Cute Curtis, Adorable Tyler,

Oh, And Ingrid Was There Too

Why can't Top Chef truncate their challenges to less than half an hour, like Oprah did on her latest show? The last half of her show was dedicated to a Sandwich Showdown. 3 viewers competed to come up with winning sandwich entries.

This competition was the aftermath to a feature with Gayle going around the country tasting great sandwiches everywich (get it?) where. I must say she does wrap her mouth (and teeth) around a sandwich in a not at all unattractive way. And that can't be easy.

During the Sandwich Showdown, the 3 contestants were surprised when their favorite celebrity chefs - Curtis, Tyler and Ingrid - came out to help them. They were all warm and wonderful. Yes, Ingrid too.

Curtis was flirtatious, Tyler was a big hugging machine and Ingrid was genuinely enthusiastic with her gal. One of the provisos, which was kind of pointless, was that they had to make a sandwich that they had never made before. Who was going to be the judge of that?

They showed some funny stuff as the teams went shopping at Whole Foods. Ingrid was about to punch out the fish guy for giving all the lobster to Curtis. Curtis was more interested in playing with the melons and dropping things than shopping. Tyler was pretty much on task.

The judges were Oprah, Gayle and Padma. And they only wasted a little time with Gayle doing some very short interviews with the participants as they finished their tasks.

The best part was the chowing-down. Oprah tasted the first sandwich and was starting to rave about how marvelous it was. Then she remembered she was supposed to have a poker face. With her cheeks full of pot roast, she stopped smiling and tried to look serious. It happened with each sandwich.

The actual sandwiches all looked good. It seemed pretty clear it was all up to the chefs and the ladies were just there for the fabulous prize. The winner was to win tons of Kenmore appliances and pots and stuff.

They gave the win to Tyler. (I wasn’t surprised. His WAS awesome.) But then they gave the prize (worth $7000) to EACH of them. There was jubilation all around.

Oprah had Padma explain in technical terms why Tyler won – lots of different flavors in the same sandwich. Oprah and Gayle said they just liked it A LOT.

I like a food show with lots of hugging and mugging. And, Gayle, keep up those jaw stretching exercises. They’re obviously serving you well.

Gayle King Told Anthony Bourdain She Thought Rachael Ray Was A WHAT???!!!

Today, Gayle King, caring girlfriend to many, talked to Anthony Bourdain, riotous antagonist to most, on her XM radio show.

Unfortunately, I only caught a little of it, but it was fascinating. I liked the counterpoint between sunny and funny Gayle and surly and sarcastic Tony. In the understatement of the century, Gayle said it seemed that there were quite a few Food Network chefs that he didn't like.

He went into a long explanation of what a chef was...Still Gayle was clueless. And THEN Gayle said, "I thought if they were on the Food Network, they were CHEFS, like Rachael Ray." I almost spit my teeth out of my head.

To Tony's credit or perhaps DIScredit, he calmly said even Rachael Ray doesn't consider herself a chef. And Gayle repeated that she had always thought of RR as a chef, BECAUSE she appeared on the Food Network. Back to Tony talking (correctly) about how a CHEF is the leader of a troop of cooks in a professional kitchen. That IS the correct understanding of the French word CHEF. It means leader, head or chief. The only thing RR leads is a gross adulteration of the culinary arts.

Anyway, I guess Anthony Bourdain is capable of civilised conversation (darn!), when the situation (talking to the best friend of the most powerful woman in media today) requires it. But who would have thunk that Tony could have held his tongue? But hold it he did, even though Gayle's naiveté should have driven him wild.