tmgrobyn

Oh I don't know, Hung is just a little immature. I think he enjoys every minute of being in the kitchen, but if you take into consideration his cultural situation, Hung has to prove himself. He has to make cooking work for him. He's very talented, he has yet to grow into his soul. He will though, and I found his comment about his grandmother a good strategy on his part. I think he was hanging in the balance with Brian and that statement could have saved him. They saw a glimpse of the real Hung. The kid who want to be a contender, who's done his homework and honed his skillz. Not he just has to grow a heart for food. Casey's got this thing in the bag. They need a female winner. TC won't survive the shouting if it isn't. I know that sounds jaded but it is a contest and the ":girls" have to win once in a while. Casey's got the palate and refinement, she's just lacking in a few skills. Casey and Hung together would be a formidable team in any competition. Oh and the burning sage - not so much a pot aroma, that's oregano - but still a wafty pungency in the air for certain.

I have to admit I would have gone for something very basic, because of the audience... A herb crusted baked chicken, a potato onion gratin and a haricot vert beans. I also have to admit because of the fact that Jacques Torres was on the panel I would have had to offer a dessert of tartlettes - chocolate ganache in a butter pastry crust. All do-able in the alloted time.

I really want to say "Finally!". A challenge worthy of "Top Chef" material. This episode is what all the episode should be about. The cheftestants walked in the holy of holies last night and tried to take the stone from the hands of the masters. Hung and Casey came closest, yet even they were a bit off the mark. There had to be a chosen winner and loser so the Masters did their level best in choosing a winner and a loser. Bourdain, in his assessment, got it right. These arethe masters. These guys are True Top Chefs. I think the word chef is used pretty loosely on this show. We really have a bunch of cooks, wanting to be chefs, and the title that will be awarded is worth the studio script it's printed on. If you haven't got the mettle you just don't have it. Hung and Casey's ability to recognize where they were was what won it for them. Simple ingredients were given. Hello....how hard was it to recognize you were being asked for classic cuisine here? Brian's effort was a joke. He's a fish guy and we all really know it now. Dale, well, Dale still doesn't know who he is, he's scattered and a bit like wheat in the wind. Sara, proved once again she's a one trick pony. She may grow to be a decent chef someday, but she needs to develop some depth to her repertoire. Dale's comment about how hard it is is probably true, us armchair quarterbacks don't feel the heat and intensity, but I really believe he's wrong when he said we probably couldn't do it ourselves. Hmmm. Not sure I couldn't compete with what I've seen this season. I was very surprised to see that Hung lacked a "prize" for his efforts. Bravo really needs to figure that deal out. His prize was going to the final four??!??! All in all this episode was a good learning experience for each of them, and future cheftestants. edited: dale is the guy! CJ.

This was such a disappointment. I wish Fox really would view the British version of this show. The BBC version actually shows Gordon constructively assessing the restaurant as a whole and teaching people how to succeed, albeit Gordon's way, but succeed none the less. Fox seems to think we Americans just want to see vilence and hear the f word. What a huge disappointment. One thing I did find amusing was each time we went outside, until the parting shot, the Zagat award was in full view. It should tell you something about those Zagat awards.

It had to be on the pantry shelves (or refrigerator) of the airline kitchen. There wasn't a shopping trip and like you state a good demi-glace doesn't happen in a "poof it's demi-glace!" kitchen miracle. I knew it was CJ whenthe producers emphasized the "moment" he and Padma spent in his room. Quite a bit of flirtatious behavior, and then the near tears when he departed. Hmmmmmm. Just for show?

I think the light bulb went on for Howie last night. He is probably a pretty good cook where he works, but as someone says, years of doing the same thing over and over, clouds creativity. His heart is on his sleeve and finally figured out that with Tre gone, and the continual challenge being group challenges, there was no way he could win this thing. I think he went in last night trying to get sent home. It seemed he figured out he had no allies, friends or any sort of team so why bother carrying on. I was disappointed by the producers choice of showing Casey's and Sara faces when he asked to make a comment. They spoke volumes of disgust for their outspoken opponent. I think under the rough, seemingly unrefined exterior, lies a big heart and a pretty sensitive guy. He just never wanted to drop his guard and let anybody see it. That's my armchair psych eval for ya!

This is exactly my thinking. Tre is a chef's chef. Or will be in the near future. If being top chef puts you in the club with Ilan, well, no thank you. I'll pass. Harold on the other is fine. I just think the TC designee isn't going to make or break Tre's career. He is a class act, all the way. Had a bad night for sure, but still a classy guy.

Oh my goodness. I had this cake back in 1975 for one of my bridal showers. I never did find out who made the cake and was very disappointed that I could not duplicate the cake. I will have to try this and see if it is the same cake. From my somewhat sound memory the cake was very light and the walnuts seemed to be chopped very fine yet still large enough to know that they were walnuts. Ooooo! Thanks!

I totally envy you Foodie52! Not just hanging with Tre but being able to be at Central Cooking School with him! What fun. And what a great picture!

