Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote on 01 Feb 2007 in rec.food.cooking

> Anyone else see the finale? Bravo channel has had a maraton on the
> show _Top Chef_ the past few days and I was able to catch up on the
> episodes I missed. I also got to see the final 2 parts of the finale.
>
> If you saw it, what did you think about the final finale episode? I
> think the chef Marcel was a complete jackass and will never be able to
> keep staff in his kitchen. He is arrogant, pompous and a complete
> asshole. OTOH, he is creative as hell. I liked the way he took
> risks. The winner, Ilan was my choice during the finale. He was able
> to take what he knows and work it into a fantastic meal. His dessert
> choice was very wise. Ilan is just the opposite of Ilan in
> personality. As far as being developed and mature, Ilan had Marcel
> beat 10 fold. I was pleased that Ilan won.
>
> Michael
>

And now it's time for something completely different.

Coconut Shrimp Balls

1 cup shredded dried coconut
1/2 lb. shelled and de-veined 30/40 count shrimp
1 tbsp store-bought green curry paste
2 green onions, trimmed and sliced finely
1 egg white
Peanut oil for frying



1. If using a fresh coconut, crack coconut, extract meat, use a peeler
to cut off
brown skin and grate on the second finest side of a grater so that
the result
is shredded coconut. Reserve.

2. In a food processor, add shrimp, curry paste, green onion and egg
white. Pulse
until blended, but not a mush.

3. Roll shrimp mixture into quarter-size balls and roll in coconut
until thoroughly
coated.

4. Pour oil into a small, tall pot until it is 3 inches deep. Heat oil
until it reaches
350°F (see oil dissertation below).

5. When oil is ready, fry 8 shrimp balls at a time, Fry for
approximately 1 minute,
or until coconut is a golden brown. Remove and place shrimp balls
on paper
towel to absorb excess oil. Cover with foil and reserve.

6. Skim any wayward coconut shreds from the oil. Adjust heat so that it
is 350°F
again and continue with next batch.

-Bob Blumer- Surreal Gourmet- foodtv.ca ---my choice for top chef.

Mr Libido Incognito > wrote:

>Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote on 01 Feb 2007 in rec.food.cooking
>
>> Anyone else see the finale? Bravo channel has had a maraton on the
>> show _Top Chef_ the past few days and I was able to catch up on the
>> episodes I missed. I also got to see the final 2 parts of the finale.
>>
>> If you saw it, what did you think about the final finale episode? I
>> think the chef Marcel was a complete jackass and will never be able to
>> keep staff in his kitchen. He is arrogant, pompous and a complete
>> asshole. OTOH, he is creative as hell. I liked the way he took
>> risks. The winner, Ilan was my choice during the finale. He was able
>> to take what he knows and work it into a fantastic meal. His dessert
>> choice was very wise. Ilan is just the opposite of Ilan in
>> personality. As far as being developed and mature, Ilan had Marcel
>> beat 10 fold. I was pleased that Ilan won.

Oh yeah, Ilan was a paragon of virtue. Give me a break. He stated
repeatedly that the reason he wanted to win was just to beat Marcel.
Yeah, real mature. He constantly bad-mouthed and undermined Marcel to
the other contestants and the judges. Yeah, real mature. I'll concede
that Marcel was arrogant and pompous; but, I'll take arrogant and
pompous over being a class one, grade A jerk-off, which is what Ilan
was.

Jack

On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 18:40:58 GMT,
(cruciverbalist) wrote:

>Mr Libido Incognito > wrote:
>
>>Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote on 01 Feb 2007 in rec.food.cooking
>>
>>> Anyone else see the finale? Bravo channel has had a maraton on the
>>> show _Top Chef_ the past few days and I was able to catch up on the
>>> episodes I missed. I also got to see the final 2 parts of the finale.
>>>
>>> If you saw it, what did you think about the final finale episode? I
>>> think the chef Marcel was a complete jackass and will never be able to
>>> keep staff in his kitchen. He is arrogant, pompous and a complete
>>> asshole. OTOH, he is creative as hell. I liked the way he took
>>> risks. The winner, Ilan was my choice during the finale. He was able
>>> to take what he knows and work it into a fantastic meal. His dessert
>>> choice was very wise. Ilan is just the opposite of Ilan in
>>> personality. As far as being developed and mature, Ilan had Marcel
>>> beat 10 fold. I was pleased that Ilan won.
>
>Oh yeah, Ilan was a paragon of virtue. Give me a break. He stated
>repeatedly that the reason he wanted to win was just to beat Marcel.
>Yeah, real mature. He constantly bad-mouthed and undermined Marcel to
>the other contestants and the judges. Yeah, real mature. I'll concede
>that Marcel was arrogant and pompous; but, I'll take arrogant and
>pompous over being a class one, grade A jerk-off, which is what Ilan
>was.

I grew to feel that way, too, while watching the series, and being a
reality show, I suppose that was part of the point.

