Food Network: Ask Donatella! Your questions answered weekly from The Next Iron Chef Judge
Ask Donatella! Your questions answered weekly from The Next Iron Chef Judge
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night leading into the new episode at 9pm/8c. Here's what she answered regarding the questions you asked about Episode 4 from Sunday, October 25th.
Q: Is there ever a reason a chef would get a free pass in your opinion?
A: Not really because it is a competition and not everything is fair. The way restaurants are, there are disasters all the time and we still have to produce. This is why judges don’t see the actual battles so we aren’t affected or become emotionally attached – in the end it’s only what’s on the plate.
Q: Even if something is a good idea but not cooked well, would you give the chef the benefit of the doubt?
A: We look at many components – creativity, originality, taste and execution. I am less forgiving on execution, because the mastery of technique is extremely important for an Iron Chef. I do give chefs credit for pushing the envelope, however.
Q: Any dishes in the first four episodes you would have paid a decent amount to eat?
A: Mullen’s Reuben, Garces’ Indian Feast, Freitag’s Coq au Van
Q: What dish haven’t you seen so far that you would have expected to see?
A: Kitchen stadium is all about the unexpected. I do not have preconceived notions because that goes toward my preferences and that should not play a part in judging this competition.
Q: Dominique is gone which leaves only one female chef remaining. Does this show that it is more difficult for females to become a Next Iron Chef?
A: I don’t thin k so at all – there are just as many talented female chefs in the kitchen as there are males. There just happened to be less women competing than men this season.
Q: Any ingredient prior to the first four episodes that you’ve never tasted that you have enjoyed and seek out when dining out?
A: Certainly not unlaid eggs and grasshoppers. But I’ve been having fun with the Indian feast battle and there were definitely items that I would go and order and seek out that I haven’t before.
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night leading into the new episode at 9pm/8c. Here's what she answered regarding the questions you asked about Episode 3 from Sunday, October 18th.
Q: What is more important if you had to weigh these two characteristics head-to-head: good quality/consistency or good gamesmanship at the expense of food quality?
A: Good quality/consistency. At the end of the day, I am judging the food on the plate. Remember, the judges do not have access to what happens in the kitchens - precisely for that reason.
Q: There is some commotion on Facebook amongst viewers saying there is no need for another Iron Chef. That the field is too crowded. Why do you think there is room for another Iron Chef?
A: I think that there's always room for another point of view/more creativity and I believe that not all ethnic cultural bases have been explored.
Q: Do you feel the mood when tasting food can alter your judgment? Have you ever been in a restaurant where the food was very decent but the setting altered the mood? How do you adapt in a studio setting with lights and cameras to prepare your palette?
A: I really appreciate how hard these chefs are working and how important it is to them. I do my very best to always block out any distractions and focus on the food in front of me.
Q: Why was that the best damn Reuben you’ve ever tasted?
A: It was so well executed. The bread was perfectly crisp (I love Reuben, but it is normally unbalanced and overdressed). He took certain spices and added it to this traditional sandwich and improved it.
Q: When judging do you ever think of a dish you would have liked to have seen after tasting every dish? What dish would you have like to have seen in this past week’s challenge that wasn’t prepared?
A: I try not to impose my own likes onto the competition. It is unfair to chefs. It becomes judging by preference. I judge on technique, preparation and presentation.
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night leading into the new episode at 9pm/8c. Here's what she answered regarding the questions you asked about Episode 2 from Sunday, October 11th.
Q: Do you weigh both the food and the chef’s personality on the same level when considering an Iron chef?
A: Not at all. The food is the most important and is most heavily weighted. Personality is secondary.
Q: I think the runner-up this past week should have deserved the win. Why were all the judges, including you, so hard on the dish that ended up winning?
A: The judges have long discussions about each dish and the comments are edited down to mere seconds. There is always good and bad in each dish and I think the producers are editing carefully so it isn't clear who the winner is until the last moment. It was really close between Chef Freitag and Chef Mullen - in fact it was not a unanimous decision who the winner should be. Although both were excellent, we felt that the task of reinterpreting a traditional dish was more successfully achieved by Chef Mullen
Q: Do you think one of you should have said something about the sabotaging of the grape leaves as ingredients?
A: The judges never get to see any of the cooking during the main battle so we were not aware of anything.
Q: Obviously you cannot weigh gender vs. gender in the kitchen but does it personally upset you when a female chef is eliminated? Out of this year’s group do you see any females following in the footsteps of a Cat Cora?
