S11.E08: Lifestyle Brand

[Jodithgrace]

I really hate when they refer to Susie and Tuschman as The Network. It just seems weird.

 

But calling them Kermit and Medusa probably wouldn't be politically correct.

I was sorry to see Dom go, because when he forgets the camera or audience, he is funny and natural, and he seems to have been the best cook of the group. But fear of the camera is something that just may never go away and 7 weeks was more than enough time to loosen him up. So hubby and I agreed he had to go. 

I don't watch Star salvation..is it a pure cooking competition or is there a presentation part to it as well? 

[cooksdelight]

Star Salvation is both cooking and presentation. It's actually better than the show.

[HappyDancex2]

You can mix it with sriracha. And put in on a pork belly slider.

Served with a side of macNcheese, elevated by plating it via ring mold....

[Aquarius]

For that matter, I don't remember hearing that kind of back and forth arguing before.

 

Oh, there were a couple when it was the three stooges . . . I mean, when Altool was still a mentor/judge.  They could have even used the same footage of Giada saying "And it was NOT unanimous."  The only way to tell would be how much boob was showing.

 

 

These two goofs decide to show up and announce to the world how little cooking actually matters on their FOOD network. Arnold, Alex, and Eddie can't cook. Most of their food has stunk. Ok maybe Eddie has had a few good dishes but the other two almost always fail.

And I guess we are to believe if the decision was Bobby and Giada's like it normally is, Dom would still be there. Tough luck for him that they picked this random week to get involved.

 

To be fair, this is the Food Network and not a restaurant.  A person who can cook like a fiend but has no camera presence has no business on television.  I also disagree that those three can't cook.  They can, they just don't always rise to the stupid arbitrary challenges.  Dom wasn't 100% on that either, independent of his camera issues.

 

And yeah, I guess we're supposed to believe that Michelle quit . . . and Giada changed her vote against Matthew at the last instant . . . and Jay is made of awesome . . . there's been a lot we've been asked to believe this season.

[Alapaki]

I thought Bobby/Giada's argument in favor of Dom and Tusch/Suze's argument in favor of Eddie were equally strained.  But, overall, this is a really weak F5 (now F4).

 

Ultimately, Giada's décolletage for the win!

[smiley13]

Thank heavens Bob and Susie have more clout than Bobby and Gee-Ahda.  Dom needed to go weeks ago IMO.  He gives off a jerk vibe and he can't present in front of the judges.  I know she is ga-ga for Dom, but I am not sure why Bobby has kept him in.  He threatened him one week that he better knock it out of the park (or whatever he said) but then Dom did not do well again, yet he kept him in.

 

I was shocked by how many people on the FN page on FB were upset to see Dom go.

[Percysowner]

What would have been an appropriate food for Halloween?

 

A pumpkin quiche? Or hollow out a pumpking and fill it with some kind of dip? A jazzed up apple cider? If you are willing to run with the idea, I think Halloween has possibility, but you have to be willing to be whimsicle.

[Alapaki]

What would have been an appropriate food for Halloween?

 

 

Frankly, I think Eddie could've taken a dump on a plate, as long as he could come up with a story about how his nice little grandmother would always have a steaming plate of dump ready for him when he got back from trick-or-treating.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

I was shocked by how many people on the FN page on FB were upset to see Dom go.

 

I'm upset to see Dom go.

[JenMcSnark]

Me too.  I just don't see what others hate about Dom.  To each his own I suppose. But for me, I would rather watch a chef than a "personality".  I guess that's why I don't watch Food Network nearly as much any more.  

[chessiegal]

But calling them Kermit and Medusa probably wouldn't be politically correct.

I was sorry to see Dom go, because when he forgets the camera or audience, he is funny and natural, and he seems to have been the best cook of the group. But fear of the camera is something that just may never go away and 7 weeks was more than enough time to loosen him up. So hubby and I agreed he had to go. 

I don't watch Star salvation..is it a pure cooking competition or is there a presentation part to it as well? 

