Have to say that I'm finding that I miss Chris. I never minded him like some did, so that's not a huge surprise. Bridget and Julia have always been my favorite cooks on the show, but I'm not loving them as hosts. I know it was false, but Chris always seemed to stand in for the viewers - I know he was probably as knowledgeable as any of the cooks, but it was a long established thing. Now, having watched expert cooks Bridget and Julia for years, it just seems silly for them to act all surprised at the tricks and techniques that the other cooks are displaying. Having said all that - I have never had a CI, ATK or CC recipe fail me. I guess I am their target audience.
Another thing - after watching the corned beef episode last night, I realized that Chris seemed to ask more questions during the prep of the dish that the cook was making. Often, they were the kinds of things that I was wondering about - "why are you doing it like that?", "why not just...?". That doesn't seem to be happening much now.