My Weekend Wedding Crush

Look, even as a person who is less than 100 days from being officially, officially, divorced, I can still appreciate love and marriage and even weddings. So I was rather tickled to read the glowing marriage announcements in both The New York Times and People of Maria Bello and Dominique Crenn. First, I’m tickled they made it. They’ve been dating (and engaged) forever in celebrity years. And second, of all the kinds of weddings, gay weddings are clearly my favorites. Duh. And finally third, I love it when queer love gets treated just like straight love in major media, because I’m old enough to remember when it very much wasn’t. So mazel tov to Maria and Dominique. May they live a long, happy and extremely gay life together. Happy weekend and start of Pride tomorrow, all.

Tank Top Tuesday: Top Chef Edition

So I started watching “Top Chef” again after, well, years. I wanted to see how Kristen Kish did replacing Padma Lakshmi. Which is to say I wanted to see Kristen Kish. And so far I think her and her vests are doing just fine as the new host. I mean, no one can replace Padma Lakshmi because Padma Lakshmi. That said I am enjoying how Kristen shows up every week in her signature vest-in-lieu-of-a-top look. And when she isn’t wearing a vest, she’s wearing something sleeveless. And if she isn’t wearing something sleeveless, she’s wearing a blazer. So, truly, we are all winner here.

I’ve also been a little thrilled with how lesbian the special guest judges have been so far this season. Clea DuVall and Dominique Crenn (a.k.a. Maria Bello’s fiancée)? Thank you, whatever queer lady foodie producer is making these booking choices. Thank you. So, thoughts on this season so far? I mean, it is a Tuesday and the rules do consider vests to be acceptable variations on a tank top. Oh, and clearly I’m rooting for queer cheftestant Rasika, not that she needs my help. But, you know, Go Team Rainbow Chefs! And vests!

Gender Fuck Thursday: Iron Chef Lesbians Edition

If you’ve been around Surrenders for a while you’ll know that food shows are one of my weaknesses. And of course one of the O.G. food shows is “Iron Chef.” Now, the series is back on Netflix of all places and, lemme tell ya, it’s bigger and gayer than ever before. Bigger because they’ve made an enormous new kitchen stadium. And gayer because they’ve added not one but two out queer female chefs: new co-host Kristen Kish and new Iron Chef Dominique Crenn.

You probably know Kristen from winning Season 10 of “Top Chef.” And you probably know Dominique from her three-starred Michelin restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco and her engagement to actress Maria Bello. Anyway, the new season is an extravagant delight. I’ve particularly enjoyed how they’ve increased the number of both female competitors and female sous chef overall. (Yes, I miss the show’s O.G. lesbian Iron Chef, Cat Cora, but all the Iron Chefs are new now).

I also love how incredibly Fisher-Price quality to the show’s top prize, the so-called Golden Knife which looks like some PA spray painted about 30 minutes before the show started. Anyway, if you like cooking shows and incredibly talented queer female chefs, yeah, you should watch. And, if none of that entices you, please know that Kristen wears an incredible assortment of suits through the show’s eight-episode season. Yeah, tuck in, you’re coming to dinner.