The Next Food Network Star - 8.2.09

Who will it be? Jeffrey or Melissa? Can't wait to see!

Before the final challenge, the final 2 get some time with their families.

Jeffrey's got a really sweet family. His daughter likes to make crepes with him. His son likes to spread nutella on the crepes and then loses interest. Jeffrey is a martial artist, too, and they get to travel a lot.

Melissa has some seriously adoreable daughters. She has a 4 year old, a 3 year old, and 1 1/2 year old twins. Wow. If she can find time to cook with that kind of busy life, I'm there to watch her show. Seriously. She likes to cook with her friends to give them fun tips. She volunteers on the economic development board for her city.

Back in NYC, the final two returned to the Food Network studios. Alton Brown greeted them and let them know that they are going to be making pilots for their shows. They will be supplied with a director (Alton Brown himself).

Jeffrey pitches Cooking Without Borders and Alton isn't sure about his title - likes Ingredient Smuggler instead. That's fun.

Melissa isn't sure about titles and Alton suggested something incorporating A Survival Guide. I like it.

They get a Food Network Magazine photo shoot and interview. They both look like they had fun and did well.

After their hectic day of planning, the two finalists adjourned to a nice dinner together. Nice.

Melissa is first to film her pilot, and her kitchen is fun and inviting. She is making a lemon onion chicken dish, and it looks delicious. She's going with Kitchen Survival Guide. I like it. Alton gave her some nice tips, and she got really nervous right off the bat, and wasn't feeling at the top of her game. Alton told her just to be herself, and she came into her own then. Just from the clips we saw, it looked awesome. I wish she hadn't had her mouth full when she was talking at the end. Good luck to her.

Jeffrey is making a Harissa Steak sandwich with sundried tomato, garlic, and mint mayonaisse, I think, and went as The Ingredient Smuggler. He was totally focussed in the first take on the cooking and didn't look at the camera at all and didn't smile. Alton stopped him and had him re-take. He seemed to lose it a bit, but recovered by the final take.

Time for the showing of the pilots - live audience and selection committee in attendance. The former contestants joined them, too. Let's have some clips of the season before we get down to it. Brett has nicknames for people. Katie has some odd dance moves. Melissa likes to talk about lactation (I can understand that). Eddie likes to talk a lot about nothing. Jeffrey winks. Now - who wins?

Not so fast! More clips from the townhouse! Michael and Katie are bff. Eddie and Teddy couldn't even tell each other apart. Melissa and Jeffrey bonded over parenthood.

Finally - time for the pilots.

Melissa's is up first. She's like Rachael Ray before Rachael Ray got big on herself. I want to go make Melissa's 4-step chicken now. It's a great technique, and really versatile. She came across as natural and appealing. The potato gratins in the muffin pans were a little bit of genius. Yup. Hope she wins. Bob called her poised and professional and Susie said that she was learning the whole time. Bobby wants to steal her potato gratin idea and thinks her dish would be good in anyone's kitchen. So do I.

Jeffrey is the Ingredient Smuggler. He seemed to be talking with his hands a bit much, and was doing the nervous rocking on his feet which I found distracting. I like the concept of his show, because I love interesting ingredients. I think that Melissa's show is more my style, though. He does describe food superbly, though. Bob said that he get hungry watching Jeffrey cook. Susie wants to try Harissa. Bobby loved the show.

I think I might end up getting frustrated with Jeffrey's show if he was using some super fun ingredient that I couldn't find in my area. The finalists got to talk themselves up a bit before the selection committee made their decision. The committee had a really hard time deciding because both of them are so strong. They said it was the hardest decision in the five years of the show. They brought in the president of Food Network, Brooke Johnson, and announced that the winner is...

MELISSA!!!!

Yay! I think I have a new favorite show on the Food Network! Her premiere show will air next week. I hope that she doesn't fizzle out like Amy Finley did. I want Melissa on my tv for years to come.

Are you happy with the results? Do you think they will get Jeffrey on the network, too?

The Next Food Network Star 7.26.09

It's down to the final 3!

Emeril greets them for their next challenge. I really dislike Emeril. I do, however, love Julia Child. Emeril tells them about the upcoming movie - Julie & Julia (which looks awesome). In honor of the movie, they will be creating their own culinary passion on a plate - $1000, 3 hours to cook, 3 course, 20 people to cook for, a sous chef provided for them. They will be presenting their food for the dinner guests, and they will be demoing some part of their cooking.

And, the final 3 get an advance screening of the movie. Oh, I want to see it!

Melissa's three course meal is inspired by her own time in Paris, and it sounds delicious.

Debbie has her Korean-inspired menu all set, and seems to have decided to call her potential show "Seoul to Soul." That's cute.

Jeffrey was nervous about going over budget, and ended up only spending $317... he wasn't sure if he had bought enough, or if he had messed up somewhere along the way...

Their dinner guests include culinary superstars (many of them from Top Chef: Masters, etc...)

As expected, their sous chefs are previously eliminated contestants. Michael is Debbie's sous chef, Katie is with Jeffrey, and Jamika is helping Melissa.

Melissa's Menu: 1st course - Ratatouille & Potato Torte 2nd course - Brick Herb Chicken w/ Orzo 3rd cours - Cheese Trio, Salad, and chocolate orange Pochette.

Debbie's Menu: 1st course - Chili-Rubbed Prawns & Savory Corn Salad 2nd course - Korean Short Ribs & Crispy Grit Cake 3rd course - Asian Pear Eggroll w/ Rum Butterscoth.
(And, I'm sorry, did Michael just ask Debbie if she wants all of her garlic peeled? Maybe he knows of some use for garlic that I don't know of, but skins pretty much stay out of my cooking when it comes to garlic... just saying.)

Jeffrey's Menu: 1st course - Seared Scallop w/ Green Chili Chutney. 2nd Course - Seafood Risotto. 3rd Course - Chocolate Mousse w/Biscotti.

Problems abound - Michael is nervous about the way Debbie does her short ribs. Jeffrey is making risotto and has to be careful it doesn't seize up. Melissa's got one pan of ridiculously salty orzo, and also a non-baked torte... she had to switch her courses up a bit to give the torte more time. Orzo was switched to the first course.

Melissa is up first for her presentation. She did a really good presentation, all about why she loves to cook, and why she thinks she should be the winner of the show. I want her to win, because I just love her. It was straight to the heart and warm and Bobby Flay called her poetic. She had a really great memory device for remembering how to make good ratatouille. For her demo portion, she showed how to do her brick chicken with fresh herbs. She did a decent job on her demo. When she had her critique, people loved the potato torte, but some of her chicken was overdone. Her desserts got very good reviews, though some people just wanted more of her pastry. I think she did a good job overall.

Debbie's turn! She had a giant smile plastered on her face, which seemed a little fake, but her story was ok. Some of the diners wanted some more Korean flavor. Her second course (the ribs) also got some complaints from some diners. She is doing the demo on her dessert. Something about her style seems disingenuous to me. Her demo on how to fold a proper eggroll was cool. I might use that tip. I think her dessert went over best, but some diners complained that her dough was not cooked through. Oops.

Finally, it's Jeffrey. He undercooked his risotto on purpose to account for probable sitting time. Hope that doesn't come back to bite him. His presentation of his first course was really lovely, and he did his cooking demo right off, and it was a really great demo. Bobby Flay said that it was as clear at communication as you can get. His risotto didn't go over as well. As he said, "it was like a sea of unhappy faces." One of the diners said the risotto was the worst risotto he'd ever had. It was called a disrespect to Italy. Bobby Flay was stunned at how little Jeffrey spent out of the budget. Will his dessert recover it for him? It went over very well. I really want to try making biscotti, personally..

The diners seemed to really like Melissa's food (yay!) and Debbie, also. Jeffrey's demo was perfection, but his risotto was so bad, I don't know if he can recover from that.

At the judge's table, the final 3 got their critiques, and then got their chance to talk about why they deserve to have their own show. I want Melissa's show on my television. Just saying.

Luckily, she is the first one in the final 2! Yippee! Deservedly (looking at the whole show), Jeffrey will join her there. Debbie is out, and while she was ok, something about her rubbed me the wrong way.

SO - it's down to the Working Mom's Friend and the Worldly Trained Professional. I know who I want, but I think that either of them would be good.

Next week - it's their pilot presentations!

The Next Food Network Star -7.19.09

The Contestants are greeted by Michael Simon by the pool, and they are informed that they are going to be demoing their food LIVE on a local morning show. We are told that each demo will be rigged for disaster. I love it. It reminds me of a challenge in the first season with the awkward interviews.

Debbie is up first. She is up to make catfish, and they replaced her fish with chicken, and gotten rid of some utensils she would need. She ran with the lack of utensils, and rolled with the chicken instead of fish. She didn't even miss a beat. She did a really excellent job.

How will Melissa do? They have set the host to mess with her the whole time. She did a pretty good job when he kept calling her the wrong name, but had a bit of trouble when he added about a half cup of hot sauce to her tapenade. She got a little frantic and it wasn't great. Oops.

Jeffrey's next. He is going to be faced with technical difficulties. They kept telling him that he had microphone issues. He was holding a microphone in the same hand as a knife and it was a bit scary at times with the knife waving. He did decently with it, but could have been better.

