I left Durham for Manhattan and the Next Iron Chef party and what was a reunion of all the chefs who competed. Also good to see the elegant and intense chairman, and the impressive Alton Brown, who, in "real" life is pretty much exactly as he is on the screen, though his sense of humor is, happily, more wicked than parental discretion rules allow on the network. It debuts today, Sunday, October 7 at 9 pm on the food network.
I've always been excited about this show because it does pit eight talented chef-restaurateurs against one another and focuses, more than any other competition shows I've seen, on the food and on the cooking. The "reality" quotient is as high as it can logically be. And frankly, i'm looking forward to seeing how grumpy my fellow judge Andrew Knowlton comes off as.
I'll be here after the debut for Monday morning quarterbacking and to field questions and comments, should there be any.
S. Woody
A friend of mine worked (briefly) as an editor on Good Eats, and lived close to Alton for a while. She would definately agree with your ascessment of the fellow.
JoP in Omaha
I am so looking forward to this series. I enjoyed the latest "Top Chef" series because, in general, the skills of the contestants was higher than they've had in the past. And how 'bout Casey doing pork belly in the final?! Too bad she overcooked it.
Anyway, "The Next Iron Chef" will be even better. I've watched all the Iron Chef episodes that have aired this week and plan to watch 'em all again today during the marathon they're running this afternoon. The promo spots they've done are cool, and yesterday, Knowlton was interviewed on a local radio show about food. I'm thoroughly engaged, and I'm looking forward to seeing you in action, Ruhlman. I'm so pleased they picked you to participate.
Let the battles begin!
artnlit
I watched a special about Iron Chef last night and saw your promo, Michael. You came across well. I look forward to seeing the new lineup, but admittedly, am a little nervous about it, since it IS a slightly different show now (a la reality fight to the death). However, I will refrain from making judgements until I view the first episode.
fiat lux
I've been an Iron Chef fan since the days of the Japanese original on FN; looking forward to tonight!
jaye joseph
One of my good friends worked on the show, but she's been so busy that I haven't even gotten a minute to talk to her about it (not that she could anyway, probably). I'm looking forward to the debut tonight which is saying a lot for a Food TV show.
Tags
Looks like it's time to buy another new VHS tape.
Maybe once the FN folks spend some time with you, you can "cure" their thinking about every contest being about speed. If anyone can get them to promote shows geared more toward quality ingredients and quality processes (read: slow food,) it's you.
I'd love to see them try a contest with chefs given a month instead of an hour. Their viewers who actually do prepare food in a hurry can do it because they won't have to spend the whole month - but just a few minutes spread out over that month.
Part of the mission of that contest can be to have the contestants show that slow food need not take up so much time if you let Mother Nature do the heavy lifting.
fiat lux
Tags -- it's an intersting idea, but the issue would be the filming logistics. Having a camera crew show up to shoot a few minutes of film several times over the course of one month would be an expensive PITA.
Maybe if you gave the participants hand-held cameras, though.... hmmm.....
The Foodist
Looking forward to the show
Nic Heckett
Hi Michael - I was watching the Mourou/Flay Frozen Pea Battle rerun last night. When you next see Alton Brown, explain to him that Serrano Ham is not "like Prosciutto" it IS Prosciutto. Prosciutto means ham. Jamon, ham, jambon, prosciutto all have identical meaning. Prosciutto does not designate a dry-cured product - that would be Prosciutto Crudo, as compared to Prosciutto Cotto, or cooked ham. It is even a prosciutto while it is walking around on the backside of a pig. And can someone convince the people at Whole Foods that Italian Salami should come from Italy, and probably should not be a cooked product.I am sure that Neiman Ranch has a perfectly acceptable dry-cured product, but it is surely not "Italian Salami". Rant over.
sorchar
This show is the main reason I just got a DVR box. Really looking forward to it.
Tags
With film, you can shoot all the steps at one time. It doesn't have to be the same food at the end as at the beginning. They can have the different stages ready at filming time to show what they'd look like, then shoot everything at once.
