Sorry I haven't posted this sooner, I've been in mourning. If you watched Wednesday night's episode of Top Chef and are a regular reader of this blog ... you already know why. If not -- read on ...

The Final Four -- Hosea, Carla, Fabio and Stefan -- were summoned to New Orleans to compete for the title. Obviously, they had been sent home after last week's episode for an undetermined amount of time, because Fabio arrived not only with a Mohawk, but his broken finger is now A-OK!

After arriving at one of those historic plantations New Orleans is so proud of, the cheftestants were greeted by hostess Padma, who couldn't wait to introduce the challenge's guest judge -- New Orleans Embassador de Cuisine Emeril Lagasse. I guess now that he's done with the Food Network, Mr. Bam! is free to appear on Bravo.



This week's QuickFire Challenge offered up a twist. The Final Four wouldn't be competing. Instead prior cheftestants Leah, Jaime and Jeff were brought back for a chance to get back in the game.



"Give me a break!" exclaimed Fabio, obviously flabberghasted that one would win the right to compete again.



Hmmm, it looked to me like things were a little awkward between Hosea and Leah ... don't forget that little make-out session they had a few weeks back.



The three returning chefs were tasked to create a dish with crawfish -- one of Emeril's favorites.



Leah's worried (big surprise), seafood was never her strong suit. Although now she's complaining about having to cook outdoors. She chooses to go the safe route with that old southern standby Gumbo.



Jeff, who always tries to do too much (which lead to his downfall), decides to simplify with Crawfish and Grits. He admits to being nervous cooking for Emeril.



Jaime decides to make a corn cake and greens with a ham and crawfish cream sauce (??).



In the midst of all, Stefan let's out a shocker and says "Leah's a good chef" (whaaaa?).



Jeff's nerves prove to be unworthy of their troubles, as Emeril chooses him as the winner. This puts Jeff back in the competition.



Bye-Bye Leah and Jaime.



The remaining cheftestants are all invited to spend the evening dining at Emeril's Delmonico Restaurant. And, of course, they're all very impressed with the quality of the food.



The next morning, the chefs travel to one of New Orleans' famed Mardi Gras warehouses, where the various floats are kept. Padma informs them that for the Elimination Challenge they will cater a charity event for the Orpheus Krewe. Each chef is responsible for creating 2 dishes (one must be Creole) and a cocktail for about 100 people. They will have 5 hours to prep and cook at Delmonico. They also get full access to the kitchen and food supplies.



Jeff is informed that in order to progress to the finale, he must win this challenge. If he does, two other chefs will be sent home. If he loses, Jeff is out, along with one other cheftestant. The winner of this challenge also gets a brand new Toyota Venza auto. Fabio, who really wants this prize, declares, "My car is a piece of poop!"



Time starts now!



Hosea decides to go with Duck, Andouille and Chicken Gumbo (more gumbo, sheesh!), Pecan-Crusted Catfish and a Hurricane with Grand Marnier and Rum.



Carla keeps it simple with Oyster Stew, Shrimp and Andouille Beignet and a non-alcoholic Cranberry Spritzer. Unfortunately, Carla later finds out that the oysters, while aplenty, are not shucked!



Stefan opts to make Duck and Rabbit Gumbo over Grits (more gumbo, anyone?), Apple Beignet and a Black Cherry & Rum Cocktail (mmm, could I get one of those now, please?).



Fabio gets daring with a Sausage and Rabbit Maque Choux with Grits (I have no idea ...), Muffuletta Bread, Crawfish & Crab Stew over Casereeci Pasta with a Bell Pepper Martini (oh yeah, gotta try one of those *smirk*).



Jeff goes with Fried Oysters with Sausage, Crawfish Pot de Creme (WTH??) and a Cucumber Mojito.



Sorry, I just have to laugh to myself right now, because I also watch Fox's trainwreck Hell's Kitchen, and after looking over the names of these dishes, I triple-dog dare any of the so-called "chefs" on that show to attempt making just one of them! Hell's Kitchen is the anti-Top Chef, but that's another story ...



