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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 6:55 am
Brian, I am not sure they are online. They were shown during the credits at the end of the finale and then at commercials on the next show, Top Design. Allie, very good points.
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 7:15 am
you can see Marcels after the win videos on the official top chef website. There are two videos and the second one is the most vicious.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 7:20 am
there is also an interview with both of them at the site. my sound card doesn't work, so i can't hear them, but here's one person's take on it... ...Meanwhile, 29,639 people tuned in Wednesday night to watch Bravo’s Andy Cohen moderate an awkward Q&A with Ilan and Marcel online, an increase of 82 percent over last week. It was awkward because Ilan barely spoke and looked uncomfortable, while Marcel came across as even weirder and more annoying than he did on the show. But since the webcast only took softball viewer questions and a call from season one’s winner, Harold, it should be re-titled Watch What Happens When We Avoid What Viewers Really Want to Talk About. link
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 11:13 am
I didn't care who won, but I still enjoyed the show.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 11:41 am
1. Marcel was not that "dignified" when others commented on him. Nine out of ten times he'd make comments under his breath. 2. The "snarky" bits shown during Top Design were, essentially, clipped from the after interviews on the Bravo TV web site. Most of Marcel's are from his part 2 video. And he wasn't at all dignified or gracious in defeat. "Vicious" is actually quite mild a word for it. 3. I agree with Allie... there seemed to be many double standards this season. Maybe it's because of the chef contestants. But it seemed they'd ding one person for one thing, but the next person who did the same thing would get praise. It's very disconcerting. For example, although I know they were trying to decide between Sam and Ilan for the finals, saying Sam didn't cook (and Tom's "it's a COOKING SHOW" comment) was actually pretty inappropriate. Marcel didn't cook. In fact, he used chemicals to achieve the "viscosity" needed for his poi. 4. There may be a place for molecular gastronomy in a kitchen, but it ain't in mine. And it sure as heck ain't gonna be in any food that I eat. I'd much rather eat food that was prepared with respect for natural ingredients. If this show makes a third season, I hope they do a better job of casting. This season was a serious bust with most of the chefs being serious wannabe's.
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Luvscoutii
Member
07-21-2005
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:14 pm
Some people refer to the things Marcel did as "chemical" and while molecoluar gastronomy, based on wikipedia, is the application of science to culinary practice he wasn't using "chemical's" that aren't used all the time. One of the things he mentions he uses is Xanthun Gum which is fermented glucose (sugar) and it's used in salad dressing and sauces and we all probably have things in our fridge and cupboards that has it in it. There's a sense in some posts that he's using nasty chemicals when instead of buying something that already has the additive in it he's just using it directly. BTW, Xanthan Gum is accepted as safe in USA, Canada, & Europe. Has anyone read any of the interviews Marcel has done after the fact and also those done by Sam, Elia or Ilan? Marcel has kept this in perspective even now (there's an interview with Las Vegas Weekly.com) and he's maintained that it's a show and he's not sure what exactly happened that everyone seemed to go on a bash fest throughout against him. While watching the show I couldn't figure out exacly why he was so hated. I don't think the others know exactly why. I heard an interview on an internet radio show on fearless radio.com that Sam did and he couldn't point out what exactly it was that Marcel did. Sam said Marcel was socially awkward and would make comments that were out of place. Everyone does things under stress and duress that perhaps is not great but how the other contestents reacted if Marcel did these awful things was even worse. If they had just shut up and let Marcel be the one to whine and commit these atrocious things Marcel's actions would have spoken louder than any of their complaining and bitching ever could have. Can anyone think of something they witnessed on the show that Marcel did, that the other contestents complained about, that truly justified the other contestents behaviour and trash talking? If he was so socially aweful in the loft why didn't they just ignore him and again let Marcel's actions and words speak for themselves? These other people continue to bash him and I just wish they'd move on already. It was a show he got farther then you so get over it.
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Luvscoutii
Member
07-21-2005
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:24 pm
there is also an interview with both of them at the site. my sound card doesn't work, so i can't hear them, but here's one person's take on it... I watched those interviews. Marcel was definitely more talkative and responsive with the host and interacting with the people. Ilan just seemed quiet and who knows maybe he was just trying to take it all in. I didn't think there was anything wierd or annoying by either of them. Most of the questions involved Marcel whether directed at him or asking Ilan about Marcel. It was interview and one was just more involved and into it then the other. Even the clips with Chef Colicchio and Sam most of the questions involved Marcel...
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:39 pm
Whether is a "natural" extraction or not, it's still a "chemical." It is not something that I use and most often, something I avoid. There is a reason why I buy fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market, locally made cheese, don't eat meat/fish/chicken, eat locally harvested honey. There is a reason why I don't put chemicals of any kind into my food, and why I read the labels of almost every prepared food item I purchase. There is a reason why I don't buy canned or prepackaged foods. I also buy products that are not tested on animals. That is my choice. So if I say I don't and won't eat anything with chemicals, that again is my choice. Except for the physical abuse from Cliff, Marcel got everything he deserved.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 2:58 pm
I think I have read Sam say it wasn't any ONE specific thing that Marcel did that annoyed him. It was a consant series of little things that finally got to him and the incident at the store where Sam blew up was just the final straw.
