anyone talking about masterchef-the professionals?

[fishandlilacs]

If not then consider this the start of the thread.

I think the wrong person went out last night. Poor girl, the guy they chose over her really got in by the skin of his teeth!

What was the picnic tablecloth made of?

(Agree, big free advert for The Fat Duck.)

I think it was white choc with an edible transfer

Made of yuk. A 'transfer'. Not making sense too much

Ate in the Fat Duck once. It was quite enough, never again. Food was AWFUL. On the other hand dh loved it.

What a pretentious place!

A week or so back we had Jay Rayner being sniffy about a chef who used gold leaf on the plate. So what do we get at The Fat Duck? Gold leaf "watches"!!!

I think Anton came off best and I think he will win, although I would like Keri to win, and I hope that all this exposure serves Oli in good stead.

I just watched that episode too. Whilst it looked fun, I couldn't help thinking that telling everyone exactly how to eat their food to maximise the taste was taking control freakery to new levels.

Did anyone else see the chef's names at the end of the episode? They only died recently, in a car crash, whilst promoting the restaurant in Hong Kong, I think.

I think Anton and Keri are the best. It's too bad they can't joint win because I think they also work extremely well together and seem to feed off each other and both have an amazing attitude to their profession. I love how Keri said she was still smiling at the end of the second day at The Fat Duck.

Definitely the closest final I've seen. They are all three incredibly talented.

I admire the 'science lab' fun of The Fat Duck. It's clever, but for my personal taste I like classic cooking, particularly French and Italian. I think The Fat Duck is food theatre IYSWIM. I did laugh when a customer received their BFG and the waiter sprayed the air with 'the scent of the pine forest'. Customer's face was a bit 'wtf?'.

All three chefs did so well. Anton and Keri do seem to feed off each other, I agree, and would make a good team. I hope all three do well when this finishes, whoever wins.

I didn't like that round at the FD. The contestants were basically told to learn and incorporate what they learn into their own cooking. YOu never see MLR with a tub of liquid nitrogen fgs. Anton also said he is more a classical chef and it wasn't his style, so I feel they will feel forced to use gimiccy techniques which they don't necessarily feel comfortable with, just to tick the boxes and prove they are learning. DOes that make sense?

I don't facy the FD food either. I don't want my brain to be confused with sweet looking food that is actually savoury etc etc. And yes, peaple spraying the air with the scent of the blackforest would not impress me, nor telling me how to put the food in front of me into my mouth, or even how to eat it once it's there - don't chew, let it dissolve slowly on your tongue. PISS OFF.

Is that actually the entire dinner one gets at the FD? Because I'd still be hungry afterwards, I think.
I really really dislike the idea of gold in my food. My fillings hurt just thinking about biting on it.

I can't help wondering how well gold gets digested too, would it still be shiny after eating? (Lowers tone of discussion to most basic level)

It goes straight through, I think. It's pretty inert. I just can't see the point of having it on my food.

YY it would be like eating a foil wrapped chocolate off the Christmas tree: a mistake that a small child would only make once, because it hurt their teeth and was difficult to chew on!

I like the idea of the vacuum sealed fruit though, as it would retain the pure, concentrated taste of the food.

I enjoyed last nights and want both Antonio and Kerri to win, though I do like Oli.

Green hill, not the two chefs who were one the show? How awful

No, not the ones on the show, there are 40 chefs at work at FD. Still devastating for the FD though. I'll look for a link.

Here you go, link to chef deaths from FD

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-20425528

Just read the link, how sad and awful.

I live near the FD, and was watching this last night, and my DH said his work colleagues had said that you need to go to McDonalds after a meal there, as you are starving afterwards!

Also Charles campion was on the Today programme today, and said that when you eat at the FD, a couple of the dishes are the best thing you've ever eaten, a couple are very good, and couple you'll never want to eat again.

Made me giggle, still would like to go, but will need to save for about a year to afford it!

If you were silly-rich so that you didn't know what else you could spend money on. FD thoroughly pretentious. Going there would be one of those things you would do so you could show off by saying you had, when you're actually not very interested in food. A bit like going to opera when you don't really like music.

Gold is quite often served with certain curries, I've had it and it doesn't hurt your teeth as gold leaf is so delicate that it just disappears. It is inert so it goes straight through, but you won't find it unless you sort through with a microscope!

Thanks greenhill, that's so awful.

So what is the point of adding gold then, if it's inert and goes right through?

Sound of the sea - now I love the sea myself, but to sit there listening to the sound via headphones. It was just stupid in my opinion and made the diners look stupid too. Not a place I will be going to, I think.

Oh and I'm not silly-rich either, so that's another reason not to go. Now the Michelin starred pub, that seems a more enticing prospect.

LaVolcan, I think the main point is to show that you can afford to put gold in your food. I suspect that was how it started, anyway. Now it is clearly to show that you can afford to go to pretentious restaurants where they put gold in your food for you.

You would get a much better meal at the pub in Marlow, and you wouldn't need to drop in to McD's afterwards, either.

I didn't get the impression that you were able to choose your food at FD, either. Set menu everyday and be thankful for it. Control freakery to a bizarre degree.

Getorf, we watch the same telly . Am also saving up for The Hand and Flowers!!!

Just checked out The Hand & Flowers site. Very nice menu. [drool emoticon]