Jamika was nervous going into it, and she has to deal with wrong time cues and a way too extreme close up camera. She did not look like she was having fun even before the technical difficulties began. There were some awkward moments.

The judges loved that Jeffrey rolled with the problems, but reminded him to engage with other people. Jamika was obviously perterbed and was chided for not having fun. Melissa was told to breathe, slow down, and not get frantic. Debbie was so good with the sabotage, Michael said that they wouldn't have known that she had problems from watching her. She is the winner of the mini challenge.

The main challenge is battling for a spot on the Red Lobster menu. They have 45 minutes to do a fish dish paired with a crustaceon or a shell fish. They can only use a wood fired grill. Debbie's advantage for winning the challenge is first choice in seafood.

There is a twist. They started the challenge - grabbed all their ingredients - and were stopped.

Jeffrey got his chilis taken away and got some Asian ingredients thrown at him, to keep him cooking without borders.

Jamika got her pineapple taken from her, and got celeriac instead. Oops.

Melissa was given a whole bowl of habeneros and got all her citrus taken away. She wasn't happy with that.

Debbie got all of her Asian ingredients taken away and was given Mediterranean ingredients - olives, anchovies, and capers.

So, they got to cooking and had to roll with their new ingredients. When it came time to present, Debbie forgot to use her capers, but because she used honey to even out some of the saltiness of her ingredients, they didn't feel like she embraced the Meditteranean feel.

Melissa's use of habeneros was wonderful. They were nervous she was going to overdo it, but she calmed down, and rolled with the punches perfectly.

Jeffrey's dish was lauded for being well put together.

Jamika was given good notes for the use of celeriac, but her shrimp was not well incorporated into the dish. They didn't appreciate her crabby attitude when she was working her way through the challenge. She was totally pissy about it and let it show. Not good.

Time for Evaluation.

They asked Jeffrey what his niche would be on the Food Network. They worried that though he talks about Cooking Without Borders, he always seems to gravitate towards the same thing. Bob worried that his Zen Calm = Boring.

Jamika's shrimp was not well-seasoned, and Bobby really wanted it to be spiced. Michael didn't like how she got mad and didn't seem to be having fun. She needs to work though things with a smile on her face instead of, as Michael said, putting her head down and plowing through.

Melissa's use of habeneros was wonderful. She learned from her mistake in the Live Demo, and calmed down. Melissa told them that she would love to do a show geared towards the working mom, and I want to see that show.

Debbie was slapped for forgetting capers. She was also slapped for lying in the first place and saying that she had the capers in the dressing. It's been a problem for her, to tell the truth.

The winner of the Red Lobster Challenge is Jeffrey. I was hoping for Melissa. Oh well.

Each of the ladies was given a change to talk about why they deserve to be Food Network Stars. Debbie talked about melding cultures. Jamika talked about how memorable and likeable and marketable she is. I don't see it. Melissa was very sure that she has the best long term viability of any contestant there, and I agree.

In the end, Jamika is gone. I think it was the right decision.

Who do you want to win?

The Next Food Network Star - 7.12.09

The five remaining finalists thought that they would be heading to the airport to simply head to Miami. Little did they suspect, they are up for a challenge!

They have to work in one of 5 high quality restaurants in the airport, and make a dish that is consistent with the cuisine there.

Jeffrey get AeroNuova, the Italian restaurant.

Michael gets La Vie, a French restaurant.

Melissa gets Piquillo, a tapas restaurant.

Jamika gets Deep Blue, a sushi restaurant.

Debbie gets Five Steak, an American modern restaurant.

Whoever wins gets their dish put on the menu of their restaurant!

They only have 30 minutes.

Things get a bit tough when the airport regulations have things like knives tethered to cutting boards, and Michael needs an oyster shucker, with no oyster shucker to be had, so he changed plans.

Jamika's dish is a Seared Red Tuna salad with an orange miso vinaigrette. She starts talking about intestinal distress during her presentation, and that was a bit much. Ted Allen called it TMI. They didn't think her dish was very original.

Debbie's Pacific Spinach Salad is steak free for the steak house. The judges were confused and Susie didn't like that Debbie said that only women want to watch waistlines.

Jeffrey made poached egg bruschetta, and his presentation was really fabulous. They seemed to like his food.

Melissa made chicken with chorizo and potatoes, and showed up some cool Spanish skills. She also gave some great presentation with some really cool new stuff about herself. The judges loved her presentation and her dish.

Michael made a clam and shrimp with hollandaise or something. He was kind of boring in his presentation, and the judges had troubles with his actual dish. Not good.

Michael came out on the bottom with his dish. Jeffrey came out on top. Melissa would have to have been close to winning, too.

And, off to Miami they go!

They get to the Eden Rock hotel, and their suite is something else. They are sent immediately to the lobby. They have to cook for a cocktail party as a team at a nightclub. They have 2 hours, and each person needs to come up with at least 2 hors deuvres, and a signature cocktail.

As winner, Jeffrey gets to assign tasks to people. They got to menu planning, and Melissa was the only one to realize that they needed to at least have one vegetarian choice. They had $1500 total at Whole Foods. When they got to the club kitchen, they had 2 hours to prep and cook. They are making a Chili Spiced Margarita. Except their simple syrup is not coming to a boil well. Scary. Everyone was running around like chickens with heads cut off.

Jeffrey was playing host, Michael was at the bar, and the women were in the back plating and getting food out.

Jeffrey's appetizers were - Cuban bite - pork with prosciutto, with an orange, bean sauce. His second was lump crab meat, spicey tomatillo sauce, and peppers. Ted didn't like the store bought chips, and his food kind of fell flat.

Jamika's got a jerk chicken skewer and mango cilantro shrimp with a sweet pineapple slaw. She handed the food over and ran. The judges felt like they were a little ignored and thought her jerk chicken should have been spicier.

Debbie was only plating her own dish and Melissa felt that wasn't quite fair.

Michael was his usual obnoxious self at the bar.

Melissa's dishes are a Miami salmon shooter, a chipotle chicken bite, and a veggie asada. The judges liked that she was likeable. They thought her food lacked a little finesse.

The chili margarita was not spicy enough for the judges. People were hungry and the food wasn't going out quickly enough. Debbie was sitting on her own dishes and not expediting like she was supposed to.

Bobby Flay went back into the kitchen to find out what was happening back there. Michael went back into the kitchen to do some food, and brought his dishes out to the judges.

Michael's dishes are margarita salmon and a chili lime shrimp. He was working the crowd. I don't want him on my tv. The judges thought his food was not flavorable enough.

Debbie's the last one out. She served a spicy passionfruit chicken on daikon, and ribeye with korean flavors. The judges thought she had the best dishes of the night.

Selection committee time!

The biggest problem with the party was getting the food out.

Jeffrey was chastised for seeming to hold back in his flavors.

Michael was a bit too big in personality for a lot of people (and me, too). Bob said that if his salmon was marinated, it was a surprise to the salmon. His decision to have freshly fried shrimp was also questioned.

Jamika needed to not let the stress show.

Melissa's vegetable dish was the tastiest of her three. They worried that she spread herself too thin, but she explained that she decided to do the third dish so there would be a vegetarian option, and they loved that point.

Debbie was really not a good expediter. Debbie claimed she was being selfless, and Melissa brought up the fact that she was doing a lot more plating than anyone else. Bob did the math and realized that Melissa was telling the truth. Apparently, expediting a kitchen means expediting her own food to Debbie.

While the judges deliberated, Jeffrey got very angry at the fact that people couldn't get their cooking done ahead of time.

The judges are loving Melissa, are nervous that Michael hates the camera, and think that Debbie didn't act as a team player, calling her behavior shameful. I kind of agree.

Jamika is safe this week, as is Melissa. Jeffrey joins them. The bottom two are Debbie and Michael. In the end, it was Michael going home. I think that was a good decision. I find him utterly obnoxious, and Debbie gets another chance.

At this point, I think that Jeffrey or Melissa is probably going to win it. I am rooting for Melissa. How about you?

The Next Food Network Star - 7.5..09

I really can't handle Michael's strange Flock of Seagulls/punk thing. It's awkward and weird. Just saying.

First up, their first 2 camera cooking demo, with Rachael Ray. They are doing a demo for Yummo - Rachael Ray's organization for cooking for kids. They have to turn grown up food into food that is kid friendly. Their ingredients are brussel sprouts, tofu, and squid. Jeffrey and Jamika got tofu, Melissa and Michael got brussel spouts, and Katie and Debbie were stuck with squid. They have an hour to create their dishes, and then they will be judged on the food and the presentation.

Their judges are children. Really cute children. And, of course, Rachael Ray.
Katie is up first. She's made a quinoa fruit and squid salad. She was talking about eating the rainbow. Every one seemed to like her dish.
Debbie made calamari rings and baked sweet potato. She had a terrible presentation. The kids liked the food better, it seems, but more the sweet potato and less the squid.

Melissa made smashed potatoes with brussel sprouts, and it sounded good, but she messed up on the timing and didn't get to explain why she had the raw brussel sprouts on the side (because you never know what kids are going to like)

Michael made brussel sprout tomato soup and brussel sprout puppets, with looked like deep fried brussel sprouts. His presentation was kind of all over the place.

