BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 36
Japan Original Airdate: 7/8/94
The Challenger: Takashi Mera, who wields the longest cooking knife in Japan (twice the size of a regular knife). He is the head chef of a restaurant which is frequented by many Japanese Prime Ministers. Kaga says Mera reminds him of a samurai character in a Japanese novel (Sasaki Kojiro, Kaga later says, if that means anything to you).
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef Japanese, Rokusaburo Michiba, who's been specifically called out for this battle because his use of foreign ingredients in Japanese dishes have earned the ire of the challenger. It's been a while since we saw him last, but he won a convincing victory against Hanato in the Sweetfish Battle. How will he fare against the man with the longest knife in Japan?
The Battle:
Joining Fukui and Hattori in the broadcasters' box is, once again, actress Mayuko Takata.
And striding confidently into Kitchen Stadium comes Mera, with knife in tow (in its own bag and all!). Looks a bit like a sword at his side as he brings it in. He's about to unsheath it, when Kaga stops him and tells him to swing it around after the gong. But after the formalities are complete, and the dry ice clears, Mera calls out--to the surprise of absolutely no one--Michiba.
"The challengers in my stadium of late all seem to be guessing what the theme is," Kaga begins. "Today, both chefs might be thinking of a certain ingredient. Summer. A certain fish is in season. The challenger is probably wanting to use his long knife to cut into the bones. Am I right?" Kaga cheekily asks. And then he fakes everyone out by announcing the theme as pike eel (hamo), before ripping off the veil for real and revealing...tuna!
And as Kaga later proclaims, to enjoy tuna, "cook it on your tongue." (If the fishmongers at Tsukiji Fish Market are to be believed.)
But these chefs won't be cooking tuna on their tongues, they'll be cooking it in all sorts of ways in Kitchen Stadium soon after Kaga's familiar call to battle: "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
And the battle begins with both sides frantically scrambling up to the ingredient stand to get a hold of this tuna that apparently cost over $10,000. One whole fish in pieces on the stand today, and only one head up for grabs, and Mera...wait, no, Michiba gets it! Apparently he told one of his assistants to grab it for him. Cheeky devil, that Michiba.
Hattori says the fish weighs 60-70kg, or about 150 pounds. Michiba straightaway looks to extract the eye, and both sides wanted the head, according to Ohta...but Michiba got there first.
And Mera is writing a menu a la Michiba, who appears to be a little late with his. But then, Michiba's busy extracting the eyeballs from the head, so it's understandable.
And here comes Mera's famous long knife, which Hattori comments looks like a sword. As he's busy filleting his tuna, Michiba has his Broth of Vigor on the stove. Fukui provides some context with Sasaki Kojiro, who had the longest sword in samurai lore...and Mera shows off a bit by twirling his knife before setting it down. Impressive.
Michiba is skewering the eyeballs for some grilling treatment, and he finally gets to the task of writing his menu. Grilled skin is mentioned as he does so, as is a tuna carpaccio.
Mera is mincing tuna and green onions (for negitoro, says Hattori). Further investigation of Michiba's menu reveals plans for six dishes, one of which will be sushi.
15 minutes gone already, and Mera is skewering eggplants which head over to the oven. Michiba has the skin of the belly on his side, and he's got some double-barreled chopping action on his side. He's quick to point out that in the samurai novel they keep referencing, the guy with the longer sword lost. So...
Chutoro (moderately fatty fish) is being wrapped in yuba on Mera's side, while Michiba is mixing pine nuts and ginger into the tuna he was double-barrel chopping. And the eyeballs have come off the grill as well!
Mera apparently overheard Michiba talk about the samurai tale, and quickly retorts that we're living in modern times, and that this isn't a fairy tale! As he says that, he takes rice out of the cooker. Fukui notes vinegar and light soy sauce as well, but Mera adds sesame seeds to his rice...maybe not for sushi? But he does have a roller on his side...
Michiba, meanwhile, puts down green onions on top of the tuna/pine nut/ginger mixture, while Mera is indeed rolling a sushi roll with negitoro and ginkgo leaves (or was that shiso?)
Michiba is deep frying a cut of the most expensive part of the tuna (otoro). Fukui notes as Michiba's slicing it that it looks like a tataki-style treatment. Mera is also doing some deep-frying as well, deep-frying the sushi rolls in a plum sauce of some kind. Hmm.
Michiba is making some incisions into some raw tuna, which Takata and Hattori note that it will open up at some point. His frying pan, which contains tuna cheek meat, mirin, and soy sauce, flares up a bit...
Mera's eggplants are off the grill, and topped with the negitoro. Uni has joined that mixture. He's also preparing an uramaki (rice on the outside sushi roll), which joins the eggplants under the salamander oven. Michiba, meanwhile, is preparing his sushi rice as well.
The sushi roller is still in action on Mera's side, this time with cucumber skins. Michiba is now forming his sushi, which Hattori says will be wrapped in persimmon leaves. Mera's wrapped item with the cucumbers contains yuba bean curd and grated daikon, which leaves Takata wondering where the tuna is...which is already inside the yuba skins.
Michiba's sushi goes down on the persimmon leaves with 15 minutes to go in the battle, while Mera is dicing tuna for sashimi. Michiba drops the tuna (coated with something) with the incisions he made earlier into a pot of hot water.
Mera has some glass boat bowls to plate his cubed tuna sashimi on top of a shiso leaf, and now 10 minutes left in the battle...Michiba plates his tataki which Fukui says looks a bit French. Iwatake (a type of mushroom) joins Mera's sashimi.
Tuna skins have been plated on Michiba's side, while Mera is working with some kudzu jelly. That goes on top of the sashimi as the 5-minute mark is announced--Mera is completely under control, according to Ohta.
Michiba's carpaccio is being plated on top of a miso sauce of some kind (Fukui is quick to point out that he thinks he's watching Sakai instead), topped by some caviar. And Mera is slicing his sushi rolls.
3 minutes left now, and Michiba's scored tuna is in a bowl, to be joined (perhaps) by his Broth of Vigor. And Mera's sushi is being plated, quite nicely I might add...
1 minute left, and Michiba looks like he has branches in his hand...both sides, putting finishing touches on their dishes as the last few seconds tick down...
"And that's it! The cooking's done, the Tuna Battle is OVAH!"
Challenger Mera is offering four dishes:
--Tuna Sashimi with Okra Paste
--Tuna and Cucumber Roll with Cured Plum Sauce
--Tuna Braised on Eggplant with Miso
--Tuna Sushi Rolls, Two Flavors
Iron Chef Michiba offers seven(!) dishes:
--Tuna Soup
--Tuna Skin Appetizer
--Tuna Carpaccio
--Grilled Tuna Cheek Meat
--Fried Toro Sashimi
--Tuna Sushi, Michiba Style
--Salt-Grilled Tuna Eyeballs
On the panel today for the Tuna battle are:
--Former Lower House Member Shinichiro Kurimoto
--Actress Mayuko Takata
--Culinary Critic Asako Kishi
Challenger Mera's dishes are up first, as always...who says he made it a point not to overcook any of his dishes.
As his tuna sashimi is served, Kaga notes that the dish is "difficult to eat." But Kishi says it's all connected. Kurimoto says it would go well with sake, but Takata notes the okra is too strong.
Kurimoto loves the cucumber rolls, saying you can taste the layering.
The eggplants are universally liked across the board, with Kurimoto saying something along the lines of "I can't believe it's not tuna." Kishi notes the eggplant is overpowering, however.
And the sushi rolls...Kurimoto says it needed a bit more cured plum. Whatever that means.
Michiba's now up...
Kurimoto doesn't like how the soup is a bit sour, but Kishi says it's a bit salty. Michiba counters that the salt was necessary to keep the tuna in check, but he acquiesces...for now.
The carpaccio gets "mms" across the board...Kurimoto is lost for words, saying there's no Japanese (or French) words to describe it.
Kishi likes the cheek meat, and Kurimoto is (again) rendered speechless by it.
Kishi thinks the seaweed on Michiba's sushi is unneccessary, but Takata likes the whole package.
And as Michiba serves the eyeballs, he sneaks a bite for himself! And for good reason--everyone likes them. Kurimoto says he could really go for some sake, and after all this...so could I!
But now, it's time to know...whose cuisine reigns supreme? Kaga notes that, "performance wise, the challenger wins. But what about taste?" Will it be the Iron Chef or the samurai chef?
"Tetsujin, Michiba Rokusaburo!" (To the surprise of nobody.) One has to wonder if getting the head first was a factor, but even if it weren't in play on either side, Michiba made a pretty convincing showing.
My thoughts: There's not a whole lot else to say. When you look at Michiba's dishes against Mera's, there's no comparison. Michiba blew him out of the water, and it's not because he outnumbered him by number of dishes, either.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Iron Chef Japan 2012: Battle Salmon: Miyanaga vs. Suga
Taking a break from reviewing classic episodes to reviewing (several weeks late) the premiere of Iron Chef Japan 2012. Brand-new Kitchen Stadium, brand-new Iron Chefs, same great show we've come to know and love. So let's dive right into this!
(Note: I am watching this episode in Japanese with no subtitles, so...let's see how this goes.)
Original Airdate: 10/26/12
Episode: 1
The scene opens with who I presume to be the new Chairman kneeling by...a grave. Oh, right...the last episode of the original series, Japan Cup 2002, killed off the character of Chairman Kaga. Anyway...nice touch with an overlay of moments from the original series. We now see the new Chairman (one Hiroshi Tamaki) stride into the new Kitchen Stadium (or "Studium," as the caption reads). Looks bloody gorgeous.
I have no idea what the new Chairman is saying in his opening monologue, but I will say that the commentator sounds a lot like Fukui-san from the original series. I don't think it's the same person, but man, they sound remarkably alike.
Also, the music...it doesn't hold a candle to the soundtrack of Backdraft, but then nobody was expecting it to.
I love how it sounds like Tamaki set up a council to select the Iron Chefs. And is that Dr. Hattori I see?
So there will be *four* Iron Chefs. And now, Tamaki calls upon his first Iron Chef to a strike of lightning...the screen lowers to reveal a young man in blue, Iron Chef Japanese: Jun Kurogi.
Each of the Iron Chefs sounds like he'll get his own introductory video. I don't understand very much of it, but I *do* understand is that Kurogi, 34, owns a restaurant in Tokyo called...well, "Kurogi."
Interesting that they seemed to have eschewed the moniker "Tetsujin" of old...
Now, to meet the second new Iron Chef...the screen lowers to reveal a man in yellow...hey, wait a minute, he looks familiar...and I'm not talking about Chen Kenichi!
Meet the new Iron Chef Chinese: Yuji Wakiya!
And...oh, hey, they mention his battle vs. Chen Kenichi from the original series all those years ago. Hattori's very familiar with this guy.
So, we have Japanese...Chinese...it's only natural that this guy would be Iron Chef French, no? He *is* in red...
Your new Iron Chef French: Yosuke Suga, who apparently just got back from France just two days before this show taped. He trained under Joel Robuchon, whom they referred as the "God of French Cuisine" in the original series. Of course, now, it doesn't seem like Robuchon has aged well. But then, that's why he has his young protege in Suga...who doesn't look that old at all.
So...then that leaves one...Iron Chef Italian, perhaps? The screen lowers to reveal...nobody?!
