by Ian Jackman
“I was really proud that I managed to make the kebabs, the potatoes, and the raita. Bobby was on me about the raita, and I didn’t think I’d finish on time. I can still hear him saying, ‘I want that raita! You have to make it!’ By that point in the competition, I was starting to get my legs. Still, when I think back to that challenge, it feels like a bit of an out-of-body experience. Something else was guiding me through that week!”
—Aarti Sequeira
Herb talked movingly of the first date he had with his wife, Linda, which was the first time anyone said he was special. Chef Waxman said Aarti’s dish “was everything I wanted to see because it was different. It’s an accomplished dish.”
Aria won her group by default because Paul’s risk didn’t pay off and Das’s berries were a mystery. The fried-chicken contest was won by Brad. He did a fantastic job, Bobby said. Serena’s breaded chicken didn’t work; Brianna’s chicken was “ridiculous,” said Bobby, but the waffle wasn’t. Tom’s lamb was underseasoned, but his presentation was most improved. Bob called Aarti’s food a knockout.
Herb admitted to self-doubt: “I don’t know if it’s the right choice.” He said he was still the little fat kid. He didn’t have the memories with his dad.
Susie said, “You have to deliver joy.”
“Those old demons are hard to shake sometimes,” said Herb.
Bobby told him, “You are a success. Lift your head up and make it happen.”
Of the bottom three, Serena, Das, and Herb, Das was the one sent packing.
GROUND LAMB KOFTA KEBABS
with Pomegranate Glaze, Bengali-Spiced Potatoes, and Persian Cucumber Raita
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira
Yield: 4 servings • Prep Time: 30 minutes • Cook Time: 45 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy
FOR THE RAITA
2 Persian cucumbers, or 1 English cucumber, sliced ¼-inch thick (about 1¼ cups)
1 cup Greek yogurt
Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh mint, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE KEBABS
2 cups fresh parsley leaves, from ½ bunch
4 sprigs mint leaves, picked (about 1 cup)
1 shallot, roughly chopped
Zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon, divided
2 garlic cloves
1 pound ground lamb
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for greasing
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
FOR THE POTATOES
1 pound new potatoes
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons panch puran spice blend (or a combination of fennel seed and cumin seed)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Special equipment: 12 (10-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water
1. FOR THE RAITA: Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Season with plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Cover the mixture and chill while you prepare the kebabs.
2. FOR THE KEBABS, PART ONE: In a food processor, combine the parsley, mint, shallot, lemon zest, and garlic. Pulse until finely minced. Transfer to a large bowl and add the ground lamb, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Knead until it turns sticky, looks like a piece of knitted fabric, and holds its shape. Chill while you make the potatoes.
3. FOR THE POTATOES: Fill a large pot with cool water and place over high heat. Add the potatoes and a hefty dose of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until tender. Drain the potatoes and push them through a ricer.
4. Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once it shimmers, add the panch puran. Cook until the spices give off their fragrance and begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the potatoes, flatten with a spatula, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and flattening a few times, until the bottom gets a little crispy. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm until ready to serve.
5. FOR THE KEBABS, PART TWO: Take the meat out of the refrigerator. Divide into 12 small, equal-sized portions, and roll each portion into a cylinder. Thread a skewer through the cylinders lengthwise, and form the meat halfway down the skewer, keeping a long cylinder shape. Place the kebabs on an oiled baking sheet. Drizzle the meat with a little more of the oil.
6. Combine the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.
7. Light a grill or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
8. Place the kebabs on the grill, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, generously brushing with the glaze. The kebabs should be cooked and browned in about 6 minutes.
9. Serve with the potatoes and raita on the side.
Midterms
The Camera Challenge re-created the food-product test—“you in a jar.” Could any of these finalists deliver a brand?
Serena had always wanted to bottle her own pasta sauce—“Serena’s Trattoria Amatriciana Sauce.” “If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a tomato sauce,” Serena said. “I’m Italian, after all.”
Rather than making an on-camera demo, the finalists would have the products tested before a live audience at the Grove in L.A. Giada stopped by the house to give advice on how to connect with an audience. Afterward, Brianna made dinner for the house and kicked Serena out of the kitchen.
“We just don’t get along,” said Brianna.
At the Grove, a stage was set up and the audience of one hundred had ballots for choosing a favorite among the three-minute presentations. Serena was unfocused and her sauce had no flavor. Paul and Aarti didn’t finish their demos, but Paul’s tomato sauce and Aarti’s tandoori paste were good. Herb made a stir-fry to showcase his Energy Chef Oil Blend, a mix of coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil. His product was a bit weak, said Susie, but Herb was electric.
“I went out there and was just myself. I had nothing to hide. And if I wasn’t myself I knew that people would see right through me, so I just put it all out there. I find that most people like me . . . more than they don’t! I wanted this more than anything in the world, I wanted to be the Jack LaLanne or the Richard Simmons of our generation without the funny pant suit or the sequin tops.”
