So here we go! This week looks to be an interesting episode.

Apparently Stefan has a crush on Jamie…..

QuickFire Challenge:
They are doing Identify the Ingredient. I always love this challenge. But that does mean that there isn’t a guest judge. They cheftestants get matched up to go head to head. They are tasting sauce and then identifying the ingredients. Last chef standing wins! They say how many ingredients they can guess and then it seems the person with the highest names them.

The reality is that no one wants to lose to Stefan due to his ego. The final 3 were Carla, Stefan and Hosea. Hosea ended up winning and therefore gets immunity.

Elimination Challenge:
First off everyone pulls knives for teams (old, borrowed, blue, etc). Padma is throwing a bridal shower for Gail (the next morning). It is 35-40 women. Gail prefers no veal or black beans but other than that she is open.

Off the bat the Borrowed team is going Indian and Radhika is worried that it will keep her in the box but it doesn’t appear she actually contested the idea. Daniel is trying to tie “new” and pickles together. I actually think that would be a better fit with old. Luckily Eugene came up with a surf and turf sushi roll. But Carla doesn’t like it but won’t say anything. Old is tying in heirloom tomato.
They have 2 1/2 hours to prep that first night. Stefan is bossy! They split there dish into 3 parts but Stefan is trying to push Hosea into a specific tomato. The Blue Team is using the blue ocean as the theme and doing sea bass but I agree with Tom that is seems a bit boring, especially since they are last. The New Team was having problems with their rice but they seem to compensate. Then Eugene comes up with the idea of letting them build their own sushi.
The day of the even Radhika seemed to get a little nervous by the great ambiance. Of course Tom is in the kitchen because he wasn’t invited to the party;). Danny added mushrooms to Carla’s salad without telling her and when she found out, she didn’t seem happy. Ariane seemed to be having problems getting the lamb done on time because the lamb was initially done rare. Everyone ended up helping them plate.

Something Old (Jeff, Hosea, Stefan)- Tomato Terrine wrapping Eggplant, Carpaccio with Tomato Sorbet, Gazpacho
Something New (Daniel, Carla, Eugene)- Surf & Turf Sushi Roll, Frisee Salad with Won Ton, Peach-Miso BBQ Sauce, Yuzu Sorbet
Something Borrowed (Jamie, Radhika, Ariane)- Eastern Spiced Lamb marinated in Yogurt, VadduvanCarrot Puree, Wilted Kale, Cucumber Raita
Something Blue (Melissa, Fabio, Leah)- Chilean Sea Bass, Roasted Corn Puree, Swiss Chard

Judging (I have decided to put the serving in this area):

Dana Cowin (editor of Food and Wine) is the guest judge this week. The gazpacho and sorbet seemed popular but the terrine seemed bland. The New Team never told the guest how to eat the dish. Gail thought the shrimp was cold and tasted as if it was fried in old oil. I have to say that Borrowed sounded so yummy. Everyone was pleased with how the lamb was cooked and how everything tasted. Fabio did a good job saying how the green (chard) and yellow(corn) made blue on the color wheel. Apparently the food itself was ok but a little boring.

First up were the teams for Old and Borrowed. They said that Jeff’s sorbet was the hit of that course (in your face Stefan). They also really liked the carrot puree and how well the lamb was cooked. Ariane won and got a brand new set of Calphalon cookware and electrics collection. Jamie wasn’t real happy because she always gets so close.

So then the other 2 teams go in. Team New was asked right off how the dish was meant to be. Padma asked about the rice. And Dana said adding things didn’t camaflouge how the rice itself was. When all 3 were asked if they liked how it went, Carla was the only one who wasn’t happy. The judges didn’t like the mushrooms in the salad but Daniel thought they were good.

Team Blue got a bit slammed for lack of texture but the basic flavor was there. Tom said the plate gave him the blues. Fabio said they should get credit for all the fish being done well and Tom said it is easy to do Chilean Sea Bass for a group.

The judges said how sad it was for New the Carla’s salad was the best part. Danny only contributed little things and it spoke poorly that he liked it. Eugene was getting slammed that he tried to salvage the rice.

In the end it was Daniel’s last meal. He said in the little exit that he didn’t deserve to go and if he would have thrown people under the bus he would have lasted longer.

Next week Martha Stewart is back and it looks like the frigs die.

As we get closer to Christmas life is crazy but it makes a Top Chef break all the more enjoyable.

Only 1 member of Team Rainbow left, awww.

Quickfire Challenge:
The guest judge is Rocco Dispirito. It looks as if it is the breakfast challenge. They need to create a breakfast amuse-bouche. They have 30 minutes and Rocco recommends they use bacon! It looks like time ran out on a few of them. There are a lot of bacon and egg dish. They did ding some of the chefs that they didn’t actually do breakfast and an amuse-bouche (which is only 1 bite). The bottom was Daniel with his cornflake crusted zucchini flower (to sweet) and Fabio with his brioche with brulee banana and espresso shot (to desserty). The top was Stefan with his huevos rancheros in the egg, Leah with her perfect bit of bacon quail egg and cheese, and Jamie with her bacon egg and cheese. The winner was Leah. She got a copy of Rocco’s new book.

