The Next Iron Chef

[BigboyDan]

Sanchez did not do well with airplane food either... adios...

[Chef Bradley]

P.S.  Is anybody wondering what the problem is with Food Network that they had to keep extending the deadline for entrants into The Next Food Network Star???  Originally, the deadline was in the spring.  Then, they kept accepting applications past the deadline.  Then, I just noticed a new deadline in November.  Could it be possible that they couldn't fine 25 decent people to choose from with over 1000 entries?????

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I wasnt aware of the deadline being extended AGAIN! Man, maybe Ill have a better chance of getting a call, lol. (fingers crossed).

Anyway, yeah, with millions of applicants, youd think for sure theyd be able to find 25 people.

[divalasvegas]

I'll definitely keep watching, but like many here wish TVFN would show more and detailed comments about the contestants' dishes AND let us see more of the actual preparation of the dishes.

BTW, did anyone find this last challenge strange? I mean, they go to all the trouble about admonishing the chefs to cook for customers who will be dining at 40,000 feet--assertive seasoning, etc.--and then serve it on the ground in an airplane hangar AND then complain about the seasoning. Strange.

Edited to complete a sentence since the computer decided to have a mind of its own and post before I was finished.

Edited October 29, 2007 by divalasvegas (log)

[Swicks]

Such a stupid challenge...the top chef product placement syndrome has officially taken over.

Last nights episode was a perfect example of why they need to spend more time showing the judges and reactions and less time talking about Luftansa's food preperation methods. Upon watching what little was shown of the judges reactions I thought for sure Chef Cosentino was the one to go, then it ends up being Chef Sanchez....but we really had no idea why.

[annecros]

I actually caught up on this series yesterday. Better than Top Chef. I had sworn off Food Network for the last nine months or so - but this is worthy of clicking into from time to time. Better talent than Top Chef. I haven't seen the Airplane episode yet though.

[Jane Die]

Meh. Airplane hangers. I've been in a few and I would not want to have lunch in one, especially a lunch involving subtle seasonings and flavors.

I'd like to see the remaining contestants battle it out in Kitchen Stadium with a full compliment of ingredients and equipment, since that's basically what they're competing for. I know, it's not as interesting as having a jet or the Eiffel Tower looming in the background. Whatever.

[RAHiggins1]

At this point I think TVFN is doing us and these really talented chefs a serious disservice. Last nights episode was definately a Top Chef Ripoff, unless someone actually called "Bravo" to find out what they had in the can before taping their own version. It is possible, though not verified, that this episode was produced prior to Top chef's version's showing.

Whomever said that we are seeing more product placement is correct too. We had to sit through 5 minutes of commercials to see who was leaving at the end. Did we really need the show's format to be an informercial as well?

I'm curious though. How is TVFN going to follow up after this one's moderate success? Certainly we cannot continue to add to the field of chefs currently known as "Iron de cuisine"? How will they handle a season 2?

[Reignking]

Towards the end, when they were eliminating someone, they mentioned that they had been to 3 cities in Europe. I thought they had gone straight to Munich (well, via Frankfurt)? Just some serious editing, I guess?

[JohnRov]

Okay, what's with the airliner for Sundays new episode.  Did they not just do this on Top Chef.

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I haven't finished this episode yet but what was very telling to me was that when the chefs on Top Chef get a challenge, they constantly whine about how it's below them. When the NICA chefs get a challenge, they just get at it.

[handmc]

Help me with this one. There is a specific discussion about how altitude and cabin pressure effects your ability to taste resulting in you having to season the dishes differently, more intensely. Why bother mentioning it and then have everyone dine on the ground in the airplane hanger.

How exactly is an accurately is the consideration of how the dish is seasoned and whether it will be enjoyed on the FLIGHT if you eat it on the ground?

While I might like Besh and have enjoyed his food, you get the impression the food was were not heavily seasoned. At 10,000 feet would his dishes been flavorless and Constentios or Sanchez' better?

Edited October 29, 2007 by handmc (log)

[Curlz]

Couldn't agree more, Warren...why bother with all of that when they're not only eating on the ground, but not even IN the plane? If it was too expensive to fly back and forth and serve the dishes in the air, they could have at least boarded the plane. After all, eating food when sitting in an airline seat vs. at a table with a chair could influence judging (as it did on TC, iirc). If something seems messy/dripping within those confines, it could have affected the judging, no?

More than anything, I have major issues with the editing of this show. I love that we're seeing great chefs actually COOKING, but hate that after it ends, I'm wondering why, after praising 2 of Sanchez's 3 dishes, he's the one sent home. Less of Cosentino b*tching at the cameraman and more of the judge's comments would probably help with that problem, no? Once we saw him complaining, I think we got it--the Iron Chef will have to deal with cameras in his face, so this guy can't win. NEXT!

