When I think back on the drama that has happened in the past seasons, Dale seems to come to mind more often than not. Whether it was a blow-up in the stew room with Lisa, or going toe-to-toe with Michael Chiarello on Top Chef Masters, Dale never asked you for your respect, he demanded it.
Winner of one Quickfire Challenge and three Elimination Challenges, Dale made his presence known quickly. Alas, Dale was a casualty of Restaurant Wars as he was the executive chef for the losing team and his dish (Butterscotch Miso Scallops) left a bad taste in the judges' mouths.
But this post isn't about who he was in Season 4, it is about why he will win Season 8. Dale was known for his Asian cooking style in Season 4, but don't label him as a one-trick pony. In an interview I had with Dale earlier this month, he told me that his background and training is in Classical French cuisine, while also feeling very strong in Italian and Indian cuisines. Being able to pull out these different flavor profiles and precise techniques throughout the competition is going to give Dale a leg up on his competition. Watch for him to catch a lot of people off-guard early in this season and prove that he is a real contender.
Forecasted Rivalry: Dale vs. Mike Isabella
Two type-A personalities that will either be best friends or worst enemies inside of the house. I expect the two to be aligned in the early stages of the competition, but as soon as they stand side-by-side in the bottom three, look for one to throw the other under the bus.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Interview with Dale Talde
A big shout out and thank you to Dale Talde for taking the time to answer these questions. The season premiere is coming up soon and we are all excited to see how many all-stars you can take out!
Interview Questions:
Interview Questions:
- What was your favorite Quickfire or Elimination challenge from Season 4?
- Dale: My favorite Quickfire was the skills challenge, to meet Daniel [Boulud] and to show my true technical ability was an honor and really fun.
- What was the one thing you learned in your first season that you worked on and carried over as an advantage into Season 8?
- Dale: I really just worked on making tasty food, seasoning food well, and trying to be more well-rounded as a chef. I think [in my] season, I was the chef that only did Asian food. My training was in Classical French and when not cooking professionally, I love to make Italian, Spanish, and Indian food. So I really wanted to work on those cuisines before going back.
- If I remember correctly, cheftestants are allowed to bring several "secret ingredients" with them to the competition. What did you bring for Season 8?
- Dale: I brought Franks Red Hot sauce, which is a super versatile ingredient that has a nice acidity and isn't too spicy.
- After being asked to be a part of Season 8, how long did you have to prepare before the season started to shoot?
- Dale: I had a couple of months before I went back.
- From watching the other seasons, who were you most looking forward to cook against?
- Any past cast members that you expected to be a part of All-Stars that you think got snubbed?
- Dale: I don't think it was a snub, but I would have liked to see Eli from Season 6 so he could go against [his mentor] Richard Blais. I would have also liked to see Andrew or Jen from Season 4. I've got a little Season 4 bias.
- I'm sure your under a strict NDA, but can you vaguely describe something that fans can look forward to in the upcoming season?
- Dale: Without a doubt this was the hardest season, but expect us cooking in a lot of strange places.
- Fill in the Blank: I would've been blown away if they brought __________ in as a guest judge.
- Dale: I know to expect anything from the Magical Elves [production company], but Michael Jordan.
- Favorite ingredient:
- Dale: The lonely egg, my favorite and most versatile ingredient.
- Harshest judge:
- Dale: Tom. A straight shooter that tells you exactly what went wrong and has the experience and knowledge to back it up.
- Favorite guest judge:
- Dale: Padma. Nothing against anybody else but can you blame me? She's just so beautiful!
- Biggest regret from your first season:
- Dale: Those stupid butterscotch scallops.
- Who wins in an arm wrestling contest, you or Michael Chiarello?
- Dale: Micheal would probably woop me in an arm wrestling contest, but I'd love to see him on the basketball court.
Make sure to tune in and cheer on Dale during Top Chef Season 8: Reaching for the Stars! Also, make sure to stop by and try Dale's food at Buddakan next time you are in New York City.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Why Richard Will Win
Of all the past contestants, no one was more of a fan of the show than Richard Blais. Whenever there was an opportunity to compete on the show, whether as a guest sous-chef on Top Chef Masters, or during holiday specials, you could always count on Blais being a part of it. I'd like to imagine him asking his own sous-chefs to create Top Chef-like challenges for him back home during the off-hours.
