Top Chef Masters Recap: Teppanyaki or Crappenyucki?

Top Chef

By MisRed | Thursday, August 9, 2012 | 8:44 pm | 14 Comments
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Posted in: Recaps, Top Chef

Kerry is making Korean Shrimp with Eggplant and herb salad.  The critics think it’s ok.  The shrimp was overcooked but his “performance” was good.  He tossed some peppers up into the air.  And Pee Wee loves poopers up the air.  


I love when “hot junk “flies at my face

Whoops, I mean peppers.

Lorena made a fried rice with chicken, kaffir and cilantro and it had a sauce made of Orange Juice, Soy and Guava.  It looks beautiful and she is entertaining on the griddle, but it isn’t seasoned.

CARDINAL RULES:  always look at what you are cutting and SEASON YOUR FOOD!!  In culinary school whenever I would have a test, I wrote on the top of each page “SEASON” so I wouldn’t forget to put that in my answer.

Susan Feniger even said “If this had been seasoned, it would have been my favorite dish.”  

Hot Stone even asks why none of them tasted their food?  Were they embarrassed?  Lorena thought it to be rude.  Mary Sue said “It’s like cooking with one hand tied behind your back.”

Team Yellow is second to compete.  Patricia’s Mole is concerned.  Clark is dropping whole trays of dishes, breaking them.  Takashi realizes he has bought the wrong flour for his savory pancakes. But he must keep going.

Takashi begins to cook his calamari with savory Japanese pancake.  Patricia quickly jumps in to help him and one of the critics ask if they teamed up on a dish?  And Patricia says “You don’t see me!!”  She just wanted to help Takashi.  Ok, I’ll fold her up and put her in my pocket too.  But her mole is not coming along.  That thing scares me.  Takashi’s pancake is a little gritty, as he thought it might be.

Clark makes Lobster with orange sauce.  He notes that the grill is only hot in limited areas. Yeah, like, the surface. 

Patricia makes Beef Kalbi lettuce wraps with a chile and red bean paste with a touch of agave.   When she is done she tells the critics that they are going to do a “Dance Routine” because they were told they had to put on a show, and proceeds to “strip” off her apron.  


Anyone up for a lap dance?

Patricia’s Mole, apparently is a part-time exotic dancer.  Rick Moonen wants to tuck a buck, but the Yellow Team’s time is up.

Speaking of stripping… check out this picture of Mark and Clark circa late 80′s

The critics didn’t like Takashi’s gritty pancake, thought Particia’s beef could have been better marinated and seared and Clark’s lobster was underseasoned.

Team White should be called Team Hat.  Seriously, why are these guys wearing hats?  Art wants to make food with an emotional feeling and has a connection to his past.  Their strategy is to NOT cook Japanese food, which I think is smart.  They are going to cook their own food, on a Japanese cooking surface.  Notice, they are the only team to do this.

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MisRed
About

Misred is an East Coast Gal and a jack of all trades.  Project Manager, Trained Chef, Amateur Writer, Professional Mocker, Devoted Wife and Mother of Furry Kids (dogs, not werewolves).  I spend my time doing all of the above, as well as making the necessary preparations for my eventual and eternal damnation in the fiery pits of hell.  I take comfort in knowing I'll have friends there... like Satan.

Check out my blog www.meabritapitandanitwit.wordpress.com

14 Comments

  1. 1
    Andyourlittledogtoo
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 12:43 am

    I paid extra attention this episode and yep, I still like Art. I think he is a very emotional person, very reactive and ‘heart on his sleeve’ kind of guy. And I would have a hard time having a relationship with him as I am reactive myself (of course I’m the wrong gender so that would be a problem too!) but I like the guy. I thought Chris was a little heavy handed in his dealing with Art frankly – very controlling and condescending, although I don’t hate him either.

    This is the main reason that Top Chef Masters is by far my favorite of all the Top Chefs – the chefs really treat each other with respect and cheer each other on. There’s none of that ridiculous posturing and sabotaging and trash talking on Masters. They all seem to really like to be together and want to do their best among the best. I really like that. It’s like a breath of fresh air in reality TV.

  2. 2
    snowshoecat snowshoecat
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 6:04 am

    So good to see Jonathan Waxman. He created my fave MinniApple restaurant, Rosa Mexicana, and I’m a wee bit in love.

    Loved the Green Team’s non-traditional approach to the dishes. Wish I could have sampled them.

  3. 3
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 9:40 am

    I never thought Moonen was brash, at least on his other appearances on TC. Hyper, occasionally scattered and sometimes on the verge of going out of control, yes. But not arrogant. Of course, he’s also the only person who didn’t present a dish in a quick fire and was pretty good-natured about how he screwed himself over, so I’ve been using that as my gauge. Although he did smack down Jay Rayner but good and had Bravo scrub all memory of him from TC Masters, so maybe…

    But I will plug Francis Lam. He seemed reserved on the panel but he’s a lovely food writer. He’s a storyteller before he gets into the cooking aspect and I always want to try his recipes.

