That entire team was annoying me with their CYA act.

Evidently, the pronunciation of "blini" got on Ted Allen's nerves, too. He talks about it in his blog.

So far, Andrew is working my last nerve

I kinda like crazy Andy. He reminds me of a coffee slacker I know and love.

Valerie was no great loss (and looked a little like Rachel Dratch from SNL)

Apropos of nothing, Rachel Dratch was at a poetry reading I did in New York last month. I had no idea, and only found out later when I saw a picture of her there.

I don't have a real favorite yet.

I want a woman to win, but Hobbit Mark is winning me over.

Victor - I'm in the same place: I want a woman to win, but I like Markwise. I guess the women haven't really distinguished themselves to me yet.

Victor - I'm in the same place: I want a woman to win, but I like Markwise. I guess the women haven't really distinguished themselves to me yet.

Well, Stephanie got off to a good start, winning the first challenge. It's the striking personalities that stand out best at the beginning, but that doesn't mean they cook the best.

Interestingly enough, aggressive Dale, who talks a good game, was dead in the middle the first challenge, and at the elimination table this one. Not living up to his own hype.

Yes, it was more disappointing that he put the wrong cheese on the mushrooms than that Nikki (I think) made bad stuffed mushrooms in the first place.

I thought it was Dale who made the mushrooms, which is why I couldn't understand Nikki putting them out, but I might have been distracted.

And I'm very excited that Rick Bayless is going to be on next week!!!

No, Nikki made the mushrooms - and Dale and the 3rd guy really hated the way that they looked. . . and nobody tasted them.

Nikki thought that if she didn't put any food out at all she was a shoo-in for the chop. Which is why they made the stupid cheese garnish move.

TC: I love the Hobbit but he was rude to the farmer's market people. But I still love him.

I'm glad the blini lady was gone. That dish just sounded (and not just the super irritating mis-pronounciation) so completely wrong from get go.

ANTM: So sad Marvita's gone! She was hilarious. And not in the "can that girl really be that dumb??!!" way that most of the models are.

Top Chef: But Nikki made all that noise earlier about how she was making two out of the four dishes. So didn't she still have something in? I think she just screwed up by serving the dish. They made the right call to pull it from the patrons, but then she still served it to the judges? Insane.

And seriously, pecorino?

Molecular gastronomy evidently gets on my last nerve. If it's about using science to make food better, then why is it always just making things smell weird or have funky textures? Clearly I am not sophisticated enough to get it.

Antonia really is just gorgeous. I kinda like her, and I like a couple of the others. But they mostly haven't really differentiated themselves to me yet. It's still early enough I only really remember the disasters of food. And again this episode, I don't remember thinking, man I really want to eat that. For all the judges' "This is the best crop of cheftestants evah!" I don't know that I see that yet.

MMaSM: Cannot wait for tonight's episode with special guest star!