Making delicious, flavorful sandwiches is an essential skill that every home cook needs to know. Nothing wins over guests and friends like super, homemade deli treats, packed with bold flavors and ingredients. Using her slow cooker, Kelsey will turn turkey breast into a tender Roast Dip With Melted Gruyere. Then she'll take some inspiration from one of her favorite places to eat, New Orleans, and fry up some golden shrimp for a Cajun Po' Boy. Fried Green Tomatoes are an essential ingredient for her fresh and tasty BLT with sweet basil mayo and crispy pancetta. Finally, a pressed Picnic Sandwich with roasted red peppers and pepperoncini spread is the perfect sandwich if you're on the go.
Geoffrey Zakarian hosts a look back at some of The Kitchen's most elegant, romantic dishes that create a restaurant-worthy experience at home. Alex Guarnaschelli whips up an Endive Salad with Candied Walnuts, Orange Caramel Dressing and Blue Cheese, and Geoffrey's Spicy Sun-dried Tomato Pesto is bursting with flavor. Katie Lee Biegel prepares Cocoa-Rubbed Hanger Steaks with Balsamic Radicchio Salad, Jeff Mauro makes Sake and Miso Marinated Salmon with Coconut Rice and Charred Broccolini, and Sunny Anderson's Melting Heart Cakes are a sweet surprise. Plus, Geoffrey makes Lobster Risotto with Champagne and Tarragon, a rich and luxurious dish that blends creamy texture with delicate flavor, perfect for making any date night feel extra special.
It's California carnival season, and Noah Cappe tries new coastal classics at the LA County Fair in Pomona. There's the Berry Crunchy Chicken coated in breakfast cereal, a Shepherd's Pie Waffle Bowl loaded with home-cooked flavors, a legendary Strawberry Puffle Sundae and the fanciest fried treat you’ll see on the midway -- the Caviar Cream Cake. After that, Noah heads to the Midwest for the Macon County Fair in Illinois, where he sinks his teeth into the Bloody Mary Burger and takes on the GarParm Chicken 'n Waffle Fries. Then, it's off to New England for the Vermont Maple Festival, where Noah taps into the Fried Maple Cookies 'n Cream.
You can't talk about Chicago barbecue without mentioning Russell's, and this iconic spot figures prominently in Jeff's food biography as well. This was where his folks would take him to celebrate life's little achievements, and the food has since set up shop in Jeff's heart. He watches with reverence as manager Ben Tarpia takes him into the kitchen and to the pit. Still smelling of wood-smoke, Jeff rushes back home to fire up his own pit, and goes straight-up luau with a Hawaiian BBQ pork sandwich decked in pineapple, then goes stateside for a chicken salad on Texas toast, paired with potato salad. Fire it up!
During Jeff's formative years as a Sandwich Prince, he worked at a deli working the meat slicer; his constant companions were corned beef, pastrami and lots of fresh rye bread. Classic deli fare really speaks to his sandwich soul and the folks at Fumare in Chicago's French Market know the language fluently. Jeff gets a tasty tour of some of Fumare's favorites, then heads home to put together his special take on that tart and cheesy creation, the Reuben. You can't be truly deli without coleslaw, so Jeff shreds up a fresh batch before slicing and stacking roast beef into a sandwich that reaches new heights of savory deliciousness. You want pickles with that?
Tyler Florence kicks off the race at a cattle ranch outside of Los Angeles, where he welcomes the seven teams with their first challenge. The ranch's cowhands need something to wash down their breakfast, so each team must hand-squeeze a pitcher of orange juice in order to receive their seed money and keys to their truck. The trucks then head out to shop and prep for their first day selling on the busy streets of Los Angeles, but Tyler calls with another challenge: a beef auction where each team has to create an original dish with the cut they win. The team that sells the least is sent home, while the other six head to the next city.
Host Noah Cappe steps back in time at The Viking Experience in Creedmoor, North Carolina, where he raises a glass of mead and celebrates the Swedish Meat Cone and Meemaw's Nachos -- pulled pork, apples and onions on crispy tortilla chips. Next, Noah visits the beautiful Oak Mountain State Fair in Pelham, Alabama, and starts his day with the 'Bama Breakfast Biscuit -- fresh eggs, local sausage and a corneal-coated fried green tomato -- before having the perfect afternoon snack with the PB&B Pudding Fingers, which brings together peanut butter and sweet Southern banana pudding. Finally, it's off to Katy, Texas, for the holiday-inspired Magical Winter Lights Festival, where Noah dines on the Eggs Benny Boudreaux, the Fried Eggplant Seafood Volcano and the festive Candy Apple Shake.