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00:06This season on The Great American Recipe.
00:09Over the last five weeks of competition,
00:12our home cooks from regions across the country.
00:15I am so proud that I'm able to bring
00:18the regional touch of Spokane, Washington
00:21with my huckleberries.
00:23It just makes me feel so happy to eat it.
00:26I love it.
00:27Proudly sharing their most treasured recipes.
00:29I don't know if a lot of people know
00:31how good Puerto Rican food is.
00:33And I'm here to show everybody that
00:35we are not to be underestimated.
00:37You brought it today.
00:39Ah, yes.
00:40And the stories that bond them to each dish.
00:43I started making this dish for mom and dad
00:46at the end of their life.
00:47It was nurturing, and it brought lots of memories, too.
00:51You can tell the time and the love
00:53that was put into this.
00:54My mom would have been so proud
00:56that you were eating this dish.
00:58I learned in this competition that cooking with love
01:01translates in so many different ways.
01:03Wow.
01:04Privilege.
01:05You got this.
01:07Now we're down to the final three.
01:10This is good.
01:12Rex.
01:13I never dreamt of this.
01:15But my goal was just to show the world
01:18what Filipino cuisine is,
01:20and this will make my country proud,
01:22paving this path to our future generation
01:25of Filipino immigrants.
01:27Kobe.
01:28Oh, my God.
01:29This is amazing.
01:30To win it all would be a dream come true.
01:34I think I'm a great advocate for Louisiana and the Cajuns,
01:37and I want to show everybody Cajuns are truly special people.
01:40And super proud of their food.
01:42And Raigal.
01:43Afghanistan is rich with ancient traditions and recipes.
01:48So the legacy I want to leave through my food
01:50is that tradition is beautiful,
01:52but also putting your own spin on things
01:54is just as exciting.
01:56And for one home cook,
01:58the title as the winner of the great American recipe
02:01is just two rounds of cooking away.
02:03Salam.
02:04Salam.
02:05Salam.
02:06You guys look energized.
02:07I'm excited.
02:08I'm ready to cook.
02:09Ready to cook.
02:22Welcome, finalists.
02:23We are all so proud to see the three of you standing here.
02:27For the last time, please join me in saying hello
02:30to your wonderful judges, Francis Lamb.
02:33Hey, congratulations to all of you.
02:35Tiffany Derry.
02:36Good morning, y'all.
02:38Good morning.
02:39And Tim Hollingsworth.
02:40Good morning, you guys.
02:41Welcome back.
02:42You guys should be so proud.
02:44The journey we've seen you embark on over the past five weeks
02:47has been so inspiring.
02:49And now we are just two rounds of cooking away
02:53from naming one of you the winner of the great American recipe.
02:58Since it is the finale for your first round of cooking,
03:01we're bringing in one more judge to help us out.
03:04Wow.
03:05Chef and Jewish food guru, Jake Cohen.
03:09What?
03:11Wow.
03:12Hi, Jake.
03:14Good to see you.
03:15Welcome to our kitchen, Jake.
03:17So good to be here.
03:18I'm thrilled, and I think it's so cool
03:20that we get to cook for him today,
03:21because Jake is a published cookbook author,
03:23and I love that because it inspires me.
03:25I would love to have my own cookbook one day.
03:27Jake, what are you looking for from the finalists today?
03:30It's such a privilege to be able to represent the food
03:33that's at the core of who I am and what I love,
03:36and I'm so excited to get to see that in each and every one of you.
03:40Thank you, Chef.
03:41We know the past five weeks have challenged you in the kitchen,
03:44but I know they've also been hard because you've been away from home,
03:47and most importantly, your loved ones.
03:49And although your family can't be here right now to encourage you,
03:53we wanted you to feel the love in this very next round of cooking.
03:57At each of your stations, you'll find a memory box from your loved ones.
04:01Each of those boxes contains a note and a hometown recipe.
04:06I miss home, especially my wife, Bernadette.
04:09She wants to bring out the best in me,
04:11and she knows I have the potential to win this all.
04:16Pictures of my family back in the Philippines,
04:19and picture of Bernadette, my wife.
04:21Oh, yeah.
04:22Looks like she wants me to do some pork adobo.
04:24And she has a note for me.
04:26Ever since we've been together, cooking has been your passion.
04:29Now, with your hard work, everything is paying off.
04:32I'm always so proud of you, babe.
04:34And I believe in all the incredible things that you have accomplished.
04:39I love you, and I miss you so much.
04:42That's beautiful, Rex.
04:43Kobe, who sent you your note?
04:45My wife, Toni.
04:47It says,
04:48Kobe, I have no doubt you will make it to the finale.
04:51Good things happen to good people.
04:55I love you.
04:56I wish I could be there to cheer you and celebrate with you.
04:59All of your friends and family are rooting for you.
05:02Love you and bring home the trophy.
05:04Toni's my rock.
05:06It is really good to hear from her and to see that beautiful note.
05:09I love her.
05:10She sent me a recipe for shrimp po'boy.
05:12Ooh.
05:13Good old Louisiana tradition.
05:15Nice.
05:16Okay.
05:17All right, Waigal.
05:19I opened the box, and my recipe card is fettuccine Alfredo.
05:23There's also pictures of me and my sisters.
05:26Dear Waigal John, we are absolutely thrilled for you.
05:29The only thing that will be getting cut are the onions.
05:33Period.
05:35We love you very much and are wishing you all the best.
05:38Good luck, the Safi clan.
05:39This letter is reminding me of my sister's witty humor.
05:42Anytime I felt down and hopeless in life,
05:44my family has picked me back up and said,
05:46listen, you just got to keep going one foot in front of the other.
05:49For your last round of cooking before the final cook,
05:53you'll have 60 minutes to prepare a dish from your loved ones.
05:57As always, your dishes will be judged on taste, presentation, execution,
06:02and how well you did with the theme of showcasing your hometown recipes.
06:06Jake, is there any advice you can give them?
06:09Definitely.
06:10Lean into your roots.
06:11Make it like you would make it at home,
06:13and definitely channeling all that energy from your loved ones.
06:16Imagine that they're here today and you're cooking for them.
06:19Thank you, Chef.
06:20Okay, finalists, get ready,
06:23because your time starts now!
06:26You're on this, let's get it!
06:32Oh, my God.
06:33Woo-hoo!
06:34You got this, guys!
06:37Jake, thanks for joining us today.
06:38How does it feel to be at the judges' table?
06:40I'm so excited.
06:41We heard a couple of these recipes are not what you would expect.
06:44So what I'm really looking for is story,
06:46and how they stay true to their background,
06:49and how they cook for their loved ones.
06:51Also, each of them are often putting their spins on things.
06:55So I would love to see, you know, how they interpret this recipe.
06:58I think it's gonna be a fun journey.
06:59Yeah.
07:00I'm getting excited.
07:01For sure.
07:02Let's see what we got here.
07:04The hometown recipe in my memory box is shrimp po' boy.
07:07And I think I can kind of put my spin on it.
