# Top Chef Season 5.



## iconoclast

this season seems to be pretty good so far...


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## rpmcmurphy

bets on leah, stephan, and fabio top three....possibly josea or the whiney lesbian. 

top "hates" in order
The whiney lesbian
the trucker hat girl.
the scary ostritch
the jersey girl....i want to like her because she pulls out the basics all the time (the turkey, the lamb), but....


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## chefhow

Honestly, I am having a hard time getting into this season. The players dont seem to have the charisma of the past two seasons. They all seem fairly ordinary to me personally.


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## rpmcmurphy

yeah ,but you usually don't see that right off the bat yet.....give it a few episodes.


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## koukouvagia

I don't know their names yet, it takes me a while. Everyone thinks the Finnish guy (stephan?) is cocky but he's just competitive. The Fabio Italian guy is the real cocky one, I don't find him charming at all and he always has something bad to say about anyone that criticizes his food. I like the whiny lesbian though she's cocky too. Definitely do not like the man crazy flirty girl, don't find anything interesting about the guy she flirts with. I want to not like the guy from Miami but he's too pretty to dislike, I also like the Jersey girl, I'm rooting for her. I was so happy to see NY guy get the ax last night, his accent and attitude were beyond annoying.

My favorite season was Season 2, I think they were extremely talented chefs and were definitely the craziest.


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## iconoclast

i agree with you... hopefully fabio takes it.

i can live with out seeing marcelle again... his hair and personality annoyed me... however the kid could cook.


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## docsmith

Best picture ever I've seen of her but.....

Thats a man baby!


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## shipscook

Well Doc Hmmmmmm,
I just find these people not that skilled and a bit of pressure throws them off?
For the shower lunch, I heard several times "45 people" ??? I serve 30, three meals a day. And yes, they aren't party meals, but two courses, three if there is a special diet person, two starches, two veggies, a salad bar, and one or two desserts. Can't say it's easy, but love my job. There are moment of panic--I have about 15 regular soups, but some mornings????
I would probaby fold under some of these challenges, but seems like some of these guys shouldn't be there.
I like the cute dude from Florida, the tall funny lady, the NJ gal is ok? The other dark haired girl seems to have some skills. The blonde who keps ending up in the top three needs to relax? The other dudes are just obnoxious.
Merry Christmas,
Nan


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## iconoclast

lol...lol...lol


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## shroomgirl

saw the Foo Fighter's thanksgiving last night on HULU....ouch, reemed out on television....and people sign up for this?!!!:crazy:

They sure get in some interesting guest appearances....Opra's personal chef, Greg Anchatz, etc.....people I'd not expect to see on a cooking show.


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## iconoclast

the product placements in this season are unreal... but i guess its expected, they need funding from somewhere...


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## rpmcmurphy

I think they are #1 for product placement in TV...i read that somewhere. 

I don't mind....WE know that swanson stock is ...uh....well....:lol:


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## iconoclast

lol. exactly. in a pinch or if you dont have the time to make your own i prefer the college inn (low sodium low fat) broth, or kitchen basics. i never liked the swanson one.


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## dreed3

I COULDNT AGREE MORE! I said the exact thing to my wife on the first episode!! HAHAHA


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## dreed3

Fabio is so cool though. Yeah maybe a little arrogent, not nearly as much as Stephan though. 

Leah is tough too.

LEAST FAV:

I forget her name...ever see that sitcom, Girlfriends? I the lady who is the caterer from NJ who looks like "Joan"(Diana Ross's Daughter) on speed has to go! Oh man, everytime I see her...scares me!

And the blond girl that is really a man...whats with those bangs? Please join the 21st century!


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## rpmcmurphy

to me the show isn't about arrogance.......it's about cooking, and stephan and fabio seem like they could cook .

She-man is out next 1or2 episodes.


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## dreed3

Oh, I agree totally. Fabio can cook his butt off! He's my pick to win


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## iconoclast

Gene sucks... his attitude is sh!t, his food doesnt look that great... idk how hes still there...


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## docsmith

Some of them look so bad, I think I as a home cook could keep up with them. I think they are selected for drama potential as much as anything. 

As the last season showed, the best chef won't always win.


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## iconoclast

i agree completely... some of these contestants have mass appeal or are easily marketable to certain audiences... so they put them on to draw an audience then slowly trim the fat.


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## shroomgirl

pumpkin mousse with berries....:crazy:

Just by the discriptions, you know it can't be good.....


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## chefhow

Personally I think they are trying to make a more appealing version of Hells Kitchen. The food just isnt there like it was in the first couple of seasons. These last two have really fallen off. I am still having a hard time watching, I seem to catch every other episode at this point.


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## docsmith

Yea pretty much.

Hells kitchen 98% drama 2% cooking skill.

Top Chef 40% cooking 60% drama.


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## iconoclast

wait 'till next weeks episode... and the guest judge... its going to be a hells kitchen/american idol style episode.


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## dreed3

yeah next week looks cool...arent they brining back past contestants to compete?


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## iconoclast

tony jones stepping in for gail, since she was away on honeymoon... iirc.


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## docsmith

Ok I just saw Wed's episode on Tivo, I won't give anything away just in case.

Let me state, that was the most contrived 'accident' ever, and I picked the ending as soon as I saw it happen. Utterly predictable.

Also since this was filmed maybe August, its getting kinda silly with them pretending like its Thanksgiving and now Xmass. 

I did think of the best drinking game though.....

Every time you see a blatant product placement, like the one for the sidekick, you drink.

If you drink anything beyond a light beer you will be completely toasted by the half way mark.


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## iconoclast

i thought the exact same thing... it was convenient for that lil 'accident' to happen... makes for good tv... 

*btw great idea on drinking game... i thought of one when watching sandra lee/giada on food network...everytime one of them says 'my' take a shot or a sip of booze... they say the word 'my' in every sentence... by the time youre done watching youll be hammered enough to tolerate another episode.


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## jeffaliscous

I'll be honest here,

I LOVE Top Chef. I think seasons one and three were the best, followed by two and four. Two and four, in my opinion were equal. Season three I think was my favorite, probably had the most talent. And of course, season one. I think Tom said it best, "Harold is a chefs chef" I just wish with all the re-runs bravo does that they would play a little more of season one.

This season doesn't seem to have the talent that one and three had, but it's still good. I'm liking it so far, and I don't really start to make bets on the contestants till later on, but as for now.. I think Stephan and Fabio will be there for a while. Leah and Hosea also. Jeff is doing some cool stuff, and while Ariane (NJ cougar) does a lot of basics, sometimes thats all you need. Eugene, I can sympathize with him, because I also didnt go to culinary school, and have had his problem in the past. He finds it very hard to take criticism and thinks his food is the "be all and end all", even if it is lacking SALT or PEPPER. But I got over that real quick, and I think he will too, or he will go home.

