Top Chef?

[jkath]

They were a bit on the *BLEEP* side, weren't they?
Especially Andrew. I'm thinking he's ADHD.

As for the couple, I bet if they last a while in the show, they'll either help each other out or end up in a fight.
Looks like we're in for another great season.

Ok, IronChef - you're really good at this game - who do you see as the top three?

 

[jennyema]

I was quite unimpressed with the foul mouths and bad attitudes of this bunch. And then there was the bad hair ....

Plus that guy had no clue as to what piccatta was. How lame.

 

[pdswife]

I stayed up and watched it. Good show... but EVEN I KNOW WHAT CHICKEN Pitccata is.

Where did they find that guy??

I want the Greek guy to win and yes... it's just because he's Greek! lol

 

[GotGarlic]

First elimination

Who thinks Nimma deserved to be the first eliminated? I thought not knowing what piccata is was a bigger problem than oversalting the shrimp - although, not having tasted it, if it was really inedible, I guess that would be fair grounds for dismissal.

 

[ironchef]

Hard to say at this point, but I like Richard, Dale, and Spike. From the first episode, this was my impression:

Nimma was this season's Clay. Totally outclassed and out of her league. Shouldn't have even been there.

Andrew is this seasons's Joey. Big mouth, doesn't back it up.

Ryan is this season's Howie. If you don't know what it is, shut up.

Erik is this season's Dave or Frank. WTF was up with his presentation? It looked like a trainwreck, even if his souffle was properly made.

With that being said, I would've had problems with the souffle had I drawn that dish. I think the easiest was the one dish that both people boned: the picatta.

 

[ChefJune]

Who thinks Nimma deserved to be the first eliminated? I thought not knowing what piccata is was a bigger problem than oversalting the shrimp - although, not having tasted it, if it was really inedible, I guess that would be fair grounds for dismissal.

I felt badly for Nimma. I think she was out of her element in this very strong field. In addition to her VERY bad shrimp and (whoever heard of cauliflower with shrimp scampi?) side dish, she had just about the worst pizza in the quick-fire.

Not knowing what piccata is was a huge faux pas, tho, but not as bad, imho as those two who didn't know how to construct a souffle! Mashed Potatoes??? Rice Pudding???? Give me a break! no wonder they both turned out so gross. and then the guy had the $(*%&*^ to put nachos on top his so-called souffle so that what ever puff it might have had went POOF!

Oh yes! and by the way, my favorite so far is Stephanie, last night's winner. I am looking forward to seeing what Manuel is going to do, tho. He's got a lot of high end experience, and is an Exec here in New York.

 

[buckytom]

i only caught a few minutes, dozed off, and caught the end. but what the f#%k!!!

do they know that they're on tv?

an occasional bleep is ok, when appropriately placed for a given emotion, but almost all of them sounded like potty mouthed kids. a real turn off.

and i thought the guy who completely blew chicken piccata shoulda been tossed. he kept referring to "what he knew from his childhood", and about the amount of starch served with chicken piccata. he clearly didn't know what the heck it was, and should have said so. who cares what starch you serve? in fact, it should be served as it's own course, in a proper italian restaurant. how can you not know piccata?

i finally liked something rocco dispirito said. he mentioned how the piccatas were devoid of "that acidic butter sauce". at least he knows piccata.

 

[PanchoHambre]

Who thinks Nimma deserved to be the first eliminated? I thought not knowing what piccata is was a bigger problem than oversalting the shrimp - although, not having tasted it, if it was really inedible, I guess that would be fair grounds for dismissal.

Oversalting=death on T.C. It makes the judges mad

I hate when I oversalt it is so embarassing and there is nothing you can do to save your dish either.

Always feel bad for the first one down.

What is brutal about that show is that one bad decision can doom you no matter how good a chef and anyone can create a kitchen disaster.

 

[ironchef]

Oversalting is one of the biggest sins ANYWHERE, not just Top Chef. It's worse than making a dish that doesn't resemble the "classic", because at least you can eat the later. She even admitted that she didn't try her shrimp! WTF is that? If she did, she could've fixed it by saucing it, which she should've anyway since her shrimp looked about as dry as a shoe. Anyone who doesn't try their food before they present it is an idiot.

What made drawing the souffle particulary hard was the fact that you also had to present it last, but finish cooking your dish at the same time as everyone else. Unless you regulary make souffles, executing that would be very difficult.

