20 QUESTIONS FOR FOOD NETWORK'S CHEF MICHELE RAGUSSIS

Today is National New England Clam Chowder Day and so of course, I asked my friend Michele Ragussis for her recipe. She is an authority on New England cuisine. Michele is not only the queen of clam chowder, but likely has been on more competition cooking shows than any other chef. You might recognize her from Food Network's Chopped, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Beat Bobby Flay, Season 8 of Food Network Star, Food Fighters on NBC, and most recently, Midnight Feast on the FYI Network.

I first saw Michele Ragussis when I walked into the audition for Food Network Star in New York. She wasn't hard to spot...  she and a few of the other restaurant chefs were standing together, arms crossed, extremely confident that they were the bad---es to be reckoned with in the competition. Michele ended up on Bobby Flay's team, his first selection during that audition process. If you watch her audition video, it is easy to see why.

Michele has a huge heart and is generous. She always shows up ready to work when I've asked her for a favor... and she always gives it 100%. I love her food- which is as warm and homey as her personality.

Michele, like me, attributes her love of cooking to her mother, Phyllis. I've not met Phyllis but feel like I know her. I heard Michele talk about her everyday during our Food Network Star taping. In fact, Michele taught me her mom's Arancini recipe and it has become one of my favorites.

Michele has recently moved to Boston and will take over the restaurant at Central House Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, Massachusetts in the coming weeks. 

Get to know more about Michele in our Q & A with her below:

GET TO KNOW CHEF MICHELE RAGUSSIS  

@chefmichele on Instagram,  @MRagussis on Twitter, Michele Ragussis on Facebook

Where you’re from: Derby, CT

Current city of residence: I recently moved to Boston, Mass and have just accepted a job in P-Town... Provincetown, MA which is on the New England coast.

Where you’d love to live someday: Greece. I’m half Greek so I’d love to live the life of my ancestors.

Family: My immediate family is my mom Phyllis, my sisters Barbara and Chris, and of course, my dog, Maximus, the most beautiful cocker spaniel in the world plus my three nieces, and my nephew.

Mentor: Phyllis. My mom. When it comes to food, Phyllis inspired and taught me almost everything I know about cooking the food I grew up with. I like to cook it with my own spin on it but I got everything I know from Phyllis.

Favorite kitchen tool? Tongs. They are my third hand. I always have a pair of tongs in my hand in the kitchen.

What ingredient can you not live without? Olive oil.

What do you hate to cook? Casseroles.

What is your favorite recipe? Phyllis' rice balls. Note: I had to ask her who makes them better- she replied, "oh, snap... Phyllis, of course. Moms make everything better!" I could not agree more. I have my own version of Phyllis' rice balls posted on my blog. Get the recipe.. Michele serves it with a creamy Bechamel sauce. Decadent and divine.

Favorite book? Things I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey.

Michele's ultimate dinner party guest list would include these four: Jennifer Anniston, Oprah Winfrey, Bobby Flay, and Ellen DeGeneres.

And if you had to cook for them, what would you make? Something Greek because Jennifer’s Greek and I’m Greek- besides, who doesn’t love Greek food? I’d start with Spanakopita, and we’d have a beautiful, roasted Greek style leg of lamb. I’d stick with the Mediterranean thing ….. Baklava for dessert.

What are you listening to right now? Dave Matthews. Always.

Favorite cookbook of all time: One from Lidia Bastianich. Any one of them.

Latest accomplishment? I’ve just been named Executive Chef of the Central House at the Crown and Anchor in Provincetown. It’s awesome. There’s Cabaret Theater, Bernadette Peters is playing there soon…. An 18 room hotel and a pool bar. It is right on the ocean. I’m planning an all New England seafood menu with a Mediterranean twist.

Guilty pleasure? White Castle cheeseburgers.

Like so many chefs, you have a ton of tattoos. What was your first tattoo and what is your favorite? My first tattoo was a hummingbird. My favorite is my New England tattoo.

