S12.E01: Sudden Death

[HappyDancex2]

So Katsuji put squid ink in melted cheese? That's madness. But that huge ladle he was using to sauce the plates was a headscratcher too.

I don't even remember what fish egged corn soup did in the quickfire. Need to rewatch.

Padma and her open mouthed chewing grates. And she really didn't look like she liked the scotch bonnet banana stew dish but changed her mind when king colicchio declared it colicchiamazing. Eye roll.

[jackjill89]

Was that Richard, King of the Kitchen Gimmick, wanting to "have conversations" with contestants about olive oil snow and bacon powder? He has been all over that stuff, he needs to stop acting like he's so far above it. 

[LilyoftheValley]

The 'petroleum' part of Katsuji's dish was way too accurate to be appetizing.

 

OMG it looked so gross.  I am not a picky eater and I would be gagging on that.  I wonder what it is about squid ink that the chefs of the world do not get.  Ever notice how no one ever buys that shit to cook a meal at home with?  Ever wonder why?  Because it is disgusting and no one really wants to eat it.  I have never once in my life heard a single person rave about squid ink.  

 

And re broccoli salad girl.  Without anyone saying a word, I knew that dish would land her on the bottom.  Have we not seen this so many times?  Just cooking a side dish is going to get you on the bottom, unless it is the most amazing thing ever.  Does she not watch the show?  

[Tunia]

Just cooking a side dish is going to get you on the bottom, unless it is the most amazing thing ever.

 

 

...or unless it's CJ's peas.

[HappyDancex2]

LOL LilyoftheValley! Great post and I will interject here that squid ink pasta is delicious! It's actually one of my all time favorite dishes. I love that earthy salty almost concentrated seaweed flavor of squid ink. But cheese sauce? Um OY. And it turned it a grey color that looked like it was separating...um...EW.

Broccoli salad girl should have been eliminated for taking 3 hours to make the same thing you can buy at Trader Joes or Whole Foods.

[wovenloaf]

Was that Richard, King of the Kitchen Gimmick, wanting to "have conversations" with contestants about olive oil snow and bacon powder? He has been all over that stuff, he needs to stop acting like he's so far above it. 

I know, right!! And his comment about him, personally, not liking the technique was so pointless. His problem wasn't that it tasted bad, or that she did the technique wrong. No. Rather, his *ultra important feedback* was an expression of his own useless opinion that this gimmick, out of all the gimmicks, happens to be the one that he has arbitrarily deemed as his *least* favorite. STFU Richarde. 

[Bastet]

I wonder what it is about squid ink that the chefs of the world do not get.  Ever notice how no one ever buys that shit to cook a meal at home with?  Ever wonder why?  Because it is disgusting and no one really wants to eat it.  I have never once in my life heard a single person rave about squid ink.

 

Well, now you have, as I've greatly enjoyed several dishes with it.  But that "petroleum" mess did not look like something that would join the list.

[LotusFlower]

I hope it's ok to add this way of thinking re: why so many disliked Richard Blais' constant proclamations on chocking. Think about athletes - they never say they chocked after they lose; its not cool to do so. Saying you chocked after a big game or a match is a way of discrediting your opponent who just beat you. It takes the sheen off of their win, and implies they only won because you had an injury or an off day. Unsportsmanlike and not cool.

I brought it up last week on the Top Chef Duels thread because Richard, in the finals, compared himself to LeBron James. Yes, you read that right. LeBron James. Because he was going for "muliple championships." (He lost, btw). I suggested he could learn a thing or two from his sports idol on going out with grace.

[LilyoftheValley]

Okay I will conceded that squid ink pasta is pretty good, but no one just dumps a blob of squid ink sauce on a taco.  That's fucking disgusting.  He could have at least just slightly glazed the taco with that mess.  It just boggled the mind a bit.  

[Charlesman]

That was a satisfying elimination. Michael said he deserved to win because he "has the personality, has the look, and has the style" to win Top Chef. Oh please. It's not Top Stupidest Haircut or Top Hipster. Nowhere did he indicate he deserved to win on talent or flavor. Just that he looks like a hot chef. Ugh.

[phoenix780]

It makes sense to me that Blais would be different on different shows.  I've just not found a version of him that I enjoy watching yet, so I'm not thrilled he's on the show.  But that's why we're gifted with fast-forward buttons, and there seemed to be a lot of guest judges in the previews.  Hopefully it won't be as bad as I'm fearing.  

 

I like the idea of a sudden death quickfire because they added ones where you can win cash and prizes.  I hope the next time they do it, it's sudden death for both contestants and not just one.  Give the winning chef (or team) immunity, let the rest possibly perish in a face off against the loser.  

 

I wonder how long they'll keep them all in the judging room without organizing them better.  They sort of lost the shot of the winner going back to the herd, and it looked a little odd seeing them all clustered the way they were.  

 

Is there a Last Chance Kitchen this year?

[Kromm]

Blais as a judge bugs.

 

But he DID manage to kill Mike Isabella's little insect.  Thank goodness for that (is it any wonder Mike Isabella's partner is an obnoxious braggart who doesn't follow through?  He's like MIKE!)

[HappyDancex2]

I'm rewatching and still can't figure out what's in this petroleum sauce...gruyere, chicharron, half and half, squid ink and then there are pots of bubbling pepper oils, chipotle...he really isn't even clear on describing what he is making and why. Or the editing royally sucks. Or both.

And upon second gander, some of the other dishes weren't more complicated than broccoli salad however they twisted some ingredients (barely.)

I think they should have their names on the screen or on their jackets in a big font for the first 3 episodes! I was still like.."which one is greg?"

[LisaBLingLing]

 

 

I'm desolate that I didn't realize that Top Chef was filming in Boston, looks like this summer.