As the chefs settle in and get to work, Hosea and Stefan realize that gumbo might not have been such a great idea, as it takes a lot of time to cook right. But Stefan's biggest problem is that over-sized ego of his, he thinks he's got it in the bag! And Carla's freaking out over the 100 oysters she has to shuck.

When Head Judge and Chef Tom Colicchio drops by to check on everyone, he wonders out loud why Carla doesn't just steam the oysters open (good question).

While Carla's stew is going just fine, she hasn't yet added said oysters and is worried that they won't get done and she's "gonna have to MacGuyver it!"

On to the Masquerade Ball at the New Orleans Museum of Art -- Carla's still shucking oysters, by the way.

As everone sets up their serving tables, the judges enter wearing masks. One by one they are revealed, and to my delight (and I'm sure the chefs) Gail Simmons is back!! Yay Gail!

By this time, I'm sure Elfman's getting all hot and bothered, because Padma looks smoking hot in her gown! Padma, we expect no less from you, ever!

Back to the cheftestants -- Carla finally asks for some SHUCKING HELP!!

(Yeah, I just liked writing SHUCKING HELP!)

The guests arrive and everyone goes right for the food. Fabio's a big hit with the crowd, as usual. He officially calls his bell pepper martini a "Trinitini," and some guy said Fab's caserecci pasta "was like a parade in my mouth." .... Oh, don't even go there!

Carla receives "hootie-hoos" from her fans over her offerings, while Emeril calls her dishes very New Orleans-inspired. (good sign C-babe.)

The judges are happy with Hosea as well. Emeril says he loves Hosea's gumbo! WOW! you go boy!

Of course, all the fun and frolicking must come to an end and everyone's summoned to Judges Table.

Jeff: Judges loved his oyster dish and praise him for his homemade sausage -- (again, don't go there).

Fabio: Judges wanted more heat. Fab thinks it was hot enough .. C'mon you hot Italian man, more heat please. While his cocktail smelled good, it didn't live up to the expectation, it was deemed too sweet. Fab says he likes sweet.

Stefan: Emerial says "never in 28 years have I seen Gumbo over grits" and they were very good grits! Tom slugs Stefan for being "over-confident." Whew, didn't see that coming, did you Stefan?

Carla: Thought her dish was too hot -- no girl, actually you're the one on fire! Judges have only praise for her oyster stew, drink and beignet -- Oh snap!! Have I mentioned how much Carla has grown on me over the season?

Hosea: Apologizes to judges for them getting to his table so late in the evening. Why, it's not his fault? However, judges loved his gumbo, with Emeril adding, "If I was blindfolded, I could be in any great restaurant in New Orleans."

Then Padma says ... "We have a TON of things to talk about. I'll see you in a MINUTE." Really, it'll only take a minute to talk about TONS of things?

Judges deem Stefan and Fabio as their least faves and worry openly that although they've both have been great competitors, they may lose one or both of them.

After a minute (??) Judges summon everyone back in and remind Jeff that if he doesn't win, he's gone! Oh thanks, like he forgot ....

Emeril names Carla the winner and Jeff packs his knives and goes ... for the second time.

Padma congratulates Hosea, letting him know he made it to the final.

And then there were two ... arrogant Stefan and fabulous Fabio. Two of the most promising chefs of this season.

Fabio's flavors were not layered correctly and he just missed the mark.

Stefan's food was good, but you're cocky.

Either way, it's the end of Team Europe!

Padma -- no, don't say it!! -- FABIO, please pack your knives and go.

**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! said in Darth Vader's voice by James Earl Jones at the end of Episode 3!**

Fabio graciously hugs Stefan and tells him, "if you don't win I'll kick your ass!"

God I'm gonna miss that guy!

Next week -- the final of the finale! Somehow, it's lost it's excitement for me. But I guess I'll be rooting for Carla now.

And for those of you who dare -- check out David Dust's Top Chef Recap -- it's LOL Funny, Wickedly Crass and bound to make my recap look bad ... enjoy!

http://daviddust.blogspot.com/2009/02/top-chef-episode-thirteen-return-of.html

Coming up this weekend: Survivor Recap, Amazing Race Recap, Real Housewives NY Recap and, of course, THE 81ST ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS -- man, I'm gonna be busy!!

