Iron Chef America (Part 1)

[Chef Fowke]

...maybe he wins by cooking his 'weenie'! Cannot wait to see it aired, I have grown tired of watching his dance moves on Food Network, need something new to get me through the rainy season.

[chococrazy]

Too bad, the Food Network in Canada doesn't carry Iron Chef America, only the original show!

Oh, I spoke too soon. From the site:

IRON CHEF AMERICA

What happens when the original Iron Chefs travel from Japan to North America to battle their American counterparts? Watch Iron Chef America to find out!

Based on the wildly popular Japanese culinary cult classic Iron Chef, the five-part Iron Chef America features Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and Wolfgang Puck pitted against each other, and against original Iron Chefs Masaharu Morimoto and Hiroyuki Sakai, in a series of culinary battles. In this American-style adaptation, the Chairman (played by martial arts expert Mark Decascos) instigates a surprise Iron Chef tradition as chef Alton Brown (Good Eats) and Kevin Brauch (The Thirsty Traveler) report on the action.

Judges include: Paige Davis, host of Trading Spaces; Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's Ted Allen; Dayna Devon host of television newsmagazine Extra; actor James Michael Tyler ("Gunther" on Friends), Seinfeld's John O'Hurley, Melinda Clarke of The OC; actor/host Brian Unger of The Daily Show and I Love the 80's Strikes Back; Vincent Pastore of The Sopranos; Jeffery Steingarten, contributing writer for Vogue; Victoria Von Biel of Bon Appetit and Kerry Simon, chef/owner of Simon Kitchen & Bar in the Hard Rock Café, Las Vegas.

When it's on:

Sunday November 7, 8:00 PM ET (CC)

Upcoming Episodes:

• Iron Chef America: Preview Special, Sunday, November 7, 8:00 PM EST (CC)

[Daddy-A]

According to the new City Food (on newstands now!):

Rob Feenie's episode of Iron Chef America will be airing on February 20, 2005 in Canada.

Anyone know of a place where we can have a glass of wine or two and watch this episode? I kinda doubt my local sports bar will let me change the channel, NHL or no NHL.

Please! No Spoilers!

These epsiodes will air on Food Network a month before Food Network Canada. If you know the results, post them in Food & Media not here! I have somewhat fresh sardine to whack anyone who ruins this for me!

A.

Edited December 29, 2004 by Daddy-A (log)

[Viola da gamba]

The Ryder cup was great wasn't it?  Only second best to the US Basketball team going for Bronze in Athens!

Both of which have, IMO, been now overtaken by that amazing international hockey team, BELARUS!!

Oops, sorry - partisan tendencies showing ...

[Megaroo]

I may not have satellite, but good old Mom and Dad who live in the States do. Their favorite daughter may have to come visit them.... Since we don't have cable, they're used to me coming down to watch Food Network. The deal is I have to make dinner if I want to watch... (Not bad, I think)

Since there's no airing date up yet, I'll have to keep checking... but I will record it, I promise!

[peppyre]

Just a thought, does anyone have a DVD player that records? This way, those of us without cable could get a chance to see it too I'd be more than happy to buy a stack of DVDR's for said person too.

Edited December 31, 2004 by peppyre (log)

[bloviatrix]

Food Network, the channel everyone loves to hate, will be premiering the new season of Iron Chef America tomorrow night at 9pm et/pt.

William Grimes, weighed in on the show in yesterday's NY Times in Samurai of Cuisine, on a New Battlefield

The show is a curious blend of campy entertainment and dead-serious cooking. Top chefs put their skills and reputations on display. They submit to the criticisms of the judges. Emotions can run high. On "Iron Chef," Mr. Morimoto took great offense when the challenger, Mr. Flay, after putting the final touch on his dishes, leaped to the table and pumped his fists in the air in celebration. Mr. Morimoto glowered, then made some choice remarks that set up one of the great "Iron Chef" grudge matches.

[Susan G]

I just caught a re-run of ICA with Mario Batali.........loved the cooking, hated the judges. yikes! All the celebrity judges discussed their approval of the tastes in dieting terms: "It was a much lighter flavor than I had expected from fried food", etc., etc. I remarked to my husband it was disappointing that the barely-verbal judges weren't professional foodies: We could learn as much about the discernment of flavors from the judges as we could about techniques from the chefs.

But I'll be looking out for the new episodes........

