Food Lush

Top Chef Texas: Episode 17: And the winner is...

By Sarah

It's the finale! Before we get to it, I have to say, this will be a complete surprise to me. I was on Twitter last night (Wednesday), as well as today (Thursday) and nothing was ruined. It's a Top Chef miracle!

I am torn between Sarah and Paul. I get the impression from most that they hate Sarah and that they love Paul. It's the opposite for me. I -- obviously lacking both Smell- and Taste-o-Vision -- just don't get Paul's dishes. I know the judges do and maybe I'm just culinarily stunted (yes, you're saying), but give me fresh homemade pasta any day. That being said, I think it's anyone's game, truly.

Now! As usual, one of the biggest question marks in the finale is, "Who's going to sous chef?" This time around, they bring back not only chefs who got kicked off, but chefs who didn't even make it through in the first place, as well as two James Beard Award-winning chefs. Each potential sous chef will cook a dish and then Sarah and Paul will have to choose blindly based on the dish.

Sarah winds up with Nyesha, Paul with one of the master chefs. Next up, Paul picks Ty-Lor (UMLAUT is BACK!) and Sarah, trying to pick Heather (based on the dish she remembers from Heather's menu) ends up choosing Tyler, that kid who butchered the hell out of the pork and didn't make it through the first round. Paul's last picks are Malibu Chris and Keith and his beard, and Sarah gets Grayson and the beloved Heather.

For the actual finale challenge, the chefs must create a four-course menu and they will each be cooking in separate restaurants, which I think is a Top Chef first, is it not? In Sarah's kitchen, there's a little friction with Tyler working too slowly, while in Paul's kitchen, he worries that the master chef won't be too keen on taking orders.

Sarah, staying true to her roots, starts with a homemade pasta, followed by a salmon dish. Once again, Paul is making things that the judges love, but that skeeve me out. I'm sorry Paul, I bet everything tastes great, but that jiggly thing and slow scrambled egg? HORK.

At one point, they send the chefs out to a random "Table 30" or whatever and boom: There are Paul's parents (his dad was crying!) and Sarah's mom and fiance. Cue the waterworks, Top Chef!

At Judges' Table, there seems to be a consensus that Paul's first round of service was better than his second, whereas Sarah's was better for the second group of judges. Either way, the judges agree that sending anyone home for either meal is going to be tough.

But! I decision must be made! And the winner...

...with their families standing by at Judges' Table, no pressure or anything!...

...is...

...Paul!

Were you surprised? I was. But also not. Pretty much how I've felt all season.

Top Chef Texas: Episode 16: And then there were three

By Sarah

For the quickfire challenge, the chefs are paired with Asian "master" chefs. They'll take turns cooking, tagging each other in and out. Hey! I recognize that guy from Top Chef Masters! (Floyd Cardoz.) Ahem, sorry. The point is for the contestants to try to figure out the master chefs' "visions," which of course always turns out well.

Everyone's got a seafood theme going and Sarah and Floyd end up winning the quickfire. Even better, Sarah wins $20 grand. We come to find out later that Sarah's parents let her drop out of high school so she could go to culinary school. This Sarah's parents would not have let that happen, let me tell you what. Then again, I can barely transfer a phone call at work, so it's probably for the best.

For the elimination challenge -- because even though they're in Canada, they can't let the Texas stereotype go -- the chefs are to cook for 150 people sticking to the theme "fire and ice." Basically they must cook one hot dish and one cold dish. Hot could be anything ... Hot temperature, hot spicy, what have you. Cold ... Well, I'm pretty sure cold just means cold. In addition to the fire and ice, the chefs must also serve a signature cocktail.

Sarah decides to stick to her roots and do a pasta dish, while Paul is using THIRTY POUNDS of LOBSTER to make LOBSTER STOCK. Thirty pounds. Lobster. For stock. I need a food budget like that. Lindsay, still looking to avenge the bad halibut thanks to Bev's shoddy cooking during Restaurant Wars, is making halibut again. Listen, Linds, give up the 'but. Time to move on, sister.

At judges' table, as has been the usual recently, the judges like all of the dishes with the exception of one small detail: Paul's random piece of arugula, Sarah's frozen mouse, Lindsay's blah cocktail.

After much deliberation, the loser is ...

... Lindsay.

(Whomp whomp whomp from Team Lindsay over here.)

So! It's Paul and Sarah in the finale next week! Who will it be? Place you bets!