This weeks episode, Christmas Eve, Im really looking forward too, mostly becaue I cant wait to see what kind of foam marcel puts up for the judges, you know he will!!

All in all, If I had to pick between Top Chef and Hells Kitchen, Id pick Top Chef. Hells Kitchen contestants, at least 80% of them, cant work together and so many of them try and pass off food that is clearly crap.. Do they really think Ramsey WON'T notice??

Either way, Merry Christmas!!!
Jeff

P.S. If that whiny lesbian cooks one more scallop dish, Im going to go mad. That warm scallop in vichysiosse(sp? idk) made me want to vomit. Even if they were ice cold, It still didn't look good at all, aside from the fact the Top Chef kitchen clearly stocks plenty of protiens, THAT ARE NOT SCALLOPS! And for the record, I love scallops.


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## docsmith

Pretty much any idiot can cook a scallop, even me.

I think people are playing to not lose. Don't do anything great, just don't totally suck and hope someone else screws up.


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## blueicus

Personally, if $100,000 were up for stake, I would be cooking the safest, tried and true, yet flavourful dishes I could, until I could get to the final and plan out the X-course menu in meticulous detail and after many trials. Especially since the reward for winning the elimination challenge is so lousy there is little incentive to take overreaching risks and usually to do so causes that challenger to lose.

However, in saying that in my opinion this season's challengers have generally cooked less appealing and less interesting dishes than in previous seasons. I think there are many reasons for that, from increasingly silly challenge requirements to changes in strategy over the years, etc.

As for putting out crap... I think many people (myself included) can succumb to the philsophy of "pushing food out as fast as possible because the chef is yelling at you" just to make them (temporarily) happy. Doesn't work most of the time but stress and craziness do strange things sometimes.


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## koukouvagia

It seems this season is all about catering, and less about fine dining. Everyone knows that it's easier to cook in small doses. A lot can go wrong in making big batches of food and that's really where the contestants are lacking. I think they should change the title to Top Caterer.

Isn't the holidays Christmas Cook off a repeat episode from a couple of years ago?


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## just jim

My wife is addicted to these shows.
This season isn't as interesting as previous ones.
On a side note, last year Michael Midgley from season 2 applied here.
I wanted to bring him in for an interview just to meet him, he looked like a fun guy.
Realistically I don't think I would have hired him so I didn't bother wasting his time.


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## jeffaliscous

I'll agree with the comment on putting food out that isnt up to par because chef is yelling... I think we've all done it. I mean, no,, none of us have(I feel like hes always watching me...)

True, that this season seems to have more emphasis on catering then on fine dining. My opinion on this, is that Ive noticed in previous seasons that group challenges early on dont go as well as individual ones... (restaurant wars?) Maybe they're trying to weed out the people who dont work as well in groups, then when they're down to say, 7 or 8 contestants, they'll take off some of the silly restrictions and larger party challenges. 

To be honest, Ive always like the second part of the seasons better, when there is much less restriction on the challenges. You get to see more creativity and personal style when its like that.

Either way, I missed the Christmas eve episode because my darn dvr recorded the at the wrong time. SWEET!!!.. not..


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## shipscook

Christmas was a repeat, and imo, not a very good one?

Supposed to be double elimination this week and one of the challenges will be a favorite dish or meal, no restrictions. From one snippet I saw, looks there are several pulling out the scallops again!That is New Years Eve, will be out, but it will be played over and over?
Happy 2009,
Nan


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## iconoclast

im guessing gene goes home tonight.


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## koukouvagia

Negativity plays such a big role in this season. This bunch seems incredibly immature in comparison to some other seasons. I don't see the point in tearing everyone down.

I'm very annoyed with Jamie, the scallop girl. She is as cocky as the Finnish guy and has such a sense of entitlement that I'm annoyed. Over the course of the show I've taken a real liking to the tall lady with glasses that was on the chopping block last night. She's hilarious, always talking about the love that goes into food as if it's an ingredient. But at least she's not mean spirited and doesn't say anything negative about anyone at all.


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## iconoclast

funniest comment in the episode: 'this is top chef, NOT TOP SCALLOP!' lol... that guy cracks me up.


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## shipscook

I like Carla too, was worried last night, think they made the right decision. Am afraid she isn't going to have the confidence to go all the way? she didn't speak up when that as****e altered her recipe with the mushrooms or something? and she was afraid of presenting a vegetarian dish last night, Tom even suggested it would have been a better idea?
At least last night quite a bit of the dishes looked somewhat good and more attractive.
As someone posted above, seems in the last half, it gets more realistic?
enjoy the day everyone,
Nan


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## chefchampionnj

Why is Ariane still on the show? I mean come on Slice Beefsteak tomatoes with Goat Cheese Basil and Balsamic Reduction? Come on... I mean she even won that round with that dish! IMO this is a really sad season food-wise, the ppl on the bottom three are all usually worthless and the top 3 95% of the time honestly arnt that impressing either.


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## iconoclast

i think that tomato dish was ideal for the situation... she had a few moments to make something, talk about it, and serve it...


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## blueicus

I agree, it was smart to go with a recipe that could be presented in two and a half minutes for the demo. Granted, as long as you had intermediate dishes to present and the final product you can pull off a dish of almost any complexity... it was smarter of her to do that than for the loser to make his ill-fated creme brulee.


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## shipscook

24 hours and counting, who's going to PYKAG next??

Nan


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## koukouvagia

I wouldn't mind seeing Fabio, Hosea, or Leah go home. Funnily enough I'm not rooting for anyone.


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## rpmcmurphy

I liked the Hawaiian. 

I I'd like to see Stephan, Hosea, and Fabio in the final. 


The new show "Chopped" was actually...REALLY good too last night.


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## shipscook

wow, I forgot about Chopped, FN, so it will probably be repeated?

tonight should be interesting, I too am tired of Ariane, and again, so far very few dishes that even looked interesting? Gotta get better!

Nan


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## iconoclast

alright lets see what happens tonight with hung.


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## iconoclast

its funny how the last episode was supposed to be thanksgiving/christmas but next episode is in the middle of summer lol.


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## dg0113

that lamb got cut up horrible!!!


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## iconoclast

it really looked like a 'yeah whatever' job on that meat... from the butchering to the trussing...


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## koukouvagia

I can't believe they sent her home. The two dumbdumbs set her up.

I think all of their menu choices were amateur. Imagine having beautiful produce like that and everyone hacked up their protein. I think real chefs would try to use unlikely parts of the animals like the shoulder, the belly, etc. instead they all try to use the leg of lamb and the loins. What a waste. They obviously couldn't put together a seasonal menu and their team work was painful to watch. 

Still waiting for blond pretty boy from Miami to crack a smile.


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## shipscook

I felt she was done early on when she said "tenderize the lamb"?? Tom commented on that when she repeated it at judges table.

yes teamwork was just not there.

