S11.E09: Live TV

[CMH1981]

I wonder if Giada was away during the first challenge "coaching" Dom.

[jackjill89]

I would not stop clicking through the channels if Jay was on to watch him. Not for a second. When he does his on-camera demos he grates. Someone mentioned insincerity, someone mentioned the Oxy-Clean guy -- I think all those fit. Again -- that insincerity and over-rehearsed bit is what reminds me of Lenny. I wouldn't have watched him either. 

 

Eddie? I'd stop to watch him. He's very charming and personable. Arnold makes me anxious watching him. 

[biakbiak]

I can't believe Jay wasn't reemed out more for his snack! Sandra Lee probably would have at least made a dipping sauce! It was embarrassing.

[smiley13]

They assign people these ridiculous criteria to follow, like poor Jay with after school snacks.  He said he doesn't cook for kids and if he had a show, it would not be cooking for kids.  

 

And is POV is Cajun, not "country".   There is no one on FN who cooks Cajun food.  

[cooksdelight]

They assign people these ridiculous criteria to follow, like poor Jay with after school snacks.  He said he doesn't cook for kids and if he had a show, it would not be cooking for kids.  

 

And is POV is Cajun, not "country".   There is no one on FN who cooks Cajun food.

If I had my way, there's be no one on FN cooking Cajun food who's name is Jay. :)

[candall]

I'd have to say this was the very best episode because I was surprised to see the show only had five minutes left.  That's a first, for this season.

 

I'm not campaigning for Jeff--although I think he's probably a nice enough guy--but really, what are you going to make for afterschool snacks that won't be banal?  Nobody wants to be whipping up Second Breakfast for the hobbits when dinner needs to be started soon.  Oreos & milk.  Grab an apple, kiddo.

Edited August 3, 2015 by candall

[JTMacc99]

So... Jay, Arnold and Eddie. That was fairly easy to predict all the way back in week 2.  

 

I do see the appeal of Jay. But I'm a man. If I were going to watch a Jay or Eddie show, it would entirely be based on the food, whether or not I thought he would be a good guy in real life, and not who had the more appealing guns. I would watch Jay because his Cajun food definitely appeals to me. (I would assume he wouldn't do any shows about cooking for kids or sweets, like he was forced to do this week.) He has to tone down the radio personality a lot, which is why I think he goes infomercial on us, but I think that wouldn't be too hard to do.

 

I would watch Eddie as long as they hook him up with funny guys like David Alan Grier or pretty girls. When put in that situation, he is phenomenal for somebody who hasn't been on TV much. I wouldn't watch Eddie for his food. He's done almost nothing that made me interested. Alex did more things I wanted to try than Eddie, and I didn't even know what the hell he was talking about most of the time.

 

And on that note, I watched segments of The Kitchen, and was never really impressed with Katie. I'm more of a Geoffrey and Marcella guy because their food choices interest me.  Because of that, I didn't notice until this episode that Katie is really attractive. I might give her a second chance. (Which I would not do if she were a big sloppy guy like Jay.)

 

 

Yes, given I saw Jay holding what should have been a hot pan out of the oven with his bare hands, I'm really not buying anything from this episode.

Well then, we need to give Jay some serious props for being a great actor as he pretended that he ran out of time and that he really didn't want to just dump plain tarts in the direction of a plate.  I think there are obvious moments in this show that are not as they seem (like "Your time starts now! as if they didn't have any time to think about the challenge before starting), but I can't imagine a scenario where Jay screwing up the tarts was manufactured drama.

Edited August 3, 2015 by JTMacc99

[seacliffsal]

First of all, Giada, you may want to be like him and have an empire and a million t.v. shows, and Michelin Stars, but you are NO Gordon Ramsey... Why all of a sudden she wants to fake out the contestants at elimination makes no sense other than she wants to be the female Gordon Ramsey. Just no.

I think Alex fell into a trap a lot of these contestants do- he wanted to cook what he wanted, not what the challenge called for. The other contestants even gave him some hints that he was making a mistake (but I notice they weren't adamant as, after all, this is a contest). And, like a lot of past contestants, I don't think he got that the Food Network is NOT going to pay for him to go around the world tasting and cooking (Spice guy a few seasons back had stated that he wanted to travel to various countries in search of spice).

