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Offline apskip

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Top Chef 10
« on: February 02, 2012, 11:12:56 AM »
Bravo TV greenlighted Top Chef 10 by announcing today that casting will be Feb. 21 to March 2.

Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2012, 01:30:17 PM »
Thanks to Peach we have this set of interesting insights on Top Chef:

Envelope Emmy Roundtable: Reality Show Hosts Get Real

by Elena Howe, Los Angeles Times, June 21

Padma Lakshmi: I don't. I mean, we have a great team that goes out and scouts. And we changed the show in the last season, just that we let you watch the last cut [of applicants]. And so we did have a hand in it this time. But it's better, I think, not to, for us anyway, because I'm a host, but like Heidi, I'm also a judge. So it becomes difficult. Usually, when we start the season, we know loosely what the challenges are. We have field producers who map that out. Sometimes we do have to change them, because not everything that is a great challenge works on TV. And for us, I think this is different than "Runway," you can see if a dress fits well. The audience can't taste at home. So they're really relying on us as judges to describe that experience, that sensorial experience. And so that becomes a challenge.

Lakshmi: For us, the people who wind up being attracted to the show, yes, they're much more savvy. But not only has that been so because of "Top Chef," it's just because the advent of food television as a whole has been so great. The competition is so fierce now that we have James Beard nominees who are actually just contestants and Food and Wine best new chef and all that because of the exposure it gives you to restaurateurs and very established chefs who are in the position to give you a job [or] invest in your new restaurant and things like that. It's no more just about being on TV.

Lakshmi: I do think that is why the shows do well, because it's very compelling to see someone so passionate about what they do, whether they're making a skirt or a soufflé.




Offline coolio

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2012, 04:08:16 PM »
EEK!  So excited. I really didn't like last season. Too much drama. Hopefully this season will be as great as All-Stars or Season 7.

Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2012, 10:51:36 AM »
BRAVO MEDIA CELEBRATES THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF "TOP CHEF," WITH A NEW SEASON IN SEATTLE

"Top Chef: Seattle" Premieres Wednesday, November 7 at 10 PM ET/PT. Wolfgang Puck will be a Judge.

NEW YORK - September 19, 2012 - Bravo Media premieres "Top Chef: Seattle," the tenth season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series, on Wednesday, November 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Famed chef and restaurant mogul Wolfgang Puck joins as a judge this season, alongside Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson and Emeril Lagasse with Padma Lakshmi returning as host, as 21 chefs compete for the top crown.

The franchise has catapulted nine "Top Chef" winners' careers. This season the competition goes back to the basics, with culinary challenges that require a mastery of the primary skills of a chef. The "Top Chef: Seattle" chefs will be pared down week by week as they compete to out-flavor, out-cook and out-do their competition. The winning chef will receive $125,000 furnished by Healthy Choice, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and will earn the title of "Top Chef." The Emmy Award-winning Magical Elves return to produce "Top Chef: Seattle" with Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz as executive producers.

Following are the 21 "Top Chef: Seattle" hopefuls:

· Lizzie Binder, 37 - Napa, California
· Tina Bourbeau, 42 - New York, New York
· Chrissy Camba, 30 - Chicago, Illinois
· Stephanie Cmar, 27 - Boston, Massachusetts
· Micah Fields, 28 - Los Angeles, California
· Eliza Gavin, 38 - Telluride, Colorado
· Anthony Gray, 35 - Macon, Georgia
· Jeffrey Jew, 34 - Washington, DC
· Gina Keatley, 32 - New York, New York
· Kristen Kish, 28 - Boston, Massachusetts
· Danyele McPherson, 31 - Dallas, Texas
· Daniel O'Brien, 32 - Washington, DC
· Carla Pellegrino, 43 - Las Vegas, Nevada
· Jorel Pierce, 28 - Denver, Colorado
· Sheldon Simeon, 30 - Lahaina, Hawaii
· John Tesar, 54 - Dallas, Texas
· Joshua Valentine, 32 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
· Bart Vandaele, 41 - Washington, DC
· Tyler Wiard, 41 - Denver, Colorado
· Brooke Williamson, 33 - Los Angeles, California
· Kuniko Yagi, 35 - Los Angeles, California

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/09/19/top-chef-seattle-premieres-wednesday-november-7-at-10-pm-et-pt-and-wolfgang-puck-joins-as-judge-989304/20120919bravo01/#w434hItRkYritDIY.99

Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2012, 08:37:18 AM »
Top Chef 10 telecasts start on BRAVO this Wednesday night at 10pm.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2012, 09:00:04 AM by apskip »


Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2012, 12:26:11 PM »
TC10, Ep. 1
This episode featured mini-competitions to determine which chefs would make the final list of 15 going to Seattle. Each one of those competitions was hosted by one of the 4 Top Chef judges:
Tom Colicchio – demonstrate basic skills, then work as a line cook in Craft restaurant
Wolfgang Puck – “make me an omelet” in 45 minutes
Emeril Lagasse – “Make me a soup” in 45 minutes
Hugh Acheson – “make me a really nice salad” in 45 minutes