Whether it was liquid nitrogen, smoke guns, or sodium alginate, Richard had fans running to their computers after every episode so we could all try and learn can how to utilize these tools in our own kitchen. The things he did in the Top Chef kitchen amazed not only his competition and his fans, but also the judges.
Richard made it to the finale of Season 4, but fell short and admitted that he choked.
But this post isn't about who he was in Season 4, it is about why he will win Season 8. During a season of Little League, I had a chance to win the championship game for my team with one swing of the bat. I wound up grounding out to end the game and I sat on the sidelines and watched the other team celebrate. After all of these years, I still think back to that moment and replay it in my mind with all the different possible outcomes. I can only imagine that this is the feeling that Richard had when he watched Stephanie win Season 4. A grateful loser, he would've given anything for a second chance. And now he gets it.
Forecasted Rivalry: Richard vs. Marcel
Everyone knows Richard as the "molecular gastronomist" of Top Chef. But one thing we can't forget is that he wasn't the first to bring this new culinary technique to the show. Marcel of Season 2 wowed viewers with his "weird" textures and flavored foams. We may have forgotten that he was the original M.G., but I can assure you that he hasn't forgotten that. Look for a season of "one-up-manship" between these two.
Whether it was liquid nitrogen, smoke guns, or sodium alginate, Richard had fans running to their computers after every episode so we could all try and learn can how to utilize these tools in our own kitchen. The things he did in the Top Chef kitchen amazed not only his competition and his fans, but also the judges.
Richard made it to the finale of Season 4, but fell short and admitted that he choked.
But this post isn't about who he was in Season 4, it is about why he will win Season 8. During a season of Little League, I had a chance to win the championship game for my team with one swing of the bat. I wound up grounding out to end the game and I sat on the sidelines and watched the other team celebrate. After all of these years, I still think back to that moment and replay it in my mind with all the different possible outcomes. I can only imagine that this is the feeling that Richard had when he watched Stephanie win Season 4. A grateful loser, he would've given anything for a second chance. And now he gets it.
Forecasted Rivalry: Richard vs. Marcel
Everyone knows Richard as the "molecular gastronomist" of Top Chef. But one thing we can't forget is that he wasn't the first to bring this new culinary technique to the show. Marcel of Season 2 wowed viewers with his "weird" textures and flavored foams. We may have forgotten that he was the original M.G., but I can assure you that he hasn't forgotten that. Look for a season of "one-up-manship" between these two.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Why Angelo Will Win
Season 7 seems like it ended just yesterday and we all remember the finale, which had Angelo bedridden for the first 12 hours of the competition.
I remember having a mix of emotions about the whole situation. Part of me agreed with Ed, in that if $125k were on the line, I'd force my corpse out of bed and get the job done, while another part of me felt bad for him that he was blowing his chance at the title, while yet another part of me thought it was unfair that his sous-chef Hung (a past Top Chef champion) was in charge.
When it was all said and done, Angelo was up-ended by Kevin and was left with a "if only..." expression on his face.
How do you not get angry and bitter about the fact that a stomach virus crippled your chances at the title of Top Chef? Well one thing that may have kept Angelo positive is that fact that he is a big fan of the self-help guru Tony Robbins'.
But this post isn't about who he was in Season 7, it is about why he will win Season 8. We've seen many past competitors let this competition get the best of them. Trying to cook your best food day-in and day-out against some of the other best chefs in America can stress you out and break you down mentally. As mentioned earlier, Angelo follows the guidelines of Tony Robbins and also spends time each morning meditating about the day ahead of him. It's going to be this focus that allows him to treat each competition as a brand new opportunity and will allow him to cook his best food at any given time.
Forecasted Rivalry: Angelo vs. Spike
One thing that fans of Season 7 remember was the "Battle of the Alpha Males" between Angelo and Kenny. Angelo likes being the one whose in charge and dishing out orders. This isn't going to sit well with many of the out-spoken contestants, like Spike. Look for a team challenge in the future that pits these two against each other as they try and "collectively" plan a menu.
I remember having a mix of emotions about the whole situation. Part of me agreed with Ed, in that if $125k were on the line, I'd force my corpse out of bed and get the job done, while another part of me felt bad for him that he was blowing his chance at the title, while yet another part of me thought it was unfair that his sous-chef Hung (a past Top Chef champion) was in charge.
