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Adam knows that he is in trouble, saying "I need to not do anymore with the raw foods," having served undercooked food two weeks in a row. Wouldn't it be hilarious if this week was a raw food challenge?
Their challenge is about their culinary point of view, as seen through a potato. They have 30 minutes and a pantry full of food. Nipa says that she did a little Bollywood dance when she saw the potato. I wish I could have seen that.
Peeling madly, Nipa says that her dish is going to be Rasa Vala Batata Nu Shak: Curried potato with gravy. Aaron is making potato wrapped in bacon with a honey scallion glaze. Sounds yummy. Adam is making bacon cheese fries, because he figures it will be cooked. Jennifer is making a grilled mashed potato pizza. Kelsey is making a potato gratin. Shane is making a mushroom, leek, and potato soup. Lisa is making a poached potato with creme fraiche and smoked trout. Jeffrey is making sophisticated home fries.
And there's more to this challenge! Each chef will have to present their dish on camera and in front of the judges in a minute.
Adam is up first, and he went a little too personal. Somehow I don't know that Bobby Flay meant to tell about his last painful breakup through the eyes of the french fries. Anyhow, the judges seemed to like it, and Bobby mentioned the actual doneness as being a positive thing about it.
Kelsey goes next, perky as ever. She had a big smile plastered on her face, and it was ... raw. Not good. She also used a bit of Rachael Ray in there, mentioning that it was done in under 30 minutes. In fact, she sounded a lot like Rachael Ray. Obviously, she should have used more than the 30 minutes to cook it, since it wasn't done. Pieces of raw pancetta with raw potatoes sounds utterly dreadful to me.
Jeffrey is nervous about being too scripted, and he he ended up being almost not scripted enough. He used the word "sophisticated" a whole lot. He is really boring and unappealing. His home fries are bland, too. Not good.
Nipa presented her dish nicely, although she looked pained. The judges liked her dish, and I wish I had some right now.
Aaron is good on camera, though he looked a little nervous. I also want to eat his dish. Bobby Flay said that he wanted to steal the recipe.
Shane did a fantastic job on camera, and he was good. Unfortunately, his soup is pasty. Not good.
Jennifer is super cute, but she looked really uncomfortable on camera. She had a "low carb" grilled pizza with mashed potatoes on it... ummmmm...
Lisa squinted her way through a "blue collar potato dressed to kill," in 15 seconds and then needed to stretch it and was terrible. She blanked afterwards, and they wanted her to stretch it, and she said "I'm sorry, I didn't realize we could do it shorter." She bombed. I cheer a little. I want her off my tv.
The big challenge starts with a big display of Food Network Star Branded packaged food products. The chef have to create a pre-packaged food product, then market it to 50 buyers the next day. That's tough. They have 30 minutes to shop, and 1 hour to prep it.
Adam wants to make his own smoking rub and then smoke some chicken breast.
Nipa is making sweet and spicy peanut sauce, and grabs all the cayenne pepper off the shelf. Way more than she needs. That's a little bitchy. Come on Nipa, I want to like you!
Aaron wants to make an apple cider vinagrette. He wanted cayenne. No cayenne is to found. He tries ground jalapeno instead.
Lisa is making a basil balsamic orange marmalade. In an hour.
Kelsey is making "All in one sauce," which she will show on sloppy joes.
Jennifer is making a 3 cheese cream sauce.
Jeffrey is making a seasoned salt on fried catfish.
Shane is making a cherry cognac steak sauce - chernac.
Because he couldn't find any wood to smoke with at the store, Adam is trying smoking with corn cobs, which is a trick he saw on Good Eats. We'll see if that works.
Aaron was really unhappy with the lack of cayenne in his dressing... we'll see how it turns out. The prep time is done, and the next day, it's time for the presentations for 50 food buyers, and Martha Stewart. They have an additional 30 minutes to prep. Everyone seemed to do well with the prep.
Adam: Adam G's Smoke It Please BBQ rub. He got pretty good feedback.
Aaron: McCargo's Autumn Apple Cider Vinaigrette. The judges really like it.
Nipa: Nep's Sweet & Spicy Peanut Seasoning. The buyers thought that it was a little simple for something to market - only had two ingredients. Nipa claims that the ratio is super important, but I bet a good cook could figure that out....
Kelsey: All-in-One, Sweet, Spice, and Everything Nice. She is really putting on the syrupy sweetness, and it's getting annoying.
Shane: Cherri-gac Steak & Meat Sauce. "Where the G is silent." If you have to explain that, it's a bad name. The materials cost was also kind of high.
Lisa: Basil Balsamic Orange Marmalade. She had the marketing strategy all down pat. "Because I've developed products." She just seems so snooty to me. I still want her off my tv. Even though her marmalade sounds interesting. She squinted through her presentation, and people seemed to like it.
Jeffrey: The Soul of Jeffrey Seasoned Salt. The buyers didn't think it was very marketable, and I don't think that Jeffrey is very marketable. I almost want him off my tv more than Lisa. He just doesn't seem genuine, and also seems snobby.
Jennifer: Jenny Lynn's Three Cheese Cream Sauce. She said that it "just tastes better," than the other cream sauces on the market.
ENTER MARTHA STEWART. Kelsey and Lisa almost tripped over their wide open mouths. Then Kelsey realized she was about to serve a sloppy joe to Martha Stewart.
Shane is first with Martha. She thought it needed salt.
Martha thought that Nipa's seasoning was misleading, because she called it peanut seasoning. No peanuts in the sauce.
Martha didn't seem to be buying Jeffrey's soul food attitude.
Lisa squinted her way through her presentation to Martha. Martha seemed to like it.
Jennifer's presentation to Martha was kind of wordy and crazed and apologetic.
Aaron seemed totally at home with Martha. And she liked his dressing.
Kelsey went through her spiel to Martha about the Sloppy Joe, and Martha was left looking for a fork and looking uncomfortable.
Adam decided, inexplicably, to sing for Martha while she sampled his food. And he even had the harmonica ready. His song was kind of cute, and it was bold, that's for sure. I could actually see the song on a commercial.
It's time for the selection committee to hear what Martha has to say. Shane is a "pleasant guy" with an ok sauce. She liked Lisa, and her knowledge of food. She liked Adam's song and his rub. She found Aaron to be pleasant. Nepa had a non-important sauce, and Jennifer's was non-interesting. She thought that Jeffrey's seasoned salt had almost no seasoning. Kelsey was a bit too much for Martha.
Time for the judges to talk to the chefs.
Shane's soup was thick and porridgey, and that's not a good thing. They thought he was not passionate about his sauce in the big challenge, but he liked that.
Adam said he was ready to "leave the raw food movement behind." He got high marks for his fries, but his rub was called unoriginal.
Jennifer's non-sensical pitch with the pizza was given low marks, and her apologetic manner with the big challenge was bad, but her sauce was yummy.
Lisa was given low marks for blowing the end of the mini-challenge presentation, but was given good reviews of her marmalade, and her attitude with Martha.
Nipa's dish in the mini challenge was good, but her energy was down. Her seasoning was given very low remarks.
Aaron got good reviews on his food, but needed more personal sharing. His vinaigrette was great.
Jeffrey got low remarks for energy, and he came across badly with the buyers. Good idea, badly executed. He just seems aloof.
Kelsey was bummed that her gratin didn't taste good, though the judges really liked her All-in-one sauce. Martha did not, and her pitch was kind of over the top and rehearsed. The judges call her "verging on annoying." I agree.
So who's going home?
It's not going to be Adam. He did great in the potato challenge, and he was the winner of that challenge. It's also not going to be Lisa, who won the big challenge from the Buyers. And Aaron has a fan in Martha, and that makes him safe this week.
Nipa needs to bring more passion and personality. Shane needs to bring more passion too. The lack of visible passion is not enough to doom them this week. They are both safe.
After a tearful admission that she is really passionate and just doesn't want to be annoying, Kelsey is safe.
Jennifer is safe this week, and Jeffrey's aloofness is enough to give him the boot. I am glad. Jennifer has a tearful moment with her daughter's picture. I'm glad to see Jeffrey gone. I just realized that he reminds me a little of Carlton Banks. Not what I want in a cooking show.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
So You Think You Can Dance - Results Show 6/12/08
Starting out with the Wade Robson routine, and Nigel got gagged and tied up for it. That's kind of funny. Why didn't they gag Mary????? Wade has an amazing ability to make dances look simultaneously beautiful and bizarre. It's a talent.
Cat removed Nigel's gag and he said "Let's be kind to the dancers this year. They're evil!" His acting is not great, but it was funny. He claims that it is payback for his criticism of last year's fox routine.
The first three couples come out on stage after a quick change.
Twitchington gets a very loud cheer and Cat was barely audible. They are safe. More cheers.
Chelsea and Thayne are up next for their cha cha. The judges loved them. I did not feel it as much. The voters did. They are safe
Chelsea and Mark's Mia Michaels routine was good for the public, and they are also safe.
Matt and Kourtni (aka the giants) are in the bottom three. I can't say I am surprised, though I think that Matt deserves to be there more than Kourtni. Mary's microphone was off for the beginning of her comments, and that was like a little gift from the sound technicians. Thank you.
Susie and Marquis and their smooth waltz are safe. That is surprising to me, since Susie was my choice to go home.
Comfort and Chris did the jive last night, and they showed the clip of Comfort dislocating her shoulder in rehearsal. Owwww. They are safe.
Rayven and Jamie's did "bubblegum hip hop" last night, and Rayven decided to wear bubblegum inspired clothing tonight. Her pink and black striped tights are weird. They are in the bottom three. Nigel wonders if the pants dropping offended potential voters.
Katee and Joshua brought the house down last night with their hip hop. The voters were moved enough to call, and they are safe.
Jessica and Will and their tango elicited many shrieking comments from Mary last night, but they are in the bottom three tonight.
Chelsea and Gev didn't get high marks for their disco from Nigel, but they are safe tonight.
Before we see solos tonight, there is a performance by legendary poppers who I don't know the names of - I think Popping Pete and So Nee? They were like amazing rubberized robots. Popping is so cool. Popping apparently started in 1975, with inspiration from the jerk and the Twist.
Back from break, the Annoying Snuggle Ads continue (though it's not as bad as Ford and Coke with AI), and there is a spot of some people dancing on Hollywood Blvd. Some good, some dreadful, but it was cute.
It's time for the solos.