Chefs evaluated by Tom (Los Angeles)
Anthony - used a paring knife on a deboning a duck breast
Jorel -filleted chicken instead of cutting it up
John - salmon mangled initially but fish station in restaurant service good
Micah - mangled a black bass
Lizzie perfect tortellini

Chefs evaluated by Wolfgang (Beverly Hills)
Chrissy
Eliza
Kuniko
Tyler
Daniel
Carla

Chefs evaluated by Emeril (Las Vegas)
Tina
Stephanie
Kristen
Jeffrey 
Joshua

Chefs evaluated by Hugh (Dallas)
Bart 
Brooke
Danyele
Gina
Sheldon

Chefs cut by Tom were Jorel and Anthony. Chefs cut by Wolfgang were Daniel. Chefs cut by Emeril were Tina and Stephanie. Chefs cut by Hugh were Gina. That takes the original group of 21 chefs down to 15.

My initial favorite chef is Bart. We'll see how he fares.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2012, 05:17:34 PM by apskip »

Offline ZBC Company

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2012, 12:54:13 PM »
this season turn be the wroster

Offline ugot2bekidinmeny

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2012, 03:28:09 PM »
 I just saw this weeks coming attractions and my friend Josie is one of the returning Chef-testants!!  man she was tight lipped about it! :lol3:
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Offline ugot2bekidinmeny

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2012, 04:37:38 AM »
YES :yess:  Josie is safe!! I gotta say  there was no way production was going to let any of the 3 vets go home just yet.

Josie was more vocal  in last nights episode.  Which is the way I have always known her to be so maybe this time around she will get to the end!! I know she has been doing so much out there since her season so  her confidence  and the ability to change on the fly will  help her . Especially since  her season the caliber of people have  increased greatly.

:cheer: Josie!!
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Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2012, 05:16:46 PM »
TC10, Ep. 2

The judges for the Quickfire were previous Top Chef competitors Josie from TC2, CJ from TC3 and Stefan from TC5. The TC10 chefs made up 5 groups of 3, each with its own color identification. They had 20 minutes to use Seattle area fresh seafood to create a dish. The seafood choices include crab, crawfish, razor clams, Dungeness crab and geoduck. Here are the teams creating dishes:
Blue Team Sheldon, John, Kuniko
Green Team Micah, Kristen, Tyler
Grey Team Jeffrey, Bart, Brooke
Orange Team Lizzie, Chrissy, Carla
Yellow Team Eliza, Danyele, Joshua

The winning team was Kuniko, John and Sheldon.  The winner of immunity for the elimination challenge, determined from that group by knife draw, was John.
For the Elimination Challenge the judges were Tom Douglas, a noted James Beard Award winner and owner of several Seattle area restaurants, Tom, Padma, Emeril and Gail Simmons. The challenge involved cooking in the Seattle Space Needle’s restaurant. A dish had to be completed in the 47 minutes it took for the Needle to make one complete revolution and then it had to be served. The teams were the same as before, except that the producers threw in a huge twist by inviting the team of Josie, CJ and Stefan to compete in TC10. Here are the dishes created and presented:
Blue Team Sheldon, John, Kuniko - Chili Oil Poached Cod with Dashi, Spot Prawn Shabu Shabu
Green Team Micah, Kristen, Tyler - Crispy Seared Salmon, Local Vegetables & Spot Prawn Butter Sauce
Grey Team Jeffrey, Bart, Brooke - Pan Roasted Halibut, Mushrooms, English Peas, Wheat Beer with Herb Sabayon
Orange Team (Lizzie, Chrissy, Carla - Poached Salmon with Seasonal Vegetables & Beurre Blanc
Yellow Team Eliza, Danyele, Joshua - Pan Roasted Cod, Mushrooms, Fava Beans, Picked Green Apple & Garlic Scape Pistou
Red Team Stefan, CJ, Josie - Quail Breast with Confit Spot Prawn, Cherries & Porcini

Carla/Lizzie/Chrissy had a very fine dish, as did Kuniko/John/Sheldon. Josie/CJ/Stefan did badly due to Stefan overcooking quail beyond medium-rare. The team of Jeffrey/Bart/Brooke also was judged with bad performance, primarily due to Jeffrey’s halibut being way overcooked. Brooke knew this but failed to warn Jeffrey.    Danyele/ Eliza/Josh cooked cod. Kristen/Tyler/Micah cooked salmon.
The dish of Kuniko, John and Sheldon was again the winner. This time Kuniko won for poaching ling cod in chili oil in an excellent way.
Jeffrey was judged slightly worse in performance than Stefan and eliminated.

