Video du Jour - Marcus Samuelsson on Top Chef Masters

Recap Roundup: Top Chef Masters 2 Finale

Another season of seasoned professionals, amazing food, and not-all-that-much drama has come to an end...and this year Marcus Samuelson, with his African and Swedish roots, takes home the top prize. But did the bloggers think he deserved it? We'll find out:

Jordan Baker is perplexed: "It’s not that I don’t think Marcus Samuelsson is a fantastic chef – he is, in case you hadn’t noticed, Marcus Bloody Samuelsson—but the show gave the impression that he won with one course in his meal that the diners flatly didn’t like, or at the very least didn’t 'get.'"

CBS News on a Colicchio faux pas: "In a bit of a spoiler, Tom Colicchio congratulated Samuelsson on Twitter just after 11 ET-two hours before the show was broadcast on the west coast."

Reality TV Magazine on Marcus's second dish (yum): "His second course, inspired by a duck dinner that he cooked while his grandmother was sick, would be salt cured duck with foie gras ganache and tomato jam. After he cooked this meal for his family, due to the praises and feedback he had gotten was the moment he knew he wanted to be a chef."

Grub Street on who got robbed: "It’s only fair to say that Susur was robbed (the Bravo poll showed 47 percent in favor of him), but Top Chef Masters has its own agenda to worry about, one which seemed this year to focus on giving the top prize to a hot, young chef with style and culinary flair to boot."

Reality Wanted waxes (ha! get it?) nostalgic: "Remember the effortless win that Rick Bayless gave us last season? While everyone competed, Rick sailed the Zen-master Mexican seas to the win. I really thought we would see Jedi Master Jonathan Waxman surf in on the same slow, steady wave, but alas it was not meant to be."

Top Recipe - Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 10

Find the written recipe for Marcus Samuelsson's lightly cured arctic char here.

Exit Interviews - Top Chef Masters 2 Finale

Congratulations, Chef Marcus Samuelsson!

Congratulations, Chef Samuelsson, for taking the title of Top Chef Master and winning $100,000 for your charity, the UNICEF Tap Project.

In the final challenge, you really showed the judges what it was like to be Chef Samuelsson, from growing up in Sweden to adoptive parents to bringing your Ethiopian heritage to the table with you as an adult. While your kitfo may have seemed a bit strange to the diners, they agreed that your willingness to share your heritage with your diners was one of your strengths, and ultimately it is probably what won the competition for you.

We are looking forward to the upcoming opening of your restaurant Red Rooster and we hope great things continue to come your way.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Samuelsson and his performance on Top Chef Masters. If you have anything negative to say about him or any of his competition, please leave a comment here.

Reactions to Top Chef Masters 2 Finale

This week, the final episode of season 2 of Top Chef Masters, we find our three remaining chefs pitted against each other in a battle to the death to see who is indeed deserving of the title and $100K for their favorite charity.

The chefs are transported to LA's Union Station, which is mysteriously both empty and completely clean. Kelly Choi meets them and from a distance of about 25 feet, gives the chefs their final challenge. They must create a three-course meal that celebrates their journey as a chef. To the stirring strains of a Musak version of "Don't Stop Believin'" we hear her tell them that the first dish must be inspired by their first food memory, the second dish must be inspired by the experience that made each decide to become a chef, and the third course should describe them as chefs.

The chefs are then sent off to have breakfast in yet another abandoned spot in the train station and forced to reminisce. Afterwards, they are given wads of cash and are sent off to shop for supplies.

Back at the Top Chef Masters Kitchen, while "Who's Cryin' Now" plays softly in the background, the chefs cook and talk about their various food memories: how Rick Moonen caught clams with his Dad (which is why he's making oysters); how Marcus cooked Christmas dinner the year his grandmother was sick; and probably most affecting, the tragic story of how Susur Lee's first wife died in a plane that was shot down for allegedly crossing into Soviet air space.

♫♪♫ I'm forever yours, faithfully ♫♪♫

Breaking the mood, Kelly walks in wearing a short shiny red dress that would have made Heidi Klum proud, to give the chefs a surprise. No, not that kind of surprise. And not a horrible twist to the challenge, but rather something useful: help. We then see the sous chefs from their restaurant kitchens march in to the strains of "Open Arms."