Top Chef Texas: Episode 15: It's like the Olympics! Or something.

By Sarah

Hello, Canada! The four remaining chefs -- Lindsay, Sarah, Paul, and Beverly -- arrive in Vancouver, B.C. with new 'dos and new attitudes. Seriously, how much of a lag is it between the first episodes and the final episodes? Enough to make the chefs see how they looked on TV and change their hair styles accordingly, that's how long.

The chefs, atop a very cold, very windy apex, learn that in order to make it to the final three, they must compete in three different challenges. The first? Cooking on a gondola. That's right. Cooking. On a moving gondola. The gondolas are actually outfitted with quite the little kitchens and a lot of ingredients. Adding a little twist to the mix is that when the gondola stops, the chefs must get out, pick a new ingredient, and then get back in the gondola and continue cooking.

At judges' table, the judges seem to especially like Lindsay's salmon and Beverly's tartare. Luckily, Lindsay wins the challenge, which, we find out, guarantees her a spot in the final three. No more competitions for her until the final! Unfortunately, the others chefs must still compete. Whomp whomp whomp.

For challenge number two, the chefs have to use ingredients that have been frozen in blocks of ice. They only have one hour in which to chip away at the food and cook. I sincerely hope someone was an ice sculptor in a past life. Spoiler alert: No one was.

In a gentlemanly move, Paul helps both Sarah and Bev break ice blocks and even gives some of his king crab to Sarah and red wine to Beverly. Will this come back to bite him in the ass? No! It does not. Paul wins the challenge and, like Lindsay, earns an automatic spot in the finals.

And now! It's Sarah v. Bev in The Battle Of Bullies! The chefs learn they must compete in a biathlon-style course, where they have to ski, then shoot for their ingredients. No, Beverly, you will not be shooting your own game (who are you, Katniss?)

The chefs are given ten shots to shoot their "ingredients" (read: a bulls eye next to the ingredient they want.) I'm sad to say Bev totally kicks ass in this challenge and gets a bunch of ingredients, whereas Sarah comes away with rabbit, cabbage, hazelnuts, and ... cherries. Yum!

In a complete shock to me, Beverly gets sent home. I was really beginning to believe this show was rigged (I mean it is, but you know) with the intention to just get Beverly to the finals. But no! She's gone! Ding dong!

Next week, rather than just being the finale, as in years past (right?) the chefs will be whittled down to two and then we'll get to the finale. They're really dragging this season out, am I right?

Anyway, who's your pick? I'm Team Lindsay all the way.

Top Chef Texas: Episode 14: The Bev is Back

By Sarah

After learning last week that the online Last Chance Kitchen was not for naught, we find out Beverly has made it back into the game. I think I speak for all the chefs when I say, "Oh, yay." For the quickfire challenge, the chefs must go shopping in the pantry completely blindfolded, then when they think they're happy with their choices (which could be anything!), they can use any remaining time to cook their dish.

The twist is this: The winner of the quickfire gets to decide their prize, either a car or a guaranteed spot in the finals. How there is any question is beyond me, but some chefs really seem jacked up (no pun intended) about a car. Sarah wins with a mushroom, corn, and peach (?) soup and decides to take the guaranteed final spot.

For the elimination challenge, the chefs must cook for their mentors ... Aaaaand cue the waterworks, as the chefs tell their mentors face-to-face how they inspired and shaped them in their careers. Since Sarah chose a spot in the finals, she doesn't have to cook in the elimination challenge and instead, is throwing back tequila with her mentor, the lucky girl.

Lindsay cooks a take on a seafood stew, which is fairly well-received by the judges, while Paul makes yet another dish -- a cold vegetable soup -- that makes me wish I had taste-o-vision, because there's just something about Paul's food that seems strange and yet the judges always dig it.

Bev makes a wok-style dish that all of the judges seem to be impressed by and meanwhile, Ed cooks ... Some kind of meat? I'm sorry, I get seriously sidetracked watching Top Chef sometimes. Yeah I know, don't quit my day job.

Much to everyone's dismay (or just mine), Beverly makes it through to the final four and Paul wins the elimination challenge as well as the car that Sarah chose not to take.

The judges crack Ed for using canned smoked oysters and they didn't like Lindsay's use of dried herbs in her dish. As they're defending themselves to the judges, Lindsay, sobbing buckets yet again, says, "There's no crying in fine dining," which hello, is going to be my new favorite phrase whenever someone cries on this show.

THURS NO CRYIN 'N FINE DININ Y'ALL.

