So, I basically decided to stop writing my PR & TC full recaps. Why? Because there are people out there who write them better, and I just can't wait to watch the shows until I feel like sitting and taking notes - I NEEDS MY FIX. So, here are some thoughts on the last couple episodes, because I can't just give it up all together.
Project Runway: Costume Challenge
I LOVED this challenge, so much fun! My absolute favorite design was Epperson's western look. It totally reminded me of Firefly/Serenity. I have not always liked his designs, but loved this one. I was a bit bummed that Nicolas won because I just can't stand him, and he now has immunity for next week. He just grates on my nerves! I have been disappointed about Gordana because her garments the past couple weeks have been amazingly put together and well made, but she's just not reaching that place she needs to be in. I hope she can step it up to avoid being eliminated. I was really sad that Ramon got eliminated. It just sucks that he got sent home on a mistake like this, I would have liked to see more of him. I guess that's just the way the fabric flutters.
Project Runway: Newspaper Challenge
Obviously. I mean, really? When they all thought it would have something to do with b&w film it's kine of like... have you SEEN this show? I LOVED Christopher's dress, the feather skirt was absolutely awesome. I was definitely not sad to see Johnny go, I just wasn't getting much from him. I thought Gordana's dress was really pretty, like they said you wouldn't have known it was paper. I was disappointed that they knocked it for being "too wearable" because I feel like that could have just been part of the challenge.
Top Chef: Deconstruction Challenge
I am just gonna go right ahead and say it - I think deconstructed food's a little weird. Whatevs. I was surprised when Robin won the quickfire challenge, her dish was very simple, but I suppose it was good. Mike's Caesar Salad was brilliant - it looked just like something that you'd see in a fine dining restaurant, and I thought it was beautifully presented. I thought it was hilarious that Jennifer was so not confident, and then ended up in the top three. I am totally rooting for Kevin though, I was happy to see him win and he's my favorite at this point. I was sad to see Ron go, this seemed to be the second time that he really maybe didn't quite grasp the point of the challenge, I feel like maybe he didn't reallly understand what 'deconstructed' meant or something. At the same time, the other chefs were trying to help him and it just didn't work out. By the way, if your'e a Top Chef fan, I would ABSOLUTELY recommend going to the Bravo website and reading Tom Colicchio's blog. He writes his own explanation and behind-the-scenes after ever episode and it's awesome to read his thoughts and have him break down the dishes from behind the judges table.
Top Chef: Ranch Challenge
I have NEVER seen Tom Colicchio spit out food, it was horrifying and awesome all at the same time. I can't believe Robin served bad prawns, but Mattin was sent home for mediocre food. Oh well.
So, those are my thoughts. I'll post little things like this weekly most likely so I can get out the big juicy stuff I need to say! How have you been enjoying this season? Who are your favorites?
September 25, 2009
September 24, 2009
Defeat
"You should just go up and lie down. He'll freak out, but I'll take care of him."
It is 11:00 on Thursday morning, four days in to the swine flu breakout in our household. In a way today has been the worst even though Sam doesn't have a fever like he did before, he's out of sorts to the extreme, whining and clinging and not really knowing what he needs or wants.
"It's not going to help, I just feel sick but it's not flu..."
"I know," he says, "but Sam has been clinging to you for three days. Take the laptop and go rest, I'll deal with Sam."
I sit and think. Sam is lying on my chest with his head on my shoulder. He wants me to pick him up, but between the nausea and how big he's gotten, I just can't carry him around like I used to. I sit on the floor as I channel surf, trying to find SOMETHING that he'll be happy with, but to every channel he just says 'no, not this.'
As my husband urges me to go, I feel tears come to my eyes. I know he's right, but I feel weak. I should be able to take care of my son. I should be able to handle this 'morning' sickness, it could be worse. I should be able to give Sam what he needs. I feel tears slipping out and I feel like a baby.
Sam whines, and I accept defeat. I set him on the floor gently as he protests, I pick up the laptop and cord and head for the stairs as he starts to whine. I crawl into bed and feel it all overwhelm me. As I turn towards the wall and cry, I can hear him crying downstairs. I know he is asking for me. I hear Justin tell him that he knows he wants me, but it's just not going to happen right now.
