Top Chef DC! 9 CIA

My computer had a low battery during Top Chef so I didn't type any notes. I hate the move back to 10, because I start nodding off.


So random thoughts.


At any rate, I want to rewatch the mystery box thing. That looked like a tough challenge. All the chefs looked drained and exhausted at the end. We're nearing the end of the show (and dang, I think the finale runs while we're gone) and this challenge now is probably even more tiring.


Wylie Dufresne still doesn't look like a chef. He looks like a Bill Gates-like computer geek.


I can't believe all these chefs had spy fantasies. Amanda acted like they were going to cook for Brad Pitt or something. 


Of all the things to be a fangirl about. Leon Pannetta seems to have a good sense of humor. Wonder how many of the people id'd as "human resources director," CIA "attorney," etc really do top secret stuff.




And the chefs really didn't seem inspired by the challenge. Kelly never had Kung Pao chicken, really? What kind of Chinese takeout do they have in Colorado anyway?


Did you notice Angelo targeting Amanda as his next victim? Though since Tamesha left, they started building up Alex as the villain. Wonder if the Magical Elves focus back on Angelo now that Alex is gone. Angelo did seem mentally wiped out. The rivalry with Kenny might have propped up his focus and now that Kenny is gone, he lost it. I thought he was a goner, thank you Magical Elves editors.


Buh-bye, Alex. Won't miss you.


And Tiffany wins two double-headers. Cool. She's got her wedding paid for and now a honeymoon in Paris. Even if she doesn't win the whole shebang, she definitely comes out ahead!

Top Chef DC! 9 Restaurant Wars

It's restaurant wars week! will it be a shocker or the obvious person? People in DC were rooting for the person naming their restaurant EVOO to go home. Angelo it is! Then again, he's talented so I'm not quite ready for him to go. Just not to win.

Quickfire challenge is the relay race, which is my favorite. It's interesting how the blue team managed to incorporate Amanda into the relay but Alex was a disaster on the other. Nancy Pelosi was quintessential politician. Someone else probably would have made a crack about salt licks, while she diplomatically said one barely edged out the other. uh-huh.

So the one team is totally organized, knows what they're going to do and when they're going to do it. The other team hasn't even conceived their dishes yet. Well, the magical elves are at work. You think, organized team will rock.

2121! That's the address of my office. The TC House was only 4 blocks north. And I just noticed that they're *driving* to the Hilton. Hey, the place is a five minute walk. Why would you drive there?

It might not be a good strategy to isolate one of your chefs. Especially to put him at the front of the house. As manic and unorganized as he is, is that the place for him? Alex is whacko but is he that bad?

Uh, yes he is. How much I hate Alex. What an absolute donkey hole. The waiters are not your serfs, dear, no matter what they did in the Motherland.

Terrible outfit, Kelly. Looks like prison garb. But at least you look organized and attentive unlike Alex, who can't tell pork from lamb chops.

Frank Bruni as a guest judge, awesome. And wine guys. With a bottle for someone and 50 of their closest friends. Bottles come that big, really?

At any rate, is this going to be a big upset or is one of the weaker ones going home? I thought Alex was a sure thing, but they seem to like the food from the red team better.

I was right. Good for Ed. Looks like Tiffany was messed up by Alex's poor scaling skills, but at least she was safe.

Kevin has quite a temper on him, doesn't he? Not that I blame him. Alex really should be going home, especially if what blue team members say is true. Is it ironic that Alex's official dish has pea puree? But, nonetheless, it's not classy to try to point away when you're not doing that well.

I had a feeling it was going to be Kenny going home and it was. Just like Tre from Top Chef Miami (was that season 3?). He did two terrible dishes. Hamburger Helper, indeed. Fried goat cheese, especially that big hunk. Yuck. Kenny, you didn't listen to the judges when they told you to edit in previous episodes.

The beast has been slaughtered.

Top Chef DC! 8

So sister M, my one reader, was in town last week and I didn't write a blog because she was watching it with me.

