During this week’s episode of “The Next Food Network Star,” we may have been tipped off about who would be eliminated this week before they were eliminated. But more on that later.

The Final Four made it to New York City, where they would be duking it out for real to see who would have their own show on Food Network. The finalists? Aarti, Aria, Tom and Herb. And this week they would be battling Iron Chef-style. Alton Brown was waiting for them, as well as Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, Michael Symon and Masaharu Morimoto. They would be competing in groups of two, making three dishes each based on the secret ingredient. When they weren’t competing they would be floor commentators ala Kevin Brasch.

They also had sous chefs to work with them, in the form of former contestants Brad, Brianna, Paul and Serena. Since Tom won last week’s challenge, he was able to choose his sous chef first and he went with Brianna. The rest chose randomly, and Herb picked Paul; Aarti chose Brad; and Aria had Serena.

The first battle was Herb vs. Aarti and the secret ingredient was shrimp. Herb was flying around the kitchen and Aarti was not….she kept contemplating her menu while the clock (60 minutes) was ticking fast. The judges questioned if she was going to finish, and rightly so. But she did. Meanwhile, Tom was awesome on the floor, even impressing Alton with his food knowledge, while Aria was the opposite–clumsy and not food savvy enough for Brown.

Herb’s dishes went over fairly well–he made a “hangover” shrimp dish that his mom made when he was growing up; a seafood soup; and stuffed shrimp. But Aria’s dishes were better–gazpacho with coconut milk; roasted shrimp; and prawn masala. Bobby loved the last two dishes and Symon even commented that the masala was the single best dish he had tasted on the three seasons he’d been guest-judging this show. Wow. Aarti really delivered the goods under pressure.

Tom then faced off against Aria and their secret ingredient was bacon. Yum! But these two too the challenge in opposite directions. Aria played it too safe while Tom just went crazy with his creations.
Aria made French toast tacos with a “side” of bacon…really? She then made a cheddar omelet (with bacon); and a waldorf salad with bacon. The judges berated her for not using the secret ingredient or making it the centerpiece of the dishes. Meanwhile, Tom went nuts. He made “bacon cakes” that were like crab cakes; a bacon steak, something that’s probably never in the history of food been attempted; and French toast with bacon and (are you ready for this?) clams. I’m getting nauseous just writing this. The judges thought Tom’s ideas were great but that he didn’t think them through enough. Ya think? Susie Fogelson’s attempt at cutting the bacon steak sounded like a bed squeaking in the next room over. Seriously, it looked like as if it was like trying to cut a piece of rubber. Meanwhile, Herb was a decent floor commentator but froze when asked to do a quick camera teaser. Really, Herb, at this stage? But Aarti was worse….just feeling like she was completely lost on the floor and totally uncomfortable.

At the judge’s evaluation, a winner was declared for each round. Aarti beat Herb, based mostly on her food; and Tom beat Aria, based mainly on his commentary. So they would both be heading to next week’s finale.

Meanwhile, either Herb or Aria would be eliminated this week. Herb had great energy and the judges loved his food, but Aarti was so good this week that Herb had no chance of winning. Too bad he didn’t go up against Tom or Aria. But Aria, while her food tasted good according to the judges, didn’t incorporate the secret ingredient enough, and was a lame commentator. So it was an easy choice to send her home, despite all the promise she showed early on this season. It’s worth noting that they were showing promos for a show called “Family Style” during the show…..which was supposed to be the name of Aria’s show. D’oh! Way to give it away, Food Network. Also, way to steal Aria’s idea.

So now we’re down to Herb, Tom and Aarti……and next week is the grand season finale. Who do you like? I’m saying it’s Aarti leading the pack with Tom a very strong contender. But is Tom too aloof? And Herb shows flashes of brilliance but also flashes of utter failure on camera. I’m sticking with Aarti–she’s unique, interesting and apparently knows how to cook. But we’ll see how it shakes out next week.

Who do you like? Who don’t you like? See you guys next week!

This week during “The Next Food Network Star,” mentor Giada Di Laurentiis announced that the finalists who made it past this week were going to New York City to finish the competition. So much for having this season in a different city, huh? They must have realized they had way more resources in New York to draw from.

Anyway, this episode began with Giada asking the chefs to make their signature dishes and to present them on camera in a one-minute presentation. Sounds too easy for this point in the competition, doesn’t it? Well it was….Giada showed up 10 minutes in and threw them a curve…they would have to add in their least favorite ingredient, and to present them with that ingredient were their family members. Pretty emotional stuff! Aria’s was anchovies, Tom’s white pepper (really?), Aarti’s was okra, Brad’s was ranch dressing and Herb’s canned peas.

