Random Reality Thoughts

Coming to an End

2010-01-14T09:29:00.004-05:00

As you can tell, most of my blogging energies these days are spent on Storming the Crease -- my site devoted to the Washington Capitals and hockey in general. Therefore, RRT is pretty much dormant.

As such, this site will remain live (for the time being) -- mostly to serve as an archives to my three-plus years of blogging history. But, if you want to follow me more closely, check out STC or my Twitter feed.

Thanks for understanding.

Another Top Season on 'Chef'

2009-12-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

The recently-concluded season of "Top Chef Las Vegas" proved that it might be the best cooking reality show on TV. Granted, the final winner (Michael) wasn't the most popular, but the talent pool was unquestionably-deep and the range of challenges vast.

For the home cook, it was another season of ideas and techniques -- and, hopefully, the start of more vegetarian and alternate-diet focused challenges.

Announcing 'The Kitchen Dance'

2009-11-04T13:22:00.000-05:00

I'd like to announce the release of my new cookbook, "The Kitchen Dance." It's a project my wife and I collaborated on that includes detailed shopping lists, tips to help you stock the pantry and ideas about entertaining in tight quarters -- along with plenty of healthy, quick (kosher) recipes such as stir-fries, pasta entrees, vegetarian main dishes, original quick-cooking chicken recipes and delicious desserts.

Buy it now!

Vegetarians Get Snubbed Again

2009-10-29T09:42:00.001-04:00

How is it that the best anybody can make for Natalie Portman on last night's "Top Chef" was some roasted kale and mushrooms (made by Kevin)? Is that really all people can make for vegetarians?

Brian V. has a vegetarian version of his 21-course tasting menu at his restaurant, Volt, and even on the normal menu has something described as "Nancy's young eggplant caponata, parmesan, zhatar, roasted pepper hall." That would have been better than what he offered last night.

But more importantly, why did nobody make pasta? And I was surprised there weren't more roasted veggies, rice or potatoes, too. While we don't know the entire list of supplies, it's hard to imagine why everybody made only vegetables without much protein or starch.

There are so much other options they could have made with a little more imagination. How about roasted vegetable lasagna, eggplant schnitzel cacciatore, vegetarian paella or a sophisticated take on falafel and tahina. Robin even mentioned falafel but instead went with a vegetable platter-type thing. It was awful.

It still amazes me that there continues to be a lack of imagination when it comes to vegetarian fare on this show. There have been only a few people, Kevin included, that can really relate to eating a vegetarian diet. If you haven't eaten a lot of vegetarian food then it's impossible to put yourself in those shoes -- and, therefore, make something creative.

Just because there's no meat or fish, that doesn't mean food can't be elegant. But "Top Chef" is still trying to figure that out.

Cookbook Premiere Draws Near

2009-10-27T11:57:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of John Kelly's column today, here's an early look at the cookbook being published by me and my wife:

Fairfax's Rob Yunich wrote that he and his wife split the cooking duties -- he doing more of the cooking, she more of the baking -- but they're happiest when cooking together. "The uniqueness of our cooking is what we call the 'kitchen dance,' " Rob wrote. "It's the way we cook together and the way we move around each other to create dishes that we (and others) love to eat." They have a cookbook coming out on the subject.

'Top Chef' Lessons You Can Bring Home

2009-10-22T13:08:00.001-04:00

Last night's "Top Chef" brought about the annual restaurant wars -- and it was one of the better versions of recent memory. In fact, Chef Tom said it was the best ever. Either way, the Voltaggio Brothers are still dominating while Mike I. and Kevin are not too far behind.

Jennifer is an interesting case study. She's clearly talented and willing -- but sometimes takes on too much. That can be the doom for any chef or cook. When planning a menu, it's important to not only decide what to make -- but also account for how long it'll take to cook. And always add extra time just in case.

Don't forget to take this into account when planning your menu. For example, if you're going to do a stir-fry, wait until the end of your meal preparations to make it. But, you can still make the desserts, rice and appetizers in advance. (And stir-fries can stay warm in a low oven for 30-45 minutes.)

Planning is extremely important when cooking for a crowd -- especially at home.

Family Style Not Equal to Home Cooking

2009-10-08T09:16:00.009-04:00

Last night's "Top Chef" episode included an elimination challenge "for the home cook." But what they did last night was not geared to you and me. What they did was take a bunch of professional chefs making restaurant-quality food in a "cramped" space. (And it was only cramped because they put 10 or so chefs in a space for two or three. The kitchen was still huge.)

Once per season (at least), "Top Chef" always does a show for the home cook. But what ends up happening is the cheftestants make something they're used to creating -- and not something that people at home would make (or even eat). So instead of disguising it, just say it: the challenge last night was to promote Macy's and use their products in the kitchen of the house where they're staying. Done.

Cooking in cramped quarters is something that many people deal with every day. It's not easy to create a nice meal in a short time with limited space (and, usually, limited pots and pans). But it's a challenge for everybody and something I've been doing for a while. In fact, it's also the premise behind my new cookbook, which goes on sale next month. (My wife, the co-author, is a very talented cook and baker and deserves a ton of credit. So I didn't do it all myself.)

Stay tuned for more information on the book.

It's always enjoyable to watch the "Top Chef" crew cook in unusual situations -- but it's nothing compared to what everyday people deal with all the time.

Changes Coming Soon

2009-10-02T13:21:00.003-04:00

If you've been following this blog since its inception in May 2006, firstly thank you. It's been a great experience and now it's time to tweak a few things into a more food-focused format.

Coming soon:

* Recaps of "Top Chef" and other cooking shows (but not for every episode)
* Stories about entertaining, cooking and other food-related matters
* Profiles of successful food professionals
* News about cookbooks (mine and others)

Leaving town:

* Sports stories (with a few exceptions, most notably NFL picks)
* Recaps/news of any non-food reality show
* Movie and music reviews and similar matters

The archives will be fully operational and, of course, I invite you to read Storming the Crease (my hockey blog). Thanks and I hope you'll continue to stay tuned during RRT's next phase.

Home on the 'Top Chef' Range

2009-09-17T13:03:00.002-04:00

The setting might have changed on "Top Chef Las Vegas," but the results only varied slightly. Mattin was sent home after making another subpar dish -- while Ron and Robin remained in the bottom. Ashley and Laurine took a detour to the top-four, while the Voltaggio brothers continued to rule. (The show might have to be renamed "Top Voltaggio" if this continues.)

The best home-cook tip I got was Laurine's grilled potatoes, a tip I frequently employ (they're great in the oven too).

Pack Your Knives and Escargot

2009-09-10T08:49:00.005-04:00

Last night's edition of "Top Chef" was all about the French: ingredients (escargot, unpronounceable sauces), hosts (one of whom barely spoke English) and even a contestant (Mattin). All in all, it was another drama-filled episode with two (or deux) eliminations (I'm not even going to try to translate that one).

In my mind, French cooking in America (Julia Child notwithstanding) is all about the ultra-fancy and not about the home cook. This was an episode dedicated to restaurateurs and not those who want to make food at home.

That being said, there clearly are four chefs rising about the rest: Kevin (winner of the quickfire), the brothers Voltaggio and Jen.

The two eliminated contestants (Baltimore's own Jesse and the first eliminated male, Hector) probably deserved to go, although I'm still trying to figure out how Ashley's still there. Of course, there's always one contestant who manages to stick around longer than expected -- and it seems Ashley wins that game of Russian roulette this season.

By the way, how bad must Mattin feel being in the bottom group on his birthday cooking food he grew up eating? That certainly does not bode well for his future on the show.

Next week, the gang goes outside, Tom spits something out and another "Top Chef Masters" contestant (I think it's three and counting), Tim Love, is the guest judge. The following week, Penn and Teller make their appearance.

2009 NFL Picks

2009-09-09T20:53:00.005-04:00

We interrupt your food-related rantings for Mr. Cleo's annual NFL picks, ones that have been somewhat successful. Some quick and dirty picks:

Your predicted 2009 Redskins record: 8-8 (because I'm nice)

NFC East: Eagles, Giants, Redskins, Cowboys
NFC North: Vikings, Packers, Bears, Lions
NFC South: Saints, Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers
NFC West: Seahawks, Cardinals, 49ers, Rams

AFC East: Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Bills
AFC North: Steelers, Ravens, Browns, Bengals
AFC South: Titans, Colts, Jaguars, Texans
AFC West: Chargers, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

NFC Wild Cards: Packers and Falcons
NFC Championship Game: Vikings over Eagles

AFC Wild Cards: Ravens and Colts
AFC Championship Game: Patriots over Steelers

Super Bowl XLIV: Patriots over Vikings

Another 'Chef' Bites the Dust

2009-09-03T08:45:00.003-04:00

Over at "Top Chef Las Vegas," the group had a chance to cook for some soldiers using only cans and limited equipment. For the home cook, this would be just another day -- but for the cheftestants, it's cause for panic.

In the end, Michael V. won for (yawn) a pork dish, while Preeti and Laurine lost because of their boring pasta salad. (Pretti went home but they probably both should have packed their knives.)

Was there any dressing on that salad? And why did people with all of this supposed culinary skill not come up with something more exciting as a vegetarian option than pasta salad? If they had a wok (which, by the looks of it, rivaled what you would find in an Asian restaurant), and noodles, they could have made Pad Thai, a billion different stir-fries, even sesame noodles. But instead, they went for pasta salad with veggies. Ugh.

By the way, what was up with Mike's "greek" salad? I'm no expert -- and certainly no eater of shrimp -- but doesn't true Greek Salad have feta cheese, olives and a few other things? He easily could have soared over the other vegetarian option and probably stayed out of the bottom three too.

I can't wait until all of them have to make a vegetarian option when Natalie Portman's episode airs. Now that will be worth watching.

'Top Chef' Full of Drama, Not Cooking

2009-08-27T21:48:00.007-04:00

The great news is that "Top Chef Las Vegas" is off to a roaring start. The bad news is that it seems to be less about cooking than ever before. Yes, the non-kitchen shots are not as prominent (at least not of yet) as recent seasons, especially last time around with Hosea and Leah's romance. But the actual cooking and kitchen collaboration has dwindled.

All we get are some shots of people cooking and then a very complicated (and extremely rushed) explanation of what they're serving. Yes, the recipes are available on Bravo's Web site (in a separate section from "Top Chef," I might add.) But isn't this supposed to be a food show?

Granted, people don't watch "Top Chef" the same way they watch, say, "Good Eats" or "America's Test Kitchen." But it seems earlier seasons of the show included more of actual cooking and food discussion.

Note: Although "Top Chef Masters" wasn't as enjoyable as the season progressed, it was uber-impressive to watch winner Rick Bayless make dishes from myriad genres. The best part, I must admit, was witnessing the mutual respect that is severely lacking on the mainstream "Top Chef" offering.

Final Three on 'Top Chef Masters'

2009-08-16T11:49:00.002-04:00

The Big Two of Hubert Keller and Rick Bayless will be joined by underdog Michael Chiarello on the finale of "Top Chef Masters" Wednesday night (10:15 p.m. on Bravo). The episode, which not-so-conveniently airs right after the "Top Chef Las Vegas" 75-minute premiere, has the chefs cooking for a supersized judging panel that includes all of the "Top Chef" winners as well as Chef Tom, Gail and Padma.

Anito Lo was the latest to be dismissed from the show, which has remarkably improved in the last few weeks. This week's challenges required the chefs to employ non-traditional methods. The quickfire was the infamous blind taste test, while the main challenge included former cheftestants in four-person teams making a buffet for 200.

Keller and Bayless were very democratic in their menu selection, while Chiarello was more dictorial. Lo was just unorganized. The result were breathtaking spreads by the Big Two and an OK spread by Chiarello.

The only unfortunate part of the show was that it didn't relate to the home cook, which is a theme of "Top Chef." Most home cooks will not be entertaining for 200 and certainly won't be putting on lavish buffets.

However, as is the show's tradition, there were little bits of knowledge available that are extremely helpful. Keller's small bites were ingenious and certainly something a home cook could do when entertaining.

Cooking in America, In Short

2009-08-07T09:36:00.005-04:00

Did you hear that "Julie and Julia" opens today? The over-hyped movie has spurred tons of food-related articles, none better than the cover story from last week's New York Times Magazine. Author Michael Pollan makes a strong argument about the state of cooking in America.