Nan


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## iconoclast

all things aside, shes pretty hot for an older woman with children... oh well, next i think is the tall frizzy haired old lady.


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## koukouvagia

Carla is not old!


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## kcz

Agree that Ariane was set up to fail. Her partner had all the butchering experience, and he and his girlfriend Leah let Ariane flounder. There was a lot of discussion during previous seasons about contestants trying to get whomever they perceived as strong competition booted off the show. I think Ariane had won more contests than anyone else so far.

Leah and Jeff should be the next to go. I don't think either of them have won a single contest. Rahdika (?sp) is not a strong contestant either.


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## iconoclast

lol, sorry i meant older... 44 is not old. 

jeff and radhika have to go... seriously.


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## rpmcmurphy

the ones that she DID win, she won not because she was creative, innovative, she just played it safe and cooked what she cooked, basic, but well. it's mid-season, that wont fly anymore. 

nevertheless I would have liked to see leah go out this episode. 

I'd REALLY like to see Jamie go out....but she is not a bad cook, but I detest how she is portrayed (i say portrayed, because...well, it's TV) more than stephan, I don't get the whole stephan is an ******* thing....maybe we relate to our own kind.


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## m brown

That poor lamb never hurt anyone, why was it beat up like that? She should have stepped away and given it to her band mates.

It was a pretty poor showing last night. 

Hoping next show has more ooomph!


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## dg0113

i think this season so far has been half as good as the pervious ones, it seems like half of these people dont understand how to do simple task, break meat down decently,tie up roast, TEAMPLAYER, ect.


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## cookingangry

Ariane is finally off, I feel the only reason they gave the "gift" of not kicking anyone off at Christmas is because she had immunity and made deviled eggs. They should have made an exception there and booted her off before she absolutely embarrassed herself by not knowing how to butcher or tie meat.

I couldn't imagine calling myself anything more than a commis without knowing how to butcher. Even as a commis you should be reading and understand the theory. This woman graduated from the C.I.A. and a skill as fundamental as butchery is beyond her. This sort of thing just really irritates me. Why would anyone question the decision to boot her?

You can't cut an onion - you're not a chef/cook/whatever
You can't season food properly - same
You can't work heat - same
You can't butcher - same
You can't truss a chicken/ tie a roast - same

Exceptions are to be had for individuals unfortunate enough to be 86 one or more limbs.


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## iconoclast

youre 100% correct, i mean in all seriousness these are basics. if you dont know the basics how can you be the best? (or in this case 'top chef')


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## cookingangry

I would just feel embarrased to no know those skills and lay claim to a kitchen of my own. Cook/chef/cunlinarian/whatever, not a flippin human can opener who makes devilled eggs for a challenge. 

It's like the beginning of last season when the one molecular cook had to explain to the other molecular cook how to make mayonaise. I felt like diving infront of traffic when a potential "top chef" doesn't know how to make a mayonaise. Fortunately the guy whose head wasn't located between his glutes made it to the final two.


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## blueicus

I know how to make mayonnaise, but in all of my cooking jobs I've never been asked to or had to make mayo. Even if I know the general theory without practice things can go wrong.


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## docsmith

I'm a home cook who only really started cooking seriously less than a year ago. I know how to make mayonnaise.

I can't imagine someone who is a 'top chef' not knowing how. They are suppose to be the best of the best, at least in theory.


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## boar_d_laze

Really? You've never made an aioli, a remoulade or any other derivative? Wow.

BDL


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## boar_d_laze

I'm kind of sorry to see Ariane go. She had a clear, simple vision.

However, the choice to _roulade_ a baby leg -- and then do a bad job of something which only has one right way -- and then not be able to truss a frikkin' roast for kryzakes... wow.

If you had whole baby lambs how could you not do double saddles with the loins? Or if you wanted to go higher, _altoso_, _haute_, something like _mignon_ in an olive cream? Why do anything as pedestrian as legs. And for kryzakes do something wildly different with the front end of the beast. Kibbeh maybe, or luleh or even a tajine. I certainly would have done one lamb dish from from the European shore of the Med, and one from the African or mid-Eastern, and pulled them together. Easy to set up a variety of sides appropriate for a warm weather meal served outdoors. Where were the artichokes? The ratatouile? The beds of lentils?

It wasn't just the lamb team -- for a warm weather, outdoor service there wasn't one single grill. Are these people nuts?

A butterflied leg, rolled or not, is always problematic because there's something like eight different muscles in there. Someone always gets a bum cut, or one sliced with the grain or something. No problem when you're throwing a barbecue in your own backyard. But why risk a bum piece going to a judge? 'toopid is what it is. Just 'toopid.

The strangest screw up was the ravioli. How long has it been since we figured out saucing under instead of saucing over -- to avoid oversaucing. Nappe at home, puddle at work. Jimminy Christmas. Talk about the basics.

Still, the one I would have sent home was the corn on the cob maiden. Pathetic.

BDL


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## chefchampionnj

Im so glad she is finally gone. I mean they put her on live TV with a tomato goat cheese salad with basil and balsamic reduction. Your telling me your in a kitchen with limitless ingredients and you would make something people have been eating for 500 years?


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## kcz

Regardless of who wins the competition, many of these contestants are already exec chefs or have their own restaurants. I can't figure out how many of them can put together a decent menu and maintain a paying clientele. I wouldn't want to eat 90% of the dishes I've seen on the show this season. (Although I would eat Ariane's tomatoes.)


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## blueicus

I know I sound like an apologist when I do this, but I think there's a little more to the whole situation than meets the eye. As for them being "the best of the best", most of them I would say are on par with the skill and experience level of most of the sous chefs at the hotel I'm working at. If it were the best of the best we'd be seeing Keller et al. compete and not be guest judges.

However, I did think rolling up the lamb was a stupid idea and in Ariane's defense she did suggest the grill before being shot down by the "lovely couple". Also I was disappointed in the lack of use of bone-in cuts and the slightly fattier regions of the meat. According to commentary the lamb team got a puny little lamb and a leg that came from a completely different animal... who knows?


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## koukouvagia

I think people need to get over Arianne's watermelon/tomato salad. As simplistic as it might seem there are many folks out there that have not tried it (me for example). And remember what the challenge was. It wasn't to come up with the most avante-garde dish. It was to come up with a simple dish that you can prepare and showcase in a span of a minute or 2 for the mass viewing public on morning television. She did the right thing and she should have won.

It's easy to criticize the top chefs for not coming up with more creative things but let's not forget that they are under severe time constraints and don't have much time to plan. This season more than any other season it seems the contestants are relying on things they know how to do, and not venturing past their own comfort zone. I don't even know what I would have done in those situations. The quickfires would petrify me. I would have no idea how to turn a tuna tartar into a soup!


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## iconoclast

exactly, she did what was asked of her, and thats why she won, because she did it better than the rest of them.


