The Secret Ingredient

I don't know how long ago it was, but I got hooked on Iron Chef and then Iron Chef America. Not that I am keen to a lot of the dishes they make, mainly because I either don't like some of the ingredients or I just can't eat them. Sunday night has turned into my Food Network night.

I love to sit and watch the Iron Chefs wield their spatulas, knives, and other tools while they throw food into the blast chiller, steamer, blender, deep frier or other cooking device. Since I am not creative, especially when it comes to cooking, I get mesmerized just watching these chefs decide what ingredients to put together. They always use foods that I've never heard of before and would probably be too afraid to eat. While I love my sweets, there are so many foods I won't try.

There are times that I wonder about the secret. Who comes up with it and how? Here are some of the secret ingredients from past shows: Lobster, Fennel, Bacon, Eggplant, frozen peas (not just peas, but FROZEN peas), honey, chocolate, coconut, wild boar, lentils, puff pastry, onion, eggs, asparagus, goat cheese. The chefs are required to come up with 5 dishes that use and spotlight the secret ingredient. So how many things can you do to frozen peas, or honey, or even puff pastry to make you win this competition. I mean, honey is honey, frozen peas are frozen peas. They can use the secret ingredient to make the dish, but are they really making that ingredient "the star" as some judges so eloquently put it. I don't think so...I think this is more about the overall cooking technique and creativeness of the chef.

My favorite chefs are Masaharu Morimoto and Mario Batali. They both seem to be able to come up with original dishes that the judges always love. I've seen many a time where cocky "Mr. I'm the Best" Bobby Flay goes into his comfort zone and uses spices, spices and more spices to create his dishes. I've seen him do it on his Throwdown show. It's like he doesn't know what to do, so he says "I'll throw some chili powder or other "hot" spice in there and fool them into thinking it's original. There are times when I would love to be in the studio just to smell the cooking, because even though I wouldn't eat most of it, I bet the aromas are just amazing. Plus you can't gain weight by just smelling.

We found it in his bag

I have been watching Survivor since the first day it was on CBS. I fell in love with it and have watched every season. There have been some really good seasons and some that were OK, and I don't even remember the winner or runner-ups at this point. I still remember everyone from the first season. I have my opinions on Richard Hatch but I will not dare to elaborate on those.

Instead, I will speak of last night's episode. Whoa Nelly! Mookie and Alex went through Yau Man's bag! (Which is where they found the immunity idol) Dude, that is just sooooo wrong on every level. I understand they are all there playing a game, but to go through someone's personal bag is NOT "outwitting" OR "outplaying". I ws so happy that the others in that alliance were more upset over the guys going through Yau Man's bag than the fact that they didn't know he has the idol. Mookie and Alex tried to pull one over on Yau Man and he stood his ground! Good for him!

Then at Tribal Council Mookie tried to call out Yau Man in front of Jeff. Jeff's reaction to "We found it in his bag" was priceless. Again, Jeff was more shocked at that part than the fact that Yau Man has the idol. I often wonder if Jeff comes up with his own questions/comments or if he is coached before he goes out there on what to ask. He doesn't seem privy to anything that has happened the 3 days prior unless it happened when he was with the contestants for challenges. There have been quite a few mentions of "Rats and Snakes" when the contestants refer to each other during tribal council. I don't remember so much mention since the very first season when Sue Hawk snarled "This island is full of, pretty much, only two things - snakes and rats. And in the end of Mother Nature, we have Richard The Snake, who knowingly went after prey; and Kelly, who turned into the rat that ran around like rats do on this island, trying to run from the snake."


I was actually surprised to see Alex vote for Mookie, but Mookie not vote for Alex. I would have expected it from Mookie before Alex. Mookie seemed like a bigger back stabber, but then Alex IS an attorney and is right at home in shark infested waters. As you can see, I don't care for Alex...I mean, he doesn't even have the cute thing going on.

I would love to be on Survivor but I don't think I could get past the eating challenge(s), sleeping on leaves, the bugs, the snakes, having to use the bathroom in the middle of nowhere, the bugs, the snakes, starving, thirst, the bugs, the snakes, never changing my clothes and oh yeah, did I mention the bugs and the snakes?