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole season taped in like 6 weeks? So these people aren't doing one week between tapings, more like a few days (or less). Which makes Michelle's leaving even more baffling - you can't be away from your family for 6 weeks?

[Gbb]

Speaking of immature, I couldn't help but be gawk Dom's tight pants in the stew room. Maybe I'm the only one who saw that.

 

No, you are not. Holy overstuffed sausage.

 

I couldn't believe Eddie overcrowded his pan with shrimp - what a rookie move. Especially since apparently he didn't need very many to plate for the presentation.

Yeah, he seemed to think the problem was the lemon juice, and maybe it didn't help, but he was never going to get a sear on those shrimp with a pan filled with with shrimp all on top of each other and smushed together.

I want Eddie to pull it together. I think next week is his last chance.

[Fostersmom]

Was it just me, or did Dom's mouth suddenly look like he had a stroke or something this week? One side seemed to droop while the other side looked curled up. 

[Snarklepuss]

Regarding all the Halloween suggestions people are making for Eddie, they would all require lots of conceptualizing and creativity within a very limited time frame. Whereas every other contestant just got to pull something from their standard bag of dishes and then relate it to their holiday.

 

 

Actually meatloaf is in my standard repertoire, even with red sauce on it.  Shaping it like a skull and using half hard boiled eggs with olives for eyes plus putting a knife in it like a daggar coming out - I would have thought of that on the spot but I have been watching cooking shows for decades and have seen all those cutesy Halloween ideas many times before.

[Shibori]

Ina at NASCAR

I would watch the SHIT out of that!

[Snarklepuss]

Aside from that, though, if you folks don't mind indulging me in a mini-rant here... Halloween is by far the worst "holiday" ever concocted, and as far as I'm concerned it needs to be abolished asap. No redeeming qualities whatsoever. And my objection (like Halloween itself) has nothing to do with anything religious. I mean, hey, to each one's own, and if you and/or your kids enjoy it, then more power to ya. I guess once upon a time I enjoyed it too, and I understand that some people do enjoy it responsibly. Good for those who do.

 

I have to agree with you and I kind of have issue with the show for including it as a holiday.  This recent elevation of Halloween to "holiday" status reminds me of all the "days" we have just to create more reasons for people to spend money.  Not that we don't value Mother's Day and Father's Day, but let's face it, they aren't true holidays by any means either.  Actually Halloween has roots in Christian religion as it's the evening vigil for remembering the dead on the eve of "All Saints Day", hence the focus on death.  Plus it also has roots in Celtic and pagan cultures.  But the grossly secularized version we celebrate here in the U.S. is even less associated with its original meaning than Christmas.  At least most people have some idea of what "true" Christmas is about as opposed to "commercialized" Christmas.  A lot of people today don't even have a clue about the religious roots of Halloween.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[akr]

I don't mind Halloween as a holiday, but I don't want to feel obligated to do more, food-wise, than have a bag of fun-size candy bars on hand for the kiddos. it's also fun to compliment them on their costumes. I suppose I could be amused watching something on TV about making spooky food, but I'm not going to copy it. 

 

Love bugs from Arnold was cute, and he annoyed me less than usual. I didn't mind Alex, for a change, and the food actually looked good and made sense as a fourth of July dish when he talked about heading down to the beach for the holiday with his friends (until he did that, there was a disconnect about what yet another random sandwich had to do with the fourth of July). Jay's was fine, once he left out the part about his grandfather dying ON Thanksgiving day. But I agree with others - what a weak group this is! 

[Snarklepuss]

And thank you Tuschie and Susie. Dom is undoubtedly a great cook and can talk food. But a representative of FN has to be deft at live appearances, too. Could you see him do a cooking demo on "The Talk"? Sheryl cracks a joke and he freezes, runs or calls her a name. I don't think you can teach spontaneity.

