So, was I right? Questions and comments? I'll try to elaborate on the food tomorrow answer burning questions.
Monday Morning Update: This was a really difficult decision--Cosentino or Sanchez. Symon was the clear winner from all of us, for the incredibly juicy salmon (he made a risky decision to finish it in the airplane rather than reheat), but his other dishes were on the money too. Besh's asparagus salad was a little lacking, just wasn't all there. And he told me why afterward. In the rush to get all his food into the box he forgot one of his vinaigrettes! This challenge was indeed really hard--the time, the number of dishes, the unfamiliar kitchen and the cameramen getting in your goddam way. I personally thought Chris was being kind! And showing uncommon grace under pressure by not ripping the camera out of their hands and mauling them bloody--you have no idea what a drag they are when you're trying to cook. They are of course required for a show, however.
Chris's crunchy cauliflower and Aaron's nasty fish skin hurt them. Neither prepared dishes with the muscle Besh and Symon did. We had an hour between when we actually delivered a verdict and Knowlton argued vociferously, actually taking me by the lapels and slamming me against a concrete wall way in the back of the hangar. He was persuasive. They were so close in fact that I had to take their overall performance into account. In the end, we all wrote down our choices and handed them to Alton, and it was unanimous. Chef Schmitt did not judge but his comments and opinions were very important to our evaluation.
And yes the editing. It was kind to Knowlton this week. He's just as much of an ass as ever. Donatella just as elegant. (Kidding about Knowlton!) If anything, I was the snooty one this week, nothing but curled lip and disdain. The consomme issue is important. Besh used it to make the dish sound prettier. But by doing so he's diminishing the value of the word. Soon it won't mean anything. He trailed me in the Charles de Gaulle airport the next day saying, "Consomme was in quotes!" He even dropped his bags to make quote marks in the air.
For the record, to respond to a grumbler, I do not and never have called myself a chef, because I am not a chef. A chef is a leader of a kitchen. I am a trained cook, and spent a very brief and not inglorious time as a line cook at a Cleveland restaurant owned by Marriott (which gave health bennies, thank god). I make my living as a writer--perhaps the grumbler should check out my new book. Also, I don't know who said it, but no winner was pre-selected. We were told repeatedly by the producers to vote from our gut. And if they had told me anything else, I would have said, f.u.
Now, after a falling out with these producers, I have decided to reveal the big secret from next week's show:
Besh is in fact an undercover agent for the international police and arrests both Symon (frigging peacemonger, Besh was heard saying, as he put the cuffs on) and Cosentino for illegal foie gras activity, citing an obscure Chicago ordinance as his justification.
Read fellow judge Andrew Knowlton's comments and picks for top three bottom three dishes, which i agree with.
And the inimitable Amateur Gourmet here.
UPDATE: I put this in the comments, but a reader suggested putting it here and I agree. I got an email from Cosentino this morning saying this:
thanks for defending me with the camera guys. these guys were german and not understanding of space every time i moved my elbows touched someone. i thought i was going to hurt my self. also i found out later that eytan with this ear piece was telling the camera guys to get closer to me . In kitchen stadium they understand the dangers of being to close and they want you to succeed, in this episode all they wanted was the shot. that is why i got hostile i told them from the beginning to give me space since the kitchen configuration was really bad we had a very small pass way to get to equipment (like bowls, pans )and they were always blocking it and wouldn't move when we asked them . thats when the hostility came. now that ½ the country thinks i am an asshole as some one put it in another blog. life goes on.
Based on judges' comments in this episode, I really thought Chris was headed home. I was hoping Knowlton's bias against Sanchez would be overcome.
Mr. Ruhlman, is there a reason why the FN always pans to you when you have the look of someone who's just eaten a cat's ass on a stick made of cat's ass?
Ruhlman, you have NO poker face! That said, I do have a couple of questions:
Why put these chefs through challenges that are so far from being what they will deal with on ICA? They're never going to prep/cook airline food on the show. Isn't it true that ICA contestants know the secret ingredient days/weeks ahead of time so they can prep their recipes? If so, springing a bunch of difficult situations/ingredients is yet another way these challenges have nothing to do with their role on ICA--where they also get a team to work with.
Can you tell us if it was merely the editing that led us to believe that Cosentino was going? Why tell Sanchez that 2 of his 3 dishes were good after telling Cosentino how many things were wrong with his plates only to cut Sanchez? Don't get me wrong--I don't think either of those guys has the experience/confidence/ability to take criticism to be the next IC--but that kind of stuff is what makes the show really frustrating to watch.
Was I the only one laughing at Ruhlman complaining that it wasn't really consommé?? That wasn't surprising at all, and much like watching "other" reality cooking shows, makes you wonder if the contestents have bothered to read any writing by the judges....
Very good episode. Good food, good cooking and nice to see the chef's serious enough about what they were doing to get mad at the cameras in the way. Sanchez was one of the few I was aware of on the potential IC list, and I fondly recall his previous appearances on Food Network shows. Seeing his work on the show, I wasn't that surprised at the early exit.
Agree with "I'm ME" about the disconnect between this challenge and normal ICA challenges. What were the producers thinking?
It is true, I hear, that contestants know of two POTENTIAL secret ingredients before they go live. But they don't know which one will be part of the true competition.
Laughing a bit as I see the ICA challenge that follows this episode. MILK? You gotta be kidding me.........
So...women and minorities all gone, exactly as Sanchez said. Worst thing about it? None of these people are getting to have their skills judged under ideal (or even IC-level) conditions.
And, re: race (yes, I know what y'all think). It might have helped if the PANEL was more diverse, too. I'm really not surprised that Besh and Symon's style of food prep and flavoring have won more favor with this group of judges. Say what you will, but a more international group (e.g. a Japanese judge, Latin, and...Mediterranean? Indian? African? French? plus keeping one of the existing people--and Alton as a tie-breaker--would have been more interesting.)
And I think with more diversity all around the results might be quite different. But my main issue, again, is with the competition itself--because again, TC-style, its about finding gimmicky ways to restrict chefs from doing their best, each and every week, and then judging them based on it.
And, yes, I know NIC's just "entertainment", but at this level of talent (unlike "Hells Kitchen" or even "Top Chef") I think watching great chefs free to show their BEST COOKING (at least once per show) would be -highly- entertaining.
Sanchez has consistently been on the edge, it was time for him to move on.
However both he and Cosentino are clearly out of their depth with Michael and Besh. This has been a 2 horse race ever since episode 2.
While I agree that the chefs must be able to overcome the challenges they are presented(it is a competition after all), I also agree with "I'm Me" that the situations they are put in are so far away from what they will have to do in Iron Chef. Judgeing them on how well they do with prepping airline food in relation to an Iron chef competition is almost insanely silly in its vast differences. Its like being a judge at Iron Chef and wondering if, based on their dish, if they're any good at golf.
Are you KIDDING me? Cosentino treats the camera guy like crap, his food tastes like crap, and he's still on the show? Unbelievable!
Part of Iron Chef is that he/she has to be able to work with cameras all over the place. Cosentino was totally disrespectful and rude, and it wasn't even addressed.
You people frustrate me!
How long was spent judging the food? I can't imagine being in that position.
I was surprised that the food *wasn't* judged at 35,000 feet! I hope that the chefs were told in advance that they shouldn't over-season for the judges... Perhaps that was the issue with the "too many chives" problem?
Otherwise, pretty good show. It's definitely easier to keep track of what's going on with only four contestants.
Great show. Fabulous! Was Schmitt an actual judge for the show or was he just there for consulting? And how much weight did he have going into it?
Also, I don't know if you'd know the answer to this, but why did the producers have the chefs make airplane food then not serve it on an airplane? LOL. Do you think the food would have tasted differently or made a difference if it were actually in an airplane up in the air?
Hang on a second... I forgot to ask Mr. Ruhlman...
I've been reading "The Soul of a Chef" recently. You talk about Chef Symon extensively. (Fun reading, I must add.)
Given the recent Big Stink from people who thought that another Scripps Network contestant (the next design star on HGTV) had an unfair advantage because she had a two-degrees-apart connection with a judge on the same magazine editorial staff...
[[PHEW, that was a convoluted mouthful!]]
...are you worried that viewers will slam you for favoring Symon? Seems inevitable. 🙁
I think that Sanchez and Cosentino have been drifting for the last couple of episodes. Clearly, the finale is gonna be between Besh and Symon. Also, I love Besh using German dishes... talk about something no one else is doing!
I'm glad Lisa mentioned CC's attitude towards the cameramen, as I meant to do the same. As soon as it happened the first time, I thought he'd be out in a heartbeat if he was ever in Kitchen Stadium for that reason alone! I should also say that having ICA air immediately after NICA is just a giant reminder of how little the competition has to do with the actual show. It's too bad, really. I would have preferred they compete IN the Stadium week after week to see how they held up in that environment. The rest is just b.s. (er...'entertainment').
So there's another question for Ruhlman--do the FN execs bother to take comments by viewers into consideration? All you have to do is check any food blog/site and see that most people have similar thoughts--over and over again. No wonder they've lost so many of us as regular/daily viewers!
To the point about not serving the food IN the plane or in the air, you'd think Lufthansa would want the exposure! Oh, well...
I respect Cosentino's cuisine since it has a purpose, but he needs to chill out with the mis-guided aggression. That needs to dissappear along with the sneakers in the kitchen. I understand image, but it doesn't take priority over kitchen necessities.
I want Besh to win because New Orleans needs that bump into modern cuisine more than any of the other chefs' locales. There is so much great food culture there, and the resources that would be available to Besh in an Iron Chef role would benefit the food scene there tremendously. He demonstrated himself well in the recent challenge. I understand that he served in the Marines during the first Dessert Storm, so pressure is no stranger to him.
It is also sad to see Sanchez go although I'm still confused on whether his repeating soft side is lack of confidence or an admirable quality of humbleness for a chef. I thought Nolton's comments a couple of episodes ago about him not being able to break away from the Latin flavors was completely uncalled for. Why does Bobby Flay get to do southwestern, Morimoto get to do Japanese influence, and Batali get to make pasta in every single kitchen stadium challenge. Apparently sticking within your culinary comfort zone isn't a detriment to being an Iron Chef.
Even though it was obvious that the two left standing would be Besh and Symon, I was very surprised to see Sanchez go home first. Cosentino was rude to everyone, and when we saw clips of the judges they kept playing the parts that said his dish was a complete failure, etc. Even Sanchez didn't do that badly. I know it's mostly editing for the juicy bits, but a little more continuity would be helpful 🙂
Great show, but the group of us viewing all voted that it would be Cosentino to be booted off the island. We will be interested to hear the details of why you all chose Sanchez.
PS; I'm not sure my ego could handle you as a judge MR, you always have such a sour-puss when tasting the offerings.
I miss facets of the original Iron Chef. I liked having people have a specialty. I think it should be embraced, and they should be judged on how well they'll fit in.
Yes, Chris may have snarled at the camera, but did the producers have to leave that in? In the original Iron Chef, there were times when Rokusaburo Michiba would say to the effect of get out of my face, I'm busy. And it added a dimension of drama because you knew he was sweating it out.
The producers should be looking for who is going to be a good chef (all of them) and who is going to be creative (probably about half of them) and who is going to be fun in front of the camera (2 of them).
I don't see Besh as having a good camera rapport.
Are you kidding me? Besh not having good camera rapport??? Puh-LEEZE. He's as smooth as velveeta on toast!
Yep, like I said - Sanchez was going home. I'm betting it'll be Cosentino next week. I really like both Besh and Symon, but I think I'll really be sad if Symon loses - getting the IC gig seems to mean a lot to him.
Even though it was basically just an hour-long ad for Luftansa, I thought it was a great episode. Again, I felt the judging was a little too abbreviated and I wished I could have seen more of your comments. I also agree with chris that it has been a two-horse race since episode two. But from the past couple weeks discussions, I'm starting to think that assessment has nothing to do with my perceptions of the chefs' personalities and cuisine but probably more to do with me being a white male.
But seriously, unlike a lot of people who are coming out of the woodwork to bitch about the FN show, I have faith in you and the rest of the judges to make objective decisions . You all have the credentials to make these decisions and from what I've seen, it certainly looks like you're taking your job seriously. Although now I'm starting to think maybe the FN execs probably should have recused you based on your connection to Symon. I don't doubt your ability to remain objective but it would have eliminated the perception of bias. They had to have known that some people would bring it up.
And in response to some of the comments that have been posted, it's pretty obvious that there are plenty of comments that aren't being shown during the one hour show, that you didn't have the final say on the format of the show, and that your decisions are probably based on the taste rather than some nefarious racist/sexist conspiracy. I also realize that you probably don't get to see the chefs cooking the food and wouldn't know that Cosentino is so bothered by the presence of cameramen.
The editing seems to be an issue with these types of shows. This has been commented on several times by the judges themselves. In terms of guessing the outcome - I have come to just ignore the judges comments as aired since so much is left out and what does appear is purposely misleading.
Will there ever be a time (or a show) that will release more of the discussion that goes on around the food? The irony here as we type into this blog is that the internet is the ideal vehicle for this sort of thing and yet we are left with text based on a certain edit of the show. Or is our lot in life watching chefs run around a kitchen arguing with plastic wrap? Which I can do at home [grin].
(I also was disappointed that the food wasn't actually eaten in the air - at least top chef took this step even tho it meant seeing Colicchio in that silly hat - are budgets really that slim?)
Despite the need for sponsorships, this was by far the best episode of TNIC. It incorporated the need for skill and innovation, while enabling the chefs the flexibility to choose the dishes they made.
Unlike Top Chef, the Food Network has done an excellent job of making each competition about how the food looks/tastes and not factoring in personality, teamwork or inaccurate descriptions.(Sounds like someone is sticking to the rigors of the Master Chef exam on the definition of a consomme.) No matter how inaccurate Besh's description may have been, his food did look good and from the facial expressions of the judges was world's above Sanchez's & Cosentino's dishes. I'm glad to see the food won out!
Being a Clevelander, I was thrilled with Symon's 2nd victory (only counting elimination challenges). If the Indians & Cavs can't get a championship, maybe Symon can bring one home!
On another note, it seems the show is geared up for a Symon vs Besh conclusion. Both show fantastic skill. With the loss of two iron chefs, why not add both Symon & Besh to the line-up? Any insight on this (that isn't already bound by a confidentiality agreement)?
I think the "outside the comfort zone" thing is just for the duration of the competition. This competition is like drone bees flying after the queen - last one left gets to mate and go back to being pampered.
Sad to say, Sanchez was right. Brown and out. I think it just worked out that way with the food, though. It doesn't look good for Consentino either.
Loss of TWO iron chefs, Kelly? I'd only read about Batali... what's the scoop, pray tell?
I'd heard Morimoto is retiring...
Michael, you got it right, as did the judges. Thank you for all of your insight into the inner workings of this competition, it makes the viewing so much more clear to know that we are being pulled along and duped by T.V. execs for "drama". It is hard not to get involved, even knowing that all of this is long past and there is nothing that we can do to sway the producers for the next episode. Perhaps for next year. I may be mistaken, but I do not believe the winner has been pre-selected, and do think the tests and judging are for real. However, two of the Chefs are leagues above the rest, as previously stated by other posters. My vote is for Chef Symon, he seems to exhibit a genuine love of his profession as well as having a wonderfull persona and raport with the general viewing public. He is Real. Guy next door, wish he was my buddy kinda fellow. A definate plus for an Iron Chef. There is something that rings phoney about Chef Besh, even though he seems to be an outstanding Chef and personality. If I were a T.V. exec, I would choose Chef Symon for the ability to draw more viewers on a more consistant basis. Hopefuly, this is an actual competition and not pre-arranged by the suits and ties with dollar signs in their eyes. I have a personal preference for Chef Cosentino, He's just so damned cute, and I love offal, but Chef Sanchez does seem to show glimmers of brilliance. I am curious as to the "things not seen" and why he was chosen over Chef Cosentino when the judges clearly (well, not so clearly because of editing) prefered his offerings. Not that I am not cheering, I am after all a Cosentino Fan. And, his turn will be next week, no doubt. Once again, I would like to say thank you to you and Mr. Bourdain for the true insight and realism that the two of you offer to us on the outside. Please keep up the good work, it is appreciated.
