Top Chef - S6E10 Postmortem

Top. Chef. Frozen. Dinners.

*facepalm*

K, gonna set that aside for the moment and talk episode ten.

Can't say I'm that surprised by the elimination. We're so close to the end now that, frankly, I think there are only two eliminations that would surprise me. A couple more that might make me sad, but only two that would come as a shock.

I love Mike V.'s food, but man, he's really outed himself as a sore loser, hasn't he?

On one hand, it's strange to see the vegetarian dishes go pure vegetable. On the other hand, I can see how some of these chefs might feel like they don't want to lean on pasta or beans or something like that. I can see how some might see that as the "easy" way out. Or perhaps everybody was afraid to make pasta with Bartolotta at JT? Too bad, anyway.

I don't want to pile on, and she doesn't deserve scorn -- she's just trying to win like everybody else -- but Robin is really starting to stick out like a sore thumb. We can't have another Lisa situation on our hands, can we? Only two more eliminations before the finals... yeesh.

Jen's tailspin is becoming really hard to watch. Got some serious thinking to do before next episode...

Comments

[zsparks]

Wow! I was blindsided.

[KinderJ]

MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE! NOOOOOOOO!!!!

Yeah. Actually kind of bummed. He was a cocky bastard, but I still kind of liked him. I really, really hoped Robin had finally bit it, but no. I swear, if this is another Lisa phenomenon...

[paula]

Am I crazy, or did all the promos clearly show Natalie saying "that's disgusting"--but that was never actually uttered in the show? I was freaking out as each chef served and she didn't say it, thinking, Oh my god, it's going to Bryan! Or Kevin! That's a pretty shameful bit of editing.

[Esther]

My two strongest immediate reactions:

1) I'm sure there'll be a lot of debate on whether Robin should've gone home (though Gail and Tom's blogs agree that Mike's dish was substantially worse). And you know what? I do not care. The show is going to be so much more watchable without Mike's arrogance and assholishness that even another week of Robin's home cooking is worth it.

2) Where on earth was the protein? The blogs confirmed that eggs and dairy were allowed -- not to mention beans, nuts, and high-protein grains like quinoa. Even Kevin's dish, which did look substantial and flavorful, had almost no protein. Somehow almost everyone seemed to think that "vegetarian dish" meant "vegetable dish." You don't have to make a seitan chili relleno to incorporate protein into a vegetarian meal, people.

[karenology]

Me too. Bah. Maybe I should just skip watching the episode and read Tom's blog afterward:

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/tom-colicchio/if-you-can-mock-a-leek-you-can-eat-a-leek-william-shakespeare-henry-v

"As for the bottom three dishes, while Jennifer gave us what amounted to a side dish or an appetizer, it was very well crafted and an overall competent dish. In light of what her colleagues in the bottom three gave us, Jennifer wasn’t going to be sent home for that dish.
 
Robin’s dish was a poor dish. It was what we might get from an accomplished home cook who says, “Oh, I like this … and I like that … and this would look pretty with them, too….” The elements were not in harmony, there was no cohesive vision, and it missed the mark. It wasn’t very good, but Michael Isabella’s was terrible."

[canasian]

hm. I really thought Jen had the loser edit going on there, but I'm glad she didn't go. She used up all her chances, though. She better step it up the next two weeks if she wants to make it to finals.

[Anne]

May I just say, as a general note, when I'm at a nice restaurant and I get a vegetarian dish that is just a plate of vegetables, I get really, really annoyed.

[.jokerr]

Well, that was an ungracious exit...!

[karenology]

Me too. Bah! Maybe I should just skip watching the episode and read Tom's blog afterward:

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/tom-colicchio/if-you-can-mock-a-leek-you-can-eat-a-leek-william-shakespeare-henry-v

"As for the bottom three dishes, while Jennifer gave us what amounted to a side dish or an appetizer, it was very well crafted and an overall competent dish. In light of what her colleagues in the bottom three gave us, Jennifer wasn’t going to be sent home for that dish.
 
Robin’s dish was a poor dish. It was what we might get from an accomplished home cook who says, “Oh, I like this … and I like that … and this would look pretty with them, too….” The elements were not in harmony, there was no cohesive vision, and it missed the mark. It wasn’t very good, but Michael Isabella’s was terrible."

I'm in the small camp of people who actually like Mike Isabella, so I'll be sad to see him go...however he really should not just have taken for granted that Robin would go before him!

[Dreamboat]

I was surprised by the food this time for 2 reasons:
1) No one use soy (unless I missed it)
2) And no one cooked Asian, which has some of the best vegetarian food I have ever eaten

What the hell??!!

In general, the food looked like steamed veggies on a plate. Even the winner looked blah.

[babyarm]

Not all that stunned. Still think he was getting the Howie treatment from the editors. The "fiery" guy that's out of his league that does nothing great, but nothing bad either. Stuck around just long enough to make people think he maybe had something, but no.

Jen is done. She cooked one non-seafood dish well and since then has done nothing including cooking several seafood dishes poorly. Not below Robin, but at some point have to consider her below Eli. Really.

[Krazikarl]

The Mike V shot at Kevin was...interesting.

I kind of got the vibe all season that the Volts didnt really love Kevin as much as everybody else, but I sure didnt expect that.

[karenology]

Esther: yeah, I don't understand why no one had rice or pasta or anything (excepting Mike V's banana polenta)

[momjamin]

Whatever, whatever, it is what it is.

[paula]

I'm baffled by the constraints of this challenge. I haven't read the Bravo blogs yet, but why no cheese? Cream? Eggs? Pasta? For god's sake, making a satisfying vegetarian dish is just not THAT hard--and it certainly shouldn't be for these folks. Also: Is there anything in the rules that would have kept Michael I. from, say, roasting a bunch of fennel at the same time he was cooking it on the stove, and using that if the boiled version didn't work out?

[jse91]

Can't say I am sorry to see the Jackass go, but I am weary of all the "so and so should have gone home before me". LAME.

[Esther]

Oh, one more thought: Kevin totally stepped back into owning that #1 spot -- quite literally with that fabulous two-fer. And for all that Michael complained about the simplicity of Kevin's EC dish, the instructions show a lot of fascinating flavor combos (candied garlic? tarragon-pistachio-parsley pistou?) and some neat technique (I'm totally trying his method the next time I cook kale!).

And I've gotta say that I absolutely swooned when he mentioned that he and his wife go vegetarian for Lent. I'm not even Catholic myself, but for a meat-lover like him to give it up for a tenth of every year really speaks to his commitment to his faith and/or ecological concern.

P.S. Shameless pride: I totally made his quickfire cauliflower (roasted with chili, lemon, and olive oil) last week, and it totally was just that delicious.

[Karen]

How has Jen used up all her chances, if Robin hasn't used up all of hers?

[Anne]

I was wondering if they did not stock the kitchen for the challenge--you know, grains, eggs, beans, cheese, pasta, tofu and tempeh, seitan chile rellano.... But according to the comments above, it looked like they could use those things. Did all these chefs really think vegetarians only eat side dishes? Does anyone cook any ethnic food at all?

That said, I do loves me a good mushroom dish.

[anon man]

Esther, I thought it kind of amusing/ironic given all the kosher discussion we had leading into the episode that a man who forgoes meat for Lent was the winner. As for Mike I., for a man who loves Middle Eastern food, he should have rocked it. I must say that absent one of the Top 3 going home, nothing will surprise me. If Jen makes it to the end, great. If not, also great. Its a three-way race. One of the other three will be along for the ride in the finals, if not the finale.

[jse91]

Esther -
I had forgotten about the Lent comment from Kevin. So made me fall all the more in love with him. Such a lucky woman is his wife!

[paula]

Momjamin: "Whatever, whatever, it is what it is."

That cracked me up. I was picturing Kevin Costner giving Tim Robbins cliche tips on the Durham Bull bus.

And yeah...no ethnic foods? No soy? Seriously, there had to be many more constraints than we saw. I'm really irritated by the whole misleading nature of this week's edit.

[anon man]

Other comment: My wife's watching the episode now and said "where are the proteins or grains? How come no one is cooking a yummy rice?" Fair question as she will find out in a second.

[Matt]

I don't understand Jen's ranking here or most of the comments re: Jen and Eli. Every episode I've seen, Eli has been more than solid, even a winner, and Jen has been absolute crap. Don't be fooled by Eli's age. He's a good chef. Seems a lot of you are holding onto conclusions you drew after watching Episode 1, which I'm glad I didn't see,] because my judgement is not clouded.

[anon man]

Paula: Awesome. "Its out there, you know, like its really out there"

[Maria]

Ooof. I hate seeing Jennifer go on that awful tail-spin of hers. I almost wish the judges *had* let her go, even though she's one of my favorite chefs left. It's almost painful seeing her beat up on herself constantly, and let her nerves control her! Watching her hands shake so much she practically sauced the diners as well as her dish...

Ouch. Just ouch!

That said, I'm shocked as hell Mike I. ended up leaving this episode! I really thought that with Jennifer slipping, he could have ended up in the top 4. But ah well... you take a 'whatever' attitude with the judges at your peril. Show passion, however scatter-brained, and you might survive!

And I'm surprised Natalie Portman was as charming as she was tonight. I've been leery of her ever since I heard she signed the Roman Polanski rape petition (which is just... eugh, awful), and some of her stupid past remarks made me think she was a right idiot. But she actually came off as very sweet and thoughtful on the show.

It's too bad she can't emote for beans on screen, however. When was her last *good* (as opposed to just serviceable) screen performance? That cameo on Cold Mountain?

[Maria]

Ooof. I hate seeing Jennifer go on that awful tail-spin of hers. I almost wish the judges *had* let her go, even though she's one of my favorite chefs left. It's almost painful seeing her beat up on herself constantly, and let her nerves control her! Watching her hands shake so much she practically sauced the diners as well as her dish...

Ouch. Just ouch!

That said, I'm shocked as hell Mike I. ended up leaving this episode! I really thought that with Jennifer slipping, he could have ended up in the top 4. But ah well... you take a 'whatever' attitude with the judges at your peril. Show passion, however scatter-brained, and you might survive!

And I'm surprised Natalie Portman was as charming as she was tonight. I've been leery of her ever since I heard she signed the Roman Polanski rape petition (which is just... eugh, awful), and some of her stupid past remarks made me think she was a right idiot. But she actually came off as very sweet and thoughtful on the show.

It's too bad she can't emote for beans on screen, however. When was her last *good* (as opposed to just serviceable) screen performance? That cameo on Cold Mountain?

[Bart]

1. Wow! I was totally expecting Robin to go home.

2. How awesome is Kevin? He's so awesome. I love him. He's easily the highlight of this season for me. Even if he was a terrible cook, I think I'd still like him.

3. Mike V.'s shot at Kevin was...exceptionally obtuse. I used to take a Chinese martial arts class, and one of the things that stuck out in my mind was when my instructor said, "The people you see making all those flashy kicks and punches that are well executed? They're not the Masters. Masters hide their true ability because they don't need to show it off. They only apply it when needed."

Just because Kevin didn't do something as elaborate as...I don't know, putting gelatin in the middle of an artichoke heart doesn't mean he can't pull it off.

Kevin CLEARLY has the skill to go along with his palate, and I think Mike V. is GROSSLY underestimating Kevin at this point. Kevin doesn't NEED to show off all his fancy tricks, he just puts the most satisfying food on the plate. That, to me, is the essence of a Top Chef.

If we're talking Top Technique, then Mike V. might have a point. But we're not. We're talking about who can put the best food on the plate right now, and it happens to be Kevin's. Don't denigrate it because it's "simpler." Kevin, unlike Arianne from last year, is very sophisticated.

But Kevin, like Arianne, sometimes knew that the best way to please a palate is to edit the food that's going on the dish.

By no means am I speaking out against Mike V.'s creativity. I think it's great. But I think he should recognize that sometimes sophisticated simplicity is much, much more inherently satisfying than eccentric complexity.

This was a good episode.

[Maria]

Yeargh... sorry for the double-post...

[karenology]

Re: Matt: Uh...because Jennifer has been consistently in the top four of every single episode, except for the last two? And Eli hasn't been? Have you watched any episode besides the past two? Dom does do cumulative rankings, so that is why she is above Eli.

[Allison]

I don't get how highly accomplished chefs cannot create a successful vegetarian main dish (not a side dish). As has already been stated, it's not that difficult. I am not a vegetarian, but have nothing against a dish without meat, cook for friends who are (and me -- I like veggies). I have recipes/varitations/ideas that are always on hand.

Yes, vegan is a greater challenge, I remain embarassed that I added cream (at the last minute) to a thyme pesto pasta dish for a party a couple of years ago & I knew a vegan was a guest. Worse, he was an old friend & flew in from CA. I can hang my head lower than Jen for that fiasco.

And there is some great vegetarian cuisine ... I may have mentioned elsewhere that I started college in Ithaca when the Moosewood restaurant opened. It's still there & close to impossible to visit when there are reunions -- I have 4 cookbooks from that restaurant alone (gifts help!), doesn't include the rest of my vegetarian repertoire. OK, I date myself. But Moosewood's food & that of other vegetarian places can be terrific. This is one of the easiest food restriction challenges imho. I wish they'd do others ... but give them notice to deal with the challenges.

Surprised that Mike I. was the one to go, but that's OK with me. I expect Robin to remain at the bottom of the pack, but Jen needs to step up.

[Another Dave]

I'm not sure about everybody else, but the last half of this episode was just hillarious. The high school level humor about the garlic being a little prick that becomes big in your mouth... that's great.

Also: Robin's speech tonight was also great. The way the camera panned to every single person in that room looking bored/confused/exasperated was priceless.

[Esther]

Seriously, there had to be many more constraints than we saw. I'm really irritated by the whole misleading nature of this week's edit.

Paula, my impression is that the constraints weren't there; the contestants just didn't take advantage of everything they could've. Gail says in her blog: "No beans or legumes, few eggs and little dairy were used (despite their being encouraged to do so)."

[Matt]

What's the deal with vegetarians? They have no right to be appalled if they are served a plateful of veggies. Why is the rest of the world supposed to go out of their way to fully satisfy what amounts to less than 5% of the population? You don't see meat eaters restricting their menus to "meat only, no veggies." Meat eaters generally expect vegetables to be served with their meat dishes. No griping about it. Why are vegetarians complete opposites of that attitude and basically elitist, self-centered exclusionaries? It's quite off putting.

[Sweet Sue]

Although I'm sick that Natalie Portman signed the Polanski petition, I do have to defend her as an actress.
She was wonderful in "V for Vendetta."

[Allison]

P.S. Yes, I have an issue with the activists. Respect is key.

[dc]

She's one of my favorites.

My favorites of Ms. Portman (in order),
V for Vendetta
The Professional
Where the Heart Is -- very sweet as unwed southern teen mom living in Walmart

Interesting it says in IMDB that she plans to limit her acting and becoming a professional psychologist. She is doing her schoolwork at Harvard. // She really wants to help people. Far from a typical starlet or "look at me" activist. But a renaissance woman.

Anyway... given this opportunity, just had to gush my Ms. Portman infatuation out to cyberspace. I'll post about the episode after I dl it... no cable TV at my location. T_T

[macmd]

YESSSSSSSS!!!!!

