Top Chef 9/19
 

Several points-

How does Sara under cook the fish in the Quickfire? Why not cook it with a few minutes to spare, just in case?

How does Dale keep forgetting main parts of his dishes?

The French judge wants a piece of Casey. So do Dids and I. Get in line old man.

Casey and Hung top two, if its anybody else I'll be shocked.

Padma or Casey?

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

kidding me padma of course

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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kidding me padma of course

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Besides Dids, the old french judge, and myself, there have to be more people who find Casey attractive in the "girl next door" kind of way. Plus, she can cook. Granted, I've just discovered some Padma nude pics, so I'll take them both.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

Casey > Padma imo, this is in part factor on personality. Padma has an unfriendly intensity that I'm not feeling, whereas Casey just seems friendly and cool. Sara N. is still my fav though.

Thoughts:

I found this ep slightly boring. I actually wanted to see more about what they were cooking. I though the challenge was interesting, but I wanted to hear more about the technique. I'd like to think myself reasonably culinarily aware, but I had no idea what Casey's dish was supposed to be until too late.

Hung, still with a really unimaginative choice. This is just based off a little bit of reading, and a lot of Iron Chef, but Sous Vide (or however you spell it) feels played out. That said, it might have been a wise choice for the French Culinary context.

It felt like they telegraphed Sara's departure pretty strongly.

I think Dale's a little bitch wrt Hung. He's got some stupid expectations for how people should behave in a damn competition.

That one judge's nose was frankly out of control and needs to be stopped before it kills again.

Dale's whole "nothing is perfect the first time I make it" attitude makes sense, but it would seem like a "Top Chef" shouldn't have that problem, especially with chicken.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

Casey = MacBook Pro. Hung = 0

And this seemed like a much more pressure-packed competition in front of the toughest judges to date. Without any "team" theme to fall back on either.

They sure are editing Hung to look like the bad guy. Casey looks like the designated winner to me.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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Besides Dids, the old french judge, and myself, there have to be more people who find Casey attractive

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I definitely do, and I know that El Diablo, among others, has said so as well in past Top Chef threads.

-McGee

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

I think Casey looks pretty good as well. I also think both her and Hung will be the final two but I do not think she is most deserving. I truly believe she is in the final four because of her looks and because the producers want to keep her around for the male audience. Hung is the best chef from what I have seen but not having tasted any of the food made by the chefs make it difficult as a viewer to have a real valid opinion. I also thought CJ was an excellent chef and it was a shame he was sent home before people like Brian, Dale (who seems to create mediocre dishes every episode), and Sara.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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I'd like to think myself reasonably culinarily aware, but I had no idea what Casey's dish was supposed to be until too late.

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Hung, still with a really unimaginative choice. This is just based off a little bit of reading, and a lot of Iron Chef, but Sous Vide (or however you spell it) feels played out.

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I'm lost. Seems like you should switch the two dishes - plenty of people don't know sous vide but coq a vin is a pretty common dish.

Interesting, I thought, how they differently interpreted "classic." Coq au vin is about as classic as it gets - but what's with giving her a hard time over not using rooster? That's just silly.

Sous vide has been classic for how long?

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

I think most of the contestants realize that Hung is the favorite to win it all. He may not, depending on the challenges, but it's interesting that they seem to realize he's got skills beyond their own.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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That one judge's nose was frankly out of control and needs to be stopped before it kills again.


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lol - yeah - I've never seen a nose like that on even a 20 yr boxer.

Casey is smokin'

Next week should be good with Eric Ripart back as judge.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

first episode I've watched- totally impressed by Casey and Hung. Either one as winner will be fine, but I'd pick Hung. Can't believe undercooked chicken was served; I would've puked on the spot.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

Casey is hot, but Lia is my fav.

I really liked the quickfire. More competitions should be like this, forcing them to use their palette and technique with a hard line of good and bad results.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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I'm lost. Seems like you should switch the two dishes - plenty of people don't know sous vide but coq a vin is a pretty common dish.

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That confused me too - maybe cause I've made coq au vin a couple times (though only once where the chicken didn't turn purple) so had a pretty good feel for what Casey was going for.

I think they made the right choice in eliminating Sarah. I also would like to point out that I correctly called the Top 4 several weeks ago! damn, why is there no where to bet on this thing?

Casey and Hung are the obvious front runners for Top 2, but Brian could sneak in there, and I wouldn't be too surprised. Dale is irritating.

-Al

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

On a side note - Hung's extra 30 minutes was probably the reason he could cook via the sous vide method.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

El Sapo - have you cooked sous vide method at home before? Is it really that much better sous vide'ing chicken vs. say braising it?

For the ignorant among us (including myself) - sous vide wiki

-Al

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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El Sapo - have you cooked sous vide method at home before? Is it really that much better sous vide'ing chicken vs. say braising it?

For the ignorant among us (including myself) - sous vide wiki

-Al

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I've never done it. But traditionally it's a way of bringing foods slowly up to temperature allowing the texture of the food to remain the same and the flavors to meld.

I think it fell out of favor in the 80s when health inspectors cracked down - the necessary equipment (vaccum sealers, precise temperature quipment, ability to maintain a constant temperature) meant many places stopped using it for a while.