Kourtni has a penchant for dancing in unflattering babydoll dresses that look like maternity pajamas, but she is really a moving dancer. She is emotional and cute.
Matt did a good solo, and I do like him. Not sure it was good enough.
Rayven did some ballet in ways I have not seen before, and added a lot of kick to it, and I like her more for it.
Jamie and his West Coast Swing are unique in this year full of contemporary dancers, and I hope that he stays. He did a good solo, though his shirt was unfortunately shiny.
Jessica did a lot of tumbling and running around, and I wasn't sold on her routine. She was the weakest girl in solos in my (uninformed) opinion.
Will is outstanding, and I want him to stay. He had an amazingly high leaping split and I loved it, and he is so emotive.
While the judges deliberate, The Pussycat Dolls perform. I kind of wish that American Idol would do elimination more like this, by the way. I hesitate to say that The Pussycat Dolls sing. Nicole Schezenwhatamajigger sings kind of, but the others just seem chant and dance slightly and whoop. Some groups needs a studio to sound ok, and The Pussycat Dolls are one of them. They are pretty, in kind of a skanky way. I'll give them that. The song is kind of boring and annoying. I think it will be all over the radio within days. This is why I listen to NPR or my iPod.
The judges are back, and they call Kourtni's solo magic, and she is safe. Rayven was criticized for not being on point, only on demi point. They didn't like Jessica's routine as a solo, and neither did I. I am saddened to see Rayven go. I wanted to see more from her. Sad. I wonder if her mugging for the camera last night was her downfall.
Will is first up for the guys, and the judges loved him. He is safe. Nigel said he wants to fuse the two remaining guys and take Jamie's personality and Matt's technique. I am sad to see Jamie go. The judges said tonight they are going for technique over personality. Going first last night was a curse, apparently.
Goodbye, Rayven and Jamie! Two of the more unique (ie non-contemporary) dancers this years are gone the first week.
Still, I am anxiously awaiting next week!
Cat removed Nigel's gag and he said "Let's be kind to the dancers this year. They're evil!" His acting is not great, but it was funny. He claims that it is payback for his criticism of last year's fox routine.
The first three couples come out on stage after a quick change.
Twitchington gets a very loud cheer and Cat was barely audible. They are safe. More cheers.
Chelsea and Thayne are up next for their cha cha. The judges loved them. I did not feel it as much. The voters did. They are safe
Chelsea and Mark's Mia Michaels routine was good for the public, and they are also safe.
Matt and Kourtni (aka the giants) are in the bottom three. I can't say I am surprised, though I think that Matt deserves to be there more than Kourtni. Mary's microphone was off for the beginning of her comments, and that was like a little gift from the sound technicians. Thank you.
Susie and Marquis and their smooth waltz are safe. That is surprising to me, since Susie was my choice to go home.
Comfort and Chris did the jive last night, and they showed the clip of Comfort dislocating her shoulder in rehearsal. Owwww. They are safe.
Rayven and Jamie's did "bubblegum hip hop" last night, and Rayven decided to wear bubblegum inspired clothing tonight. Her pink and black striped tights are weird. They are in the bottom three. Nigel wonders if the pants dropping offended potential voters.
Katee and Joshua brought the house down last night with their hip hop. The voters were moved enough to call, and they are safe.
Jessica and Will and their tango elicited many shrieking comments from Mary last night, but they are in the bottom three tonight.
Chelsea and Gev didn't get high marks for their disco from Nigel, but they are safe tonight.
Before we see solos tonight, there is a performance by legendary poppers who I don't know the names of - I think Popping Pete and So Nee? They were like amazing rubberized robots. Popping is so cool. Popping apparently started in 1975, with inspiration from the jerk and the Twist.
Back from break, the Annoying Snuggle Ads continue (though it's not as bad as Ford and Coke with AI), and there is a spot of some people dancing on Hollywood Blvd. Some good, some dreadful, but it was cute.
It's time for the solos.
Kourtni has a penchant for dancing in unflattering babydoll dresses that look like maternity pajamas, but she is really a moving dancer. She is emotional and cute.
Matt did a good solo, and I do like him. Not sure it was good enough.
Rayven did some ballet in ways I have not seen before, and added a lot of kick to it, and I like her more for it.
Jamie and his West Coast Swing are unique in this year full of contemporary dancers, and I hope that he stays. He did a good solo, though his shirt was unfortunately shiny.
Jessica did a lot of tumbling and running around, and I wasn't sold on her routine. She was the weakest girl in solos in my (uninformed) opinion.
Will is outstanding, and I want him to stay. He had an amazingly high leaping split and I loved it, and he is so emotive.
While the judges deliberate, The Pussycat Dolls perform. I kind of wish that American Idol would do elimination more like this, by the way. I hesitate to say that The Pussycat Dolls sing. Nicole Schezenwhatamajigger sings kind of, but the others just seem chant and dance slightly and whoop. Some groups needs a studio to sound ok, and The Pussycat Dolls are one of them. They are pretty, in kind of a skanky way. I'll give them that. The song is kind of boring and annoying. I think it will be all over the radio within days. This is why I listen to NPR or my iPod.
The judges are back, and they call Kourtni's solo magic, and she is safe. Rayven was criticized for not being on point, only on demi point. They didn't like Jessica's routine as a solo, and neither did I. I am saddened to see Rayven go. I wanted to see more from her. Sad. I wonder if her mugging for the camera last night was her downfall.
Will is first up for the guys, and the judges loved him. He is safe. Nigel said he wants to fuse the two remaining guys and take Jamie's personality and Matt's technique. I am sad to see Jamie go. The judges said tonight they are going for technique over personality. Going first last night was a curse, apparently.
Goodbye, Rayven and Jamie! Two of the more unique (ie non-contemporary) dancers this years are gone the first week.
Still, I am anxiously awaiting next week!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Top Chef - FINALE 6/11/08
I just read on another blog that Bravo is planning Top Chef Junior, for kids between 12-16. I think that's super cool. Unlike some other spin-offs, I think this is actually a good idea.
The chefs enjoy a breakfast together, and now I want Eggs Benedict. Richard (in confessional) expresses disbelief that Lisa is in the top 3, and I concur.
April Bloomfield, Dan Barber, and Eric Ripart. (probably spelled that wrong) are there, to be sous chefs. The challenge is to create a four course tasting menu - Fish, poultry, red meat, and dessert. They are requiring dessert. Each "sous chef" has different proteins to work with. The chef with the most elimination wins was going to choose first, but Richard and Stephanie are tied, so it's a pull of the knife block, and Stephanie wins. Stephanie chooses Chef Ripart, and Richard chooses Chef Barber, with Lisa left with Chef Bloomfield, and she is thrilled to be working with a woman.
Lisa is planning an Asian menu, and Chef Bloomfield is unfamiliar with cooking Asian. Lisa claims that Chef Bloomfield has a personality similar to hers, so they clicked well. I'm not convinced of that, because Chef Bloomfield seems like a nice person.
The proteins Lisa has to work with are:
Oysters, prawns, crab, mahi-mahi, chicken, squab, pancetta, sweetbreads, beef tongue, wagyu strip steak and ostrich steak.
Richard plans to do a menu based on his journey through the competition, and he plans to throw some "molecular gastronomy" into the mix. His plan is still germinating.
The proteins Richard has to work with are:
Scallops, Halibut, Calamari, Abalone, duck, foie gras, guinea hen, prosciutto, pork belly, venison, and rabbit.
Stephanie wants to be well balanced and to show her skills.
The proteins Stephanie has to work with are:
Snapper, hamachi, caviar, clams, lobster, veal tenderloin, chorizo, rack of lamb, quail, quail eggs, and bacon.
The "sous chefs" are amused being sous chefs, because it's been a while since they've done that kind of busy work in the kitchen.
Richard brought liquid nitrogen with him, and I love him more. He is planning making some Tabasco sauce ice cream to go with oysters. The Master Chefs are impressed and interested. I could see some of his things showing up on Iron Chef.
Maybe Lisa was right when she said that she and Chef April are similar, because Stephanie noted that they seemed to be chatting, and happy with each other, and she was surprised by that, since Lisa hasn't really gotten along with anyone.
Richard leaves prep without any fully formed plans... that's a little nerve wracking, but he seems to be good under pressure.
The next morning, Tom shows up, and the sous chefs are not there. Tom lets them know that they are completely on their own from this point on, saying that the judges wanted to make sure that they "Live and die by their own hand." Good point, and I think good choice.
Lisa's Menu is:
Grilled Prawns
Tom Kha Gai Soup & Dumplings
Waygu Beef
Black Thai Rice Pudding
Richard's Menu is:
Scallops
Guinea hen, foie gras, eggs
Pork Belly
Banana "scallop" and bacon ice cream
Stephanie's Menu is:
Seared Red Snapper
Quail with Lobster Ravioli and Quail Egg
Lamb Medallions
Ricotta Pound Cake
Tom shows up to check on progress, and Richard looks frazzled and says he is "in the *beep*" without a sous chef. Stephanie is hopeful for her cake to come out right, and Lisa is cool as a cucumber.
Richard's tabasco ice cream didn't work out, so he decided to just use the liquid nitrogen for the bacon ice cream. Stephanie wasn't feeling great about her cake, and Lisa surprisingly was really supportive and told her not to doubt herself.
Did anyone else think that Padma looked like she'd already had a little wine when she walked in for the tasting, clutching her wine glass? Just saying.
(And there was a commercial for Mamma Mia which I am totally geeking about, and then one for the next season of Project Runway! *squeal!!!!!!!* Sometimes I watch commercials)
Joining the permanent judges for the tasting are Alfredo Ayala, Tim Zagat, and the sous chefs from yesterday.
All three chefs did a good job of presenting their menus.
The first courses go out.
Lisa's is Grilled prawns with chili basil sauce & crab, with homemade potato chips.
Stephanie's is Seared snapper with truffled clam and white asparagus broth, fingerling potatoes and asparagus salad.
Richard's is "barely cooked" scallops with mango & pineapple vinegar.
Richard's goes over really well, but Zagat thought it could be more simplified. Lisa's went over well, but Chef Ayala thought the chili was a bit strong. Stephanie's is called "elegant," and is called the best of the three.
The second courses go out
Lisa's is Tom Kha Gai with dumpling.
Stephanie's is Quail breast over lobster ravioli with mango-lobster sauce and quail egg.
Richard's is "Which came first." Guinea hen, chicken egg, foie gras, and spring vegetables.
