Author |
Message |
Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 8:24 pm
Yeah I didn't like the 'exotic' meats either ... no kangaroo for me thank you. But I do love Top Chef and am glad it's back!! 
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 8:41 pm
As soon as I saw Clay I thought he was out of his league. There are some heavy hitters in this competition! One of them - Carey? - reminds me of Rory on another chef show, not a good thing! I LOVED the challenge of cooking with new proteins. We get really settled with what to eat and what not to eat in our various parts of the country, and it was fun to see those boundries challenged!
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 8:46 pm
I am so glad this show is back, too! I am enjoying this group so far, and the show is off to a great start. I Anthony Bourdain, and I was so happy to see him make another appearance this season, and on the season premiere, no less. 
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 9:25 pm
I think Howie saved his own butt by quoting from Bourdain's book! LOL Hard to send a guy packing who is so obviously willing to defend himself w/the judge's own words! Not to mention that he did it in a respectful way, too! Clay was way out of his league -- felt sorry for the fella. Lovin' Tre and Howie both. Tre needs to wear the light blue ALL the time -- that boy is hot! 
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Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 10:09 pm
i really enjoyed this show. the new season hasn't started, correct? i remember hearing a commercial...all stars? i don't get that. i thought only 2 seasons have aired. either way, i'll be watching again. p.s.did you know, per Martha Stewart, after taking waffles off the waffle iron, you MUST take that hot waffle and pat it back and forth/toss it w/your hands. this will give you a crispy waffle. if you decide to go to the dark side and just place that waffle on a plate (the horror!) it will get soggy. also, while you are making those waffles (for however many people and so all can be ready at the same time) keep the oven at 200 so all will be kept warm and you can serve waffles to everyone at the same time. this is straight from abby via MS (and a morning show). i'm not quite sure why this waffle info has me so excited. the only waffle i've served came out of the box in the freezer and popped in the toaster. still, i can't wait to go to Trader Joe's and buy that frozen box of waffles. i will then take that toaster waffle and pat back and forth...just like Martha Stewart! (before you know it...i'll be vacuuming in heels) actually, when i move, i plan to purchase a waffle whatever maker (even tho' i'm not one for a sweet breakfast). also, i think MS is one remarkable woman. (however, i don't think i could work w/her for more than a week. hmmm, who am i kidding..."work w/her"...more like work as her slave. lol) wow, i've got a very early morning and on 4.5 hours sleep today. why oh why am i posting about waffles. lol seriously, stressful days coming up for me. if ya' think about it...send me some good thoughts to get through it all. tia.
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Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 4:17 am
Hmmm....why do I suddenly have this craving for waffles? I'm with you on the no sleep, Abby. Stayed up until the end of the show (11:15 here) and had to get up by 5am to be here (work) on time. I've just had my first cup of coffee, will be having another one soon (God help anyone who gets the last cup out of that pot before I get to it and doesn't make more). Many good thoughts going your way...oh, and waffle iron. I actually have one. Have used it...once...maybe twice. (I'm a kitchen gadget/appliance addict). But next time I use it, I will have to try your Martha tip! I enjoyed last night's show. Of course, I always enjoy it when the drama is in the kitchen. I admit to being a little worried when I saw their suites at the Fountainbleu...just looked way too "Real World" to me and I started to worry that they were going for the kind of drunken carousing featured on that show. But, so far, none of that, which is good. (I actually haven't watched RW since the start of the Vegas season for that very reason...but I still see enough of that on the RW/RR challenges). So far, I would go with CJ and Tre as early favorites (but take that as you will...last season my early favorite was Ilan and by the end of the season I hated him). I picked CJ during the opening credits...he sure is TALL...and then really liked Tre in the episode. Also liked Howie defending himself to Bourdain using Bourdain's own words. And, he did it respectfully, which was nice to see. Oh, also nice to see that the food was pretty much all good. Even of the bottom four, it sounded like only 1 was truly bad. Felt bad for Clay, but he was just a little too....needy....for me. Don't know that I could have handled him for a whole season. He had a deer-in-the-headlights look for most of the episode. Don't really know anybody else's names yet! Was glad to see that Tom is still "Not a mentor" and still a judge, because I'd read all sorts of speculation about that changing. For anyone wondering where Ted Allen was, I just finished reading his blog (great stuff about the 4-star challenge in there) on the Bravo site and he says he'll be in every other episode, alternating with Gail. That is kind of a bummer, as I really like them both and hate that we'll only get one at a time. I'm off to read the other judges blogs now.
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 4:26 am
Abby, the 4 star all star show (2 from season 1 and 2 from season 2) was on last week and last night was the season premiere. Good wishes going out to you. I felt bad for Clay also but he was way out of his league.
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Hermione69
Member
07-24-2002
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 5:43 am
I really enjoyed the show and am glad that Fruitbat strong-armed me into watching it! I hope good things come for Clay, bless his heart. That was sad about his dad. I liked Tre and Hung and Sara and the woman with the mohawk. Hung was very confident, some would even say cocky, but I liked him. I felt bad for the ostrich and the kangaroo, though!
