The Kitchen - General Discussion

[chick binewski]

On 10/30/2021 at 3:03 PM, Koalagirl said:

I noticed on today’s show that Alex wasn’t wearing her engagement ring.  And her hair looked amazing which might be another sign she’s single again !!!  (Don’t most women get a new hairdo after a breakup?)

I was floving Alex's hair. As a brunette with thick hair any time you want to highlight it's an adventure in too-red or calico-head. Kudos to Alex's colorist. 

On 10/30/2021 at 4:17 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

Zakarian actually said something interesting when tasting Katie's eggs.  He said the heat was "behind it."  Then he said it's not a bus, it's a trolley, which was a little weird.  But I appreciated that he was sharing an observation instead of a list. 

I liked that comment and Katie's egg dish looked like something that might get me to eat grains. I keep threatening to purchase Trader Joes' chili crunch - maybe this will be the catalyst. 

[buttersister]

57 minutes ago, chick binewski said:

I keep threatening to purchase Trader Joes' chili crunch - maybe this will be the catalyst. 

Please try to find the Chinese brand, Lao Gan Ma. Asian markets carry it for around $3, but it's also available online. I hear very meh things about TJ's version and TJ is my favorite store.

ETA: I finally saw the ep, or part of it, today. Alex's hair was great! Most of the food? The bowl thing looked okay (chili crisps FTW), I can't remember anything else. LOL. Also, sit down, Jeff.

Edited November 2, 2021 by buttersister

[chick binewski]

5 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Please try to find the Chinese brand, Lao Gan Ma. Asian markets carry it for around $3, but it's also available online. I hear very meh things about TJ's version and TJ is my favorite store.

ETA: I finally saw the ep, or part of it, today. Alex's hair was great! Most of the food? The bowl thing looked okay (chili crisps FTW), I can't remember anything else. LOL. Also, sit down, Jeff.

Thanks for the recommendation! (There is some hit-or miss with TJ's product but I've been riding high on my recent discovery of the aioli garlic mustard.)

[Gramto6]

I buy the S&B Umami Topping Chili Crisp with Garlic from Amazon. That stuff rocks!!

8 minutes ago, chick binewski said:

Thanks for the recommendation! (There is some hit-or miss with TJ's product but I've been riding high on my recent discovery of the aioli garlic mustard.)

I love that mustarde too! Last time I ordered 2 jars but one arrived broken. :(

[annzeepark914]

Today's show was interesting (although I skipped Jeff's preparation of the beef bourg & Alex's special coffee). I'm going to make the big salad (that dressing looked good) and GZ's BLT w/ avocado (I think I made something similar many years ago). 

[buttersister]

Today’s rerun of breakfast all day, Alex, Jeff and Geoffrey in studio. Apparently Geoffrey asked the makeup person to give him Katie’s eyebrow look. And mango makeup. More distracting than Sunny still outside and not grilling.

[annzeepark914]

Has anyone made the dressing for Katie's Big Salad? I just made it to see what it's like & had to toss it out. It calls for one tablespoon of anchovy paste 🙄. Yikes. I'm going to try it again sometime, but maybe use just a tiny bit of anchovy paste (I think it has promise, as they say).

[Mondrianyone]

57 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Katie's Big Salad

Is that the salad Sunny made in the style of Katie? I wasn't paying attention. That's a huge glob of anchovy paste!

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, Mondrianyone said:

Is that the salad Sunny made in the style of Katie? I wasn't paying attention. That's a huge glob of anchovy paste!

Yes. I watched it being made but don't remember hearing a *tablespoon* of anchovy paste being used. 

[Gramto6]

51 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Yes. I watched it being made but don't remember hearing a *tablespoon* of anchovy paste being used. 

When Sunny put in the Anchovy paste it was a big glob, easily a tablespoon which to me is way too much.  I use Anchovy paste frequently and it is just a little dab'll do you type thing.   

[Gramto6]

I did like GZ's soaking the tomatoes in pickle juice before assembling the BLT. I will try that next time I make BLT's.

[annzeepark914]

7 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I did like GZ's soaking the tomatoes in pickle juice before assembling the BLT. I will try that next time I make BLT's.

Which kind of pickle juice--sweet or dill? Never mind...just looked it up. B&B pickle brine which is sort of half sweet & half dill-ish (at least to me). I dislike lettuce on a sandwich but when I make this one, I'll put a little piece on it so it's just like GZ's.

Edited November 9, 2021 by annzeepark914

[WritinMan]

They made some really good-looking dishes today, but they probably shouldn't have started the show drinking. Jeff and Sunny were unusually loud today. GZ seemed a bit off too.

