Food on the Tube – Anne Burrell is nuts, and I like nuts

One of the new Food Network shows that I have really been enjoying is Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, with Anne Burrell. If the beaming, blonde face attached to this post looks familiar it’s because Burrell has been on Iron Chef America many times, serving as one of Mario Batali’s regular sous chefs. You can usually find her rolling out pasta dough for the orange-clogged Iron Chef.

She has her own show now, and it’s been quite an eye-opener. We rarely get to see the sous chefs on Iron Chef America, so I didn’t know what to think when Secrets of a Restaurant Chef started up. I had no idea that Burrell had such a strong personality, but it certainly makes for an entertaining program.

If you haven’t seen Burrell’s show yet, she focuses on classic recipes that you would find in a restaurant such as Pasta Bolognese or Chicken Milanese. She walks through a recipe, dispensing small restaurant tips, like using a ton of salt (I just can’t bring myself to do that at home) or making poached eggs ahead of time and then warming them before serving.

What makes the show really work, however, is Burrell herself. As I mentioned, I didn’t know what to expect from her, but the chick is nuts! Nuts in a totally awesome way. Burrell’s got a huge personality: she’s full of energy, clearly loves to be in the kitchen, and often pulls out a muppet voice, as I like to call it. If you’ve seen the show, I think you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s really quite charming. Burrell is also a teacher at Institute of Culinary Education. I can imagine that her classes are just as crazy as she appears to be herself. They must be a blast.

What I really appreciate about the show, though, is that Burrell is a professional chef, not a “food personality” and I actually learn things when I watch her show. So many of the new shows on the Food Network focus on casual cooking, and while they may be entertaining, they are hardly enlightening.

Have you seen Secrets of a Restaurant Chef yet?

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Jan 10, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT