i think it was wrong that she was eliminated we'll i really like the way she kicked their ass on live tv hahahaha....funny...!the judges man ......sole losers....jenny Ur the woman!

Eric Ruper is correct. Jennifer's dish might have been mediocre, but the bacon was properly cooked BUT raw eggs in the frittata is a hearlth danger for which others were eliminated previously, and a too salty sauce ruied that dish. Tom and Padma clearly have it out for some of the quality judges early. We all know their secret agenda already. That was clear in Master Chefs.

While raw eggs might cause problems, they are edible.

No way are those other chef’s better then Jennifer. Geez, even they know it. Tiffani commented on how she expected to be schooled by her. Good grief, the lady was handpicked by Eric Ripert (demi-god superstar chef to the Michelin star fine-dining world) to be the Chef de Cuisine at one of his restaurants! So she got a little mouthy, big deal. It makes for good tv. Besides, the great chefs usually do have the big ego to go with the big talent. It’s the pro to the con.

I completely agree with you Monsieur Rippert. Inedible and dangerous food is an automatic no-no, especially where children are concerned. Elia was sent home last week for uncooked fish. How did the judges let the frittatas pass this time? Also, Tre knew that his sauce had reduced too much and was too salty. He could have corrected it but did not. He could have been sent home for this.

But Jennifer had to mouth off at the judges instead of reasoning with them. She could have presented her case differently and the judges may have seen her point. But she was snippy and snappy and that is not an endearing quality in someone who is in the industry of customer service.

I also couldn't understand how the judges did not take into account that Jennifer was left to herself while Jamie squirmed away. I honestly think Jamie must have it on her conscience that she left her team-mate hang out to dry while she escaped. How does someone get away with presenting nothing?

The sad thing is that Jennifer is one of the highest quality chefs there, with others who are just marking time before they leave (Dave and Antonia and even Fabio--who does seem to be a 1-trick pony, for example). I thought the final three would be Angelo, Richard Blaise, and Jennifer. Taking Jennifer off the show so early didn't seem right and will make the finale less dramatic.

I really love your detailed and thoughtful videos and I learn a lot from them. Thank you for taking the time to do this for us, Chef Ripert.

It was awful to see Jen go. It was wonderful to see her confident and even feisty. Perhaps Eric Ripert is right, she should have behaved more like a lady and kept her cool. But she was so often so horribly shaky and uncertain in her season when is clearly is a talent chef at least she no longer doubts herself. I hope she was able to exit with her head held high.

I agree Raphal! Raw eggs are much worse than underseasoned food. I am curious though as to what you think the secret agenda is? I don't have a clue. I must've missed something. Please advise. Thanks...

Who can concentrate on what he's saying with that accent? And those lips? But anyway, once he explained his reasoning I DID think about last night's elimination differently. Jennifer's attitude was gross and I think she lost her "cool" because she knew her dish sucked, but a raw egg is a raw egg. I believe one of the judges said it tasted like "hotel" eggs too. I get standing up for yourself, but it made her look more unstable than respectable (yeah, I'm alluding to Tom's admiration of her supposed moxie). You can stand up for yourself without looking like a crazy b$tch.

Chef Ripert,

I enjoy watching your video blogs. I'm interested in hearing some insight into what you would have done if put in some of the chef's situations each week. For instance, in last night's episode: would you have chosen Tyrannosaurus or Brontosaurus had you been in Tiffani's shoes? What sort of dish ideas can you think of that would have worked well for Tyrannosaurus?

Just a note: the picture that comes up in the first video when Chef Ripert is speaking of Tiffani and Spike's snacks is, I believe, Tiffany D's dish (coconut rice pudding), not Tiffani's dish that was in the top 2.

Based upon Jen's previous performance on Top Chef and the fact that she's employed by Chef Ripert, I have no doubt that she is exceedingly talented. But the dish sounded horrendous. Soft pork belly, flavor-less chopped hard-boiled eggs, and it looked hideous? Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Is there anyone classier than Eric Ripert? I can't imagine there is. Keep up the great work!

Can somebody please guide me on how to read Eric Ripert's blog? Thanks.

Raw eggs can cause salmonella, a fatal disease. Edible/inedible is the least of a chef's worries if a customer contracts samonella and dies. There were children here and children are more at risk than adults. Tom, what can you be thinking of?

The eggs in the fritatta were inconsistent and runny. They were not raw, and raw eggs are only a health concern and not deadly. On the other hand, Jen's pork belly was adequately but not properly cooked. Braising pork belly is a poor technique for that type of meat. In addition, her eggs were basically chopped hard boiled eggs and were not seasoned properly. All the judges designated Jen's dish as the weakest on the losing team. Top Chef is hardly perfect, but the accusation of a secret agenda or Tom/Padma having it out for certain chefs is absurd. I adore Jen, but she had a bad day (probably due to lack of sleep). I hope her behavior was a function of the situation, and could never be justified. I think that a competive situation is not Jen's world.

