Top Chef Seattle Episode 3 Recap: “Tom vs. Emeril: Turkeypocalypse”

On week 3 of Top Chef Season 10 in Seattle, it’s Turkey time!! 

From last week’s preview and subsequent promos, we know that in some way head judge Tom Colicchio and culinary superstar Emeril Legasse will be involved in this holiday season feast. Will they actually get their hands dirty and cook? Let’s find out.

As always, a quick reminder of the stakes: a feature in Food and Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, $125,000 provided by Healthy Choice and title of Top Chef.

(Hm. The initial prize money for the first season of Top Chef was $100,000. Glad to see that they’ve kept up with inflation and then some! Bravo indeed!) 

**During the opening voice over Padma says TWELVE chefs remain...which is wrong. Not sure where she got that number from but we have SEVENTEEN chefs remain. Yes, that’s why I’m here. 

Around the world in 17 dumplings

Quickfire!

Joshua “The Mustache” Valentine donning his brown hipster cap of the week leads the chefs into the Top Chef Kitchen.

Standing in front of a map of the world (complete with chef’s knife icons) is our beautiful host, Padma Lakshmi and one of the most important people in the food world, Editor-in-chief of Food and Wine Magazine, Dana Cowin.

Cue gratuitous reaction of how important is it to impress the Editor-in-chief of the magazine who’s namesake is part of the final prize package. 

“You fail during this challenge you might as well go find another career.” Josie tell us on cam. Wait. Who’s Josie again? Damn. How many times do I have to look up this chef for her to be memorable?!  

This week’s quick fire - dumplings!

The chefs are to make dumplings from around the world. Most every country/culture have some type dish that is composed of an outer wrapper with a filling inside. The selections on the board (represented by the chef’s knife icons) ranges from Fufu (Africa) to Jiaozi (China). 17 choices. 17 Dumplings. (and 17 chefs! Ahem)

Dana tells us that she has “eaten her weight in dumplings” and will be judging them on “what they can do with a wrapper, a filling, and a sauce and some authenticity.”

Judging by Dana’s size, I’m gonna go ahead and say she’s maybe had 3 dumplings in her life. Have you looked at her? Seriously, how do you make a living eating and drinking around the world and stay that thin? Sigh. I digress.

Hey Bravo's gotta pay bills! 

Since some of these dumplings will be very foreign to the chefs, Bravo gets a product tie-in with Amazon’s Kindle Fire! Each chef gets five minutes to research their dumplings and say great things about the Kindle Fire before spending the rest of an hour to make their dumplings. 

This will be a sprint and grab situation, first come first serve. 

I wonder if they draw knives each week to see who goes into the kitchen first. Especially since in some of these challenges it’s a clear advantage to be closer to Padma. Well, that’s always a good thing regardless of challenges.

Here come’s the mad dash!

After the dust settles:

-Micah Fields is left with Kazakhstan, which he didn’t know was a real country.

-Stefan Richter got German Klopses, which reminded him of the good days when he had hair. 

-Sheldon Simeon got Jiaozi, a Chinese dumpling. Full of smiles, he confidently tells Danyele on screen. “I know what I’m doing already.”

-Kuniko Yagi landed Japan’s Takoyaki. Takoyaki is basically an octopus ball. Kuniko is from Japan, so if you ask John Tesar he’ll probably tell you that due to that fact alone Kuniko should win.

-Brooke Williamson doesn’t have flour to make a wrapper for her Siomay, an Indonesian  seafood dumpling. So it looks like she’ll be serving a “nudie” dumpling.

The Siomay has no clothes

I have no idea what CJ picked because he’s too busy doing a quick commercial for the Amazon Kindle. “These things are kinda awesome!” Ugh.

.....and of course Carla Pellegrino’s acting like this is a silent movie with her gestures and flailing about. She has Fufu from Africa. I get the feeling some of her fellow chefs wish she just got the first half of that.

Time. Hands up. Utensils down.

BOOM. Kuniko has NOTHING on her plate. Yup, she lost track of time and forgot to plate her dish. She’s “extremely” embarrassed. If you ask John Tesar about this he’ll probably tell you how since she’s Japanese, she’d have to perform Hari Kari. Ok maybe he wouldn’t go that far.

Here are the bottom dishes:

-Brooke Williamson: Soimay -  Chicken & shrimp with peanut sauce & daikon. Judges thought it was tasty, but without a wrapper she can’t be considered and landed on the bottom.

-Carla Pellegrino: Fufu - Chicken and lamb filling with a red sauce. Last time I checked there aren’t a lot of tomatoes in Africa. Dana agrees. X-nay on authenticity. 

-Kuniko’s empty bowl meant an automatic out.

The contenders:

-Josie’s Smith-Malave: Mandu - Pork, tofu, shitake mushrooms filling. She made a complete dish spiced up with kimchi scored high with the judges.

-Stefan Ritcher: Klopse - Ground lamb, mashed potatoes and capers. He knocks it out by bringing the flavors his grandmother to the challenge. Dana was impressed by his Klopse.

-Micah Fields: Manti - Ground lamb with dates, curry & cinnamon. He brought some middle eastern bold flavors by adding mints and dates. It looked delicious. 

The TOP Dumpling goes to...

I Do You Do We Do Mandu

Josie’s Mandu! She’s ecstatic because last week she was on the bottom and now she’s got immunity! Keep winning and I wouldn’t have to google every week. 

Stefan rolls his eyes. Sigh. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride. It’s ok Stefan, go look at the pictures of your Porsche GT and tell yourself you own many restaurants.

Elimination Challenge

Padma tells us it’s time to give thanks. The challenge is to make a Thanksgiving dinner for the organization, FareStart. This organization recently won the James Beard Foundation Award for Humanitarian of the Year. In case that’s not enough, they get an extra Thanksgiving dinner this year. 

Here we go. It’s a team challenge. Two teams (Red and Gray) are simply divided by splitting their formation in half. 

