ChefGEB versus Bobby Flay

I just saw a story on the Channel 5 noon newscast about our LTHForum buddy, Chef Graham Elliot Bowles. Apparently, he has been chosen by the Food Network to compete against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef. Go ChefGEB, kick that @*#$%&'s ass !

Speaking of which, is the Homaro Cantu ep EVER going to be shown?? This is really starting to piss me off!

Go, ChefGEB!

From a trusted source...January.

GEB should dispense with Flay effortlessly.

YourPalWill wrote:GEB should dispense with Flay effortlessly.

Should being the operative word. This is TV, you know; and Flay pays the bills around there. I'm pulling for GEB, though.

Death to Bobby Flay!! Go GEB!!

Chef Graham Bowles v. the Irritating Derivative FN Hack

Should have been called "Iron-clad conflict of interest". One of the judges owns the public relations company that represented one of Flay's restaurants, his catering company, and 3 of his cookbooks. She no longer works with him, and hasn't for 8 years-But, she still represents a hotel that houses one of his restaurants. This is all in today's Trib.
I like how the Food Network exec says that all the judges know of, or have eaten Flay's food anyway so it's no big deal- as if eating his food is the same as having these deep connections with him.
I don't know who should have won, but I do know this judge shouldn't have been there.
Oh well, I've always felt that cooking isn't baseball-can't see the value of culinary competition.

stewed coot wrote:Should have been called "Iron-clad conflict of interest". One of the judges owns the public relations company that represented one of Flay's restaurants, his catering company, and 3 of his cookbooks. She no longer works with him, and hasn't for 8 years-But, she still represents a hotel that houses one of his restaurants. This is all in today's Trib.
I like how the Food Network exec says that all the judges know of, or have eaten Flay's food anyway so it's no big deal- as if eating his food is the same as having these deep connections with him.
I don't know who should have won, but I do know this judge shouldn't have been there.
Oh well, I've always felt that cooking isn't baseball-can't see the value of culinary competition.

That particular judge (Karine Bakhoum) is Flay's biggest fan as well. Anytime she judges him, she practically does cartwheels over his food. I know some will argue that it's just TV, but it is really so easy for the Food Network to avoid any appearance of impropriety and pick a judge who has not had a prior business relationship with Flay. Sounds like a case of the network turning its corporate head the other way as long as one of its money-makers, Flay, keeps winning. After all, they could always argue that his food was better, it's a subjective contest, and if the judging was really biased, wouldn't there be a greater disparity between her scores and the other two judges?

I just wish they would start showing the exact scores awarded by each judge.

stewed coot wrote: This is all in today's Trib.

Trib links (free registration required):
Sunday 'Gentlemen, start your ranges'

Today Cooking up controversy on 'Iron Chef'

It's TV ferchrissakes....deep breath...if this were a real competition, not showbiz, there'd be blind tastings and judges with credentials.

It's a fun show. I watch it and cheer for my favorites. Let's not kid ourselves that they a) don't know the secret ingredient beforehand or b) barely finish plating before the buzzer

And Alton should shave.

It's TV ferchrissakes

...but a conflict of interest is a conflict of interest, no? Why taint the result with the appearance of impropriety? (speaking of which, the close-ups of her cleavage were a tad bit much, don't you think?)

In a tangentially related note, the Customary Dining Companion is now a GEB fan, as, according to the bio of Chef Bowles on the FoodTV site, they share a great fondness for Hot Doug's and Mac&Cheese. He also called my attention to the excellent story in Sunday's Trib magazine about him, too. Good man, as is ChefGEB.

sundevilpeg wrote:

It's TV ferchrissakes

...but a conflict of interest is a conflict of interest, no? Why taint the result with the appearance of impropriety?

Only if you buy the premise that this program is somehow more than entertainment, that the results of the competition mean something and the winners go on to universally recognized greater glory.

We are still talking about a TV show based on a Japanese program where the exact same judges appear each week pretending to be an interesting variety of different people, aren't we?

Cleavage sells, so they show a woman "judge" with a whole bunch of it. Bobby Flay sells, so he gets to win more often than not. It IS his show...there's no money or reputation at stake here...just a bunch of chefs who want to show off their skills for the camera and maybe thumb noses at each other while we watch.

sundevilpeg wrote:(speaking of which, the close-ups of her cleavage were a tad bit much, don't you think?)

Yes, I definitely think.

Diannie wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote:

It's TV ferchrissakes

...but a conflict of interest is a conflict of interest, no? Why taint the result with the appearance of impropriety?

Only if you buy the premise that this program is somehow more than entertainment, that the results of the competition mean something and the winners go on to universally recognized greater glory.

That's certainly the way food network is selling it - just listen to the intro. I'm sure the chefs who participate would be surprised to learn that because it's "just TV," they should expect it to be fixed. If that's what's universally believed, then why are these chefs busting their butts trying to impress the judges? Sure, the challengers get a ton of TV exposure just by showing up, but winning almost always counts, even if it's just TV, ferchrissakes.

It's too easy to take Bakhoum out of the judging for Flay. They should do it.

To bring a male perspective into the cleavage debate: Karine Bakhoum's cleavage is definitely not an, er, asset.

gleam wrote:To bring a male perspective into the cleavage debate: Karine Bakhoum's cleavage is definitely not an, er, asset.

Must admit, I was more focused on her eyes, which continually glanced upward, seeking approval and affirmation from Mr. Flay.

Just for the record, I find Mr. Flay's TV persona to be devoid of sex appeal. Other women on the board may differ with me, but I doubt it. Unfortunately, his virtual cuisine is also lacking that je ne sais quoi.

Josephine wrote:Just for the record, I find Mr. Flay's TV persona to be devoid of sex appeal. Other women on the board may differ with me, but I doubt it. Unfortunately, his virtual cuisine is also lacking that je ne sais quoi.

Agreed. I don't loathe him, but I certainly don't find him at all attractive.

And as for what his cooking lacks, it seems mostly to be imagination. For about half of what he cooked, a comment was made that it was a "signature" item, i.e., something he made all the time. Bowles's stuff was all incredibly imaginative, and Flay's was all really safe -- though even playing it safe with a signature item (those johnnycakes in particular) didn't save him from baffling Jeffery Steingarten.

I was sorry GEB didn't win -- but I was at least gratified to see that he scored much higher on originality.

Did anyone catch Chef GEB's interview with Phil Ponce on Chicago Tonight last night? Now there's a guy with some mojo! He mentioned that the restaurant will be serving the Iron Chef dishes next week, for anyone who is curious.