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The Dish With Kish

Bastet

By Bastet
in Top Chef

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Bastet

Bastet

Following each episode this season, Top Chef: The Dish with Kish will be available on BravoTV.com, the Bravo app, and Peacock (so, all the same places you'd find Last Chance Kitchen).  Bravo also posted the first episode to YouTube, but I don't know if that will continue.

In this new digital series, Kristen will discuss the show with Top Chef winners, all-stars, and fan favorites.  The guest chef will join her in preparing a dish inspired by a challenge from the show.

In episode one, "Mess to Success", Kristen is joined by Stephanie Izard.  They reminisce about their own experiences on the show as they prepare a dish using the same leftover ingredients the contestants had to work with during S21.E01.

I haven't yet had a chance to watch, but here's a thread for discussing what I hope is a fun addition to the TC universe.

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Rai

Rai

I watched it by virtue of being too lazy to grab my remote. It was cute, although it was helped by the presence of the two Stephanies, both of whom have been longtime faves of mine. They're really leaning into this peel back the curtain kind of mood with it, which I think suits Kristin's personality pretty well. She seems a little ill at ease with pretending everything is actually real at all times, so this might be her way of getting that discomfort out. They talk about their time on the show and what it's like to look back on it now, which I think will be fun for the hardcore Top Chef nerds (myself included). I'll probably be fine not picking up the remote next week too!

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Bastet

Bastet

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(edited)

I just watched and enjoyed it as a cute little 15 minutes, especially knowing Stephanie Cmar (one of my favorites) is involved behind the scenes so we'll probably continue to see glimpses of her throughout, not just if/when she's the guest cheftestant.  The decision to include so much behind-the-scenes (not of TC, but of this series itself) footage was a tiny bit messy, but I think overall a fine choice for the "how it's made" vibe they're going for.

Speaking of messy, I like that little things such as talking about feeling sorry for leaving behind such a sloppy station for the crew to clean up are among the things Kristen and the guest cheftestants are going to reminisce about. 

It was nice to hear Kristen and Stephanie (Cmar, her best friend) talk about how, after Kristen was chosen to compete in the Seattle season and Steph wasn't, things were awkward between them for a couple of weeks.  I've always enjoyed the glimpses of their friendship we've been given on the show, and look forward to more of it in this.

And I laughed at Stephanie Izard saying she doesn't re-watch her season generally, but did once to show it to her kid once he was old enough to get it, and in the very first episode she swore twice, which he immediately called out.

There's such nice camaraderie among the "family" of cheftestants, especially those who've done more than one season and/or later appeared as guest judges, I think this will continue to be fun as Kristen invites her favorites on to chat while cooking.

Edited by Bastet
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ProudMary

ProudMary

(edited)

Thanks @Bastet for pointing me in the direction of this fun and informative side series.

I love both of the Stephanies, so it was delightful to see them here. It's great to discover that Stephanie Cmar is part of the Top Chef production team! I enjoyed learning about the set-up for "beauties."

In the Ep. 1 thread, many were saying that they didn't miss Padma. I always enjoyed Padma and I've always enjoyed Kristen in her many Top Chef appearances, but the one thing about Padma that I did miss in Ep. 1 was her fashion style. I always wanted to see what Padma was wearing. When Kristen showed up in the Top Chef kitchen to meet the cheftestants, in what, to me, looked like jogging pants, I was crestfallen. 😞 (I'm sure someone here will know the designer and that the pants probably cost a few thousand dollars, but I was not impressed!) All this is to say that I'm feeling much better after watching this, because I loved Kristen's "pantsuit"(?) I'm not sure what else you'd call pants and a matching sleeveless crop top, but it worked! Beautiful blue print, well-fitted. I hope she continues to bring a little fashion to the show, as Padma did on a regular basis. 

Good first episode! I'll definitely watch this throughout the season.

Edited to add: I'm looking forward to seeing Amar Santana on the next episode. He's always been a favorite of mine!

Edited by ProudMary
See above
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Guest

Guest

I watched the sneak peek and I agree about her blue pantsuit. I never got into LCK, the set irks me along with the peanut gallery but just from this little clip I think I am going to like Kristin’s little show. 
Also, as someone who has cousin in-laws from PR and family friends (so close we spend holidays/take trips together) from Honduras, I also gravitated towards Amar and his DR cooking along with his really nice personality and I look forward to his episode. He is like an honorary Stephanie personality wise, ha. 
 

