Top Chef

The reunion specials are always a bit of a smorgasbord of amusing memories, insight and gossip. Here are some tidbits worth tasting.

Fan Favorite: Stephanie not only was the first female Top Chef but also the first to win both titles. Way to go, girlfriend!

Bromance was all around: Ted called Spike and Mark in the bubble bath "man soup." Richard had fun watching Dale moisturize his nipples. Andrew and Spike named their team "Vanilla Love."

Gossip: What were the internet rumors surrounding Jennifer and Zoi? Are they past their relationship bumps? Mark got married. Richard opened a restaurant called Home and appeared via satellite while waiting for his baby girl to be born.

Nicknames: Because more chefs were eliminated when teamed with Antonia, she was dubbed the "Black Hammer." The stew room was referred to as the "fifth level of hell" and not only because of the heat.

Outtakes:
• Without the stress of the competition, the chefs were much more relaxed and jovial leaving much of the swearing for a montage. How funny was Dale when he said his mother told her church friends that he swore because he was on television.
• Eyes glazing over as Ryan described his dishes
• Gail falling asleep at the Judges' Table
• Andrew doesn't have ADD (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons). He just zips around with positive energy and occasionally growls.

Memorable Quotes:
• Andrew: “I’m a little chef!”
• Mark: "I think Tom doesn't like me…”
• Rocco DiSpirito: "It's not only his gnocchi that were dense."
• T-shirt sporting the season's favorite expression(<x>attributed to Andrew): "I have a culinary b*ner."

Here are a few of my thoughts.

Burning Question: So Lisa never did uncover the mystery burner-turner-upper, did she?

Controversial Challenge (at least on this blog): The Common Threads episode where the chefs had to shop at Whole Foods and create dinner for a family of four on a $10 budget.

Worthwhile Places to Remember (in Chicago, online, and in your town): mealstogether.com, Meals on Wheels Chicago, Common Threads, shop for locally grown foods at Green City Market

New Foods (what I learned): Ras al hanout is a combination of Moroccan spices; Halo-Halo is a shaved ice and milk mixture; Sous vide is the technique of cooking ingredients in a vacuum-sealed plastic pouch (don’t use salmon!)

Interesting Foods (created during challenges): wasabi-white chocolate sauce; banana guacamole, maple miso-glazed bacon, peanut mashed potatoes, "perplexed tofu".

Questionable Foods: Peanut butter tomato sauce, mushrooms stuffed with blueberries

Problematic Foods: Rice, butternut squash soup, caramel sauce (used successfully by Lisa and Stephanie with braised short ribs, used disastrously by Dale with scallops.)

Guest Judges: The following guest chefs worked well with the judges and would entice me to eat at their restaurants: José Andrés, Rick Tramonto, pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini.

What were the highlights that you would add to this list?

Thanks to everyone who regularly read this blog, took part in the discussion, provided insight and shared recipes. It was a blast checking in with you the last 15 weeks and I'll keep an eye out for you on the other message boards. Until next time, bon appétit!

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, dig into our Online Video Guide.

It may take a while before we get a female president but we can now crown one Top Chef. It was a long journey to the last challenge that showed the three finalists stepping up to the plate and knocking out some hits, but still there were a few surprises.

The chefs were to create a four course tasting meal for nine that progressed from fish to poultry, red meat and finishing with a dessert. On day one Padma introduced them to the best kind of prep help they could get: three well-known chefs who would become their sous-chefs. With first pick, Stephanie chose to work with Eric Ripert who appeared during season three's finale. Richard was paired with Dan Barber and Lisa showed excitement hoping she and April Bloomfield would rock on with grrl power. But on the second day the assistants were no-shows in the kitchen, becoming part of the critical dinner guests and leaving the finalists to fend for themselves.

How bad did you feel when Richard admitted to the judges that he choked? This was hinted at when, at the end of day one, he mentioned he had no dishes completed. Tom Colicchio noticed that Richard's behavior was a little erratic and unfocused, and his detailed orchestrations of some dishes had to be downsized to make the deadline. But that didn't stop the molecular gastronomist from bringing out his toys and using liquid nitrogen in the dessert. And a high point was the satisfaction that he got from showing something new to Chef Eric.

Throughout the dinner we occasionally got mixed reviews from the diners but almost everyone agreed that Richard's meal was under seasoned and lacked flavor, particularly his first course of Scallops with Mango and Pineapple Vinegar. He combined a gaming hen, foie gras and chicken egg for the second course that was criticized for being muddled and lacked individuality, and pressure-cooking the pork belly for his main course left it soft and without some needed crispness. He got high marks for resurrecting the banana scallops and introducing us to bacon ice cream. Bacon and ice cream — two foods I'd never have considered working well together.

Lisa was ready to kick some butt, however she switched gears by putting her best foot forward appearing calm and collected. Using tried and true Vietnamese and Thai flavors, Lisa had a strong showing leading with Grilled Prawns over a Chili Basil Sauce topped with Potato Chips followed by a Tom Kha Gai Soup with Dumplings that was a unanimous favorite. Her main course of Wagyo Strip Steak was served too rare to activate its natural juices but bounced back with a Black Rice Pudding with Lime and Mango Crème. If only interactive TV could advance to the point of getting us a taste of some of these dishes…

Even with a couple missteps, Stephanie's creations were surprising, beautifully presented and wowed the judges. I definitely would have enjoyed an order of Seared Red Snapper over Truffled White Asparagus and Clam Broth that was deemed creamy but not heavy. Her jaw dropped when told that the second course of Quail with Lobster Ravioli would have faired better if the accompanying leeks had been softer. Ricotta pound cake with banana crème for dessert was considered a miss but her main course of Lamb Medallions, Maitake Mushrooms, Braised Pistachios with Blackberry and Green Olive Tapenade took the cake. The olive and pistachio combination was the most unpredictable and ultimately the most original flavor of the evening.

So in the end, I'm happy to say that we got our first female Top Chef winner. Stephanie not only can whip up a spectacular meal but she'll serve it with a respectful attitude. There were many ups and downs this season but she rose to the top becoming, as a friend of mine called her, the crème de la crème.

Second Bites
• Richard gets points for creatively naming his four courses, in order: You Are Here, Which Came First?, Be the Bacon and You Are Still Here.
• Lisa gained a point for giving Stephanie a pep talk when she doubted her dessert.
• The text poll asked who you thought should be Top Chef. Which group were you with: 4% for Lisa, 36% for Richard or 60% for Stephanie.
• Be sure to check in next week for a few last thoughts after the reunion special.

