Top Chef: Boston

[huiray]

That petroleum shrimp looked SO unappetizing.  I think the guy needed one more ingredient (I jest, I jest).

 

Katie's broccoli salad....the judges kept saying they didn't think the bacon component fit with it.  Around here someone always brings a broccoli salad to picnics, dinners etc.  It has broccoli, shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, red onion, red wine vinegar, sugar and mayo.  It's pretty good and the bacon goes well.  I'd be interested to know the rest of her ingredients.

 

Yes, that shrimp was...uggh.  Just ONE more ingredient?  He said at judges' table that if he could he would have added LOTS MORE ingredients into it.  His attitude reminds me of a former acquaintance of mine who boasted of a "curry powder" he made and marketed which had at last count (a few years ago) more than 20 ingredients and he stated that he would continue to add more and more things to it as he discovered them or thought of them...he sent me the list of things that went into it, saying it gave it a great complexity - but what it seemed like to me was that one would not be able to make out *anything* in it and rather than complexity it was just overwrought and ridiculously complicated (not complex) - which is what Richard Blais also said about the dish.  If it were truly well made, like an excellent Oaxacan molé negro with 20++ ingredients in it, that would be a different matter - but here it seemed like a throwing together of everything but the kitchen sink.

 

Oh it was soooo painful to see (and hear) his (Katsuji's) attempts at shucking clams.

 

Salad strikes again!!  :-)  In a bad way, that is.  On Top Chef anyway.  I think it was Aaron (I need to check - later) who said, when questioned about the audacity of his making a pork belly dish in the short time they had, that he was there at TC to try to make interesting/challenging dishes (something like that), not to toss salad.  :-) 

 

(BTW I am someone who does not like bacon in my salads)

 

It was interesting to see the head-butting between George and Gregory and Gregory's flailing on his mackerel when he ostentatiously claimed he would (in effect) do expertly at it.  George then mangled his clam-shucking anyway, oops.  Maybe they should have exchanged duties? 

 

Richard Blais blogs about how George and Gregory were two excellent chefs, however, who produced very good dishes in that "sudden death cook-off" and how under other circumstances George would definitely have NOT gone home.

 

As for Michael going home in the elimination challenge - I think I would agree with that decision.  Nevertheless, both Katsuji (that complicated shrimp dish) and Katie (that salad) had narrow escapes.

 

From just this first episode it seems to me that my hackles are rising up with Gegory and Adam, both with their "superior attitudes".  And what's with Adam wrapping that US flag around his head as a do-rag?

 

P.s. - from the preview of upcoming episodes, (SPOILER ALERT) Katsuji makes it fairly far into the competition...

[Jaymes]

That petroleum shrimp looked SO unappetizing. I think the guy needed one more ingredient (I jest, I jest).

Katie's broccoli salad....the judges kept saying they didn't think the bacon component fit with it. Around here someone always brings a broccoli salad to picnics, dinners etc. It has broccoli, shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, red onion, red wine vinegar, sugar and mayo. It's pretty good and the bacon goes well. I'd be interested to know the rest of her ingredients.

I love that broccoli salad. And what they said about the bacon was that they didn't understand the reason for the "bacon powder," which is, to me, just one more example of the current trend of silliness in a misguided effort to be avant-garde. Real, actual, crunchy, salty bacon is indispensable in that salad.

I think Katie fell victim to the foolish mistake of trying to adhere to the stated challenge too literally. When they were tasked to recreate the first dish they remembered making, Katie obviously thought, "Oh, that's my grammy's broccoli salad!" Her next thought should have been, "But no matter what they said, I can't make that. I have to think of something more complicated and impressive even if I have to invent a completely fictitious backstory."

Instead, she took the challenge literally, including the bit about "updating" the recipe. Hence the ridiculous and puzzling "bacon powder."

I'm glad she didn't go home for that. Her dish wasn't bad, just underwhelming.

