Top Chef - S7E7 Power Rankings

You're not helping, guys. Would all chefs kindly decide how good they are and display that amount of skill with at least some amount of consistency? Because that would really help me out. Thanks.

One quick note before we get started. I've seen Gail take a beating from time to time over the run of the show. Tom's knowledge is rarely questioned (more often his palate, though I don't believe it), but I've always been surprised by how many people feel Gail's a weak link judge. Anybody who questions why she's here needs to re-watch this episode. Tom's back in the kitchen and not dominating camera time, so Gail steps right up and absolutely nails it. Mark it down. Any time anybody complains about Gail, send them to Season 7, Episode 7.

Now then, let's get this out of the way up front so we can move on. Here's my take on peagate in bullet point fashion:

• Sad to say, much as I love the show, I don't trust the elves' editing on much, and certainly not on this. Not on whether Alex was making his own puree, not on whether it was obvious that he heard Kenny mention Ed's puree, not on the degree of suspicion that the other chefs may or may not have had, and not even to the degree Ed appeared to think Alex had swiped his peas. Obviously there was some question there or they wouldn't have had any footage to work with in the first place, but this has edited for maximum controversy written all over it.
• On the other hand, I don't buy the argument that the elves must know and they're wronging Alex or Ed by hiding it. They could. But no, the cameras do not catch everything. The cameras don't catch everything on a football field where there isn't a kitchenful of equipment to get in the way and there are three or four times as many cameras pointed on the proceedings from every conceivable angle. Look at the amount of room in the kitchen at the Palm, and how narrow those galleys were. I'd be curious to know, but I doubt there were more than two cameras working the kitchen. They see a lot. But they don't see everything.
• The night before, Alex talked about the fact that he had some peas to work with, and at one point he's seen taking bags of a very bright green something out of a cooler, so the worst case scenario, if you're the suspicious type, is that it's plausible he made his own.
• So we're left with a question of motivation. If you buy that Alex might have done it, what could have possibly been his motivation for swiping Ed's pea puree? Why steal somebody else's work and take the risk of getting nailed on camera for it when you can simply make your own? It just doesn't make any sense to me.
• Regardless, it will likely remain an unresolved mystery, so I'm with Tom. There's only one thing to do, and that's to give Alex the complete benefit of the doubt that he deserves and move on. It might not be as exciting as Polish Sausage sleuthing, but I think that's all we're going to get out of this one.

And with that, hopefully we don't hear any more about peagate.

Otherwise, good episode. Despite the dubious suggestion that a tiny sharpened twig is what stands between us and rampant government corruption, I dug the quickfire. Particularly because it's interesting to me to see who tries to get more flavor onto the toothpick and who tries to simply cram more stuff into the toothpick. I think it says a lot about them. But much as I liked it, I just can't give too much weight to a QF judged by a congressional representative. Hey, for all I know, the guy really knows his stuff. But he could also have no palate whatsoever, so I'm disinclined to read too much into the results of the quickfire.

I'm also pretty excited about them working the line in the elimination, even if I'm not too excited about the results. Not that I was particularly elated or disappointed to see anybody succeed or fail. Just because it didn't do a damn thing to lend clarity to what is still the most muddled field I can remember. Oy.

The power rankings are not purely a prediction of who is most likely to win, or an assessment of last episode's dishes, or a reflection of the contestants' historical performance, but rather a nebulous amalgam of all three, combined with a little bit of gut feeling, to provide a relative measure of current awesomeness.

Wins

Top

Bottom

1 Angelo Quickfires 3 5 0 Last Week: 1 Eliminations 1 2 0 I'm awfully puzzled by those who don't put Angelo at the top. I try, even in a season like this, not to get too hung up in the numbers, but still... the guy has the most wins, is tied for the most top appearances and is the only contestant never to be named on the bottom. I'm even more puzzled by complaints about his style. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Asia's a big place. You'd never hear somebody who incorporated Spanish, Italian, French, German and Polish criticized for always doing the same thing, and those cuisines are no more diverse. And to describe it all as "Chinese food" is particularly lunkheaded, Kevin. Sheesh.

