Iron Chef Behind The Battle: Mo Alton Mo Snark

[Skyfall]

I never watched the original series so I like the look back and love Alton’s snark and insights that he added. Also a great way to make old content new again.

[7-Zark-7]

At first I thought, “Wtf, it’s just reruns”, but I actually enjoy it - especially when Alton goes into detail about how things have changed since taping. I especially liked last night’s Morimoto Vs. Puck Egg battle where Alton admitted he didn’t know much about Japanese cooking at the time and made major mistakes in explaining what Morimoto was doing. Also, many ingredients that were in this episode wouldn’t be in Kitchen Stadium today because they are now endangered.

I’m also reminded of how much I hated seeing Jeffrey Steingarten chew, or hold a spoon with his fist like a chimp.

Edited December 28, 2017 by 7-Zark-7

[Irlandesa]

And this is the kind of show where I feel Alton really shines in a non-annoying way.  He does so much better as a guide/tutor/explainer than he does as Master of Ceremonies/judge.

[mlp]

I very much enjoyed Morimoto vs. Puck.  It's always interesting to watch the masters at work and I especially enjoyed noticing the ways the early shows differed from the more recent ones.  And everybody looked so young!

[Snarklepuss]

On 12/28/2017 at 8:19 PM, mlp said:

I very much enjoyed Morimoto vs. Puck.  It's always interesting to watch the masters at work and I especially enjoyed noticing the ways the early shows differed from the more recent ones.  And everybody looked so young!

I know, I thought the same thing!  This was back when they often pulled out the "power tools" and the show was more of a spectacle like the original Japanese version.  It really made me nostalgic as back in those days I caught every single episode including this one.

I'm actually enjoying this show more than "Showdown".  I haven't seen some of these old episodes in eons and it's fun to see them again with Alton's commentary.

[Wings]

I like this show and agree that Alton shines here.  He is a deep well of knowledge. 

I remember watching this when it aired. I was shocked they didn't vet the judges to make certain they ate all things.  It was surprising to hear the actor say he liked his food cooked.  I have forgotten his name.  He was Big Pussy on the Sopranos.  

The way Steingarten holds his spoon and fork is nuts.  I often see chefs tasting dishes with a similar hold only not as exaggerated.  What is up with that?.  I think it is a thing. 

[Snarklepuss]

3 hours ago, Wings said:

I remember watching this when it aired. I was shocked they didn't vet the judges to make certain they ate all things.  It was surprising to hear the actor say he liked his food cooked.  I have forgotten his name.  He was Big Pussy on the Sopranos. 

Mr. Snarkle and I thought the same thing about Vincent Pastore (the actor's name).  And we complained in the other thread about the "food authority" of the judges on "IC Showdown", but this reminded me that even from the beginning the show had issues with that!  I remember even when I first watched this episode thinking that he was not the best choice for a judge.  I think FN has actually learned a lot about who to choose since then.

3 hours ago, Wings said:

The way Steingarten holds his spoon and fork is nuts.  I often see chefs tasting dishes with a similar hold only not as exaggerated.  What is up with that?.  I think it is a thing. 

Jeffrey Steingarten may be a food authority and all that, but as a person I think he's a boor and full of himself and that's probably one of his effete "affectations" done specifically to make the rest of us feel inferior somehow.

[mlp]

Quote

Jeffrey Steingarten may be a food authority and all that, but as a person I think he's a boor and full of himself and that's probably one of his effete "affectations" done specifically to make the rest of us feel inferior somehow.

I have to agree but, for some reason, I've always liked him anyway.  He's definitely egotistical and arrogant but he writes a great book.  I re-read them once in awhile because he's such a hoot.

[Christina]

23 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I'm actually enjoying this show more than "Showdown".  I haven't seen some of these old episodes in eons and it's fun to see them again with Alton's commentary.

That's where I am finding myself, too. I think the showdown is just a complete miss. It's a third of the show and Alton is the only one to taste and see who moves on. When watching the previous shows leading up to the Showdown episodes, it's really obvious how little cooking we see on this version.  There's not really any suspense. 

They have watered down what made Iron Chef great.

[Fukui San]

18 minutes ago, Christina said:

That's where I am finding myself, too. I think the showdown is just a complete miss. It's a third of the show and Alton is the only one to taste and see who moves on. When watching the previous shows leading up to the Showdown episodes, it's really obvious how little cooking we see on this version.  There's not really any suspense. 

They have watered down what made Iron Chef great.

Go look up an Iron Chef Japan episode on Youtube sometime. You'll see how much more actual cooking there was there as opposed to even early ICA.  I taught myself how to make fresh pasta by watching Iron Chef Italian Kobe.  And the way they built up the challenger by the mini movie intro narrated by Kaga rather than the perfunctory "Here's today's challengers, Jim from Indiana, and Ann from Washington." It was just more dramatically satisfying without the artificial drama of the first course that must be ready in 20 minutes, initial challenger vs. challenger showdown, etc. 

I still watch this iteration, but it's not really that interesting.

[Snarklepuss]

9 hours ago, mlp said:

I have to agree but, for some reason, I've always liked him anyway.  He's definitely egotistical and arrogant but he writes a great book.  I re-read them once in awhile because he's such a hoot.

OK, I admit it, I feel the same way.  He's one of those brilliant eccentric New Yorky people going back to a time I miss in my old hometown so for that I appreciate him.  And I knew of him long before he ever appeared on Food Network, too!

[Snarklepuss]

1 hour ago, Fukui San said:

Go look up an Iron Chef Japan episode on Youtube sometime. You'll see how much more actual cooking there was there as opposed to even early ICA.  I taught myself how to make fresh pasta by watching Iron Chef Italian Kobe.  And the way they built up the challenger by the mini movie intro narrated by Kaga rather than the perfunctory "Here's today's challengers, Jim from Indiana, and Ann from Washington." It was just more dramatically satisfying without the artificial drama of the first course that must be ready in 20 minutes, initial challenger vs. challenger showdown, etc. 

I still watch this iteration, but it's not really that interesting.

I hear you, I started with Iron Chef Japan when it first aired on FN and in some ways ICA never really measured up for me for many reasons like you mention above.  For some reason even though I knew it was campy fiction I still half believed in chairman Kaga.  And where else would I ever have learned the pleasure of shark fin soup or raw trout ice cream?  I'll never forget the episode maybe 20 years ago when Morimoto had just sawed up some huge sea creature and put its spine on a tray and my husband looked at me with big eyes and said, "He just put a spine in the oven.  A SPINE!!"  And it was HUGE!  We never stopped laughing about that one!

[Lura]

Ah, Kaga.  There was no one like Kaga.  It was years before I ever learned that Kaga was a leading actor in Japan and, in fact, had the title role in "Les Miserables."  He was quite a singer, too.  I was nearly heartbroken when the show went off the air.  I'm addicted to the American edition -- even the repeats -- but it lacks something that the Japanese version had.  I'm still undecided about "Showdown."  It seems to be an all-Alton show, and I dislike the fact that he's judge, jury and executioner.  While I appreciate his knowledge, I wish that his ego were not so obvious.