Masterchef (US) - General Discussion

[Yeah No]

10 hours ago, bluepiano said:

But most Americans can relate to southwestern food, which is heavy on meat. I think a lot fewer Americans can relate to Asian cuisine. (I mean real Asian food, not Americanized Chinese.) And many people are adverse to spice. Even GR made a comment during judging about how much heat there was in all of Suu's dishes.

What do most Americans have to do with which cuisine gives a contestant the edge over the others?  The only people doing the judging are the three on stage and I don't think they are necessarily biased towards Kelsey's style of cooking.  I think Suu might have been overdoing the heat, plus she obviously had other issues.

Plus most Americans these days are pretty open to authentic Asian cuisines judging from the scads of Thai, Vietnamese, and authentic Chinese restaurants opening around me all the time, not to mention the ever increasing Asian food shelves in the supermarkets.  And I live in an area in CT that for a long time was pretty milquetoast about food.  I'm from NYC and grew up around a lot of ethnic cuisines that you couldn't even find one example of in this area until maybe 10 years ago.

[Yeah No]

9 hours ago, Rai said:

I don't know why I like the Canadian version and not this version. Maybe it's more sincere? Less overly produced? I mean, I'm a fan of Chopped and Top Chef, so I'm not against production manipulation. I guess it'll remain a mystery, but again, I'm sure Ramsay will gallivant on without me.

If NOTHING ELSE, the word "stunning" has become hilarious, and that's definitely a gain in my book!

I like the Canadian version better too and even after this "kinder gentler" season of the American version I still like it better.  The theory I gave above is that Americans can't seem to tone down the drama without also making the show more boring.  Maybe the Canadians make it more authentic like you say so it doesn't come off as boring.  I also think it has something to do with the people they choose.  There aren't as many annoying caricatures on MC Canada.  Plus I also like the judges on that version.

Lately Ramsay's favorite expression is "Let's get one thing straight".  Maybe he didn't use it so much on MC but you could have had quite a drinking game based on that expression watching "Hell's Kitchen".

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

What do most Americans have to do with which cuisine gives a contestant the edge over the others?  The only people doing the judging are the three on stage and I don't think they are necessarily biased towards Kelsey's style of cooking.  I think Suu might have been overdoing the heat, plus she obviously had other issues.

Plus most Americans these days are pretty open to authentic Asian cuisines judging from the scads of Thai, Vietnamese, and authentic Chinese restaurants opening around me all the time, not to mention the ever increasing Asian food shelves in the supermarkets.  And I live in an area in CT that for a long time was pretty milquetoast about food.  I'm from NYC and grew up around a lot of ethnic cuisines that you couldn't even find one example of in this area until maybe 10 years ago.

Agree.

Getting Chinese takeout has been such a staple of American movies and sitcoms since the 80s (Maybe even earlier. I wouldn't know).

Also Gordon is the most popular judge and he's not even American!

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Lately Ramsay's favorite expression is "Let's get one thing straight".  Maybe he didn't use it so much on MC but you could have had quite a drinking game based on that expression watching "Hell's Kitchen".

It's toooooooooo much.  I feel like an editor would cringe at Ramsay's speech.  Such unnecessary cliches!

Edited September 18, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Colorado David]

6 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

It's toooooooooo much.  I feel like an editor would cringe at Ramsay's speech.  Such unnecessary cliches!

It's a catch 22. Ramsay has his phrases he likes and uses, and it makes him interesting as a tv personality, but yeah that becomes cliche. Such is tv personality life I suppose. I could list 100s of catch phrases for tv people,  and reality type food shows are included there. Ditto gordon's hand gestures.

 

added: you are washing your hands wrong. omg   

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Colorado David

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Also Gordon is the most popular judge and he's not even American!

Yeah I thought that too.  Plus Aaron and Joe's culinary backgrounds are pretty varied and ethnic.  Both are no strangers to hot spicy food.  I suppose the British have a reputation for not being into spicy foods but then there's curry.  And Gordon's palate is pretty sophisticated.  He has probably eaten more authentic Asian food than most people given his travel and culinary background so I'm sure he was up to judging Suu's food.

30 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

added: you are washing your hands wrong. omg   

He washes his hands like a surgeon!

[mamadrama]

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

.

Lately Ramsay's favorite expression is "Let's get one thing straight".  Maybe he didn't use it so much on MC but you could have had quite a drinking game based on that expression watching "Hell's Kitchen".

And Side B: "let me be absolutely clear."

If we drank every time he said one of those or "stunning", "amazing", and "beautiful" then we'd be drunk until Thanksgiving.

