Worst Cooks In America - General Discussion

[Aethera]

This topic replaces the old Worst Cooks In America forum which has been vaulted at the location below:

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/387-worst-cooks-in-america-v/

[Brookside]

Why can't I comment on the most recent episode?

[Hellga]

Because there wasn't sufficient level of activity on that forum, it has been archived.  This thread (one for all episodes and seasons) replaces that entire forum.

[Brookside]

Could there at least be the last comment brought over so there's some level of continuity?

[Mr. Sparkle]

I agree, the comments from this season, at least, should be brought over. There aren't that many. 

But if any show deserves to be a topic instead of a forum, it's this one. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The man they booted off last week really needed to go, and the woman from New Jersey.    Some of the failing dishes sound so awful.     

When Tyler, and Anne cook something, and the contestants taste it, I hope they let it cool down first.     At least this season is an array of the usual characters, instead of the celebrities trying to revive their moribund careers by being on the show, and performing every second.   

Edited January 21, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Hellga]

Just as I thought this episode had less annoying filler than the previous one, sure enough, they had a long demo of the Missouri accent... 

London broil in a hash is an... interesting choice.  As is butternut squash in a 30 minute challenge.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Hellga

[Hellga]

Oh god, sweet potatoes are already so sweet, seeing Ann add maple sugar AND brown sugar just makes me want to go eat a lemon.

[Hellga]

Also, I have never seen cornbread recipe that required separating the eggs.  I fail to see the rationale for that except to challenge contestants more...  

I feel for Antoinette, with her having to use the little stepstool, everything got to take more time for her than for others, and her back probably hurts. 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Hellga

[Hellga]

If there was anything Brett was supposed to do well is meat and potatoes, so I am glad to see he did well. 

Won't miss either Alton or Sponjetta.  They were annoying and weren't serious about cooking. 

[WhitneyWhit]

I feel like we're supposed to find Alison quirky and fun but I find her annoying as hell. And I'm sorry, I come from a state where it's not uncommon to hear someone put a 'r' in words like wash but never have I heard anyone put one in squash, regardless of how they pronounce wash, so she can have a seat. 

Britney's parents told her she was cute way too many times.

 

I'm glad that Alton and Sponge went home. Alison and Antoinette need to go next. 

[tinkerbell]

2 hours ago, Hellga said:

Also, I have never seen cornbread recipe that required separating the eggs.  I fail to see the rationale for that except to challenge contestants more...  

I agree.  It doesn't make sense how they expect people who can't cook to start with such difficult dishes.  Why not start with easy stuff?

[Brookside]

10 hours ago, WhitneyWhit said:

 

Britney's parents told her she was cute way too many times.

 

 

Brittany's parents should also have spent time telling her that breasts belong inside clothing.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Brookside

[cmpbl]

3 hours ago, Hellga said:

Also, I have never seen cornbread recipe that required separating the eggs.  I fail to see the rationale for that except to challenge contestants more...  

I feel for Antoinette, with her having to use the little stepstool, everything got to take more time for her than for others, and her back probably hurts. 

I agree about Antoinette, they should have modified her cooking station.

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm guessing Antoinette is not long for this contest. I like her, but it seems like she's not getting better as a cook. I think they cast her to stand next to the taller contestants. 

Also, Alison would've went home if Sponjetta's food wasn't even worse. 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Superclam

[CrazyInAlabama]

It totally agree that Alton and Sponjetta should have gone home.   I'm totally over the quirky, and incompetent contestants that just want to be on TV to show how cute and quirky they are.     And I also agree about Brittany showing her chest all of the time.   

Edited January 22, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Westiepeach]

I thought it was unfair that Anne let Brett add the mushrooms to his dish after the fact. Yes, he had them made, but he did not plate them. Them's the rules. I think that will open up a whole can of worms...

Edited January 21, 2019 by Westiepeach

[Mr. Sparkle]

3 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

I thought it was unfair that Anne let Brett add the mushrooms to his dish after the fact. Yes, he had them made, but he did not plate them. Them's the rules. I think that will open up a whole can of worms...

I kind of agree, but this proves, that no one, including the producers, gives a shit about this show other than the money it brings in. 

