|
|
GSNN
Primes |
|
Previous Episodes June 6 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Twelve people hit up the Food Network for a pilot of their own show. But who'll beat the heat and who'll get out of the kitchen? Recaps by Jason Block, GSNN
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright Statement Powered by 1&1 Internet |
|
Sweet to Savory
Carnival
We are down to 11, and who
will be the Next Food Network Star?
Alexis left last week, and this week
starts in the kitchens with Giada. We go right into a Camera
Challenge...cooking and talking at the same time. She says if you
can't do that, you shouldn't be here. She gives the contestants a 11
step recipe breakdown of one her own recipes which is vegetable
lasagna.
CAMERA CHALLENGE: Each one of the
11 finalists left will have one minute to present one of the 11 steps
to the camera. They will hand it off to the next contestant,
regardless of whether they finished or not.
Aria gets the challenge and she delegates
who gets what part.
Paul opens the demo by heating the pan and
add the olive oil. He brings a little more personality to his
presentation and he hands it off to...
Aarti who peels and chops the carrot. She
blanks and feels like she blew it.
Next up is Tom who dices the zucchini and
summer squash, but blanks when he has to stretch for time.
Serena finishes the vegetables and
asparagus.
Dzintra opens the sauce and adds the first
layer of noodles. She goes into it full bore but doesnt think this
step shows her ability to go to the next level.
Brianna opens the beans and seasons. She
knows she can cook and talk, but is messed up by the camera.
Das has to remove water from the spinach
and add another layer to the noodles. But he doesn't finish the step
because he oversqueezed the water out of the spinach.He is
disappointed in himself.
Doreen has top the pasta with vegetables
and sauce. She has to finish Das's step and her step as well.
Brad finishes the noodles, coat with sauce
and layer with cheese. He says nice way too much.
Herb tops it with cheese. He says a
"cheesy" joke.
Aria goes last by adding butter and
placing it in the oven. Paul says she is talking like we are two years
old. She doesn't finish and Aria is worried.
Time for review from Giada.
Paul opened it up with energy and did
well.
Aarti had dead air. She says this is confirming the worst fears about herself. Aarti can't believe she had dead air.
Tom disengaged a little. He needs to have information throughout.
Serena spoke so fast that Giada didn't understand anything she said.
The finalists.
Dzintra is coming off like she is trying too hard. Warm it up, don't
feel like you have to overdo it.
Brianna has a great smile, but work on the nerves. Make me feel like
you want to be there.
Das had great energy coming in, but brutalized the spinach and didn't
finish. He needs to get control of it.
Doreen is making facial expressions that don't make her want to watch.
She seems almost angry.
Brad has to stop saying words like "nice". They are not words that
engage the viewer.
Herb is engaging anyone at any time. She says she likes that about
him.
Aria is talking to us like we are kids. And she didn't finish on time
and didn't get to taste.
Back at the house, Aarti is still kicking herself for what happened on
camera.
Tomorrow is the star challenge.
Which is next. The food star kitchen is decorated like a carnival and
then Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes comes out for the Star Challenge!
He says he was a chef long before he was a baker...so...
STAR CHALLENGE: Duff is closing down the Santa Monica Pier
Carnival and he is throwing a party for 100 of his closest friends.
And the 11 finalists will cater it. Here's the twist. They have to
create a savory bite based on the carnival treats which are on the
table in front of them. And Zoltar the Fortune teller will decide
which treat they get!
Aarti gets Funnel Cake.
Paul gets Caramel Corn.
Brianna gets Candy Apple.
Doreen gets Root Beer Float.
Serena gets the Ice Cream covered Waffle Cone.
Herb gets Lollipops.
Brad gets Circus Peanuts.
Tom gets Churros.
Dzintra gets Cotton Candy.
Aria gets Banana Split.
and Das gets Lemonade.
The teams go shopping with $300 and 45 minutes. They have 2 hours of
prep time and 1 hour of cook time at the pier. All the chefs show
their dishes and what they are going to do.
Prep time is over and the teams are done...but Aria is missing a tray
of meatballs!
We are now at the Santa Monica Pier! And it's 1 hour before the guests
arrive.
Aria realizes she is missing meatballs. She is scrambling.
Doreen is not happy with her pulled pork.
And we are ready for people! Serena thinks Paul is over the top. And
he shows that he is going over the top with his Asian Caramel Corn
Salad.
Das does Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings.
Dzintra does a Duck "Stick". (Duck Mousse, Duck Breast, Sweet
Meringue). People said she was "super slow" and "nervous".
