Episode 8: "Common Threads" Options

[WhataJoke]

Yeah but the point being that Otto kNEW the lychees wern't paid for. In my mind this makes him a shop-lifter.

If there is something at the bottom of your cart that you aren't going to lift up to the cashiers awareness, or at least tell them about, and then you knew that they weren't paid for: that makes you a shoplifter.

He knew it when they had left the store, which gave him time to go back & pay for them. I hold Marissa just as responsible... as she knew it when he told her, yet she didn't go back & pay for them.

My point is that they both knew about it at the store but production forced them to go back and obviously address it with Tom during his spy mission around the kitchen. It was a situation that could and probably would have been delt with at the store but it was blown up into something far greater in the name of good tv.

[WhataJoke]

About Mark using rice, and asserting that the use of rice therefore makes his dish a complete protein...

All I know about the first part is that the show didn't let us see Mark making rice, serving rice, or anyone eating any rice. And Mark is the one who plated his dish, and the Camera Photo of his dish doesn't have any rice.

But let's leave that aside for a moment...

Adding rice to the dish doesn't do what Mark asserts it does. And a chef asserting something wildly wrong still makes me want to make him PYKAG.

Rice, or any cereal grain, is Protein Magic only when it is served along with either 1) a protein that is already complete on its own, such as an egg or piece of fish or meat or dairy, or 2) a protein-rich legume.

Add all the rice you want to a dish, make it whole grain rice if you want, you still do not have a healthy, nutritious, meal. Combine the rice with a whole wheat bread of some kind, you haven't gotten any closer to your goal. You've just increased the total quantity of missing essential amino acids.

Whether there was rice or not, Gail and other judges are still correct and Mark's "meal" didn't offer any complete protein. If he'd offered some kind of hummus or fuul or other beany, leguminous substance to go with his Naan bread, he'd be good. Put some edamame into the curry, he'd be good. The dish wouldn't taste better but it wouldn't taste any worse either.

With or without rice, Mark got it all quite wrong....

Well there is the three cans of coconut milk, but even that aside there is enouth vitamins, minterals and even ammino acids in what he provided to be a healthy meal as part of a balaced diet. To allow one team to skirt the rules of the challenge last week and then to nit pic Mark on protien when the challenge itself was a sham because of people raiding the pantries and when it was quite clearly to everyone Stephanie's dish was a taste cluster-f is just yet another example of arbitrary, biased judging.

I told everyone before the episode aired exaclty who I would eliminate and why from a production perspective and it came true.
And now we have probably the most combustible group of chefs from the cast going into the most contrived and pressure packed challenge on the show. Shocking isnt it?

[SimonBao]

Here's a thought for a challenge...

People posting here seem to like it when kids (or younger people) are involved in some way.

Well, have Top Chef host a "Bring Your Date To Dinner" event.

Find some high schoolers, let them invite their sweetie to dinner. But the HSer doing the inviting has to sit and meet with the Chef, explain what their dream meal is, or at least what their likes and dislikes are.

Then, on a very limited budget, each chef has to prepare a meal to meet the needs and dreams of his or her HSer. Including a DESSERT.

Some boys will invite girls, some girls will invite boys, being Top Chef there will be at least one same-sex couple, but there will also have to be some interaction between HSers and Chefs. Could be fun to watch.

And then yea... the diners comment cards really would have to enter into who wins and who goes.

Somehow that seems more fun to watch than The Chaines de Rotisseurs.

This post has been edited by SimonBao: May 6, 2008 - 10:15 AM

[WhataJoke]

I would LOVE to have everyone watch that show
without commenarty...As if not one bad word against him was ever said...As a matter of fact..if everyone told you that they loved him..over and over again.

Simon .....I think you are brilliant and
kind and just great...But for you to say he was disgusting??? I mean disgusting???
PUCK?????

Puck was GROSS.....Mikey was gross
Marcel was never gross.
Not in his personal habits or to anyone.
I think bullies are disgusting...Listen to Harold.
Walk away...Bullies make me sick and they were bullies.

They did it to him because they could.
You didn't see all of them treat him that way.
Just 5 bullies.

And Harold couldn't stand MArcel either. Does that make him a mean nasty bad old bully too?

[WhataJoke]

Morning all!!!

Not sure if any of you read Kanni's Karma Kitchen Blog ..... if you don't you should.... but not sure if it was Kanni or her blogging partner decided too try and recreate the $10 for 4 challenge.

She shopped at Whole Foods ..oh she picked Nicky's dish the roasted chicken and veggies.... so at Whole Foods she could not afford a Whole Chicken and opted for Legs and Thighs... she bought Roma Tomatoes instead of the other Grape Tomatoes? anyway she got the veggies and the fresh herbs and it came to over $20... so much for $10...

