I’ve worked with several chefs that were just like Ramsey and Bastianich, dating back to the late '80s. I don’t think they are acting. On any line I have ever worked, if you made a mistake at the wrong time you would get abused. Chefs tend to be arrogant, most of the time it’s for good reason. It’s a given, nobody takes it personally, and we always wound up giong out to have a few drinks together at the end of the night.
That said, I like the show. I got a good laugh out of the last episode with them and the onions, and they were very creative with the eggs. I also think there might be a ringer or two in the group.
I believe both he and the ‘software developer’ are ringers. They get a ton of a camera time and seem to be acting based on their responses – everything is exaggerated.
The feeding the marines thing: apparently vastly more people were choosing the red team’s menu. So…is it really fair to ding the red team for running out of food (or praising the blue team for not running out) if one team was feeding, say, twice as many people?
Does anyone else out there wonder what the other eight chili ingredients were?
Yeah, all those that you listed are gimmes if you know anything about chili (the only one that really threw me for a loop was celery as I never use it in mine), but I too was wondering about the others were. If I had to fathom a guess I’d say black pepper was another.
Perhaps Cayenne Pepper. Sometimes I put Thai Basil in mine, but that’s highly unorthodox and I doubt it would be found in a “Texas Style” Chili. What I think was kinda funny, I made chili that night for dinner. We had just finished eating it when that came on…
I keep trying and failing to watch MasterChef. I loved Gordon in Kitchen Nightmares. But his attempts to create intensity with that full-body-tensed twitching when he talks are just too distracting. And the spray-on tan, while not Valentino Orange is just completely out of place on his pale Irish self. Jake is great, and the sweet 22-year old whose names escapes me, but overall Gordon is chasing me away from the show. It’s barely down the “Camp” scale from Iron Chef (And I’m referring to the Japanese version here.)
You forgot one: green bell peppers. Whitney named 12, but cumin was not one of them (that was named by Sharone later).
Black pepper is almost certainly the 14th, but the other 6 (cayenne? tabasco? some other herb or spice probably) are up in the air.
I thought Faruq definitely dodged a bullet, and Sheena probably got a bit of a bum rap, but with 2-3 eliminations per week, things should buzz along quickly.
That was driving me nuts as well. It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s some **masa **in his chili.
I make no claims to Texas style or anything else other than tasty, but I often put in some “baker’s” bitter chocolate. (one square for a batch about as big as what they used on the program.) It adds depth and an almost smoky character.
I’m starting to think Jake is another ringer. You’ve got this big burly lunk of a guy who’s labeled as a construction worker, yet he’ll say things like “sear off the pork” and not sound ironic, and GR likened him to a swan gliding around in the kitchen… a big swan.
Here’s what really bugged me: most “Texas-style” chilis I’ve ever had have not contained beans. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do so love a good chili with beans (in fact, being from the Midwest, when I make chili at home it almost always has beans in), but it seemed to me that Eliot and the producers were kind of dumbing down the dish for the contestants/viewers (which makes sense, really; after all, it is FOX we’re talking about).
But what do I know? Maybe much of the chili made in Texas does, in fact, contain beans.
Yep. Living here in the Midwest, it’s similarly next to impossible to find a chili served without beans. Also, living in the greater Cincinnati area, your choices of chili are Cincinnati-style (love it, but it’s an acquired taste, to be sure) and “Texas-style” (which, like GE’s version last night, also has beans (and tomatoes)).
You’re right in saying that a traditional Texas-style chili doesn’t usually contain beans and onions, but in my experience a lot of Texans use them anyway.
Is Bastianich even a chef? His wiki page, and his intro on the show just say he’s a co-owner of several sucessful restaurants/restauranteur (which isn’t surprising considering his partner is Mario Batali) and vineyard owner. (Wiki also mentions his well known Mom, Lidia Bastianich). He bothers me even more if he’s not…
Wow, Jake really dodged a bullet there; his absence would be sorely felt so early. Even I probably could’ve gotten 11 though these Pressure eliminations should throw an interesting spin on the proceedings. Can’t argue with either of the two who left, and Sharone really stood out as someone to contend with (and Mike definitely dropped a huge notch).
Can’t stand Slim and eagerly await her pussface’s departure, and there’s one Indian chick who I’m not sure they’ve even interviewed (let alone never being in the Top or Bottom), so I have absolutely no opinion on her.