Well who’s gonna lead the teams and help them guide their menu?

“Oh guys!!!” Padma calls in the heavy.

With a Tarantino-esque music in the background, Tom and Emeril swagger in like the bad asses they are. In case you’re missing the fact that these guys ARE bad basses? Padma’s here to remind you by quoting Scarface, “Say hello to my little friends.”

Everyone is super excited. 

Mister Blond and Mister White

Tom will be helping out the Red Team while Emeril will guide the Gray Team. 

Each epic chef will “set the tone” by sharing some of their own inspirations to guide each team. They won’t do any of the heavy cooking, but more of a prepping, tasting, and tinkering type of deal. Each cheftestant is still responsible for their own dishes.

Both teams go to their corners and begin to strategize. Spoiler alert: It’ll be Cajun vs. Italian

Emeril suggests bringing some creole flair while Tom talks about giving the American Thanksgiving tradition an Italian twist. That’s it. Simple. Let’s go.

During this crucial moment Josie proudly tells Emeril that since she has immunity, she should be responsible of cooking the turkey. For some reason, NO ONE on the Gray Team object!

Sure. Let’s give the MOST crucial dish to the one person who could care less about how things turn out. No matter what happens, she knows she’s not going home. 

Time to prep.

Right away Tom shows his “playful” cutthroat mentality. He tells Bart Vandaele to take ALL the fresh herbs just to screw over the Gray team. Meanwhile Emeril’s going with the more friendly approach and teaching Tyler Wiard about the nuances of making gumbo. Don’t forget, when it comes to gumbo - it’s all in the roux.

Not saying that Emeril isn’t a fierce competitor, but you can tell while Emeril’s doing his best weekend football coach impression, Tom’s more like a Marine Corp sergeant giving out orders. Tom REALLY wants this one.  

At one point talks of jalapeno going into Emeril’s corn stuffing and Tom jokingly scoffed, “Jalapeno? Hey what is this, Mexican Thanksgiving?” Heh. I guess only one ethnic influence is allowed. 

Is she having a laugh?

Faux pas of the evening. Persona non grata thus far Chrissy Camba actually had the nerve to sidle up to Emeril and invoke his immortal catch phrase, “BAM” while adding a few drops of vanilla into a cream mixture. What’s worst is she asks for permission then blurted it out before Emeril could say yes or no!!

You don’t need to be a good poker player to tell that Sir Legasse was NOT amused. I don’t care if Chrissy wins this whole thing or can make the best soup in the world, she’s probably not going to be working anywhere near New Orleans anytime soon. Oy.

“Yum yum yum!” Tom brings a spoon full of stuffing to Emeril to taste. Seeing these two so relaxed and in their element, having a great time just goes to show that despite all the television shows, all the accolades, all the posh restaurants, a chef’s heart is still in the kitchen. *tear*

Brothers in arms.

CJ (Red team) decides to take over the leadership role because he knows it’s more important that team wins. He’s going around making sure there are no weak links. So much so he had the audacity to slap Tom on the shoulder and asks “You feeling good chef?”  Um...have you have forgotten your place CJ?!

It’s Faux Thanksgiving time. The gang gathers at FareStart kitchen and have five hours to complete their turkey feast. Everyone’s humming along, getting set up when Stefan spazzes out about not having enough space.

Exchange of the day:

John Tesar (Gray team): “(mumbles)...this kindergarten...”

Stefan (Red team): “(Whiny) No you’re kindergarten!”

I know actual kindergartners who share space better than these two.

Kuniko (Gray team) is responsible for a Potato Pave. Layered potatoes. Since it’s a relatively simple dish, she’s spending a lot of her time helping out others. 

On the flip side, Lizzie Bender (Red team) is working mashed potatoes. Yes. She’s making an even simpler dish than Kuniko. She’s also not running around helping others with their dishes. 

Kristen Kish (Gray team) casually asks Kuniko about her dish. She hasn’t started yet, but she “thinks” she’ll have time. "Gokouun o inorimasu" Kuniko. (That’s Japanese for “good luck.”)

We get a peek at Josie’s (Gray team) turkey and talk about cajun. Those things looked burnt. She’s turning temperature down, repositioning the turkeys and now have to go with a “low slow” approach. Which anyone who has ever cooked a turkey on Thanksgiving will tell you that’s how it should have been done in the first place!

Turkey Sashimi anyone?

Just to rub it in. We see CJ (Red team) basting their glistening golden turkey and it’s glowing like something out of a Pulp Fiction suitcase. 

Just when you were appreciating the peace and quiet where everyone goes about their cooking, we hear some squawking from the Red team’s side.

Whaddaya know. Realizing she hasn’t had as much screen time this episode, Carla decides to throw a tantrum at CJ and Stefan for tasting her yet-to-be seasoned carrot soup. 

“You guys decide to call me sweetie and honey...and tell what the f**k to do is another.”

Once again we’re reminded dramatically by Carla that she’s a (successful) woman chef and she’s had it rough. Stefan throws a dig in about European women and that’s why he left Europe. Way to bust out the world's smallest violin, buddy.

Time’s up. Here we go.

This week’s guest judges: Editor-in-chief of Food and Wine Magazine Dana Cowin, Executive Director of FareStart Megan Karch, and Chef/Top Chef Masters contestant Thierry Rautureau, owner of Rover’s & Luc.

First up, Gray team.

-Josie: Triple Spice Turkey with Cayenne & Hot Sauce

-Danyele: Emeril’s Mom’s Dressing. Bread Stuffing with Chorizo & Cayenne

-John: Emeril’s Cornbread Stuffing with Ground Turkey and Diced Bacon

Team Creole

-Kristen: Assiette of Root Vegetables, Parsnip Truffle Puree & Creme Fraiche

-Tyler: Andouille & Shrimp Gumbo

-Kuniko: Potato Pave

-Sheldon: Braised Greens with Ham Hocks

-Brooke: Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits

-Chrissy: White Chocolate & Pecan Bread Pudding

-John: Spiced Pumpkin & Goat Cheese Ricotta Torte

Josie, determined to finally make an impression with us viewer, is the de facto team leader by presenting the menu to the judges. 

