S14.E09: For the Kids

[FormerMod-a1]

A blindfolded taste experiment tests the chefs. Later, the chefs draw inspiration from their own childhood memories to create meals for a charity gala for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital. Appearing: Michael Voltaggio and Graham Elliot.

[Pickles]

Finally. Emily goes.

[urusai]

Brooke complimenting Sheldon's dish was soo sweet.

Buh bye Em.  I'm trying to remember the "great" things you put on the plate.

[Bastet]

Valiant effort by the editors to create suspense, when an amoeba could have figured out Emily was going home. 

It sounded like a delicious collection of food.  Even Emily's cake would have been tasty, just not up to the rest.  I'd have loved to eat my way through that event.

I have no problem with something like making fun of someone's accent when it's done between friends and with good-humored intent, but when "tea in your termos" didn't land the first time, Brooke should have moved on.  I still like her very much, and had a pang of nervousness when she got the "I'm homesick" edit.  Impressive palate, too -- I wanted someone to ask Voltaggio how many he got when he did the QF challenge for himself before filming, so I'm glad she did, and love that her greatest victory was performing better than him.

John is delusional.  But, man, did his dish sound good, and it shows just how utterly delicious the top three must have been to have edged him out.

Like I said, this was one where I'd have loved to be among the tasters.

Casey's impression of Padma needling her about the scallops cracked me up.  I like snarkily judgmental Padma, but I also like people mocking it, so that worked for me on both levels. 

Edited January 27, 2017 by Bastet

[archer1267]

I was yelling at Emily to let her cakes cool a bit before turning them out of the pan. (I've learned the hard way.) I grew up with that same icebox cake - Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers held together in a log with whipped cream, and then chilled. May not sound like much, but it really is awesome.

I should try the blindfold challenge myself sometime because I couldn't believe they were giving the chefs basic things like avocado, chicken, and cherries. But clearly it was hard if John mistook cream cheese for flour!

Yay Silva! 

[susannot]

I really loved this episode.  All the food looked delicious, except for Emily's cake. It probably still tasted good.  I was worried that Sylva was being set up for the loss when at first he said his beef lollipops were lumpy and off balance.  How he transformed them into those perfect, delicious light shapes was miraculous.  Also Brooke's palate was mad impressive.

 

I was trying to think of what warm childhood memories I could think of on an episode like this.  The only thing I can think of is that I taught myself to cook and baked my father an apple pie, his favorite, at the age of 14 because my mother sneered at cooking as beneath her.

Edited January 27, 2017 by susannot

[AttackTurtle]

The top three tonight each sounded amazing as did John's dish.  I worried for Sylvia a bit when he was preparing his dish.  

As soon as I heard ice-box cake, I knew Emily was a goner.  

Im going to Maui in a month and Sheldon's restaurant is at the top of my agenda.  

[susannot]

Im going to Maui in a month and Sheldon's restaurant is at the top of my agenda.  

 

Please report back!  My son will be stationed in Hawaii in the Navy for the next four years and we are planning at least a yearly visit.  I plan to hit Sheldon's restaurant.

[avecsans]

"I hope everybody remembers me for the great things I put on the plate."  What???? Emily is delusional. Did she ever put anything good on a plate? Was she ever not on the bottom in individual challenges? Girl, bye.

How is Casey surprised that the judges were nitpicky about her level of seasoning?  And I was surprised that they didn't ding her for calling white bread circles a macaron.  She completely bugs and I would like her and John to go next.

I expect Brooke to win the whole thing, and I will be happy if she does, but I really like Sheldon.  He seems like such a good guy. 

I will admit that I hate tattoos but obviously they are ubiquitous.  But Michael Voltaggio, just stop.  The skull on your Adam's apple is a bridge too far.  It won't look bad ass when you're 70.  Old lady rant over.

[MerBearHou]

Finally Emily packed her knives.   Her cake was far too basic, but I get that it meant a lot to her because of her grandfather.

John and Sylva's dishes sounded like heaven to me.  

Brooke was extremely ambitious with all of those crepes and the extra-special treatment of the eggs.  Wowww.

