Comments on: Next Iron Chef America Debuts

By: Suzette

Suzette — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I read the Toronto Star article, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a spoiler. Note they use the word ‘prospective.’ It’s possible that some of the contenders on the show actually have to compete on an episode of Iron Chef as part of the process.

By: Charlton Hawking

Charlton Hawking — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Alton: Put it down and walk away.

By: not a spoiler

not a spoiler — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I read the article and it doesn’t say who won. It’s not a spoiler.

By: chefrick

chefrick — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

As to the kitchen sweats. It averages 110 in the kitchen I work in. It’s been as hot as 140. I myself fainted a few weekends ago, so it doesn’t shock me to see the sweat and to learn that Aaron was treated medically afterward. Good luck to all!

By: Beverly

Beverly — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Here we go again. Chefs, chefs, chefs. Almost always they are white chefs and never are there any African American Chefs, other than Morou, featured on Foodnetwork. Being the Aunt of a Retired Navy chef, (who only cooked for the Captains and their staff, and the Aunt of a Sou Chef in a major hotel restaurant, most of the cooking is done by the Sou Chef. When will you give them a fair representation on your Network??? I would like to know when is Foodnetwork going to wise up and realize that many of their viewers are African American. About five years ago there were two African American Chefs that had shows on your network. What happened to them. I hope they give Morou a honest to goodness chance is this contest, or is this all just for publicity and you already know who you have chosen to be The Next Iron Chef???

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

beverly, i agree, and i wrote about it for the new york times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/dining/05race.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

By: Orchide

Orchide — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

French Laundry, thanks for revealing a spoiler in your discussion of why, in your opinion alone, it could not be a spoiler. I didn’t click on The Star link FOR A REASON. oink, indeed.

Posted by: spoiled librarian | October 08, 2007 at 10:28 AM

^^ I 2nd this post by spolied librarian. Darn. French Laundry, why would you write in your post at 9:20 AM above what the linked spoiler was in detail??!
Let people decide for themselves if they want to click on it. Tsk tsk.
Michael, f you read this, I would delete that comment for those who haven’t read it yet.

By: unabashed

unabashed — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I loved the show!!! Glad your a judge on the show been a avid reader of your work for years!!!It’s a shame Anthony Bourdian can’t be on the program as a judge. or at least get him back on FoodNetwork…. between you,Bourdian,Mario Batali,Alton and yes Emeril….they should put you too in charge and straighten out the mess FoodNetwork has become!!!!Yes it’s slowly getting better but it’s been going south for years.
nuff said
thankyou
Ron

By: unabashed

unabashed — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

also
I’m pulling for Besh and Symon to fight it out to the very end!!!

By: Jacki

Jacki — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Was I the only one who thought the mechanical malfunctions (ie. the ice cream maker, the freezer) were deliberately sabotaged by the producers? I thought it was just another challenge, you know…”who can survive without all the fancy electronics?” In the end it may have been a coincidence, but some of the electronics seemed to fail for all the chefs. In all, I liked the show and I’m still really intimidated by the knife skills!

By: Len

Len — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Even though we’ve only seen one episode (so things could change, of course), it’s nice to see a food competition-type TV show where the editing seems to lean towards the “having fun” side, as opposed to the “stress and personal conflict” attitude generally taken by the Top Chef editors.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

That first episode rocked and ROCKED HARD!! This will be a really fun show!

By: Claudia

Claudia — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Annie, of course you’re quite right to point out that not all of us are lucky enough to be Italian (!) (and happy Columbus Day, to those who are), but Alton IS a food professional – ergo, it would behoove him to pronounce food names correctly. If us non-professional foodies can manage, say, “mise en place”, “konyaku” and, yes, even the difference between “AL-ton” and “ALL-ton” Brown, he can manage “ricotta” (for example). For what they’re paying him? Yeah.

By: Tags

Tags — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Claudia, I think Alton’s auditioning for a commercial here. I, for one, think he’d look great dressed in liederhosen and alpine hat, blowing an alpine horn and announcing “ree-COAL-ah.”

Strangely enough, 20 minutes before the show started my screen on FN went blank. I went upstairs to the TV with a cable box (my wife gets a Chinese channel) and it was on up there so I taped it there. Sounds like another chance for the cable company to “encourage” renting cable boxes.

By: gb500

gb500 — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I must be about as curious as our Commander in Chief and didn’t click on the link. I’d rather have it be a surprise. Really enjoyed the program, especially what seemed to be a genuine camaraderie among the chef contestants. Look forward to tuning in next week.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Enjoyed the show last night.

The most interesting part was when one of the chefs stated that she doesn’t do a lot of prep anymore and thought that might hurt her. This just proves that no matter what your profession, if you don’t use it you lose it.

Oh and Michael, are you due for a haircut?

By: tokyoastrogirl

tokyoastrogirl — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I loved the show. As I wrote on Adam’s Food Network blog, it’s nice to see some real chefs in action on a network that is leaning more and more towards the “open a can of soup, pour over chicken and bake!” style of cooking. I don’t want to watch people making casseroles, I want to watch chefs do things I can only dream of doing – I want to be inspired. I mean, I don’t know if I’ll ever race my friends in an oyster shucking race, but I’m excited to see the cooking that will inevitably be the star of this show. The personalities keep it interesting- can’t wait to see more Symon and Besh- those guys are hilarious.

By the way, I’ve seen you on TV before and have been meaning to ask- do people often mistake you for Jeff Daniels? Oh- I mean for his younger and better looking brother, of course:).

Looking forward to the season. And if we’re placing bets, my money is on Besh and Sanchez.

By: spoiled librarian

spoiled librarian — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

French Laundry, thanks for revealing a spoiler in your discussion of why, in your opinion alone, it could not be a spoiler. I didn’t click on The Star link FOR A REASON. oink, indeed.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

“Finally, do you have to guard against any possible bias in favor of the Clevelander Michael Symon?”

You know, the thought had occurred to me, too, not so much in terms of any real bias on Michael’s part – I think he is extremely fair, impartial and balanced in his judgment – but only in terms of the PERCEPTION by others that Michael could possibly be biased in favor of a friend and hometown boy. But I think last night’s episode – with Symon nearly being axed and relentlessly nitpicked about his dessert – shows that not only is Michael completely fair, but also that he alone cannot determine a winner.

And who cares if Symon used an idea from his pastry chef? He did what he had to do to survive to cook another day. Mission accomplished.

I hope to God, at least during the run of this competition, that Kevin Brauch makes a point of doing his research on not only what an ingredient is and its uses, but how to pronounce its name. And I hope I don’t ONCE hear Mr. Big Brain Alton Brown call ricotta “ree-COAT-ah” again, like he does in the regular ICA series, or I will truly scream.

By: Annie

Annie — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Claudia, Claudia, I’ve had reason to point this out to you before: not everyone is lucky enough to be Italian. All right? AB may be pronouncing “ricotta” wrong, but how many of us Northerners pronounce “Alton” right?

*SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

I liked the show very much and, if Traci des Jardins can floppo on the very first episode, you know the competition is tough.

But I do have a problem with Alton’s role here–he seems to be going out of his way to buzz arund the contestants and annoy them, put them off their game.

This is an obnoxious use of his talents.

I do not look forward to the day when Besh and Symon hold him whilst Davie takes his glasses and throws them into Sanchez’ pot of chipotle oatmeal.

Our boy deserves better than this.