Season 2
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Season 1
View All PostsGail Simmons
The Cape
Gail Simmons breaks down the early competition, and gives the scoop on some of her premiere fashions.
Aug 24, 2011Bravotv.com: Some viewers could argue that Craig could have gone home—was it because his team’s showpiece turned out better?
GS: Yes, absolutely, their showpiece and their desserts turned out better. To make the decision of who goes home, first we have to choose the team that did the worst. From that team, we choose someone to go home. And, overall, the Beanstalk team’s show piece looked better, and their desserts were better. Their desserts had some flaws for sure, but were certainly better than the Hansel and Gretel team’s desserts. One we made the decision as to which team did the least well, we were choosing from those three people only. So, Craig was, luckily, bolstered up by his teammates. In this episode he got very lucky. He certainly did not show that he had the skills and the aptitude for what this challenge really required. I think he’d be the first to admit that.
For the win, it was between Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears for the flavor of the desserts, as well as for their idea, their inspiration and their execution. I think both teams did a great job, but both of the desserts the Little Red Riding Hood team made were really focused, really creative, especially the little bombolini, with the strawberry gel you injected into it. And they did a chocolate cake as well, which reminded me and Johnny of Amanda’s Quickfire Challenge dish from the day before. Similar flavors, but it made sense because it was sort of a Black Forest inspiration, and the Black Forest is this bewitched forest where a lot of these stories supposedly take place. And of course the work that Chris did on their showpiece was exceptional.
Bravotv.com: The only other point of contention between the groups was Orlando telling Rebecca that she shouldn’t make rice pudding for her porridge; he suggested oatmeal, which she ended up doing. Do you think if she had made rice pudding, that would have been a mistake?
GS: No, I don’t think it would have been a mistake if she had done it really well. If all the tastes were created properly and it had the right texture it could have been great. I mean, rice pudding is very, very simple. And oatmeal’s not that much more complicated. If you do a really delicious rice pudding with a lot of flavor and spices, perhaps, she could have done it with berries and cardamom, things that she thought the bears would have eaten, if you tell a good story, and if it tastes good, why not? She just needed to trust herself. Although, it wasn’t as abysmal as I thought it was going to be in the end, there were so many things they could have done, but at least they were on the right track.
Yes! Called that one. Just because one wins a cupcake competition in Austin does not make you a chef and then to think you can boss everyone around because you won a cupcake competition is pure foolishness.
Next Craig.
Great episode and the season looks to be fun and challenging. The only comment I'd have is the two best teams both fielded 4 players (because the Quickfire challengers got to choose their teams) and the worst teams fielded 3 players.
Wasn't that a bit of a competitive disadvantage?
Does anyone else think it was unfair for two teams to get an extra team member? Not surprisingly, those two teams were the top two teams. I think team challenges should be kept to a minimum, and then used only when each team competes on equal terms with the other teams. Giving two teams an extra chef was patently unfair to the other teams and represented a HUGE advantage to the two winning teams.
C'mon, people! At least make the challenges fair and balanced!!
In a way, I think that the two with immunity should have been allowed to either observe during this challenge, or help any team that needed it any time during execution. It was not at all surprising that the two higher teams had FOUR chefs each. That essentially gave them more man hours to put into their showpieces. This really wasn't fair. The two lower teams could have had completely changed their ideas or had more ability to complete their showpieces with an extra person.
There was an inherent unfairness in the fact that with 14 individuals at this stage in the competition there would be 2 teams of 4 and 2 teams of 3. The teams of 3 had the opportunity to create/cook over a maximum of 30 hours while the teams of 4 could create/cook over a maximum of 40 hours, or 44% more. How did this affect results? The 2 four-person teams did the best and the 2 three-person teams the worst. Why didn't you wait until you had 12 chefs left to do this challenge? I blame the producers, which according to the listings includes you, Gail.
Welcome back, Gail! I am looking forward to a great season.
I wonder why team Hansel & Gretel didn't compromise and make a gingerbread/candy facade on the front and the evil chocolate cake on the back. Loving the challenges and look forward to stunning and inspiring desserts. Good luck!
Don't you think it was unfair that two teams has three chefs, and two teams had four chefs? The teams that won the elimination challenge had four chefs. It seems the other two teams should have had more time, or something to account for their lack of manpower.
The two teams that won had four members each. The two teams that lost had only three members each. The two losing teams "ran out of time." So the fairness balance was completely out the window right from the start. The judges, however, got it right! They eliminated the least creative lump of the bunch. Not to put even one candy cane or lolipop on the gingerbreadh house was truly astonishing!
I find the show piece interesting to a challenge. However, it takes tons of time, thought and energy away from what the judges actually care about: flavor. Therefore, it's more of a hindrance than a help in judging ability.
The two losing teams had less people and it really affected the outcome of the challenge. I think the two that won the quickfire should have been excused from the elimination challenge and the other twelve should have been split into 3 teams of four. I'm just glad Lina left she was annoying, lacked creativity, and had a weird facial expression.
I'm so glad to see Gail allowed to be her own attractive and charming self. For the first season, especially in the advertising, it felt like they were trying to force her into the mold of Padma, who is an entirely different person. Go, Gail!
I also have to agree that it wasn't fair for there to be 2 teams with 4 and 2 teams with 3 people in them. They should of had the chefs that won do give their opinion of how each team did or hve the teams with 4 chefs do an extra dessert to make it fair.
Lina can go home right now, closely followed by Craig(?).
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