Top Chef: Whole Lot of Scrumptiousness

hangar

Top Chef: Las Vegas
Thunderbirds

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create an “out of this world” dish featuring potatoes
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a meal for 300 airmen at Nellis Air Force Base

At the beginning of the episode, Preeti and Laurine were saying that their room is getting empty since they lost Jennifer and Eve out of it. That only leaves Preeti, Laurine and Jesse in that room. Based on Jesse and Preeti’s track record, it almost sounds like the loser room to me. I think Laurine should get out of there while she can or maybe she is working on getting the entire room for herself.

Quickfire Challenge

potatoes

The guest judge for the Quickfire Challenge was Chef/Owner of Campanile, Mark Peel. Mark said he started out in the business working for Wolfgang Puck. He said he was the “vegetable boy.” He spent a lot of time with potatoes, so their Quickfire Challenge would be creating a dish featuring potatoes that were “out of this world”.  They had 45 minutes and had access to every kind of potato they could imagine.

Ashley was nervous about making gnocchi in 45 minutes, but she thought she was prepared enough to get it done. Preeti needed to boil some water to blanch her asparagus. Kevin just got done using his pot so he said she could use it. She cut up her vegetables, but by the time she got back over to the stove, someone had moved Kevin’s pot. Ashley had put a pot down that Preeti thought was Kevin’s old pot so threw her asparagus in there. That did not make Ashley happy when she found out what happened. After blanching her asparagus, Preeti dumped the water out, which made Ashley even madder since there was no boiling water anywhere for her to cook her gnocchi.

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Ash
Sweet Potato Custard with Toasted Pecans

Ash thought potatoes were boring, but thought sweet potato ice cream would make his dish a wild card. He couldn’t successfully make ice cream in 45 minutes though so he called it custard. Ash was laughing at himself a bit, but didn’t tell Padma or Mark that it was supposed to be ice cream. Mark said it had a good texture to it.

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Bryan
Sunchoke & Yukon Gold Vichyssoise with Applewood Smoked Caviar

Mark said it could have been “glue-y” but it was not.

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Preeti
Saffron Poached Russian Banana Fingerlings with Asparagus & Tomatoes

Preeti told them that she went for some “out of this world” colors. Mark said it was very nice.

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Michael
Confit Tuna & Potato Sandwich

He said he basically made a tuna fish sandwich, but it didn’t look like one! Mark said it was a little bit underdone, but the tuna was very good. He said the balance of flavor, texture and color was great.

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Jennifer
Steamed Mussels, Yukon Gold & Blue Potatoes with Lemongrass Potato Sauce

Jennifer said she made potatoes three ways.

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Robin
Purple & Fingerling Potatoes, White Yams with Pancetta, Frisee & Fried Egg

Mark said it looked like breakfast. Robin said she loves breakfast.

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Hector
Steamed Sweet Potato with Fish Sauce & Lime; Purple Potatoes & Ham; Smashed Fingerlings with Yeast, Yellow Chile, Slow-Cooked Egg & Cream

Hector said he had potatoes three ways with a Latin kick to them. He said sweet potatoes are a traditional side dish of ceviche.  The purple potatoes looked insane. They were so purple.  Mark said it has good flavor.

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Laurine
Vegetarian Potato Burger, Portabella Mushroom Bun & Fingerling Chips

Laurine said it was an “out of this world” potato burger and the star of the show was the mashed potatoes. Mark said the chips were perfectly crisp.

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Mattin
Poached Cod with Blue, Yukon & Sweet Potato Purees

When Mark saw the dish, he said it was beautiful.

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Kevin
Bacon-Braised Yam with Potato Sauce, Asparagus, Mushroom & Cauliflower

Kevin said he made two different kinds of potatoes. He said he chose three vegetables that pair well with potatoes. Mark said it had beautiful colors.

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Mike I.
Potato Risotto with King Crab & Mascarpone

Mark seemed impressed that Mike had made risotto with potatoes, but after tasting it said it was a little salty. Padma said it was a nice idea.

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Ashley
Potato Gnocchi with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms & Homemade Ricotta

Mark seemed impressed that she made the ricotta herself.

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Eli
Yam Puree with Pistachios, Whipped Bliss & Bourbon Maple Syrup

Eli said he is from the South so he wanted to do a play on sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Mark said “Wow!” after tasting it. Padma asked if Eli had shelled the pistachios himself. He said they were pre-shelled as she was taking a shell out of her mouth. Oops!

