Top Chef

Kenny Gilbert's Hot and Sour Curried Eggplant hit all the right flavor notes with the judges, giving him the prize in this week's farm-to-table elimination challenge. In the latest installment of Winning Dish Remix, Brooklyn Chef Jessica Hulett gives the dish a shot of protein and a dash of the tropics, turning it into an easy, summery weeknight meal.

By adding tofu, Jessica takes the curry from a savory side to a hearty, complete meal. And swapping out the bell peppers for pineapple, and adding coconut milk, gives this dish a tropical flair perfect for the sweltering summer months. An added bonus: less than 30 minutes of cooking time!

Hot and Sour Curried Eggplant With Tofu and Pineapple
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tbs. vegetable oil
2 c. eggplant,...

Is Eric Ripert on the market? We've got the sad, sad scoop. In addition to breaking our hearts, Eric also explains the right way to kill a crab. Plus, Michael Voltaggio's getting ready to be the second restaurant chef/owner in the family. Read on to get the full stories, and leave your own burning questions in the comments.

Is Eric Ripert married?
Sadly (for us, and probably you, too), yes. Eric has been married to Sandra Ripert, a real estate agent, for more than 10 years. They have a son, Adrien. Here's a picture of the very happy, very gorgeous couple at an event for City Harvest in NYC late last year. And don't be fooled into thinking Sandra's a trophy wife by her youthful appearance Eric's only got two years on her.

Isnt there a nicer way to kill a crab than chopping it in half?
When it comes to seafood, we trust Eric Ripert (even if we are disappointed to learn we can never have him). Not only is he one of the best seafood chefs in the world, but he also works with the Seafood Choices Alliance, an organization devoted...

We all know Padma Lakshmi loves food, but does she actually know food? We've got the answer, plus the not-so-simple culinary definition of "confit," and the truth behind how prepared the cheftestants really are for their challenges from a favorite former runner-up. Check out what we dug up, and leave your own burning questions in the comments.

What is Padma's culinary background? Although she has penned a couple of cookbooks, I can't find any culinary experience in any of her bios Kimberly White

In Episode 7.4 of Top Chef, we learned that being the best of the worst wins you a trip to Europe. (Yes, we're still bitter about that.) Whether they deserved the prize or not, Kelly Liken and Andrea Curto-Randazzo's short ribs with goat cheese polenta still looked pretty tasty. The only problem? A crazy long list of ingredients and steps. Brooklyn Chef Jessica Hulett has trimmed the fat literally and figuratively, to bring us a Winning Dish Remix that's short on hands-on time and long on flavor.

To chop the budget, Jessica swapped out the shiitake mushrooms for white buttons, and swapped in red wine vinegar for the balsamic and the booze. And even though the cooking time is long about 1-1/2 hours the stovetop does all the work. And it...