"The Food Network has helped to transform cooking from something you do into something you watch -- into yet another confection of spectacle and celebrity that keeps us pinned to the couch," Pollan writes.

The story states that the average American only spends 27 minutes in the kitchen every day, a befuddling statistic.

"Look, it's TV! Everyone has to fall into a niche. I'm the Italian guy. Emeril's the exuberant New Orleans guy with the big eyebrows who yells a lot. Bobby's the grilling guy. Rachael Ray is the cheerleader-type girl who makes things at home the way a regular person would. Giada's the beautiful girl with the nice rack who does simple Italian food. As silly as the whole Food Network is, it gives us all a soapbox to talk about the things we care about," the brilliant Mario Batali states in the article.

Although network executives probably didn't like Batali's quote, it's hard to argue with anything he said. If you want to watch cooking shows that actually teach some skill, Pollan states, you should tune into a show like "America's Test Kitchen" on PBS -- the network that, not so coincidentally, aired most of Julia Child's shows.

The fact is that many Americans don't cook because they aren't presented the right tools. Although Ray makes "30 Minute Meals," she also boasts tons of kitchen- and food-related experience. Melissa D'arabian, who just won "The Next Food Network Star" and whose show premieres on Sunday, probably has a similar cooking background to more Americans than Ray. But she doesn't have the popularity -- at least not yet.

Instead of trying to get people to spend more time in the kitchen, why not change the approach and have folks make the most of those 27 minutes? That doesn't mean, like Ray, they have to make an entire meal in that time. It's pretty easy to take 27 minutes to prepare food for a slow cooker meal or even to put something in the oven that's going to cook for a while.

Yes, dinner won't be ready in 27 minutes under that scenario -- but that doesn't mean that most of your daily meals can't be made in such a short time. Food Network (and most cookbooks) doesn't acknowledge that and, for that matter, neither does "America's Test Kitchen."

Bob Costas once told a group of college students (including yours truly) that he knows a little bit about a lot of things. The same can apply to cooking: it's important to learn many techniques and cuisines in order to make the most of the little time people spend in the kitchen.

If more food "experts" understand that, then maybe people who spend 27 minutes in the kitchen would enjoy cooking more.

A Vegan Feast on 'Top Chef'

2009-08-06T13:26:00.009-04:00

Score one for "Top Chef Masters." Last night's "Dietary Restrictions" episode really showcased how delicious food could be without the use of meat, fish, or dairy. In fact, although Michael Chiarello was crowned the winner (and rightfully so), Hubert Keller and Rick Bayless also deserved major kudos for their dishes' ingenuity.

Chiarello's challenge was bigger than the judges may have realized. Using nontraditional pasta puts extra pressure on the sauce and other accompaniments -- and Chiarello's salsa verde hit a home run from all accounts. Similarly, Keller took some basic vegetables and transformed it into a luxurious appetizer in something just short of brilliant. Bayless, meanwhile, stuck to his Mexican cooking and turned in another proud dish.

Conversely, it was plainly obvious that Anita Lo and Art Smith didn't give it their all when planning the menu. Lo's grilled eggplant seemed tasty on the surface but didn't seem to have that pizazz that Lo has added in previous weeks. She easily, if she wanted to stick to her roots, could have done an Asian-inspired eggplant stir-fry -- or take one from Chiarello's book and do a fried eggplant using gluten-free flour and/or bread crumbs.

Meanwhile, Smith clearly should have done a sorbet. I've had plenty of dairy-free sorbets out of a carton that were delicious and there's no doubt that somebody with Smith's talent could have created something scrumptious. But his heart wasn't into it and, like Lo, just hoped to survive with a sub-par effort.

And it doesn't get easier next week. The season's penultimate episode, "Masters of Disaster," challenges the chefs to cook while blindfolded and then direct former "Top Chef" cast members to make a dish without doing any of the cooking themselves. The coming attractions featured Dale, but also included fan favorite Jamie, Betsy, Spike (for the second straight week), and Richard Blais.

The finale, by the way, airs right after the season premiere of "Top Chef Las Vegas" and stars winners Harold Dieterle, Ilan Hall, Hung Huynh, Stephanie Izard, and Hosea Rosenberg along with Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons.

Vegetarians Invade 'Top Chef'

2009-08-04T09:34:00.007-04:00

Vegetarians will be smiling tomorrow night on "Top Chef Masters." That's because the episode's (called "Dietary Restrictions") main challenge will be hosted by Zooey Deschanel. In a tease for the episode, Deschanel states that she doesn't eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy and can't eat gluten or soy either. Score!

And one of the guest judges on the upcoming "Top Chef Las Vegas" is Natalie Portman, another vegetarian.

These mark another step forward for vegetarians and others with dietary restrictions. I have long argued that these two significant communities do not get enough attention on mainstream food TV shows and any episode focusing on these diets are deemed "specials." That should not be the case.

With more and more reasons to watch what you eat, more folks out there should take notice of these trends and start serving them -- instead of trying to fit in something into a larger, meat-focused menu.

Melissa Captures 'Star'

2009-08-04T09:23:00.004-04:00

Melissa D'arabian was crowned "The Next Food Network Star" in a very anti-climatic finale Sunday night. Melissa has been the favorite (at least in my eyes) for most of the season. Her demo was far superior to Jeffrey's (who didn't say much about what harisa actually is) and showed that he could produce a great weekly show.

Her show, "Ten Dollar Dinners," premieres Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.

Then again, my comments about the network still hold. They still do not account for specialized diets and/or vegetarians and seem to go for meat in nearly every show they air. It's unfortunate that such a significant segment of the population continues to be ignored. This is an opinion I've held for a long time, as readers of this blog know.

But I can tell you one thing: change is coming. Stay tuned.

Note: The network is bringing back "The Next Iron Chef" for another round this fall.

Melissa, Jeffrey Compete in 'Star' Finale

2009-07-29T21:32:00.006-04:00

On Sunday night, either Melissa or Jeffrey will be crowned "The Next Food Network Star" winner and get their own (six-episode) show. My scouting report:

* Melissa's dishes seem to have more mass appeal and she's always coming up with a brilliant tip. She really understands the home cook and can whip out dishes like there's no tomorrow. But her downfall is two fold: sometimes he sounds like an auctioneer when she's doing an on-camera demo and occasionally her creativity leads her to over-think her menu.

* Conversely, Jeffrey's zen-calm on camera has been impressive from the start -- but the same can't be said about his food. He's stuck to the Southwest, through thick and thin, and only recently has he deviated from that path. His food has been mixed and sometimes his energy disappears.

Therefore, my money's on Melissa. She's been a favorite for a while and has shown that, if she can stay calm, she's got the potential to be the second-best winner of the show yet. (Nobody's passing Guy Fieri in that category any time soon.)

Twitter Time

2009-07-24T09:55:00.001-04:00

Some (hapless) self-promotion: If you're on Twitter, you can become a follower of mine (now with a new user name) and check out updates from both my blogs. This also will give you a first-hand view of some new projects coming later this year.

'Star' Down to Three

2009-07-21T10:04:00.002-04:00

With Jamika's eviction, "The Next Food Network Star" is between Jeffrey, Melissa and Debbie -- who has more lives than any cat. In reality, while Debbie does have the most to offer in terms of filling a void, she's lucky to still be around and should be the next to go. But it's also possible that she'll hit a home run and stick around.

The same applies to Jeffrey and Melissa. Both seem to do relatively well with their demos, but Jeffrey's "zen" qualities might not carry him too much longer. Melissa's made the most of her culinary background but it looks like next week's huge meal might test her repitoire.

It'll certainly be a tight final two weeks, that's for sure.

Michael Next Off 'Star'

2009-07-13T08:05:00.004-04:00

A word to those interested in joining future seasons of "The Next Food Network Star" -- don't pull a Michael and admit you're afraid of the camera (on multiple occasions). That, in the end, was his undoing. His food was pretty good and his personality over-the-top. But, when he was on camera, he froze as if he was doused with liquid nitrogen.

Last night, as he was tending bar and having a good time in Miami, Michael pretty much ignored the kitchen until it was too late as Debbie, Melissa and Jamika slaved away. Jeffrey was in and out of the kitchen and managed to save himself. But Michael could not and his stay is over.

Thus, it seems more and more like it's Melissa's show to lose -- something that is not exactly a news flash. Next week, the going gets tougher as they stay in Miami and apparently Michael Symon starts taking away some of their supplies.

Anita Lo Advances on 'Masters'

2009-07-09T13:34:00.003-04:00

Anita Lo became the fourth combatant in the champions round of "Top Chef Masters" after getting near perfect scores in last night's episode. The first challenge, which Lo got all five stars on, asked the chefs to make an egg dish with one hand. The main challenge required the combatants to make a dish around a magical theme.

Lo really aced the whole thing and clearly doesn't get as much credit as she deserves.

The episode also included the return of Gail Simmons as a critic and even got a cameo by Chef Tom, one of the shows producers.

Food Network Announces 'Chefs vs. City'

2009-07-08T14:52:00.004-04:00

Former "Next Iron Chef" combatants Aaron Sanchez (also a regular on the Food Network's "Chopped") and Chris Cosentino will star in "Chefs vs. City," premiering Aug. 7 at 10 p.m.

Each week, the chefs will travel to a different city, where they will be pitted against two local foodies in a winner-takes-all race. Cities include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston and New Orleans.

Each episode will feature five different challenges, which could include everything from wine stomping to eating the spiciest dishes in the country to crab fishing in a gator-infested river. Once the teams have completed their challenges, it's a sprint to the finish line to see if the locals can protect their home turf or if the Food Network chefs can conquer a new city.

'Top Chef Last Vegas' Cast Announced

2009-07-08T14:31:00.003-04:00

As with all cast announcements, it's really hard to make any kind of actual judgment until the show starts (in this case, Aug. 26). But our good friend Sarah at Reality Check notes that there are some good local connections, a sentiment echoed by DCist. Bravo's site has the full cast bios.

The best part of this whole thing? Having "Top Chef" for most of the year, with the current "Masters" season running right into the normal version from Vegas.

Per Bravo's press release, guest appearances include Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Natalie Portman (!!), Daniel Boulud, Penn and Teller, Hubert Keller, Laurent Tourondel, Tim Love, Michelle Bernstein, Tyler Florence, Charlie Palmer, Paul Bartolotta, Nigella Lawson and Jerome Bocuse.

Now THAT's a reason to (everybody say it with me) watch what happens.

Katie Off 'Star'

2009-07-06T19:50:00.003-04:00

The final five have been set on "The Next Food Network Star" after Katie was booted on last night's episode. The perky health nut (but not this one) didn't quite cut it in the minds of the judges and couldn't, quite frankly, make anything that special.

The most recent airing starred Rachael Ray, first asking the contestants to make an adult-friendly food appeal to kids in a two-minute segment and then, on Ray's daytime show, demo a grown-up version of a kid's favorite.

Debbie and Melissa stayed at the top, while Jeffrey and Jamika started to slip. In reality, this should be Debbie's show to lose. Food Network does not have any Asian hosts and Melissa is treading dangerously close to Sandra Lee territory. Jeffrey and Jamika really haven't defined themselves while Michael's aversion to the camera will cost him sooner rather than later.

Happy EFO Day!

2009-07-05T08:59:00.002-04:00

As you may know, I'm a big Eddie From Ohio fan. And today, July 5, is a time to celebrate them because of their song of the same name.

So take a moment to think about Julie, Mike, Eddie and Robbie as well as, of course, the "Old Dominion."

DC Diss: Teddy Off 'Star'

2009-06-29T11:44:00.005-04:00

The very uncomfortable Teddy, who always looked out of place during his stay on "The Next Food Network Star," was finally dismissed during last night's episode. Teddy, a D.C. native who beat Bobby Flay on "Throwdown" last year, never could find his niche and it became obvious he wasn't going to go far during "Star."

The first portion of the episode asked the finalists to make a dish for Flay's new restaurant, Bobby's Burger Palace. The winner was Michael's New York (Italian) burger on garlic bread. During the main challenge, aboard the Intrepid, Melissa shined with a skirt steak tostada that will grace the cover of an upcoming edition of USA Weekend magazine.