Right away the judges note that despite the “cajun” exterior, Josie’s turkey is undercooked. Everyone agreed that the flavor is good (C’mon, it’s straight out of Emeril approved spice jar!) it was “just a little” undercooked. Chef Thierry Rautureau laughingly said it was “not recommended by the USDA.” WOMP.

Other low points were Kuniko’s raw and unseasoned Potato Pave, Tyler’s lackluster gumbo and Sheldon’s undercooked braised greens. 

Funny how these professional chefs ran into some of the very same problems home cooks make on Thanksgiving - not enough time. Unfortunately, the judges aren’t understanding relatives who’ll keep drinking and wait for you to finish cooking. Well, some relatives anyways.

Some other highlights were Brooke’s biscuits and Chrissy’s pudding. Dana especially liked the extra texture the pumpkin seeds added to the biscuit, and everyone liked the warm and cinnamony bread pudding.

Overall, the judges were kind and cordial as to not blast Emeril’s team. But we pretty much see which direction this is headed. Let’s see how the Red team fare.

Red team:

-CJ: Braised Turkey with Tom’s Stuffing

Tom's Diner

-Carla: Carrot Soup with Turkey Meatballs

-Bart: Fennel, Gorgonzola, Orange & Pumpkin Seed Salad

-Josh: Sweet Potato Ravioli with Pecans

-Micah: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Bacon & Shallots

-Lizzie: Potato Puree

-Stefan: Panna Cotta with Orange Cardamom Crisp & Candied Pecans

-Eliza: Chocolate Tart with White Chocolate & Mint Syrup

CJ, the self-proclaimed leader of the Red team, brings out their beautiful turkey and explains to the judges how Tom’s stuffing with “foie gras, sausage, kale, fennel” has been passed down from “generation to generation.”

Nobody’s buying that foie is part of Tom's “generation-old recipe.” No offense Tom, maybe if your last name was Medici instead of Colicchio. 

Compared to Josie’s bird, this one wins hands down. That’s what happens when you follow Tom’s recipe, put tons of butter underneath the skin and baste every 30/45 minutes. I know Thanksgiving’s over but Christmas is coming up and you can find his recipe here. 

Other favorites were Carla’s velvety carrot soup with meatballs and Lizzie’s buttery mash potatoes. Judges loved the simplicity and seasoning on both chef’s dishes. 

This just goes to show that seemingly simple dishes, if executed properly, can be the most delicious and magical thing on the table. 

You know I should have won Top Chef Masters, n'est pas?

Judgement time. Since both Tom and Emeril were personally involved they’ll recuse themselves from judging. It’s up to Padma and the three guest judges.

Despite Emeril’s best effort to bring up Brooke’s biscuits, and lovely biscuits they are, the vote is unanimous. Gray team loses.

Now they need to figure out who goes home from the Gray team.

It’s going to be a tough choice between Tyler’s weak gumbo, Kuniko’s crunchy (not in a good way) potatoes, and Sheldon’s undercooked greens. Oh did I mention they’d love to send Josie home if she didn’t have immunity? Well, at least now I’ll always remember her as the “Turkey with immunity.”

Judge’s Table

CJ, Carla and Lizzie head to the winners’ circle. Apparently Tom thought Carla was making CABBAGE and not CARROT soup? Dana thought Lizzie’s potatoes hit Joel Robuchon’s stratospheric standards and Tom told CJ his turkey was roasted to perfection. 

I'm a woman hear me roar!

...and the winner is...

Carla!  

Yes. I’m as surprised as you are. A mistaken identity soup beats out 3 Michelin Star quality potatoes and a perfect turkey? You know who else was surprised? CJ. He looked about as happy as Stefan did during the Quickfire results. The veterans are taking a beating thus far. 

Speaking of which...

Josie, Tyler, Sheldon, and Kuniko are called to the “knive packing district.” (Trademark: ChezWu)

Josie is embarrassed. Her biggest worry was that her turkey was dry and overcooked. Tom is equally surprised she didn’t know her turkey was undercooked. I guess she’s never heard of a thermometer. 

Tyler conceded that after adding more roux he failed to add more worcestershire and hot sauce, thus resulting in a bland dish.

Kuniko had 5 five hours to make potatoes. Josie tried to help defend her. If only she had put that effort into cooking that damn turkey. 

Sheldon’s not going home for them greens so don’t bother scolding him down. 

In the end, Kuniko and her raw potatoes gets the ax. Wait. Wasn’t Kuniko the winner last week? 

Wow. Sometimes cooking’s a lot like fashion. One day you’re in, and the next day you’re out. Only in this industry the saying is “You’re only as good as your last dish.”

Good bye Kuniko. Please don’t hold a grudge. If you do? Go after Josie. 

In the stew room. John Tesar continues to carry on his “most hated” persona by picking fights with everyone. He’s clearly playing head games but the rest of the chefs don’t seem to recognize it, yet.

3 weeks in. What’s coming up next week?

-To nobody’s surprise John and Carla gets into it.

-Giant slabs of meat!

-Double elimination! 2 chefs get sent home.

-Josh wear a new hipster hat and cusses again.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! See you next week!!


Feel free to follow me on twitter @ChezWu!

Boycott Butterball Products

Butterball turkey abuse

Have your heart set on a Butterball Turkey this year? You might want to make other plans after watching this video with footage secretly taken at some of the Ballerball turkey facilities.

I won't write a big long spiel about why the Butterball brand is bad. I won't go into detail about why you shouldn't buy their products. I don't need to because the video speaks for itself.



With so many other options, so you really want to spend your hard-earned money on them?

