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Food

Top Chef Masters (7/8)

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So here we meet again. I am feeling a poorly so I am not going to be tracking with to much detail. More snark though;). Let us see who are chefs are this week!

We have Mark Peel (name is familiar), Douglas Rodriguez, Anita Lo (who I have seen on stuff, maybe Top Chef), and one of my favs John Besch!!! I really thought John Besch was going to be the new Iron Chef. Anita always looks tough and a little angry.
The Quickfire is the egg challenge. They had to cook them with 1 hand behind their back. Gail is back as one of the quickfire judges. If Mark’s is edible he should win just because he made a pasta. John was a total mess. I don’t understand why his egg wasn’t cooked.
Mark: 2 1/2 stars
John: 1/2 stars
Douglas: 3 stars
Anita: 5 stars
So the Elimination Challenge is to make a dinner for Neil Patrick Harris and some friends. They have to make a dish based on the aspect of magic they each got (mystery, spectecle, illusion and surprise). I had no idea that John Besch was a Marine right out of high school! I really have my doubts about John’s tableside horseradish sorbet. I like that Tom was in the kitchen talking to the chefs. He needs to do that every week. I like having Gail Simmons back as a judge.
I think Mark’s en pappiotte was a success. John’s horseradish and creme fraiche seemed to go well. I think Anita’s illusion worked well but the plate just seemed off to me. Maybe it is just that so much of her sea scape was hidden. Douglas’s plate was just dangerous. I think if there was going to be flame element but it should not have been a slow burning flame.
Taste wise I think that Mark and Douglas might have done the best. But I think for concept I think Anita did hit it on the head.
John: 12 stars
Mark: 18 1/2 stars
Anita: 22 1/2
Douglas: 13 stars
So Anita is moving on! So what did you all think?

Food

Next Food Network Star (7/5)

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This week I am less than 100% (you can read about my sad plight here). Since analysis isn’t my thing right now I am not going to do the full breakdown. I am just going to live blog some snark.

It is the Rachel Ray challenge and it is always interesting. Also they get to do their first cooking demo to camera.
The demo is making kids like the non-kid ingredients: squid, brussel sprouts, and tofu. Katie did really well. I was impressed because I wasn’t sure she was going to be a hit with a squid salad. Jeffrey really seemed to pull it out.
For Rachel Ray’s show they have to take kid food and make it for adults. They are working in teams this time. Katie and Debby go Chicken Nuggets and Mac & Cheese. Michael and Melissa are doing Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. Jeffrey and Jamika have Hot Dogs and Baked Beans.
I don’t think Jeffrey knows what Baked Beans are. He seems to be stuck on the idea that it needs rice. Jamika needs to tell him that Baked Beans don’t have rice. Michael was so confident that he does well in front of an audience but he just choked in the beginning. But I think that Michael and Melissa did well in their demo! The judges thought that Melissa didn’t seem to be having fun. Katie and Debby did much better than I thought they would do. Katie just looked down most of the time. Jamika seemed to just stand there and watch Jeffrey while he talked and cooked. She wasn’t jumping in but he wasn’t really making a spot for her until the last minute. Jeffrey handed off the beans to her. Jamika never smiled. I am wondering if Jamika and Jeffrey will attack each other in judging. The people who remain will go to Miami.
Katie was in the bottom 3. I am shocked, as was she. Bob says that he found her first demo hard to watch. He seems to miss the point that it wasn’t for him but for a group of kids. In the end they sent Katie home. I think that was a mistake.
Next week I will hopefully be back to my normal detailed self. Just in time to go to Miami.

Food

Next Food Network Star (6/28)

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Between VBS and my oldest’s birthday, I had a hard time trying to get this up yesterday. But here I am! So do we all thing Teddy is on his way out or can he redeem himself? Is Jeffrey going to stay on top?

So Bobby shows up with a dome. It has a burger under it. Bobby is opening a “Bobby’s Burger Palace” that is about regional burgers. They are going to make burgers in 20 minutes and then they have to present it to camera. The winner will have theirs put on the menu. Katie put an undercooked turkey burger on her bun. Is she going to feed it to them? Melissa did really well in her presentation. Teddy kind of had the game show host thing going again. Oh my goodness, Katie fed them her burger! The bottom 2 were Jamika and Katie. But the top 2 were Melissa and Michael. Michael won and his burger going on the menu.

