Chopped 2021: You Could Have Sexed That Up a Little Bit

[letusprocrastinate]

On 2/24/2021 at 10:43 PM, Gramto6 said:

Just a thought, what with Covid and so many restaurants closing, maybe the chefs are going into different directions and the pool is shrinking. Sad but maybe true....

Also, what is the lead time on filming?   It may have been done when states, especially east coast ones, were slapping travel restrictions on other states, as in you show up here, we want you to quarantine.  Or maybe (probably likely) cheftestants were required to provide a negative test prior to arrival.  Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt Food Network would cover either of those costs, and from what I understand they don't pay for travel and lodging anyway.  So $10,000 before taxes doesn't seem like much of an incentive anymore for the hassle, even if gets your name out there, unless you have the ability to bankroll your trip.

Edited March 2, 2021 by letusprocrastinate

[nitrofishblue]

It would be interesting to learn what the tax bite is. They have to pay New York city and state taxes. Then they have to pay their state, county, and city tax. That doesn't leave much to take those grand vacations the chefs all seem to want. 

Food Network hasn't stepped up the reward and they sure haven't remodeled the kitchen area. It is still all dark and dreary. Making the chefs pay their own travel and lodging expenses is sad. Guess that is why there are so many chefs from New York City.

One more thing bugs me. They appear to waste a ton of money on the mystery basket items. Last week wss an example of that. In the entree round they gave the 3 chefs the most gorgeous full rack of rib. One rack was enough to feed all. Instead the chefs used less than half of it. What happens to the now unused portions of rib steak? It is not cooked so the crew can't eat it. They give the chefs entire whole fish. Yes, this tests the chefs ability to break down the fish but so much goes to waste. It makes me cry at times to see how much great ingredients go to waste when a chef uses so little of the item.

[pdlinda]

15 minutes ago, nitrofishblue said:

It would be interesting to learn what the tax bite is. They have to pay New York city and state taxes. Then they have to pay their state, county, and city tax. That doesn't leave much to take those grand vacations the chefs all seem to want. 

Food Network hasn't stepped up the reward and they sure haven't remodeled the kitchen area. It is still all dark and dreary. Making the chefs pay their own travel and lodging expenses is sad. Guess that is why there are so many chefs from New York City.

One more thing bugs me. They appear to waste a ton of money on the mystery basket items. Last week wss an example of that. In the entree round they gave the 3 chefs the most gorgeous full rack of rib. One rack was enough to feed all. Instead the chefs used less than half of it. What happens to the now unused portions of rib steak? It is not cooked so the crew can't eat it. They give the chefs entire whole fish. Yes, this tests the chefs ability to break down the fish but so much goes to waste. It makes me cry at times to see how much great ingredients go to waste when a chef uses so little of the item.

Oh, yes, I have thought about that terrible waste many times, especially with the large cuts of various meats where they have to butcher parts of it and the rest, presumably, gets thrown out!  How is that OK???  

[letusprocrastinate]

18 minutes ago, nitrofishblue said:

One more thing bugs me. They appear to waste a ton of money on the mystery basket items. Last week wss an example of that. In the entree round they gave the 3 chefs the most gorgeous full rack of rib. One rack was enough to feed all. Instead the chefs used less than half of it. What happens to the now unused portions of rib steak? It is not cooked so the crew can't eat it. They give the chefs entire whole fish. Yes, this tests the chefs ability to break down the fish but so much goes to waste. It makes me cry at times to see how much great ingredients go to waste when a chef uses so little of the item.

I wonder if they do that so just in case something goes haywire with a chef's Plan A, they have something available for a possible fast Plan B depending on how much time is left.

[sharifa70]

“Dude food” guy bugged the hell out of me. 

I’m pretty sure I read that most of the leftovers go to the crew, and that’s a lot of people. I hope the raw meat is kept cold enough for it to just be wrapped up and taken home.

[Rammchick]

On 3/1/2021 at 5:12 PM, pdlinda said:

Oh, yes, I have thought about that terrible waste many times, especially with the large cuts of various meats where they have to butcher parts of it and the rest, presumably, gets thrown out!  How is that OK???  