Great challenge! The others have seemed manufactured, in many ways, but I could relate to this one! (Although having Billy Joel's "Pressure" in the background while Consantino was freaking would have made my day.)
Definitely my favorite episode in every way. Chris let me down, big time. Although his food was great, his manners went out the window here.
Big John from L'Ana, and Michael Offal are my faves. I even liked Aaron here.
Thanks, Kelly. Not surprising if we lose Morimoto, since we see him on the small screen so seldom. He's been brilliant, but obviously the "token" talent from the original Iron Chef concept.
I have to say that I'm shocked that Cosentino is still in the running. I thought he was going to be eliminated last time with what looked like a bland, safe poultry dish and a bland, safe salad. Aside from the razor clam, I have yet to see him make anything that looks innovative. I, too, was a little blaffled that Sanchez got the boot. He was praised for getting it right with 2 of the 3 dishes and Consentino was, at best, safe (yet again) with 1 dish. A little confusing...
Let me be clear....
Symon and Sanchez were smart to risk doing fish. Go big or go home, and quite literally in this case, no? Do you think the salmon did better than the snapper because of the fat content, in addition to the preparation? Or, was it Symon's overall technique to slightly undercook everything and then finish it in the plane's ovens, instead of just reheating what had already been cooked and blast-chilled that did the trick?
I know Chris' cauliflower wasn't good, but how was the venison? Was his preparation well executed, or did you prefer Symon's venison with the curry?
Judging solely from the editing they gave you, you seemed to not hate Sanchez' ceviche. Was it good?
And, one more question, I noticed that Besh said he made the madeira sayabon and refrigerated it overnight. I thought they had 90 minutes, then served the judges soon after.
Great show -- full of action, personality, conflict and challenge... both in the kitchen and at the judges' table. And, since no one has talked about your hair yet, let me be the first to tell you it sure looked bouncin' and behavin' to me.
Hmmm. First, to say these judges are a tough crowd would be an understatement. I'd hate to be judged by any of them. Harsh.
Sorry to see Sanchez and his Latin style food go. That would have been a welcome addition to ICA.
re: Symon. Why does he always wear black street clothes rather than chef's whites? And, as he seems the likely winner, will he continue to dress like that in Kitchen Stadium?
I think you've made a terrible mistake sending Sanchez home instead of Cosentino. Obviously, you didn't see Cosentino's behavior toward the camera people, but Sanchez's dishes were also preferred over Cosentino's. At least, that's what we saw in the discussion that was on camera. Did one judge's bias finally win out over the actual quality of the competitor's submissions? I think I echo a lot of viewers' opinions when I say, "What happened here?"
Cosentino's bad behavior tonight, in my opinion, is unacceptable for someone who wants to be on a show like ICA. He would have cameras in his face every time he was called to compete, after all. I hope that somehow he is called to task for it, and that we get to see it on camera.
So…we are now 15 minutes into the show, no cooking-no nothing, except for the continuous banter from Alton. Ruhlman, please tell me this guy shuts-the-fuck-up once in a while. It appears his transformation into the mundane Sandra Lee debacle has begun.
On a sanguine note, I had the pleasure of dining at Incanto in 2004 when Chris presented his Sicilian Mattanza dinner, exhorting the virtues of the annual Italian fisherman’s tuna slaughter. The dinner was magnificent albeit a morbid theme. Chris appears to be suffering from the dreaded FN syndrome, that is to say perhaps he has endured enough of this shameful sideshow and truly needs to return to the fires that fuel his passion. Alas, I too believed that his demise had come and was silently anticipating his departure. His is brilliant no matter what the buffoons in this blog may say.
After this show is in the dumper could you please bitch slap that pompous dick Andrew Knowlton for the 2 cents his opinion is worth. Many, many straight-up kudos to you for putting up with him...
This episode sucked -- it was a real disappointment. The purpose of Iron Chef America is to show cuisine, elevated. Not cuisine ... elevated.
In-flight cuisine is a science project at best. The notion of over-seasoning to compensate for altitude is a joke. That particular sleight of hand doesn't pay off -- people's taste buds change, but kicking up the heat and salt and spice still leads to the same indigestion. Been there, done that.
I'll say it right now -- I want bland food on airplanes. Fresh? Absolutely. Loaded down with spice and salt as it is today? Nope. Salubrious, if predictable -- it's just better for long trips.
Continental, for example, tends to serve its first-class passengers vanilla ice cream with various toppings after dinner. The pretentious judging panel would find this "safe" and not, well, Iron Chef worthy -- and it's certainly both -- but it's appropriate for air travel, it's soothing, and it's homey. None of which would've flown, so to speak, on this episode.
No matter who got the boot -- the whole concept of the show was poorly conceived and has cut down the momentum this series built up so far. Shame.
"I'm starting to think that assessment has nothing to do with my perceptions of the chefs' personalities and cuisine but probably more to do with me being a white male."
-- Kansas City rube
Au contraire, mon ami. As a female, Asian pastry cook, I agree with your opinions on TNIC completely. Yes, salmon roe was a horrible choice for a dessert challenge. Yes, hoping for the best when dealing with chemicals and food is a bad idea. Not being able to play well with others (attitude towards the camera-men) is a definate drawback. And as for Chef Sanchez... while I do not doubt his ability as a chef, I do not see him doing well in a timed competition (remember the whole, "I can't put that on the plate??" incident?). The judges got it right... he isn't the one to be the next "Iron Chef."
- S
PS. As soon as I heard the word "consomme," I KNEW Chef Besh was in trouble. And what was up with that weird accent he took on when describing his dishes to the judges?
pastrymann......
Dem's FIGHTIN' words here, boy. What the fuck does Alton Brown have to do with Sandra La-La?
AB does an admirable job as sportscaster for this series -- not just his amazing Good Eats, Iron Chef, and Road Warrior gigs. Shame on you.
This episode ROCKED. The tension was genuine, the drama was immediate and gripping. You really felt for all four of these guys.
I agree that as much as I originally liked Besh, he does ring a bit showbizzy. I don't need him to win for New Orleans. God bless New Orleans but in my humble opinion we don't need a New Orleans chef to help the cause. That's the most charitable way I can express my feelings on the matter.
Regarding Chef Cosentino: since when did personality and charisma become a defining attribute for an Iron Chef? Um, I believe that the average Food Network 30 min cooking show has cornered that market. For me, the only thing that matters is sheer chops.
Here's what I hope for Chef C: He is immensely gifted, and hugely passionate. I don't care about how he acted with the camera people. TV skills can be taught, PASSION CAN'T. I'm hoping he pulls a 2004 Red Sox and hits the next set of challenges out of the park. Give him the mantle then groom him for TV. Right?
Yes, I love Chef Symon too, and honestly I think he'll be the one to get the nod. But please stop acting like the Iron Chef is supposed to be your best bud. The spirit of IC is that challenging an Iron Chef should be bloody intimidating. Chef C has that part handled.
Cheers.
JMW, respect what you're saying, and understand your perspective; too much time was spent setting things up and promoting Lufthansa, instead of talking about the food.
And yet, IMO, I thought it was the best episode so far. The plane was cool, and gave a context for the style and level of food expected. I'm glad the show could go international with Lufthansa's support.
Further, as a TV guy, I can't imagine taping during a 4-hour plane ride while the judging went on (e.g., turbulence during close ups, etc.). Maybe taping inside the plane would have been fitting (but not if it was too cramped). As it was, the setting was dramatic -- and good angles on that humungous plane.
No derision for Cosentino from me about harshing on the TV people. Their job is to be unobtrusive while getting the shot (some call it being "professional"). Was this the same crew? Or locals? If so, did they speak English?
I say shame on the editors for getting retribution by leaving all that (the last comment especially) in the final cut. Even though it livened things up, he was talking to the crew -- not the audience -- and the editors know good & well that the audience won't perceive that. They'll just see Cosentino attacking them, the viewers (see comments above). That could haunt him for a long time, and yet, he seems such a likable guy. Unfair.
Best moment for me was seeing Sanchez humbled -- even tongue-tied(?). It was a /human/ response, not as arrogant as one might expect, and appealing in that sense. He won my sympathy. Great drama.
Ruhlman, questions I am wondering about:
Were Sanchez and Cosentino close because Sanchez blew a dish or two entirely, whereas Cosentino made lots of little mistakes?
Also, was Knowlton being more careful about his comments this episode, or was it just the editing?
Were you feeling unhappy, or do the editors see a need to create a curmudgeon judge for each episode?
Lastly, did it appear anything the judges did will effect the food on Lufthansa?
P.S. Nice hair this episode, and how you were sitting was a good, dramatic angle for you.
Looking forward to the next show, and re-watching this one!
I enjoyed this episode the most so far, but really amazes me is that I constantly read in this blog, about the looks on the judges face in response to food being eaten or in a cut-away shot to another judge after another judge or Alton has made a comment. People, this is TV and it gets edited into what ever the producers think is going to mke the best show. Disjointed cutway shots can be linked to tell whatever story needs telling. How much drama do you think was created by showing CC's outbursts, rather than not showing them, at the end? Chef AS had outbursts in the other episodes, but not here. Why? Did it not happen or was it not shown? If you watch from the begining of this episode, you would have thought from the teases before the breaks that MS was heading home. It's just a TV show about a cooking competition, and the producers are going to cut it to create drama. I appreciate Messer Ruhlman's insight during the course of the show, as it adds the clarity and background fill that many people don't realize goes on in a TV shot/show. Without it, how would we have really know about GK's "lack of seasoning"? In the end, food is food and it ends up in our mouth, and TV is make-beleive and it is ends up in our head. But this was the best episode.....and Alton rocks!
Sorry to say that I am getting tired of watching this simply because there are 3 judges who are not qualified to be judges. You have a kid editer with an attitude, a lady who knows (or is told) how to invest her money, and a guy who claims to be a chef (where has he worked, what are his credits)and writes books. They are all wanna-bes. The judges should Either be the current Iron Chefs or better yet 3 house wives that cook every night of the week. We all know it is all a put up job on the Iron Chef show. They all know what they are cooking way in advance, we all know it is only TV and the editer is the person who makes the cuts and puts out a dramatic show with all the cut aways etc. Having 3 judges who really know nothing about cooking is a sad deal. What is worse is that (like someone else said)
these chefs are never going to be cooking on an airline, or have to do any of the other things that the "chairman", (who is really an actor hired for the show), thinks is important to be an Iron Chef. At this point I think the show is a joke. Watching all the stern faces of the judges, and Elton Brown trying to look like the "hit man" of the group, FoodNetWork has come a long way down the ladder from what it is all about. These chefs all have one thing in common, their passion for good food and cooking it well. Each has credits to his name that put the judges so called credits to shame. The judges seem to be judgeing each chef as a person and how he will do do in front of a camera and not as someone who knows how to prepare food in new and inventive ways. A lot of the comments made by others here are very true and FoodNetWork should start reading.
I am so glad that the 'whiner' is gone. I know that the judges probably don't see behind the scenes and the editing plays it up, but Sanchez got on my nerves. I really look forward to this show. Symon is looking very good to take this competition (OH-IO). One thing that I like is the chance to know (a little bit) about these chefs. The average person would not have the chance is learn anything about these chefs. The show gives us a chance to bond a bit (or non-bond, in the case of the 'whiner') with the chefs, to see their personalities and their styles. One thing that some of the viewers forget is that we are not tasting the food, you are.
Too bad you don't want comparisons to TC's craptacular airline episode because this was just a copy. Right down to the staged airplane in the hangar.
It was so friggin' dull I stopped watching halfway through and went to bed to dream of better television.
An open letter to Michael Symon,
(Hold back your laughter for just a moment :D)
Please forgive me for suggesting that you should do away with your soul patch. I've had a change of heart. I've grown to love it. How could I not? You are such a charmer--and polite and considerate of your co-chefs as well. You make Cleveland proud!
Hoping you win the title!
Yours truly,
somewhat reluctantly-relocated, former rubber-capital resident
(Now everyone can laugh!)
Looking back on the past episodes and how the different chefs have been portrayed....looks to me like the editing (which was of course done after the competition)has tended to strongly favor Besh and to a lesser degree Symon. Neither of them have a moment of looking like a tool, being a whiner, or looking bad (except the sweating). The FN would want to protect the image of the next IC, wouldn't they?
Therefore, Besh wins over Symon in the last episode.
I echo some of the questions/comments from previous posters. For example, they were instructed to prepare "airline" food. They took tips from LSG's chef, such as how you have to season more heavily. Then the food was served on the ground and some were chastised for over-seasoning. WTF?
I know most of the rest of my frustration with the show is from editing tricks, but it doesn't lessen the annoyance (e.g. making Cosentino look both cantankerous and like he had the worst overall product and yet he stays).
If they're trying to save costs, why fly everyone to Germany so they can serve airline food on the ground? They could have done that right here in CLE at the Continental hub.
I was also shrieking at the presentation of the watermelon "consomme," and am so glad you nailed him on that one.
All that being said, there's a lot of yelling, high-fiving and cheering at my home each week as Symon continues to do such a great job. We're so proud of him!
Lots of complaining comments again. Sigh.
As to Ruhlman's credentials to be a judge--he may not want to speak to this, but he indeed has the credentials. Look into his background, and you'll see he's well-qualified to be a judge. He knows his stuff.
As to the comment about Ruhlman perhaps favoring Symon...that's come up here before. And happily, Symon isn't winning because Ruhlman is there....it seems that there's always agreement among the judges about Symon's strengths and weaknesses (What weaknesses? There haven't been many.)
Great show...and the best produced show so far. The music during the cooking segments added to the tension....my heart was racing, I think I forgot to breathe. 90 minutes to cook 3 dishes, pack them and store them? Yikes, that's tough. Kudos to all the chefs for getting through it as well as they did.
I, too, thought it was weird to stress that seasoning had to be stronger for in-air service, yet the judging took place on the ground. Were they to season for in-air service, or ground service? Fortunately, seasoning didn't seem to be a big factor in the judging...although this morning I can't remember why Sanchez was booted.
Symon seems to be the clear favorite here. He's certainly my favorite. He's fun to watch, and his food seems to be the most consistently good. But here's a pet peeve about FN production. In a NIC commercial they've been running since the onset of NIC, they say (in effect) go to the website to see exit interviews, and the screen shows shots of Symon and Kaysen. Kaysen is gone. Could they be giving away that Symon will follow at some point? Not necessarily--these could be shots from the chefs' comment that are show during the contests, but still, it bugs me. I know you can't commnent on this, Ruhlman....I'm just sayin'. Another example of poor production on the part of FN.
I do think the challenges the chefs have been dealt are unrealistic, and they've handled them well. I'm hoping the last challenges...or at least the final one...will be straight cooking without bizarre constraints. Like IC, give 'em an ingredient and let's see what they can do with it, head to head.
I'm lovin' the show and will be sorry when it's over.
