by Ian Jackman
What do the good ones have in common?
Finalists have strengths and they have weaknesses. The big thing they can do to help themselves is figure out how to play to their strengths and how to fix their weaknesses.
What is the most common weakness?
A lack of confidence and that’s fatal. The audience can detect it like a dog smelling fear.
Quite a few finalists seem to get stuck in a rut . . .
Everyone hits a rut. It’s those who can’t pull themselves out who are doomed.
You’ve mentored but you haven’t judged. Why not?
I haven’t done the Selection Committee. I would have a hard time sending people home and ending their dreams.
Are you surprised at the longevity of Next Food Network Star?
It doesn’t surprise me that it has gone seven seasons. People like to see competition and to see who wins. These are regular people and they are getting a shot. It’s the American dream and it appeals to the American spirit.
And the network is still finding willing victims . . .
I’m sympathetic to people who are shoved into that fray. They have guts to chase it. It’s a heroic odyssey and it takes gumption.
SPOTLIGHT ON
THE TV GUIDE MEET AND EAT
Before Season Two’s Meet and Eat, Dave Lieberman tested finalists’ ability to think quickly. He asked them to select eight ingredients, and then Marc Summers made the finalists use the food selected by whoever was standing to their left.
Carissa wanted to make a rotisserie chicken . . . without a rotisserie. Guy offered Dave a hundred dollars for an idea to use Nate’s “Gnar-ly” pomegranate molasses. Reggie loved Guy’s ingredients. With so much to improvise, only Guy didn’t run out of time.
“Of course Reggie was happy, I picked a great basket! I was ready to knock everyone’s socks off. Nathan picked this mix of stuff to do his thing with, and I’m like, Come on! I thought, Dead Man Walking: Brussels sprouts and fennel and so on. I remembered the kind of thing I’d handled in the restaurant business. My produce guy would show up at the door and say, ‘Hey, man, for ten bucks I got this case of celery root. You want it?’ When you’re a starving restaurant guy, ‘You bet I want celery root.’ So this was not that hard.”
—Guy Fieri
In Their Element
This season’s Meet and Eat was with a roomful of editors from TV Guide. Finalists had to pass trays of hors d’oeuvres that matched their culinary style. Guy’s dish was a Chicken Avocado Eggroll. “If I had had a beer in my hand, I would have felt like it was one of my parties,” he said.
“I was very much in my element,” said Nathan, “Because having people come up to me and ask me questions is part of what I do for a living.” It showed. Columnist Michael Ausiello said, “Nathan has a lot of energy, and he always seems really happy.”
“At home, I design recipes from whatever I have sitting around the kitchen. This was how I created my pork dish. My mom would always whip up delicious meals from the most humble of ingredients, and I was lucky enough to inherit that gift. I look at what I have available, then imagine the way they would taste together: a cup of this, a dash of that—ultimately cooking the dish in my head. If it tastes good in my head, I’ll cook it for real. More times than not, the finished dish turns out darn close to what I had imagined. Thanks, Mom.
“While on Next Food Network Star, I pitched my show idea, “From the Market to Your Table,” a show about sourcing fresh, local, seasonal ingredients whenever possible, just as I do on my shows “A Lyon in the Kitchen” and “Growing A Greener World.” So, in the summer months, I’ll make a peach chutney to pair with the pork, then a spicy fig spread in the fall. Perhaps even curry the tenderloin, then serve it with goat cheese mashed potatoes and a maple syrup–orange segment reduction during the winter. As I learned from working with farmers for over a decade, when you let Mother Nature guide you, seasonal flavors are always delicious!”
—Nathan Lyon
Basic Elegance
To the TV Guide crew, Carissa explained how she made elegant shrimp puffs using premade refrigerator biscuit dough, mayonnaise, rock shrimp, scallion, and a little dill. Very basic. Feature director Lisa Chambers said, “I really liked Carissa’s hors d’oeuvre. I thought she did a nice job of explaining how that all came together.”
“Everyone seemed to like it,” said Carissa. “Unless of course they were lying to my face.”
SHRIMP PUFFS
Recipe courtesy Carissa Seward
Yield: 8 servings (20 puffs) • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 15 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy
Spray oil, for coating the muffin tin
1 (7½-ounce) can refrigerator biscuits
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 scallion, white and some green, chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
½ pound small shrimp, cooked and peeled
½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a miniature muffin tin with the spray oil.
2. Split each biscuit in half and place each half into a muffin hole, pressing into the bottom.
3. In a medium-size bowl, mix the cheese, scallion, mayonnaise, shrimp, and dill. Place 1 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture on top of each biscuit. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the puffs are golden and bubbling.