So for the elimination challenge our finalists find them selves at the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum. Guy Fieri walks out. The finalists are going to be cooking for soldiers return home from the Middle East. There are 7 baskets each with ingredients that are related to a state. They have to incorporate all the ingredients into their dish. The winner will have their all American dish on the cover of USA Weekend.

Teddy: New York -Duck Breast,Cream Soda, Apples: DLT
Jeffrey: Maine -Lobster, Smoked Adler Seasalt, Blueberries:Potpies
Jeffrey and Teddy cook first. Jeffrey got totally thrown off by the small electric burners. Teddy ums and “let sees” a lot. He had a real hard time. Jeffrey’s food was a huge mess. You could tell he didn’t feel good about his food because it was obvious in the presentation. The judges thought it was gross.

Melissa: New Mexico -Skirt Steak, Chilies, Mesquite Honey :Tostada with a Mango Salsa
Katie: Georgia – Almond, Panko and Cornmeal Crusted Catfish with Sweet Vidalia Greens, Molasses and Orange Butternut Squash
Melissa was smart and tasted all the chilies because she doesn’t cook with them. Melissa did great with the presentation. The judges all thought is was tasty. Katie did better with the presentation. Bobby said Katie did well with the catfish.

Jamika: Wisconsin -Cheddar Cheese, Amber Beer, Keilbasa Sausage: Casserole
Jamika couldn’t get the potatoes to cook. So she decides to process them to get them to cook. She even knows that it is going to make gluey potatoes. Her food looks a little messy. Her presentation was relaxed. The judges say the falvors were good but the texture was off.

Debby: California -Chicken Breast, Zinfendel Red Wine, Almonds: Home Cooked Chicken Dinner
Michael: Hawaii-Kompachi, Pineapple, Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia Crust Fish with a Pineapple Sauce
Michael hit Debby in the eye with the corner of her sheet pan. Both of them were so flustered. Michael’s presentation seemed a little to much for me. In spite of her injury, Debby’s food looks great. Debby’s presentation was a little low but I think it was understandable. The judges said the food was bland.

They liked Jamika’s presentation but really didn’t like the food. Bobby liked Katie’s fish and her presentation. Bob slammed her for not including her perspective of healthy food. They also held the Turkey Burger against her. They told Michael that he needs to make friends with the camera because he is great in person. Jeffrey said he was embarrassed about his food. They want more from Jeffrey’s personality. They loved Melissa’s presentation. The soldier’s loved the food. Bobby liked Teddy’s food. He got slammed for reading the notes on his hand and the nervousness. Bob liked Debby’s presentation. Bobby thought the food was bland and not like her. Bobby said that someone needs to jump up and grab the title because no one has it yet.

In the end Melissa won! I just realized who it is Melissa reminds me of. It is Sissy Biggers! But there is always a loser. This was Teddy’ final appearance! His food may have been better than others but his personality was like nails on a chalkboard for me. So I totally think they made the right choice.

Next week is the Rachel Rae show! So it is going to be good.

Food

Top Chef Masters (6/24)

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Here we meet for another week of Top Chef Masters! Who will win this round?

