Showing posts with label TCJD2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TCJD2. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Recap Roundup: Top Chef Just Desserts 2 Finale

Jordan Baker on shocking (or maybe not): "Gail explains their final elimination challenge, the one that will determine which of them gets $100,000 and which of them gets to be arrested on kiddie porn charges (and way to make me feel like a tit for thinking you weren’t as bad as Bravo and that pack of screeching hyenas they had you living with would have us believe, Morgan)."

Picktainment on The Help: "Sally is worried about the showpiece, though she has a bit of experience and gets some good advice from Chef Canonne. She’s going to focus on flavor and notes that she doesn’t cook for the 'common' palate. Oh, excuse me. She is even too good to zest her own limes, so thank god an MOF is doing that for her."

TWOP on the final Judges' Table: "First up is Matthew's key lime and speculoos bon bon, which everyone agrees was a standout. Then Johnny innocently asks him whether he's more comfortable with chocolate or sugar, and when Matthew says chocolate, Johnny kicks him in the teeth: So why didn't he do his showpiece in chocolate, numnuts? Matthew claims he just wanted to do something different to stand out. Dannielle thought the showpiece looked like a love letter to his wife and you can almost hear Johnny making gag-me-with-a-creampuff noises in the background. Then Sally gets asked again about letting Orlando do so much work on the showpiece and she swears that she was just playing to the strengths of her sous chef. Then Chris is scolded for letting a brioche ball take a tumble and he's not really into it and just shrugs, whatever, man, brioche takes a fall sometimes, deal with it."

Eater on Cranky Johnny: "Johnny looks a bit put-out the whole time. He has obviously had a bug up his ass about something this whole time and takes it out on Sally (over Orlando’s showpiece, natch) and Matthew (just to be a contrarian). He’s obviously in Chris’ court."

CultureMob on taking sides: "The chefs head into the stew room and I don’t have a real feeling for where this is going to land. The judges pick over the individual challenges, and the only thing that becomes clear is that Matthew isn’t going to win; he’s basically ignored for the entire conversation. It seems to be shaking down to Gail and Danielle on Sally’s side and Johnny and Hubert rooting for Chris; I guess we’ll find out who wears the pants amongst the judges."

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Top Recipe - Chris Hanmer's Bon Bon, Coffee Infused Ganache, Caramel

Bon Bon - Coffee Infused Ganache, Caramel

Caramel:
250 grams sugar
50 grams glucose
100 grams butter, salted
150 grams cream
1 vanilla bean

Coffee Ganache:
500 grams cream
100 grams coffee beans
10 grams coffee flavor
600 grams 64% chocolate
50 grams glucose
50 grams butter

Caramel:
1. Warm the cream with the vanilla bean
2. Make a caramel by heating together the sugar and the glucose.
3. Add the butter to the caramel them slowly add the cream. Mix well and strain out the vanilla bean.
4. Cool to 88 Fahrenheit and fill into mold half way

Coffee Ganache:
1. Warm cream with the coffee beans and infuse for 15 minutes
2. Reheat cream and coffee. Add coffee flavor and strain over the chocolate
3. Add the glucose and mix
4. Cool the mixture to 95 degrees Fahrenheit add the soft butter
5. Let ganache cool to 88 F and fill on the top of the caramel than is already in the mold
6. Warm cream and pour over chocolate. Add butter and heat to 88 degrees Fahrenheit and fill on top of mold with caramel.

© 2011 CHEF CHRIS HANMER

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Chef Chris Hanmer is Top Chef!

Congratulations to Chef Hanmer for winning the title of Top Chef! His showpiece, bon bons, and plated dessert stole the show in the finale, and he's taking home $100K!

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Hanmer. If you have anything negative to say, please do so on our Reactions post.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Reactions to Top Chef Just Desserts 2 Finale

This week's episode was the big finale between Chefs Sally Camacho, Matthew Petersen, and Chris Hanmer. Their challenge du jour was to create a dessert table featuring a showpiece, bonbons, bread, an entremet, and a plated dessert that would represent a special person in their lives.