[tobysmom]

I admit that I was falling asleep during the show and didn't even watch the last few minutes...but didn't they all cook their food first and then went to live TV.  When Jay was making the tarts he took them out and was burning his hands as he was trying to get them on the plate.  He said he didn't have enough time to do anything else like he wanted like whipped cream or some sort of glaze.  And also, his chocolate didn't look good at all as he was putting it in the tarts; unless that was coconuts I was seeing, but it looked really gritty.

 

I admit that I was liking Arnold at the beginning of this show; but I'm wondering if he more comfortable as his "Suzy Wong" (did I get her name right?) persona.

[bybrandy]

I don't think Jay took enough of a beating for his snack, either.   but there was a dipping sauce in the middle of the plate.  Or at least I assume that bowl of yellow was for dipping.

[Snarklepuss]

I think Alex fell into a trap a lot of these contestants do- he wanted to cook what he wanted, not what the challenge called for. The other contestants even gave him some hints that he was making a mistake (but I notice they weren't adamant as, after all, this is a contest). And, like a lot of past contestants, I don't think he got that the Food Network is NOT going to pay for him to go around the world tasting and cooking (Spice guy a few seasons back had stated that he wanted to travel to various countries in search of spice).

 

I think the reason Alex cooked what he wanted is because he knew that if anything was going to get him through to the next round it was his cooking, so he picked that soup thinking it would be so good it might make up for his lack of camera charm.  After all, his food has saved him in the past.....many times.  Only this time his number was up because it could be the greatest soup on earth, but it didn't have anything to do with a reunion plus he's just inferior to the others on camera.

I don't think Jay took enough of a beating for his snack, either.   but there was a dipping sauce in the middle of the plate.  Or at least I assume that bowl of yellow was for dipping.

 

Who was it that made the "dump" analogy?  Well at this point I think Jay could serve a dump on a plate and the judges wouldn't beat him up for it because they like him on camera so much.  I mean, pigs in blankets with no dipping sauce?  Seriously?  Ants on a log?  That would have fit the Halloween challenge better!

[JTMacc99]

That would have fit the Halloween challenge better!

I thought the same thing!

 

I think Bobby cut him a break because, unlike our suspicions about timing of things making this show a bunch of crap, forcing Jay to make after school snacks was definitely to manufacture drama. And it worked beautifully.

 

I think that became my view of it when Bobby brought it up later with a "and no pigs on a blanket Jay" in a way that made him and Giada laugh.  It felt like Bobby was saying, "I know it was a stupid challenge to give you, but you still have to attempt to make something decent. If I'm not above pretending this is serious, then you definitely aren't."

[ivygirl]

Alex has had this split personality thing going all season. Is he Sandwich King, The Sequel or Asian Food Guy? Occasionally it would all come together when he made an Asian-inspired sandwich. But too often (like tonight) it felt like he just cooled what he wanted and then tried to make it fit some theme. I generally don't want to hear personal stories, but tonight I felt the whole "the only family reunion I've ever been to was in Indonesia" needed an explanation. Did his actual family all meet in Indonesia, or did he attend a reunion of a family he befriended in Indonesia? It might've actually made for an interesting personal story for once.

Evidence I think too much about this show: I was pondering what Alex could have done (besides sandwiches) that would have fit both his "Travelin' Man" POV and the family-reunion theme. And I realized that *salads* would have been perfect. He could have concocted some story about how everyone brings salads to family reunions, don't bring potato salad because EVERYONE brings potato salad and thinks their own (or their mom's) is the best, and then say, at my next family reunion I'd bring something familiar with a twist: a grilled-corn salad with harissa and cotija cheese (or something).

"Locust Valley Lockjaw." Heh.

[vibeology]

I'm not campaigning for Jeff--although I think he's probably a nice enough guy--but really, what are you going to make for afterschool snacks that won't be banal?  Nobody wants to be whipping up Second Breakfast for the hobbits when dinner needs to be started soon.  Oreos & milk.  Grab an apple, kiddo.

