All Top Chef

New on DVD!

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

A&E/New Video has announced the release of Top Chef Masters season 1 and Top Chef Las Vegas on DVD! Now you can get your fill of Hubert Keller, Rick Bayless, and the Voltaggio Brothers while watching both seasons over and over and over again.

Both are available at Target for $19.99.

Click here to buy Top Chef Masters Season 1

Click here to buy Top Chef Las Vegas Season 6

Or...you can win a copy of both videos here at All Top Chef! Just leave a comment and tell us who you think should have been the winners in those seasons. One winner will be chosen by random drawing and the winner will be notified by e-mail. The winner will receive one copy of the Top Chef Masters Season 1 DVD and one copy of the Top Chef Las Vegas Season 6 DVD.

Contest ends August 11th at midnight.

As always, there are rules and regulations:

Contest open to residents the United States of America and Canada only.
Please be 18 years of age or older.
The odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received.
Winners will be chosen at random and notified via email.
Only Entrants who provide valid e-mail addresses will be considered in prize drawings.
Entrants may not be awarded two of the same prize from different sources. If it is found that the individual chosen as the recipient of a prize has already won the same prize elsewhere, a new winner will be selected.
The prizing for this giveaway was provided by A&E. A&E is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway.

Poll - Who Do You Think Should Have Been PPYKAG'd in Week 7?

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:00 +0000

poll by twiigs.com

ATC Exit Interview with Andrea Curto-Randazzo

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Resident Podcast Queen Laura K is out of town, so this week All Top Chef has an e-mail interview with eliminated cheftestant Andrea Curto-Randazzo of Talula and The Water Club Restaurants in Miami Beach.

ATC: What was your favorite challenge of the season and why?
AC-R: The School Lunch Challenge. Typically challenges were so stressful and harried. Those kids really lightened up that day! They were all so well behaved, polite, intelligent with tons of personality – and they really appreciated us being there. Even though our team didn’t win that day – I know among the kids – we were the fan favorite!

ATC: Who were your best friends among the cheftestants?
AC-R: Kelly, Tamesha, Tracey, Kenny, Kevin, Lynn & Arnold. Ed & Tiff were great too!

ATC: In hindsight, would you have done anything differently and why?
AC-R: I probably would have controlled the mental aspect a little better.

ATC:  Out of all of the dishes you created this season, which was your favorite and why?
AC-R: I was very proud of the Short Ribs Kelly and I made as well as the Gnocchi on the first challenge.

ATC:  Will you be putting any of the dishes you made on your restaurant menu?
AC-R: Variations perhaps.

ATC:  Did you learn any new techniques from the other chefs?
AC-R: Still have to practice cleaning those crabs. Tim was awesome at that.

ATC:  So what really happened to Ed's pea purée?
AC-R: Again?! Ed lost pea puree – pea puree was on Alex’s “winning” dish – You do the math.

ATC: Now that she has judged you, what is your relationship with Michelle Bernstein like these days?
AC-R: Haven’t spoken to her!

ATC: What do you think was the biggest benefit you got out of being on Top Chef?
AC-R: Some amazing friendships that will last me a lifetime.

ATC: We're so sorry to see you go - do you have anything you'd like to say to your fans?
AC-R: My “fans” were awesome! They gave me so much love and support and embraced my genuine personality. They all keep asking about “I’m just sayin’!” All I can say is -next season! Thank you to everyone! I will be around! Keep it real!

Bravo Exit Interview - Andrea Curto-Randazzo

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Did He or Didn't He?

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:00:00 +0000

I think it's hard to call, but it seemed so blatant. What do you think?

poll by twiigs.com

ATC Love to Andrea Curto-Randazzo

noreply@blogger.com (Neal P) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:08:00 +0000

Chef Andrea chalked up her loss last night to mental errors and said that she "didn't play the game well." Over the last few weeks, it certainly felt as if she was struggling, but no one can accuse her of not taking risks. Her swordfish dish featured a vanilla sauce which, while daring, was ultimately deemed too powerful for the meal. Also, swordfish was not a fish with which she had a great deal of experience and that worked against her in the final judgment.

