Well, I keep dangerous foods from contaminating one another. I'm not STUPID! But when working in the restraunt, I cared more about getting the customers their food in a nice quick manner. Cleaning the station between each plate would make food take more time to get out.

Whatever you say, dear. I am glad that you can bring all of your experience to this endeavor. Best of luck. Hopefully you can bring your GF to TC and ask her what to cook anytime you need input.

Whatever you say, dear. I am glad that you can bring all of your experience to this endeavor. Best of luck. Hopefully you can bring your GF to TC and ask her what to cook anytime you need input.

Sorry, but I think a chef should care about both. I'm glad you are careful about cross contamination.

I'm only asking for input on what to cook for my audition to get myself on the show. I'm confident that once on the show I can make it into at least the top 8. I probably won't WIN being I'd likely be the only non-chef on the show, but I think I'd last quite a while.

I'm a good cook. I'm good with flavors and seasoning. And I'm very creative. I'm constantly trying new combination and coming up with new dishes. So I think I'd definantly excell on Top Chef.

Agreed! In fact, BOTH should be second nature. Would you want to have your "field wound" dressed by one who didn't clean up after hir-self (regardless of how "timely" and wonderful s/he was)?

Kisses all over, darling!

Bag that push up bra MH

Antonia is the most conventionally attractive woman competing this season. She'll get more "face time" if only for that. Why didn't she win a prize?

Stephanie has done better overall than Mark, but I don't have to taste chicken in peanut butter sauce over mushy overcooked couscous to know that it was foul.

So some weeks the guidelines matter and some weeks the best tasting dish matters, depending on which chef the judges prefer overall. I guess this is to prevent someone like Nikki from winning by being lucky?

Alright, I think I'm out. My accounting test calls & I'm workin at 6:30 in the morning...
Have a good night all!
Thanks for the drinks Parts!!

Peace.

OK, I've finally gotten through all the posts on this thread, so I will add a few disjointed thoughts of my own:

First, like dcjew/simplebear, I really liked this episode. I liked its focus on real-world, down-to-earth food realities -- i.e., how to cook a good, wholesome, nutritious meal for a family that is on a budget and needs something that the kids will eat without complaining. As someone who personally buys organic as much as possible and only grows organically in my garden, I loved the fact that this challenge was more concerned with health and nutrition than high-brow gimmickry. (I think that Richard is one of the most talented of this season's contestants, as were Marcel and Hung in the seasons before, but I honestly find myself gagging when they seem to revel in chemical cooking, rather than bringing out the natural, wonderful flavors of foods.)

Second, I can't help but agree with the numerous posters who found it ironic that the cooking on a budget challenge involved shopping at Whole Foods. It would have been a bit more real-world to march everyone down to Aldi's, a discount food chain that I know has at least a few stores in the Chicago area since some of my in-laws shop there. (But, since Whole Foods is one of the corporate sponsors of the Top Chef, I guess there's no way around that limitation.)

Third, after reading all last week's posts, I finally got convinced of the "worst dish loses" theory of judging. After this week's show, I'm not so convinced anymore. Up until last night, Stephanie was one of the three chefs I thought most likely to win (along with Richard and Dale). But last night, it is hard to believe that her food was not the absolute worst. The judges don't use words like "detest" unless something is really, horribly bad. I can't help believe that the judges chose to save someone who was the worst in one week because she has such a strong history of earlier performance (much like when Richard was saved despite the scales on his fish).

I think that, instead of eliminating one person with a really, really bad dish but otherwise proven culinary skills, they chose to eliminate someone with a record of nothing but mediocrity. The highest praise I recall Mark ever receiving was for making a dish where the NZ version of Vegemite actually, supposedly tasted good.

For me, however, the truth is that, if the judges were going to eliminate someone even if s/he did not produce the worst food, I wish they would have canned the chef whose last success was cooking bacon and who otherwise has demonstrated little other than having the absolutely most horrible personality in the history of Top Chef.

Hey, MicrowaveHo,

I saw your latest casting pic, and I just want to extend good wishes for your recuperation and happy times during such.

So, do what the doctor says and quit your whiny ass antics . . . get well!


So, good wishes for a happy recovery and let everybody do for you as they offer!!

It's a good thing!!

And I bet you wouldn't have yelled *Tofu*!!!

HERE YE!!!! HERE YE!!!
THREE JUDGES REDEFINE THE TERM VEGITARIAN
Discuss the episode.

yeah, it's just that he is from New Zealand. It's charming

Ha ha Helen.... not sure if these qualify for "whiney assed antics" just letting my friends know what happened to me.