Elimination Challenge:

The chefs had to create a dish for a 2 1/2 minute presentation for a live tv segment. Then they will also do their presentations 1 at a time for the judges in the kitchen. They have $100 and 30 minutes to shop.

I was impresses that 3 of the chefs asked to cut their own meat behind the counter. At least then they can have complete ownership of the product they produce. Alex picks a dessert and I think that is a great choice for tv because people always want to make a cool fancy dessert. As someone who has done quite a few cooking demos for Pampered Chef (I understand that it is low level cooking) I am entertained how they are trying to figure out how to do the demo. Leah seems to be planning on needing her immunity. Daniel and Jamie seem to have tv experience so we will see if that helps them. Daniel says he lights up in front of the camera. I don’t know about that.

Ariane – Beefsteak Tomato Salad with Watermelon and Feta
Eugene – Tuna Sashimi and Pea Shoot Salad
Hosea – Crispy Ahi Tuna Rolls with Wasabi Peas
Fabio – Tuna with Roasted Carrots and Asparagus Salad
Leah – Duck Breast with Corn and Blueberry Hash
Jamie – Salad with Duck Egg, Bacon and Caviar
Melissa – Blackened Habenero Shrimp
Alex – Rose Infused Creme Brulee
Jeff – Malfouf Roll with Shrimp and Muhammara Rice
Daniel – Ginger Soy Skirt Steak and Cabbage Salad
Stefan – Minestrone Soup with Pancetta and Herbs
Carla – Tortilla Soup
Radhika – Sweet Shrimp and Cucumber Salad

Then we started the demos for the judges. Ariane seemed to get through the presentation pretty smoothly.
Jamie’s white on her duck egg didn’t set up during the demo.
Alex didn’t finish in time, the judges didn’t like is and he didn’t finish his demo on time.
Jeff used odd ingredients and crazy names.
Daniel had a lot of smoke with his steak but it was good. He was also very personable.
Stefan was uming out the door but he was ready for a swap out so that was a good sign.
I was shocked that Melissa’s shrimp were so spicy that Tom had to spit it out.
Then Carla, Radhika and Leah ran out of time. Then Leah said bad words;).

Judges:

Of course they talked about Jamie’s raw egg. They also mentioned that Leah didn’t have any confidence and it is good she had immunity. Alex just didn’t think it out. Carla kind of made Rocco uncomfortable. Tom didn’t like that Daniel smoked out the studio and the mugging was bad. They thought that Stefan did well but his personality didn’t gell. They thought Jeff did well and pulled it together. Fabio was a ball and they liked Ariane. The bottom was Melissa, Alex and Jamie. The top three were Fabio, Jeff and Ariane. Then they sent them home and said that they would see them in the morning at Judges Table.

Alex is getting married in a month and seems to possibly ready to go. So Melissa is getting ready to fight for her life.

The next morning at 2am Chef Tom showed up and woke up the top three. He was sending them to the Today show to have hosts judge the winner live on tv. Jeff is pissed that he has to serve his food to these ladies with unsophisticated palates at 6:35am. Wasn’t he told to think of the home chef? If that is the problem he has no one to blame but himself.

Radhika was a good sport watching them on tv. Poor Ariane, Merideth hates watermelon. Poor Fabio couldn’t understand the chaos. They seemed puzzled by Jeff’s and then Kathy Lee had to go spit it out. Ariane won!!!! The guys were a little pissed.

Judges Table:

Ariane won about 2 dozen of Rocco’s favorite tools and she will be presenting a dish on the Today show the day after the episode airs. Her resturant is right out side of NY. Can you imagine the bump it is getting regardless of her winning or even going a week farther?

Then it was the bottom’s turn. When Padma asked how Melissa thought it went. Well, she shocked me because she thought it was just a little to spicy for some people. They all slammed her that.

Jamie realized that her egg was raw. Tom recommended next time that she should flip the egg.

Alex said the whole point of the competition was to push yourself. I love the fact the Tom pointed out that the point was to win. Tom also pointed out that a creme brulee was impossible to do in an hour to begin with.

The judges don’t like that Melissa defended her spice level. Rocco really didn’t like Jamie’s because she recoiled at the end when she failed.

In the end Alex was out!

So what did you all think? Let me know and I will see you next week.

Here we are back again for a Thanksgiving version of Top Chef. Strap in because it is going to be a crazy ride!

As far as the whole Team Rainbow thing, I am shocked there were only 3 to begin with. But anyway..
Quickfire Challenge:
The guest judge is Grant Achatz. The knife pull correlates with a page in the Top Chef Cookbook. They have 1 hour to do their take on the recipe on that page. So part way through Padma stopped everyone and then told them to make soup. They had to take the ingredients they have and make a soup. They had 50 minutes.

The one who had the tuna tar tar seems to think she needs to do a cold soup in order to do the tar tar. But they said use the ingredients not the dish.

Leah did well in working with an ingredient (white asparagus) she hated.

The top was Jamie, Leah, and Daniel. The winner of immunity was Leah!

