Back in May 2012, professional wrestler & WWE Diva Gail Kim got married to Food Network star Robert Irvine. Tonight on a special episode of Restaurant: Impossible, you’ll get to see what transpired during their wedding. This first-time departure for Food Network gives viewers an intimate look into the personal life of their star chef Robert Irvine as he gets ready to marry wrestling star and entertainer Gail Kim. Featuring some of the biggest names in food and set against one of the most magnificent backdrops in the country, at the Charles Krug winery in Napa Valley, get introduced to their family and their friends. The whole wedding was conceived, planned and executed with the same military efficiency Robert Irvine brings to the massive two-day restaurant overhauls on his show. But this day won’t be the restaurateur who is dazzled by his work; it will be Gail Kim. Robert has kept her in the dark about the details of the party, including the main event: the food. Among the things the 160 guests will get to eat include an Iron Chef battle of hors d’oeuvres featuring Masaharu Morimoto, fresh sushi, fresh mozzarella, and a five-course sit-down dinner featuring avocado and hearts of palm salad by Morimoto; gnocchi, rigatoni and the roasted pig by Chiarello; and cupcakes by Falkner. Among the attendees are Gail’s family from Toronto, Robert’s family from the United Kingdom and Abu Dhabi, the bride’s fellow professional wrestlers, and the crew members from the groom’s show. Tune in Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 10pm and look for repeats later.
Wedding : Impossible with Gail Kim x Robert Irvine
Award-winning chef Ming Tsai’s new collection of over 80 delicious yet simple dishes comes with an exciting twist: Thanks to a unique QR code with each recipe, you can have Ming Tsai in your kitchen with you as you cook. Simply scan the accompanying QR code with your smart device and watch a video of Ming demonstrating the techniques and methods you’ll need to create each dish—the first two videos in each chapter are free. Then print or download the shopping list right to your phone.
Ming’s recipes are perfect to share with family and friends and follow his unique East-West approach: Honey Crab Wontons, Onion-Burger “Hot Dogs” with Sweet Chile Relish, Olive-Oil Poached Salmon with Tomato Tapenade, Teriyaki Hanger Steak with Garlic Yukon Mashers, Japanese Chicken Curry, and Three Mushroom and Jicama Chow Mein. And for the first time, Ming not only includes recipes for sweets like his addictive Almond Oatmeal Cookies and Lemongrass Panna Cotta, but also shares his favorite cocktails, like a Sake Cucumber Martini or a Passion Fruit Mai Tai. Chapters include Platters, Salads and Soups, Seafood, Meat, Poultry, Vegetables, Noodles and Rice, Sweets and Cocktails. With a beautiful photograph and drink pairing for each recipe, as well as Ming’s Tips, cooking for family, friends, and yourself has never been easier or more delicious.
Simply Ming in Your Kitchen Book
More about Ming Tsai
James Beard Award-winning chef Ming Tsai has produced and hosted “Simply Ming” on public television for the past 9 years. Formerly a mainstay on the Food Network as the host of “East Meets West,” for which he won an Emmy, he is also the author of Simply Ming One Pot Meals, Simply Ming, and Blue Ginger (with Arthur Boehm) and has created food products and cookware under both the Ming East-West and Blue Ginger labels.
The Fung Bros, Andrew and David Fung, are about to air their first webseries “Fung Brothers Mess with Texas” on the Hungry channel. The brother are rappers, comedians, writers and food lovers, but what they are not is Texans. So join the Fung Brothers on their first ever trip to Texas to rustle up some trouble and grub, from BBQ to the ranches and tasty eats. They take on Texas-sized meals of fried chicken, crawfish, steak, and more. Andrew and David grab lassos and rope themselves some fun herding cattle, fishing, shooting, and even dancing. Each adventure ends up in a comic rap song to highlight their newfound love of Texas!
The Fung Bros know a lot about Los Angeles (626 and Colima Road), but what do they know about Texas. Find out starting August 20, 2012.
Fung Brothers Mess with Texas trailer (contains some profanity)
Bravo’s Top Chef Masters Season 4 is smokin’ in Las Vegas with 12 new award-winning chefs hungry to compete for the title and win $100,000 for their charity. In each episode, the winners of every Quickfire Challenge will be awarded $5,000 while the victors of the Elimination Challenges will receive $10,000 for their designated charities. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is back as series host alongside returning judges James Oseland and Ruth Reichl with new judges, food and travel journalist Krista Simmons, and features editor of Gilt Taste, Francis Lam. In a dazzling season of high stakes, big egos and sizzling drama, top names in entertainment join the judges table including Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, folk rock music duo Indigo Girls, famed Burlesque performer Dita Von Teese, popular American party band The B-52s, Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, Las Vegas performer Holly Madison, and Grub Street’s Alan Sytsma among others.
