Masterchef (US) - General Discussion

[Dance4Life]

1 hour ago, preeya said:

Another underwhelming, unamazing, not stunning SEASON TEN episode.

The portions of Fred's filet that they tasted received OK comments.  Bri should have gone home for not using $500. ingredient and being on the brink of elimination three challenges in a row.

YES!  WTF???  Her plating is so boring, too!

(and, I do like her.  When Bri was cooking right.....her food looked delicious!)

[El maestro]

12 minutes ago, Dance4Life said:

YES!  WTF???  Her plating is so boring, too!

(and, I do like her.  When Bri was cooking right.....her food looked delicious!)

Plating can be deceiving on Tv.

i thought Shuba food was a mess, but the judges liked the presentation.

I love taking pictures of the food I prepare or in restaurants and I have observed how difficult is sometimes to make a plate look good, specially in a quick picture in your phone.

[Aerobicidal]

This episode is called “Box in a Box in a Box,” which should be a meta/sex positive feminist rejoinder to a certain Justin Timberlake SNL song. I find it stunning.

“An exit that shocks everyone.” Sounds amazingly septic to me! (I don’t think it’ll be Noah, though.)

If watching Gordon is like watching a concert pianist play the piano, watching Bri is like watching someone excited to get a Tahitian Princess spray tan so they can finally resemble a photo negative. Watching Subha is like watching Hans Moleman trying to do the Macarena in a vat of molasses. Listening to Joe trying to impress us with his vocabulary is like listening to Willian Hung singing the Queen of the Night aria.

At this point, condescending to Subha is like shooting fish in a barrel that have already been tranquilized, massacred, pulverized, embalmed, deconstructed, drawn, quartered, and verbally humiliated. Which is kind of how I feel watching this stunning top ten season ten using ten divided by two hundred dollars of septically patronizing umami realness.

Gordon, if Subha is a “young man” then Olivia de Havilland is gracefully easing into middle age.

“You've overindulged the gravitas of the stunning season ten plate of beautiful overdressed coaxed slices permeated through molecular Christmas trees.” To paraphrase judges from American Idol circa a really long time ago, I find it stunning how Gordon and his cohorts take the English language and make it their own.

On a similar note, Subha calling his truffles "hydroplaned" may be my favorite word slaughter of this entire season. I'm sure he meant "microplaned," but the idea of car tires skidding over a 500 dollar truffle is literally stunning (and perhaps an apt metaphor for this season).

I thought Fred was one of the more likable of the final TEN, but my main reaction to his elimination is that they should have booted at least five (ten divided by two) more people tonight.

[galaxychaser]

I don’t plan to watch any more. I will just read the boards. Was Fred wearing a sleeveless hoodie?

[El maestro]

Micah has forgotten he is in a competitive contest and he thinks he is in a high school club.

2 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

I don’t plan to watch any more. I will just read the boards. Was Fred wearing a sleeveless hoodie?

I guess his role was the California dude. But somehow I can’t imagine him as a beach boy,🏖️.

[Dance4Life]

54 minutes ago, El maestro said:

Plating can be deceiving on Tv.

i thought Shuba food was a mess, but the judges liked the presentation.

I love taking pictures of the food I prepare or in restaurants and I have observed how difficult is sometimes to make a plate look good, specially in a quick picture in your phone.

I was talking about Bri’s IG.  Her plating style is so 2005!

A while ago Ramsay tried to tell her.....but, I think he gave up for the sake of TV.

I notice they are kinda soft on the contestants.  They make sure to  keep calling them home cooks and judge them against each other.  Not against a professional standard.

Bri should focus on her cooking because I think she has a lot of potential.

On MC.....the plating should be off the chart!

Everything is free and the best. 

The difficult thing about plating at home is that the components are expensive. 

Too many ingredients to buy....for a photo. You need blog sponsors to do it right. 

I just prefer plating ‘food pile style’.....because this is the professional way.  Piling keeps food warm and moist.

Piping food on a plate ‘Bri style’  does not look appetizing to me. 

Bri should switch to  patisserie where temperature is not an issue. Her desserts would probably be so beautiful.  I like Bri!

‘Eyeswoon’ has a nice IG.  Can get repetitive......like all IGs...... but at least she understands to layer her foods.

