Iron Chef Thanksgiving...no Batali pictured

[rcburli]

The ICA Thanksgiving episode just aired for the first time I believe, and Batali was not pictured. I'm assuming, even with all the talk that he was returning, that this means he is not.
That's too bad...probably won't watch any more.

[cmvan]

Obviously, it's become confused with this tthread.

The original regarded the episode that re-ran last night, Nov 23, 2008, which was the Thanksgiving episode from 2007.

The 2008 Thanksgiving episode - with Flay & Simon versus Morimoto & Cora - with the new Mark Ecko uniforms - ran last week.

So this thread is mixing proverbial apples and oranges.

[tofuburrito]

Re: 2008
I've not always been a big fan of Bobby Flay but I have to say I thought he shined brighter than everyone else in the Thanksgiving challenge. He seemed very confident and his food looked fantastic. I thought Symon seemed a little flat and nervous. Morimoto didn't seem to take it too seriously and Cora just rode his coat tails. I was surprised the score was as close as it was. It seemed the judges reaction to Bobby's dishes were considerably more enthusiastic than to the rest of them.
I thought Lou Diamond Phillips was an excellent judge, Tiki Barber, not so much.

[whiner]

I really hope they let Symon rip the sleaves off tha thing. It is horrible.

On the other hand, a 51 is really impressive. I'm glad he won decisively. As I've said on so many threads, I love his cooking. And I think as he gets more comfortable with the kitchen, his antics and cooking will only get more impressive. I'm quite certain he will wind up with a better win percentage than Flay and Cora. Batali and Morimoto? Maybe not. We'll see. Morimoto did hand him his ass when they faced in "battle asparagus" :-p

[chicgail]

You didn't really think that the producers were going to allow their Newest IC to do anything but win decisively on his first "battle," did you?

I do wonder how accurate those win/loss tallies are. The whole point of the IC is that they almost never lose, even in Japan. It's not that they're really the most decisively best chefs in the country. It's all staged, like "The Chairman" -- a charming actor.

It's all in fun anyway. "Allez Cuisine!"

[Morton the Mousse]

These win/loss tallies are accurate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

[jlafler]

Yes, much of Iron Chef is staged. See the discussion here:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/461733

But I sincerely doubt the winner is pre-determined. Part of the schtick of the show is to talk up both the Iron Chefs and the challengers as "the best of the best," and that's clearly an exaggeration, sometimes a ridiculous one. Still, they have had some very well-regarded chefs on the show, and I really doubt they'd agree to compete if it were just a set-up. Same with the judges. The Iron Chefs clearly have a home-field advantage: they and their sous chefs know the kitchen well, and they've had experience with the format. They also know most of the regular judges and their tastes. That's probably enough to explain why they win more often than not.

[Caroline1]

Finally got around to watching it tonight. ugh! For me, it was as much about Thanksgiving as one rasher of limp bacon is about breakfast. Thanksgiving is feasting! Thanksgiving is family style! If I were an Iron Chef, for my penultimate "dish," I would have used a large artist's palet with petite dishes of sliced turkey (light and dark), dressing, sweet potato souffle, cranberry relish, petite pois (because every other veggie would be too off-scale), gravy, and a small empty plate for the judges to paint their own mini-feast upon. Nothing either chef did gave me a real sense of traditional "Thanksgiving."

But then I'm admitedly a curmudgeon. Some traditions I cling to and grouse when others don't. But I have my own turkey snoozing in the refrigerator nearly drowning in herb butter waiting for the oven. Everything is done except applying heat to bring it all to (hoped for) perfection. The pectins in the cranberry relish are gelling nicely. The kids just called and they're on the road with an ETA of tomorrow afternoon. It's going to be a glorious day.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[AMFM]

on his blog, symon says that 2 of his meals were family style because he agrees with you (well his reasoning wasn't worded quite that way :) but you get the gist) and that he was upset they didn't show it that way on tv

[ChefDQ]

someone told me that Batali is leaving the food network because he wanted a sick amount of money.....this came from someone that works in NY......sooo i dunno.