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, dig into our Online Video Guide.

Leaving Chicago behind, the remaining four chefs show up in sunny Puerto Rico for the first part of the two-part finale. I'm not sure of the length of the break period but it was long enough for Antonia to open her restaurant, Lisa to get a new 'do and a relaxed attitude (until the Elimination Challenge) and Stephanie to visit Thailand, Viet Nam and Cambodia, and, sporting a t-shirt that read "I ♥ Tahoe Boys", perhaps Nevada too.

Joining Padma Lakshmi for the Quickfire Challenge is guest judge Chef Wilo Benet who presents a table filled with plantains that the chefs would use to make two different types of fritters. It's preferable to cook them before eating, but Antonia and Richard fell into the same trap of using uncooked plantains in their sauces. Antonia's plantain jam that accompanied her crispy oysters was considered slimy and Richard didn't eliminate the rawness from the ripe plantain sauce served with pork meatballs.

Both Lisa and Stephanie created tostones (plantains simply flattened and fried) to go with their dishes. The decision seemed like a close call until Lisa's Pan Roasted Duck and Mango Papaya Salsa was criticized for being sliced too thick. Stephanie's seared tuna was sliced just right but also had well-balanced flavor giving her the win and an advantage in the Elimination Challenge. But just how well did this advantage pay off for her?

The location of the EC is La Fortaleza, a fortress built in 1533 that is now the private residence of Puerto Rico's governor. With 100 guests arriving the next day, and the challenge requiring the chefs to use a whole pig to create at least two dishes, help will be needed. Four familiar faces show up as the finalists' sous-chefs: Dale, Nikki, Andrew and Spike. As the QFC winner, Stephanie was to assign and pair up the chefs. Instead of purposely putting the others at a disadvantage as Hat Guy Spike tried to do (twice), she looked for compatibility to create a positive working environment. Though Lisa had problems with at least two, she was given Andrew to work with. They had a shouting match several episodes ago but Andrew stepped up to the plate vowing to do his best.

While the sous-chefs went shopping at the local market (and Andrew speaking only colors in Spanish), the chefs began butchering their pigs. Flying mallet heads weren't the only problems in the kitchen. The tension is definitely high and Lisa goes from calm to cranky with Andrew. Nikki senses that Antonia's mojo is off when her rice — the most problem-plagued dish of the season — has to be tossed. And though Dale is a good worker, neither he nor Stephanie realized until the next day that their marinated pork belly had been left out all night.

With some quick thinking, Stephanie substituted a Tropical Fruit and Prosciutto Salad with Chicharrones (fried pork skin) that rounded out her menu of Coconut Braised Pork and Pork Satay on Sugar Cane Skewers. She was chosen the judge's favorite along with Richard who was the only chef to prepare four dishes. That, coupled with his last minute decision to incorporate malta (a carbonated malt beverage) into his Pork Ribs with Malta and Soy Glaze giving the dish a unique caramel flavor, most likely elevated him into the winner's spot. Plus it doesn't hurt when most of the guests are surrounding your table.

Having come this far in the competition, the slightest slip up will send you packing. Tom Colicchio questioned why Lisa stepped out of her comfort zone and prepared Latin food for the guests instead of using her Asian influence. She said her upbringing gave her experience but Gail Simmons said Lisa focused more on the garnishes rather than the pig and prepared a purée that was too sweet and overpowering.

It seemed everyone had negative comments for Antonia. Gail said her food was rustic and the least sophisticated. Chef Tom thought her three distinct dishes should have been served separately instead of all on one plate. I immediately knew there was trouble when Padma asked Antonia at the party how long she soaked the beans. The fatal flaw was serving them undercooked in her dish of Pigeon Peas with Pork Sausage. Once more with that pained expression, Padma asked Antonia to pack her knives and go.

It has to be a lonely feeling when your competitors hug and send well wishes to the losing chef and don't bother to acknowledge or congratulate you for making it to the finale. Lisa made this point an issue to both Richard and Stephanie, to which Richard responded "You won the bronze medal. Congratulations."

Second Bites
• Do you think Richard would still have won if Stephanie had been able to serve her marinated pork belly instead of the fruit and prosciutto salad?
• Typical of the man with a smoker, Richard's response at winning the 2009 Toyota Corolla: "Holy smokes!"
• Text Poll: Who should pack their knives and go? A whopping 91% voted for Lisa.
• The three remaining chefs should be at the top of their game next week. So, as Padma asks at the beginning of each episode, "who will get to turn their culinary dreams into reality?"

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, dig into our Online Video Guide.

Though it was a bit of struggle getting here we finally have our four chefs heading into next week's first part of the two-part finale. Going by most of the recent comments, the top three were a given with a toss up for the fourth position. So with such high stakes lets get to the meat of the matter.

The Quickfire Challenge sent the chefs over to a meat purveyor and dress like a HazMat team in order to cut individual chops of long bone ribeye dry-aged USDA Prime Rib racks. The style is known as a "Frenched" cut and is served in finer restaurants. Some of the racks looked unwieldy and even larger than Stephanie, which didn't help her get the "lollipop" effect she should have had. This was a more technical skill that is essential for cost-effectiveness when running a kitchen.

Once the meat was butchered, it was to be cooked medium rare at the request of guest judge Rick Tramonto. (He is the owner of Chicago's Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood, as well as Tru, whose pastry chef Gale Gand we met a few weeks back.) The chops were thick and with only 30 minutes to grill or roast them, were not easy to gage doneness. Richard was right to point out that it had more to do with temperature than flavor but both he and Stephanie dished out undercooked servings. Spike again won the advantage from the QFC and again floundered with an unwise choice in the Elimination Challenge.

Taking over Chef Rick's steak house on a busy night, the chefs were each responsible for an appetizer and entrée based on what was found in the kitchen. Chef Tom Colicchio was the expeditor. Joining Chef Rick, Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons for dinner were the winners of the first three seasons with advice for the chefs that perfectly reflected their personalities.

Harold: Cook your style and be true to yourself.
Hung: You're here to win, not to be Fan Favorite.
Ilan: Don't shave anyone's head.

