Comeback Kitchen

[candall]

13 minutes ago, wings707 said:

She does all kinds of seafood, it is not all lobster bake fare, not at all.  

Hey, I'm totally rooting for her, but her show offer was "My New England," her Wikipedia says "New England-style seafood" and her Twitter feed is full of #NewEngland.

I'm just saying that 'fresh seafood' is available now in places where it never was before, so that might have a broader appeal, be a strong concept for an on-trend cooking show and improve her chances for winning versus a show with a regional aspect in the title.

People spotting a whole fresh halibut at Kroger are more likely to think, "I'm going to check with the seafood lady about this" than "I wonder how they fix their halibut in New England?"

[Wings]

Yes!  I agree and she may be willing to play that part.  That may even be on her agenda if she cannot get a show, be a character. 

[Wings]

10 minutes ago, candall said:

Hey, I'm totally rooting for her, but her show offer was "My New England," her Wikipedia says "New England-style seafood" and her Twitter feed is full of #NewEngland.

I'm just saying that 'fresh seafood' is available now in places where it never was before, so that might have a broader appeal, be a strong concept for an on-trend cooking show and improve her chances for winning versus a show with a regional aspect in the title.

People spotting a whole fresh halibut at Kroger are more likely to think, "I'm going to check with the seafood lady about this" than "I wonder how they fix their halibut in New England?"

She does focus on cold water seafood of the north Atlantic but a lot of that is readily available.  Flounder, Cod, Haddock, clams, shrimp, oysters, scallops.  I meant she does them different ways other than that typical clam/lobster bake style.  

[NikSac]

Since she was mentioned earlier in this thread, thought I'd mention Rue was on Cutthroat Kitchen last night.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Has anyone here ever seen the 1975 movie "Smile" about a teen beauty pageant?  Michael Ritchie, Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon and also the first (or close to it) film appearances by teenagers Melanie Griffith and Annette O'Toole?

It's one of my all-time favorite movies ... anyway, Martita reminded me in her first season and even moreso now of one of the characters, Maria (Miss Teenage Salinas), who goes absolutely over-the-top with her fiery! Latina! style! who is SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN NOW but brings judges vats of her homemade guacamole, but completely losing her accent when she's not onstage.  One of the best characters in the movie and totally MarTEEEETah.

[spiderpig]

1 hour ago, NikSac said:

Since she was mentioned earlier in this thread, thought I'd mention Rue was on Cutthroat Kitchen last night.

I knew I'd seen her before!

[Snarklepuss]

Penny trying to run in those stilettos was like watching nails on a blackboard.  She was never particularly attractive but in the years since her season she seems to have put on pounds in her lower region.  She's looking pretty rough.  I have recently seen her advertised on at least one other reality show on another channel.

I remember posting on another board when I was annoyed about MarTEEta's on again/off again accent during her first season on FNS.  The more I see of her the more that all comes back to me and leaves me less interested in her.  Usually people with real accents can't just turn them on and off so easy.

[J-Man]

Quote

Spanx, Penny.  Your full figure is a bit rippled and jiggly.  Not a good look for TV, especially.

Penny can't wear Spanx because they're not Middle Eastern!

[spiderpig]

47 minutes ago, J-Man said:

Penny can't wear Spanx because they're not Middle Eastern!

Now you've done it.  Next thing you know we'll have Penny hawking Middle Eastern undergarments on overnight infomercials.

[jumper sage]

5 hours ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

Has anyone here ever seen the 1975 movie "Smile" about a teen beauty pageant?  Michael Ritchie, Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon and also the first (or close to it) film appearances by teenagers Melanie Griffith and Annette O'Toole?

It's one of my all-time favorite movies ... anyway, Martita reminded me in her first season and even moreso now of one of the characters, Maria (Miss Teenage Salinas), who goes absolutely over-the-top with her fiery! Latina! style! who is SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN NOW but brings judges vats of her homemade guacamole, but completely losing her accent when she's not onstage.  One of the best characters in the movie and totally MarTEEEETah.