I was almost as estatic having Mike I. booted off as seeing Kevin win both the QF and EC. Talk about having no class during Mike's exit interview at the end of the show. It seems like the chefs who keep on harping on Robin still being there are the ones who really haven't won hardly anything. (Laurine - no individual wins except one EC because she was with Bryan, Eli and Mike I. with one QF each and, if I remember correctly, they are tied with Robin in individual wins - of course she's been on the bottom more)

It seems on this episode if your name began with Mike, you got the A**hole edit. Although honestly you didn't need to edit what they said to show what douchebags they are. What a bunch of sore losers. Look, your food may have been more creative but hey, it's all about the taste and if Kevin's dish was "simpler" but tasted better, deal with it. Also stop saying what a good chef you are because you are so much better than other chefs (i.e. Mike I. on Robin). I could not stand Mike I.'s arrogance and was so happy he got booted off before Robin. The only thing that could make me happier is if Kevin wins the whole thing.

[jh]

How many of us have a degree in psych from Harvard, published multiple research articles, are multilingual, and won a Golden Globe? I found Natalie Portman a wonderful guest.

I think Tom hit it on the head with Jen and how the competition has really beaten her down. It reminds me of Anita Lo in TCM. Started out strong and has all the chops, but the grueling schedule is taking a psychological toll.

[Neil]

Mike V. called Picasso again. Pretty funny, but the shot at Kevin was a bit uncalled for. It has got to be frustration built up at going out on a limb, executing, and not ultimately getting rewarded for it. From some of his recipes posted in the past, the skill levels are usually always classified as challenging...I think he just feels he is doing harder work, but in the end, unfortunately for him, it's all about the taste. Also, Tom definitely has a real appreciation for refined simplicity, which Kevin excels at. To me, I think Kevin and Mike V. have established themselves as the front runners, although from the preview for next episode, it looks like Mike V. may be in trouble next week.

[Lou_NJ]

The standard Mike set for himself was to beat Robin - if he felt she was his competition he was setting himself up to leave. He was so focused on his dislike of her that it seemed to be his main topic of conversation. I mean, it seems he spoke more about her than anyone else including himself.
Jennifer is just the opposite and too focused on herself she has to let go. She got to her position in the real world on her own skills - she has to trust those skills.
The Voltaggio brothers play with all the fancy toys ands and are very skilled. But watching them work is painful and they are only consciously competing with each other. They fiercely defend each other to the rest but are relentless in vying with each other. It's exhausting. In the end it like listening to someone who has studied and mastered the technique of playing a classical piano piece but no matter how passionate they say they are the notes just don't evoke the emotions at the core of it. I don't doubt their ability to dazzle but I'm left wanting more. Which one is the better of the two - can be endless debate as they are 2 stars revolving around each other. I'm sure they are up to date on all the new tricks of gastronomy but that where they loose me - I will like, even really enjoy what they cook but I don't feel satisfied by what they offer.
Kevin wears his heart on his sleeve and what he produces shows his connection with food. I would venture to think of his as the most spiritual connection with whatever he is working with in order to pull out all it has to give. He is inventive and playful at times but always delivers on the integrity of his produce or protein. I think that the success he has enjoyed is because of that connection ("I was at the winery and they had hazelnut trees on the property so I used hazelnuts" - or something to the effect). He does his research and then doesn't stand in front of the food but behind it. I do so look forward to getting to Atlanta to eat at Woodfire Grill.
Eli is competent but I don't feel the passion or the love. I'm sure it's there but for me he doesn't have his voice yet.
Robin has skills - that's what got her in to the competition but she has only been less worse than someone else so far. I don't imagine there is as much depth to her cuisine as she thinks there is.

[*susan*]

Watching Jen melt is so hard. I want her to be Jen Norris again!

But what about Top Chef Frozen dinners? Delivered to your home from the famous Swanson Kitchens..... why cook when there are frozen dinners that have a Top Chef seal? I am worried that Top Chef is trying to turn itself into a franchise and the attributes that I love will spiral into a cash-flow machine diminishing the uniqueness of this show. _sigh_

[garik16]

Ugg, we get a week off before the next episode. Brutal.

[Maria]

Eh, I think Natalie Portman was okay in V for Vendetta, but for every adequate performance, she bombs in quite a few others. She and Scarlett made The Other Boleyn Girl *painful* to watch. I don't know if it was worse seeing her overact, or seeing Scarlett underact. Just terrible all around. Good on her for her going to Harvard, but I don't think she's particularly good at her day job, especially compared with plenty of other 20 something actresses. I think people like Rachel McAdams and Emily Blunt blow her out of the water in terms of being a compelling screen presence.

Plus, Leon was done when she was 12. That's probably her best performance to date and that's... actually kind of sad in retrospect, isn't it? She seems to have gotten worse at acting over time, instead of better. Maybe that's why her career's not as great as it used to be in the past. I think she's hit her peak in terms of roles and she's already started losing out the really meaty parts to more talented up-and-comers.

She sure is pretty though. I'll give her that much.

Anyway, back to the show...

Honestly, I've been a fan of Mike V. but he really lost me in this episode. It's one thing to get snippy with his brother-- Bryan can clearly dish it back and they *are* family-- and even to get prickly with Robin over serving sizes during Restaurant Wars. But getting all aflutter over Kevin winning, when he should *know* that Kevin must be dominating this competition for a reason?

Really, Kevin's probably everyone's favorite little red-haired keebler elf of cooking. How can ANYONE get upset at him for anything, let alone for excelling? Mike V.'s letting his bitterness get the best of him!

[mncharm]

Jennifer had two socks and a shoe off by the end of the show. What a total meltdown. Hope she can pull it together to make the finals -- perhaps the break before the finals will give her a chance to regroup. Yikes.

Natalie Portman: an intelligent and responsible actor and a foodie. Rowr!

[mncharm]

By the way, acting is not Natalie's day job -- it's her hobby. Is she the next Katherine Hepburn? No. But good on her for not taking the easy way out and making a bunch of easy-money movies, and instead appreciating the opportunity acting has given her to do what she wants with her life.

[mncharm]

Kevin is putting a stanglehold on this thing, by the way. The Volts are putting out great food -- but eight wins for Kevin, in this field? That's ridic -- and two more wins than the Volts put together. Could either of them still win the title? Sure; the Giants beat the Pats in the Super Bowl two years ago -- but no matter what happens from here on out, it's going to be hard to excape the conclusion that Kevin is the best chef in the crew.

[Maria]

Huh. So acting isn't Natalie's main job anymore? Then I guess it doesn't matter that she isn't getting any better at it over the years. ;)

Also, I've got a question for the professional foodies out there. Tom, in his blog, criticized Jennifer for making a dish that would be a better appetizer than a main dish. How could she have rectified this? Serving bigger proportions, adding a pasta, using more vegetables-- what?

[Barbara]

If Jennifer had added a pasta, a grain, a legume, almost anything to make it more than just "a few veggies" it would have come across as more of an entree, I think.

And did anyone besides me think that the unspoken part of Kevin's "Uh, thanks" was something along the lines of "Yeah, sure, I'm going to give up my Jenn-aire stove and Sub-Zero fridge for GE Monogram appliances"?

[Will Allen]

It was obvious to me that Mike I. was getting whacked; how hard is it to cook some fennel correctly in two hours, no matter what problems one might have with equipment? I mean, it wasn't as if the kitchen burned down, and even then you could roast it over an open flame! Robin is a pain, but few things are more irritating than arrogance untethered from accomplishment, and that is Mike I.'s most consistent trait. If you are a football fan, it's like watching Jamarcus Russell berate a receiver for failing to catch a pass that a grade schooler could improve upon. Be gone, loudmouth.

Mike V. (am I alone in thinking his brother is a considerably nicer human being?) is like an immature athlete who is used to winning every competition, and then he gets to a level where he finally finds someone who is better than he is. He simply is astounded, and then angered, that someone would have the effrontery. Cooking food that tastes better than mine? The nerve!

Kevin once again calmly thinks the problem through, which first and foremost means, in this setting, cooking food that is pleasing to eat. To paraphrase Ash, in his farewell episode, don't forget flavor!!

Really sorry to see Jen coming apart. My favorite Drill Instructor has become a trembling recruit. I hope she snaps back.

[jh]

Natalie has been quoted as saying, "I'd rather be smart than a movie star." If her goals are more towards the intellectual pursuit, then more power to her. I don't think I'll see her jumping on couches any time soon. However, to get paid a few million dollars for a hobby isn't a bad position to be in either.

Kevin is making me want to go to the Woodfire Grill even more, if that's even possible...

[Maria]

Poor Kevin gets stuck with the most terrible prizes available! Jennifer wins ONCE and gets a $10,000 gift certificate... and he wins time and time again and gets a cookbook, crappy appliance, a set of teflon pots and pans, and possibly his face on frozen dinner. At this point, karma more or less owes the poor man the finale, just because his previous wins were so insubstantial!

[hayamyma]

I am okay with a week off if we get to see the first Top Chef reunion dinner, hosted by Fabio? This looks fascinating, with Harold, Hung, Richard Blais, Fabio, and ??? all in the camera frame at some point. Will Dave and Tiffani be there?

I liked tonight's episode and admit to being pleasantly surprised at the fun the table was having dining (props to Portman and friends), but dismayed at the poor vegetarian dishes prepared. How sad! I did like the scene at Paul Bartolotta's restaurant where Kevin admitted he was fat by choice - because he loves food! Mike V. fed the jerk edit more with his grumbling about Kevin's win. It made him look bad.

[Skoolie]

Alright so I got to watch it sort of, it's poker night at our house which means 20 guys who want to watch basket ball and the world series, so I missed some things.

but Noooooo Mike I!!! I guess my thougt is this, he was consistant and I'm a fan of the slow and steady guy and I really think he had a shot at top 5 and if one of the top 4 faultered he could edge himself in.

He really grew on me, and it upset me to see other blog, forum postings celebrating his demise because they thought he said "rude/nasty things ".

If you thought he said rude/nasty things and that is why you think he deserved to go home then that is just wrong, it's a show about food, not drama and certanly not how easily you get offended.

[shawna]

i thought bryans dish was even smaller than jen's!

And man, gail looked soooo tired.

[garik16]

Much as i think people are joking, do remember Kevin could easily just SELL the GE Monogrammed equipment for a decent amount of cash, or just use it whenever he needs to replace a broken piece of equipment in the kitchen.

Really not a problem, even if it does seem less than the chips they've been handing out for quickfires.

[jh]

Maria, I surely hope you're joking. The GE monogram appliances run thousands of dollars, and he gets a whole new set. I wouldn't be surprised if retail value was around $10K. Really good pots and pans will also set you back quite a bunch. He's also has an invitation to participate at Pigs and Pinot, and his quickfire win gave him $15K. The only thing he's going to have to worry about is the amount he's going to have to pay for taxes on all these gifts. He even gets a nice suit compliments of Jen. I'm sure Jen and most of the other contestants would gladly switch prizes with Kevin. The only possible exception would be Bryan and his prize from Boulud.

[ddg]

Anyone check Gail's weird facial expression when Jen hugged Mike I. after he was canned? Seemed like she was shocked about something...

Sad to see Mike I go, the last 2 episodes he hasn't really been in Robin's case as much so it showed that he did have some pretty good dishes. It did seem like his dish was the weakest, its probably the editors fault for making it seem closer than it actually was because close decisions normally go to the cumulative scorecard.

The thing with Eli when he got called into winner's table was pretty funny when Kevin joked about them calling Eli out on accident.

I think the issue with Michael V. is that everyone has their preferred style of cuisine, Michael/Bryan and some others in previous seasons feel that the more cutting edge style of cooking is taking food to a new level. Unfortunately for the most part the judges and most people in general are open to the new stuff but when push comes to shove they still prefer what they know, which is simple (relatively) great tasting food. To use a bad analogy, while Michael is showing off his brand new sports car he can't understand why some people would prefer Kevin's old muscle car.

Last point I'm sure its been mentioned before but I don't really like these episodes when non-chefs get to decide the winner of the particular challenge. I'm not saying that the wrong person won or anything like that but we've seen in other seasons when non-chefs judge they sometimes don't understand what some of the chefs are doing. The Jeff Today Show debacle last year comes to mind, I think in this one Natalie looked at Michael's dish a novelty dish rather than real food.

[Scott]

Anyone check Gail's weird facial expression when Jen hugged Mike I. after he was canned? Seemed like she was shocked about something...

I took that to mean that she was surprised at how sad Jennifer was. While Michael I is a jackass, i'm sure he is one of the most popular characters in the house because of it. Think about it, the most popular friend you have is a complete jackass.

Onto this episode, vegetarian entree, isn't the easiest one Risotto with mushrooms and perhaps some sort of acid? Everybody does it in their restaurants. I went to eat at Jean Georges in New York City and that was one of their vegetarian dishes and it tasted excellent. Although, I do appreciate these chefs taking the vegetarian entrees to the next level. The level of creativity is unparallel to other seasons. nobody took it easy this episode, altho arguably, this is the episode they should have taken it easy.

Michael I's dish looked terrible. Uncooked leeks smells awful and I'm sure his mush on the side didn't help much. I felt that the editing however, was like Dale's from two seasons ago. YOu really don't get a sense of just how god awful the dish actually was. I wish they portrayed that better, but from the comfort of my own home, I can already imagine how terrible it would taste.

I wasn't surprised by Michael V's reaction to Kevin. Voltaggio's are sore losers, they are to each other, they are to others. They are the most egotistical ones in the competition, they're just not vocal about it. I've gotten it from them all season, but isn't that what we liked about them? People who are cocky, and deserve it, are often forgiven for their aggressive attitudes. That said, Kevin's dish was a surprise for me since Ms. Amidala seemed to be just literally taken to euphoria over it. the level of sexual jokes that came out of that dish was astounding. I was thinking, if a dish like that can't win, than what can? Apparenlty Kevin's dish which was heavy, but more importantly fulfilling. That's right, I think Kevin's dish won because after all the mediocre dishes, the judges were happy to have eaten something that tasted good and filled up their stomach, instead of something that just tasted good.

My theory might be wrong though. :)

[Michael]

Actually, all the "sexual" comments were about Bryan's dish. I got the impression that Natalie Portman actually preferred Michael's dish to Kevin's dish from the comments at dinner (nearly babbling about Michael's dish, "thats a manly vegetarian dish" about Kevin's dish) and suspect that she was thankfully overruled at JT.

[dc]

I like Mike I for his big personality and somewhat faux confidence -- he acknowledged early on this season was much stronger than he had expected. For him to never end up in the bottom until RW so late in the contest (I don't really count the Air Force as full bottom, since he was also in the top team), means though he might not be have the extra flair of the big 4, he does consistently cook well. Better than "I don't cook shrimp" Eli.

Note dramatic foreshadowing: the opening sequence, Mike V sharpening his knife while Kevin looked on unaware in the background, like a Hitchcock scene. Mike V is officially the new villain.

Robin is getting more batshit edit now. Her stream of thought rambling monologue at both QF and EC judging made me want to plug my ears. I do respect that she's so persistent and thick skin. But I would be going bonkers if she was my roommate or officemate... having her as both would be a nightmare.

I thought the chefs made a lot in 60 minutes QF. Reminded me of Rachael Ray -- I learned to make my own food from her show.

Meanie steakhouse last second twist. Loved it! These chefs are too good at straight-up challenges. Must throw them curved hardballs, not nerfballs. Interesting Mike I somewhat blamed not having yogurt. They where forced to source whatever was in Tom's kitchen ... no shopping at Whole Food for exotic and custom ingredients. It hurt ethnic chef like Mike I, by evening the playing field.

