Tom Papa heads home to New Jersey to bake flatbread in a 400-square-foot, coal-fired oven at Frank Sinatra's favorite bakery. Crumb cake gets a massive makeover when its piled high with the s'mores trifecta: chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker. Tom goes international with new New Jersey classics like paper-thin Turkish dough layered with butter and cheese and Portuguese puff pastries filled with cinnamon-spiked custard. And his childhood memories come flooding back with a bite of Italian rum cake soaked with the spirit and layered with whipped cream.
Adam Gertler takes a tropical tour of the fruit flavors at the heart of classic candy bars and exotic new sours. In Lufkin, TX, see how the Atkinson Candy Company turns a tropical storm of coconut into millions of their famous Rainbow Coconut Bars. Then rediscover Bonomo Turkish Taffy bars. Out of production for decades, the best-selling Bonomo bars are back, in all of the original flavors, including strawberry and banana. And in South San Francisco, pucker up for a new generation of sour chews at Gimbal's Fine Candies, featuring a medley of twelve tartly sophisticated flavors.
D.C. Chef Jose Andres enters Kitchen Stadium to challenge Bobby Flay to a succulent battle. Will Chef Andres take home the title of Winner, or will Chef Bobby Flay prove too much culinary prowess? Tune in to see whose cuisine reigns supreme!
Judges
Dr. Tim Ryan
Jeffrey Steingarten
Rene Syler
Challenger stats: Chef Andres
From: Mieres, Asturias, Spain
Restaurants: Cafe Atlantico, Jaleo, Zaytinya, Minibar by Jose Andres, Oyamel
Cuisine: Spanish cooking! Also, Greek, Turkish, Lebanese and Mexican. Minibar is where I let my imagination go free.
Interests: Barca, my family, good food and wine, technology and travel
Ideal secret ingredient: Cigalas, centollo or lobster
Culinary inspirations: Ferran Adria, Juan Mari Arzak, Martin Berasategui, Thomas Keller and all the guys who work with me.
Ideal judge: Ferran. It would be an honor to have my friend and mentor there.
Culinary secret weapon: Mortar and pestle, microplane, iSi bottle, Spanish olive oil
Favorite restaurant: Depends on my mood! Some days it would be French Laundry or El Bulli. Another day it would be Rompeolas or Rafas, or maybe something at La Boqueria in Barcelona.
Favorite food: Again, depends on the day! Sometimes jamon Iberico or fabada asturiana or soft shell crab. Other days I want centollo and sidra or cigalas a la plancha or watermelon and tomato or sea urchin or sashimi. Other days, nothing is better than pancakes and maple syrup with my girls. And sometimes you can't beat a good hamburger.
Food you won't go near: I can't think of any!
Weirdest thing you've ever eaten: I don't know! This depends on perspective, no? What is weird to me is normal to you! And visa versa. I guess people might think percebes (gooseneck barnacles) are weird. They look like something from the movie Beetlejuice.
Favorite food destination: Casa Gerardo in Asturias for fabada, Chesapeake Bay for blue crab, El Bulli for anything.
Alternative dream job: Soccer player, actor, playwright, astronaut or sailor