Other Great Reality Shows > Other Reality TV Shows & News

Top Chef New York Season 5

<< < (59/73) > >>

marigold:
An interview with Leah:

Top Chef's Leah: What Really Happened With Hosea?

Eggs Benedict?!

On last night's Top Chef, Leah Cohen was told to pack her knives and go home after judges got a taste of her basic brunch dish.

"Please!" Leah huffed about her elimination. "I've definitely been the 'brunch bitch' at restaurants and I've done eggs Benedict before. To have that be the downfall of the show for me was kind of, I thought, pathetic. It's eggs Benedict! People who don't know how to cook know how to make eggs Benedict. Whatever."

That's not all Leah had to tell me when I caught up with her earlier today. Keep reading to find out what her boyfriend thought about her kissing fellow cheftestant Hosea, why she thinks Toby Young is a "douchebag" and what she has planned for her restaurant's spring menu. Nope, not eggs Benedict…

What was it like being on Top Chef?
My experience was OK. I had a hard time when we were shooting it. I'm not the most competitive person, and I didn't realize how intense the show was going to be...And you're in this little bubble, and you have no interaction with the rest of the world, and you're told what to do all the time. I felt like a child again.

How do you think you came off after the editing was done?
I stopped watching the show when Toby Young came on. I didn't even watch that episode. I have my brother and all my friends give me updates. And I knew the whole Hosea thing was going to be played up, so I kind of just stopped watching it, because I just didn't like the direction it was going in.

Well, what did happen between you and Hosea?
We were really good friends and we kissed one night, that was pretty much it. What they showed on TV was really the extent of our relationship beyond the friendship that happened. And that was it. We hung out all the time. But I also hung out with Stefan all the time, and they didn't put that in at all. I was predominately with Hosea, Stefan and Fabio for the entire time. I didn't hang out with the girls that much.

Did you tell your boyfriend what happened?
When I got home, I told my boyfriend what happened, and then it was three months later when it came on the show. It wasn't forgotten, but it was, like, it happened, whatever.

What's next for you?
I'm trying to redo the menu for spring and hopefully make the restaurant (New York City's Centro Vinoteca) more successful than it already is.

Eggs Benedict on the menu?
It's not [laughs], but there is a poached egg on the menu which I purposely put on a few months ago so people know I could properly do a poached egg…I also put cod on the menu to show that I can properly cook fish, too.

Let's go back to Toby Young. What did you think of him as Gail's replacement?
Toby Young is a douchebag. He was just, like, whatever. He didn't bring much to the show. He didn't bring much to me as a judge like Gail. You valued her opinion. I thought his witty banter didn't do much for constructive criticism. My friends are like, "Who is this f--king douchebag?"

Link: http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b99791_top_chefs_leah_what_really_happened.html

marigold:
An interview with Leah:

Top Chef Exit Interview: Leah Cut, Says Things Went A Little Too Far With Josea, Portrayal Of Their Relationship “Wasn’t Accurate”

Wednesday night on Top Chef Leah Cohen was sent packing, knives and all, when her eggs benedict wasn’t up to snuff for the rather morbid “last meal” challenge. In an interview yesterday, the 26-year-old, who caused quite a stir this season after a caught-on-tape makeout moment with fellow cheftestant Josea, dished on her side of the kissing story, and talked about why she was more than ready to head home, which just happened to be four blocks away. Read on:

You said the experience was much more difficult than you’d expected. What did you expect going in, and how was it so tough?

I think I didn’t realize how quickly on the spot you’d have to come up with ideas. For me I think it’s more of a process of trying out things, and testing them out. I’ve watched previous seasons of the show so I knew you’d have to be quick on your feet, but I didn’t really think it was like oh you have 30 minutes, now go! The way it’s portrayed on TV is actually how it really goes down.

You can never prepare yourself for the actual playing of the game. That was challenging for me as well.


Was being from New York and having to be there, but not actually home, difficult?

That was really difficult. We would go on challenges and we’d be like literally four blocks away from my apartment, and I’d be like ohh, I just want to go home! It was like I’m so close to my bed and everything from my regular life, and yet I can’t just go to my bed for one night.

So, what happened with Josea?

Not much. Whatever you saw on TV was pretty much the extent of what went down. We hung out all the time. We were really good friends, and then we kissed on TV. There’s really not much more to it. We were really just good friends and it kind of went a little too far. For the most part he was just like my support there on the show. Everyone paired off and formed cliques and friendships. Everyone had someone they went to to help out, and for me that was Josea. I guess since we were of the opposite sex, there’s always going to be a little flirtation, but for the most part we’re just good friends. We’re not anything romantic. We’re not romantically involved, and I wouldn’t even say we were so on the show. I just see him as a friend.

