Chicken Wing Milkshake

If you’re a fan of 30 Rock, milkshakes and Buffalo wings, then you’ll love this article! Or maybe you’re like me and think its subject matter is terrible! Apparently, in an episode of NBC’s 30 Rock, Tina Fey walked by a sign that said, "The Buffalo Chicken Shake is back!" This prompted Lunch Blog KC writer Robert Bishop to create a recipe for a bizarrely intriguing concoction. Here is a video of Robert making the shake alongside Tracey Wigfield, one of 30 Rock’s writers. Personally, I think this recipe is a terrible idea. But if you like the video and would like to make it at home, you can find the recipe in Robert Bishop’s blog.

Personally, I like my Buffalo wings in a more traditional way. If you happen to live in New York, you’re in luck! Every year on Labor Day Weekend a festival called (what else?) the National Buffalo Wing Festival is held in NY. This year’s festival had 85,000 attendees and 555,000 wings were served, which is equal to 37 tons of wings. The festival has become a pretty big deal since its first year in 2002. Furthermore, for a list of the best Buffalo wing restaurants visit Wild for Wings.

So two things come to mind with this article. First, should shows have a moral responsibility to NOT encourage this kind of ridiculous behavior? Second, are we so easily influenced by today’s media that we’re willing to create an obviously fake and over-the-top dish such as this shake? Please feel free to let me know how you feel in the comment section.

Rachael Vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off

Amateur celebrity chefs, who will be the best?

Very soon it’ll be a new year and The Food Network will be having new shows. One of them will be Rachael Vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook Off. The show will feature (who else?) Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri. The show will premiere on New Year’s day at 9 p.m. What a way to start the year, right? I’m excited! The show will matchup Ray and Fieri with teams of amateur chefs. Did I mention the amateur chefs will be celebrities? Oh, and the winning prize of $50,000 will go to a charity of their choice. I think it’s great the show will be giving money to charity, but I don’t think anyone will be participating entirely altruistically. After all, every participant’s reputation could use a charitable boost.

Some of the celebrities that will be showcased will be Alyssa Campanella, Cheech Marin, Coolio, Joey Fatone and Lou Diamond Phillips. Alyssa Campanella won the 2011 Miss USA Pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cheech Marin is best known for the Cheech and Chong movies, as well as Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Tin Cup, Spy Kids, etc. Coolio is well-known for his song Gangsta’s Paradise in the movie Dangerous Minds. Joey Fatone is known for being a member of *NSYNC and his participation in Dancing with the Stars. Lou Diamond Phillips is a well-known theater and film star. Phillips has been in La Bamba, The First Power, and Young Guns 1 and 2.

As a reader and a foodie, do you think this show will have potential? Or do you think it’s yet another lame attempt by The Food Network to create a hit using a bunch of has-beens who have a decent fan-base?

Top Chef Texas Episode 7 Recap: Game On.

On week seven of Top Chef: Texas the game is on as the cheftestants prepare a dish for a game dinner! In episode 7, we are graced with the presence of guest judge Tim Love, chef/owner of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro alongside our fantastic Top Chef judges, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Hugh Acheson.

There are 12 cheftestants left, and Nyesha Arrington starts us off by remembering how rude Heather Terhune was during last episode to call out Beverly Kim in front of the entire group. Just as a reminder, when all the chefs were waiting for Padma to call the losers to the judges’ table, Heather made sure to let the whole group know that Beverly had taken too long with the task of skinning shrimp. Basically, Heather was saying that if anyone was going to get kicked out, it should be Beverly. Nyesha said that Heather’s actions say “a lot about her integrity.”

Back at the Top Chef Texas headquarters in Dallas, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, the remaining “dirty dozen” chefs met Tim Love. Edward Lee introduces Love as a very well-known chef in Fortworth and a Top Chef Master.

Quickfire Challenge

The challenge was to pick a type of Don Julio Tequila and create a dish that goes well with the choice. The cheftestants had 30 minutes to work for the reward of $5,000. This episode, however, they would not be getting immunity for winning the Quickfire Challenge.