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## cookingangry

I love you guys but give me a break! She made DEVILLED EGGS! The woman had immunity so she decided to show how much of a hack she was? Devilled eggs are what you give the nine year old kid at the party to do while he's being punished and not allowed to play with the other kids. Even the little delinquent brat can pull them off.

Ariane disgraces the profession but hey she owns her own place so whatever, I just know I wouldn't eat there on a bet. The only defence I can think of her is that she wasn't the girl from my part of the country, Southern Ohio takes an hour to do ten corn cobs. That reminds me of this prep cook I worked with for about a month. We would have a list of 20-25 recipes and even with me taking the hard/time intensive ones, she would only get like 5 items checked off. She was one of those degenerates that read Bourdain's book and thought she was gonna do the same thing he did. She lasted 3 month... two months and 3 1/2 weeks longer than she should have because the chef had a problem firing people.

Dilinquent Brat


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## docsmith

I'm not saying they are 'the best' I'm not even saying they are mostly good, but thats the premise of the show, its to find the 'top chef'. Over the years only a handful have been what I'd think was better than average, and often that person doesn't win because of one bad day, like Richard from last season.

But as such they should _ treat _ them like they were in fact excellent chefs and not the normally junior level ones that can afford to take off so much work on the odd chance of winning a reality show.


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## koukouvagia

I just saw a commercial for the next episode and now I understand why they got rid of Arianne. There's a budding romance between dumb bald guy and insecure long haired girl that is coming to fruition in the next episode. Stephan having a crush on a lesbian is kind of cute, but watching the other 2 make out is too soap opera-like for TC. I don't think they're judging fairly on their cooking but rather on the drama between the contestants.


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## allanmcpherson

"However, the choice to _roulade_ a baby leg -- and then do a bad job of something which only has one right way -- and then not be able to truss a frikkin' roast for kryzakes... wow.

If you had whole baby lambs how could you not do double saddles with the loins? Or if you wanted to go higher, _altoso_, _haute_, something like _mignon_ in an olive cream? Why do anything as pedestrian as legs. And for kryzakes do something wildly different with the front end of the beast. Kibbeh maybe, or luleh or even a tajine. I certainly would have done one lamb dish from from the European shore of the Med, and one from the African or mid-Eastern, and pulled them together. Easy to set up a variety of sides appropriate for a warm weather meal served outdoors. Where were the artichokes? The ratatouile? The beds of lentils?

It wasn't just the lamb team -- for a warm weather, outdoor service there wasn't one single grill. Are these people nuts?

A butterflied leg, rolled or not, is always problematic because there's something like eight different muscles in there. Someone always gets a bum cut, or one sliced with the grain or something. No problem when you're throwing a barbecue in your own backyard. But why risk a bum piece going to a judge? 'toopid is what it is. Just 'toopid.

BDL[/QUOTE]

Oh man, I hear you on the saddle. In fact you may have heard me, as my wife will attest, I was practically screaming for it! The rolled leg of lamb, yeah that's the sort of mistake I stopped making in the first year of culinary school. That said the judges' boosting for roasting it on the bone seems a little odd for a sit down, plated lunch. Maybe if they had ben allowed to set up a carvery station. I suspect that there's much on the cutting room floor that would enlighten the whole story.

I was really curious about where all the offal went to. Young lamb, give me my sweet breads ( with summer peas...) or poached brain or even kidney salad. Were these items not provided? If so, that's a screw up on part of the producers. Same for the pork. I would be jumping all over the place to work with the sort of cuts that this type of challenge should have allowed for.

I agree with you as well about the veg. What a wasted opportunity. I would have expected that somebody have at least gone berserk with herbs.

I'll close with Canadian Modesty (TM) and the obligatory mention that its to be an armchair quarterback...you know the rest.

--Al


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## docsmith

I think you are right. This way they can have that big drama moment when she gets cut. I wouldn't be shocked if they were the two on the chopping block for added drama. Tears glorious tears. The one that should have been cut was the Indian girl, but the blond guy making fried green tomatoes saved her? 


When I saw they had the entire head, I was really hoping they would roast it. While you are doing the whole pseduohippie use the whole animal, respect the food source, yadda yadda, how could you not do something like that?


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## allanmcpherson

When I saw they had the entire head, I was really hoping they would roast it. While you are doing the whole pseduohippie use the whole animal, respect the food source, yadda yadda, how could you not do something like that?[/QUOTE]

Last month we brought in a tam - berkshire pig. I had the "pleasure" of cutting off its face and making a roulade out it. Things you never know will work until you try..

--Al


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## kcz

The contestants may have been discouraged from using the "offal" because I'm not sure that would have been a big hit with a lot of television viewers, and the show's goal here is to maintain an audience and their advertisers.


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## cookingangry

Arianne can't butcher, she can't tie a roast, she makes devilled eggs for challenges. Most serious home cooks are up on her. That she operates her own restaurant is baffling. The girl who spent an hour on corn deserves to go but not as much as Ariane. It's offensive she was allowed to stay as long as she did. Then these cries of "oh she was thrown under the bus." B.S. 

And how would it have hurt the flirty annoying couples "romance" if they got rid of the girl from Cinci? It wouldn't have. The person with less skill than a first year culinary student was rightfully booted. I pose this question, what defense is there for her ability? Where did she do anything right except not plate undercooked lamb and copy Jose Andres' recipe for tomato and watermelon?


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## docsmith

Good point. Personally you had 'doing stuff badly' vrs 'doing nothing'. If it were me I'd have got rid of doing nothing. 

As for her operating her own restaurant, unless its a higher end restaurant, just food cooked properly is a leg up on most. **** we have some very successful, high priced, trendy restaurants in my area that can't even do that consistently (Hugo Frogs I'm looking at you).


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## blueicus

Ariane's place: http://culinariane.com.

Apart from the head, we don't even know how much was offered in terms of offal... they were also cooking for the families of the workers of the place.


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## iconoclast

the site is cluttered, and looks like something left over from the pre-dot com boom era. secondly i like the way she insults her customers by having to explain the name and on top of that put the definition of the word on the splash page.


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## shipscook

is it just me, or is the word "culinarian" dumber than "foodie"?? I think Clairborne said "a gourmet is just a pig with good taste"?

Nan


----------



## iconoclast

......lol.


----------



## allanmcpherson

Agreed, we don't really know what was provided. I would expect that workers (and family there-of) of the farm would appreciate seeing the "off-side" cuts rather than see their animals transformed into grocery store vacuum packed fair. From my experience people who work and live in the farming world are far less squeamish about meat than the boneless, skinless chicken breast set. Again, that's just my instinct. 

--Al


----------



## oahuamateurchef

My bet is that this is yet another BravoTv fakeout and that dramatic cut will be no more than one brief scene laying together on the couch. Of course I could be wrong and it will turn into a Marcel/Cliff level scandal.:roll:

My favorite is Jeff, I think he is on another level most of the time, but doesn't always nail it. 







