Food Podcasts to Go

I was probably one of the few people around who didn't have the ubiquitous white earpods coming out of my ears, listening to music. That's because I never owned an iPod. My feeling was, hey, I already have enough to carry, what with my cellphone and camera (you know I got to shoot those pictures) and sometimes my sunglasses. I couldn't imagine carrying a music player, too.

Then Apple came out with the iPhone and that would have solved the whole issue of carrying my cellphone and a music player (and in some cases my camera), but I had a Verizon cellphone and didn't want to make the switch to AT&T. So you know what happened last month, right? After years of rumors and anticipation, Verizon finally was allowed to sell the iPhone and I ordered mine right away.

Now I love my iPhone, especially since my Web surfing is much faster than on my previous Blackberry. But more importantly, I now can play my music from my iTunes and I've started watching podcasts.

I'm a real visual guy, so I don't just download podcasts to listen to. I'm looking only for video podcasts, where I can actually watch something as I wait for the bus or BART. So I've been hunting down food podcasts, in particular. I haven't seen a whole lot, but here are some of my favorites. (You can search these titles in iTunes under podcasts.)

1. Epicurious: Food and Drink. A food media institution, Epicurious offers up fundamental "how-to" video podcasts. Even though these podcasts are four years old, and they're not offering up new ones, the information is still relevant. Learn the basics about how to temper chocolate or make creme anglais. Don't know what's "creme anglais?" Then download the podcast.

2. Jamie's Ministry of Food Recipes. You know one person I search for by name is Jamie Oliver, and sure enough he offers a whole slew of cooking demo under this series name. Even though this series is from 2008 and it doesn't look like he's producing any new ones, there's enough in his archives to keep you busy watching for awhile. Plus, this is the Naked Chef, so come on, you can be sure to be entertained by his style and food knowledge. And really, because podcasts are often less than 10 minutes, he sticks to the cooking and does less shtick. (Not that I ever minded Oliver's shtick.)

3. Market Kitchen Recipes from the Good Food Channel. I admit I have a thing for the English accent (um, didn't you just read my post about Jamie Oliver?), so I was excited to discover this collection of video podcasts created by this British food channel. And not only are these cooking demos interesting to watch, there are tons to download, more than three years worth of viewing. So I'm going through them for awhile. A variety of British chefs buy ingredients at the popular farmers market called Borough Market and cook right at the market outside. This is a well produced series with some interesting recipes.

4. Simply Ming. Chef Ming Tsai's "Simply Ming" TV series is always educational to watch. But when I did a search under his name, just this one episode is offered up as a video podcast. It's pretty much a TV episode turned into a podcast. But it's still entertaining to watch Chef Ming on location in Beijing.

5. What's This Food? This is a new video podcast featuring Daniel Delaney, who's a young entrepreneur who has created several interesting Web-based food programming through Vendr.tv. Now he's started this podcast where he talks about a particular food ingredient, most times unusual or something you might not be familiar with, and then he shares a quick recipe using that ingredient. Like with all his video productions, Delaney's "What's This Food?" is pretty slick, and Delaney has that quirky personality (with the accompanying spikey hair) to keep it entertaining.

So do you watch any particular video podcast? Got any recommendations for me to download?

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Feast on Books

On a little street on the edge of Noe Valley, there is a store that celebrates books on food. Cookbooks, new and old. Food essays. Single-topic food books. Memoirs by chefs. Anything you might imagine, with the connecting theme of food and drink.

Welcome to Omnivore, an entire store dedicated to just books on food. Now before you feel like you might be overwhelmed, this isn’t Barnes and Noble. It’s a cozy, tiny store the size of a studio apartment. I’d guess maybe 300 square feet.

Still, any food lover will get lost as he or she explores the many books in the store. What’s interesting about the selection is that there are many antique books, so you can find the latest cookbook with one of the many classics you may have flipped through in your mother’s kitchen.

