So there is a little Tom Colicchio news. He is a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef. There is also a great story on him and his son over at People. It is a sweet story about his son’s birth, the hospital that his son was at and the wonderful fundraising he does for it.

(HT: Blogging Top Chef)

Who isn’t intrigued by that title? It is the name of a new Lifetime show. Well, first it was the name of a BBC show that is being remade. There are going to be 3 chefs that a showing better recipes. The really interesting part is that 1 of the chefs is Candice Kumai from Top Chef. It is starting in May 2009.

(HT: Top Chef: They Cook We Dish)

So here we are to find out who is going to win Top Chef. I am rooting for Carla but Stefan has a really good shot.

On a separate Top Chef note. I was watching this week’s Iron Chef America and Arianne was on as a sous chef.

So they start out having breakfast on the Creole Queen paddleboat. Then they go meet Padma and Tom at the New Orleans Collection. The challenge is to create a 3 course tasting menu. It is going to be served head to head and they don’t have to do dessert. They have 2 hours of prep the first day and then 3 hours to cook day of. They brought in Richard, Casey and Marcel from the previous seasons to serve as sous chefs. They had to pull knives to choose sous chefs. Carla got to pull the first knife because she won the last challenge. I would have thought she would have gotten to choose first. Hosea got Richard, Stefan got Marcel, and Carla got Casey.

Then Stefan and Hosea were fighting over foigras. Casey suggests that Carla suvee the sirloin, which she has never done before. Hosea realizes that Casey is throwing in her influence. But I notice he didn’t bother asking Richard for any suggestions.

So day of they find Tom at the restuarant they are cooking at. He is standing in front of an aligator. I am calling a new course. They have to make and appetizer for a tray pass. They will use alligator, crab or red fish. They will use the King Cake to choose. It is a cake that has a prize in it and who ever the prize gets to choose everyone’s protein. Hosea got it. He chose red fish for himself, gave Carla the crab and gave Stefan the alligator.

Stefan is making an alligator soup to pass? What? Now Carla is doing a soup but it is a bite in a Asian spoon. Maybe Stefan is doing the same basic thing. Hosea is not making a dessert because he isn’t good at it and doesn’t want it to be the last thing he serves. Stefan is freezing the fish so he can slice it thin. Marcel doesn’t like that idea but I don’t think he said anything. I think Carla shouldn’t let Casey talk her out of the tart and into the souffle. Carla and pastry are good. Carla ruined the souffle because she forgot to turn the oven down. I thnk that is the end for Carla.

Hosea: Trio of Sashimi, Scallops & Foie Gras with Pain Perdu, Venison with Wild Mushrooms
Carla: Seared Snapper with Saffron Aioli & Crouton, Sous-vide New York Strip Steak with Potato Rod w/Merlot Sauce, Cheese Tart with Apple Coins & Marmalade
Stefan: Halibut & Salmon Carpaccio, Squab with Braised Red Cabbage & Schnupfnudeln, Ice Cream & Chocolate Mousse with Vanilla Syrup & Lollipops

Serving and Judging:

John Besh is one of the guests!!! Fabio is also a guest. Hosea’s passed app seemed to go over well. Stefan served his alligator soup in a little mug. Both Stefan and Carla’s dishes seemed to go well. Then we go onto the plated food. Carla’s fish went well. Hosea’s didn’t do well. He didn’t add enough salt. Stefan turned his fish a bit watery because he froze it. They also thought Stefan’s was a bit bland. Then onto 2nd course. Carla’s steak didn’t go well. Stefan’s went really well. Gail loved Hosea’s dish. Someone thought Stefan’s dessert was the best. Gail thought it was outdated and Tom thought it was eh. Fabio thought that Hosea closed the meal better. Someone else thought that Hosea should have finished with a dessert and that he took the safe way out. Between the steak and dessert, I am pretty sure Carla is out. Since Stefan’s dessert didn’t impress Gail or Tom, I am afraid that Hosea is goign to win this one.