 

There's lots he could have done that involved more work that putting store bought hot dogs inside of store bought biscuits and peanut butter into celery. Why not make his own bean dip for some veggies? Add a light touch of cajun spice for the kiddos? Why not prepare energy bites that are all over pintrest nowadays? Or his own granola bar or anything that actually involved cooking? He got handed a challenge he didn't like and took the lazy way through it. 

 

I'm so happy that Alex is finally gone. The way everyone else felt about Dom, that was me with Alex. He's like the waiter at the fancy restaurant who reads off the specials in the most monotone voice ever. He never seems to acknowledge his weaknesses in the way that tells me he gets that this is an ongoing problem rather than a one off. Even this episode he seemed to think it he could just do his segment again, it would have been very different when all of his segments have been not great to disastrous. At least Dom was self-aware. Alex with his hands in his hair as he cooked food and had no personality just bugged. I hope he fades away never to be seen on this network again.

Edited August 3, 2015 by vibeology

[rab01]

I don't think Jay's way of getting the other guys involved was copied from Eddie because they had the clip of Arnold saying how specific Jay was being during prep of how he wanted to talk with them. Again, Jay was being too rehearsed so he came off slightly stilted. I like Jay; he seems like a good guy with food that's usually in my wheelhouse and (he along with Eddie) is often shown praising other people's food as they cook in the kitchen but he really makes too much of an effort to be "on" in front of the camera.

 

I was really surprised by how badly Arnold did on this challenge. It really made me think back through the season and I can't remember any time where he said something funny or interesting that came out of listening to another contestant. He's more often the performer and the speaker than the audience ...

[DeLurker]

Giada's chest area really concerned me in the final judging. I couldn't tell if I was looking at sweat beads or shimmering, leathery skin -- but that coupled with her smushed, crooked bosom was really distracting.

It really was unflattering.  She's spending a lot of time on the "look" with the cutouts and whatnot (is that only recent?), but don't they have a mirrow or a wardrobe person who doesn't hate her?

 

Not sorry Alex is gone - he was kinda likeable at times and sometimes terribly uncomfortable to watch.  And he had that One Day at a Time Mom hair (I think TomCorp (?) called that a few eps back and now I can only see that).

[Pallida]

I also read the forum before watching. I thought the bare pan hold was edited from before he put the tarts in the oven. He says something like "oh sh...." Which I interpreted as him realizing they were going in way too late. Still producer manipulation, but I don't think it suggests more than 45 minutes were given.

When Alex was questioned about garlic for a hot date, I would have responded with "are you dating vampires?"

Eddie seems to really light up when he gets to interact with people while performing. I don't know that he would have a successful solo cooking show (if FN even wants cooking...).

[JTMacc99]

Eddie seems to really light up when he gets to interact with people while performing. I don't know that he would have a successful solo cooking show (if FN even wants cooking...).

He is SO much better with people than by himself. I think he's TV ready right now when matched up with somebody else who is already good at it. 

[Snarklepuss]

When Alex was questioned about garlic for a hot date, I would have responded with "are you dating vampires?"

 

I would have said, "But two people eating garlic together cancel each other out".  Of course I stole that one from Rachael Ray.

[backformore]

I don't think Jay took enough of a beating for his snack, either.   but there was a dipping sauce in the middle of the plate.  Or at least I assume that bowl of yellow was for dipping.

To me, it looked like a bowl of mustard. 

Anyway -  I think taking some flour tortillas and toasting them with some spices, then making some dips, would have been perfect. 

Show how to make protein-rich dip  with greek yogurt, or a bean dip.    Make a fruit salsa.  Chips and dip are perfect for after school snacks.  

 

And talk about the snack as something to hold kids over until dinner.  

[Gregg247]

Good thing Dom wasn't around for this episode.  If he were, when the judges told them that they had to each give a 5 minute presentation, the camera would have pulled back to reveal Dom standing in a pool of his own urine. LOL

 

I'm not a fan of Arnold, but he really made me laugh when, after Alex started talking about his family reunion in Indonesia, he rolled his eyes and said, "THIS guy!  Why not call your show Alex Invades Asia?"

