Almost all of our Bravolebs were feeling corny. Curtis, Gail, and Rocco were all ears for fresh corn dishes, like grilled cobs of the late summer delight.
Some of the best fruits to take advantage of in the season are peaches and nectarines. Curtis recommends letting what's fresh guide your gut. "If you really follow the season the fruits and vegetables taste a whole lot better," Stone says.
If you want to impress Rocco DiSpirito you might want to cook up one of his favorite dishes. The hunky chef says summer staple boiled lobster is one his summer must-eats.
What are Rocco DiSpirito's seasonal selects? "My favorite foods to eat in the summer are the great seasonal dishes. The great seasonal fruits, the great seasonal vegetables. So peaches, watermelon, cherries, corn." If you're looking for something to do with those delights try either of these dishes from Top Chef Season 2: Sam Talbot's Summer Fruit Salad or get a little more out of the box with Marcel Vingernon's Watermelon and Tomato Trio.
Rocco claims to make lobster bisque all summer long -- though we're not sure how he does it and keeps his boyish figure. We'll give you the recipe, but staying swimsuit-ready is up to you.
How does China Chow get her fried chicken fix in the summer? She uses Rocco DiSpirito''s low-fat recipe. "Rocco taught me how to make diet comfort food, like this fried chicken," China shares. "You pre-cook the breast and then you flash fry it, but for like ten seconds so the oil doesn't all absorb into the chicken."
According to Curtis Stone "Summer's a beautiful time to eat," and of course we agree. One of Mr. Stone's favorites -- mussels and white wine. So we're sure he'd love Antonia Lofaso's winning dish from Top Chef: All-Stars. The simple Italian style version of the shellfish is filling without being too heavy.
Curtis' favorite side to a hearty plate of mussels -- a tomato and mozzarella salad. We love this recipe from fellow Bravo chef Rocco DiSpirito that uses red wine vinegar and basil to amp the natural fresh flavors.
Gail Simmons mentioned three foods she waits all year to eat ("corn on the cob, ripe
tomato salads, and peach pie").We think Gail would approve of Tiffany Derry's peach cobbler from Top Chef Season 7, which utilizes more corn (well, cornmeal) for its flaky crust.
Spice up standard corn on the cob. While most of our foodies loved corn on the cob, we think they's get a kick from Top Chef Master Season 3 Floyd Cardoz's Cojita Elote, which adds enough cayenne pepper to stand up to the summer heat.
The final food in the Gail Simmons' favorite trifecta were ripe tomato salads, so we think Gail would love this twist on a BLT from Top Chef Masters Season 3 chef Mary Sue Milliken. This lighter version of the sandwich is perfect for al fresco dining.
If you want a treat to that will help you cool down utilizing one of Gail and Curtis' favorite fruits try Top Chef: Just Desserts' Eric Wolitzky's peach, crisp, and vanilla ice cream parfait. You know what they say about people screaming for ice cream.
