S11.E07: Food Truck Throwdown

[akr]

http://ramenburger.com/faq/

The history of the ramen burger in America, according to the people who apparently like to think they're responsible for it. 

[smiley13]

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 have never heard of this Blais guy before last night's episode.  I have missed Alton this season.   He always did a good job directing the contestants.

[akr]

I like Blais! (although I'm well aware not everyone does). He's probably best known for Top Chef (runner up one year, and then winner of Top Chef Allstars). Well, at least I like him relative to what else was going on on this show. 

[cooksdelight]

Most all of the shows on FN are filmed in NYC. They create sets to look homey, etc. It makes them more money if they can film a season of shows in two weeks, on their turf.

[Snarklepuss]

Mimosas after Sunday School anyone?

 

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.

 

LOL, Mr. Snarklepuss said almost the same thing - "Let's all get drunk after Sunday school with the kids"!

 

Both my parents were in the army so we ate Shit on a Shingle often when I was growing up.  Only my gourmet mother would attempt to "elevate" it by cutting up roast beef and frying it in some salt and oil until it got drier.  It was actually a pretty great dish the way she made it.  Alex could have been more creative.  His dish looked like freakin' vomit.  Chorizo just didn't fit, wrong flavor.   Great idea about putting it in a biscuit or turnover!

 

As to Blais, I am over him like I'm over BBQ pitmasters and tailgate parties.  Can we have something/one else on freaking food TV anymore?

[Aquarius]

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?

 

Oh, I love this!!!  I can totally hear the fake voice, too.  "Too bad.  You've been eliminated.  I'm sorry, Michelle."  THAT would have been great and I would probably forgive Giada how ever much of the globes that she shows for the rest of the season.  Probably.

 

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

 

To my knowledge, later season Paula's and original Sandy's were filmed in their home kitchens.  I believe Nancy's and Trisha's are as well (which is why Trisha's kitchen has changed recently after her move).  Giada at Home was originally supposed to be filmed in her home kitchen but then was filmed in another house in Pacific Palisades.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Aquarius

[Snarklepuss]

To my knowledge, later season Paula's and original Sandy's were filmed in their home kitchens.  I believe Nancy's and Trisha's are as well (which is why Trisha's kitchen has changed recently after her move).  Giada at Home was originally supposed to be filmed in her home kitchen but then was filmed in another house in Pacific Palisades.

 

How about Damaris' show?  It looks like it's filmed in a real house although I'm not sure it's hers.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[Aquarius]

How about Damaris' show?  It looks like it's filmed in a real house although I'm not sure it's hers.

 

You could be right about that one, too.  I don't know, though.

[Lura]

This episode had to be one of the funniest I've seen on this show!  My DH and I about died laughing!  Even Giada's exposed little boobies couldn't ruin it.  I think there should be a "Dom and Alex Show."  Eddie was also at his best, trying to deal with Michelle's dance!

 

So, Michelle is gone of her own choosing.  I had a strange hunch that Michelle thought she'd be eliminated (and I thought so, too), so she opted to quit rather than be told to leave.  That could have been wrong thinking on my part, but I guess we'll never know.

[Clanstarling]

Both my parents were in the army so we ate Shit on a Shingle often when I was growing up.  Only my gourmet mother would attempt to "elevate" it by cutting up roast beef and frying it in some salt and oil until it got drier.  It was actually a pretty great dish the way she made it.  Alex could have been more creative.  His dish looked like freakin' vomit.  Chorizo just didn't fit, wrong flavor.   Great idea about putting it in a biscuit or turnover!

SOS! I didn't know other people called it that. It was a regular in our household, and I still make it now and then. 

 

I'm usually bad at figuring out how to meet the challenges - but that just seemed so easy. Who doesn't like a meat pie? (well, except for vegetarians).

 

I agree that slop didn't look appetizing in the least. As you said, chorizo isn't even close in flavor. My Austrian Mom (who was far from gourmet) jazzed it up with Maggi, which for some reason is on the Hispanic food shelves in the grocery stores these days, despite being a German product. So maybe he made that very tentative connection.

