S21.E06: Chaos Cuisine

[jpgr]

10 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

It certainly meant something to Michelle, who won $7,500!

I still enjoy the Quickfire Challenges, even though immunity is handled in a different way now. Also, it was a dairy challenge, which means something to Wisconsin and its dairy farmers.

I think that Michelle's Quickfire win may have also played a role in her staying over Rasika. In the first episode, when Kristin was talking about not winning immunity in the Quickfires, I swear there was mention of them being factored into elimination decisions.

[Madding crowd]

I’m still happy the show is in my home state but the editing seems wonky this season. Every episode my husband and I notice something a bit off; this time it was that they didn’t introduce the two extra judges at the elimination challenge. Now there are times when they are cooking for a big table and don’t introduce everyone but this was a small group.

They didn’t do a good job of explaining the challenge but just like every other competition show I watch from project runway to Inkmaster to Drag Race: if it tastes or looks great it doesn’t matter that much if you meet the challenge.

[ProudMary]

7 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

Every episode my husband and I notice something a bit off; this time it was that they didn’t introduce the two extra judges at the elimination challenge. Now there are times when they are cooking for a big table and don’t introduce everyone but this was a small group.

Yes, that was a head-scratcher. When they have a large number of people and they don't specifically introduce them, they usually have a chyron with the person's name and who they are professionally. 

[caitmcg]

32 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

When they have a large number of people and they don't specifically introduce them, they usually have a chyron with the person's name and who they are professionally. 

They did have a chyron at least for the woman who appeared at judges' table, Sophia Roe, with her business name, but it was so fleeting I rewound the DVR a few seconds when I saw it go by. So I assume there was one just as fast for the other guy, though I missed seeing it altogether. 

You'd think they wouldn't be flying past or editing out so many little things with a 75-minute episode every week.

[MsJamieDornan]

2 hours ago, Spicysweet said:

Why does anyone care what the new host of a COOKING competition wears???

Because I didnt like it.

[Cotypubby]

That risotto made with corn looked exactly like dog vomit. For a minute I actually thought he was going for that for the “chaos” but no it just looked incredibly unappealing.

(Add me as another who loves Kristin’s outfits btw.)

[HappyDancex2]

I’m hoping for a surprise 17th contestant introduced in LCK so we can get some better chefs in here.  Soo 2

Get rid of Laura, Kev’’’’in and then any combo of kaleena, manny, Amanda and/or Savannah.  Rasika and 17 return LOL.  
 

Manny lost me when he screwed up a churro.  Somewhere Buddha weeps into his custom molds and tuilles.

[mlp]

5 hours ago, OnMatchPoint said:

David Murphy got wind that he would be receiving a villain edit and declined to participate in LCK, so they had to recruit the closest backup (Soo being 45min south of Milwaukee).

I read an interview with Soo somewhere in which he said that he had been recruited to be on the show and wanted to do it but his wedding was already scheduled for the same week as the filming of the first episode so LCK was the way they got him on the show.  

 

2 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Did someone sprinkle negativity dust all over this thread?

Viewers and reviewers everywhere seem to be in agreement that this season is just off.  I'm inclined to think that it's the changes and the way the challenges were designed rather than the chefs themselves.  They all have credentials and laurels which we saw in episode one.  They can't be as bad as they look.  A cheese challenge outdoors when the temperature was 98F got them off to a bad start and they haven't recovered.  The Chaos challenge was awful, mostly because the loud slob who introduced it didn't explain it clearly.  I didn't get what the judges were looking for, especially after I saw the dish that won.  The cheftestants looked equally confused.  The producers should stop thinking up gimmicks.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, jpgr said:

In the first episode, when Kristin was talking about not winning immunity in the Quickfires, I swear there was mention of them being factored into elimination decisions.

There have been articles stating that's a change this season, that while a QF win will no longer confer immunity, an EC win will be what grants the winning chef safety in the next round, but the flip side is that QF performance will be a factor in the EC deliberation.  But I have not registered that being mentioned yet on the show itself.  I may very well have missed it, though, so if anyone can confirm ...

[marybennet]

7 minutes ago, Bastet said:

2 hours ago, jpgr said:

In the first episode, when Kristin was talking about not winning immunity in the Quickfires, I swear there was mention of them being factored into elimination decisions.

There have been articles stating that's a change this season, that while a QF win will no longer confer immunity, an EC win will be what grants the winning chef safety in the next round, but the flip side is that QF performance will be a factor in the EC deliberation.  But I have not registered that being mentioned yet on the show itself.  I may very well have missed it, though, so if anyone can confirm ...

 

I have read that, later in the season, Tom and Gail are going to join Kristen in judging the quickfires, and that that's when the quickfires will start to factor into decisions about who wins and who goes home. 