Me too!  Top Chef Boston popped up and my reaction is "How did I now know this was happening?"  I would have been stalking the Whole Foods all summer long.  But I have to say, the folks at the Food Festival?  Get your frump on Boston!  Some of us might know how to dress with style, maybe, perhaps, but we sure don't like to be all up in your face showing that we have that skill.

[HappyDancex2]

And did we not get introduced to Ma Po Tofu at all???

Did Blais do a trio on his first quickfire? He was the king of overdoing crap.

I will say that those oil powders/snows are kind of lame. Easy to make but gimmicky...which again, for Blais is kind of the pot calling the kettle...tapioca maltodextrin.

I hope we get a little Eric Ripert this year!

[WickedTuna]

I debated whether or not I was going to watch this; mostly because I was so disgusted with who won last season. I remember when I really looked forward to Wednesday nights and Top Chef. Oh the good old days.

Didn't someone from last season almost go home because of a broccoli salad but she had immunity?

Which season was it where they were cussing all the time? It seems like they're doing it this season too. I don't mind the swearing; I just hate all the bleeping.

I love when they have the mis en place challenge. I was surprised Tom wasn't there for it because he's always seemed to love blowing that whistle.

[hkit]

I was really turned off by Padma's reaction to the squid ink. I've never had it except in pasta form, so I will have to trust from many comments here that it isn't universally appealing. It certainly didn't look appetizing. But the way Padma's expression changed when he said it was black because of squid ink was telling. She decided right then and there she didn't like the dish, before she even tasted it.

Just because she turned out to be right about the dish being horrible doesn't mean she should be so outwardly dismissive.

[RealityGal]

 

What I don't like, even when judging a competition, is someone spitting out food.  There is little which is truly inedible, and one bite of "too much fat" does not rise to that level.  Criticize the hell out of it, sure.  Even chew it to the back of your mouth, walk away and spit it out, then say at judging, "I couldn't even get a bite down."  But to spit food into a napkin right in front of the person who made that food?  No.  That may be good TV, but it's bad form.

Padma annoys the ever loving snot out of me.  I forgot how much she does because I recently saw her on 30 Rock and she was funny and charming.  But she was pretty much ready to send that guy home for the crime of giving her a fatty piece of meat.  And she was such a raging bitch about it.  He didn't mean to give you a fatty piece, it was all he had left.  He had enough meat, it was just that towards the end he only had fatty portions.  Or was he supposed to keep the perfect piece of meat tucked away somewhere and serve the other guests the fatty meat?  Sometimes special snowflake, when you arrive at the very end of service you're not going to get the best portion.  Thankfully, Gail and Tom....also known as....those people actually really versed in the art of food called BS on her in the kindest way possible.  Gail pointing out that the cut of pork was almost always fatty, and even Richard didn't seem offended by the dish, and he probably got the same portion.

 

Her show of spitting food out makes me think that she doesn't even deserve to be there.  Its just rude.  I've choked down some pretty disgusting food in my life, and so has anyone who ever had someone cook them a bad meal.  Heck, a guy once ate a turducken I didn't cook all the way through, and not only was that gross, it was also dangerous.

 

She also lost me with her anger at the Mexican/Asian guy for not making a dish that was easy for her to eat.  Really?  That was the big problem with the dish?  Everyone else had actually food based, substantive problems with it, she is the only one shooting him the evil eye because she spilled it on herself.

 

I do like them giving everyone instant feedback, its been a problem for contestants on PR.  If they aren't in the bottom three, they don't know where they stand, or how they did.  At least this way they know.  But I think Padma just needs to stand around and be pretty, let Gail talk about the food, Gail is always respectful and honest.

[RealityGal]

Gregory seems really skilled, and a very nice guy.  But every time I saw him on the screen, I thought "When did Steve Urkel learn to cook"?

 

 

Maybe he's rerouting into star because his restaurants keep failing? Tom will never stop trying to right that 'wrong' of Stephanie beating his golden child, even though she's gone on to have a more successful career. I'm pretty sure deep down Blais is still pissed at Isabella for 'stealing' his pearl idea on All Stars, so probably not a great association for the sudden death guy to have. 

 

Isabella-lite would not have been long for this competition anyway if he got so bent out of shape so quickly. He's pissed because he couldn't bully Gregory into taking the clams, then was pissed he was slowest as he maybe would have sucked less at the mackerel, then was pissed when Gregory smoked him at the quickfire. I'm pretty sure you just got flat out beat, dude. If he'd taken a step outside of his alpha rage, he could have chosen people who were as bad, or worse, than he was at their station. It would at least lessen their ingredient options against him. 

 

At least the tattooed guy was properly embarrassed when Keriann destroyed those clams. It was probably for the best, because if that was his level of skill they might have been there until morning with him at the clams. Mei was also in beastmode very early. I hope she doesn't start off too high that the judges get bored with her by the end of the season, they seem to value redemption stories and all that other stuff as much as the food.

 

I totally wanted Dougie's fried chicken with watermelon. It looked amazing.

 

No one wants fishy corn soup, man. Except people with no options. And even then, they kept it separate for a reason.

I personally wanted everyone's chicken dish.  Fried chicken skin, cheesy grits and green...yes please!  Fried chicken and watermelon....yes please!  Chicken and plaintain/banana and pepper.....yes please!

 

That guy that went out first.  His biggest mistake was not thinking logically.  First, if he wanted the mackrel he should have fought a little harder for it, don't just make under the breath comments, come right out and make it happen.  Second, if you wanted to stay on the show you were stupid to pick a really good chef, you should have gone for the lower hanging fruit, or someone that seemed easier to beat.  As much as I like the large man (is fat offensive?) asking him to run around a kitchen to get ingredients right after the quick fire might have been a little more difficult for him, he might have been a little easier to beat.  The woman who just said she feels totally outclassed by all the talent in the room might be a good pick to go up against.  Dude who ended up making fishy corn soup.*  But don't pick a guy just because you're mad at him because he got the mackrel you wanted.  Dumb move.

