Ex-S

..... for those of you who think Ilan DESERVES being TopChef, I ask you: what episode where you watching??!!??..... Albeit BOTH Marcel and Ilan didn't deserve to be there in the first place, Marcel should have won for the same reason as the previous episode..... Sam (who probably should have been in the final) was criticized for doing the same thing over again, but Ilan decides to rip off the entire menu of the restaurant he works at; how original ...... Anyway here are a few point that have probably been beaten to death, but I'll say it again: 1. Marcel didn't blame Sam for his loss.... he even goes and tells the judges that Sam "saved his ass"..... On the other hand Sam goes and takes FULL CREDIT for the seabeans when they were one of Marcel's original ingredients.... Sam makes no effort to correct the judges; he just stands there and uncomfortably says "yes, it was my idea"......You can tell by the way he speaks that he was OBVIOUSLY lying and he knew EXACTLY what he was saying. 2. Head to head Marcel should have won especially from the comments made during the meals: Ilan serves: -"Soggy toast with canned eels"... One of the judges say "At the end of the day you should taste what you cook and see if it works" - Perfectly cooked fish ........ cooked by Elia - Surf and Turf........ again cooked by Elia - Chewy short ribs.... "The short ribs could have been braised for a little longer"...... "I think I'm looking for a little more flavor, a little more juicyness"..... At the judges table Tom says " I think Ilan's dish is out of place; something served at a casual restaurant. - Melon balls..... LOFL..... Ok, it's a pallette cleanser, but at the end of the day it's melon balls of fruit with sorbet and juice...... and oh yeah, the bay leaf idea he ripped off from Casa Mono. Marcel serves: -Uni w/ meyer lemon gelee and fennel cream.... Keller says "The idea, the whole thing behind it was exciting"..... -A salad.... which flops..... besides the isomalt though he could have added a protein... -Fish dish w/o the fish.... but "very mature dish; round, bold, beautifully balanced"... "The way it's constructed, the way it's presented; it's like a totally different level"...... and yes, Sam probably saw the fish but didn't give a damn; he knew full well what the menu was....... Mike I can understand b/c he's a bafoon... -Strip loin.... "It's nice to see someone so creative and so willing to take the risk" -Blini w/ coffee caviar..... "How smart, a blini w/ caviar"..... "He has amazing potential; I think he's somebody to watch"..... Judges table: -Marcel's own team throws him under the bus.... at least have some dignity and give him credit for what Marcel did..... some people say that Marcel is blaming his team mates, but WHO THE HELL wouldn't feel the same way he did if you team isn't trying to help you. -The judges only ask Marcels team about what part they had in cooking.... if they asked Elia they would have known that Ilan for the most part didn't cook any of the good dishes. -When Ilan gets questioned as to whether he had a set idea he denies it even though it's obvious he's lying.... Gail goes on to say "it's ok if you did, it's a game plan" and Ilan softens his stance and says that he "may have had some ideas" - If that was the best meal Ilan ever cooked then he doesn't deserve Top Chef.... 2 courses didn't require cooking, and the one protein he does cook himself is chewy. -Just a side note, notice Betty the bitch smiling when Marcel's team throws him under the bus.... what a snake... "HissSSSSSSSS" In the end it had nothing to do with the food.... Marcel was better THAT NIGHT hands down; he might not even be the best overall, but he was definitely better that night and Ilan should have lost for the same reason Sam did. Elia and Sam would have made a much better finale, but the ratings of Marcel vs. Ilan must have been too hard to resist... Anyway, this was an end to a pretty CRAPPY season ...... None of the chefs were Top Chef material... even everyone's beloved Sam showed his true colours and ganged up to bully Marcel..... Ilan should be the LAST person to get the title.... he was F***ing holding the CAMERA and ENCOURAGING everyone to do the dirty work when they were trying to shave Marcel's head.... WHAT A BASTARD; I will NEVER EVER eat at a restaurant where Ilan Hall cooks. Anyway, glad to get that rant off my chest as I hope for a much much much improved season 3.....

Hi, thanks for all the options.... My budget got expanded after talking with the coordinator... The dinner is actually a suprise for the girls on our co-ed softball team.... our team is probably the ONLY team with a 50/50 split of men and women.... anyway, it's been a tough season, but the guys wanted to show our appreciation for the hard work the girls put in to work on their game..... Anyway, these ideas sound great; I know the menu isn't a usual summertime one, but for some reason they REALLY insisted on rack of lamb.... I originally wanted to do a lemongrass chicken soup, but a few people wanted French onion soup.... the vichysoise sounds like a great idea, and I'd love to make it if I didn't have to do this all tomorrow = S I should have checked the forum earlier, but this week was REALLY busy. Oh wellz, I just want to thank you all for taking the time to reply to this thread. I'll definitely save the ideas for future events...... ^___^

Hiya.... I have to feed 20 ppl on a $150CDN budget (About $130USD).... Rack of lamb has been requested, so that already puts a dent in the budget. Besides that, I have french onion soup (which is relatively cheap), and a mushroom risotto.... Do you guys have any other ideas of what I could make? Thanks ^___^

A George Tichbourne custom. He let be design the handle ^__^. Not as practical as some of my other knives though; it's more of a collector's piece. = P

Oh... Wouldn't it take a really long time to hone the blade then? I'll look into it though... thanks ^__^....

Hi, I'm looking to get a steel, but I'm kinda confused about all the cuts... Does anyone know what a sapphire cut is? Is a superfine cut recommended or is a standard cut more practical for daily use? As well are there any brands/models you recommend? So far I only know that FDick makes good steels. Thanks ^__^

I was a North 44° a couple of weeks ago, and I'd have to say I was a little disappointed. I've been to summerlicious/winterlicious previously, and N44 ranked about average. -Starter: Seared Yellow Fin tuna with fine vegetable slaw, Thai dressing and crisp ginger. This was the best dish of the night. I love tuna and this was very tasty. All things considered though, it was a pretty simple dish. My girlfriend had the Woodland mushroom risotto with roasted parsnip and herb foam. The risotto was done to perfection; very nice. So after getting 2 pretty good starters....... -Main = S: Slow braised rabbit with maple, cream, cider vinegar and root vegetables. A.K.A. overcooked chicken breast. OK, I know that rabbit tastes similar to chicken, so that wasn't the problem. The problem was I couldn't taste ANY maple, cream, or cider vinegar. It was like eating the carcass of a chicken after you make stock >= S...... My girlfriend got organic Irish salmon with scallops, chanterelles, clams, natural reduction and crisp pancetta. She had much much better luck than I did. It was cooked just right and you could really taste what was advertised = P There was an option to get the steak or roasted venison for an extra $12, but I really didn't think it was worth it. In retrospect I may have regretted it, but who knows = P. Dessert: Apple and fig crumble with cinnamon ice cream and Tahitian vanilla sauce. Quite average..... but not too bad. I don't have too much to say about it. Despite the food, my experience was still not too bad. The waiter was very nice (unlike at Epic, where my girlfriend had a girl's night out. They were SUPER shhnobby) and of course the service is great. I'd describe the atmosphere upstairs as private, so it was a good setting to take a date. Overall I wouldn't go back again though. I'd rate my experience at about 6.5/10. Even though it's "cheaper" than regular, the food just doesn't cut it.

Most of the good restaurants like Hiro and Ematei are DT, but Zen Japananese Restaurant has got to be up there with them. Zen is located at Brimley and Eglinton Scarborough. Yes, this is one of the ghettoest places in Toronto, but trust me, it's REALLY good. In terms of the quality/price ratio, IMO it's the BEST in Toronto.