I'm guessing Mark goes next week unfortunately. Nikki in RW will be a disater and the Producers must have been salivating at the potential disaster.

Whata, if in fact Mark does go, or any other male is eliminated next week, the Magical Elves will face a possibility that's never come up before.

For Restaurant Wars, they'd have 4 remaining female chefs and 4 remaining male chefs.

It's hard to believe that the producers would resist a "Battle of the Sexes" version of RW.

I don't think that would be fair or clever, to arbitrarily assign people to teams based on gender.

But it's the kind of thing that can happen on TC.

And if I totally ignored the captain part?

Kristl, actually... no not really. All the emoticons and giant sigs and graphics that repeat become kind of like TV commercials after a while, my eyes simply don't see them. I'm the sort of person who, if you ask me if I'm bothered by banner ads on the web, I say "What banner ads?" Just don't even see them after a while.

About the fish, that sounds a bit more like Ted than Tom. Might it have been this week, when Lisa served Chilean Sea Bass? She's not the first to do that this season, Spike put that into his Fish-filled Goi Cuon.

Briefly, here's the problem with using Chilean Sea Bass. We have very nearly driven that creature to the edge of extinction, because we over-harvested it so badly and that fish takes soooooo long to reach sexual maturity and reproduce. We've been harvesting them before they even get a chance to make babies. Whole Foods began selling the fish once again, because there's a "sustainable" Chilean Sea Bass fishery somewhere near South Georgia Island.

But there's a problem with that. Chilean Sea Bass are so cheap to catch and they sell at such a fantastic price that there's a major international Fish Pirate industry and black market. Fish pirates overharvest, illegally, then sell the fish on the black market where they're relabeled and falsely certified as "sustainable."

So, while the idea of a sustainable Chilean Sea Bass fishery sounds nice, in theory, in practice it is helping to grow the Fish Pirate industry and helping to drive the fish to extinction.

So most folks involved in fisheries issues have suggested that Whole Foods go back to NOT selling the fish, and that restaurants NOT serve the fish. The fact that Chilean Sea Bass now sells for $25-30 a pound does not make it a more elegant or refined selection for a fish dish. It's selling at that price because the fish are almost all gone.

Cockmeat sandwich?

The funny thing is, we all agree on the central point of the elimination this episode. WAJ even said it succinctly in a two sentence post: The only viable explanation for the elimination was it was the worst food. They ignored everything else and based the decision on the flavor, balance, texture, etc., of what was on the plate, and ignored everything else.

The only difference that has become the focal point of the discussion is that actor and Jim and others think that the concept of the challenge should have been given more weight, whereas MoHub, KK, I and others believe that the food is almost always the primary qualifier and why should it be any different this time.

Excellent point!

Note to self: add to shopping list!!

But the challenge was POLISH sausage, not sausage.

If I'm given "sea captain", and I decide to do "dance captain", is that still following the instruction?

Yep,, very conservative and proud of it. And you must be very liberal as you don't seem to want to listen to anyone elses opinion, afraid you might learn something. Just rant and rave all you want cause I'm a speed reader. I'm also a gun carrying, right wing God fearing Christian, I love my country even tho Idon't always agree with the politics or the President. I want illegal aliens out of the country, and to process immigrants fairly and timely. I think the oil crises is bogus, and since we initially won the war in Iraq, we are intitaled to the oil (to the victor comes the spoils) I agree with WAJ TC is fixed but enjoy watching it anyway. Kristl is probably my favorite poster to read, as she is quite witty and has the coolest pictures. There that's it. Please no field day with this. And if you would like to have an intelligent conversation go to OTT board.

But the challenge was POLISH sausage, not sausage.

If I'm given "sea captain", and I decide to do "dance captain", is that still following the instruction?

AH...a kindred spirit...was beginning to think I was the only conservative here. Cheers.

Its pretty simple why it should be different. It's a heck of alot easier to make tasty food if you don't have to follow the rules. If they had to use Polish sausage and "drunken" as their focal ingredient and theme they would have had much different food.
Sticking little bits of Chorrizo under a huge slab of fish, sprinkling some tequilla on it and saying it satisfies the challenge is like saying Marlon Brando was the star of the Original Superman Movie.

