Top Chef on Bravo: Into the Fire

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of reality TV. However, my one guilty pleasure is Top Chef on Bravo. Season one proved to be pretty entertaining, and hearing some of the recipes these chefs came up with had me salivating. Of course, some of the recipes were downright vile sounding (how many different weird flavors can you put in one dish Stephen?) 

The contestants were a varied group, some with very little culinary experience: a health nut who loves to talk about how food can help the bowels; a crazy Irishman offed in the first show for being a little bit too nuts I think; a likeable but grumpy winner; a bitchy and unlikeable final contestant; a crying man who got screwed out of the finale; a strange stuck up sommelier - way too stuffy for such a young man; and several other contestants. 

The judges: Tom Colicchio owner of several Craft restaurants, author, celebrated chef. He's not entirely fair; pretty biased in his opinion of some (he was clear in his dislike for dave, the crying chef. And man did he want Tiffani to win or what?) and used his kitchen walk throughs against some contestants. Gail Simmons, in charge of Special Projects with Food and Wine Magazine. 

These two will continue this season. Padma Lakshmi, supermodel, actress, cookbook author and wife of Salman Rushdie, will replace the stiff and robotic Katie Lee Joel, wife of Billy Joel. At least Padma has more culinary knowledge, and so far more personality than Joel.

So on to the season opener. Contestants in no particular order: 
Josie, whose bio says she's loud and outspoken, a member of the NY Sharks Women's professional football team, sous chef. Severe hair and big teeth is what I noticed first.

Ilan, a Ted Allen of Queer Eye look-alike, is a line chef in NY and says he will debate with someone when he knows he's right. Sounds like he could get irritating. 

Mia, owner of a restaurant, makes home style and BBQ foods. Trained at a junior college. Seems to like cowboy hats.