As I sit up to write, to try and purge myself of some of this wrenching doubt, my tears are alone. Just like Justin said, Sam is not crying. I know that he can take care of him, but what mother doesn't feel an overwhelming need to give, give, give, especially when their child is sick?
I don't know how to do this. Last time I was pregnant, I felt bad for almost 5 months. But I didn't have to do anything. I dragged myself to work, ate saltines all day, went home for a few hours and slept a lot. There were not other committments. This time, I found myself hoping that I was sick with the flu and that this wasn't just the onset of morning sickness. After a few days of no other symptoms, I have to face it. This may be how I feel for the next several months, and I just don't know how to be okay with that. How am I going to be a good Mom to Sam when all I want to do is lie on the couch eating saltines and Cheerios and drifting in and out of sleep? How am I going to be able to attend playdates and play at playgrounds when too much physical activity just makes it that much worse?
Beyond any of this, how is it going to be for Sam when the baby comes? I know that in the end, it will be great. Siblings are wonderful, and I hope they'll grow to love each other with the amazing power that only exists between sisters and brothers. But it's going to be hard at first, Iknow that. He's not going to understand, and I worry about making sure he doesn't feel left out, that we still set aside Sam time for him.
Justin is right. Sam has been clinging to me for the past three days. I've barely had a moment to myself. He has slept next to me, napped on top of me, eaten in my lap. I haven't had a shower. I slept on the floor for two nights because Sam was in and out of sleep and then throwing up and I didn't want him in the bed. He's fallen asleep with his arms around my neck as I try to position myself so that his touch on my throat didn't make me want to vomit. He loves me fiercely, but sometimes I need it to subside.
For now, I sit. I hear him babbling downstairs, and I know I need to work, I have articles to write. But what can I do but let myself rest, just for a moment? I know that I need to let these tears fall, unbottle my fears and let the unsurety wash over me. I know it's okay. But somehow, knowing isn't enough, and I feel right now like I'm lost.
I WILL be okay. Eventually...
It is 11:00 on Thursday morning, four days in to the swine flu breakout in our household. In a way today has been the worst even though Sam doesn't have a fever like he did before, he's out of sorts to the extreme, whining and clinging and not really knowing what he needs or wants.
"It's not going to help, I just feel sick but it's not flu..."
"I know," he says, "but Sam has been clinging to you for three days. Take the laptop and go rest, I'll deal with Sam."
I sit and think. Sam is lying on my chest with his head on my shoulder. He wants me to pick him up, but between the nausea and how big he's gotten, I just can't carry him around like I used to. I sit on the floor as I channel surf, trying to find SOMETHING that he'll be happy with, but to every channel he just says 'no, not this.'
As my husband urges me to go, I feel tears come to my eyes. I know he's right, but I feel weak. I should be able to take care of my son. I should be able to handle this 'morning' sickness, it could be worse. I should be able to give Sam what he needs. I feel tears slipping out and I feel like a baby.
Sam whines, and I accept defeat. I set him on the floor gently as he protests, I pick up the laptop and cord and head for the stairs as he starts to whine. I crawl into bed and feel it all overwhelm me. As I turn towards the wall and cry, I can hear him crying downstairs. I know he is asking for me. I hear Justin tell him that he knows he wants me, but it's just not going to happen right now.
As I sit up to write, to try and purge myself of some of this wrenching doubt, my tears are alone. Just like Justin said, Sam is not crying. I know that he can take care of him, but what mother doesn't feel an overwhelming need to give, give, give, especially when their child is sick?
I don't know how to do this. Last time I was pregnant, I felt bad for almost 5 months. But I didn't have to do anything. I dragged myself to work, ate saltines all day, went home for a few hours and slept a lot. There were not other committments. This time, I found myself hoping that I was sick with the flu and that this wasn't just the onset of morning sickness. After a few days of no other symptoms, I have to face it. This may be how I feel for the next several months, and I just don't know how to be okay with that. How am I going to be a good Mom to Sam when all I want to do is lie on the couch eating saltines and Cheerios and drifting in and out of sleep? How am I going to be able to attend playdates and play at playgrounds when too much physical activity just makes it that much worse?
Beyond any of this, how is it going to be for Sam when the baby comes? I know that in the end, it will be great. Siblings are wonderful, and I hope they'll grow to love each other with the amazing power that only exists between sisters and brothers. But it's going to be hard at first, Iknow that. He's not going to understand, and I worry about making sure he doesn't feel left out, that we still set aside Sam time for him.