Love this shot!

Just a quick reminder for all my Top Chef fans -- the finale begins tonight. Yes, I said "begins," as all die-hard fans should already know, tonight is the first in a 2-part finale, ending next week.

Tonight, the Final Four from Top Chef New York -- humble Hosea, wacky Carla, the fabulous Fabio and arrogant Stefan (pictured in order above) -- will travel to New Orleans where Emeril Lagasse will serve as guest judge.

The Big Easy's Embassador de Cuisine will get the unenviable task of eliminating two cheftestants tonight, with the remaining two competing next week for the Top Chef crown!

"Watch what happens" on Bravo at 10 p.m.

And let's not forget about Lost -- the Oceanic 6 will learn how to "find" the island tonight at 9 p.m.!

Still watching the Real Housewives of New York episode from last night -- and it's not disappointing!! Those bitches came out guns blazin' at the onslaught and it's been snarky badness throughout! I'll be posting that, hopefully, sometime tomorrow!

Also, I haven't forgotten about the Amazing Race, just haven't had time to actually watch the entire episode yet. Will catch up before the next episode!

Cheers!

And then there were four! And I'm sure none of you were disappointed with the outcome of last week's episode of Top Chef, appropriately titled "The Last Supper."

The show started off back at the apartment with the remaining cheftestants dealing with the loss of Jaime. Arrogant Stefan, who previously expressed a serious crush on her, easily dismissed her, saying "she had to go."

At the Top Chef Kitchen, hostess and Elfman's desire Padma showed up with guest judge, Chef Innovator Wylie Dufresne, who has an affection for eggs. The chefs were tasked to make an egg dish to "Wow" Wylie and given a whole hour to do it!

Wylie's innovation is Molecular Gastronomy -- ????, OK, you got me on that one. He's been on the show before and I still don't get it ...

Anyway, here's what the final five came up with:

Fabio made Eggs Sunnyside, Two Ways
Hosea made a Trio of Japanese-Style Eggs, a roll, tempura and fried egg salad.
Stefan came up with a Panecota and poached eggs with mango sauce.
Leah whipped up Quail Eggs Benedict with bacon Hollandaise.
And Carla (who was on fire last week), was not optomistic about her Dr. Seuss-inspired Green Eggs and Ham, stating her and molecular gastronomy were like "oil and water."

Fabio proclaimed himself to be "running like Flash," while Carla compared herself to the tortoise in the famous children's fable "The Tortoise and The Hair" ... and we all know how that turned out.

Carla won out -- Wylie really dug her innovation with the Seuss classic. Fabio was, pissed "I'm on the friggin bottom for what?" Hosea and Leah managed to join him.

On to the Elimination Challenge: Cheftestants drew knives, each with the name of a highly regarded chef in the TV world.
Fabio drew Lidia Bastianich, who he called the "Queen of Italian cooking in this country!" (Lidia's a big star at my house, we almost never miss her PBS show!)
Hosea paired with Susan Ungaro.
Stefan got Marcus Samuelson.
Leah drew Wylie.
And Carla couldn't believe her luck when she pulled superstar chef Jacques Pepin.

Each celebrity chef was asked to come up with their perfect "last supper," and the competing chefs were tasked to create these dishes.
Jacques chose Roast Squab with fresh Peas.
Susan asked for Shrimp Scampi and Tomatoes Provencal.
Marcus wanted Roasted Salmon with Spinach.
Lidia picked perfectly Roasted Chicken with Roasted Potatoes, Caramelized Onions and Salad.
And Wylie went with his fave, Eggs Benedict.

Carla, who won the right to swap dishes with anyone from the QuickFire Challenge, couldn't have been happier about her luck -- "Peas and I are like this," she said, while crossing her fingers. She couldn't wait to cook for Jacques!

Chefs were given $300 and 30 minutes to shop for ingredients at Whole Foods and two hours to cook.

Hosea proclaims "Stefan is without a doubt the guy to beat." While Stefan countered, behind Hosea's back, that "I don't think he has the balls to be a chef." Snark!

While preparing their meals, Carla decided "less is more," and Leah realized she had "something to prove." Yeah right Leah, you do, you should've been gone a few weeks ago ...

