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Top Chef Season 4

KristiB50

By KristiB50
in Food Media & Arts

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Tsulli1

Tsulli1

Posted
Posted

Bourdain is conspicuously absent from the list of blogs for this season.

Anyone count the number of F-bombs Andrew dropped last night? Did I see somewhere that he was a sous chef at Le Cirque?

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Swicks

Swicks

Posted
Posted
And why the hell were they at Uno's? They shoulda been to Giordano's, Geno's or Malnati's.

I assume for the same reason the ovens are GE Monogram, they store everything in Gladware, and they use Kingsford charcoal... :smile:

:laugh: dead on.

Looks like a pretty talented group this time around, should be fun to watch. The only way they can screw it up is to have too many lame, overwrought or rediculous challenges like Quickfire eggs - Your ingredients are one raw egg and thats it, no ovens, stovetops, or heat of any kind allowed, GO!

"A man's got to believe in something...I believe I'll have another drink." -W.C. Fields

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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted
Looks like a pretty talented group this time around, should be fun to watch.  The only way they can screw it up is to have too many lame, overwrought or rediculous challenges

Hey, I happen to enjoy the lame, overwrought, ridiculous challenges! :biggrin: In all honesty, they don't really bother me. The goal seems to me not to make the greatest food ever, but to make better food than the other chefs. So keeping the challenges interesting and varied is OK by me as long as the playing field is (relatively) level.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Dieck

Dieck

Posted
Posted
And why the hell were they at Uno's? They shoulda been to Giordano's, Geno's or Malnati's.

I assume for the same reason the ovens are GE Monogram, they store everything in Gladware, and they use Kingsford charcoal... :smile:

Agreed ... on both counts.

My blog: Rah Cha Chow

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Swicks

Swicks

Posted
Posted
Looks like a pretty talented group this time around, should be fun to watch.  The only way they can screw it up is to have too many lame, overwrought or rediculous challenges

Hey, I happen to enjoy the lame, overwrought, ridiculous challenges! :biggrin: In all honesty, they don't really bother me. The goal seems to me not to make the greatest food ever, but to make better food than the other chefs. So keeping the challenges interesting and varied is OK by me as long as the playing field is (relatively) level.

I don't mind the varied challenges or twists, i just hate when they get to the point of ridiculousness then criticize them for putting out crappy food when they had 2 minutes, $1.50, and couldn't use anything cooked.

"A man's got to believe in something...I believe I'll have another drink." -W.C. Fields

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PDC

PDC

Posted
Posted
And why the hell were they at Uno's? They shoulda been to Giordano's, Geno's or Malnati's.

I assume for the same reason the ovens are GE Monogram, they store everything in Gladware, and they use Kingsford charcoal... :smile:

:laugh: dead on.

Yes, the Bravo folks want to make money on the show! Imagine that! :shock:

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Darcie B

Darcie B

Posted
Posted

I was just disappointed that they didn't have time for much snark from Bourdain. It looks like a pretty good group of cheftestants and we should see some good dishes.

Was no one else appalled that Andrew didn't know how to make mayo? Guess he was too busy trying to sound like a playa to learn that... :hmmm:

eG Foodblog

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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

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Was no one else appalled that Andrew didn't know how to make mayo? Guess he was too busy trying to sound like a playa to learn that... :hmmm:

Good point, I had forgotten about that. I mean, it's common for regular people not to know, but as a chef? You've got to me kidding me. Even if you always buy it jarred, isn't that one of those pieces of knowledge that you just have in that profession? It's like the classic sauce to end all classic sauces! The one we still use everywhere!

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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cathrynapple

cathrynapple

Posted
Posted
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.

Whoa. Yeah, she was whining, but I wouldn't attribute it to her religious beliefs. That's a pretty derogatory comment, actually.

Personally, I was drooling over the peach tea dish.

But why were people not aware that pizza crust RISES? Some of them had huge wedges of dense dough with a sprinkling of toppings.

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Tsulli1

Tsulli1

Posted
Posted
Was no one else appalled that Andrew didn't know how to make mayo? Guess he was too busy trying to sound like a playa to learn that... :hmmm:

Good point, I had forgotten about that. I mean, it's common for regular people not to know, but as a chef? You've got to me kidding me. Even if you always buy it jarred, isn't that one of those pieces of knowledge that you just have in that profession? It's like the classic sauce to end all classic sauces! The one we still use everywhere!

Seriously, do they not teach this at Johnson & Wales - North Miami?

Andrew's Profile

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Kevin72

Kevin72

Posted
Posted

Is souffle considered a pastry and is this another case where chefs get penalized for having to work in an area outside their expertise? I guess by season 4, the pushback could be that you would be well served to learn some pastry to give you an edge. Has a pastry chef ever competed on TC?

