S13.E13: Back Where It All Started

[racked]

I don't hate Marjorie but she talks out of the bottom of her mouth, it makes it hard for me to look at her when she's talking. She's a good chef but just not super likable to me.

Really none of them are at this point - I like Isaac but he's a little annoying at times. Jeremy is such a dude bro that I can't take him seriously. Missing the class and maturity of Kwame all the more.

Edited March 5, 2016 by racked

[ProudMary]

About Marjorie: There was also an incident with Jeremy in this episode. I don't recall the exact wording but she was motoring through the kitchen and said "Hot. Behind you. MOVE!" to Jeremy and he came back with a retort that implied "bitch." She clearly doesn't play well with others.

[Maysie]

Richness, I think you may be referring to jette's post about the appearance of the unrefined beef stew at the table giving you a giggle? I didn't think about that until I read that post, which I think brings home the point that good food is good food. It doesn't always have to have an architectural element or layers of new flavors exploding on your palate, or other hallmarks of "refinement" to be a wonderful dish.

 

 

That may say more about the grace of her competitors than anything about her.  Not to mention that it really wouldn't be in their best interest to say anything negative about her no matter how she behaved.  I don't know one way or the other, but I wouldn't point to the fact that no one has particularly called her out as evidence that she isn't the way she comes across on TV.

 

Generally, this group has seemed to be pretty professional. I may have missed something because I haven't watched every episode this season, but I can't remember any negativity about other chefs, other than Marjorie's snarky remarks about Isaac (which may be why it's a topic of conversation - it stands out because there is so little complaining about the other contestants from the other contestants). I remember Jason whining about the other chefs early in the season, but it seemed to be coming from a position of him feeling like an outsider and not directed at one particular chef. Occasionally you'll hear the conversations after the elimination, but they haven't seemed to be nasty or snarky. And really, props to them for maintaining that professional attitude. I think it must be hard to live with a group of people you may or may not like in close quarters and then compete against them, all while being away from your home, family, kitchen, comfort zone.

 

When it comes to reality tv, I try to give some benefit of the doubt to the person who comes off negatively because he/she be a victim of a "bad" edit, however I always come back to the feeling that editors can only use what they're given. It's hard to know how Marjorie really feels about Isaac (or why she feels that way), but in my view, there's definitely a difference in the way she feels and talks about him compared to the other chefs. I can't put my finger on whether she dislikes him or it's merely a lack of respect (which is worse, in my opinion). However, it's definitely affected my attitude about Marjorie. When someone talks negatively about someone else, I usually end up feeling more negative about the one doing the actual talking, and it's definitely happened in this case.

[Veruca Assault]

Reminder: if you want to discuss the results of LCK, either go to the LCK thread or use spoiler tags.

[RCharter]

Eric Ripert?

yes please!

[RCharter]

That sounds delicious!   I don't know what creole bread is though.  I haven't met a good loaf of bread I didn't love.  

Creole bread is this amazing bread that is made in Belize.  I can't even describe it.  Its white, but it doesn't taste like any other bread I've ever had.  By itself, its delicious, with guava jam....amazing, with guava jam and Dutch cheese (edam).....phenomenal, with guava jam, dutch cheese and homemade refried beans....out of this world.  If I end up in Belize heaven after I die, I know I'll be greeted by the strains of sweet punta music and creole bread with dutch cheese, guava jam and homemade refried beans.

[Bastet]

Otherwise, it was great seeing Hubert Keller ... Though if I'm honest, the dish he prepared didn't look that appetizing to me ...

 

Same here.  He put down that pot, and I asked my TV, "That's it?"

[In Pog Form]

Something like, "This is a classic dish now."  If it's a classic dish, it's a classic dish, not just now.  Now is a current or fad.

Not really. Things take time to be recognized as classics.

For example, "Sympathy for the Devil" was not a classic rock song when it was released in 1968. But over time, came to be seen as such. Or in food, it's common for dishes from outside cultures to initially be seen as strange an foreign, and then become accepted as classic dishes once they are adopted more widely. Or new techniques (e.g: sous vide, molecular gastronomy) go from novelty to standard practice.

