the 2009 james beard nominations

congrats to this year’s nominee’s! a special shout out to Babbo (NYC), Zingerman’s (Ann Arbor, MI) and Michael’s (Miami.)

below is the partial list from the James Beard Foundation:

Restaurant and Chef Awards

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR AWARD

A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past 10 years.

Tom Douglas
Tom Douglas Restaurants
Seattle

Keith McNally
Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Morandi, Pastis, Pravda, and Schiller’s Liquor Bar
NYC

Richard Melman
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Chicago

Drew Nieporent
Myriad Restaurant Group
NYC

Stephen Starr
Starr Restaurants
Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as chefs for at least the past 5 years.

José Andrés
Minibar
Washington, D.C.

Dan Barber
Blue Hill
NYC

Tom Colicchio
Craft
NYC

Suzanne Goin
Lucques
Los Angeles

Paul Kahan
Blackbird
Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD

A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 10 or more consecutive years.

Babbo
NYC
Chef/Owner: Mario Batali
Owner: Joe Bastianich

Boulevard
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes
Owner: Pat Kuleto

Fore Street
Portland, ME
Chef/Owner: Sam Hayward
Owner: Victor Leon and Dana Street

Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, AL
Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt

Jean Georges
NYC
Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Owner: Phil Suarez

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD

A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Nate Appleman
A16
San Francisco

Sean Brock
McCrady’s
Charleston, SC

Johnny Monis
Komi
Washington, D.C.

Gabriel Rucker
Le Pigeon
Portland, OR

Michael Solomonov
Zahav
Philadelphia

Sue Zemanick
Gautreau’s
New Orleans

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Presented by Lexus
A restaurant opened in 2008 that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service and is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

The Bazaar by José Andrés at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills
Los Angeles
Chef/Owner: José Andrés
Owners: SBE

Corton
NYC
Chef/Owner: Paul Liebrandt
Owner: Drew Nieporent

L2O
Chicago
Chef: Laurent Gras
Owner: Richard Melman

Momofuku Ko
NYC
Chef/Owner: David Chang

Scarpetta
NYC
Chef/Owner: Scott Conant

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads and who serves as a national standard-bearer for excellence. Candidates must have been pastry chefs or bakers for at least the past 5 years.

Gina DePalma
Babbo
NYC

Kamel Guechida
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Pichet Ong
P*ong
NYC

Nicole Plue
Redd
Yountville, CA

Mindy Segal
Mindy’s HotChocolate
Chicago

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD

A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 5 years.

Bin 36
Chicago
Wine Director: Brian Duncan

Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN
Wine Director: Andy Chabot

Le Bernardin
NYC
Wine Director: Aldo Sohm

Patina
Los Angeles
Wine Director: Eric Espuny

Picasso at Bellagio
Las Vegas
Wine Director: Robert Smith

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL AWARD

Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits
A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for at least 5 years.

Dale DeGroff
Dale DeGroff Co., Inc.
NYC

Merry Edwards
Merry Edwards Wines
Sebastopol, CA

Garrett Oliver
The Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, NY

John Shafer and Doug Shafer
Shafer Vineyards
Napa, CA

Julian P. Van Winkle, III
Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
Louisville, KY

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Presented by Stella Artois
A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least the past 5 years.

Daniel
NYC
Owners: Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow

Emeril’s New Orleans
New Orleans
Owner: Emeril Lagasse

La Grenouille
NYC
Owners: Charles Masson and Giséle Masson

Spiaggia
Chicago
Owner: Levy Restaurants

Vetri
Philadelphia
Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA

Presented by American Express®
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Candidates must have been working as chefs in any type of dining establishment for at least the past 5 years. The 3 most recent years must have been spent in the region where the chef is presently working.

Best Chef: Pacific (CA, HI)

Jeremy Fox
Ubuntu
Napa, CA

Douglas Keane
Cyrus
Healdsburg, CA

Loretta Keller
Coco500
San Francisco

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Daniel Patterson
Coi
San Francisco

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Cathal Armstrong
Restaurant Eve
Alexandria, VA

Jose Garces
Amada
Philadelphia

Peter Pastan
Obelisk
Washington, D.C.

Maricel Presilla
Cucharamama
Hoboken, NJ

Vikram Sunderam
Rasika
Washington, D.C.

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Isaac Becker
112 Eatery
Minneapolis

Gerard Craft
Niche
St. Louis, MO

Colby Garrelts
Bluestem
Kansas City, MO

Tim McKee
La Belle Vie
Minneapolis

Alexander Roberts
Restaurant Alma
Minneapolis

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Koren Grieveson
Avec
Chicago

Arun Sampanthavivat
Arun’s
Chicago

Bruce Sherman
North Pond
Chicago

Michael Symon
Lola
Cleveland

Alex Young
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Ann Arbor, MI

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)

Michael Anthony
Gramercy Tavern

Terrance Brennan
Picholine

Wylie Dufresne
WD-50

Gabrielle Hamilton
Prune

Gabriel Kreuther
The Modern

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)

