Hells Kitchen 9/1/9 Spoilers

[jujuthomas]

I'm always amazed at how badly the chef-testants do with the blind tasting test - are we that reliant on our eyes to identify what we are eating?
As soon as he called Amanda up, we knew she was headed out, even tho we'd rather see Suzanne go home. what a nasty piece of work she is!

[rbailin]

One forgets how much smell is involved in a blind taste test. The classic example is taking a big bite out of a raw onion while holding one's nose and thinking it's an apple. If you don't get a whiff of the sample before GR pops it into your mouth, you're bound to be wrong except for the most fragrant foods like truffles (or onions).

[Withnail42]

You don't need to sniff the food before you taste it. How many people do? True it helps. But the sent of the food goes up the back of the throat and reaches the nose that way. Unless the participants had colds sniffing before tasting would not make that much of a difference.

[calpurnia]

Did anyone notice about 45 minutes into the show when Gordon was yelling at Amanda about her undercooked halibut that Tek was working at one of the stations? It was clear as could be that it was Tek. I was surprised with the editing since Tek left a while ago.

[LindaWhit]

Someone commented at a TWoP forum that Jim was also shown - I missed both. So you wonder what they're editing in from past episodes to enhance the drama.

Piss poor editing, IMO.

[Withnail42]

Things slip by. But if they happened to miss seeing Robert in the background then time to have the editors turn in their editing jackets.

I always enjoy it when these 'reality' shows try and get to clever for their own good.

[sibeats]

We just watched the episode and we saw Tek go by and I had to rewind to make sure...it was definitely her...another fine editing job!

[Cheese Boy]

I noticed that too ! The Tek revival show.

[jujuthomas]

I totally missed that! Damn!!!! LOL

[maisonbistro]

The one thing I didn't get is GR sending out the nearly raw lamb chops. Isn't that why they're at the pass - to make sure everything is going out the way it was ordered? I mean either himself or either sous chef should have caugth the underdoneness. And honestly, how many times was she supposed to say IT'S NOT READY and I'm rushing it because of Suzanne's inability to time fish. Arrrghh.

[Fritter]

Irrespective of what any one else said she knew or should have known the lamb was raw and should not have sent it. You do not send a dish to the pass until it's done no matter how much the Chef sputters.
When you run the pass you do not double check temps on every plate. In most cases that's physically impossible but one would indeed hope that they would catch a plate of lamb that rare.

[maisonbistro]

I know that, but and this is a big but, much drama is made of raw rabbit, raw chicken, overcooked scallops, wellingtons not done to order - so these are things that Gordon has made an issue of. And quite frankly, it's not very hard to visually determine that lamb is raw, vs. rare or medium rare (I am of the school that lamb done anything more than medium rare is overcooked). It seems it created more drama to send it, get it back and have her go out and eat it, than to just reprimand her in the kitchen and have her refire it.

[Joanie]

I thought the same thing, I'm sure it was just to give a slightly different sort of drama.

Man, I was assuming Andy would at least get the tuna to make it a tie then probably lose. Has he said he's embarrassed by the showing?

[Ericandblueboy]

Tennille, who previously can't cook scallops, had the nerve to critcize Suzanne while she was cookinfg scallops. Then Gordo praised the scallops...I had to laugh cause Tennille is a real piece of work. Suzanne is bossy but generally the most competent of the lot (of women) except for Ariel, who's flying under the radar.

[Withnail42]

I'd also be curious to partake in a blind tasting. I sure it is a little more difficult that one would imagine. But for the life of me I don't know how one can get spinach from clams. Wasn't that guy a seafood cook as well?

[LindaWhit]

Kevin's bio doesn't say whether he's a seafood chef (Van is a fish cook) but I couldn't understand the spinach choice as well. Even *he* was floored...I think he put forth at least 2 or 3 on the F**k-O-Meter on TWoP's recap!

[NellyNel]

LOL

[jujuthomas]

yeah, that was pretty funny! he was so disgusted.

[Fritter]

After watching Andy tank yet again and seeing that he has a pierced tongue all I can say is I got a jolly good laugh out of Gordo's comment about Andy standing around sucking his own ****.
LOL
Beat by a one handed cook.
Pathetic.

[HabaneroJane]

wow this thread is quiet today..are people losing interest? I am barely hanging on..still not seeing the standout like you normally would at this juncture of the show...Andy is totally struggling . Suzanne IS annoying and maybe Arielle is flying under the radar and could emerge as the standout ?

[jujuthomas]

that's what I was wondering last night... when Tenille was choosing who to put up I realized that Ariel barely gets yelled at lately. hmm....

[LindaWhit]

This show has never interested me as much as Top Chef. Because there's actual COOKING on Top Chef, whereas HK is more about the drama and the raw chicken, pork, beef, or lamb, as well as the yelling and the BIGGEST. SURPRISE. EVER! type of situations.

I'll watch it until the finale, but it's more like a comedy than anything else. A comedy you *know* you've seen before.

