S11.E07: Food Truck Throwdown

[mertensia]

Yeah people hear Mexican and they think "spicy hot! Hot hot hot!" Well not everyone likes really spicy or can tolerate it. Plus not all Mexican is about spicy hot- Sonoran cuisine tends towards savory not spicy hot, for example.

I have a low tolerance for spicy heat and detest tomato soup so I'd've gone for the burgers.

[cooksdelight]

I wonder if Jay is seeing Eddie is the pre-ordained favorite and since he's a former pro athlete, a tailgate party would be a natural for Eddie. Steal it before Eddie can take it and run with it, perhaps?

[ari333]

The Eddie Michelle truck had "grilled cheese" or some such IIRC on the side of the truck. Other than the video where Eddie mentioned pulled pork, how did customers know they could get meat? GAH I LOATHE MICHELLE.

They all seemed drunk or high to me. I love me some funny, but I didnt' laugh once. JAH-dah makes me sick too.

Jay is growing on me. I already liked Eddie.

Bonnie Franklin .... NAILED IT! Is it just me or did the sombrero seem a tad racist? As did Michelle's fake accent.

Elaine's thumb dance. NAILED IT!

Edited July 20, 2015 by ari333

[DeLurker]

This season is just too freakin' weird.  I mean, I have no problem with Michelle throwing herself on the flames; if I had to listen to her whine for one more minute ("Oh my God, they're making us do another challenge!") I'd have jumped into the nearest volcano myself.  And the whole dancing thing in her video with Eddie kinda reminded me of Elaine Benes dancing in that Seinfeld episode, the snapping and all that.  Not to mention that when she spoke to camera during her video with Eddie, she was obviously trying to ape the black vernacular in her style of speech.  Cringe-inducing on the Emilia level.  

 

Now, did I have an auditory Freudian slip, or did I hear Arnold say, "I'm Arnold Myint, your design star"??  I thought this was FNS, not HGS.

 

I thought the Hot Slap Taco thing was hilarious, and it was fun to see Flay lose his shit.  On the other hand, from the moment Alex started with, "When people think tacos, they think extreme heat," I knew his food was going to be hot mess (literally) and people would avoid their truck like bird flu.  I know the whole so-hot-you-can't-taste-it thing is popular with some people, but I have yet to see it work as a strategy in any cooking show, except one devoted particularly to that experience.  I really do enjoying watching Alex (even though he reminds me from the neck up of Bonnie Franklin in One Day at a Time) but his choices make him appear shockingly unseasoned.  Ironically.  

Ditto everything you said about Michelle.  While her being in the competition may have kept out someone who truly wanted to be there, I can only feel so bad for that person because this doesn't really seem much like a competition.  Each week it is getting to be more and more scripted.

 

The so-hot-you-can't-taste thing is so first year in college.  Unless your food truck is parked in front of a keg party at a frat house, I think there's a limited appeal to that approach.  Dom was surprisingly passive in the whole challenge, including the video skit.

[cooksdelight]

 

Dom was surprisingly passive in the whole challenge, including the video skit.

 

I think he's been sleepwalking this entire series.

[Aquarius]

Jay's mentioned tailgating before.  For LSU games, as I recall.  i don't remember much about Jay but I do remember that because I don't tailgate and I'm not particularly interested in learning how.

 

I will remember Jay's performance this week, because he was paired with Arnold.  They did a nice job.  Being flummoxed by Arnold's flamboyance did something for Jay that made me almost like him.  I think it was the way it stopped the yelling for a moment or two.  For the first time I noticed that Jay's qualification for this show is "Radio Host".  It explains a lot.

 

I have decided he's probably going to win this in a narrow decision over Eddie.

 

And regarding Michelle's walking away.  Ooooooh, the shocks during elimination just keep coming this season!!  I'm so glad I tuned in this season because I would have hated hearing about it at the watercooler on Monday morning without having seen it live!!!  Most exciting season ever!!!!  Yeah, because I'm totally buying that this shit isn't scripted.  What's this season's buzz phrase, show?  Oh, yeah, that's right.  Epic fail.

[DeLurker]

Yup, because having an off week or a dish that didn't turn out quite right is not D-R-A-H-M-A-T-I-C!.  If you mess up or come in last, it must be epic.

[xaxat]

I'm surprised Michelle didn't go full blown "jazz hands".

 

I laughed at the "surprised" looks on Bobby and Giada's faces and their little "what should we do now?" conference. Like the producers hadn't laid everything out for them prior to filming.

[joanne3482]

Surely she went home to her family. I doubt if they can force anyone to stay. That would be something like kidnapping. She couldn't be stupid enough to quit only to go stay at the sequester house could she?