Edited July 21, 2015 by clanstarling

[NikSac]

I'm apparently clueless, I missed Michelle's whole jive accent thing.  Maybe I missed it somehow. Yuck. That might've been one of the few things that made me like her less than Emilia, but fortunately she quit on her own.

 

I noticed on ads earlier that FN has yet another "drive around and eat" show, in addition to the Deen brothers' one. I can't think of the name of it, but maybe that's their new thing. I could see Jay or Eddie making that work with a tailgate theme.  I agree with those who think Eddie and Jay could make a great team.

 

Did Michelle really have to stay in the sequester house or hotel or whatever til the show was over?  If so how dumb (not just of her, just in general)! Sounds to me more like she couldn't handle the pressure, not that she missed her kids.  Which is totally understandable, but don't put it on your kids.

[MerBearHou]

I'm a big fan of Richard Blais so I loved, loved seeing him on the show. I have a feeling that if you went to dinner at Michelle's home, it would be manic in her kitchen there too. She just seems to get very frazzled when juggling multiple tasks. The perpetual drama mama.

Dom can sure turn on the charm. And he really seems to get along well with the guys. Alex's chipped beef (and yes, I'm very familiar with it -- it is major comfort food for my hubby) looked horrific -- what was he thinking?

I got a huge kick out of Eddie saying that Michelle's tomato soup tasted just fine when speaking with her -- and then in his talking head, said it was awful. Eddie KNEW he could not go there with Michelle at that point. Would have sent her into even more of a tailspin.

That quitting/elimination scene seemed, to me, so incredibly fake and scripted. The weird pauses, the little conference with Bobby and Giada, please..... I do think the guys in the "safe room" were surprised.

[Vixenstud]

I actually liked seeing Giada/Bobby crack up, that was the most animated they have ever been.

Anyway, Eddie should have told Michelle to spice up her soup and pronto instead of lying and saying the shit was edible. Her dancing/’cheesy-wheezy’ shtick got on my last nerves. I have no sympathy for the quitter; Rue could have still been in the damned competition.

I see Eddie and Jay as F2 with Jay winning….Eddie, much as I love him looks exactly like Aaron McCargo (former winner and formerly of the ‘Big Daddy’s House’ show) so I don’t see a Big Daddy 2, unfortunately. Jay has been losing me week to week, not as much of a fan as I was in the beginning.

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.

It was the way Dom said it that made him come off like a dick.

Alex (even though he reminds me from the neck up of Bonnie Franklin in One Day at a Time)

Kee-keeing! Thanks, now that will be running through my head whilst watching ODAAT reruns on Antenna TV, lmao.

[Joe Blow]

A ramen bun burger is not new – it was even featured on “Real Girl's Kitchen” with Haylie Duff, which I do not make a habit of watching, but my wife turns on sometimes.  Haylie goes to a place that makes it, which I swear has also been featured on other shows.

 

We make a roasted red pepper soup that has a potato in it to give it some body and creaminess (it eventually gets stick-blended).  It's not enough potato to make it taste too much like potato, but it would work in a creamy tomato soup if you went easy with it. 

 

Jay seems rehearsed enough to make it, and if you don't get the Lenny comparisons, I wonder what show you've been watching.  I wouldn't have cared if Lenny got a show, but if Jay wins, it's going to be kind of the same – one more southern cooking show!  It seems like that's all any of them are right now – and NONE of them are very good!

 

Eddie kind of got left out to dry with being on a time-limited grilled cheese truck along with Michelle.  He tried to jazz up store bought (i.e. food service food network) barbecue sauce, though wasn't given any time to do so.  And wanted to make pulled pork, but wasn't given any time to do so.  Which is exactly what this show has become – it's just another limited time, limited ingredient, complete garbage game show. 