[vanillagorilla]

This was a rumor printed in the NY Post. What really happened was that Food Network announced they were going to stop showing Molto Mario and no new episodes would be ordered. At the same time, it came out that Mario was going to be doing a show similar to Mario Eats Italy (but this time about Spain) for PBS. This lead to the rumor that he was leaving the Food Network completely. Mario responded that he is not leaving and has taped a couple episodes of Iron Chef since then.

[NYCkaren]

All of the episodes of "Molto Mario" are so old. It's too bad they won't be taping new ones. I'll miss that show. On the other hand, have you seen Mario on PBS lately? He doesn't look too good. He was always a beefy guy but I fear he's overindulging really seriously now.

[goodhealthgourmet]

have you read "heat" by bill buford? judging from the anecdotes in the book about batali's dining habits, it sounds as though the man eats and drinks as if every day was his last day on earth.

oh, and speaking of tvfn airing old episodes, last night they ran a "good eats" from 2001. wtf?!

[bards4]

I think it's because the Food Network is getting a little "feisty." Oops. I mean "fiesty."

[AMFM]

Just saw the beginning again and they're both there.

[jlafler]

The glimpses of Morimoto and Batali at the beginning appeared to me to be in clips from earlier battles. They didn't have the usual lead-in introducing all the chefs.When the verdict was given, only three portraits were visible behind the "chairman" -- Flay, Cora, and Symon. I suppose it could be that the other two were at the edges and out of the picture.

[AMFM]

in the beginning they panned ALL the hanging pictures and they were all there. i had read this post following the east coast viewing and then saw the first few moments at midnight. i'm CERTAIN because I was definitely looking! :)

[jlafler]

Okay. :-)

[Jocelyn P]

I had tivoed the show, and when I watched it today, Batali and Morimoto's pictures were indeed visible during the introductions. Throughout the battle and the verdict, however, there were clearly only three portraits: Flay, Cora, Symon.

[goodhealthgourmet]

anyone notice if the chefs were wearing the NEW coats in their photos? that might answer the question. btw, am i the only one who doesn't like the denim?

[AMFM]

on the website - i'm a loser and went last night when this was posted, it looks like they have batali and morimoto in new coats though with different color trim for everybody so you can't give up yet...

[seawitchipa]

I saw the beginning of it. The Chairman had assigned Mark Ecko to design coats for the Iron Chefs to 'match their personalities'.

Hopefully they are flame retardant and come with vents. I agree the denim in a hot kitchen would not be fun!

[Icantread]

we're seperated by a year here. These posts are from 2007

[paulj]

The beginning of the 08 battle showed the fitting of the Ecko uniforms. Mario was show getting a white coat. I couldn't tell if he got to keep the shorts, orange clogs and purse (as seen on the Spain series).

Does a denim colored fabric have to be a heavy cotton? Surely someone must make a lighter look alike.

[Caroline1]

Nope. Don't like the denim! If they wanted to go *that* informal, why not tee shirts? I'm sure they'd be a heck of a lot cooler than denim! Another kitchen decision that was made by someone who obviously hasn't spent much time in one.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yeah, symon clearly wasn't happy about the fabric...or the long sleeves.

stupid choice, imho...a lot of those chefs get pretty sweaty running around the kitchen...an issue that becomes very visibly evident in denim.

[paulj]

Denim doesn't seem any more informal than the traditional chef's stripes, which remind me of summer camp mattress ticking.

Appart from all the embrodery, how where their uniforms different from ones featured on this site:
http://www.crookedbrook.com/chef-jack...

[melly]

Denim in a hot kitchen? Ugh.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yeah, it's a bizarre choice.

[bookwormchef]

I also noticed that Morimoto was not pictured. Wazzup with all this???

[Caroline1]

I suspect we're all watching Food Network commit suicide. I don't mind getting my "Batali fix" on Fine Living Network, but I haven't seen Morimoto there, and he is one of my favorites. great charm and wit, not to mention incredible talent.

[seawitchipa]

The battle was Cora + Morimoto & Flay + Symon.. Morimoto was definitely there :)