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Groundbreaking Chicago chef Charlie Trotter didn’t invent abusive behavior, but his star cameo at the height of his culinary fame, in the 1997 Julia Roberts comedy “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” certainly helped normalize it. In the scene — referenced twice in Rebecca Halpern’s documentary about him, “Love, Charlie” — the bespectacled Trotter, overseeing a frantic kitchen and hoping to please Roberts’ star restaurant critic, barks at a cook, “I will kill your whole family if you don’t get this right! I need this perfect!”

We don’t learn if he ad-libbed this line (that would have been a telling detail), but judging from the life story Halpern has to tell, it encapsulates what he was ultimately known for: drive, dedication to high standards and not always the best behavioral instincts. Trotter — who died in 2013, one year after he’d closed his legendary eponymous restaurant at the 25-year mark — proves more...

I’ve always thought I understood the arcane workings of the star system, but I still marvel at how cooks and bottle washers have achieved the star status of actors and musicians. Famous foodies are much in the news lately — Mario Batali, Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck and the late Anthony Bourdain — and the shows of star chefs sprawl across the TV landscape. “Misfits, free spirits and wanderers have created a new American profession,” heralds Andrew Friedman in his new book titled Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll, which is good summer reading.

Friedman writes colorfully about his cast of foodie miscreants, but I am left wondering whether we’re all falling victim to a feast of hype. I’m willing to pay a hefty tab at a top restaurant heralding a “name” chef, but still wonder how the egos, prices and sexual...

Over the past month, we canvassed 118 culture creators about the year in movies, TV, music, books, and various other entertaining miscellany that flitted across their screens. As it turns out, a survey of the last 12 months in culture doubles as a pretty handy survey of what mattered in 2015.Respondents: Paula Abdul, Desiree Akhavan, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Laurie Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Sean Baker, Jason Biggs, Andy Borowitz, Leon Bridges, Billy Brown, Ellen Burstyn, Steve Carell, Jonas Carpignano, Josh Charles, Tracee Chimo, Ciara, Bill Clegg, Glenn Close, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Mike Colter, Gerry Conway, Terry Crews, Sloane Crosley, Michael Cudlitz, Rory Culkin, Chris Cuomo, Lea DeLaria, Matt Dillon, Edie Falco, Julian Fellowes, Jack Ferver, Angela Flournoy, Inara George, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kat Graham, Frankie Grande, Ari Graynor, Gael Greene, James Grissom, Lauren Groff, Mariska Hargitay, Todd Haynes, Marielle Heller, Caroline Hirsch, Hozier, Colin Jost, Victoria Justice, Thomas Kail, Elizabeth Karlsen, Ellie Kemper,...

Bravo Host Curtis Stone

What’s the secret to success for a Top Chef Master? Apparently, it all comes down to Kiss. As in Keep It Simple, Stupid.

On Wednesday night, Floyd Cardoz, the New York chef behind the contemporary Indian restaurant, Tabla, took home the top prize of $100,000 in the third season of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters.” And his winning meal included an utterly simple dish that divided the prestigious panel of judges – namely, upma, a breakfast and...

James Beard, nonchalantly leaning on the counter.

Today, nearly 60 chefs from across the nation are gathered at Rockefeller Center, NYC "to celebrate family feasts" for the 26th annual Chef's Tribute: Taste of Home benefit event. The annual event attracts over 1,000 guests to the Center each year to tour booths set up on the closed ice rink and taste the amazing creations of some of America's most talented chefs. The proceeds from this illustrious event serve to benefit the Citymeals-on-Wheels, a program which delivers food to the elderly and homebound, cofounded by James Beard 1981. The first event, an al fresco collaboration of America's best and brightest chefs and winemakers, was held in June 1985, originally meant to celebrate James' 82nd birthday. As the event drew nearer and James slipped away, the decision was made to continue the celebration in his honor, "the gala salute to America’s harvest and American talent became our tribute to him,...

Top Chef Masters is serving up something new this season — actually, several new things. In last night’s premiere, we learned that Australian chef and Celebrity Apprentice contestant Curtis Stone has replaced pretty charisma vacuum Kelly Choi as the show’s host, while judges Gael Greene and Jay Raynor have been succeeded by former Gourmet editrix Ruth Reichl. Perhaps most importantly, the series has also traded its old, tournament-style format for a more conventional reality show scheme — all of the contestants started competing at the same time, and one of them will be eliminated each episode. That’s a lot of change to stomach,...