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I'm inclined to think that it's the changes and the way the challenges were designed rather than the chefs themselves.  They all have credentials and laurels which we saw in episode one.  They can't be as bad as they look.  A cheese challenge outdoors when the temperature was 98F got them off to a bad start and they haven't recovered.  The Chaos challenge was awful, mostly because the loud slob who introduced it didn't explain it clearly. 

I think it's a combination of construction and chefs.  It's not like it's the first time chefs have had to deal with challenging conditions.  Cheese isn't some kind of mysterious ingredient either.  It's baffling that so many defaulted to croquettes for the challenge with the same speed Chopped contestants default to bread pudding in the dessert round.

As for the chaos challenge, even if he mangled the description, production would be there to make sure the rules are clear.  It sounds like Kristin still isn't sure of what the challenge was supposed to be and if anyone would know, it'd be her and the judges. 

[CatWarmer]

I agree with many others that this season is a bit off and somewhat uninspiring chefs and challenges.  There's so much stuff I can't eat, don't eat, or won't eat that there are very few dishes I would actually try.  I think I would eat most desserts though!

After reading this thread, I did a bit of research into chaos cooking. From the amount of info I've found, it sounds like something chefs should be familiar with even if they don't practice it themselves.  It really wasn't explained well even though one of the chefs correctly described it during the challenge presentation.   It's something that skyrocketed on social media in the last two years. 

I like this explanation:

Quote

To call chaos cuisine experimental is a bit of an understatement. This take on fusion cooking might be described as extreme, aggressive, and downright bizarre. However, it can also be incredibly innovative, thoughtful, and delicious.

This subversive culinary style borrows from a range of world cuisines, taking flavors and ingredients the original cuisines would never pair and turning them into mouth-watering masterpieces. While experiments can certainly go wrong, chaos cuisine can also be surprisingly tasty.

It’s not just about combining flavors in new and unexpected ways. Chaos cuisine also strives to temper novelty by incorporating feelings of nostalgia that are tied to familiar foods and the cultures they come from. It’s a fine line to walk between recognition and originality, but when done right, dishes are both accessible and delightfully fresh.

 

https://in-sight.symrise.com/article/chaos-cuisine-enhancing-cultural-cuisine-or-diluting-it-beyond-recognition

It was a plot point on The Bear  which is how the guest judge came into it (I love the show but not really that character).

Quote

“Still thinking chaos menu?” Sydney asks Carmy in the season two trailer as the pair test recipes together.

“Yeah, chaos menu, but, um, thoughtful?” he replies.

Anyway, from the little I've just learned, a lot of the chefs missed the challenge.  

[dleighg]

7 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

Every episode my husband and I notice something a bit off; this time it was that they didn’t introduce the two extra judges at the elimination challenge.

yeah who were they? I gathered that the blond (?) guy had a restaurant? Maybe where they were eating? And maybe that he does "chaos food" whatever that is? Who was the woman? I see someone found a chyron of her name. I gather she is some sort of food journalist. I imagine this showing won't add much to her following LOL.

[BullInChina]

Chyrons for the mystery judges:

Phillip Foss

Chef/Owner El Ideas

 

Sophia Roe

Chef/Writer/Founder, Apartment Miso

 

El Ideas (I think this is it but it's not a very informative website)

Apartment Miso

 

[dleighg]

This is a bit more about El Ideas

[Suzn]

10 hours ago, mlp said:

 The Chaos challenge was awful, mostly because the loud slob who introduced it didn't explain it clearly.  I didn't get what the judges were looking for, especially after I saw the dish that won.  The cheftestants looked equally confused.  The producers should stop thinking up gimmicks.

I still don't really understand what the Chaos cuisine is.  It seems to mean either everything that has unusual food combinations and/or techniques or it means nothing at all.  I really didn't like the guest judge and his description was meaningless nonsense.

The real measure of it is whether it produced good food and I saw nothing to indicate that that was the result.

Soo sounds as though he thinks he was brought in to win.  I don't need to watch that much arrogance since he hasn't done anything yet to justify it. 

[mlp]

https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2024/04/top-chef-wisconsin-episode-6-recap/?utm_source=realityblurred&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=reality-blurred-newsletter-issue-380

[bravofan27]

16 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I’m still happy the show is in my home state but the editing seems wonky this season. Every episode my husband and I notice something a bit off; this time it was that they didn’t introduce the two extra judges at the elimination challenge. Now there are times when they are cooking for a big table and don’t introduce everyone but this was a small group.

They didn’t do a good job of explaining the challenge but just like every other competition show I watch from project runway to Inkmaster to Drag Race: if it tastes or looks great it doesn’t matter that much if you meet the challenge.

