Bravo's Top Chef Season 2

[Tess]

If it was Lee Anne doing that calendar, I'd be all over it.

[dockhl]

For your viewing displeasure.

Marisa, (somewhat) exposed.

There's classy, then there's this girl.

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*URK*

[Claudia Greco]

Regarding the flambe challenge....

It appeared that they were doing this in non stick pans. Is that safe?

(stupid question, I know...)

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Sure. The flambe-ing basically cooks flavor into the meat - it works in every pan, from el cheapo tinnies to Calphalon Professional Non-Stick. Just keep your face out of your saute pan when you do it, and make sure you aren't directly under your inbuilt microwave, etc. - home kitchens don't come with the high open space of the Iron Chef studios - or any other professional kitchen (!)

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Gotcha. I'm worried, however, about the effect of the flames on the Teflon. I've heard so much on the news about how dangerous Teflon gets when it is overheated.

Am I being overly paranoid here?

Thanks!

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It's bad for parrots when an empty Teflon-coated pan is heated to high temps (the fumes can kill them), but didn't someone do a recent study demonstrating that, if used correctly, Teflon was safe for humans?

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It's bad for ANY critter when an empty Teflon-coated pan is heated to super-high temps (!), although you can certainly heat one without oil, just hot enough to sear. When you flambe, though, there USUALLY is some kind of sauce or liquid of some kind involved, so there's no issue with direct, dry heat on Teflon. Just accept the fact you'll have a good 6"-8" of flame coming off your pot or pan, and that it'll die off peacefully by itself as the alcohol burns. No big deal. Your food isn't burning, and nor is your kitchen - just your eyebrows, if you've gotten all up in your cooking (!) (Just a little flambe-ing humor here.)

[SheenaGreena]

For your viewing displeasure.

Marisa, (somewhat) exposed.

There's classy, then there's this girl

I said it before and I will say it again - butter face

see, I'm still keeping my comments food related

Edited November 1, 2006 by SheenaGreena (log)

[kechefs]

I just threw up in my mouth

[LEdlund]

Wow - you guys are a tough crowd. Marisa drove me crazy in last weeks episode. Here is a group of people who went shopping together. When walking back to the car, one of them says 'I don't think we were charged for the lychees' or something like that. No one responds and they all keep walking to the car. Only later does Marisa decide to bring it up. Why? If it was an issue, why not stop right then and investigate? Give me a break. If I were Otto I would have been less than patient with their accusations. It's not like he deliberatly or maliciously stole something. Sheesh.

[Grub]

Wow, that was almost a downright distressing episode. First, they had to create new ice cream flavors for the quick fire challenge, only to arrive and discover that the audience was made up of about 90% children... Then Betty chewed out Marcel during the main challenge like a rabid wolverine.

With the ice cream challenge, You gotta know your audience, so to not tell them that they're cooking almost exclusively for children just doesn't make sense to me. I'm no expert, but I think children do not have as developed a pallete as adults, nor do they tend to have the same culinary experience -- on the other hand, they're more likely to be open to unusual color combinations and general wackiness on a plate. I don't think the average adult American would accept bacon flavored ice cream -- but I think far fewer children would do so. On the other hand, I DID think it was funny to see one of the cooks be clever/deceitful and make a point of telling the kids about certain ingredients, while telling adults about the other ingredients.

During Marcel's main challenge, the frialator had dropped in temperature too much for him to do his onion rings, and there was a low-key, barely noticeable exchange between him and Betty. But when he was done, he asked her if she thought it was far that he couldn't use the deep fryer, and she responded with something like, "Yeah, I think it's fair. Anything that fucks you up, is fair by me." Next thing, Betty was up, and she couldn't get her cheese sandwiches going, so Marcel started taunting her about it. Oh boy... Betty's BravoTV bio describes her as a "loud, crazy, and no-holds-barred chef" -- well bollocks to that. Marcel is 26 and Betty 44 -- I'd clock them somewhere around 13, emotionally, and for a 44-year old, that's a lot worse. And to be able do dole the shit out, but not be able to take it -- whoa, that's real bad. I realize Marcel is irritating, but that's just pitiful.

[jesteinf]

What a total freaking disaster last night's show was. Was that a realty show or an infomercial. I realize that product placement is a realty in today's world, but last night was over the top:

"Let's all go back to the Kenmore kitchen so can cook with your Calphalon pans and cook food that might be served at TGI Fridays!"

I realize they do the same thing on Runway with the Macy's accessory wall and the rest. It just seems more intrusive on Top Chef.

Also..."craveable"? Ugh.

[Tess]

I still like Betty, but when she was having trouble with the grill all I could think was, "Payback's a bitch."

It seemed like the challenges were hard in meaningless ways, like the surprise about the audience being kids (if it was a surprise; I suspect the editing on this show of being beliberately confusing) and having to complete the cooking in the firehouse.

I wonder how Emily oversalted her stuff that much.

[repoman]

I know they edit these shows to come out a certain way, but I am so gald Emily got the boot. Her snide comment (something along the lines of "you with your 4 teeth and fat ass" about the woman who said her ice cream was too sweet really pissed me off. She seemed to suffer from the same problem Tiffany from season 1 had...the failure to adapt to the different challenges and inability to take criticism. I also didn't like some of the chefs attitude towards cooking for TGIFridays saying "I don't do that kind of food, I do high end cuisine!"

At first I thought I would hate Marcel (again the editing has something to do with how each contestant is presented) but I am starting to like him. The others that I like are Cliff and Sam. I was really hoping Sam would have won the TGIFriday thing because I would have had my ass over there ordering that dish as soon as it was available. It looked amazing.