Now onto Judging Table. Tobey thought that Carla’s meat wasn’t her and wasn’t that good. Tom said she let Casey talk out of her out of making the food that got her to the finale. Tobey said that Hosea didn’t add enough citrus to his sashimi. They all liked his 2nd course. They all liked the venison but seemed to be dissapointed about dessert. They thought that Stefan’s fish was watery and bland. They all liked his squab and thought it was the best of the night. When they asked why they should be top chef, Carla cried a little and said when she makes her food she is a top chef. Stefan also started crying for Carla. As soon as deliberation started they said that Carla was out. That just makes me sad, my heart hurts for her. They all think that Stefan’s dessert was pedestrian. Hosea’s procession was good. Tobey really was hung up of the fact that Hosea’s meal didn’t have an ending. They thought that Stefan’s missed soul though he had precision. Tobey said that if you are giving it for soul, give it to Carla. I second that. I feel Carla is the Top Chef here!!!!! But unfortunately Hosea won:(.

I don’t think that Stefan wouldn’t be the easiest to get a long with but he is consistantly good. Sometimes you can afford a huge ego because you really are that good. Hosea, I think, sucks. As both a person and a chef. Carla has the most heart but wasn’t consistent and I believe in constistancy. I think in all fairness Stefan should have won not Hosea at all!!!

I will see you all next week for a little reunion snark!

First off, Leah’s gone!! So would Fabio’s hair be considered a Mohawk? I love Carla’s hair straight. Emeril owns 10 restaurants? Oh my!

Quickfire:

The chefs competing in the quickfire are Jeff, Jamie and Leah. The winner joins the finalists in the elimination challenge. They will each have 1 hour to make a dish with crayfish. Leah says she has never cooked with crayfish. Did she not know that she was going to New Orleans?!?!?! That is one of the most quintessential New Orleans’ ingredients. Leah is making a gumbo she has never made. Jeff is making crayfish and shrimp. Jamie is making an actual original dish with some sort of corn cake with an egg and crayfish. I hope Jamie wins!!!!

Jeff won. He just seems so pretentious. In order to make it to the finale Jeff must win the elimination challenge.

They all are going to Emeril’s Delmonico restaurant. I hope everyone pays attention because the dinner often comes into play for the elimination challenge.

Elimination Challenge:

They will have to creat 2 dishes and 1 cocktail each for a masquerade ball that they will cater for 100 people. 1 dish must be a creole dish. The winner of the challenge will also get a car. Shockingly it is a Toyota and not a Saturn.

Jeff is making his own sausage. Carla is having a dickens of a time to shuck her oysters. Stefan is just screwing off. I wonder if it is going to bite him. Fabio was smart studing flavor profiles before he came. I agree with Tom that Carla should have steamed her oysters because they are going into a stew anyway. Carla gets there at the site and only has a third of them shucked.
They are given a bartender to help them but Fabio wants to mix it himself. I don’t know if he is but he wants to. Hosea forgot ustensils to serve the gumbo (and a whisk).

Hosea’s Menu: Duck, Andouille and Chicken Gumbo, Pecan-Crusted Catfish, Hurricane with Grand Marnier and Rum

Jeff’s Menu: Fryed Oyster with Sausage, Crawfish Pot De Creme, Cucumber Mojito

Carla’s Menu: Oyster Stew, Shrimp and Andouille Beignet, Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Spritzer

Fabio’s Menu: Sausage and Rabbit Maque Choux with Grits, Crawfish and Crab Stew with Caserecci Pasta, Muffuletta Bread, Bell Pepper Martini

Stefan’s Menu: Duck and Rabbit Gumbo with Grits, Apple Beignet, Black Cherry and Rum Cocktail

Serving and Judging:

No Tobey, Gail is back!!! They liked Jeff’s Cucumber Mojito. Fabio didn’t have enough heat in his food. They liked Stefan’s gumbo but the roux wasn’t dark enough. Carla used Emeril’s seasoning. They loved Carla’s food! Hosea studied up on the food and he did a real authentic gumbo.

