Top Chef starts tonight!

[crlygrl]

I did get to eat some turtle soup at The Commander's Palace once. It tasted like a mixture of beef and seafood, just like I thought it should...

This cemetery is right across the street. Really neat looking:



Carla really screwed the pooch on this one. Two days later and I'm a little mad about it. She could have really done something awesome and comforty with the beef and potatoes. It should have been melt-in-your-mouth good. And who wants a souffle instead of a tart?? Not me. Give me the pastry.

[pg13]

An American version of Last Restaurant Standing (sort of) is coming to NBC on March 11 (read NBC's press release here). "Teams consisting of four couples each will not only design a restaurant, open it, do menu planning and publicity, but will also be tasked with 'challenges' such as preparing freshly killed wild game, handling a wedding reception and dealing with a random 'mystery cuisine.' " Marco Pierre White (Gordon Ramsay's mentor) will be the guy humiliating the contestants.

I'm looking forward to it.

I'm definitely NOT looking forward to this, based on the ads that I've seen for it...for the same reason that I hate the American version of "Kitchen Nightmares" while the UK version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is one of my favorite shows...

What I love about "Last Restaurant Standing" is imagining what I'd do in similar circumstances--which is why my favorite reality show is "The Amazing Race"--it's the inherent drama of the challenges put in front of you...and then getting to know the people who are actually competing and seeing how THEY face those challenges. That's why I like Project Runway, Top Chef, etc much more than "vote others out" shows like Survivor.

Raymond Blanc isn't there to humiliate the contestants in "Last Restaurant Standing"...and in the UK version of "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares", he's not the cartoon explosion he portrays on his American shows (and I truly can't stand "Hell's Kitchen.") In the UK version of RKN, Gordon is a savvy businessman who actually gets into the nuts and bolts of how to run a successful restaurant whose aggressive demeanor is meant to wake up the complacent to motivate towards change...not just crush egos for whatever entertainment value that might have for some...

In the ads for this new NBC show (called "The Chopping Block"--not to be confused with Ted Allen's disappointing show "Chopped") they've got Marco Pierre White in the Donald Trump-The Apprentice role...boasting about having made Gordon Ramsey (choose to) cry.

I just don't have the masochism necessary to enjoy a show based around the misanthropy of the host...or the sadism necessary to enjoy a show where the point is to humiliate those trying to do something they love.

pg--I also know that I'm going to hate the American version of TopGear (w/Adam Carolla) despite adoring the UK version of it...but there's precious little on there about food, so this isn't the thread for that opinion. Although, I DID see TopGear's James "Captain Slow" May on Ramsay's "The F Word" on BBC America the other day.--seattle

[pissedpissedofferson]

That's not true. They find out a month or so in advance a list of possible secret ingredients and can prepare several menus based on them. They don't find out the specific ingredient until the reveal on the show. They can request special pantry items and can guess the secret ingredient based on which items appear in the pantry. They then have a short period of time to organize themselves and have one hour to prepare and plate the 5 dishes for camera. After this they are given more time to prepare the dishes for the judges.

I'm basing that claim on an article about Iron Chef mistreating their studio audience. The jist of it is they penned the people in, didn't give them food or water, and basically made them watch a marathon of people hovering over pots for a full work day.

Our shit is incongruous.

And I'm sure it's been said, but I want to grumble: it's complete bullshit that a competition like Top Chef came down to the final dish with no apparent consideration for past performance. What were the last 2 months for if this was all a single-elimination tournament?

[Cameron]

What were the last 2 months for if this was all a single-elimination tournament?

Eliminating the other 14 chefs.

[Sarah]

I'm definitely NOT looking forward to [The Chopping Block].

Oh, I'm fully aware that it will probably disappoint. I'm just suffering from the same disease that struck me last year, an affliction that moved me to watch the abysmal Who's Going to Be the Next Food Network Star? in a desperate attempt to fill the void left by the conclusion of Top Chef. Kindly allow me these golden moments of anticipation. I fully expect tarnish to set in come March 11.

[Margaret Dumont]

pg--I also know that I'm going to hate the American version of TopGear (w/Adam Carolla) despite adoring the UK version of it...but there's precious little on there about food, so this isn't the thread for that opinion. Although, I DID see TopGear's James "Captain Slow" May on Ramsay's "The F Word" on BBC America the other day.--seattle

Good news for you then, NBC passed on it! I was looking forward to them talking about cars I've actually heard of. (edit: in addition to the funny parts)

What did James eat/do on the F Word?

[Harry B]

Good news for you then, NBC passed on it! I was looking forward to them talking about cars I've actually heard of. (edit: in addition to the funny parts)

What did James eat/do on the F Word?

He said fuck and cooked a beef wellington.

[yumitree]

getting back on topic... reunion show tonight.

[Vanessa]

getting back on topic... reunion show tonight.

Watch what happens.

[Adult Ed]

I don't believe that Jeff was misquoted (and neither does Colicchio). I do believe that he was embarrassed.

