by Kylene Hamulak 

 

"Deliciously Unpredictable Demos"

 

In the second part of their South Beach Wine & Food Festival adventure, the seven remaining chefs will be challenged to present a 3-minute live demonstration to guests of the festival.

 

Team Giada is confident in the signature dishes they've chosen and are working on their presentations. Martita casually tells Giada about how she's taught her girlfriends how to make this dish...and by "casually", I mean Martita practices her story about teaching her girlfriends how to make the dish, and, as expected, Giada eats it right up. (Pun intended.) Yvan, meanwhile, is practicing his cadence...it's important the he doesn't yell at the audience today. Ippy is concerned about his frozen scallops, and Giada pretty much points out the obvious about them defrosting and isn't all that helpful.

 

Over at Team Bobby, "Grill Next Door" Nikki is excited about doing a grill mark demonstration, but she seems to be working on her sneer when Bobby gives her some tips about being natural up there. Michele's clams are too small for her liking, but Bobby reminds her she has other things to worry about. Like timing, for example. "Be Happier!" he tells them both. "We're in chef mode," Michele responds. Well ok then.

 

And finally, Team Alton. Justin is cool and confident as usual, and he tells us the key is to be personable...and not be a smart aleck. Not sure how he'll pull that off, but ok. Martie's fish has some bones she's concerned about, but Alton wants them to be prepared for much worse and starts peppering them about worst-case scenarios.

 

Before the demonstrations begin, Alton clues The Network - and us - in to a secret: each one of the chefs will face an unexpected obstacle based on previous feedback received. It seems like a dirty trick, but I love it.

 

Justin (Nippon Nachos) - Because he may be perceived as standoffish, Justin's obstacle will be hecklers. He begins his demonstration and is soon faced with unwelcomed comments from the audience, which he initially plays off very well. As he gets increasingly frustrated with the heckling, however, it shows. As always, his dish gets rave reviews.

 

Nikki (Lamb Chops) - Nikki has been criticized for being too poised and rehearsed, so her blender has been rigged to malfunction. And when it does? She forgets what she's doing. She does continue, but even she knows she ended up all over the place trying to get back on track and is unable to really complete her presentation. Her dish is praised as usual, but her presentation is criticized for not having any fun and seeming intimidated by being onstage.

 

Yvan (Love Bites) - As we have been reminded, Yvan has a history of issues with his cadence. His challenge will be to overcome audio issues while being aware of the way he is speaking. After an initial pause when his mic drops, Yvan chooses to address the audience without a mic, and Giada is thrilled with his fun energy. The Network called him "a little rock star" and thought everything about his dish and presentation worked.

 

Ippy (Pasta with Scallops ) - Because his laid back attitude and low energy has been an issue in the past, Ippy's audience will be giving him something to react to, as they will be talking throughout and getting up to leave his demonstration. Ippy begins to get frustrated with the lack of attention and tries to engage the audience a little more. The judges think he did get thrown and came off a little angry, but they liked his dish.

 

Martita (Chile Rellenos) - Martita's issue has been with her storytelling, so her reliable ingredients have been switched out. It seems a little unfair to me, if she was prepared to cook a certain dish and then doesn't have the tools for it, but we're led to believe this is how things work for a Food Network chef. When Martita begins and sees that she has the wrong chiles, she might as well give up. She finishes her demo with 30 seconds left and only Giada's frantic gesturing (she looks like a pageant mom!) keeps her going, but she still doesn't tell her story. The judges are disappointed in her presentation and feel that she doesn't fill the space, even though her dish is delicious.

 

Martie (Fish in Parchment) - Apparently Martie's biggest issue is control. Which is funny because all this time I thought it was time or talking too much. To throw her off her game, several of her items have been misplaced. She does much better than Martita at keeping things going and engaging the crowd, and the judges think she did great thinking on her feet. Her dish gets rave reviews too - "what's not to love?"

 

Michele (Clams Mimi) - Timing has been an issue for Michele, so she will be facing incorrect time cues. Again, this seems like a dirty trick, but it'll definitely be an education! The interesting thing is that I'm not sure how she did at first - I thought she handled it pretty well and natural, but Michele thinks she bombed it. The judges? They thought she did better when she had fun, and they liked her dish a lot, saying that "it feels like New England."

 

When The Network meets with the chefs, we learn that Martie and Yvan received the highest marks of the challenge. Justin, Michele, and Nikki are all safe for the week as well, leaving Ippy and Martita up for elimination.

 

The Producer Challenge for these two will force them to think fast on their feet, as they will be given one ingredient beneath a dome and 60-seconds to talk about that ingredient with no rehearsal time.

 

Ippy's up first, and the ingredient is oranges. He tells a good story about stealing tangerines to make "bug juice" as a kid, and he seems more comfortable and engaging than he has previously. Only problem? The ingredient is oranges. Not tangerines.

 

Martita, on the other hand, gives several uses for oranges, including as a marinade or an al fresca. The judges appreciate her ability to use the ingredient but, as always, felt she was missing a story.

 

While both chefs have their strengths, both also have more work to do. I feel as though the judges might have liked to get rid of both of them, but ultimately they decide to send Martita home.

 

And then there were six, with half of them to be eliminated in the next episode, the last one before the finale!

 

 

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

 

(Image courtesy of Food Network)