See a list of all BravoTV.com blogs
Hi, all. I’ll have to pull this one from memory. I was in awe of how beautiful Aspen was when I first went for a scout. City girl that I am, it is often so nice for me when I go somewhere where you can actually see the stars at night. At 11,000 feet above sea level, the nighttime sky is a sight to behold.
The Quickfire was such fun to set up. It was the perfect welcome for our contestants, and very much screamed “Aspen”. Trout fishing, and fishing in general, are a big pastime in the Rocky Mountains, so we thought it fitting that we set them up by Frying Pan River.
Let me start by saying that the contestants should not be surprised at all if we ask them to jump out of plane and make a dish at the same time. The rigors of being on Top Chef,...]]>
Most of you know that I work at The French Culinary Institute in New York. I was super excited when I found out we would be filming there. Not only did it make it easy for me production-wise, but I was so happy to be back amongst my coworkers and friends after being in Miami for two months.
The Quickfire was great fun. The same day I flew into Newark (the day before the actual Continental challenge happened), we scouted a bunch of locations and then I drove into the city with one of our producers to meet the chefs at Le Cirque. The initial idea was that the chef in the kitchen (the oh-so-nice Jason Kallert) would show the contestants step by step how to make Sirio’s favorite dish. Before we made any decisions, Jason and the chefs cooked Margit and me several courses, including the bass en papillote. I didn’t know...]]>
It’s that time of year I refer to as “the madness”, only because while The French Culinary Institute is a year-round school, it does slow down in the summer and Fall is always jam-packed with tons of events, with as many as three different events in a day for me. After my vacation, I have to go back to school, but only for a few days before I head to Chicago for Season Four (Yikes! I can’t believe it’s here already!) It’s back to work for everyone.
I live in Queens, so there have been kids out and about everyday. Thinking back, I went to summer camp when I was young until I was a teenager (No,...]]>
I’m actually on a Continental flight right now headed out to LA to do final casting for Season 4. (I seem to write many of these blogs on a plane lately). BUT I was so excited to watch this episode because the production company put so much work into the next two episodes when we made the move to New York. When I had first heard about the move, the first words that came to mind were “crazy”, “good God”, and “seriously?”. Moving an entire production to a different city in the thick of it is no small feat, but the Elves [Top Chef's amazing production team] and everyone involved do what they do, which is why they are “Magical”.
I actually left to come to New York/Newark directly after the yacht challenge. Watching this episode was a particularly joy for me because I wanted to see the great work that Shannon had...]]>
I was in fact around for when they completed the Quickfire. I had forgotten all about Hung’s landscape breakfast, which made me and the crew laugh harder than we had all season. Creative chaos -- and I gave him credit for making something that he knew would not have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, though I think he may have taken his dish seriously at some point.
I had sampled all of the camera plates and enjoyed Casey’s and most definitely Brian’s. Dale’s was also interesting but REALLY spicy -- even for me -- who likes it hot. Spam makes its second appearance on Top Chef, and this time comes out as a winner. Brian’s choice...]]>
OK, yacht episode. I wasn’t around for the Quickfire because I was setting up for the yacht, but Shannon and I scoped out the market for the challenge. “Aisle style” is always fun and challenging. (I forgot who even won.) Some of you have suggested ramen noodle challenges and such. This is as close as it gets. Gas stations, vending machines...some will cry foul, but this was not all that bad. There was a stunning amount of great, everyday foods to work with, and I think it was Dale who got lucky by finding some random ingredient in his aisle (again, I have no episode to reference right now as I am on a plane back from Mexico. Talladega Nights is on -- Ha!).
By the way, guest judge Chef Michael Schwartz was great to work with. If you are ever in Miami, head to his restaurant, Michael’s Genuine, for a great...]]>
OK, second half of Restaurant Wars (also known as “The Return of Top Sommelier”): I was actually really psyched to see Stephen again in Miami after seeing him briefly for the Smackdown Episode (I was not allowed to socialize with Season One and Season Two during that time). Those of you who are familiar with him from Season One probably have formed a few opinions, as did I at the time, but in getting to know him after the show, he has become a great friend. Stephen is extremely talented in the kitchen, but is more overly ambitious and gifted, and I am positive is well on his way to becoming a great restaurateur.
So,...]]>
I was thrilled to hear we got Daniel Boulud to judge this episode. If you haven’t heard, besides being one of the greatest chefs in the world, Daniel was responsible for the super shammy gourmet burger, which started at $48 and could go as high as $200 (I think). I’ve eaten the DB burger many times. It’s a juicy patty of premium ground sirloin, the center comprised of soft and tender braised short ribs and foie gras, studded with black truffles. It comes on a perfectly sized brioche bun, with fixings like tomato jam, lettuce, and onion. Salty herbed frites and aioli come on the side. While it has been less satisfying at various times, depending on who’s cooking it in the kitchen, it’s still one of those things you would never kick out of bed.
I used to be an honorary guest of a burger club (honorary and not a member because...]]>
For those of you who are curious, I bought all of the food and items for the Culinary Bee. I also sat under the table and handed items to Rocco and Padma while speaking to production on walkie. After half the contestants were eliminated in the first go-round, we had made the decision to start skipping around the list to give them easier things to identify--bow tie pasta being one of those things. Let’s just say, they didn’t get very far. Literally by the time Casey won, they had only gotten through 22 items. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
__MTPAGINATE_PAGE_BREAK__
Later, when we were on lunch break, I brought the remaining ingredients over to the contestants’ table for...]]>
Hi all! Sitting on a very crowded plane to Aspen. I thought this might be a good time to answer a couple of questions for you. As always, thanks for your interest and continued support.
Q: A few of us at the Bravo boards were wondering what was in the "Top Chef" pantry. Would it be possible to share this information with us?
A: Unfortunately, due to legal reasons, I should probably not divulge the breadth of the pantry. Let’s just say it's a very large assortment of food that any chef should be able to make a meal out of. Dry goods include spices, dried fruits and nuts, a variety of grains, oils, condiments, and cooking alcohol. The fridges are always stocked with dairy (you would not believe just how much butter the contestants go through), fresh herbs, and basic vegetables and citrus fruits. For Quickfires, I supplement the pantry with proteins...]]>