I hope that Betty gets booted off so I don't have to look at her stupid over-exaggerated facial expressions.

[Swicks]

What a total freaking disaster last night's show was.  Was that a realty show or an infomercial.  I realize that product placement is a realty in today's world, but last night was over the top: 

"Let's all go back to the Kenmore kitchen so can cook with your Calphalon pans and cook food that might be served at TGI Fridays!"

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Amen to that...

Interesting episode, the ice cream challange was tough, I agree you have to anticipate your audience but not telling them it was going to be all kids was a bit underhanded.

I did have a problem with all the complaining about "comfort food" realated challanges, and, "I'm a 4 star chef/specialist in avant garde molecular gastronomy, I don't do comfort food." What a load of crap. If you are talented chef, and love food, how can you not be exicted to come up with entrees for this type of cuisine. I am pretty sure Marcel doesn't come home from a long day at work and whip up some salsify foam and Adria style apple caviar....please. Clearly some of their chefs want to accentuate their strengths in a higher level of cooking but it seemed snobby and whiny to me. I am not a chef so I can't speak to that but that was my basic thoughts on the matter. Perhaps some chefs can enlighten me as to their thoughts on this....

Surprised Emily got booted, she appeared to have an impressive resume, and I agree with Tess, how in the hell could she have oversalted that badly, unless it was the judges amping it up to justify the booting. I can't believe Michael is still around, did anyone else think that perhaps those two random comments, something about one of the woman tasting the ice cream being fat and the comment about hating kids, had anything to do with her being booted? It just seemed that one over salting mistake lead to being eliminated was a bit harsh.

Betty and Marcel....*yawn*... such a dumb time waster, but then again this is reality tv.

My final three guess at this point...Sam (probable winner), Cliff, Betty.

[wawairis]

this has nothing to do with food, but did anyone notice the large scar on padma's right arm? I am wondering where that came from

In the Bravo bio there a mention of Padma having been in a car accident.

[MissAmy]

Oh please. This show isn't about food, it's about immature individuals with borderline personality disorders fighting over stupidity.

This show is a sign of the decline of our civilization. I am certain of it.

[hosinmigs]

I was a little dissapointed with last night's show. The crap drama between Marcel and Betty was annoying and it took time away from the dishes.

I was betting on Mike being eliminated, my girlfriend on Emily. Clearly she is a royal biotch (I HATE KIDS and her fat ass doesn't need sugar) and a hateful person. It was like sweet justice to see her go down on something as basic as seasoning when she was claiming what a great high-end cook she is.

And I loved that the pastry chef once again bombed on two pastry dishes. It cracks me up that a guy who's never made ice cream beat her.

My bet on the winner is Cliff. He seems very versatile and damn good. Ilan will also be strong. I hope Betty gets her ass-kissing self booted quickly or I'm going to shoot a puppy.

[annecros]

Cliff is my favorite as well. I just like him.

[Swicks]

add Illan in there as well, i think he has a decent chance.

I also laughed at the pastry chef gal.. how can you be a pastry chef at two high end restaurants and fail so miserably?

[Tess]

I was really hoping Sam would have won the TGIFriday thing because I would have had my ass over there ordering that dish as soon as it was available.  It looked amazing. 

Me too, but I bet TGI wouldn't touch it because it has too many different fresh ingredients to duplicate faithfully.

[jgm]

I am getting sooooooooooo tired of the chefs sniffing and whining about "I don't know how to do this, I only know how to do high end food." Any contestant in TC2 who didn't watch TC1 is just stupid; anyone who watched TC1 knows that the show is not about only high end food. So if you're going to enter this competition, you need to practice cooking a little bit of everything if you want to win, right?

I can understand how someone who works with high-end food all the time, would have no interest in cooking food of the ilk of TGI Friday's. But that's clearly not what this competition is about.

[BryanZ]

Very interesting interview with Emily.

Exposes some of the behind-the-scenes stuff in the show. Take it with a grain of salt, though.

[KristiB50]

What was that mushroom forest Frank made?

[Grub]

What was that mushroom forest Frank made? 

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Hehehe, yeah that was great... The dish was supposed to be about childhood memories, so it totally made me think of that flick, Tommy Boy -- "You ate a lot of paint chips when you were a kid, didn't ya?"

[dockhl]

Take it with a grain of salt, though.

Bwaahaa.......pretty funny, BryanZ

[howard88]

After listening to the interview on Chow.com with Emily it is

clear to me what a sniveling bitch she is.

Emily takes no, that is zero responsibility for her food.

She blames the equipment, the heat, the task and the

judges but not her cooking. How could her food be so

salty when she has worked at so many 3 and 4 star restaurants.

How could the executive from TGI Fridays judge her food

when he probably has never been in a kitchen like the ones

she has cooked.

I'll tell you how you miss arrogant wannabe, you don't have to

have ever cooked or been in a kitchen to know food is over-salted.

Can you understand that concept Emily?

[Brad K.]

Take it with a grain of salt, though.

Bwaahaa.......pretty funny, BryanZ

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Hilll..larrious!!! Never heard more complaining in my life! And she's a disciple of Steven from last season - a shock! hahahahaha. Maybe when she grows up she'll actually be a decent chef.

What I don'y understand is that so many of these people feel so entitled. They think that since they want to be a "top" chef they must be one already. No sense of having to slowly work up to being one, cooking in a variety of kitchens. In this day and age of celeb chefs people think they can go to culinary school and instantly open their own 4 star restaurant. Wake up.

[johnder]

That was the most disturbing complaint ridden interview I have ever experienced. The fact she takes the chance to trash everyone, "Including a corporate hack ..." and the fact she wasn't apologized to for having to "dumb herself down" to cook the food.

What a joke.