Simply Ming

This week on "Simply Ming," the award-winning chef, health advocate and New York Timesbest-selling cookbook author, Rocco DiSpirito is on the show. Voted "America's Most Exciting Young Chef" by Gourmet Magazine, his three-star restaurant Union Pacific was a New York City culinary landmark for years. Rocco starts us off with an almond vanilla protein smoothie, followed by a great spinach pesto pasta with tomatoes, and tops it all off with an instant almond cake with mixed berries.

This week on "Simply Ming," Ming is joined by Maine's master of fresh, local and sustainable food, chef Sam Hayward. With his restaurants Fore Street and Scales Restaurant & Seafood Market, Sam is credited with transforming Maine's food scene. Today both Ming and Sam are cooking with shellfish. Sam combines local Bang's Island mussels, local cider, leeks and sea greens with grilled bread while Ming makes wok-stirred Thai King Crab Legs with green papaya and crispy rice.

This week on "Simply Ming," uber-chef Carla Hall, co-host of the Emmy Award-winning television show "The Chew," stops by to give a fresh take on a shrimp classic. Pulling from her Southern roots, chef Hall creates a delicious sea island shrimp with grits while Ming cooks up a shrimp and squash grit tempura. One ingredient, two dishes, right here on "Simply Ming!"

Ming takes off for Norway to explore its rich culture, beautiful landscape - and their fresh-from-the-sea fish dishes. Meeting up with chef Gunnar Hvarnes, the two men toast martini's before getting down to business - creating two delicious Cod dishes.

This week on "Simply Ming," legendary French chef Jacques Pepin joins Ming in the loft to cook with sole and soul. Chef Pepin creates a fantastic onion-crusted sole with anchovy butter and a butternut squash saute, while Ming follows that with a brown butter onion glazed sole with creamy zucchini "risotto."

This week on "Simply Ming," Chef Tsai continues his adventure in Norway, catching up with chef Geir Skeier, winner of the 2009 Bocuse d'Or world cooking contest. After prepping a delicious cocktail from traditional Norwegian Aquavit, Ming and Geir create two meals from the region's sumptuous salmon.

This week on Simply Ming, seven-time James Beard Award-winning chef and longtime host of the series, Mexico: One Plate at a Time, Rick Bayless stops by the loft kitchen to bring us back to his Mexican roots. Rick starts us off with traditional Mexican chilaquiles, while Ming puts a spin on nachos with his crispy rice cake chicken "nachos."