Not sure what that was all about, but now we're introduced to today's "nominator," who will introduce the challenger. And who should it be but none other than Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi! (He hasn't aged a bit, if at all.)
Chen sounds like he's giving his well-wishes to the new guard, even getting a few laughs in the process. He's holding a scroll of some kind, which he unfurls to reveal a message...gasps from the crowd. Apparently they recognize who it's by, because showing up in the introductory video that follows is none other than Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba. He's aged pretty well, all things considered--he's 81 now, if that can be believed.
That being said, his number one apprentice, Kenichi Miyanaga (who was an assistant to Michiba and some of the challengers from the original series), appears to be the first challenger--or "nominee" in this case--for the new series. Hang on a second, what's this image of an x-ray they're showing on screen? Miyanaga appears emotional in the interview that follows...Michiba can't be *dying* yet, can he? In any event, the x-ray must explain why Michiba's not there in person, but...that bit of news is disconcerting.
But the show must go on...the new floor reporter (who is definitely cuter than Shinichiro Ohta ever was) interviews Miyanaga on the floor. Now the question remains...which Iron Chef will he be up against?
"Iron Chef...Yosuke Suga!" Tamaki proclaims. That there's some pretty dramatic music they're playing there.
So now there's only one thing left to do: reveal the theme ingredient. Tamaki mentions something about October 1993, when the original series premiered...hmm, I wonder...
And the theme is salmon...the very first theme ingredient from the original series. How 'bout that.
Now for the Chairman's call to battle...
"Good gastronomy!"
What the...no "Allez cuisine"? Hrm. Anyway, Suga is beginning to pull the roe out of one of his salmon, while Miyanaga is taking a page out of Michiba's book and writing a menu. Suga meanwhile has taken the roe he just extracted and making a broth of some kind with it.
And in another move characteristic of Michiba, Miyanaga is preparing katsuobushi. We have another floor reporter who actually fulfills Ohta's role, and we learn that the new Fukui's name is actually Sano. (Only because the guy says it twice..."Sano-san, Sano-san!" That's gonna get annoying very fast.)
And Miyanaga's kids are in the Royal Box, who give a wave. D'awww.
We saw Suga pick the bones out of his salmon while all that was going on, and Miyanaga has a couple of kinds of mushrooms in his food processor.
15 minutes gone already, and Miyanaga is working with the head of the salmon. I hear the word "hizu" in there, which is the cartilaginous flesh in the salmon's head. I've seen Sakai work with it before.
Suga is cracking eggs open on his side, while the ice cream machine is in action on Miyanaga's side. Speaking of Miyanaga, the salmon head appears to have gone into a pot of vegetables for a stock of some kind. He's also shaving bits of the skin from the head of a different fish off--there's that word "hizu" again--for later use.
Suga, meanwhile, has potatoes with bits of salmon snaked around them, which is skewered.
Back to Miyanaga's side...salmon steaks filled with the bit from his food processor, topped with matsutake mushrooms. Suga, meanwhile, has...scrambled eggs?
Oh, I see what Miyanaga's doing...the salmon steaks were taken out of the fish, filled with the mushrooms, then reconstructed into the body of the fish.
Suga's side is working with wasabi, along with a honey mustard mixture. I hear the word "risotto" tossed around on his side as well. Hey, I thought he was Iron Chef *French*...
30 minutes gone (the audience is rather quiet today), and Miyanaga is covering fish balls in flour. "Surimi" was mentioned on his side--it sounds like those balls were covered with tapioca. And that cute floor reporter is getting a word with the nominee's kids.
Shirako (cod roe) has hit the frying pan on Suga's side, sauteed in butter and a honey/soy sauce mixture. A sort of ghetto teriyaki sauce, if you will...
And Miyanaga struggles with the food processor before he finally gets that going...didn't catch what went in there, though.
Suga's potato/salmon skewers have also hit the frying pan for a quick saute in butter, while Miyanaga is stuffing a kind of cheese into some tomatoes he had lightly boiled earlier. And he's now trying to peel a giant daikon (kabu, I heard)
15 minutes left now, and Suga is grilling some salmon fillets, while Miyanaga sandwiched what looked like a salmon skin between two cooling racks and put that over a flame. The giant daikon he was working with is being shredded...and do I hear trouble with the ice cream maker? They had to pull out dry ice.
Suga's side has some crisped salmon skins out...and what on *Earth* is going on on the other side, did they just put the dry ice *in* the ice cream machine? Oh boy...
10 minutes left, and the other floor reporter has now started shouting "Sano-san" three times instead of the usual two. Suga is filling the eggshells he had emptied earlier with a yellow mixture of some kind...and it looks like Miyanaga, ditching his hat, is taking his ice cream mixture over to the Iron Chef's side with just 5 minutes to go.
Plating is underway on both sides, and the shirako Suga was grilling earlier goes down on top of a risotto. And *now* the audience decides to make some noise!
Suga's eggshells get some gold foil, while Miyanaga's reconstructed fish comes out of the oven. A sauce goes down on Suga's risotto (perhaps the ghetto teriyaki sauce we saw earlier), and perhaps as a result of a bad edit, we now only have 30 seconds left! And the Kitchen Stadium goes relatively quiet as the time expires...
Now, the moment of truth...tasting and judgement. Normally this is when I recount who's on the panel and the names of each of the dishes...but since I don't know any of that, a picture of the dishes from both chefs can be found here.
But now, the moment of truth...will it be the Iron Chef or Michiba's hero?
"Winner...Iron Chef, Yosuke Suga!"
And he wins in a 4-1 romp, to boot! What a way to inaugurate the new series...even if I didn't understand much.
(Note: I am watching this episode in Japanese with no subtitles, so...let's see how this goes.)
Original Airdate: 10/26/12
Episode: 1
The scene opens with who I presume to be the new Chairman kneeling by...a grave. Oh, right...the last episode of the original series, Japan Cup 2002, killed off the character of Chairman Kaga. Anyway...nice touch with an overlay of moments from the original series. We now see the new Chairman (one Hiroshi Tamaki) stride into the new Kitchen Stadium (or "Studium," as the caption reads). Looks bloody gorgeous.
I have no idea what the new Chairman is saying in his opening monologue, but I will say that the commentator sounds a lot like Fukui-san from the original series. I don't think it's the same person, but man, they sound remarkably alike.
Also, the music...it doesn't hold a candle to the soundtrack of Backdraft, but then nobody was expecting it to.
I love how it sounds like Tamaki set up a council to select the Iron Chefs. And is that Dr. Hattori I see?
So there will be *four* Iron Chefs. And now, Tamaki calls upon his first Iron Chef to a strike of lightning...the screen lowers to reveal a young man in blue, Iron Chef Japanese: Jun Kurogi.
Each of the Iron Chefs sounds like he'll get his own introductory video. I don't understand very much of it, but I *do* understand is that Kurogi, 34, owns a restaurant in Tokyo called...well, "Kurogi."
Interesting that they seemed to have eschewed the moniker "Tetsujin" of old...
Now, to meet the second new Iron Chef...the screen lowers to reveal a man in yellow...hey, wait a minute, he looks familiar...and I'm not talking about Chen Kenichi!
Meet the new Iron Chef Chinese: Yuji Wakiya!
And...oh, hey, they mention his battle vs. Chen Kenichi from the original series all those years ago. Hattori's very familiar with this guy.
So, we have Japanese...Chinese...it's only natural that this guy would be Iron Chef French, no? He *is* in red...
Your new Iron Chef French: Yosuke Suga, who apparently just got back from France just two days before this show taped. He trained under Joel Robuchon, whom they referred as the "God of French Cuisine" in the original series. Of course, now, it doesn't seem like Robuchon has aged well. But then, that's why he has his young protege in Suga...who doesn't look that old at all.
So...then that leaves one...Iron Chef Italian, perhaps? The screen lowers to reveal...nobody?!
Not sure what that was all about, but now we're introduced to today's "nominator," who will introduce the challenger. And who should it be but none other than Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi! (He hasn't aged a bit, if at all.)
Chen sounds like he's giving his well-wishes to the new guard, even getting a few laughs in the process. He's holding a scroll of some kind, which he unfurls to reveal a message...gasps from the crowd. Apparently they recognize who it's by, because showing up in the introductory video that follows is none other than Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba. He's aged pretty well, all things considered--he's 81 now, if that can be believed.
That being said, his number one apprentice, Kenichi Miyanaga (who was an assistant to Michiba and some of the challengers from the original series), appears to be the first challenger--or "nominee" in this case--for the new series. Hang on a second, what's this image of an x-ray they're showing on screen? Miyanaga appears emotional in the interview that follows...Michiba can't be *dying* yet, can he? In any event, the x-ray must explain why Michiba's not there in person, but...that bit of news is disconcerting.
But the show must go on...the new floor reporter (who is definitely cuter than Shinichiro Ohta ever was) interviews Miyanaga on the floor. Now the question remains...which Iron Chef will he be up against?
"Iron Chef...Yosuke Suga!" Tamaki proclaims. That there's some pretty dramatic music they're playing there.
So now there's only one thing left to do: reveal the theme ingredient. Tamaki mentions something about October 1993, when the original series premiered...hmm, I wonder...
And the theme is salmon...the very first theme ingredient from the original series. How 'bout that.
Now for the Chairman's call to battle...
"Good gastronomy!"
What the...no "Allez cuisine"? Hrm. Anyway, Suga is beginning to pull the roe out of one of his salmon, while Miyanaga is taking a page out of Michiba's book and writing a menu. Suga meanwhile has taken the roe he just extracted and making a broth of some kind with it.
And in another move characteristic of Michiba, Miyanaga is preparing katsuobushi. We have another floor reporter who actually fulfills Ohta's role, and we learn that the new Fukui's name is actually Sano. (Only because the guy says it twice..."Sano-san, Sano-san!" That's gonna get annoying very fast.)
And Miyanaga's kids are in the Royal Box, who give a wave. D'awww.
We saw Suga pick the bones out of his salmon while all that was going on, and Miyanaga has a couple of kinds of mushrooms in his food processor.
15 minutes gone already, and Miyanaga is working with the head of the salmon. I hear the word "hizu" in there, which is the cartilaginous flesh in the salmon's head. I've seen Sakai work with it before.
Suga is cracking eggs open on his side, while the ice cream machine is in action on Miyanaga's side. Speaking of Miyanaga, the salmon head appears to have gone into a pot of vegetables for a stock of some kind. He's also shaving bits of the skin from the head of a different fish off--there's that word "hizu" again--for later use.
Suga, meanwhile, has potatoes with bits of salmon snaked around them, which is skewered.
Back to Miyanaga's side...salmon steaks filled with the bit from his food processor, topped with matsutake mushrooms. Suga, meanwhile, has...scrambled eggs?
Oh, I see what Miyanaga's doing...the salmon steaks were taken out of the fish, filled with the mushrooms, then reconstructed into the body of the fish.
Suga's side is working with wasabi, along with a honey mustard mixture. I hear the word "risotto" tossed around on his side as well. Hey, I thought he was Iron Chef *French*...
30 minutes gone (the audience is rather quiet today), and Miyanaga is covering fish balls in flour. "Surimi" was mentioned on his side--it sounds like those balls were covered with tapioca. And that cute floor reporter is getting a word with the nominee's kids.