Justin is right. Sam has been clinging to me for the past three days. I've barely had a moment to myself. He has slept next to me, napped on top of me, eaten in my lap. I haven't had a shower. I slept on the floor for two nights because Sam was in and out of sleep and then throwing up and I didn't want him in the bed. He's fallen asleep with his arms around my neck as I try to position myself so that his touch on my throat didn't make me want to vomit. He loves me fiercely, but sometimes I need it to subside.
For now, I sit. I hear him babbling downstairs, and I know I need to work, I have articles to write. But what can I do but let myself rest, just for a moment? I know that I need to let these tears fall, unbottle my fears and let the unsurety wash over me. I know it's okay. But somehow, knowing isn't enough, and I feel right now like I'm lost.
I WILL be okay. Eventually...
September 22, 2009
Seriously
Dear Dad at Playground,
I am sorry I told my son to let "him" have a turn in reference to your daughter. I do not know if it upset her. Perhaps you should consider NOT letting your six year old girl with a very short haircut run around a playground with no shoes or shirt and only black pants. I didn't realize she was a girl until I later saw her pink sparkly shoes by the edge of the playground. Actually, in addition, perhaps just don't let your five and six year old girls run around the playground without shirts. It's just weird.
Thanks,
A Mom who thinks clothes in public are important
*****
Dear "banal,"
I hate you. You are one of the worst words I have ever heard. I hope that you and "chutney" jump off a cliff and die.
Sincerely,
Lover of "plethora"
*****
Dear Tyra,
I love ANTM as much as the next guy, okay? In fact, I look forward to it every season. But it's empty fluff, you do realize that right? I get that you are trying to do something different by having only models under 5'7" this season, but I seriously hope that you are not so delusional you really think you are going to "revolutionize the modeling industry" somehow. Have any of the previous winners made any impact on the modeling industry? I doubt it. It pretty much just adds "girls my height don't get the opportunity" blah blah blah. Here's an idea. How about you do a season with girls over size 14? That might actually make some kind of impression... at least on the tweens who are watching.
Sincerely,
I love you - but, really?
*****
Dear Swine Flu,
I HATE YOU. I REALLY HATE YOU. I hate the sound of my husband coughing up your phlegm. I also hate the 104 degree fever you have burning up my son, because I REALLY hate holding him down to force medicine down his throat. You totally suck. Please leave.
Sincerely,
Hoping I'm not next
*****
Dear Tiny Baby,
Dude. I know you are only 7 weeks old, but I think maybe you are starting to make me sick. I totally love you, but I have spent the last several days wondering if I am sick like the rest of my family (see above) or if this is that start of a horrifyingly miserable 5 months. Please don't be offended if I say something mean to you about how I wish you would stop making me sick. I love you, and I don't mean it. All will be forgotten.
Love,
Yo Mama
*****
Dear Strider/Puckett,
Oh, I see how it is. Now that you have been here for a week you are feeling comfortable enough to get a tuna can off the counter and lick it and pee on my bed. That better never happen again. Seriously. I am not afraid to use the crate. You are lucky you're cute. And new.
Seriously,
Yo Mama
I am sorry I told my son to let "him" have a turn in reference to your daughter. I do not know if it upset her. Perhaps you should consider NOT letting your six year old girl with a very short haircut run around a playground with no shoes or shirt and only black pants. I didn't realize she was a girl until I later saw her pink sparkly shoes by the edge of the playground. Actually, in addition, perhaps just don't let your five and six year old girls run around the playground without shirts. It's just weird.
Thanks,
A Mom who thinks clothes in public are important
*****
Dear "banal,"
I hate you. You are one of the worst words I have ever heard. I hope that you and "chutney" jump off a cliff and die.
Sincerely,
Lover of "plethora"
*****
Dear Tyra,
I love ANTM as much as the next guy, okay? In fact, I look forward to it every season. But it's empty fluff, you do realize that right? I get that you are trying to do something different by having only models under 5'7" this season, but I seriously hope that you are not so delusional you really think you are going to "revolutionize the modeling industry" somehow. Have any of the previous winners made any impact on the modeling industry? I doubt it. It pretty much just adds "girls my height don't get the opportunity" blah blah blah. Here's an idea. How about you do a season with girls over size 14? That might actually make some kind of impression... at least on the tweens who are watching.
