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Hell's Kitchen Season 7

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TexasLady:
Thanks Chill!

I believe he made the decision because Andrew chose to walk out leaving a chef short in the kitchen.

Missing Lacey!  :lol3:

apskip:
I am not missing Lacey, but i will second the TexasLady's hypothesis about why Ramsay could afford to eliminate nobody. The unexpected departure of Andrew combined with the elimination of Mikey made a week available for no eliminations. I am surprised they used that so quickly to not eliminate anyone, but I did agree with Ramsay's decision that Autumn for her own sanity and opportunity needed to be switched to the Blue team. After that move, then it became necessary to bring someone the other way; it could have been anyone but Scott had already been nominated for elimination by his team so he was a logical choice.

I will have a recap of this episode up sometime today.

apskip:
HK7, ep. 3

As usual, a recap of episode 2 starts this off. Ramsay stated that several chefs failed that night. Autumn pushed around Siobhan in the challenge, which was won by the Blue team probably because of it. Autumn then took over some cooking from Siobhan over her objections. Jaime failed on the Red fish station. Mikey was also a disaster on the Blue fish station.  Jason choked on chicken. Andrew’s inner rage led him to withdraw altogether from HK7 in the middle of dinner service, something that has only happened twice in the history of Hell’s Kitchen. Jaime and Jason were nominated by their teams for their poor performance, but it was Mikey who was eliminated.

Ramsay commented on the bad dinner service performance of both teams, citing lack of teamwork due to lack of camaraderie, silence and no communications the symptoms as critical. He oriented the challenge to build teamwork and demonstrate efficiency. The challenge is a special abbreviated casual lunch menu, with just French fries, burgers, chicken sandwiches and salads to be made in 30 minutes. The first team to finish wins.  Jason decided to be a team player. The customers are 100 members of the University of southern California  Marching Band and cheerleaders, with each team serving half the dining room.  These customers are there because they demonstrate the importance of precision, timing and teamwork.

On the salads, Fran and Autumn made them and served them in large bowls for a table while Jason was responsible solo on the Blue team apparently with individual servings. Nilka showed her team spirit by shouting (is that really spirit or just BS?). Jason performed well and the Blue team is impressed by his contributions to their team. Scott sent up a raw burger, while Maria did well on burgers.  As usual it comes down to one serving for each team and in the chaos the Red team got its first challenge win. Ed said they were faster even though maybe not better. The men are given the opportunity to clean up the Los Angeles River for Heal the Bay in yellow jump suits for part of the day. They are put in an old bus that did not look that bad to me. What do they expect for a punishment? There was debris, trash and plastic bags and they did a fine job of cleaning up. At the end, they agreed that they had achieved something important Jason summarized what they learned from this experience:  “America, stop littering.” Excellent Advice!

The women get the reward of going to the Mailibu Beach Inn in Malibu. They were driven in authentic Woodie station wagons from about 1950. They are invited to the beach by Ramsay and Holli says “Chef Ramsay is cute. He looks like a real person.” Ramsay introduced Team Ramsay: his children Megan, Jack, Holly, Matilda and his wife Tana. They challenged the Read team to a game of soccer (Ramsay had played youth soccer in England but was injured multiple times and had to stop playing). Despite that Team Ramsay easily won 3 to 0. The women then enjoyed a meal and drinks.

