S22.E03: Best Served Cold

[dleighg]

7 hours ago, jpgr said:

I'm with you on Massimo, I don't like him. He's chaotic in the kitchen

Yeah, didn't he splash half his food all over the bench and disturbingly close to his neighbor's almost finished dishes? Obnoxious.

[rhofmovalley]

4 hours ago, dleighg said:

Yeah, didn't he splash half his food all over the bench and disturbingly close to his neighbor's almost finished dishes? Obnoxious.

He doesn't seem at all mindful that others are in that kitchen with him, trying to work.  That's just inconsiderate and IMO his "exuberant" personality doesn't make up for his lack of social awareness. 

[seltzer3]

Did anyone find the challenge to be really uneven?

I'm glad neither of the licorice knob people (and Katianna) won didn't get eliminated.  Because that seemed way difficult especially as a cold dish.  I mean eggs, biscuits, grapefruit, apples, and peanut butter seemed so much easier.  

For Anya, I feel for her (which is why desserts are so hard) since you can't really check cakes till the end.   I am wondering what the heck that special ingredient she put in.   I'm guessing its like an-anti baking powder properties, since it looked like it took away any lift or rise from the cake?

I do wonder if Anya didn't decide to refluff her ice cream, if it had saved her over Massimo.

[Mountainair]

Massimo looks like a low rent Jon Hamm to me but in a good way so I’d like him to stay. He really needs to get his kitchen energy in check though. Isn’t he the yogi from a previous episode? 

[carrps]

15 hours ago, jpgr said:

He's chaotic in the kitchen - was it Henry who shared a bench and commented that he's like a hurricane?

Yes! I forgot to mention him breaking the glass all over Henry's station.

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Mountainair said:

Massimo looks like a low rent Jon Hamm to me but in a good way so I’d like him to stay. He really needs to get his kitchen energy in check though. 

I agree, I like him although for me it's not just based on looks. He seems like a decent guy, but a bit of a goof and maybe a little disorganized when he's challenged.

This is not directed at you of course, but I don't know if it's fair to dislike Massimo based on being a mess. Sure, it's technically inconsiderate to leave a mess for someone else to deal with, but I got the feeling he was struggling with the challenge and/or having a bad day - he was in the bottom in the quickfire too. I think he was putting too much pressure on himself and got too careless and in the weeds to go back and clean up. I think his comments were masking his being embarrassed and disappointed in himself more than anything else. I didn't sense any entitlement or malice in any of it.

I agree with @seltzer3 that the challenges were uneven but I don't think getting a biscuit was all that easy under the circumstances. In fact, it was arguably one of the hardest choices there. Biscuits are meant to be eaten warm or at room temp. and this was a frozen challenge.

[Bastet]

17 hours ago, jpgr said:

He's chaotic in the kitchen - was it Henry who shared a bench and commented that he's like a hurricane?

I think it was earthquake, but, yeah.  Although, in fairness, that particular incident with stuff flying everywhere was because Massimo tripped as he approached their station.  He didn't seem to be running any faster than most of them do at the time.  Between that and the booming voice, he seems like he might be a lot, but thus far they all seem to joke about it in a good natured way.

[dgpolo]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

I agree with @seltzer3 that the challenges were uneven but I don't think getting a biscuit was all that easy under the circumstances. In fact, it was arguably one of the hardest choices there. Biscuits are meant to be eaten warm or at room temp. and this was a frozen challenge.

I think any challenge where they pick or are given a specific ingredient are always uneven, it's nothing new. And I agree that the biscuits, and I'll throw in the muffins, were harder than the licorice. At least licorice has a strong flavor and can be used in cold recipes, but what does a plain biscuit or muffin taste like? It seems to me that they are more heavily influence by what else you actually put in them? how do you translate a warm buttery biscuit into something cold? What flavor is your muffin? is it just a sweetish bread? do you add cinnamon? blueberries? to me they don't really have a 'taste' of their own. But maybe I'm not familiar with what a Michelin Star biscuit or muffin tastes like.

[gorgy]

some of these challenges are veering into Chopped territory. Here's some pizza - now add it to your already conceived dish. You - go make a cold dish out of baked goods. Like it's always been a thing, but lately it feels like they're playing into it. The first few episodes are always sort of knockout rounds, so maybe that's what's currently happening. 

Edited Sunday at 09:51 PM by gorgy

[ProudMary]

6 hours ago, Mountainair said:

Massimo looks like a low rent Jon Hamm to me but in a good way so I’d like him to stay. He really needs to get his kitchen energy in check though. Isn’t he the yogi from a previous episode? 

Yes.

[seltzer3]

I do want to say that while I found the challenge a bit uneven, the challenges so far are way better than last year's trainwreck ("Chaos Cuisine", and that awful fishboil).

[Mountainair]

Besides the meat pies or (hand pies) I’m still not finding anything I want to make myself. Old Top Chef I used to watch with my grocery list but the past few years I’m just not interested in making or even trying anything they make and I am not a picky eater. The constraints of the new challenges leave them making very elevated albeit probably delicious food but most things are out of reach for the basic home cook with a family to feed. I’m not saying that’s bad but Top Chef used to be the “approachable” show for cooks like myself. 

[Norma Desmond]

I'm really upset that big tall russian lady was PYKAG'd. Was rooting for her.