Thursday, August 13, 2009

I. Was. Wrong.

I think I have been alone in my admiration for Michael Chiarello. I've watched his show for several years and always thought he seemed like a nice guy who cooked and wasn't too hard on the eyes. Then he gets on TCM--not Turner Classic Movies, people--and David over at DavidDust, who does the brazilliant TCM recap, blogs about his smarmy used car salesman personality every week. And every week I write on David's blog that I like Mike.
This morning. Not so much.
Last night on TCM they had to create a buffet for two hundred and were asked to pick three sous chefs from a pool of former Top Cheftestants. Side note: Poor Spike, picked last. The way they picked their sous chefs was through a kind of speed dating: two minutes with each former chef.
Well, all three other Masters begin asking what the other chef's culinary point of view might be; what they like to cook; what are their strong suits. Michael Chiarello begins barking orders about trash cans and carrots and brunoise. Yeah, me neither.
All the former cheftestants hate him, and I, too, am feeling the Chiarello love slipping away. Especially when he doesn't so much as use them but abuse them. No Please no Thank You, it's all Just Do It, like he's a walking talking cooking Nike ad.
Then, at the buffet, the other chef masters are working with their grasshoppers, and being polite and kind and supportive. Even at the end they turn and thank the cheftestants for their help. Chiarello? Hmmmm, he looks like he did it all himself.
Then at judging Rick Bayless, my new favorite--he's moved from second place to first while Chiarello is on a bus back to Napa, riding the whole way next to Dale [if you watched, you know]--says he tried something new because of Richard Blais, and he thanked all his help. the other two chefs do the same. Michael Chiarello seems shocked that they would thank anyone but themselves.
So, after all this rambling, what is my conclusion?
David was right.
Smarmy used car salesman.
Go Team Rick!

8 comments:

  1. I'll repeat - David was right!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rick is kinda cute, no? I've watched Michael's chow for a while. I like the stuff he cooks and I can almost smell it most times. But there is just...."something" about him that rubs me the wrong way. Smarmy would describe it perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. David is always right. That's how he got to be DAVID DUST! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. My, my, my ... I didn't realize ya'll were talking about me over here while I was writing my recap.

    Darling Bob - I'm sure you weren't the only one fooled by Chiarello's smarm. To use a Star Wars metaphor: a Sith Lord usually isn't revealed until after it's too late. And Michael Chiarello is certainly a big piece of Sith...

    And we are in agreement on this point: Bayless is my new favorite also.

    XOXOXOXOXOXO

    ReplyDelete
  5. Michael is silly, I still have a small crush on him

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2:49 AM

    Hello People, I was on a holiday for a month just passing by read this interesting post its great to see that every thing here is getting more lively...thanks a lot for these keep them coming....
    ___________________
    victor
    Increase your brand popularity overnight

    ReplyDelete
  7. Same here with me, Bob. I have, however, loved Hubert from the beginning if you remember with Rick right in there, too. I'm fine if either of them win. Love 'em both!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have to leave the room when the Chiarello starts to fly, he irritates me so much.

    Rick Bayless's place in Chicago, Frontera, is so good we went there twice in the one week we were in town a few years ago. Fabulous.

    ReplyDelete

Say anything, but keep it civil .......