This week we have Wilo Benet, Cindy Pawlcyn, Rick Bayless and Ludo Lefebvre. I heard and seen a lot of Rick Bayless over the years for both his grilling and his authentic Mexican food. I have seen Ludo Lefebvre on Iron Chef America. I think Wilo Benet was on the Top Chef finale in Puerto Rico. I am not familiar with Cindy Pawlcyn.
Quickfire Challenge:
Their quickfire challenge starts with a knife pull and each knife is a color. I think the knife pull is the most gut wrenching process. They have to create a color themed dish. They are b eing judged by food stylists and photographers. They had 30 minutes. Ludo didn’t do everything he wanted so he was quite upset. Then the waiters forgot to take out the sauce. When they did it just made his steak tar-tar look bloody. Wilo left the metal forms on his plates. The scores were:
Ludo 3 stars
Cindy 3 1/2 stars
Rick 4 stars
Wilo 4 1/2 stars
Elimination Challenge:
They have to create a dish to be served on the street but… the dishes have to be made out of a specific key protein. Wilo had beef hearts. Rick had toungue. Cindy had tripe. Ludo had pigs ears. They had $300 to shop, access to the full pantry, 3 hours to prep and then on location they would get 1 hour. Ludo was going to do a quesadilla, Wilo was going to do a pita sandwich, Cindy is doing Menudo, and Rick was doing a taco. Due to the time constraints some of the chefs are using pressure cookers. While they all were hectic, Ludo was having problems getting his hot enough to cook his quesadilla.
Service and Judgeing:
The panel seemed to really liked Rick’s tacos. They liked Wilo’s Tripleta but thought there was a lot of toppings that his the heart. Ludo was behind in serving. The panel liked Ludo’s ear itself but wasn’t sure how it worked with the quesadilla. They thought the tripe in the Menudo was good but the broth was a little underseasoned.
Ludo 16 1/2 stars
Cindy 15 1/2 stars
Rick 22 1/2 stars
Wilo 19 1/2 stars
So Rick Bayliss wins and goes on to the next round. This is getting good! Next week will be fun. It has John Besch and Neal Patrick Harris!

Food

Next Food Network Star (6/21)

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Will Teddy’s being a jerk to Melissa last week bite him in the tush? Will he be the next to go? I am interested in what this week has to offer!

So we start by the contestants meeting Tyler Florence at the grocery star. They have to shop on a budget. They have $60 for a 12 person dinner party. They have to also stop by to do a 30 second tip piece for shopping on a budget. Teddy finds the budget thing a challenge. When he came to film his tip Tyler told him that he was cartoonish. Melissa thinks she will do the best with a budget since she feeds her family every night. We will see how it will actually pan out. Jamika kept blinking and she told people to reuse marinades so she is going down. Katie started with a bad tip but she ended up really doing a good job. It was shocking how well she did. Jeffrey was $12 under budget, I think that may have been to much cutting. Jeffrey won the tip challenge.

Elimination Challenge:
Now they have to cook the 12 person dinner using what they bought for the elimination challenge. So they head out to the Hampton’s to cook. Of course they are delivered to Ina Garten’s house. They have to make dinner for Ina, her friends and the celection committee. Then they are told that they will be in teams of 2. Jeffrey got to pick his own teammate as a reward for winning the tip challenge. They have to make a appetizer, entree and dessert. Each team member was responsible for 1 course and then they were to collaborate on the last. They are cooking 2 teams at a time. They have an hour to cook and 2 minutes to present.

First up at Debby and Teddy along with Eddie and Melissa. Debby is wary of Teddy since he threw Melissa under the bus last week and Eddie is afraid that Melissa doesn’t have the cooking chops. Things seem to start well with Debby and Teddy because they are working well together. But Teddy didn’t have a plan for the dessert. 5 minutes until they are supposed to be done and Teddy is just throwing his dessert together. Melissa and Eddie are really working separately. But when they work together Eddie isn’t being very nice. Eddie seemed a little short in his presentation and a bit dismissive to Melissa. Melissa’s chicken was bland but Eddie’s salad was totally overpowered by onion. Debby presented calmly and it seemed to mellow Teddy out more than usual. I think Teddy may get slammed for his dish just being an assembly. The judges liked the appetizer and the meatloaf but the dessert tasted store bought.

Teddy & Debby: (D)Vegetable Linguine with an Asian Marinara, (C)Meatloaf with a Peach and Apricot Sauce, (T)Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
Eddie & Melissa: (E)Sweet Onions and Watermelon Salad, (M)Lemon Thyme Chicken, (C)Bananas Foster Nutella Quesadilla

Then it was the next 2 teams turn. Jamika is using a store bought marinade so she added a few things. She says that she doesn’t have enough salmon to keep tasting it. Jeffrey thinks the soup isn’t spicy enough so he added some of the Red Chili seeds back into it. Michael cuts himself and just feels off. Jeffrey did well with his presentation and then helped Michael with his. Michael seemed off. The judges liked the soup but it still seemed a little mild. The judges also liked Michael’s main but I didn’t hear anything one way or the other about Jeffrey’s crepes. Jamika seemed smooth in her presentation and Katie still did a bit of education but did better. The judges thought that the dishes didn’t go together at all.

