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

[Maverick]

 This is like some genetic freak monster from a 50s B movie.  It sounds like someone crossbred Chopped with Cutthroat Kitchen with Martha's Bakeaway Camp. 

[skipnjump]

On 4/7/2021 at 9:47 PM, libgirl2 said:

I hate it already. 

Same here.  I refuse to watch it.  I have always hated how all the contestants and judges fawn all over Martha.

[Svafa]

Eh, I don't mind Martha as a judge. It'll certainly be an improvement over the Tiffani and Hangry episodes. The past year has been a weird one and for everyone and I imagine they were left scrambling to make the show work with quarantines and restrictions and whatnot.  Hopefully it's over soon and we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming. It's been a while since we've had a redemption or viewer's choice episode. I'd like to see a fan favorite episode. Let us vote and bring back our all time favorite cheftestants!  

I also assume that they're running out of weird, uncommon and rare ingredients for the chefs to work with which results in more themed shows. I generally don't mind the themes but for some reason I find the Hangry theme super annoying. 

[xaxat]

Now I understand why they are bringing in the extra gimmicks for Martha's run. They realized that allowing Martha control of the baskets would lead to some boring baskets so they had to find another way to introduce an element of chaos. Canned brown bread and a blueberry pie  were supposed to  be the wildcard ingredients? Where's my durian and giant gummi snakes!?

In addition, as Mark noted, the small pantry played and outsized role in dictating the direction a chef could take. Between this and Hangry, I'm not really getting much from this season.

[schnauzergirl]

Did anybody else think these were four of the weakest contestants ever?  I think Brittany would have been a contender in a normal Chopped kitchen.

[nitrofishblue]

That first Martha show was just so sad to watch. Oh sure, the final prize is $50,000 but I feel for the fools who will win their episode but they end up getting NOTHING if they don't win the finale. Poor fool who loses in the dessert round of the finale. That person had to win their episode (three rounds) then they won two rounds before losing in the finale. They get nothing.

Sorry, I think that cutting back on the pantry is a bad move. I have always liked watching the show. I was able to learn a lot about some ingredients that had never used. I actually tried some of them. Now we get really crappy stuff with a cut down pantry. I want to see chefs make good dishes. All these gimmicks just tick me off. This is becoming the Martha Cutthroat Kitchen. At least we didn't get GZ and his chopsticks.

The worse thing about this series is that we have to suffer listening to Ted and the other judges fawn and fawn and fawn over Martha. OH BARF!!!!! I  will stick it out because there isn't much else new on at that time to watch.

[sharifa70]

2 hours ago, schnauzergirl said:

  I think Brittany would have been a contender in a normal Chopped kitchen.

I agree with this 100%.

Thoughts while watching the episode: 

Butter is absolutely a pantry staple, Martha.

I’m a fan of simple dishes and letting the main ingredients shine, but leaving out butter? Garlic? Flour? Come on.

Why bring chefs who specialize in specific cuisines and then make none of those ingredients available? Two chefs are handicapped right away, which isn’t to say the specialists can’t make “Maine food,” but you make it impossible for them to tell their own stories in their food. 

Thank god Martha used an actual fork.

[buttersister]

Not sure the fork even makes up for the BS. Get chefs. Let them cook. Eliminate the least tasty thing until there's one (champ) left. It wasn't broke. The handicaps are in the basket ingredients--more aren't needed!

[sharifa70]

44 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Eliminate the least tasty thing until there's one (champ) left. It wasn't broke. The handicaps are in the basket ingredients--more aren't needed!

Preach! 

[mlp]

It wasn't as bad as I expected but, judging from the previews, it's going to get worse.  I get really sick of all the fawning over Martha but I have to admit that she looks wonderful for someone just shy of 80 y/o.  

Chris was the only one of the four chefs whom I liked so I was glad he won.  I agree with the person above that the winner of each segment should get something.  They have to pay their own way to be there and then to stay over if they win.  There should be some reward especially now when a lot of them are probably struggling due to Covid fallout.  I understand that they know what they're getting into when they agree to do the show but still..................

[libgirl2]

I didn't watch it. This is the first time in ages (barring vacation, illness, emergency...) that I haven't watched Chopped. 

[buttersister]

Quote

There should be some reward especially now when a lot of them are probably struggling due to Covid fallout.  I understand that they know what they're getting into when they agree to do the show but still..................

Agree. Seems like an opportunity for a big brand win. Guy's* tournament is giving $$ to a winner's choice of restaurants, this seems like an opportunity to help those who viewers have gotten to know during the episode. Guess they'd rather bring in Martha. I'm assuming the judges are well-paid.

*Guy's fundraising for chefs and restaurants is a reason I can even watch him. 

