Save the puppies. Buy a fish spatula.

 
Usually, it's chef Gordon Ramsay delivering the memorable one-liners on "MasterChef," where 100 home cooks are vying for a $250,000 payday and bragging rights as the titleholder of "America's Best Home Cook." This week, that crowd was whittled down to 18, largely due to Ramsay's deft wielding of the verbal ax. He dispatched one organic farmer and his lame-o fish dish by bleating his decision: "E-I, E-I NO!"

But Tuesday night's best line belonged to chef Graham Elliot, who all but shuddered when he saw one competitor man-handling a flaky fish fillet, and said: "Every time someone uses a set of tongs on a delicate piece of fish, God kills a puppy."

Elliot didn't elaborate on this cooking commandment, but we found this 'splainer from Times Food Editor Russ Parsons on why fish spatulas are so handy in the kitchen:

Maybe it's a little thing, but have you ever noticed how normal frying spatulas always seem a little clunky to handle? A fish spatula is built to work from an angle rather than head-on. It's also thinner and lighter, which makes it better suited for handling delicate filets (hence the name). But they're by no means only good for seafood; they work just as well with eggs, crepes or just about anything fragile that needs turning.

Add it to the other culinary words of wisdom being handed down this season: Save the puppies. Buy a fish spatula.

 ALSO: 

Wednesdays just got awesome at the Spare Room with $5 mini lobster rolls

The Churchill to open on West Third Street helmed by chef Jason Tuley of Santa Barbara's Square One

Put Dad to the test this Father's Day: Chile Habanero Eating Contest

--Rene Lynch
Twitter / renelynch

Photo: Elliot talks to one of the "MasterChef" contestants / Fox

Chef Gordon Ramsay on the one ingredient you should NOT have in your pantry

 
Do you hear that sucking sound? That's the white truffle oil market going down the drain.

As Season 2 of "MasterChef" returned to Fox on Monday night, there was plenty of tension and drama and leg-pulling. There was also a break in programming to talk about the most ridiculous, worthless cooking ingredient on the market, and why you are a cooking neophile if it has a spot in your pantry:

'Top Chef' showdown: Antonia versus CJ

 

"Top Chef" fans: It's going to be Antonia Lofaso versus Chris "CJ" Jacobson.

That's the lineup when Bravo brings "Top Chef: The Tour" to town on June 17 and 18, pulling up the customized "Top Chef" 18-wheel tractor-trailer to the Hollywood and Highland Center at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. The highlight of each stop in the 20-city U.S. tour features a showdown between two former contestants before a panel of judges and audience members.

The Los Angeles cheftestants are Lofaso, a fan favorite, and Jacobson, the executive chef at The Yard in Santa Monica. Live demonstrations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day. What else can you expect? We'll let the news release take it from here:

The fourth annual highly-anticipated "Top Chef: The Tour," brings fans and viewers to the next level -- creating an interactive experience where they can physically taste, connect and learn more about the show they're passionate about. Visitors of the tour can meet and greet with "Top Chef" talent, sample food tastings, receive gourmet cooking tips, hear "Top Chef" show "secrets," get cheftestant autographs, and participate in a variety of on-site "Top Chef" activities, including a chance to win prizes."

Ticket information will be available at this link shortly.

ALSO:

Got a great burger recipe? We'll be the judge of that

Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila needs food, STAT!

He's crusty. But that's a compliment to this bread-maker

-- Rene Lynch
Twitter.com/renelynch

Photos: Antonia Lofaso and Chris "CJ" Jacobson. Credit: Bravo

Duff Goldman offers a lifetime of birthday cakes to anyone who finds his stolen Corvette

Duff Goldman, the star of "Ace of Cakes" who we caught up with earlier this week about the opening of his bakery Charm City Cakes West, is crying in his frosting. 

Goldman moved to L.A. to open the Santa Monica location of Baltimore-based Charm City Cakes, only to have his 1962 Corvette stolen from his brother's driveway in Sherman Oaks while Goldman was in Canada judging a cake competition. It's a jet-black 'Vette with a red leather interior that he spent the last three years rebuilding. The car had 150 miles on the rebuilt engine and was in mint condition.

"I'm pretty sure I'll never get my car back," Goldman said, "so I hope whoever has it loves it as much as I do, drives it as fast as I did and plays the radio as loud as I did. I really do hope they are having a blast and that I never bump into them."