And people will learn something about slow food prep.
Tags
Nic;
Yes and no (only in America)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosciutto
bonnibella
"I watched a special about Iron Chef last night and saw your promo, Michael. You came across well."
I agree...but I think he needed a haircut. 🙂
JoP in Omaha
As I'm watching the Next Iron Chef pre-game show, a question that's been bugging me has come to mind.
One of the things that intrigues me when watching chefs cook on the fly is their understanding of flavors...their knowledge of what flavors will work together. That's one of the things that keeps me tied to recipes....it's not so much for guidance about the quantities of things, but for suggestions about combinations of flavors that are suited to each other.
I have several textbook-type books, but I don't yet have the two major ones, the Pro Chef and McGee. The books I have don't discuss "theory" of flavor. Do either Pro Chef or McGee do this? If not, where can I turn to pick up some background on this?
FoodPuta
Interesting consideration: Seems like this evening the ole Food Network is going to have a lot of it's biggest network critics as some of the most anticipated viewers.
I wonder if there's a Nielsen Rating category for that??
You should be proud of yourself Ruhlman.
Frances
I'm really looking forward to the show tonight. I'm pulling for Michael Symon and hope he does well. It might be nice to see Mr. Ruhlman on TV not having to spar with Mr. Bourdain. 🙂
And now for something completely different. I was looking at the pictures of the Top Chef finale dishes. On at least one occasion, I've wondered what exactly it is that turns me off about foam on my plate. As I was looking at those pictures, it came to me what it was. I swear the duck dish looks like my cat ate some grass and yacked on the plate. Foamy, yellowish, bedragled piece of grass in the mix. Anyone who has a cat knows what I'm talking about.
cookiecrumb
Alton has a potty mouth?
Heh heh.
Lester Hunt
I recently noticed in the Wikipedia article that A B is a serious born-again Christian, and a Southern Baptist. Knowing that he is a bit of a potty-mouth, for me, redeems him to some extent. (Okay, I'm being narrow-minded. I admit it!)
The Professor
Ruhlman ... you are the"shizit" ...very good show. Man, you were very adamant in all your comments. The axe to your hometown guy was surprising and correct. This season is going to be great. P.S.-Where is Mr. Bourdain? No blog on Top Chef with about a billion hits.
Frances
Great show. The sweat-drops hanging off the chef's noses was kind of...um...icky. Other than that, I can't wait to see the next challenge.
The Professor
Ruhlman how rude of me..."you are the shiznit"...sorry for the faux pas.
Claudia
*****SPOILER ALERT - THE NEXT IRON CHEF AMERICA*********
Weeeeeeellllll . . . so Iron Chef America has borrowed heavily from Top Chef. A quick fire challenge (knife skills and speed), followed by an elimination challenge, and then - the Dread Judgment. I'm really glad Michael Symon survived - he looked heartbroken that he might be going home. And I'm very glad to have seen John Besh come out on top. But you obviously have to keep your eyes on Chef Sanchez - looks like he isn't embracing 'the "Knives down!" injunction . . . . umm . . . quite in the spirit he should.
Looking good, Michael. Very serious, very earnest - and appropriate that you should stand up for some of those near-impossible desserts that ther other judges were quick to nitpick to death.
CMHfoodie
OK I'm hooked for the series. Sure it borrows from Top Chef, but I think the format is perfectly appropriate for determining a new Iron Chef.
I think it's Besh's to lose, he just seems to be a caliber above the others, and the way he performed in the first epi showed that. Morou and Sanchez I also liked alot and would not at all have a problem seeing win.
SPOILER
And not surprised DesJardins got the chop - she did not use her savory ingredient at all in her dessert - it was an accompaniment on top. At least Symon attempted to integrate the pork/bacon into his dish, but DesJardins' dessert seemed more like the dessert with salmon roe on top, not a salmon roe dessert.
megan
I am ENTHRALLED with this show and upset that i'll miss most/all of it while in Rome. The pressure-cooked/fried tripe was ingenious!
