Top Chef Season 4

[jsmeeker]

I thought Richard was gone. That his mushy, scaly salmon was his downfall in the way bread pudding was Tre's downfall last year. One of the contestants with the best credentials gone early.

But it wasn't to be.. I'll be looking forward to what else he can do. But why not do a traditional poach? Is sous vide just over done on this show, or is it me?? If I was the Earth team, I would have had some root vegetables in there. As far as I can recall, they didn't have any.

[Chris Hennes]

But it wasn't to be..  I'll be looking forward to what else he can do.  But why not do a traditional poach?  Is sous vide just over done on this show, or is it me??   If I was the Earth team, I would have had some root vegetables in there.  As far as I can recall, they didn't have any.

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I like that he seems to be trying to stick to his style and area of expertise instead of making stuff he has no idea if it will work (I don't think that's how you win this competition...). Maybe I'm just sympathetic because I've been playing around with sous vide recently... That and the editing somehow makes him seem like the most normal person on the show.

Edited April 11, 2008 by Chris Hennes (log)

[Dieck]

I thought Richard was gone. That his mushy, scaly salmon was his downfall in the way bread pudding was Tre's downfall last year.  One of the contestants with the best credentials gone early.

But it wasn't to be..  I'll be looking forward to what else he can do.  But why not do a traditional poach?  Is sous vide just over done on this show, or is it me??  If I was the Earth team, I would have had some root vegetables in there.  As far as I can recall, they didn't have any.

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I was wondering about the same thing -- poached vs sous vide.

Did you happen to read Ming Tsai's interview on the Bravo site? Not a chef that seems intrigued with sous vide. I think his quote was, "I use plastic bags for taking out my garbage." I'm guessing he wouldn't have been impressed with the smoked dishes covered with plastic wrap.

Edited April 11, 2008 by Dieck (log)

[nliedel]

Coho, that would explain a lot. I grew up in Michigan on the lake (Michigan) and had a lot of Coho, it's mushy. Diek is right about that.

Richard's scales. I'm not sure how he lived through that, except the diners slammed the carpacio.

I re-watched it, thank you Gods of the DVR, and Antonia did make it clear she wanted nothing to do with soup, but under seasoned squash soup is worse than under seasoned mushrooms, in my book. If you don't season squash soup along the way, it's not as good as it could be, by a mile. I can say this with authority, cause squash soup is one of the very few things I make that really is pretty darn tasty. Too bad I can't make a killer brownie. Sigh.

[Dieck]

nleidel, glad you had the same thought about Coho. It's been years since I've had it but my memory recalls "ick."

As for brownies, have you tried the Cooks Illustrated recipe for brownies? That's my go-to brownie.

[handmc]

Maybe Dale's crotch grabbing was him hold on to his temper.

Anotonia had a point that they did just get through a quickfire that focused on Lux vs. lesser quality ingredients. Her reasoning was that this being a fundraiser the folks shell out big $$$ would not be thrilled with a simple squash soup. I think that was a valid point.

Why not go with truffles, as pointed out in the blogs (earthy and lux) and make something simple with that for a first course.

I think Richard messed up but it didn't deserve him going home. Zoi has failed to properly season her food throughout. I don't understand why the judges fixate on they are only judging the dish in front of them nonesense. You mean to tell me that between each segment they forget which ones serves up good food and which ones do not? Please, they told Zoi repeatedly her food was bland she deserved to walk because she wouldn't listen.

That bacon sounded really good and Dale should be kissing butt not yelling because that beef and egg concept he has would have sent him home.

[rconnelly]

Coho, that would explain a lot. I grew up in Michigan on the lake (Michigan) and had a lot of Coho, it's mushy. Diek is right about that.

Richard's scales. I'm not sure how he lived through that, except the diners slammed the carpacio.

I re-watched it, thank you Gods of the DVR, and Antonia did make it clear she wanted nothing to do with soup, but under seasoned squash soup is worse than under seasoned mushrooms, in my book. If you don't season squash soup along the way, it's not as good as it could be, by a mile. I can say this with authority, cause squash soup is one of the very few things I make that really is pretty darn tasty. Too bad I can't make a killer brownie. Sigh.

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Laurie Colwin had the easiest, best brownies. They were "Katherine Hepburn's Brownies" and can be found in her collection of essays, "Home Cooking or More Home Cooking".

[rconnelly]

I think they picked the right person. Zoi seemed to be a timid cook rather than a chef and all those tears drove me crazy. She complined because there were so many team challenges, but until the numbers dwindle I can't see it going any other way.

Bedsides when Chef C. came through the kitchen he asked who had made what dish so they must be jundging them as individuals.

One more point, had they done indivudual challenges, Zoi would've been gone a long time ago.

