ICA: Cora vs. Grieveson
There was no new Iron Chef this past Sunday so we’re stuck with a rerun this week. It is Battle: Butter between Iron Chef Cat Cora and challenger Koren Grieveson.
The judges for the episode were Isaac Mizrahi, Clint Arthur and Elizabeth Blau a group that was labeled by one poster at ChowHound as the “Worst Panel of Judges Ever.” It appears many ICA fans had issues with this episode suggesting it was fixed, declaring a secret ingredient like “butter” lame and calling it Battle Lesbian because both competitors are gay. I find this distasteful. The sexual orientation of the competitors is not at all important.
However, at least one site, Velvet Park (subtitled Dyke Culture in Bloom) celebrated the episode solely because of the contestants’ sexual orientation. Tell me, how is that any different than those who discriminate against people for the same reason? I can tell you; it isn’t any different. In fact it’s worse; it’s hypocritical. Bigotry is bigotry. Between a bigot and a hypocrite give me the bigot, at least you can count on them to tell the truth.
Any way Koren Grieveson is the chef de cuisine at avec in Chicago and according to the restaurant’s web site she, “developed her singular style and meticulous palate during a five-year partnership with Executive Chef Paul Kahan at Blackbird restaurant, where she served as Sous Chef from 1998 until 2003. Working with the collaborative chef, Grieveson was part of the team that launched Blackbird onto the world stage, earning the restaurant accolades for its extraordinary cuisine.”
And the winner is . . .
[ad] Empty ad slot (#1)!
a tie.
ICA: Flay vs. Stone
Epic. That is the only word to describe the last Iron Chef America of May 2010. Perhaps this should be called Battle: Celebrity Chef? Bobby Flay is a master of Kitchen Stadium and he welcomes Cheflebrity Curtis Stone for the second of four consecutive new episodes.
If, for some strange reason, you are not familiar with Curtis Stone check out his IMdb profile which documents his more than 100 TV appearances. The fact that he has a profile at IMdb should tell you he’s a pretty big deal. Most known for appearances on NBC’s two popular reality series The Biggest Loser and Celebrity Apprentice, Stone has also hosted over 70 episodes of his own shows Take Home Chef (TLC) and My Restaurant Rules (Seven Network, Australia).
But Stone is as much chef as he is celebrity. He began cooking professionally at the age of 18 at the five-star Savoy Hotel in London. As a young chef he worked alongside Marco Pierre White at The Café Royal and at Mirabelle. From there he moved on to the exclusive Restaurant 301. Stone has also been a part of four top selling cookbooks including Surfing the Menu the companion book to the eight-part mini series Stone filmed with fellow Aussie chef Ben O’Donoghue. The guy’s got chops.
This episode is tailor-made for the ladies as it pits two of the sexiest chefs in the country. Flay’s curly red mop and Cheshire grin have long made him eye candy for Food Network viewers while Stone was named one of the sexiest men alive by People in 2006. Chef Curtis greatly resembles actor Owen Wilson only without the fugly nose.
How cool would it be if Brett Michaels, Summer Sanders and Holly Robinson Peete were the judges? Well they weren’t. Judges for Battle: Skipjack Tuna were John T. Edge, Cady Huffman and Jeffrey Steingarten. A special condition was that each course had to feature a grilled item. Chef Flay was once again assisted by blond bombshell Sous Chef Rene Forsberg (who I believe oversees Flay’s Mesa Grill outpost in the Bahamas). Chef Rene was sporting her signature Pocahontas ponytails. Also adding heat to Flay’s kitchen was the adorable Christine Sanchez, Culinary Director of the Iron Chef’s company, Bold Food.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my exclusive interview with Iron Chef Bobby Flay.
Flay and Stone have now teamed up for NBC’s new reality competition America’s Next Great Restaurant.
Click HERE for the outcome.
Surfing the Menu
[ad] Empty ad slot (#1)!
…
ICA: Flay vs. Stone – Outcome
SPOILER ALERT: The following information is the outcome of Flay vs. Stone. If you want information on the combatants click HERE. If you are only interested in the outcome read on.
Judges for Battle: Skipjack Tuna were John T. Edge, Cady Huffman and Jeffrey Steingarten. A special condition was that each course had to feature a grilled item. Chef Flay was once again assisted by blonde bombshell Sous Chef Renee Forsberg (Senior Chef Tournant at Mesa Grill). Chef Renee was sporting her signature Pocahontas ponytails. Also adding heat to Flay’s kitchen was the adorable Christine Sanchez, Culinary Director of the Iron Chef’s company, Bold Food.
Flay Stone
Taste: 26 Taste: 19
Plating: 12 Plating: 10
Originality: 11 Originality: 8
Total: 49 Total: 37
Winner: Iron Chef Flay
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my exclusive interview with Iron Chef Bobby Flay.
Flay and Stone have now teamed up for NBC’s new reality competition America’s Next Great Restaurant.
[ad] Empty ad slot (#1)!
…
