S17.E11: Trying to Pasta Test

[Drogo]

The all-stars get a late night call from Chef Gordon Ramsay with instructions on their next challenge. They're given $20 to purchase ingredients and create three restaurant-quality pasta dishes in order to demonstrate their ability to maximize a profit off the ingredients purchased.

[BusyOctober]

Elise is nothing but a bully.  Period.  I don’t care if she can actually cook. I would never go into a restaurant where she worked.  I don’t advocate violence but if ever there were a person I wanted to really really smack in the face, it’s Elise. A hard, stinging,SMACK in the kisser.

[Rap541]

Well, Dana was just all around poor this episode so I get why she was put up, but I thought the dismissal was unnecessarily mean on Gordon's part. Dana was always a good chef.

The problem of Elise is that she's too grating and unpleasant in front of Gordon to buy that he doesn't pay attention to a chef's behavior. Yes I know its a reality show  etc etc etc but I expect there to be some minimal effort made as to make me believe this whole little farce is plausible.  

[Mystery]

Thanks for the head's up. Another episode getting deleted unwatched from my Tivo. 

[jewel21]

Surprised to see Dana go before Robin. I really thought she would get a black jacket.

[Surrealist]

I'm easily amused. When Gordon took Robyn to the back to cuss her out, I started cracking up until tears started rolling when he said "Hey, you. Get the fuck out of here!"

Edited January 6, 2018 by Surrealist

[spiderpig]

Can producer manipulation be anymore obvious than in this episode?  Dana is a good chef and Elise is psychotic.  When Gordon told Dana she wasn't ready to be a head chef in his kitchen, I was screaming "And you think Elise IS??????????"

When every confrontation with every other chef involves Elise, something is seriously wrong with that person.  We all know Elise will be with us until there's a hair-pulling throwdown in the kitchen and somebody goes to the hospital.

At least we know she'll never win.

[mertensia]

Elise really drags the show down.

Yes, they're behaving perfectly in sync without Barbie. It's amazing. Truly. 

Why did Milly go with chicken? At least use veal, Milly.

[BusyOctober]

If Jennifer thinks Elise will stay true til the end with her flimsy alliance, then I have a bridge to sell her.  Elise will strut and flap her arms like a rabid chicken if Jennifer makes one teensy error.  If Elise is going to be with us til the end (because of her winning personality and ah-MAY-zing culinary skills -SNORT), then I hope the final is her up against Michelle. And Michelle wins.  I want to watch the tears flow down that perma pout face just before her head explodes.  Michelle and Nick and Milly and Ben and Jennifer and Dana are all better, more realistic options for GR than Elise.  I won’t include Robyn b/c she is just as screwed up as Elise, but Robyn has a different brand of “certifiable” than Elise.

[LakeGal]

Robyn sneaks through again. The blue team always pulls out a win that saves her when she has a bad service. Milly is still finding a way to wander around and not do anything.

[AZChristian]

It was a little odd to look up from my Candy Crush to see that one of the "expert judges" for the pasta contest was a man who is currently on "Top Chef" as a contestant.

[riprock]

And the other expert judge has already served as a Top Chef guest judge this season!

I'm tired of the fake outs from Gordon when he's telling people to get back in line. Even the contestants aren't sure if this is it for them.

Was glad when Michelle called it "Asian-inspired tortellini" at judging. Girl listens.

[Rammchick]

Most cuisines have some sort of noodle, so fussing about Asian dishes or Spanish dishes not being pasta was ridiculous.

[Rap541]

Quote

If Elise is going to be with us til the end (because of her winning personality and ah-MAY-zing culinary skills -SNORT), then I hope the final is her up against Michelle. And Michelle wins.  I want to watch the tears flow down that perma pout face just before her head explodes. 

I kinda suspect this is the end game, actually.

Quote

Most cuisines have some sort of noodle, so fussing about Asian dishes or Spanish dishes not being pasta was ridiculous.

Agreed. Gordon's fit over it made me wonder if we heard ALL the instructions and the chefs were told to make *Italian* pasta specifically. Then I could understand his throwing a fit over asian potstickers and paella. And I thought Michelle got lucky in not being called out for her "tortellini" that was so obviously not tortellini.

[CrazyDog]

I know this show is more of a farce than not, but for an "All-Stars" season, I don't see any of these fools being capable to lead a kitchen. I'm not familiar with all of them from past seasons, and I kind of like Milly, and Jennifer seems OK, but I don't see a front-runner like in other seasons. Is there one?

[spiderpig]

3 hours ago, CrazyDog said:

I know this show is more of a farce than not, but for an "All-Stars" season, I don't see any of these fools being capable to lead a kitchen. I'm not familiar with all of them from past seasons, and I kind of like Milly, and Jennifer seems OK, but I don't see a front-runner like in other seasons. Is there one?

I'm rooting for the quiet ones who just shut up and cook.  Seems the Blue Team has the edge with Nick and Ben.

Guest judge Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson from Boulder reminded me so much of judge Claudio Aprile from Masterchef Canada. (secret crush)

[xcrayon2215x]

Nick is looking like a clear winner right now. I think Jennifer will regret the alliance with Elise at some point. Robyn got very lucky tonight with being on the winning team, her and Elise should be the next two to go.

