S13.E07: Beat Bobby Flay

[Snarklepuss]

I forced myself to suffer through this a second time with Mr. 'Puss and here are my later thoughts:

Amy:  "Honey", it's not that Jason doesn't like you, it's that he knows you'll be a bad team leader.

Anne Burrell's hair looks like Peanuts' Woodstock.

Giada's barracuda grimace was in full force in this episode.

Giada, "I'm his towel girl" - Vomit, that's one reason I find their relationship creepy.

If Bobby's face gets any smoother and tighter people will start to be able see themselves in it.  He's obviously had some manscaping done.  Facial treatments and/or Botox plus those colored and shaped eyebrows.

Soooo glad Rusty and Jason stood up to Matthew.

Cory adds super hot chiles, Amy's food is raw and David's food is "delicious" so therefore David goes home, right??  Right??

[cooksdelight]

I asked Matthew if he really didn't know what coq au vin was.

He deleted my post.

Only adoring and praising are allowed on his page. Tell ya something?

[spiderpig]

Just now, cooksdelight said:

Only adoring and praising are allowed on his page. Tell ya something?

Must be the shortest page out there.

[Gregg247]

I'm not a Bobby Flay fan, but as a chef, he's the Boss!  He took on the signature dishes of 3 contestants all at once, and managed to win 2 of them!  He looked absolutely exhausted, too; no need for manufactured drama during THAT challenge.  

That may have been the toughest challenge ever presented on this show, and the the person under the gun was---one of the judges! LOL  This show gets everything backwards.

Sorry to see David go, as he seemed really nice, but, to be honest, I don't remember a single thing he's cooked all season.  The only really memorable thing about him was that time Jason almost killed him with a peanut.

Any of the final five (except Amy) are qualified to win the show, based on cooking and presenting skills.  I think Jason will win, but I hope the villainous Matthew wins instead.  Matthew is much more entertaining and fun.

[rab01]

33 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I asked Matthew if he really didn't know what coq au vin was.

He deleted my post.

Only adoring and praising are allowed on his page. Tell ya something?

I can't believe I'm saying this but in defense of Matthew .... (wait, give me a second to recover)  ...

If he was told by production to pretend not to know coq au vin, he would be absolutely forbidden by contract from commenting on that so deleting the question might be the safest course and might have even been done by someone managing the page for him.

[Hotel Diva]

It made sense that Amy's team faced Beat Bobby Flay, because they have been doing bad. I really, really, really, really, really want to see Matthew go. I definitely see problems in both his food and his personality. He is a great chef so he must know what all the labels are. Just like in the Kids Baking Championship when they got all angry about the black forest cake and querying multiple times about what that is. If you don't know what all the food labels are, and you're not an experienced chef, then you shouldn't be in this show or any other food competition.

The next person I hope to go next is Amy. She is terrible at food! She makes up bad jokes about serious events, so I really hope she is the one to go next. In fact, she should have gone this week, and then it would just be pure men with pure cocks.

Anybody think this post from Twitter is stupid?

I'm so tired of it...

https://giphy.com/gifs/30-rock-shocked-tina-fey-aSqwuqtYhhVMQ

[Gbb]

36 minutes ago, rab01 said:

I can't believe I'm saying this but in defense of Matthew .... (wait, give me a second to recover)  ...

If he was told by production to pretend not to know coq au vin, he would be absolutely forbidden by contract from commenting on that so deleting the question might be the safest course and might have even been done by someone managing the page for him.

You may well be right on that issue, but he's also deleted a post from cooksdelight as innocuous as "you should listen to the critiques from the judges" so he is really not allowing anything except praise posts to stay on his FB page.

[cooksdelight]

Matthew doesn't take criticism well. That much I know as fact.

I really think the kid was clueless, why else act that way? He won't win any prizes from his bosses at Scripps for that.

[mlp]

Quote

I suspect producers have to told him [Jason] to dial it up. At least I hope that's what it is.

I think that's probably the case or he knows that the judges want strong personalities so he dialed it up himself.  Either way, he was folksy when he was on the baking show but not OTT like he is here.  On both shows, he has quietly gone about his business during times the focus has been on someone else.  He has never as far as I can recall stepped on anyone else's toes or got in their space.  I do wish he'd tone it down a little but he's still my favorite.

