* I thought sweet potato ice cream was a winner of an idea as soon as Ash mentioned it. If he'd managed it, he might even have won.
* Mike Iisms: The risotto tutorial. Attributing Jen's Quickfire win to favoritism. "They drove us over in a convoy to the hangar, which is pretty cool, it's like we're going to war or something."
* More than anything else, Jesse's heavy hand with the cayenne brands her as useless. And her self-abuse is wearing thin. Her statement "I would like to do a clam chowder. I think that would be really easy" didn't say much for her gumption, either. And, really, clam chowder in that heat? Sure, in New England, one eats the stuff all summer long, but it's a hell of a lot cooler here. It must have been all the more cloying since Ron apparently favors a thick, creamy chowder. (I do not approve: I don't want my chowder to have the texture of bechamel. I make it with whole milk. Did this very morning, in fact.)
* On a related subject, I was shocked that Tom raised an eyebrow at the idea of chili on a hot day.
* Why are there no burners or pots in military (industrial) kitchens? Seems dumb.
* This show is really reinforcing my dislike of tattoos. Just another kind of uniform.
* That Ash worried that Jennifer might not be able to run the kitchen because "she is a little soft-spoken" gives a great deal of insight into how editing colors the show. All over the Internet, people are calling her a bitch, yet to her housemate she is so gentle as to be ill qualified, potentially, to be boss of the kitchen.
* Though I'm now a mad fan of Jennifer, I found bizarre her declaration that "forty-five minutes to cook potatoes is a bit of a challenge." I also don't blame Michael V. one bit for rejecting her suggestion that his lettuce-bacon taco things be assembled in advance, which would have sacrificed the food just to save a bit of time.
* It was interesting watching Michael V. keep Mike I. away from his dish. I've come to like this V. (I always liked his brother--he's so beautifully reserved, a young Gary Cooper would be the choice to play him in Top Chef Las Vegas: The Movie). At first I thought he was an ass, but I see now that this is mainly because the editing was playing up the sibling rivalry nonsense. In fact, he just seems to be a talented chef who is really serious about what he does.
* Of course, the fawning over the military was obnoxious. "The importance of what we are about to do"? "We made our country proud"? That said, I'm glad all those people had a nice time, and the colonel's thank you speech was very gracious.
* Hector is a blowhard. And if he didn't hate her before, I bet he hates Jennifer now, seeing as how she had to shut him down twice.
* I am looking forward to two eliminations after the quickfire next week.
