Top Moments of Food Network Star, Season 10: Star Salvation
Browse memorable challenges and shocking twists featured on Star Salvation, hosted by Damaris Phillips and Geoffrey Zakarian.
Episode 6: Finale Contender
Reuben's the sixth and final eliminated hopeful to attempt redemption on Star Salvation. After being ousted for his struggles to command on camera, he must pursue this last-ditch effort to rejoin the competition. "I am so fortunate that I'm getting a second chance," Reuben reflects. "I just want to show these people that I am that person you need on the network."
More: Star Salvation Ep. 6, Part 1
Episode 6: A Chef at Work
Geoffrey's taking over the kitchen for the challenge in this two-part episode. After he prepares mushroom-and-cheese-stuffed omelets for each competitor, the finalists must describe his dish in mouthwatering detail. "You need to get the viewer excited," Geoffrey notes.
Episode 6: Looking for More
"It shows that you are a food authority," Damaris tells Luca, after he correctly identifies Geoffrey's omelet as being in the French style. Unlike in previous weeks, however, he's not full of energy. "What I was missing was your passion about food," Damaris adds.
Episode 6: Be Yourself
Damaris notes that the lighthearted Chad who chatted with her before filming is the person he should be on camera: "I think that you are more fun in real life than you were describing that."
Episode 6: Could Be Better
For Reuben, the struggle isn't energy, but rather an ability to fully explain the dish. "I didn't hear anything about the texture of the eggs, which I think is the magic there," Damaris tells him, and Geoffrey adds, "You missed the fact that it's Gruyère, not mozzarella."
Episode 6: From Three to Two
Before the top-two rivals can compete head-to-head in a burger cook-off, one contestant must be sent home, and ultimately it's Chad whose race for redemption has ended. "For us it came down to really being comfortable on camera, showing off your culinary expertise," Geoffrey explains.
Episode 6: Battle of Cultures
"This challenge is going to be Italy versus Miami," says Reuben, who's working on a burger packed with Miami classics like pineapple and a fried plantain, plus a quail egg. As for his presentation, Reuben notes, "It's going to be very straightforward. It's going to be the flavors that I want to bring to the network."
Episode 6: Two Worlds Combine
"My strategy is really just to be myself and connect with the camera," he notes of his upcoming presentation. In an effort to showcase the flavors of his home country of Italy and also those of Texas, where he lives now, Luca tops his tomato paste-laced burger with mushrooms and Fontina cheese.
Episode 6: Busy Burger
Geoffrey and Damaris laud Reuben for a presentation that clearly highlights his passion for his family and for Miami, but they wish his burger were more focused. "It is awesome to have all of the flavors of Miami on your show," Damaris tells Reuben. "I just don’t necessarily think that they all have to be on one plate."
Episode 6: Mixed Results
Although both judges find Luca's burger bun to be disappointing, the patty itself is a success, as Geoffrey explains that the tomato paste "really gives a nice acid punch to it." Geoffrey notes of his presentation, however, that he wishes Luca had expanded upon its details more.
Episode 6: Luca to Return
After earning an undefeated record on Star Salvation, Luca proves himself worthy of redemption and will return to the Food Network Star competition.
Episode 5: Culinary Contender
In his first attempt at Salvation, Christopher's realistic about his chances at success given past struggles. "I'm hoping I get to cook again because it's the only thing I seem to do well," he says.
More: Star Salvation Ep. 5, Part 1
Episode 5: Candy As a Challenge
Sure enough, this week's test asks the rivals to transform sweet caramels into a savory dish in only 25 minutes — but they must present the plate as well.
Episode 5: Simply Sugar
Although caramel may not seem like a traditional barbecue ingredient, Chad explains that the candy "is just basically a sweetening agent," so he uses it to make a barbecue sauce to top nachos. "It changed my life," he explains of his earliest memories of meaty barbecued nachos.
Episode 5: Better Times Before
Luca puts his spin on classic surf and turf by introducing a shrimp-mushroom salad with a caramel-balsamic vinaigrette, but just before time is called, he realizes that some of the components may be bland. Sure enough, Geoffrey says the dish "reads flat," and the host tells Luca: "It wasn't your best presentation."
Episode 5: A Chef at Heart
"For me, it will always be about the food," Christopher admits, so his story appears less personal and more focused on the cuisine, and the judges notice. "I didn't hear a real story about who you are," Damaris explains. "Where is a passion?"
Episode 5: Barbecue Triumph
Although Chad has struggled with presenting, he wows the judges with a story about the first time he experienced Memphis barbecue. Later Geoffrey deems Chad's nachos "first-rate," and Chad advances to next week's Star Salvation finale.