Next she went to a cheaper store and tried the same challenge and it came too just shy of $13..... so much for $10 again...

I knew this challenge was bogus especially at Whole -Paychecks...

A challange that pimps it self out to a sponsor and fruadulently alters reality? I really have a hard time believing that Top Chef would lie about a sponsor an damage the integrity of the show. Don't you agree Mr. Kennmore Kitchen?



Oops!

[WhataJoke]

Let's not forget a couple of things. First of all, Nikki's recipe is for 8 people and, in fact, that's what they shopped for (4 for the kids and 4 for the judges). So, your costs are spread out a little more than if you try to buy stuff for only four people (as a single guy, I feel this phenomenon even more strongly). So, if she was trying to shop for ingredients for only 4 people, I can see how it might be impossible.

The other thing we need to keep in mind is that food prices have gone up fairly steeply in the past 6 months (especially for such a short time frame). Tomatoes especially have gotten quite expensive and apples seem to have even gone up.

So, it's not necessarily bogus. Plus, I have to think that even Whole Foods marks stuff like close to expiration date chicken parts down and perhaps that helped as well. Obviously I don't know this for sure, but I know that when I shop at Kroger, which isn't Whole Foods of course, I can almost always buy a pack of drum and thighs for 8 discounted to around $7 - $8 simply because its time was near. I don't ever buy them since I buy whole chickens for the freezer (a whole chicken at Kroger runs around $4 - $5 - once again, not Whole Foods).

Just more quick food for thought before I have to dash to work.

Marks blog certainly shows how this was done. They used a ton of stuff from the pantry and made no mention of it on the show.
Couple that in with the fact that you'll get thrown out for stripping produce down at the counter and it sure seems like a fairy tale challenge.

[actor59]

Here's a thought for a challenge...

People posting here seem to like it when kids (or younger people) are involved in some way.

Well, have Top Chef host a "Bring Your Date To Dinner" event.

Find some high schoolers, let them invite their sweetie to dinner. But the HSer doing the inviting has to sit and meet with the Chef, explain what their dream meal is, or at least what their likes and dislikes are.

Then, on a very limited budget, each chef has to prepare a meal to meet the needs and dreams of his or her HSer. Including a DESSERT.

Some boys will invite girls, some girls will invite boys, being Top Chef there will be at least one same-sex couple, but there will also have to be some interaction between HSers and Chefs. Could be fun to watch.

And then yea... the diners comment cards really would have to enter into who wins and who goes.

Somehow that seems more fun to watch than The Chaines de Rotisseurs.

That's a cute idea.... maybe a first date sort of thing..lol

Hells Kitchen is sort of doing a twist on that tonight but it is Sweet 16 party. That should be fun to watch..lol

[Jazzie53]

Quick good morning to all as I am off to an appointment soon. I want to weigh in on the 10 dollar issue. I wondered about that also. Now, I figured there's always a price difference in areas, and SoCal is, unfortunately, uber-high priced. I do all the shopping for my little family of three (plus three cats and a parakeet) I equate Whole Foods with the local produce/healthy type store that I use. But I use it primarily for bulk foods from the bins. We have gotten into a routine for daily meals. There is a 99 cent store in the same block as my kidlet's school. I will go through there and look for good deals on fruits, veggies, that sort of thing. (I always have a mental list of what's in my pantry) After I pick up kidlet, we detour over to the local Ralph's and I check out the manager's special on meats (unless we're doing a veggie dinner or I have thawed something out or am reusing leftovers) All of this is on my way home from kidlet's school. On Wednesday afternoons I pay 25$ for a food distribution program (no income requirements) then take what we can't use to the Mission San Luis Rey pantry.

Sorry for the natter, my point is this....I am ultra-aware of the money we spend on food. I guarantee I could not have put any of those meals together for 10$ at the healthy food store. Period. Whether two four serving settings at 20$ or not.....no way. Makes me wonder how much was "discounted" for the sponsor identification. Well, I'm on my way out the door. Keep the porch clean and enjoy.
Later
Jazzie

[Jazzie53]

Marks blog certainly shows how this was done. They used a ton of stuff from the pantry and made no mention of it on the show.
Couple that in with the fact that you'll get thrown out for stripping produce down at the counter and it sure seems like a fairy tale challenge.

Yep!

[SecondTry]

Where are you from originally???
Right there in Queens???

LOL....born in Queens, lived in Laurelton and Rosedale when I was little, spent my adolescence in Valley Stream (the first suburb out on Sunrise Highway), and in between, I did 2 years in Bensonhurst.



