Food Network Star 6/26/11

Last night, Dave and I watched the last 2 episodes of Food Network Star.  Since he's working extra hours this week, I'll be posting his comments as well as mine again.

Camera Challenge: Bite-Sized Kelloggs with Michael Symon

Susie has a crush on Michael, and Vic might as well be looking in a mirror, with them sharing what Michael calls "caveman good looks."  Chris was more natural than ever...quite the turnaround!  We'll see how long it lasts.  I was impressed with both Whitney and Vic as they used a bare pantry as an explanation for them using the Kelloggs products in their bites.  Jyll did an effective job of explaining why her bite is so good; this has been a camera challenge in past seasons.

That was the good (mostly), now for the bad and the ugly.  Justin D needs to learn to enunciate, as it sounds like he is saying his bite tastes like human.  Oh, you actually said cumin!  Darn it, I was hoping to learn what Soylent Green actually tastes like.  Justin B has almost a monotone.  He is praised for his food but asked if he can communicate it to a viewer; Dave responds, "No! We already know that!"  Jeff tells us that he wants to make the Iron Chef laugh...uh oh.  It appears my premonition was right; he makes a joke about All-Bran keeping you regular.  Didn't we learn from Corissa in Season 2 not to discuss bodily functions on camera?

Star Challenge: Cooking for Cougartown

Penny likes the idea of this even more than Chris does!  "Being a cougar myself..."  Dave: "Do you REALLY want to admit that on tv??"  Jyll embraces the challenge (for her) of vegetarian "cooking," saying she doesn't want to be seen as a one-trick pony.  I'm glad she sees the danger of that; it's good for her ability to stay to the end.  What's not good for her staying power is making a salad for vegetarians.

As we get to shopping, Chris thinks he's focused.  We'll see.  If nothing else, Chris, haven't you learned from other shows that stuff never thaws when you think it will??  As Justin D can't find the ingredients he wants, he gets flustered and gets 2 bags of quinoa instead of 10 for (I think) Whitney's stuffed peppers.  Jeff can't find any ground meat for his lettuce wraps and decides at the last minute to go with tofu, saying, "I'll do something outrageous and either rise to the top or go down in flames."  Dave tells Jeff that he can't afford to go down in flames, and I reply that he hasn't really been rising to the top either.

When they're hanging out at the house at night, Chris goes raccoon hunting and Vic throws a pool float at him, saying, "Don't mess with my friend the raccoon!"  No wonder you're friends, you're both striped!  The next morning arrives, and Susie's practicing in front of the mirror.  Dave reminds her that it can't be over-rehearsed (because of course, they can all hear the advice he and I give!). 

Orchid has a method for calming Chris, saying "Code Blue" when he gets out of hand.  Unfortunately for Dave, she's not always there.  "Chris, did you just call her the Orchinator? Seriously?  Again, get off my tv!"  While the camera is on Chris and Orchid, I am wondering who left a box in the middle of the kitchen floor.  The spice rub Chris put on the lamb looks good enough to tempt me, and I don't even like lamb!  Predictably, though, the lamb is not thawed.

Whitney shows a great deal of insight as she points out that Justin D's original plan seems to be haunting him/  Jeff notes that he's having second thoughts on what he's making, and Dave says, "You never had first thoughts on what you're making!"  Justin B says that he's looking at the Israeli couscous under his tuna as a texture piece rather than for smack-you-in-the-face flavor.  Problem is, on this show, you need smack-you-in-the-face flavor. 

They get ready to go to the set, and Paula Deen comes on as the surprise guest.  She gets called the Ultimate Cougar, and Dave and I debate this.  One the one hand, she is married to a guy her age, but on the other, she does like to flirt with younger guys...just ask Tim Hudson!  She also likes flirting with Bobby, between Paula's Party and this episode.  Paula tells the competitors, "Don't edit yourself.  That's what the edit room's for."  Uh oh.  Dave says, "Let's edit that, Paula. You mean don't edit your energy, right?  Because everybody already has plenty else to edit."  I shudder to think what Chris will make of that advice.  Dave replies, "At least radio host and know-nothing Howie isn't with us."  As they go to the set, the advantage of this being a written media is that y'all didn't have to hear Dave sing, "Won't you take me to Cougartown."

The mojo-collecting headband doesn't seem to be helping Jeff much as he tries to sell his group on the tofu, which is too bad since it turns out to be really good.  Justin B says during presentation that the couscous may be a little bland.  Dave: "WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT? YOU MORON!"  He then adds, "Casting called.  Justin B, you've been traded to Top Chef...for 3 boxes of red onions."  I ask, "How about for 8 more bags of quinoa?"  Dave: "I guess that would be small enough to carry back to the wagon."  OK, so we've played too much Oregon Trail over the years.  Justin B also offers white balsamic to wake up the dish.  If it would wake up the dish, why didn't you make it part of the dish for everyone?

I expected Chris to be the one to screw up the plan for the presentation, not Orchid, but she got all starstruck.  Bobby says about Chris that "today he didn't do anything ridiculous."  Justin D gets called a sexy Harry Potter Chef.  Really??

Penny's claws come back out in the evaluation.  Dave asks if they ever went in, but she did hide them for much of this episode as she and Mary Beth played nice.  We see that Jeff's gamble paid off and that he did actually rise to the top.  Giada says to Justin B that, "We've seen glimmers of a personality that we like, but you're not moving fast enough."  Dave, having absorbed some degree of Terp-ness from me: "Diamondback terrapins move faster!"  Across JFK runway they do!

I was going to post our reactions to the episode from 7/3 tonight, but I was delayed by an 18 pound cat on my notes.  So instead, you'll have to wait till tomorrow night.  Ciao!