So back at the Judging table Tom commended Jeff on making his own sausage and Jeff said he couldn’t win if he just stole someone else’s sausage and didn’t make his own. Burn!!! I think at least Hosea and Stefan used premade sausage. There was some dissing on Fabio’s food for not spicy enough and the drink was to sweet. Stefan got hit for not deep enough roux and Tom thought he was just a little to clam in the kitchen. When they got to Carla they asked her what they thought. She thought she might have had to much bay in the stew and both Tom and Emeril told her there was nothing wrong with that stew at all. You go girl! (It is obvious I want her to win;) Emeril even liked her non alcoholic cocktail. Gail loved her beignet and Emeril loved that they were fresh. They really liked Hosea’s roux and his gumbo.

According to the judges there was a clear winner and it was Carla!!! I feel bad for Jeff because I don’t think he lost but since he didn’t win he can’t go on. In the end Fabio was the other chef eliminated.

So who will be Top Chef? I think and hope it will be Carla!!! Join me next time to see!!!!

I still can’t believe that Jamie was kicked off! What is Leah still doing here?!?!? Well, lets see if we can get rid of her this week.

Quickfire Challenge:

Wylie Dufresne!!! This guy totally rocks! Science and food, my favorites. Eggs are the basis for this challenge. They have to just create a dish with eggs. The bottom was Fabio because he danced around the idea of eggs, Hosea because his 3 dishes didn’t flow, Leah because she had a heavy potato ravioli. The top was Carla because of her playfulness and Stefan because of his technique. The winner was Carla with her green eggs and ham!

Elimination Challenge:

They had to draw knives with chef’s names. They are making a “last meal” for these superstars of the culinary world. They even are providing our cheftestants with a basic menu. Carla was allowed to trade since she won but she didn’t want to. So to make things interesting, Fabio bent his finger back and broke it while he was cooking. Now it was just his little one but ouch! 10 minutes before service starts Tom comes back and says not to embarass him. Leah thinks that her Hollandais isn’t quite right but she was going to thin it out.

Carla: Jacques Pepin- Roast Squab with Fresh Peas
Hosea: Susan Ungaro- Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes Provencal
Leah: Wylie Dufresne- Eggs Benedict
Stefan: Marcus Samuelsson- Roasted Salmon and Spinach
Fabio: Lidia Bastianich- Roast Chicken with Roast Potatoes and a Leafy Green Salad

Service and Judging:

Leah went first. Wylie thought that the egg white was to runny. Samuelsson thought her textures were off. Then Stefan was up. Samuelsson and Wylie thought that the salmon was overcooked. Susan said she wouldn’t have noticed that he did 2 kinds of spinach if he hadn’t said. Then Hosea is up. They seemed a bit dissapointed with it over all. Then Fabio served. I have to say that I am impressed that he kept his injured hand behind his back all the tim. He did a good job and seemed to be the first one to impress anyone. That was with the chicken. Unfortunately the salad wasn’t as big a hit. Then Carla was up. Susan really liked Carla’s dish. Marcus though it was over cooked but Lidia thought it was perfect. So it looks like Fabio, Leah or Carla will win.

So they call everyone at once to the judges table. Jacques Pepin is representing all the chefs as guest judge. Leah’s eggs needed to be cooked and her Hollandaise was to thin. They thought Stefan’s salmon was overcooked and with cream on both the fish and the salmon it was to much. Hosea’s shrimp just wasn’t what she had been looking for and his tomato should have been seared. Hosea said he didn’t want to put out ugly food and Pepin said he should have gone for taste. Fabio’s chicken was a hit. But the salad looked like an airplane salad. Carla said her breats were overcooked but Pepin said by taste you wouldn’t have known. They also liked the peas and were shocked that fresh peas were that good at that point in the season.

Do they know at this point that Fabio broke his finger? It is never mentioned. They say that the top 2 were the squab and the chicken. As they deliberate it is mentioned that Fabio’s finger is broken. The winner was Fabio! He won a bottle of wine and a trip to Napa. Then we came to the bottom 3 of Leah, Hosea and Stefan. Leah is out!!!