At the Judges' Table, Richard didn't impress anyone with his deconstructed entrée but wowed everyone with his tuna-like Hamachi with Crispy Sweatbreads, Apples, Radish, Avocado and Yuzu, considered the single best dish of the night. Though Antonia's Warm Mushroom and Artichoke Salad with Poached Egg appetizer was soggy the egg was poached perfectly. (Isn't that her thing?) But it was her Bone-in Ribeye with Shallot and Potato Gratin that scored her a place in the finals.

The big winner was Stephanie, winning Chef Rick's new cookbook and the GE Monogram kitchen appliances. What I thought was even more important than Stephanie serving the two "most well-rounded" dishes was Chef Tom saying she keeps a calm demeanor when working under pressure. If you're someone who flies off the handle, you're going to make mistakes.

And that leads me to Lisa and Spike who have been on the bottom five and seven time respectively. Lisa (again with her droopy-eyed glance) was criticized for the Grilled and Chilled Prawns but got an edge for her Grilled NY Strip in Apple Caramel Sauce with Peanut Mashed Potatoes. I really love the moments when Chef Tom shows up and gives a questioning look as he did when hearing of the addition of peanut butter to the potatoes. (Much better than peanut butter in tomato sauce!) It sounded original and I'm going to have to try it.

I've waited a dozen episodes for Hat Guy Spike to leave and it finally happened. With only a few shining moments (butternut squash soup anyone?), he regularly squeaked by but his lashing out at the judges was snotty and disrespectful. He again used his QFC advantage to disarm his competitors and the karma again backfired. Ultimately Spike should never have used the frozen scallops but then throwing it back to blame the guest judge was uncalled for and not what I'd expect from someone I'd be honored to call Top Chef.

Sunny Puerto Rico is the setting for next week's finale, part one. See you then.

Second Bites
• The subject of this Text Poll question was discussed more than any other on the blog this season: Who was chopped too soon? 53% of the votes went to Dale, 18% to Andrew, and 29% went to the chef that I would like to have seen perform a few more tricks, Jennifer.
• Was it just me or did it seem that Padma did not have the same pained looked she usually has when sending a chef packing?
• Did Ilan think they were doing lunch or did he just forget to pack a nice shirt and jacket?
• Two will be eliminated next week. If the odds are that Lisa is one of them, who will be the other?

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, dig into our Online Video Guide.

5:45 am. It's the crack of dawn and Chef Tom Colicchio arrives on the scene to wake up the remaining six chef-testants and tell them about the Quickfire Challenge. (Though unnecessary, Padma Lakshmi was apparently still getting her beauty sleep.) Working the short order egg station at the hopping Chicago breakfast spot Lou Mitchell's Restaurant is where owner Helene will separate the winner from the yolks.

This is where we got to see Dale shine. The pace was fast, he was focused and didn't lose his temper. It's too bad he didn't win or carry this approach over to the Elimination Challenge where things might have turned out differently for him. Antonia was an egg-flipping fool that was chosen the winner over Dale.

Starting the day in one restaurant set the tone for the shift over to a large empty space that would transform into two dining areas for Restaurant Wars. The advantage Antonia got for winning the QFC was the ability to choose her team. She went with a sure thing selecting Stephanie and Richard, who have experience opening restaurants and had successfully worked together during the Wedding Wars challenge.

On hand to display his "warmer, sunnier disposition" was Chef Anthony Bourdain substituting this week as head judge for Chef Tom. A welcome addition, he announced that each team could pick an eliminated chef to assist in the kitchen. It was no surprise to me that Dale chose Jennifer. She's a good worker and, if you recall the comments, astonished the other chefs when she was sent packing. Pasta wizard Nikki came in to save the day for Antonia. Neither Mark nor Andrew was picked. Wah.

With two very different concepts and demeanors it was clear how things would unfold for each side. Warehouse Kitchen was the name Antonia's team used to reflect a casual, modern, somewhat minimal dining experience. Everything went well especially, and most importantly, the menu. I thought there might have been a problem when Nikki tasted grit in the Linguini and Clams with Sausage and Horseradish Crème Fraiche but Richard worked some magic and made it disappear before service. They were praised for the Lamb Squared (lamb loin with braised lamb shank), Richard's rehashed but somewhat improved Banana Scallops with Banana Guacamole and Stephanie's Gorgonzola Cheesecake with Concord Grape Sauce. This last dish contributed to Stephanie's winning the challenge and a culinary and wine tasting tour of Barcelona, Spain.

It would be great to spend more time discussing the winning team and the good things they presented but there was so much that went wrong with restaurant Mai Buddha that it's hard to avoid. Even with all of their experience and familiarity with Asian food perhaps it was not the way to go.

Purchasing a red Buddha and taking no responsibility for the tablecloths and napkins, Spike sans hat and donning a suit avoided the heat of the kitchen and worked the front of the house. Guest judge José Andrés was not there long but totally picked up on the fact that Spike, perhaps wisely, slid out from the combustible duo of Lisa and Dale.

Remembering the first episode of the season, Chef Tony mentioned to Richard that he didn't bring his smoke gun, but fire was in the air. Lisa over-smoked the Spicy Coconut Shrimp Laksa Soup. Then there was the issue of the Mango Sticky Rice. Dale blamed Lisa for grabbing inappropriate rice but it actually was he who pulled it from the shelf. Adding pastry cream and topping it with toasted coconut gave it the worst comments from the judges: "an atrocity", "baby food garnished with potpourri", "baby vomit with wood chips".

Dale was executive chef on his team but didn't pull them together. Ted Allen said the sauce on his Butterscotch Miso Scallops was too sweet and gloppy. He somehow salvaged his Halo-Halo from a brownish tint caused by an avocado with favorable flavor. But Mai Buddha's biggest problem was lack of teamwork and attitude. Lisa doesn't hold back and throws out blunt comments. The judges even knew by her telling body language that she doesn't like criticism. Dale has an explosive temper in the kitchen. I've seen and worked with great chefs like that but in this competition the stress is already high and antagonizing can be infectious. Giving in will destroy the working environment.

During his exit interview, we finally saw real emotions from Dale—not for losing but for the connections he made with the other chefs. All, that is, but Lisa who remained seated as he left the stew room.

Second Bites
• How different would the dynamics have been if Dale had won the QFC and worked with Stephanie and Richard instead of Lisa and Spike?
• The final four will most likely include Antonia, Stephanie and Richard. Do you think Hat Guy Spike will slide by again or will Lisa push her way through?
• The Text Poll again is to vote for the Fan Favorite to be announced during the reunion special the week after the finale. I voted for Stephanie last week but may vote for Richard this week. Is there a clear fan fave winner this season?

