S11.E08: Lifestyle Brand

[bluepiano]

So with Michelle gone, I guess Jay is now the Queen of Mean. When the other guys critiqued their competitors, they seemed at least somewhat sympathetic. Jay's comments were catty and mean spirited. He couldn't hide that he was taking delight in other people's mistakes. I admit that I've never liked Jay. I think that his "likeable big lug" persona is a total act, and my guess is that in reality he's probably not a very nice person.

 

I'd rather hear Dom fumble over his words than hear another story from Jay about killing Bambi. When Dom was saying goodbye to "his boys" I suddenly felt like I was watching a Rat Pack movie.

 

I did not get the love from the panel for Alex. Listening to him rattle off a bunch of names of old friends really made you want spend the holidays with him? I couldn't even clearly make out any of those names. Are we sure he crib them from some Bruce Springsteen song?

 

You can't win with Halloween. Many cooking contest shows over the years have done the Halloween thing. When people make something that evokes blood and guts the response is usually "yuck." Other than candy, Halloween is the one holiday that has zero food tradition. So what would've been an appropriate main dish?

 

Since they did Christmas, maybe they should've included a Jewish holiday. Now there you're talking about serious food tradition. Yes, I know, none of the contestants are Jewish. Besides which, that might require using some of them fancy, foreign (pronounced "ferrin") words that Bob and Susie want to protect us from us.

Edited July 27, 2015 by bluepiano

[Snarklepuss]

Giada's cleavage was longer than ever last night and you could see her nips, which is provoking a bunch of negative comments in other venues about her "underwear" outfit.

 

I don't agree that Dom is sexist.  Nothing about him so far has said "sexist" to me.  Just because he seems like other sexist men doesn't mean he is one, and I'm usually the first person to jump all over that.  Now if he were to show himself to be one, that would be different.

[Snarklepuss]

You can't win with Halloween. Many cooking contest shows over the years have done the Halloween thing. When people make something that evokes blood and guts the response is usually "yuck." Other than candy, Halloween is the one holiday that has zero food tradition. So what would've been an appropriate main dish?

 

I agree, Halloween was the booby prize of all the choices, but Eddie has shown himself to be creative enough to make a dessert pizza, so I fully expected him to find a way to create a main dish with bug eyes, blood gravy, and daggers coming out of it.  So many food shows feature Halloween inspired dishes these days.  If he watched them he could have gotten some ideas.  How about a meatloaf shaped like a skull with half hard boiled eggs and olives for eyes and a red ketchup/bbq sauce gravy?  It may not have looked great but if it tasted great he may have gotten more points for attempting to tie it into the theme.

[cooksdelight]

I'd go with a dessert for Halloween, no question. But when they're yelling "Your time starts.... NOW!!!!" everyone panics and doesn't think things through.

I also thought Jay was catty with his comments. And so was Dom. I figured it was either of them going when the THs began.

[smiley13]

So with Michelle gone, I guess Jay is now the Queen of Mean. When the other guys critiqued their competitors, they seemed at least somewhat sympathetic. Jay's comments were catty and mean spirited. He couldn't hide that he was taking delight in other people's mistakes. I admit that I've never liked Jay. I think that his "likeable big lug" persona is a total act, and my guess is that in reality he's probably not a very nice person.

I think Arnold has owned that title all season.  Talk about catty and snarky remarks!  And that silly star shirt has been way over used, unless they taped all of his nasty remarks on the same day.

[cooksdelight]

If you notice, all the talking head interviews are shot at once, with people wearing the same thing.

[JTMacc99]

One thing I like about this show is that Bobby and Giada become invested in these jokers. They were both so frustrated with Dom. He's an excellent cook who is capable of conveying his love of food to you in a conversation. He's also not an unattractive guy. Those are pretty much the three things you need to be a decent food TV person.  Yet Dom simply can't figure out how to speak in his conversational voice that he uses with the judges when he is talking to the camera.

