SEASON #1:

 EPSISODE #1:  Spoiled for Stroganoff            

 16 to Start

HOST:  Padma Lakshmi

JUDGES:  Wylie Dufrene.

                   Michael Cimarusti.

PRIZE:  $1,000,000

PLACE:  New York CityN

                            PLAYER

1.  KIM ALTER                                 San Francisco, CALIFORNIA

2.  KATIE BUTTON                        Ashville, NORTH CAROLINA

3.  KEITH CORBIN                        Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

4.  ROCHELLE DANIEL               Flagstaff, ARIZONA

5.  DIANA DAVILA                        Chicago, ILLINOIS

6.  MICHAEL DIAZ de LEON       Denver, COLORADO

7.  SOL HAN                                   New York City, NEW YORK

8.  RUSSELL JACKSON               New York City, NEW YORK

9.  BEVERLY KIM                       Chicago, ILLINOIS   

10.  BUDDHA LO                         New York City, NEW YORK

11.  CHRIS MORGAN                 McLean, VIRGINIA

12.  MATT PETERS                     Austin, TEXASEMILY YUEN  

13.  MALYNA SI                          Jackson, WYOMING

14.  CARA STADLER                 Madison, CONN.

15.  PHILLIP TESSIER                Napa, CALIFORNIA

16.   EMILY YUEN                      New York City, NEW YORK        

FIRST CHALLENGE:  4 to be eliminated.  Cook the best dish you can. in 75 minutes going head to head.  Test on:  Taste, Creativity, Presentation, & Technique.

       Malyna vs. Diane;     Beverly vs Cara;  Michael vs. Rochelle;

       Chris vs. Katie;       Russell vs. Kim;     Sol vs. Keith

       Buddha vs. Matt;    Emily vs. Phillip.

                                 RESULTS

WINNERS: Diana, Cara, Michael, Katie, Kim, Keith, Emily, & Buddha.

SECOND CHALLENGE:  The loser will have a cook-off.  Make the best classic dish in 1 hour.  The winners choose the match-up & dish.

  FRIED CHICKEN:  Malyna vs. Rochelle

  CLAIM CHOWDER:  Russell vs. Chris

  BEEF STROGNOFF:  Phillip vs. Matt

  SHRIMP & GRITTS:  Beverly vs. Sol.

ELIMINATED:  Rochelle, Russell, Sol, & Phillip.

EPISODE #2:  Meet the First Commandment. 

ARRIVED AT A FARM.

  FIRST COMMANDMENT:  Butchering

CHALLENGE:  Working in teams of 2 butcher a cow into:  1 Flank Steak, 8 Top Sirloin Center Cut, 10 NY Strips, 3 Brazilian Picanhas, 1 Tri-Tip, & 6 Filet Mignons.   1 hour.

GUEST JUDGE:  Pat LaFrieda, Butcher

2ND CHALLENGE:  Create a dish that showcases one cut of meat cooked 2 ways as individual for 100 people.

                              RESULTS

TOP 2:  Matt & Cara.

  WINNER:  Matt.  2nd:  Cara.

SAFE:  Diana, Beverly, Chris, Keith, Michael, Katie, & Emily.

BOTTOM 3:  Buddha, Kim, & Malyna.

ELIMINATED:  Kim.

EPISODE #3:  Nice Big Squash.               11 Left

NEXT CULINARY COMMANDMENT:  Sustainability.

- In 1 hour Create a dish using hyper-sustainable ingredients.

                                 RESULTS

1st Beverly Kim

2nd  Katie Button

3rd  Cara Stadler

4th  Matt Peters

5th  ??????????

6th  Diana Davila

7th  Emily Yuen

8th  Malyna Si

BOTTOM 3:  Michael, Keith, & Chris.

HEAD-HEAD COOK OFF:    Keith vs. Chris

- Using most commonly wasted food such as onion skins, celery tops, & stale bread in 1 hour.

- MICHEAL:  Roasted Carrot & Beets,

- KEITH:  Saffron Cream Fish Collar.

ELIMINATED:  Michael.

EPISODE #4:    Let's Get Saucy.                          10 Left.

CHALLENGE:  The 3rd Culinary Commandments: Mastering the              Art of Sauce. 

- in 3 rounds Only 3 will be Safe.

FIRST ROUND:  Cook a dish featuring one of 5 Mother Sauces.  Not a head-head.  In 1 hr.

   HOLLANDAISE:  Katie & Malyna,

   BECHAMEL:  Cara & Keith

   VELOUTE:  Buddha & Diana

   ESPAGNOLE:  Christopher & Matt

   TOMATE:  Beverly & Emily.

