By LuluBates
The quickfire challenge is one enormous product placement for Uncle Ben's, but since this is a show about family I guess it is appropriate. The contestants have fifteen minutes to create an entrée that features the heat-and-eat rice and is impressive enough to dazzle the palate of guest judge Art Smith. Yes, that Art Smith. Oprah's personal chef Art Smith. Don't pretend you don't know. Mark, Stephanie, and Lisa make up the bottom three with boring, dense, and boring food, in that order. Antonia and her hot-cold rice salad over steak wins immunity. And, no, I have no idea what rice salad is, what it tastes like, or why Art Smith keeps saying hot-cold when he talks about it.
The elimination challenge is to create a simple, nutritious, and delicious full dinner for a family of four for the low, low price of ten dollars without heading to the KFC drive-thru. The chefs devise menus and head to the challenge location where they meet the second half of their challenge-- shrunken sous chefs! Jealous! Kids are herded into the kitchen, paired up with a chef, and put to work creating delicious, nutritious family dinners. Antonia cries because she misses her daughter and that some how makes Richard want to go home and make mini blazes. Call the fire department and my gag reflex.
Andrew, Nikki, and Antonia are taken into the backroom first. Andrew's fennel extravaganza and Nikki's one-pot wonder chicken just can't compare to Antonia's single parent stir-fry. She gets no prize love at all and has to issue the call of doom to Mark, Stephanie, and Lisa. Lisa tries to defend her bland chicken, edamame, and black bean dish. Stephanie's mystery basket lunch of peanut butter and tomato couscous garners no praise from the judges. But it is Mark and his sloppy vegetable curry and its incredibly serious lack of protein who finally realizes that Tom hates him and heads home. G'day mate!
Last week (if you can remember that far back what with all the Zyrtec you've been popping), Hermie the Elf was sent home for crimes against phalluses. And by Hermie, I of course mean Jennifer, who should have probably avoided dabbling in food-based phallic symbols what with being openly gay and all. Although I viewed the entire asparagus arousal issue as simply a cry for help and a desire to go home to Zoi. Undoubtedly Hermie has learned a valuable life lesson. Let's see what lesson is in store for the contestants this week!
As daybreak comes to the Top Chef house, Lisa is in her jammies smoking on the roof deck. It's interesting how so many chefs will risk their valuable palates with cigarette smoke, but I guess looking cooler and older is totally worth the loss of subtle taste distinctions. In the first confessional of the day, Stephanie lets us know that it's been a long haul so far, but it is only half way to the finals, so she is going to buckle down and prove her worth. Which is totally a sign she is in the bottom three. Antonia is fired up. She is done doubting her flavor combinations. She is going to f*&# everybody (scandal!) but she is here to win and she will do anything (or anyone?) to do that. Mumbles Mark said something about coming to America to run a kitchen and how winning would catapult him in that direction, but I can't understand a thing he says and some of my best friends are Kiwis. Regardless, such statements usually mean someone is going to wind up in the bottom three. Also, he uses a Crest spin brush. As does Stephanie. Maybe they come with the house? Some chucklehead shouts "Vamoose!" and the contestants head to the Top Chef kitchens.
Madame Padma is rocking the equestrian chic with a black vest and long-sleeved ivory blouse and riding crop. She introduces today's guest judge, Art Smith, as Oprah's personal chef. She quickly adds that he won some James Beard awards, too, but what does James Beard matter when you bear the mantle of the big O? Besides, Oprah totally bought him that James Beard humanitarian award. Dale tells us that Art Smith is known for simple healthy food and that he is opening a restaurant in Chicago. Art Smith stands with his hands in his pockets jingling his change like a man who has won the life lottery. Oprah's personal chef...where was that option at my middle school career fair? I bet Art Smith gets tickets to the Oprah's Favorite Things show. Dale also tells us that the kitchen is filled with Uncle Ben. He does not sound overwhelmingly impressed. Padma embarks on an odd speech about how an entire dinner service can crash and burn if one chef screws up. Art Smith adds that a minute in the kitchen is ten to the diner, which explains why all the diners on Hell's Kitchen are so irritable. Padma explains that today's quickfire challenge is to create an entire entrée in fifteen minutes. Lisa lets us know that fifteen minutes is not a lot of time. Andrew rolls his eyes. Spike and his fugly fedora grimace, too. Padma reassures the chefs that she knows it is not a lot of time, but Uncle Ben is here to help. She then launches into the most egregious product placement yet. Not egregious merely because it is so blatant, but egregious because it is so clearly obvious that this product placement is incredibly misplaced. None of these cooks and no one daring to claim the title of Top Chef would go near some creepy shelf stable pre-made rice. It's rice! It takes 20 minutes on the stove. It is really easy! Now don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the dining shortcut. I love Indian food in a box. I love a good frozen pizza. Kashi entrees? Totally tasty. But shelf stable rice is creepy. Not as creepy as shelf-stable bacon, but creepy nonetheless. Stephanie's face apparently agrees with me as she is barely holding in an eye roll. Undoubtedly the Top Chef code of conduct requires no openly sneering at promotional products.