Also, if any of you want to watch Top Chef on the internet, you can catch the episodes on youtube. Except it is hard to find now because of all the misleading spam. Avoid the "watch topchef . com" posts unless you like invasive adware. 

If you search for the youtube user sekritjuni, he posts up the latest episodes, but under cryptic titles.


----------



## iconoclast

anyone else notice tonights episode is a lil bit more choreographed than usual? seems a lot of this nonsense was staged, or the 'audience' was coerced...


----------



## koukouvagia

I was so happy to see Fabio in the bottom groveling and arguing like the cocky putz he is. Unfortunately I don't think he's gotten over himself yet. Somehow I believe that he thinks any judge that praises him is golden, while any judge that puts him down he has no respect for. Last night's guest judge slapped him around a bit and it was great! :bounce: 

Nice to see Stefan knocked down a bit too although he took it well and I was so happy to see Andrea wipe the floor with him!

Watch out for Carla, she's got something special about her, slow and steady wins the race.


----------



## iconoclast

i think it was a bit insulting that conant was mocking him with a fake accent. either way, you cant deny he is a great cook/chef, out of the three on the chopping block the judges made the right decision IMO. i could do with out the hollywood bs in the middle though... one thing that made it certain that the previous event was staged or the outcome was manipulated was that colicchio said 'your dish was (one of?) the best one...' yet he didnt vote for it earlier in the episode... why wouldnt you vote for the better dish?


----------



## shipscook

Yes good to see Carla taking charge and doing well. hopefully she can maintain this streak!
Resturant Wars was a train wreck IMO. Radika definately has the talent in boh, she should have put someone else in foh, she was rattled from the start?

Interesting in the past some of the topdogs get knocked off on one bad day, but Fabio and Stephan are still here. I do see though where Jeff overthought everything--I tend to do that myself!
well six left, do I remember there may be another double emilination?
Nan


----------



## blueicus

I liked Jeff too, even if he did use sorbet too often and tended to overthink things. I also believe that Fabio's dishes recently have been sort of unimpressive and had hoped he'd go instead.


----------



## dg0113

they will keep fabio for a long time, people like him to much


----------



## iconoclast

i think carla is next to be cut.


----------



## rsteve

Believe me, there's alot that hits the floor that would change the nature, if not the outcome of the show. A friend worked on the production crew two years ago. He related that contrary to the show's promotional claims, the judges' panel is hugely influenced by the producers. There was the issue this year of a frozen yogurt not freezing. The contestant (Carla, I believe) would have been eliminated, but the freezer that didn't function is one of the show's sponsor's appliances. In the case of the pounded and rolled lamb...we won't know if the chef commented at judges' table, "When I butchered it, it was pretty clear that it was tough as nails and would have been inedible without tenderizing it." Remember, she'd won an episode earlier for roasting lamb perfectly. She knew its level of tenderness. We've all run into a tough animal, irrespective of the animal's age.
Folks, it's television...entertainment for the masses. Some contestants will stick because they make good TV. Jeff, just eliminated, hadn't really created much personna. It was pretty clear he'd be eliminated. That said, I enjoy the show, but I also love Giada's smile and cleavage. _*Giada*_


----------



## iconoclast

im surprised advertisers havent taken out ad space on giada's huge forehead.

seems to be a problem with those units... remember the other episode where 'somene' left the door open? maybe it was just those doors acting up again? also theres a clip where fabio cant get the doors open and is struggling like a mad man with two hands...


----------



## blueicus

But Restaurant wars didn't take place in the top chef kitchen, it was most likely a walk-in freezer of some sort.


----------



## iconoclast

thats fine... it happend in the top chef kitchen and right before it locks itself up the editors beautifully flash a GE logo... if you watch season5 episode 9 (Restaurant Wars) again youll see what i mean... its about 3mins into it, shortly after Padma says 'starts now!'

YouTube - i love eating 5-9a


----------



## chefhow

The reason that the door wouldnt open is because of the pressure and the seal created when you close the door to a unit and the fans kick back on, they suck in the air first to create the vacuum and seal the door shut, then they begin to blow the cold air. All reachin type units and most walkin type coolers/freezers do it. It has nothing to do with the fact that they are GE appliances.


----------



## iconoclast

gotcha... good to know... i have GE profile appliances at home, and never had any issues (knock on wood), outside of the dishwasher being louder than most.


----------



## jayjay

I think the whole challenge was bogus and having the culinary students vote and weigh in on the outcome was not a good decision either. They (the students in the audience) were not what i would consider credible judges nor were they very objective in there decisions. Seemed somewhat like a popularity/personality contest and a bit contrived.

...and Fabio should have been the one to go home not Jeff, IMO

jj


----------



## iconoclast

how do you judge food you didnt taste?


----------



## rsteve

Why would they do that?


----------



## iconoclast

lol, i was kidding... i was implying that her fivehead is like an empty billboard and is prime area for advertising.


----------



## docsmith

If I were the one buying the add space, it wouldn't be on her forehead. 

Who looks at her forehead?


----------



## shipscook

O.K. DocSmith, you need a time out, hehehe--

Nan


----------



## iconoclast

how could you not? i dont find her attractive at all... i guess most ppl are enamored with her large breasts, but i dont see anything special about her... more importantly i think its extremely gauche to wear those low-cut shirts that show off her sloppy breasts. to each their own though...


----------



## boar_d_laze

This thread is getting a bit louche. Let's raise the tone a bit. What do you say?

BDL


----------



## docsmith

I personally find her very attractive, even from the neck up.


----------



## koukouvagia

I have a suspicion that in tonight's episode they'll be cooking at Le Bernardin. At least I hope so!


----------



## rpmcmurphy

I like sloppy breasts as much as I like sloppy joes. 

But I digress, 

Tonight is at Le Bernadin.....and is going to be a great ep. If I can do some forecasting, Le Bernadin is the mecca of Michelin 3 star seafood. (at least in the US) The trouble we see leah having EVERY WEEK wish fish....should tell us SOMETHING. 


carla or leah tonight. 

hopefully jamie next week. if god loves me.


----------



## iconoclast

im looking forward to tonights episode... should be good... 

im hoping carla gets cut... so she can pack her knives 'with love'...


----------



## kcz

Great episode last night...I love Eric Ripert as a guest judge. But how could they NOT send that airhead Leah home?  She gave up in the Quickfire, and was clueless about making the dish she was supposed to reproduce. Aaaarrrggghhh!!!!!!


----------



## iconoclast

best episode of the season IMO. 

i agree with you about leah, just listening to her speak about the food 'i like tied and like rolled stuff before...' in the previous episode then in this one just giving up? idk... idgi...


----------



## docsmith

No kidding. I didn't care for Jamie but she is obviously superior to Leah throughout the show. 

