by Michael J. Lamp

"Stuck in the 60s"

Week two begins with all the chefs in the kitchen, awaiting their next Quickfire Challenge. The chefs are looking around and wondering where John Sedlar is, which makes it obvious that - unlike other Top Chef shows - these chefs are definitely not living together.

Curtis arrives, but before he announces the next challenge, he informs the chefs that John had to drop out of the competition for reasons that were not disclosed. While this is disappointing, the good news is that Hugh is back!

The Quickfire Challenge is to create a meatball dish using a meat grinder. Just in case using the grinder wasn't hard enough, the chefs only get 30 minutes to make their dishes

Kelis, singer and trained chef, is guest judging this round. I sort of love that she's a trained chef. I do wish the challenge was to create milkshakes worthy of bringing boys to the yard, but meatballs are a good next choice.

I'm so impressed watching Kelis judge the dishes. She really knows her way around a culinary critique. She definitely pissed Traci off, though, when she mistook fennel for dill.

George, Flloyd and Hugh are Kelis' least favorites. George's chicken and short rib was too frothy, Floyd's meatball sandwich had too much salt and the flavors in Hugh's lamb and shiitake mushrooms were competing against each other.

Sue's classic pork belly and spaghetti, along with John's (the other John) Vietnamese meatball and Suvir's meatball in tamarind sauce, are Kelis' favorites. John wins $5,000 for his charity, Share our Strength.

This week's Elimination Challenge takes our chefs back to the 60s with Mad Men's Christina Hendricks and her hubs. The chefs must recreate classic 60s dishes and also make a new version of the dish, which is to be updated for a modern audience. They will serve their appetizers at Christina and Jeff's cocktail party.

The kitchen is wildly crowded, and the chefs are forced to cook in piecemeal, at times waiting for others to finish in one section of the kitchen before they can move in and finish their dishes.

Suvir couldn't get to the crowded grill and was forced to cook his veal in a deep fryer. Meanwhile, time catches up with Sue, and she only gets half of her food plated. She's visibly shaken, and it's a real shame to see. I don't like it when the nice people eff up. The sass asses? I care less about their misfortune.

Mary Sue, Floyd and John are called to Critic's Table. They are the top group this week. John's play on oysters Rockefeller was called 'exquisite' by James Oseland. Floyd's mango ambrosia and Mary Sue's deviled eggs are the other faves.

Mary Sue claims the victory and $10,000 for Share our Strength. That nonprofit did quite well tonight, with Mary Sue and John both winning.

Suvir, Alex and Sue (apparently the addition of Mary makes you a winner) are at the bottom of the pack this week. Sue was helping others in the kitchen, which prevented her from finishing her own Duck a l'Orange. Suvir's veal was leathery and too large for an appetizer, while Alex's unimaginative spin on bread pudding left the judges wanting more.

Sue gets the boot, but her charity - Louisana SPCA - will get a donation on her behalf.

Top Chef: Masters airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo.

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

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