some1105

Corrected in post, so as to avoid confusion and the possibility of anyone missing the correction.

Tom really put the calculus of the judging out front tonight when he blatantly warned the others on the panel what would happen if they gave the gold medal in the creativity round to Chris rather than Mustache Joe, who then won that round by only half a point. To me, that was entirely about the consequences that Tom had just spelled out—that Chris winning the round would result in a second place overall finish for the white team. That would have kept them safe and put the red team members in danger—the team on which the only dish they didn’t really like was Carrie’s and she had immunity, which the judges also discussed. Basically, Mustache Joe beat Chris because Tom had no intention of sending home Fatima or Adrienne due to Carrie’s awful dish. I was also ok with that, since neither Claudette nor Tanya had covered themselves in glory.

Agreed. I started to suspect around episode 5 that Ward was going to steal the show for me, and he did.

I would be extremely surprised if the prepared food was not consumed expeditiously by ravenous crew, and any additional foods not intended for use in subsequent challenges donated to local food charities. I know they do this for Great British Bake-Off, and I would swear I read an interview with LeeAnn Wong a while back that they do it on Top Chef. Not to mention, Tom C. (as Bluepiano mentioned above) and Hugh Acheson are both very involved in food/hunger initiatives.

Oh, I feel you. Your comment just led me down the heartily depressing path of trying to think of an appropriate cable network that would be a more respectable home for Top Chef. Unfortunately, all the likely homes were either trashy to begin with (like Lifetime), or have self-cannibalized Bravo-style over the last decade (A&E, TLC, etc.). The few that remain relatively close to some quality "mission", like Ovation, are too low profile to reach sufficient viewers. Like I said, depressing. I just close my eyes and think of PBS while I fast forward through the Housewives promos...

I highly recommend reading "The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks" by Toni Tipton-Martin (who was on the show last night). The release of that book about a year ago coincided with a big re-release of Edna Lewis' seminal cookbook, and a brief storm of media attention about the centrality of people of color to developing many of our most beloved foodways. ETA: I'm afraid I disagree that Lifetime is a more reputable network than Bravo, Andy Cohen & Co.'s crass antics notwithstanding, though.

Ashamedly, I must admit that I somehow thought that the duties of the Surgeon General had been competently assumed by Michelle Obama and hot Sam Kass, lo these many years.

Unfortunately, this challenge has been botched before as an elimination challenge (comfort food done healthy, though not necessarily vegetarian) in Season 3, with Alfred Portale as the guest judge watching a sad parade of tasteless, disgusting and often UNhealthy glop force fed to a room of unsuspecting elderly.

I wanted A'kai to stay just for his plaintive cry "I got paint on my zapatos blancos!" At first I though that he had given an adorable nickname to his very blonde model, but his concern for his loafers was just as funny.

Yes. She is Not Here To Make Friends. In fact, she seems to have built her life philosophy on never making any friends anywhere.

I could only deal by watching this episode backward, scene by scene. Done that way, I was ok with how it ended. My main quibble is that, no matter what Christopher may claim and this show has always pushed, Rory is not a "force of nature." She's smart, sure, but kind of an emotional fuck-up, and has in some ways been stunted by a lack of consequences. I'm hopeful for her at the end, though. Although the obvious parallel is that she's following in her mother's path, she's starting on that path from a very different point. She's highly educated, will never lack for emotional (or, honestly, financial) support, and has some concept of what's ahead of her. In fact, I probably respect her most for her choice to go it alone, at least at first, at least for now. I'm seeing reactions from various "teams" about lack of closure, and how it's all very open to interpretation, and I guess it is. However, for me, there are some logical "and thens," as long as I believe that Rory doesn't intend to be 100% a dick. She'll tell Logan about the pregnancy at some point. Unless Odette is prepared to start the "dynasty" off knowing she's been cheated on and that Logan is about to be a father of someone else's baby, that marriage will be off. Logan may, in fact, go the Christopher route, or he may grow the fuck up and be there for his kid. And Rory may stay single, or find someone new, or reconcile with Logan, or co-parent with Logan, or someday end up with Jess, but not on such an obvious rebound. I mean--watch it backwards like I did. Knowing what we know by the end, every conversation, every decision, every relationship note makes sense. All in all, I'm optimistic. And Luke is made to be a step-grandpa. ETA: Or, obv, Rory could choose to terminate her pregnancy.

Blech. I have a really low bar where this show is concerned (as in, my affection for it is pretty uncomplicated and undemanding). But I didn't buy a second of Penny's family. They've done such a good job with everyone else's parents--Laurie Metcalf and Christine Baranski in particular. But the usually fantastic Katey Sagal was completely undone in this role (and Jack McBrayer's role research couldn't even have gone as far as watching an episode of Breaking Bad). Disappointment!

Jane's cake looked beautiful, but Selasi was the most delicious dish.

She had actually just taken off on her horse. Fair point. There would have been more pertinent details to share with her before the battle (though it wouldn't have made much sense to recount it, as the others in the battle planning session were still at the parley when Ramsay said it). I'd buy it most as Jon having told her after she asked where Ramsay was being held, but your observation remains.

Although I no longer live in Minnesota, hendersonrocks, frequent visits allow me to stay stocked with bottles of Brasa's hot vinegar, which I put on everything. I would have put it on anything that was served in last night's episode.