And alas, no car. There are two things that are hindrances in New York City and vital everywhere else: a car and good manners.

[WhataJoke]

Quick good morning to all as I am off to an appointment soon. I want to weigh in on the 10 dollar issue. I wondered about that also. Now, I figured there's always a price difference in areas, and SoCal is, unfortunately, uber-high priced. I do all the shopping for my little family of three (plus three cats and a parakeet) I equate Whole Foods with the local produce/healthy type store that I use. But I use it primarily for bulk foods from the bins. We have gotten into a routine for daily meals. There is a 99 cent store in the same block as my kidlet's school. I will go through there and look for good deals on fruits, veggies, that sort of thing. (I always have a mental list of what's in my pantry) After I pick up kidlet, we detour over to the local Ralph's and I check out the manager's special on meats (unless we're doing a veggie dinner or I have thawed something out or am reusing leftovers) All of this is on my way home from kidlet's school. On Wednesday afternoons I pay 25$ for a food distribution program (no income requirements) then take what we can't use to the Mission San Luis Rey pantry.

Sorry for the natter, my point is this....I am ultra-aware of the money we spend on food. I guarantee I could not have put any of those meals together for 10$ at the healthy food store. Period. Whether two four serving settings at 20$ or not.....no way. Makes me wonder how much was "discounted" for the sponsor identification. Well, I'm on my way out the door. Keep the porch clean and enjoy.
Later
Jazzie

Fair and Balanced as always Jazzie, You work for CNN?

[actor59]

Marks blog certainly shows how this was done. They used a ton of stuff from the pantry and made no mention of it on the show.
Couple that in with the fact that you'll get thrown out for stripping produce down at the counter and it sure seems like a fairy tale challenge.

Thanks WAJ for clueing me in on his Blog .... At first I could not find it untill I went to his web site and there it was!
Certainly dose open ones eyes to how that challenge was done now dose it not....

So NOW I see how they could pull it off by only buying a few items at Whole Foods and then using the ingredients in the pantry at NO Default to the $10 budget.... OOOOO THOSE CHEEKY MONKEYS...

Now it really was a false pretense challenge.... once again those evil elves pulled the wool over our eyes.... tisk tisk...lol

[WhataJoke]

Oh and In investigating the lychee incident I came across a very interesting tid bit of information.

Posted this week in Ted Allen's blog we got the Top Chef manifesto on the Rules issue:

"First, to my knowledge, there is no Top Chef rule book. If there is, I hope Andy Cohen never makes me read it. We base our decisions on whose food tastes the best, and who responds most cleverly and appropriately to the challenge. And that's how it should be. I'm not interested in some rigid, black-and-white system that hampers our ability to use our judgment and experience to make difficult, nuanced decisions and to be as fair as possible.

It was a little unclear in the episode whether Antonia and Lisa used any of the featured ingredient, Polish sausage, in their dish.* Many people were sure that they did not, and thus, that they defied the challenge and should go home. While there is no such rule, per se, clearly, ignoring the terms of a contest is a great way to piss off the judges and get a plane ticket outta here."

Seems straight forward enough to please most and vague enough to allow future "modifications" when needed.

Now lets look at a quote form the Short lived Producer's Blog from season two's Lychee episode.

"Surviving this competition is as much about how you deal with pressure as with your culinary skill. There is the pressure of competition, of deadlines, of living in close quarters with your competitors, of having your life controlled by the production team, of tackling a relentless series of ultra-demanding challenges, of dealing with difficult personalities. For some, the biggest pressure is the pressure they put on themselves to succeed. Otto had applied to be a contestant on Season 1 and very narrowly missed making it on the show. He applied again for Season 2 and this time was successful. I guess what I'm saying is, he seemed to have a lot riding on this and perhaps that is what caused him to make an error in judgment in the heat of the moment. Unfortunately, the judges are not going to take that kind of mistake lightly, given the high stakes of this competition. Playing by the rules is just not negotiable."

Producer Propaganda

Does it strike anyone else as odd that the Producers seem to be able to pick and choose which rules need to be followed and which do not?
Keep in mind these were the same producers that told tom it was ok to keep Howie because he had only completed half of the challenge in the opening of season 3 etc, etc...

This post has been edited by WhataJoke: May 6, 2008 - 11:30 AM

[dogabone]

Oh and SA made me think of a good question.
If you had a restaurant..what would you name it????
Mine would always be

*Justin Anthony's*

My son's name..We had to get the Italian in there somewhere..Justin I picked when I was 12

Well, mine's pretty obvious: Mother Hubbard's Cupboard. I'd go for a full line of old-fashioned comfort food—with no regard for fat and carb levels, cholesterol, or calorie counts.