Shirako (cod roe) has hit the frying pan on Suga's side, sauteed in butter and a honey/soy sauce mixture. A sort of ghetto teriyaki sauce, if you will...
And Miyanaga struggles with the food processor before he finally gets that going...didn't catch what went in there, though.
Suga's potato/salmon skewers have also hit the frying pan for a quick saute in butter, while Miyanaga is stuffing a kind of cheese into some tomatoes he had lightly boiled earlier. And he's now trying to peel a giant daikon (kabu, I heard)
15 minutes left now, and Suga is grilling some salmon fillets, while Miyanaga sandwiched what looked like a salmon skin between two cooling racks and put that over a flame. The giant daikon he was working with is being shredded...and do I hear trouble with the ice cream maker? They had to pull out dry ice.
Suga's side has some crisped salmon skins out...and what on *Earth* is going on on the other side, did they just put the dry ice *in* the ice cream machine? Oh boy...
10 minutes left, and the other floor reporter has now started shouting "Sano-san" three times instead of the usual two. Suga is filling the eggshells he had emptied earlier with a yellow mixture of some kind...and it looks like Miyanaga, ditching his hat, is taking his ice cream mixture over to the Iron Chef's side with just 5 minutes to go.
Plating is underway on both sides, and the shirako Suga was grilling earlier goes down on top of a risotto. And *now* the audience decides to make some noise!
Suga's eggshells get some gold foil, while Miyanaga's reconstructed fish comes out of the oven. A sauce goes down on Suga's risotto (perhaps the ghetto teriyaki sauce we saw earlier), and perhaps as a result of a bad edit, we now only have 30 seconds left! And the Kitchen Stadium goes relatively quiet as the time expires...
Now, the moment of truth...tasting and judgement. Normally this is when I recount who's on the panel and the names of each of the dishes...but since I don't know any of that, a picture of the dishes from both chefs can be found here.
But now, the moment of truth...will it be the Iron Chef or Michiba's hero?
"Winner...Iron Chef, Yosuke Suga!"
And he wins in a 4-1 romp, to boot! What a way to inaugurate the new series...even if I didn't understand much.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Iron Chef Japan Returns
Oh hey, I've been away for a long time. And in my absence, Iron Chef appears to have returned to Japan.
I'll probably review one or two of the newer episodes, given that my Japanese is very rudimentary at best and I won't understand everything. That being said...it's a very faithful adaptation to the original.
I wonder how it's doing in the ratings, though...
I'll probably review one or two of the newer episodes, given that my Japanese is very rudimentary at best and I won't understand everything. That being said...it's a very faithful adaptation to the original.
I wonder how it's doing in the ratings, though...
Saturday, November 10, 2012
ICT: Battle Eggplant: Chen vs. Tabata
BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 35
Japan Original Airdate: 7/1/94
The Challenger: Koichi Tabata, so far the oldest challenger to appear in Kitchen Stadium at the age of 70. He has been cooking since the age of 13--at the time of this episode, over half a century--57 years, to be exact. He survived WWII, having been sent to Saipan in 1941, and resumed his training at the age of 21. He has worked at over 500 restaurants all over Japan, having worked freelance his whole life. Kaga's opening monologue calls him "The Gypsy Chef." His challenge comes on his 70th birthday. He hasn't even seen or heard from his son in over 23 years.
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi, the youngest of all the Iron Chefs. Tabata has said he's not going to let some young whippersnapper get the best of him...will the Iron Chef have something to say about that, and pull off the hat trick?
The Battle:
Joining Fukui and Hattori in the announcer's booth, yet again, is actress Mayuko Takata, who is three times younger than the challenger, according to Fukui.
"Over time, food can go bad," Kaga says, "but chefs never do." With a blood pressure of 132/94 (perfectly normal), striding confidently into Kitchen Stadium is indeed challenger Koichi Tabata. And his son actually is in the flesh here in Kitchen Stadium--the first time the both of them have met in 23 years!
And as the Iron Chefs ascend into the ethereal atmosphere of Kitchen Stadium, challenger Tabata calls out the youngest of the Iron Chefs, Chen Kenichi! His father would be just five years older than Tabata, if he were still alive, says Fukui.
"70 years old," Kaga begins. "When I first heard his age, I thought he could be out of touch. But when I met him, I realized I was wrong. He was in shape and shining. That gave me an idea; a vegetable that is shaped nicely and shining."
And to the surprise of absolutely no one (ha ha, yeah right), Kaga unveils...EGGPLANTS!
32 years of difference between today's competitors...all that thrown out the window today as Kaga booms forth, ALLEZ CUISINE!
And with a deep, respectful bow to Tabata, Chen is the first to the ingredient stand. Hattori mentions that the key to today's battle will be the use of oil with today's eggplants. He's interested to see, noting that Tabata has enjoyed eggplants in season for 70 years, how this "research program" pans out.
Looks like both regular eggplants and "kamo" eggplants on the stand today. Kamo is more round, and doesn't lose its shape.
As one of Tabata's assistants shaves bonito flakes, he adamantly states to Ohta that the way Michiba does it (taking a bunch of 'em from the plastic bag and throwing them into the pot) isn't the way to do it. He insists that shaving them himself is the proper way.
Speaking of Ohta, his voiceover's a little different today. I *thought* something sounded off.
Chen, meanwhile, is making some decorative incisions into his eggplants, and Fukui jokes that he might make "mapo-eggplants" (a play on mapo-dofu, the extra-spicy tofu dish).
The challenger is stewing eggplants in red (and white) wine, and he's frying others in oil. Hattori notes that it's a primarily French technique.
Chen also has a ton of pots full of eggplant on his side, while Tabata has broken out filet of beef. Hattori thinks he'll stuff that beef into the kamo eggplants he was hollowing out earlier.
Chen has thrown eggplants cut various ways into the steamer, to make them softer...but we're not sure what he's going to do with them yet. And Hattori was spot on with the challenger's beef--that indeed has gone into the hollowed-out eggplants.
15 minutes gone, and Chen has ramen noodles on his side...Hattori and Takata wonder why, but Takata speculates it might be chilled later. And to Tabata's beef and hollowed eggplants, the challenger is adding pine nuts and a miso sauce. Hattori says he might broil it further from there.
Diced eggplant being deep-fried over on Chen's side. And according to Ohta's report, Chen might actually attempt a mapo-eggplant, or something close to it.
Tabata's wine-boiled eggplants are out of the pot and onto skewers, and we get another plot point about his son in the Royal Box. Chen, meanwhile, has his wok fired up...
Eggs yolks have appeared on Tabata's side, in the frying pan...wonder where that one's going. And his miso-beef-stuffed eggplants have gone under the salamander oven. Takata, meanwhile, called Chen's move with the noodles right on the nose.
Eggplants and honey on the Iron Chef's side, while Tabata is working with a hollowed-out lemon...poking holes in the rind (like an ocarina, Fukui notes). But Hattori thinks he'll use the parts he punched out instead, not the actual shell.
Man, the challenger's miso/beef-stuffed eggplant is looking really good...and the ocarina lemons might serve as a boat, Takata speculates.
Meanwhile, the Iron Chef has some Chinese soup spoons on his side, with eggplants in them ("Make no mistake, these are eggplants!" Ohta reports, to which Fukui says something to the effect of "Thank you, Captain Obvious").
Back on the challenger's side, the wine-soaked eggplants get a treatment of gelatin and bonito broth (not white wine, as the commentators originally thought). Fukui is still curious about that lemon-peel ocarina...
...while the chicken that went into Chen's food processor is out--well and truly processed. That mixture goes over the eggplants in the spoons from earlier, and Hattori says this will be steamed, seeing it through his crystal ball. Kamaboko (fish cakes) also join that spoon. And Hattori and Takata are throwing down...a bet over what Chen will do with it? Hmm.
Tabata is plating his miso/beef-stuffed eggplants into glass boats, while Ohta misreports Chen's swallow's nest as "sparrow's nest." That goes on top of the spoons that Hattori and Takata are *still* arguing over.
Bamboo bowls appear on Tabata's side, with a broth being poured into it (the same bonito/gelatin broth from earlier, I think).
20 minutes to go now, and something went into Chen's steamer...and his wok is in action yet again.
Tabata's lemon ocarinas are going down as a lid over his fried egg yolks and...some kind of eggplant. And Chen is taking the eggplants in the spoons...out of the spoons. They look a bit like goldfish, as has been bandied about by the commentators.
10 minutes left, and Chen appears shocked at that. Challenger Tabata appears done, and chases off Ohta after the latter asks him if he's getting tired.
Chen is plating his mapo-eggplant over some plain noodles, while Tabata is preparing for a fourth dish after all (he had previously mentioned he would only make 3). But he's doing it with just 5 minutes to go...
Chen's eggplant goldfish gets an extra sauce, while Tabata is frying more eggplant pieces in oil. Fukui wails, "What about the lemon?" Will he do anything more to that lemon, or is it decoration only?
Chen has a dessert on his side that he's now plating...either a raspberry or blackberry sauce going over honey-glazed eggplants. And Tabata's fourth dish is coming together, but Hattori notes that it's a very simple dish...dried bonito flakes top that one. And he did that in just four minutes!
Less than a minute to go now, and finishing touches are happening on both sides of the stadium...Tabata is well and truly done with about 20 seconds to go, and it's all cruise control to the end as the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Eggplant Battle is OVAH!"
There's a part of me, though, that just wishes they got an interview with Tabata's son during the battle. They talked about him so much, you'd think they would've gotten a word from him eventually. But nevertheless...
Challenger Tabata is offering four dishes:
Nothing notable is said about his second dish (aside from the fact that it was good)...but Yamaguchi notes on Tabata's third dish that it doesn't really taste like eggplant. Takata says something about something a bit strong for the dish, while Hirano says the seasoning needs some work. The sweetness is a bit strong, he says.
As for his last dish, Takata likes the pine nuts, but Hirano doesn't like the beef--he says the quality is to be questioned. Hmm. Nevertheless, it was a bit tough for him, and think it would've been better if the beef were in smaller pieces.
And douche comment of the day from Hirano: "In the future, you may want to consider how to make it a little easier for the people tasting the dishes to eat."
Okay, Jerkface Hirano, let's see you try and do the same.
Nevertheless, Chen's now up. Let's see whether Hirano says anything similar along the way.
Chen's Szechuan Fried Eggplant is generally well-received by the tasters; the spiciness is the key. Hirano says Chen hit them with his A-game out of the gate.
The goldfish eggplant receives accolades for the presentation, of course.
The cold noodles get praise for the spiciness and subtlety within.
"Can't tell it's eggplant until you're told," Kaga says of Chen's dessert. Takata also thinks the same way. And Hirano ends on some poetic comment that we don't care about.
But in the end, it's judgement time...will it be the 70-year-old veteran challenger or the whippersnapper Iron Chef?
(Sidenote...Takata appears to have disappeared from the judges' lineup joining Kaga at the dais. Hmm.)
"Tetsujin, Chen Kenichi!"
Wow. Definitely not the way the script would have ended it, but Chen definitely takes the day, and cements his place as a legend in the culinary world in his own right! And that's a hat trick for him...can he extend the win streak longer?
