Monday Morning Mixer

CHICAGO STYLE!!!

Welcome back to week 3 of the Monday Morning Mixer.

Fellow bloggers spill their thoughts and recaps of Episode 3. These fellow bloggers have been hard at work. Enjoy!

Eric 3000 - Eric's works his words of magic with Top Chef: Chicago, Episode Three: More Soggy Food!

Amuse Biatch have several post regarding the chefs. Click HERE

What'ere, Jane Eyre recaps espisode 3 with Block Party

MinxEats - Thinks a romance is brewing with Top Chef Chicago Episode 3

My Monkey Could Do That - is serving Top Chef Block Party Summary

Cliffieland - says it all with Episode: Block Party (or, Pantry Raid!)

Thanks everyone for sharing your blogs with us. You make Monday morning worth getting up for!

Sunday Roast

This roast is served a little late due to a storm related power outage. Chef Biatch finally has lights and a PC again. Hope other fans are safe out there today. On with this weeks roast!

Filler 1 meet Filler 2.

"Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, keep them coolers rolling."


Ryan channels his inner Mork.


If that stare doesn't say triple shot expresso, nothing does!

It's Hokey Pokey Time!

Little did Stephanie know that while she smiled

for the camera Richard was

stealing all her ideas by osmosis.

Your turn. Use the caption area below to write your own caption for the picture above. Each week we love reading what you come up with.

Preview Time

Top Chef 4 - Your Turn To Vote

The results of last weeks questions were interesting. Question one was " Which knife would you like to select ?" With 119 votes, 44 of you would prefer to use the key components of a Penguins diet to prepare a dish.

As for our beloved Ted Allen. With 140 votes, 67 of you thought Ted was more like a Red Panda than the other zoo animals.

Check out Ted's new website.


Onto this weeks question. Of the two teams dishes,
which would you prefer be served at your block party?

Which would you prefer be served at your block party?
	Team Red
	Team Blue
	A Combination of Both
	Neither
Free polls from Pollhost.com

It Ain't Nothin' but a Corndog

It ain’t nothin’ but a corndog

Fallin’ off the stick.

It ain't nothin' but a corndog

As limp as a......

Well, you disappointed the judges,

And then packed your knives up quick.

When they said you weren’t Top Chef,

That made you wanna cry.

When they said you weren’t Top Chef,

You had to say good-bye.

Well, you disappointed the judges,

but you’re still a hell of a guy.

-adapted from Elvis' "Hound Dog"

Top Chef Week 3 Results

It was a ruff evening at the judges table.

But we LOVE that Ted is back.

Congratulations to Chef Richard.

on the non taco, taco QF win.

Way To GO Chef Stephanie for the Elimination win.

This makes 2 for you girlfriend.

Oh Chef Erik...

We hate to see you go.

Keep rocking in your kitchen
and feel free to drop by this little kitchen any time.
We wish you all the best.

Week 3 Top Chef

2 down... 14 to go

Tell us who do you think will win tonight and who is going up in flames?

From the previews, looks like Chef Andrew is not ready.

Ted Allen is back tonight to judge. We love Ted.

Don't forget our LIVE chat room will be open during the show tonight. Bring your snacks, drinks and have some fun chatting during the show with fellow TC fans.

Monday Morning Mixer

CHICAGO STYLE!!!

Welcome again to the Monday Morning Mixer.

Fellow bloggers spill their thoughts and recaps of Episode 2. Grab a cup of coffee, you have some great reading ahead of you.

Eric 3000 - Eric's humor and wit are at work with Top Chef: Chicago: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, Why?

Ms. Place - Catch Ms. Place's thoughts of episode 1 with Would You Believe .

Amuse Biatch have several funny post regarding espisode 2. Click HERE

What'ere, Jane Eyre recaps espisode 2 with Zoo Food

David Dust - Check out David's "The New Zoo Revue"

Welcome this week three additional blogs of fun.

MinxEats - Top Chef Chicago Episode 2 in which the chefs are confused... both funny and entertaining

My Monkey Could Do That - have a Zoo Food Summary...

