Four former military service members who are pursuing culinary careers compete to see who will be the Chopped Champion. In the first round, a favorite American comfort food must mingle on the plate with a super-sweet drink, and curiously, three of the four competitors pull tortillas from the pantry. A patriotic pasta and an already-cooked savory pie are two of the mandatory ingredients in the entree round. Then, will the finalists be able to adeptly combine cheese and pudding in desserts?
Jeff Mauro is putting The Kitchen's best summer side dishes front and center, and he reveals a new recipe for his Potato Chip Potato Salad, too. Geoffrey Zakarian mixes up zesty Fusilli with Arugula Pesto and Crispy Pancetta, and Jeff and Katie Lee Biegel team up for fast and sweet bruschettas, topping one with Peaches and Goat Cheese and the other with Strawberry and Ricotta. Then Sunny Anderson and Jeff serve up Sambal Mayo and Crunch Ranch Grilled Corn, Katie impresses with a colorful Peach and Cornbread Panzanella, and guest chef Fabio Viviani whips up his Fresh Bean Salad with Roasted Chickpeas, Crispy Mortadella Bites and Mustard Vinaigrette.
Boy George takes a look at an American obsession–chocolate! Will passing chocoholics be able to resist the lure of a delectable layer cake George has left unattended on a street corner? The camera sees all! Next, George sets up a chocolate fountain for a blind tasting of some unusual chocolate covered treats. Then, George takes his homemade gourmet truffles to the street–surprising his tasters with the secret ingredient: goat cheese! Finally, it’s off to quiz the public on the connection between chocolate and romance... and serve up his sensuous chocolate soup to some lucky lovebirds who happen by.