S15.E02: Smile and Say Mise

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

The chefs battle each other in a fierce Mise En Place relay; chef Alex Seidel invites the group to his farm to learn about his take on farm-to-table cuisine; the chefs are tasked with creating a meal incorporating a mystery ingredient from the farm.

[cooksdelight]

I thought the guy who undercooked the lamb was a goner, surprised it was Claudette. But her eyeglasses were annoying me, so I’m OK with her going. 

I now want to try to make some ice cream with feta.

[Straycat80]

A lot of the food tonight was food I loved. Tenderloin, mushrooms, dumplings, fish, and cheese. I’ve had many fish or seafood dishes with cheese in them, they’re good! I’m so hungry right now! 

Edited December 15, 2017 by Straycat80

[Bastet]

I love the mise en place relay and look forward to it every year.  Aren’t there usually more ingredients (or fewer cheftestants) such that each person has a different ingredient?

There’s always someone who can’t chop an onion (or shallot) any faster than a sloth could do, though.  WTF?

I have never peeled a mushroom in my life; I just brush them off.

At the end of it all, the QF dishes all looked great.  I wish they’d show them again when they were naming off the least and most favorites to refresh my memory of which dish goes with which chef.

I love cheese, so I was looking forward to the EC food, and I did do a fair bit of salivating.

I am a firm believer that fish and cheese can co-exist, although the exceptions to the rule against it are, indeed, few.  The cheese and cracker first course from Fatima and Laura looked and sounded wonderful, so the trout dish was doomed, even if the smoking hadn’t failed.  Claudette blaming Adrienne was odd, since it seemed the parts of the dish they hated most were those she’d suggested and executed.

The dumpling in the second course looked so yummy.  The pasta dish did, too, so that was a close round.  But I really wanted to eat the dumpling.

With the dueling lamb dishes, the blue team’s looked better, and it’s almost impossible to under-cook lamb for me, but I have to trust these skilled chefs that it was indeed too raw.  The green team arguing that had the diners been instructed to eat the losing lamb with their hands it would have tasted better was ridiculous.  One of them would have been bounced had their team not won.

I’m not a big dessert person, but both looked very good to me.  Feta ice cream, hell yeah, so green for the win in that round.

Random musings:

“You’re the master of the Dad jokes today” when Tom made yet another obvious, corny response to something was fun.

Have we seen Padma with glasses before?  She had them on briefly – probably to read the menu – and it seemed new to me.

Unless the male chefs who address their female counterparts as “Ladies” also address their male counterparts as “Gentlemen,” – and they might, and it’s just not shown - they can miss me.

Fuck Mustache Joe for just talking over everyone and trying to dictate all four courses.  You ain’t executive chef, dude.

I laughed at Fatima cracking herself up with “he knows how to cut some cheese.”

Tu was rather juvenile throwing a fit when his team lost in the QF, and I say this as a fellow sore loser.

The guy dressing like Julia Child for Halloween is fantastic.

Tom saying the cheese was treated like an unwanted ingredient in the mystery box seemed a direct reference to Chopped.

[cooksdelight]

It’s a good thing Scott Conant wasn’t a judge....he hates fish and cheese.

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I thought the guy who undercooked the lamb was a goner, surprised it was Claudette.

I was shocked. Everything leading up to it led me to think it was going to be him.

Mustache Joe needs to take a seat or three, and I am HERE for the Bear Den. Rawr!

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

It’s a good thing Scott Conant wasn’t a judge....he hates fish and cheese.

Yeah, well, he also hates the combination of fish and tongs, so I feel free to dismiss him whenever he acts like a nitwit. 

It was interesting to hear commentary from more than one judge that the usually verboten cheese and fish combination wasn't bad or even worked, but the other aspects of the dish sunk it.  Most of my liked seafood/cheese combinations are of the non-fish seafood variety, but I think there are rare occasions in which fish and cheese can happily co-exist in a dish.  So it was interesting, and maybe even gratifying, to see the problems with that dish not be the ingredients, but the execution.

[cooksdelight]

I love the bears!! Those paw gloves were priceless!!

[Wings]

11 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

It’s a good thing Scott Conant wasn’t a judge....he hates fish and cheese.

 It wasn't necessary to choose trout; they didn't ask that fish be used.  Odd choice. 