Dinner service began. Holli and Salvatore were placed in the job of Assistant Maitre D’s helping Jean Phillippe so they can learn the impact that being front of the house has on their kitchens. Holli’s fist order was “in Japanese.” Salvatore’s was worse and he required help from Jean Phillippe to translate it for the blue team to be able to fill that order. Ramsay said “they’re here for dinner, not breakfast.” Maria’s first appetizer was rejected by Ramsay at the pass for not enough lobster, cheese or seasoning. Nilka helped Maria to get her appetizers better and Ramsay praised that.  Scott in on the Blue Appetizers station, but his first effort on potatoes is abysmal.  Benjamin is praised by Ramsay for his meat being cooked perfectly. Salvatore told a table that “my teammates are putting extra love into the salmon,” but he made a mistake on a chicken order. He claimed that he was quitting but Jean Phillippe talked him out of it. It doesn’t matter because he will not last long in this competition anyway. Holli brought back a steak that was medium rare instead of medium. Fran fought through a burn from hand in the oven and then produced a steak rare that should have been medium. As Autumn stated, Fran was undercooking and overcooking, with no control over which what the outcome would be. Scott tried to help Jason even though Jason knew what he needed to do. Holli is stalling a table with an offer of even more bread (she said just kidding when challenged, but it was obvious that she was just trying to buy time for her team to get it together) after 3 hours of not getting their entrees. Jamie was burning carrots on the Garnish. Siobhan on the fish station attempted to help Jamie by leaving her station. Siobhan then had two raw halibut, which Ramsay regarded as a major mistake. Benjamin fended off Scott’s attempts to help him on Meat and Ramsay loved his results. Fran cooked another steak rare instead of medium. Ramsay said “overcooked undercooked, let’s get it together.” Fran was forced by Ramsay to go and see the medic because of her burned hand, but she told the medic to just wrap it up so she could finish that dinner service.

It is almost 4 hours from opening, so it’s clear that Ramsay’s past policies to shut the kitchen down when major mistakes were made has been replaced by a desire to push through and finish it. Ramsay asked if it had to be so painful. The winning team is Blue because of Benjamin’s excellent work. The Red team has to nominate 2 for potential elimination. Fran was going to be one because of refires and losing composure; the second was Jamie due to her burning mashed potatoes and carrots. Ramsay indicated that Fran may be “an old dog unable to be taught new tricks.” Ramsay said he believed Fran can fight back as promise3d, so Jaime is eliminated. Ramsay said as his parting words on Jamie that she had passion but no creativity or leadership qualities.

apskip:
HK7 ep. 4

The prior episode challenge was to serve lunch to the USC Band and cheerleaders. The women won their first challenge. For the Red team, Nilka screwed up appetizers, Jamie burned garnishes and Fran was terrible on meat. For the Blue team, Benjamin was excellent on meat, Scott tried to help others but was rejected and Salvatore was judged by Ramsay to be hapless and decided to follow Andrew out the door, but Jean Phillippe convinced him to stay by telling him to just fight back. The nominees for elimination by the women were Fran and Jaime. Jaime was Ramsay’s choice to leave as he thought Franc could be taught “new tricks.”

Ramsay told Salvatore that he must bounce and fight back as Ramsay had not given up on him. Ramsay had another challenge, to be under maximum pressure by rolling the dice for ingredients to prepare a meal. Each member rolls the dice and must name one of 6 ingredients that will work well together. The Men choose Halibut, Endive, Salsify, Crab, Peas, Bacon. The women choose Beets, Shallots, Mango, Ham, Turnips, Duck. Autumn told her teammates that they should save the duck fat to be put into the turnips and to not forget to score the ducks. Salvatore wants to help out, but due to his limited experience only Ed wanted his minimal help and was willing to take time to teach him some things. I am really impressed by that and I bet Ramsay was too. This should give Ed a leg up on the others temporarily for his leadership. Autumn wanted to plate the duck early, but Ramsay advised the Nilka they not to. Autumn was on the nerves of her teammates for unwanted advice.

The men presented Pan Roasted Halibut with Salsify Puree, Bacon, Pea and Crab Ragout, salad of Crab and Endive. Ramsay said this dish is quite tasty, endive is clean, peas sweet and everything cooked perfectly. Salsify taste was unsatisfactory due to being fried unnecessarily.

The women presented Mango Glazed Pan-Seared Duck w/ turnips in Duck Fat, Ham, Mangos, Beets. Ramsay said the turnips look boring but should taste delicious. He said that turnips in duck fat was a good idea and NIlka’s duck with too much fat on it was a problem.

Ramsay says that by a fraction the winning dish is the men. The women’s punishment included cleaning the entrance hall of dust, sweeping the hall, washing the carpet and then prepping both kitchens. The blue team is going skydiving. Jason is not willing to do it because “do I look like a bird?” It actually was a wind tube at I Fly that Jason found OK. Jean Phillippe gave the Red team work the white glove test. He said there was dust on the frames. Benjamin rated the skydiving reward as “awesome.”  Sous chef Andi told the women that they were losing their prep technique and needed to improve very fast. Maria was negatively impacted by the stress of the double prep.

Ramsay explained that chef tables in the kitchen were a new feature. Red will have the host of ET Kenneth Frasier and his wife. Blue hosts Debbie Mazar from Entourage and her husband, who is a chef. Ramsay opened Hell’s Kitchen.

Scott attempted to help Jason, who he thinks is the worst chef in the Blue kitchen. Jason resented this and Jay said he would beat Scott up if given the chance. Jason’s cappellini is “cooked perfectly” as a result of Scott’s help. Siobhan had lobster in the cappellini instead of crab. Salvatore cooked raw snapper, not the pink 30 seconds Snapper appetizer requested. Siobhan pulled it from the crab bowl, but it was really lobster so she took heat from Ramsay. Salvatore is told that his snapper is cooked perfectly. Nilka is responsible for the Red team’s first entrees. Autumn is talking incessantly, but Ramsay regards this as positive. It really wasn’t. Anyway, Nilka delivered. Salvatore cooked salmon perfectly. Ed on the Garnish had rock hard potatoes. Autumn on fish sent up salmon that was picked up with food tongs when it should have been a fish spatula used. Scott delivered beef rare when it should have been medium. Kevin Frasier and wife were waiting for their entrees. Nilka cooked great Wellingtons, so Fran said that “she had it all under control.” Scott cooked the Wellingtons raw when it should have been rare. His second try got “perfectly cooked “feedback from Ramsay. Salvatore got nicely cooked halibut and got to deliver it to Mazar and husband and talk Italian with them.  Both teams finish in 2 ¼ hours. It must have been a less than full dining room but still that is exceptionally good performance..

Ramsay is amazed how good they were. He told Salvatore “you can cook” and  Nilka “in fine dining, you cooked the meat great.” Each one is asked to nominate one person each for elimination. NIlka misunderstood that her role was not to decide, just to nominate. Nilka focused on Autumn, but Autumn said that her non-use of a fish spatula was not sufficient to warrant her elimination. Siobhan is worried due to her crab vs. lobster incidents. Ed was not humbled by his mistakes. Scott said that he was trying too much to help others. Salvatore acknowledged that Scott had helped him a lot, so I don’t expect him to be nominating Scott. Nilka chose Autumn because she did not perform to “her full potential.” What utter crap, as it was clearly a personality conflict based on her bossiness that got Autumn in hot water with her teammates, not anything to do with her actual performance. Salvatore nominated Scott in spite of his help. Ramsay said that Autumn was not appreciated by the Red team. Ramsay told her that she is soulless, but she defended herself. Ramsay said that Scott did not cook at all tonight.  Scott promised to mind his on business; I’m sure he won’t be spending his time helping Salvatore.  Ramsay told him to pipe down and be more humble. Ramsay asked both to take their jackets off, but he then pulled switcheroo by sending Autumn to the Blue team and Scott to the Red team. Autumn clearly had to be moved and somebody had to be switched to replace her.  Autumn said that the Red team “will be sorry they let her go.” Scott said “now he will come out to play   Ramsay stated that the best service yet demanded no eliminations, but they need to both better excel or they will be gone. I agree that ir was a good time for him to use the flexibility obtained by the unexpected departure of Andrew since the performance of both teams warranted no eliminations.

TexasLady:
Four episodes, does anyone stand out? Only a few for me. Some are staying under the radar so we don't know how they will react to Ramsay's pressure.  Salvatore redeemed himself by not walking out and Ramsay praised him for doing a good job. (Ramsay can be motivational and uplifting at times, we just don't see it much on Hell's Kitchen.)

Nilke and Autumn, both seem to be able to be leaders in the kitchen, Autumn more so than Nilke but I don't believe either one can win unless they step it up even more.  

I just don't have a good feel for anyone on the Blue Team, I thought Jason would do better but he can't really take the pressure. Anyone see a leader on the men's team?  

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