The Next Food Network Star, Season 6
Episode 3: Grammy Award Celebration
Camera Challenge
Presenting a dish to camera, based on a movie genre
Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) offered the finalists popcorn boxes which contained containing the inspiration for the challenge: movies genres.
In this challenge, each finalist was given a movie genre (mystery, comedy, western, horror, foreign film, etc.). Each finalist had 45 minutes to make a dish inspired by their genre, and 30 seconds to present their dish to camera.
This challenge was wide open for low-carb chefs. There were no requirements to use any particular ingredients, so low-carb cooks would have had a great opportunity not only to make a great dish, but also to represent their low-carb culinary point of view.
The highlights of this competition for me were Aarti’s Turk-Eye Meatloaves with Bloody Sauce inspired by the horror genre and Serena’s Spaghetti Western inspired by the westerns genre.
These were easily the most “inspired” entries.
Aarti made a meatloaf inspired by the eyes in horror movies that follow you around the room… which was impressively low in carbs. There isn’t even any sugar in her tomato sauce. And it looked just fantastic, with a giant eyeball on top!!
Serena’s spaghetti was (obviously) not low-carb, but sounded like it would be good even without the pasta. She mixed a bolognese sauce with some western flavors that the selection committee really liked. As a big fan of spaghetti westerns, I thought Serena’s dish was creative.
Brad’s Paprika Seared Salmon with Carrot-Ginger Puree and Red Pepper Coulis inspired by the animated genre gets an honorable mention for being lower in carbs than most NFNS dishes. At least his recipe did not include any of the main carby starch and sugar components: bread/breading, potato, noodles, tortillas, etc.
The winner of the camera challenge was Aarti Sequeira.
Star Challenge
Grammy Award Celebration
On your mark…
With Bobby Flay in New York this week, Guy Fieri stayed on for the Star Challenge.
The Star Challenge began with a walk down a short red carpet, lined with papparazi and fans for the finalists to interact with.
This short bit was very interesting to me. On the red carpet, I liked Brianna and Dzintra even less than I did before. I found their their attitudes towards “fans” to be offputting.
The selection committee did not make many comments about this part of the challenge, except to tell DAS that “Hey There” and “How ya’ doin’?” comes off as disingenuous.
At the end of the red carpet, each finalist took a “gift bag” which contained their assignments for the remainder of the challenge.
First, the color of the bags paired the finalists into teams of two. Second, the ingredients in the bag determined the main ingredients for their dishes.
The challenge was to cater a Grammy after-party for Grammy Award-winner Colbie Caillat, for about 150 guests. Each finalist had to make a solo dish with their ingredient and a collaborative dish together with their partner’s ingredient.
Get set…
Ingredient challenges are always a challenge, no matter what your culinary point of view. And, these partners gigs are always a challenge for everybody. Nobody wants to get paired with a partner who will bring them down… but some worry about it more than others!!
the ingredients
Blueberries (Aria) + Mushrooms (Dzintra)
MGD 64 Beer (Herb) + Fennel (Brianna)
Chocolate (Brad) + Taleggio cheese (Aarti)
Cabbage (Tom) + Bananas (DAS)
Peanuts (Serena) + Parsnips (Paul)
Though many of these ingredients would be fairly easy to use in a low-carb dish, the best ones for a low-carb cook would be the cheese, fennel and mushrooms, since they are usually served in salty or savory dishes. MGD 64 is a low-calorie beer with only 2.4 grams of carbs and 64 calories per 12-oz serving, so you’d be good using that in any low-carb dish as well.
Cabbage is often served in sweetened slaws to offset its naturally bitter taste, so you’d have to watch out for that. The worst selections are probably chocolate, bananas or parsnips.
I wasn’t familiar with Taleggio cheese, so I looked it up. According to Wikipedia, it is a washed rind Italian cheese that is named after Val Taleggio. The cheese has a strong aroma, but its flavour is comparatively mild with an unusual fruity tang. Its crust is thin and studded with salt crystals.
Go!
Herb and Brianna
beer and fennel
Herb and Brianna were dubbed as “Team Sexy,” which they milked for everything they could get out of it. They got along quite well, and seemed to collaborate on fennel and beer without difficulty. Their food was very well liked.
This was a great pairing for both of them. Brianna’s cooking ability paired with Herb’s was spot on in this challenge. Herb’s bright, friendly personality took the edge off of Brianna’s colder personality.
Most of the guests’ comments about Brianna were negative, but they liked her Crispy Pork Loin with Fennel Tomato Chutney. Brianna has offered some of the most consistently good food in the competition so far.
The selection committee loved Herb’s MGD 64 Flank Steak, especially the Chimmichurri sauce.
Herb and Brianna are definitely among this seasons top performers.