(nods head vigorously) Love the movie and great comparison.

I hate Matthew.  Does he not think that just being an ugly person can not get you a job.  Who wants to work with him?

[NikSac]

3 hours ago, spiderpig said:

I knew I'd seen her before!

Yep! I loved her accent the first time and it caught my attention immediately on Cutthroat. She's one I always thought could do better on Food Network Star if she had some coaching and guidance. She just really needed better focus, I think (if I remember right, it's been awhile).

[spiderpig]

2 minutes ago, NikSac said:

Yep! I loved her accent the first time and it caught my attention immediately on Cutthroat. She's one I always thought could do better on Food Network Star if she had some coaching and guidance. She just really needed better focus, I think (if I remember right, it's been awhile).

Yes, NikSac - I'd watch Rue on a FN show for both her cooking and beautiful speech pattern.  (Yet we get Matthew & Penny as options? Must be the drama.)

[ladytenor]

I would have liked to have seen them bring back Luca, he was really robbed by Creepy Cowboy Lenny. Better him than Penny or Matthew. FN seems to be obsessed with Penny..she has been on Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen (one of my favorite moments was her taunting the others about her sauce, then promptly starting her blender without the lid, spraying it everywhere, then knocking the rest into the trash trying to grab the blender jar. She was then dinged for not having much sauce on her dish)...and she was even a mystery chef on Food Fighters on NBC.

[spiderpig]

4 minutes ago, ladytenor said:

I would have liked to have seen them bring back Luca, he was really robbed by Creepy Cowboy Lenny. Better him than Penny or Matthew. FN seems to be obsessed with Penny..she has been on Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen (one of my favorite moments was her taunting the others about her sauce, then promptly starting her blender without the lid, spraying it everywhere, then knocking the rest into the trash trying to grab the blender jar. She was then dinged for not having much sauce on her dish)...and she was even a mystery chef on Food Fighters on NBC.

That blender moment was epic!

[cooksdelight]

When Penny was making her exit, pointing to herself and asking "Who wouldn't want this? Look at this!!" I almost fell out of my chair.  The woman is totally unaware of how she comes across onscreen.

At this point, none of them are giving me anything I want to watch. 

[MajorWoody]

Apparently nobody wanted "this" from Penny and her delusional self. Is there anybody at all that thinks she is sexy in any way at all? She is a one note cook, quick to deflect blame, and looks like 10 lbs of taters in a 5 lb sack with those too tight outfits she wears. Not to mention, the heels in the kitchen reeks of stupidity.

Hopefully next week is Matthews turn to take the long walk out. This moron continually insults anyone older than 30, which in my opinion is a major demographic on FN. He comes across as more of a Jr HS know it all who really doesn't know anything at all. His snarky college bro act appeals to other asshats, but not the people who actually watch FN and spend money on products that FN would advertise. Well, maybe with the exception of Taco Bell, which I never understood how they became a major advertizer on FN. If you haven't already done so, watch Tylers face in the background when douchenozzle Matt is speaking, his expressions are priceless. 

Michelle is probably the most likely to make the finals, and other than her sloppy attire, she comes across as a genuinely nice person and a good chef.

MarTEETa is a decent Mexican chef, but I just can't get over her phony on and off over the top accent, and her stories seem just as fake as her accent.

Chris seems personable enough, but not competent enough to be a TV host or high end chef.

As many of my esteemed fellow posters have noted, with so many quality contestants available from past seasons, why did they pick this group of losers?

[xaxat]

Dom has been so bad I think the only reason they are keeping him around is for another redemption edit.

That really annoys me.

Edited May 17, 2016 by xaxat

[MajorWoody]

I agree regarding Dom. The guy has had how many episodes now, not to mention time in between seasons, and still has the same issues he had way back when he started. 

Some people aren't cut out for TV work. He is a perfect example of that. 