Did Alex steal the pea puree. Actually I'm buying Dom's (aka Skillet Doux) argument that it's unlikely because he wouldn't know whether the camera would be focused on him while he was doing his thing. Also one of SD's fans noted a pot o' peas cooking behind Alex. However, I wouldn't put it past him to have dumped out Ed's pea puree.

So FINALLY, they do a quickfire that has something to do with the real DC, not the political inside-the-beltway, Villagers crappola. Yes, Ethiopian! I adore Ethiopian, especially now that we have an incredible version of an Ethiopian restaurant in our 'hood. The funny thing about the stuff is I generally prefer the veggie dishes over the meat ones. Maybe it's because veggies are easier to pick up with injeri bread.

Marc Samuelsson has turned a new leaf since he won Top Chef Master's. Maybe he read the criticisms about how competitive he was. At any rate, it was great that he offered constructive criticism of the bottom dishes and found something positive to say about each dish.

And yay that Tiffany won immunity! And great that Iago had the smug smirk wiped off his face. He thought he had this one sewn up since he knows Ethiopian food. To quote Nelson, HAH-hah.

Tiffany scores again getting Mexico. What else is a girl from Dallas supposed to do? Her tamales looked majorly yummy. And she scores again! someone else has won immunity and elimination before, right? Whether or not, you go girl!

Poor Stephen. Brazilian food is a wonderful blend of African, Asian and Latin cuisine. He, of course, was confusing Brazil with Argentina when he talked about chimichurri. Yes, there are Brazilian steakhouses but I associate steakhouses with Argentina, not Brazil. What I love from Brazil is moqueca, the seafood stew with palm oil and dried shrimp. Or the other seafood stew with coconut milk.

Kevin seemed to do well with Indian without knowing how to cook it. I note that Padma did not contribute when the judges were critiquing his food. Kelly got terrific praise from an Italian representative. Cool. I thought maybe she'd get dinged for doing something that simple.

After the Chinese ambassador was complimentary toward Ed, I was surprised to see him on the bottom.

Alex got nailed by Jose Andres, HAH-hah. Bet you wouldn't have chosen Spain if you'd known he was a judge. If you're in DC, Zaytinya and Oyamel are definitely worth the while, albeit a bit noisy. Cafe Atlantico has terrific guacamole that they make in volcanic ash bowls and dress right at your table. Minibar I have not experienced and not likely to unless we win the lottery. Also you also have to win the reservation lottery to go there. They only have six seats and open reservations a month ahead of time. So the seats go very very very fast.

Finally Stephen is given a merciful end. He seemed like a funny guy, but waaaaay over his head.

top Chef DC! 6

I like the quickfire concept of this episode in part but not the elimination challenge. First the concept was boring -- Cold War, really? How -- 80s.

The quickfire is a familiar one. How often have top chefs in the past had to use offal and exotic stuff? The twist was egregious, even ridiculous.

Andrea revealed herself to be pretty self-involved and egotistical. Yeah, girlfriend, you're up there with Michelle Bernstein. Sure, go ahead and blame your kids for falling behind her.

Alex doesn't know how to cook ostrich. I've had ostrich in enough restaurants to think that's pretty pathetic. It doesn't taste like chicken -- it tastes like steak. You serve it rare -- like steak. So of course it was dry. And Alex, you are now most definitely on my villain list with Angelo with your sneaky subterfuge with Amanda. I don't care for Amanda either, but please be professional.

So could I eat llama? I don't know. Does it taste like cow? They're very cute. But so are cows. I definitely couldn't eat white duck kidneys. eeewwwww. Just like Rocky Mountain oysters.

Brief pause for Washington, DC excitement. Dupont Circle! in a quick glimpse. Their tour on the Sequoia makes me curious. Is that tour available to regular people?  I wasn't recognizing the coast at all -- where were they?

So the elimination challenge is really boring. The magical elves don't explain the vocabulary and don't explain the techniques. There wasn't a whole lot of time spent on cooking because of the way the judging was structured.

And I'm not sure if I like the chefs judging each other. It's a page from a different kind of reality show. Perhaps Kenny did deserve to be on the bottom, since the judges didn't bring anyone else into the room, but you can't help but be suspicious. But cartilege sounds like an egregious sin to me, Amanda.

