Food Network Star – Season 4, Episode 4

We start the night with Tyler Florence, and since he is all about the skills and teaching people, the chefs know that this is a technique challenge, and they are right.  Each person will have one minute to video tape a segment showingg how to do something, they are looking for clear teaching skills, expert knowledge and the abliltiy to relate to the camera.

1. Adam – break down an artichoke
2. Aaron – cut a pineapple
3. Kelsey – french a rib bone
4. Shane – open a coconut
5. Nipa – clean a squid
6. Lisa – tress and chicken
7. Jennifer – shuck an oyster

The winner of the mini challenge will get their technique video on the Food Network Homepage, and the winner is …… Kelsey

Michael Simon, the winner of the Next Iron Chef, is the guest judge on panel this week, and he introduces Chef LaDuke from Red Lobster, who tells them that the winners dish will be features on Red Lobster Fresh Fish Menus.  The challenge, to prepare a fish two ways, one for Red Lobster, that will fit on their menu, and the other with a unique “Iron Chef” type ingredient, which they will serve both dished to the panel and 30 coast guarders ( not that they know they will be the coast guard until the actual serving, but I know, so you know).

1. Shane – fish was Sole, ingredient was Mashmellow Creme
2. Lisa – fish was Artic Char, ingredient was Coffee
3. Adam – fish was halibut, ingredient was carmels
4. Kelsey – fish was Tilapa, and ingredient was white chocolate (as winner she picked first)
5. Nipa – fish was trout, ingredient was grape jelly
6. Jennifer – fish was Mahi Mahi, ingredient was froot loops
7. Aaron – fish was cod, ingredient was cola

JUDGING:

1. Lisa – connect with the camera more, the tar-tar she made realyl missed the boat, but today they saw a different side of Lisa, the human, funny and warm side, mostly because the woman slipped in her three inch heels in the kitche of a boat and spilled sauce all over her, and she make a comment about ruining her shoesa and her $300 blouse….no one needs to be cooking in a $300 blouse and 3 inch heels, really!
2. Shane – in the technique challenge, you convinced us that you knew waht you were doing adn they loved that, the food was good, in fact, judging from the comments, he was in the top on this one.
3. Adam – the mini challenge went great, but on the other, the food was bad and the halibut was dry, and then on his presentation he completely missed, he tried to be a funny guy, tripping over the doorway, and it feel so flat, I thought I heard the crickets chripping.
4. Nipa – totally lacked experince in the mini, and giggled throughout it, and they felt that was disrespectful, the fish was a little over cooked but overall okay, and the presentation was that she was just trying too hard.
5. Kelsey – great engery, she realyl tried to come across more normal and not so cheerleadery this time, and it worked, she didn’t force it and the food was great, the flavors were good.
6. Aaron – missed on the mini, spent most of the time on a garnish not the skill, the food was disappointing, realyl dry and they stil lwant him to share more.
7. Jennifer – apolgizing again, it undermines any authority that you might have, thje food was good, but then during the presentation, she staerted out strong but revertedback to apologizing for the food, little self-esteem issues there.

Winner, and featered on Red Lobster menus…….Kelsey!!

Going home…… NIPA, sorry, but I still didn’t feel that she was realyl all that interested in being there.

During the judges, Aaron finally opend up and told them that his son ran away just before he left to do this show and that he knows that opening up with feelings and about himself is probably part of that problem and he is willing to work at it and he wants to be there. It brought tears to my eyes.

 

HGTV’s Next Design Star – Season 3, Episode 3

I missed the first like, twenty minutes of the show last night because of the kids, but what else is new. I should have known that having three of them would change my life, but I did it anyway! Oh well, they are worth it most days!

What I can figure, coming in late, is that they are split into four teams of two, to design a living room in an wonderful old hoise and they each have one “white elephant” type item that must be in the room. Pretty good, huh, the only thing I found out that I missed is that is is actually a sitting room design, they are told the old house is haunted, and they picked the white elephant items from a yard sale.

Team One (and I only number them this way because this is the order they were introduced into judging, not because of any sterling design) as Tracee and Jennifer, and I am feeling sorry for Jennifer from the minute I tune in. Their room is a light blue and cream room, and the judges said it didn’t feel cohesive and that  it looked like ayard sale “threw up” in the room, well not exactly those words but the sentiment is there. Also during the reveal, an ugly candle thing feel off the wall, and everyone joked that even the ghost didn’t like the design.

Team Two was Matt and Michael, and the judges liked it, it was black walls and cream to white accents and they called it hollywood glam. Good job guys.

Team Three was D Paul and Trish, and they used a dark sage green, a really nice high crown molding in a white, the judges felt it was heavy, dark, men’s club feeling, which they said is what they were going for, but they didn’t like it. They said they didn’t even notice DPaul’s crown molding, and I am thinking how can you miss that? He put in some wonderful crown molding, and then painted down about a foot and added another chair rail type piece to make it look hugh and to really lower the celing, and personally, I thought that was the best part of it, I was upset that more of the teams didn’t do the crown molding (can you tell I am a crown molding fan?)

Team Four was Mikey V and Stephanie and overall the room was okay, too many little sitting areas around the room that just took away from the overall design, but it was good.

We see the judges deliberating and they have some cutting remarks about who knows who or how many because you know they are just those quotes without letting us know who they were talking about, and I loved some of the comments, but really wished that I had known who they were talking about, because I don;t think we share a view of the designers.

In the Green room, it is jump on Tracee for her actions again, of course she is trying to say that she is a breeze to work with, and when Jennifer won’t agree with her, she gets alls weepy…at one pont someone, I think it was Trish says something about her, and Michael tells Tracee to just be and adult, take the crictism as how she feels and deal with it and Tracee responds with “I don’t have to deal with it” and then goes on to say that she is ashamed to be associated with some of them, and I am thinking, I think that might be the other way around, I think they are all ashamed to be associated with you.

Martha tells the designers, that next week, she wants them to Go Big or Go Home!!

Mikey V, Stephaine, Matt and Michael you have the best rooms this week, you are all safe.

Jennifer and Trish, despite being on bad rooms, you are safe.

DPaul and Tracee, you held back your teams tonight. Tracee you need to learn to edit more, DPaul, you did not complete your room,…….  DPaul, your show has been cancelled.

Dang it!! I liked him, and I thought he was head and shoulders above Tracee, it seems like Tracee may be the Lisa (Top Chef) of Design Star, bad but always having someone else just a little bit worse.

Back in the green room, someone says what will you do/say if Tracee walks back in, and they all say she won’t….cue the doors, in walks Tracee and the room falls completely silent. No one says anything!! Now, I am hoping for an individual challenge next week so that we, and the judges can see how bad Tracee really is and we can be done with her already. She has worn my last nerve down to the end and I don’t think I can watch anymore of her.