This week was National Heritage Week for the All Stars, who first took the ferry to Ellis Island and then found out about their genealogical heritage before preparing a dish to reflect it.
On the ferry, the recheftestants had to take whatever junk food that was available to them and with it create a dish good enough to impress guest judge Dan Barber of Blue Hill. Carla won that task with a forward-thinking orange and papaya salad.
On the island, Padma tells the chefs that Bravo took the liberty of hiring a genealogist who dug extensively into their pasts to find out exactly where the chefs come from. And who better to share this kind of family history with than family members? Out come Mike's, Antonia's, and Tiffany's moms, and Blais' and Carla's spouses to look over the info and get weepy. While digging through the past, Mike and Antonia come to find they share a common Sicilian ancestor, which of course immediately makes them cousins, and with that, friends who are rooting for each other to make it to the finale.
The Elimination Challenge is to create a dish that reflects their genealogy, which will be served to the judges and the family members. Even without the Ancestry.com lesson, we all knew that there were two Italian Chefs, two chefs from the South, and one Irish/English mutt. So we get gnocchi (Mike), risotto (Antonia), mustard greens and okra (Tiffany), grits and biscuits (Carla), and pickled glasswort (Blais).
All of the chefs' dishes were outstanding, but Antonia's was the best of the lot. As for the loser...well, there was none. All five chefs are headed to the Bahamas to compete in the finale.
So what did you think about the episode? Did you think someone should have been eliminated? Please leave a comment?
