300 replies to this topic

[Lisa Shock]

I just discovered a new feature: Last Chance Kitchen, a web series that offers an opportunity for eliminated contestants a chance to get back in.

[David Ross]

While the aforementioned James Bond Pig Butcher was incredibly rude and full of himself, what about the poor sap that splashed the soup on the plate--and still served it to the judges! Wow, you don't even have the sense to ladle the soup from the pot into the bowls, clean the bowls, then place them on the serving plates? That wouldn't have taken more than a few seconds and at least he would've given the judges the chance to taste his soup. Go. Go back to whence you came from my poor lad.

[kaszeta]

Part of me is disappointed that we didn't get to see the celebrity chef power tool get smacked down a few times.

[Dignan]

While the aforementioned James Bond Pig Butcher was incredibly rude and full of himself, what about the poor sap that splashed the soup on the plate--and still served it to the judges! Wow, you don't even have the sense to ladle the soup from the pot into the bowls, clean the bowls, then place them on the serving plates? That wouldn't have taken more than a few seconds and at least he would've given the judges the chance to taste his soup. Go. Go back to whence you came from my poor lad.

He ran out of time. The only reason he got any soup on the plate/in the cups was because he threw it at them as time expired. He had no time to lalde, clean, etc. Certainly he should have managed time better but that bit several of the contestants.

[David Ross]

While the aforementioned James Bond Pig Butcher was incredibly rude and full of himself, what about the poor sap that splashed the soup on the plate--and still served it to the judges! Wow, you don't even have the sense to ladle the soup from the pot into the bowls, clean the bowls, then place them on the serving plates? That wouldn't have taken more than a few seconds and at least he would've given the judges the chance to taste his soup. Go. Go back to whence you came from my poor lad.

He ran out of time. The only reason he got any soup on the plate/in the cups was because he threw it at them as time expired. He had no time to lalde, clean, etc. Certainly he should have managed time better but that bit several of the contestants.

And that's exactly my point. These people should absolutely go into this competition knowing that time management is critical. It's not an excuse to say you ran out of time. It's expected that you'll present your dish given the amount of time you have. If you can't handle that, then don't send in an audition tape.

[Dignan]

Sure, but established cheftestants often run into time problems in late episodes after participating all season, usually manifested in undercooked food. Chef Lee's rabbit was underdone, and the one girl didn't get hers on the plate. It's certainly not an excuse, but it happens and is highlights the challenge of the challenge more than being a sign of chefly incompetence.

[Florida]

While the aforementioned James Bond Pig Butcher was incredibly rude and full of himself, what about the poor sap that splashed the soup on the plate--and still served it to the judges! Wow, you don't even have the sense to ladle the soup from the pot into the bowls, clean the bowls, then place them on the serving plates? That wouldn't have taken more than a few seconds and at least he would've given the judges the chance to taste his soup. Go. Go back to whence you came from my poor lad.

He ran out of time. The only reason he got any soup on the plate/in the cups was because he threw it at them as time expired. He had no time to lalde, clean, etc. Certainly he should have managed time better but that bit several of the contestants.

And that's exactly my point. These people should absolutely go into this competition knowing that time management is critical. It's not an excuse to say you ran out of time. It's expected that you'll present your dish given the amount of time you have. If you can't handle that, then don't send in an audition tape.

I'm willing to cut the guy some slack. After all, it was the first show and no one realistically cooks with a clock counting down the seconds.

[David Ross]

While the aforementioned James Bond Pig Butcher was incredibly rude and full of himself, what about the poor sap that splashed the soup on the plate--and still served it to the judges! Wow, you don't even have the sense to ladle the soup from the pot into the bowls, clean the bowls, then place them on the serving plates? That wouldn't have taken more than a few seconds and at least he would've given the judges the chance to taste his soup. Go. Go back to whence you came from my poor lad.

He ran out of time. The only reason he got any soup on the plate/in the cups was because he threw it at them as time expired. He had no time to lalde, clean, etc. Certainly he should have managed time better but that bit several of the contestants.

And that's exactly my point. These people should absolutely go into this competition knowing that time management is critical. It's not an excuse to say you ran out of time. It's expected that you'll present your dish given the amount of time you have. If you can't handle that, then don't send in an audition tape.

I'm willing to cut the guy some slack. After all, it was the first show and no one realistically cooks with a clock counting down the seconds.

I guess I'll just be the odd one out on this part of our discussion. The time constraints they face on Top Chef are exactly the challenge they face everyday in a restaurant kitchen. If you're cooking for paying customers in the real world, the clock is always ticking down by the second. Don't for a moment think that anyone cooking in a Robuchon kitchen isn't aware of precisely the second the sauce goes over the fish to when the plates go out of the kitchen and the exact moment they must be placed in front of the customer.

