S14.E03: Choke Holds and Clammy Hands

[FormerMod-a1]

The chefs divide into teams to compete in a "mise en place" race. The foodies must also create a seven-course progressive meal featuring the humble radish in front of "Top Chef" superfans. The guest judges are Chris Cosentino and Richard Blais.

[Maverick]

20 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

Chris Cosentino and Richard Blais

  Good Lord.  The real competition is going to be who has the bigger ego.  

[Hero]

I'm so fucking sick of Richard Blais. He's on my t.v. way too much. He thinks his presence is a gift to everyone.

[spankydoll]

I am confused by the attitude that the returning chefs are superior in their talents. They gave just been in the TV show. Been on the TV show and lost to boot!

[The Solution]

Best.episode.ever! Brooke won and Sam, the tooliest tool who ever tooled, went home for committing one of Tom's cardinal sins. 

Quote

But it WASN'T a banh mi, was it?

B'bye Sam. I'm sure Marcel sends his best.

[MerBearHou]

I like Richard Blais a lot so was glad to see him tonight.  I just had a feeling it was Sam's night to go -- he had a lot of personal moments during the episode and that is usually a precursor to the one packing knives.  I really enjoy him so am sorry he is off so early but his bahn mi was poorly conceived and executed.  Way to go, Brooke!

[Maverick]

 Please find some other terms besides Rookies and Vets.  This is not Real World/Road Rules Challenge.  

 This is also (despite it's apparent attempt to devolve into it) Hell's Kitchen.  I hate the faux drama of every course coming down to a tiebreaker and one team making a miraculous comeback to be in the running until the last course.   When Blue was one win away from taking it, I knew the next two rounds were automatically going to Green and it would all hinge on Brooke's desert.  

[Court]

I find Casey irritating. The other dude messed up the pork last week, right? I wanted him to go for that still. I also think that they partly felt they needed to send a veteran home. 

[cooksdelight]

Never, ever call something by a specific name if it's not even close. I think if Sam had referred to it as an appetizer without naming it, he might still be there. 

[pivot]

So happy to see Sam go. He certainly is full of himself, though he is nowhere near as bad as Richard Blais.  Lordy, Top Chef needs to let Blais go already. He is such a tool. 

[rustyspigot]

Padma seemed less drunk this episode so there's that.

Anyway, He who must not be Blaized was kept mostly to a minimum. Now go away to whatever alley you reside in until the Food Network calls you again.

I knew Sylvia's "greatest cake that was ever made" wasn't going to win. Reality show editing at its most predictable.

One guy still profusely sweats into his food.

Casey's ass attitude really shows in the group challenges.

Tell me more about this mystical thing called an enchilada, Katsuji.

[archer1267]

I thought Casey would be a goner with her radish "scallop" after Mike Isabella struck out with the leek "scallop" in S6. I was oddly happy to see Amanda win her round against Shirley. Competing after not actively working as a chef for 18 months is ballsy.

Is Richard Blais the only former winner who's ever available to appear as a guest judge? Enough already.

Clearly I haven't given radishes much of a chance in my eating life.

[rustyspigot]

Just now, archer1267 said:

Clearly I haven't given radishes much of a chance in my eating life.

The HUMBLE radish. As opposed to the BOASTFUL Kale and SLUTTY celery.

[avecsans]

Ugh....radishes.  They taste like spicy dirt, and I can't imagine having to eat a 7-course meal of them.

Sam was so obnoxious in this episode.    He was way up in everyone's business when apparently he should have paid more attention to his own dish. Not sorry to see him go.  And he can take Katsuji with him.  His shtick is already played out.  And John Tesar can stop sweating into the food anytime now, please.

I still don't know everyone's name.  I wish they still did the weekly intro that put the name to the face.  Neck tattoos finally proved he can cook vegetables,  but hand tattoos might be one more bad dish away from elimination.

Brooke is my choice to win so far.  I admire how calmly she behaves under pressure.

[archer1267]

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And he can take Katsuji with him.  His shtick is already played out.

I only vaguely remember him from his earlier season. Was he as much of an ass then too?

I knew the minute Brooke explained why dessert was important to her that she would win. TC loves its redemption arcs.

[Quilt Fairy]

16 minutes ago, archer1267 said:

Clearly I haven't given radishes much of a chance in my eating life.

