Tournament of Champions All-Star Christmas S01E01

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Transcript

00:00:00for competition with your favorite time of year

00:00:02and turning the TOC Arena into a winner's wonderland.

00:00:11Tis six weeks before Christmas, and all through the land,

00:00:1532 of the world's best chefs are teaming up and taking a stand.

00:00:21They'll battle each other with all kinds of treats.

00:00:25That's his holiday right there all over it.

00:00:27Because the randomizer demands...

00:00:29They cook one savory and one sweet.

00:00:33The dessert really on point.

00:00:35This is exactly what I'd want served at a holiday table.

00:00:38The judges' comments will be both naughty.

00:00:41It feels a little sloppy.

00:00:42I'm not loving that idea that I'm eating leftovers, quite frankly.

00:00:46And nice.

00:00:47It's one of the best pieces of lamb I've eaten.

00:00:49Yeah.

00:00:49Incredibly impressive.

00:00:50In a way that you want on your holiday dessert.

00:00:53All right, kiss me.

00:00:54As they check their list and score,

00:00:57Geek's team.

00:00:59Dwikes.

00:00:59Ow!

00:01:00Who will win the title,

00:01:02the trophy,

00:01:03big bucks for a charity of their choice,

00:01:05and the $100,000 grand prize?

00:01:08This is Tournament of Champions All-Star Christmas.

00:01:12Happy holidays!

00:01:13Ladies and gentlemen,

00:01:33happy holidays to everybody,

00:01:35and welcome to our all-star Christmas tournament.

00:01:37It's the first ever team versus team competition

00:01:41in the TOC arena.

00:01:45Would you like to meet our all-star duos

00:01:47and see who they're competing against?

00:01:51Up first in the A division,

00:01:54we have our number one seed sensations.

00:01:58I am talking about the two-time TOC champ,

00:02:02Chef Muneet Shohan,

00:02:04and her partner in crime,

00:02:06Iron Chef Stephanie Izar.

00:02:09Talking about competition,

00:02:11Top Chef, Iron Chef,

00:02:13the OG of competition is right next to me.

00:02:16And then we have Muneet.

00:02:18Not only has won tournament champions once,

00:02:21but twice.

00:02:22We are the team to beat.

00:02:25Well, they're taking on the number four seed,

00:02:26the Bad Boys,

00:02:28the Dragon Slayer,

00:02:29Chef Kevin Lee,

00:02:30and the award-winning restaurateur,

00:02:32The Boogie Man,

00:02:34Chef Dale Calde.

00:02:35Let's go!

00:02:39We are going up against them.

00:02:41Chefs, good luck.

00:02:42Thank you, Chef.

00:02:44Next, we have the sweet and savory super duo,

00:02:46number two seed,

00:02:48eight-time James Beard Award winner,

00:02:51and OG TOC judge,

00:02:54I can't believe he's here!

00:02:56The one and only Chef Marcus Samuelsson

00:02:59with his newest executive pastry chef,

00:03:02Rachel Sharif.

00:03:04Every competition that I've charged,

00:03:06I've cooked in,

00:03:07and TOC is no different.

00:03:09It's the holidays.

00:03:10I'm here with Rachel.

00:03:11I'm going to enjoy every second of it.

00:03:14Who are they going to be facing off against?

00:03:15It's the number three seed teammates,

00:03:18two Michelin star chefs,

00:03:19Chef Graham Elliott,

00:03:21and his Michelin star friend,

00:03:23Chef Giuseppe Tentori.

00:03:25Hey, pleasure to have you.

00:03:27Good to see you, boss.

00:03:28Let's talk about the B division.

00:03:30The number one seed super squad,

00:03:33the TOC champ,

00:03:35Mayday Chef May Lynn,

00:03:37and her good friend,

00:03:39Martini Nini.

00:03:41Chef Nini wins!

00:03:44Who are they going up against?

00:03:47The number four seed,

00:03:48Mr. Delicious,

00:03:49Chef Adam Sobel,

00:03:50and the great Hambino,

00:03:53Chef Christian Petrone.

00:03:57Sorry, baby.

00:03:58It was nice knowing y'all.

00:04:00Ladies and gentlemen,

00:04:01then there's the number two seed.

00:04:04The powerhouse duo competing together

00:04:07for the first time in a major tournament.

00:04:10The Voltaggio brothers,

00:04:12Top Chef winner,

00:04:13Chef Michael Voltaggio,

00:04:15and three-time Top Chef runner-up,

00:04:18Chef Ryan Voltaggio.

00:04:20It took me a second to read the sweaters,

00:04:22and just so you know,

00:04:23this is really the way this is.

00:04:25I have the nice chef,

00:04:26and I have the naughty chef.

00:04:28The sibling rivalry,

00:04:30it's over.

00:04:31We love each other.

00:04:32We do, sometimes.

00:04:34Who are they going to face off against?

00:04:35The number three seed,

00:04:36the incredible Kentucky culinary crew.

00:04:39Chopped legend at TOC 6 runner-up,

00:04:41the Duchess of Paducah,

00:04:43Chef Sarah Bradley.

00:04:45And in her first TOC competition,

00:04:49giving up for Chef Damaris Phillips.

00:04:51Christmas and the holidays

00:04:52are about traditions.

00:04:54Sometimes Southern food

00:04:55and Kentucky food is overlooked.

00:04:58This is the time of year

00:04:59when we shine.

00:05:01Let's talk about the C Division.

00:05:02We have the four-time TOC finalist.

00:05:07Oh, he's back, ladies and gentlemen.

00:05:09The Jetster, Chef Jet T-Lot.

00:05:13And the winner of the next great baker,

00:05:16the sugar monster,

00:05:18Chef Ashley Holt.

00:05:20When I heard we were doing

00:05:21All-Star Christmas

00:05:22and it was going to be duos,

00:05:24we got to call on my pastry sister,

00:05:25who's badass.

00:05:27Mo, you know what?

00:05:28We're here together,

00:05:29and we're here to win.

00:05:30Hey, brother.

00:05:30Who are they going up against?

00:05:32They're going toe-to-toe

00:05:33with the number four seed,

00:05:34the team from the Chop Shop.

00:05:36We have TOC's very first runner-up,

00:05:39Chef AF,

00:05:40Chef Amanda Freytag.

00:05:42And fellow Chop judge,

00:05:45the wild man himself,

00:05:46Chef Aaron Sanchez.

00:05:52Oh, no.

00:05:53Dude, I don't want this.

00:05:55No me gusta.

00:05:56I don't want this.

00:05:57Next, we have the Dynamite duo,

00:06:00the number two seed team,

00:06:01three-time TOC finalist,

00:06:04the angry Italian herself,

00:06:06Chef Brent Brasigno,

00:06:08and her teammate,

00:06:11the James Beard Award winner,

00:06:13the bearded baller,

00:06:14Chef Jonathan Sawyer.

00:06:18Welcome to the competition.

00:06:22They got a team to go against,

00:06:24the number three seed team,

00:06:25the fearsome friends of TOC 6 finalists,

00:06:29Mama Wong,

00:06:31Chef Leigh-Anne Wong,

00:06:32and dessert legend,

00:06:34the sweet assassin,

00:06:36Chef Zach Young.

00:06:39Oh!

00:06:40Good team.

00:06:42This might be the first time

00:06:43they called the pastry chef

00:06:44and said,

00:06:45who do you want to bring?

00:06:47I'm bringing the heavy hitter,

00:06:48Leigh-Anne.

00:06:49Like,

00:06:50I am not messing around.

00:06:53The last division.

00:06:55Division D.

00:06:57We're going to start off

00:06:59with the number two seed team.

00:07:01They have the West Coast Dream Team,

00:07:04the unstoppable House of Knives winner,

00:07:07making a gigantic return,

00:07:10the doubling mafia queen herself,

00:07:13Chef Shirley Chong.

00:07:15And the legendary James Beard

00:07:17award-winning pastry chef,

00:07:19the princess of pastry,

00:07:21Chef Sherry Yar.

00:07:30When I first got diagnosed

00:07:32with my tongue cancer last year,

00:07:34Shirley here is one of the first person

00:07:37that I call and text.

00:07:40Because what most folks don't know

00:07:41is that I, too,

00:07:42was diagnosed with cancer

00:07:43five years ago.

00:07:44Now both of us

00:07:45are in remission.

00:07:47Well,

00:07:47I want to just hand you

00:07:48your warrior trophy of life.

00:07:50Aw.

00:07:51Because you surely are.

00:07:55She!

00:07:57You are one of every chef's

00:07:59favorite people

00:08:00that has set an example

00:08:01of what it means to fight.

00:08:04Chef Shirley,

00:08:05you are, without a doubt,

00:08:06one of my favorite people.

00:08:08We're so happy to have you.

00:08:09We have the fighting spirit,

00:08:11and we know how to win.

00:08:13We got it.

00:08:14We got this.

00:08:15Yeah.

00:08:17They're going to take on

00:08:18a mega-gnarly

00:08:20number three seed team.

00:08:22We have TOC finalists

00:08:24and Maryland chef of the year.

00:08:27Again,

00:08:28a warrior beyond measure.

00:08:31The one and only

00:08:32Huncho

00:08:33chef

00:08:34Tobias

00:08:34Dorzon!

00:08:36And his teammate,

00:08:37the 24-24 winner,

00:08:40they call him the wolf

00:08:41for a good reason,

00:08:43chef

00:08:43Marcel

00:08:44Vigneron!

00:08:48Back in November,

00:08:50a tragic incident

00:08:51happened where

00:08:52me and my girlfriend

00:08:53were out to dinner

00:08:54and we were

00:08:55gunned down.

00:08:57And I was shot

00:08:5811 times.

00:08:59Still, you know,

00:09:00blessed to be

00:09:01where I am right now.

00:09:02Went through five surgeries

00:09:04and still on

00:09:05a long journey back.

00:09:07I don't know

00:09:07if you folks know,

00:09:08but our good friend

00:09:09Tobias,

00:09:10they questioned

00:09:11if he was going to walk.

00:09:11And I'll tell you,

00:09:12he's not just walking,

00:09:13but he's here

00:09:14in TOC

00:09:15All-Star Christmas.

00:09:20And for the final matchup,

00:09:22ladies and gentlemen,

00:09:22we have the number four

00:09:23seed team,

00:09:24two-time

00:09:25Grocery Games

00:09:26award-winning

00:09:26wine country

00:09:27restaurateur,

00:09:28the general herself,

00:09:31Chef Krista Lutke

00:09:32and Food Network

00:09:34star

00:09:35the Spice Queen,

00:09:37Chef Artie Sequeira

00:09:39on her first

00:09:40TOC

00:09:41debut.

00:09:45One team left.

00:09:50If you look around,

00:09:51there's one chef

00:09:52that we couldn't

00:09:53do this without.

00:09:55And you know

00:09:55who that is?

00:09:57That's right,

00:09:58the reigning

00:10:00TOC champ,

00:10:02Princess Warrior,

00:10:03Chef Antonia

00:10:04LaFazzo!

00:10:05I wonder who Antonia brought.

00:10:17Oh, yeah.

00:10:19I'll tell you

00:10:19who she brought.

00:10:20Iron chef

00:10:21Alex Guarnaschili!

00:10:23And that will round it out,

00:10:37folks.

00:10:3832 chefs

00:10:39ready to do battle.

00:10:41Love you.

00:10:42Go get them.

00:10:42Coming in,

00:10:44seated one,

00:10:44being the most recent winner,

00:10:46everyone is like

00:10:47they're the one to be.

00:10:48The expectation for us

00:10:49is higher.

00:10:50But it's not as high

00:10:51as the expectation

00:10:51we have for ourselves.

00:10:53Correct.

00:10:53So there you have it,

00:10:54ladies and gentlemen,

00:10:55the lineup for

00:10:56Tournament of Champions

00:10:57All-Star Christmas.

00:10:58Now, the fact that you

00:11:00have joined forces

00:11:01as a super duo,

00:11:03the judges are going

00:11:04to expect two holiday dishes

00:11:06from each team

00:11:07in every round.

00:11:09That will mean

00:11:09a savory dish

00:11:10and a sweet dish

00:11:12because a satisfying

00:11:13holiday entree

00:11:14deserves a festive dessert.

00:11:17The bad news is,

00:11:18just like in the

00:11:19Tournament of Champions,

00:11:20you win,

00:11:20you move on,

00:11:21you lose,

00:11:22you go,

00:11:23well,

00:11:23with a coal in your stocking.

00:11:25And the team

00:11:26that wins the holiday contest,

00:11:27there is a beautiful

00:11:28TOC All-Star Trophy.

00:11:31Thanks to Carnival Cruise Line,

00:11:33we are awarding

00:11:34the winning team

00:11:35$100,000.

00:11:39$100,000.

00:11:41Now, since it's the holidays,

00:11:43we also have some more

00:11:44surprises under the tree.

00:11:45We have golden gifts

00:11:46that go to the highest

00:11:47scoring teams

00:11:49in the first and second round.

