Special Contestants: All Stars and Firefighters and Lunch Ladies, Oh My!

[xaxat]

I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike the other kid cooking shows where the kids are clearly child actors that are only cooking because it can get them on TV, this group seemed to have cooking as their priority. Also, unlike the rock "star" episode, the judges didn't really pull any punches in their critiques.

 

It felt close to the Chopped of old than what we have seen recently.

[Bella]

I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike the other kid cooking shows where the kids are clearly child actors that are only cooking because it can get them on TV, this group seemed to have cooking as their priority. Also, unlike the rock "star" episode, the judges didn't really pull any punches in their critiques.

 

It felt close to the Chopped of old than what we have seen recently.

 

You mean I don't have to delete it unwatched from my DVR? That will be a pleasant change. I miss the Chopped of yore.

[mlp]

I still have unpleasant memories of mega-obnoxious Hunter so I was a bit apprehensive about more teens but I thought they were OK.  I wasn't talented nor did I have the self-confidence at their ages to go on TV and be judged doing anything so I give the kids credit.  Except for Hunter. 

[Crucial]

I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike the other kid cooking shows where the kids are clearly child actors that are only cooking because it can get them on TV, this group seemed to have cooking as their priority. Also, unlike the rock "star" episode, the judges didn't really pull any punches in their critiques.

 

It felt close to the Chopped of old than what we have seen recently.

 

That's what I really liked about this episode too.  They all gave them actual critiques of the food and didn't hold back.  They weren't mean, they all gave them the feedback they need to hear where they went wrong.  I hope the other rounds are like this.

[backformore]

How Strange -  "rockers"  are given chicken and tortillas and PRAISED for making tacos.  "Grill masters"  are given easy ingredients and exalted for their skills.   

CHILDREN are given and ingredient - lemon leaves- that are INEDIBLE.  and one contestant is chopped  for not knowing he was expected to not serve the leaves , but to use them to infuse flavor into other ingredients.  It  seemed like a dirty trick t include an inedible ingredient, but especially cruel when the contestants were kids. 

 

ETA:  Not a fan of Theo.   But the girl who was playing for her dead grandpa ?  He died 3 years ago, but if he had not died, he would be 90 this month, and he loved food.  WHAT?

Edited August 27, 2015 by backformore

[Bella]

But the girl who was playing for her dead grandpa ?  He died 3 years ago, but if he had not died, he would be 90 this month, and he loved food.  WHAT?

 

I see this as proof that TPTB at Chopped demand sob stories from the contestants and insist on them being developed even when they don't exist. The girl probably really thought something like "oh, yeah, grandpa was nice and I loved him and sort of miss him at Thanksgiving, but he was, like, a million years old." And yet I'm willing to bet that TPTB grilled her and grilled her until she gave them some sound bites.

 

Cooksdelight, you're still planning on playing for your dead cat, right? Maybe I'll come up with a fake charity and try to compete for that.

[cooksdelight]

Yes, I am playing for my dead cat. A friend of mine is applying and I told him that he should tell them his dog lost it's legs when it saved a toddler by pushing the toddler off the railroad tracks before an oncoming train would have surely killed the baby. He lost his legs in this valiant and heroic move, therefore he now needs robotic legs to help him walk. That's what the money is for. That, or a little cart the dog can nudge himself around in.

[Fostersmom]

I can see Alex with her half pissed, half concerned face on right now nodding when robotic dog's story is told. 

[cooksdelight]

Ted will get the "Awww... we're so sorry...." look on his face.

[JessDVD]

Best line from teens round one:

"Preparing for my bat mitzvah was hard. Competing on Chopped was beyond what I could have imagined!"

And, Amanda commenting on Yaz's nasty looking dessert, "I really appreciate your ambition...."

[Psychobunny]

I liked nerdy Jewish girl.  Heck, I was nerdy Jewish girl. I totally get how hard her parents are pushing her to become a doctor or lawyer.  Of course, she didn't have a prayer again the tech school kid (they almost always win because they've had professional training).