A: As a woman in the industry, I always encourage and like to see women succeed - it is important to have role models for younger girls to see the face of a chef be a woman. That being said, I give no preferred treatment. So far, its early on in the competition, but Chef Freitag is very impressive. There is a soulfulness in her cooking and it makes me excited to see what else she has in store.
Q: Judging this competition and based on your experience, do you ever have aspirations yourself to be a chef?
A: I have attended culinary school and I work intimately with the chefs in my restaurants and am often responsible for finding and cultivating chefs. I also develop menus and cook alongside chefs in my kitchen. However, I don't have the desire to put out food for 100 people in one hour! It is very very hard work and I really admire and respect those who choose that lifestyle.
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night leading into the new episode at 9pm/8c. Here's what she answered regarding the questions you asked about Episode 1 from Sunday, October 4th.
Q: Do you ever go back and wish you could change who was eliminated after the fact?
A: After eliminations, there are occasionally times where I felt some doubt, but in the end, I am always confident with me and my fellow-judges decision.
Q: I'm not seeing a clear favorite at this time. At the beginning of the show do you see based on the first challenge who you think may win the whole thing?
A: I’m glad there isn’t a clear favorite - it will keep all the viewers like you tuned in. You cannot determine an Iron Chef in one battle. You need to see what they can do in many circumstances. All I can tell you is that there are many surprises - even I was surprised!
Q: I really want to know if all the bickering with your co-judge is in fun or if you have serious disagreements about some of the dishes?
A: All the judges are very passionate, opinionated people and it is all real. We can fight, but we can also all enjoy a drink together off camera.
Q: What would you like to have seen Eric do with those grasshoppers?
A: Something! He didn’t manipulate them at all like the other contestants did. He just toasted them. In addition, the other elements on his dish were poorly executed.
Q: Do you feel some chefs got easier items to use than others? Will this weigh in your mind in the next challenge?
A: Yes, some chefs did get easier ingredients, however we took that into account. If the ingredient was easier, we expected more from them in terms of fearlessness. For the more challenging ingredients, we did not have the same expectation. In war, not everything is fair. And this is war.
The Next Iron Chef
Sundays 9pm/8c
http://www.foodnetwork.com
Q: Is there ever a reason a chef would get a free pass in your opinion?
A: Not really because it is a competition and not everything is fair. The way restaurants are, there are disasters all the time and we still have to produce. This is why judges don’t see the actual battles so we aren’t affected or become emotionally attached – in the end it’s only what’s on the plate.
Q: Even if something is a good idea but not cooked well, would you give the chef the benefit of the doubt?
A: We look at many components – creativity, originality, taste and execution. I am less forgiving on execution, because the mastery of technique is extremely important for an Iron Chef. I do give chefs credit for pushing the envelope, however.
Q: Any dishes in the first four episodes you would have paid a decent amount to eat?
A: Mullen’s Reuben, Garces’ Indian Feast, Freitag’s Coq au Van
Q: What dish haven’t you seen so far that you would have expected to see?
A: Kitchen stadium is all about the unexpected. I do not have preconceived notions because that goes toward my preferences and that should not play a part in judging this competition.
Q: Dominique is gone which leaves only one female chef remaining. Does this show that it is more difficult for females to become a Next Iron Chef?
A: I don’t thin k so at all – there are just as many talented female chefs in the kitchen as there are males. There just happened to be less women competing than men this season.
Q: Any ingredient prior to the first four episodes that you’ve never tasted that you have enjoyed and seek out when dining out?
A: Certainly not unlaid eggs and grasshoppers. But I’ve been having fun with the Indian feast battle and there were definitely items that I would go and order and seek out that I haven’t before.
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night leading into the new episode at 9pm/8c. Here's what she answered regarding the questions you asked about Episode 3 from Sunday, October 18th.
Q: What is more important if you had to weigh these two characteristics head-to-head: good quality/consistency or good gamesmanship at the expense of food quality?
A: Good quality/consistency. At the end of the day, I am judging the food on the plate. Remember, the judges do not have access to what happens in the kitchens - precisely for that reason.
Q: There is some commotion on Facebook amongst viewers saying there is no need for another Iron Chef. That the field is too crowded. Why do you think there is room for another Iron Chef?
A: I think that there's always room for another point of view/more creativity and I believe that not all ethnic cultural bases have been explored.
