Christine wrote:

> Okay...Top Chef Masters is over for this season. My guy didn't
> win...but I am not saying who did, since some of you might not have
> seen it yet.
>
> Anyway, I was just thinking of who I would love to see competing in
> the final 3 chefs.. My dream team, so to speak.
>
> St Jacques. I bet he could STILL put anyone else to shame....no matter
> that he is getting up there in years.
>
> Eric Ripert. The man is HOT, in more ways than 1. He can COOK!
>
> Thomas Keller. Enough said.

One of the necessary attributes for being in that kind of competition is
speed. While Keller is a brilliant chef, his most-successful dishes take a
very long time to make. (The same thing is true of Grant Achatz.) Jacques
Pepin would certainly be a front-runner in the team you mentioned. Eric
Ripert would do well if he was lucky enough to have a seafood option all the
time.

Bob

On Wed, 9 Jun 2010 21:26:23 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:


>One of the necessary attributes for being in that kind of competition is
>speed. While Keller is a brilliant chef, his most-successful dishes take a
>very long time to make. (The same thing is true of Grant Achatz.) Jacques
>Pepin would certainly be a front-runner in the team you mentioned. Eric
>Ripert would do well if he was lucky enough to have a seafood option all the
>time.
>
>Bob
>
And you don't think Keller could adapt? Or Ripert? That is saying
that they aren't good beyond what they do now. I think that is one
thing the competitions do..is test them..and lets them stretch a bit.
They weren't always doing what they do now. They both came up from
the bottom. And I am sure they can move it when they have to.

Christine

Christine wrote:

>> One of the necessary attributes for being in that kind of competition is
>> speed. While Keller is a brilliant chef, his most-successful dishes take
>> a very long time to make. (The same thing is true of Grant Achatz.)
>> Jacques Pepin would certainly be a front-runner in the team you
>> mentioned. Eric Ripert would do well if he was lucky enough to have a
>> seafood option all the time.
>>
> And you don't think Keller could adapt? Or Ripert? That is saying
> that they aren't good beyond what they do now. I think that is one
> thing the competitions do..is test them..and lets them stretch a bit.
> They weren't always doing what they do now. They both came up from
> the bottom. And I am sure they can move it when they have to.

It's not a question of adaptation. It's a question of ingrained skills.
Pepin was an apprentice at a very young age. I don't know about Ripert, but
I know that Keller was *not* trained in that culinary crucible. He says as
much in his books, how he was embarrassed at not knowing some basic skills
even as a head chef. One of his fellow chefs even threw a knife at him
because he couldn't cut up a chicken quickly or correctly.

Bob