Soup is good food

PROGRAM NOTE: as requested, I will be including a SPOILER notification whenever I talk about current series, so as not to ruin anything for the Netflix crowd. However, I have decided not to worry about spoiling reality tv series because they have such a short shelf-life and I doubt too many people are actually watching them on DVD. If I'm wrong, correct me. And don't read the next paragraph.

Top Chef: what is the fascination with ice cream? Top Chef got all Iron Chef on us and made the contestants make ice cream, which they did. Sort of. Can you really call avocado and bacon or bacon and waffle flavors of ice cream? I don't think so. What are these kids thinking? I don't even remember who won now, so appalled was I by these options. Avocado and bacon should not got together, except in a sandwich. And it doesn't really matter, except that the ice cream debacle revealed to us that the very pale Emily hates children. and fat people. and all other people. a lot. She was scary. The more interesting challenge was the TGIFridays, re-design a comfort food from your childhood challenge. I came up with my own entries, none of which anyone else decided to do (shockingly): mini-chicken pot pies (so you can eat three), mini-french bread pizzas (this was the husband's contribution), and mini guacamole, black bean, salsa, and sour cream tostada stacks. Yes, I am obsessed with "mini." Those new Ruby Tuesday mini-burgers? "Craveable," in the words of the TGIFriday's head chef! Anywho, these folks came up with some winners and some big losers, in my book. The best of the bunch, by my standards, were the bacon smoken roasted corn, the strawberry crisp with pecan streudel, and the grilled cheese with portobello sandwiches and roasted red pepper soup. I would order these with gusto from any casual dining establishment.

A word about this season as a whole. What is with the new, strangely tall Indian host? Did you see her white go-go-go-still going boots a few episodes ago? She looked 10 feet tall! She is better than the monotone last woman, by leaps and bounds, but she has some odd wardrobe choices. This episode? A denim vest. and nothing else on top. yes, it's as strange as it sounds for the venue. And this season is turning out to be the season of the morally dubious behavior, which is certainly making the producers stand up and shout for joy. And a word about Tom whathisname, the top chef judge. He is very good, don't get me wrong, but last night he kept saying "TGIF really wants..." and "TGIF is the kind of place where..." clearly showing that he has never been to a "TGIF" because that's not the name of the restaurant. I'm just saying, he was clearly slumming.