I hate radishes. Just never got a taste for them young.  My mom had to stop putting it in her potato salad when I was a kid (because moms do that kind of thing) and even now many decades later, the deli at my local grocery store makes a great potato salad, but when I get home to eat it I pull out every slice of radish first.  If I went to a TC event and was told that the focus of all 14 dishes I was sampling would be the radish, I would probably turn around and leave.

This episode felt very rushed, like it need to be at least 15 minutes longer. I would have liked more time on the food rather than how many people were holding up green or blue cards.

[hoosiermom]

How did Padma  get that scar on her arm? I am not use to the editing on this show so I thought the chef who made the cake desert was going to win. I will have to pay more attention I guess.

[le bordel chaud]

12 minutes ago, hoosiermom said:

How did Padma  get that scar on her arm? I am not use to the editing on this show so I thought the chef who made the cake desert was going to win. I will have to pay more attention I guess.

Car accident.

This elimination was legit shocking to me and why I love Top Chef so much. It has integrity unlike many reality TV shows. Clearly not everyone likes Sam, but some of us do and they could have kept him around as he is clearly a bigger draw than the rando who screwed up pork last week. Sigh, as I find Sam sexy and wanted him to stay for the eye candy factor alone.

This episode was so fun and well-paced. I still don't know how Brooke's dessert turned out so immaculate after a seeming Hail Mary salvage attempt, but then again I don't cook lol. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by delicatecutter

[hoosiermom]

Thank you.

[Bastet]

I don't bat an eye at chefs who stick a spoon back in the food after tasting it, but those who drip sweat into it gross me out (I'm completely blasé about germs in general; I just have a major thing about other people's perspiration), so watching John was making me ill.

I love the Mise en Place relay, and like the twist on it this year.

There was little lip service paid to appealing to the "super fans," but I don't know why there was any -- their vote is never going to mean shit if the judges disagree, so always appeal to the latter.

I'll give Katsuji the benefit of the doubt that competition conditions just got to him, and he's not actually dumb enough to be unable to count to five ("so who won?"). 

I'm still a bit disgruntled over the odd format that marred what should have been the greatest finale ever, between Brooke and Kristen - two contestants whose food and personalities I loved in equal measure - so, while it's nice to see Brooke win in a head-to-head, I could still do without the memories.  Given the green team's to a person "holy shit, this is good" reaction to Silvia's dessert, and how much the judges loved it, Brooke must have really killed it.

I thought Casey would be going home, given how every judge (other than the fans), picked her competitor, which made me sad, but then at JT, I realized she was safe.  Sad that either BJ or Sam was going to go home for a great dish, but sometimes that's the game.  Sam's looked and sounded better to me, but commentary made it seem the radish wasn't enough of a star (plus we can't discount the "how dare you call it a [dish]?!" factor), so I figured he was a goner.  Tom saying "This sucks" upon eliminating him was telling; I wonder how Sam will do in LCK -- it's such a long road, it's hard to imagine anyone making it all the way through to come back.

I still can't conjure up a single memory of Amanda from her previous season.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Bastet

[snarktini]

I respect Amanda for competing on TC after not being in the kitchen for two years. And going through three spinal fusions is a BFD! I had fairly minor back surgery (to the extent that any back surgery is minor) a few years back and it ate my life. It was really hard to regain my mojo after an extended period of chronic pain and limited ability. So, good on her for bouncing back and not being afraid to jump in.

What a shame anyone had to go home tonight. It's hardly ever the case where every single thing is good. I'd have voted BJ off the island, just because this is his third trip to the bottom. (right?)

[chiaros]

I didn't care for this episode. Disliked the first-to-4-wins format of the EC, just as I hated the same setup for the finale of Season 10 (when Brooke was runner-up). They had a similar format for some other challenges over the years too, and I always hated them, just as the "losers of each round" on the losing team go onto the chopping block. TC is a game show, but this format for a challenge irks me. They should allow ALL courses to be served and then decide on each course on their merits. Score them appropriately, 6-1 or 4-3 or whatever – and perhaps award some sort of prize for each point above the necessary score to win.

Not sorry to see Sam go. 

Not enthusiastic about Brooke winning.

Katsuji is getting more and more on my nerves. So far he hasn't redeemed himself from how obnoxious he was/became on his first season.

I don't mind Richard Blais, even if he isn't the most appealing of "food personalities" and is given to somewhat Purple Prose sometimes. It seems a bit odd to me, the fierce hate for him from some quarters.

