Anne wrote:

Hi, Gail!

Well written blog, as I would expect!

Until I read this I had forgotten the first novelty of the "TV dinner" when I was a kid...I am older than you are by quite a lot, but I remember the first Banquet Frozen Dinners my mom bought...probably on a lark, because she was a really superior home cook. But how I loved those crazy things! At least my mom could get me to eat the veggies just because they were all by themselves in their neat little tin foil compartments!

Sorry to see Joey go...I liked him in an odd way...he is certainly a personality to contend with. One has to say that at least there are some of the chefs this season who put themselves out there, succeed or fail. They are not flying under the radar so to speak, and are not afraid to get in there and try their best, come what may.

Thank you for always putting out a really interesting blog for us to read, and giving us some insight into things we might not otherwise think about. Maybe I will go out and buy one of those Banquet suppers just for old time's and nostalgia's sake!

See you next week! :)

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:17 PM

Jade wrote:

Odd that Bertolli's frozen dinners are being held up as an example in this episode because I've tried them and found them nearly inedible because of the amount of salt in them. Bertolli makes some great products, but I definitely wouldn't count their frozen dinners among them.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:25 PM

tommy wrote:

Not sure why the judges - and Gail specifically - continue to contradict themselves, but at this judges table (editing aside) she was atrocious. In the blogs, as well as in the "rehash" episodes, they continue to say they must judge each challenge as a stand alone (citing the reason that it could be their first and only visit to the chef's restaurant) - then during the judges table they bring up past failures or mistakes and use them in the judging. Tonight specifically, Gail alluded to Howie being "on the chopping block" several times even though it's been at least 3 eps since that's happened and he's won two full challenges. It boggles the mind really.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:25 PM

Jennifer wrote:

I have to disagree with the judges' decision on the frozen challenge-- longtime Top Chef fan since Season 1, first time commenting. Sara should have left tonight. Is Howie a bulldog? Perhaps. But Sara contributed nothing but negativity and criticism, talking down to Howie like she was his babysitter rather than his partner. Hung claims to know everything but for all his bravado and arrogance he couldn't get a very simple point regarding the IQF across to Joey, so the failure of that team rests on both their shoulders, not just Joey's. And besides, what has Sara ever done in any challenge that was memorable? She's always in the middle-bottom, full of excuses as to why her food is sub-par (remember the gelatin incident?). I'm no huge Joey fan, but at least he has done some good dishes and won some challenges. What's the bigger crime--doing something and getting it wrong, or sitting back being passive-agressive and not contributing? Sorry judges, tonight should have been Sara's night to go.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:27 PM

Brian wrote:

Best of luck to Joey. He definitely has the passion for the business and I look forward to eating in his restaurant this fall.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:27 PM

Christian wrote:

I really enjoyed today's show, coincidentally, having to whip up 2 frozen dinners for myself since it was late and I missed actual dinner (a frozen pizza and a steak-umm sandwich with gruyere and ketchup) while watching it. I am sorry to see Joey leave, especially after all the emotion he showed at the end. I do have to say that the BIGGEST ISSUE right now on TC3 is the amount of sweat Howie is getting into his dishes. Tim mentioned it last week and I've noticed it even before then. I think he should be booted just for that, honestly. I hope diners in South Florida see that and avoid his restaurant, because the only salt we need in our food is that from a shaker. It's utterly repulsive. The guy leans over his cutting board and ingredients like an umbrella dripping from a thunderstorm. Wear a bandana wrapped on your head!!!!!

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:27 PM

Vijay wrote:

I thought it was a ridiculous decision to send Joey home when Hung did nothing other than throwing his idea out and not following it up and Sara did nothing at all. I guess if you do nothing in the kitchen and then come to the judges table and claim that the dish was not prepared your way, you can get away with it. Bad precedent. Either Sara or Hung should have gone home. I am surprised that chef Colicchio who alwats talks about contribution when it comes to team challenges failed to take this into account. So Sara stays despite servinga bad dish towards which she contributed zlich.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:33 PM

Mike wrote:

Gail -

The judges' decision was, quite frankly, delusional. It was clear, from the episode, that Sara Mair should have been eliminated without a second thought. She was passive-aggressive, did next to nothing to stop mistakes - hell, anything - from happening, and never came within a millimeter of asserting herself.

To me, these are far greater flaws than not realizing what your teammate wanted to do - and Hung should have asserted himself far, far more than he did. My memory may be off, but from what I can remember, he never explicitly said to Joey that individually freezing the items was the way to go. He should have done that immediately.

Eliminating Joey was, plain and simple, a bad-to-awful move on your part.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:35 PM

Mike wrote:

Gail -

The judges' decision was, quite frankly, delusional. It was clear, from the episode, that Sara Mair should have been eliminated without a second thought. She was passive-aggressive, did next to nothing to stop mistakes - hell, anything - from happening, and never came within a millimeter of asserting herself.

To me, these are far greater flaws than not realizing what your teammate wanted to do - and Hung should have asserted himself far, far more than he did. My memory may be off, but from what I can remember, he never explicitly said to Joey that individually freezing the items was the way to go. He should have done that immediately.

Eliminating Joey was, plain and simple, a bad-to-awful move on the judges' part.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:37 PM

TNnis wrote:

I truly hope that Sara M. goes home next week --

Joey seems to have a lot more potential than she, and I felt he was sent home prematurely, especially in light of his recent successes in cuisine and behavior.

It really surprised me that the "chefs" didn't grasp the concept of this challenge - my husband and I have been freezing wads of pesto and marinara in muffin tins for years, transferring the frozen product into zip bags (more recently using silicone muffin pans and that WONDERFUL Press & Seal stuff) for later use. Same deal with leftover steamed veggies - put wads of them on a cookie sheet, freeze them overnight at a subzero temp and bag in the morning to go with the wads of frozen sauce. It seemed like a total no-brainer to me, but I've never had to cook on a reality show.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:39 PM

Scott S. wrote:

The frozen food challenge was great both from the cooking and the science of it. I still don't know how Joey got booted and not Sarah. As an aside, these top chef's appear a lot more talented than season 2 BUT I don't need to be titilated by seeing chefs in bikinis or camera angles to pick up body parts -- like Tom says "it's a cooking show" save the other stuff for soap operas.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:45 PM

John F. J. Noone wrote:

I like frozen dinners. I get 45 minutes for lunch and I like the idea of putting something in the microwave and nuking it. We don't have a stove or an oven at work. We also don't have the time to cook anything. So it nice change from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to have something hot. Sometimes I'll make something at home. Freeze it and bring it to work. To me a good leader is somebody who will listen to what everybody has to say and then make the best decision based upon all the information. For myself personally. I like it when somebody says
"I think we should do this, this and this". I'll listen and then say
"Sounds great. What is we added this or maybe change this a little bit. Okay. Good. Go for it".
John

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:48 PM

SteveS wrote:

I don't have the benefit of tasting the food like Gail and the other judges, but it's usually easy to see how people react to tasting a dish. Joey and Hung didn't appear to have a good dish any way it goes. It was interesting to me to hear Joey say he believed he had a winner. I think I would go peak at what the other top chef contestants are making before I finalize my dish. Maybe even sneak a taste. If my dish didn't have it, then there should always be enough time to spice it up. I don't see how the contestants missed the frozen dinner concept. Haven't Joey, Hung, Howie, and Sara ever eaten a TV dinner? Where did these guys grow up?