My favorite chef is gone. No need to watch now. I'll just catch Eric Ripert vLogs

I appreciate the thoughtfulness of Chef Ripert's judging. The fact is that "the judges got it wrong." I don't expect them to admit it-- that would be asking too much. And however much they deny it, they were responding to Jenn's forceful and combative defense of her food as much as the food itself. Her's may not have been a successful dish, but when you recall other decisions in other years, it was technical failures like what happened with the over/ undercooked frittata or the over-reduced sauce on the salmon that would normally have sent someone home. Her dish might not have been as delicious as she would have wanted, but she wasn't the worst person in this week's competition.

While I do think that Jen could have handled things differently, I agree that raw eggs are definitely a bigger blunder. Yes, raw eggs are edible, but frittatas are supposed to be cooked--it's not like they were making eggs sunny side up or over easy. I have to say I am extremely sad to see Jen go...it makes me not as excited to watch the next episodes.

One last thing: how did Jamie get away with staying in the competition? Leaving to get two stitches? I guess I just still don't comprehend Jen's elimination.

I believe Jamie should have been sent home for her lack of performance in the challenge. She didn't present or take credit for anything. Jen was quite professional in accepting full responsibility for her dish. However, I couldn't help but wonder what is wrong with Jen? She acted completely ridiculous to the judges and seemed to be very antagonistic. As I was watching, I kept wondering if she's on something. She acted like a methed out tweaker. Based on her behavior alone, she should have gone home.

I was a fan of jenn's. she was a class act and confident in her season. she left this season with a cocky and arrogant attitude and she knew everyone was intimidated by her. I think her littly celebrity on tv and probably in the ritz carlton has gone to her head. she is going to have to take a page from tiffiany 1's book and go home, grow up, become more humble and then come back and take it all. She was just an asshole this season and i am no longer a fan of the this new jennifer whoever she is. Even mike isabella has gone home and eaten some humble pie. Jenn go home and get some sleep and some class.

Totally agree!! Jen was not the worst dish of the night!! I was SO upset when I saw they eliminated her! HUGE MISTAKE!!! She was by far one of my favorites, granted, it was surprising to see her act like that, she should have been more relaxed and be less aggressive this season, but she was still in my top selection for the winner and I think the competition has lost SO much quality now that she's gone. I like Antonia and Tiffany a lot, but I honestly think one of them should have gone, those frittatas looked bad. I am not expert, but I think eggs is one of those things you can tell if they are good or not just by looking at them and those didn't look edible. Chef Ripert, tell Jen she is MY top chef and if I ever come to your city I'll do anything I can to stop by your restaurant just to have the pleasure to have one of your and Jen's dishes :).

Such a travesty that Jennifer was eliminated. The judges totally got it wrong, just like she said. I was outraged last night. She's one of the most talented chefs on the show. How could SHE be cut instead of a person who didn't even participate, a person whose food was under-prepared and a person whose main contribution was borderline inedible!? I'm quite pissed.

What a travesty. The judges really got it wrong. Jen is one of the most talented people on the show. I'm pissed!

You make me watch the Armani Code commercial and then tell me that I can't watch Ripert's commentary because it "isnt available in my location"? Obviously it's just as easily watchable as the commercial you tricked me into watching.

My favourite chef is now gone and like others I've lost interest in watching this season.... then again there are always some kind of twist maybe they might bring her back?! I wish...She is the BEST chef!! and I'm glad she stuck up for herself... As a viewer I can not imagine what it must be like to be on the show but I would probably be as over it as she seemed to have been.

Interesting. I too was exceedingly disappointed during Jen's first season when she seemed to just run out of stamina and folded. Really thought very highly of her all the way around. This season? Right from the beginning her demeanor was, or seemed to be, off. There are many words bantered about here to describe Jennifer's time in front of the judges: "kicked their ass" (really?), "got a little mouthy", "confident and feisty". None of these terms are accurate. Her demeanor should more accurately be described as arrogant, rude, obnoxious and unprofessional. As another poster rightly observed she could have easily, especially with her skill and knowledge as a chef, made a much better argument and her immature and snide remarks about the other teams food without explaining what dishes she tasted and why she thought they were bad. I don't recall anyone saying that they tasted every dish on the other teams plate but I can say it's probably true that she didn't taste her own food or tasted it through the clouded glasses of one consumed by self importance. Her dish was the worst, it was the worst for the guests and for the judges this was a hands down no problem decision, all of the judges agreed (as well as the Kids and the Parents) and at her level, if she is the best (and I happen to think she is) then she failed miserably, and followed it up with a miserably bad performance in front of the Judges and her fellow contestants. I thought I'd puke when I saw her dish, gaah, horrible. Too bad she shot herself in the foot, not very professional, who cares about Jamie, she'll be gone soon enough but Jennifer? Gee, wonder what would happen if she talked to Chef Ripert like that. Oh, by the way, Chef Ripert, love your vid's, thanks for your input, love to see you judging. I'm hoping she is different in your kitchen than she's been on Top Chef.

