S09.E03: Oktoberfest Feast

[Drogo]

In the spirit of Oktoberfest, Anne Burrell and Rachael Ray have their teams cook a traditional wiener schnitzel -- but in a relay-race while playing beer pong! Afterwards, the celebrities learn Oktoberfest-inspired meals, which includes making sausages from scratch. The two least successful recruits go head-to-head in a sausage challenge, and one recruit is sent packing.

[ladytenor]

Glad Tommy was eliminated. Even with continued prodding from Chef Anne, he still was unfocused and all over the place. I was happy to see Mike "The Situation" win the challenge. He really seems to take it seriously and was determined to prove himself after being in the bottom 2 last week.

[spiderpig]

I'll keep watching, but I'm not feeling this show at all.

Maybe it's because they hang the "celebrity" banner on the program, and after 3 weeks I still have no idea who the participants are.

[justjen]

3 hours ago, spiderpig said:

I'll keep watching, but I'm not feeling this show at all.

Maybe it's because they hang the "celebrity" banner on the program, and after 3 weeks I still have no idea who the participants are.

I know who most of them are and I still don't care. Pretty positive I'm done with this show. :(

[candall]

Uh oh, I used to really enjoy this show and I'm having some problems with it, too.

I think sausage-making is very interesting for the ability to fine-tune the flavor, but that's a ridiculous exercise for amateur home-chefs who are supposed to be mastering the basics.

I missed the final showdown altogether, but when I glanced up and saw three people versus four people, I knew there was NO WAY the four-person team wasn't about to lose a player.  The eliminations are entirely formulaic now, which means Anne and Rachel cringing and hiding their eyes is almost as embarrassing as that time they made Anne act all flirty and horny over "the cute guy."

 

It's still a decent premise for a cooking competition--but the "no need to fix what ain't broke" attitude needs review.  It's broke.

[mlp]

I agree that the show is goofy and probably manipulated but I was rather astonished to realize while watching last night that I don't dislike any of the remaining contestants.  I'd never seen any of them before so I don't know what they're like on their own shows but, on this one, I'm getting a kick out of them which is a LOT more than I was able to say about previous shows with obnoxious "real" people.  Even the Situation guy who thinks cutting on the bias is harder than it looks isn't really annoying me.  Amazing.

[backformore]

When I see Mindy Cohn on this show, I'm reminder of the opening credits of "facts of life" where she's in the kitchen with a bag of flour, and  "accidentally" spilling the flour every where.

[Amarsir]

12 hours ago, candall said:

I think sausage-making is very interesting for the ability to fine-tune the flavor, but that's a ridiculous exercise for amateur home-chefs who are supposed to be mastering the basics.

Yeah, this is exactly what I don't like.  Last week's poke is certainly not going to be a go-to dish for anyone, but breaded chops could be. But this? None of those folks are ever going to make their own sausage at home. And I doubt that homemade spaetzle or slaw is likely either. So it's all just nonsense.

I will say that both John and Tommy seemed like they honestly wanted to be there and do well. The tasks and eliminations may not be all that genuine, but at least maybe the people are.

[spiderpig]

36 minutes ago, Amarsir said:

Yeah, this is exactly what I don't like.  Last week's poke is certainly not going to be a go-to dish for anyone, but breaded chops could be. But this? None of those folks are ever going to make their own sausage at home. And I doubt that homemade spaetzle or slaw is likely either. So it's all just nonsense.

Yeah - we know the FN powers-that-be are going to work holiday themes to death.  Halloween's coming right up!

How 'bout teaching them to make risotto or saute scallops so they can audition for Gordon on Hell's Kitchen?

I've never made wienerschnitzel in my life because I'm queasy thinking about the treatment of calves in those horrible confining pens.  (Fellow foodies - are calves similarly tormented in Germany and Austria, or are they free to romp through the Alps like Julie Andrews for their short little lives?)

[Amarsir]

20 minutes ago, spiderpig said:

I've never made wienerschnitzel in my life because I'm queasy thinking about the treatment of calves in those horrible confining pens.  (Fellow foodies - are calves similarly tormented in Germany and Austria, or are they free to romp through the Alps like Julie Andrews for their short little lives?)

The EU banned veal crates in 2007. (US farmers are voluntarily phasing them out by next year.) 

[spiderpig]

Thanks for that, Amarsir.