And I think when the judges give folks challenges like these that often result in some overly-simple something "just like auntie used to make," they should cut the cheftestants some slack when they do just exactly what they were asked to do.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Jaymes (log)

[gfweb]

I'm always amazed that some of these guys show up seemingly unprepared for the task ahead.

 

Like if you are doing TC in Boston, you ought to be prepared to shuck a clam or an oyster PDQ. How many failed at that last night 3 or 4?

 

And you ought to make dishes of suitable complexity.  No throwing a steak on the grill and baking a potato.

 

Its as though they never went back and watched old shows. As though they just showed up in Boston with their knives.

[Jaymes]

Yeah. Like going on Survivor and not realizing that sooner or later you're going to have to make a fire.

[gfweb]

Tim Love amused me when he did the steak and potato thing on Next Iron Chef. Seemed like he wanted to get off that show fast. Like perhaps he thought that his competition were tools (they were).

[Lisa Shock]

Some challenges keep coming back, and the mis en place challenge will probably keep appearing in one form or another in upcoming seasons -it's cheap, and easy to stage. If I knew I was going to be on the show, I'd have been practicing basic skills as much as possible. Also, practice would improve overall speed which is super-important as well.

[Shalmanese]

I'm always amazed that some of these guys show up seemingly unprepared for the task ahead.

 

Like if you are doing TC in Boston, you ought to be prepared to shuck a clam or an oyster PDQ. How many failed at that last night 3 or 4?

 

And you ought to make dishes of suitable complexity.  No throwing a steak on the grill and baking a potato.

 

Its as though they never went back and watched old shows. As though they just showed up in Boston with their knives.

I'm looking forward to the inevitable "I didn't learn how to make a single dessert for this show" moment and the even more mind boggling "I didn't prepare any desserts for the finale" moment.

[Lisa Shock]

I was fairly amused at some of the interviews where contestants spoke of the show itself being such a respected, high level type competition. All I could think of is season 1's culinary student and all of the personal chefs in many seasons. Sorry, I like the show, but, this isn't the Culinary Olympics, or Bocuse d'Or.

[Shalmanese]

I was fairly amused at some of the interviews where contestants spoke of the show itself being such a respected, high level type competition. All I could think of is season 1's culinary student and all of the personal chefs in many seasons. Sorry, I like the show, but, this isn't the Culinary Olympics, or Bocuse d'Or.

While Top Chef is no Bocuse d'Or, the quality has improved immensely since the first couple of seasons and the chefs who make it late into the season are legitimately some of the best young chefs in America. But all of the contestants were talking about the commercial impact that Top Chef brings and it's undoubtedly true that becoming a star on Top Chef helps you open up restaurants and fill tables far better than the Bocuse d'Or or any other culinary competition.

[huiray]

Here's a recap of TCB ep1 I enjoyed reading:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/tv-lust/bal-top-chef-recap-sudden-death-20141016-story.html#page=1

 

Regarding the QF:  That recap pointed out something I had not noticed in my first viewing of the episode; I just rewatched it and yes, George said that he sucked at shucking clams, said it publicly in front of the other (Red) team members and was trying to get Gregory to do it but was sort-of bullied into doing it by Gregory.  Gregory boasted he was good at fish but that turned out to be incorrect - while George indeed proved that he was no good at clams, as he had *said* to the group.  It sort of feels a bit - on rewatching - that he was thrown under the bus by Gregory (and/or the other members?) although we don't get to see/hear how they decided on who was going to do the lobsters and oysters.

 

As for the Yellow team, Adam really did insist on his lobster prowess then blew it when actually doing it.

[huiray]

Eater.com recap pf TCB ep1:

http://www.eater.com/2014/10/16/6986929/top-chef-boston-episode-1-i-didnt-come-here-to-toss-salad

[gfweb]

Colicchio is already irritating me.

[rotuts]

the Bocuse d'Or is for well established chef's I think

 

it a shame that Great British Menu was never picked up by PBS-US or any other outside the GB networks.

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, most of the really weak competitors were in early seasons. I will however, always remember THIS incident from Season 9.

