Food Fighters - General Discussion

[Wings]

I thought I'd like this show but so much of it seems scripted and phony that I'm watching because of the celebrity chefs, not because I really like the show.  The woman tonight, a teacher, annoyed me right off the bat when she said something about "bringing" her family to Italy if she won the money instead of "taking" them.  A teacher!  I was waiting for her to begin a sentence with "Me and my husband..."  Happily, she didn't. 

 

Anyhow, the cooking times are often way too short for what they're making, the ovens have mysterious problems, the banter between cooks sounds scripted and forced and the dinner party is suspect.  I wonder how they get all the legitimate chefs to participate.  Must pay well.

 

 

Love this!  I notice grammar mistakes everywhere and they drive me nuts.. 

[mlp]

 

The teacher irked me. I don't know if it was her facial expressions or what, but I was secretly glad she lost a few rounds. And one more "poor me" wife on the show with a huge fricken' diamond wedding set on her finger. I was blinded a few times.

 

As to the ovens, I think it's a case of them not knowing how to operate them.

 

The other thing that annoyed me about the teacher was her jumping up and down like an adolescent.  She said she teaches biology so I assumed from that that she teaches above the grade school level.  If I were a teacher and planned to be on any TV show that my students might watch, I think I'd comport myself with a little dignity.  But then............... I'm from the dark ages apparently so maybe she'd rather "relate" to her students  than act more adult.

 

I'm not sure about the ovens.  When they get the signal to begin cooking, they run for ingredients and tools and seem to know where everything is.  I can't imagine that both home cooks and chefs aren't given a tour before filming and instructions on equipment.

[zillabreeze]

 

I think the dinner party people must be actors. And one is ALWAYS picked to play the part of the diner who finds fault with everything. And it always seems to be the one sitting in the middle. There's Happy Diner, Gourmet Diner, Fault-Finding Diner, I'll Eat Anything Diner and I Don't Care I'm Just Here For The Food Diner.

They are just comical, aren't they?

 

The teacher irked me. I don't know if it was her facial expressions or what, but I was secretly glad she lost a few rounds.

Instant dislike from me - she was overly animated like she was auditioning for something.

[cooksdelight]

I can't imagine that both home cooks and chefs aren't given a tour before filming and instructions on equipment.

I know they aren't on Chopped, just a brief walk through. But, this show and others could be different, who knows?

[backformore]

WHat's wrong with the show is this -   at the beginning, home cooks are asked what they will do with their winnings.   They answer.  Then, EVERY SINGLE TIME they win, they're asked again - you won $xx , what do you plan to do with this money? Now you're playing for $xxxxx - what do you hope to do if you win that much? 

Are they supposed to have DIFFERENT answers, depending on the amount?   Because basically we get people repeating why they want to win, over and over again.  I find myself getting annoyed with the home cooks, but it's not their fault that Ted keeps asking.

[QuelleC]

And it's doubly annoying because they have no idea what the audience wants to see.  I can tell you what we don't want to see, more "spontaneous banter" between the chefs and 8 shots of Plastic Husband Grin.  When we could be seeing cooking and judging.

 

Add to that, some ingredients are prepped, some not, and the ridiculously low time limits given.  Although I don't buy any of that either.  Put those together and they were expected to peel potatoes while having an interview for the mashed yet the other week they were given prepared chicken, for the shepard's pie I think.

 

Also, one positive and one negative comment on each dish then no final opinion when the winner is announced.  It would be perfectly fair to say something like the judges thought ratatouille should be more than two slices of squash. It could be done while contestants are doing the exaggerated gut punch or jumping up and down.  

 

I don't buy the oven drama.  If you're giving somebody 20 min to make an entree or brownies the ovens should already be preheated for every challenge.   

Edited September 3, 2014 by QuelleC

[potatoradio]

Just caught the ep with the annoying woman who wanted to take her family to Italy because (whah! Whah!) they need to learn the culture!

All I could think was, "why is Kimmie Gibler being resurrected? That's not necessary."

[JTMacc99]

I do like to see the home cooks crank out some pretty good looking food. And I also like seeing the professional chefs get hit with "You'll be making bacon brownies. Okay, GO!" even if I know it doesn't actually work exactly like that.  Depending on the contestant, I have occasionally been interested in seeing them win.  I would like to see them work out some details on how to ask better questions of the contestants (as noted above) and I FOR SURE can live without the fake trash talk from the professionals. Now, if you get a professional who is actually a stuck up jerk, I'm cool with that. But why make all of them talk trash when it is so obviously fake?

Edited September 4, 2014 by JTMacc99

[jcbrown]

The other thing that annoyed me about the teacher was her jumping up and down like an adolescent.

She got on my last nerve with her stupid over-exuberance, too. You'r not on the Price is Right, lady. Stop jumping up and down like a hopped up cheerleader.

