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Warning: The post below contains spoilers, so if you TiVo'd last night's "Iron Chef America" and don't want to know who won, I suggest you stop reading now.
Last night, the oddest battle in the history of Kitchen Stadium took place, a battle of the Food Network All-Stars that pit Mario Batali and Rachael Ray against Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis. The theme ingredient was cranberries. It seemed to take Rachael and Mario several minutes to find their groove, with Rachael seeming to get flustered and Mario looking a little impatient, although the pair seemed to have the dishes they would do divided up already. It looked like things started out very smoothly for Bobby and Giada, on the other hand, who both appeared focused. As time wore on, however, Rachael adapted more and more to the kitchen and the pressure of the time began to affect Giada's performance. Bobby did his usual good work, but unfortunately, the judges weren't as impressed with Giada's plates as they were with Rachael's -- although it probably didn't hurt that Mario bribed them all with cranberry Bellini's halfway through the competition!
From the fact that both women seemed a bit stressed out at the end of the cooking period, it seems as though neither would be eager to return to the stadium. If the Food Network is thinking of doing another All-Star battle, however, how about Ina Garten vs. Paula Deen?
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11-14-2006 @10:25AM Joseph Jordan said... R R IS OVER EXPOSED ON TV (TO MUCH OF HER) I NOW FIND EVEN HER VOICE HAS BECOME ANNOYING, I CAN NO LONGER WATCH HER..
ANOTHER,ONE STARTING TO GET TO ME, "PAULA" THAT LAUGH OF HER"S DRIVES ME CRAZY GIVE HER ABOUT 6 LBS OF BUTTER A COUPLE GALLONS OF HEAVY CREAM AND SEND HER ON HER WAY...
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11-14-2006 @8:52AM burchwood said... no doubt RR was going to win. she makes cooking easy and fun
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11-14-2006 @8:54AM Lin said... Both women are good but it was Mario's show and expertise that won. All I saw RR do was stir something. They were bumping into each other and most of the recipes were the Iron Chef's.Re-match please of the women only..no professional help...that's cheating.
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11-14-2006 @8:54AM Margie said... Hoo-boy! A weekly throw-down between lady TV chefs would be a hoot! I'm ashamed of myself for missing the Giada vs Rachael bout but I would never miss another one! It would be fun to set a few conditions, such as: Rachael couldn't mention Evie OhOh, The Contessa couldn't say, "Gorgeous!", Sarah Moulton wouldn't be allowed to apologize for ANYTHING, Sandra couldn't say, "Now I want you to ... ", and Giada wouldn't be allowed to flash all 60 of her pearly-whites.
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11-14-2006 @8:57AM mj said... Sorry, Ms. Ray just irritates the crap out of me. Her voice is so whiny, and she's just so darn perky all the time. Give me Alton Brown any day. Go Alton!!
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11-14-2006 @9:00AM Chgo_John said... Mario's dessert was his "take" on an Italian dessert, Zuppa Inglese. His used layers of whipped cream, berries of some sort including cranberries, and panatone, to make a trifle.
My family's is a bit more traditional. A lemony, custard-like pudding is made on the stovetop. The layers are lady fingers that have been drizzled with bourbon, grenadine, & sweet vermouth. To assemble, you begin with the custard and then alternate between layers of the cookies and custard, ending with the custard. Refrigerate overnight before serving. It's not for children nor the faint of heart.
Google "ZUPPA INGLESE" RECIPE to find alternatives.
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11-14-2006 @9:04AM Leesa said... I am so glad rr won!!! I have mde alot of her recipes nd they were fantstic...I tried a couple of Giada's and they were awful!!! Maybe I just have different tastes from hers
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11-14-2006 @9:06AM chick said... I LOVE Bobby, Mario, Giada and RACHEL! Watch Giada and Rachel every day. Honestly, I wish there could have been tie, but I'm really happy for Rachel. This was not her cup of tea and she pulled it off with a great chef, Mario, whom I also admire. The surprise of winning was definitely obvious, ....as was the disappointment of Giada. In my opinion, Bobby and Giada NOT rushing to Mario's and Rachel's side to congratulate them made them look like poor-sports, where on the other hand, I think Rachel and Mario would have rushed to congratulate Bobby and Giada, ....simply because it's appropriate.
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11-14-2006 @9:06AM Crissy said... I love the food network. Though I missed the very beginning and the judging part, it was thoroughly entertaining! WHat a great idea! Where was Emeril? Has he ever done the show? Or is won't his bloated ego fit through the hanger door?
Anyways, both Giada and RR are SOOOOOOOOOO Sexy! My wife hates Giada and all her teeth, but I love her.
Cranberries were an unexpected secret ingredient and I thought everyone did a wonderful job, except for that awful looking cranberry risotto. I REALLY wanted to take a bite of that goatcheese/cranberry/herbal treat.
So what in the dickens happened to the original asian produced iron chef? I NEVER EVER see it on the Food network anymore!!
Love,
Cris
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11-14-2006 @9:06AM Bernice Chandler said... Rachael Ray really got into the competition. Sorrowfully, Giada did not. You can tell Giada's cooking show is scripted, even her hand movements are the same all the time. Rachael makes little mistakes but she laughs them off and that is so natural. We do that in our own kitchens. Also, I like the clothes Rachael wears--just like we wear at home. Giada's clothes are too low cut and she shows too much cleavage. I think that both cooks were put to too much testing for a show like Iron Chef. Leave it to the real chefs. Those who can stand the competition.
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11-14-2006 @9:08AM l.perez said... I saw the great show, best one yet. Giada seemed very pissed when she lost, finally a real reaction to losing. I was glad to see RR win, Giada seems to stuck up and does not have the real qualities of a chef and sorry Giada that "zeppole" has been mis-said by so many americans.
