Tonight the long awaited episode of Iron Chef  America featuring the secret ingredient of national importance. Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Bobby Flay were joined by Chef Emeril Lagasse and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford.

It was nice to see Chef Lagasse on the Food Network again after his departure a year ago. However the highlight for me was getting to see Chef Cristeta Comerford in action. Chef Comerford has been the White House Executive Chef since 2005. She is a Filipina and that has been quite inspiring to me. Chef Comerford has the distinction of being the first woman to hold the post and the first Filipino appointed to this awesome position. However she has been working at the White House since 1995 when she was recruited by the then White House Chef Walter Schieb. When Chef Schieb resigned in 2005, First Lady Laura Bush appointed Chef Comerford to her current position.

The “super battle” followed normal Iron Chef style with the secret ingredient being anything that is in the White House garden. Earlier this year, First Lady Obama helped to place an 1,100 square foot planting area that has over 50 kinds of vegetables and fruits as well as honey. Yes, honey. The White House has it’s own bee farm and they harvest fresh honey from the bees. The bees also help with germination in the garden as well.

Iron Chef Flay was paired with Chef Comerford while Legasse and Batali were teamed up on the other side of Kitchen Stadium. The four chefs hand picked their vegetables from the garden then were “whisked” up to New York to the Kitchen Stadium studios. There the chairman (on a flat screen) said the challenge was to create dishes that will inspire American to cook with fresh vegetables and understand the importance of local farming and sustainability. In addition to the vegetables from the garden, they were also given an array of proteins all from local sources within 1200 miles of the Stadium.

In regular Iron Chef fashion, each team needed to make five courses. I won’t go into each of the dishes here, you can watch the episode on the Food Network. What I will say is that both teams tried their best to highlight the vegetables from the garden. First Lady Obama hinted earlier that she definitely wanted to see Sweet Potatoes used tonight.

The winners of tonight’s battle will win a donation of $25,000 to a charity of their choice. Both teams did a great job in highlighting the garden.

I was really impressed with First Lady Obama’s initiative to place a garden on the grounds of the White House. Many in the past have protested the placement of a garden on the grounds saying it didn’t fit with the formality of the White House. This garden isn’t the first however. For those that remember, a small garden was started on the roof of the White House during the Clinton administration. Prior to that Presidents Adams, Wilson and Roosevelt had some kind of garden on the grounds.

I try my best to purchase locally and try to make it to my local farmers’ markets in the area. The two I attend regularly are the Irvine and Aliso Viejo markets on Saturday and Sunday mornings respectively. I also joined a CSA group. FarmFreshToYou.com will deliver locally grown vegetables and fruits to you on a frequency of your choosing. They have diffent plans and sizes to choose from. I have been VERY happy with the selection of vegetables.

FarmFreshToYou.com is run by Capay Farms which is headquartered in Northern California and has recently opened up farmland just north of Los Angeles with auxillary farms in the Inland Empire. Every two weeks I have a small box of vegetables and fruits delivered to me. But they go further. YOu can log onto their website to see what is on harvest for the upcoming week. They also give you the opportunity to “block” something from your box and subsitutute with something else – a feature that I think makes FarmFreshToYou.com very unique. The prices are reasonable, but most importantly I know my money is going straight to the farmer and I’m supporting local farms.

If tonight’s show does anything beyond its entertainment factor, it’s that we all have the ability and choice to support local farming and sustainability. Fresh ingredients are the best ingredients for any chef, home or professional…

Did any of you catch Gordon Ramsay’s show last night, Cookalong LIVE?

In the show he made a three-course meal in one hour. One of the dishes he made was Steak Diane. I have been craving beef for several days now and decided that I was going to have Steak Diane, but with a Ribeye steak instead.  The recipe below is a severly edited version of Gordon Ramsay’s recipe from last night.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Rib Eye Steak
• 3 shallots, peeled
• 4 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned (if crimini unavailable use button mushrooms instead)
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste (I used Reduced Sodium)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Small handful of flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 300f.

Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet pan large enough to accommodate the Ribeye steak. Get a good sear on your Ribeye. When you have good color on the one side, flip over and sear for a minute.  Place pan in the oven.