There are a lot of interviews and people discussing Top Chef in Wisconsin-- unlike some of the bigger cities, having TC in town is a highly visible and reported event. In any case, one chef described being contacted by the show or a rep from the show asking if he wanted to be in a TC episode. He said OF COURSE! He showed up where and when they told him. He had no idea what he was supposed to do or what he would be doing. He ended up filling a seat at the judges table for dining. So I think some of the people at the chef's table are literally fillers or "extras" the show keeps on hand to plug into the show where needed. 

Here is a how-do on chaos cooking. It's actually the kind of cooking I do! https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-chaos-cooking_l_64a2e42de4b0dcb22c46c163

Edited April 26 by bravofan27

[Suzn]

1 hour ago, bravofan27 said:

w-do on chaos cooking. It's actually the kind of cooking I do! https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-chaos-cooking_l_64a2e42de4b0dcb22c46c163

Well, that I can understand!  The show could have explained it in that way instead of being all artsy and new-agey.  It the difference between being direct and clear and being pretentious. 

I just realized that that is what the show, Chopped is all about.

Edited April 26 by Suzn

[Fukui San]

Upon reflection, I would have loved it if a Cheftestant had taken Matty's opening rant completely literally. Plate an intricately elegant dessert, and then instruct the waiters to overturn the the plates onto the tables in front each diner.

Not quite brave enough to instruct them to smush the dessert in Tom's face.

[dleighg]

The description of chaos cuisine just above in HuffPo sounds like "creative home cook with leftovers" but somehow I don't think that's what Carmy and Sydney in The Bear were talking about, as a restaurant does more than "look in the fridge."

But I confess, I still don't really understand. It sounds like fusion but fusion is so 80s so you can't call it that.....

[bravofan27]

From what I have gathered, chaos cooking came from people at home, making weird shit, posting on instagram, and then having it go viral. That is where the Bear I think comes into play, because they reference instagram all the time on the show. The weird stuff was people wanting to cook, but having what they had to work with, and ending up with some pretty outlandish things. 

I don't think chaos cooking was going to work at all with the chefs all getting to pick their ingredients. Here is a dense fairly disjoined attempt to explain it from a "fine dining" or "let's make choas cuisine and sell it for a bunch of money!" article:https://www.eater.com/23331987/restaurant-dining-trends-chaos-cooking-fusion-cuisine

[TakomaSnark]

On 4/25/2024 at 12:31 PM, luna1122again said:

None of y'all watch The Bear? 

I watched an episode. It didn't interest me, thus I didn't continue on with any more of it - and honestly, I don't think a challenge on Top Chef should require the regular viewer to watch a niche show on a streamer to understand the assigned challenge. Even Kristen didn't understand the challenge and she's the host.

[ProudMary]

46 minutes ago, TakomaSnark said:

I don't think a challenge on Top Chef should require the regular viewer to watch a niche show on a streamer to understand the assigned challenge.

It didn't. 

The Bear was being mentioned because people didn't know who Chef /Restauranteur Matty Matheson was and among his other accomplishments, he happens to be a cast member on the show. While a chaos menu was discussed on The Bear, it's certainly not a prerequisite for this episode of Top Chef.

Also, although it may not be to your taste, it's far from a niche show.

"The Bear" Awards List

 

 

[buttersister]

Well, mission accomplished, that EC was chaos, alright. Not explained sufficiently, re-defined by judges who liked or disliked a dish, and championed by a likely stoned Matty M. I used to watch his Canadian cooking show on Cooking Channel (the early days when it was filled with Canadian shows) and he was goofy but harmless. Made a lot of meatloaf. Guess he was there for The Bear fans. And points for Savanah’s mustard greens dessert in your face, MM.

Quote

I'm hoping they gave the chefs more explanation that we didn't see.   

Sure, but it didn’t seem like it. And producers? Start with your host. Kristin was honest about the fuckery, I’m guessing Padma would have either explained it better or killed it.

Foss, the blond guy at the table, likes to push food boundaries, sorry they only chryoned (?!) his name and not talked more about him.

Heres hoping things improve. That move to Wednesday is tough.

[Steph Sometimes]

On 4/25/2024 at 6:09 PM, Spicysweet said:

This isn't Project Runway!

True, but I did hear a few "Make it Works" in this episode.

[HappyDancex2]

In the beginning I was OK with the quick fire twist of no immunity but as the season has worn on it’s contributed to the “the show seems off” element.  I didn’t think it was important but turns out that even I’m less interested in the quickfires because they don’t seem to have that bearing weight to them.  Money is great but it’s not the same incentive as immunity on a show where longevity breeds more after show options, let alone winning.  And it makes the elimination challenge immediately a puzzle depending upon the parameters because someone already has immunity.

