S15.E05: This Is Not Glamping

[biakbiak]

19 minutes ago, MortysCleaningLady said:

 When they moved into the house, it took Bruce several tries to find an outlet for his CPAC machine.  Did it plug into the car charger for this challenge? 

Like most people who use a CPAP machine and make quick trips, camp, or have a bad cold he just didn't use it for the night. People often go without it. 

[limecoke]

Brother's restaurant opened in March, 2017.  He said that filming commenced shortly after that.  March is a rough month in Colorado as it's the month when we get most of our snowfall.  It has also been known to snow right up to the first or second week in May-especially in the mountains.  So, production certainly must have known conditions were likely to be challenging in the early spring.  While I feel for Lee Anne, she had to know what she was getting into.  It's no secret Colorado is a high altitude state and it would make things difficult in pregnancy.  I've always liked Lee Anne but question the fairness of letting her back in the competition considering she's not only been a contestant, she was an employee of the show and has intimate knowledge of the inner workings.  She has a distinct advantage.  Having said that, I wish her well with her baby and hope everything is fine.

[Norma Desmond]

Damn Kwame! I really wanted him to succeed.  I hate Claudette. Tom is such a punk.

[shksabelle]

On 1/5/2018 at 8:38 PM, awaken said:

Hey guys- did you know Lee Ann is pregnant?  I don’t think they've mentioned it. she’s pregnant, FYI. And engaged. And pregnant. 

Charlotte?

That’s exactly what I was coming here to post. 

[rhys]

As a Colorado native, it irked me that Padma mispronounced Estes Park and it was caught on video & never corrected. Bad form, show.

[FinnishViewer]

On 1/6/2018 at 5:51 PM, AttackTurtle said:

Just look at last season’s final three

The final three last season was Brooke, Shirley and Sheldon. They all went pretty far in their own seasons their first time around as well.

[dleighg]

so where did *these* come from? They look an awful lot like dutch ovens, no? Just need a lid, which those sorts of pots usually come with.

[Roslyn]

26 minutes ago, dleighg said:

so where did *these* come from? They look an awful lot like dutch ovens, no? Just need a lid, which those sorts of pots usually come with.

She was most likely looking for a traditional dutch oven that you use for a campfire.  Cast iron with feet and a lid that dips down and holds coals.

[dleighg]

2 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

She was most likely looking for a traditional dutch oven that you use for a campfire.  Cast iron with feet and a lid that dips down and holds coals.

could well be (and thanks for the photo; have never seen one of those, but I don't camp!), and it worked out fine for her, but I think she would have had a decent result using one of those large pots that we all call dutch ovens. Tin cups == very risky!

[Blonde Gator]

49 minutes ago, dleighg said:

so where did *these* come from? They look an awful lot like dutch ovens, no? Just need a lid, which those sorts of pots usually come with.

Those are enameled dutch ovens.  For campfire baking, you need one that is just plain cast iron.  There's a formula for getting the desired internal baking temperatures by putting x number of hot charcoals on the bottom, under the pan (hopefully one with little legs), and then the cast iron top is made to also hold x number of hot coals.  I learned this with the grandson in Cubbies....they had a Dutch Oven campfire cook off.  Chili won.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Blonde Gator

[AttackTurtle]

2 hours ago, FinnishViewer said:

The final three last season was Brooke, Shirley and Sheldon. They all went pretty far in their own seasons their first time around as well.

That was my point.  Actually the final four were all prior contestants as John was there too.  I think that just having prior experience is a plus.  I believe Leanne was top four.  I think she would’ve put up a better challenge to Tiffany and Harold then Dave did, but she did too much with her dish.   But all these prior contestants know how to play and how to manage their time.

 

I’d really like to see another All Star season.  I doubt my favorite Sheldon would return, but there have been some really talented chefs in the past few years.  

[Blonde Gator]

14 minutes ago, AttackTurtle said:

That was my point.  Actually the final four were all prior contestants as John was there too.  I think that just having prior experience is a plus.  I believe Leanne was top four.  I think she would’ve put up a better challenge to Tiffany and Harold then Dave did, but she did too much with her dish.   But all these prior contestants know how to play and how to manage their time.

 

I’d really like to see another All Star season.  I doubt my favorite Sheldon would return, but there have been some really talented chefs in the past few years.  

I'd like to see an All Star AND Masters season.  That would be some great TV. 