[Kevin72]

My wife might be a better cook than me. She immediately came up with adding truffles in the butternut squash soup when it was up for debate.

Me, I have a hard time believing they still wouldn't have been reamed over doing just a soup, no matter how much they elevated it. On paper, their entry didn't even seem that bad, it was just poor execution.

Much as I like Richard, I think he maybe should have been booted. Scales in your fish is just an unforgiveable oversight.

Stephanie officially has a really good shot at this. She either wins or is on the winning team almost consistently. Yeah, she did lose the palate test, which is concerning, but then again last season they had someone who couldn't chop a fookin' onion in their top 3, so . . .

[Chris Hennes]

I loved the palate test, though I was a little concerned that the quality metric they used was price: wouldn't make more sense to just label them "Lower" and "Higher"? I assume the items were carefully chosen so that the higher-cost item was also higher quality, but of course that is not always true.

I want to try that test at home: I bet I'd be in the 50% correct range (i.e. no better than guessing) . I need to work on that...

[kiliki]

I still have not warmed up to this group--I don't find them or their cooking particularly interesting. My husband falls asleep every episode. The palate test was great though! As was the last "technique" challenge. So much better than vending machine challenges.

I haven't eaten Coho in years, but I recall it being a very soft, somewhat watery fish.

I wouldn't have served coho at a "fancy" event, sous vide or not. It's okay, but more in the "oh look it's on sale and in season, I'll put it in red curry and it'll be my monday night dinner" sort of way.

Edited April 11, 2008 by kiliki (log)

[nliedel]

I read the blogs and someone, Ted Allen, I think, mentioned that they try to get there past histories out, but if a problem is ongoing, under seasoning, for example, they can't ignore it. That made sense and seemed the most fair to me. He had some interesting thoughts on dish salvation for this episode. Love that guy.

[chezcherie]

I loved the palate test, though I was a little concerned that the quality metric they used was price: wouldn't make more sense to just label them "Lower" and "Higher"? I assume the items were carefully chosen so that the higher-cost item was also higher quality, but of course that is not always true.

I want to try that test at home: I bet I'd be in the 50% correct range (i.e. no better than guessing) . I need to work on that...

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after watching this a second time, i really wonder about this, too. dale said he knows and loves caviar, and yet he missed that one. on closer inspection, the caviars they used were in the neighborhood of $3 and $17 an ounce....something along the lines of "bad and badder", perhaps?

[BryanZ]

But it wasn't to be..  I'll be looking forward to what else he can do.  But why not do a traditional poach?  Is sous vide just over done on this show, or is it me??  If I was the Earth team, I would have had some root vegetables in there.  As far as I can recall, they didn't have any.

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SV is optimal for this kind of banquet situation. I'm not saying that a traditional poach is a bad idea, just SV could've worked very well. I've served coho CSV and you simply need to cook it at a higher temperature, especially for those unfamiliar with fish CSV. Because coho does have a finer flake than Atlantic farmed salmon or king salmon, it does come across as mushier when undercooked.

Really there's no difference between a poach and CSV, Blais just happened to opt for a lower temperature in the latter method and suffered for it.

[Ndy]

I loved the palate test, though I was a little concerned that the quality metric they used was price: wouldn't make more sense to just label them "Lower" and "Higher"? I assume the items were carefully chosen so that the higher-cost item was also higher quality, but of course that is not always true.

I want to try that test at home: I bet I'd be in the 50% correct range (i.e. no better than guessing) . I need to work on that...

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after watching this a second time, i really wonder about this, too. dale said he knows and loves caviar, and yet he missed that one. on closer inspection, the caviars they used were in the neighborhood of $3 and $17 an ounce....something along the lines of "bad and badder", perhaps?

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That caviar one was stupid. How are you supposed to distinguish between two shit caviars?

[RAHiggins1]

I loved the palate test, though I was a little concerned that the quality metric they used was price: wouldn't make more sense to just label them "Lower" and "Higher"? I assume the items were carefully chosen so that the higher-cost item was also higher quality, but of course that is not always true.

I want to try that test at home: I bet I'd be in the 50% correct range (i.e. no better than guessing) . I need to work on that...

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after watching this a second time, i really wonder about this, too. dale said he knows and loves caviar, and yet he missed that one. on closer inspection, the caviars they used were in the neighborhood of $3 and $17 an ounce....something along the lines of "bad and badder", perhaps?

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There is a lot more to Caviar than price. I've compared the american osetra to true Beluga and at that time I found that I preferred the cheaper. Both were good, but it came down to the flavor of the brine and mouth feel for me. The american was $20 for 2oz. and the Beluga was $80 for 20z. This was a few years ago before Caviar prices sky rocketed. On Top chef, I can understand going with cheaper local varieties, especially since there is a ban on caviar imported from the Caspian Sea to help control the outrageous over fishing going on there.

