S12.E03: Show Promos

[jumper sage]

8 hours ago, GaT said:

 

I was surprised to see Martita eliminated, I didn't think she would win, but I thought she would stick around longer just because she won Star Salvation. Maybe this was Giada's payback for Dom not winning.

 

Great point!

[SandyToes]

Exactly, Irlandesa. When your competition remarks that your food is the same thing over and over, it may be time to go. Especially with all of her "experience."  She had the beauty and polish appeal, but a show would need food of some sort, I'm guessing.  Gnocchi was an odd choice, to be sure, but it at least showed Domiano can cook.

Loved Joy and Jennard's promo.  It did look like a show already to go.

[Snarklepuss]

3 hours ago, HappyDancex2 said:

He's this years Guy Fiettiiiiii, New York edition.  His hair will get spikier, blonder and a pair of sunglasses will appear straddled on the back of his neck.

LOL, I can picture this but perish the thought!  Plus Guy's look is so over-the-top California dude I think they'd go with something more New York-ey for Rob.  I also think he's this year's answer to Dom, not in any other way than being a New Yorker with the accent and being from Staten Island.  So he's like their Dom/Guy fusion.  It seems like Rob's the one to beat here.

[Jesse]

25 minutes ago, SandyToes said:

Exactly, Irlandesa. When your competition remarks that your food is the same thing over and over, it may be time to go. Especially with all of her "experience."  She had the beauty and polish appeal, but a show would need food of some sort, I'm guessing.  Gnocchi was an odd choice, to be sure, but it at least showed Domiano can cook.

Loved Joy and Jennard's promo.  It did look like a show already to go.

I think Damiano is thinking, "What can I make that is delicious in 30 minutes?" period. Which is probably smart, given how Bobby and Giada are often swayed by the food. I actually think that's what happened with Dom last time -- his performances were so bad, but I genuinely believe his food was amazing. 

[LexieLily]

It doesn't say much for Comeback Kitchen when your winner was kicked off week three on the big boy show, does it?

[DeLurker]

3 hours ago, HappyDancex2 said:

He's this years Guy Fiettiiiiii, New York edition.  His hair will get spikier, blonder and a pair of sunglasses will appear straddled on the back of his neck.

Dear God, please just no.  I'm going to have nightmares now.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, SandyToes said:

Exactly, Irlandesa. When your competition remarks that your food is the same thing over and over, it may be time to go. Especially with all of her "experience."  She had the beauty and polish appeal, but a show would need food of some sort, I'm guessing.  Gnocchi was an odd choice, to be sure, but it at least showed Domiano can cook.

Loved Joy and Jennard's promo.  It did look like a show already to go.

10 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

But maybe I am residually pissed off at what I perceived as Damiano's utter snobbery in this episode with his "I am a pastry chef and Erin is...a baker" or his "It's Chantilly...that's what it is called in France" when Erin said she'd go grab whipped cream. Talk about a distinction without much of a difference.

Yes, and I doubt he has ever been camping; he just wanted to show off his skill at making  gnocchi.  Erin's dessert was not a camping item either.  Their presentation was hysterical!  Did anyone think this was a logical couple headed into the great outdoors.   I don't like either of them. 

I think they have their eye on Ron to host a show a la Fierri visiting restaurants or food trucks, too.  

Hindsight tells me that Giada's words to Martita, "you are well rehearsed" was not a compliment.  Kudos to the editors for giving us this surprise!  Well done.  Not to mention her food is boring and this last offering was terrible.  I think she phoned it in "knowing" she was good with the camera and was convinced she would win. 

[Apocalypse Cow]

Southern born and bred, and when I die, I'll be southern dead... Pray-lean, Pee-can, and Craw-dad. 

[Bakergirl17]

New to this forum... Hi!  I was surprised that Martita got kicked off, but she didn't take the criticism and use it, she just kept plowing in her same mode.  I was a little disappointed in Dom's talking down to Erin.  Not good sportsmanship.  When she suggested whipped cream, he corrected her and said they call it "chantilly" in France.  The point of the challenge was to work together and create a great promo. Really their job is to get us to like them, and survive the challenges.  