That whole coq au vin bit further convinced me that Matthew is a plant.  Given what we have seen of Matthew's ego, I think his real response to ignorance of a dish everyone else recognized would be to pretend he knew it also and maybe act as if he'd cooked it a thousand times while covertly trying to figure out what it is by chatting up the others.  In any event, a graduate of the CIA surely knows what it is.

Giada's behavior during the BBF bit reminded me of the "cutesy" way she insinuated herself into everyone else's act during the now notorious live Thanksgiving show a few years ago.  I still haven't forgiven her for that.

[Blonde Gator]

I really don't understand all of the Ann Burrell hate.  She's an excellent chef, and she is extremely good at giving appropriate feedback and mentoring.  I LOVE her recipes. 

I know her hair is kind of wonky, but (aside from the aluminum foil top) she looked pretty great.  She's lost quite a bit of weight, and I would guess she's into trying some new looks....she always used to wear skirts or skorts, now she had on some skinny pants and a top, which is a change for her.  I wish they'd give her another S&S show, she always has great tips and hints, and she IS a food authority.  Plus, it's obvious that she actually is the one to write her own recipes that are posted on the site.   I hate the fact that they use her as a judge and a cheerleader.  She's a badass in the kitchen, which is what she should be doing.

[CraftyHazel]

11 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

I really don't understand all of the Ann Burrell hate.  She's an excellent chef, and she is extremely good at giving appropriate feedback and mentoring.  I LOVE her recipes. 

I know her hair is kind of wonky, but (aside from the aluminum foil top) she looked pretty great.  She's lost quite a bit of weight, and I would guess she's into trying some new looks....she always used to wear skirts or skorts, now she had on some skinny pants and a top, which is a change for her.  I wish they'd give her another S&S show, she always has great tips and hints, and she IS a food authority.  Plus, it's obvious that she actually is the one to write her own recipes that are posted on the site.   I hate the fact that they use her as a judge and a cheerleader.  She's a badass in the kitchen, which is what she should be doing.

I'll proudly say that I love Ann Burrell, including her ridiculous hair.

[Koalagirl]

17 hours ago, hula-la said:

From the way they were acting, I thought there was glass or something dangerous in their food. 

I think they both went to the Christina Tosi School of Overreacting.

[Hotel Diva]

Why was Giada acting like a fool in the Beat Bobby Flay segment? She called herself "towel girl" and her laughs and cackles sound that those of an old reunion grandma's. I'm looking forward to Giada being sent home next week. Like 5 weeks ago, she was dressed like Dolly Parton. She always dresses weirdly.

Anyone notice this about Addie showing her DJskillz before she got eliminated?

One more thing: Does anyone know why I can't stand Amy?

[Lura]

Every so often I get the creepy feeling that Matthew is a complete fraud.  Tonight was one of those times -- when he had no idea what Coq au Vin was.  There is something fishy about him.  The ultimate joke would be for Matthew to win this thing, but I don't think the FN could handle the backlash.  It's going to be a sweet moment if and when Matthew is told that he will not be returning.  Would he, like the phoenix, rise from the ashes and return to smirk another day?

[cooksdelight]

He keeps deleting my comments. I hate him. 

LOL

[RedheadZombie]

10 hours ago, GenL said:

So, the weird knot thing on top of the head is a current fashion trend.  I have no idea why.  I just think it's typically on younger girls.  My daughter is 23 and she and her peers wear their hair like this.  I also think that her hair is an ombre or a balayage.  In other words- I think she's making purposeful decision to have her hair look like that.   

I'm sorry.  I will never see this other than women too lazy to touch up their roots. I strongly dislike the look. 

[Pallida]

@cooksdelight you should ask Matthew if he was present at this final exam retake that included coq au vin: https://www.acfchefs.org/ACF/Certify/Levels/CMC/2013CMCExam/ACF/Certify/Levels/CMC/2013/

[smiley13]

8 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

I'm sorry.  I will never see this other than women too lazy to touch up their roots. I strongly dislike the look. 

Amy's hair usually looks bad, and her top knot was silly looking.  And the two tone hair just looks lazy and tacky to me.  I don't care what fancy name some hair dresser has given it.

[camom]

I knew Amy wouldn't be leaving because then there would be 5 men, and I don't think they want that.  I wonder how long they'll keep her around?

