Top Chef Masters Season 2: the dream team
Like food fanatics and tv junkies everywhere, I was thrilled to hear that Top Chef Masters was picked up for a second season. (A little surprised about the choice to bring Kelly Choi back, did anyone get this casting?)
My mind immediately started planning my dream roster of contestants. Of course, Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame headed the list. But he would never do the show… would he? I had no problem with coming up dozens of participants, the fun was in mentally shuffling the personalities to come up with individual show casts of people I’d love to see trying to cook in the same room. Here are some of my fantasy episodes:
Anthony Bordain, Rocco DiSpirito, Nancy Silverton, Jeremiah Tower
Bradley Ogden, April Bloomfield, Suzanne Goin, Todd English
Grant Achatz, Lidia Bastianich, Jose Andres, Alan Wong
Charlie Palmer, Pilar Sanchez, Charlie Trotter, Nitzi Rabin
Masahara Morimoto, Michael Mina, Johnny Iuzzini, Daniel Boulud
Marcus Samuelson, Eric Ripert, Ken Oringer, Alex Guarnaschelli
Who would star in your dream episode?
And who is your Master?
Great Cast! I have around half those names on my dream list, some of those names I haven’t known yet, the only thing is, I am a bit uneasy about putting “certified master chefs” or those who have that title of “master” on there already, such as Matsuharu Morimoto, he is one of my favorite chefs, of course. I’d even considered putting Master Chef Martin Yan on there although he inspired me in many ways n’ also has been my all time favorite, but for the most part, it may be a bit unfair to put “certified master chefs” on there already, but other than that, great dreamcast, out of many of them renowned celebrated names out there. Here is mine-
Kerry Simon, Akira Back, Charles Phan, Morou Oattara
Duff Goldman, Gabrielle Hamilton, Michael Symon, Chris Consentino,
Neil Fraser, David Chang, Tamara Murphy, Alfred Portale,
Wolfgang Puck, Traci Des Jardins, Patricia Yeo, Marcus Samuelsson,
Lidia Bastianich, Ming Tsai, Rocco DiSpirito, Marta Pulini,
David Myers, Michelle Bernstein, Christian Fischer, Charlie Trotter