Top Chef: Las Vegas (Episode 3)
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A post by "Blake the Megalomaniac" To see more posts click here |
Reality television is anything but real; we know that. Except when it comes to cooking shows. Of course, “some portions of the show, not affecting the outcome, have been fixed,” but along the spectrum of reality TV, Top Chef is near the top in all categories. Top Chef is no Hell’s Kitchen, mind you. The mere mention of the two shows in the same sentence would presumptuously make Tom Colicchio roll his eyes.
Hell’s Kitchen is contrived entertainment for the gratification of Gordon Ramsey’s temper. If you’ve seen the show then you know that the title chef is only loosely applied to most of the contestants. It’s not about the skill of the cook when it comes to Hell’s Kitchen, not to go into a diatribe here but Gordon Ramsey has even said that Fox has more to do with the overall product than one might like. To Ramsey’s credit, Kitchen Nightmares and The ‘F’ Word are both high-end culinary shows.
Last season’s Top Chef saw Hosea take home the $100,000. In my uneducated opinion, I didn’t think Hosea was as elite of a chef as previous winners but he was more than proficient from what I can remember. Proficient, likable, and the beneficiary of poor decisions by far superior culinarians ( in my opinion).
So with Rescue Me being over and Son’s of Anarchy about to start I think I’m going to bring you commentary on Top Chef each week. Yes, the show is that good. I don’t even like to cook but I can appreciate the ultra competitive field they work in and I can celebrate it.
Top Chef Episode 3: Thunderbirds
- Off the bat I have to complain about Comcast in DC not offering BRAVO in HD. Completely blown over that.
- From last episode, the ambiguous Ashley should stop complaining about how she had to participate in a bachelor/bachelorette competition. Did she forget that they’re offering her $100K. Get over your sensibilities because if you cared that much you would have left.
- Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish using potatoes that is “out of this world.” No $15K chip available this time, bummer. And here’s ambiguous Ashley again. Preeti messed up her water and she got angry. This doesn’t prove she’s difficult but it doesn’t help. Jennifer wins with a barely potatoe dish of “Mussels in potatoe broth” as Mike called it.
- Elimination Challenge: Prepare a meal for 300 of the finest airmen and their families without knowing the ingredients beforehand and not having the familiar cookware (ie GE burners).
- Before elimination, I already thought Hector’s team and Ron’s team were in trouble for choosing chili and chowder respectively but they essentially had no other choice.Then I say that they weren’t exactly outside in the heat but in a airplane hanger so chili/chowder wasn’t as off-putting as it would have been if it were outside.
- Did anyone see Padma as she stepped out of that Hummer? Nice legs and a leopard print dress to boot.
- DISHES: Greek Salad-Mike/Mike, Pasta Salad -Preeti/Laurine, Claim Chowder-Ron/Jesse, Chili-Robin/Hector, Braised Pork-Eli/Kevin, Braised Pork Belly-Mike/Mike, Roasted Beef Strip Loan-Bryan/Mattin, Chocolate Bread Pudding-Ash/Ashley —- Winner: Mike Birbiagilia
- Losers: Preeti, Laurine, Mike I. – Sent home in one of the best judge’s table I’ve seen: Preeti, she reminded me of a Hell’s Kitchen chef anyway.
udothedishes . . .