The Food Network seems to support City Harvest and other charities that collect unused food.  See here:  https://www.cityharvest.org/our-story/

 

[xaxat]

Bison, another underwhelming episode. I don't think any of the plate received general acclaim from the judges. All of them had something wrong.

I did laugh at the return of the tradition where Chris gets the worst of all of the plates. It felt like every cut of bison he got was over or under cooked.

[Bastet]

On 3/3/2021 at 7:36 PM, sharifa70 said:

I’m pretty sure I read that most of the leftovers go to the crew, and that’s a lot of people.

Yeah, America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country has a pretty detailed plan for letting the crew make use of leftovers, both raw ingredients and prepared food (there's a big refrigerator they can "shop" in [for free], for one thing), so, while I'm not as familiar with this show to have come across its practices, I am reasonably confident - especially how many years into production they are - they find a way to, between in-house distribution and food bank donation, if not eliminate at least significantly reduce food waste.

[xaxat]

I wonder what they did with the leftovers on the original Iron Chef (Japan). Because they had some crazy expensive ingredients. A couple of weeks ago I watched an episode where one chefs took a whole foie gras, sliced some lines in it and stuffed those lines with slices of black truffle. In addition, the display for the main ingredient always had at least twice as much as the chefs would require. 

[Fukui San]

10 minutes ago, xaxat said:

I wonder what they did with the leftovers on the original Iron Chef (Japan). Because they had some crazy expensive ingredients. A couple of weeks ago I watched an episode where one chefs took a whole foie gras, sliced some lines in it and stuffed those lines with slices of black truffle. In addition, the display for the main ingredient always had at least twice as much as the chefs would require. 

I remember a comment to the effect that the best time to eat at an Iron Chef’s restaurant was after the taping of a battle since you might get fancy leftover ingredient specials. 

[iwantcookies]

I did not know that Food network didn’t pay for the hotel room for the contestants. Not worth even going on the show.

[nitrofishblue]

6 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

I did not know that Food network didn’t pay for the hotel room for the contestants. Not worth even going on the show.

Food network pays for nothing. That includes the chefs travel cost as well as hotel.  The reward has never been upgraded since the beginning. They have recently paid out more but just for special special challenges.

 

[pdlinda]

7 hours ago, nitrofishblue said:

Food network pays for nothing. That includes the chefs travel cost as well as hotel.  The reward has never been upgraded since the beginning. They have recently paid out more but just for special special challenges.

 

That is very disconcerting and disappointing as the show makes TONS OF MONEY (the banks of commercials that I FF through are IMMENSE) AND I casually researched (very easy to do) the financial circumstances of the Judges (and Ted Allen) and they're ALL multi millionaires.  I understand many of the judges have other lucrative income streams; however, not all, so I am surmising that the show pays them handsomely!

From what I see most of the contestants (with very few exceptions) come from humble circumstances.  How can the producers be so CHEAP when the entire success of the show depends on the CONTESTANTS!

If future contestants demanded better compensation, I believe the show would have to respond favorably; however, there's no way for any of them to connect beforehand so I guess that's what the producers depend on to continue this practice.  HOWEVER, it doesn't make it right!

[mlp]

I have to agree with pdlinda because 10K now isn't at all what 10K was when Chopped started.  Considering that FN awards much larger prizes on other shows, I don't think an additional 10K per week would hurt them much.  20K would be more in line as prizes now go.

OTOH The contestants know what the prize is when they apply and many are more interested in bragging rights.  No one makes them be on the show.

[xaxat]

On 3/13/2021 at 5:53 AM, nitrofishblue said:

Food network pays for nothing. That includes the chefs travel cost as well as hotel.

Isn't that standard practice for game shows? I know that Jeopardy didn't pay.

[Rammchick]

On 3/13/2021 at 1:30 PM, mlp said:

I have to agree with pdlinda because 10K now isn't at all what 10K was when Chopped started.  Considering that FN awards much larger prizes on other shows, I don't think an additional 10K per week would hurt them much.  20K would be more in line as prizes now go.

