Category Archives: Food TV

Meet “Top Chef” Contestant Tre Wilcox

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Chef Tre Wilcox (Photo courtesy of the American Heart Association)

Tre Wilcox, a favorite among viewers of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” is coming to Oakland on Nov. 15 to put his top cooking skills to work, teaching a “Healthy Holiday Cooking Class.”

The 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. class will be at Beebe Memorial Cathedral, 3900 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland. A $5 donation is requested to attend. Reserve in advance by sending a check or money order to: Vicki Williams, American Heart Association, 426 17th St., Oakland, CA 94612.

The class is being presented by Power to End Stroke, a project of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, and made possible by a community grant by Kaiser Permanente.

Preventing strokes is a top concern of Wilcox’s, as it should be for all of us. African-Americans have twice the risk of a first stroke as whites. Indeed, stroke is the number three killer of all Americans. Most strokes are preventable, if you watch your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Wilcox will demonstrate that a big holiday needn’t be an artery clogger, too. He will talk about ways to serve more healthful dishes that still pack a punch of flavor.

His recipe below shows just how tasty that can be.

Stuffed Chicken Thighs

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Get Ready for “Top Chef” — New York

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Meet the new Top Chef cast

Tune in starting 10 p.m. Nov. 12 for the fifth season of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef: New York.” The lone Bay Area contestant this time around is Jamie Lauren, 30, executive chef of San Francisco’s Absinthe Brasserie and Bar. Let’s hope she fares better than her Bay Area chef colleagues from last season.

She is one of 16 chefs competing this year for $100,000, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, and a showcase at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

Among the guest stars this year will be: Martha Stewart, Foo Fighters, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Eric Ripert, Rocco DiSpirito, Wylie Dufresne, Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Natasha Richardson. A new judge will be introduced, as well, to spice up the mix. He is Toby Young, food critic and author of the book, “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People” (Da Capo Press), which is the basis for an upcoming film.

Here is a complete list of this season’s “Top Chef” competitors:

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Holiday Lights, Tyler Florence, Wines, and More

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Yountville sparkles for the holidays.

Mark your calendars for Nov. 28 when Yountville’s 20th Annual Festival of Lights gets underway in the small town with the big-city palate (it boasts six Michelin stars and more than 20 wineries).

From Nov. 28 through the end of the year, the city will be a winter wonderland lit with twinkling lights. On Nov. 28, look for carolers, elves horse-drawn carriages, ice carving, and a visit from Santa.

The fun gets going at 2 p.m. with a block party. Local restaurants, including Redd, Bistro Jeanty, and Bouchon Bistro, will serve up tastes of their specialities. Tasting tickets for food and wine are $1 each. For more information closer to the date, click here.

For more star wattage, trek to Santana Row, 5 p.m. Nov. 8, when Food Network darling, Tyler Florence, stops by to do a holiday-themed cooking demo at Sur La Table. He’ll also sign copies of his new cookbooks, “Dinner At My Place” (Meredith) and “Stirring the Pot” (Meredith).

To purchase copies of the books, visit the store or call (408) 244-4749.

For a fix of Indian food, New Delhi Restaurant in San Francisco celebrates its 20th anniversary, 5 p.m. to midnight Nov. 16, with a gourmet buffet, libations, and dance performances.

Attendees are asked to make a donation of $40 per person for the event. Proceeds will go to the Tenderloin After-School Program and the Ghandi Ashram in New Delhi, both of which help underprivileged children.

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Meet Three Celeb Chefs

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Marin County resident and Food Network star Tyler Florence (Photo courtesy of Tyler Florence)

Ladies, prepare to get in line now because Food Network hottie Tyler Florence will be at Macy’s Union Square Cellar, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22.

Florence will be heating up the premises as he takes questions from Harry Denton of the Starlight Room in San Francisco. Sip a mocktail while Florence offers up tips on how to make holiday entertaining extra special.

Seating is first-come, first-served. No RSVP necessary. But you do have to purchase one of Florence’s books to participate in the event. That shouldn’t be difficult because he has two new ones to add to your collection: “Tyler Florence: Stirring the Pot” (Meredith) and “Tyler Florence: Dinner at My Place” (Meredith). Florence is also a member of the Macy’s Culinary Council.

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A Pear-fect Time

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That’s what’s in store at the second annual “Pear & Wine Festival,” 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at San Jose’s Santana Row.

The festival pays tribute to the pear orchard that once thrived where Santana Row’s glittery shops and hopping restaurants now stand.

This year, amateur chefs will be facing off in a new pear recipe challenge. Today is the last day for contestants to submit a written recipe and photo of their dish to the Santana Row Concierge Center. Five finalists will be pre-selected to tote their dishes to the festival (4 p.m. to 5 p.m.), where a panel of judges — including yours truly, the Food Gal — will judge them for taste, presentation, and originality.

The winning recipe will be posted on the Santana Row Web site. The grand prize winner will receive a $100 gift card to Consuelo Mexican Bistro and a Santana Row shopping spree. The winner also will get a signed copy of
“Giada’s Kitchen” (Clarkson Potter), the new cookbook by Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis.

Yes, the ever-popular De Laurentiis will do a Q&A at noon that day in Santana Row Park, then a book-signing afterwards at Sur La Table. Reserve your spot and a copy of the book by calling Sur La Table at (408) 244-4749.

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