Recap Food Network Star S9 E9

Published July 29, 2013 | By Stuart

The latest season of Food Network Star is underway and the latest round of wannabe TV chefs have begun their quest. We’ve seen first impressions and heard what the judges think but what the world really wants to know is what I think. Let’s do this.

If you haven’t seen tonight’s episode STOP! Watch it HERE first and then come back. It’s a frickin recap, yo!

Doing the Impossible: A Food Network Star must be able to offer tips and solutions for any culinary situation. Guest Robert Irvine leads the finalists on an “impossible” challenge: They must rehabilitate failing or outdated dishes on a restaurant’s menu. The least successful finalist is sent home.

Last week’s episode was a complete waste of time. Nothing, and I mean nothing was accomplished. The producers brought a contestant, Lovely, who had already proven to be less than Star material and guess what? She still is. Stacey is still the clear favorite despite a rocky week. I’ve seen this show enough to recognize when editing is manipulated to make a contestant look better or worse than their actual performance. I don’t believe Stacey’s performance last week was all that bad but without the benefit of seeing all of the footage we have to take the Network’s word that it really went down that way. Sorry FN, not buying it.

So with last week’s episode being totally devoid of entertainment this week’s couldn’t help but be better could it? Wrong! This week marked the return of what is traditionally the most moronic challenge each year – the use-Kellogg-cereal-in-something-other-than-a-bowl-of-milk-challenge. This is never any good and more to the point does nothing to help establish anyone’s creativity or expertise. It is simply an hour long commercial for Kellogg Cereal. This episode can always be summed up in word – sucks.

Now for my take on each:

Eliminated week 1.	Eliminated week 2.
Eliminated week 3.	Eliminated week 4 and again in week 8.
Eliminated week 5.	Eliminated week 6.
Nikki’s first dish did not go according to plan. Her rescue for it did not sound appealing. Her presentation was just okay but the she did rescue the salad. Apparently it tasted better than it sounded. Nikki got her least favorite dish in the second challenge – salmon. I don’t trust a TV chef that doesn’t like salmon. The dish did not look appealing. But the judges said it tasted better than it looked. Her presentation was shaky. Unquestionably the worst performance of the episode.	Alton questioned her ability to pull off French toast in an hour. That’s strange since it isn’t really that hard of a dish. Her presentation was pretty good and her food was really good. Damaris got steak and potatoes for the second challenge. She’s not a big steak fan. I am. She looses a few cool points. Her mashed potatoes started going sideways but she pulled it out. Her presentation was adorable but the food was just so-so.
Rodney’s first dish didn’t sound like something you want to eat. His presentation was a little choppy. Alton was neutral on it. In the second challenge Rodney turned Chicken Caciatore into a pie. A fried pie at that. It was a struggle to execute. His presentation was entertaining but not in a food show way. The food was not good at all.	Russell’s presentation was not great. His food was fine. Just fine. His second dish challenge he took simple stuffed chicken and rice pilaf and tried to up date it by poaching the chicken and replacing the pilaf with risotto. Risotto is a labor intensive dish that takes about 45 minute to prepare. This is a big gamble. His presentation was pretty good. The risotto gamble paid off as his food was outstanding. Best performance of the day.
Stacey rebounded extremely well. Her presentation was a home run and her food was just as good. She walked away with the first challenge. Her presentation was solid but the judges used the tired old cliches they use when someone is blowing the competition away – fake, guarded forced, polished, rehearsed. What all of these comments actually mean is “we have to pretend the race is still close or people will stop watching.” The food was good.	Eliminated week 7.

The person who will NOT be the next Food Network Star is…

Nikki

Posted in FNS | Tagged alton, Andres Guillama (Waynesville, bob, bobby, burger, chopped, Chris Hodgson (Cleveland), Connie “Lovely” Jackson (Los Angeles), Daniela Perez-Reyes (Haleiwa, Danushka Lysek (New York), Episode, fns9, food network star, full, Giada, Haw., ky, NC, Nikki Dinki (New York), Penn., recap, review, Rodney Henry (Baltimore), Russell Jackson (San Francisco), Stacey Poon-Kinney (San Diego) and Chad Rosenthal (Ambler, Susie, Ted Allen, Viet Pham (Salt Lake City); Damaris Phillips (Louisville, watch

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Stuart in 80 Words or Less

Stuart is a celebrity chef, food activist and award-winning food writer. He penned the cookbooks Third Coast Cuisine: Recipes of the Gulf of Mexico, No Sides Needed: 34 Recipes To Simplify Life and Amigeauxs - Mexican/Creole Fusion Cuisine. He hosts two Internet cooking shows "Everyday Gourmet" and "Little Grill Big Flavor." His recipes have been featured in Current, Lagniappe, Southern Tailgater, The Kitchen Hotline and on the Cooking Channel.

Stuart’s Honors & Awards

2015 1st Place Luck of the Irish Cook-off
2015 4th Place Downtown Cajun Cook-off
2015 2nd Place Fins' Wings & Chili Cook-off
2014 2015 4th Place LA Gumbo Cook-off
2012 Taste Award nominee for best chef (web)
2012 Finalist in the Safeway Next Chef Contest
2011 Taste Award Nominee for Little Grill Big Flavor
2011, 12 Member: Council of Media Tastemakers
2011 Judge: 29th Chef's of the Coast Cook-off
2011 Judge: Dauphin Island Wing Cook-off
2011 Cooking Channel Perfect 3 Recipe Finalist
2011 Judge: Dauphin Island Gumbo Cook-off
2011 Culinary Hall of Fame Member
2010 Tasty Awards Judge
2010 Judge: Bayou La Batre Gumbo Cook-off
2010 Gourmand World Cookbook Award Nominee
2010 Chef2Chef Top 10 Best Food Blogs
2010 Denay's Top 10 Best Food Blogs
2009 2nd Place Bay Area Food Bank Chef Challenge
2008 Tava: Discovery Contest Runner-up