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:49 PM

Sue wrote:

I was disappointed with the judges decision tonight; definitely did not agree with it. Joey did not understand exactly the entire concept, but neither did the other teams, including Casey's team, who also mixed up their ingredients instead of separating them, though it ended up being ok (partly because of the decision to use pesto instead of a tomato based sauce which has more liquid in it). One thing that Tom C. pointed out more than once was that Sara basically didn't put a whole lot of effort into what was going on. The attitude was quite apparent in the showing, too. Joey at least was putting his best effort; he was doing his best. It is too bad the judges seem to think that not putting much effort into something is a step above putting effort into something. Also, Hung could have spoke up more and didn't; I find that more a failure than Joey's miscomprehension. Funny how Hung seems to speak up when he's arrogantly bragging about himself. Or making sure to put the bag on Joey's shoulder instead of taking responsibility. So judges, I really felt you were totally off base with this decision tonight. I think how these chefs put forth the effort needs to be a priority in the competition, especially in an elimination challenge where they are teams. And how someone who keeps putting himself on a pedastal, when they are no better than anyone else, needs to be knocked down a peg or two. Someone like that is a total turn off.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:50 PM

Rob Stumpf wrote:

Gail's looking very pretty, if that comment is permitted. Hm. Anyway, I was surprised that Joey was the one to go...at least he tried to put something together, while Sara M. was floating around Howie like a bee, making mostly useless comments. Or so it appeared from watching. If Joey was too stubborn, Sara seemed barely involved...i think her sin was worse. Enjoyed this week's episode.

posted on August 1, 2007 at 11:54 PM

Megan wrote:

As you are the only person near the top that has a blog right now, I'll just put this here, even though I am sure this was out of your control. This did not seem like an episode of Top Chef, it was an hour long commercial for Rocco's food. I wish the producers would have made an exciting quickfire to compensate for it, but just looking at someone tasting something is very bland.
I thought this was one of the worst episodes of Top Chef, ever. This should not have been the episode they made everyone wait two weeks to watch.
Peace to you Gail, I have a lot of respect for you.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:02 AM

eric76 wrote:

I'm surprised that Joey went home instead of Howie.

Joey's biggest problem was apparently that he didn't understand the challenge.

Howie, on the other hand, flat out refused to work as a team member. He hogged everything to himself at every opportunity and allowed little room for his teammate to contribute. That gives Howie a chance to say that his teammate contributed nothing and make them the sacrificial lamb.

Which is worse? While a "top chef" needs to understand the task at hand, it is more important that they work as a team. Clearly, neither Joey nor Howie are team players, but Howie was much, much worse about that than Joey.

It would have been nice if both had been booted.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:26 AM

Rick wrote:

It's easy to feel bad for Joey -- and I did -- when you see him bawling about going home at the end of the episode. I just wanted to give the big guy a hug. But come on...I think his flaws as a contestant were pretty apparent from the beginning. He lacked the interpersonal and professional maturity -- listening skills, taking responsibility, forethought, teamwork -- that are such a huge part of being a well-rounded chef. He seems like a good guy at heart though, and I'm sure he'll learn from the experience. One more reminder that being top chef has to do with a lot more than just being a great cook!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:39 AM

gbostany wrote:

Why do you think Joey was the one to let go tonight (8/01) ? Sara M. hasn't show anything except a very well done chile relanos dish earlier on. She shines also because she could make hew own cheese. Joey seems to know flavor combibations a little better then Sara M. IQF should have been an evident, obvious, clear way to go. You dump out a package of Bertolloi and that is what you see. Why is it that only 1 team, knew the science behind the packaging. Why did Casey's team succeed? Was it purely flavor.how come only 2 people picked up on that??

Hung has show himself to be arrogant, useless in running a kitchen, cannot bark out orders and has no leadership qualities because he thinks too much of himself. I would have like to see Howie and Joey, Casey and Brian, Sara M and TRE, Tall dude and Sara (asian) and Hung and Sara M.

Joey was such a sensitive, passionate guy - is this the reason he wore his heart on his night shirt.

I must say thought, Casey is quite a beautiful woman.I live in Hawaii and have a successful bussiness. I would love to havethe opportunity to tak to her....Thank you brotha Please be truthful folks regardless of how deeply yout criticisms cut

Tre ?- Please take me to Italy with you. Not only will I reimbnuse yout arline tick. you have inspired me beyond words

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:43 AM

deafgeek wrote:

I'm going to write something very similar to what I wrote on Ted's blog. I really enjoyed tonight's episode! However, I wasn't exactly happy with the judges' decision to kick Joey out of the running. Now that I've read your blog, I understand why he was kicked out, and partly agree with your decision. However, I felt that Sara should have been the one to get the boot. She was lazy, and didn't seem to participate with the cooking--even Tom called her up on it! She admitted that she didn't like confrontation, and so she basically had Howie do much of the cooking in order to avoid conflict. To me, that shows a lack of backbone and an unwillingness to stand up for yourself and communication. While Joey and Hung had severe communication problems, at least both of them did about the same amount of work! Although I realize that what we viewers watch in a hour is totally different from what you judges and contestants experience in "real time" and so our views are somewhat skewed by lack of information, I still feel that Sara's behavior was not considered enough. Nevertheless, I respect your decisions.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:52 AM

John wrote:

If I recall correctly, Tiffani during the microwave challenge related how she would serve these tasty frozen dinners to her boyfriend under the pretext that she whipped it up from scratch. She called it a 'Tiffani'.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:38 AM

Nicole Painter wrote:

Hey Gail, I appreciate you explaining why Joey was sent home. Even though he got on my nerves he did win a few challenges so I was surprised. I thought Sara should have went. She seemed like a weak link and I don't think she has done anything memorable yet. On the reunion show, one of the judges said you all have to judge who goes home each week based on that week's elimination challenge. I was glad that was explained because I don't understand where you guys are going sometimes. For example, sending Sam home last season when he should have won! Does that rule frustrate you?