 

Dom seems like such an actor.  I don't mind him, but there's no way he nails his talking heads, interactions with people, and even some of the judges presentations, but randomly walks away from other things for no reason.  It has to be a TV edit.  That being said, I certainly don't want to see another Italian show.  Giada's was crappy enough.

 

As far as Arnold, they had an “entertaining” show gay couple that won in the 1st season – the Hearty Boys.  It was boring as hell and who really cares about a show about food for entertaining? 

 

Alex is boring as hell, and I can't believe they let him get away with trying to be another “Sandwich Guy”.  That makes you think, once again, the choices are pre-ordained.

 

Michelle was ok, but fairly forgettable.

[bluepiano]

Not to make too big a deal out of it, because it is just TV, but I'm tired of all these women contestants who reinforce the stereotype that women are ruled by their emotions and overly sentimental and therefore can't be trusted the way you'd trust a man. In the "real world" I'm sure there's no evidence that women have a harder time separating their work from their personal lives. Yet on FNS or Master Chef or Top Chef, it's always the woman who goes through some kind of emotional crisis about missing her family so much that she may need to quit.

 

It would've been one thing if Michelle's kid had been really sick and she wasn't there for him. But the big deal was that she missed his birthday? I'm sure she was able to talk to him on the phone, maybe do a Skype call. It's not like she was off on a secret mission behind enemy lines.

 

Not long ago my wife was operated on by a fantastic surgeon, who happens to be a woman. And also a mother. It never occurred to me for a second to worry that she wouldn't be able to focus on the surgery because she was upset about missing her daughter's soccer game. But in reality TV land, you can almost predict that when a female contestant identifies herself as a "mom" there is going to be some kind of meltdown coming.

Edited July 21, 2015 by bluepiano

[mertensia]

clanstarling Maggi was big in Venezuela at least as far back as the 1970s- we used to see ads for it then. Lots of Europeans immigrated to Central and South America after WWII and Maggi apparently went with them.

[Snarklepuss]

I agree that slop didn't look appetizing in the least. As you said, chorizo isn't even close in flavor. My Austrian Mom (who was far from gourmet) jazzed it up with Maggi, which for some reason is on the Hispanic food shelves in the grocery stores these days, despite being a German product. So maybe he made that very tentative connection.

 

I don't remember if my mother used Maggi in it, but Maggi was certainly in our kitchen cabinet back then.  I think it was more popular in the States back then.

 

On another note, I would like to see a list of all the reasons why Lenny and Jay are supposedly so similar because I think I could probably out-list it by a mile with reasons they are NOT similar whatsoever.  Although I'm not a fan of his, Jay seems like a mellow, reasonable sort who becomes slightly more animated for the camera, while Lenny had crazy eyes, jumped around like he had ADD and did completely wacko things like belly flops into a pool and having candy bars taped all over his body.  Lenny had off the charts smarm and creep factor while Jay is only mildly so at worst.  IMO, any similarity between the two of them has to be completely on the surface (both big, slightly messy guys, animated on camera, similar POV) but that's where I think the similarity begins and ends.  Plus I think it's insulting to Jay to suggest otherwise.  JMHO.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[tobysmom]

I'm a big fan of Richard Blais so I loved, loved seeing him on the show.

I got a huge kick out of Eddie saying that Michelle's tomato soup tasted just fine when speaking with her -- and then in his talking head, said it was awful. Eddie KNEW he could not go there with Michelle at that point. Would have sent her into even more of a tailspin.

 

 

Also a fan of Richard Blais.

 

and I agree that Eddie knew he couldn't go there and say anything about Michelle's soup (and I have never ever heard of making tomato soup with a potato base - and yep, I thought I hear Bobby say potato too); but I think, unless it's the editing monkeys, that right after Eddie talked about her soup they had a time countdown so maybe he thought there wasn't enough time to do anything about it??

 

As far as Alex's and Dom's video - I didn't think anything about the slapping - I've heard the phrase "it was so good it made me want to slap someone" a number of times.  And, actually yesterday on my twitter feed someone tweeted just that about something they had eaten and made me think of this thread.

