Cutthroat Kitchen - General Discussion

[caci]

I liked the Christmas episode.  It was just fun.  The winner, though, looked very familiar.  I'm thinking he was in another cooking show, maybe Chopped?  Does anyone know?

[mlp]

The episodes are all running together but............... Was the Christmas episode won by Phillip - said his wife is a pastry chef?  He won GGG and I know he was on Chopped and may have won that also.  He seems like a nice guy.

[jcbrown]

I liked both of the last two chefs in the Christmas episode. Glad the Italian blowhard didn't make it all the way to the last round.

[NikSac]

I'm just finally watching the latest Christmas one, and was so surprised when one of the chefs was from Elk Grove, CA.  It's near me and I grew up taking horseback riding lessons in Elk Grove, plus still have a number of friends out that direction. The chef even looks familiar - I think I've seen him around before. It's fun to have someone "local-ish" to root for.  One of these days I'm thinking a Food Network inspired road trip is in order for hubby and me, but I was surprised Cutthroat Kitchen made it to our lists of places to stop!

[NikSac]

Also, he's cool because I looked him up on Facebook and he replied almost instantly. We'll be checking out his food truck!  Fun stuff.

[Bella]

Chef Kristen in the Dec. 14 show was one of the funniest contestants ever.

[anonymiss]

I liked her and remember her, I think, winning on Chopped. She was amusing and cute in that blueberry costume. She lucked out that she wasn't anyone's target and for the umpteenth time it was a pissing match between the guys.

[Bella]

Yeah, the one guy really didn't take her seriously. I noticed they showed nothing of his walk of shame, which made me think he popped a gasket. Or they edited it out to show something else, but it amuses me to think he was throwing an enormous tantrum.

[Oinky Boinky]

I tried watching this show. There is a marathon on. Gimmicky and do we have to have the tasters lip smacking food noises? I'm out.

[chessiegal]

I was out after 2 episodes, and I only watched because 2 friends said they were going to watch and I wanted to discuss with them. I've never heard them mention it since then. I can't believe how many "seasons" it's lasted. I think this show is crap.

 

Support your local PBS stations. I happily spent the afternoon watching real instructional cooking shows on one of my PBS stations.

[jojomano]

I love it!

[eurekagirl mOo]

Well I'm so far behind I just saw a Superstar Episode from October. It was the one with Anne Burrell and I honest to God had a nightmare about her hair!!! Usually I like her hair-It's fun and I give props to anyone who dyes there hair pink BUT what was with  the Ace Ventura hair??? That was horrible and girlfriend either had a bad facelift or had just had a chemical peel because she looked tight and shiny and scary.

[phoenix780]

I love it!

I've come around to love it, too.  It's totally mindless fun entertainment for me, and what I realized when I was visiting family is that we could sort of leave FN on and it was all pretty safe stuff.  Insipid, not exactly intellectual, but good enough for half-watching.  There's a place for that kind of thing on tv, I think.

[AdorkableWitch]

I have never claimed to have good taste in television, so I am unashamed in the fact I really like this show. It's dumb fun, something my husband and I frequently watch right before bed, since it requires very little "thinking." 

 

I think this season Alton seems to be having a bit more fun. I adored the hashtag hash pan last night. 

[mlp]

 

I've come around to love it, too.  It's totally mindless fun entertainment for me, and what I realized when I was visiting family is that we could sort of leave FN on and it was all pretty safe stuff.

 

I wasn't sure what I thought during the first season because a lot of the challenges felt unfair to the cooks.  After that, I figured aspiring contestants had had the opportunity to see the show and knew what they were getting themselves into so ................. They asked for it.  In fact, they may have taped several "seasons" before the first show aired and what I just said may not have been true.  But it made me feel better.  Now I get a kick out of it except for the stunts that involve making the cooks complete another contestant's dish.  That still feels unfair to me. 

 

As far as watching with family goes, that used to be true of FN but lately they've been airing some commercials about sex with clinical language that make me cringe while watching alone at home.  If my grandchildren were watching with me and then asking pointed questions, I'd be very upset.  I wonder if FN is getting cards and letters as we used to say.

Edited January 12, 2015 by mlp

[AngelKitty]

This is one of those shows I kind of feel guilty for watching and perhaps if Mr. AngelKitty didn't watch it with me I wouldn't, but he does so I watch it for him.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

But really this show is evil, evil I tell you!  But it makes me laugh when people with no sabotages lose.

