Top Chef: Season 6 – Las Vegas

[gfweb]

  As for Ashley's whining, give me a break.  If her sexuality influences the desire (or lack of) for who she cooks for she won't last long.  Maybe we'll get lucky and next week they will have to break off into pairs and she draws Michael.

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So her restaurant turns down rehearsal dinners and wedding anniversary dinners to preserve her sanity and keep her from pouting?

I doubt it.

I think this was a staged protest to get the issue on the air. Who staged it? Probably the "cheftestants". If it wasn't staged, then Ashley is a major baby.

[Holly Moore]

Where does one put on their resume, "I am an executive chef, but I don't do weddings, rehearsal dinners or anniversary celebrations?"

[chappie]

It was a ridiculous quasi-political moping and she almost suggested it was thoughtless or unethical for TC to ask her to work for a marriage-related event. Not Rick Santorum's marriage-related event, mind you ...

[carp]

There is a certain irony to the situation, which I think she had a right to point out. She did whine, but she was expressing her opinion and when it came down to the cooking it didn't seem to get in her way.

[Chris Amirault]

While I'm not so bothered by the "this bachelor/ette party challenge sucks" whining, I'm shocked and dismayed that there were so few complaints about the obviously idiotic challenge. Pairing food with wine or cocktails is one thing. Pairing food with shots? Everyone should have been outraged at the immorality of that.

IIRC, the list was an unnamed tequila (no product placement opportunities, strangely enough), a "Moscow Mule" with grapefruit (?), and a "Golden Delicious," which is apparently Goldschlager and sparkling cider. (Two of those sound like highballs to me, but what do I know.) How does one eat food with shots? Bite of food and shot to wash it down in a hurry? Shot then food to temper the shot?

After the high quality of the challenges and food in the TCM season, it looks like we're settling back into standard-issue buffoonery in TC6 -- or, rather, cheap, Las Vegas style buffoonery, including full-body pans of bikini-clad bachelorettes, undrinkable beverages, and, as Nina Garcia might say, lots of challenges that raise "the question of taste," in every sense of the phrase.

[CDRFloppingham]

The Bravo site sucks for putting the macaron recipe in video format instead of print and then only allowing it to be viewed within the U.S.

Ok, I'll eat my words... found the print version. Bravo rocks!

One final edit: they semi-rock. They do post the recipes but you have to be some kind of psychic to find them unless you happen to find a direct link on someone's blog or something.

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Can you post the link to the print recipe?

[GwennP]

Yeah, no surprises this week, I don't think my estimation of any of the chefs really changed. I still think this is the strongest group yet, but we'll need a couple more weeks to eliminate the lower tier regardless. After that, I think things will heat up...

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I lso think this season has the strongest contestants. The brothers are great and it is exciting to watch. The top chefs so far have really shown themselves. Now, what's up with Jesse and all the studs on her lip and in her mouth. I wouldn't mind so much if she wasnt' constantly playing with them. There is something very off-putting about it!

[GwennP]

While I'm not so bothered by the "this bachelor/ette party challenge sucks" whining, I'm shocked and dismayed that there were so few complaints about the obviously idiotic challenge. Pairing food with wine or cocktails is one thing. Pairing food with shots? Everyone should have been outraged at the immorality of that.

IIRC, the list was an unnamed tequila (no product placement opportunities, strangely enough), a "Moscow Mule" with grapefruit (?), and a "Golden Delicious," which is apparently Goldschlager and sparkling cider. (Two of those sound like highballs to me, but what do I know.) How does one eat food with shots? Bite of food and shot to wash it down in a hurry? Shot then food to temper the shot?

After the high quality of the challenges and food in the TCM season, it looks like we're settling back into standard-issue buffoonery in TC6 -- or, rather, cheap, Las Vegas style buffoonery, including full-body pans of bikini-clad bachelorettes, undrinkable beverages, and, as Nina Garcia might say, lots of challenges that raise "the question of taste," in every sense of the phrase.

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I thought one of the brothers V held up a bottle of Patron?

[Tri2Cook]

Now, what's up with Jesse and all the studs on her lip and in her mouth.  I wouldn't mind so much if she wasnt' constantly playing with them. There is something very off-putting about it!

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When I was much younger I thought it would be a good idea to get my tongue pierced. In hindsight, it probably wasn't such a good idea and it's been removed for many years now. It fell out in the middle of a class 4 rapid while kayaking and I wasn't in a particularly safe place to mess with it so I spit it into the river and never replaced it. Anyway, the thing about that type of piercing is that you never completely get used to it being there. There's always something in your mouth that's not supposed to be and it's virtually impossible not to mess with it unless you make a conscious effort not too. That's why many people with tongue piercings end up with tooth problems, because you constantly move it around and clack it against the back of your teeth and stuff. It's pretty much automatic and you often don't even realize you're doing it until you notice people looking at you because they can hear it clicking against your teeth. I think maybe it's the body's way of saying "I'm not happy that's there so I'm going to constantly remind you that it's annoying". I'm not saying that makes it less off-putting, I just kinda understand why she does it.

[Tri2Cook]

The Bravo site sucks for putting the macaron recipe in video format instead of print and then only allowing it to be viewed within the U.S.