Elimination Challenge:

So the challenge was to work in 2 teams to make a Thanksgiving dinner for the Foo Fighters and their entourage that is over 60 people and some are vegetarians. They were going to receive the Foo Fighters rider at the venue. The winning team get to watch the concert while the other team cleans up.

The twist appears to be that it is all outside. They have 1 burner, toaster ovens and microwave. No frig or freezer.

Team 1 is Sexy Pants with Leah, Fabio, Hosea, Jamie, Stefan, Melissa, Radhika. Team 2 is Cougar with Alex, Ariane, Richard, Carla, Daniel, Eugene, Jeff.

By the time they got back from shopping they only had 3 hours to cook. Then is rains. But they get all the food on the table. Shock moment of the night: When Tom Coliccio is declared a “hotty gay bear icon”.

Team Cougar Menu:
Ariane-Butterball Turkey Confit with Mushroom Gravy and Cranberry
Jeff-Spoonbread Stuffing with Roasted Figs, Cranberrys, Walnuts and Onions
Roasted Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Maple Smoked Pork Loin
5 cheese Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon
Fresh Fruit and Pumpkin Mousse
Peach and Cherry Cobbler
Banana S’mores

Their stuffing wasn’t a hit with the band and the Mashed potatoes weren’t cooked all the way. They liked the turkey and the mac & cheese. The consistancy of the pumpkin was bad.

Team Sexy Pants Menu:
Butterball Turkey
Vegan Cornbread Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmellows
Gravy
Side Salads
Roasted Pumkin Honey and Cinnamon Tiramisu
Peach and Blueberry Crisp

They liked the vegan stuffing best of both teams. They also liked the sweet potatoes. Everyone liked their desserts. Tom was impressed with Fabio’s Tiramisu.

The Foo Fighters choose Sexy Pants to go see the concert. I think the dessert pushed it over.

Judges Table:

Let me just start with the losing team seemed to have some sore losers in it.

Jeff said that he was shocked that they were there because they did well in spite of the curve balls. Now those were the same curve balls that the other team had. Everyone loved Ariane’s turkey. Tom said Jeff’s cornbread was dry and over cooked. The mashed potatoes were under cooked. Dessert was what made the difference. Carla said her cobbler may have been a little sweet. The berries and pumpkin in the parfait didn’t go together. The s’mores didn’t have any burnt sugar, wasn’t gooey and didn’t have enough chocolate. The vanilla foam on the smores didn’t work for catering.

So it boiled down to the s’mores, parfait, and mashed potatoes. But Jeff did come out as a natural leader and that helped his cause. In the end Richard’s s’mores lost the game for him.

So everybody strap in. Based on the commercial I can’t wait. I got my tivo and a little chocolate so lets go!

Quickfire Challenge:

Guest judge is Donatella from the Iron Chef judging panel!!! Their challenge is to make signature hot dogs and they were competing against Angelina Deangelo, who has a world famous hot dog stand. They had 45 minutes and there was panic! It looks like some people made actual dogs and some manipulated existing dogs.

Jill-summer roll with existing dogs
Radhika-kabob dog with lamb, pork and chuck
Daniel-pork hotdog with horseradish mustard
Eugene- Maki roll with pita and boursin cheese
Hosea- Pork dog with roasted pepper and bacon
Stefan- Italian sausage in French bread with cheddar and tartar sauce
Carla- lamb and pork sausage with sauerkraut
Ariane- chicken sausage with bacon
Fabio- Andoille with goat cheese, roasted bell pepper
Jamie- pork and beef sausage with bacon and onions (had bone in the meat)

Jill and Stefan were on the bottom. Radhika, Fabio and Hosea were on the top. Radhika won and therefor got immunity in the Elimination.

Elimination Challenge:

They had to create a 3 course “New American” lunch menu for 50 New Yorkers. Each person will be responsible for one dish.

The fun twist in this (that I saw in the commercial) is that it is at Tom Colicchio’s restaurant and the 50 customers were the New York chefs who didn’t make the show.

So I can’t believe Jill got Ostrich eggs if she doesn’t even know how to open it. Fabio has a very interesting thing that is going to keep the outside of the olive solid and liquefy the inside. I am curious t see more about this. I think Ariane knows that her dessert isn’t good enough and is to sweet but has given up.

Appetizer Group:
Fabio- Beef Carpaccio with Arugula Salad, Parmesan and Spherical Olives
Hosea- Chilled Crab with Citrus Vanilla Dressing, Mango and Avocado
Jamie- Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Chili Oil and Mint
Melissa- Grilled Avocado, White Peaches, Nectarines with a light Balsamic Vinaigrette
Leah- Yukon Potato, Seared Scallops with Chives and Green Peppercorns

Entree Group:
Stefan- Pan Seared Halibut with Micro Greens, Ravioli, Champagne Sauce and Dill
Alex- Grilled Pork Tenderloin over Potato with Mushroom, Tomato and Red Beet Demi-glace
Eugene- Open Meatloaf Sandwich with Ciabatta, Gouda Fondue and Portabella Ragout
Jill- Ostrich Egg Quiche with Rice-Pecan crust, Asparagus, Aged Cheese
Jeff- Southern Chicken, Honey Mustard and Chorizo Spoon Bread

