Top Chef Recap: A Song of Ice and Backfires

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Well … the Canadian-themed challenges had a good run, eh?

Following the previous week’s episode depleting both poutine and maple syrup, this week’s Top Chef aimed to uphold the promising “Destination Canada” title by introducing an ice-hockey-themed Elimination Challenge. In principle, there was no fault, but in execution? I found myself expressing a disappointed “The [challenge] wasn’t great!” or a shrug reminiscent of Massimo and Fonzie.

Before diving into my detailed comments, let’s go back to the Quickfire Round first. It wasn’t deserving of being overshadowed by what’s about to come in the Elimination. Instead, it was an impressive start that added a delightful twist to the usual format’s limitations.

This week, Kristen welcomes Jamaican pastries and Toronto chef Dwight Smith into the Top Chef kitchen. Dwight enlightens everyone about the importance and structure of the vibrant yellow pastries, all sourced from local bakeries (a thoughtful detail). The chefs are challenged to craft their unique versions, not only given 15 minutes for dough preparation but also a lunch break to allow the dough to rest before resuming. This clever twist on the Quickfire challenge maintains tension while making the task achievable, reminiscent of the Great British Bake Off. I hope we see more of this style in future Quickfires, as well as challenges like season 19’s overnight barbecue event.

Moving on to our main topic – money matters, since there’s a generous $10,000 at stake this time. The competition on Top Chef often brings out the best and worst in people, and this Quickfire is no exception. Some chefs, like Katianna and Corwin, remain surprisingly calm. Others struggle with the basics, as César and Kat did. Then there’s Massimo, who whirls through the kitchen like a tornado, creating chaos with his dense oxtail patty that nearly makes Dwight sick. This performance lands him in the bottom alongside Kat and César, whose dough transformed into batter and crumbled.

If not, the judges were delighted. The burgers this week ranged in taste, with some incorporating unusual ingredients like nori (Katianna), fenugreek (Henry), chopped cheese and an entire bottle of [redacted] hot sauce (Vinny, who clearly used Tabasco). Katianna and Zubair impressed the most, although Corwin entered this challenge with the most knowledge. Despite his experience, Shuai’s scallion-pancake inspired burger beat him to third place. It would have been intriguing to hear Corwin’s reaction to that, but never mind. Katianna emerged victorious, increasing her winnings to $15,000.

Alright, let’s dive into the Elimination Challenge, which starts off intriguingly but eventually takes a completely different turn.

Following the introduction of Canadian ice hockey player Natalie Spooner, Kristen reveals that the chefs must prepare a dish ideally served chilled. This could potentially be challenging, but I was anticipating an additional twist in this season of Top Chef, given how intricate challenges often are nowadays. True to form, Kristen then introduced a series of covered dishes, each accompanied by a different hockey term. The chefs were then asked to select the one that appealed to them most. As expected, the hidden dishes revealed specific food items related to the terms (for example, “assists” being referred to as “apples”), which their cold dishes should emphasize.

As a film enthusiast, typing everything out didn’t seem to help me grasp it better; instead, it felt even more puzzling. If only the challenge had been presented in reverse order – “This week’s theme is cold and icy, let’s make it about hockey!” – it might have made more sense. However, I found myself empathizing with every chef as they tried to keep their brows unfurrowed while listening to Kristen explain the intricacies of the challenge. Truth be told, since none of us knew what the terms meant, we might as well have been handed a knife. As Anya put it, “It was like playing Russian roulette… no pun intended.

To be completely honest, I’m not particularly knowledgeable about hockey slang, so I can’t confidently say if players frequently use terms like “grapefruit” (for an easy shot the goalie fails to stop) or “licorice knob” (the tape on the end of a hockey stick). However, a quick search on Google suggests that many of these terms are quite uncommon. It’s also important to note that giving chefs ingredients like peanut butter (for a puck that stays in the net for a moment) or fully prepared foods like biscuits (pucks) and muffins (missed shots) is not directly comparable, as one involves culinary creations while the other refers to hockey equipment and gameplay.

Consequently, it’s understandable that Zubair and Massimo might struggle to conceal their frustration, given they were saddled with baking cold muffins while their rivals enjoy more engaging tasks (“games ending in zero”). Had they known the show could have used hockey terminology such as “cheese” (the top shelf of the net) or “lettuce” (a player’s hair), I wouldn’t be shocked if they simply quit and swam away. Fortunately, Zubair has immunity, but as for Massimo… We’ll delve into that later.