07:09So I'm gonna make a cypress-knee shrimp po' boy
07:13with homemade french fries.
07:15It's gonna have some crawfish, crab,
07:17and I need andouille sausage for some extra flavor in there.
07:20Hey, Kobe!
07:21Yes?
07:22What are you working on?
07:24In true Louisiana tradition,
07:25if you ever pass between Lafayette and Baton Rouge,
07:28you pass right over the Atchafalaya River.
07:31And when you see that,
07:32you see nothing but cypress trees
07:34and cypress knees sticking out all over the place.
07:37So today, my spin on this is gonna be a cypress-knee po' boy.
07:41Stands tall, fill in the middle, rather than a lay down.
07:44Ooh, interesting.
07:45And nothing goes better than homemade french fries with that.
07:48Well, you're gonna be busy today.
07:49I am gonna be busy.
07:51In this competition, I wanted to do well
07:53not only for my family, my firefighter brothers,
07:57but I'm super proud to represent Cajun culture
08:01through the time that I've been here cooking my food,
08:04like jambalaya and alligator sauce pecan.
08:09This is the essence of Cajun food.
08:12It tastes like where you're from.
08:15But there's a lot of competition,
08:17and I feel like it was anybody's game at this point.
08:20Rex, how you doing, brother?
08:22I'm okay so far.
08:24I think Bernadette sent me a pork adobo recipe
08:27because the first time I made this dish
08:29was the first year anniversary when we were dating.
08:32So it has sentimental value.
08:35But this is the finale, so you wanna make sure,
08:37you wanna impress the judges that you're not just giving them
08:40just a regular pork adobo.
08:42So for this round, I'm making spicy dried pork adobo,
08:46and I'm gonna serve it with white rice.
08:49First, I need to get my pork belly into the pressure cooker
08:52to get tender.
08:54Put in some garlic.
08:55Rex, how's it going?
08:57Waiting for the pork, putting my twist there,
08:59I'm gonna make it spicy dried pork adobo.
09:01Oh, you're gonna make it dry?
09:02It makes the texture different,
09:03and you'll encapsulate the flavor in there,
09:06you'll trap it in.
09:07Oh, okay.
09:08Sounds cool.
09:10The pork adobo is a very classic Filipino dish.
09:13The ingredients are very simple.
09:15So how it turns out differently is all, like, in the hands.
09:18Right.
09:19And honestly, if you're going to boil it, it needs time.
09:23If you're gonna fry it and get it crispy,
09:25then it's a whole other situation.
09:27So maybe his spin will also be saving some time.
09:31Hopefully.
09:32Making it this far means so much.
09:34And I want to make my fellow Filipino proud,
09:38being able to showcase what inspired my recipes.
09:43like pork tinuguan with puto bigas,
09:46and the oxtail kare-kare.
09:48I loved that you cooked this for us.
09:51Your Filipino roots is coming through,
09:53and definitely delicious.
09:55Thank you, Chef.
09:56Winning the competition, I mean, wow.
09:59That would be unimaginable.
10:01I'm gonna cook rice.
10:02This adds a flavor to that rice.
10:05Fettuccine Alfredo is just plain with some Parmesan cheese and butter.
10:14But these peppers add so much to the sauce and make it my way.
10:19I think I got this recipe because growing up, whenever we would eat out,
10:24fettuccine Alfredo is something my sister would always go for.
10:27But I'm gonna put my spin on this pasta dish,
10:29and I'm gonna be making my creamy, dreamy lemon linguine.
10:32I'm gonna add a whole lot of spices to my chicken,
10:34just to give it some flavor.
10:36Waigal.
10:37Yes.
10:38How are you doing?
10:39It's going good.
10:40I just didn't realize how much prep work it would take,
10:42because I want to change it up a bit.
10:44I'm gonna add some mushrooms, bell pepper, onions,
10:47a whole lot of spices.
10:49Of course, sumac.
10:50Why not?
10:51Why not?
10:52Well, I could smell the spices already.
10:53Yeah.
10:54Oh, that's great.
10:55You wouldn't expect an Afghan fettuccine Alfredo,
10:57because typically you think of it as just this quite simple,
11:00humble pasta, and it'll be interesting how far he pushes it
11:04and if it's too much.
11:05Yeah.
11:06This is gonna season the chicken,
11:07but it's also gonna season the whole sauce.
11:09In my culture, men don't cook that often,
11:11so it feels so good competing against two people I feel like are my brothers
11:15with the dynamic different cultures coming together.
11:17A little extra butter for Fran because we missed her and we love her.
11:20Being in this competition has taught me so much about myself
11:24because I think for anyone that's a first-generation American
11:26with immigrant parents, there's this constant struggle
11:29and this constant need to prove yourself,
11:31so I'm glad that I'm doing well in this competition.
11:34And I feel so proud of myself right now
11:36that I've done so well with my Afghan recipes,
11:38like chicken yakni and kruti.
11:41You have wowed us and showed us all of these amazing Afghan flavors,
11:46but also that you cook really from your heart.
11:50Ooh, beautiful.
11:52But I'm hoping maybe I can go home with a win and say,
11:55look, mama, I made it.
11:56That's exactly how it should look.
11:58All right, you guys have 30 minutes left.
12:00That was quick.
12:01All right.
12:04Kobe!
12:05Yes, ma'am.
12:06What's happening?
12:07What's going on?
12:08Smells good.
12:09Oh.
12:10You have a lot of work going on here.
12:11You have Jake?
12:12Hello.
12:13So how are you gonna cook this sausage?
12:14This is just some undue.
12:15It's not quite as smoky.
12:16I just kind of want to put it at the end.
12:17And then what I'm gonna do here is just take this bread
12:19and we'll just kind of hollow this out.
12:22And then we'll stuff that sauce in the bread.
12:24I want it to be meaty.
12:25OK.
12:26You know, we like it meaty.
12:27But I want it to be flavorful as well.
12:28But I do want to make sure that we think about the build
12:31and how much liquid is gonna be in there.
12:33So be careful with that.
12:34I got you.
12:35I got you.
12:36And how does it feel to be a finalist?
12:37To be representing Louisiana here, representing the cages,
12:39I'm super fired up.
12:40Listen, I get it.
12:41It's like I'm from New York.
12:42There's a lot of pressure to represent the hometown.
12:44Sure.
12:45Absolutely.
12:46So I'm really excited to see how this goes.
12:48And most importantly, that it stands up.
12:49Absolutely.
12:50All right.
12:51Best of luck, Colby.
12:52We can't wait to taste it.
12:53Can't wait to try it.
12:55Now that I've got the crawfish in there,
12:56I have my shrimp and my crab, my heavy cream.
13:01To really suck up all those flavors and get that mixture just right.
13:07I think I'm doing good.
13:09All right.
13:11So I checked my pork belly in the pressure cooker,
13:13and it looks like it's ready.
13:15Now I need to finish on the wok.
13:17So we're in here.
13:19Pork's tender enough.
13:20There's 15 minutes left.
