Top Chef Season 4

[KristiB50]

Starts Wed March 12

Official site:

http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/4/about/index.php

[Doodad]

And Whole Paycheck, err Food, is doing a promo contest for TC burger.

I am in.

[dockhl]

I watched several of last seasons episodes last night and I can't wait !

[Zeemanb]

Note to self: Don't let the first several episodes where the hacks are getting weeded out and the drama queen personas are being masterfully edited get to you.....you LOVE Top Chef....think about all of the crap you still watch on Food Network.....you are FAN of Top Chef, it's a good show and you're going to love it!

[Darcie B]

I haven't even seen a clip yet and I am already annoyed by Spike and his hat. This is gonna be fun!

[chappie]

I am looking forward to it, even with the psychodrama. Season 3 was a vast improvement from its predecessor, and I can only imagine this one will be another step forward (or at least back toward Season 1).

I have said this a thousand times in other posts, but watching a single rerun of Season 2 today, I will say it again. Ilan is the single worst character that show has ever fielded. I cannot believe he walked away a winner. Slimy.

[grayelf]

It would appear we Canucks will have to wait to meet Spike and the gang. No sign of the new season on the local provider here in Vancouver, anyway. Anybody out there know when the show will be aired in Canada?

[Doodad]

Why does it have to come on at 10? Some of us work early on the right coast.

[pax]

Ok, I don't want to post a spoiler, so I'm going to word this carefully.

What moron would go to Chicago to cook for Top Chef and NOT bring a recipe for this challenge? I mean, hullo, people, this is a no brainer. I mean, I've made a couple of these this winter thinking about this series.

AND in the same kind of pan that guy is whinging about, which is FABULOUS for those things because it can be pre-heated?

Oy.

[Holly Moore]

Was it just first show jitters for the production crew or will the editing always make it excruciatingly obvious who is going home?

Still, a lot of fun to watch.

Edited March 13, 2008 by Holly Moore (log)

[pax]

I worry what they will do to the Chicago Dog, Holly, I really do.

[jsmeeker]

tough to get a feel for who you like and who you don't an hour with so many contestants. Right now, I have no feel for who the "superstar" is. But the women had a nice showing in the first elimination challenge.

Bordain and Rocco on the same panel. Nice move. Wonder what Tony's blog will reveal. He really did enjoy the winner's dish a great deal. Somehow, I am thinking he had to convince the other judges that was the one to go with.

Does anyone think having a couple on the show is somehow unfair? I'm think it's not unfair in anyway. Too many individual challenges on this show. They can't always pair up.

[Tess]

Does anyone think having a couple on the show is somehow unfair?

Did I miss an explanation of how that happened? I'm not sure it's unfair but it's odd.

I think Bravo definitely has an "exit edit." It's more obvious on Project Runway, where the minute someone says, "Making [whatever is this episode's challenge] is my specialty" you know they're toast. That said, it seems to me that it's usually worse at the beginning because they want to be sure you recognize the people who are winning and getting the axe.

[chefseanbrock]

blais is gonna kick some ass...

[tetsujustin]

Ok, I don't want to post a spoiler, so I'm going to word this carefully.

What moron would go to Chicago to cook for Top Chef and NOT bring a recipe for this challenge? I mean, hullo, people, this is a no brainer. I mean, I've made a couple of these this winter thinking about this series.

AND in the same kind of pan that guy is whinging about, which is FABULOUS for those things because it can be pre-heated?

Oy.

←

I'm pretty sure you can't bring cookbooks or recipes onto the show.

[branch]

Did anyone feel a sense of supreme irony when Rocco gave a contestant props for making fresh pasta?

[Doodad]

Does anyone think having a couple on the show is somehow unfair?  I'm think it's not  unfair in anyway.  Too many individual challenges on this show. They can't always pair up.

←

I imagine it was to emphasize drama and bravoness in this case, but I think it will backfire on both the couple and the show. I find it very odd for a reality show in this vein.

[KristiB50]

Lot's of faux-hawks and cussing.

The right person went home. I don't think I could have tolerated Nimma's whining for very long. She had a personality in her audition tape but it disappeared on the show. She's a Muslim who lives with her parents so I think the, "I'm not going to have any fun" comment was for their benefit. They probably told her she could go on the show as long as she didn't make as ass of herself.

The funniest moment for me was after the judging the bald guy said, "they didn't like my nachos." and the other guy said, "I breaded chicken."

