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Food

Top Chef 6/4/8 Live Blog

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So here we all meet again. Let’s strap in as Top Chef goes to Puerto Rico! Now why I am not a feminist let me just point out that for the first time 3 of the final 4 are women. You go girls!

Going into this Lisa is definitely the under dog so let us see how long she lasts.

Quickfire Challenge:

This will determine who makes it to the final challenge. Our guest judge is Wilo Benet. The challenge was to make 2 different fritouras containing plantains. They had 40 minutes. Stephanie said that she had done some practicing with plantains (smart!) but they still weren’t her favorite ingredients. Wilo didn’t like that Antonia didn’t have enough integration. Wilo wasn’t really happy with Richard’s components. Wilo loved Stephanie’s and thought that Lisa did a good job but hers could have been better. Stephanie won!

They were then invited to a party in Old San Juan with traditional music and local food. Now hopefully they will all pay attention because in other seasons they need this information again.

There will be a garden party with 100 VIP’s and chefs. They each will get a whole pig and they need to make at least 2 dishes using different parts of the animal. Then they bring out some of the eliminated chefs:Dale, Andrew, Spike and Nikki. Stephanie’s prize is that she gets to assign the sous chefs. At this point she could totally rook Lisa but she decides to pair people who work together well. But since Lisa doesn’t get along with 3 of them she could only do so well, she got Andrew. Apparently Stephanie has known Dale for about 10 years. They will have 30 minutes to look at the kitchen and plan the menu. Then the sous chefs will be going to the local produce market while the finalists will be butchering their pigs. Then they have 2 hours to prep with another 5 the day of the party.

Stephanie & Dale: Chicharrones (crispy pig skin) Fruit & Prosciutto Salad, Coconut Pork with Plantain Pancake, Pork Satay on Sugar Cane
Richard & Spike: BBQ Pork Shoulder, Pork Belly with Pickled Watermelon, Ham & Beans, Ribs with Malta Glaze
Antonia & Nikki: Pork Belly with Sweet Peppers, Pork Sausage with Pigeon Peas & Rice, Curried Pork
Lisa & Andrew: Yucca & Pork Rellena, Citrus Braised Pork Belly, Adobo Roasted Pork Tostone

Just into planning and Andrew thinks Lisa is going wrong by doing Puerto Rican food. So then they go to market. Andrew seems lost since he doesn’t speak Spanish. Dale gets Stephanie black plantains, he has experience with them. Lisa gets medieval on the pig and seems to be having trouble whereas Antonia just needs a knife. When the sous chefs return a bit of chaos breaks out just do to space. Lisa is her usual bleak self. As time on the first ends it looks as if Stephanie’s pork belly may have been left out.

The next day Dale is sniffing it and Stephanie says they aren’t using it. She has no idea how hot it was and she isn’t going to risk getting any one sick. Antonia’s rice isn’t turning out and she tosses out what may be the first batch. 30 minutes until service they come outside to start cooking.

Service starts and the judges hit Stephanie first and seem pleased. Richard wants to redeem himself from the Quick Fire. Richard has great stories to go with each dish. When they visited Lisa it didn’t seem that Padma finished her food. Antonia did pigeon peas but no rice to go with it. The only negative thing said by any of the guests was that the pigeon peas were a bit dry.

Judging Table:

Tom really liked Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad but he didn’t think that Antonia and Lisa were as good. So Richard and Stephanie were up first. Tom said that Richard did some good self editing to simplify his food. Wilo loved Stephanie’s satay. Richard won by unanimous vote and as a reward he got a 2009 Corolla. Then Lisa and Antonia go back. Lisa said she thought her dishes were strong. Tom wanted to know why she went Latin instead of sticking with Asian. Gail felt Lisa’s puree was way to sweet and that she focused on the garnishes instead of the pork. Wilo didn’t think her tostones had balance. Antonia felt her pigeon peas could have used more cooking. Antonia said she didn’t want to have it so refined so she served them all on the same plate. Gail said that puddled them all together. Gail said there were elements of every one of Lisa’s dish that she didn’t like. Gail thought Antonia’s mistake was being rustic and home cooked. Tom said that 1 table just didn’t have the crowds around it. Antonia was sent home. Lisa says to Richard and Stephanie that she knows that they are disappointed that Antonia was going home but a congrats would be nice.