The complexity and the earthiness of Richard's is called complex. Lisa's soup got really high marks, and more than one person wanted seconds. Stephanie's goes over well except for the leeks. I'd say second round goes to Lisa.
Third courses go out
Lisa's is Wagyu beef with Chayote & Cucumber salad, hot sauce & garlic chips
Stephanie's is lamb with maitake mushrooms, braised pistachios, and blackberry and olive tapenade.
Richard's is "Be the Bacon," pickled radishes, mirin broth, and pork belly.
Richard's is disappointing, and his pressure cooked pork belly is not crispy. His pickled radishes go over well, but the rest of it is not seasoned well. Lisa's beef is not tender, and the sauce is too sweet, and kind of a repeat of the shrimp, according to one of the tasters. Gayle liked the salad. Stephanie's is innovative, and they loved it even though they didn't expect to. Stephanie is the clear winner in this round.
It's time for desserts.
Lisa's is Black Thai Rice Pudding with Lime & Mango Creme, Taro & coconut
Stephanie's is Ricotta Pound Cake with tropical fruit and banana creme.
Richard's is Banana scallop with bacon ice cream.
Although there are problems with Lisa's "chip issue," mostly everyone really likes Lisa's pudding. Richard's is called playful and fun. Stephanie's is deemed unrefined, slightly heavy, but moist. I think Lisa might have won this round, though it might go to Richard.
Judge's Table
The judge's were overall very pleased with the meal. The Chefs enter, and Lisa looks peaved as usual. Richard's first dish is called under seasoned and a little bland. Lisa's first course is called spicy and she said that was her intention, the be bold. Stephanie's was called lovely, and Padma said it was rich without feeling heavy like clam chowder.
The second course critique begins with Richard, and it was called muddled. Lisa's soup get unanimous praise. The leeks on Stephanie's plate were called uncooked, and she looked stunned.
Richard's non-crispy pork belly was questioned, and he said it would be sacrificing the integrity of the meat to get it crispy, so he didn't do it. Lisa's was called tough and too sweet. Stephanie's was called full of surprises, which is a good thing.
Richard's bacon ice cream and scallop banana was good, though they have seen him do a different variation on the banana scallop earlier. Lisa gets good marks for her dessert, and Stephanie's banana creme is called "unidentifiable" by Tom. Oh, that's no good.
Stephanie admits to second guessing her dessert, but tells the judges that she deserves to win. Lisa also says that she deserves it. Richard says that he thinks he choked. WHAT? I mean, to say that? I don't think he did the best job, but that is just pretty much writing yourself off from the win.
The judges call his admission "revealing," though Tom agrees. The judges take a poll, and the first round seems to go to Stephanie. The second round goes to Lisa. Stephanie's lamb dish takes round three. I think Lisa got the nod on her dessert. The judges want to figure out who had an overall stronger meal. Looks like the deliberation took a really long time, and the birds began to chirp by the time they came to a final decision. I really hope it is Stephanie.
The winner of Top Chef this year is Stephanie!!!! I am so happy for her, I think she deserved it more than Lisa or Richard. She is the first female Top Chef winner. Yay! Lisa is disappointed, but I think it was close. I am sad for Richard, but I don't think it will get him down for long, though he was close to tears at the end. Poor guy. Hope that he has a beautiful baby (he said his wife is expecting), and can continue on doing his thing.
Hurrah for Stephanie!
The chefs enjoy a breakfast together, and now I want Eggs Benedict. Richard (in confessional) expresses disbelief that Lisa is in the top 3, and I concur.
April Bloomfield, Dan Barber, and Eric Ripart. (probably spelled that wrong) are there, to be sous chefs. The challenge is to create a four course tasting menu - Fish, poultry, red meat, and dessert. They are requiring dessert. Each "sous chef" has different proteins to work with. The chef with the most elimination wins was going to choose first, but Richard and Stephanie are tied, so it's a pull of the knife block, and Stephanie wins. Stephanie chooses Chef Ripart, and Richard chooses Chef Barber, with Lisa left with Chef Bloomfield, and she is thrilled to be working with a woman.
Lisa is planning an Asian menu, and Chef Bloomfield is unfamiliar with cooking Asian. Lisa claims that Chef Bloomfield has a personality similar to hers, so they clicked well. I'm not convinced of that, because Chef Bloomfield seems like a nice person.
The proteins Lisa has to work with are:
Oysters, prawns, crab, mahi-mahi, chicken, squab, pancetta, sweetbreads, beef tongue, wagyu strip steak and ostrich steak.
Richard plans to do a menu based on his journey through the competition, and he plans to throw some "molecular gastronomy" into the mix. His plan is still germinating.
The proteins Richard has to work with are:
Scallops, Halibut, Calamari, Abalone, duck, foie gras, guinea hen, prosciutto, pork belly, venison, and rabbit.
Stephanie wants to be well balanced and to show her skills.
The proteins Stephanie has to work with are:
Snapper, hamachi, caviar, clams, lobster, veal tenderloin, chorizo, rack of lamb, quail, quail eggs, and bacon.
The "sous chefs" are amused being sous chefs, because it's been a while since they've done that kind of busy work in the kitchen.
Richard brought liquid nitrogen with him, and I love him more. He is planning making some Tabasco sauce ice cream to go with oysters. The Master Chefs are impressed and interested. I could see some of his things showing up on Iron Chef.
Maybe Lisa was right when she said that she and Chef April are similar, because Stephanie noted that they seemed to be chatting, and happy with each other, and she was surprised by that, since Lisa hasn't really gotten along with anyone.
Richard leaves prep without any fully formed plans... that's a little nerve wracking, but he seems to be good under pressure.
The next morning, Tom shows up, and the sous chefs are not there. Tom lets them know that they are completely on their own from this point on, saying that the judges wanted to make sure that they "Live and die by their own hand." Good point, and I think good choice.
Lisa's Menu is:
Grilled Prawns
Tom Kha Gai Soup & Dumplings
Waygu Beef
Black Thai Rice Pudding
Richard's Menu is:
Scallops
Guinea hen, foie gras, eggs
Pork Belly
Banana "scallop" and bacon ice cream
Stephanie's Menu is:
Seared Red Snapper
Quail with Lobster Ravioli and Quail Egg
Lamb Medallions
Ricotta Pound Cake
Tom shows up to check on progress, and Richard looks frazzled and says he is "in the *beep*" without a sous chef. Stephanie is hopeful for her cake to come out right, and Lisa is cool as a cucumber.
Richard's tabasco ice cream didn't work out, so he decided to just use the liquid nitrogen for the bacon ice cream. Stephanie wasn't feeling great about her cake, and Lisa surprisingly was really supportive and told her not to doubt herself.
Did anyone else think that Padma looked like she'd already had a little wine when she walked in for the tasting, clutching her wine glass? Just saying.
(And there was a commercial for Mamma Mia which I am totally geeking about, and then one for the next season of Project Runway! *squeal!!!!!!!* Sometimes I watch commercials)
Joining the permanent judges for the tasting are Alfredo Ayala, Tim Zagat, and the sous chefs from yesterday.
All three chefs did a good job of presenting their menus.
The first courses go out.
Lisa's is Grilled prawns with chili basil sauce & crab, with homemade potato chips.
Stephanie's is Seared snapper with truffled clam and white asparagus broth, fingerling potatoes and asparagus salad.
Richard's is "barely cooked" scallops with mango & pineapple vinegar.
Richard's goes over really well, but Zagat thought it could be more simplified. Lisa's went over well, but Chef Ayala thought the chili was a bit strong. Stephanie's is called "elegant," and is called the best of the three.
The second courses go out
Lisa's is Tom Kha Gai with dumpling.
Stephanie's is Quail breast over lobster ravioli with mango-lobster sauce and quail egg.
Richard's is "Which came first." Guinea hen, chicken egg, foie gras, and spring vegetables.
The complexity and the earthiness of Richard's is called complex. Lisa's soup got really high marks, and more than one person wanted seconds. Stephanie's goes over well except for the leeks. I'd say second round goes to Lisa.
Third courses go out
Lisa's is Wagyu beef with Chayote & Cucumber salad, hot sauce & garlic chips
Stephanie's is lamb with maitake mushrooms, braised pistachios, and blackberry and olive tapenade.
Richard's is "Be the Bacon," pickled radishes, mirin broth, and pork belly.
Richard's is disappointing, and his pressure cooked pork belly is not crispy. His pickled radishes go over well, but the rest of it is not seasoned well. Lisa's beef is not tender, and the sauce is too sweet, and kind of a repeat of the shrimp, according to one of the tasters. Gayle liked the salad. Stephanie's is innovative, and they loved it even though they didn't expect to. Stephanie is the clear winner in this round.
It's time for desserts.
Lisa's is Black Thai Rice Pudding with Lime & Mango Creme, Taro & coconut
Stephanie's is Ricotta Pound Cake with tropical fruit and banana creme.
Richard's is Banana scallop with bacon ice cream.
Although there are problems with Lisa's "chip issue," mostly everyone really likes Lisa's pudding. Richard's is called playful and fun. Stephanie's is deemed unrefined, slightly heavy, but moist. I think Lisa might have won this round, though it might go to Richard.
Judge's Table
The judge's were overall very pleased with the meal. The Chefs enter, and Lisa looks peaved as usual. Richard's first dish is called under seasoned and a little bland. Lisa's first course is called spicy and she said that was her intention, the be bold. Stephanie's was called lovely, and Padma said it was rich without feeling heavy like clam chowder.
The second course critique begins with Richard, and it was called muddled. Lisa's soup get unanimous praise. The leeks on Stephanie's plate were called uncooked, and she looked stunned.
Richard's non-crispy pork belly was questioned, and he said it would be sacrificing the integrity of the meat to get it crispy, so he didn't do it. Lisa's was called tough and too sweet. Stephanie's was called full of surprises, which is a good thing.
Richard's bacon ice cream and scallop banana was good, though they have seen him do a different variation on the banana scallop earlier. Lisa gets good marks for her dessert, and Stephanie's banana creme is called "unidentifiable" by Tom. Oh, that's no good.
Stephanie admits to second guessing her dessert, but tells the judges that she deserves to win. Lisa also says that she deserves it. Richard says that he thinks he choked. WHAT? I mean, to say that? I don't think he did the best job, but that is just pretty much writing yourself off from the win.