Are you still with your boyfriend?

No, unfortunately not.

If you could have switched your final meal with a different culinary celebrity, who would it have been?

I would have probably chosen the same thing that I got. I thought overall that all of the final meals were pretty simple and straight forward. I was happy with eggs benedict, so I don’t think I would have changed it. But if I had too choose, I guess I probably would have done the squab and peas. That one was pretty easy, and it was for Jacques Pepin, and he’s pretty awesome.

Would you have changed anything with your dish if you had to do it again?

Instead of thinning out the hollandaise, I probably would have just kept it thick. I thought the egg was cooked properly. I know that Tom and some of the other judges thought that it wasn’t cooked properly, but a slow poached egg is supposed to be like that. I would have picked a different bread, too. I don’t think Padma liked that I used challah. I should have done like an english muffin, or something really traditional.

It seemed like towards the end you were losing steam, was that accurate? Were you feeling ready to leave?

That was accurate. I really kind of just did not want to be there towards the end of the competition. I was stressed out. Doing each challenge really wears you down. At that point I didn’t feel like participating any more, which probably wasn’t the best idea not giving it 100%. But you live and you learn. That’s part of the game; it’s designed to wear you down, and unfortunately I couldn’t handle it.

You mentioned in your exit interview that you didn’t expect to be friends with Jamie. Why?

In the very beginning I was always with guys for pretty much the entire show. We had two separate apartments and I was always over at the guys place. It was me, Josea, Fabio, and Stefan who were always hanging out together. I didn’t really hang out with, or make friends with a lot of the girls, except for towards the end of the competition Jamie was there. I think we’re both really similar in a lot of ways, so in the beginning I didn’t think we were going to get along. So we didn’t even try being friends. Then towards the end of the competition it was me, Jamie and Carla who were the only girls, and we really kind of bonded because of that. Jamie and I are really good friends now. She’s probably one of my favorite people that I met throughout the entire show. It’s just weird, I didn’t think that we were going to click, but towards the end we got along really really well. We have a lot more in common than we thought we did.

Were you surprised when she got kicked off?

I was surprised when she got kicked off only because I thought she was going to be in the final four. I tasted her dish - I mean we all taste each others dishes - and I knew that she would be going home because her celery was too salty and the skin of her fish wasn’t crispy throughout, so for that challenge I thought she was going to be sent home. But overall I thought she was definitely going to make it to the finale.

I thought she was one of the most talented chefs on the show, maybe more so than the people who are in the final four.

Were you surprised that you were sent home?

I knew when we were at Judges Table and everyone was getting critiqued on their dishes. I knew I’d be getting sent home by the point they sent us to the stew room to deliberate. For the actual challenge going on, though, I thought I did pretty well. Was I shocked to be going home? No. Did I think I deserved to go home? No, I didn’t. I think there were other times in the competition when I should have gone home.

Like when?

Restaurant Wars, but we won the challenge so I wasn’t going to get sent home. But based on performance alone, that was a really bad day for me. That was probably the worst performance of the entire season.

When Ariane got kicked off she seemed to blame you for not helping out with the lamb enough. What’s your take on that?

My take on that was it’s kind of hard when you’re put in a group and two people out of the three have this kind of relationship. I think she kind of felt like an outsider in the group. I never intentionally tried to throw her under a bus. I didn’t think she deserved to go home. I know a lot of the viewers thought that I should have gone home, but I didn’t think we were the losing team. I thought that the pink team should have lost, and that Radhika should have gotten sent home that episode. But as much as I regret, or feel bad for her going home, at least I wasn’t the one who went home for that challenge. It’s kind of a weird situation. I felt somewhat responsible, like maybe I should have helped out more, but she wanted to do the lamb. So Josea and I were like OK you want to do the lamb? Whatever you feel comfortable doing, you do it. Then unfortunately that was what got her sent home. We thought we were being nice and being a team, letting her do what she was comfortable doing. I would have done anything that anyone had asked me to do. I kind of sat on the back burner and was like whatever you guys want me to do, and that was probably my mistake. I should have done the lamb, or Josea should have done the lamb, but at that point we were trying to let her do whatever she wanted to.

Who are you rooting for now?