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Justavice
Member
11-22-2005
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 7:36 am
I just watched the first show and I was so sad for Clay. He seemed so sweet and the part about his dad broke my heart. It was hard watching his the deer in the headlights face at the Judges' Table. I don't think I've ever had such a strong, positive, concerned reaction to a reality tv show contestant ever. Yau Man comes close, but that one built up over time. I sure hope Clay is able to return to his job in Santa Barbara.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 7:43 am
interesting dilemma..which is worse? not finishing the task or food tasting bad Dave was let go in Season 1 for not getting all of his food out even though it tasted better than Tiffany's.
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Cdbga
Member
10-04-2004
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 8:24 am
To me bad food is the bigger thing. I always thought Dave should have stayed over Tiffani. But, I could see not even attempting a 3rd dish (as Dave did) as being considered different than just not getting your dish plated. Because I think with Dave, there was the thinking that if he'd had to do a 3rd dish, it might have affected how good the first 2 were. However, I still say, if I'd be FAR more likely to return to/recommend a restaurant that served me great food, but forgot a dish than one where I got all my dishes and didn't like the food. And I'd certainly be willing to wait 15 seconds longer to get my whole dish... In his blog, Collichio says they consulted the rules of the challenge to find out whether it was allowable to keep Howie. Perhaps with Dave the rules clearly said there had to be 3 dishes. I don't know. (Although I do think that part of the Dave decision was that they weren't going to pick Dave over Tiffani OR Harold. I really think if the situation had been reversed, they STILL would have kept Tiffani).
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Aussiedeb
Member
07-05-2004
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 8:28 am
Clay was definitely out of his league, but he did try. I too liked Howie using Bourdain's own words, you can tell he respected that. Texannie, Dave was let go I think as it was down to the finals, not the first episode, so maybe that is why the difference. Abby, good thoughts coming your way --------------------------------- **18 days until I head to Australia for 3 weeks**
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 12:07 pm
Like Aussie, I think the Dave decision may also have had something to do with being in the Top 3 -- not just the first round of competition.
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Greenie
Member
06-13-2007
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 12:37 pm
They certianly came out of the gate with some major competitions to start the show. I don't like any of them yet.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 2:28 pm
With all the danged foodie reality shows on now, I was seriously confused... I caught the last 20 minutes or so of last night's show (although I was recording the entire thing, I turned on the TV when I got home). And I sat there and watched for about 10 minutes, scratching my head, wondering if the reason why these folks just didn't look at all familiar is that I am on reality food show overload. And then... and then... and then I realized... duh! This was the season frickin' premiere of Top Chef, and we hadn't really met these chefs yet (except for the wee bit we got to see during the Four Stars All Stars show last week). And so I felt much better... I'm really NOT losing my mind!!! Anyways, I watched the entire thing this a.m., and yeah, Clay was really way outta his league. Also what's his name, the one from San Diego who did the snake and eel? Goodness gracious... how many things did he have going on that plate, and yet he hadn't quite finished plating? Ack! Totally hated the exotic meats. Not just because I'm a vegetarian (welcome to the club, Hermi!), but that, well, heck... some of those things are just not what a regular person would eat. Anthony Bourdain and his travels aside. Bleah. Loved Howie quoting Bourdain's book back at him, almost verbatim. Yeah, you can't really fire a chef when he does that (and when he doesn't know that you are gonna be a judge!). Shows the man is a reader as well as a chef. Otherwise, it seemed as if there were some clear standouts and some "accidents that may just be waiting to happen." Loved Tre winning, and can't wait to see if the "winner of the first elimination challege wins the season" thing prevails.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 2:33 pm
Oh yeah, to the which is worse question... Definitely, bad food. If the food that did make it to the plate is really tasty, that will more than make up for a complete plate of inedible food.
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 3:30 pm
I thought Clay was going to be the one to go from the start. Why did they pick him when he was so out of his league? I felt really bad for him. My stomach was off last night and I was having a hard time looking at all that strange meat w/o gagging. Ewwwwwwwwww! Someone would have to blindfold me to get me to even try some of it. LOL
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Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 3:46 pm
Maybe they picked Clay to be on the show to be the sacrificial lamb. Since they went full force at the challenges so quickly. That way, the "real" chefs have a chance to get one under their belt and learn from the initial experience, and they don't lose a potentially good contestant too soon.
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Greenie
Member
06-13-2007
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 4:46 pm
If that's true then that really sucks for Clay to know he was chosen just because he sucked. I don't necessarily think he sucked, he just didn't know how to cook that kind of food.
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Hermione69
Member
07-24-2002
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 6:02 pm
Was he the one talking about southern food and wanting to bring credit to the southern delicacies or something like that?
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 6:08 pm
My stomach was off last night and I was having a hard time looking at all that strange meat w/o gagging. Ewwwwwwwwww! Someone would have to blindfold me to get me to even try some of it. Someone would have to kill me and shove it down my lifeless throat.

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Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 6:17 pm
Cdbga, Twinkie, Aussiedeb: thank you so much for your posts regarding ME! (the so very important abby7 lol :>) ) j/k obviously. a good day for me. i'm sure your support is a big part of that.
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Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 6:19 pm
hey, who is this figment posting here? abby
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 6:41 pm
I am always up to try anything new in the way of food! If you don't like it, don't take a second bite! I like ostrich; find kangaroo too gamy; and don't think that rattlesnake tastes anything like chicken - it seems more like a dense fish to me. Not a favorite, but I am open to trying new things -
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Hermione69
Member
07-24-2002
| Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 6:44 pm
I had gator tail once.
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