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#video #Americas Culinary Cup - Season 1 - Episode 05: The Roots of Success #drama2026 #movie2026 #hotmovie
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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 $1 million. Brought to you by
00:22our 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 going to have to cook again in the final round.
00:45I hate being in seventh place. Getting eliminated from competition is not my plan right now.
00:50Melina, you've served your final dish.
00:53Putting the sauce in the bed, throwing them in the garbage. Everything is dry from now on.
01:04Here we go.
01:06What's out here?
01:08Oh, okay. Vegetables. Vegetables.
01:10Oh, nightshade. Cruciferous. Roots. The wheels are turning.
01:18The wheels are turning. We look at the board. I 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, Chefs.
01:49Hello.
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.
03:03Oh, yeah.
03:03I mean, vegetables and desserts.
03:05It's my jam.
03:06All right.
03:08Not mine.
03:09Not.
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.
03:35It'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 pick.
04:26I think I'm going to go with Fuda because he seems very confident about.
04:30He does talk a bit confident game, doesn't he?
04:33I'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.
05:06The man knows flavor.
05:07He 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.
05:20But 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.
05:33And the team with the lowest score will face off in a sudden-death cook-off where the loser goes
05:39home.
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.
06:01My 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.
06:35Appetizers must be served at one hour.
06:38I was thinking of 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.
06:55What's up?
06:55And as always, teams are scored on taste, creativity, presentation, and mastery of the commandment.
07:03Earning a possible 20 points from each of the nine judges.
07:08Bev.
07:08Yes.
07:09I got nightshades for my appetizer.
07:12I am doing mirin and miso glazed eggplant with fried okra cherry 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, and Kara's in charge of the dessert.
07:27Try to make a few extra so we can taste them, okay?
07:30For 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 think about it.
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.
07:54It 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.
08:09Yeah?
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.
08:17You guys need your ovens?
08:18Should I go in?
08:19Which one?
08:19No, you can go in mine.
08:20Okay.
08:21Like, I'm not even stressed right now.
08:25Chef, that's how y'all doing.
08:28I'm a bit hot today, I must admit.
08:30Yeah.
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 the dessert.
08:38I'm going to do a tomato aguachile.
08:40Aguachile is pepper water.
08:43So 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?
08:52I'll go look.
08:53Hello!
08:55Welcome!
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, Jeanne 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 Vizdora,
09:22home to her iconic vegetable tasting menu.
09:26Here's JJ 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?
09:49No, you're good.
09:53How does everyone feel about eating vegetarian?
09:56We, I feel like both of us grew up vegetarian.
09:58We did?
09:58Yeah.
09:59I'm actually thankful.
10:01Our first commandment was on butchery.
10:03In the sun.
10:0416 dishes.
10:0416 dishes?
10:05It's a lot of meat.
10:07Try this, Chris.
10:08Cauliflower, ice cream base.
10:10Perfect.
10:11Money, chef.
10:12Here we go.
10:13Matt, 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 appetize this, guys.
10:22Ten minutes hurt.
10:23Holy .
10:24Diana, 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 aguachile.
10:36Everything just caught up to me.
10:38I just really underestimated time.
10:42I'm like not in a good place.
10:53Just give me a job. What do you need?
10:55Diana'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.
11:03Is there anything that I could do to make this dark green?
11:04I could vacuum seal it.
11:06Okay, vacuum seal it.
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?
11:14Like 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.
11:27Drizzle 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.
11:38But at this point, I can't do too much about it.
11:42Is this good?
11:42Like this?
11:43Yeah, yeah.
11:44Like, yeah, I was imagining that.
11:46All right, Diana, let's start plating.
11:48Now it's getting to a point of like, we can't make it perfect,
11:50but we need to get everything on there so we can be judged for something.
11:53But we have no idea who's going to 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.
12:18Yep.
12:22I walk in, the first person I recognize is Priya.
12:25And I'm really worried because she's a really, really big deal.
12:28She knows food.
12:30I kept myself from falling to my knees at the judges' table.
12:33This is an amazing group.
12:35Chef JJ is a great chef.
12:37We know each other pretty good.
12:39You never want to put something up in front of your colleagues that just doesn't hit.
12:45Diana, what vegetable group did you use in your dish?
12:49Nightshade.
12:49So I'm starting here with tomato aguachile.
12:53Really simple, lightly dressed.
12:55JJ, what do you think?
12:56Overall, it was a really good dish.
12:57I've never had it this way before.
12:59For me, where this dish was lacking was actually the tomato.
