Chicago Chef Graham Bowles challenges Iron Chef Flay to a sweet battle. Can he hold his own in Kitchen Stadium, or will Chef Flay walk home the winner?
Judges
Ted Allen
Karine Bakhoum
Jeffrey Steingarten
Challenger stats: Chef Bowles
From: Chicago
Restaurant: Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ideal secret ingredient: Foie gras
Interests: Politics, government
Culinary inspirations: Music, art, poetry, traveling
Ideal judge: Mathias Merges, Frank Bruni
Culinary secret weapon: Touch/finesse
Favorite restaurant: Cafe Salamera, Alinea, Hot Doug's
Favorite food: Laughing Cow cheese, macaroni & cheese, ramen noodles
Food you won't go near: Black licorice
Weirdest thing you've ever eaten: Dog
Favorite food destination: I'm living in it! Chicago is on top right now.
Alternative dream job: President of the United States of America
Five elite cake designers face a demanding client, only they don't know who this person is. Going into the competition, the only thing they do know is that they'll be making some sort of birthday cake. Minutes before the clock starts, they'll meet the mystery client and he/she will lay out his/her birthday cake demands. Then our decorators have only six hours to come up with a cake sure to please this mystery client. The cake that wins will be served at a birthday event the next day, and the winning chef goes home with a check for $10,000.
COMPETITORS: Richard Ruskell, Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach, Calif.
Norman Davis, The Sweet Life, Annandale, Va.
Sandy Hargrave, Classic Cakes of Aspen, Inc., Aspen, Colo.
Beryl Ann Byrd, Just Fabulous Pastries, San Diego, Calif.
Alain Roby, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
Judges: Mark Bittman, Author; How to Cook Everything, New York, N.Y. Nicholas Lodge, www.nicholaslodge.com, Atlanta, Ga. Mike McCarey, Mike’s Amazing Cakes, Redmond, Wash.
A lack of mushrooms in Jamie's garden inspires him to go in search in his local forest. After he finds various mushrooms, he cooks up a delicious wild mushroom brushchetta. After collecting bizarre tree-living mushrooms at the roadside, Jamie's back at home to make a wild mushroom and venison stroganoff and the perfect mushroom Risotto.
Chef Jim White of Casa Vieja Restaurant in Albuquerque, NM, joins Gordon as he doorknocks a home in Boulder City, NV. Jim creates the perfect picnic feast for a family and they then take a desert tour in a Hummer provided by Rebel Adventure Tours.