I took a tablespoon of some fat from the Ribeye and placed it in another saute pan and added another tablespoon of Olive oil. Slice the shallots and add to the pan, allow to soften briefly before slicing and adding the mushrooms with a tablespoon of butter. Crush in the garlic using a garlic press or mince finely.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, then the mustard and heat through for a minute. Turn up the heat and tilt the pan away from you. Pour the brandy into the far end and allow it to ignite – be careful that the flame that flares up doesn’t singe your eyebrows! Once the alcohol has burnt off, swirl the juices around the pan. Add the cream and allow the sauce to thicken before turning down the heat. [NOTE: I have an electric stove, so obviously I didn't have a flame. So what I did was add the brandy and ignited it with one of those long neck lighters. Worked like a charm. Do be careful the initial flash goes pretty high, so I pulled my pan away from under my fan/microwave unit. When the flames started to go down, I put it back on the stove.]

Chop the parsley and add half to the pan.

By the time you finish the sauce, your ribeye should be about a medium. If you want med-rare, take it out halfway thru the sauce prep. Place your ribeye on your plate and let rest for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, take the juices from your pan and pour it into your brandy sauce and mix well. This adds TONS of flavor.

I hope you enjoy this, I sure did!

Learn to cook a 3 course meal, right alongside Gordon Ramsay, as he shows you how to create meals in under an hour. That’s right, FOX is taking a cue from the BBC once again and hosting a new show called Gordon Ramsay’s Cookalong LIVE.

From FOX’s website:

Have you ever wanted to make a delicious three-course meal for your family? Want to invite your friends over for a unforgettable dinner? Or would you just like to treat your taste buds to something special? For the first time ever, Chef Gordon Ramsay is going to show you how to do just that, as he invites viewers all over America to cook along with him from the comfort of their very own kitchens.

Prior to each show, you can go to the Cookalong webpage on FOX and download a list of ingredients, a shopping list, equipment list and you will actually be cooking alongside Gordon for the one hour! Isn’t that crazy??

The first episdoe is a three course meal comprising of:

• Starter Course: Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Chili and Tomatoes
• Main Course: Steak Diane with Sautéed Potatoes and Peas
• Dessert: Quick Tiramisu

It will be interesting to see if America is ready for a real, teaching, cooking show in Prime Time. I think it will such a departure from normal that it just may get an audience. Just think if it goes well, it just may boost ratings for all my favorite Saturday morning cooking shows on PBS!

Maybe we’ll even see a different side of Gordon that we have yet to see and that’s the passionate chef who enjoys sharing his gift of cooking.

Tune in on Tuesday, December 15 and look for me in the audience (if they even show the audience)! I will be attending the LIVE show for our East Coast friends and taped for the West Coast at 9pm on FOX.

As you recall from the finale, her “pilot” was called Kitchen Survival. Well, her new show is called $10 Dinners and premieres at 12:30pm. Her promise in each episode? Feed four people with infinite possibilities for only $10. She knows from experience all the tricks and tips to creating family friendly meals on a budget.

Here is a picture of Melissa in her new kitchen set at the Food Network!

Photo credit: The Food Network

Congratulations to Melissa D’Arabian - she is the Food Network’s Newest Star! A housewife and mother of four girls back in Keller, TX. She is the ultimate home cook with great ideas for home cooked meals and tips for every home cook.

After weeks of challenges, we were down to Jeffrey Saad who is from Los Angeles and Melissa. Melissa’s experience as a home cook and mother is the magic that she brings to the Food Network. People can identify with Melissa and she doesn’t get lost in all the culinary terms. Melissa kind of reminds me of  and I think she will bring a welcome fresh face to the Food Network family.

Melissa gets started on her new show tomorrow! No rest for Melissa. In one week, we will see the first episode of Melissa’s new show.

Melissa did  a “pilot” show at the finale and it was called Kitchen Survival – will that hold thru? Stay tuned!

Eight of the ten contestants will be teaching classes at a Sur La Table Cooking School near their hometown. As for us in Southern California, Eddie, Debbie and Jeffrey will each be teaching classes! For more info check out the info below or visit their website at www.surlatable.com.