And I actually agreed with Giada, when after viewing the videos that Dom should have made a taco without any heat at all after Alex made that taco of his.  And it isn't surprising they had the least amount of people; no one really wants to eat food that will burn your mouth (and this is coming from someone with a Mexican heritage that grew up with hot peppers, salsa or hot sauce always put out on the dinner table).

[cooksdelight]

OT for a second... I make a wicked hot salsa that has won a few awards, called "Slap My Ass And Call Me Sally".

[Snarklepuss]

Not to make too big a deal out of it, because it is just TV, but I'm tired of all these women contestants who reinforce the stereotype that women are ruled by their emotions and overly sentimental and therefore can't be trusted the way you'd trust a man. In the "real world" I'm sure there's no evidence that women have a harder time separating their work from their personal lives. Yet on FNS or Master Chef or Top Chef, it's always the woman who goes through some kind of emotional crisis about missing her family so much that she may need to quit.

 

It would've been one thing if Michelle's kid had been really sick and she wasn't there for him. But the big deal was that she missed his birthday? I'm sure she was able to talk to him on the phone, maybe do a Skype call. It's not like she was off on a secret mission behind enemy lines.

 

I hear you but re: Michelle, after watching her a second time last night she almost reminded me of me back when I had particularly bad PMS (which with me was more like PMDD - I am post menopausal now, thank GOD).  I know when I had this I became paranoid and highly sensitive.  Michelle looked like her emotions were being ruled by something, anything but her better sense.  I feel sorry for her because that's a horrible feeling and I can't help but think she may regret having backed out now.  I understand the stress of that particular situation but couple that with racing hormones and it can result in rash decisions.  I used to have a saying that went something like "I never make life altering decisions during that time of the month".  Not that I think it could have been only hormones to blame for Michelle's rash decision.  She may have been under so much pressure that she snapped under it.  I still think that in the light of day so to speak she probably regretted it.  It looked like an emotionally charged decision that was not based in rational thought whatsoever.

[IOU Payne]

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.

Ramen burgers are one of the specialities at my local Filipino restaurant. The "bun" basically tastes like my mom's salt-and-pepper lokshen kugel (a.k.a. noodle pudding). In fact, I'm making kugel buns for Rosh Hashana to serve with BBQ pulled beef.

When Michelle started jive talking (for lack of a better term - I can't help but think of the Bee Gees when I hear that term!), I thought of all the times I'd heard chefs refer to "fraaaaaaahhhhhd chicken!" when they're cooking Southern food. Anyhoo, Michelle, thanks for carrying the torch for female chefs and TV personalities. Not.

[JTMacc99]

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.

 

I think both of them, and Arnold, will get some sort of shot with the Scripps networks.  I thought it was the Jay and Arnold season back in episode two, but Arnold stumbled enough and Eddie got better by episode four to make me change to the Jay and Eddie season.

 

I'm pretty much fine with it. None of them are offensive to me.

 

I think you make a really interesting point about how Jay got better when he worked with Arnold.  Last week I was sure that all Eddie needs to be a star is to work with David Alan Grier every week.  It seems that the contestants on this show are never really good enough to be great by themselves, but they do have enough charm to be good with some help.

 

If I think about ones who made something out of themselves after this show, Guy is probably the only one who can pull of an interesting show by himself, but he's much better when he interacts with others.  Jeff is okay by himself, but pretty darn good in a group. 

 

It's unsurprising that Jay and Eddie had high points (for me) when they worked with others.

[Snarklepuss]

As far as Alex's and Dom's video - I didn't think anything about the slapping - I've heard the phrase "it was so good it made me want to slap someone" a number of times.  And, actually yesterday on my twitter feed someone tweeted just that about something they had eaten and made me think of this thread.