Dessert Group:
Carla- Rustic Apple Tart with Ginger Peach Tea, Apple Cider Reduction and Cheddar Cheese
Ariane- Lemon Meringue Martini with Vanilla Cookie Crunch and Cherry Surprise
Daniel- Ricotta Pound Cake with Toasted Pistachios and Strawberry Lemon Coulis
Richard- Sandwich of Banana Nut Bread, Peanut Butter and Banana Brulee with Grape Gelato
Radhika- Citrus Avocado Mousse with Chocolate Wontons and Kahlua shot

Tom and his chef were expediting all the orders. The judges seemed to really like Jamie’s but not Hosea’s at all. One of the guests nailed that the crab was out of a can. A diner said that Leah’s scallops were sandy. Apparently Fabio’s olives were like egg yolks and seemed to be a hit with the judges. A diner said the Jill’s quiche was dog food and Donatella said it was gluey. I am going to say that is bad, very bad. Padma spit out Ariane’s dessert because it was so sweet. They thought Radhika’s was a sweet guacamole. They thought that Carla’s was good but the Cheese looked bad on the plate.

Judges Table:

Tom starts off with the group that everyone set up their stations well but the food over all was unimpressive. First up to the judges table were Ariane, Fabio, Jamie, Hosea, Carla, and Jill. They liked Carla’s patry but wished she could have worked the cheddar right into the dish. They liked Fabio’s dish. They really liked the olives. Also they liked Jamie’s corn puree. The winner was Fabio.

Now on the other side of the coin. Hosea got slammed for his dish not being well seasoned. They said Ariane’s was boring and Padma spit it out. Tom said Jill made the Ostrich egg boring and Gail said it didn’t taste good. Jill said the pressure got to her and just really defended it poorly when Gail asked what she would do differently.

In the end Jill was out. I am predicting that Ariane is the next one out. But come back next week and see if I am right.

For those who don’t know, I just had surgery. So this week all I am going to do is a couple of initial thoughts. Next week you will get a more detailed post;).

Finally they took Top Chef to New York. What took so long?

Quickfire Challenge: I love that they are getting to the speed challenges up front. Lets see if they actually have the technical skills to play with the big boys. Versus someone getting to hang around on just a quirky ingredient.

Elimination Challenge: NerdDad had a great question. Would it be better to make something that tastes really good but not as ethnic or use and ingredient you don’t know and it not taste good? I tend to say make what you know with a twist but at least it will taste good.

I will be back next week with a little more detail (and wit;)!

So I can’t believe that this season is coming to an end. Going in I really like Richard and Stephanie. But the idea of the first female Top Chef sounds exciting! I don’t know how Lisa stuck it out this long but…

As the finalists walk up to Padma and Tom we see 3 expert chefs. The final challenge is a 4 course meal with a traditional progression (Fish, poultry, red meat and dessert). Each expert chef has a selection of protein. Since Stephanie and Richard have a tie on elimination challenge win they draw to see who will pick an expert chef (and their protein) first. The chef will be the finalist’s sous chef. Dinner will be a black tie affair, head to head, for 9 diners. They have 3 hours on the first day and 4 hours day of in prep time.

Lisa: Sous Chef: April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig
Proteins:Oysters, Prawns, Crab, Mahi-Mahi, Chicken, Squab, Pancetta, Sweetbreads, Beef Tongue, Wagyu Strip Steak, Ostrich Steak

Stephanie: Sous Chef: Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin
Proteins: Snapper, Hamachi, Caviar, Clams, Lobster, Veal Tenderloin, Chorizo, Rack of Lamb, Quail, Quail Eggs, Bacon

Richard: Sous Chef: Dan Barber of Blue Hill
Proteins: Scallops, Halibut, Calamari, Abalone, Duck, Foie Gras, Guinea Hen, Prosciutto, Pork Belly, Venison, Rabbit

Lisa is of course going with an Asian theme and her sous chef is not familiar with that. Richard’s theme is his journey so there will be classical and cutting edge techniques. Stephanie is trying to show off her style with balanced flavor combinations. Each finalist was allowed one special ingredient. Richard’s was liquid nitrogen. He was making a Tabasco ice cream and it was cool. As a science dork, I love anything done with liquid Nitrogen. The expert chefs were all thinking it was cool and new to them. As day one prep comes to an end Richard still isn’t sure what he is doing. He is just trying to prep what he thinks he needs.

So here we are on the final day and Tom comes in to say that the sous chefs will not be in to work today. Tom says that they wanted to make sure the chefs live or die by their own hand. The girls don’t seem real happy about dessert and aren’t happy about being judged about it. I think that it is only reasonable, it is a major component of food and cooking. Stephanie is not happy with how her cake came out. Lisa is shockingly chilled. And then we serve….