It's hotter in the kitchen this time around on Top Chef Masters.

In Wednesday's third season premiere, three of the 12 master cheftestants will fail to complete their Quickfire dishes (failures made all the more painful because the chefs are paired off in head-to-head combat). The group is then immediately hit with a round of Restaurant Wars.

Bringing out the contestants' competitive edge is just part of an overall revamp to the Top Chef spin-off, which arrives following viewership declines between the first and second seasons (2.2 million viewers vs. 1.6 million). Gone are host Kelly Choi, critics Gael Greene and Jay Rayner, the five-star rating scale and the tournament-style elimination. The masters are still playing for charity but, by design, they'll feel more...

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Top Chef Masters is changing up its format and judges table for its upcoming third season, Bravo announced Wednesday.

At the judges tables, famous food critic and author Ruth Reichl joins regular James Oseland and replaces departing judge Gael Greene. Greene, however, will return for one episode this season. As previously reported, celebrity chef Curtis Stone will join the show as the new host, replacing...

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For its third season, Bravo's Top Chef Masters is dropping its format and modeling itself after its parent. And besides firing host Kelly Choi and replacing her with Curtis Stone, the show is dropping all its judges (Gael Greene, Jay Rayner, and Gail Simmons) except one, James Oseland, and replacing the others with food critic Ruth Reichl. Bravo's announcement also included the identities of the 12 contestants, and said that they "will no longer be...

Top Chef Masters sets itself apart from the regular Top Chef because it focuses more on the culinary aspect of things, normally doing without the backstabbing, the personality clashes, the tattoos and, to some viewers, the more "fun" parts, like going to the judges' table absolutely wasted.

'Top Chef Masters' Season 2 Lineup Revealed

With that in mind, Top Chef Masters season 2 kicked off last week with 22 new and not so new chefs, including six from the debut season. Along with Gael Greene, James Oseland, and Jay Rayner, Gail Simmons will be a regular judge, too. Finally, unlike season 1, the chefs won't be getting stars from the quickfire challenge. Instead, the winners will get $5,000 for their charities.

Leave it to a premium cable network like Starz to figure out a way to combine The Food Network with Cinemax. They will be producing a series based on former New York magazine writer Gael Greene's 2006 memoir of her time as a food critic.

Greene has most recently been seen on television as a judge for 'Top Chef Masters' on Bravo. She's been writing about food for over 40 years.

But don't let her career as a writer fool you into thinking of this as another cookbook. She slept with porn stars, famous chefs and the Studio 54 set (including a tryst with the King of Rock and Roll). In other words, it's perfect fodder for one of those cable adult dramas that creep into the softcore porn territory (and can use the analogy of eating as sex).

Starz itself is becoming a player in the game with the...

· Matt Damon and Emily Blunt react with horror to the latest Green Zone weekend numbers in this first photo from their upcoming film The Adjustment Bureau.

· Liz Taylor has tweet-refuted rumors that she was set to marry once more. And now I'm going to hoooowwwwwl!

· Meanwhile, Jim Carrey is trying to dig himself out of the Twitter hole he fell into after opining on the Tiger Woods saga.

· if you're a fan of spirited judge Gael Greene on Top Chef Masters, Starz is developing a series based on her culinary and erotic (!) adventures.

· Ben Silverman is developing Pedro & Maria, a "modern-day Romeo and Juliet" for MTV. As James Hibberd so aptly noted, "Only Ben Silverman could wrangle a "created by" credit away from William Shakespeare on Romeo & Juliet by changing the title!"...

One of our favorite reality shows, Top Chef Masters, returns for a second season tomorrow night, April 7 at 10:00 Pm.

In a very unusual twist for a reality show, Top Chef is inviting back past players for another attempt at the title. Graham Elliot Bowles, Wylie Dufresne, Ludo Lefebvre, Rick Moonen, Mark Peel, and Jonathan Waxman were all eliminated in the first round of Season 1, but they will return for a second shot at taking home the prize for their charity.