Josea or Stefan.

Who do you think will win?

Stefan.

Is he as annoying as they make him seem on TV?

You know it’s so funny. Everyone thinks that Stefan is this asshole and you know, he has like 23 years of experience. He has a very successful catering company in LA. He knows what he wants. He knows how to get it done. Yes, that can be arrogant, but he really is a nice guy. He was one of my closet friends on the show from the beginning. I love him. I think he’s awesome. Some people might not like him.

What was your impression of the judges?

You know there’s very little interaction that we have with the judges. It’s pretty much Judges Table that’s the extent of our interaction. I think Gail was awesome, she was really nice and really critiqued you in a positive way, and was really accurate in her critiques. Padma, I don’t know. Padma is Padma, I don’t really have anything nice to say at all, so that’s it with Padma. When Gail left, Toby was kind of this asshole who was just there to bring his English wit, and I just didn’t get it, or think that it was that witty or funny. And Tom, I respect him a lot. He knows a lot about food, and he’s very successful.

Everybody seems to have the same reaction to Padma. What is it about her?

I don’t know. Out of all the judges, we see her the most because we have the most interaction with her through the Quickfires and the Elimination Challenges, but I don’t know. As far as caring about other people goes, she just didn’t care. Whereas Tom and Gail I felt like looked at us as people and not as contestants, and were there to help. There’s only one winner in this entire competition, and whatever else we other losers can take from this experience is invaluable, and I thought that Padma didn’t invest any time in us, and Tom did more. But that’s not her job. She’s the host. She’s supposed to be there to be pretty and be the host.

What did you think of the way you were portrayed on the show?

It was kind of not as good as — I mean, I don’t know. That’s kind of why I stopped watching the show because I didn’t really like it for the most part. It kind of made me look like this clingy girl throwing myself on Josea, and for the most part that’s not how it went down at all. The whole portrayal of our relationship I didn’t think was accurate, but it was a storyline, and I guess it was an interesting storyline that they had to play off.

I didn’t act for the camera, I didn’t do certain things, I was just myself. People who know me know how I am, and people who just know me through the show can think how ever they want about me, I don’t really care. I don’t care what the blogs say, I don’t care about any of that stuff. Not everyone is going to like you, and not everyone is going to dislike you. But I signed a paper that allowed them to portray me any way they wanted to, so I can’t really complain. I knew what I was getting myself into.

Link: http://www.fancast.com/blogs/top-chef/top-chef-exit-interview-leah-cut-says-things-went-a-little-too-far-with-josea-portrayal-of-their-relationship-wasnt-accurate/

marigold:
An interview with Leah:

Top Chef Leah Reveals Her Boyfriend's Reaction to Hosea

Top Chef's final four are heading to New Orleans for the finale, but for cheftestant Leah Cohen, the "last supper" challenge was her last challenge altogether. The New York native explains why she didn't think she deserved to be eliminated, how she became mentally spent and how her boyfriend took the news about her Hosea hookup.

TVGuide.com: Considering Stefan's salmon was overcooked, how do you feel about being eliminated for your egg dish?
Leah Cohen: I don't think I deserved to go home for what I made. They thought my poached egg was undercooked, which I disagree with. It's a very specific time and temperature — 62 degrees for 45 minutes — and it comes out perfect all the time. I think some people's proteins were overcooked and not what they were supposed to be. Stefan overcooked his salmon, but he wasn't going to go home because he's been killing it the entire competition. But it's their decision and they had their reasons, so it's fine.

TVGuide.com: What was the deal with the Fabio drama?
Leah: Fabio is kind of like a big klutz and falls all the time. [Laughs] I heard he fell and broke his hand, but then I saw him all bandaged up and was like, "What the hell happened?!" But he really did a good job with that curve ball thrown at him. I know I wouldn't be able to handle it if I only had one hand.

TVGuide.com: You seemed to give up during the filleting challenge. Why?
Leah: I actually just didn't want to do it any more. I was just over it, the competition and the show. It's not just a challenge on how you cook, but also a mental challenge and how you can deal with the stress that comes. I didn't want to do it anymore, and my mind was spent. I was mentally, physically over it at that point.

TVGuide.com: Did the cameras following you around drive you nuts?
Leah: It was probably the most annoying thing that I've ever experienced. You wake up, and there's a camera. I didn't really get used to it until about midway through. But you never really forget they're there; they're in your face all the time.

