TV reviews

MasterChef: Second Chances

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[Being a fan of MasterChef, I decided to add my own thoughts on selected episodes]

The remaining six contenders all entered the kitchen last night expecting to cook and found themselves in the gallery watching 8 previous contenders duke it out for a MasterChef apron. It was good television and provided more sales for heartburn medication as the 6 remaining chefs were worried as to who might come back. You had Stacey, Josh, Tali, Anna, Tanya, Scott, Cowboy Mike, and Ryan all battling it out in a Mystery Box of their own choosing. Each one had to select one item from the pantry that would be part of what they cooked. And it was a strange one indeed. You had portabello mushrooms, pork chop, celery, condensed milk, chocolate buttons, pomegranate, white wine vinegar and heavy cream! The judges were aghast no one choose a starch, spice, tomatoes, or onions.

So off went the 8 into battle making a dish that would put them in the top two for the apron. And we saw some really good cooking here. Nearly everyone pulled out all the stops to make an impressive dish. Both Josh and Ryan were surprised that David Martinez was still there. David, classy guy that he is, gave the middle finger salute to Ryan as he said that. He was dumbfounded when Josh said the same thing. David has had his moments but has had lots of things go wrong as well. Luck has been on his side more than talent in my estimation.

Finally the judges taste all the food. Josh did a chocolate mousse. Graham thought it did not look great but it tasted delicious, as did the other judges. Tali did a chocolate dish that was heavy or as Joe put it like “a mortar.” For once we did not get a clip of Tali saying how the judges cannot understand his creativity. Most of the other dishes were good with slight problems. Ryan produced a pork chop with mushroom and celery ragu that Gordon said it was the best dish he cooked. Stacey put up homemade pasta, ricotta cheese, pan seared pork chop and ravioli. Gordon said she had one hand on the apron as a result.

Alas it was not to be. Instead it was Ryan and Josh left standing. One must assume both dishes showed great finesse and talent but I really thought Stacey had nailed it. Stacey is someone I expect to hear about in the future. Her trajectory is heading on to bigger things food wise. Some might argue that the judges wanted Josh because he is more popular but I doubt that. And Ryan did put up a really delicious dish that made him a contender. So now the two have to prepare a delicious (and as Gordon puts it stunning) fruit tart. Here is the rub: the six remaining will determine the winner in a blind taste test.

Both Josh and Ryan get to work on their tarts. Ryan looks less confident but prepares a traditional looking tart with strawberries and other fruits. He also put maraschino cherries, which I have never seen before on a fruit tart. Josh goes for tropical fruits. For a while there it looked like Josh was in serious trouble but he pulled it out and both presented really nice looking fruit tarts to the judges. After slicing and plating their dishes, the servers take them into the restaurant where the six are seated waiting to taste. They have no idea who made what, their decisions based solely on presentation and taste. We learn what many of them think, most like what they have tasted. So where did the vote go? All six voted for Josh!

Ryan ends up taking a second walk out. He certainly is a decent cook that will probably improve with more training. However his arrogance and bad talk will not make him many friends. Not sorry to see him go and Josh will likely add a lot more tension in the next few cooking challenges. I suspect Felix or David to be the next to go. Monti could screw it up but I doubt it. As I see it, the final four could be Josh, Frank, Christine and Monti. Becky is talented but has too much confidence and more easily rattled in high pressure contests.

On to the next challenge!

 

Titanic

Titanic Musings-Premiere Revenues Up, Ballard Helps Out Turkey, Lusitania Questions, and MasterChef

Titanic Musings
18 Jul 2012

Take some time off to come back to find lots of news stories to sift through! Actually it was not that bad since I filter out a lot of stories that have no bearing to Titanic at all. Some just mention Titanic as a descriptive like “it was a match of titans” or it was a “Titanic event. ” Of course there are the usual cliches like the infamous “rearranging desk chairs” that seem never to go out of style. Pity that politicians just seem to love to use Titanic. It crosses borders and parties as well.

Over at Premier Exhibitions, the word seems to be silence. No word on what is going except that negotiations are continuing regarding the artifact sale. They got title to the salvaged artifacts but can only sell it as one piece limiting sales to only mega corporations, museums or consortiums with very deep pockets, or wealthy oil princes in the Middle East. Perhaps China will buy it up and make it a tourist attraction. Stranger things have happened.

Premiere Exhibitions reported that its profits are up for the first three months that ended 31 May. They report a 9 percent jump resulting in $1.2 million or 2 cents a share.  Last year at the same time it was $1.1 million and 2 cents a share. Overall revenues (before expenses) were up 19 percent to $11.5 million from $9.7 million. Their acquisition of Arts and Exhibitions International LLC–which has King Tut II, Cleopatra and Real Pirates (and others) as part of its programs–added to the bottom line. Ticket prices however went down during the period (no doubt to attract people) by 7.6 percent.