[Blonde Gator]

I am REALLY enjoying this season's chefs.  It's so nice to see this show having matured to what it's become.  It's more like Top Chef Masters this season, where everyone is more about competing with themselves, rather than some sick sort of Survivor mentality/game playing that permeated the first couple of seasons.

The mise en place race is always my favorite QF (the best evah, of course, was in NY with the fish).  Tonight's QF was a nice variation, 7 chefs, only 3 ingredients, so they could divide up tasks with lots of strategy involved.  Even the slow-pokes couldn't be totally on the hook for being slow.  All QF dishes were on the good side, too, which was nice. 

There's not one chef I really DON'T like, which is unusual.  Even Mustache Joe, who is a bit over-bearing.....he was exactly RIGHT about the mess made out of the lamb dish.  For all of his being "right", however, he should have stepped in to correct that dish....he knew it was going off the rails from the get-go, but didn't step in when he should have.  Chris (Amish fusion guy) knew exactly where he wanted to go with that dish, and Padma said it might have been her all time favorite dessert ever....and Chris just tossed that idea off immediately.  I suspect he's a lot more cerebral than he looks.....can't wait to see more of  his cooking.  It's new and unusual.  Carrie's dumpling dish looked delicious, glad she won and redeemed herself in her home town.

Glad Tyler didn't get booted, Big Bear knows what he's about, but his part of the dish was ill conceived.  Happy too, that Tuo survived the bottom this week. 

The production crew is doing a great job of showing off Colorado.  Totally enjoying that part of the show (and the Bimmers, nice cars!).  It seems as though this year they've backed off the overly-dramatic edits, and are showing more of the positive sides of the chefs in the talking head snippets.  Loved Fatima cracking herself up.  That hour plus tonight, just flew right by!!!   

Last.....don't miss LCK this week!  Must give ALL of the TC staff credit, we're in what, Season 14?  And they've done a great job of giving it a nice update.  It's still familiar and comfy, but with some of the uncomfortable/smarmy nonsense removed.  Oh, and there's a few articles on the TC Website with Tom commenting on the Batali revelation this week.  I admire Tom hugely for being on  the sexual harassment issue early, and openly. 

[cooksdelight]

I’m enjoying seeing more of them in the house, interacting and having fun.

[Fiero425]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Yeah, well, he also hates the combination of fish and tongs, so I feel free to dismiss him whenever he acts like a nitwit. 

It was interesting to hear commentary from more than one judge that the usually verboten cheese and fish combination wasn't bad or even worked, but the other aspects of the dish sunk it.  Most of my liked seafood/cheese combinations are of the non-fish seafood variety, but I think there are rare occasions in which fish and cheese can happily co-exist in a dish.  So it was interesting, and maybe even gratifying, to see the problems with that dish not be the ingredients, but the execution.

Years ago at Red Lobster, they had an appetizer I loved made with chips, scallions, shrimp/langostinos, and cheese that was great! There are always exceptions and I can't stand people like Scott C. with all his fk'n likes and dislikes! He's a rotten judge for that very reason when he hypocritical overlooks certain things for a chef he likes like Jeff Zackarias who became an Iron Chef a couple years ago! ;-)

Edited December 15, 2017 by Fiero425

[rustyspigot]

I was waiting for Miss Alaska to say she studied pastry in Paris. Paris, Alaska.

So many bears. Bear dens. Bears in the fridge. Bears in drag. BEARS!

Hipster Beard cheese maker needed a net on that thing.

[Blonde Gator]

5 minutes ago, rustyspigot said:

I was waiting for Miss Alaska to say she studied pastry in Paris. Paris, Alaska.

So many bears. Bear dens. Bears in the fridge. Bears in drag. BEARS!

Hipster Beard cheese maker needed a net on that thing.

Don't forget the BEARS in the Bunk Bed Bedroom!

[Fiero425]

3 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

Don't forget the BEARS in the Bunk Bed Bedroom!

I just heard one of your bears in his "TH!" He's drooling over one of the judges; Alex! He called him a GOD! lol! ;-)

[Wings]

The Amish fusion chef, Chris, stands out to in both skill and temperament.    

I wanted that dessert, badly.  I had a Skinny Cow ice cream treat instead.  

