Vegetarian Star

How To Cook Like A Top Chef

Chef Rick Bayless and the Top Chef staff have compiled a cookbook featuring recipes from all six seasons of the show and the first season of Top Chef Masters. Plus, there’s tips for using utensils, getting the sauces just right and behind the scenes interviews.

Let’s not forget there’s Rick Bayless’ Vegan Corn Tamales.

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Zooey Deschanel had a lovely quinoa dish cooked up for her on Top Chef Masters, but the singer and kid sis of Emily Deschanel says she wasn’t a vegan when she ate it, and her multiple food allergies keep her from being one.

From Time Out Chicago:

“Oh, man, that was awesome! Though, a long time before they aired the show, I gave up veganism. I can’t do it. And I’ll tell you why. I have multiple food allergies. That’s kind of why I became a vegan, because I was like, Oh, I’m halfway there. I can’t have eggs or dairy. I can’t have wheat, either. Or soy. It was impossible being vegan.”

No wheat or soy? Can’t imagine a life without tofu or seitan!

A list of alternatives to wheat reveal a popular vegetarian staple, buckwheat noodles, otherwise known as soba noodles, are gluten-free. Then there’s almond milk instead of soy. Unless you have a nut allergy.

Oh, boy, is there hope for wannabe vegans like Zooey?

Daily Muesli anyone?

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"Top Chef Masters" Jody Adams

Top Chef Masters Lisa Adams wasn’t just competing when she made a vegetarian dish to honor The Simpsons’ Lisa Simpson during a recent challenge on the show.

This chef would actually eat what she made–and encourages others to do the same.

“I had just a small glance of Lisa’s personality and I knew she was a vegetarian,” Adams told Reality Wanted. “I loved cooking a dish that I would love to cook for myself. A mentor chef of mine once said to “cook for yourself first, then cook for your customer and lastly, cook for the press.” That is the key to authentic cooking.”

Adams and her husband are collecting vegetable based recipes for a cookbook or a website with a focus more on plant based diets.

“It is better for the planet, for the animals, and for our health,” she said.

In addition, she’s planning a trip to Washington, D.C. to talk to the Environmental Protection Agency about food.

“The word is getting out to the public that we need to eat differently, and communities are seeing the issues they face with eating,” Adams said, adding that vegetables need to be made “sexy” again.

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Lisa Simpson "The Simpsons"

Last night’s episode of Top Chef Masters had the competing chefs making meals that would please The Simpsons.

As you probably already know, there are two characters that shun meat on the popular cartoon, Lisa Simpson and Apu, and the chefs who cooked for them whipped up delicious sounding vegetarian delights.

The judges included some of The Simpsons’ crew, like creator Matt Groening and Hank Azaria who voices Chief Wiggum and Apu.

Jody made a Cracked Wheat Salad with Goats Milk Ricotta and BBQ beets and baked kale chips for Lisa, which the judges thought she’d love, and Marcus created Tomato Soup with Rice, Chickpeas, Chutney, Melon and Nuts for Apu.

Unfortunately, it was Rick’s shrimp meal for Homer that won.

But hey, Jody and Marcus’ meals sure give you great ideas for dinner!

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If you’re interested in making an impression on your guests worthy of a Top Chef Masters trophy, then you might want to listen to Kelly Choi‘s advice.

The host of the show tells everyone at OK! Magazine they should cater to the vegetarians cause not everyone wants to eat flesh at a get together!

“Prepare your protein, but also offer a vegetarian option for everyone, too. Not everyone will want to eat animal, and having this choice is always a good thing.”

This woman must put on a good dinner party!

Besides including tofu fingers and vegan pimento cheese sandwiches, Choi says it’s a good idea to balance the flavors of the taste buds–sweet, salty, and what she calls the “cooling sense”–and this can be done by offering several dips or sauces that represent these.

Vegetarian Star’s suggestion: Vegetarian falafel balls accompanied by cucumber yogurt dressing takes care of both the meatless and the cooling requirement.

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Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry

The top 10 hottest male chefs have been profiled at Black Voices, and vegan chef Bryant Terry is hotter than a dish of haberno and serrano peppers drizzled with Tabasco sauce.

The food activist and author of Vegan Soul Kitchen takes traditional southern recipes like butter milk biscuits, removes the dairy, supplements pork and other meats with plant based protein like seitan and rounds it off with known southern vegetable players like seasoned greens.

“Based in Northern California, this “eco chef” and cookbook author is dedicated to promoting a “just and sustainable food system.” A friend of the environment and a pro in the kitchen? Perfect.”

Other hot chefs are the list are “Take Home Chef” Curtis Stone, Season 2 “Top Chef” contestant Sam Talbot and the British hottie but the mouth is potty Gordon Ramsay.

You’ll have to scroll down through the interview with “Top Chef Masters” Marcus Samuelsson before you can click through the slideshow.

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Top Chef Masters judge James Oseland had the exciting task of telling his mother every detail of what he ate while visiting her in a hospital.

NY Mag was just as interested as Oseland’s mother (maybe more), so he gave intimate details of his meals for the week, including a very veggie meal at the hospital.

Oseland said of his clinical culinary experience:

“Honestly, I would go on record as saying it’s probably the best hospital food I’ve had anywhere. I ordered a bizarre daily special: a vegetarian bean burger served on top of grilled rye bread, with grilled onion and jack cheese. It sounds kind of ghastly in a way, but it just hit the spot, and it was oddly artful food for something being so junky and diner-ish. It was a California vegetarian patty melt on pretty good quality rye bread. California rye bread! Who knew?”

Oseland has a habit of religiously eating shortbread cookies, “every night like a prescription from the doctor.”

Not sure that’s what the doctor would want, but she might recommend other items from Oseland’s personal menu, including a pasta dish with peas and sun dried tomatoes.

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Green Is Universal NBC

NBC’s third annual Green Week is on!

Designed to raise environmental awareness among NBC viewers, Green Week features television programs normally broadcast on the station incorporating green themes.

Looking at the schedule, there are a few shows that catch our eyes.

Tuesday night, The Biggest Loser will feature green training tips throughout the episode.

With vegetarian coach Bob Harper, and almost vegetarian but still fish eating Jillian Michaels, we’re crossing our fingers sustainable nutrition makes the tip list.

Top Chef on Wednesday will pay a visit to Top Chef Masters contestant Chef Rick Moonen‘s restaurant as the competitors take over Moonen’s eatery that serves organic and sustainable produce and seafood.

For the entire green programming lineup this week on NBC, visit greenisuniversal.com.

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