Top Chef Recap - Restaurant Wars!

Well, it happens every year and the always anticipated Restaurant Wars went off last night on Top Chef. Rick Moonen of Top Chef Masters and Rick RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas was the guest judge for this episode.

The High Stakes QuickFire Challenge started it all off and set up the two teams that would eventually go into Restaurant Wars against each other. After drawing knives, Michael V and Jen picked teams. Michael picked his brother Bryan, Eli, and Robin. Jen's team was Michael I, Larine and Kevin. The challenge was to tag team a dish. The two twists were, except for the first to go, everyone was blindfolded and the team members could not talk to each other! How hard was that going to be? The only communication allowed was that each team had a minute to decide the order of chefs. It was up to the first person to choose the dish and get it started and then each subsequent chef had to decide what to do next based on what they saw when they got to the cooking station. I thought it was very cool!

Jen's team won and split $10K. Then they were given the option of taking the money or letting it ride on Restaurant Wars where each team member would get $10K if they won. They let it ride. That would turn out to be the first of a number of bad decisions that team would make.

Each team had $3000 to set up their menus. The advantage they had was that they didn't have to worry about setting up the front of the house as each team got to use Moonen's restaurant which is multilevel, so as the winner of the QF, Jen's team (Mission) picked the second floor, which was more of fine dining environment and the other team (Michael V's Revolt, a play on the chefs's names) took the more casual first floor setting.

Right off the bat, Jen decided, "no dessert". She said every team that tried dessert went home. Not sure that was a great decision. I think that was a cop out. They should have taken a dessert on. A Top Chef would do that. The other team produced two desserts which were very well received including Robin's pear dessert, which was the favorite of many.

Larine (Mission, Jen's team) and Eli took the front of the house positions. Say what you will about Eli and I don't care for him, he's got the gift of gab, so I think he was well suited for that part. Even though the two were taking on the FOH tasks, they were also responsible for a dish each.

Michael's team seemed to have it all together even though there was some tension between Michael and Bryan and Michael and Robin. They got past it to have a very successful service. With Eli seating and schmoozing, Revolt, although that was a horrible name for a restaurant, was anything but revolting.

Jen's team lost it quickly. They got "in the weeds" early and never recovered. Jen wound up steaming clams and mussels as each order came in rather than doing that task ahead of time and that really put her behind the eight ball. Eric Ripert, her mentor of five years, would have been surprised at how poorly she managed her station. Kevin undercooked lamb and if you've ever had lamb that was too rare, it's one of the most unpleasant dining experiences you can have. Undercooked lamb was going out and this after Larine declared that she would send food back if it did not meet the standards. Larine really fell flat at the front of the house even after volunteering for the task. She was not as engaging as Eli. Where Eli carefully and expertly explained each dish, Larine basically dropped the food and ran away. Eventually, Padma had to lasso her in to get a description of each dish. Not good. The evening fell apart for team Mission and they wound up losing Restaurant Wars. You could see how dejected they all were. They each realized that any one of them could be sent home for the myriad of poorly executed dishes that went out.

The judge's declared that Team Revolt ran the best restaurant of anyone in the six seasons of Top Chef and that's quite an honor. Though the team won, a single winner was picked from the four. Michael V got that honor as he was clearly the leader and driving force behind the success of the operation. For his win, and to the consternation of his brother Bryan, he won $10K, which he quickly and generously asked if he could share it with the rest of the team. Since it was his money, as Tom stated, he had the freedom to share the winnings, which he offered to each of his chefmates. Bryan, who was seething, refused the money. He felt his brother ran an unprofessional kitchen (with the way he treated himself and Robin) and got rewarded for bad behavior. That was the only downer to the whole evening for Team Revolt.

When Jen's team came to Judge's Table you could see how down they were. Each member wore worry and defeat on their faces. Each team member got vilified for one thing or another they did wrong, except that Mike I avoided any major criticism and he seemed safe. What he did was not spectacular, but it wasn't great either.

In the end, the judges felt Larine disappeared during the entire task and I think also, in the back of their minds, they must think the other team members (Jen, Kevin and Mike I) are stronger than her, which I agree with. So, Larine went home.

Restaurant Wars is so popular because you get to see each chef in the environment they spend the better parts of their lives in, a professional kitchen. The planning, the buying, the preparing. It's all so fascinating to see what goes into making a restaurant run successfully or not so successfully. It is also interesting to see how "competition" changes how each chef approached their chosen profession. When a "win" is on the line, will they perform as well as they do day in and day out when getting good food out on time is the win they are striving for? The dynamics of a contest really affects each person differently and in the end, the winner is the one or the team that can put the competition or the game to the side and let their experience and skill carry them to a positive end.