[Nutjob]

I don't know why, but I'm getting winner vibes from Monterey already. She's young, attractive, different from anyone currently hosting any of their shows, inoffensively snarky, and if she can stop being such a s***, I think they can make her into someone appealing for the network. Plus, this episode made it very clear that most of the rest are copies of hosts they already have, or people that no one would want to watch like Ana or Jernard (I can't stand him!).

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, smiley13 said:

Further Southeast,  and yes, of course, it is pea-can for me.

Of course, it's "puh-con" for me. Nobody I know would be caught dead saying "pee-can"! ;-)

[jaync]

Quote

Nope, praw-leen is the Southern pronunciation.

It depends on the region. The South isn't just Louisiana.

I don't understand why Monterey didn't top her ice cream with the crumbled cookies (which she said tasted good). At least the judges would've known how the ice cream sandwich would've tasted, even if it wasn't executed properly.

IIRC, Ana could be rather prickly on The Real Housewives of Miami, too. I also remember her main career was as a lawyer, with cooking being something she did on the side (although she did seem pretty passionate about it).

Someone needs to give Rob a razor, because his neckbeard is kind of nasty.

[Pepper Mostly]

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

You couldn't make her dessert camping but, other than the overly involved plating, you sure as heck could make it in advance and bring it camping.  And the ingredients she used were thematically appropriate.  Gnocci just baffled me.  I guess technically you could make almost anything camping with the right equipment but I couldn't help but feel he was BSing them a bit.

But maybe I am residually pissed off at what I perceived as Damiano's utter snobbery in this episode with his "I am a pastry chef and Erin is...a baker" or his "It's Chantilly...that's what it is called in France" when Erin said she'd go grab whipped cream. Talk about a distinction without much of a difference.

Damiano is way overrated and his accent isn't cute, merely unintelligible. I don't get this presentation of him as a hunky heartthrob. Plus he seems to be a bit of a diva. Who makes gnocchi on a camping trip?

 

5 hours ago, smiley13 said:

Rob is way too stereotypical New Yorker for me.  And his choice of on air attire leaves a lot to be desired,  There has been a lot of discussion in the past when a character looks sloppy and he is this year's sloppy guy,

He's way too sloppy for me. He looks grubby. I do not want to watch a grubby guy prepare food. I could go to my corner sub shop for that.

31 minutes ago, Nutjob said:

I don't know why, but I'm getting winner vibes from Monterey already. She's young, attractive, different from anyone currently hosting any of their shows, inoffensively snarky, and if she can stop being such a s***, I think they can make her into someone appealing for the network. Plus, this episode made it very clear that most of the rest are copies of hosts they already have, or people that no one would want to watch like Ana or Jernard (I can't stand him!).

I think Monterey is the holder of the "dark horse" "showed the most growth" edit.

I'm kind of warming to Joy. I thought she and Jennard were cute together.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Pepper Mostly

[birkenstock]

I'm surprised Monterey wasn't eliminated.  Her food in both challenges were a mess. Why didn't she put the cookie crumble on the ice cream and call it a deconstructed ice cream sandwich? There would be eye rolling, but it would have been better than whole potato chips on her ice cream and she could say she delivered in some way.  I also didn't understand why she kept focusing on Lunch Lady getting to the potato chips first.  Both were allowed to use the ingredients. Couldn't she have reduced the salt water taffy to a syrup or made it into a sauce if she wanted to do savory? That said, I think she does well on camera and would be good on one of the food network or cooking channel travel shows.

Tregaye over does it on camera but she can cook.  She executed the Food Network Magazine challenge the best and in a semi-innovative way. I'm glad she went beyond a lemon bunt cake.  She should leave soon, but there were  at least two people who should have left last night (Monterey and Anna) before her.  Anna makes too many excuses and she is so unpleasant!

Damiano was snobby for no reason.  I'm not an Erin fan and I was rooting for her to one up him.