[Grizzly]

Not liking the stubble on Marcus tonight. It looks like he got some food on his face. His features are so finely chiseled, he should be clean shaven.

Ha, like Paul grabbing an apple on his way out. Can't say he didn't get paid for appearing.

[candall]

I am not convinced we needed Martha Rules.  And we get three more weeks of this mishigas?   Feh.  As mentioned above, it wasn't broken in the first place.

 

But I didn't know you could buy straight lobster roe, so there's that.

[nitrofishblue]

I finally got to watch last night's episode. All I can say is BLAH what a mess. They need to change the name from Martha Rules to Martha Ruins. She has destroyed the program. Do the TPTB actually the audience wants Martha shove down our throats? She was bad enough as just a judge but it is worse with her changing the rules.

Taking away five minutes in the appetizer round sucked. To make it worse is when the judges were criticizing the chefs for missteps created by the shortened time. I for one did not enjoy that round at all. I was looking forward to seeing something good done with the mussels. That didn't happen because the chefs were frantically trying to complete their dish in 15 minutes.

If this continues, they need to rename the show to Chopped Cutthroat Kitchen and add Alton. I am going to leave a comment on Food Networks site. I feel I need to express what I know many others are feeling. At least we didn't have to watch GZ eat with his adorable chopsticks.

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, nitrofishblue said:

I finally got to watch last night's episode. All I can say is BLAH what a mess. They need to change the name from Martha Rules to Martha Ruins. She has destroyed the program. Do the TPTB actually the audience wants Martha shove down our throats? She was bad enough as just a judge but it is worse with her changing the rules.

Taking away five minutes in the appetizer round sucked. To make it worse is when the judges were criticizing the chefs for missteps created by the shortened time. I for one did not enjoy that round at all. I was looking forward to seeing something good done with the mussels. That didn't happen because the chefs were frantically trying to complete their dish in 15 minutes.

If this continues, they need to rename the show to Chopped Cutthroat Kitchen and add Alton. I am going to leave a comment on Food Networks site. I feel I need to express what I know many others are feeling. At least we didn't have to watch GZ eat with his adorable chopsticks.

And I didn't watch it again. I miss the show when it is actually THE SHOW! 

[buttersister]

Martha's coming off like a sadistic bitch. That's not a show I need to watch.

[mlp]

I don't like the Martha version but, so far, it hasn't been as bad as the commercials have led me to expect.  I think it's going to get worse though.  An upcoming episode involves a station swap which means they're going to hold people accountable for other peoples' work.  That was fine on Cutthroat Kitchen but it hardly seems fair on Chopped.

I did think that the chefs were eliminated in the right order and the right chef won.

[Gramto6]

Not enjoying this version of Chopped at all!

[Rammchick]

18 hours ago, mlp said:

I don't like the Martha version but, so far, it hasn't been as bad as the commercials have led me to expect.  I think it's going to get worse though.  An upcoming episode involves a station swap which means they're going to hold people accountable for other peoples' work.  That was fine on Cutthroat Kitchen but it hardly seems fair on Chopped.

I did think that the chefs were eliminated in the right order and the right chef won.

I was going to say something similar.  Except for the constant kissing of Martha's ass, it wasn't nearly as awful as I was expecting.  I wanted to say to the guy who won, "Really?  You're swooning over Martha when Marcus Samuelsson is sitting right over there?!"

 

[Stardancer Supreme]

2 hours ago, Rammchick said:

I was going to say something similar.  Except for the constant kissing of Martha's ass, it wasn't nearly as awful as I was expecting.  I wanted to say to the guy who won, "Really?  You're swooning over Martha when Marcus Samuelsson is sitting right over there?!"

Exactly. Marcus Samuelsson would get way more fangirling from me than Martha.

[Grizzly]

I at least wanted to see them eating Martha's pie at the end.

[Rammchick]

22 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

I at least wanted to see them eating Martha's pie at the end.

Ah but the swooning over it would have been unbearable!

[nitrofishblue]

I started a new drinking game with this episode. Take a drink of your favorite beverage every time anyone mentions the winning prize $50,000, a new addition would be take a drink every time anyone mentions the name Martha. Either way,you would be on your butt long before the winner is chosen.

[xaxat]

Martha's baskets are boring.

Dear Chopped: Guy's TOC has finished filming. Why don't you sneak into his studio and steal one of the deep fryers.

[Grizzly]

3 hours ago, xaxat said:

Martha's baskets are boring.

Dear Chopped: Guy's TOC has finished filming. Why don't you sneak into his studio and steal one of the deep fryers.

I like your picture! 

[Gramto6]

The fryer/ice cream maker issue has driven me away from this show, It is uncalled for and can be so easily rectified. My only question is Why?? Why make it so hard  for the contestants?? 