[candall]

7 hours ago, Amarsir said:

The EU banned veal crates in 2007.  (US farmers are voluntarily phasing them out by next year.) 

Any menu that boasts about "milk fed" veal makes me get up and walk out of the restaurant, so this sounds like great news.  I'm highly suspicious of the "voluntary" and the "phasing."

But I have a check sitting right here for the HFA (Humane Farming Association,) so stay on top of that, guys.

[Amarsir]

7 hours ago, candall said:

Any menu that boasts about "milk fed" veal makes me get up and walk out of the restaurant, so this sounds like great news.  I'm highly suspicious of the "voluntary" and the "phasing."

But I have a check sitting right here for the HFA (Humane Farming Association,) so stay on top of that, guys.

I agree, statements about future accomplishments aren't worth much. And both the EU and the US still have milk-fed, though I think the UK is leading away from that.

[imjagain]

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 3:01 AM, ladytenor said:

Glad Tommy was eliminated. Even with continued prodding from Chef Anne, he still was unfocused and all over the place. I was happy to see Mike "The Situation" win the challenge. He really seems to take it seriously and was determined to prove himself after being in the bottom 2 last week.

I'll out myself and admit,  I used to watch Jersey Shore.  I remember Mike  cooked for the house often.  Maybe every Sunday. So I was under the impression he could cook.  

I think it's bizarre that he can't seem to cut on the bias. 

I agree Tommy had to go. 

I have never watched this show until this season,  but watching these celebs made go find old seasons of the show on Netflix. I'm enjoying both. 

Edited October 3, 2016 by imjagain

[grisgris]

Watching Tommy made me wonder if he wasn't a "few slices short of a loaf." The way he drifted around the kitchen lost inside his own head and simply couldn't follow Chef Anne's directions raised questions with me as to 1) is he sane or 2) was he high on something.  I know many of the "creative types" march to the beat of a different drum, and I've seen it before on prior seasons of this show, but Tommy, whoo? hoo? What planet are you on?

Situation just doesn't for me. Is he that dumb?

My early predictions are Nicole vs. Mindy or John.

[needschocolate]

On 9/29/2016 at 7:06 AM, candall said:

I think sausage-making is very interesting for the ability to fine-tune the flavor, but that's a ridiculous exercise for amateur home-chefs who are supposed to be mastering the basics.

I vaguely remember them teaching sausage making on one of the regular seasons of Worst Cooks, too.  In the decades that I and all of my friends have been cooking, I only know of one instance that someone made their own sausage.  I think the only reason why they do the sausage making is for the jokes they can make about it.  

[bunnyface]

I've never watched this show before either but when I saw John Henson, I was in.  I have been in a deep, meaningful, lust relationship with John since way back on Talk Soup.  So I said "I'll watch until John is out.  I'm only in it for John."  Dang if he might not go all the way and I'll end up watching the whole run. 

I did like his idea for a new show "30 Minute Meltdown."  Because that's about how I cook.  I get it.

[TDT]

Is there a thread for "Worst Bakers In America" yet? show just premiered earlier.. quite a few castoffs from earlier seasons of WCIA(the"Casting Central" types)

[candall]

21 hours ago, needschocolate said:

I vaguely remember them teaching sausage making on one of the regular seasons of Worst Cooks, too.  In the decades that I and all of my friends have been cooking, I only know of one instance that someone made their own sausage.  I think the only reason why they do the sausage making is for the jokes they can make about it.  

I see the allure--besides the snark factor, the machine is somewhat complicated, the process requires some finesse and there's the squick of the intestines.  But come on, show, these people claim to be flummoxed by a garlic press or a cheese grater.  Hey, my big spoon has holes.

 

8 hours ago, TDT said:

Is there a thread for "Worst Bakers In America" yet? show just premiered earlier.. quite a few castoffs from earlier seasons of WCIA(the"Casting Central" types)

The woman who flipped her fucking lid about "Eggs!?" set a whole new standard.

Edited October 3, 2016 by candall

[BW Manilowe]

18 hours ago, TDT said:

Is there a thread for "Worst Bakers In America" yet? show just premiered earlier.. quite a few castoffs from earlier seasons of WCIA(the"Casting Central" types)

They started 1 about 10 hours after you posted & asked, it looks like. It's here in this forum, not separate.