It was fitting that Guy Fieri appeared last night because he is the gold standard for the finalists. During his season, Guy had to adjust his culinary wizardry to the home cook. But, in reality, he was the winner from the second he appeared and no member of "Star" in any season has come close to matching him. In fact, he's probably one of the top five stars on all of Food Network.

That being said, Melissa is starting to pull away from the competition, but Jamika (who appears in an Art Institute commercial now and again) is staying nearby as is Jeffrey. Melissa has been the most consistent and is really proving to be a gem, even if she doesn't win.

Rick Bayless Advances on 'Masters'

2009-06-28T13:00:00.006-04:00

Just like the premiere episode, when Hubert Keller rose above a group of lesser-known chefs, Rick Bayless advanced past this week's competition in a similar manner. Bayless won by earning a near perfect score in an elimination challenge that fit into his style: create street food using a lovely part of a cow (or pig).

Bayless had to use tongue and made it into a taco that has earned him many accolades. His only serious competitor was Wilo Benet, a wiz of a chef from Puerto Rico. Benet won the quickfire, when the group has to make a food in one color, but Bayless blew everybody out at the end.

The next episode, which airs July 8, includes Anita Lo, Douglas Rodriguez, John Besh (who finished second in "The Next Iron Chef") and Mark Peel. The following week, Food Network's Michael Chiarello is joined by Rick Moonen, Nils Noren and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson.

Eddie Off 'Star'

2009-06-22T09:14:00.008-04:00

Eddie looked lost from day one of "The Next Food Network Star" and, not surprisingly, he was eliminated in the show's third episode. It's looking more and more like Jeffrey, Jamika and Debbie are the favorites -- with Katie and Melissa (barely) hanging in there.

Teddy and Michael look like bumbling fools for very different reasons. Teddy is an abomination and I wish they would have sent him home with Eddie last night. He's been caught lying several times already and seems to think his continued apologizes and vows to improve will save him.

Conversely, Michael seems very likable but is totally disorganized and doesn't seem to have the on-camera presence that is required to win the show. The same could be said for Katie, but she seems to be heading more in the right direction.

It continues to be a worthwhile show to watch and next week appears to be the first episode where everything goes wrong for everybody.

Suzanne Tracht Advances on 'Chef'

2009-06-19T08:07:00.003-04:00

Last week, Herbert Keller was the best-known of the "Top Chef Masters" contestants and advanced to the championship round; this week, that honor seemed destined for Wylie Dufresne. But not so fast my friend.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Suzanne Tracht blew away the competition in a "Lost"-themed elimination challenge and emerged victorious. Her Thanksgiving on a Plate meal beat Dufresne's chicken-and-egg offering.

It's obvious that this version of "Top Chef" lacks the entertainment value of the original because the host, Kelly Choi, is painful to watch and the ~~judges~~ critics aren't as good as Chef Tom and Gail Simmons (not to mention Padma). If the show returns for another season, then they really need to find a new host and better critics (although James Oseland and Gael Greene would make nice guest judges on the original).

Billy Joel Single Again

2009-06-19T08:04:00.004-04:00

When news broke of Billy Joel's split with his third wife, Katie Lee, it really wasn't too shocking. Yes, Billy's had many years of marriage. But it always seems to end in separation -- and somehow connects to one of his tours.

It seems Billy wasn't meant to be married, but thankfully for us fans, the touring continues.

Catching Up with Jill Snyder of 'Top Chef'

2009-06-16T19:28:00.006-04:00

"Top Chef" season five participant Jill Snyder, a Baltimore native, checked in with an update since we last saw her earlier this year.

1. How has your life changed because of "Top Chef?"

The kind responses from "Top Chef" fans all over Baltimore who recognize me has been a new addition to my daily life.

2. What have you been doing since the finale?

I started working at Woodberry Kitchen in January, that takes up a lot of my time. But, on days off, I have been trying out all the restaurants that I haven't been to yet in Baltimore.

3. What's the food scene like in Baltimore?

The food scene here in Baltimore appears to be "up and coming." We have a lot of uniquely "Baltimore" style restaurants, with new ones opening, and I feel that there is plenty of room for new places.

4. Do you ever make it over to Camden Yards?

Well, you've got to catch at least one baseball game a season, right? And Camden Yards is known for serving delicious food.

5. Have you ever had the chance to visit Duff Goldman and Charm City Cakes?

I see Duff every once in awhile; he was recently into Woodberry filming an episode for a show that will air this summer. Duff's a great guy, and we'll hopefully work together on a cooking project one of these days.

6. What's your relationship now with your fellow "cheftestants?"

I continue to keep in touch with everyone from the show. We spent a lot of unique time together, they are all wonderful people. I was recently in NYC at an event with Radhika, Leah, Ariane, and Pat. We have so much fun partying together!

7. What's next for you?

Next for me...? I was at Living Classrooms a couple weeks ago helping with a cooking class that I really enjoyed, maybe teaching?

Bret Second Off 'Star'

2009-06-16T19:12:00.002-04:00

It's somewhat ironic that an episode partially devoted to men resulted in a male being sent home from "The Next Food Network Star." But that's exactly what happened after Brett August was the second finalist dismissed.

The first challenge asked the contestants to make a dish for men. But every entree consisted of steak, a gross stereotype of what men tend to eat. This blogger only eats red meat a few times a year and, although I do eat chicken more frequently, would have liked to see some vegetarian entrees or at least more of a choice.

The holiday challenge was pretty boring. They omitted many of the bigger festivals and almost dared people to create a connection between a day and food that probably doesn't go with it. Jamika certainly deserved to win the challenge with two great side dishes.

As for Brett, his inappropriate behavior both towards Melissa and throughout the two episodes in which he appeared made him the obvious out.

Finally, be sure to read Bob Tuschman's blog; good stuff is there for sure.

Trump Did What?

2009-06-16T19:01:00.002-04:00

In what smells of a storyline, Donald Trump "purchased" WWE Raw from Vince MacMahon. WWE complied by putting out a press release, but there's nothing on its official corporate page. (Being a publicy-traded company has its advantages for us news hounds.)

In other words, some things never change.

There isn't any real link to reality TV or sports on this one, but it was too good not to mention.

'Top Chef Masters' Starts

2009-06-13T22:20:00.004-04:00

The newest addition to the "Top Chef" franchise is "Top Chef Masters," which takes the concept in a bit of different direction. This time around, 24 (mostly) well-known chefs are split into four groups of six with rotating (mostly) new judges and a brand-new host.

The inaugural group included the legendary Hubert Keller and three of the lesser-known cast members. Not surprisingly, Keller advanced to the "championship" round -- but the margin was relatively-small over Christopher Lee.

Keller is one of a few chefs in the graphic header on the cast page, along with Elizabeth Falkner, Wylie Dufresne, Art Smith and Rick Bayless (not to mention host Kelly Choi, who is no Padma). It'll be interesting to see if these five make up most of the "championship" round participants.

The premiere included a quickfire to cook for kids (won by Keller) and an elimination challenge using sparse equipment to make a three-course meal in a dorm room. While Choi announced that the quickfire challenges emanated from past "Top Chef" seasons, it seems the elimination round competitions aren't far behind.

It should set up for a pretty enjoyable run, but so far, the original still reigns supreme.

Carrier Dome Might Host Hockey

2009-06-09T17:29:00.003-04:00

SU's Carrier Dome could host its first-ever hockey game, if Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon has his way. Actually, the Dome is Dolgon's second choice; his top selection is Alliance Bank Stadium (home to the Nats' Class AAA-affiliated Syracuse Chiefs) in what would be the AHL's first outdoor game. But Dolgon couldn't get a favorable ruling by the Onondaga County Legislature on proper funding.

So Dolgon approached SU athletic director Dr. Daryl Gross, who saw this as a golden opportunity to showcase the nascent women's hockey program (which also plays at the Crunch's home, the Onandaga County War Memorial). The two continue to negotiate a way to bring pucks to the Dome.

Unfortunately, after 15 years, the Crunch's stay in the Salt City has become extremely tenuous. The team, which plays in an aging building that makes Hersheypark Arena look like the AHL's Taj Mahal, needs a new building and some major infusion of cash. The team has been affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets and has never reached the Calder Cup finals.

Being an SU grad and living in the area for a while, none of this surprises me. It's unfortunate that such a great sports market seems to find ways to turn potential positives into negatives. Yes, the Dome hosting an AHL game would be great. But the Crunch leaving Syracuse would not. The Chiefs have called Syracuse home for 75 years and there are other successful minor-league franchises in Central New York.

But, time after time, whether it's soccer or something else, only SU seems to go strong -- while professional teams (other than the Chiefs) squander.

For more hockey coverage, check out Storming the Crease.

(s/t Puck Daddy)

Food2 Has Launched

2009-06-08T14:08:00.007-04:00

Food Network's parent company, Scripps Networks, has launched Food2, a hip, edgy food Web site with some familiar faces: Spike Mendelsohn from "Top Chef" and Kelsey Nixon from "The Next Food Network Star," who appear in a show called "Kelsey and Spike Cook." The site is extremely interactive, hosting challenges as well as boasting blogs, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Nixon is the third member of her season to be invited to partake in a Food Network outlet. Winner Aaron McCargo, Jr. hosts "Big Daddy's House," while Adam Gertler hosts "Will Work For Food."

'Star' Off and Running

2009-06-08T13:57:00.002-04:00

Leave it to Food Network to create a party for the sole purpose of showing its own reality show. Yes, it wasn't announced that was the case for the 16th anniversary party shown during the season premiere of "The Next Food Network Star" -- but it sure looked that way.

As Billy Joel once sang "I've gotta get it right the first time, that's the main thing, I can't afford to let it pass, you get it right the next time that's not the same thing, gonna have to make the first time last."

The show has proven that first impressions don't always predict the winner, but they've certainly highlighted some short stays on the show. Case in point is Jenn, who couldn't even make green beans (which was the wrong choice of food for sure) and was sent packing.

Similarly, it's hard to imagine that Brett, Debbie, Eddie or Katie will last too long on the show (although, of those, Katie has the best shot).

Finally, did you notice how many times integrity was mentioned yesterday? It's pretty hard to surmise that it wasn't dig at JAG, season three's controversial contestant.

It should be another entertaining season for sure.

Vegas to Host Next 'Top Chef'

2009-06-02T15:13:00.001-04:00

Bravo announced today that Las Vegas will host season six of "Top Chef." No word on a starting date, although my guess is late fall.

Don't forget that "Top Chef Masters" premieres next Wednesday, June 10.

SU Regains Lax Crown

2009-05-26T11:00:00.003-04:00

After being outplayed for 57 minutes by a very good Cornell University squad, the Syracuse Orange found enough energy, grit and luck to overcome a three-goal deficit in the final 3:37 and then score just 1:20 into OT to capture the university's second straight and 11th overall men's lacrosse title with a 10-9 victory.

Junior Cody Jamieson, who netted the game winner that gave SU its only lead of the day, scored nine goals in six games after battling eligibility issues all season. He's already requested the famed No. 22 for his senior season.

Sophomore goalie John Calloway made some monster saves to keep SU close and was rewarded for stellar play that he's displayed in two championship seasons. Galloway is certainly one of the best netminders in the program's history -- or is headed in that direction.

Much credit goes to the Big Red, who dominated most of the game and gave SU the scare of a lifetime. In fact, if they had displayed the poise of Princeton from the late 1990s (when they won three straight titles), SU would be playing the "What If?" game today and Cornell would be celebrating its first title since 1977.

For those that missed it, the game will re-air on ESPN Classic tonight at 7 p.m.

Celebrating Three Years

2009-05-26T10:58:00.002-04:00

Yesterday marked the third anniversary of RRT's first post. Thanks to all who have made this possible (most notably Mrs. RRT) and here's to many more years!

Gruden Selected for 'MNF'

2009-05-18T12:26:00.002-04:00

Jon Gruden will replace Tony Kornheiser on the upcoming season of "Monday Night Football." Although I'm not a huge watcher of the games (except when the Redskins are playing), I'm intrigued by this selection on two levels:

* Gruden doesn't have a large amount of TV experience and, to my knowledge, still might go back into coaching.

* Putting him with Ron Jaworski might make some of the analysis too technical. I thought Tony might have been too comical, and I'm a huge fans of Jaws, but the chemistry among the three is something to watch.