Again, Ty-Lor Boring claims that he has an advantage because he “has been to Jalisco.” Then again he has been saying that for every episode. Last time he claimed that he had worked in a steakhouse in New York and therefore he had the advantage. Let’s remember that he almost got disqualified. I can’t wait to see what happens this episode. Although I would love it if he wins this challenge, for a change. Chris Jones was careful with his dish because he was weary of the high alcohol content. Therefore, he wanted to make something that would dull the flavor.

• Ty-Lor Boring prepared Steamed Clams in Thai Style Fish Caramel Sauce.
• Heather Terhune prepared Mango Avocado Salad with Rock Shrimp.
• Beverly Kim prepared Cold-Smoked Green Tea Oyster.
• Sarah Grueneberg prepared Fennel Risotto with Glazed Scallops.
• Lindsay Autry prepared Salmon with Fennel Puree and Brown Butter Sauce.
• Edward Lee prepared Bok Choy Lettuce Wrap with Lamb.
• Chris Jones prepared Pan-Seared Chicken with Lime Vinaigrette.
• Grayson Schmitz prepared Sesame Cod with Tequila Brown Sugar Glaze.
• Chris Crary prepared Raw Oyster with Tequila Tapioca and Sea Salt Air.
• Dakota Weiss prepared Lamb with Medijool Date Pistou.

Love said that while some chefs really used the tequila as a pairing, others really didn’t live up to the challenge. For instance, Heather’s dish seemed like it was prepared as if she liked tequila and she cooked rock shrimp. Chris J.’s chicken was too dry. Sarah’s risotto was undercooked. Rather than accept constructive criticism, she said “I’ve been training with experts in Italy on how to make risotto. I’m not gonna change how I cook risotto due to somebody’s palate.” Well Sarah, who are these so-called experts when an American is telling you you’re doing it wrong? Admittedly, we can’t blame the experts if you can’t learn your lesson.

Maybe Sarah got defensive with them as well.

One of the favorites were Chris C.’s who matched the caviar nicely with the Tequila Blanco. Lindsay’s salmon was “cooked really nicely” and the flavor of the tequila could be tasted throughout the dish. Ty’s spiciness in the dish was a really good contrast to the tequila, “and the greenery was really good too.” The winner of the $5,000 was Ty! Finally! He says he has an advantage and he won!

Elimination Challenge

For this challenge, the cheftestants were paired up to cook one course for a game dinner. In an ironic twist, Heather was paired with Beverly. It’s ironic because Heather hates Beverly. Edward was paired with Ty. Last time that happened, they got “their asses handed” to them (according to Edward).

Tim Love invited his friends, who are also chefs, to the show. Each friend would pick a protein that one pair of cheftestants had to cook. The cheftestants would also have to cook for each other because in this challenge, everyone gets to judge! The winning team gets to split $10,000. Also, in this challenge, there will be a double elimination. That means if a team loses, both cheftestants go home.

Unfortunately, the irony in this challenge of pairing Heather and Beverly served as a very unpleasant match. Mainly because Heather was being a complete bitch. And those aren’t my words, they’re Edward’s. He’s the one that mentioned Heather was being a “complete bitch” to Beverly.Lindsay Autry and Chris Crary prepared Roasted Wild Boar with Kohlrabi Slaw and Farro Fried Rice.

• Lindsay Autry and Chris Crary prepared Roasted Wild Boar with Kohlrabi Slaw and Farro Fried Rice.
• Beverly Kim and Heather Terhune prepared Five-Spice Duck Breast with Creamy Polenta and Pickled Cherries.
• Dakota Weiss and Nyesha Arrington prepared Roasted Rack of Venison with Kobocha Squash and Beet Gratin.
• Grayson Schmitz and Chris Jones prepared Juniper Roasted Elk with Sweet Potato and Bouquet of Citrus Greens.
• Paul Qui and Sarah Grueneberg prepared Squab Breast and Sausage with Nectarine Pickled.
• Ty-Lor Boring and Edward Lee prepared Sorghum Quail with Pickled Cherries and Eggplant.

When Padma walked in she asked for Ed and Ty. Everyone thinks they’re the winners so they clap and congratulate them. Sure enough, when they got to the judges’ table Tim Love was the first to congratulate them for winning.