Cliffieland - Episode 2: Zoo Food (or, Does Your Blini Lose Its Flavor On The Bedpost Overnight?)

Thanks everyone for sharing your blogs with us. You make Monday morning a blast!

Top Chef Sunday Roast

Prepared by Chef Biatch

Your turn. Use the picture of Chef Andrew and write your own caption in the comment area below. You did an outstanding job last week. Enjoy!

Fan Review - Chef Hung at Solo

I thought your readers might be interested in hearing about what TC3 winner Hung Huynh has been up to these days. Well, he's been the guest chef at Solo, a very upscale kosher restaurant in Manhattan. He was invited by Solo's executive chef, Chef Hok Chin, as the restaurant boasts a "mediterranean fare accentuated with an asian rub." Just up Hung's alley, I thought!

When I heard that Hung was going to be the chef at a kosher restaurant, I convinced my husband to take me for our 20th wedding anniversary dinner. I was excited to finally have an opportunity to experience some of the dishes I could only view on tv. The menu is printed daily, and as we were being seated I asked the maitre d' if any of the dishes would have foam. He looked at me and said, "Oh no, we don't like that here, so he's not doing it." Sigh. And of course, this being a kosher restaurant, the dietary restrictions would prohibit Hung from cooking shellfish, pork and all kinds of dairy.

As we looked over the menu I had difficulty choosing. Everything looked fantastic. I was relieved when the waiter told us that there was a 5 course tasting menu. We I told him we on board, and that as a fan of the show I was hoping I could meet Chef Hung. He smiled and said "It's very possible."

The first course was seared spicy tuna with a hearts of palm and tomato vinaigrette. There were two sauces that were lightly smeared on the plate -- one was like an avocado dressing and the other a kind of horseradish. The tuna was thinly sliced and very rare, but the dish was very flavorful and tasty.

The second course came pretty quickly, which was a savory porcini mushroom soup with caramelized vidalia onion and white truffle essence. The soup was very creamy -- remember, since this is a kosher restaurant Hung would have to create the creaminess without any dairy. He certainly accomplished that as the soup was very light and I could detect the separate mushroom and onion flavors.

We told the waiter that we couldn't eat so fast and so the next course didn't come out for another 10 minutes. By this time the restaurant was starting to fill up -- we had a 6:15 reservation and now, about an hour later, it was becoming more crowded and noisy. A couple sat down next to us and they had the butternut squash soup and one of "Hung's seasonal sides" -- green asparagus with chopped egg vinaigrette for their appetizers.

We were then served grilled turbot with oyster mushrooms and roasted fish jus. This was the only dish that I felt the need to salt. But I liked the mushroom flavor alongside (actually they were under) the fish. As we ate our fish the couple next to us both had the dry-aged solo cowboy steak with steak fries and sauce au poivre for their entree. This was not one of the items on the menu with a little knife next to it (like an asterisk) indicating it was one of Chef Hung's dishes.

It was toward the end of this course that Chef Hung came out to meet us. He is just as short as I had imagined, with spikey hair, bright smile and sparkling eyes. I told him how much I enjoyed watching him on the show, mentioning that I was sure he was a more multi-dimensional person than how he was depicted on the show. He laughed and said "yes," and then he asked if we were ready for the premiere of TC4 that evening. My neighbor and I said we were and I asked Hung who he might suggest we look out for. He said he had not met any of the current cast but that he had heard a lot of good things about Ryan. (Note to self -- check out Ryan.) My neighbor had her picture taken with Hung and I had him sign my menu.

I then asked him how he was adapting to the kosher cooking restrictions. He laughed and said, "I ordered my vinegar but the rabbi made me send it back!" (All ingredients have to be supervised and confirmed as kosher, vinegar being no exception). Otherwise he said he was enjoying being in New York City and cooking at Solo. My husband and I told him how much we were enjoying the tasting menu and he bowed, smiled, said thank you and went back into the kitchen.

I was surprised more people didn't want to interact with him, but when I later went to the ladies room I saw some people going up to the kitchen door asking to meet him. I was happy that he came to us and I didn't have to stress out the decision to go find him.

