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The Next Iron Chef: Season Finale - open thread

Next Iron ChefSo last night was the big battle between Chef Garces and Chef Mehta, the two finalists on Food Network's Next Iron Chef with two very different cooking styles. I didn't watch much of this season, but judging from last night's episode I wish I had. Jeffrey Steingarten is one of my favorite judges, and it's interesting to see other iron chefs in the judging chairs.

Did the right chef win?

Review: Top Chef - Culinary Olympics

tom_padma_top_chef(S06E12) When I saw that the title of tonight's episode was "Culinary Olympics," I didn't really imagine what the chefs would be going through. Were they going to be pole vaulting into the kitchen, did they have to prepare a meal on an ice skating rink? What could be the Olympian angle? Well, apparently there's a culinary competition that's as intense as the Olympics -- and it's not held in a kitchen stadium with Alton Brown doing play by play.

That said, this may have been one of the toughest assignments ever on Top Chef. I tried to envision how past season winners -- let alone the runners up -- would have done in the same circumstances that these final five faced. I can't say for sure that I can think of one that would have aced it ... and for how this five did, read on.

Continue reading Review: Top Chef - Culinary Olympics

If you're a bad cook then you'll love Food Network's new show

Food Network logoIt was just a matter of time before Food Network showcased people who actually can't cook. On January 3, the new food competition show Worst Cooks in America will debut. The winner gets $25,000!

Just so we're clear, the winner doesn't get $25,000 for making worse food than their competitors. No, the show will put the contestants through a boot camp where they will learn to take their skills (which probably consist of boiling water for pasta and microwaving Boston Market frozen dinners) and actually become better cooks. The food will be judged by a panel of food experts (of course) and whoever is the most improved wins. The two chefs leading the teams will be Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan.

Continue reading If you're a bad cook then you'll love Food Network's new show

The Next Iron Chef: Umami (Deliciousness) - open thread

The Next Iron ChefThe only things I know about umami comes from those Kikkoman commecials, the ones that talk about umami being the fifth taste (after sweet, salty, sour, and bitter). Last night's Next Iron Chef was all about that, and they even had Iron Chef Morimoto as a judge.

What did you think? The show is down to its final three contestants. Can you picture one of them standing next to other Iron Chefs like Morimoto, Flay, Cora, Batali, and Symon in Kitchen Stadium?

Top Chef Masters coming back for season two (with a new judge)

Top Chef Masters
As far as I can tell, from comments on this site and other sites I've looked at, Top Chef Masters wasn't loved by fans half as much as fans love the original Top Chef. I think fans want two things from their food competition shows: more conflict and a sense that the contestant isn't necessarily a "master" at cooking (though being a chef is fine). For the most part, the chefs on the first season of Masters were nice and professional, and I think that the fact that they're all great chefs already zapped some of the tension that usually comes with the judging segments of the show. Plus the chefs competed in sections, not usually all against each other.

Continue reading Top Chef Masters coming back for season two (with a new judge)

Top Chef: Pigs and Pinot

top_chef_tom_colicchio_season_six
(S06E08)
Well, things have certainly heated up on Top Chef, haven't they? Oh, I'm not talking about in the kitchen; I'm talking about in the house. These chefs are getting testy, or some are. Eli mentioned in the open that there was a lot of "emotional stress." Well, he should know because he's behind some of it. Then there's motor mouth Robin. Could she really be as yappy as she appears to be on camera?

Continue reading Top Chef: Pigs and Pinot

Hell's Kitchen: Season Finale - open thread

Hell's Kitchen
I haven't watched this season of Hell's Kitchen since the second episode. But I have them all recorded just in case I wanted to get back into it and maybe I'll take one of these weekend days and do a marathon. Of course, since I'm writing this post I already know who won, but it won't ruin the season for me. It's all about the journey (and a chef yelling at people).

So were you surprised by who won?

[Watch episodes and clips of Hell's Kitchen and other shows at SlashControl.]

The Next Iron Chef: Season Premiere

The Next Iron ChefI'm of two minds about The Next Iron Chef. I love a lot of food competition shows and this one is enjoyable, but at the same time I've always thought that being an Iron Chef was something important, something big, something you couldn't become just by competing in some reality show. But then I remembered that it was a reality show and that I'm overthinking it and I should just shut up.