 

I agree with you, you can't teach spontaneity, but I think Dom has that in spades.  When someone is standing in front of you and telling you to nutshell your life or your dish into one minute, that's the opposite of spontaneity.  I think Dom is ALL spontaneity, that's why having to think ahead on how to nutshell whatever it is they want him to talk about is throwing him off.  He's much better when he's allowed to be spontaneous.  I personally find absolutely NOTHING spontaneous about Jay, Arnold, Alex, Eddie or to go back a few eps, Rue.  They all seem rehearsed like they're reading from a script in one way or another.  When given the go ahead to "be himself", I think Dom would do just fine.  I think he would KILL the spontaneous banter and I think he could be taught to do the non-spontaneous stuff.  Bobby is right, it's not rocket science, so I think he  just needs a few lessons.  This competition is making it look like it would be far harder for Dom to achieve than it is.  Dom is 99% there without any lessons, IMO.  I remember the first season of "Design Star" on HGTV years ago David Bromstad had the same issue - The judges were always on him for tripping over his words and losing his train of thought in his camera challenges, but he ended up winning on his design ability, which was better than the other contestants.  Well, lo and behold in the time between winning the show and getting his own show, he improved DRASTICALLY on camera.  It's amazing what a few coaching lessons will do for someone who has the raw material.  And I do think Dom has that raw material in spades.  Dom has all the stuff that CAN'T be taught.  I think he just needs to be coached on how to do the stuff that CAN be taught.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[cooksdelight]

Frankly, I think Eddie could've taken a dump on a plate, as long as he could come up with a story about how his nice little grandmother would always have a steaming plate of dump ready for him when he got back from trick-or-treating.

  

OMG, I almost hurt myself laughing at this!

I would watch the SHIT out of that!

You and me both! :) Can you imagine Ina's soft voice trying to talk over the roar of the cars?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole season taped in like 6 weeks? So these people aren't doing one week between tapings, more like a few days (or less). Which makes Michelle's leaving even more baffling - you can't be away from your family for 6 weeks?

They start filming in mid-January, and wind it up in mid-March. It's more like a couple of months. They are in L.A. for most of it (nice weather) then usually have the finale in NYC at FN headquarters. They have days off when they can sightsee or whatever, I've seen photos on Facebook of them at the beach, downtown L.A., different places.

[plurie]

Halloween is my favorite holiday. It's an excuse to dress up in costume and eat candy. What could be better?

 

I don't like pumpkin, but you could do all sorts of things with the seeds. But really, anything orange and black would work. I would do salmon with candied sweet potatoes and squid ink pasta. And some roasted pepitas with whatever kind of spices you like (even harissa would work).

 

And coming up with a Halloween story shouldn't be that hard for anyone who grew up in the US. (Rue might have had trouble with this; I don't think they celebrate Halloween in Zimbabwe.)

 

 

[JTMacc99]

Is it my imagination or is the weakest top 4 in a very long time. Bob's expression seemed to agree with me.

I submit to you:

 

Just sayin'.

 

Ok this pissed me off. These two goofs decide to show up and announce to the world how little cooking actually matters on their FOOD network. Arnold, Alex, and Eddie can't cook. Most of their food has stunk. Ok maybe Eddie has had a few good dishes but the other two almost always fail.

And I guess we are to believe if the decision was Bobby and Giada's like it normally is, Dom would still be there. Tough luck for him that they picked this random week to get involved.

 

Alex has made quite a few well received dishes.  His problem is listing off all 287 ingredients as his presentation.

 

And of course Susie and Bob are correct. They know that their jobs, and the jobs of everybody at Food Network, depend on the two revenue streams of advertising dollars and cable subscription fees. Both of those two things are directly tied to ratings. And ratings are tied to people actually sticking around to watch the shows. And people watch TV shows, even cooking shows, because of the people on the shows and not whether or not the shrimp were perfectly cooked.

[MajorWoody]

Well, as others have stated, Giada's revealing dress in the early part of the show certainly boosted the ratings. Seems almost everybody noticed that one. Too bad this show is supposed to be about a future Food Network star, not a cheap boob peek.