Now it seems like because KK is hosting by herself they didn’t want to give her and the guest judge sole control of dispensing immunity.  They leave that to Tom in the elimination challenge and LCK.  But in doing so they’ve added a Meh factor to an already muddled season.

[nitrofishblue]

This was one episode I really didn't like. It was confusing and made little sense. I have never heard of the "Bear" and never watched it so that comment meant nothing to me. I usually drool over the dishes created but this time I really didn't care. Nothing appealed to me. Then add that really sad outfit Kristen wore. Made her look like a starving orphan. The color was wrong and the fit was wrong. They should never use the designer again that created that mess. I like Kristen and enjoy her comments. Please dress her in a better way.

[dleighg]

15 minutes ago, nitrofishblue said:

It was confusing and made little sense. I have never heard of the "Bear" and never watched it so that comment meant nothing to me.

Please know that people who watched The Bear (me included) did not understand "Chaos Cuisine" any better than anyone else. The term was a single mention in a two season series, and was not explained at the time. It was clearly some chefy shorthand between the two main characters. People are only mentioning the show because it explains who the guest judge was, and why the contestants knew who he was (besides him being a Chicago chef).

[Ancaster]

On 4/25/2024 at 9:42 PM, mlp said:

Viewers and reviewers everywhere seem to be in agreement that this season is just off.  I'm inclined to think that it's the changes and the way the challenges were designed rather than the chefs themselves.  They all have credentials and laurels which we saw in episode one.  They can't be as bad as they look.  A cheese challenge outdoors when the temperature was 98F got them off to a bad start and they haven't recovered.  The Chaos challenge was awful, mostly because the loud slob who introduced it didn't explain it clearly.  I didn't get what the judges were looking for, especially after I saw the dish that won.  The cheftestants looked equally confused.  The producers should stop thinking up gimmicks.

I've been watching The Great British Sewing Bee and loving it.

Every week they're given different challenges, sometimes with a bit of a twist, but always basically a sewing challenge, when the best piece of clothing wins and the worst goes home.

It is refreshingly straightforward and enjoyable and only frustrating when someone you like goes home.  At least you understand why they went home, and it's not because they messed up on some incomprehensible and often downright idiotic challenge.

What a difference.

[Ancaster]

On 4/25/2024 at 6:09 PM, Spicysweet said:

Why does anyone care what the new host of a COOKING competition wears??? This isn't Project Runway! Kristen is terrific in her new role and has the chops to  intelligently judge the food placed in front of her. 

I do love a good bromance, though. I don't think the "Power Bottoms" will last a whole lot longer, but they're lots of fun like Ali and Amar last year.

The same reason some people care about bromance couples.

It's a TV show, we take our kicks where we can.

Edited April 27 by Ancaster

[Spicysweet]

8 hours ago, Ancaster said:

The same reason some people care about bromance couples.

It's a TV show, we take our kicks where we can.

Good point about getting your kicks. 

It's just that male hosts of tv competitions never seem to have their clothing discussed. I get tired of hearing about how a woman looks, especially when one is so clearly KILLING IT as the new Top Chef host. Aren't we above that yet?

[paramitch]

I thought this episode was okay, but it did feel like a sequel of sorts, because viewers really did need to have watched LCK for full enjoyment.

Thanks to that, I absolutely adore Soo already and am rooting for him as an immediate addition to my favorites. He's smart and creative and articulate in ways that so far this cast is really lacking, although I do still really like Michelle, Dan, and a few others.

I didn't think Matty acquitted himself terribly well as the guest judge, and granted, he does come off as a slobby guy, which is never my favorite look on a chef. But he did produce "The Bear," as well as contributing to the gorgeous reality of its setting and playing a supporting role (although I find his character "Fak" to be pretty cartoonish and badly written, honestly).

And just in case it helps others give it a first or second chance, for me, "The Bear" is one of the most amazing (and real-feeling) food service stories I have ever seen, period. There's a reason it won 10 Emmys (and counting) -- it is gorgeously presented, written, and produced, the cast all trained diligently for their roles (there are no hand doubles on the food prep, chopping, etc.), it openly addresses the long history of abuse and toxicity in the culture (and has  "survivor" characters trying to change that), it is just as much an exploration of "service" as it is of "food" (in the loveliest way) -- and best of all, the food looks amazing, and the stories are full of heart and beauty and genuine love of food.

The show can be chaotic and stressful and feel intensely real. But it also has wonderful quiet and humor, especially in season 2. The Season 2 episodes "Honeydew" and especially "Forks" are some of the most beautiful and quietly poignant episodes of television I have personally ever seen. I have watched both many times.