As a rare food-only bookstore, Omnivore attracts some of the big names in food writing for various readings and signings. I was at Omnivore this past Sunday for a book signing by Thomas Keller, who just released his latest book “Ad Hoc at Home” based on his casual, family-style restaurant in Napa Valley.

But the small size of the store really works against these types of events, especially with a draw like Chef Keller. The tiny store was overflowing with people, and it was difficult to discern a line for the signing.

So Omnivore isn’t a place I would rush to for an event, but more a place I’d like to explore on a quiet afternoon when it’s just me and the books on the shelves.

The end.

Omnivore Books on Food, 3885a Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco. PH: 415.282.4712. www.omnivorebooks.com

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"Mankind is Noodlekind"

Just got back from a book reading tonight in San Francisco. "The Ramen King and I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life" by San Francisco writer Andy Raskin is a story about a man's quest to meet Momofuku Ando, the man behind Top Ramen and Cup of Noodles.

I don't think I'm giving anything away to say that, no, Raskin never meets Ando. But that's not what the book is really about. Like all good books, it's about a lot more. It's about life lessons and self-discovery.

Raskin seems like a really interesting person and I can't wait to start flipping through the page. The initial pages I've read seem really funny and insightful. I would be reading it now if I didn't get sucked into the whole Adam vs. Kris sing off. (Vote Kris, OK?)

In the photo above, Raskin holds a magazine that shows a photo of Ando. And the title of this post, "Mankind is noodlekind," is actually Raskin's loose translation of a Japanese saying written by Ando. (Raskin takes Ando's philosophical writings and uses it in his own Dear Abby-like Web site. Ando died in 2007.)

This is the first book for Raskin, a regular contributor to NPR's All Things Considered and This American Life. Next time you're at the bookstore (remember them?) you should check out this book. No water needed.

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Dinner & a Movie at the Kabuki

I'm very Jewish when it comes to Christmas because you'll typically find me at the movies. As a single guy living away from my family, I often find myself sharing my Christmas with other strangers in a dark room and the flickering light on the projected silver screen.

This year, I decided to check out the new Sundance Kabuki Cinemas on Christmas Eve. The Kabuki Cinemas in San Francisco's Japantown recently went through a renovation, now under the ownership of Robert Redford's Sundance Group. Much of the highlight of the changes focuses on the food, including three eating formats for movie goers, created by Chef Vincent Schofield, formerly of Boulevard.

If you haven't visited the new Sundance Kabuki, here's a preview:

Things are so new that they're still old. Many of the signage haven't been changed or updated. When you approach the Sundance Kabuki theaters, you don't really see any major change from the outside, although it seems like they've added more bamboo trees inside and outside of the place. Here you can see that the sign outside still says Kabuki 8 Theaters instead of Sundance Kabuki.

One of the major change as far as entertainment is that seats are assigned. You can go online and purchase your ticket and then select your seat. If you don't buy your ticket in advance, then when you go to the ticket office, you see a computer screen with a seating chart and the clerk asks you to select your seat. While all this is cool and personalized, I bet this will really make the lines go slowly as people take their time studying the seating chart to pick their favorite seat.

Also, the new Sundance Kabuki adds a $1 amenity charge. This is how the conversation went:

Sales clerk: The $1 amenity charge is so that we promise not to show any commercials before the movie.

Chef Ben: But what if I want to see commercials? Will you waive the amenity fee? I so dig those Mac-PC commercials. Can I see those?

Sales clerk: Sorry, no.

Chef Ben: Why don't you just add the $1 into the total price instead of separating it out and calling it an "amenity" charge?

Sales clerk: [[This is so not what I need on Christmas eve.]]

Chef Ben: Hey, does the amenity fee include a back rub from Robert Redford. That'll be cool.

OK, I'm so amazed that I was sold a ticket and was able to sneak all the remaining photos in. I'm pretty sure I'm on someone's list now.

This one spot of the theater was really cool and very Sundance-like. It was a waiting area with this really big comfy leather sofa and club chairs.