]]> http://www.foodieindisguise.com/2009/06/20/learn-food-network-star-sur-la/feed/ 3 http://www.foodieindisguise.com/2009/06/07/the-next-food-network-star-51/ http://www.foodieindisguise.com/2009/06/07/the-next-food-network-star-51/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:57:38 +0000 Scott Mindeaux, Editor http://www.foodieindisguise.com/?p=2371

I can’t believe it is June already. June means that the newest season of The Next Food Network Star premieres! Tonight we have 10 new contestants and one of them will be the host of their very own show on the Food Network.

Our selection committee and judges are back, Bob Tushman and Susie Fogelson, Senior VPs for the Food Network and Bobby Flay, Restaurateur and Host of many shows on the Food Network.

Here are my initial thoughts about our 10 contestants.

First to arrive on site is Jen Isham, 30 who comes from Orlando, FL. If I didn’t know it, I would have thought she was a cast member at Disneyworld playing a princess! She’s a housewife and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. While she wasn’t playing a princess at Disneyworld, she was a line cook in the park. She is currently a sales manager at a hotel.

Jamika Pessoa shows up next and I know I like her already. She has bright smile and her background is from Jamaica and Trinidad. She is a personal chef  from Atlanta, GA. She loves global flavors but you won’t catch her going near a can of tuna or sardines! Her first impress of Jen? Barbie!

Katie Cavutto is a personal chef, nutritionist and owner of Healthy Bites. She comes from Philadelphia, PA and is 30. She attended Johnson and Wales University and Tufts University where she became a Dietician. Katie is a firm believer in organic and sustainable farming.

Talk about tall guys! Brett August shows up at the house next and he is the executive sous chef of a hotel in New York.  Brett, 32, attended The New York Restaurant School and cooking has been a passion of his since childhood. He kinda comes across as rough and not soft-spoken.

Michael Proietti walks in and girlfriend you better snap your fingers! Michael is the executive chef at the Radisson Hotel in New Rochelle, N.Y. Michael loves the world Fabulous. Michael also attended The New York Restaurant School. Was asked if he had a wife and kids and he just responded back…”Oh no, no, no….” he almost put “honey” at the end of that sentence! :) He still lives at home.

Eddie Gilbert, one of our Southern California contestants comes from Manhattan Beach, CA. He currently works as an apprentice in a restaurant here in Los Angeles. Prior to his current culinary career, Eddie got two degrees from Vanderbilt and worked for a Talent Agency before turning to spatulas and saute pans. Michael says he’s not so bad to look at either.

Stay at home mom, Melissa d’Arabian is our next contestant. A housewife and mother of four girls back in Keller, TX. She is the ultimate home cook – though won’t go near goat cheese. She seems the most congenial of the group so far.

Next up is cutie, Teddy Folkman, executive chef at Granville Moore’s in Washington DC. Teddy is no stranger to the Food Network. Teddy was in a Throwdown with Bobby Flay for his Moules (mussels)! Teddy wants to help home chefs think like restaurant chefs to help inspire them. Did you know in his free time he teaches local high school students how to cook? How cool is that? Wants me want to be in high school again. Ummm, Teddy, what’s up with the orange shirt?

Our second Southern California star is Debbie Lee from West Hollywood, CA. She is a restaurant consultant and had a catering company. Debbie is full of energy and she is like the Margaret Cho of the culinary world. She has the unique mix of being Korean and Southern…you go girl!

Jeffrey Saad is our third contestant from Southern Cal. Jeffrey is a successful restaurateur and a graduate of the California Culinary Academy. He currently is in the real estate brokerage line of work. Next to cooking, the martial arts is his next passion. Teddy wonders if Jeffery is a Greek God or a chef?

So there you have it. Our ten contestants for The Next Food Network Star. There’s no time to get to know everyone, the team heads directly for the Food Network kitchens. There they meet up with Bobby Flay, Bob Tushman and Susie Fogelson. They are told that their first challenge is to cater the celebration of the 16th Year that the Food Network has been on the air. Some very high profile chef hosts will be there as well as Access Hollywood. The teams are broken up into two teams of 5 – a red and green team.

Green Team: Teddy, Jamika, Jen, Brett and Melissa – Brett is Team Captain

Red Team: Eddie, Michael, Katie, Jeffrey and Debbie – Debbie is Team Captain

With a $1200 budget for each team, both teams have to come up with menus and cook for 75 guests. The only have 5 hours to get this done, the event is that night.