Quickfire chaos ensues. Richard informs us that a fifteen-minute challenge is his biggest nightmare. Mine involves Herself the Elf and a bowl of ice cream, but that is neither here nor there. Lisa tells us that people are in front, behind, and on all sides. Surprisingly, Dale is doing Asian food. A stir-fry to be precise. Stephanie is throwing together a "random" sauce, spies some bay scallops and decides to make a seafood pancake with rice. She has never had one before, but wanted to make something interesting. Totally bottom three. Spike is Greek and, therefore, is doing stuffed tomatoes to show his roots. Antonia is doing rice salad. Which is rice mixed with salad and everyone thinks she is crazy until they taste it. Richard reminds us that you need to taste your food. Then Mumbles Mark tells us that he didn't taste his food. Gosh, I wonder what will happen to poor Mumbles?
As the quickfire time ends, Art Smith and Padma roll into the kitchen to taste the dishes. Art Smith likes "the cold and the hot" of Antonia's rice salad over skirt steak. I don't really know what he is talking about. Nikki (she's still on this?) made a fried rice dish so boring looking that not even the inventive "soy sauce on the side" can save it. Way to go for the gold, Nikki! Especially compared to Richard's tuna steak and tomatoes over rice with truffle oil and Yuzu vinaigrette. And I know we can't all be Richard, but still... Speaking of Richard, he just tasted his food and put the spoon back in the pot. The same offense that Mark was harangued for during the tailgating episode. No one seems to notice, but, um, gross. I know this is probably fairly common in commercial kitchens, but couldn't the editors take care of it and leave that little scene on the cutting room floor and leave me to my romantic notion of latex-gloved chefs in hairnets and beard snoods hygienically creating my food? No? Fine then at least have the judges call everyone out equally. Stephanie admits that she also didn't taste her pancake and then confesses that she really wants to win immunity. Totally set up for the bottom three. Spike has his stuffed tomatoes and Lisa dishes up some below average looking Southwest fare of rice, shrimp, black beans, and guacamole. Oh maybe she meant Southwest Airlines? That makes more sense. Art Smith explains that the acid makes the dish and that a lot of chefs over-salt instead of adding acid. (Oprah: Chefs Who Over-Salt. Can They Be Saved?) Dale's fried rice looks way better than Nikki's, and Dale and Art Smith share a love of the long bean. (Now that would make a great personal ad.) Mumbles Mark's miso-glazed turkey with wild rice and grape salad is greeted with sighs of displeasure. Padma thinks that it is tough and needs sauce. Also that it is chicken. Mark opines that he doesn't think he will be in the top three. Mark, we agree. Andrew's wild rice crusted fish with brown and wild rice is inventive, but crunchy. Art Smith dishes out the bad news. Mark is in the bottom three. As is Stephanie, who is bummed out, but will make something great for the elimination challenge. Er...not with that editing job you won't. Rounding out the bottom three? Surprisingly, not Nikki, but Lisa. Art Smith felt he had seen it before. Undoubtedly on the plane. Winners? Dale's complete meal of a stir-fry, Richard's delicious yuzu tomatoes, and Antonia's rice salad. The winner? Antonia. Art Smith just loved the hot and the cold. Really. He said it again. Padma reminds her that she now has immunity from elimination.
