Iron Chef OOT 12/13-12/24

[Mermade]

Hi Sam--

Ron covered the red pepper bag question. As to the bread, I could have incorporated the avocado more evenly but chose not. I did this primarily because green bread is just not visually as appetizing. Of course, I don't even think the subltle coloring of the final product came out in my photos. I pretty much suck at taking pictures--Oh well. I think the marbling distributed the flavor throughout without turning off the eye. At any rate, the addition of the avocado probably did contribute to the rising problem but I don't think it would have been different had I made the choice to knead the avocado until it was completely incorporated. I am a bit at a loss since I used ample yeast. Hmm. I'll just have to think about it more and as I experiment with bread-making see what happens.

[StevieG]

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grilled tomato stuffed with croûtons and topped with SamIAm's guacomole pesto.

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I'm glad you gave it a try; the tomato sounds like a good addition. I hope you tried it with the garlic you suggested.

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Yes, I did put some garlic in. But I think leaving it out as you did would also be fine. The combination of herb and avocado makes for a tasty sauce with a smooth consistency. Went great with the tomato.

[CardSharpCook]

Merry Christmas everyone!


Judge each chef based on (in order of priority):
1. Use of secret ingredient. Is it inovative and interesting? Or is it pedestrian and common?
2. Preparation and presentation. Were the items well cooked? How do you judge their procedure? How well has it been plated?
3. Deliciousness. Would you like to eat? Which dish looks tastiest?

Mrs. Utah
Avocado and 3 Cheese Chile Rellenos with Avocado Crab Salad and Blue Corn Chips


Entree:
Wild Grilled Shrimp with Avocado-Basil Butter on Avocado Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Parmesan


Loose Passive's "avacado night"
Avocado “Carpaccio”

Ceviche

Nachos

Three Cheese and Avocado Mini Tarts

Carne Asada Tacos with Avocado


StevieG
Appetizer: Avocado Panna Cotta with Salmon Tartar


Entree: Chicken, Avocado, and Prosciutto Rolade with Spicy Papaya Puree


Bonus Brunch Item
French Toast with Avocado Whipped Cream and Berry Salsa


SamIAm
Avocado IceCream w/ Molasses Ginger Cookies

Avocado 3-Dip Platter w/ Tortilla Chips


Ron Burgandy
app: Avocado Cucumber Roll With Avocoado-Mint Sauce


Entree: Raw tacos 3 ways with tomato vinagrette, avocado-mint sauce, and orange mole.


Mermade
Drink: Avocado Lassi

App:
Avocado and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Parmesean Mini-toasts, and Microgreen Salad with Avocado Dressing

Entree: Avocado Muffuletta Sandwich on Avocado Cracker Bread

Dessert: Avocado Zabaglione


Analyst
App:Avocado and Smoked Salmon Fritters with Lemon Cream sauce


Entrée: Avocado-Dungeness Crab Soufflé

[CardSharpCook]

Did I miss a dish from SamIam? I see dessert and app. voters may choose two winners

[El Diablo]

CSC,

StevieG got my vote this time, but I felt he just slightly edged out Ron and Mermade. I flipped a coin between those two and gave Mermade my second vote, sorry Ron - you were tied!

I think this episode was one of the most creative and interesting ones so far, great great work everyone!

[CardSharpCook]

El D,

You and I agree, only I didn't have to flip a coin to get it right [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I do believe that Stevie had the best week and hope he wins.

[Ron Burgundy]

CSC,

How is my spoon-drag technique? Did I do that right?

[edfurlong]

Don't let the spoon touch the plate.

[Ron Burgundy]

Mrs. Utah,

I like the app, except for the corn meal on the chile. It seems like it would make it too crusty or grainy.

Kudos for the homemade pasta, that's something I've never done but always wanted to. Once again, you've taken really good quality pics, but they're still super-close-up. I'd like to see the whole plate.

Stevie,

App looks great. I love salmon. However, I think with the fattiness/richness of the salmon, avocado, cream and gelatin, I'd like to have some more balancing flavors to cut through it.

Entree is outstanding. A great variety of flavor, texture and color.

Sam,

Ice cream and cookies would taste great. But there's not really anything special about them or their presentation.

The platter is a nice party food, but I don't think it's going to compete here.

Mermade,

The soup/salad is nice and simple, I'm sure it was very good. I think the portion is pretty small though. If I orderd that in a restaurant, I would think "hey, who stole half of my salad!"

The sandwich looks very yummy. Well, except for the olives, which I don't like, but that's just me. I'm really intrigued by the bread, I think that's the thing I'd most want to try making myself out of all the dishes this week. The presentation though, is pretty disappointing. Just a little more effort would've gone a long way.

Analyst,

The fritter looks very tasty. I think you could've done more with the salad though. And I can't imagine poppy seeds going well with it.

Nice job on the souffle, they seem pretty hard to make properly. I would've liked to see something else with it, though. A little veg or salad to provide some texture and color contrast would be nice. I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I'm gonna have to rip into you about the plating. First of all, it's not centered on the plate, which makes it look weird. Second, I'm really not into non-functional garnishes. Third, I hate the cutesy make-it-look-like-a-crab thing. You took an elegant, upscale food preparation and turned it into a Denny's lunch special. Fourth, do something creative with the sauces. Those sauces look kinda boring in two little mounds like that. Fifth, I think this would look much better with a darker colored plate. It's hard to see the sauces because they light-colored and blend in with the plate. You want the plate to provide contrast.

LP,

That's some tasty party food, but it's not going to compete here.


Here's my final tally. These are out of a possible 20 points for taste, and 10 points in the other categories:



oops, Stevie's entree should say 45, but it doesn't matter.

[Eder]

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CSC,

Please tell me what you think of Cutco knives.

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I have had full set inc cleaver for 3 years now....very dissapointed....dont hold edge well and are hard to sharpen...