Jeffrey made tofu nuggets in spaghetti with tomato sauce. He did a really cute presentation. The kids really loved it, and him. He did a great job.
Jamika made a sweet corn and tofu wrap. She got into her story and missed her timing some and didn't finish making her dish, sadly.

I'm loving the little critics. Jamika got a lot of criticism for her inability to multi-task.

The second challenge for the week is cooking on Rachael Ray's show. They will be taking kid food and making it into adult food, and they have to work in teams.

Katie & Debbie will be working with chicken nuggets and mac & cheese.

Melissa & Michael have tomato soup and grilled cheese.

Jeffrey & Jamika have hot dogs and baked beans.

They have 45 minutes to shop. Michael is not a planner and Melissa wants to triple check the list. Debbie is looking for pancetta and Katie wants to use whole wheat pasta and low fat milk. Jeffrey and Jamika seemed to be struggling coming into a cohesive plan.

After grocery shopping, they have 1 1/2 hours to prep for the show.
Michael & Melissa: Grilled Cheese skewers & tomato soup with basil, topped with something I wasn't familiar with.

Katie & Debbie: Shrimp Macaroni and cheese with fontina, gruyere, and swiss, and whole wheat pasta and baked chicken nuggets
Jeffrey & Jamika: Chorizo & shrimp hot dogs over rice and beans. It sounds kind of dreadful. They are so worried about stepping on each other's toes that neither one of them stands up for themselves.

Time for presentations on Rachael Ray's show! 5 minutes to cook.

Melissa & Michael are up first. Melissa did a really great job, but Michael seemed to panic and stood next to her holding ingredients. Melissa got a little intense and shrieky. At the end, Michael perked up some, and they did a good job. The judges seemed to like the food well enough.

Katie & Debbie were working well together, though the judges seemed a bit bored with Debbie's "cause I'm Korean" schtick. Katie was not looking at the camera at all until the very end. They did much better than I thought they would do. The chicken was dry, but they seemed to like the mac & cheese.

Jeffrey & Jamika are last, and Jamika is totally unhappy with their dish, and it has totally taken the wind out of her sails. Jeffrey did a really good job with the presentation, and Jamika just stood there looking unhappy. The judges worried that Jeffrey was hogging the spotlight, but Jamika was shut down. The judges said the presentation (Jamika in particular) made her sad. They also didn't like the food, and said it tasted like raw powdery spices.

Rachael Ray was concerned at Michael's silence, and loved Katie & Debbie's partnership on camera, and was also saddened by Jamika's silence.

The final 5 are going to Miami, according to Rachael.

Time for evaluations.

Katie was told she should have made more connection to the audience and to the camera. They didn't like the chicken at all. In the mini challenge, the judges were split. Susan thought she was condescending, and Bob agreed, though Bobby liked her.

Debbie got called on her repetition of her Korean descent, and Bobby wanted more from her. They liked how at ease she was on camera.

Melissa got a little hectic and they asked her to explain the raw brussel sprouts, and liked the idea when they heard her reasoning.

Michael was full of energy but had no substance in either presentation. The judges worried that he doesn't wing it well. They want his humor and his creativity.

Jeffrey came across as domineering in the demo, and Bob said it was hard to watch. Susan wanted Jamika to jump in and didn't blame Jeffrey.

Jamika didn't recover well from her poor performance in the mini challenge, and she can't fake the confidence.

Debbie is safe, but they want to hear more from her. Melissa is the second one safe, and she has to worry about calming down and toning down the frantic. Jeffrey is also safe, and I think that is earned.

Katie, Jamika, and Michael are in the bottom. Michael was the first one safe. Damned Flock of Seagulls Punk. In the end, it was Katie going home. They knew she wanted to be there, but she has been in the bottom for three weeks. In the end, they didn't think she has the star quality. I agree. She wasn't going to win.

The Next Food Network Star - 6.28.09

Bobby met the wannabes for the first challenge, and challenged them to make their best burger. The winner will have their burger at Bobby's Burger Palace in CT. They will have to represent a region of the country, and they have 20 minutes to cook, and 30 seconds to present it to the selection committee.

Melissa gets my vote immediately because she's making a Burlington, VT Burger with cheddar cheese. However, that doesn't look like VT cheddar. It's orange. VT cheddar is not orange. Give me Cabot, give me Grafton!

Katie's turkey burger didn't cook properly and she is nervous about serving it.

Presentation time!

Melissa's presentation of her Burlington Burger (hey, she went to college in VT! Cool) was very good. She nailed her presentation. The committee loved her burger. Lots of lip licking.

Jeffrey's burger with chutney and avocado looked yummy, but they were worried they didn't learn much about him.

Teddy's Pennsylvania Burger looked yummy, and he wasn't over the top, but he wasn't engaging. The committee wasn't thrilled.

Deb's Cal-Asian Burger looked yummy and she is a very good presenter.

Michael's Mulberry St Burger was good looking, but he is so strange to watch. I don't get why they love him.

Jamika's New Orleans Burger looked yummy, but she was over rehearsed again, and sounded like a commercial. Bobby didn't dig her sausage under her burger.

Katie's undercooked San Francisco burger was not presented very well. The ingredients were appreciated, but the rawness = not ok.

The bottom two are Jamika and Katie. Melissa is in the top, but the winner is Michael. It may have tasted great, but I just don't like him on my tv. He's unappealing.

Time for the second challenge! They get to the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum. Guy Fieri enters and tells them that their challenge is to cook their own all American Home Cooking Dish, using ingredients in regional baskets, and it will be served at a homecoming party for soldiers returning from the middle east. The winner will have their recipe in the upcoming issue of USA Weekend.

They have 1.5 hours to prep. They are cooking in shifts of two, because of a tiny kitchen.

Teddy has NY - skin on duck breast, apples, and cream soda. He's making a DLT sandwich.

Jeffrey has Maine - Smoked Sea Salt, blueberries, and lobster. He's not sure what to do with the blueberries, but then decided to make pot pies. He was thwarted by tiny electric burners, and timing. It may or may not work out.

Teddy's presentation included a lot of ums and ums, and flustering moments. Not good. The food seemed to be very good, though.

Jeffrey was embarrassed by his pot pies. They looked kind of nasty. His presentation was quite good, and he told a cute story, but the pot pie was called "disgusting." Oh, that's not good.

Melissa has New Mexico - skirt steak, chilis, and honey. Looks fantastic, but she is not used to working with chilis because her family doesn't like them. She was smart and tasted all the chilis before trying to cook with them.

Katie has Georgia and it didn't mention what her ingredients were, but catfish was one.

Melissa had a great presentation. She did a honey chili skirt steak tostada with a honey mango salsa on top. She had a fantastic presentation and connected because her mom was in the military. The committee loved her food and her presentation.

Jamika had Wisconsin and had cheddar cheese, amber beer and kielbasa. She doesn't like beer but made a casserole.

Katie's presentation was focused on the military aspect, because she has a cousin going to the middle east for another tour. Bobby called her middle of the road.

Jamika had issues with her potatoes and they weren't cooking. She threw her potatoes in the food processor and they turned into goop, but she hopes that it won't matter once it's in the casserole. Her presentation was good, but her food was gluey.

Michael had Hawaii - macadamia, pineapple, and kampachi. Is that a fish?

Debbie had chicken breast, zinfendel, and almonds for California.

And then Michael whacked Debbie in the eye with the corner of his sheet pan. Youch.

Michael's presentation was focused on the love of macadamia nuts. He was engaging, I suppose.

Debbie finished her meal, and was subdued in her presentation, and her food was a little bland. They were disappointed in her.

Time for the evaluations!

Jamika's presentation was called delightful and not over-rehearsed, but her food was a gluey mess.

Katie's food looked healthy without lecturing about it. Her presentation style is still questionable. They did bring up the raw burger, and that is not ok.

Michael's food was good, but he has "not made friends with the camera" yet.

Jeffrey was embarrassed by his food, and it was called suprisingly awful. They said he was flirting up against the edges of blandness. They want more from him.

Melissa's presentation was fabulous and her camera energy is starting to reach the right level, not over the top. They loved her dish. Her dedication to learning the chilis was lauded.

Teddy's sandwich was really good, but his presentation was a mess. He wrote on his hand! Seriously?

Debbie's injury brought her down some, and her food was not a home run, so she did not have her best week.

The winner for the week (and the cover on USA Weekend Magazine) was Melissa. Bravo! She deserved it!

Debbie and Michael were also safe. Teddy's inability to find his own onscreen comfort zone sent him home this week. I think it was his time. If Katie can get it together, I'd watch her show.

Next week, they're on the Rachael Ray show! Fun times.

The Next Food Network Star - 6.21.09

The show begins with the hopefuls meeting Tyler Florence at a giant grocery store. They have $60 to cook a meal for 12 people. They have to record 30 second tips at stations throughout the store on how to stretch your food budget. The person that does best gets an advantage in the second challenge.

The first person for a tip is Teddy, and he was ridiculously over the top. He needs to work on that. Jeffrey does a much better job, and is comfortable on camera and even included a little story. He's much better than I expected him to be.

Melissa gave a really cool tip about green onions - if you put the whites in water, the green grows back. Who knew? I'll be using that tip.

