All-Star Academy - General Discussion

[GaT]

Well, that was a surprise, I really thought it was going to be Alex/Auguste, but it was good to see Joseph win.

 

I forgot to mention - I loved Flay's reaction to Joseph winning! He was more excited than Joe seemed (Joe was more speechless and in shock), which made me laugh. Flay's reactions and facial expression were the best in this.

Yes! Bobby isn't usually quite that big in his reactions when he wins (at least when he's in the mentor position), he must have really wanted to beat Michael Symon.

[DeLurker]

I stopped watching but kept reading here, but I may watch the last ep to see Joseph win.  He really was the most likable to me.

 

I find Curtis Stone to be a pleasant change of pace when compared to other food personalities.  A lot of that probably has to do with over-saturation since I can't turn on Food Network without seeing Guy.  Or Bobby.  Or Alex.  Or Alton.  Or....

[Drogo]

I would watch a cooking show with Vanessa and Joseph as co-hosts. 

[DollEyes]

  Delurking with more praise for Joseph's win. He's not only a great cook, he seems like a great person. I hope Bobby or one of the other mentors does give Joseph a job after he graduates culinary school.

[NikSac]

I would watch a cooking show with Vanessa and Joseph as co-hosts. 

 

I'd enjoy that too. I think it'd take them a little bit to get "TV-ready" as hosts as opposed to contestants, but I think they could both do a good job. I can't see them ever having their own show together (but could be wrong!) just because there are so many hurdles, but I hope to see them both again. Maybe they can work them in slowly, as guests-hosts on The Kitchen for example.

[Lnmop]

My reaction to Joseph's win was mixed. Didn't Curtis say the fish lacked a sufficient crunch on the outside and was a little dry? Vanessa got a better review, so I thought she'd win. Plus, I couldn't get past Joseph's profuse sweating.

Of course, Joseph had Bobby as a mentor. I believe that Bobby's contract stipulates that he must win.

ETA: I tried Michael Symon's method of scrambling eggs this morning. I went just a shade beyond how wet his were, but they were the BEST I've ever had.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Lnmop

[NikSac]

I really wish the final tasting, in particular, had been a blind one.

[NikSac]

ETA: I tried Michael Symon's method of scrambling eggs this morning. I went just a shade beyond how wet his were, but they were the BEST I've ever had.

 

Really?  Maybe I'll have to try it too. They were so wet and nearly raw looking they completely grossed me out, but maybe I'll have to give them a shot just slightly more cooked.

[Lnmop]

Really?  Maybe I'll have to try it too. They were so wet and nearly raw looking they completely grossed me out, but maybe I'll have to give them a shot just slightly more cooked.

They were so light and fluffy! Mine looked more scrambled than Vanessa's, so cook them a little longer. They stayed a nice pale yellow without any dry darker parts. Yummy!

[Rammchick]

I'm no lover of Bobby Flay's but I did find it sweet when he said that Joseph was beautiful inside and out. I also thought it should've been a blind tasting for the finale, especially considering who the judge was. I was rooting for Vanessa but with all the talking heads about how much she needed the money, I knew she wasn't going to win.

Someone above questioned why both made fish, but I assumed it was because they made burgers for "lunch". That kind of set them up to do anything but meat for "dinner".

[Lamb18]

What I hope is that maybe Michael and Bobby will invest some money in Vanessa's business or help her find some investors.  I hope her exposure on the show helps her with the business she wants to start.

[MajorWoody]

I have to admit I was wrong. I was convinced this show was rigged in favor of Alex/August. Even in the early rounds when his food was obviously in the bottom, he received praise, so I was shocked when he was canned.

When Alex started her little tale, saying that in the future she expected to walk into a restaurant someday and see him, I couldn't help but thinking it would be as a busboy, still wearing his hat backwards. The guy is a legend in his own mind.

Congrats to Joseph, even if Vanessa clearly won the first two rounds and should have been the overall winner.

[sinkwriter]

 

Congrats to Joseph, even if Vanessa clearly won the first two rounds and should have been the overall winner.

