Hell's Kitchen: Season 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)Chef Gordon Ramsay hosts this reality show fare about 12 Chefs from all around the country who compete for their own restaraunt.He yells,swears,compliments,and most importantly eliminates 11 of them.Only one chef will be standing at the end of this Fox Summer hit.
DVD rating:4/5 This set has a couple of interviews and deleted scenes.All Episodes have uncensored audio track.
I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves cooking,the food network,or just a good ol' competition reality show.

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12 terrified wannabe chefs compete with the cooking to win a world class restaurant.Gordon Ramsay the acerbic host of the show will challenge and fire the chefs at his whim.Featuring explosive confrontations and compelling intrigue as chefs stab each other in the back to get the ultimate prize.In the end it’s the chef’s skill and their cooking that makes the difference.

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Babette's Feast (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)The feast of the title doesn't take place until well into the film. In fact, the majority of the film is spent telling the story of 2 godly sisters and the choices they made in life. Both sisters passed up true love and the promise of success in order to remain faithful to their religious beliefs. Instead they pass their lives assisting their minister father and carry on his work after his death. They continue their quiet lives past mid-life until one of the sisters' former suitors sends them a Parisian refugee, Babette. Babette spends 14 years with the sisters as cook, her only link to her former life being a lottery ticket that a friend in Paris renews for her every year. One day she wins the lottery and decides to use the money to prepare a sumptous dinner for the sisters and their small congregation. More than just an epicurean delight the feast is an outpouring of Babette's gratitude.
If the plot sounds thin, be assured it's anything but. The story is as rich and satisfying as the feast Babette prepares. We see the delicate romances that develop for each sister and understand their reasons for turning their suitors away. We see the lives the sisters, and their men, have led after making their decision. The feast comes at a time when the sisters are asking themselves questions that they never voice: Did they make the right decision all those years ago? Was it worth it? Reassurance comes in an unexpected and exquisitely romanitc way.
This film is such a wonderful example of what happens when filmmakers are interested in telling a good story and telling it well. It doesn't follow a 'formula' or cater to a demographic and is a perfect example of why independent and foreign films are so much more satisfying than Hollywood movies.

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Artistic, sensual and sacred passions unite in Babette's Feast. Written and directed by Gabriel Axel, from a short story by Out of Africa's Isak Dinesen, this Oscar(r)-winning*film offers "an irresistible mixture of dry wit and robust humanity" (Newsweek).Onthe desolate coast of Denmark live Martina and Philippa, the beautiful daughters of a devout clergyman who preaches salvation through self-denial. Both girls sacrifice youthful passion to faith and duty, and even many years after their father's death, they keep his austere teachings alive among thetownspeople. But with the arrival of Babette, a mysterious refugee from France's civil war, life for the sisters and their tiny hamlet begins to change. Soon, Babette has convinced them to try something truly outrageousa gourmet French meal! Her feast, of course, scandalizes the local elders. Just who is this strangely talented Babette, who has terrified this pious town with the prospect of losing their souls for enjoying too much earthly pleasure?*1987: Foreign Language Film