I like various kinds of radishes. Love daikon - Chinese/Japanese/Korean varieties included. LOTS of E and SE Asian dishes and cuisines make extensive use of daikon, and with good reason. It's delicious. I like French Breakfast, icicle radishes & others too. Watermelon radishes are fun. Not too keen on the standard small round red salad radishes of Western cuisine nor black radishes.

[Court]

19 minutes ago, Bastet said:

 

I'm still a bit disgruntled over the odd format that marred what should have been the greatest finale ever, between Brooke and Kristen - two contestants whose food and personalities I loved in equal measure - so, while it's nice to see Brooke win in a head-to-head, I could still do without the memories.  Given the green team's to a person "holy shit, this is good" reaction to Silvia's dessert, and how much the judges loved it, Brooke must have really killed it.

I thought Casey would be going home, given how every judge (other than the fans), picked her competitor, which made me sad, but then at JT, I realized she was safe.  Sad that either BJ or Sam was going to go home for a great dish, but sometimes that's the game.  Sam's looked and sounded better to me, but commentary made it seem the radish wasn't enough of a star (plus we can't discount the "how dare you call it a [dish]?!" factor), so I figured he was a goner.  Tom saying "This sucks" upon eliminating was telling; I wonder how Sam will do in LCK -- it's such a long road, it's hard to imagine anyone making it all the way through to come back.

I still can't conjure up a single memory of Amanda from her previous season.

I can't help but think this is exactly why Brooke got the win. They wanted that redemption arc. 

Also, co-sign on Amanda. Who is she? I've watched every season.

[buttersister]

That's the Katsuji that bugged by the time he packed his knives the first time. Bury the shtick, dude, let's see what you got. I think Amanda looked very differently in her season---but acts about the same. Leave anytime soon, dear.

I enjoy various radishes, but was surprised to hear the judges rave about how damn tasty these dishes were. Reminds me that the problem with these shows is that the viewing audience can't taste a thing, so has to trust the judges. That's easier in some cases than others (looking at you, unfortunately again, Blais.)

[Merneith]

Oh! I just placed Amanda! She was the one in one of my all time favorite Top Chef moments - she tried to make an apple pie for Johnny Iuzzini and it was a mess, so she sort of simpered, "Oh, well, I'm not really a pastry chef, so ..." and Iuzzini replied, "What a cop out. My grandma's not a pastry chef but she can bake a simple pie."

I blanked on Amanda's name but I've had a crush on Iuzzini ever since. Hunh. So. That's Amanda.

I'm not impressed by Pork Guy but I'm over Sam, so whatever. I like Richard in small doses. He seemed fine tonight.

I like Brooke a lot but I just can't help rooting for Shirley. I also seem to be rooting for Jimmy Sears, although I couldn't tell you why. Can't he tie a towel around his head, at least?

Edited December 16, 2016 by Merneith

[GaT]

I still don't know what a "progressive meal" is, anybody got a definition?

[Calamity Jane]

I was quite surprised the guy who believes he can cook pork but can't didn't go home.  He needs to step up his game, that's twice on the bottom already.  

The format gave me unpleasant flashes of Hell's Kitchen, but I did like that only those whose dishes lost in the head-to-head were in danger.  That's something, anyway.  

Still enjoying the show.  It's a pleasant diversion just when most shows are going on their break.  :-)

[spiderpig]

2 hours ago, Court said:

I can't help but think this is exactly why Brooke got the win. They wanted that redemption arc. 

Also, co-sign on Amanda. Who is she? I've watched every season.

I'm awful at remembering returnees, but when another poster said Amanda was the one who put booze in the school lunches I said "Oh - HER!"

[candall]

I have trouble believing that fourteen dishes which all showcased the flavor of radish made one of the most fabulous meals the Top Chef judges have ever experienced during the course of this show.

I, too, read the "Showdown Dessert" writing on the wall, way back at the 3-1 score.

I love you, Top Chef.  Stop making me doubt you.

[FormerMod-a1]

There's a great variety of flavors, and intensity of flavors, in radishes.  This is true even in the same type of radish, and then add in the different types of radishes these chefs had to cook with, I can see it making for a very good meal.  I like radishes, but not all.  Some are mild and almost sweet and more light and crispy than crunchy.  Some are quite spicy.  Some are rather crunchy, almost hard.  And so on.  The soil they are grown in has a huge impact on the flavor and/or intensity of flavor.  That's why sometimes even the same radish type can vary greatly each time you have them.

