Jane Die

That was my thinking exactly. Maybe the scores didn't come out the way the producers wanted? Isn't showbiz grand?! Tempting as it is, I will refrain from advancing any of my grassy knoll theories.

Steingarden was cranky, wasn't he? I'd still like to have dinner with him because I truly enjoy watching him bitch about food. That's bloody entertainment. But ribs? Seriously? Ribs is slow food, not fast food. I too was dismayed by the lack of score card at the end. What's that about? What was the score, exactly, and why was it not revealed? Congratulations to Chef Garces. I'll enjoy watching him prepare wonderful food.

Chef Mullen screwed himself, actually. He seems to be a damn fine chef and his last presentation was simply beautiful but how does a chef f**K up rice? That's fundamental. *Rice* I do think Chef Mehta hit the wall with the over-abundance of flora but his food must be pretty special. I also think Chef Mehta has been edited to look the villain, and while he's no saint or second coming of anything (but maybe the Next IC), I don't think he's Satan/Nosferatu/EvilGeniusBaldGuy or... whatever thing he's being called. The only thing evil going on is a bit of editing shenanigans to provide the unsuspecting viewers with a culinary luchadores, minus the mask. I'm still rooting for Chef Mehta because I really want to see Indian cuisine represented on ICA and I think Chef Mehta is a very knowledgeable, creative and highly skilled chef. On the other hand, Chef Garces is AMAZING, his food looks AMAZING and I'd enjoy watching him, too. He is really very impressive. And humble, too. I like him a lot. Regardless of which of these chefs win, I think they'll bring something original to ICA. It's all good. edited for spelling

That was Suvir Saran. I don't think he's an arrogant ass IRL. He just played one for The Next Iron Chef audience. I think he's actually a pretty awesome chef/author specialising in Indian cuisine. (Disclaimer: I love Indian cuisine.) Rock on Chef Mehta!

That's a lot of strong emotion to be carrying around over someone you probably don't know a thing about outside of what you see on tv/hear from other people but, even if it's all true, that still doesn't mean she has to like something just because Tom/Padma/Gail like it. The drama is irrelevant. If she wasn't able/willing to control it herself the producers had the option to edit it out. They chose not to, and always will. They want the drama because a large segment of their viewers want it. ← You're right. That was pretty mean of me to write. I just spat it out all of a sudden like... like I couldn't swallow it! My apologies to the Kathy Lee Gifford fans. But seriously, there was nothing on those plates that warranted that response. Perhaps people with food issues should not be put in the position of judging?

I am in complete agreement about Kathy Lee being a classless twit/idiot/clueless/dumbass/why-is-she-still-around reject. Nothing that was served to them warranted that behavior. Absolutely nothing. It was all about her moment to be in the spotlight (she made it all about her and not about the food) and it would appear that she doesn't care how she looks while she's in that spotlight. I was surprised to learn in this ep that Colicchio cannot eat hot/spicy food. Bummer. Maybe that's one way of keeping his palate fully functional?

From my childhood: I recall my mom frying potato slices in bacon fat, then placing them between slices of Mrs. Baird's white sandwich bread slathered with Hellmann's mayonnaise and seasoned with salt and pepper. And if she had a few slices of dry salt pork bacon on the side (with the cracklin's attached), she was a very happy woman. She's been thin and healthy all her life and she still is. But at nearly 73, those sandwiches and dry salt pork are a thing of the past. Or so she would have me believe.

Watching ICA Thanksgiving Smackdown: Morimoto/Cora vs Flay/Symon. I think I'm in big*fat*love with Morimoto. Tandoori turkey? Lemongrass soup? I'm so there. May I call you 'Masaharu'?

Thanks for the warning. I've not seen it and now I see absolutely no reason to subject myself to this. Life is way too short. I've been thinking this for years. I'm surprised he's not... already... gone all postmortem. I thought Batalli was married? Or did he pull a Bourdain and trade up (to Paltrow?) now that he's all big time celebrity? Anyway, this truely DOES sound gross. Watching these people makes me proud to be one of those tacky little "rubes" as Bourdain is so fond of calling us. ah! Thespians!

Christ, I so hated this show. I can't even go into the myriad reasons why. I think Tony has bored himself right into the mediocrity he once claimed to loathe. I know I was bored... and irritated. Fortunately, I was cranking on some research so I had something else to focus on... and the remote control had gone missing. Besides the fact of that the show seemed to exist purely for the self-aggrandizing pleasure of Tony Bourdain, it held little relevance to ANYTHING else going on in the world today. I did enjoy listening to Wylie. Sadly, there was not much of that. ah, show business!

ditto. Showbiz does that to people. I was surprised by his blog comments about Donatella and it made me feel a little uncomfortable about liking him because it seemed any friend of Bourdain's had to be somebody I liked. Fortunately, I'm all grown up now and clearly see the stupidity in that bit of logic. I don't care much for smug. Ruhlman seems [to me] more smug than Knowlton and at times came off as a bit of a bully when interacting with Knowlton and others. But, you know, it's reality television so who knows what is real and what is contrived? I fear I'm going way off topic so I'll stop here. edited for grammar and stuff and to add that I like Knowlton AND his pretty hair.

I like the growling. That's my favorite part. I really like her show. I hope she continues on for several more seasons.

I was also a bit (a lot) dismayed that Gordon Elliott gave encouragement to the name of Aaron's new show, "Big Daddy's House". Sounds like something ripped from the pages of a Tennessee Williams play. I did not realize men still referred to themselves as 'Big Daddy'. That is so freaking weird. I don't know what to think about this. Once again, Food Network makes my skin crawl. But Aaron's food did look delicious.

