Meet the Chefs - Elizabeth Binder

Hometown: Durban, South Africa

Profession: Previously Executive Chef, Bar Bambino, San Francisco, CA

Culinary Education: Christina Martin School of Food and Wine, South Africa

Favorite Simple Winter Recipe: Beet, parsnip, bacon, and apple soup

Lizzie was born and raised in South Africa, but earned her impressive culinary stripes in some of the best kitchens around the globe. With culinary inspirations from her fisherman father and great entertaining grandmothers, she’s ventured from the romantic wilds of Africa, through establishment Europe and foodie Australia, before falling in love with both America and an American and settling in Northern California. Energetic and charismatic, with a true commitment to authentic fresh food, Lizzie has spent time at Jardiniere in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Napa, and Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Most recently the Executive Chef of the acclaimed Italian-inspired Bar Bambino in San Francisco, Lizzie is presently on the hunt for her next adventure. She currently resides in Napa with her chef husband and two kids, Ben, who at age 6 has a studied seasoning hand, and Zaidie, a pasta-making princess at age 3.

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Top Recipe - Chris Cosentino's Blood Sausage, Poached Oysters, and Egg

Thanks, Chef Cosentino, for not expecting us to make our own blood sausage....

Blood Sausage, Poached Oysters, and Egg

4 Boccalone Sanguinaccio
36 oysters (clean and shucked)
2 cups rich trotter stock
4 duck eggs
4 tbsp. butter
2 tablespoons chive batons
2 tablespoons chive flowers
Buckwheat sprouts
8 pieces of crusty bread

Start the blood sausages in a cold pan with 2 tablespoons of butter; once there is color on one side, flip and put into oven at 350 degrees. While the sausages are cooking through, start the eggs, making sure that they are sunny side up. When the eggs are ready (2 minutes) put them on a warm plate, then top with 1 sausage per plate. While the stock is reducing (with one tablespoon of butter), grill the bread over medium heat and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Deglaze the sausage pan with the pork stock and add the oysters, letting simmer for 1 minute. Mix with one tablespoon of butter and add chives then season to taste. Top the sausages with the sauce and oysters, and sprinkle the chive flowers and buckwheat sprouts on the plate. Serve with bread.

© 2012 CHRIS COSENTINO

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All Top Chef Interview with Chris Cosentino

Top Chef Masters Season Four Champion, Chris Cosentino, talks about his experience on the show.

A highlight:

ATC: Tell us about your restaurant. 

CC: My restaurant Incanto, is in San Francisco in area called Noe Valley. It's an Old-World style Italian restaurant. We try to cook with an Italian philosophy. 

 In an average week, we get a 250 pound pig, whole - and two whole lambs or goats depending on what we intend to serve. We just work our way through the animals and change things up as we go.

We also have a project called Boccalone. We create 26 different cooked, cured and raw products. We sell all sorts of salumi. Five heart salumi... Fresh sausage... We have been doing it for about 5 years. I give people at home the ability to have the unique foods that are not available at the general market. If you want cheek bacon or back bacon you can order them and we will ship them. 

 These are the lovely Italian flavor profiles made with the best quality meats available for you to serve at home.

Click here for the full interview.

Thank you Chef Chris!

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All Top Chef Interview with Kerry Heffernan

Top Chef Masters Season 4 Finalist, Kerry Heffernan talks about his experience on the show.

A highlight:

ATC: Going in to the finale, did you feel like the underdog? 

 KH: From the beginning, the person that I felt I was competing with the most was myself. It didn't make any difference whether I observed what anyone else was doing. It was only about me doing the very best that I could do. 

 So I felt very strong going in for a number of reasons. For instance, the format suited me. Serving four plates, a composed meal, a menu, not just a bite, was definitely what I am trained to do. Honestly I felt very strong going in.

Click here for the full interview.

Click here to learn more about City Harvest.

Thank you Chef Kerry!

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Bravo Exit Interview - Kerry Heffernan

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ATC Love to Chef Kerry Heffernan

By week 9 of this 10 week competition, Chef Kerry Heffernan nearly had Chef Cosentino running scared. Possibly his greatest strength is his ability to cook with such classic technique. He utilized this strength in the final battle, four courses of letters to his wife, his family, and to himself, and produced four very delicious dishes.

While his meal was very strong, it wasn't quite strong enough to beat his competition, but we think it was probably very, very close!

