Top Chef - Week 2

With each passing year, the pool of Top Chef contestants becomes better. It is really inspiring seeing what each can do...

The Quickfire Challenge this week was to create the best sandwich. It was judged by the White House chef. The contestants drew knives and split into pairs and were forced to make their dish in thirty minutes....while wearing a single apron.

Tracey and Angelo won the challenge with a flounder sandwich with a siracha mayo. I told you siracha mayo is good!

For the main challenge this week, the contestants had to cook school lunch for school children for $130. The budgetary restriction was the biggest obstacle. The chefs were split into groups of four.

Kenny and Angelo (#1 and #2 in last week's power rankings) were on the same team. You would think that this would work out well, but their team was on the bottom! Their menu was a train wreck. It consisted of a chicken burger, peanut butter and celery crudites, a sweet potato puree with cinnamon and an apple bread pudding. The dishes looked wholly unappetizing. It was so bad that the judges basically asked Angelo whether he intentionally threw the challenge (because his team won the Quickfire challenge, he had immunity). He was caught on camera admitting that he does not like Kenny. In that, I figured out why I cannot root for the guy. I will be happy if and when he is eliminated.

The team with Lynne, Kelly, Arnold, Tiffanie won the challenge (the overall winner of the challenge was Kelly). Their menu looked great (especially considering the money limitation). They served a black bean cake & crispy sweet potatoes, braised pork carintas taco with pickled onions and cilantro, roasted corn salad and a caramelized sweet potato salad. Unlike the aforementioned menu, this menu had a lot of color. They did a great job.

The judges kicked Jacqueline off. She was an easy scapegoat because she actually admitted to adding 2 pounds of sugar in a challenge centered around healthy eating in schools. It is too bad because she seems very sweet, but it is too early in the competition for me to feel any connection to her.

Week 2 Power Rankings

1. Kenny -- this was not his finest week, but he did not do so poorly that he deserved to be dropped. I believe he was dealt a bad hand when he got stuck with Angelo on his team (maybe this is wishful thinking).
2. Angelo -- begrudgingly. I am not thrilled that he remains ranked. He did not perform well this week (nor with honor), but I believe it was intentional.
   
3. Lynne -- her black bean cake looked incredible.