Bastet

Bastet

  • Author

Stephanie correcting herself from "Chef" to "Kristen" because Kristen is uncomfortable with her best friend calling her "Chef" was a nice little glimpse into their relationship.

Amar had me from hello when he said there's no reason to cook with hops unless you're competing on Top Chef.  I liked their exchange about if you just nibble on hops, it tastes like dry beer, and maybe dry beer never caught on for a reason.

I like the relaxed vibe of this, like how they'll just walk backstage and grab something.  And the little tidbits we get as the chefs chat, such as Kristen being so intimidated by the NDA she didn't even ask anyone for advice.  Marcel drives me batty, but I'm hoping that within this fun format, I can handle him for 15 minutes next week.

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caitmcg

caitmcg

(edited)

Every time they show a little clip of Kristen on her TC season, I'm reminded of how long ago it was, because she looks so young, baby face and all.

ETA: I did like that the clips they played from the hops QF showed more of Joe and Kristen's commentary about Michelle and Laura's dishes than they presumably had time for in the main episode.

Edited by caitmcg
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Rai

Rai

Another enjoyable little diversion! I like the raw footage feel, and I like that Kristin is finding ways to get Stephanie in there. Stephanie's hat makes me laugh.

What's notable about Amar's appearance is how comfortable he and Kristin seem to be together. It's interesting to me that this little reality show has grown up enough that the kids are taking over the family business as it were. I've long heard about the camaraderie of the kitchen. It's funny that this day and age has created the camaraderie of the kitchen reality show.

I would happily sample everything they made on this episode!

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Bastet

Bastet

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Well, now I know for sure this little web series is cool -- this is the least annoying Marcel has ever been.  But them not knowing each other - in fact, never having met before - did lead to less interesting conversation, concentrated on the food he was making and the episode that inspired the challenge, without the fun chatter and interesting tidbits about their own seasons we'd been getting.

But any time we get Steph and her hat, it's a good one.

And ha that they just turned this into a croquette challenge rather than a cheese challenge.

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mlp

mlp

I'm really enjoying this little show.  Kristen is doing great.

I met Marcel 12 or so years ago when he was in town cooking at the restaurant of someone he knows here.  He circulated in the dining room and we were able to chat with him for a few minutes.  He was very nice and low key.  Also very cute.  He has beautiful eyes.  For some reason, I was surprised to see how much older he looks now with grey in his beard.  Time flies.

  • Like 5
Rai

Rai

I looked it up. Marcel's season was 18 years ago. **walks into the sea**

He really did seem much more low-key in this episode, and I enjoyed them focusing on the food. Considering how unpopular he was on both his seasons, I'm going to assume Kristin/Production decided to just sidestep over the bad memories, which meant they could only really look forward. I didn't know he worked for Jose Andres though, that's pretty rad. And it makes sense he'd work with Andres if he was into molecular gastronomy and had already gotten on the wrong side of Wylie Dufresne.

I've already forgotten who will be on next week, but I'm sure they'll be delightful too.

  • Like 7
janeyjay

janeyjay

I think it's Buddha next week, which will be interesting.

I like this concept of a little sit down, so to speak, with Kristin and a TC participant spinning a dish from that week's episode. It's a little behind the scenes (now I know what Beauties are!), a little cooking and a little instructional. As a very amateur cook, I feel like I learn a little technique with these segments. 

  • Like 5
Bastet

Bastet

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I don't dislike Buddha by any stretch, although I've never taken to him other than when he talked about his dog, but if this show can make Marcel of all insufferable people tolerable, Buddha should be utterly charming.  I wouldn't go that far, but he was enjoyable, and I liked them talking about their differing approach to the specialty items (his was smarter, which makes sense as I think he's studied this show more than any average group of half a dozen cheftestants combined).

Nice to hear Buddha and Jackson still see each other whenever they're in the same city; I didn't particularly care for Jackson, either, but it's so nice that the cheftestants I wasn't into in their day are worlds away from the ones I could not stand back in Marcel's.

It was an interesting twist to have this week's guest chef someone who was there as a guest judge in the challenge.  Yet I have little memory already of what he made.

I got a kick out of a gummy bear and some fries to cap off the list of things they needed from Culinary -- and Stephanie brought gummy bears!  (Love Kristen telling her to leave them.)