Katie & Jamika: (J)Salmon w/Seaweed and Pepper Slaw, (K)Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccolini, (C)Fruit Salad with Grilled Pineapple
Jeffrey & Michael: (C)Roasted Tomato and Red Chili Soup, (M)Pesto Rubbed Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Rabe, (J)Chocolate Filled Crepe

Judging:
They dinged Jamika and Katie for not having their food more cohesive. They really liked Jamika’s dish but Katie’s was just ok. They told Katie to stop educating again. They thought that Jeffrey and Michael’s plate looked great. The soup was to mild. They also didn’t like that they heard the same story about Jeffrey and his daughter with the crepes. They liked Michael’s food but his presentation seemed lost. They thought that it was clear that Melissa and Eddie weren’t working together. Melissa said that there was tension. Bobby said that he saw the tape of them cooking together and saw Eddie rolling his eyes. Bobby told him that a little chivalry goes a long way in the kitchen. They thought the chicken looked good but could use some more flavor. Then they turned to Eddie’s salad. Bobby said that the onion was over powering and it seemed to be something Eddie had done before. Eddie then said he got it out of a Paula Deen cookbook. Whoa! It is one thing to base something off a recipe you have heard but to put your twist on it but… They are looking for something original. They liked Debby’s presentation and the food. They thought that Teddy’s dessert was a disaster. Then Teddy claimed the meatloaf as his dish. He did it again!!! Debby made the sauce and flavored the meatloaf. Bobby doesn’t like the way things are going with Teddy’s lack of responsibility. I think this has to make Melissa feel a little better because it wasn’t her.

Jeffrey and Michael won. That wasn’t shocking at all. The bottom 2 were Teddy and Eddie. Eddie said he should stay because of integrity and Teddy said he has the cooking chops. I think who ever doesn’t go this week will go next week. Eddie was in the bottom last week too. Eddie was the finalist sent home. I think Teddy will go next week because he proved that he has a lack of integrity.

While I think I know who will be kicked out next week. But I have no idea who will exceed. See you next week to see if I am at least right about Teddy getting kicked off!

Food

Top Chef Masters (6/17)

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Here we meet again for a nifty culinary showdown. While I don’t care for our host, I think this is a decent show. It looks as if we are going to have a vending machine challenge. Let us see if this week’s chefs will be as calm as last week’s.

Our chefs this week are… Graham Elliot Bowles, Elizabeth Falkner (former judge), Suzanne Tracht, and Wylie Dufresne (former judge). I know who Elizabeth and Wylie are from Top Chef and from various Food Network shows. The other 2 are mysteries to me. Graham is the youngest competitor. I always love Wylie because he really is a science dork!
Quickfire Challenge:
They get to create an amuse bouche using vending machine ingredients! This is classic Top Chef. The 3 judges for the quickfire are Elan, Betty and Michael from the season that received this challenge (and that Wylie judged). They got 30 minutes. Wylie was not happy at all with what he did. He kept cussing as it went out and while they were eating it. So Wylie got 3 stars, Elizabeth got 3 1/2 stars, Graham got 4 1/2 stars, and Suzanne got 5 stars.
Elimination Challenge:
This week’s challenge is that they have to cook dinner for creators and writers of LOST. They have to cook ingredients that would be on the island, no Top Chef pantry. They can only use canned and preserved things on a list. They did get a budget of $200 so that ain’t half bad.
This group does seem pretty friendly with each other at least. Wylie and Graham are good friends so they have a rapport as Suzanne termed it, “a kind of Mutt and Jeff thing”. Wylie was running around like a crazy man. Suzanne’s menu seems to be the most interesting because it has a little more protein variety. I have to say that I am dissapointed in Wylie’s menu. Roast chicken? That just seems a bit pedestrian given all you have to work with. Yes, he is using an immersion circulator but really? That seems cutting edge now a days? To me it just means you have more money for toys so you don’t have to work hard to regulate your water temp.
Graham Elliot Bowles: Maki Roll with Tuna and Dehydrated Pineapple, Tuna Nicoise, Tuna a la Plancha
Wylie Dufresne: Roasted Chicken with Poached Egg, Beets with Dried Corn, Plantain Puree
Elizabeth Falkner: Ancho-Beer Braised Boar Loin, Coffee Scented Poached Boar Loin, Yam Papaya Pudding
Suzanne Tracht: Rissoto with Uni, Clams and Prawns, Wild Boar Strip with Oyster Beer Sauce, Mango Corn Salad
Service:
Elizabeth’s puree wasn’t a big hit. Graham’s food seemed to go over very well. Wylie’s plate didn’t look all that yummy. One of the judges didn’t get chicken on his plate (and another got 2). Wylie’s poached egg went over fairly well and his chicken was good. Suzanne sold her plate as a holiday meal and it was a big hit!
Judges Table:
They all liked the poached egg from Wylie and his chicken. They loved Graham’s tunas. They liked Elizabeth’s braised boar but it needed the braising liquid as a sauce. They thought her puree was really sweet and like baby food. They thought Suzanne’s boar was good and has a nice crust. They had thought Suzanne’s plate was going to be to much but it all worked well together. The judges are so much nicer here than on Top Chef. While they were waiting in the stew room all the chefs walked over to the kitchen and made chocolate chip cookies. How fun!
Elizabeth: 16 1/2 stars
Wylie: 20 stars
Graham: 20 1/2 stars
Suzanne: 22 1/2 stars
Suzanne wins! But how would her and Hubert Keller match up? We shall see….
It looks like next week we are have Rick Bayliss and someone else who looks familiar but I can’t place. I have to say that the quality of chef does make up for our lack luster host. Next week should continue that quality! See you next week.