[DollEyes]

 

But really, this show is evil, evil, I tell you! But it makes me laugh when people with no sabotages lose.

 

  Same here, especially if they're arrogant assholes. By the same token, in the "Cone Ranger" episode, when the chef won without spending any of his money, it not only pissed me off, I hope he gets invited back to do another episode where he gets to compete against other champions only to get eliminated in the first round. IMO he'd be perfect cannon fodder because the other contestants could do what they want to him but he's so cheap he won't do anything about it.

 

 

I feel like they needed one big winner.

 

  Which they already have, as in Eric Greenspan, who won the "Superstar Sabotage"  tournament with (IIRC)  $26,400, which he won for charity.

Edited January 24, 2015 by DollEyes

[phoenix780]

I feel like they needed one big winner.  For awhlie, the prize money was pretty limited. 

 

I also enjoy when people with no sabotages lose.  Or, like tonight, when they sabotage themselves in the pantry by not grabbing the right ingredients.  It's always a fun little twist. 

 

Though I have to say...I do feel like sometimes in the second round they eliminate people based on how much money they have remaining to keep some kind of balance going into the final round.  I can't quantify or prove that in any way.  It just seems like anyone too high/too low has a tougher time getting through to the end.  

[NikSac]

How fun... a chef who's pretty local to me was on Cutthroat Kitchen awhile back and I started following him on Facebook. He's got a pretty popular food truck and the food looks and sounds amazing - haven't had the chance to try it yet (but really, who can fault a cheeseburger where the cheese is a layer of homemade mac and cheese?). He apparently tried out for Food Network Star and just posted today that he didn't make it because "something cooler is in the works."  It's almost like I know a FN celebrity! lol

[radishcake]

Hey guys! I think I'm going to start some episode threads up again. Maybe we can try a live watch for the last episode of season 6? Or the first of season 7?

[Maverick]

 Can we talk about the fact this show has been on a little over a year and is up to season 7?   I think they've beat Chopped in how fast they're running through seasons.

[NikSac]

 Can we talk about the fact this show has been on a little over a year and is up to season 7?   I think they've beat Chopped in how fast they're running through seasons.

 

Holy cow I hadn't even noticed that. Do they record one season per filming month or something?

[radishcake]

I think it's interesting that they don't do any kind of stopping point. Season 6 ends and then Season 7 starts the very next week. I wonder if it's just an issue of doing a specific number of episodes and then it's renewed and they start over.

[NikSac]

Did anyone watch last night's episode with the clams, turkey burgers, and fruit tarts?

 

I felt so bad for the first chef to be sent home, when the guy next to him's clams were so bad the judge had to spit out the food. I know Cutthroat Kitchen's not exactly a serious cooking show, but even so that would be pretty frustrating. I was surprised the chef who was eliminated didn't comment on it more.

 

The turkey "burgers" ugh I felt sorry for her even having to eat those. They looked and sounded awful.

 

I kind of figured the guy with fruit tarts that had no fruit was doomed, but thought he might have a chance when the other guy had to use a butane torch to get his cooked. I was surprised torching them worked out as well as it apparently did.

[mlp]

I didn't understand the judging last night either.  I guess she spit out the one fellow's clams because of sand, not because they tasted bad.  Even so, that seemed like a more grievous sin than not having enough broth.  I liked the chef who came in second best but saw it coming when he had no fruit.  I think I would have used the tomatoes.

 

It's interesting that Valerie Bertinelli has suddenly showed up on two FN shows.  She's very cute and seems to have a nice personality.  I didn't know that she has some cooking credentials.

[NikSac]

Exactly mlp - I was thinking the same about the clams that were too sandy to eat. That had to be worse than not enough broth - unless it was the en papilotte presentation that bothered her and that wasn't completely clear. Still seems like a mouthful of sand would be worse than that. I agree with you on the chef who came in second.  I was wondering why he didn't try using the tomatoes somehow. Maybe too difficult to make them into a sweet dessert, or maybe he was worried about his tart crust getting soggy?  Seemed like it would have been worth a try though.

 

Yeah I thought it was interesting to see Valerie on FN all of a sudden.  It took me a minute to recognize her when she came down the stairs.

[Wishing Well]

I decided to give this show a chance last night and lo and behold the first episode I watched had one of those psychos from The Taste on ther, Chef Sevan. Oy vey...

[NikSac]

Oh is that where Chef Sevan was from WishingWell?  I knew at least two of them looked really familiar and I was trying to figure out why.