Ah, but did you notice how those sashes and heavy medals just seem to accentuate the - ahem - assests of one of the club members Did anyone else find it odd that no one, not the poor misguided chefs doing dessert, Chef Tom, Warren G or the gaggle of gourmands seemed to remember that fresh pineapple is one of the fruits (along with papaya) that will prevent gelatin from setting. It wasn't the friggin powdered gelatin (and what the heck is Knox if not powdered) that prevented the panna cotta from setting, it was the pineapple!! To me that was a major faux pas that should have gotten Sara sent home, not Camille. ← EXACTLY! I mentioned this to my husband. I couldn't believe that not one person figured out why the panna cotta wasn't setting up. Please! Also... I love the juxataposition of Bourdain in all of this. He adds a new dimension to the competition as a viewer and judge. It has made it a much better season already!

Oh my! I am definitely giving this a try. Thank you.

As soon as I read Afghani cuisine I thought of lamb. A spinach and lamb stew of sorts. Another lamb dish I love is Lahmahjoon. It is not specifically Afghani, but it would work for the dinner. It is simple and very easy to make and travels well if someone wanted take it home. Good luck with your meal, it sounds fun!

LIndacakes, I am interested in doing this! It sounds like a great addition to the pantry. Question: When you drain off the liquid, are you draining it to a bowl and adding sugar or draining, and disposing of it? How much liquid are you adding sugar to each day? Is there a link to reference? You have totally piqued my interest. Thanks!

Bake your cake with the juice from a large jar of maraschino cherries. Then chop the cherries (drain them well) and use it for part of the filling between layers. This will give you the flavor you are looking for. Also if you douse the cakes witha simple syrup with the kirsch addition to the syrup, you'll have a standout cherry flavor without too much $$ and a delicious cherry flavor. I do this all the time, as my husband's favorite cake is cherry chip. cake. (I add a few of the cherries to the batter for him.)

I noticed that too. Thought maybe I'd lost a bit of concentration because I'd seen it before. I guess they take advantage and just throw a few more commercials in the repeats. After reading further, yep the first epi was 75 minutes. Can't blame the sponsors there. Morgan_Weber. Exactly! Not a brisket in sight. That would have been my choice. There are many ways a brisket could be ramped up to feed a distinctive crowd and be real barbeque.

Oh Bourdain. You. were. priceless. Never leave the Ecuadorians on the table! It was good to hear that he actually had read your books. He doesn't seem to be a bad chef, just his timing was off and it was great that you called him on it. Gail. Gail. Gail. sigh.

I'll add my snore to the "smackdown". It was contrived. The Bravo network blew it big time on this episode. I only wish, hope, pray, that Season 3 is as good as season one. Season two was just a binch of immature egos at play and it got to be quite tiring. It was good to see Stephen and the gang from season one. I knew from the beginning they'd take it. There is just too much bad blood for season two to produce a cohesive meal. Did anyone else notice the comraderie between Marcel and Hung?

I have been enjoying it very much. Those ducks/geese! Oh my I only wish I could have one to cook. I like his approach (no nonsense), he really takes time and gives a full view of the subject in my opinion.

When I read you title, I thought to myself, "just go with King Arthur" and now after reading I know we are on the same page. I think you have chosen well for your breads of choice. I am not sure of the enriched mention though. King Arthur says it doesn't bleach its wheat so I am not sure why the flour is enriched. I'd want to ask them about it first. I know they don't bromate the flour for certain. It is a process that they don't support at all because of the danger to health when done.

If you want to do fancy, I recommend Flo Braker's Sweet Miniatures cookbook. There is such a great selection of sweet and savories that it should be a must have cookbook for hosting events. Being that it is in the south miniature pecan tassies would be high on my list. Along with an excellent selection of jams and madeleines in a variety of flavors. Savories could include cheese straws, savory shortbreads and crostini with an olive tapenade.

I got the book two days ago and I am baking today. I chose the All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake. It is in the oven currently and the smell is making me sooooo hungry! Dorie, I only have one question on the recipe. It is on page 187. The recipe calls for cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped. I assumed it was calling for fresh. I couldn't find fresh or frozen so I used dried and reconstituted them. Any tips? My husband is drooling all over the pages of this cookbook. I can already tell it will become a family favorite. Thanks!

Yes Kate it does work as a good mktg tool except when we're uber busy. Then it's like oh heck! another dang bride wanting a free 6" cake! Of course we don't say that to them, but it does fill the grumble fodder well. It's usually simply decorated, they get to choose chocolate or white and a filling of their choice. I like the idea of using the cake scraps, too!

We usually recommend not to count the cake top (a 6" round usually) in the guest count. Then we provide a small box to transport that cake with the couple on their honeymoon. It's a fall back I've used because the only cake I got at my wedding 32 years ago was that "one picture" bite! I was disappointed that there wasn't more. It was a huge cake! 5 tiers, 7 satellites, and I got one bite! Well, rant off! I always recommend taking the cake, and then we supply the anniversary cake a year later.

Marcel really is a chump. He recognizes the talent that Sam has, chooses him to help, and then when things go bad blames it on him. He's exactly the kind of guy I hate working for. Everything that goes right is his idea, when things go wrong it's the hired help's fault "those bunch of screwups just don't support me" attitude that makes the world of food so exasperating. I would never want to work for him. He showed poor leadership skills, a total lack of organization, and very poor delegation skills. I hope he decides to take the nod and learn something from the experience. It was kind of creepy at the end when he started his "I don't care if the other contestants liked me, I like me, I like my cooking..." stuff. Suddenly I was watching Planes, Trains and Automibiles, with Dell telling Neil that his wife liked him... I am glad Ilan won. That said it really should have been Sam all along, or Cliff.