[windfall]

Isaac's talking heads have bugged me for a while now but it was really noticeable this episode. For the most part there's no problem, but every once in a while his energy makes a huge spike and then his voice becomes super loud and he delivers the line with an intense expression. For this episode I know he's just excited about Hubert Keller cooking them dinner, but they played the clip twice and it's really off putting for some reason.

[Wings]

Creole bread is this amazing bread that is made in Belize.  I can't even describe it.  Its white, but it doesn't taste like any other bread I've ever had.  By itself, its delicious, with guava jam....amazing, with guava jam and Dutch cheese (edam).....phenomenal, with guava jam, dutch cheese and homemade refried beans....out of this world.  If I end up in Belize heaven after I die, I know I'll be greeted by the strains of sweet punta music and creole bread with dutch cheese, guava jam and homemade refried beans.

 

 

Here is a recipe.  I am going to make this, sounds delicious.  Now off to amazon to find guava jam.  I have to have this now.  

 

ETA.  The link!

http://www.food.com/recipe/creole-bread-373033

Edited March 5, 2016 by wings707

[RCharter]

Here is a recipe.  I am going to make this, sounds delicious.  Now off to amazon to find guava jam.  I have to have this now.  

I'm so excited for you!  And jealous!  You can find Edam (Dutch cheese) at Vons, or whoever their parent company is.  Its not exactly like belizean cheese, but its close enough.  Hard to find good guava jam (I've never found a good store brand).

[Wings]

I'm so excited for you!  And jealous!  You can find Edam (Dutch cheese) at Vons, or whoever their parent company is.  Its not exactly like belizean cheese, but its close enough.  Hard to find good guava jam (I've never found a good store brand).

 

 

It is easy to find Edam, I buy it from time to time and amazon has many choices of guava jam.  I bought one made in Hawaii; it had good reviews. 

[RCharter]

It is easy to find Edam, I buy it from time to time and amazon has many choices of guava jam.  I bought one made in Hawaii; it had good reviews. 

You're right.  I think my problem was that I always knew it as "Belize Dutch Cheese" not Edam.  But once the light went off and I went to Google....eyes were opened.  I guess it depends on what you like in a guava jam.  I like mine super sweet, but with a little tang to it.  Very heavy with guava flavor.  I never thought to try Amazon.  Thanks for the tip!

[innocuouspuff]

FWIW, I once did a food appreciation evening at Via Matta with chef Michael Schlow. We got a dish of seafood and pasta and he explained that Italians never, ever pair fish and cheese. I don't know if there are exceptions to the rule.

I once had a conversation with an Italian dude giving me the "real Italians never" speech, where I had to reply, yeah I've actually had that dish at a restaurant in your hometown. A lot of times people are talking about tradition and what their grandmothers would never do, which is a bit of a different question from what might have happened gastronomically in the last 100 years or be popular right now in 2016.

To be fancy I did the search for "gamberetti e burrata" and it did turn up a bunch of stuff. Looks interesting.

The entertaining thing about Marjorie's disdain for Isaac is how enthusiastic he is about her skills in return. It's like one of those cartoons where the grumpy talking animal has a sidekick that won't stop jumping up and down and being excited about everything. And everytime they get punched in the arm, they just come right back.

Edited March 5, 2016 by innocuouspuff

[Wings]

The simple reason why seafood and cheese are not paired is because of taste.  Seafood is very delicate in flavor and even the mildest cheese will cover the flavor of the fish.  

[FormerMod-a1]

^ That's the reason that's often given, but it just doesn't hold true 100% of the time.  Yeah, I wouldn't put a sharp cheddar with a scallop or cod, but there are things that work.  And what Carl did was from a specific region that does exactly what he did (I forget where he said).  It's not like he pulled it out of his ass.  There are more recipes than lobster mac & cheese and grilled cheese and lobster that mix both.  For a simple example, grilled shrimp with some grated parm is wonderful, imo.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

I once had a conversation with an Italian dude giving me the "real Italians never" speech, where I had to reply, yeah I've actually had that dish at a restaurant in your hometown. A lot of times people are talking about tradition and what their grandmothers would never do, which is a bit of a different question from what might have happened gastronomically in the last 100 years or be popular right now in 2016.