My guess is Carla did well in focus groups and Jamie did not. 

Maybe its not fair to say as we are not tasting the food, but I have very little faith that they don't steer the show in the direction they want based on personalities. 

You know they need a big Jose vrs Leah moment.


----------



## shroomgirl

surprising.....Jamie looked like she'd given up or been told she was cut prior to the show.

Leah's attitude was awful.....

Stefan has softened some, somewhere along the way he figured out that winner top chefs don't alienate everyone they work with......his adapting to circumstances (broken fridge etc) really shows CMC qualities.


----------



## iconoclast

leah girl is so blase about everything... quitting in the middle of challenges, the way shes describing her dish, when she won that quickfire for the restaurant wars episode. if i had to guess shes next to go.


----------



## koukouvagia

I just caught up on the Bernardin episode and I have to say.... Carla was ROBBED! I can't believe Stephan won with a hollandaise sauce, he might as well have won with deviled eggs! Carla clearly had a more complicated dish and even Ripert was surprised that she worked out the mislabeled sauce.

I think Jamie went home on attitude alone. It's so disheartening to see someone so severely uninspired by a great challenge.


----------



## iconoclast

seriously... especially with her saying food like that does not inspire her or she wasnt impressed...


----------



## rjx

I think it will go down like this.

leah, Hosea, Carla, Fabio, Stephan


----------



## koukouvagia

What is this fascination everyone has with Fabio? He's never been in the top. He cannot take criticism and always talks back whether to the judges or in his solitary interviews about the judging. Is it because he has an accent that everyone is so taken with him? I especially disliked his comment during restaurant wars "I'm in the front of the house! We could serve [email protected]#% and we will win!" Or when Chef Rocco said that his breakfast amuse bouche was too sweet he said "ok next time I make some bull$&^* eggs and bacon and serve that and I'll win." Stephan may be cocky and confident but he has never been disrespectful to or about the judges.

I can't wait for Hosea to go home. He's always whiny about Stephan and has real serious jealousy problem. He focuses more on what Stephan is doing than what he's doing himself. It will be fun to watch him cry and blame Stefan for getting kicked off.


----------



## kcz

I'd like to see Carla win. She's the only one with a good attitude, and she's really stepped up her cooking in the last couple of weeks. It would be great to see her beat the ego-maniacs and whiners.


----------



## iconoclast

i loved her nonsensical babble in one of the previous episodes... so awesome... send out bad food, but if its prepared 'with love' then everything else will work itself out... lol.


----------



## harpua

Keep in mind that those are the situations that the network is choosing to feed us.


----------



## koukouvagia

Well if you think about it, that's all it is. Look, chefs are not saving the world, they're not performing surgery, they're not fighting for human rights. In essence the calibre of guest chefs they feature all have restaurants that most people can't afford to visit. I'm not a Top Chef, but I prepare everything at home with enthusiasm, I put a great deal of effort and research, and I do it "with love". Love of food, love for those I'm feeding, whatever.... and sometimes it's good, sometimes it could use a little tweaking. Everyone has an off day.


----------



## iconoclast

lets look at it like this, if you go to have your car repaired but it wasnt repaired when you drove off and you were left stranded, then came back to the shop and the tech says 'oh man i couldnt fix it, but i loved working on your car...' would that fly? what about your accountant, if you got audited? etc. just loving what youre doing isnt enough, you have to be able to do it well, and be able to do it consistantly.

'the road to **** is paved with good intentions...'


----------



## iconoclast

good episode...


----------



## rpmcmurphy

Carla or Hosea next.


----------



## iconoclast

my guess hosea... the guy is so insecure and obsessed with stefan its ridiculous...


----------



## boar_d_laze

The next round is the last of the "anyone can go" rounds, where the judges are pretty explicit on judging only what's on front of them instead of the total season's performance. Also, the contestants have a week or two (or more?) of real time to prepare for the second location competition. Hosea may surprise you by getting Stefan out of his head and paying attention to his cooking. 

Stefan was very much on the bubble during the last show. Overcooking eight portions of salmon?! Salmon's an easy fish to get right because it has two very expressive built in "thermometers" (color on the side and touch), so there's really no excuse. Pepin and Toby Whatzizname were scandalized. That he hits his "seasoning levels" consistently is all well and good -- but I don't think you earn Top Chef because you know how to use salt and pepper. OTOH, maybe you do.

Don't discount Carla, after all these episodes she seems as though she's finally able to deal with the pressure and pay attention to the task in front of her. I mean really. By this point all of them are excellent cooks, or they wouldn't be there. It comes down to an ability to put aside the extraneous and focus on what you're doing the same way you would in your normal work kitchen. It's hard to tell from watching instead of tasting but it appeared to me that her squab was a tour de force -- it's only flaw that it was slightly over rested. While it's not particularly difficult to cook a squab, neither is it a problem to roast a chicken, saute a shrimp, poach an egg, or pan-roast a nice piece fish (which I would have started in a stove-top smoker and finished in the pan.) 

Whatever. It looks like Stefan's the man to beat, but I wouldn't put my own money money on anyone. 

May I bet yours?
BDL


----------



## iconoclast

why was the dinner portion shot with such a heavy filter on the lens??? each chef and padma had this halo effect around them it was odd... felt like a barbara walters interview.


----------



## boar_d_laze

It wasn't.

Combination of bad lighting (too much kick, not enough key and fill); bad post-production (they should have fixed it in post); too much contrast added in post; and (most likely) your cable (or satellite) company or possibly your television (crunching the contrast range on your screen more than anyone in the booth foresaw).

Hope this makes sense,
BDL


----------



## iconoclast

the whole episode is fine, and in HD... its only the scenes in dining area where they serve the 'judges' (chefs)...


----------



## boar_d_laze

The dining area was "on location," and they have to light the location they find. Some places won't allow you to set lamps on the floor because they're afraid the stand points will leave marks, and so on. Every practical location presents its own challenges, and you can't necessarily create the conditions you want even if you did bring your own chainsaw along. Some site owners object to that sort of thing. 

You'd be surprised, 
BDL


----------



## iconoclast

i think youre right... looking at it again it looks like it could be a lighting issue... at first i thought they were going for a halo effect or saint like appearance to go with the 'last supper' theme... but it may just be an effect that was accidental...


----------



## boar_d_laze

I don't want to get too technical, but the big offender is a kick light above Colicchio and to his left (camera right). There's an intensity problem, but mostly it's too high and too close. You can read the light from the reflection on Colicchio's head and all the heat on Lidia Bastianich -- note especially her hands and forearms. 

The top light should have been scrimmed down, and also their should have been more key and fill (actually there probably weren't key lights at all, and they were keying with fill). You can see the problem in how dark the faces are relative to the rest of the room. If you're good at noticing what isn't there, you can also see evidence of the probem in the lack of shadows on the table (and back to what shouldn't be there) how the table cloth pops. 