Top Chef Las Vegas Episode 8 Recap - Pairings

OK, let me get this out of the way. I don't like Eli. There, I said it. The guy's just not cool. He isn't nice. He's arrogant AND he's not the best chef in the competition. So, all of that combined makes Eli my favorite to get canned. He will.

Now, the crew had Charlie Palmer, owner/chef of Aureole, as guest judge. Charlie Palmer is HUGE! He's a pioneer. He legitimized the American Chef. In many people's eyes he is legendary. So, you can imagine the pressure that reputation brings. The Voltaggios had extra pressure as they once both worked for Chef Palmer. Bryan for ten years and Mike for a year as Executive Chef.

The Quick Fire Challenge was about pairings. The cheftestants had to pair food with the Alexia snack food of their choice. Apparently, these snacks have been provided to the chefs since the beginning of the competition, so they are familiar with the flavors. Basically, the snacks are flavored waffle fries, onion or potato strips. Eli comes out on top with his potato clam salad. Sounds horrible to me, but Palmer loved it. Eli, who at 25 lives with mommy and daddy rent-free, gets his first win. It only serves to make his head bigger than it already was.

For the Elimination Challenge, everyone drew knives. Each knife has a different pig body part on it, except for the lovely and talented Jennifer's. She had "Wild" on hers. Yes, wild indeed. However, it referred to the fact that she could choose whatever pig body part she wanted. She chose "belly". The task at hand was to participate in Palmer's "Pigs & Pinot" fund raiser. It's an annual Share Our Strength fund raiser near and dear to Charlie Palmer's heart. The challenge was to pair the pig with a Pinot Noir of their choice. The cheftestants are taken to Palmer's Aureole at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino with its three-story wine tower. Remember Season Four of the "Next Food Network Star"? They did Lisa Garza's "commercial" in that tower. At Aureole, everyone gets to sample a smattering of Pinots selected by the Aureole's Master Sommelier William Sherer. Pinots get picked and, of course, Eli has to berate some with bad palates as the camera pans to Robin.

The next day four hours of prep and cooking is ahead for everyone. The time includes the brothers Voltaggio scuffling over plastic wrap. Brothers will always be brothers no matter the age. It seemed like braised pork belly was a popular dish and, of course, Eli had the belly, as well as the love of my life Jennifer who picked it. Jen gets herself into the top four while Eli comes back to reality and is not in the top picks. Jen, the Volataggios and Kevin are the top rated dishes. Kevin did a yummy looking pate. Bryan braised spare rib while Mike V did pork cheek. In the end, Kevin came out on top. I like this guy. He makes fabulous food. These four are the top four contestants, in my opinion.

Robin, who the others wish is going home ("I hope they send grandma home," someone said), Laurine and Ash are on the bottom. These three have been here before and unfortunately for Ash, he got sent home. He never seemed to get untracked. He pined away that he never really cooked his food and as a matter of fact when he told Charlie Palmer how he really wanted to prepare his dish, Palmer answered, "Why didn't you? That sounds delicious." Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Avec Eric - Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin

Have you seen the new show on PBS, "Avec Eric"? It stars chef Eric Ripert of (New York Times four-star rated) Le Bernardin in New York City. All I can say is WOW!

Avec Eric is a very fresh take on a cooking show presented by arguably the best chef in America. There are three segments to the show. The episode I saw was entitled, "Birth of a Dish". The three segments were all related to the "theme" of the show.

The show starts at Le Bernardin "Behind the Scenes". I find this extremely interesting because Chef Eric explains the inner workings of that great eatery. The episode I saw took us into Le Bernardin's conference room/library among the wall of cookbooks that all seemed to be well used where the senior chef staff meets to conjure up the next great dish. They brainstorm and taste new spices or foods they have come into contact with in their respective travels and try to work these into something wonderful on the plate. It's fascinating stuff. You can detect the respect Chef Eric has not only for his staff, but for the food they present, as well as their ideas. He seems to be very nurturing in a chef way. He took us from the meeting to the kitchen where they tried different things to try to create something scrumptious. Chef Eric explained how a dish makes it to Le Bernardin's menu; going from a "special" for a while seeing if the clients like the dish until, if it gets enough positive feedback, it eventually makes its way onto the menu as a regular selection

The next segment in the show takes us traveling Monsieur Ripert. He took us to Livorno, Italy. There we experience the local markets where fish is in abundance. We see a local chef treat Eric to a fish stew which you could see he thoroughly enjoyed. Ripert is so respectful and gracious. He's encouraging and engaging. He has a way about him that makes you want to hear what he has to say and at the end you are glad you took the time to listen.