[annzeepark914]

Alex's baked brie looked very good but I'm a bit hesitant re: her chutney. The French onion soup gratin? At first it looked great but then I could feel my arteries clogging up when the cream was poured on it. By the time the crispy topping was added, I was ready for a by-pass! 😯

[Cozytea]

18 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Alex's baked brie looked very good but I'm a bit hesitant re: her chutney. The French onion soup gratin? At first it looked great but then I could feel my arteries clogging up when the cream was poured on it. By the time the crispy topping was added, I was ready for a by-pass! 😯

I would make it without the stuffing topping.  It looked delicious and I could see myself making it for a special dinner, for sure.

All the food looked so good.

[Spunkygal]

Watched a few minutes of this while waiting on a repairman to arrive. I cut a potato recipe out of my local paper years ago and it is my go-to as a side with our Christmas beef tenderloin. So easy and so good—always gets rave reviews. I did not care for the topping they put on their potato dish or the carmelized onions. There were too many onions. I just use my recipe as a loose guideline. Here are the basics and if anyone wants the full recipe, let me know and I’ll send it to you. The pic is too big to post. This one is less time consuming than the one they demonstrated. It’s even better the next day.

Butter your baking dish. In a large bowl, toss sliced potatoes, sliced onion (raw, just one large one), heavy cream, s&p, sprinkle of ground nutmeg. Put half the mixture in your dish, dot with a few pieces of butter and a very light sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Put rest of the mixture in, dot with a few pieces of butter, more Parmesan, and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Bake at 350 for an hour. Let sit for a few minutes before spooning out. Of course you can adjust the quantities for whatever size your dish is. I really don’t follow measurements except for baking. 

[annzeepark914]

@Spunkygal: this sounds delicious. It reminds me of the Swedish dish, Jansson's Temptation. I'd love your recipe 😊

[Spunkygal]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

@Spunkygal: this sounds delicious. It reminds me of the Swedish dish, Jansson's Temptation. I'd love your recipe 😊

Check your PM! 

[buttersister]

Been baking brie since the 70s. Sweet and savory spreads go great with cheese, as hundreds of recipes will show you (looking at you chutney's, moutardes and fig jam), so thanks, Iron Chef LOL. Alex's highlights are very flattering and were the highlight, sts, of her segment. I don't remember what anyone else made.

[chick binewski]

I don't understand Jeff's insistence on referencing "chip dust" even when he has the good sense not to use actual potato chips. The seasoning blend didn't sound bad but I'm hesitant to try a dry brine on turkey (that and I flove Ted Allen's brine & recipe for deconstructed turkey).

I think the potatoes might not be great (I'm also forever attached to a gratin recipe I've been making for years from the Silver Palate Cookbook) but I like the idea of concentrating on the best parts of French onion soup. I'd like to make a knife & fork bruschetta but I have to work on a broth base.

They're showing another new Thanksgiving episode this week.

[Yeah No]

On 11/1/2021 at 8:47 PM, chick binewski said:

I was floving Alex's hair. As a brunette with thick hair any time you want to highlight it's an adventure in too-red or calico-head. Kudos to Alex's colorist. 

Me too as a brunette with thick hair.  I thought her previous hairstyle did her no favors and made her look older.  She looks 10 years younger now and prettier.  Good for her!

On 11/15/2021 at 10:14 PM, chick binewski said:

I think the potatoes might not be great (I'm also forever attached to a gratin recipe I've been making for years from the Silver Palate Cookbook) but I like the idea of concentrating on the best parts of French onion soup. I'd like to make a knife & fork bruschetta but I have to work on a broth base.

I've always defaulted to Jacques Pepin for gratin recipes.  This one had too many onions on it for me.  Maybe cutting them in half might improve it.  

[annzeepark914]

Iron Chef Envy...today it was Sunny taking pot shots at GZ as he was preparing mashed potatoes. This show is very fortunate to have two Iron Chefs-the other three could so easily be replaced.

[chick binewski]

Sunny's turkey looked perfectly cooked and I love any ideas for a salad-type dish for the holidays. I think GZ's potatoes would be great with beef or fish - but I want my potatoes to be lumpy gravy-catchers with my turkey, and I swear I could smell Alex's gravy through the screen. 

I liked today's show very much. They seemed to be sincere at the end and Sunny even teared up referencing her backyard sojourn.

ETA: my only quibble is I'd choose Plugra over Kerrygold all day long.

Edited November 20, 2021 by chick binewski
BUTTER!

[cameron]

Noticed that Alex is still not wearing a ring while everyone else wore theirs and no mention of Michael during their thankful sequence.

Edited November 20, 2021 by cameron

[HyeChaps]

That potato puree sure looked runny.  So much cream!