Stefan preened that there's "nothing I could possibly screw up with this dish." Careful Stefan, you may be the one to beat, but don't get to cocky, remember Richard from last season? He was undoubtedly the best of the cheftestants throughout the whole season, and completely blew it at the finale!

In the middle of everything, Fabio breaks his finger!!! I've watched and rewatched and still can't figure out how this happened ... Unbelievably, he decides to press on, saying "I'll chop it off and sear it so it doesn't bleed anymore -- I'll deal with this tomorrow!"

Over-confident as usual, Stefan decides to change his dish by making two different creations with spinach -- "What???" said Carla, completely perplexed by his decision.

Fabio has goosebumps over cooking his "home" food. His grandmother made this dish all the time ...

Chef and cohost Tom Colicchio shows up in the kitchen just in time to beg the cheftestants -- "Do not embarass me!"

And it was time to serve ...

Leah's worried about her overly thickened Hollandaise sauce over the Eggs Benedict, although Wylie was more upset over the egg whites being "runny."

Stefan (Roasted Salmon) brought about confusion with the two spinach sides. Marcus thought he nailed the sauce, but the fish was overcooked. Lidia thought that ruined the dish.

Jacques thought that Hosea (Shrimp Scampy) did not make a proper Provencal (tomatoes), and judge Toby Young was "not a fan of this dish."

Fabio had a hard time butchering his roasted chicken, due to the broken finger, comparing himself to "Jason on Friday the 13th!" But Lidia loved it, saying it was "something I was hoping would be just like this." Wylie also thought the chicken was "awesome and super tasty." Fabio's salad, however, didn't go over as well -- this is Top Chef folks, salads are never welcome here!

Carla told the judges she tried to "stay true to what I was told," adding that "I'm in awe of this man," referring to Jacques. Susan, who wasn't a fan of squab before, stated, "Carla has made me a convert!" Colicchio praised the simplicity. But the greatest compliment of all came from Jacques Pepin himself, who said he "could die happy with that (dish)!"

After the tasting was over, Colicchio congratulated the chefs for not embarrassing him!

Back in the Stew Room -- Fabio was grilled about his broken finger and claimed it wasn't a big deal -- "It's Top Chef, not Top Pussy!"

All cheftestants were invited to Judges' Table for review at the same time.

Leah was criticized for her runny eggs and the problem with the consistency of her sauce.

Stefan's overcooked fish was deemed poor and judges couldn't tell that the spinach was two separated dishes. (Ha-Ha Stefan, not impossible to screw up was it? ... I type in my best Yoda-style.)

Hosea's tomatoes were too refined, although Susan liked her dish.

Fabio's chicken was highly praised. Young said it was "like something you produced from your own childhood." However, the salad was compared to airplane food -- "I'm sorry, I'm gonna go shoot myself" over his airplane salad, Fabio shrugged.

Carla's squab was brought under fire for being overcooked, which she admitted she knew. However, Pepin told her "it was very tender" and she had made "incredible peas. I loved it!"

In the end, Fabio won the challenge and a huge bottle of wine. "I think it's gonna be gone in few hours!" he proclaimed. "Tonight we drink in Hell!" he said in homage to 300's King Leonidas ("Tonight we dine in Hell") -- Love ya Fabio!

And finally, Leah was asked to pack her knives and go, leaving what I think is one of the best final four in Top Chef history to compete this week for the title of Top Chef!

This Wednesday, the cheftestants will fly to New Orleans for the finale to be guest judged by, who else, but New Orleans Chef Embassador Emeril Lagasse!

I promise to update better this week!
Up Next -- Survivor: Tocantins Recap

Yeah, I now it's not Chicago, but I like this banner!

Here ya go Cindy L. -- the Top Chef Recap, hope you were watching last night!!

Last night's Top Chef featured the Elfman's favorite guest judge -- or as Fabio so eloquently put it, the "God of the French Chef"-- Eric Ripert, owner of New York City's Le Bernardin restaurant. He also owns 10 Arts in Philadelphia, named for its address on the Avenue of the Arts.

