I thought I’d add fuel to the fire and send out my $0.02 worth.

* I don’t think most Americans really care what prosciutto is. Honestly, what passes as foon in America is, for most families, crap-in-a-bag pre made IQF foods. Corporate heat-and-serve restaurants offer “fine dining”. When I walk into a restaurant and see in the open “exhibition” kitchen the “chef” cutting open a bag of tomato sauce, I know fully well that my “spaghetti and fresh basil roma tomato sauce” isn’t fresh.

* Yes, Michael Ruhlman wrote a book that featured (among others) competitor Symon. So what? It’s Food Network, not the court system. What should be asked is whether the results of the judges are final or whether the Food Network producers have final say. There always seems to be a blurb in the trailer credits that says, “judges decisions were made in consultation with the producers.” Anyone with Tivo want to check the fine print?

* This is an Iron Chef competition. If the competitor crumbles because Alton Brown is poking them about their dessert falling apart does that competitor really have the moxie for Iron Chefdom? While in basic training, I had a drill sergeant that would yell at us during marksmanship qualification. If you couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn (let alone a man-sized target at 50 meters) you didn’t graduate. Same situation.

* The kitchen is hot because, as Ruhlman pointed out, the ventilation was turned off for audio quality. I’m willing to bet the real reason was to see how these chefs work in sub-prime conditions? Kitchens are hot and my bet is on a chef who can “stand the heat”. Just as the ice cream machine and fridge/freezer issues, I think the hardships experienced in the CIA kitchens during the NIC competitions are par for the course – let these chefs fight for the title. Wars aren’t always fought during fair weather.

* The Culinary, like all culinary schools, graduates cooks. Period. I, for one, am sick of media and silly people porking up the term “chef”. A chef means “chief”, the boss, the fella in charge, the big cheese. We just love to take terms and make them our own. Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef, Executive Associate Vice President of Pommes Frites. Skill at cooking does not a chef make. The kitchen brigade is a simple, foolproof system. Why dork around with executive this, and junior that? We love our titles too much.

* If you’re weirded out watching sweat pouring from a cook’s face, best to stay away from any restaurant. No matter the quality controls (I recall Chef Gordon Ramsay saying, “Please, someone, hand him a rag before he snots in the risotto!”) things happen.

Whew, sorry for the rant.

Since Iron Chef is a Food Network show, this spot seemed appropriate for me to share something I stumbled across today. By mistake, I turned on “Semi-Homemade” and found Sandra Lee, all decked out in bright yellow, doing a couscous in which she put HALF A CUP OF LIMEADE CONCENTRATE. I was so appalled and incredulous, that I had to post somewhere.

Am I the only one who was bothered by the too-close camera shots and constant scene changing? I just think it was a little too fast-paced. I realize there’s a lot to cover but there’s a speed at which it becomes annoying to most people and I think they went over that line. It looked like the same guy from Nigella’s show was shooting this one, lol.

Let’s just say I will watch and probably find this show interesting but it will still come in a somewhat distant second to “Top Chef” for me.

What’s with the heat? It’s not like Food Network hasn’t taped a show before. Didn’t they know how to adjust the audio or compensate rather than turning off the hoods (and some say the ac) and putting the chefs (and their ingredients) at risk?

I can handle odd challenges, people talking smack, but that lack of skill and respect, making the chefs work in such an unhealthy situation was the most unprofessional and upsetting part of the show to me.

This is the Next Iron Chef America, not “Survivor”.

Sounds like Symon finally puts to rest the issue of Michael being a highly impartial judge – busted on the bacon ice cream. Symon obviously had to watch his step not just through this episode but through each of the successive challenges, since Ruhlman obviously knows his entire repetoire, and could call him out at any time on it. OK – on with the show!

I’d say Jill does have talent– she was stuck with beef shoulder, and was able to turn it into a solid dessert (while making her own cheese, no less!), while Traci selected roe, and wasn’t able to conjure up a palatable dessert (regardless of the quality- even if Traci had high quality roe, she still only used it as, essentially, a garnish to her parfait).

MR, hug the kids of Cleveland for us…..

I am very saddened by the news out of Cleveland. I hope none of the innocent bystanders died and my heart goes out to all the parents.

Don’t hate us because we have tastebuds.

And regarding those awesomely long commercial breaks, did anyone else notice that the lady in the Banquet commercial was celebrating a touchdown – alone?

As it turns out, according to medlineplus.gov, she was exhibiting symptoms of e coli.

A school shooter turned the gun on himself after wounding three people in Cleveland Wednesday afternoon.
By The Associated Press

CLEVELAND — A gunman opened fire in a downtown high school Wednesday before killing himself, and five people were taken to a hospital, authorities said.”

Sad times for Cleveland. Our thoughts go out to you.

i’m actually looking forward to seeing Alton’s cleavage on the grilling poolside episode.

I will continue to watch and try to be less of a sourpuss. I mean it is better than Hell’s Kitchen.

good point on salmon roe–i’ll try to contact traci to see if she was giving the choice of refusing delivery as it were, but i don’t think she was.