‘Top Chef’ talk: The tables are turning

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For the second week in a row, Ariane -- who seemed such an unlikely candidate at the beginning of the season -- won the Elimination Challenge. This time for perfectly cooking lamb. (On the Thanksgiving episode, she received kudos from the judges and guest stars the Foo Fighters for her turkey breast.) She knows how to cook meat, but will she get as far as, say, Stefan -- who has proved far more masterful at refined technique? (Funny that after all his railing against Jeff’s tomato sorbet, the judges loved it.)

This week, it’s Daniel who was axed. Padma once called him lovable, but he probably ought not to wear his striped Chefwear pants in public. How could Padma not cringe? I did. His team’s dish was doomed from the beginning: deconstructed ‘sushi’ served with skewers of beef glazed with peach BBQ sauce, fried shrimp and yuzu sorbet. Ack.

True colors are coming through as the number of contestants dwindles. Jamie’s arrogance has hit a new high. ‘No one expected me not to win,’ she said after Ariane was announced the episode’s winner and received her Calphalon sandwich grill (I felt like I was watching QVC). And what’s with Hosea and Leah? They are obviously going to get in trouble with their respective girlfriend and boyfriend waiting for them at home.

And Fabio (ever the charmer) -- why did he choose to serve Chilean sea bass? And only one brief comment was made by judge Gail Simmons. She remarked nonchalantly that it was politically incorrect. Chilean sea bass? It’s on Seafood Watch’s ‘avoid’ list. Pity the largely overfished Chilean sea bass and its bycatch the albatross.

-- Betty Hallock