Once they found out who the winners were, the cehftestants had the difficult task of choosing the three worst teams to send to the judges’ tables. Now they had to criticize each other without blatantly insulting each other. Edward made an interesting observation that they could try to backstab someone, but the next episode they could be teamed up with the person who was betrayed. He finished by saying “the claws aren’t fully out yet.”

The three teams chosen were Dakota and Nyesha, Heather and Beverly, and Grayson and Chris.

At the judge’s table, there was an extremely nasty moment where Heather condescended Beverly in front of the judges. Heather claimed that Beverly had a bad work ethic. However, Dakota could not take the unpleasantness and stood up for Beverly saying that “she kicks ass in the kitchen.” Then when Heather and Beverly rejoined the rest of the cheftestants, Grayson also stood up for Beverly.

In the end of the episode, the team with the worst dish was Dakota and Nyesha’s. Dakota felt terrible because Nyesha did her part of the teamwork, while Dakot under-cooked the venison. However, Nyesha didn’t check up on Dakota, which is why the judges decided to make their team “pack your knives.” Nyesha and Dakota aren’t entirely done, since they still have to face Whitney Otawka in another double elimination for the Last Chance Kitchen.

Anthony Bourdain Swimming Naked in the Pool

It’s been quite the controversial year for the No Reservations host Anthony Bourdain. First he goes off and bad-mouths Paula Deen. Then a picture controversy, which he was savvy enough to avoid too many repercussions for.

First thing’s first. Bourdain publicly insulted Paula Deen on his show. Being a nation that loves drama more than anything, we gobbled it up and started a huge controversy. Some may blame the media, but who didn’t know what I was talking about? The media wouldn’t print it if we didn’t accept it. Here’s what Bourdain said:

"The worst, most dangerous person to America is clearly Paula Deen. She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations and she's proud of the fact that her food is f---ing bad for you. If I were on at seven at night and loved by millions of people at every age, I would think twice before telling an already obese nation that it's OK to eat food that is killing us. Plus, her food sucks."

The dispute that ensued lasted for way too long if you ask me. But I read all about it. Also, Bourdain does reach millions of people, which puts my next topic into context.

The next big controversy for Bourdain was a certain picture that surfaced from Bourdain’s ex-wife, Nancy Putkoski. The pictures shows Bourdain lounging naked in a pool with a beer in-hand. In order to diffuse the situation, Bourdain tweeted, “I look good! Nice tan. As I haven’t seen the photos without the star, I can only hope the water wasn’t too cold that day.” Great strategy, rather than try and deny it, Bourdain embraced the situation and cast himself in a positive light. Or as positive as he possibly could under the given circumstance. 

The whole situation really amazes me. Here’s a man that under normal standards would be considered a terrible person. There are certain societal mores that we, normal people, have to abide by. Yet this man disregards those mores completely. Not only that, his book, Kitchen Confidential, is a best-seller, his show is very successful and now he has a new show called The Layover, which will no doubt also be a smashing success.

Seriously? I thought Gordon Ramsay had already cornered the “jerked meat” market.

What’s the deal with the entertainment industry? Should celebrities also abide by the same rules we do? Should they be treated differently just for our entertainment?

Top Chef featured in Food & Wine

Are you a big fan of Food & Wine magazine? So am I! I’m also a big fan of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, currently on Season 9, Top Chef Texas. That means that January’s issue will be one to remember. According to Adweek, Food & Wine will feature Top Chef on a 24-page section. Part of the reason to print Top Chef is that Food & Wine has been its sponsor for a while now. By devoting a whole section to Top Chef, Food & Wine is actually killing two birds with one stone. They are advertising for their show and creating content at the same time. Sounds like a reasonable strategy.

For a fan like myself, this is great news as I will have a place to read more about my show and its stars. Stars like Tom Colicchio,

Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons. Not only will I read more about the main stars, but I will also find out more about the current contestants and their recipes.

Speaking of added content, in order to add more value to you, my reader, I have added a couple of links to some goodies.

• 9 of Padma’s Indian Cuisine Recipes
• 7 of Tom’s Recipes
• Gail Simmons's 10 Favorite Recipes

In order to leave you with some food for thought, I have a couple of questions that you can answer in the comment section if you want. What do you think of Food & and Wine’s decision to advertise for its sponsee? Do you think it’s smart or shameless? Do you think the majority of Food & Wine’s readers will enjoy the 24-page section on Top Chef?

