With a Frenchman and an Irishman in the mix, the competition could take on a European edge. When one of the chefs goes for plates with less than two minutes left on the clock in the appetizer round, the judges urge him to get all of the ingredients onto the dishes. The competitors are given tequila to give their entree dishes a kick, and another ingredient could make them scream. Then second thoughts on what to do with the corn tortillas in the dessert basket cause some problems for one of the finalists.
From a pool of nine, the wheel determines which three chefs will be selected to topple a fierce returning champion for a chance at an ever-rising jackpot. In a wild first round, prepping an ingredient eats up time for one chef, which worries the judges. Then, the chefs find ostrich meat in the entrée basket, which seems easy compared to the nightmare ingredient the wheel deals out. The two chefs left give it their all with spicy and sweet desserts in hopes of continuing on to battle four!
From kitschy classics to artisanal designer doughnuts, the chefs get a taste of it all as they celebrate delicious rings of joy in every round and feel the pressure of performing well for a demanding doughnut connoisseur, judge Martha Stewart. A box of doughnuts and a jar of a particular condiment challenge the competitors in the first round. A wild doughnut creation is the centerpiece of the entree round, and the two chefs who advance to the doughnut dessert round must make Martha proud using her own doughnut dough recipe.
Ina Garten is turning her attention to all kinds of bread and dishes that feature it. She starts with the most delicious quick bread you'll ever bake, foolproof Irish Guinness Brown Bread. Breadcrumbs take the spotlight in her luxurious Fish and Lobster Cakes, and her Camembert and Prosciutto Tartines are open-faced sandwiches with the volume turned up. There's even bread in Ina's layered dessert, Peach and Berry Summer Pudding. Legendary chef Wolfgang Puck shows how to turn two humble slices of walnut bread into the ultimate Lobster Club Sandwich.
Elite chefs from the East compete in this preliminary battle to see who can rep their region of the US to win $50,000 while becoming the Grand Champion of the All-American Showdown. In the appetizer basket, a signature dish from the Keystone State must be combined with a Big Apple cocktail. New England pride is on display in the entree basket, and when it's time to make dessert, the two remaining Eastern chefs scramble to make use of scrapple. The winner will face champions from the West, North and South in the finale.
Robert Irvine ventures to the remote forests of Mackinaw City, Mich., for a seemingly impossible two-part challenge: Create a Paul Bunyan-sized dinner to feed 50 lumberjacks, and cook a logging camp-inspired dish for 250 timber show guests, all in a matter of hours. With a makeshift kitchen in the woods, stoves from the 1800s and a wood-burning fire pit, Robert must conquer a giant menu of hearty dishes. And the only way he's getting help is by sawing, chopping and log-rolling his way to the finish.
Host Jesse Palmer throws a holiday cookie exchange party, and the bakers must create flavor-forward seasonal cookies -- but no decorated sugar cookies or gingerbread allowed! Judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Nancy Fuller decide the winner of the preheat in a blind tasting, and the bakers get to vote for their favorite cookie as well! Then, the bakers must rise to the occasion by making holiday cookie cakes that feature two different types of cookies, a minimum of four layers and a flavor twist to help wash it all down.