Padma whips her riding crop to get everyone's attention. She wants everyone to know that being a chef gives many opportunities to enrich the lives of others with Uncle Ben's heat-and-eat rice products. Also with humanitarian work. Art Smith's nonprofit organization, Common Thread, is about bring people back to the dinner table. Art Smith explains that eating is a common thread. Antonia tells us that she thinks that the mission is great. She grew up eating dinner with her entire family and she does the same thing with her daughter. Holy frijole, does this mean Antonia is going to win immunity and the challenge? Is this what the editors are trying to tell us? Wow. A rare feat to be sure. Padma explains that for many families that means learning to make simple, affordable, delicious, and nutritious meals. The challenge is to cook such a meal for a family of four with a budget of ten dollars. And it has to be a meal that can truly be cooked at home. Andrew says it is impossible to come up with a meal for ten dollars since it can't be lobster terrine. Andrew is obviously not quite grasping the challenge. Antonia then says you just make it work. (Um, Antonia? Tim Gunn called and because you're on Bravo, you're allowed to use his tagline. Enjoy!) Antonia is down with the people and the people are broke. I agree with Antonia. With a little creativity you can definitely feed a family of four on ten dollars: Rice, beans, chicken, vegetables. Easy! Padma then announces that they have to spend the ten dollars at Whole Foods. And then I find myself in Andrew's camp. Well maybe with a little creativity and a hundred dollars. Without that it's not possible to feed a family of four for ten dollars at Whole Foods. It's just not. Unless the whole family can feast for a week on a can of beans and a pork chop. And at Whole Foods that would still probably break the budget.
Oh look an ad for Uncle Ben's! Wow, product placement and advertising. Uncle Ben is ponying up the big bucks for his creepy rice. Lisa feels strongly that chicken is nutritious and cheap. Andrew also wants cheap chicken. He then explains that his mother raised him and cooked a lot of different styles of food. His cooking concept is to make something simple with an old concept that he makes new. Could we have a top three contender in Andrew? He did mention his mother. Dale sees that everyone is buying chicken. Dale tells the radio audience that he is Filipino and that he can cook Asian, but he wants to push his boundaries. Besides he is in Chicago and where else can he cook brats? So he is. And, no, he is not making them by hand despite the earful that Nikki got about serving pre-made sausage. Stephanie is befuddled by this challenge because her mother made a lot of gourmet food but didn't care about nutrition. Did she just blame her mother? Bottom three! She comments that she has a mystery basket, too many flavor ideas, and a lot of negative energy because of her issues with her mother. Mark is making a vegetarian curry, which he does for himself and his lady when he is strapped for cash. Antonia has an edge because she is a single mom. She knows how to stretch a buck. And she stretches that buck by making a whole wheat pasta, chicken and vegetable stir-fry. Another stir-fry. Who knew Top Chefs made so many freaking stir-fries. I can just picture Jean Georges and Daniel Boulud making stir-fry for each other on their off nights. When did this show turn into the Stir-Fry Hour sponsored by Uncle Ben's? I want molecular gastronomy! I want ham powder and Marcel's gastriques and foams! I want grown up food! I feel better. Everyone is having a hard time making the ten dollar budget and is standing at the cash register peeling leaves off their bok choy to make the weight limit, which really must be thrilling for the cashiers what with the overweight bok choy and fennel cutting into their camera time. Or creating their camera time? Maybe the cashier will thank the bok choy in her exemplary performance by an extra acceptance speech at the Emmys. Isn't that a category?
Back at the townhouse, Antonia calls her daughter to tell her an off-putting poo knock-knock joke. Being the cool mom sure has changed a lot since I was a kid. Antonia tells us that she is going to cook until she drops for her daughter. Why do parents on reality shows always act like they are doing it for their kids? I was watching The Bad Girls' Club the other day (for research purposes, I swear!) and even two of those skanks claimed they were doing it for their daughters as if public drunkenness and peeing in sinks was somehow a valuable trait to pass on to their children or would lead to some future profitable career in animal husbandry or something. Not that Antonia is as bad as the, er, Bad Girls, but what exactly is her daughter going to be getting out of this except abandonment issues? Not worth the inevitable therapy bills if you ask me, which, obviously, you didn't. Anyway. Off we go to the Washburne Culinary Institute for the Elimination Challenge.
At the site, everyone is unpacking their strangely large Whole Foods bags. Dale for example has four apples andsausage. From Whole Foods. For ten dollars? Maybe he traded the cashier some of his fifteen minutes for her five-finger discount. Oh forget it, I am officially suspending my disbelief in favor of moving on. Padma and Art Smith show up to give the chefs a little help in the kitchen. And by "little help" they mean "short help." It's school children! No doubt swiped from their parents and put in Oprah's school! Yay for child labor! Padma awkwardly yells, "There they come!" as the kids pour into the room. The kids are pretty cute, but not quite cute enough to explain Antonia's bursting into tears. Apparently she misses her daughter and the mere sight of children causes spontaneous eye leakage. The editors are doing a really nice job of making her look more human this week. Normally she acts like a cranky android with a questionable palate. The kids are from Art Smith's charity, Common Threads. Each kid is paired up with a chef to help cook the meal. Most of the chefs are really nice to the kids and have managed to curtail their potty mouths in the presence of minors.