Perhaps I should've PMed them all.

yeah... fark that shite, this way was faster

AHAHAAHAAHAHA Chucole-- if I could find an over the shoulder torpedo holder that big, I would buy it in a heartbeat & wear it to parties.

Ya know what? I'm not even going to pretend like I know what is going on in the judges minds. But peanut butter & tomatoes does sound barfalicious.

I think we've just landed ourselves in the Land of confusion.

Classic! My hat is off to you!
(don't we wish Spike would do the same, permanently!)

Actually if you think back, Pat Robertson was condemned as a nut ball by all news media - liberal or conservative. And, yes, they did run it over and over. Have you forgotten the man ran for President while doing this? LOL And, please, I'm not joining in on a war. Just making a slight correction. You are both very entitled to your opinions.

I either expect no responce or another attempt at revisionist history.

Good effort though

It's a pandering to fear. Everyone says they want change, but faced with the possibility, run scared to the devil they think they know.

I'm voting for Obama to end the war/occupation.

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

WAS THAT A REALLY GOOD THING NIC??

DID YOU SEE HIS CAMEO THIS EPISODE???

NO HAT.......................................

BUT HELLOOO OOOOO

BAD HAIR DAY

TAKE CARE OVER THERE

ALOHA

HAVE FUN

MAN PG

SEEMS THIS MORNING I MISSED ALOT AS WELL

SO FAR ABOUT ONE AND A HALF PAGES

WHAT CAN I SAY................

MY BAD...........

TOLD YA I'M NOT TOO GOOD AT THE LIVE CHAT STUFF

GONNA KEEP READING

AND TRY TO KETCHUP BEST I CAN

HAVE TO ADMIT YOU AND NIC PLUS PITA SURE MADE IT FUN

TAKE CARE OVER THERE

ALOHA

HAVE FUN

BJ implied (well... more like said straight out) that since I don't keep my station squeeky clean I must be a hack. That doesn't sit too well with me, as I know I'm NOT a hack. My editing bay is messy as all hell too... that doesn't mean I'm not a good filmmaker though!

Discuss the episode.

Maybe his head is just permanently shaped like that... Hence the hats?

(Then at least you would think he could get decent looking hats!!!)

It was fun to have you in the live chat too, we must do it more often!

MAN THE MORE CHEF TOM JUDGES

I HAVE TO WONDER ..................

HAS HE LOST HIS OBJECTIVITY ?

ALMOST EVERY EPISODE THIS SEASON

THOUGH THE CONTESTANTS HAVE SAID THEY

SEASONED AND TASTED THIER FOOD

HE SAYS IT WAS BLAND

HECK EITHER HE IS AN ALCHIE . DRUGGIE. OR SMOKER

BUT MAYBE HE SHOULD SCRAPE HIS TONGUE

AND INDULGE IN A GALLON OF SORBET

BEFORE AN EPISODE

SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH

TAKE CARE OVER THERE

ALOHA

HAVE FUN

BJ implied (well... more like said straight out) that since I don't keep my station squeeky clean I must be a hack. That doesn't sit too well with me, as I know I'm NOT a hack. My editing bay is messy as all hell too... that doesn't mean I'm not a good filmmaker though!

Second, you asked what people would do for the QC and EC. I had a thought. I think Mark got at least one foot headed in the right direction on his Quickfire, and just took a wrong turn.

He could have taken that turkey breast cutlet, cut in half, pounded them thin into medallions, and made a quick version of Turkey Marsala within his 15 minutes. In Pan #1 get his turkey sauteeing, in Pan #2 get his mushrooms cooking, add some garlic and shallots and basil when the shrooms are cooked and caramelizing, get the cooked turkey medallions out of Pan #1, deglaze it with the Marsala and dump that into Pan #2, mix some cornstarch with some turkey broth or chicken broth or even mushroom stock, add that to Pan #2. Meanwhile, in Pan #3 already be "melting" some finely minced shallots, just before time runs out add to that pan some watercress and arugula, and some baby spinach too if you want less peppery greens. Those cook in a hot pan in 1.5 minutes, boom.

So, he'd have the rice, some tender moist turkey marsala with abundant sauce and mushrooms, and some instant-cooking greens on the plate as well.

I was surprised last night at the comments from the judges, and am also surprised today, at all the posted comments expressing shock at the combination of peanuts and tomatoes. I don't have one-thousandth the culinary knowledge you obviously have -- but I too have eaten dishes in West Africa with peanut butter and tomatoes, and have found them delicious. (By the way, I would love to see that list of recipes you mention -- I would love to try to replicate, allbeit amateurishly, some of the dishes I have loved in Africa.)