[bluepiano]

19 hours ago, mlp said:

There is no way that Amy did anything better than David.  IMO The only reason they saved her was because she was the last female standing - which should have nothing to do with anything in a cooking competition.  Even if David and Amy were exactly equal wrt cooking skills, Amy can't present and has demonstrated that time and again.  

I agree, total BS. Anne said that David's shrimp and grits was delicious. If Bobby beat him it was by a hair. Amy couldn't even cook her steak properly. They obviously needed to keep a woman around for another week. (at least). From the start David has been one of those obvious "Tier Two" contestants with no chance of winning, but I still don't like him going out under bogus circumstances.

Amy actually keeps getting worse.  She's verging on being a parody of the ditsy housewife. It's like "Lucy" is competing on FN Star. I know FN wants to keep a female around, but she's hardly any shining example of female empowerment. And one of her husband's favorite dishes is steak? There's a shocker. A man liking steak. But she managed to make it "personal," so points for her. (I can't believe that FN Star has gone back to "tell us a story" for every dish.)

I don't believe that Matthew hadn't heard of coq au vin, because I see him as having been a pretentious little kid who learned all the names of classic French dishes so that he could impress people. Nothing about FN this year is believable. It all feels scripted.

Edited July 17, 2017 by bluepiano

[Terrafamilia]

Just a simple observation - If Anne Burrell thinks your dish is salty, it's really salty.

[Psychobunny]

Also, if Anne Burrell is spitting out food because it's too spicy then it is really spicy. I was sort of supporting Corey until this week. Not mentioning the peppers was a dick move.  David was clearly checking the jar of sun-dried tomatoes to make sure he hadn't accidentally put in peppers by mistake and Corey just sat there and let Giada snap at him. So now I guess it's Jason by default although at this point I almost want Addie back.

[springbarb]

1 hour ago, bluepiano said:

I agree, total BS. Anne said that David's shrimp and grits was delicious. If Bobby beat him it was by a hair.

Eh, I don't know. Anne raved about Bobby's grits. She said they both did the shrimp really well, but I didn't get the impression she was particularly bowled over by David's food.

[Mabinogia]

How the fuck did Amy end up being the last female standing? I almost hate her as much as Matthew. But then they show Matthew and the urge to punch my TV makes me realize I can't hate anyone as much as Matthew.

Giada was so annoying during Beat Bobby Flay. So those two are definitely banging it out between takes, right? Because OMG they are like horny teenagers.

I adore Anne Burrell. Sure she looks like an orange cockatiel but she owns it! And at least she doesn't have Bobby's odd catapillar eyebrows. Bobby Flay looks like he's been embalmed. Yikes.

I was liking Cory until the pepper incident. I am hoping the edited it to look like it took longer for him to own up to it but I'm not sure.

Jason for the win simply for shutting down Matthews presentation dreams. That was the best moment of this entire season.

God I hate Amy! Why is she still there?

[catrice2]

10 hours ago, Totale said:

Don't worry.  They won't. 

Ha, ha!!  This is funny.  Can we say Lenny, Justin and Mrs. Fleeky??

[bluepiano]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

Giada was so annoying during Beat Bobby Flay. So those two are definitely banging it out between takes, right? Because OMG they are like horny teenagers.

Well, Giada was, being all cutesy and flirty. Barf. While Bobby was acting like the cool dude, who doesn't want to let on to any of his bros that he "likes" a girl.

[xaxat]

3 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Nothing about FN this year is believable. It all feels scripted.

This has been an increasing problem of the last couple of seasons. Obviously, no reality show reflects "reality" but, even knowing that, I am willing to suspend disbelief to a certain extent.  Then the show features a graduate of the CIA displaying a proud ignorance of Coq au vin. 

Yeah. . . not buying it.

[Alapaki]

Between Matthew's coq a vin comment and the way he talks to Giada and Bobby, I'm convinced that either he's got a deal with the show to play a character, or he's decided to play to some other audience (although I can't imagine who that might be).

Yeah, Giada's buttons.  I'd be shocked if there weren't multiple "wardrobe malfunctions" that day.  And her fawning over Bobby was just embarrassing.  

[grisgris]

Another meh episode. I agree that the only reason Amy is still around is on account of her gender.  I hope that either she or Matthew go next week.

