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I think Cat got her dress from the set of Gold Finger tonight. It's a good look.
Tonight's the 99th show, with Mia Michaels and Ellen Degeneres joining Mary and Nigel on the panel of judges. Ellen is hilarious. I love her. Can we keep her and boot Mary (who recycled her English Muffin joke) please?
Yippee!! Group number is choreographed by Travis Wall!! They have LED lighs on them, and it's set to Let it Rock, which is a cool song. The girls have LED tutus which look to be made from plexiglass. It is a very cool dance and everyone got their chance to do something in their own style. I think they were wearing Jordi Laforge visors. Let's keep Travis, please!!! (And I still love Ellen - "By the way, I can do that.")
I cannot wait until tomorrow night! Go Ramalama!
Evan & Janette (Jazz, choreographed by Sonya. Song: Move, by CSS) They match up well height wise, so that is cool. The routine is based on wanting the other person to shut up, and they did it very well, I think. It takes a good dancer to get Sonya's choreography, and I didn't see Evan's happy go lucky style in there at all. I loved it. Cat said they were like two tightly coiled springs. I'd agree with that. Nigel said he's finally getting more from Evan (yay! I agree) and dripped praise on Janette. Ellen can do that, by the way, and loved her pre-show wine, and also thought that they were amazing. Mary also loved how Evan got out of his normal realm of dance. She wanted some more hitting at the end. Nigel tried to get into the spirit of the dance and get Mary to shut up. It didn't happen, and she called him an English muffin again, then told him to sit on Brie. Um. Ok. Mia thought that Evan made a step, emotionally and character-wise, and she wants to chew on his cheeks, but because he's so cute, he'll never be the hard hitting, twisted dancer that something like Sonya requires. She flat out told Janette she's her favorite this season. Wow.
Kayla's solo: Her hair is back again. Good move. Her solo didn't speak to me much, though. She's still adorable, but I like her better in choreography someone else gives her.
Brandon & Jeanine (Waltz, choreographed by Hunter Johnson. Song: Let it Be, by Hayley Westenra) I thought it was kind of lovely, but seemed to lack a sense of flow in parts. I didn't see much of the rise and fall I am used to in Waltz, and some of the lifts seemed disjointed. Nigel called it an extremely tough routine, and thought the music was too slow, and he didn't see the power he wanted from it. I would agree. Ellen disagrees with Nigel, and thought they were fantastic (with a possible Twila Tharp in line for the potty joke). Mary said it is possibly the slowest Waltz they've ever done on the show, and anyone would have a hard time with that tempo. She called their work respectable, but agreed with me that the lines could have been stronger. Mia said that perhaps Brandon shouldn't have been dreaming of birds and bunnies (a joke he made about rehearsals). She wanted to be brought to someplace magical, but said it was full of hiccups and stuck moments. Exactly. I love them both, but not so much in this.
Jason's solo: He's really growing on me. He also used more of the front of the stage. Good.
Ade & Melissa (Cha cha, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Yeah, by Chino Espinoza Y Los Duenos) Reunited! Yay for hippy shakes! I want to know if this song came first, or the hip hop song? I enjoyed the dance quite a lot, and I love Melissa. Nigel called it pretty good, with lots of things to show off with. He urged Melissa not to turn out too much, because it keeps the hips from shimmying. He also told her that she pursed her lips and pulled faces trying to be sexy, and she doesn't need to do that. I agree. Ellen asked if they are carpenters, because they nailed it. Go Ellen. Mary thought the execution of the material was right on, but wanted Ade to drop his hip weight into the floor, to drop his bum, because it was all up high. She wanted the cha cha to be more grounded. Melissa's footwork went from too turned out to too turned in, so it was a little teeny bit below what she expected. Mia thinks it was Ade's worst performance of the season, and she wanted him to be down and dirty. She thinks that Melissa did an excellent job, especially coming from being a ballerina.
Janette's solo: Why did she bring out the Celine Dion? Boring for a salsa dancer! She ended up looking like all of the contemporary girls on the show. I didn't like that at all.
Jason & Kayla (Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Song: Mr. Monotony, by Kim Kriswell). It's a very jazzy number, and I love the way they couple together. It was kind of slow, though. I really liked parts of it. Nigel called Jason's toes and feet perfect. He again applauded Kayla's lines. He thought it was one of the best routines of the evening to show off personal talents. Ellen likes her seats, and called them both good nailers. Mary loves Tyce and thought that the two of them were bouncing off of each other, in a good way. She got a train whistle instead in ADDITION to her screaming. I wish she had kept with just the whistle. Mia says it's scary when she seems like the only sane one on the panel. She loves the fusion of bluesy styles. She wants Jason to work on his upper body, and feels like Kayla should sing and act because she could take Broadway by storm, and predicted lots of Tonys in her future if she chooses to go that direction. She thinks Kayla is the epitome of a girl. And that's a good thing.
Ade's solo: He managed to bring some hip hop into his solo, which also included lots of contemporary and leaping, and I liked it a lot.
Janette & Evan (Rhumba, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Heartless, by Kris Allen) Great song (I love Kris Allen!). I think they did a pretty good job. The Rhumba is not my favorite dance, because it is so slow. Nigel said that he loved the choreography, but isn't sure it will get votes. He thought that Janette had it down pat, but thinks that Evan didn't have any passion in his face, because of his "heavy eyelids," and said it was lacking a bit for him. Ellen admits that she knows nothing about the dance, but she loves Evan's face and eyes (I agree) and loves how unique he is. Thank you for that, Ellen. I agree. She loves Janette, too, and thinks she's amazing. Mary thought Evan did a very good job, and was there for Janette in all the difficult connections. She loved the thread the needle lift they did (it was very cool), and then called Janette "Little Miss Fire & Spice & Flavor." Mia agreed with Ellen, and said that not everyone has to be a sexpot, and loves what Evan brings to the stage, and thinks he did the sexy with a Zoolander face. And she still loves Janette.
Melissa's solo: She had some super big 80's hair, but I still love her.
Jeanine & Brandon (Pop Jazz, choreographed by Lori Ann Gibson. Song: Battlefield, by Jordon Sparks) I don't love this song, but they are doing a better job at this choreography. This was emotional and believable. I liked it. So did Nigel. This is what he wanted to see in the Top 8. I think this style really suits Jeanine. Nigel gave thanks for the show finally stepping it up tonight. Ellen is happy to see Nigel happy, and says they made it appealing to join some kind of armed forces, though the uniforms wouldn't provide much protection and they might get scraped up a bit. Mary screeched and I muted. Is it just me, or does she have Tanning Goggle Face? It's distracting. Mia thinks that they danced in a place that was more than dance.
Evan's solo: He managed to get a lot of moves and personality into his solo, and there was a very cool flip in there. It was oh so Evan, and I loved it. He's adorable.
Jeanine's Solo: She is so unique in the way she moves, and she seems really connected to her music. I dig it.
Ade & Melissa (Contemporary, choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Song: This Woman's Work by Maxwell) The dance is about a woman who has breast cancer. Wow. Deep. Ade lifted Melissa like she was as light as a feather, and she gave him the power to do so. I got chills a couple times. See, this was a strong piece of work. Beautifully done. Nigel was near tears. I mean, right near tears. He wondered about where choreographers get the strength to do dances like that. He predicts another Emmy nomination for Tyce for this piece, and he can't think of a better couple to have danced it than these two. I agree. Ellen feels privileged to see this dance in person, and says it is the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. Mary is really crying. She called Ade a gentle giant, and applauded Melissa's trust in him. Mia was also crying and called it an important piece of work. Half the audience was in tears. She loved the strength that Melissa gave to Ade and the strength he gave to her, and said Melissa is an angel.
Brandon's Solo: His solo fit more with the music this week, and he did some tumbling.
Kayla & Jason (Hip Hop, choreographed by Shane Sparks. Song: They're Everywhere, by Izza Kizza) She looks kind of Anime in her zombified school girl costume. Jason is like the Zombie king, and I liked it. Nigel loved Shane's routine, and thought it brought something extra to the hip hop this season. Ellen told them if they keep dancing like that, they'll have their own talk show someday. Mary thinks her little puppy dog was bit by something with rabies, and loved the dance. She gave them some screeches. Mia told Shane this was her favorite routine he's ever done on the show, and called it disturbingly hot.
