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America's Culinary Cup - Season 1 Episode 5 -
The Roots of Success
The Roots of Success
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00:02I'm Padma Lakshmi, and we've scoured the nation to bring together the most elite chefs and the most renowned judges
00:10into the ultimate culinary battleground.
00:13This is a test of our 10 culinary commandments. Master them and you win.
00:19One million dollars. Brought to you by our official cleanup partners, Don Powerwash.
00:28Last time on America's Culinary Cup. Mother sauce.
00:34Diana, Beverly, Matt Peters. The three of you are safe and will get an advantage in the next commandment.
00:41These four chefs are gonna have to cook again in the final round.
00:45I hate being in separate place. Getting eliminated from competition is not my plan right now.
00:50Melina, you've served your final dish.
00:52Putting the sauce to the bed, throwing them in the garbage. Everything is dry from now on.
01:04Here we go.
01:06What's out here?
01:08Oh, oh. Vegetables. Vegetables.
01:10Oh, nightshade. Cruciferous. Roots. The wheels are turning.
01:18The wheels are turning. Look at the board.
01:19I know.
01:20Average American eats 120 pounds of potatoes a year.
01:24Ooh.
01:26Yeah, there's three groups.
01:28We've almost gotten to the halfway point.
01:31I am that much closer to a million dollars.
01:34There's like security for my family for the rest of our lives.
01:38This is really starting to feel real now.
01:46Hello.
01:47Hello.
01:48Hello, chefs.
01:49Hello.
01:50The nine of you have gone through a lot to be here and you should feel really proud.
01:55Congratulations on making it this far.
01:57Especially because after today, there'll only be eight of you standing here in this kitchen.
02:05There's only nine of us left and last week I was hoping to do better on the sauce commandment.
02:10Going into this week, I have a bit of chip on my shoulder and I definitely want that money.
02:14I'm sure that you've all gathered by this beautiful Whole Foods Market Stand that today's culinary commandment is mastery of
02:25vegetables.
02:26And you know how much I love eggplant.
02:31I love cooking with vegetables.
02:33I'm from California.
02:34Like if you want to be a chef, you better not cook a vegetable.
02:38In order to prove your mastery of vegetables, you'll have to create a three course cohesive meal consisting of an
02:46appetizer, a main course, and yes, a dessert featuring only vegetables.
02:54No.
02:56You didn't have a broccoli ice cream recipe?
02:59I did not.
03:00I love it.
03:02You love it.
03:02Oh, yeah.
03:03I mean, vegetables and desserts, it's my jam.
03:06All right.
03:07Not mine.
03:09I did not.
03:10Now, each course must feature vegetables from one of the three vegetable categories over there.
03:18Either root, cruciferous, or nightshade.
03:22That means if you use root vegetables for your appetizers, you can't use them again for dessert.
03:28Wait a second.
03:29Some of my favorite things to cook with are like onions, garlic, but they're all in the root vegetable section.
03:34It's going to be a challenge if you don't have those ingredients every time.
03:38Deanna, Beverly, and Matt, you were the winners of The Last Commandment.
03:44The three of you stay right there.
03:46Everyone else, please move to the side.
03:50For this challenge, you'll be cooking in teams of three.
03:53And since you all dominated The Last Commandment, each of you will get to pick your teams, schoolyard style.
04:01I feel great about picking my team.
04:04At least you have some sense of control.
04:05Deanna, you finished first, so you get first pick.
04:10I hate choosing.
04:12Who are you thinking about?
04:13My kids always ask me, which one do you love more?
04:17And I'm always like, don't make me choose.
04:19It's so hard.
04:20Deanna, my feet are killing me.
04:22Just kidding.
04:26I think I'm going to go with Buddha because he seems very confident about.
04:30He does talk a bit confident game, doesn't he?
04:32I've been confident a lot of times, and look where I ended up.
04:37All right.
04:38Beverly, you came in second.
04:40Who will be your first pick?
04:42Kara, she kicks ass.
04:44All right, Kara.
04:46Matt, who's it going to be?
04:48Um, let's go with Katie.
04:52All right, Deanna, you've got Keith, Chris, and Emily.
04:56Uh, I'm going to go with Chris because he loves vegetables as well.
05:03Beverly, who's it going to be?
05:05Keith.
05:05The man knows flavor.
05:08He is bringing it 100%.
05:09Like, he is solid.
05:11Found a home.
05:14Skip on over there, Emily.
05:18It sucks.
05:19They chose me last.
05:19But I want to show the other chefs that not picking me is, like, a dumb mistake.
05:24Chefs, you'll have three hours to serve your three-course meal.
05:29After all three courses have been served, one team will be victorious, and the team with the lowest score will
05:36face off in a sudden-death cook-off where the loser goes home.
05:40Oh, and chefs, one last thing.
05:42You'll be cooking for a little dinner party I'm having.