John's efforts to be a better guy really touch me.  He's awkward about it and wants to talk about it (which I'm sure is part of his therapy) and the more Zen-guy doesn't come easily to him.  His natural personality, for so many years, has been a bull-in-a-china-closet but my heart goes out to him-- he doesn't want to be "that guy" anymore and is still easily baited and drawn to the old impulses.  It's tough when people have known him for years and won't let him change.  Casey, for example -- in the car she seemed to be exaggerating what I saw as a viewer -- he did not go ballistic ever or freaking out from what we were shown last week.  Oh well.  I just feel for him and I root for him.  Everyone should be supported if they're trying to be a better person, even if clumsily and inconsistently and imperfectly.  Casey calling him defensive -- hello???  She is super defensive when criticized by the judges.  

Sheldon is a dear.  Loved him buying the hat.  

[urusai]

9 minutes ago, AttackTurtle said:

Im going to Maui in a month and Sheldon's restaurant is at the top of my agenda.  

There's a place by my grandma's house in Paia called Mama's Fish House you must try.  So good.

[awaken]

I plan to check out sylva's dos tacos next time I'm in Philadelphia!  

Emilys been circling the drain, so no surprise there. 

Caseys and sylva's looked and sounded gross in the prep phase. Thought they were goners so glad they pulled it off!

[hendersonrocks]

Loved the top three. Who they are, and what they cooked.

Emily has the affect of a pre-teen girl. That's not a slam on pre-teen girls (I once was one!), but I finally realized her mannerisms and style of speaking are a solid 15 years too young for her, and it's doing her no favors.

[AttackTurtle]

10 minutes ago, urusai said:

There's a place by my grandma's house in Paia called Mama's Fish House you must try.  So good.

I've been to Mama's and it's amazing.  I plan on returning there next month.   

[Court]

16 minutes ago, hendersonrocks said:

Loved the top three. Who they are, and what they cooked.

Emily has the affect of a pre-teen girl. That's not a slam on pre-teen girls (I once was one!), but I finally realized her mannerisms and style of speaking are a solid 15 years too young for her, and it's doing her no favors.

I was thinking that I'd be thrilled if they are the top 3.

I think Casey nailed it when she said when things go wrong, it's never John's fault. We've seen him at least twice now at JT blaming everyone else but his teammates.

[neverclearone]

42 minutes ago, avecsans said:

"I hope everybody remembers me for the great things I put on the plate."  What???? Emily is delusional. Did she ever put anything good on a plate? Was she ever not on the bottom in individual challenges? Girl, bye.

How is Casey surprised that the judges were nitpicky about her level of seasoning?  And I was surprised that they didn't ding her for calling white bread circles a macaron.  She completely bugs and I would like her and John to go next.

I expect Brooke to win the whole thing, and I will be happy if she does, but I really like Sheldon.  He seems like such a good guy. 

I will admit that I hate tattoos but obviously they are ubiquitous.  But Michael Voltaggio, just stop.  The skull on your Adam's apple is a bridge too far.  It won't look bad ass when you're 70.  Old lady rant over.

I am with you. I always say "Wake up Alice, Wonderland is just around the corner."  Her with "those ovens aren't right." Yeah, okay.  Just super happy she is gone and the last hurrah was her going up against Jaime, that's Karma to me. 

She is just one of those people you want to "pinch her face off."  I wonder how she even got on Top Chef from what I saw.  

BTW, new here. Hi everyone! 

Just had to find a forum I could say how she should have been gone a long time ago.  And I don't think it was right for them to even accept Jamie's request to give up his immunity.  I think less of the judges for accepting it. 

[hkit]

59 minutes ago, avecsans said:

 

I will admit that I hate tattoos but obviously they are ubiquitous.  But Michael Voltaggio, just stop.  The skull on your Adam's apple is a bridge too far.  It won't look bad ass when you're 70.  Old lady rant over.

I like tattoos, but his just shout "try hard" to me. I find him to be painfully unattractive- both personality and appearance wise. At judge's table, his hunching over was all I could pay attention to. I can't stand it when he is on my screen. Also, I found his restaurant to be just OK. Rant over. 

[annewithaneee]

I'd take him over Blais any day, but I'm still not feeling Graham on the judge's panel. I feel like there was some sort of acting/presenting coach on the MasterChef set and he's now programmed to oversell his lines and speak in the same cadence that the other judges over there do. When he delivers his critiques, he sounds a little like he's reading to a group of preschoolers. Sweet, but over-earnest and each word is punched too much. It doesn't work with Tom's more frank and natural delivery, and Padma's stoned bitchiness.