Menus:

Lisa: Grilled Prawns, Tom Kha Gai Soup and Dumplings, Wagyu Beed, Thai Rice Pudding
Stephanie: Red Snapper, Quail with Lobster Ravioli & Quail Eggs, Lamb Medallions, Ricotta Pouncake
Richard:Scallops, Guinea Hen and Foie Gras and Eggs, Pork Belly, Banana Scallop & Bacon Ice Cream

Service:

Out comes the first course. One of the chefs said that Richard should simplify to be perfect. Another chef said Lisa was to spicy. Stephanie’s was a big hit and someone said the best of the 3. Eric Pipert said that Richard’s flavors got muddled. Many liked Lisa’s soup and Ted thought Stephanie needed more lobster. Gail and Tom hated Stephanie’s leeks and thought they were irrelevant and under-cooked. Then we got to 3rd course. Richard’s was a bit of a disappointment to all. They thought the sauce on Lisa’s was to sweet and April thought her beef was tough. Eric said that Stephanie’s flavor combo was completely new with the olive and pistachio. Everyone loved Stephanie’s. Tom said that Richard’s needed work and Lisa’s was pedestrian. Then comes the dreaded dessert. Lisa’s dessert seemed to go over all well but it had to grow on some. Stephanie’s was fine but nothing special. Richard’s was whimsical.

Judging:

Tom thought that Richard’s 1st course was bland. Everyone loved Lisa’s soup. Richard said he was afraid of losing the integrity of the pork belly if he had got it crispy. Ted and Tom liked the new way to do pistachios. Tom thought Stephanie’s cake was ok but that the banana creme was a miss. Each chef gave a bid for them winning except Richard. He said he choked by over thinking and it wasn’t his top performance. Then the judges deliberate and you get to hear what they really think. It seemed really tortured for them to actually come up with an overall preference.

Stephanie won!!! She seemed completely shocked and blown away!! Now have I missed the reunion show? It usually happens before the finale but I haven’t seen a commercial and my Tivo hasn’t picked it up. Does anyone know?

Technorati Tags: Bravo, Top Chef

So here we all meet again. Let’s strap in as Top Chef goes to Puerto Rico! Now why I am not a feminist let me just point out that for the first time 3 of the final 4 are women. You go girls!

Going into this Lisa is definitely the under dog so let us see how long she lasts.

Quickfire Challenge:

This will determine who makes it to the final challenge. Our guest judge is Wilo Benet. The challenge was to make 2 different fritouras containing plantains. They had 40 minutes. Stephanie said that she had done some practicing with plantains (smart!) but they still weren’t her favorite ingredients. Wilo didn’t like that Antonia didn’t have enough integration. Wilo wasn’t really happy with Richard’s components. Wilo loved Stephanie’s and thought that Lisa did a good job but hers could have been better. Stephanie won!

They were then invited to a party in Old San Juan with traditional music and local food. Now hopefully they will all pay attention because in other seasons they need this information again.

There will be a garden party with 100 VIP’s and chefs. They each will get a whole pig and they need to make at least 2 dishes using different parts of the animal. Then they bring out some of the eliminated chefs:Dale, Andrew, Spike and Nikki. Stephanie’s prize is that she gets to assign the sous chefs. At this point she could totally rook Lisa but she decides to pair people who work together well. But since Lisa doesn’t get along with 3 of them she could only do so well, she got Andrew. Apparently Stephanie has known Dale for about 10 years. They will have 30 minutes to look at the kitchen and plan the menu. Then the sous chefs will be going to the local produce market while the finalists will be butchering their pigs. Then they have 2 hours to prep with another 5 the day of the party.

Stephanie & Dale: Chicharrones (crispy pig skin) Fruit & Prosciutto Salad, Coconut Pork with Plantain Pancake, Pork Satay on Sugar Cane
Richard & Spike: BBQ Pork Shoulder, Pork Belly with Pickled Watermelon, Ham & Beans, Ribs with Malta Glaze
Antonia & Nikki: Pork Belly with Sweet Peppers, Pork Sausage with Pigeon Peas & Rice, Curried Pork
Lisa & Andrew: Yucca & Pork Rellena, Citrus Braised Pork Belly, Adobo Roasted Pork Tostone

Just into planning and Andrew thinks Lisa is going wrong by doing Puerto Rican food. So then they go to market. Andrew seems lost since he doesn’t speak Spanish. Dale gets Stephanie black plantains, he has experience with them. Lisa gets medieval on the pig and seems to be having trouble whereas Antonia just needs a knife. When the sous chefs return a bit of chaos breaks out just do to space. Lisa is her usual bleak self. As time on the first ends it looks as if Stephanie’s pork belly may have been left out.

The next day Dale is sniffing it and Stephanie says they aren’t using it. She has no idea how hot it was and she isn’t going to risk getting any one sick. Antonia’s rice isn’t turning out and she tosses out what may be the first batch. 30 minutes until service they come outside to start cooking.

Service starts and the judges hit Stephanie first and seem pleased. Richard wants to redeem himself from the Quick Fire. Richard has great stories to go with each dish. When they visited Lisa it didn’t seem that Padma finished her food. Antonia did pigeon peas but no rice to go with it. The only negative thing said by any of the guests was that the pigeon peas were a bit dry.