Tom Colicchio has the best facial expressions. When they started trashing Kevin's dish, his face was priceless, as if he was saying "you guys are just too much." You aren't impressing the head judge with your pickiness, buckos.

Commercial break. Oh dear lord, I'm dreading this DC housewives series. Bleh, yuck, poohey. I'm already sick of the Saledis as it is. Isn't their 15 minutes of fame over already?

So the second group seemed fairer and not as harsh in its judgments. As much as I hate Kenny's macho posturing, at least he's not a slimy Iago-type like Angelo, going around whispering poison in others' ears.

Tamesha's dish must have been nasty, judging from the expression on Gayle's face. She was pretty quiet at judge's table and at the dining table, too. Wonder if she's holding in the words for her new show on dessert making. I'm not that much of a dessert eater, so not certain if I'll get into it.

Then again Michelle Bernstein didn't really like Kenny's dish either, so would the judges have chosen someone else to add if the bottom wasn't really so surprising. In fact, Tom in his blog said Kenny deserved to be there.

But wh00sh that he stayed. This season seems lacking in talent, so they need to hold on to every consistent winner they can. But I kinda wonder if Angelo is somehow psyching out Kenny.

I'm sorry to see Tamesha go since she was the hometown girl and the Post and other outlets have been giving the new version of the Oval Room a thumbs-up. She sold me with irritation with Amanda. And she seemed talented -- ended up in the top on this week's Quickfire. At least she won't have Angelo whispering in her ear anymore.

PS I really did not need to know about Ed and Angelo's girlfriend. Really. Honestly. That's something for Sleezy Island, not Top Chef.

Top Chef DC! 5

So I'm still a bit bummed about last week. Chefs who should have been at the bottom were getting getting immunity and one of the more entertaining chefs was eliminated.

Finally, they get a challenge that really has something to do with DC. I have to admit I find blue crabs a real pain in the tush to eat. It's a lot of work for not much crab. Much better to go over to Miz Charlotte's of the green house, bullet-proof glass and all. Nothing beats buying a lump crabmeat sandwich and awesome collard greens and taking over to Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens (especially when the lotus blossoms are blooming).

I'm getting a wee bit tired of Kenny's alpha male talk. Methinks he protests too much. Geez, give it a break. You might make start rooting for Angelo.

Speaking of which, what's up with his obsession with Tamesha. He even gave her some help during the quickfire, which is very un-Angelo-like. And what's up with the flirtation when he has a baby. Hello?

My guess is either Kevin or Tamesha are going home. OK, Tamesha is getting the loser edit with the family talk. Bad sign.

I really hate Timothy's mustache. It really irritates me.

Well, actually, the group seems to be working together, giving each other advice and tasting each other's food. That's a refreshing break from the back-biting and sniping we've seen so far. Despite his chest-thumping, sounds like Kenny does have leadership skilz.

Well, thank goodness they didn't do the usual loser edit. Even with the alpha male crappola, Kenny probably still deserved the win. I'm glad to see that it wasn't the Kenny and Angelo show.

The usual three on the bottom. They could cut all three and not lose anything.

Huh? I didn't quite understand Patrick's critique of Stephen's salad.

Tom just sounded like a teacher giving a lecture to Amanda.

I could listen to Eric Ripert all day. I could sit on a beach sipping a fine Sauvignon Blanc and listen to him reading a telephone book. (slaps own face, must snap out of it)

I just realized why Amanda grates. She sounds like every entitled, trust-fund female intern from Ivy League, privileged schools working in Washington, DC. They all have that same nasal-ly voice as they walk down the street talking on cell phones. How do you end up with that voice?

Not going to miss the Player. Buh-bye!

Edited to add: Patrick is Patrick O'Connell, chef and owner of the Inn at Little Washington. It's supposed to be the place you go to for special anniversary dinners and other special occasions. Of course, you're probably going to drop $150 to $200 per person, the reason we're not going there anytime soon -- unless we win the lottery. And since we don't play the lottery....

