90 replies to this topic

[JustSayNo]

TWOP Nikita suggested a speculation thread in the first episode thread to help keep things organized.

I have to agree that this is a good move, since next week is the debut of one crazy cave lady, Elizabeth Falkner:

Notable chefs Wylie Dufresne, Suzanne Tracht, Graham Elliot Bowles and Elizabeth Falkner get lost. That is, they whip up island-flavored fare inspired by the TV series "Lost." Appearing: "Lost" executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof.

I'd put my money on Wylie to win next week, since he's judged before and Lost-inspired food could allow for his kitchen magic, but they also clearly show Elizabeth Falkner playing around with chemicals. There has to be a good reason the Food Network and now Bravo pursued her for cooking competitions. I hope, for once, she really gets to show what she can do.

And here's the third episode description:

Crack cooks Rick Bayless, Cindy Pawlcyn, Wilo Benet and Ludovic Lefebvre create color-themed cuisine. Later, they hit the streets of Los Angeles to serve food fare to pedestrians.

Can't wait for the return of the street food challenge.

[canasian]

Love Elizabeth, but next week is so between Graham and Wylie I don't even know why the others are showing up. Week three I think is anybody's game. I kinda wish they switched Keller and Wilo so that Keller could have some real competition.

[MariaArg]

My favorite bit of the previews: Neil Patrick Harris!

[Bungalow Joy]

I was a little disappointed that the QF in the first episode was pretty much a free ride for ingredients. I'd love to see someone like Wylie Dufresne do something like the convenience store challenge from S1. Other QFs I'd like revived: blind ingredients tasting that offers points, or a star for every 3 correct guesses; the leftover challenge from the premiere episode of the Miami season; gourmet version of junk food; appetizer to pair with a cocktail; 5-ingredient challenge.

[Fukui San]

I was unimpressed with Graham's ICA appearance. He spent a long time trying to unsuccessfully temper chocolate. I'm actually pulling for Suzanne Tracht for no particular reason.

[Fukui San]

Suzanne comes through. So I'll go on record for being for Wilo Benet in the next episode with Cindy Pawclyn a close second.

[aceplace57]

It seems like they are giving Rick Bayless a huge advantage next week. Mexican cuisine is centered around street food and that is Rick's specialty. The previews show the French chef (name??) commenting that they don't have street food in France.

I'm glad to see the street food challenge return. I wish they had scheduled it in a different episode. I don't think it's fair that Rick will be cooking his own style food. That would be like the French Culinary challenge from season 3. The French chef would win it hands down.

[buttersister]

Maybe the producers want Bayliss' name value in the finals? So playing to his strength would be right up their alley. Although I'm not clear which challenge features the street food. Bravo producers interfere? Heh. Whatever gave me that idea?

[Fukui San]

The street food is the Elimination challenge, I believe, since the color theme one is a repeat of a past Quickfire.

Honestly, I don't think name value matters in this lineup of chefs. If it did, Wylie Dufresne would have won this week. And the Elimination challenge was in no way weighted for him.

These chefs should have no trouble creating a street dish. A good croque monsieur (French grilled ham and cheese sandwich) would be a great street offering, for example. Of course, the French chef in question Ludovic did not do terribly well in his Iron Chef America battle, failing some basic quality control issues like making sure to get the best cut of meat, so I don't expect much from him anyway. But would you expect Hubert Keller to have much trouble with coming up with a street dish?

[Fukui San]

The preview for next week seemed to show the chefs cooking a lot of Molecular Gastronomy type of "magic" themed dishes. If they have to do MG, that might favor John Besh a lot, as a Next Iron Chef episode had the chefs learn those techniques (from Wylie Dufresne!) and use them in two dishes.

[kitty32]

The format has seemed to be one well-known-to-TV audiences chef mixed with very good chefs that aren't as well known outside their stomping grounds. So I would have expected Hubert Keller, Wylie Defrenes, Rick Bayless, John Besh, and Michael Chiarello to be the winners -- but only 3 of those have won so it would seem the fix isn't in. Which is of course all to the good. I'd really rather have seen one of the other chefs beat out Michael who's too smarmy for my taste but too late now.

[adelaide97]

Any idea how they're going to handle 6 finalists? They can't all work in the same kitchen at the same time, right? Might they be adding the two contestants with the greatest number of stars who didn't make the finals and having semifinals of 4 each? That makes sense to me. Some weeks have been so much closer and competitive than others based on the number of stars, which I don't think are awarded relative to other contestants, and it seems like a fair way to do it.

[Smudge]

Why couldn't there be 6 at once? We've seen many more than that cook at once before, plus we already have seen their bio's and charities at least once.

[pjamma]

May guess would be two semi-finals of three and a final between the two winners.

[Fukui San]

The preview seemed to show all of the finalists in the same place, working. Do we know whether it's one episode or two remaining?

I can already envision the first shot of the finale:

Suzanne Tracht waits patiently at her station.

Anita Lo walks in.

Suzanne: Anita. [slight nod]

Anita: Suzanne. [slight nod]

Pause.

[Constantinople]

There are 4 episodes left.

I'm guessing one Master gets eliminated for the next 3 episodes, leaving the remaining 3 to compete in the final.

[eyechart]

The preview showing Zooey Deschanel announcing the next challenge and the twist...anyone else expecting a vegan challenge?

[persiaa]

Eyechart-I was thinking it might be that. She might also have a gluten allergy, or something similar.

