David Ross

It comes up every season of Top Chef-how can a Chef that's so talented be cut for cooking one bad dish? Until this year, I always struggled with aspect of the judging on Top Chef, thinking that there should be some sort of point system or progressive scoring so that the Chefs with more wins built up a sort of ongoing immunity. Well that's not really fair, and when you think about it, a "Top Chef" should be sent home for one bad dish. Does that mean that the weaker Chefs can win? Probably not. The weak contestants are cut early on, the marginal ones get further, the good Chefs endure, but in the end, typically the best Chefs get to the final show. Sheldon's a good example. As I said earlier, the errors were building and would ultimately do him in--two failed attempts at tempura, (when he knew he failed after the first try), and a weak effort in the Surf and Turf challenge. So while it's good discussion to contemplate a "set-up" to have two women compete for the title of Top Chef, really it was just a matter of who cooked the best dishes. The other stuff just falls out of that. There's something about Brooke I just don't particularly like. Something off in her personality, but that's a bit rude of me since I don't know her. I'm overly biased toward Kristin, and I can't wait to see what her final menu will look like.

My employee who is the avid goose hunter brough me some Canadian Goose thighs and legs. I'm going to make some confit for him. he had a taste of my duck confit in December, and I think I've got him hooked. Hopefully wild goose will make a decent confit.

And while I'm anxious about next season's location, and hopefully somewhere in the South, we stil have this season to finish first. My money is on Kristin to win last chance kitchen and then, in a very close battle with Brooke, (sorry Sheldon), Kristin takes the title of Top Chef.

I don't actually have a problem with the negotiations that take place between Bravo and prospective cities for Top Chef. In my mind, it's great PR for a city and local businesses to be showcased on Top Chef, and yes, there is a price to pay for that exposure. But the constant shots this season of the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market sign are priceless in my opinion. I would venture to say that many viewers are booking trips to Seattle and Alaska just based on what they've seen on Top Chef. I'm pretty sure the Seattle business and tourism community would say that while they can't factually chart it on a graph, the exposure on Top Chef, (and what they paid for it), is going to be worth the expense. I'm also intrigued by what sort of arrangements are made behind the scenes for Tom and Padma's accomodation. I wonder what sort of hotel comps are paid to Bravo. I would guess that Padma probably was in either an exquisite hotel suite and one of Seattle's finest properties or in a penthouse condo above where the contestants were staying. It would be interesting to know. And I also wonder about that beautiful waterfront property where they shot the infamous "fried chicken" challenge. What a view. Quintessestial Seattle at that place.

That was a wonderful show. I remember the scene in the Edwardian show when Giles frequented the restaurant in London where King Edward dined--and entertained.....................

I really wanted to slap Sheldon and say "come on Man, you can do this, you can do this." He told Tom that he "tasted the broth after I served it." Sheldon, dear boy, why? I have to strongly believe that if the broth wasn't overly salty he would have beaten Brooke's chicken and quail dish. I reflected back on Sheldon's two failed attempts at tempura, something he should easily have mastered. Poor fellow, I'm rooting for him, but the obvious roadblocks staring him in the face are seemingly not being seen.

The final show typically challenges the Chefs to create a signature 4-course menu that speak to their culinary style. I think it's safe to say that Sheldon's food has an Asian accent. But I'm not sure, after all these weeks, that I can get my arms around what actual style of cuisine that Brooke cooks. I hate the word "New American," but I suppose some of her dishes fit in that category. I've seen French accents in her dishes, and the frogs legs and mussels "Surf and Turf" she did on the ship was bordering on Indian cuisine. Sheldon, if he pushes himself creatively and seriously focues on technique, put serve some really fantastic dishes. My head is spinning with the possibilities of his menu. Brooke doesn't seem to have a problem with either creativity or technique, but I'm not sure what the focus of her cooking is in terms of cuisine. And then there's the final winner of Last Chance Kitchen............................

Don't be sorry about over-saturation of the Northwest, I'd love to see Top Chef go South. I'm not that familiar with the South, but I'd like to see them go somewhere other than New Orleans, maybe to a Southern city with an up and coming culinary scene.

I doubt they'd shoot in Portland, Oregon, right after the Seattle season. While the food cultures are different, the seasons for ingredients are basically the same in both cities. I have on-demand from Comcast Cable so I watch the episodes about three times. Gives me a better idea of the dishes they prepared. I wasn't sorry to see Josh go. I just never thought that he was at the Top Chef level, although his mistake with the scallop pasta that turned out to be scrambled scallops ended up being one of the better dishes this season. I didn't think the sauteed foie gras with an apricot was all that inspired, but I'm sure it was delicious. I did like the foie gras profiterole, but overall I thought his dish didn't really gel with what he's told us about his background in cooking. Sort of the rustic Chef trying to cook Michelin.

It must have been fairly small portions. The glimpses at the trays on Downton Abbey make it look like the portions were small. But I've noticed a few times that Lord Grantham took more than one portion of a dish. Then add the calories from all the wine and spirits. Even the daily menus look to be indulgent.

