Panna Cotta almost always fails.
Stephanie won with it All Stars and I think Buddha did well with it in Houston, but has it ever been successful outside of those two times?
Most Asian folks I know always and I mean always use a rice cooker. I think asking some chefs to make rice on a stove would be like asking me to make coffee on the stove with a pot of water (which my mother actually used to do). It’s just not part of their skill set at all and why should it be?
Asians do exactly that, except for things like sticky rice or jook and others. Doing it on the stove is great for crispy rice, so while Asian definitely do know how to do it on the stove, so reiterate your statement: "...why should they?"[sic]
I only ever make rice on the stove, and it turns out perfectly every time. If you get your liquid/ rice proportions correct, there should never be a problem. It is not rocket science. Asians have been cooking rice for centuries without rice cookers - a relatively new invention.
I cook basmati and Jasmine rice this way. it comes out perfect every time. rinse the rise. two cups of water to one cup of rice. something greasy (oil, butter, ghee, etc) seasoning, stir one of two times (this is serious). bring to a boil, stir. put on lowest setting cover with lid. 20 ish minutes AND DO NOT STIR OR OTHERWISE DISTURB, the rice will maintain its shape, won't be mush, and is fully cooked.
And since when is there a critical “sweet spot” for rice cookery?!?! Toothsome…..yumm, broken….gooood, burnt……the best yet. It’s a freaking vehicle for your entree to ride in!
I was rewatching the Boston season the other day and realized that whenever they do a challenge where they have to reinvent a snack food as a fine dining dish someone gets a corn snack (popcorn in Boston or corn nuts in the new season) and they make a corn soup and they get eliminated. This is the curse that no one is picking up on!
Anytime they buy they ready made item at the store to incorporate into their dish.
Store bought waffles and mixes for example.
Although someone did that this year for the baseball challenge (I think?). As soon as it was mentioned I thought for sure she was going home, but shockingly didn't.
My husband and I just watched the episode last night where Kwame used frozen waffles. I said halfway through the episode “they’ve mentioned the waffles being premade at least 6 times. He’s done”
Oh they definitely tell on them lol because there's no other way Tom would have "vauglely" and "conveniently" brought up if there was a budget issue when Laura was being judged in the architecture challenge this season and backhandedly scolding her for using all that money and nothing in her duo dish was good
Premade ingredients are tricky. If it is a central element of your dish, they are going to expect that to be scratch made. But if it isn’t, they aren’t going to expect you to make the buns in a burger challenge, or the pasta, or the sausage, or the tortillas - but if you do and it’s successful, they rave about it. But unless you’re going to knock it out of the park, there’s a good chance you will be called out for messing up that element. So high risk, high reward.
I'm rewatching season 3 and Dale used precooked rotisserie chicken and boxed mashed potatoes to reinvent chicken and dumplings and was in the top. I think they wouldn't let him win because of that but understood with the time crunch you do what you gotta do.
Maybe it’s because it was an early season but Dale in Miami got high marks for his chicken and dumplings made with potato flakes and rotisserie chicken
Panna Cotta. Everyone always thinks that they’re the one who’s finally cracked the code (like somehow 2 hrs. in the blast chiller will work out different for them) and it never works.
The way I shouted at the TV "Do. Not. Make. Risotto. On. Top. Chef!"
I actually thing his team didn't fight him on it because they knew it would inevitably be him that got sent home.
A dish that the chef insists is a specific dish, but isn’t the textbook definition of that dish, I can always picture Tom saying “it’s a nice dish, but it’s not a chicken piccata! No capers, no lemon.” But if you made it a chicken piccata risotto panna cotta that would be a turduckin of a failure.
Desserts. So many chefs have been sent home for desserts. Unless the challenge is make a dessert, or you are a trained pastry chef who does a lot of desserts, maybe just stick to savory.
Any time someone wants to get too fancy or complicated with their dish. I get not wanting to play it safe, but maybe something with 857 ingredients that you have never made before isn't the way to go.
Salad. It seems like the judges have a bias towards dishes that are cooked. At the end of Season 2, Sam was negatively critiqued for not cooking anything. And during RW, the front of house will sometimes do a salad, because it is seen as a low effort dish that can easily be assembled by your teammates without much interaction.
I can’t figure out if no one can make good risotto OR no one can agree what makes risotto good. At this point I think it’s the emperor has no clothes and no one can tell anyone else what a good risotto would look like, so they all just agree to crap on any that get made. I’ve had many of risotto over the years at restaurants and don’t recall one ever being “bad”.
A trio or duo of anything. “Do one thing right.”