Herb's smoked salmon lollipops are the first dish tasted by the
selection committee and Duff. The committee liked the flavor of the
dish, and that he executed the challenge with food that seemed like
him.
Paul's salad is tasted, but the committee doesn't think he executed
the challenge right, outside of the caramel corn garnish. No one on
the committee got how he saw this salad from Caramel Corn. Bob thought
that Paul's explanation of a "light salad" from heavy caramel corn was
totally off. Duff said the caramel corn didn't belong at all.
Aria does the meatballs in marinara in garlic toast for the Banana
Split. Bobby didn't like some of the flavors in the dish, but Duff
loved her presentation.
Tom shows off his Mahi Churro with Cinnamon Aioli and Jalapeno Slaw.
He thinks he nailed. After tasting, they called it overcooked and like
eating a teaspoon of sand. Duff says he is laid back like Tom, but Tom
is showing no passion at all.
Aarti's Funnel Cake inspired Tandoori Chicken with a Ricotta Pancake
is next. She gets scared once the selection committee gets there. But
she is blowing her presentation by saying things like " I didn't think
I could cater for 100 people". They liked her, the dish and the
flavors. But Susie hated her lack of confidence.
Dzintra's Duck Stick is next. But she is doing more talking and less
plating. She is being very ditzy. The committee felt she was being
overly eager to please and the dish was confusing.
Das's Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings are up. Everyone thought the dish was
simple, yet executed very well. Susie thought he did the challenge
well and Bob was the most impressed by him.
Brianna did a Sweet Chili Asian Meatball. Some of the people felt she
was not engaging and given the information about the food. She thinks
the committee will love her meatballs. They loved her food, but Bob
isn't getting the star power from her. She needs to step it up.
Serena does Cheese croquettes in Marinara Sauce. She is talking too
fast again. They think she should bottle that sauce because it is that
good. Bob called her a Maserati going 400 miles an hour.
Doreen does the root beer pulled pork next with Jalapeno Creme Fraiche.
She is trying to get her point of view across. They are confused. And
the pork is not good or tender.
Brad does smoked peanut BBQ Pork. The committee thought it was TOO
smoky to the point of acrid.
And we have reactions from the crowd both good and bad.
TIme for evaluations.
Doreen is worried.
Das is first. Susie says the wings were a huge hit. Bob says that when
Das is around people, he wants to be around him. But when he is in
front of the camera, he doesnt want to be around him at all.
Brianna's dish was flavorful according to Bobby. But Bob says she is
coming across as aloof and that her walls need to come down and the
crowd's least favorite people.
Paul did whatever he felt like, according to Bobby, using the caramel
corn as an after thought. He calls that a cop out and Paul is amazed
that Bobby thought that. And people thought he came off as rude. Bob
says his humor needs to appeal to a wider range of people.
Doreen's pork was tough. They are hammering her on her point of view
which she keeps saying as "I guess that..." Bob calls her words and
explanations "generic".
They also hammer Aarti on her lack of confidence which is hurting her.
Which is bad, because they said she delivered in a big way. The crowd
could taste the love in her food.
Aria's Banana Split were a little flavorful. The committee nails her vision as "Aria's Family Style Dinners".
They didn't understand Dzintra's dish. And Bob nails the fact she is
scattered and confused and trying to hard, even as she is trying to
explain herself. Her making things too HARD is a total turnoff for the
viewer.
They were impressed with Herb's dish and point of view.
They also loved Serena's Marinara. They are trying to slow Serena
down.
Tom's Mahi Churro was not well received and the crowd was very
disconnected from him. Bob: If your attitude is take it or leave it,
trust me....they will leave it.
Brad's BBQ Pork was inedible. Bob said his passion turns off on the
camera. Susie knows nothing about you.
Best of the week: Aria, Serena, Das and Aarti. Winner of this week's
challenge is Aarti. She is crying tears of joy.
7 left. Herb is safe. Brad is safe. Tom is safe. Brianna is safe. They
leave
The final three are Paul, Dzintra and Doreen.
The committee deliberates.
They call Doreen lost, Paul mean spirited with cooking skills, and
untapped promise with Dzintra. She comes off as scattered.
Decision time and Paul is safe.
Doreen and Dzintra are the final two and Doreen is going home.
Doreen struggled and was overwhelmed. And Brad is upset having his
food called inedible.
Next week, the chefs get put in the spotlight. 10 left as we keep
marching on to the "Next Food Network Star"!
To view this episode in its entirety, go to www.foodnetwork.com/star. |
|