Because of the relative lack of fill behind the camera, they boosted the intensity a little in post, and that made the kicker (back-light) problem worse -- but they had to (or thought they did) because otherwise the faces would have been waaaaaaaaaaay too dark. 

Nice still clips, btw. 

BDL


----------



## docsmith

Well its about time Leah went home, honestly I have no idea why she was there for the last couple.

Stephen may have overcooked the salmon (and yea I'm surprised there) but its not hard to cook eggs and make hollandaise sauce, **** thats one of those cooking 101 things. 

Personally I think the producers are pushing Carla a bit, its just the feeling I had for a while. Lets take Stephens egg dish vrs her green eggs and ham. The celeb chef commented how good the eggs Benedict was and how good his second egg thing was and then gives it to Carla for doing one dish as somehow better? After that he then says that his one 'last meal' would be eggs Benedict? 

Since all of these chefs are getting very big time advertising for their restaurants/books by being on the show, I don't expect them to be any less influenced by the dollars then a product placement add.


----------



## iconoclast

not going to ruin it for those who may not have seen it tonight... but i wasnt expecting that ending...


----------



## rsteve

Yup, it was clearly edited for the surprise elimination. I think it really diminishes the show's remaining credibility.


----------



## koukouvagia

Why do you say that?


----------



## shipscook

the twist of bring back the last three eliminated was interesting? to me Jamie looked tired and just like she wasn't into being there? thought Jeff's presentations were his best we have seen.

Then, seeing Carla's lovely dishes and hearing judge's comment, hoped she would win, but, **** if Jeff had won, she would have still been in and both the blowhards gone!!
I thought Stephan was just rude with his attitude and Fabio has bored me since episode 2 or 3.

She sure was happy about the car!!

Very cool she felt confident to serve a non alcohol cocktail. Loved Emeriel's remarks about it. I do drink, and have worked as a bar tender. It is always nice to have an alternative. One can be tired of water and juice and sodas get old too. 

This has actually turned into a fairly good season,
Nan


----------



## iconoclast

since the cat is out of the bag and the spoilers are posted... stephan shouldve went home, just on last nights performance alone... if theyre only supposed to take into consideration that performance alone when deciding who goes and stays it shouldve been him... the whole thing with bringing back the others was pointless... it really served no purpose, and wasnt relevant to the episode/series.


----------



## docsmith

Without tasting the food you can't really say who should have gone home as I personally don't trust the judging that much. 

I'll say the guy going home was who I expected to go home before I even saw the show. I was speaking with friends about this a month ago and we had the same conclusion, that that contestant would go home on this show, and not make the final.

Funny how that worked out.


----------



## rsteve

Originally Posted by *RSteve*  
_Yup, it was clearly edited for the surprise elimination. I think it really diminishes the show's remaining credibility._
Every indication, verbally given at the judges' panel, (after editing) indicated that Stefan Richter had both an attitude and cooking problem. All they said positive about his food was that the grits were cooked and seasoned well. His cooking, in this episode, wasn't particularly impressive. Fabio was lauded on everything, except for the sweetness of his cocktail. Who knows what else was said, and was edited out???
Clearly, it's become increasingly evident that contestant ratings are cumulative; not based singularly on the specific episode. That premise is clearly false.


----------



## koukouvagia

I have to agree with that. They're always saying that they are judged week to week but clearly that is not the case. If that was true Stephan would have been out in the last episode with his overcooked salmon and spinach 2-ways. A guy can't possibly stay in the competition because he seasons well. Furthermore I can't believe he won at Le Bernardin with a hollandaise sauce when clearly Carla succeeded making a more complex dish than he.


----------



## shroomgirl

If you read Tom's blog it seems that there are unrecorded gaffs....
It had to be really hard for Stefan to watch and hear reactions from people watching the edited versions of the show waiting for this finale. They really portrayed him as a obnoxious talented jerk. Just the ribbing he'd get from people around him had to have been rough.

Bet he resents it, I would.


----------



## m brown

As far as the lighting in the last supper episode, I'm thinking they were going for the "Last Supper" look.


----------



## docsmith

Actually Emerald said his gumbo was perfect even if it was light, it was only the color that was off not the taste. 

Gail went on and on about that on the panel I think just so they had something to ***** about. Personally I think they are just doing injected drama.


----------



## iconoclast

ariane duarte gets kicked off top chef, become a sous-chef on iron chef??? not bad. hows her restaurant going?


----------



## ed buchanan

I cant believe the female MC on this show just wrote a cookbook? I think she should pose and write articles for Playboy and Sports Il ,bathing suit edition. Give me a break she must be the producers squeeze. How she can judge these people is beyond me.
Thank heaven Tom Colleccio moderates and gives some air of proffesssinalism.:lol:


----------



## iconoclast

tom colicchio doing coca cola commercials now? wtf?


----------



## koukouvagia

Tom Colicchio: Does anyone get an odd feeling about this guy? I'm not convinced he truly truly knows what he's talking about. I haven't been to Craft yet but I'm planning on it to see for myself. I get the feeling that he is incredibly insecure around the guest judges and seems to voice his opinions very timidly when he's around them. He's more up to snuff when guest judges are not around.


----------



## chefhow

My college roommate is pretty high up his staff in Vegas at Craft and says he knows everything you see and more. I asked him, my friend, about that since it seems to have gone on for some years and its just Tom being humble and letting the guest judges be the voice of the group. I know what you mean and its just him stepping back.


----------



## shroomgirl

NYC Craft=good food....


----------



## iconoclast

noone caught the new episode of iron chef this past weekend? ariane duarte made a special guest appearance as a sous-chef for chef freitag.


----------



## blueicus

Unfortunate that Craft NYC lost its Michelin Star a year or two ago... though it really isn't the be-all-and-end-all of restaurant critiques it's still too bad. Can't judge the place since I've never eaten there.


----------



## shipscook

I am rested, ready, wine is chilled, got a little snacky plate--lets go, actually it's five more hours here, so take a little trip with Clive Cussler and stand by--

I always think Top Chef should be someone I could work with and respect. I respect Stephan's skills and think a lot of his dumb*ss bravado is for the camera, I could work with him. Carla not problem would be fun and I think very productive and profitable. Hosea seems somewhat talented, but wishywashy as an head chef.
All the chefs who make it this far have the cooking chops--but Top Chef must run a place? right?
Go Carla!!!
Nan


----------



## iconoclast

seriously wack ending... geez louise.


----------



## blueicus

I have to agree, I would've preferred it if Stefan or Carla won... in general Hosea's food didn't tickle my fancy, though I think the plating and garnishes for Stefan's dessert could've looked more impressive (think like an architect when you do dessert) and probably cost him the win.


----------



## iconoclast

hosea isnt/wasnt a good cook/chef... coupled with his insecurity complex... i would have much rather have seen carla win over him. if you look at the entire season she prepared better food than him, however over those three it really shouldve been stephan.


