Chopped Ultimate Champions: Amateurs — Part 2 in Review

Amateur chefs (L-R): Elda Bielanski, Keith Young, Dinah Suhr and Marissa Biaggi will all compete for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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The First Round of Amateurs

Returning Chopped champions and amateur home cooks Dinah Surh, Keith Young, Elda Bielanski and Marisa Biaggi are battling for a spot in the Ultimate Champions finale, where they'll have a chance to win $50,000 in prize money and a brand-new car.

The appetizer round mystery basket ingredients are: cheese blintzes, salsa, ground pork and poblano peppers, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Appetizer Basket

The dishes must include cheese blintzes, salsa, ground pork and poblano peppers. The judges are interested to see how the cooks utilize the peppers: "I'm obsessed with poblano peppers," says Alex Guarnaschelli. "The poblano has heat, but it also has those floral notes."

Amateur chef Dinah Suhr works on her appetizer that must include: cheese blintzes, salsa, ground pork and poblano peppers as she competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Familiar Flavors

Last time Dinah stuck to her Korean heritage, and this time it's no different. "I want to use that route again," she says. So she's making Asian-fusion dumplings, combining the poblanos, the cheese filling from the blintzes and the ground pork to make a filling. She intends to turn the salsa into a dipping sauce.

Amateur chef Marisa Biaggi works on her appetizer that must include: cheese blintzes, salsa, ground pork and poblano peppers as she competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Seasoned Competitors

"These are all folks who've won before and are forces to be reckoned with," says Marisa of her competition, hoping her dish will set her apart. She turns the ground pork and the blintz wrappers into fritters, serving them with a cream made from the poblanos and the cheese filling. She worries that the fritters aren't seasoned enough.

Amateur chef Elda Bielanski works on her appetizer that must include: cheese blintzes, salsa, ground pork and poblano peppers as she competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Stroke of Luck

"My stuffed poblano peppers are a favorite of my grandchildren," says Elda, excited about getting poblanos in the basket. She's filling them with a sauteed mixture of the cheese blintzes and the ground pork. She finishes plating just before time is called, garnishing with queso fresco and cilantro.

Amateur chef Keith Young says a quick prayer over his appetizer that must include: cheese blintzes, salsa, ground pork and poblano peppers as he competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang

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Slow to Take Off

"If I don't figure things out, no doubt in my mind I am going home this round," says Keith, wracking his brain for ideas on what to cook. He eventually decides on a Latin-inspired pork crepe using the blintz wrappers. After time is called, he worries that he's just created "a disaster" and prays he makes it through.

Amateur chefs: Elda Bielanski, Keith Young, Dinah Suhr and Marissa Biaggi stand before Chopped host Ted Allen and judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli and Aaron Sanchez to defend their appetizers that must include: cheese blintzes, salsa, ground pork and poblano peppers as they compete for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Hitting the Right and Wrong Notes

Although Keith's dish is messy, Aarón Sánchez finds "it tastes a lot better than it looks" because of the spices. Elda's stuffed poblano reminds Aarón of his grandmother's. The judges consider Dinah's dish incomplete, but it's Marisa's underseasoned pork fritters and grainy crema that send her home.

The entree round mystery basket ingredients are: Wagyu ribeye steaks, jalapeno chips, pink pearl sedum and mango, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Entree Basket

The dishes must include Wagyu rib-eye steaks, jalapeno chips, pink pearl sedum and mangoes. The judges will be keeping an eye out for how well the cooks work with the steaks. "Wagyu beef, as they say, is the American version of Kobe beef," says Ted. "It's got great intermuscular fat and incredible flavor."

Amateur chefs: Elda Bielanski and Keith Young fight over the last grill pan to work on their entrees that must include:Wagyu ribeye steaks, jalapeno chips, pink pearl sedum and mango as they compete for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Battle of the Ages

"The only way to cook this beautiful piece of meat is on the grill," says Elda of the Wagyu. She's hell-bent on getting a grill pan, even if it means ripping it out of the hands of her competitor Keith. "I am not going to look good fighting with a grandma," says Keith, so he gives up.

Amateur chef Dinah Suhr works on her entree that must include:Wagyu ribeye steaks, jalapeno chips, pink pearl sedum and mango as she competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Sweet Comeback

"I really need to bring my dishes up a notch this round," says Dinah, hoping to impress the judges, who thought her appetizer was ordinary. She makes a mango granita "to break up the richness" of the steak, which she's marinated in soy sauce and sedum before grilling. She also fries jalapeno flatbreads.

Amateur chef Elda Bielanski looks at her entree that must include:Wagyu ribeye steaks, jalapeno chips, pink pearl sedum and mango as she competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Emotional Roller Coaster

"I'm coming into this round full of confidence," says Elda, after getting great compliments on her appetizer. She pulverizes the jalapeno chips for coating the rib eyes and serves them with a red wine sauce and mango salad. But she worries they cooked inconsistently: "Maybe karma has come to bite me."

