S12.E02: Mash-Up Throwdown

[cooksdelight]

Quote

Culinary travelogue report; the finalists must mash up two different cooking styles into one dish.

[LexieLily]

The not-anorexic-looking blond is a bitch.

Am I supposed to know who this Rev Run is?

[cooksdelight]

Aaron's an ass. That's all.

Monterey got a hail Mary save on that one. She's not someone I want to watch on TV. The Miami housewife is not fun to watch either, and her crappy personality is reminding me of She Who Shall Not Be Named.

[leighdear]

Wow, Ana came right out with that bitch flag, waving at Melissa.  And how does a "Real Housewife" get off calling something cheesy?  She's a snot and I would never watch her show.

Why didn't Tregaye do the line with "sustainability" if Yuzu couldn't say it?  What a waste of time. 

So Erin is this show's new "Cry Pie"?  Though we haven't seen the waterworks yet, she comes off that way to me. 

Good riddance to Aaron.  And Martita is becoming very one-note.  I can't understand a word that Damiano says, and he's not that good looking to me. 

On the plus side, Eddie Jackson from last season is doing well, based on his promos for the upcoming kids grilling show he's co-hosting.

[mlp]

They sent the right two people home.  Aaron turned out to be a real jerk and Melissa shouldn't have been on that show in the first place.  Now if they'll just get rid of Ana, I'll be able to tolerate the rest of them while they last.  Ana reminds me of that cheap girl in every high school class only decades older.

I've read that the new head of FN thinks that viewers want to see "celebrities" so I'm guessing that's why the rapper guy was on.  He didn't contribute anything to the show IMO. 

Maybe it was my imagination but Yaku's beard looked several inches shorter to me.

[Snarklepuss]

Whoa, this episode certainly separated the wheat from the chaff.  Melissa looked as much like a Real Housewife as Ana, to be honest, and certainly acts like one too.  Buh-bye Ms. "bad for you".  You were certainly bad for me.

Tregaye and Yuzu - More suckiness.  Both can go home at any time now and I won't miss either one.

I was starting to like Jernaud but then he goes and second guesses himself, tries too hard and blows it.  Not good.

Although I am beginning to like Rob.  He is effortlessly witty in a way I only wish I could be.

I guess the new management over at FN thought Martita was worth resurrecting.  I could just see the meetings now about how Justin Warner turned out to be a dud and why did they let Martita go?  I almost feel like this season is a do-over for season 8.  I find it interesting that TPTB brought both Martita and Michele back from that season for Comeback Kitchen, too.  Maybe they were responding to complaints that the other contestants were robbed.  Although I personally wish that if they were going that route they would have asked Martie Duncan back.  I think maybe the fix is in for Martita.  Just a hunch I have

Edited May 30, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[backformore]

If Damiano and Martita had been partners, it would have been the Battle of the Exaggerated accents. 

Jernard tries to match his partner's enthusiasm by YELLING, then blames her for letting it happen.  In the second challenge, his personality was 180 degrees away from what it was in the partner challenge. 

Tregaye's cuteness wears thin after 2 minutes. Yaku does not belong on this show.

Martita is boring me, but I think she's the chosen one. I guess her fellow competitors are getting as bored and annoyed as I am with her.   Erin was out of her element today, but I would watch her on a baking show. 

Ana is a straight-up BITCH to Melissa, but "I'm just joking!"   Yeah, you got stuck with the partner nobody wanted, but if you were a nice person maybe that wouldn't have happened.   Ana needs to go home. I liked Melissa's personality today.

In the final judging, I did not recognize Monterey at first.  The judges made the right call. I'm glad she is still in it.

Aaron and Rob have too much fun with each other to focus on the task at hand. Aaron has no idea what he's doing, except to say "Meat! I'm the meat guy!" Rob's "mash up"  seemed like two separate dishes, chicken and pho. Aaron, though, does not have the temperament to be on Food Network.  I predict he'll be on Survivor or Big Brother next.  Did he ever marry his Amazing Race partner?  Maybe he can go on Celebrity Wife Swap or Marriage Boot camp.

Oh, and Aaron?   Suck it.

Edited May 30, 2016 by backformore

[luleetuni]

Wow, Ana may be worse on this than she was on RHOC.  I don't know if I have ever heard a lawyer speak so poorly. 

[Rick Kitchen]

The verbal throwdown idea was just stupid.

Aaron, nobody wants to hear you argue with the judges.  Did you argue with Phil when you Phileminated from TAR?