Of course, the Sundance catalog was all over the place.

So before my movie, I checked out the Bar Bistro on the second floor where all the theaters are. It has a bar that serves alcohol, table seating along the side and these big benches and ottomon-like chairs in the center area. I decided to sit here because the table seating were along the lobby where movie goers walk back and forth watching you eat. This comfy area was a bit more hidden.

The Bar Bistro offered a menu with a variety of sandwiches and panini, salads, starters such as Coca Cola pork ribs, 10-inch pizzas and dessert like house-made churros. The menu had a mix of Mediterranean/Spanish/California cuisine.

I ended up getting the 10-inch pizza with arugula and prosciutto. It was a lot for $12 and when I bit into it, I felt like I was sitting at Pizzaiolo or Dopo. The thin-crust pizza tasted like it was made in a wood-fire oven and it really did taste comparable to some of the better pizzas around. I think I was partly surprised because I've never had such a great pizza at a movie theater. The ingredients were fresh, it didn't take long for it to arrive, and it had a very satisfying sauce. I enjoyed it and can't wait to try the other flavors.

One floor up you'll see the Balcony Bar where you can get drinks before going to your movie. Now that may actually make some movies more bearable to watch! But you have to drink your drink here. It's not allowed inside the theaters, although food is OK to bring in with you. Both the Balcony Bar and the Bar Bistro are open after 4 p.m. on weeknights and for lunch and dinner on weekends.

After my movie (I saw Juno--loved it!), I went to check out the adjacent Kabuki Kitchen, in the spot formerly a Pasta Pomodoro. The place is so new that, again, there were no signage outside letting people know it was called Kabuki Kitchen. In fact, a few people walked in thinking it was still Pasta Pomodoro. When you walk in, there's a bar to the right and a lot of tables on the top and lower level. Then an open area where you can look into the kitchen. I would show you pictures but the place was decorated like a cave. So it was very dark with just candles for lighting. Luckily there were some ambient light at the bar where I sat.

For dinner, Chef Schofield offers similar items like Bar Bistro (such as the Coca-Cola pork ribs) with a few additional items. Since I still had that pizza in me, I ended up trying the Mahi Ahi Poke ($13) as a starter. It was your basic poke, which is the Hawaiian style of ceviche using soy sauce as a marinade. I didn't really enjoy the use of mahi mahi as poke because it didn't have a rich flavor like the ahi (tuna), which is more traditional poke. But it was nice and light. I would have enjoyed it more if it was all ahi instead of mahi ahi. The taro chips on the side were good.

For my entree at Kabuki Kitchen, I ordered the Butternut Squash croquettes with celery root and sauteed cavalo nero (that's the greens) with persimmons ($17). It was a very fancy sounding dish. The croquettes were just OK and the celery root was bland. The greens weren't any better.

Of all the food I ate at the Kabuki, the pizza was probably the best thing. The service at the Kabuki Kitchen was friendly but seemed a bit frazzled. Probably after a few months, things will be more settled.

For now, the new Sundance Kabuki offers comfortable stadium seating inside the theaters and delightful eating options just outside the door. While the execution is a bit inconsistent depending on what you order, it is creative and convenient for a movie complex. Makes planning for a Friday night movie-and-dinner date so much easier. Now all I need is the date. :)

Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 1881 Post St. at Fillmore, San Francisco. Web site.
Dinner reservations at Kabuki Kitchen, PH: 415.409.6878.

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What Makes an Iron Chef?

One week from tonight, The Food Network will premiere its latest reality show. Well, almost reality if you believe there is a thing as Kitchen Stadium and a Chairman who reigns over it with a cadre of this nation's top chefs. I mean, really, who out there thinks the Chairman actually ponders all week thinking what should be the secret ingredient?