Michael isn't used to budgeting, and said that his average dinner party costs close to $1000. Wow. Insane.

Debbie did ok with her tip, but not great, and Jamika gave a tip to reuse her marinade as a sauce - to which Tyler said "Is that after you make someone sick?"

Eddie was a little weird. Katie started by saying that organic food might be a good way to save money, but back tracked and saved herself by saying that focusing on grains and beans saves money. Bingo.

Tyler singled out Michael, Jamika, and Teddy for bad tips. He likes Jamika's energy, but not her potentially dangerous tip. He said that Teddy seemed like he was trying to sell him a used car, and Michael seemed to be grasping at straws (and missing). The winner of the challenge is Jeffrey, and I think that's fair.

They head out to the Hamptons to cook their budget meals. They are at Ina Garten's house, and they are making dinner for her, her friends, and the selection committee. There is a twist... teams! Appetizer, entree, and dessert. Each finalist is responsible for one dish, and they will collaborate on the third one.

Jeffrey chose Michael for his partner (that's what he got for his reward)
Teddy is paired with Debbie. Melissa is paired with Eddie. Jamika and Katie are the final team.

They have an hour to cook, and 2 minutes to present. Two teams will cook at a time, to "respect Ina's kitchen."

Teddy and Debbie are in the kitchen with Eddie and Melissa.

Teddy and Debbie's Menu:
- Debbie's: Vegetable Lingune with Asian marinara
- Collaboration: Pan Asian Meatloaf
- Teddy's: Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Eddie and Melissa's Menu:
- Eddie: Sweet Onion, Watermelon feta salad with mint.
- Melissa: Lemon Thyme Chicken with port sauce
- Collaboration: Nutella Quesadilla with Bananas foster.

Teddy and Debbie seemed to be working very well together. Eddie doesn't have confidence in Melissa at all, because she's a home chef, and they are not working super well together. Teddy then pretty much forgot about his dessert. Oops. He came up with something that looked kind of like glop. Eddie was very condescending to Melissa, and that makes me angry. If you have such disdain for the home chef, why do you want to be on the Food Network? It's FOR the home chef.

Time for the first groups to serve!

Eddie and Melissa are up first. Eddie talked about his salad, and Melissa talked about saving money with Clean the Pantry meals. Ina said that Melissa glows in the dark and loves her personality, though some of the guests don't like her. Melissa's chicken is deemed kind of flavorless except for the exterior. Eddie's salad is called "inedible." Oops.

Debbie and Teddy worked well together in the presentation, and Debbie calmed Teddy's insane presentation mode. They were very good. The food is also called unusual and very successful. Until they get to the nearly forgotten dessert... oops.

Now, the second groups get together.

Michael and Jeffrey are trying to fuse their ingredients to make something Mexican/Italian.

Jamika and Katie's international menu:
Jamika - Asian Marinated Salmon
Katie - Whole wheat pasta with vegetables
Collaboration - Fruit salad and grilled pineapple

Michael and Jeffrey's menu:
Collaboration - Roasted tomato and chili soup
Michael - Pesto grilled chicken with broccoli rabe
Jeffrey - Chocolate filled Crepes

Jeffrey added some chili seeds back into the soup, and hoped that it wouldn't be too spicy. Jamika was nervous about her salmon. Michael was nervous and siad that he was like a mad woman in the kitchen.

Jeffrey and Michael's presentation was first. Jeffrey did a much better job than Michael, who struggled. Presentation = most of being on the Food Network, so... the soup had a good texture, but not enough heat for some. The chicken got good marks, though, as did the crepe. They just didn't like Michael's presentation so much.

Jamika and Katie were up next. They did a nice job in presentation. Jamika's salmon was given good marks, and the pasta was also good, but not together. Katie fell to lecturing about her health benefits again, which was an oops.

Time for Evaluations!

Jamika and Katie didn't seem to work together on their menu well, and their concept was called a cop out. Jamika's salmon was called perfectly cooked. They loved her presentation. Katie's pasta was decent, but not memorable. They let her know that she seemed to be lecturing.

Jeffrey's use of chili pepper was called timid, and his reuse of the crepes with the daughter story in both presenations was not great. Michael's food was fantastic, but his presentation was described as "lost."

Eddie and Melissa didn't worked well together, and Bobby didn't appreciate Eddie's attitude towards Melissa. Melissa's chicken looked better than it tasted. Eddie's use of onions in the salad was called out, and then he mentioned that he got the recipe from a Paula Deen cookbook. Um. NOT ok. Be original if you want your own show!

The commitee loved Debbie and Teddy's meal, but hated Teddy's dessert, saying it should have been just not served. Teddy then claimed that the meatloaf was his, though the sauce was Debbie's. Not ok. There goes Teddy throwing someone under the bus again. Integrity is important, and he doesn't seem to get that. Debbie was really taken aback by that attitude, and honestly, so am I.

The winning team is Jeffrey and Michael. I really don't like Michael and don't want him on my tv (I just don't think he's a good presenter!) but he did well cooking this week.

Debbie, Melissa, Katie, and Jamika are safe this week. I can see that.

Who will be eliminated? Teddy or Eddie? Teddy needs to step it up, and not throw people under the bus. Eddie seems to have disdain for the home cook, so I don't know... it's a hard decision. In the end, it's Eddie going home, and I am glad. I don't want someone on my tv who doesn't want to help me be a better home cook. Teddy could be good if he resists the urge to climb over people.

Next week - Guy Fieri, panic, Michael whacking Debbie with a pan (hot?) in the face, and more fun. Can't wait!

The Next Food Network Star: 6.14.09

First challenge is bringing food to life, and the guest judge is Ryan D'gastano, food editor for Esquire Magazine. They have to make a menu with food under domes. Everyone has something different, and they are things that are typically in an Esquire Man's pantry.

Katie - Bran Cereal and Rack of Lamb
Debbie - Peanut Butter & Flank Steak
Brett - pickles and ground beef
Michael - Coffee beans and pork chops
Melissa - Marishino Cherries and chicken
Jeffrey - Pistachios and fillet
Jamika - Whiskey and porterhouse steak
Eddie - beer and strip steak
Teddy - Rib Eye and Maple Syrup

And they are doing direct to camera presentations! 1 minute each. Cool. I like when they get right down to it.

Eddie is first, and he is really good on camera. He didn't stumble over words. I think one of his eyes is kind of wonky... but I could overlook that. The judges liked his food.

Melissa is unhappy with her cherry chicken tagine, and did not do a convincing job of presenting. It was called "confusing and boring." Just weird and not good.

Jamika was very comfortable on camera, and I liked the look of her food until she froze and forgot what her food was. She got confused and it was a shame. She was mortified. The judges thought it was probably due to over-rehearsing.

Jeffrey did a really great job describing his food, and was wonderful. The judges loved him. I wish he'd get a hair makeover. Just saying.

Teddy is a little too excited about his food. It looked yummy, but he was too over the top. Bobby Flay wanted to know "Why is he yelling at me?"

Brett looked like he was selling something in an infomercial. It was weird. Is he giving it to me for this one time Low Low price?

Michael's accent bugs me. Cawh-fee. He was short in his presentation, and was completely awkward. He is not camera friendly. The judges liked his food.

Debbie was really wonderful on camera. Her food looked delicious. They didn't think it was very creative.

Katie had to present raw lamb. oopsie. She aso has a wonky eye. She went on and on about the healthfulness of her food, but the lamb was rare rare rare. The judges did not look impressed.

The winner was Eddie. I think he did the best job. Good for him.

The next challenge brought them to the home of Good Housekeeping Magazine. The winner of the challenge is going to get their recipe in Good Housekeeping. Michael, who is NOT an Esquire guy, claims to be ALL about Good Housekeeping.

They each have to cook for a holiday. As the winner of the other challenge, Eddie gets to pull holidays from a stocking and assign them. He decided to go nice for the most part.

Mardis Gras he gave to Debbie, who was very excited.
Michael got Halloween.
Katie got Earth Day.
Brett got April Fool's Day.
Eddie took Valentine's Day.
Teddy got Labor Day.
Melissa got Mother's Day.
Jamika got New Year's Eve.
Jeffrey got the joy of Groundhog Day. lol. oops.

First, they gathered props to decorate their tray, and then got to cooking.

Debbie had a snafu - her rice overcooked and she had to start over. Melissa had a problem getting used to a commercial kitchen. Teddy did a dance. Jamika got annoyed at Teddy and Brett, who were helping Melissa plate, but totally condescending to her at the same time... I commend them for helping out, though.

Time to serve!

Melissa is up first, with her breakfast in bed. She was good in her presentation. Much better than in the previous challenge. Bob said it was just aces. The editor of Good Housekeeping thought that Melissa embodied Good Housekeeping. Cool.

Jeffrey brought Mexican food to Groundhog's Day. He admitted that he had no tie in with the holiday, and the judges found him charming, but wanted a little more connection.

Jamika brought out collard greens and good luck corn bread, and hoped that two side dishes was enough. The judges thought she was true to herself and very good, and loved her food.

Katie brought out her Earth Day meal, and she went on and on and on and rambled. It was too much sharing about the health benefits. She knew she didn't do well, and it was bland. Giada said that the beans gave beans a bad name, and they felt like they were being talked AT instead of TO.