In the chaotic setup where judges were seated close to the chefs’ workspace, it’s no surprise that the success of dishes varied widely. Notably, Katianna managed to impress yet again by adding extra licorice flavor to her Korean cold noodles at the last minute. Corwin redeemed himself following a subpar Quickfire performance with a scallop aguachile infused with Scotch-bonnet peppers and an abundance of apples. Inspired by a heartwarming FaceTime call with his parents, Tristen prepared a liquid-nitrogen-frozen tartare and deviled egg with a shattered yolk that I’d eagerly order. As a result, Katianna’s winning streak persists, elevating her from a potential candidate to a clear front-runner.

In my opinion as a movie-goer, it’s puzzling to find so many desserts in a competition that doesn’t strictly require them. For instance, Vinny’s take on strawberry shortcake seemed to overlook the essential “biscuit” component, making it more of a light snack than a dessert. The melted ice-creams (pun intended) even led Tom to propose they could have passed it off as crème anglaise instead. Massimo, I believe, doesn’t need much encouragement to spin tales, but this instance serves as a reminder that sometimes, correcting a fellow chef on Top Chef might be more detrimental to the chef than the dish itself.

Unfortunately, it seems that two of my favorites, Massimo and Anya, have produced some less-than-ideal ice creams. Massimo’s creation, unfortunately, veered off course, resulting in a medley of muffin-flavored textures – crémeux, ganache, and meringue to name a few, all resting on a pool of muffin-infused ice cream puddle that even liquid nitrogen couldn’t solidify. On the other hand, Anya encountered numerous challenges while attempting to incorporate eggs. Her pine needle ice cream either freezes too hard or melts too quickly, and she struggles to find the right balance when adding sea buckthorn powder to her cake batter without ending up with a dense final product.

Despite Paula’s success in showcasing Ecuador’s traditional ceviche on Top Chef, she ended up in the bottom three due to insufficient peanut flavor in her peanut-butter dish. Even Hunter Lewis, editor-in-chief of Food & Wine, acknowledges that Paula’s ceviche was indeed brothy as she had claimed. However, it’s hard not to feel for Paula when the judges criticized a component of her dish that was an essential part of its authenticity.

Kristen notes that the final evaluation presents an uncommon scenario where all three chefs understand why their dishes fell short of expectations, despite Paula appearing taken aback by being called out. Massimo’s swift and amusing confession (“My dish was terrible! I’m mortified!”) almost caused Tom and I to chuckle nervously before he admitted he doesn’t typically struggle with performance issues. Ordinarily, such self-awareness might be sufficient to spare him, but given the circumstances, they all are well aware of the mistakes made.

Despite how difficult it was, the judges were left with no other option but to eliminate Anya. Although Massimo’s dish was disappointing, hers contained numerous cooking errors and failed to give proper respect to eggs in a significant way. It’s heart-wrenching that she has to leave, especially since she admittedly feels “heartbroken” about it. I really hope Anya can excel in Last Chance Kitchen, but for now, it’s goodbye and on to the next one.

Stray Crumbs

• Kristen Kish’s Summer Wardrobe Envy Watch: Despite the chilly atmosphere emphasized in the challenge, she donned a summery linen outfit! Although I was still charmed by it, since it wasn’t a suit, this week’s rating unfortunately had to be marked as N/A on a technicality.

Shuai’s longing for his dogs feels incredibly familiar to me, as I too struggle with sleep when I don’t have my pet’s comfort, which acts like a natural, cuddly, and unyieldingly affectionate weighted blanket.

In a twist of events, Tristen’s “after-school” burger and Lana’s “crabby” patty didn’t secure the Quickfire challenge, but they certainly took home the Cutest-Names Award. I’m confident that this recognition feels just as satisfying as winning $10,000!

Vinny’s initial move in the Quickfire challenge, serving soup in a hollowed-out apple, may have turned off some viewers, but it’s now apparent to me that he’s merely a jovial character. A bit arrogant? Absolutely. However, I prefer watching contestants enjoy themselves on Top Chef>, so Vinny’s corny jokes and hairnet “skates” are perfectly fine by me.

Oh, how I long for the days in the Chef’s Hideaway! Let’s rekindle the excitement of wondering if a summons means praise or reprimand!

• “I’m not making fuckin’ muffins.”

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2025-03-28 07:56