13:22Gonna come down to the wire again.
13:26I have all my veggies in here,
13:28some cilantro,
13:29and I'm just gonna have it married together as one cohesive sauce.
13:33For my fettuccine Alfredo,
13:34I'm also adding lemon juice to counteract the heaviness of the heavy cream.
13:38and the parmesan.
13:40Hey, Waigal.
13:41Hello.
13:42How are you?
13:43Well, thank you.
13:44I love that we're here now in the finale,
13:46and you're not making Afghan food.
13:48Yeah.
13:49We enjoy all the cheese that goes into Italian-American food.
13:51This is actually something I make for my nieces and nephews.
13:54They request it all the time.
13:55So you're cooking the pasta now.
13:57Yeah.
13:58Just a little on the early side.
13:59Yes.
14:00But it's really easier to take it past the al dente point once you've cooked it.
14:04Yes.
14:05So when it's not quite al dente,
14:06when it's almost time to serve maybe three, four, five minutes before,
14:10you can cook it in the sauce so it finishes the cooking there.
14:12So really smart to do that.
14:14I can't wait to taste this.
14:16Good luck.
14:17Thank you so much.
14:24Okay, everyone.
14:25You have seven minutes left.
14:27Woo-hoo!
14:28All right.
14:29Toby, are you okay?
14:31I hope.
14:32Waigal, you okay?
14:33Uh, no.
14:34No.
14:35Yes.
14:36We're gonna try this now.
14:37See?
14:38I'm still waiting for the pork to really get tender.
14:41So I'm gonna leave it in the wok for as long as I can.
14:43Come on.
14:44Cook.
14:45Get tender.
14:46Seems to have a game plan.
14:48Do you think the pork belly hasn't had enough cook time?
14:50I'm wondering.
14:51You want the fat to break down,
14:52and that fat in between is delicious when it's broke down,
14:55but when it's not, it's chewy.
14:57Especially since it's skin on.
14:58Yeah, yeah.
14:59Yeah.
15:00Exactly.
15:01But then he's cooking it down in a sauce.
15:02He needs to be able to concentrate that flavor
15:04and get a little bit of caramelization on the pork after.
15:06Yeah.
15:07Folks, you've got three minutes left.
15:10Oh, wow.
15:11I wanna just leave a little bit of bread on the bottom right there
15:14so don't fall it.
15:15If you pick it up, it's not falling all out of the thing right there.
15:17Now it's time to see if I'll put this stuffing in there,
15:20if that bread's gonna stand up.
15:21It is extremely risky, but sometimes that risk is well worth the reward.
15:26Judges, what are we thinking about Kobe's twist on the classic po'boy?
15:30We've seen him grow.
15:31We've seen him do really well.
15:32Yes.
15:33One of the challenges, I feel like, is getting the sandwich to stand up.
15:35You gotta make sure that build is correct and the balance is correct.
15:37Sure.
15:38Yeah.
15:39You're getting each thing in every bite, you know?
15:40A hundred percent.
15:41Oh my gosh.
15:42Especially with all the proteins of adding crab and sausage.
15:43Oh, no.
15:44It's like, it's gonna be a lot to fit in.
15:46You have one minute left.
15:47Woo!
15:48I like it.
15:49It's standing up.
15:50It's good.
15:51That's hideous.
15:52Wow, they're really down to the wire on this line.
15:53Yeah.
15:54Rex, how's it looking?
15:55I think we're getting there.
15:56I have no time, but I just hope that it's standard enough for the judges.
15:57I'm happy with that.
15:58I just need to make sure that I get this in the plate.
15:5910, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
16:03Time's up!
16:04Great job!
16:05Woo!
16:06Woo!
16:07Woo!
16:08Woo!
16:09Woo!
16:10Woo!
16:11Woo!
16:12Woo!
16:13Woo!
16:14Woo!
16:15Woo!
16:16Woo!
16:17Woo!
16:19Woo!
16:20Woo!
16:21Woo!
16:22Woo!
16:23Woo!
16:24Woo!
16:25Woo!
16:26Woo!
16:33For this round, we gave you 60 minutes to prepare a dish inspired by a hometown recipe sent to
16:39you from a loved one.
16:41All right, Kobe, come join us.
16:44Today I made a Cypress Knee Shrimp Po' Boy with homemade french fries.
16:50Ooh!
16:51You know, Kobe, it's definitely unlike any other Po' Boy that I've ever had in presentation.
16:57But I think it has lots of flavor.
16:59You get all of the seafood.
17:01Nothing is overcooked.
17:03The sauce itself is nice.
17:05The fries, a couple of them were sticking together.
17:08So you have that piece that didn't brown at all.
17:09Right.
17:10But I think at the end of the day, the fries taste good.
17:14It all comes together so well.
17:16Nothing is too overpowering, which is really nice.
17:19It's just saucy enough.
17:21Obviously, I even think like it could have been even saucier, like I'd say, which is so crazy.
17:28You had us so terrified.
17:29And yet at the end of the day, I think it could have even been a little more saturated, but
17:34delicious.
17:37Rex, come join us.
17:40So today I made spicy dried pork adobo served with white rice.
17:46Rex, I feel like this version of adobo is something that showcases a lot of restraint from you because
17:53you usually have a lot of stuff going on.
17:56And overall, the flavor is really good.
17:58Oh, thank you.
17:59The pork itself, you're able to get a lot of flavor in that pork in a short amount of
18:02time.
18:03But I do wish that the pork belly spent a little bit more time in the pressure cooker because
18:09if you get like a bigger piece of the pork with the skin, it gets a little bit chewy.
18:13Like Tim said, I had a couple of small pieces that were perfect.
18:18I had one larger piece that was a little tougher, but the flavor was all there.
18:22It was just spot on.
18:23Thank you so much.
18:26Weigal, come join us.
18:29I made my creamy, dreamy lemon linguine.
18:35Weigal, the flavor of the sumac, the lemon, the turmeric, it's so beautiful.
18:43Really, really, really nice job.
18:44You really managed to keep the texture of the pasta just, I think, the way you wanted
18:48it.
18:49Thank you so much.
18:50If I had one critique, I would say because I was thinking fettuccine Alfredo.
18:53Yes.
18:54Maybe a little bit more richness, maybe a touch of cream or maybe a little butter
18:58stirred in at the end or something like that, but this is really nice.
19:01Thank you so much.
19:02This is definitely not what I thought was going to come to the table when you're given
19:06fettuccine Alfredo, but I absolutely love it.
19:09I could hear that all day.
19:11The play on the spices were great, but it's a lot.
19:15And I think the pasta would have been just as good without the peppers and mushrooms.
19:19Thank you so much, Weigal.
19:21Thank you, Weigal.
19:23Good job.
19:29In this round, we asked you to make a dish inspired by the comforts of a hometown recipe
19:34and your loved ones.
19:36But there is one home cook we'd like to recognize who presented a truly exceptional hometown dish.
19:42And that home cook is...
19:48Kobe.