Food

Next Food Network Star (6/14)

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So here we meet again. I am interested to see what this “holiday” episode will hold for us. I don’t think you will last long on Food Network if you can’t make it through the holidays due to all the specials that they do. Let us see who will make the cut!

So everyone comes in for their mini challenge. An editor for Esquire magazine is the guest judge and the winner’s recipe will be featured in the magazine. They are given typical “man” ingredients. They all seem to be a meat paired with an relatively odd ingredient. Like coffee beans, cereals, syrup, pistachios, etc. Jeffrey really seems a bit bewildered to tie in pistachios. It is a standard nut crust, right?
Then they got to do a direct to camera presentation. Eddie needs to not use lovely when presenting man food. Melissa was a bit of a mess and the food was bland. Jamika was smooth at the start but forgot her ingredients and so she froze. Jeffrey ran a little long because he just shared the food and not himself. Teddy and this mind of the chef thing bugs me. He seemed to yell a little so it was off putting. Brett seemed to be trying too hard and was also yelling. Michael never said his name (I had to go look it up) and ran short. It was a bit painful. Debbie seemed really pleasant and easy going. Katie was all about sneaking health and not tasting good. The winner was Eddie.
Our contestants all go over to Hearst Corp and Good Housekeeping. Giada walks in. The winner will get their recipe and a feature in Good Housekeeping (with their 25 million readers, wow). They have to do a simple, creative holiday dish. Eddie got to assign holidays to the other finalists.
Once everyone is assigned, they got props off the table to decorate. I wish Jeffrey and Brett would have been more literal. April Fool’s Day would have been great time to do a cute literal take. Melissa was a bit chaotic but I think Teddy and Brett, who were helping her plate, were making it seem worse.
Eddie: Valentine’s Day: Seared Ahi with Orange Ginger Sake Glaze
Melissa: Mother’s Day: Oven Scrambled Eggs and Orange Coconut French Toast
Katie: Earth Day: Roasted Shrimp with Cannelini Beans and Roasted Radicchio
Debby: Mardi Gras: Cajun Mandu with Country Rice and Black Beans
Michael: Halloween: Wonton Wrapped Tuna with Butternut Squash Salad
Brett: April Fool’s Day: Pan Seared Filet Mignon and Lobster Tempura
Jeffrey: Groundhog Day: Lobster and Chorizo Stuffed Avocado
Teddy: Labor Day: Surf and Turf with a Marinated Filet and Lump Crab Cake
Jamika: New Year’s Eve: Spiced Collard Greens with Sweet Corn Bread
Service/Judging:
Melissa did well both with the food and the presentation. They liked her but once again the comment comes up to harness her energy. Jeffrey says that spring makes him want Mexican food? Jeffrey’s presentation was good but the food was seperate. Jamika went to sex in her presentation. They liked her food. Katie started well but then she went a bit diareahal in the nutrition bit. They thought the food was boring as was her education. Teddy was a little much , to me, in the presentation. Bobby Flay said he was doing the “acty” thing. Brett did an April’s Fool joke that he was quitting. I thought it was a little dorky. He didn’t connect his food to the holiday. There was shell in Bobby’s lobster. Debby did well but not as good as usual. They thought the recipe might have been a little to complicated. Then it was Michael’s turn. He was really entertaining. Eddie came in with a magnum of champagne. He went a little salesman for me and stodgy. He also went a little to TMI on his first date. He also talked about cooking for women is different. Giada was a bit offended. Now I think that Katie should be the one sent home tonight. But we will see.
They thought Jeffrey and Debby did well. They hit Katie for educating and not entertaining. They liked Michael’s presentation but thought the food was to complicated. Eddie shared to much. Giada slammed him on “cooking a certain way for women”. Jamika did well with her New Year’s side dish and her presentation. Teddy’s food did well but that he needs to stay true. Brett got hit on the shell and that his presentation had nothing to do with April’s Fool. Bob said that he didn’t seem to fit food but that he just seemed to want to be on tv. Bob said that Melissa seemed to be hit by mommy mayhem. Teddy said that she should be able to do this on her own. Brett said she wouldn’t have been able to do it on her own. What jerks!! They helped her so they could use it against her here. I hope that weighs against them at some point.
The winner of the challenge was Jamika. The top 3 were Jamika, Debby and Melissa. Brett was the contestant who was cut. I think it was obvious that this was what he hoped would bring him to tv. Jamika’s recipe will be features in July (different than the challenge recipe).
So will anyone trust Teddy? Will Katie quit lecturing? Well, I will meet you back here next week to find out!