(Reality shows are a pet peeve of mine, partly because they sort of
celebrate crappy human behavior and human's interest in it, but also
because you never know how much is real. But this one pulled me in.)

Marcel was annoying, with his passive-aggressive smart-ass ways, and
the other chefs used that to criticize his every behavior -- including
behaviors they wouldn't have questioned in the other chefs. It made me
become more sympathetic to Marcel. It almost made me want to like him.
=)

Toward the end, I was more annoyed by the rudeness displayed by Ilan
and Elia toward Marcel. I liked Ilan, apart from that rudeness. I
liked Elia, but she also annoyed me with her moodiness and with her
complaints about the conclusions of the judges.

I thought it was almost a given that Sam would be Top Chef. My pick
weeks ago was that it would be Sam and Marcel in the finale and that
Sam would win. He seems to have the strength of both, without the
weaknesses.

Laurie

Laurie S. wrote:


> Toward the end, I was more annoyed by the rudeness displayed by Ilan
> and Elia toward Marcel. I liked Ilan, apart from that rudeness. I
> liked Elia, but she also annoyed me with her moodiness and with her
> complaints about the conclusions of the judges.

Ilan tried to get Elia to throw a competition to force out Marcel. She
was too smart for that.

> I thought it was almost a given that Sam would be Top Chef. My pick
> weeks ago was that it would be Sam and Marcel in the finale and that
> Sam would win. He seems to have the strength of both, without the
> weaknesses.

I tend to agree. Once they decided he was a jerk, every little thing he
did was wrong. Not that he didn't do plenty of things wrong, mind you.



Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

I thought that any of the final four were very good. They seemed
able to make great stuff.

This competition, if in fact it is a competition, is a very
poor way to choose a chef. In reality, chefs have forever
to adjust and tune their recipes and the way their
kitchen works. They don't have to put up with Mickey Mouse
restrictions. So how well the chefs "perform" on this show
really means nothing. What matters is what their food
philosophy and taste is. Even Iron Chef America is
far less Mickey Mouse. The contestants know exactly what their
conditions will be ahead of time. They have their own
staff. They even know ... this has been admitted ...
in advance about what the secret ingredient will be
(one of a list of three ... is it exactly three?). Top Chef,
like other "reality" shows, is to some extent rigged. They
admit it in a disclaimer at the end. The footage they
actually show is probably chosen to show off the "undesired"
contestant in a bad light, even if this is unusual. Etc.

Only at the end of the series did the contests get less
Mickey Mouse. But still, having losers assist was
so bad that it really ruined the "reality". I would have
simply chosen assistants from the restaurant spaces they
were working in ... and, for the last episode, allowed
a practice run with them.

Doug McDonald

Doug McDonald wrote:

> I thought that any of the final four were very good. They seemed
> able to make great stuff.
>
> This competition, if in fact it is a competition, is a very
> poor way to choose a chef.

They aren't choosing a chef for anything. It's an entertainment show
based around a cooking contest.




Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

"Default User" > wrote:

>Doug McDonald wrote:
>
>> I thought that any of the final four were very good. They seemed
>> able to make great stuff.
>>
>> This competition, if in fact it is a competition, is a very
>> poor way to choose a chef.
>
>They aren't choosing a chef for anything. It's an entertainment show
>based around a cooking contest.

You don't consider a hundred grand, an outfitted kitchen and a
write-up in Food and Wine mag anything? Wow. I think that would be one
hell of a start for any chef hoping to open their own restaurant.
Yeah, it's an entertainment show; and yeah, it's based around a
cooking contest; but, that's still one hefty prize for the winner
(regardless of whether or not you want to bestow the moniker of "Top
Chef" on him/her).

Jack

cruciverbalist wrote:

> "Default User" > wrote:
>
> > Doug McDonald wrote:
> >
> >> I thought that any of the final four were very good. They seemed
> >> able to make great stuff.
> >>
> >> This competition, if in fact it is a competition, is a very
> >> poor way to choose a chef.
> >
> > They aren't choosing a chef for anything. It's an entertainment show
> > based around a cooking contest.
>
> You don't consider a hundred grand, an outfitted kitchen and a
> write-up in Food and Wine mag anything?

What are you talking about? You snipped the part where I said the it
was a cooking contest. Those are the prizes. They are NOT selecting a
chef. There's no chef position.




Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

On 4 Feb 2007 20:31:22 GMT, "Default User" >
wrote:

>cruciverbalist wrote:
>
>> "Default User" > wrote:
>>
>> > Doug McDonald wrote:
>> >
>> >> I thought that any of the final four were very good. They seemed
>> >> able to make great stuff.
>> >>
>> >> This competition, if in fact it is a competition, is a very
>> >> poor way to choose a chef.
>> >
>> > They aren't choosing a chef for anything. It's an entertainment show
>> > based around a cooking contest.
>>
>> You don't consider a hundred grand, an outfitted kitchen and a
>> write-up in Food and Wine mag anything?
>
>What are you talking about? You snipped the part where I said the it
>was a cooking contest. Those are the prizes. They are NOT selecting a
>chef. There's no chef position.