00:11:50And in honor of

00:11:52the season of giving,

00:11:53we will also be giving away

00:11:54another

00:11:56$100,000.

00:11:58to charities

00:12:00for the highest scoring teams

00:12:02along the way.

00:12:05We're kicking things up

00:12:07with one of the biggest battles

00:12:10of the season.

00:12:12It's a marquee showdown

00:12:14between two of TOC's

00:12:15most high-profile finalists,

00:12:17along with their

00:12:18mega-talented teammates,

00:12:20team Jet and Ashley

00:12:23versus team Amanda

00:12:24at her own!

00:12:30You guys,

00:12:31to your trailers,

00:12:32goodbye.

00:12:33Chef, thank you so very much!

00:12:39Oh!

00:12:40First!

00:12:40Oh!

00:12:41I know.

00:12:41Ripped the Band-Aid off!

00:12:43It's Christmas!

00:12:44Nobody cries on Christmas?

00:12:45No, every...

00:12:46Well, yeah,

00:12:46there's tears of joy.

00:12:48Joy.

00:12:48Which we're going

00:12:49to be doing.

00:12:50Joyous holiday.

00:12:51Our first two teams

00:12:52are getting ready

00:12:53to throw down

00:12:54some holiday dishes.

00:12:56First up,

00:12:56we have Chef Jet Tila

00:12:58and Chef Ashley Holt.

00:13:00They are number one seed

00:13:01because, well,

00:13:02Jet is the winningest

00:13:03chef in this arena

00:13:04without a belt.

00:13:06And Ashley,

00:13:07well,

00:13:07she is a baking champion.

00:13:09Dude,

00:13:09I can't believe

00:13:10we're first.

00:13:11I guess there's no time

00:13:12to have nerves, but...

00:13:13The first seed

00:13:13and the first to go.

00:13:15Oh!

00:13:15Now you're making me nervous.

00:13:17I asked Ashley Holt,

00:13:19please, please

00:13:20be my partner.

00:13:21We've known each other

00:13:22for quite a long time.

00:13:23She was my producer

00:13:23on the Today Show

00:13:24many years ago.

00:13:25She is one hell

00:13:26of a pastry chef.

00:13:27We're here to make

00:13:28some magic and...

00:13:29Win.

00:13:29And win.

00:13:31Now, their opponents,

00:13:32huh,

00:13:33they are Food Network

00:13:34legends.

00:13:35Chef Amanda Freitag

00:13:36and Chef Aron Sanchez.

00:13:38Amanda competed

00:13:39in the first TOC finale

00:13:41and Aron recently returned

00:13:43to cooking competitions,

00:13:44which explains

00:13:45their number four

00:13:46seed status.

00:13:48We are a team.

00:13:49Yeah.

00:13:49We've cooked together

00:13:50for many years.

00:13:51We know each other's style.

00:13:52We've eaten each other's food.

00:13:53What's gonna be our strategy

00:13:54is we're gonna share,

00:13:55divide, and conquer.

00:13:56You and I both

00:13:57have a ton of experience

00:13:58in every area

00:13:59of the kitchen.

00:14:00So I'll do something savory,

00:14:01you do something sweet.

00:14:02I do something sweet,

00:14:03you do something savory.

00:14:04So what do you know

00:14:05about Amanda and Aron?

00:14:06They're chopped legends.

00:14:08Fantastic chefs.

00:14:09Absolutely.

00:14:09Tough competition.

00:14:11There's no turning back now.

00:14:13We got this.

00:14:14We got this, sis.

00:14:15It's on.

00:14:16Vamanos.

00:14:18Are you ready

00:14:19for the fight

00:14:20before Christmas?

00:14:23Well then,

00:14:23let's light it up!

00:14:24Chef Amanda Freytag

00:14:29received multiple

00:14:30glowing reviews

00:14:31from the New York Times

00:14:32as the executive chef

00:14:33before joining Chop

00:14:34and is the only person

00:14:36to judge

00:14:36every single season.

00:14:38Now she has won a total

00:14:43of six battles

00:14:44in this arena

00:14:45and she was the first

00:14:46ever TOC runner-up.

00:14:49Her teammate,

00:14:51Aron Sanchez,

00:14:52is the chef partner

00:14:53of three successful restaurants

00:14:54and was awarded

00:14:55Best Latin American Restaurant

00:14:57by Time Out New York.

00:15:00Aron has judged

00:15:01both Chop

00:15:02and MasterChef

00:15:04and defeated

00:15:04Amanda,

00:15:06Jeffrey Zakarian

00:15:06and Manit Shohan

00:15:08on Chopped All-Stars.

00:15:11Give it up

00:15:12for Chef AF

00:15:13and the Wild Man,

00:15:15Team Amanda

00:15:16and Aron!

00:15:29You two.

00:15:30How long have you

00:15:30known each other?

00:15:3120 years?

00:15:31We came up in New York

00:15:32together, so...

00:15:33It's been about 30.

00:15:34Yeah.

00:15:34You are going to be

00:15:35a dynamic duo.

00:15:36Give it up!

00:15:37AF!

00:15:37Turn around!

00:15:39Let's meet your opponent.

00:15:42Chef Jettila

00:15:43is a master

00:15:44of Asian cuisine

00:15:45who has opened

00:15:46over 20 restaurants

00:15:47across the U.S.

00:15:48Now he has an Emmy

00:15:49and a James Beard nomination

00:15:51who made the final four

00:15:53of Tournament of Champions

00:15:54four years in a row.

00:15:58His teammate,

00:15:59Chef Ashley Holt,

00:16:01is the owner

00:16:01of a luxury cake shop.

00:16:04She's a Chopped champion

00:16:05and beat out

00:16:0612 other contestants

00:16:07to win

00:16:08next great baker.

00:16:11Give it up for the Jetster

00:16:13and the Sugar Monster,

00:16:15Team Jet and Ashley!

00:16:17Aroan, Ashley,

00:16:30first time in TOC,

00:16:32but you show up

00:16:33with seasoned pros.

00:16:36And you two OGs,

00:16:37you know what time it is?

00:16:38It's time to take it

00:16:39to the randomizer!

00:16:40Let's go!

00:16:41And look at how

00:16:50we have disguised

00:16:51the randomizer

00:16:52to look friendly.

00:16:54It's so festive!

00:16:55It is festive!

00:16:56Now as you know,

00:16:57the randomizer

00:16:58will determine

00:16:58the mandatory details

00:17:00of both of your dishes.

00:17:02The mandatory savory item

00:17:03for one dish

00:17:04and the mandatory sweet item

00:17:05for the other dish.

00:17:07and the equipment,

00:17:08the style,

00:17:09and the wild card,

00:17:10which is going

00:17:11to apply to both dishes.

00:17:13Now doesn't that

00:17:14sound fun?

00:17:15Yeah!

00:17:15Totally!

00:17:16Oh!

00:17:17No!

00:17:17My gift to you is

00:17:19let's spin the randomizer.

00:17:20Here we go!

00:17:21Savory!

00:17:21Come on!

00:17:24Come on!

00:17:26I can't believe

00:17:27I'm here watching

00:17:28this right now.

00:17:29And then you're

00:17:30going to cook it.

00:17:31You have to love it,

00:17:32right?

00:17:34Oh!

00:17:36Top sirloin,

00:17:38honey crisp apples,

00:17:40metal skewers,

00:17:42poached,

00:17:43and canned pumpkin.

00:17:45How do you skewer

00:17:46canned pumpkin?

00:17:46Oh, when do you do this?

00:17:48Here's a gift,

00:17:49because I'm the giver.

00:17:50You have 35 minutes

00:17:51on the clock,

00:17:52but I'm going

00:17:52to give you

00:17:53two minutes

00:17:54to confer with one another

00:17:55before I start the clock.

00:17:57What do you think?

00:17:57Okay, I think

00:17:58I'm going to make

00:17:59a skewer,

00:17:59call it a kebab.

00:18:00Ashley and I

00:18:01have known each other

00:18:01for many years.

00:18:02She is top-notch

00:18:03in pastry land,

00:18:04and that's why

00:18:04I'm going to be

00:18:05cooking savory.

00:18:06I'm dying to know

00:18:07what they're saying.

00:18:08Like, what are they thinking?

00:18:09Like, what are we

00:18:10going to do

00:18:10with canned pumpkin?

00:18:11So there will be

00:18:11a pumpkin base,

00:18:13poached apples,

00:18:14and a dessert.

00:18:15Amanda Freitag

00:18:16can make just about

00:18:17any kind of cuisine.

00:18:18She's well-versed

00:18:19in desserts as well.

00:18:20We're going to go relleno.

00:18:21I'm going to start

00:18:22grilling some peppers.

00:18:24Arun is a triple,

00:18:25quadruple threat

00:18:26of cooking.

00:18:27Not only does he have

00:18:28an authentic

00:18:29Mexican background,

00:18:30but he's classically trained.

00:18:31In the diversity

00:18:32of what we do,

00:18:33I think it's going

00:18:34to make us stand out.

00:18:35Three, two, one,

00:18:38go.

00:18:41Well, that got

00:18:42real, real fast.

00:18:46Well, that got

00:18:47real, real fast.

00:18:48Here, ask, ask.

00:18:49This is a terrible

00:18:50randomizer.

00:18:51There's no cohesive,

00:18:53kind of automatic

00:18:54way to go.

00:18:55We're just going to

00:18:56stick with what we're

00:18:57strong at.

00:18:58It might feel

00:18:58most comfortable

00:18:58in sweets.

00:19:00I think I'm going to be

00:19:01sticking in my sweet lane.

00:19:02So, top sirloin,

00:19:03the mandatory savory item

00:19:05for one dish,

00:19:06not the most tender,

00:19:07definitely high

00:19:08in the flavor profile.

00:19:09The mandatory sweet item,

00:19:10honey crisp apples,

00:19:11sweet tart flavor,

00:19:12actually out of all

00:19:13the apples,

00:19:13it's my favorite.

00:19:14The equipment,

00:19:15the style,

00:19:16and the wild card

00:19:17need to be employed

00:19:18to both dishes.

00:19:19Metal skewers,

00:19:20I can see it in the meat,

00:19:21but in terms of the pastry,

00:19:23no clue.

00:19:23Coaching sirloin,

00:19:25I don't know.

00:19:26Canned pumpkin,

00:19:27this is not seasoned.

00:19:28We call it the wild card

00:19:29because it is.

00:19:30Chef Aran,

00:19:31welcome to TOC holiday.

00:19:34This is fantastic.

00:19:35How you feeling?

00:19:36I'm feeling great.

00:19:37I got the best partner.

00:19:38You sure do.

00:19:39Thanks, guys.

00:19:40So to help us

00:19:40better understand

00:19:41our team's sweet

00:19:42and savory moves,

00:19:43I'm joined by my own team

00:19:45of culinary commentators,

00:19:47Michelin-recommended chef

00:19:48and food authority,

00:19:49the wild card himself,

00:19:50Justin Warner,

00:19:51an award-winning restaurateur

00:19:52and TOC3 champ,

00:19:54the one and only

00:19:55Chef Tiffany Faison.

00:19:57Now, Justin and Tiffany

00:19:57will closely track

00:19:58the preparation

00:19:59of her holiday dishes

00:20:01so they can faithfully

00:20:02present them to the judges

00:20:03during the blind tasting.

00:20:04Are we dividing

00:20:05savory sweet?

00:20:06We're comboing.

00:20:07I'm grinding for

00:20:08chili and agado.

00:20:09It's a very Christmas

00:20:10holiday Mexican dish.

00:20:11Sure is.

00:20:12And then we're going

00:20:13into a pumpkin apple tart,

00:20:15a little cranberry,

00:20:16a little marshmallow.

00:20:17I like where this is going.

00:20:18I want to help Amanda

00:20:19get a head start

00:20:20on the dessert

00:20:21because, you know,

00:20:22that's going to be

00:20:23the most time-consuming.

00:20:24Aran is working

00:20:25on tart shell,

00:20:26so I have to grind

00:20:27that meat right away

00:20:28and I grab the bacon

00:20:29as well to give it

00:20:30some fat and some flavor.

00:20:32Do you want me

00:20:32to put any onion

00:20:33or garlic or anything

00:20:34through the grinder

00:20:34with this?

00:20:35Yeah, yeah, yeah,

00:20:35exactly.

00:20:36A little bit of cumin,

00:20:37a little bit of coriander,

00:20:38mama.

00:20:38We've cooked together

00:20:39at his mom's house,

00:20:40at each other's restaurants,

00:20:41spend some time

00:20:42in Mexico together.

00:20:43And we're so like-minded,

00:20:45yeah.

00:20:45This is my hermana,

00:20:46my sister.

00:20:47Tart shell in?

00:20:48Tart shell in?

00:20:48Yes, Tart shell's in, chef.

00:20:50Amanda already has

00:20:51that ground sirloin

00:20:52and bacon season mixture

00:20:54for me already done,

00:20:55so I'm grabbing

00:20:56the elements

00:20:56that could potentially

00:20:57go inside that picadillo

00:20:58or that filling.

