Top Chef fans check in!!

[LynneSin]

So far a pretty decent season. I adore Gregory, Keriann and Tajuki. Aaron is such an asshole douchebag. I've cheered on other asshole douchebags in previous seasons like last year's Nick (I had to, the guy was from Philly). But Aaron is just an idiot. I was glad to see James gone, anyone with a tattoo of Patrick Swayze on their arm should be questioned as a talented chef!

[hibbing]

1. Scallops

Will it come down to seared scallops like it always seems to in my mind every season? haha

Peace

[haele]

2. Well, cooking Scallops properly as part of a complex dish is a test of skill and time-use.

A lot of head chefs use preparing a scallop and pasta with sauce dish or cooking a rare steak dish along with a grauten or rice side as a test of their sous.
Both the Scallops and the steak need to be timed perfectly - within 15 seconds for the scallops on either side - or they end up just mehh at best.

A fish-monger who is also invested in a few local mariscos shops taught me how to sear scallops so that they melt in your mouth with a slight crust to the outside when I asked how to prepare them for my husband's birthday dinner.
Pan temperature and the amount of oil/butter in the pan needs to be exact, any seasoning needs to be on hand and put in just at the right time - and you only have 1 minute each side with a 10 - 30 second window depending on the size of the scallop before you "ruin it" and it starts to dry out. If you don't cook it long enough, it's rubbery. And if you're putting them over pasta, you also have to mange the pasta properly or that goes bad within minutes if you lose track of time attempting to cook the scallop.

I got them perfect twice (making a scallop "salad" meal with the salad finished before I started the scallops) and screwed up the third time when I tried adding pasta to the meal.
It's quite an art.

Haele

[WinkyDink]

4. I'm pretty sure I made some dee-licious seared scallops last week for my birthday!

[Phentex]

7. Don't you mean pan seared scallops?

I love when the chefs tell us they pan seared something right after we just watched them do it. In a pan. On the stove.

Now as for you WinkyDink, we have no idea how you got your sear on!

[WinkyDink]

3. Thanks for the reminder! Yay for Video on Demand! I love "Master Chef: Juniors," also!

[betsuni]

5. Top Chef is so much better than other cooking shows,

but I still get irritated when they repeat the usual cliches.

Get my head in the game.
Keep my eye on the prize.
Step up my game.
Bring my A game.
Show my passion.
Make my family proud of me (followed by weepy sob story).
I deserve this/ to win.
I've worked hard to get where I am.
Awesome.
I'm not here to make friends.
This is the hardest thing I've ever done.
I miss my family so much (pictures and weepy story).
I think the judges made a mistake.
This won't be the last you'll see of me.
etc.

[GreatGazoo]

6. I think Chopped is one of the better ones also

TC and Chopped really contrast to the fakery of Gordon Ramsay's shows. I worked in an open kitchen and one of the best things about it was that FOH was not allowed to yell at you. When Ramsay does his Restaurant Nightmares, he corrects staff who yell in the kitchen but on his own show HE yells and does so in front of guests. Personally I don't want food that has been screamed at and screaming at people is a very over rated management technique...but that's reality TV for ya.

The worst of the bunch are Master Chef, especially Master Chef Jr, and the now infamous Mystery Diners. Master Chef uses off camera coaches, and food stylists. They give them most of the challenges weeks in advance on the kids version and their parents pay to have coaches teach them to cook it.

Agree on the cliches -- reminds me of the bus scene in "Bull Durham" -- Costner's character: "now write these down...'we're just going to give 110% and the good Lord willing, we'll come out on top...', 'Im just happy to be here, hope I can help the ball club...'