 

It would be perfectly fair to say something like the judges thought ratatouille should be more than two slices of squash.

This is a great idea--I now also wish they would just have a simple statement of what the actors, er, diners took into consideration in their votes.

 

 

I FOR SURE can live without the fake trash talk from the professionals. Now, if you get a professional who is actually a stuck up jerk, I'm cool with that. But why make all of them talk trash when it is so obviously fake

Totally agree here, as well. I much prefer the professionals who are gracious--losers or winners.

Edited September 4, 2014 by jcbrown

[nottopbravo]

 

I FOR SURE can live without the fake trash talk from the professionals.

 

For some reason the producers of these cooking show think we need to hear trash talking among the competators.

[buttersister]

Trash talk and sob stories. I'm out every time.

[QuelleC]

The trash talk is so fake it doesn't bother me.  The scripting bothers me.

[parrotlover]

Mercifully tomorrow night's episode is the season finale and I'll be watching Big Brother, but wanted to say I agree with you QuelleC that there's no consistency on how the ingredients are provided. The only consistency is the scripted banter, the home chef being annoying, and oh the oven drama.

 

If NBC decides to bring this show back they need to do some serious revamping: real judges who have a culinary background, and not actors, or what appear to be actors playing the dinner guests, a new host, 86 the sob stories, consistency with how the ingredients are provided, and let the contestant and professional chef hear the critiques. Oh and get that oven fixed. Wink, wink.

 

I'm thinking if they had judges with a culinary background it would probably be more difficult for the home chef to win as many rounds as they always do.

Edited September 8, 2014 by parrotlover

[anonymiss]

Elizabeth Faulkner had a great attitude about "losing." (I think the show is rigged beyond belief.) Compare to Lorena Garcia who has the fakest gritting-her-teeth tightest smile while spitting out the same perfunctory line about being really happy for them. Lorena also looked like such an ass showboating with her chopping and being condescending her first appearance. She stopped that shit after she lost.

Edited September 10, 2014 by anonymiss

[Wings]

Mercifully tomorrow night's episode is the season finale and I'll be watching Big Brother, but wanted to say I agree with you QuelleC that there's no consistency on how the ingredients are provided. The only consistency is the scripted banter, the home chef being annoying, and oh the oven drama.

 

If NBC decides to bring this show back they need to do some serious revamping: real judges who have a culinary background, and not actors, or what appear to be actors playing the dinner guests, a new host, 86 the sob stories, consistency with how the ingredients are provided, and let the contestant and professional chef hear the critiques. Oh and get that oven fixed. Wink, wink.

 

I'm thinking if they had judges with a culinary background it would probably be more difficult for the home chef to win as many rounds as they always do.

 

 

The food is pretty easy to figure out.  They, of course, supply ingredients for all the dishes the home cook chooses and beyond that the must ask the guest chefs what they would like to have access to, in general.  Tell us that or whatever really happens!  

 

If they had skilled judges they would instantly identify the guest chef, in most cases, but I am all for more educated diners.  I would like to see more of the judging comments and a brief introduction as to their relationship with food.   I don't care if they have a SAG card, everyone knows what tastes good to themselves.  

 

If this sees another season they have to make it better.  And yes, new host! 

 

The home cooks probably submit a bunch of their favorite recipes and production chooses the ones they think will create a better show.  

Edited September 11, 2014 by wings707

[cooksdelight]

I noticed they had pre-cut, pre-packaged fish in this last episode. I was looking forward to them having to clean and slice the fish. They really need to give them more time per dish so it can be more of a challenge, and more like one would fix the dish at home.

[zillabreeze]

 

I noticed they had pre-cut, pre-packaged fish in this last episode

It seems like the amount and types of pre-prepped ingredieants have been steadily increasing.  De-boning, filleting and other knife skills are my favorite parts of cooking competitions.

[jhlipton]

A busy home cook would buy meat as pre-packaged as possible.  (I remember watching Emeril do a demo supposedly for home cooks.  Any timne there was a long way and a short way to do something, he would take the long way and say "Why wouldn't you?"  Because I don't have a prep staff working before me and a wash staff working after me, a**hole.  I've always hated that clown -- the pompous self-entitled smugness didn't help.)

[QuelleC]

I have no trouble with prepackaged fish or whatever but what set me off is the tupperware container of blanched and cubed chicken so it didn't even needed to be cooked before it went into the pot pie.

[Wings]

I have no trouble with prepackaged fish or whatever but what set me off is the tupperware container of blanched and cubed chicken so it didn't even needed to be cooked before it went into the pot pie.

 

 

That short cut allowed chicken pot pie on the menu, where the sauce and crust are the star.  Had they not done that we would have seen a boring sauteed chicken breast.   I don't mind the short cuts because this show is not about fancy skills.  The dishes are judged on taste and how close they come to the description.  And it is a dumb show! 