The last segment, the one I enjoyed the most, was shot back at the chef's home in Manhattan. A beautiful apartment somewhere in the city that never sleeps. His kitchen is simple and stylish. The cooktop he uses is, no doubt, the most up to date glass covered cooktop. I can't believe he does not use gas! Maybe it's not available to him. I don't know. I am always fascinated to see what tools and equipment actual chefs use in their everyday life. On one side it had a "griddle" area where he seared his fish with olive oil, thyme and garlic. Can you imagine cooking on glass? It was quite wild, but in keeping with the simplicity that he seems to incorporate in the things he does in the kitchen. The segment ends with him sampling his Livorno, Italy inspired dish. All in all a great show. I am a fan.

Check your local listings for "Avec Eric" shown on your local PBS station. You won't be disappointed. You will be informed for sure and captivated by this quiet, elegant man. Merci, Eric! Tres bon!

Top Chef Las Vegas Episode 6 Recap

Hi gang!

Not much to say about this week. It was, in a word, boring. Well, at least a little.

The Quick Fire saw a surprise winner, Robin! The cheftestants had to comprise an angel/devil dish with the same ingredient. Robin's dish impressed the judges with it simplicity. Here's the rub and it apparently rubbed Eli the wrong way. In explaining her dish, Robin mentioned that she is a cancer survivor. Eli complained, no whined, that Robin won because she mentioned this fact. That was completely unfair and put Eli in the crybaby category in my book. Uncalled for. Not classy at all. Bad boy Eli!

The Elimination Challenge had the chefs deconstructing classic dishes. Now, I don't get the whole deconstructing thing. Can someone explain it to me? I don't know what is acceptable and what isn't. The funny part of this challenge was that Mike I, the legend in his own mind, got eggs Florentine and didn't know what that was. In the end, the new love of my life, Jen, won with her deconstructed lasagna. Way to go Jen!

Top Chef Las Vegas Episode 5 Recap - Duel in the Sun!

Cactus. Oh my. That's how the episode started. For the High Stakes ($15K chip to the winner) Quickfire, the cheftestants had to prepare cactus, an ingredient chosen by a viewer poll. Rattlesnake and kangaroo were the others. I guess the viewers were being nice. However, I don't think the chefs thought so. I'm guessing they probably would have had an easier time handling the two proteins rather than cactus, which, like aloe, is gooey inside.

Almost all of the chefs had never prepared it before with Mattin reporting, "there is no cactus in the Basque region of France where I am from." However, they all gave it a shot with Mike I being the only one who seemed to have a handle on the proper preparation of cactus; curing it with salt. As you may know, salting anything draws out the moisture. That's why you don't salt your steak too far in advance of grilling it.

Tim Love, the big Texan and Top Chef Masters participant, was the guest judge for the night and you just knew something "cowboy" had to come up.

At the Quickfire, Tim tasted the dishes and as he went around you could tell what he liked and what he hated. It was obvious. In the end Mike I was the winner with his cured cactus and tuna ceviche. Amazingly, Mike V is one of the bottom dwellers, showing that even the best (and I think he's not only one of the top contenders, but an amazingly creative, inventive and knowledgeable chef) can't possibly know how to prepare every ingredient on the planet. I'm sure it was a humbling experience for him, but he's got a good attitude, so that motivated him to do better in the elimination challenge.

And challenge it would be. Mike I, though he won the QF, did not get immunity for the Elimination Challenge and knowing that he went to the losers judge's table just two episodes ago after being at the winner's table makes you wonder if he needed it. So, the challenge is to prepare a "high-end" meal for twenty four cowboys and ranchers on a ranch. So, off they go to shop not knowing what the exact cooking conditions will be. No one asked about it either.

After shopping and being given time to prepare their dishes, the next day the group is driven out into the desert of Nevada to Sandy Valley Ranch. As they pull onto the property through the tumble weed and cacti, a group of teepees (yes, teepees. You know, where Indians sleep?) comes into view. In the same area are stone fire pits and, yes, an outhouse. Side note here, the "fire" pits turn out to be propane! Roughing it! As they look around, Eli asks for the keys to the Toyota Highlander because he thinks camping is asinine and he wants to sleep in the SUV. Ashley, who is a bit unique, feels right at home because according to her she grew up on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. So an outhouse is familiar territory to her.

So, it's hot. It's sandy. There are no ovens. There are only cast iron cookware and fire pits. The "customers" are cowboys/ranchers. So, of course, two guys, Mattin and Ron, decide to make ceviche. Are you kidding me? Ceviche? On a ranch?

