TOP CHEF Season 10!

[jen0610]

Did anybody else notice the new artwork that Kristen had on her left arm?

If you go back into the LCK video's and look at week 11 - Kristen vs Lizzie, there is nothing on her arm.

Jump to week 12 - Kristen vs Josh vs. Save a Chef (Lizzie), she's got some art on her arm.

[robinb]

Originally Posted by jen0610

Did anybody else notice the new artwork that Kristen had on her left arm?

If you go back into the LCK video's and look at week 11 - Kristen vs Lizzie, there is nothing on her arm.

Jump to week 12 - Kristen vs Josh vs. Save a Chef (Lizzie), she's got some art on her arm.

I noticed it. I thought it was ugly.

[RunningGirl]

I'm happy with the final 2, although I really liked Sheldon. He just seemed to have a few more mis-steps than Brooke or Kristen throughout the season.

I wasn't crazy about the LCK at the beginning, but since I thought Kristen should never have been kicked off the first time I'm good with how it turned out.

[badblackpug]

I'm sorry to see Sheldon go. I really wanted him to win. He was so down-to-earth, and his cooking was creative. So I have to ask, what the heck was he thinking? Why would he stray so far from the formula that was so successful for him? That entree didn't represent him at all.

I like both the finalists, but I really think that Brooke is the better chef. Kristen has a lot of technical ability, but I think Brooke has a lot more creativity and is able to think outside of the box more. Kristen's food certainly looks delicious, but it is classic, need I say a little boring?

[Minnie]

Very happy that Kristin is in the finals!!! Brooke seems the more accomplished Chef compared to Sheldon and this is "Top Chef" so seems the best result.

Hoping for a Kristin win - her style is actually food that I'd try

[Imzadi]

I'm glad Brooke & Kirsten made it as the final two. (Although I would have been happy with Sheldon too.) And yeah, I was confused and thought last night was the finale and that the final cook-off would be with the three of them.

Originally Posted by jen0610

If Kristen brings her A game and Brooke gets rattled in the final and doesn't pull it together, then I think Kristen has it in the bag. But if they are both on top of things, it will be a close one.

Originally Posted by robinb

I think that Brooke needs the drama of getting rattled and in the weeds to bring out her best. I think that's what I don't like about her, she seems to always say "I'm worried! I'm in so much trouble! I'm going home!" and then *poof* she has the best dish of the evening like last night. I despise false humility.

I don't agree. I think she turns into a rattled stereotypical blonde.

THREE times she tried to make her dishes "made to order" and NOT pre-plate or prepare stuff ahead of time. Even Joise, who I think is only a so-so chef, criticized her on it. I frankly have to wonder how much business the restaurants Brooke works in gets that she can make dishes "made to order" and thinks she can do that at the busy Top Chef challenges??? Unless she's used to cooking fast Chinese stir-frys or Benihana type grilled meals, I don't get how she thinks she can keep cooking "made to order???" The way she gets so rattled, she acts like she usually doesn't work in busy restaurants or knows how to work out doing 3 different courses at a time.

Tom was extremely exasperated with her. He was constantly prompting her to speed things up and giving her TIPS to PRE-plate things. She acted like she didn't know to do that???

Originally Posted by cluvsdisney

According to Tom's blog, Kristen wasn't in any real danger last night. If Sheldon did better, Brook would have gone home. She was a mess last night.

It showed during filming. I'm glad Tom re-iterated it, and that it wasn't just the editing. (He also told the other two to hurry up at times.) Being one of the top chefs in the world, you can see that precision is very important to Tom. I love when they show him at work in the kitchen. That way, he can really stand by what he says with real integrity. Being a top chef isn't just the taste of the food, it is about having a certain kitchen work ethic & standard in place, and when he gives a critique, it's because he can do it upside down, himself.

Brooke is very creative, but she seems to be too flustered when the pressure is on and there is multi-tasks to be preformed. It seems like a normal routine for her and that she can't function. Not that she needs the pressure to perform better in the end. She would drive me nuts to work with.

Originally Posted by jen0610

I felt really bad for Sheldon. He pulled a Carla. He should have went with what he knows. If he had, I think Kristen would have been out.

Originally Posted by robinb

I know! I was thinking that too after I turned off my PC. He committed the Top Chef Cardinal Sin of cooking someone else's food. He got to the final 3 on his OWN food, not Kristen's or Brooke's.

I watche4d part of the show again when it re-airred. Sheldon said that during their time off, after he got home from Alaska, that he went to some famous restaurant in HI, to study cooking some more. That chef must have had some ego, stripped Sheldon of his own self-confidence, to where he GAVE UP his own cooking and took on this other Chef's way of cooking.