—Herb Mesa
A very nervous Brianna called her Oh Berry Chocolate Sauce “Oh Baby.” Her voice quivered. And she finished thirty-five seconds early and tried to walk off. Giada said it was a “great product” but that Brianna had made steps back. “So irritated,” said Bobby.
To the judges, Aria’s Family-Style Apple Pear Chutney was undercooked. Tom’s Big Chef’s Bold Citrus Marmalade was spicy and flavorful and his demo made the crowd buzz, but his marmalade was bitter. As soon as Brad started his demo, his smile went off. His Three-Onion Cherry Marmalade had limited use but was special.
The bottom two in the audience votes were Serena and Brianna; the top two, Aarti and Tom, who got what he called his “elusive W.”
“The Big Chef concept was in front of my face for thirty-two years, it just took me a little soul searching and a little prodding from the judges to bring it out. Once I found it, I finally accepted where I stand as a cook and as a personality. The relief I felt was pretty crazy; not only had I found a cooking philosophy for the show but I finally was comfortable with my cooking philosophy in life. It was game on from there.”
—Tom Pizzica
Paula Deen: A Q&A
When you’re judging, if you don’t like something you’re going to say so . . .
As much as I don’t ever like to say anything to hurt somebody, it’s just not in my nature to keep quiet. I find it very hard not to be brutally honest when it comes to food and my palate. I am
guilty: If it sucks, I say it sucks. I don’t like it when people skirt around the truth with me.
Is working in a restaurant good practice for a Next Food Network Star challenge?
In the restaurant business you have to be a real quick thinker. I’ve had to do so much on the fly. And by doing that I have created some things that are our favorites now at the restaurants. One day I said to my baker, “You have got to hurry, we have no desserts!” She was making Brown Sugar Chewies and she pumped the oven up high and she burned ’em. I just took a knife and cut all the burned parts off and made Chocolate Trifle out of it. It was incredible and we still make that. So you have to be able to think quickly on your feet. When you have an irate customer saying it’s taking too long, you gotta figure out how to beat that clock and come up with a good product.
Did it take you a while to become comfortable on camera?
I was a little nervous that first time but I am definitely a survivor. I’ll do whatever it takes to survive. You know what you have to do and you just do it. It’s that simple. Do it or die, sister. I wasn’t going to let nerves affect my performance. I moved into my survival mode.
You’ve done Iron Chef America—how was that for you?
They kept inviting me to do Iron Chef and I said, “Listen, I have lived that life in my restaurant. There was only one of me on the line preparing for a whole dining room of people.” I said, “I have put that part of my life behind and I’m not interested in doing that style of cooking and being under that kind of pressure.” But I did agree to go on for a lighter version, a Christmas special making cookies and candy. And we had a ball—Cat and I beat those boys. [Tyler Florence and Robert Irvine]
What’s your best advice for these finalists?
You have got to take risks but you have to take calculated risks, not stupid risks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
And they have to develop a good Point of View . . .
It’s great if you can have a hook but it can’t be a setup. My hook is I’m southern and I have this weird accent that no one had ever seen or heard before on Food Network. Guy has a look that was his hook. These were not planned hooks. They were natural and they have to make sense, otherwise it looks forced.
Is it difficult coming up with new recipes?
When you are in the kitchen on a daily basis trying to feed the public and your mind is constantly in that groove, it’s not that hard, especially when you have a kitchen full of people helping you think. So in the kitchen atmosphere it’s not that hard. My rule is the old K.I.S.S. method: Keep It Simple Stupid.
What’s the best food town in America?
Savannah, Georgia, of course. And a real food town is New Orleans. That’s a food town.
Are shrimp and grits a signature dish of Savannah?
When you get to the coast—the Lowcountry—the fruits of the sea are very predominant. I was born and spent my first forty years in Albany, Georgia, which is in the southwest corner of the state and all we have there are ponds—no salt water. The food is so different from southwest Georgia to southeast. When I came to Savannah, I found people didn’t want rice and brown gravy; they wanted red rice and they wanted fried shrimp and oysters and there we had catfish. But I would say fried chicken is the dish of Savannah.
Is cooking grits a test of a good chef?
It’s not that difficult if you know a couple of tricks. I always use a quick-cooking grit, never an instant grit. We cook ’em for about 45 minutes. You have to salt your water and when you are putting in your grits you need a whisk because you have to get every one of those kernels good and wet, otherwise you will have lumps. It’s simple but you have to do it right.
Your fans feel like they really know you.
They do know me because I pretty much tell it all. My TV show is like my real life. I bring my family in and I don’t hide anything and I expose us all. So they do know me—we just haven’t been properly introduced.
That’s where the line between public and private is blurred . . .