Last night was the season premiere. Thoughts?

Is Hell's Kitchen doing some creative editing?

Hell's Kitchen
Remember when Tek was voted off of Hell's Kitchen a few weeks ago? Then what the hell was she doing working in the kitchen on this week's episode?

This wasn't one of those deals where a former contestant comes back to help the remaining contestants for some reason, this was... odd. They didn't interview her or point her out and Ramsay didn't say "Tek, what the hell are you doing here, you donkey?! Didn't I kick you out? And how did you get your chef's jacket back? Jean-Philippe, what's going on?"

Continue reading Is Hell's Kitchen doing some creative editing?

Top Chef Masters: Masters of Disaster - open thread

Top Chef Masters

Last night's episode of Top Chef Masters upped the "reality show" factor on the show, as former Top Chef contestants came back and controversy was injected. This was most evident in the confrontation Dale had with Michael Chiarello (KEY-a-rello). More controversy isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to a cooking show (it's been good to see civility), but it certainly spiced things up.

I thought this was the finale, but it's not. The finale is actually going to be aired next Wednesday at 10:15 PM, after the premiere of Top Chef: Las Vegas. That's confusing.

The Next Food Network Star: Finale (season finale) - open thread

Next Food Network StarSo, did the person you thought was going to win The Next Food Network Star actually win, or are you steaming mad right now? After the jump, a quick analysis of last night's season finale.

Continue reading The Next Food Network Star: Finale (season finale) - open thread

The Next Food Network Star: Wood Fire Grill Challenge - open thread

Next Food Network Star"They haven't seen me at my very best." - Jamika

Really, Jamika? Really? We're down to the final four and you still don't think the judges have seen the best you can do? You should have thought about that maybe two or three episodes ago.

Of course, just because Jamika said that doesn't mean she was the one shown the door this week. After the jump, the person who won't be back for the final two episodes.

Continue reading The Next Food Network Star: Wood Fire Grill Challenge - open thread

Hell's Kitchen season six -- An early look

Hell's Kitchen 6
Every single season - hell, every single episode - the dramatic announcer of Hell's Kitchen tells us that "this will be the most explosive episode of Hell's Kitchen ever!" or "for the first time on Hell's Kitchen..." But this season, all of those proclamations might actually be true.

Of course, that's not necessarily a good thing, because it could easily turn into The Real World or Big Brother and be more about the confrontations and the personality conflicts than the actual cooking and choosing of a chef. I mean, in the first two episodes alone there are more confrontations and yelling and accusations and fisticuffs - yes, fisticuffs - than in whole seasons of other cooking reality shows.

Continue reading Hell's Kitchen season six -- An early look

Just another month and a half until Top Chef returns

Top Chef Las VegasTop Chef Masters returns to Bravo tonight (after a week off), but some fans aren't into this more "professional" edition of the reality show and are waiting patiently (or maybe not too patiently) for the "real" Top Chef to return. You only have about six more weeks to wait.

Top Chef Las Vegas will premiere on August 26. According to the press release, we're going to see a lot of stars in this season too (only not as contestants, of course), including Penn & Teller, Todd English, Natalie Portman, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Palmer, Daniel Bouland, and Nigella Lawson. Padma Lakshmi will be back as host, along with judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Toby Young (who a lot of fans don't seem to like that much, at least in his role here).

This could be a very fun season, considering what Las Vegas is like (as famous now for its restaurants as its gambling).

Do you like Top Chef Masters? Tough

Top Chef MastersLater this afternoon I'll have my What's On Tonight picks posted, but I did want to give Top Chef Masters fans a heads up about tonight's episode: there isn't one.

For some reason, Bravo is replacing this week's episode of the cooking competition show with a special episode of The Fashion Show. And this isn't one of those deals where one show is put in place of another show but that other show is rescheduled to another night during the week, maybe in the slot of the first show. No, Top Chef Masters won't be seen at all this week (except for reruns of previous episodes, of course).

Fans will have to wait until next week for the next new episode. (And if you're wondering what's on tomorrow night at 10 in the regular time slot for The Fashion Show, it's a repeat of tonight's episode.)

Oh well. I'm not watching The Fashion Show so I guess I'll catch The Philanthropist.

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