# Chopping Block...



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

anyone here catch the premiere episode of 'Chopping Block'??? any thoughts or opinions of it?

for those of you who arent familiar or missed it:

Chopping Block TV Show Series on NBC

The Chopping Block - All Videos - Newest - Video - NBC.com

seems like its another rip-off show from the UK... kind of a twist on 'last restaurant standing'... curious to see how this turns out, but only bc of Marco Pierre White... if he wouldnt be involved in this, i prolly wouldnt even bother with the show...


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## shipscook (Jan 14, 2007)

I posted this on the ****'s Kitchen thread in answer to another query---

I was going to start a thread on this, but will reply here--
I wasn't that impressed, seemed they went for quirky contestents, and lots of dumb a** drama and bleeped words. all the things many of us are tired of in the other shows?
I will watch it again but maybe not for long?

I was glad to see Marco Pierre White

what did you think?

I really like Chopped, no time for drama and other bs. have missed several, my goofy schedule, hope they have a marathon. I miss it on Saturday too.

is last Restaurant Standing from the UK?

Nan


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

you think those 'accidents' in the kitchen last night were staged? the salamander falling off the wall, the oven door shattering, lights going out. etc.

last restaurant standing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Res..._(UK_TV_Series)


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## shipscook (Jan 14, 2007)

gosh hope they weren't, that could just be dangerous.

That situation was scary to me. I try to never leave the dock with a galley that has been shut down for a while without getting everything up and running a day or do before--there are always surprises and few of them good. But that gives us time to get needed parts, techs, etc. Opening for service like that hopefully doesn't happen very often in a place that has been shut down very long?

I'm not sure how to put this, but on all the shows, when things go wrong, several of the contestents seem to come undone and emotional fairly often. And things that they are supposed to deal with--a dining room filling up? running out of a product, etc.? sets some of them to quivering.
I have had equipment fail (not fall), but you have to work through it.
still didn't say it right?

Nan


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

working with people you just met

coming up with a menu in 24 hours and then working it

do they know that only 50 guests would come in? or was it random?

some of them had cooked in other capacity than a restaurant kitchen, ie personal chef comes to mind.

I bet Khoa and Denise were used to their family's long standing Chinese restaurant that flows.....he seemed the most interesting cook, I really hated seeing them leave. 

Can you imagine walking into a new place, setting up your mise, having equipment not function, nor having an exec that obviously is wet behind the ears, having front of the house be chatty cathys and not figure out that food doesn't walk to the table by itself and gets cold if it sits...duh...

8 people running a restaurant, how would you divy up labor?
What kind of menu would you write?
what working rules would you need to have in place to function?

So how are these teams going to work with 6 people running a restaurant?

If you notice Gordon's **** Kitchen menus don't change other than altering or adding....you're essentially making the risotto, scallops with quail eggs, lamb en croute, etc.....
*when CMac was on stage this past Jan, she made Gordon's squash/suasage risotto and a pear tartin with caramel sauce.....interesting recipes. 
the pear was about as easy as you can get, the risotto was loaded up with mascarpone, butter, parm at the end.


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## shipscook (Jan 14, 2007)

thanks, you are right--guess I have reality cooking competition fatigue.
was thinking back to some of the other situations, other shows.
this was insane with the 24 hour deal.
our cable was out for ****'s Kitchen last night and I almost didn't mind.
take care,
Nan


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

I love how the Chef White works with these guys.


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

same here...


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

Its been pulled or CHOPPED...

I like it, which is usually a bad sign.

NBC 86-es Chopping Block


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

the last 5 segments will be supposedly slipped in somewhere, sometime......bummer! 
Apparently the public that watches food tv didn't get into it, I found it more entertaining than ****'s kitchen......Top Chef is still a much better show to see talent.


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

I've watched it. It's hard to believe that the some of contestants are supposed to be professional chefs. It seems as if they were chosen more for their ignorance of the basics, than for any actual knowledge or skill in the kitchen.


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

I enjoy watching how passionate the good Chefs are about their trade. Its refreshing to me, I work in a power plant and nobody gives
a crap about anything. But these guys take pride in their work and expect the same from the people in their kitchen.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I haven't watched it yet, not enough commercials for it and I didn't know it was on. Hubby likes to watch American Idol so I wouldn't have seen it anyway. Bravo always airs new shows at 10 and then plays a lot of re-runs, that's why people get into Top Chef so much, because it's available to them. I'd like to see Chopped but NBC would rather go up against other prime time shows than make it available to watch.


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

I don't have Bravo yet, the cable company said they adding next month. Hope to watch top chef.


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## katbalou (Nov 21, 2001)

so, who won?


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

****'s kitchen is horrible... its one of the worst 'cooking' shows on television. its just bad. the ppl they find are even worse, its like the purposely pick the bottom of the barrel. its almost embarassing to watch them operate.