I know I sound like a broken record, but I am so enjoying the "Masters-like" collegiality among this seasons' competitors.  It adds, rather than subtracts, for me.  Top Chef is at its best when the cheftestants are "cooking against themselves"....upping their OWN games against what they've done in the past.  Which is why I prefer the later season challenges, not so many team challenges, although some of the classics, like the Mis En Place race, are always great fun to watch.

I much prefer Top Chef to be all about the cooking (silly challenges included, kudos again to Carrie this week for swinging for the fences with her snow oven)....rather than the drama of a reality TV show.  If I were into reality shows, I'd watch more than the one episode of Survivor I've ever seen (a captive, I might add), or any of the other silly reality shows.  I want to see the cooking, I want to learn things.....like Mustache Joe's great hint to add baking powder to the chicken brine to crisp the skin, or Chris's brine of lemonade for his fried chicken! 

[cooksdelight]

I’ve never used charcoal in a Dutch oven when camping! I put my food in mine and hang it over the fire.

[Blonde Gator]

58 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I’ve never used charcoal in a Dutch oven when camping! I put my food in mine and hang it over the fire.

Not "in".  On top, and under.  For baking.   Check out YouTube.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Blonde Gator

[Roslyn]

1 hour ago, cooksdelight said:

I’ve never used charcoal in a Dutch oven when camping! I put my food in mine and hang it over the fire.

It comes down to terminology.  Dutch Oven is what many many different pots are called, but when cooking directly on coals or a fire, it means something more specific.

Photo #1 can be used on a regular stove top, or at the campsite.  On a grate over fire, or nestled directly into the fire.  Many versions of this type of pot are used in the kitchen and are commonly stainless to enameled cast iron (think Le Creuset)

Photo #2 is usually used by hanging it over a fire, or nestled into the coals. But can also be used on a burner or grate over a fire.

Photo #3 is a true Dutch Oven, as in it is used as an oven type pot by putting something else inside it, like a tin of biscuits or a tin with cake batter or corn bread batter, bread dough etc. It has feet that lift it over coals and a lid that sits down so that coals can be shoveled on top and it acts like an oven with heat coming from all sides vs being a pot that you cook a stew in.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Roslyn

[FormerMod-a1]

I've been camping where someone baked bread in a dutch oven like pic 1 & 2 above.  It turned out really well.  They made bread for us every morning, it was great.  (It was a large group).  And that is the kind I pictured for the cake.  I'm glad the tin cups worked though.  There is a big difference between tin and cast iron so figuring the heat out and cooks times, etc  given the difference, impressed me.

[cooksdelight]

I learn something every day here, who says chatboards aren’t educational!

[ratgirlagogo]

2 hours ago, Roslyn said:

Dutch Oven is what many many different pots are called, but when cooking directly on coals or a fire, it means something more specific.

Yes.  As a footnote I'd add that before the days of modern cooking stoves all pots had to either have the handle as  in your photo #2 to hang from a spit over the fire in the fireplace, or feet as in photo #3 to sit on top of the fire.  The ones with feet came to be called "spiders" because they looked like spiders, I suppose, and eventually spider became a general term for cast iron cookpots, especially skillets.  Probably the bakers posting here have made or at least seen recipes for spider cake or spider cornbread - the name comes from the pan it would be cooked in.  Hope that was some fun trivia and not too educational.:)

Edited January 8, 2018 by ratgirlagogo

[Blonde Gator]

2 hours ago, Roslyn said:

It comes down to terminology.  Dutch Oven is what many many different pots are called, but when cooking directly on coals or a fire, it means something more specific.

Photo #1 can be used on a regular stove top, or at the campsite.  On a grate over fire, or nestled directly into the fire.  Many versions of this type of pot are used in the kitchen and are commonly stainless to enameled cast iron (think Le Creuset)

Photo #2 is usually used by hanging it over a fire, or nestled into the coals. But can also be used on a burner or grate over a fire.

Photo #3 is a true Dutch Oven, as in it is used as an oven type pot by putting something else inside it, like a tin of biscuits or a tin with cake batter or corn bread batter, bread dough etc. It has feet that lift it over coals and a lid that sits down so that coals can be shoveled on top and it acts like an oven with heat coming from all sides vs being a pot that you cook a stew in.

