Top Chef…Now We’re Cookin’

Oh boy – that was a good episode last night!!!  Let’s get to it…

•  Now that was a “High Stakes” Quickfire – Winner gets immunity, Loser goes home.  No cash, just your place in the game. AND WITH SNAILS as the ingredient, cooking for Daniel Boulud…KA-POW!
• “A bite to save your life”  I thought the way they handled the Quickfire Elimination was also terrific!!  More panic, think on your feet and make something good!
• Poor Jesse…but it was probably time.
• Kevin, Jennifer and the Brothers V., HEAD AND SHOULDERS better than everyone!  They are proving that each and every week.
• YEAH BACON!!  Kevin’s bacon jam with his snails sealed his win (and again, a bacon dish so memorable that one of the judge’s went back and made his own bacon jam – read Tom’s blog).
• YEAH BACON!!  Eli’s bacon t-shirt made a return visit!
• What a great prize Kevin won for taking the Quickfire…to sit at that table with Joel Robuchon and those other incredible French chef’s during the Elimination Challenge  AND get to sample his competitor’s food…that’s a more valuable experience than those cash prizes.
• POOR BACON! Matten’s over use of it in his and Ashley’s dish during the Elimination Challenge,  It should provide a hint of flavor, not overpower the whole thing.
• Speaking of Ashley, I could actually tolerate her this week. We’ll see if that continues…
• Mike I. continues his “lucky” streak, riding on the coat tails of another one of the brothers.  That deconstructed sauce was all Bryan.  The week before, he was on a winning team with Mike V. but still almost went home because of his terrible salad.  Hmmmmm…
• I love how that camera always shows Padma all serious and angry looking when the losing contestants come in the room for judges table.  That always cracks me up.
• Another “Top Chef: Masters” contestant as a guest, this time it was my man Hubert Keller.  AND AGAIN, he seemed to show some simpathy for what the contestants were going through…
• Did you see the look on Mike V.‘s face when his brother was announced as teh winner of the Elimination Challenge??  Whooo boy!  He looked like he was gonna have to cut someone…
• Hector, goodness gracious man, can’t you cook a piece of meat???  It was right to send him home for the botched job.  As was said at Judge’s Table, it was a cooking error and these chef’s should all be able to at least cook something properly!

and as always, here was Tom’s take on last nights episode…

Until next week.

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