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, dig into our Online Video Guide.

Regarding this episode's food as well as the character and integrity of the chefs, substance is what was needed but was hard to find. Beginning with something on the lighter side, the Quickfire Challenge required creating a modern "sexy" salad.

Bringing sexy back didn't only refer to creating a salad for the QFC but also to guest judge and Season 2 fan favorite Sam Talbot. Though he seemed to have little to say, Sam was a good choice to judge tonight's challenges because his food was always clean and fresh, which possibly could have something to due with the fact that he's diabetic.

Pointing out that the chefs had little sleep from last week's 40-hour Wedding Wars challenge, Richard served up a lackluster "Fresh and Clean" salad with ceviche fruit and vegetables that needed some acidity. Andrew's Thai Fruit Salad that contained mangoes, strawberries and raspberries with sriracha sauce looked appealing but wasn't cited.

Winning his first challenge was Hat Guy Spike (who was also seen sporting a bandana and a skull cap) with a "well-balanced" Sensual Beef Salad consisting of pineapple, radish, cucumber and skirt steak. With immunity no longer offered, Spike was given an advantage in the Elimination Challenge that he happily used to his benefit. The chefs were to create a gourmet and healthy boxed lunch for the Chicago Police Department that was to be low in carbohydrates, sugar and fat, and included a whole grain, a lean protein, fruit and a vegetable. Spike was able to start shopping 10 minutes earlier than the rest plus select an item from each food group that no one else could use.

I'm aware that this is a competition but I don't think Spike's attitude is a winning one. Not only he but also Lisa and Andrew proved to be a big mess at the Judges' Table and should be arrested for conduct unbecoming of a chef. Selecting chicken, bread, potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes as his exclusive items, it seemed as if Spike chose them more to put others at a disadvantage rather than to excel. In the end it didn't help. Padma called his Chicken Salad with Pita and Raw Vegetables "pedestrian" and Chef Tom Colicchio didn't like the sweet and salty integration of the grapes and olives. It was mentioned that he used mayonnaise but not whether it was low fat. Spike also presented only two meals at a time in order to entice the policemen to eat his dish though the challenge was ultimately left up to the judges.

Lisa decided to put together a Shrimp Stir-Fry with Brown Rice, Berries and Yogurt that was microwaveable but ran into problems. Shrimp is a low-fat food but is high in cholesterol. (It didn't help that it was undercooked, which Ted Allen called "nasty".) The big problem was accusing others of sabotage. Lisa kept checking her brown rice as it cooked but suddenly discovered the heat was cranked up to high causing it to burn on the outside and remain uncooked on the inside. Stephanie commented that sabotage was unlikely but Dale disagreed. My feeling is that if someone had deliberately changed the stove setting one of the camera operators would have recorded it and shown it to us.

Offering a balance of humor and over-the-top craziness, Andrew started the episode saying he awoke with a fire in his belly and was either going to "stab somebody or make amazing food." He did neither. Police officers need healthy food that will fill their appetites and give them stamina but Andrew's Salmon Roll, though nutritious, was deemed too light and "messy". Admitting to not having his rule sheet, Andrew skipped using a whole grain and simulated rice by combining parsnips and pine nuts. This didn't go unnoticed by the judges but was pointed out to them nonetheless by Lisa who may have been seeking an advantage. The look Andrew gave Lisa in the stew room, to quote Antonia, was "freaking me out"! When asked to pack his knives and go, Andrew referenced a previous episode stating that no security was necessary to escort him out.

The winner's table was much less dramatic and was shown in half the time. The ever-pleasant Stephanie created a Mushroom Meatball Soup with Barley and Vegetable Purée that was well-seasoned and seemed to please everyone. Dale kept his temper in check and won the EC by again going Asian with a Lemongrass Wrap but using bison that has 50% less fat and cholesterol than beef. Perhaps the bottle of Rutherford Hill merlot he won will accompany it nicely.


Second Bites
• Do you think someone was sneaky enough to escape the camera lens and sabotage Lisa's brown rice?
• Most repeated line of the episode, by Richard: "Do you like burritos?"
• Fact learned from Andrew: wasabi helps decrease tooth decay. Did you know that?
• Seeing Sam Talbot brought back fond memories of Season 2: molecular gastronomist Marcel and his smack downs, Mia throwing Cliff under the bus at the Judges’ Table, Elia buzzing her head, Betty screaming at Marcel, Ilan screaming at Marcel…
• I love a good Salad Nicoise that traditionally consists of seared tuna filet, sliced potatoes, haricot verts, olives and hard-boiled eggs. What's your favorite salad and does it have sex appeal?
• Text Poll: Start sending in your votes for Fan Favorite to be announced at the reunion special the week after the season finale. It's a tough decision but I think I'm going with Stephanie. Any guesses as to whom will be crowned?

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, dig into our Online Video Guide.

Speed and stamina were two ingredients the eight remaining chef-testants needed to stay in the competition this week. Dividing into two teams of four and with immunity no longer offered in the Quickfire Challenge the relay race was on.

Though swiftness was needed for the QFC, it was apparent where the ultimate strength was going to lie by the way the teams were divided. With hands shaking, Lisa gained a lead over Antonia sectioning oranges but that was lost when Spike broke the stem of his artichoke and was victim of Andrew and his secret weapon—the peeler. Richard and Dale were evenly matched filleting a monkfish but Stephanie whipped into the lead over Nikki when making mayonnaise from scratch.

If I were getting married I'm not sure I'd be game to have a menu created and prepared the day before the wedding. But that's exactly what the happy couple Corey and JP agreed to for their 250 guests.

The benefit of winning the QFC was being allowed to choose a menu for either the bride or the groom. Smiling Richard makes a wise decision and convinces his team to take what is considered to be the more difficult task of cooking for the bride. Spike doesn't get it and questions why Richard would pick working for the person who is perceived to be the more nervous on their special day. This is just one instance in an episode that is full of contrasts.

The Bride's team worked well together and pulled out a victory. Richard inserts himself as leader of his team and isn't above poking fun at himself for wearing pink shoes and picking out the floral decorations. Stephanie steps up to the plate and takes on the unenviable task of making a multi-layered wedding cake. (She also had the foresight to assemble the cake at the location to avoid any last minute mishaps.) Antonia plugs along even when she looks as if she's asleep when stirring a pot.

