S15.E11: Cooking High

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

The chefs are reunited with the winner of "Last Chance Kitchen" and face Padma, Tom and chef Wylie Dufresne; the Quickfire challenge requires the chefs to prepare a dish incorporating the old saloon-slinging medicinal beverage, sarsaparilla.

[jaybird2]

i like all of the chefs, maybe carrie more.  i certainly would not have a problem with any of them winning.

i could not say that in other seasons.

[Nidratime]

Tom Colicchio was the one who sent Chris home. I don't know if the editors were fooling with us, but he's the only one that really seemed hung up on Carrie's dish. I just feel like she's going to win because he seems to like her for some reason, besides the food.

[susannot]

I thought Carrie should have gone home over Chris.  I mean, steak, vegetables, and corn bread all separately assembled on a plate?  I could cook that dish.  And I agree that all the judges except Tom thought so too. I think TPTB wanted equal boy-girl numbers for the finale.

[avecsans]

Too bad. Chris seems like a better chef than Miss Toast.  I agree that Tom is on team Carrie and I will be bummed if she wins.  Adrienne’s dish looked so good. She should have won the challenge. Mustache Joe’s pastry puff was too hard, per the guest judge. And what kind of chef doesn’t know what a profiterole is?

Gail and Padma looked ill. I wonder if the altitude got to them. I was getting a little nauseated myself when they were on the gondola.

[Bastet]

I missed the first half, but I saw the EC almost in its entirety, and in this "ugh, this is close, we have to send someone home for a great dish with minor flaws" decision, I agree with eliminating Chris.  Being a top chef requires both technique and vision, but I place technique in front if everything else is equal.  If I eat two dishes that are delicious overall, and one is more imaginative but has overcooked meat while the other is less imaginative but every aspect of it is executed perfectly, I'm going to be happier with the latter.

Not seeing the first half, I don't know what the beef wellington thing was about (she was planning to make that and then changed her mind, I surmise, but don't know why or how the judges knew what she'd been initially planning), but the guest chef came off to me as more focused on what he didn't get than what he did.

It was interesting that only Gail didn't wear sunglasses; the reflection off the snow is crazy, and I don't know how she did that.  What an astounding view.

[rhys]

I wonder if Chris's EC would have been better using a tempura batter.

[LeighLeigh]

Adrienne  was robbed of the EC win.

Joe Sasto stole Carrie's spicy jelly idea that she uses for the filling of his profiterole.

Love Carrie, but she should have gone home for playing it safe. She won $20000 in various challenges. She had a good run.

satiafied with our dose of Gail, but I want more Gail and we get Graham next week. 

*Satisfied (darn typos)

Great job, Colorado tourism. Now, I want to go to Telluride.

[HappyDancex2]

This is Top Chef, not Top Toast.

That being said, it almost seemed like Carrie was going to be penalized for what she didn't do, versus what she did do.  I thought Joe Flamm was going to get the win since Mustache Joe's profiteroles were hammered.  They looked like cinnamon crinkles.

[chiaros]

I agree with the top three this challenge, and the winner being Joe Sasto is fine by me. His duck was perfectly done, according to the judges, the flavors were all wonderful, and his cherry puff seemed to be acknowledged as demonstrating it was baked at high altitude (dry-ish, crunchy) but it seemed to me the judges didn't find it unacceptable. In fact, it appeared everyone liked the dish, overall, so much – especially as a "fine dining dish" – that the cherry puff being not perfect was shrugged off. Adrienne's "Mountain Bread" was also said to be dry, but the butter compensated for it. Joe Flamm's "biscuits" was deemed to be more like a crumble. So all three top dishes did not have perfectly done baking components...so the best tasting/best executed dish won, and that was Joe Sasto's.

Between Chris and Carrie's dishes, overall execution won over daring/"vision". Even if Chris's cornbread was wonderful. The judges were hair-splitting, as they acknowledged themselves, and one notes that Gail said that she didn't think they had ever been so complimentary before about dishes on the bottom.

[hendersonrocks]

I am so happy Joe is back. I find him delightful!

It’s tough to say who should have gone home based on what we saw. I’d probably order Carrie’s dish off a menu over Chris’s, which is exactly why I’d lean towards him staying and her going home. I look to Top Chef for what I should be trying, not what I already eat.

