To illustrate the importance of flavor, the Chefs provide the eight remaining recruits with a "blank canvas," jointly demonstrating a basic crepe dish. Each recruit must then flavor their own crepe, and the Chefs do a blind taste test. The Chef whose team has the best-tasting crepe gets to steal a player from other team and give up one of their own. Then as a further exploration of flavor, the Chefs demonstrate the basics of marinating and grilling. Each recruit must devise their own marinade, using ingredients from one of four international flavor profiles-France, Greece, Spain and Thailand. Each recruit must also follow a recipe for a side dish to go with their marinated grilled protein, and complete everything within the time allotted.
Jeff Mauro dishes out his best entertaining advice along with The Kitchen's top party-pleasing recipes. Kicking it off are ideas from Sunny Anderson and Katie Lee Biegel for a fun and delicious German Pub Party. Then, Jeff makes Smoked Crispy Chicken Drumsticks with Maple Butter Hot Sauce, perfect for pleasing a crowd, while Katie shares a new take on her favorite starter with her Maple Bacon Deviled Eggs. Geoffrey Zakarian shows off a super fun dessert to make tableside -- Crepes Suzette -- and Sunny's Hot Ham and Cheese Wreath is sure to impress for the holidays. Finally, nothing wows dinner guests more than a mini torch -- so Jeff flames up his Coffee Créme Brulee for a sweet finish to any special occasion.
To celebrate Award Season, Chef Wolfgang Puck shares the most popular after party dish and Jeff Mauro makes a show-stopping Surf and Turf Rib Eye Crostini with Gorgonzola Mousse. Learn new ways to make your appetizers red carpet-ready and throw a party fit for the stars, plus sweet and savory recipes using popcorn. Food Network Magazine's Maile Carpenter previews the latest issue and Katie Lee makes award-winning Strawberry Chocolate Mini Trifles. Then, Geoffrey Zakarian's wife makes a party-perfect cocktail and winners of this year's Golden Spatula Awards are announced!
Mentioned in this episode:
Faux Fancy Appetizers
The Kitchen hosts recreate recipes inspired by their favorite global dishes as Sunny Anderson shares her global ingredient shopping tips and her top picks from the grocery store's international aisle. Sunny's Take Home Steak and Garlic Noodles turn last night's steak into a saucy sensation, Alex Guarnaschelli makes a crowd-pleasing Classic Penne Arrabiata, and Katie Lee Biegel's Mussels in White Wine Shallot Broth are salty and delicious. Then, Alex whips up Hoisin Sauce Noodles with Chicken, Jeff Mauro heads to the Caribbean with his Caymanian-Style Jerk Chicken, and Geoffrey Zakarian's Pistachio Greek Honey Cake is light and tangy. Plus, Sunny shows how to amp up a grilled cheese with gochujang and add an exciting crunch topping to chicken salad.
Michael Ruhlman has written beautiful books on a number of topics—pediatric heart surgery, boat makers, and boarding schools, to name a few. But his soul, along with many of his most famous titles, seems to lie in food. He champions both the nutritional and emotional value of cooking: “[Cooking]'s just as important and takes just as long as showering,” he told us, “but I’d much rather you didn’t shower.” While making his delicious recipes for Panna, he continually reminded us to spend time with our partners any time we were waiting for the food to finish cooking. We agree with Ruhlman: cooking is essential to living. And to really get the most out of it, Ruhlman wants to make chef-quality food accessible to home cooks. He’s partnered with renowned chef Thomas Keller to write three cookbooks, including The French Laundry Cookbook, and with Chef Brian Polcyn to co-author two books on cured meats. Ruhlman has also written over a dozen of his own cookbooks, on everything from sautéing to schmaltz.Ruhlman came to the Panna studio to take us on a deep dive into one of our most popular ingredients: chicken. After years of cooking with some of America’s best classically trained chefs and editing their recipes, he’s honed all the necessary techniques—from trussing a simple roaster to flattening breasts (with a frying pan!) for an iconic chicken paillard with lemon-caper sauce. From Szechuan to yakitori to three kinds of chicken salad, Ruhlman will show you the many ways this humble bird can truly shine.Michael's Books:Ratio (2010)Grocery (2017) The Making of a Chef (2009)