One More Ovation

Prepared by Sous Chef Humor

This weeks Quick Fire Challenge was more than 30 minutes. It began with a 4:30 wake up call and a trip down to the American Seafood Company. Right off the bat you could see that some of the chefs were right on their game while others were a little more hesitant.

They arrive in the kitchen to learn that Chef Hiroshi Shima would be the guest judge. With 30 minutes to prepare, this was truly a challenge.

“Sushi was invented thousands of years ago in Japan as a way to preserve raw, cleaned fish. It was pressed between rice and salt by a heavy stone for a few weeks and then covered with a lighter material like seaweed until the fish had fermented.”
WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND SHOT BY LEENA PENDHARKARhttp://www.journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/mm/pendharkar/sushi/art.html

This is not a dish that all chefs are trained to prepare so before we move onto week 3, let’s take one last look at some of the wonderful dishes that were prepared.

and give all the chefs another round of applause.

Happy Halloween from our Kitchen

We are busy carving pumpkins here in the kitchen...
Chef Back Burner has a little one, wearing a Lion costume tonight, for his first Halloween.
Chef Biatch has a young one going out tonight as a ghost.
We know they will be having fun.

We wish all of you a safe and fun Halloween.

While we wait for episode 3… check out some of the other people who are writing blogs on Top Chef. We have their links over on the right hand side titled "Friends, Food and TC lovers".

A big thanks to Eric Three Thousand and to Sorry Fugu for sending us emails…. Sending you a TC Cocktail.

We may be watching the same show… but we all have different takes on it.


Also do not forget that the new yahoo video is out.

Last, this is your kitchen too. We read the emails, and love to get your comments. Feel free to leave comments and send emails.

We have additional special guests coming by the kitchen soon and we have heard from some of the current chefs, so yes… they are readings. Feel free to leave comments here for them.

Today’s Game!!! Leave comments of what costumes you think this seasons chefs should wear tonight!!!

Preview Is Served

The Yahoo preview for this week

is now available.

Check it out...

It's a little bit cold ...

and a little bit hot!!

Why Our Chef Biatch Wouldn't Make it on Top Chef

Prepared by Chef Biatch

There are several reasons why the team wouldn't let me -Chef Biatch - try out for Top Chef. Each week I will reveal another reason.

Week 2 - Making Sushi, I'd have given guest judge Chef Shima a fish stick.

"No Trans Fat or MSG"

"Sure its sushi...a sushi-sicle"

Week 1 - With Harold as the guest judge...

..."Bad Chef Biatch,bad"

Speaking of Wine!!

Two of our favorite Chefs have wonderful websites.


Chef Carlos, owner of the Hi- Life Cafe.

Check out his website and his wine list.

Chef Frank, known as "Frankie the Bull."

Check out his website.

and purchase of wine.

Wishing you both the best next week

Break an Egg guys!!!!

Its Friday... Time to Roast

By Chef Biatch

Remember folks...

To Roast someone is an honor.
It means we like them...
or they made it easy for us to have
fun with them.


YUM!!!


Top Chef 101: How to throw a
teammate under the bus.


“Watchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"


Whomever is dressing Heidi Klum
must have gotten the job to
dress Padma, yikes!


"Bitch, I so got your back..."


"Sucker!"


"Yabba Dabba Doo"


" are you talking to me?”


“Someone’s about to lose a kneecap.”


Doing the TC Shuffle in honor of Otto,
you rock dude.


"please God, teach Marcel how to use a comb."



Your turn…Write a caption in the comment area!!

Elimination or Incrimination...You decide?

by Chef Back Burner

So the challenge is presented by “The Beauty with the braids”...



2 teams...2 types of Asian cuisine...1,000 people. Just a bit daunting! People handle pressure in different ways...the Vietnamese team took the professional route. Attack head on with clear and open minds. Come on guys, that’s not the reality tv way...but as if scripted Team Korea steps in to fill our need for conflict and tension and mixes up the Sangria....



I think at this stage we reality tv junkies can see where this is going....little did we know what was coming after the commercial break.... ...The “Lychee Scandal” The next morning it’s off to the grocery store.