 

So the network was right to dump him at this point, because for this show, the winner needs to have some sort of ability to be on camera.

[Totale]

Since none of the food I saw last night except the Thousand Ingredient Remoulade was even slightly interesting, I've got little to say about it.  The only thing that surprised me about the gourmet box idea is that they didn't have a name brand example already lined up for it. Maybe they did and it fell through. I think they've already admitted that FN viewers don't really want to cook.  Kofta burgers is such an exciting new concept I was surprised to think other FN presenters like Guy, Bobby, Sara M, Jamie Oliver and Mauro haven't already done them, until they all came up on the first page of search results. I'm assuming whatever hair stylist went batshit on Medusa and Damaris for the judging round has been fired, M having previously fired the one who uglied her up for the video viewing part.  At least they didn't force her and Kermit to try to eat the food. Huh, you guys say Giada has breasts?  Can't say I've ever noticed them, have to look out for that next time.  I've done great avoiding SS and remaining completely unspoiled, until I was a little too slow zapping the commercials last night and now can see who's going to win it. But I'll try to pretend I didn't see it, which is probably a good idea for this season as a whole and its eventual byproduct show if the winner manages to make one.

Edited July 27, 2015 by Totale

[DeLurker]

I think Eddie's problem with Halloween is that he was dead-set on doing an entree (as were all of the others, except Arnold.) Had he thought outside the box a bit, he could've easily come up with some ideas that would have better fit the theme--as many of you above have already done.

Halloween was definitely a bummer of a deal.  There's been some suggestions for that might work, but given the timeframe they were given I am not sure many of them would have been viable unless it is something you had down pat.  Eddie has the most natural appeal of the remaining cooks, so I think if they wanted to invest in someone, he'd be the best bet.

 

Dom, even in his best moments, does not go over well with me.  There's something that comes off as abrasive underneath the not comfortable in front of the camera bit (which comes off as an act to me).  Not a big fan of Italian food so maybe if I was more interested in what his POV was, he wouldn't bother me as much.

[laprin]

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

[Jesse]

Arnold didn't explain it clearly, but I really like the idea of a recipe that can be easily converted from a meal to an hors d'oeuvre. I think that's what he was saying -- you can make this same proportion into 4 mains or 20 bites. (Obviously, that would not feed the 20 people!) But I like to have cocktail party food for a meal anytime, so maybe I am just his target market. 

[backformore]

I did not get the love from the panel for Alex. Listening to him rattle off a bunch of names of old friends really made you want spend the holidays with him? I couldn't even clearly make out any of those names. Are we sure he didn't just leach them from some Bruce Springsteen song?

 

I agree.  I didn't get how he seemed so relatable just because he, what?  has friends? 

 

I think Eddie froze up because he was thinking about his own childhood, and maybe the only Halloween tradition he had was trick-or-treating, so he got stuck with that.  If given a few more minutes to think, he might have done a dish - anything at all - with pumpkin seeds.  Or pumpkin muffins, something simple.  You can even fabricate a "family tradition"  to go with it. 

 

Jay needs to stop with the broad gestures with his hands.  Or tone it down a bit.  He could be OK if he watched himself on video, and was coached on using his hands less.  He comes across as too frantic.

 

It was Dom's time to go.  He's had coaching, he's not getting it.   It was weird how the other guys were laughing so loudly at his "CRAZY"  Christmas sweater.  Have they ever seen a Christmas sweater before?  his was so toned-down, it was really just a sweater. 

[CMH1981]

On these challenges, why don't they give the contestants 5 or 10 mins to plan their menu before sending them on the rapid sprint to gather ingredients and start cooking?  There really is no point to it, b/c it's not like the FN personalities on their own shows have to come up w/ a menu on the spot, they get to plan it out in advance.  I understand from a Cut-throat Kitchen, Iron Chef, whatever other game show that it works, but not when you are trying to find your next FN personality.  It's just stupid imo.