05:46I've invited six of my friends to join us.
05:49Between them, they have multiple James Beard Awards and four Michelin stars, exactly.
05:54They'll also be judging and scoring your dishes.
05:56So, chefs, please make us look good.
06:00My mind starts spinning, thinking about all the great chefs who are big on vegetable cookery.
06:06I'm definitely a little nervous as to who I'm going to be cooking for.
06:09Our guests are arriving soon, so you better get going, because your time starts now.
06:15Gentlemen, please join me in the dining room.
06:18Okay.
06:19So, vegan or not vegan?
06:21I think it doesn't matter.
06:22Here's how the challenge breaks down.
06:24The green, red, and gray teams have three hours to serve their full meal.
06:29One chef per team is responsible for each course.
06:33You choose whatever you feel strongest with.
06:36Appetizers must be served at one hour.
06:38I was thinking I have a cabbage idea, so it's kind of like a first course.
06:42Mains at two hours.
06:44So, I was thinking for the second course, kind of simple, just a broccoli steak.
06:48And dessert when time is up.
06:50Are you going to be able to do dessert with cruciferous?
06:53Yeah.
06:54One hour to appetizer.
06:55And as always, teams are scored on taste, creativity, presentation, and mastery of the commandment.
07:02Earning a possible 20 points from each of the nine judges.
07:07Bev.
07:08Yes.
07:09I got nightshades for my appetizer.
07:12I am doing mirin and miso glazed eggplant with fried okra.
07:16Cherry tomatoes tossed in black vinegar glaze.
07:19Perfect.
07:19We're on the same page.
07:21For my team, I'm in charge of the appetizer.
07:24Beverly's in charge of the main course.
07:26And Kara's in charge of the dessert.
07:27Try to make a few extra so we can taste them, okay?
07:29For me, Chef Beverly's the captain, even though I know my life is on the line too.
07:34We have a better chance of following one person lead than us clawing over each other.
07:40For the pickled veg, I'm cutting them this way.
07:42You want them smaller?
07:43I think this is a little big because I think about your mouth.
07:45No problem.
07:46Okay.
07:47In half, I think.
07:48I'm making a grilled cabbage that's marinated in sauerkraut.
07:52Cabbage can take a while to cook.
07:53It is a little bit risky as an app, but that's why I also got Napa cabbage, which is more
07:58leafy, so I think it's going to cook faster.
08:01While I'm working on my app, Matt is taking the entree and then Katie is doing dessert.
08:05You want to try this?
08:06Oh, ready?
08:06For the marinade.
08:07Yeah.
08:08It's good.
08:09I am very impressed and surprised that Matt is not my way or the highway.
08:14He's letting us show what our strengths are and trying to let us shine.
08:17Do you guys need your ovens? Should I go in? Which one?
08:19No, you can go in mine.
08:20Okay.
08:21Like, I'm not even stressed right now.
08:25Chef, that's how you all doing?
08:28I'm a bit hot today, I must admit.
08:30I always feel like I need more time.
08:33I'm first course.
08:34Chris is doing second course.
08:36Then Buddha's making dessert.
08:38I'm going to do a tomato aguachile.
08:41Aguachile is pepper water.
08:42So I have green bell pepper, shishito to make it, like, vibrant green.
08:49Do you know if there's any agave syrup over there?
08:51Agave? I'll go look.
08:54Hello!
08:55What's up, guys?
08:56Welcome!
08:57From the conception of this competition, I've dreamt of this moment.
09:01These are my friends.
09:03This is Tim Flores, Michelin-starred chef based in Chicago,
09:08and his partner in crime, Jeannie Kwan, queen of pastry.
09:12From New York's Michelin-starred Vizdora, it's Stefano Secchi.
09:17He loves his hair products.
09:18Then you have Suzette Gresham, chef-owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant,
09:23home to her iconic vegetable-tasting menu.
09:26Here's J.J. Johnson, James Beard Award-winning author and fellow champagne enthusiast.
09:32Last but not least, New York Times food writer Priya Krishna.
09:36She borrowed those earrings in 2012 and never gave them back to me.
09:41Cheers!
09:42Cheers!
09:47Did I just get my face pink?
09:50No, you're good.
09:53How does everyone feel about eating vegetarian?
09:56I feel like both of us grew up vegetarian.
09:58We did.
09:58Yeah.
09:59I'm actually thankful.
10:00Our first commandment was on butchery.
10:03In the sun.
10:0316 dishes.
10:0416 dishes?
10:05A lot of meat.
10:06Try this, Chris.
10:08Cauliflower, ice cream base.
10:10Perfect.
10:11Morning, chef.
10:14Matt, can I get a second opinion on my cabbages here?
10:17Absolutely.
10:18Maybe got a touch longer.
10:19Touch longer?
10:20Yeah.