Mike I got traditional losers edit: "In my restaurant I have more than 60 dishes, 20 are vegetarian." Robin was fakeout, like she is every week.

Poor Jen... plating and shaking. Awww... I want to hug her. Is she getting ANY sleep? End of season fatigue and stress. Even Bryan runs out of time. Missed his bread pastry.

Jen shows Robin some grrl solidarity. Jen gives robin playful shove after QF, and they leave arm in arm after JT.

The emphasis on food presentation over taste reminded my of Toby's controversial comments of rating heavily on appearance. Ultimately Kevin's not so good looking dish carried the win by flavor over Michael's novel masterpiece. Certainly on looks and description, Mike V should of won. Would Toby have pushed Mike V to the win? JT wasn't unanimous according to Tom's blog -- Tom was for Mike V. Reminds me, Robin won a QF with classic apple crisp.

Tom was paternally concerned with the bottom group, especially Jennifer. That was sad sweet.

[Antha]

Wow. A lot of sexual comments on this episode!

I'm shocked no one has mentioned Jen's hair pulling remark.

"As far as The Flintstones, I guess I would relate most to Pebbles. Pebbles has a really cute little boyfriend Bam Bam who is nice and strong. I don't know that I like that he carries a club around and pulls her by her hair, but it could be fun sometimes. *giggle/blush*"

Kinky!

[rab01]

"I got the impression that Natalie Portman actually preferred Michael's dish to Kevin's dish from the comments at dinner (nearly babbling about Michael's dish, "thats a manly vegetarian dish" about Kevin's dish) and suspect that she was thankfully overruled at JT."

Unlikely. Tom wrote in his blog that he preffered Mike's dish but the other judges talked him out of it. If both Tom and Natalie had preferred Mike, I doubt that Gail was going to push hard enough to veto both of them.

"I think the issue with Michael V. is that everyone has their preferred style of cuisine, Michael/Bryan and some others in previous seasons feel that the more cutting edge style of cooking is taking food to a new level."

I don't think that's fair to Bryan. He's consistently said that a difference in style is not a difference in ability. It's Mike that's a douche about it. Bryan has even defended Robin's cooking in his burning questions interviews. Also, going back to restaurant wars, it was Bryan who made sure to give Robin a Voltaggio family apron so she would feel like part of the team. Mike may be more creative but Bryan seems to be far and away the more mature person (and I would suspect from that the better execuutive chef).

[meorav]

I thought this episode was great entertainment - loved the dinner discussions (not just the fellatio banter) and the humor throughout the episode, but the EC food was pathetic, even insulting.

I eat a lot of vegetarian food and I don't think I would order any of the dishes offered, even the winners. Two bites of eggplant and a spoonful of lentils? Lumpy banana polenta? With Kevin's dish at least I wouldn't starve since I love mushrooms, but an entree size portion of kale - I'd need some convincing (though maybe Kevin could convince me). When Bayless did mushrooms and greens for Zooey Deschanel on TCM, at least he added beans and corn tamales.

Where's the protein/grains/dairy? And some ethnic flavors? Some pride and passion in what you serve?

[Karen]

Probably one of my least favorite episodes. TCM did much more exciting vegetarian fare, so this was a big letdown. Oh, yeah, and Kevin wins both QF and EC for making a TV dinner and mushrooms. zzzzzzzzz

[Anne]

Early on in the tasting, my husband and I looked at each other and said, "Man, they've had a bit of wine." By the time they got to the sex jokes it seemed they've had a LOT of wine.

[gilmore]

The comments made about Jen's dish - like a side order of vegetables - could have applied to all, with differences in quantity and fanciness. None, to me, were main courses. Agree with those that said before - Kevin's was heartier and no doubt helped him. As usual, the flavors and combinations he produces were great.

Is Eli the real dark horse for final 4? He worked under Blais. Could he be playing it safe enough to not lose? Is he holding back?

Glad Jen gets another chance to regroup and find her inner Norris.

Robin - this seasons Lisa, but with even less skill. Does anyone still think she was the prime mover of the pear pithiver (or whatever it is called) from last week?

[The Last Stop]

And Robin comes a week closer to being this season's Lisa.

I think there's a very serious case for Eli at #4 and Jen at #5. I think she put herself there this week. Eli's been pretty consistent, and his plates have looked good recently. Plus, there's that old story about the tortoise and the hare.

As much of a Kevin fan as I've been, I didn't really find his double win this week thrilling. With a field like this, I want to see wins spread around. Not that its up to me! And its obviously not Kevin's "fault". I think its that Kevin doesn't necessarily cook "better", he cooks "smarter" and can go farther on his ability and nail these challenges by taking the most effective route from point A to B. I'm actually not sure that he has more(or less) pure cooking ability than the Volt's, given what we've seen over the season. I think he'll win some more regular season challenges. But as for the finale, I don't actually think he'll be at an advantage. In summary, he's obviously a great chef and a nice guy, but I can certainly understand some of Mike V's frustration.

And about the Robin thing - I think when you have a chef that's that much weaker, it starts to take a psychological toll on the other chefs. Sub Lisa out for just about any other chef on S4 in the finale and I say Blais wins. It was clear, to me at least, that having TC declare that Lisa was on the same level as he was really messed with his head. Wasn't the only reason obviously, but sure didn't help. The situation creates a lot of negative energy, which is unfortunate.

[zsparks]

Anne: Your question about what they stocked is interesting. Would there be tofu at Craft Steak? I also thought about the wine - when Kevin said his plate looked sloppy, I thought, yeah, after the little prick exchange, I'm pretty sure it might not be as big a problem as usual. Though you can alse see that group being more sensitive rather than less so with a good one on.

Meanwhile, if we put Robin aside, we have been waiting for one of the big four to make an enormouse error. In this odd field where there's a solid fifth, doesn't it make sense that number 5 ought to make a huge slip before one of the big four? Still surprising, but....

[zsparks]

p.s. I continue to love Mike V., no matter what. A little pissiness is hardly anything to complain about. Maybe all of you guys are truly gracious at heart - I'm not.

[marjorie]

natalie portman's best performance ever was her rapping on Saturday Night Live!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/1404/saturday-night-live-snl-digital-short-natalie-raps

that was one of the most dramatically/comedically satisfying episodes but one of the least satisfying cooking episodes. maybe the reason none of them made a substantial dish (with significant grains or protein) was they all watched each other too much and no one wanted to break out of the vegetables-only pack? even if the produce was amazing (and it certainly sounds like it was) i don't get not making a genuine main dish with them.

agree that little voltaggio is the douchetard; big voltaggio simmers and stews but is way better at keeping it together on the outside. (and little voltaggio is lucky Bartolotta wasn't judging -- he was the only person clearly horrified by the banana-chunk polenta.) i don't know what mike v's block is about kevin -- his dish may look and sound simple but surely mike v should figure that if the professional chefs are falling all over themselves about it, it can't just be home cookery. chill, you crazy competitive wad.

how can kevin NOT win this thing? his food is soulful, he's SO thoughtful and articulate, he's professional and polite, and when the Meat Elf talks about going veggie for lent with his wife, i pretty much swoon. all this and spirituality too? he's got the talent, the people skills AND the star power for the big time.

[Bart]

After thinking about it some more, I think the reason I prefer Kevin over Michael is for one simple reason: Why they cook.

Michael V. cooks for himself. He is "le artiste" and you will eat what he puts out and you will be grateful for it.

Kevin cooks for you. He's acutely aware of the sensations, flavors and effects the food will have on his diner, and goes out of his way to make sure you will enjoy the experience the most.

For that reason, I will eat at Kevin's restaurant 99 times out of 100. I'll go to Michael V's for the novelty value, but for pure enjoyment, I'll go to Kevin's.

I've also been saying that Robin should be ranked higher than Eli. After this episode, this is no longer the case. My rankings:

1. Kevin
2. Bryan
3. Michael V.
4. Jen
5. Eli
6. Robin

Despite Michael V being picked for having one of the best meals, I think Bryan has the emotional and intellectual maturity to outlast Michael. And despite Jen's stumble, I still haven't seen enough from Eli to warrant ranking him over Jen.

[aaalex]

"Robin - this seasons Lisa, but with even less skill. Does anyone still think she was the prime mover of the pear pithiver (or whatever it is called) from last week?"

oh, please. yes, i DO think she was the prime mover of the pear pithivier: she cooked the thing. look it up: it needs a good pastry and it's not at all easy to execute to the level where it is called, by one of the diners, the best dish of the evening DESPITE the competition from dishes - including a chocolate ganache - from the brothers v. also, robin decided on the pears, she decided on the elderflower syrup which is not a light taste. she had everything to do with the success of that dish. it wasn't made by the keebler elves.

also: she has had, for whatever reason, the single most difficult journey this season. she has had to work in isolation, dependent on her own resources. she has been universally disliked, disrespected and belittled, virtually from the beginning. unlike jennifer, who is crumpling under the pressure of this competition, robin gets up, does her work and goes on. very questionable who, of the other chefs, could have faced up to the kind of pressure robin has had to bear and still thrived. (i can't imagine an inflated ego like michael v. - always used to being the best in the room or pouting if he's not - would survive the isolation and disrespect.)

also: lisa fernandes was not just a mediocre artist. she was actively toxic. her moment at judges table with andrew was utterly disgraceful, a show of spiritual nullity. she was negative in a way that even got to richard blais by the end. but lisa did not have to deal with the isolation robin has had to deal with. she had her supporters - including andrew. (it's really amusing to remember the "jen norris" thing when, in effect, the stronger personality was/is robin's)

robin isn't the most inventive chef left. there's no doubt about that. she hasn't produced a dish that compares with the best of kevin's or the best of the v. brothers' dishes. but at every turn, the one sent home deserved to be sent home - unlike the season 4 RW when lisa, not dale, should have been sent home and tom colicchio said as much. she's here because the pressure got to other chefs in a way it didn't quite/hasn't quite gotten to her. the whining about her and the comparisons to lisa are just laughably inane.

[babyarm]

I think most of the people here are focused on the "meal" vs. "plate" stuff, and some of this is valid. I think the chefs in the competition do realize that serving 7 full size main courses would be a little tough. Especially for a bunch of LA types.

The other thing that has developed is the Blais-ing of the competition. No longer do the chefs take something a little familiar and put a twist on it. Now it's a plate with 3,4,5 components and spread out on the plate. Some of it whimsical and complex and contrasted with something simple.

I think Jen has fallen in the trap of thinking that's the way to win this and she's not used to multi-component dishes. That's not her background. She's more in the french style, obviously.

I have no issue with the portion sizes last night. Each plate is supposed to give a feel for what a full plate would look like. I do have a problem that nobody thought to even just step out and make a soup. Really? Not one soup? Or are they afraid the Volts will look down on them for cooking too simple?

[jw]

OK...so, if Mike V is Picasso, I think Kevin is Rembrandt.

[Danny]

Bravo aaalex. You said exactly what I was thinking about Robin. It is not in any way fair to compare her to Lisa. And since Mike I. was the ringleader and starter of the Let's-Get-Robin brigade it was a nice karmic moment to see him go before her.

Enjoyed the episode but frankly food-wise it was incredibly dissappointing. Not one of those dishes looked TC-worthy. None of them made me long to eat them. Although I'm sure that they tasted good it mostly looked like the half-hearted attempt that many restaurants make at producing a vegetarian dish.

Mike V continues to put out food that looks more like a lab experiment. I am eager to eat Kevin and Bryan's food but Mike V, not so much. Tonight's dish reminded me of that Caesar salad thing he made. It may have tasted good but it looked it had been made at a lumber yard.

How was Jen's dish an appetizer but Eli's wasn't? That radish salad was nothing more that 3 or 4 paper-thin slice of radish with little dots of greens added. And could we please get rid of the plating technique of swiping little bits of sauce across a plate? The amount is so tiny it barely seems worth adding. One more pet peeve. Tomato sashimi? Really. It's some raw tomato that you did something to. It is not sashimi. I can accept calling everything under the sun carpaccio or ceviche but I'm sorry, a raw vegetable is not sashimi. What's next? To your right I've made a cucumber ox tail. GMAB.

[Dave_P]

Ugh, last night was harsh, not just for TC, but pretty much all competitive endeavors I was watching on TV. At least Kevin pulled a double win.

Mike I... shame he left at this stage. This means if one of the top 4 stumble, Robin can very well pull a Lisa, and that would just ruin this entire season. He should've abandoned the sorry leeks in water, and just roasted a new batch or something. At least put a sear on the ones he had to add some flavor & make it look more like scallops. Lack of protein on an entree plate is pretty bad too. Honestly, w/his Mediterranean background that he occasionally exhibited, he sould've made a falafel or something similar.

Portman... meh, she was terrible in Star Wars, but so was everyone else. Didn't know she went to Harvard. Coincidentally, there was an actresses in my high school homeroom that also got into Harvard. Smart girl to be sure, but the doors widen considerably when you're a semi-established actress prior. Portman seemed like a nice enough woman (good sense of humor too), but I wondered why she was judging at the end instead of Barolatta (I'm sure the others, esp Gail, could've provided the vegetarian viewpoint just as well).

I wonder how much they stocked Tom's kitchen at Craftsteak for this challenge--wished Lee Ann would blog about this. I'm sure there's nary a whiff of tofu or similar ingredients in there most nights, and of course we didn't see any. I just took a glance at the Vegas Craftsteak website menu and didn't see any pasta either, so the chefs might've been really limited in what they had to work with.

--
Dave

[Karen]

zsparks: I'm with you. He's more like me than Kevin is. Based on the comments at JT last night, I thought MV had it in the bag. Really, how many times have you seen that reaction to the food on this show?

I may be bored with Kevin's dominance, but I sure would love to eat at his restaurant! I have family in Atlanta, I should at least send them to scout it out.

I continue to be more than a little suspicious of the editing on this show. Last night I saw Jen being affectionate with Robin (of course, she could have been drunk since she kissed Mike I goodbye, which raised Gail's eyebrows).

[meorav]

@babyarm

Portion size was insulting. Gail said in her blog they were so hungry they went out for a second dinner afterward! Jennifer was on the bottom solely because of the ridiculously small portion size, and Bryan was called out for portion size as well. And honestly most of the others weren't much better.

You wouldnt serve a 2oz steak in a Craftsteak challenge. Why is it ok to serve an amuse-size portion as an entree for vegetarians? If the guest doesn't want to eat the whole portion, that's their prerogative, but to send them home hungry is fundamentally disrespectful.

[karenology]

I still can't get over the editing of this episode! I was sure Jen was going home because 1) her outfits in her interviews changed approximately eighty times and 2) no way would they poll people about wanting Robin to be sent home, during an episode in which she is sent home. That's too mean, even for cruel tricky editors! Of course we find out from the blogs that Jen's dish wasn't even close to being sent home. Pfft.

[Will Allen]

Bart, I think you nailed it. To draw an analogy with professional sales people who sell large-ticket, 6 or 7 figure goods or services, Michael V. is the smart, creative (at that level of selling, creativity really matters), pitchman who is focused on his own brilliance. He'll do well, because he does have the talent to dazzle.

Kevin, in contrast, is the guy who even further out on the extreme right tail of the intelligence curve, but focuses his brilliance much, much, more on the customer, and thus has a much deeper understanding of his customer's unfufilled needs, to the point that he sometimes understands his customer's needs better than the customer himself. The Mike V.s of the high end sales world make a really, really, good living. The Kevins end up running companies that dominate an industry. A really impressive guy.

