Regarding your statement, "If our criticism of the weakest three chefs seemed harsh at the end of this episode, it was only because we were determined to show our best possible selves to the airmen and their families." What a copout. You all were just cranky. Please don't use the airmen as an excuse for the judges' demeanor. That said, the pasta salad was a poor choice.

I would love to see a quickfire challenge someday wherein the cheftestants were required to make a pasta salad worthy of a Top Chef. I think it could be done. Hot pasta can win, why not cold?

Of course, Laurine and Preeti's preparation would NOT be the sort of thing the judges were looking for. That was pretty darned pedestrian.

LOOOOVED this challenge...It had a lot of class! As always, your input really helps us veiwers' understand what we can't taste!

Gail

Brigades are for the Army! Wing would've been the appropriate word, or even unit.

the episode at air force base was touching and inspired. but culd someone please adjust the bread pudding rescipe by ash to home proportions.

I did cry.

I think that the judges should've given HUGE
kudos to the leader of this challenge (I believe her name is Jennifer). She had charge
of that kitchen from the beginning and kept
everyone at their tasks and on time for serving the food. They certainly missed patting her on the back! She really deserved
appause!!

Gail I think your decision was reasonable and a good one. When I saw them cooking the pasta salad, I said to my self that looks horrible. You have to bring more to the table, especially this season, you have some high quality chef's this season. Good on Ya!

"David
It will be good watching the next few weeks, but I cannot wait to see the real competition between Mike V, Kevin, Jen, Bryan and Ashley. Let's face it, none of the others have a chance against these chefs."
David, I think you forgot Eli. He has a lot to offer and has done well in all of the challenges so far. And he and Kevin seem to have bonded much like Spike and Andrew--but in a good way.

Hi Gail, I love Top Chef and really enjoyed Top Chef Masters.This last episode of Top Chef was so good and it was nice to see The Air Force honored.I myself love to cook and I think that some of these chefs have to learn to taste their food while they prepare it so they won't underseason it.It also prevents overseasoning if you taste and season and taste and season as you go along. I love all the judges and I especially enjoy your comments. You seem to love your job and trying out these dishes.Any time you need a substitute I would love to step in.Thanks....

Hello,
Im from Brazil, and here we are watching the 3rd season. I am sending thiis just to say how much I love you Gail, you're simply the most wonderfull star from this show. I am an wheelchair user and alwways watch the show just to see you......hope some day receive an answer from you..........lot a love, kisses, Rod'S

What a great challenge - I almost came close to crying at the end. It was so heart felt I almost forgot that it was a cooking challenge. I thank Top Chef for honoring our Military!!

Hi Gail! Love your posts. I am a long time fan of the show but have especially loved this season as I am a Vegas resident. I was so happy to see you at Nellis! So many people don't even know we have a base here. It is quite something to see those fighter jets against the backdrop of the Strip. I look forward to seeing other local spots featured on the show in the coming weeks!

Hey Gail...glad you are back but wonder if you could give Padma some stylist advice. She dressed completely inappropriately for attending an event on a military base. I come from a military family and its about decorum and respect for the troops and their families. She looked like something a military soldier would find in the red light district overseas. Please help her since you always dress appropriately and look beautiful without looking cheap. I guess since she is not a "Lady Rushdie" anymore, she does not have to dress lady-like. We know how she got that title.

I found this episode to be rather disturbing, although informative. It serves to show the degree to which American society is militarized and just how utterly detached the public is from the reality of what the "valiant men and women in uniform" are really doing out in the world. For me it is rather grotesque to witness a celebration of the most lethal killing machinery history has ever known without a single critical voice being raised, apart from a comment from Ash which somehow made it past the editing room - props to Ash for that one.

Fortunately I know the situation isn't quite as grim, but from the framing of this episode one is led to believe that the average citizen truly believes the United States military exists to "defend" the public from something and is therefore an honorable and praiseworthy institution.

My favorite cooking show took a deep plunge with this one.

Watching those airmen/woman & their families enjoying that meal, half of them just getting back from the war, half getting ready to be deployed, brought me to tears. How often we take those brave young people for granted. Wouldn't it be great if chefs around the country offered a standing invitation to their restaurants for any active serviceman/woman and their families to a complimentry meal before being deployed or after they returned?

One of the things I like best about this season is the professionalism of the contestants. Especially the lack of having to beep out every other word due to it being a curse word. Jennifer seems as if she is of a caliber so much higher than the rest. I will be rooting for her.

It will be good watching the next few weeks, but I cannot wait to see the real competition between Mike V, Kevin, Jen, Bryan and Ashley. Let's face it, none of the others have a chance against these chefs.

Preeti and Mike both did a poor job. Laurine didn't try to step it up a notch to make it flavorful.
Thankfully it wasn't a wedding so that the lesbians in the chef crowd didn't mind cooking.
The gay part is starting to make the show look boring or stupid. Take your pick.