So, is this fair to have previous chefs competing against new ones? I say NO WAY! There is no circumstance under which Stefan (who finished #2 in season 5) cannot make it to the TC10 finalist list, even though he almost got eliminated in this episode of TC10.  CJ is also a very skilled chef and likely to be a finalist. Josie, it doesn't matter because she is not a real threat.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2012, 09:38:10 AM by apskip »


Offline kiki

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2012, 12:14:44 AM »
For me this was a boring episode. I thought all the dishes were almost the same and nothing really exciting but what I hated the most was the sudden camera movements on the faces of the chefs as they stood in front of the judges. It was as if they wanted to present them as gladiators before the fight. I really hated the over dramatic tone they tried to give.

Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2012, 09:45:14 AM »
I do not agree with Kiki on past episodes being boring, but this Thanksgiving episode definitely was not.

TC10, Ep. Ep. 3

This episode began with 17 chefs remaining. The Quickfire was judged by Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine magazine and a frequent top Chef judge. The challenge was to take a dumpling type off a world map and make it in 1 hour. Some of these were easy but others were excessively hard. Each one had to contain a wrapper, a filling and a sauce. The chefs were given 5 minutes with a Kindle Fire in a co-promotion to find a recipe. The dumplings presented for Dana’s tasting were:

Kuniko – failed to present anything due to not managing her time well
Bart - Potetball (Norway): Potato Ball with Lamb & Fired Spaghetti
Brooke - Siomay (Indonesia): Chicken & Shrimp with Peanut Sauce & Diakun
Carla - Fufu (Africa): Chicken & Lamb Filling with Red Sauce
CJ - Pierogi (Poland): Veal & Pork Filling with Demi-Glace
John - Kroppkaka (Sweden): Potato Dumpling with Bechamel Sauce
Josie - Mandu (Korea): Pork, Tofu, Shiitake Mushroom Filling
Kristen - Momo (Nepal): Pork & Chicken Liver with Ginger & Cumin
Micah - Manti (Kazakhstan): Ground Lamb with Dates, Curry & Cinnamon
Sheldon - Jiaozi (China): Pork & Dumpling Filling with Shiitake Mushrooms
Stefan - Klopse (Germany): Ground Lamb, Mashed Potatoes & Capers
Chrissy, Danyele, Eliza, Elizabeth, Josh, Tyler – I believe these were not shown

The worst dumplings were Kuniko (none), Carla (a mess with a fufu) and Brooke (could not find rice flour so no wrapper). The best dumplings were by Josie (mandu from Korea), Stefan (klopse from Germany) and Micah (manti from Kazakhstan). Josie had the winner and got immunity for the Elimination Challenge.

The Elimination Challenge was to prepare a Thanksgiving meal with turkey, sides and desserts with prep work at the Top Chef kitchen and 5 hours cooking at the Fare Start charity facility for their staff and volunteers. The chefs were split into one group of 9 (Grey team) and one group of 8 (Red team). CJ assumed some leadership of the Red team. Tom Colicchio and Emeril Lagasse were brought in to provide advice and support to the Red and Grey team, respectively. Tom was promoting an Italian style thanksgiving meal and Emeril a New Orleans style thanksgiving meal. Tom’s team got to learn a recipe for risotto and pancetta dressing. Emeril’s team got to learn his recipe for gumbo. Here were the dishes created and presented:

Grey Team
Josie – turkey, which looked great on the outside but was almost raw in the center
Danyele – Emeril’s mother’s stuffing
Tyler – gumbo, which earlier was perfect was low after roux was added with seasonings
Kuniko – potato pave, was bland and way undercooked
Sheldon – braised greens with ham hocks, with greens undercooked
Brooke – sweet potato buttermilk biscuits
Kirsten –assiette of root vegetables, parsnip truffle puree, creme fraiche, underseasoned
John – mini pumpkin pie
Chrissy – white wine and pecan bread pudding

Red Team
CJ – turkey and dressing, which did not have good outside color but was delicious
Carla – carrot soup (Tom thought it was cabbage due to her accent), super
Bart – Fennel, Gorgonzola, Orange & Pumpkin Seed Salad
Josh – sweet potato ravioli with pecans; comments were tough outer layer
Micah – Brussels sprouts with insufficient salt
Lizzie – potato puree with 50% butter content (Joel Robuchon style per Dana Cowin)
Eliza – Chocolate Tart with White Chocolate & Mint Syrup
Stefan - Pannacotta with Orange Cardamom Crisp & Candied Pecans

Judging is done without the direct assistance of Tom or Emeril. Padma, Gail and Thierry Rautereau (Top Chef Masters 3 competitor) joined with Megan Karch, Executive Director of Fare Start.

The winning team due primarily to the turkey was the Red team. The individual honors went to CJ, Carla and Lizzie. The big winner was Carla, who again made no friends this episode.