I guess Blais is my early favorite. I liked Stephanie, too, though I worry that her nerves will get the better of her down the road. Oh, and the New Zealand chef, though maybe just because he looks like a hobbit.

A Year of Italian Cooking 2005 Thread Index
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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted
Is souffle considered a pastry and is this another case where chefs get penalized for having to work in an area outside their expertise?  I guess by season 4, the pushback could be that you would be well served to learn some pastry to give you an edge.  Has a pastry chef ever competed on TC?

Meh, the souffle didn't get him sent home, so it's a moot point, I think. I think if it had tasted good the judges wouldn't have been so hard on him, since they seemed willing to forgive the lack-of-souffle-ness.

I don't think we've ever seen a full-blown pastry chef, but at least one or two who had more experience at it. I can't recall who, at the moment. I would think it would be hard to win as a strictly pastry chef, since the majority of the work required is not pastry-oriented. You'd be at a disadvantage in nearly every challenge. A lot of pastry work takes too much time, and too much prep, to fit in the contest well, IMO.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Kevin72

Kevin72

Posted
Posted
Is souffle considered a pastry and is this another case where chefs get penalized for having to work in an area outside their expertise?  I guess by season 4, the pushback could be that you would be well served to learn some pastry to give you an edge.  Has a pastry chef ever competed on TC?

Meh, the souffle didn't get him sent home, so it's a moot point, I think. I think if it had tasted good the judges wouldn't have been so hard on him, since they seemed willing to forgive the lack-of-souffle-ness.

Good points.

A Year of Italian Cooking 2005 Thread Index
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jsmeeker

jsmeeker

Posted
Posted
I was just disappointed that they didn't have time for much snark from Bourdain. It looks like a pretty good group of cheftestants and we should see some good dishes.

Was no one else appalled that Andrew didn't know how to make mayo? Guess he was too busy trying to sound like a playa to learn that... :hmmm:

That struck me as being very odd.

Also, no prizes were handed out to the challenge winner?

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

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CKatCook

CKatCook

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Posted

I watched the show after looking forward to this all week and was not disappointed.

The peach tea pizza was amazing looking! Who would have ever thought!

"I eat fat back, because bacon is too lean"

-overheard from a 105 year old man

"The only time to eat diet food is while waiting for the steak to cook" - Julia Child

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Swicks

Swicks

Posted
Posted

Can someone give me some background on why Blais is so well known?

His name sounds familiar to me and I am aware he is an established chef but I just don't know what for...

"A man's got to believe in something...I believe I'll have another drink." -W.C. Fields

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Darcie B

Darcie B

Posted
Posted
Who was the spaz they kept showing over and over, the one who wore his hat all yo and talked double-speed. I can't watch him more than a few episodes. Sorry.

I believe that was Andrew, who didn't know how to make mayo. I too hope he exits soon. Like next week. But I'm afraid we'll be seeing him for at least a few weeks.

eG Foodblog

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dougw

dougw

Posted
Posted
I believe that was Andrew, who didn't know how to make mayo. I too hope he exits soon. Like next week. But I'm afraid we'll be seeing him for at least a few weeks.

Um...I think that exchange about the egg yolk and oil was a joke, y'all. He was being snarky. No way a pro cook doesn't know how to make mayo. No way-o. (Sorry)

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tmgrobyn

tmgrobyn

Posted
Posted

Ooooo fun! Looks like we're going to have a good group for discussion!

I agree with most everything said so far.

The swearing guy has got to go. aaack. Are we still in high school? You are not Bourdain. Get over it.

The mayo debacle. He didn't look like he knew what he was doing. Maybe it was just editing but he used that macerator forever.

My faves so far are Rick, Stephanie, Erik, and Rick long lost sister Jennifer. (no relation I know, but boy they could be!)

The smoked crab cake looked amazingly good.

Nimma was her own worst enemy. First Rocco tells her the pizza needed salt and then she doesn't taste her shrimp and it is too salty.

Looks like a fun season, if the producers wouldn't make it so obvious about who is going home in the first ten minutes.

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."
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yeti

yeti

Posted
Posted (edited)

Now Andrew is one of those guys you have to hope hangs around for a while. He looks like he could be the most despicable character thats been around for a while. I hate him already. He is the guy you love to hate, someone to root against, to boo and hiss at. Oh I hope is downfall is crushing, embarrassing and public. :laugh::laugh:

Edited by yeti (log)
"It's like Betty Crocker and Charles Manson had a love child" - Anthony Bourdain
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