13:03I felt like the tomatoes needed a touch of acid and definitely a pinch of finishing salt.
13:09Also, Diana, I think just cutting the tomatoes differently would have made this a more
13:14cohesive dish.
13:15You'd have had that perfect bite.
13:16But it's super tasty.
13:18It's super tasty.
13:18Super tasty.
13:21Please go to the top right next.
13:23That's Emily's team.
13:25Hi.
13:26Tell us the title of your dish.
13:28Grilled Napa cabbage, tahini sauce, and caramelized nuts.
13:32And the family of vegetable you have here is obviously...
13:35I can't say it, but it's like Confucius or...
13:37Cuciferous.
13:39Cuciferous.
13:40I can't say it.
13:40Cuciferous.
13:41Cuciferous.
13:42Yay.
13:42Good job.
13:43So embarrassed.
13:44I am sweating right now.
13:46That tahini was great.
13:48It's rich, nutty, and slightly bitter.
13:51And I would have liked to have more of it.
13:54I think I probably could have used more of a cook on cabbage.
13:58When you grill or cook cabbage, it sort of becomes really silken and wonderful with these
14:04beautiful crisp edges.
14:05No, I would have to agree with Priya here.
14:06I would have maybe liked to see maybe the cabbage cut a little bit differently.
14:10Maybe a wedge.
14:11Get some nice caramelization to it.
14:14We can move on to Keith's dish.
14:17What 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.
14:26I had to bring it home just a little bit.
14:28I don't like okra.
14:29Really?
14:29Oh my gosh.
14:30I don't like okra, but this okra right here is good.
14:34I was going to say, JJ, don't make me holler at you later.
14:37I think okra is a very underutilized ingredient.
14:41Playing with that soft, delicious eggplant was really good.
14:45The actual frying of the eggplant was a surprise.
14:47And the eggplant flavor was intensified.
14:49All these dishes were delicious.
14:52They were different.
14:53Now get back in the kitchen.
14:54Time to get back on those mains.
14:57Let's go.
14:58Good job, guys.
14:59Chef, what you need?
15:00Okay.
15:01Who's in there?
15:01Everybody.
15:02Who are they?
15:03JJ, Jeannie, and Tim from Kasama in Chicago.
15:07Priya.
15:08It's going to be very scary to see Priya.
15:10My general manager didn't know who the hell Priya was.
15:13And Priya came down for a kitchen tour.
15:15And I myself.
15:18Her palate's insane.
15:19How'd it go?
15:19I mean, I'm not sure.
15:22I don't really want to tell them what the judges said
15:24because I don't think that I'm going to be the top one here.
15:37Hey, guys.
15:38I don't want to break your vibe.
15:39I know you're working hard.
15:41The food's been fantastic.
15:42But I thought you might like to see the scores from the first course.
15:47Oh, my God.
15:48Let'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.
15:56Let's just cross our fingers and hope we nailed this one.
16:00Yes.
16:00Wow.
16:01Wow.
16:02Green team.
16:02Green team.
16:04Congratulations.
16:05You 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.
16:13Like, they can't tell me right now.
16:17Sorry, 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.
16:33You 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.
16:38Really 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 Pocuse's potato-scaled fish dish.
16:54I'm running to get something from the pantry.
16:56Anybody need anything?
16:57I'm good right now.
16:58I think those technical elements are going to pay off.
17:03To make up for some lost points, because we're already in third.
17:06We 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've 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.
17:32I'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, eating dishes in people's homes,
17:52learning from matriarchs and families.
17:54To 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.
18:02I wasn't sure how acidic you want that.
18:04A bit more zing.
18:05Other 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, 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.
18:34But 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 imposter syndrome.
18:42Like 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.
19:03Matt, you good?
19:03You're good until I'm not.
19:05This is just to get another big score.
19:07What else needs to go in here, Chris?
19:09Finishing salt, a little bit of lemon zest.
19:11That's fun.
19:14Looks beautiful.
19:15You're going to kill it.
19:17Okay?
19:17Okay.
19:17What 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.
19:34Jeannie and Tim.
19:37Oh, this 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.
19:46Hey.
19:47Oh, my God.
19:47It's JJ Johnson.
19:49Beverly knew them all.
19:52Oh, hey.
19:53Oh.
19:54Got some friends?
19:54Yes.
19:55Yes.
19:55Well, they're not your friends right now.
19:57No, no.
19:58I'm, like, nervous.
20:01Chris, tell us what your team made.
20:03So 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.
20:32Damn.
20:33This 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.
21:00Um, it 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.
21:12I get it.
