Greetings and welcome to another installment of Iron Skillet, where we serve up the freshest commentary on the newest episodes of Top Chef as it happens!

My culinary adventures this week have included indulging my passion for heirloom tomatoes in a mozzarella, tomato and arugula salad, and serving up coffee and carrot cake to guests as we watched the President of the United States deliver his defribulator speech to the healthcare reform effort.  This was after serving up a rack of lamb to my sweetie and having a conversation with a very good friend via text message regarding his overindulgence in French wine and the seemingly magical powers of cheese.

But back to the world of Top Chef.....the last few weeks we've been in what most of us know to be the "shakeout" period.  The folks who are obviously outclassed and underskilled are being thinned from the herd, and the chefs who are the ones to watch for the final are emerging.  So far it seems to be a very impressive cast, which means that we may find ourselves facing the tougher eliminations sooner than we thought.

Tonight's episode is promising to be interesting because it's going to focus on classic French cooking after last weeks "cook for the masses" challenge for the Air Force and their families.

So on with the liveblog.....

10:00 pm -- Michael Voltaggio of the incredibly appealing Voltaggio brothers won last week's challenge, Preeti got the boot.  So now the sun rises over the Top Chef house.

10:02 p.m. -- Michael Isabella is lamenting that he's not recognized as the champion he thinks he is.

10:02 p.m. -- everyone is feeling nervous about meeting Daniel Bouloud. And they should. I've eated at Bouloud's place in Vegas and the food is fan-fucking-tastic.

10:03 p.m. -- And the quickfire is snails....

10:04 p.m. -- And someone will go home for losing the quickfire.  Someone's in trouble.

10:04 p.m. -- I am embarassed the Mike Isabella is repping the Greek culinary viewpoint.  Kevin, who is rapidly becoming my favorite, clues us in on the real challenge of the snail.

10:06 pm -- Jesse is going to be in real trouble, because she's been really down in the dumps for most of the competition.  Mattin, ironically, may be at a disadvantage.....Bouloud doesn't want something traditionally French.

10:07 p.m. -- Jennifer wows them with her yuzu, and Jesse comes up with something that looks rather inventive.  How Laurine did a risotto in 30 mintues is beyond me.  And Hector, he still just rubs me wrong.  Robin's presentation looks inventive too.

10:08 p.m. -- Ashley and Kevin have interesting takes on it.  I think I would love to eat Kevin's food.  And I love Michael V.'s lasagna.  And Bryan V. I just love period.  Michael isabella uses ouzo....ugh.

10:10 p.m. -- Kevin, Michael Isabella and Jennifer wow Daniel Bouloud, but Kevin takes the prize.  He's got immunity.  YAY!  We could still send Michael Isabella home! (sorry gang, I'm biased...I won't try to hide it...those sexist remarks in the first episode turned me off.)  The losers get to do a cook off with an amuse bouche.  "One bite to save your life...." Wow.

10:12 p.m. -- Robin does a crab avocado soup, Jesse does something involving a quail egg, and Ashley does foie gras.  Robin's soup was nice, but Jesse's wasn't as good, nor was Ashley's. 

10:14 p.m. -- of course they cut to a commercial before announcing who's going home.....bastards!

10:17 p.m. -- I think it's Ashley going home.

10:18 p.m. -- DAMN!  I was wrong about this....Jesse was probably due to go, though.  She's been hanging around the bottom for a while now.  It's sad, though, because I liked her on a personal level.

10:19 p.m. -- The women are starting to realize they are being eliminated one by one.  And the knife draw is baaaaack....

10:20 p.m. -- They are doing a six course meal in pairs.  Mattin is feeling just a little smug.  But if he doesn't win, he's going to feel like an idiot.  And they are cooking in Joel Roubuchon's kitchen.  Jeebus.

10:21 p.m. -- Kevin gets to eat with Joel Roubechon.  That is AWESOME.  I am so glad Kevin gets to experience that.  i really, really like him.

10:23 p.m. -- And they pair off.  That should be interesting, becuase some of the pairings are going to be odd.  Mattin is totally rolling Ashley, which could factor in the judging, since she's basically not showing up.

10:24 p.m. -- Ron is holding Robin at bay, turning down things like chickpea flower and other nonsense.

10:24 p.m. -- Michael and Bryan V. are looking to compete against each other.  Bryan's restaurant is in Frederick...I think I need to go eat there.

10:26 p.m. -- Hector always seems to be doing the beef.  Pity he's not that good at it.  He deep fried a beautiful steak a couple episodes ago. [shudder]

10:28 p.m. -- I think Ron and Robin are so funny.  Ron is really laid back, and I don't think we've seen everything he can do yet.  He's been hanging back. Whether that's because he's been avoiding judgement or avoiding the spotlight is yet to be seen.

