Top Chef ‘villain,’ homemade Oreos, bubble gum string cheese and more

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--‘Villain or hero? Science geek or artist?’ That’s the question asked by the April issue of Food & Wine in a feature on Season 6 ‘Top Chef’ winner Michael Voltaggio, the chef de cuisine at the Dining Room at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.

--Blogspotting: I found Erika Alliston’s Sweet Pea blog when friends were all a-Twitter over her take on Chef Thomas Keller’s Oreos, at left. Sweet indeed. Definitely putting those on the to-do list.

--Who makes the best burgers in Southern California? Fast Food Maven wants to know. (Note to FFM: I am sad that my personal fave did not make your list: The Smokehouse Burger on the menu at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach. It’s smoked ground brisket and sirloin. Totally worth the $11.)

--Lenny Kravitz might want to get in on the voting: He says he loves Umami Burger.

--What the world needs now: Bubble-gum-flavored string cheese.

--The Sacramento Bee profiles the simple genius that is Elise Bauer’s Simply Recipes.

-- Rene Lynch
On Twitter @renelynch