[JTMacc99]

On these challenges, why don't they give the contestants 5 or 10 mins to plan their menu before sending them on the rapid sprint to gather ingredients and start cooking?  There really is no point to it, b/c it's not like the FN personalities on their own shows have to come up w/ a menu on the spot, they get to plan it out in advance.  I understand from a Cut-throat Kitchen, Iron Chef, whatever other game show that it works, but not when you are trying to find your next FN personality.  It's just stupid imo.

I think there is virtually no chance that these people were actually sent off to cook seconds after they find out the challenge. That's just the way it is presented on TV.

 

It has always been pretty clear that the people run off to the pantry with a plan. If they were actually sent off like we see them, there would be A LOT more talk about how they just grabbed a bunch of stuff and are hoping to get some ideas as they start cooking. 

 

This is a reality food TV thing that is almost never the way it looks to us.  On Iron Chef America (probably original recipe as well) the Iron Chefs are told that the secret ingredient is going to be A or B well in advance.  Even on Top Chef before the quickfire challenges the chefs get a little time to put together a plan.

[KBS1607]

I'm pretty sure Alex's friend's names came from Beach Blanket Bingo. Wasn't there a Moon Doggy?

I thought Bob and Susie looked horrified too.

[bluepiano]

They need to play up Eddie's athleticism  and tie it into the fitness market.

 

That actually seems to be a market FN has no interest in reaching. Last night there was a promo for a new series on carnival food. Really? Elephant ears and deep fried everything? That seems like a one-time special at best. Then there's Michael Symon's new burger and BBQ show. Each season on Food Network Star they pay lip service to being interested in someone with a healthy cooking POV, but that person never wins. Maybe because half of FN's sponsorship comes from agribusiness conglomerates purveying processed food.

 

Well, Giada, you can stop with the cleavage baring since your boy Dom is gone.

 

Giada was showing the cleavage long before Dom was around. That's her "brand."

 

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.

 

Edited July 27, 2015 by bluepiano

[chessiegal]

That actually seems to be a market FN has no interest in reaching. Last night there was a promo for a new series on carnival food. Really? Elephant ears and deep fried everything? That seems like a one-time special at best. Then there's Michael Symon's new burger and BBQ show. Each season on Food Network Star they pay lip service to being interested in someone with a healthy cooking POV, but notice that person never wins. Maybe because half of FN's sponsorship comes from agribusiness conglomerates purveying processed food.

 

 

And that show is a direct copy of their sister station Cooking Channel's show "Carnival Eats" which started its 2nd season recently.

[dahling]

Well, the grownups came home and took care of the elephant in the room (Dom), must to the dismay of the teenagers they left in charge.  Here's how it's gone for a month and a half:

 

Bobby and Giada: "Dom, you sucked this week but we flove you. You have to be better next week or you're going home."

Next week: Dom sucks and someone more deserving goes home.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.  

 

I don't find him charming. I don't find his food compelling. He should have gone home week 3, and every week since. Bobby and Giada's enthrallment with him was mystifying, and makes the show hard to watch.

 

I did enjoy seeing Damaris again. 

 

Halloween. Pumpkin. Halloween. Pumpkin. I guess Eddie just doesn't have a pumpkin recipe in his repertoire. That was so painful, and I hated the "eat ginger to calm a sore stomach" story, because I don't want to hear about upset stomachs while I'm thinking about cooking. Were we supposed to think his pork chop was medicinal? 

[cooksdelight]

Eddie's story of having an upset stomach and then tying that to ginger lost me. I think the guy just couldn't come up with anything else to talk about. Take a fried egg and put some hot sauce bloodshot eye lines on it and boom -- Halloween food. Everyone is putting a fried egg on top of stuff now and the FN people think it's so "in." He could have served fried liver with an egg on top and won the thing.

[JTMacc99]

To be fair, the Food Network Halloween specials are the worst of the bunch. They're all about treats and goofy plays on food to make them look scary. (Notable exception would be the Sandra Lee specials, which were awesome.) Eddie shouldn't have screwed up the first challenge and he could avoided the penalty for coming in last.

