Top Chef Season 5

[chappie]

I've got no problem with Martha Stewart. She's a tough hen, and there were many that should've gone to jail before her. She served her short stint; why should it preclude her from moving on?

I guess I'd completely overlooked the fact it wasn't Thanksgiving, either. Ah, television.

But the one-pot meals thing is annoying. Yes, Paella is a one-pot meal and so was the failed potato "risotto," but most of the others were anything but. I wish they'd been called out for it.

[Chris Hennes]

I guess I'd completely overlooked the fact it wasn't Thanksgiving, either. Ah, television.

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The Thanksgiving episode was far less jarring to me: they didn't go around wishing people "happy thanksgiving," etc. There were no decorations. There was not talk of the "holiday season." I just feel that the Christmas schtick was overdone.

[xdrixn]

does anyone know who the judge is next week?

[rconnelly]

does anyone know who the judge is next week?

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My money is on Ripert.

[Darren72]

That's what I was wondering! Tom was telling the chefs they were getting a Christmas gift of no eliminations -- and I'm pretty certain it wasn't filmed last Christmas.

Again, a kind of sleazy touch.

Eugene should've been gone.

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It's a tv show - give 'em a break!

[Darren72]

Re: "one pot" meals.....

I'm not what people would call "intelligent", but does a meal count as one-pot as long as you only use one POT, but as many pans as necessary?  Just curious, because if that's the case I've been one lazy bastard when it comes to my favorite one pot dishes.......

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I don't think anyone used one pot plus pans. The challenge was that you had to use one pot or one pan. You didn't have to do a "one pot meal" - i.e. a stew, braise, etc. You could certainly use one pot and cook ingredients separately.

[I_call_the_duck]

does anyone know who the judge is next week?

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My money is on Ripert.

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Ripert is way too polite to have Carla calling for Gail.

I think it's the new guy that is supposed to replace Ted Allen. I don't remember his name, and Bravo doesn't appear to have it on their website.

[xdrixn]

does anyone know who the judge is next week?

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My money is on Ripert.

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no, the guy in the preview for next week wasn't ripert.

[Darren72]

From LeAnn's Bravo blog:

The fridges had been overloaded with hot food the night before and one of them broke down. The problem was with Radhika, Hosea, and Melissa's food. After speaking with Liz, one of the exec producers, we saw that technically we could still give them 2 hours to do something before they had to get in a van to come to the ballroom. I told Angie that Radhika should use the leftover duck legs in the fridge, but Radhika didn't want to use the legs. I told her that the closest grocery store would probably only have chicken breasts, which she agreed to, so Angie and Peder ran out and came back with 20 lbs of chicken breast and 2 whole pork loins. It was the best they could do in Bushwick at the last minute. By the time they got back the duck legs were already being cooked (thank goodness). I had spoken with Bengt and heard that all of the contestants were pitching in to help so we were confident they would be able to get it done in time. At this point the producers already knew they couldn't send anyone home because of the fridge incident (it unlevels the playing field, therefore we can't eliminate anyone), but the chefs didn't know this.

[Reignking]

What time of year was this episode filmed? It seems so... awkward. "Happy Holidays!! <snicker><chortle>" This AIDS group got to have a Christmas party in, what, the middle of summer? Wonderful.

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I started this thread on August 1st, when the live segment on the Today show aired; so this episode would've been filmed in the wilting heat of the beginning of a NYC August. Ho ho ho!

Didn't Ariane have immunity? With her theme, and that invincibility, I can't blame her for doing deviled eggs six ways.

On a brighter note, I'll be trying Richard Blais' Flip today

[gfweb]

I recognize the next judge. Clearly not Ripert. I think he is a food writer.

[Kevin72]

From The Onion AVClub's (great site, BTW) comments on this episode, the judge next week is Toby Young, author of "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People". On his Wikipedia Page, it also has an updated entry saying he is joining TC as a judge.