[ProudMary]

I missed Gail this week.  

How do you live a block from the beach for a couple of weeks and not realize it?  It's not hard for me to imagine that these chefs had palates that couldn't discern simple foods in the QC.  They couldn't smell the ocean a block away! 

I really wish I could have tried Sheldon's dish.  That sounded amazing!

[HunterHunted]

5 hours ago, avecsans said:

"I hope everybody remembers me for the great things I put on the plate."  What???? Emily is delusional. Did she ever put anything good on a plate? Was she ever not on the bottom in individual challenges? Girl, bye.

How is Casey surprised that the judges were nitpicky about her level of seasoning?  And I was surprised that they didn't ding her for calling white bread circles a macaron.  She completely bugs and I would like her and John to go next.

I expect Brooke to win the whole thing, and I will be happy if she does, but I really like Sheldon.  He seems like such a good guy. 

I'm glad that Emily went out on one of her better dishes. It at least makes it seem like she somewhat deserved to still be in the competition.

Casey is an entitled asshole. This isn't her first time doing this. How is she surprised that slight mistakes could send her home? It's so clear that she thought this would be a coronation. She'd waltz in, alternate with Brooke in winning challenges, and she'd get to the finale. She should have been dinged for her white bread circles. They aren't macarons. I expected at least a pate a choux dough. Or a macaron with the sugar decreased and maybe xanthan gum as a stablizer.

Sheldon is a good guy. I thought that Brooke was a jerk for repeating the "tea in the thermos" line.

I love a good Jamaican beef patty. I would have loved to try Sylva's dish.

Padma was a big old bitch tonight.

Edited January 27, 2017 by HunterHunted

[CaliCheeseSucks]

Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster, she's finally gone!

Even though I'm still sore about Jim, it's hard to be discontent when we still have Sheldon, Shirley, Sylva and Brooke. I don't even dislike Tesar or Casey, they're just not my favorites at this point.

[urusai]

31 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

I missed Gail this week.  

How do you live a block from the beach for a couple of weeks and not realize it?  It's not hard for me to imagine that these chefs had palates that couldn't discern simple foods in the QC.  They couldn't smell the ocean a block away! 

I really wish I could have tried Sheldon's dish.  That sounded amazing!

I totally thought Sheldon was being facetious with the "I don't know if you guys knew about it, but there's actually a beach across the street."  

So Tesar just made a pimento cheese crab dip at restaurant wars but couldn't figure out what it was during the blindfold test?

Edited January 27, 2017 by urusai

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, urusai said:

I totally thought Sheldon was being facetious with the "I don't know if you guys knew about it, but there's actually a beach across the street."

Considering how everyone laughed - and how much an idiot he'd have to be to have been serious - yeah, I agree.  I think it was a producer-prompted excursion to get some "the gang relaxes" beach footage, but, on the off chance it was organic, it was still a facetious "hey, there's a beach over there" prompt to go relax now that they'd made it through the restaurant wars challenge.

[Dewey Decimate]

I've been mildly defending Padma to my mom for numerous seasons, not wanting to be a jelly-of-the-prettier-girl hater, but holy shit, I give up. Bitch, if you start the episode making predictable sex-play banter with the QF guest judge, you do NOT get to complain about not being able fit a slice of meat in your smug mouth.

Sheldon, Brooke, and Silva would be a fantastic final three.

[Wings]

I want  Brooke's brunch crepe, now, right this minute. She is a stand out and headed to be very big in this field.  I like her too, very compelling woman.  

I have a soft spot for John.  He knows he can be difficult and working to correct that.  I like him.

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Valiant effort by the editors to create suspense, when an amoeba could have figured out Emily was going home. 

HA!  So true and perfectly said. 

[threebluestars]

I just about choked when Emily said she'd been in the middle the whole competition, or something to that effect. What now??

[bitchin camaro]

I feel bad for Emily. She was just out of her league.

John - stfu about your transformation. You're trying, and that is a good thing, but tooting your own horn about not being an asshole anymore doesn't make you less of an asshole. Just don't be an asshole. Problem solved.

I want to marry Sylva.