Loved Loved LOVED Jason shutting down Matthew. So, Snarklepuss, (our super sleuth!) please do spill the goods about "chef" Mathew being a Scripps employee! Inquiring minds want to know!  I guess I was the only one who could actually believe that he didn't know what coq au vin was. Matthew, to me, seems the type who gets hyper-fixated on one thing and one thing only. I can totally picture him getting in his head at an early age that he wanted to be the "second coming of Bobby Flay" so it was the one-track train to heat-ville, with no stops at the CIA stations in French technique, classics, etc. in between. Although it was a classic bitchy remark, Giada wasn't too far off the mark when she sniped that Mathew probably wasn't paying attention in class when coq au vin was discussed/demonstrated.

I clearly remember Cory adding what I thought was chili oil at the very last second to punch up the flavor. He didn't discuss it with David or Amy so they honestly didn't know.

Also, didn't Giada whisper to one of the contestants during BFF to add more salt to their dish? Wasn't it the person who got dinged for too much salt?

In the long run, it really doesn't matter who wins because they aren't getting a show. That said, Jason seems like the best choice. The network is sorely lacking people with baking knowledge and more baking competitions are being added to the line-up, especially with holidays season around the corner. Since Jason is skilled in both sweet and savory, he'd be more versatile on the guest appearance and judging circuits. I can actually play his guest appearance on "The Kitchen" in my head. He'll be teamed up for a segment with Katie Lee. Truthfully, I think Cory's time and talent would be wasted.

I'll gladly hitch a ride on the Anne Burrell love train. She's quirky and abrasive but she's a kick-ass chef as well as an excellent mentor and coach. I don't even pay attention to her crazy hair or spray tan. However, I concur that the 80s disco top wasn't doing her any favors. On the other hand, I thought she looked like she's lost weight and I had to rewind because I was so shocked to see her wearing PANTS!

Bobby and Giada ... just gross!

[Refresh]

3 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

Jason for the win simply for shutting down Matthews presentation dreams. That was the best moment of this entire season.

For me too. I literally said BOOM. 

3 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

adore Anne Burrell. Sure she looks like an orange cockatiel but she owns it! And at least she doesn't have Bobby's odd catapillar eyebrows. Bobby Flay looks like he's been embalmed. Yikes.

Embalmed. Lol. 

I think I'd have fun hanging out with Amy. She's unfiltered. I like that. Even if it's a little inappropriate (the CPS comment from episodes ago I thought it was kind of funny). But she is all over the place. And though I have multiple theories of why she's still there, I can't believe she's still there! 

[HappyDancex2]

I think this is our best snark thread so far.  Well done.  Carry on.

[Aerobicidal]

Lord Honey, if someone had been asked to turn a Coq (au vin) into a Ball, I think Jason may have just ripped his beard off, turned it into chicken fried coq, and called it a day.

[Evangeline]

19 hours ago, smiley13 said:

Her name was always pronounced Gee-Ah-Da until recently when some seem to try to soften and blend the first two syllables together.  

Have you ever heard Giada herself use a 3-syllable pronunciation for her name? In Italian, "Gi" makes a "J" sound, not a "jee" sound. The 3-syllable pronunciation is an Anglicized pronunciation.  My understanding is that Giada has always used the Italian pronunciation of her name -- I don't think this is a recent thing. 

[Lura]

I loved "Jason's moment" when he put the clamps on Matthew's cajones.  I can just see the FN making good use of Jason on their holiday shows.  Wouldn't he make the perfect elf?  I can just see him wearing tights and a velvet jacket, with pointy shoes that curl up at the toes, wishin' everybody a Happy Holler Day Season!

[OneWouldHope]

5 hours ago, Evangeline said:

Have you ever heard Giada herself use a 3-syllable pronunciation for her name? In Italian, "Gi" makes a "J" sound, not a "jee" sound. The 3-syllable pronunciation is an Anglicized pronunciation.  My understanding is that Giada has always used the Italian pronunciation of her name -- I don't think this is a recent thing. 

Agreed. Aside from poor Giada (and in spite of the dislike she merits here, I feel bad that she never gets her name pronounced correctly), NO ONE on the Food Network ever says it right. I don't know why the network won't bother to correct it - people are due the simple respect of having their name said correctly. But it's probably in keeping with their policy of acting as though ALL foreign words are "fancy" and therefore suspect... Maybe that's why Matthew had to pretend to not know what coq au vin was*!

