Top Chef Season 4

[D. B. Brown]

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.

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This show, or ANY show. On ANY network.

A side-by-side with ilan (I cannot bear even to capitalize his name) made even Marcel (fer chrissakes) look like Mother Teresa.

Made Rocco DeSpirito look like Julia Child.

The guy was (probably still is) a piece of human excrement.

[RAHiggins1]

What's your recipe?  I'd love to try it.

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2 Chicken Breasts

1 Stick Butter

1 Cup Bread Crumbs

1/2 Cup Grated Parmesagn Cheese

¼ Cup Olive oil

Juice of 2 Large Lemons

¼ Cup Capers

1 Tbsp Caper Brine

1 Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Pepper

Saran wrap or a large ziplock bag.

Directions;

Mix together bread crumbs, grated cheese, salt, and pepper and set aside.

Lay chicken breast flat on cutting board and slice in half so that you have 2 flat pieces of chicken from each breast. Place chicken in bag or cover with saran wrap and pound until meat is a quarter of an inch in thickness. Carefully dredge the chicken in the seasoned bread crumbs until well coated.

Melt butter in a fry pan. Once melted, draw the fat off the surface with a spoon and discard. Add the olive oil to the butter. Heat the butter-oil mixture to medium high heat and brown the chicken one piece at a time. Browning happens quickly, be sure to not over cook the chicken as this will make it dry and tough. Set chicken aside once it is all browned.

Bring butter mixture to high temperature and add lemon juice, capers and caper brine. Bring to a full boil and allow to reduce for 3-5 minutes.

To serve, place chicken on top of pasta ( I prefer bowtie lightly coated in basil-garlic pesto) and spoon sauce and capers on top of chicken. I like to top the dish with grated Parmesagn and Asiago cheeses.

Edited March 17, 2008 by RAHiggins1 (log)

[RMeierdirks]

Then the judges started discussing how chicken piccatta is made. All the judges agreed that you use egg and flour. Tom Collichio refers to the dishes presented as being A la Milanaise. Which is correct, sort of.

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2. I've made Chicken Piccata for years. I've always seasoned it, dredged it in flour, then cooked it. There has never been an egg involved not once. I thought I'd lost my mind (which may be true anyway) and I went on the net and scoured Chicken Piccata recipes. Not one called for an egg. I knew the guy who was trying to add tomatoes cause confusing Chicken Piccata and Chicken Marsala, but Tom, Tom, Tom... just like you said Pineapple Upside Down Cake was made with a Genoise (not in my house, but maybe somewhere else. I use baking powder as a leavener in my Pineapple Upside Down Cake), Chicken Picatta is not dipped in flour, then egg. That just sounds wrong to me. I could be very wrong about this, but I don't think so. The orange might have worked, if there was enough other acidity to balance the flavor. Hmm, what about blood orange? Hmmmm.

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I too have found that Tom seems to shoot from the hip without really knowing what he's talking about. I have had picatta in breadcrumbs, as well as dredged in flour or flour-egg-flour-fry. For some things, there is more than one "right" way to do something. How many variations of BBQ can you find from the Carolinas to Memphis to Kansas City and beyond, there is a lot of variation, but they can all call themselves BBQ. Also, like last season's "classic dish" challenge, Tom whines when the dishes adhere too closely to the classic presentation as well as when they diverge from the classic form. I guess he can only tolerate so much innovation. Switching from lemon to orange in the Picatta didn't seem like a huge leap to me. It's still citrus but it didn't fly with fussy eater Tom.

- Rich

Edited March 18, 2008 by RMeierdirks (log)

[RMeierdirks]

One more thing. Was it just too much effort to find someone from Chicago to judge a Chicago-style pizza contest? I mean, they were IN Chicago, after all. Not even someone from Uno's, since Uno's apparently paid to be on the program? No, that's a terrible idea, let's get that carpetbagger Rocco from New York to judge the pizza.

OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Go Cubs!

- Rich

[Kevin72]

BTW, the deep dish contest is one time I'm not envious of the judges for. All that thick crust? From 16 contestants? Oof.

[tmgrobyn]

I give the minismoker eight points. Two for interesting and six for, "Holy crap on toast, look what that guy brought? Oh my God, I'm out of my league" intimidation factor. Which he seems to elicit from Andrew. Snort.

Exactly why I gave him points for it. Not so much for the plastic wrap and poor presentation, but because the guy next to him was like "holy crap! I didn't see this coming!" expression. In a sea of 16 or so competitors, it's nice to get yourself established quickly as to stepping outside the box. Or at least keeping abreast of Food TV shows that had cool tools!

