Cake Mania

Who doesn't love cakes? I am a bit cake-obsessed and by a bit I mean constantly stalk new creations of my favorite cake decorators. One of my all-time favorite cake decorators is Bronwen Weber of Frosted Art Bakery in Dallas, Texas. I first discovered her during her many stints in Food Network Challenge. I found myself always rooting for her as she created some of the most incredible cakes I have ever seen, on the spot and within a time limit. What draws me to her cakes so much is the attention to incredible detail, how life-like her cake sculptures are, and how intricate and beautiful the overall designs of her cakes are. You can check out some of her amazing creations here.

Another favorite cake designer: Colette Peters of Colette's Cakes in New York, New York. While I first fell in love with her artistry during her witty banter with Duff Goldman during Food Network Challenges, I continued my taste for her cakes because of their magnificence. I cannot forget when she squared off with Duff during the "Mystery Cakes" challenge. While Duff's cake was incredible in design, the execution unfortunately did not turn out copasetic. On the spot, Colette was able to perfectly execute a "Fishing" themed cake and beat out her fierce competitors. It was then that my love for her skill was solidified.

And I cannot possibly do an introduction to my favorite cake designers post without the aforementioned cake genius that is Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland. Duff's ability to create the most interesting, jaw-dropping cakes is unmatched in the industry. His willingness to take chances and make cakes that possibly no one else would ever attempt is inspiring. I will never forget the awe I experienced when I saw the episode of "Ace of Cakes" in the first season entitled "Wedding Cakes and Headaches." In this episode, Duff created a birthday cake for his father in which he had fireworks come shooting out of it. Not many would attempt such a cake but Duff was excited for the challenge. If you want to admire extreme yet beautiful cakes, Duff would be your guy! Check out some of his cool cake sculptures and more here!
Courtesy of: colettescakes.com

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Why Worst Cooks in America May Be the Best Kind of Cooking Show

There’s something gruesome about Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America. Watching it is akin to witnessing a well-lit car-wreck unfold in slow motion—like a lot of reality television, its allure as entertainment lies in the gory, uncomfortable details. In any given episode of Worst Cooks, the viewer is treated to such cringe-worthy, sickening moments as contestant Kat, 37, finding a rotting sardine encased in the stomach of the calamari she’s preparing, its grayish guts squeezed onto the cutting board, or Season Two winner Joshie, 36, accidentally slicing his hand open and bleeding all over his seafood filling.

It seems a straightforward enough premise: divide 16 hapless, hopeless cooks into two teams, assign them culinary mentors, and unleash them on the kitchen. This is a model that Food Network (along with Bravo, TLC and Fox) has perfected: a high-pressure, high-stress foodie race to the finish. These shows (Top Chef, Iron Chef America and especially Chopped) celebrate the ability to perform outrageous feats of gastronomic wizardry in ever-shrinking amounts of time. Unfortunately, this approach comes at the expense of meticulous, deliberate cooking. There’s no drama to be wrung from slow-food, and primetime has no use for patience.

So what’s awry about amateurs’ night in Kitchen Stadium? Here are 16 people who have managed to reach adulthood without conquering that one most fundamental skill of living: feeding themselves. How did this happen? Carlos, 28, blames his mother’s babying. Others say a full-time job or talented partner is the culprit. Some, like Kelsey, 23, have genuine cooking-phobia. Kelsey’s is the product of an incident with a gas grill and several bouts of self-inflicted food poisoning.

In a microwaveable, prepackaged 21st century world, Worst Cooks’ contingent of clumsy, clueless competitors comes as no surprise. The idea that their survival depends on a combination of TV dinners and Big Macs doesn’t faze us. In fact, it seems singularly normal. But seen through clearer eyes (our grandmothers,’ perhaps) the trend encapsulated by Worst Cooks in America is a very strange phenomenon, one unprecedented in all of human history.

Less than a third of Americans cook dinner from scratch regularly, and half of all meals consumed at home are takeout or delivery. 8% of people report that they do not cook at all. Last year, Americans collectively spent more on fast food than they did on education.

There are many reasons for the dilapidated state of the American home kitchen. Is the rise of food competition TV shows among them? It’s a chicken-and-egg kind of question, because it’s also possible that the media are merely reflecting an already present cultural shift. Still, there’s an argument to be made that they do at least perpetuate the problem.

These days, cooking shows that fall into the how-to category are relegated to the morning and early afternoon; they’ve become dinosaurs of the genre, targeted at an older, old-fashioned demographic. Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa is a classic example. Garten spends most episodes at home, fastidiously preparing meals for her working husband. It’s a daily half-hour time warp, with Garten playing the role of 1950s housewife doting on gainfully employed spouse.

If Barefoot Contessa is the past, Worst Cooks in America is the future. Worst Cooks relies on the established tropes of food reality TV, in which cooking is a professional sport, an activity best left to experts and observed from a distance. They drive the point home with panels of haughty connoisseurs, who take dainty tastes and dispense minute judgments. In an interview, Season One champion Rachel, 23, said she was “scared out her mind” at the finale because she was about to be evaluated by “people who eat for a living.”

That so many need to be taught how to cook is beyond disconcerting, it’s abnormal. Society has divorced us from our food and convinced us that the separation is natural, when it is anything but. We don’t know where our food comes from, how to prepare it or how much of it to eat. In a few short decades, we’ve nearly obliterated centuries of culinary tradition, rules and customs that had been carefully preserved and passed on for generations. Instead, we look to nutritionists (with their constantly changing and often shoddily researched recommendations) for guidance, and are bewildered when their advice turns out to be little more than a veiled commercial endorsement.

It’s pretty obvious we’ve been led astray: pollution, obesity, allergies, and food poisoning are all on the upswing, and there are numerous other problems cropping up that are tangentially linked to poor diet. If our surrogate-grandmothers are false idols, whom can we trust to right this growing crisis?

Some of the soundest counsel comes from author Michael Pollan, who preaches never to eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food, and to avoid anything advertised as “healthy,” as that’s usually a surefire means of identifying products that are pumped with hormones, colorings and chemicals.

Worst Cooks in America may actually be a blessing in disguise. It might be just another cooking competition, but it is also the only one that advocates ordinary people taking a stab at dinner, using fresh ingredients and a host of vegetables and fish. And while it is a TV show (and therefore tied to the sedentary lifestyle at the root of the issue,) anything with the potential to motivate Americans to get off the couch and into the kitchen is worth supporting.

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Eating is sexy

I think everyone should watch Nigella Lawson. Yes, I understand that to some, she is hardly what they would fully recognize as the latter part of the term ‘celebrity chef’ but that is beside the point. In a world where Gordon Ramsey, Antony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, Gina de Laurentiis and the like have all broadcasted their culinary geniuses for millions of viewers, few have truly introduced audiences to the true pleasure of consuming and appreciating what they are creating. Yes, there is anticipation for others’ opinions and of course we must admire the benefits of organic and fresh produce but where can one actually see the chef savouring every mouthful of food that they cook.

When I first watched her, she astounded me by the number of adjectives she pulled out in the process of mixing salad. Every ingredient was described as a gem of sorts and everything was so ridiculously indulgent it just made you fall in love with food. I understand critics and women around the globe have this issue with her being too pornographic, so to speak, when presenting her food and her show but honestly who doesn’t want to experience such incandescent pleasure when cooking and just enjoying the process of creating something so bloody delectable?

Also, please admit that whenever you visit foodporn.com you are overcome with the amazing feasts that appear on that page. But what really, really truly converted me to the Nigella fanclub, despite the occasional riff raff cooking methods she employs, is just the way she savours her food. It’s not gluttonous by any means but it’s enjoyable. She is delighted by every bite she takes and just hungry. This about it, don’t you want to just adore food? It’s the best relationship to have. I love it. Watch her. I promise you’ll love it too. No jokes. And with that, I’m going to go make myself a blackberry crisp. Till next time, ciao for now!

Photo credit: daveandthomas.net

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Top Chef Season 6: Episode 14 [Finale] Live Blogging

10:09

So here we are, the Top Chef Season 6 finale. It's been a long season for sure, with some breaks between weeks and that weird reunion/dinner special. For their final challenge, Kevin and the brothers Voltaggio have to create a three course meal: a first course in which all of the chefs will use the same ingredients, a completely open second course, and a dessert for the third course. The top three draw knives to get their sous chefs for the last meal; Kevin gets Preeti and Ash, Bryan gets Ashley and Jen, and Michael grabs Jesse and Eli. Kevin definitely got the short end of the stick on that one, and he certainly puts Preeti in her place by relegating her with simple vegetable chopping, which she still seems to be struggling with. Bryan's team definitely looks to be gelling the best, and that may just give him the edge he needs in what may be the closest finale ever, at least on paper.