----------



## nicko

Carla should of won her food was the best.


----------



## rpmcmurphy

that seems to be the consensus as well across the interwebs


----------



## iconoclast

shame... this season really let me down...


----------



## rpmcmurphy

but, to play devils advocate, no one on this board tasted any of the food.


----------



## koukouvagia

In the end Carla's insecurity got the best of her. I can't believe she let her sous-chef take the reins. I would not attempt a souffle for a competition if I didn't know my oven intimately. When she said Meat & Potatoes I thought Sweeeeet! But as soon as she said sous-vide I thought ok nevermind she's out. I would have prefered Stefan, even the judges didn't really want to give it to Hosea.


----------



## just jim

I think Hosea was pretty solid in the last competition, but overall Stefan was the better cook.
As far as Carla, great food overall, but this isn't Top Cook, and to let her Sous influence her shows her lack of control of her kitchen.
As far as her souffle, I give her credit for guts.
I know all too well the risks of attempting a souffle in an strange kitchen. 

I have to give Stefan a lot of credit for working with the unfamiliar 'gator, and doing it well.
He pushed himself, and took risks, which Hosea did not do.

I have to say though that I am happy for Hosea.
I hope he makes the best of this opportunity.


----------



## iconoclast

true and non of us were ever on top chef... so its easy to critique from the comfort of our home / kitchen... but simply going by what has been presented to us in its edited form, id say carla deserved to win over hosea but stephan over both... i would preferred if fabio made into the finals, and leah went home a lot earlier...


----------



## boar_d_laze

I'm happy with how the competition turned out. That might have something to do with the unbearable smugness of having "called it" when Linda and I were trying ot outguess the stove at the round of six, or with the actual merits. Here's how I figured it.

Whether Hosea deserved to make it into the top five or not, once he did, he deserved to win the final competition. His weaknesses during the season seemed to result more from his concern (to the point of near obsession) with Stefan as with any weakness in technique or imagination. Those of you who spent time in any high-level competition are familiar with the consequences of "letting" your opponent "into your head."

Pnce in the final four, Hosea had the opportunity to go home and prep for New Orleans. The break did him good, because when he got there he was a far more confident, focused and relaxed chef who responded to the specific challenges instead of Stefan's smack. I think Leah's elimination ultimately worked in his favor as well. It's worth repeating that to do well, you've got to get out of your own head.

Fortunately for Hosea, not only did he peak at the right time (at least according to the judges), the other chef's self-destructed.

While I give Carla all the props in the world for the many things she does well, she doesn't seem to have the self-confidence to be a great chef. She has the creativity and the execution but not the leadership. Sometimes you have to say no. _Sous vide_ a sirloin? It's so wrong, and yet so wrong. In Santa Maria, Lompoc, Santa Ynez and all the other California central coastal valleys they wept.

Also, there's something you see every season in the finals -- and that's the chef who, with the competition on the line, is so insecure (s)he tries something for the first time. That's your cue, as a watcher, to say "buh-bye."

Stefan is a talented and (by and large) disciplined chef, who chose New Orleans and the "Final Four" part of the competition as his opportunity to phone it in. It was very clear last week, when he should have gone home instead of Fabio. (It was close between them. But in my view, Stefan ultimately prevailed because had some carry-over from winning so many previous competitions and because he was (and is) better television.)

Stefan would have won the $100,000 if he hadn't frozen the salmon. Why did he freeze the salmon? To be sure to get better looking slices (thinner, more consistent) at the expense of quality. Think about it. He either lacks the knife skills to do the dish right, or he was unwilling to take the time and concentration it takes for a gravlaks type of presentation. Either way...

Also, it's a mistake to say that Hosea wasn't bold in his choices and solid in his execution. His first three courses were seafood. You might not regard that choice as bold, but it is. The venison was as perfectly blocked (butchering skills) as I've ever seen a piece of meat. It might have been done by machine -- but it wasn't, it was a demonstration of perfect knife work. It was something the judge's never saw, something one can't really see on the plate. But it's there nonetheless paying the on-the-plate dividend of everything done _comme il faut_. Class, compare and contrast with Stefan's salmon.

One man's opinion,
BDL


----------



## iconoclast

thats playing it safe, bc hes a seafood chef.


----------



## nicko

I agree he played it safe but I would of done the same thing in that situation. Go with what you know.


----------



## iconoclast

oh same here with out a doubt... if i just went through 14weeks (or whatever that was) of ****, i would definitely do the same... i wouldnt risk it all just to try something new on the finale.


----------



## blueicus

And the person who did (sous vide striploin and souffle) tumbled badly. With regards to the freezing for slicing technique, we use that pretty prevalently in the hotel for finicky items such as a smoked halibut "cigar" rolled around crab salad. The smoked halibut is frozen then put through the meat slicer to give the slices necessary to do the cigars. I'm not saying it's impossible to do while the fish is floppy and with a sharp knife, but it's almost impossible to get the same amount of precision. If you look at Stefan's fish it certainly looks like he rolled the smoked salmon inside the halibut, froze it then sliced it thinly. I don't see how the roll could've possibly held together or had a very good shape if it was sliced while not frozen. Of course, this is where we run into an issue of whether visual impact trumps taste/texture, or vice versa.


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## boar_d_laze

If safe is staying within your power band, than he played it safe. I don't think that's safe so much as smart. Look at what happened to Carla. There are informal rules regarding menu creation and one of them is not to repeat yourself in adjoining courses. That's why Victorian era menus are so formalized into fish, foul, game, joint courses; and it's a convention which persists for (generally) good reason. IMO (and it's just my opinion) three fish in a row is pretty daring. I would have thought four or five times before doing so -- and in fact probably would have totally talked myself out of it. Had the the competition been arranged so each contestant presented his entire meal in sequence, rather than all of the contestants presenting each course in ensemble, Hosea's service might have crossed the boundary into too much -- no matter how good it was. But everyone brought seafood for the first two courses (alligator = amphibian = seafood), and in the third Hosea was saved by the others' variety.

Furthermore, I don't think it's fair to comment on the presence or absence of dessert since the rules of the contest expressly removed it from consideration. It drove Toby Young nuts, which was funny.

"Daring" isnt' (necessarily) a synonym for stupid. Stupid is cooking something which wasn't perfected (in the culinary sense) in a "for money" situation. It's unprofessional, lacking in respect for the ingredients, the craft and the diners. I can't believe Carla tried to make souffle instead of tarts when her pastry is so darn good. That and the sous vide were panic choices; she cracked under the pressure. Too bad because she's so good when she's comfortable. 

BDL


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## shroomgirl

one of my buddies worked at Commander's Palace until Katrina hit, he's now exec at fine dining down the street. He's still got strong ties down in NO at Commanders, I'll see if he's got any inside info to share.

Interesting turn of events....


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