[Holly Moore]

I never followed the original series, so there is one factor I don't get. As I understand it, in each episode there is an Iron Chef and a challenger. ie In one episode Bobby Flay is the Iron Chef and Rick Bayless is the challenger. How are the Iron Chefs determined - the whim of the producer or is there actual logic to the process?

[bentherebfor]

Holly, the Iron Chef is chosen by the challenger. At least that is how it worked in the original series.

I have to admit, I am quite excited for the series. Especially Bayless!

[Bux]

I think Holly's question was about the determination of who will staff the Iron Chef team, rather than how the Iron Chef is chosen for each show. I also think "show" is an important word. The original Iron Chef was entertainment first, competition second. Without meaning to denigrate the talents of the Iron Chefs chosen, I'd suggest they were chosen for their TV audience appeal as much as, or more than anything else. That they're available and willing to "star" on such a show is undoubtedly yet another factor. Again, no offense meant, but surely one might wonder where Keller, Vongerichten, Boulud, Ripert and a few others might actually fall in the hierarchy of American chefs.

The Japanese shows were always campy. That quality was aided by the goofy translations that were often puzzling and sometimes amusing, but always with a sense that food wasn't a major part of the translators own previous interests. The judges themselves were largely people who had some claim to fame outside the world of food and restaurants. The comments made might be analogous to those you might hear if a panel of athletes and chefs got together to discuss literature or fine art.

In many ways they were more show business than contest. I've referred to the show as being akin to professional wrestling, although they were far more interesting than that. Watching the chefs cook was interesting as was seeing the finished products. I always felt a need to read between the lines however. No where is that more true than when one of the participants says "We weren't told what the main ingredient would be." I'm always thinking there's a but that would continue that line with "but we were told it would be a root vegetable," or "either lobster or squid." As I recall, the contestants were allowed to bring some of their own ingredients and I always wondered how they knew what stuff to bring since they had no idea at all about what they were going to cook.

There's a greater problem with credibility with the new American shows. For one thing, programming on the network has been getting less and less serious (right Boulud, Ripert and Vongerichten have accents, what was I thinking earlier). They've got a vested interest in keeping these shows entertaining for their intended audience. I'm also not going to forget that their vested interests include the current and potential "stars" of the network. They may take a loss or two along the way, but in general, look for an agenda that will keep their people looking good. As with any "reality" show, a little bit of editing and a lot of well placed camera angles and you can make anyone look a hell of a lot better or worse than they are.

[Haivart]

During the first year of the show, neither chef knew what the ingredient was. It was only later that they were given 5 hints.

Television appeal? I don't think so, though it developed later on. Chefs were not celebrities when the show first started, and what's the appear of watching a chef in his 60s?

The original show was two distinct things: the battle was serious competition which rested on a bed of entertainment. Later, the competition did get more showy, but it was always serious.

[bentherebfor]

Five hints?

[JohnnyH]

Accoring to the article in the Times this week, the contestants are told two possible theme ingredients in the days before taping, and they are able to design a menu for each possibility.

[Shalmanese]

Argh, stupid NYT and it's liberal dose of spoilers without adequate preamble.

[Puck Confit]

As I'm watching now, I found it abhorrent that Flay only referred to Bayless as "Mister Bayless" as opposed to "Chef Bayless".

Now, I have no love lost for either of the two, but some show of respect would be nice from Bobby Jackass.

[Mnehrling]

As I'm watching now, I found it abhorrent that Flay only referred to Bayless as "Mister Bayless" as opposed to "Chef Bayless".

Now, I have no love lost for either of the two, but some show of respect would be nice from Bobby Jackass.

←

Thank god somone else saw that. I have always been disturbed at the lack of respect Flay has. He is quick to cut others down, not in a professional way but in a rude way.

I am very disappointed that Flay won. It seems that Chef Bayless went towards the more Mexican traditional that the average person could not experience while Flay's cooking was very typical Southwest fusion (not bad, just not unique.)

[Daddy-A]

As I'm watching now, I found it abhorrent that Flay only referred to Bayless as "Mister Bayless" as opposed to "Chef Bayless".

Glad we all saw that. I think the comment speaks for itself.

I am very disappointed that Flay won.  It seems that Chef Bayless went towards the more Mexican traditional that the average person could not experience while Flay's cooking was very typical Southwest fusion (not bad, just not unique.)