 

I used to have a client who was an Italian priest/missionary who spent most of his time in refugee camps feeding the starving.  We took him to lunch at the new trendy/refined Italian place.  The waiter was exhausting with his faux accent on certain items and explaining the authentic Italian food.  I ended up having giggle fits.

 

The Father didn't complain about anything....the waiter didn't understand the complete irony.  I always think of it when foodies start waxing about never or authentic or whatever.

[mediawhore]

Torchons on Top Chef:

Michael Volt made a perfect torchon in the S6 finale Part I. The only thing the judges complained about was that there wasn't enough of the torchon in the dish. Instead of one slice they thought two or three would have been better. The guy with the beard in the Alaska season made a torchon and got booted for it, as did the short guy from last season. Same mistake as Carl - you simply can't make a torchon in a few hours.

Without any apology to the Marjorie fans, that woman is a fucking bitch. She's emotionally immature (the punching, the low self esteem/nerves/fears) and she's rude and disrespectful to Isaac. I don't care if Isaac spent his 10 years with Emeril washing dishes - he has a more professional attitude than Marjorie has shown this entire competition. There is simply no excuse for her constant harping about Isaac. The Seattle/Alaska season had the chef from Hawaii who worked his way up from dishwasher to cook to chef and not a single chef in the season said a bad word about him. No comments about his lack of refinement or limited knowledge of classic techniques. And the Hawaiian chef made it to the finals. So fuck off Marjorie. You might want to learn how to be more like George Paganos and less like Mike Isabella.

As for Jenn Carrol, her biggest problem (aside from having a father who told her repeatedly as a child that second place is the first loser) was her drinking. She drank too much during S6, she was obviously drunk during the All Stars reunion and her unprofessional behavior on All Stars led to Eric Ripert firing her. FIRING her as the chef at Four Arts in Philly. Because in the really real world, the best chefs simply do not tolerate unprofessional behavior when a chef representing them goes off the deep end. But as Marjorie works for Mike Isabella her job is obviously not on the line because he's a bigger douche than she is.

The whole Toast thing sent me over the edge. So unbearably twee. I refuse to discuss toast seriously. That sucked for Amar. Hope he makes it back in thru LCK. And ITA that Padma and Tom need to be replace. Tom has gotten way too full of himself and Padma is just obnoxious as hell.

I don't have any big problems with Jeremy. Yeah, he makes some idiotic comments but he usually backs it up with his food. Loved his painful awareness that he went on about "hot chicks" and Padma gave him the death glare.

At this point, I'm fine with anybody winner - just as long as it's not Marjorie.

Edited March 5, 2016 by mediawhore

[briochetwist]

I think I'm completely alone in this, but I don't really see Marjorie's disdain for Isaac.  Honestly, not seeing it. I think maybe she doesn't have great social skills, that's it. 

[Happytobehere]

I'm not thrilled with the final three, but at least I actually like Isaac. Unfortunately, I don't think his skill level is quite there yet, as his Ballantine showed. At this point, I think Jeremy has the best chance of winning. The only unknown is the LCK winner and the role he/she will play in what goes down.

Not much else to say, as everyone else has covered it.

[Wings]

I think I'm completely alone in this, but I don't really see Marjorie's disdain for Isaac.  Honestly, not seeing it. I think maybe she doesn't have great social skills, that's it. 

 

No, you are not alone.  I don't see it either and posted this here yesterday.  There are others, as well. 

[Calamity Jane]

No, you are not alone.  I don't see it either and posted this here yesterday.  There are others, as well. 

Especially when I think of how other contestants have behaved - Mike Isabella, for one - and talked about and to their competitors, I find Marjorie's little disses and "shut up"s really, really mild.  It is to the credit of all this season's cast that these little issues are the biggest things to talk about.  Isabella was so incredibly offensive to and about women chefs, especially one, that I cringed every time he spoke.  Those awful women on the Texas season - they were appalling.  This season, even the silly Phillip was just kind of full of himself and a bit delusional, but he was never rude, dismissive, verbally abusive, or undercutting to anyone.  A very classy group.  

[briochetwist]

No, you are not alone.  I don't see it either and posted this here yesterday.  There are others, as well. 

