From 'Top Chef' to General: Chef Hung Huynh takes on modern Asian cuisine

It was only a matter of time before Chef Hung Huynh would become a Kitchen Superstar - beginning his training at the tender age of 11 in his parent's Vietnamese restaurant in Massachusetts. From there he rose through the ranks of some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world, including Per Se. 

"It's just really a great surprise that everything came around so fast in such a short amount of time."

- Chef Hung Huynh

But it was his winning turn on Season 3 of Bravo's "Top Chef" that would catapult Huynh to culinary fame. Though he says, even without that experience, his drive would have paved his road to success. 

"I've been practicing my craft since I was very, very young. And I had one goal in mind which is to be the best I can be."

He has certainly achieved that goal, representing the U.S. at the Bocuse d'Or and joining forces with hospitality honcho Emm Group to open two Manhattan restaurants Catch and the General - serving as executive chef at both. 

"It's just really a great surprise that everything came around so fast in such a short amount of time." 

But, he knows it takes a village to raise a handful of successful restaurants, especially in the overcrowded New York dining scene. "It makes me smile, knowing what I create and what my team has helped me create. What I love about this is that I am able to teach 50 different staff to create what I can taste and create my palate and show them and teach them and have that translate to the guests, and that's an accomplishment for me."

The legions of repeat guests to the seafood spot, Catch, is what led to the opening of Catch Miami earlier this year. With remarkable discipline, Hunyh and The Emm Group opened The General on the very same day. 

"It's just really a great surprise that everything came around so fast in such a short amount of time." 

And the General immediately became one of New York's hottest restaurants. The 20,000 square foot, 300 seat multi-concept restaurant serves up modern Asian cuisine and live jazz three days a week.

But for all of his accolades and success, Huynh still remains dedicated to perfecting his craft, one dish at a time. 

"I think what makes me a good cook and a great chef, and what a great chef is, I have the attention to details. I can see a fish scale from across the room, and see what's wrong with a dish or how many grams of salt or pepper that's missing in that recipe."

With three restaurants under his belt, no one could blame Hung Huynh for taking a short break from the kitchen but he says, don't bet on it, "I can't sit down in an office, that's not me. I like to be in the action"



And for that, his devoted culinary followers are grateful.

14 Incredible Outdoor Kitchens That Go Way Beyond Grills (PHOTOS)

There's nothing like dining alfresco and enjoying beautiful weather while taking in a pretty view. But cooking outside is even better. And some very lucky homeowners have fabulous outdoor kitchens to boot. We're talking way more than the standard barbecue setup, with a range of amazing appliances and tons of prep space. These spaces would make even professional chefs super jealous.

Zillow shared photos of the most stunning examples from backyards across the country. Click through the slideshow below, and head over to Zillow to vote for the ones you like the best.

Stone Arches

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/213-Marly-Way-Austin-TX-78733/70330389_zpid/" target="_blank">Austin, TX home for sale. </a>

Covered Patio Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6254-Sevenoaks-Ave-Baton-Rouge-LA-70806/66268543_zpid/" target="_blank">Baton Rouge, LA home for sale. </a>

Modest Outdoor Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5384-Snow-Goose-Ln-Blaine-WA-98230/23663763_zpid/" target="_blank">Blaine, WA home for sale. </a>

Pro-Kitchen Outdoors

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1295-E-Brightwater-Ln-Boise-ID-83706/72681370_zpid/" target="_blank">Boise, ID home for sale. </a>

Backyard Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4140-N-Mountain-View-Dr-Boise-ID-83704/79636714_zpid/" target="_blank">Boise, Idaho home for sale. </a>

Rustic Charm BBQ

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/digs/rustic-patios-1198261277/" target="_blank">Conifer, Co home </a>

Sunny Outdoor Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/digs/modern-patios-5163697020/" target="_blank">Hillsborough, CA home </a>

Resort-like Beauty

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/digs/tropical-patios-1966593826/" target="_blank">Huntington Beach, CA Home </a>

Los Altos, CA Home

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/digs/outdoor-kitchen/" target="_blank">More outdoor kitchens </a>

Poolside Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/digs/mediterranean-patios-1905008056/" target="_blank">Los Altos, CA home </a>

Shaded Backyard Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/88-Walter-Ln-Manhasset-NY-11030/70904441_zpid/" target="_blank">Manhasset, New York home for sale. </a>