 

Actually, I was surprised she won those rounds, because Curtis seemed to praise the other dishes more and some of what he critiqued about Vanessa's dishes made me think she wasn't high on his list. So every time he chose Vanessa, I was surprised. Which makes me wonder if they wanted to orchestrate everything so that Michael Symon and Bobby Flay would be up against each other -- "two best friends fighting it out for the win!"  *sigh*

[EyewatchTV211]

My reaction to Joseph's win was mixed. Didn't Curtis say the fish lacked a sufficient crunch on the outside and was a little dry? Vanessa got a better review, so I thought she'd win. Plus, I couldn't get past Joseph's profuse sweating.

 

I may be remembering incorrectly, but I think Vanessa's critique was that it needed a little more seasoning/salt, while Joseph's tasted very good despite the lack of crunch. So maybe Curtis went with taste over texture. Different judges on all of these shows seem to prioritize different aspects of the cooking.

Edited April 23, 2015 by VMepicgrl

[CPP83]

Congrats to Joseph, even if Vanessa clearly won the first two rounds and should have been the overall winner.

 

 

 

I actually thought that Joesph winning the last round, the one and only round where they had no help from their mentors, was the best win of the night and he was deserving to take the title on that alone.

 

To me the fact that Joe had to make that whole meal by himself is what made all the difference. He didn't have Bobby to come down and check his seasoning, to taste and see what he needed to do differently, to add more of something or adjust plating, etc. Joesph had to do it all from start to finish, every move and decision based on his own palate and skill and it did seem, though Curtis didn't say so specifically, that the seasoning and salt level in Joe's dish, along with the preparation of the ingredients, fish skin aside, is what elevated him enough over Vanessa to take the title. 

 

Imo the one who seemed to compose the better dish at the end without any assistance from their mentor was more deserving of the win despite the outcome of the earlier rounds, since having a great chef to help you is one thing, having to do it all by yourself and complete a finished product based solely on only what you are capable of putting out is another.

[sinkwriter]

I know each of them had moments when they let their chef take the lead, but I often thought that Vanessa followed Michael's suggestions rather than stepping forward with her own ideas. Which is not to say that she can't cook well or take direction or have ideas, I'm sure she can, but she seemed to lean more heavily on Michael than some of the other "home cooks" leaned on their chefs. For example, Bobby would say to Joseph, "What are you thinking?" and leave it to Joseph to step up and say, "Well, it's breakfast (or lunch or whatever), so I'm thinking crab cakes," and then Bobby and Joseph would riff off of that idea and build from there. But when I would watch Michael with Vanessa, it seemed like often he would be the one suggesting things and then she would say, "Okay, I can do that," or "that sounds good." Even Alex seemed to push August to come up with ideas, and then she would make suggestions to make it really stand out, but the essential idea came from August.

 

In that way, I was glad to see Joseph win, because I felt he was the stronger cook in that he came up with more on his own. Vanessa seemed scared to do anything without Michael's input.

[Crucial]

I have to take back any bad opinion I had of Curtis Stone.  I just watched a few of the episodes of Master Chef and the one with the high school students, I loved how he was with them.  I didn't find any of that smugness I thought he had.  I'll have to go back and re-watch some of these shows since my views on him aren't as harsh.

[Maverick]

 This show is coming back, but Flay and Symon are out and Andrew Zimmern and Robert Irvine are in.  Robert Irvine didn't bug me near as much as some until recently.  The whole wannabe  counselor/life coach schtik makes him intolerable.  This buffoon really think he's qualified to tell people how to run their life.  Don't know much about Zimmern, other that he's the latest in the line TV food personalities FN has poached.

 

 After bowing out Worst Cooks last year, now Bobby is out of this show.  I wonder if he's reducing his workload because of his personal issues or if FN is try to phase him out.  They seem to be doubling down on Guy (now we have to endure him hanging out with his son) and I'm wondering if this isn't a byproduct of the regime change at FN.