Top Chef DC! 4

So I'm feeling jeeeaaaalousss of my sister, M, who got to try Richard Blais' new restaurant, Flip. I want stories!

Meanwhile, Tracey gets the best loser award last week. Her farewell was gracious and professional and not at all whiny. Not much else can be said about that episode, except maybe that it didn't do justice to Mount Vernon, which is one of my most favorite places in the whole wide world. If only Maryland doesn't develop the other side of the Potomac, it will remain perfect.

Otherwise, I'm getting bored of all the DC cliches. Bring on the soul food, the Ethiopian community, the farmers' markets, the crabcakes.  

This bunch of chefs is not winning me over. There are way too many sour, dour Lisas in this group and not enough nerdy Blaises or intense Voltaggios.

Baby food, really? Babies don't have much taste. Or at least they can't express their pleasure or displeasure too much. Much like cats.

How is it Padma always gets some thing that is wrong, a stray lemon seed? At least they had to cook grownup food too. Though I imagine any baby would spit out these chefs' food. Doesn't seem baby foodesque to me.

So Tamesha wins! good for the hometown girl who has gotten zero, Z-E-R-O attention thus far. Tim, who actually works in Baltimore, not DC, is a poseur. And I root for Kenny to win over Angelo any day even though he's a bit dour. The back story was sad, though.

I think Lynne might be getting the loser edit. Looked like Amanda was running through Whole Foods with yet another bottle of booze. She does like her alcohol. Even for kids.

A sexual harassment interlude. Lovely. Doesn't Angelo have a new baby?

Hmmm. Foreshadowing last week. Ed was badmouthing Alex. Now the reverse. 

Tiffany carries Tim with her! She's actually someone I'm rather rooting for because she worked her way up from IHOP. Classic American bootstraps story. Too bad her partner was the Poseur.

And rats on Amanda. 

What the frack is gnudi? Sometimes I wish Top Chef would define this stuff.

I don't want Kenny or Kelly to go home, so I guess I have to root for Lynn and Arnold as the losers. sigh. Don't know that sending a team home is fair because there's a lot of strong chefs on the bottom. It would be so wrong if either Kenny or Kelly went home. 

Spike is such a pretentious donkey.

Wow, they made the other chefs hang out and wait for the results. OK, Kelly is safe. If they send Kenny home, will be very bummed.

I love Tom's facial expressions. Arnold's blathering was not selling him. The judges' comments edits are hinting at a Kenny Kevin departure but Lynn got the loser edit, so I can only hope.

Shoo. Kenny is saved. But sorry to see the bottom. That was rough. 

Edited to add: This heat gives me middle of the night insomnia. Even with the fans going, our bedroom gets really hot. So I got to watch TC again.

Lynne is a jerk. She acted as if Arnold lost the contest but it was her fussing about overcooking the pasta that led it to be underdone. Then she points out the pasta is underdone as if it wasn't her fault. Good riddance to her.

Also, they didn't make a big deal of Nora, the guest judge. I didn't even catch her name. I've been to both her restaurants, though prefer Nora Asia. Her restaurant was the first to be certified organic in DC. She's this area's Alice Waters. I didn't know she was German or Austrian, or whatever that accent is.

And finally, Alex is a wanker. How many sex jokes did he cram into his three minutes of on-camera interviews. Methinks he protests too much.

Top Chef DC!

Coming to my town, wh00t.

So the Newseum for the first challenge. Of course. It has fantastic views. I've been to meetings on the top floor with the gorgeous glass views of Pennsylvania Avenue and the Capitol, though I've not been on the deck. We tried to have a meeting there once. But catering had to be by Wolfgang Puck and that was too rich for a small nonprofit.

I love the mise en place race. It gives you a good idea who the top players are going to be. And what is it about this particular competition that someone always slices open their palm. Gross.

Kenny is da man! Geez, he finished first on every single one. will have to check out his bio. Skillet Doux ranked Angelo as one  of the top 3, but I don't think Kenny was there. Just checked. Kenny was ranked 13. His company is described as helping restaurants become "synergistically sound." Wev.

