Hott Links: Has Anyone Heard About this Top Chef Show?

hungpic-1.jpg

Sorry to hit you with the back-to-back Bravo action, but Top Chef 4 starts in Chi-town this evening, and, hey we’re excited. As always, you can count on ES for all your TC gossip, ramblings, and of course, our world wide web famous Padma Lakshmi photo gallery.

– Bravo has a completely unnecessary and completely amazing “Which Top Chef judge are You?” quiz. I won’t tell you which one I matched up with, but let’s just say “though always graceful and poised, I can be playful when the time is right, and I bring a zest for life to everything I do.”

– There’s only one interesting question in this Grub Street interview with Padma Lakshmi, and it’s the last one.

– Time Out NY has the lowdown on Top Chef 3 winner Hung and his latest restaurant stint in NY (they also explain why he’s wearing a yarmulke).

Photo: Time Out NY

Liar, Liar, Career On Fire

irvine liar

Editors Note:  You might remember BK from his earlier rant on ES fav Alton Brown.  Well, this time he has more shit to throw at another Food Network star.  But this time, it’s way more legit.  Here’s BK on resume writing. 

Who among us hasn’t padded our resume a bit? That was my first reaction when I saw that Robert Irvine was being sacked by the Food Network for lying about his previous cooking experience. After reading some of the things he tried to get away with, you can’t help but wonder if he is a little nuts though. Regardless of his indiscretions, I can’t help but be a little disappointed, and here is why.

There are two things I like about going out to eat. I love the artistry involved in a well crafted dish. But just as much, I love watching the machinations of a restaurant when it is trying to pump out 250 covers on a jumping Friday night. Having worked in several capacities at different restaurants, I know every second of a busy Friday or Saturday: the entire place is walking a thin line between flawless service and utter insanity.

Most of the Food Network programs make cooking look so easy. Every time someone tastes one of their own dishes, they gesticulate and moan about how wonderful it is. Never once have even I witnessed anyone say, “this could use a little more salt.”

Like Bob Ross whipping together a perfect landscape painting in a half an hour, it is all a bit unrealistic. Robert Irvine’s Dinner: Impossible was probably guilty of over dramatizing the stress of his situations. But it brought something entirely different to the network. It demonstrated to people how challenging cooking for large groups of people can be and hopefully added to their appreciation of the cooking business. He seemed like an affable guy and his food always looked really good.

I hope he lands on his feet somewhere soon. I would definitely go out to eat at any restaurant he opens. Now I hope no one finds out I wasn’t Kim Jong Il’s personal chef. Kimchi anyone?

Oh, That’s Whatchamacallit

baby-ruth.jpg

AOL Food put together this pretty great quiz that tasks you to identify the inside of 20 different candy bars. It’s fun and surprisingly challenging, although it should come with a fair warning that it both stressed me out and made me hungry.

Mmm…check it out.

(and let us know how well you do)

Maybe You Shouldn’t Be Such a Hungry Man

hungry man

You know those Hungry Man commercials. It’s like, oh, only wussies eat salad or whatever. Okay, that was a bad impression, but I think you know what I’m talking about. The whole notion that MEN need a pound of food is sexist and unhealthy. Not to mention completely fucking wrong.

So it was nice to see Men’s Health feature the 20 worst foods found in restaurants, plus suggestions for alternatives. Vanity is in.

[youtube hSLp5yt2C8Q]

Photo: Scritchy Pictures

Where My Peeps At?

peeps.jpg

Over on our Facebook page earlier this week, Endless Simmer was ruminating about how excited we are for Peeps Season. (Of course you already know this if you are friends with us.)

Seriously though, how awesome is Easter? Jellybeans, Cadbury’s eggs, marshmallow peeps – it’s like Halloween but with Jesus. And this year, it comes extra early. Oh man, we must have been good this year or something.

Building on our excitement, JoeHoya wanted to make sure we knew the Washington Post runs an annual PEEPS DIORAMA CONTEST.

It’s OK, take a minute. I’m sure you’re staggering back with excitement the same way I was. Here are the details:

We want you to make a diorama of a famous occurrence or scene. It can be a historical, current or future event, or it can be a nod to pop culture. The main rule is that all the characters must be played by Peeps, those marshmallowy chicks and rabbits that start plaguing checkout lines in every grocery and convenience store this time of year….The winner will receive a $100 American Express gift check and a Peeps prize pack courtesy of Just Born, the company that owns the Peeps brand. Four runners-up will receive a $50 American Express gift check and a Peeps prize pack.

Let’s recap:

You get to make a diorama, for the first time since grade school, you have to incorporate peeps, you can win dollar bills, and “Extra credit may be given to deft use of puns in the concept or title.”

Oh it’s on.

Photo: WaPo

Hippy Gourmet

hippy gourmet

When I first started cooking I loved watching all of the Food Network shows. I have to admit it, RayRay’s constant repeating of the same phrases and lessons did actually help me learn a few things (and some not-to-dos).

But I soon grew tired of those highly-stylized personalities and started checking out alternative shows. Public television is really where it’s at. That’s where I found the Hippy Gourmet. Read on.

And watch this.

[youtube Riwz48YJZMw]

Photo: Hippy Gourmet

« Previous
Next »