 

They've undoubtedly signed some sort of contract that says if you get booted you go into sequester house until the filming is over. I would imagine if she tried to go home she'd pay, pay, pay for the privilege of doing so. 

[GeorgiaRai]

I still like Dom and am more likely to watch a show hosted by him than anyone else that's left.  I'd probably also watch Arnold (who I keep wanting to call Tommy because Masterchef) and Rue (who I wish they'd put back in to fill Michelle's spot).  I'm glad Michelle's gone - should've happened long ago.  I thought Dom's advice about not letting Michelle's exit get into anyone's head was solid - don't know why Eddie seemed to snap at him about it.  Except for last week when I thought he did really well with the comedian, I haven't been overly impressed with Eddie. 

 

I may need to re-watch but was most of Michelle's "I miss my kids" stuff in talking heads?  I started to feel like she when she realized later how crazy she come across, "missing her kids" was a convenient scapegoat.  Too cynical?

[Aethera]

I may need to re-watch but was most of Michelle's "I miss my kids" stuff in talking heads?  I started to feel like she when she realized later how crazy she come across, "missing her kids" was a convenient scapegoat.  Too cynical?

 

Not too cynical - that's exactly what I was thinking. She looked so tazered during a lot of the non-talking head stuff. I think she really just fell apart.

 

I don't at all mind seeing her go. I'm just sorry people I liked better went home first every time she was in the bottom.

[Snarklepuss]

I think the fact that the taco truck had the word "HOT" emblazoned all over it turned people off.  I've seen taco trucks on these shows before and they always did very well.  I don't think the sombrero was racist any more than it would be for a guy from New Hampshire to dress and act like a caricature of a cowboy, but what do I know?

 

I think Dom knows he has Giada wrapped around his little finger.  Man, if that wasn't completely apparent this episode, I don't know what was.  I have to admit that Dom has ME wrapped around his little finger in spite of myself.  I think he could be a douche the same way Guy is a douche.  I want to dislike him but I just can't.  And with Dom there's the fact that he is a cutie, IMO.

 

That said, I would watch Arnold too, but only if he did his show as Suzy Wong.

 

Alex for me is a non-entity.

 

Eddie and Jay are just so "been there, done that" for me.  I am just on overload with that whole tailgate, BBQ concept.  Next!

[backformore]

I had the same thought as @bluepiano.  Michelle was going to be eliminated.  BUT - uh oh, we're sending home the LAST WOMAN STANDING (Michelle reminds us of that fact very early in the episode), so, let's invent a story as to why she's leaving.   I think Michelle was having some breakdowns, and nobody wanted to confront her.  They even paired her with the guy least likely to push her buttons and upset her. 

The producers let her save face by making it look like, no, they were not eliminating all the women -   SHE QUIT!  Because, you know, women can't be away from their kids!

And on Michelle's part -  once she realized she wasn't going to win, she kind of gave up anyway.  Her manic semi-hysterical "I can't stop"  dancing - was her effort to force gaiety so she wouldn't cry.

[DollEyes]

Observations:

 

*If Michelle's behavior on this episode was a movie title it would be Trainwreck. Michelle was a hot mess this week, emphasis on "mess." Her Mini-Challenge dish was as bland and annoying as she is. Her Main Challenge performance was not only disastrous on several levels, she almost dragged Eddie down with her, which was reprehensible, all because she was homesick. There are/were thousands of contestants, many of whom had families, who would have killed for the chance that Michelle threw away. Unless one of the kids was sick and/or dying, Michelle should have just put her big-girl pants on and toughened up. Eddie had every right to be pissed at Michelle. As if being stuck with Michelle as a partner in the Food Truck Challenge wasn't bad enough, her dancing in the video was painful to watch.  Michelle's tomato soup was another fail. However, Eddie shouldn't feel like he would've been the one eliminated if Michelle hadn't quit. It wasn't Eddie's best week, but he still did better than Michelle. If Michelle couldn't handle being away from her family, then she shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

*Jay & Arnold did great. They were definitely a case of opposites attract on the team front. It shouldn't have worked as well as it did, but it did anyway. Their video and their food were on point. I can see one or both of them in the Finale.

 

*Dom & Alex were cringe-worthy. The video was dumb and Alex's over-spicing his food was dumber. The only reason that Alex wasn't eliminated like he should've been was because Michelle quit, but he'll probably be the next to go, I hope.

Edited July 26, 2015 by DollEyes

[Uncle Benzene]

See, I don't know if I buy into producer shenanigans here. In retrospect, it seems like this was inevitably how Michelle's run was going to end. Right from day one in the premiere, it was mama this and mama that from her, including her attempted stern mommy lecture to Matthew which naturally began with "As a mother..." I mean, you could see it right from beginning through to the end. Her heart and mind were back at home right from the jump, and I suspect she regretted her decision to go on this show right from the start. And it didn't help that she was never all that good, again right from day one.