Now that I've burst your Santa Chairman bubble, let's get down to the nitty gritty of this new show and why I'm looking forward to it. This isn't a bunch of amateurs competing for their own show, or a gaggle of sous chefs hoping to open their own restaurant. This is going to spotlight cooking by some of the nation's best chefs, many of them owners of top-rated restaurants and James Beard-award winners. So this show has the best chances of spotlighting real cooking, instead of fancy editing of drama between reality show contestants.

Iron Chef (the original from Japan) is one of my favorite imported TV shows for its quick cooking and energetic TV commentating. The American version, Iron Chef America, has held up well although Alton Brown, while knowledgeable, doesn't carry off the same witty banter I enjoyed in the Japanese original. Still, I enjoy watching the judging to hear the Iron Chefs and real world chefs presenting their dishes and describing how they made it.

When Iron Chef America expanded from the typical three chef format to four, I thought it was so unnecessary. But then newbie Iron Chef Cat Cora has grown on me with her clean cooking and local charm. When I heard the show was going to look for another Iron Chef, I again thought it was so unnecessary. Does this mean less TV time for the fantastic Morimoto? (I doubt Bobby Flay will let anyone steal away air time from him ;-) Then I read that Mario Batali's contract with the Food Network was allowed to expire and no effort was made to bring him back to Food TV, so then appeared a real opening on Iron Chef America. (Now, those are going to be some big orange clogs for someone to fill.) I mean, people, this time "it really counts." (Is that the right slogan for the MLB All-Star game? Anyone?)

Starting next Monday, Oct. 8, I'll be posting recaps of the show (check back around 7 p.m. PST to give me time to get back from the gym and get a quick snack before posting). And as a preview, here are the eight cheftestants and Iron Chef hopefuls with my predictions:

John Besh, chef and owner of Restaurant August in New Orleans. With his boyish good looks, Besh is going to give Flay a run for his money in cornering the Iron Chef charm. I think he has the best chance of winning the competition because he has one Iron Chef battle under his wings and has the perfect personality for TV. (And did I mention his good looks?) A James Beard winner in 2006, Besh has been featured as a judge in various Food Network competition shows. His only negative may be that the show already has a Southern representative with Iron Chef Cora so you know the yanks in New York programming won't allow another one to sneak in.


Chris Cosentino, executive chef of Incanto in San Francisco. If anything, I predict chef Cosentino's hair will win. I bet it can cook on its own! Still, I'm sure Cosentino's Italian style will actually fill nicely the void left by Batali. So that means Cosentino also has a likely chance of winning. I put him and Besh among the top competitors and probably going head-to-head in the finale. Cosentino would bring a lot of excitement to Iron Chef America because he's a believer of using every part of the animal in his cooking, which means he has an innovative flair that will definitely impress the judges' panel. His only negative is that he lost in his previous appearance as a competitor on Iron Chef America. I guess the judges weren't that impressed by his offal fixins.

Jill Davie, TV chef host of Fine Living's "Shopping With Chefs." One of two female contestants, Davie was an up and coming restaurant chef, working at restaurants such as Charlie Trotter's in Chicago before helping to open LA's Josie's Restaurant. But TV apparently lured her away from the kitchen. Her bio on the Food Network says she was a Sunkist spokeswoman and appeared on Food Network shows such as "Date Plate" and "Party Starters" (didn't watch either). While she apparently has the TV chops, I think she's a long shot in being a Iron Chef because it's been awhile since she's worked in a busy kitchen.



Traci Des Jardins, chef and owner of Jardiniere in San Francisco. Des Jardins is the second female cheftestant and the second with Bay Area ties! (Go San Francisco!) Her restaurant Jardiniere is among the best in the city (and recently had an anniversary and makeover of its downstairs bar, now known as J Lounge) and she has won numerous awards and magazine recognition. She's also gone head-to-head on Iron Chef America and won! Despite the prestigious portfolio, Des Jardins may not have the TV personality required by the Food Network (although I have to say she really glammed up for her photo shoot). If she can bring out her personality during the competition, then her chances may increase. For now, she's in the middle of the pack.

