MattyC

Funny you mention this. As it stands right now, i'm in the middle of a legal thing with my previous job. The owner decided to just stop paying employees because we confronted him about not being able to handle his job. 2 weeks into this incident, the entire staff walked out on him, because obviously this was beyond ridiculous. While it's true there is the board of labor, and massive amounts of lawyers who love to tackle these things, it all takes time. You only get your back pay quickly if the person decides to go along with it, as the labor board is next to useless. At best they can give whoever owes you money a 'polite reminder', and possibly consult the attorney general for advice, but that's it. Any for of action if they don't feel like cooperating is through court, and that takes time, and depending on what happens, money.

Opening a restaurant Adam? I'll have to come down, i'll be in boston by then which isn't too far away :-p Good luck.

Sambuca, velveeta, eel - pureed into a drink.

Love the quote by heston. Also, I don't know how I would feel about McDonalds sous vide meat lol Maybe I would actually eat there if that were the case? Honestly, I think in time the people who really think and believe in the reasoning behind what is Molecular gastronomy will still be doing what they are doing : putting out great, smart, and creative food, but all of the chefs who dragged down the name a bit will wander off, once the novelty wares off even more, and once people get tired of the overly-flashy spin on it. I don't believe it to be a cuisine all it's own, but rather a way of thinking, a culinary religion? (Oh I kinda like that haha)

Awesome challenge. Can't even think about how stressed everyone must have been. Personally I think though that if the brothers hadn't messed up with the things they had, Kevin wouldn't have won. I know he had a solid dish, but I just felt this was one time where Kevin's simple presentation was out of place, normally I am perfectly cool with how he does things. Sad Eli left, was rooting for him, even though I knew in the back of my mind he probably wouldn't win it all, but I did at least figure he would make it far. Honestly I would rather have seen Eli make it than Jen. She started off strong but I just haven't been a fan lately, I don't think I would have cried too much if she had left. I don't see her winning at least. Also, Richard Blais' blog was a touching piece on Eli over on the bravo site.

I agree with you on all points my friend. I think I touched on this kind of thing a little bit in one of the other threads around here, about bad dining trends, and about how 'Molecular Gastronomy' was tossed in there, and that didn't sit right with me. Not because it was in there, but because the meaning behind that name, what started off as something completely different than it is now, is almost at times dirty or cheap feeling these days. I do tend to call myself a molecular gastronomist, even though at times I feel ill at ease saying that. To me, this just means that I use knowledge and science to improve upon something - it doesn't mean I have to cover something in foams, or rely on gadgets, which I think is the brand of chef that gives that whole thing such a sour taste in everyone's mouth. I read, and research, and experiment all the time, not for the sake of being flashy though. While certain things in that ballpark have their uses, I think menus and concepts, like that place in Dubai that was mentioned (which I actually recall seeing things on a while back), who rely on nothing but those kinds of things, are a little too silly. Don't get me wrong, I do use spherification sometimes I feel it has it's use, or any number of other things, but not just for the sake of using it for no reason at all. I think, honestly speaking, that the whole molecular gastronomy thing has been dragged in the mud just a little too much. People have such a bad impression of that, meals of nothing but gels and bubbling concoctions for no real reason, that I think if there was a name to be settled on, it should be something different. But, I don't know if I see that happening. I mean, Molecular gastronomy started off as a seminar just because the science behind it all. Pretty sure the first one was about eggs. Not being flashy. My $.02, anyway.

Asked me a year ago and I would have said quinoa, but it seems like everyone around here is jumping on that train. Personally for me it's sunchokes. Love those things.

The previous episode was an individual challenge. Oh yeah, true enough. Although she still did poorly, and that was even WITH food she said she should shine with. The only reason she stayed is because Mike I was way too cocky and careless. If he had actually tried she would have gone IMO. I mean, it's bad when you tank on food you say you love to eat and cook all the time. She got real lucky on that one. Either way, it was long past time for her to go. Drama aside, she was out of her league and i'm sure she knew that.