19:49Your Cypress Knee po' boy was just delicious.
19:57The way that you presented it to us was something we had never seen before and your seasonings really topped it off.
20:03It was a very good bite of a sandwich.
20:07Thank y'all.
20:08I had fun making it.
20:09I'm super proud.
20:10I got a win in the finale, but I do have to compete and complete this next round.
20:15One screw up could just cost me the competition.
20:18Please join me in thanking our very special guest judge, Jake Cohen.
20:27It was truly an honor to taste all of your cooking today.
20:30I'm rooting for all of you.
20:32Congratulations, Kobe.
20:34Amazing round, everyone.
20:35We can't wait to see your final dishes in the last round that will determine who will be named the winner of the Great American Recipe.
20:52This is it.
20:53Today, we're giving you three hours to prepare a meal you consider to be your Great American Recipe.
21:00So you'll need to make an entree, a side dish, and a dessert.
21:05And we thought you might need a little help.
21:09Rex, your wife Bernadette is here.
21:13Wow.
21:14I can't believe it.
21:15It's Bernadette.
21:16My motivation to win has grown because she's here.
21:17Wow.
21:18Wow.
21:19Wow.
21:20I can't believe it.
21:21It's Bernadette.
21:22My motivation to win has grown because she's here.
21:24Wow.
21:25Wow.
21:27All right, Kobe.
21:28Your wife.
21:29Tony is here.
21:30I'm excited to see Tony.
21:31She's super special to me.
21:32But I feel like we're a little bit of yin and yang.
21:33We're not always the best, most compatible in the kitchen.
21:35We do both cook with love.
21:36All right, Waigal.
21:37Joining us is your sister, Zakiya.
21:40I'm so shocked that my sister Zakiya is here.
21:42And I'm just excited because I get to boss her around for once because she's always bossing
22:07me around.
22:08Finalists, you have your loved ones here to act as your sous chef.
22:11And as always, Tiffany, Tim, and Francis will be judging your dishes based on taste, presentation,
22:18execution, and our final theme, which is to present your great American recipe.
22:25At the end of this round, the judges will consider your finale dishes and name one of you the winner.
22:38Good luck to all of you.
22:40So your final round starts now.
22:43Woo!
22:44This way.
22:45Put your apron.
22:47There you go.
22:48And then you're gonna need this.
22:51There we go.
22:52Teamwork.
22:53All right.
22:55Let's go.
22:56All right, judges.
22:57So this is it.
22:58The big finale.
22:59What do you want to see in this big feast?
23:01What I'm excited to see is that their personalities are gonna come out even more because now they have somebody that they're, you know, really close to.
23:08Yeah.
23:09And I think the stakes are really, really high.
23:11There's a lot of emotions going on for sure.
23:13But really what we're looking for is properly done techniques because one mistake could be the difference between you becoming the great American recipe winner and not.
23:23Going home with a lot of love.
23:24Got some bacon pieces.
23:25Got some extra bacon.
23:26What else you need?
23:27Oh, okay.
23:28What part for the bacon?
23:29For my final round, I'm making cornbread stuffed chicken topped with an andouille cream sauce served over grits with coleslaw and Millie's potatoes.
23:42You don't want to cut that?
23:43Uh-uh.
23:44And dessert will be firehouse cobbler.
23:47Okay.
23:48I'll call you if I need you.
23:49Awesome.
23:50I'm having Tony work on Millie's potatoes because she makes my grandmother's potatoes the best.
23:55It's more like a twice baked potato with bacon pieces.
23:58But the secret is to boil the potatoes with the skin and then you peel them.
24:03Want to make a coleslaw?
24:05This is my great American recipe because this is Colby on a plate.
24:10I've learned so many different dishes that has made me the Cajun cook that I am.
24:17Beautiful.
24:18Being here telling my story has brought me even closer to my family, to Louisiana, to the Cajun people.
24:25How you looking over there?
24:26Just waiting on the bacon to start browning.
24:28Okay.
24:29We do our own thing.
24:30We're both very strong-willed people and so the fact that we have separate stations, perfect.
24:35Me and Tony have been married for 29 years, but she has her way of cooking and I have my way of cooking.
24:42Tony.
24:43Yes.
24:44How do you like cooking with your husband here?
24:46Do I have to answer honestly?
24:47I already know what it is going on.
24:50Who is the better cook?
24:52It's situational.
24:53Right?
24:54It's almost like y'all knew us already.
24:59My grandmother actually passed that recipe down to Tony.
25:02So having the master here with me, I think is even easier for me to do.
25:06I'm the master of the chicken.
25:07She's kind of the master of the potatoes.
25:08We come together as one, make a fantastic dish for everybody.
25:12For the coleslaw, I season it with Cajun seasoning.
25:15Okay.
25:16I add a little bit of mayo and I get to stirring.
25:21The pressure is already kind of starting to mount, even though I have a little help.
25:25I've been doing well.
25:26I won the last round, so I want to continue that.
25:29You did that pretty quickly.
25:31Yeah.
25:32I got to get that cornbread and that chicken going.
25:36Why go where's the peeler thingy?
25:41In your drawer.
25:42Sometimes you forget how bad you are at cooking until you really have to do it.
25:48Ooh.
25:49For my final round, I'm going to prepare cobbly palau, which is a rice pilaf with phil shank,
25:54alongside brani bonjon, which is braised eggplant in a tomato-based sauce.
25:58For dessert, I'll be making a classic Afghan milk custard called fidni with kataif dough and pistachio paste.
26:05Is this one too thick?
26:07Yeah.
26:08Careful with your fingers.
26:10We haven't cooked together much, so this is such an interesting experience. I love it.
26:15For the cobbly palau, the first thing you want to do is brown the veal shank with some spices and onions.
26:21I need to get it in the pressure cooker as soon as possible.
26:24If we're going to have dinner today and it be our last supper, this needs to be it.
26:28This is my great American dish because it's been passed down to me from my mother and being given the opportunity to showcase my Afghan American heritage has been a beautiful experience because no matter where you go, you can prepare things that make you feel connected to your roots.
26:43It smells great. It's actually better every time he makes it. So I'm excited.
26:47Winning on the great American recipe would mean so much to me. And my only hope is that any Afghan American watching this can just share the beauty of our culture with whoever's around them.
26:58He loves his culture so much. And Afghan food, once you try it, will be one of your favorite types of food.
27:05All right. I think it's good.
27:10So I want you to cut that and then just peel it first, okay?
27:15Okay. Gotcha.
27:17For this final round, I'm making chicken in asal and garlic rice with a side dish of achara or pickled green papaya.
27:24Shouldn't be this hard to peel a papaya.
27:26And my dessert will be halo-halo. So Bernadette's working on the achara right now. I'm doing the marinade for the chicken.
27:33Chicken in asal is basically a Filipino version of our grilled chicken here in the States.
27:38There you go.
27:41Using garlic, lemongrass, green onions, pineapple juice, and add mesquite powder.
27:47So it adds like a smoky flavor to your dish.