Angelo won the first quickfire. And he's number 4 on the Skillet Doux rankings. Ed Cotton, the guy he sent to Kenny, is number 1. Or was it Stephen. I'm having a hard time distinguishing between the two.

So the house they're stayed in is in northern Dupont Circle. Back when we lived in the area I used to walk by it all the time. It's down one of these sweet one-block tree-shaded streets that pervades the city.

Oh, wow. The kitchen is at the Washington Hilton. That's the hotel where Reagan was shot. It's pretty much a one-block walk (albeit across busy Connecticut Ave) from the Place du Chefs.

They definitely telegraphed three of the four bottom people. Which is why I can confidently predict that Stephen will not go home. It's probably Crazy Hair John or Jacqueleeeeen. If they choose by personality, they'll keep John. He's got some  whacky eyes going. Nope, he went home. The hair didn't save him.

And I hope this is not going to be a snooze fest where Angelo wins every match. That would be boooring. It would make a yawner of a season, which would be bad for DC rep.


PS While Top Chef was filming, I saw Gail at SweetGreens. She wasn't wearing makeup, nor a decolletage evening/cocktail dress, so she looked like a fresh-faced college student.

Top Chef 6.12

What I love about Top Chef are the things I learn about cooking. I didn't know turducken was a ballantine. I didn't know what a ballantine was. Now I want to try it. This was a v. cool quickfire too. And I'm now officially rooting against Michael V., despite his talent. There's arrogance, and then there is Arrogance. And he's it with a capital A. And I hate all the digs at Kevin. Guess what, Michael. Tom Colicchio, the head judge for Top Chef, would rather have something cooked simply and deliciously than something gee-whiz that has no soul.

The editing on this is very ominous for Kevin. The digs by Michael. The joke from Kevin about packing his bag. The doing something he's never done before.

Thomas Keller's restaurant, French Laundry, in Napa Valley is booked up like six months in the future. J and I, when she was writing a travel article about Napa, got to eat gratis at his little bistro that had only opened a few weeks? months? before we arrived. It was excellent. I know from now becoming a foodie -- thanks Top Chef! -- that he's considered a god.

Both Brian and Jennifer are so gracious. Brian gave advice to Kevin and Jennifer helped Brian despite not having finished hers. Though I hadn't noticed that Brian has a nervous laugh. This is the first time he's been filmed this way.

See, Michael, a true pro like Thomas Keller can be firm in criticisms without being dickish about others' talent. Your Arrogance masks some insecurity. There's a Las Vegas chef who's been blogging about the competition for Las Vegas weekly and his most recent post noted the three stages of chefdom. He was focusing on Eli being in the "know it all" middle stage, but Michael still has some of it. He also says: "Mike V: the culinary world does not revolve around molecular and trick cooking. There are more comfort diners than hipster diners."


Is it editing or did they find strength and weakness in each of the dishes. So which is more important, successful cooking? Technique? Visual presentation? Even though Kevin's was tasty and cooked perfectly, it was too simple. Jennifer's was beautiful visually but other things weren't successful. Brian's had almost everything except perfect cooking.

Wow!!!! Kevin won. Yay.

The right person lost. The Four Horsemen ride on to the finals.

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 6.9

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.

top Chef 6.6

So is Robin getting a future villain edit or is it going to be a repeat of Marcel where the "cool kids" gang up on her? Eli can be very funny, but sometimes very hateful and I think he went a little too far -- Michelle Bernstein wasn't judging on cancer. She praised the cleanness and the simplicity of the dish before Robin even mentioned the Big C. The honoring of Mattin was cute. I noticed Robin didn't get a scarf. Did they run out? She did wear a red ribbon. Noticed Michael didn't applaud when she won. 

Laurine seems to be getting the loser edit. Ron probably is, too. Poor guy seems a little clueless. Language issues.

Sometimes I love Penn & Teller and sometimes loathe. It's sort of my love/hate relationship with libertarianism (or is hate/love?). First Amendment issues, yay! Boo on the sneers against religion.

