Wednesday, December 9, 2009

If you don't watch Top Chef, just skip this one.

Disclaimer: I do not think because I have had 8 weeks of culinary training that I know more than anyone else about food. These are just my opinions. Also, wine has been consumed. Continue with caution.

I follow Top Chef contestants past and present on Twitter and love hearing about where they eat and seeing pictures of food they make. I watch each episode at least 5 times. I study their technique and watch everything from their knife skills to how long they cook something as simple as a potato. If Top Chef was a cult, I would be a founding member, forcing all of you to cook an egg until it was perfect. COOK AN EGG DAMN IT. Sorry. I am getting carried away.

Who do I want to win? I feel like Kevin is someone I have something in common with. I feel that I could sit down at a table with him and drink some wine and laugh. I feel like he is my kind of people. I want him to move into my house and cook for me everyday.

Michael is amazing. The way his mind works is phenomenal. I am not a fan of deconstructed food...it feels like a lot of work. I want my shit constructed. But, he approaches food in a way that reminds me of Richard Blaise, who goes down in my top 5 favorite contestants ever. I enjoy watching him and would enjoy his food every once in a while.

I can't get a read on Bryan. His food has sort of faded in between his brother and Kevin for me. However, if the brothers Voltaggio had restaurants side by side, I would choose his over Michael's. I would have rather seen Jen here, but that is just me.

I am basing NONE OF THIS on what the judges say. Just my impressions...

Course 1:

Kevin: Squash casserole with tomatoes and fried chicken skin. Um. Where do I sign up?

Bryan: Not a fan of sardines. Again, though, I just forgot it the instant he came out. Do I have Bryan amnesia?

Michael: Dehydrated Broccoli? Rename that. Gross. It didn't even look good to me.

Course 2: (I am making up names for these dishes as I go)

Kevin: Rockfish with squash, celery, and mushroom. For reals, just the way he describes his food is so appetizing. Undercooked mushrooms are gross, though (a comment from the chefs.)

Bryan: Rockfish over squash with curry and lemon: You had me at curry. OMG I REMEMBERED YOU.

Michael: Glazed rockfish with sweet and sour crab salad. This sounds pretty kick ass, except not a fan of things "glazed." But, sweet and sour with crab? Sounds very interesting and yummy.

Course 3: (again, made up names)

Kevin: Slow roasted pork belly. Holy mother fucking shit pork belly is yummy. That is all really.

Bryan: Venison saddle w/ puree of sunchoke. Did someone just talk? What just happened? Again...forgettable. Looked good...but not memorable.

Michael: Fennel scented squab breast. And some other shit. It just sounds so complicated. I am sure it is really good, but, I don't know. His food overwhelms me sometimes. Like, I would love to spend 6 months watching him cook because he is bad ass, but it just doesn't translate well to T.V. or something. Oh, and BURN. They called your food a gimmick.

Course 4: I don't like dessert, so I am choosing not to care. Except Kevin put bacon in his, which he puts in like everything, which makes me love him more than I love bacon. Seriously. If you can put bacon in all 4 courses in a 4 course meal? WIN!

I want Kevin to win. Why? Because his food translates to all audiences. It is not pretentious, but yet it is really fucking good. It appeals to the masses. Isn't that what being a chef is all about? It certainly is what being a chef means to me.

If you watched the show you know how it ended. I am not a spoiler man. :)

1 comment:

Ann said...

Thank you for not spoiling. I missed the finale. Still need to watch it.