[whatsaMcGee]

From LeAnn's Bravo blog:

The fridges had been overloaded with hot food the night before and one of them broke down. The problem was with Radhika, Hosea, and Melissa's food. After speaking with Liz, one of the exec producers, we saw that technically we could still give them 2 hours to do something before they had to get in a van to come to the ballroom. I told Angie that Radhika should use the leftover duck legs in the fridge, but Radhika didn't want to use the legs. I told her that the closest grocery store would probably only have chicken breasts, which she agreed to, so Angie and Peder ran out and came back with 20 lbs of chicken breast and 2 whole pork loins. It was the best they could do in Bushwick at the last minute. By the time they got back the duck legs were already being cooked (thank goodness). I had spoken with Bengt and heard that all of the contestants were pitching in to help so we were confident they would be able to get it done in time. At this point the producers already knew they couldn't send anyone home because of the fridge incident (it unlevels the playing field, therefore we can't eliminate anyone), but the chefs didn't know this.

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How does it unlevel the playing field? They put a ridiculous amount of hot food in the reach-in. That's Food Safety 101. All 3 should have been sent home.

[rconnelly]

From The Onion AVClub's (great site, BTW) comments on this episode, the judge next week is Toby Young, author of "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People".  On his Wikipedia Page, it also has an updated entry saying he is joining TC as a judge.

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kind of odd they'd use someone who is considered a "failure" by his peers to be a judge.

[tammylc]

From LeAnn's Bravo blog:

The fridges had been overloaded with hot food the night before and one of them broke down. The problem was with Radhika, Hosea, and Melissa's food. After speaking with Liz, one of the exec producers, we saw that technically we could still give them 2 hours to do something before they had to get in a van to come to the ballroom. I told Angie that Radhika should use the leftover duck legs in the fridge, but Radhika didn't want to use the legs. I told her that the closest grocery store would probably only have chicken breasts, which she agreed to, so Angie and Peder ran out and came back with 20 lbs of chicken breast and 2 whole pork loins. It was the best they could do in Bushwick at the last minute. By the time they got back the duck legs were already being cooked (thank goodness). I had spoken with Bengt and heard that all of the contestants were pitching in to help so we were confident they would be able to get it done in time. At this point the producers already knew they couldn't send anyone home because of the fridge incident (it unlevels the playing field, therefore we can't eliminate anyone), but the chefs didn't know this.

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How does it unlevel the playing field? They put a ridiculous amount of hot food in the reach-in. That's Food Safety 101. All 3 should have been sent home.

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I think it would be more appropriate to blame the inadequate cooling equipment provided to the contestants. The should have a proper walk in, not wall fridges...

[weinoo]

I think it would be more appropriate to blame the inadequate cooling equipment provided to the contestants. The should have a proper walk in, not wall fridges...

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Right, and maybe a large capacity, commercial ice-maker, to be able to make ice-water baths, for proper quick chilling.

Don't some of these people work in restaurants and know how to properly chill food?

[hsm]

Proper, yes, but not pimping Brand kitchen appliances as well. Which, if I were Brand at the moment, I'd be less than thrilled. Because regardless of how or how not to cool off that much hot food, the take-away from LeAnn for the majority of viewers is...equipment failure.

[Tri2Cook]

I don't care if a guest judge spent some time at club fed, we all make dumb decisions and mistakes. Fortunately for most of us, ours don't get played out in the media for everybody to gloat over. What bothers me, for the second week in a row, is the huge lack of creativity with the theme. This one was easy, I had ideas bouncing all over the place once I realized what the theme was and I'm not a top chef.

12 Drummers Drumming: pot pie... ok, at least it kinda looked like a drum. The judges got it and the people liked it. Good enough.

11 Pipers Piping: I'm pretty sure the song isn't referring to pipes you smoke but at least the food was enjoyed by the people eating it.

10 Lords a Leaping: leaping from cheese to cheese huh? Sounds cheesy to me.

9 Ladies Dancing: Fabio gets "ladies dancing" and the first thing he thinks of is crabs? Hmmm, wonder where he usually goes to see ladies dance?