[spiderpig]

OK, Team PreviouslyTV - it's time to heed the clarion call, march as one to FN headquarters, and install ourselves as the new Board of Directors to save the network.  We know what works.

And we'll all get to sit at the you-know-what Table of Doom when we convene.

[backformore]

2 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

When Penny was making her exit, pointing to herself and asking "Who wouldn't want this? Look at this!!" I almost fell out of my chair.  The woman is totally unaware of how she comes across onscreen.

At this point, none of them are giving me anything I want to watch. 

Yes, In her mind she is the Middle Eastern Sophia Vergara.

In reality, Penny is a very average looking middle aged woman in a tight dress and high heels.  And a nasty personality.

[spiderpig]

3 minutes ago, backformore said:

Yes, In her mind she is the Middle Eastern Sophia Vergara.

In reality, Penny is a very average looking middle aged woman in a tight dress and high heels.  And a nasty personality.

Agreed.  How long before she turns up on Hell's Kitchen?

[Lamb18]

What I find refreshing about Tyler and Valerie is they don't care about the personal story stuff. I feel a little for Martita who is obviously following the mandatory personal story party line from her season and is now getting dinged instead of praised for it. I do enjoy Tyler's personal expressions. No special snowflakes for him!

[spiderpig]

3 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

What I find refreshing about Tyler and Valerie is they don't care about the personal story stuff. I feel a little for Martita who is obviously following the mandatory personal story party line from her season and is now getting dinged instead of praised for it. I do enjoy Tyler's personal expressions. No special snowflakes for him!

Well stated.  There's a difference between "grandma used to cook this way because food was rationed in WWII" and "I was 5 years old, and my father left our mother with 13 kids, and we had to make a family meal out of one potato.  Now we'll add some saffron."

[OoogleEyes]

These peopleare all annoying. I wouldn't watch any of them, except for Michelle. 

[cooksdelight]

I'm still flabbergasted that most of them didn't know how to use simple kitchen utensils. If it's not electric, they're doomed.

[spiderpig]

2 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I'm still flabbergasted that most of them didn't know how to use simple kitchen utensils. If it's not electric, they're doomed.

They can't figure out an eggbeater, yet they no doubt drive a car?

[Lamb18]

I couldn't figure out that one tool someone was using to whisk their eggs and butter. It was a stick with a square thing at the end and they were pounding it into the mixture. Why not use a wooden spoon?

[backformore]

44 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I'm still flabbergasted that most of them didn't know how to use simple kitchen utensils. If it's not electric, they're doomed.

I was amazed at that silly apple peeler thing Chris was trying to use.   If you can't figure it out in 30 seconds -  use a knife.

[spiderpig]

52 minutes ago, backformore said:

I was amazed at that silly apple peeler thing Chris was trying to use.   If you can't figure it out in 30 seconds -  use a knife.

Yes.  DUH!!!

[xaxat]

That's why I wrote that the show is scripted. Chris may not be the best chef, but he's not stupid and he has a certain level of skill. There must be some reason *cough production assistants* he continued to use the peeler.

[spiderpig]

This show makes me feel like Escoffier.

[Snarklepuss]

12 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

When Penny was making her exit, pointing to herself and asking "Who wouldn't want this? Look at this!!" I almost fell out of my chair.  The woman is totally unaware of how she comes across onscreen.

I almost fell out of my chair when she told Matthew "If I acted in my season the way you did...It's just so unkind" or whatever....Like she has no idea how unkind she looked in HER season!

[spiderpig]

3 minutes ago, Snarklepuss said:

I almost fell out of my chair when she told Matthew "If I acted in my season the way you did...It's just so unkind" or whatever....Like she has no idea how unkind she looked in HER season!

gah - not a clue

[mlp]

An announcer tonight said that Sunday will bring the last episode of Comeback Kitchen and the first episode of FNS.  So they started with 7 returning losers, eliminated 2 of them and will go into the last show with 5 remaining and eliminate 4?  Does that make sense to anyone?  The producers' logic totally escapes me.