Favorite travel destination: Every summer, I go to Provincetown with my friends but now that I’m going to be working there, I’m going to say New York City. I used to live there and I go when I can to see friends, check out new restaurant trends, and get my favorite soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai. Oh and I go to Saltie’s in Williamsburg for the best sandwich in the entire world, the Balmy. It is ham, chicken liver pate and jalapenos with mayo and pickled vegetables… it is heaven on focaccia bread.

Where do you want to go you haven’t been yet?  Sicily. I’m Sicilian and I want to see where my family came from.  

Must have travel accessory: Headphones.

Best advice, tool, or equipment for the home cook: Get good pans. Crappy pans make for crappy food. They radiate heat so much better and will keep the heat evenly distributed.

Get Michele's New England Clam Chowder recipe!

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER RECIPE FROM FOOD NETWORK STAR CHEF MICHELE RAGUSSIS

If you watched Season 8 of Food Network Star, you undoubtedly remember Chef Michele Ragussis. I could think of no better person to go to for a recipe on National New England Clam Chowder Day than Michele. She is an expert on New England cuisine. Her pilot for Food Network, My New England, highlights her love of the region and her passion for cooking the seafood found in its waters.

This is Michele's award-winning New England Clam Chowder recipe. It's like a trip to the New England coast in a bowl... comforting, rich, and rustic. Note that Michele indicates using frozen clams if you cannot find fresh. I know you'll enjoy this recipe- it is one of the best clam chowders I've ever eaten. Thank you, Michele, for allowing me to share it! Read more about Michele in my interview or on her blog: Chef on a Pier

MICHELE’S NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS

1 pound (4 sticks) butter

1 1/2 white onions, diced

5 stalks celery, sliced thin

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons clam base* or clam juice

4 potatoes (Idaho or Russet), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

2 pounds fresh chopped clams **

4 cups heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

1 loaf crusty bread, for serving

* Find clam base at the seafood market or substitute clam juice, found at most grocery stores

**Look for fresh clams at your local seafood market, or use high-quality frozen clams

DIRECTIONS:

In a deep stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Let the flour cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 8 cups water and the clam base and whisk vigorously, making sure there are no lumps from the flour. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Stir in the potatoes and chopped clams. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cream, dill, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened, another 20 minutes. Check for seasoning, add a few dashes hot sauce, and serve with your favorite crusty bread.

Recipe copyright Michelle Ragussis, 2011

Q & A WITH FOOD NETWORK STAR JUSTIN WARNER

Almost daily, someone asks me "what's so-and-so (insert name of celebrity chef) really like?"

So I decided to create a new monthly feature with little known personal facts about some of your favorite celebrity chefs and Food Network stars. My first interview had to be with my Food Network Star BFF Justin Warner. 

My favorite photo with Justin during filming for Food Network Star. Photo: Food Network

Here's the scoop:

I first met Chef Justin Warner of Brooklyn's award-winning Do or Dine restaurant as we were both sitting in a holding pen at Alton Brown's studio in Atlanta, Georgia on November 2, 2011. We were there to audition for Season 8 of Food Network Star and Alton was to select his team from the  50 or so people assembled. Months later, when I arrived to film the show, it was no surprise to find Justin there, too. I was blessed to have Justin by my side day in and day out on Team Alton. When I needed help, he was there for me. He made me laugh. He had/has unique insight. He has years of valuable culinary experience from working in some of New York's finest restaurants---which I lacked. Justin was generous and happy to share his knowledge with me. We bonded. On several occasions, I absolutely would not have finished plating if he had not helped me. (see photo below of the 4-handed plating from our "Meet the Press" episode).

What you may not know about Justin is that he was named to Forbes' Top 30 Under 30 list as well as Zagat's Top 30 Under 30 NYC. His restaurant has a Michelin rating. He's been written about in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and he makes regular appearances on Food Network shows. He just opened for Alton Brown's Edible Inevitable Tour at the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York. That's pretty good for a guy who has owned a restaurant for a mere three years in the most competitive restaurant market in the world. Maybe one day the rest of the world will catch on to what I and the folks at TheBraiser.com already know...  This hipster is a lot smarter than you  think and is nothing short of remarkable. Read what they had to say about Justin and why he doesn't have a show on Food Network.

