Food Network Star

by Ian Jackman

  Shane was upset—he wasn’t proud of his food. “A little piece of you goes on that plate, and you’re saying, ‘Judge me.’ ” Gesturing to Bobby Flay, he said, “Chef, you know. It’s a huge deal.” For Cory, it was her shaky presentation of her Salmon with Herbes de Provence Glaze that helped seal her fate, and she was sent home.

  what is DEGUSTATION?

  In the context Lisa used with Kevin, degustation is a selection of small plates, something like a chef’s tasting menu. It can also mean the act of tasting food itself, especially in a series.

  GRILLED BEEF

  with Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad

  Recipe courtesy Cory Kahaney

  Yield: 4 servings • Prep Time: 25 minutes • Cook Time: 20 minutes • Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour • Ease of Preparation: intermediate

  FOR THE BEEF

  1 cup rice vinegar

  ½ cup soy sauce

  ¼ cup dark sesame oil

  ¼ cup sweet chili sauce

  2 tablespoons hot chili oil

  1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

  2 pounds skirt steak

  2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

  ½ cup light brown sugar

  Kosher salt

  Freshly ground black pepper

  FOR THE SALAD

  8 ounces soba noodles

  ¼ English cucumber (2 ounces), cut into thick matchsticks, ¼ by 1 inch

  1 small daikon radish (½ pound), cut into thick matchsticks, ¼ by 1 inch

  3 scallions, white and some green, thinly sliced

  2 tablespoons chopped Thai basil leaves

  ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

  5 to 6 red-leaf lettuce leaves

  1 hard-boiled egg, sliced with an egg slicer, for garnish

  1 cup store-bought kimchee (optional)

  Black sesame seeds, for garnish

  1. FOR THE BEEF: In a glass bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, hot chili oil, and lime juice. Set aside 1 cup of the marinade for the noodle salad. Put the skirt steak in a glass bowl with the remaining marinade and chill for at least 1 hour.

  2. Preheat a stovetop grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Right before grilling, take the meat out of the marinade and rub the garlic and the brown sugar on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the steak for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain.

  3. FOR THE NOODLE SALAD: Fill a medium saucepan with water, bring to a boil, and add salt generously.

  4. Cook the noodles until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Using your hands, toss the noodles with the cucumber, daikon, most of the scallions, the basil, cilantro, and reserved marinade. Chill until you’re ready to serve.

  5. To serve, arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter. Mound the noodle salad in the center. Arrange the steak slices so that they overlap slightly on the noodles and one side of the platter. Slightly overlap the egg slices on top of the meat. Place the kimchee, if using, on the other side of the noodles. Sprinkle the remaining scallions and sesame seeds on top.

  SPOTLIGHT ON

  The Raw and the Cooked

  At 3 A.M. on the day of the next challenge, Chef Robert Irvine woke up the carriage house guests to get them started. Finalists were divided into teams (Blue: Lisa, Nipa, Shane; Green: Jeffrey, Kelsey, Kevin; Gray: Aaron, Adam, Jennifer). The winning team would be featured in USA Weekend. As part of the challenge, teams had to move from one specialty-food store to another, answering questions at each stop. Each correct answer earned the team an ingredient of their choosing. But if they got an answer wrong, they had to perform a penalty task. The Blue Team started the challenge with a bit of a handicap—they had to wait for Nipa to get ready.

  STAR TRIVIA

  1. To make white flour, what two parts of whole wheat grain are removed?

  Jeffrey’s answer: The hull and the husk.

  2. What does it mean when baking powder is double-acting?

  Adam’s answer: It rises once when water is added, again with heat.

  3. What ingredient helps give pumpernickel bread its dark color?

  Nipa’s answer: Molasses.

  4. How many pounds of milk does it take to make one pound of cheese?

  Jennifer’s answer: Ten.

  5. What is the name of the method in which cheese curds are piled on top of one another, cut up, pressed together, and piled again?

  Shane’s answer: Cheddar.

  6. What is the main dietary requirement of pigs used for Iberico ham?

  Adam’s answer: Acorns.

  7. What seed produces the vegetable dye for orange Cheddar cheese?

  Kevin’s answer: Annatto.

  8. Name these cuts of meat. [Not shown.]

  Lisa’s answer: Shoulder. . . .

  9. What are the four primary cuts of beef?

  Kelsey says loin . . . but runs out of steam.

  * Answers

  After they collected their ingredients (including some strange combinations: Green’s duck breast, mozzarella, and raisin semolina bread; the Blue Team’s lamb, blue cheese, and baguette; Gray’s strip steak, ricotta, and brioche), the finalists headed for Whippany, New Jersey, where Chef Irvine met them at a train halt. There the teams found out that they would be cooking brunch for the Selection Committee and thirty others, all while trying to keep their balance on a moving train.

  First up was the Gray Team. Adam wanted to put eggs on Jen’s rounds of French toast and planned to keep the yolks runny. Aaron advised him to scramble them.

  “Trust me,” said Adam. There was no agreement.

  “We’re doing things backward,” Aaron said. In the end, Adam got his way—and undercooked his eggs.