The judges call his admission "revealing," though Tom agrees. The judges take a poll, and the first round seems to go to Stephanie. The second round goes to Lisa. Stephanie's lamb dish takes round three. I think Lisa got the nod on her dessert. The judges want to figure out who had an overall stronger meal. Looks like the deliberation took a really long time, and the birds began to chirp by the time they came to a final decision. I really hope it is Stephanie.
The winner of Top Chef this year is Stephanie!!!! I am so happy for her, I think she deserved it more than Lisa or Richard. She is the first female Top Chef winner. Yay! Lisa is disappointed, but I think it was close. I am sad for Richard, but I don't think it will get him down for long, though he was close to tears at the end. Poor guy. Hope that he has a beautiful baby (he said his wife is expecting), and can continue on doing his thing.
Hurrah for Stephanie!
So You Think You Can Dance - 6/11/08
Finally it's time for the partners! Cat Deeley's dress looks familiar... it seems like she has worn it before. It's really cute, though.
Who is going to be partnered up?
Before we find out, we meet the judges for the evening. Dan Karaty is joining Mary and Nigel for tonight's show. Mary has an amazing ability to speak with most of her teeth showing most of the time. It's a little disconcerting. She must spend so much money getting her teeth whitened that she wants to show them off all the time. Nigel refuses to choose favorites, but compliments Cat on looking beautiful and having dancer's legs. Cat admits that she doesn't have control over them like a dancer, and then leads into a retrospective on how the Top 20 got to the Top 20. It featured a lot of Mary screeching. I think I need an advil.
Rayven (contemporary ballet) & Jamie (West Coast Swing) - Hip Hop choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha. I like them. Rayven had some goofy facial expressions, but it was in line with the dance. There was a bit where Jamie got his pants pulled down, and it was cute. There were some really neat moves. Can't wait to see what else they do. Nigel said that he likes the way that hip hop is heading, and I like it too. He also wonders if it is going to be a memorable routine at the end of the night. Mary makes me long for Paula, at least in the tone of her voice. Where is my advil? She calls this like Cotton Candy Hip Hop. I would agree. Dan says there was no funk and wasn't a huge fan.
Susie (latin) & Marquis (contemporary) - Smooth Waltz choreographed by Hunter Johnson. Susie's hair is way too blonde for her complextion or her eyebrows or something. It's distracting. Parts of the waltz were really pretty, but some of it just looked awkward. Susie had some things that were supposed to be smooth that looked kind of jerky to me. Some of the lifts looked a little forced, too. I'm not a huge fan of either one of them after that. Nigel said that it was very difficult choreography, but it didn't really allow the personality to get out. He thought that Marquis' lines were great, and Susie had excellent lines for coming from salsa. Mary said that it is hard to dance something so sedate as the smooth waltz, especially on the first night. She thought that they did a good job, and though they have room to grow, she was blown away with what they did. Dan also didn't see the problems that I saw. Maybe I was imagining it. I will admit that I am no expert on dance.
Kourtni (contemporary) & Matt (contemporary) - Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore. Kourtni is 5'9", and Matt is 6'3", which is kind of crazy. They look really good togehter. The juxtaposition of Kourtni's blonde hair and Matt's dark hair is really cool. They are both really expressive on stage and I love the choreography. It was a wonderful routine, in my opinion. Nigel said that they were a fun team, though he needs more personality from Matt, and said he danced like he had a broomstick shoved up where the sun doesn't shine. Ouch. He said that Kourtni reminds him of Uma, and also Princess Dianna and Cameron Diaz. Mary loved them, but thought that the lift was weak and looked heavy. Then she cackled and called them sexy. She denies Kourtni a ticket to the Hot Tamale Train and cackled again. Dan said the choreography was good, but they played it safe and needed to attack it. Cat likes this couple because they are tall, like her, and she quipped "I feel almost normal sized!" I like her so much.
Chelsea Trail (contemporary) & Thayne (contemporary) - Cha cha choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melony. Their first lift did not look very smooth, but they seemed to get into it as they went along, and Thayne had some good facial expressions. Kind of like "Hey, look who I get to dance with." I'm less sold on Chelsea's facial expressions. The dance was ok. Nigel wanted to know how Thayne could contain "this creature" beside him, and congratulated him. He said that they are both at least standing on the platform of the hot tamale train, and Mary cackled, then gives them entrance to that coveted train. He commended Thayne on letting the focus be on Chelsea, and said that he did some great hip movements himself. Dan said that they owned the stage, but Thayne seemed secondary in this routine, which was he guessed ok. I guess I didn't get the sexy from Chelsea as much as they did. Don't know why.
Chelsea H. (Ballroom) & Mark (contemporary) - Mark is the guy who did the Bohemian Rhapsody, and I was blown away by him them. Tonight they are doing a Mia Michael's contemporary routine. Mia said it is like "what Tim Burton's wedding would be like." During rehearsals, Mia was really disappointed in Mark, and he dropped Chelsea once. Ouch. During the actual performance, it allseemed to come togehter. Chelsea was beautiful, and Mark was weird, and I think that's what Mia was going for. Their lifts looks effortless and gorgeous. Nigel said that it is great how Mia brought what they did into her choreography, and thought that they danced it beautifully. Mary thinks that Mark is super unique, and Chelsea is an innocent angel. Dan said he would like to take a trip inside Mia Michaels' head, and thinks that they had a good tour. I agree. Mia done well can be so lovely.
Kherrington (contemporary jazz) & Twitch (hip hop) - Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio (Too Darned Hot, which I love love love). Twitch dubs their couple Twitchington. Got a ring to it. The initial lift looked a but tough, but I think they got their groove on. There was a cool rolling move that I liked, and they seem to be a good couple. Nigel said they were in fact hot hot hot, and commended Twitch for doing so well with Broadway as a hip hop dancer. Mary says that the sprinklers are going to come on for the pair of them. I think the siren she is hearing is in fact just her own wailing whining voice. Dan says that Kherrington lights up the stage, and says that Twitch is not a traditional broadway dancer, and he doesn't care because he loved him.
Comfort (hip hop) & Chris (contemporary) - Jive choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melony. I loved their jive. It had a lot of personality and Comfort can shake her bootie like nobody's business. There was a really cool hand stand lift to a standing position and it was great. After the end of the dance, Comfort let everyone know that it is totally different for a tomboy like her to be dancing in "bra and panties and beads." I like her. Nigel said that he thought Chris got down more into the floor and got the feeling of the routine more, and thought he really let his personality come out. Nigel warned Comfort to learn how to dance in heels a little better, because she wasn't bending her knees enough. Comfort dislocated her shoulder the previous day, but they "click clicked" it back, and seems to be ok with it. Mary thought their personalities came out wonderfully. Dan thought it had all been said (positively) about Comfort, and thought that Chris did a good job, but they really need to work on their partnership and let it gel more. Good advice.
Katee (contemporary) & Joshua (hip hop) - Hip hop choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha. They did a bit of acting in the beginning, and the routine is about a soldier heading off to war and leaving his girlfriend. The acting is good, and I actually got chills. Katee pops pretty well for being a contemporary dancer (in my untrained opinion). The very last move was neat - Joshua transfered his jacket to Katee. It was beautiful. Nigel called it really really good, and loved the choreography, and thought that they danced it wonderfully together. Mary thought it was nuanced and tremendous. Dan thought that they did wonderfully dancing in unison, and I agree.
Jessica (contemporary) & Will (contemporary) - Tango choreographed by Hunter Johnson. Will promised in rehearsal that they would be "performing their faces off." I still don't know what that means. I think it's a Paula phrase that has unfortunately caught on. I thought that they did a nice job, but it was not my favorite. The last lift was crazy and looked great. Nigel said Will was majestic, and Jessica was a little wobbly in the heels, but still absolutely wonderful. Mary tries again to seem serious, then yells about strength and passion and masculinity, in only the most positive yelling way. She calls them the couple to beat, and I disagree whole-heartedly. Dan says that they played their parts, connected with each other, and connected with the audience.
Courtney (contemporary) & Gev (B-boy) - Disco choreographed by Doriana Sanchez. I will refrain from making Borat jokes. I will refrain from making Borat jokes (Gev is from Kazakstan) Great. They are dancing to Boogie Wonderland, and I have had that song stuck in my head all day because my kids have been on a Happy Feet kick. Some of the lifts looked a little shaky, and he almost dropped her right at the end, but overall, not bad. Nigel was not a fan of their performance. He said there wasn't the right feel to it, and it looked like Disco Duck, and said it just looked messy. Mary said that Courtney had some good feeling, and thought that Gev was good. Dan said he enjoyed it, thought it could have been cleaner, and called it pretty good.
So, my bottom three couples are Susie & Marquis, Courtney & Gev, and Jessica & Will. I hope that Susie goes home, and I think Marquis can go with her, in my book.
My top three are Kourtni & Matt, Chelsea & Mark, and Katee & Joshua.
There will be a Wade Robson routine tomorrow, so that ought to be... cool. He's never boring, that's for sure.
Who is going to be partnered up?
Before we find out, we meet the judges for the evening. Dan Karaty is joining Mary and Nigel for tonight's show. Mary has an amazing ability to speak with most of her teeth showing most of the time. It's a little disconcerting. She must spend so much money getting her teeth whitened that she wants to show them off all the time. Nigel refuses to choose favorites, but compliments Cat on looking beautiful and having dancer's legs. Cat admits that she doesn't have control over them like a dancer, and then leads into a retrospective on how the Top 20 got to the Top 20. It featured a lot of Mary screeching. I think I need an advil.
Rayven (contemporary ballet) & Jamie (West Coast Swing) - Hip Hop choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha. I like them. Rayven had some goofy facial expressions, but it was in line with the dance. There was a bit where Jamie got his pants pulled down, and it was cute. There were some really neat moves. Can't wait to see what else they do. Nigel said that he likes the way that hip hop is heading, and I like it too. He also wonders if it is going to be a memorable routine at the end of the night. Mary makes me long for Paula, at least in the tone of her voice. Where is my advil? She calls this like Cotton Candy Hip Hop. I would agree. Dan says there was no funk and wasn't a huge fan.