Congrats, Chef Kerry, for *almost* winning. You're a great chef and hope to see you back on Top Chef again some day.

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Congratulations, Chef Chris Cosentino!

In what was probably a surprise to no one, Chris Cosentino created an offal-based meal that both shocked and amazed the critics (some of whom even hated it, possibly). While the meal made by his competition was delicious, Chef Cosentino's was both delicious and outrageous, and his boldness played a big part in his victory.

Congrats, Chef Cosentino! The Michael J. Fox Foundation is sure to be pleased with the over $140,000 you'll be sending their way!

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Recap of Top Chef Masters 4 Finale

I want to start out by saying that I rather enjoyed this season of Top Chef Masters. The challenges were overall more interesting than in past seasons, and the competitors had a bit more spunk. None more spunky than Chris Cosentino, who happily sparred with Art Smith through the first several episodes, then really settled down to some serious cooking closer to the finale.

This week, there was no Quickfire. Instead, Curtis cuts to the chase. Each of the two final chefs - Kerry Heffernan and Chris Cosentino - must compose a meal of four dishes that act as "letters." The first course must express a love letter, the second an apology, the third a thank you note, and finally, the fourth course must be a letter to oneself. The Finalmastercheftestants don't have to go it alone though - each gets one sous chef in the form of someone they have worked with for years. For Chris, it's his chef de cuisine at Incanto, and for Kerry, a long-time friend. No, not Tom Colicchio (that would have been cheating).

After a period of meal planning the chefs head out to shop. Kerry goes only to Whole Foods, which is close by, so he has more time for prep. Chris goes to three different stores, which cuts down dramatically on his cooking time. In the end, however, it didn't seem to matter.

The judges for this contest were a bunch of well- and not-so-well-known food critics, including the founder of Chow and Alan Richman from GQ. They're all hyper-critical and seem more than a bit jaded, but the final judgement comes from the shows own bunch, including Ruth and Francis. While Kerry's food was very delicious, and the seeming favorite of Mr Sweater, the other judges were wowed by Chris' bold choice to use offal in three of his four courses.

And we know who wins this thing. Personally, I think it was pretty obvious from the start.

Congratulations, Chef Cosentino!

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Top Chef Masters 4 Finale Previews

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A Good Reason to Visit New York!

Well, it would be, were reservations actually available....

BRAVO MEDIA OPENS THE DOORS TO THE FIRST-EVER “TOP CHEF KITCHEN,” AN EXCLUSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE PREPPED BY FORMER CHEF'TESTANTS FROM THE EMMY-WINNING SERIES

Bravo Media extends the success of “Top Chef” with the franchise’s first-ever branded restaurant, “Top Chef Kitchen,” in collaboration with the restaurant operators of “Distilled NY.” The one-of-a-kind dining experience opens Tuesday, October 16 for a limited time only, providing fervent fans the opportunity to experience the food they have come to love and crave over the past nine seasons of the Emmy-winning series.

“With Top Chef Kitchen we’re giving our highly passionate fans the ultimate foodie experience,” said Ellen Stone, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Bravo. “Fans can meet a range of our talented chef’testants and taste for themselves what it’s like to participate in a Top Chef dinner that, until now, they’ve only seen on TV.”

“Top Chef Kitchen” will feature unique menus created and executed on-site by “Top Chef” alumni and viewer favorites -- Richard Blais, Jennifer Carroll, Tiffany Derry, Tiffani Faison, Mike Isabella, Edward Lee, Antonia Lofaso, Paul Qui, Grayson Schmitz and Fabio Viviani, who will rotate as Executive Chefs throughout the run. Diners can go to www.bravotv.com/topchefkitchen or to www.OpenTable.com the official reservations partner, to make a reservation, learn more about the restaurant, see chef schedules and review the menus. Cookware for the restaurant will be provided exclusively by Anolon Cookware.

“Top Chef Kitchen” will serve dinner nightly Tuesday – Sunday, starting October 16. Diners can indulge in a four-course prix-fixe menu with or without wine pairings, or reserve the exclusive “Chef’s Table,” an eight course tasting menu with wine pairings and the chance to be up close and personal with the Chef’testants. In addition to a full cocktail program, Top Chef Kitchen will offer a robust wine list including Quickfire Wines by Terlato Wines.

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