Common Radish Varieties

[Lizzing]

I have never been a fan of radishes until a few years ago when I unexpectedly had a bunch of them. I figured I'd play around with them, otherwise I'd toss them out for the wildlife to eat.  I found this recipe on line that basically cooked the radishes in a pan with butter until the butter turned brown and the radishes were cooked through.  I'll be damned if they weren't utterly amazing; no peppery bite, but a sweetness throughout and soft texture, kind of like a cooked new potato.  Given that even I could do that, I can see where trained chefs could make radishes taste awesome in a dessert or like a scallop.  BTW, I still hate raw radishes and will pick them out of any salad.

I'm happy with Sam being gone, as I've never liked that guy, but I wish it had been BJ because he (a) gets too many THs and (b) has been in the bottom already.  Blais doesn't bother me as much as he used to, but I still would have preferred if Gail had been there instead.

[Corgi-ears]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

I still can't conjure up a single memory of Amanda from her previous season.

It looks like a cold sore was beginning to appear above Amanda's lip, which...sort of...perhaps...started to trigger my memory of her first go-around...and then...nope, the memory was gone.

[Wings]

I loved Sheldon's comment,  "now John(?) can get a tattoo of a radish on his face. "  I have forgotten the name of the tattooed guy.  

I would have liked to have seen the judges use a paddle before any of them gave their take on the dish.  It was too easy to arrange the outcome.  I am not complaining, just an observation.   I like Sam but he definitely made the least successful dish.  It was fair.  

Jim is getting a winners edit as is Brooke.  

8 hours ago, rustyspigot said:

The HUMBLE radish. As opposed to the BOASTFUL Kale and SLUTTY celery.

This is hysterical!  

[Seelouis]

If I were asked to a Top Chef event as a "super fan," I would be royally pissed to find out I was getting to eat 14 dishes made from radishes. 

[cooksdelight]

I love spicy radishes with a good amount of salt. I could make a meal out of them, but dessert? Hats off to Brooke and Italian lady for pulling it off.

[spiderpig]

Another chapter in what is becoming the weirdest season ever.  I am not connecting at all with the concept, the location or the contestants

Edited December 16, 2016 by spiderpig

[Michichick]

6 hours ago, Merneith said:

I like Brooke a lot but I just can't help rooting for Shirley. I also seem to be rooting for Jimmy Sears, although I couldn't tell you why. Can't he tie a towel around his head, at least?

I haven't learned everyone's names yet. Which one is Jimmy?

[Primetimer]

Who wouldn't want to eat fourteen variations on radishes?

View the full article

[chiaros]

4 minutes ago, Michichick said:

I haven't learned everyone's names yet. Which one is Jimmy?

"Jimmy Sears" = John Tesar. 

[Constantinople]

7 hours ago, Court said:

Also, co-sign on Amanda. Who is she? I've watched every season.

She wasn't on a previous season.  The producers just thought it would be a hoot to "bring back" a cheftestant who'd actually never participated before to see how the viewers and other cheftestants reacted.

[sugarbaker design]

Amanda was on Season 7.

[archer1267]

Quote

I don't mind Richard Blais, even if he isn't the most appealing of "food personalities" and is given to somewhat Purple Prose sometimes. It seems a bit odd to me, the fierce hate for him from some quarters.

I'll try to articulate why Richard bugs me (though there are winners/contestants I dislike far more than him). It was his attitude that Season 4 was his to lose, despite Stephanie having won the same number of challenges as him going into the finale. There's been a tendency on TC for male chefs to not take female competitors seriously. I'm not saying Richard fell into that trap and Stephanie's gender could have had nothing to do with that. But it still bothered me. And maybe it was editing, but whenever someone else won a QF or elimination challenge, the camera would often pan to Blais and he'd have a sour little look on his face. What made the sense of entitlement odd was his comment "I hate everything I put out." So...are you really that insecure, Richard? Or is it false modesty? How can you hate everything you do yet think you deserve to win?

Of course, Richard isn't the only contestant to have that "I'm the best one here" attitude; a good many of them do. I think what gets under my skin is him showing up at Judges' Table wearing glasses and tweed jackets, looking very professorial as he offers his exalted opinion...when not so long ago, he was on the other side of the table. Even chefs such as Hubert Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Eric Ripert come across with more...humbleness (not sure if that's the word I'm looking for).