[alegtostandon]

I was ready for Elise to go the first episode of her season. Ramsey has to think she's adding to the ratings. I'm actually developing a bit of a disrespect for him for keeping her around after all of the trouble she's caused. I was really disappointed to see Dana go over Elise. 

I'm not sure what Jennifer's thinking was in forming an alliance with Elise. Even if they choose to put Michelle up next week, Ramsey does what he wants. An alliance on this show makes no sense.  There is no way Elise is emotionally ready to be in charge of a restaurant, she'll have the whole staff walking out on her the first week. But...Jennifer is not management material either. I don't see either one of them making it to the end....

Edited January 7, 2018 by alegtostandon

[RedRobin]

I cannot believe that so many folks think that Elise is the weakest chef on this red team.  Is she an ass?  Yes, but for the most part, she is more talented than most of the chefs on both teams. If you haven't noticed, most chefs are notorious for being complete jerks and difficult to get along with. I mean when HK first started, Ramsey himself was often criticized for being a rude jerk, so why would you think that he would deviate when hiring someone to work for him and run his restaurant?   Just because you don't like her, doesn't mean that the remaining chefs are any more talented than she is.  Michelle (the whiner)  is total CRAP and I cannot believe that she's still standing.

[Rap541]

Quote

I cannot believe that so many folks think that Elise is the weakest chef on this red team.  Is she an ass?  Yes, but for the most part, she is more talented than most of the chefs on both teams.

She isn't the best chef (I'd prolly pick Nick) and she's crashed and burned a couple of times. She's also prone to lying and to flying off the handle over petty issues. Ramsey has actually corrected her over her unwillingness to own her mistakes, and since thats a huge bitch point for him, I don't see her winning.

Quote

 If you haven't noticed, most chefs are notorious for being complete jerks and difficult to get along with. I mean when HK first started, Ramsey himself was often criticized for being a rude jerk, so why would you think that he would deviate when hiring someone to work for him and run his restaurant?

Ah but that's all part of the weird "paying your dues" aspect of fine dining. There's a really lovely video on youtube somewhere of Gordon Ramsey with his mentor chef as the mentor chef is doing some cooking show and the mentor is somewhat of a dick, and Gordon is all "yes sir!". One of the original concepts surrounding Hell's Kitchen was that it allowed a chef to *bypass* the normal process of being treated like trash and working up to sous chef under a mentor. Elise would never last in the traditional system that Gordon trained in. 

[TDT]

23 hours ago, Surrealist said:

I'm easily amused. When Gordon took Robyn to the back to cuss her out, I started cracking up until tears started rolling when he said "Hey, you. Get the fuck out of here!"

Who was that guy i wonder..i bet he'll know not to loiter in the "Store Room Of Doom" again lol

6 hours ago, xcrayon2215x said:

Nick is looking like a clear winner right now. I think Jennifer will regret the alliance with Elise at some point. Robyn got very lucky tonight with being on the winning team, her and Elise should be the next two to go.

I wonder if Elise will break the alliance next week in order to get her black jacket..

[Surrealist]

3 hours ago, TDT said:

Who was that guy i wonder..i bet he'll know not to loiter in the "Store Room Of Doom" again lol

I rewatched that scene a few times. I couldn't be certain if it was a man or woman, but I'm six years overdue for a new prescription. The person was wearing a white chef's jacket, I think, so I wonder if it was a prep cook or an executive chef trying to do some sort of inventory. 

That said I was still laughing today. It was just so random. I don't think that's happened before on the show. 

The person booked out of there as soon as Gordon said that. 

[cooksdelight]

If someone knows how to analyze ratings week-to-week, I’d love to know what they are for this show. Since Elise turrned into a raging bitch (several weeks ago) I quit watching.

[cooksdelight]

(Double post)

Edited January 7, 2018 by cooksdelight

[rubinia]

Still calling that Elise doesn’t win but makes it to the end. Ramsay will send her off with accolades about how she’s a great chef even though she didn’t win.

[Cocoabean]

Elise can get off my screen. So sick of her voice. Anyone else remember at the end of her original season Chef Ramsay told her you're a great chef, but quit being a bitch? 

 

Do any of you think that Chef might be taking steroids for a medical condition? His face looks so puffy this season. 

[spiderpig]

2 hours ago, Cocoabean said:

 

Do any of you think that Chef might be taking steroids for a medical condition? His face looks so puffy this season. 

I don't know, but it's been quite awhile since we've seen Gordon change his chef's jacket to expose his manly pecs.

[cooksdelight]

The general consensus during filming is that he’d overdone it on the fillers in his face. He posted for a photo at some fight match in LA during this time and it caused a lot of articles to pop up. You know he loves his plastic surgery!

[JenMcSnark]

On 1/6/2018 at 7:03 AM, Rammchick said:

Most cuisines have some sort of noodle, so fussing about Asian dishes or Spanish dishes not being pasta was ridiculous.

I totally agree, but to be fair, Paella doesn't have any noodles.  Elise said Paella-inspired  but Ramsey didn't even let her finish her sentence to explain how she was going to utilize noodles.  lol