Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Top Chef 6.10

Way to start out, hitting the wrong damn button.

Today my personal trainer had me do that swim thing Robin did a couple of eps ago. It's surprisingly hard. Works out your lower back in a good way. Of course you'll be moaning in agony if you do it more than 30 seconds. But the PT gave it her own sadistic twist. 30 seconds of "swimming" followed by 10 seconds holding in one place -- three times. And then three sets of it. My back will be hurting tomorrow. At least it will help me with the bow poses in Bikram yoga.

What is up with Padma and onesies? Her quickfire clothes have been remarkably ugly this season. Hey, Eli, ever heard of TVLand. Gilligan's Island lives on your 52-inch tv. Not that I'd ever watch it.

If looks could kill, Kevin would be dead, dead, dead, judging from the lasers shooting from Bryan's eyes. The restaurants of Bryan and Mike I, by the way, were just named among the top 50 restaurants in DC area by Washington Post critic Tom Sietsama. From the description of the food, Bryan's very inventive on his own.

They're planning meat dishes...little do they know they're cooking for a vegetarian, or maybe even a vegan. Natalie Portman's column in the Huff Post was pretty offensive, drawing a parallel about speaking out about eating meat to your host to whether you should speak out if your host is a rapist. Huh? This also coming from someone who signed the petition supporting Roman Polanski.

Hmm, almost everyone seems in the weeds. So Robin and Mike I are the confident ones about cooking a vegetarian meal. That's usually the kiss of death. I'm guessing Mike I is in worse trouble because his leeks look uuuuuuggggleeeeee. (hee-hee, hoho, haha, will he be going home?) And yes, his leeks were undercooked.

But then Jen once again is showing a lack of confidence because of the eggplants she had to use, so who knows.

Ok, maybe it would have been better for Robin if she hadn't served her garbanzo beans!

The guest chef is hilarious and I wish had spent less time ruminating and more time paying attention.

Michael gets another Picasso ref. So he's an artist.

Well, at least Jenn's was delish.

Oooooo, dirty double-entendres! For robotically handsome Bryan's dish!

Kevin's definitely doesn't look pretty but it sounds as though it's pretty filling. But Natalie is now a vegan, so all that butter would have gone to waste on her now.

What was Eli's again? Something eggplant. I think he got good reviews.

So the chef is someone I haven't heard of, so it doesn't matter that I didn't catch his name during QF. Yeah, Kevin's a man who likes his food. We couldn't guess?

Kevin wins again! Though he keeps winning the crappy prizes.

Michael, you are Jekyll & Hyde. Sore loserman.

Robin assumes that's her problem too. Yikes, if that is the way she talks all the time, no wonder she drives the others batty.

I think Jenn is OK because at least hers tasted good. It sounded as though Mike I's and Robin's were not tasty.

YES!!!!! Then again, that leaves Robin there one more episode. Yep, this season's Wendy, Lisa, etc.

Previews: ruh-roh, is Michael in trouble? I think he's a donkey, but he is very talented, so I'd hate to see him go. Of course, it's never the person they feature in the previews...is it?

Top Chef 6.10

Friday, October 23, 2009

Brief project runway

Milla Jovovich may be the best celebrity non-fashionista they've had because she made good, constructive criticism. and she was teary-eyed about aufing someone.

Just love Heidi telling Gordiana that she needed to be more self-confident when it was probably Heidi's sniping that crushed her self-confidence.

Not sorry to see Nicolas go. Wonder if he knew it was in the cards because he was remarkably gentle in his comments about other designers last night. He thinks he's over the top but uses way too much white and gray. Look up Chris March sometime, Nick. He can teach you OTT.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Top Chef 6.9

After re-watching the last episode and having read Tom's blog and an interview with Toby, I'm having bad vibes about restaurant wars. What if Bryan goes home? Both Tom and Toby hinted it's a shocker and I'm afraid Kevin's comments about Michael pushing Bryan's buttons and detonating a time bomb in his head.

This blind relay race is fun. Watching the lead chefs stew as the second ones follow is amusing. and you're learning about chefs' thought processes as they're cooking. This particular race really shows the technical aspects of cooking.

Poor Jennifer. I'll have to go back and see what she said originally about the fish -- trout or sablefish? ETA: yep, she said black cod when she picked the fish. Braaaaiiin fart! Gotta hate it when that happens. and at 49, trust me when I say it happens more and more the older you get.

I take back my fear about Bryan. He wasn't the captain of the team, so I don't see how he's the one to go home. Now I'm worried about the other team. Whenever a team is confident of itself, that's when they screw up. Neither of my faves can go home!

Interesting that Laurine wasn't part of the planning. And Eli's untucked shirt looks slacker. I like that they don't have to worry about decor and FOH has to do a dish this time.

Poor Robin. I think she was trying to kid around and people still take it wrong. But she was in the wrong on that whole dessert thing. Michael, while being douchy about it, was trying to help.

I'm getting more and more nervous about the Mission crew. They're starting to look disorganized and now I'm afraid Jen's going home. She's pulled this stunt before where she thinks she's in the weeds and pulls it out but this looks much more ominous. And Kevin having to do all the meat courses can't be good either. Especially if he's having to rely on a marinade from Laurine, who is a weak link on the team. And Laurine is a caterer so not experienced with running a restaurant. Otherwise, not doing dessert seems smart to me.