Pastry Kings Jacques Torres, Sebastien Cannone, and Stephane Treand served as mentors to the pastrycheftestants as they prepped their desserts on Day One. On Day Two, the formerly eliminated pastrycheftestants were brought back to act as sous chefs, with each finalist getting two. After drawing cookies for the first helper, the finalists were allowed to choose their second helper. In the end, we had Team Chris with helpers Rebecca and Amanda, Team Matthew with helpers Megan and Carlos, and Team Sally with helpers Vanarin and Orlando.

Because Sally was weakest in the showpiece department, she left the work up to Orlando, who frankly didn't want to be helping her or either of the other two. Chris of course is showpiece king so he happily made his own, as did Matthew, who decided to make his primarily of pulled sugar because the other two were doing chocolate. Not that pulled sugar was one of his strong suits, mind you....

The chefs first presented their dessert tables to the judges, who included sundry pastry folks Jordan Kahn, Hasty Torres, Valerie Gordon, Jacquy Pfeiffer, and Ludo Lefevbre, as well as regulars Dannielle Kyrillos and Hubert Keller.

After presenting their tables, the chefs go back to the kitchen to finish their plated desserts. The diners seem to have mostly complimentary things to say, but then they get to Judges' Table where we find that the race is between Chris and Sally.

Matthew's best item was his bon bon, flavored with key lime and speculoos. Both Dannielle and Gail claim that this was the first time they heard the word speculoos, which makes me think they need to have their foodie credentials taken away. Guess they've never bothered to try the Waffles and Dinges truck in New York, which offers speculoos spread as a topping. And I'm pretty sure I've seen a recipe for them (or the Dutch version, speculaas) in just about every cookie cookbook I've ever owned, particularly those specializing in holiday cookies, as they are customarily eaten on St. Nicholas Eve (Dec 5 or 6).

Anyhoo...

Chris wins.

I'm guessing that the main reason Chris won out over Sally was that she didn't make her own showpiece; the judges seemed really enamored of her desserts otherwise, making the competition really close. Did you think that was the right decision?

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Top Chef Just Desserts 2 Finale Previews

*FINALE* BRAVO's Top Chef Just Desserts, It's down to the final three and the competitors that are left are prepared to fight for the $100,000 prize and title of Top Chef. With the last challenge in their sights, the finalists think about what brought them to the competition and why it's so important that they win. Fierce competitor Chris Hanmer thinks about his wife and baby that he left behind in order to chase his dream. Will all the hard work pay off, making it worth the time? Which pastrycheftestant will be named Top Chef and who will go home defeated? Find out tonight, 10/26, @ 10/9c!



Posted on AllTopChef.com

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Recap Roundup: Top Chef Just Desserts 2.9

Picktainment on the challenge: "Anyways, the chefs will be creating a dessert inspired by an international cuisine. Chris picks France, Orlando picks Spain, Matthew takes Italian, and Sally (who worked in Miami for a while) picks Cuba. They must create a dessert that looks like an iconic savory dish from one their country."

TWOP on culinary icons: "The chefs all look like they want to die as Gail adds that they have a whole panel of chefs waiting to judge their dessert on increasingly bizarre unattainable and constantly shifting standards. Orlando is in an extra tizzy because his culinary icon Iron Chef Cat Cora is on the panel! He is obviously totally reading that off a teleprompter because NO ONE has Iron Chef Cat Cora as a culinary icon."

CultureMob on Johnny needs a drink: "Johnny shows up in the kitchen, and you know that he’s pissed Gail didn’t tell him about drinks in time for him to get out of this. He immediately starts taking it out on the chefs, shooting down Chris’ idea to make his dessert look like beef wellington with a terse 'Isn’t beef wellington English?' A quick Wikipedia search reveals that no one’s really sure where it comes from, but I’ll go with Johnny on this. Johnny is more accepting of Matthew’s idea to re-create manicotti, which is undisputedly Italian, so instead goes the old 'man, you must be feeling a LOT of PRESSURE! Do you think you’re going to be in the finale? DO YOU??' route. He also can’t shoot Orlando’s paella idea down, so he continues his tour of terror and asks Orlando who he’s threatened by, forcing Orlando to contemplate everyone else’s dish instead of his own. Insidious, Iuzzini. Sally’s up, and when she reveals that she hasn’t decided which route to go down yet, Johnny pounces. 'Are you tired? Are you stressed out?' he asks, clearly hoping to incite a nervous breakdown. 'Tell me what you’re going to do right…' he pauses, '…to make sure your dessert is better than anyone else’s.' Johnny’s a good mean girl. 'You don’t even have a plan!' he states, relentlessly. 'You’ve only got an hour and a half left!' Don’t keep Johnny away from the cocktails again, Gail. He gets angry."