[Joanna]

I had a similar reaction to this episode as everyone else, it seems: great entertainment, disappointing food.

Mike V's comment about Kevin really did surprise me. He set out to make a dish that would confuse the diners - in a good way, to be sure - and he achieved his goal. But experimentation only works if it is accessible, and food like his has to walk that fine line. My guess is that on the spectrum between accessible and unfamiliar, he was a teensy bit too far towards unfamiliar. Kevin, on the other hand, makes food that is always accessible, but it's also hearty, clever, interesting, and just plain tasty. He and Kevin have very different styles, and which one wins out on any given day is a tossup. But by implying that he could make Kevin's dish with his eyes closed, Mike tried to completely undermine Kevin's win. Maybe Kevin could use MG and cook more like the Voltaggios, but he chooses not to. Either way, he's proven himself time and again and I was just rubbed the wrong way by Mike V trying to take that away from him.

I had a good feeling Mike I would be gone as soon as Tom interrupted him at judges' table to say, "you DO know leeks don't have protein, right?"

Also, I really liked Natalie Portman in Garden State. I get the feeling her character in that movie is not all that different from her real life personality, but I still think she was great in it.

[Danielle]

We're what, two months into this competition and still I can't remember the Voltaggio brothers' names for the life of me. "Okay, that's the accountant. Okay, that's the perpetually sunburned surfer dude."

[lmk]

Amid the backlash forming against Kevin's smart and simple food, remember that he's never once been called out by the judges for being "safe." And these judges would turn on him in an instant if that were the case. Without being flashy, he's gotta be doing a whole lot right.

[Danielle]

I would like to hear what y'all cook/eat during TC... probably b/c I'm defensive about Michael Pollan's assertion that TV cooking reality shows promote watching TV, not cooking. I roasted a bunch of winter vegetables (reflecting on my lack of creativity), scorched the hell out of some squash seeds (but they were still good if you like scorched things), and reheated roasted pork for tacos and last night's apple pie.

[mill]

According to Wikipedia Portman went vegan 2009, so maybe it was a good idea to not use any dairy.

On Michael I totally understand him being miffed with Kevin winning with that dish. Remember last season when Tom called them out in episode 6 for making, among other things, deviled eggs? "I don't care how good it is. It's.. I don't get it." and "The food you put out, even for the ones that won, not very inspiring, at all. You've got to step up your game here." In a field of uninteresting plates Michael pushed the envelope. As he always does.

I think there was a similar situation last season when Carla won Dufresne's egg challenge. Stefan was the deserving winner in my opinion.

With that said I did find it curious that the other chefs didn't have a vegetarian mexican or indian dish they could pull out.

[mill]

According to Wikipedia Portman went vegan 2009, so maybe it was a good idea to not use any dairy.

On Michael I totally understand him being miffed with Kevin winning with that dish. Remember last season when Tom called them out in episode 6 for making, among other things, deviled eggs? "I don't care how good it is. It's.. I don't get it." and "The food you put out, even for the ones that won, not very inspiring, at all. You've got to step up your game here." In a field of uninteresting plates Michael pushed the envelope. As he always does.

I think there was a similar situation last season when Carla won Dufresne's egg challenge. Stefan was the deserving winner in my opinion.

With that said I did find it curious that the other chefs didn't have a vegetarian mexican or indian dish they could pull out.

[Esther]

Mill, I get what you're saying. The thing is that Michael was just wrong about Kevin's food being boring and easy. Lack of chemical additives does not make it simple. There's a huge difference between deviled eggs (or even fried eggs dyed green), and candied garlic, pistou, mushrooms two (interesting) ways, smoked and very carefully prepared (and apparently amazing) kale, and turnip puree. The latter is rustic, certainly, but hardly simple by any definition of the term. Really, I think that the two biggest critiques that could be made of Kevin's dish were the lack of protein and the somewhat sloppy plating, but the flavors were apparently just that amazing.

[dc]

After sleeping on it, I wish Michael won. Kale and mushroom sounds and looked pretty gross as a main, more fit for the Air Force challenge, no matter how I mentally spin it. Where was "feast for EYES as well as pallet?" Whereas Michael's creation was fine dining. If they where in the same vicinity of flavor satisfaction, they should have given it Michael. Is Kevin charming the pants off the judges like he is so many viewers, earning him extra brownie points at JT?

[mncharm]

Michael V. obviously has a very different conception of fine dining than Kevin (he's been called Picasso twice now; I don't think that happens by accident). Where he is wrong is his apparent assumption that one type of cooking philosophy is better than the other. Yes, surface level, Kevin's dishes are not as inventive as Michael's: but if Kevin's wins and the comments from the judges are reliable at all, it's pretty clear that the complexity of flavors he is throwing down are pretty special.

[Will Allen]

I dunno, it sure sounded to me that Kevin's dish just tasted better. Do the judges, especially other than Tom, really have enough exposure to the chef's personalities to be charmed significantly more by one, relative to the others? I could see it a little last season with Fabio, but it mostly seems to me that the judges really don't spend enough team with the chefs to make a big difference in that regard.

[babyarm]

Perhaps the portion sizes were a bit small, but we still have little idea what grains were available. Lentils and cornmeal were the only thing used by anyone that I can figure out.

It also looks like Eli, for example had only 5 or 6 eggplants to work with. They all basically ran to that cooler and picked what looked good in there and featured that. If they were able to go to whole foods to get ample supplies I have to think it would have been handled better. Also, they had just 2 hours to come up with something and cook it which is another pet peeve of mine. They should at least have been able to shop as the shopping trips usually yield the best shows and food.

So the general read on next week is a cocktail party for EC, and breakfast for padma as QF? It's been awhile since the breakfast QF with the blender thing.

[Independent George]

Stupid me. I'm out of town on business, but have the DVR ready for my return. So what do I do first thing Thursday morning? I open to this page. Arrrgh!

[karenology]

Danielle: oddly enough I'd made a vegan dish without even intending to make it so :) Had some shiitake stock sitting in the fridge, so I reduced that and tossed it over some baked tofu, green beans and rice.

[kit]

Re: what was available v. what was served

From Gail's blog, we get the sense the chefs had access to grains/non-veggies, that at least she thought were under-used in the EC. However, I'm wondering if the lack of ethnic influence in the dishes was governed by what they had access to in the Craftsteak kitchen. Once again, am missing Lee Anne's blog!

[Susan]

I think Jen has given in to a belief that Mike V, Bryan, and Kevin will be in the finals; and her shot is gone. It is interesting to watch someone like Robin talk like she will be there until the end and then see someone who we thought would/could go all the way be totally selfdefeating. Strange juxtaposition.
Mike V. is totally rocking the little brother vibe. I imagine he may never lose it if he hasn't yet at this point in his accomplished life.
I agree, Mike I. had moments of good, but not brilliance. And the editing when Robin blathered at the judges allowed Tom to succinctly point out what we saw: ingrediants driven, not plan / flavor driven.

Now definitely comes the episodes when "hey you never know" comes into play.

[Lon]

"Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Vince Lombardi.

Watching Jen is the classic example of how many tricks the mind can play on a person. She has been heading downhill since she got sick. She needs some strong support to change her mindset and she's not getting it.

As a lifelong vegetarian I was appalled at the food served during the show last night, especially at the size of the portions. Mike I needed to go based on his misunderstanding of vegetarian food needs. Since he serves so many non-meat dishes at his restaurant, he seemed to think that was enough to keep him safe.

Their efforts sure don't show off all the great foods that can be made from (mostly) non-animal ingredients. One of my favorites is a rataouille with zucchini, summer squash, onions, tomatoes, eggplant and cheese layered over sliced polenta. (If you're vegan, you can use a non-dairy cheese as well.) It's a Betty Crocker recipe that can be made & baked in less than an hour. It has protein, it has taste, it looks appealing, and it is filling while being pretty low calorie and easy to modify for individual taste. And it could be made "upscale" very easily.

It reminds me of all the times I've been in resturants, gotten the weird stares from asking for vegetarian food and been served something like a grilled cheese sandwich and a pathetic salad because the cook could not fathom someone not eating meat. I certainly expected more from these chefs, even from Kevin. Based on comments in Tom Colicchio's blog, the ingredients were there for better performances. I think once they couldn't use all the beautiful meat they saw, their minds just went blank and couldn't function.

That personal rant out of the way, I think the one thing these chefs don't understand is how Tom Colicchio looks at food. Kevin is in Tom's sweet spot, at least in my opinion based on reading Tom's books. Colicchio said in his books that he designed his meals based on what he found in the markets that day. It's almost as if the produce enhances the protein and makes it shine. Kevin seems to cook that way was well, as opposed to the V brothers who work more technically. Their food might look better, it might even taste better, but it lacks a real connection with the cook, perhaps (dare I say the word) it lacks some "soul". I haven't heard that word used in TC this season, but Carla got a long way last season with soul. I compare Kevin a lot to Stephanie from season 4. Not the flair, just the good food thoughtfully produced.

That said, I hope we're not jinxing Kevin now that he is so obviously the front runner. Strange things can happen in these shows.

[aaalex]

on tom's blog, he pointedly said he preferred michael v's dish, but the other judges went with kevin's dish. kevin's dish tasted better to the other judges who, though they liked michael v's style, loved the flavours in kevin's food. so, it's not clear that kevin is in colicchio's "sweet spot".

on the other hand, the most ridiculous thing about michael v's sour grapes is his assumption that he could cook as well as kevin when he (michael, that is) was a beginner. that's either a massive, insecure ego speaking or it's a gross failure to appreciate complex simplicity. it takes a great deal of time and thought for any artist to be simple. it's the immature who want to do handstand after handstand, to prove they're as good as the people who influenced them. michael v takes it for granted that the mere demonstration that he has studied hard and uses exotic techniques is enough. (he must have been absolutely fuming when he lost that qf to robin's apple/ginger crisp.) but to confuse what kevin does with what robin does is a form of real delusion. the pressure is obviously getting to him as well. if he or jennifer were to be eliminated before robin, it would be a surprise on the food level. they're both more inventive chefs than robin. but on the game level - and top chef IS a game - robin, having gone through what she has and still standing among the last six, is as strong as they are. to an extent, that's why dominic's rankings are, ultimately, fallible. it's possible to judge the food we've seen, based on the judges' reaction. it's impossible, until too late, to guess the strength of a chef's personality. michael v's insults of kevin's food are a sign of weakness, not strength, and i'm curious to see how that weakness plays itself out.

[gilmore]

aalex - the pitivier is not what I would consider a crisp, which Robin said she was going to make. The name alone implies french, which is not her background - she is self taught. The elderflower syrup was from a bottle, but the ginger-fragnipane was made from scratch - again, french and not too common an ingredient. Add in the from scratch almond brittle. There is no way this was her concoction. It is not a crisp and has much french influence. Mike V.s influence is all over this dish.
Look at the sophistication of this dish - http://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/pear-pithivier-with-vanilla-ice-cream-and-elderflower-syrup.
It is not Robin.
She was supposedly the master of vegetarian, but there was no flavor, sophistication, thought of tying the flavors together, etc.
Hope she goes next.

[Danny]

Having watched the episode again, something very telling was said. In his exit comments, Mike I said, and I paraprase, that "it was a great experience to work with the next generation of rising chefs". No wonder he and his buddies were so resentful and rude to Robin. She is too old, in their eyes, to be a part of the next generation of rising chefs. I think that even if Robin was cooking amazing food and had a less grating personality there would still be hostility towards her.

This raises a question. What are the qualifications to be on TC? Is there or should there be an age limit? And how recognized can you be? We have Beard nominees and a Michelin Star holder. What if the producers called someone to be on TC Masters and the chef said that they would rather compete on the regular TC? Would that be allowed? If one of the chefs had won the Beard award, would they be barred from TC? Blais and Eli were on ICA. Is that too famous or recognized to be on TC?

And while we are talking rules and who gets picked, I do think that the one flaw of this season is that too many of the chefs know each other or have worked together. It is an advantage to be among colleagues who already know you, like you and respect your cooking. Much harder to be there unknown to all. And, although it adds drama, I don't they should ever have brothers or sisters or brothers/sisters on the show at the same time.

What do you think? What should stop you from being on TC and what should get you in?

[wolfefan]

live chat with Mike Isabella at Washingtonpost.com - going on now...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/10/29/DI2009102902002.html?hpid=discussions

[Will Allen]

I think the differences in Eli's and Mike I.'s approach to this competition are interesting. They both have a cocky approach to it, but when Eli is faced with superior chefs, he gets serious, and gets better. Mike I. seemed to become more sloppy, while doubling down on cockiness. He doesn't do everything he can to help his team in RW. He seems to assume that he can't be sent packing before Robin, and takes what seemed to me to be a lackadaisical approach to getting leeks cooked properly, and to the dish in general. I think Eli has a lot more upside as a chef, and not just because he is younger.

[karen]

20 challenges and Kevin has been top 3 or won 18 of them? That is incredible. Otherwise, Mike and Jen have 14 and Bryan has 12. What is sad is that Jen has just as many bottom mentions as Robin. It would just be a shame to have such a strong contestant flame out. I am really pulling for her to get herself together and make a run at the finale.

[.Jokerr]

Is there really a need to discuss whether Kevin or Michael is the better chef? Their styles and approach to food are so different it's like comparing apples and oranges. There is no need to put down one to raise up the other; I am perfectly able and happy to enjoy both.

Personally, I am a fan of both the Voltaggios. Although what they create sounds strange sometimes and even off-putting, but the results can be amazingly delicious in the mouth. I also like their relationship--even with its attendant bickering and spurts of anger--because it's so real. I can also take Michael's outburst against Kevin for what it is: to vent steam in a competition that's getting more stressful day by day, against a closely-matched fellow competitor.

[Peter Merholz]

People keep wondering why the cooks missed out on so many obvious opportunities for filling vegetarian. I think the answer is straight-forward... they were totally blindsided by this challenge, and weren't thinking in an appropriate frame of mind. They were planning meat dishes for hours, and then had almost no time to come up with a veggie dish. Had this been a shop-at-Whole-Foods type of challenge, doubtless we would have seen some true veggie entrees.

[gilmore]

From the above link by Wolfefan - Mike Isabela's interview -

Arlington, Va.: If you were to enter a restaurant where Robin is the chef, what would you order?

Mike Isabella: Nothing.

---The reunion show should be interesting.

[doktarr]

I'm sorry to see Mike go, even though he clearly deserved it based on the show and the blogs. He got a villain edit early on this season, for sure, but I think he's more of a joker who was just hamming it up for the camera by saying silly, inflammatory things. That's not exactly wonderful behavior, but it's forgivable.

I haven't really had a problem with any of Mike Voltaggio's previous behavior, but his comments about Kevin's win really turned me off. Much like Dom explained in the MG debate on the LTHforum, technique is a means to an end. If Kevin's dish was better, then the fact that it used more classic (and, arguably, simpler) technique is irrelevant. Better is better.

That said, I'm increasingly aware of the ways they can "villain edit" things. I'd have to listen to it again, but it's possible it was cut to sound more denigrating towards Kevin's dish than Mike V really meant it to be.

[Will Allen]

I don't think much of Robin, but a doof who can't cook a leek properly in two hours, and slices them up and calls them "scallops", oughta' keep his fat mouth shut.