Sorry, I do recall seeing a few other posts about it as well. My social skills aren't awesome either....

[Maysie]

Re seafood and cheese: I grew up with crab au gratin and Isaac has an exquisite seafood fondue on his menu. The fondue wasn't quite what we expected (we thought melted cheese in a pot), but it was a large ramekin - like 6 or 8 inches - with gruyere and plenty of crab. I don't typically think of something like fish-fish with cheese (unless you're talking about a tuna melt, but that's a different story), but shellfish seems to lend itself to some cheesing up in the right circumstances. And I recently made some crawfish nachos that were chock full o cheese that were awesome!

[jackjill89]

There is a big difference between bad social skills and being rude. My son is on the spectrum and doesn't have stellar social skills, but he has good manners and knows how to treat people. He just won't look you in the eye while doing it. Rude is rude. This, in my book, goes along the same path as people who think it's OK to "be real" and tear people apart. Common decency is in such decline these days and there is no better way to feature the rudeness of humanity than to watch a reality TV show. 

 

That being said, this group is WAY better than some in the past, and Marjorie is no Mike Isabella. I wonder what it is like for her to work for such a misogynistic douche? 

 

...and I didn't think shrimp parm was really a dish. It's something the mom always serves on The Goldbergs. I thought it was some bad 80s culinary monstrosity. 

Edited March 5, 2016 by jackjill89

[bitchin camaro]

I'd lose it with the punching. I don't like people touching me at all, even in a joking manner, so maybe that's on me, but it still seems like an overstepping of bounds.

 

Re seafood and cheese: I grew up with crab au gratin and Isaac has an exquisite seafood fondue on his menu. The fondue wasn't quite what we expected (we thought melted cheese in a pot), but it was a large ramekin - like 6 or 8 inches - with gruyere and plenty of crab. I don't typically think of something like fish-fish with cheese (unless you're talking about a tuna melt, but that's a different story), but shellfish seems to lend itself to some cheesing up in the right circumstances. And I recently made some crawfish nachos that were chock full o cheese that were awesome!

 

I grew up with a mother who hates seafood (like to the point where she can't help but make weird faces if you order it at a restaurant in front of her - she tries to hide it but can't quite manage to). Somehow, she loved this creation her mother used to make called tuna stew - basically canned tuna boiled in milk with butter, salt, and pepper. Even though I love fish, I could not stomach that dish and it has clouded my ability to ever eat fish and anything dairy. I don't like chicken with cheese either, though, so maybe I'm just weird.

Actually, now that I think about it, that "dish" might be why I don't care for butter either. The way it congealed on top of the stew gave me the willies.

Edited March 6, 2016 by bitchin camaro

[Cheerwyn]

At first I was really surprised and annoyed that TOAST! was the basis for an elimination.   And by the time a food trend hits something like Top Chef, it really has jumped the shark.

 

But in this case, the toast really was just the vehicle for the main components of the dish.  Carl failed not because he put  fish and cheese on toast, but because he combined fish and cheese.  He might have lost had the challenge been to create a pasta dish or  the perfect amuse bouche, if he still used that fish cheese combination.

[FormerMod-a1]

...and I didn't think shrimp parm was really a dish. It's something the mom always serves on The Goldbergs. I thought it was some bad 80s culinary monstrosity. 

 

I don't know what's on the Goldbergs, but what I'm talking about is taking some good grilled shrimp - lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and maybe some olive oil.  When done cooking, put them on your plate and sprinkle some grated parm over them.  It's really good.   (i.e It's not a dish like veal parmesan where it's breaded, drenched in sauce and cheese and served with pasta. )

[SoTheresThat]

Maysie, on 05 Mar 2016 - 5:50 PM, said:Maysie, on 05 Mar 2016 - 5:50 PM, said:

Re seafood and cheese: I grew up with crab au gratin and Isaac has an exquisite seafood fondue on his menu. The fondue wasn't quite what we expected (we thought melted cheese in a pot), but it was a large ramekin - like 6 or 8 inches - with gruyere and plenty of crab. I don't typically think of something like fish-fish with cheese (unless you're talking about a tuna melt, but that's a different story), but shellfish seems to lend itself to some cheesing up in the right circumstances. And I recently made some crawfish nachos that were chock full o cheese that were awesome!