Eater on "salads": "Sally’s Cuban sandwich is awfully impressive looking, especially for being so indecisive for most of the challenge. Cream cheese and pineapple makes us think of things our grandmothers made with Jell-O and canned fruit cocktail (heavy syrup, of course). We gag a bit at the thought of the combination, but the judges mustn’t have had such a grandmother and thus no such association — so they dig it okay."

Jordan Baker on winning: "They call the chefs back, and Cat announces that the winner of this challenge is… Sally. Boooo. She’s happy to have finally won a challenge. Matthew gently and handsomely says 'I knew it was you' and hugs her. Oh, god, I bet his hugs are so good. I bet they’re like wearing a Snuggie made of cotton candy and dreams."

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Top Recipe - Sally Camacho's "Cuban Sandwich with Potato Salad & Plantain Chips" Cream Cheese Mousse, Passion Fruit Mustard and Strawberry Caramel

Ok, so maybe this recipe has too many components and special ingredients for a home cook, but I thought it was interesting from an educational standpoint.

"Cuban Sandwich with Potato Salad & Plantain Chips" Cream Cheese Mousse, Passion Fruit Mustard and Strawberry Caramel

Cuban Sandwich:
“Cuban Bread” – Brioche
“Mustard” – Passion Fruit Fluid Gel
“Ham” – Strawberry Caramel
“Pork” – Cream Cheese Mousse
“Cheese” – Flexible White Chocolate
“Pickles” – Compressed Pineapple

“Cuban Bread” – Brioche:
25 grams whole milk
396 grams whole eggs
28 grams fresh yeast
75 grams sugar
660 grams bread flour
14 grams salt
800 grams butter, cold and cut into large dice

“Mustard” – Passion Fruit Fluid Gel:
250 grams passionfruit puree
70 grams sugar
3 grams agar
2 grams sea salt

“Ham” – Strawberry Caramel:
50 grams sugar
140 grams strawberry puree
140 grams heavy cream
10 grams sugar
3 grams agar
2 grams gelatin sheets, bloomed
2 drops red food coloring

“Pork” – Cream Cheese Mousse:
550 grams cream cheese
315 grams crème fraiche
10 grams gelatin, bloomed
2 lemons, juiced and zested
75 grams water
250 grams sugar
160 grams yolks, pasteurized
570 grams heavy cream, soft whipped, kept cold
Ground feuillitine, as needed

“Cheese” – Flexible White Chocolate:
25 grams water
50 grams Sorbitol
1.5 grams agar
25 grams glucose
450 grams heavy cream
1 gelatin sheet, bloomed
200 grams white chocolate
2 grams sea salt

“Pickles” – Compressed Pineapple:
1/4 each of a pineapple
1 each vanilla bean, scraped
10 grams sugar
1 gram citric acid
2 grams fleur de sel
Brown and green food coloring, as needed

Plantain Chips:
10 limes, zested
2 grams citric acid
50 grams muscovado sugar
8 grams sea salt
20 grams tapioca maltodextrin
3 under ripe plantains, sliced
Oil, for frying

“Potato” Salad:
2 Asian pears, small dice
1/4 pineapple, small dice
2 Granny Smith apples, brunoise
2 vanilla beans
3 ounces fromage blanc
3 ounces yogurt
3 ounces honey

“Cuban Bread” – Brioche
1. Place milk, eggs and yeast in the electric mixer with hook attachment. Mix on speed 1 to partially dissolve. Add sugar and flour and mix on speed 1 until dough comes together. Add salt and butter. Turn to speed 2 and mix until slapping noise is heard. Check elasticity of dough with window test.

2. Place dough in refrigerator overnight.

3. The next day, on a sheeter, roll brioche to #4. Cut dough in 3” x 4 1/2” rectangles. Place on a sheet tray. Brush with egg and sprinkle with Maldon salt. Proof in a proof box for one hour. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until brown and done.