You'd have trouble keeping coals on the lid of pot #1 or 2 to use to bake biscuits or whatever.  It's a cooking pot. Pot #3 is designed for baking/roasting while camping.  Coals on top and bottom.  Note the ridge on the top to keep the coals from falling off.

[JunebugTx]

10 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Those are enameled dutch ovens.  For campfire baking, you need one that is just plain cast iron.  There's a formula for getting the desired internal baking temperatures by putting x number of hot charcoals on the bottom, under the pan (hopefully one with little legs), and then the cast iron top is made to also hold x number of hot coals.  I learned this with the grandson in Cubbies....they had a Dutch Oven campfire cook off.  Chili won.

I was wondering what kind of camping place they shopped at that didn't have a Dutch oven.  I think I would have tried to use what you see in the screen caps - I have baked on charcoal in something similar, and while I had to figure out how to not burn the crap out of the bottom of the bread I was making, I did figure it out.  I totally see why the first batch burned.

[HappyDancex2]

As I was watching this episode all I could think about is that I would NOT have wanted the last round of dishes.  I know it worked out that those dishes appeared to be the most flawed dishes however all of those heavy meat centric dishes made me full just watching!

By the time I saw the lamb dish with the berries and more farro and a mushroom sauce.....bleck.  Even worse the yummy cake was in round one....sweets fill me up and it looked delicious. 

I agree that it seemed like the setting was more prop like.  It would have been exhausting to trudge and shovel and set up an area and then do food prep into the night and in the cold?  Hard to believe.  Where were the bathrooms?   Even on Survivor there are facilities for contact lenses, access to feminine hygiene products and general things that don’t affect production that no reasonable adult is willing to “rough”.  

I’m glad tom chose lee Ann from LCK and allowed her to compete on her own terms.  He knew that snow challenge was next and it’s just human nature to not even put her in that situation but he truly judged her food.  If she ends up leaving then she has made a great showing so far.  That had to be tough to send a pregnant woman to that challenge but hey every woman is different...some woman are quite active with no issues at all.

[FinnishViewer]

12 hours ago, AttackTurtle said:

That was my point.  Actually the final four were all prior contestants as John was there too.

My point was that because how good those final three of season 14 were, I don't think their prior experience really helped them that much. I think those three would have made it to the finals prior experience or not.

[annewithaneee]

19 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

I'd like to see an All Star AND Masters season.  That would be some great TV. 

If I were TC production, I'd press pause on casting Masters for the time being, like a year or so, to hopefully reduce the risk of casting someone who will be outed - after filming, but before/during airing - as a serial sexual harasser/abuser. They're probably already crossing their fingers that none of this season's guest judges other than John Besch (a Masters alum, right?) are called out. After him and Batali and I'm sure others I didn't notice, probably not a great time to go looking around for big name chefs to feature.

But that aside lol I do like and miss Masters. 

[Heathrowe]

Carrie reminds me of Kimmy Schmidt. I do like her!

[bobbobbob199]

9 hours ago, annewithaneee said:

If I were TC production, I'd press pause on casting Masters for the time being, like a year or so, to hopefully reduce the risk of casting someone who will be outed - after filming, but before/during airing - as a serial sexual harasser/abuser. They're probably already crossing their fingers that none of this season's guest judges other than John Besch (a Masters alum, right?) are called out. After him and Batali and I'm sure others I didn't notice, probably not a great time to go looking around for big name chefs to feature.

But that aside lol I do like and miss Masters. 

I head Johnny Iuzzini is also a guest judge this season ....

[biakbiak]

41 minutes ago, bobbobbob199 said:

I head Johnny Iuzzini is also a guest judge this season ....

Really? I wonder why they haven't discussed it like John Besh who they have edited out. 

 

10 hours ago, annewithaneee said:

If I were TC production, I'd press pause on casting Masters for the time being, like a year or so, to hopefully reduce the risk of casting someone who will be outed - after filming, but before/during airing - as a serial sexual harasser/abuser. They're probably already crossing their fingers that none of this season's guest judges other than John Besch (a Masters alum, right?) are called out. After him and Batali and I'm sure others I didn't notice, probably not a great time to go looking around for big name chefs to feature.