I have to say that I am shocked. I never thought Lisa would make it to the final 3. So let us see who will win it all!

Labels: Top Chef, tv

Food

Hell’s Kitchen 6/4/8

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So here we meet again for a drama pack episode of Hell’s Kitchen. If the previews are any indication it should be very interesting.

So at the end of the last episode Ramsay switch Matt and Jen back to their teams of origin (Blue and Red respectively). As we begin this week, no one is happy.

We get an early morning call where all the chefs are loaded into cars and blindfold. They were taken to the roof of the soon to be Ramsay’s new restaurant, London West Hollywood. We now have all the chefs combined into 1 Black team. Then they went into the empty building and Ramsay was showing a little of how things are going to be. Then back to Hell’s Kitchen.

We are having our first individual challenge. They each got a protein ingredient and 45 minutes to make something with it. The only dish that had a problem was Bobby’s with tough duck. Christina and Jen were in the top two with Jen winning it. She got to go to Vegas to visit last year’s winner, Rock. She got to take 1 person with her and chose Corey. The punishment was taking delivery.

Christina is playing it smart by taking charge. She got to delegate but was also checking things off. That is good because that has bit people in the past. Matt was very angry and also angry at Christina for taking control. Matt seems as if he is going completely around the bend and Christina seems to be the target.

Jen and Petrozza on appetizers, Bobby on fish, Corey on veg and Christina and Matt on meat. This is going to be a show. I think Christina has any easy job just showing up Matt.

In 30 minutes Jen and Petrozza have out half the appetizers. Over all, the communication is down the toilet. It was frustrating Corey and she looked as if she was going to cry. Both Bobby and Christina try to cook 2 different proteins in the same pans. Then meat was coming back for being raw. Corey burned her hand and Ramsay told her to go to the medic and she was refusing because she was trying to work her station. She ends up going and then got to come back. Matt and Christina seemed to be having problems tracking their orders. Entrees didn’t go out for a long time. And then they started moving and Matt was messing up on the meat. Matt was complaining about having a headache and about getting yelled at. Matt was spiraling and wouldn’t respond to people and kept saying he had a migraine. Then he said he had no feeling in his handshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.video.gif
Add Video and Ramsay tossed him out of the kitchen so he could go lie down. Then Jen left rice on at Christina’s station and it burned. So Ramsay sent everyone out of the kitchen.

Ramsay sent them to the dorms for them to come to a consensus of which 2 should be up for elimination. Everyone (except Matt) agreed that Matt should go up. He was very sure in himself that he won’t go. For the other nomination it appeared to all be up to Petrozza, again. In the end Christina was the other nominee. Corey said that she should also be up but the team didn’t agree but Ramsay did agree. Corey said while she was bad at least she didn’t give up like Matt. Matt said he wasn’t the worst, Christina was. Ramsay asked Christina if she should leave due to her having the least experience and she said that she only had 3 years of professional experience but had been cooking much longer than that. In the end Matt got tossed out. Finally!

Technorati Tags: Hell’s Kitchen, Fox

Food

Garlic Parmesan Bread

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This is a great dinner bread. I mix up all the dough in the bread machine and then let it do the final rise in a loaf pan and then bake it in the oven. I use a Pampered Chef Load Pan. I put the ingredients in the order I list them but if you are going to do it by hand, use what ever normal grouping you use.

Ingredients:

1 1/1 cups Water
3 tbs Margarine or Butter
1 3/4 tbs Honey
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
3 1/2 cups Bread Flour
2 tsp Yeast

Process:

Dump it into the bread machine and set for dough. Then put the dough in a greased loaf pan and cover. Let it rise in a warmish room (I turn on the oven to preheat) for an hour. Then bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, depending on your oven. You know it is done when it is golden brown and you can knock on the crust.