Rooftop Deck Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/digs/modern-decks-5017360143/" target="_blank">San Francisco, CA home </a>

Covered Outdoor Fireplace

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6600-E-Tyler-Dr-Tuttle-OK-73089/2126897234_zpid/" target="_blank">Tuttle, OK home for sale. </a>

Oceanside Kitchen

<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/33406-Pacific-Coast-Hwy-Malibu-CA-90265/20558237_zpid/" target="_blank">Malibu, CA home </a>

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Simple Tricks to Give Your Kitchen a More Modern Look - Yahoo Voices

Uber-modern kitchens and appliances are all the rage right now. Unfortunately, the economy is rough, and a total renovation is just not realistic for the majority of Americans at the moment. You don't have to purchase all new appliances such as refrigerator and stove in order to create a modern vibe. A few simple and thrifty tips can bring your kitchen into the look of the 21st century without breaking the bank.

Remove the Random

Random items such as the one set of hand towels covered in daisies, the single butterfly hanging on the wall, and anything else that does not match the rest of your kitchen should be retired in order to create a more uniform look, while ridding your room of the unappealing and sloppy "whatever" theme.

A Little Paint Goes a Long Way

Pick a very small section or area of your kitchen and paint it a steely blue-gray. Great areas to paint are kitchen cabinets or large window seals. Not only will this instantly give your kitchen a refreshing and cool vibe, but this dark color appears fresh for years and does not show dirt.

Replace Small Accessories

Replacing very small kitchen items such as a dish drainer, sugar and flour holders, and visible utensils with faux steel accessories instantly makes your kitchen sparkle with the new and attractive.

Choose a Color

Whether you prefer bright and attention-grabbing colors such as red or orange, or something more laid back and comfortable like hunter green, everything goes when you paint and accessorize with the modern steel look. Once you have chosen a color, begin collecting small accessories and decorations in this color. Decorating in a set color creates a clean and uniform look which tells people that your kitchen is organized, fully functional, yet fashionable and attractive.



Decorate Lightly

While it may be tempting to cover your new and attractive kitchen with cutesy wall hangings and other items, it is so very easy to over-decorate a kitchen. Remember that this is only where the food is made and served, not a more highly trafficked room such as a family or sitting room. Heavily decorating a kitchen will make the room appear much smaller and more cluttered than it actually is. A good rule of thumb for kitchen wall decorations is to limit yourself to one item per five square feet of wall space.

Keep it Clean

Nothing makes a kitchen look worse than lack of upkeep or dirty appliances or dishes strewn all over the place. You can always work with what you've got - keep your kitchen clean and shining and it's sure to gleam with your hard work and sense of pride.

Source:

Experience

Cooking Tips & Recipes :: Points To Consider When Evaluating Low Fat Air Fryers

Whereas a few years ago, hot air fryers were rare on the domestic marketplace, today, there are few individuals who haven't heard of low fat air fryers. Tefal had been probably the first to create out their own version and this has become incredibly popular despite its high price in comparison with conventional deep fryers. However, the challenge has begun and Philips has launched their model that features a completely different look to the Tefal. So what are the main considerations you must think about when reaching your choice.

Areas you should consider are who's going to use the air fryer, where you are going to use it, what you actually want it for, dependability and of course the purchase price. Let's look at these factors in turn, but first, a short summary on how they work.

With a traditional deep fat fryer the food is submerged in hot fat, air fryers work by moving very hot air to heat and crisp up the outside layer of the food. Exactly how the air is circulated differs according to the air fryer product, but food is prepared quickly and without the need for anywhere near the amount of oil needed for a deep fat fryer. With the low fat air fryers, this may be absolutely no oil if you are using frozen chips that are already coated with oil, or perhaps a tablespoon regarding 800 to 1000gm of fresh food.

Please be aware I said 'low fat' air fryers as a few models that are sold as air fryers work in another way and will routinely dip the food in and out of the oil (e.g. the De'Longhi Rotofry). Even though this utilizes approximately half the oil of a traditional fryer, it is far removed from that used by the low fat air fryers manufactured by Philips and also Tefal.