Despite the loss, we're sure Chef Andrea was happy to leave chilly DC and return to her family in sunny Miami. We wish her all the best wish her future endeavors.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Andrea Curto-Randazzo. If you have anything negative to say, please leave your comment here.

Congratulations Chef Alex Reznik!

noreply@blogger.com (Neal P) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:53:00 +0000

Chef Alex said he had too many ideas going into this challenge, but he must have stumbled onto the right ones because his Applewood Smoked Salmon with Black Forbidden Rice and English Pea Puree won over the judges, particularly guest judge Art Smith, who said he could eat a whole bowl of the English pea puree. MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski also enjoyed the dish, proclaiming that it was a perfect portion for lunch while providing a full, satisfying dining experience.

As one of the many chefs in this season trying to emerge from the shadows of Kenny and Angelo, Chef Alex has pulled out a win and proven that he can be a contender in this competition. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the weeks ahead.

This post is only for positive comments regarding Chef Alex Reznik. If you have anything negative to say, please leave your comment here.

Reactions to Top Chef DC Episode 7

noreply@blogger.com (Neal P) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:29:00 +0000

Last week, cheftestants conspired to put Alpha Male Kenny on the bottom (allegedly); this week, accusations of food swiping abound. Looks like this is finally turning into a real competition, but let's back up a bit.

The episode begins with Kenny grumbling over how he thinks some strategery was going on to force him out. Tiffany points out that Angelo helped Temesha and Stephen with their dishes, and both failed. Hmmmm. Amid this air of suspicion, the chefs head off to the Top Chef kitchen to begin their next Quickfire Challenge.

They are greeted by Padma and the love child of Rocco DiSpirito and Neil Patrick Harris, Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock (R). Congressman Schock explains that lobbyists are not allowed to woo members of Congress with lavish dinners; they may only serve them food that can fit on a toothpick. Therefore, the challenge is to make an hors d'oeuvres that will pack the taste of a whole dish onto a toothpick. In addition to immunity for the Elimination Challenge, the winner receives $20,000.

After the tasting, Congressman Schock declared that Alex's scallop and crispy bacon had too many flavors, Ed's duo of tuna looked better than it tasted, and Kelly's scallops with watermelon lacked flavor. On the upside, Kevin's grilled pork kabob and Stephen's scallop and beef creation earned high marks, but Angelo's Cucumber Cup with Spiced Shrimp and Cashew won the big prize.

On to the Elimination Challenge where the chefs must prepare a power lunch for 24 diners at The Palm DC using ingredients regularly featured on The Palm's menu. They draw knives to find out which protein each will be using and it shakes out like this:
Salmon - Stephen and Alex
Swordfish - Tiffany and Andrea
Porterhouse Steak - Kelly and Amanda
Lobster - Ed and Angelo
Lamb - Kenny and Kevin

The chefs get their usual shopping and prep time, and then return to the chef house to rest up for tomorrow's big lunch. Alex had too many ideas and was still stewing over what he should make when Kenny saunters in wearing his sexy tan terry-cloth robe and states that Ed made an English pea puree to go with his salmon. Ed, meanwhile, is unloading his insecurities on Tiffany who tries to cheer him up.

Cut to the next day where the chefs pile into the cramped confines of The Palm's kitchen. Bruce Bozzi, Jr., executive vice-president of The Palm Restaurant Group, welcomes the chefs and explains that the winner of this challenge will have his/her dish put on The Palm's menu and a caricature of the winner will be placed on the wall. Quickly, pandemonium broke out as the chefs scrambled to complete their dishes in time. Kelly bogarts the 10 pounds of salt she is dumping on her steaks because she wants to make sure her flavors are "aggressive." Ed is frantically looking for the pea puree he made yesterday while Alex is spreading some pea puree on his plate and claiming he never saw it.

The power lunch begins with such VIPs as MSNBC's token conservative Joe Scarborough, sidekick Mika Brzezinski, Virginia Senator Mark Warner, and guest judge Art Smith. The dishes are disseminated and, as usual, there are good and bad things said. Finally, Padma, Tom, Gail, and Art Smith head back to the judges' table. Padma calls out Alex, Tiffany, and Ed as the top three. Although Tiffany's fish was not as dry as she had feared and Ed's dish was fine without the pea puree, Alex took the win with his Applewood Smoked Salmon with Black Forbidden Rice and the English pea puree that Art Smith loved. Great job Ed - I mean, Alex!