Melissa & Ade's second dance and Kayla & Jason's second dance, Evan & Janette's first dance, and Jeanine & Brandon's second dance were my favorites. I think that the best solos were Evan and Jeanine, and the worst were Janette (Celine? What?) and Kayla. I have no idea who is going to be going home, because they are all so strong.
What do you think? Did you enjoy Ellen as much as I did?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Next Food Network Star -7.19.09
The Contestants are greeted by Michael Simon by the pool, and they are informed that they are going to be demoing their food LIVE on a local morning show. We are told that each demo will be rigged for disaster. I love it. It reminds me of a challenge in the first season with the awkward interviews.
Debbie is up first. She is up to make catfish, and they replaced her fish with chicken, and gotten rid of some utensils she would need. She ran with the lack of utensils, and rolled with the chicken instead of fish. She didn't even miss a beat. She did a really excellent job.
How will Melissa do? They have set the host to mess with her the whole time. She did a pretty good job when he kept calling her the wrong name, but had a bit of trouble when he added about a half cup of hot sauce to her tapenade. She got a little frantic and it wasn't great. Oops.
Jeffrey's next. He is going to be faced with technical difficulties. They kept telling him that he had microphone issues. He was holding a microphone in the same hand as a knife and it was a bit scary at times with the knife waving. He did decently with it, but could have been better.
Jamika was nervous going into it, and she has to deal with wrong time cues and a way too extreme close up camera. She did not look like she was having fun even before the technical difficulties began. There were some awkward moments.
The judges loved that Jeffrey rolled with the problems, but reminded him to engage with other people. Jamika was obviously perterbed and was chided for not having fun. Melissa was told to breathe, slow down, and not get frantic. Debbie was so good with the sabotage, Michael said that they wouldn't have known that she had problems from watching her. She is the winner of the mini challenge.
The main challenge is battling for a spot on the Red Lobster menu. They have 45 minutes to do a fish dish paired with a crustaceon or a shell fish. They can only use a wood fired grill. Debbie's advantage for winning the challenge is first choice in seafood.
There is a twist. They started the challenge - grabbed all their ingredients - and were stopped.
Jeffrey got his chilis taken away and got some Asian ingredients thrown at him, to keep him cooking without borders.
Jamika got her pineapple taken from her, and got celeriac instead. Oops.
Melissa was given a whole bowl of habeneros and got all her citrus taken away. She wasn't happy with that.
Debbie got all of her Asian ingredients taken away and was given Mediterranean ingredients - olives, anchovies, and capers.
So, they got to cooking and had to roll with their new ingredients. When it came time to present, Debbie forgot to use her capers, but because she used honey to even out some of the saltiness of her ingredients, they didn't feel like she embraced the Meditteranean feel.
Melissa's use of habeneros was wonderful. They were nervous she was going to overdo it, but she calmed down, and rolled with the punches perfectly.
Jeffrey's dish was lauded for being well put together.
Jamika was given good notes for the use of celeriac, but her shrimp was not well incorporated into the dish. They didn't appreciate her crabby attitude when she was working her way through the challenge. She was totally pissy about it and let it show. Not good.
Time for Evaluation.
They asked Jeffrey what his niche would be on the Food Network. They worried that though he talks about Cooking Without Borders, he always seems to gravitate towards the same thing. Bob worried that his Zen Calm = Boring.
Jamika's shrimp was not well-seasoned, and Bobby really wanted it to be spiced. Michael didn't like how she got mad and didn't seem to be having fun. She needs to work though things with a smile on her face instead of, as Michael said, putting her head down and plowing through.
Melissa's use of habeneros was wonderful. She learned from her mistake in the Live Demo, and calmed down. Melissa told them that she would love to do a show geared towards the working mom, and I want to see that show.
Debbie was slapped for forgetting capers. She was also slapped for lying in the first place and saying that she had the capers in the dressing. It's been a problem for her, to tell the truth.
The winner of the Red Lobster Challenge is Jeffrey. I was hoping for Melissa. Oh well.
Each of the ladies was given a change to talk about why they deserve to be Food Network Stars. Debbie talked about melding cultures. Jamika talked about how memorable and likeable and marketable she is. I don't see it. Melissa was very sure that she has the best long term viability of any contestant there, and I agree.
In the end, Jamika is gone. I think it was the right decision.
Who do you want to win?
Debbie is up first. She is up to make catfish, and they replaced her fish with chicken, and gotten rid of some utensils she would need. She ran with the lack of utensils, and rolled with the chicken instead of fish. She didn't even miss a beat. She did a really excellent job.
How will Melissa do? They have set the host to mess with her the whole time. She did a pretty good job when he kept calling her the wrong name, but had a bit of trouble when he added about a half cup of hot sauce to her tapenade. She got a little frantic and it wasn't great. Oops.
Jeffrey's next. He is going to be faced with technical difficulties. They kept telling him that he had microphone issues. He was holding a microphone in the same hand as a knife and it was a bit scary at times with the knife waving. He did decently with it, but could have been better.
Jamika was nervous going into it, and she has to deal with wrong time cues and a way too extreme close up camera. She did not look like she was having fun even before the technical difficulties began. There were some awkward moments.
The judges loved that Jeffrey rolled with the problems, but reminded him to engage with other people. Jamika was obviously perterbed and was chided for not having fun. Melissa was told to breathe, slow down, and not get frantic. Debbie was so good with the sabotage, Michael said that they wouldn't have known that she had problems from watching her. She is the winner of the mini challenge.
The main challenge is battling for a spot on the Red Lobster menu. They have 45 minutes to do a fish dish paired with a crustaceon or a shell fish. They can only use a wood fired grill. Debbie's advantage for winning the challenge is first choice in seafood.
There is a twist. They started the challenge - grabbed all their ingredients - and were stopped.
Jeffrey got his chilis taken away and got some Asian ingredients thrown at him, to keep him cooking without borders.
Jamika got her pineapple taken from her, and got celeriac instead. Oops.
Melissa was given a whole bowl of habeneros and got all her citrus taken away. She wasn't happy with that.
Debbie got all of her Asian ingredients taken away and was given Mediterranean ingredients - olives, anchovies, and capers.
So, they got to cooking and had to roll with their new ingredients. When it came time to present, Debbie forgot to use her capers, but because she used honey to even out some of the saltiness of her ingredients, they didn't feel like she embraced the Meditteranean feel.
Melissa's use of habeneros was wonderful. They were nervous she was going to overdo it, but she calmed down, and rolled with the punches perfectly.
Jeffrey's dish was lauded for being well put together.
Jamika was given good notes for the use of celeriac, but her shrimp was not well incorporated into the dish. They didn't appreciate her crabby attitude when she was working her way through the challenge. She was totally pissy about it and let it show. Not good.
Time for Evaluation.
They asked Jeffrey what his niche would be on the Food Network. They worried that though he talks about Cooking Without Borders, he always seems to gravitate towards the same thing. Bob worried that his Zen Calm = Boring.
Jamika's shrimp was not well-seasoned, and Bobby really wanted it to be spiced. Michael didn't like how she got mad and didn't seem to be having fun. She needs to work though things with a smile on her face instead of, as Michael said, putting her head down and plowing through.
Melissa's use of habeneros was wonderful. She learned from her mistake in the Live Demo, and calmed down. Melissa told them that she would love to do a show geared towards the working mom, and I want to see that show.
Debbie was slapped for forgetting capers. She was also slapped for lying in the first place and saying that she had the capers in the dressing. It's been a problem for her, to tell the truth.
The winner of the Red Lobster Challenge is Jeffrey. I was hoping for Melissa. Oh well.
Each of the ladies was given a change to talk about why they deserve to be Food Network Stars. Debbie talked about melding cultures. Jamika talked about how memorable and likeable and marketable she is. I don't see it. Melissa was very sure that she has the best long term viability of any contestant there, and I agree.
In the end, Jamika is gone. I think it was the right decision.