“Top Chef Masters” pits 12 world-renowned chefs against each other to see how well they fare in fierce culinary competition. Based at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, each week will whittle down the chefs until the finale where one winner is crowned “Top Chef Master” and receives the grand prize of $100,000 for the charity of their choice. The chefs are bringing more than their knives to the table; they’re bringing their egos and stirring up the drama… all for charity.
Asian American contestants to watch for include:
* Patricia Yeo – Om Restaurant & Lounge/ Moksa Pan Asian Izakaya; Competing for Heifer Project International
* Takashi Yagihashi – Owner: Takashi Restaurant and Slurping Turtle; Competing for the American Red Cross, benefitting the Japanese Tsunami Disaster Relief
Here’s more about each contestant:
Patricia Yeo
By melding elements of an international upbringing that took her from Malaysia to England to the United States with a precision that she honed as a trained scientist, Chef Patricia Yeo has created an innovative, elegant cuisine. Born in Oregon, she attended boarding school in England. She was on her way to completing a biochemistry degree at Princeton University when she enrolled in a cooking class at the New York Restaurant School to try something different. There she met Bobby Flay, and they worked together at the Miracle Grill, Mesa Grill, and Bolo. After working in restaurants on the east and west coasts, Yeo opened the eclectic Asian-inspired American restaurant, AZ, in New York City in 1999. In late 2007, Yeo moved to South East Asia to learn the food ways and culture of the region. While traveling in Asia she worked as a restaurant consultant for various hotels and boutique resorts. In 2009, Yeo moved from New York to Boston to open Ginger Park. Now in Cambridge at Om Restaurant & Lounge, Yeo brings innovative and inspirational cooking in theme with Om and its Asian-Fusion palate. And most recently, Chef Yeo became the chef of a brand new restaurant also in Cambridge, called Moksa which features Asian street food.
Takashi Yagihashi
Over his 25-year career, Takashi Yagihashi has been lauded by consumers and critics alike for his exquisite ways of melding contemporary French, Asian and American cuisine. A native of Mito, Japan, the self-taught Yagihashi was working in a local restaurant when the owner asked him to relocate to the States and work for him there; over the next several years, the young chef worked his way up the culinary ladder throughout Chicago. In 1993, he was named chef de cuisine and eventually partner at the four-star Ambria; in 1996, he was presented with an Executive Chef opportunity, and left Chicago to open Tribute in suburban Detroit. An instant classic, Tribute was on every “best of” list, including Gourmet’s list of America’s Top 50 Restaurants, Yagihashi was named one of America’s ten “Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine (2000), and the esteemed James Beard Foundation selected him as “Best Chef: Midwest” in 2003. Yagihashi next was Executive Chef at Okada at the Wynn hotel (Las Vegas) in 2005; under his lead, Bon Appetit named Okada “Best New Japanese Restaurant.” In late 2007, Yagihashi opened Takashi in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood; the restaurant was named “#1 Best New Restaurant” by Chicago Magazine and one of ten “Best New Restaurants of the Year” by Esquire. He then opened Noodles by Takashi Yagihashi, which was named one of the “Five Best Noodle Shops in America” by Bon Appetit; in 2009, he published his first cookbook, Takashi’s Noodles. In both 2010 and 2011, Takashi received a coveted Michelin star. In late 2011, Slurping Turtle opened to instantaneous success. Located downtown, Slurping Turtle offers Japanese comfort food, where delicate balance and respect for natural flavors continues to be a hallmark of his cooking style.
Tired of having to choose one good thing over another? Coca-Cola Zero hears you loud and clear, delivering a new spot that shows why “and” is always better than “or.” The commercial stars Asian American comedian Ken Jeong who prefers the notion of “and” — as in Real Coke Taste and Zero Calories — over “or.” Facing a choice between two different movie genres, Jeong is suddenly inspired by his can of Coke Zero. Leaping into action, he performs his own quirky rendition of the song “War (What Is It Good For?).” By throwing down original dance moves and substituting the word “or” for “war,” Jeong lets passersby know that with Coke Zero, you can Enjoy Everything.
Ken Jeong, best known as Mr. Chow from “The Hangover” films and Señor Chang from “Community,” makes it clear that he’s not willing to compromise — he’s looking for romance and action, or as he says, “romaction.” He wants his love story combined with the alien invasion, and won’t settle for choosing one over the other — just like Coke Zero drinkers.
Award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, restaurateur Joe Bastianich and acclaimed chef Graham Elliot return for the culinary smash hit Masterchef Season 3. Nearly 30,000 hopefuls auditioned at MASTERCHEF’s open casting calls in Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA; and Washington, DC. MASTERCHEF also hit the road for the first-ever food truck casting tour and made stops in cities throughout Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Only the best amateur cooks were flown to Los Angeles for a chance to compete for the coveted title of MASTERCHEF and the $250,000 grand prize. This season will feature contestants from all walks of life representing 23 states – including a stock broker, a professional opera singer, an emergency physician, a food photographer, a plastic surgeon, as well as the first blind cook to enter the competition – all with the hopes of turning their culinary dream into a reality. Among the Asian American contestants making it into the top 18 include Christine Ha, Felix Fang, and Michael Chen.
