Top Chef Season 5

[RAHiggins1]

I'm dumbfounded how Top Chef came to my town and not one person I know in the biz or media had any idea. The funny thing is that they drove by 3 Wegman's to get to the grocery store they ended up at.

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Wegman's weren't writing Bravo checks.

[RAHiggins1]

So to be a Top Chef one must be a master of boxed stocks (broths) and microwave ovens?

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I'm thinking those little twists are more about being a master of dealing with the situation at hand and getting the job done. A top chef would say "ok, this is what I have to work with so this is how I'll get it done". A flop chef would say "I can't" and start making excuses. I'm sure the boxed stocks are the result of advertising dollars as well.

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Swanson Broth IS writing Bravo checks.

[FoodMan]

So to be a Top Chef one must be a master of boxed stocks (broths) and microwave ovens?

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I'm thinking those little twists are more about being a master of dealing with the situation at hand and getting the job done. A top chef would say "ok, this is what I have to work with so this is how I'll get it done". A flop chef would say "I can't" and start making excuses. I'm sure the boxed stocks are the result of advertising dollars as well.

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Swanson Broth IS writing Bravo checks.

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That would explain who those who got "skipped" in the quickfire were. Those who said, "F it, I'd rather use water instead".

It was good to see Grant as a guest judge as well.

[Shalmanese]

Since Atchaz was there, when they started pulling out knives, I thought it would involve some funky sous vide challenge where each person had to serve food cooked to that temperature.

[Tri2Cook]

Since Atchaz was there, when they started pulling out knives, I thought it would involve some funky sous vide challenge where each person had to serve food cooked to that temperature.

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That's funny, that's almost exactly what I thought it was going to be too. I didn't think of the sous vide part but I thought the numbers were going to represent food temps. Would have been more interesting than "find the page number in the top chef book and turn it into a soup".

[dockhl]

I was puzzled by this for a couple of reasons. For starts, hadn't any of them ever SEEN that book before? They all looked so surprised. Geez.

And then, it appeared (to me) that many of them thought their job was to duplicate the recipe, not make ther own take on it. Can you imagine if that had been the end result (if they'd not thrown in the soup thing) ?? Tom would have gone through the ROOF !!!

[scubadoo97]

And then, it appeared (to me) that many of them thought their job was to duplicate the recipe, not make ther own take on it.

Yes the majority seemed to not think outside the box.

[RAHiggins1]

Since Atchaz was there, when they started pulling out knives, I thought it would involve some funky sous vide challenge where each person had to serve food cooked to that temperature.

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That's funny, that's almost exactly what I thought it was going to be too. I didn't think of the sous vide part but I thought the numbers were going to represent food temps. Would have been more interesting than "find the page number in the top chef book and turn it into a soup".

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When it comes to product placement, TC has no shame.

[KatieLoeb]

So to be a Top Chef one must be a master of boxed stocks (broths) and microwave ovens?

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I'm thinking those little twists are more about being a master of dealing with the situation at hand and getting the job done. A top chef would say "ok, this is what I have to work with so this is how I'll get it done". A flop chef would say "I can't" and start making excuses. I'm sure the boxed stocks are the result of advertising dollars as well.

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Swanson Broth IS writing Bravo checks.

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Hel-lo! We have Chef Christopher Lee of Gilt fame pimping for Swanson broth these days. Is it a great leap of logic or faith to assume that Swanson would pay dearly for some prime time product placement of the boxed broth to keep that train running on the same tracks?

To be fair, there are several boxes of that very broth in my cupboards as I type this. I'm neither dissing the product nor the spokeschef. I'm just sayin'...

[RAHiggins1]

Swanson Broth IS writing Bravo checks.

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Hel-lo! We have Chef Christopher Lee of Gilt fame pimping for Swanson broth these days. Is it a great leap of logic or faith to assume that Swanson would pay dearly for some prime time product placement of the boxed broth to keep that train running on the same tracks?

To be fair, there are several boxes of that very broth in my cupboards as I type this. I'm neither dissing the product nor the spokeschef. I'm just sayin'...

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To be fair, all of us home cooks, don't have the time or facilities to make/keep fresh stock for everything we make. I try to get the low sodium broth when I use the stuff. The Top Chefs are in the same boat, no time to do it right.

Edited December 1, 2008 by RAHiggins1 (log)

[gingerbeer]

I was so sad that Richard left. He seemed really cool, and also talented, I thought. By making the smores he was just trying to appeal to their frozen banana thing...

I thought that Arianne (or Aryan, as Padma calls her) would go before watching this episode - I was really put off by her admission in the first episode that she hasn't eaten Middle Eastern food before... it's not exactly an obscure cuisine and you'd think that any chef would be curious about it, especially living somewhere cosmopolitan. Also she just doesn't seem that good. I guess the turkey saved her.

I also really like Radhika, I think she has an interesting point of view. Was she the one who made the vegan stuffing? Who was that?

[Kevin72]

These more gimmicky challenges irritate me. I guess the soup quickfire was a good challenge but I just got stressed out by the prospect. Leah doing that cream of asparagus soup with tuna tartare was a really brilliant move; hers was the one I first thought of as being least likely to adapt well to a soup when they announced the course change.

But the catering, cook everything in a microwave elimination one just got under my skin.

Gene jumped into my Top 3 for rigging that grill up. Pure genius. Hope he goes far in this competition but I think that just by doing that he's going to have a line of prospective places waiting for him afterwards.