Top Chef Seattle Episode 2 Recap: “A Shock at the Space Needle”

On Week 2 of Top Chef Season 10 the competition gets down to business as our 15 chefs arrive at the Top Chef Kitchen in Seattle. 

A quick reminder of the stakes, the chefs are competing for a feature in Food and Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, $125,000 provided by Healthy Choice and title of Top Chef.

The Top Chef Seattle Gang's all here!

(Bravo does it to pay the bills. I do it for consistency.)

Quickfire Time:  

The cooks enter the kitchen, eager for their first Quickfire Challenge.

“Alright alright alright!” Wait. Is Matthew McConaughey the guest judge? No. Unfortunately it’s just Tyler Wiard doing his best impression of our favorite bongo player.

Normally here’s where we meet this week’s guest judge. Instead, our lovely host Padma Lakshmi walks out  with two familiar faces and someone I had to look up. Former contestants Josie Smith-Malav, Chris “CJ” Jacobsen, and my favorite Bond villain - Stefan Richter. 

No Mr. Bond. I expect you to cook!

CJ and Stefan were both memorable characters who lasted deep into their season. Thanks to Wikipedia, I now know who Josie is. 

The season’s first Quickfire is a team challenge. The cheftesants are divided up into groups of three so there are only five dishes total to judge. And, of course, team challenges always make for good television.

The chefs divide up into teams by grabbing a colored apron underneath the prep table. 

John Tesar quickly made the decision to switch from gray to blue apron just to be teammates with Kuniko Yagi.

“I know she’s Japanese. I’m thinking to myself maybe she has incredible knife skills. I’ve watched every episode of Top Chef and I think the decisions you make are just as important as the dishes you make,” John tells the camera.

Apparently the decision of coming across as someone who’s kinda racist and stereotypes people didn’t factor into his thought process at the time. Hey, at least he didn’t refer to her as “origami.”

Their task: Make a dish that highlights one of the local shellfish. We see a tank full of Dungeness crabs, a basket of crawfish, and a big box of mud full of buried razor clams and geoducks. The kicker? Get it onto the table with only 20 minutes. Considering last week they allotted 45 minutes for an omelet, the degree of difficulty has gone up dramatically. 

Frankly I was surprised they busted out the geoducks so early in the season. It’s a giant salt water clam that is native to the Pacific Northwest. A “signature” item from that region with a distinct appearance of being rather phallic. Seriously. Whoever was the first person to eat that definitely had an oral fixation. I’m going to guess this won't be the last we see of geoducks this season.  

Magnum. Ummm...

John Tesar starts to strategize out loud and immediately gets scolded by Padma. Do NOT interrupt Padma. 

Mad scramble time.

Almost everyone digs for the geoduck because it’s one of those products that doesn’t require much preparation as it’s usually served sashimi style. With the time restraint it’s definitely a wise choice. However the savvy Quickfire producers know this as well so it was an “early bird gets the clam” situation. Some teams had adjust and go with some other product.

Sure, Bravo producers, go ahead and let the pretty model cook (Kristen Kish) make the geoduck big penis reference.

Comic relief Carla Pellegrino reminds us that she’s a not only a cook, she’s also a woman. She “wants a James Beard...and a nice ass.” As predicted last week, she’s running around being loud, dramatic and still looking for that white pepper. Prediction: Her own show on Bravo, “LOL Top Ass”

Business in the front...

Party in the back...

John Tesar reminds us again that he’s the “Most Hated Chef in Dallas.” Sigh. I think this might be a weekly occurrence. Maybe they won’t hate him as much if he took those glasses off his forehead. Is that some sort of anti-Guy Fieri fashion statement? 

Tyler Wiard name drops John Elway because working in a RESTAURANT for a two-time Superbowl champion makes you a good team player. Hm. Actually, that makes sense. 

Time’s Up.

Here are the teams and their dishes:

-Grey Team (Bart Vandaele, Jeffery Jew, Brooke Williamson)

Pacific Crawfish. Picked red chili fennel. Crawfish Cream.

-Orange Team (Lizzie Bender, Carla Pellegrino, Crissy Camba)

Oven Roasted Crawfish. Fennel and Herb Salad.

-Green Team (Kristen Kish, Micah Fields, Tyler Wiard)

Fried & Sashimi Geoduck. Raddish & Bak Choy Salad. Yuzu Chili Vinaigrette.

-Blue Team (John Tesar, Sheldon Simeon, Kuniko Yagi)

Geoduck Sashimi. Ponzu. Apple and Cucumber.

-Yellow Team (Eliza Gavin, Danyele McPherson, Josh Valentine)  

Razor Clam and Grilled Corn Chowder. Fresno Chili. Grilled Lime.

Ah. Much more pleasant looking Geoduck. Sashimi Style.

The bottom dish: Team Yellow. Apparently it lacked seasoning, acid, and Padma called it “watery.” Trying to make a chowder in twenty minutes is pretty ambitious. Emeril would have warned them.

The winning dish: Team Blue. Geoduck sashimi with apples and cucumber. Ponzu. Simple and clean flavors. Apple and cucumber provides sweetness and crunch, enhanced by the acidity in the ponzu. You can see why this was a winner dish.

Ok to make things fair the winning team randomly draw knives to see who wins immunity. Evil prevails and John wins. Looks like we’ll get to hear him tell us about that “most hated chef” thing again next week. Wait, “an extra glass of wine?” I thought he had a problem with recreational self-medicating? *Nervous look*

Quickfire over. Padma now drops the bombshell.

Surprise! Um. Not really.

The three returning chef-judges will now become cheftestants. The 15 cooks are shocked! However, I knew it was coming because the good people of Bravo TV decided to spoil the “SHOCK” by revealing this devious plot twist in their promos throughout the day. Also, technically the shock occurred in the Top Chef kitchen and NOT the Space Needle itself. Tom Colicchio would not approve of this title. Not too bravo, Bravo.

