Great blog Chef Ripert! Your commentaries are always so clear and well explained - whether you actually get to taste the food or not. I have never tasted shaved truffles, nor do I have a clue what they would taste like; but the way you talk about them makes me want to try them.

Chef Ripert,

REALLY missed you this season. You, and then Tony Bourdain, are the only reasons I even started watching again.

You brought an integrity and strength to the show, which it has sorely lacked whenever at least one of you is not at that judge's table.

I hope you come back as HEAD judge, with your buddy Tony. That, or a new head judge with clout and fairness, is the only thing that will bring me back next season. I can't watch Tom pick his clones in spite of the food even one more time. It's really sickening watching his faces of disgust as he leads the "guest" judges to HIS conclusion.

UGH.

Without you, and with no Tony? We get these kind of shows, and frankly, wanting to throw a brick through my TV set to obliterate Tom's face is not what I want for a TV show. You two reigned him in, but neither of you were present consistently. When one of you was not there? The show completely sucked.

Attention to detail. Check off the "to do" list. You've done it all season while other bloggers have fallen by the wayside. I missed Wednesday's episode because it comes on at 11:00 Mountain Time. Luckily it was re-aired at lunchtime today and I did not get online to find out who won/went home.

I would love to visit Le Bernardin but would have to fly in for a reservation perhaps many months in advance, and being out west I'd have to work on wardrobe. For now, I'd like to thank you for your zealousness for fresh ingredients and preparation, fairness and methodical nature. I married my husband for those traits, though his talents lie in science and software. Cheers, D

My mother is from Belgium, and her parents lived with our family. We had homemade bread every week, and my grandmother made bacon wrapped pate in a loaf pan 2 or 3 times a year. My last meal would be hot, crusty, buttered bread with a slice of that pate and a sliver of red onion.

Thank you for your well written and informative posts, and I enjoy listening to you and Tony on Sirius radio.

You're too good a chef to be associated with this show.

Oh, Top Chef with Ripert and Bourdain would be the cat's meow.

You're wonderful

Thank you Chef Ripert for taking the time and interest to write such thoughtful comments this season. At times, better than the judges and cheftestants' exit pieces.