Momofuku chef David Chang and his publishing collaborator Peter Meehan made an appearance recently on “CBS This Morning” to discuss the thinking and planning behind their popular Lucky Peach quarterly.
“So, what do you love about it, the whole idea of cooking?” host Charlie Rose asked Chang.
“It’s the constant pursuit of perfection,” Chang replied.

~Jennifer Heigl
*Video, front image courtesy of CBSNews.com

In addition to my anticipation over the upcoming release of Lucky Peach, the iPad app and print journal from chef David Chang and writer Peter Meehan, I’m excited to read more about Chang’s first expansion projects outside of New York. After skyrocketing to recognition with his five signature restaurants in Manhattan, the award-winning chef is in the planning stages for new locations in both Sydney and Toronto over the next two years.
The first location set to open will be a 30-seat eatery Down Under, named Seiobo, which will be located …

Phew! And we’re back to news…
Prior to Green Bay’s well-played win at Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV, Nation’s Restaurant News reported that while spots in last year’s advertising lineup were popular with some heavier hitters in food service, none of the usual suspects bought space for this year’s Super Bowl. In an article late last week, it was a notable change to from last year’s advertisers that included national food brands like Papa John’s, Denny’s, and Taco Bell, with this year’s $3M-per-30-second bottom line detouring many. Pizza delivery chain Papa John’s …

Via a speculative post on Eater, restaurant fans learned today that Colicchio & Sons chef de cuisine Shane McBride would be moving on from his position at the New York restaurant. McBride, who has been a part of the Colicchio staff for the last three years, formerly manned the Craftsteak kitchen helm before making the transition with the restaurant to Colicchio & Sons. Though there’s always curiosity as to whether a departure is part of a restaurant’s master plan or simply a change of scenery, Craft’s Damon Wise left a …

Chef Tim Love admitted to being nervous when he took the stage on day two of the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Despite his initial confession, the gregarious chef, a former contestant on Top Chef Masters, seemed at ease during his High Steaks Grilling demo under the festival’s main Cooking Tent. It was a packed house, with Love wowing the crowd with his knowledge of meat, spices, and all things BBQ.
The Texas chef, fresh from celebrating the ten-year anniversary of his Lonesome Dove Bistro – “If you know the …

The official first day of the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen started a bit different for me than many of the other food and wine festivals I’ve attended. Uniquely, Aspen offers opportunities for restaurateurs, chefs, managers, and owners to attend sessions dedicated to furthering business operations through their American Express Restaurant Trade Program. Now in its 21st year, I sat in on the program’s first session of the weekend, ‘Meet The Masters’, featuring chefs and restaurateurs Tom Colicchio, Jose Andres, Barbara Lynch, and Rick Bayless discussing everything from food …

The latest issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller features a review on chef Gordon Ramsay’s first Australian location, which is surprisingly two restaurant concepts in one spot. With a development price tag of nearly $300 million, Ramsay’s maze and maze grill opened in Melbourne in mid-April to mixed reviews.
According to the GT article, maze, the more formal of the two dining rooms, delivers dishes that are “all about exact cooking, clean flavours and precise presentation”, with Australian favorites making their way to the menu.
The Aussie flag is raised over dessert with …

An amazing evening was had this past Monday night in New York City as the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards were announced in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Amid beautiful early summer weather, big industry names from Jacques Pépin to Grant Achatz and everyone in between came together to celebrate culinary greats from around the country. Chefs, mixologists, and food personalities made it down the red carpet early in the evening, stopping for laughs and poses as photographers, journalists, and food fans snapped photos of their favorites. Hosts Lidia …

Seems we’re full-swing into “awards season” (I didn’t even realize there was a food awards season), with everyone and their mother naming their favorites across the culinary board. While in Portland for their annual conference, the International Association of Culinary Professionals handed out their awards for best cookbooks, food journalism, food styling, food photography, and awards of excellence.
Some of the winners include:

Cookbook – American: My New Orleans, John Besh
Cookbook – Chefs & Restaurants: Ad Hoc at Home, Thomas Keller and Dave Cruz
Cookbook – Compilations: Gourmet Today, Ruth Reichl
Culinary Writing …

A hat tip to Eater for snagging the video of chef David Chang’s visit to the Late Show with David Letterman last night. The chef talks about his foray into the food world, noting that his father, already in the business, wasn’t too thrilled when Chang announced his culinary career plans.
“It’s weird because he wanted me to do better in school, and this is where I ended up for not doing better in school.”
Trying to pay attention while Chang explains the art of cooking mussels and the beauty of ramps, …

All the dreary winter weather certainly has me Aspen dreaming this week. Tickets recently went on sale for the 28th Annual Food & Wine Classic held in Aspen every June, and I’m already thinking about the lush mountains, the clean air, and the beautiful blue skies that surround the fabulous event.
The Food & Wine Classic is the mother of all food and wine festivals, developed nearly thirty years ago to showcase the best of the best in the industry. I was more than ecstatic to attend last year’s event, dropping …

When I started this Friday Five, I was thinking I’d just jot down a few of the restaurants I’m still needing to visit. As I started compiling my wishlist, however, it grew until it became more of a collection of culinary treks I’d like to make – and all the restaurants I want to hit during those adventures. Food & Wine’s feature on top ten “life-changing” restaurants didn’t help either.
My five ambitious foodie adventures:
1. Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld, Victoria, Australia. After studying abroad in Australia for a year in college, …

With a great hurrah, the fantastic Cayman Cookout festivities came to an end on Sunday. Just before noon, guests gathered for the Bon Vivant Sunday Moet & Chandon Champagne Brunch Cook-off. Featuring a mind-boggling display of decadence from the staff at the Ritz-Carlton, from caviar and fresh made blinis to sushi and dim sum, the food offerings were only a part of the adventure – with a live cookoff staged during the brunch.
The competition, emceed by the lovely Gail Simmons of Food & Wine and Bravo’s Top Chef (and the …

Saturday morning’s activities began early, with bright sun and clear skies awaiting. I tagged along as nearly forty Cookout visitors clamored aboard a beautiful catamaran for a demo and water excursion with Chef Eric Ripert. The destination? Grand Cayman’s Stingray City, a shallow sandbar home to docile, visitor-friendly stingrays happy to swim and soar past the nearly 6000 visitors who anchor nearby each day.
After a brief mingle on board as the boat made its way out to sea, brave souls ventured into the sky blue water to meet and swim …

With humidity hanging in the air and bare feet burrowing into cool sand, the decadent Cayman Cookout launched its weekend of top-notch demos and iconic chefs with a magnificent beach soiree last Thursday night. Hosted by the elegant Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman Island, the welcome reception included delicious bites from local conch to grilled lobster to certified angus beef, with guests like Food & Wine’s Gail Simmons, wine expert Anthony Giglio, and Cayman Island Premier McKeeva Bush. As hotel chefs manned individual cooking stations, celeb chefs, media, locals, and foodies …