Food Network Rethinks Its Menu

Gordon Ramsay rules the roost, in more ways than one

(NEWSER) - The phenomenon of the celebrity chef is well past the saturation point, but the restaurants, cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and personal appearances keep coming. Presiding over the largest international empire is British pottymouth-cum-culinary genius Gordon Ramsay, according to a new list by New York's Grub Street blog. The Grub Street formula for sizing up empires somehow omits the omnipresent Rachael Ray—Lidia Bastianich is the only woman in the top 20—but includes other Food Network faves. The top five: More»

From 'grilled to perfection' to 'garden fresh'

(NEWSER) - Tired of menus that use the same old phrases over and over? So are the food critics at the Chicago Tribune. They nominated nine menu clichés for the compost pile:

• "Grilled to perfection": Subjective to the point of meaninglessness. And why always grilled, and not “boiled” or “baked”? Can only grilling reach perfection?
• "World famous": Almost always an empty boast.
• "Kobe burger": “Kobe” is becoming a general synonym for “high quality”; it doesn't apply unless the beef actually came from Japan.

(NEWSER) - If you want white truffle shavings sprinkled over your Thanksgiving leftovers, the biggest specimen found in Italy this year is up for auction tomorrow. You'll need some big bucks—and perhaps the moxie to outbid David and Victoria Beckham. The delectable fungus weighs about 2½ pounds and is expected to spark a bidding war, ANSA reports. More»

Putting toxin on salad not so good after all

(NEWSER) - A British celebrity chef has dished out a heartfelt apology for recommending in a magazine interview that readers use a poisonous plant that's "great on salads." He intended to push the wild herb fat hen, not henbane, which is a "very toxic plant and should never be eaten," the magazine has since warned. More»

Go beyond the Joy of Cooking with Slate's recommendations

(NEWSER) - What to get the foodie or chef who already has all the classic cookbooks? Slate compiles offbeat favorites recommended by Mollie Katzen, James Oseland and other standout chefs, food editors, and more.

1. Ethan Becker: Cookwise—Less a cookbook than a bible of general cooking knowledge.
2. Dan Barber: The River Cottage Meat Book—"A carnivore's manifesto."
3. Melissa Clark: The Mensch Chef —Traditional Jewish recipe perfection.