ASIAN-INFUSED PORK TENDERLOIN
with Melted Onions and Herb Goat Cheese
Recipe courtesy Nathan Lyon
Yield: 6 to 8 servings • Prep Time: 35 minutes • Cook Time: 30 minutes • Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy to intermediate
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds Spanish onions, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, ¾ pound, thinly shaven
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup sake
1 loaf French bread
1 garlic clove
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature
Crème fraîche, as garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil and place the tenderloin into the bowl. Marinate for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Remove the pork, pat it dry, and season with salt and pepper.
3. While the meat is marinating, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Sauté the onions, fennel, garlic, and thyme until just colored, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and deglaze with the sake, scraping the solids off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and soft. Remove from the heat.
4. While the onions are cooking, thinly slice the bread. Rub each piece with a halved garlic clove and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay the bread slices on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and bake until golden but still soft in the center, about 10 minutes.
5. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-size skillet over high heat. Sear the tenderloin until it is evenly colored and transfer it to the oven. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until it reaches the internal temperature of 145°F. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 15 minutes before thinly slicing.
6. Using a fork, mix the chervil and chives with the goat cheese in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. On each piece of crostini, spread a thin layer of the herbed goat cheese. Top with a thin slice of tenderloin, followed by the onion mixture and a dollop of crème fraîche.
Everyone knows
the way to a journalist’s heart passes through a couple of cocktails, so for the next segment of the Meet and Eat, finalists demo’ed a signature dish with a cocktail. With his Chicken Potpie, Reggie made a Raspberry Lemontini that included Chambord liqueur. “He’s like a warm blanket, this guy,” said deputy features editor Carol Dittbrenner as Reggie had a lot of sassy fun. Carissa made a Double Double Bacon Quiche and her mom’s Spicy Bloody Mary. She felt the press was tough on her, perhaps referring to a question from news editor Matt Mitovich: “You seem like a nice enough gal. Aren’t you worried that national TV exposure and fame will turn you into a hardened, bitter woman?” “Take everything with a grain of salt and just have fun,” said Carissa, unfazed. “Here’s to you, Mom. Thanks for the help.”
Nathan paired Chicken Paillard with Olive Tapenade and a Vanilla Rouge—vanilla vodka and pomegranate. Nate named Reggie as his toughest competition, but Nate’s unique way of thinking was something that, in his opinion, Reggie didn’t offer. “When I cook, I cook with love,” said Nate.
In the elimination room, Bobby said that Nate, with fourteen ingredients on a crostini, confused sophistication with complexity. In the Meet and Eat, Nate seemed to knock Reggie. But when it was Nate who left, he was gracious. “I totally understand,” said Nate, hugging Reggie. “I love this guy.”
“Too many ingredients can be confusing, true, but sometimes a few extra ingredients can make the difference between a good meal and an amazing one. What about spaghetti with tomato sauce? Good, sure, but arguably more enjoyable with the addition of sautéed fennel sausage, sliced garlic, caramelized yellow onions, dried chili flakes, toasted pine nuts, freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, torn basil leaves, and finished with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.”
—Nathan Lyon
Out of the Box
Guy’s cocktail was a giant glass cauldron of Grape Ape Bowla—grape juice, gin, and vodka. He was asked if he was too edgy for Middle America, but he said no, his true heart was with his family.
“I can remember down to the second the first time I made this dish. I was in the kitchen at my house and I had a bunch of buddies over to watch a UFC fight. I was prepping some sushi and I’d rolled out the last of the maki rolls. I’d also made some barbecue. I had a little bit of rice left and I thought I’ll make some sushi with the barbecue. I was sprinkling the pulled pork into the roll and my buddy Darren comes round the corner. Darren’s favorite name for someone is ‘Jackass,’ as in, ‘What you doin’ you jackass?’ He sees me and he goes, ‘What you doin’, Guido, you jackass, you can’t put barbecue in sushi,’ and I said, ‘You wanna bet?’ I finished rolling and served it to my buddies and everyone was like, ‘Whoa, what’s this?’ and I looked at Darren and said, ‘It’s the Jackass Roll.’ It’s one of the number one sellers in Tex Wasabi.”
—Guy Fieri
JACKASS ROLLS
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri
Yield: 6 to 8 servings • Prep Time: 30 minutes • Cook Time: 25 minutes (French fries) • Ease of Preparation: intermediate
8 spring-roll wrappers
2 cups Sushi Rice (recipe follows)
8 ounces pulled barbecued pork butt, warm
32 French fries (crispy)
1 avocado, cut into 16 slices (¼ inch thick)
Spicy Chili Mayo (recipe follows)
Wasabi, for garnish
Gari (pickled ginger), for garnish
SUSHI RICE
¾ cup short-grain Japanese rice
¾ cup water
¼ cup rice vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
SPICY CHILI MAYO
½ cup mayonnaise (recommended: Kewpie)
1½ teaspoons mirin
1½ to 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1½ teaspoons chili garlic paste, such as sambal oelek
¾ teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon tamari
1. Build the rolls one at a time: Gently dip a spring-roll wrapper into a shallow pan of hot water until it is soft.
2. Working quickly and carefully, trying not to tear the paper, place ¼ cup of Sushi Rice on the bottom two thirds of the wrapper, leaving some space at the edges. In layers, add 1 ounce of the pulled pork, 4 French fries, and 2 slices of avocado. Roll the bottom edge of the wrapper into the middle, then fold in the two sides like an envelope. Continue rolling the wrapper to make a tight burrito-style roll. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, keeping the rolled wraps under a damp paper towel.