Judging Table:

Tom really liked Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad but he didn’t think that Antonia and Lisa were as good. So Richard and Stephanie were up first. Tom said that Richard did some good self editing to simplify his food. Wilo loved Stephanie’s satay. Richard won by unanimous vote and as a reward he got a 2009 Corolla. Then Lisa and Antonia go back. Lisa said she thought her dishes were strong. Tom wanted to know why she went Latin instead of sticking with Asian. Gail felt Lisa’s puree was way to sweet and that she focused on the garnishes instead of the pork. Wilo didn’t think her tostones had balance. Antonia felt her pigeon peas could have used more cooking. Antonia said she didn’t want to have it so refined so she served them all on the same plate. Gail said that puddled them all together. Gail said there were elements of every one of Lisa’s dish that she didn’t like. Gail thought Antonia’s mistake was being rustic and home cooked. Tom said that 1 table just didn’t have the crowds around it. Antonia was sent home. Lisa says to Richard and Stephanie that she knows that they are disappointed that Antonia was going home but a congrats would be nice.

I have to say that I am shocked. I never thought Lisa would make it to the final 3. So let us see who will win it all!

Labels: Top Chef, tv

Quickfire Challenge:

So our chefs get taken right into Allen Brothers which does meat. The chefs were long bone dry aged ribeyes. So it is obvious this is going to have to do with the quickfire. They all got a whole ribeye and were to cut individual chops and they have to be frenched. They had 20 minutes to get out 7 chops. One perfectly done chop was passed around before they began so the chefs got to see what was expected. Then they pack up the steaks and take them back to the Top Chef kitchen. When they arrived Padma and Rick Tramonto were waiting for them. To finish the last leg of the challenge they are to prepare a medium rare tomahawk steak. They had 30 minutes. The bottom set was Stephanie and Richard. Lisa, Spike and Antonia were on the top with Spike winning.

Elimination Challenge:

The 5 chefs were to take over Tramonto’s restaurant. They each had to be responsible for an appetizer and an entree. They can create these dishes from what they find in the restaurant. Spike’s reward was to pick ingredients first (or 5 minutes to choose). So Spike chose tomahawk and frozen scallops. They had 3 hours to create the menu. During prep Lisa says that she quit her job to do this. Spike realizes that all the scallops are torn and soaked so it will take a lot to drain them. I think that Spike made a big mistake at this level in the game but saved everyone else from making it. While scallops are a classic fancy appetizer, poor quality won’t help. Then Lisa with these Peanut Butter Mashed Potatoes. Wasn’t she on the team with the Butter Scotch Scallops that were disgusting? It didn’t help then and I don’t think these are a good idea either.

At an hour left before go time Tom tells them that he is going to expedite for them and he wants apps out in 10 minutes.

Antonia: Appetizer – Warm Mushroom Salad with Artichokes and a Poached Egg with a Bacon Vinegrette
Entree – Bone in RibEye with a Caramelized Shallot Gratin
Lisa: Appetizer – Grilled and Chilled Shrimp
Entree – New York Strip with Spicy Apple Caramel and Peanut Butter Mashed Potatoes
Richard: Appetizer – Hamachi with Sweetbreads
Entree – Beef Tenderloin with Potatoes and Turnips in Red Wine
Stephanie: Appetizer – Crisp Veal Sweetbreads with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
Entree – Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms and Apple Sauce
Spike: Appetizer – Seared Scallop with Hearts of Palms and Mushrooms
Entree – Tomahawk Chop with Sweet Potato puree.

Tom introduces the “VIPs” who are the previous winners Harold, Elan and Huang. Now for a moment to harsh on the former winners. The guys were all sitting at their table when the rest of the judges walked up, specifically Padma and Gayle. Not one of those young men got up, I am very disappointed (and yes I am really only 32). Apparently it was a shock to the chefs that they would have to do 6 tasting portions for the judges. Huang thought that Lisa’s appetizer need more sugar and Rick said he loved the lemon. They seemed to love Richard’s appetizer. No one seemed real happy with Spike’s Appetizer. Harold liked Stephanie’s appetizer but would have liked to see the pine nuts toasted. Who doesn’t toast pine nuts?? Every recipe or use I have seen for them says toast first. Gayle thought Antonia’s wasn’t impressive and everyone else seemed a little disappointed. Richard was taking a while in entrees. Rick liked the mash and there seemed to be overall disappointed with the meat. Elan liked the meat on Spike’s plate but nothing else. It seemed everyone loved Stephanie’s entree. Elan loved the fattiness of Antonia’s meat and Rick liked it the best.

Judging Table:

Before we get to the judging. In the waiting room there are only 5 chefs left but I think I saw 4 bottles of wine and Lisa was drinking a beer. That is a lot of alcohol. So they bring in everyone at once. They loved Richard’s appetizer but Rick would have liked more sweetbread. They felt Richard’s entree was uneven as far as doneness at the table. Tom said that he liked how even keel Stephanie was. Rick liked her appetizer. Gayle liked Lisa’s lemon but wished it was warm. Rick liked her entree if the skill would have been better. Tom liked the Antonia’s entree. Gayle liked Spike’s meat. Tom and Rick thought Spike’s willingness to use the frozen scallop was his mistake. That he should have changed direction when he saw they were frozen because chefs have to make these kind of quality decisions. Then Spike said that if they were bad quality they shouldn’t have been in the walk in to begin with. Rick said he would take the shot that he had them in the cooler but Spike had to take the shot for using them. Then as they walked out Spike went and shook Rick’s hand and said it was an honor and Tom looked a bit disgusted.

