• Top Chef

Hey Guys!

You know how Bryan knows pretty much everything about everything? Well, he totally does. Read all about Bryan's feelings on being a judge on Top Chef, and his predictions for the winner!

Read HERE.

And, because I know your weekly emotional arcs are basically shaped by these Friday Gadget posts, here's a few amazing/awesome/bizarre treats that caught my eye this week.

First up, we have a super cool gadget for all you parents of finicky eaters - The Chew Chew Train! Check it out here. 

Know how after you chop garlic you REEK of it for days upon days? Even AFTER you've used your stainless steel garlic mouse? Enter Garlic Zoom!

I've been looking for ways to create smallish, semi-manageable kitchen fires. You?

Welcome to the portion of this post where I tell you about insane ideas which will never go anywhere!

And finally, if you don't run right out and snatch these up IMMEDIATELY, we are no longer friends.

Happy weekend!

-Audie


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  • Categories: Top Chef , Voltaggio Brothers , Gadgets , Audie and the Community

Bryan was a pretty good judge! Definitely miss seeing him and Michael on TV.

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Michael Makes It
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jul 15, 2010

http://coastgrown.com/shop/images/T/Short%20Ribs.jpg

Hey Guys!

When Michael has the floor, it's silly to do too many introductions. Let's all watch the younger Voltaggio brother make Kelly and Andrea's Braised Short Ribs from Top Chef.

Watch here!

I don't know about you, but I'm off to recreate THAT recreation! Later, V fans!

-Audie

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Bryan Speaks!
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jul 7, 2010

Hey Guys!

I thought you'd might like to see a little clip of Bryan V talking about his experience with Top Chef. Check it out HERE.

Enjoy!

-Audie


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Michael And Bryan Chat With The Aspen Times
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jun 21, 2010

Hey Guys!

Hope you all had a great, memorable food-filled weekend. I wanted to share this cute article from The Aspen Times about BOTH Voltaggio bros! Read all about their experiences after Top Chef HERE.

Here's a little snippet:

"Bryan credits the show for advancing their respective careers more quickly, and Michael, finally cracking a smile, admits life, post-“Top Chef,” is busier."

Happy Monday, everyone!

-Audie


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Interview With Bryan!
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jun 16, 2010

Hey Guys!

I wanted to share a quick but great little Q and A with Bryan about sustainable seafood. Read it HERE.

Here's a small piece of the interview:

"Q: It's been a big year for you. After you were on "Top Chef," you were nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the mid-Atlantic. How often are you still in the kitchen at Volt?

A: Every day. And, surprisingly, people are shocked when they see me. I'm, like, "Where else would you think I'd be right now?" Obviously, I've been doing side projects, but if I'm out, then I'm working on something that is going to benefit Volt."

And, because we're all revving up for a great new season of Top Chef tonight, here's a fun article - with shout-outs to Michael!

Enjoy!

-Audie


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Top Chef!
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jun 15, 2010

Hey Guys!

Since you're all Voltaggio and food fans, one assumes you're also Top Chef fans! And how could you not be? Tom's stinging comments, Padma's dulcet tones, Gail's matter-of-factness - it's good television, really. Add to the mix a tangle of ego-driven chefs scrambling for fame and fortune, you have yourself great television!

Luckily, the wait is over. Top Chef Season 7 sizzles on to your screens tomorrow night, Wednesday June 16th, on Bravo. This season, watch the cheftestants offer up their very best chiffonades, dices and chops in DC! Read a fun review HERE.

Tell us, what was your favorite Voltaggio Top Chef moment? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks!

-Audie


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Hungry in America
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Mar 10, 2010


Hey everyone,

A few weeks ago, I was honored to cook at a fundraiser to benefit the Hungry in America Project.  This is a documentary being put together by filmmakers Kristi Jacobsen and Lori Silverbush.  The film is co-produced by Tom Colicchio, who was a judge on my season of Top Chef.

Hungry In America is about exploring the state of food in America; it will focus on the "food stamp program, school lunches and other critical issues regarding the state of our country's food system."  This is a vital issue facing the country, and one I am proud to support.  To learn more about this great project, click HERE.  The trailer for the documentary is above.