Basically, my point is -- I think Matty deserved to be a judge here, he has made an incredible impact with the show, even if the challenge was frustratingly and badly presented.

I was sorry to see Rasika leave, but I also felt she deserved it. That plate looked absolutely foul, and I knew she was going home when it evidently tasted like it looked -- like a dead slug on a plate. Ugh. I don't blame the challenge for her going home -- it's Top Chef, and she was still responsible for cooking something that tasted good, which almost everyone else was able to do. When in doubt, just make it taste good, darn it. I felt like she got cocky and complacent here.

On 4/24/2024 at 7:33 PM, mlp said:

Slug-like has to be one of the worst criticisms ever.  I wasn't really surprised to see Rasika go after that comment.

Yeah, and the thing was, you could actually see the diners recoil from it when they looked at it, and make faces after they tasted it. I mean, it failed on every single level -- it looked vile, it evidently had vile texture, and it had no taste (at least it did not taste as awful as it looked, so thank the lord for small favors). Yeesh.

On 4/24/2024 at 8:52 PM, rlc said:

Kaleena continues to annoy me. From her ‘I’m back bitches’ spiel, to her being concerned that the judges didn’t ‘get’ the heaviness of her dish rather than being concerned that they didn’t like it. I hope she’s gone again very soon.

I really don't think she's that bad. If you watched LCK, she was very likeable on that -- businesslike and driven, but I also found her to be kind and at least somewhat self-aware. She embraced others who won and seemed genuinely supportive of them. I just think she was overplaying the "bitch is back" thing for the cameras here.

I honestly have a way bigger issue with Laura, who really does seem to have social issues. She frequently has a mean, sour expression on her face, I disliked her selfish behavior in last week's challenge, when her stubborn insistence on two needless and disparate (and expensive!) dishes nearly sank two other competitors because they couldn't afford fricking vegetables, and I disliked her again here. I don't think she was too focused to answer Dan, I just felt she didn't care to respond: "Let him find the chocolate if he wants it," etc. I really don't like her. She may be a lovely person in daily life but her visible behavior on this show is of someone needlessly ruthless at levels that are not fun to watch.

On 4/25/2024 at 2:53 AM, dubstepford wife said:

Somebody on the production team really hates Laura.  She mostly laid low this episode but they couldn't help themselves with the dark chocolate at the beginning.  That said, even though I defended her last episode because I didn't think the budget problems were her fault alone, she's emerging as a dirty player.  The editors can't make up footage.

How does the production team hate her if she openly does things that are selfish or mean-spirited and they include it in the footage? I mean, aren't they just doing their jobs?

On 4/25/2024 at 6:29 AM, BlackberryJam said:

I don't know if it's the chefs or a change in production, but the food just doesn't sound incredible and amazing when they describe it. I used to watch TC episodes and just crave the food. That's not happening in the same way this season. The LCK food has looked so much better to me. 

I feel like this season's cast is the perfect example of the tired, wan result you get when you have people who aren't cooking to win, they're cooking not to lose.

On 4/25/2024 at 8:48 AM, BlackberryJam said:

I get that the challenge was confusing, but neither of them made good food, and that's the real sin. There were a couple of dishes that the judges called too safe, but those people weren't up for elimination. I think grace for not understanding the challenge was definitely given. Michelle was up for a food that didn't taste good and pork that was poorly cooked. Rasika was up because her food was flavorless with a gross texture. Neither of them was up for elimination because their food didn't fit the challenge. 

Well said. I get people not being certain of the "chaotic" aspect of the challenge, but hey, just make sure it tastes good in the end, darn it. And then, I don't know, throw some chaotic crumbles or sprinkles on it!

On 4/25/2024 at 9:21 AM, Bossa Nova said:

That "celebrity" ? Who the heck is he? No, dont answer. I dont care. 

He looked and ate like a slob. Did you see him licking his fingers at the dinner table?  

I suspect there was a cancellation of another guest, or celebrity chef, judge, and he was all they could get at the last minute. But in order to book him, he had to have his way with his stupid challenge.

I also suspect that polite and gentlemanly Tom, just barely tolerated him.

Tom licked his fingers too. Although either way, I have zero doubt that Tom was delighted to meet the guy who just won ten Emmys for the best restaurant fiction story ever on TV (and that, FWIW, also has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes).

On 4/25/2024 at 9:31 AM, luna1122again said:

None of y'all watch The Bear? 

I know, right?! I mean, it's just so amazing, and so, so much about the food! Sigh.