Whatever, whatever, indeed....

[doktarr]

Jen has slipped a bunch lately, but of the three stated factors in the power ranking, Jen still tops Eli on two of three. I'd leave her at #4 for the moment.

Incidentally, anyone putting Robin over Jen on any level is really missing the boat. They've been on the bottom roughly equal amounts in the last few episodes, which leaves us the previous eight episodes. There's no comparison.

Am I the only one who's assigned each Horseman of the Chefpockalypse to a particular person?

Kevin - Famine. He'll eat you out of house and home.

Michael - War. He creates conflict wherever he goes.

Bryan - Death. Zero elimination bottoms in eleven episodes? He's inevitable.

Jen - Pestilence. Unfortunately, she's a victim of her own plague.

[John Coctostan]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet, but I loved Kevin's little bit of trash-talking to Mike I at the beginning of the EC. Regarding Mike's plan to cook leeks so they resemble scallops - "Looks like a scallop, tastes like $#!&." Very prescient!

[natmicstef]

Ok I posted this in the other section so moving it.

Though everyone seems to be jumping on Michael V's case both here and other blogs, I didn't find him to be so out of line with his comments about Kevin's dish...they were made in the interview room and were his commentary. To be honest Kevin's dish did not look very exciting but of course his flavors were. Michael I regretted that they didn't have any yoghurt which he hints is why he failed so miserably? For a mediterranean specialist he was really out of ideas and I wonder if this wasn't a result of trying to emulate the Voltaggio brothers' style/techniques?

[òste e còc]

From the WashPo interview- "D.C.: If someone is just learning to cook -- where should they start? Would you recommend any best practices or books for a beginner or someone who loves to cook but has no training?

Mike Isabella: Uh, books? You can't learn how to cook out of a book. School? Some cooking classes? That's the best way to do it. School or classes, not a book."

Uh, I disagree. Perhaps Mike is, uh, illiterate. Having the patience and attention to read and absorb others’ work and recipes, either classical, contemporary or modern as well as the food history is a testament to one’s temperament, culinary curiosity, knowledge of peers’ & priors’ groundwork, and basic understanding of pairings, appropriate methods of cookery and why. Food Lover’s Companion or any other basic food encyclopedia would have answered Mike’s Eggs Florentine query while differentiating it from (traditional) steak Florentine. Perhaps he doesn’t own any cookbooks, which would make the loathsome housewife cook Robin more insightful by virtue of her modest cookbook bookshelf.

No cook worth a damn would turn their nose up to the essentials of “On Food and Cooking”, “Culinary Artistry” and “The French Laundry Cookbook”, “Repertoire de la Cuisine” and “Larousse”. Books (and now the internet) as well as hands on cooking are crucial resources which offer the theory and practice of cooking. Books teach why, whereas hands show how. They are not mutually exclusive. Having access to books provides an instant reference for all matters of cookery and denying them is an immediate handicap, which pretty much sums up Mike I’s demeanor and capabilities.

The best advice for any cook, novice or veteran, would be to study the fundamentals of a process, understand them, and then apply them rather than going blindly and wasting money or product. Invariably there will be mistakes as one tests the limits of a recipe or process and that is where theory intersecting practice establishes boundaries wherein lie something closer to perfection.

Even a cursory knowledge of fundamental, revelatory and iconic books distinguishes boorish kitchen apes from passionate, perhaps erudite craftsmen.

[Tinuviel]

"Blais and Eli were on ICA. Is that too famous or recognized to be on TC?" ...interesting.... Ariane (TC5), Mark (Chef from New Zealand TC4) have both been on ICA as sous chefs. Where do you draw the line at sufficient experience to qualify as a TC cheftestant?

[dc]

I think what Mike said applies to me. I learned how to cook for myself from watching beginner level Food Network shows. I couldn't learn from a book, which used to be just a clinical list and technical terms. Now that I have some kitchen confidence, I can pick through books and recipes to get ideas to incorporate into my own home cooked meal repertoire.

[paula]

"On Food and Cooking" was one of those turning-point books for me. I read it in my 20s, when I was just starting to expand my palate through eating at a variety of restaurants, and began tentatively trying to cook more adventurous meals in my own kitchen. I read that book and highlighted about half of it. It gave me such an appreciation for both the science and art of food.

Did it teach me how to cook? Of course not. But it certainly inspired me and informed me to cook better.

[aaalex]

gilmore: i think your dislike of robin's personality has completely blinded you to what she did in RW. (to an extent, it has blinded dominic as well, but his point that robin's biggest success has come with variations on the same dish is at least valid.)

"the pitivier is not what I would consider a crisp, which Robin said she was going to make. The name alone implies french, which is not her background - she is self taught."

this is so illogical, i don't know where to start. no, the pithivier is not a crisp. but the fact the name is french has nothing to do with anything. or do you think she would need italian training to do a bolognese or russian training to do chicken kiev? a self-taught chef can learn all sorts of things, you know. what you really mean to say is: only michael v, who's had french training, could have suggested the pithivier because robin is an ignorant, self taught idiot.

and yet, she prepared and cooked the pithivier, suggesting she had a good handle on this "french" dessert. (we'll come back to this, because i just don't think you get it,)

"The elderflower syrup was from a bottle, but the ginger-frangipane was made from scratch - again, french and not too common an ingredient."

1. of course the elderflower was from a bottle. you think anyone believes she culled some elderflower and made her own syrup? the point is the TASTE, the FLAVOUR. she has a palate, she used a FLAVOUR she knew would go well with her pears and almonds.
2. "frangipane" is actually from the italian, not the french. but it is one of the most common things around. most ANYONE who has made a dessert would know frangipane. anyone at all. it didn't take michael v to suggest what is a classic dessert combo: almond paste and pears.
3. the frangipane was made from scratch? i very much doubt it. it's an almond paste. but if you're right and she did make her own almond paste, show the woman some respect! impeccable use of time in the kitchen.

you then write:
"Add in the from scratch almond brittle."
i agree the almond brittle was likely made from scratch. BUT ROBIN MADE IT. remember when art smith made a brittle for top chef masters? it's not an obscure thing to make, and robin made it well.

i just don't get why people go to such bizarre lengths to demean the woman.
look: if i said to someone "make a peking duck" and then that person went off and made one of the best peking ducks you've tasted, would you give me credit for making the peking duck or the person who cooked it? you'd be batshit crazy if you credited me. someone prepared that duck, knew the tradition from which it came, cooked it, and served it forth. i had an idea. the chef made it. even if michael v suggested the pithivier - and we don't know that for a fact - ROBIN MADE IT. the dish the judges tasted was made by chef robin leventhal. if michael v had intruded to make any of the components of that dish, i sincerely think we would have been shown him doing the prep or the cooking. instead, we saw robin asserting the dish was hers, that she had the right to cut it as she liked, because it was hers. (again: almonds and pears: absolute, non-obscure, classic combo. absolutely no need for european training.)

just to give you another chance: robin made a pear pithivier that everyone loved. it doesn't matter whose suggestion it was. it was made by a chef who executed at the highest level, at a level equal to the level of the voltaggios and superior to eli's contribution.

your wanting her to go is great, fine. i've got no feelings about that. but give the woman credit for what she actually did: she made a top class dessert and was part of the red team's win.

to the person who said there's no comparison between robin and jennifer. not as to their cooking there isn't. jennifer seems to be the more expert chef. but jennifer is crumpling under the pressure. she's been locked up in a house with a bunch of strangers and forced to cook to bizarre challenges: sleep derived, home sick, etc. but robin has been going through all of that as well as having to deal with the hostility of the others in that house. on the whole, i'd say robin's strength of character compares most favourably to jennifer's. it might even be superior. as this is a game that requires strength of character, robin's self-possession is not a negligible quality.

[SorchaRei]

I've eaten Robin's food. I'd eat it again. I wouldn't travel across the country just to eat it (as I am seriously considering doing to get a taste of Kevin's food), but it was perfectly good food, competently prepared, and occasionally better than that.

She's clearly got a strong personality and the ability to power forward in unpleasant circumstances. I don't think that the contest format plays to her strengths as a chef (she does better with making simple, straight-forward food, and she's clearly floundering a little trying to imagine dishes in a short time frame).

However, the competition isn't playing to Jen's strengths, either. Early on, before fatigue and the endless stream of whack-a-doodle challenges got to her, Jen was a powerhouse. Now she's breaking down. It sort of reminds me of Anita Lo, who started out very strong in TCM, only to be ground down by the elimination process once they got to the end. I desperately want to eat Anita Lo's food, but TCM did not play to her strengths, in the sense that the format just put her off her game.

And on Mike I, whatever else is true of him as a cook, he clearly was operating on hubris. Near as I can tell, his thoughts wen the leeks started to go south were long the lines of Well, the leeks are not working out very well. I suppose I could try something else or try to rescue them, but it can't really matter. After all, I won't be going home before Robin, so I am safe.

Robin's dish looked to me like a bunch of ideas haphazardly dumped on the plate, but Mike's looked like pure unadulterated ick.

[SorchaRei]

Also, and weirdly, this was, of all the TC challenges, ever, the one which kept me up latest trying to figure out what I would have done. So many good ideas in my head. I'm a good cook, but not a chef or a great cook, so it says something about what happened in this challenge that I think I could have made a top three dish.

I'm sure Mike V would have sneered at it, but I can tell you for sure that it would have tasted great, looked good, and contained some actual protein.

[jonathan]

oest: Mike wasn't saying that books are useless, he was simply saying that you learn how to cook by actually cooking, not by reading, and that the best way to do so is in an environment where you can be taught and receive educated feedback from others. i don't see what's so controversial about that. What you write is absolutely true about the value of books, but it's not what Mike was speaking to.

[Duffy]

aalex: In Mike V's words, "calm down, just calm down...." Mike V "suggests" a recipe for the deconstructed Bearnaise sauce, and everyone jumps on Mike I for taking getting the credit. Mike V later "suggests" improvewments to make the crisp a pithivier, and what? He gets none of the credit? some? all?? Certainly Robin gets credit for executing the dish beautifully -- but doesn't Mike V get at least "some"?

oeste: The question was how does a beginner learn to cook -- and surely the answer is not from books! I remember holding "Joy" in one hand and a phone in the other, getting Mom to decipher some pretty basic instructions. I really don't think there is any alternative for a true beginner but to get involved with a mentor, hands on, to watch, touch, feel and do. It has to come from a mentor -- mine was Mom -- can't come from books.

[Hiemdall]

aaalex,

I disagree with your duck logic. The person that conceptualizes the recipe is the one that normally receives the credit. You think Daniel, Tom, and Joel actually cook in their restaurants? No, they provide guidance and train/work with the Chef de Cuisine to come up with the menu then execute by all the su-chef and cooks in the kitchen. When you work in those professional kitchens, you are expected to be able to execute a recipe. When someone else creates the recipe in Le Bernardin or Daniel, they would credit that person. I see those credits in quite few of the cookbooks published by Eric Ripert and Daniel Boulud.

I study both the recipes for the crisp and the pithivier. They are drastically different. The pithivier has focused layers of flavoring and texture that was previously unseen from Robin. However, I would not necessary say that she isn’t able to come up most of the dish herself. I have a feeling both she and Michael were throwing out ideas and Michael helped her focus on deciding on the final product. I am unconvinced she can arrive at such focused dish without assistance give her prior track record with dishes that have so many components. As far as the execution of the dish, it is pretty trivial. The most difficult part would be the puff pastry dough which she didn’t make. The only challenge for me is the brittle. Frangipane just means an Almond flavored filling which can be in many forms and that she did make. It doesn’t look like she made the ice cream either. I decided to test the recipe and was able to complete the final product in under an hour. Keep in mind that she has all prep and dinner service time to make about 50 servings dessert (maybe less if ½ of the guests ordered the chocolate). I cook well but I hardly ever make desserts. And I do not have any culinary training. When my guests asked, I gave credit to Robin’s recipe because I didn’t feel execution of this dish is much of the wow factor.

I don’t think people are blinded by her personality as much as you think. Dom had mentioned in more than one occasion that she had done some interesting stuff and ranked her in top 10 most of the time. I think her problem is not coming up with ideas but how to edit them down. Sometime she can integrate them, but more often times she can’t. That is less of a problem when you are running a restaurant since you will have time to test them. I still consider her a better chef than the likes of Ash but not Ashley/ Mike I/Eli. However, given the strength of her current competitors, she is out of her league.

[jh]

The cookbook comment reminds be of last season when Tom said that Ariane should go an experience different cuisines, and she replied, "Yeah, but I have books to look at." Books are often a great reference tool and can provide a lot of information on background, techniques, ingredients, recipes, etc, but whether it's learning the flavors of different cuisines or learning the basics of cooking, seeing how it should be done, at least in the beginning, is often the best way to go. Otherwise you might end up hacking at onions like Art Smith :-P

[Steve]

Was Mike I's leaving a surprise? Only a small one. He's been cruising along with decent and somewhat flawed, but usually not terrible, food for a long while. But we all know that his attitude's been cocky and even devil may care, so his not making the effort to fix his flawed food was not a total surprise.

The real surprise was Eli's triumph. Finally cooking food that ranked in the top tier in the elimination.

As for next week, I can't see how any of the others would lose to Robin. It looks like the elimination is going to be a cocktail party with hors d'oeuvres. That should be easy for everyone to pull off. The only one left who's made really imperfect or bad food in the eliminations lately is Robin. (That is, if you excuse Jennifer's Restaurant Wars performance to overall bad team planning. Left to her own devices, she usually pulls it off. I don't really buy the "she's falling apart' scenario. She made a side this episode, pretty much what Bryan made, and it was well done, just not good enough to stay out of the bottom. Yeah, her nerves are getting to her but she's too strong to lose prepping hors d'oeuvres.

Poor Robin. She's overwhelmed and you can tell that her confidence is shot from the household opposition. She's absolutely frazzled. She won't be able to pull off the next challenge any better than she has recently.

The only question is whether Jennifer's nerves will allow Eli to slip into the top four in two episodes. Hope not.

Dom, your rankings are right on target. No need to change them for next week. I love Michael V. But I can fully appreciate why Kevin is #1. He's sweeping the wins now. Michael is putting up a hell of a fight and could still pull it off. But, right now, Kevin dominates. Bryan is a solid third and Jennifer is shaky but still seems to be a full stride (or more) ahead of Eli.

Thanks for your service Dom!

[Duffy]

The next episode should illuminate whether Jen is melting down from stress and exhaustion, in the manner of Anita Lo, or whether she has been recuperating from the flu. Nothing much wrong with her dish this week, except there just wasn't enough of it.

