Totale

I suspect they didn't put Stephanie against Blais, despite all the obvious High Drama and Good TV aspects of that pairing, because she would have kicked his ass all the way to Cleveland. Unless they're saving that for the Dramatic Finale.

I wasn't watching FN much when he won and never saw his season or any episodes of his show, but Tivo suggestions thought I'd like watching Aaron McCargo's "Big Daddy's House" and recorded a couple of episodes for me. I didn't, much, but now I see why they picked up Mauro to replace him in the Cooking Guy Food slot. ("Big Daddy" even called himself "the sandwich king" at one point.) My impression was that he came off more like the urban Ree.

Not that I've read it or am likely to, but wasn't that ?

Then somebody shoots J.R.

I thought we were still in the 9 letter category and guessed medallion! I thought the champ was a little young to be a Deadhead, until he said he got it from Mom and Dad. Thanks for more evidence I'm ancient now, show.

When an act is really technology like that it's not going to fool professionals who are well versed in the available technology of their field. But they were cute as hell and made me feel happy and that's enough for me. I hope they ran off and got married somewhere, even if they didn't make it to Vegas.

I was thinking they had announced UTD's renewal like halfway through the first season, Googled a bit and found out a) I was right about that, b) it's now attracting roughly half the average viewership that it did the first season and c) people who think like the majority of those in the comments section of the page below exist and have learned to type on computers (or phones, or Surface™ tablets or something) http://seriable.com/under-the-dome-cancelled-renewed-season-3/

Can't be. Lenny from Food Network Star just recently invented it when he accidentally knocked the coffee off the range hood onto his salt in the chuckwagon. He said so himself. There wasn't much non-decorative about Denine to like, but we saw her (twice) offer to help Kalen on the meat station and Ms. "I'm from Texas and know my meat" shot her down every time. I would have dumped Kalen. Still in love with Elizabeth Rohm after all these years.

I thought Gail's comment that she liked to be yelled at sometimes was approximately 0% sincere. I've never felt badly about Jenn, I liked her in her own season not least for the shallowest of reasons, and thought the All-Stars breakdown was largely fatigue with maybe a bit of the bottle thrown in and felt bad for her for it. But she seemed kind of shrill last night, again she brings up her mentor as if she's not even trying to escape his shadow, and I was pulling for Nyesha by halfway through. I still don't get why fish and cheese is such an insurmountable burden, though. One of them said the flavor of cheese would always overwhelm the fish, but I've tasted lots of cheeses without a strong flavoring and it seems like one could be worked in as more of a textural element in a sauce or chowder base or something. I've never seem B99 but maybe I'll go back and catch up now that I know Chelsea Perretti's on it, she rings my bell.

The problem is that they can't admit out loud that in the real world and especially for new "stars" the recipes are ultimately tested and prepared by the perhaps non-telegenic professional cooks in the FN Test Kitchens and the onscreen personalities are largely reading scripts prepared by perhaps non-telegenic professional scriptwriters. I'm sure the talent has some input into the second and perhaps into the first, much more in the case of a Bobby Flay than a Jeff Mauro. They can't run a show called "Food Network Weathergirl" but in the end that's really what they need.

Better than the first. Returning/defeated champ batting her eyes was driving me bonkers.

Laila Ali is one imposing woman. I'd give her the prize if she'd promise not to step on me.

Which exposes the whole problem with the basic concept of the show, setting this game up for who makes the most dough rather than who makes the best food. It's been a problem more than once, with the Bad Team from a former season trying to cheat by stuffing the drawer, and throughout customers getting a raw deal because the shiny Klieg lights blind them to the fact that they've just paid $20 for a quesadilla that's not as good as Taco Bell serves up for $4. It's a fatal flaw in the basic structure of the show, and why I think this will be the last season.

Oliver was snarking on the Yes/No aspect, but I remembered I was up in Montreal just before the big vote on seccession there (late 1970s I think) and you could tell what side people were on by whether the banner in their window read "Oui" or "No, Thank You".

The one sitting on the right in the auditions will be "slightly less douchey Michael Chiarello" to me until I figure out what his real name is.

I knew in the abstract there were MC shows in other countries, mostly from seeing people on TWOP talking about how superior they were to the US flavor, but have never seen any. I watched the first episode on Canada and was taken aback to see the same logo and hear the same announcer reciting what pretty much sounded like the same lines. Are the UK and Aussie versions also so close?

That's what he said. I see the door right over there.

Who let Pauline out of her securely padlocked prison?

If only it was the late, great Wendy O. Williams, instead. "What do you mean, shut it down? I want my goddamned food!"

When Gone Girl was having so much trouble making it one of her teammates quickly ran down the new ingredients, maybe it had wine or something in it? I've already deleted it so can't say. Last year's had lobster, too - it's something in the liquid that's changed.

Who knew Crazy Eyes from OITNB had a little brother? I have the feeling he'll be around for a while for snark value, as will Denine for her impressive rack and stated intent to stir the shit, but they won't win. The Boston guy who couldn't cook fish to save his life and touchy-feely girl were no loss to their respective teams. We've seen the tough guy on the men's team too many times before, but he'll last a while. Can't pick anyone from the men showing any particular competence yet. I think Roe among the women is in for the long haul.

We have Under the Dome for that. I don't know if I can handle two of them.

I felt bad for Ukraine girl not only because she was pretty and awesome but because dammit chili peppers do not belong in Beef Strogonoff (which I make myself and love). Too bad the judges palates are so blown out they couldn't handle the dish as traditionally made. I usually like Flay, but he was so dismissive of her choice of dish that it pissed me off this time.

I watched a Jacques Pepin show yesterday where he did just that. Of course, he also shaved some real truffle on top. Over supermarket shelf stable gnocchi, which he said he always kept in his pantry should surprise guests arrive....

Mad skills on display, but I disagree with Gail about the positive aspects of slime as a textural element, and just like all the offal/bizarre ingredients shown on TV cooking shows I'm thankful I live where the streets are paved and we can feed that stuff to the cats.