Edited December 16, 2017 by Wings

[GaT]

This is why I don't like these kind of team challenges, the worst dish gets a pass because the judges like the other dishes. The other team should have won, & someone from the worst dish should have been eliminated.

[Snarklepuss]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

The guy dressing like Julia Child for Halloween is fantastic.

At his Julia Child dinners, chef Tyler always talks about being heavily influenced by her since he was a kid, so seeing that photo was a big kick for me.  I split my sides as I didn't know his devotion to her was THAT intense, LOL!  I guess it shouldn't surprise me as any chef that has a commemorative dinner in honor of Julia every year has to be pretty devoted to her.  Yet another reason I'm a Tyler fan as I've been a big fan of Julia's since I saw her very first show when I was 5 years old in 1963.  I am LOL at Tyler's sense of humor.  I have seen it in person but it is especially funny on-screen.  I just made a reservation for New Year's eve dinner at his restaurant.
 

3 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

I’m enjoying seeing more of them in the house, interacting and having fun.

Me too.  They had done away with that for several seasons but they've brought it back in a nice way.
 

2 hours ago, rustyspigot said:

So many bears. Bear dens. Bears in the fridge. Bears in drag. BEARS!

Go bears!  Hubbie would fit right in with that crowd, LOL.  I've been calling him a bear since 1979!

[cooksdelight]

2 hours ago, GaT said:

This is why I don't like these kind of team challenges, the worst dish gets a pass because the judges like the other dishes. The other team should have won, & someone from the worst dish should have been eliminated.

I was hoping they would have said, “You both had bad dishes, so we’re going to choose 2 from Green and 2 from Blue who did the bad dishes and one of you will be leaving.”

[dleighg]

6 hours ago, Fiero425 said:

I just heard one of your bears in his "TH!" He's drooling over one of the judges; Alex! He called him a GOD! lol! ;-)

I am a straight woman, and holy cow, not a greek god to me.

[AriAu]

Quote

more like Top Chef Masters this season, where everyone is more about competing with themselves, rather than some sick sort of Survivor mentality/game playing that permeated the first couple of seasons.

I really think that they have watched the show enough to know that if they act like assholes, it may come back to bite them...unless their shtick is charming enough to somehow make it work (see Katsuji and to some extent Spike).

I need to go back and watch the episode again to figure out which of the 2 cheftestants were really at fault for the un-smoked fish dish-seems like the concept came from Claudette and Adrienne certainly blamed her for it as well as the fact she did not know how to cold smoke fish....which was kinda the key to the dish. ,

Laura from Alaska is going to need to stand up for herself pretty quickly or she is on her way back to Denali. She seems talented, but she needs to find a way to get her ideas out there and I hope that the raves that her dish drew are enough to get her some credibility with the group.

[TipseyGirl]

2 hours ago, dleighg said:

I am a straight woman, and holy cow, not a greek god to me.

I wasn't seeing it either. Meh. He also said that Hipster Cheese Dude was beautiful or some such. Again, not seeing it.

Edited December 15, 2017 by TipseyGirl

[Snarklepuss]

2 hours ago, dleighg said:

I am a straight woman, and holy cow, not a greek god to me.

I think that's just a function of Tyler's unique sense of humor.  AFAIK he's a straight guy married with kids so I think he was just engaging in a bit of humorous hyperbole.

[dleighg]

6 minutes ago, Snarklepuss said:

I think that's just a function of Tyler's unique sense of humor.  AFAIK he's a straight guy married with kids so I think he was just engaging in a bit of humorous hyperbole.

Hmm now that you say that, I wonder if he's watched previous seasons and was doing a little satire of the (He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named-Nor-Shown-in-January) who was fawned over.

[Blonde Gator]

24 minutes ago, Snarklepuss said:

I think that's just a function of Tyler's unique sense of humor.  AFAIK he's a straight guy married with kids so I think he was just engaging in a bit of humorous hyperbole.

Can you imagine how much fun Tyler would be as a dad, if you're a small kid?  Raaaaaaaaaawr!!!!!!  Woof Woof Woof!!!!

[Fiero425]

7 hours ago, GaT said:

This is why I don't like these kind of team challenges, the worst dish gets a pass because the judges like the other dishes. The other team should have won, & someone from the worst dish should have been eliminated.