Look for Chucky's debut Aug. 13 for the Hall of Fame game.

JT Dominates in 'Survivor' Win

2009-05-18T09:06:00.005-04:00

After lots of posturing, insults, and drama it ended in predictable fashion: JT won "Survivor" and will be friends forever with Stephen. There certainly was doubt along the way; until JT wrote down Erinn's name, the hairdresser could have weaseled her way into the final two. But JT knew he could beat anybody, so he did the right thing and brought his Odd Couple buddy with him.

Stephen certainly had some missteps, but he knew (and admitted as such) that he would lose to JT if they comprised the final two. JT also becomes only the sixth person (and first since Danni in season 11) to win both the final immunity challenge and the grand prize.

The complete list (first name is final immunity winner, second is sole survivor; six winners of both are bolded):

Season 18: JT won both
Season 17: Susie, Bob
Season 16 (fans vs. favorites): Amanda, Parvati
Season 15: Amanda, Todd
Season 14: Dreamz, Earl
Season 13: Ozzy, Yul
Season 12: Danielle, Aras
Season 11: Danni won both
Season 10: Tom won both
Season 9: Chris won both
Season 8 (all-stars): Rob, Amber (insert joke here)
Season 7: Lillian, Sandra
Season 6: Jenna won both
Season 5: Brian won both
Season 4: Neleh, Vecepia
Season 3: Kim, Ethan
Season 2: Colby, Tina
Season 1: Kelly, Richard

So next season, "Survivor" is headed to Somoa. I wonder if Coach the warrior can find a way to get on that show as well.

Interview with Luke from 'Amazing Race'

2009-05-15T17:34:00.001-04:00

Luke Adams was nice enough to answer a few questions about his stay on "The Amazing Race."

1. What have you been up to since the show stopped taping?

I went back to my normal life and working till the season started to air. Then everything just went wild!

2. Take us through that last road block with the surfboards. What was going through your mind? Were you somewhat expecting it because you've seen similar challenges on previous seasons?

I knew that the final challenge would involve memory so I kept a journal and wrote everything down on what we did and what challenges we did and what we saw on the race. I actually thought that I had it in bag! I was really prepared for that challenge. My mom and I agreed that I would be the one doing the final challenge so I did studied everything. The last surfboard was my ultimate downfall.

3. As a big fan of the show, how thrilled were you to go through an entire season of "The Amazing Race?"

Man, I was REALLY thrilled when I heard that my mom and I made it to the final three! It was beyond my wildest imagination! It was like my dream came true that my mom and I made it through entire season -- a big accomplishment!

4. What's your relationship now with Cara and Jaime?

I adore them to death. We text each other every other day. My mom and I are going to visit them in July so we are really excited about it!

5. What's next for you?

No clue! I'm just going with the flow and seeing what happens.

Final Four Set on 'Survivor'

2009-05-15T15:35:00.002-04:00

Coach finally is gone. But his departure, orchestrated by Stephen, was accompanied by the first tension between the Odd Couple -- as JT wanted to keep him and get rid of Erinn. Stephen had no choice but to get rid of Coach, especially because he knows that he can't beat JT and Coach was in JT's pocket.

So he had to make a power move to get rid of Coach -- and now Sunday's finale is sure to begin with the Odd Couple having a little discussion.

'Dinner: Impossible' New Season Ahead

2009-05-14T14:09:00.003-04:00

It didn't take long for Food Network to fall way back into love with Robert Irvine. After the network brought back the old-is-new-again "Dinner: Impossible" with the chef, it has announced that a new season will debut in August.

You can find the press release via our friends at Futon Critic.

'Race' Engagement: Season 12's Nate, Jen

2009-05-11T15:21:00.003-04:00

According to the Facebook page of "Amazing Race" season 13 competitor Christy Cook (of Kelly and Christy), Nate and Jen from season 12 got engaged last night during a cast party featuring competitors from at least the last three seasons of the show.

No further details are available.

Tammy, Victor Win 'Race'

2009-05-11T09:26:00.003-04:00

The dream ended for Margie and Luke -- but they were so close. At the final task of the final leg of the final episode of this season's "Amazing Race," it came down to Luke, Victor and Jaime trying to remember bits from the season.

As has become custom in recent seasons, the final road block challenged the competitors to chronologically order mementos from pit stops or tasks. This time, 11 icons from a 40,000-mile race around the world were painted on very large surf boards. First, the trio had to find them among a threatening pile of 300 and then place them in the correct order. Luke started first and got nine correct with relative ease. He then couldn't get the last two -- both representing their three-episode stay in China (foot message and scorpion eating) -- while Victor breezed by him.

Meanwhile, Jaime arrived and quickly made up time -- but not before Victor finished and left with Tammy for the final mat. With the outcome pretty much decided, Jaime and Luke helped each other and then went to the finish line.

So the brother/sister team of lawyers won the $1 million, while Jaime/Cara captured second place and Margie/Luke third. It was another memorable season for the best reality show on television -- and whetted the appetite for what's sure to be another great season this fall.

Blindsides Continue on 'Survivor'

2009-05-11T09:19:00.003-04:00

Debbie is done -- and Coach might be next. One week after the Odd Couple of Stephen and J.T. removed Sierra from camp because she was annoying, they targeted Debbie for more conventional reasons. Debbie was their biggest threat left at camp and the two (along with Taj) decided it was time for Debbie to go.

Those three should be the final trio left during Sunday's finale, but before then, there is more work to do. For one, Coach is still blabbering away and even told his "assistant coach" that they called him the Dragon Slayer. Maybe he's so delusional that these lies become true in his warped mind.

The only negative was that this season's visit from friends and family did not include their participation in the immunity challenge. It would have been extremely enjoyable to see a very-still-in-shape Eddie George annihilate the others in that obstacle course. But alas we had to settle for he and Taj talking -- and waiting for Coach's time on the show to thankfully come to a close.

'Race' Down to Three

2009-05-04T10:28:00.003-04:00

With next week's finale (and a trip to Hawaii) looming, the final four teams spent one more leg in China. The ending of the leg, though, stood out from anything else -- which pretty much embodied the typical break-neck pace of the penultimate stage.

As the final two teams, Kisha/Jen and Jaime/Cara, were heading to the pit stop, Kisha/Jen inexplicably stopped for a bathroom break -- which led to their elimination. Granted, they thought they had a bigger lead but under no circumstances should they have done that. They should have run to the pit stop, checked in and then found that same port-o-john. But instead, they stopped on the way and handed Jaime/Cara a spot in the final three. My message to them: good riddance.

Meanwhile, it looks like the final leg will come down to a surf-board sorting puzzle -- seemingly in the mold of the flag sorting from previous seasons. The other notable spot from the coming attractions was the bevy of female contestants in bikinis, a seeming continuation of the Russian leg. Guess the show is giving into what "Survivor" already utilizes.

My bet is that Luke/Margie come out on top.

Sierra Booted From 'Survivor'

2009-05-01T11:32:00.003-04:00

Alas, Sierra was not able to escape from the depths of "Survivor" two weeks in a row. Last night, she was booted even though she nearly got saved again. As Stephen and JT continue to rule the game, they contemplated booting off Debbie or Coach -- until the crazy one captured immunity. So the Odd Couple decided to provide some sanity to camp by booting Sierra -- and keep Debbie for now.

With Sierra gone, only Debbie and Coach are not part of the Exile/Odd Couple Alliance. And, if next week's tease is correct, Debbie turns on Coach meaning the self-titled "Dragon Slayer" will be extinguished. Until then, we can only watch as Coach spouts about anything -- escaping truth and manners along the way.

Food Network's New Offerings

2009-04-30T09:56:00.003-04:00

Food Network has announced a buffet load of shows for the 2009-2010 programming year, although some already have begun.

Continuing its ever-growing competition theme, the network will add "Chefs Vs. City" and renew "The Next Iron Chef," "The Next Food Network Star" and "Ultimate Recipe Showdown."

"Chefs Vs. City" features two alumni of "The Next Iron Chef," Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez, who will be pitted against two local foodies in a "winner-takes-all race through a different city each week, through the most fascinating, unusual food locations." Sanchez has been a frequent guest judge on "Chopped" and it'll be nice to see him in another role. The show premieres in July.

One of the more unique shows is "Worst Cooks In America," which (as its name implies) will follow Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan guiding "a team of six hopeless home cooks and try to transform them from kitchen zeros into kitchen heroes in only 10 days." Burrell, who frequently appears with Mario Batali on "Iron Chef America" also has her own show, "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef." The show will premiere in January 2010.

(h/t to Kara for the link.)

Reality Shows: Tyson Gone, Still Four on 'Race'

2009-04-27T19:44:00.003-04:00

There are new sheriffs on "Survivor" and their names are JT and Stephen. This past Thursday, the Odd Couple beautifully orchestrated Tyson's departure just as he and Coach thought they had gotten rid of Sierra. But, when nobody was looking, the Odd Couple recruited Erinn and Taj to vote for Tyson (knowing Sierra already was doing that) and quickly took control of the game.

Now Coach and Debbie will be begging Sierra to stay, while the Odd Couple starts picking who they want to keep them company until the final tribal council on Mother's Day, May 10.

Meanwhile, "The Amazing Race" pulled out an oldie but goodie -- the it's-not-a-pit-stop-but-Phil's-there-to-give-you-the-next-clue, thus keeping Jen and Kisha around for another embarrassing episode. The sisters took the prize for Drama Queen of the Week by taking forever to complete a detour where the teams had to choose between synchronized diving or splitting a 400-meter swim.

Jen/Kisha went back and forth between the two before finally completing the 400 in about 20 minutes. The other teams took about 10 minutes and only Tammy/Victor started with the diving before heading towards the 400. (I timed myself this morning during my almost-daily swim and would have been on pace with the faster teams.)

But I digress... Tammy/Victor and Margie/Luke continue to be the teams to beat, while Jaime/Cara are hanging in there steadily. It appears that next week's episode (which brings back another classic, the eating of nasty food) will cut the field to three and then the finale will air on May 17 (allowing for a week off for the "Survivor" finale).

A Losing Proposition

2009-04-24T11:32:00.004-04:00

While following Washington-area sports teams is generally full of frustration and futility, two franchises stand out from the rest: the Wizards and Redskins. Yes, the Orioles and Nationals are in no way threatening to make the playoffs -- but at least they have a GM and a pretty decent front-office structure, with the O's ahead of the Nats in that area.

But the Wizards and Redskins are a mess. Let's start with the Redskins, who enter tomorrow's draft on a path to repeat disaster. GM Owner Daniel Snyder continues to think that he knows how to operate a team and instead is making it worse. The best thing to do would be to hire a GM and let him run the team. Look no further than the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers on how a team should be run.

Instead, Snyder suckers all of the Redskins fans into thinking that this is the year the burgundy and gold will return to Super Bowl glory by bringing in big names (who really just want to take his money). So far this off-season, the team's best signing was punter Hunter Smith.

As the eloquent Jason La Canfora put it in a chat yesterday:

I think generating revenue is incredibly important to him, and I think he wants to win and losing cuts him to the bone -- in his own way. To this point, winning at all costs (i.e. cutting the checks and divesting himself of all day-to-day operations) doesn't seem to be an option, and until it is many people around the league aren't sure they're going to truly compete for a title.

That's not the way to run a franchise.

Meanwhile, the best we can say about the Wizards is that they're trying. GM Ernie Grunfeld is wedded to Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler (the best of the trio) and the masses of millions that go with it. A team could do worse, but the Wizards need a commitment to defense (maybe of the zone variety) as a start.

New coach Flip Saunders might be the fix, but the game is played on the court. Therefore, Grunfeld needs to get himself a true center and some better role players. The sad part is that the team almost assuredly will be paying the luxury tax this upcoming season, which isn't the best play to be for a team that won 19 games this past season and will have a high draft pick.

I'd rather be the Wizards than the Redskins, but it's a tough road either way. At least D.C. has the Caps.