With the intense popularity of Downton Abbey, there has been a renaissance and fervor over the decadent, gluttonous culinary habits of the gilded class during the Edwardian Age, (1901-1910). I for one am a voracious, (pardon the pun), reader of the era and I'm fascinated by the trappings of Lord Grantham and his family. The online version Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management provides a view of how the Edwardians lived, and how they ate. It's a spellbinding read. Savor this 1909 February dinner menu for 18, no doubt served "a la russe by butlers and footmen in proper formal attire- First Course- Hare Soup, removed by Turbot and Oyster Sauce. Fried Eels. Vase of Fried Whitings. Flowers. Oyster Soup, removed by Crimped Cod la Matre d'Htel. Entrees- Lark Pudding. Lobster Patties. Vase of Filets de Perdrix. Flowers. Fricasseed Chicken. Second Course. Braised Capon. Boiled Ham, garnished. Roast Fowls, garnished Vase of Boiled Fowls and with Water-cresses. Flowers. White Sauce. Pt Chaud. Haunch of Mutton. Third Course Ducklings, removed by Ice Pudding. Meringues. Coffee Cream. Cheesecakes. Orange Jelly. Vase of Clear Jelly. Flowers. Victoria Blancmange. Gateau de Sandwiches. Pommes. Partridges, removed by Cabinet Pudding. Dessert and Ices- I'm not sure I've figured out what the "flowers" dish was. Can you imagine eating like that, even occasionally, in 2013?

I'm actually enjoying this season more than previous years. It seems that the focus has been drawn more toward more realistic cooking-related challenges and not the inane challenges of the past--like cooking with ingredients out of a 7-11 convenience store or making something chi-chi out of the hot dogs, popcorn and greasy pizza on the Staten Island Ferry. I agree that the talent pool this year hasn't felt as inspiring as the past, i.e. Hung, Blais and the Voltaggio brothers, but in general I think it's been a good group. There hasn't been a true star throughout, but there hasn't been a nasty villain, i.e. Spike or Marcel. I'd like to see the next great American Chef, but I'm also glad to have a consistent level of talent rather than one star and two outcasts. I've endured the dreadful catering challenges over the years, but even those seem tempered this year. At least we haven't seen any woppy wedding cake challenges. Yet I wait the entire season for the finale when the Chefs have the opportunity to create their own, signature menu. My hope is that it will be a grand affair. I hope.

Here we go again. They can't leave well enough alone and just have to leave the Northwest for the finale.

My regular Saturday routine of wathcing reruns of recent episodes brings to mind a though about the salmon/soudough challenge. Sourdough and beer have some of the same flavor profiles-tangy, sour, salt and yeasty. Would there have been an opportunity to somehow work the sourdough starter into something with an Alaskan ale that would have accented the salmon? I can't imagine that a "Top Chef" would just view fresh wild salmon as a pedestrian ingredient, but then again I've lived in the Northwest for 55 years so I probably have a better understanding of the reverance we have for salmon.

The Copper River salmon are of course well-known. If they can get it fresh, most people choose the Copper River Chinook. It's terribly expensive and the fish are huge. But the Copper River Sockeye are so much better. Deep-red, oily flesh and incredible when it's smoked and candied. And while spendy, less so than the Chinook. I was surprised the Chefs didn't try a quick-cure/smoke on their salmon dishes. I think the flavors would work very well with a tangy sourdough.

And didn't you just want to cry when you watched poor Sheldon take tongs to that salmon and chuck it into those serving bowls? Ouch.

Did anyone else notice the disaster in waiting when the Chefs put their dough in similar bowl to rise? I saw three large metal bowls with dough in them, all covered by plastic wrap and all placed on top of the stove. I kept thinking "they're going to label their bowl of dough aren't they, aren't they?" Then I anticipated one of them snarking at Judges table that someone took their dough.

Canned salmon is perfectly fine in lots of dishes, like salads or casseroles. But I agree with the choice. I would never choose fresh chum over sockeye. In fact, I prefer sockeye over chinook, (commonly called king salmon).

One of the most delicious king crab dishes I ever tasted was at a reception at Prime Steakhouse at Bellagio a few years back. It was fresh king crab, (a thick section of the leg, not chopped-up), wrapped with a layer of cucumber and served with pickled crab apples. Simple and delicious, as a dish should be that showcases king crab. And by the way, avoid the king crab legs on Las Vegas buffets, it's frozen and thawed more times than you want to know. I've got to watch the episode again and look at the online recipes to get a better idea of what the Chefs did. And honestly, on first glance, I was disappointed at what they did with the salmon. I was surprised the Chefs didn't venture into preparing the salmon over alderwood or one of the traditional Northwest techniques. It would be hard to believe that the venue didn't have some alderwood planks in the kitchen.

Padma blew the chum salmon out of the water with the comment that it's fed to the dogs. To be fair, chum salmon is typically used for canning, and canned salmon is a very valuable commodity. It has a place for human consumption other than feed for sled dogs.

I was very impressed with Sheldon's crab dish in the Quickfire Challenge. When Padma commented that the "broth" was "a bit thick" I thought, uh-oh. But it really was creative to use the innards of the Dungeness to create a base with a play on miso. I didn't really like the black bowls, and it made his broth look like a thick sauce, but regardless, it sounded unique and delicious--the essence of crab.

Thanks. It was actually a bit pink in the center because I intentionally didn't over-cook it. (My Mother still thinks Pork has to be well-done). The sauce was pretty thick and I brushed a good amount over the sliced meat during plating.

Chinese Barbecue Pork with Cucumber, Green Onion and Carrot Salad. Great Flavor but not at all the dyed-red stuff you buy in the grocery store. I baked it on skewers in the oven and then broiled to char it. Next time I'll grill it outdoors on the bbq for some smoky flavor.

Delicious! I'm always looking for new ways to use lettuce in savory dishes.

I think it was filmed in the Spring as I remember Tom Douglas talking about the Spring Salmon run during the Space Needle episode. If it's a good year, we'll see huckleberries on the East side in late July. But here's a tip, wait as long as you possibly can, down to the last day of the season if you can, (usually mid-September). That's when the huckleberries are sweetest. You just have to get to them before the bears eat every last berry.