The chefs now have even more time to do voice overs and reminisce about the past. Marcus Samuelsson shows a photo of a young girl whom he calls his "sister." He then says she is living in Africa and is struggling with the lack of water there. Now, Marcus, if that is indeed your sister, and you are a good brother, why the hell are you leaving her in Africa when you can give her all the water she wants in New York City?

Finally, the cooking is done and the chefs must serve the diners: Gail Simmons, Miss James Oseland, Jay Rayner, and the three finalists from season 1, Hubert Keller, Rick Bayless, and Michael Chiarello. While everyone loved aspects of all nine dishes, it seems that one of three courses for each of the chefs falls flat.

Back at Critics' Table, the chefs stand to get their star ratings from Kelly and the gang. They start off with Susur who gets 17 stars. Marcus is next with 17.5 stars. Finally, Rick gets 17 stars. In the end, Marcus wins the title of Top Chef Master and $100K by a mere half a star.

As "Separate Ways" plays in the background, the second season of Top Chef Masters comes to a close.

So what did you think of this season? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Top Chef Masters 2 Finale Previews

After a grueling season of out-of-the-ordinary challenges, three accomplished chefs – Rick Moonen, Susur Lee, & Marcus Samuelsson - stand to face their final challenge, but only one chef can be crowned the prestigious title of “Top Chef Master.” Who will ‘wow’ the judges panel with their expertise one last time? And who will fall short of incredibly high expectations? Find out tonight, Wednesday 6/9 @ 10/9c, only on BRAVO.

Recap Roundup: Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 9

And now we are three...

Jordan Baker on Waxman getting the boot: "It seems like the critics have penalized him for making things that are too “simple” for a Top Chef Master. Which. . .really? REALLY? He’s Jonathan Mother Fucking Waxman, fools. Simple, perfect food is what he does. You want shrimp on trapezes, you know where to find them."

Grub Street on Marcus v. Waxman: "You can decide whether it’s genuine or halfhearted praise, but Marcus’s response to his Quickfire challenge was, 'Jonathan’s recipes are easy to follow. I mean, they’re very direct. He uses things that are approachable.' This coming from the chef who later runs out of money trying to buy every ingredient in stock at Whole Foods. "

TWOP on Susur's lady dessert: "He plates it to look like a vagina, which turns some people off. And yet, the entire table falls silent while eating it because it's so good."

Onion AV Club on the Quickfire: "The soupification of those entrées really zapped my interest, though, a sloppy addition that felt more like a hassle than a challenge. Top Chef-throwback or no, I would have much preferred to see the chefs prepare each other's recipe with their own spin than see them scrap those dishes midway through for soup. Improvising isn't the same thing as having to deal with an entirely new set of instructions halfway through..."

Speakeasy (WSJ) on Susur hotness: "Did you guys get a peek at Susur’s book cover? His long hair is caught blowing in the wind, like a still shot from Highlander. Man, the more we know, the more we love this guy."

Creative Loafing on that word: "I’m not even going to go into detail about how many times they used the 'v' word (you know, as in 'lady parts') this episode for no apparent reason other than they knew they could get away with it on Bravo. And we thought us podcasters were tasteless and childish."

Box Office Prophets kind of hates Rick: "The Masters head over to Whole Foods and nothing much happens, except that Rick grosses me out by reaching over the plastic barrier to fondle the seafood. He’s trying to show the Whole Foods attendant which pieces of seafood he wants, but still…that’s gross."

TC News & Information

Kevin Gillespie's beard has fans, and they had a party.

The LA Times Daily Dish blog examines the strengths and weaknesses of the three Top Chef Masters finalists.

Get to know Top Chef DC competitor Andrea Curto-Randazzo a bit via this interview in the Miami New Times.

Carla Hall makes sardines tasty. Or so says this NPR article.

Top Recipe - Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 9

The written-out version of Marcus Samuelsson's confit of salmon can be found here.

Exit Interviews - Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 9

Congratulations, Chef Marcus Samuelsson!

