# Top Chef All Stars - Season 8 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573 "2010-12-01T18:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/241 "2011-02-17T16:27:17Z")
Man, I love Bourdain, and I love that analysis too. Last night, I was thinking how awesome it must be to have Cookie Monster nom’ing away on one of your cookies! BTW, I want to slap whoever it was at Bravo that put Dale’s cookie recipe on their website. “2 bags” is not an acceptable measurement for listing chips and pretzels, and “a sheet pan” without dimensions is useless. Am I supposed to grab my big-ass pan that pretty much fills up the oven, or what? I hated the Target challenge. Love Target, hated the challenge. Time to stay up all night, do a stupid “buy everything in the store just in case you might need it” shopping trip under intense time pressure, then make soup. Hooray. I know they make money off product placement, but holy crap, this was annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/242 "2011-02-17T16:27:39Z")
That is hilarious. _(re: Bourdain’s blog)_ I had the same reaction as Bourdain when I saw the Muppets. At first I thougtht it would be annoying, but it turned out to be a lot of fun to watch. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/243 "2011-02-17T17:26:20Z")
I know I laughed like a loon when Elmo cried out, “Richard! Be careful!” in response to the cloud of smoke generated from Blais using liquid nitrogen to freaking MAKE COOKIES. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/244 "2011-02-17T18:14:30Z")
I thought this was a fantastic episode, although I agree that 3 hours was clearly just not enough. Very sad to see Angelo go. I don’t know why people thought he was a villain, and he was clearly better than this. But one mistake did him in… Hard not to see Mike and Tiffany going home next. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/245 "2011-02-17T19:05:19Z")
I loved the quickfire challenge here and also really enjoyed reading the comments about it from Bourdain. > [@lisacurl](#): > > I know I laughed like a loon when Elmo cried out, “Richard! Be careful!” in response to the cloud of smoke generated from Blais using liquid nitrogen to freaking MAKE COOKIES. I loved just about everything Elmo said and thought Blais seemed to really be enjoying himself the most with the Muppets. I hated, hated, HATED the elimination challenge. That was just dumb. I wish they had been given more specific restrictions on what to use. Soup? _Really?_ As the season has gone along I have increasing gotten the feeling Tiffany is a little out of her element more and more with each passing week. I don’t see her lasting much longer. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/246 "2011-02-17T19:28:59Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Very sad to see Angelo go. I don’t know why people thought he was a villain, and he was clearly better than this. But one mistake did him in… I’d feel sadder if it weren’t for those knee socks. There are some fashion mistakes for which there is no excuse. I liked the idea of the target challenge, and though I can understand why they needed it to happen under those circumstances (at midnight so there was enough time to clean up the store after the real customers had left, 3 hours long so there was enough time to get the store ready for the next day), the results were 5 different soups. I would have liked it more had the chefs had more time, if they’d figure out some way to still limit them to just what they found in target, but given them a few more hours. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/247 "2011-02-17T19:46:01Z")
You can’t seem to go wrong by cooking eggs this season, especially if Bourdain is on the judges panel. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/248 "2011-02-17T20:25:38Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > You can’t seem to go wrong by cooking eggs this season, especially if Bourdain is on the judges panel. \*runny eggs With Ted Allen gone, runny eggs are the new bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/249 "2011-02-17T20:30:31Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > You can’t seem to go wrong by cooking eggs this season, especially if Bourdain is on the judges panel. I meant to ask this earlier and your post reminded me but, how in _HELL_ do you cook 100 eggs over easy and hold them properly? Wtf? Antonia should have been given a medal, if not the win, just for that. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/250 "2011-02-17T20:31:40Z")
Eggs are still a risk, though. If you don’t cook them just right, the judges are going to be unforgiving. Imagine Bourdaine with a rubbery egg. He’d sail it across the room. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/251 "2011-02-17T20:38:00Z")
I loved Elmo shouting out “cow chips!” and Tiffany’s reaction (“Did Elmo just say my cookies looked like cow shit!?”) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/252 "2011-02-17T20:59:56Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I meant to ask this earlier and your post reminded me but, how in _HELL_ do you cook 100 eggs over easy and hold them properly? Wtf? Antonia should have been given a medal, if not the win, just for that. Yeah, that is tough as hell. Sounds like Antonia excels at simple foods done perfectly, which is a thing of beauty in itself. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/253 "2011-02-17T21:04:15Z")
Was never a big Angelo fan, so even thought the Target challenge was goofy, it pains me not that he is gone. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/254 "2011-02-17T21:13:46Z")
