And I've said I knew of Heather when. (suck.com) But I have to say now, hooray! She's in top form, never painted the big picture clearer and has never made me laugh more.

I'm manning the phones here at work and between the column and the responses to it, I can't stop laughing when I answer calls - a bit awkward--all this stuff is very entertaining. Agree totally about Top Chef. I hear the criticism about Gordon Ramsey but he makes me laugh so much I don't care how much of a swearing blowhard he is.

I adore her! It took me a little while to warm to her--in the first couple of episodes I thought she was a bit too kooky and weird for my taste. Now I think she's kooky and zany and tons o' fun and would love to go out for cocktails with her. She's definitely an underdog against the likes of Stefan, and I always love underdogs. I want her to stage a stunning come from behind upset. Her nationality, and the nationalities of her competitors have nothing to do with it. Why do we always think in such parochial terms?

Stefan is definitely the most talented and accomplished chef in the bunch, and is the prohibitive favorite heading into the home stretch, similar to Hung a couple seasons back. But his smug self-assurance and arrogance is a little grating, even if he has, as one LW pointed out, a bit of humorous self-awareness about it. Fabio is such an Italian caricature that there've been times I thought he was really an actor hired to play an over-the-top Italian Mama's boy chef. Leah is holding on by the skin of her teeth and shouldn't even be there any longer, if there were any justice in the world, but I guess the producers want to milk her status as Hosea's snuggle bunny for all it's worth (note to producers: Not much.) And I agree with everyone who complained about Hosea's whining and inferiority complex toward the Euro chefs. Oh Gawd, enough already! Maybe you have a complex because you are inferior, at least compared to Stefan!

This season of Top Chef has been a bit bland, since there haven't been the explosive fireworks of past seasons. That Toby prick from the UK needs to be put on the next plane back home--he adds nothing to the proceedings whatsoever, except for lame, caustic bitchiness. He seems to have forgotten that a necessary component of acerbic wit is the wit. Bourdain does acerbic wit much better, and he was also a far better critic of the food. Much more entertaining to watch overall. I disagree with those who laud Gail Simmons. Her stint as a judge on TC never did much for me. Ted what's-his-name from Queer Eye was alright. For my money, they'd do well to bring on Eric Ripert as a permanent judge in place of the Limey bastard. He's suave, cool, sophisticated, and provides a detailed critique of the food while always being friendly, approachable, and professional--and he knows what he's talking about. He's also devastatingly handsome (when I go gray I'd kill to have hair like his) and his accent is oh-so-sexy. He also smiles a lot, and it's a lovely smile. He's a one man antidote to the typical American's toxic view of the French as insufferable, humorless, bitchy, gloomy, effete snobs. More Eric Ripert, PLEASE!!

I always enjoy your posts.

As for a book that rises to the level of the best TV shows on today, I'd suggest any of Cormac McCarthy's last five novels, and FOR SURE his first novel, called The Orchard Keeper.

Non-fiction? A World Undone, about WW I, is awful good.

But wait! Professional wrestlin' is on. Gotta go!

:)

Having spent my fair share of time in kitchens dealing with idiot chefs-"culinary experpts"-I have always found the ranting bitch fits from such individuals comical-Men in stupid hats, checked pants, white blouses, and clogs/crocs to be simply comical.

It is tough enough to looks at men in such outfits without laughing let alone when they start pretending they are tough guys. Seems they wd. have realized their tempertantrums neither motivate or impress their kitchen/wait staff-it instead staff laugh, rensent, and sometimes as I have scene, in the bar after shifts, sooner or later-Nazi chefs such as these nuts get backhanded by staff who had been degreaded one too many times.

The new judge sucks, even on the rare occasion when he likes something I can't tell why.

I'm rooting for Carla too, but I'm fairly certain Stephan will win, but I am often disappointed that he picks the easy route like thinking he'd automatically win the Superbowl challenge against Andrea? and for selecting the least challenging Ripert dish.

I did find it a travesty that Jamie was sent home over Leah or even Hosea who knew that Monk fish should rest and still used too much seasoning after being told he used to much by Ripert. Jamie has won or come in a close second in many challenges while Leah seems to be all over the place. Jamie at least admitted crap yeah, I did let the celery get too salty while Leah didn't even KNOW how to prepare her dish correctly. Every chef screws up from time to time, it's why people return food to the kitchen, chefs also usually get a chance to throw something out and try again when it's so unedible.

What did someone hear her turn her nose up at Eric's food and decide she just had to go? No lesbian winner folks as she and Carla are probably the best competition for Stephan. Fabio also seems to hit or miss and Hosea is a big ol' whiner. Stephan wins everything wah wah wah, yeah, probably because he's better than you, you big tool.

But I guess I won't really know how good Jamie is unless I eat at Absinthe when/if she returns.

As for Ramsey, I enjoy his BBC show but his others, I don't need to watch some screaming yelling jerk who swears all the time and screams and yells when someone makes a mistake. Hmm maybe all the people in your kitchen competition are one step above home cooks because no decent chef wants to be the victim of your ugly berating behavior?