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:41 AM

Marni wrote:

As a latch key kid, my mom tried to freeze leftovers for me to eat, and they were the worst...She would put everything into a bowl, and there you go...At a very young age I had to learn to cook for myself, and I learned a lot from "TV dinners" If you want something to actually be edible later you have to freeze it seperately...I have done my share of making frozen meals since I have been an adult and you always (red beans & rice is my one exception) have to freeze them seperately.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 2:37 AM

Emily wrote:

On the semi-frozen meatball- if you buy a frozen dinner at the store and you fail to cook it sufficiently to thaw it out- that's the cook's faulty, not the fault of the people who prepared the frozen meal. The people who bought Casey and Dale's meal can cook it as long as they want- I don't see why that kept them from winning. It just seems to be impossible for any of the women this season to ever be given the win! I think Casey could invent a culinary cure for cancer and still not be given a win. The only one she's gotten was the result of something the judges had no control over- she got more ingredients right than anyone else.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 2:51 AM

ERIC wrote:

Greetings. Having watched the latest episode.It was nice to see the challenge have such a brilliant reward.The chefs all were inspired and motivated to go to Italy.
I was taken aback by Joey's uncerimonious departure.In fact,my guest,whom was involved from the beginning,actually departed prior to the decision,as she was convinced Sara was going home.
She has not shown anything throughout this competition.Not that I had money on Joey winning,but he has had his strong moments.
The challenge,having an uncertain element,was creative and perfect.As we all can relate to prepared frozen food.
I wonder how much personal bias,as natural as it may be,come into the decision making process? Perhaps not at all,hence Ilan's unmerited (pseudo) title.I would prefer eating my mother's food.She makes some mean mac and cheese...
Also,Im watching the shows rerun now and just saw you comment.I wonder if the decision is always unaminous.If someone tends to capitulate just so there is a decision and there is no dissent.
Anyway,a very enjoyable episode,nice to see Rocco and Tom disagree about the truffle profile,especially seeing as though both share a common heritage.
Gayle,thanks for your insight and thank you for NOT coming across pretentious or lofty.I am a complete neophyte with cooking yet am always engaged...Best..

posted on August 2, 2007 at 3:07 AM

BJF wrote:

Gail,

The purpose of the blogging concept is that you will offer us a perhaps more in depth perspective of your experience as a judge on this show. However, you merely just regurgitated what we, the viewers had just seen on the tv screen. I was looking forward to getting a more 'out of the box' in depth perspective, but I guess I will have to wait until next week.

Thanks,
Top Chef Fan

posted on August 2, 2007 at 3:07 AM

Andrew wrote:

Hung can be a little much at times, but I'm glad to see he didn't get eliminated just because his partner wouldn't listen. Communication is so important in all vocations, and that cost Joey. I'll miss him on the show, but I can't wait to see what happens next week when the chefs go out on the town.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 3:15 AM

Julia wrote:

You were way out of line "yelling" at Hung. Your apparent dislike of Hung is obvisious and leads me to question how you can judge him fairly. Hung is from a different culture and I agree is aggressive but think of how difficult it must have been to get to America and succeed.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 6:21 AM

sarah wrote:

If Hung knew what to do and he deliberately didn't do it, he was more wrong than Joey. He didn't try working with Joey (not a team worker), he defended his bad food (poor judgment), he didin't insist on doing what he knew was right (poor leadership), he blamed Joey for his failures (poor morals). This was a very bad choice, judges. I wish Joey the very best, he has shown that he is a fine person. I, unfortuntely, have now lost some interest in the show. To keep volatile incompetents to spice up ratings isn't anayzing quality.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 6:57 AM

Gail wrote:

A couple thoughts- it was sad to see Joey go if for no other reason than he really brought some humor and talent to the competition. And here's something- a chef is someone who leads, correct? Who can run a staff and have them cook the way HIS vision is leading them. Well, Hung had a vision, and he couldn't even get one person to follow that vision. Joey had a vision, and his way (wrong tho it was) was the way Hung cooked. By that definition, Joey was the more successful "chef". My other thought from last night- was it just me or did anyone else see Hung 'doubledip' when he was tasting his sauce? First Howies flop sweat, and now Hung's spoon! Comon guys- learn basic kitchen sanitary rules!!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 7:59 AM

EJ wrote:

Question - What is IQF? I know it means "individually quick frozen," but the question I have is what exactly did Tre and CJ do differently? Is it a special process that requires a special machine? Or, does it just mean freezing ingredients separately? Just being curious. Great show.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 8:37 AM

Jane Claire wrote:

Hi Gail! You are so awesome. I agree with the judges' decision to sack Joey last night, although I wouldn't have minded if Sara M. left either. I also found Joey to be ridiculously stubborn, and his fake, superior NY attitude really wore thin. I hated that he was always acting tough, saying things like "...that's why you can't hang in New York..." Anybody can hang in NY!
Now that he lost, and cried uncontrollably, maybe New York won't let him back in: "Sorry Joey, but you can't hang here anymore..."

posted on August 2, 2007 at 9:08 AM

Kelly wrote:

Sara was so rude and unprofessional towards Howie. She clearly did nothing to contribute to the dish and made up for it by being a bitch. Sara should have went home last night, not Joey.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 9:57 AM

Mario wrote:

Always a nice write-up, Gail. I had a working mom and now I think it's kind of funny when remembering that, instead of a homecooked meal, occasionally I had to ask her to try frozen dinners. I rarely use them know but might consider checking out the Bertolli brand (oh, the power of advertising!) And it also gave me insight on preparing my own frozen dinners.

Though I wouldn't eat the meat, both top dishes - Orecchiette in a Spinach Almond Pesto and Black Truffle and Parmesan Linguini - sounded great.

And what's up with the topless shot of Sara M in the hot tub? :)

posted on August 2, 2007 at 10:34 AM

Kathy wrote:

I was disappointed and surprised to see that Joey was sent home over Sara M. She hasn't shown any promise at all. As Tom pointed out, Howie seemed to be doing most of the work. Sara M. picked out the pasta over Howie's repeated objections and was very negative on any suggestion he made. She should have been chopped not Joey.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 10:49 AM

Rose wrote:

I am amazed, and a little grossed out, at how many of the season 3 contestants I see(especially last night with the frozen food challenge) who are tasting their food by dipping a finger in it or using a spoon to taste, then putting the spoon back in the dish.
Maybe this goes on behind the scenes at restaurants more than I realize, but didn't the first guy eliminated from season 1 get a new one torn for tasting with his finger?
The sweat bead hanging off Howie's nose was pretty nasty too! Wear a head band!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 10:52 AM

Anitra Luckie wrote:

I agree with the winners. I am excited for Tre and CJ. However, I think Sara M. should have left. She is not a Top Chef. She let Howie bully her the entire time. They could not put aside their differences to win. She has not proven herself yet. She will be gone soon.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 11:02 AM

chefey1 wrote:

Loved all the drama on the this episode. Sad to see how rough Joey took the news. As always, your commenst are right on point. Great blog too!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 11:13 AM

gary e. wrote:

Gail: you gave us a good view as to the resons why the chefs lost, there could have been more then joey let go and they would not have been missed. as always, loved your views on the out come

posted on August 2, 2007 at 11:16 AM

Gary D'Wells wrote:

Gail is avery sexy and senious woman. I can see(literally) why she knows so much, in such broad catagories. Ever thoght about doing PLAYBOY!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 11:27 AM

Kimberly wrote:

Great show last night! It actually gave me some great ideas for preparing foods for my family. I'm a really busy person! I recently tried Bertolli's penne alla vodka with chicken....it was awesome.
The decision to send Joey home was heartbreaking. You could definitely see that his passion for Italian food, along with the opportunity to send his mother and sister to Italy, were clouding his mind to make the appropriate decisions. I'm not sure that Joey should have been sent home.
In regards to Jane Claire's comment, I was born and raised as a New Yorker. That "attitude" is part of who we are...passionate, stubborn, tough, and compassionate. We will be welcoming Joey back to New York with open arms.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 11:29 AM

dorademon wrote:

Dear Ms.Gail Simmons,
I do really enjoy this show and have been watching it since 1st season w/ open mind. Watching last night episode, I have to say that you started to lose your cool on Hung. As a judge, one needs to be calm, fair, and open to be able to make a right judgment w/out bias or prejudice. Last night, you blew out how Hung had no idea what he was talking about and that he claimed he had good idea of freezing ingredient separately. I was glad that Chef Tom Colicchio pointed out after what you said that he thought Hung had idea and knew what he tried to achieve in this challenge. Watching you made me feel that you had an issue w/ Hung's ego and arrogant manner since the 'Latin Lunch' challenge. It's not fair to Hung or any chef in this season for you to quickly assume that he was clueless about what he was talking or doing or cooking. And I wonder if the judges actually watch the tape of what's going on in the kitchen before they judge, comment, or make decision of who should go home. Because if you got to see it, then you will learn that Hung had said how he would pack pasta, and also told and insisted his teammate to follow his idea.

I do understand how Hung is not a favorite to you or maybe to the rest of the judges due to his arrogant manner. However, I do see that he doesn't really pick on his fellow chefs like other chefs like to do. Plus, he's still a lot more pleasant than Marceille, who you found interesting while a lot of people thought he was very annoying and showed some unprofessional manner throughout the show in season 2.

I like watching this show and I do enjoy having you as a judge here. I hope to see you be cool the way you have been before (the show last night). And thanks for making such a great show.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 11:51 AM

cdog wrote:

during judges table, i thought there was a little bit of tension between Tom and Rocco...that whole truffle exchange seemed odd... i love tom but i must agree with Rocco on the truffle issue...just look at two of NYC gold standards for italian cooking, Lidia and Mario. there new place del posto makes great use of truffles and so do many of their cookbook and TV show recipes. i really don't care much for truffles but tom got this one wrong.

gail, what are your thoughts

gail rocks and i loved her slut comment on the reunion show...

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:00 PM

Fred Lewis wrote:

Gail, Joey just kind of crumbled "over the bus" C'mon in NEW YORK CITY trashing someone is under da" bus. Fa git about it,cried like a baby! CJ,Howie,and Tre got the brains. Casey is a looker, but anybody can see that . She needs to be a manager or in da front of the house.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:02 PM

Patty Joseph wrote:

On last night's episode, I saw at least three instances of Chefs licking a spoon to taste an item and returning the spoon to the pot!
I also saw at least two instances of a Chef sticking their finger in something to taste this. I seem to recall a Chef being kicked out of the kitchen for sticking his finger in his sauce during the Quick Fire Challenge in the first episode of the first season. If this is what happens at fine dining establishments, 'll stay home where even my young son knows better! I hope y'all get Salmonella, Shigella, or Campylobactor from the raw chicken that you handle with fingers that you stick in pots!!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:14 PM

Maryanne wrote:

Gail
Nice job on the blogging. Only I'm still not sure why Joey over Sara had to go home. Joey at least made contributions to the dish and even Hung admitted that he was happy to work with Joey b/c he knew italian food. I still can't tell you what Sara contributed to the dish with Howie. And enough with the Bulldog comments already. Its downright rude and if I were Howie I'd have set her straight after she said it the first time. Sara has coasted through this competition by hiding in hte middle pack with slightly just above sub par food. Send her home already!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:17 PM

Paul wrote:

Gail, you have really become very HOT this season,

I am totally hooked on Top Chef, I was disapointed in the "food bee" as i really enjoy the quickfire challenges and the creations that come from them! Joey was the proper choice to go, until last week he has been a low performer, this week proved his in ability to work in a team.

Haung Drive me crazy, his inability to see problems with his food! Hopefully he is next!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:21 PM

Brenda wrote:

Loved this episode! My husband and I have hectic schedules and so dinner can be challenging. I have been wanting to make some meals and freeze them for convenience, but was strugling on finding 'freezer specific' recipes. I am so glad that I learned how to freeze things properly and that I have some interesting recipes to try. This episode was perfect timing for me!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:27 PM

FPDiaz wrote:

Hi Gail,
Your comments were really insightful, especially pointing out that the two losers really didn't understand the true nature of the challenge or how to execute. I'm hoping to see more success by Tre because I think he is really sharp, professional, and focused. I was rooting for him and CJ and Chef Rocco carried the day for them, especially with his comment re black truffles.
I was glad to see Joey go (his nasty curse word to discribe Rocco was outrageous and low class) and he totally ruined his dish. The fact that he had no clue about how glopping sauce all over it would ruin the pasta tells me that he doesn't know the basics. I also was glad he didn't win because if he won a trip to Italy he should go and learn something, instead of sending momma and sis.
Finally, all the other losers, Sara, Howie, and Hung could have gone also because each one is obnoxious, arrogant, ill-tempered, and without the ability to be a team player. Also Howie is so temperatmental. I wouldn't want to cook with any of them.
I always look forward to your comments, please keep the coming.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:31 PM

Sidd Finch wrote:

I thought the judges absolutely made the right decision this time in letting Joey go. (I think they probably also made the right decision in picking a winner.... but I can't be sure because I didn't get to taste the food :((

Anyway -- one thing that struck me was how everyone focused on whether Hung was forceful enough in telling Joey to freeze the sauce separately, why Hung let his partner screw it up, etc. But no one asked (at least not in the part we saw) why Joey was screwing up in the first place. It was all about why Hung didn't fix his mistake -- and not why Joey couldn't figure out, for himself, that you don't freeze everything together unless you want a big pile of mush in the end.