Lisa likes to have kids in the kitchen. Her girlfriend has a kid and she lets him cook. Richard is using beets in his dish and his sidekick, Abigail, isn't convinced, but Richard's on a personal mission to make Abigail like beets. Antonia's kid has mad knife skills so she is going to "let" him do all the chopping. He looks wary. Spike is making pasta puttanesca and carrot soup. Two seconds into peeling the kid manages to cut himself on a carrot peeler, that doesn't stop him though and he is back to peeling in no time. His toughness inspires Spike to ask whether or not he has a girlfriend. The kid replies: "Not yet." Just wait until the ladies get a load of that carrot peeler scar, kid. Mark explains the concept of curry to his young helper. He is concerned that she has never had it before, but not as concerned as Lisa who just doesn't think curry is a good idea for a family. What is a good idea according to Lisa? Not showering for a week while on national television. Nikki was raised by wolves and had to teach herself to cook when she was just a wee pup. The first dish she made when her wolf-mother was able to drag home a carcass? Roast chicken and vegetables, which is what she is making now. Dale is only five feet five inches, which is why he is a chef and not a pro-basketball player. He is hoping to inspire his pipsqueak sous chef with his dazzling culinary skills. Andrew is concerned about the connections between health, nutrition, and poverty. He was over 200 pounds in high school because he didn't know about nutrition. Wow the confessionals on this episode are fantastic! Nikki was feral, Lisa is allowed within fifty feet of children, Dale is short and obsessed with brats (the meat variety, not the child variety), and Andrew is a shadow of his former self. Awesome! And it is so cute how everyone is pretending to like kids.
It's Tom Time in the kitchen. He struts in and immediately starts confusing the pants off of some of the kids which is in clear violation of Illinois state law. As Tom talks to Abigail about sweating onions, Richard once again takes a big old bite of food and sticks the spoon back in the pot. Right in front of Colicchio's big old bear head. Surely Tom will say something now. Surely he will. Maybe later? Tom? Tom heads off to traumatize Dale and Manuel. Nikki explains her enfant sauvage upbringing, Mark explains his love of curry, and Tom explains that he is going to stay in the kitchen the entire time so that he can watch the kids. Creepy! Andrew is making a chicken paillard (his kid is wailing away on the chicken like it's the schoolyard bully) along with a healthy fennel salad. Spike is making pasta and soup and dessert. With groceries he purchased for ten dollars. At Whole Foods. Stephanie is making a couscous dish with tomatoes and peanut butter. Tom thinks peanut butter and tomatoes sound strange. Dale tells us that Tom is staying in the kitchen to make sure that the recipes are simple. Stephanie states that her dish is well seasoned, but overcooked. Kiss o'death over couscous, anyone? At the end of the challenge everyone high fives and sends out their plates.
The cafeteria is filled not with families of four, but with more kids from Common Threads. I don't think that is particularly fair. If the cooks knew they were serving children they probably would have skewed their menus towards the mac-and-cheese and mini-pizzas and away from, say, vegetable curry. Not that kids can't eat curry, but if they are going to be judging the competition at least let the chefs try and buy them off with chicken tenders or something. Richard and Abigail serve first. They made roast chicken with a black bean, apple and beet salad. Richard is really excited to tell the chefs that his mission has been accomplished and Abigail likes beets or is too terrified to disagree with the scary pink-shoe man. Lisa is up and she explains that there are three kids per table and her sous chef is going to sit with them and explain the meal, the judges get another plate to share, and Tom inexplicably is hanging out in the kitchen, eating alone. Lisa and Andrew (small Andrew, not the big one) made roast chicken with edamame and black beans and a peanut butter and apple dessert that Andrew made by himself. Padma wants more fresh vegetables and Art Smith wants more flavor in the chicken. Gail looks like her face is going to flee in horror at the lack of fresh veg. Dale and Emmanuel serve turkey bratwurst with potatoes, onions, apples, and red cabbage. He felt that it was tasty and he is ready to stand up for his dish. Padma says it is too acidic and not suitable for every taste. I didn't realize they were supposed to aim for the lowest common denominator in their cooking. Spike and Alex made pasta much to the relief of the kids. They also made carrot soup and half-baked apples, which were not complete but tasty anyway. Gail is impressed with all the vegetables in the pasta. Um, Gail? Not sure that olives and capers qualify as vegetables. Tasty, yes. Vegetables, no. Nikki said everything came out just the way she wanted it and the chicken was seasoned perfectly and she can't imagine them not loving it and I would say that was a bad sign for her, but the editing job seems to lean more heavily towards top than bottom three. I could be wrong though. It has happened. She tells the judges once again about her wild child past and Art Smith loved the story and the one-pot wonder chicken and vegetables and how it was a very complete dish. Now we cut to Tom scarfing down food, alone in the kitchen. Mark mumbles something about how having Tom in the kitchen is unnerving. Mark then serves his vegetable curry, cinnamon rice, and cucumber salad. Padma says she is surprised that they made curry. Um, maybe because you didn't explain the challenge very well? Anyway, it's too sweet and there is not enough protein. Gail repeats, "Not enough protein." Art Smith echoes, "Not enough protein." They repeat it over and over like some unholy mantra. It is unsettling. Is the beef industry sponsoring this episode by any chance? Antonia and Jeffry serve chicken, vegetable, and whole-wheat pasta stir-fry. The judges all proclaim that it is a little sweet but that Antonia's stir-fry trumped Mark's because she knows what she is doing and this is real life for her. Like her food doesn't matter so much as the fact that she is a single mom, which sort of undermines the whole compliment in my opinion. Andrew presents a well-executed chicken with fennel, apple, and orange salad. Art Smith declares it delicious. Stephanie's sous chef doesn't seem wild about her dish despite Stephanie's proclamation that it has "healthful, good flavors." Sounds tasty! Her eggplant and zucchini in peanut butter-tomato sauce over couscous doesn't exactly wow the judges. Art Smith doesn't think it tastes great. Padma says that the couscous is not done well and Gail blurts out that it is the tell-tale sign of a restaurant chef who doesn't cook at home. Really? Bad couscous says all that? Or maybe the couscous spoke to Gail. That would explain a lot.
The chefs are in the kitchen gathered around a suspiciously prominent package of Glad wrap when Tom tells everyone to wrap it up (tm Glad) and that all the kids had fun. He then finally exits the kitchen to join the judges. Everyone declares Nikki's dish a winner. The judges also liked Antonia's dish, but had a weird way of expressing it saying it was real life and not a stretch for her and seriously undermining the compliment once again. No one liked Lisa's dish because it was bland and overcooked. Nor Stephanie's because it was "peanut butter and tomato." 'Nuff said, Tom, 'nuff said. Except not at all. Can I buy an adjective, please? Lisa tells us that she has no idea about the judging today. Richard tells us that seeing Antonia cry made him want to go home and make babies. Little Blaises. Which was kind of sweet and kind of gross all at the same time. Undoubtedly like a peanut butter and tomato sauce.
Judge's Table. Back in the Glad-lined waiting room at Top Chef HQ, the cheftestants all congratulate each other on their dishes and discuss how fun it was to work with kids. But the glad-handing (tm Glad) is cut short when Padma enters the room and asks to see Andrew, Nikki, and Antonia. I still don't understand this part of the show. Don't they always call the winning chefs first? If so, why do they always look so surprised and relieved to be named the winners? Do they sometimes call the losers first? No, because they have the winners call in the losers. So is there some fancy editing involved? I'm confused. Anyway, Andrew, Nikki, and Antonia are relieved and surprised to know that they are the top three in the challenge. According to Gail, Nikki's dish was very well seasoned and the brave move of putting in brussels sprouts clearly put her over the top. Art Smith once again expressed his love for the one-pot wonder. Tom hasn't really said anything. Maybe he is feeling ostracized since he had to eat in the kitchen. Or he is sleepy after eating seven plates of entrees by himself. Padma praised the way Andrew made fruit accessible in a savory dish. Gail is so happy that Andrew introduced an entire table of children to fennel. (Children, fennel. Fennel, children.) He single handedly expanded their culinary language. Without getting permission from the parents? Andrew, you cad! The judges all loved Antonia's delicate yet flavorful chicken and vegetable pasta dish. Gail explains that you don't have to dumb down your dishes, just make it tasty! Art Smith announces that the winner is Antonia and her wonderful stir-fry. If Marcel or Hung were on here they would be pissed. Stir-fry! Good grief. Antonia tells us that this is the best challenge she could have won. I have to disagree, though, because this lame challenge has no prize. What is the point of winning these if you don't get immunity and you don't get to cook Oprah's afternoon snack? Lame! After stiffing her on a prize, the judge's rudely ask her to send in Lisa, Stephanie, and mumble-mouth Mark.
Padma rubs their noses in the obvious fact that they are the bottom three on this challenge. Then like a hot schoolmarm she asks them to explain why they are here. Stephanie doesn't think she did a simple enough dish for the challenge. Tom blurts, "Peanut butter and tomato! Peanut butter and tomato!" and then falls back asleep. Art Smith said the portion was too large, which has never been a complaint at any of my family suppers. Stephanie agrees that the couscous may have been overdone, but does not dignify Tom's "Peanut butter and tomato!" with a response. Padma asks Mark if he tasted his dish. He did and he was fine with it. He's baffled as to why he is here, but he thinks Tom doesn't like him and that's why he's there. The judges all chuckle about that, but don't really tell him he's wrong. They then get very serious and tell him it was his lack of protein that caused his downfall. Vegetarians aren't looked kindly upon in these parts. Art Smith also wants more vegetables. Gail returns to the "Not Enough Protein" mantra, causing Mark to point out that there are millions of vegetarians worldwide and vegetarian options on every single menu in the world. Now don't get her wrong, Gail loves vegetarians. Loves them! But don't mistake her for one. Also, despite the fact that sweet potatoes are the most nutritionally-dense food on the planet, he should have put more vegetables in his dish. The judges turn on Lisa . She is very defensive of her canned black beans and edamame. She thought the judges wanted the food to be bland so it could be easily emulated at home. Last time she was on the chopping block she learned to follow the rules of the challenge lock, stock, and bland canned beans. Her food was all the things they were told the challenge was about: Healthy, nutritious, and, goddammit!, chockfull of family love! She is shocked (shocked!) to be here. The judges are underwhelmed by her hostility and send the losers off while they deliberate.
Lisa's defensive posturing has greatly upset Art Smith. He feels very strongly that great chefs need to be able to take criticism. Lisa's chicken dish looked good, but didn't taste right. It had no flavor and was boring. Tom rambles that you are always cooking for an audience and sometimes you reach them and sometimes you don't, but bland food is bland food. You know, Tom, just because you string a bunch of phrases together it doesn't necessarily make a well thought out point. Take this recap for example: Lots of phrases, yet no point. Moving on to Mark's dish, the judges comment on how sloppy it was on the plate. Okay, hold on there just a minute. Richard licked a spoon and then dropped it back into the pot in front of your face and you said nothing, but Mark's dish looks sloppy? Maybe Tom really does hate him. The judges found Mark's curry unappealing, lacking, and the mono-vegetable nature showed a lack of nutritional and financial common sense that the judges just couldn't stomach. Stephanie has always been successful until now, so the judges are very disappointed. Not just in her dish, but in her. Art Smith points out that couscous has been around a long time and that it is not that hard to make. Tom shrieks, "Peanut butter and tomato! Peanut butter and tomato! Peanut butter and tomato!" until he has to be sedated. Back in the Glad waiting room the chefs look nervous.
Padma announces that they have reached a decision. Tom intones that today's challenge was cooking for Art Smith's organization, Common Thread. Unfortunately for these three chefs their common thread was suckage. Stephanie's dish was over-complicated and did he mention that the peanut butter and tomato flavor combination was off putting? Did he mention that? Did he? He wants to make sure that is clear. Is it clear? Is it? Stephanie nods, wide-eyed in horror at the crazy man. Tom turns to Mark. Mark didn't spend his budget wisely and in this country there is no greater sin then fiscal irresponsibility except, perhaps, mono-vegetable curry. Lisa's meal was nutritious, but was bland. They did appreciate the attempt, though. This fun day has to come to a bitter end for someone and it is Mark that is told to pack his knives and go home. But before he can go Tom wants to state again (and for the viewing audience) that he does not hate Mark. Mark was a lot of fun to be around, they had a great time, it's not you, it's me, we will totally be friends later, let's catch up and have a beer in a hot tub, love ya', mean it! Mark is shocked to have been sent home, but it was a great experience for him. If he could say anything to his fellow chefs it would be "Rock on, rocker" or something but it was kind of hard to understand.