Food

Top Chef Masters

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I am so excited! Real chefs competing, this should be good! I recognize lots of these chefs from various magazines and shows. My favorites at this point are Wylie Dufre and John Besch but someone could impress me;). I also am excited to see the $$ go to charities.

It looks like they aren’t all competing at once but in groups. So our chefs this week are Michael Schlow, Huber Keller, Christopher Lee, and Tim Love. I don’t know if you remember Keller from season 1 of Top Chef, but he is the chef from the first show who tossed Colin (?) out of his kitchen.
They are getting a quickfire just like the orginal Top Chef. They are getting dessert. They have to make the most creative dessert possible for a table of Girl Scouts. The have 1 hour.
Keller wants to try to get a meringue in an hour. I don’t know how that will go. Schlow is trying a chocolate cake/brownie and ice cream. Getting ice cream to set up is going to be hard. Love is going with what he knows. He is making a bunch strawberry stuff including a “chicken-fried” strawberry. Lee is going with a French Toast on a stick kind of thing with maple syrup fluff and carmelized bananas. Love and Lee both seem to be doing something simple, yummy and time appropriate. Schlow struggled (as I thought he would) getting his cake to cook and his ice cream base won’t set up. He ended up just serving the candy and sort of some cake. Huber got his meringue and the plate looked great! He rightfully won the quickfire!
The quickfire scores will be added to the final. The quickfire judges awarded them up to 5 stars each. For the elimination challenge they can get a total of 20 stars. 5 from the diners and 15 from the judges. The winner gets to move onto the Championship Round and $10K for their charity.
Elimination Challenge:
They have to make a 3 course meal using only a microwave, toaster oven and hotplate. They are feeding the critics and some students at Pomona College. They get $150 to shop and access to a limited pantry. Then they will get 2 hours to prep and cook. Watching them shop was quite entertaining. It looks like a few of them are buying stuff on the fly. Love didn’t see ground pork but I know if he would have asked them to grind some. Whole Foods does that kind of stuff. Tim Love stuck all his groceries in the freezer including all the produce. This could be horrible and he didn’t have much of a plan to begin with. Keller and Schlow seemed befuddled over the microwave and how to use it;).
They actually get to cook in the dorm rooms. It looks like the student judges are the room owners. Keller drained his pasta and shocked it with cold water all in the shower. I don’t think Love is going to be ruling when it comes to braised kale and anyone but especially not California college kids.
Michael Schlow: Salmon Crudo, Cabbage Soup with Bacon, Pork a la Apicius
Hubert Keller: Fresh Scottish Salmon, Carrot and Pea Soup with Cinnamon, Macaroni and Cheese with Prawns
Christopher Lee: Red Snapper Ceviche, Creamy Risotto, Pan Roasted Pork Chop
Tim Love: Scallop Carpaccio, Squash and Corn “Pozole”, Skirt Steak and Breaised Kale
Service/Judging:
Keller’s first course seems the best received of all the first courses. Though everyone of the first dishes were well received. They thought Love’s pozole was great football/dorm food. The second courses did fine. Everyone liked all the tastes but the texture of Lee’s risotto was in question. Love’s 3rd course was a bit salty. The students thought the kale was bitter. The judges thought Schlow’s pork was overdone. Keller’s Mac & Cheese was a big hit with everyone. Lee’s pork chop was well accepted.
Critic’s Table:
The panel was torn on Heller’s soup and the cinnamon level. It was love or hate. They thought the flavor profile on Schlow’s pork was good but that it was over cooked. Schlow’s soup would have been better in another hour. They also liked Love’s stew and thought his steaked was well seared but a little over seasoned. They thought that Lee’s risotto’s flavor was good but the texture was off. They also thought Lee’s pork was well executed. Hubert Keller won!
Let me interject here that the Master’s stew room is much better than the normal Top Chef room;).
All in all this is pretty good! This week all the chefs seem to be friends and they were laid back. I don’t think that will be the case every week. I think I respect Tim Love even more than before and I was already a fan of Keller.
This is going to be an interesting season!