On 4/25/2024 at 9:52 AM, Irlandesa said:

I don't understand some of the challenges they've had.  I've seen some people blame the Wisconsin tourism board but I don't think that's it.  There's no reason they couldn't have come up with a decent challenge for the chefs to serve at Taliesen which was absolutely a unique dining experience.  And The Bear is filmed in Chicago so the chaos theme has nothing to do with location.  Other challenges, like using cheese, cherries, and beer, should be no-brainers.  They're as simple and straightforward as it gets on Top Chef and there's no reason for the lack of creativity.

One thing I did like about this challenge is that, instead of shopping at Whole Foods, they had the choice to go to the Asian market or Latin market.  I'd like more of that and things like shopping at the Farmer's market. 

The challenges are really terribly conceived and presented this season. They really are.

On 4/25/2024 at 2:45 PM, carrps said:

I don't watch The Bear, but everytime I've seen someone from the show, they've been really off-putting, and this Matty guy is no exception. He seems like an ass.

Aw, I don't agree. The show is fantastic, and the cast is really superb. I have no idea what they are like in their personal lives, but they have all seemed very articulate, committed, and grateful for the opportunity offered by the show. And the leads are all talented actors (the only weak link for me is Matty, not surprisingly, as a chef-turned-actor) who worked visibly hard in food prep, service, and even staging before filming each season.

On 4/25/2024 at 4:19 PM, OnMatchPoint said:

David Murphy got wind that he would be receiving a villain edit and declined to participate in LCK, so they had to recruit the closest backup (Soo being 45min south of Milwaukee).

I wondered what happened to him! He may be a nicer person in real life, but he definitely seemed like someone who realized very very quickly he was simply not a good fit for "Top Chef."

On 4/25/2024 at 7:10 PM, gorgy said:

Okay. I need to write this down and might delete later. I was slightly annoyed when the three bigger guys on Top Chef Colorado called themselves bears with the not-so-subtle gay undertones, and by this point, I'm so over the whole team Power Bottom. I can pinpoint it to when "There's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" explained different roles in gay sex as it became a thing for straight guys to giggle about. It's not far from the people that would ask, "which one of you is the man and which one of you is the woman in the relationship or which one is the pitcher and which one is the catcher?" with a wink and a hardy guffaw. It's like having to spend my childhood where people would mimic the Seinfeld, "not that there's anything wrong with that" every single damn time they could followed by a Don't Ask, Don't Tell reference. I'm tired of it all. Anyway, what are we talking about? Oh right, the cooking show.

I think I liked the conceit of the Elimination Challenge. Years ago, when Dave Egger's first book came out, I was about 14 or 15, it was about a struggling 21 year raising an 8 year old and it went into detail about the meals he would make. One was called the Mexican-Italian War (don't ask me what was in it) and it got me to thinking about how to create meals using different ingredients or technique in a pseudo-fusion manner. I'm not the world's most daring eater or cook, but it lead me to learn about different cultures and whatnot through food. Sure, my skill level was in the range of making a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, but it did lead me to some new areas of knowledge.

As far as the "Power Bottom" thing, I agree that it gets tiresome, but as a queer person, I truly get the feeling that it's more the silliness of reality TV, where the show is just overdoing in a very clumsy way something they think viewers will find funny, while not realizing that doing so quickly stops being cute and starts feeling insulting and childish ("ha ha, they don't get what that phrase means!" etc.).

I loved A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and loved those moments in the book -- thank you for reminding me of them.

I do think that when in doubt, as here, the chefs simply need to cook their asses off to make something that tastes good, then come up with a fabulous story that supports that choice, and they're safe. Especially on something as nebulous as "cook chaotically!"

On 4/26/2024 at 4:30 PM, TakomaSnark said:

I watched an episode. It didn't interest me, thus I didn't continue on with any more of it - and honestly, I don't think a challenge on Top Chef should require the regular viewer to watch a niche show on a streamer to understand the assigned challenge. Even Kristen didn't understand the challenge and she's the host.

It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea -- the show can be incredibly tense to watch, especially in season one -- but it is absolutely superb.

I also disagree that anyone needed to watch "The Bear" to understand the challenge. All they needed to understand was the word "chaos." Although I would not have wanted to have to cook anything related to that myself!

On 4/26/2024 at 5:31 PM, ProudMary said:

The Bear was being mentioned because people didn't know who Chef /Restauranteur Matty Matheson was and among his other accomplishments, he happens to be a cast member on the show. While a chaos menu was discussed on The Bear, it's certainly not a prerequisite for this episode of Top Chef.

Also, although it may not be to your taste, it's far from a niche show.

"The Bear" Awards List

Yay, a fellow "Bear" defender! I love it so much. Everyone here should watch it (even if you start with season 2, which is gentler and less stressful) just to watch Sydney make Sugar's gorgeous Boursin omelette topped with fresh chives and crumbled potato chips. Seriously, I dream about that sucker.