Throughout the competition, Chef Samuelsson has produced highly creative and delicious work, but only now was he able to best his competition in both the Quickfire and the Elimination Challenges. Pretty impressive thing to do when you're among the best of the best! His soupy interpretation of Jonathan Waxman's dish in the QF impressed James Oseland, as did his violet/pleasure/salmon work in the Elimination. Oh, the other judges loved it too, as did the Groundlings.

Chef Samuelsson has a real advantage in his depth of food knowledge and the flavorings and styles of other cultures. Not just the Swedish Chef, Marcus continues to wow us with his imagination. He's in the finals in this competition - but can his talent take him all the way?

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Samuelsson's work. If you have anything negative to say about her or her competition, please do so here.

ATC Love to Chef Jonathan Waxman

This week, the great Obi Wan was not able to use his Jedi mind tricks to convince the evil Empire known as Critics' Table to keep him on for another week. Although Gail Simmons said he probably makes the best roast chicken ever, that wasn't enough.

Chef Waxman's immense love of food and family shone through with every dish he created, and made him a joy to watch this season. Although we are very sad to see him go, we at All Top Chef think he had a great run and will continue to make people very happy with his cooking. He has had an illustrious career thus far and we have no reason to believe it will end here.

We wish you the best, Chef!

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Waxman's work. If you have anything negative to say about him or his competition, please do so here.

Reactions to Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 9

On this penultimate episode of Top Chef Masters, our final four competitors get two somewhat difficult challenges. First: the Quickfire involves pairing up for a "Cookbook Swap" in which each member of the pairs has to cook a recipe from his partner's book. The recipes are pre-selected and a box of essential ingredients is provided to each chef. Marcus cooks from Jonathan's book (and vice versa) and Rick prepares a dish from Susur's book (which I just received in the mail yesterday, btw) while Susur cooks from his.

Marcus decides to change Jonathan's recipe to reflect his own background. Jonathan chooses to make Marcus' curry dish less-spicy. Susur is upset because he didn't get a reference photo of the dish and he "cooks with his eyes" and he "doesn't read English very well." (I'm pretty sure that last statement was pure bullshit.) Rick is just plain concerned, since Susur's recipes aren't exactly simple.

After much cooking time has elapsed, Kelly Choi flounced back into the room to announce a twist: the recipes must become soups that retain the integrity of the original dish.

Much bitching ensues. Time's up and the dishes are brought to Ms James Oseland for tasting. In the end, Marcus gets 3.5 stars for his brothy interpretation of a Jonathan Waxman dish.

Next, Kelly tells the chefs that they get the night off and are being sent to see a performance of the Groundlings, the improv troupe that produced the likes of Will Farrell, Jimmy Fallon, and Chris Kattan (and STILL we allow them to exist). The chefs get into their civilian clothes and head off to see the show in a relaxed mood. Eventually, they realize that they don't actually have the night off, particularly when Jim Rash (Community) starts asking the audience to shout out colors, emotions, and foods. And suddenly it's a rehash of the Elimination Challenge in Top Chef season 4 episode 7 in which Dale Talde and Richard Blais win with their interpretation of "green perplexed tofu." (A similar version of the game was played in a Quickfire in Season 6 episode 7 in which the cheftestants were assigned moods, tastes/textures, and ethnicities via slot machine.)

The chefs get to choose the trio of words with which they want to work, starting with QF winner Marcus who chooses "violet, pleasure, salmon." Susur takes "chocolate, lust, peanut butter," Rick has "red, anger, bacon," which leaves Jonathan with "burnt sienna, depression, avocado." Then it's off to Whole Foods to shop and then 2.5 hours to cook their themed meal for the Groundlings cast.

During the cooking, we find that: Jonathan plays the trombone; Susur is 15 at heart, what with his idea of using bananas and a cookie tuile "vagina" in his dish; the kitchen has an immersion circulator but not a vacuum sealer; and Marcus has no idea what color "violet" really is (a hint: it's neither red like beets, nor is it purple).

The critics for this meal are Gail, Jay, and Ms Oseland. There's criticism all around although Susur seems to get the least. Despite this, he's beaten out by half a point by Marcus, despite the fact that his plate looked like a crime scene and there was no violet to be found (the critics obviously had no clue, either).