Blind chef Christine Ha
Who was your first cooking inspiration?
My mother was my cooking inspiration. She was a wonderful cook. When I was fourteen, before I’d had any interest in cooking, she passed away. She left no recipes. After I moved away for college, I had to learn to cook for myself. I realized that cooking required both scientific precision and artistic freedom; as someone who never backed down from a challenge, I thrived on this culinary complexity. I’ve since spent many hours in the kitchen using my childhood memories trying to recreate my mother’s dishes.
What is the first dish you ever mastered?
The first dish I learned to cook successfully and consistently is ginger-braised chicken.
What is your favorite thing to cook?
For a savory dish, I enjoy making Vietnamese eggrolls. My mom used to make them for special occasions, and they were my favorite thing to eat growing up. I’ve managed to figure out her recipe, and though it used to be an all-day affair before I had a food processor, the results were always worth the laborious wait. As for sweets, I love making ice cream. I’ve been experimenting with various creative flavors like honey lavender and browned butter. I hope to one day open a shop where all the ice cream is made from organic, locally sourced ingredients.
What did you learn as a contestant on MasterChef?
I learned not to worry about what anyone else was doing in the kitchen and to just focus on my own dish. It didn’t matter what others were cooking or which ingredients or techniques they used; all that mattered was that I do my very best, learn from past mistakes, take the judges’ culinary advice seriously, follow my gut instincts and make something I’d love to eat myself. Most of all, you must cook from the heart; make something you’d be proud to serve your friends; and create it with passion, love, and fervor.
Christine Ha on Masterchef Season 3
Felix Fang
Who was your first cooking inspiration?
My grandmama. When I was a toddler, I would visit her and she would make the BEST fried rice for me when I was hungry late at night because we stayed up late watching TV or reading the newspaper. Just the simplest of ingredients – day-old rice, eggs and sliced green onions. Sizzling oil in a wok, she made magic with just seasonings of salt and pepper. She was an extraordinary cook. She was that crazy lady who would bust into the kitchen at a restaurant to ask the chef how the dishes are prepared so she can recreate them for her banquets at home.
What is the first dish you ever mastered?
Hmm. Not to be cliched, but I would have to say Chinese pork dumplings! My mom would knead and roll her own dumpling wrappers. In years, I slowly perfected folding the intricate pleats that seal in the savory filling. Finally, by 16 or 17 I was able to complete the entire operation by myself for my friends!
What is your favorite thing to cook?
I don’t have a favorite thing to cook! A favorite thing to cook is silly to me, because who wants to make the same thing all the time?! That’s boring! I enjoy exploring new cuisines and trying unfamiliar techniques! I do make a lot of kettle corn at home because it’s a fast, cheap, and tasty treat that stifles both my sweet and savory cravings.
What did you learn as a contestant on MasterChef?
Oh my God, what didn’t I learn? I wish I could to it all over again with what I know now. My advice to future contestants would be play it smart! Stick with what you know and build on that. Trust your instincts and taste everything! Lastly, cook like no one is watching you!
Felix Fang on Masterchef Season 3
Michael Chen
Who was your first cooking inspiration?
My father, who was always the person that I would watch in the kitchen transform raw ingredients into delicious Chinese food. Unlike most households, he was the one that did most of the cooking in our home. Every little boy wants to grow up like his dad, so that’s what first spiked my interest.
What is the first dish you ever mastered?
Sauteed green beans. I remember pestering my dad to teach me how to cook something, and he would always turn me down. Finally, my mom decided that enough was enough and taught me how to stir fry green beans as the vegetable component of dinner. Heat the oil, add garlic, stir for a few seconds, add green beans, saute, a little salt and a little water to help them steam and cook through. Simple and delicious!
What is your favorite thing to cook?
My favorite thing to cook is probably my signature dish, dumplings! It’s such a simple concept using humble ingredients, extremely versatile, and I love how anybody can have a role in helping make them. I’ve made it with 70-year olds, I’ve made it with 5-year olds. Plus, the dish will always have a special place in my heart as the dish that earned me my MasterChef apron!
What did you learn as a contestant on MasterChef?
Being on MasterChef has taught me to be bold and come out of my shell. You can’t go through an experience like this and not come out a changed person. I’ve just been given more courage to pursue my dreams and to be completely honest about my beliefs and who I am. Already, I’ve approached two of the most acclaimed restaurants in Austin (Barley Swine and Uchiko) and have had chances to stage there. It’s really blown my mind how things have been falling into place, and I think I made the right decision to leave the realm of safety and other people’s expectations to pursue my dreams.