 

If I didn't want to do some sort of treat, I probably would have gone with something fall themed (butternut squash soup, something with apples, stuff like that) and tried to weave a story to make it fit with Halloween. You know, like take the bowl of orange soup, and use some blue tortilla corn chips to make a jack-o-lantern face on it, and then say that you grandmother used to make this soup for you around the holiday.  Blah, blah, blah, Happy Halloween everybody!

[catrice2]

Ginger is known to calm an upset stomach....many people take it as a natural remedy and some doctors even recommend it when you are pregnant.   Something about Jay is not quite right, but I can't put my finger on it. That being said, I would take him over Alex any day. I  always considered Valentine's Day and Halloween as more of an observance than an actual holiday. 

 

Of those that are left, Alex is the only one that I can't see making into a show.  I would take Dom over Alex.  

 

Dom just never quite comes across as likeable...to a wide range of people.  I think certain segments would find him charming, but others would be put off by him.  This show in the early days is so different than what it is now. 

 

I only saw a few episodes the year Damaris (sp?) was on, but it was not a great year and I wouldn't watch  her do anything.  Besides, wouldn't Jay be similar to her POV? 

[saltycheese]

As for Eddie, they could do something like "Pre-Game / Post-Game with Eddie" and have him cook with a new athlete every week (a football player, someone about to do a Tough Mudder, someone headed to SoulCycle, etc.). Make a healthy and digestible meal for before the competition or workout and make  - in advance - something else for after. 

 

 

[NewDigs]

Arnold's "Hey, Lovebugs!" I loved it!

And while I liked Eddie's dad's ginger tip, like cooksdelight, I would rather not hear it before I eat. Clue me in later. As it was it just had me remembering Halloween night, and other, tummy upsets. But it does, imo, work.

Dom's sweater cracked me up. Not because it was sort of a Christmas sweater but because Dom had the self-awareness to remark that he looked 10 years old. And he did! It looked like someone's mom spit on her hand and spit-gelled his hair down. After she buttoned his shirt all the way up and straightened his collar.

Giada's cleavage was epic in one of her first outfits. Wow. And I don't usually notice that.

I agree with poster above who said that Jay seems so scripted. Maybe too much on-air radio time?

[ari333]

I don't get what was so great about Alex's beach story. He went to the beach with Patch, Sweege, and Jumbee? WHAT? Are those people? or foreign sounding exotic sammy ingredients? And, as mentioned,  all kafta I've ever had has been lamb, but that is just my experience. And that burger screamed tezeki (sp?) sauce. to me. 

[smiley13]

I only saw a few episodes the year Damaris (sp?) was on, but it was not a great year and I wouldn't watch  her do anything.  Besides, wouldn't Jay be similar to her POV? 

Jay cooks Cajun food.  Damaris is from Kentucky.

[Uncle Benzene]

Food Network Halloween specials are the worst of the bunch. They're all about treats and goofy plays on food to make them look scary. (Notable exception would be the Sandra Lee specials, which were awesome.)

 

Gonna have to agree wholeheartedly with that! Oh, Aunt Sandy. Don't ever change! Heh.

 

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.

 

But if we're being honest, it's absolutely terrible. Kids (half of them probably already borderline obese) gorging on candy. Which they took from strangers (and I know that "razor blades and/or cyanide in the candy" and all that stuff is mostly myth, but still) "Tonight you can go ahead and trust pretty much anybody and eat whatever they give you, but just tonight." is a pretty irresponsible message regardless, even if supervised. And sure, I know that not ALL kids are allowed to gorge, but "Just 5 pieces tonight... and every night for the next couple months, or until it's all gone." isn't much better. Meantime, sure, let's put all these kids on (or near) the streets after dark where traffic is a danger to begin with, let alone on one of the biggest DUI nights of any year. I'm sure it'll be fine though. Oh and let's also look the other way while teens indulge in all matter of mischief, from stealing candy from younger kids to egging houses and other acts of vandalism to who knows what else. It's all just "harmless fun" right?