The #1 question I'm asked about Justin is: Does Justin Warner wear lipstick? In fact, when you Google Justin Warner, one of the items that search populates is Justin Warner lips. Really? The answer is, of course not. He is lucky to have naturally tinted tips any girl would die for. He uses Burt's Bees lip balm on them but not lipstick. Get over it, folks. Justin Warner does not wear lipstick. I promise.

The other question I'm frequently asked about Justin is: Are you and Justin really friends or was that made up for the show? We were and are real friends. I know we are kind of an odd pair. You'd never guess a quirky, hipster, skinny jeans wearing, Danny Meyer (The Modern, Union Square, Blue Smoke, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack) trained restaurant rat turned restaurant owner from Brooklyn who raps about food and wine could actually be friends with or have anything in common with a home cook-wedding expert from Alabama who loves entertaining, farm life, polo, Hermes scarves, and Southern rock. I was shocked he knew all the words to the iconic Don McLean song American Pie and he was shocked I would often break out an Eminem rap. We have more in common than it may appear. We are both entrepreneurs. We've both had a job since the age of 12. He's got a good heart. I learn a lot from him. He's extremely interesting and well read. He's a trusted advisor and a close confidant. I'm thankful we met on the show and I'm so happy we remain the best of friends to this day.

My favorite Food Network Star and BFF Justin Warner. Photo: Daniel Krieger

Q & A WITH CHEF & FOOD NETWORK STAR JUSTIN WARNER

Where you’re from:  I was born in Hagerstown, Maryland.  I spent summers and quite a few years in the Front Range of Colorado.  I consider both to be home.

City of residence:  I live in Brooklyn, New York, in a neighborhood called Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Where you’d love to live someday:  I absolutely must spend a month or two in Japan.  I don’t know where I’d like to begin my family.  It’s a tough decision.

Family:  I live with the best woman on earth, Brooke Sweeten.  We have two turtles; Soupy and Aristurtle, two cats; Merf and Luci, and an awesome dog; Kewpie.

Mentor:  Every boss I’ve ever had has done something to alter my trajectory.  Alton Brown, though, got me in to TV, so I owe him a bunch of credit.

What is your favorite quote?  “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving” is the first thing that came to mind.  That was some dude named Laozi. 

Best advice you ever got?  That’s tough.  I had a boss named Bill Eichelberger who told me we were in business to make “friends, not money”.  I try to live by that. 

Favorite book?  Paul’s Case, by Willa Cather

Justin's ultimate dinner party guest list would include these four:  Jay Z, Mike Nichols, Lana Del Rey, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

And if you had to cook for them, what would you make?  Barbecue, and some fun little hors d’oeuvres.

What are you listening to right now?  Pretty much whatever my girlfriend is playing.  She has the best taste in music.  Future Islands is pretty rad.  I love the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.  Lana Del Rey is good for writing and zoning out.

Favorite cookbook of all time:  The Laws of Cooking and How to Break Them, Warner, 2015 Flatiron Books

Latest accomplishment?  I finished writing my first cookbook.  It should be pretty good. (Editor’s note: It is.)

Guilty pleasure?  Bad rap music, Sour Patch Kids, canned beer, Legos, video games.

Favorite travel destination: Rapid City, South Dakota.  My girlfriend lived there as a kid and her parents are there.  It’s a convenient, pretty, fun little place.

Where do you want to go you haven’t been yet?  Japan, but also the Spanish speaking countries in South America.

Must have travel accessory:  Just my comfortable Dansko shoes.

Best advice, tool, or equipment for the home cook?  The offset spatula is one of my favorite multi-taskers.  It’s probably also the most often overlooked by the home cook.

One of my favorite take-aways from Food Network star was Justin's tempura recipe. He used it for a food court challenge when we had to create a pop-up Italian themed restaurant. His Frito Misto was a hit with our guests and this tempura batter is why. It's light and airy, yet extremely crunchy. The secret is in the rice flour and club soda combo. I love this recipe for fish filets and shrimp; it does not create a soggy or heavy exterior on delicate seafood.  Get the recipe...