Andrew was pumped, psyching himself to work all night and verbalizing his culinary excitement. The portion of the Bride's team that appears to not go smoothly is Andrew resenting Richard's "driving the bus". And though it sounded good, his Almond and Basil Crusted Chicken wasn't very crispy and was considered a repeat of last week's challenge with the kids. The judge's didn't like the dissonance of Andrew's creamed spinach but Richard took responsibility for adding star anise.

Bonus points go to Richard who ended up splitting the winning $2000 Crate & Barrel gift card with Stephanie for taking on the cake.

Even before the eventual lack of sleep set in during the 14+-hour cookathon, the Groom's team was unfocused. Since Italian food is Nikki's specialty and was what the groom requested, she had the opportunity to build on last week's good showing and prove that she could be a top chef. But she wanted no part of it and the team suffered from lack of direction. Nikki didn't even follow her opening comments about the need to fight harder at this point in the game. Her lack of leadership coupled with a dry Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter and Sage that was too sweet sent her packing.

Gail Simmons said the Groom's team had too many items that were uninspired. Though the team pointed fingers at Dale for doing a half-baked job his hustling wasn’t appreciated by them or the judges. By taking on too many duties Dale stretched himself too thin, didn't excel at one dish and was perceived not to be a team player. Spike took advantage of this and though he made a successful Chilean sea bass he didn't carry his weight. Spike's antagonistic ways and Dale's temper will most likely prove to be their downfall.

Lisa was wise to be quiet at the Judges' Table, and caused no problems working solo on a flavorful but what Tom Colicchio called an "ugly" chocolate hazelnut cake. I would like to have heard more about both cakes from guest judge and executive pastry chef of Chicago's Tru restaurant, Gale Gand.

Second Bites
• Did Lisa and Stephanie get any assistance with the cake recipes or did they create them from scratch?
• Does Spike like his cocktails a little too much? In one of the opening scenes, Andrew is talking to Spike who is in bed and has a nightstand full of champagne and wine bottles. Are these empties or is that actually a mini-bar? He's also pouring himself a glass of wine in the stew room…
• Text Poll: Which chef annoys you the most? Dale was the winner with 46%, Lisa a close second with 39% and Spike had 15%. How would you have voted?

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, dig into our Online Video Guide.

With this season of Top Chef taking place in Chicago it was only a matter of time before we heard the name Oprah. Her personal chef Art Smith was on hand as the guest judge for both challenges. I don't know if I could prepare an entrée in 15 minutes as the chef-testants had to do in the Quickfire Challenge but I wouldn't have considered using Uncle Ben's 90-second microwaveable rice an option.

Though she's had uneven showings, I was projecting Stephanie to be a frontrunner but after losing both challenges tonight, along with Mark and Lisa, I'm starting to have doubts. Chef Art initially called her Brown Rice Pancakes with Scallops clever but then later said the pancakes were too heavy and the scallops unnecessary. Would he have preferred maple syrup with them?

Lisa was told her Rice, Corn, Black Beans and Peppers with Avocado Crème and Grilled Shrimp was unoriginal and Mark's Miso Glazed Turkey Breast was tough, dry and needed sauce.

On the upside, Richard is spotlighted again with his "well-balanced" Tuna Steak and Tomatoes with Yuzu Vinaigrette. And Dale's Pineapple Fried Rice with Grilled Scallops and Chinese Long Beans is the dish I wanted to taste tonight. But Antonia won immunity with her appealing hot and cold Rice Salad with Skirt Steak and Arugula. She could have slacked off for the Elimination Challenge but scored big again by creating a simple and delicious dinner for four with a budget of $10.

One nice thing that Top Chef does is occasionally associate its challenges with worthy organizations. This season we shopped for locally grown foods at Green City Market, went to a Meals on Wheels charity event and alerted families how to get closer with suggestions at mealstogether.com. Tonight Common Threads is the organization highlighted that connects children of many cultures and teaches them understanding and acceptance of others by way of cooking and sharing nutritious meals.

Some of those children, the "little" extra help as Padma called them, were cute but added lightness to the episode and served to soften some chefs' edges. (This might have also been the call of the producers asking editors to remove any bleepable words and present an episode suitable for the children to watch with their families.)

Antonia gained good karma after a phone conversation with her daughter. (I guess the knock-knock joke with the punch line "smell mop" helped.) She also brought her experience as a single mother to whip up a winning Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry over Whole Wheat Noodles.

Andrew's three words of wisdom: simple, old and new. Keep it simple, take something old and make it new was the philosophy he learned from his mother. Serving Chicken Paillard Andrew was told he expanded the little chefs' culinary language by accompanying it with fennel and apples. Nikki threw chicken and mixed vegetables together and was praised for her "one pot wonder."

I'm glad Stephanie is still around but I had to agree with the wrinkled nose and scrunched-up face that Tom Colicchio gave her for the Peanut Butter and Tomato Sauce over Chicken with Eggplant and Zucchini Couscous. As Zoi said about Richard's white chocolate-wasabi sauce, I promise you that doesn't taste good. Even without undercooked edamame, Lisa used a lot of ingredients and still created a bland Roasted Chicken with Black Beans and Lime. There were no tomatoes used with the peanut butter on her apple French toast.

I waited all week to hear Mark say at the Judges' Table: "I think Tom doesn't like me…how do I make this guy happy?" Mark would still be around and would have made Chef Tom very happy if he had added some protein to the Vegetable Curry, used more vegetables than sweet potatoes and the odd choice of cucumber, cut back on the sweetness, spent his budget more wisely and had a neat presentation.

Second Bites
• If it was mentioned before I didn't remember that Andrew weighed over 200 pounds in high school. Looking good, dude. Way to go!
• Chef Tom was playful asking Richard and his assistant if they made the onions sweat by putting them on the treadmill.
• Gail Simmons got a dig in when telling Stephanie her mushy couscous was the telltale sign of a restaurant chef that doesn't cook at home. Do you think that's true?
• Text poll: What was the toughest challenge? The $10 budget came in first with 57% (and shopping at Whole Foods doesn’t make it easier), that was followed by the 15-minute time limit at 34% (I would have been frazzled) and all but 9% would have wanted to work with a Kid Sous Chef.

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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!"

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As this evening's episode of Top Chef began, the Quickfire Challenge totally influenced me to toss out the calming cup of tea I had made and reach for an icy cold beer. It's too bad I didn't have some of the "simple pleasures" that the chefs were asked to concoct and accompany one of 16 beers they had on hand.