And I actually agreed with Giada, when after viewing the videos that Dom should have made a taco without any heat at all after Alex made that taco of his.  And it isn't surprising they had the least amount of people; no one really wants to eat food that will burn your mouth (and this is coming from someone with a Mexican heritage that grew up with hot peppers, salsa or hot sauce always put out on the dinner table).

 

Alex and Dom's video had that totally silly humor to it that reminded me of the "Fish slapping dance" of Python fame.  Dom is a natural with humor.  He actually impressed me with that, which makes me wonder how much of his earlier camera fumbling was overplayed by the show.   I remember Giada mentioning that Dom's taco had a reasonable amount of heat which showed me he tried to downplay it somewhat in his own taco, although I think that point did not get across to the crowd given how much the truck and the video emphasized the word HOT.

 

Edited July 21, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[JTMacc99]

Jay seems rehearsed enough to make it, and if you don't get the Lenny comparisons, I wonder what show you've been watching.  I wouldn't have cared if Lenny got a show, but if Jay wins, it's going to be kind of the same – one more southern cooking show!  It seems like that's all any of them are right now – and NONE of them are very good!

I get the Lenny comparisons. I just think that they are superficial. Two big fat guys who are kind of loud and say things like, "I like a good steak!"

 

Yes, I can see that.

 

But I think that Lenny was a complete fraud (and I ALWAYS thought that, even before I found out that he has a rich history of telling people about the various places he wants to stick his penis) whereas I don't see anything like that from Jay.

 

I see that Jay wants to be on TV, but that makes him qualified to be on this show.  What I don't see is that Jay is a complete phony about being from Louisana and a total creep who should be kept away from women and children.

 

So when somebody says they aren't rooting for Jay because he reminds him or her of Lenny, I interpret that statement to be talking about the reasons for why I didn't root for Lenny.  If that person's reason for not rooting for Lenny was that he was a big fat loud guy who talks about cooking red meat all the time, then yes, I can see how that would also mean that would translate to not rooting for Jay because he is a lot like Lenny. 

Edited July 21, 2015 by JTMacc99

[Snarklepuss]

I get the Lenny comparisons. I just think that they are superficial. Two big fat guys who are kind of loud and say things like, "I like a good steak!"

 

Yes, I can see that.

 

But I think that Lenny was a complete fraud (and I ALWAYS thought that, even before I found out that he has a rich history of telling people about the various places he wants to stick his penis) whereas I don't see anything like that from Jay.

 

Big fat guys who are loud and love steak, that sums up half the men on Food Network.  A person who can't get past that  would be hard pressed to find a guy they'd like!

 

BTW, I also thought Lenny was a complete fraud and a sleaze before the evidence came out.

[CorgiNarnia]

Not to make too big a deal out of it, because it is just TV, but I'm tired of all these women contestants who reinforce the stereotype that women are ruled by their emotions and overly sentimental and therefore can't be trusted the way you'd trust a man. In the "real world" I'm sure there's no evidence that women have a harder time separating their work from their personal lives. Yet on FNS or Master Chef or Top Chef, it's always the woman who goes through some kind of emotional crisis about missing her family so much that she may need to quit.

 

It would've been one thing if Michelle's kid had been really sick and she wasn't there for him. But the big deal was that she missed his birthday? I'm sure she was able to talk to him on the phone, maybe do a Skype call. It's not like she was off on a secret mission behind enemy lines.

 

Not long ago my wife was operated on by a fantastic surgeon, who happens to be a woman. And also a mother. It never occurred to me for a second to worry that she wouldn't be able to focus on the surgery because she was upset about missing her daughter's soccer game. But in reality TV land, you can almost predict that when a female contestant identifies herself as a "mom" there is going to be some kind of meltdown coming.

Yes! This really bothered me that Michelle quit. I mean, I guess people miss their kids, but why feed into that stereotype for moms? Just wait until you are eliminated. She was probably next anyway. And then when FNS casts a strong woman like Amelia, she gets eliminated for coming across as too mean (for a woman).

