Thursday nights tend to get away from me when it comes to Top Chef recaps. The hour of drunken screeching makes me need more wine. Yesterday was just a bad day from the moment I woke up til the moment I finally just called it a night. But today is a new day and I am very excited that I waited to do a Top Chef recap when I could fully enjoy it. I believe there is only one more episode left after this and I will miss this season. It’s been a really good one. Now, let’s go to Italy! Speaking of Italy, today they opened their borders to tourists. It seem a bit early to me, but I am thrilled that International travel is starting to be an option again.
Right away I see the set up for an underdog win by Stephanie. Maybe it was just because her package was first.I have almost three hundred thousand Delta miles so I plan to be flying in first on wherever I end up traveling next. But I’ve never seen a really cool first class cabin like the ones on American on Delta. 🙁 Tuscany looks so beautiful, perhaps I will start there. I haven’t been to Italy in 45 years or so. I love seeing Stephanie’s reaction. No matter how many times I return to Paris I always have this feeling of “wow, I am really here.” It seems more like a really good dream.
The Quickfire
Gregory is a bit under the weather, he didn’t get enough sleep and he is having issues with his back. He seems to have lost a bit of his mojo. For the quickfire this week, they have to create an apertivo that pairs well with Peroni, the local beer. There are five stations representing five different the five different regions of Italy. So each chef will have different ingredients. Or as Teresa Giudice would say, ingredicences. I would choose either southern Italy or the islands. They will be feeding 30 locals, that’s a lot for a quickfire. The winner get $10,000.
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I’m not sure if I have ever really had polenta. I need to fix that. In Italy. Bryan seems scattered. This quickfire is going by fast and everyone struggles to get thirty portions. Geoffrey got what I think is the easiest region, the islands. Out of all the seafood he went with cuttlefish? Really? It’s also a dish that requires utensils. That’s not really an apertivo in my opinion. Bryan did a lamb tartar. I have the same issues I have with Gregory’s dish. Same with Kevin. He did a polenta. Same with Melissa’s mussel dish. I have Stephanie for the win with her venison and Gorgonzola sandwiches. The judges disagree. They don’t like Stephanie’s dish or Bryan’s dish but love the other three. Kevin wins!
The Elimination Challenge
After the quickfire, Tom Colicchio arrives on the scene. The first thing he asks is “Who completely messed up?” That’s so Tom. They go straight to the elimination challenge. This episode seems very fast-paced. It’s hunting season for white truffles. Stephanie is beyond excited. Coincidentally, I am eating shrimp and grits with a heart cloggingly large amount of cheese and black truffle butter. They will make any dish they like using white truffles. The need 100 portions and one of those portions is for an Italian Michelin star chef. So you know, no pressure.
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The Italian truffle hunting dogs waste no time in uncovering tons of white truffles. They seem to be everywhere. Wow, when were they there? The exchange rate for dollars to euros was two dollars to one euro. Now, they are pretty close to one for one with he euro slight higher. Next, the chefs head out to a local grocery story. Stephanie has a bit of culture shock. My two favorite things to do in Europe are to sit in churches, it very relaxing to sit in a church that is hundreds of years old, and to go to a local grocery store. The grocery stores are fascinating and bit confusing. Sometimes I buy stuff just to figure out what it is.
The Is No Whole Foods In Italy, All The Grocers Are Whole Foods
Melissa discovers that they don’t have boxed chick stock or broth in Italy. This is something I should have bought on my adventure to the Publix yesterday. I didn’t realize I was down to my last box. I use it all the time. Just today in fact with my shrimp and grits. Oh noe! Stephanie has a phone call to home scene. That is usually the kiss of death. Stephanie woke up on challenge day and decided to totally change her menu. She is going to make pasta. In Italy. For Italians. Melissa’s stories about being the kid with the weird lunches reminded me of the Japanese kid in my class who brought rice patties and seaweed. He had a crush on me. 🙂 Also, Melissa is hot.
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Bryan is making a veal dish with potatoes and chestnuts. It’s winter there so this sounds good to me. Kevin is making some sort of meatball dish that seems really complicated and he is not using his Atlanta words so I’m not sure what he is talking about. He accidentally bought pork, wild boar and veal without realizing he was buying three different things. I think that was a stroke of luck actually. It sounds like a delicious combination. Gregory is making a dish with wild boar and polenta. Stephanie is not pleased with her radicchio puree, because it is extremely bitter. But she opts to keep it on the plate. I wish I could carry Gregory’s food for him.
The Service
The chefs move out door to a piazza for service. And very quickly the judges and the public are at their stations. Kevin’s dish did not impress the Italian judges. The spices overpowered the truffle. I bet it was a good meatball though. They thought the meatball didn’t even need to be on the plate. Stephanie is kicking herself in the ass for putting the radicchio on the plate. They judges hated it instantly.