Amateur chefs Elda Bielanski and Keith Young forgive each other after working on their entrees that must include:Wagyu ribeye steaks, jalapeno chips, pink pearl sedum and mango as they compete for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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Happy Accident

"Now I've got to resort to a saute pan," says Keith of having the grill pan stolen right out of his hands by Elda. He uses the pan to his advantage, creating a pan sauce, a rendition of steak au poivre, to bring his dish "to the next level." It turns out to his liking, and he and Elda make up their differences.

Amateur chef Keith Young steps up to see how well the judges say he cooked his food as chefs Elda Bielanski and Dinah Suhr stand before host Ted Allen and judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli and Aaron Sanchez to defend their entrees that must have included: Wagyu ribeye steaks, jalapeno chips, pink pearl sedum and mango as they compete for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang

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Perfection Attained

"Elda's the one to watch," says Keith when the judges ask him about the grill pan fiasco, but Alex redirects the subject. "As far as I'm concerned, that's a steak that a professional cooked," she says. Although Elda got a flavorful crust on her steaks, the meat is overdone, points out Aarón.

Amateur chefs: Elda Bielanski, Keith Young and Dinah Suhr stand before host Ted Allen and judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli and Aaron Sanchez moments before finding out which one of them has been chopped as they compete for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang ©

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The Judging Criteria

Dinah hoped her numerous techniques would get her through, but Scott Conant reminds her: "You're judged on the execution," not the amount of "tricks." The combination of her granita not being frozen and her flatbread not being cooked through sends her to the chopping block. Elda and Keith make it through.

The dessert round mystery ingredients are: cookie spread, creme anglaise, grapefruit and microwave mug cupcakes, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

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Dessert Basket

The dishes must include cookie spread, creme anglaise, grapefruit and microwaved mug cupcake, the salient item in this basket. "This particular cupcake seems very dense and heavy, so they will really need to transform this product," says Scott.

Chopped host Ted Allen checks in on amateur chef Elda Bielanski as she works on her dessert that must include: cookie spread, creme anglaise, grapefruit and microwave mug cupcakes as she competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang

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"Grandma's Got a Blowtorch"

"I'm known for my desserts," says Elda, "and I was going to make a cake from scratch," but the mug cupcake has changed her plans. Instead she soaks the cake with grapefruit juice. But she's not afraid to push the limits, using a blowtorch to brulee grapefruit segments: "Literally, I'm going out guns blazing."

Chopped host Ted Allen checks in on amateur chef Keith Young as he works on his dessert that must include: cookie spread, creme anglaise, grapefruit and microwave mug cupcakes as he competes for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

Photo: David Lang

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A Dish Best Served Cold

"I see the creme anglaise, and I immediately think I have to get to the ice cream machine," says Keith. To it he adds the cookie spread and grapefruit zest, along with black pepper to tone down the sweetness. He intends to layer the ice cream in between rounds of cake and a compote frozen on the anti-griddle.

Amateur chefs Elda Bielanski and Keith Young stand before host Ted Allen and judges: Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli and Aaron Sanchez to defend their desserts that must include: cookie spread, creme anglaise, grapefruit and microwave mug cupcakes as they compete for a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

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"It Comes Down to Dessert"

Aarón finds Elda's dessert "striking," but he's disappointed that she didn't repurpose the cake enough, though Alex thinks "imbibing" it with grapefruit juice counts. Even though Keith didn't transform his cake much either, the judges like the format, finding it the stronger of the two.

Amateur chef Keith Young reacts to winning a slot in the Chopped Ultimate Championship competition, the winner of which receives $50,000 and a new car from Buick, as seen on Food Network's Chopped, Season 21.

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His Place in the Finale

Keith earns the first amateur spot in the grand finale, where he'll compete against the pro chef winner and winners of the next two amateur rounds for a chance to win $50,000 and a brand-new car. "I know what it feels like to be down," says Keith, "and I know what it feels like to get back up, though."

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Meals

Ingredients

Dinners

Tips & Techniques

Chopped Ultimate Champions: Amateurs — Part 2 in Review

The First Round of Amateurs

Appetizer Basket

Familiar Flavors

Seasoned Competitors

Stroke of Luck

Slow to Take Off

Hitting the Right and Wrong Notes

Entree Basket

Battle of the Ages

Sweet Comeback

Emotional Roller Coaster

Happy Accident

Perfection Attained

The Judging Criteria

Dessert Basket

"Grandma's Got a Blowtorch"

A Dish Best Served Cold

"It Comes Down to Dessert"

His Place in the Finale

Become a Chopped Insider

Related Pages