by Kylene Hamulak

 

"Deen Family Beach Party"

 

The chefs' next stop is the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami, Florida. Bobby tells us it's a big deal not only because this is the event where amazing chefs come to show off their talents, but also because it is an opportunity for new personalities to introduce themselves to the world.

 

Their Star Challenge is to execute a "Welcome to SoBe Beach Party" for the VIP guests and their families. Special guests for this challenge? Paula Deen and her family! The chefs will create one adult dish and a child-friendly "mini-me" version of that dish, as well as film a 30-second beach party tip, which the judges will watch as they taste their food. The chef who gives the best presentation and tip will win a gift card for Target worth $20,000.

 

(Sidenote: I gasped when Alton said that. Do you know how much crap I could buy at Target with $20K? I mean, I leave with at least $50 worth of treasures every time I go in only to buy a birthday card!)

 

The beach party challenge has our chefs working in teams again (though still judged individually), and Giada tells us that one person from each team will be tasked with buying the stylish items for the party. As the teams brainstorm about their ideas for the party, we pretty much know what to expect from the chefs. For example, Martie has great ideas, but timing is always an issue for her. They also chose their "stylists," which are pretty predictable - Martie for Team Alton, Martita for Team Giada, and Nikki for Team Bobby.

 

I'm a little thrown off after the chefs do their shopping and return to the beach to film their "tips" instead of prepping in the kitchen. Martie is the first to go up, and she wants to establish herself as the Food Network's Party Guru. What she needs to establish herself as is someone who can ramble less because - of course - she's short of time and isn't able to properly wrap up her tip (which is something about little rolled up towels, I think.)

 

Ippy is another one who has had the same criticism thrown at him time and again - they judges are concerned that he's just too low key. Back on the beach in his element, our Hawaiian chef is hoping his comfort level will raise his energy and ability to engage.

 

Michele is nervous too, as her timing has been off consistently. Bobby tells her to be careful and not ramble, and though she does a good job with that, she ends up with five extra seconds.

 

Once all the chefs have filmed their spots, it's time to set up the space. The shoppers ask the guys to begin by putting out all of the children's décor they picked up, so they play in the sand while the ladies concentrate on the "pretty" things.

 

When they finally get to begin prepping their dishes, the chefs are all optimistic about their plans. Well, almost all - Michele is concerned that dealing with all the crab meat may have been too big of a challenge, as she struggles shelling them. Meanwhile, Nikki is still using the "Grill Next Door" tagline as often as she can, hoping it'll catch on. It's still not catching on for me.

 

Meanwhile, Malcolm is thinking about how he can make his dish really fit his POV, and Justin's sporting the confidence that has made him such a success so far. He's just moving along, working next to Martie, when he casually asks her, "You ok, Martie?" And she starts crying. About the fact that she gets to cook for Paula Deen. And you can totally tell Justin was just being polite and maybe wishes he hadn't even asked.

 

Paula Deen actually visits the chefs before service time, and it's a really nice experience for all of them. When the party begins, the judges note that the décor is very laid back and comfortable, and things seem to be off to a good start.

 

Team Alton:

Justin (Chilled Corn Soup) - Justin challenged himself to create a corn soup that was both completely vegan and nut-free and chose to add a little kick to the adult soup to make it spicier than the children's version. As the judges - including Paula - sample his soup, they immediately start coughing, and Justin regrets that he didn't warn them about the oil. His tip is to use an asparagus spear instead of a toothpick for appetizers so that there's less to clean up. Despite the spicy soup, the judges seem positive about his presentation, and Paula loves him.

 

Martie (Endive with Salmon/Chicken Bon Bon for kids) - Watching Martie's tip clip, we learn that she recommends keeping little washcloths chilled with cucumber to help guests feel fresh and comfortable at an outdoor party. Of course, she ran out of time, but Paula tells her, "I totally get ya." Southern ladies sticking together! The judges don't comment on her food at this point.

 

Team Bobby:

Nikki (Grilled Lamb Kabob ) - Grill Next Door is having some time issues, as the meat was too hot for her to shred. Instead, the kids will be getting adult plates, and Nikki tells us the last thing she wants to do is cook for kids. If this is the new "less aggressive" Nikki, I'm really glad we didn't get to meet original recipe aggressive Nikki! Her beach tip is to fill vases or jars with sand and nestle in a candle to dress up the environment. The judges think she seemed more comfortable, but Paula isn't really excited about her.

 

Malcolm (Jerk Chicken with Rice) - Like Justin, Malcolm chose to create a less spicy version of his dish for the kids' version, and he also plated the mini dish in the shape of a smiley face. Simple, but a good idea! His beach tip is to add some pineapple to a dish to bring in the sweetness and tone down the heat of a jerk dish like this. Paula thinks his dish was good, but it wasn't anything special, and the judges seemed concerned about his point of view. Which they should be. Because Malcolm tells us he's not really sure what it is.

 

Michele (Stone Crab Lettuce Cups) - Michele is highly concerned about the potential shells in her dish, and as it turns out, she had reason to be. Immediately, the shells are discovered, and the judges note that once that happens, you don't even want to continue tasting the dish. It's a disaster for sure, so they turn to her tip, which is to add citrus to a fruit salad - the acid will prevent the other fruit from browning. The judges think she was muted in her presentation, despite how much they like her in person.

 

Team Giada:

Ippy (Misoyaki Sea Bass) - Ippy arrives at the table with the words, "You bring a Hawaiian to the sun, and he'll shine!" His beach tip is to create a "purse for the gods" - roasted vegetables cooked in a foil packet. The judges love him, his food, and his tip - they think he's finally come alive in this challenge. The VIP guests are also impressed with his dish.

 

Yvan (Chicken Lollipops) - Yvan does a great job with his initial presentation, and his tip to use different things to serve (such as hollowed out melons) seems like a good one. The Deen family thinks he's charming, the VIP guests enjoy the food and the judges are impressed with his dish.

 

Martita (Surf and Turf) - Martita begins by welcoming the table to "Martita's Mesa", where she is serving the flavors of Mexico. Her tip is to have a "stress free fiesta" by preparing as much as you can in advance. The Deens really like her dish, but the judges weren't as impressed with her tip, which was described as reciting ingredients.

 

When the Network faces the chefs, we learn that Ippy has won the challenge for favorite dish, which means he has a $20,000 shopping spree in his future. Justin, Martie, Ippy, Yvan, an Martita are all quickly declared safe.

 

The bottom two chefs for the challenge are Malcolm and Michele, who will compete in the Producer Challenge to create a beach party cocktail, and they will be making a 60-second pitch in front of the Network.

 

Michele's cocktail, the Madaket Mystery, is inspired by New England, and she is the first to present. She tells them it comes from a small Nantucket island that is non-pretentious - just like her. The judges like this new version of New England better than the stereotypical one she previously presented.

 

Malcolm's Apple Cobbler Cocktail is a presentation of "a soulful dish" his mom used to make. The judges note how much "cooking" went into making it, and call it an elevated version of a cocktail.

 

The Network still has concerns about both chefs in regards to POV. While Michele has consistently used New England as her platform, they wonder if she can continue to find new ways to present it. Malcolm, on the other hand, hasn't been consistent at all, and that makes them nervous. Ultimately, they announce that Malcolm will be going home.

 

Malcolm seems ok as he leaves the competition, telling his fellow chefs that he is still a star, just not a Food Network Star. Next Up for the remaining chefs: more Miami challenges!

 

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

 

(Image courtesy of Food Network)