00:20:59Some grilled red bell peppers,

00:21:01which is where I'm

00:21:02using the actual skewers.

00:21:03I'm also starting

00:21:04to fry the chili poblanos.

00:21:07I used to see

00:21:07Aaron Sanchez

00:21:08in there competing.

00:21:09I haven't seen this

00:21:10in a long time.

00:21:11He hasn't missed a beat.

00:21:13Jed, how are you feeling,

00:21:14bud?

00:21:15This randomizer is hard.

00:21:17It is hard.

00:21:18I'm going to be

00:21:18cooking savory,

00:21:20and I love top sirloin.

00:21:21I just didn't like

00:21:21anything else.

00:21:22The combo of skewer,

00:21:24beef, and pumpkin,

00:21:26I was like,

00:21:26where do I go with that?

00:21:27Stuff, we're going to see

00:21:28a meatball, a skewer,

00:21:29a colt stuff.

00:21:29You know, we're going

00:21:29to do a skewer

00:21:30that's going to be more

00:21:31like a kind of a kefta.

00:21:33You know, I'm going

00:21:33to do a kebab on the skewer

00:21:35so they can slide it off

00:21:36and eat.

00:21:36Nice play.

00:21:37Knowing this game,

00:21:38visually seeing a skewer

00:21:40will give us points

00:21:41in the judging.

00:21:41All right, Justin,

00:21:42I am going to poach

00:21:43these skewers in fat.

00:21:45Garlic butter.

00:21:45Understood.

00:21:46Ash, how are you?

00:21:47Doing good, Jeff.

00:21:48You good?

00:21:49Yeah, how about you?

00:21:50Uh, TBD.

00:21:51It's a lot going on at once.

00:21:53Chef, flour, sugar?

00:21:54Flour, sugar.

00:21:55I'm making a fritter batter.

00:21:56What's going to be

00:21:56in that fritter?

00:21:57So I'm roasting some

00:21:58apples, oranges, cinnamon.

00:22:00I'm pulling that up,

00:22:01mix that into, like,

00:22:02a roasted apple,

00:22:03a seasonal, um,

00:22:04like, a harvest fritter.

00:22:05We have a lot of

00:22:07culinary experience

00:22:08under our belt,

00:22:09but we've not cooked

00:22:10together in the kitchen

00:22:11tandem before.

00:22:13I know you can hold

00:22:13your own.

00:22:14I can hold my own.

00:22:15Like, we just got

00:22:15to trust each other.

00:22:16Yeah.

00:22:17Chef, how was

00:22:17your first TOC so far?

00:22:20When I first started

00:22:21my baking business,

00:22:22I would make

00:22:23Honeycrisp apples

00:22:24every fall.

00:22:25So they were actually

00:22:26the entryway into

00:22:27me being an entrepreneur.

00:22:29With 35 minutes,

00:22:30I know that I can

00:22:31make a delicious fritter

00:22:32that will represent

00:22:33our team in a great way.

00:22:34Um, yeah,

00:22:35and be able to

00:22:35fully execute.

00:22:37Teams, 20 minutes left.

00:22:3920 to go.

00:22:42Thank you, Chef.

00:22:43I'm making a pumpkin tart

00:22:45with poached apples.

00:22:47Nice.

00:22:47And toasty marshmallows

00:22:49on a skewer.

00:22:50Toasted marshmallows on a skewer.

00:22:51Good way to use a skewer.

00:22:52I'm using the technique

00:22:53of poaching the apples

00:22:54to sort of check that

00:22:55off the randomizer list.

00:22:57There's no sugar.

00:22:58But I also caramelize

00:22:59and then put them

00:23:00on a skewer

00:23:01almost like a candied apple.

00:23:03What do we got in here?

00:23:04Pumpkin, team, cheese.

00:23:05Watch out for 10x

00:23:06on your blast.

00:23:07Don't worry about me.

00:23:09Woo!

00:23:10Sorry.

00:23:11I think obviously

00:23:11for dessert,

00:23:12pumpkin and apple

00:23:13go great for the holidays.

00:23:15And then I wanted

00:23:16a cranberry and caramel

00:23:17to give that balance

00:23:19a ooey-gooey pumpkin flavor.

00:23:20Gruléed marshmallow

00:23:22with a super sour cranberry.

00:23:25My sauce for the

00:23:26chiles in O'Reilly,

00:23:27traditionally it calls

00:23:28for walnuts.

00:23:29And then I decided

00:23:30to use some of that

00:23:31pumpkin puree in there

00:23:32again to kind of

00:23:33marry everything together.

00:23:34Traditional meets

00:23:36the randomizer.

00:23:37Are you stuffing peppers yet?

00:23:39No, I'm going to

00:23:39peel them right now, honey.

00:23:40The best and worst part

00:23:42about Tournament of Champions

00:23:43is one and done,

00:23:44but we are determined.

00:23:45We're also full of heart,

00:23:47and I think that's something

00:23:48that around the holidays

00:23:49is exactly what you need

00:23:51for the win.

00:23:52Absolutely.

00:23:53To not succeed

00:23:55and at least progress

00:23:56to this competition

00:23:57will be an absolute failure,

00:23:59and we're not going

00:24:00to accept that.

00:24:03Chef, what's the score here?

00:24:04What do you got?

00:24:04This is going to be

00:24:05the poached garlic

00:24:08and onion harissa.

00:24:11There it is.

00:24:12Canned pumpkin

00:24:13is my world

00:24:15to make pumpkin pie.

00:24:17I've never used it

00:24:18for anything else,

00:24:19so I was very stumped

00:24:21for a few minutes.

00:24:22What's in the pan over here?

00:24:23Cooking down

00:24:24my pumpkin hummus.

00:24:26Pumpkin hummus?

00:24:27Yeah.

00:24:27Excellent.

00:24:28I don't want to savory

00:24:29up my pumpkin hummus

00:24:30with some chicken powder,

00:24:31but it can read salty.

00:24:33I'm going to make

00:24:33a apple mint slaw

00:24:35to balance out

00:24:36all the salt

00:24:36and umami on the plate.

00:24:38The pumpkin puree,

00:24:40I just need to turn

00:24:40it into a cream.

00:24:42I need to jump

00:24:43into your mixer, okay?

00:24:44We'll whip some cream,

00:24:45add some sugar, vanilla,

00:24:46all the good stuff.

00:24:47Fold in the pumpkin puree.

00:24:49Mascarpone, chef.

00:24:50Correct.

00:24:51Give it a little more

00:24:52body and depth,

00:24:53and it's going to be good.

00:24:55Oh, the fritter, chef.

00:24:56Looking good, chef.

00:24:58Nice, made extra,

00:24:59broke one open,

00:25:00checking all the way through.

00:25:01You can see

00:25:01it's a little underdone inside.

00:25:03I think if I fill it

00:25:03with the cream,

00:25:05it'll kind of help

00:25:05disguise that a little bit.

00:25:07You've come into this kitchen

00:25:08and you've been razor focused.

00:25:10That is amazing.

00:25:12Teams, five minutes left

00:25:14in the competition.

00:25:15Fine to be plated.

00:25:17Aaron, you got to hustle.

00:25:18Hustle, hustle.

00:25:19I know.

00:25:19The first thing

00:25:20that I'm getting on this plate

00:25:20is the nogada sauce.

00:25:22It's the canvas.

00:25:23Stuffed poblano pepper,

00:25:25pomegranate,

00:25:26a little bit of green,

00:25:27some micro cilantro,

00:25:28and all day long.

00:25:30Fine.

00:25:30Go left,

00:25:31you go right.

00:25:31Yeah.

00:25:32I lay my kofta skewer

00:25:34down into that bed

00:25:36of hummus,

00:25:37paint a little bit

00:25:38of the harissa.

00:25:39My God,

00:25:40I'm sweating like crazy.

00:25:41Two minutes, chef.

00:25:42Two to go.

00:25:43Let's go.

00:25:45I'm taking that tart,

00:25:46topping it with some

00:25:47of that pumpkin

00:25:47cream cheese custard.

00:25:49Poached cranberry.

00:25:50This is a little bit of me.

00:25:52This is a little bit

00:25:53of our own.

00:25:53My apples

00:25:54and my marshmallows.

00:25:55I'm a skewer.

00:25:5630 seconds.

00:25:57We have our soft fritter,

00:25:59dust it with a little bit

00:26:00of powdered sugar.

00:26:00I'm happy that I was able

00:26:01to show up as a pastry chef

00:26:03and have a complete dessert

00:26:04on the plate

00:26:05for my first TOC.

00:26:0610, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

00:26:16We're done.

00:26:18Thank you so much.

00:26:19We'll leave it up

00:26:19to the judges.

00:26:21We will see you soon.

00:26:22Great job.

00:26:24Dude, how was that?

00:26:25First cook.

00:26:25That was insane.

00:26:27Yeah.

00:26:27It is a blur.

00:26:28I'm happy with it.

00:26:29Very much so

00:26:30because I think what we did

00:26:31is we were able to invoke

00:26:32Christmas time,

00:26:33the holidays.

00:26:34Oh, sugar monster.

00:26:36Oh, my God.

00:26:37The Jets there.

00:26:40Come on, champ.

00:26:41Let's go.

00:26:42I think as a team,

00:26:43we rocked it.

00:26:44Whew.

00:26:46Hark.

00:26:46We have three wise men

00:26:48and women

00:26:49to behold these Christmas dishes

00:26:51and hopefully shower these chefs

00:26:53with praise and points.

00:26:54Let's meet the judges.

00:26:55First, James Beard award-winning chef

00:26:57who has opened

00:26:58some of the most acclaimed

00:26:59restaurants in the country.

00:27:01Who is it?

00:27:01The one and only

00:27:03Chef Michelle Bernstein.

00:27:06All right.

00:27:10I like this.

00:27:11We love her so much.

00:27:13Chef, wonderful to see you.

00:27:14And in the holidays,

00:27:15next we have

00:27:16the Emmy and Jane Beard

00:27:18award winner

00:27:18named Esquire Magazine's

00:27:20Chef of the Year,

00:27:21Chef Ming Tsai.

00:27:25How are you feeling?

00:27:27He's very technical.

00:27:28And finally,

00:27:29last but not least,

00:27:30celebrated chef

00:27:31the New York Times

00:27:31best-selling author

00:27:32who has opened

00:27:33multiple Michelin-star restaurants,

00:27:35Chef Curtis Stone.

00:27:37Just get on them, buddy.

00:27:38Curtis!

00:27:39What a great panel.

00:27:41Well, chefs,

00:27:42you are in for tonight.

00:27:44As you know,

00:27:44we have two chefs

00:27:46cooking for you right now.

00:27:47They had to work

00:27:48with a randomizer,

00:27:49make a sweet

00:27:49and savory dish.

00:27:51In savory,

00:27:52they got the opportunity

00:27:53to work with

00:27:53top sirloin.

00:27:55In sweet,

00:27:55the Honeycrisp Apple.

00:27:57They both had to use

00:27:58the equipment

00:27:58of a metal skewer

00:27:59needed to employ poaching.

00:28:01And the wild card ingredient

00:28:03was canned pumpkin.

00:28:04And here,

00:28:05to deliver all that information

00:28:07and more,

00:28:08the one and only chef,

00:28:09Tiffany Faison.

00:28:13Talk about it.

00:28:14Eat it, eat it.

00:28:16Judges,

00:28:16on the right,

00:28:17we'll start with

00:28:17the savory dish.

00:28:18You have chilis on nogada

00:28:20Christmas-style,

00:28:21a roasted babano

00:28:22that is stuffed

00:28:23with your top sirloin

00:28:25ground with bacon,

00:28:26onion, garlic,

00:28:27and other spices

00:28:28to create a picadillo.

00:28:30Red bell peppers

00:28:31were skewered

00:28:32and grilled

00:28:33and added to the picadillo.

00:28:34On the bottom,

00:28:35the nogado sauce

00:28:37is your canned

00:28:38pumpkin puree,

00:28:39walnuts,

00:28:40and cream cheese.

00:28:41I don't see

00:28:42a lot of nodding.

00:28:43This is good.

00:28:45This is really hard.

00:28:46On the left,

00:28:47your pumpkin and apple tart

00:28:48is a freshly baked tart shell.

00:28:50The filling on top

00:28:51is canned pumpkin,

00:28:53caramelized white chocolate,

00:28:54and cream cheese

00:28:55with the cajeta poached cranberries.

00:28:58Your honey crisp apples,

00:28:59they were poached

00:28:59in a little bit of apple cider,

00:29:01skewered and roasted.

00:29:02That is then finished

00:29:03with your marshmallows

00:29:04that have been skewered

00:29:05and roasted as well.

00:29:06Oh my God,

00:29:07I'm nervous.

00:29:08Very, very tasty dishes.

00:29:11Yes.

00:29:11Let's start with the savory.

