Comments on: An ‘Iron Chef’ takes on Kosher Cuisine

By: Gypsy

Gypsy — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:30:35 +0000

Oh, darn, I missed it! I hope it reruns soon.

I’m disappointed to read that the helper he was assigned was so pushy. I mean, I totally LOVE sweet potato kugel and I bet I’m not alone. I suspect making it any meal other than the seder would have given the helper much less opportunity to interfere.

I am disappointed to note that the fried gefilte fish recipe is not on the FTV website. Ah, well, perhaps when I finally get to see it I’ll be able to reproduce it. Sounds fascinating.

By: meghan

meghan — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:13:20 +0000

Two things to note about Chef Symon:
1. He made it a point to say he grew up Catholic, so it’s not just non-Jewish, it’s Catholic. It’s not so much that it’s severe, but it explains his total lack of knowledge about keeping kosher.
2. Despite his self-proclaimed love of all things porcine, he was on the Melting Pot show on Food Network a while back doing Eastern European food with Wayne Harley Brachman.

I did enjoy this show, and I definitely like how he is more easy-going (and his food more refined) than Robert “I didn’t actually make Princess Diana’s wedding cake” Irvine.

And yes, he was not at all familiar with the laws of kashrut, but he stuck with them and tried to be creative whenever he could, like with the zabaione. Instead of just throwing fruit on a plate, he made it something better and more elegant.

Finally I think maybe Hershele is reading too much into this episode. I didn’t think it portrayed Jews negatively at all. Symon and his crew didn’t seem to be having a problem at all, and that speaks as much to portrayal as how anyone looked on screen.

Marlene was a total noodge though.

p.s. Marc Summers (producer of Dinner Impossible) was born Marc Berkowitz. Something? Nothing? Just wanted to mention it.

By: Hershele Ostropoler

Hershele Ostropoler — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:54:39 +0000

After seeing the ads for this episode, I decided to stop watching “Dinner Impossible” and “Unwrapped” (hosted by DI’s producer). I felt Jews were being shown as fascist freaks.

By: seapea

seapea — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:20:03 +0000

They definitely should have sent someone with knowledge on the shopping trip (only OUP?)

Personally, I thought they went over the top with having him make a Seder. A Kosher meal made within Halachic guidelines would have been tough enough and more fun.

By: Alix

Alix — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:56:28 +0000

Avi, I haven’t seen the show before, so I didn’t know how much leeway the chef usually gets. I whole-heartedly agree with you; I have seen enough of Symon on other shows to know how talented he is; he should have been allowed to make a sweet potato kugel, but the regular potatoes were already there, I guess. The congregants were very impressed with his dessert, saying it was nothing like any Passover dessert they had ever had, with still being within the rules. Too bad he couldn’t do his entire menu like that. But for some people, I guess, Passover isn’t Passover without a brisket and matzo ball soup (in chicken broth).

By: jabbett

jabbett — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:21:08 +0000

Amen to that, Avi.

By: Avi

Avi — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:15:16 +0000

I hated this episode. First, one caveat, this was the first episode with Michael Symon I’ve seen, so I’m comparing the episode to the previous seasons with Robert Irvine.

Marlene was way too intrusive and forced the menu to be too traditional. In other episodes the chef was given a few basic ground rules and put his own spin on the rest, but Marlene forced Symon to cook too much like she did.

Chef Symon wanted to use sweet potatoes in his kugel, but Marlene said she doesn’t use sweet potatoes, she uses regular potatoes. So Chef Symon had to use regular potatoes.

Chicken soup with matza balls? Come on. Let the chef decide on the soup instead of forcing him to make a traditional soup.

And the brisket was just plain boring. Let the chef determine what his entree should be. Don’t force him to serve a basic brisket.

The only dish of his that I liked was his spin on gefilte fish. All of his dishes should have been like that. Taking the basic ingredients/concepts and using them in a whole new manner.

I don’t know if this is the approach of the show this season, but if it is I think I will have to pass. And if the Rabbi/shul/caterer was responsible for the limited menu then food network wasted their kosher episode on a bad crowd.