My thoughts: Ultimately, it came down to creativity. While I think both were very much on par with taste and presentation (Tabata's one misstep notwithstanding), it really came down to how original each dish was. And that's where the Iron Chef pulled ahead; the challenger made primarily traditional dishes, and really didn't do a whole lot to expand upon tradition. The counterpoint to that, of course, is that Chen's dishes just tasted better. Tabata may have been good, but Chen was just a little bit better.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Episode: 35
Japan Original Airdate: 7/1/94
The Challenger: Koichi Tabata, so far the oldest challenger to appear in Kitchen Stadium at the age of 70. He has been cooking since the age of 13--at the time of this episode, over half a century--57 years, to be exact. He survived WWII, having been sent to Saipan in 1941, and resumed his training at the age of 21. He has worked at over 500 restaurants all over Japan, having worked freelance his whole life. Kaga's opening monologue calls him "The Gypsy Chef." His challenge comes on his 70th birthday. He hasn't even seen or heard from his son in over 23 years.
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi, the youngest of all the Iron Chefs. Tabata has said he's not going to let some young whippersnapper get the best of him...will the Iron Chef have something to say about that, and pull off the hat trick?
The Battle:
Joining Fukui and Hattori in the announcer's booth, yet again, is actress Mayuko Takata, who is three times younger than the challenger, according to Fukui.
"Over time, food can go bad," Kaga says, "but chefs never do." With a blood pressure of 132/94 (perfectly normal), striding confidently into Kitchen Stadium is indeed challenger Koichi Tabata. And his son actually is in the flesh here in Kitchen Stadium--the first time the both of them have met in 23 years!
And as the Iron Chefs ascend into the ethereal atmosphere of Kitchen Stadium, challenger Tabata calls out the youngest of the Iron Chefs, Chen Kenichi! His father would be just five years older than Tabata, if he were still alive, says Fukui.
"70 years old," Kaga begins. "When I first heard his age, I thought he could be out of touch. But when I met him, I realized I was wrong. He was in shape and shining. That gave me an idea; a vegetable that is shaped nicely and shining."
And to the surprise of absolutely no one (ha ha, yeah right), Kaga unveils...EGGPLANTS!
32 years of difference between today's competitors...all that thrown out the window today as Kaga booms forth, ALLEZ CUISINE!
And with a deep, respectful bow to Tabata, Chen is the first to the ingredient stand. Hattori mentions that the key to today's battle will be the use of oil with today's eggplants. He's interested to see, noting that Tabata has enjoyed eggplants in season for 70 years, how this "research program" pans out.
Looks like both regular eggplants and "kamo" eggplants on the stand today. Kamo is more round, and doesn't lose its shape.
As one of Tabata's assistants shaves bonito flakes, he adamantly states to Ohta that the way Michiba does it (taking a bunch of 'em from the plastic bag and throwing them into the pot) isn't the way to do it. He insists that shaving them himself is the proper way.
Speaking of Ohta, his voiceover's a little different today. I *thought* something sounded off.
Chen, meanwhile, is making some decorative incisions into his eggplants, and Fukui jokes that he might make "mapo-eggplants" (a play on mapo-dofu, the extra-spicy tofu dish).
The challenger is stewing eggplants in red (and white) wine, and he's frying others in oil. Hattori notes that it's a primarily French technique.
Chen also has a ton of pots full of eggplant on his side, while Tabata has broken out filet of beef. Hattori thinks he'll stuff that beef into the kamo eggplants he was hollowing out earlier.
Chen has thrown eggplants cut various ways into the steamer, to make them softer...but we're not sure what he's going to do with them yet. And Hattori was spot on with the challenger's beef--that indeed has gone into the hollowed-out eggplants.
15 minutes gone, and Chen has ramen noodles on his side...Hattori and Takata wonder why, but Takata speculates it might be chilled later. And to Tabata's beef and hollowed eggplants, the challenger is adding pine nuts and a miso sauce. Hattori says he might broil it further from there.
Diced eggplant being deep-fried over on Chen's side. And according to Ohta's report, Chen might actually attempt a mapo-eggplant, or something close to it.
Tabata's wine-boiled eggplants are out of the pot and onto skewers, and we get another plot point about his son in the Royal Box. Chen, meanwhile, has his wok fired up...
Eggs yolks have appeared on Tabata's side, in the frying pan...wonder where that one's going. And his miso-beef-stuffed eggplants have gone under the salamander oven. Takata, meanwhile, called Chen's move with the noodles right on the nose.
Eggplants and honey on the Iron Chef's side, while Tabata is working with a hollowed-out lemon...poking holes in the rind (like an ocarina, Fukui notes). But Hattori thinks he'll use the parts he punched out instead, not the actual shell.
Man, the challenger's miso/beef-stuffed eggplant is looking really good...and the ocarina lemons might serve as a boat, Takata speculates.
Meanwhile, the Iron Chef has some Chinese soup spoons on his side, with eggplants in them ("Make no mistake, these are eggplants!" Ohta reports, to which Fukui says something to the effect of "Thank you, Captain Obvious").
Back on the challenger's side, the wine-soaked eggplants get a treatment of gelatin and bonito broth (not white wine, as the commentators originally thought). Fukui is still curious about that lemon-peel ocarina...
...while the chicken that went into Chen's food processor is out--well and truly processed. That mixture goes over the eggplants in the spoons from earlier, and Hattori says this will be steamed, seeing it through his crystal ball. Kamaboko (fish cakes) also join that spoon. And Hattori and Takata are throwing down...a bet over what Chen will do with it? Hmm.
Tabata is plating his miso/beef-stuffed eggplants into glass boats, while Ohta misreports Chen's swallow's nest as "sparrow's nest." That goes on top of the spoons that Hattori and Takata are *still* arguing over.
Bamboo bowls appear on Tabata's side, with a broth being poured into it (the same bonito/gelatin broth from earlier, I think).
20 minutes to go now, and something went into Chen's steamer...and his wok is in action yet again.
Tabata's lemon ocarinas are going down as a lid over his fried egg yolks and...some kind of eggplant. And Chen is taking the eggplants in the spoons...out of the spoons. They look a bit like goldfish, as has been bandied about by the commentators.
10 minutes left, and Chen appears shocked at that. Challenger Tabata appears done, and chases off Ohta after the latter asks him if he's getting tired.
Chen is plating his mapo-eggplant over some plain noodles, while Tabata is preparing for a fourth dish after all (he had previously mentioned he would only make 3). But he's doing it with just 5 minutes to go...
Chen's eggplant goldfish gets an extra sauce, while Tabata is frying more eggplant pieces in oil. Fukui wails, "What about the lemon?" Will he do anything more to that lemon, or is it decoration only?
Chen has a dessert on his side that he's now plating...either a raspberry or blackberry sauce going over honey-glazed eggplants. And Tabata's fourth dish is coming together, but Hattori notes that it's a very simple dish...dried bonito flakes top that one. And he did that in just four minutes!
Less than a minute to go now, and finishing touches are happening on both sides of the stadium...Tabata is well and truly done with about 20 seconds to go, and it's all cruise control to the end as the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Eggplant Battle is OVAH!"
There's a part of me, though, that just wishes they got an interview with Tabata's son during the battle. They talked about him so much, you'd think they would've gotten a word from him eventually. But nevertheless...
Challenger Tabata is offering four dishes:
- Wine-stewed Eggplants
- Fried Eggplant in Broth
- Mikasa-style Eggplant
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Szechuan Fried Eggplant
- Steamed Eggplant with Sweet Sauce
- Cold Noodles with Hot & Spicy Sauce
- Chilled Eggplant with Raspberry Sauce
- Former Lower House Member Toshio Yamaguchi
- Actress Mayuko Takata
- Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
Nothing notable is said about his second dish (aside from the fact that it was good)...but Yamaguchi notes on Tabata's third dish that it doesn't really taste like eggplant. Takata says something about something a bit strong for the dish, while Hirano says the seasoning needs some work. The sweetness is a bit strong, he says.
As for his last dish, Takata likes the pine nuts, but Hirano doesn't like the beef--he says the quality is to be questioned. Hmm. Nevertheless, it was a bit tough for him, and think it would've been better if the beef were in smaller pieces.
And douche comment of the day from Hirano: "In the future, you may want to consider how to make it a little easier for the people tasting the dishes to eat."
Okay, Jerkface Hirano, let's see you try and do the same.
Nevertheless, Chen's now up. Let's see whether Hirano says anything similar along the way.
Chen's Szechuan Fried Eggplant is generally well-received by the tasters; the spiciness is the key. Hirano says Chen hit them with his A-game out of the gate.
The goldfish eggplant receives accolades for the presentation, of course.
The cold noodles get praise for the spiciness and subtlety within.
"Can't tell it's eggplant until you're told," Kaga says of Chen's dessert. Takata also thinks the same way. And Hirano ends on some poetic comment that we don't care about.
But in the end, it's judgement time...will it be the 70-year-old veteran challenger or the whippersnapper Iron Chef?
(Sidenote...Takata appears to have disappeared from the judges' lineup joining Kaga at the dais. Hmm.)
"Tetsujin, Chen Kenichi!"
Wow. Definitely not the way the script would have ended it, but Chen definitely takes the day, and cements his place as a legend in the culinary world in his own right! And that's a hat trick for him...can he extend the win streak longer?
My thoughts: Ultimately, it came down to creativity. While I think both were very much on par with taste and presentation (Tabata's one misstep notwithstanding), it really came down to how original each dish was. And that's where the Iron Chef pulled ahead; the challenger made primarily traditional dishes, and really didn't do a whole lot to expand upon tradition. The counterpoint to that, of course, is that Chen's dishes just tasted better. Tabata may have been good, but Chen was just a little bit better.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
ICT: Battle Milk: Chen vs. Miyamoto
BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 34
Japan Original Airdate: 6/24/94
The Challenger: Masahiko Miyamoto, an apprentice of two of the five top chefs in France. He went into the field of French cooking at 22, and left for France at 26 without any credentials. Was accepted by "Ferme de Mougins," a 1-star restaurant, shortly after his arrival, and worked his way up from there, ultimately becoming head sauce chef under Georges Blanc.
The Iron Chef: the dean of the Iron Chefs, Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi. Last time out he soundly defeated Kiyoshi Takahashi in the Carrot Battle. This time, a French chef comes knocking at his door...can he stave off another eager challenger?
The Battle:
Once again, actress Mayuko Takata joins Fukui and Hattori in the announcer's booth. While I'll admit to liking her presence in the booth (she's definitely easy on the eyes), can we get someone else in the chair for a change? I think I've only done one episode (if you don't count the Ishinabe battle) where she wasn't there.
Anyway, onward to today's festivities.
And fist pumped, striding confidently into Kitchen Stadium comes Miyamoto. Probably the most determined chef I've seen thus far into the show's run, unless you count Kandagawa. And as the Iron Chefs rise into view, and with Miyamoto's fiancee watching, the man calls out the Dean of Iron Chefs himself, Iron Chef Chen Kenichi.
"For a chef who imports his ingredients from France, what shall I choose as the theme?" Kaga asks, adding that it was a difficult task. "To get an idea, I tried and tried to squeeze something out of my brain. Yes. To get an idea, what do you do to your brain? This is the first ingredient we'll have in liquid form."