I also hate the ridiculous recaps and previews that frame the commercials; stop wasting our time and show us FOOTAGE, people. More cooking, more judges' discussions. You know, the actual show.

[KristiB50]

Michael Symon talks about the challenge on the forums at cleveland.com

Link to forum HERE

His username is mdsymon

This was the most difficult challenge so far. I have a whole new found respect for chefs that work at airlines, it is a brutal job. The thing that made this challenge so hard wasnt the actual cooking of the product but the packing of it and thinking ahead to the reheat. After watching the battle i am certain that Chris undercooked his cauliflower thinking it would finish on the refire but you have to reheat everything in the same vessel, so if he finishes his cauliflower he overcooks his venison. Which is why you really had to think about reheating in advance and how things would react to it. The way it worked was we had to cook everything and then pack it. It sat in a chiller for 24 hours and then we recooked it. That is alot of time for something to go wrong (its not like reheating Thanksgiving leftovers!!!>>lol) The strangest thing about watching these though is the editing. John and i were in seperate kitchens from Aaron and Chris for this battle so we couldnt tell what the other chefs were doing or their stress levels(Chris is really a great guy even it it seemed as if he was going to kill a cameraman!!)..its so interesting to see it all come together..The other thing that was hard to tell is that we were all completely exhausted at this point. Filming for about 18 hours sraight plus jet lag, etc..made this battle exceptionally difficult. In the end I was really bummed to see Aaron go he is one of my closer friends in the bussiness and a great chef. No one does Nuevo Latino better!!...So off to Paris we go, sleep deprived and ready for the next battle which dear I say was even harder than this one!!!...live to cook, ms

[Jane Die]

Towards the end, when they were eliminating someone, they mentioned that they had been to 3 cities in Europe.  I thought they had gone straight to Munich (well, via Frankfurt)?  Just some serious editing, I guess?

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I watched this again last night and I did hear Symon make reference to three cities when he was presenting his dishes. Because his venison was Moroccan spiced (or curry spiced?), if my memory serves, I got the impression that he meant visiting three cities as a culinary reference relating to his dishes. I'll have to watch again.

I keep wondering if the judging is heavily influenced by the judges' proclivity, albeit an unconscious one, to favor one chef over another. Clearly, Knowlton had it in for Sanchez early on. So my question is would the results be different if this were a blind tasting? I think so.

And still, I can't quite get over the fact that the fumes of rubber, axle grease and jet fuel might have slightly tainted the taste buds of the judges, if not the food itself.

Edit: By blind tasting I don't mean blind-folded, just not knowing which chef did what.

Edited October 30, 2007 by Jane Die (log)

[rooftop1000]

This episode made me feel so much better about my 20 yr food service "career"

I am sorry a group of whiny professional chefs can't cater?

Off premise catering is a pretty damn big industry, from a big ass wedding in a park to little Jimmy's christening.

How about deli food, you make it, you chill it, you put it in a display case and hope someone buys it. And once they get their catering or deli food home you really hope they heat it up right and dont make YOU look like ass in front of their guests. Since it isn't the clients fault they reheated that turkey dinner for 3 hours because someone was stuck in traffic...it's the caterers fault for giving them food that doesn't reheat well....Most food doesnt reheat well but people keep buying it.

OK there I feel much better

tracey

[foodie52]

I found it funny that two shows had airplane challenges. What's up with that? Don't they know that most of us have to travel steerage? I don't give a flip what they are eating in business class. It's been very strange. Maybe Lufthansa gave them a huge chunk of change. I can't remember what airline Top Chef used.

[KristiB50]

I knew Cosentino was going home because during the commercial break they showed a preview of next weeks show with Besh and Symon.

[Jane Die]

I'm putting my entire stack of chips on Chef Besh.

I think they're all insanely great chefs, but I'm going with Besh.

Or Symon.

[Swicks]

I thought this was a pretty decent challenge, though 20 people seemed like too many as it would affect the choice of dishes and execution of them.

I think Symon takes it. Outside of his skills and such I think it makes sense given his prior association with Food Network as well as his personality.

[kathryn sossen]

Oh, my- what a great episode...I was totally rooting for Symon- but now am torn. The FN's PR piece in the times has me rethinking Besh. How about we ditch Cat Cora and add them both. Also- I'm voting Ruhlman's locks over Knowltons.

[Doodad]

Oh, my- what a great episode...I was totally rooting for Symon- but now am torn.  The FN's PR piece in the times has me rethinking Besh.  How about we ditch Cat Cora and add them both.  Also- I'm voting Ruhlman's locks over Knowltons. 