Aaron's food looks great and I'll watch his show. Congrats to him. What I found bemusing is that the shows I hate most are shows produced, directed or otherwise meddled with by Gordon Elliott of Doorknock Dinners & Follow that Food fame. I absolutely could not stand to watch those shows (or Downhome with the Neeleys or Paula's Home Cooking or Paula's Party or the infamous "road shows") and I do not get the exaltation of Gordon Elliott. But whatever. I'm happy for Aaron. I don't think we've seen the last of Lisa or Adam. I hope, for Aaron's sake, he gets a different producer/director/meddler.

I completely agree.

That's exactly it. Lisa knows what she's doing. And the FN execs can teach her how to be more comfortable on camera. I recall seeing a Giada bio on FN and, in her early days, she said she was terrified and extremely uncomfortable in front of the camera when Everyday Italian (whatever it's called) started production. So since Lisa KNOWS how to cook, all she has to do is learn how to do the presentation in front of the camera. What I won't watch is one more BBQ show, which is Adam's expertise, if I understood correctly. Though I have no doubt he's a worthy contender and has cooking abilities not yet apparent to me via TNFNS. Aaron, on the other hand, did pull off some really good dishes. I do recall Bobby Flay saying Lisa's cassoulet was the best he'd ever had. Now the question remains, how many different cassoulet dishes has Bobby eaten?

Yeah, I guess I am the only one. I won't try to defend her stupid mistakes with the Prada blouses and the high heels, but that time she ended ass-end-up on the ship with sauce all over her head... and still kept going? I was sold. *LMAO* edited to change "train" to "ship" because I forgot.

I like Lisa Garza and I hope she wins. I'd also like to see Aaron and Adam get some sort of show on FN if that is really what they want to do. Of the three, based on what I've seen, I think Lisa and Aaron have the maddest culinary skillz. Who do I think will win? I think Adam will win.

I agree completely with the suggestion that the show be an hour, start it off with Anne cooking something in a restaurant kitchen, then bring her into her "home" kitchen at the studio and let her translate it for the home cook. That said, I'm happy just to have this show on FN. I loved it. I think she's brilliant. She'll gain confidence in front of the camera. Seems everyone starts out a little awkward in the beginning. An hour would be better. Oh, for the record, pro stuff turns me right on. I stainless steel, fire power, power equipment and walk-ins. Turn offs: anything instant or pre-packaged.

I can't wait to watch this. It's on dvr. I always enjoyed seeing her work with Mario on ICA and like others have said, it's nice to have another expert chef to supplement the excellent Jamie Oliver show. I hope Anne has great success with this program.

I like Lisa. I like her bitchiness. (I like Martha Stewart's bitchiness, too. Totally. I don't watch or read her, but I respect her. I would not mess with her. Ever.) Nothing wrong with being a bitch on wheels, though. Not at all. Anyway, I'm surprised OSHA or FDA or the appropriate Federa/Statel agency has not set some standards in the Food Network kitchens. Standards for dress codes (Lisa) and food prep safety (Woman Who Bashes Glass Jar on Counter) with a supervisor on hand to ensure standards are met. Otherwise, somebody might end up with a chef's knife to the back (see Lisa's fall aboard the ship) or swallow some shards of glass (see Woman Who Bashes Glass Jar on Counter). I mean, lawyers and all... somebody could get hurt and somebody might get sued. I like Shane too. I like Aaron, and i think he still has potential. I'm glad Mike Symon mentioned how offended he was at Nipa's absolute disregard for a perfectly good fish. That right pissed me off, too. Stupid, stupid girl. I can understand not being familiar with an ingredient, but to be that disrespectful of an ingredient is just wrong. edited because of squirrelly formatting issues (my bad).

Wasn't Nipa's little emotional break-down a replay of LAST SEASON's winner, who also declared at one point she just couldn't take it anymore and stormed off, then came back to explain that she REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to be the next Food Network Star? And then she was? I'm ashamed that I even know this. Now I'm freaked out. And they let Nipa stay!? I'd have tossed her off the train (and I love Indian cuisine), but frankly, the woman appears to know very little about it. Sad, too, because i think Food Network could use a program that covers Indian cuisine in depth, but I'm thinking about someone like Suvir Saran. Or Suvir Saran himself. Or someone knowledgeable on the subject. You know. Like an expert. Not this Nipa person. *sheds a croc tear for Nipa* And Robert Irvine? Hello? Didn't he just recently get... caught... ? Never mind. *slaps forehead* And the week before last? I'm still not over it. Morimoto looked like he'd rather be ANYWHERE but at that table. I loved that after the Neeley's said something about a dish being tasty, Morimoto said it was not fit for human consumption. *laughed my arse off* Heh.

All that AND Sandra Lee among others ill qualified at the judges table! BRILLIANT!

I thought i was going to go blind, deaf and dumb when I heard Bob Dylan had a wine label. But i respected him no less for it. And then i sought out the Bob Dylan wine and drank deeply from the well. So, you know, I think I could actually bear it if Bourdain did decide to endorse a product. And let's just hope it's booze and not a set of cheap-ass cookware. More foul and malodorous things could happen. Seriously.

What I've seen of the French Laundry and Keller's other establishments, not a lot of swearing (or speaking, for that matter) goes on. Of course, I've only seen shots of these kitchens on television, and not in person, so who knows what happens when the camera is off. But I think I'd rather run a kitchen the way Keller does, with zen-like mastery, than the way Ramsay does like a drill sargent *cough*. So no, I don't really think dropping more f bombs than absolutely necessary makes one a better chef. In fact, perhaps the opposite is true. Just a theory. edit: caugh to cough