S18.E04: Thrown for a Loop

[meep.meep]

On 4/24/2021 at 6:05 PM, snarktini said:

The pulled pork style jackfruit really made social media rounds due to Tabitha Brown. There was a few weeks where I saw that constantly!

They sell it at my local football stadium - how new could it be?

[Rai]

I dream of Gabe's fruit mole approach. That sounds incredible. This is the first episode that had a double Shota stumble! I hope he can recover.

I'm concerned Nelson might be on a downward trajectory. However if Chris pulled out of his spiral, and Byron seems to be finding his footing as well, I hope Nelson follows suit. Same with Avishar. But Avishar, buddy, stop with the rice. It's gonna become your bête noire to the judges or something if you don't.

[Phebemarie]

I was wondering why no one was commenting on that beautiful dog.  Tom mentioned that he and his dog stayed in a Airbnb.  

By the way, Oregonlive often has day after feature stories about Top Chef Portland.  (That's where I think I may have read about Tom's dog.)

https://www.oregonlive.com/

 

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Phebemarie

[seacliffsal]

I really enjoyed both of these challenges.  Would have loved to tried most of the dishes (most, not all...).  I, too, have strong positive memories of growing up with Campbell's soups.  Chicken noodle every single time I was sick.  I also like that the soup challenge was a quick fire so that if someone stumbled they would not have been eliminated.

A picky note-I don't know why, but it bothers me that they make such a show of Padma and guest Quick Fire judge stand far apart and that the judges sit so far apart during judging showing us how seriously they take Covid precautions yet during the judging/eating they are no further apart than normal seating.  It's kind of like they're trying to fool us with the seriousness of the situation until it's time to eat...

[HurricaneVal]

I think that's because the regular judges (and cheftestants, film crew, production etc.) are all in a COVID bubble together, but the QF guest judges are not in that bubble....hence the apparently exaggerated social distancing.  I think the servers are all wearing masks as well, for the same reason.  They can't exactly put a plate in front of Padma and stay 6 ft. away.  Not without making a huge mess, that is!

[caitmcg]

5 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

I think that's because the regular judges (and cheftestants, film crew, production etc.) are all in a COVID bubble together, but the QF guest judges are not in that bubble....hence the apparently exaggerated social distancing.  I think the servers are all wearing masks as well, for the same reason.  They can't exactly put a plate in front of Padma and stay 6 ft. away.  Not without making a huge mess, that is!

I believe that so far, all the QF judges have been drawn from the same TC alums that are guest judges for the eliminations — typically one or two are on the EC judging panel, but they’re all at a table eating together when the dishes are presented. So the QFs aren’t drawing from anyone outside the production bubble, I don’t think. 

[Leeds]

On 4/23/2021 at 10:59 AM, HurricaneVal said:

 

Mr. HV, on the other hand, developed a terrible allergy to MSG as he grew older that gives him heart arrhythmia so using canned soups are out of the question.  But.....so many of his favorite comfort food recipes from his childhood and our newlywed years use Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Chicken, or Cream of Celery as a base.  And the "Low Sodium" or "Low Fat" versions are just.......gross. 

 

Can you get Pacific/Imagine boxed soups where you are?  They're not quite the processed salt-bombs that Campbells and Progresso are.

 

On 4/24/2021 at 12:21 PM, Cheyanne11 said:

In all the seasons, has there ever been a risotto that Tom has liked?  It's like he takes great pleasure in tearing them all down, lol.

 

Risotto is always the kiss of death on cooking shows.  I think every cook/chef that tries it believes they are the one that will break the mold and go down in TV cooking show history.  AKA hubris.

On 4/24/2021 at 7:55 PM, stewedsquash said:

 

I don't think Maria has stank face, I think that is just her natural demeanor. Not stank, just a serious face. 

 

I have spent 50+ years having strangers pass me on the street and tell me "Cheer up love, it may never happen."

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by Leeds

[Totale]

On 4/24/2021 at 11:26 AM, carrps said:

I know someone upthread said Tom's hat looked like something he pulled out of the trash, but looking at this pic, I think it's probably a very pricy panama hat.

Of course.  It costs a lot to make a hat that looks like it was just pulled out of the trash.

[Macbeth]

On 4/22/2021 at 9:24 PM, susannot said:

It definitely looked to me like the fryer was not anywhere near hot enough.

Was this another Top Chef sabotage where a necessary piece of equipment isn't working the way it should?  That happens at least once or twice a season.  And I am really tired of these antics from the show if that was the case here.

Chris got top 3 - and he did it without any shrooms!!!  Way to go.  

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by Macbeth

[Macbeth]

On 4/23/2021 at 9:29 AM, ALittleShelfish said:

At our house, as soon as the Wall of Campbell's was shown, we said "At least no one will get dinged for not adding salt..."

 

🤣🤣🤣

[MarylandGirl]

With Kiki's chicken, I just kept imagining Gordon Ramsay yelling, "It's raw!!!! You'll kill someone!" And ignoring Tom's advice in TC is like ignoring Tim Gunn (or Christian Siriano) in Project Runway.

Also, I still have a fondness for traditional green bean casserole made with Campbell's Cream of Mushroom. But I still shudder at this dish my mom used to make regularly that had Campbell's Cream of Celery soup, ground beef, rice, and canned green beans. And then we'd top it with boxed Kellogg's croutons and worcestershire sauce. (I later learned that soy sauce made it more palatable.)