ICA: Zakarian vs. Frauneder
Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian faces off against challenger Eduard Frauneder, executive chef at Edi & The Wolf in New York. Judges are Jeffrey Steingarten, Cady Huffman, and John Curtas.
One of the youngest Michelin-starred chefs from Austria, chef Eduard Frauneder began his culinary career at a young age. In his preteens, he worked alongside his father in the multiple bakeries and pastry shops the family owned in Vienna.
Fast forward years later, Frauneder’s passion for food hasn’t waned and he’s managed to bring his home flavors to Alphabet City of all places.
Along with business partner Wolfgang Ban, they opened their second NYC restaurant Edi & the Wolf. The result is a rustic yet sophisticated Austrian bistro. We chatted with the chef about Austrian flavors, grapes and Oktoberfest. To learn more about Chef Eduard Frauneder there is a great interview with him HERE from metro.us.
Waiting for Chef Frauneder is the newest Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian. Expect fireworks. Expect drama. Most of all expect amazing food. Bring on Battle Yak.
Check below for the outcome.
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| Zakarian | Frauneder | |
| Taste | 26 | 20 |
| Plating | 10 | 14 |
| Originality | 10 | 13 |
| Total | 46 | 47 |
ICA: Morimoto vs. Martin
Chef Dena Marino, born and raised in a huge Italian family in New Jersey. She was brought up on a steady diet of pizza, pasta, and sausage. Leaving New Jersey for the Culinary Institute of America, she currently heads the kitchen at Ellina in Aspen, Colorado, where she interprets modern and classic Italian cuisine. Now, she’ll draw knives with the dean of the Iron Chefs, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.
With the knowledge she gained cooking alongside her grandmother, Dena left for Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She graduated to a job at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Three years later, on a visit to San Francisco, Dena traveled to the Napa Valley’s Tra Vigne to sample the creations of Chef Michael Chiarello. In him she found a culinary soul mate; she finagled a job and soon became the restaurant’s sous chef. After three and a half years with Chiarello, Dena was offered the position of Chef at the Ajax Tavern in Aspen.
Marino’s Menu:
Fig & Ahi Crudo
Fig & Pancetta Stuffed Quail Over Gnocchi
Red Trout with Fig Marmelatta
Fig Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Fig Panna Cotta
Iron Chef’s Menu:
Fig Hassun (Chili Fig, Nama-Fu, Fig & Beef Tartare, and Fig Martini)
Steamed Bun with Pork & Fig
Fig Carpaccio
Wagyu Fig Wellington with Eel Over Rice
Selection of Fig Desserts (Cappuccino with Fig Creme, Fig Burrito, and Fig Doriyaki)
The judges for Battle: Fig were Andrew Knowlton, Danyelle Freeman and Jeffrey Steingarten.
Check below for the outcome.
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Morimoto Marino
Taste: 24 Taste: 21
Plating: 12 Plating: 10
Originality: 13 Originality: 10
Total: 49 Total: 41
ICA: Flay vs. Christensen
After nearly two months off it is good to see the king of TV cooking shows back. Raleigh-based Chef Ashley Christensen jumps into the pressure cooker of Kitchen Stadium to battle Iron Chef Bobby Flay. Will she rise to the occasion or explode under the pressure?
Ashley Christensen, the chef-owner of Raleigh’s Poole’s Diner is in town tonight and she brings with her the traditions of Carolina cooking. She makes just the third chef from the Triangle area to battle on Iron Chef. Chef Ashley is considered one of the top chefs in the Raleigh area. Last September she was included in Bon Apatit’s article “Women Chefs: The Next Generation,” where she was thrown into good company along side Kelly Liken, Naomi Pomeroy and Allison Vines-Rushing.
The questions is whether Chef Ashley is ready for the heat of Kitchen Stadium where Iron Chef Bobby Flay awaits along with his sexy sous Rene Forsberg and Christine Sanchez. Also waiting is the secret ingredient Chum Salmon and the judges Ben Sargent, Cady Huffman and Jeffrey Steingarten.
Check below for the outcome.
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Flay Christensen
Taste: 20 Taste: 14
Plating: 12 Plating: 11
Originality: 13 Originality: 10
Total: 45 Total: 35
ICA: Morimoto vs. Amoroso
This week on Iron Chef: America we get to revisit the 2009 battle between Chef Anthony Amoroso from Michael Mina in Las Vegas. He enters Kitchen Stadium to take on legendary Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in Battle: Branzino.
If you aren’t interested in re-watching the rerun read on for the score. In the meantime here’s an excerpt from an interview with Anthony Amoroso from nj.com:
Amoroso, a Jersey native who is now the executive chef at the Borgata’s SeaBlue in Atlantic City, used a light hand to showcase the fish, opting for simple but elegant preparations, including a crudo with avocado puree and basil gelee (okay, that was a little fancy-schmancy); a tartare with oil-cured black olives atop a candied blood orange; smoked branzino with star anise and cinammon; a trio featuring pickled, sauteed and fried branzino; and a Pernod and fennel-infused pot pie.
The judges for the battle were Mario Rizzotti, Jeffrey Steingarten and Akiko Katayama. Any way, the challenger won out by a score of 49-47.