Masters hasn't been on since 2013, I doubt they are planning a reboot. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by biakbiak

[cooksdelight]

I just now got to watch this, and I’m so glad Bruce won. As he said, he was inside his head too much and not cooking the way he normally does. I wanted to try both the other dishes as well, especially that cake in a cup. And I noticed when Tom told Tu “You’ll have another chance, Last Chance Kitchen is not over” ... it was so obviously dubbed in. Why couldn’t they have recorded it out there? 

Another Tomism that is driving me nuts... “It was very offal forward..... it was a little too sardine forward” I guess saying something is a little heavy is passé. 

Fatima was cracking me up with her hatred of camping, snow and the cold. They would have all been doomed — or needed help from production — if Carrie hadn’t been there. 

[Christina]

On 1/6/2018 at 9:59 AM, Toothbrush said:

Yes, Tom did say that, and said they have had some pretty bad desserts throughout the show. 

 

On 1/6/2018 at 10:00 AM, dleighg said:

I looked but couldn't find it (at least on the Bravo site; I know that sometimes the real-time version and the on-demand version have different bits)

 

On 1/6/2018 at 10:21 AM, RemoteControlFreak said:

I just re-watched the entire episode and Tom never said that, nor did anyone else claim that Carrie's dessert was the best ever in the history of Top Chef. Tom said, "Usually we get lousy desserts and so this was beyond good." And Gail said what I quoted above: "I've rarely had a dessert on this show with such nuance and sort of ingenious."  

 

On 1/6/2018 at 2:59 PM, Toothbrush said:

Could have sworn I heard that, but I stand corrected. 

I also heard Tom say it was the best dessert they had on the show. If it wasn't part of the episode, it may be a preview for another one, but Tom did say it and it happened during this episode. I didn't go back and rewatch since the others have, but sometimes they cut a few minutes from the originally air time. 

So, either it was mentioned on this episode about the cake and cut from the re airing/onDemand, it was a preview for something upcoming, or @Toothbrush and I have had the same delusion. 

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, Christina said:

I also heard Tom say it was the best dessert they had on the show. If it wasn't part of the episode, it may be a preview for another one, but Tom did say it and it happened during this episode. I didn't go back and rewatch since the others have, but sometimes they cut a few minutes from the originally air time. 

I'm one of those who rewatched and didn't see it, but I couched my statement with the fact that they do switch things up. One episode I watched live, and then rewatched on demand (AppleTV) and there were definitely different little bits missing or added. I guess the # of minutes of commercials is probably different.

[djlynch]

I remember that comment, too. I'd bet that they have two edits of each episode: one for the 75 minute slot on Thursday nights and another that fits into 60 minutes for future repeats, and they're giving the shorter version to the on-demand services so that the only way to get the long version is to watch/record the original airing on Bravo with all of the ads.

[Special K]

13 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Another Tomism that is driving me nuts... “It was very offal forward..... it was a little too sardine forward” I guess saying something is a little heavy is passé.

Yeah, that cracked me up, too.  Sounds like he is being infected by wine-expert-speak.  No offense to the wine experts on this board.

I actually thought he might mean that it was the first thing you taste, and, yes, too heavily.

[dleighg]

13 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Another Tomism that is driving me nuts... “It was very offal forward..... it was a little too sardine forward” I guess saying something is a little heavy is passé. 

speaking of, I often watch with CC on and it can be amusing. Such as "it was very awful forward", and for Tu's ill-fated rabbit, it was "I plan to cook the four leg rabbit..."  

[Thadeeeyus]

On 1/6/2018 at 7:11 PM, limecoke said:

Brother's restaurant opened in March, 2017.  He said that filming commenced shortly after that.  March is a rough month in Colorado as it's the month when we get most of our snowfall.  It has also been known to snow right up to the first or second week in May-especially in the mountains.  So, production certainly must have known conditions were likely to be challenging in the early spring.  While I feel for Lee Anne, she had to know what she was getting into.  It's no secret Colorado is a high altitude state and it would make things difficult in pregnancy.  I've always liked Lee Anne but question the fairness of letting her back in the competition considering she's not only been a contestant, she was an employee of the show and has intimate knowledge of the inner workings.  She has a distinct advantage.  Having said that, I wish her well with her baby and hope everything is fine.

As was mentioned on the first page, the filming took place the second week in May.  I live near Denver and we had snow on Mother's Day the first two years we were here, and that wasn't even in the mountains.  So, snow was definitely a real possibility, even a probability, in that area in May.  My guess is they were planning on it being on the ground, but maybe not actively snowing.  