2 Kenny Quickfires 2 5 0 Last Week: 3 Eliminations 1 2 3 First off, I'd like to take this opportunity to say I hate you, season seven cast, for making this so difficult. Cripes. I've been staring at names and stats and recipes for hours. I've made the case in my head for why six of the contestants should be in the number two spot, and they're all compelling. So that's what I'm going to try to share now. Though I'll probably change my mind seven times before I post this, my feeling these ten seconds is that the case for Kenny is the strongest (and yes, I've changed the name in that sentence at least four times). Even though he kind of backs his way into the number two spot, I don't want to lose sight of the fact that he's not far removed from a couple of strong consecutive weeks. Though I found it amusing at first, the alpha male thing is starting to wear thin when he can't accept that his dish was the weakest, but in some ways that kind of confidence can be a boon. Rather than get flustered by a setback, he's still going to come charging right out of the gate week in and week out. And I can see his style, heavily worked and busy yet somehow harmonious (when it works), operating as a good counterpoint to Angelo's clean and simple Asian. I'm a week away from moving half of the middle of the pack past him if he doesn't get it back in gear, but I'll put Kenny back in second. Consider it a very tenuous hold.

3 Kelly Quickfires 1 2 3 Last Week: 2 Eliminations 2 2 1 Not as tenuous as Kelly, however, who probably doesn't deserve this spot, but who remains largely on my hunch that she's going to bounce right back and partly due to my reluctance to yo-yo people too much. If she doesn't quickly recover, however, it could be a steep drop next week. As mentioned, I'm unwilling to read much into the results of the quickfire because of the judge. Though I couldn't taste it, obviously, I like the style of the scallop with watermelon rinds that had been pickled in champagne vinegar, sriracha and honey, and a simple vinaigrette made by blending watermelon, olive oil and lime juice. Of course, this all presumes that scallop and watermelon are a good pair, which I confess I'm having trouble putting together in my head. But I like the approach. I'm less enthused by her approach the elimination, however, and it almost caused me to bust her down a lot further. Oversalting is a dumb mistake, but when it's a single occurrence rather than a habit, I disagree with the assessment that it's indicative of a bad palate, particularly if the contestant is getting a little lost in the head games of the competition. Some fine contestants over the years have had a salting problem or two. I can look past that as a blip. What bothers me is that a grilled porterhouse with shallot jus, sherry vinaigrette, crispy potatoes and arugula, no matter how appropriate to the setting, isn't a Top Chef dish. It just isn't. That gets you through to next week provided you do it well, but steak and potatoes doesn't win this thing. In any case, as mentioned, I'm going a lot on gut here. There's one camp that thinks she's getting flustered, but my hunch is that this serves as a wake-up call and she goes back to doing her thing, because her thing has been both interesting and successful at times. I stress again, however... she's on the precipice.

4 Tiffany Quickfires 0 0 1 Last Week: 6 Eliminations 0 4 0 Let me tell you how close I was to putting Tiffany at number two. About the only thing that stopped me was that I like it when moves are the result of a little momentum rather than quick knee-jerk reactions to every episode. But momentum is what Tiffany seems to be building, and she picks up a couple more spots this week. This season is a war of attrition. I mean, every season is a war of attrition. That's, y'know, kind of how the whole show is set up. But with so much wild inconsistency from... well... almost everybody, you have to figure that the strong and steady will survive and make it to the finals. And strong and steady is exactly what Tiffany has been. She hasn't won a single challenge, elimination or quickfire. And it's absurd that I can make the case for her at number two given that. But she's also been on the bottom just once, and never on the chopping block. She's not flashy, but her dishes have some nice personal twists. This week, it's a pork roulade done with prosciutto, dates, almonds and Wensleydale (Wallace would be proud), topped with a red pepper coulis done with shallot, garlic, honey, sriracha, balsamic and basil. She's been on top the past couple of weeks, so she's got a hot hand, and she just seems remarkably cool and even-tempered. One more week like the past two and that number two spot will most likely be hers. I really just want to see her push through and get that first win.

5 Alex Quickfires 0 0 4 Last Week: 8 Eliminations 1 2 0 What can I say? I said it and he did it. I said Alex was going to have to show he didn't run out of bullets in the first episode for me to move him up, and then he went right ahead and did it. How could I not bump him? And I love the look of his elimination dish. He lightly smokes salmon with applewood before marinating it with garlic, shallots and parsley. He then does the forbidden rice risotto-style with veal stock and shallots, adds a simple creamed pea puree (which doesn't take very long... what was that about, Kenny?), adds lightly pickled fennel, pears and red onions, and glazed the seared fish with champagne vinegar and a touch of maple syrup. That's a Top Chef dish, right there. That's the kind of inventiveness that the judges reward in the later rounds (provided it's executed, of course). The lack of consistency is Alex's problem (along with most everybody else), and I still don't know what to make of the fact that he's been in the bottom of four quickfires but not a single elimination, but you can't be eliminated during the quickfire (well, there were those two times...), so as long as he keeps this up, he's made two of the season's more memorable dishes and he should have the chance to shine in the late stages. Say what you will about Alex, he's standing out, and that's something that's in short supply this season.