I used to think Dom had potential, but as the season progressed he seemed more annoying and less camera ready. He became painful to watch, and really never seemd to have any "star" quality that would draw people to watch any show he was on. If it wasn't for Giada (and to some extent, her boyfriend Bobby) pushing him forward, he should have left weeks ago. That is when she wasn't making goo goo eyes for Alex, who is the most bland and dull future star I can recall. How did he ever get on this show in the first place, was he her pool boy or something?

As to the rest, I personally don't see anyone that would hold my interest in a regular show. Nobody is a total asshat like PieGuy or this years hashtag douchehat guy, but as to being a star? Not even close.

Maybe Arnold has somewhat of the potential, but sometimes he comes across as just another character that appears on these types of shows (Tommy on MasterChef could be his cousin) as opposed to a knowledgeable food personality. Jay could just as easily be pushing oxy clean as someone said, selling used cars, or pushing food, it seems he is just a salesman. Eddie is a nice guy, and might appeal to some tailgate/sports bro show, but what else can he do?

I wonder if Bobby was helping Giada and her phony toothy smile keep Dom in exchange for her helping him in past seasons keep some dizzy female around because he had the hots for her? Anyone remember the tattooed circus freak on Worst Cooks, among others?

Edited July 28, 2015 by MajorWoody

[cooksdelight]

 

And people watch TV shows, even cooking shows, because of the people on the shows and not whether or not the shrimp were perfectly cooked.

 

So true. I may be one of the few who watch Damaris' show but that's because of every one of her recipes that I've tried...they are all delicious. The woman knows how to cook and I'd take her over anyone else from that season -- and some of the others -- anyday.

 

PieStahl... nowhere to be seen. Stacy Poon-whatshername... gone except in her immediate circle in San Diego. Russell is pretty active on social media and on a few TV shows.

[chessiegal]

  

OMG, I almost hurt myself laughing at this!

You and me both! :) Can you imagine Ina's soft voice trying to talk over the roar of the cars?

They start filming in mid-January, and wind it up in mid-March. It's more like a couple of months. They are in L.A. for most of it (nice weather) then usually have the finale in NYC at FN headquarters. They have days off when they can sightsee or whatever, I've seen photos on Facebook of them at the beach, downtown L.A., different places.

So that's 8 weeks - still baffling.

[ThatItalianGirl]

I couldn't help but be gawk Dom's tight pants in the stew room. Maybe I'm the only one who saw that.

Now we all know why Giada was so dead bent on keeping her little boy- or should I say big

boy- in the competition.... Looks like Dom's packing some major heat.

[JTMacc99]

So true. I may be one of the few who watch Damaris' show but that's because of every one of her recipes that I've tried...they are all delicious. The woman knows how to cook and I'd take her over anyone else from that season -- and some of the others -- any day.

Damaris shines like a beacon of hope in that photo between Russel and PieStahl.  I haven't watched too much of her, but I do like her. I hope she finds somewhere on the networks to settle in with some ratings success.

[TomCorps]

Late to the party this week, but in a funny coincidence: you may have heard Alex mention hanging out with his friends in Dewey Beach, Delaware, and I was actually in Dewey Beach as this comment was being aired!

 

And in another coincidence that concerns Alex....  When he did his 4th of July presentation, he appeared to be wearing the shirt--I mean, the exact same shirt--that Chad Rosenthal wore for his 4th of July presentation in Season 9.  Is there, like, some big box of clothes in the FN warehouse for the finalists to choose from?  And yeah, the same bandanna too, but I certainly hope this wasn't the identical one that Chad wore.  That's just too gross to think about all in one sitting.  Anyway, I guess the red-white-and-blue buffalo check shirt is right for 4th of July, if a bit of a cliche.

 

And speaking of cliches...  I'm so over Arnold.  I was never much of a fan to begin with, although I think he arranges food beautifully.  My problem is not that he's gay, but that his on-camera persona is a gay cliche.  All the little off-color quips that would raise eyebrows coming from a straight contestant make me roll my eyeballs like a sullen teenager (we'll get to Dom later).  The whole "you go, girl" routine that he employs is so stale, and yet the swishier he gets, the more the judges seem to eat it up like it's some kind of novelty.  It's not; it's a stereotype, and however sincerely it may be Arnold, it's not something I'd choose to watch. 