Susie (latin) & Marquis (contemporary) - Smooth Waltz choreographed by Hunter Johnson. Susie's hair is way too blonde for her complextion or her eyebrows or something. It's distracting. Parts of the waltz were really pretty, but some of it just looked awkward. Susie had some things that were supposed to be smooth that looked kind of jerky to me. Some of the lifts looked a little forced, too. I'm not a huge fan of either one of them after that. Nigel said that it was very difficult choreography, but it didn't really allow the personality to get out. He thought that Marquis' lines were great, and Susie had excellent lines for coming from salsa. Mary said that it is hard to dance something so sedate as the smooth waltz, especially on the first night. She thought that they did a good job, and though they have room to grow, she was blown away with what they did. Dan also didn't see the problems that I saw. Maybe I was imagining it. I will admit that I am no expert on dance.
Kourtni (contemporary) & Matt (contemporary) - Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore. Kourtni is 5'9", and Matt is 6'3", which is kind of crazy. They look really good togehter. The juxtaposition of Kourtni's blonde hair and Matt's dark hair is really cool. They are both really expressive on stage and I love the choreography. It was a wonderful routine, in my opinion. Nigel said that they were a fun team, though he needs more personality from Matt, and said he danced like he had a broomstick shoved up where the sun doesn't shine. Ouch. He said that Kourtni reminds him of Uma, and also Princess Dianna and Cameron Diaz. Mary loved them, but thought that the lift was weak and looked heavy. Then she cackled and called them sexy. She denies Kourtni a ticket to the Hot Tamale Train and cackled again. Dan said the choreography was good, but they played it safe and needed to attack it. Cat likes this couple because they are tall, like her, and she quipped "I feel almost normal sized!" I like her so much.
Chelsea Trail (contemporary) & Thayne (contemporary) - Cha cha choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melony. Their first lift did not look very smooth, but they seemed to get into it as they went along, and Thayne had some good facial expressions. Kind of like "Hey, look who I get to dance with." I'm less sold on Chelsea's facial expressions. The dance was ok. Nigel wanted to know how Thayne could contain "this creature" beside him, and congratulated him. He said that they are both at least standing on the platform of the hot tamale train, and Mary cackled, then gives them entrance to that coveted train. He commended Thayne on letting the focus be on Chelsea, and said that he did some great hip movements himself. Dan said that they owned the stage, but Thayne seemed secondary in this routine, which was he guessed ok. I guess I didn't get the sexy from Chelsea as much as they did. Don't know why.
Chelsea H. (Ballroom) & Mark (contemporary) - Mark is the guy who did the Bohemian Rhapsody, and I was blown away by him them. Tonight they are doing a Mia Michael's contemporary routine. Mia said it is like "what Tim Burton's wedding would be like." During rehearsals, Mia was really disappointed in Mark, and he dropped Chelsea once. Ouch. During the actual performance, it allseemed to come togehter. Chelsea was beautiful, and Mark was weird, and I think that's what Mia was going for. Their lifts looks effortless and gorgeous. Nigel said that it is great how Mia brought what they did into her choreography, and thought that they danced it beautifully. Mary thinks that Mark is super unique, and Chelsea is an innocent angel. Dan said he would like to take a trip inside Mia Michaels' head, and thinks that they had a good tour. I agree. Mia done well can be so lovely.
Kherrington (contemporary jazz) & Twitch (hip hop) - Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio (Too Darned Hot, which I love love love). Twitch dubs their couple Twitchington. Got a ring to it. The initial lift looked a but tough, but I think they got their groove on. There was a cool rolling move that I liked, and they seem to be a good couple. Nigel said they were in fact hot hot hot, and commended Twitch for doing so well with Broadway as a hip hop dancer. Mary says that the sprinklers are going to come on for the pair of them. I think the siren she is hearing is in fact just her own wailing whining voice. Dan says that Kherrington lights up the stage, and says that Twitch is not a traditional broadway dancer, and he doesn't care because he loved him.
Comfort (hip hop) & Chris (contemporary) - Jive choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melony. I loved their jive. It had a lot of personality and Comfort can shake her bootie like nobody's business. There was a really cool hand stand lift to a standing position and it was great. After the end of the dance, Comfort let everyone know that it is totally different for a tomboy like her to be dancing in "bra and panties and beads." I like her. Nigel said that he thought Chris got down more into the floor and got the feeling of the routine more, and thought he really let his personality come out. Nigel warned Comfort to learn how to dance in heels a little better, because she wasn't bending her knees enough. Comfort dislocated her shoulder the previous day, but they "click clicked" it back, and seems to be ok with it. Mary thought their personalities came out wonderfully. Dan thought it had all been said (positively) about Comfort, and thought that Chris did a good job, but they really need to work on their partnership and let it gel more. Good advice.
Katee (contemporary) & Joshua (hip hop) - Hip hop choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha. They did a bit of acting in the beginning, and the routine is about a soldier heading off to war and leaving his girlfriend. The acting is good, and I actually got chills. Katee pops pretty well for being a contemporary dancer (in my untrained opinion). The very last move was neat - Joshua transfered his jacket to Katee. It was beautiful. Nigel called it really really good, and loved the choreography, and thought that they danced it wonderfully together. Mary thought it was nuanced and tremendous. Dan thought that they did wonderfully dancing in unison, and I agree.
Jessica (contemporary) & Will (contemporary) - Tango choreographed by Hunter Johnson. Will promised in rehearsal that they would be "performing their faces off." I still don't know what that means. I think it's a Paula phrase that has unfortunately caught on. I thought that they did a nice job, but it was not my favorite. The last lift was crazy and looked great. Nigel said Will was majestic, and Jessica was a little wobbly in the heels, but still absolutely wonderful. Mary tries again to seem serious, then yells about strength and passion and masculinity, in only the most positive yelling way. She calls them the couple to beat, and I disagree whole-heartedly. Dan says that they played their parts, connected with each other, and connected with the audience.
Courtney (contemporary) & Gev (B-boy) - Disco choreographed by Doriana Sanchez. I will refrain from making Borat jokes. I will refrain from making Borat jokes (Gev is from Kazakstan) Great. They are dancing to Boogie Wonderland, and I have had that song stuck in my head all day because my kids have been on a Happy Feet kick. Some of the lifts looked a little shaky, and he almost dropped her right at the end, but overall, not bad. Nigel was not a fan of their performance. He said there wasn't the right feel to it, and it looked like Disco Duck, and said it just looked messy. Mary said that Courtney had some good feeling, and thought that Gev was good. Dan said he enjoyed it, thought it could have been cleaner, and called it pretty good.
So, my bottom three couples are Susie & Marquis, Courtney & Gev, and Jessica & Will. I hope that Susie goes home, and I think Marquis can go with her, in my book.
My top three are Kourtni & Matt, Chelsea & Mark, and Katee & Joshua.
There will be a Wade Robson routine tomorrow, so that ought to be... cool. He's never boring, that's for sure.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Hell's Kitchen: 6/10/08
It's the first night without Matt, and I did a little dance of joy.
After elimination, Christina chastised herself for crying. No one is sad to see Matt gone, and Jen's bad attitude and blaming everyone is getting on everyone's nerves. In the kitchen, Jen blames everyone else as she cleans, and Corey and Christina talk about how much drama Jen is going to be bringing.
Enough of the background, it's cooking time. Ramsey is showing the group how to make Lobster Spaghetti, which is going to be the special on the menu for the night. It looks utterly delicious. The catch is that they are in charge of a "cooking school." Each person will have one student and teach them how to make the Lobster Spaghetti. It's a group of very pretty housewives in low cut dresses and mini skirts. Petrozza accuses Ramsey of trying to sabotage him. Ramsey takes one of the women's little dog (a chihuahua named Zeus) and asks some one to take care of it, and perhaps put it in the steamer.
The chefs have 45 minutes to teach their buxom homemakers how to cook the Lobster Spaghetti, and whoever has the best dish created by their student wins the challenge.
Jen is the first to comment. "I just hope her boobies don't get in the way of cooking, I've never seen anything like that ever." The chefs are not allowed to do any cooking, and it is hard for Christina, because her student has a disturbing penchant for cutting things while holding them in her hand. Yipes. Petrozza is busy flirting with his student, and Bobby's student is squeamish about killing her lobster, screaming when she put it in the boiling water. Jen was absolutely cheating, because she was cutting things when Ramsey wasn't looking. Corey's student seemed to be doing a good job.
Petrozza's student did a good job seasoning wise and did a good job with the lobster, but the pasta was too thin and undercooked.
Christina's student got excellent remarks, on the pasta, the lobster, and the seasoning.
Bobby's student had chopped up the pasta into bits, and the seasoning was bad, and Ramsey said it looked like Zeus' dinner.
Corey's student did a really good job, too.
Jen's student got bad remarks. It was deemed bland and congealed, and Ramsey said that he can tell she has never really cooked before. Jen calls it "bullcrap" because she was stuck with a woman who didn't cook. News for you, Jen. So was everyone else.
In the end, Christina won. I think it was not only because her dish was so good, but because her student was a little more prissy. The losers have to clean the kitchen, including the fryers. Christina gets a lunch with Chef Ramsey, and some of the city's most famous chefs, and she is going to be shown their signature dishes and gets to "pick their brains."
The students aren't going home empty handed, either. They are each getting a set of Ramsey's new stainless steel cookware, made by Royal Doulton. Somehow I forsee a lot of shiny pans sitting in houses and never being used, and that saddens me. It looks like pretty nice cookware.
The losers are bitter about cleaning the kitchen, understandably. Corey says that Christina's reward is just serving to make her cocky about her cooking skills. Jen again bends the rules and happens to be cleaning the kitchen where Christina is getting her one-on-one with one of the chefs. Jen happens to see some neat techniques, and she happens to linger longer than necessary, and happens to taste some of the leftover food. I really hope to see her gone.
Time for dinner prep, and Christina is on her high horse about everything that she has learned. Corey no longer has kind words about Christina, and Jen said that she wanted to booty-whip her ass across the kitchen. Or something similarly unpleasant.
Time for service. Jean-Phillippe is obviously excited, and head butts the glass, earning some "kind" words from Ramsey.
First thing, Christina only brings up one spaghetti when there were two ordered. Once she recovers and gets them both up, they are approved. Bobby's first meat entree is not cut through entirely, and then he has an untrimmed wellington. Jen complained about Bobby's ineptitude in confessional, then has a problem with the John Dorey (thanks, SSM for that comment!), and Jean-Philippe tells the waitstaff to push the meat, because her heard about her troubles at the pass. First she undercooked it, then she overcooked it.
Bobby's Wellington is even worse. The meat that Jean-Phillipe has been pushing is a mess, and Jean-Philippe says "Now I'm screwed... push the chicken?"
