The Judges: They Think You Need More Salt

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Gail Simmons discusses her new book and a little bit about the new season of Top Chef on Build:

[chiaros]

Toby Young has been appointed to a job overseeing the UK Universities.

https://newrepublic.com/article/146465/brexit-britain-hits-new-low

 

Quote

Young is a British journalist best known for judging Top Chef, his novel How To Lose Friends and Alienate People, and his op-eds in The Spectator, where he is a contributing editor. He has no experience of working in higher education whatsoever, besides a couple of fleeting gigs teaching during a failed Ph.D. attempt.

Young does have a record, however, of publicly supporting the Conservative Party, helping lead its supposed defense of free speech from the pitchfork-wielding members of the left. He has a record of blaming black Britons for not getting into Oxford, saying “the reason there are so few black British undergraduates at Oxford is because so few apply.” (As it happens, he didn’t get into Oxford on his own: Hisfather called up the university and got him in.) He has a record of tweeting about British politicians’ cleavage. He has a record of calling inclusivity “ghastly,” and blaming New Labour for it:

Quote

Schools have got to be “inclusive” these days. That means wheelchair ramps, the complete works of Alice Walker in the school library (though no Mark Twain), and a Special Educational Needs Department that can cope with everything from dyslexia to Münchausen syndrome by proxy. If [former Education Secretary Michael] Gove is serious about wanting to bring back O-levels, the government will have to repeal the Equalities Act because any exam that isn’t “accessible” to a functionally illiterate troglodyte with a mental age of six will be judged to be “elitist” and therefore forbidden by Harman’s Law.

Those absurd and cruel words were published in 2012 by the Spectator. But he has been talking down to students, disabled and otherwise, for a long time.

[Wings]

I am glad to see Graham is not going to be on every show.  NOW, I want my boyfriend, Hugh.  I am going to put my fingers in my ears and stomp my feet a la Isla Fisher in Wedding Crashers if they don't get him.  

[cooksdelight]

You need to fly out here and we’ll make a road trip to Athens, GA. :)

[Blonde Gator]

4 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

You need to fly out here and we’ll make a road trip to Athens, GA. :)

Hugh is in Athens?  Great college town.  Hotspot for fantastic music, and now good food, too!

[cooksdelight]

He has several. I’ve eaten at 5 & 10 and The National, both are excellent.

[Wings]

On 1/5/2018 at 4:52 AM, cooksdelight said:

You need to fly out here and we’ll make a road trip to Athens, GA. :)

??  Is Hugh in Athens GA?  Is that what this means?

[cooksdelight]

Yes, he has several restaurants there.

https://hughacheson.com/pages/the-restaurants

[ProudMary]

While we don't normally talk fashion here, this photo, from the Vanity Fair post-Oscars' party, is such a WTF moment that I just had to share.  Have all the mirrors in Padma's home been destroyed? 

[mlp]

Oh, good lord.  Hideous.  She must have been chatting with Cher.

[The Solution]

It would be nice without the undergarment.

[cooksdelight]

Ewwwwwww!!! I am now thinking someone on TC dresses her for each episode.

[Toothbrush]

Ugly dress, but her body looks fantastic. It looks like she has gained some weight, & IMO it really suits her. Her face looks different - nip/tuck maybe?

I was wondering if she wore the blue ribbon in honor of Fatima, but google tells me that brain cancer is represented by a gray ribbon. 

Edited March 7, 2018 by Toothbrush

[Lamb18]

She reminds me of a lamp and the little black circle she's standing on is the base.

[garnet207]

On 3/6/2018 at 8:35 PM, Toothbrush said:

Ugly dress, but her body looks fantastic. It looks like she has gained some weight, & IMO it really suits her. Her face looks different - nip/tuck maybe?

I was wondering if she wore the blue ribbon in honor of Fatima, but google tells me that brain cancer is represented by a gray ribbon. 

  Fatima was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma (a type of bone cancer), which according to Google would be represented by a yellow ribbon.

[Toothbrush]

5 hours ago, garnet207 said:

  Fatima was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma (a type of bone cancer), which according to Google would be represented by a yellow ribbon.

Thank you for the info. Don't know why I thought she had brain cancer. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Padma discusses her capsule collection with MAC:

[MerBearStare]

I was just talking to my mom on the phone and she was telling me about how she and my aunt went to a Boy Scouts pancake breakfast this morning and she was like, "I looked up and there was Graham Elliot. I recognized his white glasses." Apparently his kids go to the school the Boy Scout troop is associated with. Then my aunt told her the story about how Graham almost ran over her foot outside of Starbucks and he parked right in front of her when she was trying to cross the street, so now she's got personal beef with Graham Elliot. 