Love the show.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 12:52 PM

aspriringchef wrote:

With all due respect to yourself and Colicchio, last night's decision was ridiculous. And honestly, the show lost integrity. Allow me to address that point first. Rocco DiSpirito ? He was on national televison talking about frozen dinners and i've seen the websites with him and a cardboard Bertolli advertisement. You went from Amuse Bouche to frozen dinners. Your chefs come from Cafe Des Artistes, Jean George, etc.. Frozen dinners? The most ridiculous challenge yet.

With regards to the decision, Joey may not have won in the end but he did not deserve that decision last night. Sara contributed nothing but complaints and backstabbing.

Joey, keep cooking. And don't be embarassed about being emotional. It only showed your passion, integrity for competition and overall why you deserved to still be there.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:07 PM

marisa wrote:

I just finished watching the episode and I strongly disagree with the judges' ultimate decision. While I do think that it is necessary for a Top Chef to be a srong leader and excellent communicator, isn't the greater sin the lack of contribution? From what was shown on the episode, Sara and Hung didn't appear to contribute all that much, if anything, to their teams' frozen dishes. True, Hung knew what needed to be done in order to execute the freezing aspect properly, but come on. When is he going to step up to the plate and make an executive decision? He could've very easily stepped in and told Joey quite clearly what they needed to do. Saying that Joey just didn't listen is a poor excuse. Communicate better!

And, what irritates me more than Hung sitting back is that Sara is still competing when she doesn't even seem to be proactive at all inthe kitchen. Check Colicchio seemed to have the right observation that Sara didn't do much. And saying that Howie is a bulldog poor excuse. If she's Top Chef material, shouldn't she be showing some initiative int he kitchen? Maybe she should stick to making cheese.

In the end, I think Sara should've had to pack her knives. Being a lump on a log is a greater sin than going full gusto, pedal to the metal. At least Joey is passionate about his cooking. I wish him the very best in his endeavors.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:12 PM

mo wrote:

Why do you guys continue to keep Howie around? It's obvious the only thing he can cook is a pork dish. Yet he sticks around.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:16 PM

Julia wrote:

you really showed poor judgement when you "yelled" at Hung. You should excuse yourself if you cannot be fair.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:26 PM

Ann wrote:

EJ wrote:

Question - What is IQF? I know it means "individually quick frozen," but the question I have is what exactly did Tre and CJ do differently? Is it a special process that requires a special machine? Or, does it just mean freezing ingredients separately? Just being curious. Great show.

EJ the key was the next day one hour prep. So CJ & Tre made and froze separately the pasta, the veg & the sauce. The next day in each baggie you put a portion of veg, pasta & sauce. This is what Bertolli has done, frozen separately then bagged together.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:39 PM

Jennie wrote:

I agree with Rose. There is entirely too much finger dipping in the food this year. And yes, Ken did get a new one for doing exactly the same thing in Season 1. As annoying as Marcel was last season, I noticed that he tasted his food with plastic spoons, which he then threw away. Between all the unsanitary food tasting and Howie's sweatiness, this is a pretty gross year to watch...

posted on August 2, 2007 at 1:59 PM

Leigh wrote:

Come on, Gail. You had to be a newborn when those frozen dinners were first coming out. You fool us not!

I do love when your blogs include not only insight on the episode, but some extra fun nuggets of information about your background, upbringing, etc.

Oh, your poor mother!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 2:05 PM

rbovaboy wrote:

Nice write-up as always, Gail.
I had a working mom when I was little and instead of her home cooked meals, I'd ask for her to bring home frozen dinners. I don't do that now but after last night's Challenge I might try them. The episode at least gave me ideas how to create my own frozen meals, which could just save me time.

Hung gets points for throwing his fork away right after tasting his dish, and he did suggest penne pasta from the beginning and not the fuscilli. And though Howie said fuscilli is boring, I really like it. Not to be nasty but it's easy to associate Howie with a bulldog because he not only sounds like one, but he has the face of one. It's just an observation.

But I'd really like to try both of the winning dishes but without the meat. The Orecchiette in a Spinach Almond Pesto and Black Truffle and Parmesan Linguini are next on my menu list!

As always, looking forward to the next episode...

posted on August 2, 2007 at 2:06 PM

TSMITHARTS wrote:

Totally food related...
I would so kick Padma out of bed for eating crackers. gail? not so much, she's way hotter. just FYI -T

posted on August 2, 2007 at 2:49 PM

Wendy wrote:

What is the big deal with IQF? Isn't this largely what Trader Joe's is about? The show presented the concept as though it was new and exciting -- although, as you point out, this type of prepared food can be traced to postwar teevee dinners, as well as Lean Cuisine, Stoffer's, Bird's Eye frozen peas and the rest of it. Where's the sizzle? And why on earth were the chefs so clueless? Do they really cook from scratch all the time at home, never saving and freezing leftovers for later? Even after Thanksgiving? To have been so out of it, they must've been exhausted, and unable to think straight, at this point in the competition.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 3:19 PM

Jane Claire wrote:

Re: Kimberly's comment about my comment:

I may not be a New Yorker, but I am a native New Jersyan and have life-long experience with New Yorkers. My parents are NYC-bred and my mother is a professor at NYU. The fake 'attitude' to which I referred was not meant to sum up the entire population of NY, just those who leave said area and put on airs that being from NYC or LI makes them tougher and smarter than anyone else. Joey watches too many mob films, in my opinion.
As far as you welcoming Joey back with open arms, stick a bar of soap in his big, fat filthy mouth while you're at it.
-Jane

posted on August 2, 2007 at 4:19 PM

Phong wrote:

I agree with dorademon above. Your comments about Hung at the judges table definitely make it looks like you have it out to sack Hung. You should be more judicious with your comments.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 4:29 PM

bets wrote:

And the end result was....creepy leftover looking food!

posted on August 2, 2007 at 4:31 PM

Marta wrote:

I was shocked that Sirah was not cut. She did not do much of the cooking and did not add value to their food. This is worse than making the mistake of not separating the food.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 5:32 PM

Jonathan K. wrote:

Gail: Contrary to what others have written, I thought you and the other judges did a good Judge's Table this show. I believe you appropriate picked Tre & CJ as the winners, and Joey was the one that should have gone home. Sarah & Howie deserve another chance, and it will be good to see them compete again next week. However, there was ONE thing that puzzled me about the Judge's Table this week, and perhaps you could respond to this in your next blog, if you so wish. There was not a lot of attention paid to Brian & Sara N.'s dish, and they came in 3rd out of the 5 pairs. Chef Tom made positive comments about their dish, and there was nothing negative said about it. On the other hand, there were SOME negative comments made towards Dale & Casey's dish, e.g. the frozen meatball, and the artichokes. That being said, I am a bit confused. Why did you choose Dale & Casey as the runner-up, and let Brian & Sara N. become the 3rd place finisher? What distinguished them - ??? Thanks, and I look forward to any response in your next blog.

