This week on Top Chef Masters, we had a Quickfire Challenge that involved monochromatic food (honestly, I don't remember this one from the original series). Chef Ludo Lefebvre cursed almost as much as Wylie Dufresne did last week, but I thought his dish had great potential. Red beet gazpacho? Yum! And while Rick Bayless' symphony in green was "complex," it was Wilo Benet's orange dish that won over the judges.His lead was not to last, however. Did the "street food" challenge seem like a gimme for someone like Rick Bayless, a man who made his fortune with tacos, quesadillas, and sopes? And he got tongue, for goodness' sake - I've eaten tongue tacos. They're delicious.
The most disadvantaged in this challenge was poor Ludo, the chef who came from a cuisine with no tradition of street food. Quesadillas were a good idea, but they did not show off the pig ears as much as the judges would have liked.
So what did you think about this week's episode? Please tell us in the comments.
7 comments:
I think he did what he said, he played to his strengths. He did seem to be handed the challenges on a silver platter but, he took what was given him and proved that he will be a worthy challenger to Susan Tracht and Hubert Keller in the Champions Round. Congratulations Rick.
Check out this idiot's opinion of TCM v. TNFNS. He actually says: "While "Top Chef Masters" is the culmination of five highly-rated seasons of an Emmy-nominated series, it caters to the reality TV fan more than the foodie, whereas "Next Food Network Star" caters to both. Plus, there's the added bonus of going away from "Star" with a recipe you'll actually be able to make. So, it's "Next Food Network Star" that gets a 20% gratuity, as opposed to 15% tip for "Top Chef Masters."
http://tv.msn.com/top-chef-masters-vs-food-network-star/story/feature/?gt1=28130
I remember the original colors challenge. Someone made a brown dish that I seem to remember swam in a pool of nasty-looking coffee sludge. At least this time they chose the most colorful colors!
The french chef was a whiny crybaby. Shut up and cook already!
I was a bit worried that Ludo might take a butcher knife to someone. He seemed a little high strung. More like the regular chef-testants.
I'm glad Rick Bayless won. I'm a Chicagoan so I was already rooting for him, but then I saw what a nice guy he was... he was willing to help out the other chefs without being a dick about it and he just did what he knew.
Kristine, re: that "idiot's opinion" you referenced above, I was completely baffled that the writer thinks TCM caters to the reality TV fan more than the foodie. I think it's just the opposite. Top Chef Masters is much more for someone who is interested in the food rather than reality-show drama, with the added bonus of hearing how skilled chefs think, create, and approach each challenge. I love TCM and can't get enough of it. Next Food Network Star, on the other hand, not so much.
Eggplant: Exactly.
Post a Comment