Who do you want to win?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance - 7.16.09
The beginning group number is to So Much Better by Janet Jackson. It has kind of a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon vibe to it,and is very interesting. Melissa got a starring role, and spent a good amount of time en pointe. I couldn't tell the guys apart so easily, because they were wearing Chinese hats. It was a very cool number, choreographed by Wade Robeson and his wife.
Cat looks like a Disco Ball exploded on her, and her dress has a very unfortunate cut which make her look boxy. She also seemed to have an encounter with a bumpit in the hairstylist chair. It's sad, because she looked so good last night. At least her legs get to have their day. The dress is like a sparkly potato sack, and her hair and makeup looks like someone used her like one of those Barbie Heads.
Mia's door routine for last year, Tabitha & Napoleon's Bleeding Love with Mark and Chelsie, Tyce's Silence dance, Dmitry's tango were nominated for Emmy's. Awesome.
Bottom guy and Bottom girl are gone tonight. Nigel is absent today - because he is getting an honorary doctorate from a University in the UK. Cool. Cat declares it lady's night.
Recap of last night - and I'm still in love with Travis' choreography, and I still didn't buy the Pasa Doble.
The Top 5 Ladies joined Cat on stage. The bottom 2 are Randi in her gossimer blue gown and Melissa. It had better be Randi going home is all I can say, because Melissa is flipping brilliant.
(Fast forwarding through Audition Previews for Season 6 for the fall)
The Top 5 Guys join cat next. The bottom 2 are Kupono and his odd harem pants with a curtain tie back wrapped around his waist, and Ade and his silly pick.
Next week's performance show is the 99th episode, and Nigel and Mary will be joined by Mia Michaels, and Ellen Degeneres is also going to be on the show. And for the 100th episode, there will be some new performances of Award Winning routines - The bench, the hummingbird, and Ramalama! And of course, Katie Holmes. Cool.
Randi's solo was nice, but I hope that she's going home. I adore Melissa and she needs to be safe. Mary seemed to be near tears at the thought of Randi going home, and Debbie loves Randi's outfit tonight, but she is not a fan of the pasa doble at all. Mary almost attacked her for that one. A cackling attack. I was a little scared.
Kupono's solo was as weird as his outfit. Well, maybe not quite as weird. He had fun at least. His pants looked like they were in danger of falling off. Yipes. Mary didn't love his solo, and wants him to bring more if he has the chance.
Melissa's solo was beautiful and I adore her, and her big poofy bun. Debbie wants more in her solo if she gets a chance.
Ade's solo was the same as last night's, with the frantic movements to Unchained Melody, and I find myself agreeing with my husband. It doesn't fit with the music. He looked like he nearly fell in his backflip. And tonight, he's got a shirt on. Mary shrieked her love and Debbie talked over her because time was running out.
Performance time, Black Eyed Peas. Fast forward. I like them alright, but I just want the nitty gritty. They got confetti all over the stage and made quite a mess.
So, which girl is going home? In the end, it's Randi and I can't say I'm happy, because I like her, but I'm satisfied. At this point, I pretty much love everyone, so it's going to be really difficult to say goodbye to anyone.
And will it be Kupono or Ade? Kupono joins his partner in leaving, and I think that's fitting. He just isn't up to par with everyone else. The Addiction routine last week was astounding, though. I'll give that to him. I'm really glad that he cut his hair before coming onto the show.
Looking forward to the big week next week!
Cat looks like a Disco Ball exploded on her, and her dress has a very unfortunate cut which make her look boxy. She also seemed to have an encounter with a bumpit in the hairstylist chair. It's sad, because she looked so good last night. At least her legs get to have their day. The dress is like a sparkly potato sack, and her hair and makeup looks like someone used her like one of those Barbie Heads.
Mia's door routine for last year, Tabitha & Napoleon's Bleeding Love with Mark and Chelsie, Tyce's Silence dance, Dmitry's tango were nominated for Emmy's. Awesome.
Bottom guy and Bottom girl are gone tonight. Nigel is absent today - because he is getting an honorary doctorate from a University in the UK. Cool. Cat declares it lady's night.
Recap of last night - and I'm still in love with Travis' choreography, and I still didn't buy the Pasa Doble.
The Top 5 Ladies joined Cat on stage. The bottom 2 are Randi in her gossimer blue gown and Melissa. It had better be Randi going home is all I can say, because Melissa is flipping brilliant.
(Fast forwarding through Audition Previews for Season 6 for the fall)
The Top 5 Guys join cat next. The bottom 2 are Kupono and his odd harem pants with a curtain tie back wrapped around his waist, and Ade and his silly pick.
Next week's performance show is the 99th episode, and Nigel and Mary will be joined by Mia Michaels, and Ellen Degeneres is also going to be on the show. And for the 100th episode, there will be some new performances of Award Winning routines - The bench, the hummingbird, and Ramalama! And of course, Katie Holmes. Cool.
Randi's solo was nice, but I hope that she's going home. I adore Melissa and she needs to be safe. Mary seemed to be near tears at the thought of Randi going home, and Debbie loves Randi's outfit tonight, but she is not a fan of the pasa doble at all. Mary almost attacked her for that one. A cackling attack. I was a little scared.
Kupono's solo was as weird as his outfit. Well, maybe not quite as weird. He had fun at least. His pants looked like they were in danger of falling off. Yipes. Mary didn't love his solo, and wants him to bring more if he has the chance.
Melissa's solo was beautiful and I adore her, and her big poofy bun. Debbie wants more in her solo if she gets a chance.
Ade's solo was the same as last night's, with the frantic movements to Unchained Melody, and I find myself agreeing with my husband. It doesn't fit with the music. He looked like he nearly fell in his backflip. And tonight, he's got a shirt on. Mary shrieked her love and Debbie talked over her because time was running out.
Performance time, Black Eyed Peas. Fast forward. I like them alright, but I just want the nitty gritty. They got confetti all over the stage and made quite a mess.
So, which girl is going home? In the end, it's Randi and I can't say I'm happy, because I like her, but I'm satisfied. At this point, I pretty much love everyone, so it's going to be really difficult to say goodbye to anyone.
And will it be Kupono or Ade? Kupono joins his partner in leaving, and I think that's fitting. He just isn't up to par with everyone else. The Addiction routine last week was astounding, though. I'll give that to him. I'm really glad that he cut his hair before coming onto the show.
Looking forward to the big week next week!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Top Chef Masters 7.15.09
This week's chefs are:
Rick Moonen, from NY. He is playing for the Cape Cod Sustainable Hook Fish Foundation.
Nils Noren is from Sweden, so I have to like him. It's like a cultural imperative. He's playing for the Friends of the French Culinary Institute, to give help to people who can't afford it.
Lachlan Patterson is from Boulder, CO. He is playing for the Denver Children's Hospital.
Michael Chiarello is from Napa Valley. He is competing for Clinic Ole, providing health care help to the Latino community.
Not-Padme introduced the Quickfire, where they have to cook with junk food. They have to use junk food to make something delicious. Michael chose first, and picked fishsticks and tartar sauce. Lachlan grabbed a hot dog, and Rick took the corndog. Nils snagged the fried shrimp. They are judged by people from the (BRAVO SHOW PLUG) show Flipping Out, who are fast food conneseurs.
Oops... Rick didn't get his food plated! Lachlan wasn't sure his sausages were cooked through! Duhn-duhn-duhn.
Presentation time!
Lachlan's "Hot Dog" dish - Prosciutto stufado with pork kielbasa. It was called kind of rare.
Michael's fish sticks - Swordfish meatballs with fisherman's sauce. It looked very good and got very nice reviews.
Nils' Fried Shrimp Dish - Shrimp with creamed corn, and pickled cherry tomatoes. They weren't sure that it took from the fried shrimp enough.
They were not happy with not getting Rick's food.
Lachlan got 3 stars. Nils got 3 stars. Rick didn't get any stars, obviously. Michael got 4 1/2 stars.
Not-Padme told them that their Elimination Challenge is to cook a three course meal for 100 people, all by themselves. It's a party for Top Chef's biggest fans - and they have to make appetizers, taking off from the three courses of a meal. They have $1000 at Whole Foods, then 3 hours to prep.