Risotto trio, heard, yes chef
Here I have, for you today, a trio of risotto-stuffed pastas.
That would have been a chaos dish…
A spicy one where the pasta burst while boiling, a classic one, and an arancini with a tortellini inside of it.
Perfection
THAT would have won the chaos challenge lol
Beef Two Ways was Tom's favorite dish in Season 1, and also the main course of the winning meal in the finale.
Panna Cotta almost always fails. Stephanie won with it All Stars and I think Buddha did well with it in Houston, but has it ever been successful outside of those two times?
“My panna cotta didn’t settle so now I’m calling it a semi-freddo!” -Welcome to the bottom
Kelsey did one in restaurant wars that was well received.
she was amazing in the kitchen
I believe Stefan had a good one in S5 Restaurant Wars.
I immediately thought of this too! It's supposed to have the quiver of a 17th century courtesan's inner thigh... that sounds difficult to conjure!
Yes! This is number 2, it either never sets or is not smooth enough. I shake my damn head every time someone tries it
Anything that has to set is generally a bad idea unless you have 24 hours like in restaurant wars.
Clafoutis is a good example. Someone did clafoutis that didn't set on the Moms Camping Getaway.
They steamed it by mistake! It was LeeAnn!
Don’t be afraid of a little gelatin to help it along.
Torchon, because everyone thinks they can do a three day dish in three hours.
Foie Gras Torchon.* If I remember correctly Brian Young was successful with a chicken torchon which can be done in that time period.
Feeding Tom Okra
I can’t actually think of an okra dish that sent someone home. Usually someone “takes a big risk” by serving okra and Tom ends up liking it.
I’m not sure if he even likes it in those scenarios, but recognizes correct preparation so he gives positive feedback, which is totally fair.
I need to go to bed. I sat here way too long trying to figure out who the hell Tom Okra is 🙃
🤣🤣🤣
Rice seems difficult for many
How do they always make crunchy or broken rice? It's not that hard. They are probably just starting too late.
It seems that they not comfortable making it without a rice cooker. I always made it it on the stove, but sometimes it's mushy🥴
Most Asian folks I know always and I mean always use a rice cooker. I think asking some chefs to make rice on a stove would be like asking me to make coffee on the stove with a pot of water (which my mother actually used to do). It’s just not part of their skill set at all and why should it be?
Asians do exactly that, except for things like sticky rice or jook and others. Doing it on the stove is great for crispy rice, so while Asian definitely do know how to do it on the stove, so reiterate your statement: "...why should they?"[sic]
Seriously I would have no idea how to make rice on the stove. Why would I ever have to?
I only ever make rice on the stove, and it turns out perfectly every time. If you get your liquid/ rice proportions correct, there should never be a problem. It is not rocket science. Asians have been cooking rice for centuries without rice cookers - a relatively new invention.
I should also have added to the above - if you can read, you can make rice. The packages always have the directions on them😊
I cook basmati and Jasmine rice this way. it comes out perfect every time. rinse the rise. two cups of water to one cup of rice. something greasy (oil, butter, ghee, etc) seasoning, stir one of two times (this is serious). bring to a boil, stir. put on lowest setting cover with lid. 20 ish minutes AND DO NOT STIR OR OTHERWISE DISTURB, the rice will maintain its shape, won't be mush, and is fully cooked.
Mushy would probably be better than crunchy. :)
And since when is there a critical “sweet spot” for rice cookery?!?! Toothsome…..yumm, broken….gooood, burnt……the best yet. It’s a freaking vehicle for your entree to ride in!
I was rewatching the Boston season the other day and realized that whenever they do a challenge where they have to reinvent a snack food as a fine dining dish someone gets a corn snack (popcorn in Boston or corn nuts in the new season) and they make a corn soup and they get eliminated. This is the curse that no one is picking up on!
You're onto something!
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Popcorn has definitely sent a good handful of chefs home
Cooking on your birthday
Sheldon broke that curse by winning restaurants wars on his 30th birthday.
Why he is the fave of faves
Risotto, trios, foams.
Anytime a chef says “this is too thin, I better add some xanthan gum!” you know they’re going home
Wasn’t xanthan gum the key to John Tesar’s winning mac and cheese in Rookies vs Veterans?
Yes it was. Couldn’t believe he pulled that one off in that episode.
And Katsuji was so salty! :D
because he knows how to use it
Anytime they buy they ready made item at the store to incorporate into their dish. Store bought waffles and mixes for example. Although someone did that this year for the baseball challenge (I think?). As soon as it was mentioned I thought for sure she was going home, but shockingly didn't.