I always wonder about the critiques on "seasoning." That seems like a personal taste thing to me - I am an avowed saltaholic. I would put salt on salt. That's why restaurants have salt on the table. I guess maybe fine dining ones don't, and if your dish is way undersalted, that's quite different from "one more grain would have made it." Well put that one grain on yourself, because not everyone has the same need for it as you do.

[movingtargetgal]

10 minutes ago, bitchin camaro said:

I always wonder about the critiques on "seasoning." That seems like a personal taste thing to me - I am an avowed saltaholic. I would put salt on salt. That's why restaurants have salt on the table. I guess maybe fine dining ones don't, and if your dish is way undersalted, that's quite different from "one more grain would have made it." Well put that one grain on yourself, because not everyone has the same need for it as you do.

I have always wondered about this.  I absolutely HATE black pepper, to me it makes everything bitter.  However, some people like black pepper so much that restaurants have a waiter go from table to table with a pepper mill asking dinners if they want fresh ground pepper on their salads and entrees.  Some people like a lot of spice in their food, others like blander foods.   It is all about personal preference.  

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Sheldon is a good guy. I thought that Brooke was a jerk for repeating the "tea in the thermos" line.

My take on that interaction was totally different.  Sheldon was the one who said his Dad called it a "termos", and Brooke just repeated it in a friendly, good-natured manner.  Sheldon certainly didn't seem to take offense at it.

[Gajic]

Did Emily really think Top Chef would serve them Fruit Rollups in the blind tasting challenge?

[jackjill89]

I'm both surprised/not surprised about the blind taste testing. So many chefs smoke, and that impacts the palate. Take away their sight, and their taste buds have to do much more work. Not sure if the chefs that didn't do well were smokers, but it wouldn't surprise me. 

As for John mistaking cream cheese for flour? Well, there's no reasonable excuse for that!

Edited January 27, 2017 by jackjill89

[RealReality]

Is Top Chef copying off of *gasp* Hells Kitchen?  I never thought I'd live to see the day.  Of course, if this was HK, everyone would guess everything was "beets or turnips," because thats as far as most of their pallets get.  How did John not recognize pimento cheese when he just used it in his shitty dip?

Casey was being a brat, they gave her an assessment of her food, it didn't suck, but it needed a little salt to balance it out and its not as good as the other four dishes.  I guess I get annoyed because clearly she is a talented chef, cooking around at least one chef who isn't nearly as talented.  I think Emily would have given her right thumb for that review of her food at any given time.

Emily grew on me as the competition went on.  I think she has deep insecurities and is socially awkward.  I think this is maybe the only relationship we've ever heard her talk about on Top Chef.  Most of the time, its been about how she got fired.  I'm impressed that the competition didn't break her, because being told week after week that "you suck" would have probably broken me.  I suspect, as I do with most of them, that her food as good when she is given the time and space and correct conditions, and i would try her restaurant in a heartbeat.

John is an asshole, and I'll be delighted when he gets the boot.  I don't think he did anything particularly asshole-y this episode, except to continually deny that he had any part in the shitshow between he and Katsuji.  Oh, and I also did not appreciate him trying to say the "entire team" was equally liable.  The "entire team's" failure started because John and Katsuji are jerks.  

Sylva's dish sounded absolutely delicious, as did Sheldons.  I like savory crepes, but not as much.

John's dish sounded good, but I think its hard to go wrong with king crab.

1 hour ago, Gajic said:

Did Emily really think Top Chef would serve them Fruit Rollups in the blind tasting challenge?

I was more surprised she thought she would get away with that without guessing a flavor.

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, Gajic said:

Did Emily really think Top Chef would serve them Fruit Rollups in the blind tasting challenge?

Well, John thought cream cheese was flour, which is a guess so flawed that James Beard, Gertrude Johnson and Mary Wales, and Auguste Escoffier should repossess his sense of smell, taste, and ability to sense textures.

[RealReality]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

My take on that interaction was totally different.  Sheldon was the one who said his Dad called it a "termos", and Brooke just repeated it in a friendly, good-natured manner.  Sheldon certainly didn't seem to take offense at it.

I don't think Sheldon really realized that she was making a joke at his expense. 

I don't necessarily think there is much fun in picking on someones accent.  its the lowest hanging of low hanging fruit, and its not funny. 