In the end, Ed gets sent home, which surprises me, but not in a bad way, because YAY! I'm glad Linsday is moving on and I hope she kicks Bev's ass. (No, I'm not still harboring residual anger from when Bev effed up Linsday's fish during restaurant wars.)

Next week: Oh, Canada! Here we come!

Top Chef Texas, Episode 13: "Then why don't you marry it?"

By Sarah

OMG IT'S PEE WEE HERMAN! Raise your hand if you watched him every weekend as a kid. *raises hand* (OF COURSE I'm raising my hand.) Dudes, creepy or not, Pee Wee was where it was at.

This week's quickfire features pancakes, not one of my favorite breakfast treats, to be sure, but still a once-in-a-blue-moon guilty pleasure nonetheless. Although Paul is totally speaking my language with a champagne fritter-type pancake, the winner is Ed. While he doesn't win immunity, Ed does get $5,000 large. It's his first quickfire win, so good for him.

For the elimination challenge, the chefs must, ON BIKES HAHA, find a restaurant at which to cook. They'll then have to cook a lunch for Pee Wee and his friends. I think this is a Top Chef first, is it not? Full-on asking random restaurants, "Hey, can I, uhh, cook in your kitchen?"

The chefs head out on shweet Schwinn bikes and as Ed says, "We're like a biker gang." No you're not, Ed. Not you're not like a biker gang AT ALL.

The chefs decide to hit up the local farmers' market with their scant $100 budgets, then branch out on their own to find their restaurants. Lindsay, totally breaking the newly-formed (by me) yet undocumented and unspoken rules, finds a restaurant, Mad Hatter, but then leaves to go try to swipe some cous cous from Grayson's restaurant. Meanwhile, Sarah snags Lindsay's spot at Mad Hatter. Lindsay ultimately has to cook at a hot-dog stand. A HOT-DOG STAND. As Bev would say, "Karma!"

Somewhere along the line, in between my baby screaming and my husband talking on the phone, I missed one of the parameters that was set. Something about paying the restaurants who let them cook there? I don't know. Anyway! Back to the Alamo the chefs go to finish cooking their food before service.

There are a whole lot of chicken and eggs at the table today, which, I don't know, sort of totally fits Pee Wee, doesn't it? I can't really put my finger on it, but Pee Wee and egg salad just seem like the perfect match.

The winner of the challenge this week is Lindsay. Good for her! Despite her trying to jank cous cous from Grayson's restaurant, I have always liked Lindsay, so I'm glad she's in the final four.

Paul is -- shocker -- safe, but Ed, Grayson, and Sarah are on the bottom. In the end, Grayson is sent home. I think I speak for all us when I say, Not Surprised. I liked Grayson, but she'd been skating by for awhile now. Adieu, Grayson, we'll miss you!

But wait, there's more!

Throwing a wrench in the entire rodeo is the announcement that the online Last Chance Kitchen we've been ignoring all season is actually going to be a part of Top Chef. So, next week, Beverly and Grayson will compete for a slot on the show. Again.

What are your thoughts on the Last Chance Kitchen twist?

Top Chef Texas: Episode 12

By Sarah

We join the Top Cheffers in the kitchen where Padma, clad in yet another godawful outfit (seriously, what is up with the Larry the Cable Guy t-shirt-as-a-dress?), is standing with Emeril and CAT CORA(!!!) Cat Cora is my favorite Iron Chef ever OMG fangirl!

Ahem, now that that's out of the way...

For the quickfire challenge, the chefs are split into teams of two and they have 40 minutes to peel and de-vein two pounds shrimp, shuck and cut a whole mess of corn, and make a pound of the perfect fettuccine. Any time left will be dedicated to cooking a dish with those three ingredients.

Sarah and Lindsay get started, with Lindsay on shrimp duty and Sarah making the pasta and they are the first to finish their mise en place with about 16 minutes left. Ed and Paul finish second, with only 10 minutes left. Meanwhile, Grayson is mucking up her team's pasta, while Chris works on corn and they finish last.

Paul's shrimp doesn't make it to the plate, so they're disqualified, and with immunity off the table from here on out, Grayson and Chris end up winning the quickfire (and 10,000 large!) I guess her pasta wasn't as bad as it looked!

Moving on to the elimination challenge! The chefs who are currently teamed up together will be facing off against one another as they cook for 200 people at a charity block party the next day. It's dish-for-dish up in this piece and the chefs meet quickly to decide what they'll make.