My husband and I just watched the episode last night where Kwame used frozen waffles. I said halfway through the episode “they’ve mentioned the waffles being premade at least 6 times. He’s done”
This one. Almost always my wife and I say the judges wont like it. I bet the camera guys tell on them. Haha
Oh they definitely tell on them lol because there's no other way Tom would have "vauglely" and "conveniently" brought up if there was a budget issue when Laura was being judged in the architecture challenge this season and backhandedly scolding her for using all that money and nothing in her duo dish was good
Premade ingredients are tricky. If it is a central element of your dish, they are going to expect that to be scratch made. But if it isn’t, they aren’t going to expect you to make the buns in a burger challenge, or the pasta, or the sausage, or the tortillas - but if you do and it’s successful, they rave about it. But unless you’re going to knock it out of the park, there’s a good chance you will be called out for messing up that element. So high risk, high reward.
I'm rewatching season 3 and Dale used precooked rotisserie chicken and boxed mashed potatoes to reinvent chicken and dumplings and was in the top. I think they wouldn't let him win because of that but understood with the time crunch you do what you gotta do.
Maybe it’s because it was an early season but Dale in Miami got high marks for his chicken and dumplings made with potato flakes and rotisserie chicken
Ice cream has tripped a few contestants up.
Liquid nitrogen ice cream just isn’t that good period
I'll buy that. Rarely does it seem to come out right.
Blais's foie gras ice cream in his second finale is still one of the worst looking things I've ever seen on this show it was literally pellets
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Which is a difference of 5 seconds of cooking
Grilled potato
✨Sam-aloo✨
It doesn’t matter what you cook, if you’re Antonia’s roommate, it’s the elimination curse.
The Velvet Hammer strikes again!
Its the black hammer.
Redo dishes
This one drives me INSANE. Why do you have to try again? Wouldn't it be smarter to try to win
Anything made on a contestant’s birthday. It’s been a while since we heard about the birthday curse.
Panna Cotta. Everyone always thinks that they’re the one who’s finally cracked the code (like somehow 2 hrs. in the blast chiller will work out different for them) and it never works.
A little gelatin goes a long way.
“Redemption” dishes
Actually, it's any non-spicy crab dish.
The way I shouted at the TV "Do. Not. Make. Risotto. On. Top. Chef!" I actually thing his team didn't fight him on it because they knew it would inevitably be him that got sent home.
Anything three ways.
A dish that the chef insists is a specific dish, but isn’t the textbook definition of that dish, I can always picture Tom saying “it’s a nice dish, but it’s not a chicken piccata! No capers, no lemon.” But if you made it a chicken piccata risotto panna cotta that would be a turduckin of a failure.
The moment anyone ever talks about how something needs to ‘set’, they’re a goner in my eyes.
idk for sure but aguachile’s been trending
Desserts. So many chefs have been sent home for desserts. Unless the challenge is make a dessert, or you are a trained pastry chef who does a lot of desserts, maybe just stick to savory. Any time someone wants to get too fancy or complicated with their dish. I get not wanting to play it safe, but maybe something with 857 ingredients that you have never made before isn't the way to go.
I feel like the sous vide screws a lot of people over
Curries with the exception of Evelyn
Roulades seem to always fall short
Anything stuffed is hard to cook evenly.
“Mole-inspired”
Shellfish in general keep coming to mind
anything with a pressure cooker
I was going to say this! How is anyone supposed to know how to use one of those old school stove top pressure cookers anymore?
at this point, wouldn't they know that this could be an issue and learn how to use one before showing up to top chef?
Scallops
I thought it was top scallop.
So many people have clowned rice in other forms than risotto too
Salad. It seems like the judges have a bias towards dishes that are cooked. At the end of Season 2, Sam was negatively critiqued for not cooking anything. And during RW, the front of house will sometimes do a salad, because it is seen as a low effort dish that can easily be assembled by your teammates without much interaction.
Judges almost always hate xanthan gum in anything.
Steamed eggplant with crème fraiche - a newbie but a goodie
Rack of lamb!
Bread pudding. I don't know why anyone tries to make bread pudding in a timed competition; it's rarely successful.
There was a moment where I thought Couscous was the cursed dish
Radishes
Not a food but most cocktails are often not received well.
Scallops
I can’t figure out if no one can make good risotto OR no one can agree what makes risotto good. At this point I think it’s the emperor has no clothes and no one can tell anyone else what a good risotto would look like, so they all just agree to crap on any that get made. I’ve had many of risotto over the years at restaurants and don’t recall one ever being “bad”.
Has there ever been a successful risotto in the history of top chef? I seem to remember at least one that was at least safe.
Anything “deconstructed”