My thoughts on the pea puree thing, a.k.a. mountain out of molehillgate, are best summed up by the A.V. Club’s Scott Tobias (link):
Also:
So, anyway.
I was very, very glad (family of products) to see Tiffany win both the quickfire and the elimination, and also quite glad to see dead weight Stephen being (finally!) set adrift. And could it be that I’m warming up to Kelly Liken? Say it ain’t so, Joe! But, uh, yeah, I am actually softening towards her more than a little. Still, though, I now have a person I’m very much rooting for, and that, of course, is double winner Tiffany.
I want Alex gone. His frank and unapologetic ends-justify-the-means attitude really rankles with me. He doesn’t cook well, and he’s a liability in the kitchen.
I’m still steaming about the whole cheating scandal meme. I suspect the producers of Top Chef like it, and look for the chance each season because it creates “buzz” people talk about it, and it gets press. But I think there is such a thing as bad press, and they are losing my interest yet again. In the end, I think Top Chef is going to go down if they don’t start catching and addressing the behavior. I want to see cheaters dismissed with contempt. They need to get a few smaller, cameras in the kitchen during prep and start taking this seriously.
I want Alex gone. His frank and unapologetic ends-justify-the-means attitude really rankles with me. He doesn’t cook well, and he’s a liability in the kitchen.
I’m still steaming about the whole cheating scandal meme. I suspect the producers of Top Chef like it, and look for the chance each season because it creates “buzz,” people talk about it, and it gets press. But I think there is such a thing as bad press, and they are losing my interest yet again. In the end, I think Top Chef is going to go down if they don’t start catching and addressing the behavior. I want to see cheaters dismissed with contempt. I want to see Colicchio give them the verbal smackdown. TC needs to get a few smaller, surveillance type cameras in the kitchen during prep and start taking this seriously.
I do love seeing Tiffany win though. She’ll do well regardless, because anyone watching this show would want to work with her, and she’s definitely setting herself up for an excellent career win or no win. I sometimes wonder whether the contestants forget that all their future bosses/investors will be watching?!? I mean, seriously, I’d hire Stephen; maybe not as Ececutive Chef, but I’d trust him to run a kitchen fairly and manage people well. Even if Alex wins, I’d never want him anywhere near my kitchen. He’s the kind o guy who knows every loophole in the health code. . . [picture barfing smiley here]
Wonder how many viewers know veal cheeks are offal just like brains and other nasty stuff? Veal cheeks are from the face. Not a cut of meat most Americans embrace.
Well, there’s offal and then there’s offal, you know? I’d think cheeks would be much closer to eating “regular” meat than all the other odd bits of an animal.
I’ve thought that from nearly the start. Yeah, winning is great, but there are plenty of behaviours/abilities I would want folks to see and plenty I would not if I was in the competition.
I am not sure that winning, or getting close (which is what happens to everyone but the one) is worth putting your bad behaviour you “used” to get there out for everyone to see and on your “permanent record” so to speak.
Yeah, people might like to eat great food cooked by an ass (if they don’t know about the assness). But would you hire one or work for one or go into business with one?
The thing about the beef cheeks, I thought Alex had told Colicchio that he couldn’t get veal cheeks so he had to use veal loin, instead. But then, when the dish was described, it was called veal cheeks.
I was delighted to see Tiffany win both challenges. Of all the chefs, I find her to be the most likable as a person, and her food has been solid all along. And she has the most incredible dimples of anyone I’ve seen, so it’s good to see her get a chance to flash them.
I liked Stephen as a person (I thought his seminar on being in the bottom 3 was hilarious), but he hasn’t been that impressive all along. He sure wasn’t helped at all by drawing Brazil as his country. I, too, wouldn’t have a clue what to serve as a Brazilian dish.
I was impressed that Kevin was able to pull out an Indian-inspired dish that was good enough to hit the top 3 when he wasn’t familiar with the cuisine at all. He was certainly smart to be sure to bill it as an Indian-inspired dish rather than trying to claim it was authentic. I’m lookin’ at YOU, Veal Cheeks.
Ever since I took a chance and cooked some halibut cheeks I bought on impulse from Whole Foods I have been convinced that the cheeks of any animal must be sublime. It posses me off that Alex got away with calling shanks cheeks. I hope he’s not the Lisa of this season, staying on and being hated for weeks just because someone sucks less.
One thing I really didn’t like about this episode is the way they chose to assign the cuisines. It would have been far more equitable if there had been a true randomization — e.g., if they had just drawn knives that said “China”, “Brazil”, “France”, etc. That would have provided a much more even playing field. As it was, poor Stephen was stuck with the cuisine with which none of the chefs really felt comfortable, while at least the top 4 picks got to select the cuisines with which they were most comfortable. It would have been a much more equitable competition if, say, Amanda had drawn India instead of France, Alex had gotten Japan instead of Spain, etc.
I think Kenny specialized in making food look really good, and be really complicated. Our judges are not fooled. It really sticks in my craw though that he should be gone while Alex remains.
I. want. Alex. out. I suspect I am unanimous in this. . .
