Hell's Kitchen: 5/13/08

Tonight's the night that Matt is joining the women. I forsee fireworks (and not the good kind!)

It's a Test the Palate challenge. Chef Ramsey was tricky and put soy based meat substitute instead of meat in Chicken Parm, Beef Stew, and Sausage Ravioli. No one got the fact that it was fake meat. When they were called on it, Matt said "I thought for a second it was cat, cause it was stringy. Not that I've ever eaten cat." Man, I hope not!

Now, it's time for a blind taste test. Jen is made to sit out because the teams were uneven. I wonder if he did that because she has the best palate of the women in his opinion?

First it is Rosann and Petrozza. They get chicken first, and Rosann got it wrong, but Petrozza was correct in identifying it as "dry-ass chicken" Next is sweet potato, and Rosann got it right, whereas Petrozza missed it. Next is nectarine, and Rosann was right and Petrozza thought it was pineapple! There's a big difference there.

Cory and Louross are up against each other. Both bomb on meatloaf and watercress, and Corey gets Turnip, but Louross misses.

Christina and Bobby could not get shrimp, but Christina got radish. Christina got truffles, and then asked for some more. She was really excited about them. Bobby said "mushroom," and was wrong.

Ben and Matt go up against each other, and I dislike Matt even more now, because when Ramsey brings up great rivalries, such as Red Sox vs. Yankees, he cheers for the Yankees. Booooooo. (And I don't mean that in the embarrassing David Archuleta sense of the word). Their final challenge is different. They have to taste something that Ramsey made (it's a clam chowder), and take turns identifying 10 different ingredients. Ben gets clam, Matt gets tomato. Ben gets cream, Matt gets thyme. Ben gets celery, Matt gets onion. Ben gets parsley, Matt clinches it with carrot for the Red team to win it. I'm actually impressed. He's still annoying, but he has a good palate.

The Blue team has to clean the entire apartment, and the Red team gets a spa day.

Dinner service comes quickly. Rosann is anxious to redeem herself, and messes up her first scallops. Bobby and Louross have miscommunication, and can't get their appetizer together at the same time. Over on the Red team, Jen got yelled at for trying to call a table, and comments that "Chef must be on his period or something," because he complained about her. She then stops communicating entirely. Not good.

Louross gets a good caesar salad out, and then over on the Red team, Rosann has a bad run with the fish. It's not going very well for them.

The communication breakdown continues in the Blue kitchen, and Ben makes excuses that he is not used to the "brigade system." Matt gets smug over in the Red kitchen, but he needs to keep cooking, that's for sure. The teamwork is messed up.

Christina sends up a beautiful beef and then gets smug about it and Ramsey calls her out for that as well.

Not good in the Blue dining room - people are eating granola bars they brought with them. Yipes. Of course, if you go to dinner at Hell's Kitchen, you might be prepared for such a thing.

Petrozza is working in a pigsty, and amazingly, Matt made a great risotto, which Ramsey is very excited about. Ben is falling apart on the Blue team. He ran out of lamb, and that's no good.

Matt is happy about doing well, but he's getting cocky.

Rosann messes up again with trying to serve raw salmon. Jen loses her cool because she's being picked on.

Food is being returned to the Blue kitchen for bleeding meat that was ordered well done. Not good.

That's the last straw, and Ramsey shuts the kitchen down.

Matt got a great compliment, and says that he's going to stay humble about it, but I don't know...

Ben is really getting on my nerves. He's trying to get all strategic about it, saying that they should nominate Louross, but I don't see as that's going to help, since Ramsey is apt to veto any nomination without a second thought.

Ben nominates Louross, Louross nominates Ben, Bobby nominates Petrozza, and Petrozza nominates himself because he doesn't want to choose anyone. Ramsey calls Petrozza a gentleman for being so loyal, and dumps Ben, who totally deserved it tonight.

The men are down to 3, and one of the Red team has to go over to their team. Wonder who it will be... until next week.