[Michichick]

John didn't use pimento cheese last week, he made crab dip with pimento to imitate pimento cheese. So he didn't just eat pimento cheese recently. But there is nothing toexcuse his mistaking cream cheese for flour; that's just embarrassing.

i spent part of the episode thinking Brooke would be in trouble on a technicality. They were supposed to take inspiration from their own childhood, but she she took inspiration from the crepes she makes for her son every week. I guess if the food is good, it doesn't matter if you follow directions!

Edited January 27, 2017 by Michichick

[FinnishViewer]

Quote

Is Top Chef copying off of *gasp* Hells Kitchen?

They have had this blind tasting challenge in a few older seasons as well. This was not the first time.

[RealReality]

33 minutes ago, Michichick said:

John didn't use pimento cheese last week, he made crab dip with pimento to imitate pimento cheese. So he didn't just eat pimento cheese recently. But there is nothing toexcuse his mistaking cream cheese for flour; that's just embarrassing.

i spent part of the episode thinking Brooke would be in trouble on a technicality. They were supposed to take inspiration from their own childhood, but she she took inspiration from the crepes she makes for her son every week. I guess if the food is good, it doesn't matter if you follow directions!

If he was trying to imitate pimento cheese than I would really think he knows what it tastes like.

[BusyOctober]

Glad Emily is finally gone.  She was waaaaay out of her league.  I know she was the "hometown girl" for this season, but really show?  She was the "best" you could find in Charleston?  She started off talking a big game about her bad attitude and her experience in  many kitchens.  I thought she was going to be bitchy, but be able to back up the talk with her skills (like Tiffany from days of yore).  But, nope.  She had nothing memorable on her plates IMO.  A great elevated dessert could have been a stroke of genius in this challenge.  No one else did dessert, and after all those savory dishes, the crowd would have enjoyed something sweet (and chilled in that heat). Emily couldn't deliver. That crowd and the judges wanted to eat 5 star quality food at these events; not something they could do themselves at home with a recipe off the back of a Duncan Hines cake mix.  A simple ice box cake with no flourish or exotic ingredients/flavors ain't going to cut it. She's a basic cook.  Basic pallet, basic skills, basic repertoire.  Basic isn't bad, but Top Chef isn't about basic. 

[Rammchick]

So here we are.  Only vets left, just as we predicted at the beginning of the season.  As for Brooke teasing Sheldon about his accent, I thought it was good natured, with nothing particularly malicious about it.  Clearly they have a warm relationship for her to say that to him.  Too bad it went right over his head.

John, you can go next, thanks.  He has no clue how much he was responsible for the very thing he couldn't stop harping about.

[Seelouis]

41 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

So here we are.  Only vets left, just as we predicted at the beginning of the season.  

Silva is a newbie -- the last one standing. 

[LotusFlower]

4 hours ago, Michichick said:

I spent part of the episode thinking Brooke would be in trouble on a technicality. They were supposed to take inspiration from their own childhood, but she she took inspiration from the crepes she makes for her son every week. I guess if the food is good, it doesn't matter if you follow directions!

I was thinking the same thing.  It was weird - she made no mention of why she was passing over a childhood memory, nor did the judges.  Some favoritism going on? 

[Ellee]

Sylva is the one lone newbie that is left. 

The fact that he tends to get lumped in with the vets quite often must say something about how he handles himself as well as his abilities. 

[Primetimer]

After a blind taste test, the chefs cook their favorite memories for charity.

View the full article

[CrinkleCutCat]

5 hours ago, jackjill89 said:

I'm both surprised/not surprised about the blind taste testing. So many chefs smoke, and that impacts the palate. Take away their sight, and their taste buds have to do much more work. Not sure if the chefs that didn't do well were smokers, but it wouldn't surprise me. 

As for John mistaking cream cheese for flour? Well, there's no reasonable excuse for that!

I'm always surprised about how many chefs who smoke.... maybe that's why so many of them cook with sooooo much seasoning? So they can actually taste it?! Their livelihood is about food and flavour yet so many of them are dulling their tastebuds.

Funny thing is, I've never met a smoker who thinks their taste is impaired and I've never met an ex-smoker who doesn't rave about how everything tastes better after they give up smoking!

[Archery]

7 hours ago, bitchin camaro said:

I always wonder about the critiques on "seasoning." That seems like a personal taste thing to me - I am an avowed saltaholic. I would put salt on salt. That's why restaurants have salt on the table. I guess maybe fine dining ones don't, and if your dish is way undersalted, that's quite different from "one more grain would have made it." Well put that one grain on yourself, because not everyone has the same need for it as you do.