[kirklandia]

On 4/22/2021 at 10:26 AM, Stardancer Supreme said:

Exactly. Marcus Samuelsson would get way more fangirling from me than Martha.

I fangirled embarrassingly when Marcus came to the Swedish Club in Seattle in 2014. What a charming man!

Got there early, got a seat right in front of him.  Got the handshake, got the book autographed.  Got the photos.

[Rammchick]

9 hours ago, kirklandia said:

I fangirled embarrassingly when Marcus came to the Swedish Club in Seattle in 2014. What a charming man!

Got there early, got a seat right in front of him.  Got the handshake, got the book autographed.  Got the photos.

Too bad I wasn't living here then -- great photo!

[buttersister]

Just when I thought this show couldn’t get any funnier! Finding Your Roots ends at 8:55, so I caught the last five minutes. But the payoff was the last line. Winning chef: Martha kicks this up to an elite level. It’s like getting a Michelin star!

No, sweetie, it’s not.

[candall]

Watching now.

 

So you have 20 minutes to make something palatable from sea urchin and peanut brittle.

But deduct part of that 20 minutes, because someone else is going to step in and fuck up your dish.

 

Oh, Martha, you silly billy!  How delightfully fun and whimsical you are!  <SARCASM>

[Gramto6]

I realy hate this iteration of the show!!! 

[schnauzergirl]

It was stupid.  Apparently "pivoting" is a newly important quality in chefs?  The only redeeming thing for me was that John was the first one chopped.

Edited April 28, 2021 by schnauzergirl

[nitrofishblue]

Well, Martha Rules is now Martha Ruins. What a disaster this special series has become. Making the chefs switch places during prep completely ruined things. Poor guy who went out first ended up cleaning the fish for the others. Then couldn't complete his own. OH BARF. Somebody needed to take that cow bell and stuff it in Martha where the sun doesn't shine.

What was a surprise was that the winner, Jennifer has been a contestant on Hell's Kitchen TWICE. She didn't win the season she was in and was brought back for the "All Stars" season. This caught my attention because I have been binge watching HK and right am on the All Stars season. She was just a middle of the road chef which doesn't say much for how the producers are picking chefs now.

[mlp]

4 hours ago, nitrofishblue said:

What was a surprise was that the winner, Jennifer has been a contestant on Hell's Kitchen TWICE.  

Huh.  I didn't recognize her from HK but I liked her last night and was glad she won.  She seemed quite comfortable on the show and now I know why.  She's been through being on TV before and probably under a lot more stress.

They've done the switching stations thing on GGG but, if I remember correctly, they had them switch after shopping so they had to use ingredients someone else picked out.  Switching mid-cook and more than once to boot just seemed unfair.  Sea urchin and peanut brittle was bad enough.  I'll be happy to see the end of the Martha shows.

[Rammchick]

On 4/28/2021 at 1:03 PM, mlp said:

They've done the switching stations thing on GGG but, if I remember correctly, they had them switch after shopping so they had to use ingredients someone else picked out.  

I seem to remember them doing this on Top Chef once as a Quick Fire, or something similar.

I finally got around to watching this (read, there was nothing left of interest on my DVR and I gave in and watched).  What BS!  How could this possibly tell you anything about how good a chef is?  What was the guy who was chopped for it supposed to do with overcooked veal in the 5 or 10 minutes he had left?  Throw ketchup on it?  The judges' suggestions for how to pivot may have worked if the chefs had all the time in the world, but in this scenario?  They're lucky they got anything to try at all!

I give these chefs a lot of kudos for being good sports -- I'm not sure I would have been that easy-going.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Rammchick

[sharifa70]

I debated whether or not to watch this week’s episode but after reading your comments I deleted it from my DVR unwatched. I’ll be skipping the remaining Martha episodes. I don’t watch this for stupid hijinks. I watch to see chefs being successful and creative with ingredients I’ve either never seen before or would never put together. This nonsense? No. It’s stupid and annoying.

[schnauzergirl]

It looks as if tonight's the night when there's a "mystery chef" coming in to compete in the dessert round.  Assuming it's not a celebrity chef because tonight's winner takes the fourth spot in the finale.  On the other hand, this is Martha Stewart we're talking about so who knows?  

[Rammchick]

I find it hilarious that the commercial for this is something like, "There are new rules plaguing Chopped".  Yep, plague is the right word!

[mlp]

2 hours ago, schnauzergirl said:

Assuming it's not a celebrity chef because tonight's winner takes the fourth spot in the finale.  On the other hand, this is Martha Stewart we're talking about so who knows? 

My guess is that the mystery person will be Martha Stewart.  