Brad and Aarti
chocolate and Tallegio cheese
Brad seemed concerned about his pairing with Aarti. He is presumably one of the best chefs in the competition. Brad was certainly one of my first-impression favorites for best chef this season. Whatever you think of Brad’s skill as a chef, his food has turned out to be quite inconsistent in the challenges so far.
I thought Brad and Aarti worked quite well together. Brad is more focused on the food than the teamwork or his presentation. Aarti doesn’t seem to lack culinary expertise, but is a more well rounded person. She cooks well, presents well, and likes to interact with people.
They loved Aarti’s Tallegio Toasts with South Indian Tomato Chutney. She successfully combined Indian flavors with a classic Italian Bruschetta using the Tallegio cheese. Aarti is another finalist who has delivered consistently good food so far.
Aarti is usually a big hit with the guests at the NFNS challenge parties, and this one was no different. Many people said they really felt Aarti’s warmth when they talked to her. Way to go, Aarti!!
The selection committee’s main complaint about Brad’s Cocoa-Coffee-Chili Seasoned Pork with Pear Apple Chutney was that they wanted to taste more chocolate, which was the ingredient he was showcasing.
Tom and DAS
cabbage + bananas
Tom and DAS seemed to have quite a bit of fun together. Suzie and Bob both saw a side of both finalists they hadn’t seem before. I, too, liked both of them better in this episode than in previous ones. The pairing worked out very well for them. Their individual dishes scored well in this challange, as well as their personalities.
The cabbage part of DAS’s Pan Seared Salmon with Pancetta Fried Cabbage and Thyme Beurre Blanc Sauce was Suzie Fogelson’s favorite dish at the party.
Also, Tom’s Banana-Avocado Mousse with Caramelized Red Onion Puree received surprisingly good comments from the selection committee for such an odd-flavored dish.
However, their collaboration was one of the true disasters of this episode. They took a risk on banana tempura topped with a jerk cabbage slaw. Tom said he put too much jerk seasoning on the cabbage… and wasn’t sure it would come out.
It didn’t. Everybody hated it. Colbie Caillat asked if she could spit it out. Suzie said it was a bold dish… but not a successful one.
Do some of our finalists need couples counseling??
Aria and Dzintra
blueberries + mushrooms
Aria made a well-received Blueberry Napoleon with Orange-Blueberry Sauce, and the people seemed to really warm up to her as well.
Dzintra, however doesn’t usually do as well with people. She often comes across like an airhead scatterbrain. In this episode her frenetic energy keeps going like the Energizer Bunny…
The big gossip-column material for this week’s show is that Dzintra shushed Aria while she was describing their dishes to the selection committee.
The selection committee walked up, and Aria engaged them… then, the editors cut to Dzintra in the pantry “camera room” dishing about the event, saying “Everybody loves Aria…” and asking “but when are they going to listen to ME?”
Then they cut back to the party, with Dzintra shushing Aria…. To me, it seemed very insecure and “ME TOO! I can cook too!!” The selection committee didn’t take too kindly to the shushing. Suzie said it made the hairs on the back of here neck stand up.
It did not make Dzintra look good… Plus they didn’t really like her Mom’s Mushroom Beef Tenderloin.
It hurts Dzintra when they judges don’t like her food. She is a Cordon Bleu trained chef, who studied culinary arts in France. No question about her culinary chops. She can deliver the food. Some of her best dishes have been very sophisticated, and maybe even delicious, but she has had trouble engaging in the spirit of the challenges.
Susie asked Dzintra what her inspiration was for her mushroom dish. She threw up her arms in a sort of wild shrug, and said, “I really don’t know…”
After watching 4 seasons of this show, I can tell you that is not the way to impress the selection committee. The selection committee likes finalists who can express themselves well in their food and in their words. Being able to tell how a particular dish shows your culinary point of view is one of the most fundamental elements in The Next Food Network Star.
I’m thinking Dzintra can’t win this thing. She’s gotta go before too much longer. At this point, I’m just hoping she doesn’t pull Aria down with her, because I think Aria has a chance to go all the way.
Paul and Serena
peanuts + parsnips
Paul had a lot of trouble being paired with Serena, because she is not a professionally trained cook. He was convinced that, not being used to preparing food for over 100 people at a time, Serena would pull him down. He treated her disrepectfully as a cooking partner, and was so rude to her in front of the guests that it made some of them uncomfortable.
Despite Paul’s attitude that other finalists might pull him down, he is his own worst enemy in my opinion.
While the selection committee did like his Shrimp with Parsnip Puree with Pickled Veggies, he was dissed for his condescending treatment of Serina. And Guy Fieri made it very clear to Paul that Food Network Stars have all levels of professional culinary training, and all must be treated with respect.
And it’s really anybody’s game to lose.
