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Gridiron Gourmet
By April Gruszkowski and Warren Rojas
It’s no surprise that pro football players love to eat—but did you know some enjoy tinkering in the kitchen as well? We caught up with four NFL greats at Santana Moss’s birthday party and got them to dish about their favorite grub.
 Santana Moss
Wide receiver, Washington Redskins
Our hometown hero said he favors “any place with steak and chicken” when stepping out. Game-day meals can range from bacon and eggs to spaghetti marinara with a light dusting of Parmesan cheese.
 Andre Johnson
Wide receiver, Houston Texans
An airborne ball-handler has to keep things light, right? Wrong. Although he sticks with bird-like portions before games, Johnson is not afraid to indulge his sweet tooth. “I eat ice cream every day,” he said.
 Reggie Wayne
Wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts
While home cooking is off the table for this Super Bowl champ, Wayne suggested that he’s open to experimentation when dining out. “I’ll eat almost anything,” he said, adding, “I like to try new things and experience life.”
 Edgerrin James
Running back, Arizona Cardinals
This seasoned Pro Bowl rusher said he measures every restaurant by their beef catalog, stating, “Steak is the top-shelf meal; it’s how you know a restaurant is good.” Meanwhile, he’s particularly proud of his homemade crawfish fettuccine.
(September 2008)
Sushi Sensei, Now at Your Service
By Warren Rojas
 Courtesy of Matthew Worden (Trevor Corson);Raw-seafood enthusiasts looking to make the move from timid omakase platters to “oh-my-Lord-I-didn’t-even-know-they-had-that-here” dining revelations can now belly up to the bar with award-winning author and sushi devotee Trevor Corson.
Corson launched his new “sushi concierge” service earlier this summer, selecting New York City and Washington, D.C., as his initial stomping grounds. For a set fee ($200 for small groups, $400 for larger groups and more for corporate clients), he will accompany patrons to a sushi establishment of their choosing—Corson said he doesn’t work with any restaurants in particular, noting only that the establishments should deal with “quality ingredients”—and teach them the subtleties of getting the most for your sushi dollar.
“I sincerely believe that the most important aspect of the sushi-dining experience is a customer’s personal chemistry with a chef,” he said, noting that rule No. 1 is to always sit at the sushi counter and project a desire to learn. “Over time, their sushi-eating experience will evolve as the customer and chef feel more comfortable with each other.”
During the course of the meal, Corson peppers patrons with the history, culture and etiquette of sushi through the ages, while tossing in a soupcon about sustainable dining for good measure.
“Sushi should primarily be a high-end treat for a special occasion,” he stated, both “because of the state of our seafood and the care required for the preparation of high-quality sushi.”
Capitol Hill denizen Michael Kelley was perfectly happy with his local sushi hangouts—until a friend booked Corson as a birthday surprise.
“His knowledge and teaching really ruins cheap, mediocre sushi experiences for me!” Kelley said of his eye-opening birthday dinner, stressing that the conversation flowed seamlessly from basic dining protocol to risque yarns about sushi preparation.
“His knowledge of the subject ... added a lot of personal flavor to the meal,” Kelley stated.
More importantly, Kelley said he feels he now has the requisite tools “to convince traditional sushi chefs to serve their best fish in traditional ways—as in, how to get a chef to really go all out for you.”
To book a guided sushi outing, visit: www.trevorcorson.com. Meanwhile, Corson’s updated sushi tome, “The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice” appears in paperback this fall.
Grillin’ Round the Globe
“The Best Barbecue on Earth.”
Rick Browne. Ten Speed Press,
272 pgs., $22.95.PBS barbecue guru Rick Browne has made a career out of chronicling Americans’ passion for outdoor cooking. That’s why for his latest book, “The Best Barbecue on Earth,” Browne decided to instead check in with the rest of the world—only to discover that their affinity for flame-kissed fare rivals our own.
Brown’s exhaustive barbecue opus includes a host of mind-boggling worldwide dining tidbits (Argentineans consume approximately 150 pounds of beef per capita to the U.S.’s 67 pounds a head; Bavarian sausage lovers have over 1,500 varieties to choose from; elevated heliotropin levels in Tahitian vanilla make it such an effective calming agent some doctors have begun using the beans in cancer therapy), colorful anecdotes (Australian parks are dotted with coin-operated barbecues; the Portuguese are rumored to have a different recipe for salt cod for every day of the year) and, of course, plenty of mouthwatering recipes.
Regional specialties include: pepper-orange rib roast (Australia’s take on citrus-brushed beef), Hoisin-cashew lamb (Sino delicacy involving rice wine,
Thai chili sauce and Szechuan peppercorns), Stilton rib-eye steaks (British favorite consisting of potent blue cheese, butter-crumbled bacon), turkey mole (spiced chocolate bird born from Mexican kitchens), pecan-walnut-crusted bacon roast (a mango salsa-covered pork loin courtesy of Canada) and brown-sugar spare ribs (an American original weaving together beer, savory and aromatic woods).
To learn more about Browne, his nationally syndicated TV show or his previous cookbooks, visit: www.barbecueamerica.com.
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