Edited April 14, 2008 by RAHiggins1 (log)

[RAHiggins1]

This caviar line of discussion reminds me of what I used to say about "Iron Chef". You can always tell when a chef is struggling because they resort to using, Caviar, Truffles or Fois Gras.

[Reignking]

I've been wondering ... could it be that Richard was used to working with a different kind of salmon that had a firmer texture? Your having eaten his salmon sous vide and liked it makes my hunch a little stronger.

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I had the salmon at Element, last spring, in Atlanta; I'd be surprised if it were Coho, then. I don't know the seasonality of salmon, but we can assume that the episode was early fall in Chicago, as well.

I found this:

Coho, or silver, salmon is in between king and sockeye in size but leaner than both, though the fat content is still sufficiently high for good flavor. The color of the flesh is generally not as dark as that of king salmon, and the flesh of smaller, pan-size coho is an even lighter pale pink. The coho season runs from early July through mid-September. source

[David Ross]

I think one of the "winner's" on Top Chef this past week was Tom Colicchio and the much appreciated comments he put on his blog on the Bravo site.

I'd like to think that maybe, just maybe, in some small way, some of our comments on eGullet have made their way to New York and the offices of Bravo. Doubtful, but just maybe Tom and the Top Chef producer's heard some of our gripes, (or-more likely the gripes of the public), and they realized we had some valid points that should be addressed-like the foul, rude and abusive language that is often spewed out of the mouths of the cheftestants and the trendy, silly little "tini's" that seem to always garnish at least one plate in the Elimination Challenge.

If you scroll through some of the earlier postings about "Top Chef Season 4," you'll read a number of comments about the use of profanity in the kitchen. Some of us didn't think it was appropriate and others didn't seem to be bothered by it. The debate got to the point where a new topic about swearing in professional kitchens was started in another forum.

I was curious as to what Chef Colicchio thought about this issue and this week his blog finally gave me some answers. So I give a "Bravo" to Chef for sharing his thoughts.

This is a bit of what Chef Colicchio has to say about the profanity:

"I have been reading your comments when I can, and I want to put in my two cents about one thing -- the language on the show. I’m flattered that people think I have enough input over the production and editing to impact this. In reality, we spend about six weeks shooting the show, during which time the judges are in a state of semi-isolation, kept from interacting with the chefs except in our kitchen walk-throughs and the Judges’ Table. The "talking-head" interviews you see are filmed away from us and then woven later into the episode by the editorial staff. I see those interviews when you do -- when I watch the show. And you can be sure the chefs are on their best behavior when I stroll the kitchen, (though I wouldn’t be surprised if they are swearing at my back, as I move on through.)

That said, I have to agree that the gutter language has been excessive. One of my biggest thrills has been meeting kids of all ages who tell me that Top Chef has induced them to try new foods, or get into the kitchen and start cooking. It bums me out to think that parents might decide to restrict their kids from watching because of the chefs’ language. Admittedly, we cooks are a special, salty breed -- more longshoremen than naval officers, if you catch my drift. But I learned fairly early in my career that making my mark as a chef would require me to do more than just cook -- like interacting with the public and the press. In short, I cleaned up my act. The chefs in our competition would be wise to do the same, and hold their food and their demeanor to a high standard. To the extent that I am able, I will ask the producers to stay on the chefs about this in subsequent seasons. In the meantime, to the parents out there, my apologies."

I couldn't have said it better.

[ErikaK]

And why was Dale holding his crotch while he was yelling at Lisa?

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LOL, I was thinking that same thing when I was watching this the other day (god bless DVR). Maybe he had to pee.

[David Ross]

I've never been a huge fan of this trend by chefs to adorn plates with some sort of itsy-bitsy-teensy-weensy "cocktail." First few times I saw it I thought, "wow, that's a neat idea." I kind of liked the idea of tasting a thimble of "Yuzu Bloody Mary" sitting next to a "Flash-Fried Kumamoto Oyster." But like many fads in cooking, sometimes the gimmickry gets in the way of the final dish and becomes very tired when it is used over and over and over.

Such was the case with the "Pomegranate Prosecco Aperitif," presented by the "Air" team alongside their dish of "Duck Breast with Citrus Salad." Nikki and Ryan both made some negative comments about the "tini" not really turning out right or being the correct choice to accompany their duck dish.

If you look at the photo of the dish over on the Top Chef site under the "Rate the Plate" tab you see a large Collins glass in a corner of the plate with some lonely little pomegranate seeds swimming in bubbly prosecco. Sounded pretty on the menu, didn't turn out pretty in the glass or on the plate.