10:23

The boys are just hanging out in their suite, probably their only down time all weekend, and they get the best surprise ever: moms! Only two are there, though, because, of course, there are brothers in this year's competition, REMEMBER? Well that little party ends quickly, when Tom meets the chefs on their way into the kitchen and surprise, surprise, adds a fourth course, a dish inspired by each contestant's favorite childhood memory, to the meal, which is only three hours away. We get a little surprise when Kevin reveals that he was accepted to MIT (!!!), but he turned it down to be a chef. Wow, who would have guessed? The dish that all of the contestants seem to be having the most trouble with is the mystery box dish, which has to include rock fish. I feel a little better about Kevin's complete misfortune being stuck with Preeti when he praises Ash's help in the kitchen. He basically has one real sous chef and one oversized child trying to imitate what a chef does. As dinner service nears, the music gets super intense; the producers must be trying to warn us that something big is about to happen. No, really?

10:36

Well they certainly didn't skimp on the the big names around the final table tonight, but clearly the only ones that matter are Stephen Starr and my future BFF Gail Simmons. For their first childhood inspired course, Kevin whips up a take on fried chicken with squash casserole, Bryan offers a modern interpretation of tuna noodle casserole with sardines and breadcrumbs, and Michael presents a cream of dehydrated broccoli with shrimp. Kevin certainly wins round one, but all of the chefs earn at least some praise from the panel. Umm, WTF, the moms only get to stay for the first course? What's up with that Bravo? Well, here comes the mystery box dish. All of the chefs combined the squash, meyer leon, and rock fish. Here, Michael probably takes the win, but all of the chefs were able to combine these seemingly incongruous ingredients beautifully. Kevin sticks to his favorite meat, pork, for the final round; Bryan tackles venison, and Michael goes for squab. Now, it's Bryan's turn, as his dish earns unanimous praise. Kevin gets a medium reception, and Michael stumbles a bit. As the cheftestants take turns introducing their desserts, all I can see is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Kevin pairs his with bacon and babana; Michael forms it into a cake with caramel, and Bryan whips up a dulce de leche cheesecake with fig sorbet. Following that whirlwind meal, it's really hard to say who's going to come out on top. All of the men had high points and misfires, but if one really stood out, it's Bryan. Whether or not that will determine tonight's decision remains to be seen.

10:51

Final judges' table here we come. Bryan steps into the fire pit first, and although the judges come down on his mystery box dish, they praise his venison as his best showing of the night. Although the judges seem disappointed in pork fanatic Kevin's main course, his first dish earns raves once again. Michael, finally, gets criticism for his dessert, which he readily admits to overcooking, but he definitely had the judges' favorite mystery box interpretation. Basically, we didn't learn anything new from judges' table. At all. I stand by my statement that this is easily the most closely matched finale ever, and without question, the right three men are standing together at the end. For the first time I can remember, I really don't have any idea who will be grabbing the victory after the break.

11:00

First of all, reunion next Wednesday. I unfortunately won't be able to blog it, but I'll certainly be tuning in for a rerun, hopefully to see some major Robin bashing. Padma knocks Kevin out first, setting up the ULTIMATE brother showdown between Bryan and Michael for the title. Thankfully, Kevin's lovely mom is there to comfort him, and he was really awesome all season. This year's winner of Top Chef, with a $100,000 prize furnished by the Glad family of products is.....Michael! Although I think Bryan was better overall tonight, Michael was on the cutting edge and at the top all season, and he had a spark that his more reserved older brother didn't necessarily show. I can't say this was my favorite season ever, but those final three, even final four with Jen, were all fantastic chefs, and their performances all seasons certainly made it a pleasure to watch and a pleasure to blog for Penn Appetit! Until next season...

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Top Chef Season 6: Episode 13 Recap

10:11
So no new episode last week, but tonight is officially part one of the season finale, and we'll be saying goodbye to one more chef before the final showdown next week. The chefs reunite at a Napa Valley train station after an extended break from the competition. The atmosphere isn't exactly 100% friendly, but what do you expect?! A very pregnant Padma hops off the train with guest judge Michael Chiarello and introduces the season's final quickfire, which is to use Napa's signature crop: the grape. But wait, these dishes will have to be prepared on the Napa wine train, and because it's a high stakes quickfire, the winner also gets a new Prius. I'd say that's worth a little motion sickness. The kitchen on the train is huge, but it's long and skinny, making for a lot of awkward passes back and forth. Kevin opts for dessert with a honey and fromage blanc mousse. Michael put together some sort of stuffed grape leaf with grapes all over, and his brother went for a delicate hen. Finally, Jen sauteed some chicken livers (possibly my least favorite food) and clams with grapes in a creamy sauce. Michael's incorporation of the grape in basically every aspect of his dish won Chiarello over, and he walks off with a new car as a result.

10:25
The dynamic duo of Padma and Michael is back and Padma announces the elimination challenge as catering a "crush" party (that would be crushing grapes) at a local winery. The chefs have to use all local ingredients "except for salt and pepper," and they have to prepare two dishes, one meat and one vegetarian, for a crowd of 150. It seems like the break from competition didn't do much for Jen's psyche; she seems as frazzled as ever while shopping for groceries at a local market that is certainly not Whole Foods. That said, most of the chefs seem confident, as they have pretty much free reign to do whatever they want within the guidelines, so hopefully, we'll see some impressive dishes tonight. With five hours to go, the cheftestants seem totally in the zone, obviously well aware of the importance of tonight's challenge. Michael's egg custard could be a make or break dish, and as he says, "It's all up to the egg at this point."

10:36
Well, Michael's egg turns out perfectly, according to him, and preparations reach the end just as the guests and judges arrive. Bryan prepared a goat cheese ravioli and fig-glazed short ribs, both of which lack a little bit of seasoning, according to our esteemed panel. The vegetable pisto with egg and turnip soup with foie gras from Michael certainly comprise the most ambitious menu of the night, and they judges seem to like, but not love, it. Simple as usual, Kevin prepared a beet and carrot salad and a grass-fed brisket and polenta, both of which totally wow the judges, all but securing Kevin his spot in the final three. Last up is Jen, who cooked up a chevre mousse and a braised duck leg with squash. The vegetarian dish is a little salty, but gets a decent reception, and her duck is certainly her standout for the night. It certainly won't be an easy decision tonight, so it will be really interesting to see who the judges put through to the finale.

10:51
As expected, Padma summons all four chefs to judges' table, for what should be a tough discussion. Besides his somewhat tough brisket, Kevin earns raves all around. Just as they did when they were sampling his food, the judges come down on Bryan for going a little bit short on seasoning, but they praise the layers of flavors in his dishes. Michael's dishes get a lot more criticism at the table than he did during the judges' tasting. Could he be in danger tonight? Jen admits to her mistake in not grilling the duck as planned, and Tom looks extremely disappointed. Is THAT the face that signifies a knife-packing? With such mixed feedback tonight, it's hard to say what will happen after the break, but I'd say it's between Michael and Jen for the elimination tonight, with slightly higher odds for Jen going home just based on recent disappointments.

11:00
Well here we go, who's going home one week short of the finale after such a tough season? The chefs return to the table and wait anxiously as Padma obviously draws out the decision as long as possible. Bryan is the first to seal his spot in the final with a win, and it's especially impressive considering that he was never in the bottom over the course of 26 challenges. In a non-shocker, Jen gets the boot. She excelled all season, but she didn't have the same level of consistently winning food as Kevin or the brothers. So we've got the brother vs. brother showdown that has been looming since episode one, and when you throw Kevin in there it should be a really strong finale. Next week everything wraps up, and there appears to be a formal dinner party with some extra cranky guests. Come back next week, and we'll "watch what happens."

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Live Blogging Top Chef Season 6: Episode 11

10:15
After a week hiatus, Top Chef: Las Vegas is back, and the final six are facing off tonight, as the competition gets down to the wire. The chefs head to the Venetian, as opposed to the usual M Hotel, for the Quickfire, and Padma surprises them by ordering room service for herself and celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. They have thirty minutes to whip up a meal and serve it to the ladies, who are relaxing in bed in their suite. Everyone is a little on edge, and preparation seems a little more hectic than usual, which is saying something. Nigella slams Bryan's bizarre vanilla/crab combo and Robin's blintz, but she praises Eli's reuben eggs benedict and Kevin's take on steak and eggs, ulimately rewarding the former, who earns a spot in the new Top Chef Quickfire cookbook. The elimination challenge involves each chef cooking a dish inspired by one of the city's most famous casinos for a crowd of 175. Good luck conjuring up a recipe inspired by the Bellagio, Robin...