Food, MOM

A New Milk!

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Recently Stemicks Heritage Foods came out with Little Einsteins milk that is rBST hormone-free and enriched with Omega-3 DHA and I wanted to share a link for a $1 off coupon. What makes this different is the Omega-3 DHA that is also found in baby formula. DHA is important in the development of the brain, especially from birth – 5 years of age when the brain increases approximately 3-1/2 times in mass. DHA is the primary fat in both the brain and retina, and ensures that cells in the brain retina, heart and other parts of the nervous system develop and function properly. Each eight ounce serving providing up to 32mg of DHA. Disney Little Einsteins milk is available as a 64-ounce package in low fat 1% and reduced fat 2%. So go, take the coupon and try it;).

(this is a sponsored post)

Food

The Next Food Network Star 6/1

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So it is time for the new season of The Next Food Network Star and I am all ready to go. I am looking forward to a great season after all the hype. Here is my live blog snark and all;).

So all our contestants arrive and all seems pretty normal but there were a couple of notable things. Kelsey is really perky and is Lisa really that “fabulous” or is it a put on? I also have to say that for the most part I dislike that there are so many actors. That said, I really like Shane Lyons. He graduated CIA at just 18 and has already acted pretty big and isn’t trying to break in.

They all seemed so shocked that Alton Brown (my favorite!!!) comes out and has a little challenge. Why are they shocked? They are meeting in a lit studio and Alton Brown had this role last season. BTW, he was merciless in this position last season;). I think everyone forgets that AB has a theater background and does his own show from the ground up so he knows about the production value not just the cooking. So the challenge was to give 1 sentence to the camera that summarized their culinary point of view. There is also a table of food props they can hold if they need to have something.

Jennifer needed to take her own advice and just said, “Keep if simple”. The majority of them were fine, most had something cute but nothing that bad. I really like the part that Shane said about French food without the attitude. It was hilarious that Adam thought he would grab the “milk” off the table and then end his bit by taking a swig . He was lucky it was just whipping cream and not fake food, it was sitting on the table after all.

Corey was bad, just bad. She seemed to have stage fright but she is a comedian. Unless she can really pull it out, she won’t be long for this show. The other one that was bad was Lisa. “Designer Dining with the 3 C’s, cooking, community outreach and culinary crafts.” What the Heck?!?!? She used a ton of props and was just snooty. AB tried to explain that it was very foreign sounding but I really think that is what she was going for. The whole I am so complicated I must be good thing.

Cooking Challenge:

So everyone was paired up and they had to cook a dish each and a team dish that affirmed their culinary point of view all in 30 minutes. They were going to present their food to 9 people that included the judges and some Food Network stars. They also had to make a beauty plate for the camera.

Corey & Jeffrey: Honey Glazed Poached Salmon, Deviled Eggs Provencal, Parsnip Potato Cakes
Kelsey & Aaron: Orzo Salad with a Lemon Vinigrette, Cajun Salmon Sandwich, Tomato Soup(T)
Shane & Nipa: Pork Tenderloin, Suki Bhaji(Curried Potatoes), Curried Squash Soup
Lisa & Kevin: Arugala Salad, Olive Oil Poached Salmon, French Kiss Onion Soup
Adam & Jennifer: Potato Gratin, Honey Dill Carrots, Meatloaf

So in the menu creation Lisa tries to prove she is as pretentious as I think she is by telling Kevin they need to do a Degustation. That is French for small tasting portion. Now, I like big words I really do. But that was just obnoxious and NerdDad does too! I have watched a lot of cooking shows and I have never heard that term and then she seems shocked he doesn’t know it.

So in the shopping phase Nipa can’s find the spices she needs for her curry. Nipa is planning on using curry as a substitute for turmeric. Then Shane and Nipa go first. When Shane went to do the beauty plate the pork wasn’t done. The pork for the judges was done and in the tasting they found it good. But pork wrapped in prosciutto has to be good. They found Nipa’s curry lacking well, curry flavor or heat.