Mike I comes across as more likeable this ep. The Washington Post had an article about his wedding. Interesting to this feminist: he never cleans. He used to pay his cooks to clean for him. When his fiancee moved in, she took over the cleaning job.

Of course Jen way underestimated her abilities. Glad to see her do meat. 

So Ron, Laurine and Ash look on the bottom. I'm guessing Michael, Kevin and .... Ashley? Jen? Eli? Good for Ashley and the pot roast. And Jen. Michael cracks a smile! Are we starting to see emotions from the V bros?

Who cannot love Kevin? He's so gracious and enthusiastic even when he gets a lousy prize.

I'm guessing probably Ron, maybe Ash as knifed.

Yep, Ron. Seems like a sweet guy but didn't seem to be at the same level as other chefs.

Top Chef 6.5

So we have a Greenacres type setup here where if one computer has the modem, the other can't go online even though it's wireless. And S had to work until midnight in the office last night, so I couldn't blog.

But thoughts about this episode. Lesson #110 for Top Chef contestants. If you are on the losing panel of chefs, don't say you don't understand or you're surprised that you're here. It's almost a guarantee that you will be sent home. I think that's why Mattin got knifed. Robin manned up and admitted her mistakes, he didn't. 

But after last week, I can't shed a tear for the little Basque snake. Au Revoir.

Camping must have been awful -- and I want to know what sanitary setup they had. I wouldn't want someone using an outhouse cooking my food.

And cooking in 110 degrees. Ugh. I would have a hard time eating if I were picnicking in 110 degree heat. But these are hardy folk. And I liked the sophisticated commentary at such a "roughing it" type of meal. The one guy sounded like a restaurant critic. 

Michael V came across as a bit peevish in this ep...guess being on the bottom really smacked him hard.

Ashley does have an air of competency that makes you suspect she's better than she's done so far. But I wish she would wash her hair. 

And Kevin and horseshoes, too cute. Also, guest judge Tim Love looks as though he's related to Jimmie Johnson. They have that same exact smile.

Now I'm aiming to get to Frederick one of these days....and Bryan cracked a smile!

Edited to add: And ceviche is this season's scallop. If they keep this up, the judges will never want to go near another ceviche for the rest of their lives. Or tuna tartar/napoleon.

Top Chef 6.4

Daniel freaking Boulud. He's almost as charming as Eric Ripert. But snails, escargot. wev. I have to admit I've never had the guts to try snails. I'll eat anything except offal and snails. Even the occasional brussel sprouts though something about the bitterness sets my mouth on edge. 

Jen was worrying me with her "I'm scared" speech. Should have known. Go Kevin. Bacon jam. yum. How could you go wrong with bacon jam?

Three more women down on the bottom. This is a real nailbiter. Maybe poor Jesse should be put out of her misery, but it was sounding like Ashley's the likely nominee. Nope, it's Jesse. That was inevitable. I wouldn't have bet in Las Vegas against her. But I liked the concept because it was edge-of-your-seat time.

Joel Robuchon. Wow. Who's next? Thomas Keller? Sigh. Wish I had the moola to try this kind of food.

OK, loser edits. Ashley/ Mattin, Ron/Robin. Please don't let it be another woman going home. 

Quote of the day: "Haitians and French go way back. We don't much like each other." (I'm going to have to check my brand spanking new DVR!!! tomorrow to doublecheck this quote. It's the gist of Ron's thick accent.)

Jennifer and Michael look so efficient. Robin is really hyper.

Damn. Mike I is on a winning team. But he's with Bryan, who I like. Do I root for or against?

Oh dear, Mattin's defensiveness doesn't sound good. To hear the master chefs, nope, not good. 

Throwing up seems to be a theme tonight!

The QF win is a double-edged sword for Kevin. He won't be remembered for his cooking by some of these top chefs, unlike the other likely finalists. (Jen, Michael, Bryan and maybe Mike I) 

It sounds definitely like Hector and Ash are on the bottom. Either Mattin and Ashley or Ron and Robin are the other noms (dry, overcooked)...though I guess Ashley and Mattin.