Just to echo what JoP in Omaha is saying, I'm loving the show, BUT...let's hope the final challenge is straightforward. Say, maybe, two chefs going head-to-head, in a well-equipped facility, with 2 sous-chefs each, a well-stocked pantry and 60 minutes to prepare 5 dishes based on 1 secret ingredient. And an actual numerical scoring system from the 3 judges, which balances taste, plating and originality.
Sound familiar, anyone?
My take on who is qualified to judge - directors don't usually write movie reviews and working chefs don't usually write restaurant reviews. Critisizing food requires an experienced and appreciative palette, a good eye for aesthetics, and good articulation. I'm not saying that you need all of that to enjoy/not enjoy food.
My typical comments would likely be, "This napkin is too nice to get food on it." Or, "What is this fork for?" Perhaps, "Is it okay to use this plate?" And lastly (to my 8-yr-old), "Clean up that mess. The busboy has enough to do already."
In Re Mario Batali: I really, really don't think he's leaving ICA. Does anyone know of a press release or anything like that stating anything to that effect? Because when FN announced they would no longer be showing Molto Mario, they made a point to, in the press release, say that Batali would NOT be leaving ICA and that he would continue to compete on the show. The general lack of interest in Molto Mario (now that FN has such extensive programmming) and Batali's committment to do that weird Spanish food show with Gwenny Paltrow on PBS were the reasons for their stopping the reruns, but they made sure to say he was still part of the FN "family." So.. where are these rumors that he's leaving coming from?
Quote: "re: Symon. Why does he always wear black street clothes rather than chef's whites?"
Those aren't civvies, those are just black chef's, er, whites. Lots of chefs have professional clothing that isn't white; Symon prefers the black verieties.
I think I'm wholeheartedly rooting for Symon at this point. It was sad to see Sanchez go, as his food always looked *delicious*, but I guess I understand it. I agree with those who think maybe this week was really Cosentino's time, but it's clear to me (and many of you, it seems), that Cosentino doesn't have that much more left on his own personal clock.
By far my favorite part of this episode (other than the cart race.. adorable!) was when Symon noticed that, in giving back the venison after he butchered what he needed, he may have screwed himself by giving others the opportunity to use it, but that "[he] want[ed] to win on [his] own merits, not because of sabotage." Not only a noble statement, but also almost a subconscious nod to the fact that, in ICA for reals BOTH chefs will HAVE to use the same ingrediant in every one of their dishes... the secret ingrediant! It's time to make these dudes go head to head!
I spelled "varieties" wrong. Forgive me. It is early.
shelley.....
Yep, another buffoon speaks
I rest my case.
Wow, it must be near Halloween with all these trolls.
I'll be a bit more reserved and say only that you looked terribly unhappy at one dish, panned that dish, looked terribly unhappy at another, and praised that one. What gives? My wife said she thinks you'd be a terrible dinner partner. HA. Cracked me up. But seriously, good job. Enjoying the show.
I was surprised by Besh's comments regarding the seasoning practices of his competitors. It would have come off better as trash talk in the heat of the battle, where the other guys would have given him some shit right back. It would have been fun, because I have half a notion that he was joking.
In defense of Besh... It was not suggested that New Orleans would benefit from Besh winning as a post Katrina charity nod. The fact is that New Orleans needs a kick into the 21st century when it comes to modern cuisine. That has nothing to do with any hurricane. There have been some chefs pushing the limits periodically, but the city's food scene would benefit from a more contemporary approach. Of course, that's if the eaters and tourists there would support it.
In defense of Sanchez (again)... The comment that his fish dish looked horrible was ridiculous. Cutting edge it was not, but it was neatly presented. And note to the biasness of the judges, since when does fish skin have to be crispy?
In defense of Cosentino... Just give him some guts. Cosentino is doing more for cuisine in our times, than the vast majority of others. Does he need to be an IC for that? Not really, but he deserves all of the media attention he gets. Just the fact that he was chosen as a candidate is greatly beneficial for the food world... as long as his food is never exploited in some sort of 'bizarre foods' display of 'fear factor' novelty. Offal is offal good (every chef should read his blog regularly).
In defense of Symon... He doesn't need to be defended because he's going to win. Good luck to him. And why should he change his black jacket for whites when the ICA team wears those ugly red and blue jackets?
In criticism of the last challenge... That really was not a challenge. What chef has never had to create food that needed to be chilled, and re-heated later? It was not nearly as interesting as the Poly Science episode where many of them were thrown into unfamiliar territory. In this aspect, the fish was no more of a problem ingredient than the venison (to which cooking, chilling, and reheating would be very detrimental to it's quality). It's only common sense to not cook the food all the way the first time. Any chef that's worked banquets, outside functions, or catering to any level can relate to this challenge. It's not just about science here, but about understanding the food. Maybe Bruno Goussault would have been a good addition to this episode. Was the challenge a good one... yes. Was it the pressure cooker elimination round that it was hyped up to be... no. Not for any chef out there. I think the jet lag played more of a factor in the mouthing off and plastic wrap wrestling than the actual pressure of the challenge itself.
Consommé? Ceviche in coconut milk? Was there any mention that these might not be good things to fix on an airplane? I mean one wrong air pocket and anything even remotely soup-like and Lufthansa is forking out dry cleaning tickets to the entire first class cabin.
I want literal stability in my airplane food. As boring as mashed potatoes may be, I know they're not going anywhere and my chances of spillage are minimal. I also know they're not going to react poorly with most of my fellow cabin mates stomachs as some unusual or spicy airline food may-as someone who has had someone vomit airline food on me, this is highly
important to me.
I understand the point was to "class up" airline food, but was there any talk of appealing to a broader palate and avoiding items to which a decent number of people are highly allergic (i.e. shellfish, there didn't seem to be any nuts, etc.) or making sure at least one course was vegetarian? Yes, it would have made the competition more boring, but it would seem to reflect the realities of serving today's customer better.
All that said, this was the best episode so far. And Andrew seemed to get much better/softer editing this episode.
There was actually a dry cleaner on the airliner... it was on the 7th floor right next to the 7-11 and the car wash.
"And note to the biasness of the judges, since when does fish skin have to be crispy?"
Maybe this is just me, and my sensitivity to texture, but gummy, rubbery fish skin on my piece of flaky, delicious fish is GROSS. I agree with the judges -- fish skin should be crispy, and crispy fish skin in delicious.
Again, I said biasness towards crispy fish skin. There are lots of cultures and cuisines that keep the skin on the fish (since it is unctuously delicious and healthy) and yet... not crispy! Do not get me wrong. I love crispy fish skin, but it does not have to be that way. It's not a corn flake in milk.
And why does the fish have to be flaky?
I am not a word.
You must be thinking of my friend, "bias."
It depends on the preparation of the fish.
"Sous Vide Cuisine" by Joan Roca & Salvador Bruguees, p. 66, warm cod
Here is a beautiful piece of fish that does not have crispy skin. I'm sure the textures in this animal and its skin are beyond great due to the preparation. A phenomenal dish, and also airplane friendly... cook, rest, chill, reheat at a controlled temperature right in the bag, cut bag, remove fish, plate, serve, eat.
Thank you , Mr. Bias-Ness... I was actually referring to my friend, busi-ness, to which you should mind your own.
Do the judges see the chefs while they are making the dishes? Specifically, did you know that Cosentino was having a difficult time with the cameras? Would that impact your decisions? Because, let's face it, it's not just about the food.
So was that coconut milk ceviche as delicious as it looked and sounded?
What I would like to know is if any of the dishes presented have actually made it to Lufthansa's menus- or if there are plans for them to do so in the future?
no, we didn't watch them cook, i was eating schweinsaxen and drinking liters of beer while they cooked!
and the coconut milk seviche was excellent, his best dish.
that Airbus A380 is such a beautiful machine. A friend of mine was in Singapore when the first flight into Changi by an A380 landed last Thursday, he said the plane is simply awe-inspiring. I wonder if Boeing is calling up FN to arrange for a product-placement in a future FN series for their new planes as well.
Anyways, color my shocked that it was Sanchez to get the boot - the editing would not have led anyone to think other than it would be Cosentino.
As for the challenge itself, well Iron Chefs have to perform under pressure. That much pressure, maybe not, but the point of these challenges has been to push these chefs to the outer limits and see how they respond. Those that respond well, make it through. And I think that is a good thing. Having a competition that was simply a round-robin elimination of traditional IC battles would have been boring after a while, I think.
However, back a few weeks ago when this started I saw a link to a list of the six epis for this contest and what they involved, and the final is indeed a "traditional" IC cookoff between the the final two, with the winner of that taking the whole thing. So in the end, the last man standing will be the one that does the best in the arena.
And as for Alton's little spiel on Lufthansa's food operations, I thought that was cool, defintely something I'd never seen discussed on TV before, and shows why Good Eats is such a good show - it imparts information without being "professorial" in its presentation. Now if he could only have worked those yeast puppets in, the circle would have been complete.
Yay peace and foie! Down with Interpol employees masquerading as yuppie parents to a child in an expensive private school! 🙂
"Symon made a risky decision to finish it in the airplane rather than reheat..."
Shouldn't that have disqualified him? Airline food is supposed to be reheated. No way does the staff have time to "finish" a dish mid-flight.
good point kali, but we deferred to chef Schmitt on these questions--he was allowed to say this is illegal, and he didn't, he ate every bit of his salmon.
Why was there question to as why Cosentino opted to use the 'guts' of the tomato in his dish? The seeds and their encapsulating gel are the part of the tomato that is proven to have the most umami. I'm not sure if this is from glutamate or from inosine, but it's the reason that chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Jose Andres focus on this part of the fruit.
He should have been commended for this choice.
i simply wanted to know his reasoning, he wasnt criticized for it. his reasoning had nothing to do with umami, though that would have gone over big.
Thanks... and they are, afterall, the guts of the tomato. We would never expect Cosentino to discard the guts of anything.
I thought this was not your best hair episode, personally, but after a day of indulging in schweinehaxen, I can understand entirely. Mmmm. Did you get some obazda, too?
I want the coconut milk ceviche recipe -- actually, I want a LOT of these recipes on FN.com.
The show would not be as enjoyable without you blogging about it and without all the above comments about it. I hope FN gets this. You're providing a behind-the-scenes that the whip-fast editing isn't providing, and it makes the show more interesting to know I can come here on Monday and deconstruct.
email from Cosentino just now, which i hope he doesn't mind my sharing:
sorry for the crudite. thanks for defending me with the camera guys. these guys were german and not understanding of space, every time i moved my elbows touched someone. i thought i was going to hurt myself. also i found out later that eytan with this ear piece was telling the camera guys to get closer to me. In kitchen stadium they understand the dangers of being to close and they want you to succeed, in this episode all they wanted was the shot. that is why i got hostile. i told them from the beginning to give me space since the kitchen configuration was really bad, we had a very small pass way to get to equipment (like bowls, pans)and they were always blocking it and wouldn't move when we asked them . thats when the hostility came. now that 1/2 the country thinks i and a asshole as some one put it in another blog, life goes on.
Sara, since September there have been lots of press (rumors, more likely) about Batali leaving, like this one:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09052007/news/nationalnews/food_net_chef_mario_flames_out.htm
But I've also seen lots of denials, like here:
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Tv-Guide-News/Food-Network-Hot/800021719
Who knows?
The retort to "Consomme was in quotes!" is "so was your asparagus salad."
I like my vegetables al dente. Maybe it's an Italian thing?
I like my vegetables al dente. Maybe it's an Italian thing?
Okay - I'm finally watching the show and I actually have reactions this time.
I watched this episode with the dvr remote in-hand (which frequently wound up paused so I could mini-rant.)
The time constraint thing isn't working. What really got to me was that - because of the time constraints, the chefs went to knee-jerk reaction automatic dish regurgitation. A Gribiche??? That's culinary school beginning sauce class! Ceviche (coconut milk version, et. al.)? Also very VERY routine. The guys simply didn't have any room to think about things and come up with something that wasn't an "autopilot" dish. What would the harm have been in telling them before they boarded the plane to Germany so they could think about it with all that time on the flight??
Also - I agree about the consomme issue. If you didn't make it with a raft and it isn't crystal clear - it ain't a consomme, period.
For the record - I loved Symon's dishes....I would have done Indian/french fusion personally if I was in their shoes (lots of seasoning, color, flavor - easily reheatable).
Although I'm addicted to this show, I'm beginning to miss the very first, non-elimination challenge: that of simply prepping various ingredients for the kitchen.
It was fascinating to see how a professional chef does this, and I enjoyed it very much. Now the challenges are showing less of what these men do professionally and more of the kind of panic we'd all have in a tough situation.
On the other hand, the present mood of the show--more time with the judges, understanding their decisions--is interesting as well.
As to the editing never showing Besh or Symon "in the weeds", please. Symon was practically screaming for his Mommy last night. Can't blame him for that, but the editing certainly did show it.
For another POV, please read http://www.annienewman.typepad.com
They had a shot of Symon actually saying he was weeded last night, Annie. Which, IMO, was great to see, only in that it showed that he's not actually super human! 🙂
I'm really pulling for Symon to win this. I'm completely addicted to his laugh, and would love to watch him compete on a regular basis. Besh is good, but Symon's better.
A couple of questions.
1. Chef Besh made 4, rather than the required 3 dishes. Did he get any credit for doing this? Presumably he was judged on his 3 best dishes of the 4. Isn't that what happens when chef's make extra dishes in kitchen stadium?
2. If Chef Besh would have named his "consomme" a "soup" would he have won?
I'm thinking ahead to the finale - Besh and Symon?
It would be great to have the final two battle it out in Kitchen Stadium since it's going to be "home" to one of the chef contestants.
Also another plus would be to supplement the judging panel with the the current Iron chefs and Jeffrey Steingarten.
Yes, the question of Ruhlman's relationship with Symon keeps coming up. Why? Because Ruhlman judging a contest with Symon as a competitor is absolutely unethical. Period.
Ruhlman's only answer to this question has been to get up on his hind legs and say "How dare you insult my integrity." Well, a person of integrity would have recused himself. But that is beside the point. It doesn't matter whether it has an actual effect on the outcome of the competition. It doesn't matter if Ruhlman has superhuman restraint and objectivity. It looks bad, and there is no way to change that.
If Symon wins (and it looks likely that he will), the question of Ruhlman's conflict of interest will continue to be asked (by people who care about such niceties). But hey, it's just entertainment; it's just a TV show. Who cares about ethics?
A few disjointed comments:
Cosentino is a very reasonable person. That email above proves it.
Besh is not an undercover international agent. If he spoke a language with an odd accent on a job--like he did upon dish presentation here--he'd be compromised very quickly.
Symon showed some serious Iron Chef chops (read: agility) when he made it through the cooler door first . . . while Chef Besh overshot it. Loved that!
janet, please. you are investing a little too much of yourself in the verdict. this is not law, this isn't journalism. if i was ever out of line, don't you think it would be obvious? certainly, the fiercely skeptical and courageously ethical Knowlton would have called bullshit. furthermore, you think i'd recuse myself from this fun, are you crazy? Schweinsaxen! Beer in mugs that are twice as big as my head! Spending some time with these excellent chefs and judges and the manic hilarious Alton. I took every contest seriously and judged as best as I could, which is all any of us can do. I urge you not to watch this show. go do something useful.
logicalmind--besh didn't benefit from four dishes--if it had come down to him and sanchez the extra effort may haveld have helped. and no, consomme or soup, i was just busting on him for a pet peeve of mine. that was a great dish.
Thanks for the update, Ruhlman! LOVE the big reveal.... and it's nice to keep getting inside looks at messages you're getting from the chefs.
