by Ian Jackman
—Bobby Flay
The Gray Team was up first. Dzintra arrived and said she’d scratched a cornea and couldn’t be in a kitchen for twenty-four hours, leaving Aria and Tom to work on her dish as well as their own. Aria presented first and showed her promo.
Wolfgang Puck liked the focaccia but said it should be brown. Bob said it was exactly Aria on a plate: “warm and generous.”
“I like her so much that I’d basically buy anything she’s saying,” said Susie.
“This is my total go-to dish! I switch around the cheese—Brie is also really yummy baked with the olives and garlic.”
—Aria Kagan
what is SABAYON?
Sabayon is the tricky-to-make Italian dessert also known as zabaglione. Egg yolks are mixed with wine and sugar and very gently heated while they’re whisked into a light foam. Too much heat and you get scrambled eggs.
SANTA BARBARA OLIVE FOCACCIA
with Baked Goat Cheese
Recipe courtesy Aria Kagan
Yield: 6 servings • Prep Time: 20 minutes • Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes • Inactive Prep Time: 35 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate
FOR THE FOCACCIA
1¼ cups warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons bread flour
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra for baking
½ cup green olives, such as picholine, pitted and chopped
FOR THE BAKED GOAT CHEESE
¾ cup olive oil
12 garlic cloves
12 ounces goat cheese
12 niçoise olives, pitted and halved
1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish
1. FOR THE FOCACCIA: In a small bowl, stir together the warm water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the flours and salt. With the mixer running on low, pour in the yeast mixture. Mix for 1 minute, then add the honey and olive oil. Once the dough comes together, mix in the green olives until they are just incorporated.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the dough on an oiled 13 by 9-inch baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
4. FOR THE GOAT CHEESE: While the dough is rising, heat the olive oil and garlic cloves in a small skillet over low heat and simmer until the garlic is golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. Divide the goat cheese among six small ovenproof bowls or ramekins. Divide the garlic and olive oil, then the niçoise olives, among the bowls. Set the ramekins aside.
7. When the dough has risen, press it down with your fingertips until it fills the baking sheet and brush with some of the olive oil. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until it is golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. During the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking, put the goat cheese bowls into the oven and bake until the cheese is warm and lightly browned. Remove from the oven.
8. Slice the focaccia into thick wedges while warm and serve 2 slices with each bowl of warm goat cheese. Garnish the baked cheese with the chives.
A Food Pioneer
The presence of Wolfgang Puck made finalists nervous. Paul overdressed his salad. Tom’s pork was dry, but his silly promo was likable. Aarti’s mum’s dal was delicious. “We’ll get you a job here,” said Wolfgang, which helped her self-confidence.
“She’s very exciting to me,” said Susie of Aarti. Dzintra looked at her dish and said it wasn’t close to her conception.
“I am a huge Wolfgang Puck fan. He was a pioneer in the food world who took American cooking places it had never gone before. As a personality, he is so funny, so engaging, so adventurous, and so brutally honest that he’s always fascinating to watch. His advice in both camera performance and food was on the mark and equally colorful and true.”
—Bob Tuschman
As for the Black Team, Serena had never been in a professional kitchen and the first was Wolfgang Puck’s. Serena was proud of how she performed. Alexis was concerned about using a commercial fryer, as he normally made his beignets in a small pan. “I’ll see if it works.”
Herb introduced his team and his Ceviche with Plantain Spiders. As it ran, he said his food-and-fitness promo was “horrible.”
Wolfgang Puck: How many push-ups can you do?
Herb Mesa: How many would you like me to do?
Wolfgang Puck: Show me.
Doreen apologized for not finishing garnishing her potato soup. Chef Puck said, “Never let the dish go out if it’s not finished. . . . Do it right or don’t do it.” Bob said that star power is confidence and being apologetic is the exact opposite of confidence. Brad’s salmon was Chef Puck’s favorite dish.
“This is my kind of food,” said Giada.
“When Chef Puck made that comment about the food, I felt all the nervousness leave me. It was a huge burst of confidence for me. I made the best of the situation and cooked the food to the best of my ability.”
—Brad Sorenson
Wolfgang Puck [of Serena]: Can the Food Network live with two Italian princesses?
Giada De Laurentiis: The more, the merrier.
Alexis said his beignets looked horrible, but he had to plate them anyway. With enough time to cook, it’s a great recipe. Wolfgang went after him: “The dough is completely raw inside. My wife would divorce me if I would give her that to eat. . . . This is not acceptable.”
“I was deeply disappointed in Wolfgang’s reaction to my dish. He was merely giving honest feedback. It didn’t change the fondness I have for him as a professional. I knew that my donuts were a little raw, but I thought it best to serve something than serve nothing, since my fellow finalist Dzintra did not make a dish. I made the error of not returning them to the fryer, like I had originally intended, but followed my team’s suggestion to finish them off in the oven.
“I wouldn’t suggest that people avoid making desserts in a competition. What I would suggest is to pay close attention to how you are executing the dessert and make sure you’re dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s.”
—Alexis Hernandez
In evaluation the question was what to do with Dzintra. Her first chicken dish was liked, and she wanted so badly to stay. Bobby liked Aria’s dish a lot, and Susie said that she had all the right stuff. Paul had to bring the funny. Aria’s team was the better one, and the challenge winner was Aria. Dzintra was dangling by a thread, but she got a second chance.
The Black Team had issues: Herb’s camera presence, Doreen’s defeatism and lack of POV, Serena’s inauthenticity, Alexis’s beignets and joylessness, Brad’s timidity, Das’s overconfidence. It was Alexis who was asked to leave.
“This is a dish I made with my sister when she moved into her first apartment. A little work is required, but the result is fantastic.”
—Alexis Hernandez
BEIGNETS
with Rosemary Caramel and Local Honey
Recipe courtesy Alexis Hernandez
Yield: 6 servings, about 24 beignets • Prep Time: 15 minutes • Cook Time: 30 minutes • Inactive Prep Time: 5 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate
FOR THE CARAMEL
½ cup water
2 (6-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
FOR THE BEIGNETS
½ cup water
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
Canola oil, for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
¼ cup local honey, or any good-quality honey
1. For the caramel: In a small pot, bring the water and rosemary to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain the liquid and reserve it. Discard the rosemary and pour the liquid (you should have about ¼ cup) back into the pot. Add the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the syrup turns a deep amber color. Carefully add the heavy cream (it will bubble vigorously) and cook, stirring, until smooth. Set the caramel aside to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store any extra in the refrigerator for future use.
2. For the beignets: In a medium-size pot, bring the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously with a spoon, cooking until the dough becomes a solid mass and begins to pull away from the sides of the pot, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Work quickly or the eggs will curdle. The dough should be flexible and soft but firm enough to hold its shape. Cover with plastic and set aside for 5 minutes.
3. When you’re ready to make the pastries, pour enough oil into a deep skillet or deep-fryer so that it’s two-thirds full and heat it to 300–325°F. Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, drop about 2 teaspoons of the dough into the hot oil. Do this with the remaining dough to fry the beignets, in batches, being sure not to crowd them. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack.
4. Arrange the beignets on a serving platter and dust with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve in small bowls with the rosemary caramel and local honey.
Cooking and Talking
For episode two’s Camera Challenge, Giada asked the finalists to do something Star finalists often struggle with, at least at first: Cook and talk at the same time. She had a vegetable lasagna recipe broken down into eleven steps, and each had to present one step in one minute.
The familiar problems from other seasons arose: Aarti dried up; Tom couldn’t stretch for time; Serena talked a mile a minute; Dzintra tried too hard; Brianna was nervous; Das didn’t finish his step; Brad said “nice” a lot.
Sweet to Savory
For the Star Challenge, Duff Goldman told finalists to create a savory party bite inspired by a sweet chosen for them by slightly freaky animatronic fortune-teller Zoltar. Their dish would feed one hundred at a party at the Santa Monica Pier carnival.
Aarti drew funnel cake, something she’d never eaten; Paul, caramel corn; Doreen, a root beer float; Dzintra, cotton candy—in her opinion, the hardest task.
Serena decided to turn her chocolate-covered waffle ice cream into crunchy Cheese Croquettes with Marinara Sauce. Aarti opted for a Scallion Ricotta Pancake with Tandoori Barbecued Chicken. Aria had to replicate a banana split and used meatballs and garlic toast. Brad built a smoker to smoke pork with the shells from his circus peanuts. Paul’s caramel corn garnished his Asian Chicken Wrap. Aarti wasn’t just worried for herself—she was concerned that Doreen wouldn’t have time to get her pork tender enough for pulled pork.
“In retrospect I think I would have done something a lot smaller, something you could just pop into your mouth, maybe topped with an infused caramel sauce.”
—Paul Young
When they got to the pier, Aria realized that she was fifty meatballs short (she’d left a pan in the oven) and scrambled to make another batch.
It was time to serve. Some guests felt that Paul (“Hello, ladies!”) came on a little strong. Das’s Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, and Das, were a hit.
“Das was talking about impressing the ladies and we got to the tasting and I said, ‘Guys, there is nothing sexy about eating a chicken wing.’ Wings, you’re watching football. When you’re on a date, here’s Duff’s love advice: don’t order wings.”