 

[jennyema]

Oversalting is one of the biggest sins ANYWHERE, not just Top Chef. It's worse than making a dish that doesn't resemble the "classic", because at least you can eat the later. She even admitted that she didn't try her shrimp! WTF is that? If she did, she could've fixed it by saucing it, which she should've anyway since her shrimp looked about as dry as a shoe. Anyone who doesn't try their food before they present it is an idiot.

I thought she admitted they were salty, meaning she had tried them and served them anyway! What's worse?

 

[Jeff G.]

The picked the right loser.. They couldn't even eat hers. I was really surprised they didn't know what Chicken Picata was.. Pretty basic and really easy to make good...

I was really surprised to see the big guy put mashed potatoes in a Soufle... Wow what a dunderhead move.. It think he was thinking quiche..

 

[ironchef]

I thought she admitted they were salty, meaning she had tried them and served them anyway! What's worse?

Maybe? I thought that she said that she had only tasted the cauliflower component, and not the shrimp.

 

[mudbug]

Couldn't stay awake long enough _ I even missed the rerun of the Project Runway finale that came on right before TC. Dang! thank God for reruns.............

Foul mouths? in Chicago? what didja expect???

 

[Weeks]

I rather liked Richard. He seems to have the skills to back himself up. Dale I'm not so sure about, though his dishes were complex.

 

[GotGarlic]

Maybe? I thought that she said that she had only tasted the cauliflower component, and not the shrimp.

I found a blog that says she did taste the shrimp and knew they were salty: My monkey could do that: Top Chef 3/12/08--"Anything You Can Cook I Can Cook Better" summary

I think I remember her saying that, too.

 

[jennyema]

I found a blog that says she did taste the shrimp and knew they were salty: My monkey could do that: Top Chef 3/12/08--"Anything You Can Cook I Can Cook Better" summary

I think I remember her saying that, too.

I watched it again last night and she did say she tasted it and knew it was salty.

So, to you, is knowlingly serving inedibly salty food worse than not having the common sense (or not giving a hoot) to taste it before serving?

I guess I'd have to say it is.

 

[ChefJune]

I watched it again last night and she did say she tasted it and knew it was salty.

So, to you, is knowlingly serving inedibly salty food worse than not having the common sense (or not giving a hoot) to taste it before serving?

I guess I'd have to say it is.

Whether or not it is worse is not the issue. She would have had nothing to serve the judges at that point if she hadn't served the salty shrimp. She was far better off taking the chance they would judge someone else's dish worse than hers, than to have served them nothing!

 

[smoke king]

Whether or not it is worse is not the issue. She would have had nothing to serve the judges at that point if she hadn't served the salty shrimp. She was far better off taking the chance they would judge someone else's dish worse than hers, than to have served them nothing!

Well put, Chef June

 

[ironchef]

Whether or not it is worse is not the issue. She would have had nothing to serve the judges at that point if she hadn't served the salty shrimp. She was far better off taking the chance they would judge someone else's dish worse than hers, than to have served them nothing!

Also, even if her shrimp was seasoned correctly, her presentation was horrible. The thing is, she had 90 minutes to prep and cook. Unless she had only four pieces of shrimp (one for the judges and one for the camera plate), she should have had more than enough time to sear off some test pieces in order to get the seasoning right.

In any event, she didn't even serve scampi, much like Ryan and the other girl didn't serve picatta. Scampi (the "classic" Italian-American version that everyone knows) usually consists of shrimp in a garlic, butter, white wine, and/or lemon sauce. She marinated her shrimp in just parsley (why in the **** would you marinate something in just parsley???) and sauteed it. The judges didn't even touch on that fact, or maybe it was edited out since there was so much about her dish that was just wrong.

 

[GotGarlic]

I watched it again last night and she did say she tasted it and knew it was salty.

So, to you, is knowlingly serving inedibly salty food worse than not having the common sense (or not giving a hoot) to taste it before serving?

I guess I'd have to say it is.

Yeah, you're right. According to the Food Network recipe I looked at, it takes 20 minutes to prep and cook shrimp scampi. She could have made it four times and eventually gotten it right, if she'd known what to do. I did think she seemed a little young (26) to be in this competition, although I don't know much about "Top Chef" - the other night was the first time I watched it.