Blogs

A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

Iron Stef is making tofu...tushies.

Show Me Vegan discusses the classic gin martini.

At STL Bites, Bill discusses how others react to his eating offal.

More after the jump...

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Jeanette Kozlowski returns to review the new season of Hell's Kitchen, starring her favorite bad-boy chef, Gordon Ramsay.

8:03 p.m. The big question this week: Can the guys finally get it together? Their mounting issues have become almost as painful as Vanessa's injury and unexpected departure last week.

8:06 p.m. Corey and Christina are still feuding; Bobby and Ben are getting closer and closer. Ho hum. Where’s the real drama? Known for its over-the-top editing and redonkulous production music, FOX hasn’t really thrown us anything new with season four of Hell’s Kitchen.

8:08 p.m. "Finicky and mommy's little girl." That's how Gordon Ramsay describes the restaurant’s newest customer: 15-year-old Melissa. Her sweet-sixteen soirée will be Hell’s Kitchen’s first. Ramsay gives each team 45 minutes to cook up one appetizer and two entrées for her to sample.

After the jump: It's Gordon Ramsay's party, and you'll cry if he wants you to.

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The June issue of Food & Wine magazine hasn't arrived in my mailbox yet, but it's now online, and that's big news for Mathew Rice, pastry chef at Niche and its bakeshop, Veruca: His recipe for semifreddo s'mores is featured in the issue.

-Ian Froeb

A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

The Cheesemonger's Wife reports on the opening night at the Shaved Duck.

At STL Hops, Mike visits Three Floyds Brewery in Indiana for Dark Lord Day.

The Cupcake Project is all about ice cream cupcakes this week.

Oodles more after the jump.

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Jeanette Kozlowski returns to review the new season of Hell's Kitchen, starring her favorite bad-boy chef, Gordon Ramsay.

8:04 p.m. As much as I enjoy Gordon Ramsay and Hell's Kitchen, I'm not very pleased with it usurping House's post-American Idol slot. And, by the way, if you missed American Idol, you missed Paula losing her mind.

8:05 p.m. Like most people who almost burn off their hand, Vanessa is rightfully frightened her injury will affect her performance. "I can't be over heat; I can't get my hands wet," she says. "It sucks! I feel like a jackass."

8:06 p.m. Ramsay isn't shy about showing off his $200 white truffle pizza. He gives each team 45 minutes and allows each chef to make his or her own with more than 130 ingredients from which to choose. The team will then select the best pie. Jen's eyes grow wide: "This is the challenge I've been waiting for -- where I can utilize this crazy mind of mine."

A dramatic mid-show development after the jump...

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A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

Meet Kimberly: Her Adventures in Eating Locally blog chronicles her participation in a CSA (community supported agriculture) program.

The Pollacks file a review on Bartolino's Osteria.

At STL Hops, Mike reports on the release party for the new O'Fallon Pappy Van Winkle Smoked Porter.

Is there more after the jump? You betcha.

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Jeanette Kozlowski returns to review the new season of Hell's Kitchen, starring her favorite bad-boy chef, Gordon Ramsay.

8:05 p.m. The show starts off with line cook Vanessa sobbing, "I can't fail at this because it's all I have." Ramsay’s voice echoes on the speaker throughout the contestants apartment calling everyone to the kitchen for late-night cleaning. He’s not going to let up on this group, is he?

8:06 p.m. During the kitchen scrub down, Corey can't cope with the girl talk and walks out without doing her part. "Well if you're tired, maybe you should go home," says Christina. She’s the one from St. Louis, if you didn’t know. Therefore, it’s only natural for us to want to take her side. And, well, logical. Eventually Corey’s mean spirit will catch up to her, and she will be the red team’s biggest enemy.

After the jump, hot oil and choking the chicken.

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A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

At One Hot Stove, Nupur is cooking up dhokaar dallnaa.

Iron Stef previews the new offerings from the culinary tricksters who gave us the Krispy Kreme burger -- the Gateway Grizzlies.

Lots more after the jump.

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Jeanette Kozlowski returns to review the new season of Hell's Kitchen, starring her favorite bad-boy chef, Gordon Ramsay.

If you missed the first two episodes of Hell’s Kitchen’s fourth season, let’s get you up to speed. Not familiar with this scorching-hot FOX reality show?

Gordon Ramsay’s culinary boot camp serves up raw emotion as 15 hopefuls compete for a senior chef position at a new Ramsay restaurant. They must not only prove themselves to each other but to the British chef superstar. With his shrill voice and drill sergeant-like demeanor, Gordon never misses a chance to skewer bewildered contestants. Actually, he seems to love it more than cooking.

Last week Corey nominated Christina and Jen for elimination. Ramsay didn’t agree with her choice and kicked out gussied up Sharon instead. Since then Jen has been bitching up a hurricane, and St. Louis’ own Christina has been drowning in tears of betrayal. Check out my minute-by-minute account of this week’s episode after the jump.

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A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

Show Me Vegan explores what St. Louis has to offer in terms of vegan-friendly restaurants.

Planning on attending Schlafly's Repeal of Prohibition Festival tomorrow? Mike has a list of the available beers at STL Hops.

Lots more after the jump.

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A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

Several St. Louis food bloggers had a potluck dinner last weekend. Iron Stef has a report.

The Cheesemonger's Wife is awfully excited about Gerard Craft's big news.

Bill has a message for Whole Foods at STL Bites.