 

I don't think Alex can relate to just regular Americans who don't jet off to exotic locations at the drop of a hat.  When one of the judges called him out for serving hot soup for a summer meal, his (completely logical to HIM) explanation was, well, that's what they eat in Indonesia!

 

I'm pulling for Rue to come back into the competition, but I'm afraid it will be Dom.

[akr]

Did Alex say he was using soba during the prep time, rather than ramen? It looked like ramen, when they were tasting it, so maybe I mishead, but if you're using soba - it's not ramen! . . . Definitely did not fit the challenge and he struggled with the presentation because he was trying to shoehorn it in and because he's just not very good at that, I guess, and yet it's still the only thing I'd particularly want to eat of what we were shown. Eddie did manage to make those pasta noodles look successful, though, and it was perfectly suited to the show idea, and he's very relaxing to watch on set.  

 

I can't really remember ever having seen Katie Lee before, but I agree that her voice is really annoying. The accent wasn't the issue to me so much as the vocal fry, I think, but the show was almost over before I thought to analyze it, and really I just don't care. She seemed vapid and stiff on camera; whatever her virtues may be, being on TV does not bring them out.

 

So, I guess Alex owns a restaurant. Maybe if it were in my neighborhood, I'd be inspired to go more often. Hope he gets a little business out of this, anyway, since his food sounds good. Actually, I just googled him and it all makes more sense that it ever did on the show. He was a co-founder of what sounds like a really good sandwich-centric place called Duke's Grocery, in Dupont Circle (DC), and left to start a southeast Asian style restaurant, after first going on an extended research trip to Asia to really immerse himself in the cuisine as it is in Asia (as opposed to just what he probably knew as a DC food lover and maybe prior travels). Duke's Grocery seems like it had a little bit of an east London inspiration. It all sounds good! Whether it's better than or equal to the competition, I have no idea, and Eddie's quip about "Alex invades Asia" as his potential cooking show title highlights exactly what's presumptuous about it - but you know it, it is inspiring food, and I'd eat it while also continuing to frequent the restaurants run by people who grew up eating Thai or whatever else. It's more open-ended global fusion, I suppose, than a pretense to authenticity, although drawing on stuff from his travels that makes it not just what you'd pick up by going to the already-existing local ethnic restaurants. 

[Madding crowd]

Eddie is good at presenting, but his dishes have been pretty hit or miss the whole time. Alex and Dom seem to be very good cooks, but are lacking in the presentation department. They really don't have anyone who is the whole package. Jay doesn't appeal to me (mostly since I'm a vegetarian) and I think they would have to dress him better than the baggy shorts and polo shirt. Arnold seems like a cool guy, but I have no idea what his show would be about.

 

I know that this show is an end game all in itself, but it would be so interesting to me if they took the contestants and really focused on what type of show they would have from week one and built on that weekly. I think the show about seasonal meals did that a bit, but the contestants didn't focus on real points of view, they just grabbed whatever what fit the holiday. 

[cooksdelight]

You know how Guy goes to restaurants in DDD and really doesn't cook anything? But the show is wildly successful. That's where I can see Eddie. Go do the tailgate thing or whatever, and interact with the people and their food. He'd rocket the ratings with a show like that. Just my little wish to the FN gods.....

[MerBearHou]

That's a great thought, cooks...  I think Guy does a wonderful, wonderful service to these diners, drive-ins and dives by showcasing them.  His enthusiasm is fantastic and he is so encouraging to the owners and cooks in these establishments.  It makes me seek out those sometimes-hidden gems.  I love the concept of DDD even if it's on waaayyyy too often.  Eddie would be superb in that role -- he has the same warm, exuberant personality and will only grow in his food knowledge.  He plays well with and off of others.

 

And P.S.   DDD has to be one of the LEAST expensive shows to produce ever. 

Edited August 3, 2015 by MerBearHou

[bluepiano]

They showed Bobby rolling his eyes when Jay said he was using store bought pastry dough for his pigs-in-a-blanket. But then that wasn't even mentioned during the judging. More proof that Jay is preordained final two (at least) and nothing he does is going to change that. Using store bought ingredients is something that the judges always bring up when they want to slam a contestant. (even when it's not fair, because of the lack of time to cook from scratch).

