James Beard News

KNIFE FIGHT, a gritty new cooking competition show hosted by Top Chef Season 2 winner Ilan Hall, premieres Tuesday, April 23 at 9P E/P on the new Esquire Network. The 10-episode series features underground, after-hours cooking bouts between Los Angeles' most exciting chefs at The Gorbals, Hall's downtown restaurant. Get a first look below!

Celebrity Cruises the world's first cruise line to be invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House, and the first to bring its award-winning, fresh-from-scratch cuisine to land through popup restaurants in San Francisco and New York has announced yet another culinary 'first': The modern luxury brand has partnered with SPE Certified to expand its healthy dining options with scientifically-grounded, third-party validation of their merits.

Travel Channel announces today the launch of 'We Are Summer,' a multi-platform programming initiative that celebrates all the fun and adventure that the summer season offers.

Before Julia Child, Emeril and the Food Network, there was television's first chef, James Beard, who brought fine cooking (and his jovial presence) to the small screen in 1946. Garry Geiken (2008 Ivey Award, Ensemble Acting, Orson's Shadow, Gremlin Theatre) evokes the "face and belly of American gastronomy" in Illusion Theater's regional premiere of I LOVE TO EAT: A LOVE STORY WITH FOOD, opening April 26. The one-man show is on stage through May 18 at the Illusion, 528 Hennepin Ave. in downtown Minneapolis.

Bravo Media's 'Top Chef' crowned its 10th winner, and the franchise's second female winner ever, Kristen Kish, with the highest-rated episode of the season among all key demos on Wednesday with over 1.85 million live same day total viewers, up 7 percent from the prior week (2/20/13), according to Nielsen. The episode earned over 1.17 million adults 25-54 and over 1 million adults 18-49, up 3 percent and 5 percent from last week, respectively.

Deadline reports that the Bravo network has renewed its popular Emmy Award-winning series TOP CHEF, for an 11th season

The Rubin Museum will explore illusion and human perception in this year's edition of the popular Brainwave series of on-stage conversations between mind scientists and thinkers from diverse walks of life. Opening today, February 6, the series will include 20 on-stage conversations, 50 film screenings, and an interactive experience in which the museum will become a Memory Palace. While illusion is usually associated with vision, the series will engage audiences through all five senses to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

The heartland's newest major music festival--KANROCKSAS--returns this spring with Kendrick Lamar, Tiësto and The Avett Brothers leading the charge as the first confirmed acts. The two-day festival, set for Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29 at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS, will be represented by a diverse gamut of 30+ artists from rock, electronic and hip-hop genres. Look for more talent to be announced in the coming weeks.

Food Network fires up February with the season premieres of CHEF WANTED WITH ANNE BURRELL and WORST COOKS IN AMERICA. Anne Burrell is back on the hunt for America's best chefs as she puts four candidates through the ultimate Executive Chef job interview in season two of CHEF WANTED WITH ANNE BURRELL beginning Thursday, January 31st at 10pm.

The Rubin Museum will explore illusion and human perception in this year's edition of the popular Brainwave series of on-stage conversations between mind scientists and thinkers from diverse walks of life. Opening on February 6, the series will include 20 on-stage conversations, 50 film screenings, and an interactive experience in which the museum will become a Memory Palace. While illusion is usually associated with vision, the series will engage audiences through all five senses to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Jeff Margolis, executive producer and director of the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, announced the team of talented producers and artists who will create this year's ceremonies.

He's Back!! Andrew Zimmern, the two-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer and culinary explorer, continues his quest across the United States exploring the bizarre foods and cultures in his own backyard. The new season of 'Bizarre Foods America' with Andrew Zimmern premieres Monday, February 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. This time, Zimmern's adventures include sampling baked muskrat in Baltimore, deep-fried piglet testicles in Iowa and fermented fish eggs in Alaska. 'Bizarre Foods America - Fan Favorites,' a one-hour special featuring highlights from past episodes taped in the U.S. and voted on by fans, premieres on Monday, February 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. The announcement of the seventh season in the 'Bizarre Foods' franchise was made today by Andy Singer, General Manager, Travel Channel.

The American Museum of Natural History celebrates its 34th annual Kwanzaa celebration with Kwanzaa 2012: First Fruits of the Harvest. The event celebrates the rich traditions of Kwanzaa and honors the holiday's seven guiding principles. The festival will include a special interview about Karamu (African Feast) with pioneering restaurateur B. Smith, family-friendly hands-on activities, and an international marketplace. Restoration Dance Theatre Company and Balance Dance Theatre, led by acclaimed choreographer Obediah Wright, will perform in an exciting program that also includes newcomers Soul Steps and Underground System Afrobeat. A special screening of The Black Candle, narrated by world-renowned poet Maya Angelou, closes the day. The film is a landmark documentary that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience.

Famed culinary experts Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey are confirmed to join no-holds-barred chef Anthony Bourdain and British food star Nigella Lawson as Mentors on eight episodes of ABC's innovative new cooking competition show, THE TASTE.

Bravo Media's Emmy-nominated TOP CHEF: LAST CHANCE KITCHEN, the groundbreaking digital video series hosted by Tom Colicchio, returns for its second season tonight, November 28 at 11:01pm.

Remarkable artists of all types team up for a one-of-a-kind competition to create the most jaw-dropping displays on earth in the new series SUGAR DOME premiering tonight, November 25th at 8pm ET/PT.

Bravo Media premieres 'TOP CHEF: SEATTLE,' the tenth season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series tonight, November 7 at 10 p.m.

Bravo Media powers up this November with a robust schedule of new and returning original series highlighting the six passion points - Food, Fashion, Beauty, Design, Pop Culture and Digital.

Bravo Media powers up this November with a robust schedule of new and returning original series highlighting the six passion points - Food, Fashion, Beauty, Design, Pop Culture and Digital. The exciting new line-up kicks off with 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' and 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' then celebrates Season 10 of 'Top Chef: Seattle' where food and competition merge into an all-out race for the title. New series 'Start-Ups: Silicon Valley' allows cameras into the unexplored world of the technology industry and 'LOLwork' will have audiences laughing out loud. For a snippet of Bravo's big premiere week: http://www.bravotv.com/premieres

I'm glad that 'I Love to Eat' made good use of Nick Olcott's considerable acting talents. I just wish he was given a better script to deliver.