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Top Chef: Masters

Chris Hennes

By Chris Hennes
in Food Media & Arts

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Pierogi

Pierogi

Posted
Posted
Is there no new TCM tonight?

My cable guide is showing last weeks description.

Thanks for any info

Nope, they're on hiatus this week to give Bravo a chance to showcase their replacement for "Project Runway". TCM is back next week with Mark Peel, John Besh, Anita Lo and Douglas Rodriguez as the cheftestants.

They did do a re-run today of all 3 previously aired episodes of TCM, but its way over, even on the Left Coast.

--Roberta--

"Let's slip out of these wet clothes, and into a dry Martini" - Robert Benchley

Pierogi's eG Foodblog

My *outside* blog, "A Pound Of Yeast"

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CKatCook

CKatCook

Posted
Posted

I got to see the last episode finally and man, Bayless was gentlemanly in his mannerism. That french chef got his ass handed to him and considering he was insulting the person who was helping him, I think he deserved it.

"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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Florida

Florida

Posted
Posted

Last episode was the best yet. The judges finally had criticisms of the contestant's dishes. Nothing rude or arrogant (nor the piss and vinegar previously noted), just constructive criticism. As a viewer, when all you get are positive comments, you get a very distorted view of dishes being presented. For example, with the tripolita (spelling?), how would I have known the bread was cold if one of the judges didn’t say something?

Glad to see Bayless win.

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Mano

Mano

Posted
Posted
I thought Bayless came off as a nice, enthusiastic team player kind of dude who embraced both challanges with both arms, and who helped his fellow competitors out a lot - good guy.

Having worked with him for about six months back in the 1980's, what you see on TV is how he really is.

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

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GwennP

GwennP

Posted
Posted
I thought Bayless came off as a nice, enthusiastic team player kind of dude who embraced both challanges with both arms, and who helped his fellow competitors out a lot - good guy.

Having worked with him for about six months back in the 1980's, what you see on TV is how he really is.

Good to know that it was real, although you could tell. Nice guy.

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brsaideman

brsaideman

Posted
Posted

I had a similar dessert at Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys restaurant in SF many years ago and was absolutely enchanted by the swan, etc. When I saw the girl scouts I was hoping he would do something like that.

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted
TCM is back next week with Mark Peel, John Besh, Anita Lo and Douglas Rodriguez as the cheftestants.

Hmmmm. This is a tough game with no advance knowledge of the challenges they'll be facing but I suspect I'll be going with Mark or John.

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted
Wow, Anita Lo blew them away...

Haven't watched it yet but it appears I've lost yet again. Oh well... it's really just a guessing game anyway without knowing what the challenges will be. I'll have to stay out of this thread 'til I watch it, don't want to know too many details.

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted (edited)
And if you'd known them, you would have guessed differently?

Edit: Now I've watched it, so I can join the discussion.

In this episode, no. There was nothing that favored any of them in any way. Knowing the challenges would not have helped me decide. I ended up going with Chef Besh because I had to pick one and I loves me some Louisiana food. When I lived in the southeast U.S. I used to hit the N.O. Jazz Festival every year because it's a much more pleasant time to be there than Mardi Gras... I think I would gain about 20 lbs. every time I was there. My decision was based on nothing else and I picked wrong. He didn't have any advantages or disadvantages in the challenges, Chef Lo just did exactly as pogophiles posted. She came, she cooked, she kicked butt.

Edited by Tri2Cook (log)

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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tan319

tan319

Posted
Posted

Didn't it seem like Besh's dish going south was more of the "eG Monogram" series oven issue then something he did?

Besides use it?

Since John Schlow from the first episode said he didn't have much baking experience I didn't give it much of a thought when his cake tanked.

Now giving it a bit more thought one chef makes a really easy cake that if anything should have been overdone.

The other's egg dish should have been a no brainer.

I would get the show to check the calibration on those ovens. ( hahaha :wacko: )

Better yet, Jade always seems eager to sponsor, get some real ovens in there.

2317/5000

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pogophiles

pogophiles

Posted
Posted
Didn't it seem like Besh's dish going south  was more of the "eG Monogram" series oven issue then something he did?

Besides use it?

My son and I were watching this episode. When the camera focused in on the "GE Monogram" logo just before John put his eggs in, we turned to each other and said "Uh oh, Besh is in trouble"...