Rob Evans
Hugo’s
Portland, ME

Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier
Arrows
Ogunquit, ME

Michael Leviton
Lumiére
West Newton, MA

Tony Maws
Craigie on Main
Cambridge, MA

Marc Orfaly
Pigalle
Boston

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Maria Hines
Tilth
Seattle

Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez
The Harvest Vine
Seattle

Ethan Stowell
Union
Seattle

Cathy Whims
Nostrana
Portland, OR

Jason Wilson
Crush
Seattle

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Hugh Acheson
Five and Ten
Athens, GA

Linton Hopkins
Restaurant Eugene
Atlanta

Mike Lata
Fig
Charleston, SC

Bill Smith
Crook’s Corner
Chapel Hill, NC

Bob Waggoner
Charleston Grill
Charleston, SC

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)

Paul Bartolotta
Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas

Sharon Hage
York Street
Dallas

Ryan Hardy
Montagna at the Little Nell
Aspen, CO

Claude Le Tohic
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Andrew Weissman
Le Rêve
San Antonio

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)

Zach Bell
Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court
Palm Beach, FL

John Currence
City Grocery
Oxford, MS

John Harris
Lilette
New Orleans

Douglas Rodriguez
Ola
Miami Beach, FL

Michael Schwartz
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Miami

slumdog-inspired

if you haven’t gone to see slumdog millionaire go. go right now. get off the computer. get in your car. get on your bike. or even get on your two feet and go to your nearest movie theater. congrats to the 2009 Best Picture Oscar winner as well! 🙂

this movie is so incredibly inspiring about love and life. well, in my case, recipes too! over the weekend i made tandoori chicken and curried, roasted potatoes. very spicy and very delicious!

tandoori chicken (modified from Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.“)

serves 4.

-3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-medium white onion

-2 cloves garlic

-1 tsp ground ginger

-1 tbsp ground cumin

-1 tsp ground coriander

-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper – this makes the dish VERY spicy. adjust to your own (or your guests) taste buds.

-1 tsp coarse sea salt

-1 cup plain, fat-free yogurt

note: this chicken needs to marinate for 12 to 24 hours.

first, make the marinade. blend all ingredients, minus the chicken (duh) in a blender. place chicken breasts in a large plastic bag (i.e. Ziploc) and pour mixture on top. close the bag and squeeze gently the marinade all over the chicken so each piece is completely covered. place the bag in the fridge. the longer you let the marinade sit on the chicken the more potent the chicken will be. live on the edge. do 24 hours. i did!

preheat oven to 325. prepare a baking dish, spray with Pam or another cooking spray. DO NOT USE OLIVE OIL. the olive-y taste will not mix well with the chicken. bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.

now for these beauties!

-8  small, Yukon gold potatoes

-3 tsp coarse, sea salt

-2 pats of butter (salted)

-3 tsp of curry powder

preheat oven to 425. prepare a baking sheet. line with foil or use a Silpat. wash your potatoes. cut the potatoes into one inch cubes. you generally want the potatoes to be the same size, so they will all cook a the same speed. melt the butter in a microwave. pour butter into the bottom of a large mixing bowl. add in the salt. add in the potatoes. add in the curry. mix! place the potatoes on the baking sheet and spread them out evenly. place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. bake for 20 minutes. check on the potatoes and flip them over. bake for another 25 minutes or until they are a medium golden brown. i like mine extra crispy, so i tend to roast potatoes and all vegetables on the long side.

recipe request!

the emails have been pouring in from chicago, los angeles, orlando, detroit, south bend, in and new york city for the pumpkin banana bread recipe. so guess what folks, i did it. and i have to say, i’m hesitating sharing the recipe because it’s just that good. but i love you loyal blog readers, so here you go:

(makes one loaf, double for two.)

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp of fine sea salt crystals (can be purchased at Whole Foods for about $2.00 for a HUGE canister)

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 large bananas

14.5 oz of pureed pumpkin (half of the 29 oz can, Libby’s)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of light brown sugar

1 stick of unsalted butter (melted)

1/4 cup whole milk

1 large egg

2 tsp of vanilla extract

1/2 a bag of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

mix the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl. melt the butter in a small bowl while mixing.  in a second medium bowl, add the sugar, melted butter and stir. let the butter cool down before you add the egg. the last thing you want is the egg to even partially cook, then leaving you with an eggy tasting bread. grod. add in the egg and milk and stir. mix in the pureed pumpkin. add the dry mix in three parts to the wet mix. stir only with a rubber spatula. add in sliced bananas (thicker if you want chunkier bread.) once everything is mixed add the brown sugar and stir in the mini chocolate chips at the same time. coat your bread pan with Pam with Flour, or something similar and pour in the mix. bake at 350 for 45 minutes. checking frequently when you’re past the 30 minute mark. (folks, this means inserting a toothpick. the pumpkin makes this bread super moist, i.e. longer cook time.)

the bread is fantastic out of the oven and even tastes good when cooled and with Nutella on top…ideas…yum! and it freezes fantastically. below are the pictures of the whole process. let me know if you end up making this yourself and how it turns out. i promise, it won’t last long around your house. 🙂 enjoy!