[Christina]

If it's the last episode of CBK, then eliminating 4 is the only way that makes sense. I wonder if they are going to finish the chefs by moving them into the web series they had last year, where the eliminated chefs battled for a place back in the show, and air the competitions in tandem with the episodes of FNS. If they do that, then the returning chef won't start FNS in week one with the others, but at the end. And, I'm guessing, the other chefs will get to try again as they are eliminated, making the entire thing a clusterfluck that my brain is too tired to unscramble at this time. 

[RCharter]

On 5/17/2016 at 6:14 PM, NikSac said:

Since she was mentioned earlier in this thread, thought I'd mention Rue was on Cutthroat Kitchen last night.

Thank you, did she do well?  I really liked her, and I wish she would have been asked back for.....whatever this show is.  I would have certainly preferred her to "Party on the Fly" or "Cooking with a Paisano" and "Hipster Yelling at Me"

[Snarklepuss]

6 hours ago, mlp said:

An announcer tonight said that Sunday will bring the last episode of Comeback Kitchen and the first episode of FNS.  So they started with 7 returning losers, eliminated 2 of them and will go into the last show with 5 remaining and eliminate 4?  Does that make sense to anyone?  The producers' logic totally escapes me.

It makes sense if they have pre-chosen Dom as the winner so they don't have to give him that many more chances to mess up.   Other than that, it makes no sense.  Not that it makes any sense it if IS that either, LOL.

[Wings]

The fact we do not know how this is going to play out is further proof that this show was slapped together.  Usually they go over the format and prize (spot on FN show) at the beginning of each episode, to the point of distraction.  I am used to FFing 4, 30 second advances on almost every show to avoid that.  

So it ends with all those contestants, hmmmm.   They will pick a winner, eliminating 4 of them first.  OR, just choose the winner.  OR they will eliminate one and the other 4 will join the cast.  

[NikSac]

3 hours ago, RCharter said:

Thank you, did she do well?  I really liked her, and I wish she would have been asked back for.....whatever this show is.  I would have certainly preferred her to "Party on the Fly" or "Cooking with a Paisano" and "Hipster Yelling at Me"

Me too! She did pretty well, made it to the final round but didn't win. Pretty good considering she got a ton of sabotages and the dishes were all unfamiliar to her. Guess it's too late for this season but wish we could request her back somehow. 

[Snarklepuss]

I was not a Rue fan and don't miss her here at all.  IIRC she tended to yell at the camera and her food was not my cup of tea whatsoever.  Plus she seemed a little too full of herself and had been Brooklyn-hipsterized to the point of having a superior air about her.  I'd take Michelle over her any day.  YMMV.

[leighdear]

I didn't care for Rue either.  Her POV was supposedly Southern African food, but episode after episode she neglected to identify the actual food products native to South Africa, and used other products.  She didn't identify the spices they used or cooking techniques, but "South Africa" were her buzzwords that came to mean absolutely nothing.  She talked about living all over the globe and combining world cuisine with South African but never explained how or why.  And I agree, she came off as snotty.  I wasn't surprised she was ditched at #5.  Her concept was crappy and she came off as superior.  

[Snarklepuss]

On 5/16/2016 at 5:28 PM, candall said:

Hey, I'm totally rooting for her, but her show offer was "My New England," her Wikipedia says "New England-style seafood" and her Twitter feed is full of #NewEngland.

I'm just saying that 'fresh seafood' is available now in places where it never was before, so that might have a broader appeal, be a strong concept for an on-trend cooking show and improve her chances for winning versus a show with a regional aspect in the title.

I just noticed this - Not sure I understand what you mean.  Other TV chefs certainly capitalize on their region or style of cooking to attract viewers and I don't see why this wouldn't work for Michele.  Unless the assumption is that people would think New England style cooking is boring. But that's just the point - I think the problem is that New England style cooking is little known and much misunderstood.  It's not all "lobster bake/boil" stuff.  Some of the food that actually was born in New England has become as ubiquitous as the hamburger (which incidentally was arguably invented in New England).  I don't think it's a weak concept if Michele can show that it has a much broader range and appeal than people might think.  And I personally think she would have no problem at all with that.