Also returning is host, Kelly Choi, and judges Gael Greene, James Oseland, and Jay Rayner. Joining them will be Gail Simmons who sits at judges table in the original Top Chef series as well.

From this sneak peak video, it looks like egos flare, knives fly, and a good time will be had by all viewers. The new cast is made up of a wide array of 22 culinary icons...

All ye food lovers, it's time to celebrate! "Top Chef Masters," returns for season two and once again the judges' table will be turned, when the world-renowned chefs compete against each other in a series of weekly challenges. "Top Chef Masters" premieres on Wednesday, April 7 at 11 p.m. Et/Pt and will move to its regular time period on April 14 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt.

"Top Chef Masters" pits 22 world-renowned chefs against each other, six of whom are returning chefs back to defend their glory, to see how well they fare in the tried and true format of "Top Chef." In each episode, money will be at stake for the chefs, with the winners of quickfires and eliminations being awarded cash donations for their designated charities. The first four episodes will consist of a different group of chefs competing against each other to name one winner and the two chefs...

"Top Chef Masters 2" really turns up the heat with a slew of fun celebrity guests as well as returning chef'testants seeking redemption.

Among the guests will be the cast of "Modern Family" (perhaps a family style meal challenge?), "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening (yellow food?), Hank Azaria who voices Moe and others on "The Simpsons," "Lie to Me" actor Mekhi Phifer, Olympic swimmer Jason Lezak and a trio of the "Real Housewives of Orange County," Lynne Curtin, Alexis Bellino and Tamra Barney, reports EW.

The site also lists Andrew Zimmerman as a guest, but since Wikipedia says Zimmerman is a professor of German history at George Washington University, we're going to guess that they meant Andrew Zimmern, host of Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods." German food, while exotic to some and rich in history, probably isn't as challenging as what Zimmern will bring to the table.  [Update: In a press release sent out Wednesday, Bravo confirmed Zimmern's participation.]

Now on to the chef'testants.

Top Chef Masters will welcome back six Season 1 competitors along with 16 fresh faces for its upcoming second season, Entertainment Weekly reports.

Among those vying for the coveted title of Top Chef Master will be Graham Elliot Bowles, Wylie Dufresne, Ludo Lefebvre, Rick Moonen, Mark Peel and Jonathan Waxman, all of whom came up short during last summer's inaugural season. New contestants include Jody Adams, Sunsur Lee, Debbie Gold and Marcus Samuelsson. (See the full cast below.)

The show will welcome back judges Gael Greene, James Oseland and Jay Rayner as well as...

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It took a while, but Bravo finally announced that Top Chef Masters will return for a sophomore run with a definite return date. Foodies should watch out for the Top Chef spin-off on April 7 at 11pm. Then after the premiere, Top Chef Masters will move to its regular Wednesday night spot at 10pm.

Top Chef judge Gail Simmons will be added as a regular member of Top Chef Masters' judging panel, joining New York Magazine food critic Gael Greene, Saveur magazine editor-in-chief James Oseland, and British journalist and broadcaster Jay Rayner, who will all reprise their roles critiquing the show's world-renowned contestants.

Of Bravo's numerous reality show announcements made at Press Tour Sunday (Jan. 10), it was "Top Chef Masters" that made the TV critics prick up their ears.

The competition show pitting world renowned chefs against each other will premiere its second season on Wednesday, April 7 at 11 p.m. Et/Pt before moving to its regular time period a week later at 10 p.m.

Food journalist Kelly Choi will return as host, and regular "Top Chef" judge Gail Simmons will serve as a judge this season as well, joining restaurant critic Gael Greene, culinary expert James Oseland and food critic Jay Rayner.

Simmons was also named the host of another "Top Chef" spinoff, "Top Chef: Just Desserts," which will feature pastry chefs in competition. The show is still currently in development.

Bravo also announced the pickup of two new docu-series spinning off two of its own stars -- Jackie Warner in...