In the stew room, Stephen is providing a seminar on being on the bottom, but he doesn't have to worry this week because the bottom three are Kelly, Andrea, and Kevin. The copious amounts of salt ladled onto her steaks was Kelly's downfall. Kevin put too many pepper flakes in his tomato concassee and the lamb was overcooked. The greatest transgressions were made by Andrea, however, whose swordfish was not well cooked, the couscous was deemed "gloopy," and there was too much vanilla in the sauce. Andrea was asked to pack her knives and go.

Okay, now it's your turn. What did you think of last night's episode? Should Alex have won? Should Ed have protested? How many more times do we have to see Kenny in that robe?

Top Chef DC Episode 7 Previews

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

For the Quickfire, the cheftestants attempt to create tiny culinary delights to be served at a Congressional party. And during the elimination round, they experience the true D.C. “Power Lunch” when the chefs must prepare the perfect dish for some media heavy-hitters at the city's elite Palm restaurant. Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois serves as the guest Quickfire judge, and Oprah Winfrey’s former personal chef Art Smith is the guest judge for the elimination. D.C. power-players Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough & Mika Brezinski and NBC White House Correspondent Savannah Guthrie lend their taste buds in this episode. Will the chefs be able to deliver for these uber-discerning diners? Find out tonight, Wednesday 7/28, @ 9/8c on BRAVO’s TOP CHEF D.C.

Top Chef DC Finale - Where Will It Be?

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Bravo wants us to guess where the season 7 finale will take place. They've provided 10 location possibilities, but only one is correct. I think you can pretty much exclude Singapore, Japan, Rome, and Paris. Oh, and Wasilla. What's your guess?

poll by twiigs.com

Recap Roundup: Top Chef DC Episode 6

kit@kitpollard.com (Kit Pollard) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:20:00 +0000

Richard Nixon, the Cuban Missle Crisis, and duck balls: what do they all have in common? Why, Top Chef, of course!

David Dust on not really feeling the guest judge: "I guess I can’t completely explain it, but if Michelle Bernstein and I were in a nightclub, I would SOOOOOO “accidentally” spill my drink on her lame Charter Club dress while busting my moves on the dance floor. Trust."

Jordan Baker foregoes the haiku!: "Look, she was a bitch who spent at least two episodes talking about wanting to kill a competitor, and worse yet, she was holier than thou about everyone else’s attitude and despiteall this, SOMEHOW, she still managed to be boring as shit. No haiku for her."

Minx Eats on the surprising winner: "I thought it was surprising for Kevin to be on top without Alpha holding his hand so I figured Tiffany would win this. But no - I was wrong. Kevin is declared the winner and given a bonus prize - 6 nights in Hawaii including air fare. Nice."

Cliffieland gets caught up in the puns: "He says he doesn't and hasn't. And wasn't aware that they are really duck testicles. That's nuts. Sorry, I couldn't resist. It just quacked me up. OK, now I know that was painful. Like getting smacked in the duck nuggets. I'll stop now."

Gawker on Angelo's Quickfire experiment: "Angelo grabs duck testicles—and for once does not describe them as 'sexy'—to make a marshmallow."

Omnivore explores the Andrea/Michelle backstory: "Andrea says she and Bernstein rose through the ranks together as rookie chefs, but her own mommy-track detour cost her momentum in Miami’s food scene. Another explanation could be that Bernstein is internationally-trained and adventurous, while Andrea has never traveled outside of the United States and crafted a menu that includes a 'Hangover Burger'."

Reality Check (Baltimore Sun) on strategy: "Stephen admits he's thinking about clearing some 'breathing space' by voting for elimination some of the chefs who suck up all the air in the room. He's looking at you Angelo. And you Kenny."

My Monkey Could Do That on the "drama": "Previously on 'Top Chef': The producers, desperate for another ratings goldmine like Leah and Hosea, focus on various couples flirting with each other, or at least where one person is flirting and the other one isn’t outright laughing at them. At least I assume Leah and Hosea was a ratings goldmine. Drama usually is. Too bad none of it involves Amanda, who totally looks like Leah."

