Four new All-Stars (Cat Cora, Antonia Lofaso, Michael Psilakis and Marcel Vigneron) strut into the Chopped Kitchen, sights set on the Grand Finale. In the first round, a special Spanish meat must be paired with an airy cookie. The chefs who make it to the second round face a huge ingredient to butcher and some tiny, sour fruits to tame. Flavored water and clarified butter are part of the culinary puzzle that the final two chefs have to solve in their desserts.
Comfort food connoisseurs and gourmands alike know that any dish can benefit from a slice, a melt or a sprinkling of cheese! In this special competition, every basket is filled with cheesy yumminess including an unusual take on a Philadelphia classic in the first round. The chefs must work with a crunchy cringe-worthy surprise in addition to a fancy Spanish cheese in the entree round. And a cheese-tastic tower is one of the building blocks for the finalists' desserts.
These days, bars are catching on to the food scene, offering more than just a bowl of peanuts or a plate of fried chicken tenders. Join Bobby as he samples cocktails and refined bar food, then heads back to his kitchen to prepare some of his own. Recipes Include: Crispy Squash Blossoms with Pulled Pork & Black Pepper Vinegar, Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Sauce, Oven Baked Buckwheat Flatbread with White Beans Hummus, Caramelized Onions, Black Olives and Spanish White Anchovies, Champagne Cocktail, Hemingway Daiquiri.
Adam Gertler samples classic confections getting a modern update from unexpected ingredients. An exclusive tour of Tootsie Roll Industries in Chicago reveals the juicy new Pomegranate Tootsie Pop. Visit Gooey Louie in St. Louis, where traditional gooey butter cake is teaming up with fruit, chocolate, caramel and dozens of other fresh ideas. And at Xooro in Glendale, CA, Spanish churros go gourmet. Loaded with rich fillings and rolled in luscious chocolate, Xooro turns out exotic deep fried desserts like tubular Tiramisu and Maple Bacon.
The Grill Dads continue their road trip hunting for outrageous food in surprising places. First up is the Basque Market in Boise, Idaho, where they whip up a stunning Spanish rice seafood paella. Next, the Dads travel to Austin, Texas, to one of the most unique Chinese dumpling houses in the country, Wu Chow, where they help make Chicken Bao buns. Finally, the Dads visit Seattle, Wash., for some original paprika-spiced chicken wings that literally tower over any other chicken wing out there.