Quite right. They selected a winner. And a television-defined
designation of "top chef". BFD. ALL of the final 4 contestants have
one hell of a long way to go before they are fit to lick Wylie
DuFresne's chef shoes.

I'm still cracking up over Elia, 23 years of age, saying "I've worked
my WHOLE life for this!" GMAFB.

TammyM

In article >,
(TammyM) wrote:

> I'm still cracking up over Elia, 23 years of age, saying "I've worked
> my WHOLE life for this!" GMAFB.
>
> TammyM

That was funny! I swear, how many times did that girl say "I quit!".
Drove me crazy. She was very immature. Actually, they all were which
was part of the problem.

We taped Top Designer because they had more of Marcel and Ilian talking
bits between commercials. I can't believe Ilian trashed Harold, last
seasons winner. I didn't like Ilan before, but after that....what a
huge jerk.

marcella

"Default User" > wrote:

>cruciverbalist wrote:
>
>> "Default User" > wrote:
>>
>> > Doug McDonald wrote:
>> >
>> >> I thought that any of the final four were very good. They seemed
>> >> able to make great stuff.
>> >>
>> >> This competition, if in fact it is a competition, is a very
>> >> poor way to choose a chef.
>> >
>> > They aren't choosing a chef for anything. It's an entertainment show
>> > based around a cooking contest.
>>
>> You don't consider a hundred grand, an outfitted kitchen and a
>> write-up in Food and Wine mag anything?
>
>What are you talking about? You snipped the part where I said the it
>was a cooking contest. Those are the prizes. They are NOT selecting a
>chef. There's no chef position.

Don't get your panties in a twist. I didn't snip a single thing that
you wrote. Look back and you'll see. But I notice that your outrage at
the thought that I did snip your post didn't stop you from snipping
mine. Be that as it may, I merely took issue with what *I perceived*
as your minimizing the value of the prizes. Rereading your post I now
see that that was not your intention. So, no harm, no foul.

Jack

(TammyM) wrote:

>On 4 Feb 2007 20:31:22 GMT, "Default User" >
>wrote:
>
>>cruciverbalist wrote:
>>
>>> "Default User" > wrote:
>>>
>>> > Doug McDonald wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> I thought that any of the final four were very good. They seemed
>>> >> able to make great stuff.
>>> >>
>>> >> This competition, if in fact it is a competition, is a very
>>> >> poor way to choose a chef.
>>> >
>>> > They aren't choosing a chef for anything. It's an entertainment show
>>> > based around a cooking contest.
>>>
>>> You don't consider a hundred grand, an outfitted kitchen and a
>>> write-up in Food and Wine mag anything?
>>
>>What are you talking about? You snipped the part where I said the it
>>was a cooking contest. Those are the prizes. They are NOT selecting a
>>chef. There's no chef position.
>
>Quite right. They selected a winner. And a television-defined
>designation of "top chef". BFD.

Fine. But then what would you have them call it? "Top Middling Cook
With Possibilities" lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, don't you think?
:-)

>ALL of the final 4 contestants have
>one hell of a long way to go before they are fit to lick Wylie
>DuFresne's chef shoes.

All well and good. But is that really the point? Nobody (certainly not
you or I) is questioning where any of the final four stand *at this
point in their careers* in relation to somebody like WD. But I really
think to put them down so dismissively is unfair. YMMV.

Jack

Marcella Peek > wrote:

>We taped Top Designer because they had more of Marcel and Ilian talking
>bits between commercials. I can't believe Ilian trashed Harold, last
>seasons winner. I didn't like Ilan before, but after that....what a
>huge jerk.

As much as I wanted to hear the bits from Top Chef, I couldn't bring
myself to watch Top Designer just to hear them. If you wouldn't mind
giving me the gist, what did Ilan say about Harold? Like you, I
thought Harold was a class act all the way. And like you, my opinion
of Ilan has sunk even further knowing that he trashed Harold.

TIA, Jack

In article >,
(cruciverbalist) wrote:

> As much as I wanted to hear the bits from Top Chef, I couldn't bring
> myself to watch Top Designer just to hear them. If you wouldn't mind
> giving me the gist, what did Ilan say about Harold? Like you, I
> thought Harold was a class act all the way. And like you, my opinion
> of Ilan has sunk even further knowing that he trashed Harold.
>
> TIA, Jack

Ilan talked about what a stiff Harold was. He imitated Harold saying "I
need a drink" when he won. Naturally the producers did a split screen
with Harold saying it and Ilan imitating him...several times. Ilan said
some stuff about Harold not being all that great and how he didn't
respond much upon winning and so forth.

I thought it was tacky and completely uncalled for.

marcella