 

I do understand people's dislike and/or lack of respect for her, and hell, I'm not at all sorry to see her go my own self. But on the other hand, I'm a little surprised that she's getting shit on rather than being shown some degree of respect for sticking it out as long as she did, despite (my personal assertion, YMMV and all that) looking back on it, it was never going to end any other way for her. It was just a matter of time until the lure of the mommy called her home. And hey.. her body, her choice.

 

I also don't think she owes/owed anything to the contestants eliminated before her, simply because they clearly "wanted it more" than she did. Beef on the order of elimination all you like, I do too, but that's not her fault. Justified or not, the fact is that she outlasted them "fair" (in a manner of speaking) and square, by the decree of the judges. That she eventually broke and decided she'd rather go home and be mommy has no bearing on other more well-liked contestants having been previously judged inferior up to that point, regardless of who did or didn't "want it more." If there's a beef about her having stayed over others, whether based on merit or commitment, it should be with Bobby, Jahdah, Tusch, Sooz, et al for having made those decisions.

 

Cynically though, while I don't necessarily buy producer choreography or even prodding in this particular instance, I do think that Michelle probably concluded for herself that "stepping aside for my own mommy-based reasons" was preferable from a face-saving standpoint than having viewers dancing in the street and chanting "FI-NAL-LY! FI-NAL-LY!" when they eliminated her, and I absolutely think she saw the writing on the wall. This was her week to go, one way or the other. I don't at all agree with her conclusion that going all "You can't fire me, I quit." with it did her any favors. Especially when she had already cried wolf on quitting once before. But I'd be willing to bet that in her mind, it did, and it was her decision alone. Anyway, good luck with all that, "Mediterranean Mama" (from Armenia.) I'm sure the kids won't be nearly as critical of your skills as the rest of the big bad mean ol' world. You won't be missed.

 

Sheesh, enough about Michelle, Ben! Not nearly worth the effort. Plus, you've got an even more unpopular opinion to share!

 

So... yeah... uh... as much shit as Jay has taken all season long for somehow "reminding (people) of Lenny" because reasons, I'm gonna have to go ahead and assert that at this point, if anybody's going all Lenny 2.0 with it, it's Arnold. Sheesh. "I'd eat your meat and buns *coy wink and grin*" indeed. Enough with that shit, Suzy. We get it. And hey, good for you. But at this point I've got a hunch that you're about 10 seconds from telling us about how if it's gonna be that kind of party, you're gonna stick your dick in the mashed potatoes. And yeah, to be fair, it might have been more about the others' reactions to "an innocent turn of phrase" that just happened to be a gay double-entendre (funny how that seems to happen so often just by chance.) But I don't buy it. And I don't need that kind of shit on Food Network. It's every bit as off-putting as Lenny's weird food/sex fetish, or Jahdah's perpetual begging for some sort of wardrobe malfunction to happen, or even Damaris's constant boob-jiggling shimmy shakes a couple years ago during her season. I'm not saying they're all the same thing, because they're not. But they're all on the spectrum. Bottom line: Keep your sex out of my food tee vee, for crying out loud! It's not cute. It's weird and inappropriate.

 

Anyway, to hell with all that anyway. DOM AND ALEX REPEATEDLY SLAPPING EACH OTHER! Am I right?!? It was like some kind of freakin' New Order video! Can we get a half hour of that every Sunday morning at 8:30 on Food Network? Please?

[Lamb18]

I'm glad Michelle is gone. Her Mediterranean Mama food identity was annoying. I feel if your food identity is going to be a geographical area, then you should BE from that area, or your ancestry/ethnicity from that are, or that is the type of food you predominantly cook no matter what your ethnicity is.  Last time I looked at a map, Armenia was firmly tucked in between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia with no coastline on any sea, so it's not exactly Mediterranean.  I also don't think she really established her cooking style as Mediterranean, either. (This reminded me of a Chopped teen contestant who was from Yemen and said her Yemeni food was Mediterranean.)

 

In real life she's probably a great cook and you'd get a great-tasting meal if you went to her place for dinner.  But she's just not good at planning and executing excellent food with on two hours' notice.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Lamb18

[akr]

Anyway, good luck with all that, "Mediterranean Mama" (from Armenia.)

 

I'm pretty sure the family was from the Armenian diaspora in the Middle East, probably Lebanon or thereabouts based on her last name. Some of the diaspora went east (Russia and the Balkans), others went west, and for centuries, well before the Armenian genocide, there were established Armenian communities in many Mediterranean countries. Karam is a well known name in Lebanon and her cooking style looks very Lebanese, so that's why I'd make Lebanon my top guess, but could be a lot of places or a somewhat cosmopolitan family with members in many of the region's major cities. (I lived in Egypt for a while and had friends there and from Lebanon who were Armenian; there's an Armenian quarter in Jerusalem; etc.)