Michel Richard has some discussion of home methods in his book "Happy in the Kitchen."

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

Sapo and Al,

I'll grant you that might be weird. There's a lot of more classic stuff of which I'm not aware, since that wasn't how my family cooked, and most of my knowledge is of new stuff.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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They sure are editing Hung to look like the bad guy.

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I don't know. Compared to earlier in the season Hung is alot more likeable now.

b

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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I truly believe she is in the final four because of her looks and because the producers want to keep her around for the male audience.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that were the case, imo, she wouldn't have won as many challenges as she has. She'd be more in Dale's position. If you hear the judges and the people she's serving, they actually do seem to like how she cooks.

b

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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Casey is hot, but Lia is my fav.


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A vote here for Camille.

b

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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[ QUOTE ]
I truly believe she is in the final four because of her looks and because the producers want to keep her around for the male audience.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that were the case, imo, she wouldn't have won as many challenges as she has. She'd be more in Dale's position. If you hear the judges and the people she's serving, they actually do seem to like how she cooks.

b

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Seriously, read the blogs. People love her food.

Can you go back and find one ep where she should have been booted?

Also, I'm not sure that bravo's male audience is typically that interested in pretty girls.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

http://bp1.blogger.com/_aymCYbZEEBE/...ilsimmons1.jpg

Hi there Gail.

Let's do lunch.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
Casey > Padma imo, this is in part factor on personality. Padma has an unfriendly intensity that I'm not feeling, whereas Casey just seems friendly and cool. Sara N. is still my fav though.


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I absolutely love that intensity. I love someone who seems there, in the present, fully. Padma comes off as smart and focused.

Plus, to me anyway, Padma is far more beautiful than Casey. So she wins on every count.

Unfortunately, I missed this episode, as I was watching the new Ramsey show, Kitchen Nightmares I think it's called. Was really great. Now I am going to have to catch all but the finale for Top Chef as reruns.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
Unfortunately, I missed this episode, as I was watching the new Ramsey show, Kitchen Nightmares I think it's called. Was really great. Now I am going to have to catch all but the finale for Top Chef as reruns.

[/ QUOTE ]

What?

This may deserve it's own thread, but I don't think I can stand another episode. I watched this because it's basically a remake of his British show -- and one that is supposed to be smart, insightful and a complete reversal of "Hell's Kitchen,"

"Kitchen Nighmares" was garbage, I thought. Zero actual content about how he helped them turn around the place, nothing to say about whether or not the changes stuck. Just a lot of yelling.

Then again, it is Fox. But I really had hoped for something interesting.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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[ QUOTE ]
Casey is hot, but Lia is my fav.


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A vote here for Camille.

b

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Ditto. I don't think Casey or Lia are even in Camille's class when it comes to looks.

Lia has got to be among the better "cleans up nice" jobs I've seen in a long time. She was resoundingly plain throughout the competition, though her personality gave her some charm that raised her level of attractiveness notably. But when they had the temporary restaurants episode, she was looking much better than her previous level.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

I would think that Casey is pretty objectively attractive. That is unless you have a thing against white girls.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Unfortunately, I missed this episode, as I was watching the new Ramsey show, Kitchen Nightmares I think it's called. Was really great. Now I am going to have to catch all but the finale for Top Chef as reruns.

[/ QUOTE ]

What?

This may deserve it's own thread, but I don't think I can stand another episode. I watched this because it's basically a remake of his British show -- and one that is supposed to be smart, insightful and a complete reversal of "Hell's Kitchen,"

"Kitchen Nighmares" was garbage, I thought. Zero actual content about how he helped them turn around the place, nothing to say about whether or not the changes stuck. Just a lot of yelling.

Then again, it is Fox. But I really had hoped for something interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

The one on fox, I have not seen, kitchen nightmares, the british version is very good, its on BBC america pretty regularly.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Unfortunately, I missed this episode, as I was watching the new Ramsey show, Kitchen Nightmares I think it's called. Was really great. Now I am going to have to catch all but the finale for Top Chef as reruns.

[/ QUOTE ]

What?

This may deserve it's own thread, but I don't think I can stand another episode. I watched this because it's basically a remake of his British show -- and one that is supposed to be smart, insightful and a complete reversal of "Hell's Kitchen,"

"Kitchen Nighmares" was garbage, I thought. Zero actual content about how he helped them turn around the place, nothing to say about whether or not the changes stuck. Just a lot of yelling.

Then again, it is Fox. But I really had hoped for something interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

I felt just the opposite, but I'm sure my expectations were far different. For one, I never saw the other show, so can't see or feel this one as a come-down in comparison.

I did think that the new restaurant concept and new menu handed out was basically a "gimme," and I wished that the actual restauranteurs had looked involved in it. Whether the changes stuck or not is I don't think a fair criteria, as the show moves on. It's not about a year in the life, or even a month in the life, and I don't think it even can be. The show has to move on. The only way to see if the changes really stick is to come back at least a good number of months later.

The yelling part was, well, a big part of the problem, so they might as well show it. It was hardly Jerry Springer, but it showed how far gone the folks were. Frankly, I was expecting worse. Given Ramsey's rep, he seemed to show remarkable restraint.

