Iron Chef- Episode 2

[TrishCT]

So what did you think?

[Singapore]

I really, really want to try Batali's lobster cannolli (did I spell that right?). Very original, I thought. Looked really tasty!

Comparing the American IC's, I think Batali's performance was much stronger than Flay's. Batali was innovative, and transformed the theme ingredient (like with the lobster fritters) whereas Flay either fried or grilled and then covered in sauce (the TGIF method). I can't wait to see what Puck does.

[ExtraMSG]

I actually wanted to try the Sakai and Flay dishes much more than the Batali and Morimoto dishes.

[mudbug]

Really need to hire a new "floor guy" who knows the ingredients. It should be a non-issue and I think it makes the guy, and the show look bad.

It was bad enough in the first one. At the beginning of the second, the "floor guy" asks Batali about the sun dried tomatoes and oil he has in the pan... and Batali responds... Uh, that's tomato paste and bacon fat.

No excuse for going to the lengths they have only come off as clueless, even if it was done intentionally. Ridiculous.

As for the battle, was a good one to watch. My main pet peeve even with the original IC is that it's 50/50 hit and miss whether they identify the usually Asian greens they use, often cooked and used for color, flavor, and texture contrast. Sometimes they just completely leave it out of the commentary.

What was the green that Morimoto uses to top off one of his dishes that lookes like a succulent? Was that purslane (which contains a natural form of omega 3 fatty acids ) or was it something else?

I'm not a vegetarian, but I have a particular interest in Asian Greens and appreciate that they are incorporated into the dishes for a reason.

[TrishCT]

i was totally blown away by Mario's trompe l'oeil cappuccino (actually lobster pea soup) served in the sea urchin, and I liked his trompe l'oeil cannolini.... Does he serve either of these at any of his restaurants??

[teaspoon]

Did anyone else notice Mario holding a small camera near the end of the show? Would he have been getting a record of his own dishes?

[sanguinella]

I was under the impression Batali was trying to take a snapshot of Morimoto, it seemed aimed in that general direction.

This episode was an improvement over the first. Seriously though, why are the judges not heard commenting on the cooking as it occurs? It would fill some empty air and would give a sense of added anticipation. Why does that floor guy still have the job? An audience that is keen on food would be nice. Hey, maybe they should let some of us have a chance to be there!

I do feel that both Batali and Morimoto were in awesome form and spirits. I think I would have had a hard time choosing between the two. If only I could taste the dishes! By the way, does the commentator ever get a chance to do so?

[Chris Cognac]

I would have given anything to be a judge on that panel!...Both chefs dishes looked amazing, it looks like it pretty much came down to taste in the judging. ..I really liked Morimoto's tempura lobster 3 styles.....served on the 3 plates stacked up....nice!

[ExtraMSG]

Really need to hire a new "floor guy" who knows the ingredients. It should be a non-issue and I think it makes the guy, and the show look bad.

I think you're confusing the roles, here. The floor reporter isn't meant to truly know anything. The ICJ floor reporter is even more "clueless" than the ICA one. AB's job (and the producer on the headset talking to AB) are the people supposed to know something. In fact, in ICJ there are many more "clueless" people talking during the battle -- the play-by-play announcer, the panel, the reporters. In some ways, I think ICA may be trying too hard to let us know what everything is and what's going on.

[Gul_Dekar]

Really need to hire a new "floor guy" who knows the ingredients. It should be a non-issue and I think it makes the guy, and the show look bad.

He said he didnt know what foie gras was in Battle 1, but the funny thing is I watched an episode of his Thirsty Traveler show where he actually COOKED THE DAMNED THING (Ice Wine episode)! So how could it be that he seemed like he's never seen foie gras before?

[teaspoon]

I was under the impression Batali was trying to take a snapshot of Morimoto, it seemed aimed in that general direction.

If true, that's kind of endearing, don't you think? Mario has always struck me as such a no-nonsense guy.

[hillvalley]

Really need to hire a new "floor guy" who knows the ingredients. It should be a non-issue and I think it makes the guy, and the show look bad.

He said he didnt know what foie gras was in Battle 1, but the funny thing is I watched an episode of his Thirsty Traveler show where he actually COOKED THE DAMNED THING (Ice Wine episode)! So how could it be that he seemed like he's never seen foie gras before?

Because not everyone in the world knows what foie gras is. Someone has to play dumb for the rest of the country who aren't food snobs. It's safe to assume that if you don't know what foie gras is, then you didn't see him on another show cooking the stuff

The judging is absurd. We could be doing a much better job than they are. Alton sounds desperate at times to fill up the dead air.

But I loved this battle. The soup in the uni was brillant. My mouth was watering throughout the whole episode. I wish they showed the final dishes more than once like they do on ICJ.