The losing team had Tyler, Sheldon, Kuniko and Josie called up. Josie had immunity so she was safe even though she probably would have got sent packing if that were not so. Tyler’s sin was a gumbo that was off but not horrible. Sheldon’s greens were also off but not horrible. Kuniko’s potato pave was unquestionably the dish that was hoorible, so she got the axe.


Offline TexasLady

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2012, 10:09:49 AM »
I lost my love of Top Chef and especially with Tom Colicchio when Stefan lost to Hosea, in season 5. Imagine my surprise to learn that they have brought Stefan back to compete again.

I will have to catch up on this season!  :hoot: :hoot:

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Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2012, 02:13:17 PM »
TC10, Ep. 4

This episode started with Stefan making a move on Kristen, rubbing her feet. More cooking and less baloney is desired by me.

The Quickfire was judged by Top Chef Masters 3 contestant Naomi Pomeroy. It was to use anything butchered off a side of beef to create an interesting, tasty meal in one hour. The dishes presented were:
Bart - Double Cut New York Steak
Brooke - Grilled Hanger Steak with Smoked Onion Figs & Cauliflower Puree
Carla - Sirloin Medallion Wrapped in Bacon, Asiago Risotto with Marsala Sauce
Chrissy - Grilled Hanger Steak with Brown Butter, Parsley & Radish Salad
CJ - Top Round Tartare, Raw Juniper & Kohlrabi
Danyele – not shown
Eliza - Grilled Flank Steak with Cherry Cognac Reduction, Asparagus & Potato Cake
Elizabeth - Braised Foreshank with Turnips & Dill
John - Braised Oxtail, Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables & Celery
Joshua - Beef Meatballs with Creamy Polenta & Pickled Shallots
Josie – not shown
Kristen - Top Sirloin Tartare with Mustard Sabayon & Carpaccio Salad
Micah - Oxtail Polenta with Truffled Romanesco Cauliflower
Sheldon - Kalbi Round Steak with Tomato Cardamom Broth & Fennel Salad
Stefan - Braised Top Round Ravioli with Marjoram & Aged Parmesan
Tyler - Hispanic Crudo with Charred Tomato Sauce & Cilantro Radish Slaw

The 3 least interesting dishes were by Lizzie, Eliza and Tyler. The 3 best dishes were CJ, John and Josh. John won because his braising of oxtail meat was superb. He received immunity for the Elimination Challenge, which was extra valuable because it was a double elimination.

The Elimination Challenge was to take over the Canlis Restaurant, started in 1950 by the grandfather of the current owners. There was a menu from 1950. Each individual chef had to choose something from it to cook for a distinguished panel of tasters. That included the usual Tom, Padma, Gail, Emeril and Hugh plus Naomi, the Canlis brothers and a few others. The dishes created were:

Bart - Vanilla Ice Cream
Brooke - Seafood Salad a la Louis
Carla - Whole Milk-Fed Squab
Chrissy - Canlis Special Salad
CJ - Shish Kebab with Pilaf
Danyele - Royal Hawaiian Supreme
Eliza - Fresh Frozen Hawaiian Pineapple Parfait; Mint Sherbet
Elizabeth - Marinated Herring
John – Steamed Clams Bordelaise
Joshua - French Onion Soup
Josie – Huge Idaho Baked Potato
Kristen - French Fried Onions; Side of Mushrooms
Micah - Mixed Vegetables
Sheldon – Fresh Hawaiian Mahi Mahi
Stefan - Calf's Liver & French Fried Onions (with Kristen)
Tyler - Fresh Crab Leg Cocktail

The kitchen expeditor was John because he had immunity. The dishes judged best were Stefan, Eliza and Tyler. The win and $10,000 prize went to Eliza. The 4 worst dishes were by Carla. Chrissy, CJ and Micah. Carla and Chrissy were eliminated.



TC10 Ep. 1 Last Chance Kitchen

As created to accompany TC9, an extra opportunity for all eliminated chefs to get back into the regular competition at the end of TC10 has been provided if they survive a grueling set of challenges against the other eliminated chefs. This episode was the first for TC10 and it had Carla, Chrissy, Kuniko and Jeffrey. The challenge was to create a dish using ingredients from each chef’s own dish that got them eliminated. Here were the dishes created in 30 minutes for Last Chance Kitchen under this challenge:

Carla - Milk-Fed Grilled Squab Over Port Wine Sauce with Baked Tomato and Morels
Chrissy – Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Croutons
Kuniko – Lemongrass Cream Potato Chowder
Jeffrey – Pan-Roasted Halibut, Morels, Cream and Peas

Carla was rated low and she was unhappy about that. Kuniko was the winner and stayed alive in the competition. She will face the individual eliminated from the next episode.

Offline ugot2bekidinmeny

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2012, 02:57:30 PM »
On the quickfire they didnt show  them tasting Josie's dish. I wonder if there was something that went wrong. I'll have to find out

 I think that the 3 returning chef-testants will still be in it for a while

 I LOVE that they brought back last chance kitchen!! http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-10/last-chance-kitchen
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Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2012, 02:39:03 PM »
As I stated earlier, based on prior season performance, Stefan was #2 on TC5 and CJ was #6 on TC4. They should go a long way in TC10. However, Josie was #11 on TC2, finishing ahead of only 4 chefs that season. She will need to have improved a great deal to be competitive in TC10. It's possible but unlikely.

If all 3 finalist slots are taken by these 3 chefs, the legitimate TC10 chefs will be very upset. I don't see that happening.

Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #16 on: December 07, 2012, 08:00:05 AM »
TC10, Ep. 5

The Quickfire Guest Judge was Daisley Gordon, who has 2 restaurants at Pike Place Market. The challenge was to create in 1 hour a dish-on-a stick that 50 Market vendors could sample using ingredients provided by Daisley and equipment from Sur La Table. Teams of 2 were self-selected, but there were several difficult pairings. Here is what these teams created:

John/Josh – Chilaquiles: Tortilla, Salsa, Quail Egg, Avocado-Heirloom Tomato Relish
CJ/Tyler – Salmon & Cream Cheese Crepe with Avocado, Arugula & Tarragon
Stefan/Brooke – Croque Monsieur: Pressed Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Toasted Fig
Josie/Eliza – Ricotta, Raspberry & Sausage Pancake with Jalapeno Maple Syrup
Danyele/Lizzie - Summer Berries with Crispy Pancetta
Sheldon/Bart - Green Forest Breakfast Sandwich: Eggs, Cheese, Pancetta, Bacon & Spinach
Micah/Kristen – Bacon & Cinnamon Waffle, Pecan Maple Syrup, Boysenberry & Strawberry Jam

The results were that Danyele/Lizzie and Josie/Eliza and were the lowest rated teams. The top rated teams were Sheldon/Bart and Josh/John, with Sheldon/Bart the winner of immunity. 

The Elimination Challenge went inside, presumably to done of Gordon’s restaurants to take unusual ingredients and create something tasty and interesting. These were the ingredients:
John/Josh – Truffle Popcorn
CJ/Tyler – Spicy Sliced Dill Pickle
Stefan/Brooke – Rose Petal Jelly
Josie/Eliza – Cardamom Bitters
Danyele/Lizzie – Coconut Curry Chocolate
Sheldon/Bart – Candied Salmon
Micah/Kristen – Cheese Curds

The dishes created in 2 hours on a staggered basis were:

John/Josh – Pan-seared Pork Tenderloin with Truffle Popcorn Grits
CJ/Tyler – Pork Crumpet Burger with Spicy Dill Pickles
Stefan/Brooke - Rose Petal Glazed Muscovy Duck with Braised Cabbage 
Josie/Eliza – Curry Cardamom Broth, Manila Clams & Seared White King Salmon
Danyele/Lizzie – Coconut Curry Chocolate Mousse Tart
Sheldon/Bart – Candied Salmon with Sweet & Sour Salad
Micah/Kristen – Cheese Curds Three Ways: Bechamel, Raw & Fried

The judges took input from all the vendors who provided the unusual ingredients and then retired to deliberate. Their decision was hat no team earned the win and its $10,000 prize as all had done poorly. The 3 worst teams were Stefan/Brooke, CJ/Tyler and Josh/John. All had huge faults, but one team had to be eliminated.  CJ/Tyler had to pack their knives.

That means that out of 14 chefs this week, 2 of the 3 holdovers from past seasons were in jeopardy and one is now out of the regular competition.



Last chance Kitchen, Ep. 2

These were the dishes created:
Kuniko – Fruit Compote, Lemon Curd and Frozen Banana
CJ and Tyler – Hay Ice Cream (very innovative), Cherry Fritter, Cherries, Arugula (huh?)

It was a close decision, but CJ and Tyler won and continue in the competition. Kuniko is out.

Offline ugot2bekidinmeny

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2012, 10:30:28 AM »
BYE BYE CJ!! :wtg: Josie!  :lol3:
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Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2012, 04:56:53 PM »
BYE BYE CJ!! :wtg: Josie!  :lol3:
Unfortunately, CJ is not completely gone. He and Tyler did survive the Last Chance Kitchen. There are probably 9 more of those and a chef has to win all of them, a daunting task, to make it back into the regular competition for the finale.

I would say that the chef getting the last laugh is Stefan, who survived a grueling Judges Table. Josie was not at risk.

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #19 on: December 14, 2012, 07:09:08 AM »
TC10, Ep. 6

The Quickfire was to use Truvia in a recipe combining sweet and savory ingredients cooked in 30 minutes to please an old-line food critic , Marilyn Hegarty.  The dishes created under an “all chefs must share one knife” regime were:
Bart - Waffles with Celery Three Ways, Apple Puree, Chicken & Prosciutto
Brooke – Apple Crostata with Cheddar Cheese, Candied Pine Nuts & Apple Salad
Danyele - Bread Pudding with Ham, Raisins & Pecans
Eliza - Hush Puppies Two Ways: Shrimp & Sweet Potato, Sausage & Corn
John - Bondino of Parmesan Reggiano, Figs & Apricots in Port Wine & Truvia® Caramel
Josh - Johnnycake with Bacon, Cheddar, Chili Compound Butter & Sous Vide Egg
Josie - Tamale with Habanero Masa, Mangos & Papaya
Kristin – not shown
Lizzie – not shown
Micah – Pineapple & Pork Tamale with Charred Tomato & Tomatillo Salsa
Sheldon – not shown
Stefan – Smoked Salmon Tartare, Potato Latkes with Sour Cream & Chives

The lower rated dishes were those of Bart and Micah. The higher rated dishes were those of Josh, Stefan, and Brooke. Brooke won immunity in the Elimination Challenge.

The Elimination Challenge was to create dishes for a welcome-home party for Chris Pratt, Anna Faris and their families at an artist studio. Chefs had 2 hours to cook and then 30 minutes to setup and serve. The winner would get a Toyota Prius. The Judges are Tom, Padma, Gail and Top Chef Masters1 participant Rick Moonen.

Bart - Loin of Elk with Cherry Beer Sauce & Mushroom Couscous
Brooke – Lamb-Stuffed Squid on Black Rice with Coconut Milk
Danyele - Pan-Roasted Wild Boar, Hoppin' John & Tomato-Bacon Marmalade
Eliza - Elk Ribeye with Elk Sausage Polenta, Spiced Carrots & Huckleberry Port Sauce
John - Seafood Chowder with Cockles, Manila Clams, Crab, Mussels & Sockeye Salmon (learned from rick Mooney, who was a Judge)
Josh – Roasted Pork Shoulder & Grilled Corn Puree with Succotash & Fennel Apple Salad
Josie - Malbec Braised Short Ribs, Pork Belly, Polenta with Cippolini Onions & Figs
Kristin – Delice de Bourgogne Tortelloni
Lizzie – Crusted King Salmon with Radish & Beet Salad
Micah – Braised Pork Ribs with Celery Root Puree, Grilled Apples & Celery Leaf Salad
Sheldon - Braised Okinawan Pork Belly with Seared Scallop & Rice Congee
Stefan – German Gulasch with Marjoram Bread Dumplings & Sour Cream
The lower rated dishes were those of Eliza, Josh, Stefan, and Danyele.  The higher rated dishes were those of John, Kristen, Brooke and Sheldon. Brooke won the Prius.

Last Chance Kitchen Ep. 3

The challenge was to prepare in 30 minutes a dish using carrots and pickles, the vegetable items that has caused the downfall of each competitor. The dishes created were:
CJ – Pan-Roasted Trout, Carrot Puree, Charred Pickles
Eliza – Brown Butter Carrot Mash, Crusted Scallops, Corn and Pickle Succotash
Tyler – Deconstructed Ceviche with Pickles and Carrots

CJ was the winner.


Offline coolio

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #20 on: December 14, 2012, 04:30:50 PM »
So, did Eliza go home? ???

Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #21 on: December 17, 2012, 09:09:08 PM »
Eliza and Tyler were the 2 losers of Last Chance Kitchen, so they are totally out. However, they do get to be the audience for Last Chance Kitchen while they are still locked down (before they can actually do home).

There are a few additional chefs who will get still another opportunity by winning a Fan Popularity contest and  probably playing off with the final Last Chance Kitchen winner. I do not remember all3 of these (if someone does, please help). One of them is Kuniko.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2012, 02:11:46 PM by apskip »

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #22 on: December 20, 2012, 02:19:36 PM »
TC10, Ep. 7

The Quickfire opened with the arrival of Stephanie Izard, TC4 winner, the only female Top Chef, as the Guest Judge. It was a “make anything you want in 30 minutes” challenge. However, there was a requirement to heat everything in Reynolds Wrap foil. The dishes created and presented were:

Bart - Beer Poached Cod with Butter Beer Sauce
Brooke – Bacon Roasted Yams and Red Onions with a Bacon Apple Salad
Danyele - Cannellini Bean Stew with Bacon, Asiago Cheese & Tomatillo
John - Beef Egg Drop Soup with Braised Pineapple
Josh – Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Poblano, Tomatilla & Carrots
Josie - Lemon Grass Prawns w/ Sweet Potato Ginger Salsa, Golden Cherry Vinaigrette
Kristen – Almond & Chocolate Sponge Cake
Lizzie – bacon, avocado, greens and dressing
Micah – Grilled Lamb with Tomato Fennel Panzanella
Sheldon - Lemongrass Smoked Scallops with Tomato & Shallot Salad
Stefan – Hot Smoked Salmon with German Potato Salad

The dishes rated lowest quality were
The dishes rated highest were
The winner was Kristin, who received immunity for the Elimination Challenge.

The setup of the Elimination Challenge was to pair everyone but Kristin in one of 5 head-to-head competitions. It was clear that the fate to avoid was being on the bottom, meaning that 4 chefs could survive a loss in the head-to-head as long as they weren’t the worst. The theme was to use berries, so each pair got the same berry to pair with whatever they chose. The berries were supplied by as part of a berry festival attended by 150 people.

Here were the pairings and dishes:

Bart (Blackberry) - Blackberry Soup with Salmon & Rhubarb Yogurt
Brooke (Blackberry) - Spicy Smoked Chocolate Pudding with Blackberry Tapioca

Danyele (Blueberry) - Chicken Pine Nut Terrine with Blueberry Mostarda
Josh - Savory Goat Cheese Mousse with Blueberry Compote

Lizzie(Raspberry) - Raspberry Steamed Cabbage Roll with Heritage Pork & Bacon Strips
Josie (Raspbery) - Rock n' Raspberry Roll: Sockeye Salmon, Dungeness Crab & Raspberry Aioli

John (Gooseberries) - White Gazpacho w/Spanish Chorizo, Gooseberries, Sweet Grapes
Cali Crudo with Radishes, Gooseberries & Spiced Vinaigrette


Micah (Strawberry) - Strawberry Fried Chicken with Strawberry & Bacon Biscuit;
Ahi Summer Roll: Ahi Poke, Strawberries & Sweet Chili Sauce

Kristen (Tayberry) - Matcha Goat Milk Custard with Macerated Tayberries

The losers were John, Bart, Micah, Josie and Danyele. Danyele got the axe.


Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 4

It’s CJ against Danyele on the sandwich from lunch-meat challenge. They have 30 minutes to make something that really pleases Tom, with 15 minutes to chop and 20 minutes to prep. They choice:

CJ – Vietnamese-inspired ham and butter sandwich w/ apple and radicchio
Danyele – Oven-Roasted turkey, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich with Pickled Onions

The winner was CJ due to better tasting sandwich despite far too much bread.
Danyele had far too little bread.

Offline apskip

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #23 on: December 28, 2012, 03:33:24 PM »
TC10, Ep. 8

The Quickfire sent the chefs out to Bo Washington to gather oysters at a shellfish farm on Sammish Bay. Those oysters were then the raw materials for a hot/cold preparation contest to see who could please Emeril Lagasse the most. Chefs chose aprons associated with hot or cold, but not everyone got what they wanted. They then had 25 minutes to create and cook these dishes:

HOT
Kristen – Oysters with Caramelized Honey Tomato Broth, Celery Leaves & Chili
Brooke - Oysters with Salsa verde, Cilantro, Horseradish & Red Chili
Micah – Crispy Fried Oysters with Arugula Salad, Hot Sauce & Lemon
John - Oysters Poached in Garlic Butter with Swiss Chard & Garlic-Parmesan Foam
Josie - Wood-Roasted Oysters with Chorizo & Cilantro Cream

COLD
Stefan – Smoked Oysters with Potato Vinaigrette & Flash Frozen Salt
Lizzie – Oysters with Crushed Currant Juice Crushed Pink Peppercorn
Bart – Oysters with Champagne, Butter & Cream
Sheldon – Oysters with Chilled Old Bay Broth & Ginger Scallion Pesto
Josh – Oysters with Pickled Cucumbers, White Soy, Cilantro & Red Chili

Emeril rated Bart, Josie, and John were on the bottom. He rated Lizzie, Micah, and Brooke on top. Micah won $5k for top performer.

The Elimination Challenge was to visit the Rat City Rollers women’s roller-derby team and have each group of 2 chefs paired up with one of 5 roller derby queens. They were to create a dish to be prepped and served in 2.5 hours to 100 at an end-season party for their pick. Here is how that came out:

Bart/Josie - Teriyaki Terror: Steak Teriyaki with Forbidden Rice, Beet Blood & Green Papaya Salad; Bart - Tempura Tantrum: Tempura Yuzu Curd with Shiso, Fresno Chili, Sweet Potato & Vanilla
Brooke/John - Kutta Rump: Thai Beef with Lobster Jasmine Rice & Thai Slaw
Lizzie/Micah - Jalapeno Business: Crab-Stuffed Jalapeno with Avocado Cream, Onion & Pepper Relish
Kristen/Stefan – Eddie Shredder: Corn Puree, Chicken Liver & Sunny-Side Up Egg
Sheldon/Josh – fried tempura yuzu curd with shiso, fresno chili, sweet potato, vanilla and “tantrum” sauces

Judging included minor input from the appropriate roller derby queen on that dish. Brooke/John and Lizzie/Micah had the tastiest dishes. Brooke/John were the winners of the Elimination Challenge, but they won only the honor of it. The least interesting dishes were from Bart/Josie (whose tempura was really botched by Bart and was way underseasoned). When it came to the final verdict I believe Tom wanted to make an object lesson of underseasoning, taking it out of Bart.


Last Chance Kitchen Ep. 5 Bart vs. CJ

The challenge was to take something bland and boring (chicken breast) and make it full flavored, amazing and delicious in 30 minutes.
CJ created chicken with mushroom reduction, Greek yoghurt and roasted lettuce.
Bart created roasted chicken with carrots, Greek yoghurt, tea infused sauce, speculoos cookie.
It was very close, but the verdict went to CJ.

« Last Edit: December 29, 2012, 06:27:11 AM by apskip »

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Re: Top Chef 10
« Reply #24 on: January 03, 2013, 05:53:38 PM »
TC10, Ep. 9

The Quickfire was a contest overseen by a master bladesman, Bob Kramer. Padma announced that his famous knives costs $500 (…wait for it) per inch, which is $5000 for a 10 inch knife. Quite a nice prize, particularly when combined with immunity for the Elimination Challenge. The actual competition had 3 levels. First was a sharpening race to get the knife for each member of a 3 person team to be able to cut paper vertically perfectly. The first team to try, the Red team of Kristen, Josie and John lost when John’s cut was stopped by the paper. The Green Stefan of Stefan, Brooke and Lizzie was eliminated. Next the Red team had Josie disqualified for cutting herself. That left the Blue team of Sheldon, Micah and Josh to cruise to victory in this race. The second level of competition was cutting 50 potatoes into a 7 sided shape. Despite Josie out, the other team members almost pulled off an upset, completing 48 potatoes while the 3 person winning team reached 50. The final level was for the 3 Blue team members to compete with each other to cut 2 rabbits up into prescribed shapes/sizes. The winner was Micah.

The Healthy Choice Elimination Challenge was a throwback to the past. The telecast of a memorable moment from each of the first 9 Top Chef seasons was on a Kindle which was randomly chosen by the chefs. They had to improve on what they saw. The winner would have a new Healthy Choice café steamer product based on their dish plus win a prize of $15,000. Here were the chefs, the seasons they drew and the way they chose to tackle the challenge they received:

1— Josie – Herb-Roasted Chicken with Parsnip Puree and Steamed Root Vegetables
2 – Stefan - Stefan - Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Bacon and Grilled Mimolette Cheese Sandwich
3 – John - Umami Risotto w/ Chicken, Salmon Roe, Burdock Root, Carrot Emulsion
4 – Lizzie- Seared Scallops with Roasted Fennel, Garlic Puree, Orange, and Olive Salad
5 – Sheldon - Beef Carpaccio w/ Poi Aioli, Mizuna and Mushroom Salad, Silen Tofu Foam
6 - Josh - Lamb Burger with Fried Egg and Spicy Pickle, Tomato, and Pomegranate Salad
7 – Brooke- Smoked Salmon, Forbidden Black Rice w/ English Pea,  Parsnip Puree
8 – Kristen - Poached Chicken Breast, Carrot Puree w/ Garlic and Tofu Emulsion
9 – Micah - Five-Spiced Duck Breast with Miso Polenta and Pickled Cherries

Padma also announced that there was a 10th one from the current season which would be explained later.
 
The Judges were Tom, Padma, Wolfgang Puck and Chris Cosentino (Top Chef Masters 3 winner) with the help of Jonathan Waxman and Wiley Dufresne. They called in 5 chefs without specifying if they were worst or best. It turned out they were some of each. Brooke, Josh and Kristen were in the best group. Kristen won $15,000 as the prize.

John and Lizzie were in the worst group. John made an argument for how his dish was far better than Lizzie’s (it probably was), but he also whined about how the pots he had to work with were insufficient for the risotto. The format that the producers wanted to follow was to use that 10th challenge from the current season to be the decider on who would stay and who would go. Each had to create a dish like CJ’s bad spicy dill pickle and burger that got him sent off. Here were their creations:

Chicken Burger with Goat Cheese Ricotta and Dill Pickle Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Lamb Burger with Fried Egg and Spicy Pickle, Tomato, and Pomegranate Salad
Lizzie was a clear victor, so John was done in the main bracket.


Last Chance Kitchen Ep. 6 C.J. vs. John   

The challenge was to “Cook Anything with Yard Sale Pots and Pans” in 30 minutes.
CJ made seared diver scallop, foie gras dashi w/ mango & caviar
John made corn veloute and succotash w/ lobster & seared foie gras
It was close, but CJ prevailed.