[DeLurker]

I hadn't watched this show before so had to find an episode with Lenny to find out who he was.  Other than some basic similarities (male/white/large) I did not find Jay a Lenny 2.0.

 

Lenny came off as play acting the cowboy role, and not particularly well. 

 

Jay, as a radio personality, comes off as pretty smooth in his wording but a bit too animated (vocally) for tv.  But that makes sense to me because radio is a totally auditory medium and you need to relay your emotions through your voice.

[cooksdelight]

The only thing that bothers me with Jay is he's too "on" all the time. Repeating the same phrases over and over again, rehearsed out the ying-yang.

[JTMacc99]

The only thing that bothers me with Jay is he's too "on" all the time. Repeating the same phrases over and over again, rehearsed out the ying-yang.

Absolutely. And that's why teaming him up with Arnold worked for me. It broke him out of the "on" mode for a minute.  I'm thinking that it is easier to tone down a guy like Jay than it is to tune up a guy like Dom. 

 

This makes me think about Giada.  After her first run of shows back in late 2003 and into 2004, she found a groove where she was very good carrying Everyday Italian.  She carried that skill forward into At Home with Giada, and was still watchable well past when the Food Network had drained her of every idea she could have possibly had for an original episode. She definitely has a rhythm and a feel to the way she presents during those shows. It's really not much different than what Jay does, only that Jay needs to dial it down from 11.

 

It also makes me very much like it when Giada cracks up at these dummies like she did in this episode.  I personally might not have thought that Alex smacking Dom was as funny as she did, but I liked seeing her not being "on" Giada for a minute.

[GeorgiaRai]

At my house growing up, it was creamed tuna on toast... maybe because my dad was a sailor.   

 

I thought Arnold's double entendre comments were just the result of nerves & an attempt at spontaneity. Maybe Suzy took over his brain momentarily (here's hoping she's given it back).

[Aquarius]

The only thing that bothers me with Jay is he's too "on" all the time. Repeating the same phrases over and over again, rehearsed out the ying-yang.

 

This isn't the only thing that bothers me about Jay, but it's the main thing.  He doesn't seem genuine to me because of it.  I'd left the superficial resemblance to Lenny behind by about the third episode.  Now I've come to think of him as the Cajun Billy Mays.  I also don't see the "great!!" in his presentations . . . everyone on-set seems to go crazy for them, so maybe it's editing or maybe it's me, but still.  I'm never wowed. 

[Snarklepuss]

Aquarius, you nailed it, that's exactly why I'm not a big fan of Jay's.  I think his presentation is too rehearsed sounding, not natural enough.  I too have been wondering why everyone on set (especially Dom) thinks he's so perfect.  I honestly think Dom (when he gets over his fumbling and is just himself) is more personable and genuine. Jay can be freaking annoying. JMHO.

[cooksdelight]

Now I've come to think of him as the Cajun Billy Mays. 

 

OMG, that's it!!! He'd be shouting at all of us as he showed us how to make shrimp or something.

[JTMacc99]

Well if the benchmark for the average FNS contestant's presentation is "Only made me cringe in embarrassment for them once or twice", which it is, that would make Jay great.

Edited July 22, 2015 by JTMacc99

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Why does Bobby put on glaases for the vagina table of death?

 

While this may not be even part of the answer to this question, I noticed this week for the first time that the judges have some sort of "cheat sheet" next to them ... all I could tell was that it had photos of each of the finalists and a bunch of notes. So maybe he puts them on so he can glance at the notes to remember who the heck they are and what they did.

[bluepiano]

And then when FNS casts a strong woman like Amelia, she gets eliminated for coming across as too mean (for a woman).

 

Amelia's "comedy" routine showed bad judgment, but as I posted at the time, I thought that a man would've had a better chance of getting away with it. This show has always had a HUGE double standard regarding how it treats male and female contestants. Lenny's behavior was frequently gross or in bad taste, but the judges treated him like he was just a big, goofy kid and he never got more than an affectionate "tsk tsk." Women on this show are supposed to be sweet and nurturing, and when they're not they get treated harshly.