Side note: I’d love to see the dress code for this dinner. Gail and guest judge sporting formal wear; Padma and Wylie rocking camping chic. Goodness.

[Brookside]

I'm not sure why everyone is so upset about Carrie doing toast twice, and I thought the male chefs' snide comments were mean-spirited.  The chefs were obviously impressed. 

How many times did Bruce make pasta?

[Blonde Gator]

56 minutes ago, rhys said:

I wonder if Chris's EC would have been better using a tempura batter.

I don't think it was the batter per se, (although Gail felt it was a bit salty)....rather, it was the timing on the frying of the quail.  It wasn't cooked properly, most likely as a result of the altitude.  Plus, they were asked for elevated dishes, and Chris's dish seemed far too "homey", IMO. 

I thought Adrienne's dish looked beautiful, as did her bread.  Butter, champagne, caviar & lobster....what's not to love?  I really wish she'd won this challenge, she's only won one QF so far, which is puzzling.  I don't understand how Sasto's dish won that EC.  It looked good, but nowhere near "best" of what we saw.  Alas, I suppose it tasted the best, dunno.

[Blonde Gator]

2 minutes ago, Brookside said:

I'm not sure why everyone is so upset about Carrie doing toast twice, and I thought the male chefs' snide comments were mean-spirited.  The chefs were obviously impressed. 

How many times did Bruce make pasta?

Particularly inasmuch as Carrie was left with onions, lemon and honey after Joe Flamm re-entered the challenge, and was able to pick off her pork.  I thought her ability to think her way out of her hugely upset plan was great.   Carrie is really very creative.  And quick on her feet.  I thought her decision in the EC to NOT make Beef Wellington was a good one.  I have enough trouble with dough at sea level, and even though Carrie is from Colorado.....discretion is sometimes the better part of valor.  Although she could have done a "riff" on Wellington, perhaps.  It is DELICIOUS when done well. 

[Brookside]

I'm British and I've never heard of the second guest judge, but suddenly he's the most famous chef in the country, Carrie?

Edited February 16, 2018 by Brookside
Readability

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Not seeing the first half, I don't know what the beef wellington thing was about (she was planning to make that and then changed her mind, I surmise, but don't know why or how the judges knew what she'd been initially planning), but the guest chef came off to me as more focused on what he didn't get than what he did.

In the first half, they were given time to practice what they were going to make at elevation.  The guest judge, who apparently has cooked at high elevation, came in with Tom.  Each cheftestant told the chef and Tom what they were planning to make and had the opportunity to ask questions/get tips from the guest judge's elevation experience. 

Carrie mentioned she was making beef wellington.  The guest judge indicated it'd be a good showcase dish if she were to do it.

[GaT]

Crap, I was rooting for Chris to win. I don't understand how Carrie stayed over him, they kept talking about how Carrie played it safe, so when they said something about one chef playing it safe, I really thought they were sending Carrie home. I don't understand what happened.

[spiderpig]

Telluride is lovely.  The emphasis on altitude baking reminded me of the special instructions on the side of Betty Crocker cake mix boxes back in the day.  (Hey - gimme a break.  I was 10 years old!)

The elimination decision seemed arbitrary.  Personally, I would have found Chris's quail more interesting, and his cornbread looked fabulous.

The comments on Adrienne's playing it safe made me chuckle.  When I want to play it safe I always butter poach lobster with caviar.  My favorite late-night comfort food.

As if.

[yourmomiseasy]

4 hours ago, Brookside said:

I'm not sure why everyone is so upset about Carrie doing toast twice, and I thought the male chefs' snide comments were mean-spirited.  The chefs were obviously impressed. 

How many times did Bruce make pasta?

Pasta is a little more involved to make than toast.  

[biakbiak]

15 minutes ago, yourmomiseasy said:

Pasta is a little more involved to make than toast.  

But Carrie's two toasts were apparently amazing, Bruce made several disappointing pastas. 

[The Solution]

6 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Particularly inasmuch as Carrie was left with onions, lemon and honey after Joe Flamm re-entered the challenge, and was able to pick off her pork. 

I really don't understand how pork chops were supposed to elevate these ingredients and am beyond disappointed that she won with Girl Scout treats again.

