Dear Dude

Let me lead of by saying that I think Top Chef has probably jumped the shark. The advertiser plugs are getting annoying, the "set ups" are ridiculous (right, there's a big black state trooper blocking the country road and by the way, the road from San Antonio to Austin or Dallas is an interstate, and no one noticed John Besh or Padma standing in the field next to the road with cooking stations set up) and both the judges and contestants are bigger asses than ever.

The show just isn't a "must watch" any more. For the first few seasons it was less obvious that the judging was based on who the producer wants to go on versus who the judges think should advance.

By the way, "my palate" and "needs more acid" have to be the two most overused phrases in reality cooking television. Come on!

I am also very, very tired of people getting ragged on for not naming their dish correctly. This week's dumbass judges's statement… "If he hadn't called it Almond Joy we'd be praising him right now". Really Emeril? Really? To paraphrase Tom Colicchio from one of the earlier seasons, "This is Top Chef, not Top Food Namer." (By the way, all 4 judges were ragging on the chef-testant because of the name).

If the show was on any channel other than Bravo it would be a goner after this season, but with some of the other crap that is on that station it is probably safe.

By the way judges…I've eaten at some of your fancy, high priced restaurants and I hate to tell you that the aren't as good as the show would make you think. In fact, the words overpriced and pretentious come to mind. With the exception of Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lis in Vegas (which was absolutely magnificent and Chef Keller even came by the table to talk to us) I have been very, very disappointed.

I am sitting here at my computer working on one of my books and listening to music playing, this time from YouTube playing on another screen. Since I'm firmly butting my head against that impenetrable barrier (at least until it suddenly disappears) known as writer's block, I thought I'd blog a minute to see if that loosens me up.

I am amazed at the way that certain songs evoke such strong memories. When Queen's Another One Bites the Dust/We are the Champions plays anywhere the smell of coconut oil (from suntan lotion) blasts into my memory as well as the picture of a beautiful blonde girl named Angie that used to ride my bus in high school. I never had the courage to do any more than carry on a brief conversation with her and wonder what would have happened if I had the chops then that I developed later.

In this case, it is Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven that brought the memory of a warm spring/summer night, the smell of popcorn at the skating rink and the feel of a nubile young girl firmly snuggled against me (back in the days before my belly would have prevented the intimate contact) for the first part of the song as we skate danced. Of course, most of us left the floor as soon as the fast part of the song started (I've still never seen anyone dance to that) but for the few minutes before it cranked it was the best song for the up close and personal contact.

It's hard to believe that the music invading the air and internet waves today will cause the same sense of nostalgia for today's teens as they approach the magic 50 number but who knows?

I wonder what Angie Campbell is doing now. If anyone knows her (she lived in Northwest Park in Houston and went to Eisenhower) ask her to drop me a line here and let me know.