27:50This is my great American recipe because everybody in America loves grilled chicken.
27:54But at the same time, I'm still bringing in my Filipino flavors. Smells really good.
27:58My family in the Philippines would be proud of me winning the whole competition.
28:02But my goal is just to show the world that Filipino cuisine rocks.
28:08So Rex looks like he is sous vide-ing chicken, which is such an advanced technique. I'm impressed.
28:15Hope there's no leak.
28:17So you're cooking it inside of a bag, vacuum sealing to infuse flavor, and then you're able to cook in a water bath at a very gentle temperature so that the chicken is juicy.
28:26Yeah, definitely. And I think of the three finalists, Rex is the one who has done the most in terms of having a really composed dish, but also his ability to accomplish multiple items in a cook.
28:36I think back to the steamed rice cake he made.
28:39The rice cake is delicious. It's still creamy. It's soft.
28:42You can taste the coconut in it. You taste the whole sweetness.
28:44Yeah. I will never forget this.
28:46Oh, thank you so much.
28:47And then the rice noodles, the pancit, but also he decided to make the spring rolls.
28:52The rice noodles has so much flavor. The spring roll itself, the mixture inside is a delicious mixture.
28:58I mean, mine's gone.
29:00That part of this is not new to him, him having to make multiple items.
29:03Sure.
29:04So with the added time, I want to see him really lock in and make sure everything is perfect.
29:09Yeah.
29:10Babe, do I have to finish all of this, Papaya?
29:12Uh, let me see.
29:13At home, he normally would kick me out of the kitchen, but I don't want him to kick me out today.
29:20I'm glad Bernadette came because she's always been very supportive.
29:23Oh, I'm sorry.
29:26Oh!
29:27But honestly, she can't cook.
29:30I'm sorry.
29:31Regardless, I'm just glad to share this experience with her.
29:34You're doing great.
29:35You're doing great.
29:36Okay.
29:37Let me take my time.
29:44Two hours left, folks!
29:46Two hours!
29:47All right, all right.
29:48Let me get started on this cornbread.
29:50Are we looking on the potatoes, Sonia?
29:52Doing good, babe.
29:53Good.
29:54I got coleslaw done already.
29:55I believe in you, babe.
29:57Next thing I need to get done is my cornbread and stuffed chicken with the andouille cream sauce.
30:03The first thing I do is I get my chicken thighs and I beat them out so that they're a little thinner.
30:09Next, I have Tony take that sausage out of the casing for me so I can get that brown so that I can start on this stuffing.
30:15Let's get this stuffed up.
30:16And then we stuffed these chickens so that we can get them in the oven as fast as possible.
30:20You can give me a little bit more on this one.
30:23No, you're just right, actually.
30:24Good job.
30:28Then just do this.
30:34Perfect.
30:35For my khabli palau, I have my veal shank and spices and onions all browned.
30:41I'm going to add it to the pressure cooker.
30:43Okay.
30:44What should I do next, Weigal?
30:46We can go ahead and start preparing the buronese sauce.
30:50So, Weigal is cooking a veal shank with rice and we've sent a lot of great dishes from Weigal.
30:56We've always loved the flavors that he's presented.
30:58They're always bright, but I'm more concerned with technique.
31:02Yeah.
31:03As long as that veal is tender, I think he'll be in a very, very good spot.
31:06And shank is one of those cuts where it is a lot of connective tissue, but also very lean meat.
31:11We want to break down so it's nice and silky and smooth and luxurious.
31:15It's always going to be a little bit tricky. Pressure's on.
31:17Yep.
31:18How are you feeling, Zakia?
31:19I think we're doing amazing.
31:20We really are.
31:21Just give me how much you need.
31:24That's good.
31:25So while my chicken is in the sous vide, me and Bernadette are working this side of a chara or a pickled papaya.
31:32So first we need to boil vinegar and sugar, garlic, peppercorn, and ginger.
31:37Okay.
31:38Smells good.
31:39And then we're going to drop onions, carrots, bell peppers, green papaya, and then we're going to add raisins.
31:48While the achara is cooling down, I'm going to remove the chicken nasal from the sous vide bath so I can grill the chicken.
31:55Whoo!
31:58And hopefully get that grill-like texture and flavor.
32:01I'm going to baste this.
32:04This is rendered chicken fat and some achuete powder in it.
32:09Achuete.
32:10It's a mild pepper flavor, but at the same time, it also brings out this orange color.
32:14Hey, Rex.
32:15Hey, Frances.
32:16Tell me about your inspiration.
32:17So when I was a child, we always go to this restaurant and have chicken nasal.
32:21Oh, I love that.
32:22What would it mean to win today with this meal?
32:24Oh, it would mean the world to me.
32:27This chicken nasal meal brings up memories we may have with my mom.
32:31So I know that she'll be proud of me.
32:33So you're feeling confident. You're feeling good.
32:35I'm worried about the doneness of the chicken.
32:37The only thing I wonder is if you want the skin to be rendered and crisp.
32:41So when you're grilling it, you got to move it a lot because the chicken legs are round.
32:46So keep getting the color you want.
32:48Yes, yes.
32:49You got the grill mark you want and then get the chicken in there to roast.
32:53Yeah.
32:54So it looks like we're hopefully getting there.
32:56All right. Good luck to you.
32:57Thank you so much, Frances.
32:59One hour left, folks. How's that feel?
33:01Scary.
33:02Come down to the wire again?
33:03Shocked.
33:05I don't know if this pot's going to be big enough.
33:07For the stuffed chicken, that's going to get topped off with andouille cream.
33:10I use some smoked sausage.
33:11I cook that with the onions.
33:12I get my bell peppers.
33:13Just get that browned and then we'll transfer it to a big room.
33:18Okay.
33:19I'm going to get working on a dessert.
33:21I'm making a firehouse cobbler.
33:23It's been an old recipe.
33:24It's super sweet.
33:25It's good.
33:26Basically, you just put some blueberries down at the bottom.
33:28Cakes on top.
33:29Cover it with butter.
33:30Let that crust kind of brown good.
33:32Get that good buttery flavor along with that sweet.
33:34Man, I love it.
33:35I need to be able to pull off something fantastic with my cobbler
33:39because I struggled in the competition with my bread pudding.
33:43There's a lot of sweetness.
33:45And I would love a little fresh pineapple to give it another dimension.
33:49Gotcha.
33:50So I want to knock down that sweetness a little bit.
33:53It's not fancy or extravagant, but it's extremely tasteful.
33:56I hope it carries me through.
33:58Oh, babe!
33:59Hey, Chef.
34:00So you're thinking bowl flavors right now.
34:02Definitely the thing that's been working for you.
34:04Absolutely.
34:05Chicken's in the oven.
34:06But when they come out, I'll sauce them immediately.
34:08Yep.
34:09And then you'll put something on top for garnish.
34:10Oh, I got some greens, some pretty garnish.
34:12Very nice.
34:13What about dessert?
34:14We call it a firehouse cobbler.
34:15What's the fruit?