At the Citymeals-on-Wheels Power Lunch for Women, high-profile female executives, media megastars, and performers gathered at Cipriani's 42nd Street for one of the most significant social and service-oriented events of the year."We really enjoy this one—unlike a lot of the charity events. It's always interesting and we're packed. We have a huge waiting list this year," said actress Kathleen Turner.Since 1981, Citymeals-on-Wheels has provided nutritious food and regular companionship to elderly homebound New Yorkers. In the 23rd year of the Power Lunch for Women, Gael Greene and James Beard's organization continued to call upon some of the most influential figures in New York City, many of them from the acting community, to raise awareness and money for the city's aging residents. While the by-invitation-only "power women" pay $350 per ticket, male guests pay $10,000 to attend the women's lunch and support Citymeals-on-Wheels. According to one of the men in attendance this year,...

'Top Chef Masters' franchise to return to Bravo in 2010. The show that features culinary expert James Oseland, food critic Jay Rayner, restaurant critic Gael Greene and Gail Simmons of Food & Wine magazine as judges is back for a sophomore season. Food journalist Kelly Choi is set to return as host. "Top Chef Masters" ended season one averaging 2.2 million viewers and 1.5 million viewers in the 18-49 demo. New season will debut in 2010. Chicago's Rick "King of Mexican cuisine" Bayless was crowned the show's inaugural winner after defeating a lineup of top competitors including finalists Hubert Keller and Michael Chiarello.

Bravo's highest rated first season of the competition series "Top Chef Masters" returns for a second season and will see Gail Simmons as one of the judges. Viewers will once again get to see what is like to be a top chef as the competitors compete to win the title of Top Chef Master and a prize for charity.

Kelly Choi, food journalist, returns to host alongside restaurant critic Gael Greene, food critic Jay Rayner and cookery expert James Oseland on the Critic's Table. Each episode will see the chef being put through two challenges that will put their experience to the test.

Frances Berwick, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Bravo Media said this about the "Top Chef Masters" series: "In its freshman season, Top Chef Masters resonated with viewers and critics alike, as the best of the best faced each other in fiery competition. This season we're adding...

Bravo announced it renewed Top Chef Masters for a second season, the series where well-known chefs battle each other in weekly challenges. The final winning chef gains the title of "Top Chef Master" and a prize for the charity of their choice. Kelly Choi, food journalist, will continue to host the series and those back at the Critic's Table include restaurant critic Gael Greene, culinary expert James Oseland and food critic Jay Rayner along with Top Chef series judge Gail Simmons joining this new season. During season one, Top Chef Masters averaged 2.22 million total viewers and 1.53 million A18-49. Magical Elves produces the series for Bravo.

http://enews.cynopsis.com/html.asp?XZY2160466UTF59...

Bravo has ordered a second season of its "Top Chef" spinoff series, "Top Chef Masters."

Food journalist Kelly Choi returns as host, with restaurant critic Gael Greene, culinary expert James Oseland and critic Jay Rayner as judges. "Top Chef" regular Gail Simmons will also serve as a judge.

After a sluggish start, the first season rose to become the highest-rated first season of a competition series yet for the network, averaging 2.2 million viewers and 1.5 million adults 18-49.

"In its freshman season, 'Top Chef Masters' resonated with viewers and critics alike, as the best of the best faced each other in fiery competition," said Frances Berwick, executive vp and gm, Bravo. "This season we're adding to the pot throwing in more acclaimed chefs -– let's see if they can stand the heat."...

Bravo’s Top Chef Masters debuted last night—it’s like a supercharged version of Top Chef, and the contestants are world-renowned cooks instead of up-and-comers. Even the judges are impressive (two words: Gael Greene). If you didn’t catch the premiere, then watch the rerun before next week’s episode, which airs Wednesday at 10pm. Ten reasons to check it out:...

You're probably familiar with Bravo's Top Chef, the cooking competition show that has delivered great ratings to the network since the beginning, but now we're taking things up a notch. It's all big name chefs this time around, several of whom have been guest judges on the regular version of the show, and we're doing it all for charity. Our host for this excursion is Kelly Choi, creator and host of Eat Out NY, and we have some interesting (though possibly not so camera-friendly) judges. Gael Greene has been a food critic for longer than you want to know, but I'm not sure she adds a lot of zest to the show. Jay Rayner is a celebrated critic from Britain, and probably the show's only hope for a judge that's at all watchable. Finally, James Oseland is editor of Saveur magazine. In this version of the show, four of our...