Gavin Kaysen, chef de cuisine of El Bizcocho in San Diego. I'm going to call Kaysen "chef cutie." This 28-year-old will definitely win the young female American Idol voters if the Iron Chef battle was chosen by viewers' choice. But I don't think that's going to happen. So Chef Cutie will provide some nice eye candy but will probably not win the whole tamale. What he does have going for him, other than his TV good looks, is that he's trained in French cuisine and that's a style of cooking that's lacking on Iron Chef America (there was a well-known French Iron Chef in the Japanese show). So if the producers feel they want to bring in that side of traditional cooking, Chef Cutie may have a chance.



Morou, chef and owner of Farrah Olivia Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. OK, how do you become known as the one-name chef? Is Morou the Cher of the food world? Hmmm, interesting. This South African native is the wild card in this competition. I don't know much about him but he will bring a unique approach to cooking that American TV has never displayed properly, African cooking. So if he has a personality to match his apparent cooking chops, then he may be the sleeper of the series.



Aaron Sanchez, chef and owner of Paladar in New York. The only chef from New York, Sanchez is a true celebrity chef making TV appearances and writing his own book on Mexican-style cooking. His appearance on Iron Chef America is actually airing tonight as I'm writing this preview, so maybe I'll get some insight about his style although I'll probably be watching Desperate Housewives. I think Sanchez might have the chops to be an Iron Chef, but his Latin style of cooking seems to duplicate Bobby Flay and Cat Cora. So he's also in the middle of the pack.




Michael Symon, chef and former host of Food Network's "Melting Pot." I have to say, I never watched Melting Pot when Symon was on so I can't say I remember him. Similar to Jill Davie, Symon has a true career in food TV with several appearances in a variety of food shows over the years. I don't think he'll be much of a challenge, however, since his style of cooking seems to lack a definite voice. Plus, not to be mean, but doesn't he look like he should be on TLC's "Monster Garage" instead? I could be wrong.




So that's it! Again, my top picks are John Besh and Chris Cosentino's hair. Check back every week for my recap to see if my picks change.

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Welcome to the 'hood Tyler

I was reading the food issue of this month's 7X7 Magazine (one of two San Francisco magazines) and on the cover was new homeboy Tyler Florence, who recently moved to the Bay Area (more specifically the hoity toity--is that still a word?--area of Marin County north of the city). Tyler is one of my early favorites on the Food Network, and I was living in New York and eating at his restaurant Cafeteria in Chelsea when it was at its peak in hipness. This is just another confirmation that the Bay Area is a foodie town. In the article, Tyler calls the Bay Area (and probably more specifically Napa Valley) the American Provence. Maybe I'll spot Florence at the Ferry Building Farmers' Market. Just this past Saturday I saw Chris Cosentino of Incanto doing some of his shopping at that food Mecca. (BTW, Cosentino had a big box of meat from Prather Ranch. You got to know that was a given.) Anyhoo, welcome to the Bay Area, the ultimate food nation. :)

Photo courtesy 7X7 Magazine, a Hartle Media publication.

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Serving Up: Kitchen Confidential (The Complete Series) DVD

And now a break from regular programming: I have a confession. I’m a food geek. (Hey, I didn’t say it was a shocking confession.) That means I get into anything food-related, even on television. And I’m not talking about just the shows on The Food Network. I watched the beginning to bitter end of “The Restaurant” on NBC and was one of the 16 viewers of “Kitchen Confidential,” the very short-run TV sitcom on Fox.

Fox aired just four episodes of the 2005 half-hour sitcom, based on the memoir by Anthony Bourdain, before it was pulled like some bad salmon mousse. Two weeks ago, Fox released the complete series DVD (including the nine un-aired episodes) and I got a copy to review.