Ok, I'll eat my words... found the print version. Bravo rocks!

One final edit: they semi-rock. They do post the recipes but you have to be some kind of psychic to find them unless you happen to find a direct link on someone's blog or something.

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Can you post the link to the print recipe?

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Yep. It's here.

[CtznCane]

Let's see, there were 16 dishes and if the judges were tasting the shots with the dishes.... hmmm... wonder if any of them had a buzz by the time they were done.

[eldereno]

Let's see, there were 16 dishes and if the judges were tasting the shots with the dishes.... hmmm... wonder if any of them had a buzz by the time they were done.

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I wondered that same thing!!!!!!!

[GwennP]

Now, what's up with Jesse and all the studs on her lip and in her mouth.  I wouldn't mind so much if she wasnt' constantly playing with them. There is something very off-putting about it!

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When I was much younger I thought it would be a good idea to get my tongue pierced. In hindsight, it probably wasn't such a good idea and it's been removed for many years now. It fell out in the middle of a class 4 rapid while kayaking and I wasn't in a particularly safe place to mess with it so I spit it into the river and never replaced it. Anyway, the thing about that type of piercing is that you never completely get used to it being there. There's always something in your mouth that's not supposed to be and it's virtually impossible not to mess with it unless you make a conscious effort not too. That's why many people with tongue piercings end up with tooth problems, because you constantly move it around and clack it against the back of your teeth and stuff. It's pretty much automatic and you often don't even realize you're doing it until you notice people looking at you because they can hear it clicking against your teeth. I think maybe it's the body's way of saying "I'm not happy that's there so I'm going to constantly remind you that it's annoying". I'm not saying that makes it less off-putting, I just kinda understand why she does it.

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Thanks - I figured that was the case, but it is off-putting - especially on someone handling food. This stuff usually doesn't bother me.

[Tri2Cook]

I figured out the trick to finding the recipes easily. Just use the "rate the plate" thing and copy and paste the dish name into the search on the "recipes" page. I open the "rate the plate" page in one tab and the "recipes" page in another to avoid having to go through the pics over and over. Finds them every time.

[Gruzia]

So this is a little belated as it relates to one of the first episodes (the one with the horrible gluten stuffed pepper).

I got the French Laundry cookbook a week a go and noticed something interesting. Refer to the recipe with the chard wrapped duck with creamed corn. If anyone has the book, look at the picture. Look familiar? Say with lamb instead of duck? I forget the name if the guy who did it but he is the cocky, Italian looking one from, I think, Miami, who boasted that he's opened several successful restaurants.

A bit disappointed - where's the originality? I mean, it's one thing to use the dish as an inspiration for something else but other than the protein substitution, it looked like the same exact thing, right down to the sides!

[gfweb]

I'd bet that everything that they've cooked on the show is a variation or even duplication of something that they have in their recipe book at home.

[mondaybox]

this may have been speculated on other forums, and addressed, but i've not read them. but one thing that seemed odd to me was that there were 17 contestants to start out, then they eliminated one, a woman, and then there were 16 - 8 men, 8 women, who they conveniently split into 2 equally-sized teams of men and women for the episode 2 elimination challenge which took place within a day or two of the first episode's elimination challenge. so they must have planned on losing one of the women in advance. it came down to two women in episode one, and one had to go. what do you think? double-check my math. but it seems pre-planned.

[Chris Hennes]

I think it's more likely that they had a backup plan, with some other kind of challenge waiting in the wings if they couldn't do the men vs. women. They could have even done the same challenge and just drawn knives, etc.

[oakapple]

The men vs. women challenge did not actually require equal numbers, as each chef was doing his or her thing independently. I doubt that they would have changed the plan if a man had been eliminated first.

[Chris Hennes]

I'm not so sure they wouldn't have wanted equal-sized teams for the challenge. But at any rate, over the years my faith has grown that the producers don't interfere with the judging, and that it's not rigged in any way beyond the choice of contestants (concluding disclaimer notwithstanding). I rate any possible conspiracy to eliminate a woman first as highly unlikely. Either they had a backup plan, or they didn't care if the teams were unequal.

[tino27]

Is it me or is anyone else seeing an eerie similarity between Jennifer of this season and Casey from Season 4?

[Chris Hennes]

The look is similar, yes, but I think Jennifer is a considerably better chef (or at least appears to be).

[CtznCane]

I really wish TC was a 90 minute show but I guess that is hoping for too much.

I think who left the show tonight was pretty predictable. I kinda wished Michael had gotten the boot. Perhaps it's good for ratings but I find him a little too obnoxious in a sickly way too boot. That's not to mention the shrimp. I cook shrimp a lot and he should know how to get it right or at least have the sense to know he screwed it up. He may last awhile but he certainly isn't going to be there at the finish.

For all her vetching last week, Ashley looks to be the second strongest lady on the show. I think Jen on the other hand is going to give the boys all they can handle all the way through.

[gfweb]

  For all her vetching last week,

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kvetch

[jsmeeker]

I like what they were able to turn out from the kitchen at Nellis AFB. At first, they made you think it was nothing but canned and boxed stuff.. But there was clearly plenty of proteins available and even some veggies. I continue to be impressed with the overall talent in this years pool of contestants.

Looking forward to next week. Ought to be great.