So our final 4 going to New Orleans are Hosea, Stefan, Fabio and Carla. I am a little dissapointed the Emeril is going to be the guest judge. I personally think John Besch would have been a better choice.

Here we meet again. I think it is going to start getting good now! Final 6!!!!

Quickfire Challenge:

Our guest judge is the illustrious Eric Ripert! Hosea is nervous because he is a fish guy like Eric Ripert. The challenge was to test precision and speed in a fish fillet tournament. Round 1 is sardines. They have to clean and butterfly it like Eric’s in 5 minutes. Leah and Fabio were on top. Jamie and Carla were on the bottom. Round 2 is artic char and they have to fillet it. It looks like the bottom 2 are out. Leah gave up, can you believe that? Leah and Fabio were out now. Round 3 is fresh water eel. They have to peel it and fillet it. Since eel is big in Europe, Stefan had a bit of an advantage. So of course he won the quickfire. He invites them to lunch at Le Bernadin the next day. I sense trap (and I saw the preview;).

Elimination Challenge:

They all go to lunch and Eric has selected 6 of their dishes to serve the contestants. Then out comes the knife block. They will have to each recreate one of the dishes. They will have 2 hours to prep and practice with Eric coming by to critique. Stefan gets to pick his course. Then the rest had to pick a knife. It looks like they put together a tray with all the ingredients so at least they don’t have to wonder what was in it. Now on that tray are basically whole fish so we get to see how the portioning is. Leah says how she knows how to do the fish but she was nervous the day before. Come on?!?!?! She hasn’t done well anytime she touches a fish. When critique time happens it seems Stefan is closest. Jamie didn’t even have Eric taste her dish because she didn’t have time for Eric to taste. What does that mean? She didn’t have it done or didn’t want to slow down? Either way I think it is a mistake. Especially she didn’t like the dish when she had it so I think she needed the input.

Stefan: Lobster dish
Carla: Escolar
Leah: MahiMahi
Jamie: Black Bass
Hosea: Monk Fish
Fabio: Red Snapper

Service and Judging:

Fabio got to go first. His bread was overdone. But they thought it was pretty good. Leah is next and she already knows she is off on the miso. Tom says the only favor is ginger and his fish is over done. Then it is Stefan’s turn. His sauce isn’t a light but Eric’s was done in a blender. They think it is really close. Carla is having a problem with her fryer oil. But my question is why did she only have 1 thing of oil going? In the end her potatoes weren’t as crispy but otherwise was very good. Hosea’s fish just isn’t the same. Hosea was still using to much zatar. The fish also didn’t rest before he cut it. Jamie had salty celery and knew it. The fish is well cooked but not quite as well.

So back at judges table they wanted to see Fabio, Stefan and Carla. The winner was Stefan again. Then the rest went in. I am afraid it is going to be Jamie because of the celery but she is so great I don’t want her to go. I don’t find people knowing the fish should have rested and just didn’t comforting at all. Tom says not many people knows that monk fish needs to rest. What? I have heard that monk fish is meaty and then needs to rest. I haven’t even tasted monk fish!

In end it was Jamie that got sent home. NO!!!!

Well, next week we get to see who the final 4 will be. Stay tuned!

Before we get going a couple of things. Carla has to get out of the pastry rut! Leah and Hosea need to keep it in their pants. So hold on for the live blog! (well, live to tivo)

QuickFire Challenge:

The guest judge is Scott Conant. The chefs have to pick a square then they will line up with both a food group and key ingredient. It ends up that everyone’s key ingredient was whole grain oats regardless of your food group. I am interested in how good or bad the eggplant in oats will be. The judge made fun of it. Oats in breading is so not original. I am a home chef and have known about it for years. Really, that is the best they could come up with? So on the bottom was Leah (that fish is biting her again), Fabio and Jeff. Doing to much got Jeff again, he needs to calm it down and pick one idea at a time. On top was Carla, Jamie and Stefan. The winner was Stefan. Again.

