"My dish is about changing the paradigm...Eating a veggie burger can be just as celebrated as a bacon cheeseburger.”

Unfortunately for Top Chef Masters contestant Suvir Saran, said burger, prepared for a meat-loving lass from the cast of The Biggest Loser, changed only his status in the competition. The judging panel sent Saran packing after a few harsh comments about his "mashed potato patty wedged into a slice of pita," but he made a graceful exit.

"I made a dish that was about living better rather than tasting close to what one craves," said the chef, himself a vegetarian.

Still there was a hint of nervous anticipation in the air last night, when Saran and fellow contestant Mary Sue Milliken - who won the main challenge in the most recently aired episode - encountered the show's most outspoken judge, Saveur's editor-in-chief James Oseland near the red carpet at the James Beard Awards Gala.

Watch what happened when the trio met up.

5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Bostonians slice into cream pie, Buffalo residents take their beef on weck and Cincinnatians slurp down Skyline Chili on spaghetti.  New Orleanianss inhale beignets while Andrew Little, executive chef at Sheppard Mansion, and his fellow Pennsylvania Dutch compatriots prefer their pork scrappled.

Maybe you've heard of some of these local specialties and maybe you haven't - but for every region, there is that idiosyncratic food that reminds them of home.

Five Foods You May Have Never Heard Of ... But Should Try: Andrew Little
FULL POST

Gail Simmons may be the busiest woman in the food world right now. Not only is she about to jet off to Los Angeles to film the next season of Top Chef Just Desserts - she's got a memoir in the works, sits on the board at City Harvest, and hosted last Friday's James Beard Broadcast, Books and Journalism Awards.

We chatted with Gail in the press room at last night's James Beard Restaurant Awards and asked her about her favorite food city and the issue that's sickening our nation.

Jeremy Harlan is a CNN photojournalist. Read his previous gardening installment Getting started in your garden

"So, when are you planning to take the plants out of our closet?"

Forget last average frost date or the size of my new tomato plants. When my wife utters those words each spring, I know it's time to move the seedling plants from their warm, sunny spot in our bedroom closet window to the big plastic containers outside.

I wish we lived in a not-so-little house on the prairie atop several green acres. But, like thousands out there, my gardening is relegated to the tiny backyard of our townhouse. I should feel fortunate, really - some city dwellers have to moonlight as Old McDonald on the rooftops of their high-rise apartment buildings.

Now in my fourth year of container gardening, I've found that every year is a fun adventure and a new learning experience. Some past years have yielded great crops like Clemson spineless okra, New Mexico chiles, and even a cantaloupe or two. But, I've also had some epic fails with strawberries, acorn squash, and beets.
FULL POST

Food has been a part of our TV lineup even before Julia Child's classic show "The French Chef" took off in 1963, but since then, it's become an increasingly inescapable mainstay.

Between the Food Network and Cooking Channel, the "Top Chef" franchise on Bravo, the Travel Channel's "No Reservations," "Man v. Food" and "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, plus "Hell's Kitchen," "MasterChef" and "America's Next Great Restaurant" on broadcast networks, we're tuning in for a lot of eating and cooking.

It's not hard to understand the popularity: Production values of these shows may vary, but if they're not entertaining us with standard reality-TV shenanigans, they're exploring a topic we can all dig into. Food TV has an obvious appeal for those who want to learn more about cooking and cuisine, but it's also an easy way to chill out even if you don't.

Read the full story "Obsessions: Getting our fill of food TV" on CNN Entertainment.

5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Not that you would have dreamed of forgetting or anything, but Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 8.

'Tis the day to treat mothers - or motherly figures - to breakfast in bed, your undying gratitude, cheesy greeting cards or whatever else flips their pancake. Consider it a "thank you" for the sweet impact they've made on your life.

Speaking of sweets (see what we did there?), Adam Gertler is the host of Food Network's "Kid in a Candy Store," where he travels the country uncovering the best and most loved confections, old and new.

Fittingly enough, when it comes to his own mom - and life in general - Adam has some pretty sweet memories of his own.

Five Favorite Nostalgic Sweets: Adam Gertler
FULL POST

Chef Gabrielle Hamilton was going a million miles a minute when I met her for an interview at her wildly popular Prune restaurant in Manhattan's East Village.

Fresh from an interview uptown, she ran in, her assistant ran out and waited in Hamilton's idling car double parked outside while we talked.

As soon as we were through, she jumped back into the car, started chatting on her cell phone and waited for a spot to open up.
FULL POST

5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Fear not fascinator fanatics, even if the Royal Wedding pandemonium is over, you have yet another occasion to don your favorite chapeau this weekend. ... Except maybe you, Princess Beatrice.

Saturday, May 7, marks the 137th "Run for the Roses" at Churchill Downs - more commonly known in layman's terms as the Kentucky Derby.

While we're all for hoofs, hats and hedged bets, the actual race lasts for, oh, about three minutes, so you're definitely going to need some traditional Derby vittles and libations to kill the extra time.

That is exactly why we've recruited Louisville's own James Beard finalist Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia to share all the fixings for a true taste of the Derby.

Burgoo, and bourbon, and Hot Browns - oh my!

Get Kentucky Derby recipes

Five Kentucky Derby Favorites: Edward Lee
FULL POST

For dining devotees and fans of innovative cuisine, a reservation at chef Ferran Adria's elBulli restaurant in Roses, Spain is something of a Holy Grail. It's said that there are several million requests annually for the restaurant's 8,000 seats during their dining season - and even those are no longer available.

On July 30th 2011 elBulli - often cited as one of the world's best restaurants - will cease to serve the dining public and instead begin a transformation into a "creativity center" and "think-tank for creative cuisine and gastronomy" which will open in 2014.

For her book The Sorcerer's Apprentices, journalist Lisa Abend spent a season in the kitchen with Adria and his team of chefs and stagiaires to explore and document the dedication, innovation, bravado, sweat and tears it takes to craft the meal of a lifetime.

We spoke with Adria and Abend about process, creativity, fear and what's coming up next.
FULL POST

5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

With a little help from Jason Berry of Rosa Mexicano Restaurants, we want you to rock the guac out this Cinco de Mayo.

And we can think of no better way to celebrate Mexico's military victory over Napoleon III than with tequila.

Cinco Ways To Spice Up Your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta: Jason Berry
FULL POST