[iconoclast]

anyone here catch the premiere episode of 'Chopping Block'??? any thoughts or opinions of it?

for those of you who arent familiar or missed it:

Chopping Block TV Show Series on NBC

The Chopping Block - All Videos - Newest - Video - NBC.com

seems like its another rip-off show from the UK... kind of a twist on 'last restaurant standing'... curious to see how this turns out, but only bc of Marco Pierre White... if he wouldnt be involved in this, i prolly wouldnt even bother with the show...

[shipscook]

I posted this on the ****'s Kitchen thread in answer to another query---

I was going to start a thread on this, but will reply here--
I wasn't that impressed, seemed they went for quirky contestents, and lots of dumb a** drama and bleeped words. all the things many of us are tired of in the other shows?
I will watch it again but maybe not for long?

I was glad to see Marco Pierre White

what did you think?

I really like Chopped, no time for drama and other bs. have missed several, my goofy schedule, hope they have a marathon. I miss it on Saturday too.

is last Restaurant Standing from the UK?

Nan

[iconoclast]

you think those 'accidents' in the kitchen last night were staged? the salamander falling off the wall, the oven door shattering, lights going out. etc.

last restaurant standing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Res..._(UK_TV_Series)

[shipscook]

gosh hope they weren't, that could just be dangerous.

That situation was scary to me. I try to never leave the dock with a galley that has been shut down for a while without getting everything up and running a day or do before--there are always surprises and few of them good. But that gives us time to get needed parts, techs, etc. Opening for service like that hopefully doesn't happen very often in a place that has been shut down very long?

I'm not sure how to put this, but on all the shows, when things go wrong, several of the contestents seem to come undone and emotional fairly often. And things that they are supposed to deal with--a dining room filling up? running out of a product, etc.? sets some of them to quivering.
I have had equipment fail (not fall), but you have to work through it.
still didn't say it right?

Nan

[shroomgirl]

working with people you just met

coming up with a menu in 24 hours and then working it

do they know that only 50 guests would come in? or was it random?

some of them had cooked in other capacity than a restaurant kitchen, ie personal chef comes to mind.

I bet Khoa and Denise were used to their family's long standing Chinese restaurant that flows.....he seemed the most interesting cook, I really hated seeing them leave.

Can you imagine walking into a new place, setting up your mise, having equipment not function, nor having an exec that obviously is wet behind the ears, having front of the house be chatty cathys and not figure out that food doesn't walk to the table by itself and gets cold if it sits...duh...

8 people running a restaurant, how would you divy up labor?
What kind of menu would you write?
what working rules would you need to have in place to function?

So how are these teams going to work with 6 people running a restaurant?

If you notice Gordon's **** Kitchen menus don't change other than altering or adding....you're essentially making the risotto, scallops with quail eggs, lamb en croute, etc.....
*when CMac was on stage this past Jan, she made Gordon's squash/suasage risotto and a pear tartin with caramel sauce.....interesting recipes.
the pear was about as easy as you can get, the risotto was loaded up with mascarpone, butter, parm at the end.

[shipscook]

thanks, you are right--guess I have reality cooking competition fatigue.
was thinking back to some of the other situations, other shows.
this was insane with the 24 hour deal.
our cable was out for ****'s Kitchen last night and I almost didn't mind.
take care,
Nan

[mont86]

I love how the Chef White works with these guys.

[iconoclast]

same here...

[mont86]

Its been pulled or CHOPPED...

I like it, which is usually a bad sign.

NBC 86-es Chopping Block

[shroomgirl]

the last 5 segments will be supposedly slipped in somewhere, sometime......bummer!
Apparently the public that watches food tv didn't get into it, I found it more entertaining than ****'s kitchen......Top Chef is still a much better show to see talent.

[amazingrace]

I've watched it. It's hard to believe that the some of contestants are supposed to be professional chefs. It seems as if they were chosen more for their ignorance of the basics, than for any actual knowledge or skill in the kitchen.

[mont86]

I enjoy watching how passionate the good Chefs are about their trade. Its refreshing to me, I work in a power plant and nobody gives
a crap about anything. But these guys take pride in their work and expect the same from the people in their kitchen.

[Koukouvagia]

I haven't watched it yet, not enough commercials for it and I didn't know it was on. Hubby likes to watch American Idol so I wouldn't have seen it anyway. Bravo always airs new shows at 10 and then plays a lot of re-runs, that's why people get into Top Chef so much, because it's available to them. I'd like to see Chopped but NBC would rather go up against other prime time shows than make it available to watch.

[mont86]

I don't have Bravo yet, the cable company said they adding next month. Hope to watch top chef.

[katbalou]

so, who won?