[BeanyMalone]

I hope so. I have been longing for a vegetarian challenge and prefer to see the "masters" take it on. There is a tradition of vegetarian cooking in each of the cultures represented by the remaining chefs, except maybe Art's "southern comfort food". If the challenge is vegan, I think it's going to be harder for the chefs to step away from the butter and cream (oh, Hubert, I'm worried for you) than the meat.

[Fukui San]

Some places I found on a google search said she's vegan. Additionally, I found an interview here in which she says her other allergies:

Are you still into cooking?
Yes, I love to cook. But I have some food allergies, so I have to contend with those.

What are you allergic to?
Dairy and eggs and, um, gluten. Wheat gluten. It’s not really that good for you anyway. That’s what I like to tell myself when I see something I can’t eat.

If I had to guess, I'd say this challenge favors Anita Lo. She must know a lot of rice flour based dishes if she wants to do those types of starches, and if tofu is in play she'd be the one to have worked with it most. I'd guess this most severely handicaps Art Smith.

Edit: Oof. Just saw the Bravo preview and Zooey can't do soy either. Makes it a little tougher on Anita. Art is hilarious. He punches the table in frustration when he hears "vegetarian".

I'd say this challenge has been the #1 most suggested challenge in the Top Chef suggestions thread. Makes sense that they'd give it to the masters.

Edited by Fukui San, Jul 31, 2009 @ 9:43 AM.

[plurie]

As a celiac, I was hoping it would be a gluten free challenge. But to make it vegan and soy free as well is just EVIL. I think this still favors Anita. There are plenty of Asian dishes that don't use soy sauce. They can't use tofu as their protein, or any of the vegan "meat subsitutes" (that are pretty much all soy or wheat based). There are rice- or nut-based cheese and milk subsitutes that the chefs could use (which are sold at Whole Paycheck), but they'd probably do better with beans or quinoa or nuts or the like.

[BeanyMalone]

If there's no soy, then maybe Anita Lo is the most disadvantaged. I'm sure it just reflects my ignorance of Asian cuisine, but (assuming the dish has to have a protein element), I can't think of an Asian dish with legumes. But she's proven herself pretty creative, so she'll probably figure it out.

If Art wants to stick to the southern thing (and after the scotch egg fiasco, he should), maybe a vegetarian red beans and rice or veggie jambalaya.

[Fukui San]

It really depends on what Anita is versed in if she's drawing from all of Asian cuisine. There are schools of cuisines of Buddhist monks that are wholly vegetarian. She can make use of pickled vegetables or use a Szechuan hot and spicy approach. I'm sure the Japanese have thought of 300 ways to feature vegetables. Koreans have lots of vegetarian sides and kimchee.

I remember her ICA battle in which her theme was Mushrooms, and she really thought through and featured the mushroom as the main part of the dish. I think she still has rice and rice flour at her disposal. If I had to guess what she might do, I'd guess a selection of dim sum dishes with mushrooms standing in for pork and shrimp.

I'd also expect Michael Chiarello to do well as Italian cuisine could go a long way with tomato based sauces and spices.

[aceplace57]

The preview showing Zooey Deschanel announcing the next challenge and the twist...anyone else expecting a vegan challenge?

Easy enough, I'd suggest the chefs wash a couple sticks of carrots and celery. Use a Ronco Veg-a-Matic to make decorative slices and put it on a plate. Then, call it an early day. There's no gluten, no meat, and no soy. Easy as pie. Vegan pie with Splenda, of course.

Edited by aceplace57, Aug 3, 2009 @ 7:58 PM.

[BeanyMalone]

Bringing back the cheftestants we love to hate? Brilliant! Now we get to see just how fair or unfair these "team leader" challenges really are.

I remember feeling slightly positive toward S4 Dale, but if the previews are accurate -- what a tool.

[ayako38]

I'm kinda surprised that Dale can hold a job. He is there for one challenge and he goes off. What does he do on his first night in a restaurant? Amazing.

[TrininisaScorp]

I had quite a little crush on S4 Dale. This was further pushed by my dislike of S4 Lisa and his good behavior at the Reunion show. Plus, I had Richard and Spike on the Top Chef Tour stop in my town, and they said some pretty nice things about the guy. And, he's cute (shush!).

But, if those previews are an accurate picture of the episode and Dale...well, ewwww. Way to make yourself out to be a ginormous tool in front of some of the top chefs in the country.

[Cheesepizza]

ICK! Betty...

Thought I'd never have to see her again. In the words of Nancy Kerrigan "Why....Why?"

[screamapiller]

I remember feeling slightly positive toward S4 Dale, but if the previews are accurate -- what a tool.

I couldn't help but laugh at Dale's assy comments about Michael disrespecting him by calling him "young man" - Oh Dale, you ignorant slut. You ARE a young man to Michael, who is nearly 20 years your senior (Dale is 30ish, Michael is 47). Respect the man, respect the years of experience, respect the successful and LONG career he's had in the industry, and either stuff your attitude in a sack or go eat a bowl of bees.

[biakbiak]

So do they each get two sous chefs? Because when they first walk you can see Jaime, Betty, Dale and a person I think was Alex and then someone I can't make out. But then you clearly see Spike and Blais and when Dale and Michael are going at it there is someone who is clearly not Spike and no other TCM doing prep next to them.

Edited by biakbiak, Aug 5, 2009 @ 11:34 PM.