PS Michael kicked my ass at ping pong during the commercials...pingping wizard...
... more later on that crazy guy in the catskills with the Basement Bistro - Insanely good - you MUST go there
The Foodist
Michael;
was there anything about Traci Des Jardins' dishes you did like?
josh
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/262959
doesn't this article give away the winner?
WhatisCanadianCuisine?
You have got to be kidding me. The Toronto Star is just askin for a lawsuit, arent they?
The Professor
Josh...why would you give out that info, even if it is true. In my previous post I gave(wrong-maybe?) information so that I would not spoil it for anyone who watches the later show.
Deacon
Michael,
How is the voting done? Is it point based, do you have a discussion, or something else? Are producers involved as I have heard happens on some "reality" shows or does it really come down to the three of you?
Finally, do you have to guard against any possible bias in favor of the Clevelander Michael Symon?
Thanks. I enjoyed the show.
FoodPuta
Although the similarities to the Top Chef award, what I enjoy most from this, is actually the similarities to Iron Chef. It's just a competition!
For the competitors, this is basically just bragging rights to winning.
None of the contestants are hinging their career on this one single event.
I like!!
I look forward to a fist fight between the judges...
WhatisCanadianCuisine?
Professor - I agree. Im pissed as fuck. Im hitting myself in the head for clicking on that link. I honestly thought it was a joke since FN is so heavily guarded with their secrets.
WhatisCanadianCuisine?
Professor - I agree. Im pissed as fuck. Im hitting myself in the head for clicking on that link. I honestly thought it was a joke since FN is so heavily guarded with their secrets.
Nic Heckett
Great show. Not breaking new ground, but lots of fun. Nice to see the CIA look so impressive. WRT that Wiki article, it is incorrect in several areas. Prosciutto in Italy often uses nitrites, in fact some DOP ham can use it , such as P. Di Modena. If I really cared, I would amend the article myself. USDA has a definition of Prosciutto, that defines it for Americans. I think it is a little culturally arrogant to usurp a word from another language and then redefine it, but I suppose we already did that with Parmesan cheese-like product, and we are the nation that holds a 'World Series'(with a straight face) that includes only 2 countries. Cultural arrogance is part of our culture. If my Italian friends had seen this Nieman Ranch product labeled as 'Italian Salami' they would have been pretty pissed off. However you slice it, ham is ham, cook it - cure it - wear it on your head, it is still a pig's ass.
Todd
JoP in Omaha:
"Do either Pro Chef or McGee do this? If not, where can I turn to pick up some background on this?"
The Pro Chef doesn't do this and McGee might do it indirectly (I often have to coax what I want to apply practically out of McGee, though once a technique is learned, the science behind it is interesting).
I would suggest Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. It has a huge reference of what flavors pair well with what including highlights of classic and seasonal pairings as well as testimonies from chefs about their menus, constructing their menus and the reason why they constructed the menus the way they did.
On the show -- watched it and will likely tivo the rest. After a very good (if not slightly long) season of Top Chef, I'm not sure I have the energy for yet-another-reality-show in this format. The unfortunate thing is after the edit that Alton got on The Next Food Network Star, I just don't enjoy watching him any more -- he's fallen too far to the snark side for me.
stuckiniowa
I liked the show tonight, and don't mind Iron Chef America as a whole, but I just can't get past the cheesy movements and persona of the chairman or whatever the fuck his name is. It's just artificial and awkward. Where Alton, the chefs, and fuck, even that Brauch dude to a certain extent have some kind of legitimacy, I don't understand why I should give a fuck about the chairman guy.
stuckiniowa
I liked the show tonight, and don't mind Iron Chef America as a whole, but I just can't get past the cheesy movements and persona of the chairman or whatever the fuck his name is. It's just artificial and awkward. Where Alton, the chefs, and fuck, even that Brauch dude to a certain extent have some kind of legitimacy, I don't understand why I should give a fuck about the chairman guy.
logicalmind
Hmmmm, Ruhlman is a judge... He is from Cleveland... Michale Symon is from cleveland... Ruhlman heavily promotes Michael Symon in his books and tv appearances.... $10 says Symon wins, any takers?