10:23
The contestants have a day to explore their respective casinos, taking in the over-the-top and unusual features of each one. Michael opts to take his New York, New York assignment as a tribute to the city's firefighters, but Jen has no idea what to do with her dish inspired by the Excalibur. Bryan draws inspiration from the Mandalay Bay's shark tank, and self-proclaimed artist Robin decides to base her meal around a huge ceiling sculpture in the hotel's lobby. Ok, you do that, and let's see how it turns out for you. Kevin's only assessment of the Mirage is that it's "tropical", which I guess he could take in a number of directions. Only Eli is really disappointed, learning that Circus, Circus isn't exactly the big top that he expects, and he proceeds to vent to the rest of the chefs. Like he's going to earn much sympathy at this stage.

10:38
After such a tense Quickfire, dinner preparations are relatively tame, and all of the chefs seem to have developed ideas that are at least somewhat relevant to their assignments. Whether they actually succeed, though, remains to be seen. Once they arrive at the venue where they'll be serving their guests, though, Michael gets nervous about finishing his chicken, and Robin's sugar pieces break apart completely. The judges' evaluations get off to a weird start, with Jennifer's beef that they hardly say anything about at all. They love Kevin's salmon, though, and his line to the finale seems very much intact. Michael's breaded chicken and blue cheese disc also earns top marks. Robin's overdue elimination may finally come tonight courtesy of the tepid response to her panna cotta. The brother's go two for two tonight, as Bryan's halibut definitely pleases. Eli serves up one of the strangest dishes of the season, though, with a soup combining raspberries, popcorn, and God knows what else, completing a pretty obvious top/bottom divide for the night.

10:53
The suspected top three, Kevin, Michael, and Bryan, take their assumed places in front of the judges and have very little explaining to do before Nigella announces Michael as the winner once again. He takes home a bottle of Terlato wine and a three day trip to Napa, not bad for a night's work. Jennifer admits her faults, as usual, and the judges come down on her tough beef and bland sauce, while they accuse both Robin and Eli of falling short of their lofty ambitions. Padma is especially harsh on Eli, calling his meal something that she "would never want to eat again." So will Jen's downward slide cost her tonight or will Eli's first major stumble, and it's a big one, send him home, or will Robin FINALLY pack her knives?

11:00
With tears already streaming down her face, Robin gets her long-overdue boot. As the weeks went on, her abrasive personality became more and more grating, and she outlasted many more deserving chefs. We're left with a totally deserving top five, and next week looks like a major test, with uber-chef Thomas Keller and a mysteriously challenging task.

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Live Blogging Top Chef Season 6: Episode 9

10:12

I've emerged from midterm hell, and I'm all caught up on Top Chef and excited to watch tonight! The night starts off with a bang as Jen shows off her rockin' bikini body and threatens to compete in the quickfire in nothing else. The guest judge tonight is Rick Moonen, seafood master and advocate of sustainable cuisine. Padma introduces the quickfire as the first ever Top Chef "tag-team cook-off." Jen and Michael get to pick teams, and Jen selects Kevin, Mike, and Laurine, while Michael has his brother Bryan, Eli, and Robin. Each chef cooks individually for ten minutes while his or her teammates are blindfolded, meaning each chef has to build off the previous chef's work without any communication. Jen's team follows her vision until Kevin, who opts not to poach the sablefish as preparation had suggested he do. Michael's team is also mostly cohesive, and both dishes seem to end without much issue.

10:22

Michael's team conjured up a pan-seared New York strip with a miso glaze and avocado mousse, while Jen's team served up their sablefish with seared mushrooms, which garners them the win in the quickfire. Padma then introduces the elimination challenge, everyone's favorite restaurant wars, and the teams from the quickfire will remain intact. Each team will take over one of the two floors of Moonen's Las Vegas restaurant RMC Food, where, thankfully, they won't be responsible for any decor. They do, however, have to carry on Moonen's vision of sustainable seafood and pay attention to service and front-of-house operations. Because this is a high stakes quickfire, Jen's team has the choice if they want to keep the $10,000 that they won or "let it ride" and go for $10,000 each if their team wins. They seem confident and go for it. A little confident, are we, Jen and co?

10:37

Jen's team takes the risky choice not to serve dessert as a course, as none of the team members feel confident enough to to take it on. Bryan, on the other hand, is plenty confident, as usual, and he volunteers himself to whip up the dessert. The teams seem to be getting along amazingly well at this point, and I, for one, am thankful that Mike and Robin have been separated, so we don't have to watch anymore of their pathetic bickering. Robin does take issue when Laurine hears her idea for creating sparkling water, inexplicably thinking that such a perk will win her team the challenge. Michael's team settles on Revolt (with a backwards "E" in an attempt to be alternative) for their restaurant name, while Jen's team chooses Mission, neither of which seem to have any relationship with the cuisine that they will be serving. Upon arriving at RMC Foods, Jen's team chooses the upstairs, upscale environment, while Brian's team takes the more casual downstairs area. How will this affect their food, knowing the stubborness of these chefs, probably not at all. Jen's team's menu balances seafood and meat, including lamb, pork, arctic char, and a bouillabaisse. Brian's team also features a diverse menu of beef, chicken, more arctic char (this season's scallops, perhaps?), and a duo of desserts from Robin and Michael. Laurine and Michael take over duties at the front of the house, and as customers stream in, Jen's team in particular seems far from ready for the imminent chaos.

10:53

Thankfully, the diners at Revolt seem just as confused by the restaurant's name as I do, and Tom, in particular, calls it "terrible." Padma and her cronies start at Revolt where they love the chicken/salad dish but cast the arctic char off as one dimensional. Princess Padma grows impatient with the wait for the main course, which can be largely attributed to Voltaggio bro drama. Like the first course, the entrees are a mixed bag, with the cod earning raves and the beef getting just a lukewarm reception. Robin incites more drama before dessert service, blowing up at Michael as he meddles with her pastry; she just can't keep her thoughts to herself. To her credit, Robin hits a homerun with her pear pastry, and Bryan's chocolate ganache is equally well-received. Overall, despite a questionable name, Revolt aces nearly every aspect of their dinner. Mission, however, gets off to a rocky start, with the char needing more salt and the asparagus leaving the judges totally bored. Laurine seems totally overwhelmed at the front of the house, resulting in another unacceptably long wait. This team seems headed for a definite loss with the entrees as both the cod and the bouillabaisse fail miserably, and things only get marginally better with the meat course, as the lamb falls flat and the sausage/pork belly duo earns mild praise. Revolt will almost surely win this edition of restaurant wars, and at this point, I'd hedge my bets on a Laurine knife-packing tonight.

11:08

At least Mission knows that they messed up, with Mike telling the other team, "If we win, you guys must have done a horrible job." I think that's a compliment? Maybe? Padma delivers the unsurprising news that Revolt takes the win, with Tom calling it the top restaurant wars project in Top Chef history. Based on the judges' effusive praise, I'd have to agree with him, as they barely took a misstep. Michael grabs another win, and he looks disappointed when Rick Moonen presents him with an autographed copy of his book. Thankfully, Padma throws in $10,000, which Michael graciously decides to share with the other members of team Revolt. Bryan acts like a big baby, however, complaining that the judges are rewarding his brother's unprofessional behavior. Here's a thought, Bryan, just cook better food than your brother, because he's kicking your but tonight. At judges' table, the panel comes down even harder than at the meal, delivering some pretty harsh criticism for Jen, in particular. Elimination is definitely between Jen and Laurine tonight, which will bring the female chef quota down to two. As I said before, look for Laurine to go, only because of Jen's series of awesome performances until her disaster tonight.

11:15

Tom rehashes the judges' conversation, and Padma delivers the verdict to Laurine that everyone expected. Come on editors, you've gotta make this a little more suspenseful, unless it really was this one-sided... Next week, Natalie Portman makes an appearance and the calls something disgusting, and that's just in the previews! I'll be back next week as it all goes down.

