Welcome to Leg 1 of The Amazing Race 34! It’s been a while, and now that COVID has overstayed its welcome, we have a lot of changes. First, we get overhead shots of Munich, Germany, the starting line for this Race. Teams were all flown here for the start, loaded on a giant log raft, and taken on a German Log Flume ride of sorts. (Toyouke: “LOL who set them up for this log flume ride? Give them a raise.”) But after that, we get to meet the teams. (click for more)
Clicky clickyWelcome back to the Amazing Race! It’s season number thirty-four. Which actually feels ungimmicky and with a lot of the same spunk as some of the early seasons, even with the COVID restrictions in place. Also, a relatively quick turn around, as this season filmed in May and June of 2022. As opposed to the last romp about Europe. Oh, and I brought Toyouke along for the snark. Aren’t you lucky? We’ve read the bios and watched the videos, so let’s get to this shall we? (Toyouke: “Why are the individual team bios on Instagram? I refuse to get an Instagram account and this is obnoxious.”) The twelve teams (first time since TAR 15!) for TAR34 are: (click for more)
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Previously on “Top Chef”: in our finale location of...Tuscon...everyone went to the country's oldest Mexican restaurant to make something with carne seca. Evelyn appeared to have the advantage, but Sarah won by being creative. Evelyn is familiar with these ingredients but that means she has to work extra hard to not play it safe. The Elimination challenge asks chefs to make two dishes (one must be sweet) using both cactus and chiltepin, a type of chili pepper. Evelyn won by not playing it safe, but also knowing how to highlight the ingredients. Damarr had some technical failures and was sent home. (click for more)
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Previously on “Top Chef”: the whole episode revolved around fishing. The contestants had to fish for their ingredients and then make two dishes with whatever they caught. Everyone caught something so there was no drama there. Sarah was playful and creative so she won with things like fish that reminded them of pastrami. I thought for a minute they would have a final five but in the end, Nick really screwed up his fish cakes and also his tacos and was sent home. (click for more)
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Previously on “Top Chef”: Sarah returned from Last Chance Kitchen and all the contestants went to Galveston. The Quickfire involves a seafood tower, but they have to make it outside near the beach and hope they don't get sand in everything. Evelyn won for putting her own spin on everything, and she was given extra time to cook during the Elimination Challenge. The chefs were told that there was a family coming for vacation, and they would each be assigned a family member to cook for. Several people read their instructions and realized they were cooking for their own family members. Very cute. Buddha made pasta amatriciana, the dish he had the first time he ate his wife's cooking. It was rustic and the perfect timing to do something rustic instead of crazy and he won. Ashleigh didn't cook her squid long enough so she was eliminated. (click for more)
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Previously on “Top Chef”: the chefs had to cook with food from the farmers' market and proteins from Chipotle for some reason. Nick won because he seems to be very good at Quickfires and winning money. The Elimination Challenge asked the contestants to make food for the International Space Station. I'm not sure how much anyone stuck to the guidelines, but they're only going to be “inspired by” the dish so you know how it is. Buddha won by making a dessert that resembled the moon, although I still feel meringue is too crumbly. But sure. Jae was eliminated for making mushy meat and chewy barley. (click for more)
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Previously on “Top Chef”: the chefs had to make dishes with vegetables in single colors. It was just weird, but interesting. Better than product placement. Damarr won, although he did have green so it wasn't super hard? Then everyone had to make soul food, but it could be whatever spoke to them personally. Didn't have to be traditional American soul food. Jae made a delicious Korean dish and won. Luke fried some meatballs and they were hard to eat so he was sent home. Is it because Tom and the other judges don't get other cultures so even though it was accurate, they didn't get it? I don't know in this case but in the past I do think that's affected other people so it's possible. (click for more)
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