And, of course, the little touches like Kristen saying before cameras rolled that her pants were really tight and kicking off her shoes in the middle of filming.

The Saratoga sucking up reached - I hope! - its apogee with this one (it would have been bad enough had they not kept that guy around after the explicit product placement segment finally ended), but it was otherwise another pleasant offering.

  • Like 3
kirklandia

kirklandia

Years ago, I joined a private Frank Lloyd Wright Facebook group - heavily curated and very serious.
I took a chance and initiated a discussion about this episode.

Most people's thoughts went immediately to this Fallingwater gingerbread house. Every holiday season it seems to go viral.

image.thumb.jpeg.eb9b121ef75d835855b3cb8dbc395716.jpeg

I was relieved that none of the chefs went too literal. And I think Buddha's interpretation of the Guggenheim was restrained and lovely.

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caitmcg

caitmcg

  On 4/12/2024 at 8:57 PM, ProudMary said:

It made me laugh when Buddha said he'd learned how to use liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, from a YouTube video!

Expand  

What can't you learn from a YouTube video these days?

I wouldn't be too surprised if it were part of his TC prep. We all know by now that he closely studied the show before competing, so he doubtless realized that liquid nitrogen is the only reasonable way to produce ice cream within the competition, and I can imagine him thinking, "Okay, I need to learn to do that."

  • Like 4
snarktini

snarktini

  On 4/11/2024 at 8:22 PM, susannot said:

Buddha's Napolean Guggenheim was stunning.

Expand  

Yes! The episode chefs were not expected to make things that looked architectural but I loved that Buddha went there. That was so perfectly simple but clearly FLW.

  On 4/13/2024 at 1:24 AM, buttersister said:

Yep, Kish is magic, Buddha did not suck.

Expand  

Aw, I like Buddha! I get why he's not everyone's cup of tea but I see him as cerebral and conceptual, not snobby -- and I dig that.

Very similarly, I have a soft spot for Marcel too. He was annoying as a young contestant but I appreciated his curiosity and unconventional nature. Glad to see him here, grown up into a more settled and authentic version of himself. Twenty years will do that to you! He's looking good.

  • Like 5
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Bastet

Bastet

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"The Kish with Dish?"  Ha.

I really enjoyed the QF in this week's episode of TC, so I like that this show chose that challenge rather than the EC to be inspired by.  Always nice to see Gregory, and especially to hear him and Kristen agreeing how limited the list of "Mother Sauces" is, not to mention getting another Haitian's take on Charly's winning Creole sauce (which reminds me I liked Charly adding Haitian to New Orleans in Kristen's comment upon his familiarity with the sauce) for that take on the challenge.

I like the combination of green things he talked about as typical of Caribbean seasoning as Gregory made his epis, even though that wound up being a brief addition to, I think, just one of the sauces.

And I love him saying he has one more try at TC in him, having been a finalist twice before -- "I'll be 60, but it'll be great".

The bread and pickle ice cream segment made me laugh.  "It's not gross."  And then "It's not good" about combining it with one of the sauces was even funnier.

Interesting tidbit that Gregory was most scared of Tom, while Kristen was most scared of Gail.

  • Like 8
Bastet

Bastet

  • Author

More Marcel?  When I said it's a testament to how cool this little show is that his episode was the least annoying he's ever been, I didn't mean bring him back!  But, I must admit, he was fine again.  It's just their conversations are less interesting than the ones Kristen has with cheftestants she knows.

I appreciate hearing her say she's still trying to properly understand what "chaos cooking" is meant to mean, because I feel the same way.  Like she said, she thought Dan's winning dish was just a wonderfully creative dish, it's not something she looks at and thinks "This is chaos cooking".

I don't like cream cheese, so I probably wouldn't like the frosting Marcel made (I would taste it, though, because of what he put in it), but I'm sure I would have liked the cake itself.  Which looked like a quiche to me, especially before it baked, so I was glad to hear Kristen say it eats like a cross between a quiche and a cake.

I'm looking forward to Amar again next week, but I wish they'd been able to get more people to participate.

 

  • Like 1
Bastet

Bastet

  • Author

I don't like risotto; rice does nothing for me to begin with, so a rice-based dish is never going to be my thing and risotto is way too starchy for me.  So I've never tried to make it, just know the basics of how it's done and that it's the kiss of death on TC.