Food

The Next Food Network Star: June 7

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It is time for a new season of The Next Food Network Star. I love me some AB (Alton Brown) so I hope he still has a major role but other than Bobby Flay, I haven’t really seen any other 1 person highlighted as a major contributor.

So lets buckle in and see if this year’s crop has what it takes.
Right off the bat Jen bothered me a little. She is a “housewife 2.0”? Is that cause she works too? If so, she better step back because this 1.0 gets a little edgy when I am told that I am out of date. I will try not to hold that against her. I am excited to see a housewife in the bunch with Melissa. They overall look pretty good. But we won’t know until we see the food.
As soon as everyone gets there the contestants are summoned to the Food Network Kitchens. Then we get the selection commitee who walk us through the intro and basics. Susie seemed to stress integrity so I am interested how that will come in later.
First challenge is catering a party celebrating Food Network’s birthday with 75 guests and Access Hollywood. All the big names will be there including last year’s winner, Aaron McCargo. They were split into 2 teams, green and red. The green team is Teddy, Jamika, Brett, Jen and Melissa. The red team is Eddie, Michael, Katie, Jeffrey and Debbie. They have $1200 to shop with.
Green Team:
Brett(Captain): Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce and Butternut Squash Soup
Teddy: Herb and Truffle Infused Potato Gratin
Jamika: Floribbean Shrimp Cocktail with Mango Jicama Slaw
Melissa: Apple Tart with Carmel Drizzle
Jen: Green Beans with Walnuts and Grape Tomatoes
Red Team:
Debbie (captain): Red Curry Crab Cake with Spicy Mayo
Michael: 5 Spiced Tenderloin with Pickled Vegetable Slaw
Katie: Beet, Pomegranate, Orange Salad and Sauteed Swiss Chard
Jeffrey: Achiote Grilled Zucchini Mushroom Ragu
Eddie: BLAST balls (bacon, lettuce, avocado, sprouts, tomatoes)
They get 1 hour to shop and each team sent 2 people. Michael was sure that the Red Team was going to have budget issues. Whole Foods didn’t have the pre-made biscuit dough that Eddie was going to use so Debbie made an executive decision to change the dessert. When the Green Team checked out they have $200 left that they didn’t spend. The Red Team put a lot of stuff back because they didn’t have enough money. Jeffrey ended up getting almost none of what he needed. The dessert that Debbie decided to make was angelfood cake layers with a riccotta cream mixture.
Brett is a high energy type of captain. Whereas Debbie is a bit happy go lucky. Melissa is a bit overwhelmed. She keeps saying that she is home cook and that the commercial kitchen and quantities are overwhleming. Katie was shorted her dijon but luckily the other team had some she could use. Melissa is really worried about her crust.
Then the finalists got to go and talked to all the party guests to intro their foods. Brett kind of froze. Brett didn’t say he had a team but the staff. Teddy was coming from the mind of a chef. That is great because I am sure that no one there from Food Network knows anything about a chef’s mind.
Then we got to the eating for the Green Team. Melissa’s tart was a hit. They liked Jamika’s slaw but not her shrimp. Jen’s green beans bombed and they didn’t like her personally either. Teddy’s gratin had great flavor. They didn’t like Brett’s meat or the mushrooms with them. Duff said it made him feel like he was in jail or the army.
We are onto the Red Team. The Angel food cake is a nightmare. Debby is very entertaining. Katie seemed a bit chatty and nervous. Before we get to the eating let me say that I think pickled veg on filet mignon is so disrespectful to the meat!!!!