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Live Blogging Top Chef Season 6: Episode 7

Back to Top Chef this week after one of Bravo's inexplicable one-week hiatuses. As usual, the Quickfire gets us started, and Tyler Florence is here as the guest judge. In this "high-stakes" Quickfire, the chefs have to prepare a meal in the style of Cookstr.com by taking three random keywords via slot machine, like "romantic," "tart," "Latin American," and creating a dish that incorporates all of the phrases. Jen is feeling really sick this week, so understandably, the kitchen is the last place she wants to be, and she lands in the bottom three for the first time, along with Robin and Eli. Kevin beats Mike and Michael for the win and, because this is a "high stakes" Quickfire, he gets to pick between immunity and $15,000, what might normally be a tough choice, but he makes it easy and takes the cash.

Padma gets all secretive and doesn't reveal the Elimination Challenge, but it becomes all too apparent when the chefs get home and find all the supplies for a dinner party scattered around the house and Padma magically waiting for them in the backyard. They'll have to work in pairs to create a family style dish for a dinner party, and Mike's wish is granted as he's paired with his favorite punching bag, Robin. They run into the house and chaos ensues as the chefs clamour for kitchen space and the scarce resources. Hey, this is Vegas, I doubt anyone cooks at home. Each pair has a bag with products hand-picked by the celebrity chefs from the Macy's Culinary Council, including Florence and Seattle restranteur Tom Douglas, serving as guest judges and dinner party companions. For the most part, the pairs, even Mike and Robin, seem to be collaborating pretty seemlessly, and I almost wish there were a few more fireworks than the zingers offered in the confessionals.

10:37

Like clockwork, Mr. Colicchio arrives to check on the chefs, and most of the dishes seem pretty promising, but I doubt they'll all turn out so well. Plating, though, leads to some issues, with tripped circuits and marginal space to get everything together, and the seemingly invincible Michael appears most worried about his chances tonight. Unfortunately, Toby is in Gail's place again tonight, which should provide for some assuredly bad jokes at judge's table. Michael and Ash's take on carbonara with halibut falls short, especially compared with Byran and Laurine's superior version of the same fish. Ashley and Eli also take a beating, with no one appreciating the salty gnocchi. The two clear favorites, however, look like Jen and Kevin and Mike and Robin, whose beef and tuna, respectively, earn heaps of praise and little criticism.

10:54

Somewhat surprisingly, Bryan and Laurine take a spot in the top two alongside Kevin and Jen. Both pairs give each other due credit, and it's a nice segment before the bottom two teams arrive and the bickering starts. Jen claims her first Elimination Challenge win this week, along with a $10,000 gift certificate to Macy's, a great rebound after her Quickfire struggles. Michael and Ash and Eli and Ashley assume their expected positions in the bottom two, and Bryan grows immediately uncomfortable at the prospect of losing his brother in this competition. He shouldn't worry, however, as Ash might have sealed his fate with his bizarre monologue at Judge's Table, showering Michael with praise and painting himself as the clear number two on this team. Both Ashley and Eli struggle with explaining their dish, and Tom has little patience for their lame excuses. Ash looks like the likely candidate for elimination tonight, and he understands too late that he may have said just a little too much.

11:00

In somewhat of a surprise, Ashley gets the boot tonight. She had stumbled in a few challenges, but over the past two weeks she was definitely on an upswing. Ultimately, she was dead weight, though, as some of her competitors are far more talented. Next week, there's some definite brother rivalry, and the testy relationship between Mike and Robin grows even more volatile. There also seems to be a big name guest judge making everyone nervous, so you'll have to come back next week to see who it's going to be.

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Live Blogging Top Chef Season 6: Episode 6

After a summer hiatus, I'm happy to be back live-blogging Top Chef again. This season the chefs are in Vegas, and we definitely have a talented bunch this time. I hope someone out there still wants to read, because I'm excited to be writing here again!

10:15

The night kicks off with the chefs mourning the loss of the Frenchman, Mattin, last episode, while simultaneously criticizing Robin's presence in the competition and her penchant for simple cooking, a little unfair if you ask me. Padma unveils the quickfire: a challenge to create a duo on the plate representing each chef's "devil and angel" sides. Lots of the chefs go for fish, from halibut to Chilean sea bass to the Top Chef favorite scallop (from two chefs!) Ash tried to do two different types of custard, but failed in producing his angel side. Robin's choice of a simple salad and apple crisp drew praise from guest judge Michelle Bernstein, ultimately earning her a win, with immunity, and no respect from her fellow contestants. Eli even goes so low as to criticize her mention of the cancer she battled as fishing for sympathy. Magicians Penn and Teller emerge to present the elimination challenge, something about deconstructing classic dishes, like eggs florentine, pot roast, and fish and chips, in tricky ways, but their explanation is convoluted, so I guess we'll just have to wait until after the break to see what the hell they're actually doing.

10:24

As always, I love the shopping segment, and this time they have 30 minutes and $125 dollars to collect the ingredients that they'll need for the intimate dinner party. Somehow Mike doesn't know what eggs florentine are, calling them "eggs-foreign-to-me." At least he has a way with words. Philly's own Jen C., from 10 Arts, has been a judges favorite all season, but she seems to be struggling tonight with her deconstructed lasagna, so we'll see if she can get it together. Unpopular Robin isn't helping her cause with whininess in the kitchen; clearly she has no concept of the other chef's time, as she has immunity and no need to worry. From the early looks of it, Ron might be in trouble tonight. He has struggled recently, and he doesn't seem to exactly get the concept of reworking paella, so look for a possible trip to the bottom three.

10:42

In the little teaser over the break, Mike again asked about the make-up of eggs florentine, and his fellow contestants surprisingly seemed just as clueless. By the time of his presentation, to Penn and Teller, and the judges, now regrettably including Toby Young, at least for the night, he seems to have gotten the concept, but not well, as the judges aren't fans. Bryan's take on a caesar salad is more successful on all levels. Laurine and Michael are up next, and the former's fish and chips failed, while the latter's bizzare tuna "reuben" actually pleases most of the judges. Jen is in the same boat, as her initial worries prove unfounded and her "lasagna" earns raves, but her fellow presenter Ash stumbles with his version of Shepherd's Pie. Ron confirms my suspicions and seems to book a trip in front of the judges with an all-around mess. Eli, on the other hand, should be safe with his sweet and sour pork. Ashley and Kevin both please the judges, and may crack the top three, but Robin should be thankful that she snatched immunity at the quick fire, because she gets no love from the judges tonight at the elimination challenge.

10:54

As Padma calls Ashley, Kevin, Michael, and Jen up to the top four, Jen gives her a priceless "give me a break" face, shocked at the success of a dish she considered a potential flop. She doesn't earn the win, though, as Kevin comes through for his second win and grabs a set of cookware to boot. Laurine, Ron, and Ash aren't as lucky, with the "most disappointing" dishes of the evening, according to a forthcoming Padma. Ash digs himself into an early hole, basically admitting that he had no idea what he was doing this round. Laurine at least realizes her mistake in overcooking her fish and admits that she's out of her comfort zone. Ron takes probably the toughest criticism for his paella, and the loveable Haitian should pack his knives tonight.

11:01

Tom delivers the final summaries of shame, and Ron takes his expected final bow with dignity, shaking each judge's hand and fondly reflecting on his time on the show. Sad to see him go, but he seemed out of his depth the last two weeks. Next week looks sufficiently wacky, with the chefs sprinting through a home kitchen and angling for counter space. Hopefully, you'll be there to follow the action live again!

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 14

11:00
Although she may not win tonight, Carla is the clear audience favorite, earning 65% of the popular vote. With no separation between Stefan and Carla, Padma anticlimactically names Hosea the winner. He was far from my favorite, but he was easily the best performer tonight, so he fully deserved his victory. So that's that; season five has come to a close. It was one of my favorite seasons so far, and I hope whoever's reading this enjoyed it too. Maybe I'll be back next season!

10:53
At judges' table, the judges reiterate their dinner comments about Carla's dishes, praising her first two and coming down on the others. It seems that Carla might have listened to Casey a little too much tonight, spoiling her chance at victory. Hosea's only misstep tonight was a mediocre second dish, but his other three wowed the judges, which may be enough to propel him to victory. Like Carla, Stefan's comments are a bit of a mixed bag, with a popular alligator soup and the judges' favorite dish of the night in his squab. His carpaccio and dessert, however, aren't as impressive. Following the evaluations, Stefan reveals a bit of a heart beneath his stone cold exterior, comforting a clearly distraught Carla, who the judges declare out of the running. Tonight, I think that Hosea was more consistent that Stefan, and he should come away the winner. Padma sneaks in her best comment in weeks, offering "it was pedestrian, at best," when commenting on Stefan's dessert.