Sincerely,
I love you - but, really?
*****
Dear Swine Flu,
I HATE YOU. I REALLY HATE YOU. I hate the sound of my husband coughing up your phlegm. I also hate the 104 degree fever you have burning up my son, because I REALLY hate holding him down to force medicine down his throat. You totally suck. Please leave.
Sincerely,
Hoping I'm not next
*****
Dear Tiny Baby,
Dude. I know you are only 7 weeks old, but I think maybe you are starting to make me sick. I totally love you, but I have spent the last several days wondering if I am sick like the rest of my family (see above) or if this is that start of a horrifyingly miserable 5 months. Please don't be offended if I say something mean to you about how I wish you would stop making me sick. I love you, and I don't mean it. All will be forgotten.
Love,
Yo Mama
*****
Dear Strider/Puckett,
Oh, I see how it is. Now that you have been here for a week you are feeling comfortable enough to get a tuna can off the counter and lick it and pee on my bed. That better never happen again. Seriously. I am not afraid to use the crate. You are lucky you're cute. And new.
Seriously,
Yo Mama
September 16, 2009
Supernatural is Back!
SPOILERS
How happy am I that Supernatural is one of the first shows to come back?! Ahhhhh! The Dean. The Sam. The happy Rachael. I quite enjoyed the scene at Chuck's house where Dean proceded to call Zachariah an ass-hat, told him to "stuff it with walnuts" then called him a "two-faced douche." Soon thereafter he asked Sam "you jonesin' for a bit of bitch blood or what?" LOL.
I hated hearing Bobby tell Sam it was all his fault and that if they pulled it off he basically never wanted to see/talk to him again. You know what I hated even more? Flipping DEMON BOBBY. No. Just... no. But how freaking awesome was it that he overcame the demon? And I'm so glad he didn't die. Later, hearing Dean talk about how much Sam let him down. Worse. Like, tearworthy worse.
And Oh my God, that scene with the man and the crib and the blood? How fucking horrible was that? I don't know if it's my pregnant hormones or what, but I swear I almost cried like five times during this episode. Then... Dean IS the sword of Michael the Archangel? I absolutely love the mythology of this show.
Final thought: Why is Jacob from LOST Lucifer? And does that sort of blow anyone else's mind?
How happy am I that Supernatural is one of the first shows to come back?! Ahhhhh! The Dean. The Sam. The happy Rachael. I quite enjoyed the scene at Chuck's house where Dean proceded to call Zachariah an ass-hat, told him to "stuff it with walnuts" then called him a "two-faced douche." Soon thereafter he asked Sam "you jonesin' for a bit of bitch blood or what?" LOL.
I hated hearing Bobby tell Sam it was all his fault and that if they pulled it off he basically never wanted to see/talk to him again. You know what I hated even more? Flipping DEMON BOBBY. No. Just... no. But how freaking awesome was it that he overcame the demon? And I'm so glad he didn't die. Later, hearing Dean talk about how much Sam let him down. Worse. Like, tearworthy worse.
And Oh my God, that scene with the man and the crib and the blood? How fucking horrible was that? I don't know if it's my pregnant hormones or what, but I swear I almost cried like five times during this episode. Then... Dean IS the sword of Michael the Archangel? I absolutely love the mythology of this show.
Final thought: Why is Jacob from LOST Lucifer? And does that sort of blow anyone else's mind?
Fall TV - What I'm Watching
So, I'm way too tired tonight to write anything about my opinions or which new shows I'm most excited about, but I just finished my obsessive compulsive awesome chart(s) of what I'll be watching this fall. First I've got it by day of the week, then by premiere date so I can make sure I'm catching them for the DVR as they premiere. Yes, I am crazy. It adds up to about 37 hours of TV a week. I know some people may consider that a life sucking enormous waste of time, but we love TV, and we love our shows. I still get outside a lot, I still read, I still volunteer, I still walk the dog (well, soon anyway!). So who gives a rip? I would like to also mention here Mama Bee and her blog Tivo Junkie. Why? Because she is just about the only other person I know who watches as much TV as I do. Also, I totally don't watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette but I like to read Bee's recaps because they are funnier than hell.
Anyhow, here is a quick peek at what I will be watching - more info/opinions etc. to come later!
