Food Network Star – Season 4, Episode 6

We start the show with Bobby Flay addressing the chefs, today is what you have been waiting for, full on cokking demos in the kitchen, in four minutes. Oh wait, we have a twist, a video message from Rachel ray, your demos will be live, on her show to a studio audience.  The meals must be inventative, nutritious and satistify the most desearning pallet, a bunch of girl scouts! You ahve 10 minutes to met with your girl scout and come up with a menu.

Shane has trouble relating to his girl scout, I wonder if he has ever been around a kid in his life!  Lisa wants us to know that food doesn’t have to be dumbed down for a kid.  Kelset asks Lisa a question about her sausage, and Lisa doesn’t answer, to which kelsey replies that everyone’s true colors will come out. Adam says this should be easy as he is still a kid himself.  Then we find out that he and his brother opend a resturant that only lasted two years before it closed, he says that this show is a chance at redemption….hummmm.  Aaron is nrevous about relating to the audience, has no problem with his girl scout, he’s a dad, he understands kids.

We arrive at teh Rachel ray show and she tells them that the most important thing is to tell a story and to work with thier child. So how do they do….

1. Aaron – okay, he starts by washing their hands, which puts his back to the camera and audience, but he quickly redeems himself, he is fun, having a great time with the girl scout and Rachel, they make a brocolli, hamburger pizza, which looked good and the judges said tasted good. He was the most unselfconcinous that they have ever seen him.  Judges note that this was a joy to watch, that he played masterfully between Rachel, the girl scout and the audience! Bravo!
2. Kelsey – well the judges felt the whole thing felt uncomfortable to watch, she does nothing, she gives Rachel and the girl scout all the jobs and she talks. Personally, I could watch her, I had to leave the room, which is probably what I would do if Kelsy had her own show, sorry.  The judges felt she was cute with the girl scout, but showed no authority.
3. Shane – never engages his girl scout, forgets her name, and she looks really sad, Rachel comes along and saves Shane big time by involving the girl scout. This was not comfortable at all to watch. Judges felt he was technical, he has klearned alot (book learning and school) but not lived, life experiences.
4. Lisa – she starts out strong but them gets completely overwhelmed by Rachel and being near her and loses it, and you can see it happening, and rachel has to save the rest of the demo.  First off the judges felt she steamrolled her girl scout on the menu, then it was hard to watch, Rachel had to take over, she was overwhelmed. Their big question, are you strong enough to be here?
5. Adam – slightly funny, made fruit kabobs. He actually seemed like a real guest on the show. The food looked good and tasted good.  The judges felt that he is a skilled entertainer, but how much does he really know about food and cooking, the focus has got to be on the food.

Now as a bonus, Rachel Ray gets to tell them that the final four will be heading to Las vegas!!

Judging:

Aaron – you are safe

Adam – are you better at black jack or cooking, asks Bobby Flay, to which Adam replies cookling, Booby then tells him he better brush up on the blackjack, he’s going to Vegas.

Lisa – you will be moving on – Shock!! I really thought that Lisa would go home tonight. I mean she has been awestruck by Martha Stewart and rachel Ray, can she hang with the food network stars and not fall apart?

Kelsey and Shane – Kelsey you are moving on.

This means, goodbye to Shane! Sorry to see him go, but I think he needs a little more experience and life lessons and then he would be fabulous.

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.