 

And Dom...  Or should I say "Giada and Dom" (sittin' in a tree, and all that)?  I honestly can't tell to what degree his nervous before camera thing is bullshit, but as the weeks have progressed and he's generally become more himself (or more his brand) I've come to the conclusion that he too is presenting a cliche, the whole Vinnie Bada-Boom stereotype.  And that's just as tired as Arnold's thing.  What he did with the Christmas Eve fish from a cooking standpoint was interesting and true to the Italian-American experience; more to the point, he prepared the fish in a way that my Italian-American family doesn't, and I would genuinely like to learn more about exactly what he did and how he did it.  But I need it couched in an actual personality, not a show of bravado masking itself in "aw, shucks" humility.  That's bullshit, whether or not his trope is real or scripted.  

 

As always, I enjoyed reading everyone's comments this week!  My favorites, and I apologize for not crediting the authors: "No. More. Harissa."  YES!  I generally feel this way about FN and Sriracha as well.  And whoever noted that Jay delivers everything like a commercial for OxyClean, you are BRILLIANT.  I bow before your snark.

 

 

 

[innocuouspuff]

If Eddie knows how to make candy, he should have just made some candy. Get out the flavourings and food colouring and arrange them nicely in a cute container.

I was in the rooting for Dom camp. He was very charming when relaxed, but whenever things were going downhill he went into defensive tough guy mode and just couldn't reel it back. But I wanted him to figure it out. And I actually thought that Bobby was way more attached to him than Giada was, but I guess that's not as good a dirty joke setup. :)

[buttercupia]

Kermit and Medusa really underestimate their audience.  We are apparently too stupid to figure out what framboise and ganache are, even though they're right there in front of the camera.

Out of who's left, I like Arnold the best. I hope he manages to bust out Suzie Wong at some point, though I get that it takes hours to get all up in drags.

[cooksdelight]

Eddie should have just made a pan of brownies.... looked straight into the camera... and licked some icing off his finger and say "Chocolate... mmmmmm.... who's your Halloween chocolate sugar daddy now?" ... and smile....

[JTMacc99]

Kermit and Medusa really underestimate their audience.  We are apparently too stupid to figure out what framboise and ganache are, even though they're right there in front of the camera.

Their point is not that we are stupid.  Their point is that saying that something like framboise and ganache will make people feel stupid for not knowing what it means, but you can turn that around with only a few words. 

 

Change it to say that you are making "a framboise and ganache tart, framboise being the French word for raspberry and ganache being melted chocolate and cream", and now you make people feel smart for learning something they might not have known before. And you haven't insulted the people who did know it. You probably made most of them like you better because they'll think that you're knowledgeable like you are.

Edited July 28, 2015 by JTMacc99

[Nutjob]

Their point is not that we are stupid.  Their point is that saying that something like framboise and ganache will make people stupid for not knowing what it means, but you can turn that around with only a few words. 

 

Change it to say that you are making "a framboise and ganache tart, framboise being the French word for raspberry and ganache being melted chocolate and cream", and now you make people feel smart for learning something they might not have known before. And you haven't insulted the people who did know it. You probably made most of them like you better because they'll think that you're knowledgeable like you are.

Exactly. I've been cooking and baking since I was a child, but I still wasn't familiar with the term framboise. If you're going to host a show that teaches cooking, you have to assume your audience isn't going to know every culinary term that a trained chef does, but know how to explain them in a way that isn't condescending. I think that's what Kermit and Medusa were getting at.

[JTMacc99]

Being an expert without being condescending is not as easy at it seems. Emeril is great at it. John Madden was great at it (if you don't mind going outside of food TV for an example.)

 

Ooh, you know who else is trying to get better at it? Richard Blais.  He uses the style of talking about techniques and ingredients with a confidence that he knows what he is talking about, but he tries to then explain them in a way that doesn't make you feel like he thinks you didn't know what he was talking about the first time (even though you didn't.)  He hasn't quite got it down yet, but keep an eye on him the next time he visits this show.