Teddy brought out his Labor Day meal, and he was funny, although a little weird. He made potato salad, crab cakes, and filet mignon. The judges thought he was just acting too much.

Brett told the judges that he didn't think he was going to continue on with the competition. Where did that come from? Oooooooooooohhhhhh - it's April Fool's Day. It was funny. The food had nothing to do with April Fool's Day. The judges wanted more connection... and less shell in their lobster tempura. oops.

Debbie was personable and smiley for Mardis Gras food. It was a Korean potsticker, which is not typical mardis gras food. I wanted to try it.

Michael went a little crazy with the presentation, but the judges thought his food was a bit too overcomplicated.

Eddie shared a bit too much about his Valentine's day meal, calling it his muse. It was odd. There was love on his plate, he said. It was the same meal he made for his girlfriend on their first date. It was weird the way he went into it. He started telling them about how intimate the date was. Ummmmm.... it was very strange. And, his food was not well cooked.

Time for Evaluations.

The judges told Jeffrey that he is a charming con artist, and even though the food had nothing to do with Groundhog's day, it was still yummy.

Debbie's potstickers were a bit too complicated, but the judges loved her storytelling.

Katie was told that her food was not flavorful. She cried and told the judges that they have not had the opportunity to experience her.

Michael's food got good marks, but they thought it was a little too complicated. They love his personality, though.

Eddie's oversharing was called insincere, and the fact that he offended women by saying you need to cook differently for them didn't help.

Jamika was thrilled that her food and her presentation got good marks. And she said that she didn't rehearse, so that was better.

Teddy's food got good marks, but the judges wanted him to not act as much.

Brett doesn't seem to really want to be on tv. He doesn't seem to want it much. And then there was the lobster shell.

Melissa's inexperience in commercial kitchens was kind of a problem. Brett of course threw her under the bus insisting on bringing up the fact that they helped her plate. Teddy refused to throw anyone under the bus. I really don't like Brett. He seems smarmy.

The top three in the Good Housekeeping Challenge are Debbie, Melissa, and Jamika. Jamika picked up the win. Jeffrey, Michael, and Teddy were also safe and were dismissed.

The judges deliberate. They think Brett is likeable. I do not. Bob said that he felt Katie is shoving health food down their throat, and it makes him want to rebel and eat nothing but ice cream and fudge.

In the end, it was Brett going home, and I am thrilled. It was the right decision. He was obnoxious and not good on tv.

As the winner of the challenge, Jamika got to make a Good Housekeeping Recipe for Healthy in a Hurry, and it will be in the July issue. It looked yummy and involved pineapple, so it might be worth checking out.

Yay for a New Season: The Next Food Network Star 6.7.09

Meet the chefs.

Jen Isham is the "modern housewife."

Jamika Pessoa is an "island girl," half Jamaican, half Trididadian. Is that even a word?

Katie Cavuto is from Philly, and is a dietician and personal chef.

Brett August is full energy and high powered. He says.

Michael Proetti wants to pizzazz Food Network up.

Eddie Gilbert is a corporate guy turned chef.

Melissa D'Arabian is a stay at home mom to 4 kids.

Teddy Folkman is determined.

Debbie Lee fuses Korean spices with Southern cooking.

Jeffrey Saad has been in kitchens for years and years.

And time for the first challenge. Bob, Suzy, and Bobby Flay greet the wannabes. The first challenge is to cater the Food Network's Birthday Party (16 years), 75 people, including lots of Food Network people, and others. In five hours.

Two teams.

Teddy, Jamika, Brett, Ted, and Melissa are the green team.

Eddie, Michael, Katie, Jeffrey, and Debbie are the red team.

Brett is planning on making - Beef Tenderloin with red wine sauce and butternut Squash soup
Teddy is making an herb and truffle infused potato gratin.
Jamika is planning on a Florribean Shrimp Cocktail with Mango Jicama Slaw
Melissa is making Apple tart with caramel drizzle
Jen is making Green beans with red onions, grape tomatoes, and toasted walnuts

on the other team

Michael is making a five spiced tenderloin with pickled vegetable slaw
Debbie is making a crab cake with Spicy Mayo
Katie is making a beet, pomegranate, orange salad & sauteed chard
Jeffrey is making achiote grilled zucchini with mushroom ragu (and he gets the first culinary term subtitle of the season, achiote is annoto-seed paste used for earthy flavor and color in Mexixan cooking. Thanks, Food Network)
Eddie is making a Jelly Filled Beignet and B.L.A.S.T. Balls - Bacon, lettuce, Avocado, Sprouts, and Tomato.

Two members on each team went shopping, with a $1200 budget. Debbie couldn't find the buttermilk biscuits for te beignets, and her team was also WAY over budget and had to leave a lot behind. Yipes. The other team was over $200 under budget. Better planning, it seems.

One thing left behind was Jeffrey's achiote. He's upset. He also doesn't like Debbie's fallback dessert idea of store bought angel food cake with some sauce dolloped on it was really chef-worthy. I would tend to agree.

As they cook, Bobby Flay entered the kitchen to Tim Gunn it up. (And by that, I mean check out how they are doing, not critique their clothing choices.)

The tarts weren't perfect, because some of the crusts got too warm. It was a team effort to get them in the oven. Hopefully, they are flaky enough. Debbie failed to get dijon mustard, and Katie panicked a little, but the other team gave her some dijon to save her dressing. That was nice.

Time to eat!

Brett was the captain of the green team and announced his food and the team. He was not super comfortable in the presentation. His high energy was not there. Jamika was much better on mic. Teddy was a little of a little and said little about 12 times. Jen was friendly and pleasant. Melissa was very excited about her tartlets and was very pleasant. She was cute.

Bobby loved the tart, and so did Duff. Bob loved Jamika's slaw, but the shrimp was not good. Jen's beans were called unpleasant and unspecial. Teddy's gratin was not cooked enough, and Brett's beef was badly cooked.

Red Team's Turn!

The Angel Food Cake mess is not looking good. It looks like a pile of crap. It was Debbie's idea, and she passed it off to Katie and Jeffrey, and it was not good....

Time for the presentation.

Debbie was comfortable in front of the mic. Katie was also very comfortable, and emphasized her colorful food. Jeffrey was funny and personable. Michael calls his style Global A Go Go. I think he's a bit much. Eddie was a little stiff.

The judges like the flavors of the crab cake, and they liked Michael's flavors. Jeffrey's zucchini also went well. Katie's salad "were from a dietician, and seemed like they were from a dietician." ouch. Eddie's B.L.A.S.T balls were a bit too bacony. And the cake? That was called an embarassment. Ouch. I would agree, though.

Evaluation Time.

It's not all about cooking, it's also about personality.

Debbie was called out for going over budget and then telling everyone that they went under budget. Bob told her that character matters, and they need to be able to trust someone if they are going to make it. Debbie was also called out for the angel food cake, and she called it a group decision. Um. No. At least her crab cake was good, and her presentation style was good.

Michael's dish was a favorite. They liked that he was funny.

Bobby called Katie's salad a throwaway dish. She didn't impress anyone with her dish or her style.

Eddie's B.L.A.S.T balls and stiff persona were not great. Bob said he seemed corporate, and they urged him to loosen up.

Jeffrey was happy that they liked his zucchini, and Bobby liked the way he described the food, saying it made him hungry. That's good when you are on tv.

Time for the Green Team.

Brett's food wasn't cooked well, and his presentation was not great.

Jamika's slaw was very good. Alton called her shrimpt the gate keeper of badness. Not good. Her presentation was good.

Melissa did very well with her tarts, and her presentation was good, but she was told to self edit.

Jen's beans were boring and nothing special, and her presentation was also boring.

Teddy's gratin was called out for not being cooked through, and his presentation seemed confused and fake. Not good.

Who is the winner of the challenge, and who is going home?

The Top 3 are Jeffrey, Michael, and Melissa. The winner of the challenge is Jeffrey. Good for him. He made something wonderful without most of the ingredients he wanted.

Jamika, Teddy, Katie, and Debbie are safe this week.

So, the bottom 3 are Brett, Eddie, and Jen. Brett was the first one safe, so it's between Jen and Eddie. Jen and her green beans were not good enough, and she is out. She is beautiful, but subpar green beans aren't going to make her a Food Network Star.

Looking forward to seeing more. I really don't like Brett - I wouldn't watch a show with him. Debbie rubbed me the wrong way with that Angel Food Cake, but her food looked good... I'm not sure who to root for now. We'll see. Do you have any favorites yet?

The Next Food Network Star - 7/27/08

It's down to Lisa, Aaron, and Adam! Who will win?

The show started with a little segment from each finalist about who they are and why they want to be here.

Lisa is annoying beyond belief, and I don't think I would watch her show.

Adam seems so sad about the closing of his restaurant, it really drags him down. He needs to be all that he can be and not dwell. I know, easier said...

Aaron is very likable and I hope that he can bring his personality to the finale, because he is special.

It's final audition time! They get a fully produced pilot of their potential show. It is going to be shot on Rachael Ray's set, and it is produced by Gordon Elliot. Their pilot is 4 1/2 minutes.

First, they get a few moments to set a pitch out for their show.