00:29:13I got to learn

00:29:13how to make chilis on nogada

00:29:14in Mexico City.

00:29:15It was so delicious

00:29:17like this,

00:29:18and this chef

00:29:19put tons of flavor

00:29:21in this meat.

00:29:22This second chef

00:29:23obviously has done

00:29:24some pastry.

00:29:25It's a delicious crust.

00:29:26There's butter in the crust.

00:29:27That bite of apple,

00:29:29marshmallow filling,

00:29:29and cranberries

00:29:30is a perfect holiday bite.

00:29:33So, really impressive.

00:29:34You know,

00:29:35it's an interesting rendition

00:29:36of chiles en nogada.

00:29:37My husband's from Oaxaca.

00:29:38I make chiles en nogada

00:29:40also during our holidays.

00:29:42I'm not getting

00:29:42a huge amount of help

00:29:44from the bottom puree.

00:29:46I feel like it could have been

00:29:47just a little bit thinner,

00:29:48but all around

00:29:49it's a really nice bite of food.

00:29:51Ming is right.

00:29:52This tart shell

00:29:53is everything.

00:29:55Like, the shell is amazing.

00:29:56It's buttery, right?

00:29:57We left another butter

00:29:58help.

00:29:59I told you.

00:30:00I'm taking credit for it.

00:30:02I told you.

00:30:03What's interesting is now

00:30:05apple to me

00:30:06is a little bit

00:30:06of the second thought

00:30:08after the tart.

00:30:09That's good.

00:30:10Yeah, that's really good.

00:30:11Come on, Curtis.

00:30:12Come on, Curtis.

00:30:13Look, for me,

00:30:14the chili could have been

00:30:15cooked a little more.

00:30:16It still feels

00:30:17a little crunchy

00:30:19and maybe just

00:30:20a little more char

00:30:21on it would have given

00:30:21it just a little more

00:30:22depth of flavor.

00:30:23But all in all,

00:30:24very, very tasty dish.

00:30:25Moving on to the dessert,

00:30:26I looked at that

00:30:27and I was like,

00:30:27oh, it's a bit of a mess.

00:30:29When you think about dessert,

00:30:30you want it to be really pretty.

00:30:32Yes.

00:30:32And the apples

00:30:33that have been poached,

00:30:34they're a little soft

00:30:35to go on a skewer,

00:30:36so I'm not sure

00:30:36if it's a great use

00:30:37of the skewer.

00:30:38I'll tell you what, though.

00:30:39What it loses

00:30:40in presentation,

00:30:42it really makes up

00:30:42for in flavor.

00:30:43And the cranberries

00:30:44really bring a brightness

00:30:46to it.

00:30:46Flavor.

00:30:47Eats really deliciously.

00:30:49Okay.

00:30:49All right.

00:30:50All right.

00:30:50Good cop, bad cop.

00:30:51Hope.

00:30:52All right, judges,

00:30:53we have two separate

00:30:54scorecards for you.

00:30:55We are going to score

00:30:55dishes individually.

00:30:57Remember, 50 points

00:30:58maximum for each dish,

00:30:5925 points for tastes,

00:31:0120 points for the use

00:31:02of the randomizer,

00:31:03and five points

00:31:04for the presentation.

00:31:05I like what they said.

00:31:07I think so, too.

00:31:08And I just like the fact

00:31:09that we committed

00:31:09to an idea.

00:31:10Yep.

00:31:10And we didn't waver.

00:31:11We're just warming up.

00:31:12So here to describe

00:31:13the second team's

00:31:14delicious dishes

00:31:15is the fellow food ambassador,

00:31:17the one and only

00:31:17Justin Warner.

00:31:19Just let me know

00:31:19after it's done.

00:31:21Judges, before you,

00:31:21two plates.

00:31:22The first of which

00:31:23are savory dish

00:31:24for the evening.

00:31:25The top store lane

00:31:26was ground

00:31:27with garlic, onion,

00:31:28some za'atar,

00:31:29and then skewered

00:31:30to form a kefta.

00:31:32That was then grilled

00:31:32and finished

00:31:33by poaching in butter.

00:31:35For canned pumpkin,

00:31:36judges, you will find

00:31:37that is the hummus

00:31:38beneath the kefta.

00:31:39And then that slaw

00:31:40was done with the apples,

00:31:41snap pea,

00:31:42and a little bit

00:31:43of labneh.

00:31:45Our sweet component,

00:31:46this is a roasted

00:31:47honeycrisp apple fritter,

00:31:48the accompanying pumpkin

00:31:50cream topped

00:31:50with a bit of

00:31:51poached pear relish.

00:31:52For the honeycrisp apple,

00:31:54you will find that grilled

00:31:55and inside

00:31:56of the fritter.

00:31:58Now, those apples

00:31:59were also skewered.

00:32:00The pears were poached

00:32:02in a bit of red wine,

00:32:03some butter and sugar.

00:32:04Come on, come on.

00:32:06I love this fritter.

00:32:07It's really good.

00:32:08In fact, I started with it,

00:32:09and I'm going to finish

00:32:10with it.

00:32:11I told you.

00:32:12I told you.

00:32:13I love how they use

00:32:15the apple component,

00:32:16and I love the use

00:32:18of the canned pumpkin

00:32:19in the whip.

00:32:20I think that's fun.

00:32:22The kefta,

00:32:23the chef did a really

00:32:24good job at spicing it up,

00:32:26but then it's just

00:32:27really salty.

00:32:28Oh.

00:32:29Uh-oh.

00:32:30Oh.

00:32:31She's tough.

00:32:32She's tough.

00:32:32Good.

00:32:34Chef Ming,

00:32:35disagree.

00:32:36Beautiful-looking,

00:32:37tight plates.

00:32:37You can see the skewer.

00:32:39So, visually,

00:32:40nailed the randomizer

00:32:41really well.

00:32:42Starting with the savory.

00:32:43Mine is well-seasoned bold.

00:32:44It's not overly

00:32:45too salty for me.

00:32:46Bold, I like that, yeah.

00:32:47It is spicy.

00:32:48I love it.

00:32:49I, too, like Michelle,

00:32:50love these fritters.

00:32:51This pumpkin butter dip

00:32:53is delicious.

00:32:54This is a perfect combo.

00:32:56All right.

00:32:57Yeah.

00:32:58Curtis Stone,

00:32:59what you got for us?

00:33:00Okay, so let's talk

00:33:01about this kefta,

00:33:02because top sirloin,

00:33:03it will be dry,

00:33:04but then they've

00:33:04poached it in butter,

00:33:05and I think that's

00:33:06a very clever way

00:33:08to use poaching,

00:33:09and it's a very clever way

00:33:10to use top sirloin.

00:33:11I'm impressed by it.

00:33:12Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:33:14I love the crunch

00:33:15of the apples

00:33:15and the slaw.

00:33:16I think it works

00:33:17really nicely.

00:33:17The puree is just

00:33:18too salty, sadly.

00:33:20Dude.

00:33:21You never hear that

00:33:22with Jet's food,

00:33:24ever, ever.

00:33:25I love the apple

00:33:26and pear combination.

00:33:27They grow together,

00:33:28they go together, right?

00:33:29That pumpkin whip

00:33:30is delicious.

00:33:31This is exactly

00:33:32what I'd want served

00:33:32at a holiday table,

00:33:33so the dessert

00:33:34really on point.

00:33:36Oh my God.

00:33:37Did it make you proud?

00:33:38It made me so proud!

00:33:39You did such a great job!

00:33:41Great judges,

00:33:42scorecards in front of you.

00:33:43Oh, Ash,

00:33:44I'm so sorry.

00:33:45Like, I messed us up

00:33:48on seasoning.

00:33:49Yeah.

00:33:49He liked it.

00:33:50But gameplay was strong.

00:33:51Yeah.

00:33:52Let me tell you,

00:33:52you can overlook

00:33:53a lot of things.

00:33:55Oversalting is probably

00:33:56the hardest thing,

00:33:57or overcooking.

00:33:58They love the dessert, though.

00:33:59All right, judges,

00:34:00thank you very much.

00:34:01More competition coming up.

00:34:02You can go either way.

00:34:03You can be surprised, yeah.

00:34:04It's super close.

00:34:05What a crazy first battle.

00:34:06All right, chefs,

00:34:07they're ready for you.

00:34:09Here we go.

00:34:10Let's go find out our fate.

00:34:12Time to face the music.

00:34:15Ladies and gentlemen,

00:34:16the judges have tallied

00:34:17the scores.

00:34:17I have the results,

00:34:19and let's bring our chefs

00:34:19back in, please.

00:34:20Chef AF, Chef Arone,

00:34:22Chef Jeff, Chef Ashley.

00:34:23I will tell you,

00:34:32both teams,

00:34:33dynamite cooks,

00:34:34you should be very proud.

00:34:35Right?

00:34:35Audience, great job.

00:34:37In savory,

00:34:39one team scored a 39

00:34:41out of 50.

00:34:43The other team scored

00:34:44a 38.

00:34:46Oh, wow.

00:34:49That's close.

00:34:49In the suites,

00:34:52one team scored

00:34:53a 40 out of 50,

00:34:55and one team scored

00:34:56a 44 out of 50.

00:34:59Oh, my God.

00:35:01With a total of 79

00:35:03for one team

00:35:04and 82 for the other,

00:35:07the winner of the

00:35:08premier TOC

00:35:09all-star Christmas battle

00:35:10is

00:35:11the winner

00:35:18of the premier

00:35:18TOC

00:35:19all-star Christmas battle

00:35:20is

00:35:21Jen Ashley.

00:35:29Congratulations.

00:35:31Congratulations.

00:35:35It was such an honor.

00:35:37It was beautiful.

00:35:38Thank you very much.

00:35:39I appreciate it.

00:35:40Congratulations,

00:35:41Jen and Ashley.

00:35:42And I think

00:35:43it was a valiant effort,

00:35:44Arone,

00:35:44to see you come and cook,

00:35:46and especially

00:35:46with such a dear friend

00:35:47and the two of you

00:35:48working together.

00:35:49You did a dynamite job.

00:35:50I'm sorry you're going home.

00:35:52Chef AF,

00:35:52Chef Arone,

00:35:53thank you so much.

00:36:00I'm so proud of you.

00:36:01I think we did a great job.

00:36:01I think you're so good.

00:36:02I just wanted to do that again.

00:36:04Me too.

00:36:05Yeah.

00:36:05I just wanted to do it.

00:36:06Yeah.

00:36:07I thought I loved our food.

00:36:09I thought it was great.

00:36:10Wow.

00:36:11Did you think that was yours?

00:36:14I thought I might have heard us on the seasoning.

00:36:18I will tell you this, though.

00:36:20You've won your first round.

00:36:21Congratulations.

00:36:22Chef Ashley, Chef Jet.

00:36:24Ashley and Jet, we will see you soon.

00:36:26Congratulations.

00:36:27First round win.

00:36:28Well done.

00:36:31Thank you, guys.

00:36:33How do you feel?

00:36:33Your first win.

00:36:34How do you feel?

00:36:35Feel awesome.

00:36:36That's great.

00:36:37First time in the TOC arena.

00:36:39How does it feel?

00:36:39Oh, my gosh.

00:36:40That was nuts.

00:36:41Crazy.

00:36:41I wasn't my best cook, straight up.

00:36:43My pastry partner saved my rear end.

00:36:46Are you ready to meet the next two teams?

00:36:50Our number two-seat team is celebrated chef Shirley Chung and pastry master Sherry Yar.

00:36:57Now, Shirley is a fierce culinary fighter, while Sherry is a decorated pastry chef.

00:37:03The two are longtime friends, and Sherry recently helped Shirley through a real-life battle.

00:37:09I just recovered from stage four tongue cancer.

00:37:14In the beginning, Shirley is one of the first person that I saw and text.

00:37:20I mean, I've been leaning on you for the past year, so thank you.

00:37:24You're the only person that I want to come to you with.

00:37:26And I just love you, and I can't wait for us to make memories.

00:37:29Yes.

00:37:30Now, their opponents are the number three seed, Team Tobias Dorzon and Chef Marcel Vigneron.

00:37:36Now, Chef Tobias rocketed to the semifinals, his first time on TOC.

00:37:41And after years of culinary competition, Marcel finally has a major tournament win under his belt

00:37:46and is hungry for his TOC victory.

00:37:49Tie your shoes, that's when you know battle mode right here.

00:37:52Both friends know they're underdogs, but Tobias,

00:37:55well, he has proven that he can overcome anything.

00:37:58A little over a year ago this time, I was in a hospital bed.

00:38:02I was shot 11 times.

00:38:03I was told that possibility of never walking again.

00:38:07So being here with my guy, you know, ready to take on everything that comes our way,

00:38:12it's no better feeling.

00:38:13Thank you for choosing me to be a part of your comeback story.

00:38:17Honored and flattered to be here cooking alongside my boy Tobias.

00:38:20I guess we're just going to take the world by storm, baby.

00:38:23Our goal is always make the most delicious food that possible.