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No Reservations (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)A lot of people seem to be saying, "Don't watch this awful remake! Go watch Mostly Martha, the original!" I say, by all means, watch Mostly Martha, but don't bypass this version.
It's true that if I had watched this without having seen the original version, Mostly Martha, I would probably have liked it even better. This American version is really too close to the original, right down to the appearance of several characters (Leah, the sous-chef, for instance). For this reason, if you try to compare the two, it comes off as a half-hearted reproduction, Mostly Martha's reheated leftovers.
In many ways, it does lack some of the heart and depth of Mostly Martha. The characters are not as deep and intense, so their relationships aren't as meaningful to the audience. Kate is not quite as tightly wound as Martha, not quite as isolated--so her sudden inheritance of a child and the infringement of a stranger in her kitchen are less difficult and less meaningful. Zoe is much happier and lively than Lina ever is, and is not as scarred by her mother's death, so her struggle to accept Kate is again less meaningful. Nick, I felt, was outstanding--he was different from Mario, but equally effective. I actually preferred Nick, in fact, as I found Mario bordered on annoying at times, while Nick was more appealing all the way through (and Aaron Eckhart is certainly better looking!).
So why did I give it four stars? Well, I'm a sucker for a good romance. I feel that if I hadn't seen Mostly Martha, I would have given it four stars as a good romantic comedy. That is what is, and that is, I think, all it tries to be. It is fun to watch, the characters are sympathetic, the acting is excellent, the chemistry between Zeta-Jones and Eckhart is wonderful, and the plot is engaging, if predictable.
I also don't mean to say that No Reservations loses all the heart of Mostly Martha. I think it retains it pretty well, while simply lightening up the plot a little. Overall, I actually prefer this version in many ways. I preferred the story without the presence of Lina's father, who to me interrupted the story considerably in Mostly Martha. And if the characters here are a little less intense, they were easier to relate to, for me at least. I found the romance between the leads more convincing here, and the ending considerably more satisfying than Mostly Martha's. Kate and Nick, by the end, actually seemed a little more human than Martha and Mario ever did, and if the ending is predictable...well, some of us like happy endings!
No Reservations may not fill you up with emotion like Mostly Martha, so don't coming looking for a full-course meal. This a essentially romantic comedy, the soufflés of the movie world: light and fluffy and delicious.

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A perfectionist chef addicted to her work struggles to adjust when her sister passes away leaving her with a little girl to raise and a new soup-chef threatens to take over her kitchen with his high-spirited and free-wheeling ways.

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Top Chef: New York (Season 5) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished this series and I loved it. I can cook but I certainly am not a chef. Nevertheless, I adore watching these chefs in their competitions plus I am a creative person so I am learning. I will never be able to do the complex dishes but one learns that often the simpler dishes do better in the competitions. The mortal sin seems to be in undercooking or overcooking anything. If you can stay away from this flaw, you are actually in the running for being a heck of a cook. I began watching this show because I've enjoyed Project Runway so much. One thing that is better for the contestants with this show is that the contestants get great prizes all the way through. In season six this aspect improves even more. So everyone seems to go home with some really great prizes. The judges are really generous with their prizes for winners too. Project Runway is a lot stingier towards its contestants. Maybe chefs are just more generous people than fashion designers. It sure seems so. I applaud Top Chef for creating rewards for as many contestants as possible. No matter what your level of cooking skill, you will enjoy this show. I do not watch reality tv generally but I do like it where you can improve your own skill level by watching these competitions.