After being shocked, the chefs spew venom and curses! Of course no one’s happy about this. Apparently not even Stefan. Hey he’s got nothing to prove. Because when you drive a GT3 Porsche and own eight restaurants, your life is complete. That whole “runner up and losing to Hosea Rosenberg” thingy doesn’t bother you at all. Ok Stefan, whatever gets you through the night.

Elimination Challenge.

To the lament of Lizzie and Crissy, the chefs will remain with their team. The veterans now form team Red shirts.

CJ tells us that he’s 10x the chef he used to be. He just “came back from a stage at Noma, the number one voted restaurant for the past three years.” For your records, that vote was by Restaurant Magazine and carries “just a little” more weight then Yelp. 

The kids today and their phones. Are you guy tweeting?

Each team will serve one dish to the judges and legendary local Chef Tom Douglas. This week’s judges are Tom Colicchio, Emeril Legasse, Gail Simmons and of course Padma herself. I’m guessing Wolfgang’s not around this week because there’s only room for one legend at a time.

They must use local ingredients and will have 47 minutes (the amount of time for the Space Needle resto to rotate around once) to cook and serve the dish.

30 minutes to shop at the Top Chef pantry.

More gratuitous scrambling montage.

Every team is grabbing seafood of some sort except for the Red team. Stefan mentions grabbing eight quail? 

Yellow team cannot identify their fish. Seriously people. I’m no fishmonger but I can tell the difference between monk, salmon and halibut. (Yellow’s mystery fish turns out to be cod.)

Shopping’s over. Time for some beautiful Seattle exterior shots (spoiler alert: It’s overcast) and for the chefs to retire to their swanky Yo’ MTV Cribs style apartment, Olive 8.

Chefs get to relax and bond a little bit. Model chef Kristen tests out the flirting pool by identifying who’s married and who’s not. Because you know, that’s really important in a cooking competition. 

The crew find out that Patrick Jew is engaged...to a boy. “Awws” of disappointment fill the room. I gotta say though, he is the youngest looking 34 year old ever. 

Josie tells us why she’s back (to win?) and how she’s been coined the “Global Soul Chef” (by herself?)

Ok back to cooking.

Because of the space restriction, only two teams get to cook at the same time. So of course the rest of the group hovers around to watch. 

First up, Blue Team and Orange Team.

Blue Team’s got a great thing going. Kuniko’s on protein, Sheldon’s on sauce and Tesar - vegetable. Despite having immunity, Tesar is still constantly micromanaging the rest of the team. Can’t wait to see how he’ll act without that comfort blanket.

Orange Team is a mess. Carla is still doing her best Charo impression while the chefstestant peanut gallery is thankful they don’t have to work with her. 

Meanwhile the team of returning veterans are contemplating using quail as their main protein. CJ feels “really” good about this while Josie is skeptical. You figure as a team who has been through this once they would know better than to change plans five minutes before cooking. Outlook hazy. 

Really? We're talking about fishing?!

Judges arrive and banter about Seattle and the vivacious Gail Simmons wants to go fishing. Emeril as usual, is enthusiastic. Tom looks fascinated. Padma couldn’t care less about singing scallops. (I know I know, it’s all in the editing...I’m sure everyone was tickled by the banter. Also they’re only on their first glass of Hanna wine!)

Blue Team elected to have Kuniko present the dish to the judges and, despite self-proclaiming “not being good at speaking English,” does great job explain their Chili Oil Poached Cod with Dashi and Shabu Shabu Spot Prawns. 

Guess who does the talking for the Orange Team? Yup. You guessed it. Mrs. Pellegino introduces their Poached Salmon with Seasonal Vegetables & Beurre Blanc.

As if she hasn’t gotten enough screen time, Carla decides to cut herself. Medics come and bandage up the boo-boo. Thankfully she’s “all pretty again.” Oy.

Judges really like Blue Team’s dish. Cod’s not too fiery, dashi’s nice and smokey, and the spot prawns are fresh and light. 

Gail said, “The first thing to put in my mouth in Seattle? Not bad.” *laughter ensues* “Wait. That came out wrong.” Oh Gail. I’m just glad you weren’t talking the geoduck.

Orange Team also has a good dish. The under seasoned salmon was counter balanced by the well flavored beurre blanc. All is well with the first round. Judges are pretty optimistic. I think Tom’s just glad he won’t have to go back there and give them the “you’re not going to win with deviled eggs” speech. I concur.

It's Red and Gray Teams turn.

Red Team hits a snag right away. Their cherry broth is not so “rad” and Stefan is used to bigger breasts. Yes Stefan, that’s what happens when you change menu at the last minute. 

Gray team is on a bumpy road as well. Jeffery seared the halibut on both sides and it might be too well done. Actually, you can tell right away that fish is over. He pretty much killed the top sear and it’s still gotta sit under the heat lamp. Don’t expect Jeffery to work at Le Bernardin anytime soon.

CJ presents Red Team’s Quail Breast with Confit Spot Prawns. Cherries & Porcini. 

Jeffery describes the Gray Team’s Pan Roasted Halibut. Mushrooms. English Peas. Wheat Beer with Herb Sabayon

Can you tell I'm over cooked?

Right away judges note that the quail is over cooked, the spot prawn is over cooked, and there’s a bitter note to the broth. Outlook now not so good.

As expected, Gray Team’s halibut is a rock and unexpectedly their English pea sabayon tastes like nutmeg. There are no winners here.

During the interlude we learn that a 22 year old Tom Colicchio almost went all Nirvana and moved to Seattle because of a split up with a long time girlfriend. This endearing tale was highlighted by Tom violently swirling his wine glass. At one point even Emeril looked down and gave the wildly spinning glass a look of concern. Oh Tom it’s ok. We’ve all been there...

Last round.

Yellow Team finally figures out they’re working with cod. However, they manage to lose their mushrooms. It’s ok because they poach the Red Team’s leftovers. It’s still early in the competition. Nobody will call you on that, yet.