Rick's menu: Opakapaka ceviche, Branandeof scallop & shrimp, and a preserved lemon custard.
Lachlan's menu: Pineapple & Speck "fritta esotica", grilled beef short ribs, and strawberry frangipane tart
Nils' menu: Diced scallop, Slow cooked salmon, and chocolate & goat cheese ganache with a smoked lapsang tea.
Michael's menu: Shaved brussel sprout salad, spicy prawns, and balsamic marinated strawberries.
The day of service, they have 1 hour to prep before serving. Some of the chefs are using their waitstaff to help them plate as much as possible. Nils was done before the others and he was hoping that he didn't forget anything. He helped Rick in the end.
Not-Padma and the judges arrive. I'm beginning to wonder if Gael Green has a problem with the top of her head, like if she lost a chunk of hair in some terrible accident and it never grew back? Anyhow...
Nils seemed to get the best remarks for the appetizer round, along with Rick.
Many of them got very good remarks on their main course.
Michael had a problem with plating his dessert. He asked a woman to help him plate. Nils' smoked tea in his dessert was not a favorite of some of the diners - one person called it "too smart" for her. I think that was Sweet Pea from Project Runway.
Who will come out on top?
Michael's brussel sprout salad got good marks. Gael Green's Hat liked his prawns, but didn't like that you needed a knife to eat it. Gael Green's hat was also skeptical about "lawn cuttings" in her ice cream, but she liked it.
Nils' appetizer and entree got very good marks. The dessert was the least sucessful part of his meal, saying that the tea tasted like bacon. Since I know that Republic of Tea's Lapsong Souchang smells exactly like beef jerky, I can see that would not be pleasant in dessert. The judges called each dish gem-like, but didn't like the dessert, but they were impressed that he stood behind his dish.
Lauchlan didn't get many notes, but his food looked yummy. They didn't like the deep fried pineapple. They were split on the braised short ribs. One of the judges said his dessert had a strange meat like quality.
Rick got a lot of good marks for making his panna cottas individually. They really liked a lot of his food. They thought his dishes were high end, elegant comfort food.
Scores!
Rick's total is 17 stars.
Lauchlin's total is 15 1/2 stars.
Nils' total is 17 stars, to tie Rick.
Michael's total is 19 1/2 stars, so he wins.
How many more episodes before the Championship Round?
Rick Moonen, from NY. He is playing for the Cape Cod Sustainable Hook Fish Foundation.
Nils Noren is from Sweden, so I have to like him. It's like a cultural imperative. He's playing for the Friends of the French Culinary Institute, to give help to people who can't afford it.
Lachlan Patterson is from Boulder, CO. He is playing for the Denver Children's Hospital.
Michael Chiarello is from Napa Valley. He is competing for Clinic Ole, providing health care help to the Latino community.
Not-Padme introduced the Quickfire, where they have to cook with junk food. They have to use junk food to make something delicious. Michael chose first, and picked fishsticks and tartar sauce. Lachlan grabbed a hot dog, and Rick took the corndog. Nils snagged the fried shrimp. They are judged by people from the (BRAVO SHOW PLUG) show Flipping Out, who are fast food conneseurs.
Oops... Rick didn't get his food plated! Lachlan wasn't sure his sausages were cooked through! Duhn-duhn-duhn.
Presentation time!
Lachlan's "Hot Dog" dish - Prosciutto stufado with pork kielbasa. It was called kind of rare.
Michael's fish sticks - Swordfish meatballs with fisherman's sauce. It looked very good and got very nice reviews.
Nils' Fried Shrimp Dish - Shrimp with creamed corn, and pickled cherry tomatoes. They weren't sure that it took from the fried shrimp enough.
They were not happy with not getting Rick's food.
Lachlan got 3 stars. Nils got 3 stars. Rick didn't get any stars, obviously. Michael got 4 1/2 stars.
Not-Padme told them that their Elimination Challenge is to cook a three course meal for 100 people, all by themselves. It's a party for Top Chef's biggest fans - and they have to make appetizers, taking off from the three courses of a meal. They have $1000 at Whole Foods, then 3 hours to prep.
Rick's menu: Opakapaka ceviche, Branandeof scallop & shrimp, and a preserved lemon custard.
Lachlan's menu: Pineapple & Speck "fritta esotica", grilled beef short ribs, and strawberry frangipane tart
Nils' menu: Diced scallop, Slow cooked salmon, and chocolate & goat cheese ganache with a smoked lapsang tea.
Michael's menu: Shaved brussel sprout salad, spicy prawns, and balsamic marinated strawberries.
The day of service, they have 1 hour to prep before serving. Some of the chefs are using their waitstaff to help them plate as much as possible. Nils was done before the others and he was hoping that he didn't forget anything. He helped Rick in the end.
Not-Padma and the judges arrive. I'm beginning to wonder if Gael Green has a problem with the top of her head, like if she lost a chunk of hair in some terrible accident and it never grew back? Anyhow...
Nils seemed to get the best remarks for the appetizer round, along with Rick.
Many of them got very good remarks on their main course.
Michael had a problem with plating his dessert. He asked a woman to help him plate. Nils' smoked tea in his dessert was not a favorite of some of the diners - one person called it "too smart" for her. I think that was Sweet Pea from Project Runway.
Who will come out on top?
Michael's brussel sprout salad got good marks. Gael Green's Hat liked his prawns, but didn't like that you needed a knife to eat it. Gael Green's hat was also skeptical about "lawn cuttings" in her ice cream, but she liked it.
Nils' appetizer and entree got very good marks. The dessert was the least sucessful part of his meal, saying that the tea tasted like bacon. Since I know that Republic of Tea's Lapsong Souchang smells exactly like beef jerky, I can see that would not be pleasant in dessert. The judges called each dish gem-like, but didn't like the dessert, but they were impressed that he stood behind his dish.
Lauchlan didn't get many notes, but his food looked yummy. They didn't like the deep fried pineapple. They were split on the braised short ribs. One of the judges said his dessert had a strange meat like quality.
Rick got a lot of good marks for making his panna cottas individually. They really liked a lot of his food. They thought his dishes were high end, elegant comfort food.
Scores!
Rick's total is 17 stars.
Lauchlin's total is 15 1/2 stars.
Nils' total is 17 stars, to tie Rick.
Michael's total is 19 1/2 stars, so he wins.
How many more episodes before the Championship Round?
So You Think You Can Dance - 7.15.09
Top 10 week! Now, partnerships are shuffled. Let's see how it shakes down!
Cat is looking lovely in a relatively simple emerald green dress. It looks braided. It's fun. Fabulous earrings. Good look!
Joining Nigel and Mary tonight is Debbie Allen. Mary looks like she is wearing a black doily around her neck, along with some very sparkly jewelry (necklace and earrings) that would have been quite nice with a simpler dress, but now it just looks like they are fighting. Debbie says that she threw her cup o' Hagendaaz a couple of times about the judging and decisions that have been made thus far. This week, Nigel reminds us, the voting is for the individual dancer, not the couple. Everyone will be dancing a solo, in addition to their dance with a partner.
First, it's a group number with the Top 5 girls - Bollywood with Nakul! What fun! (That's maybe why Debbie is wearing an Indian inspired top). The only girl who did Bollywood before is gone now, so this is new for everyone. They have decided to call themselves the Bollywood Bombshells. The costumes are fantastic, as to be expected. See, I like a larger group number for Bollywood dances. They had a part where they had masks on the backs of their heads and danced to show them off. It was very cool. All of them did great jobs on it. Impressive. It got really fast at the end. I love Bollywood dancing. Nigel nearly kissed the choreographer, and fawned over the beauty of these girls, and commended them on a fantastic group number, saying they are lacking nothing. He put them on his hot bangers and mash train, and then backed up and called them hot spicy tandoori. Mary gave us the zinger of "Bollywood, Bolly-WOW!" Right. Debbie just loved the dance, and said that the girls inhaled the cultural fusion. Or something. She thinks this is the best Top 5 girls ever. I think it mught just be.
