New Iron Chef

I hadn't realized that they had shot a new series of this show. It seems that it was always a polarizing show, with many liking it and many thinking it a waste of time. I'm one of the ones that enjoyed it. We get it up here on Netflix, and the chairman is back as is Alton Brown, with a panel of 5 new iron chefs, some of whom you would know. Watching the first one today with Curtis Stone in Battle Lamb.

The new iron chefs are Curtis Stone, Dominique Crenn, Gabriela Cámara, Marcus Samuelsson and Ming Tsai and the chairman is Mark Dacascos who also starred as a villain (Wo Fat) in the old Hawaii 5-0 series (the second one, not the first with Jack Lord as McGarrett, although I watched that too).

It is seldom that you see a remake of a series that is better than the original, and that was the case for me here, but the second series was decent. Unlike the remake of Magnum PI - a joke compared to the original Selleck show, simplistic as that was.

[Jenise]

What has bemused many chatting about this on Facebook, is that instead of having to earn the title Iron Chef as on the original, these guys arrive already so annointed. Who do they battle? Just each other?

[Jenise]

So we watched the new Iron Chef last night, but before we did, we watched an old one from around 2004. Alton--looking pretty young! calling the shots for Bobby Flay vs. Rick Bayless who have both had interesting careers since, and the best judge ever--Jeffrey Steingarten, another guy judge I don't know, and of course some game show host type who is more famous for being married to the since-defrocked chief of CBS, Les Moonves, than anything she knew about food.

Was a perfect entree to episodes 1 and 2 of the new show, including reminding me of things that perturbed me back then. For instance, one of Bobby's dishes included a poached egg. And you see him poaching an egg, only one, and in a wide pan, but of course he had to produce four servings. Who made the other three eggs? Stuff like that always drove me nuts.

Anyway, the new one is very entertaining. Alton's a hoot, especially having the delightful Kirsten Kish to bounce off of, like in Episode 2, sending her to get him one of the cocktails Chef Choi was making for the judges. "If you don't come back with a drink, we're over," he informed her. Then when she delivered it, "Okay, I'll love you forever," with an air kiss.

I am rationing myself and enjoying them too. Good move by Netflix to bring it back, but too bad they didn't start with some backstory on how the current ICs got to be where they are, or a few rounds to establish who they would be.

[Jenise]

The unspoken problem with that is that none of these chefs ever won it in their own right, and that would then have to be revealed. They've just been deemed to be Iron Chefs in order to compete for the brand new and totally made up title, Iron Chef Legend.

So, pretty silly. But I love watching them cook, so I'll be there.

I don't think there was any contest for the original Iron Chefs (Kenichi, Ishinabe, Michiba, and when Ishinabe left Sakai was just appointed
And wasn't that true of IC America too? Morimoto had been an Iron Chef, but weren't Batali, Flay, and Cora just hired?
But the main point is Jeffrey Steingarten is indeed best judge ever (and great writer, don't miss "The Man Who Ate Everything" )

[Jenise]

You guys are right. I'm messing up the original chefs with the later elimination contests for new ones.

Dale, I read the book and would happily devour it again. Absolutely hilarious, a true gem of food writing.

Probably 20 years since I read, but the part where Steingarten tries to trick his oven into cooking a pizza at oven cleaning temps is my fave. Why we bought an Ooni

[Jenise]

Probably 20 years since I read, but the part where Steingarten tries to trick his oven into cooking a pizza at oven cleaning temps is my fave. Why we bought an Ooni

I have shared his story of learning to like kimchi more times than I can count.

[Jenise]

The finale was kind of anti-climactic, wasn't it? Going up against all five of the chefs, who would have a chance? (Btw, I want Marcus' chicken skin-wrapped lobster.)

I'm one of those who didn't/doesn't like Iron Chef. (I did find the first three or so of the original version amusing, as there had not previously been something like it on television before. But, my interest quickly waned.) Seems to be a lot of silly blather about nothing, trying to second-guess who is going to do what with the ingredients and feigning surprise at some "unexpected" maneuver with how an egg is going to be used with oatmeal! This show is right up there with "wait, wait -- don't tell me" (NPR) for me, which I loathe. I fail to see either the entertainment value or find the teachable moment. But, I do understand how it would appeal to some. Just presenting an alternative point of view.