I can hardly wait for next week.

Rocco looks like Julia Child. ROFL best line of the week. I just wonder if he has ever asked himself if he could undo the face job?

Edited March 17, 2008 by tmgrobyn (log)

[nliedel]

BTW, the deep dish contest is one time I'm not envious of the judges for.  All that thick crust?  From 16 contestants?  Oof.

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I think it was Padma's blog that said it was the hardest show to judge cause they tried the pizza hot and cold. I'm not sure how she does that and stays so thin, but then again, there were some pretty scary looking pizza's in that bunch and not many I'd order. Although the peach pizza actually sounded yummy.

I know Marmite has a HUGE following. I know people love it, but I don't get it. I've tried spreading it thin, but there's no thin enough for me, where Marmite is concerned.

[Doodad]

I'm not sure how she does that and stays so thin, but then again, there were some pretty scary looking pizza's in that bunch and not many I'd order.

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Hopefully she does not just rent the food.

[nliedel]

Hopefully she does not just rent the food. 

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She seems to like it too much to do that. She's probably one of those people with skinny genes. People I resent. LOL!

[tino27]

Hopefully she does not just rent the food. 

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She seems to like it too much to do that. She's probably one of those people with skinny genes. People I resent. LOL!

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I seem to remember reading (or hearing) someplace that she does actually put on weight between the beginning of the series and the end. I think when the series ends she returns to her normal diet (coupled with her skinny genes) and returns to her normal weight.

[RAHiggins1]

Hopefully she does not just rent the food. 

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She seems to like it too much to do that. She's probably one of those people with skinny genes. People I resent. LOL!

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I think she's gotten a little top heavy since last season. TB would know, I'm sure he's stared at them up close.

[The Cynical Chef]

All of these people seem to know how to cook. So why am I always shaking my head at some of them? Who goes on this show not knowing how to cook a souffle? Homemade mayo?

The frustrations they experience seem silly to me, because I expect all of them to know better. Maybe the pressure is too much for some of them?

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And that's what I found impressive about Richard Blais, he was very cool & confident. I promise that during these cooking segments that there may be a dozen people running around manning lights, cameras, mikes and such and there's at least one or two folks hollering "get a close up on Andrew! He's losing his cool!" and all of that can be incredibly intimadating. Heck Andrew even forgot how to make mayo!

Richard, though...he is very comfortable with the whole thing and he is of course supremely talented.

If my food had to be judged by Colicchio and the silky, sultry, stunning Padma....who knows what I would forgot how to make. I would probably burn my grits

Bravo Richard Blais!

[Reignking]

As soon as I saw that Richard was doing crab cakes, I said "he's going to make smoked mayo." Two seconds later, that's what he did. So, I think he made a wood-smoked mayo with The Smoking Gun (yes, as seen on The Next Iron Chef) -and- smoked the Moroccan spices that you saw come from the bowl.

The smoked mayo brings a great, surprising flavor to the dish that you aren't expecting. At Element last spring -- while he was in Chicago -- I had his "smoked" salmon. It was deconstructed (!), having the sous-vide salmon and smoked mayo separately. The salmon, by itself, was nicely cooked but plain; together, you felt like you were eating smoked salmon. Not only did he use deconstruction in a smart way, but he used a newer technique in a smart way, too. He wasn't adding smoke just to be flashy...

So, yeah, since I've eaten at his restaurant, I'm quite biased for him

FWIW, there was live casting here in Atlanta, so it is quite possible that Nimma was more than just an audition tape.

[annecros]

Go Blais!

Come on guys, the plastic wrap was GLAD wrap. Besides, it works. Every housewife should use Glad wrap to contain the smoky goodness of her little pocket smoker.

Nothing tacky about that at all.

I'm worried about Blais being an early favorite. Almost the kiss of death. I was rooting for Tre last season.

[handmc]

Why is Rocco a JUDGE on Top Chef?

While he was a chef and had a cookbook, when he got the biggest gig of his life as the executive chef of his own restaurant, He was late, absent, schmoozing customers all the time, at book signings and pretty much doing anything but what a Top Chef is supposed to do.

While he was doing all of this his restaurant tanked to the point his business partner, like chowder head or not, felt he had to step in to try to save his investment.

When Rocco got the wake up call of his life, being kicked out of his own place, did he make amends and fix it? No. The business was a failure and litigation ensued.

TC has said repeatedly this is not top souz chef or top cook its Top Chef.

Does Rocco even cook prefessionally anymore? I know he has (had?) some kind of call in show in NYC and does some stuff for Bertoli one of the sponors but did he ever pick himself up and find a new restaurant to cook at?