00:38:26Yes.

00:38:27And then we win this thing.

00:38:28Okay.

00:38:29Okay.

00:38:29Done.

00:38:30Sherry's probably got a leg up on us as pastry.

00:38:32She helped make Wolfgang Puck.

00:38:34You know, she was his pastry chef, you know, for decades.

00:38:38Hi, chef.

00:38:39They're ready for you.

00:38:39Fabulous.

00:38:40Hey.

00:38:42All right.

00:38:43Let's do it, chef.

00:38:45Are you ready for a culinary Christmas miracle?

00:38:49Let's light this up!

00:38:53Chef Tobias has gone from professional athlete to a celebrated executive chef.

00:38:57Named 2024 chef of the year by the Maryland Restaurant Association.

00:39:05But Tobias, well, he has proven that he can overcome anything.

00:39:10Chef Marcel Vigneron has worked under world-renowned chefs such as Jose Andres.

00:39:15And his eatery, Wolf, was named one of the top 10 best new restaurants by LA Magazine.

00:39:20He was the runner-up on season two of Top Chef and beat out almost two dozen acclaimed chefs

00:39:26to become the first ever winner of 24 in 24.

00:39:31Put your hands together for Huncho and the Wolf, team Tobias and Marcel.

00:39:42My brother.

00:39:44My brothers.

00:39:46Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to have you.

00:39:47Congratulations.

00:39:48Thank you for having us.

00:39:49Let's meet their opponents.

00:39:52Now, chef Shirley Chung opened restaurants in Las Vegas to the likes of Thomas Keller and

00:39:57Jose Andres before opening her own LA eatery famed for its best-selling dumplings.

00:40:06Now, Sherry Yard was the head pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck worldwide, including Spago and

00:40:12Rainbow Room.

00:40:14Give it up for the Dumpling Mafia Queen and the Princess of Pastry.

00:40:19Team, Shirley and Sherry.

00:40:21Team, Shirley and Sherry.

00:40:32You play that music.

00:40:33You should be worried.

00:40:34Audience, are you ready?

00:40:36Teams, let's take them to the randomizer.

00:40:38Right this way.

00:40:38As you know, the randomizer will determine the mandatory details of both of your dishes.

00:40:50Is charcoal a wildcard ingredient?

00:40:51Let's get busy.

00:40:53Here we go.

00:40:54Savory.

00:40:54I'm getting busy looking.

00:41:05Little mix.

00:41:08Strawberries.

00:41:09Box grater.

00:41:10Oh, hey.

00:41:12Glazed in fruitcake.

00:41:14Fruitcake.

00:41:15Fruitcake.

00:41:16Woof.

00:41:17Wow.

00:41:18Woof.

00:41:18That one's interesting.

00:41:19What was the last thing you did, Chef Marcel, with a fruitcake?

00:41:22Well, I mean, give it to a friend as a recycled gift.

00:41:24I use it for a doorstop.

00:41:26Paperweight.

00:41:27Yeah.

00:41:27Chef, you have 35 minutes to cook, but I'm going to give you two minutes before we start

00:41:32the clock to confer as a team.

00:41:34Little neck clams.

00:41:36Are we taking them out and bathing them?

00:41:38Tobias is going to do savory.

00:41:39I'm going to do sweet.

00:41:41But at the same time, we're still a team, right?

00:41:43So we're going to bounce ideas off each other.

00:41:45So I'm going to do a soy-crazed, spicy, little-night clam.

00:41:51I have a reputation.

00:41:53I don't like to bake.

00:41:54So my best friends are always pastry-shed.

00:41:57Glazed strawberries.

00:41:58Glazed box grater.

00:41:59Glazed strawberries.

00:42:00One, and you can begin.

00:42:07And they're off.

00:42:08The biggest challenge is actually combining all of the stuff together.

00:42:13There's many things we can do with strawberries to make a dessert.

00:42:16Different ways we can cook clams.

00:42:18But how are we going to incorporate a pre-made fruitcake with clams?

00:42:25And they're off.

00:42:26Little neck clams.

00:42:27They're sweet.

00:42:27They're small.

00:42:28They're delicious.

00:42:29Strawberries.

00:42:29And you know that the flavor is just next level when they've had a chance to really ripen

00:42:34on the vine.

00:42:34Box grater.

00:42:35Everybody knows the box grater for grating cheese.

00:42:37But it's got a zester on it.

00:42:38Glazing gives you this nice translucent coating that goes on the outside.

00:42:42Fruitcake is the weird one.

00:42:44So this is studded with dried fruits and nuts.

00:42:47This should probably be the hinge pin to the competition.

00:42:51Fruitcake!

00:42:52Fruitcake!

00:42:53Fruitcake!

00:42:53Have you guys known each other for a while?

00:42:55Yeah.

00:42:56We met on Guy's grocery games, I think it was, many, many moons ago.

00:42:59I know Marcel from previous battles, but now I like to battle with the best.

00:43:03If I'm ever going to have to team up with somebody, I want to team up with somebody just as good

00:43:07is not better than me.

00:43:09You guys were not the Christmas coupling I had on my bingo card.

00:43:12I'm thrilled to see you guys here together, but surprised.

00:43:15Oh, we're like the yin and yang.

00:43:16He's got big muscles, I don't have muscles, I'm fast, he's a little bit slower right now.

00:43:21So we just like, we fill in each other's gaps.

00:43:24What's the plan?

00:43:25Like a play on, on Clams Casino.

00:43:28We're going to put a little bit of Mexican chorizo in the clams once we open them up.

00:43:31Okay.

00:43:32There's a crumble.

00:43:33You know, I like people to come early on Christmas dinner.

00:43:36Clams Casino is something that you can offer as an hors d'oeuvre.

00:43:40I want them to open up in a nice broth.

00:43:42I'm getting fish sauce to add to my seafood stock.

00:43:47Let's see if this top works.

00:43:49Oh, what do you got now?

00:43:51I'm going to make a fish brittle.

00:43:53What?

00:43:54Like a glaze, butter and sugar.

00:43:56Butter and sugar.

00:43:57Butter and sugar.

00:43:57Make my caramel first.

00:43:59I wanted to have a salty but sweet glaze.

00:44:05Smell that fish sauce.

00:44:06Woo!

00:44:07My sauce?

00:44:07Probably good.

00:44:08I'm thinking strawberry ice cream, chef.

00:44:10Okay.

00:44:11You know?

00:44:12Big risk.

00:44:13You're dealing with time, temperature.

00:44:15This kitchen is hot.

00:44:16What up?

00:44:16You got strawberries?

00:44:17Strawberries.

00:44:17There's strawberries in there?

00:44:18Strawberries in there.

00:44:19Corn syrup, milk, cream.

00:44:21Sugar.

00:44:21Dry milk powder.

00:44:22And I blend my strawberries, but I want more strawberry flavor.

00:44:26So I actually threw in like half a jar of strawberry jam into my ice cream base.

00:44:31Talk to me about fruitcake.

00:44:33That's actually really good, that fruitcake.

00:44:34I ended up throwing the fruitcake in the blender.

00:44:38Chef, you want to taste the base?

00:44:40Sure.

00:44:41It's a little fruitcake-y.

00:44:43You taste the strawberry, right?

00:44:45I do.

00:44:51Chef, when you have a plan, lay it on me.

00:44:53I'm going to do a spicy, sweet fillets.

00:44:57It seems real like the clams.

00:44:58I'm going to use phosphor to do all my aromatics.

00:45:03So garlic, ginger, onion, my propane.

00:45:07Got it.

00:45:08During my recovery, I never really stopped cooking.

00:45:12But from my radiation and chemo, it showed my taste.

00:45:17The first thing that came back was sugar.

00:45:20And then all the aromatic I can taste.

00:45:22But one thing I love the most, which is salt and savory, it came back to my palate the last.

00:45:28So I really have to watch out for that.

00:45:31Crazy enough, Chef?

00:45:32Yep.

00:45:33Beautiful.

00:45:33I have fruitcake now.

00:45:35That is a dense fruitcake.

00:45:36It is.

00:45:37Yeah.

00:45:38It's a perfect, sweet, and sticky component that I'm going to tone down my salt.

00:45:43How are you putting this in with the clams?

00:45:44So I'm going to make a fruitcake crumble on top, like a breadcrumb crumble, but also fruitcake

00:45:51going into fruitcakes.

00:45:53Fruitcake soy sauce, the rice.

00:45:57When was the last time you had fruitcake, Chef?

00:45:59Actually, I like fruitcakes.

00:46:02You like fruitcake?

00:46:04Yeah.

00:46:04Growing up in China, my grandma traveled the world.

00:46:08Something that she brought back during Christmas was fruitcake from America.

00:46:12That's why I like fruitcake.

00:46:15Cherry fruitcake crumble for us.

00:46:18Four minutes.

00:46:20Jerry and I will keep cooking together for function, for friends, but this is actually

00:46:26the first time that we're cooking side by side in a competition environment.

00:46:31I really have a feeling that me and you together, we're going to win this.

00:46:35Okay, good.

00:46:36Chef, I'm seeing the sugar and corn syrup.

00:46:38I'm seeing the dairy items on the side.

00:46:40Are we going to see a caramel here?

00:46:41Yeah, caramel, all going well.

00:46:43We'll have a Christmas morning Pompardieu, otherwise known as French toast.

00:46:48I'm familiar, Chef.

00:46:49I'm liking it.

00:46:49We'll be beautiful together.

00:46:51As the butter is browning, I put up a pot with milk and heavy cream.

00:46:56Buck's greater, buck's greater.

00:46:57And I'm going to grab all my ingredients that are going to add flavor.

00:47:00Orange, lemon, and ginger.

00:47:03What's the difference between Pompardieu and regular French toast?

00:47:06What you charge on the menu, Chef.

00:47:08You got it.

00:47:08So rumor has it there's some chefs out there that might be a little intimidated that I'm

00:47:13here.

00:47:14Look at me, little old me.

00:47:15That said, I have been baking for so many years, and I've done everything from ice cream

00:47:21to sugar sculptures.

00:47:22Gorgeous.

00:47:23Happy.

00:47:24A dessert in a short period of time?

00:47:27I don't know.

00:47:27We'll have to see whether or not I can pull that off, too.

00:47:30Less than 20 minutes to go.

00:47:32What do they do with the fruitcake?

00:47:33This is like the nastiest thing ever in life.

00:47:37I know at Clamp Casino, you finish it off with, most of the time, breadcrumbs, but you

00:47:42can use the fruitcake and some garlic.

00:47:45Mm-hmm.

00:47:46Mm-hmm.

00:47:47Mm-hmm.

00:47:48Mm-hmm.

00:47:49Mm-hmm.

00:47:49Breadcrumbs and fruitcake and garlic.

00:47:53Yeah, that old famous combination.

00:47:55Box grated salad, Chef?

00:47:56Mm-hmm.

00:47:57I made a fennel and green onion, a little salad, so when you're eating the clams and you're

00:48:01getting the fish caramel, you can have fennel to clean off your palate.

00:48:05How's it looking, Chef?

00:48:08Great.

00:48:09Looks perfect.

00:48:10Yeah, it looks great.

00:48:11Really nice texture.

00:48:13You got that Sherry Yard on the other side.

00:48:14Yeah.

00:48:15Sherry Yard is one of the best pastry chefs in the country, if not the world, and Shirley

00:48:21Chung, she's beaten me on Tournament of Champions before, so I know she's good.

00:48:25The strength of Shirley just to be back in competition, I already know that it's going

00:48:29to be a dogfight.

00:48:30We got love for every single chef here, you know what I mean?

00:48:32All of them, but...

00:48:34I want to get them home to their families faster!

00:48:37As soon as that clock starts, it's a competition.

00:48:40Ice cream's made, Chef.

00:48:41I love that, baby.

00:48:42Marcel grabbing liquid nitrogen?

00:48:44Are you serious?

00:48:45What's the game plan, bud?

00:48:46Um, you know, I'm going to freeze some stuff and make some delicious treats.

00:48:50I got to do some box grating, right?

00:48:51So we freeze the strawberries in liquid nitrogen, I start grating, and it's like this, like,

00:48:56strawberry dust, so pretty cool.

00:49:00And I was like, that works.

00:49:02That'll be a nice little garnish for on top, I think.

00:49:03We're checking off boxes, right?

00:49:05And then we got strawberries.

00:49:06Now we've got to do some glaze.

00:49:08I'm trying to make this caramel, get that super thick, really sticky.

00:49:12Let's play with the caramel.

00:49:14Getting it to a nice, glazy consistency that I want.

00:49:18For me, strawberries, caramel.

00:49:20It's a match made in heaven.

00:49:21Did he just take the strawberries into caramel and make sure to glaze them?

00:49:25Twelve and a half minutes, twelve and a half to go.

00:49:28Now the timer is coming down.

00:49:30I really need to see my clams.

00:49:32De-glaze the pan with stocking, and then the fruit cakes are coming out of the oven.

00:49:38Yep, that's it.

