For the second time this week, hello, Starr-struck citizens of the internet! Since Ben Starr is partaking in his annual pilgrimage to Burning Man, I am doing a temporary takeover of his blog in order to write the MasterChef recaps that so many of you are so fond of.
For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Michael Chen, and I was part of the top 18 during Season 3 of MasterChef. Please follow me on my Facebook, Twitter, as well as my website at www.mc3michael.com! Let’s get the usual legal disclaimer out of the way: (PLEASE NOTE: This blog contains the crazed rants of a former MasterChef survivor who has practically no inside knowledge of how this season was produced. It’s not fit to be read by anyone.)
Here we go, with part 2 of this week’s MasterChef!
Is it just me, or do the extensive recaps at the beginning of each episode (and even after each commercial break) come across as a bit excessive and unnecessary? Almost feels like cheap “filler” material to me, especially when the episodes play back to back like they did this week. I digress..
Random thing I noticed: In the “beauty shots” of the contestants at the beginning, everybody is showing off some sort of cooking skill except for Krissi, who just turns around and….stands there? Wonder why that was.
I’m actually somewhat looking forward to this episode, as I’m curious as to how the producers and editors portray Paula Deen (appearing for the 2nd season in a row…a bit weird), since the filming of the episode took place before all of the controversies tarnishing her reputation. She has largely stayed out of the public eye lately, so perhaps most of the public have forgotten the controversial events that unfolded earlier this year already.
Snorted upon hearing the Narrator call the event a “lunch party”. LOL.
Luca’s (slightly overly) dramatic reaction to seeing Paula Deen makes me smile. “I’m Italian, what do I know about SOW-thern food?” I actually find Southern food and Italian comfort food pretty similar, but maybe that’s just me. Maybe because I love them both so much…..
Each contestant has to cook for a table of 10 individually. They must each cook their assigned protein, along with two side. They are: Kentucky Chicken (I didn’t even know Kentucky had its own chicken, aside from KFC haha!), Alabama Pork Chops (…..), Georgia Shrimp (? not Florida?), Mississippi Catfish (makes sense..), and Gator Tail (No location given, though I guess Louisiana is presumed? I guess I don’t know enough about Southern food, because I had no idea that Kentucky was known for their chicken (aside from KFC), Alabama for their pork chops, or Georgia for their shrimp. Do y’all know those connections/associations?
Continue reading the rest of this post on my website at www.mc3michael.com!
What do y’all think? Should James have gone home? Which Southern meal would YOU have eaten? Which restaurant dish would have made you quake in your boots? Let me know down below….