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

On 9/16/2021 at 11:56 AM, bluepiano said:

I'm far from a vegetarian, but I thought Suu's appetizer with baby octopus was kind of gross, as you could see the entire bodies of the animals. And they were BABIES!

I agree. I was in Mexico a while back and they brought out a salad with a baby octopus on it, I immediately asked the waiter to remove it from my plate. Then again, I am the person who loves fish and another night there, they served the fish with hits head on, I just used my napkin and covered it while I ate it. 

I just love me some Ludo, but it saddened me because the last time I saw him on tv was that cooking show with Nigella and Anthony (RIP)  

[BrainyBlonde]

On 9/17/2021 at 4:58 PM, Leeds said:

Tracy Flick?  Who's that?  Should I care?

Book sales have dropped tremendously not only because of the ease of access of recipes over the Internet but also now because of Coronavirus.

Ha! I dated myself with the Tracy Flick reference. She's an iconic Reese Witherspoon character from a '90s film called "Election." Tracy was this very ambitious, intense, focused, seemingly perfect high school student who was running for office in student government. She was to barrettes what Kelsey was to hairbands on Masterchef.

P.S. I felt bad for Kelsey when she said in that interview that the show made her wear hairbands all season even when she was sick of them and didn't want to anymore.

[Yeah No]

12 hours ago, BrainyBlonde said:

Ha! I dated myself with the Tracy Flick reference. She's an iconic Reese Witherspoon character from a '90s film called "Election." 

And here I was thinking I was dating myself by being too old to get the reference.....🤷‍♀️

[LennieBriscoe]

On 9/15/2021 at 5:43 PM, preeya said:

My picks for tonight: Kelsey (only because she seems like the chosen one since the beginning)  #2 - Autumn  #3 - Suu.

I'll be rooting for Suu for the upset, although I wouldn't be unhappy if Autumn pulled the upset of Kelsey.

Funny; I figured Autumn for TCO. She certainly seemed to be in Joe's eyes! 😉🤫

[Leeds]

On 9/18/2021 at 5:17 AM, Colorado David said:

 

added: you are washing your hands wrong. omg   

 

What's wrong with the way he washes his hands?

2 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Funny; I figured Autumn for TCO. She certainly seemed to be in Joe's eyes! 😉🤫

TCO?

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

TCO?

The Chosen One.

[Leeds]

7 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

The Chosen One.

Thank you!  (I think between being old and very rarely using my phone to text, I'm completely behind the ball with acronyms.  NATO is about as recent as I get!)

[Colorado David]

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

What's wrong with the way he washes his hands?

 

Not him, us, the collective audience. You as in the watcher.

[AZChristian]

3 minutes ago, Leeds said:

Thank you!  (I think between being old and very rarely using my phone to text, I'm completely behind the ball with acronyms.  NATO is about as recent as I get!)

I'm 74 . . . but determined to NOT be out of the loop.  LOL.

[Leeds]

On 9/16/2021 at 11:56 AM, bluepiano said:

I'm far from a vegetarian, but I thought Suu's appetizer with baby octopus was kind of gross, as you could see the entire bodies of the animals. And they were BABIES!

Do you eat veal? - it comes from baby cows that are force fed milk. If they aren't slaughtered young, they grow up and are then slaughtered and marketed as beef.  They're still all animals that are killed, whatever the age.

 

[Such A Flirt]

Of course Little Miss Perfect won; urgh.

The Peanut Gallery was really annoying, especially Anne. So who was missing from the Top 10 - Lexy?

And Grant Achatz was supposed to be one of the Legends, along with Lidia. So I'm assuming pandemic reasons.

[FoundTime]

On 9/19/2021 at 2:15 PM, Colorado David said:

Not him, us, the collective audience. You as in the watcher.

Thanks for the clarification! The only thing wrong I could see was that he used a paper towel to dry -- not very good for the planet.

I was recently playing some kind of party game where I had to give a clue for Tracy Flick and no one there-- of all ages-- knew the reference. I'm just gonna say it -- Election is essential viewing, so find a way to watch it!

On topic, this finale was like a lot of reality show finales for me, in that I wasn't really clear on who I was rooting for or against until the episode started unfolding. Though Kelsey was always my third choice (and how did I miss that she was pregnant?!), I would have been happy with either of the other two -- Suu for being a fellow Houstonian and super creative, Autumn because she really grew on me over the season and showed more chops at the end than I ever would have expected. (Btw, I met a family from Myanmar/Burma a few years ago and I was being all politically correct and calling it Myanmar. Turns out they called it Burma.)

