I was watching an episode of Iron Chef last night, and the theme was Bonito. I had a thought that the show could possibly become much more interesting if there were cooler theme ingredients. I grabbed my handy Handspring Visor Platinum and jotted down a couple suggestions:
[ul]
[li]Ohana Punch (a little like Hawaiian Punch)[/li][li]Little Debbie Snack Cakes (either a variety of kinds, or one specific)[/li][li]Dill Pickles[/li][/ul]
I realize this is a pretty weak list, but it was late at night. So, fellow posters, what theme ingredients would YOU like to see on IRON CHEF?
Lutefisk, Vegemite, lefse, Red dye #7, bong water, squirrel, habaneros, chitlins, sulphur, jujubes, grubs, cat, myrrh, powdered milk…the list goes on and on.
My IC watching has lagged badly of late but IMHO the ultimate was Battle Octopus, just from a train-wreck viewers standpoint.
The “theme ingredient” rose for the bowels of Kitchen Stadium with torch light, swelling music, dry-ice fog–but it was alive, pissed off and no-ways resigned to being an ingredient, thank you very much. It had 8 very sinewy appendages with suction cups, a beak, a baaaad attitude and–let’s face it–not a whole lot left to lose.
Who can forget the horrified, stalwart IC (Chen? I forget) wrestling the pissed-off sea monster outta the brine then whapping the holy crap out of it, just trying to get it near the cooking station?
Call me a wimp, but I averted my eyes during the actual slaughter. (Battle Eel taught me there are some things ya just DON’T want to know.) I forget the actual dishes, but “if memory serves me correctly”, sorbet might have been involved. My failure of imagination. I just kept hoping the suspicious sucker mark on the IC’s neck was caused by the ‘theme ingredient’, not the fortune-teller judge.
Battle Octopus was indeed interesting. I recall a rather stunned octopus still resisting as it was being dredged in bran or something similar. Resisting until, of course, its valiant, bulbous head was sliced off.
As for theme ingredients, I would like to see ingredients that require mortal combat to subdue. It would add an extra element to the show, don’t you think? Which challenger can club enough seals to make raw seal brain and fig appetizer? How likely do you think that bear paw soup is when the bear is not cooperating? Then again, maybe you should go for the gag-reflex factor and introduce a theme ingredient like baloot.
On to the topic … I think the second most amusing ingredient was ‘natto bean’, probably one of the most disgusting beans I’ve ever seen and the Iron Chef managed to make a desert out of it! ech! Sticky, sticky, sticky …
Lobster was pretty nasty, too … both Chef’s were wacking the tails off of 'em while the ingredient was trying to wander off in search of a nearby ocean - No Ocean for you, into the pot you go! DarkRabbit
I’m waiting for the US version with William Shatner hosting. I’m anticipating name-brand items, since the American Marketing Machine surely will not let it go with something as un-branded as Chicken or Carrots. My predictions?
The Heinz Ketchup battle
The Kraft 2% Singles battle or the Cheez Whiz battle
The Lunchables battle (this could be good - how many things can they make with crackers, cheese, and bologna?)
Kind of off the topic here, but the first IC I ever saw was the one in New York. Chairman Kaga announced the theme ingredient, rock crab, in english since they were in the U.S. However, Chairman Kaga is Japanese and obviously doesn’t speak a lot of english. He whips off the cover and, in the most dramatic voice he can muster:
LOCK CLAB!
I laughed so hard I had to concentrate on breathing.
Great ceasar I remember that one. I was waiting to Iron Chef to drop the ‘atomic elbow’ on that Octopus. Would have given a thousand dollars to see it wrap around his head.
“Oh and Iron Chef Chen has been attacked by the ingrediant. Yes it has ensconsed his head and is now trying to cut off his breathing. Chen is punching himself in the face like mad trying to subdue the beast”
“Fukusa!”
“Go!”
“Yes, the Octopus has got Chen in what we call a ‘roman choke hold’ used specifically in bringing down the large Roman wrestlers of the day. How the octopi knows this is beyond me”
[smattering of polite laughter from the panel of judges]
“Well now Iron Chef Chen is plunging his head directly into a cauldron of boiling soy sauce, melon paste, bean curd and spices hoping to cause the mad beast to detach from him. But the octopus is a fighter and holds on. Wow, we could have a Iron Chef Octopus if he manages to smother him.”
[smattering of polite laughter from the panel of judges]
People! The theme ingedient on Iron Chef is people! (Damn you, Damn you all…)
And if they can’t get people, here’s some others that might make things interesting:
Fried monkey brains, live squirrels, poodles, leftovers from ‘Alien Autopsy’, McDonald’s ‘Special Sauce’, Spam, super-hot jalepenos, head cheese, stuff an Iron Chef scrapped off his boots after the last show…
Over the weekend I saw Food TV will be running an Iron Chef marathon on the day after Thanksgiving (November 23). I missed the octopus battle so I’m hoping it’ll be replayed then.
Also, some of us (okay - me) are not the high-falutin’ types. I don’t know what faoi gras or truffles taste like and I probably never will. I enjoy the the Iron Chef T.V. show for it’s competition aspect and I enjoy the Iron Chef battles here at SDMB as well for similar reasons. I’d like to see a “Common Man’s” Iron Chef battle here at SDMB. Use just everyday, common ingredients. My suggestions for good themes:
