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Episode Recap: Improv
Improvisation was the theme of this episode and creating a delicious dessert for the Quickfire Challenge was a heavenly first course. If the table of pastries didn't have you salivating, perhaps renowned pastry chef and guest judge Johnny Iuzzini, considered one of New York's sexiest chefs, did. (But I couldn't help wondering what happened to the buffet of beautiful sweet treats.)
As host Padma Lakshmi said, preparing desserts has regularly been the Achilles' heel for the chefs. This has more to do with using exact measurements rather than improvising with flavors. I've baked a Sacher Torte many times but would never try it without consulting the recipe.
Chef Johnny didn't like the composition of Mark's mini-meringue Pavlovas or Hat Guy Spike's pineapple rum raisin soufflé, though he was complimented for the attempt. On the bottom of both challenges, Antonia served a lackluster brûléed lemon curd with lemon cake.
I've not tasted the shaved ice and milk mixture called Halo-Halo that Dale served and adding avocado, mango, kiwi and nuts sounded tasty. Both he and Richard were on top of both challenges but Richard's Banana Scallops with Banana Guacamole and Chocolate Ice Cream was considered the most original and the recipe will be included in the next edition of "Top Chef The Cookbook".
As the chefs watched the improvisational comedy troupe at Chicago's Second City, it became clear that the Elimination Challenge would be a combination of random colors, emotions, and ingredients offered up by members of the audience. But the challenge eventually mimicked the quick thinking of the comics when some of the chefs had to go to Plan B after they discovered that there were no electrical appliances to assist them.
Andrew good-naturedly accepted the absence of a food processor and used a ricer to purée the squash for the soup he made with Spike. After blaming Antonia a few episodes ago for pushing a carpaccio dish on him, Spike got a second chance to serve a squash soup. (Andrew: "Soup's down. Thumbs up!") By adding a dollop of vanilla crème fraiche it enabled him to incorporate the required "inspirational" words of yellow, love and vanilla, and they became one of the two top teams. Padma said she liked the soup so much she could have licked the bowl. I'd love to see that!
Richard once again thought outside the box when inventing a dish for the tricky combo of green, perplexed and tofu. Grilling the tofu was classic but marinating it with beef fat was inspired (though unappealing to me). Dale's contribution of adding green curry delighted most palates and his eggplant slurry, initially perplexing, ultimately intrigued me. But this dish delighted the judges most and won them both $2500 worth of Calphalon cookware.
Antonia and Lisa used their required color magenta when they served purple potatoes. Incorporating the word "drunk" didn't mean they should do a shot of tequila when serving their dish and not offering it to the guests. And they should not have placed sea bass front and center instead of the required Polish sausage. Substituting chorizo and using it in the tequila sauce didn't enhance their improvisational style, getting called on a technicality by Tom Colicchio and Chef Johnny for serving a fish dish.
The telltale clip of the evening happened early on when Jennifer was preparing for the challenge and said packing her knives was a bad omen. This ultimately played out as she and Stephanie attempted to concoct a ménage à trios for the words orange, turned-on and asparagus. No one was turned on by the orgy of items on the plate particularly the protruding log of goat cheese (with oil seeping out), asparagus that was meant to be erect, the unnecessary olives and tough grilled bread. Though the judges said the dish lacked finesse, Jennifer accepted the criticism and packed her knives for a second time.
Second Bites
• What ingredients went into Richard's banana guacamole?
• When Tom announced a second twist or "improv" by packing everything up to finish prepping and serving their foods at the Top Chef house, Lisa slammed the others during her confessional for not having prepared for this. Do you think she was prepared for this twist?
• What's the deal with Mark's comment about Richard's pink shirt matching his skin tone? He also wears pink Crocs, not that there's anything wrong with that…
• Andrew's opening comment: the room is a little uglier now that Ryan's gone. Wah.
• Ted Allen is quick-witted and always injects humor. When comedian Alex Fendrich said he loves Polish sausage, Ted points out that the comment is directed to the gay guy and follows up with a the response: "I'm not Polish!"