 

I like this kind of food, so if someone could be an approachable for the masses purveyor of the sorts of food I love from, for example, Paula Wolfert or Claudia Roden, I think that would be great at the Food Network. She didn't seem cut out for it, though, and I'm not sorry to see her go. It must have seemed like a decent bet since she's done radio shows in Santa Barbara, etc. 

Edited July 20, 2015 by akr

[Hollyhock]

Really enjoying everyone's comments.   (hope that isn't too "boards on boards" :))

 

Was happy to see Michelle go -- that mommy schtick is so old and it seems there is one every season.  Wasn't she the person who stomped out of the green room a few weeks ago, too, and had to be chased down and returned?  Seems a bit unstable. 

 

Alex totally lost me this time around, he's not even trying.  And that bobbed hair has to go.  So tired of Dom's disingenous shy act, too.  And is it me or the last season or two are the "public" challenges seeming ever more fake?  Parking the food trucks and the like on movie-set streetscapes and roping in a small crowd (probably friends and relatives of producers or min wage temps) and shooting it so that it appears to be more people than it really is?  Vs. the old days when, it seemed to me, they actually were dealing with the general public.  Seems like the show's budget has been slashed and it shows.

 

For the grilled cheese (a food I love) I would've expected more finesse than slapping pork into one sandwich.  Some different shapes, breads etc. -- a croissant, a muffin, whatever but something other than two squares of bread.  Or mini grilled cheeses or grilled cheese on a stick or some novelty iteration.  Cheese on the outside, bread on the inside (if that's even possible) -- something.  Also wouldn't you think either the taco truck or the cheese truck could have capitalized on offering a vegetarian option? 

 

Per another comment above, come to think of it, with Eddie being a former athelete, "Eddie's Tailgate Party" would have been a simple and versatile POV for him.  It wouldn't necessarily need to be limited to pro sports tailgates (like others, I don't like or attend them) -- but  a show that could present menus, prepare-ahead, cooking, transport and serving techniques for a variety of tailgates.  Music festival, art festival, antiques shows/big flea market events, 4th of July fireworks events, horse shows, etc. -- he could travel around to various public events.  And he could demonstrate not just food but presentation -- tiki torches for a beach tailgate vs. using vintage servingware at a big antiques fest or cucumber sandwiches at a fancy horse show.  You get the drift.  Great idea!

[Nutjob]

 

It's every bit as off-putting as Lenny's weird food/sex fetish, or Jahdah's perpetual begging for some sort of wardrobe malfunction to happen, or even Damaris's constant boob-jiggling shimmy shakes a couple years ago during her season.

Fully agreed. It wouldn't be OK if Jay had been female and Arnold straight, and I was also put off by it.

 

I'm a mom, and I get how it could be difficult to be away from your kids like that. It's why I'd never apply for a reality competition that required me to be away from home for several weeks, because there's no way I'd want to leave my young daughter for that long. Michelle's biggest problem was that she let the lure of potential "stardom" (Don't laugh... I know what show this is!) cloud her ability to think through what happens when you go on a show like this. I'm not a fan of quitters, but if she had won (I know, I know... don't laugh at that either!), she probably would've pulled an Amy and backed out anyway. Better that she's out now.

 

The only reasons Dom is still around is that he obviously is a better, more consistent cook than anyone (Bobby clearly likes his food the best out of all the contestants) and Giada thinks he's cute. That said, I thought he was good in the video, and this was probably his best week. I expect Alex to go next, Then they'll finally give Dom his walking papers.

[Gregg247]

I'm glad Michele left, too.  If she misses her family THAT much, she needs to go home.  As for being sequestered, I'm sure that contestants who are eliminated are forced to do this, as part of the TV show deal, but it's not like they can physically hold anyone against their will.  I can't believe they could "charge" her a monetary fee for leaving either, aside from lost wages for the remaining episodes of the show that she won't be participating in.  

 

Can you imagine the stink she could raise if TFN threatened to financially ruin her and her family if she quit a reality TV show 3 weeks early, and/or physically restrained her from seeing her children?  Sure, she needs to keep her mouth shut about the season prior to the episodes airing, but quitting for family reasons (or maybe any reason, really) wouldn't buy her a one-way ticket to the poor house.  People quit their jobs every day; unless they're the CEO of GE or something, they don't get charged a fee for the priviledge.

 

I'm sure she was able to go home to her family right away, who probably said, "You quit?!? Are you crazy?!"