 

Of our final four, I think Arnold can be pretty good at this. He's got good training, and I think he can make the small adjustment that I suggested without too much difficulty.  Jay wants to teach, but he needs to dial it down from eleven.  Alex is still kind of lost on this topic. His natural inclination is to use the foreign word or other expert term. It that's your natural instinct, you have a lot of work ahead of you.  And Eddie, well I'm not sure I buy Eddie as an expert in the first place.  But that's okay. I didn't buy Rachael Ray as an expert, but she was great on TV.

Edited July 28, 2015 by JTMacc99

[Snarklepuss]

This thread is more entertaining than the show!  Best posts ever include Eddie's grandmother's "steaming pile of dump", Dom's crotch packing major heat in the stew room (which I didn't miss) and Jay's delivery being like an Oxyclean commercial!

 

BTW, CD, you are not the only one who watches Damaris' show - I have seen every episode.

[akr]

Arnold said framboise and just meant raspberry? I assumed he meant the liqueur. But in any event I not sure I could have understood from his presentation, as opposed to from the setup with Damaris when he was figuring out how to present, what it was that he was presenting, other than some sort of fried sweet something or other.

Edited July 28, 2015 by akr

[saltycheese]

There probably isn't just one answer here, but how do these folks become contestants?

 

And for someone like Nancy Fuller of Farmhouse Rules, what would her process have been to get a show? In her case, she's a rustic home cook  - same age as Ina and same kind of food as Ree so she isn't bringing anything new to the <ahem> table. She wasn't the winner of a contest, so clearly the Network sought her out.

 

What is the Network's "method" when it comes to giving someone a show? I know that they are not counting on Food Network Star to actually find their next Food Network star.

[JTMacc99]

There probably isn't just one answer here, but how do these folks become contestants?

There is a standard casting process much like there is for any reality show.  The important thing to remember is that they are being cast to be on this show. With any luck, they might also be good on the networks in general, but getting proper people to get the desired ratings for this show is how the are really selected.

 

I don't know as much about how talent for the rest of Food Network and Cooking Channel is selected. I'm sure they've always got their eyes out there looking for people who are passionate about food, personable, attractive, and capable of teaching while also likeable and interesting.  (And as we can see, good luck with that.)

Edited July 28, 2015 by JTMacc99

[Alapaki]

I thought Damaris was actually pretty good this week.  Although it looks like she may have either had a little too much work done around her eyes (or had it done too recently for things to settle in).

 

She just strikes me as someone who'd be a good time to hang around with.

 

And Alex needs to lose the bandannas and get a haircut.

[needschocolate]

A pumpkin quiche? Or hollow out a pumpking and fill it with some kind of dip? A jazzed up apple cider? If you are willing to run with the idea, I think Halloween has possibility, but you have to be willing to be whimsicle.

 

I think part of the problem was that Thanksgiving was also a holiday in the challenge, all the Autumn dishes work for both Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I think he needed to either make soemthing using the leftover Halloween candy or made something tahat could be used for a Halloween party (like the meatloaf skull someone upthread suggested).

 

Alex has made quite a few well received dishes.  His problem is listing off all 287 ingredients as his presentation.

 

And he usually doesn't plate the food in an appetizing way and he often doesn's seem to think things through (like with the hot-as-you-can-make-it tacos last week).  Plus, his personality is bland (listing all the ingredients doesn't help relieve the blandness).  

 

The reality is that we don't know how good someone's food tasts, we only know how good they want us to think it tastes.  When they have audience voting, it is voting based on the presentation - although the voting with your token is probably largely influenced by what the voter would like to eat.  Whether voting based on food perference or voting based on presentation, the audience votes before tasting anything.  There are so few aired comments from the audience members who have tasted the food, and we don't always hear comments about everyone's dishes, so it would be very easy to make it sound like someone cooked poorly or someone's dish was delightful.