Todd
The Chairman is a throwback to the original Iron Chef. It was cheesy then, it's cheesy now.
My only complaint about the chairman is that he needs a few new questions when starting the judging portion. "... how did you approach today's secret ingredient?" "... what was your strategy for today's secret ingredient", and "... what was your inspiration for your meal?"
Just once I'd like to see the chefs reply, respectively: "With fire", "Cooking" and "the secret ingredient, dammit!"
Nicki
I was SO excited about this show. And now, because I **am** a compulsive linker, ...... GRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Traci DesJardins was not the weakest link tonight. Not by a long shot. This is really, really disappointing.
stuckiniowa
I know it's a throwback, but he's even more annoying than the original guy, his uncle...or however the fuck the plot goes. Maybe I'd find the first guy equally cheesy if I spoke Japanese.
ruhlman
...just back from a dinner celebrating charlie trotter's 20th anniversary featuring david myers, heston blumenthal, ferran adria, tetsuya wakuda, thomas keller, daniel boulud and pierre herme and many of their key staff and the staff at trotters...even the most jaded of food journalists would be impressed by these chefs in one kitchen. i think even the chefs were surprised and delighted and felt lucky to be cooking with so many of their friends ... it was pretty amazing. intend to respond to all comments once i see my way through this happy vinous haze...
Justin D
Mr. Ruhlman, before the show I had not seen a picture of you even though I've been reading your blog for quite awhile. I had built an image of you that closely resembled Howie from Top Chef. What a surprise I had when finally seeing you. A pleasant surprise, to be sure.
I like the show. I have totally made arbitrary alliances with certain chefs (Sanchez and Morou) while having written off others just as arbitrarily (Davie and Kaysen). That's what reality TV is all about!
JMW
I second the above comment about Bourdain's absence -- we demand blogs!
Anyway -- I saw the Next Iron Chef -- having just eaten at Incanto on Friday, I have a bias for Mr. Cosentino. I like to live vicariously through my friendly neighborhood would-be Iron Chefs. 🙂
But overall the show is just silly -- I mean, I know it's Iron Chef and campiness is part of the schtick ... but it's just over-the-top silly. Part of what makes Iron Chef great is that it's a campy premise for a very serious competition. When it's most successful, the campiness does not bleed into the food and cooking aspect.
Like the savory dessert concept featured tonight -- it's too self-referential; it screams "the Next Iron Chef must make a crazy dessert because that's what Iron Chefs do -- they make crazy desserts with whatever ingredient is available!"
But on the show -- at its best, again -- the Iron Chefs make the seemingly impossible dessert because it's the best creative option available for that particular ingredient. Therein lies the serious element the show is supposed to highlight -- deft artistry under pressure.
Let's hope the Food Network doesn't further seek to undermine the real educational value of Iron Chef America. What I really love about Iron Chef is that it simultaneously poses and answers a vital question -- how far can one go with food? The campy atmosphere serves to pull one in; then we realize the question is both very serious and very much worth answering. Chefs every day must answer this question in the marketplace with limited choices of ingredients -- in some ways, Iron Chef is a microcosm thereof.
And on a final note -- I like Alton Brown, but I don't think he provides levity to the show. In the regular series his commentary provides much-needed relief from the constant images of cooks under fire; it balances out the show. In this series, he seems imposing and sarcastic and brooding. It's not a good mix. Maybe he's overreaching his role a bit?
dorette
alright, so an iron chef is compelled to cull a divine dessert out of beef, tripe, squid, salmon, catfish - this does have an ancient rome feeling to it and then ok, now i have to admit i appluded charlie's trout ensemble at iacp which included a smoked trout ice cream - and if this 'determination' of a chef leads us to a rewarding, mentoring kingdom of chefdom, so be it. i do hope, just as you proclaim, michael! reach and soul - and a good hold on the fond de cuisine is the criteria. it is when i teach, to perpetuate the ambiance of the kitchen and everything dear about it. since a grand percentage of americans do not eat dinner at table - maybe the only chance we have is that we can watch cooking together. oh my heart! ps how about a show where contestants must produce dishes from le guide, escoffier.
sorry to have missed you in durham, but had a moment with mr price at a unc function last weeek. merci for all you do!!!