Anyhow, here is a quick peek at what I will be watching - more info/opinions etc. to come later!
September 15, 2009
Good Afternoon! Care for a bullet point?
I have about 3000 things floating around in my head right now, and I need to get some of them out! I am hoping to get back into the swing of things and should be posting more regularly from here on, we've had a busy couple weeks but things are calming down now and I see free time in my future (what??). So, here is some.... stuff...
- We met a dog! His name is Strider and he's a Rottweiler/Lab/Setter mix. He has Rotty coloring, lab size, and setter hair. He's really pretty. He is only 9 months old, which is a little younger than I was thinking of, but he's got some good obedience foundations already, and I think he'll make a really good family dog. He'll be coming to our house sometime this week to stay for a couple of days and see how he does. Hopefully, he'll do well and we'll be able to adopt. If not, the Alternative Humane Society has some other very nice dogs we can look into.
- Tomorrow I'm meeting a midwife! I'm so excited, her name is Winni and she has been practicing in Bellingham since 1980. I have heard good things about her and am very excited because I'm really looking forward to making this birth experience everything I know it can be. I am scared, but at the same time super excited about experiencing things I didn't last time.
- I also have an appointment tomorrow with my doctor for another ultrasound. If everything is as it should be, I will be about 6.5 weeks and we'll be able to see the little flicker of the baby in there. I'm hoping we'll also see that the fluid that was in there last week is gone, I think it's been working it's way out and it's tapered off, so fingers crossed!
- My Dad has been in town since Saturday night and today we're going to go walk around Bellingham and go out to dinner at La Fiamma for pizza. It's been really great, and Sam is having tons of fun with his Grandpa Bill! It's wonderful because they have not spent that much time together, but Sam thinks he is great anyhow. It's been so fun watching them interact.
- Sam has an appointment on October 2 for a screening for Mt. Baker Preschool. We'll see how that goes and then if they want to they'll schedule an assessment for Sam to see if he qualifies for their preschool program. If that doesn't work out, there is a really good preschool right around teh corner from my Mom's house that I'm hoping to get him into. Either way, some sort of preschool is in his very near future!
- This weekend is the Portland Pirate Festival, so we'll probably head down there to participate in the festivities as we do every year. We usually go to the zoo as well, and I'm hoping to squeeze in a short visit to see my friend Xotchil, who is extremely pregnant and may even have a baby by then!
- I got to do a little bit of writing last week. I was doing a fair amount of ghostwriting for a while there, but business has slowed down a lot. I'm hoping maybe towards the holidays things will pick up more and I'll be able to do more writing. I had a good time getting back into it and writing a couple articles last week, and it's nice to be able to earn some money doing something I really like!
- I can't believe fall TV shows are starting up, and I'm not even ready with my list of premiere dates - agh! Tomorrow Sam will be at the babysitter so I'll finally have time to read through one of my favorite EW issues of the year - FALL TV PREVIEW! I'll be sure to post about what I'm looking forward to most!
- I'm hoping to fly to New Jersey next month with Sam and my sister to visit our stepmom and little sister, but I have to wait until Justin gets paid again to buy the tickets. It will be really nice to see them, and I can't wait for them to hear how much Sam talks now!
Well, it sounds like Dad is out of the shower, so I'm gonna go get ready to go so we can explore the town a little bit. It's turned out to be a nice day for a walk, so we should have a good time!
I'm a little behind on my feed reader, but trying to catch up. How was your weekend?
September 10, 2009
Top Chef Las Vegas - Week 4: Singing for the Beatles
The show starts out with Mike the Man still talking about how he shouldn't have been in the bottom and thinks there is only one step to the top. Robin want the girls to step it up and rock it!
The chefs head off to Daniel Boulud's restaurant at a hotel. Eli calls him a "bad motherfucker" and Tom pulls out a snail. Jennifer says "I think that whoever thought that a snail looked good to eat had to be really fucking hungry." I have to agree there!
Quickfire Challenge
Create a dish using escargot as the main protein in 45 minutes.
Daniel Boulud says he expects something he has not had before, and Tom announces it's a high stakes quickfire, and that the loser of this quickfire will be eliminated. Jennifer is nervous, but the good news is that I would guess that many of the chefs don't have much experience cooking with snails, so they will be in the same boat.