Janet - You have a valid point about the Ruhlman/Symon ethics issue.
But I, for one, am gonna let it slide.
Yes. It is because this is TV, not the International Court of Justice.
"this is not law, this [is] journalism"
I would hardly call this journalism (where ethics most certainly apply). This is marketing, advertising, theater and entertainment.
The judges and chefs comprise what is likely a small, incestuous group. Surely, each chef could claim that the other has an advantage with a judge. Luckily for Ruhlman, Symon has brought his "A" game, so it would be difficult for the others to point fingers.
Despite Ruhlman's hard on for Symon in his book, I would be suspicious of a bias favoring Besh -- Besh and Ruhlman must have the same barber.
Finally, while I know very little about television production, I wouldn't be surprised if a winner (or at least the 2 finalists) were determined before the show began. Editing is a powerful tool. Perhaps that is why there should have been a more "Iron Chef" head-to-head elimination.
good lord, didn't mean to say it IS journalism, meant to say it ISN'T. will fix
Thanks for the correction. Now I can sleep better at night!
There are enough unethical lawyers and journalists as it is.
Maybe someone has asked this already... are you going to get to be an Iron Chef judge on any of next season's episodes? Hope so.
The food world is likely very tight, just like the entertainment world is. I'm sure all the judges knew the chefs already before the show started. Some personally, some by reputation or word of mouth. Where do you draw the line? If a judge had ever visited one of the chef's restaurants before, are they disqualified? What if they went AND had a conversation with the chef, is that the line that's crossed? If they've read someone's cookbook before the show, should they disclose that as they might be "biased" in knowing that the chef made a dish they were already familiar with? I mean, the varieties of how and where and when you could draw the line are endless and unnecessary. None of these chefs have achieved such uber-celebrity status that any person judging the competition would be so "oooh" "aaah" over their work that they'd be assumed to turn all sow's ears into silk purses just because of who they are (or just serve the sow's ears, which are tasty).
I know a chef/owner of a restaurant in my town, and while I enjoy the food there, I also know when something is not done correctly and wouldn't hesitate to send it back even though I know and like the owner. I don't see why knowing someone, even being a fan of their work somehow should disqualify you from judging them, in their restaurant or in a contest like this. People know each other, know about each other, etc.
What - should the judges have all been people who are from a town with no TVs and no magazines so they're not familiar with any of the players?
And as another poster pointed out, he's a judge on a TV show, not in a court of law.
I will say that I would have preferred the food to be presented without the chefs there, so the judges wouldn't know whose food was whose. This is the only way I think the public at large would have 100% believed that Ruhlman is not some how "favoring" Symon.
I am having a Ruhlman triple play:
I just finished soul of a chef where an entire third of the book is focused on Michael Symon.
While reading that section I saw a rerun of Bourdain’s visit to Cleveland where they go to Symon’s restaurant Lola.
And then I see Ruhlman and Symon on “Next Iron Chef”
So is it ethical to be buds with a contestant when you are judging? If the competition is truly competitive then I think not… of course if the “Next Iron Chef” is fixed then I guess it is ok to be a “judge”.
And lastly, why does Ruhlman always come off so arrogant?
Michael, is there any way you could copy Chris' email to the top so that people can read it before labeling him an asshole?
Some of the comments have been a bit ugly today. And not just about Chris. :/
I know that you can't talk about this, but I heard the latest episode of Michael Feldman's PRI show "Whad'Ya Know?" this weekend.
He was on-site in Cleveland and had Michael Symon on as a quest on the show.
Feldman congratulated Simon on being the "Next Iron Chef" winner.
Symon said that he could not and would not comment on this topic (under the $1 million penalty clause).
Feldman said he understood but insisted that he "knew" that Symon was the winner.
To be the next to leap to Ruhlman's defense: In a cooking show, judged by cooking experts (presumably), featuring eight very famous chefs, I believe it would be hard to get judges that were qualified to judge at not, at the very least, minimally exposed to the competitors, if they haven't built a friendship with them.
The food insdustry is a very friendly world -- lots of people know each other, most people respect each other, and just about everyone is at least familiar with each other.
Hi Michael, just wanted to let you know that I dined at Comme Ca (Chef David Myers' new restaurant) Sunday night. I wish I could report that it was perfect and everything was delicious. Unfortunately, I had an awful meal. I was really hoping for something excellent since Sona happens to be one of my favorite places. You can read the details here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/455074#3076513
"So is it ethical to be buds with a contestant when you are judging? If the competition is truly competitive then I think not… of course if the “Next Iron Chef” is fixed then I guess it is ok to be a “judge”."
I don't think that being friends with a chef, or admiring him, will prevent Ruhlman being able to taste it if Symon cooks something elimination-worthy. Just because you like someone doesn't mean you're automatically biased in their favor, and I think all three judges deserve that kind of respect from us viewers.
You know this might not have anything to do with talent in the kitchen and cooking since i know very little about both but enjoy them nevertheless - but as a viewer who watches for the action rather than the performance i have to say that while all are very good looking men, for some reason Besh is the easiest on the eyes for me to focus on. Whether its his blue eyes or the fact that his face is clean; his on-camera presence and appearance is much more pleasing and appealing to watch....a thought probably no one but a producer would think about....
In response to Kali's comments about diversity- the high level of these contestants and judges overrides any need for the network to balance out the chefs or judges. In shows like Hell's Kitchen or The Next Food Network star, I truly believe (but can't prove) that the network has to consider if there are enough females or Asians on the show regardless of whether the top 10 qualified people are all, let's say, white males. It's annoying as hell to watch contestants of that show stumble theur way through cooking a steak when the prize is their very own RESTAURANT or COOKING SHOW. Give me a break.
This show, however, seems to really be trying to pick top tier talent, regardless of race or sex, and frankly, it's refreshing. I don't watch this show to root for a female soley because she is one- I want the best chef to win. There are no "token" minorities on this show- they are all first-rate chefs that are well matched.
Another thing to keep in mind is that this is the first season of this particular show- maybe next season they'll mix it up with ideas like having three "international" judges but for now, it works.
Sorry, Sara, but I still believe it is unethical.
Hi Michael.
You were right, this WAS the best episode yet. Stressed out chefs, Alton doing some "Good Eats" schtick, Donatella cleavage, and your facial expressions...priceless! It sounded like Sanchez at least had one good dish while Consentino didn't. I read where you considered all their efforts so far, and that seemed a valid reason to kick off the last minority. So far, I was right with Final Four and Final Three. I'm betting it to be Besh and Symon like so many others here, and I hope if Symon wins they don't hammer you for favoritism. I will call Bullshit on you though, Mr Ruhlman. They do NOT make beer mugs bigger than your giant cranium. Not in Germany, Austria or even Texas.
I bet the finale will be an ICA contest between the final 2.
for those of you questioning my relationship with michael i feel it is important for you to know i also know donatella and andrew very well too!!...so i guess this whole thing must be fixed!!!..its a conspiracy theory i tell ya..i knew it all along..first will get rid of the women then marou and that damn aaron and then symon knows all those judges..the perfect storm!!..oh yeah one more quick note..we all knew the judges and they us..this is a small bussiness folks, very small...live to cook, ms
Rock on, MS, we are rooting for you!
Chef Symon........Well Said!! Bravo!!
For the record, you have had my vote from the beginning. Very refreshing to be presented with a "real" person. Thank you.
Hey Symon, if that is really you. I had hear a rumor on another board that Ruhlman was actually at your wedding. Can you clarify whether this is true or not? Were Andrew and Donatella there as well?
On a side note, nobody is questioning your skills as a chef. At least I am not. You could easily win whether ruhlman is a judge or not. My beef basically comes down to the fact that rulhman personally benefits from you being on the show. Whether that is because people wanting more information about you are going to buy more of his books. Or whether your success is going to benefit cleveland as a food city. Let's face it, food network is new york based. Inserting a cleveland chef into that scene is going to be beneficial for you and ruhlman. I don't see how any of the other two judges benefit from any other potential winner. Correct me if I'm wrong.
And Chef Symon speaks out... Sweet!!
Pulling for you in Boston, Chef!
Ruhlman: "janet, please. you are investing a little too much of yourself in the verdict. this is not law, this isn't journalism. if i was ever out of line, don't you think it would be obvious?"
No, not necessarily, especially not to the viewer, since, as has been pointed out ad nauseum, the show is heavily edited. But again, it doesn't matter whether or not you were "out of line." It doesn't matter whether or not you try to be fair. Frankly, I would have thought that Symon would object to your being a judge, given how it will look to some people -- especially people who dislike you and/or him -- if he wins.
Your only response to questions about sexism, racism, or favoritism on the show has been to be snotty. I can guarantee that if Symon wins, more people will be accusing you of favoritism, so you might want to come up with a better response. But that's your lookout.
And now, as you suggested, I will go do something more useful.
Help me with this one. There is a specific discussion about how altitude and cabin pressure effects your ability to taste resulting in you having to season the dishes differently, more intensely. Why bother mentioning it and then have everyone dine on the ground in the airplane hanger.
How exactly is an accurately is the consideration of how the dish is seasoned and whether it will be enjoyed on the FLIGHT if you eat it on the ground?
While I might like Besh and have enjoyed his food, you get the impression the food was were not heavily seasoned. At 10,000 feet would his dishes been flavorless and Constentios or Sanchez' better?
I agree with you on the comsume issue. A Napoleon unfortunately now just means anything stacked on a plate.
It's not surprising at all that Symon knows all three judges. It's the same in the world of law with nearly all the judges and lawyers knowing each other. And most judges think they will have no problem remaining completely objective during a trial but often recuse themselves because the rules say they must based on some financial/familial connection. Believe me, like Ruhlman, they all think they can remain objective and wouldn't recuse themselves if they had a choice.
The rules are set up to maintain the illusion of impartiality, which is just that: an illusion. To some, the recusal rules seem pretty silly but I think they are also useful in maintaining the public's faith in our system. When judging something, we all come in with biases but that doesn't mean we're not capable of reaching the right decision.
The Cleveland/"Soul of a Chef" connection is pretty substantial, though. Again, I think Ruhlman is perfectly capable of remaining objective and if I were him, I never would have turned down the job. But I am a little surprised that the FN people didn't see the relationship as a problem and let it slide.
I also agree that it is only TV and all in good fun, so the janets out there really need to lighten up. But I think you can also make the argument that to the chefs who are trying to win and the people who work at their restaurants, this is more than just a silly show. The opportunity to be Iron Chef could mean a great deal of money and exposure for a lot of people.
Personally, I'm glad to see Ruhlman on there because I respect the hell out of him and I find his comments insightful. He is without a doubt one of the greatest food scholars out there. Whoever questioned his credentials either knows nothing about him or is flat-out stupid.
Janet, what about Andrew, Donatella and Alton? Didn't know Mr. Ruhlman alone had the power to crown the Next Iron Chef.
I have a question about the 'consommé.' I often make fruit consommé by using gelatin and the freezer. Harold McGee recently wrote about this. Does this count as a real consommé?
For the record, I have never said that the show is a set-up. I have never said that Ruhlman would intentionally favor Symon. I have never said that there was a racist or sexist conspiracy. Please respond (if you must respond at all) to what I have said, not to a caricature of what you think I said. Kay?
Now I'm really turning off the computer.
janet, you accuse him of being racist, sexist, and favoring one contestant, and you're surprised that his response isn't more pleasant?
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find qualified judges/food critics who aren't acquainted with at least one of the contestants. and they're certainly familiar with the reputations of these chefs, so there's no way to go into that situation completely unbiased. that aside, that's why there are three judges, and I doubt any of them would take kindly to obvious biases on the part of the others. do you really think michael's friendship with symon has had more of an impact on the competition than knowlton's seemingly unreasonable dislike of sanchez?
regardless, if ethics are of that much importance to you, I would suggest avoiding reality tv altogether.
All I know is that Bill Buford wouldn't judge a Mario Batali battle..... 😉
I think it's cool that Mr. Symon himself contributed to this thread. Just one more reason I'll be rooting for him to be an iron chef! Now, if I could only find a legitimate reason to visit Cleveland...
It seems as if anyone can pose as anyone on this here blog. I wouldn't be so quick to attribute the above post to Chef Symon.
Will the real Chef Symon please stand up?
I think that both Ruhlman and Symon do possess the maturity and professionalism to treat this competition with objectivity and fairness. This whole "Youjustwonbecausehe'syourFRIEND!" stance is incredibly childish, not to mention this point of view obscenely overlooks the facts that these are grown, educated professionals just doing what they're called to do, and also that Ruhlman is only 1/4 of the vote. It's not like Michael Symon's drinking buddies are on the panel. For christ sake, grow up.
BTW, Allie, that last sentence was very well-said 🙂
Not gullible:
Did you not enter an email address when you posted?
So did everyone else. If Michael R saw an email different from the one he corresponds with Michael S on, don't you think he'd call him on it?
Tags:
Are you assuming that Mr. Ruhlman has nothing better to do all day than to read the posts on his blog?
Surely that won't help pay the mortgage.
Have you wired any money to a Nigerian prince lately?
Oh, dear God, it's Monday, and the trolls are out AGAIN.
Michael, I hope the beer mugs WERE twice the size of your head, writer's embellishment notwithstanding. Has no one heard of satire around here?
Please tell Cosentino I sympathize with him - the KS cameramen do know, from experience, how close in to get. Even Alton, who I snipped at just last week for getting too close to the chefs when they're in the weeds and making them talk about it, wisely stayed out of Cosentino's way. I don't think CC is an asshole - I think he was working under tough conditions made tougher by the scoring of "video gold". And I don't think Cosentino got sent home because he was a Not Ready For Prime Time player this week, either. I really thing the judges (who didn't see the camera issue) judged him on his food.
The Symon/Ruhlman ethics issue is getting real tired. For chrissakes, Ruhlman busted him right at the beginning for using his pastry chefs' recipe - which no other judge called him out on, or COULD call him out on, since Ruhlman has an encyclopedic knowledge of Symon's cooking. Let's give THAT one a rest, hmmm? Every freaking Monday with that issue . . .
But Ruhlman, no matter what you say, a lot of us DO think Knowlton is a prissy little pudknocker. Sorry, dude.
Oh, and Not Gullible - Ruhlman does check the tags occassionally. When there's an issue.
This whole conflict of interest thing is interesting/depressing. By the reasoning of many of you, the more prominent a reviewer is... the less able he is to be impartial because he has met/known more people. So therefore only the inexperienced should be allowed to judge a competition?
I completely understood where Cosentino was coming from on the camera issue; they also showed Symon almost running into the guy with the lights at one point, and while he didn't swear, he sure looked like he wanted to. Everything I saw about the German crew said to me that they didn't have the slightest idea how to shoot around working chefs. Cutting behind Symon, in front of a pot of boiling water? That was BEYOND unsafe; when I have to do something like that in a kitchen, I announce it from 3-4 feet away, "I AM GOING BEHIND YOU, CHEF,' and I don't do it UNTIL I know they heard me. I had wondered if Cosentino wasn't overreacting, myself, until I saw that fuck up, and it became obvious that the camera team was being unsafe and foolish.
Diverging: I recently discovered that when Kaysen was in France for the Bocuse d'Or, one of the reasons he was penalized was because a French dishwasher assumed that a couple of chicken wings for his plate were discards, and ate them. Following on the recent issue with the FN techs moving his cooler in a way that the food wound up submerged, I'm wondering if the issue isn't that Kaysen should just keep his eye on his food AT ALL TIMES! Never let it out of your sight again, and you should be good to go! 😉
at least it's not me this time....Kansas City Rube your first paragraph belongs on the bible in every courtroom in the country and in Canada, either you are a lawyer or a litigant but either way you are definitely no virgin of the justice system...
First, I don't think there's a chance in Hell that post was really Symon's. C'mon, people!
Second, re: ethics. I'm enjoying Michael's insider perspective, but I still have to give Janet some support for her point. If Cosentino was Knowlton's good buddy, we'd all be griping like crazy about AK's bias. It's fair to question if anyone should be allowed to judge a contest where their friend is a competitor .
Personally--no reflection on Michael Ruhlman--but I think the answer to that should always be, "No."
I don't fault him for doing it (as he says, who could resist this opportunity?) But I do fault FN. There are many, many other people who could have judged this, untainted by close ties to any of the chefs. Whether friendship has impact or not on the outcome, it just isn't right, in principle.
Re: Cosentino. Thanks to MR for sharing the email. If it's any consolation, I assumed FN had to use German cameramen who were being unusually annoying (innocently or on purpose). FN shouldn't have edited it the way they did--but I'm sure a lot of the audience understood that the problem wasn't Chris.
I just got done reading Adam's blog. "Shmop Shmef" - priceless.
Michael, of the flowing locks, I'm amazed at your comments about the intrusiveness of the camera crew, but very glad you made mention of the problem.
This seems to show a bias of some sort from the FN editors. Why in the world would they want to make Chris out to be some sort of nasty prima dona? I know that manufactured drama is inherent in any "reality" show, even a cooking one, but why would they do this? Prior to this episode, he was one of my faves. After this episode, I thought "If he can't handle these guys, he'll never make it on IC."
I think next years' contest, if there is one, deserves a new editor and production crew.
Imagine you are writing a biography of a person starting a business. You follow that person for months. You learn about their family, you meet their wife and kids. You live through their highs and lows watching as the emotional side of the business takes its toll on the person and his family. You would have to get really close to this person to do a good job. You'd be a robot if you didn't. Most likely, in the end this person is a good friend of yours. Heck, you may even be invited to their wedding. May even be a drinking buddy that you meet up with at the velvet tango room on the weekends.
If you were now asked to judge the person to which you followed and became so close with, could you do it impartially? Knowing of this persons struggles. Knowing of the impact that what you say will have on the life and family of this person? Rulhman says he can, so we all must believe that.
But this is the kind of relationship we're talking about here. This is basically what Ruhlman did with Symon. If you read the book(Soul of a Chef) you will see that they became incredibly close. So anyone trying to write this off as just some industry acquaintance is not correct.
It's definitely a shame to see Cosentino presented in this light. The producers have tried from the start to characterize him as somewhat irascible (as TC did to Hung from the start); the editing is preposterous.
I can't say I know the man, but I've eaten at Incanto a few times now recently and he's not exactly charging around his (relatively small) kitchen with horns forward.
At any rate -- I have to reiterate that I just don't get the point of this challenge. I understood the molecular gastronomy challenge because it represented the cutting edge that an Iron Chef should know. But why should an Iron Chef be good at using a blast freezer to preserve "product" in this way?
Would it also be an appropriate Iron Chef challenge, for example, to have the chefs prepare the Next Generation of Keebler Snack plates with custom crackers?
What bothers me about the TC connection isn't that it's the same challenge, per se. But rather it represents the same intention to infuse the show with blunt cross-promotion. The only thing missing is Padma's deadpan endorsement -- campy to the point of hilarity.
So where are we going with this, Mr Ruhlman? Will you preside over the final challenge in a Campbell soup factory? Then the winner gets their face on their own Iron Chef-branded chunky soup?
The first-class challenge is dangerously close to Chicken Ceasar territory. Ironic it almost brought down Cosentino; he represents everything airline food isn't (and never will, or should, be).
Chris Cosentino is not a member of our organization.
fyi, it was symon. the address on the post was symon's e-mail address. I know this because we are so close (and because he's promised to put my kids through private school and cover our mortgage--out of his own generosity, of course).
I hope this all works to put Cleveland on the map as a food city.
Ruhlman, I think you should shave your head and grow a soul patch tonight so that not only can you and Symon be BFFs, you can also look like twins since people here in the comments section think you're joined at the hip. Maybe also exchange matching bracelets or something just to show your undying love for one another. I know -- get a big ole bicep tattoo of a heart with Symon's likeness on it. Precious. What's that sound you hear? Oh, that'd be my eyes rolling.
I've been trying to bite my tongue, but logicmind got to me..
I have read "Soul of a Chef," and ya know what? I don't doubt Rulman's ability to judge the food, not the person. Not for one second. I have complete trust that Ruhlman's opinions are based on the food. Period.
Those who think otherwise should take their complaints to FN.....it does no good to complain here. Can we PLEASE move on to another topics????
I don't understand why you like to downplay your relationship with Symon. Clearly you two are close, or were close at one time. If it's a non-issue in terms of your impartiality, why not just disclose what your relationship actually is rather than having people guess about it. If you haven't gone to his wedding then say so. If you haven't been to velvet tango room with him in two years then say so. Lets see some full disclosure. End the speculation.
People don't think they're joined at the hip, but Ruhlman did write about Symon extensively in his book. There's no denying it. Go ahead and exaggerate people's concerns and comments without fact, French Laundry. You are simply a fanboy sucking up to Ruhlman and it's rather transparent.
What's that sound I hear? It's French Laundry wiping the brown off his nose as his eyes roll.
logicalmind, sorry, i honestly didn't know there was actual speculation. Michael and I have been friends since before soul of a chef. This is well known. I did go to his wedding, which coincided with soul of a chef work, as i recall. I have never been to velvet tango with him, though i wouldn't hesitate to. happy to answer any genuine questions about this.
but tomorrow... i have spent too much time with this post today, this blog will drive me crazy.
Perhaps all of this "relationship" business, is none of ours. Please allow the gentlemen to get onto more important issues, such as having private lives.
Now where were we............? Oh yeh, TNIC.
I don't doubt Ruhlman at all but is it really that hard to understand why other people might perceive a problem? I find it difficult to believe that you all can't even fathom that this reaction would come from certain factions. It should have been expected and that's why I think it's FN's fault. I don't think you have to think there's actual bias to understand why some people object.
JoP, the reason the discussion continues here is that some posters and even Ruhlman himself have been pretty flippant and dismissive.
"Those who think otherwise should take their complaints to FN.....it does no good to complain here. Can we PLEASE move on to another topics????"
Well, it's a blog about NIC, after all. I think the comments about the ethics of the show definitely belong here (they can always be deleted if ruhlman gets sick to death of them. Until then, it's a VERY fair discussion point, imo--even more so as the competition progresses.)
And public criticism is the price of deciding to do the judging this way--with a close friend of one chef on board as a judge. (And if that's really Symon, well the "Actually I'm good friends with ALL the judges" defense is a pretty ROFL one, when you think about it. That addresses the "fairness to all" question...how?)
The concept of this show is fun, and they have great talent. I'm just frustrated with the producers because they've missed out on a lot of great opportunities to showcase these chefs by trying instead to be a "Top Chef" clone and cash in on TC's popularity.
To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, they should have showcased the talent they have, not the (lower-level) talent they (apparently) wish they had.
I'd like to suggest that we all keep in mind that Mr. Ruhlman doesn't owe us this blog, we're fortunate he's devoting time to helping us get involved in the show. Remember gang this is, after all, *television*....I would like to see a little less sanctimonious-ness (not a word) regarding his involvement. Just my two cents.
Gratefully,
S.
I thought this was supposed to be about the food.
Crisis, people, some of these comments went too far.
Ruhlman, if you're still reading these comments, you can dodge the daggers.
The have-nots will always be gunning for you.
Ignore them.
I agree! C'mon! Ruhlman is giving us a birds-eye view that we'd never see elsewhere. Let's say "thanks!" and give him a break!
If you think about how many of the chefs knew or worked with each other just in this group of 8, there's little chance that they don't have some connection to the judges. The food world is indeed a small place, and everyone knows everyone else in some way, either directly or indirectly.
A good deal of the production team was based on the same floor as my office at the CIA during the filming, I can say from our observations that the judges seemed to take their jobs pretty darn seriously - I saw Knowlton going out of his way to re-route his walk to the filiming location because of where the contestants were, and also saw Donatella hanging around in wardrobe and hair/make-up because a few of the chefs were doing "confessionals" in a nearby room and she knew they were walking around. But the kicker? The day Ruhlman was forced to use the ladies room near my office because all of the contestants were mingling in the hallway he would have to walk down to get to the mens room, and he told my colleague "No, I can't walk down there. I can't interact with them, it's not appropriate." If the judges weren't concerned about this production and their participation in it, I don't think we would have seen anything like this.
(And although I know my co-worker was a little surprised to "meet" you in our ladies room, I for one am grateful that you didn't want there to be any impression of fraternization/favoritism, real or implied.)
I agree with The P/A and Dianne.
I'm not a chef and certainly not out to "get" you. In fact, I'm one of the people that buys and likes your books. However, I've had it with the overly critical eye of the judges. Give it a rest and go have a fast food burger. Maybe then the excellent food put in front of you might taste less than cardboard and more sublimely wonderful.
Thank you, Michael Ruhlman, for sticking with this blog and occasionally responding to a lot of unnecessary BS about "conflict"! In my opinion, you have the integrity to judge the food, not the chef, and in doing so, may even err on the opposite side just to be "fair". And Chef Symon...God bless him! He is SO neat (sorry, I'm 65 -- could have said swell)-- such a gifted chef, entertaining personality, and, if I weren't living on SocSec in FL, I would be happy to meet him for a couple of drinks and laughs, too. I'd even go to his renewal of vows, since I didn't make the wedding. Give this up, you guys. Enjoy what back knowledge we get from Mr. Ruhlman's blog and just email each other so this whole comment section doesn't get overwhelmed by this holier-than-thou, you cheated!, he can't possibly be objective, etc. contingent. Ruhlman rocks, and I love Bourdain, too! Rooting for Symon and Besh and don't think one judge will decide the outcome. Thank you again, Mr. Ruhlman.
Well said, IGIF, and LONG past due.
Mr. Ruhlman, I would like to thank you for your insider view of this show. I look forward to every blog post, NIC, or otherwise. Please don't let the trolls stop you from providing your insight to those of us that truly appreciate it. Unfortunately, some people are so miserable in their own lives that they need to cause strife for everyone around them.
It's hard for me to be impartial when I've got the hots for Michael Symon. But after watching this last episode I can honestly say I'd be happy with either a Symon or Besh win. Either of those two will make a fine Iron Chef.
I just wonder if either of those two can give us that stern, serious "Iron Chef look" in Kitchen Stadium. "Okay, take 56!"
I also wanted to say thanks. I come here after every episode and during the week and truly enjoy reading this blog. I'm so sorry the trolls are trying to ruin it. Please do ignore them, they're probably just bitter or looking for someone to blame(pathetic)!
Seriously, there are a lot of us who enjoy all your updates, all your informative blog posts and your responses. The trolls will be long gone after TNIC is over, and the rest of us will still be around to enjoy your articles and comments.
I for one, am grateful for you and Tony's existance!
I am disappointed by the judges. I don't think that the judges were picked appropriately. For me, I feel that these Chef's should be judged by other respected and established Chef's. It is a bit of an insult to be judged by people who have had no formal training to be a Chef. I would just expect the best to decide who is the next Iron Chef.
I feel as if the audience has not received explanations for the elimination of the Chef's. All I hear is whining from the judges, mainly Andrew and yourself. I have nothing to say about Donatella...she does not impress me either. I just want to put out there that I have had no formal training from a Culinary School but was raised in a family with cooking being a central part of our lives and my sister attended the CIA. I think she should be a judge...I mean she went to the CIA for longer than 9 months. I guess I should not be trivial but my point in being this way is because of how the judges have come across to me. I expect so much more and have been so disappointed by the judges. I feel FN could have and should have had a higher standard in picking the judges. These trivial fights are just tasteless. Nothing that you or Andrew have been bickering about has any merit...it is as if the two of you are having a pissing contest to come across as the most knowledgeable. Well, when critiquing you should have facts to back you up and not your opinion. That is how the judges are coming across....childish.
If there will be another series for the NIC I hope that FN take the time to find judges who can be more detailed and factual about the elimination. As I said, the judges have been a disappointment.
Loved it, loved it, loved it. Symon was excellent, Michael was too. I especially liked the shot of Michaels hand jotting notes as he ate...impressive skills you've got there my man...I can't eat and write....I can eat and read though.
Symon rules.
Thanks Michael.
Francesca, perhaps you should READ this thread before you post a comment. Been there, heard that. And many of us couldn't disagree with you more! What you see is all about editing, not about what actually goes on in this competition.
I, too, am getting tired of all the snarky whiners here.
I wonder how many people who are judging the judges have credentials as TV critics...
This panel is better than 99% of the ICA judging panels (and light years ahead of any panel that has Mo Rocca on it, as funny as those might be).
They're all qualified.
As far as this episode, why did Sanchez go? Uh, his fish was terrible. Yeah that got the snarky edit, but... if the judges agree that the fish skin was soggy, that's enough to tell me they're right in their choice. I've had soggy fish skin. It's gross. You don't need any culinary background to tell you it's not a good thing.
Why was Cosentino there at the last two? He threw a gallon of chives on undercooked cauliflower. It looked like crap on a plate and with those competing strong flavors, I can't imagine it doing anything but overpowering the other ingredients (which, consequently, the judges implied). Raw cauliflower is unpleasant in all but a small handful of composed dishes. (And anyone who watched the top chef episode... cauliflower, planes? eew.)
I think the show misses its mark only because these chefs are being asked to do things that they wouldn't normally do as part of an Iron Chef competition. Well... that and I just don't like andrew. Didn't like him before NIC, don't like him now.
In the end, I really hope Symon wins it and I'm not really that big of a Symon fan. I think he's played fair during the challenges where they could screw each other over (putting the unused proteins back, picking a wide range of ingredients for the paired chef) and his edits don't show him insulting the others' food.
All of the other chefs have stumbled big at some point and the ones that haven't (Besh, in particular in this last episode) have good sound bites where they're bashing others' food ("I guess I'll just use olive oil and garlic like everyone else...").
If it comes down to who wins the last challenge, though, the fatal flaw will be revealed if that person wasn't consistently at the top of their game. The chairman wants wins? Then they'd be best off picking the guy who won challenges 2, 3 and 5 and 6, and not the one who only won 1 and 8.
Ugh... ramble. Thanks for the Forum, Ruhlman. The popularity of the show and your willingness exposes you to the snark. It's a sad fact, but...
"Nothing that you or Andrew have been bickering about has any merit...it is as if the two of you are having a pissing contest to come across as the most knowledgeable. Well, when critiquing you should have facts to back you up and not your opinion."
francesca, as none of have tasted any of the food, it's difficult to say which critiques have merit and which don't. and since we only see about 5 minutes of their deliberations anyway, who are you to characterize it as a "pissing contest"?
either way, claiming that food should be judged based on facts and not "opinion" is just plain silly. presumably you think food should be judged on taste, and that is, by definition, an opinion.
ya know...i blogged long ago..I watch for the escapism (sp?) My family of 4 watch to get out of reality..our lives our busy, hetic, money pressures, bills, dues, kids sick, elder parents sick..life is too short to spend this amount of time on a damn TV show.....enjoy it for what it IS...FUN..escape....don't judge....kick back...drink one...laugh...that is what TV is about....Ya'all BREATH....
