The Karmic Kitchen: Jennifer Carroll Goes Crazy

WELCOME TO JEN ALL STARS - too bad she only lasted two episodes.

The girl just can't win. Before you start hammering me, hear me out. Was her dish one of the bottom three? Yes. Was it the worst? Of course, without tasting, don't know. But I will say this I actually thought Tre was going home last night. I listened closely to how Jen was defending her dish and what she was saying was the pork belly was seasoned the way she wanted. She never said the texture was what she was shooting for and frankly in what we were allowed to see, editing-wise, no one challenged her on that. This sounds like a basic difference in how Jen tastes something and how Tom tastes something and try as she might, Jen cannot consistently make Tom happy. She lost out on her season because one of her last dishes was too salty. So she comes here determined to cut back on her seasoning and WHAM! Gets auffed for her egg being too mild. Was her dish all that?

Check out Team Dallas's faces as Jen defends the flavors of her dish. Did her team mates help her out? Producing the dish, yes, evaluating the dish....not so much and here's where it gets tricky. Casey is not going to tell you it does not taste good because the last time she tried to help someone win Top Chef she had the flesh ripped from her bones because Carla took her advice. No way Casey steps into that ring of fire again and frankly I doubt Jen would have listened to her anyway. What about Jamie? Her removal from the kitchen ultimately doomed Jen. Jamie would have had more credibility on flavors of a dish since they would both be on the line for producing it. By the time she gets back, there's nothing that can be done thereby making it all Jen's dish.

I have to admit her anger seemed well placed at times. Tom's question about why they didn't plate each dish separately seemed incredibly stupid. So you want kids and their parents walking around while juggling multiple dishes? Let's face it had they plated it on many small plates, Tom would have pinged them on why they didn't just put it all on one plate so I say score one Jen. I also thought she was correct in being angry about the just exactly what they had to cook with. Adaptability is fun but not to the point where it's so restrictive that you fail to put out food that 1) Tastes good 2) Follows the parameters of the challenge as they are set up (make breakfast for parents and kids) and 3) makes the judges happy. Jen turns out to be right in her Stew Room Testifying. Make food that has the most appeal to the judges because I doubt the judges really care what the parents and the kids thought about any of those dishes. Katie seemed satisfied to get her one cruise ship/buffet line comment about the mini fritatas seeming to forget that the winning team made grits, pudding and pasta, staples of buffet lines all over the world and there by looking superior and snide for her brief time on camera. So yeah, Jen had some good reasons to be pissed. I just wish she has nailed that pork belly because it's about time somebody smarted off to Tom at Judges Table. I quite enjoyed the look on his face that not everyone thinks he's all that and can of Diet Coke.