10:32 p.m. -- Mattin is worried about his birthday because he's almost 30....oh my god. 

10:33 p.m. -- Note to the Bravo network: Million Dollar Listing is going to appear crass in this current real estate market.  The fact that the three twerps featured in the show are basically worthless monkeys is merely an ancillary annoyance.

10:36 p.m. -- It's interesting to see the individual chef's ways of dealing with stress. And I am so excited for Kevin getting to eat all the food.

10:37 p.m. -- Robin and Ron appear to be in the weeds.  Ron is working that French Caribbean angle.  Robin is just too frenetic for the more laid back Ron.

10:38 p.m. -- Roubuchon's kitchen is this black and white tiled affair that is odd for a restaurant kitchen.

10:39 p.m. -- Eli is working with Laurine, and she's right that lobster can be tough to cook right, particularly if there is pre-heating involved.

10:41 p.m. -- Michael V. and Jennifer and having a love fest with the cooking together.  They are really enjoying being a team...I'd call romance if I didn't know that Jennifer is too ambitious to settle for making herself into someone's girlfriend.

10:43 p.m. -- Ron and Robin's dish goes out, and it looks horrid.

10:46 p.m. -- Ron and Robin are out first...Daniel Bouloud, Hubert Keller, Jean Joho, and a cast of others...including Joel Roubuchon.  Who does not speak English.  Does his translator get to eat the food too?  God, how cool would THAT gig be!

10:48 pm -- Mike Isabella and Bryan V. did an "eggless"bearnaise.  What was he thinking deconstructing it?

10:50 p.m. -- Robuchon LOVES MIke and Bryan's stuff.  Now comes the lobster.....

10:51 p.m. -- The lobster is not cooked right.  Ashley and Matin made Rabbit ravioli with veloute sauce.

10:52 p.m. -- Frenchie is in trouble.. too much bacon, poussin is overcooked.....this could end badly for someone.

10:52 p.m. -- The lovefest with Mike V. and Jennifer goes on...the dish looks lovely.

10:53 p.m.  -- Ash and Hector are doing bloody beef and the sauce.  This is not good.

10:55 p.m. -- The beef dish is getting skewered, and Robuchon is aghast.  I think Hector is in real trouble here.

10:56 pm -- Robuchon wants to hire the entire cast.

10:56 p.m. -- Kevin goes back to the holding pen with the other chefs, but reveals nothing about what the judges said.

10:57 p.m. -- I need to put on my jammies....this is what happens when I drink red wine....I need to put on something more comfortable.....

11:00 p.m. -- Ahh...much better.  For once I am not minding it's a supersized episode.

11:00 p.m. -- Bryan and Mike V., Michael and Jennifer are in the room, as the higher scoring teams.  Padma is the only woman I have ever seen who could make orange look elegant.

11:02 p.m. -- Okay, the lovefest between Jennifer and Mike V. is funny.  She looks kind of like a lovestruck schoolgirl.

11:03 p.m. -- Bryan V. wins!  I really lurve the Voltaggio brothers.

11:04 p.m. -- The bottom four are predictable....Mattin and Ashley, Hector and Ash.  Mattin is getting crucified, so he throws Ashley under the bus. And Mattin LIED.  He sure as shooting DID shoot down the Asparagus veloute.

11:05 p.m. -- Ash and Hector are both in trouble, Ash for not gettign sauce on the plate, Hector for poor execution.  I think Hector is really in trouble here.  Gail has it in for him with the sloppy knife technique.

11:07 p.m. -- Ash is awesome in his attitude.  He basically says it as it is...what they say is *right* and that's what makes it painful.

11:08 p.m. -- Hector is getting crucified for the meat.  But Ash, to be fair under-represented the sauce.  Ashley is up for critcism becasue she copped out. 

11:09 p.m. -- Tom Colicchio touches on the fact that Mattin fell down on the job....Mister Frenchie should have done better.

11:09 p.m. -- Contestants are reassembled for the verdict.  And.....cut to commercial!

11:11 p.m. -- I want to hate the new Prius commercials.  Really.  I do. But they are too cute.

11:12 p.m. -- I am not sure who's going home...but my money is on Hector going home.  It's kinda inexcusable what he did to that meat.

11:13 p.m. -- Apparently I am better at predicting Elimination Challenge losers as opposed to quickfire losers. Hector is going home.

11:14 p.m. -- And next week, they will be going into the desert to cook...Awesome.

Thanks everyone for tuning in!  I'll see you all next week!