 

Sad but true I think my favorite moment last night was when the one chef made this big deal about having to break up and cook her spaghetti squash without any hand tools/knives/etc.,  It looked fairly decent, but then she presented it to the judge as Butternut squash. I think she was the same one who spent her money down to $0, so she wasn't exactly "wowing" me with her intelligence.

[mlp]

Was Sevan the one with the hideous tattoos?  I knew I'd seen that guy before (hard to miss) but I couldn't remember where.  I finally decided Chopped because eventually everyone who cooks anything seems to end up on Chopped.

[Maverick]

 Tattoo guy creeped me out.  And what's up with being snotty about a molten chocolate cake, douchebag.  

 

 I'm kinda over this show.  The sabotages have always been ridiculous, but the chocolate episode had ones that were just outlandishly impossible to overcome (mixing in a sheet of cellophane) or repetitive (holding hands, being shackled together).   

[NikSac]

I'm kinda over this show.  The sabotages have always been ridiculous, but the chocolate episode had ones that were just outlandishly impossible to overcome (mixing in a sheet of cellophane) or repetitive (holding hands, being shackled together).   

 

I'm with you there. Seems like the latest sabotages are all some variation of people being tied together somehow, or having to mix/cook/etc. with no utensils or cooking vessels. I've kind of bounced around with this show. First I thought it was just cruel, then I thought it was kind of funny and figured the chefs knew what they were signing up for, now it seems like even the hosts, producers, or whoever comes up with the sabotages have gotten bored. I think my favorite parts now are the little clips during the commercials where they talk to the judges about the sabotages, and the "after hours" show online where they go more in depth. I'm a sucker so I'll probably watch at least a few more episodes, but I'm getting close to over it too.

[mlp]

I agree.  I don't mind the goofy stunts but I want the chefs to have a fighting chance.  I know they say they test all the stunts and each one is possible to pull off but I wonder if they do them all under the gun.  Watching that woman dig through melted chocolate was disgusting as well as it being too time consuming.  The sabotages that require two people to hold hands or be tied together just make me uncomfortable.  I like my personal space.

[Bella]

The challenges are boring indeed. When I do watch, I often FF through them to the judging. This show is like a low-rent version of Chopped, a show that's got way more than its share of contrivances.

[nottopbravo]

I never watch this show but got dragged into watching, when I saw that Emily (Next Food Network Star) was going to be one of the competing chefs. 

 

Guess what?  She won.

[mlp]

I figured Emily would win as soon as I saw her walk down the stairs.  She sure seemed a lot louder and more aggressive than she did on NFNS.  I hated that the guy she cooked for went home because of a dish she made.  I dislike all the challenges like that.  They seem very unfair.

 

I wonder if CK has some rule that female judges must wear spike heels they don't know how to walk in.  Antonia always wears heels so high she clomps around even when they don't begin to go with the rest of her outfit.  Anne Burrell is probably the last person I ever expected to see in spike heels.  She can't walk in them either. 

[gryphon]

This was my least favourite episode of CK.  I didn't like Emily on NFNS, I found her even more annoying here.  I hated that she messed up that guy's dish---couldn't you use a little common sense? She knew that amount of peppers was going to be super spicy....sigh.   I usually find a contestant to root for in each episode...not so much this time. 

[NikSac]

I hated to see Emily do well because it just makes it even more obvious that the network is going "look, a new character!"

[Bella]

I hated to see Emily do well because it just makes it even more obvious that the network is going "look, a new character!"

 

To go somewhat meta on this, I think they're looking for new "talent." With two of the last three Food Network Star winners being massive failures, they may be taking other routes. "Let's put Emily on CTK and see how she does," etc.

 

Instead, why don't they look at cooking competitions that are actually good, with chefs who have serious credentials, like on Top Chef? But in addition to spoiling their own shows with their promos (which they did at least twice recently on Worst Cooks in America), they seem determined to bring us more characters and fewer serious cooks. 

 

My favorite part of CTK is the judging, because I like the judges. Fewer chefs like Emily and a few more like Antonia would make me less grumpy about this network.

[NikSac]

I barely even remember who won last night's episode, but have to say I was so thrilled to see someone kicked off for that "deconstructed" BS that gets thrown around far too often on the various FN shows, in my opinion. I loved it when the judge flat out laughed when the contestant said it. It seems like it almost always means ran out of time, or my plate's messy so let's call it deconstructed (followed by the ever popular "rustic").  Even funnier, she probably could've made an actual lasagne dish since her sabotages didn't seem that bad.