I don't think having a couple on is unfair. I think BRAVO is hoping for some drama when one starts to edge out the other. Although I noticed Zoi and Jennifer are going to have their own blog on the Top Chef site. It isn't up yet though.

Padma has a video blog. She said the pizza challenge was the hardest digestively because they tasted each pizza twice-hot and cold to see if it held up. Someone should have made a whole grain crust so they could get some fiber!

Edited March 13, 2008 by KristiB50 (log)

[Dieck]

I'm pretty sure you can't bring cookbooks or recipes onto the show.

←

Yeah, but you can have some ready in your head. Remember Hung coming ready with a memorized chocolate cake recipe, just in case he needed to make a dessert? That's the kind of preparation needed for that contest.

Those cheftestants should have been ready to roll with that one. It was a fair and obvious challenge, much easier than making an amuse bouche from the buffet table.

I'm guessing they got the dough given to them? They couldn't let it rise and so on in the 90 minutes, right? I probably can find the answer to this on one of the Top Chef blogs. Come to think of it, I wonder who's blogging this year ... I hope Hung is...

The elimination challenge was a little less fair, but it seems to me that they considered degree of difficulty in their judging. The one that went home didn't have a recipe that was difficult to make. I felt bad for the chicken piccata guy -- when I thought of that in my head, all I could envision was capers.

I'm glad the cheftestant from my home town won!

[tino27]

I'm guessing they got the dough given to them? They couldn't let it rise and so on in the 90 minutes, right? I probably can find the answer to this on one of the Top Chef blogs. Come to think of it, I wonder who's blogging this year ... I hope Hung is...

←

Yes, there were several shots (albeit brief) of a big mass of pizza dough sitting on a table for the chefs to use.

Edited March 13, 2008 by tino27 (log)

[Chris Hennes]

tough to get a feel for who you like and who you don't an hour with so many contestants.  Right now, I have no feel for who the "superstar" is.  But the women had a nice showing in the first elimination challenge.

←

I thought this was particularly interesting about this year's group---the setup isn't clear yet. Recalling years past, the "good guys" and the "villains" seemed a lot more obvious, right from the start. Maybe they are going to slow down the character development this year... or make it a little less black-and-white.

I was a little disappointed that Bourdain was so nice, and that they didn't show any interactions between he and Rocco... I mean, this is reality television, I need my DRAMA!!

[pax]

I'm pretty sure you can't bring cookbooks or recipes onto the show.

←

I repeat, any chef worth their knives going to Chicago to cook for Top Chef without a deep dish pizza in their repertoire is a moron.

Who cooks pizza from a recipe? It's a method. you either work it or you don't.

[Dieck]

I'm guessing they got the dough given to them? They couldn't let it rise and so on in the 90 minutes, right? I probably can find the answer to this on one of the Top Chef blogs. Come to think of it, I wonder who's blogging this year ... I hope Hung is...

←

Yes, there were several shots (albeit brief) of a big mass of pizza dough sitting on a table for the chefs to use.

←

I must have missed it, thanks. Gotta stop working on the laptop while watching TV ... I miss stuff.

Given that, that's probably the first challenge on Top Chef where I've thought, "I could do that."

[jsmeeker]

I'm pretty sure you can't bring cookbooks or recipes onto the show.

←

I repeat, any chef worth their knives going to Chicago to cook for Top Chef without a deep dish pizza in their repertoire is a moron.

Who cooks pizza from a recipe? It's a method. you either work it or you don't.

←

If I was making deep dish pizza, I would at least need a recipe for the dough. I've never made it before. Only thin crust NYC/Neopolitan style pizza. I know there are difference, but don't know what they are exactly. But one time would probably be enough. However, the dough WAS provided for them. So, really the only "trick" is knowing how much you needed for the size pan they provided. Some people went WAY overboard. Even if you have never made it before, you could be at least clued in by looking at a properly made pizza. Which of course, they had all just seent and eaten.

Of course, I'm not a professional chef, so I can cut myself some slack.

[Chris Hennes]

Even if you have never made it before, you could be at least clued in by looking at a properly made pizza.  Which of course, they had all just seent and eaten.

←

I wonder how many of them picked up on this. In previous years (at least last year) the opening quickfire was based on the food they had at their first meeting. Were they paying close attention to the pizza, or were they completely oblivious? And for those who caught on, did it help?