[chessiegal]

 This show is coming back, but Flay and Symon are out and Andrew Zimmern and Robert Irvine are in.  Robert Irvine didn't bug me near as much as some until recently.  The whole wannabe  counselor/life coach schtik makes him intolerable.  This buffoon really think he's qualified to tell people how to run their life.  Don't know much about Zimmern, other that he's the latest in the line TV food personalities FN has poached.

 

 After bowing out Worst Cooks last year, now Bobby is out of this show.  I wonder if he's reducing his workload because of his personal issues or if FN is try to phase him out.  They seem to be doubling down on Guy (now we have to endure him hanging out with his son) and I'm wondering if this isn't a byproduct of the regime change at FN.

I'd be VERY surprised if they are phasing Bobby out. He's got at least 3 shows in current production - Bobby's Barbecue Addiction, Beat Bobby Flay, and Brunch at Bobby's  on Cooking Channel, which they repeat on FN. I don't think he's going anywhere, except picking and choosing what he wants to do. He's been with FN since the beginning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

f

[Maverick]

 True, but he had those things going and still did Worst Cooks and Academy.   That's why I mentioned potentially phasing him out (as opposed to dropping him)  Being a component on a competition (either as a participant or a judge) seems to hold more cache with the FN execs these days.  I don't know that anything is going on, but it is interesting that last year he was in virtually everything and no he seems to be pulling back.  I'll be curious to see if he's in the season's Food Network Star.

[chessiegal]

I still don't see Bobby being phased out because of not hosting a show that shows up every now and again, especially since he has 3 shows where he's the main attraction. He's a busy guy, considering all his restaurants and other shows. It could be a scheduling conflict or he simply has no interest in doing it again. It's not the first time various hosts of these types of shows are swapped out for someone else.

[jcbrown]

The commercials for the new season make me want to kick Robert Irvine in the 'nads. Cannot stand his loudmouth smug unqualified asshattery.

[GaT]

It seems to me they got rid of their heavy hitters (except maybe for Alex) & brought in the second tier. Bobby Flay & Michael Symon are at the top. Robert Irvine used to be big, but the scandal tarnished his reputation. You don't see him on a lot of FN shows, & anytime he's competing, he loses. I have no idea who the 4th guy is, I don't think I've even heard his name before.

[chessiegal]

The 4th guy is Andrew Zimmern - he does Bizarre Foods on Travel Channel which is currently in production after many renewals. He also showed up "On My Grandmother's Ravioli" one episode, and I've seen him on other shows.

[NikSac]

So am I right that two of them aren't even actually trained chefs?  (Irvine and Zimmern)

 

They are playing that commercial WAY too much.

[chessiegal]

According to WIki, Zimmern has training,and has been executive chef or general manager of restaurants in NYC

[Totale]

Maybe, but I've only caught snatches of him on non food channels, traveling around the world to see what they eat there that goes into cat food here.

[BW Manilowe]

OK, so the commercials I've seen in the last few days say there's a "twist" this year; said "twist" being that the competitors get to choose their mentors--the opposite of the previous seasons. With that knowledge, & knowledge of Irvine's previous shenanigans, I wonder how fast he'll be selected by the competitors?

Also, in case anyone else reads this in the near future, they're currently running a marathon of last season's eps as I write this (on Saturday February 13th).

If someone with Mod powers reads this, could you please change the names Michael Symon & Bobby Flay in the thread title to Andrew Zimmern & Robert Irvine (or at least add the latter 2 to the existing mentors' names)? They changed a couple of mentors for this season--Symon & Flay are out; Zimmern & Irvine are replacing them. Thanks!

Edited February 13, 2016 by BW Manilowe

[Crucial]

I cannot believe Robert Irvine is a mentor.  He's rude obnoxious and don't see anything he says as helpful.  Stop pushing him on these shows.

[Crucial]

The first episode was pretty good except for Robert Irvine.  Of course he gets his team first and surprised Alex was basically last picked.  Because he's a rude smartass  hope his team goes out the first two episodes.  I can't believe there weren't other mentors they couldn't have used.  Richard Blaize is all over that network now, why not use him.

