Top Chef Masters: Pesto, Chango!

This week we have four new chefs and two recycled challenges in a battle royal for the charities of their choice: Douglas Rodriguez of Alma de Cuba et al. (Ayuda for the Arts); Anita Lo of Annisa (Share); John Besh of Restaurant August et al. (Make It Right); and Mark Peel of Campanile (Doctors Sans Borders).

Quickfire.  Kelly welcomes our contestants and wants them to each cook a dish with an egg–the hardest ingredient to use, especially when one hand is tied behind their backs.  As they cook, let’s laugh at the chefs handicapped while Mark Peel talks about his father only having the use of one hand (AWKWARD!).  John Besh is learning that the Top Chef ovens don’t work right and he scrambles (wocka, wocka!) to fix it and winds up with barely anything to serve.  But who is the bigger one-handed badass: Mark who made noodles or Anita who put cooked eggs back in their shell containers.  The judges, including the always irascible Gail Simmons, give the win to Anita with a maximum of five stars.

Elimination Challenge.  Create a dinner for Neil Patrick Harris and his magician guests at the Magic Castle.  Let the Doogie jokes begin!  Some creepy magician type (Max Maven) talks to them about tricks, I mean illusions (because a trick is something a whore does for money . . . or candy).  Anyway, there’s some trick (sorry!) where they each get a card with a word on it that they must use as inspiration for their dish: mystery, illusion, spectacle, and surprise.

After some talk from Mark about sabotaging the New Yorkers, the cooking begins.  And Chef Tom is back with his awkward banter while people are trying to work.  He makes a good point when talking with the camera: the Top Chef masters aren’t getting bogged down by the challenge, unlike the regular Top Chef guys.  In other words, the masters are professionals.

To the Magic Castle, or as Anita calls it, Hogwarts.  Unfortunately, the house elves aren’t available and these guys have to cook everything.  Plus house elves don’t use liquid nitrogen.  You don’t want to hear me describe plating so on to the service.

Service.  We meet Neil Patrick Harris, the magicians, and the panel of critics with Gail and Gael (looks like one of the magicians pulled Gael out of a hat).  Mark serves “mystery” with his food, which is served in a wrapped package.  John serves “surprise” and asks Neil to assist him as he makes a sorbet with liquid nitrogen.  Neil thinks something is to be desired in the execution.  Anita is by far the most creative with her “illusion” dish: it looks like a scallop but it’s really steak tartare with a seascape underneath making a crackling noise and a broth to give a sea smell.  Finally, Douglas serves “spectacle” but it’s not flaming like he wanted so his fire and ice motif doesn’t work.  Again, Neil talks about the lacking in the execution.

Critics’ Table.  We run down the line and Gail’s giving good criticism, at least more than the soft-touch comments we normally get.  So not much to say on this, except that Gail needs to be on more episodes.  In the end, Anita advances to the next round with her thoughtful display of illusion, over Mark as runner up.

Next week: A blender explodes!

For another opinion on this episode, check out Flaming Coconuts! by Jaimie Campos.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

Season 1, Episode 4: Magic Chefs (originally aired July 8, 2009)

For more on Top Chef Masters, click here.

Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal, Kelsey McNeal