—Duff Goldman
“I guess those Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings were my famous TV recipe because everywhere I go, people always ask me to make them. I’m teaching an adult cooking class, and one of the first things we’re making are the wings.”
—Darrell “Das” Smith
The judges enjoyed Herb’s Smoked Salmon Mousse Roulade, his take on a lollipop, but not Paul’s use of caramel corn as a garnish. Guests liked Aarti and her food, but she was scared of the committee and almost said she didn’t think she was capable of anything. But Duff said, “Whatever she’s making, I want some.” Dzintra couldn’t plate and talk, and Bobby was confused by her dish.
Duff had to remind Serena to breathe. “She is like a Maserati going four hundred miles an hour,” said Bob. Her marinara sauce was, Duff said, “kind of awesome.”
“I believe there is an objective component—Italians speak rather fast—and a subjective component to this; being in front of culinary experts is definitely intimidating, along with the fact that I was aware of all the viewers. I live my life at a very fast pace, and my job requires fast thinking. I realize I often came across as a very confident and self-assured person, but I have my weakness and uncertainties as well. Speaking fast was probably the reaction to that.”
—Serena Palumbo
Once more, Doreen couldn’t articulate her Point of View clearly, and the pork wasn’t tender. Bobby said that Brad burned the peanut shells, which made his pork taste acrid.
In evaluation, Brianna was told that she was aloof to the pier guests. Neither Paul nor Tom’s demeanor was universally liked. Dzintra needed to get out of her own way.
“If your attitude toward the audience is ‘Take it or leave it,’ trust me, they will leave it.”
—Bob Tuschman (to Tom)
“I said to Tom the first day, ‘Do you want to be here?’ He seemed tired, like we were putting him out. You’re trying to get a TV show, show us how ambitious you are. I have no patience for that. He woke up after that. Maybe I misread how he really was but that was my feeling.”
—Bobby Flay
“I knew I belonged in that competition—it just took the judges a little while to understand my personality type. Their doubts actually just stoked the fires of my competitive side.”
—Tom Pizzica
Duff Goldman: A Q&A
That was a strong group of finalists . . .
I met all the finalists and talked to everyone and before I tasted their food, I thought, “Aarti’s going to win this thing.” I think a lot of people felt that.
At that point, she didn’t.
I wanted to grab her and say, “Listen to me. You have already won this. You have it so wrapped up! All you have to do is show up and not make a fool of yourself.” Susie Fogelson would say, “Stop apologizing for who you are! Don’t apologize for your food, your food’s awesome. You’re so beautiful and warm, I want to eat your food, I want to hang out with you.” I don’t think she had the verve. She does now. She is such a joy.
Now it looks like TV comes very naturally to you.
I’m very comfortable being me. If I don’t have actual lines to say and points to make, I’m a hundred percent golden. I’ll get really excited talking about food. When it comes to saying lines, I turn into Mr. Game Show Host. I have an old-school hip-hop background. I was a graffiti artist and a dumb jock in high school and college. I have different ways of speaking than people who were trained to speak on TV. People like to watch me on TV because I am different from what’s out there even if on Ace of Cakes we all mumble all the time.
How was Iron Chef for you?
Michael Symon and I had so much fun. We lost but we walked out and we were high-fiving and freaking out. It was like that big rush after a busy Saturday night and the last ticket is out and you get a beer and say holy #∗%! that was crazy!
You enjoy your work, obviously.
My shop is a fun place to be and people feel comfortable. I’ve worked at Frenc
h Laundry and for Todd English and at some pretty serious places where it’s very regimented. There wasn’t a lot of screaming but not a lot of goofing around either and I definitely encourage a lot of goofing around on and off screen. We do take what we do super-seriously but it doesn’t mean you have to be super-serious while you’re doing it. If you don’t enjoy it, what’s the point?
The best of the week were Serena, Aria, Aarti, and Das; the winner was Aarti. She cried tears of joy. “From now on I am believing in myself,” she said.
The bottom three were Paul, Dzintra, and the finalist eliminated this week: Doreen.
“This dish was a variation of something I made years ago for a fine-dining dinner. That version actually had butter-poached lobster, black truffles, and homemade potato chips. It was much more intense than this version. For the show, I just wanted to take the basic concept and simplify it a bit by eliminating some elements and adding the Sweet Garlic Confit Croutons. If I have special events, I might serve it again, but I haven’t made this exact dish since the show.”
—Doreen Fang
YUKON GOLD POTATO SOUP
with Sweet Garlic Confit Croutons
Recipe courtesy Doreen Fang
Yield: 8 servings • Prep Time: 20 minutes • Cook Time: 35 minutes • Ease of Preparation: intermediate
