Subject: The James Beard Foundation

• A farewell toast to Star reviewer Lauren Chapin

    The first time I met Lauren Chapin, the restaurant reviewer for The Kansas City Star, neither of us was writing about restaurants, and we probably never thought that we ever would. I was a feature writer for the Sun Newspapers in Johnson County (and a part-time waiter), and Lauren was a photographer. She might have been freelancing at that point -- this was more than 20 years ago -- because she was in the old Sun offices at 107th Street and Metcalf. She needed a ride to midtown, and

  December 12, 2008

• One More Lap

  April 26, 2001

• Ga-ga over Goo Goos

  When the James Beard Foundation hosts a Valentine's Tea at the James Beard House in New York City this Sunday, the dessert offerings will include "Goo Goo Pies" created by pastry chef Jennifer Giblin (from the Blue Smoke restaurant -- a barbecue joint in Manhattan). This confection, inspired by the famous candy clusters, will be tartlets "layered with caramel, salted peanuts, cream cheese mousse, chocolate pudding and marshmallow kisses." It sounds delicious! I'm a longtime fan of Goo Goo C

  February 5, 2009

• Michael Smith, Bluestem chefs honored by James Beard Foundation

  Restaurant Michael Smith owners Nancy and chef Michael Smith Chef Michael Smith, who co-owns both his namesake Crossroads restaurant and the newly opened Extra Virgin with his wife, Nancy, was honored this morning by the New York-based James Beard Foundation as a semifinalist in the "Outstanding Chef" category for the 2009 James Beard Awards. The list of semifinalists released today also includes Colby Garrelts, of Bluestem Restaurant, in the "Best Chef: Midwest" category. The final nomin

  February 13, 2009

• Colby Garrelts is a James Beard finalist

  The James Beard Foundation Award Finalists were announced yesterday at Frontera Grill in Chicago, and one Kansas City chef made the list. Colby Garrelts is one of the five finalists in the category "Best Chef: Midwest." Three of the other finalists are from Minneapolis, and one is from St. Louis.Garrelts, along with his wife, Megan, own Bluestem in Westport. He had been a semifinalist in the category for the past three years. Unfortunately, Michael Smith, who was among stiff competition in the s

  March 24, 2009

• George Riedel tonight at the American Restaurant

  Among wine connoisseurs -- the kind of people who drop more than $50 on a bottle of wine not because it costs a lot but because it's good -- drinking out of normal wineglasses just won't do. As most casual drinkers are aware, white wine is usually poured into a cylindrical glass, whereas red wine needs a rounder vessel. (Quick wineglass breakdown: The larger the mouth, the more air in the glass and the more the wine oxidizes. For reds, oxidizing is good; whites, not so much. Champagne goes flat

  April 28, 2009

• James Beard Awards Dinner tonight

  Although it won't be televised like the Oscars or the Grammys, the cooking equivalent takes place tonight at the Lincoln Center in New York City where the James Beard Awards are announced. The only chef from Kansas City to make the finals is Colby Garrelts from Bluestem, who's nominated for the "Best Chef Midwest" category. He's been nominated three years in a row, now. Last time I talked to Garrelts, he said he wasn't worried, because he and Megan, his wife and pastry chef, "know the drill."&nb

  May 4, 2009

• Danica Pollard wows at the James Beard Awards

  Amidst all the excitement of the James Beard Awards last week, I somehow overlooked that Kansas City was represented by more than just Colby Garrelts and Debbie Gold. Lidia's pastry chef Danica Pollard was also there, serving a toasted almond rose bonet with strawberry and rhubarb sauce and candied rose petals. Her dish was one of the highlights of the night. This person called the dish, "gorgeous to look at and taste." The blog Not Fine Dining said it was one of only two crave-worthy option

  May 12, 2009

• Danica Pollard's strawberry recipes

  Glasswear such as tumblers or martini glasses also make good holders for this dishDanica Pollard is the pastry chef at Lidia's. She recently returned from New York, where she won over some of the biggest names in the food industry at the James Beard Awards. Fat City asked her for a recipe that combines her love of baking with an ingredient close to her heart. Pollard delivered with strawberries, saying she absolutely loves them. "The color, taste and especially the smell remind me that it is war

  June 22, 2009

• How much do you really know about frozen desserts?

  Ice cream and its thousands of flavors are pretty much universally loved. Nothing on a sweltering day can compete with a sweet, cool treat -- say a milkshake or an ICEE.  But do you you know your ice cream history? The James Beard Foundation has just released a small quiz to test your knowledge of frozen desserts in its June/July issue of JBF Notes.Be forewarned, it's a trade mag and so it expects test takers to have a ridiculous amount of knowledge. Also, at only five questions long, it's

  June 29, 2009

• Breakfast Buffet: Monday, August 24

  ​No, I'm not drinking java this morning as I temporarily fill in for new Dad Jonathan Bender: I'm sipping California-based Republic of Tea's answer to coffee -- or any morning beverage loaded with caffeine -- the herbal tea is called Get Charged, a proprietary blend of organic rooibos, hibiscus, gotu kola, stevia and ginseng -- and other herbs. The bright orange container boasts that drinkers (it's marketed at athletic types) can "get invigorated without feeling tweaked." The blueberry fl

  August 24, 2009

• Who will be on Top Chef Masters 2?

  ​The world has had a week to digest the news that Bravo has picked up a second season of Top Chef Masters. The show, in which celebrity chefs competed in elimination challenges, regularly drew 2.22 million viewers; the new season is scheduled to air in 2010. Food and Wine writer Gail Simmons will join critics Jay Rayner, James Oseland and Gail Greene as a judge. There is joy in attempting to guess who will make up the cast for next year's show. I'd give you even money that chef Art Smith will

  October 26, 2009