6 Ed Quickfires 1 2 2 Last Week: 7 Eliminations 0 2 1 I'm just not as impressed with Ed as many others. He's done some good-looking stuff, but unlike Tiffany where it seems like she's routinely just off the pace, I'm still not impressed by Ed's one win, and a lot of his dishes look rather uninteresting to me. I'm a little puzzled and frustrated by his quickfire dish. He marinated all of the tuna the same way, with soy, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cilantro. But then he panko-coated and fried half of them, and grilled the other half, putting both on the toothpick. Why? Pick the one that works better and roll with that, I say. It just smacks of "I'm going to cram as much on this tiny skewer as I can," which isn't a good thing. He obviously did a solid job with the elimination dish -- the guy spent enough time in Boston that he'd better nail lobster -- but I have a hard time getting a handle on it because some elements are obviously missing from the recipe. Bottom line, I want to put Ed higher. I have a sense that there's much more he can do, though I can't explain why. But when I go back and look at what he's done, I have a hard time getting excited about what I see. I'm genuinely curious, since he seems to be getting a lot of popular support... what is it about Ed that makes some of you guys place him so high?

7 Kevin Quickfires 0 2 1 Last Week: 4 Eliminations 1 3 3 I've believed in Kevin's successes, which is why I've generally had him fairly high, but I've been burned too often by his failures, which is why he takes a pretty big dive this week. He alternates between looking really good and looking completely tone deaf, but unlike Alex, who has a bunch of quiet between his successes, Kevin likes to spend his time away from the winner's circle on the chopping block. This simply can't be good for his longevity, and though I wanted to look past one or two of them as blips, there comes a point where the blips are the norm rather than the exception. But, you know... two solid weeks and with this field, I'll have to send him right back to the top of the MOTP again. Frustrating.

8 Amanda Quickfires 0 1 2 Last Week: 9 Eliminations 0 2 2 Amanda moves up a spot due to attrition. I almost pulled her out of the near-basement, and she probably deserves better than Kevin at this point. But like Kevin, she shows the same kind of tone deafness with her failures, except she doesn't have the win or as many top appearances under her belt. Despite the fact that she's been languishing near the bottom for most of the season, those flashes are enough that I don't discount the potential for a sudden and meteoric rise. At first my reaction to her elimination dish was the same as Kelly's. Bone out a porterhouse and it's not a porterhouse anymore. It's a strip and a filet. But though I'm still a little leery, given the way it was served I suppose I can kind of get behind it as a creative deconstructed way of approaching a porterhouse. I really do like the look of some of her stuff. But she still seems like one of the most likely candidates for a flameout in the next couple of weeks.

9 Stephen Quickfires 0 2 3 Last Week: 10 Eliminations 0 1 2 Screw extended judges' table. I want the uncensored, uncut footage of Stephen's seminar. Stephen is my hero, and I hate making him the punching bag week in and week out. But dude, he did exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do with the quickfire. He did a simple beef, scallop and potato with béarnaise affair, and he tried to cram as much weight onto the toothpick as possible. Why not cut down the volume and intensify the flavor? His salmon with warmed vegetable salad and Worcestershire vinaigrette was actually one of his better-looking dishes, which unfortunately just means that he got a break from the chopping block for a week. Actually, Stephen's been on the block less than you probably think. But he's looked like he's hanging by a thread since episode one, and he hasn't done anything to change that perception. Sorry, Stephen.

10 Andrea Quickfires 0 0 2 Last Week: 5 Eliminations 1 2 1 The theme through all of the supplemental materials this week is that Andrea blew it and she knew it, and that's really all there is to say about that. At extended Judges' Table, Gail raised the question, if everything with Andrea's dish went wrong, what went right with Kevin's dish? Padma responded that at least Kevin's was edible. Ouch. And that pretty much sums up why Andrea went home. It's a shame, because she actually had one of the more distinctive styles remaining. But there it is.

Ah, geez... maybe I should move-- NO, NO... we're done for this week. Ugh.

