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Top Chef New York Season 5

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marigold:
Top Chef Blog:

Top Chef at Grand Central and Sweetbreads!

Hello again! Before I dive into this week's entry, I first want to respond to some of the comments from my last entry. First, a lot of you have been asking when the new season was starting. Wednesday, November 12th at 10/9c!!! I've seen the first episode, and I gotta say it's looking good. In my blog from last season, I compared Top Chef: Chicago to Season 1 (San Francisco for those who have forgotten) because it took awhile to get into the characters and have favorites. I think this season is more like Season 2 where the characters were really strong from the beginning. Let me know if you agree or disagree after you see the premiere. Anyway, Travis, I will find out where the Season 2 finale was set and get back to you. And to respond to my biggest detractor so far this season (It will be my mission to make you love me), "tdl1501," I did write my blog under a pseudonym last season, but fully disclosed that I worked on the editorial team here at Bravotv.com. So, integrity is in tact in OK -- so this past Monday our fabulous marketing department held Taste of the 5 Buroughs, a tasting event held at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station to benefit City Harvest. I get to cover most of our events and I have to say this was probably one of the most fun. Before the main event, a VIP lounge at Charlie Palmer's Metrazur was held for radio winners and others to mingle with the new chefs. It was so great to see favorite like Spike, Andrew, Harold, Lee Anne, and others again as well. I had finally met Richard Blais a few days before at the last stop of the Top Chef tour bus in Union Square so it was good to see him again. And, guess what? I finally met Lisa! And I gotta say, she was perfectly nice to me. Chatty even. You can watch Andy Cohen's interviews live from the VIP lounge After the VIP event, one of our Bravo interns and I went to the main event where the city's best restaurants were offering tastings on one side of the hall while demos were being given on the other side. I had some fabulous food, but i gotta say with all the fancy stuff being offered my favorite was the pulled pork sandwich from Dinosaur BBQ. It really hit the spot after a long day of shooting. Probably the most amusing part of the whole day was the knife skills demonstration put on by Season 4's Spike and Andrew. I had been joking all week that one of them would hurt themselves, and sure enough Andrew did! He actually cut himself pretty badly, but was a trooper through the whole thing, and everyone was laughing hysterically. It was certainly not a surprise that the majority of the audience was women (sorry ladies, they're both taken.) Anyway, i couldn't tell if Andrew was hamming it up or not,but when i went backstage after the performance, he was still bleeding!! I checked up on him via e-mail a couple days later and he's fine. Phew! Watch video of Andy Cohen's interviews live from the VIP. You can also check out the beautiful photos our photo editor Bo took from the tour bus and the tasting event Did any of you guys get tickets and go? I would love to hear what you thougth of the event. I really thought it a very tasteful (har har) start for what is sure to be a really fun season of Top Chef.

OK, now completely unrelated. I mentioned last season that I'd never had sweetbreads, and i was determined to do something about it. So two Friday nights ago, my friend and I didn't know where to go to dinner. I suggested Perilla and luckily they had a cancelled reservation. I decided to try some new things. So for an appetizer i got the

Tai Snapper Crudo (green papaya, cucumber, rice pearls & tom yum broth.) Delish! Very light and clean. Then i got the Pan Roasted Stone Bass :Vitello Tonnato"

(wax beans, crispy sweetbreads, cippolini onions & marinated tuna sauce.) Is it wrong that the wax beans sold me? Anyway, it was amazing! The sweetbreads tasted like fried chicken. Everyone I've ever asked about sweetbreads says the same thing, and I'm wondering if I'd like them prepared differently. Whenever I think of someone eating sweetbreads I think of the episode of 90210 (the original) when Brenda and Donna go to France and order what they think is veal at a restaurant. After tasting it and finding the food a bit more mushy than expected, Brenda looks up the french dish in her dictionary, utters "It's brains," and Donna just lets the morsel fall out of her mouth. Anyone else remember that? Just me? OK. Anyway, I think Perilla has become my favorite restaurant in the city, and yes, I'm biased because Harold Dieterle owns it, but honestly the food is consistently good and I love the atmostphere.

Next time, I'll give some helpful hints for our new Top Chef Fantasy Game!!!

Link: http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/blogs/index.php?blog=team_top_chef&article=2008/11/top_chef_at_grand_central_and

marigold:

VIDEO: Catch Up with Tom & Padma as Top Chef Brings the Heat to New York



The competition is just about to heat up as Top Chef season 5 premieres next Thursday, Nov. 12, on Bravo. This season, the cheftestants are competing in New York and the network promises intense challenges and some of the most accomplished chefs yet. The Big Apple location also means the competitors will be forced to take advantage of the city’s diverse food offerings and really investigate New York’s eclectic food scene.

As the season revs up PEOPLE.com sat down with head judge Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi to find out what we can look forward to this season. The two also open up about the season’s other new surprise: guest judge Toby Young. Watch it here!

Link to view the video: http://www.people.com/people/videos/0,,20238735,00.html

marigold:
An interesting article:

Mac Gaming News - Play the Reality Show on Your Mac With Top Chef: The Game



Brighter Minds Media on Thursday announced that it has brought the popular reality TV series to PCs and Macs in Top Chef: The Game.