If I could make any changes to the show overall, I would stop burning so many episodes on contestant selection and eliminate any challenges that require Chef Ramsay to curse and/or throw things. Not my favorite version of him, especially when we were reminded this season what an amazing cook he is.

[mertensia]

On 9/18/2021 at 6:51 PM, BrainyBlonde said:

Ha! I dated myself with the Tracy Flick reference. She's an iconic Reese Witherspoon character from a '90s film called "Election." Tracy was this very ambitious, intense, focused, seemingly perfect high school student who was running for office in student government. She was to barrettes what Kelsey was to hairbands on Masterchef.

P.S. I felt bad for Kelsey when she said in that interview that the show made her wear hairbands all season even when she was sick of them and didn't want to anymore.

They need to stop forcing wardrobes. Have a basic dress code and let them dress themselves.

[theatremouse]

Whatever you show up wearing in your audition will be your assigned "look" for the season. Applicants should expect that and act accordingly.

[pH-factor]

I was always taught to watch from fingers to elbow and to dry from fingers the elbowBut then again that’s in healthcare. By the end of the show I pretty much figured Kelsey would win as well which is fine I don’t expect to ever see her again.

[Grrarrggh]

I'd wondered if Kelsey's pregnancy might have messed with her taste buds and sense of smell. From just what the judges said while tasting and talking I thought Suu should have won.

[AZChristian]

2 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I'd wondered if Kelsey's pregnancy might have messed with her taste buds and sense of smell. From just what the judges said while tasting and talking I thought Suu should have won.

Not only did Kelsey get pregnant during the break in filming, she also got Covid.  That's more likely to have messed with her taste buds and sense of smell.

[Leeds]

Aaron really needs to get an education.  Does he really believe vinegar isn't used in Japanese cooking?  Has he never had sushi?  And the word "interesting" is not pronounced "intreresting".   Also one of the top three takeouts in the UK is Indian, ie spicy.

[pH-factor]

On 9/4/2019 at 11:17 PM, NowVoyager said:

Aw! I know, her hair hat is soo bad... I do think she has some hair loss issues under there though.

Whatever the issues I'm all over getting a better hairpiece, good grief.

[pH-factor]

On 9/4/2019 at 9:07 PM, Gramto6 said:

Half way watching...I can't believe Noah walked into theSavoy Hotel in his overalls! Disrespectful.

How is that disrespectful or who is it disrespectful to? That sort of attitude reminds me of one eye worked at a place where the employees had to use a separate entrance than the guest and separate elevators cetera. Is a Savoy a fine classy place that would refuse to take my money if I didn't dress in clothes with designer names. I'm sure my money I'm sure my money spends as well as anybody else's money no matter what I choose to dress in. But then again I might be offended if he dressed in a Nazi uniform or a kkk sheet.

[El maestro]

On 10/1/2021 at 4:01 AM, Leeds said:

Aaron really needs to get an education.  Does he really believe vinegar isn't used in Japanese cooking?  Has he never had sushi?  And the word "interesting" is not pronounced "intreresting".   Also one of the top three takeouts in the UK is Indian, ie spicy.

I don’t think is fair to criticize Aaron about the pronunciation of a word when his first language is Spanish.

[illdoc]

Season 12 Premiere May 25: https://tvline.com/2022/04/05/fox-premiere-dates-2022-fantasy-island-masterchef-summer-schedule/

[jewel21]

Season 12 airs this week!

Quote

S12.E01: Back to Win - Audition Battles

Season 12 of MASTERCHEF is all about redemption, when All-Star competitors from the last 11 seasons return to the show to see if they have learned from their past mistakes. For the first time ever, MASTERCHEF is re-opening the door to some of the most memorable and talented cooks in the competition's history, including two MASTERCHEF Junior Edition cooks now competing as adults! 40 chefs get called back to audition, but only 20 will claim a coveted white apron. The returning chefs compete in groups of four in head-to-head audition battles. In each round, the two chefs that create the most impressive comeback dish will secure a spot this season.

Airdate: 05/25/2022

[iwantcookies]

5 minutes ago, jewel21 said:

Season 12 airs this week!

Airdate: 05/25/2022

Thanks for the reminder! 

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, jewel21 said:

Season 12 airs this week!

Airdate: 05/25/2022

Yes, thank you!  For some reason my DVR didn't pick it up even though I know I have it perpetually set to record.  I'm on Comcast/Xfinity in case anyone has the same problem.

[mertensia]

Why??? Why show auditions ? These are returnees. I don't want to see the ones who didn't make it.