Lisa is first, and she brought in all sorts of props to show her ideas. First pitch was "Beautiful Basics" (who is not surprised), and it was presented as "this is my show in a box." Gordon looked slightly confused. Her second pitch was "Pure and simple," about Green Living and organics. Her third pitch is Fashion and Food. Ummm. Gordon shot that one down. He was most impressed by beautiful basics, but wanted her to not come off as a smarty pants. ha ha. too late.

Aaron wants to introduce herbs and spices with an educational aspect. Gordon wants his show to be more about him, and suggests the name "Big Daddy's Kitchen," from a nickname he's been given by the other contestants.

Adam's first pitch is to get people's recipes from the internet and then make his version of it. Gordon wants him to chat live with people on the internet and use his comedic ability. Interesting.

Lisa's outfit is fuchsia, which is a bit much on Rachael Ray's set, which is all green, orange, and yellow. It made my eyes hurt. Her first take she went over time badly, and didn't get to finish her dish. She is making a complicated fish dish with a french sauce I can't pronounce, let alone spell. During her second take, she totally dropped the ball and got flustered. She squinted and pursed her lips and used big pretentious words. She seemed to get it near the end, but the colors were still ill-advised.

Adam is up next, with "Hungry in Philadelphia". I like the interaction with the home viewer. It's really neat. The viewer had The Roast Chicken Blues. He had a lot of steps and had to answer questions real time from the viewer while still trying to get everything done. By his final take, he seemed to get it down pat, and Gordon said "That felt like a show!" I think I would like his show. I certainly like the idea.

It's time for Aaron to show his personality. He got a little repetitive and nervous and had a terrible time getting it down, but his last take looked decent. We'll see how it comes out in the end. He was not excited about it, and thought he did not get it right.

It's time to see their pilots! Lisa is wearing her chandelier-crystal necklace which seems to be a favorite of hers. Not mine.

Before viewing the pilots, the other finalists were brought in. Nipa was wearing a very silver pillowcase. I have seen lots of Indian garb, and that didn't look nearly as nice as any of the things I have seen. Yipes.

Lisa's Beautiful Basics is up first. Squinty and pretentious, she made sure to let the viewer know that she started making her impossible to spell sauce. She did an ok job, but I would never watch her show. Just wouldn't. At this point, it's a matter of principal. The committee was impressed.

Adam's Hungry in Philadelphia is next. He was funny in introducing it, and the name is a play on Sleepless in Seattle. He came off as personable and funny and I loved the interaction with the viewer. He came up with some of his own terms, like Faux-B-Q, and he was great. I want to try his chicken. His show, I would watch. I would go out of my way to watch it. Onto the dvr it would go. The committee said it was a joy to watch and he looked at ease. Susie said that she learned a lot from his pilot, and Bobby said that everyone would like to try his chicken. Yes, please.

(From a commercial for a new show Ask Aida that was on during the break, I am dubious that Adam wins... her show looks a LOT like his pitch. Humph.)

Aaron's show is interesting. He managed to get his personality out their and look at home on camera. I want to make those plantains, even if he did use a Paula-worthy amount of butter in them. He just might win this. He was funny and his dish looked good and unique. He did do a bit of awkward gesturing with his knife at the end, but other than that... Bob and Susie said that this was the Aaron they love and were waiting for.

I would be happy with either Aaron or Adam winning. Lisa I just want to see slipping and spilling her sauce all over herself again. Since I can't find it on YouTube, I'll just smile thinking about it. Call me mean if you want to, but that was the most human I have seen her acting during this entire show.

Ok, I have a friend named Brook Johnson, and she is NOT the President of the Food Network, but I just had to laugh at the coincidence.

Each of the finalists gets to speak about win or lose, what the experience has meant to them. Nothing ground breaking here, just the same old. The winner is ....

Aaron!

I am not surprised, but I wish that Adam got his own show, too. I guess I'll have to check out Ask Aida. I hope that Adam comes back and gets his own show, too. Since last season's winner. Amy Finley, has disappeared off the face of Food Network, maybe they'll find a spot for him... somewhere.

The Next Food Network Star - 7/20/08

The Top 3 are Lisa, Aaron, and Adam. I am rooting for Adam and maybe Aaron, because I don't want to see Lisa on my tv squinting at me anymore. We'll see if she changes my mind any this week.

Adam is feeling like he has made a lot of mistakes during the show, and his back is against the wall, and Aaron is just proud to be there. Lisa is trying to focus and get serious. Because getting more serious will absolutely endear her to viewers. Ugh.

They head towards their challenge and Bobby Flay shows up with previous NFNS winner, Guy Fieri. I really like Guy and I was so happy he won his season, because I never really saw the appeal of the guy he was up against in the end. I even forget his name, but I just did not get him. Anyway... Guy has done well for himself.

They are getting a pre-written 30 second promo that they will be shooting in Vegas and hopefully do a good job on.

Lisa's promo involves flying on cables as a wine angel, which is basically a giant tower of wine where people are wired up to retrieve wine. She is scared and nervous. The first cut of the promo was delivered with robotic cheeriness, and terrible timing, with missed lines left and right. She got flustered and was unable to really do a full shoot of it. I am so not sad.

Aaron's promo is from a casino floor. He did a really good job on the first cut, but the second part had a lot of lines and he flubbed in the beginning, but then hit his stride and really did a fantastic job. Good for him.

Adam's promo is at a Vegas theatre, complete with showgirls. He is a tux and he has to learn choreography. He seemed really stiff and uncomfortable and that was not good. He claims to have a passion for acting and performing, so I'd hate to see what it would have looked like if he wasn't comfortable on stage!

It's time for the second part of the challenge. There is a gorgeous hotel and Lisa is flipping out about how fantastic it is. They are going to create their own "lavish, over the top, monster buffet." Lisa is feeling squintily confident. They don't only have to cook the buffet, they have to entertain the entertainers! They have to cook at least 5 different things.

They get 6 hours and $1000, which is huge. Lisa gets her proteins first, and Adam wants to smoke some stuff and gets some smoking chips from the meat counter. Aaron is making a whole lot of different things.

Running around the grocery store with a big full cart, Lisa dropped a package from the meat counter. I'm so not sad. (I know, I have it out for her)

Back in the kitchen, the finalists get to choose between "sous chefs" - Shane, Jennifer, and Kelsey. Lisa picks Kelsey, Adam picks Shane, and Aaron gets Jennifer.

Adam's Planned Buffet is:
- Smoked Pork Chops
- Smoked Chicken Wings
- Smoked Mushroom Pizza
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Crab salad
- Banana Cream Pie

Aaron's Planned Buffet is:
- Sirloin Bruschetta
- Orzo Salad
- Chicken Bow-Tie Pasta
- Chicken Tortellini Salad
- Crab Cakes
- Chocolate Fondue

Lisa's Planned Buffet is:
- Monkfish Piccata
- Pork Roast
- Twice-Baked Potatoes
- Asparagus Vinaigrette
- Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
- Poached Pears

Lisa set Kelsey onto lots of prep of veggies, where Adam decided to build his own smoker with two woks, a rack, and aluminum foil. Hope that people like smoked food, because that is his central theme. Lisa realized that she lost half her fish, and she has to stretch. Guy was worried that Aaron is using three kinds of pasta, but Aaron says they are all different enough that hopefully people won't notice. Lisa's pork roast is burned on one side, and perfect on the other. She scraped off the burned bits and then plated it, so hopefully it doesn't taste burned. (Or, not, as the case may be).

A huge crowd of Vegas people (in costume) enter to try the food, and each chef has to entertain the entertainers. Lisa decided to sing, which worked, because she actually has a pretty good voice, and her song was decent (and of course she incorporated "beautifully basic" a couple of times). A few people in the audience looked stunned at her skills. I wish she was more likable as a person, because I liked her voice. Her necklace was ridiculous, with giant diamond-like pealish beads.

Aaron did a very strange performance, which no one seemed to get. Stunned faces of non-comprehension were all over the audience. The food looks yummy, but he came across as insane.

Adam came out full of personality, but mostly talked about his cooking and didn't do any sort of real performance. His food also looked great. I wish that he had done something. If only he had a song.

Lisa is trying to get around her lack of enough fish and her overcooked pork, so she was giving out tiny "tasting menus." Unfortunately, one of the judges got a piece of overcooked pork. Ha.

Aaron and Adam were a little intimidated by the chefs from the restaurant. The chefs seemed to enjoy Adam's presentation of his food, and his food himself, and one of them mentioned that Aaron's was too basic. People in the audience really seemed to like Adam's personality and his food, and Lisa ended up having enough food.

It's evaluation time!

Aaron's promo was fantastic. His performance at the buffet was ridiculous, and no one liked it. His food was disappointing, too. His crab cakes got good marks, but the multiple pastas, not so much.

Lisa's promo was really hard and came out better than it looked while they were making it. Her song was appreciated, and her buffet was called very elegant. Guy was sad that his pork was dry.

Adam's promo ended up looking pretty good. The Vegas Smoketacular presentation was called boring, and that's not good. His pork and pizza were very yummy according to be Bobby Flay. His pork chop won the favorite overall dish by the chefs. The committee was very pleased with his food this week, and said he finally settled the question of whether he can really cook.