Jen's attutitude was horrible. She acted like the judges owe her something and that she should not be eliminated no matter what she makes. (not to mention that she's been acting cocky throughout the two episodes she was in). The funny thing is that she tried to pull a "Michael Voltaggio" by braising the bacon (as he did in Season 6) and failed miserably. A clear indication that you can't put out a good dish w/o good techniques.I'm glad she got sent home.

I liked Jen in her season but i think she has gotten arrogant since. I could see this coming...already in the 1st episode of this season she was saying her season was "the best because of her" - she's partly right largely because of the Voltaggios brothers! Top Chef judging has always been spot-on in kicking out from the weakest to the least weakest chefs, with a few exceptions. This was one. I agree with Tom & the judges: it was boiled bacon & chopped hardboiled eggs as a garnish!

Salmonella is a living organism. A type of bacteria that causes gastrointestinal problems, that can be fatal in some individuals. It is not caused by eggs. The bacteria can be found in eggs and many types of poultry. So, consuming raw or undercooked eggs or poultry can cause you to become infected with the bacteria and possibly get sick.

Totally agree!! Jen was not the worst dish of the night!! I was SO upset when I saw they eliminated her! HUGE MISTAKE!!! She was by far one of my favorites, granted, it was surprising to see her act like that, she should have been more relaxed and be less aggressive this season, but she was still in my top selection for the winner and I think the competition has lost SO much quality now that she's gone. I like Antonia and Tiffany a lot, but I honestly think one of them should have gone, those frittatas looked bad. I am not expert, but I think eggs is one of those things you can tell if they are good or not just by looking at them and those didn't look edible. Chef Ripert, tell Jen she is MY top chef and if I ever come to your city I'll do anything I can to stop by your restaurant just to have the pleasure to have one of your and Jen's dishes :).

As usual, your comments are carefully measured and well-reasoned. I understand your support of Jennifer, but I was very much put-off by her demeanor in this season. Yes, I understand the contestants are judged for their dishes and not for their personalities, but as a viewer I of course notice their personalities. In season 6 I remember Jennifer as earnest, genuine and humble -- all appealing qualities. This season she came across as puffed-up, belligerant and somewhat callous. An entirely different person. What happened? The difference is shocking and makes me worried for her well-being.

I also believe Jamie should have been send home. I think that the judges send Jenny home, because of her attitude.

My quick thoughts having watched this is: I love Eric Ripert. I never get tired of hearing his thoughts on food or on life. I think he is awesome and has so much class and kindness about him - which are nice combinations when you consider that he is such a culinary badass.

About the challenge and the elimination? I don't know. This is one that is too tough to call, as a viewer! But I like Jen Caroll and I'm glad he took up for her. Also, I know Jen has already apologized for her behavior, having watched herself when the show aired. When you think about it, she was up all night and in a pressure cooker situation. That can dampen judgment, fray nerves, and put a person on edge. Her comment that this was not Jen but rather "Jen, Allstars" was telling. All these chefs are so freaking talented. The bottom line is, they get to showcase their talent and their skill in front of an audience of millions- including fellow chefs, restauranters, and diners. So to me, it's a win-win. Jen: just tell your dad it's time to update his philosophy on winning/losing!

Jen's attitude was unprofessional and rude and imo, she should be embarrassed by her behavior. If she'd back-talked to the judges about just her dish I might understand, but she was defensive and aggressive about throughout the show. IDK what her problem was, but from her final dish (watery and mushy pork belly and unseasoned hard boiled eggs) to the words that came out of her mouth - she acted unprofessionally and immaturely. It really makes no difference whether it was her food or her attitude that caused her to go home - she was on the bottom on both counts.

i think jen SHOULD NOT have been eliminated. the judges got it wrong simply bec she talked back and was rude or angry and the judges took it personally. i may not have tasted the food nor i may not be a a food critic. but watching the show there are a lot of chef who is worst than her. she was obviously emotional and tired and when she burst out you can see she was red and quivering obviously bec of nervousness. jamie should have left. basically bec she was trying to get away from the challenge bec she felt it was beneath her to serve the kids. the competition is about top chef and jamie failed on all aspect of being what top chef is all about.