And with a flourish, Kaga MILKS his reveal for all it's worth and unveils...MILK!
And according to Kaga, French chefs describe milk as "a natural fond" or stock, whose flavor must not be spoiled.
No use crying over spilled milk before this battle...away they go, with the Chairman's call of "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
Several bottles of milk are on the stand, and after the men shuffle back, Miyamoto has rice in a pot, while Chen is generously pouring some of the theme in his wok (to which he would later add vinegar--to harden it, according to Hattori). Vanilla beans have appeared on Miyamoto's side and he has milk in a pot on his side as well (that had the vanilla he was working with earlier.
Chen is separating the milk/vinegar mixture, and Hattori says that'll become something like cheese. Miyamoto, meanwhile, has the beginnings of a Bechamel sauce on his side, with sea urchin (!) in the blender. Adding milk to that, Miyamoto says he'd like to avoid a ton of confection-like items. And Chen is taking a cleaver to a bottle of milk! That goes into his wok, and he's adding coconut milk to that.
Miyamoto has bowls on his side, into which he's pouring the sea urchin/milk mixture. We're still not sure where that's going...meanwhile, Chen is rinsing peeled Asian green beans. Wonder where that could go?
15 minutes gone already, and Miyamoto is adding more sea urchin to the bowls from earlier--perhaps he'll steam that. Another pot of his looks faintly yellow...eggs, perhaps?
Chen's beans have gone into and out of the wok (and into the steamer, with honey added), while Miyamoto's bowls have gone into the steamer. Speaking of Miyamoto, he has a HUGE slab of bacon on his side, and Fukui and Takata can't believe the size. Hattori is nonplussed as Miyamoto is making strips to combine with the milk, which Fukui can't fathom.
Lobsters and milk have found Chen's wok, and his cheese-like item has gone into the fridge. Miyamoto has spring roll sheets out, rolling them up like a cone--something will go into those, but we don't know what quite yet.
Halfway through, and there's more milk in Chen's wok that has thickened--that went into a small pan. Miyamoto is cutting up plastic wrap and placing some shredded potatoes into those wraps...perhaps to steam, according to Hattori.
Cherry tomatoes, sans tops, are on Chen's side (perhaps for a stuffing job). Miyamoto's potatoes have hit the butter in the frying pan (Takata was right, for shaping, not steaming). And it appears Chen's assistants are working with watermelon...
Miyamoto is whisking eggs and milk, which has hit a pot somewhere on his side. Both sides are sweating up a storm going into the last quarter of the battle...hope none of that hits the food!
Chen's wok is on fire, as lightly fried pumpkin, radish, potatoes and carrot were in it...15 minutes left as we swing back to Miyamoto, and he's chilling something in his bowl...looking a bit like gnocchi. In a separate bowl, he's adding OJ to the egg/milk mixture he was whisking earlier.
Chen, meanwhile, is unwrapping his "quick-fix cheese" and slicing it--a bang-up cottage cheese, according to Hattori.
Miyamoto is dusting an almond powder over his gnocchi/kudzu jellylike item, while Chen's cheese has hit the wok for a quick stir-fry as the 10-minute call is announced. And word on the floor is that Chen may have to scrap the lobster dish. Uh-oh.
Miyamoto is spooning a soup over that steamed sea urchin item from the top of the battle--looks like some red snapper and mushrooms found that dish as well. Looks very impressive.
Chen has soybeans, corn, and a white item in his wok...and Miyamoto is plating the potatoes. The cone has hit the plate as well.
Chen is plating his tomatoes and cheese, while Miyamoto has a milk stew with vegetables. 5 minutes to go as Chen's vegetables take another turn in the wok (which has another milk sauce, shaping to be a chowder of some kind).
The challenger's stew has turned green, after adding some herbs (cresson, the commentators say) to it. Nice color to that one.
Word on the floor is that Chen is tackling a fourth dish--a fried item-- with 3:40 left on the clock. And the orange milk sauce is going onto the potatoes on Miyamoto's side...but perhaps there isn't enough milk in that one? Maybe that's just me.
Chen's lobster and crab milk jelly is going ahead after all...or not, as it's not hard enough...maybe it's on its way out after all.
Chen's wok is going again with the pumpkin and vegetables, with milk added to that. His assistants are putting the coconut milk mixture into bowls, and the watermelon is on standby.
One minute left, and Chen's fruit has indeed hit the coconut milk. Iron Chef Chen is scrambling to finish, while Miyamoto is pulling something out of the oven as the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Milk Battle is OVAH!"
Challenger Miyamoto's four dishes:
--Sauteed Lobster in Potato Crust, Orange Flavor
--Soup Royale with Sea Urchin and Truffles
--Cresson Chowder
--Vanilla Flavor Kudzu Jelly
Iron Chef Chen's four dishes:
--Stir-fried Lobster and Scallops, Milk Flavor
--Fried Milk Cheese with Fruit Sauce
--Milk Stew with Five Vegetables
--Coconut Milk Dessert
Anyway, onward to today's festivities.
And fist pumped, striding confidently into Kitchen Stadium comes Miyamoto. Probably the most determined chef I've seen thus far into the show's run, unless you count Kandagawa. And as the Iron Chefs rise into view, and with Miyamoto's fiancee watching, the man calls out the Dean of Iron Chefs himself, Iron Chef Chen Kenichi.
"For a chef who imports his ingredients from France, what shall I choose as the theme?" Kaga asks, adding that it was a difficult task. "To get an idea, I tried and tried to squeeze something out of my brain. Yes. To get an idea, what do you do to your brain? This is the first ingredient we'll have in liquid form."
And with a flourish, Kaga MILKS his reveal for all it's worth and unveils...MILK!
And according to Kaga, French chefs describe milk as "a natural fond" or stock, whose flavor must not be spoiled.
No use crying over spilled milk before this battle...away they go, with the Chairman's call of "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
Several bottles of milk are on the stand, and after the men shuffle back, Miyamoto has rice in a pot, while Chen is generously pouring some of the theme in his wok (to which he would later add vinegar--to harden it, according to Hattori). Vanilla beans have appeared on Miyamoto's side and he has milk in a pot on his side as well (that had the vanilla he was working with earlier.
Chen is separating the milk/vinegar mixture, and Hattori says that'll become something like cheese. Miyamoto, meanwhile, has the beginnings of a Bechamel sauce on his side, with sea urchin (!) in the blender. Adding milk to that, Miyamoto says he'd like to avoid a ton of confection-like items. And Chen is taking a cleaver to a bottle of milk! That goes into his wok, and he's adding coconut milk to that.
Miyamoto has bowls on his side, into which he's pouring the sea urchin/milk mixture. We're still not sure where that's going...meanwhile, Chen is rinsing peeled Asian green beans. Wonder where that could go?
15 minutes gone already, and Miyamoto is adding more sea urchin to the bowls from earlier--perhaps he'll steam that. Another pot of his looks faintly yellow...eggs, perhaps?
Chen's beans have gone into and out of the wok (and into the steamer, with honey added), while Miyamoto's bowls have gone into the steamer. Speaking of Miyamoto, he has a HUGE slab of bacon on his side, and Fukui and Takata can't believe the size. Hattori is nonplussed as Miyamoto is making strips to combine with the milk, which Fukui can't fathom.
Lobsters and milk have found Chen's wok, and his cheese-like item has gone into the fridge. Miyamoto has spring roll sheets out, rolling them up like a cone--something will go into those, but we don't know what quite yet.
Halfway through, and there's more milk in Chen's wok that has thickened--that went into a small pan. Miyamoto is cutting up plastic wrap and placing some shredded potatoes into those wraps...perhaps to steam, according to Hattori.
Cherry tomatoes, sans tops, are on Chen's side (perhaps for a stuffing job). Miyamoto's potatoes have hit the butter in the frying pan (Takata was right, for shaping, not steaming). And it appears Chen's assistants are working with watermelon...
Miyamoto is whisking eggs and milk, which has hit a pot somewhere on his side. Both sides are sweating up a storm going into the last quarter of the battle...hope none of that hits the food!
Chen's wok is on fire, as lightly fried pumpkin, radish, potatoes and carrot were in it...15 minutes left as we swing back to Miyamoto, and he's chilling something in his bowl...looking a bit like gnocchi. In a separate bowl, he's adding OJ to the egg/milk mixture he was whisking earlier.
Chen, meanwhile, is unwrapping his "quick-fix cheese" and slicing it--a bang-up cottage cheese, according to Hattori.
Miyamoto is dusting an almond powder over his gnocchi/kudzu jellylike item, while Chen's cheese has hit the wok for a quick stir-fry as the 10-minute call is announced. And word on the floor is that Chen may have to scrap the lobster dish. Uh-oh.
Miyamoto is spooning a soup over that steamed sea urchin item from the top of the battle--looks like some red snapper and mushrooms found that dish as well. Looks very impressive.
Chen has soybeans, corn, and a white item in his wok...and Miyamoto is plating the potatoes. The cone has hit the plate as well.
Chen is plating his tomatoes and cheese, while Miyamoto has a milk stew with vegetables. 5 minutes to go as Chen's vegetables take another turn in the wok (which has another milk sauce, shaping to be a chowder of some kind).
The challenger's stew has turned green, after adding some herbs (cresson, the commentators say) to it. Nice color to that one.
Word on the floor is that Chen is tackling a fourth dish--a fried item-- with 3:40 left on the clock. And the orange milk sauce is going onto the potatoes on Miyamoto's side...but perhaps there isn't enough milk in that one? Maybe that's just me.
Chen's lobster and crab milk jelly is going ahead after all...or not, as it's not hard enough...maybe it's on its way out after all.
Chen's wok is going again with the pumpkin and vegetables, with milk added to that. His assistants are putting the coconut milk mixture into bowls, and the watermelon is on standby.
One minute left, and Chen's fruit has indeed hit the coconut milk. Iron Chef Chen is scrambling to finish, while Miyamoto is pulling something out of the oven as the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Milk Battle is OVAH!"
Challenger Miyamoto's four dishes:
--Sauteed Lobster in Potato Crust, Orange Flavor
--Soup Royale with Sea Urchin and Truffles
--Cresson Chowder
--Vanilla Flavor Kudzu Jelly
Iron Chef Chen's four dishes:
--Stir-fried Lobster and Scallops, Milk Flavor
--Fried Milk Cheese with Fruit Sauce
--Milk Stew with Five Vegetables
--Coconut Milk Dessert
On the panel today for the Milk Battle are:
--Director Kazuyoshi Okuyama
--Actress Mayuko Takata
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano (again?!)
Challenger, as always, is up first, as Miyamoto's lobster hits the table. He encourages them to mix everything together.
Takata likes the aroma of oranges in the sauce. Hirano simply says "Wonderful," a stark contrast to his verbose lectures of yore. Hmm...maybe he'll actually be tolerable this show...
Takata likes the soup, saying there's a jellylike texture. Okuyama agrees, liking the texture of the mushrooms.
Okuyama notes how powerful the milk is in the Cresson Chowder, saying it brings back memories of his childhood.
For the dessert, Okuyama could've done without the almond powder, and thinks it could've been chilled more. Takata wanted a syrup on hers, saying it's a bit too powdery.
I would just like to note: Hirano has spoken exactly once thus far. Thank heavens.
And now it's Chen's turn to face the music...
