Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Hubert Keller-Top Chef Masters


Top Chef Masters starts tonight with 4 of the 24 chefs competing in the newest version of the popular Bravo TV series. Four well known and highly successful chefs Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, Christopher Lee of Aureole in New York, Michael Schlow of Radius in Boston, and Tim Love who owns Lonesome Dove Western Bistrow in Fort Worth will compete tonight in the first of six rounds to determine who is the best of the best.

Each show will follow the same format as the regular show, starting off with a quick-fire competition that leads to an elimination challenge. The quick-fire will test the chefs basic skills whereas the second challenge is more designed to test their abilities as a chef. Tonight's quick-fire on Top Chef Masters will test the chefs skills in making desserts.

Hubert Keller was born in Alsace, France, he is one of Americas most acclaimed chefs, known best for his world-renowned restaurants, Fleur de Lys (San Francisco and Las Vegas, the Burger Bar in Las Vegas, and St. Louis and he plans on opening another one soon to in San Francisco. Hubert's latest venture is SLeeK Steakhouse and Ultra Lounge in St. Louis. Hubert Keller has won numerous awards including the James Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement award of “Who’s Who” in the industry. His influence extends beyond his restaurant kitchen to the millions of people he reaches through his cookbooks and TV show, Secrets of a Chef. A graduate of Ecole Hoteliere in Strasbourg, Keller started as a pastry chef and honed his culinary skills by working with master chef’s such as Paul Haeberlin, Roger Verge, Paul Bocuse, Jacques Maximin and Gaston Lenotre. Food & Wine ranked him as one of the "10 Best New Chefs in America" in 1988. He was the first guest chef at the White House, where he prepared a gourmet dinner for President Clinton and his family. He is also the author of Burger Bar: Build Your Own Ultimate Burgers (Wiley 2009) with Penelope Wisner in bookstores now. He now resides in San Francisco.

Top Chef Masters will be played first in six rounds where 4 chefs go head-to-head with one winner advancing to the finals where they will go up against the six winners of the preliminary rounds in the finals. The winners of each preliminary rounds will win money that will be donated to the charity of their choice. The winner of Top Chef Masters will win $100,000 for their charity. Hubert Keller is playing for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

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