[Bella]

I liked nerdy Jewish girl.  Heck, I was nerdy Jewish girl. I totally get how hard her parents are pushing her to become a doctor or lawyer.  Of course, she didn't have a prayer again the tech school kid (they almost always win because they've had professional training).

 

Remember Mohawk Guy from the Mars Rover landing a couple of years ago? Some nonprofit had him do a PSA on staying in school, and they ran it during daytime reruns of Chopped. My theory was that the nonprofit saw some demographic and lifestyle survey info indicating that the Chopped audience was full of career-switchers and wannabe career-switchers. 

[cooksdelight]

I'm so glad the little guy won. I got distracted doing something, and just listening to his voice... he sounds exactly like Linus from the Charlie Brown cartoon shows. I was waiting for him to say "Lights, please?"

I thought the girl with blue hair playing for her sick brother was going to have a breakdown right there in front of everyone. She was really broken-hearted to be cut.

[roseslg]

I was voting for the hijabi.... I liked that she called her group of friends the hijabis.  She just kept cutting herself!  I think dessert is where she screwed herself.   She didn't have a former chopped competitor mentoring her prior to the competition either.   Seems like she was just winging it.   

[cooksdelight]

The thing with the girl cutting herself repeatedly... it looked like she was using a white blade ceramic knife. It's really hard to cut yourself with one of those.

[mlp]

The little guy who won had a finger all bandaged up during the dessert round but they never mentioned it.  At first I thought he was going to be a real pain but I ended up liking him.  Actually I liked all of them tonight but I thought he deserved the win.  I would have been ticked if they'd given the nod to the girl because three sauces with nothing to put them on do not a dessert make.  She gets high marks for trying though.

[GaT]

At first I didn't like Peter at all, he seemed very pretentious "I don't want to be known as the youngest chef, I want to be knows as a great chef!", but as the show went on, I changed my opinion of him. He's just young, but he seems like a good kid.

[backformore]

At first I didn't like Peter at all, he seemed very pretentious "I don't want to be known as the youngest chef, I want to be knows as a great chef!", but as the show went on, I changed my opinion of him. He's just young, but he seems like a good kid.

Yeah, but the fact that his parents were able to provide  "Chopped private tutoring"  for him rubbed me the wrong way. 

[Rammchick]

He was very sweet to Salma.  I also thought he was going to be a precocious little shithead, and he turned out to be a nice kid.

Edited September 2, 2015 by Rammchick

[xaxat]

But he can't open a bottle of orange juice! 

 

I understand not being able to open the jar, or having trouble with the cork, but a plastic capped bottle of orange juice?

[mlp]

I wondered why Ted wasn't helping the kids with the difficult tasks like he did last time.  Maybe it was because they were all teens but that little guy wasn't much bigger than the younger kids and probably not much stronger.  I felt for him because my son was small when he was that age so I have an idea how Peter probably feels about it.  My son didn't really grow until he was in college and he grew another inch after that when he was in the Marines which was pretty funny because he was 22 by then.  Now he's 6'4" so Peter may have a lot of growing yet to do.

[JessDVD]

Darn it all, I liked all four of them, which I don't think has ever happened. I was prepared to dislike Italian but he ended up not being a pretentious snob so that was nice, although I totally thought he was poised for the win. I liked the winner a lot although the line about home schooling is so you can figure out what you want to be when you grow up... um, not quite, although it must be nice to have parents who can pay for you to explore every hobby on the planet so you can figure out what you want to be when you grow up! (There are many excellent reasons for home schooling. I've never heard that one)

 

I've never seen, at least that I can think of, those white ceramic knives on Chopped and I saw at least 2 of them using them today. I once removed an entire chunk of my thumb with a cheese slicer (3 stitches, very traumatizing), which I didn't know was possible until then so I'll give Salma a pass on that one.

