I can't believe the judges who nodded at Morgan as he made sexist and homophobic remarks (e.g. "cry like a little girl" "don't express myself through show tunes."

I just assumed Gail was a gay ally, but tonight she showed major failure in that regard--or the show cut her to look like that which is terrible.

I don't understand why this has been tolerated all season--it's condoning his misogyny and homophobia on national television and you should be ashamed.

I wish you much success with your new show. Hopefully, "Top Chef" contestant's will watch it too! lol!

As much as I love Top Chef, I don't understand all the negative drama and fights Just Dessets has. I'm studying to be a Pastry Chef and I don't understand why people fight while doing something they love. I realize this might be for ratings, etc., but somethimes it can be too much. I want to learn while watching your show, not hear all the negativity these people bring to the table. I do hope it gets better or else I won't be a fan no more. I do love you Gail and I wish you the best.

Gail, I loved the show last night and am so glad to see desserts getting some attention. My one comment on the show would be try to make sure it has its own soul, last night the format was exactly the same as Top Chef. I'm talking about your piece and Johnny's. The 2 of you need to get your own style and use that in place of Top Chef's. I hope that made sense

Does anyone have the recipe that was in People for the Peach Bread Pudding - I lost the issue.....

So excited that desserts are getting the attention it deserves!

Made your bread pudding recipe in People. It was delish and so easy.

Look forward to Just Deserts.

How wonderful to have a show featuring desserts. How yummy!

Looking forward to "Just Desserts." My two sister and I are bakers. I intend to make them aware of your show. All the best!

Top Chef is such an enjoyable show that although I travel all the time I remember to watch.

My love for cooking started at 6 years old with my Grandmother's guidance and instruction from women who were married 50 years and more. I've since used meal preparation as a stress release, opportunity to listen to my sons and their friends discuss hosts of topics, and for the senual pleasure of eating the result.

I braved a severe thunderstorm across the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex to Tiffany's restaurant the day after she left the show as a tribute and met several other Beaumont natives with the same idea.

The 2 women I'd invited to join me and I had a terrific time, I've recommended the venue to other business buddies in the area.

I look forward to Just Desserts as I also love to bake and enjoy gaining some ideas of using savory herbs and other options in my own creations.

Now that I am 59 years - young and a Grandmother my 5 year old grandson enjoys pulling up a chair to help me make dinner, salads, and desserts.

Thanks for helping me to carry on my Creole Grandmother tradition with new twists. All the Best for both shows. Cooking is the ultimate solution for many things that ail us.

cant wait

I am so looking foward to this show. I absolutely love desserts. There are times (not that often because I try to be healthy) when I'll skip dinner & head right to desserts! Bring on the chocolate!

I can't wait for dessert!!! Especially anything chocolate.

Hi Gail-
Always enjoy your blog. Looking forward to the new show.

The episode I'm waiting for is a "very special" Just Desserts, where instead of sweets the chefs have to make a savory dish. Half of the contestants freak - "But I've never made Shepherds Pie!" - and half the chefs "make it work." ha ha

Good luck!

I am shocked that you had your elbow on the table during the School Lunch empisode. I think that you should stay after school and write on the black board 100 times 'I will not have my elbows on tha table'.

I'm excited for the new show, but Gail, the picture of you with your blog doesn't look like you and doesn't do you justice!

CONGRATS TO YOU GAIL!! YOU NEVER DISAPPOINT ME WITH YOUR OPINION OF THE DISH, YOU MAKE US FEEL AS IF WE WERE TASTING IT TOO!!

gail simmons, i just watched your promo for the new sony film "eat, pray, love". not everyone can follow your advice and just go travel the world and eat whatever they want to get to know themselves. great advice for the poor you got.