 

* - and by the way, I hate that my tastebuds have to keep up with trends.  Maybe I should just eat what tastes delicious.  Yuck.

 

 

 

I thought this episode was okay... definitely some jerks for contestants, but there are so many right now, I can hope a lot of them vanish quickly. I'm not a huge fan of Richard, there has just been too much of him over the years for me, so I could do without him as a regular judge.

 

Overall, there were some interesting dishes. It sounds like they made the right choice with the winner and loser. I don't have as much of a problem with the broccoli salad thing, assuming it tasted good (which may not have been the case, but that should have been the critique, not that it's a 'side dish' ) It semed to fit the parameters of the challenge- which was elevate the FIRST thing you ever cooked. Which, sure there is no way to verify, and the chefs could take some liberties there... but even as not a chef, the first things I ever cooked were things like toast or macaroni and cheese... maybe a grilled cheese sandwich- or helping parents make a dish for a potluck or something. So the broccoli salad would fit that.   I guess they could have been thinking the first thing they ever cooked as a meal or as a real chef or something... but there were dishes like the fish and 'tartar sauce' that had a nice story of my grandfather would make the fish and i'd make this, which is why I chose this dish.  But it was sort of an odd challenge, IMO, since the contestants could still pretty much just make up whatever they wanted (which I guess they could do for just about any challenge based on their pasts)   But I wonder if broccoli salad was trying to follow the challenge more than some?

 

I guess i'm glad she wasn't eliminated for that... since with a ton of other food stations, it's not like the customers were depending on her dish to be a full meal. I don't think it was a winner, but I would have been bothered if she got eliminated for it just because it was a "side dish".

 

The challenge was a joke to me.  I think the smart contestant probably chose what they wanted to make and then had a story to go with it.  Although I found it funny that the one overused method they mentioned was something about cheese snow, or onion snow or something.  I was sure Tom was going to talk about people pouring liquid nitrogen all over everything.  Because that is a trend that has been overdone, and Wylie Dufraine ought to be suing all these people for stealing his thing.

 

The unfair thing....now that I think about it was as basic as a salad is, didn't some girl basically make a cherry dessert that had flakey crust, ginger and a few cherries?  Thats not a main dish, and it sounds like it wasn't tasty, and it sounds wayyyy simple for a first dish on top chef.

 

As for the guy in the black cap, I'm not super upset with him yet, because a) I think if you are going to brag about an award, it should be an award that everyone has heard of, and that award sounded a little suspicious, not like she made it up per se, but just the chef equivalent of a "best attendance" award.  On Top Chef, if its not a James Beard, it should at least be close.  I might roll my eyes at something like that too and b) making a salad as your first dish on top chef is a little lame, and I don't think a little shit talking in the kitchen has ever been a big thing.

[cooksdelight]

Didn't someone from last season almost go home because of a broccoli salad but she had immunity?

Yes, Tom told her had she not been immune she would have been sent home. It was the college cafeteria challenge. Can't remember her name for the life of me.

[radiochik]

I didn't get the bad feeling about Isabella-lite that the rest of you did.  I didn't think he was pissed. I thought he was uncomfortable and a bit quiet.  This may have to do with an interview with him I read earlier this week - I'm from the DC area so he was the local chef getting all the attention.  (I was surprised to see someone from Fredericksburg on there as well since I hadn't seen any press on her.  Fredericksburg is close enough to be considered DC area - a lot of people live out there and commute because of how horrible the traffic is.)  Anyway, in the interview, he called Top Chef one of the more stressful experiences in his life and that he wasn't looking to become a TV star, just to get the Kapnos name out there.  (Although it's not like Kapnos doesn't already have Isabella's name attached to it.)  He also referenced it as an opportunity that came to him that he couldn't pass up which makes it sounds like he was recruited and didn't apply on his own.  I thought his first problem was being wishy washy about what he wanted to do in the timed race.  The clams came to him because he didn't assert himself.  I didn't have a problem with him saying the team set him up to lose. He's right.  The others were slow which put them last when it was his turn.  Yes, he was the slowest on the team doing a protein that he didn't want to do in the first place but had the other 3 finished earlier, he could have been slow and still not finished last.  Then, as we all know, he stupidly challenged Gregory.  If no one goes home if you win, of course you try and pick a weaker chef not someone you're pissed at.  When he left, I didn't see sour grapes. I saw a guy disappointed in himself.  Does his association with Mike Isabella sour people on him before he even gets a chance to make an impression? Because i didn't think he was so bad.  (And for the record, I HATED Isabella during his season and during the whole recipegate w Blais on All Stars.  After his first go round on Top Chef, I refused to eat at Zatinya because he was associated with it.  However, I've had the chance to meet him a few times through my job and he's not a bad guy.  Very likable in person and super friendly.  I think he's grown a lot since his season.  And I've had fantastic food at his first restaurant Graffiato.) 

 

I hate early eliminations like a Sudden Death Quickfire.  Yes, I was rooting for Isabella-lite cuz he's local but even if it hadn't been him going home, I feel for the ones that go first in those kind of eliminations.  If someone makes the show, I'd like to see them cook in a full challenge before being eliminated, since someone had to be first.

 

Also, add me to the people who like Richard Blais. He's been a favorite of mine since his season. But lately, he's on tv so much, I"m getting tired of seeing him and his neurotic tendencies.   I thought adding him as a judge might be a good thing since he won't be competing and won't have a reason to be stressed/neurotic.  But this was just Blais Overload.  He's at the Quickfire, he's in the kitchen, he's at the event, he's at the table. ENOUGH.  Just have him at the event/challenge and at the judges table. Someone mentioned this and I agree that Blais calling out Olive Oil Snow and Bacon Powder was very Pot Kettle Black for me.  I'm still a Richard fan so hopefully they will tone down the Blais as the season goes on. 