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Ron
Sweet Potato Crusted Yellowtail with Fennel & Leek Stew

Mark said his favorite part of it was the fennel and leek on the side.

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Jesse
Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger, Brown Sugar & Cayenne Pepper

While plating it, Jesse discovered she had put too much cayenne pepper in it. It was a bit spicier than she would have liked, but she went with it anyway. Mark said it had great texture and beautiful color, but as soon as he took a taste of it, he said, “You like cayenne.”  He took another bite and said it was pretty spicy.

Losers

  • Eli – He said he understands Southern cooking, but Eli’s dish was too sweet.
  • Ron – He had a bland yam on a slightly overcooked fish. The flavors didn’t work.
  • Jesse – She had a heavy hand with the cayenne.

Winners

  • Jennifer – He said her dish was a good combination of texture, flavor and color. It was very nice and an almost classical French.
  • Ash – He said the custard was very nicely flavored and very nicely seasoned. He said that Ash wasn’t trying to overreach and working with time on his side. Ash looked shocked that he was talking about his dish.
  • Ashley – He said her gnocchi was good (Preeti didn’t ruin her dish!). Mark said if mushrooms are not cooked enough, they do not have enough flavor, but those were cooked enough so they had a great flavor and enhanced the potatoes.

Quickfire Challenge Winner: Mark said he picked who he thought found the essence of the potato. He picked Jennifer.

Mike I. told the camera that it was favoritism, which made no sense. Mike said, “Oh if I throw some potato broth on a plate, I’m going to win? Whatever, whatever. I don’t care. I don’t care. ” Someone sounds bitter!

Elimination Challenge

Padma told the chefs that they had a special guest for the elimination challenge. It was Colonel Dave Belote, Commander of the 99th Air Base Wing of Nellis Air Force Base. Their orders were to report to Nellis Air Force Base, home of the Thunderbirds to prepare a meal for 300 airmen. He said most of them just returned from combat missions overseas and others were about to deploy. He said most of them had been stationed all over the world and had been exposed to cuisines all over the world. He said they had very discerning taste, along with high nutritional requirements.  Michael said he was very excited since his little sister is an airmen in the Air Force. Padma let the chefs know they would be working as one team. They would have four hours to cook, but they would not find out their cooking ingredients or equipment until the next day when they reported for duty.

Back at the house, the chefs gathered around to make a game plan. Mike I. threw out an idea that one person would be the executive chef in the kitchen, leading everyone while everyone else would break up into seven teams of two.  He nominated Jennifer as the lead since she was safe from elimination. He said if she did well, she would look like a star and if it went badly, she had immunity. The teams divided up:

  • Preeti & Laurine – They grouped together because of their San Francisco connection.
  • Kevin & Eli – They grouped up because they were both from Atlanta. Kevin said they also bonded on a “fat kid” level too.
  • Ash & Ashley
  • Mike I. & Michael – Bryan wanted to work with his brother but Mike had already said he wanted to work with Michael.
  • Bryan & Mattin – Bryan felt Mattin was a solid cook.
  • Hector & Robin
  • Ron & Jesse – They had been quiet the entire time so they ended up together. Ron felt nervous working with someone that had been on the bottom so many times.

airforcekitchen

The next day the chefs walked into the kitchen at Nellis Air Force Base and came across a lot of canned food.  There were no stoves or pots either. Kevin was in ROTC in high school so he was expecting exactly what they came across in that kitchen. Jennifer said, as the executive chef, she took the best idea of each team and then gave them the go ahead. The teams quickly ran into space problems where multiple teams wanted to use the same equipment. Jen was helping facilitate that quite a bit by telling some teams they had until a certain amount of time and then they had to get out of there. At one point, Jesse was extremely worried that Mattin would not quit using a huge pot thing in time for her to reduce the cream for her chowder.  Jennifer came over and said if they were ready to cook, they could do it in the wok that was free. Ron said they would wait for the thing that Mattin was using. Jennifer appeared on top of it though. Everyone looked like they got everything done on time and on schedule.

The teams headed over to the hangars to set up the meal buffet-style. Ash and Ashley did not have much to do with their bread pudding besides keeping it warm so they were going to help refill stations as they ran low. Preeti and Laurine were nervous about their pasta dish since it did not look as complex as other teams’ dishes. What did I tell you Laurine? You might be on the losing team! Eli thought that Ron and Jesse’s clam chowder was not the best idea on a really hot day. Hector also had a hot chili, but he said that’s what they eat in hot climates. They eat something hotter and it cools them down. I guess that makes sense? Michael was showing Mike I. how he wanted the dish plated. It was a piece of meat put on a piece of lettuce with some sauce. Mike I. said he thought that would be hard for them to handle. Michael said he just had to put it on their plate. Jennifer suggested that Mike get a platter and start building some beforehand to be ready to hand off. Michael said he didn’t want him to do that, but to build each piece at the time they served it. It sounded like it could be a mess.