I will say though that - unlike many other cheftestants - I don't remember Richard being mean to anyone or participating in mob mentality. And he's probably a very nice guy in person. But I can't help it...whenever I see him pop up, I groan a little bit.

Edited December 16, 2016 by archer1267

[pally]

It was nice, for a change, to see both teams work so well together.  No bickering, no infighting, no sabotage ( intentionally or not), they just went about their business and helped each other when needed.  And it worked apparently since both teams produced a great meal.

[Constantinople]

Mild gripes

The challenge was structured so that it was possible for the worst dish to be on the winning team.  I'm not saying it happened this time, and it's not exactly unusual given the number of team challenges every season, but just something I don't like.  Still, it led to Sam's elimination, so I'm taking the good with the bad.

Since the derivation of fan is from fanatic, phrases like "super fans" bug me.  And just why are they "super fans"?  Did they use their life savings to fly in from New Zealand on the off chance they might be selected?  Or are they just fans who happened to live in the area, saw something on Facebook and who were available on the day of shooting?

Tesar shouldn't be in Top Chef.  I thought the original idea for Top Chef was to showcase up-and-comers, not chefs who've been in the business for decades.  If he wasn't good enough for Top Chef Masters when TCM was still around, I don't think he should be here.  Especially since he's a second timer.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Constantinople

[Giselle]

11 hours ago, Maverick said:

 Please find some other terms besides Rookies and Vets.  This is not Real World/Road Rules Challenge.  

 This is also (despite it's apparent attempt to devolve into it) Hell's Kitchen.  I hate the faux drama of every course coming down to a tiebreaker and one team making a miraculous comeback to be in the running until the last course.   When Blue was one win away from taking it, I knew the next two rounds were automatically going to Green and it would all hinge on Brooke's desert.  

After the fourth course the competition lost all credibility. If they voted for the blue team the competition would have been over. Tom and Padma struggled to find a reason to give the green team 2 wins. It was an episode stretching  joke.

Richard Blaise and his ego can get off my screen.  He has become tedious so much so I disregard whatever he says by not listening.

[hendersonrocks]

I love Sheldon. I think in real life I might enjoy Katsuji (in small doses, perhaps), but my god we're three weeks in and he's already at a level 11. Take it down to a 6, Katsuji. I'm not a Casey hater, but I loooooooved that her disdain for Silva's dish bit her in the ass a little bit. 

The knifing seemed like a real toss up between Sam and JB or BJ or whatever his name is. At first I appreciated the judges for sending Sam packing as a "vet" but then I started to wonder if they thought it could be off-putting to have the first three to go all be new cheftestants. Either way, based on performance thus far it seems like JB/BJ is not long for this world. 

[Giselle]

8 hours ago, GaT said:

I still don't know what a "progressive meal" is, anybody got a definition?

I've always understood a "progressive meal" is when a group of people come together and a different person prepares and serves a course  another facet to the progressive meal is to then move to a different venue for the next course and so on till completion.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Giselle

[Wings]

There are no rules as to who can apply or be cast. This is not a competition for only new up and coming chefs as we see. When the format calls for previous contestants you are going to get accomplished chefs.  I do hate this format! 

After Blais' attitude when Stephenie won it took me a long time to tolerate him. I still don't like Caseys and that will probably not change! 

All these chefs are probably very likable should you meet them in real life. Why wouldnt they be? They are their own PR team. When they are compelling and fabulous on TV, then you know they are special people.  Brooke, Jim, Stephanie, Carla to name to name several. Katsuji annoys me even though he donated to cancer research for @cooksdelight. LOL! 

[cooksdelight]

Quote

Since the derivation of fan is from fanatic, phrases like "super fans" bug me.  And just why are they "super fans"?  Did they use their life savings to fly in from New Zealand on the off chance they might be selected?  Or are they just fans who happened to live in the area, saw something on Facebook and who were available on the day of shooting?

They are SAG or AFTRA actors, paid to be on the show. I applied a bunch of times to be a diner on different shows, and every single application asked if I was in either union. Nope. Therefore, I never heard from them. A good friend who is an actress has been a taster or a focus group person on two different shows.

[meep.meep]

Was I the only one who couldn't tell the difference between the fans' green and blue signs?  It's a radish challenge for gods sake, have a Red team!

Sam should have gone with "banh mi-inspired" if he wasn't going to use baguettes.  And "did you make your own ..."?  is always the kiss of death when the answer is no.

Edited December 16, 2016 by meep.meep