 

*Although it did enter my mind, grisgris, that he really just is too arrogant to have paid attention to those things that didn't interest him (i.e., classic French recipes) in his elite cooking school.

Edited July 18, 2017 by OneWouldHope

[MortysCleaningLady]

14 hours ago, camom said:

I knew Amy wouldn't be leaving because then there would be 5 men, and I don't think they want that.  I wonder how long they'll keep her around?

You are right!   She'll last until either the top 3 or if Addie wins Redemption and rejoins the group.

[qtpye]

On Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 10:27 PM, catrice2 said:

I cannot believe how much this looks like a setup. I don't watch the show that closely over the years and I've missed some Seasons, but I don't ever remember seeing a contestant miss a whole Challenge and then come back. Then Bobby mysteriously takes the skin off of his duck and messes up on brussel sprouts? If they wanted David to go home they could have just done that another way. This was such clear sabotage from Corey putting the spice on the tomato and not admitting to it to how Bobby just somehow messed up during his challenge with Corey and Amy can cook raw meat and still beat David?

 

On Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 10:37 PM, TomCorps said:

Instead of "Beat Bobby Flay," this episode should have been called "Beat Giada"....like, with a stick.  I wonder if she actually annoyed Bobby as much as she annoyed me annoying Bobby.   I think he showed remarkable cool and good humor.

Is Anne Burrell turning into a cockatoo right before our very eyes?  

Also, while I know it's more popular to pick on Giada's outfits around here, Anne's mylar tank-top didn't do a thing for me or for her boobs.

In what kind of bizarro world is Amy still in the competition?  She can't string together two sentences without babbling like an idiot.  Enough, already!

Matthew seems more than ever like a calculated FN stunt to me.  His arrogance has become so cartoonish, I just can't invest anymore.  And could he really not know what coq au vin is??  Just not making sense anymore...

In spite of the fact that I've come to believe Matthew is nothing more than a shill, I thought the moment of Jason sandbagging him by taking on the presentation in the pre-heat was beautifully staged. 

 

On Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 11:01 PM, HappyDancex2 said:

Anne's top came from the tin man collection.   And it did make her chest look like it was in a weird place.  Jadda was painfully covered up so she released all the buttons down to her navel.  Good times.

OK they tried to trick everyone but Matthew is a horrible actor and they went too far.  Not a chance in blazing ass HELL that he didn't know what Coq au vin was....and then the corny mispronunciation of it over and over?   Child please.

 

On Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 11:09 PM, mlp said:

There is no way that Amy did anything better than David.  IMO The only reason they saved her was because she was the last female standing - which should have nothing to do with anything in a cooking competition.  Even if David and Amy were exactly equal wrt cooking skills, Amy can't present and has demonstrated that time and again.  

I loved the way Jason didn't argue with Matthew about who would present and just announced that he would.  Matthew's expression was amusing to see.

 

On Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 11:37 PM, xaxat said:

Man! Giada was determined to get herself some camera time when Bobby was cooking. I laughed when she had such a violent reaction to what was probably a grain of rice sized bite of Cory's pepper. ("Did he ever fess up to that being his?)

As a CIA graduate, he knew what it was. And even if he had forgotten the specifics, he would have learned enough "kitchen French" to know the basics.

This episode was a mess over all. Amy got to stick around only because she was the second worst screwup in the challenges.

 

On Monday, July 17, 2017 at 1:59 AM, Snarklepuss said:

Oh puhleeze, with Matthew feigning ignorance about the coq a vin.  I wouldn't blame his teachers at the CIA for wanting to slap him for making them look bad.  This guy's whole life is food and he never would have gotten through the CIA without not only hearing about it but cooking it, I'm sure.  What is he trying to do, dumb himself down to appear more "relatable"?  He must remember back when Kermit and Medusa used to slap people on the wrist for using too many uppity French culinary terms.  I am betting that whoever said he was someone at FN's annoying nephew is right given that I just found out he has worked for Scripps since 2013.

I was so hoping it was Amy going home this week and her very rare steak and horrible presentation certainly made her a prime candidate for that, so of course what do they do?  Send David home.  Typical.  I knew he would not be long behind her if she went home anyway and who cares, so whatever.

Giada trying to be cute annoying Bobby while he was cooking was not entertaining.  There's something creepy about their relationship, especially from her to him.  Just ewww.