[Such A Flirt]

What the hell?!? If this keeps up, the finale will be Subha vs. Bri.

[GaT]

Noah, Subha, & Bri are still there. WHHHHYYYYY? Couldn't you have eliminated one of them?

Hmm, Shari, I was wondering, do you feel at all responsible for everyone being in the elimination challenge? Because you never said a thing about it. Other than the 3,495,599.859,523 times you mentioned it.

[mertensia]

I liked that Joe and Aaron helped Noah with the langoustines due to his allergies. 

I think Joe is developing a soft spot for Subha.

Bri should have gone.

[Gramto6]

I am wondering if Subha is on the spectrum? Asperger's maybe (undiagnosed maybe?)? He is a good cook and when cooking on his own does well, even though he drives Gordon crazy plating so late, he just marches to his own drum. He just can't function as a part of a group/team. But I really do think he is a really good cook.

I don't see him winning, he could never manage a restaurant, if that is even the prize for this contest, I haven't paid that much attention to this whole fiasco. If it is just a cash reward, I'd love to see him win! 😁

Bri really needs to go...now, asap, please!

How many times are they going to risk Noah's health with the shellfish? That is just irresponsible on their part.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Gramto6
typo

[mamadrama]

2 hours ago, Dance4Life said:

I just prefer plating ‘food pile style’.....because this is the professional way.  Piling keeps food warm and moist.

SBM

I prefer plating food school cafeteria style-each part has its own little section and nothing touches. 

[Dance4Life]

19 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

SBM

I prefer plating food school cafeteria style-each part has its own little section and nothing touches. 

What is SBM?

 Cafeteria trays,  Indian thalis and Japanese bento boxes.  My dad used tiffin type food containers. 

These foods are still served ‘food pile plating’ style. Just separated in their own little compartment.  It is to retain heat and moisture.

#1 rule in culinary.  Serve all foods at the right temperature.

This is why Fred went home. Not cooking the filet to temp.

 Despite...Bri not even using the truffle and staying at the bottom for the 3rd week in a row.

 Bri’s crying when judges do not praise her food is really irritating. They should send her home for that!

[mamadrama]

30 minutes ago, Dance4Life said:

What is SBM?

Snipped By Me

Internet slang for when someone only wants to reply to one of your statements and not the entire thing. 

[displayname]

I thought they were editing Fred as the winner lol.

Is... Subha going to win?

[mertensia]

I don't think Subha's on the spectrum. I think he just hasn't ever had experience with working a kitchen with others.

And yeah, enough with the fish challenges while Noah's still there. Seriously. Anaphylactic shock is serious.

[OoogleEyes]

1 hour ago, mertensia said:

I don't think Subha's on the spectrum. I think he just hasn't ever had experience with working a kitchen with others 

Subha in real life probably cooks like I like to cook. With a glass of wine and friends around the kitchen counter.  I'm a pretty good cook, but I would suck at these timed competitions 

[preeya]

6 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

If it is just a cash reward, I'd love to see him win! 

It is cash and the magnificent, incredible, most sought after trophy (a piece of plastic with your name on it) in the entire world, universe, galaxy, etc.

[cameron]

13 hours ago, susannot said:

Subha proved himself tonight to be a good cook.

Are we talking about the same person?  Plating looked messy, combined two vegetables that don't go together, and was doing to over season the dish with some indian spice until Gordon, Joe & Aaron told him not to.  But this is also the same person who overcooked the indian lentils even though he said they 47 different varieties of them in India and he is familiar with them all.  At least he didn't use the old rose seasoning that he likes to trot out.

[displayname]

12 minutes ago, cameron said:

Plating looked messy, combined two vegetables that don't go together, and was doing to over season the dish with some indian spice until Gordon, Joe & Aaron told him not to. 

The judges loved the plating, it was a North African spice that he chose not to add by himself, and every contestant had mistakes on their plate, apart from maybe Noah. 

[xcrayon2215x]

After hearing Bri's comments, I think she was more than friends with Fred. Bri should have gone home, I get the sense that Shari, Dorian, Micah and Sarah will be the Final 4.

[displayname]

15 minutes ago, xcrayon2215x said:

After hearing Bri's comments, I think she was more than friends with Fred.

Fred doesn't seem into women, but who knows.