Martha Stewart Makes Dirty Jokes About Sausage

Keeping up with the comedy this week, Martha Stewart actually made some dirty jokes about sausage casings. She likened the casings to a condom and insinuated that maybe they would work since they are meant to “hold the beef.” Apparently, jail time did not have too much of a good influence on our home-making diva. 

When I first saw this video, I was actually surprised at Martha. But I also thought it was funny.

I somewhat remembered hearing a bit of a controversy about Sandra Lee also being a bit raunchy. So I looked it up. Here are the outtakes of Sandra Lee’s show Semi-Homemade, showing a less than PG version of the celeb.

Apparently Martha and Sandra are not the only ones with a less-than-sparkling vocabulary. Paula Deen joined the ranks in this episode of the Today Show. She and Al Rocker seem to have had a lot of fun filming this together.

With celebrities who are so highly dependent on their reputations, should these examples have behaved in such a juvenile manner? Personally, I thought it was funny and actually made me like them even more. But I also appreciate anything that is remotely funny. Leave us a comment and let us know whether you think it’s inappropriate or, like me, you appreciate the humor in the situation.

Top Chef Texas Episode 6 Recap: Higher Steaks.

On week six of Top Chef: Texas the competition gets saucy as the cheftestants make their own sauce and serve a Texas-style four course steak dinner! In episode 6, we are honored by the presence of Chef Dean Fearing alongside our fabulous Top Chef judges, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Hugh Acheson.

There are 13 cheftestants left, 5 guys and 8 girls. Episode 6 starts off with the guys concerned about evening the playing field. That is, all the guys except Chris Jones who made an effort not to worry about how many women or how many men were left, rather he chose to concentrate on winning. The cheftestants were taken to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, which they would make their home base in Dallas. When they arrived at the college, Heather Terhune saw Dean and made the observation that since he was classicaly trained, their challenge was most likely going to be extremely difficult.

Quickfire Challenge

This challenge tested the cheftestants’ skills as sauciers. Nyesha Arrington mentions that being a saucier is an “artistry of itself” and that she would like to be one for the rest of her life. The cheftestants drew knives to select which sauce they would be preparing. Grayson Schmitz was confident because she has been a saucier before and because she was clasicaly trained. She boasted that for her, “sauces aint no thang for me.” The cheftestants were asked to create a sauce based on their mother sauce in one and a half hours. For example, Chris Crary had to create his own sauce from velouté. This challenge would earn the cheftestants immunity, but no money.

• Chris C. (mother sauce: Velouté) prepared Halibut Over Mussels Andouille, Mushrooms and Velouté.
• Edward Lee (mother sauce: Béchamel) prepared Cauliflower Milk Béchamel with Poached Red Snapper, Crab and Fried Oyster.
• Grayson Schmitz (mother sauce: Hollandaise) prepared Scallop, Charred Corn Sauce, Corn Ravioli, and Blueberry Balsamic Reduction.
• Paul Qui (mother sauce: Espagnole) prepared Quail with Pickled and Roasted Mushrooms, Garlic Scrapes and Okra.
• Whitney Otawka (mother sauce: Tomate) prepared Poached Shrimp, Fennel Pilau, Sauteed Okra and Pancetta.
• Heather Terhune (mother sauce: Béchamel) prepared Gruyere Croquette with Chinese 5 Spice, Apple Ginger Compote and Asian Slaw.
• Beverly Kim (mother sauce: Espagnole) prepared Crab Maki Roll with Rib Eye, Charred Shallots, Peppercorn, Sake and Red Wine.
• Dakota Weiss (mother sauce: Béchamel) prepared Béchamel Infused with Peach, Truffle and Lemon Crab and Mushroom Duxelle, Seared Scallop.
• Ty-Lor Boring (mother sauce: Hollandaise) prepared Hollandaise, Ahi Tuna, and Bok Choy with Sugar Snap Peas.
• Nyesha Arrington (mother sauce: Tomate) prepared Tomate Sauce with Coconut and Ras El Hanout Braised Lentils.