[Nutjob]

 

As for being sequestered, I'm sure that contestants who are eliminated are forced to do this, as part of the TV show deal, but it's not like they can physically hold anyone against their will.  I can't believe they could "charge" her a monetary fee for leaving either, aside from lost wages for the remaining episodes of the show that she won't be participating in.

It depends on what the contract says that she signed in order to participate. If part of the deal was that she had to remain sequestered until the competition was over, then yes--FN could sue her for breach of contract if she went home without authorization. Contestants practically sign their souls away to participate in these things.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Nutjob

[LennieBriscoe]

I dislike Alex and his stupid hair. Dom was the hilarious one, spinning when slapped, but Alex was a weirdo-psycho for thinking that slapping someone was a way to lure customers. Also, Alex has zero culinary sense, MUCH less than Michelle, who became a PITA.

[akr]

And the reason for that contractual obligation is the potential monetary loss to the show of leaking information before they're ready to (in theory, anyway; does anybody care with this show?). She can suck it up for a few weeks. It may have taken being away from home for a stretch to realize that she didn't this life for herself, but since there were plenty of people who would, it's a shame one of them got cut instead of her. She should have gone a long time ago.

 

I wonder if including some of the earlier unflattering moments (trying to talk to Matthew "as a mom"; temporarily walking out once prior), and in general not editing her like someone who deserved to stick around as long as she did,  were shown to make this moment make some sort of sense. Anyway, bye Michelle, and don't expect to get another shot at this sort of thing.

 

Alex's hair is silly. The thing I remember most about him is, during that sandwich challenge with the katsu chicken (the complaint about the travelog and foreign words wasn't about the katsu but about all the various other things he used in his monologue) - he was initially put out that ketchup and mayonnaise weren't available ingredients, and how can I make a sandwich without ketchup or mayonnaise? Really? (ok, I looked up katsu sauce after - he did actually make me want some katsu - and sure enough it's typically made using ketchup - but combine that moment with the on-and-on about his various sauces and visits to Japan, and . . . yeah, I don't want to watch him.  I thought the video for the taco truck was kind of funny, though. Ridiculous, but kind of funny. He might be fun to hang out with, but I don't want to watch him on TV.

[xaxat]

And the reason for that contractual obligation is the potential monetary loss to the show of leaking information before they're ready to (in theory, anyway; does anybody care with this show?). 

 

Remember the good old days, when FN would spoil their own show?

[cooksdelight]

Really enjoying everyone's comments.   (hope that isn't too "boards on boards" :))

 

We don't have that here. :)  

 

I don't think Michelle thought this decision to quit through very well.

 

1) She will have to remain sequestered, just like everyone else. She doesn't get to go home.

2) She shot herself in the foot by not getting to try again in Star Salvation. That's off the table for her now.

3) She will never ever in her life get asked to be on another cooking competition show.

4) No one will offer her a job in the food industry on television. Anywhere.

 

She's basically blackballed herself.

[HyeChaps]

I admit now that I also am an Armenian mama home cook.  Way back in the day Armenia was a much, much bigger nation; so much so that it did border on the Mediterranean.  There are many wonderful recipes for fish, mussels, etc.

 

I can't fathom why Michelle continued to do that ridiculous dancing and finger snapping after the first take.  She must have already decided to give it all up then.  But why not listen to your teammate?

[cooksdelight]

Michelle was darn lucky to be paired with Eddie. She almost sank him, too.

[xaxat]

We don't have that here. :)  

 

I don't think Michelle thought this decision to quit through very well.

 

1) She will have to remain sequestered, just like everyone else. She doesn't get to go home.

2) She shot herself in the foot by not getting to try again in Star Salvation. That's off the table for her now.

3) She will never ever in her life get asked to be on another cooking competition show.

4) No one will offer her a job in the food industry on television. Anywhere.

 

She's basically blackballed herself.

 

What makes it even harder to understand her decision is that I assume the producers told her all of that BTS before they accepted her decision. It's possible they could have just let her "walk" with no discussion, but I kind of doubt that. 

[NikSac]

Well that was a fun episode to watch.

 

The first challenge confused me a little. They couldn't make any changes except...well...they could. I kind of understood Alex's because they didn't have the ingredient he needed (chipped beef), but some of the rest of them made some pretty big changes as well. I know they had to make some of them in order to make the food "portable," but I wish they'd explained the rules better. I thought the only presentation that really flopped badly was Michelle's in the first challenge.

 

You know, if Michelle wasn't "into it" anymore I'm glad she quit instead of one of the others getting eliminated, but I think she probably did end up taking up a spot from someone else who really wanted to be there. Some of the people eliminated thus far might've improved enough to still be there if "I miss my kids" hadn't left. I bet they're mad.  Also, her 'dance' in the video was so obnoxious!  Maybe part of it, but doing that through the whole thing was irritating. 