10:42
Understandably, there seem to be nerves all around in the kitchen, and they only increase for Hosea when he sees the line-up of judges tonight, including Rocco DiSpirito, Hubert Keller, and our very own Fabio. All three appetizers seem to go over well, with Hosea possibly earning top marks for his blackened red fish. Two of the first dishes include raw fish, Hosea's and Stefan's, and two include fennel, Carla's and Hosea's. Carla definitely wins this round, as the judges express minor qualms with both of the male contestants' dishes. If she took round one, Carla loses the second course battle, as her reworked meat and potatoes falls flat, while Stefan's squab and Hosea's scallop soar. Prior to the third round, Carla overcooks her blue cheese souflees, what could prove to be a fatal error, forcing her to send out an incomplete plate. Again, Hosea seems to be number one in the final round with his venison, with Stefan's dessert platter and Carla's apple tart following, in that order. At this point, Hosea looks like the front runner, but the judges have made some strange choices this season, so I wouldn't say anything is definitive just yet.

10:23
So that was an super-sized commercial break (7 minutes), and this isn't even a super-sized episode! Tom surprises the chefs by unveiling three traditional New Orleans ingredients, crab, red fish, and alligator, and telling the chefs that they'll each have to prepare an additional appetizer with one of the ingredients. They each grab a slice of king cake, and Hosea finds the lucky baby, meaning that he chooses his ingredient (red fish) and assigns the other two, giving Carla the crab and Stefan the alligator, surprise, surprise. The kitchen preparation is definitely hectic, but thankfully, no major drama goes down, meaning that the outcome will be all about the food tonight.

10:09
It's finally here! Tonight the Top Chef judges will crown one of the final three, Stefan, Hosea, and Carla. the season five winner. The season recap highlights the exciting season that most recently saw the departure of Fabio. Before we get into the action, I just want to align myself with Carla, as I have all season. Not only has she cooked consistently delicious food, but she has also been a delight on screen, charming, funny, and sincere. Pre-challenge, there's definitely some bad blood brewing between Stefan and Hosea, which could allow Carla to slip right through to the win, but anything could happen tonight. Tom and Padma present the challenge: cook a three course meal of the chef's choice at the famous Commander's Palace restaurant for a table of twelve distinguished food experts. Each chef will get the aid of a finalist from a previous season as a sous-chef, so Hosea gets Richard, Stefan takes Marcel, and Carla is paired with Casey. The prep at the Audobon tea room is chaotic from the start, as Hosea and Stefan battle for foie gras.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 13

11:15
Carla wins yet again! She's on a Stefan-esque winning streak, and she grabs a car in the process, but unlike Stefan, her humility and grace remain fully intact. Because of Carla's win, Jeff will not progress to the finale, but he definitely did himself proud tonight. Hosea claims the next spot in next week's finale, leaving Team Euro to face off. Padma asks Fabio to pack his knives, and his good spirit doesn't waver, as he threatens Stefan's life if he doesn't take the top prize. The finale looks to be a one challenge, three dish affair, leaving more room for drama in the kitchen, where Stefan and Hosea get into a heated argument. Who will be season 5's Top Chef? Come back next week, and we'll find out!

11:05
Padma comes to the chefs' suite and unsurprisingly asks all of them to accompany her to judges' table. The judges heap praise on Jeff, declaring his cocktail the best of the night. They are less kind on Fabio, though, pulling buckets of criticism out of left field. Stefan's cockiness has reached a new height tonight, and the judges' acclaim for his grits-gumbo combo don't help. When Tom criticizes his attitude in the kitchen, though he gets something to think about. They don't have a bad thing to say about any of Carla's items, so she should be back next week, thankfully. They seem almost as excited with Hosea's meal, possibly setting up a face-off with Carla for the victory tonight. It looks like Team Euro will definitely lose at least one member tonight, and my bet is on Fabio. Stefan's consistency should prove too much to conquer, and his only undoing could be his increasingly sour attitude.

10:52
The guest begin to arrive, all clad in masks, which remind Fabio of a porno. I wasn't exactly thinking that, but ok... All of Jeff's dishes, including his cucumber mojito, receive high marks, and Stefan's food is popular with the judges, as it is more often than not. The good reviews keep coming with Fabio and Carla's meals, which gets the best feedback so far. Hosea claims that his gumbo is the most authentic of all ten meals tonight, and he may be right, because Emeril claims that it "captures the spirit of New Orleans." With all five chefs doing so well, it's tough to pick who will get the boot tonight. I don't think Jeff did well enough to get the win, but I have no idea who else will join him on the sidelines.

10:40
The chefs use the kitchen back at Delmonico, and Carla gets in over her head right of the bat by deciding to shuck a hundred oysters. Everything else seems to be going smoothly over the five hour preparation time. Maybe it's going a little too smoothly for Stefan, who opts for prepared sausage over his own variety and complements his cooking with a couple of smoke breaks. Tom has doubts about the creole-ness of Fabio's dishes and the authenticity of Hosea's roux, but he reserves ultimate judgment until he tastes the final products. Preparation finishes up at a stately art museum, where somehow Carla still has 2/3 of her oysters left to shuck with only an hour left. Each chef is provided with a bartender who will whip up the cocktails that they concocted. Gail is finally back, and Carla seems almost as excited as I am, throwing out a "Love you girl!" Seriously, Gail's presence was sorely missed, especially with her revolting replacement, Toby Young.

10:23
Back from the break, and Emeril quickly names Jeff the winner. Padma confirms my suspicions that, in order to reach the final three, Jeff must win the elimination challenge; if not, he goes home again. The chefs don't get into the elimination challenge yet, because they have a full night ahead of them, checking into a gorgeous suite and feasting at Emeril's restaurant Delmonico. The next morning, the contestants head to Mardi Gras World, a huge warehouse of floats and memorabilia. Their challenge is to create two dishes, one of which must be in the creole style, and a cocktail for the company's masquerade ball. If Jeff wins the challenge, two chefs will be eliminated, but if he loses, he and one of the other four will go home. The winner of the challenge will also take home a brand new Toyota. This might be the most high-stakes challenge of the season so far, and everyone seems to be on a relatively level playing field, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

10:13
Here we are, the first part of the two-part finale, and the final four chefs reunite at the New Orleans airport, actually five if you count Fabio's new mohawk. The action gets started quickly, as Padma, Tom, and guest judge Emeril Lagasse, introduce the first quickfire, but the final four aren't cooking. Instead, the last three eliminated chefs, Jamie, Jeff, and Leah, compete to join the elimination challenge, where they may have a chance to join the final 3, probably if they win that challenge. They have to prepare a dish using one of the Big Easy's signature ingredients: crawfish. I'm never a huge fan of these second chance opportunities on reality shows. I feel like if you're eliminated, you deserved it, so there's no reason to rejoin people who never messed up as badly. The most amusing part of the challenge is not the cooking but the live crawfish crawling all over the tables. All of the chefs receive similar feedback, and unsurprisingly, the winner won't be released after the break.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 11

11:00
Wow, I was certainly wrong with that one, and Jamie gets sent packing. I think this is the first elimination this season that I really disagree with, mainly because I don't want to put up with both Hosea and Leah for another week. The preview reveals hardly anything except for an injury to Fabio and a bizarrely lit judges' table. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

10:53
Well, my prediction for the top/bottom divide was correct, but there looked to be a clear distinction between the best and the worst tonight. The judges are full of complements for Stefan, Fabio, and Carla, including Toby Young. As sad as I am for the season to be over, I can't wait to see his departure. Stefan takes his thousandth win of the season, and with it he gets not only Eric Ripert's new cookbook but also a week-long stint shadowing the star chef and a trip with him to South Beach for the Food and Wine Festival. For once, the elimination isn't so obvious, and I'm not at all certain who will get the boot. If I had to pick one out of the sea of atrociousness, I would eliminate Leah, whose attitude has gotten progressively worse and who didn't seem to have a clue how to put together certain elements of her dish.

10:40
Almost as amusing as watching the chefs struggling to decipher these recipes is seeing Ripert keeping such a close eye on them. It's almost as if he's saying, "Don't screw up my kitchen TOO much, you amateurs," but only with his eyes. He is way more hands-on than any other guest judge so far, and it's great to watch him conference with each chef individually in the kitchen. Except for Jamie, that is, because she was so short on time that she couldn't get a plate ready for him. Uh oh, I smell disaster...So the judges taste both the original and the chef's versions back to back, with Fabio up first. His sourdough encrusted red snapper receives generally positive feedback, although the same can't be said for Leah's overcooked fish and tasteless broth. Stefan's lobster comes out next, and it seems to be almost an exact replica of Ripert's dish. Carla struggles for time, and her peers give her a helping hand getting everything plated. She owes them one, because the judges seem generally pleased with her effort. Hosea's monkfish is clearly one of the weaker offerings, almost certainly landing him in the bottom three with Leah and Jamie, whose bass and blanched celery also fail to impress.

