S14.E11: Adiós Charleston, Hello James Beard

[beaker73]

I haven't watched LCK yet, but I'd bet my paycheck that Brooke makes it to the finale.  She was very consistent throughout the competition, so she probably deserves it. Besides, her getting back in through LCK makes for a good storyline. 

[AnnaBaptist]

Besides Padma's rice, I saw product placement for Hidden Valley Ranch and for Patron tequila. Any products that I missed? My daughter and I were laughing at how blatant it was.

Brooke, Brooke, don't you know that cooking something sous vide is the kiss of death on this show? At least she didn't make risotto.

I did not  get the vibe that John's wife did not like him. She just looked uncomfortable on camera, imo.

All in all, good episode. It made up for the fiasco of last episode for me, what with the sudden quickfire elimination, the cronut guy (I think cronuts are vastly overrated), the imperative to be creative about brunch, and Silva leaving.

[spiderpig]

2 hours ago, wings707 said:

I agree with you and no on the frozen rice!  LOL@ mr pig in the bag. 

I had to check on Padma's rice.  It's available at Whole Paycheck and (reportedly) Costco.

Somehow Padma doesn't strike me as a Costco kinda gal.

[Jesse]

11 hours ago, avecsans said:

 I liked what Gail said to Brooke at the end. "Don't mistake emotion for weakness."  That's so true.

 

10 hours ago, awaken said:

I cried when tom said Sheldon will take his  place among the greatest chefs in the country.  He is getting the winner's edit, and is the winner in my book!

Both of those were so great, and are to me the upside of All-Stars (or half-ASS) -- the show people really get to know the contestants, so have a lot more insight into them. Sheldon should stay humble, obviously, but needs to own his greatness, too. And Brooke can fight the tough-guy chef image that is so prevalent without being any less.

[archer1267]

Quote

And, yeah, Brooke is very serious as is Casey.  They are not having fun but rather out to prove something to themselves and others I assume.  Very intense and off putting.

I can't blame Brooke for this. In the Seattle season, she peaked once Kristen left, and said at least once "I know people probably think I'm winning because Kristen isn't here." (Paraphrasing.) She really wanted to show that she could win against Kristen. Of all the chefs this season, Brooke came the closest to winning previously. John thought it was a milestone to just get to Restaurant Wars! I can see where she'd feel intense pressure to get to at least the finals again, if not win.

With Shirley and Sheldon, I do feel a little envious of chefs who have a strong cultural or regional identity to draw from - it puts more tools in their toolkit, and I can't remember someone taking Grandma's dish, updating it, and NOT having Tom comment on the soulfulness and clear love in the dish.  

[Court]

I think JT's wife is extremely shy and didn't really want to be on camera. She seemed uncomfortable with being filmed, not being with him.

[BullInChina]

Quote

Hey - did anyone know Padma was marketing frozen rice before seeing this ep?

Yeah, I ran across it at my local health food store. I haven't tried the plain rice, but there's a spicy beans & rice that is pretty darn good -- I keep it in the fridge here at work for emergency meal situations.  It's not too salty like so many frozen things. 

[Randomosity]

9 hours ago, Jamie Satyr said:

She was literally screaming into the wall instead of speaking softer "over" it! Brain-fart! It was like she thought if she yelled loud enough, it would go through like a wood wall or something! ;-(

I can attest to the fact that (my neighbors') voices absolutely go through walls if you yell loud enough...

There were so many warm-fuzzies about Sheldon during the episode (anyone catch him poking the eye mask, saying "ooo, soft!"), plus his trepidation about the noodles, that I was terrified he'd get the PYKAG. Phew. Glad he got the emotional win.

I also really liked when Gail spoke to Brooke about emotions/weakness.

Random aside: Brooke's hair - the shaved under part. Why? I remember friends in high school (late 90s) having that look. Have to say I never understood the point of it then, and I still don't. It looks so bizarre.

[Jesse]

Aside from any aesthetic choice, if you have a lot of hair, it makes it cooler.

[Archery]

Shirley's voice is very high, so the minute she speaks loudly, it tips right over into shrill and goes through you like a knife.  Not something she can really help. 