Then the judges were left alone to talk. Spike was shocked that he said that walk in comment. Rick thought that Stephanie was the most well rounded and Gayle said that Stephanie showed something new. Gayle said that Richard’s app was the best dish of the night. Over all everyone likes Antonia and the food. Spike was a disappointment with the scallops. Tom thinks that Lisa is apathetic and Padma thinks she focuses more on flavor than technique. Tom points out you can’t have flavor with out technique. It is clear that the choice for elimination is only between Lisa and Spike. The winner is Stephanie! She got Rick’s cookbook and a suite of GE Appliances that is in the Top Chef kitchen. Then they announce that Richard and Antonia are also safe and sent the top 3 out. Lisa has been at the bottom judges table 5 times and Spike 7 times. Spike was sent home.

So I will see you all back next week in Puerto Rico.

Labels: Top Chef, tv

Quickfire:

We start off this week with Tom coming in to the house and waking every one up. The he takes them to a breakfast joint for their quickfire challenge to cook eggs. Helene who owns this historic restaurant will be the guest judge for the quickfire. They watched the egg cook and then each took a turn on the line. I just love that people were ordering over hard. That is how I like my eggs and not many restaurants know what those even are. Antonia and Dale were on the top with Antonia winning.
Tom wasn’t going to be at the elimination and then they were given an address to go meet Padma.

Elimination:

Restaurant Wars is on! Each team has an end of this huge raw space but they will share a kitchen. Then they will be serving about 35 customers. They get $1500 in food and $5000 at Pier One Imports. Antonia’s reward is picking her team so she chooses Stephanie and Richard.

Antonia’s Team “Warehouse Kitchen”: They are going fine dining in a casual environment. Stephanie is front of house manager. They have confidence since they won wedding wars together. Antonia is executive chef and Richard is her chef de cuisine.

First Course: Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Linguine and Clams
Second Course: Trout with Cauliflower, Lamb Leg and Loin
Third Course: Gorgonzola Cheesecake, Banana “Scallops”

Dale’s Team “Mai Buddha”: Both Lisa and Dale wanted to be the executive chef but Dale won the coin toss. They are going with an Asian, family style theme. Spike is taking front of house responsibility.

First Course: Shrimp Laksa, Pork and Pickled Plum Potstickers
Second Course: Butterscotch Miso Scallops, Braised Short Ribs
Third Course: Halo-Halo, Mango Sticky Rice

Anthony Bourdain is filling in for Tom. Warehouse Kitchen says that they are putting Stephanie up front because she has opened up her own restaurant. Mai Buddha were telling Bourdain about their menu and he says how much he loves Laksa so their are a little nervous. Each team got to pick an eliminated contestant to help them. Mai Buddha picked Jen and Warehouse picked Nikki so she could make their pasta. Dale puts a bad avocado in his dessert and then Lisa’s rice got taken off the burner before it was done. Dale is shaken badly. The Warehouse Kitchen seemed to be having a hard time getting the grit out of their clams. Then they waiters come in an hour before service. Stephanie wants to keep everything light and fun. Spike sets one table the way he wants it and leaves the waiters for 20 minutes to set the rest. There seems to be issues with Lisa’s Mango Sticky Rice.

And then the restaurants open……..

Warehouse Kitchen Service: Antonia says that she has seen all the previous season’s Restaurant Wars and it never goes well so she is nervous. The judges show up in the Warehouse Kitchen first. We find out that Jose Andres will be this week’s guest judge. Bourdain says that it is better than he thought it would be. Bourdain likes the lamb and Ted likes that they left the skin on the trout. Bourdain and Ted are not fans of the smear look. Padma was surprised to like the Gorgonzola cheesecake.

Mai Buddha Service: Spike feels the other team are the favorites so he hopes his team wins to send home a true competitor. Bourdain and Ted can’t figure out if it feels more like the back of Prince’s van or Aerosmith’s mike stand. Lisa sees her Laksa as her first big mistake of the show. Bourdain didn’t like the Laksa but Padma liked the Potstickers. Spike is telling the back to make the short rib course bigger. Bourdain disliked the butterscotch sauce. Dale is about to lose it at any point. Lisa is saying that Dale failed to make sure the food was right even though some of it were her mistakes. Padma didn’t like the Mango Sticky Rice and Bourdain said the Halo Halo was baby vomit. Ted said there were bad knife skills. The diners didn’t like dessert either.

