I liked Eli so much in the beginning! But his comments about Robin last week really pissed me off. I didn't notice anything last night, but that could have been because I was ranting to S. about how much I loathe Mike I.

Both Jen and Kevin seem to have the best skills at working with other people, in addition to being two of the best (IMO THE two best) chefs.

and they are very different chefs - and do different kinds of food. I liked them as a team.

I liked how worried Brian was for his brother, too. And that exchange with Kevin about waiting to let the losers talk about their dishes could have been so different with other people, but he was so mellow about it.

quickstep, waltz, tango, foxtrot, viennese waltz, cha cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, jive

Ok, that's what I thought.

TC: Eli also really bugged me last night. And I was really happy for both Jen and Kevin last night.

and they are very different chefs - and do different kinds of food.

It was terrific how Kevin, as unversed as he says he is in Asian food, was able to create a Vietnamese inspired dish for the quickfire. Now, it could be that he's more experienced in that cuisine than he says, but it does mean that he's able to create stuff on the fly.

Robin's attempt at Middle Eastern by turning out something vaguely Indian is an example of how not to create stuff out of thin air.

Robin's attempt at Middle Eastern by turning out something vaguely Indian is an example of how not to create stuff out of thin air.

Honestly, I think her biggest mistake was calling it curry. The basic spices in curry powder are all major spices in Middle Eastern cooking, except maybe fenugreek.

And what was up with Ash's toady routine at judge's table. That was embarassing.

Someone has a crush, be it professional or otherwise ...

Honestly, I think her biggest mistake was calling it curry. The basic spices in curry powder are all major spices in Middle Eastern cooking, except maybe fenugreek.

I gotta admit, it was kind of funny when she was about to challenge Padma about India being kind of Middle Eastern, and then realized what she was setting herself up for and clammed up.

I gotta admit, it was kind of funny when she was about to challenge Padma about India being kind of Middle Eastern, and then realized what she was setting herself up for and clammed up.

I'm watching it now and just saw that part. Very funny.

fenugreek

I know this is a spice, but it's also something women take to boost their milk supply when nursing, which is the context where I most see it referred to. Online worlds colliding.

Since he won Top Chef:Masters, I thought I'd link to the Chicago Tribune's review of Rick Bayless's new restaurant, Xoco. It's a counter-service place, priced accordingly, and sounds delicious:

Wickedly, Bayless sets his desserts right by the cashier, making them even harder to resist. Already, his churros, handmade in direct view of the restaurant's picture window, are acquiring legendary status; warm from the fryer and dusted with sugar and cinnamon, they are so enticing customers grab them on the spot, often downing them long before the savory dishes arrive...

Among the wood-baked tortas, the woodland mushroom version, with its garlicky notes and Prairie Farm goat cheese, is sensational, as are the pepito, made with Tallgrass Beef shortribs, jack cheese and pickled jalapenos, and the excellent cochinita pibil, a pork torta served with a lethal habanero sauce on the side...

Murky and complex, these soups are wonderful to contemplate. The seafood is predictably terrific, awash in organic shrimp, mussels and a red-chile-inflected broth. But the pork belly vermicelli is a revelation; the hot soup renders out the excess fat, leaving just the richly flavored pork. For those who find pork belly too unctuous, this is the dish to try.

Besides the churros, desserts include ice creams; the vivid-colored blueberry-tequila blend is especially good. And there's the deep, rich combination of chocolate cake and cajeta (goat-milk caramel) flan called chocoflan; how Bayless resisted calling it Xocoflan is beyond me.

There are a few wines and beers available, but the beverages to try are the insanely good and intense hot chocolates, made from cocoa beans ground on the premises, and the fruity aguas frescas, which are natural and uncarbonated soft drinks. Because so many caldos have a touch of lime to them, the limonada agua fresca is an ideal companion...

Though its entrance is on Illinois Street, Xoco sits right next door to Topolobampo and Frontera Grill. In marked contrast to celebrity chefs who've established satellite operations coast-to-coast, Bayless took 20 years to reach the end of his block. At this rate, he'll hit Lincoln Park by the year 2312.