[bluepiano]

1 hour ago, Nutjob said:

I don't know why, but I'm getting winner vibes from Monterey already. She's young, attractive, different from anyone currently hosting any of their shows, inoffensively snarky, and if she can stop being such a s***, I think they can make her into someone appealing for the network.

Interesting theory, because she's yet to have a solid performance (presentation plus food) in any challenge, and seems to be just skating by. As for being different from any other current host, I agree, and that's why she appeals to me.

Unfortunately, FN seems to want to give us the same old same old, and that's why I see Joy as the frontrunner. She checks the boxes for their demographic, being southern, cooking American food, and having a large family. (if her husband and kids are half-way presentable, they could incorporate them into the show). FN doesn't seem interested in doing shows for the urban foodie audience. They quickly buried Justin Warner, and Adam Gertler before him.

Funniest moment of this episode - when Martita thought that Giada saying she was well rehearsed was a compliment. Which it wasn't. Her smile quickly disappeared when she figured it out.

In reality, time management should not be a required skill since all FN shows are taped and edited. The time limits to cook and plate are just for creating drama. Similarly, they criticized Monterrey for not delivering the cookie she promised in her promo. But in real TV world there would be retakes, edits, and time for her to make a hundred cookies.

Edited June 6, 2016 by bluepiano

[leighdear]

21 minutes ago, bluepiano said:

In reality, time management should not be a required skill since all FN shows are taped and edited. The time limits to cook and plate are just for creating drama. Similarly, they criticized Monterrey for not delivering the cookie she promised in her promo. But in real TV world there would be retakes, edits, and time for her to make a hundred cookies.

The winners are usually trotted out to festivals and demos for a while where time limits and adhering to schedules are absolutely critical skills, not optional.  Those Food TV folks spend only a portion of their time in studios with plenty of time for re-takes and multiple shots.  The contracted shows are taped & edited, but there are loads of live events these folks have to do.  

I thought Monterrey was going to do an ice-cream sandwich and roll the edges (where the ice cream is exposed) in crushed chip crumbs.  No idea why I assumed this.  *LOL*

Florida Panhandle Southerner here and it's Puh-cahn, pray-leen, and crawdads (or mud bugs).  

Lunch lady can be spiffed up, I think Monterrey has potential and I like Joy.  Those 3 are actually the only ones I would be willing to watch & listen to for a 22 minute cooking show.  The rest annoy or bore me.  None of the food they make really matters, because the food on their shows will be created and prepped by others.  They just have to stand, stir and hold my attention.    

[Wings]

40 minutes ago, bluepiano said:

Interesting theory, because she's yet to have a solid performance (presentation plus food) in any challenge, and seems to be just skating by. As for being different from any other current host, I agree, and that's why she appeals to me.

Unfortunately, FN seems to want to give us the same old same old, and that's why I see Joy as the frontrunner. She checks the boxes for their demographic, being southern, cooking American food, and having a large family. (if her husband and kids are half-way presentable, they could incorporate them into the show). FN doesn't seem interested in doing shows for the urban foodie audience. They quickly buried Justin Warner, and Adam Gertler before him.

Funniest moment of this episode - when Martita thought that Giada saying she was well rehearsed was a compliment. Which it wasn't. Her smile quickly disappeared when she figured it out.

In reality, time management should not be a required skill since all FN shows are taped and edited. The time limits to cook and plate are just for creating drama. Similarly, they criticized Monterrey for not delivering the cookie she promised in her promo. But in real TV world there would be retakes, edits, and time for her to make a hundred cookies.

I agree with everything you said.  Joy as a replacement for Paula Deen may be in their minds.  I am going to keep my eye on her.  I don't watch the cooking on FN so they may have another southerner in place   But a husband and 5 kids?  Come on, that is gold for them.  

----------------------------------------------------------

I am from Michigan and it is praw-leen and peh-chan and crawfish in my neck of the woods.  Just had to weigh in even thought the debate is between southerners.   Oh, and skah-lip.  

