Author |
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Monday, November 27, 2006 - 10:40 am
I would've used cranberries in the dessert and pumpkin in a side dish! Pumpkin couscous or pumpkin with wheatberries, for example. And the cranberry gelee with foam? That could've been worked into a very nice and light dessert. I really dislike heavy rich desserts when a full x-course meal has been served. I don't know about the sides that Michael did. I love twice baked potatoes -- I eat them all the time. And I love mashed potatoes -- I made roasted garlic mash on Thursday. But I probably would've done something different for the side. Broccoli and potato gratin? Something. I dunno about the salad course. I tend to prefer salads with fall accents this time of year. Sliced apples or pears with gorgonzola or bleu cheese, maybe. Roasted pepitas. Homemade garlic croutons. Then again, I would've made the salad course and/or something else... Soup maybe? With homemade sourdough rolls instead of dumplings? Roasted veggies in the bottom of a soup bowl, covered with some yummy soup (clear broth maybe)? You can keep the traditional flavors of the holiday, and even do traditional holiday fixin's, but (to quote someone who's not my fav chef), kick it up a notch. Flip things around (pumpkin for a side, cranberry for dessert). Sometimes, simple is better. And that does not mean simple is boring!
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Sportygirl
Member
06-14-2005
| Monday, November 27, 2006 - 12:31 pm
I've always said that I need to take some cooking classes. I just hate cooking for 1 person and I definitely don't have a kitchen made for cooking. I barely have any counter space and that always turns me off when I do attempt to cook. SOunds like we have some real pros here on the board. Gemma and Costacat, sounds like you both should apply for Top Chef 3!
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Mysti
Member
09-28-2005
| Monday, November 27, 2006 - 7:49 pm
Allie, another good source for cooking classes is Adult Ed ~ and they usually don't charge much!
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Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Monday, November 27, 2006 - 8:13 pm
Did you ever have Copes corn? I was thinking that a succotash using Copes corn with a tiiiinnnny bit of mint would have been a good side dish. I definitely would have gotten shallots in there and some color, maybe some pickled beets with cold roasted shallot slices? I would have moved the squash to a side and had something else in the salad. Maybe a squash/apple casserole. For some reason I think it is harder to be innovative with the vegetables.
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Konamouse
Member
07-16-2001
| Monday, November 27, 2006 - 9:51 pm
Should have done a baked or mashed sweet potato! Cranberry crumb/cobbler dessert maybe? I liked the Stuffed Turkey idea, just needed a better execution. Roast vegetable kebob? Or vegetable salad (not lettuce)? Just was my thinking outloud while I was watching the show. 'squeek'
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Gemma120in2002
Member
07-05-2003
| Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 5:56 am
Alisons, I looked up Copes corn. Is it the dried corn from Lancaster county PA? I have never had it or used it. The person who wrote the article said that he/she ate it dry. Have you used it? How do YOU prepare it? There are some casserole recipes etc. on the site, but I was wondering if you do something different. You know, there are some pretty cool puree recipes out there. At work we make a lima bean puree to go with scallops and it is amazing. How many people think of puree and think of baby food? I know I used to be one of them. I wonder what the next quick fire and elimination challenges are going to be. I don't think that there is going to be a new show tonight is there? Just a marathon of all the shows so far, am I right?
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Bakerygirl
Member
11-03-2002
| Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 9:06 pm
No new show tonight?? I was looking forward to it all day!!
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 9:10 pm
Me too, Bakerygirl...... Lilfair<---------pouting
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Christiii
Member
07-07-2005
| Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 9:23 pm
well Im relieved...at least I dont have to scramble around for something to eat at 10pm..I cannot for the life of me watch that show without stuffing my gullet
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Idolworship
Member
05-07-2003
| Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 10:42 pm
Dang! No new show I guess it's House Hunters, for me, then. Sigh.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 6:23 am
Have they ever done that before (TC or PR--or any reality show for that matter) where they just have a rerun in the middle? Not even a recap? Bummer!
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Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 2:15 pm
Gemma, I have always eaten Copes corn cooked, either plain or in a corn pudding. It is to corn what heirloom tomatoes are to tomatoes - not as pretty but much better/stronger flavor. I am from PA originally so I have eaten all the strange PA dishes (scrapple, chicken & waffles, etc.).
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Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 2:30 pm
Gemma - I have not had puree as a side dish, however I make a lot of vegetable based soups in the blender. My dad taught me how to make a really good and totally simple cauliflour soup that way - just cook the cauliflour, put in the blender and add a little butter - that's it but so good! Limas and scallops appeal to me flavor-wise, but would you have whole scallops sitting in the puree? Not sure I like the visual. Maybe if it were scallops with a lima sauce????
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 5:34 pm
Julie, Bravo seems to do that often.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 8:30 pm
So, who got ye proverbial knife chop tonight????