[Lura]

Blonde Gator, I have been trying to remember whether it was baking powder or baking soda to add to the chicken brine for a crispier skin.  Thanks to you, I have the answer tonight!

I have noticed a number of times that the show opens with a focus on one contestant, and it sometimes turns out to be the person who goes home.  I suspected it was giving them extra camera time since they'd be leaving.  In this episode, I thought they were featuring Carrie quite a bit and thought she would be the next one to go, especially with her underground oven, but happily, that wasn't the case.  There is something especially delicious to me when the camera catches someone boasting, only to be the one to go home.  Karma can bite!

Edited January 11, 2018 by Lura

[Special K]

8 hours ago, Lura said:

 There is something especially delicious to me when the camera catches someone boasting, only to be the one to go home.  Karma can bite!

If you watch Survivor, you get a steady diet of such deliciousness.  Lots of boasting and lots of Karmic comeuppance!

[Blonde Gator]

10 hours ago, Lura said:

Blonde Gator, I have been trying to remember whether it was baking powder or baking soda to add to the chicken brine for a crispier skin.  Thanks to you, I have the answer tonight!

I have noticed a number of times that the show opens with a focus on one contestant, and it sometimes turns out to be the person who goes home.  I suspected it was giving them extra camera time since they'd be leaving.  In this episode, I thought they were featuring Carrie quite a bit and thought she would be the next one to go, especially with her underground oven, but happily, that wasn't the case.  There is something especially delicious to me when the camera catches someone boasting, only to be the one to go home.  Karma can bite!

Lura....you can remember the "chicken trick".....if you've ever made pretzels, you have to boil them before baking for about 30 seconds in a bath of water & baking soda.  Same thing with the chicken.  Baking soda changes the PH.  Baking powder has both acid and alkali elements, hence it causes bubbles by itself when added to a dough.  But you always have to add an acid when using baking soda (either buttermilk, vinegar, etc.  OR baking powder as well).  Easy peasy!  BTW.....the pretzel thing is pretty damned impressive (and easy)!  I made them, and "pretzel buns" for the kidlets.  They went WILD over them.

[cooksdelight]

Taking my question to the recipes thread.

[AZChristian]

I want Carrie and Fatima to open a restaurant together.  Carrie can invent amazing ways to make stuff, and Fatima can hang out in the front of the house and schmooze with the customers.  I'd go!!!!

[Blonde Gator]

3 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I want Carrie and Fatima to open a restaurant together.  Carrie can invent amazing ways to make stuff, and Fatima can hang out in the front of the house and schmooze with the customers.  I'd go!!!!

It will be interesting to see how Restaurant Wars turns out this year.  It seems they always stick a woman at Front of the House on at least one team, by default (perceived weakest chef?).   It's always a make-or-break position.  Does anyone have any idea how many chefs have been eliminated for losing Restaurant Wars at this point, after 14 Seasons?  I'd bet at least 8.  IDK, but that would be my guess.

The only chef who really stands out to me as the BEST FOH was Fabio.  There were others who were good at it, but I can't recall any right off the top of my head.

Truly, though, at this point, I'd be happy to eat at a restaurant where ANY of the remainder of the chefs currently in the competition are working.  They all seem to have some interesting skills. 

[Lamb18]

11 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Does anyone have any idea how many chefs have been eliminated for losing Restaurant Wars at this point, after 14 Seasons? 

14.

[Blonde Gator]

2 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

14.

I meant as Front of House.

[turbogirlnyc]

Getting TC Dallas vibes with this one. Didn't they have to skewer their protein in the snow or something ridiculous like that? I remember Paul's snow scenes specifically. Great chef! 

It may be wise to study up on outdoor/camping cooking with fire if you're chosen as a TC contestant. You never know. 

Upside cake. Yum! LeAnn's dish looks very LeAnn-ish! She's gonna be tough to beat. 

Brother with the Caraway. Nice!

On 1/5/2018 at 9:28 AM, Lovecat said:

I think it was Gail, but I do know what was said was the more challenges we throw at them, the better they cook.  Yikes.  Next thing we know, they're going to have to hunt their own protein with a Nerf gun.  Blindfolded.  With one hand tied behind their backs, and one leg bound to another contestant.

Definitely sounds like a Gail comment. Padma makes the most irreverent comments when it comes to food and cooking.