The initial menus for the Green Team are: Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce and Butternut Squash Soup; Potato Gratin with Herbs and Truffles; Floribbean Shrimp Cocktail with a Mango Jicama Slaw; Green Beans with Walnuts and Grape Tomatoes; and to finish it off, Apple Tarts with Caramel Drizzle.

The Red Team plans the following: Five Spiced Tenderloin with Pickled Vegetable Slaw; Red Curry Crab Cakes with Spicy Mayo; Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Sprouts and Tomato Bowls; Beet, Pomegranate, Orange Salad with Sauteed Swiss Chard; Achiote Grilled Zucchini with Mushroom Ragu; to finish, a Jelly Filled Beignets.

So off they go after planning their menus and rush to Whole Foods. While I LOVE Whole Foods, they don’t carry everything as seen in episodes of Top Chef and previous seasons of TNFNS. I can see the “did you get the….” question coming up. It happens in every show. Both teams scatter at Whole Foods and ingredients are flying into carts everywhere. The Red Team seems to have a bit more food in their carts than their $1200 budget will allow for. They start peeling back on ingredients. So remember how I said that WHole Foods doesn’t carry everything..well there are no butterilk biscuit dough in the freezer section. So Debbie makes an executive decision and they are now making some kind of Angel Food Cake dessert with Ricotta Cheese. Really?

Both teams race back to the Food Network kitchens while the camera pans and the two cars full of ingredients the Red Team had to leave behind…

The kitchen is pure chaos! Everyone is prepping and cooking. Brett is searing beef, Michael is prepping his beef, we have crab cakes, green beans and zuchini! It’s a mad dash as the last few minutes start ticking away. The cast will finish up here and then head over to the kitchens of Butter, whose executive chef is Alex Guarnaschelli who also has a show on the Food Network. Food Network stars are everywhere: Morimoto, Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentiis, Alton Brown, Aaron McCargo Jr, Ted Allen, Sunny Anderson, Duff is even here – it’s crazy!

First team up is the Green Team. Team leader Brett goes up to speak and introduce his team and he is a dud! All that energy in the kitchen and then he holds back? Come on. It pissed me off that he went on to say how his team is a bunch of pretty girls and then Teddy. Each of the team members got to talk and introduce their dish to the audience. Jamika is wonderful up there. She is personable, smiles and the audience reacts well. Teddy goes up and he flubs up. Barbie gets up there says she’s a housewife and that she made green beans. That’s it. Melissa gets up there and she is the first to congratulate the group on their 16th anniversary. Way to go Melissa. She was the light at the end of the tunnel that the Green Team needed for their presentation.

The audience goes up for their food. Comments tart flying at the table and it looks like Melissa’s Apple Tarts were a hit. Not so much fanfare about the Green Beans. Teddy unfortunately didn’t cook his potatoes all the way and Brett’s tenderloin looked horrible on the plate. Who will go home.

After a break, the Red Team comes out and Debbie starts things off. What a bang! We find out she can’t speak any Korean and Southern Food is really her passion. Great charisma and connection with the audience. Katie gets up there and she does ok. Jeffrey takes charge and pull the audience in. His dish isn’t what was proposed as Debbie didn’t get most of the items he requested. Oh no….Michael is up and he starts swishing that finger around and his style of Global a go go. He used “honey” way too much, but he got the audience’s attention and they loved it. last up is Eddie and he brings up the rear. He had an opportunity as the last guy up there to wow us and reel us all in, but he doesn’t. He welcomes everyone up. Hmmm…notice how no one mentions the angel food cake dessert? What a mess! Who’s going home for that one?

Accolades at the table for Debbie and her sauce to the crab cakes. Kudos to Michael and Jeffrey for their dishes. When it came to Katie’s salad…did she cook? One chef said it was a nice pile of fresh ingredients, but that was it. I thought Eddie’s tomato bowls would be a hit. Turns out, the only thing people could taste is the bacon. What about the L and the T? No one at the table cared for the Angel Food Cake dessert. Is Debbie ready to leave to take one for the team?