Why was Monterey wearing different clothes when she was crying, saying she was worrying about being sent home instead of Aaron? Did she wear one outfit, change clothes, then wear the first outfit again for the decision?

[Sew Sumi]

I watched RHOM, and it never failed to amaze me that this woman practiced law. She was actually practicing during the filming of the Housewives; I have no clue about now. 

Couldn't stand her then and nothing has changed. She can't leave my teevee soon enough. 

[ivygirl]

This was a fairly unenjoyable episode. I didn't really get much out of it. But that will probably be true until they thin the herd a bit.

UGH, Melissa. I found her so unpleasant to watch, so I'm happy she's gone.

Aaron? Wow, not advisable to speak as you did.

Erin was slightly enjoyable tonight.

On the other hand, Haylie Duff... Thankful she was only on for a couple minutes.

[Gregg247]

What happened to Aaron?  He had a complete meltdown when the judges "dared" to critique his performance.  I thought he would have been safe for another week if he hadn't blown up like that.  Then, he insulted the other contestants by claiming his food was superior.  What a loser.  And to think, I was actually rooting for the guy last week!

The judges have quite a few "easy eliminations" over the next few weeks.  Martita, Joy, Rob, and the Love Chef guy look like real contenders for winning this thing; the rest aren't very impressive.  However, I'd take ANY of these contestants over Dom from last season any day!

[spiderpig]

Where to begin?

I don't think Aaron has much chance of being recycled as a FN cheftestant for maybe the next century. What a nasty parting shot.

Glad they got rid of Anorexic Peggy Lipton early in the game.  Completely unappealing camera presence and food concept. What the hell was she doing to those tomatoes, anyway?

Notice the cuts to glowing LBH when Damiano was speaking? He doesn't bother me much.

Maarrrrrteeetah - enough with the jazz hands, please.

[GaT]

Stupid challenge, I didn't find this episode interesting at all. I'm happy with the 2 eliminated, I didn't like either of them. My DVR cut off right after they walked away from the judges, did anything happen after that?

[J-Man]

Joy-- probably not a good idea to tell the entire viewing public that you have no idea what most of the dishes on one side of the board are. (And then to deliberately mispronounce them.) Doesn't exactly make you seem like a font of culinary knowledge. 

[Snarklepuss]

4 hours ago, mlp said:

I've read that the new head of FN thinks that viewers want to see "celebrities" so I'm guessing that's why the rapper guy was on.  He didn't contribute anything to the show IMO.

Rev Run has actually had a show on the Cooking Channel for the past couple of years so that's another reason he was on.  I don't mind him being a celebrity because at least he has a Food Network history.  I've never thought he has much of an on-screen personality, though.

Speaking of that, I loved it when he pronounced Gyro "Gie-ro" (rhymes with Die) instead of rhyming with "hero".  That's the way New Yorkers pronounce it.  I hate it when people correct me on that, BTW.  Even the Greek restaurant people in NYC pronounce it the first way.  That's who I learned to pronounce it from!  I remember learning the "correct" pronunciation only a few years ago and thinking that if the Greek restaurant owners in NYC wanted it pronounced correctly they shouldn't have pronounced it incorrectly themselves.  But Greek people have never corrected me on this, it's only other non-New Yorkers.  And when I tell the people correcting me that, they can't wrap their minds around it.

[cooksdelight]

Quote

What the hell was she doing to those tomatoes, anyway?

At first, she had them in the oven, roasting them. Then, for some odd reason, she sat the pan on the edge of the sink and was running water over them. Why, I have no clue. Unless she was trying to quickly cool them. Honey, there's this big ol' silver-looking thing called a refrigerator that does a great job, and has a thingamajig connected to it called a freezer if you're really in a hurry.

[leighdear]

I don't think the drowned tomatoes were intentional. I think Melissa sat her tray on the edge of the sink for her tomatoes to cool down, but didn't notice that the water trickling from the faucet was hitting the corner of the sheet tray.   Or somebody used the faucet, didn't turn it off completely and the dripping nozzle swung over the pan.  Lots of chaos in that kitchen. 

Any cook that adopts a "love" persona is automatically out for me.  I'm looking at you, Jenard!  It's a tired and annoying trope that people need to stop trying to make happen.  

[backformore]

8 hours ago, GaT said:

Stupid challenge, I didn't find this episode interesting at all. I'm happy with the 2 eliminated, I didn't like either of them. My DVR cut off right after they walked away from the judges, did anything happen after that?