The selection committee thinks that Lisa is a good chef and had a good luck, but Bob wonders if she is likable enough to make people want to tune in. Aaron stumbled this week, and that was a shame, and they don't know if he should be kicked out for that. They loved Adam's food this week, but no one was sure that they could trust him to run a show at this point. Guy suggested that they could have Adam open the show, have Aaron plan the menu, and have Lisa cook it.

In the end, they couldn't make a decision, and they decided to keep all three of them to compete in NYC next week for the win. I guess that's ok with me.

Who are you rooting for?

The Next Food Network Star

It's down to the Final Four. Will this be the week that Squinty Lisa breaks down for good? They are in Vegas, and they are going to be meeting Paula Deen. Let's get right to it.

Everyone has something to work on for this week. Adam needs to cook food that isn't raw and he needs to no act like a complete clown. Lisa needs to step back from the Vulcan-know-it-all attitude, and also stay away from the complete lack of control she had last week with Rachael Ray. Kelsey needs to look like she knows what she is talking about, and not let on that she may have learned it in the past 2 months. Aaron needs to learn to talk and cook at the same time. Who will learn their lesson?

As soon as they get to Vegas, and Caesar's palace, they are met by a man dressed like Caesar welcoming them and letting them know that they have a very plush suite. That poor man is either a very embarrassed actor, or a stripper who thinks he has gone up in the world.

The final four are invited to Bobby Flay's restaurant, and they get to share a meal with Bobby and none other than Paula Deen. Lisa feels kinship to Paula because they are both Southern women. Nice thought, except Paula is personable and fun. Lisa started crying (out of happiness) when Paula was telling her story.

Their challenge is a Throwdown! There will be 2 one on one throwdowns, where each person will do their own signature dish and then their version of someone else's signature dish. Each one-on-one will be 75 minutes. Lisa is feeling the heat, because most of her overcomplicated and ostentatious dishes take longer than that to make. (I'm sorry, I'm picking on her extra tonight, I just can't help it. I want her off my tv)

In addition to cooking, they will be doing little interviews with Dayna Devon, a host of Extra. That's a good challenge.

The first throwdown is Lisa vs. Adam. Lisa's signature is casoulet, and Adam's is Macaroni and Cheese. Adam was nervous about doing a cassoulet in such a short amount of time, and Lisa used the word "extrapolation" in describing what she plans to do with Mac & cheese.

Lisa very systematically set out all of her ingredients before she got started, and called Adam "Kid Chaos" as he seemed to flail about trying to maintain focus.

Paula noticed that Lisa works pretty intensely and wondered how she could bring that to a show. Lisa claimed to have two sides - one which is "Game Face" and one which is Cry-baby southern sweetheart. I don't know about that.

Adam decided to kick up his mac and cheese with lobster, and Lisa thinks that's a bad idea. When Dayna Devon interviews Adam, he was all over the place trying to cook and actually walked away in the middle of a question. Not so hot. Lisa did a better job with the interview, and that surprised me. She is cooking with pearls on. I am forced to hate her.

The judges adored Adam's lobster mac & cheese, and now I wish I had some. Paula even said that she was going to use his panko breading. Cool. Lisa's Mac & Cheese was called muddy. Paula said "I do not like it at all. At all. In fact I hate it." Knife into the heart of the Southern Crybaby.

Paula then called Lisa's cassoulet "truly delicious," and Bob called it masterful, and Bobby said it was possibly the best cassoulet he had ever had. Wow. Impressive. Adam's cassoulet was muddled. Bob called it "Johny's first cassoulet." Not good. It looks like a tie, with the contestants both winning their own signature dishes.

The second throwdown is Kelsey's chicken parmesan and Aaron's stuffed pork loin. Kelsey spent some time talking to herself about strategy. Aaron has decided to add some sides to his. Kelsey is using pork tenderloin instead of loin. She's changing the recipe up a lot. Aaron practices talking and cooking at the same time, though perhaps he shouldn't have, because he reveals that he has no idea what chipotle is (it's smoked jalapeno, and yes, I did know that before Adam answered - did you?), but he did a good job in the rest of the interview. Kelsey made a big boo boo (and she knew it) when she again talked about how she learned how to make buerre blanc in culinary school. The dreaded C word.

Lisa threw Aaron a look when he was grabbing something to make a side dish before he even started the chicken parm, and it actually made him back up and go work on it. Kelsey overcooked her pork, and admitted it in the interview with Dayna Devon. Not sure if that was the best idea.

The judges look like they wish they had some sunglasses in the hot Vegas sun. Kelsey's sauce for the chicken parm got good marks, but her chicken was a little dry. Paula said it was petite in size and thought it would be a nice appetizer. Aaron's last minute chicken parm was called soul satisfying and hearty. He won that one.

Aaron's pork loin looked gorgeous, and was called delicious, and Paula exclaimed that the sweet and heat worked. Bobby said that Kelsey's plates looked a little less hearty than she normally does, and Paula wanted more pork. I'd say that Aaron won both of the throwdowns.

The final four are justifiably nervous about judging. They hug it out before heading in.

The judges called Adam's mac and cheese the best thing he has made thus far. The judges were disappointed in Lisa's bland mac and cheese. Almost vice versa with the cassoulet. Lisa was told that she was too frantic in the kitchen, and seemed unwelcoming. Of course, Adam's horrible performance with Dayna Devon was also brought up. They wanted more passion from Adam.

Aaron's pork loin was given very high marks. The judges were disappointed by Kelsey's direction. Her chicken parm was called deconstructed to the point that the chicken and the sauce were not friends. Aaron's almost forgotten chicken was cooked perfectly, but he was criticized for not knowing what chipotle was. Kelsey was given good points for talking to Dayna Devon well, but Bob was upset by her repeated mention of culinary school.

Each contestant was given a chance to talk about their own performance.

Lisa knows that she has to meld her style to something appealing. Adam knows that he has to work on his organization. Kelsey wants to cook the way she likes to eat. Aaron said something about being a C average person and wanting to go above that. He wasn't very clear.

The judges called Lisa frenetic and robotic and I wonder if they have been reading my blog. They think that Aaron is struggling on doing things for the camera, and that Kelsey is good on camera but is so inexperienced it's hard to count on. Adam is given points for his likeability, but they are not sure that he has the food passion to be a good food network star.

Aaron is the first one safe, followed by Lisa. I knew this was not going to be her week. Adam rounds out the top 3, and I am pleased. Kelsey really fell flat this week.

I would love to see either Adam or Aaron on a show. Lisa would have to have a personality transplant in order for me to watch her show on purpose.

The Next Food Network Star: 7/6/08

Looks like Squinty Lisa's going to end up crying again, from the episode preview. Let's see how that comes to pass, shall we?

The contestants get to do their first cooking demo on tv, 4 minutes each. It's for the Rachael Ray Show, in front of a studio audience. I know some people dislike her, but I still like her. She may be a little annoying, but her food is yummy. Their meals must be nutritious, satisfying, and the zinger is that they are cooking for girlscouts. Each contestant is paired with one girlscout, and the girls work as "consultants."

Aaron's girlscout wants lots and lots of chocolate. Aaron nixes that, because it's not healthy, and then she claims to like broccoli and pizza. Kelsey's girlscout is easily steered towards a fruit salad. Lisa schools her girlscout in haricot vert, because she has an obsession with it, and then convinces her that she'd probably like couscous (and I agree. I love couscous and think it is very kid friendly). Adam's girlscout loves barbecue chicken. Shane doesn't work so well with his girlscout. That's funny because he's so young. He just cannot talk to her.

The chefs say goodbye to their pint-sized consultants and get to cooking. They have 75 minutes to work it out.

The menus are as follows:

Kelsey - Breakfast Meatball Sandwich with sausage, eggs, and cheese, and a banana boat with strawberry yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola.

Shane - Puffed rice coated chicken cordon bleu, with vegetable ratatouille

Aaron - Broccoli and burger pizza

Adam - BBQ Chicken packed pita with spinach and a fruit kebab

Lisa - Flatiron steak with horseradish cream and herbed couscous with broccoli

(Lisa says that she doesn't want to dumb food down for kids, and I agree, but to a certain point. I cook a wide variety of food for my kids, but horseradish? Not sure about that one. We'll see.)

It's time to head over to the Rachael Ray Show! Rachael urges them to keep the story telling up, as they do their demo.

Aaron is up first. He starts up by having her wash her hands, and that wasted a lot of time, even if it was a good thing to do, and he had his back to the audience. He did a good job connecting with the girlscout and with the audience. He did an excellent job with the presentation, and Makayla (his girlscout) seemed to like it a lot, taking off with the whole pizza. I think it was the most free he has been, and it was great. The judges loved his pizza, and his personality. Good job to him!

Kelsey is up next, and she gets Racheal cooking eggs, and it was weird. She was dictating work, and not doing anything for herself. She was a little too familiar with Rachael, and she didn't really do any cooking, just using her pre-cooked stuff to go with it. The meal ended up looking good, but Kelsey was a little too much with Rachael Ray. The judges didn't think she was really interesting, and thought that she was acting more like the host than the guest on the show, and that's no good.