We’re now at Judge’s Table. Each contestant is being put under a microscope. Debbie is up first. They loved her presentation and they loved her spicy mayo, but the decision about the Angel Food Cake was initially described as a team decision when in fact in was just her. She was then confronted about going way over budget then having to shave off food to make the budget. What was more bothersome was coming back and saying they were $1 under budget. WTF?

Green team was next up. Brett was told it was a disappointment. Such enthusiasm in the kitchen, but a dud when put up on stage. The judges question a sophistication in Jen’s ability to be a Food Network Star. They raved about Melissa’s tarts. Next was Teddy and the raw potatoes.

The winner of tonight’s show is either Jeffrey, Michael or Melissa. Out of the Top 3, the overall winner was Jeffrey. Wow. I would have picked Michael over Jeffrey.

Unfortunately, one person is going home. One by one, they list who is safe. Debby, Katie, Teddy and Jamika are all safe. We’re down to Jen, Brett and Eddie.

Brett is safe and that leaves Jen and Eddie. I think it will be Jen. The finalist going home is Jen. Jen is going home to hottie husband Gabe.

My overall impressions of the night is that Debbie really has some character issues. Teddy put out raw food and while the gruyere and the truffles tasted wonderful, the main ingredient was raw. I do agree that Jen may not have been able to keep up with the rest of the team. As for tonight’s winner, Jeffrey had some adversity to deal with. Many of his ingredients weren’t purchased by Debbie and he had to pull a new menu item out of thin air.

Congrats to Jeffrey! Go Team SoCal!

Tonight was the premiere of Cake Boss on TLC. I almost didn’t watch cuz I didn’t want to watch an Ace of Cakes copycat show. This show is not that.

This is the story of Buddy Valastro (seen numerous times on cake challenges on the Food Network) and his family business, Carlos’ Bake Shop. Carlos’ Baker shop was owned by Buddy’s dad, Buddy Sr. who past away when buddy was 17 years old. Buddy took over the family business and things haven’t been the same ever since. Buddy runs the cake shop with his wife, mom, his four sisters, three of his brother-in-laws, a cousin and some assorted characters.

Tonight’s episode started off with the “team meeting” about the week’s work schedule. Oh uh….feels like Ace of Cake. But that’s where the similarities end. The 30-minute show is more about the relationships of an Italian family in New Jersey. Buddy has a large family that are very vocal about what they think and it makes for a show full of alot of shouting while getting snips about some of the cakes and pastries made that week. The cake stories focus on the “Ace of Cake” like cakes. That’s not fair. I meant to say the cakes that are in the category of showy/reality-like cakes that Ace of Cakes has helped to bring to the forefront of current cake stylings.

I’m not sure if I will watch it on a regular basis, but I have added it to my TiVo schedule. I’ll give it a couple more episodes before I make a decision if this show is about cakes or about the musings of a large Italian family! :)

Broadcast & Cable

A town has already been selected and shooting will begin in August. The town’s name has not been released.

Jamie Oliver had a series in the UK called  Jamie’s School Dinners, that followed Jamie and his fight to get unhealthy food removed from school cafeterias. In the ABC program, Oliver will work in tandem with town officials to offer its residents better food options.

While the focus of the ABC show won’t solely be on lunch programs, Jamie want’s to help those in the town figure out where local produce can be found and what resources the town has for better, healthy living.

Photo Credit: JamieOliver.com

Back in january on the 7th episode of Top Chef, Season 5, world renown chef Jean-Christophe Novelli was a guest judge. Jean-Christophe is the owner of several restaurants in France, London and South Africa. He also runs Britain’s Novelli Academy Cookery School.

Well Jean-Christope is coming to the States and has opened a cooking school here in Los Angeles called Chef Academy. I’m not sure if he actually “opened” a school or if it real. If it is, it’s the best kept secret in LA! I would be taking classes there if I could find it.

The series will follow Jean-Christophe and his students in much the same way Bravo’s Blow Out and Work Out series. The students will be tested and measured based on what they’ve learned in the Academy’s kitchens. Mentorn USA, the same production company for Jackie Warner’s Work Out is the same one for Chef Academy.

Filming for the series actually took place in 2008 as Jean-Christophe has since returned to Britain and attending to his Academy there.

More to come on Chef Academy when it is available!