They basically cheated and got away scott free. Drama FTW!

OK

JUST NOTICED AS I SIGNED OUT....AGAIN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

PG AND JC

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday PG AND JC
Happy Birthday to you.


OK PICTURE NEIL DAIMOND SINGING

THAT'S WHERE I GOT THE LYRICS

TAKE CARE OVER THERE

ALOHA

HAVE FUN

Happy Birthday from me also... I don't cut and paste well so no picture but I do offer sincere wishes.

But the challenge was POLISH sausage, not sausage.

If I'm given "sea captain", and I decide to do "dance captain", is that still following the instruction?

I'm glad I read Lee Anne's blog, she has nothing but praise for Jen's cooking. Which pleases me because I kept thinking that there was more talent there than we were able to see.

Damn team challenges.

Lee Anne goes so far as to call Jen "the Tre of this season, having gone home too early."

As for Jennifer's comments about the departed Zoi... well... I sure hope my fiance would act and sound as devoted. To me, not Zoi. I know I would.

Not sure why Jennifer's devotion is cause for snark.

The problem with them was that they considered it "beneath them". They had to make it harder to be "better". And they failed (sea bass improperly cooked has a history on the show after all). And yet, it didn't fail nearly as badly as the other dish. So they got to stay.

AH...a kindred spirit...was beginning to think I was the only conservative here. Cheers.

The funny thing is, we all agree on the central point of the elimination this episode. WAJ even said it succinctly in a two sentence post: The only viable explanation for the elimination was it was the worst food. They ignored everything else and based the decision on the flavor, balance, texture, etc., of what was on the plate, and ignored everything else.

The only difference that has become the focal point of the discussion is that actor and Jim and others think that the concept of the challenge should have been given more weight, whereas MoHub, KK, I and others believe that the food is almost always the primary qualifier and why should it be any different this time.

Dear SimonBao, I think the devotion is admirable . . . as it would be with any couple.

But the continual whiney vocalization of it was wearing on my last nerve. I think one poster put it this way: my grandparents love each other, but my grandfather doesn't talk about my grandmother all the time, and profess his undying love at every turn.

On the other hand, some of Jennifer's Zoi comments were made during interviews . . . meaning not in the kitchen for everyone to hear . . . some were voice over . . . meaning who knows when she said it . . . and some may have been played again and again, per the editor's choice.

So, maybe I'm not so much sick of Jennifer's Zoi comments as I am sick of hearing Jennifer's Zoi comments.

If it wasn't so pathetic it would be hilarious how upset some of you folks get over a missing thread, etc. For pete's sake read a book or a newspaper. Have a conversation with a REAL person. Write a letter to a friend

If it wasn't so pathetic it would be hilarious how upset some of you folks get over a missing thread, etc. For pete's sake read a book or a newspaper. Have a conversation with a REAL person. Write a letter to a friend

If it wasn't so pathetic it would be hilarious how upset some of you folks get over a missing thread, etc. For pete's sake read a book or a newspaper. Have a conversation with a REAL person. Write a letter to a friend

Frankly, I'm glad to see Jenn go. The "I'm doing this for Zoi" thing was getting a bit tiresome. It was clear that Stephanie was not happy with the bread choice, which proved to be Jenn's downfall. That being said, Stephanie is a strong contestant and should be in the finals.

Lisa and Antonio were holding on by a hair. The fact that Antonio made the statement that she would NOT serve polish sausage, to me would have sent her packing. Seems that Lisa just went along with her thinking. I could have seen steaming polish sausage in beer and serving it with a purple onion and purple potato hash, or maybe red cabbage (which turns purple when cooked) with bacon as a base for the polish sausage. Whatever, they could and should have used the ingredients that were stated in the rules.

So it's a fine line, but as the judges said, in the end , it's the taste of the food. And the plate that Jenn and Stephanie made lost because of the soggy and BIG piece of bread. I think that Jenn was just too "phalic" minded.