Judging Table:

Not surprisingly Stephanie, Antonia and Richard were called back first. They were the winning team. They liked Stephanie’s Gorgonzola cheesecake with concord grape sauce and her pasta. They also like Richard’s Beet Salad. Stephanie was the individual winner and won a trip for a culinary tour in Spain. Then the next group headed in. This is going to get ugly. The front of the house raised the expectations and the kitchen didn’t deliver. They hated Dale’s Butterscotch Scallops. There was to much smoke in the Laksa. Spike came up with the idea of a Laksa but they used Lisa’s recipe. It cam out that Dale had to trust the other 2 because he didn’t know about Laksa. The braised rib was the apparent favorite. It was Spike’s recipe but the other 2 made it. One diner commented that the Mango Sticky Rice was baby food garnished with potpourri. Then Lisa and Dale fought and blamed each other as the person who found the rice. Then Jose called them on not being a team. Jose said he felt Spike took the front to get away from the Dale/Lisa conflict. Spike says that he had plenty to do and that communication failed back there. Spike seemed very self assured that he was safe. They were saying that Dale failed as a manager, conceptualizer and the Butterscotch Scallops. But Lisa had made both of her dishes before and then failed for the competition. The judges felt Lisa couldn’t take anyone’s critic even the judges table. Padma seemed to be disgusted with the lot of them.

In the end Dale was out.

Labels: Top Chef, tv

So here we meet again. The kids are in bed, NerdDad is programming, and I am all comfy with my cookies and my laptop. Let’s go!

Everyone is up the next morning after being up all night the night before. I am wondering if the tiredness will play a factor. Spike is whining about Dale. Andrew is a bit wired and that makes him scary. He says he feels he is either going to stab someone or make great food. Freak!

Quickfire Challenge:

Season 2 finalist, Sam, is the guest job. Salads will be the subject of this challenge. They have 45 minutes to create a modern “sexy” salad. Padma was talking about creating the next Waldorf or Cobb salad. To me that screams a relative simplicity but that is not at all the direction the chefs were going. Lisa seemed to forget when you add bananas in something it really dominates. The bottoms were Richard, Stephanie, and Lisa. The top was Spike, Antonia, and Dale. Spike won!

Elimination Challenge:

Padma and Spike bring out trays of greasy foods. It is the lunch from the Chicago Police Academy. They are going to make gourmet boxed lunches using 1 ingredient from each of the whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Spike’s advantage is an extra 10 minutes shopping and 1 ingredient from each food group that only he can use.

So they are off to Whole Foods. Spike is picking chicken breast, tomatoes, bread and lettuce. These foods were picked specifically to mess with people. Andrew has studied nutrition for 2 years so he is sure that he has an advantage. For service they will hand the officers the food with instructions and the officers have to do any microwaving needed to heat it up. They have 2 hours in the Top Chef kitchen to cook and pack to go. “Someone” has turned up Lisa’s rice so it is burned on the outside and raw in the middle. She hope by putting cooking liquid over it that the rice will steam in the microwave.

Spike: Chicken Salad without Mayo, Raw Veggies
Lisa: Veggie, Edamame, and Shrimp Stirfry with Brown Rice, Berries and Yougurt
Richard: Lentil, Quinoa and Tuna Burritos
Dale: Lettuce Cups out of Cabbage and Marinated Bison
Antonia:Curry Beef with Jasmine and Brown Rice, Fresh Berry Fruit Salad
Andrew: Sushi Roll with pureed Parsnip and Pine Nuts as rice, Salmon TarTar with Veggies
Stephanie: Mushroom Leek Soup with Meatballs

I don’t think that Andrew has properly gaged the interest, or lack of, in salmon tartar. So we will see if they like them. Spike is only putting 2 on the table at a time to make people think they are going quick. Andrew didn’t use a whole grain. When he said he was going raw I wondered how you could do a whole grain raw, apparently you can’t.

Judgment:

The judges see Dale and Stephanie first. They are the top 2. They commended Dale for the bison choice and commended Stephanie for good seasoning. The winner was Dale and received a bottle of Rutherford Hill wine and got a trip to the winery in Napa.

Then the judges wanted to see Spike, Lisa and Andrew. They were the bottom 3. Andrew said studying nutrition repeatedly. The judges said it wasn’t hearty like it was supposed to be and he asked if that was in the rules. Padma said it was supposed to be hearty, nutritious and delicious. Ted also said that he didn’t take the audience into consideration. When Tom said it wasn’t good Andrew said 2 people came back for more. Tom said that was only because it wasn’t enough and they were still hungry. Spike was accused of not using the tomatoes, lettuce or bread well. Tom said the combination of olives, grapes and chicken wasn’t good. Spike simply said, “Salty and sweet, what don’t you understand about salty and sweet”. Come on Tom, let one of the punks have it. Lisa’s long beans, shrimp and brown rice were raw. She said that someone messed with the burner. But that didn’t out weigh the other raw ingredients. When the group was asked if there was anything else. Then Lisa pointed out that someone didn’t use a whole grain. The judges said they were aware. Andrew went off and when Lisa said that he would have done it too, he looked like he was going to punch out someone and cry. Andrew is out!

I have to say that I think Lisa was fine in saying something. She knew that she was on the chopping block last week when she had an impeccable dish but had missed a rule. If someone hasn’t said something and then some else was cut, you would hear all kinds of whining. If it would be a big enough deal to complain about later you best say something before judgment.

Labels: Top Chef, tv