Team “V” sends their shopping team who enter the store with the stealthiness of the secret service...I almost expected George W to show up to buy some rice. But no problems...everything’s bought with money to spare....YAY! Is there really any need to keep watching....the suspense is really waning... On the other hand Team “K” arrives looking confused and ready to make a mess of an already crazy situation.



The first time we see the lychees they are being placed under the cart where you put your dog food...

Then we proceed through checkout where they don’t have enough money...BIG surprise...anyone else see that coming. I mean the episode is starting to take a “Right way/Wrong way” look, kinda like those CPR movies they show in high school Phys Ed. So the next time they show the infamous lychees they are being loaded in the car when Otto makes the statement “I think we got a whole case of lychee without paying for it" and we learn that Marisa had heard it right away...

OK, here’s where I have to step in. Be an adult...stop everyone from getting in the car, ask Otto why he thinks that, and check the reciept...Problem solved. But no we had to pull a typical female stereotype and go back to the kitchen and gossip about it.



“Oh no he didn’t...” Some producer was sitting somewhere thinking “This is too easy!” Personally, I liked the sneaky footage of Marisa in the store stuffing her mouth with food that she hadn’t paid for...



so under her example and need for “above board” behavior...if they had all stuffed their cheeks with the lychee and walked out of the store looking like chipmunks but not having paid for it ...it would have been ok.

I could stay here all day but moving on...the presentation goes well and once again Team ”V” shows their work ethic and class.



Service with a smile.

Team “K” is a mess, confusing, bitter... and to top it off they’re serving hard gelatin...(ahem, Marissa, maybe a little less time with the lychee and more time with gelatin)...Can it get any worse? So...drumroll...what no, drum roll?...oh right, no suspense...no drum roll... The Vietnamese team wins and Betty wins “Miss Congeniality” and....a knife...”Damn,” she’s thinking,”Now I have one more thing to pack.”



Although, I’ve never seen anyone hug a knife that tight.

The Korean Team loses and the fingers fly...her fault, his fault, their fault, not my fault... Then we get to “Lychee Scandal: Part 2”. I’m going to skip over the “He said, she said” stuff.



I think Marisa's face says it all...What I will pick on is Tom. During deliberations Tom says that the team lost because of the dessert. That if Otto stepped up and took responsibility, Marisa would go home. But then he didn’t follow through...Tom, come on...where’s the integrity? Otto steps up to gain his back and you lose yours...



Oh and one more question...Where’s the receipt?



So Otto goes home to Las Vegas to end hunger. Which I think is good because George W never did show up to buy that rice. (Anyone else think we haven’t seen the last of Otto...my husband bet me a case of lychee that he’ll be back. Should I take the bet?)

Read What Marisa Has To Say

Check out Marisa's website ...

OK folks... Her blog goes up, then it comes down, the up, then down.

Should you catch it while it is up, see what she

has to say about Otto...

.

Thanks DesdamonaB for the emal!

WOW What a Show!!!

Job Well Done!!!

Chef Cliff for the Quick Fire Challenge.










Chef Betty and Team V. - Elimination Challenge.




This Chef
and lady
is a class act !!!









Farewell Otto.







Let's hear from you, regarding episodo 2 !!

While You Wait

Ok TC Fans!!!
We have a ton of tape and pictures to look at.


So while you wait for us to get back to you...
munch amongst yourselves...
have a TC cocktail or glass of wine...
and enjoy a few good treats
that Gail mentions in her blog this week.

All of these great dishes are from Food and Wine.


Spiced Beef Pho with Sesame Chile Oil
Shrimp and Green Papaya Summer Rolls
Ginger Pork with Kimchi
Kimchi



Gails Blog on Bravo

Episode 2 - Judges

Episode 2 featured two outstanding chef judges.

To Learn more...


Quick Fire Challenge
Chef Shima
Sushi Roku Restaurant

Elimination
Challenge
Chef Ming Tsai

Information on the custom-made, 8.25" single-edge sashimi knife