Our next course was veal tongue with a fennel puree and a few beet cubes. To be honest, I didn't remember all of the dishes when they were initially being described, and neither did my husband. Nor did we recognize anything on the printed menu describing what we were eating. But whatever we were eating tasted amazing! It was soft and tender with a strong meaty taste. I couldn't eat all of it so I gave the rest to my husband. I was taken aback when I later learned that it was veal tongue, but I liked it and am proud to say I ate something I would not have ordinarily ordered.

The fifth course was roasted black angus filet with butternut squash puree, two cipollini onions and a red wine-beef reduction. So this is a "reduction!" The meat was quite rare but still had a wonderful roasted flavor, and the sweetness of the butternut squash and onions were a nice accompaniment to the beef. It was delicious. Again, I gave about a third of it to my husband because I was pretty full.

When we finished, the waiter gave us the dessert menu saying that it was included in the tasting menu price. This actually turned the dinner into 6 courses. I won't talk about the desserts since Hung didn't make any of them. Suffice it to say that I took mine home, wrote my name all over it and put it in the fridge hoping that no one would eat it before I got a chance..

Complimented by reviewing some of the highlights of our 20 years together, my husband and I had a fantastic 2-1/2 hour experience. I highly recommend going to meet Chef Hung and eating his amazing food. But you have to hurry! He will only be at Solo until March 31st. Reservations can be made through opentable.com. You might get sticker-shock (Zagat's term), but you won't be disappointed.

gourmet_cooke/Geri



Thank you Geri for sharing this wonderful experience with all of us!

From the Mailbox

Chef Mark has his own website.

Hey there...big Top Chef fan, and love the blog!!! Here is a site for my favorite chef of TC4- Mark Simmons: www.chefmarksimmons.com Keep up the great work!

Thanks Mike for sharing this with us.

Its a Mother F'ing Cook Off!

Over on Fishbowl NY, we learn that "Marco Pierre White Tapped For NBC's New Top Chef/Hell's Kitchen Killer" Click HERE to read

Your Turn To Vote

The votes are in from last weeks questions.

Regarding which of the 8 classic dishes you would have selected to prepare, there were 287 votes. Looks like many of us our Lasagna preparers with 106 votes. Chicken Piccata came in second with 51 votes and Crab Cakes was third with 40 votes. Only a brave 6 of you would have prepared the Duck a la Orange.

With 250 votes, the second poll was regarding the amount of swearing that was in Episode 1. 81 of you did not care for it. 93 of you said it was fine. 41 of you found it funny and entertaining and 29 of you said none of the above. But 6 of you are going to stop watching if it continues. Hang in there you 6. This week it looks like Bravo edited more of it out but they are chefs and this is reality TV. We do not want to lose the 6 of you.

Now onto this weeks vote and our trip to the Lincoln Park zoo in Chicago.

Based on the 5 animals and using the key components of their respective diets, which knife would you like to select ?

which knife would you like to select ?
	Bears
	Gorillas
	Penguins
	Lions
	Vultures
Free polls from Pollhost.com

During the show, Bravo asked which animal we thought Chef Tom was like. The most votes said he was a bear.

We here at BTC love Ted Allen, our favorite judge and a big supporter of this little kitchen. So let's put a little twist on this one. Which zoo animal is Ted most like.

Which zoo animal is Ted most like.
	Red Panda
	Mandarin Duck
	African Cichlids
	Seal
	Snowy Owl
Free polls from Pollhost.com

We love you Ted and are looking forward to when you judge this season. Check out Ted's blog regarding episode 2 HERE.

Chef Valerie - Chow Interview and NYMAG

Chef Valerie has " No Hometown Advantage- Top Chef Chicago eats one of its own" in her CHOW interview. Click HERE to listen. We love CHOW interviews.

Over on Grub Street, " Ejected ‘Top Chef:’ ‘That Wasn’t Even My Idea!’ Click HERE to read.

Thanks Aileen - Associate editor, nymag.com
and Thanks Jill -nymag.com
for both sending this to us.

Valerie

Well sometimes I make food by myself and

I cook with meat from slaughter

But I think of all the things a Gorilla eats and

meat’s not in the picture.