Titanic II appears to be rolling along. Still in the planning stages (actual construction has not yet started) but Clive Palmer already has said he will likely exclude everyone but first class passengers from its casino. He says he did not want people not able to lose money to go there. Nice sentiments but Las Vegas has no such qualms. As long as your money is good (and not one their list of banned people) you can gamble as you wish. Some people do get foolish and gamble too much. There are some who do get addicted to gambling but that is a special category. And those people, like alcoholics, need counseling to deal with this problem. Palmer likes to remind that Titanic II will have all the latest in safety technologies, be wider than the original for stability, and offer nice amenities. Hopefully they will not serve Titanic shaped ice cubes in the bars.

Robert Ballard has been in the news recently. The Turkish government asked him to assist in locating the downed fighter craft shot down by Syria. Since his ship was docked in Turkey already for an expedition, he went out and located it in Syrian waters. Still up for debate is whether the Syrians had any legal right to shot it down (if it was in their airspace they will claim they had the right while Turkey says they did not). Ballard’s ship Nautilus is exploring the Black and Mediterranean seas this summer looking for Byzantine era ships and to observe marine life. You can check out their progress at www.nautiluslive.org.

An article in the Daily Mail once again asks the question whether or not Lusitania was carrying illegal munitions that contributed to its sinking in 1915. On 7 May 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the liner which sank rapidly taking 1,198 lives. Controversy swirled from the very beginning because there were two explosions. One was the torpedo and the other no can ascertain for sure. Some speculate it was munitions for the war in Europe put on board illegally, others that it was coal that ignited as a result of the torpedo. Greg Bemis, who is co-owner of the wreck and believes that it went down as result of illegal munitions, is conducting dives to the wreck to determine what happened. The wreck lies 300 feet down off the coast of Ireland near Cobh (Titanic docked there in 1912 but it was Queenstown then). The water is murky making it hard to see and cutting into the hull takes time. Weather of course makes it difficult. All of this is for a documentary that will reveal what they found.

It was a major news story back in 1915. Europe was at war with England/France/Russia on one side vs. Germany/Austria/Turkey on the other. Lusitania was a civilian vessel and many Americans were aboard. The German embassy had placed notices in newspapers warning such ships were subject to attack. The German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare allowed them to target military and civilian vessels of its enemies. Its sinking angered America and President Wilson. However it did not lead to American entry into the war (that came in 1918 thanks to the infamous Zimmerman Telegram). Like people who believe President Roosevelt knowingly allowed the Japanese to bomb Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941, there are those who argue the same for Lusitania. They argue the British (in particular Churchill) wanted the Americans in the war and put the illegal munitions on the ship knowing the Germans would get the blame when they torpedoed her. No real proof exists (though lots have been written to support it) that is the case.  A lot of post-World War I history is written from the point of view, that America was sucked into that war by the British and that Lusitania was part of it.

Turning away from Titanic, I have been watching MasterChef(Fox-USA). I like this show. Unlike the other shows (except maybe for Food Network Food Star) all of the participants are amateurs and mostly home cooks. A few have some restaurant experience as food runners, servers, burger flippers, or breakfast serving, but most learned from just doing it at home sometimes with their parents or others around them. What is surprising is the creativeness and quality of dishes presented. The judges–Joe Bastianich, Graham Elliot, and Gordon Ramsey–put the aspiring MasterChefs through a lot of hurdles to get the best of the best. Along the way you get interesting challenges and personalities. This season has also seen lots of changes. Obviously aware that shows like these become predictable, they have chosen to shake things up to make it less so. For instance, usually at the end of a mystery box challenge they call down the three best they want to try. However at the first one, the three they called down were judged by them (they walk around and taste the dishes and talk with the cheftestants) to be the worst. They also have mixed up the elimination challenges by having the winner select who cooks what in that challenge. It adds a lot more stress and strategy. Choose right and you might send home someone who was a competitor. On the other hand, you might end up helping the very people you want to eliminate as Ryan found out to his embarrassment. Sadly some of the challenges send favorites away like Josh (who really excelled in most challenges but the egg pressure test was his doom). Christine, who is blind, has proved to be very creative in her dishes despite an obvious impediment.

And it is never certain who wins or loses. For instance, Ryan was pleased to think that Monti had screwed it up by using canned crab to make scotch eggs. At first Gordon thought she was nuts but upon tasting realized it was delicious. Tali, never known for anything particularly great, did produce a delicious strawberry shortcake while Becky, a front runner, produced a trifle that looked beautiful but was very bad. So the show keeps you guessing as to whether the people you think are good will in fact cook well to survive to the next round. The worst offenders are easy to spot. Generally they serve undercooked food, miss key components required, or poorly executed dishes. Or you do something totally bizarre like baking cheddar cheese on top of your apple pie or putting unthinkable combinations in risotto. You know how bad it is when Joe takes your dish and tosses it into the trash. Your only hope is someone has done worse (and that has happened). Give MasterChef a watch. I think you will like it.