OTOH The contestants know what the prize is when they apply and many are more interested in bragging rights.  No one makes them be on the show.

I think FN factors into the compensation the name recognition that the chefs get from appearing on the show.  Surely that accounts for additional "butts in seats" at their restaurants.  But when you look at the amount of taxes that come out of a 10K prize, they're lucky if they go home with 6K, and that's not even counting a deduction for their expenses.  We've always complained that this show is cheap -- for special tournaments, no one gets paid for the semifinal round they have to win to get into the final.  And on charity episodes, they should award all participants money towards charities, not just the winner.

[pdlinda]

3 hours ago, Rammchick said:

I think FN factors into the compensation the name recognition that the chefs get from appearing on the show.  Surely that accounts for additional "butts in seats" at their restaurants.  But when you look at the amount of taxes that come out of a 10K prize, they're lucky if they go home with 6K, and that's not even counting a deduction for their expenses.  We've always complained that this show is cheap -- for special tournaments, no one gets paid for the semifinal round they have to win to get into the final.  And on charity episodes, they should award all participants money towards charities, not just the winner.

So, then, the next question becomes:  WHO, at the top (or medium) level management at FN decides to operate the show that way??? With all the "social justice" promotions everywhere on the network (the contestants have always come from infinitely different backgrounds YAAAA with wonderful stories about their family history), wouldn't the next step in the evolution of the "culture" of the show be to jack up the compensation for the contestants and pay for their expenses??  How can management be so selfish, short sighted and self-absorbed???  

[schnauzergirl]

I know it adds to the drama, but hey, FN, how about two deep fryers?  And maybe spring for two ice cream machines.  

[mlp]

1 hour ago, schnauzergirl said:

I know it adds to the drama, but hey, FN, how about two deep fryers?  And maybe spring for two ice cream machines.  

That has always been my biggest beef with this show.  Chopped is supposed to be all about cooking and food, not competition for equipment.  The fellow who made a crab cake-like appetizer last night couldn't get into the fryer in time so his dish failed.  Then the judges dinged him because his cakes weren't fried up crisply when they were sitting right there and knew he planned to use the fryer and couldn't.  The same kind of thing happens with the ice cream machine all the time.  It's not entertaining; it's annoying. 

[sharifa70]

I kept getting annoyed by their connection of “hangry” with being dumped. I mean, I can see getting dumped leading to loss of appetite, which may lead to hangry if it goes on long enough, but they kept talking like needing comfort food equals hangry and that’s...just not it.

Count me in with the people who want another fryer and another ice cream maker. I get that the producers want to force more creativity from the chefs and I don’t disagree, but I also think that one chef’s dish shouldn’t depend on another chef’s timing. For that matter: stop giving them ingredients that take half of their allotted time to clean/butcher/shuck. That, or give them an extra ten minutes.

[pdlinda]

49 minutes ago, sharifa70 said:

I get that the producers want to force more creativity from the chefs and I don’t disagree, but I also think that one chef’s dish shouldn’t depend on another chef’s timing. For that matter: stop giving them ingredients that take half of their allotted time to clean/butcher/shuck. That, or give them an extra ten minutes.

After watching and enjoying the show from the beginning, it appears the producers have brought in a new "bright eyed and bushy tailed" creative team to "juice up" the show.  It's obvious they are trying to appeal to the millennials whom they think will support their advertisers.  

In fact, the "new format"  (all the hype and overproduction of the intros that seems to diminish the bios of the contestants and the interruptions of the judges while the contestants are cooking) is removing one of the most endearing parts of the show for the sake of "showmanship."

If they would focus on the enhancements mentioned above with the equipment, it would do far more to draw an audience (of all ages) than the ill conceived hoop-la they've introduced.  I also note that the recent use (overuse)  of so many "prepared foods" in the baskets doesn't enhance the show in my eyes. I would much rather see the chefs creatively deal with fresh ingredients.