I got a lot of flack last week by suggesting that some foods just do not go well together. I was wrong in what I wrote, and I deserved the criticism I got. I think a similar lesson may apply here regarding Stephanie's misture of ingredients. It's not the combination of tomatoes and peanut butter that failed Stephanie. She just didn't do it in a successful way.

To be accurate, someone else suggested it, and I was the first to respond.

I'll be over with the camera in an hour. We're filming your audition video. That sounds absolutely yummy......

Anyone who says tofu sucks has just never had it made well before. Like any other protein, if it's not made well, yes, it sucks. When properly pressed and marinated, it can be crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, with plenty of flavor. Plenty of meats can be flavorless if they're not made well.

Third, after reading all last week's posts, I finally got convinced of the "worst dish loses" theory of judging. After this week's show, I'm not so convinced anymore. Up until last night, Stephanie was one of the three chefs I thought most likely to win (along with Richard and Dale). But last night, it is hard to believe that her food was not the absolute worst. The judges don't use words like "detest" unless something is really, horribly bad. I can't help believe that the judges chose to save someone who was the worst in one week because she has such a strong history of earlier performance (much like when Richard was saved despite the scales on his fish).

I think that, instead of eliminating one person with a really, really bad dish but otherwise proven culinary skills, they chose to eliminate someone with a record of nothing but mediocrity. The highest praise I recall Mark ever receiving was for making a dish where the NZ version of Vegemite actually, supposedly tasted good.

For me, however, the truth is that, if the judges were going to eliminate someone even if s/he did not produce the worst food, I wish they would have canned the chef whose last success was cooking bacon and who otherwise has demonstrated little other than having the absolutely most horrible personality in the history of Top Chef.

KS, you may want to hold on to the Worst Dish Loses theory, at least long enough to take a look at Colicchio's blog for this episode. In it, he says, "In retrospect, I think the episode was cut in a way that made it seem we took the greatest issue with Stephanie's dish when in actuality, we debated long and hard about them all, and Mark's emerged as the least favorite of the bunch."

That's at least consistent with what Gail says in her blog. "When criticized for not having enough protein in his Roasted Vegetables in Red Curry with Cucumber Salad and Garlic Naan, Mark claimed he did not feel the need to add meat to his vegetarian entrée. Never once did we insist meat was necessary either; there are plenty of ways to add protein without dropping steak in the center of the plate (think beans, tofu, nuts, and legumes)! His rebuttal seemed to miss the point we were making altogether. Our issue was that Mark's food was not well planned. Compared to the other dishes we were served, his was the least complete. It was also the least liked by our young diners... We chose to eliminate Mark because, in addition to its lack of nutritional value, the curry he made was actually not very good."

Lee Anne says, "Mark was dead set on making his curry from the start. This reminds me of Micah, from last season. I love curry. However, most kids in this country are not raised eating curry. I understand the risk in trying to give them something new to eat, but when elimination is at stake, curry in a hurry is not so good... Mark's curry was a tad rich and complex for this particular situation. Kids can be your toughest critics and one of the most important things for a chef is to recognize is who their audience is. I tasted the curry. It wasn't bad. It wasn't great either though. In the end, it was the least favorite of all of the dishes for the kids, and the judges agreed the same..."

Tofu is the first thing i would have yelled, though as a vegan, I know I'm not the target demographic for any cooking show. I'm constantly waiting and hoping to see some professionals give tofu a chance. It's a great ingredient because you can do anything with it - give it a variety of textures depending on the preparation, and an infinite variety of flavors depending on the seasoning.
I thought that Dale and his partner were very clever with the tofu regarding the rules of this contest - though now they just need to make it in a way that a vegan would eat it. I mean, face it, in a restaurant situation, no vegetarian would eat beef tofu, and you'd have a hard time convincing most carnivores to eat beefy tofu when they could just have the beef.
Anyone who says tofu sucks has just never had it made well before. Like any other protein, if it's not made well, yes, it sucks. When properly pressed and marinated, it can be crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, with plenty of flavor. Plenty of meats can be flavorless if they're not made well.

The alternative is that Ted would be willing to lie to protect the producers and I'm just not willing to go there, especially since he seems a little disgruntled with them right now. I think that's he's pretty independent.

Also, everyone who's hung up on rules should read the first part of the current blog. He pretty much says what I've said is the case with the judging and what seems to me to be the correct way to judge a show like this one.