Elimination Challenge:

So everyone got Top Chef jerseys/jackets with their names on the back. So here come past season chefs. They are Andrew, Josie, Andrea, Spike, Camille, Nikki, and Miguel. There is a head to head cookoff where they are celebrating the regional cuisine for each team. Stefan gets to pick so he picks the Dallas Cowboys and is going against Andrea. Then everyone else had to choose their teams each. They will have 20 minutes to make a dish and will be doing it in front of culinary students using only the ingredients provided. They had 2 hours to plan their dish and test out some stuff. In judging the judges score a winner (7 points) and the Fan tasters vote for a score of 3.

Miami Dolphins: Jeff vs Josie
Packers: Fabio vs Spike
Seahawks: Hosea vs Miguel
Giants: Leah vs Nikki
49’ers: Jamie vs Camille
Saints: Carla vs Andrew

Looking at her ingredients, Jamie starts to panic a bit. Stefan is sure that Andrea can’t cook and so he doesn’t have anything to worry about.

Serving:

NY Giants: Leah(Strip Steak with Creamed Corn, Snap Peas& Arugula Salad) vs Nikki (Chicken Livers with Onions and Goat Cheese on Challah) Leah scored the touchdown and Nikki got the field goal.

Seattle Seahawks: Miguel (Cedar Plank Salmon with Noodles and Mushrooms) vs Hosea(Crispy Salmon Roll with Ginger-Blackberry Sauce) Hosea won the touchdown 3-1. He also won the field goal.

New Orleans Saints: Andrew(Crayfish Crudo with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette) vs Carla(Crawfish and Andouille Gumbo over Grits) Carla wins the touchdown but not the field goal.

Dallas Cowboys: Andrea(Tex Mex Chili with Fried Corn Chips and Guacamole Coleslaw) vs Stefan(Roasted Pork with Coleslaw and NY Steak with Corn Salad) I have to saw that both of Stefan’s dishes sounded so good. The judges were split so the whole 10 point sat with the fan tasters. And they awarded the full 10 points to Andrea. So Stefan is the 1st old chef to win.

SF 49’ers: Jamie (Crab Cioppino with Olives, Basil and Toasted Sourdough) vs Camille(Miso Sweet Potato Mash with Mustard Crab Meat and Salad) The judges were once again tied but Jamie won the tasters and won all 10 points.

Miami Dolphins: Josie(Warm Rock Shrimp Ceviche with Papaya) vs Jeff(Rock Shrimp Ceviche with Sangria Sorbet) Josie won the touchdown and the field goal.

Green Bay Packers: Spike (Five-Spice Venison with Port Reductions and Micro Herb Salad) vs Fabio (Venison with Mustard Sauce and Mache Salad with Cheddar) Spike won the touchdown due to Fabio over cooking the venison. But Fabio won the field goal.

Judging Table:

So first up are our winners! Toby tasted Carla’s love. Scott actually liked how Jamie cooked. The single winner was Carla! She won 2 tickets to the SuperBowl. Then the losers went in. Fabio said that the venison was done right before he said it on the hot cabbage. Fabio then started to argue about putting acid on salad with cheese. Jeff was angry he got beat by a hot ceviche. He then got told it was because it didn’t have enough flavor regardless of how many techniques he used. In the end Jeff was sent hope. After all Jeff’s talk about Josie not making a ceviche, he poached his shrimp. What a hipocrite.

Now is when it starts to get real exciting because we are getting close to the end. So I will see you all next week!

Here we meet for 1 of the most exciting episodes of the season!

Right off, Leah and Hosea are being held responsible for throwing Ariane under the bus.

Quick Fire Challenge:
Steven Star is our guest judge this week. Apparently he is a huge restaurateur. So they are having to do a tasting for Steven Star of 1 dish. The 2 favorites will be the chef/owner of restaurant wars. They had 30 minutes.

Jamie appears to be the smart one because she doesn’t want to win this one. The bottom was Jeff and Fabio. The top was Radhika with her India Middle Eastern cuisine and Leah won with her Asian inspired.