Green Team appears to be in good shape. Micah is kind to take a team player role and not be the natural leader he claims to be. They’re humming along. Much like this recap, the final team gets the least screen time.

Kristen Kish presents their Crispy Seared Salmon. Seasonal Vegetables & Spot Prawn Butter Sauce. For the record she would be my team’s presenter for every challenge. 

Danyele “With a Y” explains their Pan Roasted Cod. Mushrooms. Fava Beans. Pickled Green Apple & Garlic Scape Pistou.

Essentially, they’re the same dish. Both with a nicely cooked piece of fish over fava beans, sea beans and mushrooms. Though the Yellow Team’s sauce is too little and too garlicky. 

Things I’ve learned this week: Apples with seafood is a good match, Chef Douglass likes the middle of his fish translucent and Tom is a romantic. *He’s still twirling that wine glass.*

Judges all agree that this was a good start and since they all made similar dishes, this should be easy to judge.

Meanwhile in the Stew Room, the veterans wax poetic about how tough judging will be. Good thing because they’re about to walk down memory lane. 

Judgement.

Chili oil cod. Winner.

Blue Team wins!  It was pretty obvious from the get-go that they’ve got it made. John (who is still wearing those damn glasses on his forehead) talks about how harmonious the team worked together. Smiles all around. Group hug. Kuniko wins by coming up with the idea and cooking the fish. Though not showy, she has led by example thus far. 

The two bottom teams are Red and Gray Teams.

There’s a brief “coming attraction” moment between Josh Valentine and Jon Tesar. They debated over whether or not the veterans have an advantage. Ah *cue The Carpenters* “We’ve only just begun...”

Back at Judge’s Table, it has come down to whose mistakes are more egregious. Stefan’s over cooked little quail breast? Or Jeffery’s rock of a halibut. Between you, me and everyone else watching, chances are they’re not going to go through all this “shock” just to send Stefan packing. Right?

I wish I was driving my Porche...

Alas, pretty boy Jeffery’s over cooked fish has done him in. I couldn't tell how over done the quail was, but I could tell even watching on television (also by Jeffery's own admission that he fired the fish 14 min before serving) that fish  was completely over cooked. It’s back to the beach with them spiffy sunglasses and bow tie for you. I’ll miss your perfectly coiffed hair. Apparently so will Padma. 

Stefan (and the rest of the Red Team) look completely relieved. Consider this your welcome back present. I doubt the judges will be as kind next time. 

Week 2‘s in the bag. Next week?

Thanksgiving special! I don’t know about your family, but expect a lot of turkey, stuffing, tears and terms of endearment shouted across the room.

What did you think? Do you think the veterans learned their lesson? How long will Carla last with her drama act? Will John Tesar get into a fight? 

Personally I'm really glad we got right down to business and started cooking right away.

Oh did I mention Last Chance Kitchen is back??  (YES!) That's the REAL shocker this week!

Have a great week people and I'll see you next week! 

Feel free to follow me on twitter @ChezWu!

Foodie Trend: Boozy Desserts

Momofuku Milkshake (via UrbanSpoon)

One of my favorite foodie trends has to be the combination of two things I love-- decadent desserts and a good drink. Luckily for me, there are plenty of eateries who are bringing the two together in a beautiful marriage. Here are five picks that you can't miss.

1. Fancy Shakes at Momofuku Milk Bar in Brooklyn
The shakes at Momofuku Milk Bar are already spectacular-- a thick and creamy blend of homemade soft serve and flavored milk, BUT for an extra three dollars, why not make it "fancy?" Try the Cereal Milk White Russian for a unique treat.

2. The Tipsy Parson at The Tipsy Parson in New York City
First, picture a soft piece of almond cake. Now picture it soaked in brandy. Much better, right? The Tipsy Parson at The Tipsy Parson in New York is a nice mix of fruit, nuts, and booze, topped with vanilla custard, brandied dried apricots, prunes, sour cherries, cranberries, and toasted almonds.

3. Saffron Candied Ginger Ice Cream at Drunken Udder in Los Angeles. This place is dedicated to booze-infused desserts-- all in the form of ice cream. Go for the Saffron Candied Ginger for a sweet and spicy flavor, and surprise! There's hidden Southern Comfort. Some other great flavors? Salted Butter Caramel with bourbon and Fresh Strawberry with cognac.

4. Milkshake Shot at Stanton Social in New York City
For some of us, shots are just the way to go, and those people will love the Milkshake Shot at Stanton Social in NYC. For three dollars, they serve up a mix of caramel ice cream and Maker's Mark. Be careful people, this is 90 proof!

5. Boozy Donuts at Flex Mussels in New York City
You won't find this one on the menu, but go ahead and ask for the collection of boozy donuts at Flex Mussels. They're like the soft jelly doughnuts you find at any bakery, but injected with all of your favorite cocktails like margarita, absinthe chocolate, and blueberry daiquiri.

I don't suggest trying them all at once, otherwise you may be in for a sugary hangover.


St. Nicholas Square 3-Pc. Dessert Ornament Set
Sanders 4-Pk. Dessert Toppings
Nostalgia Electrics Margarator Frozen Drink Machine
Orvis Liqueur–Filled Belgian Chocolates
Chocolate Chocolate 300502 Liqueur Cups

Top Chef Seattle - Episode 1 Recap: “The Ultimate Chef Test”

Top Chef season 10 heads to Seattle, where I’m sure we’ll see a salmon challenge at some point and at least one guest judge wearing flannel. 

This season 21 cooks compete for that coveted feature in Food and Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, $125,000 provided by Healthy Choice (maker of the ironically titled product - Top Chef Frozen Foods) and of course, the all important title of Top Chef.

