sevenswells | Top Chef Masters

Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Yoda - Weird Al Yankovic

Entry tags:

Top Chef Masters - random thoughts

FINALLY!! FINALLY, it's back! With a gay Ken doll host, Christina Hendricks kyaaaaah (<3 <3 <3) and Ruth Reichl; Susur Lee will be making an appearance too, also INSECTS! I am excite!

-Good lord the quickfire challenge from hell! Sardines and dragon fruit! Corned beef and marshmallows! Liquorice and peanut butter! I don't even know how they made any of these work, all of it sounds pretty disgusting!

-Holy crap restaurant wars right on the first episode?! That's brutal! Those guys are totally not kidding!

-HAHAHA Traci Des Jardins as front of the house! I'm sure she's an outstanding chef, but she looks like a witch from a Disney movie! She said it wasn't her comfort zone, and I'm being uncharitable, but I can understand why O___o It looked like it literally hurt when she smiled to the judges -- must be facial muscles she doesn't use that often. I like her, though, she reminds me a bit of Stéphanie Le Quéllec, my favourite candidate in Top Chef France: social skills of a deaf rhino, but in the kitchen she becomes a goddess. I love the bromance (I can't call it any other way, I mean those ladies have travelled through friggin' Mongolia together! How badass is that?) she has with her friend Mary-Sue, too. I hope we'll get more of it in the weeks to come!

-Suvir Saran with his "good looks and eloquence" line won me over, and I find him kind of cute rambling all day about "masters do this" and "masters do that". He's awkward, and I'm all for awkward!

-No French chefs this time? Aw, shame. é___è I'm gonna miss that, and Jay Rayner's presence at the judging table, definitely. I'm sure Jay would have acted like a total fanboy around Ruth! Good thing that they finally got Indian cuisine chefs, though. It also fills the "funny accents" quota, I suppose XD

-HAHAHA the guy with the single eyebrow made me die of laughter with his "unusually large scallops". I know, I have to get my mind out of the gutter sometimes, but it has so much fun in there!
And the comments of the judges! "OMG it's a MONSTER SCALLOP!" "Hugh's scallop is intensely salty"
It figured he would get eliminated; dishes that are too salty on Top Chef, never mind TCM, are like a major offence, there's no coming back from it.

-OMG did I really see INSECTS in the preview?? FANTASTIC! I've ALWAYS wanted to eat dishes based on insects' protein; I love weird food, so this intrigues me a lot.

-I've just finished watching the episode and I already want MOAR!!! Why is next Friday not here already?? Come ooooooon I need my fix!

-Finally:

Wheeee!!! \o/ *on crack*

By the way, the most recent episode of South Park has KILLED ME DEAD (here's a streaming link: http://loombo.com/sr/dg0pognmw8vb ). THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE, RIGHT THERE (well, not the shakeweights part, though, for the simple reason they don't sell those in France XD)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Haaaaaahahaha according to Wikipedia Curtis Stone is dating a woman?? So. . . yeah, I guess he's just Australian? e_e Anyway I actually knew Curtis Stone from The Biggest Loser (okay yeah you can judge me for watching The Biggest Loser) so HOW HILARIFIED WAS I TO SEE THAT THERE'S SOME KIND OF BIGGEST LOSER CHALLENGE IN THE PREVIEW. ANSWER: VERY HILARIFIED.

Suvir Saran cracked me up as well. He is like the Indian version of Chef Ludo or something, idk. But I am obligated to root for Traci des Jardins because she is from my neighborhood, and by neighborhood I mean. . . across the Bay from my neighborhood. Close enough!

I AM ALSO EXCITE ABOUT INSECTS. INSECTS ARE GREAT, WE SHOULD ALL EAT MORE INSECTS.

Haaaaaahahaha according to Wikipedia Curtis Stone is dating a woman?? So. . . yeah, I guess he's just Australian?

