The best thing about this week's "Top Chef" is that it happened directly after a very special preview episode of "GLEE" filled America's 9-10pm hour with laughter, tears and Les Mis songs (Dear Jane Lynch-you're amazing!)
So-at least WAITING for 10pm to happen was not excruciating.
The second best thing about this week's "Top Chef" is that Mike Isabella, everyone's favorite pet-hate project, did what no contestant has done before-went swiftly from the winner circle to the loser circle. He got really mad in the process, and it was kind of awesome (or at least vaguely entertaining to watch).
Other than that-it was kind of a dud of an episode.
The quickfire (which this week did NOT involve winning 15 grand for 45 minutes of work) included making something out of potatoes, and there was some minor drama when Preeti threw away Ashley's boiling water (I kind of wish she at least threw the water of someone a little more volatile out: like Jen or Mike or Jessie, because at least them there would have been some drama) and Jen won. Again.
Mike Isabella called it "favoritism", I call it "bad tv".
If by 3rd episode we already know who's gonna win it all (because she's already winning everything) then-what's the point of watching the next 14?
Exactly.
Anyway, Jen got immunity (which she didn't need) and the main challenge involved cooking food for 300 air men.
This, naturally, is a lovely, humane challenge, so, naturally, the food was not going to be anything special.
Especially since they only got to work with what food and equipment that already existed in the army barracks kitchen.
Long story short-they all hustled in pairs of two, with Jen as the chef de cuisine running the barracks kitchen with a steel hand and A LOT of sharpies.
No drama happened, aside from Jessie (almost) getting teary eyed about needing to use some pot Mattin was using for making his bechamel, but you know, who the efff cares?
The food mostly looked like food I seriously make in my non-trained kitchen all the time: some chilli, potatoes, pork, pasta salads, bread pudding....not necessarily the kind of stuff Top Chef dreams are made of.
Michael V won for his braised bacon/lettuce taco since it was actually not something your mother teaches you to make when you're 14 (with the "fat kid sympathy" duo of Kevin and Eli trailing right behind him) and Preeti got sent home for the pasta salad which was a. a pasta salad and b. not a very good one.
Payback for throwing people's boiling water out is a bitch, apparently.
(remember when Zoey went home in season 4 for HER not very good pasta salad? Pasta salad, apparently, IS the new dessert).
Mike Isabella, as I said, ALMOST went home but he didn't so look forward to him being more and more bossy as the season goes by.
Can't wait.
Yeah, so that was it.
The problem with this season is that no one is completely dismal, Jessie seems to have curbed her crying needs (someone must have gotten the Memo that it is NOT "Top Chef" that moved to lifetime) though I am hoping for some tasteful self mutilation from her soon, Jen and/or Brothers Voltaggio will will everything (with only Kevin being able to oppose them) and that is that.
And nothing else left to say on my end.
Your thoughts?
God loves a cheerful giver.
Preeti is the chef at the Google cafeteria. I'm sure her pasta salad would have been just fine there in the cold salad serving station next to the cous cous with craisins and parsley.
Go Team Voltaggio!
Preethe needed to go, but so does Jessie. She hasn't cooked one decent thing yet.
What is with the terrible fake tans on one of the Voltaggio brothers?
It wasn't exciting because there was no disaster. Jen's got skills as a referee, so the fights the producers envisioned over whose turn it was on the one grill never materialized.
In addition to an absence of faux hawks this season, there also aren't any really awful home cooks who don't know how to use salt and lead Tom to incredulously ask 'did you even taste this?'
the sweet potato soup didn't look too appetizing and lacked in presentation (no garnish, no nothing!). if that had been the main challenge her ass would have been sent home in my opinion. and as i remember, was that not the dish that had the excess cayenne kick?
...next week-the chefs cook for MGMT! Get excited.
Anyone who makes pasta salad on Top Chef should be kicked off. Way too simple. If I can make it, it shouldn't be on Top Chef.