They don't always get a pass! Several years ago, a dish was so bad "said chef" had to stand with the winning team, then called out by the judges with the losing group! I can't remember what happened, but I don't think they were sent packin'; just got a good tongue lashing! Anyone? ;-)

3 hours ago, dleighg said:

I am a straight woman, and holy cow, not a Greek God to me.

It had to be about the "THOR" hair IMO! Those deep furrows in his forehead were terribly distracting! I'm twice his age and barely have a shallow one! I wouldn't kick him out, but he's no GOD! ;-)

Edited December 15, 2017 by Fiero425

[Blonde Gator]

49 minutes ago, AriAu said:

 

I need to go back and watch the episode again to figure out which of the 2 cheftestants were really at fault for the un-smoked fish dish-seems like the concept came from Claudette and Adrienne certainly blamed her for it as well as the fact she did not know how to cold smoke fish....which was kinda the key to the dish. ,

Rewatching now.  The right chef was eliminated.  Adrienne first suggested the dish.  She wanted fish!!  And suggested the zucchini, cheese & fish pairing. 

Claudette then piped in with this:  "We'll give it a light cure, and then I'll smoke it.  Cold smoke it".  A bit later, Claudette kept asking Adrienne about smoking, she clearly didn't know what she was talking about, and didn't smoke the fish properly.  IIRC, she also waited too long to get the smoke started.

[Eulipian 5k]

12 hours ago, Bastet said:

I have never peeled a mushroom in my life;

LOL. Is that a thing? I know Tom FREAKS OUT about the skin being left on tomatoes and peppers, but I didn't really see the mushrooms after peeling. What's left? Then they sliced them?

(Tom also HATES bad butcher's knots!)

[dleighg]

Just now, Eulipian 5k said:

LOL. Is that a thing? I know Tom FREAKS OUT about the skin being left on tomatoes and peppers, but I didn't really see the mushrooms after peeling. What's left? Then they sliced them?

I also had never heard of that. At least one of them was using a veg. peeler, so it ended up whiter. Seems silly to me. 

[Eulipian 5k]

10 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Don't forget the BEARS in the Bunk Bed Bedroom!

Well, there goes the menu, I MUST have salmon tonite, thx BG.

[biakbiak]

I half expected moustache Joe to start twirling the aforementioned mustache he was being such an ass.

Peeling mushrooms used to be very common in professional kitchens but many no longer do it.

[Blonde Gator]

21 minutes ago, Eulipian 5k said:

Well, there goes the menu, I MUST have salmon tonite, thx BG.

You're welcome!  I wish I had my photo albums handy (in storage).  We once went to Vancouver Island (fantastic) for ten days, and just drove until felt like stopping.  It was September, and the Salmon were running.  We stopped at a beautiful park in the middle of the island, and hiked down a trail, there was a "salmon stair" there, with people counting.  The water fall was huge, maybe 40', and those salmon who didn't find the stairs were hitting the side walls, how those fish ever make that end run is beyond me.  Well, we hiked down below that, and there was a huge clear pool of quiet water, stacked top to bottom with resting salmon, waiting to make the run.  And across that pool was a huge bear, just lazily eating the salmon.  Just the roe.   He'd get done, drop it, and head back to the pool.  Woosh, grab another salmon, lather, rinse repeat.  I guess he got full....he stood up, and was so HUGE, then climbed up a bit of a rock wall and was gone.   I figured we could run faster than he could have swum that pool to get at us (and we aren't tasty salmon), but it was VERY up close and personal. 

Bon appetit and enjoy your salmon.  I'm jonesing for some Alaskan King Crab.

As for the peeled mushrooms, some of the more upscale places carve (peel) little designs into them to fancy them up as well.  My favorite way to make them is the way Kristen Kish did when she won the steakhouse challenge a couple of seasons ago....remember the outrage at "She won with MUSHROOMS????"  lol

[chiaros]

45 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I half expected moustache Joe to start twirling the aforementioned mustache he was being such an ass.

Peeling mushrooms used to be very common in professional kitchens but many no longer do it.