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

It goes along with all the reality shows...


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

...agreed...


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Well, if they were "competent", would it be worth watching?


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

from an eductional POV yes... from an entertaining POV prolly not. top chef is a nice combination of both, they take in a few drama mamas in for the entertainment aspect but have a few that really are there bc theyre good at what they do.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

hulu carries the shows.....not all of top chef but some....all of chopping block, multi seasons of ****'s kitchen


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Yes, it would be. I'm sick of watching shows where people of the lowest common denominator are featured. The only really great show we'll ever have is Jeopardy - not that I watch it that often but when I do I'm amazed at the contestant's knowledge!


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

i think most ppl who are already successful in their career arent going to degrade themselves on television or risk losing the business they already have for 15mins of fame.


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

I do agree that alot of the shows have gone to the absurd with the contestants they choose.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

4th week is on Hulu, wonder if they will continue running the series.....


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up.


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

How many other site run tv shows besides hulu?
Is there a you two or something like that?
Thanks for any info.


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## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

This may be OT, but I just have a question about Top Chef for some of you pros.

In season 3, I think it was -- the one Hung won -- there was a challenge very near the end, when all the idiots and incompetents had been weeded out. They were at the French Culinary Institute, and were told to do something with the absolute foundational core: chicken, onion, and I think potato.

Result: Everybody was all over the place, trying weird new things, making stuff up, whatever. The woman chef, who seemed very talented, made coq au vin, except of course she didn't use a rooster or an old hen, she didn't cook it a long time, and all in all she made red-wine-stewed chicken. The judges, all classical French chefs like Soltner and so on, called her on this. Her response was basically, "hey, coq au vin isn't this or that, it's a kind of dish, you know, and I do my own thing with it, blah blah." Every other contestant did much the same.

What's with these people? I'm not a professional, but if you sent me into a French kitchen run by people like Soltner and Pepin and so on, and they said "do chicken and onion," I wouldn't mess around. It was totally obvious to me: they wanted to see if anyone could actually make things like poulet a la creme with duchesse potatoes, i.e. the old classic standbys that are easy to make decently and very, very hard to make brilliantly, the stuff they had (literally) beaten into them when they were apprentices.

Is it normal for people at this level to be so totally lacking in any kind of culinary history, by which I mean any kind of knowledge that doesn't go through the senses but through the mind? This is the thing that always bewilders me about Top Chef: nobody seems to know anything, they just do everything by feel and rule of thumb and "oh I did this thing once and...." Some are very good at it, some stink. But there's nothing else there: they ride on talent and experience, and brains are a matter of quick wits and emotional balance. Is this usual?


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

It looks like week 5 is on hulu..


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

yep, interesting turn of events.....it'll be interesting to see who ends up winning. Initially I would have said the cousins who chose to leave the first week of competition. They just seemed to have a good combination of talent/familiarity with restaurants.

With one couple left on one side it's going to be really interesting to see how that works out.

You tube seems to break down shows into 10-15 segments, which is a drag....actually hulu sometimes has a commercial at the beginning of the show and then it's uninterupted throughout which is nice.

****'s kitchen is also on a bazzare path.....the 5 left seem to have nominal fine dining experience....I cannot fathom what it's like to have an open kitchen, a camera in my face, GR yelling obscenities and reeming not only me but the people I'm working with out throughout service.....


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

Two weeks ago on He00s Kitchen GR insulted the lady that whistled at him..That was kinda funny.

Just finished chopping block. About time Angie went home. Love Marco's demeanor.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

A 2x world series champion coach whistled to get my attention a few months ago.....I ignored him, don't think that he was used to waiting his turn ....when you're on stage you get Julie's undivided attention until then it's someone else's turn. It reminded me of being 10 years old and my mom whistling for us to come home for dinner.


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## mont86 (Jan 24, 2009)

Anyone finish watching the chopping block....The Sisters won ...A little surprised!


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

didnt even know the remaining episodes were available for viewing... where did you see them?


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## katbalou (Nov 21, 2001)

Hulu - Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.
wow. typed in one thing and a whole line of advertising shows up!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

they are just too cute, who do you think he wants to spend the next few months mentoring? they've never run a restaurant, until Chopping Blk the front of the house sister had never waited on a table. The pc sister had never worked on a hot line..... here's $250,000 to purchase a restaurant girls. Wonder what the real gig is?


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

All those that did not watch it:lol:


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

ChrisLehrer;261617 said:


> This may be OT, but I just have a question about Top Chef for some of you pros.
> 
> In season 3, I think it was -- the one Hung won -- there was a challenge very near the end, when all the idiots and incompetents had been weeded out. They were at the French Culinary Institute, and were told to do something with the absolute foundational core: chicken, onion, and I think potato.
> 
> ...


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## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

if anyone is interested, you can find the episodes on hulu already:

Hulu - The Chopping Block


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