I was somewhat offended by the judges remarks about the Creole seasoning that Tiffany used. I’m pretty sure she used Tony’s. That’s a staple in Louisiana and Texas home cooking & restaurants. It’s a big part of my heritage. The judges remarks were hurtful to a lot of people. Tony’s means as much to us as Old Bay does to people in the Washington area. If this had been a fine dining challenge I’d agree seasonings like Tony’s & Old Bay aren’t used. Bourdain even attacked Tony’s in his blog. > [@](#): > > Tiffany, falling back on some hideous prepared seasoning from childhood as if drowning – grabbing for it like a life preserver. Angelo and Mike seeking solace and security in each other’s company, clinging to their fellow inmate for solace. > **[The Center Will Not Hold | Bravo](https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/blogs/the-center-will-not-hold)** > > It is a hard thing asked of these contestants. Penned up for weeks at a time in a bunker, largely incommunicado, with only each other, boxed wine, and gallon jugs of Wolfschmitz for company, TV cameras always hovering, waiting to pounce at any moment... ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/255 "2011-02-17T21:52:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I was somewhat offended by the judges remarks about the Creole seasoning that Tiffany used. I’m pretty sure she used Tony’s. That’s a staple in Louisiana and Texas home cooking & restaurants. It’s a big part of my heritage. The judges remarks were hurtful to a lot of people. Tony’s means as much to us as Old Bay does to people in the Washington area. > > If this had been a fine dining challenge I’d agree seasonings like Tony’s & Old Bay aren’t used. > > Bourdain even attacked Tony’s in his blog. > > [http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/blogs/anthony-bourdain/the-center-will-not-hold](http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/blogs/anthony-bourdain/the-center-will-not-hold) I’ve never had Tony’s before. But I think what the Judges are saying, and I happen to agree with, is that using a pre-made seasoning mix is lazy cooking. Instead of tasting the food and seeing exactly what spices it needs, and how much, you just grab a bottle of something that may not fit your food at all. Your food ends up tasting like the spice mix (for better or for worse) instead of the food itself. In many cases this is a good thing; I like to steal Tabasco from babies and use it liberally, but it really should have no place in a prepared dish from an actual chef. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/256 "2011-02-17T22:00:17Z")
It’s gross that they quite apparently didn’t wash any utensils or cooking surfaces before cooking. When you unwrap pans and skillets, they’re covered in cardboard bits and factory dust and grit. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/257 "2011-02-17T22:10:40Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > It’s gross that they quite apparently didn’t wash any utensils or cooking surfaces before cooking. When you unwrap pans and skillets, they’re covered in cardboard bits and factory dust and grit. Yeah, I was thinking that too. They might have wiped them down real fast, but I wash everything for my kitchen before I use it the first time. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/258 "2011-02-17T23:18:02Z")
I’m glad Angelo is gone. He had some talent but it is so annoying to watch someone How made it 95%of the way to the top, then just crowned himself king and thinks has nothing more to learn. He really reminds me of the old Joke, “I’m only almost perfect, I though I was wrong once but I was mistaken” He tasted his soup and knew it was boring and salty. But Then apparently his ego made him think, “No that’s not possible, I am Angelo, the soup is perfect”. Then he served it to the judges and was floored that they thought it was salty and bland. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/259 "2011-02-18T01:13:13Z")
I really liked both challenges. My Elmo-loving kid was cracking up, even though she didn’t get the jokes. When I explained cow chips, she howled like a loon. I’m glad she has a sick sense of humor and seemed to think it was funnier because it was Elmo. I liked the Target challenge in theory, but I don’t know if it was the limits of the challenge itself or over-tired, non-thinking contestants that made it suck so bad. I would think that cooking your food first should have been priority. Slap a few tablecloths down while your NON-SOUP is chugging away in a pressure cooker or broiler in a toaster oven. And yeah, that stuff totally didn’t look washed off first. And Angelo appeared to take a sip of his soup OVER the soup and probably put the spoon back in the pot. Double ew. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573/260 "2011-02-18T03:42:37Z")
I was all ew over the not-washed stuff too. And I swear I saw Dale taste something and put the spoon back in. Not that I don’t know that chefs might do that, but I thought they’d make some sort of deal over it like they did at the beginning of a past season. What I really love is the camaraderie that forms as time goes on. I laughed my ass of when the 3 losers walked into the stew room for deliberation and Carla deadpanned “Beaumont cried again.” Or Isabella proclaiming his intentions to be besties with Angelo after the show is over. I actually start to root less for people who have more negative things to say about each other (even though I know it’s just editing)- lookin’ at you, Antonia. Edit- missed that the person before me noticed the sip from the pot, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-all-stars-season-8/562573.md?page=14)