[rab01]

Like a lot of people on this board, I also like Monterey but it's probably for the simple reason that she is very pretty. It also helps that she is somewhat funny and isn't full of herself (but then she hasn't had much success yet on the show.) Her food doesn't look all that special. As for this episode, I'm completely on her side in being irritated by her partner big-dogging the potato chips; it realistically forced her thinking towards a dessert, which is tough for most of the competitors.

The southern lady with 5 kids looks like the favorite and honestly seems like she would be really good on one of their shows so I wouldn't blame FN for targeting her to win.

[cooksdelight]

Quote

They quickly buried Justin Warner,

Justin buried himself. Alton personally was going to produce his 6-episode series. Justin refused to do a stand-and-stir on the set. He wanted a travel show. They shot one episode of him out and about and it bombed. He should have listened to Alton. He wasn't yet ready for a travel show. It was bad. Really bad.

[GaT]

4 hours ago, SandyToes said:

Exactly, Irlandesa. When your competition remarks that your food is the same thing over and over, it may be time to go. Especially with all of her "experience."  She had the beauty and polish appeal, but a show would need food of some sort, I'm guessing. 

 

3 hours ago, wings707 said:

Hindsight tells me that Giada's words to Martita, "you are well rehearsed" was not a compliment. 

That was Martita's whole problem, she was too rehearsed & polished & nothing sounded natural. They told her, but somehow she either didn't understand what they were saying, or she just didn't believe it. She was the only person who was on their 3rd time doing this (her original season, Comeback Kitchen, & this season) so she probably thought she was the expert on how to act.

[Wings]

25 minutes ago, GaT said:

 

That was Martita's whole problem, she was too rehearsed & polished & nothing sounded natural. They told her, but somehow she either didn't understand what they were saying, or she just didn't believe it. She was the only person who was on their 3rd time doing this (her original season, Comeback Kitchen, & this season) so she probably thought she was the expert on how to act.

I didn't register on those words until much later.  I know many viewers picked up on that immediately.  They probably told her more than we saw, too.  Her one note food, rehearsed, air of superiority and no respect for the specific challenge; she just did her robot thing.  She was astounded when the guest judge would not place her food with the title.  I wonder if the judges get a heads up on some behind the scenes antics. Did the producer mention to them that Martita was bossy with Ana for that promo?  Could be.  If she grated on our nerves, she did the judges too (Bobby would have liked that! I did not correct my wording on purpose).  We are watching an edited story.  

 

ETA.  The thunder Martita got in the green room for mentioning season 8 too much was a harbinger of things to come.   We should have anticipated her boot. 

Edited June 6, 2016 by wings707

[backformore]

Yaku and Tregaye AGAIN doing the "he's big, she's little, let's have him carry her"  schtick annoyed me.  We get it.  PUT HER DOWN. it's only cute once, and it wasn't all that cute the first time.

The theme didn't make sense to me -  camping?  Grandma's?  state Fair?  what?   Food you BRING when you're going to the state fair?  No, you don't bring food to a place that serves food.  Camping food, to me, means stuff you would cook over a campfire, or maybe a dutch oven dish.  I guess I didn't really understand the task.

And  I was annoyed by the "grandma's house = yarn"  stereotype.  Yep, every woman past 50 sits in a rocker, knitting, surrounded by cats.

When it was pointed out that Martita's dish was very similar to another dish she had made, it reminded me of the joke about Mexican food: (not meant to offend I personally love Mexican food and know the distinctions)

• A guy goes to a Mexican restaurant, looks at the menu, and asks for an explanation.  What's a taco?  It's a tortilla with meat, cheese, and lettuce.   OK, then what's an enchilada?  Oh, that's a tortilla, filled with meat, cheese, and lettuce on top.   What's a burrito? meat, cheese, lettuce, inside a tortilla.   What about a tostada?   Etc, etc. 

Martita's dish was simple, and she screwed up the tortilla part of it.  Shes a one-trick pony and I'm gad she's gone.

