Also, right along, we're watching "Hell's Kitchen" and fun? Not so much.
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Food Network Star 2007-Chocolate, Spaghetti and the NJ Nets' Fans
Guy Fieri, winner of last year's Food Network Star, was the guest host and member of the selection committee for the show which aired on 6/17/07. Along with Guy was a big fellow, Daryl Dawkins, also known as "Chocolate Thunder". With the help of Dawkins, Guy assigned the first challenge, which was for each 2007 contender to create a signature chocolate dish. Each contestant had to introduce his or her dish and a few didn't do well, especially Michael Salmon, who forgot to even show his dish on camera!
Colombe, who bills herself as a cooking for fitness guru prepared a chocolate dish that was lambasted by Dawkins and Colombe was told at her turn for judging that her chocolate dish was very dry.
It was the challenge to feed and solicit votes from New Jersey Nets fans that took up most of this episode and it was very interesting to yon viewing foodie. Each contender was given 45 minutes to shop and during this episode we had the saga of Colombe's bag.
For it would seem that Colombe had an extra bag put in her cart during the shopping frenzy. She didn't know who the bag belonged to so she returned it to the cashier. It would turn out that the bag belonged to Paul, who suffered mightily as a result of not having needed supplies that were in that bag and evidently left in the store. Amy criticized Colombe quite vocally for not asking whose bag it was. Colombe apologized profusely but explained that she thought the cashier would properly return the bag, that Amy acts like she's so, so perfect.
Well it was a bit of a hoot and I tend to agree with Colombe. Amy certainly got on her high-horse, a bit too high for what was just a misunderstanding in the middle of chaos. And Colombe did go over and help Paul with his dish as a form of apology.
I'm not sure, beyond preparing and serving a self-chosen dish, what else the contenders were charged with. It wasn't clear if the fans were actually voting for the different samples provided or if judgement was based on how many each contestant handed out. And frankly, it wasn't all that important because it was the opinion of the selection committee which most mattered and I'm sure they noted fan reaction in terms of commentary and quantity requested.
Tommy prepared a big meatball sandwich, Michael had a fresh shrimp roll for the offering, Colombe prepared nachos only she used cheese from a jar. Rory came up with a nice-looking Texas cheese steak, Jag created a hot dog and chili concoction he served in pita bread. Adrien offered a bacon-wrapped shrimp affair and Amy prepared quesidillos that weren't received all that well in New Jersey.
The only major snafu which occurred during the NJ Nets food challenge was Paul having his station changed from a portable one to being sent back to the kitchen to prepare his little hamburger invention. Seems the temperature in his portable affair was not high enough to keep the food safe. Poor Paul. He's such a colorful fellow but he does seem to suffer some setbacks.
As always, all contenders were later assembled for their critiques and the names of the winners of the challenges for the evening. JAG won the chocolate challenge with a dish he prepared using chocolate on spicy meat and Adrien won the NJ Nets challenge with his bacon-wrapped shrimp.
These two contenders were sent from the room, being deemed safe and guaranteed to move on to the next challenge.
Some remarks by the selection committee on the remaining challengers:
-Michael-failed to show food on the chocolate challenge, reminded the committee of a "used car salesman".
-Colombe-chocolate dish was very dry, used cheese from a jar for her nachos, was not believable as a food expert.
-Amy-food not appropriate for New Jersey fans. Amy argued that her quesodillas would have been well-received by her home state of New Mexico.
-Rory-one judge did not like Rory's cheesesteak, another adored it. I thought it looked great.
Rory gave the audience a chuckle with her intentional wearing of a very low-cut top as she served food to NJ Nets fans. A couple on the selection committee made snide comments about Rory's tactics but I've got some thoughts here for those self-righteous Food Network executives:
TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOPS YOUR STAR GIADA DILAURENTIIS WEARS!!!!!!
I mean who the hell are they to get all uppity about Rory's cleavage display? Giada's outfits defy gravity for God's sakes! It's not as if Food Network is beyond such shenanigans is what I'm saying here.
-Tommy's meatball sandwich was determined to be too big for easy handling at a basketball game.
Tommy Grella and Colombe were sent home after the challenges of 6/17/07. Tommy had expressed such a great longing to be back with his family it was almost a relief that he got eliminated. Colombe was a bit of a surprise in that after the first challenge Colombe was starting to look like a real contender.
Links to prior reviews of the Next Food Network Star 2007:
Food Network Star's web site
6/3/07-The 2007 Search for the Next Food Network Star Begins
The Cover of Bon Appetit
Feeding the NJ Nets Fans
As of 6/17/07, the remaining contenders for the Food Network Star 2007 include:
Michael Salmon
Amy Finley
Paul McCullough
Rory Schepisi
Joshua Garcia-JAG
Adrien Sharp
Be on the lookout for JAG and Adrien as final contenders this year.