10:20Ten minutes to appetizers, guys.
10:22Ten minutes hurt.
10:23Holy .
10:24Deanna, do you need help with anything?
10:26Yeah, I'm gonna need help juicing peppers.
10:28Okay.
10:29Ten minutes left.
10:29I only have one finished component to my dish.
10:33I haven't finished my aguachilip.
10:36Everything just caught up to me.
10:38I just really underestimated time.
10:41I'm like not in a good place.
10:46F***.
10:53Just give me a job.
10:54What do you need?
10:55Deanna's in the weeds.
10:56Everyone's starting to have all their plates finished.
10:59We haven't even started.
11:01I knew I shouldn't have pureed this.
11:02Okay.
11:02Is there anything that I could do to make this dark green?
11:05I got a vacuum sealant.
11:06Okay, vacuum sealant.
11:07I need to jump on and try and get components on the plate.
11:10I don't want to go home to someone else's doing.
11:13I need tomatoes.
11:14How wide?
11:15Like this, let me see.
11:16Got it.
11:21You know, I feel like this is so delicate too.
11:24I wonder if we could just drizzle it.
11:26Just drizzle over it.
11:27Drizzle over it.
11:28There we go.
11:30We're doing a long plating this dish.
11:33I think some of the cabbage was just a little too raw.
11:37We try to cut around it, but at this point, I can't do too much about it.
11:41This is good, like this?
11:43Yeah, yeah.
11:44Like, yeah, I was imagining that.
11:46All right, Deanna, let's start plating.
11:48Now it's getting to a point of, like, we can't make it perfect, but we need to get everything on
11:52there so we can be judged for something.
11:54But we have no idea who's gonna be in that room.
11:56It is nerve-wracking.
11:58That's too much.
11:59Way too much.
11:59Way too much.
12:07All right.
12:08All right.
12:09Good job.
12:09All right, yeah, of course.
12:10I'm definitely disheartened with myself.
12:13The dish just looks really, really rushed.
12:16That was hectic.
12:17Yep.
12:23I walk in, the first person I recognize is Priya, but I know I'm really worried because she's a really,
12:27really big deal. She knows food.
12:29I kept myself from falling to my knees at the judges' table. This is an amazing group. Chef JJ is
12:36a great chef. We know each other pretty good. You never want to put something up in front of your
12:41colleague's head that just doesn't hit.
12:45Diana, what vegetable group did you use in your dish? Nightshade. So I'm starting here with tomato aguachile. Really simple,
12:54lightly dressed.
12:54JJ, what do you think?
12:56Overall, it was a really good dish. I've never had it this way before.
12:59For me, where this dish was lacking was actually the tomato. I felt like the tomatoes needed a touch of
13:06acid and definitely a pinch of finishing salt.
13:08Also, Gianna, I think just cutting the tomatoes differently would have made this a more cohesive dish. You'd have had
13:15that perfect bite.
13:16But it's super tasty. It's super tasty. It's super tasty.
13:21Please go to the chocolate next. That's Emily's team.
13:25Hi.
13:26Tell us the title of your dish.
13:28Grilled Napa cabbage, tahini sauce, and caramelized nuts.
13:31And the family of vegetable you have here is obviously...
13:35I can't say it, but it's like Confucius or...
13:37Cruciferous.
13:39Cruciferous.
13:40I can't say it.
13:41Cruciferous.
13:41Cruciferous.
13:42Yay!
13:42Good job.
13:43So embarrassed. I am sweating right now.
13:46That tahini was great. It's rich, nutty, and slightly bitter. And I would have liked to have more of it.
13:54I think I probably could have used more of a cook on cabbage. When you grill or cook cabbage, it
14:00sort of, like, becomes, like, really silken and wonderful with these beautiful crisp veggies.
14:05No, I would have to agree with Priya here. I would have maybe liked to see maybe the cabbage cut
14:09a little bit differently, maybe a wedge, get some nice caramelization to it.
14:14We can move on to Keith's dish. What did you make for us?
14:18I made miso-glazed eggplant with tomato salad.
14:21And your category of vegetable is?
14:23Nightshade.
14:24This okra?
14:25Fried okra. I had to bring it home just a little bit.
14:28I don't like okra.
14:29Really?
14:29No.
14:30Oh, my gosh.
14:31I don't like okra, but this okra right here is good.
14:34I have to say, JJ, don't make me holler at you later.
14:37I think okra's a very underutilized ingredient. Playing with that soft, luscious eggplant was really good.
14:45The actual frying of the eggplant was a surprise. And the eggplant flavor has intensified.
14:49All these dishes were delicious. They were different. Now get back in the kitchen. Time to get back on those
14:56mains.
14:57Let's go.
14:58Good job guys. Chip, what you need?
15:00Ok.
15:01Who's in there?
15:01Everybody. Who are they?