Petrozza brought some of Jen's John Dorey up to the pass without plating it, and Jen got into it with Ramsey because she didn't put it up. She got into it with her typical attitude, and just can't handle authority.
The table of 12 arrives, and it is a bunch of beautiful women, and Jean-Philippe does some flirting while they wait for their food. They are apparently Hawaiin Tropic models. Christina and Corey get their 12 appetizers out all at the same time, and that's impressive. Corey says "we can't stand each other, but we work really well together."
Christina then helps Corey with desserts while Petrozza, Jen, and Bobby try to get their act together to get the entrees out together. Ramsey kicked Jen off her station because she wasn't moving quickly enough. Petrozza is called out for not having good timing and not communicating. His garnish was bad, and then Bobby set a pan on fire, earning Ramsey's ire. He calls Jen and Bobby inconsistent, and Petrozza a dreamer, which is not a good thing in the kitchen. Jen, using her considerable mouth, takes charge of the communication on the entrees, and it finally gets done. It doesn't make me like her any more.
(They never show any desserts going out, but they must have, because dinner service is completed)
Ramsey is displeased because, though the service was complete, it was painful. Christina is chosen as winner for the night and she gets to pick who to put up for elimination. Back at the dorm, Christina has a chat with Petrozza, because she thinks that he has been having troubles. Corey and Christina talk about how mediocre Bobby seems, and they also admit that Jen has cooking skills, but can't back it up with any sort of leadership and good attitude.
Christina nominates Jen (no surprise), and Bobby, which I also think was the right choice.
Jen asserts that she can be fast and strong, but Ramsey said that he doesn't see it, and isn't sure if he can work with that anymore. Bobby goes all political. "When you stopped my bad cuts from going out, I didn't yell at you, I saw that you were saving me from the customers sending it back." Good point.
Ramsey asks Christina who she thinks should leave, and she says Jen. Doesn't matter, because Ramsey dismisses Bobby. He was bad, but not as as annoying as Jen. I wonder if the producers had anything to do with that decision. Jen still sees herself as the strongest person and thinks that she was put up for elimination because she is a threat. Right.
After elimination, Christina chastised herself for crying. No one is sad to see Matt gone, and Jen's bad attitude and blaming everyone is getting on everyone's nerves. In the kitchen, Jen blames everyone else as she cleans, and Corey and Christina talk about how much drama Jen is going to be bringing.
Enough of the background, it's cooking time. Ramsey is showing the group how to make Lobster Spaghetti, which is going to be the special on the menu for the night. It looks utterly delicious. The catch is that they are in charge of a "cooking school." Each person will have one student and teach them how to make the Lobster Spaghetti. It's a group of very pretty housewives in low cut dresses and mini skirts. Petrozza accuses Ramsey of trying to sabotage him. Ramsey takes one of the women's little dog (a chihuahua named Zeus) and asks some one to take care of it, and perhaps put it in the steamer.
The chefs have 45 minutes to teach their buxom homemakers how to cook the Lobster Spaghetti, and whoever has the best dish created by their student wins the challenge.
Jen is the first to comment. "I just hope her boobies don't get in the way of cooking, I've never seen anything like that ever." The chefs are not allowed to do any cooking, and it is hard for Christina, because her student has a disturbing penchant for cutting things while holding them in her hand. Yipes. Petrozza is busy flirting with his student, and Bobby's student is squeamish about killing her lobster, screaming when she put it in the boiling water. Jen was absolutely cheating, because she was cutting things when Ramsey wasn't looking. Corey's student seemed to be doing a good job.
Petrozza's student did a good job seasoning wise and did a good job with the lobster, but the pasta was too thin and undercooked.
Christina's student got excellent remarks, on the pasta, the lobster, and the seasoning.
Bobby's student had chopped up the pasta into bits, and the seasoning was bad, and Ramsey said it looked like Zeus' dinner.
Corey's student did a really good job, too.
Jen's student got bad remarks. It was deemed bland and congealed, and Ramsey said that he can tell she has never really cooked before. Jen calls it "bullcrap" because she was stuck with a woman who didn't cook. News for you, Jen. So was everyone else.
In the end, Christina won. I think it was not only because her dish was so good, but because her student was a little more prissy. The losers have to clean the kitchen, including the fryers. Christina gets a lunch with Chef Ramsey, and some of the city's most famous chefs, and she is going to be shown their signature dishes and gets to "pick their brains."
The students aren't going home empty handed, either. They are each getting a set of Ramsey's new stainless steel cookware, made by Royal Doulton. Somehow I forsee a lot of shiny pans sitting in houses and never being used, and that saddens me. It looks like pretty nice cookware.
The losers are bitter about cleaning the kitchen, understandably. Corey says that Christina's reward is just serving to make her cocky about her cooking skills. Jen again bends the rules and happens to be cleaning the kitchen where Christina is getting her one-on-one with one of the chefs. Jen happens to see some neat techniques, and she happens to linger longer than necessary, and happens to taste some of the leftover food. I really hope to see her gone.
Time for dinner prep, and Christina is on her high horse about everything that she has learned. Corey no longer has kind words about Christina, and Jen said that she wanted to booty-whip her ass across the kitchen. Or something similarly unpleasant.
Time for service. Jean-Phillippe is obviously excited, and head butts the glass, earning some "kind" words from Ramsey.
First thing, Christina only brings up one spaghetti when there were two ordered. Once she recovers and gets them both up, they are approved. Bobby's first meat entree is not cut through entirely, and then he has an untrimmed wellington. Jen complained about Bobby's ineptitude in confessional, then has a problem with the John Dorey (thanks, SSM for that comment!), and Jean-Philippe tells the waitstaff to push the meat, because her heard about her troubles at the pass. First she undercooked it, then she overcooked it.
Bobby's Wellington is even worse. The meat that Jean-Phillipe has been pushing is a mess, and Jean-Philippe says "Now I'm screwed... push the chicken?"
Petrozza brought some of Jen's John Dorey up to the pass without plating it, and Jen got into it with Ramsey because she didn't put it up. She got into it with her typical attitude, and just can't handle authority.
The table of 12 arrives, and it is a bunch of beautiful women, and Jean-Philippe does some flirting while they wait for their food. They are apparently Hawaiin Tropic models. Christina and Corey get their 12 appetizers out all at the same time, and that's impressive. Corey says "we can't stand each other, but we work really well together."
Christina then helps Corey with desserts while Petrozza, Jen, and Bobby try to get their act together to get the entrees out together. Ramsey kicked Jen off her station because she wasn't moving quickly enough. Petrozza is called out for not having good timing and not communicating. His garnish was bad, and then Bobby set a pan on fire, earning Ramsey's ire. He calls Jen and Bobby inconsistent, and Petrozza a dreamer, which is not a good thing in the kitchen. Jen, using her considerable mouth, takes charge of the communication on the entrees, and it finally gets done. It doesn't make me like her any more.
(They never show any desserts going out, but they must have, because dinner service is completed)
Ramsey is displeased because, though the service was complete, it was painful. Christina is chosen as winner for the night and she gets to pick who to put up for elimination. Back at the dorm, Christina has a chat with Petrozza, because she thinks that he has been having troubles. Corey and Christina talk about how mediocre Bobby seems, and they also admit that Jen has cooking skills, but can't back it up with any sort of leadership and good attitude.
Christina nominates Jen (no surprise), and Bobby, which I also think was the right choice.
Jen asserts that she can be fast and strong, but Ramsey said that he doesn't see it, and isn't sure if he can work with that anymore. Bobby goes all political. "When you stopped my bad cuts from going out, I didn't yell at you, I saw that you were saving me from the customers sending it back." Good point.
Ramsey asks Christina who she thinks should leave, and she says Jen. Doesn't matter, because Ramsey dismisses Bobby. He was bad, but not as as annoying as Jen. I wonder if the producers had anything to do with that decision. Jen still sees herself as the strongest person and thinks that she was put up for elimination because she is a threat. Right.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Mole: 6/9/08
The fallout from Marcie's ouster and Nicole's immunity is rough on a few people. They are in Santiago, Chile, with the giant Virgin Mary on the mountain. Nicole claims in confessional that she is going to play a little quieter and under the radar.
Right off the bat, they have to separate themselves into two groups - 9 who are goal oriented, and 2 who are uphill battle. Mark and Kristin are the uphill battle people, after Liz and Craig vied for the spots, thinking it would be easy. Others on the team were more savvy (or non-moles), and they were right - Mark and Kristin have to ride a tandem bike. The goal oriented team has to try to score a goal against Chilean soccer (sorry, football) players. If the goal oriented people can get that goal, they get to ride on a 10 minute gondola up to the top of the hill. The soccer game is 20 minutes, with chances for overtime. If they beat the tandem bike people up the hill, they get $35,000. If the tandem bike people beat them, they get no money, but the two of them get immunity.
And it turns out, the Goal Group is playing against children. I'm still not sure how well they will do, though a few people get really cocky. Craig is sure one of the kids is going to end up nailing him in the groin.
Those kids are fast. The kids score the first goal easily. Ali says that she wishes she was on the kids' team, they are so good.
Of course the tandem bike couldn't be a simple bike ride. The chain keeps falling off whenever they get any speed on. Mark ends up running the bike up the hill after having a couple frustrations with the chain.
The kids are up 10-0 easily, and Nicole as goalie isn't trying at all. Bobby couldn't run around on the field and took over as goalie. He is such a cardiovascular wimp.
Mark and Kristin continue running up the hill, and have suspicions of one of them being the mole.
Craig scores a goal on the Goal team. It's time for penalty kicks. Ali scores the goal, and they finally get their gondola ticket. Even though they are exhausted from their soccer game, they have to go by foot. They can't decide which way to go, and they go two different ways, with Craig and Liz unable to keep up. They all have to make it as a team, so this could be sabotage by the Mole, or just idiocy. Craig, Bobby O, and Liz are dubbed "The Worst Group Ever." Paul and Ali stayed with Liz, and then Liz finally took her shoes off, saying that would help her, because she's a barefoot country girl.
Kristin and Mark are back on the bike, riding for a bit, then they get off and push it for a bit. They run into Mr. Host Man, drinking Pisco Sours, and offers them a taxi ride for $5000 from the pot. They refuse.
Alex, Victoria and Nicole reach the gondola station, and they reach the top in the gondola before the rest of the team gets to the station. They all have to get to the top before they can see who wins. Mr. Host Man calls out to Kristin and Mark, and at first it looks like they are not there, but then they emerge. The Goal Team is really crushed. Victoria blames the breakdown in communication. Paul attacked Bobby for saying he was a good soccer player, when he wasn't. Well, Victoria brought up that Paul was not much better himself.