I was hoping Ana would be eliminated, and I think she was hoping the same thing.   She realized too late that she does not want to be there. I bet she's thinking up excuses to bow out of the competition, she is NOT liking it.  A medical issue?  family issue? I bet she comes up with something.

[spiderpig]

The well-rehearsed comment made me think fondly of Our Julia.  Remember when she'd drop things or start a fire, and insist these be left in the show because "that's what happens in a kitchen"?

[Wings]

27 minutes ago, backformore said:

Yaku and Tregaye AGAIN doing the "he's big, she's little, let's have him carry her"  schtick annoyed me.  We get it.  PUT HER DOWN. it's only cute once, and it wasn't all that cute the first time.

The theme didn't make sense to me -  camping?  Grandma's?  state Fair?  what?   Food you BRING when you're going to the state fair?  No, you don't bring food to a place that serves food.  Camping food, to me, means stuff you would cook over a campfire, or maybe a dutch oven dish.  I guess I didn't really understand the task.

And  I was annoyed by the "grandma's house = yarn"  stereotype.  Yep, every woman past 50 sits in a rocker, knitting, surrounded by cats.

When it was pointed out that Martita's dish was very similar to another dish she had made, it reminded me of the joke about Mexican food: (not meant to offend I personally love Mexican food and know the distinctions)

• A guy goes to a Mexican restaurant, looks at the menu, and asks for an explanation.  What's a taco?  It's a tortilla with meat, cheese, and lettuce.   OK, then what's an enchilada?  Oh, that's a tortilla, filled with meat, cheese, and lettuce on top.   What's a burrito? meat, cheese, lettuce, inside a tortilla.   What about a tostada?   Etc, etc. 

Martita's dish was simple, and she screwed up the tortilla part of it.  Shes a one-trick pony and I'm gad she's gone.

I was hoping Ana would be eliminated, and I think she was hoping the same thing.   She realized too late that she does not want to be there. I bet she's thinking up excuses to bow out of the competition, she is NOT liking it.  A medical issue?  family issue? I bet she comes up with something.

I like Mexican food too, but it is not that varied!    Food to a fair? Ridiculous.  Offering for a pot luck dinner dish in the trunk would made sense. 

I am watching it again now (key parts).  When Martita gets her food title 'Meat me Halfway,' she said, I don't even know what that means, but I am going to cook a delicious piece of meat.  Zero regard for the challenge rules and that was not the first time.  She also blew off the 'sparing verbally with another chef.'  

I don't think Ana wants to go, that is just her personality.  She may do better with Martita out of the way.  She and Monterey seem to have bonded.  

 

ETA.  I used to make chicken Marbella from the Silver Pallet Cookbook from time to time.  I had forgotten about it.  I am inspired to make it again; it is very good.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/chicken-marbella-silver-palate-cookbook-1277030

Edited June 6, 2016 by wings707

[cooksdelight]

I wonder if Martita's early exit was their way of acknowledging that Comeback Kitchen was a very bad idea and that they should never do that again?? One can hope.

[Wings]

1 minute ago, cooksdelight said:

I wonder if Martita's early exit was their way of acknowledging that Comeback Kitchen was a very bad idea and that they should never do that again?? One can hope.

Since is was clearly a filler show thrown together for May sweeps you are probably right.  

[GaT]

17 minutes ago, wings707 said:

I am watching it again now (key parts).  When Martita gets her food title 'Meat me Halfway,' she said, I don't even know what that means, but I am going to cook a delicious piece of meat.  Zero regard for the challenge rules and that was not the first time.  She also blew off the 'sparing verbally with another chef.'  

I don't think Ana wants to go, that is just her personality.  She may do better with Martita out of the way.  She and Monterey seem to have bonded.  

I wish they had shown the dishes that the titles originally came from, I have no idea what "Meat me Halfway" could possibly be either.

I think Ana might be better with Martita out of the way just because she isn't clashing with another Latin cook anymore.