 

Crabmeat au gratin is from heaven.  The best version I've ever had is from a Creole-Italian restaurant.

 

That fondue at Toups Meatery is amazing. 

 

One of my favorite go to party foods is crawfish queso.  Made with Velveeta. 

Edited March 6, 2016 by SugareeMagnolia

[larapu2000]

I can't believe not many people have really experienced the "toast" trend.  My sister lives in London and they are obsessed with toast anyway, so perhaps my visits there have blinded me...at any rate, avocado with pomegranate seeds is my drug of choice when it comes to toast.  It's really quite magnificent for breakfast.  You feel super fancy leaving the house after a meal like that...

 

This episode gave me all the feels.  The best meal I've ever had in my life was in 2012 at Fleur De Lys-I had the most amazing braised beef cheek there and some really beautiful wine accompaniments.  And to top it all off, we ended our meal with a fantastic dessert, only to be brought an ADDITIONAL tray of sweets "from the chef."  As we were waiting for our taxi, Hubert came into the main waiting area and of course, we jumped at our chance to thank him for such an incredible meal and tell him all about our love for him.  He laughed when I told him about my favorite recipe I'd tried of his from his PBS show and he graciously said that I must be "quite the cook" to attempt that dish.  Obviously, that is the greatest compliment of my entire life.  I loved the dish he served to our Top Cheffers, it's the dish that (I believe) he cooked for TCM, which was based on the fact that his family owned a bakery and people would bring these delicious stews to the bakery and they would add the bread top and cook it for their customers.  It always sounded so delicious to me!  Chris Cosentino's near tearful interview set the scene so appropriately-it was definitely a night of reverence, both for the restaurant and the humble beginnings of Top Chef.  Harold cracking about finding the wine cellar where he gave his interview following the quick fire was hilarious.

 

I don't mind Isaac's rustic approach, in fact, I usually prefer that type of approach to overly tweezed and perfected presentations, but in this setting, a little more attention to fine tuning the art of rustic presentation in an elegant manner would have been more appropriate.  I think all but Jeremy overthought and overreached in this challenge as a result of the overwhelming emotion that is involved in such an occasion.  Really, it would have been better to have them do this several weeks before the closing, so they were aware of the importance of the occasion, but not overwhelmed with the significance.

Edited March 6, 2016 by larapu2000

[RCharter]

I'd lose it with the punching. I don't like people touching me at all, even in a joking manner, so maybe that's on me, but it still seems like an overstepping of bounds.

 

 

I grew up with a mother who hates seafood (like to the point where she can't help but make weird faces if you order it at a restaurant in front of her - she tries to hide it but can't quite manage to). Somehow, she loved this creation her mother used to make called tuna stew - basically canned tuna boiled in milk with butter, salt, and pepper. Even though I love fish, I could not stomach that dish and it has clouded my ability to ever eat fish and anything dairy. I don't like chicken with cheese either, though, so maybe I'm just weird.

Actually, now that I think about it, that "dish" might be why I don't care for butter either. The way it congealed on top of the stew gave me the willies.

Now that I think of it I ADORED Tuna Helper back in the day.  And would eat it now if I didn't realize it was terrible for me (and I think I could be somewhat lactose intolerant).  Tuna helper had a cheesy flavor that was one of my favorites.  It sort of reminds me of the "refined" version of what your grandmother made.  The dehydrated "sauce" pack was cheese, I think you had to add milk and maybe some butter.  So it was very fish/diary.  

larapu2000 - what an amazing story!  Lucky girl!/guy!?

Edited March 6, 2016 by RCharter

[larapu2000]

larapu2000 - what an amazing story!  Lucky girl!/guy!?

 

Girl, and YES.  My mother adores Hubert and wouldn't speak to me or my sister for several days because she was so jealous!  Also, FYI, I'm still haunted by that beef cheek.  No restaurant has gotten it so perfectly right since then.  (I love weird meat).