21 hours ago, dleighg said:

Please know that people who watched The Bear (me included) did not understand "Chaos Cuisine" any better than anyone else. The term was a single mention in a two season series, and was not explained at the time. It was clearly some chefy shorthand between the two main characters. People are only mentioning the show because it explains who the guest judge was, and why the contestants knew who he was (besides him being a Chicago chef).

I agree -- and thanks, it needed to be said. 

Edited April 28 by paramitch
missing letter

[dleighg]

17 minutes ago, paramitch said:

just to watch Sydney make Sugar's gorgeous Boursin omelette topped with fresh chives and crumbled potato chips.

I made that for dinner a few weeks ago. Yum!

Thanks for all your comments. 

[Tango64]

12 hours ago, Spicysweet said:

It's just that male hosts of tv competitions never seem to have their clothing discussed. I get tired of hearing about how a woman looks, especially when one is so clearly KILLING IT as the new Top Chef host. Aren't we above that yet?

The men on the show tend to dress in a very typical way, not necessarily conservative but also not striving to make a fashion statement. The host here wears fashionable stuff that will get attention. When the men dress in a way that gets attention, it gets comments positive or negative. Many people here have called the Matty guest judge a slob. Tom’s hats and glasses also get critiqued. 

[ML89]

On 4/25/2024 at 8:47 PM, Domenicholas said:

- An actually properly-cooked risotto

Serve it with a perfect Beef Wellington...

If almost no one understands the challenge, then they aren't explaining it well. A production staff really listened to someone read that and thought "nailed it!"?

I tried The Bear. I did not care for it and I really hate the Emmy rule that because it's half an hour, it's a comedy. Uh, no.

Kristen's outfits are very hit and miss. That gray outfit was just strange. Hey, when Runway comes back, they can have a challenge to make her an outfit, right?

 

 

[Ancaster]

We keep being told to watch The Bear.  I looked into it in order to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it's on Hulu, which I have no interest in paying for, so my impression of this person is what I saw on Top Chef, and it wasn't positive.  Sorry.

[AriAu]

Quote

 

 I haven't really been wowed by the food except really Michelle's and...Soo's. His LCK food looked amazing. I know Rasika was doing well, but I felt no mouth-watering hunger looking at the things she made. That makes it hard for me to care that she's gone. 

I don't know if it's the chefs or a change in production, but the food just doesn't sound incredible and amazing when they describe it. I used to watch TC episodes and just crave the food. That's not happening in the same way this season. The LCK food has looked so much better to me.

 

THIS is the problem with the season....not the challenges (altho this one was unnecessarily bizarre and hard to follow) or the number of big team challenges (too many), not the personalities of the cheftestants (more bland than usual) and certainly not Wisconsin, but the fact that the cheftestants have made uninspiring food.

It is nice seeing the competitors helping out Dan....we'll see if it continues, but still great sportsmanship. He must be a really nice guy and a good chef for them to be willing to lend a hand. Was this the first week we saw him with a cane at judges table?

Quote

And Kristin should fire her stylists.  What did they put her in this episode?  A shapeless, weird...suit thing....in an unbecoming gray, and then a nude colored sweater that matched her skin tone.  I get that she's pretty and young and fresh and not-Padma, but really, they couldn't do better than that?

Quote

 

Amen to this. She is a physically attractive woman, but they are trying to make her into some kind of style icon, which, unlike her predecessor, she most definitely is NOT. And, the tats were really distracting with that outfit. YMMV

[Suzn]

6 hours ago, Ancaster said:

We keep being told to watch The Bear.  I looked into it in order to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it's on Hulu, which I have no interest in paying for, so my impression of this person is what I saw on Top Chef, and it wasn't positive.  Sorry.

Matty the guest judge's description of Chaos Cuisine was meaningless nonsense and he looks like he smells bad.

[HappyDancex2]

Not sure why Danny kept talking about his wife laying into him if he wasn’t perfect at dessert.  He’s not a pastry chef, she’s the best in New York so I’m sure she’s fine with it Dano.   What’s more troubling is his necessity to make steel grey food 2 episodes in a row LOL

at the specialty store Dan said his favorite ingredient at Mo’s Asian food store was Aji Moto or haji moto?  Is that supposed to be Aji no moto?  So he just loves MSG?  LOL you can get that anywhere Dan.

[seacliffsal]

This was a very weak episode IMO.  First of all, I don't like having to watch 'other' shows in order to understand the show I am actually watching, so having Soo come in from LCK is meaningless to me.  I have watched other participating chefs throughout the season thus far so am more supportive of/interested in them than I am a new entrant into the competition (similar to my resentment of having to watch 'The Talking Dead' in order to understand missing plot points from 'The Walking Dead').  