JoP in Omaha
Todd, thanks for your recommendation about "Culinary Artistry." I'll check it out.
About the show...it was very cool to see bits and pieces of the CIA.
The speed trial was kind of fun to watch. I was surprised by how many elements were disqualified because they weren't up to snuff.
About the challenge: Hmmm....Iron Chef competitors get a lot of flack when they try to incorporate a savory ingredient in a dessert, so it was ironic as hell that this was the first challenge. Besh appeared to be favored by all judges....was that based on his bread pudding? Did his catfish dish achieve anything that was dessert-like? Did any of the savory dishes achieve dessert status?
I didn't follow the link that apparently reveals the winner, thank goodness. As far as the contestants, for me, Besh comes off as the most personable guy of the bunch. I liked him in his previous Iron Chef battle, and I liked him last night. He's relaxed and seems to retain a calmness and sense of humor in the few very situations I've seen him in. Nonetheless, I hope you judges did indeed pick the best chef over the person who comes across best on TV.
I would have liked to see more of the discussion among the judges about the dishes. Perhaps that will come as the field of competitors narrows down.
Looks like you're not giving Symon a pass, Ruhlman. As you said before, that might work to his disadvantage.
All in all, I enjoyed it and look forward to the remaining episodes.
David Barto
Sat and watched it last night. (I couldn't imagine life without TiVo at this point).
Was what I expected. Interesting, lively and fun.
The fact that the kitchen was sabotaged was not a surprise to me. I kind of expected it: make the buggers work even harder than expected with equipment that isn't suited to the job. 'All the whisks are too small.' Well of course they are, to expect perfect equipment with working stoves and functional ice creme makers is to live in the real world. This isn't the real world, it's Iron Chef.
I did find the faces dripping sweat, leaning over the food, a bit repulsive, however I didn't have to eat any of it.
Looking forward to the future episodes. (Even if I did click the complete spoiler link...)
French Laundry at Home
I'm not sure why everyone is so worked up about the commenter's link to the Toronto Star -- it clearly states that Symon is a propspective Iron Chef, and it's obvious that one of the challenges was to act as if you are an Iron Chef and go up against a contentder. Maybe it's one of the final challenges, but nonethless, it's no more a spoiler than anything else we've read to date.
I was never a fan of Alton's "Good Eats" because he seems so fake and those shows are too contrived (much like those stupid Bourdain faux dream sequences in the early episodes of NR). I much prefer Alton "unplugged" which is what I think we get closer to in ICA.
I'm biased toward Besh, but that's because I love his restaurants and New Orleans cooking in general. I also love every meal I had at the original Lola, so I'm looking forward to see what Symon can pull off. I'm pretty sure Jill Davie will stick it out a few more rounds -- FN wouldn't eliminate both women at the outset.
I do wonder why the judges were so harsh on Symon in the judging panel last night. Please, all Bobby Flay ever does on ICA is recreate stuff he does in his restaurants. The secret ingredient is flounder? We get chipotle-infused flounder. Peanut butter? We get cilantro-peanut butter ice cream. Same with Mario. You can easily compare Babbo and Del Posto's menu to what he churns out on ICA and find many similarities. I don't think there's anything wrong with relying on food you know is good and doing it well. No one busted Besh's chops for making bread pudding, which p.s., his pastry chef makes just like Symon's pastry chef did the 6 a.m. Special.
That said, I've had the bread pudding at August, and it was almost better than sex, so I was happy to see Besh win. However, would I try a catfish truffle at August? Not so sure. Ruhlman, how did that taste? I get the sense the texture would be more off-putting than the taste. We really didn't get to hear much comment on the Catfish Trio from the judges (other than Alton asking Donatella not to throw up).
