Chef Todd Richards enters Kitchen Stadium to challenge Iron Chef Cora. Will Chef Richards wow the judges with his culinary styling, or will Iron Chef Cora's cuisine reign supreme?
Judges
Karine Bakhoum
Cady Huffman
Jeffrey Steingarten
Challenger stats: Chef Richards
From: Chicago, Ill.
Restaurants: The Oakroom (AAA 5 Diamond, Louisville Ky.), Soleil (The Ritz Carlton Palm Beach), Atlanta Grill (Ritz Carlton, Atlanta), Spice Restaurant (Atlanta), Villa Christina (Atlanta), The Café now Park 75 (The Four Seasons, Atlanta)
Cuisine: Ethnic based dishes with futuristic presentations
Interests: Music (writing, performing, DJ), photography
Ideal secret ingredient: From the potential list that was given: bay scallops number one because they are in season, carrots number two as it presents more challenges, morel number three as they are out of season and very difficult to find
Culinary inspirations: My father, my line cooks, EL Bulli, menus that explain themselves, culinary photography
Ideal judge: One who understands where food is going and how it is rooted in where it came from
Culinary secret weapon: Chef Duane Nutter, Chef Blake Kollker
Favorite restaurant: Morimoto (New York), Alinea Restaurant (Chicago), Hakkasan (Soho London), Mr. J’s Burgers (Chicago)
Favorite food: Sushi, dishes that make culinary sense, my father's red beans and Rice
Food you won't go near: Spoiled, rotten
Weirdest thing you've ever eaten: After you eat it more than once it's not weird anymore; but maybe cow brains
Favorite food destination: Chicago, London, California, New York
Alternative dream job: Honestly, I don't feel I have worked a "job" a day in my life.
Chef Antonia Lofaso is back on the beach for a day of roughing it! In the first challenge, mentors Eric Adjepong and Brian Malarkey are off on a fishing boat catching seafood, while the remaining chefs must pack their backpacks with all food, cookware and utensils they'll need to make a rustic seafood feast at their beach campsite. In the second challenge, two chefs from the same coast will fight for their survival using only one open flame in the sand. In the end, one chef will be eliminated, and their beach adventure will come to an end.
In this preliminary battle of an elite five-part tournament, Northern chefs, from Detroit to Minnesota, face off to see who will rep their region in the $50,000 finale. In the appetizer round, the chefs must combine a sweet baked good with a strange paste. A certain style of pizza and a signature spud sound right up this group's alley, but the entrée basket is not easy, even for these seasoned pros. Cherries and chips are cheery inclusions in the dessert basket, but the final two contenders are all business rushing to do their best with their final plates.
Noah Cappe heads to northern Indiana, where the Hoosiers in Valparaiso are doing things right at the Porter County Fair. The Super Ramen Dog combines two delicious foods Noah didn't know belonged together, the Elephant Ear Taco is a new take on a fairground favorite, and the Peanut Pop Shake has Noah all shook up. Then he heads north of the border to Brooklin, Ontario, for the Brooklin Spring Fair. He makes friends with the Secret Club, gets a taste from across the pond with London Calling and eats dessert in a whole new way with the Push Pop Cake.
Get ready to wrap yourself in a warm food blanket of Cozy Comfort! The Neelys are in the kitchen concocting a menu that's sure to satisfy the coldest of fish. First, they're making a main dish that's dressed to impress, Roast Lamb Chops with a Parmesan Panko breading that's to die for. Then it's two sides packed full of flavor, a Cheesy Cauliflower and Parsnip Gratin and scrumptious smokey Braised Mixed Greens. Finally, it's the Southern dessert belles of Tennessee, singing as sweetly as nectar, the hummingbird cupcakes. This is one meal that will fill you up with Cozy Comfort all day long!
The Kitchen is using international flavors to turn summer vacation into a global staycation. Sunny Anderson brings Portuguese and South African flair with her Very Peri Chicken, and Geoffrey Zakarian adds a taste of Japan with his Shishito Peppers with Chili and Lime. Chef Edward Lee puts his twist on a Southern side dish, Korean-Style Succotash, and Sunny's Easy Tomato and Basil Lasagna Roll-Ups are a ticket to Italy. Chef Maneet Chauhan stops by with her Indian-inspired Naanzanella Salad, and the final stops are two destination desserts: Jeff Mauro's Italian Tiramisu Sundae and Geoffrey's "It's All Greek to Me" Sundae.
Host Tyler Florence kicks off the finale with the two winningest teams in Great Food Truck Race history competing in a sales frenzy, feeding the sailors of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in port at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. After the sailors are fed, the trucks move to town, and one team misses the perfect sell spot by just a few feet, with unforeseen consequences. In the final challenge, one team proves they've truly outperformed the rest, but it all comes down to sales to see who will win $50,000 and the title of Great Food Truck Race champion.
The three remaining teams roll into Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, and learn that when it comes to food, Georgia is famous for two things: peaches and peanuts. Tyler announces the Truck Stop Challenge to create an original dish incorporating both items, but instead of providing these Georgia specialties, they must beg and borrow from the locals downtown. Chef Kevin Rathbun determines the winner and hands out a game changing reward - a guaranteed spot in the finals. All bets are off as Tyler reveals the game-changing Speed Bump: each team will lose their lead chef for the day.