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Mike I. & Michael V.
Greek Salad with Cucumbers, Chickpeas, Olives & Olive Oil-Poached Shrimp and Braised Pork Belly with Soy-Mustard Sauce & Peanuts

One airmen said that she had a “whole lot of scrumptiousness wrapped up in a piece of lettuce.” That’s an awesome quote. Gail said the bacon was “super mega delicious.” Tom loved it too. Mike I. decided to make the salad dish because he had time. Did he learn nothing from Ashley’s mistake in the last episode? None of the judges loved the salad. Mark said it wasn’t a Greek salad. Tom said the shrimp was undercooked.

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Laurine & Preeti
Pasta Salad with Broccoli, Peppers, Sun-dried Tomatoes & Artichoke Hearts

Gail thought they did a half job with the pasta. Tom said it was a little salty. Padma said it was nice to have a vegetarian option and it was a very light dish.  Gail said it didn’t seem to be very inspiring or creative.

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Jesse & Ron
New England Clam Chowder with Roasted Corn

Ron had won multiple championships for chowder so that’s why he wanted to make the dish. Jesse would have loved to make a gazpacho since it was such a hot day, but there was no blender in the kitchen so she agreed with the chowder idea. Tom thought it was a little on the thick side, but it was good. Padma wondered about the choice to make a clam chowder on such a hot day. There were some airmen that were loving it though, so they didn’t seem to mind. Tom did point out they were eating hot chili too. Gail said she didn’t mind eating the hot chili with the meat, but the hot cream seemed to just be too rich on a hot day.

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Hector & Robin
Three-Bean Chili with Roasted Chicken

Mark asked if they used the can beans or the dried beans. Robin told him they used the canned beans. Tom thought it had a very authentic flavor. Gail said she liked it with the celery leaves, which they used because there were no fresh herbs in the kitchen. She also thought that the airmen really liked the dish. The camera then cut over to a guy that said that it was his favorite. He thought it had the right amount of spiciness to it.

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Eli & Kevin
Georgia Style Braised Pork Shoulder & Potato Salad

Mark said the potato salad looked like what he grew up eating. Gail said she liked it a lot. Padma said it was yummy. Mark said he loved the potato salad. It reminded him of his aunt’s potato salad that she was famous for. One of the airmen said he wished he had the potato salad like that in Iraq.

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Bryan & Mattin
Roasted Beef Strip Loin with Mushroom Demi-Glace & Cauliflower Gratin

Tom said the beef was well seasoned and cooked nicely. Mark agreed saying it was a nice medium-rare. He was surprised it held so well from when they left the kitchen to when they were able to serve it.

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Ash & Ashley
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Peanut Butter Sauce

Mark said it was a little dry, but he liked it. Padma said it was a little dense for her. Gail thought it was really flavorful. Tom thought it tasted a bit like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Gail said that was the point. Tom was trying not to laugh while he ate it.

They talked a bit about Jennifer’s role as executive chef. Mark said the closest he got to the military was Boy Scouts and he would have been very happy with this meal on camping trips. Col. Dave thanked all the chefs for what they did for all the airmen. His speech teared up many of the chefs.

Judges’ Table

Padma asked to see Mike I., Michael, Eli and Kevin. Padma informed them all that they had their favorite dishes, but there could be only one winner. They asked who worked on the pork and who was in charge of the recipe and flavors. Kevin said that he worked on it. He said the flavors were from his family. Mark said the pulled pork was beautifully done. It had great complexity of flavor and it was one of the airmen’s favorite dishes. Tom asked the other team if the pork belly was already smoked. Michael said it was already smoked. Tom said it was very cool since most chefs would see it and then try to incorporate it into a dish instead of braising it. Michael said that he thought most people were trying to do that so they were mad when he took it all. Mike said that he only turned out the pork dish, but it was fully Michael’s dish and idea. Mike told them that he worked on the shrimp dish. He said he made it since there wasn’t a salad in the entire buffet line so he made two dishes for his team even though they were only required to make one. Tom asked if he was happy with the way it came out and Mike said he was. Mark picked the overall winner. He said it was the chef who was able to feed so many people with a dish that was full of flavor and texture. The winner was Michael. Michael was thrilled that he had one elimination challenge win and his brother had one win so they were even.