15:03JJ, Jeannie, and Tim from Kasama, Chicago. Priya.
15:08It's going to be very scary to see Priya. My general manager didn't know who the hell Priya was. And
15:13Priya came down for a kitchen tour. And I myself. Her palate's exact.
15:18How'd it go?
15:19I mean, I'm not sure. I don't really want to tell them what the judges said because I don't think
15:26that I'm going to be the top one here.
15:37Hey guys, I don't want to break your vibe. I know you're working hard. Food's been fantastic. But I thought
15:43you might like to see the scores from the first course.
15:46Oh my God. Let's see how you did.
15:53I didn't realize they were going to be able to reveal the scores to us throughout the cook. Let's just
15:57cross our fingers and hope we nailed this one.
16:00Yes.
16:00Wow.
16:01Green team.
16:02Green team. Congratulations. You took the first course by leaps and bounds.
16:08Yes.
16:09Yes, yes, yes, yes.
16:10The rest of you got to hustle.
16:11Yeah.
16:12It sets the tone. Like, they can't tell me right now.
16:18Sorry, guys.
16:19We have a lot to overcome.
16:22Keith scored a 168.
16:24We have 103.
16:26That is a 65-point swing.
16:30Now this has to be the dish of my life.
16:32I'm good here. You want to jump in with Katie?
16:35Eggplant's going to be my show.
16:36And we're kind of using the eggplant as kind of like fish.
16:39Really making sure that we respect the vegetable just as much as we do a piece of protein.
16:44For the main, I am making a potato-scaled eggplant.
16:47Kind of replicating classical potato-scaled fish, if you will.
16:51Specifically, Paul Bocuse's potato-scaled fish dish.
16:54I'm running to get something from the pantry. Anybody need anything?
16:57I'm good right now.
16:58I think those technical elements are going to pay off to make up for some lost points
17:05because we're already in third. We need at least second.
17:07Hopefully, the judges agree.
17:09I'm working on the main course.
17:11So I'm doing carrots and beets.
17:14We're going to treat the beet like a steak and carrots like a side.
17:18Honestly, I'm very stressed because I got to try to get a banger
17:21because I know I'm going against Matt and Bev
17:24who have done exceptionally well throughout the competition.
17:26So I'm going to do what I do best.
17:28Chef, it's a lebna, a little bit of saffron, whipped beets, olive oil.
17:32Mm-hmm.
17:32I've been cooking Middle Eastern food for the last 10-plus years.
17:36Particularly at my restaurant, June, I run with my now business partner Najmiyeh.
17:41It's an upscale Persian Middle Eastern restaurant drawn from my travels.
17:46When I was in Morocco and then Tunisia and then Lebanon,
17:49eating dishes in people's homes, learning from matriarchs and families,
17:53to have all that to lean on gives me a little bit of a leg up in this competition.
17:59A little lemon, no?
18:00Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
18:01I wasn't sure how acidic you want that.
18:04A bit more zing.
18:04Other than that, it's good though?
18:05Yep.
18:12I'm working on the main course, broccoli and butter.
18:14I'm just going to sear it, finish it with butter, like kind of like a steak.
18:18Okay.
18:19I am feeling there is a little risk factor to just going with the broccoli,
18:24because it's the simplest thing to do.
18:26But honestly, like butter and broccoli just rocks my boat.
18:29Now we need a salt.
18:30My kids would love this.
18:32They're my number one inspiration.
18:34They keep me going.
18:35But the past 14 years, I've been like head down, running these businesses, being mom.
18:40We're making kimchi.
18:41I have a little bit of an imposter syndrome.
18:43Like I don't deserve to be here amongst these amazing chefs.
18:46But like lately, I've been transforming.
18:49This competition has been bringing the best part of me out.
18:54Broccoli and butter, baby.
18:57One minute to service.
18:59I hope you're hungry.
19:02Always.
19:03You good?
19:03I'm good until I'm not.
19:05This is just to get another big score.
19:07What else is going to need to go in here, Chris?
19:09Finishing salt, a little bit of lemon zest.
19:11That was fun.
19:15That's beautiful.
19:15You're going to kill it.
19:17Okay?
19:17Okay.
19:18What do you think?
19:19Good.
19:20Chris's dish definitely got some really amazing flavors.
19:23But I need him to get a high score.
19:25We're in second place.
19:26The great team's down by 10 points.
19:28So let's try and keep them down.
19:30Hello, chefs.
19:31Hello.
19:31Hello.
19:32Oh my God.
19:36This is special.
19:38Yay.
19:39Hometown Chicago.
19:40We're so happy to see them.
19:42Hopefully I have some kind of hometown advantage.
19:44Oh, hey.
19:45Hey, Alicia.
19:46Oh my God.
19:47It's JJ Johnson.
19:49Beverly knew them all.
19:52Oh, hey.