 

 

[icol]

 

Or was he supposed to keep the perfect piece of meat tucked away somewhere and serve the other guests the fatty meat?

 

Given the scenario, yep I would do exactly like that. The other guests won't have the power to eliminate him, while Padma can. If he wants to be Top Chef, he must please the judges. Besides, isn't it always like that? You reserve the best parts for the judges because they'll be the one critiquing your dish. I don't think Padma was being bratty to "demand" a better piece; instead, I find it faulty on the messy chef that he wasn't quick to think of choosing the best for the four judges.

 

I'm really not annoyed with Blais the way others are here, so he's an okay addition. But then again, what do I know? I also do love Hughnibrow so maybe I have a knack of liking the annoying ones. Padma throwing the fat doesn't bother me either. Looking at cap guy slicing it while serving already made me "eek" so what more if I was put in that scenario. Also, that many ingredients guy is TOO.MUCH.TOO.SOON. The moment he said "squid ink fondue", I would have zoned off. Why did he think that hearing such will translate to yummy or delicious is beyond me.

 

Overall, I'm okay with this season starter so far. Not anyone to consider my favorite yet, though a lot are going quickly in my "dislike" list.

[Julia]

Someone mentioned this and I agree that Blais calling out Olive Oil Snow and Bacon Powder was very Pot Kettle Black for me. 

 

Particularly since his contribution to Rick Bayless' banquet on TCM was "ice cream" made by pouring liquid nitrogen on avocados.

[cooksdelight]

 

He also referenced it as an opportunity that came to him that he couldn't pass up which makes it sounds like he was recruited and didn't apply on his own.

 

Most of them are, from what I've learned. I looked up Katsuji because I knew I'd seen him on Chopped. The article about him mentioned him being recruited for that show as well. It seems to be the norm nowadays for all competitive reality shows, unless it's a brand new show. And even those rely on chefs or contestants who have appeared on similar shows. Stephanie Cmar from last season was on Midnight Feast last night, alongside a guy who was on The Taste.

[RealityGal]

Given the scenario, yep I would do exactly like that. The other guests won't have the power to eliminate him, while Padma can. If he wants to be Top Chef, he must please the judges. Besides, isn't it always like that? You reserve the best parts for the judges because they'll be the one critiquing your dish. I don't think Padma was being bratty to "demand" a better piece; instead, I find it faulty on the messy chef that he wasn't quick to think of choosing the best for the four judges.

 

I'm really not annoyed with Blais the way others are here, so he's an okay addition. But then again, what do I know? I also do love Hughnibrow so maybe I have a knack of liking the annoying ones. Padma throwing the fat doesn't bother me either. Looking at cap guy slicing it while serving already made me "eek" so what more if I was put in that scenario. Also, that many ingredients guy is TOO.MUCH.TOO.SOON. The moment he said "squid ink fondue", I would have zoned off. Why did he think that hearing such will translate to yummy or delicious is beyond me.

 

Overall, I'm okay with this season starter so far. Not anyone to consider my favorite yet, though a lot are going quickly in my "dislike" list.

here is the thing, I can't help but think the piece of meat Padma got wasn't that bad.  Richard was served right there with her, and barely said a word about the meat being fatty.  The only special snowflake who had a problem with it was Padma.  The judges are shown talking to various members of the audience, and to me, if someone was cutting up pieces of fat to give to guests, you would have heard about that, or the judges would have "magically" stumbled on that person.  And when he was reaching in to serve Padma and Richard, it appeared as though he had a few pieces of meat left, so out of that bunch, he likely picked the best piece out of all of them.  It would make no sense for him to serve Richard a reasonable piece of meat, and Padma something totally inedible.  I just think Padma has nothing to add, but the very obvious "this is hard to eat!", "this has fat in it!" and she tries real hard to make it sound like a serious critique, but it all sounds like stuff I could critique someone on.  I, too, know when meat has a lot of fat, and when something is difficult to eat.  Let me listen to someone who knows things I don't know.   When I listen to everyone else on the panel give a critique it always sounds more informed than whatever Padma is angry pants about.  I find it telling that the two other chefs on the judging panel, one of whom was actually served with her, didn't have a big problem with the dish.  I was amused when Padma thought that everyone else was going to get enraged over his dish, and it was basically crickets.

 

I find anyone who spits out food to very likely be someone looking for attention or being bratty.  I've eaten some gross stuff in my life, but I've managed to keep it down.  Heck, half the homegrown remedies my foreign mother brought from her country would make your head spin, but I managed to keep it down, and I was just a kid.  There is no excuse, she could have held it down and then said it was gross, no need for the dramatics.  And I've said the same thing of that bald assclown on MasterChef.

Edited October 17, 2014 by RealityGal

[RealityGal]

I hope we get a little Eric Ripert this year!

 

I have such a crush on him.  I'd like to see a lot of Eric Ripert, and I won't even tell you which parts :)

[cooksdelight]

Eric could read the phone book to me and I'd be a melted puddle at his feet....

[MangoFed]

And did we not get introduced to Ma Po Tofu at all???

Did Blais do a trio on his first quickfire? He was the king of overdoing crap.

I will say that those oil powders/snows are kind of lame. Easy to make but gimmicky...which again, for Blais is kind of the pot calling the kettle...tapioca maltodextrin.

I hope we get a little Eric Ripert this year!

 

Blais actually made a pizza for his first quickfire. He has a reputation of being really crazy and avant-garde, but honestly, the techniques he uses tend to have a purpose to them for the dish, which is what I think he (and other MG people like Voltaggio) have said makes the difference. The contestants who put bacon/olive oil snow didn't mention the benefits of it at all. Why not sprinkle olive oil over the top normally, or just cook up bacon and toss it in there (that's an honest question, I don't know much about this stuff). Whereas stuff like using liquid nitrogen (just for example) has a practical use... it cools stuff super fast, so for ice cream, you get a much smoother result.