Catching Up Notebook

2009-04-22T16:10:00.003-04:00

With the NHL playoffs going on (check out Storming the Crease for news on that), I've neglected my loyal RRT readers. So here's some catch-up stuff:

* "The Amazing Race" might be experiencing its most memorable season ever, thanks to the dynamic team of Margie/Luke and the others. In the most recent leg, the mother-son duo feuded with Jen/Kisha over some not-so-incidental contact at two clue boxes. In short, Jen blamed Luke for elbowing her and Luke blamed Jen for the same. In my mind, Luke's right and Jen was the aggressor. I've lost any respect for Jen/Kisha, while my rooting for Margie/Luke has increased. Viktor/Tammy also look strong and they've grown on me as the season has progressed.

* Brendan can add himself to the list of "Survivor" castoffs who failed to use their immunity idols when they were in danger. He thought his plan to get rid of Coach would work, but he was blindsided. Alas, we're stuck with Coach while the likable Brendan becomes the first member of the jury.

* "The Next Food Network Star" premieres June 7. No word on cast members yet.

* Speaking of food on TV, PBS will be posting most if not all of Julia Child's shows on its Web site in the near future. Now that's worthy of "smell-o-vision."

* Finally, O's legend Cal Ripken has signed with with Under Armour to outfit his Aberdeen Iron Birds and other local teams. As for the current O's, it's just one of those years.

Update on 'Survivor'

2009-04-03T14:10:00.003-04:00

Syndey was voted off last night, leaving the current "Survivor" cast at 10. With next week's teased merge, power presumably is about to shift. The Exile Island alliance is intact with Taj, Brendan, Sierra and Stephen. And if you throw in JT, who last night made a loose alliance with Taj and Stephen, that gives them half of the remaining contestants. If they keep it intact, look out.

That being said, it's amazing to me that Coach is still around. There was an allusion to knowing what he brings, which is better than not knowing -- but that has bit people before. Let's remember Richard Hatch and others who have been kept around and then won.

The season certainly should be more dramatic in the final portion.

Robbie Schaefer Reflects on Solo Career

2009-03-31T16:29:00.003-04:00

Eddie From Ohio vocalist/songwriter Robbie Schaefer has become successful because, as he puts it, "life is what happens when you're making plans." The folk/rock band, which has been around since 1991, has released nine CDs -- selling upwards of 150,000 copies, all on their own Virginia Soul Records.

But, more recently, Schaefer has been able to crave a niche as a solo artist -- something that started by somewhat of a coincidence. When his middle son started preschool, one of the teachers asked Schaefer if he knew anybody who would be interested in being the school's musical director. Schaefer quickly volunteered and taught preschool kids while touring with the band.

But in September 2005, everything changed when Julie Murphy Wells was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, after an intense year of chemotherapy, Wells is feeling much better, but EFO has scaled down a schedule that used to include as many as 200 concerts per year.

"In that time taking off touring, I said 'you know, I've written a few kids' songs, I've been doing this a couple of years, why not?" Schaefer told RRT. "All of a sudden, I ended up selling a lot of [albums] and doing a lot of kids' shows all over the place, even traveling to do some kids shows... It just sorta happened that way."

Schaefer's kids' album, "Songs For Kids Like Us" was released in 2006 and has kept Schaefer busy ever since. It also led to his current show on XM/Sirius' Kids Place Live that airs Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. He also serves as the station's music director.

Like his career as a kids’ singer, his role as radio host began somewhat by chance. In January 2007, Schaefer was invited to XM to play one of his more popular songs, "Carp in the Tub," as part of the album's promotion. During his time at the station, the program director, Mindy, asked Schaefer if he knew anybody interested in hosting the show. Schaefer stepped up to the plate and the rest is history.

"It ended up being the perfect thing at the perfect time," he said. "I get to create my radio show every day and pretty much have carte blanche on what I do. That's where many of my creative juices go. I've noticed that I still write; but I've never been a very prolific writer and I'm really not prolific now."

Don't let his self-deprecating humor fool you; Schaefer has found time to keep writing. His first adult-focused solo album, "Strange and Lovely World," was released late last year.

"I just couldn't hear any of those songs really being delivered in the format of Eddie From Ohio," he said. "It just felt like something I should do on my own, that I wanted to do on my own."

"I often find myself writing about something months or years after the fact," he added. "Not that I've been sitting there planning on writing a song about this thing for a few years, but something will trigger that. Many songs are also this cluster of events and experiences; they're not necessarily about one specific thing that happened to you."

Despite his many commitments, Schaefer hopes to keep touring to promote the album.

"I really want to do more of that. I really love the music on there," he said. "It's such a different thing than playing with the band and I love both of them, but I'd really like to concentrate on that a little bit more."

Schaefer has a few more kids' songs ready to go, but not enough to fill an album. Therefore, he's decided to write a picture book for kids around his song, "Professor Schnoodle," that will include a CD with some new material as well as the original song. He hopes to have it out within the next year.

"Some kids' songs are kinda blurry, right? All the Beatles songs are like that; they're adult songs but kids love them," Schaefer quipped.

While his solo career may have started through somewhat of a coincidence, there's no doubt that he has earned all of his successes.

Final Five Set on 'Race'

2009-03-30T12:01:00.003-04:00

With the elimination of Mike and Mel last night, the final five teams are set on "The Amazing Race," presumably with two more non-elimination stages ahead. Barring a huge setback, it seems Margie/Luke, Tammy/Victor and Cara/Jaime should be considered the favorites.

All three of those teams have their weaknesses, but they've been towards the top of the back the last few weeks and are coming on strong. Nothing against Mark/Michael or Kisha/Jen, but they just haven't been consistent.

Winnners of the "Race" need to boast a mix of brains and brawn, and the Big Three do that well. Margie/Luke have Luke's youth and Margie's patience, Tammy/Victor have gotten over their early-season squabbling and Cara/Jaime, despite their impatience, have put together a good season.

There's no episode next week, so the anticipation will build before the next installment airs on Easter, April 12.

Never Fear, There's Always Next Year

2009-03-30T11:57:00.002-04:00

SU's hoops season ended Friday night with the hopes that next year will be even brighter. Jonny Flynn says he's coming back, and if he keeps his word, this team is going to rock with every contributor (save Kristof Ongenaet) returning.

But don't ask Coach Jim Boeheim about Flynn's future.

SU Primed for NCAA Run

2009-03-16T15:42:00.003-04:00

The NCAA drought is over for Syracuse (26-9) after a great showing in the Big East tournament. Even though they lost to Louisville in the championship game, Jonny Flynn was named the tournament MVP.

Now it's on to the Big Dance, where SU is a No. 3 seed (and we all remember the last time that happened). But, although it's unlikely to happen this time around, SU is certainly ready to return to the Sweet 16 and maybe even further.

The first opponent is Stephen F. Austin, a No. 14 seed, at 12:15 p.m. in Miami. That should be no problem. But the next round would be against either a very good Arizona State team or a pesky Temple squad. The Orange should advance past that, but it won't be easy. From there, Oklahoma is more than likely next, and that's where the magic of the 2008-09 season might end.

But the best news about the Orange comes from one look at the roster: only Kristof Ongenaet, Jake Presutti and Justin Thomas are seniors. So, barring an ill-advised decision to leave early, SU will return its entire starting five from this season plus Andy Rautins, Kris Joseph, the current benchwarmers and whatever recruits the coaching staff can uncover. In other words, brighter times are ahead.

A 'Race' to Bare Russia

2009-03-16T15:29:00.003-04:00

As the teams on "The Amazing Race" stayed in cold Russia (specifically, Siberia), Margie and Luke continued to assert their power, while Cara and Jaime stayed close (in more than one way).

The much-publicized road block, where one participant had to run 1.5 miles in their "skivvies," was the ending of another leg where Margie and Luke dominated. They are having fun, playing the game the right away and riding a rare alliance to much success. Jamie and Cara work well with Margie and Luke and figured out that Tammy and Victor are not team players. That being said, these three teams seem to be the cream of the crop of the season.

On the flip side, Christine and Jodi are this season's yo-yos. They flip from top to bottom, never establishing consistency and seemingly always making a mistake when they get close to doing well. Ditto Kisha and Jen, although they seem to be much closer to surging ahead than lagging behind. Mel/Mike and Michael/Mark are permanently ensconced in the middle, which isn't a good thing.

It was inevitable that a non-elimination leg was scheduled for last night. But since we know there are never two in a row, it's probably inevitable that Christine and Jodi might be the next to be eliminated.

Six OTs, One Unbelievable Victory

2009-03-13T10:10:00.004-04:00

There's no doubt that the organizers of the Big East tournament knew they were saving the best for last on Quarterfinal Thursday. But Syracuse's six overtime, 127-117 victory over rival No. 4 Connecticut (27-4) far exceeded anybody's wildest expectations.

SU Coach and Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim said it best: "That was the greatest game in history... It's a lot better winning the greatest game ever played."

And he should know, having served SU for 33 years as head coach, another seven as an assistant and four more as a player. He's won 796 games as the bench boss, perhaps none bigger than four wins over the Huskies in the last five editions of the Big East Tournament.

Barely any of the 19,375 in attendance left before the game's final buzzer. But boy were there teases along the way. Big ones, in fact.

* SU looked strong at the end of regulation before U-Conn. tied it at 71. If SU could have made a lay-up (theme alert!), the game never would have gotten into OT.
* Eric Devendorf's three-pointer at the buzzer was dramatic, but it was clear by replays that it shouldn't have counted. But, then again, if SU had another .1 second, they would have won in regulation.
* U-Conn. never trailed in the first five OTs. SU tied it with four seconds left in the first OT, and U-Conn. had the ball for the final 35 seconds of the second OT without scoring. The Huskies certainly had their chances to emerge victorious.
* SU's Andy Rautins tied the game in the third OT with a three-pointer with 11 seconds left.
* In the fourth OT, Paul Harris was wide open for several lay-up attempts as the period expired but couldn't hit one. It was pretty disturbing, in fact, how many lay-ups Harris and the Orange have missed this season. In a game of this magnitude, his misses were more egregious than the team's free-throw shooting (which actually enjoyed a rarely-successful outing).
* In the fifth OT, U-Conn. had several chances to win at the end, but it was not meant to be for the Huskies. Another tease.
* The sixth OT was all Orange. They seemingly built a 10-point lead in the blink of an eye and U-Conn. never put up a fight. It was almost like they were spent and the Orange finally had outlasted the Huskies.

Let's not forget the players that fouled out along the way: Rick Jackson, Kristof Ongenaet, Arinze Onuaku, Eric Devendorf, A.J. Price, Stanley Robinson, Gavin Edwards and Hasheem Thabeet (who's clearly the real deal). Additionally, Rautins and Harris played with four fouls for a really long time.

This forced players such as freshman Kris Joseph and walk-on Justin Thomas (who registered his first career rebound in the final OT) to play a combined 21 minutes for the Orange.

It's hard to believe that Jonny Flynn is only a sophomore. He played a game-high 67 minutes, netting 34 points, 11 assists, six steals and going a smooth 16-16 from the free-throw line. And he only committed two fouls while rescuing the Orange time after time.

Believe it or not, No. 18/20 SU (25-8) has to play again tonight (9:30 p.m., ESPN) against a West Virginia team that walloped its arch-rival, No. 2 Pittsburgh, in the quarterfinals. But ask the Mountaineers and they'll concede that SU-UConn. was the real Backyard Brawl.

Survivor Getting Good

2009-03-13T10:03:00.002-04:00

Most "Survivor" seasons don't achieve must-watch status until the halfway point. The current season is getting there, and in turn, the drama is building. On last night's episode, the producers wanted you to think that Taj was going to be voted out and/or use the immunity idol she found earlier in the hour. But, alas, Spencer's torch was extinguished after performing poorly in the immunity challenge.

Taj's "Exile Alliance" with Brendan, Sierra and Stephen seems to be solid -- but, of course, the producers want you to think that Stephen might turn on them at any point. Being a veteran-watcher of the show, we know that Stephen would be an idiot to do that at this point in the season. In fact, those moves usually don't occur until the merge at the earliest. There are still too many people to vote out, too many obvious choices to make.

In the meantime, the tribes are more evenly-matched and the show is ascending to its peak. But we're not quite there yet.

Remember there's no new episode next week because of the NCAA tournament and the following episode will air on Wednesday, March 25. This is a clever trick CBS uses to slightly extend the season so the finale can air on its traditional Mother's Day evening.