Sasto has never really bothered me and Adrienne is really growing on me. Other than those two, the only cheftestant I thought had an interesting point of view this season was Claudette. (Yeah, I know. Bite me.) Weakest season ever. I look forward to this show all during the off season, and this is what I got this time. Boo.

[susannot]

7 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

I don't think it was the batter per se, (although Gail felt it was a bit salty)....rather, it was the timing on the frying of the quail.  It wasn't cooked properly, most likely as a result of the altitude.  Plus, they were asked for elevated dishes, and Chris's dish seemed far too "homey", IMO. 

I thought Adrienne's dish looked beautiful, as did her bread.  Butter, champagne, caviar & lobster....what's not to love?  I really wish she'd won this challenge, she's only won one QF so far, which is puzzling.  I don't understand how Sasto's dish won that EC.  It looked good, but nowhere near "best" of what we saw.  Alas, I suppose it tasted the best, dunno.

I really thought Adrienne would win this one.  Her dish was high-end and looked and sounded fabulous.  That said, I think if someone presents perfectly executed duck, the judges tend to go for it.  Perfectly executed duck is difficult.  And if a chef can do it, he is a skilled chef.  Joe is not my favorite but I can't deny his skill.

[dleighg]

So what does Sarsaparilla taste like? I don't think I've ever had it-- is it any thing like birch/root beer?

[dleighg]

Where the heck is "Kosha Val in the Alps at 18000 feet"?

Google doesn't know, at least with that spelling, from closed captions.

[Wings]

I love that Carrie won the QF.  The chefs whispering she can’t win with toast again, was funny.  I didn’t think it was mean; I would have thought the same thing.  I knew she would win being left with only onions and honey!  

Why anyone chooses pork chops or the tenderloin is beyond me.  It invariably ends   up being dry. 

My son lives at 75,000 ft and it takes me a day to adjust when I visit.  I cannot imagine why anyone would want to live at 12,000 ft.  Sure you get used to it but my son comments on how different sea level is when it comes to running for instance and I don’t mean for sport, like running to catch a bus!  

Because of the altitude adjustments needed this was not all that great.  I knew everyone was exhausted due to the lack of oxygen. 

I would have loved to eat Adrienne’s lobster.  I would like to hear more why Sasso won with his duck.  I didn’t see anything else on the plate.  Clearly there was much more to it.  I love duck and have to order it when it is on a menu. 

[Eulipian 5k]

All the talk about "super flavorful" dishes (that beat out Chris) made me want to ask, are the chefs allowed to use MSG, or other products with "autolysed yeast", (its also in Adobo seasoning)? Not accusing anyone, just curious.

[chiaros]

35 minutes ago, Wings said:

My son lives at 75,000 ft and it takes me a day to adjust when I visit.  I cannot imagine why anyone would want to live at 12,000 ft.  Sure you get used to it but my son comments on how different sea level is when it comes to running for instance and I don’t mean for sport, like running to catch a bus!  

Oh wow. I'm not sure, though, where you live...at 75,000 ft...

;-)

[LeighLeigh]

dleighg: there is a restaurant called Courcheval in France. Maybe that is what he meant.

Or it might be the town that is called Courcheval.

[chiaros]

37 minutes ago, Wings said:

I would like to hear more why Sasso won with his duck.  I didn’t see anything else on the plate.  Clearly there was much more to it.  I love duck and have to order it when it is on a menu. 

Here's a screenshot of Joe Sasto's plate as it was being presented to the judges:

Here's the "Beauty Shot":

Then, the dialog from the judges as shown in the episode as presented, as they ate Joe's dish:

Guest Judge: "Duck was cooked very nicely. It was rendered perfectly. – Perfect. The cherry "puff"...You could tell it's been cooked at altitude."

Wylie Dufresne: "Very dry, very crunchy." (Right, right - Tom Colicchio) "Had it been a better profiterole, it would have started to feel like duck and cherry pie in a way that, I think, would've been very effective."

Gail Simmons: "Profiterole aside, the rest of this plate that Joe gave us, I felt was exceptional. This was one of my favorite dishes all season, really, from anyone."

Tom Colicchio: "This was very good."