I knew Robin would be out as soon as it was an individual challenge. Without a team or someone else to use as a crutch there wasn't going to be a way for her to stay in there. I actually wasn't too surprised when they didn't boot Eli, and i'm not just saying that because i'm a fan. Yes, his wasn't that great, but I think they did to an extent appreciate his 'balls out' attempt, and not only that, I think from a technical standpoint Robin just was miles behind. Hers was too stiff and panna cotta didn't taste right, the sauce didn't taste right, and the only real thing that even came close to resembling the casino she went to couldn't even make it on the plate. Eli's at least you could see the tie-in to Circus Circus I guess, even if it didn't come out great, I think they made the right choice. And I was thinking Jen would pull out of her funk, but man is she mentally done. It's a shame to see her so defeated already. Honestly, unless Eli really screws up again, I can see it being her that goes home next, since the V brothers and Kevin still seem to be doing ok, I think I may have been wrong in saying Bryan would be the one going home before the others.

Little strange, I don't normally find myself kicking it here with the bakers :-p but it's 4 AM, I couldn't sleep, so a few hours ago I figured I needed some bread or something for the morning, so I made a batch of brioche - and forgot my loaf pans were elsewhere so I figured some smaller variation would work best. Plus I didn't have much else going on this early, so of course I took a picture lol Everyone's stuff looks great. Making me a little jealous with all the cupcakes and cakes and whatnot, I just don't have the energy to do that sort of thing much, plus desserts have never really been my strong point. I think i'll stick to my breads

I love it, although I tend to agree with everything Ricchio says anyway Hell, I work back of the house, and 90% of that customer one pisses me off most of the time and I don't even deal with it, I just hear about it.

lol I know, I read that one of the four get kicked off, and thought to myself 'How is this news? they said there was only three spots in the finale, of course one of them goes home'. Honestly though, I'm actually going to go out on a limb and say it's bryan that goes. He's been coasting easily enough, but lately it seems like his coasting has a little less momentum, and I guess I can see the one getting the least attention out of the four lately going home - kinda hitting you out of the blue. Jen I could see herself pulling out of her slump, mike - well, I know a lot of people think he's way too cocky, but barring any great mishap I can see him in the end, and kevin....well, does anyone see kevin going home early? I seriously can't picture it. Also, i'm on board with that reunion dinner being a complete waste. I mean, I guess it was sorta nice to see some of them, but nothing that interesting, and really nothing more than a good waste of an hour. I think to make it entertaining they should have made marcel host.

I think it had to do with two large factors. One: She had no idea what a rilette was. The only thing that it had similar to a rilette was that it was pork - I mean, rilette is basically two things, fat, and pork, and missing 50% of the ingredients doesn't exactly work. Two: It was horrible in both taste and texture, and I think that is the big one that they busted her on. Eli did a play on rilettes on an earlier episode, the deconstruction episode, and they liked it a lot. His was a play on them, certainly not a pure rilette in the classic sense, but it was done well, and it tasted good. So it would seem to be in this case, if she had actually done a good job coming even close to what it was, they would have been ok with it. This whole play on word thing I think does have a set of rules, and I think it seems a little hazy with some people. To me, as long as it's similar in at least a way to the original, I think they can go ahead and play around. Robin's beet carpaccio to me was ok to call it that, because it was shaped and sliced in a way to mimic the original. The tomato sashimi I think was ok to do since it was really thinly sliced and made to mimic the original. The 'rilette' laurine tried to do, from what I can tell, wasn't near it in taste, texture, and even the appearance looked off, so i don't think even if it tasted well she could call it a play on a rilette since it was so far off. People do plays on rilettes all the time using other forms of protein, but at least those have a similar texture. Bottom line is she got called out on making something shitty.