[penbrat]

The first episode was pretty good except for Robert Irvine.  Of course he gets his team first and surprised Alex was basically last picked.  Because he's a rude smartass  hope his team goes out the first two episodes.  I can't believe there weren't other mentors they couldn't have used.  Richard Blaize is all over that network now, why not use him.

I completely agree - he almost ruins this show for me this year - I like Alex and I can take or leave Curtis and I love Andrew but Robert Irvine is a legend in his own mind and a complete blow hole.  No offense to his team but I hope the self destruct quickly.   Of course, they picked him so they deserve him.

[mlp]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Robert Irvine is going to ruin an otherwise good show.  I'd love to know what the legitimate chefs really think about having to work with him as an equal.  

 

Robert aside, I enjoyed the first episode.  I'm not very creative so I was impressed by all the dishes the home cooks came up with in short order.  Most of them looked quite good.  I thought the woman who poached all the eggs would be the one eliminated; instead, she placed fairly high.  By the time they got down to the 9th person, I'd already forgotten who she was and what she cooked so I guess she wasn't notable.

[GaT]

 I thought the woman who poached all the eggs would be the one eliminated; instead, she placed fairly high.  

I think that's because cooking a poached egg perfectly is actually hard to do & hers was not only cooked correctly, but her presentation was good.

[hilaryvm]

I actually don't mind Robert Irvine like a lot of people.  Michael Symon actually tends to grate on me a litle, so I don't really mind.  I'm most excited about Andrew Zimmern as a mentor.  I always assumed he was a chef to start with, but until he named his credentials I didn't know what his background was.  I'm excited about this season, although I now find Alex a little annoying.  I know this is petty, and has nothing to do with cooking, but I was supremely annoyed with her side ponytail all episode.

[flaviafan]

Does anyone know if Ted Allen is coming back to host this year...  I miss him already and it just started.....

[cattykit]

Does anyone know if Ted Allen is coming back to host this year...  I miss him already and it just started.....

I don't know but it needs a host.  Was Carla just the guest judge, because she could host and I'd be happy.  Interesting twist that the mentors had to sell themselves to the cooks, and at least three of them were able to do that.

 

Irvine is just annoying.  He needs to remember he's not on WCIA or RI and stop with the tough drill sergeant attitude.  These are just good home cooks who are trying to take it up a level, and they don't need to be barked at or screamed at.  I like the addition of Andrew Zimmern.  Why didn't Bobby or Michael want to come back?  They seemed to enjoy the last session.  I'm not an Alex fan but I do always appreciate how she really takes the competition personally, and seems to care about the competitors and not just about how they reflect on her.

 

And of course it couldn't be a goddamn FN show without the goddamn sob stories. 

Edited February 18, 2016 by cattykit

[grisgris]

I was pretty shocked that the contestants weren't eager to join Alex's team. She would have been my first choice, I guess with Andrew being second? I was even more shocked when Robert Irvine's team filled up first. I know that poached-egg woman chose him, and I've already forgotten who the other person is.

 

Anyway, that made me extra-happy when Alex smoked them all in the mentors' competition. As she should have, given her experience from "Chopped," she knew that she had to incorporate and transform all of the lunchbox ingredients. Andrew's soup looked good. Why did Curtis say he was going to hide/not use the turkey, then nod knowingly when he got called out (and lost) because of it? (Didn't make any sense.) Of course, Robert would argue with the judge.

 

I'm kind of surprised that the hot mess woman who tried to chop an apple in a coffee grinder didn't get sent home. Curtis and Robert openly complained about how messy and disorganized her station was. "Glandma" with the harissa overkill seemed more salvageable. Robert wasn't turned off by the dose of heat. I think using too much of an ingredient (albeit that was a biggie) would be easier to salvage, but coffee grinder woman had a much more compelling sob story. /eyeroll

[Wings]

i agree with everyone. I was shocked that Alex was not chosen first, too.  She was definitely my first choice by a long shot.  I have never watched Andrew's show but I like him, a lot.  Shocked that Robert was filled first, shocked.  There was some scandal about him some years back and IIRC is was about his credentials. I am not interested enough to google it.  I don't like him at all.  He is playing the role of mentor not a parole officer for fuck sake.  It is clear they couldn't get better a better chef to sign on.  He was a desperate choice.   