[gail56]

Well, I'm out! Bri stays over Fred??? He was my favorite! I didn't know if he was going to win, but thought he would last longer. Not interested in watching this show anymore, especially with Bri still there.  I will just read recaps and maybe I will watch the episode where she gets eliminated, if she does!

[cameron]

3 hours ago, displayname said:

The judges loved the plating, it was a North African spice that he chose not to add by himself, and every contestant had mistakes on their plate, apart from maybe Noah. 

I looked at that plate.  Think that the judges threw that comment in for comic relief.

[Eolivet]

I was glad Micah picked Subha, because he did what I always hope contestants will do on these challenges: pick the weakest. Picking the strongest never ever works out -- I can't remember a time in recorded history where a contestant picked someone to compete in an elimination that sends them home. It's unnecessary drama. Maybe they're bottom 3, but the judges don't send them home. Then that cook just makes an unnecessary enemy.

But picking the weakest forces the judges to keep the weakest, (to prove you wrong, of course) so they have to send someone stronger home. In a way, Micah's choice was helping to clear the field for himself, just among Shari, Noah, Nick, Bri and Fred. Had Micah done something like pick Dorian, she could've presented the judges with dog food and they would've kept her. That would've given them license to send someone weaker home, like Bri. But because Micah picked Subha, they have to keep him, and they've hyped up this "somebody stronger could go home" storyline, so Fred gets cut in a "shocking" elimination.

Now Fred's gone, Micah has the goodwill of the stronger cooks on his team (who are likely to win challenges and maybe not put him with a terrible partner) and Subha's still there, who he can ostensibly beat. As far as I'm concerned, Micah played that perfectly.

[Tatortot]

I also really liked Fred but he came out a winner.   He gets to work with Christina Tosi and can only go up from there.

[galaxychaser]

If Fred is straight I will eat a shoe. Noah needs a haircut so bad.

[shelen]

Fred is gone and Bri is staying.........again.

Who is this bleached blonde bimbo bangin'?

[mamadrama]

7 hours ago, preeya said:

It is cash and the magnificent, incredible, most sought after trophy (a piece of plastic with your name on it) in the entire world, universe, galaxy, etc.

Sounds stunning! 😎

[galaxychaser]

49 minutes ago, shelen said:

Fred is gone and Bri is staying.........again.

Who is this bleached blonde bimbo bangin'?

Someone very important!

[El maestro]

3 hours ago, Eolivet said:

I was glad Micah picked Subha, because he did what I always hope contestants will do on these challenges: pick the weakest. Picking the strongest never ever works out -- I can't remember a time in recorded history where a contestant picked someone to compete in an elimination that sends them home. It's unnecessary drama. Maybe they're bottom 3, but the judges don't send them home. Then that cook just makes an unnecessary enemy.

But picking the weakest forces the judges to keep the weakest, (to prove you wrong, of course) so they have to send someone stronger home. In a way, Micah's choice was helping to clear the field for himself, just among Shari, Noah, Nick, Bri and Fred. Had Micah done something like pick Dorian, she could've presented the judges with dog food and they would've kept her. That would've given them license to send someone weaker home, like Bri. But because Micah picked Subha, they have to keep him, and they've hyped up this "somebody stronger could go home" storyline, so Fred gets cut in a "shocking" elimination.

Now Fred's gone, Micah has the goodwill of the stronger cooks on his team (who are likely to win challenges and maybe not put him with a terrible partner) and Subha's still there, who he can ostensibly beat. As far as I'm concerned, Micah played that perfectly.

I like your explanation and how you defend your arguments, but I still think Micah should have chosen one of the strangest cooks.

This is a contest and people don’t come to make friends. I remember watching an edition of MC Spain where two young people became a couple and the judges kept them for a few weeks just for ratings and the they chopped them in consecutive weeks.

[Eolivet]

Good point about not being here to make friends. I only meant in terms of partner challenges or "pick who has to cook what," I can recall people who said, "I like him/her, so I'm not going to give them someone/something too terrible."

But back to Micah. Has someone called out/handpicked for an elimination challenge in this type of scenario ever gone home? I mean, ever? I can think of times where they ended up in the bottom 2, but I don't recall someone being sent home after being picked for the elimination challenge in one of these scenarios.

So, to me, when the judges say "Pick someone you want to put up for elimination," I believe they're really saying is "Pick someone who will definitely stay."