Photo Credit: Trevor MacDonald

So yesterday I told you that DC’s Teddy Folkman will be a contestant on The Next Food Network Star. Well joining him will be 9 other contestants, of which 3 are from Southern California!!

First up is realtor Jeffrey Saad. Jeff actually has his roots in food not realty. He is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and opened several restaurants in the SF Bay area called Sweet Heat. He is now a successful realtor with his wife Nadia. The live in Los Angeles with their two children. Looks like Jeffrey wants to return to his roots in food.

Joining Jeff is Debbie Lee is a restaurant consultant from West Hollywood. She offers a unique twist in cuisines of Korean and American flair.

Third up from the Southland is Eddie Gilbert from Manhattan Beach. Eddie is currently an apprentice working in an LA restaurant. Eddie enjoys adding modern twists to old classics.

More to come on our contestants in the next few weeks! Don’t forget, Season 5 of the Next Food Network star premieres on June 10!

Thanks to The Food Network Addict for the photos!

Tune in tonight for your fix now that Top Chef is done for the season.

Move over Chopped and Hell’s Kitchen, here comes The Chopping Block. NBC brings a new culinary competition to primetime and debuts on Wednesday, March 11.

Eight aspiring couples compete for the opportunity to own a restaurant. In two teams of 4, the two teams will compete in two Manhattan restaurants with a couple voted off each week by renown international chef, Marco Pierre White and a panel of judges. The couple that makes it to the end is given $250,000 to purchase a restaurant to own and run. The show’s focus is to show the behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open a restaurant. It’s not just about the food, it’s about front-of-house operations, marketing and menu planning as well. each team of four is given a blank restaurant and they have to plan for simultaneous grand openings with their competition as well as the other 26,000 restaurants in New York City.

The Chopping Block is based on an Australian reality show but will have a somewhat different format from its Australian counterpart. It is being produced by Granada Productions who also produce the Australian version as well as Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen here in the States. It is interesting to note that Marco Pierre White has hosted the UK version of Hell’s Kitchen.

Who is Marco Pierre White? Marco is an English chef and restaurateur. By the age of 33 he had already earned a coveted 3 star Michelin rating being the first British Chef and the youngest chef to earn the stars. He has worked in many prestigious restaurants and retired from the kitchen in 1999. He has written several books. White Heat – an autobiography and Wild Food from Land and Sea.

So I have taken the time to watch some of the video snippets of the couples competing in The Chopping Block. Here are our couples:

Vanessa & Kelsey – Sisters living in Southern California. Kelsey is a personal chef and Vanessa is in Marketing.

Anapol & Lisa – Ex Husband and Wife who have worked in restaurants together. Anapol an ex-surger and Lisa a chef. Lisa lost three of her fingers in a kitchen accident but it hasn’t stopped her from cooking.

Angie & Samantha – A mother/daughter team from Philadelphia. Samantha has done front of house and mom is the chef.

Zan & Than – The “bro” team. Competitive amoungst the two of them, they are doing this for their mom.

Michael & Panya - A couple that is engaged and they both met in a restaurant. Panya working front of house with Michael staffing the stoves as a sous chef.

Khoa & Denise – Cousins. Khoa is a chef and Denise works front of the house. Denise describes herself as Khoa’s Barbie growing up as they like to shop as Khoa picks out outfits for Denise. Go Team Rainbow!

Dean & Shari – Both met in a restaurant. A husband/wife team. Dean was a chef and Shari a waitress when they both met. They want a restaurant to own to pass down to their sons.

Chad & Mikey - How cute are these two? The two of them met in Culinary school and have been friends ever since. Chad will work as chef and Mikey will do front of house. Chad does drag on the side.  GO Team Rainbow! Mikey’s more my type! :)

So tune in on Wednesdays, 8/7c starting on March 11 to see who get’s their chance at a restaurant of their own!

For more info visit the NBC website at http://www.nbc.com/chopping-block/

Well it’s 2009 and the we are now 7 episodes into Top Chef. The last episode, 5.6, I missed since I was in the hospital. I hope everyone had a good Holiday.

Let’s get to tonight’s episode. No one was eliminated in the last Challenge, so Eugene, Jamie and Melissa are feeling grateful, yet still defeated. 

