My thoughts on Top Chef: Duels

Oh look, Top Chef's on! Yay!

Wait a second...

Something's not right.

Top Chef Duels?

What in basil-infused mascarpone semifreddo hell? It's a GOD DAMN SPINOFF. Oh heck no.

HECK no.

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Brief pause

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Ahem.

OK, that was my initial reaction to Bravo's Top Chef spinoff show 'Top Chef: Duels'.

I don't usually like reality show spinoffs. They feature the B team of judges, the prizes aren't as good and nothing's very well thought out. They're meant to tide you over until the actual show starts back up again, but what they actually do is make you miss it even more. They always feel like a watered down knock-off.

Prime example: that absolute embarrassment 'Project Accessory'. Watching it made me long for the day I squirted glowstick fluid in my eye (true story - it was an accident - Poison Control was consulted).

However, you may have noticed that I like to begin my blog posts by making you think I'm headed in a certain direction, and then do a complete 180! HA. So clever.

The truth is, I actually LIKE 'Top Chef:Duels'!!!

Don't get me wrong, it's not quite as good as normal Top Chef. But it's pretty dern entertaining! I'm not totally offended by Aussie chef Curtis Stone filling in for Tom Colicchio as head judge. And the show's format—chef 1 sets a challenge, chef 2 sets a challenge, judges set a challenge—keeps things moving along at a nice pace.

The best part of the show, though, is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It actually feels pretty loose, or dare I say, saucy, from time to time. Everyone seems to get that it's just a fake show (it's not the real Top Chef), so they all let their hair down a bit more.

Take the most recent episode. The judges and the guests were sitting around between dishes chatting and the lovely Gail Simmons happened to quote Justin Bieber. And earlier in the season Wolfgang Puck made some comment about how Gail only gains weight in her "chest". BAH!

These might seem like small things, but if you watch enough reality TV, you know how even slightly different editing styles can create a totally different vibe. I suspect 'Top Chef: Duels' has a more laid back production crew than the normal show. Leaving random clips in, like the Gail and Wolfgang one-liners, spices things up a bit.

That's all for now.

Cheers,
Margaret

My Pore Nose!

I have heard that the definition of crazy is repeating the same thing again and again and expecting different results. If this is true, then Biore Pore Strips are my crazy. Time and time again I apply the blackhead removal device to my speckled nose, only to be disappointed. Yet, here I am- bedridden, with a hot water bottle on my lap and a Biore Pore Strip suctioned to my schnoz. It just feels good; kind of like putting clear tape on both sides of your finger and then bending it. If you haven't tried that, I suggest you do it now. The skin around your knuckle folds up and feels sticky, while the outer part of your finger is silky smooth. TRY IT!



Ok, now for what you've been waiting for: my take on the Wikileaks drama. Here it goes. I think it's fine. More information is always a good thing, and if diplomats need to be secretive I suppose they'll have to find new, better ways of doing it. It's hard to keep things private on the Internet, because the internet was designed to be decentralized and open. If leaks of this nature had occurred prior to the Iraq war they might have shed light on the WMD ruse and we would be praising them. In regard to Julian Assange, however, he needs to stay away from the Lucious Malfoy hairdo. Not working for him.

Ok, now for what you have REALLY been waiting for: my take on Top Chef Season 8 All Stars!!! Char and I chose to forgo our usual Friday night clubbing so we could stay in, snuggle our hot water bottles, and watch episode one of Top Chef All Stars. Man-o-man was it good! I don't think a season opener of any season of any series has ever lived up to my massive expectations more. All the very best chefs from past seasons are competing for Top Chef redemption. They have Carla, both Tiffanys, Mike Isabella, Dale, and so many of my all time favorites. Plus, Anthony Bourdain is the third judge, which adds a fresh energy to the show.


Well, it's about time I put some lotion on my dry, scaly hands. Oh Winter, you are truly a formidable fiend. However, I do like the feel of a snowy Edinburgh, so perhaps you ain't too bad after all.

Llama,

Margaret

BROWS-ing Spokane's Food Places

"Food Places"? wtf- my vocabulary is heinous. 

whew, this may not be my best post of all time because I typed in every email/password combination I could think of trying to sign into blogger and I'm exhausted. I should really just pause for 2 seconds before I try logging in to my various websites (email, facebook, blogger, online grad school app, nytimes.com, etc) so I can remember what email/password combination I have chosen for that site instead of guessing and checking until my fingers are throbbing from the carpeltunnel. See, I'm even too tired to google the spelling of carpaltunnel. 

As I was walking home from my brow wax this evening, I got the sudden impulse to go into Azteca, order a veggie burrito and chow down- alone in a booth with nothing but the fellow Spokie patrons to keep me entertained. 

I shook off the bizarre impulse and considered it an isolated event brought on by the shiny warm glow of Azteca's light-up sign. 

But then I passed Wendy's and almost walked up to the drive-thru to order a frosty! I actually wanted to walk up to the speaker and order myself a frosty, then proceed to the window on foot! It's 45 degrees outside! Then I passed Sonic- similar urges took over. Then Taco Time. I bit down on the spout of my water bottle to distract myself from the Conoco gas station that was pulling like a magnet toward its glorious aisles of candy. 

I made it home- but barely and not without severe gnawing damage to my water bottle.  

Consensus: I'm hungry.

Speaking of food. Top Chef premiered last night! It's no Runway, but it's still a solid hour of television. The Real Housewives of Orange County comes back soon too. Can't wait!

Bowling tonight. 

More later....told you this post would be lame, 

Madge