December 2, 2008
After landing in the bottom for the first two episode, Ariane Duarte pulled out a strong performance on last week's Top Chef 5. She'd previously seemed on a fast track out the door, but with the praise of the judges, perhaps her crisis of confidence has ended. Maybe it was all a case of nerves that caused her early weak performance, and this week, we'll have the chance to see how she does after being called out for being one of the best.
Of course, with that storyline being derailed, it's now back to the guessing game! Who might be the cheftestant sent home on this week's episode of Top Chef?
December 1, 2008
For Top Chef 5 contestant Richard Sweeney, the third time was the charm for getting on the show in the first place, but the third episode proved to be his downfall. Due to a banana-based s'mores dessert that failed to impress the Foo Fighters or the Top Chef judges, the second member of Team Rainbow was sent packing.
He spoke with us today about his time on the show, what he thinks about the judges and his competitors, and what he would do differently if he could do it all again.
November 30, 2008
Last week's challenge on Top Chef 5 was one that many home cooks could probably relate to. How do you serve a Thanksgiving dinner that will satisfy the need for traditional flavors while working with the restrictions of time, equipment and budget? Sure, the chefs were doubly challenged by not having an oven to cook in and only one burner, but most home chefs have a similar problem once they start cooking their bird and find their stovetop cluttered with sides cooking.
Some of the chefs were able to face the challenges and emerge with a solid dish, and some even brought some creativity to their offerings. Others didn't do so well, either for failing to nail a traditional recipe, or branching out with an innovation that didn't work.
So whose dishes would we head back to the fridge for a midnight snack when we woke up from the first coma? And whose wouldn't have made it into the Tupperware as leftovers in the first place?
November 27, 2008
Turkey is, of course, the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving meals. Last night’s episode of Top Chef 5 featured Ariane redeeming herself from being in the bottom two for the first two episodes. Her strong performance was underscored by the fact that she hit a home run with the most important part of the meal – the bird – and that she did it using equipment other than a traditional oven.
Whether or not your Thanksgiving turkey was as successful, chances are at the end of the day, you’re going to have some leftovers. Here are a few ideas from the Top Chef universe about what to do with all that extra bird.
November 26, 2008
The cheftestants on Top Chef 5 kicked off the season well, with the judges remarking with pleasure how impressed they were with the overall quality the chefs served up. Unfortunately, the group wasn't able to continue the streak, and last week, Tom Colicchio put on his best Disappointed Dad face to admonish the chefs for their lackluster performance – in Tom's own kitchen, no less.
Can the chefs regain some ground this week? And can Ariane, who had landed in the bottom for the first two episodes, redeem herself and live to cook another day?
November 25, 2008
This week on Top Chef , the cheftestants will be challenged to make a meal for the Foo Fighters. The chefs' attempts last week at nailing “New American” were pretty disappointing according to the judges. Will their efforts at “Gourmet Rock Star” be any better?
And even if the group as a whole improves their quality level, someone is still going home. If you've caught the first two episodes, you probably have a good idea who most viewers are betting on as the loser of the third.
November 21, 2008
With Top Chef there is the obvious difficulty of, you know, assessing food we've never tasted. And the early part of a Top Chef season presents another challenge in guessing whose food is good and whose is gross: there's just too many of them.
With fifteen chefs still elbowing each other for room in the kitchen, the editing invariably can only give us a little bit of time with the best and worst chefs. You know who's left in the middle, but how far high and low within that middle is a total mystery. Some chefs in previous competitions have actually complained about this, noting that with the criticism and praise, they are left in a hazy insecurity, not sure what on earth the judges think about their talent.
November 20, 2008
On last night's episode of Top Chef 5, cheftestant Jill Snyder made an Asian-inspired hot dog and an ostrich egg quiche, but the judges found that her actual food didn't match up to her high concepts, and she was sent home.
We spoke with the chef today to get her take on the competition, the judges, and whether or not she'll ever attempt to cook with an ostrich egg again.