 

Anyway, sorry for the Get Off My Lawn speechifying. It's just that it boggles my mind that something so pointless, that nothing at all good could come of at best, and is so incredibly destructive at worst, is so staunchly defended and celebrated by mainstream America on grounds of "harmless fun." It's anything but harmless. It's an absolutely disgusting ritual on about 47 levels, and should be done away with. Okay, seriously, I'm gonna go ahead and shut up about all that now. Promise.

 

Anyway, when Eddie put his "blood" on the plate, I immediately commented to my friend that I've seen more than enough culinary reality tee vee competitions to know that that NEVER works out. It could be the tastiest and most clever thing you've ever put on a plate. Doesn't matter. As soon as you point out that there's "blood" on the plate, everybody is turned off and you're done. I totally agree that pumpkin or some other fall squash strategy would have been a much better strategy. Especially a soup. If anything about Halloween deserves to be celebrated, it's the whole fall harvest aspect of it, the break from the summer heat and that glorious first chill in the air, and (my favorite thing) the time to start gearing up/running experiments/practicing/etc. for the BEST of all holidays, Thanksgiving. Eddie's problem was that he allowed "Halloween" to put him into a box. A really terrible box.

 

Arnold: "Valentine's Day"

Giada: "I KNEW IT!!!!"

Me: "Yeah, me too. And so did everybody else in the world."

 

Jay's boudin-stuffed quail? Yes please. Always and forever.

 

Dom is just inscrutable. Don't we all know a guy like that? The guy who you just can't figure out? The guy who just can't seem to get out of his own way? You love him to death, but at the same time, you can't figure out why sometimes he's a douchebag. He seems so capable and has so much going for him, but for some reason he just never seems to live up to his potential. I can definitely see what his fans see in him. But it couldn't be more obvious to me that he was just never gonna put it all together. He's always gonna trip over his own feet in some way or other. He's the George Costanza of FNS. It was a mercy killing.

[Aquarius]

Jay might have gotten away with the reference to a dead relative if it didn't sound like a pitch for OxyClean.  Like pretty much everything else that comes out of his mouth.

 

Arnold describes his wonton as tasting of chocolate and raspberry, and still Tush has no idea what it tastes like?  My husband isn't familiar with ganache and Framboise, but he still understood that the thing tasted like chocolate and raspberry.

 

I've had plenty of kofta made of ground beef.  That's the way the local Lebanese place makes them.  Alex's kofta burger didn't look half bad, but I'm not over the harissa craze just yet.  But that stupid story about hitting the beach with all his bros?  I just KNEW Medusa would eat that right up.  What is it with her and Tush and the ridiculous stories? 

 

Eddie drew a bum card with Halloween, that's for sure.  But as the poster upthread mentioned, he did it to himself with his crappy grey shrimp in the first challenge.  I love me some Eddie that but that stuff looked VILE.  He knew it, too, and that's what made his presentation go off the rails.

 

Dom did look like a ten-year-old in that sweater.  Why his man posse was all over themselves at the sight of it, I didn't get, because it really wasn't that over-the-top.  I thought his set was the absolute worst, and they were all pretty bad.  All those cheap tinsel decorations, yikes!  They looked like they were actually multiplying during the segment.  The one looked like it was getting ready to eat his head at any moment.  While I'm not over harissa, I am over the whole Italian "feast of the seven fishes" Christmas story.  I have heard that one from every FN chef with a name ending in a vowel.

 

When Bobby gave Dom the "this isn't rocket science" lecture, I said my goodbye to Dom.  The Eddie pump fake didn't fool me for a minute.  I guess Star Salvation is a good place to go to work on those camera nerves.  Giada will get her lovebug back yet.

 

And finally, speaking of Giada, did I miss the part where they explained why she showed up to taping of the first segment without having put on her shirt?