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 8:41 pm
Still playing here. They cooked at the beach for surffers over a fire pit.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 8:42 pm
Maurice won the quick fire.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 8:59 pm
The ladies were in the top 3. The proverbial knife getter is Frank.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 9:39 pm
Marcel won quickfire -- Elia won the breakfast challenge. The top three were ALL ladies for the breakfast -- Mia, Betty and Elia. Sam, Frank and Cliff were bottom three-- and all because of poor presentation and not adapting to their situation (cooking on open fire). Frank lost mainly because he burned his eggs and his clotted cream/waffle side didn't seem to have any connection to his zucchini scramble.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 9:43 pm
Loved the irony that Sam commented on Betty's poor presentation in the quick fire and then had THE worst presentation (IMHO) at the important challenge. His bagels looked burnt, his eggs (although the judges said they tasted good) were almost GRAY, and the surfers said when they picked the thing up, the filling fell OUT! At least Cliff had his "mess" in a bowl. Betty's presentation was commented upon very favorably! She listened to the criticism and improved. Sam whined -- at first I thought it was a "first" for him, but then I remembered he was the one who cried "Foul!" on the olive oil for the 500 calorie challenge. Hmmm -- hope we aren't seeing a whiny trend starting! I can handle a lot, but whining is NOT one of those things!
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Trueheart
Member
09-12-2006
| Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 10:42 pm
LOL....well I know that Sam hasn't done the best at "defending" his bad dishes. He does seem like Mister Excuse. I was a little disappointed that he wasn't more.....noble...or humble? He basically blamed it on luck. That he chose bagels and Elia chose waffles and she just happened to have made the "better" choice. In a way he is kinda right. It WAS a gamble and he lost. But it was weird that he seemed not to place any blame on himself (once again). But then I thought to myself....."You know what Brittney"...."YOU are the QUEEN of excuses". LOL And I am!!!! So I am not tryin' to act like if I was on the chopping block I would never make excuses. I would have acted the same way. Just the other day I was late for work because my car key got frozen or just plain stuck in my car door. Did I just suck it up and accept being marked late in their "attendance book" (or whatever they "note" that stuff down in)? NO! I whined and cajoled and tried to get it excused. "Well it's not my fault!" I said. So yeah....I can't fault Sam. And it's not just because he is absolutely.....incredibly... attractive! (because he is) I'm not talking gorgeous or handsome, though I might sometimes describe him that way. I'm not sure what it is...maybe his height? or the way he stands? how he talks? There is just something so attractive about that man. Am I going totally insane or does someone else feel that way too? 
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 6:23 am
Trueheart, I have the same thoughts about Sam. He's sexy and the only eye candy the show has. He reminds me of of a good friend of mine. I was crossing my fingers that he wouldn't be sent home yesterday.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 8:49 am
Wasn't Sam the one who snarked that Elia chose *frozen* waffles and obviously made a better choice than his bagels? I think the snark was on the frozen aspect? Sam's personality lately has turned me off completely. I don't like whiners and I don't like people who constantly make excuses. If you made a mistake, own up to it. You'll get more respect that way. I thought Frank really fell apart on the elimination challenge. He could've improvised and still come up with a crust of some sort. (All he needed to do was cover the crusts and set them off the direct flames. I thought Michael's chicken breakfast tacos were a good choice. Truly, it's something you can grab and eat with one hand (while standing and watching the waves). And breakfast tacos are not the norm here in southern California (I had my first b'fast taco in Austin; till then all I'd ever had was a b'fast burrito!). Betty's ham wrap was innovative, but on the beach? I didn't see how you could eat that with your hands. I liked Elia's idea of using the waffle as a base, and was impressed that the flavors seemed to really mesh. Of course, I can only go by what they all said, so I'm assuming the flavors worked. And Mia's crabcake... perfect for southern California. When I used to eat seafood, one of my favorite breakfasts at a local restaurant was a crabcake benedict. Very yummy! The three that were in the bottom deserved to be there. Scramble? Come on, there was almost no creativity there. Scrambling eggs over an open fire is a no brainer (and how the heck did Frank overcook his eggs????). Not impressive, the scrambles. That said, I'm now starving (and yes, it's b'fast time here). I think I'll have a breakfast taco -- if my avocados are ripe. (Easiest breakfast to make! Scramble eggs, put into steamed corn tortillas, top with cheddar cheese, diced tomato, sliced avocado, and salsa. Yum!)
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 8:55 am
I am glad Frank left cuz I couldn';t stand him ever sine he went off on Marcel over him moving his toothbrush...
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 12:22 pm
BTW, I hadda laugh when Frank said he was the best in his field. First off, you know that's a premonition that he's gonna be in the bottom if not the one kicked out. Secondly, well, I'd never heard of him before. I dunno if he keeps a low profile in San Diego, but I hear about many of the new, up and coming, and top chefs around. <wink>
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