Q: Do you feel the mood when tasting food can alter your judgment? Have you ever been in a restaurant where the food was very decent but the setting altered the mood? How do you adapt in a studio setting with lights and cameras to prepare your palette?
A: I really appreciate how hard these chefs are working and how important it is to them. I do my very best to always block out any distractions and focus on the food in front of me.
Q: Why was that the best damn Reuben you’ve ever tasted?
A: It was so well executed. The bread was perfectly crisp (I love Reuben, but it is normally unbalanced and overdressed). He took certain spices and added it to this traditional sandwich and improved it.
Q: When judging do you ever think of a dish you would have liked to have seen after tasting every dish? What dish would you have like to have seen in this past week’s challenge that wasn’t prepared?
A: I try not to impose my own likes onto the competition. It is unfair to chefs. It becomes judging by preference. I judge on technique, preparation and presentation.
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night leading into the new episode at 9pm/8c. Here's what she answered regarding the questions you asked about Episode 2 from Sunday, October 11th.
Q: Do you weigh both the food and the chef’s personality on the same level when considering an Iron chef?
A: Not at all. The food is the most important and is most heavily weighted. Personality is secondary.
Q: I think the runner-up this past week should have deserved the win. Why were all the judges, including you, so hard on the dish that ended up winning?
A: The judges have long discussions about each dish and the comments are edited down to mere seconds. There is always good and bad in each dish and I think the producers are editing carefully so it isn't clear who the winner is until the last moment. It was really close between Chef Freitag and Chef Mullen - in fact it was not a unanimous decision who the winner should be. Although both were excellent, we felt that the task of reinterpreting a traditional dish was more successfully achieved by Chef Mullen
Q: Do you think one of you should have said something about the sabotaging of the grape leaves as ingredients?
A: The judges never get to see any of the cooking during the main battle so we were not aware of anything.
Q: Obviously you cannot weigh gender vs. gender in the kitchen but does it personally upset you when a female chef is eliminated? Out of this year’s group do you see any females following in the footsteps of a Cat Cora?
A: As a woman in the industry, I always encourage and like to see women succeed - it is important to have role models for younger girls to see the face of a chef be a woman. That being said, I give no preferred treatment. So far, its early on in the competition, but Chef Freitag is very impressive. There is a soulfulness in her cooking and it makes me excited to see what else she has in store.
Q: Judging this competition and based on your experience, do you ever have aspirations yourself to be a chef?
A: I have attended culinary school and I work intimately with the chefs in my restaurants and am often responsible for finding and cultivating chefs. I also develop menus and cook alongside chefs in my kitchen. However, I don't have the desire to put out food for 100 people in one hour! It is very very hard work and I really admire and respect those who choose that lifestyle.
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night leading into the new episode at 9pm/8c. Here's what she answered regarding the questions you asked about Episode 1 from Sunday, October 4th.
Q: Do you ever go back and wish you could change who was eliminated after the fact?
A: After eliminations, there are occasionally times where I felt some doubt, but in the end, I am always confident with me and my fellow-judges decision.
Q: I'm not seeing a clear favorite at this time. At the beginning of the show do you see based on the first challenge who you think may win the whole thing?
A: I’m glad there isn’t a clear favorite - it will keep all the viewers like you tuned in. You cannot determine an Iron Chef in one battle. You need to see what they can do in many circumstances. All I can tell you is that there are many surprises - even I was surprised!
Q: I really want to know if all the bickering with your co-judge is in fun or if you have serious disagreements about some of the dishes?
A: All the judges are very passionate, opinionated people and it is all real. We can fight, but we can also all enjoy a drink together off camera.
Q: What would you like to have seen Eric do with those grasshoppers?
A: Something! He didn’t manipulate them at all like the other contestants did. He just toasted them. In addition, the other elements on his dish were poorly executed.
Q: Do you feel some chefs got easier items to use than others? Will this weigh in your mind in the next challenge?
A: Yes, some chefs did get easier ingredients, however we took that into account. If the ingredient was easier, we expected more from them in terms of fearlessness. For the more challenging ingredients, we did not have the same expectation. In war, not everything is fair. And this is war.
The Next Iron Chef
Sundays 9pm/8c
http://www.foodnetwork.com
The Next Iron Chef judge Donatella Arpaia answers questions from Facebook fans every Sunday night prior to a new episode at 9pm/8c.