TVguide.com: Did you know that the cameras caught you and Hosea kissing?
Leah: Actually, I didn't. They usually leave when everyone is going to sleep.

TVguide.com: How did your boyfriend take the news?
Leah: I went home and told him right away. He was fine with it, and then he saw the actual footage and wasn't fine with it. I guess the way I said it was kind of like, "Oh, I kind of kissed a guy on TV." Then he saw it and was like, "No, you were flirting with this guy the entire show, and then on top of that, you made out with him." Needless to say, he was not cool about it, and we are not together anymore.

TVGuide.com: Any chance you and Hosea will hang out again?
Leah: It's totally a friend thing, but we're going to film the reunion soon, and we'll get to hang out.

Link: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Chef-Leah-Reveals-1002890.aspx

TexasLady:
*** REMINDER! ***

Tonight is the first round of the finale and will run 1 hour and 15 minutes!

Can't. Wait!  :jumpy:

TexasLady:
Apskip is away so here is a recap for us. (We miss you Apskip!)

Top Chef 5: "Finale Part 1" Recap
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
             
Four chefs – Carla Hall, Hosea Rosenberg, Fabio Viviani and Stefan Richter – have successfully run the gauntlet of Top Chef 5 in New York City, and can officially say: they made it there.

Now that they tackled the Big Apple, it's time to try the Big Easy, and the chefs head down to New Orleans to cook for the Top Chef judges and Emeril Lagasse. Of course, there has to be a twist, and this one brings back some familiar faces.

The chefs arrive in New Orleans, and Fabio has brought a new haircut. One of the other chefs gripes that he broke the streak of no mohawks on this season. But the actual trend on Top Chef is for fauxhawks, so I think he should get a pass.

The chefs head to Houma House, where several cooking stations are set up on the plantation grounds. But only three. Carla wonders if one of them is going home right away.

No, it's actually something different. Padma Lakshmi introduces Emerial and Tom Colicchio, then announces that three chefs – Jeff McInnis, Jamie Lauren and Leah Cohen – will actually be competing in the Quickfire. The winner of that challenge will cook alongside the final four in the Elimination Challenge. And if that chef wins, he or she can head to the final three in place of Carla, Fabio, Stefan or Hosea.

The three chefs prepare their dishes, starring the popular Louisiana ingredient crawfish. While all three seem to do well, it's Jeff who wins a spot in against the final four.

The chefs learn about their Elimination Challenge the next day at a large warehouse where parade floats are stored. They will each be serving two dishes and one cocktail to a masked ball with 100 people in attendance. At least one of their dishes will need to be influenced by Creole cuisine, the cuisine that combines the flavors of the French, Spanish and African cultures of New Orleans.

The chefs get to cooking in Emeril's well-stocked kitchen. It's well-stocked, but the oysters he has on offer are not shucked. Carla's opted for an oyster dish, and although she just learned how to shuck an oyster within the past week, she sets about slowly working her way through 100 of them.

Hosea is also involved in some time-intensive cooking. He's making gumbo, and so must go through the long process of developing the flavors of the roux.

Stefan is also making a gumbo, but he's not quite investing the same amount of time or care, or at least that's how it appears to the other chefs. He's not developing his roux as deeply as Hosea, and he's using a prepared andouille sausage and not making his own like Jeff.

Andouille sausage from scratch is just one of the several components Jeff is making. While complex dishes have sometime proved to be his downfall, this time he knows he really has to pull out all the stops since he must win to stay in the game.

Fabio is working with the flavors of Creole, but can't help but bring his Italian influence to bear on the dishes.
At the event, most of the dishes go over well, but it seems clear that Carla and Jeff are the standouts. Hosea also gets warm reception for his authentic gumbo. Fabio's food is tasty, but is missing the heat of Creole. Stefan's grits impress the judges, and his gumbo is enjoyable, but it's not as developed a flavor or color. His apple beignet is also not at the right temperature.

At judging, the judges ding Stefan not only for the flaws of his dish, but also for his cockiness. Fabio's Italian elements had some success, but his overall flavors are off.

After additional deliberation, the winner is announced: it's Carla. This win comes with something extra: a new car! Unfortunately for Jeff, it also means a second elimination.

Hosea is told he's safe, so it's down to Stefan and Fabio…and it's the Italian representative of the Team Euro who's going home.

We'll be talking with him tomorrow, so head back here to see what he has to say about his time on Top Chef 5.

Recap link: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/top-chef/top-chef-5-finale-part-1-recap-1-26469.aspx

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page