Our chefs show up at the Top Chef kitchen to find a table of various sugars in front of them. With Padma is world renown French chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli. He is the founder of the Novelli Academy, voted one of the best cooking schools in the world. He will actually be in a new Bravo show called Chef Academy where 10 chefs go back to school to increase their culinary skills.

Today’s challenge is to create a healthy dessert, the catch, you can’t use sugar. The chefs have 45 minutes to come up with a dish using other forms of sweetness. This quickfire is sponsored by Diet Dr. Pepper.

Carla - Baklava with a Chocolae Disc & Fried Bananas
Ariane – Whole Wheat Crêpe with Caramelized Pears & Toasted Almonds
Radhika – Bread Pudding with Sauteéd White Peach & Roasted Cashews
Eugene – Mini Blini “Burger” with Banana Lumpia “Fries”
Jeff – Frozen Cherry & White Fig Yogurt with a Baklava Spring Roll
Hosea – Green Figs & White Peaches Brushed with Honey & Balsamic
Leah – Crepe with Whipped Ricotta, Strawberries & Balsamic Reduction
Fabio – Granola & Oat Tart with Eggless Pastry Cream and Fresh Berries
Stefan – Sugar-Free Mousse de Chocolate with Cherries
Melissa – Baked Dessert Burrito with Greek Yogurt Sauce
Jamie – Ricotta, Mascarpone, Peach & Nectarine & Cherry Napoleon

After the tastings, Padma asks Jean-Christophe who his least favorites were. He said he didn’t like Carla’s (Oh No!) dessert, the bananas lacked flavor. Carla’s intention was to make a banana ice cream but the bananas didn’t chill enough in the freezer. Another that wasn’t his favorite was Ariane’s – he said the crepes needed something. Last favorite was Jamie – the cheese was too overpowering.

So who were his favorites? He really enjoyed Jeff’s, Radhika’s and Leah. Overall, his favorite was Radhika! She is immune in the Elimination Challenge.

Padma announces that there is a new judge joining the table for the rest of the season as Gail is getting married and preparing for her day. Famed British food critic Toby Young will be joining Top Chef. The chefs start going on and on about how he is very critical, is more known for criticism than praise.

Today’s elimination challenge is a surprise and in honor of Toby Young’s arrival. The next morning Tom walks into the penthouse and says they will be cooking for them, Toby Young and some food critics. The challenge: create a Family-Style meal for a blind tasting. Cook the best they can. There will be TWO eliminations after this challenge. The chef’s, except Radhika start to pull knives to determine what 2 teams they will be on. Each team will be cooking in the kitchen separately due to space constraints at the Astor Center. They each have 30 minutes to shop and $100.

Team A: Fabio, Hosea, Jamie, Melissa, Eugene and Radhika

Team B: Carla, Ariane, Stefan, Jeff and Leah

Each team has 2 hours to prep. Team A is up first. While Team A is cooking away, Team B heads to Whole Foods to buy their food. Meanwhile just before Team A is minutes away from serving, Team B is sent up to start cooking, or so they think.

Remember the other food critics who will be joining the judges? Well, it turns out that it is Team B! The dishes from Team A are coming out, but no one at the table knows who’s dishes they are. They will each taste the dish and pick a favorite. Meanwhile as the Team A chefs return to the kitchen, they find a huge monitor where they can see the reactions live!

Radhika – Curried Crab Bisque with a Lemon-Scented Crab Salad
stefan doesn’t like, it Tom said it was too heavy-handed. Toby said this was the missing weapons of mass destruction everyone is looking for. 

Hosea – Bacon-Wrapped Halibut with Roasted Vegetables in a Beurre Blanc Sauce
Carla liked the vegetables on the dish more so than the halibut. TOby said the dish was like a movie where the main characters were upstaged by the supporting cast.

Jamie – Seared Scallops with Fennel, Garlic, Oranges & Olives
Jeff liked it and it was Toby’s first compliment of the night. Jean-Christophe said it was well done.

Fabio – Rack of Lamb with Cheese Ravioli & Mushroom Sauce
Stefan said lack of seasoning and undercooked. Ariane chimed in and said her lamb was also undercooked. Jean-Christophe said the pasta was very well done and the mushroom sauce was perfect. Other than the lamb it would have been the perfect dish.

