The success of TV shows like
Top Chef and
No Reservations and food blogs like
Tastespotting and
Grub Street has sparked a mass culture of culinary appreciation and self-proclaimed foodies. While nothing beats grandma’s tasty recipes, more diners are looking to the respected opinions of expert chefs to guide their gastronomic passions.
Chef’s Feed: Consumer reviews on sites like
Yelp and
UrbanSpoon are invaluable when searching for a restaurant, but the process of scanning through scores of opinions can be tedious. Smartphone app Chef’s Feed provides time-saving relief by offering suggestions from marquee chefs like
Mario Batali,
Thomas Keller and
David Chang. Content includes not only their favorite restaurants but also their favorite specific dishes and insider tips, like the way
Chris Cosentino orders pho at San Francisco’s
Yummy Yummy Vietnamese. Best of all, the app understands that its users don’t always enjoy the same privileges as the chefs featured, so it includes plenty of options that don’t require special access.
The Family Meal: Tuna foam and liquid olives may not appeal to every palate, but there’s no argument that the pioneer of the
molecular gastronomy movement from whence they came is
Ferran Adria. Since many of Adria’s followers don’t stock liquid nitrogen at home, he has introduced a cookbook of more accessible fare called
The Family Meal: Home Cooking With Ferran Adria. At his now shuttered dining temple
elBulli in Spain, staff members gathered for unifying “family meals” before every service began, providing an audience for budding chefs’ experimental offerings. The cookbook compiles over 100 of the staff’s favorite recipes from those meals, ranging from cheeseburgers to Thai beef curry.
Off the Menu: Marissa Guggiana,
author of new cookbook
Off the Menu: Staff Meals From America's Top Restaurants, describes staff meals as “last night’s leftovers, turned into a feast.” In most restaurants daily, sous chefs, line cooks, waiters, busboys, dishwashers, and managers come together to eat, socialize, and discuss their evening plans while the chefs test some of their most inventive dishes. Looking to explore the secrets of this tradition, Guggiana traveled the US, visiting more than 50 kitchens that were known for strong farm-to-table philosophies and esteemed reputations for employee care. The result is a cookbook filled with candid photos alongside the most treasured “off the menu” recipes.