Jenna Morasca's New Venture

2009-03-10T08:36:00.005-04:00

Jenna Morasca's career started on "Survivor," ventured to Playboy and now includes... wrestling? The "Survivor: Amazon" winner and all-star participant will be debuting for TNA Impact on Thursday, March 12 (9 p.m., Spike). As we all know, Jonny Fairplay once made the same decision to sign with TNA and it didn't turn out so well.

However, two other reality stars are doing quite well in the WWE. Maria Kanellis, who once appeared on "Outback Jack," took a bid in the company's 2004 Diva Search (which she didn't win) and has become one of WWE's most popular female competitors. (Her Playboy appearance probably didn't hurt that endeavor, either.)

And Mike "The Miz" Mizanin is part of the company's ECW brand after beginning on MTV's "The Real World: Back to New York," "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," "The Inferno," "The Gauntlet," "Battle of the Network Reality Stars," and a special edition of "Fear Factor."

The Miz eventually turned a runner-up gig on "Tough Enough" into a full-time spot with the company to which he's been devoted to his entire life (first as a fan, now as a wrestler).

So Morasca's future isn't necessarily doomed -- but she's got a lot of hard work ahead of her, and her attitude is certainly better than that of Mr. Fairplay.

Power Shifting on 'Race'

2009-03-09T13:17:00.003-04:00

Though its still early in the season, Margie and Luke seem to be dominating the current season of "The Amazing Race." No, they didn't finish first in yesterday's leg but they did use the first-ever blind U-Turn to make sure Amanda and Kris were eliminated and helped allies Jamie and Cara made up valuable time. Additionally, nobody saw it coming and the anonymous factor really helped them avoid any ill will.

Meanwhile, Lakisha/Jen, Tammy/Victor and Christie/Jodi finished in the top three and were able to solidify a decent lead over a few teams, including Mel/Mike and Mark/Michael.

It seems those latter two teams are in the biggest danger of being eliminated next, but it also seems a non-elimination round should be coming soon.

Jealous 'Chef,' Thy Name is Casey

2009-03-03T11:33:00.003-05:00

Oh, Casey. Not only did you cost Carla Hall the title of "Top Chef" but now you're taking credit for everything she made on the finale. The worst of her tirade:

She also did not have a plan... And where in the hell did French come from!? She is not even classically trained! It (the show) didn’t talk about how I worked on a sauce for two days and Carla forgot to put it on the plate...

Where do I begin?

Firstly, Casey, not only is Carla classically-trained, but she learned at a preeminent French institution (it even says so on her Bravo bio). And if that's not enough, she got major props from Eric Ripert and Jacques Pepin for making excellent French food. And they should know more about that than you.

Secondly, nearly every judge said that had Carla stuck to her plan, and NOT yours, she would have won because her food is just that good.

Finally, do we need to go back to your season when the food you made was disastrous and nowhere close to what Carla can make in her sleep?

(Note: supposedly Casey responded to this whole thing but, like the rest of her efforts, that has disappeared.)

The bottom line, Casey, is that you're not in Carla's league -- not even close -- and you should keep your mouth shut and stay in Texas. Because clearly, nothing good ever comes out of either.

On 'Race,' Cooler Heads Prevail

2009-03-03T11:22:00.002-05:00

With all the stress of "The Amazing Race," it's often the teams that either can avoid or minimize tiffs that do the best. In the case of Tammy and Victor this week, they got a little too close to crossing that line. Fortunately for them, Brad and Victoria had major flight problems and finished way out of the running.

But Tammy and Victor nearly got eliminated after Victor wouldn't listen to Tammy and they lost a lot of time (at least according to the editing) wondering Transylvania's woods. T hey also suffered flight delays but that didn't cost them too dearly.

Meanwhile, Mel and Mike surged ahead with some fortunate luck and good skill embracing Mike's "inner Nadia" to capture the leg.

The order of finish: 1. Mel/Mike 2. Amanda/Kris 3. Kisha/Jen 4. Margie/Luke 5. Mark/Michael 6. Christie/Jodi 7. Jaime/Cara 8. Tammy/Victor 9. Brad/Victoria

Jerry Off 'Survivor,' Coach Crazier Than Ever

2009-02-27T14:49:00.003-05:00

As third episodes of "Survivor" go, last night's was pretty typical. Somebody was booted because they didn't feel well and the infamous leadership question was raised (again).

Coach is the one who wants to be a leader and should be given it so he'll be booted (the usual next step in that progression). He's annoying and pompous beyond belief -- and it's not just on the show. He apparently didn't tell his employer where he was going and was fired when he didn't return after a week as he claimed. His reaction? ""I'm going to be the next big thing on the big screen."

Um. Yeah. And I'm going to be president.

As for evictees, Jerry tried hiding his illness but between that and his inept tribe, that was the end of his stay.

The most interesting part, so far, is the Exile Island alliance between Taj and Brendan (who found the immunity idol at his camp). Apparently, they're going to recruit Sierra and Stephen and form a "secret" four-way alliance. If it works, that would be a true blindside.

Hosea Wins 'Top Chef'

2009-02-26T11:35:00.005-05:00

Hosea captured the title of "Top Chef" on last night's finale and deserved every bit of it. But, throughout the show, it seemed the judges wanted to give it to Carla.

The challenge was simple and consistent with previous finales: cook the best three-course meal of your life. Chef Tom added the twist of an appetizer, also similar to previous seasons, and the chefs got help -- this time from runners-up from previous seasons. It's no coincidence that Richard Blais was the one to help Hosea, as he clearly was the cream of the crop. Marcel was paired with Stefan (how fitting is that duo?) and Casey went with Carla.

First to the winner: Hosea was absolutely correct to avoid dessert and stick with a dish he could do well. His meal was tasty throughout, he had a solid season and his flashes of brilliance clearly came through in the finale as he put everything into it and got great advice from Richard -- who might be the most talented chef not to capture the whole thing.

That being said, how could you not feel for Carla? She wanted to have Casey help her but her biggest mistake was listening to somebody who isn't in anywhere close to her league. Carla was the fan favorite (a title she might take during next week's reunion if they award it) and you could tell by Chef Tom's closing comments that she really wowed the judges.

But she chose to make food (especially the main beef course) in a way she had never tried before and also chose to make a souffle instead of her perfect tarts. Carla said she felt overwhelmed and it's human nature to want help in those situations. But she strayed from what got her there, and as we all know, that's when trouble starts.

Carla's a D.C. native, somebody who isn't afraid to be different and somebody who cooks with love and tons of soul. She was my favorite (along with Jamie) throughout the entire season and clearly has a very, very bright future ahead of her. And, as we know from Fabio and others, not winning "Top Chef" isn't always a bad thing.

Nothing against Hosea, but Carla was the star of the season.

Auf Wiedersehen: Steve, Linda Off 'Race'

2009-02-23T09:42:00.004-05:00

It almost seemed inevitable that Steve and Linda weren't going to get very far on this season of "The Amazing Race." And, on cue, they were booted last night in the leg that took the racers from Switzerland to Germany/Austria.

As for good news, siblings Tammy and Victor seemed very strong and, even though there might be a bit of a brother/sister tiff next week, they should be in it for the long run. Ditto mother and son Margie and Luke, who had a rougher leg than last week but still finished fourth.

This season's blondes, Christie and Jodi, are no better than any other season's blondes (except THE blondes, Kandace and Dustin), and won't be around too much longer.

'Survivor' Continues Early Momentum

2009-02-20T08:38:00.003-05:00

Last night's second episode of "Survivor: Tocantins" didn't really break any ground and it's still too early for any elimination to be called a blindside. But, the most interesting thing that happened was the fact that two people can go to Exile Island and that one was given the option of changing tribes. No word whether this is going to continue (although I'm guessing at least part of it will) but it's certainly shows an attempt to change things a bit.

It was curious that, this early in the season, there would be a combined reward/immunity challenge, leaving about 30 minutes for just showing Exile Island and chatter around camp.

Taj, whose full name is Tamara Johnson-George, revealed that she is Mrs. Eddie George and that she used to be part of SWV. We all know that better-known folks don't always do well on the show, so it'll be interesting to see if she sticks around for a while.

Ciao, Fabio me Amico

2009-02-19T21:30:00.003-05:00

It was a mixed penultimate episode of "Top Chef," as two of the favorites were involved in the decision.

First, the good news: D.C.'s own Carla won a Toyota Venza after making two rockin' dishes and a non-alcoholic drink. Clearly, Carla has been on a roll the last few weeks because she's not afraid to be different -- which is evident by anybody who can pull off non-alcoholic and vegetarian in the same season. How can you not root for her, especially because she feels the love!

And the bad: Fabio was asked to leave after making three dishes (including freshly-baked bread) but the judges felt that he wasn't cajun enough. It's a big bummer, but apparently he's got something much bigger in the works that will dwarf the show entirely.

In fact, Fabio had this news to report on an L.A. Times blog:

"All kind of things. I'm going be everywhere. For sure a little more TV. We have something in the making. There are lots of food companies who want to license my image. And my book, 'The Cafe Firenze Cookbook,' comes out on April 15th. You can write that I'm not going away at all. I will come back bigger!" He also told E! that he's William Shatner's private chef.

Also, welcome back Gail! We all knew she was back this week, but it was great to see it in action!

As for Emeril, I'm so over that. He was fun for a while on "Emeril Live" but his act has grown stale and he looks horrible. (Maybe it was all that alcohol.)

Next week is the finale. All I have to say is Rock the Nation's Capital.

Note: In today's Washington Post, Carla passes along that Ariane's restaurant has a three-month waiting list (or something to that effect). Good for her.

Report: Roberts to Sign Extension

2009-02-18T21:36:00.004-05:00

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Orioles and Brian Roberts are this close to a four-year, $40 million extension that will keep the second baseman in Charm City for (presumably) the rest of his career. The signing, which would satisfy one of Andy McPhail's off-season goals, could be announced any minute.

'Race' Off Right

2009-02-16T17:56:00.002-05:00

"The Amazing Race" got off to a good start in last night's premiere. It's too early to get a really good gauge on the teams but, early on, it's easy to root for Luke and Margie -- and know that Linda and Steve give most of Virginia a bad name.

'Survivor' Back... but Better?

2009-02-13T08:47:00.004-05:00

Can the first elimination of the 'Survivor' season really be called a blindside? Not so fast my friend.

Last night's season premiere promised an elimination in the first five minutes, and really only produced a twist: two people getting a ride back to camp instead of hiking for four hours. But here's the difference: Sandy (and her selfish attitude) looked for an immunity idol while Sierra built a shelter for the bunch.

And when the team arrived, Sierra seemed to have redeemed herself -- so much so that she worked extremely hard during the challenge as the Timbira tribe captured the first immunity face-off, which including more puzzles. (Shocker!)

Next week contains the season's first rip-off-your-clothes physical immunity challenge. Some things never change.

'Top Chef' at Final Four

2009-02-13T08:43:00.002-05:00

Jamie won't be in the "Top Chef" but her spot has been taken by Carla, who has thrust herself into the top three with Fabio and Stefan. With Jamie and Leah gone over the last two weeks, Hosea joins those three in New Orleans for a spirited final four -- starting with next week's challenge hosted by Emeril Lagasse.

I'm rooting for D.C.'s Carla but Fabio has been great too and is certainly enjoyable to watch. When he's on, he might be the most talented of the bunch but he seems to have some missteps. Stefan is either brilliant or horrible, but usually the former. And Hosea has overcome too many mistakes, so he's probably next to go.

Four contestants. Two weeks. One Top Chef.

NFL State

2009-02-09T21:48:00.002-05:00

The State of Local Sports was updated today to reflect the 2008 NFL season. The order remains the same:

1. D.C. United
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Washington Capitals
4. Washington Redskins
5. Washington Wizards
6. Baltimore Orioles
7. Washington Nationals
8. Washington Mystics

Catching Up With 'Top Chef'

2009-02-02T09:08:00.004-05:00

If the current season of "Top Chef" was a tournament, Jaime (whose bio has magically disappeared from this page as of this writing) and Stefan would be the top seeds. That's because the bravura Jamie and supercilious Stefan are clearly the most skilled in the group, based on their continued wins and tasty dishes.

The new few spots, however, are up for grabs. Washington's own Carla has been charging lately, especially with her recent win (which got her Super Bowl tickets) and strong effort in many challenges. But she had a bad week in there too, which is a bit concerning.