My husband is on my show with me and when I do live shows he is always right by my side. He is one of the funniest people I have ever met. He is so hilarious but when he gets in front of that camera with me he starts editing himself. He is so afraid he is going to say something that is going to hurt me or make me look bad. So he edits himself and I have begged him to quit doing that, that’s what the edit-room floor is for, Michael. I said take a risk. Run that risk and let people see the real you. If they see you they are going to adore you. Some people just have a hard time doing that.
Do you edit yourself?
Not too much. If I say something that should not be said, the edit room will get it. It’s a little different on a live stage. Then I have to edit myself a little bit.
Whenever you appear, people’s faces light up . . .
I’ve tried to figure it out. I could feel something happening out there as I became more and more known . . . I noticed there was some kind of rapport going on between me and the crowd and I think I have finally figured it out. I asked my husband if he knew what was happening and he said, “Paula, you know, bottom line is, you can’t fool people. Those people know you’re real. They know that what they see is what they are going to get.”
What I think it is, I think I remind people of someone else who has loved them very much in their life, whether it’s a grandmother, a mother, a favorite aunt . . . That’s a great gift to me that these people have given me. And as far as I am concerned it doesn’t get any better than that.
SPOTLIGHT ON
LUNCH TRUCKS WITH PAULA
Straight from the live demo, finalists were faced with four lunch trucks. And Paula Deen.
The lunch-truck challenge resonated with Paula because she’d gotten her start selling brown-bag lunches. In teams of two, based on the Grove challenge, the finalists would be serving lunch on Venice Beach. The top two, Tom and Aarti, were paired, as were the bottom two, Serena and Brianna, recent adversaries in the home kitchen. Brianna was worried. “The last thing I want is for there to be some type of drama.” Tom and Aarti got to pick the other teams and strategically paired Brad and Aria to keep friends Brad and Paul apart.
Serena and Brianna planned their menu: Jerk Chicken, Beef Empanadas, Lamb Gyros, and Porketta Paninis. They had to name their lunch operation (Two Chix and a Truck). Tom and Aarti went for comfort food with Indian flavor: BLCs (Bacon, Lettuce, and Cucumber), Lamb Tacos, Curried Funnel Cakes, and the name Dick Bombay’s. Brad and Aria, both from Wisconsin, decided that their All-American Cheesehead Grill would feature Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese, Beef and Buffalo Sliders, Hot Dogs, and Strawberry Milk Shakes.
When they shopped, Tom rejected frozen lamb and picked up tri-tip. Brianna bought the frozen meat. In a different store, Serena looked in vain for sriracha sauce—something they don’t have in Italy—so she called Brianna. Brianna was not feeling confident.
At the beach, the truck galleys were a tight squeeze.
Each team had issues: Tom smoked out the truck. Paul bought a giardiniera mix rather than making his own relish. Aria and Brad didn’t buy fresh strawberries for their shakes, and Brad didn’t start cooking until the last minute. Brianna’s lamb was still frozen, so she defrosted it in the oven. Suddenly, time was up, the crowd arrived, and Aria and Brad weren’t ready. “Holy cow,” said Aria, “where did you all come from?”
Working with Serena gave Brianna a new respect for her. Together, they brought it. “Empanadas are the quintessential street food,” said Brianna. “You have your veggies, you have your meat, in one little bite.”
“I love making empanadas! One of my favorite street foods of all time! I started making these tasty treats after returning from a trip from Uruguay in 2002 where they deliver these puppies like pizza!
“After winning the food-truck challenge Serena and I were ecstatic, I really felt I was getting some recognition for my cooking chops but this was a crucial moment in the competition for a lot of us, do or die.”
—Brianna Jenkins
For Paul and Herb’s Wraps truck, Herb planned healthy Cuban Wraps, Paul, Chicago-style Cheesy Beef Wraps with Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges, and Breakfast Egg Wraps.
Herb said that he and Paul were “killing it”—two big personalities not holding back. Herb came out of the truck to serve the committee; Paul admitted to Bobby that he’d bought the giardiniera. Bobby liked the Cuban Wrap a lot and thought the Breakfast Egg burrito was good. Paula said the guys were “cute as a bug’s ear.” Susie, however, said Paul was still figuring out the right vibe.
“My favorite challenge of all was the food trucks. I love it when they have to brand themselves and when they have to work together and they have to come up with concepts. I loved it.”
—Susie Fogelson
Brad’s burger was completely overcooked, said Bobby. And given their generous budget, the judges didn’t understand why they skimped on the strawberries.
Paula Deen: My grandson could have made that [hot dog].
Bob Tuschman: And your grandson is how old?
Paula Deen: Three and a half.
“That challenge was so much fun. I was surprised by one of the trucks because they didn’t challenge themselves at all. A hot dog is a hot dog. I can make a fabulous hot dog but you got to do a lot more than put a dog on a bun.”