Moving on to who's going to use the fryer - The majority of adults will be able to use the air fryers and this is especially relevant to anyone who has difficulty gripping things as there is much less danger when handling deep fat fryers. You won't have to deal with a couple of litres of boiling oil and worry about burning yourself.

Your kitchen is obviously the right spot to use your air fryer. Nevertheless, because it doesn't have to contain a couple of litres of oil or fat, it really is much easier to take it away with you to show it off to friends, or use within a caravan or a vacation home.

As for what you want it for, many people are thrilled to be able to consume chips that actually taste like they have been deep fried but without having all the calories. Potato chips are certainly one of the primary urges people have when you are attempting to lose weight thus, making this a good way to have exactly what your brain craves! Another thing to mention would be that the two main low fat air fryers cook different types of food items. They both cook fries and meats, but one will work with stir fries, currys etc., while the other will even bake cakes and part-baked bread! Unfortunately, they both don't do everything so you have to choose where your preferences are.

The reliability of low fat air fryers has come into question of late, and it is too soon to judge given this is quite fresh technology. The Tefal has had some issues however the Philips is far too new to touch upon. Users however, mostly seem very happy using their purchase.

Price is going to be a consideration and you must shop around to get the best value. Although the Philips currently has got the highest RRP, you can get this air fryer for around the same price as the Tefal. If price is your primary consideration, the De'Longhi is definitely the cheapest but is only going to cook food suitable for deep frying and also uses more fat.

How to build an outdoor kitchen, Part Two

When you are designing an outdoor kitchen, the first major decision to make is the type of grill or grills you are going to use. Once the built in grill has been decided and the various accessories chosen, the space a overall shape of the grill island should be considered. Often the shape the outdoor kitchen takes will be chosen by the space where the island will be constructed. Your specific use can create the shape, especially if you will use the counter for seating and serving guests. There are some obvious generalizations that evolve in outdoor kitchen design that we can discuss but the important result for you is to consider the decisions that work for other homes to allow your imagination to go to work designing your own perfect space.

Your outdoor kitchen design must serve your cooking needs but the grill island shape must also address your social needs. The images on the right are all in the same community, same type of home with the same layout. All three of these custom-built outdoor kitchens were built in essentially the same space. However, although the space was considered the individual needs of the homeowner make each space useful in different ways.

One outdoor kitchen may be used as a full kitchen with top range burners, grill, built in kegerator, sink, trash access and plenty of seating facing the television. This design has guests and home parties in mind. 

Another design may need much less and just a grill with a lot of counter space for preparation and serving is used.   The backyard chef allowing themselves a beautiful space to cook complimenting the lines of the home.

Third a homeowner who needs less seating with a sink, refrigerator and built in grill is designed more for a family dinner together out doors.

The same space and similar built in grills and accessories became very different outdoor kitchens based on the imagination of the homeowners needs.



It is important that you consider your needs when designing your own custom outdoor kitchen.  Imagine the last time you used your grill and ate outside.  What could have been better?  Where did you need more space for preparation or for seating?  Often I am in a customers backyard and s/he will walk me over to several neighboring backyard so I can see what other people have done with the same space available to this homeowner.  I work to impress the necessity to consider your own habits and usage in the design rather than how good you will look to your neighbors.

The easiest grill island to design is straight.  The idea of the straight grill island is similar to the cart grill that stays in one spot of the yard.  Instead of a standardized cart grill in the same spot, a little imagination can help create a grill island with a lot of space to serve and prepare your food for grilling.  Most of these designs have a wall of the house that is not being used.  Often I will look for the spot where electricity and plumbing is stubbed outside the wall or running in the wall to a kitchen or bathroom. 

This island was obviously built to fit the space onside to walls inside a covered patio.  The depth of the walls did not allow for the grill we chose so we invented a decorative movement that gives us the depth we need for the infrared grill and gives some character to an otherwise straight run of stucco.  Electricity and plumbing were already available and the window placement seems to be made for the positioning of the grill centered in the outdoor kitchen.  We covered up some damages to the wall with a backsplash and placed extra electrical boxes to allow for future use of lights, coffee pots, rotisserie motor and blenders.

The second unit looks like it is mounted to the wall of the house but it is not.  This unit is built to be self-supportive freestanding and was anchored to the wall of the house which does not extend to the end of the bbq grill island  We built the wall for the backsplash to allow electricity and lighting to be installed and to hide the pool pump that had been placed just outside the screen.  The poorly planned eyesore was hidden by the beautiful backsplash of their outdoor kitchen and by matching the stucco exactly, it appears to have been built with the original home plans.