[annabelle]

I'm with you, Dave. I watch Chopped pretty regularly and there are many contestants who state in their talking heads that they have practiced with a clock ticking before they went on the show. The chefs of Top Chef aren't being handed a mystery basket and told to transform Jordan almonds into an entree after all.

[YWalker]

Takes ordinary people years to achieve A@# hole-ness, it/he/she, did it at the tender age of 22!

Well, he *IS* the guy who was able to write his own cookbook in just 3-1/2 weeks, you know. He obviously does everything faster.

[Kajikit]

Takes ordinary people years to achieve A@# hole-ness, it/he/she, did it at the tender age of 22!

Well, he *IS* the guy who was able to write his own cookbook in just 3-1/2 weeks, you know. He obviously does everything faster.

As soon as he opened his mouth, you just KNEW he was going home... it was a relief that they didn't make him cook! I felt so sorry for the girl he screwed over by mangling her pork, but that'll teach her not to rely on totally untried chefs to do anything for her!

[tsquare]

I've actually eaten at Colin's restaurant (that was in 2007 or 08). Let's just say that time management does not really a big part in his life. When you enter the doors, you are in his zone. Though he has a lot going on and seems to be pulling it off far better than I would have anticipated. I also guessed he wouldn't survive challenge one, but not for a poor presentation.

[David Ross]

Back to the timing issue and how the time frame of a challenge translates into the real world. Last night I was watching "Chef Hunter" on Food Network. The episode followed Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger and the staff of Border Grill in Los Angeles as they searched for a new Executive Chef. They had two candidates and both had to "audition" by cooking a dinner service in the restaurant kitchen. One poor fellow got terribly stuck in the weeds at the peak of the dinner service. With Chef Milliken and Feniger looking on, the Manager kept calling out "where's my appetizers, I need those appetizers." "The orders came in 20 minutes ago, appetizers have to go out in 8 minutes. I need appetizers, table 8."

Obviously Border Grill has precise procedures and strick timing guidlines for when orders come in and have to go out, which tells me that if a Cheftestant doesn't watch the seconds ticking on the Top Chef clock, they won't be minding the clock in the restaurant kitchen. That's if they can get a job after failing the timing challenges on Top Chef.

[heidih]

David - I saw that and was confused as to the timing issue. It seemed that he was 20 minutes behind on prep or something. The woman who was yelling the times as you noted seemed really upset but I wondered what had been conveyed to the chef.

[merstar]

Back to the timing issue and how the time frame of a challenge translates into the real world. Last night I was watching "Chef Hunter" on Food Network. The episode followed Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger and the staff of Border Grill in Los Angeles as they searched for a new Executive Chef. They had two candidates and both had to "audition" by cooking a dinner service in the restaurant kitchen. One poor fellow got terribly stuck in the weeds at the peak of the dinner service. With Chef Milliken and Feniger looking on, the Manager kept calling out "where's my appetizers, I need those appetizers." "The orders came in 20 minutes ago, appetizers have to go out in 8 minutes. I need appetizers, table 8."

It's too bad. I thought his food looked a lot better and a lot more interesting than the one who got the job.

[David Ross]

David - I saw that and was confused as to the timing issue. It seemed that he was 20 minutes behind on prep or something. The woman who was yelling the times as you noted seemed really upset but I wondered what had been conveyed to the chef.

The tickets were already rolling in. He also got in the weeds on his entrees, which needed to be out in the 12-minute range from time of ordering. Like some the contestants on Top Chef, he appeared to be really creative and had some dishes that sounded delicious, but when it came to his organizational skills and staying on top of his timing, he really fell off the cliff.

[David Ross]

Not really sure if rattlesnake is "Texas" cuisine, but Bravo is billing one of tonight's challenges as a sort of battle rattlesnake.

[gfweb]

Rattlesnake would be more a Washington DC sort of dish.

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[Florida]

So it appears someone over at Bravo has been watching too much Survivor.
Redemption Island? Seriously, WTF?

[Holly Moore]

Seems like Top Chef is using almost the same set as Chopped for their "walk of shame."

Wishing I were set designer. I'd send the losing chef into the kitchen, past the dish machine and pot washing sinks, through the service door, out into a back alley lined with overflowing dumpsters and barrels for used fryer oil, and onto a traffic jammed Manhattan crosstown street.

[IndyRob]

I wish they'd go back to the 'signature dish' challenge for the first elimination. I think it would serve as a better introduction of the chefs and a no-excuse first elimination.

[David Ross]

So it appears someone over at Bravo has been watching too much Survivor.
Redemption Island? Seriously, WTF?

It felt cheap when I saw the clip for next week. Oh no, please no. They won't bring back the "Pig Butcher Boy" for "one more elimination cook-off." Will they?

[David Ross]

Padma on a Horse and a Top Chef Chili Cook-Off.