Elimination Challenge:
The teams are: (Sahana) Radhika, Jamie, Carla , Jeff vs (Sunset Lounge)Leah, Hosea, Fabio, Stefan. Stefan was chosen last! They can plan 1 day and then 6 hours to prep the next day.

Radhika is going to take the front of the house with her restaurant. Leah has to be careful to not get run over by Stefan. They had 1 hour at Pier 1 to spend $5000. At least this year everyone seem to agree about getting unscented candles;). It really seems as if Jamie is going to be running Radhika’s restaurant because Radhika is scared.

Break from the Kitchen—–
What is up with Hosea and Leah? They both have relationships and Hosea says how nothing can happen. Then what are they doing laying down together?!?!! That is not cool! Then kissing a little, also not cool! Hosea says he regrets the kissing but dude! This is effecting the kitchen.

——Back to the Kitchen

Radhika and Carla are going to Whole Foods and Jamie and Jeff are going to Restaurant Depot. For the other team, Fabio and Hosea are going to Restaurant Depot while Stefan and Leah are going to Whole Lunch. Good going Jeff for going into Restaurant Depot’s freezer to look for lamb shanks! It seemed like a very calm trip for both teams.

How is chocolate parfait and panna cotta considered asian? Carla once again is playing pastry chef. I am starting to wonder if she does anything else. Radhika isn’t making any food decisions and Carla wanted her input. That is a total failure of leadership. But Leah seems to be having a hard time getting her prep done. She killed the cod by portioning before deboning. Who does that? You always debone first so you know what you have to work with.

Sunset Lounge Menu: Egg Roll, Sashimi 2 Ways, Short Ribs, Coconut Curry Bisque, Seared Cod, Chocolate Parfait, Panna Cotta

Sahana Menu: Curried Carrot Soup, Grille Scallop with Chickpea Cake, Braised Lamb Shank, Seared Snapper, Baklava, Chocolate Cake, Frozen Yogurts

Service time:

The service side on Sahana seems to fall apart right off the the bat. Radhika didn’t seem to really be on the servers nor did she train them. Sahana’s soup and scallops seemed to go over well. The lamb was done well but they didn’t like the extra liquid (rose water) with the fish. Sahana’s dessert was a bit of a mess. The frozen yogurt wasn’t frozen. The guest in Sahana thought that Radhika seemed really stressed and up tight. She also wasn’t on the floor as much as she should have been. She missed saying goodbye to the judges.

Then the judges went to Sunset Lounge. Fabio was working the room. They didn’t like the egg roll. As Tom said, he had frozen better. Mixed bag on the soup and the sashimi needed salt. The ribs were cooked well but the cod was under cooked and the sauce was bad. The desserts were very good. Tom said that Stefan may have saved the team and definately saved himself.

Judges Table:

Going in we know that Stefan and Fabio really make a great impression and may have compensated for lack luster food that was worse than Sahana. The Sunset Lounge went up before the judges first and they won. The judges said that Fabio and Stefan is what won it for them. Stefan was the individual winner.

Then in goes Sahana. Radhika said she wasn’t sure what went wrong. Rhadika didn’t plan the menu and didn’t cook. Carla said she had a good time and sent out love with them. Tom asked why Carla didn’t tell Radhika so she could at least call it yogurt soup. Tom called Radhika on not leading and not having good front of house. I love the quote from Steven, “you must assume that no one can do their job”. But there was a discussion about not kicking Carla out because if they were strickly on food this restaurant wouldn’t have been up. But Carla’s excuses were a little convoluded (sending out the love). In the end Radhika got the axe (rightfully, so).

So what did you think of this week’s episode? What do you think about Leah and Hosea?

I love Top Chef and, though life has been extra crazy, I am going to get back to timely recaps. But until then, here is the one for this last episode!