It may have been what one did years ago. But it is commonly acknowledged nowadays that most of the nutrients/minerals in mushrooms are found in the skin, as also found in various scientific studies. Although the recommendation of many folks now is to simply brush off debris and never wash mushrooms, I myself still do rinse mushrooms off - especially the fresh Western-type ones, like the ubiquitous "button mushroom" ones. I don't recall any more-recent cheffie-type folks dictating that one needs to PEEL mushrooms.  For that matter, certainly for E Asian types of mushrooms, whether fresh or dried, removal of the skin is not something that one does.

For that matter, I believe there was an episode of a cooking show where the host demonstrated that soaking western button mushrooms in water for a while did NOT result in their taking up water, as had been popularly thought, contradicting the folklore that washing mushrooms was a no-no because it "diluted and washed out their taste" by absorbing water.

I may be out of touch, but over the many past years of my eating out in many places in USAmerican restaurants, both high-end and lower-end, I don't recall eating peeled mushrooms.

Odd.

Edited December 15, 2017 by chiaros

[Blonde Gator]

30 minutes ago, chiaros said:

It may have been what one did years ago. But it is commonly acknowledged nowadays that most of the nutrients/minerals in mushrooms are found in the skin, as also found in various scientific studies. Although the recommendation of many folks now is to simply brush off debris and never wash mushrooms, I myself still do rinse mushrooms off - especially the fresh Western-type ones, like the ubiquitous "button mushroom" ones. I don't recall any more-recent cheffie-type folks dictating that one needs to PEEL mushrooms.  For that matter, certainly for E Asian types of mushrooms, whether fresh or dried, removal of the skin is not something that one does.

For that matter, I believe there was an episode of a cooking show where the host demonstrated that soaking western button mushrooms in water for a while did NOT result in their taking up water, as had been popularly thought, contradicting the folklore that washing mushrooms was a no-no because it "diluted and washed out their taste" by absorbing water.

I may be out of touch, but over the many past years of my eating out in many places in USAmerican restaurants, both high-end and lower-end, I don't recall eating peeled mushrooms.

Odd.

Alton Brown, Good Eats!  So much easier to just wash them, too.

[Wings]

56 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

My favorite way to make them is the way Kristen Kish did when she won the steakhouse challenge a couple of seasons ago....remember the outrage at "She won with MUSHROOMS????"  lol

I have forgotten, can you give the Cliffs Notes on that?  

9 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

At his Julia Child dinners, chef Tyler always talks about being heavily influenced by her since he was a kid, so seeing that photo was a big kick for me.  I split my sides as I didn't know his devotion to her was THAT intense, LOL!  I guess it shouldn't surprise me as any chef that has a commemorative dinner in honor of Julia every year has to be pretty devoted to her.  Yet another reason I'm a Tyler fan as I've been a big fan of Julia's since I saw her very first show when I was 5 years old in 1963.  I am LOL at Tyler's sense of humor.  I have seen it in person but it is especially funny on-screen.  I just made a reservation for New Year's eve dinner at his restaurant.

She has been and still is a huge influence on me, too.  French is my favorite cuisine. 

1 hour ago, Eulipian 5k said:

LOL. Is that a thing? I know Tom FREAKS OUT about the skin being left on tomatoes and peppers, but I didn't really see the mushrooms after peeling. What's left? Then they sliced them?

(Tom also HATES bad butcher's knots!)

What is this?  

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, Wings said:

 

What is this?  

On this weeks episode he jumped in to show how Tu how to tie the lamb even after he said he shouldn't, he couldn't help himself because the knots were so bad. 

[WendyM]

14 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

I thought the guy who undercooked the lamb was a goner, surprised it was Claudette. But her eyeglasses were annoying me, so I’m OK with her going. 

I now want to try to make some ice cream with feta.

Unfortunately, I wasn't surprised because the Bravo website spoiled the loser by showing her in a screenshot of Last Chance Kitchen. Thanks, Bravo! It's not like you didn't have...I don't know...maybe three other LCK contestants? Oh well.

[Eulipian 5k]

1 hour ago, chiaros said:

For that matter, I believe there was an episode of a cooking show where the host demonstrated that soaking western button mushrooms in water for a while did NOT result in their taking up water, as had been popularly thought, contradicting the folklore that washing mushrooms was a no-no because it "diluted and washed out their taste" by absorbing water.

That was Alton Brown's "Good Eats". Ze "French" Chefs were "Sacre Bleu-ing" all over the place, LOL.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Eulipian 5k
Ewwps I see another poster watches Good Eats.