I was kinda impressed by Padma cooking for the cheftestants.  Something like that could really open her up to ridicule or at least shade since (a) she's not a chef, (b) someone may have hard feelings because of some of her critiques, and (c) it might not have turned out as well as she'd hoped.  They might not have said anything on camera, but social media after the fact is a thing of its own.  I give props to anyone who'd put him or herself out there like that. 

[Blonde Gator]

9 hours ago, GaT said:

No surprise, Brooke has been just hanging on by her fingernails for a while.

I'm not sure Brooke has been circling the drain, but I think she has found the last couple of challenges, well.....challenging!  Although Brooke does some excellent food, I think she either needs some time to really conceptualize a new dish to fit the parameters of a challenge, or she needs to fall back on something with which she's very familiar (Egg's Benedict crepe) to do well. 

I really found last week's challenge to be conceptually very poor overall.  It was poorly designed, not well explained (as someone else here said, they could have put a board together to make the "mash-ups"), and two hours with no prep time was just not enough.  I think the quality of the results indicated all the way around that the problem was on the showrunners, not the chefs.  In a huge contrast, this week's challenge was not out there, "represents me and my time here" is an easy concept to understand, and the chefs had enough time to produce excellent dishes.  Brooke just made a dumb choice with the sous vide machine.

Sous vide is becomng like risotto.....just DON'T do it!!!!!!!!!!  Heh.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Blonde Gator
dumb typos!

[English Teacher]

Based on the clips from other shows with the partitions, it seems like they muffle sound.  Then you have Shirley shouting.  I think Sheldons wife had a very high, very distinctive voice which made it easier for him to clearly ID her.  The other 3 family members were much more soft spoken.  

[Blonde Gator]

6 hours ago, Rammchick said:

This past week, an Asian chef on Chopped said something similar to Shirley with respect to her heritage, that her family was very against her cooking career.  I've heard others say this as well.  Asian parents seem to have this view more than other groups, perhaps because they emigrated here to the US and took jobs in Chinese restaurants.  So it's not surprising that they want more for their children and don't get the difference between being a world class chef and slinging Chow mein.  Given that, is it any wonder that Shirley feels the way she does?  We all want to make our parents proud, and not getting their approval must be awful.

Absolutely.  Silva's had the same issues, with his father not wanting his son to be a "cook", and I recall other cheftestants from the Caribbean who had the same family cultural issues.  I think Shirley brings her family up all the time because family is THE thing about being Chinese.  I have a friend, a naturalized American, but Jamaican by birth, whose father escaped the Japanese during WWII for Japan.  He has a "history" book that one of his great uncles had had written, it goes back almost 2,000 years!  An amazing piece of family history.  I find Shirley to be both annoying (because she's loud and chattering) and charming and sweet, too.  I think she enjoys life, and who doesn't like hanging with that kind of person?

[cooksdelight]

13 hours ago, DHDancer said:

Maybe Brooke's path is to follow Kristen and win from LCK?

That's what she's hoping, and hanging onto, by her own words. She's put a huge albatross around her own neck, and the last few challenges she skated (my opinion) when she should have been dinged.

I just love Sheldon. He's an amazing man, husband, father, chef.... I hope he wins the whole thing. 

[spiderpig]

Just now, cooksdelight said:

I just love Sheldon. He's an amazing man, husband, father, chef.... I hope he wins the whole thing. 

Big big big like-love-adore for Sheldon.  He has true talent, humility and a perfect personality that TC needs.  

If he doesn't take it, many of us are going back to our caves to pout.

[cooksdelight]

LOL, I'll join my dog Scooby-Doo who pouts if he doesn't' get his treat on time. :)

Shirley is my next favorite, I wanted to sink my teeth into her succlent dish.

BTW, who was the woman at the table with the big chin?

[Jamie Satyr]

44 minutes ago, Jesse said:

Aside from any aesthetic choice, if you have a lot of hair, it makes it cooler.

Starting in the 80's I tended to have longer hair; very much into layered, feather look! It was a b!tch to keep up and my stylist suggested just cutting the sides and keeping the style! If a stiff wind took it, probably a real sight, but it made it so much easier to deal with! Just wore the ponytail high too which was something different in the 90's!

[spiderpig]

8 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

BTW, who was the woman at the table with the big chin?

I knew there was a reason I never delete TC from my DVR.  I'll check and report back unless someone else beats me to it.

[Wings]

So I had to go back to look at the chin.  I was thinking Jay Leno chin, not double chin.  Jeeeze, all that for a chubby face?  

[chiaros]

7 hours ago, Rammchick said:

This past week, an Asian chef on Chopped said something similar to Shirley with respect to her heritage, that her family was very against her cooking career.  I've heard others say this as well.  Asian parents seem to have this view more than other groups, perhaps because they emigrated here to the US and took jobs in Chinese restaurants.  So it's not surprising that they want more for their children and don't get the difference between being a world class chef and slinging Chow mein.  Given that, is it any wonder that Shirley feels the way she does?  We all want to make our parents proud, and not getting their approval must be awful.

 

1 hour ago, Blonde Gator said:

Absolutely.  Silva's had the same issues, with his father not wanting his son to be a "cook", and I recall other cheftestants from the Caribbean who had the same family cultural issues.  I think Shirley brings her family up all the time because family is THE thing about being Chinese.  I have a friend, a naturalized American, but Jamaican by birth, whose father escaped the Japanese during WWII for Japan.  He has a "history" book that one of his great uncles had had written, it goes back almost 2,000 years!  An amazing piece of family history.  I find Shirley to be both annoying (because she's loud and chattering) and charming and sweet, too.  I think she enjoys life, and who doesn't like hanging with that kind of person?

What you say is true. However, there is a difference between having those feelings and harping upon them every chance you get. I'm Chinese myself by heritage. I don't go around publicly and weepily talking about my heritage all. the. time. and how my family is behind everything I do (and in fact they rarely figure in why I do something)

Mei Lin (remember her?), another 100% Chinese-heritage chef, had the same issues with her parents not wanting her to be a chef. She talked about it, on numerous occasions. But the overall arc was that she did not harp on her heritage, her family, etc etc with every dish she made. She just went about creating good dishes, and talked about other influences for good measure. She also certainly did not simper shamelessly to the judges.

Ditto Melissa King, born and bred by traditional Chinese parents too. She didn't do the Shirley-routine either. Nor the simpering.

Edited February 10, 2017 by chiaros

[essexjan]

As I am on Team John, I'm delighted he got through to the finale. With the exception of Brooke's messy dish, I'd have loved to eat all the food this week. Shirley's dish in particular looked delicious - and I loved and completely 'got' her desire to honour both her family and Charleston. As someone said upthread, it seems to be a common theme with Asian chefs to make their families proud, against family disapproval of their choice of career.

I really hope we don't see Brooke come back through LCK.  Once again, she didn't really follow the brief - instead it was "I'll take what worked in previous challenges, and I'll just mash them up into one dish".  I've cooked pulled pork before using Coca-Cola and BBQ spices, and it turns out very sweet - which is fine for BBQ pork (you can temper the sweetness with spices), but maybe not in a dish that's meant to be up to James Beard standards. But Brooke's been criticised before for her food being too sweet.

When Sheldon's rice noodles hadn't set, I said out loud "add tapioca flour!" I'm glad to see he took my advice. ;-)

Edited February 10, 2017 by essexjan

[candall]

I don't retain reality show contestants from yore, so I only know a handful of the splashiest former Surviors or Chefs and I don't remember or bear any residual grudge against John, although it seems many people do.

Every last one of them had a 'theme' for purposes of identification and continuity and Tesar's was "got my rage problem under control" so he must've been a serial offender dickhead back then, but based strictly on this season, his behavior was just fine.

I DO remember that I've heard, about a thousand times, on this show:  If you're going to go simple, it better be fabulous.  I think simple/fabu is pretty much his style and he's earned his spot in the finale.

And also--because I have an errand I don't want to go do--I checked out a couple dozen sofrito recipes and no one peeled the bell pepper, including Martha Stewart, the queen of pointless finicky detail.

[Jamie Satyr]

3 minutes ago, essexjan said:

As I am on Team John, I'm delighted he got through to the finale. With the exception of Brooke's messy dish, I'd have loved to eat all the food this week. Shirley's dish in particular looked delicious - and I loved and completely 'got' her desire to honour both her family and Charleston. As someone said upthread, it seems to be a common theme with Asian chefs to make their families proud, against family disapproval of their choice of career.

I really hope we don't see Brooke come back through LCK.  Once again, she didn't really follow the brief - instead it was "I'll take what worked in previous challenges, and I'll just mash them up into one dish."  I've cooked pulled pork before using Coca-Cola and BBQ spices, and it turns out very sweet - which is fine for BBQ pork, but maybe not in a dish that's meant to be up to James Beard standards. But Brooke's been criticised before for her food being too sweet.

When Sheldon's rice noodles hadn't set, I said out loud "add tapioca flour!" I'm glad to see he took my advice. ;-)

That was probably why she was eliminated! Tom's no fool and he does not like being played! Sheldon got away with the okra joke, but Brooke wound up being the sacrificial lamb! She blew it, but I wouldn't mind her over Casey who's as self-entitled as John! Why they feel so deserving over all others is absolutely dripping from their mouths! ;-)

[LisaBLingLing]

Teachers don't need good communication skills? Sorry - I just have to comment on that. Hell yes they do. That's kinda what teaching is - communicating information in a way that others can understand.

OK - back to Top Chef. Loved Brooke telling Tom to shut up when he said that he'd see her in LCK.

[JeanneH]

1 hour ago, Blonde Gator said:

I'm not sure Brooke has been circling the drain, but I think she has found the last couple of challenges, well.....challenging!  Although Brooke does some excellent food, I think she either needs some time to really conceptualize a new dish to fit the parameters of a challenge, or she needs to fall back on something with which she's very familiar (Egg's Benedict crepe) to do well. 

Last night Brooke said she wasn't any good at being creative (paraphrasing). Perhaps that's part of the problem - a self-perception that she's not good at something they're being told to do, along with being in her own head about having to win?    (within the last 2-3 weeks one of the other cheftestants said that (paraphrasing again) it's really hard when the direction is specifically to "be creative", implying you can't just turn that on and off.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, spiderpig said:

Big big big like-love-adore for Sheldon.  He has true talent, humility and a perfect personality that TC needs.  

If he doesn't take it, many of us are going back to our caves to pout.

I may stomp my feet too.  I just re-watched Tom telling Sheldon to prepare for being one of the countries best chefs.  So precious.  At the judging table they all waxed poetic about him.  I bet all of them are hoping he really pulls it out so handing him the win is clear.  They can't if he chokes and they know that.  

I also noticed the affection Tom and Gail have for Brooke.  I think that played a part in LCK.  I am not saying Tom does not operate with integrity while judging the 2 dishes, he does.  When you have 2 good dishes, other things come into play.  He is human.  Casey has rubbed all of the judges the wrong way at almost all of the judges tables.  You just cannot ignore that.  AND he is the head judge and executive producer.  That gives him the authority to call it as he sees it.  

Edited February 10, 2017 by wings707

[chiaros]

23 hours ago, JeanneH said:

(within the last 2-3 weeks one of the other cheftestants said that (paraphrasing again) it's really hard when the direction is specifically to "be creative", implying you can't just turn that on and off.

That was John Tesar.  He's right.

23 hours ago, essexjan said:

Asian chefs

Define "Asian", please, if you could.

[JeanneH]

23 minutes ago, LisaBLingLing said:

Teachers don't need good communication skills? Sorry - I just have to comment on that. Hell yes they do. That's kinda what teaching is - communicating information in a way that others can understand.

If you're talking about the comment in the article, the writer was just trying to be funny

Quote

Chef Michael Solomonov joins Padma for this challenge, which Padma says will put their communication skills to the test. You know, because communication is a skill that's important for chefs -- unlike every other job in the world. Go ahead, name a job, and I bet you communication skills don't matter at all. Teacher, police officer, doctor, air traffic controller, all of those idiots hardly use communication at all.

Now, I'm not sure if it's a typo or another attempt at humor when he writes about the Quickfire partners:

Quote

Turns out, the mystery partners are family members: John's wife, Shirley's wife, Sheldon's wife, and Brooke's sister.

Shirley's wife?

[laffytaffy997]

I wonder what happen if anyone used Padma's frozen rice in their dish.

[Blonde Gator]

1 hour ago, chiaros said:

 

What you say is true. However, there is a difference between having those feelings and harping upon them every chance you get. I'm Chinese myself by heritage. I don't go around publicly and weepily talking about my heritage all. the. time. and how my family is behind everything I do (and in fact they rarely figure in why I do something)

Mei Lin (remember her?), another 100% Chinese-heritage chef, had the same issues with her parents not wanting her to be a chef. She talked about it, on numerous occasions. But the overall arc was that she did not harp on her heritage, her family, etc etc with every dish she made. She just went about creating good dishes, and talked about other influences for good measure. She also certainly did not simper shamelessly to the judges.

Ditto Melissa King, born and bred by traditional Chinese parents too. She didn't do the Shirley-routine either. Nor the simpering.

I agree totally.  Mei Lin is very reticent by nature, I think, so sharing about herself  just doesn't come naturally.  I think Shirley is one of those "spewers", who is also a talker to calm her nerves.  So she talks about herself, and the thing she cares the most about....her family....incessantly.  I don't think Shirley is simpering to impress the judges, I believe it's a combination of nervous energy and happiness.    So while Shirley & Mei share the same cultural background, it affects them in different ways.  People are a never ending delight, and I really like both of them.  I guess I'm just a glass half full type. 

The only person who grates my nerves is John Tesar.  He's all about himself, and nothing about a nasty, grumpy, self-centered and self-involved prima donna is in the least bit interesting.  If he'd shut up and cook, we'd all like him better.

[spiderpig]

6 minutes ago, laffytaffy997 said:

I wonder what happen if anyone used Padma's frozen rice in their dish.

Didn't Kwame get beaten up for using frozen waffles in a dish?

I use frozen all the time and find it humorous when judges act as if they'd been delivered a live insect on their plates.

If I could afford to live in Manhattan or Paris, where I could walk to nearby food providers on a daily basis, I would.  But I don't and I can't.

I realize TC chefs are held to high standards, but plugging Padma's frozen rice gave me serious giggles.

[Blonde Gator]

1 hour ago, wings707 said:

I may stomp my feet too.  I just re-watched Tom telling Sheldon to prepare for being one of the countries best chefs.  So precious.  At the judging table they all waxed poetic about him.  I bet all of them are hoping he really pulls it out so handing him the win is clear.  They can't if he chokes and they know that.  

 

We can all do the Stompy Foot en masse if Sheldon goes home early.  The Tom complimenting Sheldon moment was surreal.  I had to back it up and watch it about three times, I couldn't believe Tom saying that!

5 minutes ago, spiderpig said:

Didn't Kwame get beaten up for using frozen waffles in a dish?

I use frozen all the time and find it humorous when judges act as if they'd been delivered a live insect on their plates.

If I could afford to live in Manhattan or Paris, where I could walk to nearby food providers on a daily basis, I would.  But I don't and I can't.

I realize TC chefs are held to high standards, but plugging Padma's frozen rice gave me serious giggles.

Seriously!  Frozen rice?  Who would buy that?  Isn't rice one of the first things anyone over the age of 15 learns to cook? 

I agree totally, shagging frozen rice was beyond the pale.  It's enough that she's always falling out of her clothes (I think she designs some of her own)....and of course, her vaunted jewelry line.   I can understand the Patron (who doesn't love that?) or the other show sponsors' wares, but frozen rice?

[dleighg]

6 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

Seriously!  Frozen rice?  Who would buy that?  Isn't rice one of the first things anyone over the age of 15 learns to cook? 

 

When we were all brand new cooks in grad school, white rice was the go-to starch (when we weren't eating pasta of course). It only takes 20 minutes for goodness sake!

[spiderpig]

Just now, dleighg said:

When we were all brand new cooks in grad school, white rice was the go-to starch (when we weren't eating pasta of course). It only takes 20 minutes for goodness sake!

Yes!  And people were cultivating and eating rice at least 5000 years ago - before the Zojirushi cooker was ever invented.  You know - pot, water, rice, heat.

[dleighg]

I was multi-tasking so presumably missed it but what exactly is the significance of "cooking at the Beard house"? 

[chiaros]

2 minutes ago, spiderpig said:

Yes!  And people were cultivating and eating rice at least 5000 years ago - before the Zojirushi cooker was ever invented.  You know - pot, water, rice, heat.

Heh. I've cooked rice on the stovetop for 30-40 years. No "rice cooker", no "Zojirushi" thang. As you say: pot, water, rice, heat.

[Wings]

I assume she has Indian spices it it so it is kind of like Rice a Roni.   heh heh heh heh hehe 

[dleighg]

1 minute ago, wings707 said:

I assume she has Indian spices it it so it is kind of like Rice a Roni.   heh heh heh heh hehe 

Even so, I don't get the attraction of frozen over, yes, Rice a Roni type things. Why have something taking up space in the freezer when a shelf stable version would be more or less the same and take just a few minutes to cook?

[chiaros]

5 minutes ago, dleighg said:

I was multi-tasking so presumably missed it but what exactly is the significance of "cooking at the Beard house"? 

The James Beard awards is the equivalent, nowadays. of winning the Nobel Prize or the Oscar Awards - but in the field of the culinary arts in the USA. The "James Beard House", in the West Village in NYC, is the site of the organization which awards these distinctions.  Cooking there is thought to be a high honor for those in the culinary worlds, and is usually thought of as a great compliment to the chef so invited to do so.

[mlp]

Quote

Hey - did anyone know Padma was marketing frozen rice before seeing this ep?

I've tried two varieties and liked them well enough to buy again for when I want something quick and easy to fix.   I wasn't impressed by the product placement and, I'd guess from the chefs' lack of response, they weren't either.

I hope Sheldon can pull off the win.  He's an amazing cook and I can't think of a single thing I don't like about him.  I like Shirley but she's such a ditz that I have trouble taking her seriously.  I wouldn't hate it if John won.  I like him a lot better than I did before this show.  Brooke OTOH I like less and I didn't care for her during her first season.  She always seems self-centered and rather smug.  I always have the impression that she expects any missteps of hers to be seen as exceptions to her usual perfection.

It seemed obvious that Brooke had the worst dish and should be the one eliminated but I was surprised when it actually happened.  My first thought was that Top Chef had maintained credibility when it has looked like Brooke was the anointed one but then I remembered LCK.  If she comes back from that and wins a la Kristen, I'll probably lose faith in the show's objectivity unless it's clearly obvious that she earned it.

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, chiaros said:

 Cooking there is thought to be a high honor for those in the culinary worlds

Thanks for the link! I had of course heard of the awards, but had never heard of the "house"

[Blonde Gator]

12 minutes ago, dleighg said:

Even so, I don't get the attraction of frozen over, yes, Rice a Roni type things. Why have something taking up space in the freezer when a shelf stable version would be more or less the same and take just a few minutes to cook?

Exactly!  I have started to buy large quantities of staples (rice, flour, sugar) now that Ziplock makes those fantastic giant storage....but always keep a bit of easy rice (yellow, red, etc.) for a fast side dish.  Why on earth would anyone buy frozen rice?  I'm still baffled that not only did Padma think it was great....she actually got someone to market it for her. 

[Jamie Satyr]

20 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

Exactly!  I have started to buy large quantities of staples (rice, flour, sugar) now that Ziplock makes those fantastic giant storage....but always keep a bit of easy rice (yellow, red, etc.) for a fast side dish.  Why on earth would anyone buy frozen rice?  I'm still baffled that not only did Padma think it was great....she actually got someone to market it for her. 

Coincidently, I must have been just too hungry in the grocery store; picked up some frozen chicken fried rice and "General Chicken" for a craving out of the blue, but too cheap to order out! ;-)

[biakbiak]

19 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

Exactly!  I have started to buy large quantities of staples (rice, flour, sugar) now that Ziplock makes those fantastic giant storage....but always keep a bit of easy rice (yellow, red, etc.) for a fast side dish.  Why on earth would anyone buy frozen rice?  I'm still baffled that not only did Padma think it was great....she actually got someone to market it for her. 

It takes three minutes. There are several bramds of frozen rice on the market, it steams in the microwave so comes out fluffy. She also has a paella, black bean and rice, and some lentil dishes in her line. Lots of people buy frozen foods to have a quick dinner, I don't but I did taste her rice and bean version at WF and it was tasty.

[SailorGirl]

1 hour ago, Blonde Gator said:

Seriously!  Frozen rice?  Who would buy that?  Isn't rice one of the first things anyone over the age of 15 learns to cook? 

 

I love to cook and I am all about Trader's Joe's frozen brown rice and jasmine rice. It is the shit. Organic, nothing else added, three minutes in the microwave, and it is perfection.