Kayla & Evan (Viennese Waltz, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Kiss from a Rose by Seal) It's a problem, because Evan is the shortest guy, and Kayla is the tallest girl, and she'll be dancing in heels. Melanie put Kayla's heels on Evan to see how that worked. Um. Not so much. For the actual dance, they worked well. The rise and fall was there (although the camera work was dizzying, so maybe it was more the camera rising and falling than them. I barely noticed he was so much shorter than her. Her dress was beautiful, and he looked just dapper. He did a very nice straight lift near the end, and her lines were just perfect. I wonder if they put him in lifts? They did! Evan had lifts, and Kayla was in flats. Or barefoot? Wonderful solution. Nigel wanted more close holds. That's a choreography issue, not a dancing issue, Nigel. He thought that they danced it well, and applauded Evan's partnership, and Kayla's lines. Mary thought that Evan was lacking in power and his leg action was not right, saying he was plopping his feet down instead of gliding. She did like Evan's lifts, saying he made them look effortless. She gave Kayla big wows, and called her fabulous. Debbie called it a wonderful surprise and told Evan he "handled his big woman." She seems charmed by Evan. She called Kayla white lightening.
Voting numbers are for the solo order - 1-866-TEMPO-##
Brandon's Solo: It seemed well choreographed and he did a lot of spinning around and around, but it showed off his style pretty well.
Janette & Ade (Hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon. Song: Love Sec Magic, by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake) Ade is the funk doctor in the dance, bringing funk to Janette. I hate his pick. I hate his pick. He used it to hypnotize her. He brought funk to her by ripping off her skirt to reveallittle hot pants. She played the character very well, and though the fact that he is so much taller than her made them look a little off in their synchonization. I wish that Nigel would call Napoleon & Tabitha what sounds like "NappyTabs." Not so good. Nigel then made an inappropriate and unfunny joke that made Mary shriek. Not ok. Mary then screamed that it was funky. Woo. That's a quote, unfortunately. Debbie said that "these children wore me out." She gives some love to Tabitha and Napoleon.
Randi's Solo: She looked like she was wearing a nightie, or an ill-advised bridesmaid's dress, but she did a nice job. She's super cute.
Kupono's Solo: He's doing more than spinning around and grabbing his shirt this week, and his solo was really funky and I liked it. He reminded me of Mark. That's a good thing. He made his costume himself. He need to stick with dancing, because it looks like he was caught in a fishing net and escaped with a sharp knife. Not good.
Jeanine & Jason (Contemporary, choreographed by Travis Wahl (I miss his blond hair). Song: If it Kills Me, by Jason Mraz.) It's the former partners of last week's eliminated people. They danced it beautifully. There was passion and feeling. When their chracters finally gave into the passion, and she ropped his shirt open.... I got chills. And they ended with a very convincing kiss. Nice. Amazing. Wow, Travis. Just wow. Nigel was so excited to see Travis coming back to choreograph, and said it was fabulous work made better by the people who danced it. It was stunning. Mary was left speechless. Thank you, Travis!!! Sadly, she found her voice and screached that they are stars, and broke out into tears with love for Travis. I muted the hot tamale train. Debbie said that the show has gone beyond competition and has entered the realm of just being a conversation of dance. She them told people they want to buy tickets for the tour.
Melissa's solo: I love this ballerina. She's just amazing. I hope she sticks around for a good long time.
Evan's solo: It's hard to show Broadway in the short time allowed in the solo, but I think he did a pretty good job. He's just so darned likeable.
Kayla's Solo: She again took Nigel's advice and has her hair back. Her lines are undoubtably stunning. I don't think the song choice was good - it was very repetative - but she did a beautiuful job.
Randi & Kupono (Pasa Doble, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Dies Irae by Karl Jenkins) They are both a bit confused, nervous, and overwhelmed with the pasa doble in rehearsals. She's rocking a brunette wig and it helps with the character, actuall. Her dress was fantastic. The strobe lights went a'flashing, and they rocked it out. It could have been so much bettwe. He looked kind of pained in the lift, and I don't know if he meant to drop her at the end. Nigel said he didn't know if the dancing was as good as the choreography. He didn't think that Kupono had the strength, and I agree. He was also unsure to the wig on Randi, and didn't like the coupling, and didn't think it felt authentic. Mary didn't think it was believable, and thought that Randi did a slightly better job than Kupono, but called it mediocre. Debbie agreed with the others.
Ade's solo: He removed his shirt for our viewing pleasure. My husband didn't understand the slow song and the frenetic movement.
Janine's solo: This girl knows how to do a solo. She engages the audience, and gets a lot of feeling into the dance. I love her.
Jason's solo: His solo was very cute, but i hate when they stay way in the back of the stage. He's charming. He made Cat attempt a southern accent, which is something she should never do again. Ever.
Melissa & Brandon (Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Song: Aquarius from Hair) They look like perfect flower children. Melissa's face is so expressive and beautiful. The flowers in her hair suit her. They just seemed to float together. And they got a smoke bomb at the end. Fancy. Cat claimed to smell patchouli. I hate patchouli. Nigel gave some love to Tyce. He also said that the dance was done beautifully and brought back memories for him. I can see Nigel as a bit of a hippie. Mary squealed her love for them. Debbie said they evoked the harmony of the dance.
Jeanette's solo: Hot salsa momma! It's hard to do a solo salsa, but she showed off her hip movements admirably. Good for her!
Time for a Top 5 Guy's group routine! They are doing an African dance, choreographed by Jeffrey Page. Rehearsals were a bit rough for some. Poor Evan looked kind of weird in African Tribal wear. He did his best, though. The Bollywood routine was much better. These guys just looked not grounded enough, and they didn't really get down into the earth... still, it looked completely exhausting. Nigel loves African dance and gave some love to Jeffrey Page. He singled Evan out, saying the poor boy looks like a dancing milkshake, but still said that he didn't stick out like a sore thumb. Mary screached her love for the dance, and thought Evan was a cutie, and he held his own in something so clearly not his own genre. Debbie loved that Jeffrey's choreography was pure and authentic, and she thought that the guys did a great job with it, because it is not easy.
So, after tonight, I think that Kupono and Randi could be in trouble, though Evan might also be down there. Kupono and Randi gave the only really weak couple's dance, and based on solos, Randi might be gone.
Jeanine & Jason's contemporary by Travis was my favorite of the night. It was beautiful. Melissa & Brandon were up there, too.
What do you think?
Cat is looking lovely in a relatively simple emerald green dress. It looks braided. It's fun. Fabulous earrings. Good look!
Joining Nigel and Mary tonight is Debbie Allen. Mary looks like she is wearing a black doily around her neck, along with some very sparkly jewelry (necklace and earrings) that would have been quite nice with a simpler dress, but now it just looks like they are fighting. Debbie says that she threw her cup o' Hagendaaz a couple of times about the judging and decisions that have been made thus far. This week, Nigel reminds us, the voting is for the individual dancer, not the couple. Everyone will be dancing a solo, in addition to their dance with a partner.
First, it's a group number with the Top 5 girls - Bollywood with Nakul! What fun! (That's maybe why Debbie is wearing an Indian inspired top). The only girl who did Bollywood before is gone now, so this is new for everyone. They have decided to call themselves the Bollywood Bombshells. The costumes are fantastic, as to be expected. See, I like a larger group number for Bollywood dances. They had a part where they had masks on the backs of their heads and danced to show them off. It was very cool. All of them did great jobs on it. Impressive. It got really fast at the end. I love Bollywood dancing. Nigel nearly kissed the choreographer, and fawned over the beauty of these girls, and commended them on a fantastic group number, saying they are lacking nothing. He put them on his hot bangers and mash train, and then backed up and called them hot spicy tandoori. Mary gave us the zinger of "Bollywood, Bolly-WOW!" Right. Debbie just loved the dance, and said that the girls inhaled the cultural fusion. Or something. She thinks this is the best Top 5 girls ever. I think it mught just be.
