Hey, folks! How was your Fourth of July? Well, you can help celebrate another fourth tonight—our fourth Top Chef live blog of the season. So grab a sparkler and a hot dog, and join us in the comments!

If you're new to this commenting celebration, here's how it works: The live blog is a group effort, created by anyone who want to join in. When the show starts (on Bravo, at 9 pm Eastern), just fire off your own witty cracks and bursts of inspiration in the comments section below this post. It'll be a blast—just like last week's live blog was! Here are a few highlights from that one:

  • Many commenters were irritated by the chefs' complaints about how hard it is to make pie. Has the phrase "easy as pie" never been heard by these people? If this show had a falling-of-a-log challenge, this group would probably complain about how hard it is to fall of a log. "Hey, I'm no lumberjack!"
  • When Tracey told us she was clairvoyant, many commenters questioned whether she foresaw her own imminent failure. Here's my guess: The moment Tracey asked Kenny how to "turn down" her charcoal grill, a vision of Padma intoning "Tracey … please pack your knives" probably flashed before her eyes.
  • We were all startled by the sudden appearance of some woman named "Lynn," whom none of us recalled seeing before. Perhaps she spent the first two episodes hiding in the stew room behind a carton full of Ziploc bags?
  • When Alex said, "I'd want to eat the ass out of this pig all day," I thought of the perfect nickname for him: Ass-munch. So let's call him that from now on, shall we?
  • Commenter MicMutt posed this Zen-like question: "What's more true – ‘easy as pie' or ‘piece of cake'?"

And there were many, many more interesting and witty comments last week, of course. I've posted a selection of some of my favorites. Give them a read! But first, take a gander at this list of things to watch for as we live blog tonight's episode:

  • In tonight's quickfire challenge, the chefs will be asked to make baby food for Padma's newborn infant. What a clever way to tie a challenge into her recent pregnancy! I was guessing they'd make the chefs cook something using Padma's breast milk as an ingredient, but I have to admit, this is a much better idea.
  • There will be a double elimination! Maybe they can eliminate Stephen twice? Seems to me he really deserves it.
  • Special guests will include past cheftestants like hunky Bryan Voltaggio, douchey Michael Isabella, and that guy from a couple seasons ago who wore stupid hats all the time — a k a "stupid-hat-wearing guy." He'll be the one wearing the stupid hat.

OK, time to light the fuse on this thing. Let's get posting, patriots!

[Image via Bochkarev Photography/Shutterstock]