Onto the eating! Duff asked if they really wanted to give him cake. The crab cake wasn’t perfect but the sauce was good. The filet had a lot of spice. The zucchini was good with texture and good flavors. Alex thought the salad was safe. Ann Burrell said the salad and swiss chard seemed to be from a dietician. The BLAST balls only talked of bacon. The cake was a complete disaster.
I think the top contenders for going home at this point is Debby for the cake, Jen for the green beans and Katie for the salad.
So we start with the Red Team evaluation. Bob questioned Debbie as to why she said that they were under budget when they had been grossly over. Then they hit the angel food cake and Debbie said it was a team decision. That is such a lie!!! But they liked her mayo and her presentation. They liked Michael’s meat and his presentation. They felt Katie’s swiss chard was a throw away dish and they felt she came off a girl without authority. Eddie’s BLAST balls bombed and he seemed too corporate in his presentation. Jeffrey’s food were a hit and Bobby really liked his presentation.
Onto the Green team. Brett’s food took a hit and his presentation also stunk. Jamika’s slaw was really good but the shrimp wasn’t. Her presentation went over well. Melissa’s tart was a big hit and she needs to temper her excitement. Jen’s dish wasn’t worthy to be served at the party according to Bob. He thought her presentation was a good start but it didn’t go well. Teddy’s gratin wasn’t cooked all the way but the flavors were good. He needs to amp up the presentation.
They didn’t pick a team to win. Instead they pointed out 3 individuals who shone: Jeffrey, Michael and Melissa. They winner was Jeffrey. Jen ended up being the first person sent home.
This season seems to be interesting. I wonder if there will be integrity issues with Debby. I am disapointed because there isn’t enough Alton Brown but maybe that will change. But over all this is a big hit not only with me but the 3 older Nerdlings!!!
See you next week.

Food

Hell’s Kitchen Finale!!

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This is it! The final part of Hell’s Kitchen’s finale! I think I am pulling for Paula but I must say that I liked these two finalists the best out of the group! We will see if the “sous chefs” will be the end of 1 of them. I have to say that I think Danny got the better group.

So they all start prepping and Lacey screwed up the creme brulee. I wonder if Paula has to keep Lacey? It might be better to toss her out. During the tasting Ramsay thought Paula’s fish was a bit dry but the second batch of creme brulee was completely screwed up. She has to rethink her menu. Danny got dinged for a falic looking dish and an under cooked poached pear. His pear sounds so good!

Paula’s dining room looked great and she was calling it it Sunergy. Danny was calling his the Velvet Hammer. I agree that it sounded like a porn movie. I am not digging on the hanging fish that he had either.

Then service began. Danny started with a loud group but Paula’s was quiet. Andrea screwed up the first scallops and Lacey tried cover it. Over on Danny’s side Carol was getting backed up on the apps. But apparently Andrea may be the downfall of the red team. Giovanni was being a huge problem and he says in the confessional, he doesn’t care who wins.

Lacey was lost on garnish. I think that Ramsay has to remember when he judges that even he couldn’t manage Lacey. The whole team seemed to have to get on garnish to dig Lacey out. Danny finished serving before Paula but not by much.

Of course they did the door reveal. Danny won!

I think they were both very good and I am sure that Paula will have a restaurant somewhere soon too.