When it comes down to taste testing time, Tom, Padma, Gail and Tim Love sit down to sample the collective outcomes of the chefs' efforts. Ron's ceviche was too sweet and he made a mojito that was undrinkable. "I don't drink!", Ron shared. So, then why would you attempt to make a drink???? Tom let Tim go first tasting Mattin's ceviche three ways. Tim, didn't seem to like the one he tasted (as I told you, he really wears his opinion on his sleeve.) and then Tom took a spoonful of fish, stopped, got this look on his face and proceeded to get up and spit the fish into his hand and throw it on the ground never having even taken one chew! Not a good sign for the happy Frenchman. Remember, this guy did horribly in the last episode cooking French food.

So, Robin cooked shrimp and when Tim tastes it he says it tasted like he just ate a lump of chlorine. Robin admits that she never tasted the shrimp before sending it over to the judges. Isn't it amazing what happens to an otherwise competent chef when they are under the pressure of time and challenging cooking conditions? How do you not taste your food? Amazing.

Those were the standout bad dishes. Mike V, who did a black cod dish in a Japanese style wanted to take "white linen" ingredients and produce a dish in a challenging environment, did well. And Mike admits he didn't think the conditions would be as difficult as they were. Bryan does a pork tenderloin dish. Pork! Cowboys! Get it? What anyone was thinking when they thought of fish for cowboys is beyond me. Admittedly, Mike V did a good job with his fish dish, but come on, why weren't there any high end steaks or chops? That left me baffled.

Jennifer, who I am liking for her attitude, cooking ability and, well, looks (she's a cutie!) made chicken. Ahhh, real BBQ food! Although she did OK, it wasn't the winning dish.

In the end, Bryan wins the elimination challenge (his third) with his pork loin, polenta, dandelion greens and glazed rutebega. Mattin, because he almost made Tom gag in front of millions of viewers on practically raw fish, goes home.

Notice, I didn't mention Kevin at all? Although he's been in the top tier from the beginning, he seemed to take a step back this week. We'll see if he can rebound next week.

Next week's episode involves Penn and Teller and magic! Can't wait! Stop by next week!

Top Chef Las Vegas Episode 3 Recap

This week Mark Peel (Remember him from Top Chef Masters? Think fish in a bag.), was guest judge.

First up, the Quick Fire Challenge! Pommes de terre, spuds, potatoes! There aint nothing like a potato. You can do a million things with taters, fry 'em, roast 'em, saute' 'em, and even make them into "pasta" (gnocchi). They absorbed the flavors you add to them. They are flavor sponges. Is there anything better than diner fries and gravy??

Well, the Top Cheftestants had 45 minutes to come up with an out of this world potato dish. In the end Ron, Jesse (someone getting used to being on the bottom) and surprisingly Eli wind up on the bottom with Jennifer (mussels), Ash (custard) and Ashley (gnocchi) are the winners of the challenge. Jennifer is named the challenge winner. Her dish really looked yummy!

After the Quick Fire was over, an Air Force Colonel, Dave Belote from Nellis Air Force Base, the home of the Thunderbird precision flying team, came out to inform everyone that the next day they would be cooking for 300 people many airmen and women that have recently come home from Iraq and Afghanistan or getting ready to be deployed to those forward areas. That's all the information they were given. Since Jennifer won the Quick Fire, she was given immunity from elimination. Thus, it was decided that she would be "Executive Chef" and organize and run the kitchen for the elimination challenge. She did masterfully, by the way. They also decided to team up in twos to accomplish this emotional task.

When everyone got to Nellis, they were taken into the kitchen they were to use. They came into an industrial kitchen with no pans or pots, stove tops or kitchen electric appliances like blenders or food processors, but large commercial vessels and cooking apparatus with which to cook their dishes. The complaints started when they got there, but Mike Voltaggio basically told everyone to stop complaining and cook. Once they got over the shock of the kitchen, the teams headed to the food to plan out their dishes, because until now, they had no knowledge of what was available to them. The food they were to use was standard military fare including canned veg and limited availability of spices and no fresh herbs.

What they came up with was mostly excellent, solid dishes, except, as Harold points out on his blog, a team actually made pasta salad. Harold calls it the ultimate cop out. I have to agree that at this level, you shouldn't be making the same types of dishes as 85% of BBQers in America. It's probably something most of you out there have made in some form or another.

The teams made the following:

• Mike and Mike - braised pork belly with mustard and soy sauce with peanuts on a lettuce leaf. Mike I also made a second dish, shrimp salad.
  