 

In the first challenge, working with the blonde woman (sorry, can't remember her name), I thought that both Eddie and Alex acted kind of goofy, Alex like a moonstruck teenager, and Eddie doing his "you know I like the ladies" bit. I think that Eddie has heard so much from the judges about his good looks and charm that he's started trying to live up to an image. But it feels so clichéd. (And she didn't help with the "let me feel your guns" thing). As a straight guy, I find this all boring and irrelevant for a cooking show. Then there's the double standard. There have been some attractive female contestants over the years, and we didn't get constantly reminded about their looks. Can you imagine a judge or guest mentor saying to woman, "your dish had a nice smoky flavor. AND you've got a smokin' hot bod."

Edited August 3, 2015 by bluepiano

[potatoradio]

Sigh.

 

Every year, I hope the show will produce someone who really can bring an entertaining/presentation "POV." I'm a home cook and my dishes taste OK, but look like crap. I'd love a show with a fun host who can show me some basic presentation techniques so that I'm not apologizing when I bring something to a potluck or promising that "it tastes better than it looks." Why, Mango, why can't you be that contestant this year?

 

Goodbye, Alex. God, you were boring. Even laughing at your Prince Valiant hair wasn't doing it. And I'm speaking as someone who has eaten hot soup in the summer, because noodle house in Waikiki. Anyway, good luck with makin' sammiches and hangin' out with your bros and drinking beer and invading Asia. You are definitely not to Asian (pardon my global term) cuisine what Rick Bayless is to Mexican, OK? 

 

 

 

 

 

[BusyOctober]

I couldn't believe I watched a wanna be chef "prepare" pigs in a blanket & ants on a log! As noted above there are dozens of things you could do for after school snacks that are simple and can be prepared in advance...home made hummus with pita chips (store bought Pita sliced in wedges, brushed with olive oil & spices and popped under the broiler for a minute)is one I do once a week. Another variation is a Tuscan white bean spread with veggies. It's healthy-ish and quick to grab when the bus pulls up. I think even Sandra Lee would have had added more "oomph" to store bought snacks than Jay did.

Eddie should win this thing since he's the only one with a telegenic face and personality. Thank goodness Alex and his hair are gone. How someone with such little cooking credibility made it to Final Four...actually, based on the rest of the field of contenders, Alex made as much sense as a finalist as any of them.
I couldn't believe I watched a wanna be chef "prepare" pigs in a blanket & ants on a log! As noted above there are dozens of things you could do for after school snacks that are simple and can be prepared in advance...home made hummus with pita chips (store bought Pita sliced in wedges, brushed with olive oil & spices and popped under the broiler for a minute)is one I do once a week. Another variation is a Tuscan white bean spread with veggies. It's healthy-ish and quick to grab when the bus pulls up. I think even Sandra Lee would have had added more "oomph" to store bought snacks than Jay did.

 

Edited August 3, 2015 by cooksdelight

[smiley13]

You know how Guy goes to restaurants in DDD and really doesn't cook anything? But the show is wildly successful. That's where I can see Eddie. Go do the tailgate thing or whatever, and interact with the people and their food. He'd rocket the ratings with a show like that. Just my little wish to the FN gods.....

I don't recall Eddie ever mentioning tailgating.  Jay has though.

I couldn't believe I watched a wanna be chef "prepare" pigs in a blanket & ants on a log! As noted above there are dozens of things you could do for after school snacks that are simple and can be prepared in advance...home made hummus with pita chips (store bought Pita sliced in wedges, brushed with olive oil & spices and popped under the broiler for a minute)is one I do once a week. Another variation is a Tuscan white bean spread with veggies. It's healthy-ish and quick to grab when the bus pulls up. I think even Sandra Lee would have had added more "oomph" to store bought snacks than Jay did.

I am so thankful he did not make hummus.  I really wish that food item would go away and people would stop trying to make it happen.

 

These were supposed to be snacks for kids.  No kid I know would come home and asked for mashed up chick peas.