The bickering continues back in their hotel room(s?)... Victoria says that this is the worst team she has ever been on ever, and instead of making the Mole's job harder, they are making it easier by acting like children. Paul congratulates himself (in confessional) on throwing her off her game, but Victoria tells Kristin she can deal with idiocy and childishness, because she works retail. Since I work part time retail, I can relate.
The players head to Pomaire, and they see an arena with pigs. Nicole admits (in confessional) "I do love pigs, as long as they are cooked right." Classic. Pomaire is home to lots of ceramic piggy banks. Well, there are missing 50 pigs, and The Mole left a ransom note that the pigs are hidden through the town. Well, the producers left the note, but it was in the name of the mole.
There are three groups of three:
Alex, Victoria, Nicole
Ali, Mark, Clay
Bobby, Craig, Kristin
They are the Ham it Up teams and they have to go into town and find pigs marked with the Mole's green thumbprint and bring the piggies back, then use a slingshot to shoot the pigs to the other group of:
Liz and Paul - who have to catch flying pigs in a blanket.
Each pig is $1000 in the pot. They have about 1 hour to do the mission, while the potters make 12 pigs. There will be another exemption, too, hidden inside one of the pigs. They somehow have to decide that the thing inside the pig is an exception, and not something else, and smash it. If it isn't the exception, there goes $1000.
Right away, Bobby has leg issues, and he gets in the wheelbarrow, and Craig has to push him.
Alex proves very useful, because he can speak fluent Spanish. Victoria says that the pigs started falling out of the sky when he was speaking Spanish.
The Bobby Team is not doing so well, because they can't speak Spanish, and they keep looking in the same places. Bobby offers to bring the wheelbarrow of pigs Alex has helped collect back to the pen, and let them keep looking, which might be a good idea if there wasn't sabotage in the air... but there is, so Alex declines, and brings the piggies back to the pen with his team. Bobby does have a quotable moment about Alex though - "You might be good at Spanish, but you suck at life." Nice. Alex admits to not trusting Bobby, and Nicole said "I wouldn't want the Mole to take half our pigs and then drop them and claim a leg cramp."
Kristin said that she's just got a wheelbarrow full of Bobby, and he is looking pretty moley at this point.
Back at the pen, Paul can't leave well enough alone, and smashes he pig that was left there. Turns out, he was right, and it was exception. Score one for Paul. Liz says that she wasn't even thinking exception, and is feeling stupid.
It's time for flying pigs. Pigs are smashing all over the place. Craig's team shows up and Craig takes over the slingshot from Alex. He says (in confessional) "I don't think Alex is the mole, I just think he's kind of stupid." Funny. Once he takes over the wheel, the flying pigs go much better, and we see, in another confessional, why. "I never though that being able to operate a three person water balloon launch would earn me money!" Craig confesses. Now that's funny. Go Geek!
While pigs are flying, the girls chat about the ineptitude of Bobby. All the pigs get launched, but a lot of them get broken. Still, they brought in 26 pigs for Alex's team, and 18 pigs for Mark's team. Bobby's team brought in none.
They safely brought in 28 pigs, which is $28,000 into the pot, which now totals $63,000. Paul reveals that he has the third exception, and cost them $1000.
In the hotel, Bobby snags Alex's journal. That's stupid. Craig says "Maybe he left it there for you to find, so you would think he is stupid." "No," asserts Bobby, "he really is that stupid.
Alex, meanwhile, is singing a lovely tune about Mole hunting, to his guitar, and confesses that he thinks he left his journal somewhere, but then it seems that he did it on purpose. Hmmmm.. Tricky.
It's quiz time. My money's on Bobby for being the Mole, but I am probably wrong because it seems so obvious.
Question 1: Is the Mole Male or Female?
Question 2: In race to the summit, how did the Mole arrive at the summit?
Question 3: Did the Mole earn an exeption?
Question 4: In Race to the Summit, which group did the Mole join?
Question 5: At the start of the "When pigs fly" mission, did the mole grab a wheelbarrow?
Question 6: How many pigs did the mole's Ham it Up team find?
Question 7: In When Pigs Fly, what did the mole do after returning from Pomaire?
Question 8: During When Pigs Fly, did the mole wear protective head gear?
Question 9: During When Pigs Fly, was the mole transported in a wheelbarrow?
Question 10: Who is the mole?
For the Execution, the contestants are brought to a cemetery. Fitting. Green screen means they are safe, red means they are gone.
Clay is safe, then Alex, then Victoria, then Bobby (who acted shocked to be safe, but if he is the Mole, of course he would get it all right). Liz is going home tonight, and I think it is best for her. My husband thought she was the mole, so I guess he is wrong.
At this point, I am really thinking Bobby, but that's what they want us to think. I do not think it is Alex or Craig, because both of them actively helped the team get some money. There are some post-elimination words, where Paul goes off on Liz, then Bobby goes off on Paul, then Paul goes off on Bobby, and Nicole breaks in with a cryptic "I could kill you and not leave any forensic evidence." What? She says she is determined to beat Paul in the game. Or kill him, apparently.
Still loving this show!
Right off the bat, they have to separate themselves into two groups - 9 who are goal oriented, and 2 who are uphill battle. Mark and Kristin are the uphill battle people, after Liz and Craig vied for the spots, thinking it would be easy. Others on the team were more savvy (or non-moles), and they were right - Mark and Kristin have to ride a tandem bike. The goal oriented team has to try to score a goal against Chilean soccer (sorry, football) players. If the goal oriented people can get that goal, they get to ride on a 10 minute gondola up to the top of the hill. The soccer game is 20 minutes, with chances for overtime. If they beat the tandem bike people up the hill, they get $35,000. If the tandem bike people beat them, they get no money, but the two of them get immunity.
And it turns out, the Goal Group is playing against children. I'm still not sure how well they will do, though a few people get really cocky. Craig is sure one of the kids is going to end up nailing him in the groin.
Those kids are fast. The kids score the first goal easily. Ali says that she wishes she was on the kids' team, they are so good.
Of course the tandem bike couldn't be a simple bike ride. The chain keeps falling off whenever they get any speed on. Mark ends up running the bike up the hill after having a couple frustrations with the chain.
The kids are up 10-0 easily, and Nicole as goalie isn't trying at all. Bobby couldn't run around on the field and took over as goalie. He is such a cardiovascular wimp.
Mark and Kristin continue running up the hill, and have suspicions of one of them being the mole.
Craig scores a goal on the Goal team. It's time for penalty kicks. Ali scores the goal, and they finally get their gondola ticket. Even though they are exhausted from their soccer game, they have to go by foot. They can't decide which way to go, and they go two different ways, with Craig and Liz unable to keep up. They all have to make it as a team, so this could be sabotage by the Mole, or just idiocy. Craig, Bobby O, and Liz are dubbed "The Worst Group Ever." Paul and Ali stayed with Liz, and then Liz finally took her shoes off, saying that would help her, because she's a barefoot country girl.
Kristin and Mark are back on the bike, riding for a bit, then they get off and push it for a bit. They run into Mr. Host Man, drinking Pisco Sours, and offers them a taxi ride for $5000 from the pot. They refuse.
Alex, Victoria and Nicole reach the gondola station, and they reach the top in the gondola before the rest of the team gets to the station. They all have to get to the top before they can see who wins. Mr. Host Man calls out to Kristin and Mark, and at first it looks like they are not there, but then they emerge. The Goal Team is really crushed. Victoria blames the breakdown in communication. Paul attacked Bobby for saying he was a good soccer player, when he wasn't. Well, Victoria brought up that Paul was not much better himself.
The bickering continues back in their hotel room(s?)... Victoria says that this is the worst team she has ever been on ever, and instead of making the Mole's job harder, they are making it easier by acting like children. Paul congratulates himself (in confessional) on throwing her off her game, but Victoria tells Kristin she can deal with idiocy and childishness, because she works retail. Since I work part time retail, I can relate.
The players head to Pomaire, and they see an arena with pigs. Nicole admits (in confessional) "I do love pigs, as long as they are cooked right." Classic. Pomaire is home to lots of ceramic piggy banks. Well, there are missing 50 pigs, and The Mole left a ransom note that the pigs are hidden through the town. Well, the producers left the note, but it was in the name of the mole.
There are three groups of three:
Alex, Victoria, Nicole
Ali, Mark, Clay
Bobby, Craig, Kristin
They are the Ham it Up teams and they have to go into town and find pigs marked with the Mole's green thumbprint and bring the piggies back, then use a slingshot to shoot the pigs to the other group of:
Liz and Paul - who have to catch flying pigs in a blanket.
Each pig is $1000 in the pot. They have about 1 hour to do the mission, while the potters make 12 pigs. There will be another exemption, too, hidden inside one of the pigs. They somehow have to decide that the thing inside the pig is an exception, and not something else, and smash it. If it isn't the exception, there goes $1000.
Right away, Bobby has leg issues, and he gets in the wheelbarrow, and Craig has to push him.
Alex proves very useful, because he can speak fluent Spanish. Victoria says that the pigs started falling out of the sky when he was speaking Spanish.
The Bobby Team is not doing so well, because they can't speak Spanish, and they keep looking in the same places. Bobby offers to bring the wheelbarrow of pigs Alex has helped collect back to the pen, and let them keep looking, which might be a good idea if there wasn't sabotage in the air... but there is, so Alex declines, and brings the piggies back to the pen with his team. Bobby does have a quotable moment about Alex though - "You might be good at Spanish, but you suck at life." Nice. Alex admits to not trusting Bobby, and Nicole said "I wouldn't want the Mole to take half our pigs and then drop them and claim a leg cramp."
Kristin said that she's just got a wheelbarrow full of Bobby, and he is looking pretty moley at this point.
Back at the pen, Paul can't leave well enough alone, and smashes he pig that was left there. Turns out, he was right, and it was exception. Score one for Paul. Liz says that she wasn't even thinking exception, and is feeling stupid.
It's time for flying pigs. Pigs are smashing all over the place. Craig's team shows up and Craig takes over the slingshot from Alex. He says (in confessional) "I don't think Alex is the mole, I just think he's kind of stupid." Funny. Once he takes over the wheel, the flying pigs go much better, and we see, in another confessional, why. "I never though that being able to operate a three person water balloon launch would earn me money!" Craig confesses. Now that's funny. Go Geek!