And I'd just spoon the food onto the plate. Neatly, but no decorations, and no big, bare plate surfaces showing around tiny portions of food.

[NiCi]

Thanks WAJ for clueing me in on his Blog .... At first I could not find it untill I went to his web site and there it was!
Certainly dose open ones eyes to how that challenge was done now dose it not....

So NOW I see how they could pull it off by only buying a few items at Whole Foods and then using the ingredients in the pantry at NO Default to the $10 budget.... OOOOO THOSE CHEEKY MONKEYS...

Now it really was a false pretense challenge.... once again those evil elves pulled the wool over our eyes.... tisk tisk...lol

Do they call themselves "elves"? They seem more like "smurfs" (maybe puce colored instead of blue?) to me, but thats JMO...

Did they really think they were going to get away with the $10 Whole Foods thing? Must really think we are Stoopid!

While Andrew called them "Dirty Monkeys" I would think Mark's interpreteation might very well be "Cheeky Monkeys" so... post on!

[SimonBao]

Thanks WAJ for clueing me in on his Blog .... At first I could not find it untill I went to his web site and there it was!
Certainly dose open ones eyes to how that challenge was done now dose it not....

So NOW I see how they could pull it off by only buying a few items at Whole Foods and then using the ingredients in the pantry at NO Default to the $10 budget.... OOOOO THOSE CHEEKY MONKEYS...

Now it really was a false pretense challenge.... once again those evil elves pulled the wool over our eyes.... tisk tisk...lol

Actor, the thing is.........

If they had such access to a good Top Chef Pantry... that makes many of the meals even more disappointing. Frankly, even more confounding.

With access to the Pantry, then Mark's own dish warrants even greater criticism. A so-called "Red Curry" without the ingredients that make a "Red Curry."

Stephie's dish, whether it was or wasn't intended to be a Mafe, missing the seasonings that would make it reasonable. Lisa's under-seasoned, under-composed beans.

Makes sense to give them access to some kind of pantry, every family making $10 dinners does draw from their pantry every day. But if that pantry was available, why such drek on the plate?

[Radyms13]

Do they call themselves "elves"? They seem more like "smurfs" (maybe puce colored instead of blue?) to me, but thats JMO...

Did they really think they were going to get away with the $10 Whole Foods thing? Must really think we are Stoopid!

While Andrew called them "Dirty Monkeys" I would think Mark's interpreteation might very well be "Cheeky Monkeys" so... post on!

Sorry they can't be Smurfs----Smurfs are nice---look at the expression on the elves---they ain't nice---evil little buggers!

[SecondTry]

Actor, the thing is.........

If they had such access to a good Top Chef Pantry... that makes many of the meals even more disappointing. Frankly, even more confounding.

Depends on what kind of access we were talking about. You don't buy salt and pepper every time you cook something, after all; one purchase goes a very long way.

[actor59]

It seems so clear now not one contestant was able to make their food for 4 dish under the percribed $10 budget... Mark was the closest he only used Salt and a cup of Rice from the pantry every thing else he got at Whole Foods.

I guess one could argue that well you could do it by buying the main ingredients at Whole Foods and then use what ever you have in your home pantry and it still would not count against you $10 budget. I say it is bending the rules to serve your purpose.

I know they thought Marks Food tasted the worst ergo he goes home.... but in all fairness I would love too see just how much each dish would have cost if the free stuff in the pantry would have been added up seperately?

If graded on a curve at judges table with that extra Free cost in mind then the contestant with the least amount of freebies would add a little more veto power to that contestant. In other words Mark followed the contest pretty much to the letter and had what lets say $2 over budget so his meal for 4 would cost $12 and the closest one to the contest. Nikki on the other hand used the free fresh herbs in the pantry and a few other ingrediants so lets say $15 in Freebies so her dish cost $25 in reality.

Oh well Marks Food was the worst tasteing so he goes and that is that.

Just curious on each contestant the Freebies in the pantry would have added on to their $10 budget... things that make you go hmmmm.

[WhataJoke]

Do they call themselves "elves"? They seem more like "smurfs" (maybe puce colored instead of blue?) to me, but thats JMO...

Did they really think they were going to get away with the $10 Whole Foods thing? Must really think we are Stoopid!

While Andrew called them "Dirty Monkeys" I would think Mark's interpreteation might very well be "Cheeky Monkeys" so... post on!

And It's pretty obvious tht they put the kibosh on Lee Anne talking about it in her blog as that is usually where these things get sorted out.
However she did say this about Mark's Curry:
"I tasted the curry. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great either though."
Doesn't sound as bad as "offputting" "detested" or "disgusting" does it?