Takata thinks the milk encapsulates everything in Chen's first dish, stealing the line right out of Hirano's mouth. Hirano goes on to add the corn and beans blend together nicely.
Okuyama thinks the cheese is a little too fluffy, but Takata is smiling as she takes a bite. But Hirano thinks it's a bit too subtle, saying the vinegar is weak.
Okuyama likes the texture and flavor in his third dish, saying this, too, also brings back good memories. Not quite sure what he means here...
Kaga has to prod the panel about the dessert--the fruit in coconut milk. Hirano likes it, thinking it could be a one-of-a-kind, new dish. Okuyama says he's seen that in each of Chen's dishes, a little extra something that sets it apart from everything else. But isn't that what Kitchen Stadium is all about though?
But in the end, who's got milk down pat? Kaga says himself that it's not an easy ingredient, adding that it was the panel's toughest decision--a "razor-thin margin." So who takes it--the Iron Chef or the hero of French cuisine?
"Tetsujin, Chen Kenichi!"
Close call indeed, even if we never get to see the scores (I think Kaga says something about 1 point before the verdict, but my Japanese isn't so good). But a tough challenger, a tough theme, and a tough battle prove to be no match for the Dean of Iron Chefs.
My take: I will admit to not knowing the first thing about what to do with milk in this situation. Having said that, both men were incredibly creative in their approach. I favor Chen a little bit more in this one, though, if for the sole reason that the milk featured prominently in each of his dishes. With Miyamoto, it seemed as though we were getting some fancy dish...with milk...some other fancy dish...with milk...et cetera. With Chen, however, the milk truly took center stage.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Challenger, as always, is up first, as Miyamoto's lobster hits the table. He encourages them to mix everything together.
Takata likes the aroma of oranges in the sauce. Hirano simply says "Wonderful," a stark contrast to his verbose lectures of yore. Hmm...maybe he'll actually be tolerable this show...
Takata likes the soup, saying there's a jellylike texture. Okuyama agrees, liking the texture of the mushrooms.
Okuyama notes how powerful the milk is in the Cresson Chowder, saying it brings back memories of his childhood.
For the dessert, Okuyama could've done without the almond powder, and thinks it could've been chilled more. Takata wanted a syrup on hers, saying it's a bit too powdery.
I would just like to note: Hirano has spoken exactly once thus far. Thank heavens.
And now it's Chen's turn to face the music...
Takata thinks the milk encapsulates everything in Chen's first dish, stealing the line right out of Hirano's mouth. Hirano goes on to add the corn and beans blend together nicely.
Okuyama thinks the cheese is a little too fluffy, but Takata is smiling as she takes a bite. But Hirano thinks it's a bit too subtle, saying the vinegar is weak.
Okuyama likes the texture and flavor in his third dish, saying this, too, also brings back good memories. Not quite sure what he means here...
Kaga has to prod the panel about the dessert--the fruit in coconut milk. Hirano likes it, thinking it could be a one-of-a-kind, new dish. Okuyama says he's seen that in each of Chen's dishes, a little extra something that sets it apart from everything else. But isn't that what Kitchen Stadium is all about though?
But in the end, who's got milk down pat? Kaga says himself that it's not an easy ingredient, adding that it was the panel's toughest decision--a "razor-thin margin." So who takes it--the Iron Chef or the hero of French cuisine?
"Tetsujin, Chen Kenichi!"
Close call indeed, even if we never get to see the scores (I think Kaga says something about 1 point before the verdict, but my Japanese isn't so good). But a tough challenger, a tough theme, and a tough battle prove to be no match for the Dean of Iron Chefs.
My take: I will admit to not knowing the first thing about what to do with milk in this situation. Having said that, both men were incredibly creative in their approach. I favor Chen a little bit more in this one, though, if for the sole reason that the milk featured prominently in each of his dishes. With Miyamoto, it seemed as though we were getting some fancy dish...with milk...some other fancy dish...with milk...et cetera. With Chen, however, the milk truly took center stage.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Anxiety, Panic, and The Hunger Games
Note: The following is a personal reflection of mine on the recent film "The Hunger Games." While this isn't a film review per se, there are spoilers ahead, if you care about that sort of thing.
The thoughts expressed in this blog post are entirely those of the author, and do not reflect those of Google, Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Corporation, Lions Gate Entertainment, Gary Ross, Jennifer Lawrence, or indeed any other known human being.
I've been living with anxiety and panic for the last three weeks or so. While I'm definitely on the mend, there's definitely still some lingering "what if...?" in the background, more than likely caused by that other stomach problem I've been told I have.
Having said that, I actually caved and decided to go see The Hunger Games over the weekend, just to see what all the hype was really about.
And I'm certainly glad I did.
Going into it, I knew about, and was quite intrigued by, the main event--what could best be described as an eclectic, if not sadistically ruthless, mashup of Survivor, Weakest Link, and the Roman Coliseum. Some may even say a blatant ripoff of Battle Royale (which, as I've discovered, is not the case).
What I wasn't expecting, though, was to be as personally impacted by the film the way I was.
Jennifer Lawrence brilliantly plays the main role of Katniss Everdeen, 16, who volunteers as tribute for the 74th Hunger Games in her sister's place. Just like any reality competition on TV these days, there can only be one winner. But these games are different from your average series of Survivor, in that the winner is the only one left alive at the end.
Katniss and her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark (also brilliantly portrayed by Josh Hutcherson), are two of the 24 tributes competing. They are from the same district, and during the course of the games we see the two of them develop an alliance-turned-romance.
Let me pause here for a minute. As I have previously stated, I have been suffering anxiety and panic attacks for the last three weeks. With these attacks comes, after a chain reaction of emotions ranging from a fear of eating to a lack of motivation to work, a (largely irrational) fear of dying--or at least the fear of something else (read: worse) happening to me. I've developed a lot of fears of things I used to enjoy, such as a good meal or a swim--in other words, perfectly innocuous things that, while I'm beginning to get over it, I now dread.
But I find a bit of myself in Katniss, in Peeta, in any of the other tributes for that matter. And with that comes a bit of a reality check. Unlike my irrational fear of death, the tributes' fear of death is very real. It becomes real from the very minute they are reaped, and lasts through the second the games begin until the very instant they die or win. And even though my fear won't come to fruition, it still haunts me, just as the tributes' very real fear does to them.
This is why I, as Merv Griffin once said, "would rather play Jeopardy! than be in it."
The other bit, the reality check, that I noticed was this notion of tenacity, of boldness, of fearlessness. Yes, the possibility of death is high. But to win this game, you have to put that thought completely out of your head, and be ready to betray everyone to be rich. And in a sense, I would have to be that fearless to get over my panic/anxiety/whatever this can be called. And given how I completely lost it, broke down and cried the other night, I've got a long way to go before I get to that point.
It's also why I'd be a terrible tribute. I'd be dead within the first hour.
Watching The Hunger Games was also the first time I can remember when I actually cried in the theater. Katniss's alliance and friendship with Rue was incredibly gripping. I think it speaks to the acting of both Lawrence and Amandla Sternberg (Rue) when I say that I was genuinely shocked when Marvel killed Rue, and was equally as heartbroken as Katniss was. My tears began to flow when Katniss sang to Rue, fulfilling her last request, and when Katniss covered Rue in flowers. If there is any solace to be had, at least Katniss and Rue weren't the final two, leaving one with a difficult decision to kill the other.
Nonetheless, it served as a sobering reminder to cherish those that are close to you.
I didn't need to be told going into this film that there's always a dark side to love. But yet I still was, through Gale. Gale, the one who has feelings for a girl he practically grew up with. Gale, the one who can't bear to look as his love interest locks lips with another young man. Gale, the one hurt by the star-crossed lovers stunt.
I, too, identify with Gale (and with Peeta too, in a sense, since I suppose he goes through something similar...only the odds were in his favor in that respect). I have been smitten, if not in love with, a girl I know well; have seen said love interest get together with a different man; have spent so many nights lying awake, unable to sleep, all the while thinking that should have been me.
But then there's that unadulterated joy that comes with seeing one's family again, as we see when Katniss returns home from the games to the sister she vowed to protect.
It's like stepping off the plane and into the arms of the loving family you haven't seen in months.
And that's when you realize your fears are gone.
The thoughts expressed in this blog post are entirely those of the author, and do not reflect those of Google, Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Corporation, Lions Gate Entertainment, Gary Ross, Jennifer Lawrence, or indeed any other known human being.
I've been living with anxiety and panic for the last three weeks or so. While I'm definitely on the mend, there's definitely still some lingering "what if...?" in the background, more than likely caused by that other stomach problem I've been told I have.
Having said that, I actually caved and decided to go see The Hunger Games over the weekend, just to see what all the hype was really about.
And I'm certainly glad I did.
Going into it, I knew about, and was quite intrigued by, the main event--what could best be described as an eclectic, if not sadistically ruthless, mashup of Survivor, Weakest Link, and the Roman Coliseum. Some may even say a blatant ripoff of Battle Royale (which, as I've discovered, is not the case).
What I wasn't expecting, though, was to be as personally impacted by the film the way I was.
Jennifer Lawrence brilliantly plays the main role of Katniss Everdeen, 16, who volunteers as tribute for the 74th Hunger Games in her sister's place. Just like any reality competition on TV these days, there can only be one winner. But these games are different from your average series of Survivor, in that the winner is the only one left alive at the end.
Katniss and her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark (also brilliantly portrayed by Josh Hutcherson), are two of the 24 tributes competing. They are from the same district, and during the course of the games we see the two of them develop an alliance-turned-romance.
Let me pause here for a minute. As I have previously stated, I have been suffering anxiety and panic attacks for the last three weeks. With these attacks comes, after a chain reaction of emotions ranging from a fear of eating to a lack of motivation to work, a (largely irrational) fear of dying--or at least the fear of something else (read: worse) happening to me. I've developed a lot of fears of things I used to enjoy, such as a good meal or a swim--in other words, perfectly innocuous things that, while I'm beginning to get over it, I now dread.
But I find a bit of myself in Katniss, in Peeta, in any of the other tributes for that matter. And with that comes a bit of a reality check. Unlike my irrational fear of death, the tributes' fear of death is very real. It becomes real from the very minute they are reaped, and lasts through the second the games begin until the very instant they die or win. And even though my fear won't come to fruition, it still haunts me, just as the tributes' very real fear does to them.
This is why I, as Merv Griffin once said, "would rather play Jeopardy! than be in it."
The other bit, the reality check, that I noticed was this notion of tenacity, of boldness, of fearlessness. Yes, the possibility of death is high. But to win this game, you have to put that thought completely out of your head, and be ready to betray everyone to be rich. And in a sense, I would have to be that fearless to get over my panic/anxiety/whatever this can be called. And given how I completely lost it, broke down and cried the other night, I've got a long way to go before I get to that point.
It's also why I'd be a terrible tribute. I'd be dead within the first hour.
Watching The Hunger Games was also the first time I can remember when I actually cried in the theater. Katniss's alliance and friendship with Rue was incredibly gripping. I think it speaks to the acting of both Lawrence and Amandla Sternberg (Rue) when I say that I was genuinely shocked when Marvel killed Rue, and was equally as heartbroken as Katniss was. My tears began to flow when Katniss sang to Rue, fulfilling her last request, and when Katniss covered Rue in flowers. If there is any solace to be had, at least Katniss and Rue weren't the final two, leaving one with a difficult decision to kill the other.