[aaalex]

duffy: i think michael v said "relax" or, rather, he shouted it several times at robin. but i AM relaxed, just puzzled and a little exasperated that robin get absolutely no credit, in certain circles. as if she's shown no aptitude, though we know from people who've eaten at her restaurant (sorcha has talked about this many times) that the woman can, in fact cook.

but, in any case, the comparison of bryan v and michael i with michael v and robin doesn't work. bryan v said, explicitly, that he knew how to break the bearnaise down. michael i mentioned he couldn't remember what a bearnaise was. (he may have been joking, but it didn't really sound like it.) and so we know, from what we saw on television anyway, that it was bryan v who told michael i what to do. michael v did not tell robin what to do. we have no evidence whatsoever that michael v told her to make the pithivier. we only know that, after they talked about bringing her dessert in line with what the rest of the menu would be like, she made a pithivier, a pear tart, really, not all that far from the crisp michael v initially asked her to do.

hiemdall: first, your example from the professional kitchen simply has no bearing at all, here. being TOLD to make a peking duck and then making a superior one is closer to the situation because robin did not work with michael v. he didn't supervise her. she did this on her own. in any case, the suggestion to make a pithivier doesn't require time at el bulli's lab or superior knowledge. he asked her to make a crisp. she made a pithivier. that's what we know.

second: you're right she made the frangipane, but we don't know she DIDN'T make the puff pastry. all we know is that, on the bravo site, they suggest using sheets of puff pastry. she may well have made her own.

third: no, i disagree entirely that the two recipes - the crisp and the pithivier - are radically different. think about the flavours involved. for the crisp, she used ginger (included in the pithivier's frangipane), she used orange zest (in the pithivier there is lemon juice), she used amaretto (an almond flavoured liqueur) (in the pithivier, she used a frangiapane, in other words almonds). in the crisp, she used a cardamom whipped cream (in the pithivier, she used a vanilla bean ice cream, which she most likely DID make herself. i can't imagine a professional chef using boughten ice cream. the judges would know the difference in a heartbeat. plus: most kitchens have ice-cream makers. and ice creams are fairly easy to make, though they take time. see "iron chef".)

the apple crisp recipe includes: cinnamon, five spice, all spice, and cardomom, a more complex blend of spices than is on offer in the pithivier. i suspect, and i mean no disrespect here, that when you read the crisp recipe you were looking at it with the scorn of some of the other chefs in mind. you didn't see it for what it is: simple, as crisps are, but with a balance of a number of spices and flavours. it beat michael v's dish for a reason. it was complex but simple and i can absolutely believe it tasted great. the point is: it is not less complex, flavour-wise, than the pithivier. nor is the crisp all that different in its textures: brittle topping, smooth/warm filling, a creamy amaretto caramel, and a whipped heavy cream. very very close, in texture, to the pithivier and brittle and ice cream

far from the contention that she couldn't have arrived at such a dish without michael v, it seems rather, when you actually look at the two dishes, that he brought very little to the dessert at all, at least nothing that wasn't already in evidence in robin's crisp.

as to your idea that the execution is a trivial matter: you're assuming that what you see on the bravo website is what the chefs actually do. you have no reason to assume that. recipes are always an approximation. i very much doubt what you served your guests, given the bravo recipe, was close to the dish that stood out in a dinner that included some of the most inventive dishes by the voltaggios. you have to keep that in mind: the pithivier was, in toby's words, universally liked. boughten puff pastry? boughten ice cream? i very much doubt it.

[aaalex]

hiemdall: a ps: you may be right that people may not be as blinded by her personality as i think. but dominic and sorcha rei are among the only ones who've really written about her food, as opposed to the drama surrounding her this year. but even dominic has compared her to lisa, and i just don't think the comparison is apt. there's no doubt she's the "weakest" chef left - as far as we can tell from what we've been fed - but i suspect she is a stronger chef than lisa. even this year's "bottom dweller" are a class above.

also:pps. no insult intended re: the pithivier you served your guests. but do you really think it would have compared to a dish by the voltaggios as robin's did?

[Skillet Doux]

aaalex...

I think you read too much into what I've said about Robin.

For starters, I've never suggested that she can't cook. In fact, if you go back a few episodes, at times I've said she's put together some interesting stuff. What I have said recently is that she sticks out like a sore thumb right now, and I stand by that. Generally speaking, her dishes just don't look nearly as tight as those of the other remaining contestants. That's not to say she's incapable, just outclassed.

As far as the Lisa comparison, I don't mean to suggest that they're analogous. I just meant that like Lisa (or Mikey, though I think Robin is far more talented than both), she's somebody who has been living on the chopping block, and surviving longer than she reasonably should by virtue of frequently being just a little better than somebody else who tanks. The difference between me and some of our contestants this season is that I don't make that a point of scorn, because (unlike Lisa) I don't see what her great sin is other than trying to win the competition and perhaps being kind of annoying. But that doesn't change the fact that it's taken a great deal of good fortune for her to last as long as she has. And like Lisa, unless she pulls a Carla and suddenly busts out three or four fabulous-looking dishes in the next two episodes, I think it'd be a shame if a couple more trips put her in the finals. I wouldn't say she doesn't deserve it -- she would have earned it fair and square -- but I'd hate to see a spot in the finals taken up by somebody who appears to have no chance at winning, when there are multiple other chefs who could really contribute something to the final showdown.

Regarding her involvement with the pithivier, you're right that she deserves the benefit of the doubt given that it's her dish. But when somebody who has almost exclusively a bottom-feeder for quite some time now is shown getting instruction from one of the strongest competitors (it seems from your writing that you feel Mike V. simply asked her to make a crisp, but we were shown a clip where the two of them were sitting in one of the bedrooms and he was instructing her on how to refine it and make it more upscale, and I'm wondering if you missed that clip -- or if my memory is that bad) and then immediately goes on to produce an uncharacteristically strong dish that earns her the kind of judges' praise she's never received up until that point, I don't think it's unreasonable to wonder how much of that dish was hers. As I said, we don't know and we probably never will. But given the context, I don't think it's unreasonable to wonder.

(And P.S.... if you can't imagine a professional chef using bought-in ice cream, you either didn't watch TC Masters, or you have a short memory :-)

[SorchaRei]

As the other person who has been talking about Robin's food, I want to remind everyone that the first time I mentioned that I have eaten it, I said (and I still think) that she is not the caliber of chef of some of the powerhouses in this year's field.

I don't think she's a good comparison to Lisa. I think that she's a better comparison to Art Smith, although personality-wise they are worlds apart. Let's review the elimination round that brought Art to the finals. Partly, he got in because of the draw. The competition did not at all play to Roy Yamiguchi's way of developing new recipes. Michael Cimarusti misjudged the timing and didn't get things completely plated. Both of them were out of the running. This left Smith and Waxman in a duel of the old fashioned dishes, and Smith just edged out Waxman (one point better in the QF plus only one of 20 points better in the EC).

I think everyone who watched the thing agreed that Art Smith was not one of the best six chefs to compete on TCM, yet there he was, legitimately in the Champion Round. It was partly the luck of the draw, but he also produced food people wanted to eat and liked. He got there by being the better chef when it counted.

If Robin gets there, I think it will be similar, and while she'll have earned my admiration for having stuck with it and pulled it out when she needed to, it's not going to change my sense that she is far from the best chef in this competition, and really shouldn't be in the top four.

There's something different about Lisa and Robin, though, and that's why that comparison grates on me, even though I can see why Dom is making it. The difference is that Robin is not going out of her way to manipulate the judges into over-rating her food. Robin has also demonstrated that when treated with a modicum of respect (and I do mean a "modicum", because Michael V. is certainly not famous for thinking highly of Robin), she can be a team player and do what's needed.

In RW, despite their later wrangles in the kitchen, it sure looked to me as if Michael and Robin were indeed sorting her dish -- yes, she cooked it, and yes, it shows her fingerprints all over it, but at minimum, she engaged in a collegial discussion about the dish with someone who despises her and came out the other end with a more sophisticated dish than she has usually produced in this competition (and I think it had his fingerprints on it, too).

The crisp she originally made would have fit right into the winning TC1 restaurant with the homey feel and the family-style seating. It didn't fit into the upscale REVolt menu, and the dessert she produced did. The food of Robin's that I've eaten also would have fit in the first RW winner but not in REVolt.

What I see here is someone who wants to win, is trying to win, isn't going to (and shouldn't) win, but who is doing everything she can to win. That includes two things in RW: collaborating on the design of the dish in the conversation with Michael, and then trying to make sure she maintained control of it in the kitchen.

Can anyone here seriously imagine Lisa even discussing her dish with Michael the night before, especially in a situation where she has to know he despises her and her style of food?

In my mind, Robin makes it into the finals only if one of the top three unexpectedly tanks very badly in a round when she pulls out a very good dish, or because Jen is just not suited to this long haul competition and finally rolls over and shows her throat to the judges.

Anita Lo is not suited to this competition, but that doesn't mean that she is a much better chef than Robin will ever be. I suspect that if Anita had found herself competing against Robin in a competition structured like TC (not TCM), Robin would make it farther.

Top Chef is not the only way to judge a chef, and it's not the best way. It's great fun, but in the end, along with testing the mettle of the chefs as cooks and creators, it also tests their "fit" with this kind of competition. It will always be true that someone who can power through the format will last longer than someone who is ground to bits by that same format.

[gilmore]

The RW airing on the original night is 1:15. The other airings are 1:00. Maybe they cut out the part with Michael V. and Robin collaborating at night on the pithivier. Early on, it seemed as if Robin has tried to make complex food with a lot of flavors but it never worked. The layering of flavors of the Pithivier was different. That is all. I do not dispise her, I just want the best chefs to get to the finals.

[SorchaRei]

Anita Lo is not suited to this competition, but that doesn't mean that she is a much better chef than Robin will ever be.

Gack. I meant "doesn't mean that she is not". Of course, Anito Lo is a better chef than Robin. That's my whole point in that paragraph. Sorry.

[aaalex]

dominic: you're right, i can't remember the top chef masters boughten ice cream thing. who used it? (i plead guilty to a faulty memory.) i do remember the great tc masters pasta debate of 09, though ... legendary ... that was in the days when i walked seven miles to school every morning ...

no, you're right i didn't see the clip of robin and michael v talking together. if it was a bravo-clip, i wouldn't have seen it, as they're not available to canadians. what was said, exactly? not that it would change how i feel about the two dishes. when you read their ingredients list, it certainly feels like the maker of one (the crisp) could easily be the maker of the other (the pithivier). as i said, in terms of ingredients, textures, etc: there's not much in the pithivier that wasn't in the crisp. if anything, the pithivier was the less complex, flavour-wise, and i'm not sure than reduced complexity was responsible for the pithivier's success. (but of course i don't know because i wasn't there and didn't taste it ... to keep jay rayner off my back.)

(also: since you don't know how good that crisp actually tasted, you can't really know that the pithivier is "uncharacteristically strong". the crisp also beat out a voltaggio dish. has she done anything as good outside of the crisp and the pithivier? no. not that we've seen. BUT she knows it: unlike preeti or michael i, she knows her dishes haven't come together.)

if you'll look over my posts, you'll find i haven't said robin is the class of this field. that would be ridiculous in a field that includes kevin and the voltaggios. i've repeatedly said i find robin hard to read, because she DOES seem to have an adventurous and interesting mind, but she certainly hasn't been able to execute at the same level as the top four. "out-classed" in the competiton, no doubt, but possessed of some skills. when michael i, in his washington post interview, said "robin can't cook", i laughed - he really does seem kind of amusing - but i take it he's just a jealous liar. she CAN cook. part of my reaction to gilmore's post is that it felt, as all the robin-hating posts out there feel, just plain dishonest, vis-a-vis what we've seen of her work. it's not that i think she's secretly a greater chef than the top four, it's that she deserves to be here as much as michael i or eli or any of the ones who went before her, EVEN ashley. she doesn't get credit for that merit, and i suspect that's because of her admittedly annoying habits.

but the argument about the pithivier and the extent of michael v's credit for it is interesting, philosophically. this year, we've seen a chef, michael voltaggio, who has unusual ideas. (though not more unusual than some of his brother's) some of the chefs - ash for instance - have been overawed by michael v's ideas. but on his blog, colicchio has not been as willing to give michael v as much credit for his inventiveness alone. there is a line between thinking up and executing. colicchio gives credit for execution. and the fact is, this is a show about execution: what does the dish ACTUALLY taste like, as opposed to how was the dish conceived. there are two instances, at least, when the difference between conception and execution has come into question. this robin pear pithivier debate is one of them. i fall squarely on the side of execution, here, in part because if you really compare the crisp and the pithivier, there absolutely is NOT a great rise in quality of thought with the pithivier and because, though you can tell me "pear pithivier" and we can talk about it, me actually making a marvellous one takes real cooking skill. (also: don't forget that robin is no shrinking violet. she took on the ideas that she wanted to take on. she is no ash - or even michael i - in that she would not have done what voltaggio asked just for the sake of it: that was, to some extent, the point of her standing up for her dish. to assert that SHE had made it, not michael voltaggio, and that SHE had, by rights, final say in its presentation.)

the other real moment of conflict between thought and execution was the moment between michael v and kevin. voltaggio resented kevin's vegetarian dish winning because his own dish was more complex, more thought out, more adventurous in its conception. (at least according to michael v it was.) voltaggio, who habitually thinks outside the box, wants credit for thinking outside the box. (although, note: a pithivier isn't exactly thinking outside the box, is it?) i didn't think he deserved extra credit for the CONCEPTION of his vegetarian dish, and i thought his rant against kevin's dish was a sign the pressure was getting to him. (interesting that colicchio was on voltaggio's side, here. so michael v's dish must have tasted quite good.)

the question is: if two dishes are more or less equivalent in taste, just how much credit should go to originality of conception? how much goes to "simplicity"? a chef has to be able to come up with surprising or unexpected things. does that make ferran adria the greatest chef in the world? is ferran adria (or heston blumenthal) what all chefs should aim for? utter originality? or is taste an absolute value? is fabio's grandmother's chicken as good anything made by michael voltaggio? this is something of an argument between "art" (conception, creativity) and "craft" (execution, tradition). in siding with michael v against robin, people do rather seem to be saying that conception - even when it's something as simple as saying "make a pear tart" - is as valuable as execution. should the same people then side with voltaggio against kevin, because voltaggio's dish was more complex in its conception? art over craft, then?

(as i wrote that last sentence, i suddenly remembered the tc masters ice cream debate. it was precisely about the difference between boughten pasta and boughten ice cream. we argued about it, until someone brought up the sacred name of marcella and all was decided. curse my stupid memory! i slap my forehead in shame!)

[aaalex]

having written a long reply to dominic, i find sorcharei has written a long reply that said much of what i actually have been trying to say about robin. so, uhm, yeah .. sorcha, what you said...

[Duffy]

That little dish Kevin tossed together was not, in my book, a simple thing that an intern could knock out in 20 minutes. The recipe says two hours to complete and is rated as "challenging." It includes 6 separate cooking processes, 23 steps and over 30 ingredients (with some duplications). Whew.

[mill]

The story of the pithivier

Michael: "She loved your apple crisp the other day."
Robin: "Lets do it a pear crisp." "Asian pear and elderflower."
Michael: "It will look like this"
Robin: "Michael brings classic French technics that I didn't have. So I love that we have elevated my dish a little bit."
Michael: "You basically take it out the pan the way you laid them out and push it."
Michael: "Robin's dish is actually one of the last dishes the guest will experience so we want to make sure there is a similar style from the first bite to the last."

To me Robin looks like something between a line cook and a sous chef. Of course Michael wouldn't allow her to take more responsibility. If Mike have been on his team he would have done the same thing except he trust Mike to execute things properly.

Since Ferran Adria was brought up.
"The best cook on the planet"-- Joel Robuchon"
"Ferran stands hands and shoulders above any other chef in the world today. He has effectively turned the page of gastronomy and ushered in a new era. He is so far ahead of any other chef in the world and truly in a class of his own. -- Gordon Ramsay"

In my mind creativity is very important. As my last meal I would probably want my late grandmother's potatoes and meatballs, but as a life and culinary experience I take the Voltaggios over the Robins in the world every time.