This third example is like the first one built to fit a particular space under the patio roof.  The original cart grill was kept here in close proximity to the dining area outside.  We agreed the space was convenient and electricity was already there for the refrigerator.  The dining table placement just inside the patio and the walkway out of the gate had made the space pretty unusable.  The grill island turned a dead zone into a beautiful focal point of the patio.

Most profitable renovations - Dec. 7, 2006

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Renovation costs are shooting higher and homeowners are getting a lot less bang for their remodeling bucks, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Remodeling Magazine.

Last year, for example, adding a master bedroom suite to a house cost an average of $75,959 nationwide and boosted the home's resale value by $64,419 - that's 84.8 percent of the cost recouped. The same job this year cost a lot more - $94,331 - and returned just $68,458, or 72.6 percent.

The Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates that Americans will spend nearly $160 billion for home remodeling projects over the next 12 months.

Many costs associated with remodeling have spiked. Last year, the national average for a midrange kitchen renovation was $43,862, according to NAR. But this year, that average cost had leaped to $54,241. Hard to make up that difference when NAR reported that home prices have actually fallen in the past 12 months.

A year ago, many remodeling jobs returned 80 percent of their cost or more when the owner sold the house. Some of the most profitable renovations, such as an upscale residing, actually paid off more - 103.6 percent - than they cost.

Other profitable renovations included midrange kitchen remodelings, which paid off 91.7 percent, and window replacement, which paid off 89.6 percent.

This year, an upscale residing only recoups 88.0 percent of its average cost of $13,499 (up from $10,393 12 months ago). That still made it the most profitable renovation.

A midrange kitchen remodeling returns 80.4 percent of its average $54,421 cost and a window replacement earns 85.3 percent of it $11,040 cost.

The least profitable renovation, again this year, is a home office remodel. It recoups only 63.4 percent of its cost.

There are lots of regional differences in the benefits of remodeling jobs. A midrange bathroom renovation pays off a lot more on the Pacific Coast (103.2 percent) than it does in the Plains states (74.8 percent) or the Great Lakes state (71.8 percent).

Part of the difference stems from the generally depressed home resale prices in the Midwest compared with the elevated home prices on the Pacific Coast.

In the Middle Atlantic states a vinyl siding replacement returns 92.3 percent of its cost, well above the national average of 87.2 percent, while in the Southwest the same job returns just 80.9 percent of the cost.

Generally, projects done in the Pacific states and the Atlantic South return a greater percentage of their costs than the other regions of the country.



Overall though, NAR president, Pat Vredevoogd Combs cautions homeowners to take the data with a grain of salt.

"Many factors affect a home's value," she said, "and, consequently, the resale value of any given remodeling project.

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Remodeling your kitchen area can be a great answer to update the inner look of your home to make your kitchen room area an improved match for your lifestyle and personal needs. Since there are numerous actions for some kitchen area remodeling undertaking that can become difficult, it is crucial you choose to make detailed decisions before beginning. In terms of home kitchen remodeling, cautious and detailed preparing must be essential.

Remodeling your kitchen area in Culver City doesn't have to be expensive. Whether you wish to assemble & install the kitchen cabinets yourself, or have us do all the work, CA Kitchen Remodeling Culver City enables you to get a new kitchen with beautiful all-wood cabinets at a lower price. That's lower than the property improvement stores. You can expect a large variety of kitchen cabinet sizes, styles, colors and accessories. We would like to enable you to produce a kitchen of beauty and functionality.

We will assist you to sort through the endless possibilities of layouts, styles, lighting, fixtures, accessories and more - transforming your home kitchen in to a masterpiece which you as well as your household will enjoy for years. A kitchen renovation is really a complex job which is hinged on many distinct variables, involving everything from workspace preparing and color scheme choice to time and budget factors.

There are many key elements that need considering prior to starting to remodel a Kitchen, including proper planning, budgeting, and execution of the whole process. Culver City Kitchen remodeling is often as simple as painting walls and replacing a faucet, or it may well involve tougher tasks such as detaching the walls and installing new and improved facilities like a heated floor.



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