 

I hope blue hair's family has really good health insurance. The thing about people saying they're going to donate the money to find a cure for their brother's devastating health condition, in a competition that's not strictly for charity, is that we all feel like crap for chopping her. That said, I also hope that either a cure or a significantly more affordable treatment for that condition that I've forgotten the name of and probably couldn't spell anyway, are found soon.

[mlp]

When did they start running new episodes of Chopped on Thursdays?  I switched to FN at 8C and thought the show coming on would be a rerun until I saw the chefs and didn't recognize any of them.  I checked the guide and it said New.  Now I'm wondering if I've missed some episodes because I look for new ones only on Tuesdays.

[Rick Kitchen]

I think that a small-for-his-age 13 year old who likes fashion design and cooking would probably have a really difficult time in a public school.

[cooksdelight]

Mlp, if you have a DVR, it will pick them up no matter which night they air as long as you have it set to record new episodes. They have aired new ones on Thursday nights before.

[Bella]

Also, on the topic of new episodes, there are supposed to be a couple of "limited series" versions of Chopped running on different nights. At this point, I have this all happening in late October. But we're talking about the FN here, and I have not yet figured out the corporate mindset on scheduling FN shows, let alone announcing them.

[backformore]

I think that a small-for-his-age 13 year old who likes fashion design and cooking would probably have a really difficult time in a public school.

You'd be surprised by the changes in acceptance of kids who are different.  Depending on the area, of course, but I work with kids and I am encouraged by this new generation of kids and how accepting they are.

[mlp]

Good point, cooksdelight.  My DVR did pick it up so I should have come to the same conclusion.

[cattykit]

I hope blue hair's family has really good health insurance. The thing about people saying they're going to donate the money to find a cure for their brother's devastating health condition, in a competition that's not strictly for charity, is that we all feel like crap for chopping her. That said, I also hope that either a cure or a significantly more affordable treatment for that condition that I've forgotten the name of and probably couldn't spell anyway, are found soon.

And if he's still under active treatment, wouldn't she have wanted the money to help pay his medical expenses rather than donate it to research?

 

I'd play for my cats but then my repertoire would be limited to variations on tuna fish.

 

Winning kid said something like, sportsmanship is the most important thing in winning a competition.  He needs to share that with some of the adult competitors, because they need to learn it.  I don't ever remember it happening, but has anyone ever missed getting all their ingredients plated at the last second because they took five seconds to help a competitor?

 

But he can't open a bottle of orange juice! 

 

I understand not being able to open the jar, or having trouble with the cork, but a plastic capped bottle of orange juice?

Sometimes those damned things won't break loose, especially if your hand is even the slightest bit damp.  I've at times had to dig at those caps with a knife to break the connection between the cap and the ring because nothing else works.  I marvel in a bad way at the number of caps that are harder to open than child-proof medications, and think in about five or ten years I won't be able to open them. 

[cooksdelight]

I'm officially over Food Network. If they don't know the difference between a macaroon (which is a drop cookie made from crushed almonds, flour, coconut, etc.) and a macaron...which is what they are showing.... they are idiots.

I cannot believe a network with professional chefs and other people are doing this. If you Google the word "macaroon" the first one that pops up showing the colorful cookies is Food Network.

I am gobsmacked! And there sits Alex, calling them macaroons... and Scott, Mr. Don't Disrespect The Item....

[windfall]

Macaroon is the English translation of the French word so it's not really incorrect. But since macaroon also refers to the coconut variety which is common in the US, I've noticed people have been insistent on using the french word in order to avoid confusion.

[cooksdelight]

It's their inconsistency that drives me crazy. Previously, FN would identify them as macarons. Then pronounce them macaROON in the very same show. I remember a chef who very clearly pronounced it correctly as it's spelled, then the judges spoke right after her pronouncing it the other way.