  To present their brunch, Adam wanted to create a train-robbing skit. “Hell, no. I’m from Camden,” said Aaron. “I’m black and I’m not robbing no train.” Aaron’s presentation was strong and his steak the committee’s favorite. But the guests struggled with Adam’s eggs.

  “The sunny-side up eggs were a bad idea. That was a tough challenge. I get very stubborn and can’t get past an idea sometimes. I’d like to think that if I did it again today, I’d do better. I’d like to think that anyway.”

  —Adam Gertler

  “From the moment Adam talked about the eggs I knew it wasn’t going to work. You have to let someone learn for themselves and I didn’t want to be a know-it-all and a big mouth.”

  —Aaron McCargo, Jr.

  “Those eggs will never leave me. What’s more disgusting than undercooked eggs?”

  —Susie Fogelson

  The Blue Team had problems with plating. “Being a Food Network star is a high-stress situation,” said Nipa. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this.” Shane was nervous; his salad was overdressed and Nipa’s lamb was very spicy. The Green Team’s troubles were numerous: Kevin left behind the extra olive oil they needed, so they were short; they made twenty plates of food but needed thirty; and they couldn’t agree on anything. “I think the crostini is sexy,” Kevin said. But Jeffrey had “no idea what was romantic about a crostini.” And to Bobby, Kevin’s POV didn’t say anything and his crostini was way too sweet.

  The carriage house evaluation was the most dramatic yet. The Green Team discussed their plating issue. Chef Irvine said the figs and honey made the crostini too sweet, and Bob said the romance wasn’t resonating. On the Blue Team, after critiquing her lamb, Bobby asked Nipa, “Are you enthusiastic about this? Honestly. Really.” Nipa’s response: “I dunno.” Bob tried to light a fire under her by complimenting her on being charismatic and warm, with a unique POV. “But you’re not engaged,” he continued. Nipa couldn’t take it anymore, and she left the room midway through the judging. She didn’t want to cry or quit on the spot. She decided she wanted to continue, so she returned and apologized for losing her temper. “I want to introduce Indian food to Food Network viewers, and I want to relate to
everybody my immigrant story. . . . I want to stay and win.”

  “When Nipa walked out she was within inches of being pushed out the door. We had a long combative conversation among the judges as to whether we would let her come back. She came very close to being sent home.”

  —Bob Tuschman

  Chef Irvine said the winners of the USA Weekend spread were Lisa and Aaron. For Kevin, it was the end of the road. “Nipa, you’re on warning from us,” said Bob. “If a star had done that, it would probably be her last show.”

  “It’s weird, all the Food Network shows I watch have one host/chef, yet in their pursuit to find a new one, they team you up with people you would never usually work or cook with.

  “I really wanted to make my salmon pitas on the show—they are very tasty! The flavors work perfectly together, so I hope you enjoy.”

  —Kevin Roberts

  SALMON PITAS

  with Olive Tapenade and Wild Field Greens

  Recipe courtesy Kevin Roberts

  Yield: 2 servings • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 10 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy

  2 (4-ounce) salmon fillets

  Kosher salt

  Freshly ground black pepper

  Vegetable oil, for grilling

  2 medium pitas

  1 small (8-ounce) jar olive tapenade

  2 cups wild field greens, rinsed and dried

  1 avocado, diced

  2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

  1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Once heated, brush the grill with an oil-soaked rag. Grill the fillets, turning once, until they reach the desired doneness, about 8 minutes for medium. If you’re stuck indoors, you can bake or pan-roast them.

  2. Cut the pitas in half and warm them gently on the grill or stovetop. Spread the tapenade on both inner halves of all the pitas. Mix the field greens, avocado, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Halve the fillets. Place one piece of the salmon in each pita, then stuff the pitas with the greens mixture.

  Hot Potato

  The first challenge of the next episode asked finalists to creatively express their Point of View with a potato. Jennifer’s kid-friendly offering was Mashed-Potato Pizza. Jeffrey made Sophisticated Home Fries, Aaron Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes. It could be an appetizer or served with a steak. “Bold, beautiful, and flavorful,” said Aaron in his presentation.

  Bobby agreed. “This is a great steakhouse potato. I might have to put this on my menu in Atlantic City.”

  “I first made the potato wrapped in bacon on the show, and I use that recipe to this day. I sometimes make it more savory by adding fresh herbs under the bacon. I also sometimes change the potato and the kind of bacon, or use different types of ham to wrap the potato in.”

  —Aaron McCargo, Jr.

  BACON-WRAPPED POTATOES

  with Honey Scallion Sauce

  Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo, Jr.

  Yield: 4 servings as a side dish or appetizer • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 25 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy

  2 large Idaho potatoes (about ½ pound each)

  12 slices bacon (¾ pound)

  2 dozen wooden toothpicks

  2 cups canola oil

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  1 tablespoon honey

  1 tablespoon chopped scallions, white and some green

  ½ teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

  ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

  Kosher salt

  1. Cut each potato lengthwise into 6 wedges. Wrap each wedge with a slice of bacon and secure each end with a toothpick. Place the oil and the potato wedges in a large sauté pan—the oil should come at least halfway up the sides of the potatoes. Over medium heat, cook the potato wedges until tender, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until the bacon is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

  2. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, honey, scallions, parsley, and pepper.