Jonathan K.
Oklahoma City, OK

posted on August 2, 2007 at 6:46 PM

V. Morgenthaler wrote:

Excellent entry, Gail! My only issue with this episode was that it was hard to watch, from the standpoint of someone who suffers from gluten intolerance. How about an episode devoted to cooking with gluten-free products, for the 1 in 133 of us who continually are challenged with avoiding warm crusty bread, deliciously al dente pasta and...anything containing flour? i'm still tuning in, regardless...but some new fresh ideas for meals would certainly be welcomed, as rice is getting a little old...

posted on August 2, 2007 at 6:54 PM

bridge wrote:

I have to agree about the high salt levels in the Bertolli products, and also somewhat deceptive packaging. I bought one at a warehouse store, perceiving a fairly decent size bag, and paying a fairly hefty price for what turned out to be so salty we could not even eat it and so meager, it barely fed one of my sons, much less our family of 4. I had to cook an entire second pound of pasta and add another bag of frozen veg to make the thing edible and stretch far enough to go around. Not a fave of Bertolli frozen dinners, sorry.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 7:20 PM

brenda wrote:

My question is why didn't Hung also go? Hung and Joey should both be equally held accountable. Every time I kept hearing Hung tell Joey "I know the science behind this" . I never heard him tell Joey that they have to freeze everything seperately.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 8:01 PM

Raven Windrider wrote:

Gail,

I am always amazed at how little information most people actually absorb and how television is ideally suited to that.
The "reunion show" last week clearly stated how much editing goes into an episode. There are several cameramen filming all the contestants and the editors pick snippets to tie together to tell a story that the editors think will hook the viewership to watch again and again. I speak from experience because I was involved in filming an episode for a televion program five years ago. To film 20 minutes for a half-hour program took us seven hours.

To all those bloggers ripping Sara Mair, you obviously did not pay attention to all of the details in each of the past five episodes. Sara did receive praise in the Latin lunch elimination, the frozen pie crust quickfire challenge that same week, the amuse bouche in the opening episode quickfire. She does show some culinary skills comparable with the other top chef contestants.

Howie definitely has issues with women chefs. His body language and tone are both condescending. Casey wilted under the heat of Howie's contempt in Week 4 and it sure looked like he was not going to rest "His Fate" in the hands of a woman this week.

I see some of that attitude with Tom Colicchio. He has it in his mind that it only matters what he believes to be the case of how food should be prepared or what cuisine a particular ingredient is suited with. I was delighted to see Tre, CJ and Rocco knock him off his high hobby horse.

Even Padma is sometimes caught up in that and she appears to me to be more open to considering the versatility of ingredients. But....she blew it with the black truffle comment.

I agree with the other men here when I say you are a very attractive woman. Your culinary knowledge is a nice compliment, although it seems that - judging by the tone of some comments - some bloggers think you can't have both features (unless they agree with your position).

I will continue to watch this reality program (because I know it is not really so mouch a cooking competition) and the interesting comments from all the bloggers.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 10:00 PM

Greg wrote:

I don't remember, did anyone on the show mention the value of freezing each food separately? Maybe Rocco should try that technique if he ever starts shilling frozen foods. They could do an entire episode of a cooking game show and just keep repeating the mantra of freezing separately over and over again until the viewing audience can't wait to run out and buy Rocco's deliciously separated frozen food junk. Why didn't even one person mention that during the entire hour long commercial - I mean legitimate episode.
By the way. Is Rocco a likable spokesman? His restaurant show revealed him to be the kind of guy you would never buy food from. So he got a metrosexual hairdo and drop a few pounds we are supposed to buy his product? The Gordon's fisherman looks like a serial killer and I would still buy food from that guy.
I'm sorry, I'll stop.

posted on August 2, 2007 at 10:55 PM

Morgaine Swann wrote:

I have to agree with the judges on this one. All of the chefs should know that a solid brick of food is not going to thaw in 10 minutes. They should know you have to separate the sauce from the pasta if you don't want mush. This wasn't rocket science, just good planning and a knowledge of how food works out of the freezer.

Hung tried repeatedly to tell Joey not to put the sauce on the pasta. He shouldn't have to grab the guy by the collar and shake him to get him to listen to reason. Joey just didn't want to listen. C and Tre deserved to win, because ultimately, they were the only ones that understood what they were supposed to be doing.

Sara is a pain, but Howie has absolutely no skills for working with others, particularly if they're female. And for goodness' sake, stop making people eat his sweat. What's-his-name got sent home from the first show for sticking his finger in the food. I'd rather havea recently washed finger than bodily secretions - ugh! He's a health hazard!

posted on August 3, 2007 at 12:43 AM

Cynthia wrote:

Please, I'm begging you..Keep Howie's SWEAT out of the food.

This has gone beyond disgusting, but clearly is a health hazard.
That drop of sweat dripping from his nose made me puke. How can the judges ever again taste his food after watching tapes from the shows.

Half of these Top Chefs would be sued out of business. FIngers, spoons and sweat all poked into the food. UGH !!!!!

posted on August 3, 2007 at 2:33 AM

Nate wrote:

"Let’s just hope he stays away from the frozen food aisle."

Would have been a much more elegant article without the pot shot.

posted on August 3, 2007 at 2:37 AM

dalay wrote:

Many who sympathized with Joey argued that Hung should step in because it seemed to be an easy task. I have to disagree. Joey admitted that as an alpha male he would only listen to the one who is more alpha than him. Howie is an example, but Hung, although arrogant, is apparently not. If Hung really tried hard to step in, the result would certainly become Howie-vs-Sara, still a failure.

posted on August 3, 2007 at 6:16 AM

rbovaboy wrote:

Sorry if there is a double post here. It just takes so long for a post to be posted that it feels as if it got lost.

I really have no complaints with this show at all -- except in the promos, when they show who will be standing in front of the Judges' Table. Talk about spoilers! That's the part of the show we wait for. It's best when the promos stick with only the judges' comments. I'll have to just stop watching the promos, because I know I'll be back next week. :-)

posted on August 3, 2007 at 10:03 AM

Kimberly wrote:

Re Jane:
Now your extending your categorizations to
Long Islanders as well? Your 'life-long' experience with New Yorkers still doesn't give you the right to stereotype ANYONE on the show. The "big, fat filthy mouth comment"....classy. Come on now...Keep it about the food and stop with the low blows.

posted on August 3, 2007 at 10:18 AM

Samantha wrote:

TSMITHARTS,
My husband agrees with you!

posted on August 3, 2007 at 10:23 AM

LIMich wrote:

Was I the only one to notice that Joey, Hung, Howie and Sara were all shown standing in front of judges table, but when Padma announce Joey to pack his knives and they walked in the back room to tell everyone else, that Howie and Sara were sitting in there waiting with all the other chefs. What happened there?

posted on August 3, 2007 at 2:27 PM

Nelsa wrote:

I'm assuming that Joey and Hung were the bottom team beacuse they didn't have a single taker for their food. Sara and Howie I believe had 3 people take their food home.