Joining Padma for the QFC was Koren Grieveson, head chef at Chicago's Avec restaurant. Appropriately dubbed "poker face", Chef Koren gave minimal comments like "needs more acid" to Andrew's rainbow trout with raspberry gastrique. His sweet and sour-type sauce looked good but I questioned pairing trout with beer. Dale's roasted pork tenderloin with pretzel dust, I mean crust, was not moist, and Nikki, on the bottom in both challenges this week, was told her citrus marinated shrimp had too much breading and not much seasoning.

Poking fun at her hairstyle, Jennifer chose LandShark lager and prepared shrimp and scallop beignets that would have been tasty with my Corona. Skating through the middle of most challenges so far, she re-channeled the negative energy from Zoi's loss last week and whipped up an immunity-winning dish that was light, not greasy, and used well-balanced flavors.

Catering the tailgate party at Soldier Field for the Chicago Bears game brought out some notables for the Elimination Challenge. In addition to guest judge Paul Kahan (Chef and owner of Blackbird and Avec restaurants), former Bears players Gale Sayers, William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Richard Dent were on hand to help choose the fans' top and bottom three dishes.

At the end of the first day of preparations, and after taping the refrigerators shut, it was nice to see the chefs return home for some down time and to chill out. Particularly funny was watching Hat Guy Spike, who has made several lesbian comments about Jennifer and Zoi, sipping champagne while taking a bubble bath with Mark.

Stephanie was on top in both challenges and I found two more items I wish were accompanying my beer. She followed up her Steamed Mussels in Cilantro Vinaigrette in the first challenge with Pork Tenderloin and Rosemary Vinaigrette with Potato and Pear Salad. Antonia also scored with her Jerk Chicken Sandwich, taking Chef Tom Colicchio's advice to include the banana and pineapple in the sandwich instead of serving it on the side.

Scoring a touchdown with a complexity of flavors in his Tandoori Baby Back Ribs and a Raisin-Mango Potato Salad, Dale won the challenge and took home a Bears jersey and a Weber Summit 650 gas grill. (A quick search shows the price range to be $1700 - $2000.)

Mark, who prefers rugby to football, chose not to throw shrimp on the barbie and fumbled with his Chicken and Scallion Skewers. As the only one cooking with charcoal, he was told its smokey flavor was too heavy for the hearty Soy and Onion Glaze. Not only was his New Zealand Corn Chowder gritty, he put the spoon back in the bowl to serve after using it to taste the soup. But being unsanitary, wearing a messy apron and having a sloppy presentation were not enough to get him kicked out of the game.

Nikki specializes in comfort food but didn't comfort the judges when there were not enough peppers and sauce for the sausage sandwiches she served to them. Being compared to Richard who blended veal and pork into a paté Nikki's short cut of buying her sausage instead of making it from scratch plus the disconnect of having shrimp on hand only gave her a penalty.

Ryan, the self-proclaimed metrosexual who has only been to a football game twice, was out of his comfort zone prepping a multi-course meal for sports fans. He gets points for easily schmoozing with the crowd over Andrew wearing a football helmet or Hat Guy Spike making a crack about the Bears in the Super Bowl. But ultimately this was the wrong crowd to try and serve food that was "light and fresh". Perhaps as suggested he should have served his marinated chicken in a roll instead of next to a bread salad. But he was tackled and thrown out for serving not only brandy cocoa but a poached pear with crème fraiche and huckleberry sauce. And yes, I could easily have had this with my beer too.

Second Bites
• While catering Block and Tailgate parties are fun the Film Food and Meals on Wheels challenges allowed for more upscale dinners. We are nearly half-way through the season, but so far have the challenges demonstrated the true extent of a top chef’s talents?
• I was glad that there were no team challenges this week and the chefs competed one-on-one.
• Text Poll: Who would you most want to touch in touch football? 16% = Yourself, 34% = Padma, and 50% voted for Tom.
• I've eaten panzanella made with crusty bread, tomatoes, basil and a vinaigrette but I didn't see anything that was red in Ryan's Bread Salad. How was his variation made?
• I could be wrong but does it look as if Richard wears fuchsia-colored Crocs?

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How do you account for taste? Celebrity chef Ming Tsai was on hand for tonight's episode that from start to finish had everyone's palate cooking overtime. My favorite challenge each season is Restaurant Wars but Antonia was doubly stoked when she won her favorite Quickfire Challenge to compare and identify 15 higher quality ingredients while blindfolded. With the highest score of 12 out of 15 correct, her immunity seemed to cause the most friction in the kitchen.

The Meals on Wheels Chicago Celebrity Chefs' Ball was the setting for the Elimination Challenge, which used a theme of the four elements. Accordingly, each chef pulled a santoku knife and divided into four teams of three to create a first course that complimented water, air, earth or fire for 80 guests. Ironically, each team had a pair that worked together in last week's EC.

I'm a big fan of butternut squash soup but might not have wanted to serve it to a crowd of 80 people. Keeping it hot enough rather than having the server spill it would give me pause. Antonia did say she would be on board to make a squash soup but eventually sold Spike and Zoi on the idea it may not appear to be of high quality. Only in her confessional did she speak out against it. Ultimately it was Chef Ming who said that a well-made soup would have been the way to go. The Earth team just couldn't win. Head judge Tom Colicchio wanted to get rid of both Zoi and Spike for not rejecting Antonia's input over serving a bland beef carpaccio. But to her detriment Zoi was responsible for intentionally under seasoning the accompanying mushrooms and frisée salad, which is what got her eliminated.

I couldn't wrap my head around what went wrong with the fish preparation over on team Water. Richard's method of poaching the salmon not only changed its texture but also did nothing to help him get rid of the scales. Mark was called out for his vanilla parsnip purée and this is probably the third time Andrew pulled out the tapioca pearls.

It's interesting that Jennifer gets by each week neither being on top or on the bottom. The Duck Breast with Citrus Salad and sparkling Pomegranate Prosecco presented by the Air team might have gone by without a negative comment had Chef Tom been a fan of the trend of serving little drinks with dishes. And it might have been a little redder had our buddy Ryan not thrown out most of the pomegranate juice. His comment must have been bleeped, but I had to laugh when Nikki told him that you draw more attention when you curse.

Stephanie has only faltered once in the EC. Tonight she not only kept Dale and Lisa at arm's length but also made the grilled shrimp with pickled chilis. But it was Lisa who impressed the judges with her method of laying the bacon flat with the fat facing the same direction and basting it with maple syrup and miso showing Chef Ming that she too can make east meet west.