Kayla & Evan (Viennese Waltz, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Kiss from a Rose by Seal) It's a problem, because Evan is the shortest guy, and Kayla is the tallest girl, and she'll be dancing in heels. Melanie put Kayla's heels on Evan to see how that worked. Um. Not so much. For the actual dance, they worked well. The rise and fall was there (although the camera work was dizzying, so maybe it was more the camera rising and falling than them. I barely noticed he was so much shorter than her. Her dress was beautiful, and he looked just dapper. He did a very nice straight lift near the end, and her lines were just perfect. I wonder if they put him in lifts? They did! Evan had lifts, and Kayla was in flats. Or barefoot? Wonderful solution. Nigel wanted more close holds. That's a choreography issue, not a dancing issue, Nigel. He thought that they danced it well, and applauded Evan's partnership, and Kayla's lines. Mary thought that Evan was lacking in power and his leg action was not right, saying he was plopping his feet down instead of gliding. She did like Evan's lifts, saying he made them look effortless. She gave Kayla big wows, and called her fabulous. Debbie called it a wonderful surprise and told Evan he "handled his big woman." She seems charmed by Evan. She called Kayla white lightening.
Voting numbers are for the solo order - 1-866-TEMPO-##
Brandon's Solo: It seemed well choreographed and he did a lot of spinning around and around, but it showed off his style pretty well.
Janette & Ade (Hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon. Song: Love Sec Magic, by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake) Ade is the funk doctor in the dance, bringing funk to Janette. I hate his pick. I hate his pick. He used it to hypnotize her. He brought funk to her by ripping off her skirt to reveallittle hot pants. She played the character very well, and though the fact that he is so much taller than her made them look a little off in their synchonization. I wish that Nigel would call Napoleon & Tabitha what sounds like "NappyTabs." Not so good. Nigel then made an inappropriate and unfunny joke that made Mary shriek. Not ok. Mary then screamed that it was funky. Woo. That's a quote, unfortunately. Debbie said that "these children wore me out." She gives some love to Tabitha and Napoleon.
Randi's Solo: She looked like she was wearing a nightie, or an ill-advised bridesmaid's dress, but she did a nice job. She's super cute.
Kupono's Solo: He's doing more than spinning around and grabbing his shirt this week, and his solo was really funky and I liked it. He reminded me of Mark. That's a good thing. He made his costume himself. He need to stick with dancing, because it looks like he was caught in a fishing net and escaped with a sharp knife. Not good.
Jeanine & Jason (Contemporary, choreographed by Travis Wahl (I miss his blond hair). Song: If it Kills Me, by Jason Mraz.) It's the former partners of last week's eliminated people. They danced it beautifully. There was passion and feeling. When their chracters finally gave into the passion, and she ropped his shirt open.... I got chills. And they ended with a very convincing kiss. Nice. Amazing. Wow, Travis. Just wow. Nigel was so excited to see Travis coming back to choreograph, and said it was fabulous work made better by the people who danced it. It was stunning. Mary was left speechless. Thank you, Travis!!! Sadly, she found her voice and screached that they are stars, and broke out into tears with love for Travis. I muted the hot tamale train. Debbie said that the show has gone beyond competition and has entered the realm of just being a conversation of dance. She them told people they want to buy tickets for the tour.
Melissa's solo: I love this ballerina. She's just amazing. I hope she sticks around for a good long time.
Evan's solo: It's hard to show Broadway in the short time allowed in the solo, but I think he did a pretty good job. He's just so darned likeable.
Kayla's Solo: She again took Nigel's advice and has her hair back. Her lines are undoubtably stunning. I don't think the song choice was good - it was very repetative - but she did a beautiuful job.
Randi & Kupono (Pasa Doble, choreographed by Tony & Melanie. Song: Dies Irae by Karl Jenkins) They are both a bit confused, nervous, and overwhelmed with the pasa doble in rehearsals. She's rocking a brunette wig and it helps with the character, actuall. Her dress was fantastic. The strobe lights went a'flashing, and they rocked it out. It could have been so much bettwe. He looked kind of pained in the lift, and I don't know if he meant to drop her at the end. Nigel said he didn't know if the dancing was as good as the choreography. He didn't think that Kupono had the strength, and I agree. He was also unsure to the wig on Randi, and didn't like the coupling, and didn't think it felt authentic. Mary didn't think it was believable, and thought that Randi did a slightly better job than Kupono, but called it mediocre. Debbie agreed with the others.
Ade's solo: He removed his shirt for our viewing pleasure. My husband didn't understand the slow song and the frenetic movement.
Janine's solo: This girl knows how to do a solo. She engages the audience, and gets a lot of feeling into the dance. I love her.
Jason's solo: His solo was very cute, but i hate when they stay way in the back of the stage. He's charming. He made Cat attempt a southern accent, which is something she should never do again. Ever.
Melissa & Brandon (Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Song: Aquarius from Hair) They look like perfect flower children. Melissa's face is so expressive and beautiful. The flowers in her hair suit her. They just seemed to float together. And they got a smoke bomb at the end. Fancy. Cat claimed to smell patchouli. I hate patchouli. Nigel gave some love to Tyce. He also said that the dance was done beautifully and brought back memories for him. I can see Nigel as a bit of a hippie. Mary squealed her love for them. Debbie said they evoked the harmony of the dance.
Jeanette's solo: Hot salsa momma! It's hard to do a solo salsa, but she showed off her hip movements admirably. Good for her!
Time for a Top 5 Guy's group routine! They are doing an African dance, choreographed by Jeffrey Page. Rehearsals were a bit rough for some. Poor Evan looked kind of weird in African Tribal wear. He did his best, though. The Bollywood routine was much better. These guys just looked not grounded enough, and they didn't really get down into the earth... still, it looked completely exhausting. Nigel loves African dance and gave some love to Jeffrey Page. He singled Evan out, saying the poor boy looks like a dancing milkshake, but still said that he didn't stick out like a sore thumb. Mary screached her love for the dance, and thought Evan was a cutie, and he held his own in something so clearly not his own genre. Debbie loved that Jeffrey's choreography was pure and authentic, and she thought that the guys did a great job with it, because it is not easy.
So, after tonight, I think that Kupono and Randi could be in trouble, though Evan might also be down there. Kupono and Randi gave the only really weak couple's dance, and based on solos, Randi might be gone.
Jeanine & Jason's contemporary by Travis was my favorite of the night. It was beautiful. Melissa & Brandon were up there, too.
What do you think?
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Next Food Network Star - 7.12.09
The five remaining finalists thought that they would be heading to the airport to simply head to Miami. Little did they suspect, they are up for a challenge!
They have to work in one of 5 high quality restaurants in the airport, and make a dish that is consistent with the cuisine there.
Jeffrey get AeroNuova, the Italian restaurant.
Michael gets La Vie, a French restaurant.
Melissa gets Piquillo, a tapas restaurant.
Jamika gets Deep Blue, a sushi restaurant.
Debbie gets Five Steak, an American modern restaurant.
Whoever wins gets their dish put on the menu of their restaurant!
They only have 30 minutes.
Things get a bit tough when the airport regulations have things like knives tethered to cutting boards, and Michael needs an oyster shucker, with no oyster shucker to be had, so he changed plans.
Jamika's dish is a Seared Red Tuna salad with an orange miso vinaigrette. She starts talking about intestinal distress during her presentation, and that was a bit much. Ted Allen called it TMI. They didn't think her dish was very original.
Debbie's Pacific Spinach Salad is steak free for the steak house. The judges were confused and Susie didn't like that Debbie said that only women want to watch waistlines.
Jeffrey made poached egg bruschetta, and his presentation was really fabulous. They seemed to like his food.
Melissa made chicken with chorizo and potatoes, and showed up some cool Spanish skills. She also gave some great presentation with some really cool new stuff about herself. The judges loved her presentation and her dish.
Michael made a clam and shrimp with hollandaise or something. He was kind of boring in his presentation, and the judges had troubles with his actual dish. Not good.
Michael came out on the bottom with his dish. Jeffrey came out on top. Melissa would have to have been close to winning, too.
And, off to Miami they go!
They get to the Eden Rock hotel, and their suite is something else. They are sent immediately to the lobby. They have to cook for a cocktail party as a team at a nightclub. They have 2 hours, and each person needs to come up with at least 2 hors deuvres, and a signature cocktail.