I would use it ANY DAY over shelf-stable precooked rice -- all of those I've tried, and I've tried a lot, have weird tastes (at least to me). Even when it is supposed to be only organic plain rice, it doesn't taste right to me. Maybe its whatever is used as preservative. 

And sharing the Sheldon love -- how cute was it when he was pitching mushrooms over the wall at her, and then when the wall pulled back, she threw a handful back at him? That silliness with each other is a sign of a happy couple. They were ADORABLE! 

[Jamie Satyr]

Just now, SailorGirl said:

I love to cook and I am all about Trader's Joe's frozen brown rice and jasmine rice. It is the shit. Organic, nothing else added, three minutes in the microwave, and it is perfection.

I would use it ANY DAY over shelf-stable precooked rice -- all of those I've tried, and I've tried a lot, have weird tastes (at least to me). Even when it is supposed to be only organic plain rice, it doesn't taste right to me. Maybe its whatever is used as preservative. 

And sharing the Sheldon love -- how cute was it when he was pitching mushrooms over the wall at her, and then when the wall pulled back, she threw a handful back at him? That silliness with each other is a sign of a happy couple. They were ADORABLE! 

I should try that rice! My doctor took me off gluten since it binds me, but I hate making brown rice! Most of the time I end up burning it trying to get it cooked! The cleanup is awful as well trying to get it out of an old pan! ;-)

[zxy556575]

It was pretty cute when Sheldon teasingly upbraided his wife about how messy her station was.

It really sounded like these three particular spouses hardly cook at all at home, and I'm so jealous.

[pally]

3 hours ago, chiaros said:

 

What you say is true. However, there is a difference between having those feelings and harping upon them every chance you get. I'm Chinese myself by heritage. I don't go around publicly and weepily talking about my heritage all. the. time. and how my family is behind everything I do (and in fact they rarely figure in why I do something)

Mei Lin (remember her?), another 100% Chinese-heritage chef, had the same issues with her parents not wanting her to be a chef. She talked about it, on numerous occasions. But the overall arc was that she did not harp on her heritage, her family, etc etc with every dish she made. She just went about creating good dishes, and talked about other influences for good measure. She also certainly did not simper shamelessly to the judges.

Ditto Melissa King, born and bred by traditional Chinese parents too. She didn't do the Shirley-routine either. Nor the simpering.

Shirley was actually born and raised in China living there until she was 17.  That may be the difference between her and others who are of Chinese hertiage but born and raised in the US. Daily exposure to American life balances out the influence of the foreign heritage. I have never seen her has simpering but simply as reflected how she was raised.  And for her, her heritage is the foundation of her food.  Its what brought her to the show in the first place.  Its not that different than most of the chefs who have been successful on Top Chef.  We hear people talking about the influences on their cooking all the time.

We also need to remember the power of the all might edit.  They show us what they want to and encourage the story line from each chef

Edited February 10, 2017 by pally

[spiderpig]

1 minute ago, Jamie Satyr said:

Coincidently, I must have been just too hungry in the grocery store; picked up some frozen chicken fried rice and "General Chicken" for a craving out of the blue, but too cheap to order out! ;-)

I'm with you, Jamie...I like to keep some stuff around when I simply don't have all the ingredients for (as you said) chicken fried rice, and I don't feel like making a special treat.  And Trader Joe's CFR is pretty darn good if you want quick late night comfort food.

For those who have tried Padma's rice, is it unreasonably expensive?  

As for Padma's wardrobe of late, my first job was demonstrating sewing machines in the 70s, and a big part of my wardrobe was like the gray/white geometric dress she was wearing last night, sans cutouts.  Wasn't that the Gucci/Pucci/Op Art era?

Gail rules when it comes to wardrobe.  She always looks great.

[Jamie Satyr]

3 minutes ago, Lord Donia said:

It was pretty cute when Sheldon teasingly upbraided his wife about how messy her station was.

It really sounded like these three particular spouses hardly cook at all at home, and I'm so jealous.

My sister's like that; husband works all night, but cooks dinner before going for the family! She's too lazy for words and takes such advantage of that man! ;-)

Edited February 10, 2017 by Jamie Satyr
Punctuation correction