TV cooking contest shows

[katyseagull]

I just had my service provider add Bravo to my cable package because I wanted to be able to talk Top Chef with you! It cost me $8 a month (along with 49 other channels). I'm excited. What night of the week does it come on?



oops - just noticed that Ron Burgundy already told me that it airs Wednesdays at 10. Sorry about that Ron! (hey cool, that's tonight)

[Blarg]

Cool Katie! They usually run the last episode right before the new one, so you can catch up a bit that way. Plus, last week they ran the last TWO episodes, so you might be able to catch a three-hour block there to get you up to speed.

[Ron Burgundy]

Top Chef 7/18

[Blarg]

On Pacific Coast time; I've got a couple hours to go before I catch any spoilers over there!

[Blarg]

Okay saw it.

Hung for the THIRD TIME IN A ROW scoffed at people criticizing his dish -- arroz con pollo (rice with chicken). Worse, the criticism seems far from something academic or for refined palates in any way. People simply said his rice was overcooked and his chicken dry.

Seriously, what is wrong with this guy? I don't think I'm out of line by saying that as an Asian, he has had rice a billion times -- I grew up around Asians and can't think of a single one who that would not be true of. And he blew it. This should be part of his arsenal, not a threat. And doing chicken? feh, minor stuff. That he couldn't master this simple dish is telling. And then getting a snotty attitude about it, after multiple snotty attitudes, is telling as well. This guy is living in his own world of self-regard, and invulnerable to humility and learning experiences. He is WAY too young to think he knows everything there is to know already. Especially about cultures that have basically zero in common with his own.

Lia leaving seems a bit much. So her food was bland. That doesn't make it bad. Others were cited -- like Hung -- as outright bad. What gives here? We have lost Camille the first time she was ever at the bottom, while Howie survives multiple times and so does Hung. And now we lose Lia for not being as bad as the other dishes she's competing against. The Indian girl's ceviche was described as something that could only qualify as quacamole if you closed your eyes when eating it, because it had too little fish in it. TOO LITTLE FISH! In a ceviche dish! WTF?

So dry chicken plus dry rice, and a ceviche that's guacamole, stay while a dish that is merely bland stays? I dunno about this.

I was glad to see Joey finally pull something out of his ass. And Howie strongly and repeatedly praising his dish, and even handing him his wine bottle after his win, was classy and very cool all around. Taking his past tussles with Joey into account, I like Howie a lot more after this episode.

I guess I always have a soft spot for the underdog. I'm not that fond of Joey, but I still get some sort of a charge when he wins, just because he has so much hate and failure behind him. It's like he cut free a dooming anchor, and it's hard not to get behind his breathing free for a change.

[katyseagull]

Well I practically neglected So You Think You Can Dance to watch 4 episodes of Top Chef in a row. Needless to say I was a little burned out by the end of it.

I watched the barbecue show, the reinventing family classics, the 3-person team challenge (with the elite dining club people), and the Latin show. My favorite episodes were the last two. The Latin cuisine looked delicious and it was really fun to see the variety.

I like the format of this show a lot and love the professional polished attitude of the judges. Especially like the way the judging panel discusses each of the dishes and comments on why they didn't like particular ones. A little overwhelming with the number of contestants for me to try to learn all their names and personalities. (Surprised to see Joey and Howie become such good buddies after they screamed at each other early on. Lol, men!)

I agree with you about Hung's arrogance. This guy is going to have some problems in life. He may be talented but his ego will really limit his growth.




[ QUOTE ]

Lia leaving seems a bit much. So her food was bland. That doesn't make it bad. Others were cited -- like Hung -- as outright bad. What gives here? We have lost Camille the first time she was ever at the bottom, while Howie survives multiple times and so does Hung. And now we lose Lia for not being as bad as the other dishes she's competing against.

[/ QUOTE ]


I don't know Blarg, polenta and salmon? That just sounds horrible to me. I would never think to mix these two tastes.

I like Casey's attitude. Kind of liked Lia too and wanted to see her stay on and get a shot at more challenges. I was hoping Hung would go.

Overall, very interesting show and again I just really enjoyed the Latin cuisine. Yum!

[Blarg]

Wow, weird. I wrote a response that didn't show. Oh well.

Anyway, glad you liked the program. It does seem like the class act of the three cooking shows.

I still think it's odd to get rid of Camille for her first time at the bottom while letting people like Howie hit the bottom multiple times(in an early show he didn't even finish plating his dish, and had to come out with only half of it on the plate!). And that Lia's making something merely bland was enough to get her kicked when other people, like the Indian girl who messed up twice in a row INCLUDING this episode, seem to miraculously ride it out.