    As for Art, that whole kerfuffle with Chris is what bugs the shit out of me. He actively doesn’t listen to anyone else in the kitchen, so he has plausible deniability when he pulls his stunts, then he mugs for the judges when Curtis brings up how aggressive Chris was so that they feel even more sorry for poor Art, then he gives a freakin’ Miss America speech when he wins the challenge. Like he’s the only one whose charity is worthwhile and everyone else is trying to save heirloom tomato seeds. He’s so draining.

    And I have no doubt he did it to mess Chris up and try to send him home. I have no proof except my irrational disdain for him, but I have no doubt that he’d have been happier to see Chris go home than to win the money for his charity.

    Maybe if his emotional nature extended toward being more gracious toward others I’d like him more. But he isn’t. There never seems to be real joy or empathy for others. It’s all how it makes Art look and feel. And his clear jealousy of Chris’ ease in the competition is unbecoming someone who allegedly cooks for billionaires.

  4. 4
    LAC LAC
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 11:30 am

    MisRed, be sure Curtis is done with you by 7. He is supposed to come by and be a cop about to arrest me for being a naughty girl. :>

    Great recap. I do like this season of the show so far. The chefs are wonderful.

    Vallegirl, I really like Francis Lam too. He is a wonderful food writer and totes adorable on the Cooking Channel’s “Unique Eats”.

  5. 5
    featherhead
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 11:43 am

    I totally agree with you vallegirl about Art – Chris was nice enough to lend him his mandolin and specifically said to Art to make sure he put it back on the cart because he needed it for the challenge. Art only cares about Art. I can’t stand him.

  6. 6
    lindaw205
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 11:55 am

    Gotta jump on the Art hate bandwagon and agree with everything vallegirl said. I’m kinda sick of his name dropping, too.

  7. 7
    sagittariuskim sagittariuskim
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    I really like this season so far. They’ve had a lot of creative and interesting challenges. And the chefs are all pretty likable to me. And so far none of the housewives have made appearances.

  8. 8
    awfuleyebrow
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    Oh you’ve cursed us now Sag! They’ll be dragging all the chefy housewives of NJ in next week. Mama Manzo will be schilling her brownhouse sauce, Theresa will filling mystery boxes with crazy ingrediences like “koomen”, and Kathy will be impressing all of the chefs with her cannoli made of cannolis. Maybe JuicyJoe will tag along to show off his Judo master pizza dough slinging.

    I am really enjoying this season too. Chris is always a favorite of mine, so it’s no surprise that I find myself siding with him. Art’s actions did seem a little sabotagey. I think I’m developing an old man crush on Thierry. He’s adorable.

  9. 9
    sagittariuskim sagittariuskim
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    Sorry, that did occur to me after I commented. I’ll knock on every tree I see to make up for it.

  10. 10
    Pegalicious
    Posted August 10, 2012 at 6:25 pm

    I’m loving your recaps, MisRed! Especially well-captioned screen grabs.

    My only impression of Mark was that he reminds me of Rocky in “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” (The picture of him in the team challenge, with his hair arranged in a “bowl cut,” is especially reminiscent.)

    @Andyourlittledogtoo, I agree that the respect with which these chefs generally treat each other (well, with the exception of Art), and their good humor and genuine support of each other, make this a particularly enjoyable show.

  11. 11
    Leto
    Posted August 12, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Now I know why I like Art. I think somehow he got stuck in my mind with Jonathan Waxman, whom I love. I liked him better when he was fat, though, I remember him being shy and emotionnal, now he’s a little too bitchy and selfish to my taste. But Chris gets to my nerves, I HATE bossy people, so no sides taken in this fight ^^.

    Thierry killed me. Making crêpes on a plancha was crazy, you have to be able to control the heat to make them perfect, but the filling seemed just like heaven. I mean, pears and almonds: I could kill for that.

    I enjoyed seeing contestants of previous seasons (especially Waxman, like I said above, I love that man, I was crushed when he lost in season 1 & 2). This was a really good episode, and I have to agree that Takashi is cute, and so is Patricia.

  12. 12
    Mummy Butterfly
    Posted August 12, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    Love Patricia (and her mole), love Takashi and LOVE Chris – loved him since he and Aaron Sanchez did that show together (City Chefs? Chefs in the City? CrazyChefRunningCompetition?)

    Art annoys me. And I go back to last week’s episode when Art’s cake started to come apart and he yelled for help, and Chris (and one other chef, can’t remember who) came RUNNING to his aid. RUNNING.

    Love me some Chris!

  13. 13
    MisRed MisRed
    Posted August 13, 2012 at 9:26 am

    In fact Chris’s exact words, when Art’s cake was falling “Hang on buddy, I’m coming!” (the other chef coming to his aid was Patricia. Her mole stayed behind to help char Debbie’s cabbage, though)

  14. 14
    MoHub
    Posted August 14, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    Chris and Aaròn did Chefs vs. City on Food Network. I love Thierry and his Gallic charm and laid-back approach. So glad to have him back, although I doubt he’ll go the distance.

    To me, it comes down to Patricia, Chris, and possibly Takashi.

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