Now, I’ve never actually read “Kitchen Confidential,” the book. So I can’t say whether the TV series accurately re-imagined Bourdain’s words. And I have to say, when I think of who should portray the Hollywood version of Bourdain, the young Bradley Cooper (“Alias,” “Wedding Crashers”) doesn’t necessarily come screaming to mind. (Cooper actually would have been better portraying Rocco DiSpirito. Maybe then “The Restaurant” would have been renewed for another season.)

But turns out Cooper was perfect for the role because “Kitchen Confidential,” the TV show, is all about sex, sex and, oh yeah, S-E-X. And oh, what a surprise, the show was produced by Darren Star of “Melrose Place” and “Sex and The City.” But “Kitchen Confidential” is no “Melrose Place.” (Not enough camp.) And it’s no where near “Sex and The City.” (Not enough smart writing.)

So what is, I mean was, “Kitchen Confidential”? Turns out it was a “Scrubs”-wannabe that really hit its stride just as it got yanked by the money-hungry foodies at Fox. It was really in the fourth episode, guest starring Michael Vartan as a hilarious French chef, where I started to become invested in this ensemble cast.

What “Kitchen Confidential” had going for it was a really talented cast. Sure, Cooper is sexy and really convincing as the washed-up, recovering alcoholic chef who shoots back to food rock stardom at a Manhattan restaurant called “Nolita.” But he’s also believable as a person who loves food. Still, the standouts were the rest of the ensemble, including Owain Yeoman as a charming Irish sous chef, Jaime King as the empty-headed hostess, and John Francis Daley (“Freaks and Geeks) as the rook cook. Also, special guest appearances from John Cho (“Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle”).

This kitchen gang, after several courses, gets you believing that they do work well off each other. And there are moments of silly fun that makes the DVD near hilarious. But, unfortunately, these many silly fun moments didn’t add up to create a memorable series. Unlike “Sex and The City,” which was about sex but more so about human relationships, “Kitchen Confidential” was stuck on the sex and couldn’t make the connection between food and life.

Who knows? Maybe if the show had one more season to grow (or the three seasons given to “Arrested Development” to build an audience), then maybe it may have found that voice to make a trendy Manhattan restaurant a believable setting for life’s lessons.

The DVD includes commentaries and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. Ironically, I actually found the featurette, which the cast came back together to produce for the DVD, more filled with depth than the series. I really believed that these actors thought they had a first-rate sitcom on their hands. It got me more invested as well. So if you decide to shell out the $19.99 (on Amazon.com) to purchase this DVD set, then you might watch the featurette first before the main course. It's a situation where it's actually better to have dessert before your dinner.

Photos courtesy 20th Century Fox Studios.

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What Pie Would You Invent?

And now a break from regular programming: Last weekend I went to see the movie, "Waitress," starring Keri Russell (Ms. Felicity). It's a charming independent movie by the late director Adrienne Shelly (she was killed by a contractor in her New York building). You know how some movies are known for featuring food ("Eat. Man. Drink. Woman." and "Under The Tuscan Sun" come to mind)? Well, I think "Waitress" should be among these films. I've never seen a film that so seductively shows the creation of oddly interesting pies. The slow pour of chocolate or the rising puff of a meringue all shines in this wonderful movie about a waitress (Russell) in a pie diner (do these actually exists where people only serve pies all day?) who's stuck in an abusive marriage and pregnant.

Russell's character dreams of breaking the cycle of her dreary existence by coming up with the daily pie special. And it's not your ordinary apple or key lime pies. Her pies have names like "I Don't Want Earl's Baby Pie" (Earl is her abusive husband, played convincingly by Jeremy Sisto) or "I Can't Have An Affair Because It's Wrong and I Don't Want Earl To Kill Me Pie."

I like to support independent films, especially when it has a creative message. So check your local listings (it was showing at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco) and go to see "Waitress" with its fantastic ensemble cast this weekend before it gets squeeze off the screen by the summer blockbusters.