00:49:39Fred crumb?

00:49:39Fred crumb, olive oil, salt, pepper, the cake, caramel in this.

00:49:45Got it.

00:49:46This is the first time I'm combining these two items together, but it might not be the

00:49:51last time.

00:49:52Five minutes, teams.

00:49:53Five to be plated.

00:49:54Five to go.

00:49:55Strawberries, where are strawberries?

00:49:57Come and play.

00:49:58I'm on strawberry sauce.

00:49:59They're being grated.

00:50:00I use the box grater again.

00:50:02They both use the grater so much.

00:50:04And put that sauce on the burner so it can reduce down.

00:50:09Compression there and heavy cream.

00:50:10When it came to glaze as a pastry chef, I was thrilled.

00:50:16Glazing.

00:50:17Glazing.

00:50:19How many minutes?

00:50:20Three.

00:50:21Three?

00:50:24Huh?

00:50:24Right behind you?

00:50:26I'm excited to be able to step back into the tournament champion stage again.

00:50:30Oh, goodness.

00:50:30After everything.

00:50:31That's worth celebrating.

00:50:33Yes.

00:50:34I believe 30 times 2.0 is stronger and better.

00:50:40I have my strawberries all around the outside room.

00:50:44Fruitcake caramel on the bottom.

00:50:46Grab the palm perdu.

00:50:48Glaze the strawberries.

00:50:51It was a Christmas miracle.

00:50:5490 seconds.

00:50:55I get some of the glaze on the bottom.

00:50:57Last Christmas, you know, I wasn't walking.

00:51:00So being back in the kitchen, being amongst other phenomenal chefs, I feel blessed to be where

00:51:05I am right now.

00:51:06I'm just here to celebrate the holidays with the good people.

00:51:09One minute.

00:51:11Maybe two scoops, eh?

00:51:13I take my pre-chilled glasses and do a couple scoops of ice cream.

00:51:18I've got my glazed strawberry.

00:51:20And then I'll play around with all my other stuff that I want to sprinkle on top.

00:51:25Five, four, three, two, one.

00:51:29We're done, chef.

00:51:30Stop working.

00:51:35Both teams performed incredibly.

00:51:38Where you came up with that in your imagination, I don't know, but job well done.

00:51:42All right, let's bring in the judges.

00:51:50Wow, man.

00:51:51I think you did okay.

00:51:53I mean, for having never worked together before, I mean...

00:51:55That was like magic, baby.

00:51:56Good job.

00:51:57Your plate looked beautiful.

00:51:59Really beautiful, right?

00:52:00All right, folks, let's welcome back our judges, the one and only, Chef Michelle Bernstein.

00:52:15Michelle Bernstein.

00:52:16She's going to be fast.

00:52:17She's going to be a really good judge.

00:52:19Chef Bing Sy.

00:52:20Oh, my God.

00:52:21Chef Curtis Stone.

00:52:23Wow.

00:52:24And Curtis.

00:52:25Wow.

00:52:26And they've got great palates.

00:52:27Yes.

00:52:28Great, judges.

00:52:28Judges, for the second battle tonight, the randomizer gave out the holiday gifts with

00:52:33little neck clams for the savory, strawberries for the sweet, box grater for equipment, the

00:52:39style was glazed, and who doesn't think about fruitcake?

00:52:43I try never to eat fruitcake, ever.

00:52:47They're like great, clams and fruitcake.

00:52:51Judges, we'll begin with the savory portion of the dish.

00:52:54First up, we have sake-steamed clams with a soy glaze, and then, of course, a fruitcake

00:53:01breadcrumbs on top.

00:53:03For our sweet dish, we have Christmas pamperdew.

00:53:06The strawberries were run through the box grater.

00:53:08Accompanying that, some toasted fruitcake, you have the glazed strawberry at the top, and

00:53:13then the pamperdew itself, which was gently torched with a little sugar at the end of the

00:53:17cook.

00:53:17I love little neck clams.

00:53:19The clams are nice and tender.

00:53:21The glaze is a great glaze, a cultured spoon.

00:53:24It's incredibly thick.

00:53:25Maybe just a little too intense.

00:53:28It reduced a little bit too much.

00:53:30I love the use, just like the Italians do, the breadcrumbs on pastas on clams.

00:53:35Really smart use for the fruitcake.

00:53:36They're a really well-thought-out dish.

00:53:38Yay!

00:53:40The clams are really nice, not too chewy, but the soy glaze is definitely way too salty.

00:53:45I feel like if they would have just stopped a little short, maybe add a touch of fat in

00:53:49there to soften up the flavors.

00:53:52I only got three clams.

00:53:54I'm a big guy.

00:53:54You know, like, this is just a little snack for me.

00:53:57Maybe a couple more clams would have been nice.

00:53:59But if you didn't tell me they had to use fruitcake in it, I'd still like the dish.

00:54:03I'd be like, that's actually really good, and I like it.

00:54:05The pamperdew.

00:54:06The strawberries get to really sing, they're bright, there's a lot of butter in there,

00:54:10there's a lot of richness and flavor, the right amount of sweetness.

00:54:14The crust that they have on that with the sugar, they did a beautiful job with that.

00:54:19I know that they were working on a glaze as well with the strawberries, and I think

00:54:22they could have been a little shinier, a little glazier.

00:54:24However, I love that it's not too sweet, and again, the fruitcake was fun.

00:54:29It was fun to have the nuts and the dried fruit in there to have more texture.

00:54:33The fruitcake in both dishes was not a negative.

00:54:36It actually helped the dish a little bit.

00:54:38Yeah!

00:54:39That's good.

00:54:41That was a good teamwork.

00:54:42Yeah.

00:54:42Two scorecards there, 50 points each, 25 points available in taste, 20 points in the use of

00:54:49the randomizer, and five points for presentation.

00:54:52A little over-reduced with the soy, a little salty.

00:54:55That makes me feel a little bit more confident.

00:54:59Judges, we'll begin with Clam's Christmas Casino.

00:55:03The Little Nut Clams were popped open in a seafood stock, then stuffed with a chorizo and

00:55:09butter glaze, and a fruitcake, breadcrumb, and garlic stuffing.

00:55:12It was then finished with a box-grated salad of fennel, scallion, and lemon zest.

00:55:19Not to be outdone by clams, we have strawberry fruitcake ice cream.

00:55:23The strawberries on the side, they were glazed with a creamy caramel glaze.

00:55:26In addition to that, we had strawberries that were treated to liquid nitrogen and then

00:55:31grated on the top.

00:55:32A little gift of Christmas sprinkles.

00:55:35All right, ice cream's melting.

00:55:36Let's go.

00:55:37Let's get the show on the road.

00:55:38Pork and clams, I think, is one of the best combinations, better than peanut butter and

00:55:42jelly or peanut butter and bacon.

00:55:44Fennel, so necessary, cuts through all the fat, gives that a little anise quality.

00:55:48If you read this on a menu, you'd just get up and walk out of the restaurant, because

00:55:51you'd be like, fruitcake, clams, and chorizo, no, thank you.

00:55:54It works.

00:55:55It's really, really clever.

00:55:57This chef or chefs have got real refinement to what they've done.

00:56:03The glaze is really nice, because it's a really good balance.

00:56:06It has the flavor of the clam.

00:56:08Then it also has a delicate sweetness to it, which is not obnoxious.

00:56:11But the dessert is really sweet.

00:56:16But I love the frozen strawberry, because it cuts through a bit of the sweetness.

00:56:20I do agree with Michelle.

00:56:21The dessert is sweet, but it's dessert.

00:56:23And it's a really well-made 35 minutes, a strawberry ice cream.

00:56:29I mean, hats off to this chef.

00:56:32That frozen strawberry gives you a really nice, interesting balance.

00:56:35Of course, it's not as sweet as the ice cream, so some more of that might have been nice.

00:56:39But the triumph here is this clam dish.

00:56:42This is wonderful.

00:56:44Look how hard these chefs are competing, and they're competing as teams.

00:56:47I'm having fun.

00:56:48Two dishes to score 50 points each.

00:56:52I think if we get this first W, we'll turn it into an M for some momentum, baby.

00:56:59I'm all in.

00:56:59Like, I heard everything.

00:57:00It's just a different thought process in my mind right now, just being able to just be here.

00:57:04Thanks for having me on the team, chef.

00:57:06Come on, ma'am.

00:57:08Woo!

00:57:10Anybody's game?

00:57:12It is okay.

00:57:14Ladies and gentlemen, I have the scores.

00:57:16Let's bring the teams back in.

00:57:18Chef Tobias, Chef Marcel, Chef Shirley, and Chef Sherry.

00:57:24Well done.

00:57:26What a challenge.

00:57:29And here are the scores.

00:57:30In the savory category, for one dish, 39.

00:57:33The other dish, 45.

00:57:35In the sweet dish category, the judges scored it 40 for one dish and 40 for the second dish.

00:57:45For a total of 79 to 85.

00:57:48The winner of the all-star Christmas battle between Team Shirley and Sherry and Team Tobias and Marcel is...

00:57:57The winner of the all-star Christmas battle is...

00:58:05Tobias and Marcel!

00:58:11Congratulations!

00:58:14Well done.

00:58:17Well done, well done.

00:58:18Chef Shirley, Chef Sherry, you both worked with purpose.

00:58:22Both such warriors, cancer survivors, out here battling tonight.

00:58:26It's been a real pleasure.

00:58:27Ladies, thank you very much.

00:58:28Thank you so much.

00:58:29Chef Sherry, Chef Shirley, thank you.

00:58:34It's fine.

00:58:36Okay.

00:58:37You've been by my side for the past one year.

00:58:40You're giving me all this advice.

00:58:42So, be my support.

00:58:44So, I'm so happy that we'll be able to do this.

00:58:46Yeah, we just made another memory, right?

00:58:47Yep.

00:58:47We didn't know if we were ever going to see you in the kitchen again, or competition, or even see you.

00:58:52Yeah.

00:58:53The biggest thing from my accident, it taught me that.

00:58:56Living your moment.

00:58:57Like, enjoy every moment, because you never know when it's your last.

00:59:02But you just won, my friend.

00:59:04Yeah, yeah.

00:59:04Congratulations.

00:59:05Congratulations.

00:59:06You just won the first round.

00:59:11Here we go.

00:59:16Come on now.

00:59:18Congratulations.

00:59:19Congratulations.

00:59:20The comeback king over here, brother.

00:59:22The comeback king, baby.

00:59:23I love it.

00:59:24That's the dream work.

00:59:24You guys are in round two.

00:59:25Yes.

00:59:26Ladies and gentlemen, did we deliver two fantastic rounds of competition.

00:59:32And the main event will deliver.

00:59:35Let's meet our all-star duo.

00:59:37From our A division, we have the number one seated team.

00:59:41The powerhouse duo of TOC reigning champ, the one and only Antonia Lofaso.

00:59:48And Alex Warnaschelli.

00:59:50Antonia.

00:59:51Chef Alex.

00:59:52Are we ready?

00:59:53Are you ready?

00:59:54He'll be up against restaurateur Krista Lundke and Food Network star Artie Sequeira.

00:59:59Can you believe this?

01:00:02Both of them have won guys' grocery games, but Krista has yet to get a win in the TOC arena.

01:00:08Oh, my gosh.

01:00:10Look at the tinsel.

01:00:11And Artie, well, she's a TOC first-timer, which is why they are seated number four.

01:00:16This is the team that everyone feared, right?

01:00:19And we get them, round one.

01:00:20I mean, you got to get through them anyway, so we might as well get it over with.

01:00:22Rip off the bandit.

01:00:23Imagine how everyone's going to feel when we beat them.

01:00:26Right.

01:00:27Then they'll be scared.

01:00:28Anybody can talk about food, and that is like, it is the great connector.

01:00:31But I think when I realized that Krista valued her faith, and that's something that is really important to me,

01:00:36you and I are connected on this very deep, sacred level.

01:00:40I've just always felt connected.

01:00:42You bring huge, big, bold flavors, which is amazing.

01:00:45And I think together, our combination of me being able to multitask, it's a dream team.

01:00:49Your great strength is that you've won this entire competition, and you're an amazing cook.

01:00:54I appreciate that sentiment.

01:00:57I am still a ball of Christmas nerves.

01:01:00You and I met on Chopped 100 years ago.

01:01:03You were my judge, right?

01:01:04And it went from you being my judge, to my mentor, to my friend.

01:01:08We've actually never cooked together before.

01:01:10So this is like a first, and I'm excited about it.

01:01:14Me too.

01:01:15All right.

01:01:16Let's do it.

01:01:16All right, chefs, they're ready for you.

01:01:18Oh!

01:01:19Let's do it.

01:01:20Hoo!

01:01:20Are you ready for the final culinary snowball fight of the night?

01:01:26But let's like this, uh...

01:01:29Chef Chris Belludke is a celebrated wine country chef who has won the Michelin Bibb Gourmand two

01:01:36years in a row.

01:01:39She's an eight-time Triple G winner, but has yet to score a victory in the TOC arena.