Ditto Fabio, who can make some mind-numbing dishes but also lay an egg like he did in the football challenge with overcooked venison.

As for Leah and Hosea, the show's first couple has been more inconsistant in their performance than in their love life. Neither of these two really have a shot at winning, but Hosea seems to be more consistent.

So with one more week until the final four is cemented, it seems Leah and Hosea are battling for the final spot in that quad.

Steelers Fulfill Destiny

2009-02-02T08:52:00.004-05:00

After three ugly quarters, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers would easily win the title as predicted. But the Arizona Cardinals had something to say about it, posting an unbelievable comeback in the fourth quarter. However, the Steelers offense was the one to rescue them this time, with Big Ben Roethlisberger leading a great drive -- capped by a Santonio Holmes' amazing catch -- to give the Steelers a 27-23 win and their sixth Super Bowl title.

Overall, it wasn't the best game but the fourth quarter made up for a mundane first 45 minutes. By the way, how many times did Al Michaels use the word "compel" in the fourth quarter?

Note: Since I'm already tooting my own horn, I should note that since I've started this blog, Mr. Cleo has picked two of the last three Super Bowl champs (before that season started), had the Patriots there last season (I know, it wasn't a stretch), selected the Detroit Red Wings to win the Cup last season a year in advance and picked the San Antonio Spurs to capture their most recent title. (I've got the Dallas Stars winning this year.)

My best advice to you: stay away from my baseball picks.

Super (Bowl) Deja Vu

2009-01-26T09:23:00.003-05:00

If they're like me, the Pittsburgh Steelers are thinking back to their last Super Bowl win and getting ready to celebrate another title (something I predicted back in September). In that game, a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, the Steelers faced an NFC West opponent with a great offense and a rising defense that was making its first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

Sounds familiar? The Arizona Cardinals fit every single characteristic held by the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL and are facing a Steelers team that is probably better than their counterparts from three seasons ago.

Pittsburgh's key players are the same, with a few exceptions. Bill Cowher (and his scower) and Antwaan Randle El have left and Jerome Bettis has retired. But Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker and Hines Ward still lead the offense. Big Ben had 3,301 passing yards (along with 17 TDs and 15 INTs) this season and just 2,385 (17 TDs and nine INTs) in 2005. The rushing attack isn't as strong as it was in 2005, though.

The biggest difference is that the 2008 Cards are much more potent offensively than the 2005 Seahawks, but this year's Steelers are more stingy on defense. Kurt Warner had 4,583 yards passing this season (30 TDs, 14 INTs) and had three 1,000 receives to find. In 2005, Matt Hasselbeck threw for 3,459 yards, 24 TDs and nine INTs but had NO receivers hit the 1,000-yard mark.

The Steelers' defense allowed 284 yards per game during the 2005 season (placing fourth) but lead the league by a mile with 237.2 allowed this time around.

What does this all prove? That this year's Steelers are better than the 2005 champs and, although they face a tougher opponent, they're better prepared for it and should capture the title. It all plays out on Sunday (6 p.m., NBC).

Sixteen Minutes of History

2009-01-19T21:55:00.002-05:00

No Martin Luther King Day is complete without watching the speech in its original form.

SU Lays an Egg in D.C.

2009-01-15T11:06:00.004-05:00

A combination of Georgetown's Villanova-esque hot shooting, missed lay-ups, (more) bad free throw shooting and just downright ugliness led to SU's 88-74 loss to the Hoyas Wednesday night. Ater GU jumped to an early lead, SU tied it but then watched as the Hoyas went up 34-17 en route to a 50-32 halftime lead.

SU came out strong to start the second half, but they couldn't cool the Hoyas and that was that. Overall, the Hoyas shot 59.3 percent from the field and 34 percent from behind the ark. It was almost like the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats put on Georgetown uniforms.

The dependable SU 2-3 zone didn't work against Georgetown's three-point shooting and, after they switched to man-to-man, the Hoyas went back to the back-door cuts that are integral to the Princeton offense and put the game away.

It's admittedly hard to give the credit, but the Hoyas deserve it for this win. SU better get its act together for Notre Dame this weekend.

SU Visits Hoyas Tonight

2009-01-14T13:19:00.002-05:00

SU-Georgetown writes another chapter tonight at Verizon Center (7:30 p.m., ESPN2, I'll be there). One of college basketball's greatest rivalries is part of the best conference in the country. This also is the beginning of a brutal stretch for the Orange that also includes Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Louisville.

Jonny Flynn continues to lead SU with 16.4 points per game, but the Orange have five regulars averaging double figures and are getting 8.3 rebounds per game from Paul Harris and 7.8 from Arinze Onuaku. Uncharacteristically for the Hoyas, their leading rebounder (Greg Monroe) only is averaging 6.3 boards per game, while their leading scorer (DaJuan Summers) is at 14.7. The Hoyas aren't very deep, either.

SU's won eight of the last 10 meetings between the longtime rivals, but the Hoyas captured the last meeting in D.C., 64-62.

Another Reason to Watch 'Will Work For Food'

2009-01-12T11:46:00.003-05:00

Besides the fact that Adam Gertler is hillarious, and his new show "Will Work For Food" promises to be great," there's one more reason to watch: Gertler is a 1999 graduate of Syracuse's College of Visual and Performing Arts and holds a bachelor's degree of fine arts in acting.

The series premiere is next Monday, Jan. 19, at 8:30 p.m.

NFL's Odd Final Four

2009-01-11T20:16:00.002-05:00

By my estimation, only one of the NFL's final four (the Steelers, who I picked to win the Super Bowl) was anywhere close to the pre-season estimations. The others -- Eagles, Cardinals and Ravens -- certainly were thought to be at least one season away and, in the case of both NFC participants, probably further than that.

But here we are on Jan. 11 and the following games will be played next Sunday, with the winners advancing to the Feb. 1 Super Bowl in Tampa:

Eagles at Cardinals (3 p.m., Fox)
Ravens at Steelers (6:30 p.m., CBS)

Since I'm reluctation to stray from a August pick, I'm going with the Steelers to beat the Cardinals on Feb. 1.

SU Crushes Rutgers, Georgetown Next

2009-01-11T16:27:00.003-05:00

SU made sure it stayed undefeated in the Big East before visiting the hated Hoyas on Wednesday (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m., I'll be there) and did it running away, 82-66. Jonny Flynn and Arinze Onuaku, who absolutely dominated inside, led the Orange -- but, quite frankly, the Scarlet Knights only kept close for the first half. SU was the better team and now faces a Hoyas squad that, although it bested Providence on Saturday, hasn't looked all that good in losing to Pittsburgh and Notre Dame.

MUCH more on this game in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the National Basketball Development League's Reno Bighorns now boasts three SU alumni -- Gerry McNamara, Damone Brown and Donte Greene (who should have stayed in school). The trio's first game was a 93-91 win over the Bakersfield Jam last night, led by Greene's 26 and Patrick Ewing, Jr.'s 20. McNamara had six and Brown, a starter, only got three. (Nice start to SU-Georgetown week too.)

'Top Chef' Kicks Off Two, Debuts Judge

2009-01-08T20:28:00.004-05:00

While I really miss Gail (as we knew would happen) from "Top Chef," Toby Young -- who was introduced before the season started -- is a nice addition. As for the actual chefs, that's a completely different story.

Before I get to the main part of the episode, it's important to mention two things: one, Jamie got tons of face time during the hour (which usually means that somebody either wins or goes home) and that Radhika won a quickfire where the group couldn't use sugar but anything else sweet was fair game.

The main challenge was to impress Young, an Englishman, and guest judge Jean-Christophe Novelli, who is VERY French, by preparing whatever suited them that evening for a family-style meal. The twist -- if you even want to call it that -- was some of the cheftestants also judged the meal. (The group was split in two, with the non-cookers eating.)

As for the food, Jamie won (finally!) with a redemption scallops dish of which Fabio said "This is Top Chef not Top Scallops!" but the judges loved. Ariane (somehow) and Stefan prepared the other top dishes. (If memory serves me correctly, this is the first time since the premiere that Stefan came close to winning a main challenge, which means he's getting more attention for his attitude than his cooking.)

The bottom three (Eugene, Melissa and Carla) all made fish. Eugene showed creativity with his whole fish, Melissa showed boredom with fish tacos and Carla made a great vegetarian risotto topped with over-garlicky scallops.

During the show, Carla mentioned several times that she wanted to cook a vegetarian meal but somehow convinced herself that adding scallops would be a good thing. Although I'm no gourmet chef (although I do know my way around the kitchen), I feel that Carla made a mistake by giving into perceptions of what the judges wanted. Making vegetarian meals shows much more creativity than other dishes (such as fish tacos, for example) and I honestly eat more vegetarian meals than meat entrees during the course of a week. It would have been a major boon for Carla to win (or come close) with a vegetarian dish and it's a shame she didn't stay that course.

Having said that, Carla is the only one of those three that will be around to cook another day as Melissa (who has been a bottom-dweller for most of the season) and Eugene (whose game has been declining faster than the Washington Wizards') were asked to pack their knives and go. Carla did promise to make a veggie meal if she was saved, so let's hope that happens.

As for Melissa, how do you make a fish taco when your only guideline is to make something to wow the judges? Tacos? Puhleeze! I could make a better vegetarian dish than her fish tacos (without even using pasta, by the way) and I've never been to culinary school. She should be ashamed of herself.

Eugene gets major points for creativity, but as Chef Tom likes to say, it's about execution. The final lesson from the episode? To quote a former NFL coach (about his team's execution), "I'm in favor of it."

More Food Shows

2009-01-08T15:31:00.004-05:00

Thanks to an old college roommate, we learn of a new reality cooking show called "The Chopping Block" on NBC (no premiere date yet). This is remarkably-similar in title to Food Network's "Chopped" starring Ted Allen. Hmmmm.

Speaking of new shows, by the way, Food Network's "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" is worth a watch.

SU's On a Roll

2009-01-07T21:33:00.002-05:00

SU bested DePaul, 85-68, tonight at the Carrier Dome as the Orange are completing a relatively-gentle beginning to a very tough Big East schedule. Andy Rautins paced the home team with 17 while Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku added 14. Eric Devendorf had 13 and Jonny Flynn had 12. 'Cuse still had problems at the free throw line (11-19) but it didn't matter.

'Cuse has one more game (Saturday at Rutgers) before its very high-profile match-up next Wednesday at Georgetown (I'll be there along with a lot of SU alumni), when the schedule gets remarkably more difficult.

After the Hoyas, the Orange face (in order) Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Louisville -- all of whom are ranked this week. Ouch.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T11:50:00.003-05:00

Happy new year everybody!

The reality TV spectrum has been quiet, although some fun stuff is ahead. "Top Chef" returns next Wednesday, Jan. 7, "Chopped" premieres on the Food Network on Jan. 13 at 10 p.m., while "Will Work For Food" (with "Next Food Network Star" runner-up Adam Gertler) shows up on Jan. 19 at 8:30 p.m. "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" won't be along until February.

Meanwhile, SU won its Big East opener (100-76 over Seton Hall) and will visit South Florida tomorrow night (8:30 p.m., ESPN) next. After lower-profile tilts with DePaul (Jan. 7) and Rutgers (Jan. 10), SU takes the spotlight for a huge match-up with arch-rival Georgetown (Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2) at Verizon Center (I'll be there).

Stay tuned and don't forget to check out my hockey blog, Storming the Crease (which I update nearly every day).

'Chef' for the Holidays

2008-12-19T14:47:00.003-05:00

This week's episode of "Top Chef" continued two prevalent themes: Chef Tom is developing a harder edge and the cheftestants still don't know how to relate to the home cook.

The quickfire starred Martha Stewart, who clearly gets the struggles of those without professional training. The chefs had to make a one-pot meal and some chose to eschew the true meaning of that term by making something, emptying the pot, rinse and repeat. Others -- such as Hosea (paella, one of my favs), Jamie (scallops), and Ariane (cauliflower and beef) -- mostly got it. I thought Hosea's was the best, but Martha picked Ariane as the winner.