This series makes me happy because we get to see some really strong chefs think and talk and cook, and we don't have to hear about the Glad family of products nor the Kenmore Pro Kitchen.
French Laundry at Home
Oh, and if can hog even more space in the comments (oink), may I add how jealous I am of your dinner last night? That sounds wonderful, and I'm looking forward to your piece on Trotter. What's he like and who is he a fan of these days? Any up and comers we should be learning about?
the pauper
wow, it's just a regular love fest in here (as usual). i gotta go watch this show and see what the fuss is all about. i caught about 5 minutes of it during commercial breaks of the playoff game, and while the show seemed ok, the production value seemed slightly lower than some of the other food network reality shows. maybe the entire show gives a diff. feel.
spoiled librarian
French Laundry, thanks for revealing a spoiler in your discussion of why, in your opinion alone, it could not be a spoiler. I didn't click on The Star link FOR A REASON. oink, indeed.
Claudia
"Finally, do you have to guard against any possible bias in favor of the Clevelander Michael Symon?"
You know, the thought had occurred to me, too, not so much in terms of any real bias on Michael's part - I think he is extremely fair, impartial and balanced in his judgment - but only in terms of the PERCEPTION by others that Michael could possibly be biased in favor of a friend and hometown boy. But I think last night's episode - with Symon nearly being axed and relentlessly nitpicked about his dessert - shows that not only is Michael completely fair, but also that he alone cannot determine a winner.
And who cares if Symon used an idea from his pastry chef? He did what he had to do to survive to cook another day. Mission accomplished.
I hope to God, at least during the run of this competition, that Kevin Brauch makes a point of doing his research on not only what an ingredient is and its uses, but how to pronounce its name. And I hope I don't ONCE hear Mr. Big Brain Alton Brown call ricotta "ree-COAT-ah" again, like he does in the regular ICA series, or I will truly scream.
Annie
Claudia, Claudia, I've had reason to point this out to you before: not everyone is lucky enough to be Italian. All right? AB may be pronouncing "ricotta" wrong, but how many of us Northerners pronounce "Alton" right?
*SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I liked the show very much and, if Traci des Jardins can floppo on the very first episode, you know the competition is tough.
But I do have a problem with Alton's role here--he seems to be going out of his way to buzz arund the contestants and annoy them, put them off their game.
This is an obnoxious use of his talents.
I do not look forward to the day when Besh and Symon hold him whilst Davie takes his glasses and throws them into Sanchez' pot of chipotle oatmeal.
Our boy deserves better than this.
tokyoastrogirl
I loved the show. As I wrote on Adam's Food Network blog, it's nice to see some real chefs in action on a network that is leaning more and more towards the "open a can of soup, pour over chicken and bake!" style of cooking. I don't want to watch people making casseroles, I want to watch chefs do things I can only dream of doing - I want to be inspired. I mean, I don't know if I'll ever race my friends in an oyster shucking race, but I'm excited to see the cooking that will inevitably be the star of this show. The personalities keep it interesting- can't wait to see more Symon and Besh- those guys are hilarious.
By the way, I've seen you on TV before and have been meaning to ask- do people often mistake you for Jeff Daniels? Oh- I mean for his younger and better looking brother, of course:).
Looking forward to the season. And if we're placing bets, my money is on Besh and Sanchez.
Tags
Claudia, I think Alton's auditioning for a commercial here. I, for one, think he'd look great dressed in liederhosen and alpine hat, blowing an alpine horn and announcing "ree-COAL-ah."
Strangely enough, 20 minutes before the show started my screen on FN went blank. I went upstairs to the TV with a cable box (my wife gets a Chinese channel) and it was on up there so I taped it there. Sounds like another chance for the cable company to "encourage" renting cable boxes.
gb500
I must be about as curious as our Commander in Chief and didn't click on the link. I'd rather have it be a surprise. Really enjoyed the program, especially what seemed to be a genuine camaraderie among the chef contestants. Look forward to tuning in next week.