I am interested in seeing the new Top Chef Desserts show and always enjoy the Top Chef competitions. I do also realize that you dont have control over who is hired as judges and that it is up to the producers. But I would have assumed that you/the show would actually employ someone who IS desserts and that would be Gale Gand. She is tops in her field, with great credibility and a wonderful personality. I have missed her show, Just Desserts, from the food network for a long time and would love to see more of her.

Gail,
I can not wait for the Pastry show but I have a question for you and I would like an honest answer. Why do I have to hear constantly that there is a difference between savory and pastry chefs? A Chef is a chef. This to me is becoming a tedious and tired excuse. I am done hearing the following: " I don't do desserts" Frankly my answer to them would be, "Then you are not a CHEF!" Ahem, sorry had to get that out.

I WAS looking forward to this new addition to the Top Chef family. but since the airing of "Top Chef" episode of 07/28/10 I no longer feel that the series is an honest one, so I no longer have a desire to watch anything that is "Top Chef"

I can't wait for 'Top Chef: Just Desserts;. When will it air?

Top Chef really inspires me. This evening for dinner I prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 2 ways. First I did a deconstruction presenting roasted peanuts on a compost of yeast, and flour, drizzled with oil and lightly salted with a crushed strawberry and cognac reduction, then I did a simple take on the classic PB&J sandwich only I put the peanut butter and jelly on the edges of the bread rather than in between them.

I'm so excited to hear about Just Desserts. Hubert Keller is my favorite chef ever, so I will tune in each and every week! Oh yeah, the dessert show idea is long overdue too!

For some reason I can't seem to be enthused over any of the Top Chefs this season, they lack finesse & don't seem to come across as engaging on the screen, I was glad to see John be the first chef to leave, something about his appearance I found to be unkept & a little scary.

I think it was a great challenge. Chefs of this caliber should have a repertoire of desserts even if it isn't there culinary preference. Will your new show replace top chef and top chef masters orjust be an additional show?

So far, I think this season's chefs have been disappointing. How you all ever selected John or Tracy to even complete is hard to fathom. I hope the rest step it up or it is going to be a less than exciting finale.

I am not liking this season of chefs. I'm not sure what it is exactly that is putting me off. It's like having a flavor in your mouth you can't identify and that flavor is completely distracting to the enjoyment of the whole dish.

Part of it is the attitude's some of these chefs have. I feel like they are snobs. Really, you don't know how to cook on a grill? Not a pastry chef so pies are beneath you? Just because you've cooked in a restaraunt or went to chef school doesn't mean you've outgrown these downright basic skills.

I have a concern not for just this show but all the cooking shows like this. From time to time it would be good to see the chefs stop and wash their hands. I have little doubt that hand washing is taking place but because of editing it appears the chefs never wash.

Keep in mind that many people including children are looking at your shows to learn and be inspired. Handwashing is the key to sanitation.

Please consider this important items in future shows.

BJG, I agree with your sentiment. The comments following the blogs on this site also extensively make note of the quality of the chefs this season compared to S6.

Paraphrasing:

Robin to Michael V.: "I'm done, do you need help?"
Jen to Bryan: "I have 1 hour more than you all to make this challenge and my things are looking good, can I give you a hand?"

S7, paraphrasing again:

"You bet I took his dish out of the oven! Prison rules!"
"Who put my 450º down to 250º?"

Gail, I missed you this week. Forgive me if I was so overjoyed to see Bryan that it made up for your absence. ^-^

Congratulations on your show! We look forward to watching it.

Top Chef is, and has been, a very much anticipated show for me and my husband. This year, however, we have been overwhelmed by how mean and unappealing the contestants are, and how they continue to treat one another poorly. The attitudes and pettiness (and emphasis on this type of drama) dominate the show this season - to the point of distraction from the skill and creativity of being a chef. We will continue to watch the show in the hopes that this changes, though!

I live about 10 miles from Mt. Vernon Plantation, and you don't have to tell ME about the heat and humidity we have here. It's been over 100 degrees here the last few days.

I don't understand why they asked a top chef candidate to bake a pie since most chefs don't seem to make desserts. It seemed a waste of an episode.