 

I don't like Curtis.  I have no logical reason, I just don't.  

 

I don't get the hoopla over poached eggs.  I have made them most mornings for decades.  They are very easy.  Really, they are falling off a log easy!   My sons grew up eating them, when they left home asked me how to do it, I showed them and bingo.  No mentoring needed.  That one woman went through a dozen eggs trying to get one right!   I am sure youtube has an instructional video.  If you are going on a cooking show it is wise to learn how to cook eggs.  

Edited February 21, 2016 by wings707

[Christina]

I don't like Curtis either, and can't put my finger on why. It seems like he tries to coast on his looks and accent as opposed to his cooking ability. I think he is an accomplished chef, though. He's just comes across as wanting to be a celebrity more than a chef. On Gordon Ramsay's British shows, you could see that he has a love for food and cooking, and wants to encourage others to also. He had a show where he tried to give prisoners cooking skills, but was shut down by the prison at every stop. His US shows are just about drama. Curtis seems like he always just wants to be in front of the camera, not wanting to share his love of food and cooking.

 

Robert bloated his credentials. It caused anger because most of his credentials were based on his military service, and he was claiming accomplishments he didn't earn, such as cooking for foreign diplomats and the US President.  It really angered people because serving your country in any capacity is honorable, and he was basically claiming a rank he hadn't earned. I dislike him mostly because he is an arrogant blowhard, and he also wants to be in front of the camera. I watched an episode of his restaurant improvement show, and he tried to improve the food but really just screwed it up. The reviews after were that the food went back to how it was before, because no one liked what he did. The restaurant needed repairs, and the owners were grateful for the help, but business dropped off because people didn't like the food. He took a steak and covered it in this tomato sauce, claiming you could charge more for it. Why would you want steak covered in tomato sauce? That told me all I wanted to know about his cooking ability.

[NYGirl]

Ok...I hate Natasha and her big mouth.  I was so hoping she'd get cut after her arrogance about her dishes being the best!  I felt sorry for her partner as she and Irvine kind of bullied him.

 

The right person left.  I'm Italian too and it's not all about pasta.  That's all she seemed to know.

 

I'm glad Alex's team was first and I like Zimmern's team.

Edited February 22, 2016 by NYGirl

[NYGirl]

Where's Ted?  I don't like having guest hosts every week.

[Christina]

So what kind of mentor wouldn't look at that stuffed lamb loin and realize it was too large to cook in the amount of time they had? Robert Irving, that's who. It was going to be pushing it to cook in 45 mins, but after they lost the first 10, he should have told her to cut a third off and only bake that amount. They also didn't seem to sear it first. And when it came out undercooked, the male team member seemed to be suggesting cutting it to cook in a pan only to be told to leave it by Robert. It may have been salvageable, but they didn't even try because their mentor is an idiot.

 

I agree with the judge's decisions. I could have seen Zimmern's team taking first, too, but both his and Alex's teams safe and the one who left leaving was the right decision. 

 

I can't remember any names except Natasha, and she'll probably be there forever because she is annoying me with her talking heads. I'm glad she didn't go home this time, though, because she would blame her partner. She needs to go home for screwing up on her own, probably with the assistance of Robert. 

[BW Manilowe]

Where's Ted? I don't like having guest hosts every week.

I have the feeling he's not involved in this season.

[Crucial]

Cannot wait for Natasha to go home and hope she cries all the way out the door.  She has a perfect mentor.  Nice to see Curtis take the blame for the saltiness in the dish that went home.  Funny you didn't hear Robert take any blame for them trying to cook large piece of stuffed lamb.  It was too easy for both of them to blame the other guy.  I hope in the next two weeks it's his team that goes home. 

 

I did like how the other teams worked together.  Sure you have concerns working in a tag team but no one else was so nasty like Robert and Natasha. 