They informed them to bring back Preeti and Laurine. They also asked Mike to stay behind too. He was shocked since he was in the winner’s bracket and then went to the loser’s bracket. Tom commented that Preeti and Laurine seemed a little confused about why they were there, but Mike seemed downright pissed.  Mike said that it was a team effort and since Michael had it covered with the pork, he thought he’d help out the team with another dish that he didn’t need to make.  Mark said that he did make it and was responsible for it turning out so bland. Mike’s answer was, “Yeah, well, you know…” Mark said it was under-seasoned, the shrimp was undercooked and it had no flavor. Mike said he wasn’t 100% about serving it. Padma said he shouldn’t have served it then.  Gail said they split up the dishes so they only had his dish to judge him on. She didn’t taste acid, salt or a lot of flavor. Mike said he was angry at himself more than anything.

Tom asked who was responsible for what in their dish to the other two. Laurine said it was a team decision to make a cold dish and with 300 people, there was bound to be a vegetarian. Tom told her to cut to the chase and asked who had the idea to make a pasta salad. They said they couldn’t remember who said it first. Gail asked if they thought it was flavorful. Laurine said she thought it was flavorful with what they had to work with. She normally wouldn’t have chosen canned artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes in a can. Tom said everyone had the same limitations though and he thought there were other dishes that were very, very good. Preeti said she thought their dish was good and flavorful. She thought it was better in terms of flavor compared to a lot of other dishes. Psst….Preeti…beside Mike, there isn’t anyone else in there so I don’t think the judges agree with you. Gail said it was not very creative. Preeti asked if it was creative to serve clam chowder on a 90 degree day. Tom said it wasn’t creative, but the other team’s version of clam chowder was better than their version of pasta salad. Tom is hilarious. Padma asked Laurine if she thought her dish was flavorful. She said she didn’t think it was the winning dish, but it filled a niche. Padma asked her why she wouldn’t want to make a winning dish. Laurine said to be honest, she forgot about the competition. Then she said that was a bad answer. Tom said it was a bad answer, bad dish and a bad idea. Mark asked who thought they did better on Laurine and Preeti’s team. Preeti thought that working together was probably not the best idea. Padma asked if they both wanted to go home together. Preeti said she didn’t want anyone to go home. Padma said that wasn’t going to happen. Tom said he felt that he wasn’t getting an impression from them that they just wanted to get by and making it to the third or fourth round was enough for them. He didn’t get the feeling that they wanted to win. Laurine said she did want to win.

The chefs were shooed out of the room. Tom said any of them could go home. He said it was two chefs working on a bad dish or one chef working on a bad dish. He wasn’t sure which one was worse. Padma said it was hard when they wouldn’t say who had the idea for the pasta salad. Mark said it was just bland with a bunch of disparate ingredients that were flavorful, yet they all lacked flavor. Tom said what he heard was that Laurine was embarrassed that she served them pasta salad and Preeti was confused about why she was there. She really believed it was a good dish. Gail agreed that Laurine seemed to have some awareness that it was a poor dish, while Preeti did not, however, Laurine forgot it was a competition. Gail said that almost made her madder. Why didn’t Laurine remember it was a competition and come up with a better dish? Gail did admire Preeti a little bit for standing up for her dish. Padma said it was clear that Mike didn’t think he should be there. Gail said no matter how much emotion he showed the judges, it didn’t excuse him from making  a flavorless dish. Padma said it wasn’t just that the salad was bland, but the shrimp didn’t look appealing nor did they have an appealing texture. Mark said in Mike’s mind it was a throwaway dish.

They called the chefs back in. Tom said their challenge was to cook for the masses and for the most part, the food was good. Unfortunately their dishes were their least favorite. He told Mike his dish was almost like a throwaway dish. He told Preeti and Laurine that they gave them an uninspired dish. Tom told Preeti that she doesn’t understand that the dish wasn’t up to snuff. He did think that Laurine knew that, but wish she knew that before she was at judges’ table. Padma told Preeti to pack her knives and go.

Questions

  1. Will the loser room continue with either Laurine or Jesse being the next one to leave? Or will they finally break the curse in the next episode?
  2. Do you agree that Preeti didn’t seem to get it or should have Laurine or Mike have been the one sent home instead?
  3. Ashley was mad at Preeti, but would you have been even madder if you were in her shoes and she took and then dumped your boiling water?

Photo source: Bravo

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