Episode 5: Final Goodbye
Despite his strong cooking chops, Christopher's sent home for the last time, ultimately ending his chance at salvation. "It's just a bummer to put up a really good dish but go home again," he reflects.
Episode 4: All About Speech
Aryen joins the race for redemption in week four, and her first Salvation challenge will test her conversational abilities after she struggled to fully connect with viewers in the competition. Damaris and Geoffrey ask each finalist to conduct an interview with the hosts as the subjects. "Those questions better be interesting," Geoffrey reminds them. Damaris adds, "And above all, you need to make us feel comfortable."
More: Star Salvation Ep. 4, Part 1
Episode 4: Relating the Questions
Chad succeeds in starting each of his questions with a brief story about his own connection to the subject, but he fails in keeping both interviewees engaged, as he questions Damaris and Geoffrey separately. "With two people, you have to treat them as a couple," Geoffrey tells him. "If you're just listening to me too intently, she's going to sit over there like a third wheel."
Episode 4: Stuck on Spice
For Aryen, the issue isn't relaying her questions, but rather answering those posed to her. After Geoffrey asks her a fan's question about which spice she identifies with most, she pauses and finds it difficult to explain her answer of turmeric. "You need to know what you're going to say, say it succinctly and be done. That's one thing I did not do well," Aryen admits.
Episode 4: Journalistic Excellence
"The person that put Geoffrey and I at ease immediately is Luca," Damaris announces. Luca managed to engage both Damaris and Geoffrey at once, and the interview turned into a laid-back conversation instead of a stiff question-and-answer session.
Episode 4: Gracious Goodbye
"It's about communicating your culinary thoughts," Geoffrey tells the bottom-two finalists, Chad and Aryen. Ultimately, however, it's Aryen who's sent home once and for all after Damaris tells her: "Food becomes such an essential part of this."
Episode 3: Kenny Makes Three
Geoffrey and Damaris welcome Kenny to Episode 3, and right away he, Luca and Chad are off on their latest challenge for potential salvation. Because he was ousted from the competition for less-than-stellar food, the pressure is on to deliver a high-quality meal. "The second time around, I definitely have to make sure that the food is tasty," Kenny admits.
More: Star Salvation Ep. 3, Part 1
Episode 3: Kid-Size Snacks
With just 25 minutes to prepare, the finalists must put signature spins on childhood snacks before presenting them to the judges, plus one child who knows all about food competitions: Brandon Scawthorn, the winner of Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off. "For me growing up, crepes was one of my favorites," Brandon says of his go-to snack.
More: Season 1 Winner: Cooking in the Fast Lane
Episode 3: Hometown Pride
Philadelphia local Chad uses his history of going to baseball games with his dad to inspire his Philly cheese steak sandwich, but he's concerned about the cheese melting in time. "In Philly, you make your steak and your onions on the grill; the cheese usually melts by itself," he explains of the traditional sandwich. But he says that today, "The cheese is just not melting as quickly as I'd like."
Episode 3: Delivering on Dumplings
"My favorite childhood memory is dumpling," Kenny explains, noting that he'd make these ginger-pork bites with his mom growing up. "Who doesn't like little ... pockets of love?"
Episode 3: Between the Bread
For Luca, snacks come in the form of sandwiches, and he settles on making a meaty panini inspired by his best friend, Franz. Luca's secret to the dish? Adding the mozzarella and tomato after the rest of the sandwich has been griddled. Damaris tells Luca that he's delivered "perfect food," and he's given an automatic advance to the next episode.
Episode 3: Almost Melted Dreams
Although Chad's sandwich is hearty, Geoffrey tells him, "You convinced me that this is a snack for you and your family." But as Chad imagined, the cheese hasn't melted properly, and the judges take notice. Despite that failure in execution, Chad's allowed to continue.
Episode 3: Saying Goodbye
This week it's Kenny facing elimination once again, as he failed to marry his food and point of view in his presentation.
Episode 2: The Italian Perspective
Luca joins Salvation this week, and he soon confronts an issue that he's struggled with in the past. "You kind of had a hard time connecting with the viewer and the camera," Geoffrey reminds him before introducing the next test, which is to make a 30-second video demonstrating a single culinary tip. "This challenge is designed for each of you to present culinary information very clearly and very directly to the camera," Geoffrey adds.
More: Star Salvation Ep. 2, Part 1
Episode 2: Breaking Down Barbecue
Once again, Chad embraces his barbecue point of view and opts to share the secret to "prepping meat for a smoker," which he reveals to be mayonnaise. He explains, "I want to show them something different that even an Iron Chef never heard of before."
Episode 2: Tomatoes 101
"Thirty seconds isn't a lot of time, so I wanted to do something very simple: how to easily peel a tomato," Martie explains, but she tells Geoffrey and Damaris that she's concerned about demonstrating her entire tip in only 30 quick seconds.