I was thinking about Top Chef Masters the other day. How would they fare on Top Chef? One day of stressful cooking is a completely different thing compared to two weeks. I mean Hubert Keller (the one I was most impressed by) isn't a spring chicken. Would be fun to see them do RW though. And even more fun to see Bourdain or Toby do a completeky blind tasting. I don't think they would be as polite as the TCM judges were.

[Matt]

Very interesting how the Top 4 (it was actually 5, but Shirin was inexplicably given an early boot) in Project Runway this season are clearly female. While the Top 4 in Top Chef this season are clearly male. Christopher is the Robin of Project Runway. Not that he's annoying like Robin is..........but how the hell did he make it this far? The judges have not liked any of his designs since about Episode 2 or 3. It's like the show's producers have decided to make an ongoing joke of it now...."let's just keep him in there so everyone will tune in next week thinking THIS HAS TO BE THE WEEK HE GOES, RIGHT!??!!" Christopher was no better than the 4th best male designer....yet here he is, the last man standing. Ugh. If Robin survives another week, she has reached the embarrassing level of Christopher in Project Runway.

[Danny]

Sadly, my last comment was number 100 so I don't think it was much read. Or it may be that only one person was interested in the questions I posed but I am going to do something I've never done before - repost - because I am really interested in what you think as I sit here visiting Philadelphia. Here goes.

This raises a question. What are the qualifications to be on TC? Is there or should there be an age limit? And how recognized can you be? We have Beard nominees and a Michelin Star holder. What if the producers called someone to be on TC Masters and the chef said that they would rather compete on the regular TC? Would that be allowed? If one of the chefs had won the Beard award, would they be barred from TC? Blais and Eli were on ICA. Is that too famous or recognized to be on TC?

And while we are talking rules and who gets picked, I do think that the one flaw of this season is that too many of the chefs know each other or have worked together. It is an advantage to be among colleagues who already know you, like you and respect your cooking. Much harder to be there unknown to all. And, although it adds drama, I don't they should ever have brothers or sisters or brothers/sisters on the show at the same time.

What do you think? What should stop you from being on TC and what should get you in?

[aaalex]

mill: thanks for the robin/michael v dialogue. not sure it clarifies things all that much. it's still an open question how much robin let in.

as to ferran adria. i've had a good time poring through "A Day at El Bulli". there are also very good interviews with ferran adria online (here's one, but it's an hour long):

http://fora.tv/2008/10/10/Ferran_Adria_A_Day_at_elBulli

ferran speaks of himself as an artist. his concerns are genuinely artistic and he presents a kind of puzzle for those of us interested in what is or isn't "art". useful/useless is one of the classic distinction between what's art or not. (art being, essentially, useless, so it's free from the limits of "necessity". ie. there are only so many ways to make a table, but an infinite number of ways to make a poem or concerto.) cooking has always been close to the line. as it's useful/necessary, i think a lot of people would consider it a craft. more like cabinetry or haberdashery than painting or poetry. but ferran's approach to his materials (food) is rather like the approach a painter takes to colour, canvas and brushes. he's interested in flavour for flavour's sake, willing to spend hours or days, months or years, even, to get the precise shade of flavouring he is interested in. he seems more interested in precision and play than in feeding people. in his approach, i think he comes closest of any chef to crossing the line into art, though, ultimately: his food is meant to please and delight and surprise. here's his "apple caviar"

http://www.starchefs.com/events/studio/techniques/FAdria/index.shtml

the thing is: if his food didn't taste very good, no one would pay attention to him or his work. the reason el bulli gets 2 million requests for places a year (but only has capacity for 8 thousand) is that the food tastes great. but this suggests a kind of paradox. if you can cook great food without the "artistic" approach, without the experimentation, without the MG techniques, what reason is there to respect what ferran adria does over what, say, rick bayless or even art smith does? is the point of cooking "art" or is it to give pleasure to the diner?

i'm not at all surprised that chefs (even bourdain, who's normally skeptical about fussy techniques) love and admire ferran adria. he makes them - and their profession - seem comparable to what picasso or goethe did. he flatters their sense of themselves. he surprises people who know a great deal about food and what can be done with it. but if you presented a reasonably hungry, reasonably discerning diner with a dish by ferran adria (on one side) and a dish by rick bayless (on the other) it's not clear (or not clear to me, anyway) whose dish would please most deeply or whose dish SHOULD please. does ferran adria's approach count in how we take his food in? why should it? for someone like michael voltaggio, ferran's approach obviously DOES matter. it matters a great deal. for fabio's grandmother? meh. not so much, i bet. and her chicken comes from a people, from a region, from a place. it's part of a craft, not an "art". it's been perfected by time and its one and only purpose is to please the diner while nourishing him or her. obviously, it's great to have ferran and ragu bolognese in the world. the debate is about what exactly ferran's approach brings that we can't get more simply, more directly - and with less fuss - from culinary techniques that have been around for millenia.

[canasian]

@Tinuviel - the difference is that Blais and Eli were on ICA before they appeared on Top Chef, whereas Ariane, Mark and others were on after (possibly as a result of) their TC experience. Still, Eli was just a sous chef who happened to end up on a t.v. show by circumstance of his employer, and Blais was recruited by the show, sot hey either wanted him for his already-established notoriety or they chose to ignore it.

[jh]

I would be curious to know the casting process and see if there is a distinction between the contestants that are recruited and those that apply. Blais was recruited and was considered a frontrunner, but what about the people that are just a few years out of culinary school? Are those that that are recruited at the top of the preseason PR, and those that apply towards the bottom? Tom supposedly had a heavier hand in the casting process, and as a result, did he use his influence to ask a certain level of chefs compete? Eric Ripert suggested that Jen go on the show, and Ripert has been a familiar presence on the show.

[natmicstef]

Disgusting and inedible was apparently Chef Bartolotta's impression of Robin's dish - comments we saw in previews but not on the aired show. See link below:-

http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/2009/10/finally-top-chef-vegas-viewing-party.html

[dc]

Robin recipes are more Rachael Ray than Giada.

As Dom wrote, Robin does stick out like a sore thumb.

When asked, EVERY contestant says so, long after their episodes where taping. Even the most highest regarded, pristine, polite, favorites who are not in the least threatened by Robin. Read between polite/gritted teeth, lines when Kevin and Bryan have been asked about Robin drama, they don't say she was unfairly treated. They dance around the whole storyline. I take it they didn't like Robin either.

re casting. I think it's just following successful reality show formula to cast as wide variety and diversity as can be managed to create interesting drama and storyline portion of the show. It's not about fairness or even playing field. But I certainly agree, MikeI, Voltaggio's had the extra, unusual, advantage of knowing each other so well. It just added novel story angles to throw out to a quickly bored, jaded general viewing audience.

[Shelly]

dc, your bias is showing. Who is every contestant? The three who've shown they dislike her the most? Mike I, Eli, and Mike V? Of course they still disparage her, because they'd look like fools otherwise and have to apologize. I think it says more about them than her.

Bryan and Kevin don't say anything negative about either side in the argument, because they're too polite to get involved. Though Bryan says she deserved to be there. They don't castigate her, and they don't castigate their other roommates from that time. You can't assume they dislike her. You're reading into their remarks what you want to. They are saying nothing, and guess what you will, no one knows how they feel.

Aaalex is taking facts as we see them and examining them, without throwing in bias to twist them. And when you do, the demonization of Robin just looks rather astounding because it's based only a few facts, plus a lot of unspported assumptions people are taking as fact.

I wish there were more to talk about from the food end of this challenge. I was a vegetarian for a few years. I loved the food, but hated most vegetarian restaurant fare. It was akin to throwing steamed veggies on a plate. Most of what these chefs did didn't look any better. What a disappointment.

[dc]

Robin dislikers include Ron, Laurine (on the show), Mattin (off the show interview). So when I say it, I mean everyone who's not tight lipped has been dissing Robin.

These are credible mature adults. I'd let them sit on my jury anytime. Robin = guilty!

[Shelly]

So, basically, those who spout off diss Robin, and those who are mature don't say anything about Robin or the spouters? I see. We have different definitions of maturity, I think.

[Nsam]

Shelly, Kevin also mentions on-camera that Robin is driving a lot of people in the house up the wall. (I believe this is in the episode where at one point Robin rambles on about preferring to keep the salt here and the sugar there, etc., at which point Jennifer and Laurine smirk and smile about her behind her back.) I believe that qualifies as criticism of her from Kevin, even if stated in Kevin's usual tactful, gentlemanly way. At the very, very least, it is persuasive testimony about how Robin is alienating a LOT of people.

Personally, I certainly think that people such as Eli are less likeable than Robin, and I don't blame her for not getting along with the more fratboyish elements in the house. But the house atmosphere seems so tense or even toxic, and I think the available facts support the notion that Robin has to shoulder a good portion of the responsibility for the situation. The fact that she has alienated so many of her housemates speaks volumes to me.

[Dawn]

The Las Weekly has a recap of episode 10, with additional info provided by the episode's guest judge, Paul Bartolotta, who organized a viewing party at his restaurant.

This is what he has to say about Jennifer's dish.

[i]"Also filed under interesting extra info was Bartolotta’s take on Jennifer’s charred baby eggplant with braised fennel and verjus.

While the not-so-substantial plate landed Jennifer in the bottom three, Bartolotta said her dish was one of his favorites. Filling, no, but flavorful and well balanced."[/i]

I think from that statement, I'm concluding the judges put Jennifer on the bottom just for the sake of it. Maybe to give her a pep talk, or lit a fire under her ass or something. Cause I don't think the other dishes, except for Kevin's, were fulfilling also.

I would place Jennifer at 4th. Hoepfully she'll get her groove back.

[Hiemdal]

aaalex,

If you might find the ingredients overlaping. But I can assure you, once you eat them, the profile will be dramatically different. The crisp should probably taste more like a Apple tart/pie where you will taste rather dominating flavor of cinnimon, all spice, 5 spices, with a hint of citrus and ginger. Where as the pithivier, it's nuttier, tamer flavors from the ginger and the pear. The texture of the dish is also very different. I think the closest comparison I can think of would be eating an apple crumble(think apple pie flavor) vs an almond and pear croissant with a piece of almond praline. These 2 to me, are drastically different desserts. This might be the reason why gilmore thinks the dish has a french background. People, including me, tend to associate puff pastry and praline with French dessert because of the distinct technique and origin. I don't think you would use flavor to classify them. you would not call this dessert Asian because it has ginger in it right? If you still disagree, then we probably just have very different rules on classifying desserts.

I still don't believe she made the puff pastry dough. It is a very lengthy and difficult process. The one time I assist in making the dough, the recipe requires 36 hours (including freezing time). It just seems to be rather risky to do in on Top Chef especially not being a pastry chef. I assume she didn't make the ice cream because there is no recipe for it on the bravo site (Bryan's recipe for mint ice cream IS listed on the Bravo site). Ice cream sounds simple in concept but I don't think it is so simple to make an exceptional one. Just look at Ash's. I think everyone would agree that not all ice creams are created equal.

As for my version, no I don't expect it to be as good as hers. My guests were fellow James Beard members who are also Top Chef fans with pretty experienced palates. I made the dish as a topic point for the dinner party. we were fully aware of the deficiencies in my dish. We had tasted better puff pastry than the Dufour dough I used. The praline was thicker than ideal (I didn't trust my untrained technique to handle it thinner). My plating is too slow so some ice cream melted. But nothing so serious that would change the flavor and texture of a dish. It was enough for us to validate the concept and agreed that it was a very successful dish. It shouldn't be too far off based on her description.

Again, I believe she contributed on the flavor profile of the dish as we heard that the Asian pear and Elderflower were clearly her concepts from inception. I believe the technique of the dish was edited by Michael V. She might have gone down the similiar path as Ash and has to cook Michael V's food because REVolt's menu is Michael V's style. But unlike Ash, I think she handled it much better. She was able to help creating the dish other than just executing. That speaks volumns to me as well as a well executed result.

[rab01]

That this meal was so disappointing compared to the vegan meal on TC Masters really surprised me. Some of the dishes loooked like they were of the same caliber in terms of execution and inventiveness but none, other than Kevin's, looked like it could actually be a main dish of a meal (just look again at the picture at the top of the page). I think it's a testament to how disabling surprise can be. The Masters knew what was coming and thought and bought accordingly. These chefs had meals planned in their heads and then had to scramble around an unfamiliar larder. They're mentally too tired to deal with that shit anymore. I hope the last couple of episodes have no twists in them -- tough constraints, fine; crazy twists, hell no. For the last episodes, I'd like to see the winners succeed rather than the losers fail.

On the continuing Robin-debate, I think we can all agree on a few things: (1) we have seen nothing that merits the disdain she gets from the knuckleheads in the cast (e.g., Eli and Mike I); (2) in her interviews, she says she talks all the time, particularly when she cooks; (3) she was responsible for one dish during RW and knocked it out of the park, whether or not Michael discussed the elements with her; (4) she firmly defended her turf from him during that challenge; (5) the pithivier is her only EC dish that I cn remember being praised by the judges.

From those facts, we can all construct posts praising her or saying that she deserves to be the next to go. I just don't see why people are attacking each other on this board over the interpretation of those things.

As for Danny's question about who is too experienced to be allowed on Top Chef, I think the dividing line between TC and TC Masters is whether it is uncomfortable for Tom Collichio to be judging your food. If you are as respected in the industry or more respected, you have to go to TC Masters. Note, I said "respected" not "good" (everyone I know who has eaten at Craft has been deeply underwhelmed). I think several of these chefs are better than Tom but they are younger and are not yet as established. The setup for TC is that the contestants are judged by senior chefs. The setup for TC Masters is that they are judged by customers and critics. Each is appropriate to their respective contestant pools.

[jh]

rab01: Ironically enough, I disagree with many of your "all can agree on" points. Certain types of personalities are disagreeable with each other, and Robin's constant talking as well as other aspects of her nature are grating on her fellow contestants. On the other hand, I'm sure many of the other contestants' personalities are getting to Robin, and each person handles these situations differently. Additionally, Robin has made some other dishes other than the pithivier that has been praised by the judges, although not enough to make it to a trip in the top. Her first dish that was missing the gastric and her bachelorette dish got a nod from Gail in her blog.

I also don't think that having the contestants cook a vegetarian meal at a steakhouse is a crazy twist. The contestants all assumed that they could cook whatever they wanted, but in the real world, it is not unusual for a diner to request a vegetarian meal.

I can't wait to see what TC does for their blind taste challenge, assuming that they do one this year. I hope it's not a repeat of the "Name that Tune" fiasco last year, but I do hope we might be able to get some gems like mango tasting like plum.

[rab01]

jh, I'm not sure where we are disagreeing about the contestants interactions But I don't hink it matters.

As for Robin's dishes, I guess I should've included her first dish because of Gail's mention. I do note, however, that Gail included Robin among her top 8 for the first episode which is perhaps less impressive for a chef now in the Top 6. (Eli is the only survivng chef who iddn't crack Gail's top group.) I blanked on the Bachelor/ette party; thanks for reminding me.

As for the controversy, I guess I shoud disclose my biases. I like Robin as a caharacter and think that I would enjoy eating at her restaurant more than Jen's (because I'm not a huge fan of fish and that does seem to be her core strength). From what they've shown, I sympathize with the contestants who are quietly irritated by Robin but not the idiots who gratuitously say they would never eat her food; that's just childish, disrespectful and mean in a public context. To me, there's no excuse for Mike I to say afterwards -- with a chance to think about it beforehand -- that he would never eat at her restaurant.