19:53Oh.
19:54Got some friends?
19:54Yes.
19:55Well, they're not your friends right now.
19:57No, they're not.
19:58I'm like nervous.
20:01Chris, tell us.
20:02That's what your team made.
20:04So you have root vegetables, roasted beets, and carrots.
20:07And then you have peanut dukkah and bee borani.
20:11I wish you had committed to one.
20:12And I wish you had committed to the carrot.
20:14Because I think the carrot is the far more interesting dish.
20:18The carrot, time and time again, I want to go back to.
20:21The beet, I can do without.
20:22The carrot, I agree with everyone.
20:24The carrot's great.
20:25There's a candy-like sweetness with some herbal notes.
20:28I just wanted a little bit more of that creamy sauce.
20:31Understood.
20:32I said, damn, this is not, this is not good.
20:35Matt, which vegetable family did you use?
20:38This is Nightshade.
20:39I have a potato-scaled eggplant.
20:42Underneath that is vegetable jus, if you will.
20:46So I wanted to treat the eggplant like a piece of fish, essentially.
20:51Technique-wise, best dish that we've seen so far.
20:54Brunois is perfect.
20:55It was beautiful.
20:55It tasted delicious.
20:57It really did wake up my palate.
21:01It just is a little bit chef-y for me.
21:03It's a little bit of a fussy dish.
21:07Okay.
21:08I mean, you know, it's, you know, everybody has an opinion.
21:11I get it.
21:13Myself, I'm still trying to figure out, like, you know, how far do I want to take some of these
21:18techniques.
21:18But it's fun.
21:19Yeah, a little chef-y with it.
21:22Beverly, tell us about your dish.
21:24Oh, I'm calling this broccoli and butter.
21:26Because every night I cook broccoli and butter just for my kids.
21:29I treated it kind of like a steak and just a little nori powder on top.
21:34So, Beverly, am I correct in understanding that basically the only vegetable on this dish, with the exception of the
21:41nori, is broccoli?
21:42Yes.
21:44Well done.
21:45When you hard-sear broccoli like a steak, it becomes something entirely different.
21:49It's nutty and it's smoky, and I love it.
21:52I think it was really bold that you chose to exemplify one vegetable.
21:57The char on top is crispy, caramelized, and carries the broccoli to another level.
22:01I love what you did with the puree.
22:03It felt rich, aerated, creamy.
22:06The purees are really beautiful and fluffy, like what you look for, right?
22:10And not super heavy, but more acidity would have been great.
22:13But it is a nice dish.
22:15Three really strong entrees, beautiful flavors, excellent sauce work.
22:20Now get back in there and let's finish up the desserts.
22:25The quality of the spices in this pantry is awesome.
22:28Oh, yeah.
22:29This is like...
22:29Did you think there was going to be anything less?
22:33Yeah.
22:33Yeah.
22:34Good job.
22:35Now it's back to work.
22:37Yeah.
22:37How did it go?
22:38Good.
22:38Good?
22:39Good.
22:39One person said I needed just like a touch more acid.
22:42I think they liked it though.
22:43This round is going to be very tight.
22:45I mean, I'm bummed about the judge's feedback.
22:47If I didn't do well, I'll definitely put some pressure on Buddha's dessert.
22:51Anything could happen at this point.
22:59How many minutes?
23:00Forty-five.
23:01Forty-five.
23:01Forty-five they said?
23:02This.
23:03Cauliflower crumb patissia.
23:05Oh, yeah.
23:11Uh-oh.
23:14The tension is very intense in here.
23:16I bet you guys want to know your scores.
23:19Yes.
23:20For the main courses.
23:28Wow.
23:29Green team.
23:30You killed it.
23:31Beverly, your broccoli dish, one.
23:33Two turn, two turn.
23:33Oh, yeah.
23:34You are dominating this with 326 points.
23:39That is a blowout.
23:41Damn.
23:42I was a little shocked to see the 122.
23:45It was a little lower than I was thinking.
23:46I mean, it doesn't feel good to be in third place, but it's also partially Deanna's dish.
23:50Gray team.
23:51Matt, Katie, and Emily.
23:53Great job in moving from third place to second place.
23:58And now it'll all be down to your desserts.
24:01Good luck to all teams, but especially gray and red.
24:07A lot is riding on Buddha's dessert.
24:09Like, safe or not safe, basically.
24:14To be honest, the cruciferous is probably the hardest one to make a dessert out of.
24:17But cauliflower tastes very vanilla-like.
24:20So I'm making a cauliflower ice cream.
24:22And pairing that with date cake, which I'm gonna finish off with a caramel.
24:27How we feel about all the things.
24:30You wanna taste this?
24:31For my dish, I'm making a beetroot parfait.
24:35So it's beet granita and sweet yogurt mousse.
24:37Here, I'll just give you a bite.