Are Australian men particularly gay-looking? I have no idea, I've never been to Australia, so I'm genuinely asking. I know for a fact that most Englishmen do look totally gay even when they're actually straight as arrows (http://sevenswells.livejournal.com/40962.html#cutid1) but I need data about Aussie boys ;D

(okay yeah you can judge me for watching The Biggest Loser)

I won't judge you, darling, I haven't the faintest idea of what The Biggest Loser is; I can guess it's a show, but I've never watched it ^^ But I'm ready to be hilarified! =D

He is like the Indian version of Chef Ludo or something, idk.

OMG YOU'RE RIGHT. I won't be able to unsee it now O____o

But I am obligated to root for Traci des Jardins because she is from my neighborhood, and by neighborhood I mean. . .

HAHAHA well obviously I'm not as close to her as you are, but I think I'm totally rooting for her too, if only because she looks so mean, and I have a thing for mean-looking people XD Okay, so it's settled now: we're rooting for Traci!

(I have to tell you I'm very glad you drive-by commented on the last Top Chef entry last week, I'm so glad to have someone to flail with about my obsession for food and TCM!! It's like some sort of book club, except for food lovers, so it's EVEN BETTER XD)

HAHAHA, I have no idea; I was just joking, really, because basically all men in other countries present as more gay than American men. American men tend to be very obsessed with machismo or whatever, although the trend seems to be turning, with hipsters and metrosexuals and whatnot. Actually, I wondered if Curtis Stone was gay too! Hence why I looked him up on Wikipedia, and then was astonished to discover that he's apparently straight. Or dating a woman, anyway.

(That entry of yours was hilarious BTW; I spent a few months in London a few years back and totally did not observe this. Maybe it's because I was there in the winter? Or possibly it's because I was. . . working at GAY.COM UK, so I really was surrounded gay men.)

Yes!! Traci!! I have actually never eaten at her restaurant(s). Maybe I should? But there are still so many other restaurants I need to try. . . Nopalito. . . Fleur de Lys. . . okay, Fleur de Lys is out of my price range, but at least the burger bar. . . !!

I'm surprised you don't already have 7834432423 friends to flail about re: food and Top Chef!! Isn't everyone in France obsessed with food? This is the impression I have received from the media. XD You make me want to watch Top Chef France, but I don't know any French, so it would just be a lot of me drooling at the screen and going, "THAT LOOKS AMAZING, BUT WHAT IS IT??" and trying to remember the little French I learned, like, ten years ago.

Or possibly it's because I was. . . working at GAY.COM UK, so I really was surrounded gay men.)

HAHAHAHA you're awesome! I approve of this.

Isn't everyone in France obsessed with food?

They are! Food is deadly serious business here; you know the carbonara recipe I used for the Sherlock fic? I originally found it on a French food blog which is quite famous, because the guy who writes it is a comicker, he illustrates all his recipes and the blog is hosted on the website of the most famous French newspaper. So anyway, as soon as his post about doing carbonara the right way was up, he got a GAZILLION comments and a wild debate among his readers: EVERYBODY had an opinion about carbonara. This is just a small example, but yeah, it's not a cliché, the French really *are* obsessed with food. Top Chef this year also was something of a religion; every monday I had friends for dinner so we could watch it like a football match, not to mention debates on Facebook and acquaintances (people with whom I don't have a lot of conversations with otherwise, which is quite funny) who regularly sent me texts to tell me this or that about my favourite candidate or the ones I hated XD

But yeah, I meant it's good to be flailing with you on Top Chef US and Top Chef Masters (there is no version of TCM in France) because there aren't many people in France who would watch untranslated US reality-TV shows, no matter how obsessed with food they might be, and if there are, they aren't on my flist unfortunately. ^^

This is especially fascinating to me because. . . isn't carbonara an Italian dish?? I didn't think French people would have such strong opinions on another culture's cuisine!

My family is actually Chinese (I'm Chinese-American), so I always had a proper reverence for food growing up. It's funny, now, to see Americans finally catching up to where my family already was. For instance, my family's always been really into organic meat--not because they're concerned about ethics or sustainability, but because it just tastes better. They hate American chicken because it's tasteless. I had no idea what they were talking about until I started eating (super expensive) organic free-range chicken, and then one day I ate some chicken from a bad chain restaurant and it was like, omg, do people really think chicken is supposed to taste like this? This is just. . . sad.