[RCharter]

Girl, and YES.  My mother adores Hubert and wouldn't speak to me or my sister for several days because she was so jealous!  Also, FYI, I'm still haunted by that beef cheek.  No restaurant has gotten it so perfectly right since then.  (I love weird meat).

I can imagine.  I've only seen him on TV, and he seems very, very charming, I can't imagine what it was like to meet him in person and get a fabulous meal.  What a wonderful experience.  I know no one else was impressed by what he served, but I thought it looked delicious....even though it had carrots...which I hate.  Your poor mom!

[snarktini]

I thought it looked delicious....even though it had carrots...which I hate.  

 

 

I just had a flashback to my 30th birthday... I hosted a fancy dinner party and cooked boeuf bourgignon. Most plates were empty, but a few came back with one vegetable left on each -- one person picked out all the carrots, another mushrooms, and one the onions. To this day I have no idea which friend hated carrots.

 

Huber Keller can cook for me anytime.

[RCharter]

I just had a flashback to my 30th birthday... I hosted a fancy dinner party and cooked boeuf bourgignon. Most plates were empty, but a few came back with one vegetable left on each -- one person picked out all the carrots, another mushrooms, and one the onions. To this day I have no idea which friend hated carrots.

 

Huber Keller can cook for me anytime.

LMAO -- I've never had boeuf bourgignon, or else I would have guessed that I somehow coincidentally was at that party, because that is EXACTLY the sort of thing I do.  Perhaps it was an evil twin situation..... :)

[Babalu]

Count me among those in love with Hubert Keller. And I learned that I've been pronouncing Fleur de Lys incorrectly my whole life - I didn't know the "s" wasn't silent.

[Maysie]

bitchin camaro, that tuna stew sounds like some straight up food trauma.

[StrictTime]

 

However, if I was on the receiving end of one of her punches, I think I'd grab her hand and said "do not do that again!" or I'd give it back.

 

I'd look her dead in the eye, on camera, and say, "Cut that shit out, asshole!" Just to see her eyes fill with tears and try to make excuses for her asshole behavior.

[Wings]

Sorry, I do recall seeing a few other posts about it as well. My social skills aren't awesome either....

 

 

No need to apologize.  I was not reprimanding you for not reading all the posts!  I sounded like that though.  

[islandgirl17]

 

I think I'm completely alone in this, but I don't really see Marjorie's disdain for Isaac.  Honestly, not seeing it. I think maybe she doesn't have great social skills, that's it.

Come on and get in this boat with me. Now I am actually looking for it and don't really see it. And Isaac seems like he would not put up with someone being an asshole to him for long. Be interesting to see what they say about each other after the show. 

[Maysie]

 

Come on and get in this boat with me. Now I am actually looking for it and don't really see it. And Isaac seems like he would not put up with someone being an asshole to him for long. Be interesting to see what they say about each other after the show.

 

One of the local papers does a follow up interview with Isaac every week. A couple of weeks ago the interviewer asked Isaac about Marjorie's continuing criticism and whether the two of them got along while they were filming (so it seems other people are getting the vibe, too). Isaac responded that he hadn't noticed the trash talking until the episodes aired and that during the filming they were "very civil," "hung out" and were "always good natured." It didn't seem to bother him because he said expected some trash talk. I don't know if there are any similar interviews with Marjorie since the episodes have aired. It'd be interesting to hear her take on it.

[biakbiak]

One thing I forgot to mention is I am glad this episode also showed Chantal. As someone who lived two blocks away from FdL and went their frequently the service was as on point as the food and a lot of that was because of Chantal.

[RCharter]

Come on and get in this boat with me. Now I am actually looking for it and don't really see it. And Isaac seems like he would not put up with someone being an asshole to him for long. Be interesting to see what they say about each other after the show. 

 

 

One of the local papers does a follow up interview with Isaac every week. A couple of weeks ago the interviewer asked Isaac about Marjorie's continuing criticism and whether the two of them got along while they were filming (so it seems other people are getting the vibe, too). Isaac responded that he hadn't noticed the trash talking until the episodes aired and that during the filming they were "very civil," "hung out" and were "always good natured." It didn't seem to bother him because he said expected some trash talk. I don't know if there are any similar interviews with Marjorie since the episodes have aired. It'd be interesting to hear her take on it.