If future episodes just have the restaurant's changes be such a free "gimme" from Ramsey -- basically he just comes into a screwball place and turns it into a Ramsey restaurant by another name -- then the show will always be missing a lot of potential interest. But I'm not willing to write the thing off yet, by far.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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I would think that Casey is pretty objectively attractive. That is unless you have a thing against white girls.

[/ QUOTE ]

I never said she wasn't. I think her face is pretty but notably plain, though, and looks much better or worse depending on how she is shot. Padma outshines her very easily, and I think Camille does too.

Doesn't mean Casey is bad, but she doesn't strike me as anywhere near their level.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

Casey > Padma zomg! I cannot disagree more!

Padma has actually grown on me personality wise, and that she is incredibly hot, she's the one I would most like to bang and it's not very close.

Theory just put forth by co-worker: Dale wants to bang Hung and knows he cannot, and all his lame "Hung is an [censored]" comments stem from this. I think there is merit in this. Or Dale is actually just really lame.

-Al

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

I vote Dale is lame.

The BBC KN show was great, because the peopel are such tards you want Gordon to Gordon them.

Feel like I can assume enough about the Fox version that I do not want.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
Casey > Padma zomg! I cannot disagree more!

Padma has actually grown on me personality wise, and that she is incredibly hot, she's the one I would most like to bang and it's not very close.

Theory just put forth by co-worker: Dale wants to bang Hung and knows he cannot, and all his lame "Hung is an [censored]" comments stem from this. I think there is merit in this. Or Dale is actually just really lame.

-Al

[/ QUOTE ]

Heheh, this is a funny theory. Remember that episode where Dale won the quickfire and got to have a private dinner with the guest judge? The judge looked soooo uncomfortable and desultory, and Dale looked pretty uptight too. I wonder what was going on there. Maybe Dale is hitting on everyone.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Casey > Padma zomg! I cannot disagree more!

Padma has actually grown on me personality wise, and that she is incredibly hot, she's the one I would most like to bang and it's not very close.

Theory just put forth by co-worker: Dale wants to bang Hung and knows he cannot, and all his lame "Hung is an [censored]" comments stem from this. I think there is merit in this. Or Dale is actually just really lame.

-Al

[/ QUOTE ]

Heheh, this is a funny theory. Remember that episode where Dale won the quickfire and got to have a private dinner with the guest judge? The judge looked soooo uncomfortable and desultory, and Dale looked pretty uptight too. I wonder what was going on there. Maybe Dale is hitting on everyone.

[/ QUOTE ]

If I was the guest judge and I knew someone was going to have dinner w/ me, I would never pick a guy to win the quickfire even if all the girls made pig vomit. I wonder if the show sprung that up on the judge as well as Dale. (having dinner)

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]


"Kitchen Nighmares" was garbage, I thought. Zero actual content about how he helped them turn around the place, nothing to say about whether or not the changes stuck. Just a lot of yelling.

Then again, it is Fox. But I really had hoped for something interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree. I wasn't expecting much from Fox but at least figured it would resemble the British version. A cooking/restaurant show that is actually, you know, about the cooking, not about some guy yelling.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

GO CASEY!

Yugoslav

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


"Kitchen Nighmares" was garbage, I thought. Zero actual content about how he helped them turn around the place, nothing to say about whether or not the changes stuck. Just a lot of yelling.

Then again, it is Fox. But I really had hoped for something interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree. I wasn't expecting much from Fox but at least figured it would resemble the British version. A cooking/restaurant show that is actually, you know, about the cooking, not about some guy yelling.

[/ QUOTE ]

A show on Fox as good as the typical BBC show seems pretty unlikely to me, especially on Fox. FWIW, I didn't expect to the show to be about cooking so much as about people and understanding and running a business.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting, I thought, how they differently interpreted "classic." Coq au vin is about as classic as it gets - but what's with giving her a hard time over not using rooster? That's just silly.

[/ QUOTE ]

like Tom said, if she had called it "braised chicken" she would have been golden. plus, "classic" coq au vin can't be done in two hours because of the toughness of the rooster meat. it needs the longer cooking time to break down the tougher meat. nit pickey, yes, but look at the diners and guest judge and tell me that this wasn't something that should have at least been pointed out.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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[ QUOTE ]
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I truly believe she is in the final four because of her looks and because the producers want to keep her around for the male audience.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that were the case, imo, she wouldn't have won as many challenges as she has. She'd be more in Dale's position. If you hear the judges and the people she's serving, they actually do seem to like how she cooks.

b

[/ QUOTE ]

Seriously, read the blogs. People love her food.

Can you go back and find one ep where she should have been booted?

Also, I'm not sure that bravo's male audience is typically that interested in pretty girls.

[/ QUOTE ]

There was the episode where she was paired with Howie and the other big italian guy where they did a Tuna trio and she had immunity. She would have been booted there without immunity.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

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Padma or Casey?

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Casey because I can't stand Padma, she is attrocious.

Re: Top Chef 9/19
 

No beedog pic?

Ban.

-Al