So I missed the second episode. I'm sure I'll watch it online at some point, but I'll summarize what happened based on the previews:
Mike Holmes: "I'm Mike Holmes, I'm also on TV. Now cook with power tools!"
Contestants: "There's a saw here, I should cut bread with it!!!"
Mike Holmes: "Some of you are no good at cooking with power tools."
Contestants: "I guess I wasted my time going to that stupid cooking school."
I didn't see the judging but (SPOILER) the guy who made Indian fish & chips on the first episode goes home. I like the name of his restaurant. That is all.
For the third episode, I went to Muse with some friends to cheer on Xavier. He hasn't fared too well so far, and as someone who has also gotten the stink-eye from Chef McEwan, I was betting that he would be raked over the coals again, maybe even go home.
Flash summary of the quickfire:
Thea Andrews: "I'm Thea Andrews, the host from last year. I am going to be having a baby IMMEDIATELY. We all know pregnant women are crazy people who eat nothing but mushrooms with peaches on top. Now cook some. But make it taste good!!"
Contestants: "I guess I wasted my time going to that stupid cooking school."
Thea Andrews: "Wasabi oatmeal chicken wings are DEEELICIOUS! Xavier, your raw spinach insults my palate."
Moving on to the elimination challenge, we carry on with the pregnancy theme, given that both Thea and resident judge Shereen Arazm are mega-pregnant. The cheftestants are paired up to produce foods for a baby shower cocktail party, and are encouraged to make one a "girl food" and one a "boy food" (sugar&spice vs. frogs&snails??)
Several contestants produce some fine-looking grub, with some very pretty pink macarons winning the day (yes, they are hard to make and even I would have hesitated to try to make them in an oven I didn't know).
On the bad end of the spectrum, however, we find a duo of balls. Yes balls. The fallback item for any cocktail reception. Don't know what to make? Running low on time? Mix some stuff together and roll it into balls. Goat cheese balsamic prosciutto balls? Ok, that's the boy one because it's made with goat? Am I getting that right? Rice, rosewater chili and white chocolate balls? OK, that's GOT to be the girl one because there's rosewater and that makes it a girl, right?
Given that we were watching the show at Muse, we were graciously given one of Xavier's offending goat cheese balls to judge for ourselves. It was not one of the finest things I've ever eaten, and I could see it being spat out by someone with a delicate palate (read: an eight-and-3/4-months pregnant woman).
After much commiserating between the judges about just how awful Sarah and Xavier's balls were, they were called back and Sarah got the axe.
Watching a respected colleague get dressed down on TV brought back memories of my own judges table experience. It sucks to be called out when you haven't done your best work, especially when you know you can do better. That being said, in the end it's a TV show and not your life and just participating in its production was one of the more interesting and fun experiences I've ever had. Hopefully everyone who participated this season comes away with a similar attitude.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Top Chef Canada : Season 2
So I just finished watching the debut episode of Top Chef Canada. The thing that was the most striking for me was how utterly similar it was to the first season. Toronto location? Check. Three women? Check. French guy? Check. Same credits, same condo, same music, same sets.
The big difference? NO LOBLAWS!! The cheftestants don't go shopping, don't appear to have budget restrictions, and don't have to make do with the selection of a grocery store's shelves. Sponge Towels has graduated to the level of major sponsor, so get ready to see a LOT of spill-cleaning this season.
We meet the chefs, they do the classic reception-buffet quickfire challenge, which features lots of running around under the hawk-eyes of Mark McEwan and new host Lisa Ray. We are reminded that McEwan has the fairest palate in the land, as he points out to a mortified cheftestant that the tuile she chose is made from *gasp!* Parmesan, NOT potato, DUH! He succeeds at communicating his superiority with nothing more than a look and a pause, a tiny cock of the eyebrow when Xavier (the only chef of the 16 that I know personally) denies that his melty brie skewer was deep fried. Dun-dun-DUUUN!
The chefs do a quick intro to their new digs and then it's off to the elimination challenge. They run around, cook some food, talk about it, and the judges judge. We learn that bread foam really is as awful as it sounds. We learn that a master's in engineering is all you need to make great Peking duck. We learn that wearing a tall toque (also known as the shark-fin) doesn't prevent you from being the first one to get kicked off Top Chef (William, we barely knew ya).
Trista wins the challenge, along with some cash, for her rendition of "meat & potatoes". I'm sure she gave a more eloquent explanation of her dish, but that's what you get in the first episode, with sixteen chefs to introduce, there's not much time for poetry. Trista is being portrayed as having a nice chip on her shoulder about being the wife of another chef, and at first glance her intensity reminds me of Connie. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and make a totally un-scientific prediction: she will win the series.
Seeing the chefs' sweat-soaked faces and watching the chaos of the first episode brought back lots of memories of my own experience on Top Chef, and it was enjoyable to watch. Like most viewers, I'm looking forward to learning more about the contestants, and watching the drama unfold.
The big difference? NO LOBLAWS!! The cheftestants don't go shopping, don't appear to have budget restrictions, and don't have to make do with the selection of a grocery store's shelves. Sponge Towels has graduated to the level of major sponsor, so get ready to see a LOT of spill-cleaning this season.
We meet the chefs, they do the classic reception-buffet quickfire challenge, which features lots of running around under the hawk-eyes of Mark McEwan and new host Lisa Ray. We are reminded that McEwan has the fairest palate in the land, as he points out to a mortified cheftestant that the tuile she chose is made from *gasp!* Parmesan, NOT potato, DUH! He succeeds at communicating his superiority with nothing more than a look and a pause, a tiny cock of the eyebrow when Xavier (the only chef of the 16 that I know personally) denies that his melty brie skewer was deep fried. Dun-dun-DUUUN!
The chefs do a quick intro to their new digs and then it's off to the elimination challenge. They run around, cook some food, talk about it, and the judges judge. We learn that bread foam really is as awful as it sounds. We learn that a master's in engineering is all you need to make great Peking duck. We learn that wearing a tall toque (also known as the shark-fin) doesn't prevent you from being the first one to get kicked off Top Chef (William, we barely knew ya).
Trista wins the challenge, along with some cash, for her rendition of "meat & potatoes". I'm sure she gave a more eloquent explanation of her dish, but that's what you get in the first episode, with sixteen chefs to introduce, there's not much time for poetry. Trista is being portrayed as having a nice chip on her shoulder about being the wife of another chef, and at first glance her intensity reminds me of Connie. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and make a totally un-scientific prediction: she will win the series.
Seeing the chefs' sweat-soaked faces and watching the chaos of the first episode brought back lots of memories of my own experience on Top Chef, and it was enjoyable to watch. Like most viewers, I'm looking forward to learning more about the contestants, and watching the drama unfold.
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