Re: Top Chef -- Jessie made soup for both the Quickfire and the Elimination Challenge, and both of them got bad reviews from the judges. I think she needs to expand her repetoire before she turns into this season's version of the woman who was working towards the title of "Top Scallop." (Sorry, I can't remember her name, but I can still hear Fabio's voice in my head saying that.) Also, and I realize this is a hangup purely on my part, I can't get past her chin piercings. Whenever she's talking to the camera I can't look away from the jewelry bouncing up and down.

Also, if you notice, once again, with the first soup, she "screwed up but knew what went wrong". I'm perfectly happy with her or Mike I going next.

The piercings also drive me crazy.

I'm not sure she's that bad - the chowder got good marks, even though it was wildly inappropriate for the occasion. And they did say the sweet potato soup had good texture and other things going for it, until she overspiced it.

I do think she is exactly that person who will always drop one ball like that. So I won't be sorry to see her go regardless.

The idea of the chowder was derided, but the fact is, everybody liked the chowder, so it seems it was a good call after all.

And as a strategy, having a variety of "hometown favorites" for a military group is not a bad one.

In other news, has anyone else seen "Making His Band"? It's putting together a backing band for Puffy, and it's fascinating. It's got a nice vibe with a lot of talent, and there's a curious thing where the judges are putting this group together for Diddy, so they are committed to getting a great group together for him. Also, there's a trans woman who is one of the vocalists, which is the second one on one of his shows -- there was a trans woman on "I Want To Work for Diddy." Needless to say, she is FIERCE. I've only ever seen it On Demand, so I don't know what the airing situation, but if you're interested in music, check it out.

I don't understand why serving chowder in hot weather is controversial. To me it is a food of summer, and I think it would be the same for others from New England.

Yeah, I agree. I love chowder and had it not two weeks ago in the high desert. C'mon, people, good is good.

But I understand that there was an objection, just disagree with it.

I also think she should have checked the seasoning (on the sweet potato soup) way earlier because you can make up for too hot. But it looks like she didn't, and didn't have time to try or didn't want to. And that is a problem.

Predictably, I have no problem whatsoever with the piercings. See more like it and crazier every day at work.

I have not seen "Making His Band".

But I do have a free preview of some bonus channels this week and so have been watching "Manhunter" on Science Channel obsessively today. Gorgeous Canadian scenery! Cowboys on horses! Orienteering!

I had this chance to go to "Becoming An Outdoorswoman" weekend last month and passed it up due to cash. But watching stuff like this makes me really want to go in spring. Need to start an envelope for it. Right after I buy my birdseed.

I don't understand why serving chowder in hot weather is controversial. To me it is a food of summer, and I think it would be the same for others from New England.

Yeah, as a transplanted New Englander, I'm totally OK with this idea.

I think doing a classic, and doing it really well, is always okay, especially here, when they were trying to do a Food Across America! thing for the unit.

The pasta salad, though, just baffled me. *I* can make that. They chopped some vegetables and cooked some pasta. I mean, sure, it's a staple of most picnics and potlucks, but there's almost no way to make that *outstanding* and worthy of competition.