The winner was justified. That was brilliant with the tofu being marinated in the beef fat to taste like meat. I was also glad to see Spike finally get to make his soup, which would have won him a prior challenge. (another Antonio fiasco) Antonio and Nikkie need to go, IMO.

They didn't avoid the Polish sausage because they couldn't think of anything to do with it. They avoided it because they didn't want to try to do anything with it. Therein lies a huge difference.

Yep.

And, to be honest, I think Mark & Nikki had it easier. It's hard to screw up bacon.

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but Lisa and Antonia DID have one cause for complaint on their assignment--the audience was asked to give them an emotion, and "drunk" is a physical condition, not an emotion.

I said this already but... as a Judge, I'd have been thinking hard about eliminating someone from Team Polish Sausage. But not necessarily for ignoring the premise of the challenge.

It's the ignorance they showed when they indicated that using Kielbasa is beneath them, and using Chorizo is not.

Chorizo is JUST LIKE KIELBASA, it comes both fresh and cured/smoked. It's eaten as is, as a sausage, as much as it's used as a flavoring ingredient. Chorizo differs from Kielbasa only in the coarseness of the grind and the spices used to season it.

Have you done improv? No one I know who's in the business would buy your interpretation.

With bacon, almost anything is possible.

(I'm still trying to perfect my bacon cake....)

They didn't avoid the Polish sausage because they couldn't think of anything to do with it. They avoided it because they didn't want to try to do anything with it. Therein lies a huge difference.

With bacon, almost anything is possible.

(I'm still trying to perfect my bacon cake....)

Have you done improv? No one I know who's in the business would buy your interpretation.

A bacon cake, eh???

Hmmm... a layer cake... a small layer cake... A short stack of layered potato pancakes... in between them, some filling -- some sour cream thickened with cream cheese and flavored with minced chives, some crumbled crispy bacon... the outside covered in your "icing" and decorated on top with more bacon???

A bacon cake, eh???

Hmmm... a layer cake... a small layer cake... A short stack of layered potato pancakes... in between them, some filling -- some sour cream thickened with cream cheese and flavored with minced chives, some crumbled crispy bacon... the outside covered in your "icing" and decorated on top with more bacon???

Oh, c'mon. Have you ever been a professional chef or been heavily in the restaurant biz? No one that I know of would give the green light to a really bad dish over a much better tasting dish that stretched some envelopes that should have possibly not been stretched.

So L guess we just leave it as a difference in opinion.

LOL...my hubby comes from a very large family and they were not very well off. Anyway..he said they used to eat bacon grease mixed with sugar with bread.

But we are talking about following the rules of a contest with 100K on the line.

Folling the rules should be pretty important.

Hi all...
OMG I thought the board I came from was crazy. I was expecting to read and discuss TC and ..WOW...well...partially right

What a shame that TC execs have to go for the "drama" of it all. I have no chef skills except being the mom and "chief cook and bottle washer" for a houseful of kids. Fun and tiring all the same. anyhoo...my point is, lets see the FOOD and not not rest.
There are some really inspiring chefs and I wish TC would show off their talents and not their tirades.

Just a thought.

WOW does that sound great or what!!!?? Simon please tell me you have a bacon ice cream to go along with the cake!!!

Rady, I pull a "Bacon Layer Cake" out of thin air and you ask me to come up with a bacon ice cream to go along with it? Oh my yikes!!!!

I'll ponder on it.

Rady, I pull a "Bacon Layer Cake" out of thin air and you ask me to come up with a bacon ice cream to go along with it? Oh my yikes!!!!

I'll ponder on it.

With bacon, almost anything is possible.

(I'm still trying to perfect my bacon cake....)

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That's like saying that "tossing a salad" has several other meanings away from the kitchen. Yeah, it does, but they don't relate to cooking.

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I know that was spur of the moment----and it was brilliant!!!

Ice Cream----maybe a flavoring of the miso/maple syrup from Lisa instead of vanilla....and of course plenty of bacon bits.

Rady, that might actually work. Take some sugar-cured (and lean) bacon and just go for it, make it even sweeter. Sounds like breakfast, maple ice cream with sweet bacon bits...