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Luvscoutii
Member
07-21-2005
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 3:03 pm
Wow, I sure didn't mean to come across as trying to push people into eating additives. I just think there's a misguided perception of what some of the things he uses actually are. A chemical substance "is any material with a definite chemical composition" and "typical chemical substances found in the home are water, salt (sodium chloride) and sugar (sucrose)." Now back to Xanthan gum, wikipedia says "Xanthan gum (C35H49O29) is a natural gum polysaccharide used as a food additive and rheology modifier. Natural gums are polysaccharides of natural origin, capable of causing a large viscosity increase in solution, even at small concentrations. In the food industry they are used as thickening agents, gelling agents, emulsifiers and stabilisers. Examples include: Agar (E406), obtained from seaweed Alginic acid (E400), from seaweed Beta-glucan, from oat or barley bran Carrageenan (E407), from seaweed Chicle gum, an older base for chewing gum obtained from the chicle tree Dammar gum, from the sap of Dipterocarpaceae trees ... etc" To each his own on what you eat and what you think you are eating. It's just not as bad as some people are implying.
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Luvscoutii
Member
07-21-2005
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 3:05 pm
People will think whatever they want to think no matter what. Here's one more thing I found which was interesting and I suppose could be taken any way. link
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Konamouse
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 5:18 pm
My take on the situation is that Marcel has very good self esteem. He comes across as very confident and opinionated about his own abilities. So he has a "holier than thou" vibe and that can turn off other people. I much prefered his meal at the finals (at least, from the visuals, since I wasn't there to taste it). Is he still working at the MGM here in Vegas? 'squeek'
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Trueheart
Member
09-12-2006
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 6:07 pm
If you are only going to judge Marcel on his food, then you should only judge Ilan on his. I thought that was how I was judging them. I have made many comments on their behavior, but when it comes to who should win I focused only on the food. My old post states: Innovative, cutting-edge, thoughtful, creative, inventive use of flavors. These words were used to describe Marcel's cooking according to the judges. It's funny because I always end up liking the contestants with these qualities. When it comes down to it, innovation is where it counts IMO. To break into the cooking world in a successful way innovation/creativity is necessary. Now, cooking skill can be learned and progressed by anyone, but cutting-edge creativity is unique to one's personality. Marcel has these qualities, he has shown them since the beginning. Ilan, while cooking good food, has rarely if ever been considered thoughtful or inventive. I really think that Marcel has more "potential" than Ilan in the culinary world. That is why I think he should have won. I think it was obvious to everyone that it was a VERY TOUGH decision for the judges!
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Allietex
Member
08-16-2002
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 8:33 pm
Trueheart, however you judged them, there have been people on this board and others who have said with no reservations that Ilan, Sam, and Elia did not deserve to win because of how they treated Marcel. My point was only that if you are going to judge one person on behavior, it is only fair to do the same for all of them. I believe the judges agreed with you on Marcel having more potential and being innovative. However, they seemed to believe that at this moment Ilan is ahead of Marcel. That he is the better chef right now. And they don't give awards for potential, they give it for production. I think that is why they chose Ilan, and yes, it was a very tough decision.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 9:14 pm
So innovation rates higher than flavor? Presentation? Preparation? It's all fine and dandy to be cutting edge, but you also need to know when it's OK to just concentrate on the flavors. It all comes down to pleasing the customer... and customers are not going to know how innovative the chef was who use xanthan gum as a thickener in the apple pie brulee (or whatever). The customer is going to know only that he or she liked it and that it tasted good. And more importantly, that they want more (or will in the future). BTW, I don't use salt, I don't use sugar. My granola is all natural, with UNSWEETENED and unprocessed grains, oats, nuts, and coconut. And made with natural local honey. FWIW, I know what xanthan gum is. I also know that it's not necessarily all natural: quote:Xanthan is derived by Xanthanmonas campestris, a beautiful bacteria! Gums can be derived from seaweed, plants, and now more commonly, chemicals as well. For industrial purposes the bacteria is grown in vats and the product is collected and refined for manufacturing. The gum from the vats is precipitated with isopropanol, then milled and refined and finally dried in to a powder. Xanthan is a very stable gum which why it is so popular in the manufacturing of chewing gum. It is stable from high temperature denaturation and has a uniform viscosity over a huge temperature range (-18 to 80 degrees C). It is also stable over a wide range of pH and has a high salt compatibility. Xanthan is also used in many other different foods, cosmetics, textile and animal feed as an emulsifier and bulking agent.
It's also made primarily in Asia and China and is used often in gluten-free recipes. (Just in case anyone thinks I don't know what I'm talking about.)
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 9:26 pm
this reminds me of the the story of the guy who went out to the garbage can and was foraging for food. he got all sorts of stuff. came back in and put it all on a platter. all laid out beautifully. it looked gorgeous, but it was still garbage! presetation is great and a very important component, but it always comes down to taste.