Serena had three problems in this competition: Paul treated her badly. She was injured and in pain. Her ingredient did not fit into her cuisine comfort zone.
Her food failed to please anybody, so it was a bad, bad day for her. While a different partner would have made a big difference to Serena, avoiding her injury would have made an even bigger difference.
Brianna stepped backwards in the kitchen, right onto Serena’s foot. They heard a crack, and Serena thought her foot might have been broken, but continued the competition in pain, and then went to the hospital afterwards. To her credit, the selection committee couldn’t even tell she had been injured. Bob Tuschman said in his “extra” video that he thought she seemed a little off, but then gave her a big bonus credit for performing so beautifully under the circumstances.
Serena’s peanut ingredient didn’t seem to fit into ther cuisine comfort zone (Mediterranean) very well. While Paul should have shown her a high level of respect as a finalist and partner, it really is possible that Serina’s culinary education doesn’t span as many cuisines as the professionally trained chefs’ educations, leaving her unable to integrate the odd ingredient into a good dish.
Serena said her Mozzarella en Carozza Sandwiches with Prosciutto and Peanut Butter was like an Italian grilled cheese sandwich, topped with peanut butter sauce. She knew it was going to be dry because she had to cut some corners to finish in time.
Paul made the slaw for their collaborative dish. After breaking the glass in the soy sauce bottle, he had to do it all over to avoid any risk of feeding broken glass to the guests.
I don’t think Paul can last much longer. He has been in the last lineup for elimination, and the selection committe is having trouble figuring out who he is. Giada says he seems to be whoever he thinks “they want him to be” in his camera challenges. He has not been consistent, and he often comes off looking like a jerk.
Hits:
Herb’s MGD 64 Flank Steak
Brianna’s Crispy Pork Loin with Fennel Tomato Chutney
DAS’s Pan Seared Salmon with Pancetta Fried Cabbage and Thyme Beurre Blanc Sauce
Aarti’s Tallegio Toasts with South Indian Tomato Chutney
Aria’s Blueberry Napoleon with Orange-Blueberry Sauce
Misses:
Brad’s Cocoa-Coffee-Chili Seasoned Pork with Pear Apple Chutney
Serena’s Mozzarella en Carozza Sandwiches with Prosciutto and Peanut Butter
Dzintra’s Mom’s Mushroom Beef Tenderloin
Worst in show: Tom’s and DAS’s Tempura Banana and Jerk Cabbage Dish.
Best in show: Herb and Brianna, Brad and Aarti, Tom and DAS
pairs that worked well together
Week 2 Winner: Team Sexy: Herb Mesa and Brianna Jenkins
Left to right:
Combined dish with fennel and beer:
Fennel and Leek Bruschetta with Cheese and Beer Fondue
Brianna’s fennel dish: Crispy Pork Loin with Fennel Tomato Chutney
Herb’s beer dish: MGD 64 Flank Steak
Worst of show: Dzintra and Aria, Paul and Serena
pairs that didn’t get along
Eliminated: Dzintra Dzenis
Something about the Next Food Network Star competition eats up some of the best chefs on the show every season. The NFNS competition is looking for more than a chef. They are looking for a whole package of chef, personality, brand, Food Network colleague and team player…
Bob Tuschman said in a previous season that Food Network stars cannot diss other chefs or their shows. They expect a professionalism and a team player attitude that promotes collaboration and respect for one another.
They include team challenges in NFNS because they want people who can work well with others.
Judging by this criteria, I’d have to say that the four finalists with the best chances of going all the way are: Aarti, Aria, Herb and Serina. From the start, these finalists have developed a comeraderie, and a willingness to help one another that would make them good long-term colleagues. They are also the quickest to cheer for one another, and offer hugs of celebration and support…
It is fun to watch the divas in a competition or “reality show.” And most of us are more entertained by watching people LOSE than by watching peopole WIN.
Isn’t that why we love the elimination rounds??
As soon as the winner is dismissed, the drama starts… until we get to see who goes home this week.
Don’t forget to vote for your FAN FAVORITE!
Top 3 Fan Favorites: Aria 22%, Aarti 17% and Doreen/Brad at 11% each
Bottom 3 Fan Favorites: Brianna 2%, Tom 4%, Paul 4%
Check out:
Episode 3 Videos
Episode 3 Recipes
The Next Food Network Star is on Sundays at 9 p.m.
Tune in next week for episode 4 of The Next Food Network Star, Season 6.
Lovin’ It Low Carb
Ramona Denton
in this series
The Next Food Network Star, Season 6 Episode 1 (Premiere)
The Next Food Network Star: Season 6, Episode 2
The Next Food Network Star: Season 6, Episode 3
The Next Food Network Star: Season 6, Episode 4