As winner, Jeffrey gets to assign tasks to people. They got to menu planning, and Melissa was the only one to realize that they needed to at least have one vegetarian choice. They had $1500 total at Whole Foods. When they got to the club kitchen, they had 2 hours to prep and cook. They are making a Chili Spiced Margarita. Except their simple syrup is not coming to a boil well. Scary. Everyone was running around like chickens with heads cut off.
Jeffrey was playing host, Michael was at the bar, and the women were in the back plating and getting food out.
Jeffrey's appetizers were - Cuban bite - pork with prosciutto, with an orange, bean sauce. His second was lump crab meat, spicey tomatillo sauce, and peppers. Ted didn't like the store bought chips, and his food kind of fell flat.
Jamika's got a jerk chicken skewer and mango cilantro shrimp with a sweet pineapple slaw. She handed the food over and ran. The judges felt like they were a little ignored and thought her jerk chicken should have been spicier.
Debbie was only plating her own dish and Melissa felt that wasn't quite fair.
Michael was his usual obnoxious self at the bar.
Melissa's dishes are a Miami salmon shooter, a chipotle chicken bite, and a veggie asada. The judges liked that she was likeable. They thought her food lacked a little finesse.
The chili margarita was not spicy enough for the judges. People were hungry and the food wasn't going out quickly enough. Debbie was sitting on her own dishes and not expediting like she was supposed to.
Bobby Flay went back into the kitchen to find out what was happening back there. Michael went back into the kitchen to do some food, and brought his dishes out to the judges.
Michael's dishes are margarita salmon and a chili lime shrimp. He was working the crowd. I don't want him on my tv. The judges thought his food was not flavorable enough.
Debbie's the last one out. She served a spicy passionfruit chicken on daikon, and ribeye with korean flavors. The judges thought she had the best dishes of the night.
Selection committee time!
The biggest problem with the party was getting the food out.
Jeffrey was chastised for seeming to hold back in his flavors.
Michael was a bit too big in personality for a lot of people (and me, too). Bob said that if his salmon was marinated, it was a surprise to the salmon. His decision to have freshly fried shrimp was also questioned.
Jamika needed to not let the stress show.
Melissa's vegetable dish was the tastiest of her three. They worried that she spread herself too thin, but she explained that she decided to do the third dish so there would be a vegetarian option, and they loved that point.
Debbie was really not a good expediter. Debbie claimed she was being selfless, and Melissa brought up the fact that she was doing a lot more plating than anyone else. Bob did the math and realized that Melissa was telling the truth. Apparently, expediting a kitchen means expediting her own food to Debbie.
While the judges deliberated, Jeffrey got very angry at the fact that people couldn't get their cooking done ahead of time.
The judges are loving Melissa, are nervous that Michael hates the camera, and think that Debbie didn't act as a team player, calling her behavior shameful. I kind of agree.
Jamika is safe this week, as is Melissa. Jeffrey joins them. The bottom two are Debbie and Michael. In the end, it was Michael going home. I think that was a good decision. I find him utterly obnoxious, and Debbie gets another chance.
At this point, I think that Jeffrey or Melissa is probably going to win it. I am rooting for Melissa. How about you?
They have to work in one of 5 high quality restaurants in the airport, and make a dish that is consistent with the cuisine there.
Jeffrey get AeroNuova, the Italian restaurant.
Michael gets La Vie, a French restaurant.
Melissa gets Piquillo, a tapas restaurant.
Jamika gets Deep Blue, a sushi restaurant.
Debbie gets Five Steak, an American modern restaurant.
Whoever wins gets their dish put on the menu of their restaurant!
They only have 30 minutes.
Things get a bit tough when the airport regulations have things like knives tethered to cutting boards, and Michael needs an oyster shucker, with no oyster shucker to be had, so he changed plans.
Jamika's dish is a Seared Red Tuna salad with an orange miso vinaigrette. She starts talking about intestinal distress during her presentation, and that was a bit much. Ted Allen called it TMI. They didn't think her dish was very original.
Debbie's Pacific Spinach Salad is steak free for the steak house. The judges were confused and Susie didn't like that Debbie said that only women want to watch waistlines.
Jeffrey made poached egg bruschetta, and his presentation was really fabulous. They seemed to like his food.
Melissa made chicken with chorizo and potatoes, and showed up some cool Spanish skills. She also gave some great presentation with some really cool new stuff about herself. The judges loved her presentation and her dish.
Michael made a clam and shrimp with hollandaise or something. He was kind of boring in his presentation, and the judges had troubles with his actual dish. Not good.
Michael came out on the bottom with his dish. Jeffrey came out on top. Melissa would have to have been close to winning, too.
And, off to Miami they go!
They get to the Eden Rock hotel, and their suite is something else. They are sent immediately to the lobby. They have to cook for a cocktail party as a team at a nightclub. They have 2 hours, and each person needs to come up with at least 2 hors deuvres, and a signature cocktail.
As winner, Jeffrey gets to assign tasks to people. They got to menu planning, and Melissa was the only one to realize that they needed to at least have one vegetarian choice. They had $1500 total at Whole Foods. When they got to the club kitchen, they had 2 hours to prep and cook. They are making a Chili Spiced Margarita. Except their simple syrup is not coming to a boil well. Scary. Everyone was running around like chickens with heads cut off.
Jeffrey was playing host, Michael was at the bar, and the women were in the back plating and getting food out.
Jeffrey's appetizers were - Cuban bite - pork with prosciutto, with an orange, bean sauce. His second was lump crab meat, spicey tomatillo sauce, and peppers. Ted didn't like the store bought chips, and his food kind of fell flat.
Jamika's got a jerk chicken skewer and mango cilantro shrimp with a sweet pineapple slaw. She handed the food over and ran. The judges felt like they were a little ignored and thought her jerk chicken should have been spicier.
Debbie was only plating her own dish and Melissa felt that wasn't quite fair.
Michael was his usual obnoxious self at the bar.
Melissa's dishes are a Miami salmon shooter, a chipotle chicken bite, and a veggie asada. The judges liked that she was likeable. They thought her food lacked a little finesse.
The chili margarita was not spicy enough for the judges. People were hungry and the food wasn't going out quickly enough. Debbie was sitting on her own dishes and not expediting like she was supposed to.
Bobby Flay went back into the kitchen to find out what was happening back there. Michael went back into the kitchen to do some food, and brought his dishes out to the judges.
Michael's dishes are margarita salmon and a chili lime shrimp. He was working the crowd. I don't want him on my tv. The judges thought his food was not flavorable enough.
Debbie's the last one out. She served a spicy passionfruit chicken on daikon, and ribeye with korean flavors. The judges thought she had the best dishes of the night.
Selection committee time!
The biggest problem with the party was getting the food out.
Jeffrey was chastised for seeming to hold back in his flavors.
Michael was a bit too big in personality for a lot of people (and me, too). Bob said that if his salmon was marinated, it was a surprise to the salmon. His decision to have freshly fried shrimp was also questioned.
Jamika needed to not let the stress show.
Melissa's vegetable dish was the tastiest of her three. They worried that she spread herself too thin, but she explained that she decided to do the third dish so there would be a vegetarian option, and they loved that point.
Debbie was really not a good expediter. Debbie claimed she was being selfless, and Melissa brought up the fact that she was doing a lot more plating than anyone else. Bob did the math and realized that Melissa was telling the truth. Apparently, expediting a kitchen means expediting her own food to Debbie.
While the judges deliberated, Jeffrey got very angry at the fact that people couldn't get their cooking done ahead of time.
The judges are loving Melissa, are nervous that Michael hates the camera, and think that Debbie didn't act as a team player, calling her behavior shameful. I kind of agree.
Jamika is safe this week, as is Melissa. Jeffrey joins them. The bottom two are Debbie and Michael. In the end, it was Michael going home. I think that was a good decision. I find him utterly obnoxious, and Debbie gets another chance.
At this point, I think that Jeffrey or Melissa is probably going to win it. I am rooting for Melissa. How about you?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Top Chef Masters 7.8.09
Sorry for the late recap - busy busy busy...