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Sadly, Gregory’s dish was panned for not letting the truffle be the star of the plate. So, it’s going to come down to Melissa or Bryan for the win. Melissa’s dish was a hit but she didn’t use very much truffle at all. Also, the salami didn’t go with the congee. So this is your challenge to lose, Voltaggio. They love Bryan’s dish he is the clear winner. But any of the other four could go home.
Judges Table
Bryan and Melissa were the top two, but Bryan is the clear winner. Oh wow! Melissa won! I am shooketh. I was sure Bryan had this challenge in the bag! Sadly, I think Steph might be toast. The judges struggle with who should go because all three of the bottom judges made the same mistake by not properly showcasing the truffle. Of the three, Padma like Stephanie’s the best. But, Tom seems to think the radicchio was unforgivable. I don’t want any of them to go home! Kevin could be in trouble here. Again. Honestly, any one of them could go. Sadly, it’s Gregory. He started off so strong and just began to flounder a bit at the end.
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OMG! Next week the are going to Parma. So clearly it will be all about the Parmesan cheese! That is another thing I meant to buy yesterday. And I like the grated sawdust kind from the can. I like the real thing too but there are many times I want to add the cheap stuff to a breading mixture. They will be cooking for SIXTEEN Michelin star chefs.
Ahhh, Bryan.
That’s all.
Truly, what happened to the aperitivo being held with two fingers so you can hold the Perino with the other hand? And none of them were called to task for not following the challenge?
I agree with all your feelings about the food, but I wish Gregory got to stay over Stephanie.
I love this show but I feel like we’re just watching the crowning of Melissa as the next Top Chef and its getting hard to get into it, I was hoping Voltaggio for the win.
Stephanie should have gone and none of them made an aperitivo.
i thought Stephanie’s was the closest to an aperitivo if she had just made the sandwich a bit smaller and left of the radicchio.
Valid point…smaller, and crunchy…No radicchio.
I wanted to try Kevins meatballs. I love wild boar.
Stephanie has grown on me. Her comments on some of her talking heads and self deprecating remarks crack me up. I think it’s Voltaggio or Melissa for the win and either is fine with me.
I really didn’t think Steph stood a chance. But if she does win, she deserves it. She has fought hard. There were two times I think she should have packed her knives. But since then, she has taken some wins.
I swear Tom said something at the beginning of the judges’ decision that gave me hope for some kind of redo for the bottom three. I just really wanted Gregory and Kevin to stay so maybe it was wishful hearing.
Well, damn. I completely blocked out who went home. I remembered that Melissa won, but did not recall who they offed. I was thinking it must have been Stephanie because, although I like them all, I like her the least. So sad to see Gregory go. And I decide that I have to go to Melissa’s restaurant in SF, so I looked it up. Oh, she has no restaurant anymore. Jobless, like so many. So sad.
I think that she hasn’t ever had her own restaurant. She has worked as head chef at some esteemed places and worked for respected chefs. She has a sort of consulting thing going on where she collaborates with others (Whole Foods, I THINK) and does events.
i love polenta, it reminds me of grits, but a finer grind and compressed really tightly, so you can slice it and fry or grill it. It would be wonderful with your tomatoes. I know there are other types of polenta but that’s what I think of.
I thought they were setting up Gregory to go because his back was hurting him and he just did not seem to be his regular self. Like last week, when (oh shit I forgot his name) was talking about how much he missed his family and did not seem really thrilled about leaving the country and what do you know, he was voted off and was relieved.
You should try the Moldovan version of polenta. We call it mamaliga and topmost with belted butter and feta cheese. Some people put fried mushrooms on top. I really love top chef, it’s so much better than all the other shows on bravo; it’s the only one i really count down for and tune in to watch the same day (as opposed to the others that I dvr and watch whenever).
Top Chef has CLASS and integrity, largely because the contestants do. I love how the chefs support each other and continue their relationships after the seasons end. I would love to see a show where different sets of former Top Chef contestants travel and try food on the street (food trucks and foreign street stands) and check out “undiscovered” restaurants and local cuisine.
I also wish they would do a “What is Eric doing now?” kind of show between seasons.
So first, polenta: we Italians like it creamy. I make mine with milk and pecorino or parm. If you have corn meal in your pantry, you got polenta if you ‘re willing to stand there and stir for 10 minutes. (Shorter than risotto. And less temperamental.) It’s a base for everything from a nice meat ragu to roasted sausage. Or a little gorgonzola!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, the episode: Love me some Bryan V. Somehow the nervous laugh becomes endearing rather than grating. I think he should have won, though I also love Melissa (but maybe more on her original season?) And even though Steph should probably have been gone long ago, I love how she knows that and it keeps her humble. And she had the best line of the night with “Bryan Voltaggio is the coolest person here.” I will miss Gregory, and dare I say it–I have Kevin fatigue. . .