[Westiepeach]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

Noticed that Alex is still not wearing a ring while everyone else wore theirs and no mention of Michael during their thankful sequence.

Wikipedia still lists them as engaged. I don’t wear any rings when I cook.

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, Westiepeach said:

Wikipedia still lists them as engaged. I don’t wear any rings when I cook.

Right after they got engaged, someone on a show (don’t remember if it was The Kitchen) told Alex that emerald is one of the softer gems and scratches easier than a lot of other gems. She was surprised and did not know that. I guess that she takes off her ring so it doesn’t get all gunky with food and so it doesn’t get scratched. 

[annzeepark914]

What did everyone think of the chess pie? I've had it (while living in NC) & really liked it. But I've never made it. That was funny when Jeff nonchalantly said he decided not to use the whipped cream after poor Alex whisked & whisked & whisked the cream🤓.

[Irlandesa]

10 hours ago, cameron said:

Noticed that Alex is still not wearing a ring while everyone else wore theirs and no mention of Michael during their thankful sequence.

Most spouses weren't mentioned.  Children were.

[buttersister]

Whoever did Katie and Sunny's makeup today also did Jo Lo's at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony--or at least it looked like it. It's daytime in a kitchen, step away from the highlighter and the heavy-duty brow gel. Geoffrey's tanning bed addiction is bad enough.

[cameron]

7 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Most spouses weren't mentioned.  Children were.

Jeff and Katie mentioned their respective spouses by name.

[Cozytea]

19 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Iron Chef Envy...today it was Sunny taking pot shots at GZ as he was preparing mashed potatoes. This show is very fortunate to have two Iron Chefs-the other three could so easily be replaced.

It's funny how people see things differently.  I didn't see pot shots, I saw ott ass kissing lol, maybe I missed something. The way sunny went on and on about the brilliance of warming the serving pan for those potatoes was ridiculous. Especially because GZ has done it before. 

I felt bad for Katie as everyone went on and on about Gz's potatoes. Alex gave the salad a great review  lol.

 

[Cozytea]

16 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

Wikipedia still lists them as engaged. I don’t wear any rings when I cook.

I hate wearing rings when I cook.  I'm not much of a ring person anyway. 

[annzeepark914]

23 hours ago, chick binewski said:

I think GZ's potatoes would be great with beef or fish - but I want my potatoes to be lumpy gravy-catchers with my turkey, and I swear I could smell Alex's gravy through the screen. 

GZ's potatoes looked divine--very smooth (no lumps need apply in my world😾).  And Alex's gravy is something I want to try. I only tried making gravy once in my life--it was lumpy & awful. So I've been using McCormick's packets with added seasonings & wine, and it's pretty decent.

[annzeepark914]

I watched a repeat of a Friendsgiving Day theme (2018 I think). Loved seeing Ted Allen.  He's always impressed me with the way he presents himself--very cool, kind, friendly. I always enjoyed his segment of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (gosh--that was a groundbreaking show!) His cranberry sauce looked very good. I might try it. Someone commented (under the recipe at FN) that she subbed orange juice for the booze which is good to know as I don't like to taste hard liquor in food.

Edited November 22, 2021 by annzeepark914

[HyeChaps]

For years I have been using Williams Sonoma turkey gravy base.  So good!

[Gam2]

Just now watching this Thanksgiving show with GZ’s potatoes and Katie’s green bean salad. Everything looked so good but was Sunny drunk? She would not shut up! GZ just finally ignored her. She even said she could put hot rolls into the preheated pot. Huh? Talk about a suck up.

[Cozytea]

24 minutes ago, Gam2 said:

Just now watching this Thanksgiving show with GZ’s potatoes and Katie’s green bean salad. Everything looked so good but was Sunny drunk? She would not shut up! GZ just finally ignored her. She even said she could put hot rolls into the preheated pot. Huh? Talk about a suck up.

Right. It was very bizarre.  Sunny always is so ott with praise for GZ but it was a bit ridiculous.  He simply put hot water in the pot lol. Sunny rambling about putting rolls is in there was hilarious 😄.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, Gam2 said:

Just now watching this Thanksgiving show with GZ’s potatoes and Katie’s green bean salad. Everything looked so good but was Sunny drunk? She would not shut up! 

And at the end when they were saying what/who they were grateful for, Sunny was OTT emotionally, almost sobbing into her dinner napkin.

[Gam2]

Just now, annzeepark914 said:

And at the end when they were saying what/who they were grateful for, Sunny was OTT emotionally, almost sobbing into her dinner napkin.

I turned it off after the rolls in the pot nonsense so I didn’t see this part. I’m glad I didn’t now.