You didn't seriously expect Chef Flay to lose did you? Not on the innaugural show of the new series. As has been discussed numerous times in this forum, these shows are about ratings and not about food. I did however find it interesting that Chef Bayless lost on Presentation. Not that I thought his dishes were better looking that Chef Flay's (Flay's last dish was quite nice looking) but it's the only one on which the viewer can really comment.

Is it just me, or does Flay use tomatillos every time he's on IC? He's nothing if not predictable.

A.

[Fay Jai]

As I'm watching now, I found it abhorrent that Flay only referred to Bayless as "Mister Bayless" as opposed to "Chef Bayless".

Now, I have no love lost for either of the two, but some show of respect would be nice from Bobby Jackass.

←

"Mr. Bayless" indeed. Just when I thought I couln't dislike Flay more, he uncorks this one.

Jesus Key-rist, what an unprofessional asshole. HEY FLAY! THATS CHEF BAYLESS TO YOU!!!

Idiot.

[agbaber]

I won the online thing!!

[bentherebfor]

I thought the show was very dissapointing. I mean the cooking was impressive, good presentations, and great job on the part of Chef Bayless. I'm just so furious that Flay won.

I did have a blast with the online setup though. I have to admit, it was fun.

Anyway, I have hope for the rest of the series, but not if they continue to let the Iron Chefs win no matter what.

[bentherebfor]

I finally got a chance to read that NYT article, which can be read here. Thank goodness I read it after I watched the episode. Anyway, I am dissapointed that the chefs know that it is one of two ingredients. Interesting article though.

[ChefDanBrown]

The one good thing about Bobby Flay being on another show is that it's another opportunity to watch him flail, then try to fix his mistakes. Knowing the limitations of your staff is a huge key to success, and his overdelegation to his Sous was the cause of the burnt chutney. I watched his show one afternoon (when I wasn't feeling irritated enough and needed to get edgy), and watched him incorrectly use his right and left hands for drt-wet-dry breading. They cut away as soon as he realized he'd gotten his dry hand fully breaded, and when they cut back, he was clean as a whistle. I'm not sure if it's partly jelously of his success, but I can't help but think of him as the red-headed New York step-child of modern Southwestern. Isn't it great when a whole region and a number of very influential Chefs (not the least of which is Chef Bayless) come up with a cuisine idea you can swipe and self-promote with?

I'm certainly not a proponent of Food MTV, but I do think this show will have a lot of positive effects on our culture. It may not be the most perfect representation of what we do, but there are a lot of people who will now be exposed to the fact that the are great American Chefs.

I think the key to winning the competitions will be to know the particular tastes of the judges, and play to those points. Obviously, though, they're going to favor the "Iron Chefs" they've selected. Sad, but better than no serious cooking competition on television.

[JasonZ]

Interesting comments ... personally, I preferred a show on the early seasons of TVFN -- Chef du Jour. It allowed chefs who couldn't commit to a season or didn't want to put up with the theatrics of Iron Chef to participate. It was my first look at Susur Lee, for example, and it allowed for real recipes and real planning.

Re judging, ICA has truly been disappointing. At least in the Japanese series, there was a constant -- the food editor of Tokyo's premier newspaper. She provided both a consistency of taste and a modicum of experience and expertise. Finally, even in the pre-season "Battle of the Masters", the judges who should have been "experts" (i.e., editors from Saveur, Food & Wine; Zagat's), as has been noted, seemed to have an abysmal sense of what food should be and how to describe it. One has to wonder how this lack reflects in the magazines.

At least the choice of Alton Brown, and his role in the show, is an improvement compared to the original -- he has time to provide a real background and information for the viewer. In the Flay-Bayless battle, he spent a couple of minutes on types of peppers, how to grade their heat, etc.

So, will I watch it? Yes. Will I consider it culinary education? About as much as "Emeril Live" -- i.e., none.

[rancho_gordo]

I found the new show fascinating. I watched the old show casually and I've seen Flay here and there but I never realized he was such a particular personality. I watched the pre-event special and had no idea about the backstory with him jumping up on the counter. I really wish he hadn't explained it away as a an "American" thing. It was pretty horrifying to me!

I also enjoyed watching him having to over-explain and justify his food to the judges.

As Dame Edna might say, he is a beautiful example of his type. And I mean that in the nice way!

I enjoyed how calm Bayless was and the nice chemistry with his staff.

I also like seeing the lady, brilliant host of the seminal Big Brother show, commenting on everything and saying nothing. And using chopsticks to eat her empanada. She is fancy!

But I really enjoyed it. It was fun and was an eye opener.