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Whip It Good - Ep 8
Maybe the chefs should just worry about their own dishes.
Dec 26, 2012Hello, my little husky muffstaches. Ew.
This past week's Last Chance Kitchen episode pitted newly-eliminated Danyele against reigning champ, CJ, in a battle of the sandwiches. If any of you have been watching since Season 1, you'll remember that Tom issued a similar challenge in Episode 7, a challenge Harold Dieterle won. This time, though, it was all about the lunch meat, poking fun at Padma's critique of Danyele's berry challenge-losing terrine, that apparently tasted like balogna. Danyele decides to go the classic route and makes a turkey sandwich, something she eats daily. CJ puts a spin on a classic ham and butter sandwich. Although Tom does like simple food, I don't think Danyele's turkey sandwich is quite it. It's still Top Chef. I think if she had elevated the sandwich a bit, Danyele may have had a better chance. Farewell, Danyele. (I'm a poet, and I didn't even know it.) While she dukes it out with Kuniko in our Save a Chef vote, CJ moves on to compete another week. Go, Big Ceej!
OK, on to this week's episode. Sidenote: if you like Kristen's Top Chef hoodie, you can purchase one right HERE. I want one too!
The chefs wake up early to head to Bow, Washington to harvest their ingredient. What ingredient? They have no idea. They end up at Taylor Shellfish Farm. I hope Top Chef Master Kerry Heffernan is watching because he loves an oyster. Anway, the chefs start picking their oysters, and Josie gets stuck. No one wants to help her. Sadsies. Micah helps and falls on his arse. Life isn't fair. John is in heaven as he grew up in east end of Long Island and knows what he's doing. This reminds me... although it's about clamming and not oyster farming, I recommend the movie Diggers about clamming on Long Island. I have a feeling the lifestyles might be similar. Hey, Paul Rudd and Ken Marino are in it!
I'd like to tell you how much I'm enjoying the "Behind the Scenes" videos that you are doing featuring Sandee Birdsong. I could tell there was a lot of work that went into each episode, and it is fascinating to see it all happen. Thanks for that, and please keep them coming!
FYI - the name of the town they visited is Bow...
So, might we learn more about Micah's father being a "pastor" but keeping a kosher household? I know there are some Christian sects that maintain some elements of Judaism, but I'd love to know what Micah's was. He seemed to be saying his father kept kosher as if it were the norm for a pastor.
motherhubbard
I thought the same thing. I haven't met any pastors that are kosher.
iamthewalruscoocoocachoo His bio says he was raised kosher because he's the son of an "Orthodox Catholic priest," which makes even less sense.
motherhubbard
It's probably just a preference thing. I don't think Orthodox Catholic priests have to keep kosher. But, what do I know? I wasn't raised Orthodox Catholic - this is just an educated guess
;-)
motherhubbard iamthewalruscoocoocachoo
Catholic in this case means that the church has a Hierarchy. The Eastern Orthodox Church is Catholic, but it is not Roman Catholic. And they do follow Kosher laws to some degree.
motherhubbard
Micah was raised as an Orthodox Christian. Thanks for asking.
Grandmastephanie As in Eastern Orthodox? My Orthodox acquaintances don't keep kosher and don't refer to their priests as "pastors." I do know some Coptics who observe [i]kashruth[/i], so maybe that's Micah's dad's background.
As for Cahollics (the term used in Micah's bio), I don't think the clergy are—officially— supposed to be making babies.
The girl skates in with the tray, and cj says he couldn't take his eyes off her amazing ass. I find that that rude and crude. Since he found that necessary to verbalize; it shows he is lacking in class and character. Can't this show find people who are more presentable to the youth of America?
fobesq its not a kids show. They bleep out half the conversations.
fobesq The show is on at 10:00 p.m. on a weeknight. The kiddies should be in bed.
Why is it that some of the chefs have hair falling all over their faces? Have they not heard of kitchen food safety/cleanliness rules? And handling food that is going to diners without gloves?? Makes you wonder how safe/clean food is in some restaurants.
carole1335@msn.com I have wondered about that, I'm sure Tom has commented on it before. Kitchen staff spend a great deal of time washing hand, produce and surfaces, and pay an great deal of attention to avoiding cross contamination. Many states have rules that state that anyone who handles food meant to be served to the public as-is (meaning not cooked further) must wear gloves for service. Maybe Top Chef counts these events as "invitation only" events where the usual food service rules don't apply, but I'd be interested in knowing for sure.
carole1335@msn.com You might be surprised at how un-sanitary it is to use gloves. When you're working hard at cutting food it's not unusual for hands to become sweaty and that pool of sweat in the glove can roll out of the glove into the food. Gross. IMO the only times gloves should be mandatory is if the chef has a cut on their hand, or when dealing with particular foods (ex; Chilis)
Love your blog posts, Monica.
Just a few Top Chef wonk/nerd corrections:
1. It was "unique" crappy, not "interesting" crappy.
2. I am pretty sure it was Grayson's dish that was an inside out chicken. (I have a vivid memory of her comparing it to a quasi-abortion to the horror of the judges.)
Other than that, keep up the good work!
(P.S. I think Josh should be "Heartbreak" Valentine or maybe "The Heart Attack.")
I really wish that this blog felt like it was really talking about stuff behind the scenes, but it just feels like a big recap with very little insight. I miss Lee Anne who really talked about challenges the crew faced, how some challenges came to be, and provided insight that went beyond what we already saw on television.
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