• Kevin and Eli - Southern braised pork shoulder with home style potato salad
• Bryan and Mattin - Greek style salad with cucumbers, chickpeas, olives, and olive oil poached shrimp
• Hector and Robin - Chicken three bean chili
• Laurine and Preeti - Pasta salad with broccoli, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts (sound familiar?)
• Jesse and Ron - New England Clam Chowder (it was about 100 degrees that day. Imagine eating piping hot soup?)

The dishes were served buffet style to all the troops and their guests in a spotless hangar that had several jets parked in it. To interject a bit, these types of challenges are always so emotional for me personally and usually for the participants. My father and two brothers served in the military and I have worked in the defense industry for many, many years, so military folk hold a special place in my heart. They deserve everything we can do for them and more because of the sacrifices they and their families make for this country. They are true heroes. God bless them all!

Back to dinner. You could see the gratitude of everyone as they sat down and ate and enjoyed the food being presented to them. Every dish pretty much got a thumbs up from the crowd. From the judges? Not so much.

As dinner progressed and we watch the judges sampling the food, you can, as usual, see who the favorites are. Mike and Mike pretty much nailed it with their braised pork belly. When you see Tom raise his eye brows and convey his obvious appreciation for the taste, presentation and technique of a dish, you know it was good and the chefs will be rewarded for it.

JUDGES TABLE

The teams of Mike and Mike and Eli and Kevin (becoming a personal favorite of mine) are called in first. They are the obvious top teams because of how all the judges reacted to their food during dinner. No surprise here. There is a twist coming, though. After discussing how much they enjoyed two out of the three dishes (Mike and Mike made two dishes. More on that in a bit.), the judges name Mike V's (he's the clear front runner in this very talented group) braised pork belly as the winner. This ties him with his brother Bryan at one Elimination Challenge win apiece. Now, the judges ask about the shrimp salad the Mikes made. It was Greek inspired shrimp salad conjured up by Mike I. Not a favorite of the judges at all with insipid flavor and undercooked shrimp. Mike I gets stunned when, as the judges tell who to call to the Judges Table (the losers), they tell Mike I to come back with Preeti and Laurine. He's obviously angry at this.

At Judge's Table, the three are taken apart for their dishes. Mike is incredulous about it. He thought his dish was good. Laurine didn't give much in the way of a defense and Preeti also thought, because her dish seemed popular with the crowd, that she came up with a good dish. However, Preeti finds out that pleasing the crowd and pleasing the judges are two distinctly different things. Preeti is asked to pack her knives and leave. Mike was still angry, but he survived. My take on Mike I is that he's not up to the level of the Voltaggios or Kevin, but he thinks he is because he's worked with Mike V. We'll see. He's a bit of a blowhard, but as baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson is famous for saying,"It aint bragging if you can back it up!".

I have to say that I like the Voltaggios, but Kevin is probably the one that I am rooting for although I think that Mike V is the favorite. I like Kevin because he just cooks. So far there's been no drama from him. He seems to be able to cook in many styles. He has very good ideas of what he wants to do and he executes his ideas to a "t". This has been a very enjoyable season, so far.

Here's a thought for the week. Have you noticed how tattooed everyone is, especially the ladies? What's up with that? It seems like the culinary industry is a big supporter of the tattoo industry. Weird.

Recipe: Pollo impanato con arugula, prosciutto e fontina

Breaded Chicken Breast Stuffed with Arugula, Prosciutto and Fontina

Four Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Cups baby arugula, washed, dried in a salad spinner and loosely packed
Four slices Prosciutto
Four ounces Fontina in four slices
Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano
2 Tbl Fresh Oregano (or 1 Tbl dried Oregano)
Vegetable or olive oil to coat a sheet pan or cookie sheet

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
   
2. In a shallow dish mix the Panko, parmigiano reggiano and oregano. Put aside.
   
3. Butterfly each chicken breast.
4. Place 1/4 of the arugula on the inside of each breast.
5. Place one slice of prosciutto on the arugula.
6. Place one slice of fontina on the Prosciutto.
7. Close up each stuffed chicken breast, tucking in any loose parts and secure each with a toothpick.
8. Gently roll each chicken breast in the breadcrumb mixture.
9. Brush vegetable or olive oil on a sheet pan and place the chicken on the pan and place into the preheated oven.
10. Bake the chicken for 20-30 minutes (depending on their thickness) until breadcrumbs are golden brown and chicken reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F. Using a pot holder, remove the pan of chicken and let rest on a trivet or other heat resistant surface.
    

This dish goes great with a nice light salad dressed with a vinaigrette to cut the richness of the cheeses and prosciutto.

Enjoy!