Joel Robuchon seems a classy guy, lavishing praise for strengths, while critiques overall aren't too mean...other than the "au poivre" comment. 

Guessing either Hector or Mattin will be going home. Daniel Boulud actually looked really pissed at the chateaubriand thing. But then again, a French guy messed up a French food? Quick, LV, what are your odds? Hector 4-1, Mattin, 5-2. Skillet Doux (I really need to add to my must reads) ranks Mattin v. low, compared to Hector.

It's Hector. Skillet Doux will be peeved since he ranked Hector much higher and Mattin near the bottom. I would still check out Hector's restaurant in HOTlanta.

Mike I's sexism

Richard Blais has an interesting blog about how Mike I's suggestion to put Jen in charge was actually kind of insulting. He apparently wasn't suggesting she work as executive chef but tournant. Blais explains what a tournant is. 

Top Chef 6.3

Well, what do you know? The judges used a cumulative decision to send Preety home. Not that I'm complaining. After her track record, she probably deserved it.

But cheftestants really need to watch the show some time. Rule 1. never serve a pasta salad. It always sends someone home. Rule 2. never decide to throw something extra together because you have time. It always lands you on the bottom. Heck, learn from the last episode, Mike I. Ashley almost got bit because she decided to do that.

Speaking of the pasta salad, as we were watching TC, S exclaimed: "I could do that!" Yeah, he probably could. He's a master at throwing processed foods together. As someone who just made a pasta salad of black beans, elbows, tiny sweet, sweet tomatoes, fresh corn and peppers with a lime-cilantro vinaigrette, I also was not impressed. It took me maybe 20 minutes? They had four hours!

And I loved Jenn's drill sergeant tendencies. She rocks!

Top Chef 6.2

Boyz vs. Girlz. I'm with Jennc on this. Sheez. You can do better than this, TC. Girls v. Boys. What? Are we back in the 70s?

I think Ashley was whiny about the wedding. The first wedding challenge Top Chef did, after all, was for a gay couple in San Francisco for the five minutes gays could get married there.  If it hadn't ever featured one, then maybe you'd have a point. If you wanted to say "Gee, wouldn't it be nice if gayz could get hitched in Vegaz, you know, like, Sin City," then just make your point and carry on.  Otherwise, you're not helping the cause.

Hate to admit it but the Boyz Team did seem to have a stronger set. Though Mike I. is not one of the  contendahs this time. HAH-hah, as Nelson would say. Of the Girlz' food, really, Jennc's sounded great (I lurv well-cooked octopus and the subtly smoky flavor. Badly cooked tastes like burnt rubber). So did Robin's and Laurine's (which one had the lamb lollipop?mmmm).  Jesse's sounded good, but apparently didn't taste all that great. 

"It is what it is." How many cheftestants have used that? Join the IIWII Club, Ashley!

I'm guessing Eve is the lozer. She seems like a little lost lamb. It's the second time she messed up shrimp and cooked something "unbalanced." And a little bit of a klutz -- she apparently had a cast on one of her legs from an accident in the airport -- maybe she was drugged and that's why she seemed rather clueless. Jennc also nearly got her throat slashed from Eve's wandering knife. Farewell, Eve, we hardly knew you or your nearly Canadian/Minnesotan accent. 

Nicknames for everybody. Mike I is the George W. Bush of the season. I don't think any season has had one before.

Top Chef 6.1

So my computer and our internet are finally working so I might try to live blog again!

Mel is right. That hoop ear of Jennz gave me the heeby jeebies. There is an advantage to having an analog computer. The screen isn't as refined so you don't see all the details. All I noticed before was her neck tat.  Guess in another week, when we get our 42 inch, I won't be missing them anymore. Does Padma have pores?

What is up with all the tats and piercings this year?

This first ep left me with at least three to five chefs that left a favorable impression. Jennc is is first because I want another girl to win. Is that sexist of me? Better than Mike I's sexism. Today he wrote a note to the Washpost food critic saying that he's good friends with Jennc and he was kidding around when he made that statement. Allrighty then. I could buy that if he hadn't also made the comment about Robin being an old lady.