Duff says he's devastated and is offering birthday cakes for life to anyone who finds the car or returns it.

Meanwhile, in a Charm City Cakes West update: The by-appointment-only bakery is now set to open July 1, pushed back from June 1, and is taking orders for that date and beyond. See the website.

-- Betty Hallock

Photo credit: Duff Goldman

Duff Goldman of 'Ace of Cakes' on track to open Charm City bakery in Santa Monica in June

We bumped into Duff Goldman -- star of the Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" -- at the L.A. Times Festival of Books on Sunday and asked him about his coming West Coast bakery. Goldman says if all goes as planned, Charm City Cakes West is set to open June 1 on 19th Street in Santa Monica. 

The original Charm City Cakes will continue to operate in Baltimore under the auspices of executive sous chef Geoffrey Manthorne, while Goldman will spend much of his time in L.A. (FYI, both bakeries are by appointment only.) Goldman says Charm City Cakes West will offer all the spectacular cakes that fueled the TV show. But after showing us an iPhone photo of a cake in the shape of a standing 3-D elephant, he said, "I also want people to know that we do great cakes, the kind Martha Stewart makes, but better."  

Charm City Cakes West is accepting orders for event dates from June 1 on. Contact Ken at (323) 642-7234 or e-mail ken @charmcitycakes.com.

-- Betty Hallock

Photo: Duff Goldman. Credit: Food Network

Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten was unaware of request, but will now host her young fan

The Barefoot Contessa is no Heartless Contessa, and has been "devastated" by criticism leveled against her.

It was only this weekend that Food Network star Ina Garten, a.k.a. the Barefoot Contessa, learned that a young boy named Enzo had a long-standing request to meet her through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, according to a spokesman. Garten gets about 100 requests per month, and wasn't aware that the request had been made or rejected. Touched by the young fan's desire to meet her, Garten is calling Enzo today to speak with him and invite him to join her at the Food Network studios, according to a statement released on Garten's behalf.

The statement also underscored the demands that are placed on public figures such as Garten, and the difficult choices that must be made:

"She contributes both personally and financially on a regular basis to numerous causes, including to Make-A-Wish Foundation. Sadly, it’s of course not possible to do them all. Throughout her life, Ina has contributed generously to all kinds of important efforts and she will continue to do so."

Garten was completely blindsided by the media firestorm this weekend over her reported refusals to meet with the young boy suffering from cancer. The boy would watch Garten from his sick bed, and twice requested a meeting with her through Make-A-Wish. The second time the request was made, Garten's representatives -- unbeknown to her -- gave the family a "definite no." Disappointed, the boy's family wrote about the rejection on its blog. From there, it was picked up by TMZ and exploded online, with criticism raining down on Garten's head. (We wrote about the controversy here.)

A source close to Garten said that the Barefoot Contessa believes charity and public works are part of duty as a public figure and that she works extensively for a variety of causes, including  battered women,  cancer patients, AIDS awareness and animal rights. "She was personally devastated" by all the criticism, the source said.

Even the little boy's family came to Garten's defense, with a blog post entitled: "Please Stop the Madness," which said the story was being blown out of proportion. The family said it did not hold any ill will toward Garten when Garten's representatives repeatedly told them that the Barefoot Contessa was unavailable to meet with little Enzo. While disappointed, they said they understood that, sometimes, things do not work out:

"I had written about our disappointment when we originally found out, but asked everyone in the spirit of Enzo to please just 'let it go' and move forward... I want to make it VERY CLEAR we have NO ANGER OR ILL WILL toward Ina Garten... Enzo found great comfort in watching her cook when he was going through his toughest times and for that we are so grateful."

No doubt, the family will be happy to get that phone call from Garten.

What do you think about this latest turn of events?

-- Rene Lynch
Twitter / renelynch

Photo courtesy Ina Garten representatives

'Barefoot Contessa' taking heat for repeatedly rejecting 'Make-A-Wish' cancer patient

Someone might be in the market for a new PR team.

"Barefoot Contessa" Ina Garten has a new nickname -- "Heartless Contessa" -- in the wake of news that she repeatedly refused to meet with a 6-year-old boy named Enzo who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

According to the reports:

The boy, who would watch Garten from his sick bed, told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that he wanted to meet the Food Network celebrity. When told that her schedule was too busy, Enzo opted to wait. When the request was made once more, Garten's representatives replied with a "definite no," according to the online blog that the family kept about the boy's illness.