While pigs are flying, the girls chat about the ineptitude of Bobby. All the pigs get launched, but a lot of them get broken. Still, they brought in 26 pigs for Alex's team, and 18 pigs for Mark's team. Bobby's team brought in none.
They safely brought in 28 pigs, which is $28,000 into the pot, which now totals $63,000. Paul reveals that he has the third exception, and cost them $1000.
In the hotel, Bobby snags Alex's journal. That's stupid. Craig says "Maybe he left it there for you to find, so you would think he is stupid." "No," asserts Bobby, "he really is that stupid.
Alex, meanwhile, is singing a lovely tune about Mole hunting, to his guitar, and confesses that he thinks he left his journal somewhere, but then it seems that he did it on purpose. Hmmmm.. Tricky.
It's quiz time. My money's on Bobby for being the Mole, but I am probably wrong because it seems so obvious.
Question 1: Is the Mole Male or Female?
Question 2: In race to the summit, how did the Mole arrive at the summit?
Question 3: Did the Mole earn an exeption?
Question 4: In Race to the Summit, which group did the Mole join?
Question 5: At the start of the "When pigs fly" mission, did the mole grab a wheelbarrow?
Question 6: How many pigs did the mole's Ham it Up team find?
Question 7: In When Pigs Fly, what did the mole do after returning from Pomaire?
Question 8: During When Pigs Fly, did the mole wear protective head gear?
Question 9: During When Pigs Fly, was the mole transported in a wheelbarrow?
Question 10: Who is the mole?
For the Execution, the contestants are brought to a cemetery. Fitting. Green screen means they are safe, red means they are gone.
Clay is safe, then Alex, then Victoria, then Bobby (who acted shocked to be safe, but if he is the Mole, of course he would get it all right). Liz is going home tonight, and I think it is best for her. My husband thought she was the mole, so I guess he is wrong.
At this point, I am really thinking Bobby, but that's what they want us to think. I do not think it is Alex or Craig, because both of them actively helped the team get some money. There are some post-elimination words, where Paul goes off on Liz, then Bobby goes off on Paul, then Paul goes off on Bobby, and Nicole breaks in with a cryptic "I could kill you and not leave any forensic evidence." What? She says she is determined to beat Paul in the game. Or kill him, apparently.
Still loving this show!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Next Food Network Star: 6/8/08
The second episode of the season starts with a very unpleasant 3 AM wake up call for the chefs with a spoon banging on a metal bowl. Chef Robert Irvine (Dinner Impossible) is a guest judge this week. Lisa looks really really weird without makeup and half woken up.
The teams for the challenge are:
Blue - Lisa, Shane, Nipa
Green - Jeffrey, Kelsey, Kevin
Gray - Aaron, Adam, Jennifer. (they call themselves the underdog team, because Adam didn't go to culinary school, Jennifer didn't finish culinary school, and Aaron "knows what he knows." Whatever that means.)
They have to gather items in specialty food shops for things they need to cook. At each shop, they'll be asked a food question and if they get it right, they can get their ingredient and be on their way. If they get it wrong, a member of their team can win them the item by doing some sort of food prep.
The winners of the challenge will be featured in USA Weekend.
The green team is the first one out of the house, followed by the green team. The blue team is slow - Nipa took a long time to get ready.
The first Location is Amy's Bread.
The Question for the green team is: To make white flour, what two parts of whole wheat grain are removed?
(I could probably come up with an answer, but I don't know it off the top of my head)
The Green team answers hull and husk, which is close to what I would have guessed, and we were both spectacularly wrong, since the answer is bran and germ. You know, the good stuff for you. That stuff.
To win the ingredient, Kevin has to make some baguettes.
The Grey team's question is: What does it mean when Baking Powder is double acting?
(I actually know this one, because I am a science geek in my non-tv watching life)
The grey team gets it correct, and they are on their way. They get to pick an ingredient and they pick brioche.
While Kevin is still making bread, Team Blue arrives. Their question is: What ingredient helps give pumpernickel bread its dark color?
(I also know this one, since I love pumpernickel) Team Blue got it right (it's molasses) and they are off to the races, picking a baguette.
The next location is a Dairy Shop. Team Grey's first question is: How many lbs of whole milk does it take to make 1 lb of whole milk cheese?
(I have no idea at all) Jennifer did a great job - she got 10 lbs right. They pick ricotta cheese.
Kevin finally finishes his bread, and they get Semolina Raisin bread.
Team Blue's Dairy Question is: What is the name of the cheese making method where curds are piled on top of each other, cut up, pressed together, and then cut up again?
(I have no idea) - Team Blue earns their cheese, and Shane proudly says he learned the answer was "Cheddar" on Food Network. Classic. They pick Danish Blue.
Team Grey is onto the meat market, and their question is: What is the main dietary requirement for pigs to be qualified as Spanish hams quali virigo? - or something of that nature, I know I have butchered the name entirely.
(I am clueless) Adam happened to work in a Spanish restaurant, and they know the answer is acorns. Cool. They pick the NY Strip
Team Green finally gets into the Dairy shop and are asked: What seeds produces the vegetable dye used to create orange cheddar cheese?
(Color me clueless yet again) They get annato correct and grab mozzerella.
Team Blue gets their meat market question, and they have to name four different cuts of meat on a tray.
They get it wrong. Well, Lisa got the answer wrong. Shane has to butcher chickens, and was super quick, and they choose lamb. Nipa is excited about lamb to make some good Indian food, but Lisa brings up the important fact that they also have blue cheese and a baguette to work with so far. Hmmm.
Team Green has to name the four prime cuts of beef. Kelsey got it wrong, and Jeffrey had to do the chicken cut up. They get duck.
Next, they are heading to NJ, and end up at a train station. They are cooking on a train. Grey team is first, then blue team, then green team.
They have to prepare a brunch for over 30 people on a train using three items they collected, along with some other pantry items. They then have to present themselves and their dishes for everyone.
Grey team goes first. They decide that Jennifer will make some sort of savory french toast , Aaron is going to make the steak, and Adam is going to make eggs with herbed ricotta and creme fraiche. Adam wants to make poached eggs with runny yolks. Aaron thinks that's foolish because of the crowd, and Adam doesn't seem to care, and starts poaching, then after some more discussions with Aaron, does sunny side up eggs. Aaron also doesn't like the way that Jennifer is making the French Toast, in big giant rounds. We'll see how it all turns out. Adam has two giant pans of sunny side up eggs that he then has to do surgery on the get the eggs apart. Aaron says that their plates do not look appealing. "I'm getting sea sick, and we are on a train." Adam wants to do a skit with a train robbery thing. Aaron does NOT want to do it. When they come out to present their brunch, Aaron does hang back, but it didn't seem so train-robbery to me. He did have some great personality, though.
As far as taste goes, Susie Fogelson (one of the judges) ended up with some raw egg and had to spit it out into her napkin. Ewwww. Guess Adam got his wish for runny yolk. And white. Double ewwwww. They like the steak a lot. The french toast is called bland. Hmm. Aaron would be the winner in that one.
The Green Team is up next. Nipa is making a lamb kebab with a spice mix. Sounds good. Shane is doing a fig and blue cheese salad. Lisa is doing a crostini french toast with honey creme fraiche. When plating, she missed two plates of creme fraiche and whips up more in two minutes. By hand. I have a little more respect for her now.
Time for presentation! Shane had a lot of trouble speaking. They each just state their culinary points of view. Blessedly, Lisa leaves out her baffling community outreach thing. Shane's salad is called overdressed, and Nipa had some trouble presenting herself as funny. Her lamb is a little too spicy. Lisa surprisingly did the best in this one, and the judges said it was amazing how simple she seemed to come across.
Team Blue is up! Kelsey is making a duck salad with champagne vinegarette and apricots and raspberries. Jeffrey is making a bread pudding with raspberry coulis. Kevin is making honey glazed figs with mozarella crostini. Kevin wants to get some action. We get it. He thinks crostini is sexy. Not so sure about that. Kevin only brought enough olive oil for himself, and Kelsey doesn't have enough for a really great vinegarette. There are issues with plating, again Kevin's problem. He missed two plates and they have to take some apart and rebuild on the newly found plates.
Their presentation is stilted at first, but they pick it up. They call their plate Love (Kevin), Soul (Jeffrey), and Happiness (Kelsey). Kevin had the weakest presentation. The bread pudding is called tough. They like the salad, though the duck is overcooked. Bobby Flay said that he wants to talk to Kevin about his point of view, because "it doesn't mean anything." Other than Kevin needs some nookie and wants his food to get it for him. I agree. Some of the other diners are missing things like sauce for their french toast, and Kevin's fig is way too sweet for some others.
It's judgement time.
Grey team gets a talking to first. Adam's raw eggs are an issue. Aaron's steak wins big time. Jennifer is told that she needs to "find her authority."
Green team claims that they got the last pickings of everything. The committee doesn't understand why figs, honey, and crostini are romantic. Jeffrey is told to bring passion to his game.
Blue team was told that their plate didn't work well together. Nipa didn't want to do fusion food, and Lisa said that they decided to have three separate dishes. Lisa's french toast is given praise, Nipa was told to give more story, and more even spices. Bobby asks Nipa if she is enthusiastic about being The Next Food Network Star, and she says she is not sure. She says that she feels really different. The judges say that they want to see what she brings to the kitchen, so she should step it up and bring it. She then says that she "can't do this anymore" walks out. Didn't see that coming!
Nipa has a moment when she decides if she can handle the criticism. She decided finally to go back and apologize for her temper, and says that she really wants to bring Indian Food to The Food Network, and that she wants to bring her story to the network. The judges wonder if she can handle the pressure.
The winner of the challenge are Lisa and Aaron. I think it is the right choice for winners, and I find myself liking Lisa a whole lot more after this week. Still not sure I would want to see her in a show, but ...
Kelsey, Jennifer, and Adam are safe next, followed by Jeffrey and Shane. Nipa and Kevin are the bottom two, and Nipa gets a chance to redeem herself. I hope that she does. She is told she is "on warning."
I hope that Kevin manages to find himself some love.
I really want Nipa to step it up, because I do want to see Indian food on the Food Network!
Next week, they have to make a packaged food item, and Martha Stewart is going to make an appearance.
Who are you all rooting for? Will Nipa get off her high horse? Will Lisa return to her vulcan ways?
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