[Blonde Gator]

@Wings  Kristen used Criminis, IIRC.  She carefully washed, destemmed, then quartered and roasted them to dry them out a bit without making them wilt, then sauteed them in a butter sauce, maybe with some thyme, seasoning perfectly?  Super cinchy, but by roasting them she got a nice, dryish firm texture, packed with umami.  They went perfectly with the gorgeous steaks.   The other chefs were furious (but they mostly botched replicating the "old school" steak house dishes).....so Kristen won with a very simple, straight forward, perfect dish.   IIRC, she also made some yummy finely sliced deep fried onions.  I can't find the recipe online, but here's an article about the episode.

I like these roasted mushrooms for leftovers, too.  When I have grilled steak, I save the trimmed (cooked) beef fat, and render it.  Saute the roasted 'shrooms a bit of the rendered fat, and it adds an amazing "oomph" to beef barley soup or other beef stock based soups. 

Edited December 15, 2017 by Blonde Gator

[susannot]

11 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

At his Julia Child dinners, chef Tyler always talks about being heavily influenced by her since he was a kid, so seeing that photo was a big kick for me.  I split my sides as I didn't know his devotion to her was THAT intense, LOL!  I guess it shouldn't surprise me as any chef that has a commemorative dinner in honor of Julia every year has to be pretty devoted to her.  Yet another reason I'm a Tyler fan as I've been a big fan of Julia's since I saw her very first show when I was 5 years old in 1963.  I am LOL at Tyler's sense of humor.  I have seen it in person but it is especially funny on-screen.  I just made a reservation for New Year's eve dinner at his restaurant.
 

 

!

I'm so jealous!!  Please report in drool-worthy detail .  Chef Tyler' cross-dressing Julia habit made me love him even more.

I always love the mise on place relay but this wasn't my favorite.  There weren't enough ingredients and they weren't difficult enough.  My favorites were (1)  Stephanie made mayo by hand whisking and (2) Hung demolished a chicken in two minutes.

Who elected Mustache Joe team leader?  No one, that I saw.

Edited December 15, 2017 by susannot

[Lamb18]

Watching right now - it looked like one guy squeezed lime on his steaks after time was called. Upon rewatch, it was just as time was called. Also when that judge said "The sauce is broken," there was an echo in my head: "The ox was broken." Good job, Joe! The $5000 is nice. I suppose the Blue Apron dinners aren't so bad, at least you don't have to cook for yourself after cooking for others all day and night.

I like the bear den and the bear paws. "Woof!"

Tyler, while Alex is nice looking he does not look like a Greek god. I like farms, wondering what his is like. I also like Adrienne's phrase "culinary soulmates."  Nice, pasture-raised pigs. Their lard has tons of vitamin D. Llama peaks in the window, hello there! Good job guarding the sheep! That fish and cheese appetizer sounds weird. Well, looks like Snidely is taking over the menu. If Laura wanted to do dessert, why didn't she just speak up? But I know it is hard to speak up against the flow. I was wondering what time of year this was filmed and why the sheep were in the barn. Lambing is probably over since you couldn't see or hear any lambs (they are noisy), but since they make sheep cheese maybe they were ewes ready for milking.

Padma looks nice in that dress. First course: Laura and Fatima safe w/the cheese and cracker, Claudia and Adrienne not so much, Adrienne seems safer.  Oh gosh, just listening to Carrie's voice - she sounds like Shawn/Claire from Project Runway. I almost expected her to bust out an "Indeed." "A texture variance - indeed!" But the dish was good! And you can find her in the corner puking. The food sounds good so far. The guy from Equity speaks up about the whey sauce. 2nd course chefs - safe! As Tom says, they aren't flocking around. ha ha good one, Tom!!  Padma didn't look too thrilled about eating what the sheep ate. Tyler and the other guy aren't safe.  Dessert is safe.

Sanford wines gets a plug. Tu is so lucky he is on the winning team. And Padma agrees. Carrie won - indeed! Good-bye, Claudette! I'm glad Adrienne's safe, I don't know, but I'm pulling for her.

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

Tom saying the cheese was treated like an unwanted ingredient in the mystery box seemed a direct reference to Chopped.

Or Masterchef.