Players enter a virtual kitchen and try their cooking skills against other chefs, choosing the right ingredients to make a delicious meal.

Host Padma Lahshmi and head judge Tom Colicchio make virtual appearances.



Link: http://www.macobserver.com/gamingnews/2008/11/06.2.shtml

marigold:
An interesting article:

Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi Take On the Haters

During a conference call today, we asked Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi what they thought about Bruni’s assertion that Top Chef “gets [young chefs] thinking more about mass-media glory — about big, quick fame — than about disciplined professionalism, dedication, sacrifice.” Padma told us, “I don’t think anyone who has come through the process would say that laziness got them through the challenge. Of course it’s very lucrative to one’s career to have a platform on TV, but they’re on national TV and they are followed by seven or eight cameras in that kitchen. So if they’re sloppy or lazy, the camera sees it. If the food isn’t good, they’re eliminated.” Tom Colicchio had more pointed words — in response to Bret Thorn’s comments, he told us that the show’s viewers are very passionate about food, and he’s offended that some would dismiss them just because they can’t go into a fancy restaurant and eat.

We asked Colicchio what he thought about David Chang and others who've complained about the show's effect on young chefs:

I don’t think there’s any shortcuts to getting there — there’s a vetting process and you’re not going to get through that process if you don’t have some sort of skill. Our industry has changed a lot because of TV and media, and you know, it strikes me as very silly when you get chefs who talk about "back in the day" and "old-school this," "old-school that." My feeling is, if you weren’t working in kitchens before 1986, stop talking about "back in the day." … This is getting ridiculous. It’s very easy to badmouth the show if you’re a professional chef because some people look at this as a shortcut to fame … I don’t think it’s a shortcut.”

Padma noted that American food fiends always get knocked for being backward and uninformed, and that the show does a good job of correcting that. And she told us that of all the former cheftestants, Harold Dieterle is the one she’d hold up as the biggest success story: “Harold is one of those guys who’s very even-keeled … I think slow and steady wins the race. He’s not someone who’s going to charge headlong into something without looking [at it carefully] and ruminating about it first.”

Link: http://nymag.com/daily/food/2008/11/tom_colicchio_and_padma_lakshm.html

marigold:
An interesting article:

More From Tom and Padma: Guest Judges, Food As Foreplay, and Colicchio As Sex Symbol

We weren’t the only ones who had questions for Tom and Padma during today’s conference call. They revealed, first, that most of the season was shot in Brooklyn (!!) and that (no surprise) ethnic cuisine will play a major role. Guest judges will include Eric Ripert, Dave Grohl, Martha Stewart, and (together at the table during the “last supper”) Lidia Bastianich, Wylie Dufresne, and Marcus Samuelsson. Expect Toby Young to be as harsh as we thought — Tom said, “He’s brash. He was opinionated — he was very funny and witty as well. I got many chances to roll my eyes at some of the things he said.” Ted Allen won’t be back, said Tom, because his Food Network contract didn’t allow him to work for Bravo. Below, more from the co-hosts.

Padma on guilty pleasures: “I like Tom's scrambled eggs — he made them for me in the dressing room once when we were in Chicago.”

Padma on gaining weight: “I gain about ten to fifteen pounds over the course of six weeks … I always go up one dress size, without fail … The woman who irons and gets our clothes for us has a lot to work to do, because she really has to think about that when she gets my dresses.”

Tom correcting a questioner: “‘Chain,’ I hate that word. I only have seven restaurants — it’s not a chain!”

Padma on Fabio: He’s very gregarious — he was fun to have on set … I had to really watch myself with Fabio because I would revert into Italian. I spent a lot of time in Italy so I love to speak in Italian … I didn’t want the other chefs to think I was saying anything that they couldn’t hear.”

Tom on why he’s a sex symbol: “It’s safe to assume more women watch the show than men, or at least straight men…”

Padma on Tom’s sexiness: “I think it’s because of Tom’s authority. I think there’s something very sexy about authority, and Tom dispenses his authority very lightly.”

Padma on the sexiness of food: “Food is very sensual — it’s very physical. It’s also something that includes all the senses — the touch, when it’s in your mouth (the mouth feel is what they call it, I guess), the smells, the sights, all of it. It’s very, very sexy and seductive."

Tom on same: “The act of cooking is what’s really sensual — it’s the ultimate foreplay if you’re cooking for somebody. There’s no better way to lube someone’s heart.”

Tom on low-key chefs: “Jonathan Benno, who runs Per Se … Grant Achatz is very reserved and quiet — you won’t see him on the show this season, but he’s such a wonderful cook.”

Padma on same: “April Bloomfield — she’s very shy and she’s not outlandish in her behavior but her food is solid and delicious and interesting…”

Tom on dealbreaking ingredients: There’s no dealbreaker … The ingredients I don’t like to see? Truffle oil, and mostly because there’s no truffle in there at all…”

Padma on same: “I really roll my eyes at truffle oil as well. I never used it, and when I tried it, I hated it, and now I know why [I never cooked with it].”

Tom on his favorite new food scene: “Portland … There seems to be such a tight-knit community of chefs who are doing the locavore thing — not because it's trendy, but because they’re passionate about it.”

Link: http://nymag.com/daily/food/2008/11/more_from_tom_and_padma_guest.html

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