No offense to people who argue this, but I like plays on wording. I agree with tri2cook, the flavor needs to be there... I mean, it's food, it has to taste good, but I always enjoy being a little playful. It makes eating a little more fun. Maybe it's just my nature - I don't like things being so set in stone, and I like to have fun. I kinda feel people who don't like that sort of thing are a little closed minded, and I couldn't live that way personally. As long as what they are playing with is similar is at least one aspect to the 'original', be it texture, or look, or whatever, I say go for it.

I dunno, to me a lot of those seem a bit over the top. Plus, I think it has a lot to do with where you work, etc. Some people and places have their own version of these 'rules' - some on this list are meant to be followed, some places like some of those rules broken, and some are pretty much no brainers, where if not followed is just plain wrong. Honestly, I don't think I would be happy if every single of those were followed. I think it's silly to think that every single person likes to be waited on the same way, much the same reasoning that not everyone enjoys the same dish. Personally, I think the writer was a little full of himself. To me, as long as the server is polite, and professional, then I have no problems. You can still be professional giving me your name, or following any number of other 'rules' on there. It just depends on where you are and who you are waiting on.

As much as I like jen I feel like sometimes she seems a little one note, and like john b said, she just needs to relax or I don't think she will make it. She's been showing how much she can trip up when she looses her cool, and with that I don't think she'll make it. I think I'm going against the trend, and really hoping mike V makes it to the end. I think he's shown he's talented, and while a lot of people seem to be quick on jumping onto the hate train, he has shown he can make food that tastes good, and he is extremely creative. So what if he has a bit of an ego? most chefs do. I think some of the times he's been an 'ass' to some of the others it's been called for, and unless you've been in a professional kitchen you think it's horrible, and personally I see it as not completely understanding life in a kitchen like that - often times it takes someone to be very firm to get the job done - I think he showed that in the restaurant wars challenge, and they took it home. Comments, like the one against Kevin.... a bit much, but the judges did say they really enjoyed the dish and everyone is acting like kevin put out someone great and mike put out ass, which isn't the case at all. And his comment to his brother about the items that didn't make it to the plate - honestly I think he meant it as a good thing, meaning it was good bryan didn't get them plated as they were oily. Maybe his tone just makes him seem angry all the time? I don't know if he will edge of out his brother, both are extremely talented, but I almost want to say between the two of them I think it will come down to who can keep their cool. I love Kevin. Personally, I think he is the man to beat, as i'm sure everyone else will agree, he's been the toughest one and I think it will stay that way. Eli, I think, stands a decent chance. For the most part he is consistant, and all it takes is a good slip-up from someone else to get him a spot in the end. Or I might just be a little biased since he was chef blais' sous for a number of years and he was one of my favorites lol Either way, I wouldn't count him out. Maybe he hasn't won much so far, but consistency can go a long way if the others are up and down.

Ha ha I was cracking up when that was happening. Just goes to show you can't escape the 'male member' jokes as when it comes to the food industry.

I dunno, honestly i'm on both sides with this Mike vs Kevin dish thing. While I do think it was a bit much for Mike to get so worked up, I think if I were in that kind of situation, I might be a little annoyed too. I honestly think he was right to say that he could have whipped that up in 20 minutes, and honestly it did like a little on the unappealing side: brown + brown = more brown. I just think Mike brings a different dynamic to his dishes, that he is more fun, playful, and artistic, which to me does count for a lot. Is it the MOST important feature? No. Like people have said, food is meant to be eaten, but Tom Colicchio did say that he really did enjoy Mike's dish, just that in the end Kevin's was seasoned better, and I agree he was right to win - but I also don't think Mike's dish shouldn't be discredited. I kinda feel like it's easy for home cooks and others to knock chefs down when they are creative to such an extent. I think they think because a dish is so artistic, or so out there, it can't possibly have soul, or that it can't taste good. I think he has shown that he knows how to make things taste good, but also look good, which I think should also be up there with qualities of a top chef. He cares about what he does, and he really enjoys the style that he cooks in,it makes him happy, which I think in itself is soul to a dish. With all of that being said, I think Kevin is awesome and has always deserved the wins he has gotten. But I also think that a chef in this competition should also strive for all aspects of a dish, looks included. While it may have been filling, I kinda feel like if I had just a bunch of of mushrooms plopped in front of me after seeing a lot of the other dishes go out, I would have been at least a little disappointed ( I love mushrooms btw, so i'm not prejudice). I also kinda feel that if I were Mike, I probably would have been a little irked as well. When you put so much thought and creativity into something, only to lose to something you honestly could have done in a quarter of the time, I think anyone would have felt a little annoyed - he just kinda went a little overboard. Also, I think Mike I going home was a good choice. While I do think, and most people think, that Robin isn't as up to snuff with the rest, Mike I really just didn't seem to care, and it bagged him. I think if he had focused he would have pulled through, since it was obvious Robin was going to be on the bottom, and I do think that if he had put 100% into it he would have beaten her. Robin has been incredibly lucky so far, and while good for her for making it this far, I wonder how much farther she can really ride this.

