'The Next Food Network Star' Recap - Down To Three!
Miami Nights
Wow! We are getting so much closer to knowing WHO will be the Next Food Network Star! It's been tough to watch the eliminations, and even tougher to watch good potential candidates lose their cool. Our four finalists: Jeffrey, Debbie, Melissa and Jamika are still in Miami Beach at the fabulous EdenRoc Hotel, a lap of luxury, where there's nothing but gorgeous scenery, crystal waters and hot sun!
But Miami hasn't been that nice to our finalists...they were put to the test and handed some twists and turns to push them to the edge! It is serious crunch time and the judges are not wasting any of it. They are weeding out who will crack under pressure and who will rise to the top, and anyone who can't take the heat, just isn't cut out for the job!
South Florida Live TV Show Mini Challenge
The first challenge this week sent the finalists to SouthFlorida.com/Live - a live web Miami TV show where they had to prepare and cook a signature dish. I have to say this is one of the funniest challenges I have seen yet on this show because the challenge was set up so that all of the finalists were sabotaged in some way, like missing cooking utensils, swapping food items, messing with their cue times...it was hilarious!
Presentation: Live to camera
Time: 4 Minutes
The twist: SABOTAGE!
[caption id="attachment_46245" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Jamika on the SouthFlorida.com/Live Show Set"]
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Debbie was first up for the challenge and coincidentally the winner of the challenge! She planned a Crispy Catfish with Edamame Succatash, but they replaced her catfish with chicken and took away all functional utensils. She overcame both obstacles with grace and even laughed about it! The judges were seriously impressed and joked that maybe they didn't make it hard enough for her because of how flawlessly she handled it!
Melissa went up next to cook her Tapenade Caviar with Potatoes. The host of the show Dave was told to basically mess with her the whole four minutes to try and throw her off her game. So he kept calling her the wrong name, and even described how much he hated one of her ingredients she was using. Overall she did very well, but somehow that frantic energy surfaced again and she started talking a mile a minute. Sadly the host Dave commented on live TV about it! EEK! She made amends that she was going to apply the Bob Tuschman technique- Speak slowly and your body will follow.
[caption id="attachment_42246" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Jeffrey Saad"]
[/caption]Next up was Jeffrey, and they threw him all sorts of technical loops! Crazy cues from the crew, dropping mics in his face, forcing him to hold a mic and cook at the same time! It was hilarious! He made it look so easy when it really wasn't and finished his dish in time and with applause! The judges only wished he would've brought Dave, the host, more into the demo with him.
Last up was Jamika, and the crew really messed with her! They were giving her incorrect cue times, telling her she had a minute left when she had more, sticking cameras right up in her face so she basically bumped into them no matter where she went. This is where Jamika started to show how when she is pushed, she will lose her cool. She became visibly frustrated and it showed on camera. She lost her sunshine and that made a big impact on the judges.
The Red Lobster Challenge - Chef LaDuke from Red Lobster was on set where he challenged the finalists to pair a fish dish with a crustacean OR shellfish. They were told to prepare their dish in a way that would emphasize the freshness of the fish, the wood-fire grill they had to cook on, and bring their own bit of culinary expertise. The winning dish is to be featured on the Fresh Fish Menu at Red Lobster Restaurants.
The wood-fire grill was a twist the finalists certainly were not expecting. But the fun was just beginning...the judges did something that made me so happy! The finalists keep getting stuck in their culinary comfort zones; constantly re-using the same ingredients or flair for their dishes, and this time the judges, (and I!) wanted to see them cook something out of that comfort zone. Once the finalists were five minutes into the challenge with their menu planned, the judges stopped the clock to rearrange some of their ingredients.
You could say it was the Miami heat but it certainly got hotter on the set after this!
Debbie, who always cooks with Asian ingredients had them taken away and replaced with Mediterranean ingredients.
Jeffrey, who always cooks with a Mexican flair was stripped of his spicy chilies and was given Asian ingredients to work with.
Melissa always plays it safe by not using anything too spicy in her cuisine, so they took away her citrus ingredients and replaced them with habanero peppers.
Jamika, the Caribbean Queen of Cuisine had her pineapple taken away, a key element in her dish and was given celeriac, or celery root, instead.
Presentation: Selection Committee including Mike Symon and Chef LaDuke
Preparation time: 45 Minutes
Overall, all the finalists did well incorporating their new ingredients. But the test wasn't just about the ingredients, it was to see if they could adapt to change. Jamika did not do so well at this part again. She became very testy with Judge Bob Tuschman and shut down her audience instead of engaging them. Melissa utilized her habaneros very well, something the judges were a little nervous about, and proved this challenge she can keep a calm demeanor even under stress. Debbie showed she could handle adversity well but messed up BIG time when she left out one of the Mediterranean ingredients from her dish. It not only cost her the win, but it put her on very shaky ground. The judges felt that she was again finding a way to not be held accountable for her mistakes. The winner in this challenge was Jeffrey! with his Wood-Grilled Tilapia in a Spicy Soy Broth.
The Loser This Week was Jamika. Her snippy attitude and inability to keep her cool was a sign that she does not have what it takes for the camera. It was a hard decision but it was one that I was not surprised about.