Then, at "Judges Table" after the three top chefs were announced:

Guest Judge: "Joe Sasto. The cuisson on the duck was beautiful. The skin was perfect, rendered just right, and with regards to your cherry puff, I understand it's altitude, I would've liked to have seen some whole cherries. But that aside, the dish as a whole I very much enjoyed.

Joe Sasto: "Thank you."

Wylie Dufresne: "The first thing that struck me was how nicely-cooked the duck was. And then I just kept discovering more things about the plate that I liked."

So there you have it. The judges made admiring comments about Adrienne's and Joe Flamm's dishes too - but the sum total seemed to be that Joe Sasto's dish as a whole surmounted whatever shortcomings his puff had - and the cherry kombucha stuffing (plus the other stuff) presumably also contributed to the developing layers of taste that Dufresne referred to.

[dleighg]

37 minutes ago, LeighLeigh said:

dleighg: there is a restaurant called Courcheval in France. Maybe that is what he meant.

 

Must be (couldn't the closed caption people at least *try*? Kosha Val??????)

But it's at 1800 meters not 18000 feet. Hmmm Wonder if the illustrious chef was confused. The highest mountain in the alps (according to Ms. Google) is Mt. Blanc at not quite 16000 feet. So there is no *restaurant* at 18000 feet! Wonder if that's why Gail was giving such an odd look. Like "I know you're totally wrong, but I'm too polite to say so"

[Wings]

Thanks @chiaros.  So the like the 2 sauces and the peas under the duck which are hard to see. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Wings

[Wings]

26 minutes ago, dleighg said:

Must be (couldn't the closed caption people at least *try*? Kosha Val??????)

But it's at 1800 meters not 18000 feet. Hmmm Wonder if the illustrious chef was confused. The highest mountain in the alps (according to Ms. Google) is Mt. Blanc at not quite 16000 feet. So there is no *restaurant* at 18000 feet! Wonder if that's why Gail was giving such an odd look. Like "I know you're totally wrong, but I'm too polite to say so"

Thanks.  The highest elevation in Teluride is 8,750 ft, Denver is 6,290. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Wings

[dleighg]

^yeah but they were not cooking at Telluride, they were cooking at Alpino Vino, the highest elevation restaurant in North America at 11,966 feet.

[Lamb18]

Watching right now, I hope Adrienne does well! Carrie's either getting a winner's edit in her opening talking head or she's eliminated at the end of the episode. Congratulations to Carrie for winning the Quickfire, especially after having her protein "stolen" from her.

Sorry that Chris was eliminated, but happy Carrie is still in there.  Snideley Joe is really doing well and Adrienne is picking it up, too.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

^yeah but they were not cooking at Telluride, they were cooking at Alpino Vino, the highest elevation restaurant in North America at 11,966 feet.

Thanks.  That is a terrible think to do to anyone not going of their own volition!  I hate high altitudes.  

Edited February 16, 2018 by Wings

[Lovecat]

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

Not seeing the first half, I don't know what the beef wellington thing was about (she was planning to make that and then changed her mind, I surmise, but don't know why or how the judges knew what she'd been initially planning), but the guest chef came off to me as more focused on what he didn't get than what he did.

 

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

In the first half, they were given time to practice what they were going to make at elevation.  The guest judge, who apparently has cooked at high elevation, came in with Tom.  Each cheftestant told the chef and Tom what they were planning to make and had the opportunity to ask questions/get tips from the guest judge's elevation experience. 

Carrie mentioned she was making beef wellington.  The guest judge indicated it'd be a good showcase dish if she were to do it.

Which is a far more thorough explanation than "They found out during the Sniff-and-Sneer (TM...Pamie, I think?)!" which is how I was going to answer.  Just so I could use the phrase "Sniff-and-Sneer." :)

 

4 hours ago, dleighg said:

So what does Sarsaparilla taste like? I don't think I've ever had it-- is it any thing like birch/root beer?

It is!  It's a little more...maybe licorice-y?  But similar.

[chiaros]

Sarsaparilla is a common flavor in soft drinks in SE Asia. I drank quite a lot of it when I was growing up. Yes, it tastes like root beer (which I did not hear of until I moved to the 'Murcan-influenced West), but with a more definite and stronger taste from the more "generic root beer" taste in non-specialized drinks in the USA.

https://www.google.com/search?q=southeast+asian+sarsaparilla+soft+drink

[Hero]

Nooooooo!!!!! I really like Chris. I wanted him to stay.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

Did something happen in some markets that resulted in the episode not broadcasting?