Sources:
1.Businessweek, Premier Exhibitions 1Q Profit Up, Attendance Rises, 12 Jul 2012

2. Herald Sun, Clive Palmer reveals detailed plans for Titanic II,17 Jul 2012

3. Washington Post, As Titanic’s Discoverer Does Research At Sea, Armchair Explorers Can Watch Online, 16 Jul 2012

4. Daily Mail,Was The Lusitania Our War Crime: 1198 Passengers Died When The Liner Sank, 13 Jul 2012

 

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Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Lesson To Editors-Watch Your Titanic Facts Or Face The Wrath Of Kids

Back in April Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post contributing editor, wrote about Titanic books but got the date it sank wrong. He wrote it sank on 15 April. Oops! That prompted a letter, actually a very large one, from a fifth grade class at Burning Tree Elementary School in Bethesda, Maryland.

Kids Correct Washington Post
5th Graders Correct Washington Post On Titanic Sinking Date

 

 

Dear Mr. Drabelle,
    We are fifth grade students at Burning Tree ES in Besthesda, Maryland and we have been studying the Titanic’s tragic sinking and the lives of some of the survivors. In your April 15, 2012 edition of The Washington Post, you stated that the Titanic hit the iceberg on April 15, 1912. Based on our research, the Titanic hit the iceberg shortly before midnight on April 14, 1912.
Sincerely,
    Mrs. Reed’s fifth grade class

That about says it all. Here endeth the lesson.

Source:

Huffington Post, Washington Post Receives ‘Adorable’ Letter From Fifth Graders Correcting Mistake In Titanic Story, 11 Jul 2012

Titanic Miscellaneous

Ghostly Titanic Replica

Stephen King’s Christine was about an evil car that terrorized people. Now we have a Titanic replica that may be haunted.
Wyatt Jason Moore (aka Chuck) built a nine foot long Titanic replica that looks pretty cool complete with crewman, children playing on deck, ladies in period costumes and even someone walking a dog. But when he examined photographs of the replica he began noticing something not easily seen by the naked eye.

An unexplained image in the portholes just above the life boats – on the port side of the vessel. According to Chuck, it looks like a bald headed man with a handle bar mustache looking out. And he just recently identified a woman in one of the portholes appearing to lean forward to see the view.

So let me understand this. These are ghosts peering out of small portholes on a Titanic replica that can only be seen by examining photographs. Sort of like those ghosts that can only be “heard” when you leave a tape recorder around a graveyard or old house.

Well the good news is that he intends to partner with a museum so the Titanic replica will be heading there. So if the ghosts decide to get more active, it will be their problem and not his.

Source:
Cleveland News – Fox 8, Man Says ‘Titanic’ Replica May Be Haunted, 15 June 2012

 Titanic Books

Titanic, Titanic Cliches

Titanic Musings: New Titanic Book, Titanic 3D, and Titanic Cliche of Day

•Titanic has generated lots of books over the years covering every conceivable point of view. Of course with 100th anniversary of Titanic sinking, a lot more books have come out. Some are excellent, good, or just plain bad. The worst simply repeat what others have written (including obvious errors of fact) claiming to be original work. Fortunately the reviewers for The Titanic Commutator (published by the Titanic Historical Society) help sort out which ones are worth reading to those best used for lining bird cages or kindling for your wood stove. Mark Chirnside reviewed On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of RMS Titanic giving it a thumbs up for its well written approach to the subject. The book also offers new insights and information along with examining some current controversies.

On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of RMS Titanic
Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton & Bill Wormstedt
Amberly Publishing, 2012

•Titanic 3D broke new records as people all over the world flocked to see Jack and Rose in 3D especially during the Titanic anniversary. Ticket sales hit $2.3 billion which includes $88 million overseas. Proves you can draw a crowd to see an already popular movie but many industry people still are not sold on 3D. It may be, as many predicted, just the right time and place for it again until the public tires of it. Are we ready for 3D Star Wars?

•Mithika Mwenda, coordinator for campaign group the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance made a statement recently at the UN Doha Climate talks about the slow progress of negotiations. And this is where the comparison to Titanic comes in:

“This is like the Titanic, where both developing countries and industrialized countries will sink.”

Congratulations! You have been awarded the oft imitated, never duplicated award for Titanic Cliche of Day. I am just wondering if Titanic and dinosaurs will soon be connected!

