Every week, Alton Brown is joining the Star Talk roster to talk about the most-recent elimination and the thoughts behind each difficult decision from the judges' perspective. Read on for Episode 7.
In this one hour special, Robert will have less than seven hours to cook dinner for 1000 residents and volunteers of Biloxi--but there's more to this mission than just cooking food. This dinner is also a welcome home for one Biloxi resident who has been waiting to see her home for two years! Robert will escort Ms. Brenda to her home where she will receive the keys to her brand new furnished home.
Robert lands in Gallup, New Mexico for the annual Red Rock Balloon rally. Just like the hot air balloons, Robert's mission is literally up in the air. Robert will have seven hours to cook for 200 people, but the details of this mission are launched in five hot air balloons. The only hint Robert is given is that each element of his mission will in some way relate to hot air balloons.
Three cheese experts battle it out from their home kitchens to prove which chef does cheese best. First, Guy Fieri only lets them use seven pounds of ingredients to construct the perfect cheesy comfort meal. Then he borrows the High-Low Wheel from Flavortown to pair up cheese ingredients with chefs. In the end, the chef with the best total score will spin the Money Wheel for a chance to win $20,000.
Seven competitors from previous seasons return for a second shot at becoming the next Food Network Star. For the first challenge, hosts Valerie Bertinelli and Tyler Florence ask the competitors to redeem themselves by making a dish that haunts them from their first go-around, then shoot a one-minute video to explain what they've been up to and how they've improved. Based on the dishes and videos, the least-improved alumnus is eliminated.
It's halfway through the competition, so it's time for midterms! Each of the remaining seven finalists must make their best potato dish and overcome the one thing in the competition that has been holding them back. Then it's time to celebrate summer with Tiffani Thiessen, who helps Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay judge the finalists' efforts as they each host a summer social gathering for a crowd of people in a park.
There's nothing Giada De Laurentiis loves more than an over-the-top costume party and this time she's going all out with a Big Hair Rocker Party! Her friends are coming over dressed as their favorite big hair rock-n-rollers from the 1980s while she serves a menu that matches the decade. The tasty treats include Tricolore Pasta Salad, Cali-talian Seven-Layer Dip, Raffy's Chicken and Rice and Tiramisu Cupcakes.
The seven remaining finalists must prove that they have another essential trait for a Food Network star: the ability to entertain. Special guest Ted Allen assigns each finalist a party theme "in a basket." The finalists much create a party bite, and give an entertaining tip to camera. Next, the finalists head to Frank Sinatra's Estate in Palm Springs where they must serve a retro dish for a table of special guests.
Willie is summoned to Union, N.J., to help owner John with his struggling family restaurant, Mario's Tutto Bene. John's parents passed over the 32-year-old restaurant to him seven years ago but now this restaurant runs more like the Wild West than a cozy family restaurant! The staff at the restaurant has run amok and the owners need Willie's help to not only save their struggling store, but to help mend their family ties.