blue sky wrote:

I love Shauna's blog, it's one of my favorites. It's fun to hear about the behind the scenes activity. This was such a great show, from no cooking allowed in the quickfire challenge, to the elimination challenge's cooking over an open fire on the beach. I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how the chefs responded, some of them grumbling over the conditions. Cracks me up. Thanks for a real treat of an episode.

posted on December 7, 2006 at 12:38 PM

Marilyn wrote:

I really enjoy your blog. I read it right after I read Tom's. After being a "techie" in theatre it's fun to read about "problems" and technical difficultiesas I can relate. It was nice of you to hug the upset chef. They aren't getting many hugs right now being that they are away from their loved ones. Again, I really do enjoy your blog as your writing is informative as well as humorous at times. Thanks

posted on December 7, 2006 at 12:59 PM

Maureen wrote:

WHO WAS THE MUTINOUS CHEF? I'm sure Shauna doesn't want to comment for whatever professional reasons. But I call for a comment-war of speculation from the readers. My vote is for Frank and his well-known temper. Touchy on toothbrushes, nitpicky about newspaper-clad windows, perhaps?

posted on December 7, 2006 at 9:14 PM

Sarkika wrote:

Dear Shauna,
I really enjoy your weekly insights. I have a production quibble -- although it wasn't as bad this week.

For most of the shows, after opening credits, review of the week before, and commercials, the show doesn't start until about 14 minutes in... Am I weird for feeling sort of cheated on something I don't pay for? The silver lining is: love the show, would like a few minutes more each week, instead of filler!
Thank you again.

posted on December 8, 2006 at 12:28 AM

James Han wrote:

Ms. Executive Producer,

The following was posted on Mr. Colicchio's blog, but it did not seem to hurt to post it here as well, and perhaps you might be better able to answer. I was wondering if you could provide some clarification as to the criteria for elimination. As you must be aware, many of Top Chef's fans are also fans of Project Runway. On the latter show, one of the judges, Michael Kors made it clear that a contestant was judged solely on the design that was produced for a given week--that the contestant's cumulative body of work was not taken into consideration when determining elimination. Mr. Colicchio's comments on this episode about how Sam and Cliff had been two of the stronger chefs to that point indicated that perhaps Frank had been eliminated NOT because his failed quiche was the worst dish of the challenge, but because his 'cumulative body of cooking' had not been as strong as the two others.

Clearly the viewers from home do not have the benefit of tasting the dishes, but I still would have sent Sam home--his dish simply looked atrocious, and I would have chosen Frank's scramble over that mess any day. Gail Simmons went on and on about burnt eggs--I wondered no one went on and on about his burnt bagels. Isn't burnt toast, in the English lexicon, an expression reserved for someone particularly inept at performing a given task? It seems all the more ironic in this context because we are dealing with cooks.

Please have the judges state unequivocally at some point that the chefs are being eliminated for their efforts in that week's challenge and that week's challenge alone. Otherwise, it seems that the judges are taking into consideration past successes, and that the Final Three have been preordained. Elia's and Marcel's recent successes notwithstanding, it seems that the vast majority think that Sam, Cliff and Ilan have already locked in their places for the finals.

posted on December 8, 2006 at 2:51 AM

Chris wrote:

I think I would have handled the self-styled cattle in the following manner: I would have gotten within ear shot of Mia and said over the radio in a loud enough voice for her to hear me clearly and said "Ok Mia has decided to pull herself out of the competition. We'll need transportation for her back to the dorm and camera and sound for her exit walk."

posted on December 8, 2006 at 3:08 AM

stephanie wrote:

Kudos to Frank What a Class act ... His comment to the judges and invite to his home was top notch ... He was the best loser ever !!!!!!!!!11

posted on December 8, 2006 at 10:05 AM

Sharla wrote:

Just thought of a possible challenge for next time that you might like to share with whoever plans these things (or consider, if that's you). I think this would be relevant and interesting for the chefs and audience, as well as giving the show an opportunity to focus again on the issue of hunger. Similar to the canned food quickfire, which was also a means of drawing attention to hunger; but I'd suggest that it be an elimination challenge so adequate time can be given to it.

Have the chefs start with the items that are in a typical food box a needy family would receive from a food bank (there is a list provided by the USDA that's pretty nicely standardized), and ask them to prepare a meal (or maybe a day's worth of meals) from that. It would probably be nice to have as a guest judge be someone who has been a recipient of such a food box, or someone who works at a food bank.

Or maybe, perhaps better yet, have the chefs prepare a few meal ideas from the food box and actually demonstrate them at a gathering of willing people who have been recipients of food boxes.

This would have two educational benefits: drawing attention to the problem of hunger in this country (something that can't happen too often, in my opinion, as I believe chronic food insecurity in this wealthy nation is a disgrace), and showing both the live participants and the TV audience how one can cook appealing and nutritious meals on a very small budget. It would require creativity on the part of the chefs and perhaps get them to step outside of themselves for a moment, possibly reducing the amount of petty bickering and nastiness that is a part of a self-centered competition.

Just a thought; take it for what it's worth.

posted on December 8, 2006 at 1:38 PM

JavaJunkie wrote:

Sheesh! I was looking in the wrong place for your blog this week! So glad I found it! Always have to read you, Harold and Gail! I don't envy you your job, but you seem to be doing it quite well!