Chef Fearing thought the overall technique used for the sauces was “well done.” His least favorites were Dakota’s, also Nyesha’s because it had too many flavors, and he thought Beverly’s “coriander wasabi was more sauce than the mother sauce.” His favorites were Grayson’s because he was impressed by how she made ravioli in just an hour and a half, Chris C.’s and also Paul’s because they both had a great combination of flavors. In the end, Dean thought the best dish was Grayson’s with the mother sauce cooked to perfection! And so she got immunity for the next elimination and her boasting was validated.

Elimination Challenge

Padma introduced the elimination challenge as “the toughest you will ever have to face.” The cheftestants were to create a four course dinner for 200 guests. Ty, as usual, was confident in his skills since he worked for a steakhouse in New York. We’ll see if this time he will actually be good at the challenge. For the challenge, the cheftestants were to create a four course steak dinner for the Cattle Baron’s Ball. The steaks had to be served medium rare. They had 30 mins choose a menu, 3 hours to prep and 3 hours to cook at Shouthfork Ranch. The winner of the event will also win a Toyota Venza.

Nyesha was focused on the Toyota Venza, which she got to see as soon as they went outside and stepped into, what else? A Toyota Venza. Thank goodness for product placement, otherwise all these chefs would no way of getting their shopping done! Chris Jones hilariously said, “I would love to win a car, I would to win anything!” Ty gave an homage to his dad, calling him his everyday inspiration. Ty also had a scary moment when he cut his finger and the nurse who looked at his hand told him he needed stitches. He decided that he wanted to wrap his hand and keep cooking. Major bonus points for toughing it out and staying focused on his goals! That’s especially impressive when he returned the next day and had four stiches! Four! Props to Ty, I mean, the man was at the hospital until 6 a.m.

• Sarah Grueneberg , Dakota Weiss and Beverly Kim prepared the 1^st Course with Tomato-Watermelon Gazpacho, Poached Shrimp and Avocado Mousse.
• Edward Lee, Chris Jones and Paul Qui prepared the 2^nd Course with New York Strip Carpaccio, Pistachio Vinaigrette, Mushroom “Bacon”, Red Onion Jam.
• Ty-Lor Boring, Nyesha Arrington, Chris C. and Whitney Otawka prepared the 3^rd course with Grilled Rib Eye, Creamy Potato Gratin, Thyme Jus.
• Heather Terhune, Grayson Schmitz and Lindsay Autry prepared the 4^th course with “Right Side Up” Texas Peach Cake, Whipped Mascarpone, Pecan Streusel.

Once the judges were done with their meals, they felt like the cheftestants could have performed better. Ty was disappointed because the main point of the challenge was to serve 200 steaks at the same time. Unfortunately, Lindsay Autry got so over-anxious about having the steaks ready, that she freaked out and put the steaks in the oven too early. The steaks were cooked for too long and came out dry. Overally, the cheftestants were worried about ending up at the judges table because they knew they had served a mediocre meal.

Padma, as usual, came out and asked for Heather, Nyesha and Chris J. They made the best course in the challenge. Nyesha and Chris J. were that much closer to getting their wish of winning a car, or at least “anything.” Heather was the one to win the challenge, even though she used Edward Lee’s recipe for her cake. Don’t get me wrong, normally I really like her. Unfortunately, today she assumed the leader position and had a horrible attitude towards Beverly. Today, I would not have made her a winner.

Now for the losing three: Ty, Whitney and Ed. The ultimate loser who had to “pack her knives” was Whitney Otawka, for making something very ordinary and simple, yet serving raw potatoes. Tom said a very mean and unnecessary line, “usually it’s very hard for us to eliminate somebody, but tonight, you have made very easy for us.” Unfortunately, the other chefs warned Whitney to start cooking her potatoes the night before, but she refused. This is not the last we see of Whitney though, as she will face Chuy Valencia in the Last Chance Kitchen.

Food Network Posts 13 Cookie Recipes by Celebrity Chefs

The Food Network has been graciously sharing what they’re calling 12 Days of Cookies,

recipes provided by some of their most illustrious celebrity chefs. Currently, we’re on day 6 with Holiday Biscotti by Giada De Laurentiis. Mmm, delicious! (and yes I’m talking about the biscotti) Joy to the foodies during the holidays!