Second Bites
• Tempers really flared from members of both the winning and the losing teams. Do you think those with the loudest voices (Dale, Lisa, Spike) will be done in by them?
• The text poll listed Dale, with 56%, as the contestant who deserves a spanking for being the most difficult over Lisa and Antonia. I'm still stuck on Andrew's comment from two episodes ago about not leaving and having security drag him out.
• What was the term used referring to the method of poaching by the Water team? And was this done in a pouch?
• Considering the drama of this week's losing team, should the person with immunity be less involved in the decision-making during a team challenge?

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This week's episode required the chefs to think with both sides of their brain, demonstrating their technical skills as well as their imagination. The Quickfire Challenge was almost more demanding than the Elimination Challenge, and it came with a higher reward giving the winner immunity rather than sending someone home.

Padma, joined by Chef Daniel Boulud, who makes a return visit as guest judge this season, announced that for the QFC the chefs were to create a beautiful vegetable plate demonstrating at least three techniques. As Richard said, technique is more than knife proficiency. And while I can appreciate the fact that not all chefs attend culinary school, should they not be well versed in creating food art? Perhaps the word art isn't accurate but there is a lot to be said for presentation.

It was interesting that both Richard and Ryan spent time training with Chef Daniel, but Ryan vocalized that preparing foods like this was not his style. Lisa also mentioned this and was told her poached egg, blanched asparagus and batonettes of bell pepper showed no train of thought and went back to basics. Manuel may have used the "sentimental jinx" this evening by saying he missed his sons. Chef Daniel told him that he showed level one techniques with his blanched asparagus and brunoise of yellow pepper. At least he knew that brunoise is a method of fine dicing.

Looking almost as frazzled as her accompanying chiffonade of frisée but landing a cut above the rest was Zoi serving a shaved asparagus salad and a "perfect" poached egg with batons of green beans. Richard presented varied textures with his blanched mushrooms, pickled beets and sliced radishes but Dale won immunity showing "amazing knife skills" with daikon marinated in tobanjan. (As I've previously mentioned I prefer milder flavors, which is probably why I've never encountered the term for spicy miso sauce known as tobanjan.)

Entering the reel world of the Elimination Challenge, the chefs were to satisfy the palates not only of the judges but also of film critic Richard Roeper, actress Aisha Tyler and other guests with foods inspired by favorite movies. The chefs broke into teams to prepare a six-course meal that you wouldn't find at a concession stand.

Even if you rarely go to the movies it shouldn't be a set back. Ryan seems like a really nice guy and I can't imagine what he would have made with his first film choice Dumb and Dumber. Mark's little known choice of the Australian dark comedy Bad Boy Bubby, about a mother who has kept her son in seclusion for 35 years and, well, let's just say I don't think this would be tasty too. Luckily Ryan recalls (with help) A Christmas Story, and just like in the movie, the store is out of the duck that they had hoped to buy. Coming up with Plan 9 (from Outer Space) Ted Allen and several guests liked the flavors of their quail breast with carrot purée, cranberry chutney and quail spring rolls.

Serving the sixth course, Lisa and Stephanie, who won last week with a dessert, were wise not to present a rerun. I would never have considered the film Top Secret! a culinary inspiration but their NY strip steak and braised short ribs with caramel sauce was called "harmonious". Aisha thought the dish felt organized but Ted wanted to know "does it say Val Kilmer in a cow suit?"

Richard's favorite film was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and it proved to be an inspiring first course. He won the challenge delivering a smoked salmon accompanied with Andrew's faux caviar made of tapioca pearls (which he used before) and a wasabi white chocolate sauce. What connected the food to the movie was telling the judges that if you floated to the ceiling after drinking the fizzy pear and celery soda burping would be the way to get down.

Zoi did not comprehend Richard's risk-taking flavor combo. She and partner Antonia also could not translate what they considered to be the vibrancy of the two women in Pedro Almodóvar's Talk to Her when presenting a rack of lamb with saffron cauliflower purée. Maybe they were subtly influenced by the fact that the two women actually spend most of the film in a coma.

It was thumbs down for Manuel this week even though Spike was the Vietnamese cuisine expert. Though Chilean sea bass was faulted as a limp choice for their summer rolls, the tilapia Spike wanted to use wouldn't have been any better. It was correctly suggested that a firmer shellfish like lobster would have been the better choice. And adding the Swiss chard garnish did nothing to make the plate cohesive. Manuel had a sense that he was going to leave and I'll bet he won't be watching Good Morning, Vietnam with his sons for quite a while.

Second Bites
• If Manuel had insisted on creating something inspired by Like Water for Chocolate, would Spike have been the one leave? Or would it have been Zoi or Antonia?
• How are your knife skills? Can you create more than a tomato rose?
• The text poll wanted to know what you thought of Andrew's idea to present the food as Oompa Loompas. 85% thought it "fell short". Was it wrong of me to burst out laughing at his playful impersonation?
• When thinking of film food, I would have picked Amélie because she worked in a café and I love French pastries and espresso anytime of day. What film would you choose to satisfy your cinematic taste buds?

For more tasty treats about Top Chef, check out our Online Video Guide.

¡Hola! Tonight's episode started with a south of the border accent as Mexican gourmet chef Rick Bayless joined host Padma Lakshmi to watch the 14 remaining chefs go mano-a-mano in the Quickfire Challenge. Chef Rick is the owner of Chicago's Frontera Grill and its sister restaurant Topolobampo. He also has a line of food products, which I've previously purchased (perhaps at Whole Foods), and can personally say the Frontera brand salsas were muy bien.

Reinventing and creating an upscale taco was slightly more challenging than I thought it would be. As Chef Rick mentioned, they were served a lot of "street tacos". Erik seemed perplexed at dressing up simple foods and it showed in his end product. Though sounding like a flavorful combination, his chipotle braised chicken taco with avocado and pomegranate salsa was called a train wreck and was the least favorite dish. It sort of reminded me of the mashed potato soufflé from the first episode.

Ryan's taco had a pomegranate jicama salad, which also sounded good, but Chef Rick was not impressed with the paper wrapper as garnish. Lisa served a rare skirt steak, typically a tougher cut of meat that requires a longer cooking time, which was unchewable. I thought Manuel would get a mention for using cactus petals and chorizo with picante verde sauce.