Nonetheless, it served as a sobering reminder to cherish those that are close to you.
I didn't need to be told going into this film that there's always a dark side to love. But yet I still was, through Gale. Gale, the one who has feelings for a girl he practically grew up with. Gale, the one who can't bear to look as his love interest locks lips with another young man. Gale, the one hurt by the star-crossed lovers stunt.
I, too, identify with Gale (and with Peeta too, in a sense, since I suppose he goes through something similar...only the odds were in his favor in that respect). I have been smitten, if not in love with, a girl I know well; have seen said love interest get together with a different man; have spent so many nights lying awake, unable to sleep, all the while thinking that should have been me.
But then there's that unadulterated joy that comes with seeing one's family again, as we see when Katniss returns home from the games to the sister she vowed to protect.
It's like stepping off the plane and into the arms of the loving family you haven't seen in months.
And that's when you realize your fears are gone.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
ICT: Battle Uni: Sakai vs. Wakiya
BATTLE DATA FILE
Japan Original Airdate: 6/17/94
Episode: 33
The Challenger: Yuji Wakiya, a revolutionary of Chinese cuisine in Japan. He fuses ingredients from around the world with genuine Chinese flavors. He is here on the recommendation of culinary critic Masuhiro Yamamoto, who has criticized the selection of challengers on the show lately. He says that, while the challengers are no doubt top chefs, they only specialize in one field. Wakiya, he says, specializes in multiple areas.
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai. So far he's three for three...can he make it four?
The Battle:
Actress Mayuko Takata, once again, joins Fukui and Hattori in the announcers' booth.
9 months since the opening of Kitchen Stadium, Kaga doesn't doubt the caliber of the 30 or so challengers who have stepped into Kitchen Stadium thus far, despite the fact that one Masuhiro Yamamoto does. Indeed, here he comes, leading Wakiya in.
"His name's not a household name like those of the Iron Chefs, but his skills are definitely comparable," Yamamoto says of his hit man, who is ready to take down one of the three men ascending into Kitchen Stadium...but which one?
Sakai! So far undefeated in Kitchen Stadium, says Fukui. That could change with Wakiya knocking at his door.
"We know how discerning Mr. Yamamoto is about food. I had a tough time deciding on today's theme," Kaga says. "It was his words that gave me a hint: 'To beat an Iron Chef is not that difficult.' It's quite a 'thorny' expression, don't you think?"
I don't really see what's so thorny about it, but OK...
"Thorns. Yes, it's the perfect time to enjoy that ingredient."
Which one, you ask? UNI! Sea urchin roe, for the Japanese-linguistically-challenged. And Sakai looks as though he's under pressure!
"Eggs for eggs." That's how you get the best out of this ingredient, according to the Japanese.
So it's a top class-chef backed by a discerning critic against the Iron Chef French...and we are underway with Kaga's trademark call of "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
And Sakai did NOT look happy when that theme ingredient was unveiled...although Hattori says raw uni isn't that uncommon in French cuisine, so maybe it's not so bad...
Sakai is cutting his sea urchins with scissors, while Wakiya has shark's fin and wonton skins on his side--Ohta's dub voice sounds...different today. Strange, not as fast.
Wakiya is now deep-frying his wonton skins as, according to Ohta, Yamamoto is already pre-calling Sakai's menu: uni scrambled eggs, NOT a mousse, and a dish with red miso. Huh-kay.
Speaking of Sakai, he's laying raw uni on top of raw tilefish--Hattori predicts he'll steam that (technical term: vapeur). Wakiya, meantime, is mixing his uni with tofu--they predict that will go with the wonton skins. Lotus leaves on Wakiya's side, according to Ohta...but we don't know for what. Yet.
Sakai is delicately opening eggs (just the tops off), as the 15-minute mark is announced. And Wakiya's...already plating? The tofu-uni mixture is down with the deep-fried wonton skins, with some raw uni on top and another wonton skin...this will probably a mille-feuille, they say.
Wakiya's already sweating and we're barely halfway through. Sakai has the beginnings of an egg dish, while Wakiya has minced okra and XO sauce with uni in those lotus leaves. Sakai proves one of Yamamoto's guesses correct (eggs), while the commentators get a kick out of Wakiya flipping his shark fin mixture over in his wok (quite the show, that)...so it won't be a soup?
Mushrooms go into the egg crepe on Sakai's side, which has uni mixed in. Back on Wakiya's side, bamboo shoots are being delicately cut into fan shapes (tail feathers, it looks to me)...his blender is also in action. And either this battle is going fast or they've heavily edited this one, but we're already halfway home!
Break in the action as Ohta gets some words from Yamamoto, who says both chefs are "doing wonderfully." Yamamoto says Wakiya can win if he can break the Japanese mindset of raw sea urchin--in other words, cook it.
Sakai is folding over his egg crepes...while Wakiya is piping some mixture onto the bamboo tails. Fukui thinks it's lard (gross), but his serious guess is white fish meat paste. He's making those tails look like swans (or cranes, I suppose), though...and there's word of spinach rice flour from his blender mixture elsewhere on his side.
Soup on Wakiya's side, perhaps a chawan-mushi. And Sakai is stuffing prawns into sea urchin shells, along with mussels. And there are Wakiya's spinach rice flour balls...but one of them doesn't look so good. What does, though...swallow's nest on his side!
Sakai has curry powder into a sabayon sauce...and Wakiya has the makings of sea urchin dumplings with his spinach rice flour. The uni going into those has already been steamed, and Hattori bets he'll dip those into hot water.
Sakai is steaming his eggs that he spent some time taking the tops off...and we have just 20 minutes left as he's steaming some herbs as well. So many steamed items, comments Takata...Hattori says it's the trendy thing to do these days (bear in mind that was 1994). Wakiya's working with his swallow's nest now (which Takata misnames "sparrow's nest"), and Sakai is spooning uni on top of his steamed eggs (he would later add his sabayon sauce and some prawns). And uni on top of Wakiya's chawan-mushi...it's everywhere today! Go figure, it's the theme ingredient.
Wakiya plates abalone and wakame near his shark's fin...but where is the uni in all that? Maybe I missed something. But Sakai is plating his tilefish from the very beginning...and cutting some plain white bread. Croutons or breadsticks, perhaps? Wakiya's cranes are doused with sauce of some kind.
Those breadsticks go with Sakai's egg dish, while Wakiya's swallow's nest goes straight on top of the spinach dumplings--perhaps like a dim sum item, Fukui says. Five minutes to go as there is plating about here...
Three minutes now, and Wakiya is laying on the sauce on his mille-feuille. Sakai is spooning a soup into the uni shells, but we don't know where it came from...
And the swans land on the shark's fin dish on the challenger's side. Sakai is laying on another sauce onto his tilefish dish (as he fumbles the saucepan)...one minute left as Sakai gets in a sly ad for his Tokyo restaurant, saying the eggs are symbolic of the skycraper where his restaurant is.
15 seconds left, some colored sauces go down on the egg crepes...the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Uni Battle is OVAH!"
And Yamamoto sneaks a taste test as Ohta interviews the combatants. Sly devil.
Challenger Wakiya's five dishes:
--Sea Urchin and Tofu Hors D'oeuvre
--Sea Urchin in Egg Soup
--Stewed Abalone and Shark Fin, Sea Urchin Sauce
--Sea Urchin Grilled in Lotus Leaf
--Sea Urchin Dumpling
Iron Chef Sakai's four dishes:
--Sea Urchin Soup
--Steamed Egg with Sea Urchin and Sabayon Sauce
--Sea Urchin Crepe
--Tilefish and Sea Urchin
On the panel today for the Uni Battle are:
--Novelist Tamio Kageyama
--Actress Mayuko Takata
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
Wakiya's up first, as is the tradition...
"What I tried was to accentuate the natural flavor of sea urchin roe," he tells the panel.
Takata likes the contrast of the wonton skin with the sea urchin roe, while Hirano likes how he chose to be modest in his first dish. Whatever that means.
Kageyama likes the duality of flavor in Wakiya's second dish. Takata can't get over how different the uni on top and the uni on the bottom of the bowl taste so different.
Hirano comments on Wakiya's skill through the ingredients he used, but Kageyama says the shark fins came out a bit tough.
Hirano says the first few dishes were simple and flat, but likes the intent of intensity in his fourth (stemming from the spicy XO sauce).
Kageyama doesn't feel the sea urchin in his last dish, but Takata says it eventually hits her. Hirano thinks the uni could've been highlighted a little better.
As for Sakai's dishes...
Hirano says the use of the shell makes a powerful statement in the opening, and Takata likes the extensive use of seafood throughout the dish.
They all like the egg dish, for what it's worth...
The crepe, says Kageyama, draws out the sweetness of the uni better than the other dishes.
His last dish Kageyama calls orthodox...and Hirano is getting tired of uni. Though he says if it was served by itself, he'd enjoy it.
Kaga concedes Yamamoto was right about the caliber of the challenger, but who ends up getting pricked in the end...the Iron Chef or the hero of French--natch, Chinese--or whatever the hell he specializes in--cuisine?
"Tetsujin, Sakai Hiroyuki!"
And relief on Sakai's face as he extends his winning streak! No doubt his toughest challenge yet, but a win's a win!
My take: You have to give Wakiya credit for being incredibly creative in his dishes. I definitely think he won in that department, as Sakai's dishes looked like standard French fare with a markedly Japanese ingredient. But in all Iron Chef battles, there is a such thing as going way overboard (something we'll see of Morimoto in the later years), and I think Wakiya went too overboard with his approach.
And can we get a new panelist, please? Hirano says a lot without saying anything meaningful at all.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Japan Original Airdate: 6/17/94
Episode: 33
The Challenger: Yuji Wakiya, a revolutionary of Chinese cuisine in Japan. He fuses ingredients from around the world with genuine Chinese flavors. He is here on the recommendation of culinary critic Masuhiro Yamamoto, who has criticized the selection of challengers on the show lately. He says that, while the challengers are no doubt top chefs, they only specialize in one field. Wakiya, he says, specializes in multiple areas.
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai. So far he's three for three...can he make it four?
The Battle:
Actress Mayuko Takata, once again, joins Fukui and Hattori in the announcers' booth.
9 months since the opening of Kitchen Stadium, Kaga doesn't doubt the caliber of the 30 or so challengers who have stepped into Kitchen Stadium thus far, despite the fact that one Masuhiro Yamamoto does. Indeed, here he comes, leading Wakiya in.
"His name's not a household name like those of the Iron Chefs, but his skills are definitely comparable," Yamamoto says of his hit man, who is ready to take down one of the three men ascending into Kitchen Stadium...but which one?
Sakai! So far undefeated in Kitchen Stadium, says Fukui. That could change with Wakiya knocking at his door.
"We know how discerning Mr. Yamamoto is about food. I had a tough time deciding on today's theme," Kaga says. "It was his words that gave me a hint: 'To beat an Iron Chef is not that difficult.' It's quite a 'thorny' expression, don't you think?"
I don't really see what's so thorny about it, but OK...
"Thorns. Yes, it's the perfect time to enjoy that ingredient."