[mlp]

I feel sorry for the nice fellow on Robert's team.  Robert alone is bad enough but he also has to cope with an arrogant teammate with a nasty streak.  She and Robert deserve each other.  I hope she makes some grievous error and gets sent home first.

 

I like Curtis myself.  He has excellent credentials and his restaurant opened to rave reviews last year.  He has always seemed very pleasant to me.

[Wings]

Natasha doesn't bother me, yet anyway.  

 

I knew the minute I saw the lamb they were in trouble!  Stuffing that, even if they had the time, is a horrible idea.  The lamb or any other stuffed piece of meat will always be well done and dry in order to get the stuffing warm, never mind cook a sausage filling.   OMG, no.  I am sure the other chefs knew they would be on the bottom and probably breathed a sigh of relief that at least one team was not competition.  

 

The right person went home.  Italian food, yawn.  Andrew has a good team; Anna can win this if she doesn't choke. I like her.  

Edited February 22, 2016 by wings707

[Miracle Maxie]

If the woman on Robert Irvine's team goes out next, I may be able to keep watching. Otherwise my mute button is getting too much of a workout to keep on with this. I just refuse to listen to a word that comes out of Irvine's mouth - especially given his tone of voice. I like Alex, I'm pleasantly surprised by Zimmern, and Curtis doesn't bother me too much (at least not by comparison to Irvine).

 

I agree that the right person went home, but I couldn't figure out which of Irvine's team I wanted gone more - the woman because she's so grating or the guy because I feel so sorry for him being stuck with Irvine and that woman!

[hilaryvm]

I couldn't figure out why they didn't try to slice and cook the lamb further.  I feel like I've seen that done on many a cooking show, so I couldn't figure out what the big deal was.  Also, the guy on Robert's team didn't really seem like he knew how to cook too well, which was a little odd.  And, didn't the woman on Curtis's team go home, and both on Robert's team stayed?  I can't believe that it was just last night and I can't remember who went home.

[grisgris]

The woman on Curtis's team went home and rightfully so. Actually, for me, it was a toss-up between her and the guy on Robert's team. Both seem to be in way over their heads. I still argue that this week's loser should have been sent home last week. She barely made the first cut and I still think that she screwed up her dish more than the other woman who got cut because she put too much harissa in her dish.

 

I continue to find that it's pretty clear that Robert Irvine doesn't have the cooking chops as his competitors (I hesitate to call them "peers") do on these shows. He's lost on Worst Cooks ..., Chopped, Iron Chef, and more. I don't know why he still hangs around. I think his niche is being a restaurant consultant. He seems pretty competent regarding food service management, just stay out of the kitchen and maybe get on the psychiatrist's couch instead. His ego needs to be taken down a notch or two (or 1,000.)

 

Anyway, that was a way too ambitious of a dish given the amount of time allowed. Also, I'm on the Natasha train -- ride that rail out of town -- the sooner the better. I was confused because she mentioned being a wife and mother. I'm almost certain that last week she said she was a struggling single mom raising a son. I know the lady who got sent home complained both last week and this week that she and her husband were struggling financially, so I don't believe I have the stories confused.  Anyway, one who stretches the truth couldn't have picked a more suitable mentor!

 

I kind of agree about Curtis. He seems more like he just wants to be on TV as opposed to doing the job at hand. He seems like a decent cook, but he doesn't appear to know how to mentor/teach. That might just come with time.

 

I'm very impressed with Andrew and wouldn't be surprised if he's the dark horse this year with the win.

Edited February 22, 2016 by grisgris

[BW Manilowe]

I feel sorry for the nice fellow on Robert's team. Robert alone is bad enough but he also has to cope with an arrogant teammate with a nasty streak. She and Robert deserve each other. I hope she makes some grievous error and gets sent home first.

I like Curtis myself. He has excellent credentials and his restaurant opened to rave reviews last year. He has always seemed very pleasant to me.

Somebody from Curtis' team went home this week. I think they said her name was Lynn.