And this looks like an episode worth waiting for! It's got Neil Patrick Harris!!! Yippeee!
Tonight's chefs are:
Douglas Rodrigez, who calls his cuisine tortilla-free latino cuisine. He's playing for Ayuda for the Arts, a Hispanic Culinary Scholarship foundation.
Anita Lo, who tends to work on the line in her restaurants. Her charity is Share, a charity for breast and ovarian cancer.
John Besh is from New Orleans, and he is playing for The Make it Right Foundation.
The last chef is Mark Peel, who worked for Wolfgang Puck. He's competing for Doctors Without Borders.
Not-Padme tells them that their Quickfire Challenge is going to be the Cook an Egg with Your Hand Behind Your Back challenge, from the Top Chef Allstars challenge. The judges are Gail Simmons, Terry Reish, an egg farmer, and Monica something-or-other, who runs a new breakfast restaurant.
They have 30 minutes, and have one arm in an oven mitt behind their backs. Mark looks to have a bit of an advantage, because his father had one arm, and he grew up watching him do things one handed.
Douglas' dish is: Open-faced corn cake with scrambled eggs & ham. They loved it.
Mark's dish is: Duck Egg pasta with egg & olive oil cream sauce. They were impressed by the fact that he made pasta with one hand, but he forgot the olive oil! D'oh!
Anita's dish: Soft scrambled egg & shitake mushrooms with truffle oil and oyster sauce. This got great reviews and is gorgeous.
Poor John only got one dish plated... so they have to share. His egg is not well cooked, and it was a bad mistake.
Mark's score is 2 1/2 stars.
John's score is 1/2 star. Ouch.
Douglas' score is 3 stars.
Anita's score is the maximum 5 stars. Good job to her.
They have to cook for Neil Patrick Harris and some of his friends, at the Magic Castle in LA, and they get a magic demonstation from Max Maven, magician & mentalist. They get cards dealt to them (which are blank when he draws them!) with different qualities of magic printed on them. They have to cook with their dealt cards as inspriration -
Mystery
Surprise
Spectacle
Illusion
John Besh got Surprise and is planning on doing something with liquid nitrogen.
Douglas got Spectacle and doesn't want to give anything up.
Anita got Illusion and is doing something with seafood.
Mark got Mystery, and didn't reveal much, either.
They have 2 hours to prep, and Tom gave a little visit. Hi, Tom!
After prep, they went ot the Magic Castle, which is a private club and get to the final cooking.
Mark's Mystery meal is: Tai Snapper in parchment with garlic mashed potato and leeks. The diners took a while getting into the parchment, but really liked it.
John's dish requires some help from NPH for the liquid nitrogen fun, and is salmon tartare with frozen cauliflower blini, and a cucumber salmon rose salad with frozen horseradish sorbet, and a Tempura Fried Lobster wrapped in smoked salmon.
Anita's Illusion list is a braised daikon with kombu caviar and steak tartar, which looks like a scallop, and a seascape underneath made of rice crispies. Reviews are mixed.
Douglas' Spectacle is Duck Four Ways, including an oyster ceviche, empanada with foie gras and figs sliced duck breast with confit, and a flaming coconut with soup. He put sterno on the outside of the coconut and it was a little dangerous... he wanted to use 151 Rum, but couldn't get any.
Time for some magic! Gael Green's hat liked the magic show, including a bunny emerging from a magician's mop of hair.
Critic's Table time.
John wanted to use different techniques that people don't know him for. Gael Green's Hat didn't really like the cauliflower blini, but Gail Simmons liked it.
Anita's presentation was very cool, but her broth was questionable as a side, but good as a sauce.
Douglas's flaming coconut was questioned. Gael Green's hat loved the oyster ceviche with the duck confit.
Mark's mystery dish amused Gael Green's Hat. Gail Simmons loved the pairing with sake.
Scores are tabulated.
John's total score is 12 stars.
Mark's total score is 18 1/2 stars.
Douglas' total is 13 stars.
Anita's score is 22 1/2 stars, and she moves on to the next round.
Good night. I wanted more NPH. Oh well.
And this looks like an episode worth waiting for! It's got Neil Patrick Harris!!! Yippeee!
Tonight's chefs are:
Douglas Rodrigez, who calls his cuisine tortilla-free latino cuisine. He's playing for Ayuda for the Arts, a Hispanic Culinary Scholarship foundation.
Anita Lo, who tends to work on the line in her restaurants. Her charity is Share, a charity for breast and ovarian cancer.
John Besh is from New Orleans, and he is playing for The Make it Right Foundation.
The last chef is Mark Peel, who worked for Wolfgang Puck. He's competing for Doctors Without Borders.
Not-Padme tells them that their Quickfire Challenge is going to be the Cook an Egg with Your Hand Behind Your Back challenge, from the Top Chef Allstars challenge. The judges are Gail Simmons, Terry Reish, an egg farmer, and Monica something-or-other, who runs a new breakfast restaurant.
They have 30 minutes, and have one arm in an oven mitt behind their backs. Mark looks to have a bit of an advantage, because his father had one arm, and he grew up watching him do things one handed.
Douglas' dish is: Open-faced corn cake with scrambled eggs & ham. They loved it.
Mark's dish is: Duck Egg pasta with egg & olive oil cream sauce. They were impressed by the fact that he made pasta with one hand, but he forgot the olive oil! D'oh!
Anita's dish: Soft scrambled egg & shitake mushrooms with truffle oil and oyster sauce. This got great reviews and is gorgeous.
Poor John only got one dish plated... so they have to share. His egg is not well cooked, and it was a bad mistake.
Mark's score is 2 1/2 stars.
John's score is 1/2 star. Ouch.
Douglas' score is 3 stars.
Anita's score is the maximum 5 stars. Good job to her.
They have to cook for Neil Patrick Harris and some of his friends, at the Magic Castle in LA, and they get a magic demonstation from Max Maven, magician & mentalist. They get cards dealt to them (which are blank when he draws them!) with different qualities of magic printed on them. They have to cook with their dealt cards as inspriration -
Mystery
Surprise
Spectacle
Illusion
John Besh got Surprise and is planning on doing something with liquid nitrogen.
Douglas got Spectacle and doesn't want to give anything up.
Anita got Illusion and is doing something with seafood.
Mark got Mystery, and didn't reveal much, either.
They have 2 hours to prep, and Tom gave a little visit. Hi, Tom!
After prep, they went ot the Magic Castle, which is a private club and get to the final cooking.
Mark's Mystery meal is: Tai Snapper in parchment with garlic mashed potato and leeks. The diners took a while getting into the parchment, but really liked it.
John's dish requires some help from NPH for the liquid nitrogen fun, and is salmon tartare with frozen cauliflower blini, and a cucumber salmon rose salad with frozen horseradish sorbet, and a Tempura Fried Lobster wrapped in smoked salmon.
Anita's Illusion list is a braised daikon with kombu caviar and steak tartar, which looks like a scallop, and a seascape underneath made of rice crispies. Reviews are mixed.
Douglas' Spectacle is Duck Four Ways, including an oyster ceviche, empanada with foie gras and figs sliced duck breast with confit, and a flaming coconut with soup. He put sterno on the outside of the coconut and it was a little dangerous... he wanted to use 151 Rum, but couldn't get any.
Time for some magic! Gael Green's hat liked the magic show, including a bunny emerging from a magician's mop of hair.
Critic's Table time.
John wanted to use different techniques that people don't know him for. Gael Green's Hat didn't really like the cauliflower blini, but Gail Simmons liked it.
Anita's presentation was very cool, but her broth was questionable as a side, but good as a sauce.
Douglas's flaming coconut was questioned. Gael Green's hat loved the oyster ceviche with the duck confit.
Mark's mystery dish amused Gael Green's Hat. Gail Simmons loved the pairing with sake.
Scores are tabulated.
John's total score is 12 stars.
Mark's total score is 18 1/2 stars.
Douglas' total is 13 stars.
Anita's score is 22 1/2 stars, and she moves on to the next round.
Good night. I wanted more NPH. Oh well.
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