When it was all said and done, Angelo was up-ended by Kevin and was left with a "if only..." expression on his face.
How do you not get angry and bitter about the fact that a stomach virus crippled your chances at the title of Top Chef? Well one thing that may have kept Angelo positive is that fact that he is a big fan of the self-help guru Tony Robbins'.
But this post isn't about who he was in Season 7, it is about why he will win Season 8. We've seen many past competitors let this competition get the best of them. Trying to cook your best food day-in and day-out against some of the other best chefs in America can stress you out and break you down mentally. As mentioned earlier, Angelo follows the guidelines of Tony Robbins and also spends time each morning meditating about the day ahead of him. It's going to be this focus that allows him to treat each competition as a brand new opportunity and will allow him to cook his best food at any given time.
Forecasted Rivalry: Angelo vs. Spike
One thing that fans of Season 7 remember was the "Battle of the Alpha Males" between Angelo and Kenny. Angelo likes being the one whose in charge and dishing out orders. This isn't going to sit well with many of the out-spoken contestants, like Spike. Look for a team challenge in the future that pits these two against each other as they try and "collectively" plan a menu.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Why Tre Will Win
I'm not sure if I have to be unbiased on this blog, but I've decided to air something out that I've been holding on to since Season 3.
Tre is by far my favorite competitor to ever be on Top Chef and Gail Simmons was dead-on when she labeled him as the biggest upset in TC history.
I'm not saying it was the biggest upset because he didn't win. I personally think Hung was a monster in the kitchen and couldn't be stopped that season. I am saying he was upset because his team lost Restaurant Wars and Tre was sent home in 8th place!
When asked about it, Tre always responds positively and backs-up the judges decision. A constant topic for debate has always been whether or not the chefs should be judged on day-to-day performances, or if their collective performance should be taken into account. Tre takes the high road and agrees that you should be judged on the food you put on the plate for that meal and unfortunately, that challenge was not his best food.
Not his best food may be an understatement as one of the judges compared his dish to "a car wreck in Times Square." Ouch.
But this post isn't about who he was in Season 3, it is about why he will win Season 8. It all comes down to the fact the Tre must be sick and tired of all the times he's heard "you got sent home too early" from fans on the streets and at his restaurant. No matter how humble you are, that will surely get inside of your head at some point. It's Season 8 and it's time for redemption.
Forecasted Rivalry: Tre vs. Angelo
Tre said from Episode #1 that Hung was his greatest competition in the kitchen. Thinking back to the Season 7 finale, you'll remember that Angelo and Hung are in fact friends and have a very similar cooking style. From episode-to-episode, Angelo showed he has a very clean and complex style, one that will surely get noticed by Tre. Look for Tre to peg Angelo as his biggest competition of the season and watch for some great head-to-head matchups!
Tre is by far my favorite competitor to ever be on Top Chef and Gail Simmons was dead-on when she labeled him as the biggest upset in TC history.
I'm not saying it was the biggest upset because he didn't win. I personally think Hung was a monster in the kitchen and couldn't be stopped that season. I am saying he was upset because his team lost Restaurant Wars and Tre was sent home in 8th place!
When asked about it, Tre always responds positively and backs-up the judges decision. A constant topic for debate has always been whether or not the chefs should be judged on day-to-day performances, or if their collective performance should be taken into account. Tre takes the high road and agrees that you should be judged on the food you put on the plate for that meal and unfortunately, that challenge was not his best food.
Not his best food may be an understatement as one of the judges compared his dish to "a car wreck in Times Square." Ouch.
But this post isn't about who he was in Season 3, it is about why he will win Season 8. It all comes down to the fact the Tre must be sick and tired of all the times he's heard "you got sent home too early" from fans on the streets and at his restaurant. No matter how humble you are, that will surely get inside of your head at some point. It's Season 8 and it's time for redemption.
Forecasted Rivalry: Tre vs. Angelo
Tre said from Episode #1 that Hung was his greatest competition in the kitchen. Thinking back to the Season 7 finale, you'll remember that Angelo and Hung are in fact friends and have a very similar cooking style. From episode-to-episode, Angelo showed he has a very clean and complex style, one that will surely get noticed by Tre. Look for Tre to peg Angelo as his biggest competition of the season and watch for some great head-to-head matchups!
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