TeeVee: Top Chef (8/26)
Las Vegas Baby! Who's up for a game of craps!
QuickFire Challenge: High Stakes Craps
Each contestant had to roll some dice, and the number they roll is the number of ingredients they need to use in this 30 minute quickfire. For the most part if the chef was use to cooking with less ingredients they rolled a high number and vice versa, isn't that how it always goes?! World-renowned chef, Todd English was the guest judge.
[B]Bottom 3:[/B]
Bryan: He made a poached black cod with carrot ginger puree and an 'overpowering' daikon radish sprout.
Eve: She made a chilled asparagus salad with raisins, pine nuts and 'overpowering' blue cheese.
Jesse: She made 'blonde' scallops with chimichurri and smashed garbanzo beans with toasted garlic. Todd English said it's 'not good when it's mushy upon mushy'.
Top Three:
Michael (Winner of $15K!):! He made a Nitro Gazpacho with Compressed Cucumbers and Toast. I must say I'm really digging the 'High Stakes' incentive of the Quickfires, along with immunity they also get $15,000, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at for 30 minutes of work!
Jennifer: Her 'Top' streak continues from last week with her Salmon with lemon, garlic, shallot, parsley and jalapeno emulsion. I think she's definitely one to watch.
Kevin: He made asparagus and celery salad with fennel cream and a boiled egg. I'm starting to want to root for him, he seems like-able and is smart about what he's cooking.
Elimination Challenge: Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
The contestants are going to cater a bachelor/bachelorette party, but there's a few twists:
1. It's going to be a Battle of the Sexes! The girls will cook for the Bachelor party and the guys will cook for the Bachelorettes. Jennifer apparently has a problem with this, while others like Jesse feel like it's a motivator (since when she came into cooking it was a 'man's world'). They guys even threw in a dig (I think it came from Mike, in which case that's strike number 2), that said that some of the women haven't even seen some of the ingredients the guys are bringing to the table.
2. The dishes have to be paired with a shot. A Moscow Mule (Gingery), a Golden Delicious (Apple-y) or Tequila straight-up. Not to mention the bachelorette's wanting more fish than meat and a vegeterian dish, while the bachelor didn't give too many restrictions.
Ashley had the biggest reaction to this challenge. As a gay person, she thought the challenge was inappropriate because 3 of the chefs can't legally get married because of their sexuality. Although I personally believe gays should have the right to get married, I think her reaction to the challenge was a bit over the top. As a chef, you're main objective is to serve food. If she had a restaurant would she not allow engagement parties or Republicans to eat there? BUT to her credit she did work hard, making 2 dishes (to her demise) for the challenge.
Women Lose, Bottom Four:
Ashley: Despite her watermelon carpaccio that Todd English loved, she landed in the bottom 4 because of her 2nd dish (panna cotta) because the dessert didn't firm up the way it should have.
Preeti: Her Corriander and Sesame Crusted Tuna with spicy eggplant and wonton crisp did not win over any of the judges. Tom C. called out her tuna for being over-marinated, while Padma and the others didn't understand the eggplant and didn't think it paired well with the Moscow Mule shot.
Jesse: She started off so well (top 3 of the very first quickfire) BUT has landed in the bottom for the 3rd time in a row. Her Thai Chicken Lettuce cup with Shiitake mushrooms, shiso and ginger beer paired with the Moscow Mule shot was hated by the judges. Her only saving grace has been that she can articulate what's gone wrong with her dishes, but I doubt that will save her next time she lands in the bottom in an elimination round.
Eve: LOSER! I'm afraid she was the most 'Out of her League' contestant this season. It seems like Top Chef really raised the bar and mediocre dishes aren't going to cut it. Eve sent out a shrimp and avocado ceviche, with a smokey tomato salsa and popcorn paired with the tequila shot. The judges thought she just threw stuff together and hoped it worked, it didn't and she was sent packing.
The Men Win! Top Four:
Bryan (Winner!) This episode really played up the sibling rivalry between Michael (Quickfire winner and fellow top 4) and Bryan. These two have an interesting dynamic and it will be fun to watch it play out, but I hope that production doesn't go overboard. Bryan beat out his bro with his sweet and sour macaroon filled with guacamole, corn nuts and corn puree that he paired with the tequila shot. The judges loved his play on chips and gauc and the macaroon melted in Gail's mouth.
Michael: Even with Immunity this week, he pulled out all the stops. He made an apple sorbet with a goat cheese cookie that he paired with the Golden Delicious shot. The judges thought it was innovative and it paired with the shot perfectly.
Hector: Bouncing back from the fried rib-eye debatcle, Hector wents ballsy again and made a lemon-lime tequila ceviche tofu and guanjilo achiote tortilla paired with a tequilla shot. The judges said it was the tastiest tofu they've ever had.
Eli: Eli bleeped on my radar last week for his quote about being a 'fat kid' and he made the top four with his thai tuna tartare with puffed wild rice, pairing it with the Moscow Mule shot. Gail said this was one of the best tuna tartare she had in a long time.
My Thoughts: Haven't really changed since last week. I still think that Jennifer, Kevin and Michael are the ones to watch this season. Eli's growing on me, Mike now has two strikes with me and Jesse now has two strikes with the judges. . .We shall see.