Find the National Lampoon June, 1974 "Food" issue.
The Joys of Wife-Tasting, by Tony Hendra. Now there's your next FN hit, my friends.
fun...you lost it long ago..if it were not for fun and laughter in life where would we be...some of you are LOST. It is not racial, sexist, YOU want it to be so you have purpose..not me...it is FuN...cooking, frenzy, cool "locks of hair" whatever...just enjoy it for what IT IS....man, I am glad I am not next to any of you in rush hour traffic!!! By the way where I live we have 3 stop lights ...now that's LIVING 🙂
Frist off...Love the show.
I agree with rmw...Breath folks, Ya have the actual people from the show blogging in. Some of you all have far too much time to write a book about the show, just enjoy, you're not in entertainment, editing..whatever goes into the production of an actual SHOW..and if ya'll did I'm sure it would fail cause you don't know what it takes, so just CHILL. I'm from an entirely different profession, however it's amazing how people are the same, they sit behind their computer's and blog in but have no clue, or don't want even understand what's really going on. Great job to all the chef's...I like all of them, it must be such a hard gig! Good Luck men!!
BTW..I'm NOT saying I know what is going on, but I think I'll listen to the people who ARE there...
Thanks lovethe show...I on FN, like Chef MC, "Easy entertatining" the best...NEVER heard aything bad about him...he cooks...what everyone lost is... FOOD IS FUN...not politics...ya'all get your head out of your A@@ and ENJOY
LOVE to all...rmw
One question: Where is the Christmas Ale?
L.O.U.D.
I've got to call shenanigans on a couple of elements of this show.
Firstly, there is NO WAY that each of the 4 chefs got done with their meals at EXACTLY the same time and ran EXACTLY the same speed down the hallway and made it into the room with 0 seconds to spare. This was obviously just a drama building point in the show, but I do not buy it for a second.
Secondly, and more importantly, why all the drama about the difficulty of this challenge? And not the diffculty of the airplane re-heating, or the difference in tastebuds at altitude, but the diffculty of the time limit.
Preparing a 3 course meal for 5 people in 90 mins is something any line cook at Ye Olde Waffle House could pull off. Simon was asked point blank how this could possibly be as difficult as a "200 cover Saturday night" and he just blubbered about how hard the challenge was. Puh-leeze.
And no, I'm not saying I could do it. I'm not saying it's not hard to cook world-class cuisine on a strict time limit. I'm saying that it IS easy for professional chefs to do it. It is in fact, the very DEFINITION of a chef to do it, every night. Hell even you could do it Ruhlman! Unless they made you wear a hairnet, don't suppose you'd stand for that, eh pretty boy?? (kidding! much love!! french laundry 4 evah!!!)
A few stray thoughts on reading this (wouldn't want to be left out!)...
I'm absolutely shocked that people have such difficulty believing that someone in their capacity as judge, has the inability to remain impartial despite their relationships with the contestants; especially when under the scrutiny of television, and their fellow judges.
In fact, you could argue that these judges might be tempted to over-compensate for that familiarity and judge too harshly! Whatever! I quite like the mix at the judges table as it stands. How many times have I cringed watching "celebrity" judges (and I use that term loosely) on shows such as ICA, etc...
I wouldn't like to believe that the competition is rigged, but whoever picked the chefs that appear on the show is exerting an undeniable influence. From the first episode, both Besh and Symon came across as the most polished and charismatic of the group (w.r.t. food and TV persona), as many people have noted.
As to comments on judging the food in the last episode at ground level, and not at cruising altitude - a bit of a storm in a teacup. Surely the judges are smart enough to adequately take that into account, and the Lufthansa chef was there to offer his expert advice / opinion. I doubt he does a trans-Atlantic flight every time his team develops a new recipe 🙂
My wish list... less host time / more cooking time; more focus on what the chefs are doing, their thought processes, and techniques; clearer and more eloquent comments and judgments on the food at elimination; and get rid of the "Chairman" and his messages by video - what a joke!
When is this going to end? Why trash and try and tarnish the integrity of two well respected individuals in the culinary world? Who really cares that Symon and Ruhlman know one another, who went to whose wedding, who wrote about who and what ever else there is to dredge up on a couple of guys who live in the same town? The only ones who can bitch about this whole situation is FN and they knew about the relationship when when they picked Symon and Ruhlman to do the show. So if you're offended by this relationship, don't watch the show. It's still just entertainment.
P.S. Bourdain, time for you to weigh in on this and help put an end to this!
Here is the bigger question.
Isn't the whole point of this show to find the next Iron Chef? Every episode of Iron Chef America that I've seen has been shot in Kitchen Stadium. While making these chef jump through rediculous hoops like making airline food is "fun", wouldn't a NCAA style tournament be better? Making them suffer through these challenges is like training a basketball player by putting him in a batting cage. Sure, basketball and baseball are played with a ball, but the basketball player should focus on making jumpers. These challenges are still cooking, but Iron Chefs should focus on their main goal of decimating challengers in Kitchen Stadium.
Hey, sportsfans:
TNIC is TV. It's a SHOW. It's supposed to be entertainment. It's supposed to be FUN. Can we finally lay off the the International Court of Justice at the Hague crap, and leave off the Ruhlman/Symon issue once and for all? It was thrashed to death last week and the week before - Symon knows all THREE judges - and I really wish those who are weighing in on it now had bothered to read all the other posts from the last week and the week before that) before dragging this up again, ad infinitum and ad nauseum.
I don't care if Ruhlman and Symon are buying each other jewelry and exchanging pinky promises. I don't care if they're sipping bacon ice cream milk shakes together. If you have a problem watching Ruhlman judge, then - hey! - don't watch the show.
Personally, I think the dynamic you should be watching is not whether Ruhlman can judge a Symon dish without wanting to go grab a pig trotter sandwich with him, but whether this will be the week that 6'4" Michael actually bench-presses Pissypants Knowlton over his head and into a giant panini press. Croque Piss'iuer, indeed. Now THAT would be some damn fine TV, folks, don'tcha think?
Somebody PLEASE tell Knowlton that whipstitching is SO 2 years ago, and white whipstich on a navy jacket is not whimsical, but tacky. Looks like his bespoke haberdasher did not finish the jacket before Knowlton picked it up . . dear God. He isn't making a fashion statement - he's a mess!
Oh, and yes - as dmbfanmd said, could they please focus on the goal of terrific chefs trying to produce fabulous food on the fly, until tight time constraints, in Kitchen Stadium? Or were they too busy taping IC in it?
dmbfanmd - Ruhlman probably doesn't know the answer to that...only FN does.
...altho, I'd LOVE to hear Bourdain's take on it.
From BiteNotBark above, in support of the Ruhlman/Symon connection:
"The day Ruhlman was forced to use the ladies room near my office because all of the contestants were mingling in the hallway he would have to walk down to get to the mens room, and he told my colleague 'No, I can't walk down there. I can't interact with them, it's not appropriate.'"
ROFL. If those of you who keep telling anyone critical of this show to STFU don't see the...uh...irony...of that anecdote, what can I say?
(Hint: It's highly compromising to one's ethics to pee at adjacent urinals, but not to be close personal friends away from the show.)
And controversy is mother's milk to blogs. Don't worry about it!
logicalmind, i found it, page 207 of soul of a chef, you can read about the wedding, public knowledge. buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0141001895/ref=nosim/ruhlmancom or just do a "search inside" for Pilgrim Church!
In any competition, when the outcome isn't going the way someone wants it to, their first refuge is always to blame the referees.
I speculated last year on eGullet that the winner was pre-judged on Cooking Under Fire, and Ruhlman set me straight in a convincing and respectful manner. I've been a fan ever since.
I completely believe he is judging this fairly and honestly, like the others. In many cases, having a relationship with a contestant will cause a judge subconsciously to actually be a little more harsh on a person than if they didn't know each other. So, "Lighten up, Francis'es".
That of course was not an A380 in the hanger, esepcially since only Singapore Airlines will be taking delivery for the next year or more. The A380 is twice as tall as that jet with a pronounced bulge above the cockpit.
And there ARE beer steins larger than a human head in Austria. I know... I've partaken from them many times! Made the poor choice to chug 2 liters of Kloster Muelln festbier from a giant stein on a dare once.
Hang in there, Ruhlman. Don't let the trolls frustrate you and cause you to lose interest in this blog. This is where I go first when I log on every morning and I appreciate the effort you put forth to keep it fresh and informative.
And try the Bauernschmaus next...
GO BROWNS!
Tom H
.
In honor of those who are on both sides of the ethical debate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELNh23yRiJc
"And I know that you can see my underwear. And you can joke about it all you want, I really don't care..." - Superman [1:10]
I'm REALLY glad to hear there are beer steins bigger than a human head in Austria - talk about the "VOW" factor.
The only thing funnier than Cosentino apparently understanding The Chairman's last bit of instructions in German or John Besh's drawled good ol' boy German, was Symon's crack to Chef Schmidt - "the VOW" factor. ("[[My] food has it], yes, Chef?") Aside from being terrific chefs, the first-class riffing by and among chefs of this caliber (as well as the boyish competitiveness and trash-talking) is a riot. They are under such pressure but they are all such pros (and obviously buds) that it's pleasure to watch just what kind of crap Besh and Symon might pull on each other. THOSE two need their own show. Right up there with the Clooney/Pitt ratpack. Or Sinatra/Martin/Davis et al. Or the Ruhlman/Bourdain rat pack. BTW, Symon posted this on Cleveland.com:
******
This was the most difficult challenge so far. I have a whole new found respect for chefs that work at airlines, it is a brutal job. The thing that made this challenge so hard wasnt the actual cooking of the product but the packing of it and thinking ahead to the reheat. After watching the battle i am certain that Chris undercooked his cauliflower thinking it would finish on the refire but you have to reheat everything in the same vessel, so if he finishes his cauliflower he overcooks his venison. Which is why you really had to think about reheating in advance and how things would react to it. The way it worked was we had to cook everything and then pack it. It sat in a chiller for 24 hours and then we recooked it. That is alot of time for something to go wrong (its not like reheating Thanksgiving leftovers!!!>>lol) The strangest thing about watching these though is the editing. John and i were in seperate kitchens from Aaron and Chris for this battle so we couldnt tell what the other chefs were doing or their stress levels(Chris is really a great guy even it it seemed as if he was going to kill a cameraman!!)..its so interesting to see it all come together..The other thing that was hard to tell is that we were all completely exhausted at this point. Filming for about 18 hours sraight plus jet lag, etc..made this battle exceptionally difficult. In the end I was really bummed to see Aaron go he is one of my closer friends in the bussiness and a great chef. No one does Nuevo Latino better!!...So off to Paris we go, sleep deprived and ready for the next battle which dear I say was even harder than this one!!!...live to cook, ms
********
Ruhlman, in all honesty it doesn't really matter what I think. I'm just some random poster on your blog. The people that this should matter to are the contestants in the competition. If they feel they've gotten a fair shake then that is really all that matters. Do you talk to the other contestants on the show? Are they aware of this issue and do they care. I have a feeling that it will all depend on who wins. But it's not going out on limb to say either besh or symon will take this. I would particularly like to hear how besh feels about it all. I would venture to guess that if he wins he won't care in the least.
P.S. how are "Soul of Chef" book sales lately? 😉
"I'm REALLY glad to hear there are beer steins bigger than a human head in Austria - talk about the "VOW" factor."
EINE MAß, BITTE!!!
(one small point -- Munich is in Germany, not Austria)
For the non-German speakers (and I include myself in that category) "Eine maß, bitte" translates roughly to "A liter of beer, please." Those are the ginat steins, the ones the Haufbrauhaus is famous for, the kind you get all over Munich and Germany that are dangerous and unbelievably delicious. I was in Munich for about a week last summer (Ruhlman -- did you guys get time to explore? Munich is one of my favorite places, ever) during the world cup, and I drank so many liters of beer I'm shocked I survived. There are several awesome pics on the intarwebs (on FACEBOOK, so no searchin for you guys!) of me holding four, five, six, a thousand of those delicious, delicious beverages.
Even the hangovers felt good.
Oh hey! I found a picture! Look familiar, Ruhlman?
http://www.theoktoberfest.com/HTML/masskrug/mass.jpg
Michael,
Thanks for these blog entries. I've really enjoyed reading them and have pointed them out to friends of mine that are also enjoying "Next Iron Chef America". You provide a lot of good insight. I'm also glad you are able to share some comments from some of the contestants (Chris and Michael)
I too trust your judging. You're a respectable guy. The show is on commerical TV and is mostly (or entirely) about entertaining the audience. I think it delivers on that count (eventhough it suffers from some of the same elements that plauge other reality shows with eliminations)
I'll be in Cleveland on Friday, and you have pretty much everything to do with it. I have some friends up there, but probably wouldn't be visiting if I didn't know about Lola and Chef Symon and Velvet Tango room. Add in Bourdain's visit to Cleveland for "No Reservations" and you made a guy get really jazzed up to visit Cleveland. Been looking forward to it for weeks!!
(too much ass kissing here? Hmmm OK... Ruhlman.. Get a haircut!! 😉 )
Jeff
None of the chefs are going to complain. There are class acts and I'm sure all friends with each other by now. Complaining would just make them look worse and bring even more negative press to their restaurants. Their fans (whose dollars Food Network advertisers are targeting) will do their complaining for them. So I would think FN would be very worried about the public perception of the integrity of the judging. Again, I don't think fair judging has been an issue at all but I'm surprised that FN didn't foresee people raising an eyebrow. Ruhlman, how much did they talk about it with you before the show? Did they seem concerned about public perception?
chadzilla mentioned it in a previous post, but I was actually a little surprised that none of the chefs used the sous vide method for fish. It is PERFECT for airline food and is delicious. The one caveat is the texture is not the normal "flaky" fish.
People keep saying this is "just a show", but to these chef's I don't think it is. The winner is going to have a pretty big change in their life. I would expect additional income from being on iron chef regularly, the ability to promote their restaurant during their appearances, the possibility of getting their own show, book deals, increased tourism dollars to cleveland/new orleans for people wanting to visit their restaurants, etc. Not to mention the acclaim of being a food network celebrity. The difference between one of these chefs winning and losing means a lot to their career, the city in which they work, and the authors who have written biographies about them. It's the difference between being just another competitor and being the next Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, etc.
logicalmind asks a good question--
"Ruhlman, in all honesty it doesn't really matter what I think. I'm just some random poster on your blog. The people that this should matter to are the contestants in the competition. If they feel they've gotten a fair shake then that is really all that matters. Do you talk to the other contestants on the show? Are they aware of this issue and do they care. I have a feeling that it will all depend on who wins."
word on the street in New Orleans is that some people saw it as a problem during the competition. i'm sure that camp is too professional to say anything publicly.
given how professional the contestants are, anybody else wonder if the producers decided to make the judges the evil ones? maybe the producers knew about the possible issue and thought it would be fodder for drama? did Ruhlman get set up?
Completely off topic...
I visited my local Borders during lunch today, all excited to buy your new book, only to be disappointed to find it's not being released until next Tuesday???!!!
But, then I remembered, you had made mention of selling autographed copies thru your site...
Is that still a possibility?
Francis, thanks very much for those photos. As a designer, the visual aspect of a restaurant is a huge part of my experience. Look at the lighting, the only word I can think to describe it is "seductive". Like, sex is about to happen all over the place. Only it's eating, not the other thing. I would love to experience this place. The ambience paired with Symon's wicked laugh... what a special evening. Thanks again.
Sara, I'm well aware that Munich is Austria. But if they have steins bigger than a human head in Austria, chances are (as Ruhlman stated) they have them in Germany, too. Danke.