I guess i'll make another long winded post, since I kinda want to do anything to help :-p Personally, I started out like most highschool kids, just working at local pizza/sandwich place because they would hire me. And back then, I really didn't think anything of it. I was planning on going to school for something entirely different (which was programming), and figured that cooking was just a crappy job to get me through - I wasn't raised in a super food conscious family. We ate well enough, my mom was.... an ok cook....but that's about it. Once highschool ended, the summer before college I needed a bit better of a job than slinging pizzas, so my boss, the owner, said he knew an old friend who owned a restaurant on the coast who needed someone, and he had always thought I had a knack for things, so he wanted me to try my hand there. So with him putting in a good word, I interviewed for a spot in the kitchen there and got hired. While that place wasn't by any means great - often times it was even barely 'decent', but it did give me my first decent glimpse of a line in a kitchen. Now, I wasn't the only new person who had been hired. In fact, aside from the chef and one other kid, we were all new back there. And it really started to show soon enough that most people really just didn't care, that they were like me at my first food job - just trying to get by. But for whatever reason, I started to look forward to putting out nice things, and trying my hand at more and more. Since it was pretty much, for all intents, my first 'cooking' job, I was started on the salad station... which is usually where you start anyway, at a lot of places, regardless of skill. But the chef saw that I was easily making better progress than everyone else, and for the fact I didn't want to put out stuff AS crappy as the others, he started showing me more, so I gradually moved stations and learned the majority of that line pretty quickly. Now, the summer was over, and it was time to move into the dorms for school, and back to what I thought I wanted to do. Now, fast forward a few months, and I was really realizing I just wasn't that interested with what I was going to school for. It kinda become apparent that I was missing my time on the line. So I finished up my first year, and found a simple line job. The summer passed.... and I didn't go back to school. Do I regret that? Yeah, sorta. I knew I was wasting money on what I wasn't happy doing, and I knew that. Over the course of the year I had a decent IT job, and had helped out with a few other PC odds and ends, and realized I couldn't stand it, that it was just TOO boring for me. So instead of going back to school right away, I wanted to really think about what I wanted, and since I at least knew I liked cooking so far, I decided to just do that for a little time off while I thought about it. Fast forward a little bit, and I come to my first job where I actually learned a valuable thing, and that is dealing with high volume. I ended up getting a job at a family restaurant/bar, with about 300 seats, and with that place on a busy night, I don't think I have ever been so stressed out in my life. Nobody truly understands the meaning of 'headache' until you have 60+ tickets hanging in your window, a line of tickets probably about 20-30 long streaming out of the printer onto the floor, and a line of 4 people, 2 of which don't know what to really do since they are new. It was rough, but eventually I ended up becoming the head there, working directly under the owners, since I was one of the few people that actually gave a damn about what left the window.Now, not to say I was putting out great food, I had been cooking for the most part pub food until now, and while I did a decent job of that, I still felt like I hadn't really started 'cooking' yet. I stayed there for a few years, and while at work the food was pretty commonplace, along the way I had suddenly become realy curious about food, so in my off time I started trying to cook a lot of new things, eventually putting a lot of that on special at the restaurant with great feedback. Fast forward more time, and by now I really had outgrown that place. My 'hunger' to cook real food, and wanting to move away from the bar scene was intense, so I really started thinking about moving on. And randomly, out of the blue, a friend I hadn't talked to in months, said there was a small fine dining restaurant where he was working, and he was becoming the new head chef, and wanted to bring me on board since out of all the people he knew, he figured I would be the fastest learner, and knew I actually cared about what I was doing. I saw this as my chance, so I gave my notice and started up over there. Now it wasn't easy. Going from never making a homemade soup and cooking bar food to having to make soup from scratch every day, to making things like veal stock and demi, to learning how to trim and cut meats and butcher poultry - it was a crash course for sure. We did everything there from scratch, and very quickly shot up to sous. It was also in part by learning things in my own time - I wasn't content to just learn while I was at work, I read, i cooked, I did everything I could while I was at home to keep learning. While there I was exposed to a lot of challenges too, like pairing for the sommelier of el bulli while he was in the states, to themed dinner parties, to a whole lot of things, and I really learned how to figure out a lot due to being thrown to the wolves, for a lot of things. But even there, after a while, I noticed I was starting to take charge of things, to correct the chef on how to do things, to come up with specials and plan menu items. It wasn't because I thought I was better than he was, it was because my need to learn was so great I was learning things at a great rate, faster than the chef. So once again, I needed to move on, because if I stop learning where I am, I don't think its worthwhile. Now we are almost to where I am. For a year, year and a half, after I left there, I hopped jobs a little. I was on a mission to find places where the chef was talented and had something to show me, and I took what i found, even if it meant taking pay cuts - I was doing it for the knowledge. And I learned a great deal. Some chefs had trained in france, one in italy, some came from good culinary schools where they had taught at one point, others were like me, who had learned from the ground up on their own. Some had awards like "best chef of -", and some didn't really care for that kind of thing. Where I am now - well lets see. I use a lot of modern ideas and techniques (Chef Blais and Chef Achatz are two people I respect a great deal, if that tips you off), but I also have french style roots due to some of the people I have worked under. This past summer I helped open a small upscale cafe, but have since moved on from that to try my hand at something else. I have two cooking related tattoos on myself - a small chefs knife on my left wrist, and a whisk on my right wrist. I work a lot of hours, although most of it is by choice, i tend to not leave the kitchen till what I want to do is done. I'm nowhere near where I want to be, I have a LONG time before I get anywhere near that, but i'm happy, in the end, with the choices i've made. After all the chopped finger parts, and bad burns, i'm happy with it all. If I can suggest one thing if this is the path you take - follow your heart and learning. Don't always take the path of money, because in the long run you will be much better off. I don't regret any pay cut to work for a great chef in any way shape or form. Like others have said, maybe life on the line isn't for you, but that doesn't rule out food at all. If you try it and don't like it, find something you find you are interested and just go for it. Find a place that does what you like and try and get in, no matter what entry position it may be. I actually just finished reading a book called 'The cheese chronicles'. It's about a woman who is known for her knowledge of cheese, who gives places like the french laundry lessons on it, and started off by pestering a cheese shop back in the day to become cashier, just to make it in the door. There is so much in the world of food, that if that's where you want to be, you'll find a place. I hope for you zen this might give you a little insight and help, and for everyone else reading it, I hope I didn't bore you lol