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"Do you even know what you are talking about? Have you ever had a properly applied hot oil treatment and straightening?"

That whole thing about the lobster roll cracked me up.

[RAHiggins1]

Top chef also did "American Classics" only they added a "make it healthy" requirement and fed it to a bunch of old people.

That out of the way, this show was cut better. I'd still like to see interaction between judges and chefs. I did however enjoy this show. I saw a lot more of their processes in the kitchen. I found it interesting that Symon could not get his water to boil, the stove looked fairly antiquated, did they have to build a fire in it, or is Paris's altitude that high?

As for the food they prepared, I'm not sure if I saw $3k euros (4,345.98 US Dollar at today's rate) worth of food on any of their 3 courses. The chairman's tastes in suppliers must really run to the extreme. Also, Symon could not find fresh truffles in France!

I think this show could have the added benefit of bringing France back into a positive light with mainstream America (no more freedom fries!) and re-awaken our love for their food and more importantly, their drink!

Just as a side note, the one thing about Iron Chef America that I'm really not into is the chairman character. I find it too hokey, it worked there, but doesn't here. Maybe if they had found someone more flambouyant like Ruhlman and not tried to create a direct link to the Japanese version.

[KristiB50]

Oh, my- what a great episode...I was totally rooting for Symon- but now am torn.  The FN's PR piece in the times has me rethinking Besh.  How about we ditch Cat Cora and add them both.  Also- I'm voting Ruhlman's locks over Knowltons. 

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"Do you even know what you are talking about? Have you ever had a properly applied hot oil treatment and straightening?"

That whole thing about the lobster roll cracked me up.

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Me too. I'm too much of a smartass to put up with Hairball Knowlton. Bravo to Donatella for not kicking him in the nads.

[kalypso]

Just as a side note, the one thing about Iron Chef America that I'm really not into is the chairman character. I find it too hokey, it worked there, but doesn't here. Maybe if they had found someone more flambouyant like Ruhlman and not tried to create a direct link to the Japanese version.

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IF you've seen the original IC then you know that Kaga the original Chairman was quite campy, hokey and over the top. Nephew does not bother me much at all. French cuisine was held in high esteem on the original show and there were many French chefs with restos or branch operations in Japan that were on the original Japanese version.

There were a series of shows filmed France in which each of the 3 Japanese ICs competed at least once. I don't believe these shows were ever shown on FTV. The Japanese IC was Nakamura who preceeded Morimoto. These shows were IC events and very similar to what we saw Sunday. In the Japanese version each IC talked about their relationship with food, we saw them shopping in various locations around France (not necessarily Paris) and then they cooked in the Chariman's Chauteau, which was not unlike the American Ambassador's residence.

If you've seen some of the old Japanese IC segments the NIC episode from Sunday really kind of did harken back to them.

[Curlz]

I found it interesting that Symon could not get his water to boil, the stove looked fairly antiquated, did they have to build a fire in it, or is Paris's altitude that high?

As for the food they prepared, I'm not sure if I saw $3k euros (4,345.98 US Dollar at today's rate) worth of food on any of their 3 courses.

...Also, Symon could not find fresh truffles in France! 

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Wondering the same thing about the water not boiling...and that's a perfect example of the frustrations I have with the editing of this show. Imo, it's far more important to answer that question than to show us more 'Coming Up' b.s.!

Re: the $ they had to spend, I thought they had 2500 Euros, and I figured that much of that must have also been spent on the display that we (also) never got to see.

Finally, I had the same reaction about the truffles; if you can't find them at the 'Chairman's favorite places to shop,' where will you find them?!? Very odd indeed.

I find Michael Ruhlman's blog both entertaining and informative the morning after each episode, esp because he sometimes answers these questions.

[Claudia Greco]

Just as a side note, the one thing about Iron Chef America that I'm really not into is the chairman character. I find it too hokey, it worked there, but doesn't here. Maybe if they had found someone more flambouyant like Ruhlman and not tried to create a direct link to the Japanese version.

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There were a series of shows filmed France in which each of the 3 Japanese ICs competed at least once. I don't believe these shows were ever shown on FTV. The Japanese IC was Nakamura who preceeded Morimoto. These shows were IC events and very similar to what we saw Sunday. In the Japanese version each IC talked about their relationship with food, we saw them shopping in various locations around France (not necessarily Paris) and then they cooked in the Chariman's Chauteau, which was not unlike the American Ambassador's residence.

If you've seen some of the old Japanese IC segments the NIC episode from Sunday really kind of did harken back to them.

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