[CMH1981]

 

I think there is virtually no chance that these people were actually sent off to cook seconds after they find out the challenge. That's just the way it is presented on TV.

 

I don't know, some of the crap some of these contestants have come up w/ on this show past, present, and more than likely future shows that they had no idea what to do and just winged it.  To be fair though, I would probably get a mental block as well trying to think up something on the spot.

[GeorgiaRai]

I'd watch Arnold in a food/entertaining version of Watch What Happens Live. 

 

When they said Halloween food, I immediately thought of the "bloody hand print" plate from the Snow White & the Huntsman episode of Top Chef (which was epic, IMO).  Eddie seemed to be going in that direction (bones & blood) but didn't take it far enough.  And what is appetizing about a candy-induced stomachache story?  (Hint: Nothing.)

 

Big, loud rumpled Jay and timid, hair-touching Alex... just ewww. 

 

No more Dom.  Damn.

Edited July 27, 2015 by GeorgiaRai

[backformore]

 

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 hear you, Uncle Benzene!   I liked Halloween as a kid because - free candy!   But as a parent, I dreaded it. There is no worse holiday when your kid has a peanut allergy.   Other holidays I could manage, but the whole "getting candy from strangers"  thing is hell when your kid has a life-threatening allergy. 

I was so glad when he got old enough to realize it was a lot less trouble to just go to the store and BUY candy. 

[holly4755]

 

I can't believe that Giada and Bobby were pushing so hard for Dom to stay, what does have on them, time-stamped sex pics from when they were both married?!

 

 

I think those are already out there, at least their affair is pretty much out there. They are both getting divorced from their spouses, and are seen together out and about, so.....Hopeful next year has new host or hosts

 

I see Dom as an impatient my way or the highway kind of guy, Just from his talking heads, and numerous I'm outta here scenes. I guess the network finally decided he would be a nightmare to work with if he just walks away when he is done and can't get stretch or shrink time. 

[cooksdelight]

Anyway, when Eddie put his "blood" on the plate, I immediately commented to my friend that I've seen more than enough culinary reality tee vee competitions to know that that NEVER works out. 

 

Never has... not for Katsuji on Top Chef when I think they were doing literary interpretations and he somehow got a horror story. Or the aforementioned episode with Charlize Theron.

 

Jay might have gotten away with the reference to a dead relative if it didn't sound like a pitch for OxyClean.  Like pretty much everything else that comes out of his mouth.

 

It's his eyes, his over-earnestness, waving of the hands... he's info-mercial ready. Lorri Grenier should snap him up for a hosting job at QVC.

[gryphon]

 

When they said Halloween food, I immediately thought of the "bloody hand print" plate from the Snow White & the Huntsman episode of Top Chef (which was epic, IMO). 

Right there with you! That was the one where one of the chefs made something with a lamb's heart? Epic, creepy, scary and delicious! 

 

SO glad Dom is gone.  I didn't like his comments about "just like a wife, the husband can't get a word in edgewise...".(forgive the non exact wording) from one of the previous challenges.  He was way to much of a "Bro" man to me.  

 

Hopefully Eddie can get himself together. He and Suzy Wong should do a show...Eddie could be in the studio and Suzy could interview "On Location..." or something....

[phoenix780]

Part of me gets the whole POV thing, but part of me doesn't. Having your whole game plan mapped out before the contest even starts seems like putting the cart way before the horse. What's the point of a Network if the Network doesn't develop the talent? I can tell you right now that I would watch Ree Drummond or Ina Garten no matter what their show POV is. Their show could be "Me Cooking Food (or Not)" or  "Ree Walking Around" or "Ina at NASCAR" and I would still watch it because I love the way they teach me and present themselves on camera. 

 

To me, Eddie (think: earlier episodes) and Dom interact with people really well. They need to play up Eddie's athleticism  and tie it into the fitness market. With Dom just let him cook really good food and tell funny stories in his Staten Island accent. Boom. 

