Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

LOL first episode was nothing but cast offs from this seasons Next Food Network Star. I did have to laugh at that. And how someone I know savaged that fact on FB going "Where are the Celebs?"

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Yikes that was the worst collection of "All Stars" I've ever seen. Food Network can't come up the 16 network personalities without drawing from failed competition chefs? What's next week? "That guy that lost that one time on Iron Chef"?

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Or maybe the TV personalities were afraid of being on there and getting stumped? I mean it would be hard for Bobby Flay to put chilis on some bottarga.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I can say I do not cook with to much fish. But Red Onions and Cheese yes (eating a red onions, Swiss cheese, ham sw right now).

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

yep. He was also a contestant on Iron Chef fairly recently (though he lost).

Yeah, that lineup pretty much sucked, but here is the full lineup:

March 6: Brad Sorenson, Debbie Lee, Lisa Garza, Michael Proietti
March 13: Anne Burrell, Claire Robinson, Duff Goldman, Robert Irvine
March 20: Anita Lo, Beau MacMillan, Jacques Torres, Nate Appleman
March 27: Aaron Sanchez, Amanda Freitag, Geoffrey Zakarian, Maneet Chauhan

The theme seems to be: rejects from TNFNS, real Food network stars, real chefs (are they all past chefs from the Next Iron Chef competition?), then Chopped judges. So the 2nd and 4th ones should be real fun, and the 3rd should have a lot of talent too.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Ooh, Debbie Lee was the evil one on TNFNS. I'll probably have to watch that on demand or something.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I thought Garza was the evil one, not Debbie on that season.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I'm sure he'd try to find a way to get some "chi-pote-lay" in there. If not, there's always blue corn meal.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I think they were in different seasons because I didn't recognize Garza but I did know the others. Debbie wasn't flat-out evil, I guess, but misrepresented herself to gain advantage and was generally annoying.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Yep. I hated Debbie from the word Go on her actual season and she was just as irritating on this. Even though I knew she would stick to her one dimensional cooking (Korean), it was still a bit comical to watch it play out that way.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Oh, is she Korean?

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Hi, I'm Debbie, I'm Korean!

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I think Duff should do a presentation on some sort of plate made from ice as a big FUCK YOU to the network for replacing his show with some ice sculpture show. That's gotta hurt.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Definitely worth catching the 2nd round of the Chopped All Stars, one of the best episodes of the show ever imo. Still think the 4th round will be the best

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Damn, forgot about this last night. I think the also rans from last week put a bad taste in my mouth.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I was wondering if top-tier talented chefs would make a difference on this show, and the answer is yes.

The 4th rd, with the Chopped judges competing, will be great. Next week should show some great food too, if less personality.

How on earth did Irvine cook a stuffed tenderloin in under 10 minutes???

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I think they should have separated Robert and Anne. They have experience with timed competitions and both should have been able to make the finals.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Agreed. They could have planned it better so you would have the potential for a great final.

Last night's episode was pretty amazing to watch.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I actually mistakenly made a separate thread because I never noticed this one, but I really enjoy this one. Unlike Iron Chef which is mostly staged, for the most part I think that they really do not know the ingredients beforehand and cook in a true 20 minute window. I suspect that there is some time for water to boil and ovens to preheat but thats about it.

Last nights was particularly good I thought and the TV chefs defintely showed some of the reasons that they are where they are. I mean they made what is essentially dog food look good, and both main courses looked awesome.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Robert and Anne were amazing to watch. It's a shame they both couldn't make it the the finals. I have to laugh thinking about the guy who won last week having to go against Anne. Good luck, buddy!

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I was hoping to see Duff in a different light with this Chopped competition. He definitely had the talent to make it to the finals if he wanted to but he was put up against powerhouse competitors. Kind of a sad way to leave the Food Network if that indeed was his last appearance sans his parts in "the Best thing I ever ate."

