Serious Eats
The Next Food Network Star, Episode 7 Recap: Paula Deen in Vegas Edition
Once again, the Next Food Network Star contestants were pinching themselves, wondering how they entered this surreal food media world. Paula Deen is here? And we're in Vegas? And our next challenge is a Throwdown-style in front of the Throwdown messiah, Bobby Flay? Whoa, I love my life.
This week, the remaining four had to make a signature dish and one-up their opponent's signature dish in a 75-minute battle. That meant Adam was recreating Lisa's cassoulet, the slow-cooked French bean and pork stew, which he'd never tried before, let alone recognized. Lisa, as a Southern girl, should have owned Adam's mac and cheese, but when her dish wasn't endorsed by Paula Deen, she looked weepy.
"I do not like it at all; in fact, I hate it." When the mother of all things gooey, fatty and cheesy, hates your mac and cheese, you're pretty screwed.
Paula also urged Lisa to be less stiff, less intense, and less frightening to viewers at home cowering under couch blankets.
Paula Wants Lisa To Be Warmer, Less Ice Queeny
It was pretty sad. Lisa was starry-eyed for Paula, confessing her Southern girl chef crush for the lady: "She reminds me of my grandma in Tennessee," Lisa gushed. But if Paula's granddaughter couldn't make a mean mac and cheese and acted so intense on camera, she'd most certainly be disowned by the Deen family.
Paula Downright Hates Lisa's Mac and Cheese
Lisa redeemed herself with a "masterful" cassoulet, raved judges. Bobby even called it "the best cassoulet I've ever had," redeeming Paula's earlier jab. Phew, Lisa didn't lose at her own game of cassoulet, against someone who, God forbid, has never even heard of the dish. He was almost as bad as that eight-year old brownie she had to deal with last week.
Next up, Aaron's pork tenderloin and Kelsey's Chicken Parmesan. While they rushed to make the two dishes within the 75-minute time frame, Extra television host Dayna Devon shoved her microphone into both faces, testing the contestant's multitasking skills. Food Network is all about talking and cooking simultaneously, but can any of them actually do both? Aaron sure couldn't. He got so distracted by questions and cameras, he forgot to make half his challenge.
Only Twenty Minutes Left, Aaron Still Hasn't Touched the Chicken Parm
Magically, Aaron scooted by with a last-minute moist recreation of Chicken Parmesan, wowing judges more than Kelsey's "signature" version did. Kelsey also failed at pork tenderloin, but unlike Aaron, it was because she remembered to cook it. Overcooked it. "How'd it cook so freakin' fast!" she yelped. The lesson here, forget to cook your food but remember in the nick of time to avoid over-cooking.
Who's Eliminated
Maybe it was the over-cooking, maybe the umpteenth reference to culinary school. "The most important thing I learned in cooking school was how to make Beurre blanc." You could hear judge Bob Tuschman shudder from his seat.
As she packed her bags, Kelsey called cooking on television her destiny. She may have more culinary schools to attend, and more references to culinary school to reference, but you'll see her again. Oh, you will see her. Bob called her a "champ," and Bobby appeared to shed a tear, while Susie Fogelson didn't seem to notice.
Kelsey, You're a Champ, But We're Just Not That Into You
Previously
NFNS, Episode 6 Recap
NFNS, Episode 5 Recap
NFNS, Episode 4 Recap
NFNS, Episode 3 Recap
NFNS, Episode 2 Recap
The Next Food Network Star's Lisa Garza: Love Her or Hate Her?