And logicalmind - while IC might raise a chef's profile a bit, it will NOT make or break them. Seriously. Do you think IC "made" Bobby Flay or Batali? They were both NY superstars well before IC, and already had their own nationwide "empires" in the works. Do you seriously think Traci des Jardins' career is going to crumble because she got booted? The chefs may take the competition seriously - they may even want the IC gig for a while - but chefs like Cosentino et al. not only will do JUST fine if they don't win, but will almost certainly have plans afoot to expand, to get into merchandizing, to Pr themselves heavily (by doing gigs like SoBe, for instance, not IC), without having a weekly show or their favorite cutlery flogged through the FN store.
Here's an even more startling thought - RUHLMAN'S career, too, will survive TNIC! (And this blog, the way it's going this week.)
I'm glad you liked the pictures of Lola sailorgrrl07. 🙂 You've given a very apt description of the mood conveyed in the photos! I forgot to include this one, which I think is the most striking one:
http://www.surrealstructures.com/Lola/Dining_04.JPG
When Chris Schramm was showing me progress photos of the plaster finishes (which I can't lay my hands on, argh), I saw that red wall and my immediate thought was "REDRUM!" Of course I told him and of course he laughed.
PEOPLE!
This is a television show...ENTERTAINMENT!! This is not a court of law, no one is on trial for murder here, Symon is FAB, Ruhlman deserves to judge, everyone knows everyone, who the hell cares if Cleveland breaks into the NYC market, and on and on and on!
Food is fun, people, food is love! Stop taking this to court and RELAX! AB, MR, MS-love you all. Rock on Brothers~~
Posted by: logicalmind [& others] / [multiple dates & times]
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Ruhlman, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Symon, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Ruhlman, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Symon, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Ruhlman, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Symon, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Ruhlman, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Symon, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Ruhlman, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Symon, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."
Please remember people:
This is Ruhlman's blog, not The Food Network's.
The Next Iron Chef is The Food Network's show, not Ruhlman's. (Consequently, they hired him to be a judge, he didn't hire himself!)
If you have a problem with the integrity of the show take it up with THE FOOD NETWORK. Ruhlman doesn't deserve this sh*t in his personal blog. Jesus Christ!
Seconding both Christie and Mirinblue. Time not only to stop beating a dead horse, but to climb off it and stop trying to ride it.
Christie: WORD.
Claudia wrote: "Sara, I'm well aware that Munich is Austria. But if they have steins bigger than a human head in Austria, chances are (as Ruhlman stated) they have them in Germany, too. Danke."
Eep! Sorry! I've checked these comments so many times (and so many people have had so many things to say) that I didn't even realize Ruhlman had said Austria. I'd hazard to say they have beers larger than the human head in a lot of parts of Europe. I hope I didn't come off as a Mega-Mega Bi-Atch (TM Cartman).
Ay Yi Yi,
You people endlessly whining about judge impartiality really need to get a life! It's a TV SHOW, for craps sake!
Thanks for the blog, Ruhlman, nice to get the insider perspective. Especially because given the editing a lot of the decisions don't seem to make any sense. Sanchez's food was great but he still got booted?
I wish we could see more of what goes into the judgment decisions and less of the FN fluff. I know they're trying to up the drama and all, but after hearing your commentary on the food, the decision still didn't make sense.
I've been enjoying the show. I thought Costentino would be the one going though. I wish the show did show a little more of the judging but that's my favorite part of these cooking shows.
I know the challenges aren't in Kitchen Stadium but I thought the show has done a good job in linking the qualities they look for in an Iron Chef with the challenges (see the episode titles). I don't think you'd be able to link the qualities as concretely with a typical Iron Chef challenge. Frankly they're also more interesting to watch than just a series of Iron Chef challenges.
Words are powerful. Harsh remarks can cause a destructive chain reaction, like a match in the forest during a drought. Kind comments feel like a light summer rain that brings relief from the heat of the day.Don't be a hater...be a congratulator.
I'm sure rulhman appreciates his fanboys defending him. And I'm sure you wish I would just drop it and return to discussing his hair. But if you forgot, this is ruhlman's blog. He has the power to do whatever he wants. This is his turf. He can edit or delete anyones posts here, including mine. He specifically said yesterday "happy to answer any genuine questions about this." So that is what myself and other people are doing. Believe it or not, I like ruhlman. I bought all of his books. I pre-ordered his new book. But that doesn't mean I have to swoon over him and defend him. He's a big boy, he can take care of his own business. He can handle it just fine when someone calls him out. How dare I judge a judge.
The topic of this blog post is "The Next Iron Chef" and my posts are relevant to that topic. And like I said, if ruhlman doesn't like it he can simply delete my posts. I really don't care as much as everyone thinks I do. There are some people who care much more than I do. Particularly the contestants involved. But that will all play out in the end. Believe me, investors (including myself) are watching.
And I never said that losing this show was gonna break anyone. But I absolutely guarantee that the winner will be made by winning. That includes significant increases in income and celebrity. And all that entails. If you don't realize that the food network is a business and the food is secondary you are a bit dense. Just watch a few shows (ray ray, sandra lee, etc.) and tell me it's about the food. Ruhlman ain't judging this show for free my friends.
And Mario Batali and Bobby Flay may have been known in new york before being on the food network, but the reason that people around the country know them and buy their books is because of the food network. You ask any random person throughout the country who Mario is and they'll say "yeah, the guy from molto mario". Then you ask them to name one of his restaurants. Unless they are a serious foodie or live in new york, they can't answer that question. He has food network to thank for that celebrity.
You guys think these contestants are simply fighting for the title "Iron Chef"? Really?
Lighten up, Francis
Frances, thanks ...a red wall too?....good lord, I'd be a goner
No, Logical Mind - YOU think these guys are actually fighting for something. And it doesn't matter that "random" people know Mario from "Molto Mario". Mario had his empire going BEFORE Molto Mario, so it would not have mattered whether he ever did MM or IC. You think Thomas Keller needs Iron Chef? People seem to know who HE is, and he doesn't have an FN gig.
Chefs of Keller's caliber (and Flay, and Batali) do not need to have EVERY single last person in the U.S. know who they are. They had thriving careers and reputations, locally AND nationally, before TV came a-knocking. Symon has a burgeoning career, too - he opened Lolita well before he got the TNIC competition gig. If anything, Ruhlman as a writer (and Bourdain) have given him more exposure.
These chefs are not out of Top Chef - young cooks and chefs still trying to make their mark - they are seasoned pros. They are competitive and are taking the competition seriously (and, no doubt, would LIKE the added exposure), but if Besh goes home tomorrow he will not be cloudy-ing up his not-so-clear, not-so-consomme by shedding salt tears (or sweat) into it. The man has five freakin' restaurants - ka ching! The chefs all probably got together after the taping, laughed their asses off and had a few brewskies, and razzed each other. ("How 'bout when Knowlton nearly made you cry like a baby, Papi? You know all of New York was watchin'!")
And Ruhlman does not delete any posts, however negative. He will delete vile obscenities and death threats, but being a staunch First Amendment kind of guy, he has never removed, shall we say, "dissenting opinion." I believe he has deleted exactly ONE post to date. And he has "defended" himself - repeatedly - over several weeks, over several boards, no matter how repetitive the posts. It seems that whatever GENUINE questions anyone might have had about any TNIC issue have been asked - and answered - ad infinitum so it's not about defending Ruhlman. It's about some people not just beating a dead horse, but refusing to get off it, stop trying to ride it - and WALKING ON. Taking a contrarian position just for the sake of amusement (your own)is . . . not. Amusing.
Yes, we all realize the FN is a business (as is the food industry - what a shocker), and no, none of us "dense fanboys" thought for a moment that Ruhlman was judging it for free, however many human head-sized steins of beer were involved.
PS: Sara, no, I didn't think you were a b____ (and I can't believe I was still laughing so hard to myself about steins the size of human heads that I actually typed "Munich in Austria", not Germany - to quote Heather on Rock of Love, "Oh, my HELL!")
BTW, an original TV chef has just passed away:
http://news.aol.com/entertainment/television/tv-news-story/ar/_a/chef-tell-star-erhardt-dies-at-63/20071030065509990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Well, I have 10 copies of all of Ruhlman's books, and have pre-ordered 1000 copies of the new one, and I'm the next Iron Chef, and I was all the other ones too, and I can win with a tuna sandwich on whole wheat when the secret ingredient is tuna, or mayonnaise. Or whole wheat bread, I won many times with just the crust.
And my hair has an agent, and we announced we're not re-signing with Breck during Next Iron Chef AND The World Series.
Hey Claudia, thanks for that link to Chef Tell...R.I.P.
Every time Emeril says "I wish you could smell this" I think of Chef Tell.
I don't think logicalmind is asking questions to amuse himself. I know I'm not. Despite this being "just a TV show," these are good questions worth asking. Though some of you think that this will not make a chef more successful, I respectfully disagree. I think you will see the income of the Next Iron Chef grow at a rate well beyond the runners-up. In addition, I don't think many people would watch the show if they thought the judges were being influenced by anything, whether it be producers or personal feelings. People don't like the idea of the outcome of competitions being predetermined. Just ask the 1919 Chicago White Sox.
Again, I don't think the judging is partial in the least, but I do think there are interesting issues at play here and they're worth discussing. We are all adults here and if anyone reading this is genuinely offended or upset over these questions, then you are probably the one taking this too seriously and you need to lighten up. If this conversation is really so awful, I suggest that you stop reading the comments on this entry and wait until Ruhlman posts another before you chime in again.
And if Ruhlman is such a First Amendment kind of guy, I'm sure he welcomes spirited debate on the issue. A First Amendment fan would never come out like so many of you and say, "I don't like you asking tough questions, so please shut up." If anything, this kind of debate can bring in tons of extra traffic to his site and I hope some of these people will click on his amazon links and buy his books. They're excellent.
One Question:
Those of you who are upset about impartial judging (or whatever your beef is), have you written or called The Food Network about it?
"Firstly, there is NO WAY that each of the 4 chefs got done with their meals at EXACTLY the same time and ran EXACTLY the same speed down the hallway and made it into the room with 0 seconds to spare. This was obviously just a drama building point in the show, but I do not buy it for a second." (AgentZer0)
Even if it *was* staged, the shot of all 4 chefs coming around the corner almost side-by-side was hilarious, and as good as any similar auto racing photo I've ever seen ... I think it would even make a terrific screen background 🙂
Len: wholeheartedly agree. 99.5% is so genuine that I would forgive a little staging for that last one...but in my heart of hearts I actually believe it was genuine.
Well, I have to hand it to Ruhlman. I have a new found respect for him since he has not deleted any of the comments on his blog.
Well, I am not going into everything thst has already been discussed.
I think Cosentino will be next. As far as Besh and Symon go, well, I think Symon will win.
I am finding that I like this blog.
Gotta hand it to the Food Network for creating a show that stirs up such passionate feelings about what is, essentially, a spectacle of camp. Of course, IC wasn't their brainchild, but they've certainly taken the idea and run with it. As such, like logicalmind, I find it disingenuous of some of you who think the contestants here are simply in it for the sake of the competition. Mario Batali did NOT have an "empire" at the time he got his Molto Mario gig. When TVFN found him and put him on TV, his "empire" consisted entirely of a sliver of a restaurant called Po in Manhattan's West Village. No Babbo, no Lupa, no Otto, no line of jarred spaghetti sauces, just him in a tiny little spot on Cornelia Street. Do you REALLY think Mario would've become the worldwide celebrity he is today if TVFN hadn't given him a TV vehicle through which he could expand his audience? I'm sure Po would've remained successful (I ate there many years ago, shortly before he started appearing on TV, and I loved every bite), but let's be serious. There's "talented chef making tasty Italian food in the Village" successful, and then there's the Mario-as-media-behemoth successful.
Certainly chefs like Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, or Eric Ripert hardly need the exposure of an IC:A gig to earn a comfortable living or put their names on the lips of serious foodies everywhere. But that hardly refutes the idea that media exposure on the level of Emeril or the current Iron Chefs would boost that earning power and recognizability into the stratosphere.
So, if Ruhlman was a judge and Symon not a contestant, nobody would have a problem with any fringe benefits he would stand to gain by this gig? And if Symon was a contestant, and Ruhlman not a judge, nobody would have a problem with any fringe benefits he would stand to gain by winning (or even competing)? Take either person out of the picture and you have the same benefit for the remaining person no matter what the outcome.
The dead horse has finally been given (or so it seems) to Cosentino to make something wonderful out of all the "offal"ly negative comments on this blog. Love the 1st Amendment, love Ruhlman and Bourdain, love thoughtful comments, especially from those of you who are far more culinary-schooled than I am, and am very happy to see that Mr. Ruhlman is at least being given props for #1, providing this blog no matter what, #2, giving us the background missing from the edited show, and #3, being such an intelligent, witty, talented, knowleageable writer (with great hair). Wouldn't miss a day of it! Including all of your individual comments, whether I agree or not.
Damn! "knowledgeable" of course... (should have previewed before posting)
If Mr. Ruhlman really loved us, he would give us Spell Check. 😀
Thank you, Frances! You've got my vote...what are you running for again? Oh yeah, one of the best bloggers on this site...enjoy your input. 🙂
Yes apparently everyone wants Bourdain's opinion on this matter.
*cough*YOUHEARTHATTONYCHOPCHOP*cough
OK, Everybody breathe. I'm going to go out on a limb and as an overweight purchasing agent I'm going to tell all of you what to do. But first:
1. Mr. Ruhlman should admit that there is some validity in the APPEARENCE of partiality in regards to Chef Symon. Though there may be no "darkness in your heart" judging Michael Symon, surely you must admit that the average person could fear some bias in your opinions. This is not some wacko, out of the realm of possibility - it just isn't.
2. There is equally just as much of a possibility that Mr. Ruhlman, fearing such a appearance of bias, will be EXTRA HARSH on Chef Symon, holding his food to a HIGHER standard. This is as much of a possibility as he giving a nod to the food. Surely, Mr. Ruhlman has eaten Chef Symon's food often, and Chef Symon, wanting to go that extra mile for a very good friend, served him BETTER food than the average diner at Lola received. A comparison to this food would only HURT Chef Symon in a rushed, Iron Chef challenge.
So, what to draw from this? Who knows!! Have fun!! If Ruhlman is holding Symon's hat and control's all judges through some kind of Jedi mind trick, than so be it; Symon and that silly laugh will be a GREAT addition to Iron Chef. If he's extra harsh on Symon and Symon loses, you can be sure there will be Ex-Lax in Ruhlman's next chocolate gateau at Lola's - and won't Bourdain love that! If everything is above board, then that's what we want, right?
On a side note, Mr. Ruhlman, you must've LOVED playing the Ron DeSantis role, if for only a fleeting moment, when Chef Besh dubbed his soup a "consomme"!
everyone go to bed....not one of you listen to me...why does claudia have the floor....slow down...Tony... Help we think along the same lines..Ruhlman???
ruhlman:
As I've said before about Knowlton - if you don't want the dimwits at Triage to use the worst possible shots of you, don't give them ammo. This week it seemed like all they wanted from you was making faces like you just smelled fermented cat piss.
Symon:
I don't know if you're reading all of this, but I would like to thank you for taking the time to provide some input here. I think what made this particular contest so difficult was the combination of having to create three courses based on certain criteria due to altitude and cabin pressure; added to that was the necessity for fitting them into what is normally considered institutional cooking.