There was a parting shot from Aaron in which he told the judges (to the camera, not to their faces), "Suck t!"

[lh25]

I knew someone would do a mic-drop, wasn't surprised it was Melissa.  I wouldn't have watched her show, she had crazy eyes a little too often.  And like others have said, she didn't look healthy, it would be hard to take her that seriously.  I also wouldn't watch Anna for that matter.  She doesn't seem to get this isn't RHOM and bitchy doesn't work the same.

[xaxat]

Rob, capri pants on a man your size and age? No. . and no.

Hell, Rafa Nadal gave up on trying to make that look work. And you sir, are no Rafa Nadal.

In other fashion news . .  I loved the dress Giada wore for the competition. It showed off her girlish figure, didn't emphasize the boobs  and didn't make her look top heavy.  Then she turned around and wore that blue dress that emphasized the boobs and made her look top heavy. Baby steps I guess.

I also loved Monterrey's dress and what she did with her hair during judging. 

Oh, and there was some food. . . I guess. 

Edited May 30, 2016 by xaxat

[Fostersmom]

I really think there's no chance in hell Martita is going to win this. She might make the final 4, but how would they even justify a win for her? Isn't the whole point developing their food point of view and camera presence? She already did this. I did love her getting called out for a) in Season 8… and b) her canned sound bite that never changes. She might get enough exposure to do the rounds of the other FN shows, but I just don't see her getting a show. 

I feel like Monterey might be a sleeper, it just seems like there's something there. 

[RHJunkie]

12 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

I watched RHOM, and it never failed to amaze me that this woman practiced law. She was actually practicing during the filming of the Housewives; I have no clue about now. 

Couldn't stand her then and nothing has changed. She can't leave my teevee soon enough. 

Same I watched her on RHOM and was happy when she didn't return. I don't remember what transpired exactly that made me really dislike her on the show but I do remember that she always carried an air about her where she thought she was always the smartest person in any room she was in.

[leighdear]

At least with Ana, there's some BAD karma going on behind this show to slap her in the face.  The only item in her "Skinny Latina" food brand, a bottled marinade, was recalled by the FDA for having soy, when it wasn't on the label.  SMACK!  Gee Ms. Lawyer, how about adhering to that truth in labeling law?  Idiot.  I hope it costs her a LOT of money.  

I'm a Giada fan, so I also thought she looked lovely. The sapphire blue dress at judging was still tasteful and she wears that color well.     

[mlp]

Quote

Rev Run has actually had a show on the Cooking Channel for the past couple of years so that's another reason he was on

Thanks.  I didn't know that.  I can't get the CC without paying for a premium package I don't want for any other reason.  Anyway, he seemed really, really boring.

[Wings]

I do not see a star in the midst here.  I predict that Erin, Martita and Ron will be F3.   Erin will win, get a baking show, which no one will watch and be cancelled in 6 months. 

Martita has become a robot.  She ignores the challenge rules and just does her rehearsed talk.  My family blah blah blah.  My flavors blah blah blah.  Will the judges ever notice this?  

Aaron was from TAR, eh?  Didn't realize that.  No wonder he did so poorly, he was just looking for another reality gig and shame on you FN for not seeing this.  Jesus.  Do you really want someone for a show or do you just want to do this competition?  

Edited May 30, 2016 by wings707

[Wings]

There are many chefs out there who would want a show on FN.  I imagine many Top Chef alums would love to be part of FN.  Where are they?  Why are we getting home cooks that they pick up in sports bars and Costco?

[cooksdelight]

I personally know three professional chefs who'd give their eye teeth to be on this show. Why they aren't picked, I'll never know. One of them does a lot of TED talks and he's very good on camera. FN is crazy, that's all.

[Rick Kitchen]

6 hours ago, leighdear said:

I don't think the drowned tomatoes were intentional. I think Melissa sat her tray on the edge of the sink for her tomatoes to cool down, but didn't notice that the water trickling from the faucet was hitting the corner of the sheet tray.   Or somebody used the faucet, didn't turn it off completely and the dripping nozzle swung over the pan.  Lots of chaos in that kitchen. 

Any cook that adopts a "love" persona is automatically out for me.  I'm looking at you, Jenard!  It's a tired and annoying trope that people need to stop trying to make happen.  

 

And when she took the tray out of the sink, the faucet was still running.

[cooksdelight]

Couldn't she have salvaged the tomatoes? They could have been dried out on paper towels for a few minutes, couldn't they? Or did the water obliterate them?

