kathryn sossen

I have high hopes- liked both tre and hung. Bourdain as a guest judge made my day. I too am in junk tv heaven....

I've got to admit I loved it- Now I know why I liked season 1 so much better- I think the team leaders were predetermined by Bravo for better TV... Hope Season three is as good as season 1. I wasnt as crazy about Ted Allen as a judge as I thought I'd be. Also, prior to the special I watched some of season one- Katie Lee seemed better than I remember.... In fact, better than Padma IMHO..

Oh Brother- I can't believe this- between this and top Chef 3; I'll be laughing my A** off and drinking wine all summer

I'm glad to see that Ted Allen is joining the cast as a judge. Good move on Bravo's part.

here we go again- I know I won't be able to help myself...I just have to have enough wine on hand to handle the inevitable whining

how do you spell Gullible?? I was taken in for a while- feel a little silly- but it was a well done joke

I'm not sure where to post this- but cheeck out Tony Bourdains post today on Ruhlmans blog- a strong point of view forceably expressed- Bourdain all the way.

Have you read Tony's commentary on the Top Chef contestants on Michael ruhlman's blog- It's been up for a while but I just found it- hilarious. ← What's the link to that commentary? I'd love to read it. ← It's www.ruhlman.com enjoy

Have you read Tony's commentary on the Top Chef contestants on Michael ruhlman's blog- It's been up for a while but I just found it- hilarious.

I lurk alot, post little here- don't have the experience or talent to try out- but there are some very witty and seemingly talented folks who post here- I'll be there cheering if anyone goes for it!- no guts no glory= said by one who has little of either

I love this thread- am new to these boards but I hope this thread is around next year. Great houses. I did a halloween house this year- unfortunately no pics. Maybe a Valentines house? Could be cute.

Although I'm not a great Flay fan, I do like this show and actually think that Flay losing to his opponents is a positive thing. He seems to me to be more relaxed and approachable in this format. I agree that some of the judges seemed to be picked to favor the hometown team- also, appropo of nothing at all I had an excellent meal at Mesa Grill in NYC last year so that counts for something with me.

I'v got to admit that I watch the food network- enjoy the challenges and competitions more that the old shows. I like Giada because any of her receipies I have cooked have come out great. I think Emeril and Rachael Ray have simply been overexposed. So usually it's background noise while I'm making dinner or relaxing after a 12 hour shift- But if No Reservations is on the Travel Channel I'm there instead.

i grew up in St. Pete. Ted Peters is a local landmark- good smoked fish and great but simple burgers. I haven't been back in a few years- glad to here it's still there. Don't forget to take home some of the fish spread. Fun on a sunny day with an ice cold beer.

This show is Sooo getting old- the cast has nowhere near the personality and integrity of season one. I was glad to see Betty go- and like many disappointed with Sam's and Ilan's behavior. Marcel is starting to play out as somewhat of a sympathetic character. Kudos to Mikey- he pulled it off. I'm gonna keep watching just to see how far Mikey can take it. Happy New Year to all.

I have nothing to add- I'm just happy there's another gratin challenged cook out there- my problem isn't so much the texture of the potatoes- but of the sauce- it always seems to curdle- I can never get that resteraunt creamy texture- i'v tried all sorts of combo's of cream, milk, cheese, etc. Any suggestions?

I caught last seasons final episodes last night- although disappointed with the re- runs- I couldn't help thinking that last seasons group had more collective and individual personality. Even though they were competing they seemed to have formed a bond- I dont see that with this current group- Any comments?

My story can't compete with most of these- but a few years ago I hosted a holiday dinner for 8 including my then new SO- As I put everything on the table including a perfectly done rare- Med rare rib roast, I realized by the looks on their faces that I was cooking for a Med- Well crowd- these folks didn't like the color pink- Needless to say, we had more wine and fired up the grill to turn my roast into rib-eyes. Had a good time anyway

i scored a 42- not sure what that means- but a fun 3 minutes on a Sunday afternoon

i actually thought this was a good challenge- do not know what elia was thinking about- only four canapes for over 200- Don't know what to think about Mia- maybe she really was just ready to go home. I think Sam's going to be in the finals- but did anyone remember his comment a few challenges ago about being voted one of the 10 sexiest chefs in NYC? Do I smell a bid for Foodnetwork TV show here? Ted allen seemed very bored- had a prissy expression on his face for most of the judging- Even with that, I'd love to see him, Bourdain or Ruhlman replace Gail Simmons- she adds nothing in my book. Enough of my rant- I'm off to the Bravo website to look for the elia/Stephen video.

im enjoying this thread- hate to admit it but Marcel is starting to grow on me- I really can't wait for Betty to go- I have high hopes for next week!

I agree with most on this thread- I live in a resort area, 18-20% is the norm here- but most resteraunts are high end/fine dining. Most of our places actually charge upwards to $10 to split an entree. I used to be in the industry so I tend to tip better for excellent service- but If the service is poor without an obvious reason, I will leave correspondingly less.

Thanks Zoe- Maybe I'll steal the BBQ sauce idea- sounds safe

Gosh there are some great ideas out there- This year I want to try flavored oils-chili oil, rosemary oil etc.- but I'm not sure how long they keep. I always have a bottle or two on hand for my own use- But I want to be sure I don't poison any of my friends. I also may try some homemade lemoncello- any recipies out there?

I also think that Tony Bourdain seemed strangely muted- also, he seemed to have less camera time than most guest judges... Maybe Bravo wanted only a whiff of Bourdain without the true flavor- or should I say the flavor without the taste. I understand why Tom's cranky- but he's beginning to look like a stuffed frog! Midol or Ativan would be good.