Cooking a vegetarian meal at a steakhouse isn't the crazy twist; it's finding out the restriction a couple of minutes before you have to start cooking that is the crazy twist. When they drive to whole foods and go shopping, they have a couple of hours to think about their food. Here it looks like their time started running almost immediately. If there was TV trickery and they actually had 90 minutes before they started cooking, then I withdraw the criticism of the challlenge and just blame the chefs.

[Duffy]

All of these people are skilled and talented chefs, or they would not be on this show to begin with. Robin is obviously an accomplished cook, with a substantial reputation in her home community, who has demonstrated the capability, in more normal circumstances, of putting out delicious food.

Any criticism that a contestant can't cook, or that no one would eat her food -- or even Padma's rude favorite, "This is disgusting," -- are necessarily relative to the moment and are -- I suspect -- hyperbole. The comment must relate to a perceived inability to reach an expected standard or level of performance for that particular contest, and to meet that particular taster's whim. Nothing more.

Of course, there were disasters from time to time, and these were clearly pointed out a the time. Unfinished plates and undercooked or spoiled food did happen. But aside from the few disasters of this magnitude, I suspect that most of the dishes that land a contestant on the bottom would still be considered by normal tasters to be quite delicious.

Despite this, the criticism of the bottom are unrelenting. Compare the too-often unnecessarily rude comments from the judges on TC in slamming those on the block with the gracious distinctions offered by the judges on Top Chef Masters in making the same kind of rulings.

Would I eat Robin's food? I dunno. But if it ever came up, I think I would make the decision based on what the locals around her restaurant reported of the results in the real world, and not what I observed on TC.

[Duffy]

In thinking about this, and in fairness -- Tom C has stated a number of times that the judge's comments are edited severely. It well could be that only the "worst" comments of the bottom make it through the edits, and the judge's more constructive words are left on the floor.

This might let every one off the hook for unnecessary rudeness except Padma.

[gilmore]

Hiemdal - thanks for the explanation. Yes that was my thinking in my unsophisticated way.

I hear about layers of flavor. When I looked at the recipe, I thought layers of flavor. Prior efforts by Robin were mashed together masses of flavor, not layers.

[aaalex]

hiemdal: great post. thank you for it. we still do disagree, but this has to do with points we may never get clarified.
first: the use of almonds/pears/pastry, i associate with many different cuisines: french, certainly, but also austrian, german, and italian, among others. pear and almond - as well as apple and almond - is classic as a combo. i think the reason gilmore mentioned "french" is that michael v has french training and gilmore apparently doesn't believe robin could make a pithivier without having studied french cuisine. i think that's illogical and motivated by an evident disrespect for robin's abilities. (in all these posts my main point has been that the scorn for robin's abilities is exasperating when you have testimony that her restaurant, crave, was beloved in seattle and when you know that she cooks simply but not without some complexity.) i didn't mean to suggest your post suggested any scorn for robin. sorry if it came off that way.
second: there are ways to make a quick puff pastry, but i'll concede you may be right. and while we're at it: as dominic slyly reminded me: art smith used boughten ice cream, so it's possible robin did as well. it doesn't crush me, if we go with the assumption she used boughten pastry and boughten ice-cream.
third: respectfully, i do think that if your praline was thicker that does change both the texture and flavour of the dessert, but that's not a major point for me. let's accept that you made a very fine version of the pithivier and have a better idea of it than i do.
fourth: you wrote

"you might find the ingredients overlaping. But I can assure you, once you eat them, the profile will be dramatically different. The crisp should probably taste more like a Apple tart/pie where you will taste rather dominating flavor of cinnimon, all spice, 5 spices, with a hint of citrus and ginger. Where as the pithivier, it's nuttier, tamer flavors from the ginger and the pear. The texture of the dish is also very different. I think the closest comparison I can think of would be eating an apple crumble(think apple pie flavor) vs an almond and pear croissant with a piece of almond praline. These 2 to me, are drastically different desserts."

aside from the contention that the cinnamon would inevitably dominate - surely the point of using many spices is to make sure any single one does NOT dominate - there's not much here to disagree with except for your insistence on crediting michael v because the "profiles" of the desserts are different. one would expect a pear pithivier to be different from an apple crumble, no? they're different desserts. there's no need to explain the difference by referring to michael v's ideas/suggestions. as i pointed out, the thinking evident in the crumble is evident in the pithivier and squarely within robin's range. she not only suggested the pears and the elderflower, but the citrus and the ginger are likely hers as well. (we saw them in the crumble) we're having a dispute, not i hope an argument, about something really difficult to quantify: the influence of chef a's thinking on chef b. we know that ash bowed to michael v's perceived "superiority", but robin is most emphatically NOT ash. she would have stuck up fpr her own ideas. so, again, it's difficult to know how michael v's influence played out. what we know for certain, however, is that for RW robin made a fantastic dessert. she MADE it herself. michael v was over in his corner making his own things. there are some here who have suggested robin is no more than a sous chef or something like michael v's sous-chef. that's just ridiculous, not least because it assumes robin "simply" executed one of micheal v's ideas. however, as i pointed out, this was not a regular kitchen. it is a game/reality-based COMPETITION. robin knew that the imperative was, in case her team lost, to make something that would not get HER sent home, something that was uniquely HERS. the more likely situation was that she took those of michael's ideas she thought she could work with and which would not interfere with her plans to use: pears, elderflower, ginger, citrus.

gilmore: nothing personal, but i have no idea what you're talking about. "prior efforts by robin were mashed together masses of flavour, not layers"? you really think the apple crisp was a "mass of flavours" that just tasted like one thing? like what one single thing, i wonder? you don't think you could taste the ginger, the apple, the cardamom? and if that's what you actually believe, then you must also believe the judge who gave her top place for her crumble - michelle berstein - preferred something utterly without complexity to two other dishes - one by michael v that were complex. robin made a three bean chile with hector that was highly regarded, she made a dish for the bachelor party that was highly regarded, she made an apple crumble that was highly regarded. according to you, all of these were simply masses of ONE flavour? also, why in the world would "layered" flavours be superior? (though, really, i don't know what you're talking about when you say "layered". do you mean you taste one element and then the next and then the next, but you never actually taste the confluence of flavours?) to me, this just sounds like a way of denigrating a chef whose PERSONALITY you don't like.

dc: it sounds like you're rabid. no "EVERYBODY"does not dislike robin. on her facebook page, robin speaks of hector and mattin as being her best friends in the house, with mattin hanging out with her, despite the pressure from others not to. you say mattin spoke of his dislike of robin? i call bs on that, unless you can provide an url for the interview you mention. also, did you actually READ bryan's interview?
here's what he said about robin:
"My relationship with Robin was good. I do respect her for her strength in overcoming her illness and keeping in under her control. It takes a lot of a person to do that. She should be proud of what she has accomplished so far. I do, however, know we have completely different views when it comes to cuisine, but that only makes our food different, not better or worse."

in order to turn that into some sort of covert dislike for robin, you have to be, well, rabid. and again, on her facebook page, robin expresses her admiration and liking for bryan v.

earlier this year, we saw jennifer express her scepticism about robin's talent. in the last episode, we saw jennifer hugging robin as they made their way out from JT. jennifer, unlike the michaels, actually treats robin kindly.

the only ones who really hate/disrespect robin are michael i, michael v, eli, and laurine. aside from laurine, who thinks herself a better chef than robin, it's the immature and/or bullies who have the deepest problem with robin. if you respect their opinions more than that of bryan, hector, mattin, good for you. but it's far from conclusive that she's "guilty" of anything except being a flawed human in a difficult situation.

[gilmore]

aalex - I am referring to earlier dishes, not the crisp, as for the mashing together of different flavors, but not getting results. I am not going back to look at the Bravo site, but there were several challenges where what she made sounded complex and were poorly received by the judges. Thus, my thinking that a lot of ingredients and flavors were thrown together, but that does not a good dish make. One has to layer them and mesh them.

[Independent George]

Finally got back into town, and watched the episode right after I picked up the dog.

Perhaps this is unfair, but is it possible that Jennifer and Eli might have switched places had the coin toss turned out differently? Given that her dish was generally praised, but got dinged for being too insubstantial for a main course, I wonder if she might have placed had she simply had the larger eggplants.

Kevin now officially joins Steph (S4) as my favorite TC contestants of all time (including Masters). The two are fated to have a child together. That child shall be the Kwisatz Haderach - the shortening of the way - and will unite all techniques and styles under the banner of the one true cuisine. Mau'Dib!

[Independent George]

One last comment re: Kevin's appliances - he could sell them if he already has better, professional-level equipment at home, but he'd have to pay tax. And since the prize itself counts as taxable income (I have to assume it's not grossed up), he'd only net 56.5% of fair market value at a 25% tax bracket - and that's assuming he gets full price for it.

[Elise]

So, I still love Mike V.

I don't mind that he's prickly, or pissed off for having made a substantially more complicated dish that was great, but just not as good as Kevin's. (Re-read Tom's blog, he had to be convinced that Kevin made the better dish. Since Tom prefers Kevin's king of food, one must wonder how out of this world Mike's dish was.)

I'm sure he is very aware of how many wins Kevin has, and that he's doing everything he can think of to beat him and it still isn't working. Must be frustrating.

[Matt]

aaalex... to borrow a quote from Shakespeare... "The lady doth protest too much, methinks".

The truth is, no-one here really *knows* how much influence Robin had over her dish versus Mike V.

Matt

[babyarm]

Almost all game shows allow you to take a cash option for any prizes won that is far below market value.

I would assume one would go that route unless they really needed the gear. Paying the taxes on such a thing would be quite onerous. There are loopholes to get around it such as delivering it bit by bit over years to stay under I think a ($11k?) cutoff for a prize limit hitting that big 56% rate.

They don't really specify what equipment it is. I assume a double oven and a stove. Maybe a fridge as well?

[Danny]

Babyarm, I've been on two game shows and neither allowed us the cash option. The contract even stated that if we sold them we could not advertise that we had won them on a game show. But you can do something to lower your liability. The show reports the value of the prizes to the IRS. If you can find an identical product selling for less somewhere you can use that sale price to replace the stated value of the prize.

Two other interesting things. One, if you violate the rules (use a fake name, lie about being on other game shows, use a fake SSN), they can air the episode but you don't get the prizes. And if you win prizes and the episode never airs you don't get the prizes.

[Will Allen]

George, I love to cook with eggplant, and I agree, albeit for perhaps a slightly different reason that the size of the produce. Having good Japanese eggplant to work with, as opposed to the standard variety, is a definite advantage. I often can't get Japanese eggplant, and when I have to substitute, the flavor and texture suffers.

[Hillary]

Ah, good comparison! This is exactly a Lisa phenomenon. Let's just hope it ends soon. And yea, I'm glad it wasn't Jen that was gone but it definitely should have been Robin over Mike I.

[Megan H.]

So, while we're all bored and waiting for the power rankings, I have a question for all you food folks.

On Thursday my husband and I are planning on going to a new (to us) little Italian place in town. I'm checking out the menu online (as a vegetarian, always a must [hey, I did sort of connect it to the show!]), and the menu is divided in a way I've seen before...antipasto, zuppa, primi, secondi, insalta, etc. I know there is no "correct" way to order, but what is the expectation in those situations? Order one from each category? From just a couple? Do whatever you want?

[Bart]

My goodness, a bit of a slow week at work for me. I can't remember - is Top Chef airing tomorrow night?

[hayamyma]

No, tomorrow night we have the first Top Chef Reunion Dinner, hosted by Fabio and including Harold, Tiffani, Ilan, Marcel, Hung, Casey, Richard Blais, and Carla (these are the former contestants I saw, although it looks like there are more people). The promos have been tantalizing, but I am prepared to be fooled by the Magical Elves (actually any Bravo reunion show promises much more drama than it ever actually delivers). Oh well, an acceptable place holder while we wait for more competition episodes!

[natmicstef]

Tomorrow is the reunion.

[Esther]

Kevin now officially joins Steph (S4) as my favorite TC contestants of all time (including Masters). The two are fated to have a child together. That child shall be the Kwisatz Haderach - the shortening of the way - and will unite all techniques and styles under the banner of the one true cuisine. Mau'Dib!

George, I had to quote this in full, because it may be my favorite SD comment of all time. :-) (It is by bacon alone that Kevin sets his hands in motion. It is by the fat of pork that dishes acquire taste, the stomach acquires inches, the inches become a warning. It is by bacon alone that Kevin sets his hands in motion.)

Megan, in my experience, it may be "proper" to have a dish from every course, but it will result in a pretty massive amount of food. :-) Use your own judgment; if you want to get a primi (often a bowl of pasta) and a secondi (often a more hearty meat dish), you may not want to get appetizers (antipasto), soup (zuppa), and salad (insalta), for instance. That's perfectly all right. Or you may want to have the full experience!

[Dreamboat]

Since we have a long time until the next cooking episode of TC, let's talk about judges. I have noticed that several of the TCM chefs have been judges for this season, including Rick Moonen, Mark Peel, Hubert Keller, and Tim Love. Seversal of the TCM have previously been judges, including Art Smith, Hubert Keller, and Rick Bayless. I am sure I have missed a few.

Anyway, which of the TCM would you like to see judge this season? And who would you like to stay far away?

[Independent George]

It is by bacon alone that Kevin sets his hands in motion. It is by the fat of pork that dishes acquire taste, the stomach acquires inches, the inches become a warning. It is by bacon alone that Kevin sets his hands in motion.

Esther - I'm returning the favor because that was absolutely brilliant. I've been thinking about Steph a lot lately because (1) I live in Chicago, and (2) her restaurant opens in few months. She just got profiled in the Tribune a few days ago, and she's all about the bacon. (hurry before the link expires)

Dreamboat - I love Hubert Keller and want to see him back. I've yet to eat in one of his restaurants because, frankly, I'm a little intimidated.

[Independent George]

Quoting from the article, because the trib tends to make thing disappear after a week:

The bacon menu

Passed
Sunchoke soup with bacon
Mini bacon-popovers with smoked salmon, tomato and mascarpone
Crisp Kumamoto oysters with bacon vinaigrette

Mains
Linguine with clams, bacon, sausage and horseradish creme fraiche
Tofu with bacon, spiced lamb and tangy BBQ
Baby barramundi with bacon, grilled peach, heirloom tomato and sweet corn
Pork belly with celery root, apple and rosemary vinaigrette
Eggplant caponata with nectarine, pine nut and bacon

Dessert
Rogue River Smokey Blue cheese with bacon, apple and fennel, ciabatta
Caramelized figs with fresh ricotta, tomato and bacon
Black Dog gelato lollipops

The Bacon Must Flow.

[paula]

Holy crap, that's a lot of pigprints on that menu. I love Steph, but at what point is it safe to say something's become a crutch?

[paula]

Oh, guess I should have read the entire article before I posted. (It was a bacon-themed event.) I feel better now.

[Steve]

So what do you guys think? Any chance Robin could survive the elimination next week? Looks like the producers are giving the chefs the room to be visionary and creative. I expect the Voltaggio brothers to excel, but am not counting Kevin out. His more straightforward food could still pull the win off.

But Robin vs. Eli? Should not be a contest in such a demanding contest. But Eli could still falter worse than Robin. We'll see.