[mlp]

 

Eddie has heard so much from the judges about his good looks and charm that he's started trying to live up to an image. But it feels so clichéd. (And she didn't help with the "let me feel your guns" thing). As a straight guy, I find this all boring and irrelevant for a cooking show.

 

I agree but that kind of thing has worked for years for Robert Irvine (barf).  He has a huge following of females who watch to see him smash things with a sledgehammer.  I like Eddie and think/hope he'll probably win even though he does occasionally get a few toes over the line into smarmy.

 

I sort of sympathized with Jay who was taken aback by the after school assignment.  He made a couple simple things he'd heard of as after school snacks and didn't even try to be creative.  I had the impression that he thought that's what was expected.  His second offering wasn't much better.  Chocolate tarts, even good ones, don't pair naturally with cocktails, not even in December much less in the heat of summer.

 

Arnold is the only one I might watch if he had a show but I don't expect him to get much farther.  I like Jay OK but he puts me off with his ratty jeans and rumpled shirts.  Dressing like that might be OK for radio where no one sees you but, if you want to be on TV, you should make an effort to at least look well-groomed which all the other guys have done.  When Eddie wears jeans, he looks sharp.  Jay looks like he pulled his clothes out of the hamper.  If you're going to be handling food, looking clean is recommended.

 

I've wondered all along what kind of job Alex has that has allowed him to do as much traveling as he seems to have done at a young age.  I see from a post above that he is involved in a restaurant but I wouldn't think that would afford him the money or time for all the globe trotting.  Maybe he has a trust fund.

[BusyOctober]

I know some people don't like hummus, but my daughter has loved it since she was a baby. She's 10 now and even makes turkey, cucumber and hummus wraps for lunch. But to each their own... The way Smiley 13 feels about trying to make "mashed up chick peas" happen is how I feel about Greek yogurt, kale and cauliflower. Wish those 3 items would fall off the face of the Earth.

[MizArk]

smiley13, my 2 1/2 year old grandson is obsessed with hummus. He loves it and asks for it every day. It's basically bean dip, which is the version we ate back in the dark ages before "fancy food" came to the South.

 

As for the show, I thought Jay deserved a much more harsh slap-down for that lazy presentation. I couldn't believe it when I saw him wrap canned biscuits around hot dog pieces and smear peanut butter on celery. Who would want to watch anyone do that on TV? It completely soured my opinion of his standing as a "chef."

 

Eddie really is the only one left I'd watch though I'm still not sure of his POV. He seems pleasant, personable, not bad to look at, and I think he's more committed. He'll probably be judging Guy's Grocery Games or a similar show soon.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I don't have anything against Jay personally, per se, but the more the judges try to "make him happen" the more it bugs me.

[Pallida]

I'm going to admit I don't like kids, so I wouldn't have a clue what they would want/need for an after school snack.  The previously mentioned fruit seems logical to me, but obviously that's not very chefy!  I got curious about "elevating" pigs in a blanket, and found out that the Neelys have a recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/neelys-pigs-in-a-blanket-recipe.html 

[Clanstarling]

I was kind of surprised that Jay did not do a grilled fruit dessert since the set had the indoor grill there.  Unless of course there was not any good fresh fruit to choose from.

When he asked the guys and someone said "grilled peaches" I thought that was a perfect idea.

 

 

 

Is it just me or did everyone lose their minds with this episode?

Jay in particular. I could not believe my eyes that he was making pigs in a blanket - with canned biscuit dough - and ants on a log at this (or ANY) stage of the competition. It's not that hard to conceive of a snack, even if you don't have kids. Just pick something you like to whip up for a light snack and riff on it.

 

 

I admit that I was falling asleep during the show and didn't even watch the last few minutes...but didn't they all cook their food first and then went to live TV.  When Jay was making the tarts he took them out and was burning his hands as he was trying to get them on the plate.  He said he didn't have enough time to do anything else like he wanted like whipped cream or some sort of glaze.  And also, his chocolate didn't look good at all as he was putting it in the tarts; unless that was coconuts I was seeing, but it looked really gritty.

I thought the chocolate looked pretty gritty too - which is the opposite of what ganache is supposed to be.

