Top Chef, Episode 3

First let me start by giving you a secret.

If you can't cook, this is not the season to be on Top Chef.

These people can cook! They have knife skills, they know the product and they are good at executing the dishes. This year staying somewhere near the middle isn't going to cut it.

My friends are always trying to get me to go on Top Chef, and since I'm more of a behind the scenes type, you will probably never see this head of messy blond hair on your flat screen--but if there were a season that might make me rethink that, it's this one.

It is fascinating to me that all of the contestants this season are either chefs or sous, yet they make things that cause Tom Colicchio to gag; "inedible!" Mostly though, he seems happy with the food that is presented, and might even be taking some ideas for his own restaurants. (I think he has a thing for CJ, I wouldn't be surprised if you don't see CJ running the show someday at Craft LA).

This week, I was impressed with all of those folks that know how to cook conch. Look, conch is a regional thing, so those that are not from the Atlantic South or the Indo-Pacific Oceans, probably have never even handled the gastropod (check meeeee out). I knew about this much about conch, "ewwww....it's gross." Otherwise, I've not cooked it myself, and have never had to use a tool to get it out. But I'm gonna go with my gut here, if they've made a tool, it's probably easier than trying to break the shell...MICAH. I mean it doesn't take much to look around and see that everyone else has a tool that looks like a crooked chisel, it must have a use!

The "reinvention" elimination was surprisingly difficult for this group. Season one would have rocked that challenge, and perhaps this season's chefs are less creative than the other two seasons. The challenge certainly showed the limitations of this group, and my advice is to sit down with some cookbooks at night and do some studying, because the weakness has been revealed, Top Chef exec's aren't gonna let that one past them.

So far I'm batting three for three. I knew Micah was going to go. If all goes as it has been, Hung, Brian, Tre, and Howie are gonna be the last to go. CJ, Camille, and Lia better kick it up if they want to move out of the middle.

This season ain't easy--the middle of the road is not the safe spot this time around.

.:tt:.