Edited September 12, 2014 by wings707

[QuelleC]

Valid point, wings707 but if it's about the taste they're starting out with the same taste if so much is preprepped.  I don't know but maybe if they had to poach the chicken (that's what I would do) and each used their choice of herbs, then reduced the liquid to make a gravy (that's what I would do) that would have made a big difference in how each tasted.  So it's entirely possible the contestant's dish isn't anything like they make at home given the ridiculous time constraints.  A shot of the chicken poaching while veggies are being prepared would have been just fine, I love seeing knife skills and of course they had to do the pastry.  Lots of cooking shows always keep a pot of boiling water and a preheated oven. 

 

I think they should reduce the number of dishes to just 3, show more cooking, and stop the repetitive banter.  Hey, did you know Jim's grandmother taught him how to cook?  But I guess it's about the star power of parading out 5 chefs.  I'm not sure why they're participating on a show like this other than to make the leap from cable to network tv.  Maybe the point is this really isn't a cooking show, it's a stupid game show.

[cooksdelight]

They could extend the cooking time for each of the 5 segments, and just edit it so that we only see what matters. Chopped does that, and they extend the time when it's something like turkey or whole duck. They don't have enough time in these rounds to impart any flavor into anything like they would at home, I think.

This is nothing more than a game show, I agree with you QuelleC. I'm at the point that just once, I'd like to see a snotty home cook not win a single round.

[QuelleC]

With 5 dishes and judging they'd have to film for about as many hours if they were given adequate time and that isn't going to happen with a live audience, but I see how Chopped could do it. 

 

At least the last cook was the most likeable imho and had a great cause to help others at a food bank.  Because I'm disturbed with the waste of high end ingredients on Ramsay's shows in particular.  Some of which I've never tasted.  Smashing slightly underdone seafood isn't cute, GR.

Edited September 13, 2014 by QuelleC

[mlp]

I'd love to know what motivates all the professional chefs to compete on this show.  It must be that it pays well because losing to an amateur cook can't be a feather in anyone's cap and that's obviously a real possibility.

 

Overall, the whole thing feels phony.  We are given the impression that the real chefs find out what they'll have to cook on the spot but they seem to have all the ingredients they need already at hand including, in a couple cases, some rather obscure things.  The dinner party/judges have no established credibility and that part of the show is glossed over so fast that it's almost superfluous.  The time constraints are ridiculous.  No explanation is offered or shown for things that had to affect the timing.  For example, the last fellow, like several other competitors, had a finger bandaged at the end.  Having an injury attended to had to take time but there was no indication that the cooking time had been interrupted.  The banter is scripted and totally unnecessary as is the host trying to be chatty while people supposedly under the gun are trying to get things done.  I'll be surprised if this show is renewed.

[QuelleC]

I think it's to promote the chefs' restaurants.  So it's a game show/commercial.  With the producer's friends as contestants.

[Surrealist]

With 5 dishes and judging they'd have to film for about as many hours if they were given adequate time and that isn't going to happen with a live audience, but I see how Chopped could do it. 

 

At least the last cook was the most likeable imho and had a great cause to help others at a food bank.  Because I'm disturbed with the waste of high end ingredients on Ramsay's shows in particular.  Some of which I've never tasted.  Smashing slightly underdone seafood isn't cute, GR.

 

I hope that they get rid of the "dining table" people or do a better job of casting them. I liked the home cook who is an active military member whose name escapes me right now. I enjoyed watching him win, but the others kind of grate. I kind of blame that on Adam for his stupid questions. Count me in as another viewer who dislikes the canned trash talk from the cooks and chefs. Really, I don't need that much drama when it comes to reality shows.

 

I also liked the home cook who was planning to donate his winnings to charity. I can't root against anyone who tries out for a competition show and chooses to give the winnings away. I'm not sure I could be as generous because I still have college loan debt. :)

 

Although on Guy's Grocery Games, there seems to be, at least, one person on each episode who plans to give his or her winnings to charity. It sounds cheesy, but that does make me happy.

 

And yes! It irks me to see the amount on food Gordon wastes on his shows, in particular, Hell's Kitchen.

 

I need to watch Chopped more often because I like how that show is set up (as far as food competitions go).

Edited September 14, 2014 by Surrealist

[cooksdelight]

They are currently casting for the next season:

https://foodfighterscasting.castingcrane.com/age-gate

[Bella]

They are currently casting for the next season:

https://foodfighterscasting.castingcrane.com/age-gate

 

Great, got any more bad news?

 

Just kidding, maybe the next season will be better.

[cooksdelight]

Kent Rollins tipped me off, I am hoping he'll be back for some episodes.