The chefs are understandably nervous, cooking French food for one of the best chefs in the industry today. Mike theMan does have experience cooking with snails. Kevin points out that one challenge with snails is they don't tase like much, so you have to figure out how to give them good flavor. Mattin definitely has an advantage with this dish since he's from France. It's also pressure though, if his dish isn't good, he has less of an excuse.
The judges say nothing about Ron's dish, say Jennifer's is good, and call Jesse's "interesting." They like Laurine's dish, Hector's presentation was very pretty, but no feedback, and Robin's seems to pass. Nothing about Mattin's, Ashley's is also called "interesting" and Kevin's seems fairly well received. Bryan's dish looks very pretty with the red wine risotto and Michael V's dish is also "interesting" as is Mike the Man's. It was very hard to tell what they liked!
Tom seemed impressed by the chefs creations, and Daniel announces the favorites - Mike the Man, Kevin, and Jennifer. Kevin wins the challenge with his bacon jam! At this point, Kevin is definitely one of my favorites, and I'm rooting for him. The three weakest were Jesse, Ashley & Robin. Instead of eliminating them right off, they get a second chance by cooking head to head.
Sudden Death Quickfire: Jesse, Ashley & Robin have 20 minutes to make one amuse bouche from anything in the kitchen to save themselves from elimination. One will be eliminated.
Ashley is not feeling confident, Robin doesn't have much experience actually cooking amuse bouche and Jesse seems fairly confident. They present their dishes to the judges, Robin did an avocado soup with crab, Jesse did a tuna tartare and Ashley presents foie gras with pineapple. All three dishes were good, but in the end Jesse's one bite sends her home. I was a little sad to see her go because I feel like she really struggled to show herself and her potential.
Elimination
Chefs will work in teams of two to create a six course meal using the proteins and sauces they drew on their knives.
The chefs draw knives, except for Kevin. The knives have the names of either a classic French sauce or a traditional French protein. Mike the Man is stressed by the French food. Mattin feels that he has an advantage, which he probably does. They will be serving food to some of the best French chefs in the world. These are very famous chefs, mentors to the judges, and Michael V says this could be the most important dish of his career.
Since Kevin won the quickfire, not only will he not be cooking, he will be joining the amazing chefs for dinner. What an awesome prize! If nothing else, this makes being on the show worth it no matter what happens to Kevin after this.
The chefs talk and pair up, Jennifer & Michael V pair up, and I'm rooting for them. Ashley scores and gets paired with Mattin. Ashley is definitely following his lead. In the grocery store, it was already obvious that Ron and Robin may have some issues working together.
The chefs return to the Top Chef kitchen to prep for 2 hours, they'll have 1 hour the next day to cook their dishes. Ron has lots of experience with frog legs, so he was lucky to draw that. Ron is quiet and Robin is just talking, talking, talking. Ron says she is all over the place, but thinks maybe they make a good pair since he's so quiet.
The chefs are tense, as Kevin says, "You're literally serving your life's work to the people who inspired it from the beginning." They head to the MGM Grand to Joel Robuchon to cook their dishes. This is overwhelming celebrity. Eli is excited to see Chef Robuchon since he "was pretty much under the impression that he didn't actually exist, and that he might be a unicorn."
Ron starts to get freaked out because Robin is making the sauce and putting together a salad at the same time and he's worried she may lose track of the sauce. Michael V says "cooking for these guys is like a singer having to sing for the Beatles."
hector's steak is not heating to the temerature it needs to be, with only 15 minutes to go. The chefs appear and sit around the table and Kevin looks dashing in his light suit. Robin and Ron's greens are wilting under the heat lamps.
Padma looks gorgeous in her light yellow dress as she introduces the diners for the evening: guest judge Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller chef and owner of Fleur De Lys, Jean Joho chef and proprieter of Everest & Eiffel Tower restaurants, Laurent Tourondel chef and owner of BLT restaurants, Tom, Gail, Kevin, Emmanuel (translator) and Joel Robuchon billed only as chef of the century.
