Like an alliance between a homely, fair, slender, God-fearing maiden and a Doctor, it’s ON!

TONIGHT, at 9pm EST we’ll start the live-blogging party (like we did for the Slumdog-sweepin’ Oscars) for the newest season of Top Chef.

Like last season, there is a brown girl in the ring– San Francisco’s Preeti Mistry. She’s 33, a graduate of the Cordon Bleu, a locavore and the executive Chef at God’s own empire, I mean, teh Google. More:

Preeti works as an Executive Chef for Bon Appetit Management Company at Google’s headquarters south of San Francisco and previously the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Born in London and raised in the US, Preeti’s Indian culture, extensive international travel, classic French culinary training and access to the best local California ingredients inspire her cooking. She enjoys building intense flavors, and truly shines when working with sauces, soups and vinaigrettes. Preeti’s commitment to seasonality, and her relationship with small local farmers are at the core of her cuisine. If she were a food, she says, “I would be a green zebra tomato – extremely distinctive from all the others, a little hard on the outside, but pure love at the center.” {link}

I expect all the Googlers who have tasted Mistry’s magic to chime in with their opinions on her skillz, the moment this post hits their blog aggregator. Aside: do Googlers call it “work reader”? Ah, never mind my bollocks.

I hope Ms. Mistry doesn’t disappoint like Radhika Desai, the Chicago Chef with potential who ended up being remembered more for her perpetual deer-in-the-headlights-of-an-oncoming-semi-look than her often winning dishes which contained Desi flavors and influences did. Here’s to no meltdowns during restaurant wars, yes? YES.

If that’s not enough brownosity for you, there’s always Padma Lakshmi to swoon over. Hate all you want, but I love that fiercely-scarred, word-slurring, purp-lovin’, kinda-Mallu model.

Who else is excited that the best reality show EVAR is back with new episodes? Don’t be shy, I promise that you are among fellow addicts. We, too, now nod with smug recognition when we see words like “chiffonade” or “gastrique” on menus. Like you, we know that Padma’s wardrobe comes in two sizes for her unavoidable, take-one-for-the-team weight gain during each season. We join you in being glad that Gail Simmons is back. This is a safe-space for Top Chef-fiends. Welcome home, foodie fools and get ready to get your babble on, in less than five hours. 🙂