Isn't this competition about being able to run the place from the top down?

After such a tremendous failure and no triumphant return I wonder how Rocco can stand to watch himself on tv?

And.. What about TB's rant about the guy first season on NR in the France episode where TB compares Rocco to a Rat and makes a bunch of silly and pointless rat jokes. It must have been a treat to see these two in a room together for thier first meeting since that episode.

Send Rocco home.

edited becuase I can't speel

Edited March 18, 2008 by handmc (log)

[nliedel]

IMO Rocco is a judge cause he does know food and he's good looking. Good looking and knowing something will take you a lot of places. Not that I know anything about that.

I'm relieved to read that Padma gains weight during the season. Makes me like her more.

Yep, I'm a typical Midwestern housewife, but I have no smoker! Tragedy!

I don't get the smoke thing. I've tried to get the smoke thing, but I don't get it.

[Tsulli1]

Why is Rocco a JUDGE on Top Chef?

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After such a tremendous failure and no triumphant return I wonder how Rocco can stand to watch himself on tv?

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I think Rocco demonstrated his competence as executive chef at Union Pacific far before he demonstrated his arrogance and dropped the ball on that train wreck of a TV show "The Restaurant". I think he knew his stuff at one time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/29/dining/29ROCC.html

Also agree with the other post that looks go a long way.

I mean, why is Padma a judge?

Edited March 18, 2008 by Tsulli1 (log)

[Chris Hennes]

I mean, why is Padma a judge?

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I thought Padma was just an observer/facilitator, but did not actually get a vote?

[tino27]

I mean, why is Padma a judge?

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I thought Padma was just an observer/facilitator, but did not actually get a vote?

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From this link ...

Padma, a cookbook author and former Food Network host who joined "Top Chef" in its second season, says of judging contestants, "You know, I don't care about their personal lives. I don't care where they're from. If they want to tell me anything, they should tell me whatever they want about themselves through their food."

It sounds to me like she has a vote. Maybe it's just the way it was worded.

edited for clarity

Edited March 18, 2008 by tino27 (log)

[cathrynapple]

I was curious about the Marmite pizza. I feel very strongly that Marmite is somethign you have to grow up eating to enjoy. I Marmite, Butter, and cheddar sandwich on wheat almost every day in grade school, and ate Marmite on crackers as a toddler.

I like to think I'd love it just as much if I'd discovered it in my teens, though.

[grayelf]

I was curious about the Marmite pizza. I feel very strongly that Marmite is somethign you have to grow up eating to enjoy. I Marmite, Butter, and cheddar sandwich on wheat almost every day in grade school, and ate Marmite on crackers as a toddler.

I like to think I'd love it just as much if I'd discovered it in my teens, though.

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Not to go too far OT but I believe that you have to be born to Marmite to love it. I am surrounded by English rellies who adore it but have yet to meet anyone who has acquired a taste for it past childhood

[ErikaK]

I finally watched my TIVO'd 1st episode. I loved the deep dish pizza challenge, the peach & sweet tea one looked awesome!

I really agreed with the judges' decision to drop Nimma. Not only did she oversalt her "scampi", she undersalted the first dish. Seasoning food properly is probably the most important part of professional cooking. Especially at a higher level. I thought the challenge using classic dishes was great too, you don't see these dishes prepared much except at stodgy old retro places, it was fun to see folks sort of scramble (souffle... yikes! )

[chappie]

Just tuned in tonight's episode, at the corny main challenge point where they draw knives bearing different zoo animals. When Padma told the chefs they need to base their meals around said animal's diet, I was hoping they would have to quickly research this themselves and interpret. For vultures, I was immediately thinking offal, organs.

Instead, they get a lame little sheet listing foods they should focus on -- totally dulling what could've been an interesting challenge. For vultures it had things like rabbit, fish, lamb. Lame. Boring. Blah.

[KristiB50]

When Valerie said she was making blini's ahead of time I thought, "Oh nooooo...!!!"

And were they saying "Bellini?" as in the drink?

Gorilla's should have done a vegetarian menu. If I were on that team I would have fought for that! Then been edited to look like a beyotch but I would have been right!

Oh and did anyone else squeal at Rick Bayless in next weeks previews?

Also loved that the poll on the show concluded Tom is a bear:D

[Jon Savage]

I was nonplussed by this episode.

Besides... Don't serve it if it is not up to par You'd think that lesson would have rung true from prior seasons if not from real life experience.

Anyway I'm sure things will improve once the numbers are pruned to a more manageable level.