Quickfire Challenge:

Hung Huynh (season 3 winner) is the guest judge for the quickfire. Padma uncovers a pile of canned foods. They are supposed to create a dish without fresh food in only 15 minutes. They were terrified! They are all so snotty about using any kind of canned ingredient. Radhika says that she wouldn’t ever use a canned, aged ingredient, “it is something a housewife uses”. Step off babe (yes, hit a nerve). Apparently, Stefan isn’t smart enough of figure out how to open a can of Spam;). The bottom was Leah, Radhika, and Jamie. The top was Hosea, Stefan, and Jeff. The winner was Stefan (I bet Hosea regrets letting him have some Spam).

Elimination Challenge:
First we have the knife draw with different proteins on it and that makes groups of 3. They have to create a family style lunch, including dessert, for 16 people. That lunch is to be centered around their main protein.

They all go back to plan. Stefan and Jamie just kept fighting. Stefan basically refuses to let Carla and Jamie make the menu choices even though he has immunity.

Well, everyone gets in the cars to go shopping and then people start realizing that they aren’t going to Whole Foods. They are met by Chef Dan Barber at the Stone Barn Center. Basically they are farming at this agricultural center so no one really knows what is going to be available. They are cooking for the farmers, their family and people who work there. So the chefs all see the animals and spend a little time with the proteins they will be cooking.

Basically the chefs have butchered meat but it appears they have to break a lot of it down. Also there is a lot of produce laid out for them. Fabio said it took Radhika 1 hour to peel and grill 10 ears of corn. That seems to be a little slow. The lamb team took the lamb meat off the leg bone and that doesn’t make sense because they are supposed to be making a nice home style meal. It seems to be an even bigger mistake because Arianne seems unable to tie off her roasts.

Arianne, Hosea, Leah (Lamb): Roasted Duo of Lamb, Heirloom Tomato Salad, Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Summer Berry Trifle

Jamie, Stefan, Carla (Chicken): Chicken Cutlet, Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken, Chicken Ravioli Soup, Nectarine and Strawberry Tartlet

Fabio, Jeff, Radhika (Pork): Seared Pork Loin, Sausage Ravioli with Pesto, Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Corn Salad with Bacon, Creme Brulee

Service and Judging:

The soup in the summer wasn’t making sense to people even though the soup was good. The lamb was badly butchered and over seasoned. One person thought it was over cooked. They thought the pesto overwhelmed the pork sausage. Tom didn’t like that the pork team took the pork loin off the bone. Tom loved that Carla used thyme in the tart. Other people loved that Carla tied the lemon in. The judges thought the creme brulee was to sweet. Dan Barber didn’t like the trifle at all.

Jamie, Carla and Stefan got called in first to judges table. They were the favorite! Carla’s dessert was their favorite. All 3 were the winners this week. There seem to be no prize associated with it though. Then the judges wanted to see everyone else. Jeff got slammed for removing the fat. Fabio got slammed for too much pesto on the dish and that overwhelmed the delicate pork. Radhika just did the salad and helped with the dessert and Tom lit into her for that. Arianne broke down the lamb and Padma asked why just Arianne did the lamb. Tom said that the butchering was done poorly and the tying was horrible. Leah didn’t think the roasts were rolled badly. Hosea said that he has broken down lamb and Tom said that he should have spoken up then.

The judges agreed that on the whole the lamb was way worse than the pork. But Tom was bugged that Radhika stood back and didn’t do much. While Hosea should have stood up and butchered but Arianne should have been doing better. Also, Leah didn’t do much and was willing to stand back and watch Arianne fall for the lamb.

In the end it was curtains for Arianne.

I am so excited for the next episode because it is the always fun restaurant wars!

Now that it is the New Year, it is time for a new Top Chef!

QuickFire Challenge:

Our guest judge is Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli (who apparently has a new Bravo show called Chef Academy). Their quickfire was to create a sweet treat without any kind of sugar in 45 minutes. Pastry and dessert seems to be a downfall of many seasons so I am curious how this goes. Considering the fact they have honey and fruit I don’t think it is a huge problem. Carla apparently thought she would be able to freeze whole bananas in 45 minutes, I think that was a bit short sited.

