Top Chef Miami

Thursday morning quarterbacking

So we got an email from Charlus Baron, of Amuse-Biatch (http://amuse-biatch.blogspot.com). His reporting uncovered that Micah may have some splaining to do about her South African accent, as she actually grew up in Massachusetts and former classmates remember no accent at all. We'll dig further and get back when she responds to these scandalous allegations (not really, but).

As for last night's show:

Brian - he really needs to get some meat going or he may lose this thing. We understand you cook at Oceanaire but a little chicken would be nice...something.

Joey- the guy's from Cafe Des Artistes? Yowza, cant' imagine him among the Frenchies. Solid cook, tho. He stayed squarely in the middle with his vegeterian lasagna (the easiest) and ate crow when Howie's pork and cider sauce won the family favorites challenge. Our Howie needs to get back to consistency and he could cruise for a while. It was nice to see him smile (Padma made him). His prize: to spend a week at Gotham with Portale plus some cookbooks. We'll have to ask him if he went yet.

Sara M: That was the weirdest looking version of chicken a la king I've seen it in a while - obviously she's never had it, just knew what was in it. "I'm from Jamaica,'' was her response. A little humility would be nice. Like, I'm sorry, I did the best I could. I've never actually tried this dish before. I emailed her but she has yet to respond. Sara has a good resume - started out under Mark Militello (Mark's Las Olas, Mark's South Beach), then went over with Michelle Bernstein at Tantra (where Sandee now works) and later Ortanique on the Mile in Coral Gables.  All fine places. But skewers and couscous? Where was the homey, gloppy sauce? Oy.

Isn't that Elks Lodge a hoot? Filming was at the one  at 103 Sunset Drive (305 270 8283). It's a charity/ fraternal organization for veterans and needy kids. Members pay dues, but they have open mike nights and singles event for the general public.

Another local eats the dust

Oh Micah. Oh dear. Your meatloaf was your downfall. Her inconsistency got the best of her. Up, down, up, down. When her mind was off her daughter and home, she was pumping out good stuff. In the end, her stacked dish - according to judges - had an odd aftertaste and weird texture. Not sure which but I think it was  Gotham god/guest judge  Alfred Portale who exclaimed "Yuck!" Hard to rebound from that critique.But it may have been Micah's apparently snooty attitude that got her. When she presented the dish, she said something along the lines of "Well, you Americans like ketchup." More tidbits about her and the rest of the cheftestants tomorrow. Especially Howie - who rocked the quickfire with a honorable mention for his ceviche. And then went on to win the Elks challenge with some tender looking pork. Keep it up, dude. You've got heart.

 

Somebody stick a Cheeto in a Snickers bar!

OK, grabbing the Guinness beer to boost the chicken sausage flavor requires we pause for a moment and remember Michael from Season Two, who once picked up six pack on a shopping expedition because the loft was out of beer. Then, when he ran over the challenge's food budget, he put back some cheese so he could still walk out with the beers.

Sedated on pain killers from his impacted wisdom tooth, Michael was still five times more fun than anyone in this cast.

This is from the Herald's in-house TV producer, Karen Burkett. We bugged her for some inside info on the Howie WHAT THE 5! segment (see below) and she came through nicely.

So Howie Kleinberg stopped the Grillfish kitchen on South Beach to talk food and stuff with the "What the 5!" crew. Yeah, yeah, he made summer salad and it was yummy. (See recipe) Cooking schmooking though. We watch the show for the dirt. We're working on Howie to spill it, but it's going to take a minute. Howie's a tough talker and very no nonsense in person, plus he's worried about those send you to bankruptcy court reality TV contracts. One thing is certain. The cameras aren't lying. Howie is indeed that chef who's not going to get pushed around by some blowhard from New Yawk (spellcheck -- New York!)

Now he did tell us he was roomies with Joey, Trey and C.J. during the show. He said Trey (and Hung) are no joke -- really talented chefs. Howie says he kinda kept to himself when he was in the house. Trey was much more social, the kind of guy who got along with everybody. Howie's used to living with ladies though. He grew up with his mother and sister, both of whom he adores, in North Miami Beach and went to Highland Oaks Junior High. Mom was a party planner and helped him find cooking. He's single in the ring sense, but there is a lady in the picture with the "girlfriend" title. Howie says he's not the type to take his lady out for fancy dinners at ritzy restaurants. They're more likely to hit one of his favorite hole in the walls Yako San. It's a tiny little Japanese restaurant that's open until 3 am in North Miami Beach.