I love this comment.  It made me think about their current hosts, too, and while the men seem to have a niche, for the most part, how exactly would you classify Alex Guarnaschelli (or however it's spelled?), for example?  She's all over the network, I have no clue what her POV or brand would be, as it relates to what she cooks.  Same with Anne Burrell and Elizabeth Freitag.  I like them all, I watch them in various settings, they seem non-specific when contrasted with, say, Bobby Flay and the grill, or Giada and the Italian.  

 

Point is- POV/brand can not only come later, as the network determines what a person can sell well, it sometimes doesn't seem to come at all.

 

I don't like the new sandwich guy, and I think it's in large part because of his hair.  That's really shallow, I own that, but I'm not a fan of that hair length on a man.  Cut it, or maybe grow it longer, tie it back- I dunno.  I can't get past it, though I might try if he didn't seem simultaneously redundant (is it contract negotiation time for Mauro?) and bland.

[hilaryvm]

I was never a Dom fan, but his "boys" cheer as he left?  Made me really glad he went home.  Also made me hope that one of the women comes back from Star Salvation and wins the whole thing (my personal preference is Rue).  That cheer made me dislike all the remaining contestants.

[Totale]

I don't like the new sandwich guy, and I think it's in large part because of his hair.  That's really shallow, I own that, but I'm not a fan of that hair length on a man.  Cut it, or maybe grow it longer, tie it back- I dunno.  I can't get past it, though I might try if he didn't seem simultaneously redundant (is it contract negotiation time for Mauro?) and bland.

 

I'm pretty sure Mauro had already told them he's done being sandwich guy before last year's show and he hasn't done a new SK in over a year, his negotiations have come and gone.  The problem with Alex's hair for me is that it reminds me of the worst haircut I ever got.  I was a hippie and didn't get them often, but about 15 years ago my partner's father died and it was a scramble to get halfway across the country for the funeral.  I forgot that I looked like I'd been living in the woods for ten years and said as soon as we landed "I gotta get a haircut".  The only place anyone knew was her mother's hair salon and the woman there cut it almost exactly like Alex's (a "bob" I remember her saying).  I looked and felt like a total dork and wished she'd shaved my head instead.

[cee]

As much I liked him, Dom's edginess makes me think he'd be terrible for behind-the-scenes staff at FN. Him cursing in front of Damaris about the spoon seemed unprofessional and immature. 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.

 

This season I don't hate any of the contestants, but I don't love any of them either. Arnold is adorable and funny, but his execution of his ideas don't seem special. I'm on the fence now for my favorite.

[vibeology]

I'd watch Arnold in a food/entertaining version of Watch What Happens Live.

Have him host a FNS after show. They could have judges and past contestants on it to cook with him while they dish about the show. Or any of the competitive shows, really. Arnold is snarky and good at hosting a party. It would be so much fun.

[cooksdelight]

 

Alex Guarnaschelli (or however it's spelled?), for example?  She's all over the network, I have no clue what her POV or brand would be, as it relates to what she cooks.

 

She has a restaurant named Butter. And she #growwwwwls about food a lot on Facebook. Anything fattening and bad for you. That's all I know.

[NYGirl]

Tusch always looks like he's smelling farts.

[sockii]

Halloween. Pumpkin. Halloween. Pumpkin. I guess Eddie just doesn't have a pumpkin recipe in his repertoire.

 

Which really baffled me because pumpkin soup is incredibly popular in the Caribbean! It's pretty much a staple on restaurant menus in the islands, at least the places I've been.

[bluepiano]

Just stop already. Harissa is the new wasabi/chipotle/ad nauseous flavoring of the year. BAH.

 

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

[SpottedCoachDog]

Eddie was in a tough spot, but popcorn balls and candied/caramel apples would have worked. And easy to concoct a "we always made these for Halloween" story. If you had to do an entree, so many of you have mentioned great squash and Fall ideas. I personally thought of "Ghoul"ash or "Blood" Orange Chicken in about two minutes.

