The Next Iron Chef Search Has Begun
October 5, 2009 by Michelle Smith
Filed under Recipes
Did you catch the first episode of The Next Iron Chef Season 2 yesterday? If not, stop reading now, because I would hate to inadvertently spoil anything for you.
This season, the show, hosted by Alton Brown, will be judged by Anya Fernald, Donatella Arapai, and Jeffrey Steingarten (my least favorite Iron Chef judge). Fans of the Iron Chefshow will be familiar with Arapai and Steingarten, but I was unfamiliar with Frenald until last night. I liked her. She sounds knowledgeable, but she remains polite. I love reality tv, but I’m not a fan of rudeness and so many reality tv shows seem to exist for the purpose of sharing bad behavior with the world.
Competing chefs included Amanda Freitag, Brad Farmerie, Dominique Crenn, Eric Greenspan, Holly Smith, Jehangir Mehta, Jose Garces, Nate Appleman, Roberto Trevino, and Seamus Mullen. The show started off with two separate challenges – one a memory food item that the chefs were familiar with and the other something new and……well icky. I have no interest in ever trying something made with cockscombs or unlaid eggs. Bleech.
A problem that I have with many reality shows is that the judging can be a bit uneven. A chef can be penalized for both embracing an ingredient too much or not embracing it enough. Who determines what the correct balance is to be? With something like stinky tofu (that’s actually what it was called, not my opinion of tofu), would it be better for the chef to serve the tofu in a way that shared the unpleasant side of it or to mask that aspect?
I can’t wait to see what the chefs come up with this season, but so far I think my favorite is either Chef Garces or Chef Trevino. How about you? Do you have a favorite yet? Did you agree that Chef Greenspan was the best choice to go home first?
Image credit: Zuma Press
I caught part of it the first time they showed it last night, then stayed up to watch it through when it came back on. By then everyone else was in bed and I had control of the TV:-) My early favorites are Amanda Frietag and Robert Trevino. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.
I’m embarrassed to admit that I watched the first part 3 times. There was so much to see. Thanks for commenting, Linette.
Why don’t they show this in India?
“Great review Michelle! I really agree with you about the glorification of rude behavior on reality shows. It is possible to be honest without being rude. Jeffery Steingarten’s hard to please attitude didn’t impress me either.
According to me, the contestants who stand out for their creative use of ingredients are Chef Mullen, Chef Trevino and Chef Jehangir Mehta. I have been to Graffiti before so I paid a little extra attention to what Chef Jehangir Mehta did with his ingredient (duck tongue) in the second challenge during the judges review. I loved my experience at Graffiti. It’s a bit small and their portions could be bigger but their food is so flavorful and their service is brilliant! Maybe I’m a bit biased but I feel Chef Mehta stands out as one of the contestants with the best presentation and plating skills. Even his performance on Iron Chef America was fun to watch.
Also, I don’t agree to the judges’ decision of letting Chef Greenspan go as he brought a lot of positive energy to the show and among the contestants not to mention his good on screen persona. I thought Chef Crenn’s preparation was equally deplorable.”
My wife is not that a fan of reality tv, but does not mind this show. I guess I am gonna have some special by the end of the season.
YUMMY
It does encourage you to be brave in the kitchen.
Thanks for commenting.