Virginia Tadrzynski > wrote:
>"Nancy2" > wrote:
>> Blair P. Houghton wrote:
>> > Iron Chef America is seeking to bore us to death.

Turned out kinda exciting after all, but then they gave
the thing to that fat viking again, and the scores were so
lopsided you wondered if the challengers even made food...

>> I loved that the cameras were on the challengers almost exclusively
>> during the prep, and then Mario won - it showed a lot of hubris for the
>> challengers to prepare 7 dishes instead of 5. It was pretty boring,
>> though - except for the service with Siamese Fighting Fish.

You didn't think those spiral sugar spring things were cool?

>> How in the
>> heck do the producers manage to provide the exact proper serving
>> options without knowing what the chefs are going to cook?
>>
>> I thought the selection of judges was boring, too.

Mo Rocca was riffing pretty good. They need more funny on
that show.

>> I, personally,
>> don't like fennel at all because of its taste. I hate licorice.

Mmmm. Fennel sausage.

>> And, do the chefs know beforehand what the secret ingredient is going
>> to be? it seems the chefs never talk to the sous chefs about any
>> preparation beforehand, everyone just grabs food and starts prepping
>> it. How do the sous chefs know what the boss wants?
>
>I read once that the original Iron Chef gave the IC a heads up that they
>were to be chosen then gave both IC and challenger a 'possibility' of three
>items that would be the challenge item. This allowed them to have
>ingredients/equipment on hand.

I heard it was one of four secret ingredients, but same
principle. The whole team knows what to do the moment
that cover is removed because they've been discussing it
for a week.

--Blair