WARNING : MINOR EPISODE EIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD

Ethnic cuisine for everybody! Which is where people can REALLY get tripped up depending on what they draw and where they have experience. Everybody gets Moroccan for the QF, and it sounds like Angelo has some significant experience there. Incidentally, this is a great choice for DC. I always thought it was okay, but I never really GOT Ethiopian until I had it in DC. I had a spectacular meal at Queen Makeda that I never got around to writing up, and now the memories are long gone. At any rate, it's a wonderful and distinctive ethnic cuisine, and hopefully we get a little local flavor along with it. As for the elimination, some have done their homework on determining which chef draws which cuisine. I haven't. I actually hate the previews. I like a little mystery and suspense. But I'm incredibly amused that Kevin, who just reduced everything Angelo does to "Chinese food," apparently gets stuck with Indian. This should be fun. And by fun I mean brutal.

Discuss!

Comments

[Naomi]

Excellent as always, Dom! Many thanks :-)

[Anon Man]

Good breakdown on "pea-gate". Annoying that we'll probably never know, but good to hear you weigh in on the idea that making a puree shouldn't be a very time-intensive process.

I guess I've never noticed this supposed Gail-hate you mention. Tom said in his blog a few seasons ago (the Toby Young season), that he trusts Gail as a judge. Good enough for me.

But, what a muddle. I can't even get a sense of particular dishes this season. Deconstructed porterhouse. Genius, or lame? On the one hand it isn't a porterhouse if you cut it up. On the other hand, what can you do to a porterhouse other than load it up with seasonings and maybe a sauce?

[Anon Man]

Good breakdown on "pea-gate". Annoying that we'll probably never know, but good to hear you weigh in on the idea that making a puree shouldn't be a very time-intensive process.

I guess I've never noticed this supposed Gail-hate you mention. Tom said in his blog a few seasons ago (the Toby Young season), that he trusts Gail as a judge. Good enough for me.

But, what a muddle. I can't even get a sense of particular dishes this season. Deconstructed porterhouse. Genius, or lame? On the one hand it isn't a porterhouse if you cut it up. On the other hand, what can you do to a porterhouse other than load it up with seasonings and maybe a sauce?

[paula]

Solid reasoning, Dom, as usual. I'm glad you're looking so closely at all the recipes so we don't have to. :)

I don't have any problem with Amanda breaking down the porterhouse. They were told they had to work with/feature the protein they were given, not honor it in its purest form. Aren't these guys supposed to be thinking creatively and keeping the judges on their toes? Actually, I wish she (or someone) would have gone further with their interpretations.

I miss Richard Blais.

[Bart]

I think those rankings are pretty much on the mark. I don't like seeing Kevin ranked so low, but I understand why you put him there. I hear you, but I think he's just having trouble finding his rhythm. His winning dishes show true creativity, and his losing dishes shows that he missed the mark on execution, I think. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he pulls a Carla and suddenly churns out winning dish after winning dish.

I'd probably drop Kenny down to 4 - making it Angelo, Kelly, Tiffany and then Kenny.

But then again, I could just pull names out of a hat and whoever I pull out first is #1, second is #2, etc... I kind of like that this season is so close, because it ratchets up the unpredictability factor (there was no suspense last season with the 4 Horsemen).

Still, I'd like to see someone else besides Angelo hit a grand slam.

[Polybus]

Thanks again for the power rankings, Dom. They are always full of insites and they make a great compliment for the show.

I can understand your reasoning in keeping Kenny and Kelly in 2 and 3 for another week, but in this unpredictable season, I'm beginning to hope someone from the MOTP really breaks out. It will be interesting to see if Kelly can come back or if the poor performance will get under her skin and keep her in a negative space. Will Kenny finally "get it"? I also admire the calm and steadiness of Tiffany and wonder if it isn't having positive effects on Ed. I don't have Alex so high. He seems like the type of competitor that might unexpectedly go far - or perhaps just go far enough out on a limb to fall.

Tough season. I like it from a reality TV standpoint, but not so much for the food. I like approaching each episode with no idea how it will come out.

[Erin]

Dom, didn't Tiffany make swordfish? Where did the pork roulade come from?

[Skillet Doux]

Erin... the roulade was her QF dish.

[Erin]

eek..sorry! I always focus on the elimination dish for some reason....

[Steve F.]

Dom,

As always, we appreciate your astute analysis. I have seen all seasons save the first. This is the first one where I, like you and the others, are frustrated with not being able to more solidly place each contestant this late in the game.

I agree with you about Kenny and Kelly. They hopefully have learned their lesson and will be more self-aware of their cooking from now on. They are also clearly more talented than everyone ranked below them. Therefore, I am comfortable with their placement.

Stephen and Amanda have settled into passable/decent food, so any of the others could have a bad dish and flame out. But for now, they seem the most likely candidates to leave soonest.