Arnold could make something out of "A Touch of Myint". Theme ideas for dinner parties and holidays that are quirky. Suzy Wong gives a cocktail recipe every show.

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.

[bluepiano]

And that show is a direct copy of their sister station Cooking Channel's show "Carnival Eats" which started its 2nd season recently.

 

Then there's "Southern Fried Road Trip." FN just keeps mining the same territory over and over. It's another reason why I don't think Jay should win. And why he probably will.

[Clanstarling]

I thought Bob and Susie looked horrified too.

I don't generally watch the show looking for faked expressions - but the reaction shots in this episode seemed so directed. "Giada, look surprised and horrified." "Tushy, make a scolding mother face," "okay everybody, laugh like your life depends on it."

 

I mean, the over exaggerated wide eyes, pursed lips, etc. I found it hard to believe any of those were actual reactions.

 

Eddie's story of having an upset stomach and then tying that to ginger lost me. I think the guy just couldn't come up with anything else to talk about.

 

 

Ginger is known to calm an upset stomach....many people take it as a natural remedy and some doctors even recommend it when you are pregnant.  

For me, ginger has the opposite effect - so I was really put off by the comment. It should have been the tag "oh, and it will help you if you overdo the Halloween snacks" instead of the lead.

 

He's the George Costanza of FNS. It was a mercy killing.

Thank you for the laugh. Even though I kind of like Dom - but don't think he's quite ready.

 

As for who made the decision - Suzie said pretty clearly his lack of camera skills made him a no-go for her. Don't know that I've heard her be that blunt before. For that matter, I don't remember hearing that kind of back and forth arguing before.

 

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.

 

I think Jay's dead grandfather story would have been okay if he just said they went hunting in honor of his grandfather. I guess the women in the family (presumably there are some) have a grand old time with the men out of the way.  I am grateful, though, that FNS has gone away from requiring tragic family stories. Now, if only Chopped would do the same.

[Carolina Girl]

I don't watch the Star Salvation so I have to ask.  Has hashtag guy (see? I've already forgotten his name!) been eliminated as a return prospect?

[Psychobunny]

It seems you either love Dom or hate him.  For me, the douche factor is just too high. The only one I can even tolerate now is Arnold and I don't think I'd watch his show.

I also think the dinner in a box concept is great for Food Network. Personally, I love those, but unfortunately most companies who do them now require you to sign up for an ongoing contract.  Before that, though, they were awesome.  I always wanted to try to cook a duck breast and to try a home quick pickle but do you know how hard it is to  find a single duck breast for sale?  Not to mention how expensive it is to buy multiple spices for one dish?  (And for all those who say that spices last and you can use them is other dishes, feel free to take my collection of 10-20 year old spices that cost over $5 each and which have each been used exactly once).  So now, I have a recipe in my pocket for duck tacos with pickled cucumber that I have tried and know I can execute well and will taste good and if I ever do want to cook something like that for a crowd I have a recipe that I know I can follow. I'd be much more likely to buy a dinner in a box from FN than to follow one of their recipes which always seems to include something that "you already have in your pantry" that I need to go out and buy.

 

Finally, I'm always the oblivious one that doesn't notice what Giada is wearing but even I couldn't not notice that first dress.

[cooksdelight]

I don't watch the Star Salvation so I have to ask.  Has hashtag guy (see? I've already forgotten his name!) been eliminated as a return prospect?

 

 

Yes, he's gone. Rue and Dom are left.

[CMH1981]

 

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

 

I think the reason behind that is b/c Bob and Suzy have been sidelined this season so much.  I do believe they have been watching the dailies and been getting updates on the progression with each contestant.  If it had been 3:1 in favor of Dom, she probably would have rolled over.  I do hope that they decide after this season that they need to be there every step of the way as Bobby and Giada don't have a handle on things, or at least throw in another FN personality they can trust.  Oh for the days of Alton Brown being the third mentor.

 

I remember when this show used to have a different FN personality on each week to mentor the group...I miss that version of the show.

[Mmazeo]

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.