At first, watching the first team, Revolt seemed to be a little in the weeds, but the Mission team is looking like it's flaming out. I'm guessing now that Jennc is in big trouble. But will Laurine's mishandling of the FOH work against her? Hate the skirt. When you're short, you have to be careful about pairing short dresses with flats.

I'm definitely guessing that Mission lost. So is it Jennc or Laurine? I would vote for Laurine, but I'm prejudiced that way.

Someone in the Top Chef production room definitely doesn't like Michael V! But I laughed and laughed. He is that weird combo -- he can be nice and professional one minute and total donkeyhat the next.

Ok, Michael V is being a nice guy by sharing the money. It's interesting that Robin chooses judges' table to be assertive about her hand in the dessert. The biggest bummer is Eli's swelled head probably gets a little bit bigger.

The Voltaggio bros definitely have issues they need to resolve. Michael did do a nice thing and Bryan should be accepting of it. This could be Cain and Abel. Or Jacob and Esau. Or any other sibling rivalry. Wonder how far apart they are in age?

Thank god. She was going home sooner or later anyway. Tom and Toby were unnecessarily scaring us. Maybe they were talking about next week.

RE: preview. Mike I, curb your lust. And maybe the two Ts were talking about the upcoming ep.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Project Runway

I've been feeling grumpy about Project Runway of late, which is why I haven't posted too much. Too many of the challenges have been "make something pretty!" and not nearly enough Nina and Michael. 

I was bummed Shirin was aufed last night. I haven't liked much of the designers' work this season, but yours was the ones that I occasionally loved. You seemed bubbly and sweet as well.

And I really, really, really hate Irina. Maybe even more than Wendy or Kenley. Look up w-i-t-c-h and her scowling face will be looking at you. Hey Irina, watch out, that look could give you some ugly facial lines when you get older. Witch.

OTOH, it was a fun challenge. Christina Aguilera and Bob Mackie in one episode. Too bad people still kept thinking red carpet.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Top Chef 6.8

The theme of Pinot and Pigs sounds intriguing. I love Pinot and who doesn't love pork (unless you're a devout Jew or Muslim, of course)?

I was surprised Robin said she was doing pilates because some of it looked like yoga. The swimming thing was weird. 

Charlie Palmer! he has a steak house right here on the Hill. Never been. It's more a place for high-priced lobbyists to take Congress critters to woo them to their cause...It's supposed to be terrific food and they have a rooftop happy hour on Thursdays, which would be a fantastic view of the Capitol.

Oh dear, Jen's on the bottom. But she was the last time and ended up winning the challenge.

Eli is an immature baby. He's coming close to swiping Mike I's douchehat crown. 

Kevin is the nicest sweetest member of the household. He has a nice, indirect way of saying Robin annoys him too, without actually saying so. 

I feel sorry for Robin. She's older than everyone else and has tics that apparently annoy her housemates. Her restaurant is, per reports, hugely popular so she must not be totally clueless. I hope a Marcel type situation isn't developing.

Michael is being very immature to his brother. Whoever said he's trying to push his brother's buttons is probably right.

I'm guessing Ash, Laurine and Robin will be on the bottom. Eli shows his own overly inflated opinion of himself. Wonder if he ends up on the bottom too, because his food didn't match his wine. Hah!

Mike I is in the middle again. Neener, neener!

Toby is confusing me. Hairy armpits, shaved pits. whaaaah?

Love Kevin. I'm having such a hard time deciding who to root for. Kevin is sweet and talented. Jenc is tough and talented. Bryan is the hometown boy because I refuse to acknowledge Mike I as a hometown kid to root for.

Immaturity is the theme for this evening. They might be talented, but they have some growing up to do.

Laurine is probably going home. So some more bullying of "grandma" (was that Eli or Mike I, grrrrrrrr) is going to happen next week. Robin should just let 'er rip if they snipe at her one more time. Eli is reminding me way too much of smarmy Ilan.

More immaturity. ack. C'mon guys. I was really enjoying this season for its lack of personal drama....Michael has just entered my blacklist as well.

Huh. Ash is going home, not that he shouldn't have gone home earlier. But that means more bullying on the horizon. Want to bet Robin does a Lisa, Wendy, and ends up in the top 3?


Top Chef 6.7

Last week was the week from hell at work. I ran a conference on Tuesday and then had a board meeting Friday and Saturday. Too much intensity. Watched TC from bed and was way too sleepy to pull out the laptop.

Last week's TC also was painful because I really liked Ashley and was sorry to see her go, especially when Eli and Ash basically didn't do anything and it was Eli's fault the gnocchi was salty.

OTOH, my favorite pair were on the top and Jennc finally won an elimination challenge. Tom Colicchio says she actually had a fever. One assumes (and hopes) she did a lot of handwashing. But how cool and tough was it for her to plow on despite the illness and not using it as an excuse.

Other observations. 

Wow, Robin's chattiness would be really annoying. But not annoying enough for Mike I. to have been such a donkeyhat.

Padma's green disco pants and shirt would land her on worst-dressed lists. That was fuuuuugly.

Tyler Florence has only a limited number of adjectives and he uses them ad nauseum. 

Brian was unnecessarily snippy to Kevin about his brother. 

Eli talks a big game and likes to trash others a lot, but has little to show for it.

Ash has a man crush, Ash has a man crush.

And for all of Jenc's toughness in the confession booth, she was bawling when Ashley was sent home.