You know, i've thought about kinda this very same thing, years back. Right now i'm 26. I had other choices, other careers I could have changed to and taken. But I think it all comes down to one thing, and it's love. Love of what you do. I'm going to tell you right now, a lot of that stuff you read, the burns, the long hours, the aches, the poor pay - it's true, and most cooks/chefs go through any if not all of that in their careers. But we still do it. At the end of the day, after all of the yelling, the injuries, the highs, the lows, the times during service you have so many tickets, and so many orders you can't even think, to the boring times you need to take apart the oven and clean, or get down on your knees and scrub down some shelves - at the end of the day, I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm going to tell you that you probably won't make any money either. You bust your ass for not a lot. There are tons of other jobs, easier careers, where you can earn for more for doing far less. IMO one of the few industries where you give so much, mentally and physically for not really a whole lot. I think it takes a certain breed to really WANT to be put through this. There are people who cook as a job, and then there are people who cook because they enjoy it. The ones that don't really care will complain, say it's too hard, etc. But others will stay with it because it's rewarding. I worked with a man at my last job.... probably about 6 months ago. He was of the same mind - meaning, he loved food, it had always been a passion of his, but this was his first real kitchen he had cooked in. And man, was he not ready for it. He had visions of TV chefs, and other silly ideas, although at least you have read something like kitchen confidential I suppose. He complained, he moaned, he just didn't think it was really going to be that rough. At the end of his first 2 weeks though, I asked him how he really felt about it - and he paused for a minute, and he said he was really happy. He had never really expected it to be this rough, it was his first kitchen after all, and despite how I got after him for screwing up all the time, he wouldn't change a thing. he left every day, learning something new, and proud of himself when he got through it all. I guess after all my blabbing on, what i'm getting at is this: Pretty much anyone cooking in a restaurant is crazy. We do this to ourselves. We work in a job that pays like crap, where injuries are a given, where it's stressful and draining, where more often than not you will work inhumane hours and develop aches that won't go away - but we are happy. I don't know of a whole lot of people who can honestly say that. We are outlaws and thugs, artists and chemists. And won't lie, even i've questioned myself once or twice, but the times where someone has really been made happy by what i've done, someone shaking my hand for a great meal, or someone asking me to come out to a table to thank them for a great time, seeing what it does to someone, makes it worth that, and any doubt goes away. Give it a shot. Try your hand in a kitchen. Maybe you'll end up as insane as the rest of us.