10:24
With news of the elimination challenge still conspicuously absent, the six remaining chefs head to Eric Ripert's restaurant, Le Bernardin, for lunch. The food looks delicious, but we're so close to the end, so put them to work! I think that Leah should contain her affections for Eric, though, as we all saw what happened last time she got carried away with a crush, and they've finally stopped talking about that encounter, thank God. When Tom announces that there's one course left on the menu and the music starts up, the challenge must be on its way. The chefs must recreate the six entrees that Ripert served, all of which require a high degree of technical skill. Stefan gets to pick his dish, the baked lobster, but the rest of the chefs pick knives. I'm sure that there will be some disasters, but I can't wait to see who falls apart.

10:12
We're really getting down to the end here, with the finale just three weeks away, and I wouldn't say that there's an outright frontrunner this year, like previous years. Stefan probably has the best track record, but he's had his missteps, so tonight's elimination is definitely up in the air. The quickfire is a fish fillet tournament, and the presence of sardines sends Carla into a British accent for some unspecified reason. I mean sardines are disgusting, so this is kind of hard for me to watch, and Eric Ripert looks similarly disgusted in his evaluations. Jamie and Carla go out first, but Leah soon joins them with a pathetic performance in the next round. Fabio also gets the ax because of some faulty technique. Seriously, this is the longest quickfire ever, and this isn't even a supersized episode! The final round, eel peeling, is at least semi-intriguing, but Stefan dominates Hosea for yet another win.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 10

12:31
Unsurprisingly, Jeff is asked to pack his knives, leaving Team Euro intact, just barely. This reality show loss is going to stick with him for a decade? You need to get over it, or you'll just seem pathetic. I have no idea what's going on with next week's preview, and I only see Eric Ripert occupying the guest judge spot. I guess a little mystery never hurt.

12:24
The 4 winning chefs, Carla, Jamie, Hosea, and Leah, are in the top this week. Someone seriously needs to send Toby Young back to England. His comments are so inane that they make Padma actually look like she knows what she's talking about. Carla finally gets a win, or a "touchdown," as she says, and takes Super Bowl tickets as her prize. That's a hell of a lot better than the cookbook they handed out a few weeks ago. With Carla's first win comes Stefan's first time in the bottom, but he handles himself with surprising humility. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Jeff, who thinks that because his dish was more complicated, he should win automatically.

12:12
Jamie takes on Camille, who I don't even remember, and despite a lack of confidence in her dish, she wins her round thanks to the audience vote. Jeff and Josie go into a battle of Miami-inspired ceviches, and the all-star wins all 10 points against Jeff, although the judges seem to enjoy both dishes. The final duel is between Fabio and Spike, so there should be more than enough charisma to go around. After a healthy round of trash-talking, Spike wins the judges' votes, but Fabio grabs the audience points, which is enough to lead the season 5 contestants to victory. Unlike the past few weeks, no one botched their dishes badly, so the elimination is actually up in the air for once.

12:02
After the longest commercial break in history (8 minutes, seriously?), we get some riveting shots of the contestants getting ready in the morning. This is why we don't need super-sized episodes every single week. But actually, they have spent so little time actually cooking this week that I'm getting pissed off. This should be exciting, though. The chefs cook live head to head for 20 minutes, with the judges scores counting for 7 points and random audience tasters' scores counting for 3. Once Nikki says "chicken liver, " I know Leah has this round in the bag, and she proves me right with a 7-3 win. It looks like Hosea is making a corn dog with fish, and I didn't realized that Seattle was so characterized by Asian cuisine, but he crushes Miguel. The battle between Carla and Andrew, turns out to be a bit of a flop, and Carla grabs the win with her flavorful gumbo. Stefan seems positive that he'll slaughter Andrea, but Andrea takes all 10 points, hopefully bringing Stefan's ego down a notch. At least he admits that he's a douchebag, though. A douchebag with self-awareness is just so much better.

11:41
So the current contestants each face off against past contestants, with each duo cooking the regional cuisine of an NFL team. Stefan, as the winner, gets to select his team and opponent, and he quickly picks Andrea, probably because she was eliminated twice on her season. Carla is excited to compete against Andrew, one of her favorites, and I'm sure that section of the kitchen will be FULL of energy, maybe a little too much. I don't really understand why Jamie is freaking out about cooking a dish inspired by her hometown of San Francisco, but she better get her shit together quickly.

11:29
Another week, another super-sized episode, and the last thing I want to hear about is Leah and Hosea's relationship. You made a mistake, we get it, so please give it a rest already. I love how Top Chef always gets right into the action with the Quickfire, and it's something Super Bowl inspired, but I don't really get it. All the chefs are writing their names on a chalk board and being assigned food groups, but they all end up having to incorporate whole grain oats into their dishes. Carla is noticeably excited, even though immunity has been abolished, because, like OMG, she eats oatmeal four times a week. The challenge seems to drive Jeff to insanity, as he beats some poultry with a frying pan in the corner. He maintains enough sanity, however, to prepare another trio of dishes. Stefan prepares a banana mousse, but he decides to garnish the plate with a whole Rose. Last time I checked this was still Top Chef and not Top Florist, but nice try. Fabio, Jeff, and distracted Leah bring up the rear, and Carla, Jamie, and Stefan lead the pack, with Stefan taking the win, his fifth back to back victory. It must have been the rose. The chefs enter the holding area and find personalized football jerseys, leading up to their elimination challenge, Top Chef Bowl, and their opposition, former all-star contestants burst through a poster in the kitchen. I mean it's more like the Top Chef B-Team, and I don't really get why the current contestants are so starstruck.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 9

11:14
Tom comes down harshly on both Carla and Radhika, but my prayers are answered, and Carla survives another week. As she would say, thank the Lord! I liked her, but she was always kind of a lightweight, and we're getting closer and closer to the end, so the judges want to get down to only potential winners. Next week, all-stars from past seasons return to help in the kitchen, and it looks like Jamie heads for a breakdown. Should be another fiery one!

11:08
After the tumultuous kitchen service, the chefs all bond in the waiting area over the various deficiencies of the kitchens. Somehow the Sunset Lounge takes the win, really only because of Fabio's service and Stefan's desserts. The judges still manage to take a swipe at Leah's cod, declaring it the worst dish of the night. Stephen Starr gives his seal of approval to Radhika's restaurant, though. Carla's good attitude stays with her in the face of a beat down from Tom. She seems to be on the chopping block, but Radhika's abysmal service may be Carla's saving grace, at least that's what I'm hoping for. On another note, Toby Young gets more grating every week. Please come back from your honeymoon Gail; we need you!

10:52
Ok, I just saw that Leah's restaurant is called Sunset Lounge. That sounds more like a Phoenix strip joint than an upscale New York restaurant, but the space is actually well decorated. The judges try Radhika's restaurant, whose Sandscrit name I won't even try to spell out, first, and while they seem to enjoy the soup, lamb shank, and flat bread, they equate the cous cous to "dish water" and give tepid feedback on the snapper. Carla's "hot mess, train wreck" desserts fail miserably, but at least there's a sizeable crowd present. Let's just say that Radhika's hostess duties are almost as pathetic, as she spends more time moping in the kitchen than greeting people. Luckily, Fabio more than makes up for her lackluster performance, employing his Italian charm to full effect. The amuse-buche falls flat, and the next two dishes (a sashimi and a coconut soup) only improve marginally. Hosea's short ribs are the easy highlight, especially when paired with Leah's undercooked cod. The bigger problem may be her horrible attitude, which sucks all the life out of her teammates in the kitchen. Stefan's inventive desserts take top honors, which ensures his safety for another week. While it's definitely a tossup for the win, I think that Radhika's team may squeak out the victory thanks to a more consistent menu.