Chef Colicchio's comments on his blog scream volumes about how silly this whole mini-me cocktail fad can be:

"I can’t sign off without at least commenting on the trend of the "mini-cocktail" garnish; those "pomerinis" and "refreshers" and whatever-else-you-want-to-call-them rarely impress me. We’re chefs, not mixologists. I’m not saying I’ll never give a win to someone who prepares one -- IF the food alongside is the best in the competition. The wee-drink-on-a-plate comes across as slightly precious and hasn’t yet pushed a single dish into the winning category. Still, without fail, dishes keep turning up with these silly shot glasses competing for real estate. My advice to our future contestants: Quit trying to be cute, and focus on the food."

Another "Bravo" to Chef. I totally agree. My advice to the remaining contestants is to focus on the food-don't throw chairs in the kitchen after your partner is booted, don't grab your crotch and puke out expletives at your teammates, and try, however hard it is for you, to keep things simple and focus on putting exceptional food on the plate.

[nliedel]

I dig my futzy booze, but not in a cooking competition. Just put the plate down, step back, and everything will be okay.

[Chris Hennes]

"I can’t sign off without at least commenting on the trend of the "mini-cocktail" garnish; those "pomerinis" and "refreshers" and whatever-else-you-want-to-call-them rarely impress me. We’re chefs, not mixologists. I’m not saying I’ll never give a win to someone who prepares one -- IF the food alongside is the best in the competition. The wee-drink-on-a-plate comes across as slightly precious and hasn’t yet pushed a single dish into the winning category. Still, without fail, dishes keep turning up with these silly shot glasses competing for real estate. My advice to our future contestants: Quit trying to be cute, and focus on the food."

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That strikes me as a mighty fine line: if you can tell what is good on a plate, you ought to be able to tell what is good in a glass. And if the stuff in the glass complements, or better yet enhances, what is on the plate, then I think it is a valuable addition. Yes, I have seen it done poorly. But when well-executed, the "wee-drink-on-a-plate" is not a bad idea, in and of itself. I dislike the idea of deciding to only judge the food, and regarding the drink as purely secondary. If they are both in front of you, judge them together.

[David Ross]

That strikes me as a mighty fine line: if you can tell what is good on a plate, you ought to be able to tell what is good in a glass. And if the stuff in the glass complements, or better yet enhances, what is on the plate, then I think it is a valuable addition. Yes, I have seen it done poorly. But when well-executed, the "wee-drink-on-a-plate" is not a bad idea, in and of itself. I dislike the idea of deciding to only judge the food, and regarding the drink as purely secondary. If they are both in front of you, judge them together.

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Fair enough Chris-but I think in the context of what we have seen on Top Chef so far, (and what I take is Chef Colicchio's criticism), is that we've seen more failures than accomplishments with the little toddy cups. This week we saw another poor effort when the pomegranate aperitif failed to elevate the Duck dish presented by Ryan's team.

In most cases, the contestants have not taken the time and thought that is necessary to conceive a "wee-teeni" whose flavor compositions work with the main elements of the dish. Those lapses in judgement, along with a lack of "executing" the drink have been the dearth of the Top Chef.

Two examples come to mind-one a success, the other an utter failure.

The first example, one I think failed, was the wasabi based cocktail Mark presented with his Duck dish in Episode 1. The judges described his dish as pretty much being all over the place with too many elements, including the cocktail. I saw it as a clear example of the cocktail being done primarily for the sake of being trendy with little thought about how the cocktail could support the duck. Maybe it was a case of not being an appropriate accompaniment, maybe it wasn't executed properly or the flavors were off, but it didn't seem to work.

Now on the other hand, you are certainly correct that the "wee-drink-on-the-plate" can be a raving success-if it is executed properly-and that is the catch here.

The dish that I think is probably one of the standouts of the season to date is the perfect example of how the little drink in the little glass can elevate the main dish to a thing of beauty.

Just last week, in episode 4, "Film Food," we saw the team led by Richard, (and his Sous Chefs Dale and Andrew), craft a dish that perfectly fit within the movie they had chosen-"Willie Wonka."

Their winning dish of "Smoked Salmon with Faux Caviar and White Chocolate with Wasabi" paired with a cocktail of "Pear and Celery Soda" was a revelation-both in the context of Willie Wonka and in a culinary sense. The judges seemed to respect the cocktail for its clean and understated flavors that accented, yet didn't overpower, the flavor of the smoked salmon. In this instance, the little drink that could, DID.

[dockhl]

And don't forget Stehanie's "sexy" drink, lavender lemonade......they LOVED that, got her the win . Maybe it is just overdone (and maybe not very tasty..?)