 

I hope it's ok to add this way of thinking re: why so many disliked Richard Blais' constant proclamations on chocking. Think about athletes - they never say they chocked after they lose; its not cool to do so. Saying you chocked after a big game or a match is a way of discrediting your opponent who just beat you. It takes the sheen off of their win, and implies they only won because you had an injury or an off day. Unsportsmanlike and not cool.

I brought it up last week on the Top Chef Duels thread because Richard, in the finals, compared himself to LeBron James. Yes, you read that right. LeBron James. Because he was going for "muliple championships." (He lost, btw). I suggested he could learn a thing or two from his sports idol on going out with grace.

 

I think athletes actually say that all the time. More notably, other people say that about athletes all the time too. Padma, Tom, and Gail have all used the term 'choked' in relation to Blais. Does it change if he says it? I agree that it takes something away from the winner, but I think it's been blown out of proportion. 

[elzin]

 But the way Padma's expression changed when he said it was black because of squid ink was telling. She decided right then and there she didn't like the dish, before she even tasted it.

Just because she turned out to be right about the dish being horrible doesn't mean she should be so outwardly dismissive.

 

I do think Padma can be bizarrely stubborn and off her rocker. There were some things that got her going last season that confused me. I didn't get the vibe here though. She was horrified by the scotch bonnet banana thing, but ended up loving it, even admitting she wasn't expecting to like it.  I give her credit for not letting her initial reaction taint her final opinion here, but it is frustrating that she's so prematurely judgmental and kind of nasty at times.

 

[HappyDancex2]

No fan to Padma as I think she has waaaaay overstepped her bounds from her host duties, I know that people who have issues with eating meat have pretty strong reactions overall to various preparations and also the smell of it.   She admits that she is otherwise a vegetarian other than during her tasting during Top Chef so she just isn't someone who likes meat for whatever reason.  If you watch her take a bite of that fatty piece her expression changes instantly like she ate snot or a bug or something really unpleasant. 

 

Some people would actually enjoy a whole piece of fat to chew on because they associate that fattiness with richness and flavor and decadence.  She obviously associates the fat with something negative or the texture is too unpleasant for her.  Padma also goes against modern chef-wisdom and does not like her meats rare or midrare.  Her "window" of enjoyment for meat seems pretty limited.  And I have to view the partially masticated food stuffs in her mouth because she is a knife eating open chewer.  LOL.

 

 

The other thing is that for some people pork has an unpleasant undertone of slightly funkifying meat.   I know in asian cuisine the use of sherry is often used to cut the smelly porkiness of pork to mask that smell that sometimes comes up your nose.   Certain cultures are just more sensitive to it.

[phoenix780]

Blais actually made a pizza for his first quickfire. He has a reputation of being really crazy and avant-garde, but honestly, the techniques he uses tend to have a purpose to them for the dish, which is what I think he (and other MG people like Voltaggio) have said makes the difference. The contestants who put bacon/olive oil snow didn't mention the benefits of it at all. Why not sprinkle olive oil over the top normally, or just cook up bacon and toss it in there (that's an honest question, I don't know much about this stuff). Whereas stuff like using liquid nitrogen (just for example) has a practical use... it cools stuff super fast, so for ice cream, you get a much smoother result.

 

At judging the lady who made bacon snow said it was something she thought the attendees would get a kick out of, and I thought that was a great point.  In a way it's essentially another plating technique, not necessarily about flavor but about enhancing the overall eating experience for the diner.  And I have to admit, I only see that sort of thing on television, so if I were to attend a Top Chef food convention (or whatever it was called) I would enjoy some random snow.  Though probably not a foam- foam always looks gross to me.  

[stillshimpy]

I'm rewatching and still can't figure out what's in this petroleum sauce...gruyere, chicharron, half and half, squid ink and then there are pots of bubbling pepper oils, chipotle...he really isn't even clear on describing what he is making and why. Or the editing royally sucks. Or both.

The funniest thing about that dish was that it was supposed to be inspired by the first thing the chef ever cooked. Apparently he must have cooked everything he could get his hands on in his first foray into cooking. I like the chef, but that hodgepodge was mystifying to look at and only became more so after the description of what was in it.  Wow.  It was like the entree version of a dump-cake, or the dishes that result when cleaning out the fridge.   

 

As for Richard as a judge, it was his first outing as one and I did find that he had very little of substance to say.  When he wanted to talk about the olive oil snow and bacon powder, I thought he'd have something to say about how the flavors or techniques incorporate or fail to incorporate into a dish, or when he feels it is warranted and why it wasn't then.  However, on the more positive side, he looks genuinely pleased to be there and excited to be so.   It gave Tom C.  a little bit of a break too.  I actually like Tom, but he had one season in there -- following a back injury -- where he was grumpy to the point of unpleasant.  It was good to see a primarily smiling Tom.  

Top Chef The Flagship show has actually rotated some truly bad judges into one of the judging spots.  Anybody else remember that guy Tobey-something-or-other who was an unmitigated disaster because he didn't have much screen experience.  It was clear that he thought his role there was to deliver bon mots in the style of Anthony Bourdain, but they were too acidic and too clearly prepared beforehand.  So in comparison to that guy?  Bring on Richard Blais as a judge.  The one wholly positive thing I have to say about the dude is that god knows he's had enough opportunity to craft a screen personality.  

 

As for Padma spitting out the food, you know it just didn't bug me.  She so into a napkin.  She's there as a judge, not a guest and that guy's station was filthy on top of being served a hunk of fat.  I don't think she's under any obligation to choke down anything, because judge, not guest.  Tom actually still holds the "Wow, was that necessary?" title for spitting out food, because he ducked off camera and into a bush to spit out shrimp in one of the seasons where they all cooked in the desert.  I also don't think he was under an obligation to swallow spoiled shrimp, but in that instance the napkin would have been the proper protocol.  

 

The first time I ever had salmon roe that had turned the corner into fishy, it was the fishiest thing to ever fishy.  It was so aggressively fishy.   So the sweet corn chowder being described as having fishy roe with it was really pulling up the most unpleasant sense memories.  I'm glad that guy had to go and go quickly.  I was still a little surprised that Sir Filthy Station Too Fatty Pork Belly (it always takes me an age to start getting the names down) wasn't in the bottom, even over broccoli salad girl.  

 

The guy who freaked out and put everything he could find into his dish and then used a hat-sized ladle to serve it up at least seemed to get that the dish went South.  Fishy Corn dude just seemed to still not get what a bad taste combo that would have been even if the roe had been as fresh as could be. 

 

I also didn't mind the Isabella guy , my chief complaint with Mike Isabella is that he's always seemed like such an unrepentant sexist, but he seems so well-liked that I have to assume there's something more to the guy.  Even the chefs who are women and have been on multiple shows with him seem so genuinely fond of him.  He's not for me, but I wasn't quite willing to damn Isabella-lite guy just by association.  If he'd stuck around maybe he'd have provided reasons to dislike him, but he seemed okay.  

 

The mis en place challenge seemed cater made to putting whatever poor sods drew the shellfish on the chopping block.  Shucking is something that is hard to get down if you don't do it regularly. 

[LilyoftheValley]

I personally wanted everyone's chicken dish.  Fried chicken skin, cheesy grits and green...yes please!  Fried chicken and watermelon....yes please!  Chicken and plaintain/banana and pepper.....yes please!

 

That guy that went out first.  His biggest mistake was not thinking logically.  First, if he wanted the mackrel he should have fought a little harder for it, don't just make under the breath comments, come right out and make it happen.  Second, if you wanted to stay on the show you were stupid to pick a really good chef, you should have gone for the lower hanging fruit, or someone that seemed easier to beat.  As much as I like the large man (is fat offensive?) asking him to run around a kitchen to get ingredients right after the quick fire might have been a little more difficult for him, he might have been a little easier to beat.  The woman who just said she feels totally outclassed by all the talent in the room might be a good pick to go up against.  Dude who ended up making fishy corn soup.*  But don't pick a guy just because you're mad at him because he got the mackrel you wanted.  Dumb move.

 

* - and by the way, I hate that my tastebuds have to keep up with trends.  Maybe I should just eat what tastes delicious.  Yuck.

 

 

 

 

The challenge was a joke to me.  I think the smart contestant probably chose what they wanted to make and then had a story to go with it.  Although I found it funny that the one overused method they mentioned was something about cheese snow, or onion snow or something.  I was sure Tom was going to talk about people pouring liquid nitrogen all over everything.  Because that is a trend that has been overdone, and Wylie Dufraine ought to be suing all these people for stealing his thing.

 

The unfair thing....now that I think about it was as basic as a salad is, didn't some girl basically make a cherry dessert that had flakey crust, ginger and a few cherries?  Thats not a main dish, and it sounds like it wasn't tasty, and it sounds wayyyy simple for a first dish on top chef.

 

As for the guy in the black cap, I'm not super upset with him yet, because a) I think if you are going to brag about an award, it should be an award that everyone has heard of, and that award sounded a little suspicious, not like she made it up per se, but just the chef equivalent of a "best attendance" award.  On Top Chef, if its not a James Beard, it should at least be close.  I might roll my eyes at something like that too and b) making a salad as your first dish on top chef is a little lame, and I don't think a little shit talking in the kitchen has ever been a big thing.

I thought he was probably in the right to dis that award too.  I mean, it is obviously not a prestigious award recognized by top chefs, but rather a contest she paid to enter that gives out awards sort of willy-nilly.  If that is her "big" accomplishment as a chef, then she is probably a bit out of her league.  It reminded me of that douche a couple seasons back that Tom kicked off in the first five minutes because he did not know how to break down a pork chop.  On his website his big accomplishment was that his mommy paid to have his "cookbook" self-published when he was 17.  Okay, that is not a real accomplishment; it is just a project that you did.  Similarly, winning "best new young chef" sounds like it came from a low-rent contest.  It reminds me of the Toddlers and Tiaras Super Nacho Supreme Deluxe Princess of the Galaxy title. It sounds impressive until you realize they paid $1,000 to enter, the contest was held in the Comfort Inn "ballroom" and judged by a Britney Spears impersonator transvestite.

[LotusFlower]

I think athletes actually say that all the time. More notably, other people say that about athletes all the time too. Padma, Tom, and Gail have all used the term 'choked' in relation to Blais. Does it change if he says it?

Yes, of course. It's completely different if somebody else says it about you vs. you saying it about yourself. In the former, it's analysis or "color commentary," or a fan's point of view. In the latter, it's sour grapes or bad sportsmanship.

[FormerMod-a1]

Tom actually still holds the "Wow, was that necessary?" title for spitting out food, because he ducked off camera and into a bush to spit out shrimp in one of the seasons where they all cooked in the desert.

In that instance I thought he thought he might do more than spit it out, like it actually turned his stomach pretty badly.

[Rambler]

here is the thing, I can't help but think the piece of meat Padma got wasn't that bad.  Richard was served right there with her, and barely said a word about the meat being fatty.  The only special snowflake who had a problem with it was Padma.  The judges are shown talking to various members of the audience, and to me, if someone was cutting up pieces of fat to give to guests, you would have heard about that, or the judges would have "magically" stumbled on that person.  And when he was reaching in to serve Padma and Richard, it appeared as though he had a few pieces of meat left, so out of that bunch, he likely picked the best piece out of all of them.  It would make no sense for him to serve Richard a reasonable piece of meat, and Padma something totally inedible.  I just think Padma has nothing to add, but the very obvious "this is hard to eat!", "this has fat in it!" and she tries real hard to make it sound like a serious critique, but it all sounds like stuff I could critique someone on.  I, too, know when meat has a lot of fat, and when something is difficult to eat.  Let me listen to someone who knows things I don't know.

 

Well since the chef himself said that he only had fatty pieces left to serve her and that he didn't want to serve it, but he had no choice, then I would say it probably wasn't a figment of her imagination.

 

[RealityGal]

Well since the chef himself said that he only had fatty pieces left to serve her and that he didn't want to serve it, but he had no choice, then I would say it probably wasn't a figment of her imagination.

 

If the piece was super fatty, how come Richard didn't say anything or even agree with Padma?  Padma was obviously looking for everyone to agree with her, and the person who probably got the same cut didn't have the same complaint, so while it was likely fattier than other pieces, I don't think it was so over the top.

[MangoFed]

Yes, of course. It's completely different if somebody else says it about you vs. you saying it about yourself. In the former, it's analysis or "color commentary," or a fan's point of view. In the latter, it's sour grapes or bad sportsmanship.

I guess I kinda disagree with that then. It's a true statement, regardless of who says it. I see why some feel it's in poor form, but I like the honesty of it. Regardless, it's a very semantic discussion. I'm looking forward to next weeks show.

[LotusFlower]

I guess I kinda disagree with that then. It's a true statement, regardless of who says it. I see why some feel it's in poor form, but I like the honesty of it..

I don't think anyone's ever denied the veracity of Blais chocking, or even cares. His decision to say his "truth" goes to his character, which is why many don't like him.

[Kromm]

Padma annoys the ever loving snot out of me.  I forgot how much she does because I recently saw her on 30 Rock and she was funny and charming.  But she was pretty much ready to send that guy home for the crime of giving her a fatty piece of meat.  And she was such a raging bitch about it.  He didn't mean to give you a fatty piece, it was all he had left.  He had enough meat, it was just that towards the end he only had fatty portions.  Or was he supposed to keep the perfect piece of meat tucked away somewhere and serve the other guests the fatty meat?  Sometimes special snowflake, when you arrive at the very end of service you're not going to get the best portion.  Thankfully, Gail and Tom....also known as....those people actually really versed in the art of food called BS on her in the kindest way possible.  Gail pointing out that the cut of pork was almost always fatty, and even Richard didn't seem offended by the dish, and he probably got the same portion.

 

Her show of spitting food out makes me think that she doesn't even deserve to be there.  Its just rude.  I've choked down some pretty disgusting food in my life, and so has anyone who ever had someone cook them a bad meal.  Heck, a guy once ate a turducken I didn't cook all the way through, and not only was that gross, it was also dangerous.

 

She also lost me with her anger at the Mexican/Asian guy for not making a dish that was easy for her to eat.  Really?  That was the big problem with the dish?  Everyone else had actually food based, substantive problems with it, she is the only one shooting him the evil eye because she spilled it on herself.

 

I do like them giving everyone instant feedback, its been a problem for contestants on PR.  If they aren't in the bottom three, they don't know where they stand, or how they did.  At least this way they know.  But I think Padma just needs to stand around and be pretty, let Gail talk about the food, Gail is always respectful and honest.

Your point about what a rhymes with witch Padma can be is pretty dead on.  That said, I DO think the judges assume that prime portions will (and should) be held back for them.  On several levels in seems unfair (not only to the diners, but also to the contestants for having to deduce this is the case without being told), but it does fall in line with the general idea of "I can only judge what I see/taste".  Padma copping an attitude doesn't change the fact that they can't judge some ideal portion of the dish that doesn't go into their own mouths.  I'd say this even includes them totally running out of food.  If they are on the verge of running out, they'd better declare themselves "empty" to the crowd when they are down to the last four portions (and they'd better be the BEST four portions), if the judges haven't shown up to evaluate them yet. This all counts as part of playing the game, I'd say, but isn't really all that different from catering to a critic or a VIP that comes to their restaurant. They may only have a certain amount of portions of a special back in their kitchens, but if you have to hold one back--and the best one--on the off-chance the VIP asks for it... you do so.  Same goes here.

 

As far as the difficulty of that other dish to eat, on this occasion it was Padma objecting for this reason, but plenty of other show judges have done the same over the years (Tom and Gail included).  It can certainly be an arbitrary objection--for example a good complex layered soup is usually going to be classed as difficult to eat unless you shove it all into a certain kind of to-go carton that's not at all elegant--and then they'd take knocks over that.  That said, this WAS specifically a challenge with food served buffet style, vs. being a sit-down meal, so it probably should be understood by the contestants that the "brief" on the dish includes it being easy to carry around and eat while standing.  So it's a fair knock on a contestant if that's not the case, even if Padma expresses the thought in a particularly unpleasant way.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Kromm

[HappyDancex2]

I do like the Blais so far from a judging standpoint.  He seems enthusiastic and I like his energy.  I think I will enjoy him in this role more than as a cheftestant because that Woe2Me neurosis thing he has got going on that the editing room always highlights of him just gets so exhausting to watch.  I'm sure it's a common thing when you completely love your dish concept and then judges hate it....you second guess yourself and your vision.  But the literal self loathing and insta-Hate of his dishes was just really toxic for me and I always found Blais more on the rootable side!  I'm now rooting for a happier Blais.

 

I will say that I don't think he's taking any load off of Tom though.  Blais is replacing the season guest judge like the Eric Ripert, Emeril, Hugh, Bourdain....the one that appears for "most" of the season.  Tom generally is never around for the quickfires, just the elimination challenges.

 

I don't know how I feel about the quickfire eliminations.  Part of me wants to get rid of some of these people so I can learn their names.  The other part of me thinks it's just so harsh.  But I guess it's just a quicker timeline of an elimination instead of a 2 day longer challenge that you manage to screw up.

 

Anyone else think it was weird to show the preview clips of the season and show so many of the chefs that were left?  I didn't stop on anything to see on my DVR but definitely tons of spoilers if you wanted to glean them, just from the trailer.

[Wings]

Padma was raised a vegetarian but she does not eat that way now or in her modeling years.  

 

GQ: Modeling doesn't exactly seem to be the most natural transition into the world of food. How did that happen?
Padma Lakshmi: So I know people are like "Well, how does modeling tie into the food?"

 

But you know, one was a direct result of the other. I just always had a very sensitive palate and I loved to try different kinds of foods. And as a model I was able to travel a lot for work and explore other cultures. And because I had an inherent interest in food, I would explore the food in those cultures. And it sort of formed who I was and what I do now. I was really fortunate to get to go to all those countries as a model and experience different cultures and food. I think I couldn't do what I do now if I hadn't had that experience.

 

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/celebrities/201111/padma-lakshmi-top-chef-texas

 

She goes on to say that to lose the 10 to 15 pounds after the show wraps she sticks to chicken and fish and skips red meat. 

Edited October 17, 2014 by wings707

[panthergirl13]

The funniest thing about that dish was that it was supposed to be inspired by the first thing the chef ever cooked. Apparently he must have cooked everything he could get his hands on in his first foray into cooking. 

My sentiment exactly. When I was a kid I'd sit at the kitchen table and dump a million things I found in the kitchen into a huge bowl and mix it all together. It was not meant for anyone to actually consume (least of all Padma).

 

I usually don't pay attention to all the interactive crap all over the screen, but did notice that you can now order the ingredients and recipe for the winning dish and have it delivered to your house. Pretty nifty if you have the skills.

[Rammchick]

"our beautiful blond thoroughbred carian grabs the knife, clams are flying open."

 

 

I couldn't believe I was actually hearing a man -- a person -- anyone --say this out loud.  Could you be any more sexist? 

 

Really, the major problem with calling something "petroleum", is, well, petroleum.  As someone who has eaten blue crabs that were obviously tainted by being exposed to oil (and also as someone who works on oil spills and with petroleum products), I can say with all certainty that there could not be a more unpleasant association.  Even if it didn't taste like that (and I find squid ink very tasty), just the name is enough to put you off.  Yuck!  But I enjoyed Katsuji on Chopped (thank you, whoever you were upthread for reminding me where I'd seen him before -- I spent the whole episode trying to remember) so I'm going to root for him here.

 

My mother would make chicken soup when I was a child, and I would get the peels and scraps to play with, to make my own pretend "soup".  I imagine that that dish wouldn't have cut it either in this competition ;)  Broccoli-salad lady is going to have to learn better gamesmanship:  "Yes, the first dish I ever cooked was Beef Wellington..."

 

Ahah!  Finally figured you out, Gordon Ramsay!

Edited October 17, 2014 by Rammchick

[Julia]

I don't think any of the judges would really want to try my iceberg lettuce salad with chicken bouillon powder vinaigrette (my mom was kind of opposed to food on general principle, so we didn't have a whole lot of ingredients). I think the first thing using heat was angel food cake from a box with bright pink icing from a can.

 

Broccoli salad lady should have used the same ingredients and made soup instead.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Julia

[meep.meep]

Did the losing guy put salmon eggs into his soup?  Is that where the fishiness was coming from?  Because his list of ingredients included sriracha caviar, which I assumed was sriracha made into little balls, not really caviar.

 

 

Blais actually made a pizza for his first quickfire.

They all made pizza for that first quickfire.  Deepdish pizza.  I think that Blais distinguished himself by taking two pans so that someone else (Andrew?) didn't have a real deepdish pan to use.

[cooksdelight]

meep.meep as I understood it he was making some kind of fake caviar with a fish product.

[Julia]

I thought corn soup guy used salmon roe and sriracha pearls?

[BC Mama]

Gregory seems really skilled, and a very nice guy.  But every time I saw him on the screen, I thought "When did Steve Urkel learn to cook"?

 

I was wondering when Spike Lee learned to cook!!

 

Given the scenario, yep I would do exactly like that. The other guests won't have the power to eliminate him, while Padma can. If he wants to be Top Chef, he must please the judges. Besides, isn't it always like that? You reserve the best parts for the judges because they'll be the one critiquing your dish. I don't think Padma was being bratty to "demand" a better piece; instead, I find it faulty on the messy chef that he wasn't quick to think of choosing the best for the four judges.

 

Your point about what a rhymes with witch Padma can be is pretty dead on.  That said, I DO think the judges assume that prime portions will (and should) be held back for them.  On several levels in seems unfair (not only to the diners, but also to the contestants for having to deduce this is the case without being told), but it does fall in line with the general idea of "I can only judge what I see/taste". 

 

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect that the judges will be getting the best parts! This is something they are all used to working in professional kitchens. If you know there is an important critic eating in your restaurant that night, your serve them the very best, seat them at the best table, offer the best service. I don't think it should be any different on this show. 

[snakenax]

 

As for Padma spitting out the food, you know it just didn't bug me.  She so into a napkin.  She's there as a judge, not a guest and that guy's station was filthy on top of being served a hunk of fat.

From what I gathered given her reaction and what she said to Blais after is that it wasn't just that it was a overly fatty cut of meat, but that his station was a mess and though I felt we didn't really see it, both Padma and Blais seemed really taken back by his attitude. Basically she felt grossed out on multiple levels, which honestly seeing his station i'm not surprised by. Seriously I work in a deli and his station was filthier than the sandwich station at lunch rush and we aren't exactly on Top Chef, I probably would have decided not to eat his food after one look at that.