 

When Jeff and Katie were introduced, Jeff had this silly grin on his face. I thought he looked ten years old. And Katie - maybe the makeup people don't like her either. She's not my favorite FN personality (not even close), but on the Kitchen she always looks very pretty and somewhat understated. On a different and even more shallow note - now that I know she used to be married to Billy Joel, I'll never be able to look at her the same way again. Which wasn't positive to begin with.

[cooksdelight]

As for the show, I thought Jay deserved a much more harsh slap-down for that lazy presentation. I couldn't believe it when I saw him wrap canned biscuits around hot dog pieces and smear peanut butter on celery. Who would want to watch anyone do that on TV? It completely soured my opinion of his standing as a "chef."

Ditto for me, Gina. Anytime I see someone using canned dough of any type, I remember the butt-reaming a contestant on Top Chef got for using frozen puffed pastry. Granted, these people are not of the same caliber (from what I've seen, that is), but that was horrible.

[TomCorps]

I didn't know there was a Kardashian on Food Network!  You'll note the "K" at the start of her first name.  The resemblance is uncanny.  And just as vapid & horrible.  Just sayin...

[smiley13]

Ditto for me, Gina. Anytime I see someone using canned dough of any type, I remember the butt-reaming a contestant on Top Chef got for using frozen puffed pastry. Granted, these people are not of the same caliber (from what I've seen, that is), but that was horrible.

I wonder why they frown on canned dough or frozen puffed pastry, but not boxed pasta?  Or packaged wonton wrappers?  They do not given them enough time to make these kinds of things fresh.  Or what about when some uses store bought buns or bread?

The way Smiley 13 feels about trying to make "mashed up chick peas" happen is how I feel about Greek yogurt, kale and cauliflower. Wish those 3 items would fall off the face of the Earth.

I am right there with you on those three items as well.  :)

[Shibori]

Now I remember why she was known as Katie-bot during S1 Top Chef.

Giada saying "spaghetti" ranks up there with dentists who kill lions on my personal hate scale.

[shksabelle]

Katie Lee seems like a Kardashian wannabe with that nasally monotone; less vocal fry though.

Maybe part of the divorce settlement was that Billy had to finance her "career" and her gig on FNS was paid for, like product placement.

[Lillybee]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Katie Lee's claim to culinary fame is that she wrote a cookbook about how to sneak healthy food into your toddler's meals?

[smiley13]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Katie Lee's claim to culinary fame is that she wrote a cookbook about how to sneak healthy food into your toddler's meals?

I thought that was Jessica Seinfeld.  

[NikSac]

I know some people don't like hummus, but my daughter has loved it since she was a baby. She's 10 now and even makes turkey, cucumber and hummus wraps for lunch. But to each their own... The way Smiley 13 feels about trying to make "mashed up chick peas" happen is how I feel about Greek yogurt, kale and cauliflower. Wish those 3 items would fall off the face of the Earth.

 

hehe just had to laugh at this. I love hummus and also cauliflower - sometimes even together - but can they please drop kale and Green yogurt from every store and menu now?  (also, sriracha).  Katie Lee makes me laugh every time she talks about kale as her favorite food - come on, that's a food you tolerate, maybe even choose to eat because it's healthy, but a "favorite"?  I guess it's a good thing we all have our own tastes or the world would be boring, wouldn't it?

 

On the episode, I won't particularly miss Alex. I felt bad for Jay, it seemed like he didn't really know what to do for "after school snack" but a couple of classics were a decent idea.  He could've done a little more with them. Also about the "store bought" biscuit/roll that's actually one of the few things I buy at the store instead of make from scratch because I know it'll save a ton of time and I'm not the greatest baker. I make a chicken and dumplings that's from scratch except for the "dumplings" (cut up store bought biscuit dough) and I've had a lot of compliments on it.

 

I thought Eddie and Jay did a particularly good job on TV. To me the whole show felt like an audition for "The Kitchen 2.0" though.

[howmanywords]

I too cringe when I see these people using "canned" dough. I guess I can understand it when there is a time limit but I normally expect more from anyone with cooking skills and what Jay did this week with the biscuits  was more amateurish than anything. Puffed pastry dough from scratch is extremely time consuming though. I wouldnt say its hard, but its definitely time consuming and I've heard even pretty well respected chefs say "if you are pressed for time it cant hurt to use frozen puffed pastry dough" so for a cooking competition with time constraints I wouldnt expect that to be made from scratch. 