34:16Blueberry.
34:17Blueberry?
34:18Like my bread pudding was sweet, so I did put a little bit of lemon on it
34:21to kind of knock a little bit of sweetness down.
34:23I learned that here.
34:24But you want to make sure your food feels in some way elevated through presentation.
34:28So really think about how you want to plate that.
34:30All right.
34:31I'm going to let you finish cooking.
34:32Yes, ma'am.
34:33Good luck with everything.
34:35Hope you enjoy it.
34:3645 minutes left.
34:37Oh, boy.
34:38What should I do next, Weigol?
34:39We're just going to layer this with the sauce.
34:41The next thing I have got to get started is my bread pudding.
34:43I go ahead and layer the fried eggplant in the cardamom tomato sauce
34:47because adding that caramelization really elevates the dish.
34:50So put a layer of this in the pan and then the eggplant.
34:53Exactly.
34:54Weigol, how does it feel cooking with your sister here?
34:56I'm having fun with it.
34:57I just hope she's having fun.
34:59I'm having a lot of fun.
35:00What are you working on?
35:02The components of my dessert.
35:03What are you making?
35:04I'm making fidney.
35:05It's an Afghan custard.
35:07It's scented with cardamom and a bit of rose water.
35:09Amazing.
35:10I go ahead and heat my half and half in milk and a bit of heavy cream.
35:15And then I add sugar, condensed milk, and let that come to a boil.
35:19Weigol, how you doing?
35:20Oh, good.
35:21I'm going to be giving this dish a twist by using kataif dough and pistachio paste.
35:26It really just turns a bit crunchy and it's going to add a lot of texture.
35:29It's going to give amazing texture, right?
35:31Right?
35:32Yeah.
35:33And it's very luxurious as usual.
35:34And my veal shanks going in the pressure cooker for my rice pilaf.
35:37And then you can add the veal shanks to the rice and bake it off.
35:40Top it with julienne carrots and raisins.
35:42Oh, beautiful.
35:43Obviously, you must think this is a winning meal.
35:45For me, it is.
35:46This is a recipe that's been passed down from my mom.
35:48I hope you guys like it as much as we do.
35:50Well, I love veal shanks.
35:51My advice to you is if you need to pivot and cook it longer, don't be afraid to turn it back on.
35:56Got it.
35:57Give it a few more minutes.
35:58That's going to give the rice the flavor as well, right?
35:59Yes.
36:00Tim's feedback keeps me motivated throughout the competition.
36:03You have all these great spices, but I do wish that the meat had a little bit more caramelization on it.
36:09It's cooked well.
36:10Just a little bit more char would be great.
36:12Totally.
36:14And I want the veal shank to be perfectly tender because it's my last chance to impress the judges.
36:21What's next, babe?
36:22We're going to do the halo halo stuff.
36:24Okay.
36:25So, Rex is making halo halo.
36:27Oh!
36:28Yes.
36:29Yes.
36:30That's one of my faves.
36:32Me too!
36:34But we need to make fresh ice cream.
36:36I'm going to make the fresh flan.
36:38Oh, wow.
36:39Will we have enough time, babe?
36:40We should have enough time.
36:41Go big or go home.
36:43Halo halo in Tagalog means mix mix.
36:45And it's a shaved ice, drizzled with condensed milk, and then just whatever.
36:50Canned fruit, jellies, beans, flan.
36:53A scoop of ice cream.
36:55It's awesome.
36:56I'm doing my flan right now.
36:57I'm caramelizing the sugar.
36:58I'm losing this lanera.
37:00So, the secret with the flan, I'm going to do the custard.
37:02You don't want to be in a hurry whisking it.
37:04So, while I'm making the flan, Bernadette's building up these beautiful layers and other flavors of the halo halo.
37:09With some red mungo beans, strips of coconut meat, tapioca pearls, jackfruit, ube jam, fresh mango.
37:15So, we're going to steam this.
37:17And then, while we have our flan steaming, I have to make my ice cream.
37:21So, I'm going to add a little bit of a ube.
37:24This will be a topping on the halo halo later on.
37:27Ube is interesting because it's similar to a potato, but it's also naturally sweet and it's used in desserts.
37:34Uh-oh, uh-oh.
37:35Oh!
37:36How we doing, Rex?
37:37I'm making a mess.
37:38Sorry.
37:39Hey, I make mess all the time.
37:40It's all right.
37:41To freeze my ice cream, I'm going to pour the mixture on a plastic bag.
37:45And then, I'm going to put that on another plastic bag with ice and ice cream salt.
37:49And then, you're just going to shake it for a while.
37:51Hey, a little workout, huh, Bernadette?
37:53I don't know if I signed up for this.
37:55Did you switch it up?
37:56Oh, my.
37:57I'm making a shake it.
37:59My dessert is very complicated, but I believe that my halo halo can stand out and hopefully
38:06could help me to win this competition.
38:08Like that?
38:09Yep, yep, yep, yep.
38:1015 minutes left.
38:11Wow.
38:12Hurry up, hurry up.
38:14My grandmother will be turning in her grave if my rice doesn't turn out right.
38:20Now there's even more pressure.
38:22Oh, my God.
38:23How's that veal shank?
38:24My veal shanks are completely tender.
38:26I am so excited to try all these flavors.
38:30Wow.
38:31Now, I'm going to go ahead and mix it with the drained rice and put it in the oven to bake.
38:38Yes.
38:3910 minutes, everyone.
38:41Toni, Bernadette, how are you feeling?
38:43We're doing well over here.
38:44Doing good so far.
38:46Zakiya, how's it going?
38:47It's going.
38:48This is their absolute final last chance to impress you.
38:51They need to pull it out now.
38:53Yeah.
38:54Make sure this, uh, this don't dry out.
38:57I feel great.
38:59All my dishes taste absolutely phenomenal.
39:01So, hopefully, I get the win.
39:03I want my plate ugly.
39:05There's three minutes left!
39:07Woo-hoo!
39:08Okay.
39:09Got it.
39:10Got it.
39:11How we looking, man?
39:12How we looking?
39:13I don't know.
39:14You tell me.
39:15Finishing touches.
39:16You got it, Rex.
39:17Steady hands.
39:18Steady hands.
39:19Take it out.
39:20Set it on top.
39:21I'm so proud of you.
39:22This is amazing.
39:23My dishes look beautiful.
39:24It presented what my mom has taught me.
39:26And I hope that that's enough that I could be the winner.
39:30Where does this go?
39:31Just on top.
39:32On top of what?
39:33On top of the chicken.
39:34On top of the chicken.
39:35One minute!
39:36It's the final minute, folks!
39:37Is everything on that dessert?
39:38Ice cream, babe.
39:39Ice cream, babe, please.
39:40Ice cream in the freezer!
39:41Ice cream in the freezer!
39:47Ten!
39:48Nine!
39:49Eight!
39:51Seven!
39:52Six!
39:53Five!
39:54Four!
39:56Three!
39:57Two!
39:58One!