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

. I suppose the Blue Apron dinners aren't so bad, at least you don't have to cook for yourself after cooking for others all day and night.

You still cook with Blue Apron, they just provide the recipes and the ingredients. I think this is the first episode they sponsored but the winner of the last two seasons has created a recipe for Blue Apron after they won.

[Calamity Jane]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

With the dueling lamb dishes, the blue team’s looked better, and it’s almost impossible to under-cook lamb for me, but I have to trust these skilled chefs that it was indeed too raw.  The green team arguing that had the diners been instructed to eat the losing lamb with their hands it would have tasted better was ridiculous.  One of them would have been bounced had their team not won.

 

There seems to be a divide among people about how rare meat can/should be.  I've noticed over the years that Tom seems to like lamb and even steak more cooked than other judges do.  In our family, we like both on the rare side of medium rare, especially lamb, so I'm often baffled by Tom's comments.  My having grown up in France may have something to do with that, I suppose.  Then there's Tom and "seasoning," by which he always means salt - he prefers food more heavily salted than other judges do.  Tastes do vary, but some judges never seem to acknowledge that.  

[Wings]

No matter what they prefer personally the judges expect medium rare beef and lamb.  They do.have.to have a standard for judging.  If you over cook your steak you cannot claim you aimed for medium well and get away with that! 

Thanks @Blonde Gator.  Damn, now I want to know how she did that.  I will try with using what I know.  

Edited December 15, 2017 by Wings

[biakbiak]

49 minutes ago, Calamity Jane said:

There seems to be a divide among people about how rare meat can/should be.

Yeah when Tom mentioned that the lamb was raw, Padma said she ate all of her raw lamb, though that was on the lamb dish that was inconsistently cooked so maybe her piece wasn't as rare as Tom. 

Speaking of Padma inhaling the lamb,  she had quite an appetite this episode and even took Chef Greek God's cracker!

[Blonde Gator]

17 minutes ago, Wings said:

No matter what they prefer personally the judges expect medium rare beef and lamb.  They do.have.to have a standard for judging.  If you over cook your steak you cannot claim you aimed for medium well and get away with that! 

Thanks @Blonde Gator.  Damn, now I want to know how she did that.  I will try with using what I know.  

I checked Wiki.  It was season 10 (Seattle) Episode 4.  Maybe you can find that one on Demand or online, or purchase it from iTunes.  I have a couple of seasons on my DVR....rewatched after Hurricane Irma when my sat dish was out for a few weeks.  But not that season. 

I just roast them on a sheet pan on pretty high heat, until I can start to smell them, and see that theyre shedding moisture.  You can actually feel the difference.  I think the article said she also carmelizes them a bit on the second cook.  They are fandamtastic, tho. 

[Wings]

I am going to roast them first, then Sautee.  Thanks

[Eulipian 5k]

2 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Kristen used Criminis, IIRC.  She carefully washed, destemmed, then quartered and roasted them to dry them out a bit without making them wilt, then sauteed them in a butter sauce, maybe with some thyme, seasoning perfectly?  Super cinchy, but by roasting them she got a nice, dryish firm texture, packed with umami.  They went perfectly with the gorgeous steaks. 

Didn't Kristen come back from LCK to win the whole d%mn thing? That woman can cook!

Speaking of Restaurant Wars,(how Kristen ended up in LCK), I can't wait til then to see how, Snidely Joe, Alaska, Tyler and the Amish/Soul mesh with their teams in that challenge, if they all make it that far.

"So I decided to dress as Julia Child every Friday" Bwahaha, Tyler will need a new wing on his restaurant.

[spiderpig]

Just caught up on this ep.

Bruce has really faded into the background.

I was disappointed that Tu messed up royally on the lamb.  I still like him.

Although Laura/Denali's restaurant looks great, she still bugs me.  My fault.  She reminds me of Greta von Susteren.

I could live on bread and cheese, so this ep was for me.  (Channeling Homer Simpson - "mmm...cheesecheesecheesecheese...")

[Lizzing]

4 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

Oh gosh, just listening to Carrie's voice - she sounds like Shawn/Claire from Project Runway. I almost expected her to bust out an "Indeed."

Her voice gave me chills, sounding so much like those two.  Thank goodness she's not as annoying as they were (at least yet).

I don't get why Gail wasn't there this week.