10:37
Now Leah and Hosea still have to work together in the aftermath of their regrettable hook-up. Hosea seems much more shaken up than Leah, but honestly, neither one seems too repentant. Radhika's team's Where's Waldo search for lamb shanks ends with Jeff finally making himself useful and uncovering a box seemingly out of thin air. In their six hour time limit, the teams have to decorate the virtually bare spaces and prep their menus. Leah and Hosea need to stop complaining about the cheating. I know working on the line with each other is awkward, but restaurant wars is far more intriguing than their junior high love affair. Carla says that she's scared, because both of her desserts have run into road bumps, and I'm afraid too, because she needs to stay and keep me amused. Get that baklava together! The servers walk in, and they look like an army of black-suited zombies, so I'm sure that will help the ambience. Of course, Fabio's running the front, and although that should give his team some confidence, I'm not sure that they could serve "monkey-ass in clam shells," although I'm sure the judges would praise that dish's originality.

10:23
Before we get back to the show, I'm excited to let you know that the February 25th season finale will be coming to us from New Orleans with guest judge Emeril Lagasse. BAM! We get a little game of school yard pick-em to decide teams, and Leah chooses Hosea first and Stefan last, although I'm sure his ego is just fine. The teams head to Pier 1 for an with a $5,000 budget, so they'll be able to buy a whole lot of candles, which I'm pretty sure all that that store is good for. Both teams have a few issues ironing out the kinks, as the chefs struggle for leadership, or in Radhika's case, non-leadership positions. Uh-oh, say goodbye to the girlfriend back home Hosea, because that's definitely some making out I see going on.

10:11
The episode starts with Hosea talking about missing his girlfriend, which given the previews of his flirtations with Leah, might be ominous foreshadowing. Here comes the quickfire, and Philadelphia's own Stephen Starr is the guest judge! The chefs must prepare a tasting for Mr. Starr, who will choose the winners. Instead of immunity, the top two will be the leaders of the teams for this week's restaurant wars. They try to feign excitement, but we all know that they'd rather have immunity at this point. Leah's description of her tempura-ed something is definitely a mouthful, but Starr seems to enjoy it. For some reason three quarters of the judges went in a seafood direction, but amazingly Jamie refrains from feeding her scallop obsession and opts instead for some Chilean Sea Bass. Radhika's Indian-Middle Eastern (surprise of the century) and Leah's Asian concepts win through, but it will be way more interesting to see if the other chefs play along.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 8

11:00
It seems like the idea of "honoring your protein" won out tonight, and Ariane was forced to pack her knives. Although she messed up tonight, she has definitely performed better than some of her competition on past challenges, so I'm not sure about this decision. Next week, restaurant wars returns, but the bigger story looks like Hosea and Leah's blossoming relationship, which promises more drama in and out of the kitchen.

10:53
As expected, Team Chicken takes top honors, and Dave Barber declares all three team members winners tonight. The other two teams head in for the judges' beat-down, and Padma, Toby, and Tom have hardly anything nice to say. From Radhika's dubious contribution to Ariane's inability to tie the roast, everything is an issue tonight, and I think that judges' table gave hardly any indication of who will be going home. The judges finally reach a consensus that Team Lamb delivered the worst meal, but they still question Radhika's effort in the kitchen. It seems like she, Ariane, and Leah are the candidates for elimination, but they all had different problems tonight.

10:41
The fresh produce in the kitchens is definitely a far cry from anything I've seen at Commons, and the chefs definitely have everything they need to produce delicious menus. Team Lamb relegates Leah to a simple tomato salad and dessert. That better be one damn good tomato salad, because she is not pulling her weight, regardless of whether or not it was her choice. Overall, the kitchen prep is pretty devoid of drama, but we learn that Ariane doesn't even know how to tie a roast, so Leah steps in. There we go Leah, baby steps. At first glance, all the food looks absolutely delicious, and I would happily dive in. While Team Chicken is generally well-received, Team Lamb falls flat in virtually every aspect of their dish, which Tom says "doesn't honor the protein." I thought they would be the least favorite, but Team Pig definitely gives them a run for their money with less than complementary feedback. Thankfully, Carla redeems herself for last week's misstep with a solid tart, but the other teams are less lucky. It's definitely up in the air as to who goes tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if Leah were asked to pack her knives.

10:22
Team Chicken (Jamie, Stefan, and Carla) definitely features some of the show's biggest personalities, and unsurprisingly, fireworks erupt between the last remaining member of Team Rainbow and half of the Euro Duo. Jamie has a point, though, and she and Carla should probably have a little more control of the menu, because Stefan has immunity and less to lose. The chefs are taken out of their Whole Foods comfort zone and transported to Dave Barber's Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, where they will get their ingredients directly from the source. The serene setting seems to calm the tensions on Team Chicken, but further drama looms after the break.

10:11
Ok, back from winter break and back to blogging. Just because I haven't been writing about it doesn't mean I haven't been keeping up, but it's been at random times, usually Tivo-ed, and I wasn't always near a computer. Last week was a doozy, as both Melissa and Eugene said goodbye thanks to new judge Toby Young, a British restaurant critic, who replaced Gail, as she headed into married life. Thank God my beloved Carla escaped elimination, because I don't know what I'd do without her commentary. This episode wastes no time getting into the quickfire, probably because no one really missed either of last week's eliminated chefs. I know I don't. The chefs have to use a variety of canned and/or processed food items to create a "gourmet" meal, at least as gourmet as they can. Once again, Jeff goes for a trio of items. If the judges are jumping on Jamie for her scallop obsession, they better call out Jeff's love of all things three ASAP. Stefan narrowly edges Hosea and Jeff for the win with his soup and grilled cheese combo. The chefs are divided into three teams of three: lamb, chicken, and pig, and their elimination challenge is to create a seasonal meal around their protein. It sure sounds simple, but as this show proves again and again, it rarely is.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 5

11:16
As expected, Team Blue is granted the first reprieve, so it's down to Eugene, Carla, and Danny for the boot. Danny's out and deservedly so. He was delusional about both the dish and his departure, so it's nice to weed out another person who was never going to take the title. Martha Stewart is the guest judge for next week's holiday episode. It looks like more high drama will ensue, and hopefully I'll be back to let you know about it as it happens.

11:07
The Borrowed and Old teams are the top achievers this week. Jamie's carrot puree falls short to Ariane's lamb. Poor Jamie, she's nothing if not consistent, but she never takes the top spot. I expect to see her around for a while, though, so she should have plenty more opportunities for a win. So, the other two groups, Blue and New, are in the bottom. While the Blue team suffered from blandness, the New team almost completely fell apart with their ambitious sushi-sorbet-salad effort. Danny, master of sneaking some apparently foul mushrooms into Carla's salad, should absolutely get the boot, because he was a part of virtually every component of the dish. Eugene, however, messed up a lot too, so his head may be on the chopping block instead.

10:55
Well the Bravo team pulled out all the stops for Gail's bridal shower, and they put it in a gorgeous ballroom at a fancy hotel and choose Food & Wine editor Dana Cowin as the guest judge. Faux-shower host Padma steps in to make the toast before the first team serves their trio of tomato dishes, and Jeff's peculiar tomato sorbet seems to take top honors among the guests. Danny, Carla, and Eugene's dish doesn't get the women to stand up and take off their clothes. In fact, they dislike most of the components. It's awesome to see all the chefs contributing to the assembly line for Jamie, Ariane, and Radhika's Indian inspired lamb dish, which turns out to be a smaking success all around. Last up is Jamie, Melissa, and Fabio's sea bass, and the women fall for Fabio's schmoozy introduction, but the lack of seasoning does the dish in.

10:35
Carla makes the weekly Top Chef Whole Foods shopping spree even more of a spectacle than usual as she begins to call out "Hooty Hoo" in the middle of the store in an effort to find her teammates. Every time she comes on screen she seems to do something to reaffirm her status as Carla the crazy caterer. I knew from the moment that I saw that digital rice cooker that Eugene's sushi rice was in trouble, and it screws him over when the rice comes out too sticky. Stefan reveals that he's been married twice to the same women, but he's now divorced. Now, he's just full of surprises isn't he?! Melissa chooses to speak for approximately the third time this season only to say that she thinks that her team's dish lacks "pizazz." Yeah, I think she should just keep her mouth shut from now on, unless she's actually going to lend anything of interest.

10:21
The chefs draw knives labeled as "old," "new," borrowed," and "blue" to mark the occasion of the bridal shower that Padma is throwing for Gail. Ok Padma, you can take as much credit as you want, but we all know this little soiree is coming out of Bravo's budget. The teams of three have to use their keyword as inspriation for their menus, and apparently Danny thinks that pickles are "new." As Carla is quick to point out, although a little more eloquently, what the hell is he smoking?