Kevin is second because he turned down a full ride scholarship to MIT to cook. How cool is that? He seems to have mad skilz.

Third is probably Bryan because he is a hometown boy (well, if 20-30 miles away is hometown)  and the real hometown boy is el donkeyhole, he's got a great rep and he seems a nerd. Jesse would tie with him but I'm shallow, I don't like lip piercings especially in a chef. How can that possible help your palate? Hear her restaurant in B'more is great, though.

And finally Ron, a Hollywood Haitian guy who seems a sweetie pie and wasn't able to articulate his vice very well (I think he had trouble letting go of his hair-raising ride to the US). And Martinne makes me want to fluff his hair and get all maternal with his cute little red Basque kerchief.

But it does seem to be a great group this year. We'll watch what happens!

Heartbreak

Oh, Carla, Carla, Carla. You broke my heart. And your own, I suspect. Why did you have that crisis of confidence and listen to Casey? I screamed at the tv when she suggested sous vide and you accepted. No, no, no. You do best when you do what you know.

The announcement of the winner felt flat after that. My indifference/distaste for Hosea, however, turned to more of an active dislike in the last 10 minutes of the show when he rubbed salt in Carla's wounds. "I cooked what I know," or something like that. Insensitive clod.

And I liked Stefan in that same stew room scene, comforting an upset Carla. Maybe he was edited to make us hate him.

Chef 5.4

Well, dang, my blog post got lost and I haven't felt like redoing it. It got lost because I commented on our other computer on my little sister's blog. And I guess you can't be logged in to two places at once. Plus the frigging blogger program won't let you copy and paste directly into the window. Why is that?

So anyway, week before last, Thanksgiving just got in the way. Turkey just made me lazy. But Foo Fighters, yay! Though I agree with Tom that the decision probably should be made on the entrees (or protein) and not the desserts. Making a turkey well in a toaster oven is pretty impressive. As Eugene did, she apparently rigged her contraption to be more of an oven.

Rocco is back. Breakfast amuse bouche. The chefs aren't very original, doing variations of toast, eggs and bacon. I voted for Stefan because he did huevos rancheros in a cool way.  And it is huevos rancheros. mmm....even if Stefan was suddenly from California and not Finland. Having had airport food in Helsinki on the way to St. Petersburg, yeah, guy, suddenly I'd be from California too.

The elimination competition was a great idea in theory. Chefs do do a lot of promotions on morning shows, cooking demos, because it is free publicity for their restaurants. So I thought the vapors, wrist on forehead, clutching pearls reaction from these television contestants was pretty amusing.

But it was a boring episode. Why? Too many chefs!

One other comment. Kathy Lee does not have permission to be on my tv. She's a morning personality. I am not a morning person. I watch tv at night. I do not want her obnoxious rude self on my tv any more, do you hear me, Top Chef?

Top Chef 5.2

This week of Top Chef was pretty funny with some great lines.  "Eeeet doeza notta matter how many dragooons you keel but if you-a bring te princess home." Fabio's accent is sooo cliche you just wonder if he's pretending. 

But many lessons to be learned for future cheftestants.

1. Don't use an ingredient if you've never worked with it before -- unless you have to.

2. Don't make quiche. They never win and they often lose.

3. Don't use a canned (or frozen) version of a protein if you can't get it fresh. Hello, Hosea! Did you not watch the saga of Spike and the frozen scallops last season.

4. Have a plan B.

5. Trust your instincts and don't trust your fellow cheftestants. If you think you should start from scratch, you probably should.

Good-bye Jill, one of our hometown girls. You seemed like you'd eventually show a quirky sense of humor, but sorry that was the lamest defense of a dish I've ever seen.

Personally, I would have picked Jamie's dish. But I'm not tasting things only watching.

PS Ariane needs a self-esteem course or something. Every season there's some self-doubting female. She either is going to be the person hanging on by the skin of her teeth week after week after week, or she's gone pretty soon.

PPS Last week I kind of liked Hosea but he lost some points this week. Wazzup with that weird flirtation with Leah?