Iron Chef America (Part 3)

[gfweb]

[Moderator note: This is part of an extended topic that became too large for our servers to handle efficiently, so we've divided it into shorter segments; the preceding part of this discussion is here: Iron Chef America (Part 2)]

 

 

 

 

They should edit out CCora and put in somebody who has a clue.

Can she cook better than me? Sure, but I'm not getting paid a mint to be a food star. If I were, I'd do better than that southern/greek doo doo that she shovels up.

Her next IC gig is " Battle hot dog".

Lets see, ...weiner moussaka, pigs with feta in a phyllo wrap, hot dog tapenade, deep fried corn dogs, and for the piece d'resistance, a twin towers of forcemeat thrusting skyward from a braised kraut base.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Mjx
Note added. (log)

[Tri2Cook]

I don't get why there's so much hate for Cat Cora. Mario whips out the Italian, Flay does the Southwestern, Morimoto doesn't battle often but, obviously, leans in the Oriental direction. They all have their "thing" they do.

I finally got to see the Cora/Stupak chocolate battle. Granted, Stupak is primarily a pastry chef but he's a damn good one and Cora held her own and came very close to beating him.

[dougw]

I don't think the problem is so much with Cora's affinity for Greek food. That's who she is. She grew up with that food, and I think it's great she uses that as her home base.

Some have expressed a problem with the fact that she's a "celebrity chef" as opposed to the other IC's who have put in the work in the industry. Based on the Ruhlman book, her goal was fame through cooking. That makes me uneasy, but who am I to judge her choices?

[burntmilk]

I don't think the problem is so much with Cora's affinity for Greek food. That's who she is. She grew up with that food, and I think it's great she uses that as her home base.

Some have expressed a problem with the fact that she's a "celebrity chef" as opposed to the other IC's who have put in the work in the industry. Based on the Ruhlman book, her goal was fame through cooking. That makes me uneasy, but who am I to judge her choices?

←

Cat Cora worked in her families restaurant most of her youth, She had her own restaurant. It is named Postino. It's located in Lafayette Californina. Her co/owners loved her being involved with Food network (free publicity) but hated when she had to travel to East Coast. She kindly sold her partnership and is involved in "many" things that are not "celebrity chef" based. She created Chefs for Humanity (Look it up, and get involved), She is the head chef for BonApetitie magazine, is working on a concept restaurant with Macy's, and is very involved in the raising of her two small children and Yes, she is the first Female Iron Chef. I think people judge her to harshly! Why don't you come down and actually watch a filming of ICA? it is open to the public....You can even hang out afterwards and say hello, and You can see what those of us who have met her know. She is talented, kind, hardworking and yes, very competitive, Food network tends to edit out all of the smiling and joking that goes on during a taping of Iron Chef America. They like her to look tuff and to come off as a bit of a hard ass. I think a few of you should get all of the facts.

[dougw]

As I said, I respect the hell out of her. I was basing my uneasiness on what I read in Ruhlman's book, regarding her stated desire for celebrity. I'm uneasy about anyone who has that as a goal, regardless of the field they work in. But thanks for the additional info on her. I'd love to eat some of her food, and I'm sure she's a wonderful person. Never meant to imply otherwise.

[Leonard Kim]

Why don't you come down and actually watch a filming of ICA? it is open to the public

I've got probably a dozen or more media citations, including those quoting participants, that say this isn't true -- that it's invitation only. Can you provide evidence for this claim? (I'm not trying to knock you, I'm sure people would be thrilled if tapings were open.)

[handmc]

So with all this build up of the next iron chef. Has Symon done more than two battles?

[Ndy]

I don't think the problem is so much with Cora's affinity for Greek food. That's who she is. She grew up with that food, and I think it's great she uses that as her home base.

Some have expressed a problem with the fact that she's a "celebrity chef" as opposed to the other IC's who have put in the work in the industry. Based on the Ruhlman book, her goal was fame through cooking. That makes me uneasy, but who am I to judge her choices?

←

Cat Cora worked in her families restaurant most of her youth, She had her own restaurant. It is named Postino. It's located in Lafayette Californina. Her co/owners loved her being involved with Food network (free publicity) but hated when she had to travel to East Coast. She kindly sold her partnership and is involved in "many" things that are not "celebrity chef" based. She created Chefs for Humanity (Look it up, and get involved), She is the head chef for BonApetitie magazine, is working on a concept restaurant with Macy's, and is very involved in the raising of her two small children and Yes, she is the first Female Iron Chef. I think people judge her to harshly! Why don't you come down and actually watch a filming of ICA? it is open to the public....You can even hang out afterwards and say hello, and You can see what those of us who have met her know. She is talented, kind, hardworking and yes, very competitive, Food network tends to edit out all of the smiling and joking that goes on during a taping of Iron Chef America. They like her to look tuff and to come off as a bit of a hard ass. I think a few of you should get all of the facts.

←

Are you sure the filmings are open to the public? From my knowledge, only insiders and friends and family get to watch.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Cat Cora was a local celebrity here in the Bay Area well before her ICA days.