Asparagus noodles are being served up at A Veggie Venture.

Miss Food Snob offers a recipe for tarte au citron.

At STL Hops, Mike wonders if you'd be up for a beer tour of St. Louis.

The Pollacks share their opinion of Off the Vine.

The Cupcake Project continues its apparent quest to drive me insane with hunger: Lavender-pear cupcakes.

Orzo with roasted vegetables is on the menu at Show Me Vegan.

At FamilyStyle Food, Karen and her children take on buttercream.

At Sounding My Barbaric Gulp, Kelly has a recipe for Tyler's ultimate mac & cheese.

Do you know a St. Louis food blog we should read? Do you write one yourself? Drop us a line.

-Ian Froeb

As I posted earlier, at 9 p.m. tonight Iron Barley will be featured on a new episode of the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The episode is titled "Neighborhood Joints," which is a better description of Iron Barley than diner, drive-in or dive. At any rate, I'm home, it's on in 20 minutes, I figure why not live-blog it.

I'll be back shortly.

8:49 p.m.: I'm drinking a beer (Schlafly Dry-Hopped APA, if you must know), which seems appropriate. Right now Unwrapped is on. I can't believe this show is still on. Marc Summers must wake up every day and thank God he isn't doing Double Dare 2008 at an amusement park near you. Either that or he has photos of Paula Deen and Tyler Florence at the Food Network Xmas party.

8:53 p.m.: Oh, God, a hot-dog eating champion at the end of Unwrapped. Might have to turn to ESPN. Maryland women's basketball team in the Elite Eight. Go Terps!

8:57 p.m.: Dude ate 8.6 pounds of asparagus in 10 minutes. How long until the asparagus pee wore off?

9:00 p.m.: And we're on. Guy Fieri looks like a Fraggle.

9:01 p.m.: Dude in a O'Fallon Brewery t-shirt. Nice plug.

9:02 p.m.: That's a lot of garlic. Maybe Coghill will kill Fieri. By mistake, of course.

9:03 p.m.: "I could put this on flip-flops, and it would taste good." - Fieri.

9:04 p.m.: Schnitzel and spaetzle. Amen.

9:05 p.m.: There's an electric saw. Come on, Coghill. Kill! Kill! I mean, smoke! Smoke!

9:07 p.m.: And that's it! (It was the first segment! Hooray!) Congrats to Tom Coghill and everyone at Iron Barley. I can't wait for my next visit. All right. Off to make dinner. See y'all tomorrow.

-Ian Froeb

Iron Barley (5510 Virginia Avenue) will be featured on tonight's episode of the popular Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives at 9 CDT.

Never mind that Iron Barley isn't a diner, drive-in or dive -- at least, not as I understand a dive -- or that Guy Fieri is insufferable. Watch and cheer one of the coolest restaurants in St. Louis. Or, if you want, watch and cheer along with the staff: Iron Barley is hosting a viewing party tonight.

The RFT has showered a good amount of praise on Iron Barley over the years. Here's a link to our original 2003 review by my predecessor, Rose Martelli. Last year we gave the restaurant the award for Best Sammiches, and in 2003 we decreed that it had the Best Décor.

-Ian Froeb

Photo: Ian Froeb

A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

At One Hot Stove, Nupur is baking pear-almond loaf.

The Pollacks file a review on Revival.

What's the problem with this year's contestants on Top Chef? Bill ponders the question at STL Bites. (Don't click if you haven't seen the most recent episode!)

What makes Jack's Sandwich of Awesome so awesome? Let Iron Stef explain.

Caramel-topped flan is on the menu at Sounding My Barbaric Gulp.

At FamilyStyle Food, Karen is making classic Italian meatballs.

The Cupcake Project is trying to drive me crazy by serving key lime pie cupackes.

Bruno's Dream pairs butternut squash in sage brown butter with chicken roulades.

The Cheesemonger's Wife is really excited by the latest effort from the Scottish Arms folks, the Shaved Duck.

Mike has made another beer list, this time with a local focus, at STL Hops.

At Zinur, Natalia has a recipe for orangettes.

Alanna's A Veggie Venture offers a recipe for stuffed artichokes.

Alanna is also the ambassador of St. Louis food blogs, and she passed along two new blogs this week: Miss Food Snob and Show Me Vegan. Go say hello!

Do you know a St. Louis food blog we should read? Do you write one yourself? Drop us a line.

-Ian Froeb

www.techpaedia.com

A look at what's happening at some of our favorite St. Louis food blogs.

The Cheesemonger's Wife advocates for a state dessert -- for Maryland.

Iron Stef honors St. Patrick's Day by making her own corned beef.

The Pollacks have dinner -- and a bit of a problem -- at Athena's.

The Cupcake Project takes a break from cupcakes to advocate quinoa for breakfast.

Meanwhile, at A Veggie Venture, Alanna takes on carrot-cake cupcakes.

At One Hot Stove, Nupur is also interested in quinoa and other whole-grain breakfasts.

At STL Bites, Bill writes a letter to restaurateurs about their beer selection.

Mike does him one better at STL Hops and helps a new restaurant devise its beer menu.

At FamilyStyle Food, Karen is mixing up a batch of tangerine-tinis.

Mac & cheese is on the menu at Sounding My Barbaric Gulp.

Mandy is baking banana cake with caramel-espresso frosting at Fresh from the Oven.

Do you know a St. Louis food blog we should read? Do you write one yourself? Drop us a line.

-Ian Froeb