24:39We're only 19 points ahead of the red team.
24:41My dessert has to be perfect.
24:44I think it needs to be a little bit sweeter.
24:46I don't.
24:46I firmly disagree.
24:48If we lose this next round, I'm going up against Katie and Matt.
24:52I'm really hoping she knows what she's doing.
24:55Would you wanna freeze that granita?
24:58Yeah.
24:59But look what I was doing on the bottom and then, like, set it inside so it freezes it from
25:03the outside, you know?
25:06It's working.
25:08I feel like I'm making these.
25:09They're from a dish I literally had, like, on the border of Thailand and Burma.
25:13It's from a Burmese street stall.
25:15And it was a ground-up peanut, garlic, and onion.
25:18Most people don't put shallots and garlic into their desserts.
25:22I know it's a risk, but they have a lot of natural sugar in them.
25:25I'm good.
25:26And chill.
25:27I don't know how the judges are gonna receive it.
25:30It's one of those dishes that's gonna make people think.
25:34Okay, cauliflower.
25:35It's all up to you, cauliflower.
25:38Well, we over-froze the granita.
25:41Oh, we just scrape it.
25:42It won't scrape.
25:43It is so rock-solid that you can't get it out of the container or possibly scrape it with a
25:49fork.
25:52It is a solid block.
25:54So I need to figure out how to fix it.
25:57Shove.
25:57Get the RoboCoup out so we can just pulverize it real quick.
26:00Great call.
26:01Matt has the genius idea to throw it in the RoboCoup.
26:04One minute.
26:08Meanwhile, I'm grabbing the meringue to put on, and it is going soft.
26:13Let's go with more herbs, please.
26:15Switch.
26:16Switch.
26:17Don't make it too pretty.
26:18Just get them on.
26:21Hands up.
26:23We're not in a good spot.
26:24We are in third place.
26:26All that matters now is that my dessert beats the grey team's dessert by 19 points.
26:32Katie.
26:32Yes.
26:33Tell us about your dessert, please.
26:35The name of it is Roots and Yogurt Parfait.
26:37Made a granita out of the beet juice, poached turnips, and there's a sweet yogurt mousse.
26:42Katie, I was expecting this to taste a lot more savory, I think, than it did,
26:47and so I really appreciated how refreshing it was.
26:51It was really good.
26:53Earthy, citrusy, creamy.
26:55That being said, as it sort of began to melt, there was a point at which the individual components
27:01weren't staying out and saying, pay attention to me just as much.
27:05Buddha, tell us about your cheese dessert.
27:07It's based on cauliflower, brown butter.
27:10On top of that, the date and hazelnut cake, and cauliflower ice cream.
27:15That's cauliflower ice cream?
27:16That's cauliflower and vanilla.
27:16Are you sure?
27:17Yeah.
27:19I kept going.
27:20I'm still going back.
27:21There's nothing there.
27:22That's a good sign.
27:23It's like sticky toffee pudding vibes in the best way.
27:27Just give me a little bit of salt and I'm happy.
27:31I'll take that.
27:31I feel very confident, but hopefully this translates into the score so we don't have to compete again.
27:37Hera, tell us about your dessert, please.
27:39It's from the Roots family, and I called it On the Border Saku.
27:43It's filled with caramelized onions and garlic and peanuts.
27:47It's wrapped in a tapioca pearl exterior, and then it has a turmeric and ginger coconut broth.
27:52I know these flavors, but I've never had this in a dessert form before.
27:57This is not only the most interesting dessert of the day, it's one of the most interesting desserts that I've
28:02ever had in my life.
28:03Is it a good or a bad thing that you find it interesting?
28:07No, it's a great thing. I love it. I mean, it's delicious.
28:10This is a dessert course, right? It's meant to be sweet.
28:13It's meant to be sweet.
28:14I think you could have been a little bit more generous with the sweet notes.
28:20Thank you for all your hard work. You can return to the kitchen.
28:26See, this is going to be a tough one.
28:28Oh yeah, these are the kind of hairs we split every day.
28:31That's amazing.
28:32It's very clear Buddha's dessert took the cake.
28:35Buddha crushed it.
28:36And I'm just hoping, oh gosh, I hope I brought enough points in to keep us in second.
28:43I think we got a really good shot.
28:45Oh my God.
28:45Well, we need like 20 points more.
28:51Yeah.
28:57Chefs, I want to thank you for all your hard work today.
29:00You guys did us really proud.
29:02Now, let's get to the scores.
29:04First place was a clear runaway.
29:08Green team.
29:10Yes!
29:12Yeah!
29:13Yeah!
29:14Yeah!
29:14Do it!
29:14Woo!
29:15Yeah!
29:17Yeah!
29:18You guys dominated from the start.
29:20Wow!
29:21Okay.
29:21From your app all the way to dessert.
29:23You were in the lead.
