Pure Genius

An interactive wine tasting via Twitter?

Why didn’t I think of that?

Tweeting Top Chef Las Vegas

• Watching the first episode of Top Chef Las Vegas! #
• Boys that look like girls. Girls that look like boys. Top Chef is back! #topchef #
• @AnnaTarkov So happy it’s back. But this episode is just a tease, right? Full season to start later? (PS: This is @KatieFavazza) #topchef #
• Jennifer is going to be the one who takes it really personally when she doesn’t win. What gives her the right to kiss Tom? -FM #topchef #
• @Berrykeller It’s probably those lobsters! #topchef in reply to Berrykeller #
• Channeling Fabio… “It’s not Top Scallop!” -FM #topchef #
• Ron can barely button his chef coat. That’s the mark of a great cook. -FM #topchef #
• Gratuitous rack joke actually kind of funny. -KF #topchef #
• Deep-fried ribeye: Genius or insane? -FM #topchef #
• KF pick: RT @bravofan: so what i’m learning is… chefs love to drink. i’m shocked. #topchef #
• “I’m a bad Jew. Pork is my vice.” Ha, probably would be mine, too. -KF #topchef #
• RT @laurabasford: Why is almost EVERYONE’S vice alcohol-related? Maybe after the Quickfire they can have a quick AA meeting. #topchef #
• Why aren’t all donuts served with bacon? -KF #genius #topchef #
• Kevin might talk himself into trouble. -FM #topchef #
• Eve is also a talker. Could be trouble. -FM #topchef #
• Any good arctic char tips out there? -FM #topchef #
• Who’s going home from #topchef? Katie picks Eve. Frank picks Jennifer. #
• I hate it when he’s right. -KF #topchef #
• @AnnaTarkov Oh wow, that is soon. Frank says he’s not ready for the new season. I, however, was born ready. -KF #topchef in reply to AnnaTarkov #
• @Berrykeller Too soon, but Jennifer Carroll seems formidable. -FM #topchef in reply to Berrykeller #
• @Berrykeller We were wrong, but we were wrong together! See you next week–same time, same place! -KF #topchef in reply to Berrykeller #
• I’ve never actually seen Top Chef Masters, but I’m LOVING the autobiography-themed final challenge. -KF #topchef #
• @BravoTopChef Brilliant schedule to get more people to watch the Top Chef Masters finale. I might be hooked. -KF #topchef #
• What’s your first food memory? -KF #topchef #
• @Berrykeller We do have a blast when we cook! See you then! -KF in reply to Berrykeller #
• @bravofan Ditto! in reply to bravofan #
• @tjbrown Not really a marinade, but coat ribs with yellow mustard and rub with salt, chili powder, bl. pepper and brown sugar overnight. -FM in reply to tjbrown #

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Giving Top Chef Masters a Try

Here at The Foodventure we’re big fans of Top Chef. I think it is a great mix of food and personalities, and it is almost always an enthralling hour of television. This summer, Bravo is trying out a new concept: Top Chef Masters.

Top Chef Masters (TCM) features 24 chefs, many of whom are recognizable to TV foodies. For six weeks, four of the chefs will compete against each other in the usual Top Chef Quickfire/Elimination Challenge format, with the winner of the group moving on to the second round with the other five winners. I watched on Wednesday to see if it measured up to the original, and I thought I’d offer a few thoughts for our readers.

TCM carries over a lot of material from the original, including over the top product placement and reality TV essential confessional interviews. Part of why Top Chef works is because there’s always a contestant or two with a bitter, completely unlikeable personality who viewers rally around rooting against, and the confessional serves as a way to draw that personality out. On TCM, the chefs are consumate professionals who, instead of competing for significant cash and recognition, are playing for the charity of their choice. This eliminates a lot of the drama that defines the original Top Chef.

The fact that these guys (and gals) are pros really changes the dynamic. Top Chef relies on overeager competitors making mistakes, but these guys handle the curves like they’re nothing. In week one, Texas-based chef Tim Love inadvertently puts all of his groceries in the freezer overnight, a mistake that would have killed many lesser cooks. He obviously would not have done this on purpose, but it did not entirely throw him off, and he still competed admirably.

Top Chef fans should enjoy Top Chef Masters. It lacks some of the drama of the original, but the collection of chefs is impressive, and if week one is any indication, the chefs really enjoy the challenge and will rise to the occasion. Summer time TV is notoriously unsatisfying, but Top Chef Masters can be the Wednesday night fix that gets people through the week.

The Death of Baconmania?

If you ask me, bacon has never been better. Bacon at breakfast is great, but bacon isn’t limited to the first meal of the day. Just ask Frank, who has said famously, “Bacon is my favorite vegetable.” Or my brother Mark, who says, “Bacon is meat candy.”
The cool folks at Slate.com who put the following video together, however, think bacon has had its 15 minutes of fame. (Hat tip to Grub Street)
Read more »

The Obligatory Top Chef Reunion Post

Editor’s Note: Frank and I are big fans of Top Chef and try to watch the new episodes together when we can. Frank didn’t want our first Top Chef post to be about the reunion show, so I’m (briefly) addressing tonight’s episode on my own.

The most recent season of Top Chef just ended last week, but Bravo is airing a reunion tonight. Now, I recognize that it’s taped in advance, so maybe the cast is ready to reunite. I understand, more importantly, why Bravo might not be ready to let go of the Top Chef audience that doesn’t care for most of its other programming, Frank and I included. Not enough time has passed, however, for me to miss the characters and I have no interest in actually watching a reunion episode. I want to know if Leah and Hosea are dating, but I’m sure I can read about that tomorrow morning.

I’m much more interested in speculating about where next season will take place. I’m pulling for D.C., St. Louis or Denver–where I live, where I’m from and where Frank is from, respectively. Where do you think the next season will take place? Where do you hope to see it? Post a comment below if you’re a Top Chef fan, too.

Update: In other news, Fabio is hawking frozen pizzas.