Top Chef recap

So much to love last night: Tom's Sighs and Frowns! Stefan's bullying other chefs and his crush on Tattoo Girl! Eye pop galore from the Woman Who Looks Like Beaker! Serving Mushy Rice - and thinking that's OK - to the staff of Food & Wine magazine!

Is "Top Chef" the best show on TV or what?

A friend was on last night's episode. I didn't know it and was pleasantly surprised to see her.

Did you understand the whole make-your-own sushi thing? Sushi Guy must have been sniffing wasabi to come up with that silly idea. If you're going to make sushi - use raw fish. Not a fan of cooked meat sushi. And, believe me, when you're dealing with some of the pickiest food snobs in the country- and I mean that in the most loving way, my friend! - you aren't going to win them over with steak sushi, mushy rice, barbecue sauce, and Chilean sea bass.

Still can't remember anyone's name except Fabio and Stefan. Go Stefan go. Love his brazen cockiness. He's like a bald, saucy Dieter.

(Remember Mike Myers' SNL German character who was bored with everyone around him?) It would so make my year if Stefan - should we start calling him Sprockets? - told one of the cheftestants: "Your story has become tiresome.."

More Sprockets, please. Bravo, this guy is a rising star.

More contestants need to be whittled down before I get invested in learning their names. Daniel's did stay with me this episode - not for his melted yuzu sorbet, clueless attitude and arguing with Chef Tom - but because he kind of looks like my Cousin Johnny. (Sorry, Johnny. Love ya, babe, as Grandmom Talorico would say.)

Let's start with the Quickfire Challenge. I was all about the "guess the flavors" test. Having a well-defined palate is one of a chef's best tools. I knew Sprockets was toast when he said there was tomato paste in Mexican mole. I make mole quite often - Rick Bayless (one of Obama's favorite chefs) has one of the best recipes for it in his "Mexico: One Plate at a Time" cookbook. There's no tomato paste in mole, but it does have tomatillos. Other Bald Guy wins and gets immunity.

Other thoughts:

- Girl Wearing the Green Trucker Hat totally annoys me for no real reason. I wish contestants would stop wearing hats to get attention. And cut your bangs, will you?

- Beaker really calls to her husband in a grocery store by yelling Hoodie-Hoo (or something like that???) Are you freaking kidding me? And he's OK with that that?

- Cougar Cook wins on lamb - grrrrr! - much to the chagrin of Tattoo Girl who sulks after her carrots don't give her this episode's Chef's Crown. Tee-hee!

- Why won't The Chick Who Won't Cook Indian Food just cook Indian food?

- Cousin Johnny stands by melted sorbet, last-minute mushrooms in a salad and yucky peach barbecue sauce - and causes the P.O.'ed sighs and frowns from Chef Tom! And, well, you know what means: Ciao, cous. See you at the family reunion.

Some episode!