Shane is really nervous when his turn comes up. He did a good job with the cooking, but he wasn't connecting with his girlscout, and he seemed to forget her name! Not good. He also wasn't telling a story, he was just cooking. He also used the word "variation a whole lot." Rachael was talking to his girlscout a whole lot more than he was. I think he might have said two words to her directly the whole time. He blew that part of the challenge, and he almost ran into Rachael with the pan of hot glaze. Francesca didn't look so happy, but his food tasted good according to the committee.

Lisa squinted her demonstration pretty well. She was engaging the girlscout, but she also said that the girlscout "loved horseradish with her steak," and I thought that the girl said that she didn't love steak, and wasn't familiar with horseradish. Lisa was doing a really good job, and then she froze and kind of lost her place. Rachael was doing a lot of talking, and the judges said it seemed heartbreaking to see her lose it.

Adam brought his personality to the demonstration, and his girlscout was really cute. He was looking good and was comfortable and doing a great job. His food looked yummy, and his girlscout looked very pleased with it. I think Adam has won this challenge, and Rachael said that his recipe would be on her website. The judges were happy that his chicken was cooked.

After they were all done, Rachael lets them know that the final four are going to Vegas. They all flipped about that.

In my mind, Adam did perfectly in this challenge, which was important for him, because he was walking a fine line. Aaron and Lisa both did really well, but had issues. Kelsey and Shane were just this side of disastrous, for different reasons. What do the judges think?

Aaron was scolded for turning his back to the camera and talking to the wall, but they loved the food and loved the rest of his demonstration and were happy that he showed his personality. They said that he was masterful at playing between Rachael, his girlscout, and the audience.

Adam was given lots of praise for his presentation, but they said that they didn't feel like the food was the centerpoint.

Kelsey was chided for handing over all cooking, and didn't feel like she had enough authority still.

Shane was really scolded for ignoring his girlscout, and for being too technical. Bob says he seems joyless. They don't understand why he is so focused on French School. He has never been to France, but likes what he has read about it. Right. That answers a lot of questions right there.

Lisa squinted about how sophisticated her girlscout was, but Bobby thought she kind of steamrolled the poor girl into the menu. Lisa said that she was scared to dominate Rachael Ray, so she backed off. And the tears came. The judges said that she needed to show that she could be a star.

I don't think that Lisa deserves to go home this week (I think it will be Shane or Kelsey), but I still don't want her on a regular show on my tv, so I'm torn. Aaron was the first one safe, and Adam is also safe. Both deservedly. After some deliberation, Lisa is safe, and squinted her thanks and dedication to do her best. Kelsey is the last one safe, and she is heading to Vegas. Now, with Shane heading home, will he find a way to actually go to France and see if he liks the real France as much as he loves the France in books?

The Next Food Network Star: 6/29/08

(I want to apologize for the late blog - weird weather caused interruptions in the satellite last night, so I recorded the late show)

Adam knows that he is in trouble... first it was raw food, then it was too much slapstick. Lisa thinks the only thing she needs to work on is her on camera persona. She's got that right, because right now, her on camera persona is not friends with me.

It's challenge time. Chef Car Cora enters to explain the picnic like baskets on the tables to the perplexed contestants. It is all about descriptions. They have 30 minutes to create an original dish with the six ingredients in their basket, and then they have to describe their dish on camera.

Here's what's in their baskets.

Lisa: Udon noodles, beets, ginger, chicken, lemon, scallions.
Jennifer: Basil, Swiss chard, prosciutto, pork tenderloin, mango, almonds
Kelsey: Cod, Saffron, blood orange, fennel, polenta, onions
Shane: Avocado, habenero, flank steak, anchovy, cumin, garlic
Adam: Napa Cabbage, turkey, mushrooms, cilantro, heirloom tomatoes, gala apples
Aaron: Strawberries, white chocolate, pound cake, dark chocolate, coconut chips, cinnamon

They all seemed to do a pretty good job with the cooking. Then comes a twist. They have to describe other people's dishes! They will have 90 seconds to taste the dish, and then describe it.
Kelsey gets to describe Shane's dish, and she uses the words "burst of flavor," twice, and she didn't say what was in it, and gets a lovely surprise of habenero when she thought it was citrus. Cat Cora said that she didn't say why the flavors were so good, and that was a problem. When the camera stopped rolling, Kelsey downed a glass of water. Yup, that's habenero for you.
Shane's up next with Kelsey's dish. He did a good job figuring out what was in the dish, and he did a good job visualizing everything.

Time for Adam's chance with Aaron's dish. He keeps talking about the perfect bite, but I think he missed a lot of the ingredients. He also shoved a lot of food into his mouth right when he was supposed to be wrapping up. Not strong.

Aaron didn't introduce himself and seemed pretty tentative on camera. He took a long time contemplating the dish and not talking. Not good. Cat told him he had to think on his feet.

Lisa squints her way through describing Jennifer's dish, and I couldn't concentrate on what she was saying because of her giant pearls. She did a pretty good job describing the dish. Cat thought she seemed a little false.
Jennifer had a really hard time with Lisa's dish, and couldn't tell what anything was. She kept saying "and what is this over here?" She thought the udon noodles were linguine, and she didn't say anything of substance.

Shane ended up winning the challenge, and I think that was an earned win.

The second challenge of the show has a prize of getting the winning recipe featured in Bon Appetit. They have to make a 45 minute simpler version of a complex dish.

The choices are Beef Wellington, Coq au vin, and Turducken. They will work in the same duos that they had for the first challenge. They also have to make side dishes.

Shane gets to pick first, with Kelsey. Kelsey is delighted when Shane chooses Beef Wellington.

Adam and Aaron get the coq au vin, and Lisa and Jennifer get the Turducken. Neither are really happy about the choices made for them. They will be serving the editors and staff of Bon Appetit.

They have 30 minutes to go shopping for their ingredients.

Aaron and Adam's Coq au vin redo is up first. Adam's side dish was the polenta, and Aaron's was the pasta. Aaron was really nervous with Adam's idea to use bone-in chicken breast, and Aaron ended up winning out because the bone-in stuff wouldn't cook. They also had issues with their polenta being "gluey," and Aaron was unhappy with the plating, thinking it looked really sloppy. Adam was kind of funny during presentation when he said "Coq au vin brings up so many memories... the first time I had it was about 10 minutes ago." Aaron was not feeling proud of the dish, and was feeling nervous. He admitted that the sloppy plating of the pasta with the pasta hanging over the edge of the bowl was a mistake. The judges thought that the chicken was ok, but the polenta was a bad idea, and they were hoping for some more stew-like components.

Lisa and Jen's Turducken redux is a turkey medallion, with a pre-roasted chicken as a part of stuffing, and duck sausage. Jennifer is making acorn squash side dish, and Lisa is making roasted green beans. Lisa had one piece of duck confit, and it was roasting along with Jennifer's squash, and then Jennifer broke a big bottle of apricot juice all over the grill and everything had to get thrown out. Lisa thought that the turkey was a little bland, so she tried to make a highly seasoned sauce (or velote, if you prefer. Lisa does), but Jennifer didn't like it, and thought it was too herby, saying it tasted like she had just eaten a hunk of tree, and they don't use it. Lisa is really disappointed by that. During the presentation, Jennifer spent a lot of time apologizing for the lack of squash and duck confit, and said that the velote was not good, so it wasn't served.

Shane and Kelsey do their best with the beef wellington redo. Shane is doing creamed pearl onions, and Kelsey is making roasted veggies, and Kelsey is a whirlwind around the kitchen. They had the nicest looking plates in the group, and I would be most likely to eat their dishes! They did the absolute best presentation, too. How did it taste? The Bon Appetit crew had a problem with the plating, but the flavors seemed ok. The selection committee liked the way that Kelsey can answer questions thrown at her, but wish that she would stop saying how little experience she has. I would tend to agree.

It's evaluation time! Everyone is nervous. Kelsey was criticized for her descriptive skills about Shane's dish in the first challenge. Bob told her she needed to up her authority and stop talking about culinary school. Aside from the slightly unappealing look, their No-Nightmare Beef Wellington was really well received.

Jennifer was again warned that she was not knowledgeable enough about the food she was trying to describe, and the fact that she messed up with the second challenge was a problem. The judges said that they were going to be reminding Lisa that she needs to be more human (instead of vulcan).

Aaron got dinged for his inability to taste and talk at the same time, and though their chicken was yummy, they had almost no connection to Coq au Vin. Adam is told that his polenta was ridiculously unappealing, and he is really just there because of his personality. Aaron is told that he is self-editing in presentation, and that is his biggest problem, because he hasn't really shown himself.

In the end, Shane and Kelsey's Beef Wellington won the challenge, and I was not surprised by that. They are both safe, and I think that's proper.

Lisa is safe because of her skills and expertise. It's not her personality. Aaron is safe with a warning that he has to bring more of himself to camera. Adam is told that he is on super thin ice on a culinary standpoint, and Jennifer is told that her lack of some level of expertise is really a problem, and she is heading home. I think it is the time for her to go. I like her personality, but she just had a hard time showing that she can cook. Adam needs to step up the cooking, and tone down the buffoonery, and maybe he can get somewhere.

Next week's got Rachel Ray, and I like her, even though I know many do not. Looking forward to it!