Next up comes Lisa and Kevin. Lisa says how she did it all in a beautiful dress and heels (to the kitchen camera). Dress in what you want but don’t expect a hand for it. The table thought the salad was over dressed and pine nuts were over toasted. They also thought Lisa talked in circles.

Then up was Adam and Jennifer. They had issues getting the meatloaf done though they did seem to get it done. To top that problem, the judges thought there were to many meats (Lamb, beef, pork, etc). The potatoes in Adam’s grating were not done. Bobby Flay liked Adam.

Kelsey and Aaron were just overwhelmed and frazzled. Kelsey had planned on lemon cups and didn’t have enough time to do them. Aaron didn’t have bread for all his sandwiches. The table was split about Kelsey’s energy. Giada was overwhelmed by it whereas Sandra Lee seemed to like it. They were real honest about time getting away from them and how that happens to real people. The table liked the salmon.

Corey and Jeffrey were last. I think Corey was going down a bad road when she mentioned repeatedly how trendy her salmon was. These are not people who are going to be swayed by trends in food. Corey choked again but Jeffrey seemed to step in to some of her holes. The table found the deviled eggs salty and the salmon too sweet.

Judging:

The judges didn’t seem to feel that Adam wasn’t taking it seriously enough in his attitude. The judges told Lisa that they just didn’t get her point of view and they told Kevin he was just to generic. Of course they told Corey they had expected more out of her presentation and that her salmon was to sweet. The judges seem a bit shocked that Nipa doesn’t get nervous at all. They also held Nipa accountable for doing a dish that she knew she didn’t have the ingredients for. I think I am falling for Shane as a contestant. The judges had hoped to see his youthful exuberance. But he wasn’t happy about what he had put on the plate because it was a little piece of him and not his best. He was feeling self conscious in the presentation because it didn’t meet his standards. He was tearing up and looked to Bobby to understand what he meant about the integrity issue of the food. Bobby Flay couldn’t even look at him (I think Bobby totally understood). Mirror that to Jeffrey’s shoulder shrugging that he knew his eggs were salty with no regret.

Nipa, Shane, Corey and Lisa were in the bottom 4. Corey needs to have fun, Nipa was over confident. Shane needs to show his personality and tighten up the cooking. Lisa is rigid and overpowering and needs to show who she is beyond style. Not shockingly, Corey is the first finalist eliminated.

Technorati Tags: Food Network, Next Food Network Star

Food

Next Food Network Star Finalist: Jeffrey Vaden

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43 year old Jeffrey is 6’5’’ and brings a tall order to the kitchen. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, he has owned his own restaurant, catering business and was even a TV intern at one time. Although Jeffrey has a BA in Political Science and English from Howard University, he says he couldn’t pass up the way cooking channels the creative side of the brain.

If you haven’t entered yet, stop by my drawing for a Next Food Network Star prize pack!

Food

Next Food Network Star Finalist: Kevin Roberts

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39 year old Kevin is widely known as “The Food Dude.” As the Executive Chef of East Village Tavern & Bowl, Kevin is immersed in the San Diego food scene. Kevin writes cookbooks and is the food contributor for a local radio show. This martial arts expert thinks all flavors should pack a mighty punch!

If you haven’t entered yet, stop by my drawing for a Next Food Network Star prize pack!

Food

Next Food Network Star Finalist: Kelsey Nixon

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23 year old Kelsey happily dubs herself as the ‘Mini Martha Stewart.’ This bubbly, blonde dynamo has brought her unique cooking style to her eager peers at the local college cable station as the former host and star of “Kelsey’s Kitchen.” Turning the kitchen into a classroom, Kelsey currently teaches culinary classes covering everything from seafood to cupcakes and freelances in the food department for The Salt Lake Tribune.

If you haven’t entered yet, stop by my drawing for a Next Food Network Star prize pack!