[Shalmanese]

I really don't understand the timeline for this episode. They were shown shopping at whole food before sundown on Day 1 and judging happened after sundown the next day so they had more than 24 hours in the middle. Everyone was shown to be awake in the morning the next day so what the hell was everyone doing for the rest of that day?

Also, Chili is not a complicated dish, I don't get why it would take a team of 3 chefs an entire night to make it. At the very most, they could have had 1 person awake and two people sleeping in shifts which would have made everyone well rested at the end of it.

Loved the quickfire idea though.

[Lisa Shock]

The quickfire was interesting and fun to watch.

The elimination challenge seemed like it had a lot of artificial situations that didn't really add anything except drama for the camera. I am kind of wondering about the whole business of cooking at the house and how teams had to vie to use various ingredients and equipment. Some of this did not seem fair.

Also, Texans came across as being very anti-bean. As a bean-lover I found this prejudice to be very closed-minded. -Yes, the challenge was essentially a catering challenge, where pleasing the customer is the foremost concern. And, I understand that to their minds, the archetypal Texas chili has no beans. That said, we live in a world of basil 'caviar' and nitrogen frozen popcorn. Guess I'm not liking challenges where the hoi polloi judge the food.

[pastrygirl]

Also, Chili is not a complicated dish, I don't get why it would take a team of 3 chefs an entire night to make it. At the very most, they could have had 1 person awake and two people sleeping in shifts which would have made everyone well rested at the end of it.

I too thought it was strange that they didn't take turns sleeping.

[jsmeeker]

Team Moto gets broken up. Wasn't expecting that.

When the teams described their chills, we never found out anything about the chile component. WTF is up with that? Just the way they edited the show?

Yes, chili doesn't take all night to cook. Dunno why they were cooking all night. Also, while I've never had it, I don't think I would like brisket in chili. It would get stringy if braised/stewed for a long time. That texture is all wrong. Surprised a few teams went crazy to buy all the brisket at Whole Foods.

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, I expected Team Moto to be strong through at least the halfway-point in the season.

After emphasizing the various types of peppers in the quick fire, it was, now that you mention it, odd that there was no analysis of types of chiles used.

And, I also wondered about the meat. I though chuck was standard in competition chile.

[Jaymes]

Also, Texans came across as being very anti-bean. As a bean-lover I found this prejudice to be very closed-minded. -Yes, the challenge was essentially a catering challenge, where pleasing the customer is the foremost concern. And, I understand that to their minds, the archetypal Texas chili has no beans. That said, we live in a world of basil 'caviar' and nitrogen frozen popcorn. Guess I'm not liking challenges where the hoi polloi judge the food.

I find this statement to be so startling as to be absolutely stunned at the inaccuracy of your conclusion.

Texans most certainly are not "anti-bean." On the contrary, Texans are among the statistically highest consumers of beans in the nation.

I'm sure you've heard of Texas barbecue. All (and I mean every single one) of the barbecue joints offer beans and, in many of them, the beans are considered so essential to the enjoyment of your barbecue meal that they are complimentary. Several of these barbecue restaurants even have soupy cowboy-style pinto beans sitting in large pots at the same place where they have the onions, pickles, jalapeno peppers, and other complimentary condiments. These soupy beans are ubiquitous in the central and southwestern areas of the state, reminiscent of the beans that "Cookie" simmered in large caldrons hanging over chuckwagon campfires on those long cattle drives north to the railheads. And Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants offer panoply of beans: charro, borracho, frijoles de olla, refried, soups, dips, salsas. We eat gourmet-style bean dishes in our upscale restaurants, where the beans are served in purees, foams, pastes, salads, meat and fish dishes, everything imaginable.

And as you enter the eastern regions of our state, alongside "ranch-style beans," you find the sweet baked-bean traditions of the south, served with east-Texas-style barbecue, pulled pork, ribs, or with fried chicken, catfish, pork chops, hot dogs, hamburgers. The supermarkets here have big bins of dried beans that you buy in bulk. They're everywhere.

Just not so much in the traditional chili con carne.

For you to reach the conclusion that Texas is "anti-bean" based on one episode of a television show is utterly amazing. Although many Texans (admittedly probably in the privacy of their own home) actually do put beans in their chili (and I happen to be one), reacting with feigned indignation is just part of the "schtick."

If you saw a TV episode where out-of-towners went to Philadephia and ordered a Cheese Steak with Swiss Cheese at Pat's, and got roundly lambasted for that choice, would you decide that the entire state was "anti-Swiss-cheese"?

Edited by Jaymes, 25 November 2011 - 01:50 PM.

[annabelle]

The remaining member of Team Moto, his name escapes me, looks like one of the Hansen brothers from the old Paul Newman hockey movie "Slapshot".

There are a lot of myths about Texas on this show, as Jaymes mentioned with the No Beans Rule, and the cheftestants should lay off the phoney Texas accents and leave the hats at home. It probably doesn't matter to the Padma lovers, but girlfriend can't ride.