The Taste Season 2, Episode 1

The Taste Season 2 Episode 1 judges

It’s the second season of The Taste, and *gasp* they’ve replaced the weasley little guy with dreamy-eyed Marcus Samuelsson! For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, there are four “mentor” chefs who choose teams of cooks to compete against each other for…bragging rights? Money? Both? The mentors are:

  • My imaginary boyfriend Anthony Bourdain
  • Scandal-plagued British chef Nigella Lawson
  • Frenchy French French French Ludo Lefebvre
  • Ethiopian-by-way-of-Sweden chef Marcus Samuelson

First up is a hipster dish (pronounced “eepstair” by Bourdain, for Ludo’s benefit) by a professional chef named Jeff. He deconstructed rice cake with a quail egg, but it was a little sticky for Tony, a little dry for Marcus, a little toothsome for Nigella who offers him a spot in her kitchen anyhow, and bleu bleu bleu which I guess is an invitation from Ludo. Jeff goes with Team Ludo.

Reina is a home cook who has this Charo thing happening, which is not a good thing for the kitchen because it creates chaos. Her spoons look disgusting. It looks like dog food but has good flavor and texture. Is Nigella seriously adding this mess to her team? Good luck with that, lady.

Don is a Texas winemaker, which, that’s a thing that happens? Okay! Kind of love him. He lost his high school sweetheart wife nine months ago and cooking brought him back from the brink. YOU MUST PUT DON ON A TEAM, PEOPLE! He prepared Thai-spiced deep-fried oysters, which yum. Tony passes, Nigella is a no, Ludo is a yes! And keeps calling him “bro”! And Marcus is a yes! Go with Team Marcus so you don’t have to listen to the wine snobbery, Don. Trust me. Also, Marcus has six freaking James Beard awards. Yes! Team Marcus! My money is now on Don, which means he will likely go down in the first round.

Don The Taste Season 2

Some guy named Sevan who is an admitted douchenozzle has the audacity to serve raw food as an audition for a cooking competition. He says that it is a “tropical spoon of love with the ocean inside of it.” Tony says it’s every food crime in one, Marcus calls it disgusting, and Sevan is on his way home.

Sarah’s on Marcus’s team, some chick is on Nigella’s team, and a guy in a green jacket is on Marcus’s team. So, Tony doesn’t have a single cook. Picky, picky, picky. There’s a woman named Shellie with a stoner comfort food truck up next, and she curses a lot so I’m hoping she ends up on Tony’s team. But she forgot her show plate and the spoons were a little too full. Ludo found it bland, the balance was off for Nigella, Marcus calls it unfocused, and of course Tony gives her a spot on his team.

Next up is a vegetarian. But she prepared Indian food, which is in Ton’s wheelhouse. And they all like it, sort of. Hmm. It’s too sweet for all of the chefs, so the vegetarian takes the long walk of shame.

Oh jeez. Cassandra is a “healthy living guru” from New York City, and she is making cupcakes and cannot stop giggling. But wait! They’re vegan cupcakes! Lemme guess…she’s single. “If there’s anything I’d put my fate in, it would be a cupcake heh heh huh heh!” The judges are making disgusting faces and in walks Peppy In Pink. Ludo looks like he’s going to shove those vegan cupcakes where the sun don’t shine. Go home, useless vegan! Wait, what? Ludo’s pissed because he accidentally pressed the “yes” button and can’t take it back! Oh my. He looks nauseous.

The Taste Season 2 Cassandra

There’s this nutter Audrey who is obsessed with Nigella. She’s making meatballs, which I think makes her a nutball. Lugo says the meatballs are “not so good,” they were too “healthy” for Tony, Nigella found it too dry and…there’s the puppy dog face. And for some reason, Marcus gives her a spot on his team. Rookie move, Marcus.

Lee the waiter is really a chef. He is preparing lobster tail in bacon chowder, potato chive crisp, and other deliciousness. Tony is drooling all over this guy. Invite from Nigella, Marcus, Ludo, and “you remind me of me” Tony. Aaaand Lee joins Tony’s team, which means I have to share my imaginary boyfriend with another man.

Jay is a wedding cake designer and his ginger pork pot stickers lure in Bourdain, Ludo, and Nigella. He chooses Nigella’s team.

Kyle is an executive chef somewhere in the wilds of Los Angeles. He was on the first season and went home for some wacky chicken fried watermelon. Kyle has learned not a thing from his first ouster and serves up a reconstructed something-or-other that looks like a ball of fluff. Ludo spits it out, and Nigella recalls “that one laaahhhst year with the watermelon,” and out walks Kyle. As Tony says, “technically, you did an extraordinary thing, but it doesn’t taste good!” Kyle’s taste buds must be shot, and the chefs send him packing.

The Taste Season 2 Kyle

Dana gets a yes from Marcus and Anthony with a steak taco even though she announced to the world that she doesn’t enjoy working with male chefs. She picks Tony because he’s sweet and cuddly and filled with rainbows and unicorns and not at all like a male chef.

Shehu is a (hottish) professional chef from the mean streets of Staten Island. He’s preparing seared scallops with celery root puree and a red wine reduction. Hmm. Nigella bites, Ludo passes, Tony is a no, and Marcus quotes the Wu-Tang Clan in an effort to woo him over to his team. Shehu picks Marcus’s team, which he calls “Team NYC.”

Nigella needs one more cook, and Ludo needs two. Louise the food stylist does not want to be on Ludo’s team because she thinks that he wouldn’t take her seriously, but he’s the only one who chooses her so there you have it.

More spoons, lots of rejects, “theeez deeesh is vurrry sad.” Then, Marina the middle-aged free-spirit home cook rolls in and cooks fried shrimp and pickled broccoli stem. There’s also Michelle, a professional cook who has a chicken and waffles restaurant. The judges pass on Michelle’s corn cake and filet mignon, but Ludo snaps up Marina.

So those are the teams. A smattering of miscellaneousness, and no surprise, each team was required to take one wackadoodle. Game on.

Reprinted from HealthyWayToCook.com

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6 thoughts on “The Taste Season 2, Episode 1

  1. haha, I actually am the vegan cupcake lady. I actually do have a boyfriend, I don’t know why being vegetarian or giggling makes me likely to be single. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed the show and hope you find me a little bit more like-able in the next episode! Thanks for watching! :)

    • Well I’ll be, you are the vegan cupcake lady! Fantastic. Good luck with the whole feeding-vegan-food-to-Bourdain thing, I look forward to seeing how that pans out.

  2. I’m the “sad” bitch reject in PInk! Thanks for the nameless shameless mention! A visual of what you didn’t see: Sicilian Jersey Swearing Hot Mess! But it’s not about entertaining…it’s all about the Taste!

    • Erm, I don’t recall referring to you as a bitch? Unless you’re the vegan cupcake lady, in which case I was thinking it while I was typing. Anyhoo, welcome! And if you ever want to spill the beans about your experience on The Taste, I’m all ears.

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