Micah picked the weakest cook, who he ostensibly can beat. So it made sense to me.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Eolivet

[JMarie99]

On 8/8/2019 at 3:37 PM, hhawks said:

I was shocked when Gordon said "Earth to Subha…."  very disrespectful.

Gordon has been bullying Subha since the beginning of the season. I recall one early episode where he twice made fun of Subha’s glasses. First they were supposed to put masks on and Gordon said “Yes, Subha, you’ll have to take your glasses off.” Okay, that’s pretty mild - but later when he was judging Subha’s food he said “I think you’d better see your optometrist.” Maybe it’s because I’ve worn glasses all my life, but I thought it was a little weird for Gordon to be picking on him for that. And this was before Subha started bumbling around in the team challenges. It’s like Gordon decided early on to make him a laughingstock - and it just got worse from there. 

[Mellowyellow]

Are they going to have an ep where they bring eliminated contestants back or is that only MCAu and MCCan?

Cuz I'm hoping Fred can come back. 

[readheaded]

17 hours ago, Dance4Life said:

What is SBM?

 Cafeteria trays,  Indian thalis and Japanese bento boxes.  My dad used tiffin type food containers. 

These foods are still served ‘food pile plating’ style. Just separated in their own little compartment.  It is to retain heat and moisture.

#1 rule in culinary.  Serve all foods at the right temperature.

This is why Fred went home. Not cooking the filet to temp.

 Despite...Bri not even using the truffle and staying at the bottom for the 3rd week in a row.

 Bri’s crying when judges do not praise her food is really irritating. They should send her home for that!

Bri can't go home soon enough for me.  I can't stand to hear her whine.

[spiderpig]

Bri's constant flood of tears gets on my last nerve.  She reminds me of certain girls from high school - and not in a good way.

I though Shari was being groomed to win, but she doesn't take failure very well, does she?

Did you know Subha loves his wife?

Mr. Overalls Port-a-Potty's overbearing loudness is tiresome.

Anyway, I really don't have a dog in this hunt.

[galaxychaser]

Subha called himself Suburu 🤣.

[SweetSin]

I'm sure that Noah didn't just pack overalls in his suitcase. I believe a wardrobe stylist provided those overalls as well as that stupid looking hat. If he isn't wearing a bandana it's a hat. 

Why keep bringing up Micah's job of being a pot washer? Who cares. A job title doesn't dictate whether or not you're going to be a good leader.  Lead them to a victory without having to do much of any restructuring like the blue team.

Subha is so scattered but glad the team weren't being jackasses towards him and just got him to focus on the task at hand. Then burn chicken when not even cooking it, that's quite a feat.  His constant scatterbrain during challenges and plating last minute only to serve a good dish is starting to come off as more of an act than anything.

Shari was not a good leader, just all over the place with putting Noah on fish and then potatoes back on fish. Skin on and then off then back on and then she wanted back off. Fred & Bri were just in the background so I guess they didn't mess up anything or had anything worth showing. 

I guess Joe wasn't happy with Micah's decision to make Subha cook cause it doesn't bring drama. I agree with Micah, why punish those that did a good job. I would send in the person who was the weak link. I mean he burned chicken and wasn't even tasked with cooking it and was all over the place.

Bri says she's about plating but her filet mignon plate looked bad. I could tell either her or Fred was going home because the 2nd episode was Fred & Bri-ish. Lot of focus was on them and sucks Fred went home who had a much more impressive body of work over Bri.

Micah I'll keep rooting for you but keep your side comments to yourself cause he and Dorian were rather annoying on the balcony.

[El maestro]

2 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Are they going to have an ep where they bring eliminated contestants back or is that only MCAu and MCCan?

Cuz I'm hoping Fred can come back. 

They do that too in Dominican Republic and Spain.

they did in Argentina too, but I think they don’t do MC anymore there. By the way Argentinian judges were really scary.

[DaphneCat]

On ‎8‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 9:28 PM, Koalagirl said:

I’m absolutely heartbroken that Fred is gone. Obviously someone (coughJoecough) has a real hard-on bot Barbi Bri.  

I'm calling BS.  Yes, Fred undercooked the steak but he used all the elements.  Bri barely used the truffle.  If the challenge is to use all the ingredients in a way they could be tasted, she should have gone home.  Granted Fred wasn't going to win but I really think the reason Gordon said he was going to call Christina Tosi was because they knew they were  keeping an inferior cook.