[xaxat]

17 minutes ago, wings707 said:

There are many chefs out there who would want a show on FN.  I imagine many Top Chef alums would love to be part of FN.  Where are they?  Why are we getting home cooks that they pick up in sports bars and Costco?

Don't mess with the Costco ladies! 

The best of them are serious product promotion specialists.

[Wings]

^^^Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[leighdear]

Aaron was on The Amazing Race season 6 in 2004.  He partnered with his then girlfriend, now wife, Hayden and they finished 4th.  That season is much-remembered by fans because it gave us Victoria and her villain husband Jonathan, one of the most hated racers ever.  He was a screaming bully who shoved her across the finish mat and berated her every chance he got.  

I don't know what Aaron's been doing for the past 12 years, but he & Hayden were both actors back then.  There were a lot of well-liked racers on that season, including them.  I don't know what changed for him. 

I think Melissa could have drained those stupid tomatoes, chopped them up and added some seasonings easily enough, but she was in full-drama mode and probably wasn't even thinking how to salvage them, just how to get hysterical for the camera. 

Edited May 30, 2016 by leighdear
I forgot he married a woman, not a man

[Mrs. P.]

Re: Aaron and The Amazing Race

He raced with his girlfriend Hayden.  She was a whiner and a bitch, but they raced pretty well. He famously proposed to her on the show right after they were eliminated.   I have no idea if they are still married.

[Wings]

Aaron and Hayden were married.  Hayden is a woman. 

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/race-couple-hayden-kristianson-and-aaron-crumbaugh-get-married-5124.php

1 hour ago, cooksdelight said:

I personally know three professional chefs who'd give their eye teeth to be on this show. Why they aren't picked, I'll never know. One of them does a lot of TED talks and he's very good on camera. FN is crazy, that's all.

Do they apply to be on it?  

[Fostersmom]

According to the Amazing Race Wiki for his season, they had at least one kid, a girl. His bio for this show mentions a wife, but not her name, so who knows. His bio reads like the idiot he turned out to be. 

[Wings]

11 minutes ago, wings707 said:

TED talks

What is a TED talk?  I don't do letters.  :^)

[RCharter]

So, I generally don't believe in conspiracy theories....but I feel like that was completely stacked for the Housewife....who is giving the producers all the drama she can muster up.

First....she is magically given paella.....a food that is DIRECTLY in her wheelhouse.....and then......by some trick.....Melissa's tomatoes are ruined.....the one thing that might save her meatball.

I realize that HW is giving them the drama...even when they aren't asking for it.  Like when she piped up about how she didn't want to be paired with Melissa immediately.  It just felt like a bit of an act for camera time and to ensure that they keep her on the show because they need a villain.  

[J-Man]

Quote

Aaron and Hayden were married.  Hayden is a woman. 

For a minute there I thought that Hayden was being trendy and transitioning.

[RCharter]

18 hours ago, LexieLily said:

The not-anorexic-looking blond is a bitch.

Am I supposed to know who this Rev Run is?

Rev Run is a pretty big deal.....I'm not all that into old school hip hop, but he was a pioneer.

If you're into rock, he did the "Walk this Way" remix with Aerosmith....which was a great video and a great song.

[Wings]

3 minutes ago, RCharter said:

So, I generally don't believe in conspiracy theories....but I feel like that was completely stacked for the Housewife....who is giving the producers all the drama she can muster up.

First....she is magically given paella.....a food that is DIRECTLY in her wheelhouse.....and then......by some trick.....Melissa's tomatoes are ruined.....the one thing that might save her meatball.

I realize that HW is giving them the drama...even when they aren't asking for it.  Like when she piped up about how she didn't want to be paired with Melissa immediately.  It just felt like a bit of an act for camera time and to ensure that they keep her on the show because they need a villain.  

I don't think they have to rely on those tricks.   They can boot whoever they choose for whatever reason so if they want Ana to stay for drama, they will do that regardless.  She doesn't need paella.  This show is ridiculous, really. :^)

[RCharter]

16 hours ago, backformore said:

If Damiano and Martita had been partners, it would have been the Battle of the Exaggerated accents. 

Jernard tries to match his partner's enthusiasm by YELLING, then blames her for letting it happen.  In the second challenge, his personality was 180 degrees away from what it was in the partner challenge. 

Tregaye's cuteness wears thin after 2 minutes. Yaku does not belong on this show.