I wasn’t a huge fan of Stephanie in the beginning, but the farther she goes the more I root for her. She is humble and kind. I quite like Melissa and possibly in a homosexual way (Survivor Season One reference) because she is hot AF. Also, despite my desire to be a late in life lesbian ala Meredith Baxter Birney I would not be a good one. I was sad to see Gregory go but it was his time really. Bryan was robbed. And I ALWAYS root for the homeboy who is Kevin but somehow I just liked other people more this season.
Also on this episode Kevin made a reference to being sick for years. Anyone know what that is about?
He had cancer. Like SERIOUS cancer. I think he talks about it on the first episode.
Oh wow.
I agree COMPLETELY with your feelings about the remaining chefs. I have great love for Melissa, and I love it when one of my faves is a homie, but Voltaggio is so good and he almost gets it so many times. Even when he doesn’t get the challenge right, he makes delicious food. Plus, I REALLY REALLY want him to be “tied” with brother Michael.
Speaking of the Voltaggio brothers, a few years ago, there was an EXCELLENT special on the Food Network with them cooking holiday foodforva family celebration. Everything looked so good and the rest of family won me over. I saved it on my DVR and when I moved, I had to swap equipment. Sometimes it’s on the Food Network online, then I can’t find it.
Hi Tamara,
Long time lurker.
The exchange would have been about $1.095 : 1€ at the time they visited.
Since you’re a retired teacher I figured I might should show my work so here goes.
The 6000€ was per kilogram.
Used the ~ $2987 / lb posted price and then the 2.2 lb/kg ratio to get to the conversion price.
Enjoy your recaps. Thanks.
Ah thanks. That conversion made no sense to me at all in the recent past. Though I was once in Tiffany in Paris and wanted to buy a gold bangle and the exchange rate was so bad I could not justify it. I have a big mama Tiffany bangle that was $4040 because gold was cheap and they don’t sell it anymore because it would be more like 20K that I drunk bought (and never regretted) in Vegas. But a few years late in Paris gold was up again and the wanted almost as much if not more for a slender sister. I still regret just not getting it. Alas, now I must pair down my jewelry and sadly don’t have anyone to leave it to.
I for sure thought Stephanie was going home when she talked about the radicchio, but I’m glad she didn’t bc she is growing on me. I still think it’ll be between Kevin and Melissa though.
Sorry I know this is a cooking show but Padma’s furry coat was hideous!!
I’m in the minority here as I don’t like polenta or grits. I know, I’ll never be welcome in a southern or Italian home. I do now want to visit Italy and gain 100 pounds.
Not so! We will happily make you something else! 😉
I am eating fried cheese grit cakes with onion and diced jalapeno as I read this. With a side of crispy ham.
That sounds good. If I had grits from someone who knows how to make them I’d change my mind.I was in the military and every day was grits and gravy. If you are not from the south you are thinking why so much grits. Is pretty sure you’d be wondering why I eat so much cabbage.
Cabbage is the food of the Gods
I eat a lot of cabbage too. I like cabbage soup. I also eat onions every day. I wish I would have planted some. I am always running out.
MMMMMMM – Sad eyes, begging face…I want what your eating.
I think Melissa will win. Brian V or Kevin a close second. I think Kevin is getting a bit of an overinflated ego. Glad he survived cancer (which I have too) and came back to compete from Last Chance Kitchen. He just seems so very sure of his dishes and he ended up on the bottom with Gregory. I love that Stephanie is having a moment. Sad to see Gregory go, he is very genuine and talented.
I’m with you PamBear, and have felt like it’s been that way since Melissa tossed grapefruit slices with lettuce at that camp? Tick tock until the crowning of Melissa. I also love Melissa but it’s hard to get into if they had just planned who they wanted in the final, ya know?
But yes it’s the best show on Bravo. And Tom looked so natural in his homeland. I am also low key rooting for Stephanie and thought her quick fire looked yummy but love Brian V., who should know taretar always loses. It was time for Gregory to go and Kevin is meh to me. And yes, I have latent sexual fantasies of me and Melissa on her motorbike. I’m back on Chantix and also re-listening to my audiobooks of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo so it’s all super vivid. The truffle hunt was great! Wonder why only the best grow in that section of the world? I want to grow and sell them plus have truffle dogs.
That salad was a huge slap in the face to the chefs there in my opinion.