MONDO EXTRAS

While Marcel busies himself espuma-ming everyone, Stephen commands their attention, saying his dish is "real simple, real sexy." His lobster tail dish is composed of lobster poached in a saffron beurre blanc with a cauliflower crème anglaise. First of all, the editorially-challenged Bravo graphics spelled it "buerre blanc" and they have the accent on "crème" going the wrong way. It's not "créme," people! Even my frigging spellcheck knows to autocorrect that as I type! In fact, I'm having a hard time forcing it to do it incorrectly. So, either they need to get an editor over there who knows about food or at least one who owns a copy of Food Lover's Companion and can open it up every once in awhile. Second of all, is this a lobster course or is this dessert? What is with the vanilla and the crème anglaise, which is a sweet dessert sauce? Maybe Stephen is using the term crème anglaise loosely, but it is supposed to be a cream, egg, and sugar sauce. I understand pairing richness with richness, but I guess I just don't like to confuse my lobster with ice cream. Personal taste. Stephen pours out glasses of Prosecco to have with his dish. Ted Allen shouts out that his table is foamless, and when Marcel struts over to remedy that, Ted Allen says, "So not only are you doing foam, and you're not apologizing for foam, but now you're doing tableside foam." Marcel thinks it's the way to go. Yep, the way to go home. Which rhymes with foam, so actually, Marcel? Can you get up a rap for me? Close your ears, Joe. ["And miss Ted Allen's oh-so-precise skewering of Marcel's one claim to fame? Never!" -- Joe R] Again, there's a mixture of opinion. Some loved Marcel's dish, but others thought his knife skills were shoddy and that there was an "undefineable amount of liquid" on the plate. Some really loved Stephen's dish, but others really didn't. Hung, once the camera is on him, makes sure to say, "But I'm going to see if this Prosecco helps." He picks up the double shot glass Stephen set down at his plate, takes a sip, looks straight at the camera, and shakes his head. Oh, he's going to be a fun one. Padma, not really paying attention to Hung except to hear "Prosecco," muses, "Oh, that's true…let's have…a drink." Okay, Potma. Although she does make sure to sweetly thank Stephen as soon as he sets her glass down. Hung keeps making "no" faces at the camera. Shut up, Hung.