Iron Chef America (Part 2)

[Grovite]

Amen, preach it sistah! I learned about Crocs from Mario's interview right here on eGullet, and have my own purple ones on my feet right this very instant. Definitely the creaky-jointed person's best friend, are these shoes--like walking around on a pair of springy sponges. And the colors you can get them in are just insane.

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Hey, not just the creaky jointed. My hubby, nine years older than I, with ridiculously low cholesterol, low body fat ratio, low blood pressure, no arthritis, loves his! 19 year old daughter and 25 year old stepdaughter love thiers. Nurse practioner stepdaughter and her ER Nurse husband love theirs.

"Springy sponges" does the sensation justice, I guess, but like all other similes I can comprehend, seem to fall short. "Walking on clouds" seems trite and overused. "Comfortable" seems an understatement. I guess you just got to try them. It is sort of like trying to describe the aroma of truffle to someone who has never smelled one, or the mouth feel of foie gras to someone who has never tasted it.

Hallelujah!

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Too bad they don't make them in a 15 I would love some red ones to wear to work.

[Haivart]

If rumor serves me correctly, it's a good and challenging theme ingredient.

[inventolux]

Todays secret ingredient............water.

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

The secret ingredient - gravitas

[akebono]

the secret ingredient

inspired by rosemary's baby...

tannis root.

tannis anyone?

[inventolux]

Tomorrows secret ingredient - toxic water. UNLESS WE GET IT TOGETHER!

[ghost]

I think this show would be much more interesting if they got rid of the Iron Chefs all together. Just get 2 real chefs and let them goto town. Perhaps have a playoff with all the winners during a season or something. Show the food off, not the personalities.

[BCinBC]

^ But Batali, Morimoto, Flay and Cora are all "real chefs", with their own real restaurants. (Actually I'm not sure if Cora is in that category at present, but the other three definitely are.)

If you want the food, go to PBS.

[pork]

Anyone catch Michelle Bernstein totally spanking Flay in battle onion?

Oh my, she is dreeeeamy. Good cook too.

Also, god in heaven why did they fuck up the Shatner episode so badly? Shatner would have been a perfect Chairman, for all eternity. It was his place. Why the hell would they feed him horrible puns and alliterative nonsense through a teleprompter? He could have ad-libbed the whole thing and we'd have been enthralled.

I, too, weep for what could have been; nay, should have been. The four horsemen are not sous. They are: Marc Summers, Bobby Rivers, Al Roker, and Marc Silverstein.

[FistFullaRoux]

What about a Joe Public contestant? Someone with little to no restaurant experience. Just an average to great home cook.

Sign me up. I'd like to give it a whirl...

[jm chen]

The Big Head and the Big Ego against the Big Belly and the Big Grin. Yeesh. It's Frankenchef.

I don't know who I want to root against more.

If the secret ingredient is EVOO I will shoot somebody, and no mistake.

[Leonard Kim]

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../602220319/1005

full article including pictures and multimedia.

[Chad]

Very nice report from MSNBC's Jon Bonne: Iron Chef America Trades Spectacle for Serious Cooking

Looks like Iron Chef America has hit its stride. I know I've enjoyed some of the newer shows.

Showboating aside, each “Iron Chef America” episode now offers valuable lessons from the kitchen. It may have become Food Network's most serious-minded show, in part because it has transformed from mere spectacle to include a healthy dose of how-to.

“There was the drama, the tension, the humor and the campiness of it, but people were actually taking away food information,” says Bruce Seidel, the Food Network's vice president for program planning. “We were like, ‘How can we build on that?’”

Chad

[glazz]

Like him or be bored by him Alton Brown must have an 170 IQ. And I'm bored by him now same as Emeril. I loved one of his (Alton's) first episodes where he rummaged through a junk yard and found some old gym lockers which he then made into a BBQ smoker

Now I'm going to contradict myeslf... I say he does well as the Iron Chef host. Witty repartee as fast as Alvin and the Chipmunks singing Christmas carols at 78rpm

[tan319]

Re: Alton's comments about publicists and managers.

A- He must have one, of each, and for some time now.

B_ Chefs started having managers in the late 80's/early 90's, when Shep Gordon, who managed Alice Cooper and was/is a top level gourmand, basically started a chef management firm.

This was reported in Food Arts, I believe, and the article listed his roster, which was just about everybody!

[Chris Cognac]

Its amazing....once the battle starts...Alton goes non stop for 1 hr...He is a wealth of knowledge...the dude is really smart!