The girl who won, her hair was driving me crazy. I kept waiting for Santos to get a big long one on his plate, since he always gets served the booby prize. When I saw the girl putting raw okra on a plate, saying how it would be a nice crunchy element, I almost gagged.

[spiderpig]

The girl who won, her hair was driving me crazy. I kept waiting for Santos to get a big long one on his plate, since he always gets served the booby prize. When I saw the girl putting raw okra on a plate, saying how it would be a nice crunchy element, I almost gagged.

 

Between the hair flipper and the first guy eliminated (he had his nails chewed to the quick and they looked bloody - plus he'd wipe the sweat off his face and put his hands right back into the food), I wouldn't have eaten any of their dishes.

[Fostersmom]

The second place girl had hair all over the place too. Both of them were just hair in the food waiting to happen. 

[spiderpig]

I was on a very nice catered cruise on the St. Lawrence and they brought out an entree of salmon with raspberry remoulade.  Smack on the top was an eyelash!  I didn't want to embarrass our hosts, so a friend & I managed to scoop the thing into a napkin & hide it under the table.

 

I hate blood, sweat & hair in food.

 

That said, the most hygienic was Alicia(?), the blonde who was eliminated second.  I didn't like her know-it-all attitude, but she seemed gracious in defeat.

 

When is Top Chef coming back?

[GaT]

It's not enough that they're doing the teen tournament, they have to give us a college kids episode too?

[cooksdelight]

They put out the casting call for chefs last month. I'm wondering if they are having a hard time getting real chefs to fill out a season?

[nitrofishblue]

I haven't watched any of the teen competition. Just a little tired of all the "special" themes. I just want to watch adult chefs preparing interesting food. The teen and kid mystery ingredients aren't all that hard. I guess they can't make all those special snowflake kiddies work too hard. I get sick of their talking head segments where all of them love to brag on themselves. Like they are the only kid that knows how to cook - whatever.

[nutella fitzgerald]

The college students were way more insufferable than any of the teens and kids I've ever seen. If I had to hear the one girl's gushing, with vocal fry in full effect, over the "cuteness" of that duhhh-faced frat boy one more time, I would have set fire to my own television.

[JessDVD]

I really cannot believe they don't make the contestants wear hairnets. The winner's gigantic frizzy high in her face ponytail was driving me nuts, second only to her "I am teh awesome" attitude. I hope she gets chopped early in the final. Also, why did they put all the likeable people on last week's and then gave us 4 completely "meh" contestants this week?

[spiderpig]

They put out the casting call for chefs last month. I'm wondering if they are having a hard time getting real chefs to fill out a season?

 

I've wondered about this.  The same faces keep popping up over and over.  Rather than these teen/grandma/lunch lady shows I'd rather see something along the line of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.  This dessert stuff got old years ago. There are enough shows specializing in pastry.  I'm a savory person myself and I tend to read my email during round 3.

 

I watched this ep under duress.  I like to watch professional chefs, even if they're jerks.  C'mon - you know you love watching candidates for the obnoxious bus even more than you enjoy rooting for a nice guy.  Yeah - there are exceptions - maybe two.

Edited September 15, 2015 by spiderpig

[xaxat]

The Doombringer. . bwah!

 

Sorry Ted, but I'm using that title from now on.

[GaT]

WTF with Scott telling Justin to take his veal off the bone? It's one thing to yell out things like "remember to use all 4 ingredients" or "something's burning!" or "get everything on the plate", but to give specific cooking instructions is wrong.

[Wouldofshouldof]

Since they were all over the kid for calling his rice risotto when it wasn't, I was surprised no one called out Veronica for calling her dish Veal Parmesan when she used mozzarella.  Veal Mozzarella?

[Crucial]

Since they were all over the kid for calling his rice risotto when it wasn't, I was surprised no one called out Veronica for calling her dish Veal Parmesan when she used mozzarella.  Veal Mozzarella?

