Tag Archives: Chopped

The Dreaded Spoon Push

Before I start my rant, let me say, normally I am a big fan of spoons.  I love to eat ice cream with the tiny demitasse ones (makes it last longer), go nuts over the large serving ones and generally have warm fuzzy feelings about all spoons.  But there are two uses for spoons that really drive me crazy.  The first is the spoon push and the other is the appetizer served in a spoon.  So, let the rant begin…

Really, I would like to meet the Chef who invented the spoon push and ask him, “Why?!”  What possessed him to think that dragging a bit of sauce across a plate with a spoon looked good?  It doesn’t.  It doesn’t even make sense to me.  Drizzle the sauce, put circles of the sauce around the dish, anything but the spoon push.  I wonder if said Chef knew that the spoon push would become such a HUGE hit with Chefs.  I see it used on Chopped all the time.  Each time I yell at the television, “No! Not the dreaded spoon push!” I see it utilized in the Food Network Challenge shows, on Top Chef and when I dine out.  I am begging all you Chefs out there, please stop!  It doesn’t make sense and does nothing to add to the plate.

Now, onto the appetizer served in a spoon. Usually, the type of spoon one receives when ordering soup while dining in an Asian restaurant.  Again, who thought of this?  I get it in theory, in practice, not so much.  It is a way to serve a small appetizer without using plate, fork, etc.  But enough is enough already!  For one reason it screams 1980.  Why not be cutting edge and think of a better more current way to serve that appetizer?  It doesn’t even work that well.  It is always more than one bite and you never know where to put the spoon after you eat the appetizer.  Again, caterers, Chefs, party hosts, I am begging you, stop the madness!

Whew, I feel better now.  Am I the only one that obsesses about stuff like this?  Please tell me I am not!  Really, I want to hear your culinary pet peeves, please share.  We can obsess together…

The Hills. More Food Please.

I will admit it. Two things really excite me bad reality television & food. oh, three things really excite me… Sorry, hubby!

So, you can imagine my excitement when the new season of The Hills began. Heidi’s plastic surgery, Audrina’s airheadedness, Lo’s bitchiness and Kristin’s purported drug use.  So, last Tuesday I cleared the living room of husband and cats, poured myself a glass of 3 Doves Merlot (really great. you must try it) and fixed myself a personal anti-pasta platter of Boursin cheese, artisinal bread, roasted mushrooms and field greens salad with a great olive oil. Oh yeah, just in case you were wondering, I was Tivoing Chopped on other TV.

Yes, it was good. Yes the dresses were short. Yes Spencer was an ass. And, of course Heidi is a 23 year old inflatable sex doll. But where is the food? I love to watch the girls go to restaurants in L. A. (my old haunt) and watch them not eat food. Part of the fun… But first episode was sorely lacking. Only real restaurant scene happened in Colorado with Heidi and her family. LOVED the “Can I Blend the hamburger?” comment from Heidi’s mom…

So, Hills producers, PLEASE include more restaurant scenes. These girls NEED to ignore some food!