 

Speaking of Lenny, I think that the Jay-Lenny comparisons are a bit shaky, as there are tons of big, loud, in-your-face guys out there. I just don't find Jay appealing in his own right. I like being spoken to, not yelled out. (So I'm not, as you can imagine, a Guy Fieri fan). I actually remember Jeff Mauro as being kind of loud and shouty when he was on FNS, but he seems to have toned down significantly, which in my book makes him more appealing. Well, maybe Jay can do the same, but thus far I'm not feeling him at all.

 

Besides, the last thing FN needs is yet another show in the general BBQ/southern/grilling genre.

 

Snarklepuss, wow, I immediately flashed on the Monty Python fish slapping dance too. Glad I'm not the only one.

Edited July 21, 2015 by bluepiano

[seacliffsal]

I think that Michelle just didn't know how to act/react when she isn't getting attention and positive compliments. She was specifically told by both Richard and Eddie to stop dancing, yet she continued. There was not one word about missing her children. The only times she spoke about missing her children was during judging (and it seemed like she thought she would get a different reaction from the judges than the one she did receive) and in her talking heads. She didn't seem to know how to adjust her 'character' to changing scenarios. I agree with those who think she was just trying to save 'face' by quitting because she 'missed her children.'

[Clanstarling]

clanstarling Maggi was big in Venezuela at least as far back as the 1970s- we used to see ads for it then. Lots of Europeans immigrated to Central and South America after WWII and Maggi apparently went with them.

That makes a lot of sense! I substitute Worcestershire sauce these days because I don't want to buy the giant bottles which seem to be the only size of Maggi my grocery stores carry.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

The only thing that bothers me with Jay is he's too "on" all the time. Repeating the same phrases over and over again, rehearsed out the ying-yang.

 

Absolutely ... but I do think the producers are aware of that, or if not they should be after the editing geniuses (genii???) did that clip several weeks back with him repeating "delectable pillows of something-or-other" over and over again ... and it's also why Emilia called him a used car salesman in her meltdown moment. If his selling point is his down-home good ol' boy WYSIWYG appeal (which to me isn't that appealing but he doesn't bug me that much either) then seeing how rehearsed he is really takes away from that aspect ...

 

BTW is it just me or have the show's editors gone above and beyond this season?

 

Oh, PS ... I already don't miss Michelle one bit. I would never watch her inevitable POV show "My Kids Love When I Make Soup Out Of This At Home." 

Edited July 21, 2015 by PamelaMaeSnap

[xaxat]

While this may not be even part of the answer to this question, I noticed this week for the first time that the judges have some sort of "cheat sheet" next to them ... all I could tell was that it had photos of each of the finalists and a bunch of notes.

 

"Remember to act surprised when Michelle says she wants to quit."

[smiley13]

Jay is poised on camera which is something I would think TPTB would look for.  I do not recall him being loud or "in your face"  until he got paired with Arnold who seemed to want to scream at the camera.  FN does not have a Cajun cooking show that I am aware of so his POV is an untapped market.   It looks to me like Jay has watched the show in the past and knows that they are looking for people who stick to their POV and re-iterate that POV regularly.

Big fat guys who are loud and love steak, that sums up half the men on Food Network.  A person who can't get past that  would be hard pressed to find a guy they'd like!

 

BTW, I also thought Lenny was a complete fraud and a sleaze before the evidence came out.

Who on FN is big and fat?  Well, other than ole Ina,

[Merriwind]

I have to confess to buying ramen today with thoughts of trying to make Arnold's burgers. I've poked around online. Basically, you cook the ramen, coat it with egg, press it into a ramekin and weight it down to hold the shape. The recipe calls for one package of ramen per burger--and that gives me pause. It's almost 400 calories just in the ramen alone!