[isoS]

How the hell they not show BONKY BEDS?! (Or make an "It's not called 'Top Scallop'" T-shirt?)

[dorothy mantooth]

How the hell they not show BONKY BEDS?! (Or make an "It's not called 'Top Scallop'" T-shirt?)

http://bravotv.seenon.com/detail.php...ravotv-topchef

[jon]

Casey's pissed:

Casey speaks! And she doesn’t sound happy, folks. I asked her to comment on last night’s episode, and here’s what she had to say:

Carla was not prepared and in over her head. The show did not talk about how the first course (crab) took her half of the friggin’ cooking time that day, I was left to work the rest of HER dishes.
She also did not have a plan. The ONLY thing she had in mind was a cheese course! I would NEVER do a cheese course. And where in the hell did french come from!? She is not even classically trained! It (the show) didn’t talk about how I worked on a sauce for 2 days and Carla forgot to put it on the plate… It didn’t show how the 2nd course (fish) was MINE. It didn’t show how she took the sous vide idea and decided to GRILL it last minute causing it to be tough… And it didn’t show how she WANTED to do the souffles which she does not even know how to make! That was HER food, because it certainly was me asking her how she wanted to do this and that while she was busy picking crab the entire time and making a souffle that didn’t rise!
I am done with TC. I did not influence her. She has NO ideas of her own, oh, except a cheese course.

[Adult Ed]

Casey's pissed:

And the response from the comments:

Meanwhile, Carla says:

Exhibit A:

“Carla! What happened with Casey???

I really enjoyed working with Casey. I actually really wanted to work with her,I thought that we would connect. And I did not consider that it was Casey’s fault. You know, at that point we had all just given so much, and I was so emotionally exhausted. Going into that second finale, after winning the first one, I was on a high, but then we’re cooking again the next day. So when they said we had help, I was like, oh my god, I get help, and I just gave her too much power. She didn’t take it from me, I gave it to her. In hindsight, I would have made totally different decisions. I never sold myself on that souflee, and if we had done a better cut of meat, seared it — it would have been really great with my sauce, which was so delicious. I hope people don’t blame Casey. I known that the blogs have kind of been blowing up saying that she ruined it for me. No she did not. ”

Exhibit B:

“I would love to give [Casey Thompson] a call to see how she’s taking all of this. I hate for her to get the brunt of it. If I could get on a loudspeaker and tell the whole world and everyone who watches the show, I would tell them, ‘Don’t blame Casey.’ I take full responsibility.”

I think we can all the difference between the two. Carla doesn’t get into a tit-for-tat

I don't know the commenter's source, but it def. sounds like Carla.

[isoS]

Newsflash: reality TV shows manipulate footage to tell a story. I know not everyone knows that, but maybe if you have BEEN ON A REALITY SHOW you would. It's weird that she's lashing out at Carla when her primary beef would seem to be with the how the producers made her look.

[pg13]

I think Casey recognizes that she DID suggest that Carla sous vide the protein of the main...and she DID suggest the souffle instead of the tart--there's footage of that, that footage was shown on tv and that's why most viewers think Carla lost.

(She lost because she didn't make her food...and even Carla accepts that.)

Casey is trying to point out all of the things that the editors didn't show...things that would take some of the heat off of the things that we DID see Casey suggest to Carla. Had she stuck to that...had she merely pointed out that she worked hard and she really tried to help Carla as best as she could...I think that'd be an understandable reaction.

It's when she starts ripping Carla apart that she loses everyone who were charmed into the Cult of Carla (especially the whole thing about whether or not Carla has been classically trained in French cuisine...)

Not even Casey can fight the Cult of Carla.

pg--IT'S THOSE CRAZY EYES!!! HYP-MO-TIZIN'!!!--seattle

[jon]

Newsflash: reality TV shows manipulate footage to tell a story. I know not everyone knows that, but maybe if you have BEEN ON A REALITY SHOW you would. It's weird that she's lashing out at Carla when her primary beef would seem to be with the how the producers made her look.

Yeah, this is more how I see it. Given that Casey had been through it, you'd think she knows how the editing works and to take it in stride? Also, maybe I'm mis-remembering, but isn't Casey non-classically trained as well?

That said, I do think there was more to Carla's loss than "she didn't cook her food." As someone else here pointed out once (charles?), Carla was at her best towards the end when she was either given very specific things to do, or could just fall back on southern food. Throughout the season, though, she was clueless when asked/required to do much else. For the final she was set adrift with no set plan other than what she could imagine; it wasn't just that she "didn't cook" southern/simple food, it's that she can't do anything else.

[Adult Ed]

Also, maybe I'm mis-remembering, but isn't Casey non-classically trained as well?

Maybe I'm misremembering, but didn't Carla say that she was classically trained?

[jon]

Maybe I'm misremembering, but didn't Carla say that she was classically trained?

Did she? I thought she said her "background was in" French cooking, but that might not mean she did the schooling.

[olwiggum]

Am I the only one that's bummed that Colicchio isn't going to be on Top Chef Masters? I understand why, but I'm still bummed.