Edited June 6, 2016 by GaT

[Uncle Benzene]

48 minutes ago, GaT said:

That was Martita's whole problem, she was too rehearsed & polished & nothing sounded natural. They told her, but somehow she either didn't understand what they were saying, or she just didn't believe it. She was the only person who was on their 3rd time doing this (her original season, Comeback Kitchen, & this season) so she probably thought she was the expert on how to act.

I think it was a whole lot of both, and I suspect that the reason she both couldn't understand it and couldn't believe it was mostly because it was coming from the dead-eyed Jahdahbot. I'd have been flummoxed too. After all, Little Big Head is basically the dictionary definition of overly polished, overly rehearsed, 3D printer generated based on committee notes and focus group polls Food Network Personality. And Giada spent the entirety of Martita's first stint badgering her into fitting that mold, praising her when she conformed and admonishing her when she didn't. And after all that, Martita finally got her Giadaness down to a science, the soulless marketing science it is, and suddenly Jahdah's all "Nope, fuck that."

Dead-eyed Jahdahbot excoriating someone for being too polished is by far the most unintentionally meta-hilarious thing I have ever seen on Food Network. The fact that it was her own "spicy Latina" is just the cherry on top. And the fact that nobody, not Jahdah, not Martita, not anybody at Food Network actually gets the joke they themselves are making, is the... um... bacon gravy? Or something.

[spiderpig]

This season is going to be like playing Whack-a-Mole.

[Wings]

Every time Martita heard the words polished or rehearsed she automatically took that as a compliment.  The message was clear but she was not focused on really hearing what the judges said.  Her shock at being eliminated illustrated this beautifully.  She was floored; she thought she was going to win. 

[Psychobunny]

I don't hate Ana but I think that's because she can apparently cook.  I am always a sucker for the ones who have talent over the ones with "personality" (except in the case of Dom who I just couldn't stand).

[spiderpig]

I'm agreeing with those who like Monterrey.  I wonder why she's on the verge of tears, though.  She was a great sport on Camp Cutthroat, where she had to cook being chased around by a Bob in a bear suit, or in a Tiny Cabin (I forget which, but the show was hilarious).  She's pretty but doesn't seem full of herself (*cough - fill in other contestants' names here - cough*).

[Wings]

1 hour ago, spiderpig said:

I'm agreeing with those who like Monterrey.  I wonder why she's on the verge of tears, though.  She was a great sport on Camp Cutthroat, where she had to cook being chased around by a Bob in a bear suit, or in a Tiny Cabin (I forget which, but the show was hilarious).  She's pretty but doesn't seem full of herself (*cough - fill in other contestants' names here - cough*).

I think winning this show is more important to her than Cutthroat K.  Some people express sad, frustrated, disappointed, anger in tears.  It is just who she is.  I like her. She is adorable. 

[Wings]

Here is a brief interview with Martita since leaving.  She felt a target was on her back when she left Comeback K.  Oh please.  The judges had your fate in their hands, not the other contestants.  No one targeted you.  Excuse for losing.   

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/star-talk/2016/06/05/food-network-star-season-12-exit-interview-martita-jara/

Edited June 6, 2016 by wings707

[Skyfall]

Dom would've made it further. He knows how to cook different dishes.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Skyfall

[RCharter]

2 hours ago, GaT said:

I wish they had shown the dishes that the titles originally came from, I have no idea what "Meat me Halfway" could possibly be either.

I think Ana might be better with Martita out of the way just because she isn't clashing with another Latin cook anymore.

I just wonder why Martita didn't just plate half the dish, or even cook a big piece of meat and cut it in half.  

It might not have looked appealing in a picture, but at least the woman would have known what Martita's dish was and they would have tasted it.

[GaT]

7 minutes ago, RCharter said:

I just wonder why Martita didn't just plate half the dish, or even cook a big piece of meat and cut it in half.  

It might not have looked appealing in a picture, but at least the woman would have known what Martita's dish was and they would have tasted it.

I was thinking she would cook the same piece of meat 2 different ways & make half the plate one version of the meal, & the other side a different version.