Ron & Robin introduce their Frog Legs Meuniere as the first course. Mike the Man and Bryan are up next with Trout and a deconstructed Bearnaise. Mike is convinced they are going to win, and the chefs like it - simple but sophisticated. Robuchon liked it a lot. Eli and Laurine are next with lobster and sauce americaine. Unfortunately Laurien's fears come to pass when the lobster is a little tough. Mattin and Ashley present their chicken with sauce veloute. Robuchon calls the sauce bland and another chef says they worked really hard for not a good result. The bacon overpowered the flavor, and Tom says that this is the exception to the rule that "everything is better with bacon." Jennifer and Michael are next with their rabbit chasseur. The rabbit is cooked perfectly, and the chefs enjoy it. Hector and Ash are last with their steak. Ash is not confident because there is not enough sauce ont he plates. Their dish is steak with chateaubriand and potatoes. The chefs notice the lack of sauce right away, which is a problem since that is one main element of the dish. The steak is cooked unevenly. Gail's meat is overcooked and the cut job looks like "it's been hacked with an axe."
Overall, Robuchon is impressed by the cooking of these young chefs. Gail points out that these chefs were able to do this dinner before they ever would have been able to at this point in another season.
Judges Table
Kevin enters the "waiting room" and gets questioned. He doesn't want to answer about favorites, but says that the chefs were happy with the end results. Padma appears and calls out Bryan, Mike the Man, Michael & Jennifer. Padma congratulates them for having the top two dishes at the meal. The chefs are full of compliments for each other, and Daniel announces that the winner is Bryan. As the winner, he gets to go to Robuchon's Vegas restaurant and work for a week.
They winners return and send back Mattin, Ashley, Hector & Ash. Poor Mattin. It sucks to be in the bottom, but for him to be in the bottom for this particular challenge must have felt pretty crappy. They thought the sauce was gravy like and that there was too much bacon, Mattin says he didn't shoot down the asparagus sauce, but he really did when they were in the store. Padma asks Hector & Ash were the sauce was. The steak not being done was the main issue for them, it caused the quick cutting and the sauce issue.
In the end, Hector's steak gets him sent home.
Next week: Cookin' in the desert, and Tom spits someone's food out (bad!).
The chefs head off to Daniel Boulud's restaurant at a hotel. Eli calls him a "bad motherfucker" and Tom pulls out a snail. Jennifer says "I think that whoever thought that a snail looked good to eat had to be really fucking hungry." I have to agree there!
Quickfire Challenge
Create a dish using escargot as the main protein in 45 minutes.
Daniel Boulud says he expects something he has not had before, and Tom announces it's a high stakes quickfire, and that the loser of this quickfire will be eliminated. Jennifer is nervous, but the good news is that I would guess that many of the chefs don't have much experience cooking with snails, so they will be in the same boat.
The chefs are understandably nervous, cooking French food for one of the best chefs in the industry today. Mike theMan does have experience cooking with snails. Kevin points out that one challenge with snails is they don't tase like much, so you have to figure out how to give them good flavor. Mattin definitely has an advantage with this dish since he's from France. It's also pressure though, if his dish isn't good, he has less of an excuse.
The judges say nothing about Ron's dish, say Jennifer's is good, and call Jesse's "interesting." They like Laurine's dish, Hector's presentation was very pretty, but no feedback, and Robin's seems to pass. Nothing about Mattin's, Ashley's is also called "interesting" and Kevin's seems fairly well received. Bryan's dish looks very pretty with the red wine risotto and Michael V's dish is also "interesting" as is Mike the Man's. It was very hard to tell what they liked!
Tom seemed impressed by the chefs creations, and Daniel announces the favorites - Mike the Man, Kevin, and Jennifer. Kevin wins the challenge with his bacon jam! At this point, Kevin is definitely one of my favorites, and I'm rooting for him. The three weakest were Jesse, Ashley & Robin. Instead of eliminating them right off, they get a second chance by cooking head to head.
Sudden Death Quickfire: Jesse, Ashley & Robin have 20 minutes to make one amuse bouche from anything in the kitchen to save themselves from elimination. One will be eliminated.
Ashley is not feeling confident, Robin doesn't have much experience actually cooking amuse bouche and Jesse seems fairly confident. They present their dishes to the judges, Robin did an avocado soup with crab, Jesse did a tuna tartare and Ashley presents foie gras with pineapple. All three dishes were good, but in the end Jesse's one bite sends her home. I was a little sad to see her go because I feel like she really struggled to show herself and her potential.
Elimination
Chefs will work in teams of two to create a six course meal using the proteins and sauces they drew on their knives.