 

And agreed that appearing on the show opens up a world of opportunity, even the culinary student from Season 1 has gone on to fame and fortune.

[Brown Hornet]

That goofball's immediate elimination after mauling a primal cut was the only good thing about Season 9!

[IndyRob]

Yeah, most of the really weak competitors were in early seasons.

 

I think I've spotted a few in this round.  And surprisingly, when faced with a quickfire elimination, George chose none of them.  Instead, George handpicks the guy who would send him home. #Badmove

[huiray]

I think I've spotted a few in this round.  And surprisingly, when faced with a quickfire elimination, George chose none of them.  Instead, George handpicks the guy who would send him home. #Badmove

 

But George has not seen any of the others actually cook anything yet.  He only knows what he has seen of Gregory's skills at filleting mackerel, which was poor and that he had lied when he (Gregory) claimed that he was good at fish.  You have now seen how the others cooked in the elimination challenge.  He (George) never did.  He may or may not have seen any of the others (including Gregory) in actual action in the kitchens of their respective restaurants and besides, doing things in the TC kitchen would be "new/alien" to any of them so how would one judge that one particular person could adapt immediately or not...

 

Besides, he had every right to be angry at Gregory, who sort-of bullied/shamed him into doing the clams even after he (George) had *said* he was bad at shucking clams.

[Lisa Shock]

Episode 2's main challenge brought some odd results. Yes, the chefs had to produce a large number of portions (27?,) but, each market basket had good food (no processed foods, no tricks like the Food Network shows) in it and they had 2 hours to cook. Then the teams produce mostly really simple plates. Compared to what was produced during the quickfire, the main round's food was a letdown for me.

 

Obviously, some people worked better in groups than others. IMO, some of the drama was overdone editing, but, a couple of contestants are really grating on my nerves now...

 

It was interesting that Mei and Katsuji's mutual distrust led to a decent team strategy of everyone tasting each component on the plate and presumably working to ensure flavorful harmony. The yellow team, oddly enough was so nice they didn't really check each others food nor did they taste the final combination.

[Shelby]

Katsuji cracks me up.  I hope he stays for a while simply for entertainment purposes.

[Jaymes]

Katsuji cracks me up.  I hope he stays for a while simply for entertainment purposes.

Me,too. And I particularly like that several of the others are so dismissive of him, but he doesn't let it get to him. And for the last few challenges, anyway, he's done well.

[Lisa Shock]

He seems to have a good palate and strong ideas overall. That said, he seems to have a fondness for going to red chile sauce as first impulse. (he mentioned it as an option for the group challenge) I'm waiting to see how many more times this season he jumps to making red sauce right away.

[gfweb]

There seem to be more than a few candidates for villain in this group. Should be entertaining.

[scubadoo97]

There seem to be more than a few candidates for villain in this group. Should be entertaining.

The villain has jumped the shark after watching this most recent episode. Enough! Give me some good cooking without the drama

Do people really like this crap?

Edited October 24, 2014 by scubadoo97 (log)

[huiray]

Katsuji cracks me up.  I hope he stays for a while simply for entertainment purposes.

 

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/147698-top-chef-boston/page-2?p=1991205#entry1991205

Take a look at the last line there again.  :-)

[huiray]

Keriann annoys me a lot.  Aaron, not so much, although he could use more finesse.  Hmm, flashes of "Jimmy Sears"...(skill set aside)

 

Katsuji would make me nervous too if I had him as a team mate at this point - I wouldn't be sure (from what has been shown so far) whether he will go overboard or pull it off.  As for his making red chile sauce - well, his background is heavy on the Mexican side...wouldn't some sort of chile sauce (usually in the red tones) be almost universal in all manner of regional Mexican cuisine?  Besides, it's just two episodes in.

 

Wrecking the main protein is shown again to be more fatal than other faults.

 

It also seems from Gail Simmons' blog on Episode 2 that an inference can be made that she does eat meat, at least at these judging tables on Top Chef - notwithstanding what she is reported to have said previously about being a vegetarian?