ETA:  BTW, the chocolate chip cookie was also invented in New England.  See below for more.

https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/25-reasons-rest-country-thankful-new-england/

Edited May 19, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[leighdear]

I'm a Florida Gulf Coast gal, so when it comes to cooking seafood and sides with our local ingredients in the Southern way, I've got it down.    But I know the flavors, ingredients and some techniques common to the North Atlantic coast are quite a bit different.  Some of the same coastline, but way different food results.  That's what I'd like to learn about and what I think Michelle could teach me.  Because she has a LOT of real estate she can cover from Maine down to Virginia, and lots of dishes within those boundaries she could easily showcase.  

Edited May 19, 2016 by leighdear

[xaxat]

When it comes to FNS in general, I'm not sure how much a contestant's concept matters outside of the idea that a given contestant can actually stick to the script and consistently convey that concept. In the end, I think FN is going to tell the eventual winner what their concept is.

Maybe Michelle would be doing New England and or seafood. Maybe she would be doing something entirely different.

(The exception would be for ethnic foods. If you are Indian, you'll be cooking Indian food. Cuban? Your family is from Mexico? Cuban or Mexican for you. Italian? Better brush up on rolling your r's for Giada.)

[MajorWoody]

Realistically, having a POV or some specific type of cooking style is irrelevant with this network. 

The reality of it is that whoever ends up winning the series has a future as a judge on GGG or whatever future competitions they dream up. How many of the previous winners, with the exception of the ever present Fee-etty have had more than a couple of episodes of whatever show they were promised, and ended up on the celebrity judge circuit.

Edited May 19, 2016 by MajorWoody
Correcting typos

[cooksdelight]

MajorWoody is right. Last season's winner started out with a tailgate theme (I think...or was it healthy somethingorother?) but by the end of the season they had him pigeonholed into doing BBQ. And he does it well, his show is great.

I'd watch Michelle and seafood, because she's not overly-excited onscreen and her recipes I've seen thus far look interesting.

[biakbiak]

8 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

MajorWoody is right. Last season's winner started out with a tailgate theme (I think...or was it healthy somethingorother?) but by the end of the season they had him pigeonholed into doing BBQ. And he does it well, his show is great.

I'd watch Michelle and seafood, because she's not overly-excited onscreen and her recipes I've seen thus far look interesting.

He started out with a cheat day theme (ie eat healthy 6 days and indulge for one day) but that never fit well into any of the challenges, then he started doing Caribbean stuff then ended with BBQ.

[cooksdelight]

Caribbean.... that's what I couldn't remember. Thanks!

[needschocolate]

Glad Penny is gone, but I wish she took Matthew with her.

On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 7:59 AM, wings707 said:

Her parting words,  "You don't want me but plenty of people do."  Something like that.  Either sad or just her ego covering up her disappointment. 

There could really be people looking for her --- banks, collection services, billing departments, etc.  Maybe she has outstanding traffic tickets.

On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 10:59 AM, candall said:

Chris strikes a "genuine" note, but really, "Party on the Fly"?  Do party on the fly people watch cooking shows?  Wouldn't they be throwing an impromptu soiree instead?

Maybe he is imagining people sitting at home with nothing to do on a Saturday night, they catch a bit of his show and suddenly say "Hey! I have ghergerkins, anchovies, and a couple of slices of wheat bread in my kitchen - I'm gonna call up a few friends and have a party!"

[RCharter]

On 5/17/2016 at 1:30 PM, backformore said:

I was amazed at that silly apple peeler thing Chris was trying to use.   If you can't figure it out in 30 seconds -  use a knife.

I couldn't figure out why Dom was using a mallet.  And then I was more confused when he didn't seem to know what a mallet was.