Hail, pilgrims! Ready to talk turkey on Top Chef? Who's up for some candid yammering? (I know. My Thanksgiving puns are awful. I'll do better on Christmas Eve, I promise.) In case you're new to this ritual, it starts at 10PM Eastern, when we all turn on Top Chef and post comments about it. And rest assured that no turkeys will be harmed in the process (although many a cocktail is likely to bite the dust). Before we dig in, here are some highlights from last week's live blog:

  • The commenters remembered to play "How Stoned Is Padma?" this time, and our average scores (on a scale of 1 to 5) came in as follows: During the quickfire challenge — 2.5. During the elimination challenge — 4.2. Our conclusion? Unlike a slice of bread, Padma is more likely to be toasted in the evening.
  • The elimination challenge meals were graded by 50 failed Top Chef applicants who — as far as I could tell — could taste nothing but sour grapes.
  • Some woman ("Jill" I think her name was?) cooked a ginormous egg which, as commenter adiam7 observed, "looked like the one Wilma used to make Fred." Then Mrs. Flintstone was told to pack her knives, started sobbing, and generally did not have a gay old time.

And here are few suggested "things to watch for" as we live-blog tonight:

  • Molecules! Tonight's Guest judge is chef Grant Achatz who, we are told, is a "forerunner of molecular gastronomy." Now I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that's where you cook stuff using fancy molecules like NaCl, H2O and NaHCO3. Also, a dash of C2H5OH in the sauce never hurts.
  • Misfires! Last week, Ariane's abuse of the C12H22O11 molecule sent Padma's tastebuds into toxic shock. So let's watch for what Ariane might gag Padma with this week. The world's tartest cranberry sauce, maybe?
  • Musical guests! The title of tonight's episode is "Foo Fighters Thanksgiving" which, to me, summons a mental image of the Foo guys wearing white turtlenecks before a crackling fire, singing along with the ghost of Andy Williams. (And yes, I know Andy Williams is still alive.) But I'm guessing they'll actually just show up, sit down and eat stuff. Hopefully, they'll plug a worthwhile charity while they're at it — preferably one that involves feeding hungry folks.

And on that note, let's take a moment to be thankful of our own good fortune and good company. Then let's tune in, start typing and get more trashed than a Glad garbage bag!