40:00Time's up!
40:05You did it!
40:10Finalists, you had three hours to prepare your great American recipe.
40:24These dishes look incredible.
40:26Wow, they sure do.
40:29Kobe, tell us what you made for us.
40:31Today I made a chicken with cornbread stuffing, with an andouille cream sauce, and a coleslaw with my grandmother's potatoes.
40:39So I hope you all enjoy.
40:41This is delicious.
40:42The stuffing is so well seasoned.
40:44Your flavor also comes true.
40:45Pretty tasty.
40:46Good.
40:47So good.
40:48How can I add my Afghan pizzazz to this?
40:52But it's amazing as is.
40:54You know, Kobe, a lot of the stuff that you've made before has kind of been like sort of these one pot, a lot of browning, and this to me, I really like it.
41:03Thank you, Chef.
41:04The technique of rolling and wrapping the chicken, and the fact that you put all of these flavors in there, smoked sausage, cornbread stuffing, all of these things tying in together, I think you should be proud of the execution you did on it.
41:15And if this is Kobe on a plate, I'm glad to meet you.
41:18Kobe on a plate, alright.
41:20Kobe, this chicken is really cooked nice, and Millie's potatoes are excellent.
41:25They are buttery, but not in a heavy way, and I love there's a lot of bacon.
41:31Your wife did good.
41:33Every part on the plate sings, but I do think you could have put a little more flavor in your coleslaw.
41:39Okay.
41:40Yeah, I agree.
41:41Even something like cucumber.
41:42Okay.
41:43Something like that, like something that gives you a juiciness, a freshness.
41:46Andouille cream sauce, the smokiness is so tasty, and this is not a dish that really relies on browning for flavor.
41:52But I love how you're showing us that you are like intentionally trying to move out of your comfort zone, even here in the finale.
41:59Thank you, Chef.
42:00Waigal.
42:01Today, I prepared Kobli Palau and Burani Badenjan.
42:04Kobli Palau is the national dish of Afghanistan.
42:07It is a rice pilaf with veal shank, and the Burani Badenjan is braised eggplant in a tomato-based sauce.
42:13It's beautiful.
42:14Waigal, I like the raisins with the rice and the gravy all together.
42:18Your sister did well, Meg, but...
42:21Waigal, this is so delicious because it is so sumptuous.
42:24The veal shank, I thought you did a very nice job with that, and I love how it flavors the rice.
42:30But I do miss a little bit of the acid that you're so known for because there's a lot of richness on the plate.
42:37I agree. The veal goes so well with the eggplant. It's delicious.
42:40Thank you so much.
42:41Yeah. In fact, my favorite thing on the plate is the eggplant. This just melts in your mouth.
42:46I thought the veal was tender, but I wouldn't mind having a little bit more spices just to kind of wake it up just a little.
42:53But I love the eggplant.
42:56Rex, tell us what you made for us.
42:58Today I made chicken in a salad with garlic rice. And I also have achara. It's a pickled green papaya.
43:05We always eat this with our hands.
43:07Oh, my.
43:08Yeah.
43:10The tanginess of that sauce with the chicken, it's phenomenal.
43:13Very good, Rick.
43:14Oh, thank you.
43:15Well, Rex, I'm trying to think about all the different techniques that you use on this chicken, but it pulls right off the bone.
43:19I think it's cooked very well.
43:20The one thing I would say is I really do wish that it was grilled over charcoal.
43:25Charcoal, yes.
43:26You know, and how that would actually change a little bit the texture of the skin.
43:29I wish I had a little bit more live fire to it.
43:32Yeah, I agree.
43:33Maybe a hotter oven could have helped render that skin out a little bit more.
43:37But to me, one of the stars of this is the achara, the pickled papaya, which brings acid to it and a fresh crunch.
43:44Very, very tasty.
43:46I agree.
43:47You could have been concentrating on the chicken skin a little bit more, but I think you had a lot going on, right?
43:52But I think that you did a very good job of bringing this plate together.
43:56Well done, everyone.
43:58Now, what do you say we bring in your sous chefs and loved ones to enjoy dessert with us?
44:02Sounds like a sweet treat to me.
44:10All right, loved ones, thank you for joining us.
44:13It's our pleasure.
44:14Thank you for having us.
44:15Great to have you.
44:17Okay, Rex.
44:18So today I've made Halo Halo.
44:22Rex, what's the little crispy things?
44:24Oh, that is toasted young coconut.
44:25That's fantastic.
44:26I love it.
44:27Wow.
44:28Really good.
44:30Wow.
44:31When we heard that you were preparing Halo Halo, I looked over at Tiffany and she was like,
44:36So now that we're eating it, it is definitely a party in a glass.
44:40From the shaved ice, this creamy, creamy ice cream.
44:43And the ube flavor is like a very sort of mild vanilla kind of flavor.
44:47Yeah.
44:48Every bite is different.
44:49And it's like choose your own adventure.
44:51And the flan gives you another note.
44:53It was perfect for this dish.
44:55Yeah, Rex, I have to agree.
44:56There's a lot of crunch.
44:57There's a lot of chewiness, sweetness, bitterness.
44:59If I had to say anything, and I don't know if it's classically served in this tall of a glass or not.
45:04But, you know, I have to get all down and in there.
45:06Um, I don't know.
45:07It's a great dish.
45:08He don't want to mess up his fingers.
45:09Thank you so much, Rex.
45:12Thank you so much.
45:13And Bernadette.
45:15Good.
45:16You guys liked it.
45:17It was delicious.
45:18All right, Kobe.
45:19So today I made a firehouse cobbler.
45:21This is one of the things that they passed down to the fire department.
45:24I mean, look at you garnishing.
45:25You got the citrus, the blueberries, the mint.
45:28Kobe, to me, the surprise is on top.
45:30It was like chewy and crispy at the same time.
45:33And I was like, oh, that is good.
45:35And I really appreciate the blueberries and lemon because they are quite sour.
45:39And like you said, it is very sweet.
45:40Thank you, Chef.
45:41It's very delicious.
45:42The consistency that the blueberry has pairs well with that sort of cakiness.
45:45Glad y'all enjoyed.
45:46Yeah, it's so good.
45:48I do think one more element would have taken this.
45:51Like, yes.
45:52Even just whipped cream would have been nice.
45:54All right.
45:55Waigal.
45:56I prepared finis with a layer of kataif and pistachio paste.
46:05All you can say is, wow.
46:09It's really good.
46:11The texture is just so beautiful.
46:13It pairs so well with the kataif and pistachio paste.
46:18If I were to say any sort of critiques at all, as you're filling it up, maybe pushing it down with a spoon and creating a perfect layer and then putting the pudding on top.
46:26But ultimately, it's so delicious.
46:29Thank you so much.
46:30I love that it's not too sweet.
46:32There's like savory notes with like the milk custard.
46:35All of that is truly a party in your mouth and so good.
46:40Yeah, I agree.
46:41And I would have thought that if you put this custard on top, it would make it soggy.