 

She was Scott's favorite.  He could barely admit the dish was salty, no way he was going to ding her for a wrong name.  I was hoping Justin would win especial when Veronica did her happy dance twice in the desert round.

[GaT]

Since they were all over the kid for calling his rice risotto when it wasn't, I was surprised no one called out Veronica for calling her dish Veal Parmesan when she used mozzarella.  Veal Mozzarella?

 

 

She was Scott's favorite.  He could barely admit the dish was salty, no way he was going to ding her for a wrong name.  I was hoping Justin would win especial when Veronica did her happy dance twice in the desert round.

Every "parmesan" dish I have ever had had mozzarella cheese on it. Just by randomly looking up recipes for chicken/veal/eggplant parmesan I've only found recipes that include mozzarella cheese. As far as I know, that's how it's supposed to be made.

[backformore]

Yeah, veal "parmesan"  is the American way of saying veal "parmigiana", which is the preparation of veal, (or chicken, or eggplant) fried, with tomato sauce and melted cheese.  It doesn't usually refer to parmesan cheese, regardless of how dictionaries define the word.  Parmigiana generally uses mozzarella cheese.

[cooksdelight]

WTF with Scott telling Justin to take his veal off the bone? It's one thing to yell out things like "remember to use all 4 ingredients" or "something's burning!" or "get everything on the plate", but to give specific cooking instructions is wrong.

And then they send him and his raw veal on to the dessert round. The girl who was chopped was dinged for not putting her elements on top of each other. In spite of her veal being cooked more. And she didn't have to be told how to cook her veal.

I liked Veronica's enthusiasm and the advanced way she seems to be cooking at such a young age. I think my money's on her and the youngish guy from earlier to make it to the final dessert round.

"They like us! They really like us!" said Justin in the stew room. Shades of Sally Field. :) Yes, they loved your raw dough and undercooked cheesecake. But he obviously made everything taste great in spite of his missteps. I hope he does amazing things in college and I think we'll be hearing from him in the future. He's a very humble young man.

[iggysaurus]

Yeah, veal "parmesan"  is the American way of saying veal "parmigiana", which is the preparation of veal, (or chicken, or eggplant) fried, with tomato sauce and melted cheese.

 

I believe this style of dish has its origins in the Parma region of Italy, which is where the name came from. Parmesan/parmigiana cheese also comes originally from that region (among a couple other places).  So yeah, everything "parm" doesn't necessarily have parmesan cheese - the cheese is just the most well known thing from the region, to Americans. 

 

I liked both Veronica and Justin, but especially Veronica because of her superior cooking skills.  She made those cupcakes/muffins without measuring and they apparently came out decent, which is more than a lot of the professional chefs have been able to pull off.  And also made a successful ice cream in the same round, where many of the professional chefs have accidentally turned it to butter. Plus I thought her concepts for each round were well thought out and showed she had an understanding of combinations of foods from different regions.

 

All of this without being obnoxious or seeming too entitled.  Her "happy dances" didn't bother me -- she was clearly shown to be supportive of her fellow contestants and not at all sure that she had it in the bag, so I didn't get a smug vibe from the dances, just that she was excited that her food seemed to be coming out the way she planned it. 

[backformore]

I haven't watched any of the teen competition. Just a little tired of all the "special" themes. I just want to watch adult chefs preparing interesting food. The teen and kid mystery ingredients aren't all that hard. I guess they can't make all those special snowflake kiddies work too hard. I get sick of their talking head segments where all of them love to brag on themselves. Like they are the only kid that knows how to cook - whatever.

Yeah, I got a little annoyed and bored by kids who are head cheerleader/student council president/captain of the football and debate teams, PLUS they work nights to help their single parent support the family, volunteer at the homeless shelter, teach violin, own their own business, get straight A's, started high school at age 10 -  AND THEY CAN COOK!!!!!!!!!!

Stop.  take a breath.  Hang out at the mall, text your friends, stay up until 2 AM playing Xbox. Be a kid for a minute.