Those who do not remember the pasta are doomed to reheat it.

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TimmDavis

TimmDavis

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Posted
Not my favorite quick fire challenge last night - one-handed egg cooking.  Hate to see such talent wasted on a stunt.  Maybe next week it will be blindfolded knife skills.

Yeah, I agree; it doesn't test any relevant skill.

It was supposed too, that quick fire was just a gimick. And Holly's right - all that wasted talent. But hey, it's TV, it's entertainment. Why move away from what has worked for them in the past?

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oakapple

oakapple

Posted
Posted
Not my favorite quick fire challenge last night - one-handed egg cooking.  Hate to see such talent wasted on a stunt.  Maybe next week it will be blindfolded knife skills.

Yeah, I agree; it doesn't test any relevant skill.

It was supposed too, that quick fire was just a gimick. And Holly's right - all that wasted talent. But hey, it's TV, it's entertainment. Why move away from what has worked for them in the past?

The whole show is a gimmick, but some of the challenges are more sensible than others. I mean, the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game is a gimmick, but it tests a skill baseball players are supposed to be good at. Cooking with a hand behind the back is not a skill chefs are expected to have.

Marc Shepherd

http://nyjournal.squarespace.com/

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GwennP

GwennP

Posted
Posted
I was rooting for Anita or John, and was glad to see Anita, a hometown girl, triumph.  But I was really hurtin' to see Besh, one of my favorite chefs, crash and burn so badly.  The eggs?  Oy!

I felt the same about John Besh - one of my favorites and he really blew it. I'm not sure what it is with Top Chef Masters, but, as much as I love seeing what these chefs do with the challenges, the show is missing something. Maybe we need to see more cooking, more real judges' deliberation? I am not sure, but I will keep watching. Michael Chiarello next week!

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Mano

Mano

Posted
Posted
I'm not sure what it is with Top Chef Masters, but, as much as I love seeing what these chefs do with the challenges, the show is missing something.  Maybe we need to see more cooking, more real judges' deliberation? I am not sure, but I will keep  watching.

I agree and that's why I'm not as interested as I thought I'd be. What I think is missing is the hungry competitiveness we've seen in Top Chef. There's bragging rights and a big donation to a charity versus an obscure chef competing for $100K and winning national television and magazine exposure.

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

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TimmDavis

TimmDavis

Posted
Posted
Not my favorite quick fire challenge last night - one-handed egg cooking.  Hate to see such talent wasted on a stunt.  Maybe next week it will be blindfolded knife skills.

Yeah, I agree; it doesn't test any relevant skill.

It was supposed too, that quick fire was just a gimick. And Holly's right - all that wasted talent. But hey, it's TV, it's entertainment. Why move away from what has worked for them in the past?

The whole show is a gimmick, but some of the challenges are more sensible than others. I mean, the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game is a gimmick, but it tests a skill baseball players are supposed to be good at. Cooking with a hand behind the back is not a skill chefs are expected to have.

Heh, don't get me started on the All-Star game (I'm a freelance Baseball Writer) - and your right they're not expected to have that skill. So I'm in agreement with you there. Hopefully the people at Bravo learn from this, and make improvements if they do a second season of TC:M.

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oakapple

oakapple

Posted
Posted
I'm not sure what it is with Top Chef Masters, but, as much as I love seeing what these chefs do with the challenges, the show is missing something.  Maybe we need to see more cooking, more real judges' deliberation? I am not sure, but I will keep  watching.
I agree and that's why I'm not as interested as I thought I'd be. What I think is missing is the hungry competitiveness we've seen in Top Chef. There's bragging rights and a big donation to a charity versus an obscure chef competing for $100K and winning national television and magazine exposure.

There is less at stake, so it feels less like a competition, and more like chefs having fun. Also, because it's four different people every week, there is no story arc.

Marc Shepherd

http://nyjournal.squarespace.com/

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C_Ruark

C_Ruark

Posted
Posted
Not my favorite quick fire challenge last night - one-handed egg cooking.  Hate to see such talent wasted on a stunt.  Maybe next week it will be blindfolded knife skills.

Yeah, I agree; it doesn't test any relevant skill.

Aww... you just made Ferdinand Point (RIP) weep.

"There's something very Khmer Rouge about Alice Waters that has become unrealistic." - Bourdain; interviewed on dcist.com
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