 

A few have commented on how Dom was the best chef, but we don't actually know that and perhaps the talk about how good his food is was to help convince the audience that he should be kept around despite his horrible presentations.   

[Lamb18]

 Re TomCorp's post, funny regarding the shirt both Alex and Chad wore.  I posted after the first episode that Alex reminded me of Chad, as if he could be Chad's son. (Plus I also compared Lenny to the OxyClean guy but I called it Oxy Moron.)

 

Dom has always reminded me of a stereotypical 70s TV sitcom Italian guy, like a cabdriver coming to pick up Archie Bunker or a street vendor selling a hot dog to Kate and Allie, or something like that. I've wondered if he's an actor portraying a stereotypical NY Italian guy who can also cook.

 

If Eddie had time, he could have made a jack o' lantern charcoal grill and cooked on it.  On a CutThroat kitchen grilling challenge, a chef had to make a grill out of fruit. It actually worked.

[saltycheese]

I've wondered if he's an actor portraying a stereotypical NY Italian guy who can also cook.

 

Ha! Totally...

[JTMacc99]

Dom has always reminded me of a stereotypical 70s TV sitcom Italian guy, like a cabdriver coming to pick up Archie Bunker or a street vendor selling a hot dog to Kate and Allie, or something like that. I've wondered if he's an actor portraying a stereotypical NY Italian guy who can also cook.

Ha! Awesome.

 

Maybe we can set him up to be the housekeeper and cook for Giada and Jade.

[vibeology]

A few have commented on how Dom was the best chef, but we don't actually know that and perhaps the talk about how good his food is was to help convince the audience that he should be kept around despite his horrible presentations.   

 

Obviously we don't know, but I do think he has serious food skills for two reasons. The first is I trust Bobby when it comes to food. As much as I acknowledge Bobby is happy to play the game on this show for the sake of good TV, I do think he takes food seriously and wouldn't say something tasted great if it was bad or even just average. The second is when we see Dom preparing food, its very clear he has the best knife skills of this years contestants and is well trained. While that's not a guarantee that his food is the best, it certainly makes Bobby and Giada's comments more credible. If they had said Michelle was the best cook, with her flailing about in the kitchen, I would be doubtful, but the moment he's cooking Dom has focus and purpose that you tend to see in people who have real skills in the kitchen. 

 

Still, I get why he's gone because those presentations have been painful, but I do believe his food was some of the strongest this year.

[Snarklepuss]

Dom has always reminded me of a stereotypical 70s TV sitcom Italian guy, like a cabdriver coming to pick up Archie Bunker or a street vendor selling a hot dog to Kate and Allie, or something like that. I've wondered if he's an actor portraying a stereotypical NY Italian guy who can also cook.

 

Hah, yeah, I get what you mean, but I actually know Italian American guys from NYC just like him and they are very real (and coincidentally they know how to cook too).  Just like the Cake Boss Buddy Valastro is for real.

It's amazing how realistic that stereotype really was!

[HappyDancex2]

They spent a lot of time harping on framboise and ganache but nary a peep on whatever Dom pronounced over and over again that meant fish with seafood stew. His thick Americanized Italian accent made it worse and he garbled it while using it as a filler for time as though we were supposed to know what THAT meant.

Sounded like oragata piñata regatta Sinatra. Ciao Dom.

[Lura]

I've read many times that Giada keeps a "spit bucket" on the floor beside her when she cooks so that she doesn't ingest any calories.  This has made me wonder again and again whether she uses a spit bucket on Food Network Star.  I can almost imagine those contestants grow wide-eyed when she takes an itty-bitty nibble of their dish, then spits it into a bucket!

[NikSac]

Late to the party this week, but in a funny coincidence: you may have heard Alex mention hanging out with his friends in Dewey Beach, Delaware, and I was actually in Dewey Beach as this comment was being aired!