 

While I wouldn't call Issac a liar, I do think it would be foolish of him to give negative interviews regarding Marjorie's behavior.  If she is judged negatively, she has done the damage, and there is no need for him to sully his name by feeding into it.  And for my money, I think Issac is exactly the sort of person who would just let it slide, no matter how he felt.  And, good for him, I think the fact that he refused to return her rude and dismissive behavior only makes him look better, and makes her look worse.  I think any one of the chefs should realize that it does their image no good to get into it with other contestants.    

[snarktini]

Count me among those in love with Hubert Keller. And I learned that I've been pronouncing Fleur de Lys incorrectly my whole life - I didn't know the "s" wasn't silent.

 

Me neither. And I studied French for 8 years, and minored in it in college! 

 

I did a little digging. I hate to say anything too definitively because language is tricky, but this is an exception to typical rules -- usually an is ending is an ee sound. Even among native speakers, there appear to be a lot of mixed opinions, though. Apparently old French pronounced more of the silent letters, so this is an earlier pronunciation of the word that is formally correct but not everyone is aware of. Possibly this particular world held onto its old pronunciation because it's a homonym of lit (bed). That sounds a little like a myth, but it's an explanation. The Lys spelling is also an older version (v. Lis) so that may be what signals the s is to be pronounced.

Edited March 7, 2016 by snarktini

[briochetwist]

No need to apologize.  I was not reprimanding you for not reading all the posts!  I sounded like that though.  

No worries.  If you were here, I'd give you a punch in the arm to let you know it's ok.  Just call me Marjorie....  :)

[Empress1]

I'd lose it with the punching. I don't like people touching me at all, even in a joking manner, so maybe that's on me, but it still seems like an overstepping of bounds.

I'm ok with being touched but not in ways that are too familiar, and Marjorie's punches are the latter. I don't like that the hug has replaced the handshake with some people. At my old job, we worked with an ad agency and at our first meeting, I reached out to shake our account exec's hand. She went for a hug and said "I'm a hugger!" I stepped back and shook her hand and said "I'm not." My boss did the same thing. I hug my friends, but this was a professional setting and I was just meeting her. I didn't think a hug was appropriate.

Marjorie's punches strike me as similar, and also more annoying. I totally buy that it's a nerves thing but I also think she thinks it's cute, and IMO it ain't. Keep your hands to yourself.

[MerBearHou]

Same here on the Fleur de Lys pronunciation! I heard the S from Hubert and thought the same -- it's been silent to me all along. But then I heard Tom's pronunciation where he did NOT say the S so I think it's a French thing. Best to follow Hubert on this one...

Edited to thank snarktini for the brief French lesson--I learned something tonight! :)

Edited March 7, 2016 by MerBearHou

[ProudMary]

While I wouldn't call Issac a liar, I do think it would be foolish of him to give negative interviews regarding Marjorie's behavior.  If she is judged negatively, she has done the damage, and there is no need for him to sully his name by feeding into it.  And for my money, I think Issac is exactly the sort of person who would just let it slide, no matter how he felt.  And, good for him, I think the fact that he refused to return her rude and dismissive behavior only makes him look better, and makes her look worse.  I think any one of the chefs should realize that it does their image no good to get into it with other contestants.    

Not to mention that the smart chefs would know from the onset that there's a good sized dollar amount (10K, I believe) riding on "Fan Favorite" which Isaac seems to have just about wrapped up.   

[briochetwist]

Not to mention that the smart chefs would know from the onset that there's a good sized dollar amount (10K, I believe) riding on "Fan Favorite" which Isaac seems to have just about wrapped up.   

Not to be argumentative here, but wasn't it Isaac and his wife who were referring to the Californians as 'douchey' or something earlier? 

[snarktini]

Not to be argumentative here, but wasn't it Isaac and his wife who were referring to the Californians as 'douchey' or something earlier? 

 

True! But I'm not sure calling Californians douchey works against him in a popularity contest. (And I think it was the LA accent, specifically.) Snarking on CA seems to be a national sport. ;)

 

(Speaking as a long-time CA resident. Proud to be a left coaster, and one of the fruits and nuts!)