Now here's where I complain about the sell-out Top Chef has become. After the chefs announce what they're planning to cook, Padma mentions that those dishes are all "too heavy" and that the sponsor -- it sounds like Chealthy Hoice -- wants them to cook something more healthy.

So! It's turkey meatballs and low-fat chicken salad and ... What has this show even turned into, right?

That being said, I'm digging Chris's idea to use pureed tofu as the binder for his chicken salad. I saw this once on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and have been itching to do it myself.

One thing I like about this challenge is that the chefs on the bottom will be decided upon based on who gets the least amount of votes from the block party guests. Normally in these challenges, the chefs specific parameters for how to cook and then they ultimately have to cook to please the judges anyway. Not so in this challenge!

In the top are Paul (some Asian meat dish -- I can never bother to pay attention to what he's making anymore), Lindsay (Mediterranean-style meatball), and Grayson (chicken salad sandwich.) Even though they're in the top three, Grayson rolls Lindsay under the bus when Tom questions her about whether or not chicken salad could win the challenge. In the end it doesn't matter, as Paul wins. Again.

Back at Judges' Table, sadly, Chris's tofu chicken salad (not delicious-sounding when I put it like that, I guess) gets sent home.

And we're down to the final five! I've gotta say, I'll be surprised if Grayson makes it past next week. She's barely eked her way out of each challenge and I just can't see her sticking around much longer. I'd like to see Ed, Sarah, and Lindsay make it through. Unless Paul totally drops the ball, I'm pretty sure he'll make it to the final round, but what can I say? I love an underdog!

Top Chef Texas: Episode 11: Something wicked this way comes

By Sarah

This was hands-down my favorite episode of the season. So far, of course. Every one of the chefs BROUGHT IT. But let's talk quickfire, shall we? Padma, clad in an adult onesie, and Eric Ripert (hubba hubba) instruct the chefs to cook a dish in 30 minutes, using three ingredients from the many that are being circulated on a conveyor belt.

Some of the ingredients are less desirable (goldfish crackers, beef jerky) whereas others are in high demand (lobster, for example, which Chris J. misses three times because he jogs over to the conveyor rather than sprinting.)

Lindsay ends up winning the quickfire, as well as immunity, but on a technicality, because Beverly's rice crispies didn't make it on the plate.

To explain the elimination challenge, the guest judge comes out and it's ... OMG CHARLIZE THERON OMG! Charlize, who's going to be playing the evil queen in Snow White and the Huntsman, tells the chefs to make an evil and wicked dish.

Each dish that comes out, from Ed's black and white sauce with tuna tartare, to Chris J.'s apple pie with "maggots," is well-received by the judges. During service, the judges have nothing bad to say about any of the dishes, which I'm not sure I've ever seen with seven chefs left in the competition.

I'm totally digging Grayson's black chicken with the giant talons still attached, as well as Sarah's lamb heart with red wine risotto.

Beverly goes for a more "refined" dish, i.e.: nothing wacky and crazy on the plate, although did anyone notice how she picked halibut, presumably to show Lindsay (from last week's challenge) that she is capable of cooking halibut properly? Lindsay, meanwhile, goes for a scallop over "witch's stew" with dragon beans.

Ultimately, Paul wins with some sort of pumpernickel/foie gras/beet concoction, of which I remember nothing but the hand-print he put on the plate.

In the bottom are Grayson, for ill-placed quail egg and foie gras; Beverly, for a sticky sauce; and Sarah, for undercooked risotto. After nitpicking ("because I have to nitpick," says Tom) Beverly gets set home. Finally.

I think Chris J. really redeemed himself this week and I was also glad to see Linsday do so well, especially given that she had immunity. I'm still not entirely getting the allure of Paul, but then again, I'm just looking at the food through my television, not actually tasting it.

And then there were six! Until next week!

Top Chef Texas: Episode 10: Ladies v. Gents

By Sarah

It's everyone's favorite episode, RESTAURANT WARS!, and as the title of this post suggests, the chefs in this episode are split into teams of boys versus girls. The guys seem pretty pleased with this set up, as everyone knows ladies are destined to fail because they're prone to cat fights. Dudes are always chill and get along, you know.

The boys, by luck of the coin toss, have to go first; they'll serve one night and the ladies will serve the next night. The boys decide to name their restaurant Canteen, because, "That's a place you eat," says Paul. Tickle me corrected, but isn't a canteen what you drink from and a cantina a place you eat?