Man, bravo is really cashing in on this food show craze. Now, I love top chef and everything else, but i'm hoping this whole thing doesn't start to overstay it's welcome. And besides, i'm not used to watching this much tv, this can't be good for me

Actually really excited about this. Should be interesting to see pure pastry/baking challenges. Although, I wonder about quickfires? Kinda see dough and other baking being a little rough in 45 minutes

Considering the level of talent this season, this would be an awesome finale.

Fall always really means two things for me - braised short ribs and butternut squash soup. Seriously, I eat and make those two things religiously during the fall. Also, I glaze anything I can with maple syrup, since this is Maine, and I think just about everyone I know either makes their own, or has parents or relatives living up in northern maine making some, so the good stuff is easy to come by. Also maple desserts. And maple with bacon. Damnit now i'm hungry.

I have to disagree with this. Personally, I like Mike V, and wouldn't at all call him evil. I've worked in a lot of kitchens where a chef has acted like that - to either a boy or a girl. It's a simple matter of following the plan, and running a tight ship. When it's really busy, everyone needs to be 100% on the same page, or else the ship can sink. Heck, I can remember one time I had a pan thrown at me, because I was plating a dessert and i changed one small thing. Yeah, a little extreme, but it's you learn that you plan things out for a reason. One small thing can throw a kink in the works. And also, you could say she didn't respect the others for sticking to the plan if she were in fact changing things up? Yes, it was her dish, but it's a team thing. Say she changed one thing, and that one thing the judges didn't like , and it ended up bring the house down on the team? Was she in the right because it was her dish, or was she in the wrong because she set the entire team back? Mike V ran it like he would run a line in a real restaurant. You keep tight reigns on things, and push people to the goal - and any chef will tell you, it's not personal, it's just pushing. I mean look at the other team. No real leader, and everything went down the drain.