Celebrity Chefs

America says goodbye to its first TV Chef — Chef Tell

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Chef TEll

Chef Tell — one of America’s first TV chefs — passed away from heart failure at the age of 63.

Born Friedman Paul Erhardt, Chef Tell was beloved for his quick wit and Santa-like disposition. He was friendly, fun, and “peppered” his recipe demonstrations with humor and lots of entertainment.

He was often invited to guest on shows like Regis and Kathie Lee and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and even did comedy segments for Saturday Night Live and The Muppet Show. He was given his own show with PBS. “He was the first of the great showman chefs,” former Inquirer restaurant critic Elaine Tait said. “Up until his era, chefs stayed in the kitchen.”

Tell also ran several successful restaurants, and had developed several cookbooks and product lines. His last cookbook was about cooking for diabetics, based on his own experience.

Originally posted on November 12, 2007 @ 10:30 pm

Padma Lakshmi tells the story of her scar

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padma-on-voue.jpg

Most men won’t bother trying to be poetic. “She’s Yummy!” they say, of celebrity chef / supermodel / goddess Padma Lakshmi. But they also notice her scar — though the story behind it makes her more beautiful. She got it in a car accident she experienced when she was 14. The wreck was so severe that they had to use the “Jaws of Life” to get her out of the car. When she woke up, she had a 7-inch long scar on her arm.

She was very conscious of the scar and even practiced a pose in the mirror that would let her hide it under her hand and thumb. “But I also knew my scar was a symbol of my survival,” she said.

Many people thought the scar marred what otherwise would’ve been perfect beauty. “Such a shame,” said strangers, “she could have modeled.” When she starred in a college play, the director had the scar hidden under makeup. Later discovered by “Elle” magazine during a trip to Spain, she also hid the scar under makeup — or had it Photoshopped. Microdermabrasion was too painful.

However, photographer Helmut Lang taught her to see the scar as something beautiful. “When he caught a glimpse of my arm, he shrieked, “What have you done?” “Didn’t they tell you about my scar?” I began to panic. “Yes, yes,” he answered, “but why have you erased a part of it? You’ve ruined the beauty of it.”

Today, Padma says she “loves thes car, because it is part of me.”

Originally posted on November 26, 2007 @ 9:21 pm

Silvana Franco on the Boob Tube

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Silvana Franco
Cooking is best practiced if it has been something that was experienced from the start especially during childhood. Such is the story of one of the glamorous personalities to grace TV cooking shows in the mold of Silvana Franco. Franco trained as a chef at High Peak College in Buxton and obtained a degree in Home Economy at South Bank University.

Silvana started out writing for BBC Worldwide in its Vegetarian Good Food Magazine. She made this her cup of tea until she was elevated to a senior writer. She soon graced the TV sets for such shows as Gourmet Express 2, Ready Steady to Cook and Two�s Saturday Kitchen. But despite her continuous rise to stardom, she never let go of her writing which include that of Can�t Cook, Won�t Cook, Ainsley�s Big Cook Out and Friends for Dinner.

She also runs a food media company called Fork, proof of her continued love and loyalty in the field of cooking.

[tags]cookbook, chefs, tv shows, vegetarian[/tags]

Originally posted on June 6, 2007 @ 11:37 pm

At Home with Chef Mary Berry

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Chef Mary Berry started out as a broadcaster and is known to be one of the well-respected cookbook writers that the United Kingdom has produced. She is also known for her signature cakes which sold over 350,000 copies. Chef Berry typifies the role of a plain housewife who should know her way around the household, something that most of her avid viewers have followed in her shows over BBC.

Chef Mary Berry

Outside her evident signature trait of making extra ordinary cake recipes, she has also written over 40 cook books including The Aga Book. Her approach towards cooking is branded as family style emphasizing on healthy recipes that focus on fresh ingredients rather than cholesterol animal fats, something that most people of today are quite particular about. With her exposure on various TV shows, Chef Berry has gained headway and prestige, all through her continuous efforts through tri-media, including magazines that are bought worldwide.

[tags]cakes, pastries, housewife, household[/tags]

Originally posted on April 22, 2007 @ 1:05 am

Eunice Kennedy Shriver Specials

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Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Eunice Kennedy Shriver is known to be the executive vice president of the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation and honorary chairperson for the Special Olympics. Her main goal is to be able to provide support in enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities all throughout the world. With such efforts comes a moniker that is used by people to associate with certain bake goodies.

Such was the tag given to an extra ordinary way of presenting the usual baked cookies that people are used to. While the recipes for preparing such are almost similar to that of mixing baking powder, vanilla, cream butter and sugar, the twist comes in when the butter is brushed and sugar is sprinkled to produce the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Sugar Cookies. This recipe was originally founded in 1989 during the Winter Games which contain heavy cream for the people who savor their sweet tooth demands.

[tags]eunice kennedy shriver, cookies, baking, baked goodies. recipes[/tags]

Originally posted on March 12, 2007 @ 1:58 am