 

Count me in as having a kid who loves hummus.  My 13 year old daughter ended up loving it a couple of years ago when I bought it and when she saw it on the counter and said it looked gross. I told her to try it, that she might be surprised. So she stuck a breadstick it and was hooked ever since..till this day she still asks for it and is into some of the different flavors now too.

[cooksdelight]

I can make biscuit dough in about 10 minutes, and wrap it around a hotdog or Vienna sausage. Will bake up with a nice crispy crust on the outside. Not that I'd ever do that on a national cooking competition where I'd want to get a job as a host, however. :)

[bluepiano]

Anyway, good luck with makin' sammiches and hangin' out with your bros and drinking beer and invading Asia. You are definitely not to Asian (pardon my global term) cuisine what Rick Bayless is to Mexican, OK? 

 

Ha. Love your comments, I don't doubt that Alex sincerely loves Asian food, but there always seemed to be something really lightweight and at the same time pretentious about him. No Rick Bayless, and no Tony Bourdain either. Someone else posted that he was probably a trust fund baby to be able to afford all those trips to Asia, and that's exactly my take on him as well. That haircut screams aging preppie.

 

I do have to admit that while I love the spices and flavors of Asian food, i have too much of an American palette to be a purist. So westernized Asian food would've been a POV that appealed to me if I found Alex more likeable and authentic.

 

I'm on record as not being a Jay fan,  but if FN is going to impose him on us, can they at least assign him a wardrobe person? Maybe I'm showing my age, but if someone has a TV show I don't want to see them looking like they just rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes to go down to the 7-11. Isn't one schlub who's all over the network (Guy Fieri) enough?

Edited August 4, 2015 by bluepiano

[NikSac]

I can make biscuit dough in about 10 minutes, and wrap it around a hotdog or Vienna sausage. Will bake up with a nice crispy crust on the outside. Not that I'd ever do that on a national cooking competition where I'd want to get a job as a host, however. :)

 

But you can still share the recipe with those of us who suck at making homemade biscuits, can't you? (please please pleeeease?)

[HappyDancex2]

I hate to defend Jay too but giving them these stupid parameters just yields the stupid results. After school snacks is not a normal category and he was worried about his spicy food and how it might relate with children.....so he went with what HE liked as a child. I can at least understand the thought process....confusion with authenticity!!!!

He should have made something tasty and made up a story...and prayed that FN wasn't going to trot out a bunch of brats to sneer at his food!!

Much different than getting softballs like "burger toppings" or "breakfast."

[cooksdelight]

Yes, just like my Granny made it. I'll post it in Small Talk.

[rab01]

Ha. Love your comments, I don't doubt that Alex sincerely loves Asian food, but there always seemed to be something really lightweight and at the same time pretentious about him. No Rick Bayless, and no Tony Bourdain either. Someone else posted that he was probably a trust fund baby to be able to afford all those trips to Asia, and that's exactly my take on him as well. That haircut screams aging preppie.

...

 

I'm on record as not being a Jay fan,  but if FN is going to impose him on us, can they at least assign him a wardrobe person? Maybe I'm showing my age, but if someone has a TV show I don't want to see them looking like they just rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes to go down to the 7-11. Isn't one schlub who's all over the network (Guy Fieri) enough?

In defense of Jay's clothes, I used to dress exactly the same way when I weighed what he does. Every time I looked in the mirror, I felt like it made my gut look bigger to tuck my shirt in.  There is, of course, absolutely no excuse for the food he served in the first round - it was wise of him to toss it out there during the first round, which never counts in the final judging.

 

As to Alex's finances, I have absolutely no clue but wouldn't a trust fund baby have been in tons of family gatherings? The kinds of people who set up trust funds tend to have bunches of family events involving cousins and what-not out two or three generations.  I'm not saying they're always social people but everyone I've met who has that type of financial situation has also had a large web of family from whom they cannot disconnect.