So far The Food Network has posted recipes for Shortbread Cookies by Ina Garten, Ginger Snaps by Alton Brown, Loaded Oatmeal Cookies by Paula Deen, Delicate Mint Sandwich Holiday Cookies by Melissa d'Arabian and Spiced Gingerbread Piggies by Patrick and Gina Neely.

For the next six days The Food Network will feature cookie recipes by Jeff Mauro, Anne Burrell, Bobby Flay, Sandra Lee, Alex Guarnaschelli and Guy Fieri. To see their recipes, click on the following links:

• Jeff Mauro's Cherry White Chocolate Almond Sandwich Cookies
• Anne Burrell's Meringue Cookies
• Bobby Flay's Throwdown Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sandra Lee's Macadamia Coconut Cookies
• Alex Guarnaschelli's Dark Chocolate Whoopie Pies
• Guy Fieri's Blondie with Dark Roots

For the thirteenth day, The Food Network asked its Facebook fans for what recipe they most wanted to see. Apparently, they chose Snickerdoodles. The Food Network decided to create Apple Cider Snickerdoodles.

Steve Buscemi in Saturday Night Live’s Erotic Chef

Anyone catch Saturday Night Live this weekend with Steve Buscemi? If so, you’ll understand why I’m sharing this. If not, be prepared for a good laugh and check out Steve Buscemi’s Erotic Chef SNL’s Sex Ed Couple’s Therapy skit.

It’ll leave you hungry for more…

The Beach Boys Open a Restaurant: Good Vibration!

What do you do when you reach stardom and have enough money to spare? Open your own restaurant of course! Owning a restaurant seems to be what ridiculously wealthy stars like to do (the other one being sponsoring spirits as we mentioned earlier). Hearing the news that the Beach Boys are opening a restaurant in Las Vegas, I thought it would be fun to investigate what other stars also own their own restaurants. So here we go….

Today I found out that the Beach Boys want to open a restaurant called Good Vibration at a casino called Bally’s. Apparently, the restaurant will serve some form of surf fusion. I’m intrigued, I wonder how they’ll pull it off.

Operations Manager, Nick Raymond, said the restaurant will serve “a diverse menu and bar with affordable prices.” Non-coincidentally, the restaurant will open on the summer of 2012, or the Beach Boys’ 50^th anniversary. Wow, it’s already been fifty?! I wonder if when they realized they went around announcing their accomplishments to the world like Molly Shannon on a Saturday Night Live skit (if you watch the video, and I highly recommend it, look at the girl on the far left when the girls enter at around 4:30, you’ll see a moment of awkwardness that only comes with live performances).

To continue the list of celebrities with restaurants, and in no particular order, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their restaurant Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer, located at the Excalibur, serves all-day Texas-style barbecue. My kinda place! Other notable celebrities are Dan Aykroyd with House of Blues, Arnold Schwarzenegger with Schatzi On Main, and of course, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger with Planet Hollywood.

With all these celebrities coming out with their own restaurants, I wonder which ones are worth the money and which ones should be ignored. What do you think? Have you ever been to any of these? Do you have a memorable story to tell about it? Let us know in the comment section!

Boy Band Hanson MMMBops to Beer

Do you guys remember Hanson? That’s right, that Hanson band made up of three boys that looked surprisingly similar to a chick band. They made that music video that is forever etched in our minds with no possibility of getting it out of there, MMMBop! Well guess what, those annoying little boys who I thought would remain forever innocent are thinking about having their own beer: MMMhop by IPA. Apparently it will be some form of a pale ale. Zac Hanson said, “We of course make records, they are fundamental to what we do, but we wanted to create a brand so that our fans have a greater experience.”

Whether or not this is an internet rumor, the fact remains that celebrity endorsement of alcohol is a bit of a fad in and of its own. Dan Aykroyd teamed up with Patron to create Crystal head Vodka.

The following is an interview in which Aykroyd explains his decision to endorse a spirit. Listen up for the “put into the mouths of people your passion.” Taken out of context, a hilarious quote in an otherwise very serious interview.