Jonathan, who made a nice homey meal of chicken with avocado, scored a paltry (poultry?) 11.5 points and was sent packing. So sad to see Obi Wan go! :(

So next week is the final battle between Marcus Samuelsson, Susur Lee, and Rick Moonen. The winner was spoiled weeks ago, but who do you think it will be?

Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 9 Previews

In an entertaining penultimate episode, the remaining four chefs’ sense of humor is put to the test when they all take a trip to the famous improv comedy club “the Groundlings.” But it is not all fun and laughter when the chefs find out that they must integrate a little improv into their food: how will they fare when they are given 3 words of inspiration from which to create a cohesive dish? And which 3 chefs will make it to the Finale? Find out tonight, Wednesday 6/2 @ 10/9c on BRAVO's Top Chef Masters 2 *4 Chefs vie for a spot in the Finale!*

Recap Roundup: Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 8

Jordan Baker on the overall edit: "I know, I know, I know – that this season is probably heading toward a showdown between the three young-ish cocky bucks, and that this means the older, “cuddlier” contestants (the ladies and Tony and next week Jonathan) will have to go to make room for the Clash of the Titanic Egos that Bravo wants to set up as the endgame."

Serious Eats on Susan's Quickfire fail: "I love you Susan, but I think my dog could have probably discerned that there was white wine in there."

Reality Wanted on this week's Susur cultural issue: "Susur is lost on this challenge as he isn’t familiar with Greek mythology."

Slashfood on Susan's charm: "Feniger's unapologetic, unburdened manner was in full display this week -- perhaps too out in the open, as the case might have been. Faced with the challenge of cooking a meal fit for a randomly chosen Greek God -- hers was Aphrodite, how perfect -- Feniger tucked leaves and flowers behind her ear, danced little jigs around the kitchen, and in general charmed the pants off of her adoring fans."

Grub Street on the fashion: "Susur’s ponytail is awesome (and likely the source of all his culinary power), but the sartorial master in this competition is Marcus. We’ve always liked the combination of his navy chef jacket with a green T-shirt underneath, but he’s really taking kitchen couture up a few notches with those Burberry pants."

Speakeasy (WSJ) on strategy: "So, here’s the question: do the chefs try to actually identify the flavors or do they mentally run down a checklist of recipes and call out likely ingredients? We’re guessing maybe the second option: Susur loses the challenge when he calls out garlic. 'How the hell you make lobster sauce without garlic?' he says."

Creative Loafing on Gail's fondness for coconut: "The best part of the episode was when Gail Simmons went all gooey over Susan’s coconut jam and let everyone know just what she’d like to do with it (and I’m not talking about it’s culinary use)."

Eater.com on Jonathan's problem: "Top Chef Masters is a completely subjective competition; if you want to win, you have to play to the people grading what you do. I love watching Jonathan do what he does and I'd be more than happy to eat everything he's prepared this season, but it's pretty obvious he's not well-suited for this particular kind of competition."

Top Recipe - Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 8

Find the printable recipe for Rick Moonen's Spice Crusted Swordfish here.

Exit Interviews - Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 8

Free Kaya Toast at STREET!

Last night, Susan Feniger's run on Top Chef Masters came to a close, after winning $32,500 for her favorite charity, Scleroderma Research Foundation. She lost with Kaya Toast, one of the most popular dishes at Susan Feniger's STREET. Following the loss, Susan decided to offer free Kaya Toast (one per party) from 5 to 7pm at STREET each day from now through Wed, June 2 for anyone who says the secret words "Pack Your Knives." She hopes that those who try Kaya Toast will go to www.eatatstreet.com to share their opinion about the traditional Singapore hangover recipe.

Congratulations, Chef Moonen

Chef Moonen, congratulations to you for winning both the Quickfire and the Elimination Challenges this week! Your strong sense of taste got you through three rounds of sauces, and your talent with seafood once again proved to be your strong suit. Your encrusted swordfish with "crimson" potatoes and root vegetables was deliciously hellish. And you seemed to really enjoy acting "diabolical" in the kitchen, which revealed your sense of fun.

Only two weeks left before we find out who wins Top Chef Master. None of us would be surprised if it turned out to be Chef Moonen.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Moonen's work. If you have anything negative to say about him or any of his competition, please do so here.