10:11
Continue suffering in term paper hell or take a break to watch this week's new episode, is that even a decision? So Stefan has a thing for the last remaining member of Team Rainbow, Jamie. The only problem is that she's a lesbian. Well, I guess the Fin can dream, right? Luckily or unluckily, they are drawn against one another in the quickfire challenge, tasting a sauce and attempting to identify as many ingredients as possible in a sort of bracket format. Stefan ruthlessly takes out his crush, but he falls to Hosea at the final hurdle.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 4

11:00
Alex leaves and returns home to get married, not too surprising or upsetting, especially considering that I could barely remember him on a week to week basis. Next week the chefs have to cook for Gail's bridal shower, which Carla describes as a "frickin' disaster" and during which Fabio woos dozens of middle-aged women. Looks like another good one!

10:50
Haha, that psycho Kathy Lee is helping judge the winner, and it's not pretty as she spits out Jeff's shrimp right of camera. Ariane takes the win, and Carla claps and screams excitedly in the apartment. She seems more into it than Ariane herself. Rocco gives her a lame tool set of cooking tools, but her better prize is a live spot on the Today Show tomorrow, so tune in everyone, because I'm sure it will be absolutely riveting to watch her make a salad with watermelon. I think Jamie will be safe just based on past performances, but it's a toss-up between Alex, for his faulty creme brulee, and Melissa, a victim of apparently inedibly spicy shrimp, for the boot.

10:38
I'm not really sure what the point of doing the demonstrations ahead of time for the judges is. In the interest of entertaining television, I would just throw them on camera completely raw and watch them crash and burn. I mean nothing happens at all during the fourth hour of the Today Show anyways. So they chose the top 3, which includes Jeff, Fabio, and Ariane for the first time. She may be around longer than I anticipated. Jamie falls to the bottom 3 courtesy of the raw egg on top of her salad. She better get her act together, of else Team Rainbow will disolve completely. Tom comes to wake up the top 3 at 2 AM to take them to the studio at 30 Rock. I think that's the average bedtime of most Penn students these days.

10:23
That segment was seriously like 3 minutes long, and all we got to see was the shopping portion at Whole Foods, which never ceases to entertain me and Lea saying that she was planning on making a seared duck breast with corn and blueberrys. She says it works, but I think that she's lucky that she has immunity for this one.

10: 14
Ok, sorry. I knew I said that I would blog last week, but I didn't get around to watching the Tivo-ed episode until like 11 on Thanksgiving night, and I was in a semi-vegetative tryptophan induced state, so I barely recall the hopefuls assembling Thanksgiving dinner for the Foo Fighters in microwaves and toaster ovens. I do remember quite vividly Ariane rising from the ashes of the bottom three with a successful turkey and being dubbed a cougar by her teammates.

The quickfire this week is to make a breakfast amuse-bouche, and everyone does decently in impressing guest judge Rocco DiSpirito. Actually, I want to eat 90% of what the chefs cook, especially Jamie's mini breakfast BLT. Lea comes away with the win and gets a paperback of Rocco's new book. Paperback, come on, I think you can provide the hardback copy of your own book Mr. DiSpirito. Padma introduces the elimination challenge: cooking a 2.5 minute segment live on the Today Show. Carla, who is quickly rising the ranks of my favorites, says that if you go over your time limit, the producers will "cut you." I'm pretty sure she meant "cut you off," but I'll forgive her, because she reminded me of Bon Qui Qui and because she's repping my hometown of Washington, DC

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Top Chef Live Blogging Tonight!

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Don't miss a live blog of this week's Top Chef episode from Tucker, starting at 10 pm tonight!

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 2

10:59
Basically the bottom three were all totally pathetic, but Jill sealed her fate with her lame explanation. Inexplicably, Ariane seems way more upset than Jill as she weeps in Carla's arms. Jill says she'll always be cooking, but I hope she stays away from ostrich eggs. Next week, the chefs are making Thanksgiving dinner for the Foo Fighters, so get ready, because even though I'll be at home, I'll still be logging to share my thoughts.

10:52
After the judges praise Carla, they begin to lay the compliments on Fabio, but he misunderstands and begins to make excuses. It's kind of cute, I guess, but he's already grating, and I think he'll be around for a while. He wins the elimination challenge, unsurprising considering that he hogged about half of this episode's screen time. Props to Gail for calling out Jill's pathetic defense of her nasty quiche. That may be enough to drop her below Ariane on the elimination ladder.

10: 40
I'd just like to interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to say how excited I am for the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion on Tuesday, seriously, best show ever. Ok, back to my second favorite show. Ok, Fabio is funny, or whatever, but why does he get to talk so much? I haven't even half of these strangers since their introductions last episode, and he's talking about dragons and princesses every other second. These diners are just like I expected, overly critical and just plain annoying. "You go on Top Chef and you make meatloaf. I mean, come on," says one of them. You don't make it on Top Chef and all you can do is make fun of meatloaf. I mean, come on, at least come up with a better insult to entertain me. I wasn't going to comment on the individual dishes yet, but that avocado mousse looks repulsive. Rhadika is lucky that she has immunity. I'm calling Ariana to go with her "violently sweet" lemon meringue martini.

10:22
So the elimination challenge is to create a three course New-American lunch menu. I always love watching the chefs shopping for groceries. Scratch that, I love watching the faces of the other people in the store who either ignore the camera or look extremely confused. Jill's making an ostrich egg quiche, and it's appropriate, because she actually kind of looks like an ostrich with that long neck. Tom comes in an drops the bombshell that they'll be cooking at Craft, his restuarant, and even better, that the chefs will be cooking for people who tried out for the show but didn't make it. It will be nice to see these not-quite-talented reality show hopefuls be as critical as possible.

10:11
Ok, so we're back for another week, and we get a quickfire hot dog competition right off the bat, and they actually have to make the hot dogs. Ew, I don't think I want to see this. Yeah, I didn't need to see the sausage stuffing, but some of the chefs came up with some innovative stuff. Eugene's sushi dog actually looks foul, and based on the look on the guest judge's face it tasted that way too. Radhika won with her Indian-inspired dog, which looked delicious, although I find it funny that last episode she said that she wanted to venture away from Indian cuisine, yey she's already resorted to it once or twice.

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Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 1

11:14
Ok, so we've learned that inspiration is more important than execution, and Patrick is eliminated second, although I'm sure that the judges will contradict that at least six or seven times this season. The season preview looks fantastic, with appearances from Martha Stewart, and Philadelphia's own Stephen Starr, or so I hear. Padma wraps things up with "That rice was appalling." I can't wait for next week.

11:07
I'm calling it now, Stefan is going to be the cocky success story of this season, at least one of them, as there are usually more than one. I mean just look at that smug grin as Gail tells him that she adores his lemony hummus. I think that they're being a little harsh on Ariane; only one aspect of her dish was off. Patrick should be a goner, thanks to those gooey black rice noodles. Uh oh, Ariane may have just done herself in with that book comment. Master Tom is not happy.

10:57
God, the first sight of this food makes me hate my daily meals at Commons that much more. Three teams down, and no huge disasters yet. Come on people, it's early so feel free to crash and burn. Ok, Jeff's plate looks just pathetic. He might have considered spending less time on his hair and more time on his plating, but apparently his dish still tasted good, because he won his duel. Where was Padma's "This is not risotto" from the preview? She needs to throw down a little more if she wants to recapture my affection.

10: 40
Nice opening elimination challenge, taking advantage of the plethora of ethnic neighborhoods in New York. Carla the caterer, preparing to cook a Russian dish, decides to "let the spirits guide [her.]" Ok, you just do that Carla. I'm also thinking that some of these groups got a little screwed. Most of them would probably have a wider knowledge of Middle Eastern or Italian cuisine than Jamaican...right? I'm surprised that there are so many salads coming through, as I thought that some of these chefs would want to bring out the big guns from the get go.

10:25
Well I was wrong, big surprise, but I'm relieved that I don't have to listen to that grating accent for an entire season. The digs are nice, as usual, but I'm convinced that they just live in the same place every season and teleport to the challenge sites. At least that's what it looks like. And we're not even halfway through the first episode and some of these egomaniacs are already arguing about the differences between a vinaigrette and an emulsion. Oh how I've missed this.

10: 15
Woohoo, it's finally back! After a little bit of getting to know the contestants, Padma and Tom wasted no time in laying down the law with the first quickfire challenge. At first the thought of watching the chefs peel apples seemed pretty mundane, but the combination of incredible speed and a little bit of blood quickly got me interested. I'm predicting that Patrick is going to go after the break, but both of those dishes looked pretty lackluster.
PS - I'm excited to know that they were as excited about seeing Padma as I was.

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