I have to admit ... my daughter and l were very sad to see Jen go... First off not having tasted her dish , l have to rely on the judges tasting . That being said , l am sure her bad attitude was what she was sent home for ... every chef knows of a great cook who got canned for a bad attitude ... l am certain that none of the judges felt that they would be in control after allowing that outburst ... even before she was eliminated ... my 11 year old daughter said " Come on Jen you are better than that " , I was thinking those very words myself. Jen we are all saddened to see you go , I hope we will see you in the finals using your talents ... however the Jen that everyone came to l"ve was in the Vegas Series ... not the All Star Series.. we will miss you .

We make such a big deal about raw eggs, unless we want a Caesar salad, or mousse, or anything with meringue in it, then they're fine. Who can say who had the worst dish unless we taste it?

It is disappointing that the vlogs do not have an excerpt or subtitles of what is said for deaf people who cannot hear what is said by Eric. I myself would have loved knowing what was said.

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING>>>>>Fritatta is a COOKED egg dish. if I am served a cooked egg dish like a fritatta in a restaurant and I see that the whole middle is runny, I am NOT even going to take a bite . I would call my waitperson and send it back to the kitchen. I would order something completely different, since my stomach would not take the chance of being served runny raw eggs twice. My appetite is kinda ruined at this point. So, most people would NOT eat a raw undercooked fritatta. WHY would they? everyone knows a fritatta is a cooked firm egg dish. OKAY.... now If is was served a Fish dish with over salted heavy sauce, i would not eat that. I appreciate the lack of salt on food, since so many restaurants over salt. Most chefs smoke cigarettes and have no taste. So they tend to over season and salt things. Very different to have something over salty and over spicy served. It can not be eaten. If something is served under salted, and you may need a touch of salt, than any kitchen in the world is glad to bring to you extra salt which can be a very personal taste to each person or person's diet. If you need a bit more spice a fresh cracked black pepper shaker is usually handy. Do the judges smoke? I think if they do they should not be on a panel judging flavor.

However, in the end, this is a hollywood produced production, for the viewing audience, drama, bad character and craziness is all a part of a good day of shooting film for the TV crew. So stage 1 exit left.... JEN, you should know this by now, this is a game. you were too good for it! I have removed top chef drama tales from my DVR after last night, i am done with this bad TV program.

Thank you. As always Chef Ripert is correct on the judging. I am so angry at the outcome at this decision, I simply say to Tom, listen to the above explanation and learn. Jenny should not have been sent home. Raw eggs, no. We are told over and over, never ever serve raw eggs. Enough said. Thank you Eric, very much. Maybe one day I will be able to dine at our fabulous establishments and when I do, I shall do so with great respect and admiration. You, sir, are a true Chef, gentlemen and honest man.

I really admire you as a Chef. I loved when you were on Top Chef Masters and would love to see you more often. I'm happy that you are at least judging although I laughed so much to see you and your collegues interact, specificall Michael Chiarelli.

I really liked Jen too in her season & was upset to see her go. I think it was telling that she mentioned her father's attitude several times...basicly saying if you come in second, you still are a loser. Makes one wonder if she felt parental pressure that she wasn't good enough because she didn't "win" and that's why some of the attitude difference was there. She was already a winner to most of us because of the person she was & the obviously great chef she was. Do you ever notice that some of the judges have good things to say about a dish/chef during their discussions & then later at judges table they totally recant the compliments & even insult the dish as if they are swayed away from their good opinions. I really dislike that aspect of the show. Fishy!!! Also, they always disagree about saltiness..so everyone's pallette is obviously very different. I think the chefs should serve them a salt & pepper mill or cup of seasoning on the side to adjust for the differences.

I agree with the chefs about the Dinosaur challenge. It was unfair. Tiffany really wasn't given any advantage for winning. That whole thing was wrong & lop-sided. This is Top Chef not Survivor. There are certain elements/ingredients that are basic & should be available... give me a break!!! Also, I was very sorry & disappointed to see Elia go on the first episode. I am losing interest because of it. What a very talented, classy, kind person!!!!! I loved how she didn't want even her competitors bashed. I totally respect her for that integrity. Make her a Top Chef judge!!!!!!! ...and make Tom have to compete!!!! I used to like him but not so much anymore since the last few seasons!

One more thought.... maybe they should call it Top Dish because it really isn't about who is the top chef...just the top dish of the day. The people in the middle usually stay longer than some of the best chefs who win a lot of challenges.