[spiderpig]

20 hours ago, Brookside said:

Brittany's parents should also have spent time telling her that breasts belong inside clothing.

I agree.  Keep your girls to yourself and your significant other unless you're poolside at Vegas  I'm watching this for casual entertainment  not your personal promotion

I'm horrible at names but I guess my final three would be Charrel(?) the Haitian woman, Marty the teacher who tells goofy jokes, and Trefel/Tremel (large African-American who actually seems to try.)

[Hellga]

7 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

I thought it was unfair that Anne let Brett add the mushrooms to his dish after the fact. Yes, he had them made, but he did not plate them. Them's the rules. I think that will open up a whole can of worms...

I didn't have a problem with that.  I don't think this show has the strict time limit requirement like Chopped except for the final competition in front of the external judges.  The goal here is to learn and not just to compete.  And he did have it all ready to go.  

[luvapickle]

I thought the show was done with putting the stupid stuff in, but no. Adding in the "hat", "beard", to Tyler & the too many video clips of the contestants isn't needed. Teach them to cook, & show them trying to cook. That's how it used to be. That being said-most of the food choices Anne/Tyler choose to make are not all that great. Separating the eggs with cornbread takes away how a cornbread should be. It should be a heavier closed texture, not airy like an angel food cake. 

[19Bee63]

On 1/20/2019 at 8:10 PM, WhitneyWhit said:

I feel like we're supposed to find Alison quirky and fun but I find her annoying as hell

And she has the crazy eyes.  She scares me.

[CalicoKitty]

I'm watching this season because someone from my town is on, but I am really finding this show so stupid.  In seasons past, you could actually learn something about cooking.  Now it is just people acting dumb as they can.  And what is with all the antics and hijinks.  I used to have a lot of respect for Anne as a chef/teacher.  Not so much any more.

[Brookside]

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 6:28 PM, Hellga said:

Oh god, sweet potatoes are already so sweet, seeing Ann add maple sugar AND brown sugar just makes me want to go eat a lemon.

Unfortunately adding more sugar to sweet potatoes in some form is an American tradition/abomination.

https://asassyspoon.com/sweet-potato-casserole/ 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Brookside

[Mr. Sparkle]

Ugh, my aunt used to make that sweet potato/marshmallow thing for Thanksgiving. I used to eat the marshmallows off and toss the sweet potatoes. I still don't like sweet potatoes, although it turns out they're pretty healthy for you if you skip the marshmallows and brown sugar. 

[Hellga]

When I make sweet potatoes, the only things I add to them are a little bit of salt and maybe butter or sour cream, if anything.  I personally do not enjoy sweetness in savory dishes.  

It would be nice if they paid attention to the nutritional value of the meals as well - but that has never been their goal... there are other shows for that.  Once someone has basic cooking techniques down, hopefully they would seek information on their own about different options.   

At least so far this season they are doing mostly dishes that someone could actually reasonably make at home.  Chicken, chili, etc.  Not like filleting a fish - seriously, unless you are an avid fisherman and your fish comes from the sea and not the grocery store/fish market, there is no reason to ever have that skill (and even then, I can think of about a dozen tried and true ways to prepare whole fish, that has been cleaned and gutted but not filleted!).  

Edited January 23, 2019 by Hellga

[Mr. Sparkle]

Hey, anyone notice that they're showing 3 new episodes on Sunday, Feb. 3rd? Which also happens to be Superbowl Sunday? I think that will bring the show up to the finals. Any tv-business savvy people know why they would do that? 

[Brookside]

13 hours ago, Superclam said:

Hey, anyone notice that they're showing 3 new episodes on Sunday, Feb. 3rd? Which also happens to be Superbowl Sunday? I think that will bring the show up to the finals. Any tv-business savvy people know why they would do that? 

Hopefully because I'm not the only person who can't abide football and the over-the-top ridiculousness that is Superbowl Sunday.  Though I'm pretty sure I won't be able to watch three episodes of these idiots in a row.

[Hellga]

Not everyone watches the Superbowl.  I am one of those people.   However, both my digital TV guide and the schedule of Food Network's website only show one episode on Sunday, at its regular 9pm slot followed by a repeat at midnight.  I think there is an earlier episode repeated sometime on Sunday, but not immediately preceding the new one.