29:24So congratulations to all three of you.
29:26It's one of those situations where you just drop the mic and you walk off.
29:34Like, you know, that's what it felt like.
29:38We killed it.
29:39We slayed.
29:40Red team and grey team.
29:42You guys battled all day.
29:45Red team, you were in second after the first round.
29:48And then grey team, you fought back with an impressive main course to move into second
29:54place.
29:55And now, only 19 points separates you both.
30:01And it'll all come down to your desserts.
30:07Can Buddha's dessert make up the difference?
30:10Or will Katie maintain the lead?
30:13Definitely panicking.
30:15I have regrets and I feel like I could puke right now.
30:31Let's see the scores.
30:41Damn it.
30:43Wow.
30:45Buddha, your dessert beat Katie's by 34 points.
30:49Reggie, you live to see another commandment.
30:52Good job.
30:52Oh my God.
30:53So grateful.
30:54I felt bad about my aguachile.
30:56Buddha saves the day and we don't have to cook again.
31:02Unfortunately, Emily, Katie, Matt, you finished last.
31:06And all of you are at risk for elimination.
31:10I'm feeling very deflated.
31:12I was expecting more points.
31:14I put my heart and soul into putting Ruth's on a plate of dessert.
31:18The last thing I want to do is go head to head to head against Matt and Emily.
31:22I'd also like to thank all of our guests for their astute judgment.
31:27Thank you for being here.
31:28Thank you very much.
31:30Bye.
31:36Emily, Katie, Matt.
31:39To stay in the competition, all you have to do is out cook the chefs standing beside you in a
31:46head to head to head cook off.
31:49We have to go from teammate to enemies very quickly.
31:54But there's a million dollars on the line, which is going to help my family and my career goals.
32:00Let's play the game.
32:02Now you'll have to prove your mastery over another group of vegetables.
32:06In the pantry is a farm stand containing beans, squash and corn, referred to as the three sisters, all indigenous
32:15staples of the Americas.
32:17For this cook off, you'll have one hour to prepare a dish featuring all three sister ingredients.
32:23And the chef with our least favorite dish will be eliminated.
32:29I've never cooked the three sisters in one dish before.
32:34I've used each of them individually.
32:36How do I make these things go together?
32:39This is it.
32:40The only thing that stands between you and defeat are your fellow chefs and a few pieces of squash.
32:49Chefs, your time starts now. Good luck.
32:57I think this is a super fun challenge.
33:00I mean, the three sisters on paper sounds kind of limiting, but it's not.
33:03I just hope we get three different distinct dishes from those three items.
33:09And we got here fast.
33:11I am absolutely freaking out. Like, I have to cook in second round again.
33:16I'm hoping my two competitors like up a little bit.
33:21Em, what you think you're making right now?
33:23Green bean and corn tartare.
33:26And then some shaved patty pan squash on top.
33:29Right now I'm working on my green bean portion.
33:33It takes a lot of time on knife work.
33:35Yeah, it's going to be a lot of knife work.
33:36Yeah.
33:37I know that takes a lot of time, but I want to show my daughter that I can do this.
33:42She's going to be so excited to watch me and like, just be so proud of me.
33:46You just have to survive the day.
33:48Just trying to get everything done. Time is always a pillar.
33:52It's starting to smell good already.
33:53So many beautiful things out there to work with.
33:55Would you be mad if someone made you like a soup?
33:57It would have to be a really damn good soup.
33:59Forty minutes, chef.
34:01Forty.
34:01Heard.
34:03Katie, what are you making?
34:05I'm making a rof meloso.
34:07It's like a kind of soupy rice.
34:09A rice dish.
34:10Corn's going in the sofrito.
34:12The beans are going in it.
34:13And I'm going to roast that delicata squash.
34:17Making soupy rice is a bit of a risk.
34:19She's adding a cousin when it should be about the three sisters.
34:23Then you have Matt, who is more consistent.
34:25And he obviously scored quite high in the first one.
34:29But I think sometimes that gets in his head a bit.
34:32Just thinking about how he's been trained and how things are supposed to be done.
34:35That could get you in trouble in a competition like this.
34:39I'm just going to cook who I am.
34:41Don't want to get too chef-y.
34:47So I'm going to make fresh corn grits.
34:50Kind of playing off of some of the traditional flavors.
34:54Squash is going to be a little bit of the show here.
34:56Kind of tied all in from there.
34:58Oh my gosh, they're three totally different directions.
35:00I think just flavor profile.
35:03I'm leaning towards M.
35:05I like the flavor direction she's going.
35:08Oh, she's making a tofu sauce?
35:10I think so, yeah.
35:13Like a binder.
35:14But I think it's a little bit grainy.
35:16So I think I'm going to just use a little mayo to bind everything.
35:24Oh, it's getting close.
35:25Katie, what's left in this last 15 minutes?