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Trueheart
Member
09-12-2006
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 9:59 pm
So innovation rates higher than flavor? Presentation? Preparation? Flavor, presentation, and preparation are important. But these are skills that can be learned. Innovation and creativity are usually qualities you are born with and aren't easily learned. (if possible at all) A chef can be great with flavor, presentation and prep but not be able to think about creative or original concepts with food. IMO that is where chef's shine. To be able to create new flavor combinations and cutting-edge recipes is what a great chef strives for. From what I've seen all season long Ilan has not produced creative recipes or even tried to learn new techniques. He doesn't push himself, he just creates the same spanish style cuisine he has cooked his whole life. Now I've only had the show to go on (obviously) so maybe I'm wrong about Ilan. But we have only the show to judge who is a superior chef, and by what I've seen Marcel is it. Marcel has often been praised by the judges for the flavors in his dishes. In fact they have many times said that he was very thoughtful when putting the flavors together (especially with the wine pairing challenge). And presentation? Countless times he was told that his dish was plated beautifully. Now whether he is better than Ilan in presentation....I don't know. The judges never said that Ilan plated anything sloppily but I don't really recall many (or any) compliments. I remember that they particularly liked Marcel's 4th dish on the finale(how it was plated). Overall, in the show, I think Marcel was known more for his beautiful dishes than Ilan. As for prep. I think that Marcel is great on his own. They made him seem disorganized in the finale. I don't completely agree. He was organized.....he just had trouble communicating his complete plans to his teammates. So I wouldn't agree that he is a failure in the organization department. he just has not quite developed his communication skills.
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Trueheart
Member
09-12-2006
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 10:51 pm
Ummmm....I just want to say that I only mean to state my opinion. I hope I haven't offended anyone with any words that I have used. If I said something the wrong way I'm sorry. I think that Marcel should have won. I have only wanted to express my reasoning in (hopefully) an intelligent manner. Somehow I feel that this has turned into an argument of sorts and it has unsettled me. So I think that this will be my last post on the subject. I have really enjoyed chatting with everyone about this season. I really thought the first season was superior and I think we all hope that third is more like the original.

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Allietex
Member
08-16-2002
| Friday, February 02, 2007 - 11:10 pm
You have not offended me. Trueheart. The give and take on these boards is what makes it interesting to me. We point out what we see and how we see things. Doesn't mean everyone will agree and that is alright. We are not going to be like the nitwits on the show this year and not be able to discuss things without getting our feelings hurt. Express yourself to your heart's content.
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Donut
Member
07-31-2001
| Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 12:53 am
I don't know if it's mentioned in any archives, but on Chow.com (use to be chowhound.com), in the q&a section there are some great interviews with all the contestants. I heard Marcel, Ilan and Mikey. They are the kind of interviews you wish the Big Brother HG's would have the nerve to do. They are very revealing about what reality TV puts them through. Marcel is very bright and well spoken and sweet and the show totally never showed him talk the way he does on the interview. Also if you are a Marcel fan like me, and hate Ilan's hypocritical claim to be soulful and gentle after seeing him orchestrate the violent assault on Marcel (which was hugely edited to make it look less bad), it is nice to read all the support for Marcel and not for Ilan there.
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Donut
Member
07-31-2001
| Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 1:02 am
i was wondering if anyone thought or read about whether Marcel's loss was partially due to the judges thinking that Sam invented Marcel's dish that they loved... If so, then it's such a sham since it semed that Sam was lying through his teeth..They showed Marcel listing his ingredients the day before and all were there including the seabeans! All sam did was encourage him to go ahead and do all the ingredients without the fish....
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 3:31 am
I'm a Marcel fan. Actually I think second place may actually work out best for him in the long run. And he got a very nice set of Henckel knives from Rosie, too 
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Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 4:44 am
It cracks me up when people say they don't put "chemicals" in their food - everything is a "chemical." H2O is a chemical, you bathe in it every day. It is all a matter of degree. Name the chef who does not use NaCl. The trick is to use things in a healthful way.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 7:17 am
I love Chowhound! didn't realize the name change. will have to check it out. Donut, he may have had the ingredients, but he panicked about what to serve when he realized the fish wasn't there. Sam was calm and got the dish done. But I don't think that made a difference to the judges. I just want to be clear on my position. I didn't like Marcel and his foam. I didn't like Ilan and his petty snarky attitude. But, not being able to taste the food and solely going on the judges comments, I agree that Ilan should have won. Personally, I wish it could have been 'none of the above'. I don't think either of them are top chefs..maybe medium chefs. While both might be 'good' chefs, neither was great and neither was a leader in the kitchen. They might evenutally be one. I think the judges were stuck with two mediocre choices and had to make do.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 2:00 pm
Medium chefs. HAHAHAHA!! Crack me up! There's a whole movement afoot in various places, including Berkeley, where people basically live on garbage. Although it's generally high quality and fresh, it's been taken out of the trash cans behind restaurants and stores. Things like day old bread, less than perfect veggies... Which truly, I don't think I'd mind. Thank goodness I'm a veggie... not so sure I'd enjoy eating fish or other meat from a dipsy dumpster! 
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