Entries from The Amateur Gourmet tagged with 'Top Chef'
Fresh Peas with Mint
Anyone who watched last season of "Top Chef" will remember Carla's pea dish. She wowed the judges with her side of fresh peas, purchased from Whole Foods, cooked--according to this blog (the Bravo recipe site is too hard to navigate)--with tarragon, butter and lemon thyme. Inspired by Carla (who, by personality alone, should've won the show), I purchased fresh peas the other day at the farmer's market. But would my peas have secured me a place in the Top Chef Finale? I'm not quite sure....
Life After Top Chef
"'I’m dying right now,' Mr. [Hung] Huynh said with a grin to show he was joking, sort of. 'I’m not a celebrity chef. A celebrity has money. A chef has a restaurant. I have neither.'" [Fame on the Half Shell, New York Times.]...
Casey's Rant
By this point, you're probably sick of reading people's reactions to last night's "Top Chef" Finale--"Poor Carla!" "Ugh, Hosea!" etc.--but have you seen Casey's rant? I just found it, via Eater (it's on a site called Side Dish) and Casey lets it rip....
My Top Chef Season 5 Prediction
[Spoilers ahead, kinda, if you don't know who's left.] In the next two weeks, Carla and Fabio will both go. After that, either Leah or Hoseah. Final three: Jamie, Stefan, Leah or Hoseah. Final two: Jamie & Stefan. Winner: Jamie. What do you guys think?...
Top Chef 12.10.08
When Archie Bunker called his son-in-law "meathead" on "All in the Family," it entered the lexicon as both an insult and a term of endearment. But not until this season of "Top Chef" had I ever considered that "meathead" might actually be a physiological disorder, an actual psychological/anatomical condition that causes the sufferer to, literally, have a head full of meat. That's the only way I can explain the phenomenon of Danny--a sweet but sorry competitor--who last night showed such bad judgment, such muddleheadedness it's scary to think that this person's allowed to hold a knife....
I'm a Top Chef Hypocrite
Last week I groused about too much Top Chef coverage and here I am, one week later, and I really want to blog about it. So call me a Top Chef hypocrite, I can take it; the show is good, I can't lie. And tonight's episode was a good one. But I'll just make a few observations in this one little paragraph and be done with it. Observation 1: isn't it fascinating that two of the most confident chefs--corn soup gal and Fabio--were in the top 3 and two of the most aimless, insecure cooks--Ariane and ostrich egg gal--were in the bottom? I haven't read Oprah's "Secret," but doesn't that book say if you believe you're the best you'll be the best? I think there's something to that. Observation 2: we all know the adage "write what you know," but tonight's episode proved you should also cook what you know. The second the ostrich egg gal said "I've never cooked with an ostrich egg" I knew she'd be in trouble; whereas Fabio, who served his dish hundreds of times at his restaurant, came out on top. Finally, I think it's cute that Amanda Hesser and her husband Tad Friend Plodted the whole episode which you can check out here. And now I feel completely purged of tonight's "Top Chef," thank you for letting me blog it off my chest....
Too Much "Top Chef"
May I gently suggest that there's a bit too much "Top Chef" coverage out there? It's a fine show, pretty entertaining, but there's only so much I'm willing to read about the first eliminated contestants or "Team Rainbow" which, it should be said, is now being promoted by Bravo's P.R. team in e-mails to bloggers. I literally just got this e-mail: "Last night on Top Chef, the one lesbian and two gay cheftestants crowned themselves 'Team Rainbow' in an impromptu genius (and adorable) move over a glass of wine. Now Bravo has created a 'Team Rainbow' t-shirt, so anyone can join the club." Genius? Adorable? I can hear the producers now standing on set: "Can we get all the gay contestants outside? Great. You guys are Team Rainbow; now say it on camera."...
Should Chefs Do Reality TV? A Discussion.
[I just chatted online with my friend Diana, who works in reality TV, about that very subject. Here it is, unedited (reality-style), for your consumption.] AdamR218: i'm about to do a post about reality tv on my blog Diana: ooh AdamR218: i'm going to tell my readers never do it AdamR218: that you always end up looking bad Diana: haha AdamR218: and even if oyu win you won't be that successful...
Richard Blais
Anyone who watched the season premiere of "Top Chef" yesterday will have taken notice of Richard who charged out of the gate with his deep dish peach pizza and finished the episode in the top four. What you may not know is that one of the most memorable meals I've ever had in my life was a meal that he cooked at his now-closed eponymous Atlanta Restaurant, Blais. The entire meal--a 31 course tasting menu--is documented in my archives here and reading about it again, I'm still blown away. The fact that he's on a reality show and having his food evaluated by Rocco "Bertolli" Dispirito is a little disturbing, but perhaps this show will earn him the national recognition he deserves. I'm glad I got to eat his food before he really makes it big....
Neil The Intern Attends Opening Night at Crave on 42nd
As a nice corollary to the post below this, here's a dispatch from Neil The Intern from the opening night of Dave Martin's (Top Chef, Season One) Crave on 42nd. I didn't have cable in 2006 when the first season of Top Chef came out, so I never got to hear the infamous line (which, being a family blog, I won't rehash here) Dave Martin uttered on the show. [EDITOR'S NOTE: "I'm not your bitch, bitch."] But I've gone over the highlights in the past few days, so I feel like I understand the concept enough to visit his new upscale comfort food restaurant, Crave on 42nd....
My Top Chef Prediction
It is 9:56 PM and, like all of you, I'm about to watch Top Chef. Here is my prediction for what will happen: the final two will be Casey and Hung. Casey will win the whole competition. Let's see if tonight's results support my theory... UPDATE: Click ahead to see my reaction to the episode (don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it.)...
Top Chef & Underdog Theory
After last night's episode of "Top Chef," which Diana and I really enjoyed, I pointed out that C.J.'s team had it coming. C.J., who CHOSE his team, made a classic blunder: he chose the beautiful people, the most likable people, the most popular kids in the class. And as anyone who's seen an 80s movie knows, when you're the last to get picked in gym class that means you're going to score a touchdown at the end of the movie....
How I Almost Appeared on Top Chef
At this point, you're probably well aware that last night's episode of Top Chef Miami featured Andrea Strong as the top-secret food blogger "plant" in the highly dramatic restaurant episode. What you probably don't know is that I too auditioned to be there at that table with Andrea. I was called in last winter to audition and, obviously, didn't make the cut. What follows is the story of that process and maybe you can help me figure out what I did wrong and why they didn't cast me....
Top Chef Thoughts
Loyal reader Zeep wants me to weigh in on "Top Chef." Here are my thoughts so far....