Source:
The Republic(Reuters), Analysis: UN Doha Climate Talks Risk Sinking “Like Titanic”,24 May 2012

 

 

Titanic

Titanic Musings-Just Trying To Quiet The Kids

If you watch the judge shows–Judge Alex, Judge Judy, The People’s Court–you learn people do all kinds of dumb things. We have a fellow in Washington state that got upset about kids making noise while watching Titanic 3-D. Instead of doing the sensible thing of getting theatre staff to handle problems, he decides to act on his own. After telling the kids to be quiet, he gets mad later and allegedly throws an iced drink and punched one of the kids in the face. The man, Yong Hyun Kim, was there with his girlfriend. He claims that kids were tossing popcorn at him and girlfriend, running back and forth in the aisle, and bumping them.

Yong, 31, is facing second-degree assault charges and will be arraigned on 31 May. If convicted, faces three to nine months in jail. Now anyone who has been to the movies at some point encounters this situation. It might be mischievous youths, make-out sessions for couples, someone who had too much to drink and talking loudly. Yong was foolish in doing what he did. The adult way is to simply go out and tell the appropriate people in charge about it. They will usually take care of it (and in my experience they do). Source: Fox News .
***
Premiere Exhibitions just released latest figures which indicate losses in fourth quarter went down due to lower operating expenses. Quarter revenues dropped to $7.54 million from $9.76 million from previous quarter. Expenses decreased to $5.86 million from $7.06 million last year. No word yet about the Titanic auction. It seems suspiciously quiet after all the noise made about auctioning off the artifacts. Source: RTT News.

***
Funny thing happened to me. I got the latest issue of Titanic Commutator or rather the envelope with nothing inside. Never had that happen before. Looked like the adhesive never worked so somewhere out there in the sea of mail is the missing issue. Fortunately a quick email to the membership person at Titanic Historical Society got me a new copy.

***
If you are in San Francisco with time on your hands and like old ships, consider heading down to Hyde Street Pier near Fisherman’s Wharf. It costs you nothing to enter and walk around the pier, but you do have to pay a fee if you want board any of the ships (one fee covers it all). The old sailing ship Balclutha (often used in movies) is there along with an old ferry, a seagoing tug Hercules, and other nifty craft you can explore. Also the old ferry has a neat collection of old cars to look at. You can get information by clicking here. Check weather forecast before you go. Sometimes it can get pretty breezy on the pier. On nice days, you get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. If you decide to go, the easy way is by bus (parking is expensive in the area and street parking difficult). Take a 30 Stockton or 47 Van Ness to Hyde Street and walk down the hill right to the pier. Or take the Hyde Street Cable car. The bus costs $2.00 and the cable car $6.00.

Titanic, Titanic 2012

Titanic Musings-Bad Tidings on Titanic Cruise and Titanic II Spoof

•It is not surprising that once all the festivities calmed down we start hearing some tales of woe.  Take the case of Sheila Richardson aboard the Balamoral. According to Times & Star the trip she had planned had some problems. First was a fuel surcharge the cruise line imposed (£326/$515) which caused some grumbling. Then Balmoral arrived late to Ireland causing cancellation of onshore trips. Richardson does say that Ireland was still a highlight and the reception in Cobh was amazing.

Then after leaving Ireland they had to turn back due to an airlift needed for a sick BBC cameraman. They did make it to the wreck site on time and prepared for the celebration. That too had a problem. It seems now that UNESCO has declared this a historic site you cannot simply just throw anything overboard. They have to meet certain requirements (like being biodegradable). That meant a lot of wreaths people brought with them could not be tossed over. To compensate the ship set up a display of those wreaths and mementoes. The ship did have three biodegradable wreaths that were used.

One interesting fact she relates is that so many people got off in New York that they were offering very cheap fares to fill up the empty spaces.

Mrs Richardson said: “It was a very disappointing trip and there were angry passengers.”

As I recall heavy seas played a part in delaying Balmoral to Ireland, something a cruise line cannot control. The late arrival meant a lot of onshore trips in Ireland could not be done due to time constraints. Hopefully those who prepaid for that part of their travel will get compensation from travel insurance. As for the wreath part, I am not terribly surprised. This is typical when you put bureaucrats in charge. And it is quite a stretch to believe that unless weighted that any wreath would sink two miles down and damage a wreck that is decomposing and will be gone in a couple of decades (or less).

•Titanic II is ripe for humor and the fellows over at thespoof.com have taken there shot at hit. You can read the full article here but the important parts are here:

On the ship’s bridge Captain Edward Smith III ordered the helmsman to press the red button on the computer controlled steering panel. Two gigantic laser cannons deployed and continuously fired from the ship’s bow, turning the iceberg into ice cubes. The ships stewards used the ice cubes to chill bottles of fine old French champagne to toast the occasion.

Now that is how to make ice cubes!

Titanic, historic ship, and general history news.