[Such A Flirt]

How come Bri was wearing different outfits in pretty much each one of her talking heads? Was it to showcase her Malibu Barbie wardrobe?

[cooksdelight]

3 hours ago, Such A Flirt said:

How come Bri was wearing different outfits in pretty much each one of her talking heads? Was it to showcase her Malibu Barbie wardrobe?

From the way her tops were stretched, I think it was to showcase her boob job.

[Emkat]

The guest judge on next week,  Grant Achatz ; looks unwell. At least in the preview. 

[kirklandia]

"Uncharted".  Oh Nat Geo, please, no.  Gordon Ramsey is the AntiBourdain.  Sacrilege.

Edited August 10, 2019 by kirklandia

[cooksdelight]

2 hours ago, Emkat said:

The guest judge on next week,  Grant Achatz ; looks unwell. At least in the preview. 

Maybe his tongue cancer has returned. Maybe a crying baby made him sick.

https://www.eater.com/2014/1/13/6298373/parents-bring-crying-baby-to-alinea-and-grant-achatz-considers

[preeya]

8 hours ago, DaphneCat said:

I'm calling BS.  Yes, Fred undercooked the steak but he used all the elements.  Bri barely used the truffle.  If the challenge is to use all the ingredients in a way they could be tasted, she should have gone home.  Granted Fred wasn't going to win but I really think the reason Gordon said he was going to call Christina Tosi was because they knew they were  keeping an inferior cook.

1

That whole "Tosi thing" was contrived. I'm sure GR didn't just walk out on stage and make an ad hoc speech to pacify Fred.  It was a quid pro quo attempt for wrongly eliminating Fred.

Good luck, Fred.

[El maestro]

I am still baffled why they are keeping Jamie in the background. He cooks well, gets along with others but somehow I don’t see him as an MC champion. Maybe he is boring and quiet, but MC10 contestants look like Boy Scouts compared to former editions.

I know the judges and producers’ decisions can be baffling. In MC junior they sent home two of the best cooks (Jaala and Mathew) and kept the other pair who did worse in the elimination challenge (Malia and Sadie).

[displayname]

1 hour ago, El maestro said:

Maybe he is boring and quiet, but MC10 contestants look like Boy Scouts compared to former editions.

Because I do think they tried to focus more on the cooking this season instead of the drama. I don't think it worked entirely, but they are trying to focus more on judging the food, giving each plate more time and critique, and the two episode format was likely to aid that. I don't think it fully worked, but I won't be against it staying to get into a good rhythm next season.

[OoogleEyes]

On 8/8/2019 at 2:21 PM, Aerobicidal said:

In those parts, he's known as Johnny Septicseed.

Now,  *that's* the perfect nickname!

3 hours ago, El maestro said:

I am still baffled why they are keeping Jamie in the background. 

There's a Jamie?

[bluepiano]

On 8/9/2019 at 12:28 PM, Eolivet said:

I was glad Micah picked Subha, because he did what I always hope contestants will do on these challenges: pick the weakest. Picking the strongest never ever works out -- I can't remember a time in recorded history where a contestant picked someone to compete in an elimination that sends them home. It's unnecessary drama. 

Totally agree. I respect Micah for picking Subha, who contributed nothing to the wining team. The whole "think strategically, take out a competitor" thing is very overrated. Of course the judges push it to create drama. It really wouldn't have been fair for a cook who contributed to the winning team possibly getting eliminated.

I can't ever recall a contestant like Subha. He can obviously cook, but he's beyond useless in any team challenges. Of course,  it this show was really about finding America's best home cook, they wouldn't even have team challenges.

Fred is such a sweetheart. Staring elimination in the face, he was still hoping for his friend to go through.

Did anyone take a look a the "race drivers and their pit crews" that the teams were cooking for? It was so obviously the usual bunch of extra from a casting agency.

[El maestro]

I don’t care about team challenges very much. Too much drama  with the obvious casting 101 reality show contestants:  the “incompetent captain” , “people who believe they should be in charge bitching and whining the whole episode” ,  “blame storming”, “I told you so people”... 

it is easy to hide in a group. Individual challenges are the important ones.