 

 

[sharifa70]

@pdlinda I agree with everything you said. I also think they need to turn the background music down to, well, background level. Those damn guitar riffs do nothing for the food.

Lose the scripted trash-talk and let the chefs’ cooking take center stage!

Edited March 19, 2021 by sharifa70

[letusprocrastinate]

On 3/16/2021 at 2:56 PM, pdlinda said:

So, then, the next question becomes:  WHO, at the top (or medium) level management at FN decides to operate the show that way??? With all the "social justice" promotions everywhere on the network (the contestants have always come from infinitely different backgrounds YAAAA with wonderful stories about their family history), wouldn't the next step in the evolution of the "culture" of the show be to jack up the compensation for the contestants and pay for their expenses??  How can management be so selfish, short sighted and self-absorbed???  

I wonder if it has something to do with what @xaxat mentioned above about how certain game shows like Jeopardy don't pay expenses.  Although with Jeopardy in particular, think of the fun they'd have since they don't know how long someone is going to be sticking around.  At least with a show like Wheel of Fortune, you're done in a day, but even then think of how many episodes they tape each season.

With a show like Chopped, how do you do it if you've got a contestant coming in from across the country and another from 10 miles away?  One's expenses are going to be a lot more than the other's.  Establish a top dollar limit with a sliding scale based on distance?  Offer everyone a stay in the hotel of the network's choice but limit the number of days and guests they'll cover?  Give everyone, regardless of where they're from, a per Diem for a set amount of days?  They'd definitely have to include a means for a contestant to waive any expense coverage.  Increase the prize money and maybe make sure every contestant walks out of there with at least something, a la Jeopardy? 

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by letusprocrastinate

[Rammchick]

On 3/17/2021 at 6:30 AM, schnauzergirl said:

I know it adds to the drama, but hey, FN, how about two deep fryers?  And maybe spring for two ice cream machines.  

Some time back, this question about the ice cream machine was posed to Ted.  His words were something like, it'll never happen.  As for the deep fryer, it seems to me that they've made it smaller.  They definitely moved it from where it used to be at the far side of the kitchen and now it's closer to the where the plates are stored.  But the size of the baskets looks more like something you might have in a home FryDaddy, not a commercial set up.  That's ridiculous.

[xaxat]

The Hangry: Hangover dessert round was so sad. One of the worst rounds ever.

The increased artifice of this show is getting embarrassing. Chris' whole "We went out drinking last night. . ." And Maneet shading her eyes. . . No, just no.

[schnauzergirl]

Not sorry to see "Michelin Chef" Brandon go away.  He did it more graciously than I expected.  The Hangry thing is getting tiresome.

[nitrofishblue]

I am so sick of this Hangry series of competition. Good grief, every five minutes one of the judges yells out that they are Hangry. What is worse that IMO the dishes prepared for the last three shows have been terrible. They have looked sad and many dishes got so so comments.

I was totally turned off by the show last night. I am one of those folks who CAN NOT eat hot stuff. I get physically ill if I eat anything with hot peppers (this includes green, red, and yellow peppers) or seasoning in it. I have to take meds everyday to keep my inners calm. So this trend of everything being seasoned with hot peppers/seasonings turns me off. Guess you can say that I have a delicate stomach.

I love a good steak hoagie and order from my favorite spot. I have to tell the person when I order that I don't want the hot peppers. All I want is extra cheese, grilled onions, and mushroom gravy. For some time about 80% of the time the hoagie came with the peppers despite me insisting NO PEPPERS. It has taken me over a year for them to get it right since I order it about two times a month. The hoagie is good so that is why I keep ordering from them. Got to train them I assume.

[mlp]

2 hours ago, nitrofishblue said:

I am so sick of this Hangry series of competition. Good grief, every five minutes one of the judges yells out that they are Hangry. What is worse that IMO the dishes prepared for the last three shows have been terrible. They have looked sad and many dishes got so so comments.