The coveted blue Top Chef coat

The never-aging Padma Lakshmi and Papa Bear Tom Colicchio host the show and lead the judging table that, here in Seattle, will include James Beard award winner Hugh Acheson and culinary “superstar” Emeril Legasse. Legasse has apparently been downgraded from his previously credited 'legend' status because this season the Top Chef producers have also brought in “Legendary Chef and Restaurant pioneer,” Wolfgang Puck. At this rate Escoffier himself will show up and judge Top Chef Season 20.

Here. We. Go. 

As per usual for the past few seasons, we start with an “amuse-bouche” round, a little something to get your appetite going before heading to Seattle. The 21 'cheftastants' get split up into 4 groups and head to each chef judges’ restaurant for a “personally designed challenge” to decide who gets to move on. 

We start off  at Tom Colicchio’s Craft Los Angeles.

Right away we’re introduced to potential villain John Tesar, who name-drops Anthony Bourdain and apparently is “The Most Hated Chef in Dallas.” (By D Magazine)

Then there’s Accent lady, Mustache guy, Ethnic guy, and the Chubby guy who is already sweating. Don’t worry. They’ll get names if they make it through. Names are for closers.

Tom explains that he’s going to test them the same way he tests all chefs who comes through his kitchen. They’ll basically work there for a day. Prep, butcher, and cook during actual service. Just do what you normally do. Sounds simple right? *shakes head*

We see the immaculate kitchen at Craft, and the chefs begin to mingle and get comfortable with their environment. Tom calls this a "little" kitchen, which like calling Tom a "little" terrifying. Craft's kitchen is one of those airy, cathedral-like spaces where everything seems shiny and spotless. 

Tasks are given. Right away Chubby guy is in trouble. “Do you always butcher with a paring knife?” Tom asks. Cubby guy obviously never watched the show. If Tom is ANYTHING he is a stickler for terms and formality. Don’t call it coq au vin if it’s not a old rooster, a paella needs to have a charred bottom crust, and always peel the skin off red peppers. Oh did I mention Chubby guy is now flop sweating?

Ethnic guy is literally butchering this fish. Sigh. Justo would be sad.

Mustache guy was over-confident and despite having a reputation of being a butcher...hacked up the chicken without asking Tom how he wants it done. Not good.

Meanwhile....

We go to Vegas! Emeril’s here at Table 10 with his group of 5 chefs and their personally designed challenge is to make soup.  Emeril takes soup very seriously, “For the average person soup sounds very simple...but it's not. It's about ingredients, it about depth of flavor, it's about passion.”  

Passion for soup

Here we meet Mustache guy #2, Exotic guy, 2 cooks with matching tattoos who despite working together, living in the same building and have aforementioned matching tattoos, are NOT lesbians (Cook #1 felt the need to clarify on camera as her eyes looks up and to the right...) and Red Shirt cook

Tattoo Cook #2 used to be a model. She currently holds my Michael Voltaggio Trophy thus far (Crush of the Season.)

Exotic guy is half Chinese, half Norwegian German. He’s confident that his globe trotting experience would earn him a spot. Because you know, having been to Ethiopia makes you an expert in cooking Ethiopian food. He and Tattoo cook #2 were on screen cooking side by side briefly. They would make beautiful dishes together.  Alas, he doesn’t cook that direction. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I digress.

Back to the food. Emeril’s very concerned that Exotic guy’s gazpacho won’t be cold enough. Very concerned. “If he gives me a hot gazpacho, he’s out.”

Ok soups on.

Emeril’s playing it close to the vest. Some criticism here and there but nothing too harsh. Being the super nice guy that he is, he always counters a criticism with a balancing praise. 

Kristen Kish (Model cook/Tattoo Cook #2) moves on with her English Pea broth with lemon peel (poached three times!) diced apple, scallops, crème fraiche. 

Jeffery Jew (Exotic cook) gets an instant nod by pulling off a chilled watermelon tomato gazpacho, peppers and ceviche.  

Thank goodness it's chilled.

Joshua Valentine (Mustache guy #2) passes with a roasted corn and coconut soup with mussels. 

All three soups look delicious. Emeril is right! The soups does give us a glimpse of the chefs' personalities. From Josh’s heartiness with the corn, to Kristen’s deftly executed pea broth, to Jeffery’s bold and daring chilled gazpacho.  All three could be serious contenders.

Red Shirt cook and Tattoo cook #1 get left behind. Sadness ensues.

..............

Back in LA with Tom.

Service time. Tom wants to see how the cooks react in real life situations. For me this was obviously the most challenging test. It’s basically 3 tests in one. Tom’s been here since day one so he knows exactly what situations the contestants will have to go through throughout the course of the season. You pass this test and you’ll have a leg up on the others.

To the stations! 

I'm not a contestant. I work here.

Right away John Tesar gets the nod. The guy’s been cooking since the 80’s and obviously got chops. Tom gives him a hearty bro-shake and sends him off to grab a Top Chef coat. If John can keep his temper down (big IF) and focus on cooking, he is clearly an early favorite. Others are hoping that John already got booted. Not the case.

Chubby guy is now both figuratively and literally sweating.

--------------------

Off to Beverly Hills and restaurant Cut. Ladies and gentlemen, the Legend himself, Wolfgang Puck.

The task here: omelet. Many chefs have said that the way to judge a cook is by how they make an omelet. I could cite sources but if you haven’t heard that before you’re probably not reading this recap.

Legend

They have 45 minutes to make an omelet. 45 mins! According to Culinary Yoda Jacques Pepin, a perfect French omelet takes just a few minutes to make. This better be one freaking good omelet.

The group here is a bit nondescript, save for the dramatically accented Carla Pellegrino (of the famous Rao’s, featured in Top Chef Season 8: All Stars) and Kuniko Yagi, whose black chef’s coat and straight dark hair makes her look like the villain in a Japanese horror movie. 

Everyone rushes around trying to make the most complicated omelets ever.

Wait. Did Danny O’Brien from Seasonal Pantry in DC just refer to Kuniko as “origami?!”