For fun, here are some of the pies I'd create:

"I'm Bored At Work and Wish I Could Blog About Food Pie" made with vanilla cream cheese mixed with espresso to keep you awake.
"I Hate Dating Pie" made with bittersweet chocolate topped with strawberries and flambe with Grand Marnier.
"I Live In A Small Studio And Need A Garden Pie" a savory kitsch made with prosciutto, potatoes, lavender, rosemary, and topped with roasted tomatoes.

OK, what pies would you make to reflect your life today?

To support women in films, I encourage you to visit a foundation set up in memory of director and actress Adrienne Shelly. Go to http://www.adrienneshellyfoundation.org/.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

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Podcast: Listen to Me Food Shop

I mentioned earlier this week that I spent this past weekend shopping with fellow blogger Emily of Eating Around SF Podcasts. We shopped at the Richmond New May Wah Supermarket and discovered all sorts of goodies. In the photo on her site, you can see a variety of "fish balls" in the refrigerated section. Great for easy soups! Click here to go to Emily's site and download her podcast that features an interview of me. You can listen to me on your iPod while you're commuting or from your computer after you're done catching up on my blog archives. ;-) Thanks again Emily for featuring me. It was fun!

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Pass the Arugula: Book Talk with David Kamp

Tonight I went to a book talk/signing/cocktail party for David Kamp, author of "The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation." Kamp is a regular contributor to GQ and Vanity Fair and have written books about popular music, but this is his first attempt to bring his irreverent stylized writing to the food scene.

Not a foodie but a self-described cooker and eater, Kamp is a charming New Yorker who is genuinely interested in the ins and outs of food. And not just recipes, but why we eat the things we eat. His book has gotten the attention of people in and out of the food circles (not to mention raised some questions about his chapter on the iconic-to-be Alice Waters).

I haven't read the book yet, but I look forward to the fun ride through the history of how food is no longer just substance but style. And it sounds like it's a real look at the people behind the food movement, warts and all.

Kamp spoke, of course, at the Ferry Building at Book Passages in San Francisco. Below are highlights of some of his talk with Clark Wolf, a local restaurant consultant. Kamp spoke about food greats such as James Beard and Julia Child, clarifies his approach to Alice Waters, and why he came up with that title? (At least I don't think he was to blame for the book cover art.)

FYI, this was taken with my little digital point-and-shoot camera and uploaded to YouTube, so the quality isn't the greatest. But hey, I do this all for you for free, so please, no film critics!

Correction: In the late-night flurry to finish this on deadline (that was self-emposed), I incorrectly labeled the movie as taken place on Nov. 29, 2006 when it really should read Nov. 30, 2006. Other than that, you'll get a taste of Kamp's talk.

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The Ultimate Cook Book

Today I took the day off from work [yes, I have a regular day job that pays the bills for this blog ;-) ] because I had to meet celebrity chef Tyler Florence. I've been a fan of Tyler since I ate at his restaurant Cafeteria in Chelsea in New York. The restaurant was chic comfort food, edgy and fun. I think that reflects Tyler's personality, although he's probably more hometown boy than urban chic.

Tyler was at the Williams-Sonoma store at Union Square in San Francisco promoting his new book, Tyler's Ultimate. This is his third cookbook for the Food Network, where Tyler also stars in a show of the same name. He definitely had a lot of charm and energy when he met fans who lined up during a weekday to meet him.

His cooking style is similar to my approach to cooking -- simple, easy, and timeless. He experiments with a few more ingredients that I usually cook with and his book definitely reflects a bold approach to cooking. My approach to reading cook books is to flip through the pretty pictures :) and then get ideas or inspiration for recipes that fits my flavors but uses the recipes from a cook book as a launching pad.

I got a lot of ideas flipping through Tyler's previous book, which includes a mix of Italian and Asian influences. This book looks like a lot of fun ideas with luscious ingredients. I'm looking forward to reading it. Tyler Florence was a very cool guy to meet in person and seems like someone who recognizes his fan base. Now that's the ultimate approach to promoting a book.

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