[tino27]

I was really put off by her admission in the first episode that she hasn't eaten Middle Eastern food before... it's not exactly an obscure cuisine and you'd think that any chef would be curious about it, especially living somewhere cosmopolitan.

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While I've often given people the benefit of the doubt when I find out they haven't tried a particular cuisine because they didn't have anyone to help guide them through new tastes, I've actually come across several people who won't eat middle eastern cuisine because "that's where the terrorists come from". I wish I could use the smiley face icon to indicate that I'm joking. Unfortunately, I'm not.

No amount of intelligent discourse would change their minds.

[Ndy]

I really enjoyed Grant Achatz's comments regarding the elimination challenge.

Bravotv.com: Have you ever tried to cook turkey and all the fixins in just microwaves and toaster ovens? Of all the curveballs, what do you think was the biggest obstacle for the chefs?

"Of course not! Why would I place those limitations on myself ... that stuff is pure TV! Look, they had no kitchen to work with -- when I saw that I was stunned, especially after I tasted the food. I was expecting

garbage because that is what they had to work with, but they were all creative. They did a great job. The turkey was amazing ... better than most I have ever had cooked in real home kitchens."

These are my thoughts exactly on some of these absurd, product-placement based challenges. I'm really not sure what TC's fascination is with microwaves and processed food products, other than advertising dollars.

[Reignking]

I thought the soup challenge was great, but there was no reason to trick them 10 minutes in.

As for having to use microwaves...eh. It's a show, and they have to force them to become creative to see if they can work around these limitations. Otherwise, they would probably produce things they've done a million times, instead of taking a risk.

[gingerbeer]

Gene jumped into my Top 3 for rigging that grill up.  Pure genius.  Hope he goes far in this competition but I think that just by doing that he's going to have a line of prospective places waiting for him afterwards.

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Me too. He seems to be keeping his head down, but he's pretty good.

[gingerbeer]

I was really put off by her admission in the first episode that she hasn't eaten Middle Eastern food before... it's not exactly an obscure cuisine and you'd think that any chef would be curious about it, especially living somewhere cosmopolitan.

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While I've often given people the benefit of the doubt when I find out they haven't tried a particular cuisine because they didn't have anyone to help guide them through new tastes, I've actually come across several people who won't eat middle eastern cuisine because "that's where the terrorists come from". I wish I could use the smiley face icon to indicate that I'm joking. Unfortunately, I'm not.

No amount of intelligent discourse would change their minds.

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Wow... I'm Muslim, and that's just tragic to me. Firstly because not everyone from the Middle East is Muslim, and if these people are eating at Pakistani, African or many other 'ethnic' cuisine restaurants they might be eating 'terrorist' food. Not to mention that that Middle Eastern cuisine is excellent, and so varied. They're the ones missing out, I guess.

[Doodad]

I thought the soup challenge was great, but there was no reason to trick them 10 minutes in.

As for having to use microwaves...eh.  It's a show, and they have to force them to become creative to see if they can work around these limitations.  Otherwise, they would probably produce things they've done a million times, instead of taking a risk.

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I knew there had to be some trick coming as a few of the dishes were completely unsuited for a 30 minute challenge. I can't remember the first one I saw, but I said to myself no way can you cook that in that amount of time.

[I8U8]

When it comes to product placement, TC has no shame.

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Product Placement (or Embedded Marketing - call it what you will) is such an integral part of this show that I doubt it would exist without it. The cars, the mobile phones, the retail outlets, the hotels and venues, the cooking equipment, the ingredients (Swanson is a perfect example of Product Integration), and even the guest judges (their name - extending to their restaurants and books) are all utilized to reduce the costs of production (as well as to enhance it of course). And we haven't even mentioned Advertisement Placement yet!

As to the show itself... I thought that the challenges were exactly that - challenging - and I enjoyed it. The elimination of Richard (the S'mores) was also in line with what I've seen in previous seasons - you can cook crap food but if you step up and take a leadership role (i.e. the role of a 'Chef' as opposed to a 'cook') then that is often enough to save you (i.e. Jeff).

Edited December 2, 2008 by I8U8 (log)

[chappie]

Haven't really got a feeling for this season yet, but I'm sure it will materialize as the masses get pared down. But I wish to repeat my annual Top Chef rant: After once again watching repeats of Season 2, I am as repulsed by Ilan Hall as ever. What a repugnant little fraud he was -- and yes, I've uttered this countless times, so I'm sorry.

As for the grill idea in last week's episode, I would've made even more of them. I wonder if it was possible, using lids (ideally, brick if there was any to be found ...) to construct a makeshift oven over coals. Would there have been anything similar to brick they could've found nearby to do it?

I missed how Ariane's turkey was "confit." How did she do it?

Finally, Jeff's nickname should be "Silver Spoons" or "The Ricker." He looks exactly like a young Rick Schroeder playing Rick Stratton.

Edited December 4, 2008 by chappie (log)

[KristiB50]

I keep misreading the name of Jeff's restaurant. According to the website it's Di Lido Beach Club but the caption on TV has it as Dilido which I read as...well you know

[chappie]

Jeff is a total dilido.

[Jon Savage]

Tonight was fun.

[Zeemanb]

Jeff is a total dilido.

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Oh come ON! How could the offspring of David Soul and Shaun Cassidy be a dilido?

[gfweb]

I keep misreading the name of Jeff's restaurant. According to the website it's Di Lido Beach Club but the caption on TV has it as Dilido which I read as...well you know 

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LOL I keep reading that too.