Many of us may not be pleased with Iron Chef America these days, as our beloved Michael Smith sadly lost to Bobby Flay. But that doesn't mean that we still can't have fun with it.

I'll let CGB explain it further...

The idea is to place yourself in a stressful or competitive environment to help you think about how to prepare dishes with only what's in the pantry and fridge, and do it in one hour... Let me add a twist to it, you have to do it at your friend's house and all you're allowed to bring are your knives.

So the challenge is to feed a family with only what's in *their* house. The following week, the 'would be' chef comes to your house and does the same thing. It's a nice way to keep in touch with your friends and spend a few hours chatting. At the end of the month, tabulate the scores (Iron Chef style) and see who the winner is.

• What fun! Not only do you get to enhance your cooking creativity, you get to enjoy a great meal with pals. Join the Iron Chef conversation and share your thoughts.

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What happens when all you find are tasteless carrots? The question was thrown out to the community and Dick Black came through...

I find the best tasting carrots are the ones sold in bunches with their fronds attached. The bagged carrots in cello packaging can hold in cold storage for ages. Baby carrots have been stripped of a lot of taste when they are sculpted down to size. As Claude says, steaming works well. Roasting carrots is also pretty tasty too.


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Wondering why Iron Chef is up here twice, because I've decided to toss up a different perspective.

VictorWong backs himself up... (Read his full explanation in the forum)

I finally got round to seeing the episode.  I will agree that Chef Smith deserved to lose Battle Avocado. Why?

1.  He chose the wrong narrative for the theme ingredient. 
2.  He failed to control his flavors. 
3.  He didn't take into account the sensibilities of the judges.  

However, does his loss make him less of a world-class chef? Of course not. Lots of world-class chefs lose on Iron Chef. Jamie Oliver lost on Iron Chef. So did Lynn Crawford. So did Wylie Dufresne, their first molecular gastronomy challenger. So did Michael Symon, before becoming an Iron Chef himself. So did Alain Ducasse.

• Agree? Disagree? Keep the conversation flowing by participating in the Iron Chef America forum

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