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11-14-2006 @9:11AM Linda said... I loved the Iron Chef cookoff. I watch most of the food network programs, and was looking forward to the cookoff. I love RR and was so glad that she won. I wonder what would have happened if Bobby was with Rachel and Mario was with Giada? Keep up the good work everyone.
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11-14-2006 @9:17AM DAVE said... RACHEAL IS DOWN TO EARTH.AND VERY INFORMATIVE.AS STATED BEFORE WE DONT HAVE TIME TO COOK THE COMPLEX MEALS.YOU CAN TELL GAIDA IS NOTHING BUT A SPOILED LITTLE PRETTY GIRL. AS SHE PROVED IT WITH HER LITTLE TEMPER TANTRUMS ON THE IRON SHEF. HER SHOW IS ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS.
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11-14-2006 @9:16AM sandra whitt said... I MISSED THE SHOW AS MY RECORDER DID NOT PICK IT UP. WILL IT BE SHOWN AGAIN? DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW I CAN GET A COPY OF THE SHOW?? THANKS. HOPE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE. I LIVE IN SAN DIEGO
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11-14-2006 @9:34AM maddy said... i loved that rachel ray won. giada was being kind of annoying. and rr and batati seemed to be more in sync and a better pair in all aspects than giada and flay. i would love to see emeril lagasse in kitchen stadium. versus who, don't know, but i bet it would be awesome.
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10-05-2007 @1:16PM Edie said... How about pitting RR against Sandra Lee (Semi Homemade)?
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11-14-2006 @9:25AM Maxheadrom said... I agree with many. I love the battle, but it did seem that RR got more composed than Giada as the battle came to an end. That could easily be that Giada takes herself and her cooking more serious than RR. RR knows that she is what she is a good cook and does pretend to think that she is anything else. Congratulations to RR! I too am disappointed that recipes from the battles are not available. The dessert that Mario made is one of several dishes that I would love to try to make and enjoy at home. As for battle Paula/Ina, let’s line it up and watch the grease fly. Or should I say fry?
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11-14-2006 @10:02AM Maryann said... I like the Iron Chef America series and watch it often, and thought this episode could turn out to be the most annoying installment ever filmed, but was pleasantly surprised.
Rachel and Giada are polar opposites on screen and in the kitchen, which is what made things way more interesting than any mystery ingredient. Rachel Ray's whole 'thing' is speed and simplicity pulling out items as neccessary and essentially dumping things out for presentation, while Giada's kitchen and ingredients are always maniaclly prepared and laid out for her in dozens of little bowls and dishes, so she can display her items as if they were ready to be photographed for a fashion magazine. Both women [sorry] are almost annoyingly chipper with Rachel's chuckling laugh and Giada's humongous face-splittingly-fake grin, but away from their respective kitchens it was all about the work- with only a dash of 'hissy fit'.
Both Bobby Flay and Giada diLaurentiis often come off with an attitude that they're sooo hip and cool, it's a bit off-putting, while Mario seems to have to confidence of a Mack Truck barreling down the highway with Rach along for the ride. I think it was a good episode, and knowing the Food Network they'll be replaying it incessantly over the course of the next few weeks for holiday viewing. Even if you could care less about the cooking, the show earns points here for just being downright entertaining.
** I think Iron Chef Ina vs. Iron Chef Paula would be a hell of a match. Upstate New York meets Down Home Atlanta? Something tells me a battle between Ina and Paula might end with the ladies ambling off arm in arm to have a cup of coffee and a recipe swap, but hey, I'd tune in for that one too! **
-MaryannJr@aol.com
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11-14-2006 @9:29AM Ralph said... I think what won it for Mario and Rachel was that they stuck to what they both do well - simple food done quickly. Giada's a good cook, but Bobby tries to be too fancy with his combinations and presentations; it's what's cost him in other competitions, too.
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11-14-2006 @9:35AM Raven said... CRANBERRIES!
An intriguing secret ingredient like any other was hardly the biggest surprises in Sunday nights IRON CHEF, pitting 2 Italian style cooks and 2 Continental style cooks and pairing them in teams to fight against eachother.
Bobby and Giada- Bobby impassive to say the least, didn’t seem to thrilled with being involved in this festive berry fight royal. While Giada seem flustered and almost panicked at times. Bobby a master of TexMex American cuisine seemed to me as a long time watcher caught off guard by the crans, a rarity to the show. Giada and her formal at home style Italian take everything slowly excelled in what she is truly good at … Ravioli and Desserts. Heck that is what she is famous for.
Mario and Rachel – Matching his own uppity and know it all style to her quirky fun loving style we see a rare glimps of the fun loving chef others had often said about Mario in interviews, a rarity to see on Iron chef where the chef often corrects the host pronunciation of his home lands dishes. Rachel seemed more impatient then panicked, bumping in to Mario and even playfully suggesting he pour her a drink as well.
Planning – To me the team of M&R where just a bit more intone to each other, both bending their own style to work together as a team. While B&G seemed to work more independently.
SO whats in the future – Okay so this leaves us wondering with Rachel and Giada do battle again, And if so will Rachel prevail again. Will food network continue on this intresting twist of their shows can we expect to see Guy, Emerill, Paula or even its host Elton? I hope so.
IN the end what does this view think??
Liking both Rachel and Giada I was at a loss who would win but was pleasantly happy when it was M&R. Many say it was because of Mario however they forget that many of the plates handed in by this team were done together and not secretly like team B&G. This viewer did think Bobby was more then rude to Giada and was a little sad that her own teammate was being well a jerk. I think both ladies did an excellent job!!!
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