Ed is solid, but like you, I have wondered why he should be placed high. Reputation and solidity are the only reasons I have. Tiffany is solid with a couple of memorable dishes, as opposed to Ed, but I question whether in a tough battle she can overcome him. Alex rocked in a couple of challenges but is at least passable/decent in all of the elimination challenges.

Sorry for the recap. But you're right. How do you determine who is likeliest to go next? It's whoever has the worst day - not necessarily based on talent.

[Steve F.]

As for this week, I'm gonna bet that Kevin flames out because of his avowed illiteracy of the cuisine. Second choice, Stephen, who made the same admission but who might be able to pull it off because of the simplicity of his dish.

[vizoroo]

Dom gives us the culinary analysis, so I thought I would just take a look at a few personalities.

I must agree with Dom, Kenny's Beast/Alpha male routine is getting old and making him unlikeable. There is just something "icky"(that's the technical term)about Alex. Unless lightning strikes between episode 7 and 8, Stephen's TC highlight may be his seminar.

On the plus side without Tamesha around, Angelo doesn't seem quite as sleazey.

Instead of Middle of the pack; it really should be addressed as "Muddle" of the pack. lol

[nomnomnom]

I still feel like I have a very strong feel here. Dom I think is a little behind the curve as he focused early season, and for completely understandable reasons has struggled to catch up.

I think this whole thing gets sorted out very fast now. I still see this season as 3 tiers

Tier A: For sure will battle for last finals spot. Ed, Tiffany, Angelo, Kevin, Kelly. I just can't see anyone breaking into this group of 5. I would be absolutely floored to see any of this group sent home in the next two weeks. The next 3 weeks will really set the order here and lock this down. I'm fairly comfortable with the above order, but I could see this getting shaken up a bit.

Tier B: Restaurant Week Survivors, but come up short: Alex and Amanda. Both of these have shown enough in plated competition to last these next few.

Tier C: Done in next two weeks: Kenny and Stephen. I could break down why Kenny deserves to be dead last, but I don't feel like I'm on an island here like my Kelly-skepticism. Kenny is gone in the next two weeks or I seriously know nothing about handicapping this show.

I think people are focused on this season sorting itself out like the last two with a clear top two or three chefs and then a gaggle of 5 equal chefs. This season is inverted in my eyes. You have two small bottom tiers and one large top tier. This was by design and it's worked out well. The parity could really make the episodes interesting on the competitive aspect if the food doesn't really impress.

[dach]

I dropped kelly and kenny because they hadn't done anything so wonderful on their highs to give them breathing room when they falter from other chefs moving up. For me, Kenny highlight was week 1, an intriguing sounding mole dish. His muddled duos and trios, more for the sake of showing off his speed rather than 1 excellent coherent dish has me turned off. And Kelly highlight... she had cafeteria pulled pork, hilton hotel short rib, big omelet. Solid food, but nothing to make me go out of my way to want to try.

[paula]

nomnomnom: Kevin? Really?

[nomnomnom]

Yeah, I have Kevin roughly 4th right now. I am granting him mostly a pass for the two-man episodes, and lots of credit for E6EC win. I think that showed a lot of range which will help him in the next few episodes.

I think his resume looks solid, and can be a Carla type contestant. Either top or bottom, but never clearly on the bottom for a horrible error. Just a near miss. The style points will carry him. I also think Tom is solidly in his camp. That really can help his staying power.

Setting up rankings just based on wins/losses obviously would have him much lower.

[paula]

I just can't see Kevin going much farther, though it's really more of a gut thing. (I forget his bio and am too lazy to look it up.) Based solely on what I've seen in this competition, he strikes me as someone with great potential but he's got a ways to go yet, in maturity, confidence and skill. Of course, that doesn't mean he WON'T get to the final four (cough, Malarkey and Lisa, cough).

[Marlene Griffith]

I think this coming episode, where cheftestants have to go "international" will be indicative of the their depth and culinary "chops". My criticism of most of them is that they don't seem to have a significant level of sophistication in terms of technique and flavor profiles.
Additionally, this was not the season for Bravo execs/the Elves to go for their version of drama/conflict. They are just not very interesting.
Newbie

[aaalex]

i hate to contribute to peagate, but ...

dominic: i buy your (and tom's) defense of alex completely. but, having looked at the recipe, i'm even more puzzled by this pea puree business. it's a brute simple recipe: blanched peas, cream, food process. so, why in heaven's name was art smith going into paroxysms over it? he's NEVER had a pea puree before? given art smith's reaction, it's either that or there WAS something conceptually special in that puree that was not part of the recipe.

by the same token, kenny's comment about the pea puree makes complete sense if he tasted the pea puree and found something unusual/impressive to it, some element that required a little conceptualizing before the execution.

it could be that art smith will just goes crazy over a simple blanched pea puree. but his fuss over it still feels a little ... inexplicable.