I agree.  There seems to have been more less than impressive chefs than usual in this series and the judges have been really annoying with the nonsense.  I've been watching Chopped for years and maybe I'm getting burned out and Tiffani on the judging panel is just more than I can take.  Dunno but I'm doing other things now while the show is on and paying less and less attention.

[libgirl2]

6 hours ago, schnauzergirl said:

Not sorry to see "Michelin Chef" Brandon go away.  He did it more graciously than I expected.  The Hangry thing is getting tiresome.

Yes, I'm so over it already. Just go back to regular cooking! 

[pdlinda]

2 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Yes, I'm so over it already. Just go back to regular cooking! 

Can't you see the production meeting where this "theme" was thrashed out among the producers?  Some (or one) of them must have had some social "disruption" in his/her life that translated into this thunderously BORING theme that is being milked to death.  

[xaxat]

I want the Hangry: I'm high as hell, let's get some Taco Bell episode.

[iwantcookies]

What season are they up to? 

[sharifa70]

I don’t understand this “I’m hangry; I crave xxx” usage on the show. I’ve been hangry to the point of tears (my stages are Hungry, Cranky, Queasy, Weepy, HANGRY) and when that happens I don’t crave anything in particular. Hangry means “Get me some damn food RIGHT NOW and I don’t care what it is as long as it’s not candy!” When I travel and don’t know where or what time my next proper meal will be, I always carry fruit leather and/or granola bars.  

“I’m hangry, I want spicy/sweet/greasy” requires far more awareness than I’m capable of when I’m at that point, and seriously, I’m not going to be picky at that point. Unless it’s a cruciferous vegetable. I will starve before I eat a cruciferous vegetable.

[libgirl2]

14 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

I don’t understand this “I’m hangry; I crave xxx” usage on the show. I’ve been hangry to the point of tears (my stages are Hungry, Cranky, Queasy, Weepy, HANGRY) and when that happens I don’t crave anything in particular. Hangry means “Get me some damn food RIGHT NOW and I don’t care what it is as long as it’s not candy!” When I travel and don’t know where or what time my next proper meal will be, I always carry fruit leather and/or granola bars.  

“I’m hangry, I want spicy/sweet/greasy” requires far more awareness than I’m capable of when I’m at that point, and seriously, I’m not going to be picky at that point. Unless it’s a cruciferous vegetable. I will starve before I eat a cruciferous vegetable.

Some of the dishes they have been served are hardly things I would crave when in a hangry mood. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by libgirl2

[Maverick]

 Just saw a commercial for a new Chopped special series.   Martha Rules or something like that.   It's set outdoors.  I assume the baskets will be populated from Martha's garden or somesuch BS.  

[mlp]

10 hours ago, Maverick said:

 Just saw a commercial for a new Chopped special series.   Martha Rules or something like that.   It's set outdoors.  I assume the baskets will be populated from Martha's garden or somesuch BS.  

Presumably with chopsticks for all.  Gah.  I guess the producers are doing all these new things to try to freshen up an old show.  What they don't seem to realize is that one of the reasons Chopped has lasted so long is that people liked it the way it was.  

[Rammchick]

10 hours ago, Maverick said:

 Just saw a commercial for a new Chopped special series.   Martha Rules or something like that.   It's set outdoors.  I assume the baskets will be populated from Martha's garden or somesuch BS.  

The last few times Martha has been on Chopped, they've basically done that -- she produces some item from her garden/home that's in the baskets.  I wish they'd stop pandering to her.

[Gam2]

I’ve watched this show for years and the judge I cannot stand is Mark Murphy. He can find the tiniest, tiniest thing to criticize no matter what. I watched one today where the other judges were GZ and Scott Conant. They loved everything about the dish. MM agrees that it was the best dish he’d eaten on this show in a long time. But then he wished that she’d cut the green beans a bit smaller. There is a word for people like this.

[Rammchick]

17 hours ago, Gam2 said:

I’ve watched this show for years and the judge I cannot stand is Mark Murphy. He can find the tiniest, tiniest thing to criticize no matter what. I watched one today where the other judges were GZ and Scott Conant. They loved everything about the dish. MM agrees that it was the best dish he’d eaten on this show in a long time. But then he wished that she’d cut the green beans a bit smaller. There is a word for people like this.