                      RESULTS

SAFE:  Diana -58, Beverly - 57, & Matt 56.  Have an Advantage.

 

ROUND TWO:  Create your own Mother Sauce inspired by a comfort food from your childhood.  In 1 hour.

- Emily, Keith, Buddha, Cara, Katie, & Chris.

                            RESULTS

TOP #2:  Chris & Cara  are Safe.

BOTTOM:  Buddha, Malyna, & Keith.

TIED:  Emily & Katie.

SAFE:  Katie.

FINAL ROUND:  Make a a New Mother Sauce with ingredients picked by the Safe players.

- White Miso, Coriander Seeds, Preserved Lemon, Grapes, Vanilla Bean, & Pasilla Chilis.

- Keith, Emily, Malyna, & Buddha.

                              RESULTS

SAFE:  Buddha, Keith, & Emily.

ELIMINATED:  Malyna.

EPISODE #5:  The Root of Suess.                       9 Left.

CHALLENGE:  4th Culinary Commandment:  Mastery of Vegetables.

- Create 3-Course cohesive meal consisting of an:  Appetizer, Main Course, & a Dessert.  Each course featuring a vegetable.  Cooking in teams of 3.  The 3 types:  Root, Cruciferous, & Nightshade in 3 hours

RED TEAM:  Diana, Buddha, & Chris.

GREEN TEAM:  Beverly, Cara, & Keith.

GRAY TEAM:  Matt, Katie, & Emily.

GUESTS:  Tim Flores, Michelin Chef from Chicago,

      Genie Kwon, Michelin Chef & partner of Tim,

      Stefano Secchi, Executive Chef at Rezdora, 

     Suzette Gresham, Michelin Chef,

     JJ Johnson, Award-Winning Chef,

     Priya Krishnna, NY Times Food Writer.

                             RESULTS

FROM APPT:  Green Team - 168,  Red - 113    Gray - 103

FROM MAIN DISH:  Green - 158   Red - 122   Gray - 151

FROM DESSERT:   Green - 133      Red - 151    Gray - 117

HEAD - HEAD COOK OFF:  Emily, Katie, & Matt

- Prepare a dish featuring the Three Sisters:  Beans, Squash, & Corn using all 3 ingredients.

ELIMINATED:  Emily.

EPISODE #6:  Good vs. Evil.                           8 Left.

I do not like how Padema is treating a God by the way she enter the kitchen. 

COMMANDMENT:  Desserts

- Created 2 Desserts inspired by Good & Evil.  In 6 hours

  Then the chefs casts Vote on Most Likely & Least Likely to win.

               WINNNER:   Least is Chris & Most is Beverly.

- Must include 1 of the Forbidden ingredients:

    PICKLES:  Beverly                 BLUE CHEESE:  Cara

    DANDLELION GREENS:  Katie  HORSERADISH:  Keith

    MUSTARD SEEDS:  Diana   CURED BLACK OLIVES:  Buddha

    SRIRACHA:  Matt                 ANCHOVIES:  Chris.

GUEST JUDGE:  Nina Metayer, World Best Pastry  2 yrs in a row.

                                 RESULTS

TOP 6 & SAFE:  Beverly 155

        Cara 147, Buddha 134, Matt 127, Chris 117, & Katie 115.

BOTTOM 2:  Keith 114, & Diana 53.

ELIMINATED:  Diana - didn't complete an evil dish.

EPISODE #7:  The Gastronomic Gauntlet.                7 Left.

CULINARY CHALLENGE:  Culinary Science & Technolgy.

GUEST JUDGE:  No-One.

- In 5 hours Create as many dishes using the 10 techniques:

  Dehydration,               Spherification,                 Foams,

  Flash Freezing,           Carbonation,                    Gels,

  Smoke Infusion,         Powderizing,                  Sous Vide,

                               Compression.

                                  RESULTS

TOP 5:  1.  Buddha, 

            2.  Cara,   3.  Chris,    4.  Katie, &  5.  Matt.

BOTTOM 2:  Keith & Bev.

ELIMINATED:  Bev. 

EPISODE #8:  Consistency is Key.                    6 Left.

CHALLENGE:  7th Culinary Commandment:  Consistency.

- Make 30 of the same exact dish using method:  Grilling, Poaching, & Searing working in pairs in 2 1/2 hors.  Buddha picked the teams & method.  Only use fish.

BUDDHA/MATT - Poaching,

KATIE/CARA - Grill

KEITH/CHRIS - Searing.

                          RESULTS

Buddha/Matt - 57,

Cara/Katie - 48,

Chris/Keith - 35.

SHOWDOWN:  French Omelet

- Between Cara, Katie, Chris, & Keith.  In 10 minutes

ELIMINATED:  Keith.