So yeah, hahaha, I really don't know what people do when they get together besides eat??? When people come to visit from out of town I basically plan their itinerary around restaurants. Who cares what we do between meals? WE CAN WATCH TOP CHEF. Or we can go to a museum, I guess. That's fine, as long as we still make our reservation.

BUT YES HOORAY. \o/ I suspect you're a bit more of a foodie than I am, but you have a head start due to, like, being French.

Oh! Actually, maybe you're a good person to ask: I picked up a beef tongue at the farmers market the other day, but I have never cooked tongue before. Do you have any recommendations?

This is especially fascinating to me because. . . isn't carbonara an Italian dish?? I didn't think French people would have such strong opinions on another culture's cuisine!

Well Italy's not very far from France, so the cultures are mixed I think, there are a lot of Italians or people of Italian descent -- France is a bit like the crossroads of western Europe. I'm not sure, but my hypothesis is that the carbonara recipe I knew, the one with crème fraîche, comes from the Alps, near the Italian border -- it's like a bastardized version of the original carbonara, mixed with French culture (they actually use a lot of crème fraîche in cuisine from the French Alps.
But anyway, the one thing you have to know about the French isn't that they're rude or smelly or whatever, it's that they're opinionated. They can form an opinion about absolutely anything, even about stuff they don't know, and make it known as loud as possible. I swear it's a cultural trait XD

So yeah, hahaha, I really don't know what people do when they get together besides eat???

HAHAHAHA, yes! That reminds me of another anecdote about food-obsessed French people: last year I was at a barbecue with an American friend. It was one of the simplest but also one of the best meals I've ever had, with a scrumptious slow-roasted ham and sauce madère to accompany it (homemade sauce madère isn't something you get everyday, since it takes about three hours to be ready, and you have to watch it constantly too; it was a real treat that the cook who prepared it gave us that day). So anyway, we were eating, there were heaps of food all around, and at some point my friend interrupts our conversation at the table and says: "Do you know how I know I'm in France right now? We're eating delicious food in gigantic proportions, and all you guys are talking about is MORE FOOD and the other good meals you've had in your life!" We weren't even aware of it. I love talking about food, and I think it doubles the pleasure when you do it as you're eating a good meal; it's like... a food loop or something. XD

Oh! Actually, maybe you're a good person to ask: I picked up a beef tongue at the farmers market the other day, but I have never cooked tongue before. Do you have any recommendations?

I do (I loooove beef tongue)!! But I have to ask my gourmet friend his recipe; just let me contact him and I'll get back to you right away, no problem! ^^

I love talking about food, and I think it doubles the pleasure when you do it as you're eating a good meal; it's like... a food loop or something. XD

HAHAHA INORITE? So my roommate and I are both similarly food-obsessed (we watch Top Chef and shout at the screen together), and we usually cook and share meals. Whenever we eat, silence usually descends for the first few minutes as we taste the food, and then. . . we start talking about the food. Mmm, oh my, these oyster mushrooms; oh, the red wine vinegar really brightened this up; next time, let's add some fresh parsley, I think that would really make this, etc. etc. etc. Well, we do that slightly less these days, probably because we've both just gotten so accustomed to good food that we take it for granted, hahaha. But it really unnerves our third housemate, who's more typically American and eats a lot of processed food and possibly doesn't even know good food when she tastes it, her palate is so poisoned. "Is this what you do?" she asked once. "Sit around and make yummy noises at each other?" Well. . . yes? And why shouldn't we? Our food is AWESOME. XD

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR BEEF TONGUE RECOMMENDATION(S). I have a well-stocked pantry and access to plenty more good stuff, although if you tell me to, like, buy a quarter cup of saffron or something I will just look at you like you are crazy. But YAY! I AM EXCITE.

Tssssk, he hasn't replied to my mail yet, which means he must be lost somewhere in the north of France this week, but don't worry, I'll keep pestering him until I get what I want è____é *iz determined*

Hahaha, the tongue is safely in the freezer, so no rush. :3 (Gosh, I wish I could be lost in the north of France. . .)