For those of you not familiar with institutional cooking, it's typically the method of cooking and packaging for things like Meals on Wheels, and here in the SF Bay area, Project Open Hand - and schools, hospitals and airplane food. When I went to CCA, one of the courses was a stint at Open Hand. Cooking huge amounts of food in huge kettles and tilting bins that can hold a hundred gallons of food. If you've never experienced it, it's very different from normal restaurant cooking.
As for Cosentino getting pissed at the cameramen - don't think CC is like that all of the time. I noticed right away that the camera guys were out of line and didn't move. It would have served them right if a huge pot of boiling water got spilled all over a cameraman. Sending one of them to the hospital with 2nd and 3rd degree burns would have taught them a lesson.
For those of you that are actually paying attention to the show and not just bitching about the MR/MS thing i have a question. Did anyone else notice that when the chefs voted on each other Symon won. When the corporate chef picked the winner he picked Symon and according to Knowltons blog he had Symon as the winner the past two weeks. MR must truly be a jedi to convince all these people that they must vote for Symon
Good points cookie. Michael Symon is a powerhouse of goodness.
So I'm taking a trip in December, to London and Amsterdam, and I have to say -- between NICA and Top Chef, I'm going to be paying more attention to airline food than ever (not that I'm flying first class or anything, but stil...)
I will report back on the ability of United feed passengers without making them sick.
Kansas City -
It was not the asking of tough questions that was at issue. It was the REPEATED asking of the same tough question, again and again, when it had been asked, answered, re-answered and answered again, ad infinitum.
RMW -
Like anyone else, I only "have the floor" when I post - and until someone posts after me. Free speech and democracy at its finest, as usual, on the Ruhlman blog.
And Len - yeah, the sequence of all four chefs racing each other with their food carts, staged or not, whether they actually had a deadline to make or not, was priceless - Symon was also racing just for the satisfaction of beating Besh to the cooler/cold room, which wss the funniest part of it all. Such boys! Competitive to the end! I hope those two go down to the wire. The smack-talkin' alone would make the entire finale.
To answer a question from above, there is no email address or phone number provided for the Food Network or The Next Iron Chef on their Web sites. And unlike the accessible and gracious Ruhlman, I doubt they'd respond even if I did find their contact info.
Claudia, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Ruhlman ever did respond to questions about whether the Food Network talked with him about his relationship with Symon or whether they foresaw that some people might object to the connection. I also wondered what their explanation would be those who did object.
I think most people like the posters here can watch the show and realize the judging is fair but I don't think most people who watch the Food Network are like us. If they were, Sandra Lee and Rachel Ray wouldn't have shows. And that is why I was so surprised that they weren't more concerned with the appearance of impropriety. As you can see from some of the posts from people who don't regularly post here, some people did object to Ruhlman judging regardless of what happened on the show. Maybe the Food Network assumed its viewers can't read or wouldn't read "Soul of a Chef"?
Somewhere in the last few bazillion posts on the subject, I believe I saw something to the effect that FN did look at Symon/Ruhlman thing and decided it wasn't a problem.
And digressing briefly from Symon, this, on Besh, from today's NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/dining/31besh.html?ref=dining
"I think most people like the posters here can watch the show and realize the judging is fair but I don't think most people who watch the Food Network are like us. If they were, Sandra Lee and Rachel Ray wouldn't have shows."
but do you really think anyone who watches sandra lee is going to read "soul of a chef"? I've watched her on a few occasions, for the same reasons people slow down when they drive by car wrecks, and then I quickly change the channel because I'm paranoid that the food network can somehow tell I'm watching and might think people actually like her. anyway, I'm guessing the average FN viewer views this just another reality show, like "so you think you can dance" with cooking. they're unlikely to be interested enough to even find out about the symon/ruhlman connection.
the only people I'd expect to maybe have a problem with it are 1) big fans of john besh and 2) people who take reality tv way too seriously (see above posts).
Speaking of Sandra Lee, does vodka and orange liquer served over ice IN A TUMBLER really equal a cocktail? I mean we all know that for some people liquor is where babies come from, because you have to get good and drunk before anything will happen, but still... Lollipops for the kidlets and 12 ounces of liquor for the grownups. It's so...Valley Of The Dolls to me. Disturbing.
Well, Sandra Lee's "cooking" might be some f-ed up 1950s dream of appetizers for meals and basically a TV dinner lifestyle, but the lady does make some good drinks. And given how much she appears to like them (she giggles and gets most excited about the inevitable accompanying cocktail for her "tablescape" - gag) you'd think she would work hard on making them tasty.
I remain creeped out by the way Sandra Lee's set morphs to fit whatever color scheme she's using on her "tablescape" (the word makes me gag a little bit), and how those colors are kinda, well, politically incorrect sometimes...
I'm curious now. How can a color scheme be politically incorrect?
I forgot to mention another thought - with all that liquor going around, do the grownups drop their keys in a basket on arrival?
Her Asian, Latin and, essential, International meals are themed in the colors most closely related to the racial/ethnic stereotypes that have been perpetuated over the years, and her outfits while she's cooking are almost like costume parodies of the cultures she's apeing her shit food from (I'm sorry, those recipes are *terrible*). It's not like she's wearing blackface while making soul food, but it's enough to make you (or, at least, me) slightly uncomfortable.
I never had watched the show enough to notice whether her cultural themes are offensive or not. I'm more put off by the taco-seasoning-in-a-pouch approach and the message that "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker" atmosphere. I won't even say "offended" because, really, that show is not worth anything other than a good laugh.
Politically incorrect color schemes!?!?!?!?
Are you kidding me!?!?!?!?
Ruhlman, will you please do us all a favor and blow up this damn blog?
This is ridculous.
If it's ridiculous to you, just laugh. Unless you're kidding. But either way, I'm laughing because it's what I do.
No, I'm not kidding. Wish I was.
Ascribing politcally correct/incorrect motives to color schemes is insane.
But then again, last night, I could have sworn my garage door opened in an offensive manner when I got home from work. I think I'm going to send it to sensitivity training classes.
Call me crazy, but I'm of the opinion that one should act on a blog, even an anonymous one like this one, the way one acts in personal conversation. That is, it is not polite to jump all over every comment made that one doesn't agree with. If someone says something you find silly, or wrong, you CAN just 'let it pass.' N'ext pas?
I enjoy reading this blog, and I post occasionally, but I think the quickest way to ruin this "Good Thing" Mr. Ruhlman has so kindly set up is to forget our manners. And I'm referring to a few people on this thread. It's not necessary, or polite, to make snarky comments to other posters just because you disagree with what they have said.
Just my two cents! I know they weren't asked for, but you're getting them anyway! Thanks, Mr. Ruhlman, for letting us all come here and discuss TNIC and all things foodie!
Yes. Sandra Lee is quite like a garage door to me too. But Sara is not, so I respect her.
Thanks, Frances. And when you decorate your kitchen completely in red and black, wear a fake kimono and put your hair up in chopsticks, and do a couple somewhat questionable impressions of Chinese people so you can teach people a quick way to make gluey potstickers, I think you can maybe say the color scheme/costume scheme was politically incorrect. Like I said, it's not blackface for soul food, but some of her choices are, well, a little weird.
I just wonder why no one's thrown a net over Sandra yet and dragged her away for treatment for her little Valley of the Dolls problem. With a cross-addiction like hers, it's a wonder the network even trusts her with a can opener. Or maybe she's really secretly empowering other women leading lives of quiet desperation over dinner. ("Sandra can open a can of fruit pie filling and get it to land in the store-bought pie crust after 8 Sidecars AND a fistful of Paxil?! Well, hell, yessssssssssshhhhh - I can, too!") Hey, it's a thought. (OK, and a little sarcasm.
LMAO Claudia.
Talking about Sandra Lee seems to have taken the place of discussing ruhlman's hair.
After reading numerous "STFU" comments to people trying to bring up intelligent critical points about NIC I think the SLOP talk finally brought the point home--"Keep Your Critical Thinking To Yourself".
So...Love and kisses, hearts, flowers, and a big "thank you" to all for everything!
Over and out.
Against my better judgement, I check in to see if I'm still being trashed. And what do I find? People trashing Sandra Lee! Now that I can get behind.
Sometimes, in the late afternoon when I'm tired out from chasing a toddler around all day, I sit down with said toddler and watch either Everyday Italian or Barefood Contessa, because that's what's on. But if Sandra Lee comes on, I turn off the TV instantly -- I wouldn't expose an innocent child to that kind of filth!
The toddler likes Alton Brown best, though.
Hey, guys, I have a question. A genuine question, kinda OT by this point (considering how far from the original post we've wandered), but one that just occured to me about ICA/NICA. Ruhlman, if you feel comfortable answering (not that it's sensitive, just because this comment thread got so heated), I'd love to hear what you have to say, too.
Who do you guys root for when you're watching ICA?
I'm incredibly inconsistant -- I'll root for the challenger if I've eaten at their restaurant, or heard particular things about them or whatever. Or if they intrigue me. I definitly don't consistently root for the Iron Chef. I like Batali more than the rest, I guess, and I have this weird aversion to Cat Cora even though every time she cooks I think about how much I want to eat everything she's making. I remember when I first discovered IRON CHEF (capital letters = Japanese!) and how much I love Sakai and Morimoto because they seemed like such *characters* on that show, in that weirdly under-over-the-top way Japanese characters can be (I don't know if that came out right. You know what I mean, right?) I'm not taken with any of our Iron Chefs like that... but I get really into rooting for *someone* by the end. Is it like this for everyone? I feel like I mostly reserve judgement until they're serving. But I also feel like if Cosentino or Symon got picked to be an Iron Chef (Besh too, I guess, but I'm really quite lukewarm on Besh) I'd suddenly be rooting for them all the time. [Insert corny, but true, "I shared their journey" sentiment here].
Am I nuts? It's late, have I let the day go to my head? Or does anyone else experience this, too?
Claudia: I am not worthy. That was awesome. Thanks. :-)))
Happy Weekend everyone. Hopefully no more shakers here in NoCal.
Hey Ruhlman.
Yes you, Im talking to you asshole.. Pull over the pretentious bus. I assume that your idea of gourmet is Taco Bell.. Maybe you should be a bit more objective and stop picking on the minor minor technical issues. You must be Chef Simon's biggest fan boy.. Are getting free meals for a year?
Hopefully, Sailorgrrrl, the only shakers you'll have in NoCal this weekend are the kind that have a Cosmo in 'em (!) Must work on my Sandra Lee-inspired dessert now - I call it Valium Vacation. A vanilla ice cream base with a heavy vodka infusion, candied tangerine and cranberries, and a light crushing of Valium on top - Hel-LO, America! Mix THAT into a sundae, Sandra! A dollop, anyone? Sara? Frances? Robert Schoenfeld? (!!)
Mmmm, Valium... tastes like Stepford Wife...
Ruhlman,
What's up with you pursing your lips when you eat? It looks like you dispise everything in your mouth.
-Stj
Yes, Sara, something like that. Valium Vacation? Pistachio/Pastis and Paxil? I need to have a chat with a few more pharmaceutically-friendly acquaintances, but I think I could have my flavor profile developed by the weekend (!)
OK, back to TNIC:
I was sad to see Aaron go and I think his explusion really hurt him. As for rooting for a particular chef . . . well . . . I was initially rooting for Besh, because I've seen him on FN plenty of times and I immediately liked his raffish sense of humor - I also thought he had the chops to win. I still do. But Symon is really growing on me - not because he's buds with Ruhlman, but because he has really proven himself, challenge after challenge, he has a terrific presence and a goofy sense of humor - all of which he never loses, no matter what kind of pressure he's under. Surely he is demonstrating The Right Stuff for an Iron Chef? To be innovative, creative, technically perfect and to multitask all of that, through the loopiest of circumstances? Hey, he's redefined the future of inflight food! Besh could still win - and I wouldn't be sorry if he does - but, come on - who DOESN'T love Symon? (!)
I know the question of which chef you are rooting for was directed at Ruhlman (now that he's free to cheer the chefs on, remote in hand, from the safety of his own home), and I'd kind of like to know that, too - but what's the thinking out there, and why? Besh? Cosentino? Has one got more "chops" and "deserves" to win more? And do you think the one who "deserves" to win . . . will?
Claudia: remember when you say "Lee" to elongate the "L"
"LLLLLLLamb Chops with LLLLLime and LLLLLovage..."
Soul of a Chef is on its way to my pad. 🙂 Can't wait.
Cheers
Oh, right, Sailor, to remind me. The next flavor in the new Sandra Lee line of "vice cream" ? "Xanax for the Memories." OK, I'm done.
I just got The Reach Of A Chef (the celebrity edition) today and can't wait to dive in. I got Les Halles Cookbook for my husband's birthday. After reading the preview blurbs, we're back to cooking chicken with skin and bone. Cripes, if we were idjits before, at least now we are reformed idjits. Overjoyed ones. The raptures of crispy chicken skin are hard to articulate. Fat shmat.
Claudia, I'd like extra vallium please.
In answer to "who are you rooting for," I'm sure this will come as a surprise to some, but at this point my favorite is Symon.
I started out rooting for Des Jardin, because she's my local girl, and the only one of the chefs whose food I have tasted. After she got eliminated right away, I didn't have a favorite for a while -- I was impressed with some of the things Cosentino did early on, especially the tripe, but lately he seems to have slipped.
Symon and Besh seem the obvious finalists -- the ones who have most consistently done well. Of the two, Symon's food looks more interesting and varied to me. As to personality, Besh's is wearing thin. I wouldn't exactly say I'm rooting for Symon, but at this point he looks like the best choice to me.
Of course, all of this is based on what we are being shown by the editors of the show, who have their own narrative to tell.
No, no, no (I mean, yes, those responses are great, but...), I meant when you watch Iron Chef America on TV (not the show on who gets to be an Iron Chef, but the acutal ICA competitions), who do you root for? Do you root for one chef over others? Do you always root for the Iron Chef? Or, like me, do you kind of reserve that judgement until you see their food?
Sorry if I was unclear... to be perfectly honest, it was late and I was a little stoned...
judgment is totally food based.
I just watched the Paris episode. Predictable. It was obvious several episodes ago that it would be down to Symon and Besh. This program is a lot of hype. Kudos to the marketing department though.
Thank you for including Cosentino's side of things. I figured there must be more to it than the editing allowed.
I am rooting for John Besh. I like his style, and he has GREAT presence. Too bad the judges already seem to have their favorite picked out, it is pretty obvious that MS will win.
Congratulations to Chef Michael Symon for becoming "The Next Iron Chef". I think Iron Chef Symon will do a great job and I look forward to watching his battles.
To the guy who said that David Myers' Comme Ca was "horrible" or whatever unflattering term he used to describe it- please try a meal there again.
Chef Myers is an amazing chef- I know as I've eaten at Sona and was thrilled at the tasting menu, wine list, and service, and I know how hard Chef Myers works to ensure that his restaurants are THE best they can be.
He's a family member of mine-so naturally, I'm quite biased...lol- but I feel that he's the most passionate person I've ever spoken with or listened to when it comes to food, and I'm a major foodie myself, so I've spoken with a few knowledgeable chefs in my time.
I know Comme Ca is still fairly new, and maybe you hit it on an off night, but I've been there as well as to Sona and I know the food isn't as terrible as you make it out to be. I also know how absolutely crushed David would be knowing your thoughts on his food. So much so that had you said something the evening you dined there, I'm betting he would have been extremely accommodating in regards to repairing the situation and more than likely, comping your meal.
I wish you would have had a better dining experience and I hope you'll try Comme Ca again in the future, and that it turns out to be one of your BEST experiences. Take care.