Even Emeril or Hugh had said something like, "Who got inside Sheldon's head with someone else's thoughts??? That wasn't Sheldon's cooking!"

[Pea-n-Me]

I somehow thought last night was going to be the finale, too.

Originally Posted by Imzadi

I'm glad Brooke & Kirsten made it as the final two. (Although I would have been happy with Sheldon too.) And yeah, I was confused and thought last night was the finale and that the final cook-off would be with the three of them.

I don't agree. I think she turns into a rattled stereotypical blonde.

THREE times she tried to make her dishes "made to order" and NOT pre-plate or prepare stuff ahead of time. Even Joise, who I think is only a so-so chef, criticized her on it. I frankly have to wonder how much business the restaurants Brooke works in gets that she can make dishes "made to order" and thinks she can do that at the busy Top Chef challenges??? Unless she's used to cooking fast Chinese stir-frys or Benihana type grilled meals, I don't get how she thinks she can keep cooking "made to order???" The way she gets so rattled, she acts like she usually doesn't work in busy restaurants or knows how to work out doing 3 different courses at a time.

Tom was extremely exasperated with her. He was constantly prompting her to speed things up and giving her TIPS to PRE-plate things. She acted like she didn't know to do that???

It showed during filming. I'm glad Tom re-iterated it, and that it wasn't just the editing. (He also told the other two to hurry up at times.) Being one of the top chefs in the world, you can see that precision is very important to Tom. I love when they show him at work in the kitchen. That way, he can really stand by what he says with real integrity. Being a top chef isn't just the taste of the food, it is about having a certain kitchen work ethic & standard in place, and when he gives a critique, it's because he can do it upside down, himself.

Brooke is very creative, but she seems to be too flustered when the pressure is on and there is multi-tasks to be preformed. It seems like a normal routine for her and that she can't function. Not that she needs the pressure to perform better in the end. She would drive me nuts to work with.

I'm pretty sure Brooke and her husband own two restaurants, and she commented last night she's generally swamped with paperwork. So I don't know how much cooking she actually does regularly (which could explain her being in the weeds - maybe she's out of practice). Her husband is a chef, also.

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by Pea-n-Me

I'm pretty sure Brooke and her husband own two restaurants, and she commented last night she's generally swamped with paperwork. So I don't know how much cooking she actually does regularly (which could explain her being in the weeds - maybe she's out of practice). Her husband is a chef, also.

Okay, that makes sense. Brooke did have a few guest judges who actually knew her. Either they had taught her or wanted to get a job from her restaurant. So it seemed like she is well known in the L.A. cooking world. But, then she'd get so rattled actually cooking herself.

But, I can see where she's more the creative chef, who comes up with extraordinary dishes, and then teaches the chefs at her restaurants how to cook them exactly the same. And they do all the pre-plating and stuff that she takes for granted in a well run kitchen. Usually people don't notice all that goes into how well run something is until something breaks down or they have to do it all themselves.

[bekkiz]

I thought Emeril was going to cry when they cut to commercial right before the announcement! I think he really liked Sheldon, I hope they get to work together and open a restaurant together.

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by bekkiz

I thought Emeril was going to cry when they cut to commercial right before the announcement! I think he really liked Sheldon, I hope they get to work together and open a restaurant together.

::yes: They really had a lot in common in terms of coming up from the same beginnings. Someone taking an interest in them, teaching them, which made the whole difference in the direction their life went. And they both specialize in a specific kind of cuisine that until Emeril popularized his Southern/Cajun(?) cuisine, was known, but not so mainstream. I think he was hoping Sheldon would have a chance to do that with his Filipino/Hawaiian/Pacific food.

It's a shame, if Sheldon had to have someone in his ear, it should have been Emeril, not that guy in Hawaii. Ah well, it was a big lesson for Sheldon. I don't think he will forget to keep himself in his cooking from now on. It may ultimately make him a stronger chef.

[TDC Nala]

Kristen and Brooke are pretty well matched as far as their skills, it's not like last year when Paul broke from the pack early and left everyone in the dust and you knew he was going to win the whole thing anyway.

So maybe it will be an interesting finale this time. I don't see Kristen as the clear winner yet.

[happygirl]

Hoping for Brooke

[njmom47]

I was sad to Sheldon go too, but I wasn't really surprised. He had left himself behind in the last few challenges.
I pretty much figured Kristen would win LCK.
And Brooke has really been frazzled lately!

We shall see. Who's going to win Fan Favorite? Maybe Sheldon will win that....I know he's got my vote!

[robinb]

Watching tonight's show a bit time shifted. I just scared the hell out of my cat screaming .

[powellrj]

I guess there will be no reunion show this year. They announced who won fan favorite on WWHL, but I missed it.