[cinsbytheseaS]

I always thought Derek got robbed...hoping he does well this season

[whinewithwine]

Well, that was interesting.  Flashbacks were fun.  Joe never changes.  While he was 

commenting on Amanda's cake, I swear he said it was "vocative".  Had to replay it to

be sure.

Shanika hasn't changed much, either...(((

[mlp]

2 hours ago, whinewithwine said:

commenting on Amanda's cake, I swear he said it was "vocative".  

I thought he said "evocative" and thought "Here we go again."  I'm not sure what he actually meant.  I'm sure it won't be long before Aaron comes up with something even more puzzling.

It was fairly easy to see the producers/Gordon setting up conflicts and so on for during the show.  Some things never change.  Shanika...............aargh.  Also unchanged is the dry, frizzy hair on the southern woman.  She must like it like that but she looks like a fire hazard.

I was surprised by how many of those people I did not remember.

[KLovestoShop]

I’m sorry, but looking like a cheap street walker doesn’t do it for me as a chef.  I mean, what cook wears come do me pumps and has huge boobs flying out of her top.  Just inappropriate. 

[DEL901]

There is also zero suspense.   I knew who was getting an apron in each round even before they started cooking.  

[whinewithwine]

5 hours ago, mlp said:

I'm sure it won't be long before Aaron comes up with something even more puzzling.

"unctuous" comes to mind.

[Leeds]

2 hours ago, whinewithwine said:

"unctuous" comes to mind.

Unfortunately Aaron is far from the only TV chef to misuse "unctuous".  In fact I can't remember the last time I heard anyone use it correctly.

[seacliffsal]

I am excited this is back and am hoping for a good competition.  What I wasn't hoping for though was more Shanika, and I thought her dish looked the least appealing of her group of 4.  I wish there were more contestants who came in 2nd rather than ones who left super early in their competitions (and who I don't really remember unless they were involved in some sort of issues during their limited time on their prior seasons).  

[mlp]

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

What I wasn't hoping for though was more Shanika, and I thought her dish looked the least appealing of her group of 4. 

Shanika would have got back in if she'd made a pb&j sandwich.  Gordon would have called it the most stunning use of peanut butter since it was first invented.  She's there to be the villain and cause a lot of talk and controversy.

[Yeah No]

On 5/26/2022 at 11:01 PM, Leeds said:

Unfortunately Aaron is far from the only TV chef to misuse "unctuous".  In fact I can't remember the last time I heard anyone use it correctly.

Me neither.  My peeve is hearing the constant mispronunciations of gnocchi and agnolotti on every cooking show ever.

I'm happy this show is back, although I knew there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell we'd be spared Shanika.  Lindsay's expression when she heard the news looked like she realized she'd just been punked.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I feel bad for not accurately predicting that Amanda was going to get an apron. I thought that the producers loved :Lexie and her story of being able to stretch a $40/week grocery budget to feed a family of five so much that she was destined to have a second chance.

What happened to Joe? Was he replaced with a pod person? Every single comment he had was straight compliments, nothing backhanded and no insults or nitpicks. I wonder if he's gone kindler,/gentler after the harassment controversy.

So are we going to have two more auditions episodes before we actually get to the real competition?

[DEL901]

7 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Me neither.  My peeve is hearing the constant mispronunciations of gnocchi and agnolotti on every cooking show .

Don’t forget macaroon and macaron.    (Not sure I spelled both correctly)

[AZChristian]

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Me neither.  My peeve is hearing the constant mispronunciations of gnocchi and agnolotti on every cooking show ever.

2 hours ago, DEL901 said:

Don’t forget macaroon and macaron.    (Not sure I spelled both correctly)

And mascarpone.  Fingernails on a chalkboard.

[Colorado David]

'MARSCAPONE' always drives me insane.  Do they also say Pahmarshan? Pasghetti?    It is not a hard word to learn to say correctly.

[kirklandia]

5 hours ago, DEL901 said:

Don’t forget macaroon and macaron.

I never get tired of sharing this.

[xcrayon2215x]

It was neat to see these familiar faces, Joe seems a bit nicer. It looks like GR will be the meanest judge this season.

[mertensia]

I remember Shayne the train. Also the gal with the huge hair bow from Masterchef, Junior. 

Most of the others? Nope. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

52 minutes ago, mertensia said:

I remember Shayne the train. Also the gal with the huge hair bow from Masterchef, Junior. 

Most of the others? Nope. 

I remember Tommy as being super extra and was hoping against hope that he wasn't going to get cast this season. But nope.