[Skyfall]

6 hours ago, Nutjob said:

I don't know why, but I'm getting winner vibes from Monterey already. She's young, attractive, different from anyone currently hosting any of their shows, inoffensively snarky, and if she can stop being such a s***, I think they can make her into someone appealing for the network. Plus, this episode made it very clear that most of the rest are copies of hosts they already have, or people that no one would want to watch like Ana or Jernard (I can't stand him!).

I hope she wins, she's like a more classy and quiet Nadia G.

[RCharter]

Just now, GaT said:

I was thinking she would cook the same piece of meat 2 different ways & make half the plate one version of the meal, & the other side a different version.

She could have done that too!  Especially if they were cooked in two completely/visually different ways.  Like maybe one half was grilled and the other was deep fried and she put them together on the plate.  That would have looked cool in a photo as well.

[dahling]

16 minutes ago, Skyfall said:

Dom would've made it further. He knows how to cook different dishes.

Too bad about his flaccid on-camera personality.  Dude had his chance(s). Not a TV personality. 

[akr]

Dom's problem wasn't being bland so much (that can be worked on) - it's that he still hasn't figured out how to deliver under pressure. You can't flake out and walk off at an event, or leave dead air time, or swear on a live morning show when you screw up (or instead stand there stammering or stagestruck) if you want to be a TV chef. Maybe it will come with practice, but it was pretty obvious he still had those same problems that he did before. 

[Skyfall]

7 minutes ago, dahling said:

Too bad about his flaccid on-camera personality.  Dude had his chance(s). Not a TV personality. 

By the end of CBK he had actually fixed that.

[candall]

4 hours ago, GaT said:

 

That was Martita's whole problem, she was too rehearsed & polished & nothing sounded natural. They told her, but somehow she either didn't understand what they were saying, or she just didn't believe it. She was the only person who was on their 3rd time doing this (her original season, Comeback Kitchen, & this season) so she probably thought she was the expert on how to act.

"Probably"?!?  LOL

She flat out informed us in her (natural voice) parting statement that she expected to win the whole thing--which means her anxiety-face as she stood in the bottom four was, like all the rest of her affect, totally contrived.  Hasta lueeego, Marteeeta. >jazz hands!<

Maybe I'm just on a happy high after 147 straight hours of HBO's Six Feet Under binge, but I don't really want anyone else booted.  They all fit so well into their little stereotype boxes and they're all just so basically awful--I'd be happy to watch six more weeks with the full complement of clusterfuckery intact.  It's going to get less interesting as the crazy quotient goes down.

 

I doubt if gnocchi has ever been prepared over a campfire, anywhere, by anyone, but the category that mystified me was State Fair.  Cheese curds (??) and crabmeat don't say "state fair" to me.  I guess a five pound bag of sugar and a vat of hot grease would have been too basic?

[Fostersmom]

4 hours ago, backformore said:

Yaku and Tregaye AGAIN doing the "he's big, she's little, let's have him carry her"  schtick annoyed me.  We get it.  PUT HER DOWN. it's only cute once, and it wasn't all that cute the first time.

The theme didn't make sense to me -  camping?  Grandma's?  state Fair?  what?   Food you BRING when you're going to the state fair?  No, you don't bring food to a place that serves food.  Camping food, to me, means stuff you would cook over a campfire, or maybe a dutch oven dish.  I guess I didn't really understand the task.

 

Tregaye jumping around in pigtails carrying a bear and pinwheel was just too weird and creepy for a food intro. It bordered on sexual fetish, especially given the unavoidable size difference. Poor Yaku just seemed embarrassed to even be there. 

If you didn't understand the task, then neither did I. The themes seemed to have very little with what any of them made. 

[RCharter]

29 minutes ago, Fostersmom said:

Tregaye jumping around in pigtails carrying a bear and pinwheel was just too weird and creepy for a food intro. It bordered on sexual fetish, especially given the unavoidable size difference. Poor Yaku just seemed embarrassed to even be there. 

If you didn't understand the task, then neither did I. The themes seemed to have very little with what any of them made. 