 

I'm still trying to figure out how she made her tomato soup, since I thought I heard one person (Bobby I think?) say it tasted like nothing but potato (or did I hear him wrong and he said tomato? wish I still had it recorded - I swore he said potato). It didn't seem like a terribly hard thing to make, so it's too bad it turned out badly. The look on Eddie's face when he tasted it said it all. It probably wouldn't have taken too much to at least improve it at that point, even if it wasn't great. Too bad they didn't even try. Maybe he was afraid if he told her the truth she was going to melt down the rest of the way before the challenge started.

 

I wish they had still gone through the "bottom" contestants and given them feedback for improvement after Michelle left.

 

Arnold and Jay's presentation looked uncomfortable while they were recording it, but with the edits it turned out better. I am still really over Arnold though. I agree with those who didn't like him making the whole burger thing sound like some sex joke.  Must admit those ramen buns looked interesting. Out of all the trucks that's definitely the one I would've gone for just because the food sounded the best.

 

Alex and Dom's presentation wasn't one that would appeal to me, but I guess it was funny. I thought they overemphasized the heat too much, because their food sounded painful to eat unless you really like spice. In reality I am betting that Dom's was spicy but not painfully so, and they might have gotten more customers if that was clearer.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

And the reason for that contractual obligation is the potential monetary loss to the show of leaking information before they're ready to (in theory, anyway; does anybody care with this show?).

 

Except when the network spoils their own shows.  :/

 

Was it Arnold who claimed that he had no idea what chipped beef is?  Not much of a food expert, is he?

[CMH1981]

 

I'm still trying to figure out how she made her tomato soup, since I thought I heard one person (Bobby I think?) say it tasted like nothing but potato (or did I hear him wrong and he said tomato? wish I still had it recorded - I swore he said potato). It didn't seem like a terribly hard thing to make, so it's too bad it turned out badly. The look on Eddie's face when he tasted it said it all. It probably wouldn't have taken too much to at least improve it at that point, even if it wasn't great. Too bad they didn't even try. Maybe he was afraid if he told her the truth she was going to melt down the rest of the way before the challenge started.

 

Bobby did say "potato" as well, it puzzled me as well.  Like I said earlier upthread in one of my posts, just adding some spices (ground red pepper or chili powder ) would have improved the taste.  I add that to canned tomato soup all the time to spice it up for me

 

I do think that Eddie not telling her how bland it was, was totally b/c she was falling apart in that small truck.  I mean she was losing it b/c she couldn't find the knife that was right in front of her.  

 

Those ramen buns of Arnold's were awesome looking.  Does anyone know how he prevented them from becoming hard again.  Giada said they were crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside.  I know he said he added egg to it to make stick together.  

 

Jay bringing up the tailgating thing makes me think they will use that idea, but pair it up w/ former athlete Eddie if he wins.

[cooksdelight]

What makes it even harder to understand her decision is that I assume the producers told her all of that BTS before they accepted her decision. It's possible they could have just let her "walk" with no discussion, but I kind of doubt that.

Having talked with a former competitor, I know their contracts are thick, iron clad, and come with a million dollar fine if they leak anything. I am sure Michelle was stuck there with her former cohorts until the bitter end.

[Totale]

I wonder if Jay is seeing Eddie is the pre-ordained favorite and since he's a former pro athlete, a tailgate party would be a natural for Eddie. Steal it before Eddie can take it and run with it, perhaps?

 

My uninformed opinion is that Mauro told them he was done with Sandwich King before last FNS season, and they saw a hole in the schedule a loud goofus guy could fill which they thought they had when they cast Lenny.  Lenny screwed the pooch but the hole is still there.  I'm sure they learned their lesson and no matter how good your Google-fu is you won't find Jay getting frisky with an okra. Cajun is fun enough but tailgate party is more flexible among those viewers (which it has been shown there are many) who want to see a loud goofus cook "man food".  I think Eddie is the solid second choice who they like and will get some sort of slot when they find one for him.

[akr]

When Michelle was describing her soup to Eddie she said she started with potatoes and onions and I did a double take - potato? did I hear that wrong? no, definitely potato, not tomato - why would she put potatoes in her tomato soup?  I suspended judgment on it at the time because she claimed it was something she did regularly that worked, but if I'd been her partner I would have expressed some concern right then. I wasn't too crazy about Eddie's idea, actually, either - pulled pork and cheese jsut don't really go together - and it seemed like the sandwich would end up soggy. But if I saw he had a pulled pork and coleslaw grilled sandwich, I'd have been interested . . . but it wouldn't have fit the challenge. There are so many strong interesting flavors that you can put into a grilled cheese sandwich; they just were off course from the get-go.