[ally]

Speaking of toothpicks crammed with stuff, check out the picture of Kenny's offering on the "rate a plate" photos...

[timothy]

aaalex: Remember the season 5 episode where Carla served squab and peas? I forget who the bigshot French chef was who loved them, but he was someone impressive. As far as I can remember, those were just peas with tarragon, but they were really fresh and perfectly prepared. Maybe it's the same thing here. Maybe the product was really good. And maybe the reason Alex got a shout-out and Ed didn't is that Alex incorporated his, as a puree, in every bite. I'm not saying this is the case, but I am just trying to offer some "explicability" to Art Smith's inexplicable reaction.

[Bart]

Paula - At least Kevin will be more acceptable as a finalists. Lisa came to the finals at the expense of Dale Talde, essentially. Malarkey, I can't remember that far.

Timothy - I think it was Jacques Pepin, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong. But yes, sometimes a simple ingredient, simply prepared, can taste out of this world. It depends on your mood, the weather, etc...

After all, what's better than a cold, juicy watermelon on a hot summer's day? Or a roast anything on a cold winter's night? Apple cider in the fall? You get the idea.

[gilmore]

As no one is detestable this season, controversy must be created.

I am guessing that Alex may be in the final 4 and by stirring the pea pot, the elves thin it makes him this season's Lisa, Marcel or Hosea.

I hope Stephen stays longer because he is entertaining. I agree that he belongs at number 9, but while this could affect Dom's prognosticative record, I hope he does not go yet.

It is interesting that Kenny and Kevin each have 3 elimination bottoms - tied for most - yet Kenny is ranked 2 - which I agree with. That goes to show what a strange season this has been so far. The strangeness is not yet over.

[Shay J]

Pea-gate strikes again! My two cents on Kenny's comment...a pea puree is rather simple, but maybe Kenny was commenting on the fact that a) Alex had no concept of what he wanted to do so b) he had to scramble to deal with the salmon to get it awesome, which meant that c) the drudgery of the pea puree might've meant that he didn't have the time.

Yes, all you need do is rather basic (blanche, blend, strain etc), but Art specifically mentioned that it was silky (implying perhaps some extra blending process?) so between all that and properly seasoning it and then dealing with the salmon and then plating; maybe Kenny saw he couldn't have had the time to perform all those tasks. Especially in light of previous skills displayed.

I'm with Tom on this, but Ed did get screwed if Alex did it...even by accident.

[Skoolie]

You may be right Gilmore. I remember seeing lots of ad banners for top chef preseason and they all focused on Alex's bald head So he must make it pretty far.

[aaalex]

timothy: good answer, though i'm still a little surprised by the degree of art smith's appreciation. a simple thing, simply done (silkily done) would certainly taste great, but art smith went on quite a bit about how much he wanted to eat it, leaving me with the impression that this was a truly original pea puree. (or, to say it art smith's way: there was real LURVE in that pea puree. this feeling is, as i suggested, predicated on the idea that art smith has had pea purees in the past.)

there can certainly be "love" in simple dishes. and it's more than possible art smith simply responded to the perfect thing done the perfect way under particular circumstances. i guess it's really the whole "pea puree package" that's strange:
- the editing (who took what when ...)
- the interviews (kenny, etc.)
- the over-the-top art smith reaction
- alex saying how thrilling it was that art smith wanted to keep eating his food (NOT his pea puree, mind. his food. as if alex himself didn't want to acknowledge the puree was THE thing that had got him the win - or at least art smith's vote.)

it all adds up to something just outside your field of vision, almost visible, as if the editors wanted to say alex cheated but didn't have the courage/proof to say it outright. why put all the cards on the table this way, however, if you DON'T have enough proof?

it's the top chef equivalent of the single bullet theory.
that's a hell of a busy bullet = that's one hell of a pea puree.

maybe alex used oswald's original recipe.
(alex IS russian, isn't he?)

[dach]

Thus far this season we've learned: Art Smith really likes pea puree. Jonathan Waxman really likes asparagus. Guest judge weaknesses that future TC contestants could use to their advantage if they've been paying close attention.