I liked revisiting the Hall of Fame, to see when risotto worked, and, yes, got a kick at the Hall of Shame, remembering when it very much did not, but they could have included more there for how many people got sent packing for that dish.

I thought with the white chocolate I'd have found Amar's too sweet, even if I did like risotto, but he knows far more than me.

This wasn't the most interesting episode, for lack of personal tidbits and behind-the-scenes info, but still pleasant.

marybennet

marybennet

(edited)

I had risotto for the first time when I lived in the Bay Area. I hadn’t known what it was even. It was a simple one with a few mushrooms, and oh, man, was it great.  The rice you use to make it (Arborio) is sturdier, which is what keeps a well-cooked version from becoming too gloopy.  I’ve made it since then, and what’s really hard is knowing when it’s hit the right spread-on-your-plate level without  going over. Not sure I’ve ever gotten it exactly right!  But it still tastes good. 

Edited by marybennet
  • Like 4
tv echo

tv echo

Dish with Kish has Top Chef super fans watching and re-watching every episode
By Cristine Struble | May 7, 2024
https://foodsided.com/posts/dish-with-kish-has-top-chef-super-fans-watching-and-re-watching-every-episode-01hxav0frkgs 

  Quote

The Dish with Kish is the hidden gem of Top Chef Season 21. More importantly, it is the food television series that will be watched time and again to inspire some cooking creativity at home.

Expand  
  • Like 2
Bastet

Bastet

  • Author

One of my favorite parts of tonight's episode of the regular show was Kristen answering "Pick a different team" upon being asked what she'd do differently in her season's Restaurant Wars, since that's what booted her into LCK (when Josie was a significant problem but as executive chef the buck stopped with Kristen), so I enjoyed this exchange:

Stephanie: Who was on your team [in your RW], do you remember?
Kristen: Oh, I remember.
Stephanie, realizing: Oh, wait ...

While also appreciating that they just showed a clip, and then cut to Kristen reminiscing about how she was a sous chef at the time and didn't have leadership experience; it wasn't a platform to trash talk Josie.

And I got a kick out of Stephanie talking about feeling bad-ass because her mic was strapped to her thigh when she was all dolled up for FoH in her RW (she didn't say it, but it made me think it reminded her of spy movies where a female agent undercover in a fancy dress has her gun strapped the same way).

I liked them talking about the difficulty in changing gears when asked to come out of the kitchen to talk to diners.

This was chock-full of the behind-the-scenes tidbits I find most interesting about the series, so a great episode for me (especially given the presence of Stephanie, one of my favorite TC alum).  One I found interesting and will look for in future episodes is that when Kristen loves a cheftestant's dish she doesn't go back for a second bite; it's when she doesn't that she eats more, trying to figure out what's going on with it.

Is this the first episode we didn't see the other Stephanie, Cmar, in her hat?

  • Like 5
Rai

Rai

Stephanie is so short and Kristen is so tall, and there's like a whole person's length between them.

I really have come to enjoy the Dish with Kish. I wish (heh) there was a way to bring Kristen's host energy from this show into the main Top Chef show. If they ever do find another host though, I hope they continue doing the Dish with Kish. It's a lovely way to look back at the show's history for fans and also do something up-close cooking.

  • Like 3
Bastet

Bastet

  • Author

Mei's dish sounded interesting, and then when Kristen's eyes popped upon getting a taste of it, I was jealous I couldn't reach through the TV and grab a bite.

Kristen saying in a cook-off between all the TC champs, Mei would win had me wishing to see that very thing.  I loved Mei's reaction to Kristen saying she'd be afraid of her if she was cooking against her.

  • Like 3
caitmcg

caitmcg

  On 5/16/2024 at 8:05 PM, Bastet said:

Kristen saying in a cook-off between all the TC champs, Mei would win had me wishing to see that very thing.  I loved Mei's reaction to Kristen saying she'd be afraid of her if she was cooking against her.

Expand  

When Stephanie Cmar agreed that Mei had the most formidable skill set, I thought, huh, this is interesting. I didn't have access to TC for some years, and so a couple of years ago, when Hulu had all the past seasons available, I binged them and things started to blur together. Still, I've become used to the general caliber/accomplishments of the contestants increasing, so it's impressive to hear that assessment so many seasons later, and I'd totally be up for the Battle of the Champions. (I don't watch FN, so I've never seen any TC peeps compete on anything else.)

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