[Gramto6]

Martha Ruins is the worst ever...I wasn't going to even watch this... I won't ever watch it again... 

[schnauzergirl]

Well, that was a mess.  I enjoy Martha in a limited way and in small doses so I'll watch next week because it's the finale and I want to see who wins that briefcase of money.  FN seems beholden to Martha in some way so periodically gives her a platform.    

 

[nitrofishblue]

that without a doubt was a trainwreck episode. Martha kept a snarky look on her face thru the entire show. That first round elimination was bad. I felt so sad for the chef. He got no chance to show his food to ALL the judges. Martha walks up behind him, makes faces as she tastes his food, then tells him he is chopped. Why not just start the competition with three chefs in the first round? Giving them all a fair shake in the judging.

The fifth chef comes in and is introduced as being so great but eliminated to soon in her episode. They wanted to give her the chance to redeem herself. I had a great laugh when she lost HA HA HA. So much for the great surprise and redemption !!!

Martha wins the award for making this series a complete farce. The name "Martha Ruins" is perfect for this mess. I admit that I watch just because I used to enjoy seeing strange ingredients being transformed into something good. TPTB have slowly turned this into Chopped Cutthroat and that sucks.

[mlp]

That was awful.  I felt sorry for the chefs who went through the application process, waited months to be on and then paid their own way to NYC.  That first guy might not have won but he should have been given a fair chance.  

I guessed wrong about the mystery chef.  They actually brought someone back.  I wonder if they paid her way.  I liked her a lot better than the smug woman who won and I thought her dessert looked better too.  How the winner got finished ice cream in 6 minutes is puzzling.

Next week - cow milking.  Good grief.

[candall]

Ted Allen says "So many times a really deserving chef has come in second on Chopped."  Really?  How many time has a really deserving chef been kicked out of Chopped because Martha Steward got a wild hair?

 

Can you imagine how excited you'd be if you were invited to participate on Chopped?  Call your parents, notify your mentors, tell all your friends, memorize a good dessert, start practicing with weird mystery baskets your colleagues dreamed up.

Then you're seven minutes in and freaking Martha Steward wanders up and doesn't approve of the stuff in your prep bowl.  You're done.

I'd knock that ugly hat off her head on my way out the woodsy exit path.

 

 

Is there somewhere in the interwebs where people are tickled pink about Martha Rules?

 

.

[xaxat]

I was sure the fix was in for the chef Martha brought back. Especially since the winner was decided on a single round. So there's that.

Otherwise, this episode was a mess. That was bullshit eliminating the first chef based on two bites of an unfinished dish by Martha.

One thing that I have noticed during this run is that Marcus and Mark are so much better at being judges than Martha. Their criticism is at a level above anything she offers. She's pretty much "I liked it, didn't like it, too small, too large etc." I don't know if it is lack of vocabulary or lack of palette, but compare it to the other judges. They mention plating appearance, acid/sweetness/umami balance and, perhaps most importantly, they offer constructive criticism on how the dish could have been better. 

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by xaxat

[buttersister]

As a food critic, Martha sets a lovely table.

[mlp]

I'm glad that's over.  First round - No extra time allowed to harvest salad ingredients then run back and make appetizers with unwashed veggies just pulled out of the dirt, possibly with bugs on them.  Yummy.  No extra time for cow milking either.  

I liked Jennifer and both of the men, especially Eric, and didn't like the other woman at all so, naturally, she won.  

The winner ambling off with a satchel of Monopoly money was somewhat anti-climactic.

 

[schnauzergirl]

Well, that's history and I hope it doesn't become a yearly thing on Chopped.  The appetizer round was pathetic and Marc really summed it up saying something like "Let's chop them all."  Scolding them yet giving a second chance was an interesting development.  I liked both of the guys and alternated between Sabra and Jennifer.  Jennifer's appetizer and dessert just couldn't be overcome by her entree.  

[xaxat]

Welp, they saved the worst for last. That lobster bake was the worst basket ever. The eccentricity of the basket ingredients helps to force the chefs to get creative. Give them a finished meal and you are likely to get similar dishes. 

I was also annoyed by the speech Martha gave during the forage challenge. Martha is a perfectionist. No way she would allow herself to be subject to that kind of randomness. 

13 hours ago, mlp said:

First round - No extra time allowed to harvest salad ingredients then run back and make appetizers with unwashed veggies just pulled out of the dirt, possibly with bugs on them.  Yummy.  No extra time for cow milking either.  

I'm calling producer shenanigans on that. Martha wouldn't tolerate veggies that hadn't been  well washed. And she certainly wouldn't eat anything from a chef who had been messing around at the back end of a cow unless the chef had time to clean up.