# The Next Iron Chef, season 4: The Super Chefs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338 "2011-10-31T00:58:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/61 "2011-11-15T17:17:02Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > Exactly. For the face-off, ultimately, it’s “Which tastes better?” Creativity, presentation, etc. are fine, but the taste is the final arbiter. That’s why Irvine lost. I still call shenanigans in that in Chiarello’s dish the secret ingredient formed a relatively small part of the finished product. If I had a secret ingredient of eel farts and I make the best salmon teriyaki ever and sprinkle some eel farts over it, does that really meet the Iron Chef standard? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/62 "2011-11-15T17:34:20Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I still call shenanigans in that in Chiarello’s dish the secret ingredient formed a relatively small part of the finished product. If I had a secret ingredient of eel farts and I make the best salmon teriyaki ever and sprinkle some eel farts over it, does that really meet the Iron Chef standard? Like truffles, eel farts are strongly flavored and a little can transform a dish. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/63 "2011-11-15T17:41:54Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > I think McMillan should’ve been eliminated for not using the secret ingredient at all. Sweet guy, but you can’t just say something is “inspired by” your ingredient. > > StG I’m confused - he used the candy in both dishes. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/64 "2011-11-15T20:22:26Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > I’m confused - he used the candy in both dishes. He used the candy in the _dessert_. As I recall he did not in the savory dish, rather he used citrus and other flavors to replicate the sour gummy “flavor profile.” ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/65 "2011-11-15T20:24:35Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > He used the candy in the _dessert_. As I recall he did not in the savory dish, rather he used citrus and other flavors to replicate the sour gummy “flavor profile.” He used the candy as a garnish only. ETA: …in the savory dish. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/66 "2011-11-15T21:43:25Z")
Thinking back to what MacMillan did wrong, didn’t the winner, Chef Faulkner, also try to replicate an ingredient instead of using it? She got malted milk balls, but I distinctly remember seeing her pour a bottle of malt liquor into a dish. Isn’t that the same screwup that got MacMillan in the bottom 2? ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/67 "2011-11-15T22:25:40Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Thinking back to what MacMillan did wrong, didn’t the winner, Chef Faulkner, also try to replicate an ingredient instead of using it? She got malted milk balls, but I distinctly remember seeing her pour a bottle of malt liquor into a dish. Isn’t that the same screwup that got MacMillan in the bottom 2? I believe she used both dissolved malt balls and a stout beer in her batter. (NOT malt liquor) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/68 "2011-11-15T22:30:16Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > I think McMillan should’ve been eliminated for not using the secret ingredient at all. Sweet guy, but you can’t just say something is “inspired by” your ingredient. > > StG MacMillan did not use the candy correctly, but the way this competition is run that only gets you into the bottom 2 for the face-off - not eliminated. Had he not used tofu in the face-off then yes he should be eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/69 "2011-11-16T00:48:23Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Zakarian continues to impress and I’m now really wondering how Alex is going to handle a cookoff, since she seems flustered all the time. Against 9 or 8 other people, she seems to do well, but as it stands right now, I’d probably take any of the other chefs over her in a one-on-one I am beginning to wonder if the editors are intentionally making it look like she’s doing worse or is more flustered than she actually is to prepare us the viewers for tense moments as she gets really far into the competition. To make us think something along the lines, “Oh well she’s been nervous and anxious in all the others, but has always had someone doing worse than she has, she’s going home for sure this time.” Only for her to possibly win the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/70 "2011-11-16T01:22:40Z")
Do you (the teeming millions) think it is rigged that no chef will face elimination a second time until every one has experienced it once? And who do you think will be the first chef to face elimination a second time? I can see Samuelson facing elimination a second time soon. 30% of the way through the eliminations, I think the finals will be Zakarian versus Faulkner. And despite the fact I want to see her fail, I think Guarnaschelli makes the final 4, along with Chiarello. I think MacMillan and Samuelson (but not necessarily in that order) are the next two to fall. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/71 "2011-11-16T11:57:52Z")
I hope it’s not rigged, but it would not surprise me, sadly. I’m seeing a new side to Guarnaschelli, I like it. I’m also seeing the typical arrogance from Chiarello that I’ve always seen. I hope he goes soon. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/72 "2011-11-21T15:47:09Z")
Beau MacMillan, we hardly knew ye. I like watching him, but I had a feeling he wasn’t going to last too much longer. Still, I think all the chefs deserve a medal for making something edible out of octopus, kumquats, marshmallows, and tortillas. It reminds me of when they were doing Celebrity Chopped and I wanted the mystery ingredients to be lutefisk and circus peanuts. Also, it was amusing to see Geoffrey Zakarian with a Hello Kitty bandage on his finger. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/73 "2011-11-21T16:23:34Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I think MacMillan and Samuelson (but not necessarily in that order) are the next two to fall. I’m a prophet, I tell you. So, with 6 left, Samuelson and Burrell have to fail in the next two weeks for my predictions to hold. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/74 "2011-11-21T17:44:59Z")
When they boot Burrell, I stop watching. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/75 "2011-11-21T17:51:37Z")
I’m with you on Samuelson. Since the first episode he’s sort of hung on because there have been others who messed up worse, but I don’t think he’s really distinguised himself. I think Burrell will make it to the final 4, with Chiarello eliminated after Samuelson. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/76 "2011-11-21T20:06:48Z")
So much for Big Mac. He impressed on Iron Chef against Bobby Flay though, so I’m surprised he was booted relatively early. Does this bother anyone? It seems like to find the next Iron Chef, they are putting them through other food network shows. First couple weeks we had the outdoors challenge and stadium challenge, which is like what Robert Irvine does. Then we had a candy challenge, and last night we had a 4 ingredient Chopped challenge. I don’t know what they can do to find an Iron Chef other than just having Iron Chef battles, but I wish there was more Iron Chefing and less other shows. Maybe now that they’re down to 6 people, they can have an Iron Chef style battle with 3 chefs on each side mimicking a typical Kitchen Stadium battle. I feel like one big difference between IC and other cooking shows is that they have to make so many dishes. Chopped and other shows lets you focus on one dish usually. To be an Iron Chef you have to make 5. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/77 "2011-11-21T20:31:33Z")
I’ll go ahead and throw in my prediction that it will be either Faulkner or Samuelson for the win. I’d like Burrell to win it but I don’t think she will. I think all the “Big Names” are there for candy, not for actually winning. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/78 "2011-11-22T06:18:38Z")
I can’t stand Chiarello in a competitive situation. By himself, he’s a charming, knowledgeable man. But when he competes, he turns into an arrogant snot. I like Geoffrey Zakarian. Faulkner is sort of a quiet contender, and she seems to keep her head down and her attitude focused. Very professional, it’s nice to see. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/79 "2011-11-22T13:00:21Z")
I’m finding that I don’t hate Alex anymore. I think they need a female chef to replace cat (I haven’t seen her lately). So, if I had to guess, I’d say Faulkner or Alex, but I suck at predictions. In fact, I may have just guaranteed they will get booted. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338/80 "2011-11-22T21:42:29Z")
I agree that I hope a woman makes it. I like Faulkner, both in personality and cooking style. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-iron-chef-season-4-the-super-chefs/601338.md?page=5)