[jcbrown]

Yeah, the "deconstructed" woman lost me when she talked about how much she hated lasagna. I think it is very difficult to make something well that you do not care for. And lasagna can be delicious, BTW.

[NikSac]

Semi-related note, Jet Tila happened to be on Facebook the other night and I guess he was waiting for a flight or something. He posted "Ask Me Anything!" and answered questions for an hour or so. It was fun seeing what people asked him, and I loved his very good natured replies. He said he's only ever had to actually spit out one thing he tasted on the show, which surprised me. He also said he can rarely tell what the sabotages are other than it's fairly obvious when a contestant doesn't have knives - another surprise. He seems to enjoy the judging and has fun with it. He was super gracious to everyone who replied. I already liked him but this made me like him even more. It sounded like he may have some sort of show of his own in the works with FN - hopefully not a competition show because I think he's got a lot more to offer. I'd watch a show of his for sure.

[Rick Kitchen]

I was watching an episode this Sunday afternoon, no idea when it aired originally, but the first course, they had to cook a steak dinner.  One of the chefs wound up with creamed chipped beef on toast to use as his steak.  He washed off the cream and was shocked to discover that the meat was shreds of meat.  This guy is a professional chef and doesn't know what chipped beef is?

[NikSac]

I was watching an episode this Sunday afternoon, no idea when it aired originally, but the first course, they had to cook a steak dinner.  One of the chefs wound up with creamed chipped beef on toast to use as his steak.  He washed off the cream and was shocked to discover that the meat was shreds of meat.  This guy is a professional chef and doesn't know what chipped beef is?

 

I'm just now watching what seems to be a marathon of episodes too, and saw that one. You're right, how on earth did the guy not know what chipped beef was?  I mean I didn't know until my early 20s and someone suggested to me I should make "SOS" just for fun, but I don't claim to be a chef either. It was early into my cooking attempts and some things I made were great while some were terrible. I can imagine making chipped beef taste acceptable, but I can't even imagine trying to make it into a steak dinner.

[mlp]

 

It sounded like he [Jet Tila] may have some sort of show of his own in the works with FN - hopefully not a competition show because I think he's got a lot more to offer. I'd watch a show of his for sure.

 

He's a great favorite of mine, too.  I'd definitely watch his show if he has one.  I also like Simon Majumdar a lot.  I just got his new book but I haven't even opened it yet.

[niklj]

I figured Emily would win as soon as I saw her walk down the stairs.  She sure seemed a lot louder and more aggressive than she did on NFNS.  I hated that the guy she cooked for went home because of a dish she made.  I dislike all the challenges like that.  They seem very unfair.

 

I just saw this episode--how is that even a sabotage?! That is absolutely ridiculous that he wasn't even getting to be judged on his food. And Emily's constant "RICKY! RICKY! I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU!" stuff was borderline offensive. Ugh couldn't even finish the episode. Terrible.

Edited April 20, 2015 by niklj

[DollEyes]

 I saw the first round of the "Evilicious Tournament"  and the first winner Chef Matthew, aka "Hashtag 'YOLO," has worked my last nerve even more than ever. I'll root for anyone to kick his arrogant, snotty, bratty, scrawny little ass.

[mlp]

 

I saw the first round of the "Evilicious Tournament"  and the first winner Chef Matthew, aka "Hashtag 'YOLO," has worked my last nerve even more than ever. I'll root for anyone to kick his arrogant, snotty, bratty, scrawny little ass.

 

He isn't nearly as cute as he thinks he is.  I was hoping the big guy would toss him in the mine cart and roll him off somewhere.  I wanted Tom to win.

[NikSac]

He isn't nearly as cute as he thinks he is.  I was hoping the big guy would toss him in the mine cart and roll him off somewhere.  I wanted Tom to win.

 

No kidding!  I didn't particularly like any of them, although my favorites were the first two who went home. I can't believe that guy thinks he's oh-so-cute and that "hashtag" everything isn't irritating.

[jcbrown]

Just watched Sunday's entry. I'm not sure why "bring back really annoying contestants" seemed like a good plan. I did like the guy who won this time, at least.

[phoenix780]

I appreciated that Matthew kid in the finale.  He was there but a brief moment, and he called out that annoying guy who calls himself the love chef.  I couldn't finish an episode because of him, the way he speaks.