'Top Chef' Winner Richard Blais on His Favorite Thanksgiving Meal Dish, New Show & Restaurant [EXCLUSIVE]
With the holiday season upon us, chef Richard Blais spoke to Enstars about his favorite Thanksgiving treat as well as his new show and restaurant that are keeping him busy.
After winning the eighth cycle of Top Chef: All Stars -- he was also the runner-up in the fourth season of Top Chef -- Blais took the culinary world by storm. He recently released his new cook book Try This At Home and while he hasn't gotten around just yet to working on special recipes for Halloween or Thanksgiving, the chef revealed his favorite holiday food.
"I love mashed rutabagas, that's a weird thing that we do for Thanksgiving," he said. "I just love the funk, the natural funk of turnips, that's something that in my house is a very special holiday sidedish."
Blais went on to speak about his upcoming show on HLN (Headline News), called Cook Your Ass Off. The show premieres Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. E.T., and "is about health and wellness and how to get people to eat tasty, delicious food," he said.
Blais's new restaurant, Juniper and Ivy, opens in San Diego soon.
"I am also running the New York City marathon, so lots of stuff going on," he added when asked about what he'd been up to.
Below is HLN's press release about Blais' new show:
"Cook Your Ass Off is being produced by Jane Street Entertainment (Chopped, Next Food Network Star, Rachel vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off), and each episode will introduce the health struggle of an individual and pit talented chef contestants against one another in a three-round competition to transform favorite daily indulgences into lean and delicious meals. Chef Richard will provide an insider's view as the Cook Your Ass Off line-up of chefs competes, while Keri offers commentary on the culinary substitutions and coaches guests to implement changes in their daily lives. A panel of celebrity guest judges, often with personal connections to the identified health struggle, will choose one winning chef to compete in a Grand Finale for $50,000. One episode will feature Keshia Sessoms a 41-year-old mother of three currently battling breast cancer and seeking inspiration for a healthier lifestyle."