I think when she first jumped out from behind him, it was cute.  I think it got cringeworthy real quick when she started talking about milking cows and going way, way over the top.  She needs to take a hint and stop describing her food as whimsical, because that makes me think she is serving up unicorn kisses.  As bad as Ana is, as half done as her food is, as much as she is a disaster in front of the camera.....when she is describing her food, it sounds tasty to me.  Layers of flavors sounds delicious...whimsical sounds like fairy farts.

Edited June 7, 2016 by RCharter

[HappyDancex2]

Whimsical sounds to me like you don't take your food seriously....hey the cake is slightly leaning...the risotto is a strange shade of brown...there is a piece of dirt on the lettuce leaf....no worries because it's whimsical food!  It's not precise delicious tasting food every time....it's a vague attempt at cooking and that's just darn OK!!

i was reading through the posts and Joy was mentioned several times...I just couldn't figure out which one she was without looking it up.  Bodeth not well.

[bluepiano]

9 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Justin buried himself. Alton personally was going to produce his 6-episode series. Justin refused to do a stand-and-stir on the set. He wanted a travel show. They shot one episode of him out and about and it bombed. He should have listened to Alton. He wasn't yet ready for a travel show. It was bad. Really bad.

I was no fan of Justin's during his season, trust me. I never liked his entitled attitude. But it seemed like after he tanked FN shied away from going with a younger host who might appeal to a (for want of a better word) "hipper" demographic. (I did like Adam Gertler, who I thought was telegenic and funny and really knew his stuff. He was on FNS back when most of the contestants had serious food chops and professional credentials, unlike the "food bloggers," "You Tubers" and "caterers" we've been getting the past few seasons. Why can't they get some of the many talented, young, personable chefs we see parading through Chopped?)

Damiano and Erin being one of the safe teams proves yet again that you can completely ignore the premise of the challenge as long as you make good food.

Agree with Wings 707 that the FN brass could very well be eyeing Joy as Paula Deen 2.0. She's every bit as southern but younger, attractive in a wholesome soccer Mom way, and can probably cook food that's more contemporary and not as butter and fat dependent. And FN loves the cooking for a family angle, which she has in spades. I would never want to watch her show, but then I don't watch Prairie Cook or Trisha Yearwood or any of their other countrified shows.

Edited June 7, 2016 by bluepiano

[HappyDancex2]

Watching Monterey mess up her 4 minute egg...SMH.  She couldn't make eggs and bread??  I will have to say she has excellent exasperated comedic timing....id watch a show from her if it was called "Epic Fail" and just kind of fumble around food and be all upset about it.  Lol.

and then the weird talking head of Martita saying "I make the most perfectly flavored food and if you guys don't taste it..."  Is it me or did that seem forced??  Did she make a stir fry??  

[jumper sage]

8 hours ago, backformore said:

The theme didn't make sense to me -  camping?  Grandma's?  state Fair?  what?   Food you BRING when you're going to the state fair?  No, you don't bring food to a place that serves food.  Camping food, to me, means stuff you would cook over a campfire, or maybe a dutch oven dish.  I guess I didn't really understand the task.

I think the premise was, in my mind at least, that a lot of families can't or won't afford the price of food at the fair.  I know for us, our parents strictly denied us fair food because of the cost and the not-so-cleanliness.  My parents would not be caught dead camping in a tent and we would "camp" in a shelter structure and my mom cooked our food at home and packed it up,  and then we roasted hot dogs or something at the fire.

Martita - her fake accent was too much for me.

Ron - I could see him doing a show where the kids like the food and then he specializes it up for the adults.  I would watch that.  I like him.

[HappyDancex2]

OK I've figured it out.  The lunch lady guy is a mix of Guy Fietttttiii and wait for it......Pah Style Rodney!  At first I thought his shirts were retro bowling a la Guy...but upon replay they are retro rockabilly...a la Pah Guy.

so the question is....will we see the morphing of blond hair and sunglasses perched in bizarre locations of one's head or will we see the pork pie straw hat?  I should make a bingo card LOL.