Nicole
Enjoyed the show last night.
The most interesting part was when one of the chefs stated that she doesn't do a lot of prep anymore and thought that might hurt her. This just proves that no matter what your profession, if you don't use it you lose it.
Oh and Michael, are you due for a haircut? 🙂
Len
Even though we've only seen one episode (so things could change, of course), it's nice to see a food competition-type TV show where the editing seems to lean towards the "having fun" side, as opposed to the "stress and personal conflict" attitude generally taken by the Top Chef editors.
Jesse
That first episode rocked and ROCKED HARD!! This will be a really fun show!
Claudia
Annie, of course you're quite right to point out that not all of us are lucky enough to be Italian (!) (and happy Columbus Day, to those who are), but Alton IS a food professional - ergo, it would behoove him to pronounce food names correctly. If us non-professional foodies can manage, say, "mise en place", "konyaku" and, yes, even the difference between "AL-ton" and "ALL-ton" Brown, he can manage "ricotta" (for example). For what they're paying him? Yeah.
unabashed
I loved the show!!! Glad your a judge on the show been a avid reader of your work for years!!!It's a shame Anthony Bourdian can't be on the program as a judge. or at least get him back on FoodNetwork.... between you,Bourdian,Mario Batali,Alton and yes Emeril....they should put you too in charge and straighten out the mess FoodNetwork has become!!!!Yes it's slowly getting better but it's been going south for years.
nuff said
thankyou
Ron
unabashed
also
I'm pulling for Besh and Symon to fight it out to the very end!!!
Jacki
Was I the only one who thought the mechanical malfunctions (ie. the ice cream maker, the freezer) were deliberately sabotaged by the producers? I thought it was just another challenge, you know..."who can survive without all the fancy electronics?" In the end it may have been a coincidence, but some of the electronics seemed to fail for all the chefs. In all, I liked the show and I'm still really intimidated by the knife skills!
Orchide
French Laundry, thanks for revealing a spoiler in your discussion of why, in your opinion alone, it could not be a spoiler. I didn't click on The Star link FOR A REASON. oink, indeed.
Posted by: spoiled librarian | October 08, 2007 at 10:28 AM
^^ I 2nd this post by spolied librarian. Darn. French Laundry, why would you write in your post at 9:20 AM above what the linked spoiler was in detail??!
Let people decide for themselves if they want to click on it. Tsk tsk.
Michael, f you read this, I would delete that comment for those who haven't read it yet.
Suzette
I read the Toronto Star article, and I don't think it's necessarily a spoiler. Note they use the word 'prospective.' It's possible that some of the contenders on the show actually have to compete on an episode of Iron Chef as part of the process.
Charlton Hawking
Alton: Put it down and walk away.
not a spoiler
I read the article and it doesn't say who won. It's not a spoiler.
chefrick
As to the kitchen sweats. It averages 110 in the kitchen I work in. It's been as hot as 140. I myself fainted a few weekends ago, so it doesn't shock me to see the sweat and to learn that Aaron was treated medically afterward. Good luck to all!
Beverly
Here we go again. Chefs, chefs, chefs. Almost always they are white chefs and never are there any African American Chefs, other than Morou, featured on Foodnetwork. Being the Aunt of a Retired Navy chef, (who only cooked for the Captains and their staff, and the Aunt of a Sou Chef in a major hotel restaurant, most of the cooking is done by the Sou Chef. When will you give them a fair representation on your Network??? I would like to know when is Foodnetwork going to wise up and realize that many of their viewers are African American. About five years ago there were two African American Chefs that had shows on your network. What happened to them. I hope they give Morou a honest to goodness chance is this contest, or is this all just for publicity and you already know who you have chosen to be The Next Iron Chef???
ruhlman
beverly, i agree, and i wrote about it for the new york times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/dining/05race.html?_r=1&oref=slogin