Howie teaser

What the Five, this website's daily webcast, has a segment with Howie tomorrow. He'll be making tomato and mozzarella salad-- and the recipe has leaked!

It's below. Our source promises to send along some dirt/dish about the Howie encounter later. That's good, because our money has him staying in the Top Chef kitchen for many weeks to come.

You can check the What the 5 link at miamiherald.com, and we'll post a link to the segment when we get it.  (Note, our food editor, Kathy Martin, fiddled with Howie's recipe to make it more user-friendly. You're now seeing the new version.)

  HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND BUFFALO MOZZARELLA SALAD

   ¼ pound grape tomatoes

   6 garlic cloves, 3 chopped and 3 sliced

   ¼ bunch parsley, leaves picked and stems discarded

   3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided use)

   4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

   Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

   1 bunch cherry tomatoes, removed from the vine

   1 bunch fresh thyme, leave picked and stems discarded

   2 ripe heirloom tomatoes

   1 pound buffalo mozzarella

   1 bunch fresh basil, leaves torn

   Cracked black pepper

   

   Heat oven to 350 degrees.

   In a bowl, combine grape tomatoes, chopped garlic, parsley leaves, ¼ cup of the olive
oil, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate for 1 hour.

   In another bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup of the olive oil, thyme leaves, sliced
garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on a baking pan and roast until skins of
tomatoes wrinkle.

   Slice heirloom tomatoes, and arrange slices on a platter. Season with salt and pepper.

   Tear mozzarella into bite-size pieces, and place around tomato slices.

   Spoon marinated grape tomatoes on top of slices.

   Place roasted cherry tomatoes around the platter.

   Garnish with torn basil, remaining ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cracked
black pepper. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

   Source: Adapted from Howie Kleinberg.

Hungry for more?

Here's a new one on us. If you go to Wap.BravoTV.com you can download ringtones chosen by the "cheftestants" on your Web enabled cell phone. Joey's song is "Goombas," Howie's is "Pick Up Already." ($1.99).

You can do other fanatically fun things on the site like  leaf through the cast's photo diaries (really low res pics), download wallpaper of your favorite player (also $1.99) and play trivia games with questions like: "Which Season 1 chef had to take his/herself out of the competition in order to rush to his/her ailing father's side?"

A: Cynthia, Brian, Candice or Stephen?

Hmm, I'm stumped. Any takers?

More from Micah

I asked her how they pulled together dishes so fast in the challenges without having recipes.

"We are not allowed to look at or have any recipes on us throughout the lockdown of shooting the show so quantities have to be committed to memory before entering the competition and remain in your head throughout!"

On her daughter:

My daughter is 3.5 years old. Her name is Matilda (made in Australia born in Italy).

For Spanish speakers

Carlos "Season 2" Fernandez appears on a live cooking segment every Wednesday at 8:35 a.m. on Telemundo.

Alumni tidbit

Received this e-mail from Chuck Smith, the partner of Season 2's Carlos Fernandez. They both own Hi-Life Cafe in Fort Lauderdale:

Got a lot going on around here.  This Top Chef thing really seems to have legs and Carlos' 15 minutes keep getting extended!Click  www.bravotv.com/blog/carlosfernandez/2007/06/hola.php to see the webisodes that Bravo taped at the restaurant showing Carlos cooking 14 different Latin-flavored recipes. Bravo will be airing a new webisode with recipes every week during TC3 Miami.

You can also click here - http://www.bravotv.com/blog/carlosfernandez/2007/06/hola.php - to get Carlos' take on each week's episode in his blog. 

C and C will be showing original Top Chef Miami episodes at the cafe every Wednesday night at 10pm.  These will be casual popcorn parties and all beers and wine are half price.

Address is 3000 North Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale, 954-563-1395

Micah checks in

Got this email from Micah today: She's got no TV!

Dear Madeleine,

As for watching myself on television--my daughter thinks it is a riot, continuously pointing and
saying,"Look it's mommy!" with surprise and joy. Friends have thrown
viewing parties here in Coconut Grove each week, as I don't have TV in
my house, mandating not only that we celebrate but also that I watch,
which I do with dissecting and discerning chagrin. They love it. I
analyze it!

I now have people interrupting my dinners out and about Miami asking
me if I am "Micah from Top Chef" but it is great publicity for my
business, and that is why I signed on to do it in the first place...so
I suppose in the end, despite my daughter's angst at being
incommunicado from mommy for a time, the experience will be
worthwhile.

Eat Well, Be Well,
Micah