by Kylene Hamulak

 

"Fashion Week Food Makeover"

 

By this point in the competition, you figure people should really be starting to feel more comfortable with being on the show. We're approaching make or break time, so the chefs really need to step up and be noticed. The Star Challenge for this episode is presented by Ted Allen, who arrives to tell the chefs they'll be attending Fashion Week - this challenge is all about makeovers. Each chef will be assigned an "ugly" dish, then given the task of transforming it into something appealing to both the eye and the palette. Their dishes will actually be presented on the catwalk of the Pamella Roland Fashion Show with the chefs describing them as they make their way down the runway. In addition to being safe, the winning chef can also win $10,000.

 

The dishes to be made over are:

Malcolm - Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Nikki - Pork chops and Sauerkraut
Eric - Fish Sticks and Tarter Sauce
Michele - Baked Flounder with Steamed Broccoli
Ippy - Salisbury Steak with Peas and Carrots
Martita - Chicken with Rice and Gravy
Yvan - Sheherd's Pie
Linkie - Chicken Pot Pie
Emily - Hamsteak with Pineapple and Maraschino Cherries and String Beans
Justin - Beef Stroganoff
Judson - Seafood Alfredo
Martie - Tuna Noodle Casserole

 

About halfway through these reveals, I realized I am not a chef. Why? Because if you take the fish out (I don't eat things that live in the sea), you're pretty much left with some of my favorite dishes.

 

As we get our first glimpses into what the chefs plan to do, they seem to have pretty good plans. Emily is excited about her "retro rad" ham, Yvan is making a sexy Shepherd's Pie, and Nikki is adding color to her pork chops. And then there's Justin.

 

If any of the chefs has done a good job of creating a "personality", it's Justin. To make his Beef Stroganoff more interesting, he plans to present it in a checkerboard pattern by making a mushroom gel and searing the tenderloin...but only after beating it with a frying pan. His techniques are never traditional - and that usually wins him points.

 

Eric, who typically has both great ideas and problems with time to execute them, encounters a major issue with his fish sticks, as the wrappers are disintegrating. Of course, he figures out a way to save it enough to plate, but he's also first up to present.

 

Team Bobby:

Eric - Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce: Both the judges and his teammates note how uncomfortable Eric's presentation is. Heck, even HE admitted he was just saying words and had no idea what he was actually talking about! The food gets rave reviews, but the presentation - as usual - isn't as well received.

Michele - Pan Roasted Sea Bass: Michele bases her presentation on a trip through New England, but she seemed to confuse the judges. They liked her dish, but felt that she's still not meeting her potential personality-wise.

Nikki - French-cut Pork Chop: Armed with fashion sense, Nikki's presentation is the best so far. She describes her food in very "fashion-savvy" terms that are well received by the Bobby and the judges. The dish gets a good review as well, though Giada questions whether or not it is "runway food".

Malcolm - Duckloaf: "Knocked it out of the box," says Malcolm. And he seemed to. He got his swag on and presented both himself and his food in a very attractive way - even the Network agreed.

 

Team Alton:

Justin - Beef Stroganoff: Justin's presentation comes off as very natural and confident. His dish? Looks like an art project. And the judges LOVE his radical reimagining.

Emily - Ham Salad: "Hats off to ham!" That's an actual quote from Emily's presentation. She does a great job of describing her dish in a unique way. Plus, I mean, come on - she put a little hat on the dish. Made of HAM! The Network describes it as a "Wow" looking dish. "It's Emily on a plate."

Martie - Tuna Casserole 2.0: Because she (SURPRISE!) ran out of time, Martie has chosen to plate her tuna casserole with the metal ring around it. She doesn't mention it in the presentation, and her description of the "decadent" tuna belly she used in the dish makes the judges eager to try her food. Unfortunately, they do note that they would've preferred if it had been served without the ring.

Judson - Paella Seafood Pasta Dish: Judson's presentation is a little rocky, as he comes out declaring "Food + Fashion = Love" as one of his mantras. The judges are skeptical and say "none of this makes any sense."

 

Team Giada:

Yvan - Shepherd's Pie: Because he had previously been criticized for not being animated enough, Yvan comes out LOUD for his presentation. Literally. He's yelling. And no one seems to know why. When they taste his dish, however, the judges are impressed with his ability to make such a heavy dish appear light.

Ippy - Salisbury Steak with Pancetta Crust: The Network feels that Ippy's "Aloha Spirit" presentation felt canned - they're starting to doubt that he's got the star quality needed to succeed as a Food Network Star. His cooking, as always, gets great reviews, but the Network wants him to be more memorable in his presentations.

Linkie - Chicken Potpie: Linkie stumbles on her memorized script and has some trouble getting her words out as she rehearsed them. In terms of her dish, the judges appreciate the work she did with the pastry and like the curry in the potpie as an unexpected element.

Martita - Arroz con pollo: Her presentation goes smoothly, and the Network responds well to Martita. When they taste her food, the accolades continue. (And honestly, from what I saw of the dishes, hers looked like the one I'd most like to eat. Right now. As I'm watching this. Cooking shows make me SO hungry!!)

As The Network arrives to deliver the news, we learn that Justin has won the individual prize for $10,000. His dish - the checkerboard beef stroganoff - was definitely unique in this competition, and he deserved the win. In addition to that, Team Alton has won the competition. As the group huddles in a hug, Judson thanks his teammates for saving him.

From the two losing teams, Eric from Team Bobby will be competing against Ippy from Team Giada. Both chefs are challenged to bring more personality to his presentations.

 

Which brings us to the Producers Challenge: each chef will be given the same preprepared dish and the challenge of describing it. There's no cooking in this one. At all. And the dish they'll describe? French Toast.

 

In the Pitch Room, Eric is the first to air, and he tells a story about a Valentine's Day French Toast his mom made. The judges appreciated that, but felt he was still missing the passion they want to see in a star.

 

Ippy's video makes me feel like I actually ate the French Toast. Mostly because he almost choked on the bites HE took. Like Eric, they're nervous that he just can't show the passion he needs to on camera.

 

In the end, the Network puts their faith in Ippy, sending Eric home. I'm not entirely surprised - Eric definitely seems to have the mind of a great chef, but his stubbornness and (as he pointed out) ego had a tendency to make the competition even harder than it had to be for him.

 

 

Food Network Star airs Sundays at 9/8c on Food Network.

 

(Image courtesy of Food Network)