Recap Roundup: Top Chef Masters 3 Episode 9

Monkeys as Critics on yelling: "But the real screamer is, of course, Naomi, who acts a little pissy, too. Floyd is horrified. I’m horrified. But Floyd may have needed to yell, because his sister calls her food yucky looking and she isn’t wrong. She didn’t cut the asparagus! Traci is appalled that Naomi’s been yelling at her dad. But when the dividers go up and everyone sees their partner, Naomi isn’t embarrassed at all. It turns out that Dad doesn’t mind, because she yells at him like that all the time. Well, if you need a reason not to go to their house for Thanksgiving, there you go."

Oregon Live on truth, dat: "The other chefs seems startled by Pomeroy's bossy approach, though that particular criticism has been an undercurrent through the whole competition, particularly among the male chefs who seem threatened by Pomeroy's youth and culinary prowess. If this where a male chef barking out orders, he would be characterized as forceful or dominant. But when Pomeroy does it, suddenly it's bossy and rude."

Reality TV Calendar on appearances: "Traci’s meal was appreciated by the servicemen but the meatloaf was salty according to James Oseland and the plate was messy. May I point out that for a man who has just spent months eating, as he said, goat of dubious origins, a slightly messy plate of meatloaf and superior mashed potatoes is probably the food of the gods."

AV Club on the future: "Instead, it appears we’ll get a dull but pleasant end to a dull and occasionally pleasant season — and if that’s all the momentum that this show could bring to the table, then I think the Magical Elves need to seriously re-evaluate the future of this franchise."

A Just Recompense has a rant: "It’s the obligatory Support Our Troops show, which means two things: it’s rife with sentimentality, and short on cooking. It’s going to be an off-site buffet which means reheated mediocre food at best. And it’s food for 'the masses' meaning stuff I can make. I’m sorry to be a curmudgeon about this, but if they want to support the troops, they should vote for increasing funding for the VA, vote to bring troops home, and donate to veteran’s-related organizations at least for this show. Otherwise it’s all for show. Some of it makes a pretty good show, I have to admit, but I’m tired of 'let’s drag out the firefighters and army guys and be really soulful.' I’d rather see really good cooking. Why not, make an extraordinary meal for these families, instead of catering to a hundred people in an American Legion hall? It’s cheap schlock."

Clean Plate Charlie on preferences: "When the cheftestants interview the families, they get answers they're not too happy about. Forget the pate and foie gras and molecular gastronomy - these people coming home want meatloaf and barbeque and cobbler."

Eater on food in Afghanistan: "My favorite dude was from Hawaii, he wanted poke (raw tuna salad) and SPAM. Reichl asked him, 'What was the food like in Afghanistan?' Oh, yes, Ruth, while sitting in a spacious concrete loft with telephone cords strewn across the floor, I dined with this gentleman wearing a potato sack on his head. We had a delicious field green salad with camel’s milk ricotta and confit bullet shells. Instead, he says stone cold, 'We had a lot of Kebabs.'"

Grub Street on the Elimination Challenge: "Curtis the Australian welcomes everyone home to “our country.” Floyd needs a victory because he’s won, like, $5 for his charity. But everyone votes and Mary Sue wins for her ribs with avocado-corn relish. Floyd is crushed, but there’s a silver lining for him, as he strikes up a bromance with military man Eric, who loved Floyd’s beef tenderloin and gives him a special coin as a token of his appreciation. They embrace, gently weeping."

Jordan Baker has given up on recapping this show and gives us a good rant instead.

Posted on AllTopChef.com