I think the critique had more to do with balance than with saltiness.  I'm one who picks the salt crystals off of pretzels I get from the vendor, but I can tell when a food does not have enough salt.  It tastes, as my grandmother would say, flat.  It's really obvious if you taste regular oatmeal that has been cooked in salt water and oatmeal that has not.  Salt adds, for lack of a better word, dimension.  It's like when Gail comments that a dish needs a bit more "acid" -- she's not looking for a pucker experience, she's saying that the taste elements are out of balance. 

[Tess23]

A couple of thoughts:

-Sure, the judges are willing to overlook Brooke cooking from a 'present day memory' (i.e. her son) rather than from her own childhood, since she's the pre-designated winner. She's an awesome chef and seemingly a nice person, so okay, whatever.

-I read online reviews of 'Emily's restaurant' in Charleston, and the food gets amazingly good reviews. Since she's the executive chef, good on her. All along, Emily's admitted that she knows she's not good at the game aspect of the reality show, and I'm guessing that's part of what brought her down. Whether it's lack of confidence, lack of chef chops, or what, she may very well be a great chef who was just in over her head in this particular instance. Anyone in Charleston willing to take one for the team and go check out her restaurant? 

-It looks like Tom is having a ball this season, both on the show and on LCK. Wish we had more Gail and less Padma. And I'll take Richard over Graham any day of the week. Richard can be a little douchey but the man knows his food.

-Could not love Sheldon more.

[Tarasme]

*sigh* Voltagio. ::::oldladygrossslobber::::

I can understand that MV isn't classically handsome but damn does he have "C" Charisma. And while I'm a goodie two shoes that is blissfully without my own ink, I don't begrudge him trying to out rebel the rebels- particularly if it gives him a "bad boy" aesthetic compared to his brother's (*triplequadruplesighdrool*) sweet goofy boy next door.

[Eliza422]

10 minutes ago, Tarasme said:

*sigh* Voltagio. ::::oldladygrossslobber::::

I can understand that MV isn't classically handsome but damn does he have "C" Charisma. And while I'm a goodie two shoes that is blissfully without my own ink, I don't begrudge him trying to out rebel the rebels- particularly if it gives him a "bad boy" aesthetic compared to his brother's (*triplequadruplesighdrool*) sweet goofy boy next door.

Although when everyone has tats, you are no longer a rebel, you are just one of the crowd! 

[archer1267]

Quote

Brooke was extremely ambitious with all of those crepes and the extra-special treatment of the eggs.  Wowww.

I've been re-watching some episodes of her earlier season (Seattle) and had forgotten how innovative she was; she has good instincts. She seemed to take risks quite often - and have them generally pay off. Seattle was one of the rare seasons where I would have been fine with either/any of the finalists winning the title. 

Quote

As for Brooke teasing Sheldon about his accent, I thought it was good natured, with nothing particularly malicious about it.

I honestly thought she might not know why he was saying at first, because I didn't catch it the first time either. 

[cooksdelight]

As I was watching the blindfold challenge, I kept saying "Sniff it! Sniff it!" When you can't see, your nose takes over. Sheldon was smart to do that, but not enough, since Brooke beat them all. She has an amazing palate, I'll give her that. Anytime I have a cold and need to eat, I turn to lemongrass soup with lime and chilis because that thing will open up my nose. Otherwise, nothing tastes like anything.

The look on John's face when he was left standing alone during judges' table was priceless. Gee, not in the top three, not in the bottom three.... just standing here....stubbing my toe in the dirt..... All that pontificating he did about Katsuji and RW didn't do him any favors in my court of public opinion. You lie.

I am so glad Sylva won, his dish sounded amazing. I love anything that will make my mouth go crazy and my tastebuds applaud. It sounded like his dish did just that.

Emily.... might have wanted to stick to the original recipe with some type of sauce on the plate to elevate it. (God, I hate the word elevate, but it's appropriate here). She has seemed in over her head from the beginning, and her attitude didn't help. She's not on social media, that I am aware, to bitch about it but I'd be interested in hearing what she thought of the whole experience.

Casey.... your facial expressions did me in. Stop it.