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Episode 15 – Ticket To Hawaii
Is it so much to ask for Nick to get eliminated? Geez. All I want is for some hot reality-show food justice to be served on season 11’s undisputed villain.
Instead, Nick gets his ticket for Hawaii punched and we have to wait one more week to find out who gets eliminated along with him before the final challenge.
In their last week in NOLA, the chefs cooked one bite for Gail, one vegetable for Tom, and then one mark you’re leaving on New Orleans. As usual, the Power Duo of Shirley and Nina left more of a mark than the boys.
And then somebody made Emeril cry.
Episode 14 – Turning Points
This week feels like a return to the regularly scheduled Nina/Shirley show after the insane drama of last week. Sure, Nicholas is still around and Stephanie isn’t and sure, he’s super annoying about everything still, but at least the people we want to see doing well are still doing well.
It’s still hard to figure out why the producers keep offering immunity (5 chefs? Are you nuts? We asked them but you’ll have to listen to the show to find out.). We also talk about how fun Jon Favreau is a guest judge and what we look for in a funny celebrity. Who would you like to see as a guest judge? Also WHAT IS PADMA WEARING??
Episode 13 – Controversy City
Holy knife block, Batman. Things are about to get controversial up in here. I want to dive right into but first, some facts:
[1] Nicholas wins immunity in the Quickfire, the first time immunity has ever been awarded with just 6 chefs remaining.
[2] It’s a team challenge, so the losing chef has to come from the losing team.
[3] Nicholas sucks it up and causes his team to lose, despite objections about his dishes from podcast favorite Stephanie Cmar.
[4] Thus either Stephanie or Shirley have to go home for dishes that the judges LOVED.
[5] Tom is not happy.
Episode #12 – It Came From The Sea
We’re back from the holiday with another action packed episode* (*please note, action in this case refers to giggling). First up, John Besh and his weird hair returns. What is with his hair and why does everybody on the show love it so much?
John and his hair challenge everybody to cook tiny lobsters. Padma does her impression of one of the crawfish before it gets killed.
Continuing the theme of sea-bounty, the chefs have to cook a dish featuring two different local seafood items. Almost everybody makes ceviche. The chefs in the bottom are there for making tasty dishes that don’t highlight the ocean critters enough.
In comments, tell us your favorite thing that comes from the sea, whether you can eat it, watch it, or make fun of its weak superhero powers.
Episode #11 – Back To School Special
College is the place for experimentation, not boring shrimp.
But first! For the Quickfire challenge, the chefs have to cook drumsticks. For a drummer, because Top Chef loves the puns all of a sudden. Specifically, they’re cooking for Questlove of the The Roots, which is awesome. In a slightly awkward moment, he’s there to plug his restaurant which has since closed. Oops.
Next up, the chefs “go back to school” as they keep saying. Really they’re just going to a school, but it’s hard not to be cute. They’re at LSU (the only university with a live tiger, apparently).
They cook for 500 students, which is amazing, and they do it without well distributed cooking equipment. Who will help the kids put on the freshman 15 and who will make them wish they didn’t have a meal plan? Find out.
Also, if you haven’t, you should definitely watch Behind the Mask on Hulu.
In comments, tell us if your college experience was mostly about stealing food OR when you became a foodie.