Lance Armstrong, an icon of fitness and health, after all he did defeat cancer, endorses Michelob Ultra. Sure the beer is very low in calories, but the alcohol content is still there. Justin Timberlake directed a pretty funny commercial for 901 Tequila. Even Jackie Moon, a fictional character by Will Ferrell, has his own Bud Light commercial.

Whether artists (if you can call Hanson that), actors, athletes, heartthrobs (as in Timberlake), or fictional characters, it seems everyone is endorsing some form of alcoholic beverages. With their vast and pervasive influence in our society, should celebrities endorse alcoholic beverages? What do you think? Is it an ethical duty for celebrities not to endorse alcohol? Or is it their acquired prerogative?

Top Chef Texas Episode 5 Recap: Don’t Be Tardy for the Dinner Party.

On week five of Top Chef: Texas the competition gets classy as the cheftestants make a sophisticated spread at a high-society dinner party! In episode 5, restaurateur and renowned chef John Besh, Chef/owner of Lüke in San Antonio and August in New Orleans, is this week’s guest judge alongside our fabulous Top Chef judges, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons.

There are 14 cheftestants left. As they recover from an all-nighter of cooking, Padma walks onto the set. Sarah Grueneberg freaks out a little because she thinks they will get a Quickfire. That would have been brutal for the mental and physical state of fatigue everyone was experiencing. Padma just wanted to tell them to prepare to go on the road. They were going to Dallas! Edward Lee was regretting that they would have to leave their comfortable house in San Antonio. Beverly Kim thought of the Dallas Cowboys, country singers, and Dolly Parton. Chris Jones was excited about the opportunity to show what he can do in a new city. Almost like a fresh start. I think I would be a bit of an optimist like him. Heather Terhune told a funny story about how she grew up taking road trips with a brother that would get carsick. She said her brother has thrown up on her several times… with a smile! She seems super-nice and I hope they keep her in the show for a long time.

The car ride seemed like it was a lot of fun. The cheftestants got to know each other and Ty-Lor Boring told his car mates that he has a boyfriend. I didn’t see that coming. Chris Crary told his car mates that he used to be 70 pounds heavier. Since Chris is this season’s pretty boy, Paul Qui asked “big? Buff?” And Chris said “no, like fat.” I didn’t see that coming either. Turns out Chef Works photographed Chris at his restaurant and his friends told him “hey looking good in that magazine fatty!” Chris lost 70 pounds in two years! I’m impressed!

As they were driving, the cheftestants ran into a road block by state trooper. Dakota Weiss confessed that she was pulled over in Texas and got a big ticket for it. She thinks that “there is a warrant out there for my arrest.” The state trooper asked them to pull over and when they did, they ran into Padma and John.

Quickfire Challenge

In order to win $5,000 and immunity, the cheftestants had 30 minutes to cook a dish with the ingredients found inside a survival kit. That’s right, dry, packaged food. Lindsay Autry told a story of her dad eating Vienna sausages out of a can. She thought it was disgusting. Now Lindsay was going to use the canned sausages to try and win $5k and immunity.

• Chris Jones prepared Fried Chicken on Lemongrass Noodles.
• Chuy Valencia prepared Basmati Rice with Smoked Trout.
• Grayson Schmitz prepared Pickled Herring with Hearts of Palm, Dates & Herring Juice.
• Lindsay Autry prepared Triple Club with Tuna & Sardines in French Onion Soup with Vienna Sausage.
• Ty-Lor Boring prepared Black Pepper Chicken Stew with Garbanzo Beans & Rice.
• Sarah Grueneberg prepared Dried Beef and Pineapple Rice, Apple Sauce and Hearts of Palm.
• Chris Crary prepared Spicy Garbanzo Beans with Tofu and Crab.
• Whitney Otawka prepared Beer & Peach Glazed Chicken with Green Bean Casserole.
• Edward Lee prepared Thai Peanut Soup with Salmon, Tofu and Fried Hominy.
• Paul Qui prepared Pork & Beans with Coffee & Basmati Rice.
• Dakota Weiss prepared Sweet & Spicy Noodles with Crab Meat & Pineapple Juice.