I love the jokes about Anne's hair.  It's actually less bizarre than it used to be.  Amy's hair is wild just because she's always running in 50 directions, and she  looks like she's suffering from adrenal fatigue.

I'm not so sure that in past seasons being sick for a segment would have been handled so leniently.  Like put him in the "Beat Bobby" segment to give him more to overcome or something.  I still think he may be getting the winner's edit, but I like him so I'm OK with this.

 

On Monday, July 17, 2017 at 3:24 AM, Evangeline said:

Matthew they're obviously keeping around for entertainment value, it seems none consider him a serious contender and Giada doesn't hide her annoyance at him -- there's no way he's getting a winner's edit.  Knowing that, I don't mind him sticking around, because the others would be too boring without a villain. 

Amy they're keeping around because she's the last girl, and it would look bad to have all men. Plus, her food has been pretty consistently good it seems (which is impressive). The only flaw in her steak was that it was rare, but that is how many eat steak. I was served way too rare steak when I ordered a medium rare steak at a Jean Georges restaurant, so I agree with her assessment that it's better to go with undercooked than overcooked.  I also had a filet served to me at another Jean Georges restaurant (Jean Georges in New York) that didn't have the appearance of Bobby's filet, the last time I saw a steak with a similar appearance was the one time I ate at The Sizzler. (Needless to say, I'm not a Jean Georges fan, but many are, so these anecdotes are on point.) Plus, she knew how to cook steak (or could have known) -- it was an accident that caused the problem, not the result of a lack of knowledge.  I find myself rooting for her, I actually like her personality - I find her funny, somebody I'd be friends with. Given her difficulties with presenting, she's not likely to win this -- but I want her to stick around.

Cory has an ego and I think his talking heads are sometimes mean, but I'd probably date him. Not sure if I'd watch him. 

David was forgettable and I find Rusty forgettable too. Jason is memorable but not in a particularly good way.  Glad they corrected Rusty's Bongiorno this time -- I was quite shocked they didn't the first time.  I think he should have been criticized more for that -- if you sound like an idiot, you won't come across as a food authority. 

I wondered what they'd do if all 3 beat Bobby Flay. They would either send nobody home and send 2 home the next week, or it was rigged.

I met Giada in person once and she managed to piss me off in the 5 seconds I interacted with her. But I do find her entertaining on this show.  The contestants really ought to learn how to pronounce her name before coming on the show. 

 

21 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I forced myself to suffer through this a second time with Mr. 'Puss and here are my later thoughts:

Amy:  "Honey", it's not that Jason doesn't like you, it's that he knows you'll be a bad team leader.

Anne Burrell's hair looks like Peanuts' Woodstock.

Giada's barracuda grimace was in full force in this episode.

Giada, "I'm his towel girl" - Vomit, that's one reason I find their relationship creepy.

If Bobby's face gets any smoother and tighter people will start to be able see themselves in it.  He's obviously had some manscaping done.  Facial treatments and/or Botox plus those colored and shaped eyebrows.

Soooo glad Rusty and Jason stood up to Matthew.

Cory adds super hot chiles, Amy's food is raw and David's food is "delicious" so therefore David goes home, right??  Right??

 

19 hours ago, mlp said:

I think that's probably the case or he knows that the judges want strong personalities so he dialed it up himself.  Either way, he was folksy when he was on the baking show but not OTT like he is here.  On both shows, he has quietly gone about his business during times the focus has been on someone else.  He has never as far as I can recall stepped on anyone else's toes or got in their space.  I do wish he'd tone it down a little but he's still my favorite.

That whole coq au vin bit further convinced me that Matthew is a plant.  Given what we have seen of Matthew's ego, I think his real response to ignorance of a dish everyone else recognized would be to pretend he knew it also and maybe act as if he'd cooked it a thousand times while covertly trying to figure out what it is by chatting up the others.  In any event, a graduate of the CIA surely knows what it is.

Giada's behavior during the BBF bit reminded me of the "cutesy" way she insinuated herself into everyone else's act during the now notorious live Thanksgiving show a few years ago.  I still haven't forgiven her for that.

 

10 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Well, Giada was, being all cutesy and flirty. Barf. While Bobby was acting like the cool dude, who doesn't want to let on to any of his bros that he "likes" a girl.

 

Sorry for all the quotes...you guys make such excellent comments.