For more tasty treats about Top Chef, check out our Online Video Guide.
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Apr 24, 2008 3:18 AM
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That soup looked yummy. And apparently it was, as Padma wanted to lick the bowl, as mentioned by Mario. I also noticed one of the improv people (I believe) followed up with "And I'd lick all of your bowls".
I, too, wondered what happened to that huge number of desserts sitting around.
I was so glad to see Jennifer go if only for one reason. We won't have to hear her say she's there for Zoi! When I heard her say that at the beginning of this episode, after hearing it what seemed like 50 times last week, I thought someone should strangle her!
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Apr 24, 2008 4:02 AM
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I totally agreed with who went home. Although the snobs that wouldn't serve polish sausage might re-think their sausage prejudice!! They could have attempted to make one, or something! But the other dish was just wrong on so many levels!!
I am SO over Jennifer "playing for Zoi" so am glad she is gone! I really don't know if this season is as talented as past seasons!! Dale is my personal favorite, and Stephanie!
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Apr 24, 2008 8:45 AM
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Is anyone else tired of Lisa's potty mouth? I'm not a prude by any means and can swear with the best of them, but hey I'm not on national tv! Everytime she uses the F bomb I cringe. I know it's probably her personality, but man she should learn to edit herself just a tad.
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Apr 24, 2008 9:46 AM
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I also loved Ted's comments!
I actually was sorry to see Jennifer go!
While yes, everyone and their mother was sick of her saying, "I'm doing this for Zoi" or "This is for my girl", I think that she was a good chef and I will miss her calmness amongst the sea of "personality" that is this season's chefs. :-\
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Apr 24, 2008 10:19 AM
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I was so glad to see Jennifer go if only for one reason. We won't have to hear her say she's there for Zoi!
Here! Here! I was about to stick a spoon in my eye if I had to hear that one more time!
Is anyone else tired of Lisa's potty mouth? I'm not a prude by any means and can swear with the best of them, but hey I'm not on national tv!
I so agree! I am really starting to understand what Dale was tellling her when he said that she was a real bummer! She does not look like a fun person to be around and I hope that she goes home next!
As for my next least favorite - Spike! I hope he is happy now that he has made his soup! I was really sick of hearing about it! What pissed me off about Spike was when he looked at Richard and Dales Tofu and said that it looked terrible! Terrible won this round!
Another thing that had me wondering - how can these people be so clueless? Didn't everyone think that when they all went to the comedy club that a challenge would somehow be involved? I knew it from the start - I was a bit concerned for the ladies wearing heals! I remember last season!
I thought that the quickfire dish that Richard made looked delicious! Banana guacamole - sounds good to me!
Here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Ice Cream:
Sugar to taste
1 pint heavy cream
3 egg yolks
2 cups chocolate, dark 72%
Banana Guacamole:
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup tarragon, cilantro, basil, chopped
1 cup lime, chili, ginger syrup
Banana Scallops:
6 “scallops”, bananas sliced into scallop shapes
Demerara sugar to coat scallops
DIRECTIONS:
Chocolate Ice Cream:
Simmer sugar in heavy cream, then temper in egg yolks and melt in chocolate. Chill then turn in an ice cream machine.
Banana Guacamole:
Mash bananas and season with herbs and syrup.
Banana Scallops:
Sear scallops in sugar.
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Apr 24, 2008 11:37 AM
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I'm with everyone else.. I wanted Jennifer to leave solely b/c I never wanted to hear "I'm doing this for Zoi" EVER AGAIN.
My sister and I usually watch this together on Wed nights and each time she'd say it, we'd turn to each other immediately and mimic Matt Dillon in The Outsiders ---- "Let's do it for Zoi, man... let's do it for Zoi!"
