I don't watch much TV, so you can imagine my dismay that Top Chef, one of the only shows I tune in to on a semi-regular basis, caps off season five tonight with the "reunion special."
I like Top Chef for a number of reasons, the top two being (1) the creativity of the challenges, matched only by the skill of the chefs, and, of course, (2) the food (Note: Do not watch Top Chef, or any other culinary show, on an empty stomach: grumble)!
Food is rooted in geography from harvest to haute cuisine, as we've highlighted frequently on this blog (.e.g , Thirteen for Friday the 13th, Make Like the Pilgrims, Gas Prices and Tomatoes and Bees, Oh My!, Flavor Friday, etc). As I watched the Top Chef Season Finale last week, I couldn't help but be reminded of this reality. Here's a geographic look at season five:
Contestants
Hosea Rosenberg traveled cross country from Boulder, Colorado, having spent the recent years of his career working in a seafood restaurant--interesting, as Colorado is one of the most landlocked U.S. states, with at least two states separating it from the ocean in any direction. For his final meal of the season, Hosea went with "flesh" selections reflecting both his culinary experience and his upbringing in the American West: seafood and venison.
Stefan Richter formed half of season five's "Team Euro" along with Italian fourth place finisher Fabio. Born in Finland, Stefan spent most of his childhood in Germany and pursued his culinary studies there. His culminating dish was a dessert plate sampler with iconic European elements including--my favorite--chocolate!
Raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Carla Hall currently owns a catering business in my hometown of Washington, D.C. When I watched part one of the season finale at Spike Mendelsohn's (season four contestant) restaurant in Capitol Hill, everyone was gunning for her! Carla's approach to combining classical French techniques with Southern-inspired "heart and soul" in her concoctions was perfectly suited to the finale setting in New Orleans.
Judges
Season five's new judge, journalist Toby Young, brought the British stiff upper lip, and, at times, biting criticism, to an international panel. Food critic Gail Simmons hails from Canada, and Padma Lakshmi, who has hosted a number of globally-themed food programs including "Padma's Passport" and "Planet Food," gained fame as one of the first Indian supermodels. Renowned chef and New York City restaurant owner Tom Colicchio, originally from New Jersey, is the lone American of the group.
Fans of Top Chef know that each season is filmed in a different American city, drawing on the resources and culinary influences of that particular locale. The Big Apple served as kitchen, grocery store, and inspiration for much of Top Chef Season Five: "Bright Knives. Big City."
In episode one, contestants prepared dishes representing several of New York's distinct ethnic neighborhoods: Brighton Beach (Russian), Chinatown, Long Island City (Middle Eastern), Astoria (Greek), Jamaica, Ozone Park (Latin/Cuban), Little Italy, and Little India.
Then, in episode eight, the chefs journeyed from the nation's largest urban center to Blue Hills Farm in nearby rural western Massachusetts, making use of the same fresh ingredients served at Blue Hills Restaurant in NYC to prepare meals for the farm's employees.
The two-part season finale came with a change in scenery: the finalists landed in the legendary melting pot of New Orleans just in time for Mardi Gras.
What did you think about the decision to migrate South for the final episodes? Would it have been more appropriate to host the finale in New York?
What other geographic connections can you make to Top Chef Season Five?
Sarah for My Wonderful World
Images courtesy Top Chef, ThistleFarmArts
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