEL, the flagship restaurant of famed French chef Daniel Boulud - one of seven restaurants in Manhattan with a New York Times four-star review and one of five with three Michelin stars. And this is the meeting held every day before dinner service, where the maître d' goes over the reservation book details, executive chef Jean François Brue explains any addendum to the menu and the general manager Pierre Siue oversees the calm before the dinner rush storm. There are no models or aspiring actors in the room. It's an education, a continuing education at that - but it's also a career where the word "part-time" doesn't exist in a world where the profession of serving tables is typically viewed as a transient one. |
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