“Pantry Raid” Can Help Turn Your Pantry Into a Gourmet Meal

Edited by Jennifer L. Price

When you look inside your pantry, do you break a sweat trying to figure out a meal?  Does the thought of whipping up a tasty dinner for your family after a hard day's work give you a headache? Well, step away from the takeout menu, because help is on the way! This summer, The Style Network's delectable new half-hour weekly series "Pantry Raid" will help the cooking-challenged mix and match the unlikeliest of foods to spice up their dinner tables, and their lives.  Hosted by renowned chef and television personality Michael Schulson, "Pantry Raid" premieres August 29, 2007 at 9:00PM ET/PT, only on The Style Network!

In each episode, Chef Michael Schulson, one of the country's most creative and inventive culinary masters, makes house calls in the hopes of changing the way people think about cooking. By using only the ingredients and tools he finds in the pantry, cabinets and refrigerator, Michael is challenged to create amazingly delicious meals out of the sparse or oddly matched items he discovers.  Since he's not able to bring any supplies or shop at gourmet markets, his true skills are put to the test to find new ways of preparing a delicious meal.  You've only got penne, chicken soup and tuna fish in your pantry?  No problem, because nothing is to too outrageous for our food guru.  Along the way, Michael provides helpful tips and tools on creating a meal from scratch and shows how an ordinary dish can turn into a work of art by polishing, presenting and "plating" these brilliantly conceived feasts.
Upcoming episode highlights include:
•       Chef Michael Schulson teams with Angela, a mother of seven, so she can learn how to grill a quick and easy meal for her family.  Together, they make a turkey, chorizo and cheese calzone, lemon garlic marinated chicken kebabs and a chocolate pecan pie.
•       She's the host of the hit series "How Do I Look?" and a popular TV actress, but her busy schedule doesn't allow much time for cooking.  Chef Schulson will help Finola Hughes prepare dishes for the ultimate dinner party in a very special "Pantry Raid" episode.
•       Newly engaged Kristen overcomes her kitchen fears and creates a hearty meal for her family.  With Michael's help, they create clam chowder with cheese popcorn and pork chops breaded in cracker crumbs with homemade apple sauce and champagne.
•       Small town girl Victoria moves to the big city and learns how to throw an intimate dinner party for her new group of friends.  Michael devises a dinner of corn pancakes with bbq chips, stuffed turkey breasts and peanut butter cup pudding.
•       Michael teaches grateful daughter Kelly how to prepare a special surprise meal as an emotional thank you to her father.  They cook Asian filet mignon lettuce cups and soy crusted salmon on a bed of bacon risotto.

Michael Schulson is Executive Chef of the highly anticipated modern Asian restaurant Buddakan New York, which opened its doors in February of 2006.  Michael has appeared on numerous television networks and programs including "The Today Show," "The Martha Stewart Show" and "The Tyra Banks Show."

The next time you find yourself staring into your pantry wondering what you can make, think of “Pantry Raid” debuting on August 29th.