46:44But it's like crispy, crunchy, and I love pistachio.
46:47So this is a beautiful, beautiful dessert.
46:51Cooks, please give us a moment to discuss and we'll bring you back in when we're ready to announce the winner.
47:03Judges, now is the toughest part of your job.
47:06Let's talk about Waigal.
47:07I thought the veal was tender, but I think he wasn't heavy handed with the spices.
47:12And it wasn't seasoned like I would expect.
47:14Yeah, I just wish he had made like lemon, cucumber.
47:17Yeah, cucumber, tomato, dried.
47:18That freshness would have perked the whole thing up.
47:21Sure.
47:22But the eggplant was my favorite bite.
47:24It was so luscious.
47:26With the spice, I think that brought out a really nice flavor.
47:29Delicious.
47:30Waigal's dessert was a firini with pistachio cataib.
47:33The balance that he had between the cardamom, the custard, and the pistachio paste that he had in the cataib was delicious.
47:39My glass was almost like a whole spoonful of pistachio paste, which I love.
47:44That wasn't my bite at all.
47:45Yeah, so I think there was an inconsistency.
47:47There was for sure in the filling of it, yeah.
47:48Oh, you could see it?
47:49I could see it.
47:50Little things, you know.
47:51Waigal's dishes were equal parts delicious and visually stunning, not to mention consistently hitting the top marks throughout the competition with his Waigal twist.
48:03Yeah.
48:04Yeah, that was great.
48:05All right, so let's talk about Rex.
48:07What did you think about the chicken?
48:08I thought the flavor was really nice, and I thought the dish as a whole I found really satisfying, but the skin was a little bit on the chewy side.
48:16I do think the least successful part of the dish was the chicken.
48:20I mean, he was trying, but it didn't do what it needed to do.
48:23Yeah, I agree.
48:24I think, to me, the papaya salad gave you the acidity and that brightness that you want, a lot of textures, a lot of flavor.
48:29He did a good job.
48:30Yeah.
48:31So let's talk about Rex's dessert.
48:32What did you think about the hallo hallo?
48:34He made a leche flan, he made the ice cream, and then all those different components made the dessert a standout.
48:41Yeah, it was one of the most intricate desserts we had today, for sure.
48:44But one thing we've continued to talk to Rex about is time management and essentially doing too much.
48:50Yeah, the attention of detail may have hurt him a little bit of the chicken, but it made the dessert a standout.
48:55Yeah.
48:56Let's talk about Kobe.
48:57I thought the chicken was really well cooked. The cornbread dressing inside had lots of flavor.
49:02Millie's potatoes were also really nice with the bacon-y flavor, but the slaw was just cabbage and some mayo.
49:08But, like, maybe thinking about adding something else to it to give it a little bit more life.
49:13Yeah.
49:14Kobe's meal was super tasty, and he really was applying things that he had seen along the way through this whole competition.
49:20Yeah.
49:21He's trying to share the learning that he's received not only from us, but from his fellow cooks.
49:27Yeah.
49:28Let's move on to Kobe's blueberry cobbler.
49:30I think the nuttiness that you got from the butter, the little crunchiness, was delicious.
49:34But I would have loved to have seen whipped cream, something to give you a little bit of a break.
49:40I feel like he needed lemon zest and not just the juice that he used.
49:43It does show that he has been listening and learning, though.
49:46Yep.
49:47These were all incredibly strong meals.
49:49Yeah.
49:50I thought all of them really deserved to win.
49:52True.
49:53But it sounds like you've come to your decision on who is the winner of the Great American Recipe.
49:58Yeah, I think so.
49:59All right.
50:00Let's bring back the home cooks and announce your decision.
50:02Let's do it.
50:03All right.
50:04Let's do it.
50:12Thank you, home cooks, for all the recipes and stories you've shared with us along this journey.
50:18And especially for the beautiful dishes you plated in the final round.
50:22This final round of cooking really showed all of your personalities.
50:27Honestly, it is very, very clear why the three of you are standing here today.
50:32And we absolutely cannot forget your sous chefs today.
50:35Yay!
50:42After much consideration for all your dishes tonight, we have made our final decision.
50:48This home cook stayed true to who they are through every last one of their dishes.
50:54That truly represented the heart of their cooking and their great American recipe.
50:59Take a deep breath and soak in this moment.
51:02This experience was like a dream that I don't want to wake up.
51:07I have learned a lot from the judges.
51:09But my goal is to show the world the beauty of what Philippine cuisine is.
51:14And I feel like I've accomplished my goal.
51:16My mom is always my guardian angel.
51:18And I believe she's really proud of me right now.
51:22I've learned so much.
51:24And I represented Louisiana.
51:25I represented the Cajuns.
51:26And I think everybody back home is going to be extremely proud of me.
51:30And if I win, I'll be over the moon.
51:33Because I know I stay true to who I am.
51:35Throughout this journey, I've shared so much of myself, my identity, and my Afghan culture.
51:41Just through food.
51:42And I'm so honored.
51:44But it's just been a beautiful, blessed opportunity.
51:47The home cook with the most successful recipes and the winner of the great American recipe is...
51:56Kobe!
52:06Amazing!
52:08I don't even believe it.
52:09I'm super proud.
52:10I'm glad I did it for my family.
52:12I'm glad I won it for Louisiana.
52:14I'm glad I won it for the Cajuns.
52:16I love you, Louisiana!
52:20And when I get back, I want to celebrate with all my people.
52:22Not just my family, but my whole Cajun family.
52:25How are you feeling right now?
52:27Oh, my God. I'm all over the place.
52:31And now, you are officially the winner of Season 4 of The Great American Recipe.
52:39Congratulations!
52:40The Cajun King has won.
52:41And I'm so happy he did.
52:42Because I know he's been through so much.
52:43And he's such an amazing home cook.
52:44I'm really happy for Kobe.
52:45He's got a big heart.
52:46He loves his community.
52:47He's passionate in his cooking.
52:48And he deserves to win this competition.
52:49Honestly, because of how y'all cooks, people will experience your culture and your cuisine for the first time.
52:54And so now you're introducing the world to your food.
52:58And I think that that right there is just pretty special.
53:00So exciting.
53:01Yeah.
53:02This experience was really once-in-a-lifetime because I tell everybody that I was put on this earth to be a firefighter.
53:07But now, I think I can leave my mark as being a great Cajun cook.
53:09All on Lafayette, all on La Luzon, and bien merci.
53:10The Cajuns!
53:11Thank you, Javier.
53:13Thank you, Javier.
53:14Thank you, Javier.
53:15Thank you, Javier.
53:16Thank you, Javier.
53:18And I'll be here for the next time.
53:19And I think that that right there is just pretty special.
53:21It's so exciting.
53:22Yeah.
53:23This experience was really once-in-a-lifetime because I tell everybody that I was put on this earth to be a firefighter.
53:26But now, I think I can leave my mark as being a great Cajun cook.
53:28All on Lafayette, all on La Luzon, and bien merci.
53:32For the Cajuns!
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