I am not sure whether I will watch this or the American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. the World, though, both are on at the same time.  I will decide what I feel like when it comes to it, I guess.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Plenty of people skip the Superbowl, including me, but it will still be the most watched tv show of the night and the entire year by far. I find it odd that they would show 3 new episodes of a show against that, even if there's not a big overlap between audiences. 

My DVR and zaplistings still show 3 new episodes that day. Does it vary per market? 

Edited January 26, 2019 by Superclam

[Hellga]

I know that there can be differences within the US even with supposedly live events - but in this case, I trust the Food Networks' own TV page best.  They know what they intend to air and are less likely to make mistakes vs. DVR recordings that are frequently off regarding what is truly new and what is not.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/tv-schedule.2019.01.27.EST

There is one new episode (Meat me at the game) at the usual 9pm slot.  While there are three Worst Cooks episodes aired that day, the one at 6pm is a repeat of last weeks and the one at 12 midnight is the repeat of 9pm's .   Is your DVR set to record all episodes instead of just new episodes?

[Mr. Sparkle]

Ok, I've figured out this great mystery! They're showing new "reheated" episodes, which may be straight reruns, or may have some extras, I don't know. Anyway, they're listed as new on my DVR & guide, but the only really new episode is the one at 10. 

I can finally sleep at night. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Superclam
Figured it out!

[Crucial]

I thought it was unfair that Anne let Brett use his mushrooms.  They weren't on the plate when time was called.  Why have a timed task if it's not followed.  Then he wins best dish because of that too is even worse.  Anyway I just hope the model on Tyler's team doesn't win. She is the worse by far for me.

[tinkerbell]

Because they switch between the two coaches, it's impossible to learn anything about the recipes. Ten seconds of Anne making a chicken sandwich,  the ten seconds of Tyler making a Cuban sandwich, back and forth, over and over. Sometimes the food they're  demonstrating looks interesting, but theres no way to follow the recipe or technique. 

And, it's not just me is it? Don't several of these contestants seem like they are low IQ or learning disabled?  Cameron, brittany, allison, Kat, yeah especially kat.

Edited January 28, 2019 by tinkerbell

[Hellga]

It's hard for me to think of sandwiches as a meal and not a snack... but I know I am in the minority on that.  And sandwiches do allow for a lot of creativity, so it makes sense to use them as a challenge on this show.  

Meatballs are actually not easy to get right, I have made them dozens of times and still sometimes they just don't turn out quite as good as usual.  

I agree that demos have become completely useless because they now show less than half the steps for either chef's dish.  If anything, they should post full videos online for those who do want to try to make them...

It's nice to see some people genuinely excited about cooking, like Brett, Travele, Terry... 

I feel Ann should have kicked Kat out and not Terry.  Terry was genuinely improving and Kat is just dull and didn't seem to be applying as much effort.

I am surprised Cameron made the cut, but can't say that Antoinette was not a fair choice between her and Mickey.  

[Brookside]

Did I miss something at the beginning saying they were given a demo or a recipe for the ingredients they had to collect?

Most of the meatballs AND the sandwiches looked disgusting - too big, too much gloopy sauce, too mushy.

Sorry Terry left, he seemed genuine. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Brookside
Didi is not same as did.

[HyeChaps]

Tyler always seemed to have a soft spot for Antoinette. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'll miss both Terry and Antionette. There are a few who I would've liked to see go before them. 

[justjen]

10 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

Ten seconds of Anne making a chicken sandwich,  the ten seconds of Tyler making a Cuban sandwich, back and forth, over and over.

Maybe I was only kind of paying attention but it seemed like for Anne's 10 seconds she actually explained stuff and Tyler's 10 seconds were spent watching him visualize the sandwich and then it kind of appeared. Like his sandwich recipe is some very secret one that couldn't be shown? 

[Hellga]

8 hours ago, Brookside said:

Didi I miss something at the beginning saying they were given a demo or a recipe for the ingredients they had to collect?

They tasted the meatballs and had to guess what was in them and then go collect those things.  That's pretty tough... at least, my palate is not developed enough to guess everything I taste correctly. 