“Mustard” – Passion Fruit Fluid Gel
1. In a small saucepot, place passion fruit puree. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, agar, and salt. Sprinkle the agar mixture over puree. Whisk to combine. Turn on medium heat.

2. Allow to come to a continuous boil for one minute. Pour onto Anolon sheet tray to cool and set in the refrigerator.

3. Once set, place gel into blender and blend on high until smooth and no lumps. Set aside.

“Ham” – Strawberry Caramel
1. In a small saucepot, on low heat, combine strawberry puree and heave cream. Hear to scald and keep warm.

2. In a medium saucepot, on high heat, make a dry caramel with the sugar by adding 1 tablespoon at a time until the sugar caramelizes.

3. Once the sugar is carmelized, break it by adding the hot strawberry and cream mixture. Cook on low hear to dissolve caramel.

4. In a small bowl, combine sugar and agar. Sprinkle misture over caramel and whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a full boil for 10 seconds and remove from heat.

5. Add gelatin and food coloring. Stir to combine.

6. Pour onto Anolon, nonstick pan, thick so it is the thickness of ham. Place in fridge and set for an hour.

“Pork” – Cream Cheese Mousse
1. Place cream cheese in electric mixing bowl with whip attachment. Whip to smooth. Add crème fraiche and scrape bowl all the way to the dimple.

2. Place juice, zest, and gelatin in microwave safe container. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, just to melt gelatin.

3. Add melted gelatin mixture to cream cheese mixture. Whip to combine. Scrape and whip again to mix well. Set aside at room temperature.

4. Place water and sugar in a small saucepot on medium heat.

5. Meanwhile place yolks in electric mixer with whip attachment. Whisk on medium speed.

6. Bring sugar water to 115 degrees Celsius.

7. Stream hot sugar into mixer while whisking the yolks. Make sure to pour along the side of the bowl and not into the whisk, or you will get unwanted sugar threads.

8. Continue to whip yolks and sugar to light, fluffy, and tripled in volume. Once mixture is cooled to about 32-34 degrees Celsius, fold yolk mixture with cream cheese mixture to incorporate.

9. Last, fold in cold, soft cream. Fold to combine.

10. Pour mousse into frame with acetate lined straight sheet tray. Spread to evenly distribute mousse. Cover mousse with feullitine all over mousse, both sides.

11. Once frozen, cut into 3-inch x 4 1/2- inch rectangles. Use frozen when building sandwich.

“Cheese” – Flexible White Chocolate
1. In a medium saucepot, combine water, Sorbitol, agar, glucose, and cream. Place on medium heat, bring to a full boil and turn off heat. Pour over chocolate, bloomed gelatin, and salt. Allow to sit for 2 minutes to melt chocolate. Burmix to smooth. Then pour onto acetate lined sheet tray and place in refrigerator to chill and set.

“Pickles” – Compressed Pineapple
1. Take off core of pineapple, cut slices 1/4” thick of the pineapple. In a bowl, place all ingredients and toss to coat pineapple.

2. Add green and a little brown food color to achieve the color of a pickle. Place in a Cryovac bag and Cryovac it.

“Potato” Salad
1. Cut and scrape seeds from vanilla bean. In a bowl, mix vanilla and its beans, fromage blanc, yogurt and honey.

2. Add Asian pear, pineapple, and granny smith apples. Toss with yogurt dressing.

3. Place in a ramekin for service.

Plantain Chips
1. Slice plantains on slicer to get 1/8-inch thick slices.

2. Fry in 350 degree Fahrenheit oil until crisp and light brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

3. In a spice grinder, place lime zest, citric acid sugar, salt and tapioca maltodextrin. Grind until fine.

4. Toss plantains in sugar mixture.

Plating:

1. Cut brioche in half to make the sandwich. Spread “mustard” (passion fruit fluid gel onto both sides of the brioche. Place pieces of “pickles” (compressed pineapple) on one side of brioche. Cut a rectangle of “pork” (cream cheese mousse) and place on top of “pickles” (compressed pineapple). Cut slices of “ham” (strawberry caramel) and place on top of “pork” (cream cheese mousse). Then dot “ham” (strawberry caramel) with “cheese” (flexible white chocolate). Place other side of brioche on top to make a sandwich.

