I’m thinking that the contestants–well, the serious ones who want to be as prepared as possible–do just this. After nine seasons, it would be silly not to go in prepared to cook beef wellington, scallops, risotto, and the other dishes that Ramsay always has the contestants make.
But I’m also wondering if it’s a bit like, say, “Jeopardy.” I can do extremely well at Jeopardy, as long as I’m sitting at home, surrounded by familiarity. Don’t put me on the show though, as with Alex there and other people trying to beat me to the buzzer, I don’t think I’d do nearly as well.
So, in their own (commercial or personal) kitchens where they can take their time, and they know where their tools are and how their appliances work and where their supplies are, I wouldn’t be surprised if the contestants can turn out Ramsay-quality food. However, they are in an unfamiliar kitchen, working with people they don’t know, under the watchful eye of Ramsay who is pushing them to hurry up. Pardon the pun, but it’s a pressure cooker situation. All it takes is for one person whose contribution involves something to be served early in the service (say, the scallop appetizers) to crack, and the whole side will come tumbling down.
I don’t know how familiar you are with the show, but the contestants cook the food before they’re called in to present, then they have an additional 5 minutes to finish/plate the food in front of the judges while they ask the contestant questions.
She had someone (her husband) assist her by pushing the prep cart while approaching the station that is front of the judges, but once she was there he turned and left her there. She folded up her cane and got to work finishing her dish. One thing the judges commented on was how she tasted everything. It was neat to watch.
Just missed HK and have to catchup Mrs Cas searched for “hells” and not “hell’s” and DishTV couldn’t figure it out.) But I saw the preview for 17 Chefs
WTF is it still men vs women?! That was played out years ago.
Does FOX demand that every season of HK have a loud crazy-ass black woman to perpetuate the stereotype?
If the first episode is any indicator, Masterchef will be a snoozefest this season.
Maybe it was shitty editing or I was momentarily fixated by a more interesting hangnail (or both), but I couldn’t tell what made them all gang up on her. She certainly seemed less loud and crazy-ass than that fat white broad who was (making a show of) freaking out on her.
They did, however, provide (and summarily axe) the requisite cringingly incompetent token black male chef, so all is right with the world.
The original plan wasn’t to air MasterChef twice a week, but when Gordon’s fourth Fox show, Hotel Hell, had its premiere pushed back again (it was originally announced for early April, then early June, and now “later this summer,” although a recent Fox summer TV commercial did show a scene from it, so Fox hasn’t abandoned it completely - at least not yet), they added a second night of MasterChef to fill the gap.
I hate the “gimmick” contestants on Masterchef and other competition shows; the very young, the people in silly costumes, the comedians, the guy doing it for his deceased sister, the cowboys (one on horseback!) and worst of all, the uniformed soldier (with a dead child). It’s supposed to be cooking competition, not a sob story competition.
Yeah, I just mess around on my phone until the sob story is over and wait for the judges to start talking about the dish. Which I guess means I’m not technically watching the show, since the aforementioned means I’m not listening to a good portion of it, but still.
the nephew of a co-worker is supposed to be on Hells Kitchen at some point. I told her to pass the message to knoe scallops, risotto and Wellington in his sleep. I don’t know the nephews name but he is from Memphis.
My biggest problem with HK is the way they all turn on each other immediately and with such vitriol.
Yes, I know that There Can Be Only One. And yes, they clearly cast contentious people, and they probably jab them with cattleprods off-camera.
But SMART money would be on bonding as a team with your group and then ousting the other side one by one. Ramsey will split people into the other team as they lose people - just take them down and stick strong with your team.
THEN turn on each other like piranhas when you get the black jackets.
I don’t get what the point of turning your own kitchen into a screaming mass of hate right off the bat. There can’t be a single professional kitchen that works that way.
Because if you can already cook they don’t cast you? ‘Reality’ TV as a genre thrives of making their audience feel superior, we have some shows in the UK that have genuinely competent people on but most people don’t think of them as the same thing.
They do seem to end up with the same types, don’t they?
I noticed MC already passed through the snobby rich kid who thinks he has an advantage because his parent’s could afford eating at the best restaurants.AC
We were out to eat tonight and Hell’s Kitchen came up, so I described this thread briefly. “There are certain dishes you have to be able to cook since they come up so often,” I said.
I see your point spoons.. but damn.. These people are pros.. Just like hitting a baseball or serving a tennis ball.. You should be able to do that just about in any arena under different circumstances. Gordon has a well known pet peeve about scallops.. he really goes into depth on them on an episode of his BBC show. I would be working that shit over and over until i could do it asleep..
I love the show.. they could do a little more cooking and a little less drama though.. i don’t need that turn up to the level its at..
I understand that Hell’s Kitchen is probably not being produced by the FOX A Team, but all of the silly teasers and hyping is pretty tiresome 6-7 seasons in. Every season at some point there is the inevitable teaser where someone cuts their hand, with quick shots of an ambulance and paramedics rushing into the kitchen, along with one of the other chefs making some comment about “cut his finger off,” and of course it’s always just some little cut, like the kind of injury that would be par for the course for any professional chef.
Hell’s Kitchen producers, you’ve already got me. It’s not like I’m not going to stop watching the show if I don’t get my hyped over-selling of a minor injury every season. That’s not what I watch the show for. And if you’re going to continue to do that shit, at least once someone needs to actually cut their finger off.
Anyway, this season is kinda blah. No one has really stood out as very good, and conversely no one has been particularly evil either.
And as far as Masterchef goes, what’s with all the goddamn crying? That one chick last night, Monti I believe, she was crying while cooking, during the judging, and was still crying after she had been put through and they were judging someone else. And the Asian chick too, Felix, is also constantly fucking crying. Get a fucking grip, you’re on national television!
I was surprised at the guy who got eliminated at the risotto. Yeah, he forgot to wash his mushrooms, but compared with all the people who undercooked the rice and/or dumped in a zillion weird ingredients that seemed like a smaller mistake.
The problem was that he had a low-profile personality. It’s more exciting to keep guys like Ryan or Tavi (?), who constantly say stupid things and get weird looks on their faces.
On HK, I’m already tired of Kimmie and Robyn, though I had to laugh when Kimmie was downing the mountain oysters while the other contestants were throwing up. It was like an episode of Fear Factor gone awry.