Top Chef Just Desserts Episode 4 Previews

In this (yet another) supersized episode, the chefs take on another one of America's favorite sweets, the Ultimate Ice Cream Sundae (is your mouth watering yet at the possibilities?!). Unpredictable chef'testent Seth has the perfect dessert in mind, but his plans are crushed when he learns he cannot make his own ice cream. Will this send Seth into another emotional breakdown or will he learn to control his unprofessional outbursts? Find out tonight 10/6 @ 10/9c on Top Chef Just Desserts.

TC News and Information 10.5.10

Remember when Bravo announced it would do a Top Chef spinoff featuring kids? Judges Tom Colicchio and Eric Ripert discuss why it will never see the light of day in this video.

Speaking of Ripert, did you catch the premiere of the new season of his PBS show, Avec Eric, last weekend? This item details the upcoming episodes and links to a station guide to help you find out when it may be aired in your area.

Wylie Dufresne talks to the Harvard Crimson about his journey from philosophy student to top chef (and two-time Top Chef Masters contestant) here.

Vegansaurus.com is offering vegan versions of the Just Desserts winning recipes all season long. See their spin on Eric Wolitzky's Episode 3 winning desserts here.

Want to design TC Season 7 winner Michael Voltaggio's next tattoo? Click here.

Finally, at a speaking engagement in St. Louis, Anthony Bourdain revealed that the protagonist of his upcoming graphic novel about ultra-violent food nerds will be a sushi chef, according to this piece.

Recap Roundup: Top Chef Just Desserts Episode 3

All this sugar is making my teeth rot! But what do the bloggers have to say about it?

After Elton on cheftestant fashion: "We open with the money shot – a shirt-less Yigit. Oh my! Who would have guessed that under that chef uniform lies the hard body of a Calvin Klein underwear model? Sigh. He can frost my éclair anytime he likes. Meanwhile, we see Seth feverishly doing stomach crunches in this goofy pair of striped socks. It’s the Wicked Witch of the West meets Richard Simmons."

Jordan Baker's haiku was just fine this week, but her thoughts on guest judge Sylvia Weinstock are better: "I want her to be the judge every week – she can replace Daily Candy Girl, since I’m still not clear on her qualifications. OR: Better still – a spin off where she and Gael Greene’s Hat go on a road trip together in a classic car, eating great food and having zany adventures. It’s like Thelma & Louise, only with better accessories and a senior citizen’s discount."

TV Guide on cake snobbery: "Heather, of course, does not panic. She's sort of the sane version of Seth. She's been on top throughout the series, and informs us that she made her own wedding cake, because why would you entrust such a thing to a stranger? She clearly falls into the control freak variety of pastry chef. She also dumps on everyone else's cake for not being as high-end as her tiered, minimalist cake with its smattering of flowers."

What'ere Jane Eyre on Seth's "wedding cake": "Seth's Quickfire offering is clearly not what anyone has in mind when it comes to wedding cakes, yet he's almost proud of what he's made, rather than dissolving into a puddle of crazy tears. Wouldn't a meltdown here make more sense than one where his mommy's red hots didn't make it onto the plate? I suppose I should mention his cakelette's ingredients. It's a caramel chocolate mousse with Marsala apricot jam, and absinthe honey. As he crows about it being his favorite dish of the competition so far, the other chefs cringe at each other in embarrassment for him."

Culture Mob on the grown-up attitude: "There’s some drama between Heather C and Eric which involves Heather taking all the peanut butter and leaving none for Eric, which causes Morgan to decide to steal all the butter and leave none for the opposing team. It’s mildly entertaining, but feels very JV squad after last week’s 'The red hots are for my mommy!' epic fiasco. Maybe if Morgan took the butter and spread it all over the floor under the other team’s feet causing a mild concussion in a contestant, we could start to approach that bar."

Popwatch on the bake sale fare: "When all was said and done, the pep team went traditional, while the glee-ers went more elegant. How elegant? Financier elegant. Nothing says fun bake sale like a dessert made for businessmen in Paris. And nothing says fun and youthful like turning service into a military drill. Cheers to Seth for both."

My Monkey Could Do That on judging: "Seth wanted to make kids get into things they never got into before and whatever, and Johnny tells him 'Your role is not to educate people, it is to make delicious food and to make people happy.' Sadly it was perfect, but Johnny makes it clear that it wasn’t a bake sale dessert."

TWOP on Bravo's generosity: "But since Bravo is pro-education and has been pimping out kids while pumping them full of sugar, they decide to add some zeroes to the funds raised and send the Glee kids to NYC and the Pep kids to go get pregnant at cheer camp. Also, $5000 will be donated to the catholic school for abstinence only education and a good polish on the statue of the Big J."

All Top Chef Interview with Heather Chittum

Top Chef Just Desserts contestant, Heather Chittum talks about her experience on the show. Click here for the interview. Thank you Heather!

Top Recipe - Top Chef Just Desserts Episode 3

Click here for a printable version of Chef Eric Wolitzky's recipe for Peanut Butter Krispy Bars.

Bravo Exit Interview - Heather Chittum

Reactions to Top Chef Just Desserts Episode 3

Last week, it was all about Seth. This week, it was only mostly about Seth.

For the Quickfire Challenge, Top Chef Just Desserts brought in cake maven Sylvia Weinstock to guest judge. The challenge itself - create a beautiful and tasty wedding cake with pre-made cakes. In 90 minutes. Panic ensues, as does a lot of cursing.