3. Cut each roll crosswise into 4 pieces and serve with the Spicy Chili Mayo, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
SUSHI RICE: 1. Wash the rice six times, until the water runs clear. Cook the rice and water in a rice cooker, then let stand for 15 minutes. Combine the vinegar, salt, and sugar until the salt and sugar dissolve (this is the sushi zu).
2. Place the rice in a hangiri or wooden bowl (you can spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet), and pour the sushi zu over it. Spread the rice out around the bowl as evenly as possible, being careful not to mash it. Flip the rice over and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Yield: 2½ cups • Cook Time: depends on rice cooker: 50 minutes • Inactive Prep Time: 25 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate
SPICY CHILI MAYO: Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate.
Yield: ½ cup • Prep Time: 5 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy
“Can they see me sitting next to Paula Deen and Rachael Ray? Can I sit in the middle of that? I’m just trying to show ’em that it’s there.”
—Guy Fieri
The Early Show
Next up, the three remaining finalists—Guy, Carissa, and Reggie—cooked a romantic three-course meal for Julie Chen of the CBS Early Show . . . in six and a half minutes. Guy’s dessert was a Ginger-Poached Pear. Julie asked what kind of pear, and Guy was stumped. Julie said she knew more about the pears than Guy. “That’s not a good sign because I don’t really cook.”
Reggie was, for Bob, “electric.” Carissa missed her time cues and was time-crunched again. Her nerves had gotten the better of her, and this week it was she who waved good-bye.
“Because it was a competition fighting for something that you want so badly I think it’s always tough to just be your everyday authentic self so naturally. If we were put into a situation of comfort and support, without being judged so harshly, then I think naturally it would be much easier to be comfortable and show our true selves. In the heat of competition it all just felt really dramatic and over the top.”
—Carissa Seward
Miss P
Before Guy and Reggie’s final challenge, a pilot presentation in Studio A, Paula Deen dropped by to inspire two fans. “I will put Paula Deen on just to have her voice throughout the house,” said Reggie.
“She’s intoxicating,” said Guy.
“Guy wasn’t too far off. He didn’t have the confidence he has today but he wasn’t too far off. He was something definitely different that Food Network was not offering. He’s a worker. You just do what it takes.”
—Paula Deen
Guy piloted his Tequila Turkey Fettuccine and Breath Mint Pie. “My show would be a cross between Jackass, American Chopper, and Emeril,” he said. It was now for America to decide whether that was something they wanted to see. Reggie’s pilot presentation was “Simply Spectacular”—Roasted Balsamic-Glazed Chicken with Sweet Fennel and an All-Grown-Up Raspberry Hot Tart. The tart was a classic flavor combo of chocolate and raspberry but all kicked up.
ALL-GROWN-UP RASPBERRY HOT TART
Recipe courtesy Reggie Southerland
Yield: 4 servings • Prep Time: 15 minutes • Cook Time: 25 minutes • Inactive Prep Time: 10 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy
1 (14.1-ounce) box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
4 tablespoons lemon curd
8 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1 (8-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
, warmed
Ice cream, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Unroll the dough and cut each pie crust into an 8½-inch square. Cut each square in half to form two rectangles. Run a damp finger around the edges of each rectangle to create a small border. Staying inside the border, spread 1 tablespoon of the lemon curd on the bottom half of the square. Top the curd with 2 tablespoons of the jam and fold the dough over. Press the edges closed and crimp. Repeat with each rectangle. Place the tarts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the baking sheet from the freezer to the oven and bake until the pastry is browned, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
4. While the tarts bake, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream until smooth.
5. To serve, put a scoop of your favorite ice cream on a plate, top with a warm tart, and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.
THE RESULT
The two finalists left standing, Reggie and Guy, teamed up with Bobby Flay to cook a reunion feast for all the finalists. “I look at Bobby Flay like a general in the food army,” said Guy.
Back in Silver Lake, Reggie’s food had gotten bigger and bolder since Next Food Network Star. He now featured an Orange Cinnamon Cayenne/Black Pepper cookie inspired by Bobby Flay. “This is such a turning point for me,” he said. Guy, meanwhile, was opening a new restaurant in Sacramento and getting to know his new son, Rider, born eleven days after he got back. His older son, Hunter, said, “I’m really excited. I want to see my dad win.”