2. Wrap sandwich in sandwich parchment paper and cut in half on a diagonal line. Place sandwich on plate and place ramekin of “potato” salad on plate and handful of the plantain chips.

© 2011 CHEF SALLY CAMACHO

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Friday, October 21, 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Congratulations, Chef Sally Camacho

With only an hour and a half to finish her prep, Sally still had no idea which iconic Cuban dish she'd be using as a disguise for her dessert. But the dish she did choose - the Cubano sandwich - ended up getting her a solo Elimination Challenge win.

We knew that loser edit she was getting for most of the episode meant exactly the opposite. Congrats, Chef, for making it to the finale!



This post is only for positive comments about Chef Camacho. If you have anything negative to say, please do so on our Reactions post.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

ATC Love to Chef Orlando Santos

This week's challenge was tough, and Chef Santos turned out a great faux paella. Mostly. But at this stage in the competition, every little problem turns out to be a big one, and the texture of his rice kept him out of the finale.



Chef Orlando Santos made it far in the competition, but probably not as far as he wanted. We wish him nothing but success in the future.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Santos. If you have anything negative to say, please do so on our Reactions post.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Reactions to Top Chef Just Desserts Episode 9

This week, we skipped the formalities of a Quickfire Challenge and jumped right into the Elimination. For no good reason, Chef Suzanne Goin is in the kitchen with Gail to announce the challenge: each of the four remaining pastrycheftestants must prepare a dessert disguised as an iconic dish from a particular ethnic cuisine.

Chris picked France, so he goes with Beef Wellington. Johnny has to wonder why he has chosen a British dish, but it obviously has roots in France so fine. (Puff pastry and duxelles? What's not French about that?) Orlando chose Spain and works on a faux paella. Matthew wisely chose Italian, which allows him the relative ease of mocking up a pasta dish like manicotti. And finally, Sally is stuck with her choice of Cuba, which gives her a hard time. Eventually she decides to play with a Cuban sandwich.

The judges for this contest are random: former Top Chef Masters competitors Michael Cimarusti and John Sedlar, restaurateur Sang Yoon, Suzanne Goin, Hubert Keller, and special guest chef Cat Cora. Orlando loooooves Cat Cora for some reason and pees his pants a little at the thought of her judging his food.

So they present their disguised desserts and lots of nice things are said at the table. But at Judges' Table, Chris gets dinged for not making his own puff pastry, Matt for not using tomatoes like he said he would, Orlando for his fluffy, broken, rice-cooker-cooked rice, and Sally's squishy white mousse. However, Sally's dish was pretty convincing otherwise, and her side dish of "potato salad" was a smash hit, so she got the win. And Orlando gets to go home.

Why he didn't make the very logical rice pudding for paella, we'll never know.

What did you think? Are you happy with the final three? Please leave a comment!

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Top Recipe - Matthew Petersen's Fried Caramel Apple Pie & Cinnamon Sablé and Vanilla Ice Cream

Fried Caramel Apple Pie & Cinnamon Sablé and Vanilla Ice Cream

Apple Farce:
10 Granny Smith apples
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla pod
4 ounces butter
1 ounce cornstarch
1 ounce apple juice

Caramel:
500 grams sugar
750 grams heavy cream
1 pinch salt

Apple Compression:
1 liter water
200 grams sugar
4 pieces anise
4 pieces cinnamon
2 vanilla beans
6 apples, sliced

Pie Dough:
900 grams bread flour
60 grams sugar
30 grams salt
500 grams butter, cubed
150 grams Crisco
200 grams water
Oil, for frying

Vanilla Ice Cream:
2 liters whole milk
520 grams heavy cream
175 grams glucose powder
750 grams sugar
8 vanilla pods
15 grams stabilizer
720 grams egg yolk

Cinnamon Sable:
200 grams sugar
200 grams butter
200 grams flour
200 grams almond flour
20 grams cinnamon

Apple Farce:
1. Peel and dice apples.

2. In a large sauté pan, melt butter and then add apples, add sugar and cook until tender. Add spices, salt and vanilla. Cook for two minutes.