Which one, you ask? UNI! Sea urchin roe, for the Japanese-linguistically-challenged. And Sakai looks as though he's under pressure!
"Eggs for eggs." That's how you get the best out of this ingredient, according to the Japanese.
So it's a top class-chef backed by a discerning critic against the Iron Chef French...and we are underway with Kaga's trademark call of "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
And Sakai did NOT look happy when that theme ingredient was unveiled...although Hattori says raw uni isn't that uncommon in French cuisine, so maybe it's not so bad...
Sakai is cutting his sea urchins with scissors, while Wakiya has shark's fin and wonton skins on his side--Ohta's dub voice sounds...different today. Strange, not as fast.
Wakiya is now deep-frying his wonton skins as, according to Ohta, Yamamoto is already pre-calling Sakai's menu: uni scrambled eggs, NOT a mousse, and a dish with red miso. Huh-kay.
Speaking of Sakai, he's laying raw uni on top of raw tilefish--Hattori predicts he'll steam that (technical term: vapeur). Wakiya, meantime, is mixing his uni with tofu--they predict that will go with the wonton skins. Lotus leaves on Wakiya's side, according to Ohta...but we don't know for what. Yet.
Sakai is delicately opening eggs (just the tops off), as the 15-minute mark is announced. And Wakiya's...already plating? The tofu-uni mixture is down with the deep-fried wonton skins, with some raw uni on top and another wonton skin...this will probably a mille-feuille, they say.
Wakiya's already sweating and we're barely halfway through. Sakai has the beginnings of an egg dish, while Wakiya has minced okra and XO sauce with uni in those lotus leaves. Sakai proves one of Yamamoto's guesses correct (eggs), while the commentators get a kick out of Wakiya flipping his shark fin mixture over in his wok (quite the show, that)...so it won't be a soup?
Mushrooms go into the egg crepe on Sakai's side, which has uni mixed in. Back on Wakiya's side, bamboo shoots are being delicately cut into fan shapes (tail feathers, it looks to me)...his blender is also in action. And either this battle is going fast or they've heavily edited this one, but we're already halfway home!
Break in the action as Ohta gets some words from Yamamoto, who says both chefs are "doing wonderfully." Yamamoto says Wakiya can win if he can break the Japanese mindset of raw sea urchin--in other words, cook it.
Sakai is folding over his egg crepes...while Wakiya is piping some mixture onto the bamboo tails. Fukui thinks it's lard (gross), but his serious guess is white fish meat paste. He's making those tails look like swans (or cranes, I suppose), though...and there's word of spinach rice flour from his blender mixture elsewhere on his side.
Soup on Wakiya's side, perhaps a chawan-mushi. And Sakai is stuffing prawns into sea urchin shells, along with mussels. And there are Wakiya's spinach rice flour balls...but one of them doesn't look so good. What does, though...swallow's nest on his side!
Sakai has curry powder into a sabayon sauce...and Wakiya has the makings of sea urchin dumplings with his spinach rice flour. The uni going into those has already been steamed, and Hattori bets he'll dip those into hot water.
Sakai is steaming his eggs that he spent some time taking the tops off...and we have just 20 minutes left as he's steaming some herbs as well. So many steamed items, comments Takata...Hattori says it's the trendy thing to do these days (bear in mind that was 1994). Wakiya's working with his swallow's nest now (which Takata misnames "sparrow's nest"), and Sakai is spooning uni on top of his steamed eggs (he would later add his sabayon sauce and some prawns). And uni on top of Wakiya's chawan-mushi...it's everywhere today! Go figure, it's the theme ingredient.
Wakiya plates abalone and wakame near his shark's fin...but where is the uni in all that? Maybe I missed something. But Sakai is plating his tilefish from the very beginning...and cutting some plain white bread. Croutons or breadsticks, perhaps? Wakiya's cranes are doused with sauce of some kind.
Those breadsticks go with Sakai's egg dish, while Wakiya's swallow's nest goes straight on top of the spinach dumplings--perhaps like a dim sum item, Fukui says. Five minutes to go as there is plating about here...
Three minutes now, and Wakiya is laying on the sauce on his mille-feuille. Sakai is spooning a soup into the uni shells, but we don't know where it came from...
And the swans land on the shark's fin dish on the challenger's side. Sakai is laying on another sauce onto his tilefish dish (as he fumbles the saucepan)...one minute left as Sakai gets in a sly ad for his Tokyo restaurant, saying the eggs are symbolic of the skycraper where his restaurant is.
15 seconds left, some colored sauces go down on the egg crepes...the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Uni Battle is OVAH!"
And Yamamoto sneaks a taste test as Ohta interviews the combatants. Sly devil.
Challenger Wakiya's five dishes:
--Sea Urchin and Tofu Hors D'oeuvre
--Sea Urchin in Egg Soup
--Stewed Abalone and Shark Fin, Sea Urchin Sauce
--Sea Urchin Grilled in Lotus Leaf
--Sea Urchin Dumpling
Iron Chef Sakai's four dishes:
--Sea Urchin Soup
--Steamed Egg with Sea Urchin and Sabayon Sauce
--Sea Urchin Crepe
--Tilefish and Sea Urchin
On the panel today for the Uni Battle are:
--Novelist Tamio Kageyama
--Actress Mayuko Takata
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
Wakiya's up first, as is the tradition...
"What I tried was to accentuate the natural flavor of sea urchin roe," he tells the panel.
Takata likes the contrast of the wonton skin with the sea urchin roe, while Hirano likes how he chose to be modest in his first dish. Whatever that means.
Kageyama likes the duality of flavor in Wakiya's second dish. Takata can't get over how different the uni on top and the uni on the bottom of the bowl taste so different.
Hirano comments on Wakiya's skill through the ingredients he used, but Kageyama says the shark fins came out a bit tough.
Hirano says the first few dishes were simple and flat, but likes the intent of intensity in his fourth (stemming from the spicy XO sauce).
Kageyama doesn't feel the sea urchin in his last dish, but Takata says it eventually hits her. Hirano thinks the uni could've been highlighted a little better.
As for Sakai's dishes...
Hirano says the use of the shell makes a powerful statement in the opening, and Takata likes the extensive use of seafood throughout the dish.
They all like the egg dish, for what it's worth...
The crepe, says Kageyama, draws out the sweetness of the uni better than the other dishes.
His last dish Kageyama calls orthodox...and Hirano is getting tired of uni. Though he says if it was served by itself, he'd enjoy it.
Kaga concedes Yamamoto was right about the caliber of the challenger, but who ends up getting pricked in the end...the Iron Chef or the hero of French--natch, Chinese--or whatever the hell he specializes in--cuisine?
"Tetsujin, Sakai Hiroyuki!"
And relief on Sakai's face as he extends his winning streak! No doubt his toughest challenge yet, but a win's a win!
My take: You have to give Wakiya credit for being incredibly creative in his dishes. I definitely think he won in that department, as Sakai's dishes looked like standard French fare with a markedly Japanese ingredient. But in all Iron Chef battles, there is a such thing as going way overboard (something we'll see of Morimoto in the later years), and I think Wakiya went too overboard with his approach.
And can we get a new panelist, please? Hirano says a lot without saying anything meaningful at all.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Bob Holness: 1928-2012
I'm a little late on this news, but my first entry of the new year is a rather sad one. One of my favorite international game show hosts (and one of my biggest hosting influences as I've been doing my own game show at USC), Bob Holness, passed away on January 6.
Bob was the host of the British version of Blockbusters for 11 years (1983-1994). While he may be best remembered for that, it should also be noted that he was one of the first actors to portray James Bond in a radio adaptation of Moonraker. Sounds like an urban myth, but isn't. (Another rumor about him playing a saxophone solo, however, is.) He began his career as a radio DJ and actor in his native South Africa, and returned to the UK in 1961.
Now, granted, I'm an American blogger posting about a British personality...therein lies the magic of YouTube. I discovered the British version of Blockbusters thanks to a (sadly now-defunct) broadband online version of the game, in which Bob prominently featured. He's a stark contrast to the American Blockbusters hosts, Bill Cullen and Bill Rafferty--Rafferty was definitely friendly to the contestants, and Cullen had a sense of humor that you just had to understand to know how he ticked. But Bob--who dealt the hard questions to 16-to-18-year-old kids on the show--had an avuncular air about him. He was authoritative without talking down to the contestants, not to mention warm and inviting as well. Amidst all the silly mascots the contestants brought on, their antics, and the occasional request for a "P", Bob kept a straight face through it all, but still had a lot of fun himself. He would play along with all the jokes thrown around, joined in that silly hand jive the kids did at the end of the Friday edition of Blockbusters, and even had a mascot of his own (pictured below), which apparently was a Christmas present of his from his wife.
I've looked up to him as a role model of sorts, really. Colleagues and former Blockbusters contestants remember him as one of the nicest game show hosts around, having lunch with the contestants and really getting to know them from their first step into the studio to their last one on their way out. I admire the fact that he criticized the BBC's decision to axe his later show, Call My Bluff (a sort of Balderdash-esque panel game) in 2003, saying that he disliked the notion of a move towards quiz shows of avarice instead of education--you don't really think about learning from TV, but it's a tool, after all, so why not use it for that? It's a shame, really, that the ratings prove that the viewers want otherwise. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I've adopted some of his mannerisms on my show as well, short of his trademark roar of "THAT'S BLOCKBUSTERS!" when the contestant makes that connection across the board. And unlike many game show hosts today (who I'm convinced do very impressive reads off a teleprompter, or cue cards, or some kind of script), Bob was a natural. He never needed a script, and if he had one, went off it quite often. Though viewers could never tell the difference.
It's a real shame health issues dogged him in the last 15 years or so of his life, shortly after Blockbusters ended. Several strokes weakened him considerably, though through all of that he had coped with it all. If there's any consolation to this at all, it's that his family said he died peacefully in his sleep.
They don't make 'em like Bob anymore--a warm, inviting, all-around nice guy on television. A far cry from a lot of TV--not just game shows--we see today.
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| Bob Holness, on the set of Blockbusters |
Now, granted, I'm an American blogger posting about a British personality...therein lies the magic of YouTube. I discovered the British version of Blockbusters thanks to a (sadly now-defunct) broadband online version of the game, in which Bob prominently featured. He's a stark contrast to the American Blockbusters hosts, Bill Cullen and Bill Rafferty--Rafferty was definitely friendly to the contestants, and Cullen had a sense of humor that you just had to understand to know how he ticked. But Bob--who dealt the hard questions to 16-to-18-year-old kids on the show--had an avuncular air about him. He was authoritative without talking down to the contestants, not to mention warm and inviting as well. Amidst all the silly mascots the contestants brought on, their antics, and the occasional request for a "P", Bob kept a straight face through it all, but still had a lot of fun himself. He would play along with all the jokes thrown around, joined in that silly hand jive the kids did at the end of the Friday edition of Blockbusters, and even had a mascot of his own (pictured below), which apparently was a Christmas present of his from his wife.
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| Bob Holness with his own mascot, Harold the Hedgehog. |
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| The parting shot on the last Blockbusters |
They don't make 'em like Bob anymore--a warm, inviting, all-around nice guy on television. A far cry from a lot of TV--not just game shows--we see today.
IN PACE REQUIESCAT
BOB HOLNESS
1928-2012
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