The two favorite dishes were Tom (salmon with cous cous cake) and Aria (mashed potato pizza with anchovies). And the winner was Aria, who suddenly felt like she was back in the game. But we’ve seen chefs win the initial challenges before only to fall flat later on and go home.

For the “star challenge,” the contestants were first told they would be competing for a spot in the final four and that they’d be going to New York City. They then were asked to create a dish at the restaurant owned by celebrity chef Todd English and actress Eva Longoria. They would pick from five different emotions randomly–joy, jealousy, melancholy, fear and surprise. Aria picked melancholy but was told she could swap out hers for another if she wished because she won the initial challenge. She swapped with Herb, who had chosen joy.

Aria made a beef tenderloin with potato gratin, signifying her joy of cooking for her young son and his dad, who she had reunited with recently.

Brad made a surf and turf but dubbed it “land and sea” as his surprise. BO-RING!

Herb had melancholy and made short ribs and scallops with mofongo, a plantain dish popular in his native Cuba.

Aarti’s was fear and she made a lamb pulao, something her mom taught her to make but that she was not good at making.

Finally, Tom had jealousy and made tuna two ways.

Brad went first and forgot to say what his emotion was, and his dish fell a bit short. And he just didn’t quite hit it out of the park. Tom’s presentation was phenomenal, as he had fun with describing the jealousy between his two tuna dishes, and then also delivering with the food.

Aria failed with her potatoes, which she didn’t taste and which were still “crunchy,” not a good description for a gratin. How many times have we seen that happen on this show? Kelsey Nixon comes immediately to mind. Her presentation was okay but not stellar…and she also forgot to mention that she had joy as the emotion.

Herb had a difficult one in melancholy and I’m not quite sure what the connection was, but he did nicely on camera and his food was loved by the judges. And when Bobby Flay raves about your dish, you’re not going home. Does anyone get the feeling Flay is like the Godfather?
Aarti made that lamb dish and it fell flat, and so did her presentation, as her fear literally reared its ugly head again. Susie even told Aarti she might wind up being “high maintenance” as a food network star…yikes!

Anyway, the top two were Tom and Herb, and Tom won, hands down. So those two guys were on their way to New York City. It would be down to Aria, Aarti and Brad. Aarti was safe. Down to Brad and Aria. I thought it would be Aria, but she was declared safe by Bob Tuschman. Brad was going home. Boring Brad, who oozed personality off camera but not on. I thought about this for a second….and I just don’t think I would have watched his show. Would you?

So your final four–Aria, Aarti, Herb and Tom. Tom is really starting to emerge as the front runner, incredibly enough. But really…this guy could be a Guy Fieri type…he’s hilarious, easy to watch and seems to have the cooking chops to back it all up. It’s going to be his competition to lose in New York.

So that’s it folks…..this season is winding down fast. Thanks for reading and see you all next week!

Sunday night’s episode of “The Next Food Network Star” (seriously, is this season dragging on a bit) featured cereal and foodies. The first challenge, announced by “mentor” Giada Di Laurentiis, was one in which they had to make a dish using Kellogg’s cereals, and the chefs each drew knives to determine which cereal they would be using. They would have just 20 minutes to prepare a dish and 30 seconds to present it on camera. And oh yeah, last season’s winner, Melissa D’Arabian, was on hand to help judge.

Random thought….the little name thingy on the screen presented Tom as “unemployed chef”…ha! Dude is using this show as his job interview, not because he wants to be a star, but because he needs a job!

Herb had Fruit Loops and made French toast with it…Aarti made a quinoa pilaf with All Bran (holy make-sure-you-have-a-toilet-nearby Batman!)…Serena made pork “meat loaf” with Cocoa Krispies…Aria made something called hopple popple (what?) with Crispix…Tom made a Corn Flake crusted pork sandwich…and Brad made Rice Krispies crusted tuna. The worst of the bunch were Serena, who didn’t say the name of the cereal correctly and also called these little patties meat loaves. Oh, and she started singing and it was really bad! Aria made a dish that no one had ever heard of, and it didn’t look or taste good. She’s losing it on camera suddenly as well. Finally, they didn’t like Tom’s lackluster presentation but loved his sandwich.

Aarti was declared the winner for taste and presentation, and her prize was to lead the team in the elimination challenge. That challenge was to serve 40 foodies at a supper club. Each person was responsible for one part of the meal and they had to present that dish to the foodies one at a time. Aarti’s idea was to have the dishes represent different parts of Los Angeles. Pretty good idea if it could be executed properly.

Anyway, Aria made carrot soup with spices but while Aarti introduced her, Aria stepped in and interrupted her, trying to sabotage Aarti but looking like a fool in the process. And wow, these foodies…..you could cut the collective ego with a knife through the TV. Anyway, they weren’t crazy about the soup or with Serena’s pasta and eggplant. Tom’s pan seared black cod with Asian veggies and flavors fell very flat and his presentation sucked just as it did in the first challenge.