Hell's Kitchen 2007-The Spaghetti Caper
There were a few interesting events on the episode of Hell's Kitchen aired on 6/18/07. The first was the serving of breakfast to members of the army and navy by the contenders to win the Hell's Kitchen competition for 2007. What was most endearing about this segment was how respectful all of the contenders were towards our men and women in uniform. How refreshing not to have irreverent political debate, just an unabashed admiration for those who serve.
It was the incident of the spaghetti that makes me state right here that this is why I NEVER write for any particular show, series or network. Because the spaghetti drama was so contrived, so absolutely fabricated, so NOT believable, that it is only my independence as a Blogger which allows me to write about it with the mocking tone so required.
First, the ever-sobbing Aaron passed out during this episode and he was sent home due to health reasons.
What happened, and I watched it twice, was that one girl from the female team ordered two plates of spaghetti. Jen took the spaghetti that wasn't used and tossed it into the trash. It wasn't clear why there was spaghetti left over but as part of this contrived drama, us viewers were informed by Jen when she casually tossed it out. Now how often does this show bother to inform the viewer when something's thrown in the trash? The very dramatic way we were informed made my antenna pop up. I knew something was coming about this spaghetti.
Almost immediately another order for spaghetti comes in and Jen quickly grabs the spaghetti she'd just tossed from the top of the trash heap. Jen made a big deal about washing the spaghetti and then dipping it into boiling water to sterilize it from any germs possibly picked up during its ten seconds at the top of the trash bin.
When Jen handed the spaghetti to Julia I believe it was, Julia then pointedly asked Jen where she got the spaghetti. First, I don't believe this. Julia got the damn spaghetti, why on earth is she pursuing a history of where it came from? It was so obviously staged is what I'm saying here. Chefs in a busy kitchen usually take the spaghetti and do what needs to be done, not chase every ingredient and its origin. Of course someone HAD to ask Jen about the origins of the spaghetti because she'd just obviously pulled it out of the trash and the scene was required to finish the staged drama.
Julia then declared that no way would they use spaghetti taken out of the trash bin. But the spaghetti drama didn't stop there. After all the mandatory cussing by Chef Ramsey, the screaming at people, the throwing of egg on the apprentice chef's clothes, the endless derision, the customers walking out, up into the regular shut down completely of Hell's Kitchens, the spaghetti from the trash bin became a major factor in choosing which of the losing female team would be sent home.
There was another incident with bad food during this 6/18/07 episode and it involved Joanna and the rancid crab meat. Chef Ramsey chanced to grab a container of crab meat being used by Joanna and he noticed the crab had a horrific odor. In fact Ramsey had other chefs smell the crab meat and they all showed facial signs of, well facial signs of smelling something awful. This is just so us viewers know that Ramsey wasn't making it up about the bad crab meat. Ramsey threw a hissy fit and kicked Joanna out of the kitchen, screaming that she might kill someone. Joanna told Ramsey she didn't smell the crab meat so a)either Joanna's nose does not work of b)this too was a staged drama as everyone else thought it stunk to high heaven. Or hell. Heh.
The female team was charged with nominating two of their own for Ramsey to choose one to be sent home. Oddly, they nominated Julia who did nothing wrong and, in fact, was the shining star during the breakfast for the troops segment. The logic was that Julia was only a short-order cook and not worthy enough to continue.
As Ramsey requested the two nominees, Joanna stepped forward because after the crab meat incident Joanna practically had "eliminated" branded across her forehead. Julia too stepped forward but she told Ramsey why she'd been nominated and she didn't think it was fair. Ramsey agreed and told Julie to step back.
However, right before Julia stepped forward, none other than Jen piped up that she'd been nominated to go home. Ramsey was surprised and asked why Jen said she was nominated for elimination when she had not been. Jen then told Ramsey the story of the spaghetti and we got....more drama.
Frankly I think Ramsey and/or the show's producers were trying to play up Hell's Kitchen, which is a real restaurant somewhere, right? But I think this was all a show to illustrate to us viewers the exacting and perfect standards for Hell's Kitchen, which includes NOT serving spaghetti out of the trash bin.
Look, I'm but a simple home cook but if I'd tossed a pile of perfectly cooked spaghetti on the very top of my trash can-recall the spaghetti was NOT thrown deep into the mire to mingle with other garbage-I'd sure pull it out and wash it off should a need for same occur quickly after my disposal. The way Jen pulled up that spaghetti and washed it off, then dipped it into hot boiling water, was not absurd. Sure, it might not be appropriate for a restaurant but us home cooks aren't going to faint dead at the notion.
But know now that spaghetti from the trash bin will NEVER be served in Hell's Kitchen and be thankful for this.
Links to prior reviews of Hell's Kitchen 2007:
Web site for Hell's Kitchen
Amidst Much Cussing, on 6/4/07 the 2007 Hell's Kitchen Competition Begins
The Girls Win Everything Including Fileting the Fish
The Spaghetti Caper
Rock
Jen
Josh
Beautiful Melissa
Brad
Julia
Bonnie
Vinnie
More TV Reviews HERE
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