Author: Mike Farley (Page 56 of 117)

“Hell’s Kitchen” contestant gets in Gordon Ramsay’s face

Season 6 of FOX’s “Hell’s Kitchen” kicks off this coming Tuesday at 8pm ET, and FOX sent around a teaser clip of one of the contestants getting in Ramsay’s face, but this time taking it a bit too far. The dude, known as chef Joseph, actually challenges Ramsay to “step outside.” Of course, this clip doesn’t show Ramsay’s reaction other than staring the dude down, but I can’t wait to see ol’ Gordon throw ol’ Joey in the lobster tank or something. Here is the clip, and stay here for more blog recaps on the upcoming season!

I have a question for the producers of Food Network’s “Chopped”….

And that is, do you instruct the judges to be so bitter and critical, or did you just choose judges that you thought would fit that bill? The show, in its second season, is becoming more unwatchable by the episode, and not because the tempo of the show creates pressure that occasionally causes a contestant to slice off a fingertip or serve raw poultry and fish bones. It’s because of those judges–the likes of Alex Guarnaschelli, Aaron Sanchez, Amanda Freitag, and Geoffrey Zakarian–who sit on their high horse and just rip these poor chefs to shreds.

If you haven’t seen the show, let me give you a brief synopsis. Host Ted Allen (who is the show’s lone bright spot) introduces four chefs, who are usually restaurant owners, head chefs, or seasoned sous chefs, who will go head-to-head in a competition of three rounds. Each round, they are given a basket of mystery ingredients–ingredients that usually do not go together, maybe like duck breast, avocado, maple syrup and passion fruit. They have to create an appetizer, main course and dessert–but after each round, one contestant is “chopped,” or eliminated, until the dessert round pits the two remaining chefs, who square off for a $10,000 prize.

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The Next Food Network Star currently holding auditions for Season 6

Season 5 of “The Next Food Network Star” is going strong now as it is down to the final four of Melissa, Jeffrey, Debbie and Jamika. And with the show, Food Network’s highest-rated reality offering, continuing to blow up, they are already looking to 2010 and holding auditions for Season 6 of the show.

Open call auditions began last Wednesday in Phoenix and the remaining cities and dates are listed below. Applicants should bring an application, photo and resume/bio to the auditions, where they will meet with network casting directors. Those unable to make it to the real life auditions can also apply at www.foodnetwork.com/star. Good luck!

Austin, TX – Friday, July 17, 2009 from 10am-4pm
Hyatt Regency Downtown
208 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704

San Francisco, CA – Sunday, July 26, 2009 from 10am-4pm
W San Francisco
181 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

New York, NY – Friday, July 31, 2009 from 10am-4pm
CBS
530 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

Los Angeles, CA – Monday, August 10, 2009 from 10am-4pm
Saddle Ranch
8371 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

San Diego, CA – Monday, August 17, 2009 from 12pm – 5pm
W San Diego
421 W. B Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Atlanta, GA – Monday, August 24, 2009 from 10am-4pm
W Atlanta Midtown
188 14th St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30361

The Next Food Network Star: TMI

Sunday’s episode of “The Next Food Network Star” featured two instances of “Too Much Information (TMI),” and one of them was the reason for a contestant to be eliminated. The final five chefs gathered at the Jet Blue terminal at JFK Airport, feeling good and excited about their trip to Miami, where they would participate in a larger Food Network celebration of sun and decadence. But of course, there was a challenge attached to their airport experience, and along with network star Ted Allen, chef Michael Coury from OTG, the company that runs the restaurants in the terminal, was on hand to help assist and judge. There are a few different cuisines available in the terminal, and each contestant was assigned a cuisine to re-create their own dish. Jeffrey had Italian, Melissa had tapas, Michael French, Jamika sushi and Debbie steakhouse.

Jamika went first and she made a seared tuna salad with a miso vinaigrette. It looked like a decent salad but the judges were a bit underwhelmed and not impressed with a lack of creativity. She also made a comment in her presentation about airline food and “the toilet not being your friend” on flights. Are you kidding me? Ted Allen called it TMI and he was correct.

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Top Chef Masters: Cooking for Doogie and his buddies

Last night was the fourth preliminary round of “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo, and the challenges are surely not getting any easier. For this one, the four contestants were Mark Peel from Los Angeles; Douglas Rodriguez, who owns several restaurants nationwide; John Besh from New Orleans; and Anita Lo from New York City.

Host Kelly Choi announced the quickfire challenge, and as they have been using some of the more interesting challenges from past seasons of “Top Chef,” they continued that by asking the chefs to create a dish with eggs, but with one hand tied behind their back. The judges were “Top Chef” regular Gail Simmons, as well as two other experts in eggs including a diner owner. Douglas went first and made a corn cake with eggs and ham. Mark, who said his dad was born with one arm, knew a little something about this particular “disability,” was a bit more ambitious, making a duck egg pasta with an olive oil cream sauce. Anita cooked the egg in its shell with shiitake mushrooms and truffle oil. And John made simple slow-cooked eggs, but he cooked them too slowly, because they weren’t done in the 25-minute alotted time.

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