The Top Chef finale starts out like all Top Chef finales do—with Padma frolicking in ocean, wearing the itsy bitsiest of string bikinis. She barely even bothered to dry herself off to inroduce the challenge, which is to cook a four course meal. Continue reading
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We’re back, and we’ve dragged seven chefs with us through the bayou. The Quickfire Challenge is an impossible task—cook crawfish etouffee for John Besh. In forty-five minutes. The task is made even more impossible for Stephanie, who has a severe shellfish allergy. Continue reading
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Oh, Restaurant Wars. How much do I love thee? Eh, not so much, actually. It’s become a tad predictable—never do front of the house, and always have a complete dish to stand behind but not salad, because nobody ever wins Top Chef with a salad. Continue reading
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So my DVR hates me and I missed the first nine minutes of Top Chef. But from what I can surmise, it was a rotating relay race musical chairs thing Quickfire Challenge and not everybody appreciated the mess they were left by the earlier chefs. Also, someone managed to crisp up bacon in a microwave, which means that microwave must be made of magic. The least favorite dishes were frog legs and a tofu salad. Brian’s duck and mussels is the winning dish and Brian has immunity in the next challenge. Sara is kind of annoyed because she started at that station and set him up for a great dish in her own mind. Continue reading
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Padma barges in on breakfast and brings a guest, John Besh, and the words nobody ever wants to hear on Top Chef: Please pack an overnight bag. It’s a day in the country, and that country is a farm. It’s where the Creole tomato is grown, which are pretty much just like the beefsteak tomato. Continue reading
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All of the pantry ingredients and kitchen tools are wrapped in tinfoil of no particular brand for the Quickfire Challenge. The chefs are divided into two teams and have thirty minutes to create three dishes. And, Padma and Gail’s mommies are going to shop in the pantry for all of their ingredients and tools. And, the chefs have to use every ingredients in their shopping carts. This is going to be fun. Also, Gail’s mom is way hotter than Padma’s mom. Continue reading
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Emeril arrives at the Top Chef Chalet and divides the contestants into three groups of five for their Elimination Challenge. Each team must prepare a meal of Vietnamese cuisine, and one of the dishes must highlight shrimp. Sounds easy, especially if you are Travis, the self-proclaimed Captain Vietnam despite being a white boy from Colorado. Continue reading
by Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief of Food and Wine Magazine, is the guest judge. The Quickfire Challenge is all about the worst food trends. Dana wants the chefs to reinvent them in thirty minutes. Oh, and it’s an elimination challenge, and also an immunity challenge. So what does Dana Cowin think are the worst food trends? Continue reading
by Padma: I know you’re all tired from the elimination challenge that ended about four minutes ago and still reeling from seeing me, the Great Goddess Padma, in person, but we’re in New Orleans and I’ve got the munchies, so go make me some gumbo. Now! Continue reading
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