Look Who's Stepping Up to the CHOPPING Block.
Even though I haven't desired (or paid for) cable television since 2007, there's one show that tempts me.
Hosted by the saucy Ted Allen, Chopped is the only cooking show I'll watch. The premise is basic. Three rounds, four chef contestants, and mystery ingredients! During the rounds contestants open up their baskets and are required to use the 3-4 ingredients inside in their dish, which they have 20-30 minutes to prepare.
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| What's inside? |
This past season has featured some truly weird mystery ingredients - purple mustard, kentucky oysters, coffee liqueur + beef jerky, tamarind soda, cockles, umeboshi, hot dogs(in the dessert round).... For one episode the appetizer round included gooseberries, Darjeeling tea, ricotta salata, calf's liver. Another dessert round included biscuit dough, pistachios, dried hibiscus flowers, & black olives(!).
The dishes are judged based upon taste, presentation, and creativity. And I do mean judged.
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| 3 of my faves, Aaron Sanchez, Alex Guarnaschelli, & Chris Santos |
Probably the best part of the show is when the judges discuss the meals. Alex Guarnaschelli and others have no mercy for the peons who forget one or two pinbones in their fish or that the contestants have only 30 minutes to make a chilled sorbet that must include the smelly Asian fruit duriam. But ... it looks like my fave chefs are about to get theirs. I recently saw an episode for Chopped Champions featuring the judges competing!!!! I wonder if they'll become nicer now that they are the other side of the chopping block...
posted by Lizzy Belle at
10:35 PM
2 Comments:
i love this show - i don't know if i ever told you, but i didn't watch cartoons as a kid, I watched cooking shows.
there's something about it that reminds of what I do every night as I look at my mostly empty shelves and try to create something interesting out of what feels like nothing. SO GOOD. I think i could kick ass at this show because I am SO experience at this form of cooking. haha
A true cook can deal with a few weird ingredients and somehow manage to turn an amazing meal out. That being said I would probably default and just make a pizza each round.
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