So the judges had to chose between Joey and Hung, and between those two I think they made the correct choice.

posted on August 3, 2007 at 5:28 PM

Jane Claire wrote:

Re: Kimberly
If I were stereotyping, I would be saying that Joey is a typical New Yorker, or that all new Yorkers have this or that kind of attitude, which I did not. I clearly meant that there are SOME people who act like that and it's not an unreasonable thing to say. Big deal. And as far as not having the right to say things like that, that is just silly. Of course I do! It's not slander, or defamation of character. And what's so wrong about including LI in my last post? Of course there are distinctions, but it's in such close proximity to NYC that I really wasn't 'extending' any catagorizations. Is LI some kind of isolated entity now?
As far as the 'flthy mouth' comment, it wasn't so much of a low blow as it was the truth. Did you watch his exit interview? Come on! Sure, a lot of people don't like Rocco, but he was still an invited guest to the show, and Joey sat there and called him a d****e-bag and a piece of s**t on TV. Is that your idea of class? So yes, my comment was classy considering I did not call him names, use curse words, poke fun at his family, comment on his appearance, or anything else that was truly hurtful.
You want me to just keep it about the food? That's not fun! If it was just about the food, the producers wouldn't bother searching for a crazy mix of personalities. If there were no drama with the contestants, it would be boring, and not too many people would bother watching at all. Okay, I'll talk about the food: Joey's Latin lunch and tartlets looked delicious.
-Jane

posted on August 3, 2007 at 7:27 PM

Maureen Kennedy wrote:

A lot was made of the two bottom dishes being dry. Exactly HOW LONG did those dishes have to sit in a hot pan until the judges tested them. Did you wait for a half an hour or so to see the reactions of the shoppers, or did you eat them 15 minutes after they were put on the heat? Makes a big difference in how they taste and how soggy the pasta gets when the dishes are made to heat for 10 minutes then plop into a dish an eat. I think you gyped us, the audience, by failing to address this issue in your blog and judging.

posted on August 3, 2007 at 10:19 PM

John (again) wrote:

I kind of understand why Joey went home, but it was still the wrong desision.

posted on August 3, 2007 at 10:33 PM

Larry C Wojtowicz wrote:

This was a team event and as I recall one person is not a TEAM.
As a TEAM working together it should share in the victory and the defeat. Hung had the right concept but was not strong enough to put into action but instead gave his approval to less than quality meal. Because of that reason he should have gone home too.
A TEAM is not one person.

posted on August 3, 2007 at 10:38 PM

EJ wrote:

Ann - Thanks for your response!

So the key to IQF is the chopping of everything up and then the re-mixing of the frozen components in the bag . . . Cool. I saw everyone freezin items separately, I just didn't realize how separate they had to be (i.e., each ingredient) and I also didn't realize that they had to be recombined.

Have a nice day!

posted on August 4, 2007 at 5:52 AM

Amy wrote:

Product placement on the show, product placement in the blogs. How unappetizing.

posted on August 4, 2007 at 7:57 AM

Bilybob wrote:

Frozen dinners? Great idea, but has anyone read the ingredient lists on those things? Even the so called "healthy" dinners are so loaded with salt that it's not really healthy. They are great in a pinch though, when you want something fast. I think Top Chef could have come up with a better product than Bertolli. Perhaps Bertolli is floundering with this product and needed a boost. Besides, don't they sell a ton of olive oil every day?

posted on August 4, 2007 at 8:09 AM

Theresa wrote:

To Jade - it's not "odd", it's product placement. Apparently, you've never watched American Idol either.

posted on August 4, 2007 at 12:36 PM

Jill wrote:

Gail:
I wish you would get to the heart of the matter the way Anthony Bodain did on his guest blog. This competition was a farce and there really were no winners.
I found it sad and demeaning to watch these gifted chefs prostitute their culinary skills for the sake of commercialism.

posted on August 4, 2007 at 5:46 PM

Jill wrote:

Gail:
I wish you would get to the heart of the matter the way Anthony Bodain did on his guest blog. This competition was a farce and there really were no winners.
I found it sad and demeaning to watch these gifted chefs prostitute their culinary skills for the sake of commercialism.

posted on August 4, 2007 at 5:46 PM

JaggerisGod wrote:

Gail,

I only watch the show to see you on my TV. They should have you come out earlier in the episodes.

Looking Good Girlfriend !!

Peter P.

posted on August 4, 2007 at 8:55 PM

meliblu wrote:

Agree with posters who said that Sara M. should have been the one sent home and not Joey. Although Joey really got on my nerves in the beginning, he was really beginning to redeem himself. I agreed with Chef Tom's remarks on Sara really not contributing a great deal and for that reason and for insulting her teammate Howie as cover, I think that she and not Joey should have been the one sent home.

I have fond memories of t.v. dinners from childhood. My Mother, a fulltime specialist R.N. was a good everyday sort of cook and good at semi homemade meaning spicing up and adding to prepackaged and my Dad was a great gourmet cook, but just something wonderful to me as a child about t.v. dinners and frozen foods in general, but really liked the dinners with their separate compartments for different foods plus a good way to get frozen veggies which I found to be far superior to the often soggy canned veggies of the time. If I couldn't have fresh, I far preferred frozen to canned veggies. Also something magical about cooking your own t.v. dinner and sitting in front of the t.v. and eating off of a t.v. tray, just being allowed to watch t.v. and eat at the same time. Now, if they would just eliminate a great deal of the salt in frozen dinners and in canned soups because not only is the salt bad for you at that high a level, but it also overwhelms the taste of the food.

Have wanted to try the Bertolli pasta frozen dinners and was disappointed that some posters stated that it contained too much salt, but will still try it and see and have extra pasta on hand to add if necessary.

posted on August 5, 2007 at 2:23 PM

Shawn wrote:

What, send Joey home. Are you crazy?

posted on August 5, 2007 at 8:31 PM

steve wrote:

I am glad to see Joey go back to New York. He seemed too cocky for being so inept. Who could be next? Could it be Sarah who seems in the midst of a mophine nod when they are giving her constructive critism?? And for the love of baby Jesus somebody please put a bandana around pork boys head!!!

posted on August 5, 2007 at 10:38 PM

kathy wrote:

I thought it was fine that Joey went home -- for me it was a toss-up between him and Howie. They both bullied and stemrolled their partners and sometimes when someone's so obnoxious you can't get your point across. I think Sara just backed off to get through this without a physical fight.

