Chef Burrell shares restaurant secrets in TV show

By Richard Leong

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Anne Burrell is stepping into the spotlight with her own cooking show on television after serving as a sous chef to Mario Batali on "Iron Chef America."

In "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef," the 38-year-old New Yorker shares concise and practical restaurant techniques that can be applied to jazz up familiar dishes and at-home meals.

Burrell, known for her robust, rustic Italian food, is an executive chef at Centro Vinoteca in New York and teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Burrell spoke to Reuters about her cooking secrets and passion for bacon:

Q: How is your cooking show different from others?

A: "What makes me different is because I work in a restaurant every day. I'm giving people a sneak peek into my world. Now I can take that and share it with everyone else."

Q: What are important tips you have for home cooks?

A: "I think people will be surprised with the level of seasonings I use. I'm committed to seasoning my food well and that's what happens in a restaurant. Also there are things like browning food and using high heat. At a restaurant, it's the secret of using flavors. These are the secrets that I'm trying to let people know."