Easily one of the more entertaining chefs from seasons-past, Jamie (Season 5) is returning and fighting for the title of Top Chef.
Whether, it was her drunken appearance at judges' table, her scallop-centric cooking style, or her constant restraint of Stefan's advances, I found myself cheering for Jamie during each episode.
As the last remaining member of Team Rainbow, many thought that Jamie was sent home too early after finishing in 7th place. In her last Elimination Challenge, Jamie and the other chefs dined at Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin restaurant and were asked to mimic Ripert's own fish dishes. It seemed like Jamie nailed the fish, but it was her over-salted, braised celery that forced her to pack her knives.
But this post isn't about who she was in Season 5, it is about why she will win Season 8. You could tell Jamie was completely comfortable with herself and that shown through in her cooking, in fact, she was only sent home because she couldn't replicate another chef's dish. If the challenges line up and allow Jamie to cook her own food, it is quite reasonable to expect her to take home the crown (tiara?).
Forecasted Rivalry: Jamie vs. Mike Isabella
Whether it's part of his personality or whether it was thanks to editing, there were times that Mike came across as a chauvinist. In fact, Jamie wrote a blog focused on Mike that was entitled "The Douche is Back." I see these two clashing right off the bat. And I for one can't wait...
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Why Jen Will Win
Season 6 of Top Chef is far and away my favorite season to date. When the cast was announced and you read their bios, you could tell that the producers raised their qualifications and went after some really talented chefs.
Jen was a chef from Philly, working as the chef de cuisine at Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin who put up with no one's crap (I'm looking at you Hector).
By the close of the first episode, everyone could predict that Jen was going to be in the Final 4. But after a strong start, Jen's performance tapered off in the middle of the season and it seemed to be her own undoing. She would mentally beat herself up over little mistakes and carry them over from challenge-to-challenge and episode-to-episode.
This stumble lead to a resurgence in the kitchen and paved the way for one of my all-time favorite moments in Top Chef history. In a Quickfire Challenge that honored the Bocuse d'Or, chefs had to create their own ballotine (a.k.a. a fancy turducken). Padma took one bite of Jen's calamari dish, looked up and simply said "Welcome back."
Ultimately Jen finished in fourth place and was sent home because of an over-salted goat cheese dish.
But this post isn't about who she was in Season 6, it is about why she will win Season 8. There's no doubt in my mind that after watching her own season, Jen studied each episode as if they were NFL game tapes. Not because she thought that one day she would be on an All-Stars cast, but because she wanted to improve her own abilities. It's this quest towards perfection that is going to put Jen at the top of the class in Season 8.
Forecasted Rivalry: Jen vs. DaleT
Two chefs with A-type personalities that love to assert themselves in the kitchen. If Jen tries to shut down one of Dale's conversations in the kitchen, I can foresee a couple of damaged lockers in the future thanks (again) to Dale's fists.
Jen was a chef from Philly, working as the chef de cuisine at Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin who put up with no one's crap (I'm looking at you Hector).
By the close of the first episode, everyone could predict that Jen was going to be in the Final 4. But after a strong start, Jen's performance tapered off in the middle of the season and it seemed to be her own undoing. She would mentally beat herself up over little mistakes and carry them over from challenge-to-challenge and episode-to-episode.
This stumble lead to a resurgence in the kitchen and paved the way for one of my all-time favorite moments in Top Chef history. In a Quickfire Challenge that honored the Bocuse d'Or, chefs had to create their own ballotine (a.k.a. a fancy turducken). Padma took one bite of Jen's calamari dish, looked up and simply said "Welcome back."
Ultimately Jen finished in fourth place and was sent home because of an over-salted goat cheese dish.
But this post isn't about who she was in Season 6, it is about why she will win Season 8. There's no doubt in my mind that after watching her own season, Jen studied each episode as if they were NFL game tapes. Not because she thought that one day she would be on an All-Stars cast, but because she wanted to improve her own abilities. It's this quest towards perfection that is going to put Jen at the top of the class in Season 8.
Forecasted Rivalry: Jen vs. DaleT
Two chefs with A-type personalities that love to assert themselves in the kitchen. If Jen tries to shut down one of Dale's conversations in the kitchen, I can foresee a couple of damaged lockers in the future thanks (again) to Dale's fists.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)