The formidable Gordon Ramsey has a new reality show on Fox, Master Chef, and needs fresh blood: home cooks, amateur chefs. Hopefuls lined up yesterday in Kirkland, and four of them made it through to the second round: Leslie Kelly, erstwhile restaurant critic for the Pee Eye; Mark Schermerhorn, whose Dalmatian ate one of the duck breasts he was going to prepare; Scott Heimendinger, who blogs as SeattleFoodGeek; and Linda Miller Nicholson, whose website, SaltySeattle.com, is molto elegante. Congratulations are in order, we think, although standing up to Chef Ramsey would try the passion of even the most passionate foodie. Our money's on Nicholson, who has lived in Italy and looks like nothing would throw her. more ›

more ›

If so, food on TV has assumed the role of court jester. The political jesters (Billo, Rush, Greta) have lost their luster, and Obama is playing footsie with the GOP, rather than holding their banker-bankrollers' feet to the fire. So we have to content ourselves with pictures of mac & cheese on cable. Tomorrow's Travel Channel lineup includes a dude named Adam Richman, who visited Seattle last year to film an episode of Man v Food, wherein he goes up against Red Mill Burgers, Crab Pot, and Beth's 12-egg omelet (preview video here). We assume the fat guy wins. Meanwhile, candidates for next season's Top Chef will line up at Canlis tomorrow for auditions, desperately seeking a balance between cooking expertise and "charisma." more ›

Can you walk? Are you skinny, and can you pose your body in bizarre ways that come across as really sexy and alluring in photographs? Then maybe head out to the Doubletree Guest Suites Seattle Airport/Southcenter next Thursday, Aug. 12, and get your ANTM face on. more ›