What Really Makes a Top Chef??

As I'm sure all of you Top Chef Fans know, Hosea Rosenberg won the title of Top Chef. I am so disappointed. I've been waving the Stefan banner high all season because despite Tom Colicchio's claim that there is no soul in his food, I just don't buy it. Stefan has more personality in his pinky finger than jealous, trash-talking Hosea has in his entire body.

The judges chose Hosea, and since I was not there and did not actually taste the dishes myself, I can't say they were wrong. Clearly the method for deciding who is really Top Chef is flawed. In the end, I know it boils down to the dish of the day, but Stefan was far more consistent throughout the entire season than Hosea, and many of Hosea's failures (including throwing the lovely Ariane under the bus by not helping her cut the meat when he knew how...) just make it hard to find any kind of congratulations for him. I realize it's television and they hype up the drama, but after he won all he seemed to care about was that he beat Stefan.

While I was pulling for Stefan, I would have much rather seen Carla win than Hosea. I would not have been disappointed in her winning at all. That woman has got SOUL, and anyone who cooks with love in mind is a-okay in my book.

In my heart, Stefan won. He is clearly the better chef (person), and according to this mornings LA Times interview, he's got a lot of great things coming up in the future. He has a memoir coming out in May... I'll be buying that, and his starting his own line of clothing called "Cocky Chef." Good luck, Stefan. We will certainly miss seeing that sexy, cynical smile every Wednesday night.

Stefan, you're always welcome to come cook for me, and I promise I will never tell you to pack your knives and go home. ;)

Farewell to Fabio

I was not expecting the last three chefs to get eliminated to have another chance to go onto the finale, but there they were, Leah, Jamie and Jeff in New Orleans and cooking crawfish for Emeril for the coveted opportunity to get back in the game. Of course, my utter lethargy toward all things Leah and Jamie had me yawning in the armchair, and thankfully it was Jeff who wowed Lagasse's taste buds. The catch: Jeff had to win the elimination challenge in order to go on to the finale, but sadly, Jeff was not strong enough to match the force that has become Carla!

Of course my husband and I were both outraged that they brought back someone from the past anyway. After all, there are no do overs. I was surprised that Fabio didn't say, "This is Top Chef, not Top Redo." Once you get chopped off, you don't grow back into the cast, but with two chefs to be eliminated before the finale, this upped the stakes, providing three slots instead of two.

Stefan, Stefan, Stefan. I've been blogging my love of your arrogance these last few weeks, smoothing it over as confidence, but this week that over-confidence almost got you sent home for the third time. On the edge of my seat I kept saying, "Please, please let Fabio's pasta be too typical because I know that Stefan is better than this!" And I do love your attitude about not stressing at your age... I'm thirty-three... stress is crap. It kills. I agree one hundred percent, but Tom Colicchio wants to see you sweat, or he's going to think you don't care if you win or lose. We're pulling for you, still. I've got my Stefan is #1 T-shirt and the big foam finger. Next Wednesday I will sit down with my popcorn and shout at the TV in your honor. I still believe that you deserve to win, but Carla is coming up hot on your heels and Hosea is taking things gangsta personal.

I have to say I was very sad to see Fabio go. He's endeared himself to audiences all across the Top Chef board with his stories and his quirky quotes. I definitely want one of the first "This is Not Top Pussy" T-shirts, or even one that says, "This is Not Top Scallop." I had such high hopes of him battling against Stefan and Carla in the finale, but alas, all good things must come to an end. I hope that the exposure from the series itself bodes well for the future of his business.

I don't want to talk about Hosea. Yeah. He did well tonight, but I think Jeff did better than he did, and Carla won, so end of Hosea discussion. Other than that I'm so sad that he's going onto the finale and if he wins, I'll scream. Literally.

Carla has come such a long way. Early on in the competition she was so often on the bottom, but now that the pressure is really on, she's amazing. Girl can come cook for me anytime she wants! That oyster stew looked scrumptious.

Overall, it was a great episode. I just wish that Stefan could see that his overconfidence is what knocks him off his game every time. It's okay to know you're already the Top Chef, but shh, keep it a secret until Padma says it out loud, Stefan. ;)

BAM! You're Outta Here!

So here it is Wednesday. I know, I know, it's bad that I only know the days of the week by what televisions show is on that night, but it hasn't been so bad being only consciously aware of Wednesdays and Fridays these last few weeks. Wednesday is Top Chef night, as anyone who is ANYONE can tell you, and tonight kicks off the first half of a two week season finale.

The finale four (somehow I keep confusing them with the final four surviving cylons on Battlestar Galactica, and it's only the fact that it's Wednesday that keeps me straight...) are off to New Orleans, Louisiana, where they will face off against one another in Emeril Lagasse style challenge. Emeril (BAM!) will not only be acting as a guest judge, but will be responsible for helping the judges choose TWO of the final four to go on to next week's final round: the Top Chef FACEOFF! That means two will be eliminated. (I can perform basic math skills! WOO!)

If you've been watching, and I KNOW you have, of the original seventeen contestants Hosea, Carla, Fabio and Stefan are all that's left. According to some of the discussion I've seen floating around on Eric Ripert's personal website, there's some kind of mistake that was made during Eric's spot as guest judge two episodes earlier... Apparently people believe that my hero, Stefan Richter, should have been sent home. Stefan, who WON the elimination challenge during that episode, who was said by Eric Ripert in his blog recap of the show, to have cooked the lobster dish to 99% accuracy in comparison to the dish he was presented with.... but Stefan should have gone home, not Jamie.

Jamie whined through every episode, either moping about how doomed she was and how she couldn't possible win, or moaning about how she thought she should have won that challenge over "insert contestant name here." On top of all that whining, there was also the whole blah of her general attitude when it came to preparing dishes that she just "wasn't in to cooking," or that "weren't her style." Apparently she didn't hear Fabio when he said, "This is Top Chef, not Top Pussy!" Oh, wait, she was eliminated before he said that, sorry.

So my prediction on who is going to win tonight and go on to the final round... I know you're dying to hear it, so after consulting with an oracle who sees all of her visions in the grease stain on a fish and chips bag the answer is: Stefan Richter. Not only is Stefan going to win the challenge, but he's going to blow everyone else out of the water (as long as he doesn't get TOO confident, as we've seen both times he's been on the bottom it's been the direct result of that adorable ego of his.) Second to Stefan is going to be close. Fabio has come a long way, and I think it's possible he's been underestimated, but hot on his heels is Carla with her chef knives high, crying "Hootie Who!" The oracle has said to put her money Carla, and I concur. SO it's Carla and Stefan on to the final elimination cook-off. Hootie Who!

Notice how I did not include Hosea in the debate above? That's because in my mind, I sent Hosea home three episodes ago. It's my defense mechanism. The more smack he talks about Stefan, the more invisible he becomes. Why? Because I don't doubt that Hosea can dance his way around a kitchen, but I do doubt that he can stand against Stefan's twenty-some years of experience and training as a Chef. Stefan said himself last week, "I don't think Hosea has the balls to be a Chef." And in the end, it really boils down to the fact that Stefan is just a way hotter bald guy. BAM!

So if you can't wait until tonight to see the first three minutes of Top Chef, follows this link: Top Chef in New Orleans

And meet me back here after the show tonight and we'll dish about what Stefan was wearing when he kicked everyone's chef pants.