I may be wrong, but I think this sort of behavior is producer-driven.  The judges' mandate seems to be that one is designated "bad cop" for that particular episode, and that person finds fault with the dish, no matter how good it is.  I guess they think it creates suspense if we think any one of the chefs could be chopped.  Also, we don't know that ALL the judges are required to say both good and bad things about the dishes, and what we're seeing is just the product of editing.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Rammchick

[Gam2]

21 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

I may be wrong, but I think this sort of behavior is producer-driven.  The judges' mandate seems to be that one is designated "bad cop" for that particular episode, and that person finds fault with the dish, no matter how good it is.  I guess they think it creates suspense if we think any one of the chefs could be chopped.  Also, we don't know that ALL the judges are required to say both good and bad things about the dishes, and what we're seeing is just the product of editing.

You may very well be right about that.

[Grizzly]

On 4/5/2021 at 12:33 AM, Maverick said:

 Just saw a commercial for a new Chopped special series.   Martha Rules or something like that.   It's set outdoors.  I assume the baskets will be populated from Martha's garden or somesuch BS.  

From the commercials, it sounds like Martha throws in monkey wrenches. A fifth chef will get introduced, someone gets chopped in the middle of cooking. Things we're all going to hate. At least it looks like we'll have a different panel of judges. I'm so tired of Tiffani and Maneet.

[pdlinda]

20 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

From the commercials, it sounds like Martha throws in monkey wrenches. A fifth chef will get introduced, someone gets chopped in the middle of cooking. Things we're all going to hate. At least it looks like we'll have a different panel of judges. I'm so tired of Tiffani and Maneet.

I'm having to conclude there's a whole new group of producers "bright eyed and bushy tailed" to prove their creativity and "street cred" with different segments of the population.

Unfortunately, the "gimmicks" you're describing seem very tired, hum-drum and weak.  

The show shined thrived with a format that was based on the authenticity of the concept and the profiles of the food and the contestants (all pulled together by the hosting of Ted Allen). 

Now, everything seems phony and "hyped" giving no credence or validity of what made the show great in the first place!!

Martha Stewart never was nor never will be an asset to the show.  My sense is she has some social connection with someone making decisions about casting for the show so they plugged her in.  UGH!!!

[emmawoodhouse]

Oh great... tonight is more HANGRY. 

Make it go away!! 

[schnauzergirl]

2 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Oh great... tonight is more HANGRY. 

Make it go away!! 

If I'm reading the schedule correctly, tonight is our last Hangry.  Next week a special series called "Martha Rules" starring you-know-who debuts.

 

[Grizzly]

4 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Oh great... tonight is more HANGRY. 

Make it go away!! 

Be careful what you wish for.

I really like Tiffani's green blouse. These chefs seem a step up over the last 3 weeks.

[buttersister]

Saw Hangry. Changed channels. Wonder what herbs or weed will be in Martha’s baskets😉

[mlp]

13 hours ago, Grizzly said:

These chefs seem a step up over the last 3 weeks.

I thought so too and I thought the right chef won.  The dessert baskets were really awful.  

[emmawoodhouse]

Saw GZ eating with regular utensils at one point! Did see the chopsticks in the first round when he picked through that tostada with broccoli.

[xaxat]

1 hour ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Saw GZ eating with regular utensils at one point! Did see the chopsticks in the first round when he picked through that tostada with broccoli.

That actually made me mad. That dish was designed to be eaten by the mouthful, not to be picked over for individual components.

To use judge talk, he actually subverted the intention of the chef.

[libgirl2]

On 4/6/2021 at 1:56 PM, Grizzly said:

From the commercials, it sounds like Martha throws in monkey wrenches. A fifth chef will get introduced, someone gets chopped in the middle of cooking. Things we're all going to hate. At least it looks like we'll have a different panel of judges. I'm so tired of Tiffani and Maneet.

I hate it already.