Then, we get a 'chaos' challenge which is actually meaningless.  This was demonstrated when Tom and guest judge were walking through the kitchen and Savannah explained her mustard greens dessert to which the guest judge said "that doesn't make sense" which, what?, that's what chaos is-doesn't make sense.  So after excitedly giving a confusing, chaotic description of the challenge, he then proclaims that a dish didn't make sense?  His descriptor didn't make sense yet the contestants did their best to try to represent it in their dishes.  

I agree with some others that Dan's dish looked chaotic and was delicious (according to the judges), so why didn't that win?  Soo's dish was very traditional.  Danny's dish looked interesting (oh, and I thought he was going to win as soon as they gave him a long Montague in the middle of the episode).  And, Savannah's dish (which didn't make sense per both Tom and the chaotic guest judge) was apparently delicious.  

Throughout the elimination challenge I kept remembering that Kristen reminded the contestants in an earlier episode to just make good food.  I'm surprised they didn't just make what they wanted and justified it by stating that not following the challenge was their interpretation of 'chaos.'

I was just really happy that Michelle stayed.

[BullInChina]

Remember Katsuji Tanabe? I would love to see what he would do with a "chaos" challenge. 

[dleighg]

13 minutes ago, BullInChina said:

Remember Katsuji Tanabe?

He was the guy who used 30 ingredients when 12 would have sufficed?

[Ancaster]

13 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I agree with some others that Dan's dish looked chaotic and was delicious (according to the judges), so why didn't that win?  Soo's dish was very traditional.  Danny's dish looked interesting (oh, and I thought he was going to win as soon as they gave him a long Montague in the middle of the episode).  And, Savannah's dish (which didn't make sense per both Tom and the chaotic guest judge) was apparently delicious.  

 

Forgive me, but what's a long Montague?  Something to do with Romeo and Juliet?

Edited April 30 by Ancaster

[ALittleShelfish]

3 hours ago, Ancaster said:

Forgive me, but what's a long Montague?  Something to do with Romeo and Juliet?

LOL hopefully an autocorrect for "montage" but if not, i'm here for yet another storyline twist!

Ducking autocorrect!

[Ancaster]

5 hours ago, ALittleShelfish said:

LOL hopefully an autocorrect for "montage" but if not, i'm here for yet another storyline twist!

Ducking autocorrect!

 

I'd award you the laugh emoji but it puts star crossed lovers to shame.

Edited April 30 by Ancaster

[vibeology]

On 4/27/2024 at 10:35 AM, dleighg said:

People are only mentioning the show because it explains who the guest judge was, and why the contestants knew who he was (besides him being a Chicago chef).

I hate to be the horrible "well, actually" person but my Canadian pride compels me to say that Matty is Canadian. He was born in New Brunswick, lived in Nova Scotia as a kid and moved to Ontario as a teen. All of his current restaurants are in Toronto except the one in Port Erie where he's from. He may be a loud slob but he's our loud slob. 

On 4/28/2024 at 10:29 AM, AriAu said:

It is nice seeing the competitors helping out Dan....we'll see if it continues, but still great sportsmanship. He must be a really nice guy and a good chef for them to be willing to lend a hand. Was this the first week we saw him with a cane at judges table?

I'm a competitive person but I wouldn't want to win because the other person physically couldn't get up and down stairs. That's not how its done. So I bet the chefs will continue to be sporting when Dan is faced with challenges like this.

[carrps]

11 hours ago, ALittleShelfish said:

LOL hopefully an autocorrect for "montage" but if not, i'm here for yet another storyline twist!

Ducking autocorrect!

Ha, I'm old. I thought it must be some of that newfangled slang the kids are using today.

[seacliffsal]

11 hours ago, ALittleShelfish said:

LOL hopefully an autocorrect for "montage" but if not, i'm here for yet another storyline twist!

Ducking autocorrect!

Yes, that's exactly what it was (and I didn't notice that it had changed from what I had written [sorry!]).

[Fukui San]

On 4/28/2024 at 6:35 AM, ML89 said:

Serve it with a perfect Beef Wellington...

If almost no one understands the challenge, then they aren't explaining it well. A production staff really listened to someone read that and thought "nailed it!"?

I tried The Bear. I did not care for it and I really hate the Emmy rule that because it's half an hour, it's a comedy. Uh, no.

Kristen's outfits are very hit and miss. That gray outfit was just strange. Hey, when Runway comes back, they can have a challenge to make her an outfit, right?

 

 

An outfit made out of food