I've watched every Season but I'm not sure that I'll watch anymore.

Jen absolutely should have been eliminated. I don't care if she was the best cook in the history of the world, that doesn't override her belligerent attitude and it doesn't change the taste of her dish. Jen's demeanor angered me to the point that I would never be a customer at her place of employment, I am not a fan of McDonald's anyway. Jen lasted longer than she should have on her last Top Chef show because Tom C. seemed to have a crush on her. Hopefully this is the last we see of her on any TV show which I doubt after all Omarosa is still rearing her ugly head.

I've enjoyed all of the TC season's and spin-offs. I really respect Chef Ripert's comments in particular. Over the course of the shows, almost all of his criticisms have been constructive in nature, and the harshest term I remember hearing him use was this vlog's term "smartass" in describing Jennifer's comments. He has been fair and consistent (as has most of the judging, I think, overall), even in light of his own employee's elimination.

In general, I 've learned a lot while watching TC, and hope the insightful commentary continues. Thanks!

Adding sugar,salt or acid to eggs is actually a cooking process.spend less time watching top chef and maybe reading a book.

The judges were unprofessional. They should have judged SOLELY on food not also on additude. Goes to show you why some judges should not come back after failing befor. On another note Chef Eric as always is well spoken on the matter and makes a good point.

Chef Ripert, are you a jazz connoisseur? I found your selection of background music to be superb. Do you go to the live jazz clubs in NYC and who are some of your favorite artists?

As explained by Keisha, Salmonella is one type of bacteria (like Escherichia coli or Campylobacter or any number of other organisms). Salmonella is not particularly more dangerous than any other organism. Like any other bacteria, the most susceptible to Salmonella are the very young (babies, toddlers), the elderly, and the immunocompromised because all these groups have relatively poor immune systems. In fact, these groups are the mostly likely to die in any circumstance. Who do you hear about dying in heat or cold waves? It's always the elderly or the young children.

In terms of eggs, it's not like all eggs have Salmonella and are dangerous. You can totally eat complete uncooked eggs and rarely encounter Salmonella. Usually the way Salmonella infects eggs is not inside the egg itself, but on the egg shell or in the egg shell since the egg can come in contact with the chicken's own feces (for the same reason why they teach women to wipe their butt from front to rear to prevent contamination and UTIs). This is why you should wash your eggs before handling them. It is when you crack the egg shell and the egg spills out against the shell that it can get contaminated. To infect the egg at its origin means that the chicken's ovaries had to be infected themselves which is very hard to do. Nowadays, it's harder to get Salmonella poisoning because the eggs are washed at the processing plant which reduces the number of possible exposures (of course, when there are Salmonella outbreaks, it's usually because some farm or processing plant tried to take shortcuts with safety regulations).

But our lessons on fully cooked eggs come from hundreds of years of behavior. And way back when, cleanliness was not a great trait, especially with regards to cooking. They depended on heat/cooking to make up for poor handling. But if you wash your eggs, you can probably go 97 out of a 100 times of just eating pure raw eggs, Rocky-style, and be perfectly fine.

Ripert may be a fabulous chef, but he's not a scientist.

eric: you did it again! a trait i admire in you very much is your ability to critique without being hurtful or disrespectful. and although you work with jen you were able to remark on things about her comportment that you do not agree with. then, you shared how and why you would have judged differently....... and it made real sense. it was a most fair viewpoint.

you are a pleasure to watch......and learn from. thank you for sharing your insights and knowledge and doing it in such a classy way. i, for one, really appreciate that.

as for the episode itself, i find it unacceptable that the chefs were asked to perform their task ON 45 MINUTES OF SLEEP!! it's impossible for them to represent themselves as well as they normally would---cooking abilities as well as social skills. and in general, in all episodes/seasons a lack of sleep is common. i find it cheapens the show----more of a game show than cooking competition. i know time is money, but i find it unconscionable to not give them a fair minimum (6 -8 hours) of sleep every night. it's practically painful to see them pale as a sheet and with screaming red eyes. some contestants will have less tolerance to this exhaustion than others. i for one think it could easily play a part in someone's attitude or receptiveness, like jen at judges' table for example. if the show values its contestants, it owes them better treatment than this.

I saw the re-run of the episode on Sunday. It seemed to me that Jen was behaving a bit like Seth from TC-Just Desserts in the judging phase. I think that was partially because (in the edited version that we got to see) she had pre-conditioned herself with some kind of "they don't have meat, they must be losers" idea, and couldn't wrap her head around the fact that vegetarian items can be good breakfast food, or at least better food than what her team offered.