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Top Chef 4.1
Mar. 14th, 2008 11:17 pmSo, I watched the first show when it aired, then after reading a few online blogs and stuff, I wanted to catch some stuff I missed, so I caught it again tonight...and they edited it! I distinctly remembered the mayonnaise incident between the crab-cake dudes, for example, and it wasn't in tonight's episode. I even reversed the DVR, and it wasn't there. Removed for more commercials? Controversy? I don't know.
Anyway. Chicago is going to be an interesting city. A lot meat and Americana, I think, as opposed to Miami's seafood and Latin melting pot. Which, given Colicchio's Grammercy Tavern background, may make for interesting meals. Not to mention Padma's Hindu upbringing.
Right now, I can't keep track. 16 contestants in an hour show, minus 10-15 minutes for commercials, and two cooking challenges and judgement...we're seeing what the producers want us to see, and there's no real personality now, just network-spin. Still, I like San Fran Erik (even though he choked himself and the judges on his souffle), I'm interested in Nikki, and Stephanie, and Kiwi Mark. I'm no fan of Molecular Gastronomy (and the ego it seems to require for some reason), but Richard FauxHawk.v.1 is from my former hometown of Atlanta, so I'm interested to see what he will bring. The San Fran JenniFauxHawk.v.2/Zoi team will be interesting to see if their relationship is a stunt (as cursing-Andrew seemed to think) or a serious potential for jealous rivalry (as I think will be), or both (as may be the hope of the producers). Which brings up the language controversy. Working kitchens are not much different from working naval vessels when it comes to language, but is the amount of bleeping this season more authentic? Or more posturing? It's hard to tell from one episode, and still, 16 chefs are waaaay too much to cram into 40-something minutes of airtime.
The pizza was a good idea, and at least they got it out of the way so it won't be a "surprise" later. The only thing that sticks with me about the pizza is that someone (the winner Stephanie!) apparently cooked/baked prosciutto, and that peaches and a sweet-tea reduction are a surprisingly good idea with pizza. I've had the former, and understand that. The latter makes sense if you've ever had Hawaiian pizza, especially deep-dish, but is still pretty out-there for a first step, especially for the molecular guy.
The elimination challenge was genius for a first episode. Eight classic dishes, from Eggs Benedict to Souffle, winner vs. loser of the previous challenge. There is some online grumbling about the lack of immunity from the quick-fire, and I kinda agree (so, the winner got to pick a partner, but the loser got to pick the dish -- I'd rather the other way around, or even where the winner got to pick both...)
It is the basics, and the mayonnaise controversy actually emphasized that. When I was a senior in High School, I worked in a dinner theater on the buffet line. One night right before service, I had to duck into the kitchen for something, and as I was poking around, a waiter came in and told the sous that they needed some mayonnaise up front. I expected him to reach in the cooler and pull out a glass barrel, but instead, he tossed some egg yolks, mustard, pepper, salt, and a splash of vinegar into a mixer, then carefully drizzled in some oil. In the 5 minutes it took me to find whatever I was looking for, the sous made a vat of mayo and handed it off to the waiter. It stunned me at the time, because, at 17-18 years old, I seriously thought that mayo only came from a jar. Now, at 40, I think: What serious chef can't make mayo? In the end, through the other guy's coaching, it sounded to me that he made an aioli (which I prefer to a mayo anyway and would have done with crab cakes myself, if I may be so bold), but who needs to be coached in either?
Overall, it was a great concept for a first episode -- local, famous pizza style vs. absolute comfort-basics, which put the fear-of-God into the remaining 15 contestants. There are still too many of them to keep straight, though.
Anyway. Chicago is going to be an interesting city. A lot meat and Americana, I think, as opposed to Miami's seafood and Latin melting pot. Which, given Colicchio's Grammercy Tavern background, may make for interesting meals. Not to mention Padma's Hindu upbringing.
Right now, I can't keep track. 16 contestants in an hour show, minus 10-15 minutes for commercials, and two cooking challenges and judgement...we're seeing what the producers want us to see, and there's no real personality now, just network-spin. Still, I like San Fran Erik (even though he choked himself and the judges on his souffle), I'm interested in Nikki, and Stephanie, and Kiwi Mark. I'm no fan of Molecular Gastronomy (and the ego it seems to require for some reason), but Richard FauxHawk.v.1 is from my former hometown of Atlanta, so I'm interested to see what he will bring. The San Fran JenniFauxHawk.v.2/Zoi team will be interesting to see if their relationship is a stunt (as cursing-Andrew seemed to think) or a serious potential for jealous rivalry (as I think will be), or both (as may be the hope of the producers). Which brings up the language controversy. Working kitchens are not much different from working naval vessels when it comes to language, but is the amount of bleeping this season more authentic? Or more posturing? It's hard to tell from one episode, and still, 16 chefs are waaaay too much to cram into 40-something minutes of airtime.
The pizza was a good idea, and at least they got it out of the way so it won't be a "surprise" later. The only thing that sticks with me about the pizza is that someone (the winner Stephanie!) apparently cooked/baked prosciutto, and that peaches and a sweet-tea reduction are a surprisingly good idea with pizza. I've had the former, and understand that. The latter makes sense if you've ever had Hawaiian pizza, especially deep-dish, but is still pretty out-there for a first step, especially for the molecular guy.
The elimination challenge was genius for a first episode. Eight classic dishes, from Eggs Benedict to Souffle, winner vs. loser of the previous challenge. There is some online grumbling about the lack of immunity from the quick-fire, and I kinda agree (so, the winner got to pick a partner, but the loser got to pick the dish -- I'd rather the other way around, or even where the winner got to pick both...)
It is the basics, and the mayonnaise controversy actually emphasized that. When I was a senior in High School, I worked in a dinner theater on the buffet line. One night right before service, I had to duck into the kitchen for something, and as I was poking around, a waiter came in and told the sous that they needed some mayonnaise up front. I expected him to reach in the cooler and pull out a glass barrel, but instead, he tossed some egg yolks, mustard, pepper, salt, and a splash of vinegar into a mixer, then carefully drizzled in some oil. In the 5 minutes it took me to find whatever I was looking for, the sous made a vat of mayo and handed it off to the waiter. It stunned me at the time, because, at 17-18 years old, I seriously thought that mayo only came from a jar. Now, at 40, I think: What serious chef can't make mayo? In the end, through the other guy's coaching, it sounded to me that he made an aioli (which I prefer to a mayo anyway and would have done with crab cakes myself, if I may be so bold), but who needs to be coached in either?
Overall, it was a great concept for a first episode -- local, famous pizza style vs. absolute comfort-basics, which put the fear-of-God into the remaining 15 contestants. There are still too many of them to keep straight, though.