Reality TV Magazine on Quickfire winners: "The best dishes were Tamesha who cooked duck tongue perfectly, Amanda whose llama was delicious per Michelle….not really sure how delicious llama can be but hey what do I know. And Kelly who took the emu eggs and turned them into a sophisticated and delicious omelet was also in the top three."

Best Week Ever explains exactly how TC is like the Cold War: "The chefs talk behind each others’ backs a lot (like the Cold War!) and Russian spies are everywhere (also like it!) and Tamesha decides she might have to strangle Amanda (like that time someone probably got strangled in the Cold War!)"

Serious Eats on the emu: "Amanda was assigned emu eggs by default. 'I'm assuming they're very hard to get into,' she said. As it turns out, emu eggs and Yale University have more in common than we all originally thought."

Tablet on the USS Sequoia: "They’re cruising on the U.S.S. Sequoia, the onetime presidential boat on which Kennedy held meetings during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Which makes sense: As everyone knew at the time, if the Soviets ever bombed, you were either to duck and cover or sit on a boat in the Potomac River, and you would be miraculously saved."

Onion AV Club summarizes my concerns, too: "To me, one of the great distinctions of Top Chef—and Project Runway and other like-minded reality-competition shows—is that it’s a meritocracy. Chefs can talk all they want about psyching out their opponents or how they’re not there to make friends, but at the end of the day (to borrow my least favorite of ubiquitous reality-show expressions), what they put on the plate determines whether they stay or go. Naturally, I was a little alarmed by an Elimination challenge that asked contestants to judge contestants, because that sounded like something those other reality shows would do, not this one."

Hollywood.com has a theory: "Michelle looks exactly like Andrea, and in fact, they know each other! This does nothing to debunk my theory that there exists an underground network of white girls who look exactly the same and who all secretly know each other. "

Speakeasy (WSJ) on foie: "How is foie gras in any way an obscure protein? When foie gras is so overexposed that it’s not uncommon to see it on floating by on trays at ritzy society parties, why is it included as part of a group of 'nasty proteins'?"

Meal Ticket (Philly City Paper) on Ed's experience: "'I’ve used duck balls before,' deadpans Ed, detailing a cock’s comb-and-testes 'cock and balls soup' he put together when working for Todd 'I Look Like Gaston' English. Ed, hands-on experience with balls is one area where I think it’s OK to concede alpha-male dominance to another dude."

Max the Girl with more on strategy: "Meanwhile, Angelo is using the 'S' word again: Strategy. 'I keep on changing my strategy,' he says. 'Keep striving for more.' Dude, this isn’t Survivor. Shouldn’t your strategy be, like, cooking really, really well?"

What'ere, Jane Eyre on recent current events: "I don't know if it's the recent Russian-agents-living-among-us-and-trying-to-garner-secrets-by-being-suburbanites story that feeds the undercurrent of shifty goings-on in this episode, or if everyone really is being this sneaky."

Top Chef Cookbook Giveaway!

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

You have the Top Chef The Cookbook. You have the Top Chef: The Quickfire Cookbook. Now there's a third cookbook available to Top Chef fanatics!

How to Cook Like a Top Chef teaches aspiring chefs what it takes to be a star in the kitchen. Packed with exclusive content including a foreword by Top Chef: Masters winner Rick Bayless, original recipes from contestants, behind-the-scenes interviews, juicy trivia, and tons of tips and tricks, this volume is as indispensable on the cook's countertop as it is essential reading for Top Chef fans.

Here's a sneak peek at the book, in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:
Interview with Michael and Bryan Voltaggio

All Top Chef has FIVE copies to give away to our readers. But yes, there's a catch: you must leave a comment naming your favorite Top Chef or Top Chef: Masters competitor and why. Please include your valid e-mail address in your comment. (Winners will be notified by e-mail.)

Contest ends August 14th.
The fine print. Please read carefully.

Contest open to residents the United States of America and Canada only.
Please be 18 years of age or older.
The odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received.
Winners will be chosen at random and notified via email.
Only Entrants who provide valid e-mail addresses will be considered in prize drawings.
Entrants may not be awarded two of the same prize from different sources. If it is found that the individual chosen as the recipient of a prize has already won the same prize elsewhere, a new winner will be selected.
The prizing for this giveaway was provided by Bravo. Bravo is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway.

So what are you waiting for? Tell us who is your favorite chef'testant and you can be a winner!

Top Recipe - Top Chef DC Episode 6

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Check out Michael Voltaggio preparing Kevin Sbraga's winning recipe in this Top Recipe video.

Click here for the printable version of Chef Sbraga's veal and tuna with Mediterranean condiments.

Poll - Who Do You Think Should Have Been PPYKAG'd in Week 6?

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:53:00 +0000

poll by twiigs.com

Bravo Exit Interview - Tamesha Warren

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

All Top Chef Interview with Tamesha Warren

noreply@blogger.com (Laura K) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:46:00 +0000

Was last night's elimination more about strategy or about the food?

Will Tamesha add anything new to the menu at The Oval Room?

Click here for the podcast.

Thank you Chef Tamesha!

Congratulations, Chef Kevin Sbraga!

kit@kitpollard.com (Kit Pollard) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:57:00 +0000

Congratulations to Chef Kevin Sbraga, who with his wife and two daughters will soon be visiting the Hilton in Hawaii for six nights! Airfare included! The cheftestants and the judges agreed that his surf and turf combination of tuna and veal with romaine leaves, pine nuts and Mediterranean flavors was beautiful, flavorful and had great texture.

The prize was likely especially welcome, as Kevin was dealt a tough hand in the Quickfire, when he was stuck cooking duck white kidneys. Which are not what they sound like.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Sbraga. If you have anything negative to say about him or the competition, please leave a comment here.

Reactions to Top Chef DC Episode 6

kit@kitpollard.com (Kit Pollard) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:55:00 +0000

Last week, blue crab carnage and a goodbye to Baltimore boy Timothy Dean. This week, tortured Cold War references. It's just another day in the Top Chef DC universe.

This week's episode starts with the standards: shots of chefs in bed and talking heads lamenting the loss of the most recent contestant. Apparently Tim was a bit of a father figure. Who knew?

As our cheftestants enter the kitchen for the Quickfire, they realize two things: 1) Miami chef Michelle Bernstein will be guest judging; and, 2) they're about to embark on the annual Fear Factor protein Quickfire. The selection of proteins layed out before them ranges from foie gras (not scary) to duck white kidneys (aka duck testicles aka scary).

The chefs draw knives to decide who will pick first and nobody feels sorry for Annoying Amanda, whose last place spot leaves her with an emu egg that requires a hacksaw and fire-retardant gloves to crack.

Andrea, however, spends some time feeling sorry for herself, because she knows Bernstein from Miami, where apparently they used to be rivals until Andrea chose the Mommy track and Bernstein chose the rich-and-famous track. Andrea is uncomfortable being judged by someone she perceives as a semi-peer and she obviously struggles a little with how she thinks Bernstein views her. I won't be snarky here because I feel for her - I do. It's not always easy to make the decision to focus on family over a bright career and even if you never regret having kids, there are always what-ifs. And that is the end of my "it's tough to be a woman, or even a man" rant.

Back to the Quickfire: everyone's operating at various levels of comfort (Angelo did not realize he was signing on for duck ball marshmallows), when Padma announces a twist: everyone is to take over the protein to their left. Collective groans all around, except from Amanda, who is more than happy to pass her emu eggs onto Kelly. Who is not that psyched to receive them.

In the end, though, Kelly's emu egg omelette, though simple, is the big winner, while Stephen's "insipid" frog legs, Alex's dry ostrich and Andrea's dry boar (driven, apparently, by her psychological drama) end up on the bottom. Kelly receives immunity, too, which is huge in this challenge.

Onto the Elimination Challenge, which involes one of the most drawn out, miserable puns we've seen in Top Chef history. Tom and Padma say something about the Cold War - which has been over for nearly 20 years, last time I checked - and explain that the cheftestants' challenge will be to make a cold dish. The twist is that they'll divide into two groups. Group A will taste Group B's food and vice versa, and each group will be able to nominate one chef for elimination and one for the win.

Next up, the cheftestants are delivered to the USS Sequoia, "the Air Force One of ships," where apparently Kennedy and Nixon did some negotiating, or something. In one of the more pointless scenes on the show, the chefs wander around the ship - which is cool - to plan their meals and potentially sabotage one another. And that's it. The boat's just there to look pretty, apparently.

Next, to Whole Foods, then to the kitchen. There's much discussion of elimination strategy - Will they try to get rid of their strongest competitors? Is this Survivor all of a sudden? - and whether Angelo is actually helping Tamesha with his advice, or hurting her. He tells the camera that he's "here to win," which is just about as close to "I'm not here to make friends" as you can get.

There's little cooking drama this week, with all the focus on the actual tasting. Group A, which includes Angelo, Tamesha, Tiffany, Stephen, Andrea, and Kelly (who tastes with both groups), is pretty harsh - bad enough that at one point, Tom and Gail counter their assertions that Kevin's dish is lacking acid.

They must be pretty convincing because Kevin ends up nominated for the win for his tuna and veal surf and turf, while powerhouse Kenny is nominated for elimination for his big old mess of lamb. It's hard to tell if Kenny really deserved the nom, or if Amanda should've gotten it for her cartilage-filled chicken galantine. We may never know.

The second group (Kevin, Kenny, Ed, Amanda, Alex and Kelly) is a little less harsh, though still critical, and ends up nominating Tiffany and her seared tuna in gazpacho for the win and Tamesha and her oddly cooked scallops for elimination.

Kevin wins for his dish, which the judges call "delectable," and he's given a week-long trip to Hawaii, which is pretty sweet if you ask me. I'm sure his wife and kids agree.

Anyone who's ever watched an episode of Top Chef knows what happens next: Tamesha goes home. Because, say it together, this is not Top Scallop. Seriously, when will the cheftestants realize that scallops just do not show well in this competition?

Tamesha laments letting Angelo have so much influence over her, but in the end, she's extremely calm (as per usual - she might be the least excitable chef ever), says her thank yous and says goodbye.

Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention: in the DVR buster, Ed reveals that he and Angelo have, ahem, shared. Ed dated Angelo's girlfriend just before Angelo did. How did they wait until now to reveal this? What other gross surprises do they have in store for us???

And that is all for this week's episode. What did you think? Was Kenny unfairly nominated? Should Amanda have had a shot to go home? Was Kevin the rightful winner? Could the Cold War puns have been worse? Please leave a comment with your thoughts....

ATC Love to Chef Tamesha Warren

kit@kitpollard.com (Kit Pollard) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:55:00 +0000

This week we said goodbye to DC's own Chef Tamesha Warren, the youngest of the group. Her "Cold War" dish of seared scallops with pickled rhubarb, long pepper, and cilantro, was criticized by her peers as being too spicy, having an odd texture, and a "funky" flavor.

Unfortunately for Tamesha, the judges agreed, noting that the pepper has a distinct and overpowering flavor and that when combined with the sauce, the scallop's texture became unpleasant.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Tamesha Warren. If you have anything negative to say about her or the competition, please leave a comment here.

Top Chef DC Episode 6 Previews

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Frog legs and ostrich are nothing new to the experienced foodies out there, but when emu eggs, crocodile, and rattlesnake are introduced to the Quickfire this week, creativity is bound to ensue as the cheftestants are challenged to create dishes around these "foreign" proteins. And for the elimination challenge, the chefs battle it out in a culinary version of the Cold War when they are divided into two groups to create one cold entrée. The twist? Each team will get to taste the other groups’ dishes and become the judges! Will this shift cause the chefs to be extra-judgmental of their peers? Find out tonight, 7/21, @ 9/8c only on Bravo’s TOP CHEF D.C.

Video du Jour - Susur Lee Eats Ice Cream

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Short and totally frivolous, but I know Chef Lee and his dimples have lots of fans....

Recap Roundup: Top Chef DC Episode 5

kit@kitpollard.com (Kit Pollard) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:45:00 +0000

Blue crabs and farms! This Maryland girl was happy to see Old Bay make an appearance, but could've stood a little more decorum around those crabs. But what did the bloggers think?