Back at the canteen(a), Ed runs front of the house. Chris, Ty-Lor, and Paul cook and plate, while all of them, including Ed, take turns expediting food, since they forgot to name an expediter. Whoops.

The only thing I remember about their team's food is Ed's "almond joy" dessert, which Tom objects to because of its lack of coconut. Its lack of coconut is probably what would have made me actually like it, just sayin', Tom. By the end of service, all the guys feel pretty poorly about how the night went and are banking on the fact that those cat fightin' ladies will choke.

The next night, the ladies open Half Bushel, a comfort food-style restaurant. Lindsay runs front of the house, leaving Beverly to cook her main dish of halibut. I always feel bad for the front of the house people, because someone ultimately has to do it, right? But who really wants to? No one, that's who. The front of the house's dish always ends up mucked up and it was no different in this case.

When she isn't over-cooking Linday's halibut, Beverly, is cooking short ribs. AGAIN. Grayson decides to cook a dessert she and her family make every Fourth of July, while Sarah makes one of those deep-fried cheese-stuffed risotto balls with an eggplant caponata sauce. Hello, Delicious.

The ladies' service suuuuuucks, but there's a reason I can remember all the dishes they cooked and not remember the dishes the dudes cooked and that's because the girls had better food. Despite bickering after service, defending their dishes before there's anything to defend, the ladies win. Pissing everyone off even further, Beverly wins the challenge. Beverly, I have a restaurant pitch for you: House o' Ribs o' Shortness.

Meanwhile, at Judges' Table, the boys defend their dishes, Ed defends his coconut, and Ty-Lor gets sent home for a boring crab salad. Or clam salad. Whatever, it was boring. JUST LIKE YOUR LAST NAME, TY-LOR.

Shouldn't still be here: I really dislike Beverly. She complains about people treating her like a child, but that's only because she acts like a child. She never sticks up for herself and I swear, one more short rib and...

Needs to step it up: Grayson, despite a dessert most of the judges liked, still seems to hang out in the middle. I have to say the same for Chris, who started the season out strong, but seems to be faltering lately.

Now that we're past Restaurant Wars and on the downward slope of the competition, who are your favorites/least-faves?

Top Chef Texas: Episode 9: BBQ Nation

By Sarah

Merry Belated Happy New ChrismakwanzukkahNewYear! I hope everyone had a delightful holiday season filled with food, drink, and merriment. I sure did! In fact, I'm still feeling the effects -- my work pants were noticeably tighter this week. Anyway! On to Top Chef!

This episode's quickfire challenge features the author of Modernist Cuisine, Nathan Myhrvold, and chefs are judged based on how "modern" they cook. Basically, it's Molecular Gastronomy. Basically(er), it's Cookin' with Chemicals!

Has anyone ever had food cooked with chemicals? I know Chef Wylie Dufresne is well-known for this style; I can't say I have ever had anything molecular gastronomy-style, unless you count an artichoke foam atop a scallop from Ella's here in Sacramento*. Delicious, but man was I hungry an hour later.

Back to the quickfire. Ty-Lor Umlaut wins the challenge, along with immunity in the elimination challenge, and a copy of Modernist Cuisine, which oh by the way costs upwards of FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS OMG.

For the elimination challenge, chefs break up into groups of three and cook a barbecue feast for 300 people at Salt Lick, Austin's (ostensibly) most famous barbecue joint. The teams are as follows: Ty-Lor U., Sarah, and Ed; Grayson, Paul, and Lindsay; and Chris J., Beverly, and Chris J.

The chefs cook all night long, in fire pits and in tiny RV kitchens, and by the time morning rolls around, Sarah is whisked off on a gurney for exhaustion, leaving Ed and Ty-Lor to finish cooking and serve by themselves. She makes it back by the end of the challenge -- according to Ed, just make sure she was able to serve the best pieces of chicken to the judges -- and then stops again to take a rest.

The Blue Team -- Grayson, Lindsay, and Paul -- win the elimination challenge; Paul wins the day and gets 15 thousand bones, bringing his total winnings to $35,000 dollars. Hey, maybe I should be a chef.

The other two teams end up in the bottom and ultimately, Malibu Chris gets sent home. I can't say I'm sad; his paintings of ladies' butts kind of turned me off. (Did you guys see that?!)

With Malibu Chris out of the game, I can't say there's anyone I don't like. I still think Grayson needs to step it up, and I'd like to see Lindsay do a little more than hang out in the middle, but overall, it's anyone's game. Although, Paul is very clearly the stand-out.

