Ted's in charge! Four chefs learn that Chopped's illustrious host has been given more power than ever for their competition. Along with his usual leading role, he has designed the baskets and will -- finally! -- get to taste and critique the food. For the appetizer round, Ted challenges the chefs with a wildly unusual product in a tube and his favorite snack of all time. Curry and crab are Ted's choice for two of the mandatory entrée round ingredients, and the final basket includes an exotic extract and an Italian dessert that Ted can never pass up.
George Duran says Mangia! in true Ham on the Street fashion with his unique take on that American favorite: Italian food! Your spaghetti will never be overcooked again as George enlists some flame-throwing Little Leaguers to help him debunk the ol' "throw it against the wall" test. Dry meatballs? A thing of the past thanks to George's juicily delicious recipe. And if you've got olive fever, HOTS has got the cure: a fresh olive taste test. Plus, watch passersby play "Fill That Cannoli," then see how George turns spaghetti into an hors d'ouevre and converts lasagna to dessert!
The Kitchen hosts are reinventing their favorite childhood comfort dishes and sharing special memories. Geoffrey Zakarian kicks things off with his mother's Shepherd's Pie. Katie Lee and Sunny Anderson give their childhood snacks a grown-up makeover and get Katie's Apple with Almond Butter Yogurt Dip and Sunny's Bugs on a Log. Jeff Mauro makes Italian Unstuffed Shells, a spin on his aunt's signature dish, and Sunny upgrades fish sticks with her Fried Tuna Sticks with Wasabi Mayo Sauce. Then, Katie shares one of the first desserts she ever learned to make, Cherry Pie, and Jeff makes his favorite Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Treat.
The Kitchen is making a big game day buffet that's sure to be a touchdown at any party. Geoffrey Zakarian and Sunny Anderson work together to build an 8-foot French bread pizza with two sections: Geoffrey's Italian Meat and Cheese French Bread Pizza and Sunny's Easy Chili Cheese French Bread Pizza. Then, Jeff Mauro makes the perfect handheld party appetizer with his Football Spinach Artichoke Empanadas. Sunny adds Cubano Nachos to the buffet, and Food Network's Eddie Jackson stops by to make his Caribbean Jerk Sliders and Mango Wheatsicles. Katie Lee has dessert covered with her Key Lime Pie Whoopie Pie, and Jeff Mauro completes the buffet spread with his Spicy Agrodolce Wing Sauce.