Finally! He's back! I'm translating the recipe for you tonight. I hope you'll like it. Do you have a pressure cooker though? (I don't think it's compulsory, but it sure helps a lot)

Unfortunately, I don't have a pressure cooker. I do, however, have a lot of patience!

OH MY GOSH I AM EXCITE.

EEEEEEE

I've posted the recipe in the comment just below!

Here is the recipe, "langue de bœuf sauce charcutière" ^^ Tell me if there are expressions or words that you don't understand, I'm not always sure of my translation (also, good news, I was wrong, you don't need a pressure cooker for this! ^^)

First I suppose you'll have to defrost the beef tongue, since you kept it in the freezer.

Once it's defrosted, leave the beef tongue in water with a little bit of vinegar for 30 minutes (in French we call that "dégorger"). Rinse well.

Put the tongue in a big pot, cover it with cold water. Add one carrot, two celery branches, one onion in which you've stuck three cloves, the white part of a leek, a few grains of black pepper, one bay leaf, parsley stems and a bit of thyme. Absolutely no salt at this point of the recipe.

My friend there's a variation of this "bouillon" where you put 2 carrots, one celery branch, the green part of a leek, one turnip, and then onion, cloves, bay leaf, thyme, black pepper the same as above, but apparently in this variation you can put a bit of salt.

So; put it on the fire and let it heat up until it barely starts to boil, then lower the heat. For the meat to cook well, count one hour of cooking per kilo of meat from the point where it has started to boil (is this clear enough? Oh god my English, so crappy X____X)

Once the tongue is cooked, put it in a strainer to "dry" it a little, and then peel the skin from it when it's still hot. My friend says that part hurts a little, apparently, but it's easier to peel it that way. Then cut the tongue in slices and put them in tin foil to sit.

Make the "bouillon" (the water with all the vegetables in it) boil again *after* removing the vegetables and herbs from it and let it reduce until half of it evaporates.

Meanwhile, dice some pickled gherkins (is that what they're called in English? I can't seem to find a precise translation. Those things: http://www.lessignets.com/signetsdiane/signet/vocabulaire/images/exfrle/cornichons.jpg In French they're called "cornichons". But it's not the bigass ones we find in slices in burgers, they're the miniature version) and in a pan, prepare a "roux" with flour and butter. Wet the roux with the reduced "bouillon" and whisk the preparation energically - the sauce has to be quite fluid. Add some tomato paste, as much salt as you prefer (taste it as you go), the diced pickled gherkins, small pickled onions, and chopped parsley. Then put the slices of tongue in the sauce so they can heat up a little (but don't let the sauce cook for too long, though)

So that's the recipe; I know I like beef tongue korean-barbecue style too, but I don't have recipes, I only eat it in restaurants.

Voilà! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, I'll do my best to answer (or, at least, pester my friend again until I get your answers XD)

Edited 2011-04-19 19:27 (UTC)

Ah ha ha, no, this translation makes perfect sense! Just to clarify, though: so I do NOT peel the skin/tastebuds from the tongue in the beginning; I just just defrost it and cook it in the bouillon, and then I have the exciting task of peeling it when it's still hot (!!!).

Also, I was under the impression that gherkin was just the British word for pickle, but according to Wikipedia they're not! I can get cornichons, though (as far as I know, we also call them cornichons, and they're considered a bit fancy maybe), so that is not a problem.

Ah ha ha ha, I love tongue Korean-style too; I don't know why I didn't think of that! I have a grill and Korean chili paste and everything! But. . . but French food is fancier. :3 Okay, I am excited, I will let you know how this turns out! Probably next week. . . hmmm. . . *3*

so I do NOT peel the skin/tastebuds from the tongue in the beginning; I just just defrost it and cook it in the bouillon, and then I have the exciting task of peeling it when it's still hot (!!!).

Exactly! ^^

I really hope it will be okay; all I know I absolutely love it when my friend prepares it for me. Do tell me how it went once you've tried it! I'll let my friend know, too, see if he can retain his reputation of being a refined gourmet even across the Atlantic Ocean XD

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Top Chef Masters - random thoughts

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject