Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Recap Roundup - Top Chef All-Stars Episode 6


Monkeys as Critics on the Challenge: "This week it’s a team fishing challenge, which seems a bit extreme to me. After all, the chefs are at the mercy of whatever the ocean coughs up for them, which could be Coke cans and dirty diapers depending on the way the tide runs. I’m hoping this doesn’t mean the chefs are going to face increasingly random challenges, like gourmet roadkill or gussying up the contents of the 'American Idol' judges’ refrigerators. There are simply limits to what a talented chef can do, especially since I’m guessing Steven Tyler doesn’t actually eat."

Jordan Baker on respecting the fish: "Tom savages Tiffani for leaving the bloodline in the fish. It’s an interesting scene – Kerry starts it off by saying that there were some problems with her butchering and Tom tells him to stop being charitable. It’s particularly notable since many people – myself included – have always seen Tiffani as kind of a favorite of Tom’s. But the minute she dishonors the bluefish, he turns on her."

MinxEats, posting as Fabio, on fishing: "Meanwhile, the feesh a-scare Ongeelo. He do no' like-a da shark. I theenk maybe eef we see shark, we throw Marcel overboard."

Serious Eats on Technique: "After a few hours on the boat, things started getting a little homoerotic on team Richard/Fabio/Marcel. Desperate to catch some fish, the guys started coming up with some..."interesting" techniques. Richard said, he was 'sitting in Marcel's lap... holding his rod.' I wonder if he was helping him fish, too!"

Guest Blogger Chef Jen Biesty for Yum Sugar on dying: "I would have loved to take on this challenge, I'm such an ocean person. If you asked me how I would like to die, I'd say eaten by sharks, I know that sounds crazy but I'm totally serious, that's how I would go given the choice."

Speakeasy on Marcel: "'What. Ever!' he says, making passive-aggressive tweens everywhere proud. He’s tipsy, gesturing and slurring and evoking (suburban) street toughness, like a would-be tough guy of some ’90s-era rap-rock outfit. Dale eyes him coldly, and says that only anger management lessons keep him from giving Marcel a Homer Simpson-style throttle then and there."

Food and More on whining: "The chefs scramble onto Water Taxi Beach to begin prep work, and Jamie 'Debbie Downer' Lauren seems to have finally gotten on the other chefs’ last nerve. She can’t stop complaining about everything, from the sand, to the heat, to the cucumber water dripping on her."

Max the Girl on understanding Fabio: "Fabio says something in response and—for the life of me—I need help diagramming his sentence:

'I love him to death, but this guy’s going to get a
a. nut
b. knife
c. gnat
attack if he doesn’t
a. pace
b. peace
c. please
himself up a little bit.'

My best guess: 'I love him to death, but this guy’s going to get a nut attack if he doesn’t peace himself up a little bit.' Which actually makes more sense than Marcel’s rant from the beginning of the show."

Grub Street on clueless: "Meanwhile, once service began, diners all rushed with glee to Carla while Padma was awed by how close Queens was. It's almost like it's the same city, isn't it, Padma? Don’t you come across the river every day for the Quickfires?"

Buddy TV on impending doom: "The Sun sets and everyone completely freaks out. This makes sense since the diners quickly descend upon the food stations. The judges arrive too and immediately get drinks. Guess they're not confident in the food. But they try anyway. Also, introductions are in order for Kerry Heffernan, the guest judge. He's a chef and Tom's fishing buddy."

MamaPop on judgement: "Predictably, Blais, Fabio and Marcel get major dings for preparing just one dish. It needed to be perfect, and instead it was kind of overkill, and was so restaurant-fancy with the foams and doo-dahs that it didn’t really fit on the menu of a beach party. Tom digs for the 'trust issues' between Blais and Fabio that were made so much of in the earlier editing but the guys all clam up and refuse to do any bus-throwing. Not even a little toy Matchbox bus! Boo! No fun!"

Cliffieland on Carla's win: "This, of course, offends Marcel who realizes he's on the losing end of things. Because everyone must at all times be sensitive to the feelings of the man who hasn't taken off the Wolverine costume he wore for Halloween in 2002."

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