*If you like gin and tonics and are ever in the Sacramento area, I cannot recommend Ella's enough. They use a local gin distilled in the Napa Valley and make their own tonic. They make their own tonic. It's deliciously deadly.

Top Chef Texas: Episode 8: Tweet me!

By Sarah

This week's Top Chef kicks off with what might be one of my favorite quickfire challenges ever. Twitter followers of @BravoTopChef get to tweet suggestions for what the chefs cook, as well as ways to make the cooking more challenging.

Tom and Padma stand by in the kitchen, iPhone in hand, watching the tweets roll in and deciding what they think the chefs should make. It's first decided that the chefs will have to cook bacon; a few minutes later a hash is the thrown into the mix. The final stipulation is a good one: Each chef is to pick a random ingredient, hand it to the person next to them, and then that chef is required to cook with it. There seems to be a lot of sriracha being thrown around, as well as some maple syrup, but the chefs more or less seem to make it work and don't throw anyone under the bus with an awful ingredient.

Paul ends up winning the quickfire and then it's off to Austin, where Paul is from. In Austin, the chefs are told to just kick back and drink cocktails in a swanky (or rather "swanky") lounge when all of a sudden, cookbook author, diva, and the all-around Ms. Fabulous Patti LaBelle shows up to serenade the chefs with "Lady Marmalade."

I am either A) Incredibly literal, or B) Very wishful, because I was really hoping the challenge was going to be Cook With Marmalade! You see, I bought a bunch to give away to my daughter's daycare teachers, along with some homemade bread, except then I got lazy and never made the bread and now I've scrapped the idea entirely and am left with a ton of marmalade and I have no idea what to do with it.

Anyway! The elimination challenge is unfortunately for me not marmalade-centric; instead, chefs are told to cook a meal inspired by the person who first taught them to cook. There are a lot of grandmas and moms in the mix. In a not-really-surprisingly-but-kind-of-surprising turn, Ty-Lor Umlaut is inspired by his ... Japanese nanny ... and cooks a panko-crusted chicken tender cooked in duck fat. I would eat about ten of those in one sitting, just saying.

Beverly, who used a pressure-cooker for the first time in the quickfire challenge, decides to use it again for this challenge, and makes short ribs. (Side-note: I made the Pioneer Woman's braised short ribs and creamy polenta this past weekend and they were delicious. If you're looking to make some yourself, these are easy and so, so good. Highly recommend!)

Heather cooks up rib-eye for a sort of deconstructed shepherd's pie thing and it looks awful and she knows it. Malibu Chris makes fish, inspired by his uncle, but cooks it too fast and too hot and some of that white stuff starts to seep out (this is sounding kind of gross, sorry.) Anyhow! Chris tries to just wipe it off and hopes aloud that the judges won't notice. Umm, I've been watching Top Chef for 9 seasons now ... The judges notice everything. Grayson cooks a honker of a steak and, upon seeing the other chefs' delicately-plated dishes, tries to play it off like that's what she meant to do. "I'm from Wisconsin! We eat big steaks! Ha. Ha. Ha..."

It should be no surprise these three end up in the bottom. Meanwhile, in the top are Sarah, with a take on stuffed-cabbage, as well as Edward who made the only vegetarian dish of the night. I can't remember who the other person in the top is, but it doesn't matter, because Sarah wins! This makes me happy. This makes Sarah happy. Sarahs around the world are happy and that's all that matters.

Back to the bottom three, Heather is ultimately sent home, but not before Tom makes a snarky remark about how Beverly used a pressure-cooker twice this episode and yet when Heather used it last week, she ended up in the bottom. Whatever, Thomas.

Stand-out this week: Edward. I thought it was ballsy to make a dish out of rice and egg, but I think it's one of those dishes so steeped in culture, you knew it had to be good. P.S. Did anyone notice that totally weird conversation before they left for the elimination challenge where Edward was eating dry cereal and Ty-Lor had a glass of wine in front of him? Something tells me someone was nursing a hangover. Hey, no judgment!

As for the others, I'd like to see Grayson redeem herself because I really like her. She just needs a little refining, is all. Also, Lindsay needs to step it up. She's hanging out in the middle recently and I don't think that's going to do her any favors.

I'm off next week for the Christmas and New Years holidays, but I'll be back in 2012 with more Top Chef!

Happy eating, everyone!