3. Mix together cornstarch and apple juice. Thicken farce with slurry and then refrigerate until cool.

Caramel:
1. Caramelize sugar in a large sauce pan. Deglaze with heavy cream and add salt. Cool at room temperature. Reserve.

Apple Compression:
1. Boil everything except apples. Strain and cool. Pour syrup and apples into a vacuum bag. Compress apples in vacuum machine. Refrigerate.

Pie Dough:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and sugar in a KitchenAid. Using the paddle on low, incorporate the Crisco and the butter. Mix just until it starts to come together then add water and mix to combine. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm. Roll 2 millimeter thick and cut 3-inch rounds. Brush with egg wash. Fill with apple farce. Fold in half and press at the seams. Refrigerate. Deep fry to order.

Vanilla Ice Cream:
1. Mix together glucose powder, sugar and stabilizer. Whisk this mix into milk and heavy cream and add vanilla.

2. Over medium flame, cook mixture until it boils. When milk boils together, temper in the egg yolk. Strain through chinois. Place into ice bath and cool overnight.

Cinnamon Sable:
1. Cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Add almond flour and mix in. Add flour and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden.

© 2011 CHEF MATTHEW PETERSEN

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Friday, October 14, 2011

Thursday, October 13, 2011

ATC Love to Carlos Enriquez

Despite winning the Quickfire Challenge with a liquid-nitrogen-cooled pie, this week was really not Chef Carlos' week. His idea of faux hamburgers and french fries for the carnival challenge was terrific, however, the bun proved to be problematic. But he should look on the bright side - he gets to take home the $15,000 he won in two Quickfires.

Chef Enriquez, we're really sorry to see you go. Not only were your desserts amazing, but you were also extremely likeable, and root-for-able. We wish you nothing but the best.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Enriquez. If you have anything negative to say, please do so on our Reactions post.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Congratulations to Chef Matthew Petersen!

Congrats once again to Chef Matthew Petersen on his second Elimination Challenge win. He more than made up for his one-handed-pie-baking error in the Quickfire by making an apple pie that was clearly a judge- and crowd-favorite. Sometimes it's best to keep things simple, and that really worked in this challenge.

We're down to the Final Four. Will Chef Petersen go all the way?

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Petersen. If you have anything negative to say, please do so on our Reactions post.

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Reactions to Top Chef Just Desserts 2 Episode 8

This week on Top Chef Just Desserts, we had famous French pastry maven Francois Payard guest judging first a pie competition then a carnival. Seems undignified for such a master, non?

In any case, the Quickfire involved making pies - one-handed. Rolling out a crust must be tough with one paw, but the chefs managed, along with chopping plums and whipping cream. Poor Matthew accidentally moved his dish with the hand he wasn't supposed to be using, which disqualified him. Out of the four remaining, Carlos' pie took top honors and a nice little $5,000 prize.

For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs had to recreate a carnival treat in an upscale way for a fete hosted by Dana Cowin. So there was carny food - where were the carny people? The freaks? Oh...wait...that's why the chefs were there....

Sally chooses to make a caramel corn-inspired dish, which seems a no-brainer since it was the first thing that popped into my mind when I thought, "carnival" along with "I hope there are no clowns." She makes it with a fresh corn pudding, which adds a real element of surprise. Matthew tries pies again, this time with two hands, and creates an apple pie that the judges really enjoy. Orlando tries too hard and interprets "candy apple" as a multi-layered cake that includes...chocolate. Ever had a chocolate candy apple? Um, no. Chris went for a funnel cake ice cream, with funnel cake and some sort of strawberry goo made with agar on the side. I've never eaten funnel cake with strawberries...I'll bet he was thinking fried dough, which is usually offered with a choice of toppings. Carlos, shockingly enough, did not use peanut butter or bananas in his dish, which may or may not have been to his detriment. Instead, he produced a wee little hamburger with churro "fries." While cute as can be, the angelfood bun was soft and sticky and the fries were cold.

Matthew wins and Carlos is sent home.

Did you watch? Did you think Carlos deserved to be sent home? Or maybe Orlando should have gone? or Chris? Please leave a comment!

Posted on AllTopChef.com

Wednesday, October 12, 2011