The chefs draw knives, except for Kevin. The knives have the names of either a classic French sauce or a traditional French protein. Mike the Man is stressed by the French food. Mattin feels that he has an advantage, which he probably does. They will be serving food to some of the best French chefs in the world. These are very famous chefs, mentors to the judges, and Michael V says this could be the most important dish of his career.
Since Kevin won the quickfire, not only will he not be cooking, he will be joining the amazing chefs for dinner. What an awesome prize! If nothing else, this makes being on the show worth it no matter what happens to Kevin after this.
The chefs talk and pair up, Jennifer & Michael V pair up, and I'm rooting for them. Ashley scores and gets paired with Mattin. Ashley is definitely following his lead. In the grocery store, it was already obvious that Ron and Robin may have some issues working together.
The chefs return to the Top Chef kitchen to prep for 2 hours, they'll have 1 hour the next day to cook their dishes. Ron has lots of experience with frog legs, so he was lucky to draw that. Ron is quiet and Robin is just talking, talking, talking. Ron says she is all over the place, but thinks maybe they make a good pair since he's so quiet.
The chefs are tense, as Kevin says, "You're literally serving your life's work to the people who inspired it from the beginning." They head to the MGM Grand to Joel Robuchon to cook their dishes. This is overwhelming celebrity. Eli is excited to see Chef Robuchon since he "was pretty much under the impression that he didn't actually exist, and that he might be a unicorn."
Ron starts to get freaked out because Robin is making the sauce and putting together a salad at the same time and he's worried she may lose track of the sauce. Michael V says "cooking for these guys is like a singer having to sing for the Beatles."
hector's steak is not heating to the temerature it needs to be, with only 15 minutes to go. The chefs appear and sit around the table and Kevin looks dashing in his light suit. Robin and Ron's greens are wilting under the heat lamps.
Padma looks gorgeous in her light yellow dress as she introduces the diners for the evening: guest judge Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller chef and owner of Fleur De Lys, Jean Joho chef and proprieter of Everest & Eiffel Tower restaurants, Laurent Tourondel chef and owner of BLT restaurants, Tom, Gail, Kevin, Emmanuel (translator) and Joel Robuchon billed only as chef of the century.
Ron & Robin introduce their Frog Legs Meuniere as the first course. Mike the Man and Bryan are up next with Trout and a deconstructed Bearnaise. Mike is convinced they are going to win, and the chefs like it - simple but sophisticated. Robuchon liked it a lot. Eli and Laurine are next with lobster and sauce americaine. Unfortunately Laurien's fears come to pass when the lobster is a little tough. Mattin and Ashley present their chicken with sauce veloute. Robuchon calls the sauce bland and another chef says they worked really hard for not a good result. The bacon overpowered the flavor, and Tom says that this is the exception to the rule that "everything is better with bacon." Jennifer and Michael are next with their rabbit chasseur. The rabbit is cooked perfectly, and the chefs enjoy it. Hector and Ash are last with their steak. Ash is not confident because there is not enough sauce ont he plates. Their dish is steak with chateaubriand and potatoes. The chefs notice the lack of sauce right away, which is a problem since that is one main element of the dish. The steak is cooked unevenly. Gail's meat is overcooked and the cut job looks like "it's been hacked with an axe."
Overall, Robuchon is impressed by the cooking of these young chefs. Gail points out that these chefs were able to do this dinner before they ever would have been able to at this point in another season.
Judges Table
Kevin enters the "waiting room" and gets questioned. He doesn't want to answer about favorites, but says that the chefs were happy with the end results. Padma appears and calls out Bryan, Mike the Man, Michael & Jennifer. Padma congratulates them for having the top two dishes at the meal. The chefs are full of compliments for each other, and Daniel announces that the winner is Bryan. As the winner, he gets to go to Robuchon's Vegas restaurant and work for a week.
They winners return and send back Mattin, Ashley, Hector & Ash. Poor Mattin. It sucks to be in the bottom, but for him to be in the bottom for this particular challenge must have felt pretty crappy. They thought the sauce was gravy like and that there was too much bacon, Mattin says he didn't shoot down the asparagus sauce, but he really did when they were in the store. Padma asks Hector & Ash were the sauce was. The steak not being done was the main issue for them, it caused the quick cutting and the sauce issue.
In the end, Hector's steak gets him sent home.
Next week: Cookin' in the desert, and Tom spits someone's food out (bad!).
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