I haven’t watched this in a couple of years, but tuned in tonight for two episodes: Battle Corn and Battle Duck. Sadly, both featured Iron Chef Bobby Flay, whom I detest. Oh, his recipes look great, but whenever I see and especially hear him, I develop this urge to smack him until he cries. He just comes across as such a whiny punk. (We’re talking TV personae here. He may be a great guy in person.)
Battle Corn was an “eh” struggle for me. I rooted for the challenger on principle (Down with Flay!), but the dishes didn’t thrill me. Particularly when they broke out the sea-urchin roe. Blech. 😛
Battle Duck (from 2005), on the other hand, was a great fight featuring an ingredient I love. Duck simply isn’t served enough in America. Both chefs made mouth-watering dishes, but Chef Ming-Tsai happily won.
Both episodes, however, paled in light of the memories of the original Japanese Iron Chef, which was a bizarre, marvelous mix of elite cuisine, and Japanese pop culture and national pride. What an odd, wonderful, and engrossing show that was.
A Seat By The Fire 