I'm so underwhelmed by this season of Top Chef; so far, it's been a snooze fest. There are no cutting edge ideas, or people for that matter. Just a bunch of ordinary "chefs" who I believe I could out-cook! It's yawner Gail, honest.

please tell these childish contestants that if they walk up to an oven and it is on that the oven fairy did noy pre heat it it for them.very shelfcentered people this year. will be looking for the new show.

Congratulations on your new show - can't wait to watch.

I hope that Mr. Iuzzini is a little....friendlier on the new show than he was on this past week's Top Chef. He seemed quite rude and abrupt.

In years past , I would rush home from work at nite to catch the series...not so much this season...
What a SNOOZEFEST !!! Even the attitude of the judges seem to be off kilter this time around...Are you all getting burned out by this ???
So LOVED LOVED LOVED the Top Chef Masters series but think they got it wrong with the 'winner'...should have gone hands down to Rick.....
Please step it up with these chefs or shut it down.....
Diva

In watching the pastry challenge; i very much enjoyed the comment my grandmother is not a pastry chef n she can bake a pie! So true, i thought the pies looked disasterous, to say the least. Than the bbq challenge, that seemed to be a bit more exciting n the chefs seemed like they had an array of dishes... Howver the school challenge; very disapointed, the only one that nailed it close was the taco challenge. But some ideas how about sloppy joes, adding peas, n carrot juice. or sweet potatoe fries baked.... Or how about pizza, so many options, sometimes simplier is better let's not lose focus. N lets get some drama.... this is somewhat reality tv... Goof luck Chefs!

I've read your blogs for the last couple of years and have always enjoyed them, thank you! I like the fact that I (we) can get a little insight into how you guys come up with your decisions. Can't wait to see your new show "Just Deserts"!

re: Tired

If you're going to criticize someone's writing, at least have the courtesy to read it closely. The "later this year" clearly refers to the debut of Just Desserts, not this week's episode.

Gail,

I couldn't be more happy for you about your upcoming show. Also, I'm happy for myself because I love seeing you on Top Chef, as I like both your demeanor and the comments you make on the dishes.

Starting date, please? Ha, suspense...

The geese were "fun". Both fun and creepy, and added a nice reality touch to the picnic setting. Fortunately, no one and no food were personally blessed with the birds' "little surprises of their own."

Hi Gail,

I'm really excited about your new show Top Desserts, but when will it be showing? Can you post more details in your next blog?

And if you need any guest judges for it, I'll volunteer!

I feel that this season has very petty characters, and I hate the emphasis on the rivalries. I'm hoping your show sticks with the original format of Top Chef with more emphasis on the desserts and less emphasis on who dislikes who. Looking forward to it!

Thanks for letting us know about the tomato comment that got edited out. But if the tomatoes were so awful, how is it that Arnold's gazpacho was so refreshing? Maybe I missed something, but did his gazpacho not have the offending tomatoes in it?

Having enjoyed watching a BBQ cook-off featuring one of your judges, I was surprised to see your chefs using lighter fluid in this challenge. Did they have any choice in the technique for lighting their charcoal?

I hope your new show won't mean you're leaving Top chef...I have always loved your comments.I hope on the new show you'll make some sugar free desserts that are tasty and don't cause diahreha like so many sugar free desserts do.I use splenda and that seems to be the best of the bunch.

Hey!
Congratulations on the new show :) I'm so glad they made a special show for desserts as they are getting a bad reputation on Top Chef!! I bet this show is going to so good to watch but so bad if your hungry!!
All the best!

Gail,
You're terrific and I'm glad you're getting your own show...congratulations. Now, what Mount Vernon did you visit?
There are no mountains in Alexandria, VA....at most some hillsides. I lived a mile from Mount Vernon for 39 years and visited Mt. Vernon on countless occasions and still haven't seen the mountain side you said it sits on!
Pearlz