Edited July 20, 2015 by akr

[cooksdelight]

If Michelle had made a true tomato soup with a garnish of bacon, and Eddie had added sliced tomatoes and some bacon to his grilled cheese.... winners all the way. If you didn't want soup, there's a sandwich, and vice versa.

[NikSac]

Bobby did say "potato" as well, it puzzled me as well.  Like I said earlier upthread in one of my posts, just adding some spices (ground red pepper or chili powder ) would have improved the taste.  I add that to canned tomato soup all the time to spice it up for me.

 

I'm glad it wasn't just me - thanks!  So, did she make a tomato soup with a potato base?  That seems awfully odd and could certainly account for a very off and bland flavor. Weird.

When Michelle was describing her soup to Eddie she said she started with potatoes and onions and I did a double take - potato? did I hear that wrong? no, definitely potato, not tomato - why would she put potatoes in her tomato soup?

 

Ahh I missed that part.  Well, now I know something I can scratch off my list of future things to try with tomato soup... not that I ever would have probably.

Edited July 20, 2015 by NikSac

[Clanstarling]

After school on Sunday.

Mimosas after Sunday School anyone?

 

 

 

The first challenge confused me a little. They couldn't make any changes except...well...they could. I kind of understood Alex's because they didn't have the ingredient he needed (chipped beef), but some of the rest of them made some pretty big changes as well.

Being a military brat, "chipped beef" was also a favorite of mine. But we used ground beef once we returned to the states - still a yummy comfort food. All he had to do was put it in a biscuit or dough and make a turnover.

 

 

When Michelle was describing her soup to Eddie she said she started with potatoes and onions and I did a double take - potato? did I hear that wrong? no, definitely potato, not tomato - why would she put potatoes in her tomato soup?  I suspended judgment on it at the time because she claimed it was something she did regularly that worked, but if I'd been her partner I would have expressed some concern right then. I wasn't too crazy about Eddie's idea, actually, either - pulled pork and cheese jsut don't really go together - and it seemed like the sandwich would end up soggy. But if I saw he had a pulled pork and coleslaw grilled sandwich, I'd have been interested . . . but it wouldn't have fit the challenge. There are so many strong interesting flavors that you can put into a grilled cheese sandwich; they just were off course from the get-go.

 

Tomato, to-mah-to, potato, po-tah-to, maybe she makes her recipes from clichéd sayings. Why dilute the taste of tomatoes (unless her kids, like mine, didn't like tomatoes).  As for the pulled pork grilled cheese - I was surprised he chose something that was difficult to pull off in time, when there are so many spiced meats he could have used instead (if he was stuck on meat and cheese).

 

When she quit, I said "that's just to save face - because she totally knows it was going to be her." I thought she was well aware it's never the first person they talk to, and she was timing it to seem like she was saving Alex.  I've never cared for her, and was glad to see her go. Whether or not it's scripted or managed, I don't care. It's been kind of fun and unexpected this season.

 

I totally want a ramen bun burger!

[bluepiano]

NB: Jay got the words "tailgate party" in at least three times in the opening minutes of this show.  I don't remember him ever saying them before.

 

My memory is that he's managed to work a mention of "tailgating" into every damn challenge. They could be catering for the Metropolitan Opera and he would still relate it to tailgating. He may have even said "tailgating" and/or "tailgate party" as many times as Michelle said she was a mother.

 

Jay has seemed the favorite all year, which is why I doubt he will win. The grilling massive amounts of meat thing he does is already about half the programming on FN, so its not like it's a POV they're missing. He does cook with a Cajun twist, which is interesting, but it's not something they've really stressed. And I think that FN would consider a full-on Cajun cooking show to be too limited for a mass audience. (And they also have enough people doing general southern).

 

Thanks to the poster who earlier reminded me about Michelle's fake black-person jive accent while she was talking during her dance. Another thing to add to the list of why I'm glad to see her go.

[smiley13]

This episode had a boat load of inappropriate behavior.  You had the jive talking Armenian, the domestic violence taco truck and the pervy Asian burger guy.  Sorry, but I don't care to have sexual overtures in my food shows.  It is probably why I can't stand Nigella Lawson.

 

Can we just get rid of everyone but Eddie and Jay and put them both on the air?  

 

 

The grilling massive amounts of meat thing he does is already about half the programming on FN, so its not like it's a POV they're missing. He does cook with a Cajun twist, which is interesting, but it's not something they've really stressed.

Jay has not been given the chance to grill massive amounts of meat.  With all of the silly restrictions they put with the competitions, he has not had the time to really do anything much.  I was intrigued by the praline bacon this week and would love the recipe for that.  A tailgating show with Jay would be awesome.  I have been to tailgates in LA, and it was a fabulous display of food.

[cooksdelight]

Jay has not been given the chance to grill massive amounts of meat. With all of the silly restrictions they put with the competitions, he has not had the time to really do anything much.