Brad made spice rubbed lamb chops that he couldn’t get cooked properly until he threw them on the grill, and his food was well-liked, but he stumbled on his presentation a bit. Aarti made green curry chicken which Bobby Flay especially loved, and her presentation was pretty good. Herb finished with a flan but it was overcooked despite a good presentation.

Aarti was the winner of the night, and the judges appreciated her leadership ability as well. What, is this “The Apprentice” now? Brad was also commended and both he and Aarti were safe. The judges sent Tom, Serena, Herb and Aria away so they could deliberate. They told Herb he shouldn’t skimp on cooking equipment, and told Aria she shouldn’t try and sabotage another chef and also to get off the mediocrity train. But they were both safe.

So down to Tom and Serena. Tom did great the last few challenges but fell very flat this time, and he is just too scattered at times. But Serena kept making the same mistakes–she didn’t come across as an expert and she kept trying to overcompensate by flying through her presentations and “acting”…..making all of us uncomfortable. The singing was probably the last straw. Remember when Bob Tuschman heard Lisa Garza sing and looked like the president of Atlantic Records finding a star? This time, he made a face like he had just drank some sour milk. So Serena was sent home, to Italy, or Russia, or wherever she’s from.

Anyway, we’re now down to five–Tom, Aarti, Aria, Brad and Herb. I think Aarti has jumped way out in front of everyone else, and the other four are all probably also-rans. But we’ll see how it all shakes out in the next few weeks! Thanks for reading and see you all next week….

With the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop to this season’s “The Next Food Network Star,” it’s safe to say that the proverbial tides are turning as we move deeper into the competition. Two contestants have emerged as front runners quicker than you can blink, and a few others are regressing.

Last night’s episode began with “mentor” Giada Di Laurentiis announcing the initial challenge, which was to create a party bite based on a specific holiday or event, and using the three ingredients that were set before each of them in a picnic basket.

Brad had a bachelorette party and made a crostini with strawberries. Aarti had New Year’s Eve and smoked salmon was the centerpiece of her basket. Tom had a “ladies’ lunch” and made a croque monsieur sandwich, which is sort of like a sophisticated grilled cheese. Herb had a pool party and did turkey burgers. Brianna had a 5 year old’s birthday party and made chorizo taquitos. Say what? Aria had a Sweet 16 and went with finger sandwiches. And Serena had poker night and also made a crostini, which was a bit odd considering this was a “guy” specific theme.

Anyway, Herb stumbled over his words and his burgers weren’t great either; and Brianna, while she always delivers with her food, failed because she didn’t make something young kids would want to eat. So the judges decided they had the worst performances of this challenge.

The ones who did best were Tom and Brad. Tom was absolutely hilarious and is starting to come into his own more and more. Ditto for Brad, who delivered his best performance yet and is becoming really comfortable in front of the camera. So the judges declared them both winners for this one, and they would have an advantage heading into the star challenge.

For that star challenge, Ted Allen was on hand to introduce and describe the task. They would have to transform classic dishes into modern fare, at a house in Palm Springs that was the estate of none other than Frank Sinatra. Along with the regular judges Bobby Flay, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson; Allen was a judge as were Maile Carpenter, editor of Food Network Magazine, and Cal Fussman, an editor with Esquire Magazine. Brad chose first and went with chicken cordon bleu, and Tom chose lobster thermidor. They assigned Aria pigs in a blanket; Brianna tuna noodle casserole; Herb beef stroganoff; Aarti deviled eggs; and Serena pineapple upside down cake. They had $200 to shop with and 30 minutes to actually cook. Yikes.

Anyway, Aria decided to make breaded shrimp with caviar. Some of the judges thought this was so far off the mark for pigs in a blanket, while others thought she really took a big risk and that it was admirable. Tom made a grilled lobster dish, but he tripped up with his presentation a bit because he was long-winded.

Brad made a bacon wrapped chicken over risotto and the judges absolutely loved his food and his presentation, because he really took the Sinatra theme come to life. Brianna went with a crab and brie casserole, but she, as Fogelson observed, sabotaged herself by claiming she was not a fan of tuna noodle casserole. She also burned her bread crumbs and couldn’t use them.

Herb made a “healthy” beef stroganoff, but he is failing to make his healthy food taste good, and not using his Cuban roots enough according to the judges. Aarti made a “devilish” eggs with red curry rice and forgot the curry. She has regressed a bit the last few weeks, and regressed a bit more last night; and Serena did a puff pastry pineapple dessert, but used frozen puff pastry. Oops.

