Everybody should just cook whatever tastes good and not worry about it, for themselves and for the other contestants.

As much as Antonia's food bores me, she's done really well following this rule so far, especially at Quickfires. In all her interview segments she says things like "I really like to eat [x] so that's what I'm going to make." Her food isn't all that creative, but it does seem to be tasty.

I was thinking about this, actually, wondering if I hated the hats because I hated him or hated him because I hated the hats. I didn't come to any conclusion.

I did wonder if he has an entire special suitcase just for his hats.

I think he only has like 5 hats because I swear I've seen 2 of them over and over and over again.

Yeah, that pinged me, too, sumi. It's a no win for Asians on this show, because either they get accused of only cooking Asian food like Dale or of not cooking enough Asian food like Hung.

Also, it's not like he's only cooking from one cuisine -- he did something homestyle filippino, didn't he? and last night was Vietnamese inspired. I don't think Nikki would have gotten flack for cooking French, because "all she does is European food."

I don't think Nikki would have gotten flack for cooking French, because "all she does is European food."

Exactly! "Asian" cuisine encompasses a multitude of styles.

I would have to look at the Buddakan menu to really make the comparison to Ilan, but if nothing else, at least he doesn't talk about it all the time! Half the stuff Ilan made was one ingredient away from stuff at his job.

So, I'm reading through the TC comments on TWOP, and I find people complaining about Tom's "Someone's going home for a box lunch" zing, and asking "Well, if he thought it was so lame, why did he put it on the show?" and asking, "I'm sure Tom and Padma have some input into the challenges, no?"

I'd always imagined the judges had zero input into the challenges, that they always just showed up, were briefed on the challenges, judged, and then spent the rest of the day at the bar.

Is that how other people assumed it ws done? I mean, I think the average viewer is under the impression that the people on the screen plan everything, in much the same way they believed Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote Buffy's lines, when really, the judges on "Top Chef" probably do very little else but judge.

I really thought that he was only repeating what one of the Cheftestants had said to him during the sniff and sneer. So, I didn't make that much of it. (Was it Andrew who said that?)

Was it Andrew who said that?

Richard, actually, but Tom seemed really amused by it.

This season it feels like the sponsors are designing the challenges.

Tom may have some input (I think he has a producer credit of some kind as well as being a judge), but I'm pretty sure Padma just reads off the cards.