Hell's Kitchen: 3.19.09

Carol thought that her wanting to punch Andrea in the throat was going to get her put on the chopping block, but Andrea said that Carol wasn't the weakest, but she wasn't feeling the effort from LA. LA is pissed about being singled out.

The morning after elimination, Ramsey has a "treat" for them - tapas style dishes from his restaurant in London. It's Salmon Six Ways. Now it comes down to the challenge - Tapas style cooking. Each team will create 5 tapas style dishes - from leftovers - in 20 minutes. The team with the most winning dishes will win.

J spoke about J in third person again, and it bugs.

Lacey was nearly sent back to the Red Team to even it out, but instead, he sent Giovanni over. Robert was mad that they gave the men the weakest from the women, and gave the women the strongest of the men.

Each chef has to create a dish. Giovanni was helpful to the women, and Lacey had no clue what to cook. Robert called her a "fat bitch," and I wonder if he has a mirror. just saying.

Paula - Pepper steak & eggs.
vs.
Danny - Filet mignon with wild mushroom ragout

Ramsey loves both dishes and gives each team a point.

Lacey - Mushroom bruschetta with a rubbery leak
vs.
LA - Asparagus and ginger soup

Ramsey hated both dishes (and said that LA's soup looked like it came out of the bottom of the dishwasher, and said something about camel bodily fluids, but it got bleeped out) and no points were awarded.

Carol - Ginger rubbed seared tuna with leeks (she thought it was soy sauce, but it was balsalmic)
vs.
Robert - peppered pasta with butternut squash and lamb loin

Ramsey didn't like Carol's, and while Robert's was too large for tapas, the flavor was spot on, and the men took a point.

Andrea - open face lobster and asparagus ravioli with a pinot reduction
vs.
J - lobster with fennel and leek broth.

Ramsey called J's phallic, and boring. The women took a point.

Ben - grilled tuna, grilled asparagus, fennel fronds
vs
Giovanni - Tapas surf and turf with lobster.

Ramsey had a really hard time deciding between the two dishes. It makes me wonder how they decided who would be going head to head. In the end, Giovanni won it for the Red Team, and there was much rejoicing.

Ramsey let the Blue team know it was very close, but they still have to prep both kitchens for service that night, and it's tapas night, so they are using smaller plates, which they have to wash and polish up.

The Red Team is going to the horse races. Giovanni took the time to chat with the women who were bickering with each other, and told them they need to put aside differences, so they can win.

The Blue team was prepping, and Lacey was pouting and crying about how hard it all is. There seemed to be some foreshadowing about the risotto prep when the ratios were questioned. Lacey pouted and cried about polishing plates. After some more pouting and crying, she threatened to leave. She stomped around the kitchen complaining about everyone, and then announced that she quit. Now, don't tease like that, Lacey. She left the kitchen, and said that she is really a nice person and a good worker. Ben went to beg her to come back, as he did (we were reminded by the editing) two weeks earlier. She was dragged back. I was sad.

Giovanni hopes to pull the Red Team together (and, as Andrea put it, even out the hormones a little), and bring them out on top of service.

Ramsey tasted the risotto after Carol made it, and it was like mush. The foreshadowing of the rice cooking was indeed that, and J made mushy horrible clumpy rice for both kitchens. Ramsey took risotto off the menu for both kitchens and it took another half hour to get some food out.

Unfortunately, it went back. Carol's pasta was raw, and Andrea didn't say anything. Ramsey made them both sit in the dining room and eat the pasta, which was grossly undercooked. They had to finish the plate before they could go back to service.

J continued to be incapable of sending anything out correctly. He was burning salmon and sending some out raw. Ramsey took him into the back room to set him straight. Let's see if the talking to helped.

Over in the Red kitchen, LA couldn't get her sauce right, and was looking half asleep. Ramsey called her a cow, and she didn't like that treatment.

J didn't learn his lesson, and sent out rubbery scallops, and he was kicked out of the kitchen. (And it would seem, out of the game for good. Buh-bye) After that, the Blue team had a really hard time recovering.

In the Red Kitchen, Giovanni was doing a really good job organizing and leading the kitchen. Paula was sending out perfect meat.

Ramsey was at his wits end with Ben, too, and took him into the back room for a verbal whipping, too.

Despite the issues, both teams finished service.

Andrea and Carol got into it again after the service. I'm not sure who I want to side with in this argument, but my gut is with neither of them. I think they both think they are much better than they actually are.

Ramsey had each person on the Blue Team go up and think about one person they don't want on their teams.

Ben immediately apologized for his performance. Robert did some yelling at Lacey.

Robert voted for Lacey to leave, calling her a cancer, and told Ramsey about her threats of quitting, calling it blackmail.

Lacey voted to get rid of Robert. Big surprise. She said they don't understand each other as people, and that's why they can't work together.

Danny voted to boot Lacey, because she has a piss poor attitude.

Ben also nominated Lacey, because she is not a team player.

Even though he got no votes, Ramsey called Ben forward with Lacey. Ramsey wanted to know why Ben didn't nominate himself, and he said it was because he had a lot to offer to the team, but ultimately, he admitted that he dropped the ball that night at service.

Ramsey psyched Ben out and made him think he was going home, but in the end, gave him one last chance, and told them to learn to work together, or else. I could have predicted this outcome, because J was gone tonight anyhow.

Looks like a lot of blow ups next week. Can't wait for the fun!