Seth, of course, has a problem with this - he doesn't do wedding cakes - so he plans to make a miniature version and call it an "engagement cake." Malika has also has issues - her cake won't stay together for her. (I'm guessing this is because she chose to make a custard filling that just might have been too soft/liquidy.) While her cake disaster is going on, she's shaking the table, which causes straight-guy Morgan to yell at her and call her "shaky." She then goes off on him and demands he address her by her name.

Whew. Drama queens.

After tasting, Malika and Seth are on the bottom, along with Eric, who as a professional baker should have had this challenge in the bag, dontcha think? On top are Erika, Morgan (douchy perhaps, but he made a lovely fondant-wrapped cake), and Heather H, whose cake was simple elegance. Sylvia Weinstock liked Erika's mocha cake best, which gives her immunity in the next challenge...

...which is...to make treats for a bake sale. The pastrycheftestants break into two groups of five by drawing cookies from a cookie jar (awww...how twee!). Seth's team is full of people who have had altercations with him in the past, so we know that's going to be a sweaty ball of drama. And then Top Chef turns into an episode of "Glee" when the St Monica's High School "Rainbow Riders" and "Mariners" come in singing and cheering, respectively. Both the Glee Club and the Pep Squad want to take special summer trips and the bake sale is a way for them to raise money. There will be 490 tickets, each worth $1, available to students and staff with which to buy baked goods. The team with the most tickets at the end of the sale is the winner, and the winners get $5000.

After deciding on who will create what tasty treat, the pastrycheftestants have two hours to work. Heather C wants to make whoopie pies but is shot down and told to make peanut butter cookies. In her anger, she bogarts all of the peanut butter, which Eric needs for his peanut butter krispie bars. Eric's teammate Morgan shows solidarity by stealing all of the butter.

Then Sue Sylvester comes in and tells Johnny Iuzzini that his hair resembles the Matterhorn after a freak aerial oil spill orchestrated by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the ghost of Jimmy Hoffa.

And I'm dying to throw a slushie at somebody.

Later, back at the house, Malika ponders whether she wants to remain in the competition and tells her roommate that she's thinking of leaving. But the next day she shows up to sell her treats along with everyone else.

During the bake sale, Seth decides he doesn't want to deal with children so he hangs back and puts samples together while everyone else interacts. In the end, after an entirely too-lengthy segment of kids smearing cupcake icing on their faces (did we really need another supersized episode?) we get the tallys. The Glee Club team has raised $240 and the Pep Squad team has raised $250. However, Bravo generously offers to pay for both teams' camp events and gives an additional $5000 to St Monica's School.

Back at Judges' Table, the winning team is praised for their goodies. While Erika's chocolate chip cookie was "the ultimate," and Malika's toffee brownie scored high points for texture, it was Eric's peanut butter and Nutella krispie treats that won the challenge.

When the losing team comes out, there's all sorts of ugliness. Danielle immediately hurls Seth under the bus and runs back and forth over him a few times. The rest of the team defends him, probably because they feel sorry for his ass. However, his financier is too fancy for a bake sale. Heather decides to pipe up that she really didn't want to make a cookie, but the team wouldn't let her do what she wanted, which raises more eyebrows and voices in the group. (I swear, it's like elementary school on this show with all of the snotty noses and finger pointing.) Zac's strawberry shortcake was not appropriate and his biscuits were too hard. Danielle's cupcake was dry. Yigit's pudding was too gingery. And Heather C's "I don't want to make this peanut butter cookie" was too pedestrian. Judge Dannielle Kyrillos says "you could taste the resentment in her cookie."

After all, she didn't even bother to make the traditional fork tines criss-cross pattern in the tops. Now that's resentment.

Back in the stew room, the festivities continue as Danielle calls Seth a "piece of shit." Awww...how sweet. At this point I'm hoping ALL of them get sent home. Ultimately, however, Heather C's attitude and ordinary cookie gets her the boot.

So what did you think about this episode? Please tell us in the comments.

ATC Love to Chef Heather Chittum

Chef Chittum was ousted for making a tasty but pedestrian peanut butter cookie when she should have stuck to her guns and made the chocolate whoopie pie that she originally wanted to make. Because who doesn't like chocolate whoopie pies, apart from her team-mates?

 

Chef Chittum, we hope nothing but the best for you in the future. May many fine sugary treats be in your future.

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Chittum. If you have anything negative to say about her or her competition, please do so here.

Congratulations, Chef Eric Wolitzky!

It's pretty incredible that someone could win a culinary challenge by making a rice krispie treat, but never underestimate the power of Nutella! Although Eric had problems with the wedding cake challenge, he had a strong idea of what he wanted to do for the Elimination Challenge and despite having to fight for his share of the peanut butter, he created a treat that was popular with both the children and the judges.



Congratulations, Chef! May you continue to have success in this competition!

This post is only for positive comments about Chef Wolitzky. If you have anything negative to say about him or his competition, please do so here.

Top Chef Just Desserts Episode 3 Previews

Is the competition already breaking down these sweet pastry chefs? While Malika struggles with her reasons for staying and considers throwing in the towel, she isn't the only chef feeling the pressure this week. Putting the chefs to the ultimate dessert test, chef'testants must create a wedding cake in record time. Will everyone feel love in this challenge or will the time constraint leave the chef's with incomplete confections?

Top Chef Just Desserts 9/29 @ 10/9c.