Originally posted on July 13, 2008.

For whatever reason this is the first time that I have seen Iron Chef Michael Symon battle since winning the Next Iron Chef Contest. I love Symon’s approach, attitude, and humor. His maniacal laugh would make me nervous if I were say a rabbit which was the theme ingredient on tonight’s replay of his battle with Food Network Canada host and restaurateur Guy Rubino. Rubino picked Symon because he felt the newest Iron Chef’s style was the furtherest from his own. Both Flay and Batali have dabbled in Asian flavors and Morimoto is the king of all things Asian. Cat I am not sure about, but Symon’s eastern European and Mediterranean flavors are easy to distinguish from Rubino’s Pan Asian cuisine.

Rubino failed to hit any homeruns, but did notch a few doubles as several of his dishes the judges enjoyed half while disliking the other half.  It was a theme of his five dishes.  Although the Iron Chef had a few misfires he did put together a good menu.  Symon tapped into his inner mixologist to make a coacktail called a carrotini paired with rabbit meatballs!  I love me some meaballs!  Symon hit three homeruns.  It was a great battle with Chef Symon taking a solid victory.  I loved seeing the rabbit being explored like it was. Rabbit is one the great proteins out there and for whatever reason Americans have moved away from eating something that played a serious part in our national diet until about 60 years ago. Most likely it was part of the dumbing down of the American palate after the first Great Depression. That culinary dark ages is something from which we are only now starting to reemerge.