[LillyB]

My favorite judge is Emil, even when he hates a dish he is usually kind in his critism

[ProudMary]

Full disclosure:  Onscreen, Padma usually annoys the hell out of me, but tonight I'm crying for her as I read her THREE instances of #WhyIDidntReport on Twitter.  These stories have been tearing me up all day today and Padma's is particularly gut wrenching.  I'm only linking her first tweet, but there are two more on her Twitter feed.  

[biakbiak]

She talks about the first instance in her memoir which is quite good and includes some good recipes. 

[biakbiak]

Padma expanded on her three sexual assaults in an Op-Ed for The NY Times.

[lambertman]

Gail Simmons is hosting Iron Chef Canada on Food Network Canada starting this week.  Hugh Acheson and Masters participants Lynn Crawford and Susur Lee are among the Iron Chefs.

There isn't currently a way to watch this legally in the States, but I'm keeping on eye on Cooking Channel just in case.

[LeighLeigh]

I also came here to post about Gail on Iron Chef Canada. So excited to see Top Chef Canada Season 3 runner up Danny Smiles compete.

FYI Top Chef Canada just wrapped season 7. The host, Eden Grinshpan, is hilarious. Check out her Instagram.

[ProudMary]

Padma has been named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.     https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/news-centre/news/2019/-on-the-eve-of-international-womens-day--undp-appoints--new-good.html

From the article:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today appointed Emmy-nominated television personality, award-winning author and internationally acclaimed food expert Padma Lakshmi as its newest Goodwill Ambassador. In this new role, Lakshmi will mobilize support for the Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on fighting inequality, discrimination and empowering the disenfranchised.

“As we celebrate International Women’s Day tomorrow, let’s remember that women and girls face some of the worst discrimination and hardships in the world,” Lakshmi said at a press conference held at UNDP headquarters in New York. “My main mission as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador will be to shine a spotlight on the fact that inequality can affect people in rich and poor countries alike.”

[biakbiak]

Jonathan Waxman’s Barbuto is closing because the new landlords don’t want a restaurant so the staff made this video with a cameo by Jonathan!

[ProudMary]

Sean Brock has been backing away from Husk and his other Charleston and Nashville restaurants for a while. Now he's out completely to concentrate on an Appalachian concept in East Nashville.

https://nashville.eater.com/2019/5/2/18527149/chef-sean-brock-departs-husk-east-nashville

[biakbiak]

Leah Chase who has been on a few times passed away.

[Toothbrush]

Another NOLA legend with ties to Top Chef has died. RIP Dr. John. Hope Heaven is full of 'hip tang' hot sauce.  

[ProudMary]

Jose' Andres is a global treasure; a truly amazing human being.

 

[Ashforth]

4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Jose' Andres is a global treasure; a truly amazing human being.

That really cannot be said enough.

Where there is a crisis, he is there, usually feeding people. In this case, providing critical safety supplies for the first responders of COVID-19, health care workers (who I don't think are really getting enough attention for their heroics and bravery).

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Ashforth

[Ashforth]

And I spoke too soon, because of course he is also feeding people: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/jos-andr-fed-washington-d-173400129.html

[caitmcg]

Jose Andres also had this opinion piece in the NY Times the other day, proposing that congress fund a national mobilization to feed at-risk populations during the pandemic, employing out-of-work food service personnel and using community spaces. Essentially the World Central Kitchen model writ large. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/opinion/restaurants-coronavirus-food-aid.html

[biakbiak]

Nancy Silverton tests positive for Covid-19. Her restaurant Mozza had been a major part of feeding restaurant workers in need but suspended operations after she was diagnosed. 

[tljgator]

On a lighter note, I've been catching up on cooking shows while stuck at home, and found Padma very interesting on 'Ugly Delicious' with David Chang (who has also been a Guest Judge here, I believe) -- obviously, she has cookbooks and such, but actually watching her cook was intriguing since we only see her judging on Top Chef.

*Side note: I found Chang much, much more enjoyable in the second season than the first of UD, where he was often quite obstinate about any food that wasn't Korean.

Also noticed Jon Favreau and chef Roy Choi in the larger collection of 'tasters' in the second episode of this season and can't recommend the Chef Show on Netflix enough, if you haven't watched yet.

[caitmcg]

Tom has a snippet on the Bravo site about a campaign to help save restaurants during the Covid-19 pandemic.

https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-17/videos/tom-colicchio-on-how-you-can-help-save-restaurants-impacted-by-covid-19

[Rai]

21 hours ago, tljgator said:

\Also noticed Jon Favreau and chef Roy Choi in the larger collection of 'tasters' in the second episode of this season and can't recommend the Chef Show on Netflix enough, if you haven't watched yet.

I personally was delighted to see David Choe in the crowd as well, because his appearances in Parts Unknown and Ugly Delicious are always hilarious. I can just imagine what he was snarking about (but with love, I'm sure) during his Gold tasting stroll.

[caitmcg]

Famed chef Jose Andres promises doctors and nurses will eat free at his restaurants for a year after they reopen. He is the definition of a mensch.

[RealityCheck]

The Truth About Top Chef Judge Tom Colicchio

Mentioned in the previous video, Tom talks about his home on Long Island in this video.

[ProudMary]

Jose Andres Getting Documentary From Ron Howard, Nat Geo

Quote

Director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer are teaming with National Geographic Documentary Films for a movie about chef José Andrés and his humanitarian work through World Central Kitchen.

 

[RealityCheck]

Tom Colicchio ‘Restaurant Apocalypse’ In Wake Of Coronavirus Pandemic

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sadly, I suspect Tom C. is right about the number of restaurants that will be around after this.   

 

[RealityCheck]

Chef Eric Ripert on the Realities Facing the Restaurant Industry

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As lockdowns persist, restaurants the world over are going out of business. In March, Eric Ripert -- co-owner and executive chef of New York's prestigious Le Bernardin restaurant -- laid off his entire team.  Since then, he's been helping City Harvest, a nonprofit organization feeding those in need.  Though the future is uncertain, he tells Michel Martin that he is optimistic his restaurant will serve diners again.

 

[xaxat]

 

[xaxat]

Interview with Tom. It's kind of depressing. (Like almost everything else right now.)

The Dumbing Down of the American Restaurant

Quote

Derek Thompson: One month ago, you said that you thought 50 percent of America’s restaurants would not reopen. Are you now more or less optimistic about the future of restaurants than you were a month ago?

Tom Colicchio: Less optimistic. The James Beard Foundation did a survey of restaurants, and only 20 percent of them said they’d definitely remain open through the shutdown. Even if they get their restaurants open, they might immediately lose half of their seating to social distancing. Most restaurants can’t get by with that.

 

[Vermicious Knid]

Padma on Ask Me Another, where she talks Top Chef, Taste the Nation, and makes up recipes from surprise ingredients. The Padma we all know and love:

Quote

LAKSHMI: I mean, I didn't know I was a super taster...

EISENBERG: Sure.

LAKSHMI: ...Until a few years ago, when this Italian researcher gave me this little tab test. But not that kind of tab. But, you know...

 

[Bastet]

Ha - her description of Ilan's liver ganache is fantastic.
 

Quote

 

EISENBERG: Yeah. When you became an executive producer on "Top Chef" a few years ago, did you use that power to change any of the challenges or, you know, the stunts or the themed weeks? Were you like, never again will we have liver ganache? Like...

(LAUGHTER)

LAKSHMI: I hate that [expletive] liver ganache.

(LAUGHTER)

LAKSHMI: After so many years and traveling the globe, it is still the worst thing I have eaten. But...

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: And it was a surprise. I think that was the worst part of it, right? It was a surprise. It was - just to get everyone on the same page, if our listeners don't know, it was a - well, it was a contestant's dessert, right?

LAKSHMI: Well, they had to team chocolate with something savory.

EISENBERG: Yeah.

LAKSHMI: And so, you know, Ilan, who wound up winning that season, embedded a little morsel of liver into a beautiful, decadent, perfectly executed chocolate ganache.

EISENBERG: (Laughter).

LAKSHMI: Except there was this mystery prize. You know, it's like a - it's like you meet a beautiful man who's so nice to you, and then you get to know him and you realize he's psycho. That's what, like...

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: Right.

LAKSHMI: Or woman. You know, that's kind of what that chocolate ganache experience was like.

 

 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

On 10/18/2014 at 5:05 PM, roamyn said:

But I also love Rick Tremonte for his shot to Spike abt the frozen scallops.

Mr. Snappy and I are rewatching (or in some cases watching for the first time) every season, one episode a day (time enough at last) and we watched this episode today. Zing! Loved it. 

Also ... I’ve noticed that when they’re doing elimination critique of bottom 3, often as not I know who’s PYKAG by what Tom says: he’s often got a “tell” where he’ll phrase criticism to safe contestant with something like “you’ll have to work on this” etc. I wonder if that was eventually noticed and he scripted himself more carefully later in the show’s run (we’re on S4). 

[jmcd44]

On 3/24/2020 at 4:54 PM, ProudMary said:

 

Jose' Andres is a global treasure; a truly amazing human being

 

I said the other day (yesterday? What is time?) that Spike was sending pizza to the National Guard in DC & of course Jose’s organization is too. I love him. In addition to a burger from Good Stuff, looks like I need to find Jose’s truck Pepe for bacon wrapped dates. These are the sacrifices I make. 
 

 

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, jmcd44 said:

I said the other day (yesterday? What is time?) that Spike was sending pizza to the National Guard in DC & of course Jose’s organization is too. I love him. In addition to a burger from Good Stuff, looks like I need to find Jose’s truck Pepe for bacon wrapped dates. These are the sacrifices I make. 
 

 

Chef Jose mentioned Spike in a tweet yesterday.