21:13Myself, I'm still trying to figure out, like, you know,
21:16how far do I want to take some of these techniques.
21:18But it's fun.
21:20Get a little chef-y with it.
21:22Beverly, tell us about your dish.
21:24Um, I'm calling this, um, 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,
21:31and just a little nori powder on top.
21:34So, Beverly, am I correct in understanding that, basically,
21:38the only vegetable on this dish, with the exception of the nori,
21:41is broccoli?
21:42Yes.
21:44Well done.
21:46When you hard-sear broccoli like a steak,
21:48it 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.
21:56The 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.
22:07The purees are really beautiful and fluffy, like what you look for, right?
22:10And not super heavy, but more acidity would have been great.
22:12But 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 gonna be anything less?
22:33Yeah.
22:33Yeah.
22:34That was good.
22:35Good job.
22:35Now it's back to work.
22:37How did it go?
22:38Good.
22:38Good? Good.
22:39One person said I needed just like a touch more acid.
22:42I think they liked it though.
22:43This round is gonna 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?
23:0045.
23:0045?
23:0145 they said?
23:02This one.
23:04Cauliflower crème patisserie.
23:05Oh, yeah.
23:11Uh-oh.
23:14The tension is very intense in here.
23:16I bet you guys wanna know your scores.
23:19Yes.
23:20For the main courses...
23:28Wow.
23:29Green team.
23:30You killed it.
23:31Beverly, your broccoli dish won.
23:33Two teres.
23:33Two teres.
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.
23:48But 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.
24:18But cauliflower tastes very vanilla-like.
24:20So I'm making it cauliflower ice cream.
24:22And pairing that with date cake, which I'm gonna finish off with a caramel.
24:26I don't know how 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.
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. I 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 want to freeze that granita?
24:58Yeah.
24:59Put liquid on the bottom and then, like, set it inside so it freezes it from the outside, you know?
25:05Working.
25:08I keep thinking 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.
25:25Okay, good.
25:26And chill.
25:27I don't know how the judges are going to receive it.
25:30One of those dishes that's going to 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, so I need to figure out how to fix it.
25:57Shove.
25:57Get the Robocoup out just 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.
26:14Let's go with more herbs, please.
26:15Switch, switch, switch.
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 grade team's dessert by 19 points.
26:31Katie.
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.
26:43Katie, I was expecting this to taste a lot more savory, I think, than it did, and so I really
26:48appreciated 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 weren't
27:01staying 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's a date and hazelnut cake, and cauliflower ice cream.
27:15That's cauliflower ice cream?
27:16That's cauliflower and vanilla.
27:17Are you sure?
27:17Yeah.
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.
27:30I'll take that.
27:32I feel very confident, but hopefully this translates into the score so we don't have to compete again.
27:37Kara, 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.
28:26This 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.
28:44Oh, my God.
28:45Well, we need, like, 20 points more.
28:47You guys work with me.
28:57Chefs, I want to thank you for all your hard work today.
29:00You guys did us really proud.
29:03Now, let's get to the scores.
29:04First place was a clear runaway.
29:08Green team.
29:10Yes!
29:12Yeah!
29:13Yeah!
29:14Do it!
29:15Yeah!
29:17You guys dominated from the start.
29:20Wow!
29:21OK.
29:21From your app all the way to dessert.
29:23You were in the lead.
29:24So congratulations to all three of you.
29:27It'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, you 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 place.
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.
30:30Let's see the scores.
30:41Damn it.
30:43Wow.
30:45Buddha, your dessert beat Katie's by 34 points.
30:49Red team, you live to see another commandment.
30:52Good job.
30:53Oh 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.
31:01Unfortunately, Emily, Katie, Matt, you finished last.
31:06And all of you are at risk for elimination.
31:09I'm feeling very deflated.
31:12I was expecting more points.
31:14I put my heart and soul into putting roots 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 outcook the chefs standing beside you in a head
31:46-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.
32:52Good 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.
33:13Like, 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.
33:33That's a lot of time on knife work.
33:35Yeah, it's going to be a lot of knife work.
33:36I 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.
33:49Time is always a killer.
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?
33:57We'd have to be a really damn good soup.
33:5940 minutes, chef.
34:0140.
34:02Heard.
34:03Katie, what are you making?
34:05I'm making a roof 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 Matt 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 tie it all in from there.
34:57Oh 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, but 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.
36:00Well, it sounds good.
36:10Made my fair share of rice dishes, but my rice is about half cooked at this point.
36:16I'm going to add more stock and hopefully I'm not going home.
