One life-changing act of kindness changed diner owner Dena's life, inspiring her to open her heart and use her business to uplift her community in Monroe, Mich. But her best intentions are facing a losing battle against a pungent carpet, bland side dishes, and a disorganized front area. Dena's last hope is with renovation expert Ty Pennington and Chef Amanda Freitag, who have only 36 hours to grind out some grinders, pound out some poutine, and completely gut the entire diner behind Dena's.
The Kitchen has quick and easy meals tailor-made for a busy schedule, like Sunny Anderson's Garlic Knots and Easy Pasta Bake and Katie Lee's Curried Shrimp and Corn Chowder. Vegetable side dishes get amped up with Geoffrey Zakarian's Honey-Miso Sauce and Jeff Mauro's Romesco Sauce. Food blogger Deb Perelman drops by to whip up a Smoky Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower, and then the hosts throw a German Pub Party. Finally, Katie and Geoffrey go head-to-head in a Dessert Dash.
Valerie Bertinelli loves the idea of Taco Tuesday, with its easy prep and infinite combinations of tastes and textures. She's putting together her own taco-centric spread with plenty of toppings and side dishes for a fast and tasty weeknight meal special enough for her guests, comedian Anjelah Johnson and her husband, musician Manwell Reyes. Valerie's menu includes Chicken Tinga Tacos, Quick Cook Carnitas, Lime Cilantro Rice, Spicy Black Beans, Pickled Shallots and Red Onions. She continues the theme for dessert with Neapolitan Dessert Tacos.
It's time for the recruits to learn about the wonderful world of desserts. They get a crash course in cake decorating from pastry chef Zac Young, and then their cake decorating skills are put to the test. For the skill drill, chefs Anne Burrell and Carla Hall teach the recruits how to make anything-but-ordinary cupcakes. Then the recruits return to the savory side when they have to make fresh pasta from scratch. The least successful dishes earn their recruits a trip home.
Michael Symon and his dad have always shared a passion for outdoor cooking, so Michael turns the backyard grill into a smoker to make his dad's favorite Sticky Ribs. Then, Michael kicks a classic side dish up a notch with Grilled Potato Salad as his wife, Liz, joins Michael to turn his dad's obsession with chocolate into giant cookies infused with tons of chocolate, crunchy pretzel and sea salt. The incredible aromas from all three dishes bring their puppy Norman into the backyard for a surprise appearance!
After a season packed with grueling challenges, only two chefs remain to battle it out for the ultimate culinary title of Iron Chef. The challengers head to New York for a Thanksgiving-themed showdown in legendary Kitchen Stadium, where they face a true Iron Chef challenge: prepare five creative and delicious dishes in 60 minutes using the always-feared Secret Ingredient. In addition to the season's three judges, the finalists also try to impress special guest judges, Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto. In the end, only one chef will reign supreme to earn the title of The Next Iron Chef.