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Apr 24, 2008 11:48 AM
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Ranger99: Thanks for digging up the recipe. I’ve not tried herbed bananas before, but adding chocolate into the mix will be sweet!
pixiedarling: I think we’re in the minority. I thought Jennifer was a decent chef and admired her support and love for her partner. I would have expected it. Perhaps its repetition was the victim of the editing as I suspect the incident in the stew room was.
Re-watching the end of that explosive episode it appeared that the arguments (Jennifer kicking the chair, Dale yelling at Lisa, etc.) happened at different times but were spliced together for heightened affect.
Now that Jennifer is gone, who’s next – Nikki or Spike? 
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Apr 24, 2008 12:26 PM
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daesey - LOL on the outsiders reference! 
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Apr 24, 2008 12:39 PM
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Mario and pixiedarling - I'm with you two. While I was tired of hearing "I'm doing this for Zoi", this episode, I think that Jennifer is a good chef, and I wish that she had more time with which to showcase her abilities. She did win the QC last week, after all.
I'm just waiting for Andrew and Spike to go - they both just freak me out. I don't know how either of them have lasted this long.
I think Lisa just looks sloppy. Her hair is always in her face and I don't know if I want someone making me food with hair in their eyes. I curse a lot, so I'm not going to fault her on that fact. 
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Apr 24, 2008 1:02 PM
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I think it was unfair to not eliminate Lisa or Antonia for not following the rules. Who cares if it tasted good anyway? What is the point of having specific challenges if anyone can disregard the rules and make whatever they want?
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Apr 24, 2008 1:49 PM
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While I was glad to see Jennifer go, I do agree that if you're given a major ingredient to use (polish sausage) and you don't use it...bye bye. That would have been easy to use and could have been "fancied up" to not resemble home-cooking so much. Although, the improv group, and perhaps the judges, seemed to like the comfort food aspects of some of the dishes.
As for the swearing, I swear too, but it does bother me just because I think it automatically puts a negative in the minds of the viewers. I suspect that the network, producers, whoever, show that on purpose. Some of those interviews are not necessary, yet we're still treated to all the bleeping. I've noticed that the better chefs aren't shown in that light. Am I wrong?
I think Nikki is probably right on the edge of going next. Not so much from this week, but in prior weeks she's been darn close to leaving.
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Apr 24, 2008 2:02 PM
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I think Lisa just looks sloppy. Her hair is always in her face and I don't know if I want someone making me food with hair in their eyes.
I felt kind of shallow for thinking the same thing but I couldn't help it(and am glad I'm not alone). I'd go even farther than just sloppy. She looks greasy and gross like she doesn't wash her hair or take showers. I would not want someone looking like that to be preparing a meal for me.
While I couldn't stand Jen and really wanted her off for those 5 words which I shall not repeat as I think they've been said and written enough to last a lifetime, but it's just not right that someone as useless and mediocre as Nikki is still on the show and has lasted this long. I was so sure that her and Mark as a team would crash and burn. I feel bad for Stephanie that her great record had to be ruined by Jen. Here's hoping she rebounds next week.
I'm glad Dale and Richard won. They work well together as a team and are both inventive chefs who have a good understanding of flavor combinations. I'd eat at either of their restaurants any day of the week.
Especially Dale's! 
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Apr 24, 2008 2:02 PM
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I would have loved Lisa to go home. She is just plain gross and they didnt follow the game plan. Last week someone got sent home because he didnt make tail gate food. So, what was the deal with that.
I loved, loved, that Jen got sent home.
I hated her attitude since the episode when they sent home her "girlfriend" and then of course she attacked the guy on her team.
So typical...
I thought it was a good episode. I love TOM!!!!!
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Apr 24, 2008 2:04 PM
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I would have loved Lisa to go home. She is just plain gross and they didnt follow the game plan. Last week someone got sent home because he didnt make tail gate food. So, what was the deal with that.
I loved, loved, that Jen got sent home.
I hated her attitude since the episode when they sent home her "girlfriend" and then of course she attacked the guy on her team.
So typical...
I thought it was a good episode. I love TOM!!!!!
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Apr 24, 2008 2:05 PM
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