Cue the controversy.

"She is a pretty famous cook, but I doubt she is so busy that she can't cook one meal with this kid" read just one of the many comments posted on the story over on CafeMom, and The Stir launched a letter-writing campaign. "Ina Garten -- Heartless Contessa" screamed one headline. "The Barefoot Contessa shatters a little boy's dreams," read another.

But perhaps the most biting comment came from Business Insider: "We're sure that she truly is pretty busy. But if she had time to throw a charity lunch for six Hamptonites -- who paid $100,000 to be there -- she can make time to whip up some meringues with a six-year-old."

(In Garten's defense, that was a charity luncheon.)

In response to the controversy, Make-A-Wish stressed to TMZ that Garten is a "good friend" of the foundation. A representative for Garten told the site: "Despite her demanding schedule, [Ina] participates and helps as many organizations as she can throughout the year, helping children and adults like Enzo with life threatening and compromising illnesses. ... Unfortunately, as much as she would like to, it's absolutely impossible for her to grant every request she receives."

We contacted Food Network in an attempt to reach Garten for her side of the story -- and we'll bet there is most certainly another side to this one. We'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, two other Food Network celebrity chefs -- Iron Chef Michael Symon and Beau MacMillan -- have reportedly offered to cook with Enzo.

What do you think about this cooking controversy? Is Garten being unfairly vilified? Are the media rushing to judgment? And do Garten and others have an obligation to do whatever they can to make room in their schedules for young fans like Enzo?

RELATED:

--Rachael Ray is a cannibal

--What are you eating this weekend?

--121 recipes for your favorite restaurant meals

--113 wine picks

-- Rene Lynch
Twitter / renelynch

Photo: Ina Garten. Credit: Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times

Larry King’s new calling: Unveiling 'Brooklynized' bagels

Armed with trademarked "Brooklynized" water, Larry King proves it's never too late to realize a dream.  After retiring from his television show, it seems King has discovered a new purpose: bagel restaurateur for the West Coast Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. in Beverly Hills, which opens Friday.

VIPs such as the mayor of Beverly Hills will help King launch the shop with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, partying like rock stars as Brooklyn borough President Marty Markowitz presents the Brooklyn Bridge via video. 

After the 6 a.m. opening, King will offer the first 100 customers a free half-dozen bagels.  At the shop, customers can marvel at the processing equipment that produces Brooklynized water. It's encased in glass and sits under 24-hour spotlights. It is Beverly Hills, after all. 

-- Max Diamond

Photo credit: Charles Sykes/Associated Press

Chefs Ferran Adriá, Juan Mari Arzak and José Andrés on 'the future of food'

When Ferran Adriá, Juan Mari Arzak and José Andrés have something to say about food, people listen. A crowd of about 300 sat, rapt, in the Albert Ballroom of Beverly Hills' SLS Hotel on Monday night to hear the three Spanish chefs talk, for nearly two hours, about "Ideas of Today, Foods of Tomorrow." 

Adriá and Arzak -- pioneers of Spanish modern cuisine and both dressed a la page in black, Arzak distinguished by his red-framed eyeglasses -- spoke by way of a translator, with occasional help from Andrés, who is an Adriá disciple and culinary director of the four-star Bazaar at the SLS Hotel.   

Still, anyone in attendance who came away with a clear vision of the future of food was able to parse more than most. (Maybe culinary genius is hard to translate.) 

'Bitter Feast' and sleepless nights for Mario Batali

Here's a sneak peek at what's coming in this week's Food section:

Gina McIntyre interviews Mario Batali, the chef who turns up in a cameo role in the new low-budget satirical horror film "Bitter Feast," which was designed by writer-director and self-professed foodie Joe Maggio to send up the contemporary culinary culture. The movie, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June and heads to DVD this week, tells the story of Peter Gray (James LeGros), the chef at a new American eatery called Feast, who abducts a food blogger after he publishes a rumor that Gray's television show is about to be canceled.

Despite the untold hours that Batali had spent in front of the camera, he said he was quite nervous about acting — he's much more comfortable being himself on screen. "Generally, when I'm doing my shows, it's completely improvised so there's no way I can mess it up," he said. "The idea of having to nail three lines and eye contact and blocking and everything petrified me. For two days, I didn't sleep."

Read more: "Mario Batali: chef, movie star."

-- Gina McIntyre

Photo: Mario Batali. Credit: Mark Von Holden