01:01:44Chef Artie Seguera is a super popular Food Network judge, known for her expertise in both

01:01:53sweet and savory cooking.

01:01:56She's won Chopped All-Stars and Season 6 of the Food Network Star.

01:02:02Give it up for the contender and the Spice Queen, team Krista and Artie!

01:02:08Woo!

01:02:11Let's go!

01:02:13Woo!

01:02:14Woo!

01:02:15Woo!

01:02:16Woo!

01:02:17Woo!

01:02:18Woo!

01:02:18General, awesome to have you.

01:02:19Now you have gained super power forces with the one and only, the Spice Queen herself.

01:02:23Yes.

01:02:24Ready to crush it.

01:02:25I have to say good luck to you, because your opponents, after a 10-year stint at Wolfgang

01:02:34Puck's Fago, Chef Antonia Lofaso started her own SoCal restaurant empire, which include the

01:02:41Michelin-recommended Dama, one of my faves, and earlier this year she beat out 31 acclaimed

01:02:49chefs to become the TOC reigning champion!

01:02:54I-C-A-G, also known as Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, an acclaimed author and a legendary chop judge.

01:03:06She has defeated some of the best chefs in the country as an Iron Chef and the star of Alex vs. America.

01:03:16Please give it up for the Princess Warrior and I-C-A-G, Team Antonia and Alex!

01:03:23Congratulations, champ, and welcome back.

01:03:33Thank you, Chef.

01:03:34Kate, nice to see you here competing.

01:03:36We're super uptight, and I'm gonna make desserts.

01:03:38Yeah.

01:03:39James, are you ready?

01:03:41Oh, yeah.

01:03:42Let's take it to the randomizer right this way!

01:03:44Whoo-hoo!

01:03:49Without further ado, in the big finale tonight, here we go!

01:03:54Come on, come on, come on.

01:03:58Here we go, here we go, here we go.

01:04:02Chicken, thigh, pork.

01:04:04Nope.

01:04:04Chicken.

01:04:05No, no!

01:04:06Whole chicken.

01:04:07Wow.

01:04:08Navel oranges, toaster, peppery, and chestnuts.

01:04:13I think I don't like it.

01:04:1535 minutes on the clock to make this savory dish and this sweet dish.

01:04:19I'm now gonna give you two minutes before I start the clock, and let you confer together

01:04:23as a team, and your clock starts now.

01:04:25Good luck.

01:04:26What are you doing?

01:04:27All right, so I'm gonna do, um, fried chicken, mashed potato.

01:04:31Our whole plan has just been like, you do desserts and I do savory.

01:04:34I'm gonna make an orange ice cream.

01:04:36Okay.

01:04:37I'm thinking I'm gonna do little mini bundt cakes.

01:04:38Okay, so you do sweet.

01:04:39Orange zest, and yes, I'm gonna go sweet all the way.

01:04:41If you're good with that.

01:04:42Yeah, great.

01:04:43Okay.

01:04:44I mean, I haven't had a TOC win yet in this arena, but it's gonna be a Christmas miracle.

01:04:47We are bringing home the win, right?

01:04:49I love it.

01:04:50Three, two, one.

01:04:51Go.

01:04:57This underdog team, Kristen, and you already can pull this out, but these two seasoned warriors,

01:05:02ICAG and Antonia, I mean, they have got so many competitions under their belt.

01:05:07This is gonna be a tough one.

01:05:08Tough one for the underdogs.

01:05:10One of the things I think about holidays that we often forget is there's a spiritual component

01:05:17about it.

01:05:18Yeah.

01:05:19And both of us have a very deep spiritual connection.

01:05:21I have admired Krista.

01:05:23Don't tell her though, right?

01:05:24I'm right here.

01:05:26But Krista has a real heart of service.

01:05:28We've done a ton of fundraisers together.

01:05:30Krista will do the jobs that nobody else wants to do, and she will do them without applause,

01:05:35without recognition.

01:05:36She will do it just because it needs to be done.

01:05:38I am truly honored to be Krista's wingman today.

01:05:42You're the best.

01:05:43You got a good game plan?

01:05:45I'm doing a schnitzel with like a peppercorn milk gravy with cardamom, and I'm doing a sweet potato puree.

01:05:53Chestnuts are going in this puree, and I'll actually try to put some in the dredge as well.

01:05:57Got it.

01:05:58It's very quiet in the house for Christmas.

01:06:00Not even a mouse.

01:06:01Not even a mouse.

01:06:03Whoa.

01:06:04It's about to smell like burnt Christmas in here.

01:06:06Are we toasting rosemary?

01:06:07We are toasting some rosemary.

01:06:09What's the plan?

01:06:10Vanilla.

01:06:11Cake.

01:06:12I can put orange zest in the cake.

01:06:13I can put my chestnuts in the cake.

01:06:15Like, so cake to me is like instantly where I go.

01:06:18Like, little beautiful bun cakes, they look like leaves, and now I just have to execute it.

01:06:22Pastry, like, is something that I tend to shy away from.

01:06:26Like, I don't want to measure things.

01:06:28But I've been like honing and practicing.

01:06:31And you've been getting my photos of my late night baked treats.

01:06:35My wife is very happy.

01:06:36She's like, please promise that you will keep baking.

01:06:39Yes.

01:06:40After this competition.

01:06:41Watch out, everybody.

01:06:43What's the rest of the...

01:06:45Oh, did you buzz it?

01:06:46Yes, it's in your thing.

01:06:47Oh, you are...

01:06:48I got you.

01:06:49I love you.

01:06:50And that's what the holidays are all about.

01:06:52Did you grab chestnuts?

01:06:53They're in your dredge.

01:06:55Station Symbiosis, A+.

01:06:57Chestnuts ground on Krista Station using that and both her cake batter, and then also handed it right to Artie for the batter for her schnitzel.

01:07:04Cake batter?

01:07:05Yes.

01:07:06Little bun cakes.

01:07:07Because nothing says Christmas like little bun cakes.

01:07:09Wow.

01:07:10Cake cake.

01:07:11First time TOS here.

01:07:12Yes.

01:07:13Talk about bragging rights, though, if we took down Antonia and Alex.

01:07:16Oh, my gosh.

01:07:17All right, teams.

01:07:18We have 25 minutes left in the competition.

01:07:21Krista is an incredible chef.

01:07:24It's the holidays.

01:07:25And this dish, I think, could go from the deepest parts of her soul.

01:07:29I don't count anyone out.

01:07:30I think they're both great cooks.

01:07:32And I think they came in here a little bit more uninhibited, a little bit more free, and driven to beat us.

01:07:36Justin, long time no see.

01:07:38Indeed.

01:07:39Do fried chicken.

01:07:42Breaking down chicken, I mean, do I want to do it?

01:07:44No, but I do it pretty quickly.

01:07:45Like, I had two chickens broken down in, like, less than two minutes.

01:07:49Maybe three.

01:07:50Like four, but all right.

01:07:51Just two minutes.

01:07:52What's the preparation on the chicken, chef?

01:07:54Fried.

01:07:55Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, chestnut gravy.

01:07:57And chestnut gravy?

01:07:58Yes, sir.

01:07:59Like that?

01:08:00She took some extra parts there and is rendering them out.

01:08:02So she's making a stock over there?

01:08:04Yeah.

01:08:05Corn starch and AP?

01:08:06Corn starch and AP.

01:08:07Got it.

01:08:08What was the yellow color?

01:08:09Mustard.

01:08:10I could smell that mustard cooking.

01:08:12That's crazy.

01:08:13I'm gonna make a dessert that has oranges and chestnuts in it and nothing else.

01:08:16I'm gonna make an orange ice cream sandwich.

01:08:20I started making the ice cream base, basically a neutral vanilla base, and I added a ton of orange zest.

01:08:25And I threw that into the ice cream machine and I thought, I'm feeling pretty good.

01:08:28I roast my chestnuts, I boiled them to soften them, and then added amaretto and cooked that down with cream.

01:08:35Who tastes this?

01:08:37It's a chestnut caramel.

01:08:38It's delicious.

01:08:39Those chestnuts were perfect for puree.

01:08:44Chestnuts work so good in dairy.

01:08:47Boiling them in cream, softening them, and for me, I was like gravy.

01:08:51This dish, the chestnuts actually drove the train.

01:08:54I look at the toaster and I think that I'm gonna do the most obvious thing on the planet on purpose, and that is make toast.

01:09:03I thought, you know, I need to add some sweetness.

01:09:05Chef, you toasted the oranges.

01:09:06I did not.

01:09:07Justin, see what I did there?

01:09:08I just toasted the bread and then rolled it in caramel.

01:09:10Do you like that?

01:09:11Oh, wow, I thought they were oranges.

01:09:13No, that's toast.

01:09:14A little trompe l'oeil.

01:09:15It just looks to me like holiday.

01:09:16Yeah.

01:09:17Like caramel, like a candy.

01:09:18Do you have salt over there, Alex?

01:09:19Take it.

01:09:20Here.

01:09:21Round one, keep it simple.

01:09:22Four things, tops, and be done with it.

01:09:24I agree.

01:09:25Antonia?

01:09:26Yes?

01:09:27How are we?

01:09:28Great.

01:09:32All right, teams, we have 20 minutes left.

01:09:3420 left in the competition.

01:09:37Yeah, thank you!

01:09:40Merry Christmas, you filthy animals!

01:09:44Pepper, the king of spices.

01:09:46And cardamom is the queen of spices.

01:09:51I'm thinking of this dish as almost like the day after Christmas.

01:09:53Like, you've done all of your cooking for Christmas Day and Christmas morning,

01:09:56and you need a break, and you deserve one, sister.

01:09:59So you go get yourself some fried chicken and some gravy and some mashed potatoes.

01:10:03And a Bundt cake.

01:10:06What part of the chicken are we gonna use, Chef?

01:10:08Thy.

01:10:09Thy?

01:10:10Okay.

01:10:11Save the neck for me, Clark.

01:10:12With this short amount of time, I have to fry this protein.

01:10:16And so if I'm doing fried chicken, I instantly think of gravy,

01:10:20and that's a great place to put a lot of pepper.

01:10:23And because black pepper gravy is a thing.

01:10:25Black pepper-roo rockin', we love that for a gravy.

01:10:29I just remember, with holidays, my family always making, like, some beautiful, lovely sweet.

01:10:34Right?

01:10:35And there was always, like, a royal icing or a yummy frosting.

01:10:39So the cream is, like, heavy cream steeped with this rosemary that I put in the toaster,

01:10:44the orange peel, pink peppercorns in the cream, and then, like, let it rip.

01:10:49I want it to be, like, snow, like a ski slope, like, just falling down this warm Bundt cake.

01:10:55Which is, again, perfect for the holidays.

01:10:57Yeah.

01:10:59Antonia and Alex.

01:11:00I mean, like, the most feared competitors in the competition, right?

01:11:03Yeah.

01:11:04But we're scrappy.

01:11:06Every time I think, oh, I'm not going to finish this.

01:11:10I'm not going to get it done.

01:11:11How could I even possibly build a dredge?

01:11:13Oh, Krista's building the dredge.

01:11:14Okay, great.

01:11:15We also have a fire in the station, but we're good.

01:11:19Do I want to put any of it in your gravy and just let it hang out in there for a minute?

01:11:22Sure.

01:11:23Sounds great.

01:11:29I'm like, oh, the sweet potatoes.

01:11:30Maybe I just need to mix it.

01:11:31No way they'll get cooked it.

01:11:32Okay, Krista has them and they're in the food processor.

01:11:35Okay.

01:11:36It was like you were in my head.

01:11:38Yeah.

01:11:39Well, and I can't believe you did all of that.

01:11:41And then you baked a freaking Bundt cake.

01:11:45There it is.

01:11:50And the chicken floats.

01:11:51It's ready.

01:11:52What are we doing?

01:11:53Potato Chef? That's mashed?

01:11:54That's my mashed.

01:11:55I'm really wanting to make Robochon potatoes.

01:11:58Is that heavy cream chef?

01:11:59That is heavy cream.

01:12:00It's TOC, so I always kind of like go for it.

01:12:02The first medium was using the ricer and then going to the Tammy.

01:12:05That's where she just gets the best mashed potato you'll find.

01:12:08I've done enough TOC to know that game play matters.

01:12:11And when you see something on the board like whole chicken, that means giblets.

01:12:16It means liver.

01:12:17It's the whole chicken for a reason.

01:12:19That's that chicken liver gravy.

01:12:20Yes, Chef.

01:12:21Got it?

01:12:22Got it.

01:12:23For me, peppery is not driving the bus.

01:12:24I don't want the dish to be overwhelmingly like peppered.

01:12:28Toasting the peppers.

01:12:29This needs to be sort of pepper adjacent.

01:12:31So using a little bit of like Korean pepper, using a little bit of Aleppo pepper, using

01:12:36black pepper, and then using actual physical peppers.

01:12:39Chopped them, added some acidity to them.

