blake wrote:

>> On the first new Top Chef last night, the chefs were supposed to make
>> something to represent a sin they were guilty of.
>
> jeez, i'd be hard-put to come up with a dish representing sloth.

On a past season of Top Chef, contestants were supposed to prepare dishes
which represented the seven deadly sins. The contestant who had "sloth" as
her chosen sin made soup from slow-roasted vegetables. The judges were not
impressed. It made me think, though, as to what *I* would have offered as a
dish representing sloth. I'd think that oysters on the half-shell might
qualify, though a contestant on the show would have had to gussy it up quite
a bit because the judges would give poor marks if the chef were *too* lazy.
Hmmm... thinking of the term "couch potato," a good "sloth" dish might be
raw oysters on a bed (get it? slothful? bed?) of some potato preparation.
Not *mashed* potatoes, though, that would be too much work. Maybe each
oyster could sit on a slice of roasted potato which was seasoned with
oyster-complementing seasonings, e.g., celery salt, lemon, and black pepper.

The remaining deadly sins are lust, avarice, gluttony, envy, rage, and
pride.

Lust is easy: A seafood taco and a sausage!

Rage isn't difficult either: Some form of arrabbiata. Probably not penne
arrabbiata, because it's been done to death, but some little twist with
arrabbiata would do, e.g., seared steak with arrabbiata. (You'd want the
steak to still be sizzling-hot when it got to the diners.)

I think gluttony would be best represented by a large variety of little
dishes: a spicy chicken wing drumette, some spiced popcorn, a little slice
of pizza, and so forth.

I'd think an "avarice" dish would contain Kobe beef, white truffles, and
caviar, though not necessarily mixed together. And it would be garnished
with edible gold leaf.

I can't think of any appetizing dishes which would represent envy or pride.
Envy could be represented by something like bitter melon with salsa verde,
but who wants to eat that? And I can't readily think of a dish which
embodies pride at all. Maybe a dessert in the shape of a trophy?

Any ideas?

Bob