36:20Five minutes left, chefs.
36:25Time is ticking down and I feel like I am second guessing myself.
36:29I'm just not feeling super great.
36:32I mean, this dish is very like simple.
36:34I'm worried that I'm not doing enough.
36:38Come on, guys.
36:38This is your moment.
36:41Katie, you happy where your rice is?
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.
36:5430 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.
37:0230 seconds left.
37:043, 2, 1.
37:09Great job, chefs.
37:12Great job.
37:13Good luck, chefs.
37:15Good luck.
37:16I'm feeling incredibly nervous.
37:18Both of their dishes look beautiful.
37:20Oh, nice.
37:21I'm super proud of what I put together, but I don't know how the judges are going to read it.
37:28Katie, tell us what you made.
37:30I made three sisters arroz meloso.
37:33So I made a sofrito of the corn and waxy beans for a little bit of texture and then finish
37:40it with some roasted delicata squash.
37:43Katie, I think it was a bold choice to present us with a dish that looked very, very simple.
37:48The rice was delicious and had a real depth of flavor, which I appreciate.
37:52The corn certainly comes through for me.
37:56I do think that your rice can use a bit more seasoning.
38:00I would have liked the corn to play a bigger role.
38:05I would have been happy if you had replaced the rice to taste the corn more and the beans more.
38:11You get us a lot of natural sweetness to come out.
38:15Matt, what did you make for us?
38:17So what you have in front of you is grits, roasted squash, green beans, and salsa matcha vinaigrette. Very simple.
38:25Matt, I think you gave us a beautiful dish. Your corn is delightful.
38:30It's bright with an earthy undertone.
38:32I was happy you brought out so much sweetness from it.
38:35Delicious. Popcorn's always fun and whimsical.
38:38I do appreciate, like, really dark roasted squash. I think that's one of the very best ways to bring out
38:42its flavor.
38:43I would have appreciated, however, if it was a little bit more cooked. Mine was just a touch underdone.
38:50Tell me about your dish, Emily.
38:52So it is a three sisters tartare.
38:55I did a soy, garlic, shallot, sesame dressing.
38:59And then I also shaved some raw patty pan squash on top.
39:03I would have liked less of the dressing underneath.
39:07For 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.
39:16All three dishes were delicious, but only two of you will be moving forward tonight.
39:23And the chef that had the least successful dish, for me, was Katie.
39:33Michael.
39:34Michael.
39:35For 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.
39:59Emily.
40:00I'm sorry, Emily.
40:01You've served your final dish.
40:04It is an honor to be chosen to be here.
40:07It sucks, but...
40:09At least I showed my daughter that I did follow my dreams.
40:13Let's hang out, Padma.
40:14Sure, we're all done.
40:17Good luck to you, Emily.
40:18Thank you, chef.
40:20When you are amongst all these chefs, you have to step it up more.
40:24It's sad, but I'm also, like, so proud of myself.
40:26Because it's been, like, an emotional journey.
40:31This is not the last of me.
40:37Oh, my God!
40:39Oh!
40:41I thought for a minute there it was just one more judge and I was going home.
40:46Oh, man, I'm relieved.
40:47Hello, buddy.
40:48Yay!
40:49I mean, it was frickin' close.
40:52I'll just say that.
40:58We're back.
41:04We started with 16, and now there's eight.
41:10I've had many highs and lows.
41:12Admittedly, a lot of lows, but we're down to eight people and I'm still here.
41:15Silver lining all day, every day in this competition.
41:19Nice work today, chefs.
41:22Nice job, guys.
41:23This is really starting to feel real now.
41:25We've passed the halfway point.
41:28I will take everything I've learned from the past weeks and apply it.
41:31I'm gonna win this.
41:33Look out.
41:33Good to be here!
41:35Good to be here!
41:36Did we leave you in here?
41:39Say good luck, chefs.
41:44That was a nice little one.
41:46That was a good one.
41:50Next time on America's Culinary Cup.
41:53Beautiful.
41:54It's kind of creepy over here.
41:56I'm feeling a little extra evil.
41:58Cast your votes.
42:02I have no idea what's gonna happen.
42:04Your commandment today is...
42:08Desserts.
42:08You ever made this dessert before?
42:09Never made it before.
42:10I'm in trouble.
42:11Are you making parfaits here?
42:12Yeah, I'm jumping off the deep end.
42:14I think that's ballsy.
42:21Delicious.
42:38I'm looking for a bad idea.
42:41You will never do this.
42:41It's the best.
42:42I really?
42:44You say, go see.
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