8 Maids a Milking: "Steak and cheese are from a cow." Ok then.

7 Swans a Swimming: 'cause scallops are kinda like swans. Really, they are. Just ask Jamie.

6 Geese a Laying: Deviled eggs. Skating away...

5 Golden Rings: More like "onnnne chunk of pineapple".

4 Calling Birds: Actually, no calling birds.

3 French Hens: chicken on puff pastry. "Puff pastry is French." Fair enough. *Yawn*

2 Turtle Doves: chicken under a mushroom... errr... turtle shell. Yeah, that's it. It's a turtle shell. Turtle Doves have mushrooms, I mean shells, don't they?

A Partridge in a Pear Tree: duck breast and pear chutney... this one can fly by virtue of the fact that obtaining partridge probably wasn't a possibility. I envisioned a different presentation to bring in the "tree" idea but at least it wasn't the huge lords a leaping stretch most of them were.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Tri2Cook (log)

[chappie]

9 Ladies Dancing: Fabio gets "ladies dancing" and the first thing he thinks of is crabs? Hmmm, wonder where he usually goes to see ladies dance?

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This was the funniest moment of the whole episode. I'm guessing Italians have a different slang term for pubic lice, but your post just made me accidentally sneeze out my beverage.

[psychobombshell]

Am I crazy or did they skip Rhadika's (sp?) presentation in the quick fire in this episode?

[I8U8]

From The Onion AVClub's (great site, BTW) comments on this episode, the judge next week is Toby Young, author of "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People".  On his Wikipedia Page, it also has an updated entry saying he is joining TC as a judge.

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kind of odd they'd use someone who is considered a "failure" by his peers to be a judge.

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Read more into Young and I think you'll find he's anything but a failure. I think he has conscientiously crafted a particular public persona that has proven very successful commercially. Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan are other examples that are not all that far removed. And, as a winner of "Come Dine With Me" (Channel 4), and a critic on "Eating With The Enemy" (BBC2), he seems well qualified here. Overall, he screams reality-television-ratings-winner (or IMHO, cliche )

[whatsaMcGee]

From LeAnn's Bravo blog:

The fridges had been overloaded with hot food the night before and one of them broke down. The problem was with Radhika, Hosea, and Melissa's food. After speaking with Liz, one of the exec producers, we saw that technically we could still give them 2 hours to do something before they had to get in a van to come to the ballroom. I told Angie that Radhika should use the leftover duck legs in the fridge, but Radhika didn't want to use the legs. I told her that the closest grocery store would probably only have chicken breasts, which she agreed to, so Angie and Peder ran out and came back with 20 lbs of chicken breast and 2 whole pork loins. It was the best they could do in Bushwick at the last minute. By the time they got back the duck legs were already being cooked (thank goodness). I had spoken with Bengt and heard that all of the contestants were pitching in to help so we were confident they would be able to get it done in time. At this point the producers already knew they couldn't send anyone home because of the fridge incident (it unlevels the playing field, therefore we can't eliminate anyone), but the chefs didn't know this.

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How does it unlevel the playing field? They put a ridiculous amount of hot food in the reach-in. That's Food Safety 101. All 3 should have been sent home.

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I think it would be more appropriate to blame the inadequate cooling equipment provided to the contestants. The should have a proper walk in, not wall fridges...

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Would you be defending them if they left raw meat out in the open overnight? It would be just as foolish as putting what they did into that reach-in. Everything was billowing steam.

[chappie]

Hey, I just realized there will be a new episode on Christmas Eve ... unless Bravo's airing a rerun, which I can't find anywhere that they are. Awesome! Cook all day for in-laws, feast, do a gift exchange, they'll be gone by 10 and a Merry Top Chef to us all!

[Jon Savage]

Hey, I just realized there will be a new episode on Christmas Eve ... unless Bravo's airing a rerun, which I can't find anywhere that they are. Awesome! Cook all day for in-laws, feast, do a gift exchange, they'll be gone by 10 and a Merry Top Chef to us all!

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I think it is a holiday special involving several participants from prior seasons. At least that is what the preview looked like.

Edited December 23, 2008 by 6ppc (log)

[chappie]

But an actual new episode? Not that one they dragged out last year?