The judges declared that Herb had the worst dish of the night, and the winner was Brad, again. So Brad was safe, along with Aria, Tom and Serena. On the chopping block were Aarti, Herb and Brianna. Aarti was safe, so it came down to Herb and Brianna. I thought it was Herb going home, and so did Mrs. Mike, but it was Brianna. She had great cooking skills and occasionally showed flashes of brilliance on camera, but in the end, her attitude toward some of the challenges, like last night’s, were her undoing.

So okay….we’re down to six–Aria, Aarti, Tom, Brad, Herb and Serena. The way this is going, Serena and Herb will likely be next to be sent home. I’m revising my Top 3 projections–Brad, Tom and Aria. Aarti has showed time and again that she doesn’t totally have her head in the game, and her confidence level is low.

So that’s it…..thanks for reading and we’ll see you all back here next week!

Last night’s episode of “The Next Food Network Star” featured two unique challenges. The first was a chili pepper challenge, in which the 9 remaining chefs had to stake their claim to a specific type of chili pepper on a table and then create at dish with it to present on camera for 30 seconds. The winner would have their dish featured at all three of Bobby Flay’s restaurants.

Paul made a scallop dish with habanero and coconut sauce; DAS made some sort of sushi with tuna; Aria made a pork tenderloin with chili marinade; Herb a yellow chili spring roll with crab salad; Brianna made chili and chicken kabobs; Serena had Anaheim peppers and made a salad with mango and avocado; Tom made poblano with chorizo; Aarti made a steak with serrano chutney; and Brad made chicken and shrimp with coconut peanut sauce using Thai chiles.

The worst of the challenge according to Flay and the other judges were DAS’s sushi and Herb’s spring roll. Herb immediately slipped into this depression that was kind of sad and made me feel really bad for him. He was left wondering if he should really be here. They really liked Tom’s dish and presentation as well as Aarti and Brad, but the winner of the challenge was Brianna. She can be corny and annoying at times (and by times, I mean all the time), but it really seems like she knows how to cook.

The main challenge of the episode was to take the comfort foods of the childhoods of three acclaimed chefs–Jonathan Waxman, Susan Feniger and Eric Greenspan–and re-invent said dishes to reflect their own culinary point of view. Waxman and Feniger were recently contestants on Top Chef Masters on Bravo, so it was cool to see them here. The contestants were broken up into groups of three–and each group was assigned to one chef. Tom, Aarti and Herb were assigned to Waxman; Serena, Brad and Brianna to Feniger; and Aria, Paul, and DAS to Greenspan.

Waxman’s dish was lamb with potatoes; Feniger’s was fried chicken with basic iceberg salad; and Greenspan’s was steak with macaroni and cheese.

Tom made a leg of lamb with smashed fingerling potatoes; Aarti made ground lamb kabobs with pomegranate molasses; and Herb made a lamb with shallot and red wine reduction. The judges liked Tom’s dish but loved Aarti’s. She appears to be a front runner more and more each week. Meanwhile, Herb swung and missed again.

Serena made an Italian style chicken cutlet that was heavy on the breading; while Brad and Brianna both made authentic fried chicken that, I swear, made me want to jump through my TV. Brad’s was with an aioli and Brianna’s was a chicken & waffles dish inspired by her own childhood since her dad had taught her to make it. The judges praised Brad and Brianna but didn’t love Serena’s take, saying it wasn’t authentic enough. I’m not sure why they stress point of view so much, but then berate the contestants when they don’t stay true enough to the task. Huh?

Aria made flank steak fajitas with jalapeno mac & cheese; DAS made a New York strip with 3-berry relish and a basic mac & cheese; and Paul took a huge risk by making a pork tenderloin with marscarpone and spaetzle. Yikes. DAS did not dazzle and his nervousness on camera shone through again. Meanwhile, Paul just veered way too far from the actual challenge, and Greenspan even made a comment that being Jewish, he never even ate pork growing up. Oops. And while they liked Aria’s dish, they didn’t love it…they only liked it more than the other two guys’ creations.

So the winners were Aria, Aarti and Brad–and each was safe from elimination this week. Next to safety were Brianna, Tom and Paul. I have no clue why they gave Paul a free pass, especially since he really messed up this challenge.

It came down then to DAS, Herb and Serena. Serena was declared safe, and then it was between DAS and Herb. Herb was given a pep talk by Flay about lifting his head up and getting back in it, and DAS was sent home. Bob Tuschman made the comment that DAS was getting slightly better each week, but he feared that by the show’s finale, he would not have progressed enough to be a network star. And that was a very correct assessment.

Okay, so we’re down to 8 now–Brad, Aarti, Serena, Herb, Aria, Brianna, Tom and Paul. I think we’re going to see Paul, Herb, Serena and Brad exit soon, and maybe Tom. But Aarti, Brianna and Aria seem to be the best overall performers when you combine cooking chops with TV appeal.

What do you think? Let me know in the space below, and see you all next week…