He did. He’s also the only guy who got sent home. Apparently having “the number 1 restaurant on Yelp after being open for 11 months” couldn’t save his bacon-greased eggs. Seasonal Pantry is a great place and serves delicious food, but that origami comment and his smugness about Yelp was a little off putting. 

I gotta say. Tom Colicchio would have sent ALL OF THEM home for the plates they dare called “omelet.” All except for Crissy Camba who presented an actual omelet, the rest were over done scrambled eggs hidden underneath salads. 

Wolfgang did have the quote of the episode, “A stove is like a woman, it never does what it’s supposed to do.” Wow, way to remind us that you're old-school Wolfgang. Expect lots of zingers from this “legend and restaurant pioneer” this season.

--------------------

Let’s head to Atlanta, Empire State South where Top Chef Master darling Hugh Acheson rounds up the final group of 5 chefs. Hugh also describes his test as one he gives all his cooks - 45 minutes for a composed salad. 

Apparently if you know how to make soup, omelet, and a salad then you are all set getting a job in a Top Chef caliber kitchen! 

The standouts here are Hawaiian chef Sheldon Simeon and Brooke Williamson.  Sheldon is a People’s Best New Chef Pacific Northwest by Food and Wine magazine. Yeah, he might know his way around the ingredients from and around Seattle. Advantage Sheldon. 

Hugh being snarky

Brooke Williamson, the lovely girl next door heavily tattooed mommy got the instant nod for her fried kale salad with brussels sprout leaves and lemon vinaigrette. 

Sheldon follows suit with his own version of a fried brussels sprout salad and wins a coveted chef’s coat.  

Belgian chef Bart Vandaele, who is also a knight, gets by with lobster and bacon with some asparagus and beets. Red headed baby cook Danyele “with a Y” McPherson slips through with “propaney” tasting grilled tomatoes. 

"Salad"

The only cast-off here was Gina Keatley, self proclaimed tiger woman whose over-cooked zucchini and weighty salad got her the boot. Gina disagrees. She says she’s not just a chef and nutritionist; she’s a movement. Too bad she didn’t move them zucchini off the grill early enough. 

Note to self. When in doubt, throw them veggies in the deep fryer. Either that or serve some lobster and pork belly with some greens and call it a salad. 

Moment of the evening. Bart raised his arms in celebration as Gina starts to do the walk of shame. The joy of victory/agony of defeat in one shot. Heartwarming moment. 

----------------------

Wrapping up service at Tom’s kitchen.

4 chefs left. Arguably the most important service of their cooking career. What does Chubby cook do? Stands around and look bored. If Tom Colicchio thinks you’re timid, chances are you’re not Top Chef material. 

The word Chef is derived from the word Chief. To be a chief in the kitchen means you’re a leader of the team. There is no such thing as a timid leader. Spoiler alert: Chubby cook doesn’t get a name.

Mustache guy’s beurre fondue is too salty. You know you’re in trouble if Tom asks with a furled brow, “Did you taste this?” Spoiler #2: Apparently there can be only 1 mustache guy this season, and you my friend, don’t look like Kevin Gillespie. 

Always skin your red peppers!

Service is over and it’s judgment time. 

As a Top Chef cook, there’s probably nothing more intimidating than standing in front of Tom Colicchio after a challenge. It seems like everything you’ve ever done in your entire career, your worth, your soul is being judged. *shudder*

Lizzie Bender (Accent cook) knows how to make tortellini and risotto. If you can make Tom happy with your risotto, you’re a force to be reckoned with. She could be a dark horse in this fight. Blue coat for her.

Micah Fields (Ethnic cook) can’t butcher fish, but he knows how to cook a duck. His aggressiveness around the kitchen and being comfortable in the element earns him a blue coat.

There you have it. 15 out of 21 cooks survive the prelim. 

Now we get a blurb of the season to come...here’s what we can expect:

-Gratuitous running around footage.

-Mud. There will be mud (and a lot of digging)

-Roller derby!! 

-A lot of “we gonna use THAT?!” *Shock*

-Yes. A foot massage.

-Anna Ferris is pregnant, and the bearded guy from Parks and Rec is funny.

-”Emotions run high.” (It never runs low does it.)

-Joshua Valentine actually morphs into Kevin Gillespie.

-John Tesar reminds people why he’s the “Most Hated Chef in Dallas.”

-Carla Pellegrino makes loud and dramatic gestures.

-And...judges get snarky.

With that, Top Chef Season 10 kicks off. I hope this will be an exciting season and that they put the focus back on the cooking. There's a lot of talent and a lot of characters this season. Now we’ll just have to figure out how many times we’ll hear someone say, “Go big or go home!”

Feel free to follow me on twitter @ChezWu!

What to Eat at Justin Warner’s “Do or Dine”

Whether you rooted for Justin or another Season 8 Next Food Network Star Finalist, there’s no denying that Justin Warner’s restaurant Do or Dine in Brooklyn is a one-of-a-kind foodie experience. From foie gras doughnuts to frogs’ legs in a Spicy Dr. Pepper Glaze, the casual eatery combines unexpected flavors to create unique takes on classic comfort food. Here are three menu items you can't pass up. 

1.       The “margarita”

Rather than serving up a typical margarita, Do or Dine offers a shot of tequila with an orb of lime and salt that you pop in your mouth as a chaser. They also offer a pickleback version if you’re feeling something a little briney-er.

2.       "Nippon Nachos"

These are not your average tortilla chip nachos. Do or Dine takes nachos to the next level by adding an Asian twist. They use deep-fried dumplings instead of chips, and top them with melted cheddar, sour cream, salsa and scallions.

3.       “A Fish and Some Chips”

I believe fish and chips are always a good choice when craving comfort food, but I think Do or Dine’s version is even better than the original. They serve up a crispy snapper with a little Mohawk of fish roe, and a side of thick potato-ey fries. Double bonus—it’s made with fish sauce and yuzu for a little unexpected bite.

Enjoy! 

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