[Scottyfitzg]

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../602220319/1005

full article including pictures and multimedia.

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What I find most insulting about Iron Chef is the ridiculous notion that the secret ingredients are actually kept a secret to the chefs. Give me a break. Who is going to believe that they create 4 or 5 different dishes without even taking the time to discuss what they're going to make with their sous chefs?

[The Apostate]

Really?I always assumed that he was just reading off a prompter or laptop.

As I recall, they had an inaugural 'making of Iron Chef' show where he introduced some of the people who were prompting him via earphone during the tapings.

Or am I recalling that inaccurately?

[Kim WB]

AB provides running off the cuff commentary during the 1 hour cooking, and then records some of the scripted parts..for example, I attended the taping of the lamb battle, and he recorded a teleprompted segment describing the parts of the lamb, using a chart as a visual.

He does have some notes that I beleive he gets about the chef's background, etc that is on the lap top, but the commentarey is definitely unscripted..and also edited.

Edited February 23, 2006 by Kim WB (log)

[FistFullaRoux]

I can also tell that some parts of AB's commentary are recorded/edited in later. The sound quality of his voice changes. There are some things that are "fixed in the mix" as they say, but it's still fun to watch.

[Shalmanese]

Very nice report from MSNBC's Jon Bonne: Iron Chef America Trades Spectacle for Serious Cooking

Looks like Iron Chef America has hit its stride. I know I've enjoyed some of the newer shows.

Showboating aside, each “Iron Chef America” episode now offers valuable lessons from the kitchen. It may have become Food Network's most serious-minded show, in part because it has transformed from mere spectacle to include a healthy dose of how-to.

“There was the drama, the tension, the humor and the campiness of it, but people were actually taking away food information,” says Bruce Seidel, the Food Network's vice president for program planning. “We were like, ‘How can we build on that?’”

Chad

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Thanks for spoiling the theme ingredient, MSNBC. Chad: For those who have yet to read it, you might want to add a warning.

[JPW]

Very nice report from MSNBC's Jon Bonne: Iron Chef America Trades Spectacle for Serious Cooking

Looks like Iron Chef America has hit its stride. I know I've enjoyed some of the newer shows.

Showboating aside, each “Iron Chef America” episode now offers valuable lessons from the kitchen. It may have become Food Network's most serious-minded show, in part because it has transformed from mere spectacle to include a healthy dose of how-to.

“There was the drama, the tension, the humor and the campiness of it, but people were actually taking away food information,” says Bruce Seidel, the Food Network's vice president for program planning. “We were like, ‘How can we build on that?’”

Chad

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Interesting when you compare this to what Sara Moulton was telling us about FTV.

A side of hypocrisy for your burger anyone?

[Chris Cognac]

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../602220319/1005

full article including pictures and multimedia.

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What I find most insulting about Iron Chef is the ridiculous notion that the secret ingredients are actually kept a secret to the chefs. Give me a break. Who is going to believe that they create 4 or 5 different dishes without even taking the time to discuss what they're going to make with their sous chefs?

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It is.....they have to submit menu's for 3 different ingredients, then the theme is revealed on the show....i can tell you from experience they are pretty serious about keeping it a secret until filming....even bringing in big shields to cover the area when the ingredient is being loaded onto the platform..

[Scottyfitzg]

"It is.....they have to submit menu's for 3 different ingredients"

So they have a darn good idea of what they're going to do. They just have a lot of prep work to do before hand 'cause they have to essentially prepare 15 dishes: 5 or so for each possible ingredient. Either way it's not anywhere near as impromptu as the show wuold have people believe. Fine with me, I'll still tune in every once in a while, I just wish they made Alton Brown say "Ah, kukisan!" before he interjected anything.

[bottomlesspit]

Why is it that when I think of Giada, all I see is her giant head and enormous teeth - and if I posted that I would get hopped all over for being horrible and nasty but when a MAN thinks of nothing but chesticles and says so right here in front of everyone, no one flinches?  I mean no woman would come here and say wooohooo...how ever DOES Flay find pants that fit?  and that Chairman...he is SOOOOOO flexible!!! 

Shame on you boys!  

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When hubs and I watch the food tv, I make the catty quips about Giada's enormous teeth/forehead and we both snicker over Bobby's chesticles.

* Edited to add that Bourdain would make a horrible secret ingredient - no meat on his bones. Might make for some great stock, though...

Edited February 24, 2006 by bottomlesspit (log)