Rocco's Dinner Party, Episode 4 Recap

This week, our three chefpetitors were Fabio, Ryan, and Jen. Rocco seemed extra critical of their dishes this week, mostly because he couldn't find all that much wrong with them apart from either too much or not enough seasoning. Fabio got the boot right away and Jen and Ryan went on to cook for the party guests.

This week's theme was the Perfect Summer Party, but also Diet Food, which nobody wants at a party. But Rocco had to have a tie-in with his book, Now Eat This! Diet, copies of which he generously presented to the chefs. Each of them had to prepare three courses and a cocktail, the food needing to have less than 350 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Ryan chooses to make three dishes that he's made before, all of which seem really diet-y - scallops with a tomato watermelon salad, black cod with edamame and cucumber, and Greek yogurt with balsamic strawberries. Jen makes a more adventurous menu, with scallops in a tequila sauce with avocado puree, bbq pork tenderloin with rice and beans, and a passionfruit trifle.

The guests arrive and include actor Chazz Palminteri and comedian Jeff Ross, plus a bunch of fitness people. Yawn. Ross decides he doesn't want to eat diet food, so Rocco takes him into the kitchen to make special requests that include chicken salad, matzo brei with salami, and cheesecake. The chefs are all WTF? but Ryan takes the chicken salad and Jen the matzo dish, both of which still need to meet the 350/10 criteria.

Ryan serves first and generally his dishes go over well, although his cod doesn't excite too many people. Jen's dishes fare better, but her bbq sauce is a bit too much like ketchup. However, her matzo brei is stunningly good, which gives her the edge in the competition. Rocco declares Jen the winner, which is a surprise to all because, well, she's female. And it doesn't seem like the female chefs have been particularly favored in this competition.

What did you think? Please leave a comment!

Posted on AllTopChef.com