[cooksdelight]

Food Fighters is scheduled to return for a second season on July 2. I think a few of the pros from last season will be back, I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything.

[cooksdelight]

Katsuji Tanabe and Michelle Ragussis (he from Top Chef, she from Food Network Star) are at Universal Studios sound stage today filming for the upcoming season. Kent Rollins was asked but was already booked for another job at the time, so sadly he won't be a part of it.

[Totale]

I liked this much better than the Curtis Stone version on FN.

[NikSac]

Just saw the ad for this for the first time but it won't show up for recording in my DVR... how was it last season?  I'm looking forward to checking it out.

[cooksdelight]

I enjoyed watching it because it's not the same thing every week. Sometimes the challenger wins, but not always.

[NikSac]

Cool, thanks for the reply!  I'll check it out, once my DVR acknowledges it's coming on.

[cooksdelight]

They were filming this season in April and May so look for it sometime later this summer or early fall.

[cooksdelight]

Kent was not able to be a participant this year due to scheduling conflicts, but Katsuji Tanabe (Top Chef) and Michelle Ragussis (Food Network Star) are two people I know of that are definitely in. New season starts on July 2.

[cooksdelight]

Antonia Lofaso will be tonight's pro chef:

https://www.facebook.com/NBCFoodFighters/photos/a.168409189986607.1073741828.148708091956717/468523806641809/?type=1&fref=nf

[ari333]

I say boo hiss in that if the challenge is to make a cake, it blows to make a crepe. Just sayin.

[cooksdelight]

If Jacky's cake had been successful, she'd have waltzed away with it. I think they picked Antonia's dessert based on the fact it wasn't a rubbery mess.

[ari333]

Agreed but Antonia didnt make cake... which bugged me. Anyway, Im trying to like this show, but it is hard. :) The trash talk Is OTT for me. Slim pickins.

I thought all 5 are pro chefs, ..? but I should listen better. The one dude's enchiladas were sad.

[cooksdelight]

The competitors are supposed to be pros. He has a food truck (I think? or maybe the other dude?) and had no idea how to make what she challenged him with. I think some of the upcoming shows will be really good, based on who I know is going to appear.

[Squeeph]

Breaking news some people are c's

[parrotlover]

Even though she made crepes instead of a sponge cake, those crepes looked amazing. And had to be so much better than a cake made in a microwave that looked like a hot mess.

I watched every episode last summer and seeing this first episode of the new season, they made no changes in the format. Same as every episode last year: Annoying home chef, check. Fake trash talk with the pro chef, check. "Dinner party" judges/actors, check. Judges giving one good comment, one bad comment, check.

[NikSac]

What drove me nuts watching tonight's show is how they pretended it was going to be all suspenseful reading the results of did she or didn't she win each round, but then they'd cut to a commercial showing "coming up next..." and show her cooking against the next chef, or even a couple of chefs down the line. Why bother with the big suspenseful cut to commercial?  I don't remember if they did this last year - probably and I've just blocked it out.

 

I remembered enjoying this show more last year than I did tonight. Maybe I'd forgotten how formulaic it was. Cooksdelight, hopefully you're right that the upcoming episodes will be better. I can halfway ignore the "formula" if the featured chefs and dishes are good.

[cooksdelight]

Well, they spoiled this show with bad editing and promos. Up above I posted the ad showing Antonia being on the show, and then right after the first round when they were cutting to a commercial, they showed Jacky being excited at seeing her. So, the next chef isn't Antonia. Nor the next. Nor the next. The only thing that we didn't know is if Jacky beat her or not.

The first guy with the beard, I'm pretty sure I remember him from one of the special Chopped grilling episodes.

[Totale]

What drove me nuts watching tonight's show is how they pretended it was going to be all suspenseful reading the results of did she or didn't she win each round, but then they'd cut to a commercial showing "coming up next..." and show her cooking against the next chef, or even a couple of chefs down the line. Why bother with the big suspenseful cut to commercial? 

 

That's not a spoiler because they're not eliminated.  The home cook is going to play all five rounds no matter what, the question is did he or she get the money from that round.

 

Except for the trash talk which is stoopid coming from anyone I find this more entertaining and less contrived in almost every way than FN competitions.

[cooksdelight]

Ahhhh...... I totally forgot they stay in it for all the rounds. I keep thinking it's like all the FN shows where they ditch the person and move on to the next contender.

[NikSac]

That's not a spoiler because they're not eliminated.  The home cook is going to play all five rounds no matter what, the question is did he or she get the money from that round.

 

Ohhhh I didn't realize that - thank you! I guess I should have paid better attention when they explained the rules.  That will make it a lot more entertaining to keep watching.

[Cara]

I understand there has to be a time limit. But this show makes it feel more like a race than a cooking competition. I remember having the same feeling watching the episodes I watched last season. I just find it annoying.