Celebrity Chef Recipe Test - The Challenge

January 2, 2010

Has anyone really tested and tried recipes from celebrity cookbooks? I mean, I know that the celebrity chefs are extremely popular and many of their books are sold but do people really make ALL of the recipes or just the one or two that they saw on tv? These cookbooks could simply be the same as CD's... one or two good songs and the rest are fillers. So, what should be done about this? I think these recipes need testing. And I should be the one to do it. Why, you ask? Who am I? I am someone with a very finicky palate and a love of good food. Note that I am not touting my culinary expertise. I'm someone who adores making deliciously, delectable food for my family. After all, what brings family together more than food? So, my name is Colleen and I'm up to challenge celebrity TV chefs and the many recipes that they present in their vast collections of cookbooks.

I will begin Monday, January 4th after a day of deliberating on which celebrity chef will be the first to be tested. It will be a difficult task to choose, but I will base my choice upon the availability of local ingredients. I don't believe it's fair for chefs to have recipes that call for unusual produce or meats or cheeses, items that may not be readily available to the home chef. I am also not promising to cook a celebrity chef meal every day. This would be impossible (however much I would love to do so, it just cannot be done at this time). I do have a full time job elsewhere and I travel on occasion that would prevent me from being in my comfortable kitchen, mulling over what to cook next.

The recipes will be followed to the letter. I believe in the mise-en-place strategy. Get everything in place before you start. Read over the recipe more than once to ensure that you have the ingredients prepped, the utensils ready and most importantly, the timing. Not reading through the time it takes to cook a meal has been a disappointment for me in the past as I would discover when, after preparing the ingredients, it turns out that the meal wouldn't be ready until much later than expected. That's not good.

I don't have the most expensive pots, pans, ladles, etc., but I have a very nice, reliable collection that has served me well over the years. I may need to purchase a few things here or there, but, in the name of testing the quality and tastefulness of these celebrity chef recipes, I'm ok with that.

Today was the day I decided to do this challenge. The start of a new decade, the start of something fresh in my life. I love cooking and I love writing. What better way to express these but to get everything out on paper (or computer, whatever) on this blog.

So, welcome to my thoughts and my experiences. I hope you enjoy the ramblings of this enthusiastic woman with a passion of all things culinary and literary. I welcome suggestions of recipes if you're afraid to cook it first, I'm your guinea pig to try it and let you know how it goes; of celebrity chefs that you wish me to test; or different international cuisines (provided I can access the ingredients).

Therefore, I shall be back here with my decision on Monday, January 4th, 2010 for those that await with baited breath.

Colleen
Celebrity Chef Recipe Tester