[carp]

Did anyone else record or TIVO this match?

Right after they show Batali slicing the pancetta, with a very cool looking bowie-type knife I might add, I could have sworn that one of Morimoto's sous chefs spit into a pot he was pulling off the stove. The sound also seemed to support this observation. I AM NOT KIDDING! I really thought I saw the guy spitting.

Am I completely off-base here?

Did anyone else see this?

[WHT]

Did anyone else notice Mario holding a small camera near the end of the show? Would he have been getting a record of his own dishes?

One would think he would.

[WHT]

Did anyone else record or TIVO this match?

Right after they show Batali slicing the pancetta, with a very cool looking bowie-type knife I might add, I could have sworn that one of Morimoto's sous chefs spit into a pot he was pulling off the stove. The sound also seemed to support this observation. I AM NOT KIDDING! I really thought I saw the guy spitting.

Am I completely off-base here?

Did anyone else see this?

It will repeat this week. I thought I saw the same thing.

[carp]

I was out last night so I saw it this morning on tape. I watched it over and over again and I am having trouble coming to any other conclusion... The guy spit into the pot.

...............................Edited to add:

It is at about 5:40 into the show by my VCR's counter.

Edited April 25, 2004 by carp (log)

[Rivendell61]

Carp,

I noticed that knife MB used too. It was a folding knife that he opened just to cut the pancetta. Big! Looked like a Laguiole--with the decorative cut marks on the back of the blade. Nice..... But why?

Was it just Batali being a bit of a showman? Or is there some functional reason to have pulled out that folder?

Mark

[carp]

Carp,

I noticed that knife MB used too. It was a folding knife that he opened just to cut the pancetta. Big! Looked like a Laguiole--with the decorative cut marks on the back of the blade. Nice..... But why?

Was it just Batali being a bit of a showman? Or is there some functional reason to have pulled out that folder?

Mark

I think you're right. Although I have never seen a Laguiole folding knife that size. The way he holds the knife I can't see Napoleon's bee, which usually appears on the base of their blades. They might be some Italian brand I'm not familiar with.

It looks like he used other similar knives, too. In the same shot with the pancetta there is another knife in the top left corner that has a similar style.

Maybe he feels they are more battle-appropriate.

[Singapore]

Carp,

I noticed that knife MB used too. It was a folding knife that he opened just to cut the pancetta. Big! Looked like a Laguiole--with the decorative cut marks on the back of the blade. Nice..... But why?

Was it just Batali being a bit of a showman? Or is there some functional reason to have pulled out that folder?

You're not going to believe this, but I think it was a lock-back Swiss army knife!

[ZenFoodist]

Alton Brown or whatever his name is really annnoyed me with his horrid pronunciation of zeppole...."ZE- POLE-AYYY" instead of "ZEP-OLE-EEE"

Like come on.....

[carp]

Carp,

I noticed that knife MB used too. It was a folding knife that he opened just to cut the pancetta. Big! Looked like a Laguiole--with the decorative cut marks on the back of the blade. Nice..... But why?

Was it just Batali being a bit of a showman? Or is there some functional reason to have pulled out that folder?

You're not going to believe this, but I think it was a lock-back Swiss army knife!

What? Really? Wow!

That's quite impressive. If I were on the show I think I would use something crazy, too... like a machete and I would use it for garnishing. Then I would pretend it was no big deal... like I use this thing all the time.

The other knife, the one on the same shot as the folding knife, I now think it's a global...

[SG-]

What? Really? Wow!

That's quite impressive. If I were on the show I think I would use something crazy, too... like a machete and I would use it for garnishing. Then I would pretend it was no big deal... like I use this thing all the time.

The other knife, the one on the same shot as the folding knife, I now think it's a global...

I think it was a Furi knife, note the curve on the end of the handle.

[ExtraMSG]

Alton Brown or whatever his name is really annnoyed me with his horrid pronunciation of zeppole...."ZE- POLE-AYYY" instead of "ZEP-OLE-EEE"

Like come on.....

I think you need to practice your zen.

[phrank]

He said he didnt know what foie gras was in Battle 1, but the funny thing is I watched an episode of his Thirsty Traveler show where he actually COOKED THE DAMNED THING (Ice Wine episode)! So how could it be that he seemed like he's never seen foie gras before?

That's hilarious. It's probally because he was drunk when he was cooking it

[formerly grueldelux]

Where was the lobster roll? I think they both missed the obvious American classic that could have been wittily nudged towards Italy or Japan.

Overall, I thought Morimoto won this battle, at least with the concepts; there seemed to be more of an effort to explore the essence of lobster. Mario Batali once too often, in my opinion, simply plugged lobster into an Italian classic. That being said, I'm sure if I had tasted the dishes I too would have voted for Mario, especially given the ignorance of my palate for Japanese food.