<snip>

 

And speaking of cliches...  I'm so over Arnold.  I was never much of a fan to begin with, although I think he arranges food beautifully.  My problem is not that he's gay, but that his on-camera persona is a gay cliche.  All the little off-color quips that would raise eyebrows coming from a straight contestant make me roll my eyeballs like a sullen teenager (we'll get to Dom later).  The whole "you go, girl" routine that he employs is so stale, and yet the swishier he gets, the more the judges seem to eat it up like it's some kind of novelty.  It's not; it's a stereotype, and however sincerely it may be Arnold, it's not something I'd choose to watch. 

 

And Dom...  Or should I say "Giada and Dom" (sittin' in a tree, and all that)?  I honestly can't tell to what degree his nervous before camera thing is bullshit, but as the weeks have progressed and he's generally become more himself (or more his brand) I've come to the conclusion that he too is presenting a cliche, the whole Vinnie Bada-Boom stereotype.  And that's just as tired as Arnold's thing.  What he did with the Christmas Eve fish from a cooking standpoint was interesting and true to the Italian-American experience; more to the point, he prepared the fish in a way that my Italian-American family doesn't, and I would genuinely like to learn more about exactly what he did and how he did it.  But I need it couched in an actual personality, not a show of bravado masking itself in "aw, shucks" humility.  That's bullshit, whether or not his trope is real or scripted.  

 

As always, I enjoyed reading everyone's comments this week!  My favorites, and I apologize for not crediting the authors: "No. More. Harissa."  YES!  I generally feel this way about FN and Sriracha as well.  And whoever noted that Jay delivers everything like a commercial for OxyClean, you are BRILLIANT.  I bow before your snark.

 

Oh my gosh THANK YOU!  You just described what bugs the hell out of me about Arnold.  I knew he bugged me but I couldn't put my finger on why.  It's that he is so stereotypical he's almost a caricature. Although maybe that really IS him - which is fine, but not something I want to watch. ETA: though come to think of it, Damaris was pretty over the top in her season and I really like her now, plus I think Jeff has mellowed out a lot. So maybe Arnold would be okay if he calmed down and wasn't so "on" all the time.

 

I liked Dom fairly well until I started getting this feeling he might have a nasty streak under the "aw shucks" exterior. I could be totally wrong, but he started rubbing me the wrong way in the last coupe of episodes.  That said I was intrigued by his Christmas Eve dish and wished he'd talked more about it.

 

Can they please, please banish sriracha from "The Network"?  I finally bought some because I kept seeing it on cooking shows and YUCK. I have concluded I am sensitive to different spices than a lot of people because I find stuff painfully hot that other people say is "flavorful" (and vice versa - I'll warn someone that a food is hot and they taste it and think I'm crazy), but I seriously can't imagine what sriracha would even be good in.

Edited July 28, 2015 by NikSac

[needschocolate]

I've read many times that Giada keeps a "spit bucket" on the floor beside her when she cooks so that she doesn't ingest any calories.  This has made me wonder again and again whether she uses a spit bucket on Food Network Star.  I can almost imagine those contestants grow wide-eyed when she takes an itty-bitty nibble of their dish, then spits it into a bucket!

 

While I watched, I thought Giada should get some of the "lasts 10/12/18 hours" lipstick (of lipstain) because she always takes bites as though she doesn't want the food to touch her lips.  Maybe she took that old phrase - "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips" too literally.

[TomCorps]

I've read many times that Giada keeps a "spit bucket" on the floor beside her when she cooks so that she doesn't ingest any calories.  This has made me wonder again and again whether she uses a spit bucket on Food Network Star.  I can almost imagine those contestants grow wide-eyed when she takes an itty-bitty nibble of their dish, then spits it into a bucket!

 

Every time my 84-year-old mother sees Giada making food on television, she says, "I don't trust that woman because you can tell she doesn't eat the food she makes."  This always makes me laugh, but maybe she's got a point.  A spit bucket....wow.

[chessiegal]

That spit bucket rumor started with a Blind Item in what ever tabloid has it, and was much discussed on TWoP. My memory is that is was determined it wasn't Giada, it was Bethenny Frankel on Real Housewives of New York.