Top Chef

As America's Next Top Model is winding down, I will begin to recap Top Chef. Please bear in mind I am not a chef and know nothing about the fancy chef terminology or gadgetry. Also for a fully loaded Top Chef recap, please check out Kim at www.televisionwithoutpity.com.

This season's contest is in NYC, baby. We started out with 17 cheftestants but only 16 will be making it to the Top Chef digs. We start off w/ a quick fire elimination. Usually quick fire determines immunity for a chef or some other fabulous prize. The cheftestants had to peel 15 apples with a paring knife. The first chef done will be granted immunity and the next 8 chefs will be safe from elimination. The winner was hottie Stefan from Finland. I'm a sucker for a bald man w/ an accent! Then the next phase had the remaining 8 finely and uniformly chop the peeled apples. Final phase and remaining 4 cheftestants had to create something out of their 2 cups of diced apples. Word to the wise: never, ever make a salad on Top Chef. It's the kiss of death. Oh and hey guess what? The 2 goombas that made salads were in the bottom 2 and up for elimination. And it's Lauren, the 23 year wife of a U.S. soldier in Iraq who is a chef in Savannah, GE (whew long intro!) who will packing her knives and heading home.

The cheftestants get their assignment for judging. Everyone pulls a destination out of the knife block. Each 8 pairs of 2 will be going to said place to be inspired by the international cooking of the area. The cheftestants will be going head to head, losers will be judged and one will be sent home.

The break down goes like this: Astoria/Greek food
Brighton Beach/Russian food
Long Island City/Middle Eastern food
Ozone Park/Latin food
Jamaica (Queens)/Caribbean food
Little Italy (guess!)
Chinatown (guess again!)
Little India (are you stumped?)


The winner was cocky Stefan who went to Long Island City and made a duo of lamb chops w/ tabouli salad (yum!) and a beef and onion skewer (double yum!) Side note, all but one of the winners of the 1st elimination challenge has gone on to win the title of Top Chef. And Patrick the little gay guy in culinary school was sent a-packin' for his debacle of Chinese cuisine. He offered up seared salmon and bok choy over black rice noodles. Patrick made an off hand remark about "it's noodles. all you have to do is boil them." My mom said that was the nail in his coffin. To me his dish just sounded plain yucky.

My favourite cheftestants so far are, Leah, she seems like a really talented chef, tattooed Jaime, hunky bald Hosea w/ one dimple (I want to sip champagne from that dimple!) and Stefan the Finnish kinda jerk.