This is Top Chef, not Top Pot Luck Social covered dish. The pasta salad was virtually identical to something that was served daily by the cafeteria at the hospital where my husband died. Not a good memory. And Preeti apparently didn't know that most men loathe cold, slimy pasta or worse, room temperature, slimy pasta. But she is the executive chef for a corporate food service operation, albeit an upscale one; so one wonders how she came to be cast with other chefs of Season Six's caliber.

I am just finding this season very difficult to get into. There's not one chef that really ignites me and makes me want to watch each week. It makes me someheat sad. I love and adore this show! However, the personalities of each are significantly short of stellar. Bad attitudes, and uninspired food. BOO.

After hearing multiple digs at the New England clam chowder on the episode, I was delighted that the producers chose to run the comment from the airman from Boston. Much was made of the southern food having the comforts of home, but soups are classic comfort food. Granted, the heaviness was a gamble in the arid setting, but to the airmen from New England, it brought them home.

By the way, I am sure you're tired of hearing this, but I must chime in as well -- It is so good to have you back!!

I am a huge fan of Bravo and Top Chef. I have always loved cooking and enjoy watching the chefs come up with interesting dishes. I have watched the show from the beginning but this season and specifically this episode really hit home for me. I have two sons similar to Michael and Bryan V. My older son just returned home from combat in Aftganistan. To see how the show and the chefs poured their heart and soul into this meal was truely about caring for the Top Guns. The show and all of the chefs made me even prouder to be a soldier's mom!

Thank you for honoring our BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN!
For me, this is the BEST CHALLENGE.
Our American military THANKS YOU for your unwavering commitment to them.
They make me PROUD.

I have to agree with Sarah's comment regarding Laurine forgetting this was a competition. I don't think she meant it in a disrespectful way. I believe she meant that she had prioritized this meal as a way to honor the service men and women and their families; she wanted to serve them comforting food that would remind them of home, whether they were soon to be leaving or just recently returned. She wanted to serve them something good, but familiar. Not something extreme or risky that the average person might not appreciate. She was trying not to take advantage of "using" them for her own gain. Placing other people's needs above your own is something to be admired, not chastised. (the salad may not have been the best flavored and it was ok to critique her on that, but not to put her down for her misunderstood comment) Good job Laurine!

I had the same reaction to Laurine's comment as Sarah... I felt bad she got stepped on there, had she rephrased or clarified she could have had a good moment, so swept away by the honor of serving the military that she forgot about the contest -- but it did look like a lousy pasta salad!
LOVE Laura's idea about the school cafeteria challenge!

I agree with you - absolutely the greatest challenge to date! These chefs are so much more fun to watch then the chefs of the previuos seasons. And it is a relief to watch Top Chef without all the rudeness, and screaming and out and out vulgarity. The show is so much more interesting as it stays focused on their talents and cooking skills.(so far) Jennifer was so impressive in the quickfire and in taking charge of the kitchen. BUT... for the other women - whoever picked these ladies, well, they need to be fired. The guys are terrific as usual though. Love this season!

Thanks for the blog, Gail. It's often the little insights the judges give on the blogs that really add to the enjoyment of the show. After years of viewing, I'm sure a lot of viewers have come to terms with how much of what we see is (and has to be) edited. You have the vision (and taste buds) we cannot have!

I think it was a good call on elimination. I'm sorry, but I think the idea of a pasta salad was just woeful. Not to be harsh, but it looked like something you'd by at a grocery store salad bar.

Oh.... and I'm so glad the producers had Mike Peel on. I was hoping that they would bring back some of the TC Masters to judge. It brings a lot more credibility to their comments since they can actually temper their assessments by having had a taste of what it's like to be in the shoes of the contestants. Well, at least I think so.

Looks like we have some great talent this season. Can't wait for every Wednesday!

Hi Gail,

Nice blog! Your description of the food is colorful and helpful to understand the hits and misses. Thank you for that. Although I understand why Preeti was dismissed, it seems to me that Mike I made the larger error: undercooked shrimp in a throwaway dish. His attitude alone (of entitlement) should have sent him home as well.

You got angry when Laurine (?) said she forgot it was a contest. I interpreted her comment to mean that she got so involved in serving the military men and women that she focused on that rather than the contest. To me, that says something good about her, not something bad.

Episode 3 ,, Season 6 - shows promise of being the best yet of Top Chef. The major improvement (as a viewer) has been with the edit decisions. It has been far more enjoyable, and informative to hear more of the judges comments ,, a fuller view of their discussions ,, than generally shown in the past.

This was a terrific challenge, and I enjoyed watching it. I'm glad to see Top Chef honor our military in this fashion. The industrial style kitchen reminded me of the school cafeterias, and I think Top Chef should consider a future challenge set in a school. Since school lunches are a hot food topic right now, wouldn't it be great to see Top Chef cook lunch for school children in a school cafeteria that meets the government requirements and budget constraints? How would they feed our kids?