The bottom was Carla, Arianne, and Jamie. The top was Radhika, Leah, and Jeff with Radhika winning.

Elimination Challenge:

The new judge is Toby Young who is a restaurant critic from England. Padma tells them that they all have the day off. Does anyone every find that relaxing?

Tom shows up at the apartment to talk to the chefs. He tells them that the chefs are going to judged without being associated with their food (blind tasting) so the new judge can know them food first. They are also going to be feeding a group of foodies and critics. They are to fix a family style meal but what ever they want to make. 2 people will be eliminated this week. They will be breaking into 2 groups. The groups were formed by knife pull and then Radhika picked which one she wanted to cook with. They each have $100.

Eugene is planning on making a daikon noodles with a tomato-basil sauce and I agree with Jamie, I don’t even think that goes anywhere near each other. Eugene says how creative he is and that no one else would think of that dish. I hate to tell him, that might mean something. Carla was once again waiting for her intuition to speak to her in the grocery store. Oy! Fabio has a rare lamb! Radhika’s bisque was bland and off but she sent it out anyway. Leah is making something she has never done before. Why does she think that is a good idea. You need to make what you know because that is what represents you.

Eugene: Crispy Red Snapper with Tomato, Basil and Daikon Fettuccine
Melissa: Ahi Tuna Crudo Tacos
Jamie: Seared Scallops with Fennel, Garlic, Oranges and Olives
Radhika: Curried Crab Bisque with a Lemon Scented Crab Salad
Hosea: Bacon wrapped Halibut with roasted vegetables in a Beurre Blanc Sauce
Fabio: Rack of Lamb with Cheese Ravioli and Mushroom Sauce
Jeff: Trio Tapas: Oyster, Seared Tuna, Avocado Sorbet and Grilled Peaches
Carla: Pea Risotto with Scallops with a Gremolata
Adrianne: Skate Wing with Pineapple and Cauliflower Puree
Leah: Seared Rouget encrusted in Bread with Fried Beans in Chorizo Sauce
Stefan: Roasted Duck and Braised Cabbage with Bread Dumplings

Judging:

The twist is that the not at the moment cooking chefs are the food experts. The panel is on the tv in the kitchen so that the chefs can see (ie, group A that hasn’t judged yet got to see how they were judges). Toby is deliciously horrible. Of course Fabio’s dish got slammed for be too rare but they like the ravioli. Tobey said Radhika’s soup was the missing weapon of mass destruction. Jamie got kudos for a well done scallop dish. Toby thought that Eugene’s whole dish was bland and the warm daikon wasn’t a hit with the group. They thought that the ahi tacos need salt and were fishy. Toby said the ahi tacos tasted like cat food. Tom liked Stefan’s whole dish even though others weren’t sure about the dumplings. Toby liked Jeff’s but Tom didn’t. Eugene just thought there was too much going on Jeff’s plate. Arianne was a hit. But Carla had too much raw garlic in her gremolata.

Tom was much happier with the offerings this week. First the judges wanted to see Jamie, Stefan and Arianne. Of course they were the top. Jamie finally won! Then the judges wanted to see Melissa, Eugene and Carla. 2 of them is going. The consensus seemed to be that Carla should have added the gremolata into the risotto. Melissa said she learned a lot watching the critique. Tom told Melissa that she had a failure of imagination. Tom didn’t like the daikon with tomato and basil. Jean-Christphe said the fish was over cooked and Toby said it was bland. Eugene just kept saying that he had been too creative. Melissa says she has so much more. Carla said if she just hadn’t done the scallop her dish would have been perfect.

Toby stood up for Eugene. Tom things that Melissa showed who she was and Toby said that was why she should go. They also said Carla wasn’t confident enough to be herself. Tom told Eugene that his skill needed to catch up with his creativity. In the end Melissa and Eugene were sent home. I think that is right because Carla has excelled previously but the other 2 really haven’t at any point.

Next week Hung is back at least in the quickfire! So come on back next week to see what happens!