[jujuthomas]

I don't think I've managed to catch an episode of top chef. i'll have to dvr it and see if I like. DH would be very upset w/ me if I get interested in yet another "reality" show! LOL

[LindaWhit]

juju - it's on tonight at 10pm EDT on Bravo...in case you weren't already aware of that. ;-) But you're forewarned - it often doesn't stick to the 60 minute time frame - tonight, it runs over to 11:15 - total of 75 minutes.

[jujuthomas]

watched the first two episodes, tonights is goin on my DVR. very interesting! I enjoyed TC, but of course as you say for totally different reasons that HK. :) DH is totally disgusted! (ANOTHER reality show?!?!?!?! hehehe)

[LindaWhit]

DH will get over it. <vbg> Glad you've caught up with the first two episodes - just don't read the thread about the episode until after you've watched it - there are always spoilers.

[elfcook]

I have watched HK, but not nearly as closely as I watch TC. And this season, I seem to watch HK & almost immediately forget what happened once it is over. It just does not interest me, seems more about yelling and insulting. TC is about the food (or should be), HK seems more about running a kitchen & how to make it through service. It is a good premise, but with each season it seems to get worse. Enough that I regularly miss episodes and do not care anymore.

[sharonanne]

I've found myself watching GR more closely this season. I'm wondering how he ramps himself up to give yet another histrionic performance. Sometimes he gives a little smile when the ... ummm... donkeys go at each other. I'm thinking it saves him from having to force a tantrum. He must know this show only sells because of the hysterics and I'm sure he likes it when they share the burden.

I'm not looking forward to another finger cutting episode. Especially if they can't find the missing parts.

[LindaWhit]

BUT! Andy may NEVER! COOK! AGAIN! Ohhhhh, the Drama!

(although the fact that Andy has been cooking in his Boston restaurant, I think I know how it turns out <g>).

[LindaWhit]

I really want to partake in a blind taste test to see just how difficult it is. I kinda figured when Andy (and Dave and I think one of the women) said that Andy's palate was ultra-refined, that he *wouldn't* do well.

Boy - Suzanne seriously needed to go last night. Too bad. Oh - and while it was a lunch in the dark, couldn't Tennille have dressed up just a LITTLE bit more? The other women were well dressed for their reward lunch, and I *totally* get that Tennille isn't a girly-girl, but sheesh - come on! She stuck out like a sore thumb when they walked into that restaurant/lounge.

And I've had it with her yelling in the confessionals - take it DOWN several decibels, Tennille!

[dave_c]

Again, I missed the beginning of the show and caught Andy's portion of the blind tasting.

Did the chefs see what samples were up ahead of time? Based upon the reaction and some of the comments, I was under the impression that all the cheftestants could see what was in the cups, but didn't know which they would taste.

I, too, was thinking about how I would do in a blind tasting... I might have to get the family together to give it a try. However, I can see some of the tricksters in my family sneaking in a habanero or HOT(!!!) sauce. lol!

[LindaWhit]

I think Scott brought them up under a dome, so no, they wouldn't have seen what they'd taste. Visual is almost as important as smell in taste tests - many of those items would be instantly recognizable.

As for a hot sauce or something like that - yeah, that would tick me off as well! LOL

[NellyNel]

I still like Tennille and I'm happy she did well last night.

I was thinking the same thing about doing a blind taste test...I think I might have to have a "Blind test test Party"!
I'd have to find some uniterested person to be the person who get's the stuff arranged and tests us! I'm so curious as to how I'd do - At the moment I am convinced my palate is far superior to others!
But we saw on TCM that even the best chefs wern't even that great in that type of challenge!

[Claire]

You like Tennille? What is that you like about her? Is it her constant self-aggrandizing comments told in a perpetual whine? Her nasty cracks about the other contestants (she's right about the heinous Suzanne, though)? Her eye rolling?

[LindaWhit]

Nelly, I think you're the only one who likes Tennille. Anyone I know who watches the show has said they think she's beyond obnoxious. Every single person has commented on the yelling about others when she herself has been guilty of what she's yelling about.

[Fritter]

GR Was actually hitting himself in the head when Tenille couldn't STFU after the nominations. For the life of me I can not inderstand how some of these people just don't grasp that the whole reason GR makes them do the nominations is to see if they are capable of thinking like a Chef.
Tenille may be the single best reason I never ever suggest any one go to Johnson & Wales. If she was at the top of her class I can't imagine the bottom.
She has a promising career at Olive Garden or I-hop.

[sharonanne]

I like Tenille too though I can't figure out why. She amuses me. At least she doesn't have a screeching voice when she rants.

[dave_c]

For entertainment value, I like Tennille. She tells it like it is in her special way... lol

[NellyNel]

I like her!
I don't know about her cooking ability but she says some pretty funny stuff..
I'm still laughing over the "You suck" comment
and last night she said something that made me laugh out loud - something like "that guy is the most culinary whooozamawhatzit guy I've ever known!"

I also like her because she is who she is...what you see is what you get with her...

[LindaWhit]

Ahhh, the term she used about Andy was that he was the most "epicurious mamma-jamma" ever. I have to admit - I broke up laughing at that!

[NellyNel]

HA HA HA!!
YES! That's what she said!

Pretty funny!!