ICA: Garces vs. Weitzman
Iron Chef Jose Garces faces off against challenger Rebecca Weitzman. Chef Weitzman is the executive chef at Redwood Kitchenette in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. The judges for Battle: Silkie Chicken are Karine Bakhoum, Art Smith, and Julie White.
Chef Weitzman grew up just outside of Boston but has made her bones working in some of the most well respected kitchens in the Big Apple. That includes time spent working for chef Bobby Flay at Mesa Grill, Bolo and Bar Americain as well as ‘inoteca Restaurant. Pedigreed toque Rebecca Weitzman made her name thrilling Park Slopers with locavore plates at Thistle Hill Tavern (where she is still partner, though no longer head chef). After a brief stint at gourmand movie-theater café Indie Food and Wine, the CIA grad has turned up at the cheery Chelsea diner, sporting redwood paneling, U-shaped teal banquettes and a blown-up vintage photo of a trailer amid crisp fall foliage, plus an actual shiny Airstream trailer retrofitted to serve as a bar.
If Chef Rebecca looks familiar to Food Network viewers it’s because she competed on Chopped back in 2010 on an episode called “First Things Worst.” There she took home the win making a dessert that included baby bananas, coconut flakes, pumpernickel rye and soy sauce. Hopefully that experience will translate into a solid performance in Kitchen Stadium but it won’t be easy as Iron Chef Jose Garces will be waiting.
Check below for the outcome.
Garces | Weitzman | |
Taste | 27 | 22 |
Plating | 15 | 12 |
Originality | 15 | 11 |
Total | 57 | 45 |
Recipe: Making Foods on a Stick
I dropped by Studio 10 to offer some fun and easy summer entertaining tips by making four different foods on a stick. They are colorful, great conversation pieces and best of all no plates and silverware to wash.
Foods on a Stick |
- 1 pack of bamboo skewers
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 12 bite-sized pieces of mozzarella
- 12 basil leaves
- 1 bottle spray dressing like Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bit-sized pieces
- cup Buffalo wing sauce
- cup Buffalo wing flavored corn or potato chips, crushed
- cup honey
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- cup peanut butter
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Chinese five spice to taste
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Salad on a Stick
- Impale a cherry tomato with a skewer.
- Fold a basil leaf in half and add to the stick.
- Then add a bite of mozzarella.
- Spritz with dressing.
- Harlem Sauce
- Combine honey and chili flakes.
- Heat in a microwave for no more than 10 seconds.
- Thai Peanut Sauce
- Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil and Five Spice and set aside.
- Chicken on a Stick
- In a pan over medium-high heat cook the chicken bites until done.
- Impale each bite on a skewer.
- Dunk each bit in one of three sauces.
- For Buffalo bites sprinkle crushed chips on top.
- For Thai chicken bites sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Instead of spritzing with vinaigrette you could drizzle extra virgin olive oil.
Cinco de Mayo Recipes: Salsas & Guacamole
My latest appearance on Studio 10 on WALA. Three dishes – one recipe, no cooking and the gorgeous Cherish Lombard. Does it get any better than that?
Check out these Cinco de Mayo recipes: red salsa, pineapple salsa and guacamole.
Cinco de Mayo Recipe: Easiest Ever Chicken Mole Enchiladas
Mexican Made Easy host Marcela Valladolid is throwing a Cinco de Mayo party all week long at the Food Network and you’re invited! Marcela was nice enough to send me a few of her recipes to share with the Wannabe TV Chef readers.
Be sure to trip over to the Food Network’s Cinco de Mayo HQ for more recipes and tips from the whole FN gang. I’ll be posting a more of Marcela’s recipes throughout the week so be sure to check back daily right HERE.
Marcela is also the author of Fresh Mexico (available at amazon).
Enjoy!!!