Jordan Baker haikus: "Oh, Timothy Dean / Barry White voice can’t save your / Invisible veg"

Minx Eats gets Marylandy on the cheftestants: "It's funny to see chefs who are not from this region playing with blue crabs for the first time. Everyone can handle lobsters because most of their meat is in one chunk, but crabs have lots of little hiding places under their shells. The chefs are hammering and chopping at them blindly like total morons."

Cliffieland on Angelo's condition: "Padma: 'You've got crabs!' Me: 'I wonder how long before someone ...' Angelo: 'Well, I've had crabs and it just brought back bad memories.' Me: 'Less than one second. That must be a record. ... Also, why am I not surprised. And ... eeeeew.'"

What'ere, Jane Eyre on the losers: "Tim, Amanda, and Stephen sink to the bottom. Even though Stephen has practically rented a room at Losers' Table, and even though all he did was make a simple salad that he still managed to fuck up, the judges axe Tim, breaking up the Tim/Tiffany dream team that our viewing party was getting such a kick out of. Dang."

My Monkey Could Do That on Kenny's smooth bathrobe: "Commercial interlude: Kenny owns a velour bathrobe. Tim loves it. Andrea and Amanda go through various nicknames. Amanda’s are more offensive in that they all have 'black' in them. Actually all the girls think he’s smooth."

Reality Check (Baltimore Sun) on the carnage: "The folks used to cooking with larger crabs are a little stymied. I had that same issue when I first moved here. Well, not cooking them, but eating them. Also, I just can't deal with watching them get hacked to pieces or cooked while they're still alive. I'm a baby like that."

TWOP on structural issues: "The top four are Kevin, Kenny, Andrea, and Kelly, which is funny because they were the worst (that didn't go home) last week. Just goes to show that the challenge last week was poorly designed. It's one thing when ONE person goes from worst to first, but all four?"

Meal Ticket (Philly City Paper) with a little more MD love: "I was excited about this QF challenge — picking and cooking crabs is a challenge, while forcing professionals to fill jars with mushy shit is not — since I’m from Maryland, but also since I assumed this would be cake for Baltimore chef Tim, who’s been catching all sorts of bad breaks in recent episodes. He does up his crab with avocado, passion fruit and an heirloom tomato vin. “Give it the microphone and let it sing,” goes his crab-cookin’ philosophy. Hell to the yes, my fellow Terp."

Max the Girl on dirty Angelo: "Angelo can't get over how 'luscious' Tamesha's cherry. . . compote is. 'It's super sexy,' he says. Okay, just stop. As for his own duck, 'I basically made love to that duck.' So now the duck has crabs."

Speakeasy (WSJ) on Ed + Tiffany: "Ed is sweet on Tiffany (anytime a man says he loves a woman’s laugh, he’s already a goner), so he tries to impress her by trotting out his trusty time-he-ate-a-fried-crocodile story. She titters appreciatively, craning her neck just so and raising her shoulder coyly. Oh, it’s on."

Best Week Ever on losing words: "Stephen wants to be the 'forefrontrunner' — hopefully not of using correct words — and pulls a classic Top Chef 'I know it’s simple, but…' salad that is destined for failure. Amanda is preparing a minestrone soup and makes the same mistake, saying 'I know minestrone is pedestrian but…' Trouble Twins!"

TC News & Information 7.19.10

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Top Chef Masters competitor Jody Adams was happy to be a part of that show. Read a new interview with the chef here.

Top Chef DC's Amanda Baumgarten shares her kitchen wisdom with the LA Times Show Tracker blog.

Michael Voltaggio got carded and turned away from a taco joint in California the other day. Guess the bouncer doesn't watch Top Chef.

First Isaac Mizrahi, now Marcus Samuelsson: eventually everyone designs something for Target.

Video du Jour - Marcus Samuelsson Grills Steak

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:02:00 +0000

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Top Recipe - Top Chef DC Episode 5

theminx1@gmail.com (theminx) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Click here to watch Michael Voltaggio cook up Kenny Gilbert's winning recipe of hot and sour eggplant curry.

Find the printable version of the same recipe here.