'Cos since I’m goin on home, and my food's been a mess

And I've missed the judges tastes though I’ve tried to do my best

Must pack my knives, stop making my blini

Why are you goin home Valerie, Valerie?

Did you have to go and fail,

make a dish that annoyed Gail(read her blog),

did you get enough exposure?

I hope you didn't lose your job, I hope you find the right way to get closure.

Are you shopping for groceries,

cooking good food for Chicago-ites,

are you busy?

And did you have to use the beets, f

ennel marscarpone cheese,

are you still dizzy?

'Cos since I’m goin on home, and my food's been a mess

And I've missed the judges tastes though I’ve tried to do my best

Must pack my knives, stop making my blini

Why are you goin home Valerie, Valerie?

Yeah, Valerie

-Adapted from "Valerie" by The Zutons

Top Chef Episode 2 - Zoo Food

Congratulations to Chef Mark on his first Quick Fire Win.

You did a great job mate.

Chef Andrew... you little Penguin!


Congratulations on your Eliminate Win

and for WOWing Chef Wylie.

So sorry Chef Valerie.

We wish you all the best. Drop by our little kitchen any time.

Top Chef lingo of the week

Week 2 - Top Chef

15 chefs to go.

Who do you think will win tonight and who is going up in flames?

Let the flames begin again.

Don't forget our LIVE chatroom will be open during the show tonight. Bring your snakes, drinks and have some fun chatting during the show with fellow TC fans.

Fan Review - Chef Hung at Solo

Every now and then, one of you lucky fans gets the opportunity to experience the dishes prepared by a past Top Chef. We here at BTC love when you share the experience with us.

From Debby T
Just got back from Solo. Menu was outstanding. Tried the Kampachi duet that Chef Hung was practicing on People.com...and he needs to step up the flavor profile. Decent but not amazing. The sweetbreads, lamb, seared tuna, asparagus, green beans and everything else we tried were superb. Bravo!
And he's cuter in person than on TV!
-Debby T

Thanks Debby for sharing with all of us!

Monday Morning Mixer

CHICAGO STYLE!!!

Welcome to the Monday Morning Mixer and what a fine Irish Monday this is. Each Monday we bring you Top Chef recaps from fellow bloggers who are following the show. It is a great way to get your Monday morning going. Go grab a cup of coffee, you have some great reading ahead of you. Returning to the Monday Morning Mix from season 3, welcome...



Eric 3000 - The one, the only Eric 3000 is blogging Season 4. No one writes a funnier recap then our BFF Eric. He kept us all entertained during past season and we are thrilled that he is back again. Check out Top Chef: Chicago, Episode 1! Starting your Monday with Eric is a great way to begin the week.


The glamorous Ms. Place of Dishin' Dat

Cosmo Marius

and our buddy Cosmo Marius are bogged down in the real world of work. Not fair, we want the phone numbers to their employers. If and when they have time to come up for air and to write about TC, we will be thrilled to bring it to you. Hang in there you two, we loved what you did in season 3 and hope you can do a little in season 4

The talent that is Ms. XaXa and Charlus of Amuse Biatch are thinking along the same lines as many of you in last weeks chat room. We were talking about tracking the colorful profanity and dear Charlus is already on it with a tally board. Check out Sacre Blue Cheese - The Cooks and the Raw (Language)

What'ere, Jane Eyre has a few thoughts regarding the language as well, along with a recap at Anything You Can Cook, I Can Cook Better

New to the Mix this season!

Please help us welcome David Dust to the Monday Morning Mix. David has his recap Top Chef Chicago - Episode One - "Douchebag Or Lesbian?"

and welcome RVA Foodie , who was a little busy the other night with My Quickfire Cocktail Challenge during Top Chef

Welcome to the mix David and RVA.

Also the Top Chef judges and former Top Chefs are Blogging over on Bravo.com. You can check out each of their blogs by using the links over on our side bar, to the right.

Are you recapping Top Chef? Then write to us and let us know if you would like to be added to the mix. Be sure to use our email address and not the comment area to tell us about your blog and the URL address.