Howie was just as bad if not worse and I agree with what others have said about his sweating!!!! Can't he wear a sweatband -- this should be a health requirement for chefs everywhere. If I were at a restaurant and looked into the kitchen and saw that I certainly wouldn't go back. This is disgusting. Diners everywhere worry that they shouldn't send food back or some sort of liquid from someone in the kitchen will enter their food but I never thought it would be sweat and this looks like it makes its way there even on the first plate.

posted on August 6, 2007 at 7:59 AM

Karen wrote:

So what's up with the prizes given to the winners? Last week Howie got a bottle of wine, someone else got some cookbooks...This week the two winners get TWO round trip tickets to Italy. This sounds to me like a good prize for say when you're down to the final four. Granted, Howie's wine might have been a $200 bottle. But come on, $200 bottle of wine or Italy?!

posted on August 6, 2007 at 11:55 AM

Tova wrote:

Gail, you know what you are talking about when it comes to being a chef. I am going to culinary arts school very soon and I wanted to ask you a out there question. Can you be a chef who has acrylic nails and can you work well with them around the kitchen? I am only asking you this because you have been in the business for awhile so I am sure you have seen it all. Also are there any suggestions you might have for a budding chef?

posted on August 6, 2007 at 1:01 PM

Casey wrote:

Gail,

My friends and I gather round for Top Chef every week and you all never disappoint. When I have out of town guests in San Francisco I always include the Top Chef Season 1 house as part of the tour.

I am kind of curious why you don't appear on the show more often. Your super-model sidekick seems to be there all the time but it would be nice to see more of you. After all, the show is all about food; and you are a beautiful and articulate woman who knows her way around this business. Take care, I will keep watching!

posted on August 7, 2007 at 4:11 PM

Beverly wrote:

My experiences (two) with Bertolli's frozen dinners have been disappointing, due to the amount of salt and the price/portion ratio. The decision to hold Bertolli's up as a gold standard in the frozen food market - and to base this challenge on frozen food to begin with - disappoints. As to the show: It hurt to watch Joey at the end, and it also hurt to watch Sara's "interaction" with Howie. So - I believe Bourdain said this - there really were no winners the other night. Except Tre and CJ.

posted on August 7, 2007 at 5:20 PM

dave wrote:

not that any of the fans will read this.....but i still think its hilarious to judge the judges on things they could not possibly have seen or known. its not like they see the episode first then travel back in time to make their decision.

i think sara should have went home as well, but we have to keep in mind the judges are dealing with limited information, some of which we can see and they can't , and im also assuming they know things that don't show up on the episode for us either....and everything is 20/20 in hindsight.

my only criticizm of the show though is in principle. i do believe that past performances SHOULD be considered into decisions. noone wants to see a great chef go home with one bad mistake vs someone advancing cuz they never take any risks and hide in the shadows. and we want to see the most talented chefs in the finales, not the ones who escaped the axe but never makes great food.

anyways, keep up the great work!

posted on August 7, 2007 at 7:09 PM

zaNe wrote:

Very interesting blog as usual. I am very impressed with the advances in the frozen food industry. As a very busy, but ahem...single *wink* male, I rely heavily on ready made meals that still allow me to receive good nutrition from something that tastes great and is easy to make. But I gotta say Gail, the only thing that is really important here is that you are incredibly beautiful! SO hot. =)

posted on August 7, 2007 at 8:24 PM

Pat wrote:

TC3 has turned into nothing but a big commercial. Gail trying to make excuses for this 75 minute promo for Rocco and Bertolli is beneath her and her journalistic ethics. It was a foolish challenge that says nothing about being a Top Chef. And Rocco as a judge???? He is a total prostitute at this point.

posted on August 7, 2007 at 11:00 PM

Michelle Taylor wrote:

Hi Gail!

I've been hooked on Top Chef since day 1, season 1. Is it just me, or do the conestants this year seem really erratic? They are bouncing all over the place from top to bottom. With a few exceptions, in the past it seemd like a chef would stay near the top, or bottom (until they were eliminated). But this season you'll have a chef win one week and go home the next (Lia), or win and be in the bottom the next (I swear Howie is either top or bottom, he's never in the middle).

Do you think this has to do more with the chefs or the different types of challenges?

posted on August 8, 2007 at 10:59 AM

David Itiro Kasahara wrote:

I don't think that Joe could be blammed regarding this pasta challenge, but Hung lack trustfull, he done a lot disgusting things that Judges did not take in account. This episode was completelly bad, look that Hung did not convince Joe to freeze all component separated, actually freeze everythink separate and put together after was a obvious option, once you guys had give 1 and half hour to packing. Anyway, his elimination was already gone and I don't see long life in this competition to Hung.

Bests,
David I. Kasahara, PhD

posted on August 8, 2007 at 6:54 PM

Molly wrote:

I agree that Howie's sweat is a problem. It seriously grosses me out to watch him hunch over a cutting board and moisten whatever is beneath him with what runs off his head. Seriously, make the man wear a bandana or something.

posted on August 8, 2007 at 10:57 PM

Andrea G wrote:

EJ wrote:
Question - What is IQF? I know it means "individually quick frozen," but [...] is it a special process that requires a special machine? Or, does it just mean freezing ingredients separately?
Your questions have been discussed here, but not exactly answered. The people on the show did keep talking about it as if it only meant freezing each item separately, but it's more -- according to Carlos' blog, IQF does involve special equipment, and Gail has explained in her blog the advantages of the modern IQF method over traditional freezing. So I would conclude that the reason why everyone kept misusing the term is the fact that they couldn't do the "Q" part and had to settle for the "IF" part.

That said, I agree with those who complained about the whole thing ... I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it if it were earlier in the season, but the closer we get to the end, the more frustrating it is to have the "Top Chef" judged by activities that aren't the daily work of a TC. I tuned out of tonight's show (8/8) as soon as I heard what they were having to do: quick, greasy bar food. Last season's catering challenge was better; people were at a party where they would drink, but they were people familiar with fine food (as I recall) and most will have started the experience sober and able to assess the food; moreover, they had a more interesting challenge in being faced with specific cuisines rather than being urged to go with the lowest common denominator.

It would have helped the frozen-food episode a lot, though, if instead of talking generally about "HRM" as a growing category. they had pointed out that it's another revenue stream for a number of actual top chefs (e.g., Puck, Ming) and/or that it can be a way to introduce a higher level of cuisine to the broader populace. That's why I have defended the TGIF challenge in the past; for all its shortcomings and boosterism, the fact is that I was introduced to certain unusual flavors at TGIF and went on to seek them out in restaurants higher up the food chain.

posted on August 9, 2007 at 2:57 AM

rebecca wrote:

At least Howie finally cooked something that wasn't pork! How about showing some versatility.

posted on August 9, 2007 at 10:29 PM