John’s least favorites were Whitney’s Dakota’s and Chris. Favorites were Edward’s attention to detail, Lindsay’s whole dish and Chuy’s canned, smoked trout. The winner was Lindsay for being inventive and resourceful.

Elimination Challenge

For this challenge, the contestants had to create a course for a progressive dinner party. Chris Crary gracefully explained, and I didn’t know this, that a progressive dinner is when friends live in neighboring houses and start the appetizers in one house, move on to the next, eat the main dish at the second house, and finish dessert at the last house.

Ty-lor was confident that because he has cooked for Bill Gates and rock stars, he knows the expectations that the client will have. Dakota was pissed because she was placed in the dessert group. We all remember that she made the cake for the Quinceañera and it didn’t come out well at all. In other words, Dakota’s terrible with desserts, and she knows it.

The first group, or the appetizer group, had the challenge of making appetizers for a couple that doesn’t want their food to be adventurous. Also, the wife does not want her guests to have bad breath or get food stuck on their teeth. The second group, or the entrée group, could not cook with spice, cilantro or raspberries. The problem was that the wife was very high maintenance and the husband was very adventurous. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would please both members of the household. The dessert team also had an interesting challenge. They had to make a dessert that was “worth every calorie.” The husband said he’s a gummy bear fanatic. Edward could only lament and said, “I can’t compute that someone with so much elegance is asking me to cook with gummy bears.” Tough lesson to be learned there Eddy, money doesn’t necessarily buy elegance.

The difference between this elimination challenge and the previous ones, is that each cheftestant was cooking alone instead of in a team. They had 30 minutes to shop, and a budget of $250. They each had 2 hours to cook. Chris Crary was concerned about baking because “baking is such an exact science.” Chris Jones was making a dish that looked exactly like a cigar, which Paul condemned saying that at these dinner parties, you need to “impress the lady, because if you impress the lady of the house, the guy is just going to agree with it.” Both Heather and Nyesha Arrington were annoyed with Beverly for taking over the kitchen. Beverly complained that the other two were singling her out because they were getting in the way just as much as she was.

• Chris Jones prepared Roasted Chicken Cigar with Sweet Corn, Collard Greens and Cumin Ash.
• Sarah Grueneberg prepared Grilled Roman-Style Artichokes with Date Purée.
• Lindsay Autry prepared Roasted and Raw Beet Salad with Chickpeas and Greek Vinaigrette.
• Whitney Otawka prepared Seared Scallop Over Sweet Corn Purée.
• Paul Qui prepared Fried Brussels Sprouts with Grilled Prosciutto.
• Heather Terhune prepared Garlic and Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops with Garbanzo Beans and Mint Chimichurri.
• Chuy Valencia prepared Sockeye Salmon Fillet Stuffed with Goat Cheese.
• Beverly Kim prepared Seared Scallop with Creamy Pollenta.
• Ty-Lor Boring prepared Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Summer Slaw.
• Nyesha Arrington prepared Roasted Filet of Beef with Vegetable Mélange.
• Dakota Weiss prepared Banana Bread Pudding, Banana Mousse and Banana Date Milkshake.
• Chris Crary prepared Strawberry Cupcake with Banana Custard and Chocolate Icing.
• Edward Lee prepared Panna Cotta, Cantaloupe Consommé and Raspberries Stuffed with Basil Pudding.
• Grayson Schmitz prepared Chocolate Sponge Cake, Caramelized Bananas and Semifreddo.

When Padma walked out, she asked for Sarah, Grayson, Paul, and Dakota. It was so the judges could tell them they made the best dishes! So much for Dakota being bad at desserts. The winner was Paul Qui! Well, seems like his strategy to “please the lady” really worked well for him. He was very happy to be the only chef to represent Texas in Top Chef Texas. The cheftestants that the judges wanted to see next were Chris C., Chris J., Ty and Chuy for serving their least favorite dishes. Chris and Ty used too many ingredients, Chuy basically made overcooked salmon, and Chris should’ve let go of his cigar idea (nobody liked it). John said, “In the end, it was the overcooked salmon in a dish that wasn’t thought through that sent Chuy home.” Chuy had a graceful exit letting us all know that he felt honored to have lost to all the great talent that is still in the competition. However, Chuy still has another chance at the finals by beating Keith Rhodes.