Reactions to Top Chef Seattle Episode 8

After being absent for a couple of weeks, Emeril was back with a vengeance, first as the judge of an oyster-related Quickfire in which the chefs had to source their own bivalves at Taylor's Shellfish Farm. Half the cheftestants had to make cold oyster dishes, the other half hot, but the winner of the challenge was the only chef who chose to fry his oysters, Micah. And those morsels did look tasty, if I do say so myself.

Emeril was also around for the Elimination Challenge, of course. The chefs had to pair up in order to create dishes inspired by roller derby girls with names like Jalapeno, Teriyaki, and Tempura. After first watching a game that got Josie fired up (the other chefs not so much), they took 2.5 hours to prepare their dishes at the roller rink and serve them up to 100 guests at party held after the final match of the season.

Chefs John and Brooke worked well together and prepared a winning dish of Thai beef with lobster rice and slaw, which beat out Lizzie and Micah's elevated crab-stuffed jalapeno poppers. On the bottom were Sheldon and Josh's soggy custard tempura and Josie and Bart's teriyaki beef skewer, which was called a "teriyaki terrible." Because Bart did the lion's work, and under-seasoned his share of the components, he got sent home, and Josie lived to battle another day.

What did you think about this episode? Please leave a comment.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Meet the Chefs - Brook Williamson

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Profession: Co-Executive Chef and Co-Owner, Hudson House (Redondo Beach, CA) and The Tripel (Playa del Rey, CA)

Culinary Education: No formal culinary school; learned in the kitchen

Favorite Simple Winter Recipe: Crispy duck confit with wild mushroom bread pudding and caramelized brussel sprouts

Brooke is a self-taught chef who started her culinary career at age 15 as a teacher’s assistant at the Epicurean Institute of Los Angeles. At age 18, she started working as a pastry assistant at Fenix at the Argyle Hotel, and was soon noticed by Chef Ken Frank, who invited her to work in the savory kitchen. Brooke moved onto the acclaimed restaurant Michael’s in Santa Monica, where she became Sous Chef within a year. After a brief internship at the celebrated restaurant Daniel in New York, Brooke returned to Los Angeles, where she was appointed Executive Chef at Boxer and later Zax. During her tenure at Zax, she was heralded by The Los Angeles Times as a “culinary wunderkind,” and was also the youngest chef to ever cook at the James Beard House. Brooke left Zax to open Amuse Café and Beechwood with husband Nick Roberts, where she earned the title “Rising Star Chef” by StarChefs.com. In 2009, they opened American gastropub Hudson House, and most recently The Tripel. When she’s not calling the shots at her restaurants, she can be found spending time with her family, running, hiking, traveling, or wandering around the farmer’s market.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Meet the Chefs - Kristen Kish

Hometown: Kentwood, MI

Profession: Chef de Cuisine, Stir – BL Gruppo, Boston, MA

Culinary Education: A.A., Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu, Chicago

Favorite Simple Winter Recipe: Financier

Kristen currently works as Chef de Cuisine at Stir, a Barbara Lynch entity that serves as the company’s epicenter of education. Stir hosts demonstration dinners seven nights a week featuring a revolving menu that showcases different styles of cooking, cuisines and regions. Previously, Kristen worked as Chef de Partie for Michelin starred Chef Guy Martin at his Boston restaurant, Sensing. Kristen’s personal style is modern and contemporary French cuisine with Italian influences. Her favorite thing to cook is a French macaron.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

TC Masters Winning Recipe - Finale

Exit Interviews - TCM Finale

Click here to see Hubert Keller's and Michael Chiarello's exit interviews.

Congratulations to Chef Bayless, Top Chef Master!

Congratulations to Chef Bayless for winning the first season of Top Chef Masters with the "story of his life" in three plates. His Oaxaca mole sauce, served with ahi tuna, drew the most praise. Gail Simmons herself said she'd never tasted a mole so good.

That's not surprising, either, considering that Chef Bayless spent twenty years perfecting the sauce. James Oseland commented that Chef Bayless's cooking gave him a new understanding of Mexican cuisine as a whole. High praise, indeed.

This post is only for positive words for Chef Bayless. If you have anything negative to say about him or another chef, please click here.

Reactions to the Top Chef Masters Finale

Last night, Chef Rick Bayless, king of Mexican food, took home the coveted prize of first ever Top Chef Master. The challenge was something most chefs probably dream about - tell the story of your life through food. Each chef was asked to create a four course meal: a dish representing their first food memory, one representing why they decided to become a chef, one reminiscent of their first restaurant, and one demonstrating where they're heading in the future.

In not-so-Top Chef fashion, this episode's twist was more gift than curse - the chefs were met in the kitchen by their real-life sous chefs, who helped them prepare the final challenge dishes for the usual critics, along with Tom, Padma, Gail, and the winners of the past seasons of Top Chef.

Not to gush, but both the dishes and the stories were pretty amazing. Chef Keller drew on his childhood in Alsace, Chef Bayless, on growing up in a barbequeing family with a pit master father, and Chef Chiarello, on his Italian-American childhood, including rolling gnocchi as a little boy.

For the most part, the judges gushed, as well. Chiarello stole Padma's heart with his short rib. Tom called Bayless's Oaxaca mole "brilliant." Stephanie said she could eat a plate of the sauce Keller served with his salmon.

But there were detractors, too. Ilan thought Chiarello's fried fish was "one-dimensional" and Hung called his marinara underseasoned. Cocky or correct?

Our All Top Chef poll indicated that you thought Hubert Keller would win this competition. After watching the episode, are you surprised by this turn of events? Pleasantly or otherwise? Please leave a comment with your thoughts...

Top Chef Masters Finale Previews

Tomorrow night is the finale of Top Chef Masters. Watch Hubert Keller, Michael Chiarello, and Rick Bayless battle one last time for the title of Top Chef Master!

(Don't forget that Top Chef Las Vegas premieres before Top Chef Masters, at 9 PM.)

Click here for two more previews.