[Eulipian 5k]

So why is Tom not complaining about a crudo/tartare on the penultimate episodes of a "cooking" show? He zinged a chef one season about that, but this is late in the competition; shouldn't it be about cooking?

[meep.meep]

I wish Chris had stayed.  He was probably the only one left whose restaurant I would seek out.  Carrie appears pretty good at hitting the curve balls from the game, but her food doesn't intrigue me.

Did Gail dress for the prom?  White sleeveless and ill fitting combined with a furry stole.  ?  And whoever is dressing Padma ought to figure out that Delft blue is not her color - if that dress had been done in red or teal it would have been great.

Who *was* the guest judge?  Other than extreme environments cooking, what has he done?

[LeighLeigh]

I think that Padma did wear this dress in red during the cheese challenge in episode 2's elimination challenge. I checked online, but the video was taken down.

[Lizzing]

Weirdly, the guest judge's own website bio does not mention any high altitude cooking. http://www.paulliebrandt.com

[Blonde Gator]

12 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

I wish Chris had stayed.  He was probably the only one left whose restaurant I would seek out.  Carrie appears pretty good at hitting the curve balls from the game, but her food doesn't intrigue me.

Did Gail dress for the prom?  White sleeveless and ill fitting combined with a furry stole.  ?  And whoever is dressing Padma ought to figure out that Delft blue is not her color - if that dress had been done in red or teal it would have been great.

Who *was* the guest judge?  Other than extreme environments cooking, what has he done?

Padma's dress is the one that is featured on the opening shots for the season.  And now, that I've seen this episode, and the scenery in Telluride, it's obvious that the location for the shoot of Padma in this dress was done during this episode.

I kind of like Padma in the blue and white, it's cool against her "hot".  She's got that perfect complexion and skin tones (and the fantastic black hair) that truly goes with every color there is.  I say this as a blonde, who loves yellow, but couldn't wear it to save my life.

[BusyOctober]

10 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Did Gail dress for the prom?  White sleeveless and ill fitting combined with a furry stole.  ?  And whoever is dressing Padma ought to figure out that Delft blue is not her color - if that dress had been done in red or teal it would have been great.

Ha!  I thought they all looked like they were in a play! Like a spoof on an old movie or something...Gail’s little fluffy wrap reminded me of one of those fancy feathery bed jackets from the 1930’s.  The “most famous British Chef” dude looked like a Bond villain.  As for Padma’s dress, I loved it!  Even though I could never carry it off no matter what color it was!  Scenery was gorgeous though!  

[cooksdelight]

I will miss Chris. He was my favorite to win it all.

[Blonde Gator]

3 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

I will miss Chris. He was my favorite to win it all.

I can't believe I didn't notice Chris's manbun until this episode!!!  I think I must be getting senile. 

[cooksdelight]

1 minute ago, Blonde Gator said:

I can't believe I didn't notice Chris's manbun until this episode!!!  I think I must be getting senile. 

LOL, I didn’t notice it either! See... we’re sisters from another mother!

[Blonde Gator]

1 minute ago, cooksdelight said:

LOL, I didn’t notice it either! See... we’re sisters from another mother!

See you in KY, my SFAM.  As I said on the other thread...I've met some "internet buddies".  The last one was also a SFAM (and a foodie pal).  We had lunch together in November, with our hubbies, and truly, if she lived here...it would be a scary thing.  We cackled like two old broads who've known each other forever.  And I swear, it wasn't the two gin martinis w/pickled mushrooms, either! 

How on earth we missed Chris's manbun, though???  I thought he just had really cool hair, slicked back.  Chris is, without a doubt, one of the "coolest" contestants on this show ever.  I am so sorry to see him go. 

[Wings]

27 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

I say this as a blonde, who loves yellow, but couldn't wear it to save my life.

Same here and I love yellow.  I use it in my decor though. 

6 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

LOL, I didn’t notice it either! See... we’re sisters from another mother!

What bun? :>

3 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

See you in KY, my SFAM.  As I said on the other thread...I've met some "internet buddies".  The last one was also a SFAM (and a foodie pal). 

What does that stand for?