I like Corey, but I sort of imagine him finding out the challenge was being sponsored by Popeyes Fried Chicken and passing out in disgust on an old southern fainting couch, while the producers adminster smelling salts, to try to revive him.

Speaking as someone who was raised in Georgia and lived in Kentucky, they are definitly having Jason play up his corn pone sayings.  I like Jason as well, but he is just five minutes from yelling out, " Heehaw and slap your Grandma!". It's a bit much.  FNS has a tendency to take lovable qualities about people and turn it to 11, untill you can barely stand it anymore.

I have figured why the chemistry between Bobby and Giada is so wierd.  Bobby makes a point to sit arrow straight and not look at her.  It feels like he is doing one of two things:

1.  He is afraid to look at her, because he will be too tempted to take her in his arms and make out with her.

2. They had a romantic experience that he would rather forget and he does not want to lead her on in any way.

Giada seems to be one of those women who become girlishly flirty as a default when interacting with men of a certain age category.  There is nothing wrong with being flirty, but she starts acting like a girl in junior high instead of a grown ass woman.  I am sure most meneat it up with a spoon, but I find it kind of annoying.  None of the other women on the Food Network act this way.

[Snarklepuss]

10 hours ago, grisgris said:

Loved Loved LOVED Jason shutting down Matthew. So, Snarklepuss, (our super sleuth!) please do spill the goods about "chef" Mathew being a Scripps employee! Inquiring minds want to know! 

I'm reposting this from last week's episode thread where I originally posted it:

His Linkedin profile says he's worked for Scripps since 2013 as a "food expert" on a Canadian show called "The List".  Here is a YouTube of him from playlist of videos of him on that show:

So he's actually been an employee of Scripps going back to before his first season on FNS!

I totally think Matthew is a plant now.  He is also one of those "wunderkinds" that is allowed to get away with being an arrogant ass because TPTB are either forced to because he's someone's nephew, or because he's got talents they want and are willing to put up with his attitude or both.  I don't think Matthew needs this show to "make it" in his career.  He seems to be doing just fine without winning it.  I hate to say it, but he's so pushy I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him by a long shot.

[xaxat]

That is such an unfortunate screengrab. His smile looks like the Joker's.

[cooksdelight]

9 minutes ago, xaxat said:

That is such an unfortunate screengrab. His smile looks like the Joker's.

If the shoe fits! :D

[Blonde Gator]

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

I'm reposting this from last week's episode thread where I originally posted it:

His Linkedin profile says he's worked for Scripps since 2013 as a "food expert" on a Canadian show called "The List".  Here is a YouTube of him from playlist of videos of him on that show:

 

So he's actually been an employee of Scripps going back to before his first season on FNS!

I totally think Matthew is a plant now.  He is also one of those "wunderkinds" that is allowed to get away with being an arrogant ass because TPTB are either forced to because he's someone's nephew, or because he's got talents they want and are willing to put up with his attitude or both.  I don't think Matthew needs this show to "make it" in his career.  He seems to be doing just fine without winning it.  I hate to say it, but he's so pushy I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him by a long shot.

I was thinking a bad lipstick job (screengrab).

[Mabinogia]

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

FNS has a tendency to take lovable qualities about people and turn it to 11, untill you can barely stand it anymore.

So much this! I feel like the show, and the network overall, hone in on one trait and just beat it until it is bloody and dead on the side of the road.

They keep talking about how they want someone with food authority and yet "I don't know what coq au vin" Matthew is still there? I, who have no culinary experience beyond Kraft Mac and Cheese (it's the cheesiest!) know WTF that is! Would I know how to make it, no? Would I follow any recipe Matthew makes? no. If he doesn't know such a basic food I don't trust his knowledge. It makes me wonder how he managed to lie so well about going to culinary school rather than thinking he's just so adorably clueless.

So, if that was a "plant" I just don't get what it was meant to achieve. Make him look like less of a contender because he's dumb as a brick? Make the show/network look even stupider than him for hiring him when he doesn't know cooking 101? I just don't get why he would lie about that of all things. Has this show become a parody when I wasn't.....OH, that must be it. Between Giada's over the top flirting with Bobby the Corpse Cook and Amy being the last female standing, and, well, Matthew in general, yes, this is a parody of a reality show. I get it now

[cooksdelight]

Matthew has become the nephew of someone who is forever going to leave a stain on Food Network for ever having any competitions that are not fixed.