Eugene – Crispy Red Snapper with Tomato, Basil & Daikon Fettuccine 
Stefan said the presentation was excellent but that daikon should be served cold. TOby said the fish was overcooked, it was under-seasoned and it was the bland leading the bland. 

Melissa – Ahi Tuna Crudo Tacos
Leah said she likes fish tacos but it needed salt. Ariane couldn’t get over the fishy taste. Toby said the dish says that whoever made it isn’t terribly confident in their abilities. He said it tasted like cat food.

So up next is Team B. Meanwhile Team A relaxes and prepares to be seated at the table with the judges. The dishes are brought out to the table. When Team B returns to the kitchen they see the huge monitor and realize that they can see the group as they are eating it. Even more shocking they then realize that they were being watched initially. 

Stefan – Roasted Duck & Braised Cabbage with Bread Dumplings
Radhika said the duck was cooked well but the dumplings were a bit dense. Fabio the dish as a whole worked. Tom loved the dish and said the seasoning was on point.

Jeff – Trio Tapas: Oysters, Seared Tuna, Avocado Sorbet & Grilled Peaches
Eugene said the creativity was there but too much happening on the plate.  Jean-Christophe said Jeff’s avocado sorbet is better than his. Tom complained that this wasn’t a dish, it was a bunch of appetizers. TOby said this was the standout dish so far of the night.

Ariane – Skate Wing with Pineapple & Cauliflower Purée
Melissa said she liked the pairing of the skate and the purée. Jean-christoph said the skate was cooked perfectly and the addition of the pineapple was unexpected and fabulous.

Leah – Seared Rouget Encrusted in Bread with Fried Beans in Chorizo Sauce
Jamie didn’t like the fried beans. Toby disagreed and said it was a nice alternative to Fish & Chips 

Carla – Seared Scallop on Top of Risotto with Gremolata Topping
Hosea said he loved the scallop but that the rest was uninspired. Jamie didn’t like the gremolata. Tom said he likes gremolata just without the raw garlic. 

The chef’s return to the Top Chef kitchen while the judges deliberate. The chefs reveal to each other who dish was whose. (That was probably poor grammar there).

Padma comes in and asked for the chefs who made the Skate dish, the Duck dish and the chef who made the scallop dish with Fennel. Ariane, Stefan and Jamie head to Judges Table. The judges told them they really enjoyed the dishes today. 

The winner of this challenge is told by guest judge, Jean-Christophe who announces that Jamie is the winner! Go TEAM RAINBOW!! Finally Jamie has redeemed herself. Being in the top three several times, this is her first win!

They return to the room and Jamie has the unfortunate task of asking Melissa, Eugene and Carla to Judges’ Table. Carla no, not you! Frist up is Carla. She defended herself by ofering suggestions for better version of what she put out. She admitted it wasn’t the best. Melissa said she enjoyed the challenge because she got to hear what people said about her dish. Tom snapped back and asked what was so satisfying about hearing harsh criticism? Toby said that the overpowering fishy smell was very unpleasant. Melissa crumbles with no defense. Next up is Eugene defending his dish. The judges questioned the combination of daikon, tomato and basil. He said he tried the combination before and he liked it. 

The judges deliberated and I’m really worried for Carla. They said they weren’t determining who was going, it was more so who was staying. Toby said he liked Eugene’s risk taking. He doesn’t have it yet, but he should be given the opportunity. Tom said that Melissa did what is her and Toby said, so isnt that why she should go for bad fish tacos? On Carla, they felt she lacked confidence. If her gut reaction was to make a vegetarian dish, then that’s what she should have done. Carla offered that if she took the scallop off, and mixed the gremolata in the risotto it would have been a good dish.

The three return to judges table. I’m so worried for Carla. Tom said Eugene he is wildly creativing but his skill level needs to catch up with him. Melissa, she showed them who she is, but lacked in imagination and creativity. As for Carla, she over thought it, over worked it and ruined what could have been an exceptional dish.

So how does it turn out? Melissa, please pack your knives and go – and Eugene is asked to pack his knives as well.

That means that Carla is saved!!!! I’m sooo happy!