35:27I'm going to finish cooking my rice.
35:29It's like the one thing I may slow it down.
35:33Feeling worried about time of the rice cooking.
35:37I know that rice can be the kiss of death.
35:41It has to be cooked perfectly.
35:44There's a small window before it becomes overcooked.
35:49It's fun to be making stuff up as you go and then serving it to people right away.
35:55That's just exactly what we do in the restaurant.
35:57I just like make up on the line and then like hand it out to people.
36:01It sounds good.
36:10Made my fair share of rice dishes.
36:12But my rice is about half cooked at this point.
36:16Gonna add more stock and hopefully I'm not going home.
36:20Five minutes left, chefs.
36:26Time is ticking down and I feel like I am second guessing myself.
36:30I'm just not feeling super great.
36:31I mean, this dish is very like simple.
36:34I'm worried that I'm not doing enough.
36:38Come on guys, it's your moment.
36:41Ted, are you happy with your rice?
36:43This is as good as I got.
36:44I'm feeling good.
36:45It is what it is at this point.
36:48If I was ever going to have a moment of redemption, it would be now.
36:5230 seconds, 30 seconds left.
36:55I didn't realize how much time elapsed already.
36:57Time flies when you hang out with me, Michael.
36:59You guys are killing it.
37:0130 seconds.
37:053...
37:062...
37:061...
37:081...
37:10Great job, Chef.
37:11Great job
37:11Great job.
37:13Good luck, Chefs.
37:15love i'm feeling incredibly nervous both of their dishes look beautiful oh nice i'm super proud of
37:23what i put together but i don't know how the judges are gonna read it katie tell us what you
37:29made
37:29i made three sisters arroz meloso so i made a sofrito of the corn and waxy beans for a little
37:38bit of texture and then finish it with some roasted delicata squash katie i think it was
37:44a bold choice to present us with a dish that looked very very simple the rice was delicious
37:49and had a real depth of flavor which i appreciate the corn certainly comes through for me
37:55i do think that your rice can use a bit more seasoning okay i would have liked the corn
38:03to play a bigger role i would have been happy if you had replaced the rice to taste the corn
38:09more
38:10and the beans more and get us a lot of natural sweetness to come out matt what did you make
38:17for
38:17us so what you have in front of you is grits versus squash green beans and salsa matcha vinaigrette
38:24very simple matt i think you gave us a beautiful dish your corn is delightful it's bright with an
38:31earthy undertone it's happy you brought out so much sweetness from it delicious popcorn's always fun and
38:37whimsical i do appreciate like really dark roasted squash i think that's one of the very best ways to
38:42bring out its flavor i would have appreciated however if it was a little bit more cooked mine was just
38:47a
38:47touch underdone tell me about your dish emily so it is a three sisters tartare i did a soy garlic
38:57shallot sesame dressing and then i also shaved some raw patty pan squash on top i would have liked less
39:05of the
39:05dressing underneath for me i think the dressing was just a little bit too heavy on the sesame oil
39:11and it kind of masked the flavor of both the corn and the squash all three dishes were delicious but
39:19only two of you will be moving forward tonight and the chef that had the least successful dish for me
39:30was katie michael for me the chef that had the least successful dish today was
39:42emily
39:45wiley
39:47for me the chef that had the least successful dish today
39:56was emily
39:59i'm sorry emily you've served your final dish it is an honor to be chosen to be here this sucks
40:08but
40:09at least i showed my daughter that i did follow my dreams let's hang out padma sure we're all done
40:17good luck to you emily thank you chef when you are amongst all these chefs you have to step it
40:23up
40:23more it's sad but i'm also like so proud of myself because it's been like an emotional journey
40:31this is not the last of me
40:41i thought for a minute there it was just one more judge and i was going home oh man i'm
40:47relieved
40:50i mean it was freaking close i'll just say that
40:58you're back
41:04we started with 16 and now there's eight i've had many highs and lows admittedly a lot of lows but
41:13we're down to eight people and i'm still here silver lining all day every day in this competition
41:19nice work today chefs thank you nice job guys this is really starting to feel real now we've
41:26passed the halfway point i will take everything i've learned from the past weeks and apply it
41:31i'm going to win this look out
41:36did we leave you in here
41:39say good luck
41:43that was a nice little one
41:50next time on america's culinary cup beautiful it's kind of creepy over here i'm feeling a little
41:57extra evil cast your votes
42:02i have no idea what's gonna happen your commandment today is
42:07desserts you ever made this dessert before never made it before i'm in trouble are you making puff
42:12tasty yeah jumping off the deep i think that's ballsy
42:20delicious
42:42i have no idea what if you're in here
42:43i know
42:43i have no idea what's gonna happen
42:43but i hope be yeah
42:44yeah
42:44yeah
42:44yeah
42:44yeah
42:45yeah
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