-MIchael

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Metro International Interview
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Mar 8, 2010

Michael Voltaggio

Hey everyone,

A few weeks ago I cooked for Metro International, and sat down to answer some questions about The Dining Room, Top Chef and my work.  The interview turned out well; I think it shows a side of me that wasn't often shown on TV.  Here's an excerpt from the interview:

"Do you view cooking as a competition when there aren’t the 3.5 million “Top Chef” viewers in your kitchen?

I think cooking is a competition with yourself. It’s not about beating the other people; it’s about expressing yourself through food. The single hardest thing about being a chef is keeping your staff inspired. And that’s what forces me to try and create every single day. I just smelled burning wood on my way in; now I want to make a dish that kind of triggers that. We create emotion. People come in here and they celebrate their birthdays and their anniversaries. I just want people to come in here and have a great experience."

You can read the full article HERE.

-Michael

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Preparing a 6-Minute Egg
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Feb 2, 2010
On the Top Chef finale we went to Napa and had to cook two dishes using local and organic ingredients.  I love to eat local and organic but it's not really my cooking style.  I pretty much lean towards really unique, hard to find, and seasonal ingredients.  If the ingredients are local and organic, that is a plus, but often they are from strange parts of the world or made by artisans across the country.

However, the challenge definitely opened up my eyes a bit to cooking with local products. There are some amazing farms in Napa and I'm forming relationships with farms catering to the Los Angeles area. If you are reading this and you are a farmer, or know a local farmer around Los Angeles or Frederick Maryland, leave us a note in the comments.

We had to prepare an entree using a meat and a vegetarian appetizer.  Another thing I don't do often is cook vegetarian. I love vegetarian food and do make quite a few vegetarian dishes at the restaurant, but the vast majority of my food is not vegetarian. I wasn't asked to make a vegan dish, we did that earlier for Natalie Portman, so I wanted to use a great vegetarian ingredient that could demonstrate some technique, so I made a six minute egg.  A lot of people have asked me what a six minute egg is and best ways to serve it, so here you go:

A six minute egg is prepared in a similar fashion to a hard boiled but cooked in less time, six minutes versus ten to be exact.  With a hard boiled egg, the entire egg, white and yolk, should be cooked through to a solid texture.  A six minute egg is of course cooked for less time so therefore it has a different texture.  The white part of the egg nearest the shell is firm but not at all hard or rubbery.  As you get closer to the yolk, the white gets softer and softer. The yolk holds itself together but is soft and runny.  It is basically the same texture as an over easy egg but it stays in the egg shape.  Very delicious.

Alright, here's how you make them:

Start out by filling up a medium pot with enough water to cover an egg.  Place the water on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Once it is boiling steadily add 1-2 eggs (for bigger batches use a large pot).  Let the eggs sit in the water for six minutes.

When you take out the egg, place it directly into a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. That will slow down the cooking process and make it possible to peel off the shell because the egg white will seize up and separate from the shell.  Here is the key, when you are cracking them, don't hit them too hard because you will break the white and make them difficult to handle.  Tap the egg very lightly on all sides, just enough to crack the shell but not to dent it.  Once you have cracked most of the shell, start pulling it off.  There will be a bit of membrane between the shell and the white so clean it thouroughly. I had to de-shell hundreds of eggs on Top Chef and didn't get the chance to completely clean each egg and I got a little dinged on that.



Once you remove the shell, you have your six minute egg.  It is something you will want to serve accompanied by something else, like bread or a great sauce.  I recommend serving it on a piece of toast or english muffin.

A great and simple breakfast snack is taking an english muffin, separating the two halves, toasting and buttering each half, and putting a great jam on one half and laying the egg on the other half.  Put a little salt and pepper on the egg and dig in.  The white breaks open and the yolk runs over the english muffin. The white stays firm and breaks into nice pieces.

The combination of the egg, english muffin, butter, and jam is wonderful.  More of a snack than something you would see on the Langham menu, but a great quick dish.  To impress your friends, make a great sauce or serve the egg over a perfectly cooked steak.

Thanks and let me know if you have any questions about the six minute egg.

-Michael

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White Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Posted by Bryan Voltaggio on Jan 25, 2010

Please install the latest Flash player.

Hey Everyone,

Some of you on the website, including JES, have been asking for my White Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cheesecake recipe that I made on the Top Chef finale.

I shot a video for you to show you how I made it.

I will post a full recipe for this dish soon. Enjoy.

Cheers,

Bryan


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