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I really liked his show.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Agreed.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Looked like Claire almost took a finger off.

Part way through the first round, she started wearing a rubber glove with a very red middle finger.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I noticed that and wondered if it was a cut and why they didn't comment on it. They do every other time someone does it.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I cannot wait to see how the judges do....and how they take criticism.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

To my knowledge, on Iron Chef they only find out what the secret ingredient is about 15 minutes beforehand. So still quite a feat at what they do.

But yeah, almost certain they have no idea on Chopped which does make it entertaining. As far as boiling water almost certain they do not get that luxury. The oven on other hand almost certainly are already turned on. And since Robert did a tenderloin does not shock me that he was able to get it done to rare. It was even cooking from the inside as the stuffing he was putiing in was still hot the judges mentioned in amazement that he was tolerating it.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Your right they know the Main or Secret Ingredient before hand. But with most foods. If you know how to cook with meats. Your good to work with most items on the fly.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Sorry 15 minutes beforehand and they tape it 3/5 times to get it right. Top it off there is only 60 mins to make the food and another 45 mins to plate the other 3 plates.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Not quite true, read here: http://www.lohud.com/article/2007052...y-an-Iron-Chef

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I am there once a year, I have seen the show taped. I have nothing to do with the show (FN Yes, any shows NO).

I do know that they tape the opening (where they see what they will be cooking with) 3 to 4 times. At this point they know what the main item will be. 15 Mins before they start cooking and the last time the bring it up. They talk about what they are going to cook. Yes everything is hot or cold that is need. They have 60 mins to cook it all, then 45 mins to plate the extra plates, then time to be judge, etc (takes close to 3 hours total). They shoot two shows with the same chef. He is right only the main chef is there the rest is taped. Brown is funny, once someone did make him a plate (Main Chef).

As for Chopped. Some did post and I did ask today about this. Yes they have no idea what is in the basket. The idea (from what I was told other then that I have no idea) came from a soup called "Pantry Soup"? I did have to ask what that means. You take cans of what you have a make a soup out of it.

I know that the shows that have cakes, and chocolate (the only thing) is that the stage is cold. The ovens over heat the place.

HK is a hoot. I have never been there when they have been taping once/twice (last year was twice). I go there and play a Chef that cannot cook (I can cook). It's to test out the place and make sure it all working and to have fun. FYI they do not get a job as it pointed out time and time again. They do win the cash, and they do get a job there. But not as the Head Chef and for only a year.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Chopped is very much like an old cooking show called "Ready, Set Cook". Much of the ideas come from that show I believe.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Did anyone else watch this latest round of all-stars? I liked the guy who won (Appleby?) but based on all 3 courses, it appeared that Anita Lo had the better overall performance. It really seemed to me like they gave it to Appleby out of sympathy for how close the charity he is playing for is to his heart.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

She didn't get all the food on to a plate in one round. That's why she lost.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

She did pretty poorly all around. I couldn't believe it.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Nate Appleman is his name.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

Appleman...Appleby. Close enough.

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

"Watch out old man!" :lol:

Surprised to see Maneet--she couldn't have been a judge more than once or twice. Would have been great if Scott Conant was competing, then they would have definitely put red onions in the basket. :D

Not surprised that Alex isn't in there, with her gigantic ass she would knock everyone over every time she went to the kitchen.:lol:

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I had to laugh at what Jeffery made in the appetizer round. His dish had fish, cheese, bacon, pasta, and red onion in it: all cardinal sins in Scott Conant's book.

Congrats to Aron. I hope he wipes the floor with the others next week!

Re: Doesn't anyone here watch Chopped?
 

I just caught up with this particular chopped championship. The second show with Anne and Robert completely blew our minds (my family loves the show, hates conant and old man Zakarian, and my daughter digs that Ted wears what look like sketchers with his suit).

After watching last nights episode, It seems that Anne will win this. It will be interesting to see how Aron will do against her tho.