ICA: Flay vs. Thiam

Finally a new Iron Chef!  After the fiasco of last week known as Cupcake Wars (if Twitter comments are any indication that phrase is doomed) we need an actual cooking contest to cleanse our palates, call it Reality Sorbet.

Pierre Thiam is the master of Contemporary West African cuisine.  Which stands to reason since the acclaimed Brooklyn chef actually hails from Senegal.  Today he is the executive chef at Le Grand Dakar where he has pledged to introduce a love of African food to America.  And judging by the critics’ chatter he is doing a good job.  Thiam has also sought to further educated the American palate with his book Yolele! Recipes From the Heart of Senegal (available at amazon.com).  For more on Chef Pierre here is a fine article from Friend’s Eat.

Senegalese food is famous for its spicy, intense flavors.  But Iron Chef Bobby Flay is no stranger to spices of any kind.  Both chefs seemed to be in their element when the secret ingredient was announced, papaya.  The judges for tonight were Karine Bakhoum (who looks fabulous after dropping some weight but she has retained her voluptuous curves.), Art Smith and Alpana Singh, the youngest woman ever to be inducted into the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Click HERE for the outcome.

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