QuickFire Challenge: High Stakes Craps
Each contestant had to roll some dice, and the number they roll is the number of ingredients they need to use in this 30 minute quickfire. For the most part if the chef was use to cooking with less ingredients they rolled a high number and vice versa, isn't that how it always goes?! World-renowned chef, Todd English was the guest judge.
[B]Bottom 3:[/B]
Bryan: He made a poached black cod with carrot ginger puree and an 'overpowering' daikon radish sprout.
Eve: She made a chilled asparagus salad with raisins, pine nuts and 'overpowering' blue cheese.
Jesse: She made 'blonde' scallops with chimichurri and smashed garbanzo beans with toasted garlic. Todd English said it's 'not good when it's mushy upon mushy'.
Top Three:
Michael (Winner of $15K!):! He made a Nitro Gazpacho with Compressed Cucumbers and Toast. I must say I'm really digging the 'High Stakes' incentive of the Quickfires, along with immunity they also get $15,000, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at for 30 minutes of work!
Jennifer: Her 'Top' streak continues from last week with her Salmon with lemon, garlic, shallot, parsley and jalapeno emulsion. I think she's definitely one to watch.
Kevin: He made asparagus and celery salad with fennel cream and a boiled egg. I'm starting to want to root for him, he seems like-able and is smart about what he's cooking.
Elimination Challenge: Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
1. It's going to be a Battle of the Sexes! The girls will cook for the Bachelor party and the guys will cook for the Bachelorettes. Jennifer apparently has a problem with this, while others like Jesse feel like it's a motivator (since when she came into cooking it was a 'man's world'). They guys even threw in a dig (I think it came from Mike, in which case that's strike number 2), that said that some of the women haven't even seen some of the ingredients the guys are bringing to the table.
2. The dishes have to be paired with a shot. A Moscow Mule (Gingery), a Golden Delicious (Apple-y) or Tequila straight-up. Not to mention the bachelorette's wanting more fish than meat and a vegeterian dish, while the bachelor didn't give too many restrictions.
Ashley had the biggest reaction to this challenge. As a gay person, she thought the challenge was inappropriate because 3 of the chefs can't legally get married because of their sexuality. Although I personally believe gays should have the right to get married, I think her reaction to the challenge was a bit over the top. As a chef, you're main objective is to serve food. If she had a restaurant would she not allow engagement parties or Republicans to eat there? BUT to her credit she did work hard, making 2 dishes (to her demise) for the challenge.
Women Lose, Bottom Four:
Ashley: Despite her watermelon carpaccio that Todd English loved, she landed in the bottom 4 because of her 2nd dish (panna cotta) because the dessert didn't firm up the way it should have.
Preeti: Her Corriander and Sesame Crusted Tuna with spicy eggplant and wonton crisp did not win over any of the judges. Tom C. called out her tuna for being over-marinated, while Padma and the others didn't understand the eggplant and didn't think it paired well with the Moscow Mule shot.
Jesse: She started off so well (top 3 of the very first quickfire) BUT has landed in the bottom for the 3rd time in a row. Her Thai Chicken Lettuce cup with Shiitake mushrooms, shiso and ginger beer paired with the Moscow Mule shot was hated by the judges. Her only saving grace has been that she can articulate what's gone wrong with her dishes, but I doubt that will save her next time she lands in the bottom in an elimination round.
Eve: LOSER! I'm afraid she was the most 'Out of her League' contestant this season. It seems like Top Chef really raised the bar and mediocre dishes aren't going to cut it. Eve sent out a shrimp and avocado ceviche, with a smokey tomato salsa and popcorn paired with the tequila shot. The judges thought she just threw stuff together and hoped it worked, it didn't and she was sent packing.
The Men Win! Top Four:
Bryan (Winner!) This episode really played up the sibling rivalry between Michael (Quickfire winner and fellow top 4) and Bryan. These two have an interesting dynamic and it will be fun to watch it play out, but I hope that production doesn't go overboard. Bryan beat out his bro with his sweet and sour macaroon filled with guacamole, corn nuts and corn puree that he paired with the tequila shot. The judges loved his play on chips and gauc and the macaroon melted in Gail's mouth.
Michael: Even with Immunity this week, he pulled out all the stops. He made an apple sorbet with a goat cheese cookie that he paired with the Golden Delicious shot. The judges thought it was innovative and it paired with the shot perfectly.
Hector: Bouncing back from the fried rib-eye debatcle, Hector wents ballsy again and made a lemon-lime tequila ceviche tofu and guanjilo achiote tortilla paired with a tequilla shot. The judges said it was the tastiest tofu they've ever had.
Eli: Eli bleeped on my radar last week for his quote about being a 'fat kid' and he made the top four with his thai tuna tartare with puffed wild rice, pairing it with the Moscow Mule shot. Gail said this was one of the best tuna tartare she had in a long time.
My Thoughts: Haven't really changed since last week. I still think that Jennifer, Kevin and Michael are the ones to watch this season. Eli's growing on me, Mike now has two strikes with me and Jesse now has two strikes with the judges. . .We shall see.