[Lura]

I cannot believe that Matthew could have gotten away with making the comments he's made unless he is a plant.  Granted, the judges may have been out of hearing range in some cases that the microphones picked up, but he has still made rude and sarcastic comments to them without any reactions on their parts.  They have been uncharacteristically silent about his words and actions.  However, if Matthew (thanks to Scripps) is a plant, they know it, and there is little they can say to someone hand-picked by their bosses.

Along the same lines, it is foolish for Scripps to plant someone so obnoxious that he upsets the viewers.  Their choice of someone this obnoxious makes me think that maybe Scripps is as wacko as Matthew is. 

Edited July 18, 2017 by Lura

[xaxat]

People have mentioned the departure of Alton as part of the reason for the decline of this show. But I also think Bob and Susie's departure hurt it as well.

[Psychobunny]

50 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Matthew has become the nephew of someone who is forever going to leave a stain on Food Network for ever having any competitions that are not fixed.

Tell us more. You can't just drop this and leave.

[cooksdelight]

I'm guessing, based on earlier posts that he works for Scripps. I cannot think of any other reason why he's here, the remarks he's making to the judges going unchallenged.

[theatremouse]

He really is showing himself to be more and more socially inept. Even when they're explaining the challenges, and everyone is standing there listening, he kept blurting out random reactions. It's like, dude, read a room, no one needs your "wow"s and your "oh nice"s and whatever the hell else you might interject. They're telling you what's happening. Shut up and listen. 

I thought it made sense when Bobby didn't rip him more for saying he didn't know what coq au vin was, because Matthew said something like "maybe I wasn't paying attention that day in school" and Bobby just rolled his eyes and said something like "probably". I'm not convinced he's not a plant, but if he isn't that moment spoke volumes to me. Bobby's not going to yell at this dude. He knows this dude does not listen so he's just eye-rolling and walking away and not wasting the energy.

Plus Matthew's still a moron: they literally told them all the challenge was stuff that normally takes a really long time, but fast and he's bragging about how fast he did it. If he knew anything about cooking, and he's sure supposed to, when you're doing a fast version of a slow thing, you still want it to have time. That any of this needed to be explained to him makes absolutely no sense to me. It makes it seem like either he's a plant and being told what to say and to have these giant nonsensical gaps in knowledge, or he's pulled a Robert Irvine and his whole resume is fake fake fake. He just doesn't make any sense.

And I think chipotle and red wine sounds completely gross.

[candall]

Okay, so maybe you could get all the way through prestigious culinary training without knowing 'coq au vin,' but I don't think Matthew would be pulling out the bullhorn to brag about his ignorance:  What IS this?!?  I don't even know how you pronounce this thing!  Someone must tell me the ingredients for this mysterious unheard-of dish!

Puh-leeze.

 

Is "Beat Bobby Flay" in need of a 30 minute promo boost?  (I don't watch it myself--too much like Ocean's Twelve.  Go amuse yourselves on your own time.) 

But it was still better than the Lipton Tea Challenge last week, when no one mentioned the product tasted like artificial chemical flavoring.  Nope, it was all lip-smacking delish.  Let's put it in the gumbo!

[Hotel Diva]

2 hours ago, xaxat said:

People have mentioned the departure of Alton as part of the reason for the decline of this show. But I also think Bob and Susie's departure hurt it as well.

ITA. FNS isn't FNS without Alton. He is the epitome of Food Network Star. He is the one that helped make success on his shows. Including Iron Chef.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEV71.X25Zll8AgnUPxQt.?p=alton+brown's+eyebrows&fr=yhs-iry-fullyhosted_003&fr2=piv-web&hspart=iry&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_003&type=wncy_mdaffmarmarie_15_44#id=0&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia1.popsugar-assets.com%2Ffiles%2Fthumbor%2FvcwOq-S72r8n7iHe4NAISfGuToA%2Ffit-in%2F550x550%2Ffilters%3Aformat_auto-!!-%3Astrip_icc-!!-%2F2017%2F04%2F21%2F108%2Fn%2F1922195%2F7319f64158fab3ac23f1a0.42584667_edit_img_image_43456532_1492813126%2Fi%2FAlton-Brown-Biography.jpg&action=click