Episode 2: Tomatoes, Take Two
Like Martie, Luca also shows how to peel a tomato, but his technique is different than Martie's. Damaris reminds him to make eye contact with the camera, and he admits, "That is good advice; I have to look up at the camera with a smile on my face all the time."
Episode 2: Preparing for the Job
"We need to see your Star power really shine through that camera," Geoffrey tells the rivals. He and Damaris aren't in the room as the finalists tape the videos, so they'll view them for the first time ahead of elimination.
Episode 2: Much to Share
Despite what Damaris calls his "good energy," Chad struggles a bit in his video, ultimately finding that "there's just too much information for 30 seconds." Geoffrey, too, notes that Chad ought to have found a way to close his demo more strongly. "Bookending it is really important," Geoffrey explains.
Episode 2: Restaurant-Inspired
Despite Luca's previous struggles with maintaining contact with the camera, he's found a way to cook and look at the lens simultaneously. "I can't believe you got sent home for not connecting with the camera," Geoffrey tells Luca after watching his video. "You nailed that." Ultimately, Luca's deemed safe from elimination and will advance to week three of Salvation.
Episode 2: Difference in Execution
Martie manages to finish her demonstration in the allotted 30 seconds, but the mentors note that her tomato-peeling technique isn't as refined as Luca's. "I don't always score the top of the tomato," Martie admits. "Maybe Iron Chef Zakarian wanted more of the professional point of view."
Episode 2: Fallen Fan Favorite
Damaris tells Martie, "You did a good job looking down at what you were doing and then coming back up to [the] camera, but it kind of fizzled." Martie's race for redemption comes to an end, as she's sent home and Chad's given another chance. "I really wanted to bring it home for Season 8, and I hate that I didn't do it," she reflects after the contest.
Episode 1: Back for More
Damaris says it best when she explains, "This season is all about fan favorites." She and fellow Salvation host Geoffrey welcome past competitors — Season 8's Martie Duncan and Season 9's Chad Rosenthal — to battle Donna, the first finalist eliminated from Season 10. For their premiere challenge, they're tasked with presenting themselves and their culinary points of view on pizzas in only 25 minutes.
Episode 1: Party Favors
"I'm known for easy, affordable ideas for entertaining. That's why they call me Martie with the Party," Martie explains, which is why she, too, maintains the point of view she began in Season 8. She opts to make what she calls "an everything-in-the-pantry pizza" because it's indicative of real-world cooking for viewers at home.
Episode 1: Beyond the Comfort Zone
"I don't make a lot of pizza. … This is going to be a little challenging for me," admits Donna, who manages to combine nutrient-packed ingredients like greens and anchovies with indulgences, including sweet sausage. Given her struggles while shaping pizza dough, she heeds Geoffrey's advice: "Don't be afraid to change it up at the last few minutes." And she replaces the dough with packaged wraps.
Episode 1: Bringing the Barbecue
When Chad competed last season, he never shied away from his barbecue point of view, and once again he's sticking with that perspective. He's combining grilled beef and a from-scratch 'cue sauce on Texas-style toast. "I feel like creativity-wise, I put me on that pizza crust," he admitted.
Episode 1: Job Audition
The key to Food Network stardom is being able to balance stellar cooking chops with personable charm, so Damaris and Geoffrey challenge the finalists to showcase their dishes in a 60-second presentation. Although Martie's struggled with long-winded performances in the past, she explains, "It's really easy for me to pitch my food because I am so passionate about my point of view."
Episode 1: Quality Pie
Donna wows the judges with what Damaris deems "maybe the most-tasty" pizza, but her performance lacks a connection to her point of view. "If you did that and explained, 'What I try to do is cram more vegetables to get all your vitamins,' you would have had a great story, and it would have been right from your heart," Geoffrey tells her.
Episode 1: Room for Growth
For Chad, his struggle came in the form of delivering a top-quality dish. His toppings boasted stellar flavors, but Damaris notes that the steak was too well done. "I think there's some really good things about this dish," says Geoffrey to Chad. "I wish it was a little more finessed on your part."
Episode 1: Story, Sold
"Even before I ate your pizza, I really got who you were," Geoffrey tells Martie, which is a testament to her delivery of her entertaining point of view. She's deemed safe this week and will automatically advance to the next episode of Salvation.
Episode 1: Final Farewell
Despite the success of Donna's dish, her journey to stardom has officially ended; she's sent home after the first round of Salvation. "To be the Food Network Star, you have to let us know who you are," Damaris explains, "and Donna, you missed that chance."
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Watch Star Salvation, then check out Star headquarters for behind-the-scenes photos, exclusive interviews and insider videos.
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