Martita is boring me, but I think she's the chosen one. I guess her fellow competitors are getting as bored and annoyed as I am with her.   Erin was out of her element today, but I would watch her on a baking show. 

Ana is a straight-up BITCH to Melissa, but "I'm just joking!"   Yeah, you got stuck with the partner nobody wanted, but if you were a nice person maybe that wouldn't have happened.   Ana needs to go home. I liked Melissa's personality today.

In the final judging, I did not recognize Monterey at first.  The judges made the right call. I'm glad she is still in it.

Aaron and Rob have too much fun with each other to focus on the task at hand. Aaron has no idea what he's doing, except to say "Meat! I'm the meat guy!" Rob's "mash up"  seemed like two separate dishes, chicken and pho. Aaron, though, does not have the temperament to be on Food Network.  I predict he'll be on Survivor or Big Brother next.  Did he ever marry his Amazing Race partner?  Maybe he can go on Celebrity Wife Swap or Marriage Boot camp.

Oh, and Aaron?   Suck it.

So.....this is what I worried about when I saw a baker on the show at all.  So many of these challenges will either explicitly or implicitly call for savory...cooked dishes.  Its a little unfair to cast someone who bakes in a competition that is going to rely heavily on cooked/savory dishes.  I guess as a baker you can make sure to have savory/cooked dishes that you can do....the way that Damiano seems to......but whats the point of being on the show if you're not going to be able to show your strengths?

Aaron was an ass......I didn't even understand his frustration.  His dish wasn't picked by more people...of course it wasn't, his presentation was weird and Rob was funny.  I guess he was upset that he wasn't one of the two people who was saved by their food....but such is life.  To sit in front of the judges and berate them was odd.  Rob's dish may have been tastier, but Rob was only safe because more people chose his dish....not because Bobby and Giada chose his dish (even though they would).  So, Aaron's argument that his dish was like Rob's was ridiculous.....it didn't matter....it only mattered what more people went to eat.  

Maybe he is a nice guy and the frustration just got to him.  

[cooksdelight]

18 minutes ago, wings707 said:

What is a TED talk?  I don't do letters.  :^)

Technology, Entertainment, Design.... Google and you'll find a bunch of various presenters.

Here is Chris Hill's TED presentation, one of the people who has indeed applied and they never called him. Stupid FN.  

[RCharter]

6 minutes ago, wings707 said:

I don't think they have to rely on those tricks.   They can boot whoever they choose for whatever reason so if they want Ana to stay for drama, they will do that regardless.  She doesn't need paella.  This show is ridiculous, really. :^)

All true, but I think TPTB want the show to at least seem credible -- so they want it to look like the HW is a good cook.

But yes....this show is ridiculous indeed.

[Wings]

3 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Here is Chris Hill's TED presentation, one of the people who has indeed applied and they never called him. Stupid FN.  

I guess they don't want anyone comfortable in front of the camera to start.  They must be aiming for the home cook who the viewers can root to stardom?   I think they want more of a character or personality than Chris has in that video.  But surely there are others who are skilled that have charisma and are being passed over.  

[leighdear]

I corrected my post because I thought I remembered Hayden as being a guy.  *LOL*

[toodles]

27 minutes ago, RCharter said:

 

Maybe he is a nice guy and the frustration just got to him.  

Highly doubtful.

[RCharter]

Just now, toodles said:

Highly doubtful.

LOL....agreed.

[spiderpig]

This ep had significant entertainment value:

Kitchen sink tomatoes
The Rob/Aaron bromance followed by Aaron's departing hissyfit
The video crew trying to get Yaku and Tragaye in the same frame during their partner demo (she came up to his waist)
Random verbal jabs from Ana
Erin's silly hairbow
The female group all rushing to Damiano's table even though they couldn't understand a thing he said
Giada's blue dress (gotta show off those girls at least once per ep - must be in her contract)

So much fun - so little time...

Edited May 30, 2016 by spiderpig

[J-Man]

Quote

If Damiano and Martita had been partners, it would have been the Battle of the Exaggerated accents. 

Maybe it's because I live in Southern California and am used to being around bilingual English-Spanish people, but I don't think Martita has an accent at all. Neither does Marcela Valladolid, who is also bilingual. And Giada, who is bilingual in Italian and English, has no accent. They all tend to pronounce foreign words the way they would be pronounced in their original language instead of Anglicizing them, but I don't consider that an "accent."

Damiano, of course, clearly has a heavy Italian accent, but I don't think he's exaggerating it on purpose. But maybe I'm naive.