You are wicked for taunting us, but not telling us who refused to get in the car, though!

posted on December 9, 2006 at 12:51 AM

Janice wrote:

I don't think it would be Mia. She hasn't come across as emotionally unstable. It has to be Elia.

posted on December 10, 2006 at 8:57 AM

Chris wrote:

Nope, it was Mia. And you may recall her loss of self control after an EC where she explained she was no one's friend etc.

posted on December 10, 2006 at 6:45 PM

Adam wrote:

Are you nuts? Frank was the biggest hypocritical loser the show has ever seen. He goes on and on about being a gentleman and fair and nice and blah blah, yet took every opportunity to toot his own horn, bash Michael and undermine Marcel, like not even bothering to critque Marcel's thanksgiving entree and going off on a tangent. His little toothbrush tirade was pathetic.

He may have left in a classy way... but it was contrary to his entire run on the show.

By the way... why would you ever choose to make a quiche while knowing full well you don't have a clue what your cooking method and materials would be? Seems pretty specific to me.

posted on December 10, 2006 at 7:52 PM

Nancy wrote:

First of all I love Padma! She actually thinks before she speaks, unlike others who babble with no reasonable signs of intelligence. I'm glad Frank is gone, the whole business of threatening the brat was too much. Now can we get rid of Betty? Her crying, cheating, backstabbing, and theatrics is enough!! Instead of a favorite moments show to kill time, why don't you guys let the contestants do a challenge for the judges.... lets see what they can do and why they are the judges!!

posted on December 13, 2006 at 11:42 PM

jovanna wrote:

I am so disappointed by this week's show. I admire Mia and her strengths, personally and professionally. I am disappointed by Cliff and his actions towards Mia. He was rude and dismissive. I truly believe he does not have the class and/or empathy to be a Top Chef. His comment on Mia's "bitching and moaning" was exaggerated and unnecessary. She simply gave her opinion and actually decided to be part of the team than be the cause of contention between the other teammates. I will not watch the show if he wins. He seemed to be a class act at the start and turned into a sellout punk.

posted on December 14, 2006 at 1:54 AM

DonnaC wrote:

Love reading this blog! Reading how you deal with all of the personalities and things out of your control is great fun! I hope the other shows like this do it too!
I would have handled the pouting chef differently. I would have had a camera behind me when I told him/her that no laws were being broken, they were the one breaking their contract and they had the choices of either getting back into the van or start walking back to the dorm....

posted on December 14, 2006 at 10:16 AM

jeff wrote:

A question about previous episodes - the weight-loss challenge didn't eliminate anyone due to the "misunderstanding" about changing the recipes. However, there's no way the producers could have expected this situation, so you would have expected only 11 contestants to remain after this challenge. The next challenge was the Social dinner, where each chef was paired up for a total of 6 courses. My question is - how would this have worked if there was an odd number of chefs (as you would have expected)? Was there a different challenge intended, and this was substituted in its place? Would the quickfire winner have been exempt from the challenge, leaving only 5 courses?

posted on December 14, 2006 at 11:56 AM

valerie wrote:

I have never posted anything on a blog before, but after watching this show last night, I deliberately went to find out how to leave my opinion. I can't seem to stop thinking about what happened. I applaud Mia for leaving like she did. She is right. It just wasn't worth it. She had the integrity and understanding and maturity to understand what it means to be part of a team. And to have a team member cut you up like that was SO not worth the final prize. Is this what competition means? To see how many necks you can step on to get ahead? I hope Cliff gets what he deserves. What I needed was to see this "competition" for what it was -- a really sick spectacle with no sense of fair play. I've lost my taste for this show and all those other competition shows. Honestly, folks. It really isn't worth it.

posted on December 14, 2006 at 1:49 PM

Rebecca H wrote:

After reading many of the postings from fans it concerns me that so many are anti-Elia. I think she has handled herself with poise 95 percent of the time and the other 5 percent she was smearing chocolate on her face. If only people everywhere would smear chocolate on their faces when they were upset, maybe we wouldn't have so many points of contention in the workplace, at home or in the Senate, for example.
Of all the top chefs, Elia would be the only one I'd take out for drinks and trust with my cat. Elia for President. Thank you.

posted on December 14, 2006 at 3:51 PM

Brian wrote:

Re: Rebecca's post. I too am pro-Elia. She's pretty consistently been considered among the best. Unfortunately for her, when she's having an off day she's really off and has also shown up at the bad final table too much.

As for James Han's question, of course they consider the entire body of work. You need look no further than Dave and not Tiffany getting knocked out during the Finals Quickfire challenge last season. And I think that is as it should be. As wild as some of the curve balls are that this show throws at them, even your strongest contenders are going to have an off day. Case in point: Sam and Cliff winding up at the firing table in this episode.

posted on December 26, 2006 at 1:44 PM

k2 wrote:

I first want to say that I love the show and think Gail and Tom are fabulous, and enjoy the guest judges' input. But I have to say, while clearly bright and beautiful, I'm not sure why Padma is always is in various states of undress. I think it's so completely inappropriate. I'm no prude, but there's no reason to show that much t&a, to be crude, and it cheapens the show. It takes away from what she has to say.I understand you feel you need a beautiful woman (you don't really, you know) as a draw for the show, please ask her to dress professionally, like Gail and Tom. It would reflect on the show and her so much more positively.

posted on January 6, 2007 at 11:02 PM