Where is the summer going? “Hell’s Kitchen” wraps up tomorrow, and “The Next Food Network Star” is down to its Final Four as of last night. But before we get there, let’s talk about last night’s episode.

Some of the challenges to date have been very difficult, but I’m guessing last night’s had to be the toughest and most telling of each contestants’ fate on the show. They were asked to show their stuff on Rachel Ray’s network show, but with a twist. Each finalist was paired with a Girl Scout, and had to, with the help of each girl, come up with a healthy meal that a child could assist with in the kitchen, and demonstrate making it on camera in a 4-minute time frame. With that, here is how each performed…

Aaron began by putting himself in a proverbial hole, telling his Girl Scout sous chef that it’s important to wash your hands before cooking, but in doing so turned his back to the camera for a good 30 seconds. But once he got going, he was unstoppable, engaging on camera and involving both Rachel and his helper. And he made a ground beef and broccoli pizza that the judges loved.

Shane was dealing with a kid that didn’t speak much and didn’t give him many ideas to work with, but she did tell him she liked ham. So in keeping with his French point of view, Shane made chicken cordon bleu with a Rice Krispie coating. He was sort of sloppy on camera and made a big mistake by not remembering his helper’s name. The judges did like the dish, however, which always helps.

Kelsey also made a big mistake, but her ideas were good. She made a fun dish of a breakfast meatball sandwich and a fruit dish featuring bananas and strawberries mixed with yogurt. But Kelsey, in trying to be more assertive, had Rachel Ray mix the eggs and wound up looking bossy to both Rachel and her helper.

Lisa, to me, was annoying from the start. She tried to take a young girl and make her into a fine food expert, saying that the reason kids do not appreciate fine food is because most of them are not exposed to it. Yikes. So when her helper admitted to liking green beans, Lisa asked her if she’s ever had haricot veirs, the thin ones that they serve in fancy restaurants. She also made a steak with a horseradish dipping sauce and cous cous, even though the girl had never tried anything like this. Lisa started out okay but mid-way through, she completely lost control, shutting down and letting Rachel take over.

Adam made a smoky barbecued chicken, in a kid-friendly grilled cheese sandwich format. He did a decent job and the judges really thought he was entertaining, which he is. But what remains to be seen is how much food knowledge Adam has overall and if he has enough to be a star on the network.

So at judgment time, the contestants were told that next week they will be showing off their skills in Las Vegas. The first to enter the Final Four was Aaron, and once you get past the hand-washing thing, he really was the best performer last night. The next to go to Vegas was Adam. Then the judges asked Lisa, Kelsey and Shane to head back up to their dorm while they deliberated.

The next to move on was Lisa, and I admit that while Lisa has shown flashes of brilliance, she really screwed up last night and is lucky to continue on. It was down to Kelsey and Shane. Kelsey has so much energy and passion, but the judges aren’t fully sure she’s letting all of the passion come through in a genuine manner. Shane, meanwhile, knows so much about French food but the cold fact remains that he’s never been to France. So Kelsey was sent to Vegas, and Shane was sent home.

Ultimately, Shane could be a Food Network Star, because he’s only 19 and already has a lot of talent. But in the end his lack of experience is what cost him a shot at the big time now.

So we’re down to the Final Four–Lisa, Adam, Aaron and Kelsey. Each of them has looked really good or really bad at various points in the season, but it’s a new game now as they look toward the big prize of having their own Food Network show. I think any of them would be an adequate show host, but I have to admit I’m pulling for Aaron first, and Adam second. Aaron in particular is very genuine and can cook probably better than anyone on the show. But it’s going to be a fight to the finish. See you next week…