  3. Carefully remove the toothpicks from the potato wedges and transfer the potatoes to a serving platter. Drizzle with the melted butter mixture and serve.

  Robert Irvine: A Q&A

  The train challenge was one of the hardest Star challenges ever . . .

  You couldn’t swing a cat in the galley and they had three people in a team in there. That was a very interesting meal. And everyone was changing what they did. They all wanted to do their own thing but there has to be a consensus and there always has to be a leader.

  Whenever you are doing an event you have to plan for what equipment you have and K.I.S.S. Let the flavor of the food come out. If you’re going to do a sauce make sure it’s a great sauce. Make sure the meat is cooked the way it is supposed to be cooked. They were trying to impart so many flavors and they didn’t have to.

  Aaron did a good job . . .

  Yes, the one guy who did stand out was Aaron. His presentation was awesome. He could sell sand in a desert. You have to make the guests feel great and you sell them something and it’s all about the delivery. He had the delivery down. He nailed it. I’ve worked with him on a couple of things and he hasn’t changed since I first met him. And that’s why he has been successful.

  What about Adam’s eggs?

  If you were in a body-building competition in the seventies, yes, eat raw eggs. Not made on a train by a guy in a cooking competition.

  These challenges are all about the timing?

  You take your time to plan. I have a plan of action and a timeline for everything. If it’s a banquet for 1000 people, at seven o’clock, the first course goes out. At eight, we clear. Everyone has to be on the same page. Things go wrong and things change but at least you have a rough guideline.

  Most people, if you’re doing a dinner party at home, you have that feeling too. If people are coming at six you want to be done by four so you can clean up and get ready. In a competition, it’s so intense and there are so many things happening that you forget the timing and the consequences can be very different.

  Are some finalists intimidated by you?

  When they first meet me and they haven’t seen the shows, I’ve had people say, “Wow what a jerk!” But when they spend some time with me and watch the shows and get the premise, they understand it. People ask, “Why are you so intense, why are you so angry?” I’m not angry. I have a time line of things to do and if I don’t get them done, there are those consequences. In Restaurant: Impossible they can be very bad.

  I’m tough and intense but I never want to see somebody fail. There are two sides to me. I was in the Royal Navy. We’re like that, you know.

  Martha!

  “It’s not a mirage, everybody; it is Martha Stewart.”

  —Bobby Flay

  For the next challenge, finalists had to put themselves into a jar—they would be creating a packaged food product and handing out samples to food store buyers plus one very special guest. Adam wanted to make a smoking rub and smoke some chicken, but he couldn’t find any wood chips. Using a trick he saw on Good Eats, he used corncobs.

  “Smoking with corncobs is something I know people do, but I had never done it before. When we shopped for the challenge, I looked for hickory chips, but it was winter when we taped and there were none available. So I had to adapt. I think it made for some good drama.”

  —Adam Gertler

  Nipa’s Sweet and Spicy Peanut Seasoning was a simple mix of cayenne and sugar; Kelsey made All-in-One Sauce for Sloppy Joes to impress the buyers; Jeffrey, a Seasoned Salt for Fried Catfish, and Shane, Cherri-Gac Steak and Meat Sauce.

  After the buyers tried the products, the special guest arrived. In walked Martha Stewart.

  Lisa: Everyone knows I’m about to explode.

  Martha: Why?

  Lisa: Because I love you!

  Martha liked Aaron’s dressing, but Kelsey was embarrassed because she knew her “Sloppy Jane”
wasn’t something Martha would like. (“I don’t eat that kind of food very often at all,” said Martha.) Adam went for it in the presentation and asked Martha if he could sing. He did and even played the harmonica.

  With the committee, Martha talked up Aaron and Lisa. She said Kelsey was “perky.” Susie asked Martha if she would watch a show starring Kelsey. “I don’t know how long,” Martha replied.

  “I have been a big admirer of Martha Stewart for years and couldn’t believe that my one chance to prepare something for her resulted in a Sloppy Joe. I still have nightmares about this! Don’t get me wrong, I love a Sloppy Joe as much as the next American, but it definitely would not have been my choice to showcase my cooking talent to Martha Stewart. It made me feel a bit better to come home and discover plenty of recipes for Sloppy Joes on her website.”

  —Kelsey Nixon

  In the elimination room, Lisa got emotional about meeting Martha. Susie said Kelsey was coming off rehearsed and over the top. The buyers’ favorite product and presentation: Lisa and her Basil Balsamic Orange Marmalade. Martha’s winner: Aaron and his Autumn Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

  Kelsey was upset. “My plea at the end of episode three was a genuine request for another shot. Luckily, they gave it to me!” But she was staying. Leaving was Jeffrey.

  “I had never seen the show before, and I was stumped with the ‘culinary point of view.’ My split-second choice of view contributed to my early demise. Funny, though, I still don’t think I have one single view . . . cooking seems too versatile an art for that.”