[StatisticalOutlier]

I liked the ending.  I wouldn't be surprised if Sunny's had a harder time dealing with the past year and a half than the others.  She thanked the production company or whatever for taking people's health seriously.  They all seemed sincere, and it touched me.

On 11/20/2021 at 11:59 PM, buttersister said:

Geoffrey's tanning bed addiction is bad enough.

Speaking of bed, his shirt looked like a pajama top.  I always think shirts like that look odd with a sport coat, but it's probably fashionable.  And Katie Lee with the ruffledy sleeves.  At least they were short enough not to drag in the food, but they still made me nervous.  As I said in a thread about another show, I think my preferred cooking outfit would be a sleeveless catsuit.

[Gramto6]

27 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I liked the ending.  I wouldn't be surprised if Sunny's had a harder time dealing with the past year and a half than the others.  She thanked the production company or whatever for taking people's health seriously.  They all seemed sincere, and it touched me.

 

I too think Sunny has had a hard time with this separation. She must be really immunocompromised to have to have been separated for so long. I'm glad she feels safe now to be back on set (not that I really like her actually, but glad she feels safe now).

[Cozytea]

My tv recorded Thanksgiving live from 2019. The Kitchen crew hosted it that year. I don't really remember it, after Giada acted a fool one year nothing compared.  

Now, watching this omg Sunny is so annoying. She doesn't really bug me too much, she does bug but not as much she she bugs some lol. However in this show she got on my lasr nerve. She would scream and interrupt when it wasn't her segment. It was too much. She  has to make everything about herself .

Edited November 23, 2021 by Cozytea

[StatisticalOutlier]

I'd noticed that Alex's hair suddenly looked really good, but was having trouble remembering what it looked like before.  Well, after Monday's rerun of the current show, they had one from before that (but still spaced out, so not ancient history), and the top of her hair was pulled up in a topknot with the rest hanging down limply.  No wonder I was impressed with the new do.

 

[annzeepark914]

I kept hitting the mute button this morning. Sunny was so loud. Maybe she has a hearing problem--& has no idea how loud her voice is. I was interested in that sour cream, mayo, Dijon & honey sauce for the beef. I've had something like that at steak places & it's so good. I'm wondering if Jeff really liked the devilled egg but didn't want to criticize it on camera. Not sure I want maple in my devilled eggs.

Edited November 27, 2021 by annzeepark914

[MerBearHou]

21 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I kept hitting the mute button this morning. Sunny was so loud. Maybe she has a hearing problem--& has no idea how loud her voice is.

I think Sunny is like the little kid and just talks louder and louder and over others so she’ll get the attention.  She annoys me to no end.

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I'm wondering if Jeff really liked the devilled egg but didn't want to criticize it on camera.

That really made me mad.  He's been clear over the years he just can't handle deviled eggs, and yet Katie harangued him into trying it.  I can't stand tomatoes.  I like all byproducts (except tomato juice), including tomato soup and stewed tomatoes (with enough butter and sugar).  But a raw tomato makes me want to throw up.

People always say, "Well, you've never had a good one."  To which I reply, "You got that right."  So it grated that they were doing to Jeff what people do to me.

And I thought maybe it was a texture thing, but the other day I had some shrimp scampi that was just covered with diced raw tomatoes.  I picked every single one of them off, but there was some liquid residue in the scampi sauce, and I could definitely taste it and I hated it.  So it's NOT a texture thing. 

And I'm not sure it is for Jeff, either, because he singled out the egg whites as objectionable texture, but when Katie mentioned deviled ham, he said it was one of his least favorite foods, and the one thing deviled eggs and deviled ham do not have in common is the egg white.  On the one hand, I have to hand it to him for eating the damn thing because I'm not sure what could make me eat even a piece of raw tomato, but I'm not impressed that he said he didn't hate it.  In fact, I noticed that he said he ate the one, and would he eat another?  And they cut his response.

He hates them.  He shouldn't be forced to eat them.  They never made the pregnant women drink alcohol.

Also, Zakarian did that thing I can't stand with shirts, where he tucks in only about six inches in the front.  Actually, I've never seen a guy do it, but I am SO over women doing it.  Tuck your damn shirt in.  Or don't.  Or wear a different shirt.

[buttersister]

I believe it’s called a French tuck and it looked silly on Geoffrey. Also, speaking of French, it’s already passé.

[WritinMan]

I know today's episode of The Kitchen was from 2018, but....goddamn Justin Warner is creepy.

[Mondrianyone]

1 hour ago, buttersister said:

I believe it’s called a French tuck and it looked silly on Geoffrey. Also, speaking of French, it’s already passé.

GZ is teetering on the very brink of fashion victim.