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The world-class culinary competition only gets fiercer in TOP CHEF: NEW YORK--the No. 1 food show on cable--as 17 new cheftestants head to the Big Apple to test their skills and compete for culinary stardom. Featuring some of the biggest names in food and entertainment, the fifth season of this Emmy®-award winning series welcomes newbie Toby Young to the judges' table alongside host Padma Lakshmi, head judge and celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons. In the most challenging season yet, the cheftestants battle to prove they have what it takes to be crowned the next Top Chef.
DVD features:
-Exclusive cookbook -Never-aired stew room footage -Extended interviews -Cooking demonstrations -PC game demo
Vote for your favorite contestant, read bios, and more in our Top Chef: New York Store.
COMPETITION STAGES
Episode 1: Melting Pot
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are welcomed to the Big Apple by host Padma Lakshmi and head judge Tom Colicchio and their skills are put to the test with a three round apple tournament. Elimination Challenge: Each of the chefs draws a knife from the knife block marked with one of eight New York City neighborhoods. The chefs teams must cook dishes which represent the ethnic cuisines of those neighborhoods. Guest Judge: Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 2: Show Your Craft
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are asked to create their version of a classic, well-loved New York dish: the hot dog and the compete against Angelina DiAngelo of Dominick's Hot Dog Truck in Queens. Elimination Challenge: The chefs must now open what Padma calls "Top Chef Restaurant" in Manhattan. They are asked to create a three-course New American lunch menu for fifty diners.Guest judge Donatella Arpaia, a successful restaurateur and food expert (Quickfire Challenge)
Episode 3: A Foo Fighters Thanksgiving
Quickfire Challenge: Padma announces that this week's challenge is about "rolling with the punches." The chefs are asked to draw knives. Each knife is marked with a number, which refers to a specific page in "Top Chef: The Cookbook." Contestants are given an hour to put their own spin on the recipe from that page Elimination Challenge: The chefs are asked to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the rock band Foo Fighters and its entire entourage of more than 60 guests at the band’s next venue. Guest judge and award-winning molecular gastronomist Grant Achatz.(Quickfire+Elimination Challenges), Foo Fighters (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 4: Today Show
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are given 30 minutes to create a breakfast amuse-bouche for the Today Show. Elimination Challenge: The chefs are asked to create a dish that can be cooked and served for a 2½-minute live television presentation, which will be taped inside the Top Chef kitchen. They are to be taken to Rockefeller Center to cook their dishes for the hosts of NBC's The Today Show.Guests Rocco DiSpirito (Quickfire+Elimination Challenges), Today Show Cast (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 5: Gail’s Bridal Shower
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs pair up and are taken into a darkened kitchen where they are given 15 seconds to taste a specific sauce. They must then bid on the number of ingredients they think they can name correctly. Elimination Challenge: Padma asks the chefs to prepare a four-course meal for 40 of Gail's bridal shower. Each course is to be inspired by one of the lines of the traditional wedding rhyme, "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Guest judge Dana Cowin (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 6: 12 Days of Christmas
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are asked to create a "one pot wonder" – a holiday meal that can be prepared in just one cooking vessel – and present it to Martha Stewart. Elimination Challenge: The chefs must create dishes inspired by lines from “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and cater a 250 guest holiday party hosted by the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Guest judges Martha Stewart (Quickfire Challenge), Natasha Richardson and Michelle Bernstein (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 7: Focus Group
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs have 45 minutes to craft a sugar-free dessert so good, the judges will think there is "nothing diet about it." Elimination Challenge: The chefs must create dishes that express their individuality and serve the food family style to the judges and an unspecified number of mystery food experts. Guest judge Jean-Christophe Novelli (Quickfire+Elimination Challenges)
Episode 8: Down on the Farm
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs have 15 minutes to create a delicious dish using only canned goods. Elimination Challenge: The chefs are asked to draw knives and split into three teams: Team Chicken, Team Lamb, and Team Pork. The chefs are to create a delicious, seasonal lunch for 16 people based on their team's protein. Their menu must be served family-style, and must include a dessert.Guest judge Hung Huynh (Quickfire Challenge), Dan Barber (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 9: Restaurant Wars
Quickfire Challenge: The contestants must do a tasting for restaurateur Stephen Starr. The chefs then have 30 minutes and complete access to the Top Chef pantry to create one dish that showcases their concept for a potential restaurant.

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Julie & Julia (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, I guess it's finally happened...the consumer and film buff who does not own a Blue-Ray compatible DVD player is now officially SOL. The standard DVD release of Julie and Julia contains as special features only a commentary track and behind-the-scenes featurette. To get the full array of special features, one must purchase the Blue-Ray version of the film, AND of course, a Blue-Ray dvd player. Here are the features NOT available on the standard dvd: tour of Julia Child's kitchen in the Smithsonian; featurette "Friends and Family Remember Julia Child;" and "Cooking Lessons," with Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and other renowned chefs preparing several of Julia Child's best-loved dishes. Why can't the studio release a two-disc special edition in the standard format for consumers like me who don't own the latest home entertainment equipment? I loved the film (especially The Divine Ms. Streep), loved Julia Child's book "My Life in France," very much liked Julie Powell's book "J & J," and can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to owning the DVD. I'm miffed, and in no position to go out and buy myself a new DVD player in this economy, not even at Christmas. This really stinks. So, five stars for the film itself, no stars for the DVD release manipulation.

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A culinary legend provides a frustrated office worker with a new recipe for life in Julie & Julia, the true stories of how Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) life and cookbook inspired fledgling writer Julie Powell (Amy Adams) to whip up 524 recipes in 365 days and introduce a new generation to the magic of French cooking. Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada) co-stars in director Nora Ephron's delicious comedy about joy, obsession and butter. Bon appétit!

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