Sure he has. He got Dom's ribeye steaks during the switcheroo July 4th cookout.

[HyeChaps]

Guy did a tailgating special once.  It was awesome.

[smiley13]

Sure he has. He got Dom's ribeye steaks during the switcheroo July 4th cookout.

I am used to big tailgates, those did not even register with me as being massive amounts of meat.  :)

[cooksdelight]

Steaks for 100 people is a massive amount of meat.

[NewDigs]

Richard Blais + locked thread = something I can barely put into words.

But after seeing the episode I think I can recycle a Tosi/Masterchef post: I did not like Blais, this episode, but I did not actively dislike him so that's progress, I guess.

Real toss-up who I more wanted to see gone, Alex or Michelle. Still kinda' wish Alex was gone.

Had to laugh at Arnold's rather inappropriate "buns" presentation and think Jay was a pretty good sport to try to play along. Even the slap-fest was funny.

Shame about Michelle... Buh bye. Enjoy sequester. Idiot.

[BW Manilowe]

When Michelle was describing her soup to Eddie she said she started with potatoes and onions and I did a double take - potato? did I hear that wrong? no, definitely potato, not tomato - why would she put potatoes in her tomato soup? I suspended judgment on it at the time because she claimed it was something she did regularly that worked, but if I'd been her partner I would have expressed some concern right then. I wasn't too crazy about Eddie's idea, actually, either - pulled pork and cheese jsut don't really go together - and it seemed like the sandwich would end up soggy. But if I saw he had a pulled pork and coleslaw grilled sandwich, I'd have been interested . . . but it wouldn't have fit the challenge. There are so many strong interesting flavors that you can put into a grilled cheese sandwich; they just were off course from the get-go.

I've actually seen food trucks, maybe also brick & mortar restaurants, featured on other Food Network shows, or maybe Man v. Food reruns on Travel Channel, which make grilled cheese with pulled pork (also mac & cheese &, I think, caramelized onions) sandwiches & they appeared to be big hits wherever they were sold.

This is a recipe link for the sandwich I remember seeing on TV, wherever it was that I saw it (FN or MvF).

http://www.tastespotting.com/features/cheesy-mac-n-rib-recipe-from-the-grilled-cheese-truck

[Tonypitt]

This show missed an opportunity to be epic.

 

Giada should have worked really, really hard to convince Michelle that she wanted to stay.  Then, when Michelle agreed, Giada could have said "Too bad.  You've been eliminated."  I would have been a Giada fan forever.

 

Yes, I'm in a bad mood tonight.  Can you tell?

[J-Man]

Do contestants think they get to be like Ree Drummond and cook from home?  

I could see how they might think that's a possibility since there are so many other shows filmed in the hosts' homes: Ina, Paula, Giada, Melissa, Nancy, Trisha, Sandra, et. al. 

 

I'll bet the Spice Islands people are going to ask for a refund -- their commercial featured Michelle talking about how important herbs and spices are to her cooking just seconds after her tomato soup was universally dissed as being excessively bland. 

 

Has anyone run across a restaurant that serves ramen-bun burgers (or really ANY kind of sandwich with ramen buns?) I want to try that more than anything else I've seen on the show this season. 

[akr]

Has anyone run across a restaurant that serves ramen-bun burgers (or really ANY kind of sandwich with ramen buns?) I want to try that more than anything else I've seen on the show this season.

No, but I just googled "ramen bun" and it seems it's been a trend for about two years now - or maybe just a brief internet meme in 2013 that I missed. It would make sense that with a little lag, it shows up on FNS. There are a bunch of recipes with really good reviews, which are making me reconsider my initial skepticism

 

Here's a place called The Original Ramen Burger in LA:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-ramen-burger-los-angeles-2

Edited July 21, 2015 by akr

[cooksdelight]

I've got some ramen in my cupboard. I may bug the shit out of Arnold for a recipe.

[cattykit]

 

Richard Blais + locked thread = something I can barely put into words.

The Michelle disaster must be of epic fail proportions if it took this long for someone to mention the apparently now ubiquitous Blais.  And choosing him to direct videos?  I haven't missed Alton in a long time but nobody does curmudgeonly director like Alton.

 

 

I could see how they might think that's a possibility since there are so many other shows filmed in the hosts' homes: Ina, Paula, Giada, Melissa, Nancy, Trisha, Sandra, et. al. 

Are they?  I thought that, other than Ina, those shows were on sets designed to look like homes.

 

As for the fake Alex elimination, yes, Giada did have a pregnant pause that felt completely scripted so that Michelle could make her dramatic announcement, but OTOH, they do sometimes go right to the eliminated person first.  Most competitive shows seem to like to mix it up so you don't know what's coming.