The main challenge was making something in conjunction with the 12 days of Christmas. The dishes, courtesy of Reality Check, were served at a benefit party and judged by the awarding of red AIDS ribbons by a celebrity-filled audience:

12 drummers drumming, Stefan. Chicken (drumstick) pot pie.
11 pipers piping, Hosea. Smoked pork tenderloin.
10 lords a-leaping, Jeff. A confusing "island-hopping" salad of two cheeses.
9 ladies dancing, Fabio. Crab cakes with chipotle aioli.
8 maids a-milking, Melissa. Beef with Gorgonzola and toast points.
7 swans a-swimming, Jamie. Scallops "swimming" in vichyssoise.
6 geese a-laying, Ariane. Six different kinds of deviled eggs.
5 golden rings, Eugene. Poisson cru with a "golden" pineapple ring.
4 calling birds, nobody. (Which made a very awkward song.)
3 french hens, Leah. Braised guinea hen with squash puree.
2 turtle doves, Carla. Braised chicken with duxelles and a mushroom cap.
1 partridge in a pear tree, Radhika. Duck breast with pear chutney and brioche.

This, of course, is way over the heads of nearly every home cook -- which is a huge disconnect from the first part of the episode. What happened to a theme for the entire episode? I realize they probably couldn't convince Martha to stay for the marathon judges' table, but to go from simple to beyond complicated is like serving grilled cheese and filet mignon on the same plate.

Anyway, the top four were Radhika, Hosea, Jeff and Stefan -- with Hosea taking the win. Hosea and Radhika's original offerings were ruined after somebody didn't close the fridge. To their credit, all of the remaining chefs helped them recover (using food that magically was present in the "Top Chef" kitchen), most likely to the detriment of their own dish. The cast played it off to having "the Christmas spirit" (ignoring the fact that not everybody on the show celebrates the holiday). They should have just said that the chefs were good people who wanted to help each other out.

Eugene, Melissa and Jamie were at the bottom -- which wasn't a newsflash for the first two. Jamie's foray into scallops cost her this time, but she seemed to be at the top of the bottom (a.k.a. the Cincinnati Bengals).

Chef Tom and the judges decided that, after all that had transpired, nobody would be asked to pack their knives and go. But, he added, everybody better get their game face on and cook some darn delicious food. It seems the chefs will have a lot more flexibility next time around.

Next week's episode, which airs on Christmas Eve, will feature chefs from past seasons in yet another holiday-themed hour. However, if this is anything like past face-off specials, it should be very appetizing.

Ho Hum, Bob Wins 'Survivor'

2008-12-14T23:05:00.000-05:00

I was all set to sing Sugar's praises and state how great it was for her to overcome so many obstacles and win a $1 million new lease on life. But instead, I'm here to complement Bob on a huge win that was well-deserved -- but doesn't quite have the appeal of a win by Sugar. (And if Susie had won, I would have moved somewhere that doesn't air the show.)

Seriously, Bob earned everything and clearly was the most dominant player of the season. But there was something about Sugar that was appealing.

As for Corinne: she's the epitome of all looks and not much else.

I realize it's TV, but this is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Sugar Crystalizes Blindside

2008-12-11T22:00:00.003-05:00

Sugar continued being the true mastermind in "Survivor Gabon" heading to Sunday's finale, while Kenny realized that his aspirations -- even self-assurances -- for winning are dwindling fast.

Bob won immunity and reward for the second consecutive episode and took Kenny and Crystal with him on reward. However, Sugar and Matty had plenty of time to talk back at camp (Susie was at exile island) and that led to Sugar's realization that Kenny is no good.

This was finalized when Kenny was going to backstab Bob if Bob kept his word and gave Kenny the immunity necklace. However, in the end, Sugar gave Matty the individual immunity idol (which she pretty much had the whole game), Bob kept his immunity necklace and Crystal was sent home.

Five are left; one will win $1 million on Sunday and my bet is that it's Bob or Sugar.

Bad Food Rains on Gail's 'Chef' Shower

2008-12-11T09:08:00.003-05:00

Poor Gail Simmons. She's so entrenched in her role as a "Top Chef" judge that she chose to let the show take over her bridal shower. Granted, as she told "Elliot in the Morning," the shower was separate from the main one thrown by her friends and family. But she also revealed that it occurred 10 days before her wedding and that she took time off from the show to get hitched. (Her blog indicates that this happened in August and that she just returned from a delayed honeymoon in time to watch the episode.)

"I will not appear on the next several episodes, as I took a break from taping after that fabulous evening to finish planning my wedding and finally get married [which by the way was pretty special too!]," Gail penned. "I promise that you will be in good hands and I will be back for the finale. In the meantime, I will try to answer some of your questions on this blog and promise that lots more good food and good drama lie ahead. Oh, one more update: so far married life is fantastic. I am one very lucky girl indeed!"

But I digress. Last night's episode began with a palette challenge inspired by "Name that Tune" and the cheftestants had to outdo each other to name those ingredients. It was captured by Hosea and Lee Ann Wong has all the right answers.

Onto the main elimination challenge: the group was split into four teams (not coincidentally-named old, new, borrowed, blue) and had to make one really yummy plate for Gail and 44 of her foodie friends.

Chef Tom was on fire during the judging and for good reason. The Blue team (Fabio, Melissa, Leah) made a pedestrian Chilean sea bass that only kept them there because it wasn't overly horrible. Fabio had the line of the night when he said that having Chef Tom in the kitchen was like cooking for the pope. Classic!

The winning squad -- the Borrowed group of Jamie, Ariane and Radhika -- went Indian-inspired and clearly deserved the kudos because of the lamb dish. But it was Jamie driving the boat and somehow Ariane got the win (and the Calphalon cookware that was advertised all night).

The second-placers of Stefan (who is growing more pompous by the episode), Hosea (who was immune) and Jeff (who got the most kudos of the three during Judges' Table) cooked a tomato trio that was Old but good.

That left the New team of Eugene, Danny and Carla. Oh, poor Carla: constantly good enough to stay on the show but always stuck with the losers. Eugene had a very good idea of a surf-and-turf sushi roll, but it fell apart and Danny's contributions were disappointing. Eugene tried salvaging bad rice (which isn't worth it) and couldn't really atone for his sins.

So Danny went home and the rest of us are left to ponder what happens next week when Martha Stewart makes her much-anticipated appearance.

O's Continue Forward-Thinking

2008-12-10T08:17:00.003-05:00

The Orioles are firmly in transition mode, and a huge step took place yesterday when Ramon Hernandez was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for utilityman Ryan Freel and prospects. Everybody knew Matt Wieters was the catcher of the future but nobody was totally sure when that transition would take place. It now appears he'll be there for the 2009 season, although exactly when is still up for grabs.

It's also important to acknowledge that PBO Andy MacPhail is starting to realize that there are certain players who shouldn't be on the roster for next season and trying to get rid of them -- Hernandez was at the top of that list.

"It had been our goal to make sure we could introduce Matt into the major league scene somewhere over the course of the '09 season. Not necessarily to start right away, but we thought he could handle it eventually after a little time in Triple-A possibly under his belt," MacPhail said on orioles.com. "We knew that would create a situation where we were going to have to split some playing time with him and Ramon, and we knew Ramon wouldn't be happy about that. Given where our franchise is, we also understood that our future was probably with Matt, and as my grandfather used to say, 'Better that you make a trade a year or two early than a year or two late.' So we gave up a very accomplished offensive major league catcher, and in exchange, we got back three players that we're delighted to have."

Meanwhile, it looks like the O's will be signing shortstop Cesar Izturis to a two-year deal, which hopefully will stablize that position.

No news about Nick Markakis (who appears will sign an extension at some point before going to arbritration this off-season) or Brian Roberts (who hopefully will stay beyond 2009).

'Race' Romance: Starr's Comments on Dallas

2008-12-09T16:14:00.002-05:00

From the Reality TV News interview with "Amazing Race" winners Nick and Starr:

Reality TV World: Starr, also, we hear you and [Dallas Imbimbo] have been dating ever since the show? How's that going?

Starr: It's going very well. We got back from the show and I flew out to see him in California and we went skydiving. Since then we've gone spelunking, we've done some great adventures, so we're trying to keep the race going and it's great.

We visit each other -- I live in New York [with Nick now] and he's in California -- but he actually lives 10 minutes from [where I grew up in California], which is ironic. We went to rival high schools and know all of the same people, so we're really lucky and fortunate in that sense, we see each other a lot for the distance that's between us and it's been great, so it's going really well.

Reality TV World: [Last week] he told us couldn't make it to the finale because of his passport issues, how did he react when he finally heard that you had won?

Starr: Yeah, it was really hard not having him at the finish line because [he and Toni Imbimbo] were such an important team for us. We had raced with them really for the entire race and we had become very good friends. That night we had a wrap party, and he and Toni had come, they had finally gotten their passport situation worked out, caught a flight into Portland and showed up at like 10:30 p.m. that night.

Nick: It was such a bummer because they were only a couple of hours late.

Starr: Yeah, it was really sad. He of course said congratulations and we had our first kiss and it was great.

That same interview conveys that Nick and Starr beat Tina and Ken by about 10 minutes and Dan/Andrew by about 90.

Nick, Starr Win 'Race'

2008-12-08T10:46:00.004-05:00

Nick and Starr dominated all season and last night made official what really had been suspected for a while: that they'd be the winners of "The Amazing Race."

However, it wasn't easy. Not until an awesome task when they had to recreate stops on the race and then find the corresponding picture from 150 clue boxes was it apparent they would fulfill the destiny. Ken and Tina were game, but Nick and Starr finished that task minutes before the couple and then athleticism helped them run through the streets of Portland until they were able to catch a cab to the finish line.

And, oh yeah, Andrew and Dan finished third.

The good news is that Ken and Tina are back together. The bad news is that Dallas and Toni weren't at the finish line, but we already know Dallas and Starr have been dating since the race ended.

More to come as details about that emerge as well as information on the next season, which will debut in February.

Corinne FINALLY Leaves 'Survivor'

2008-12-05T08:53:00.005-05:00

Corinne, who is great until she opens her mouth, finally has been voted off "Survivor Gabon," but the biggest development could be Kenny's mistake in his strategic endeavors. It all started when Bob claimed he had the idol that Marcus had thrown into the ocean a few episodes back. Bob told Corinne, who suggested telling Kenny and getting Crystal to vote out Matty. However, Kenny told Crystal to vote for Corinne, and he would vote for Matty -- sending Corinne home if the idol was fake, which is the case.

So Corinne was sent home but Kenny's vote for Matty alerted Sugar that maybe Kenny isn't as loyal as he says he is and that Crystal is his lackey. Drama for next week.

Before the reward challenge, which involved some weird wheels and slide games and was won by Bob rather easily, everybody got to see a short message from home. The official reward was a "longer" message from home along with some pizza and beer. However, in reality, all of the survivors got to see their loved one -- including Matty, who (sorta) proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Jamie.

At the immunity challenge, it was multiple choice followed by the challenge of throwing a ball at a target in the sand -- closest to the center wins. Bob captured that, leading to the aforementioned drama.

Two episodes are left: next Thursday at 8 and the season finale next Sunday.

Just Desserts: Alex Sent From 'Top Chef'

2008-12-04T09:48:00.004-05:00

As contestants on "The Next Food Network Star" can tell you, two-and-one-half minutes is not very long -- and you better be prepared to move fast and have food ready to speed up things. That was the theme of the elimination challenge on last night's "Top Chef" episode -- when only Jeff had a "swap out" ready and Alex tried to make a very complicated creme brulee in about half the required time. His big mistake sent him packing.

Meanwhile, two other trends continued from last week: Leah won her second straight quickfire challenge (edging Jamie's dish once again) and Ariane captured the main challenge one week after making tasty turkey.

But what got me is that nobody made breakfast food for their "Today Show" segment and only Ariane made something sorta brunchy. (Is that a word? Well, it is now.) Fabio's seared tuna, which finished second, might be construed as that -- but not in most people's homes. And I'm not even sure what Jeff concocted -- or how to pronounce it.

For her win, Ariane got a five-minute segment on this morning's "Today Show," where she prepared a bruschetta.

This reinforces another trend: "Top Chef" participants have lots of trouble relating to home cooks because of their training and profession as a restaurant chef. While that's not a problem to most, it is when they're asked (as they are every season) to make food that an untrained home cook can duplicate or even fathom. Rant over.

Ariane and Fabio met that challenge the best and that is why they were lauded. Let's hope this continues as the season progresses.