[latetotheparty]

Jay is poised on camera which is something I would think TPTB would look for.  I do not recall him being loud or "in your face"  until he got paired with Arnold who seemed to want to scream at the camera.  FN does not have a Cajun cooking show that I am aware of so his POV is an untapped market.   It looks to me like Jay has watched the show in the past and knows that they are looking for people who stick to their POV and re-iterate that POV regularly.

Who on FN is big and fat?  Well, other than ole Ina,

 

Nancy Fuller.  Although I try to pretend she is actually NOT on FN.

[NikSac]

I have to confess to buying ramen today with thoughts of trying to make Arnold's burgers. I've poked around online. Basically, you cook the ramen, coat it with egg, press it into a ramekin and weight it down to hold the shape. The recipe calls for one package of ramen per burger--and that gives me pause. It's almost 400 calories just in the ramen alone!

 

Slightly OT but hope it's okay for a sec. I've heard before that one way to significantly reduce the calories in ramen is to have a second pot of boiling water on hand. Halfway through cooking drain the noodles, then finish cooking in the fresh boiling water. Supposedly it reduces the calories by quite a bit. I have no idea how one would test this, but seems worth a shot. I also wondered if you might be able to make a similar "bun" out of vermicelli type noodles that aren't greasy to begin with.

[Brookside]

Did anyone else notice that the cut-out in Giada's first dress echoed the vagina table of death?

[GoMocs]

Does FN have a true Cajun show? If not, then Jay should go all Justin Wilson on us as I have said.  Also previously suggested that Eddie could take his food truck around the country on game days to tailgates and sports bars and do some cooking in his food truck also.

 

Do yall remember the JAG season? Before he was kicked off, he and a gay contestant also did a "show" together just like Jay and Arnold. They were great together as were Jay and Arnold. Sometimes putting exact opposites together can work great, having two totally different outlooks on food and life.

 

I see both Jay and Eddie end up getting time in the future on FN. They may not have their own shows for any period of time, but they will reappear, and its not impossible that Dom and Arnold will be popping up in FN shows for guest appearances.

[catrice2]

Eddie does not look like Aaron but even if he did it would not be the first time networks had look alike or similar stars.

[Fishy]

 

Sounds to me more like she couldn't handle the pressure, not that she missed her kids.  Which is totally understandable, but don't put it on your kids.

 

Ditto. Ditto. Ditto.  Michelle, do you want some cheese with that wwwwhhhhhiiiiinnnneeeee????  Don't apply if you can't take the heat.

 

[Snarklepuss]

Who on FN is big and fat?  Well, other than ole Ina,

 

Well most may not be especially "fat", but the men who have not exactly been slim are Emeril, Mario Batali, and Guy Fieri.  And Jeff Mauro, while never truly large was quite a bit larger until a year or so ago.  Duff Goldman is not fat but not slim either.  And of the women, other than Ina there was Paula Deen, who before her weight loss was not exactly svelte.  Even Aarti S. and Alex G. have weight issues, although Alex hides it by being a pear shape and the camera rarely shoots her from the waist down.  There have also been a few contestants on FNS who have been overweight.  There have been a few men I can remember that fit the large and/or messy guy type they seem to love to put on FNS.  In season 5 there was a guy named Michael who wasn't exactly slim, wore a beard and looked a little scruffy.  Then there was Tom Pizzica in Aarti's season, while only a little overweight fit the scruffy, slightly messy guy with a beard and curly hair slot that they seem to like to put on this show.  There are probably more I'm not remembering.

[Calamity Jane]

I'm not a fan of the "Give a ticket based on the video" voting. I think people go for what they like depending on what they want to eat regardless of the videos. I wouldn't have gone for the jalepeno taco because I don't like spicy, I wouldn't have gone for the soup because who eats soup standing up? So the burgers would have gotten my ticket by default.

But I'm a weird eater.

Once again, I think when you're going to make people decide based on a presentation of some sort, you should have everybody making the same thing.  Then it's really about the presentation, not just already-fixed food preferences.