01:12:41A little bit of white balsamic, a little bit of red wine bin.

01:12:44You know, when you eat fried chicken, you want a little bit of that relief.

01:12:46We are in the final 10 minutes.

01:12:4810 minutes to go.

01:12:49You good, Alex?

01:12:50My ice cream is butter.

01:12:51I go to check my ice cream and it's like a little liquidy.

01:12:52Like I can't make a scoop for the sandwich.

01:12:53And I know it.

01:12:54Okay.

01:12:55Okay.

01:12:56Okay.

01:12:57The margins are so slim on TOC.

01:12:58The wind can be by one point.

01:12:59It can be by a sliver.

01:13:00Am I allowed to use the other ice cream machine?

01:13:01I'm like, you know what?

01:13:02I'm going to lose this whole thing with this product.

01:13:03I go and grab orange juice and I mix corn syrup, water, sugar.

01:13:05The rest of the base I save creamsicle.

01:13:06I think the ice cream might be loose.

01:13:07I think we're going for like more of a sherbet-y sort of ice cream-y creamsicle, if you will.

01:13:11Which I think is actually a more identifiable use of the Navel Orange.

01:13:14You good, Alex?

01:13:15I just made an orange creamsicle ice cream in the other ice cream machine.

01:13:18Okay.

01:13:19Now, I'm going to see the wind can be by one point.

01:13:20I'm going to see the wind can be by one point, it can be by a sliver.

01:13:23Am I allowed to use the other ice cream machine?

01:13:24I'm like, you know what?

01:13:25I'm going to lose this whole thing with this product.

01:13:27I go and grab orange juice and I mix corn syrup, water, sugar.

01:13:30The rest of the base I save creamsicle.

01:13:31I think the ice cream might be loose.

01:13:32The orange creamsicle ice cream and the other ice cream machine.

01:13:34Okay?

01:13:35Great.

01:13:36It works, it works.

01:13:37Pink peppercorns.

01:13:38I buzzed the pink peppercorns in the blender and then I just mixed it with a little sugar

01:13:42and I'm thinking snow, pink peppercorns, Christmas.

01:13:45Chef, the pink peppercorns, where have they gone?

01:13:47Well, not yet, but black pepper is going in my chestnut caramel.

01:13:50Understood.

01:13:51And then pink peppercorns are going to go on my sorbet if it ever happens.

01:13:55Christmas is about believing what you see.

01:13:57Fair enough.

01:13:59Three minutes, three to go.

01:14:01To plate, I start with a beautiful little mound of that sweet potato puree.

01:14:06And then I nestle the chicken right on top.

01:14:08I finish with a good amount of gravy.

01:14:12Biggest concern for me is, did I do enough?

01:14:15Did I use the orange enough, right?

01:14:17Did I use the pepper enough?

01:14:19I know I put the chestnuts in there, but, you know, could I have done them another way?

01:14:23Is this plate big enough to take out giants?

01:14:26Two minutes, chef.

01:14:28I feel like I really nailed the randomizer and nailed the challenge.

01:14:32The potato puree is, like, so luscious.

01:14:35Then all of a sudden, the gravy sat down next to it, like, fried chicken and a little pepper chow-chow.

01:14:40This is great.

01:14:41One minute.

01:14:42Chef, are you supreme-ing?

01:14:43I'm suprem-ing.

01:14:44I go get my caramel dip, toasted bread, chestnut puree.

01:14:48I go get my sherbet out of the ice cream machine, and it's, like, passable.

01:14:52Second ice cream.

01:14:53I made butter, so I pivoted and made crimsicle.

01:14:55Chestnut caramel sauce.

01:14:5730 seconds.

01:14:58Put the pink peppercorn sugar on top of my sorbet.

01:15:00This?

01:15:01All of it.

01:15:02It was all of it.

01:15:03It's red.

01:15:04It's green.

01:15:05It's gold.

01:15:06It looks like the holidays.

01:15:07Five, four, three, two, one.

01:15:10Go!

01:15:16Thank you so much.

01:15:17We're gonna send you back to your trailers.

01:15:19You get to watch the judging.

01:15:21Let's bring the judges out right now.

01:15:23Great job.

01:15:25We did say, on a chicken wing and a prayer.

01:15:29We did okay.

01:15:30Yeah, I think we did okay.

01:15:31I like fried chicken, chestnuts, chicken liver.

01:15:33It's gonna be up to the judges.

01:15:34Yeah.

01:15:35100%.

01:15:36All right, ladies and gentlemen, for their final round, let's welcome back our judges,

01:15:40the winner and only, Chef Michelle Bernstein.

01:15:42Michelle's awesome.

01:15:43She's technician.

01:15:44Chef Bing Sy.

01:15:45He's tough.

01:15:46He's tough.

01:15:47And Chef Curtis Stone.

01:15:50Heavy hitters.

01:15:53I love Curtis Stone.

01:15:54Curtis is awesome.

01:15:55These are really great judges.

01:15:57Now, be nice!

01:15:58Tonight, the randomizer served up for this final round, a whole chicken, navel orange.

01:16:05Equipment was a toaster, peppery, and chestnuts.

01:16:08You're here to present the first dish.

01:16:10Take it away, Chef Tiffany.

01:16:12Judges.

01:16:13On the right, this is chestnut coated crispy chicken.

01:16:16This is on a rustic puree of buttered chestnut and sweet potato.

01:16:20Green and black cardamom and the black pepper were toasted into a roux, creating the whole chicken gravy.

01:16:25Because nothing says Christmas like a Bundt cake.

01:16:27This Bundt cake was constructed by first toasting orange zest and also buzzing out chestnuts.

01:16:33The cream was steeped in toaster roasted rosemary and a little bit of orange peel and pink peppercorn.

01:16:38Then finished again with black pepper and fresh orange.

01:16:41Did you breathe during any of that?

01:16:43I didn't.

01:16:44It's how I talk to my family at Christmas and then I'm out.

01:16:48I'm happy right now.

01:16:50This is fun.

01:16:51We have the chestnut, which makes a really great crunchy texture on this chicken.

01:16:56I'd love a little more pepper in this because I want to be like, ah, right, with pepper.

01:17:01There's pepper everywhere.

01:17:02This is a crispy cake.

01:17:04It has that lovely orange flavor.

01:17:06For the holidays, what a great southern treat.

01:17:09Yeah, that's right, Michelle. Thank you.

01:17:11Brilliant.

01:17:12I look at this plate of food and instantly I think of the holidays, right?

01:17:15You've got the green, you've got the bright orange.

01:17:17I do get different hits of peppery notes.

01:17:19As much as I appreciate the chestnut in the crumb, a little more would have been something.

01:17:25I'm sure.

01:17:26I can't believe they got this cake done in the amount of time that we gave them.

01:17:29The moistness of the cake is right there.

01:17:32I don't get a lot of pepper and I don't get a lot of orange.

01:17:35What?

01:17:36That's good.

01:17:37No one's searching for the orange in your cake.

01:17:39Both the dishes perfectly executed.

01:17:43Yes.

01:17:44The chicken moist, super crunchy.

01:17:47I wish there were glazed chestnuts on the plate.

01:17:50Agreed.

01:17:51But again, perfectly cooked chicken and a perfectly baked dessert.

01:17:54Let's go to the scorecards.

01:17:57You knocked it out of the park, girl.

01:17:59Thank you, but we still have to beat them.

01:18:02All right, here to present the second team's dish is the one and only wild card, Justin Warner.

01:18:07With Jack Frost nipping at my nose, I present the next round of dishes.

01:18:11First up, we have fried chicken with mashed potatoes and chestnut gravy.

01:18:16Off to the side is a sort of chow chow.

01:18:18You will see chilies, Fresnos, and serranos.

01:18:20All of those were toasted in the toaster.

01:18:23No matter what the result, I'm proud of you.

01:18:25Moving on to the sweet side, we have an orange and pink peppercorn ice cream sandwich with a chestnut caramel.

01:18:31You'll find the black pepper in the caramel as well.

01:18:35Delicious, right?

01:18:37I love this gravy.

01:18:40Even though livers are so strong, you taste the chestnut because of that incorporation.

01:18:44I like how they toasted all those chilies, those peppers, and make a little relish.

01:18:48Peppery chicken dish, I want to be really spicy right now in my mouth, and it's not quite there.

01:18:54We're happy about this.

01:18:56This is not your dish.

01:19:00This dessert.

01:19:02Loves it.

01:19:0335 minutes.

01:19:04This chef, whoever you are, he or she, this is a delicious dessert.

01:19:08Orange, orange, orange.

01:19:10I love seeing Supremes.

01:19:11I think this is a huge hit, this dessert.

01:19:15You did it.

01:19:16You did it.

01:19:17I am impressed with this chestnut liver sauce.

01:19:21It's beautiful.

01:19:22I was just telling Ming on the way here that moving over to the pastry,

01:19:27it would have been nice to see them actually bake something.

01:19:31It could use a little bit more spike in citrus, and the pepper is fun, but I need a little bit more pepper.

01:19:37There's literally a dusting of pink peppercorns all over the top.

01:19:41We're giving them a run for that money.

01:19:43Yeah, 100%.

01:19:44Fried chicken is not easy to get right.

01:19:46In fact, it's quite difficult.

01:19:47This is super crispy, and it's perfectly juicy.

01:19:50Over here on the dessert side, if you're gonna call it an ice cream sandwich, you gotta eat like a sandwich, and it did.

01:19:55Of course, when something's frozen, it inhibits the flavor.

01:19:58And the same goes for orange, right?

01:19:59If you want this to be really orangey, you probably gotta reduce it down, but for the most part, it's absolutely delicious.

01:20:04They're hard.

01:20:05Yeah.

01:20:06Fantastic.

01:20:07Thank you, judges.

01:20:08Scorecards are in front of you.

01:20:09I don't think we won.

01:20:10Really?

01:20:11No.

01:20:12And I think you better start to wrap your head around that.

01:20:14I don't wanna wrap my head around that.

01:20:16Can we just wait?

01:20:17We can.

01:20:18I think it's a lot closer than I thought it would be.

01:20:21You know what I mean?

01:20:22Chefs, thank you very much.

01:20:24Michelle Bernstein, Ming-Sai, Curtis Stone, job well done.

01:20:29I mean, we could.

01:20:30We could.

01:20:31I wanna win it so bad, though.

01:20:32It's time to tally up the scores and bring the chefs back in.

01:20:35Chefs, the scores are in. They're ready for you.

01:20:37Thank you for doing this with me.

01:20:38Thank you for doing this.

01:20:39You were the best.

01:20:40Okay.

01:20:41Come on.

01:20:42Big round of applause.

01:20:44Kista Lundke, Artie Sequeira, Alex Guarnaschelli, Antonio Lofaso.

01:20:54The scores are in from the judges, and here they are.

01:21:01One team scored a 40 out of 50 points in savory and a 39 out of 50 in sweet for a score of 79.

01:21:12The other team scored a 40 out of 50 in savory and a 39 out of 50.

01:21:19There was a tie.

01:21:22First off, let's just hug it out here, okay?

01:21:27So when we come to this type of tie, whichever team would have a higher taste score would win.

01:21:33There was a tie in the taste of sweet.

01:21:37Therefore, the deciding factor will be the score of taste in savory.

01:21:47I wish both teams best luck.

01:21:52The difference in savory was half of a point.

01:21:58The winner of the battle between Team Antonia and Alex versus Team Krista and Artie is...

01:22:14Antonia and Alex!

01:22:16You've got to say, it's not a win tonight, but that's about as photo finish as it can come.

01:22:33We feel like we won.

01:22:34Chef Krista, Chef Artie.

01:22:35Great first round.

01:22:36Go get him, guys.

01:22:37Bye, everybody!

01:22:38Woo!

01:22:39Merry Christmas!

01:22:40I mean...

01:22:41I don't know what...

01:22:42Like, if we were gonna lose, there's no better way to lose.

01:22:54Yeah.

01:22:55Seriously.

01:22:56Seriously.

01:22:57Congratulations.

01:22:58You've won the first round.

01:22:59Barely!

01:23:00Barely!

01:23:01Let's go ahead and take a look.

01:23:04Going up against Tobias and Marcel, who earlier took down Shirley and Sherry.

01:23:10We saw that.

01:23:11A lot more first round competition that's gotta happen before we get into the second round.

01:23:15But I'll tell you what, you're one step closer to being the champs.

01:23:17Congratulations.

01:23:19Chef Alex, Chef Antonia, well done.

01:23:21First round win!

01:23:26Barely!

01:23:27Close the door.

01:23:28We're not going back out there for a while.

01:23:29We are leaving before they change the score.

01:23:31We are leaving before they change their mind.

01:23:33So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen.

01:23:34But we still have ten more powerhouse duos who are anxious as a couple of kids at Christmas

01:23:41morning for their holiday quest to begin.

01:23:43You gotta join us next time when six more teams step into the arena in hope, hope, hopes

01:23:49of becoming the $100,000 Christmas winners.

01:23:53Adios.

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