Spike's ground pork with tomatillo sauce was said to have "super soul-satisfying flavor" and Andrew soared high with his duck breast with plantain jam and cotija cheese. Richard not only won immunity for offering shaved jicama as tortillas with avocado, papaya and cilantro stems, but also will have his dish featured on the menu at Topolobampo.

As the chefs split into two teams for the Elimination Challenge, Padma explained that they wouldn't be shopping for their ingredients. They were to go door-to-door and gather foods from the neighbors participating in their annual block party. The event corresponds with mealstogether.com, which I learned after looking it up is a site devoted to bringing families together at mealtime. With the hectic pace we tend to keep these days it seems like a great tool to help parents spend more time with their children.

The block party looked like a fun outing and the Red Team took some down time afterwards to shoot hoops and drink beer. Though neither team had a great showing, it was the Blue Team that squeaked by with the win.

Richard was criticized for serving paella with seafood and sausage but without a crunch it was more like a pilaf. (Perhaps he just didn't use the correct pan.) Amazingly, it was Stephanie's "Sexy Drink", made with lavender, citrus, mint, simple syrup and seltzer, and the mixed fruit crumble with cinnamon sugar wontons that gave her a second EC win.

In addition to Stephanie I really thought we would hear more raves about the women this week but there were none. Nikki was on the bottom a second week in a row, this time for macaroni and cheese, which she said was a signature dish. From the Red Team, I'm keeping an eye on Jennifer, who was neither positively nor negatively mentioned. Girlfriend Zoi was slammed for a pasta salad she never wanted to make.

Except for charming the neighbors, Ryan never got his groove on in this episode. He seemed to have thought out the logistics of transporting the components of his Waldorf salad individually, but having boiled the chicken it added unneeded water, there was no crunch, and white balsamic was substituted for mayonnaise.

Erik was told to pack his knives and go for the mini corn dogs that were probably crispy when he made them but became soggy while warm and covered during transit.

Spike was a master at charring the smores lollipops, which Padma dropped on Ted Allen's shoe, but he and Andrew we a little full of themselves as they copped an attitude toward the judges that showed they can't take criticism and don't play well with others.

Second Bites
• Have you made use of mealstogether.com, and if so, what benefits did you gain?
• Was Spike being competitive or heartless when steering Antonia away from a house he had visited but knew had a full pantry? (In the end, it didn't help.)
• What did Nikki say to Erik when she hugged him goodbye? It sounded like "Padma soufflé".
• The text poll wanted to know which would happen first: a female president or a female Top Chef. 85% chose the latter.

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In this second episode of the new season of Top Chef, first impressions may change. A fowl-mouthed zebra can change his stripes and some winners who were proud peacocks ate crow.

If we continue to see more sunny sites of the city, I may have to take a trip to Chicago. The outdoor Green City Market, making locally grown food available to chefs and the public, was a great location to begin the Quickfire Challenge. With all of the fresh meats and produce, the hardest part for the cheftestants was selecting only five ingredients to prepare an entrèe.

After everyone scrambled to locate his or her choices, Spike took a moment to chill and watch a guitar player perform. As Mark was zipping from stand to stand, I felt bad for him when he had forgotten to take his mizuna (a peppery lettuce that I think is similar to mustard greens). And I wasn't quite sure what Richard was going to come up with when choosing the eucalyptus leaves.

Richard had a potential soul mate with molecular gastronomist and guest judge Wylie Dufresne, who said they "tend to play in the same sand box." But Richard's braised chicken with apples, eucalyptus and butter disappointed and was deemed oily. Using the aromatic plant was certainly an original choice, but since oil was an allowable option, perhaps he should have omitted the butter.

Andrew was unfocused and eventually disqualified after listing six items. (I laughed when Padma noticed the mistake and slowly said: "Did you say balsamic?") Ryan bounced back nicely from the chicken piccata debacle to create a "moist and juicy" sirloin with lettuce, radishes, potatoes and Dijon. Even with one item down, Mark pulled through to win immunity by also preparing a sirloin but was cited for contrasting the bitterness of a turnip with the sweetness of peaches.

Heading over to the Lincoln Park Zoo for the Elimination Challenge, the chefs were to cater a party for 200 people and pulled knives with assorted animal names on them to become teams of three. Yes, I was initially puzzled too and let's just say I was glad to hear that the teams were to prepare foods based on what the animals eat….

I can't quite imagine a vulture snacking on Team Vulture's tasty menu. Zoi soared high with her Moroccan lamb meatballs with ricotta and pomegranate syrup as did Mark with his anchovy on quinoa croquettes. Over on Team Penguin, Andrew toned down his language and came up as the winner this week. His charred squid ceviche with soy-balsamic tapioca is the dish I wanted to taste the most. Also his yuzu and mint glacier sounded better when I realized I confused the sour citrus fruit with kuzu (a root starch used as a thickener).

Dale, appropriately on Team Bear, was at odds with Nikki and her mushrooms stuffed with blueberries. At the judge's table Dale repeated that he didn't produce the dish yet he topped them with more pecorino cheese without telling Nikki or Spike. Gail Simmons said they looked like something the bears would produce instead of eat! The biggest problem was serving them to the judges — cold — after it was decided to hold them back.

Incorporating meat into the vegetarian guideline for Team Gorilla wasn't a setback. The judges were pleased with Antonia's lamb and edamame lettuce cups. But former coworkers Valerie and last week's winner Stephanie each prepared items that should have been made on the spot and ultimately had moisture problems. Stephanie premixed her roasted pear and crab salad, tossing it with salt, which drew liquid from the pears and made it watery. She got points for serving her mother's banana bread with caramel sauce. Valerie should have waited to make her black olive blinis to order. The small pancakes would have tasted fresh, not soggy and soft, and would have prevented her from being asked to pack her knives and go.

Second Bites
• Someone on Team Lion made a Bison Tartare with a tarragon coulis. Bison is not a part of my regular diet. And though I'm familiar with a fruit or vegetable coulis (an uncooked, puréed sauce) how exactly was the tarragon coulis made?
• Regarding the text poll, wouldn't you say Judge Tom is more of a bear than a gorilla or a penguin? (Though I've seen some waiters look like penguins.)
• Do you think Antonia contributed to Valerie's exit when responding to Tom that given the option she would rather hire Stephanie?
• Did anyone expect Richard to disappoint guest judge Wylie?
• Has Andrew redeemed himself from his questionable first impression last week?

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