[Brookside]

2 minutes ago, Hellga said:

They tasted the meatballs and had to guess what was in them and then go collect those things.  That's pretty tough... at least, my palate is not developed enough to guess everything I taste correctly. 

Thanks.  Judging by what some of the guesses were in last week's (?) challenge - taste, smell, etc, most of the people on the show have zero palette!  I know this has been discussed before, but I wish the show wouldn't be so coy about the fact that the contestants obviously get coaching/practice behind the scenes.  MasterChef is the same.

[Eliza422]

I'm glad Antoinette is gone because of her constant screaming. In this episode alone she ran back and forth to the oven literally waving her arms and screaming, she was screaming by the stove...just unbearable.

[Koalagirl]

I'm also glad Antoinette left.  She was such a distraction.  I liked Terry - but had a hard time figuring out if Terry was male or female (like that Pat character on Saturday Night Live)

[tinkerbell]

14 hours ago, Brookside said:

Didi I miss something at the beginning saying they were given a demo or a recipe for the ingredients they had to collect?

No, I don't think you missed anything.  It was kind of mean, I thought, to have inexperienced cooks taste MEATBALLS, and then be expected to guess that the meat used was pork, not beef.  I don't think most people can distinguish what kind of ground meat is used in a recipe once you add spices, herbs, cheese, etc., and then put a sauce on it.  

[TwirlyGirly]

Getting the correct ratio of panade (bread, milk, and egg) to meat is the most difficult part when learning to make meatballs. A lot has to do with the type of bread you use & how fresh it is. I think that's why so many of the recruits had problems with their meatballs falling apart; those ratios were off.

Instead of using bread crumbs, I dice my bread (tiny dices). I mix together milk & egg, then pour it over the bread & set it aside for a bit while I'm prepping the rest of my ingredients.  When it's time to combine the panade with the meat & rest of the ingredients, I pour off any liquid from the panade that wasn't absorbed by the bread.

With only 30 minutes for the challenge, that would have been an impossible way to approach it. I think 30 minutes for meatballs is ridiculous. Meatballs are just tiny meatloaves, after all - and a standard size meatloaf takes over an hour to bake. So I don't think they were given enough time mix their meatballs and ensure there was enough time leftover to cook them thoroughly. 45 minutes would have been more reasonable, IMO.

[Gramto6]

Thank the kitchen gods someone told that woman on the blue team to cover up her boobs! So unappetizing to eat her food!

 

Spoiler

ETA from the previews she got the message!

Edited February 4, 2019 by Gramto6

[justjen]

I think the right people went home again in the Spice episode. Brittany's boobs (Blue Team) don't bother me because she's young and pretty and who knows how long that will last.

 

BUT KAT and her constant stuffy nose totally grossed me out. So I'm glad she's gone. And Cameron just wasn't getting it at all! But again, he's young. I'm really glad that both Kat and Cameron went home and it kind of feels like, this season, the right people are going home more often. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Allison is clearly out next week, and maybe Brittany. I'm thinking at least one of Travele/Carmelle will be in the finals. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by Superclam

[Hellga]

I was more than ready to lose both Cameron and Kat.  Cameron was either playing dumb or is, in fact, dumb and that was annoying.  Kat is just dull in every aspect.  

Looks like next week is dessert.   Should be fun!  

I agree that Allison is going home next on the read team, both Carmelle and Brett are much stronger competitors.  And I like them both, so I will be OK with either of them in the finals.  On the blue team, it is a bit more even and again I would be OK with either of the three in the final, but Travele is probably the most likely.   Let's have the big boys showdown, Brett vs. Travele!

[mlp]

Quote

I was more than ready to lose both Cameron and Kat.  Cameron was either playing dumb or is, in fact, dumb and that was annoying.  Kat is just dull in every aspect.  

My opinion exactly.  I hope the "model" goes next.  She's very much aware that she's on TV.  My favorite all along has been Mickey and still is but I'm surprised to find that I really like Bret.  He's pretty much the exact opposite of everything I usually like in a man but there's something about him...................... He seems like a nice guy despite his formidable appearance.  

This show is always goofy but I think they've toned it down a bit from the past couple seasons.  There's a lot less screeching and I'm finding it more watchable.