While she was still at Postino, she was a frequent guest columnist in the Food section of the Contra Costa Times.

[nliedel]

I really like her and I think, just my opinion, that anyone who puts themselves out there, on television shows, as a food writer, as a cookbook author, may have a fame bug. Which is not a bad thing. Celebrity chefs are entertainers. That's what they do and thank goodness, because I've learned from them.

I really love Ruhlman's work. I own it all, but French Laundry and I read it, a lot. I have a book of his in my purse right now. Which means I am actively using it. I think that he offers an invaluable service to someone like me, who aspires to be a better cook and taste better food. Bless him, but perhaps he should not be tossing a stone, when his own glass house is between him and the person he's lobbing it at.

Edited April 4, 2008 by nliedel (log)

[Verjuice]

Did anyone see last night's episode, Bobby Flay vs. Martin Rios? My DVR malfunctioned and failed to record it, and I'm dying to know what happened; who won, and how it went down.

Chef Rios is one of the favorite chefs of Santa Fe. I have actually never watched Iron Chef, but for his sake I really wanted to see this one.

[cathrynapple]

Eh, he didn't fair so well against Flay. Bobby F. did his same-old same-old stuff, but executed it well. The judges had a lot of criticism for both of them, but were very picky witht he challenger. Flay won by about twelve points or so.

Saddest part: Battle ends, and the challenger's little daughter said, from the audience, "did Daddy win?" Mom replies that they don't know yet, and then her Daddy has to lose terribly. I hope the child wasn't too upset. Poor thing.

[dockhl]

cathryn~

I thought the same thing. He did lose badly; the judges were kinda snarky, weren't they? (This episode has the young guy who is so full of himself and is such a jerk, right?)

[Dieck]

I have battle tomato on Tivo and I've fallen asleep twice while watching it so I have yet to see the ending. But has anyone noticed that they've gone overboard with adding campy sound effects throughout the show? It made me nuts.

[cathrynapple]

Yeah, that stupid young guy was like, "the Greek fritters in Greece I've had have never been mushy" and argued with the Indian woman. Not that there's anythign inherently wrong with that, but she's most definitely an international food critic and he was very rude to her.

[dockhl]

He is very opinionated, often wrongly so, and rude to everyone. Ass.

[Ndy]

He is very opinionated, often wrongly so, and rude to everyone. Ass.

←

Yeah, that guy is a pompous douche bag. He makes me cringe.

[Doodad]

Who are we talking about? I missed the episode.

[gfweb]

Andrew Knowlton. Page-boy haircut-ed, stubble chinned schmuck who did the same stuff as a judge on The Next Iron Chef. What a tool.

[Doodad]

Andrew Knowlton.  Page-boy haircut-ed, stubble chinned schmuck who did the same stuff as a judge on  The Next Iron Chef.  What a tool.

←

Thought so. Just confirming.

[Claudia Greco]

Andrew Knowlton.  Page-boy haircut-ed, stubble chinned schmuck who did the same stuff as a judge on  The Next Iron Chef.  What a tool.

←

Or, as he's known on the Ruhlman blog, "Breck Boy Knowlton" (although he doeas have equally Prell-like bouncin' n' behavin' hair (!))

[bcsuka]

Yeah, that stupid young guy was like, "the Greek fritters in Greece I've had have never been mushy" and argued with the Indian woman. Not that there's anythign inherently wrong with that, but she's most definitely an international food critic and he was very rude to her.

←

Not to nitpick or anything, but he was actually arguing with Karinne Bakhoum (sp?) who I personally find equally annoying and still can't believe is allowed to judge Flay battles given the obvious conflict of interest. But whatever.

As an aside to the judging of this ep, I can't believe that Flay received a signficantly higher score for Originality when, as an earlier poster rightly stated, it was same-old, same-old from Bobby (i.e. blue corn tortillas, spicy chiles, etc).

Brad

[cathrynapple]

Bobby Flay ALWAYS makes the same stuff. Obviously I can't taste it, but his challengers' meals usually look more interesting and appealing. Who knows? maybe flay's grilled steaks are outstanding in flavor. I can't see how he keeps winning with such a limited range of dishes, though.

I think Karinne usually does a good job?

[misstenacity]

As an aside to the judging of this ep, I can't believe that Flay received a signficantly higher score for Originality when, as an earlier poster rightly stated, it was same-old, same-old from Bobby (i.e. blue corn tortillas, spicy chiles, etc).

Brad

←

Bobby's dishes themselves don't bother me nearly as much as the freakin' use of those orange and green oil/sauces on nearly every single plate. Makes me want to shake him. Let the dish stand on its own, dude!

There actually was a place here in town that did something nearly identical, 'decorating' both red-sauced fish and a filet/potatoes presentation with the same 2 brightly colored flavored oils. Grrrr.

[gfweb]

I like Flay, but wish he'd learn how to pronounce "chipotle". He always adds a syllable. chi-pot-a-le