Anyway, Chef Ripert is always good for some laughs, even if it's at the expense of his super-Frenchy accent! Elfman still loves the way he used to pronounce former cheftestant Dale -- "Dell"!

Last night's show kicked off back at the players' apartment with Fabio stating again how he really wants to win, and Hosea proclaiming himself the last standing male American Chef in the competition.

The Very Frenchy Chef Eric Ripert

Then it was right to the QuickFire Challenge, where Padma introduced their esteemed guest judge Ripert to the ooohs and aaahs of the competitors. Hosea standing before Ripert admitted to being "as nervous as I've ever been!"

Since Ripert's speciality is cooking fish, the challenge involved a fish filleting tournament. Round one had the cheftestants slicing sardines, which are a rather small fish and proved quite difficult. Jaime's and Carla's skills were deemed the worst, so they were eliminated from the next round, which involved filleting Arctic Char.

Leah, whose track record with fish hasn't been so good, just gave up. Ripert was impressed with Hosea's, saying "very beautiful, great job." Not so much with Fabio's, "cut too much meat off with the head." Leah and Hosea were out of the competition.

Round Three brought on the freshwater eel -- or as I said EEEEWWWW!! Stefan was quite confident as he's been filleting eel all his life ... while Hosea looked lost, imitating whatever Stefan was doing. Chef Ripert praised Stefan's beautiful fillet, while marveling at his "clean station."
Hosea was not so good and his station was "more messy." Stefan easily won the challenge, giving him that all needed advantage in the Elimination Challenge.

The chefs were sent back to the apartment and, to everyone's delight, with an invitation to Le Bernardin as Ripert's guests for lunch the next day. The next morning, cheftestants excitedly got ready for their lunch date, c'mon guys, are you really this naive -- you know it's going to lead to the challenge ...

Anyway, upon arriving and being seated at Le Bernardin, along with Ripert, Padma, Toby Young and Tom Colicchio, the players were served six seafood dishes very distinct to the restaurant. Hmmm, I hope they're paying careful attention to those dishes ...

Le Bernardin, like Ripert, is primarily known for its fabulous seafood. The entrees included Red Snapper with Consomme, Mahi Mahi with Miso & Mushroom Sauce, Baked Lobster w/Hollandaise, Poached Escalar with potato crisps and red wine sauce, Za'atar (WTH? that's a new one for me) Spiced Monkfish with Black Garlic and Sauteed Black Bass w/Braised Celery. Mmmmmmm, sounds delicious!

(Side note: Some day the Elfman and I are going to try out Le Bernardin!)

Right after everyone's finished enjoying their meals, as I predicted, here comes the challenge: Each chef will be tasked to recreate one of these dishes as close as possible from scratch in the restaurant's kitchen. They will be given all the ingredients and will have to judge for themselves what goes where and how much.

Stefan's advantage for winning the QuickFire is that he gets to choose his dish, while the others draw knives. Stefan wisely chooses what is perceived to be the easiest dish to recreate -- the baked lobster. Here's what the rest got:

Carla - Escolar
Hosea - Monkfish
Fabio - Red Snapper
Leah - Mahi Mahi
Jaime - Black Bass

Fabio, of course, has something to say, admitting he's a little upset because "I do not have 30 years experience of Fabio Viviani preparing Eric Ripert food!"

The chefs then get 2 hours to prep and practice their dishes. Then they will cook for the judges.
Jaime asks Hosea to help her with her ham sauce.

Halfway through prep/cooking time, Chef Ripert shows up in the kitchen to critique. He tells the over confident Stefan that his asparagus should not be cooked, and Carla's dish needs more acidity, but the fish is cooked OK.

The judges are anxiously awaiting their dishes, sitting at a table in Le Bernardin, when Colicchio commented, "Just being in this kitchen is enough to scare the Chef Pants out of anybody!" Well done, Colicchio, you get the Quote of the Night!

Fabio's first out of the gate with his Red Snapper. The breading on the fish is deeemd overdone and too thick. Chef Ripert, however, is impressed. Colicchio calls it"a very good forgery."

Jaime's not as lucky with her Mahi Mahi. The judges note that the flavor is definitely different. Colicchio can only taste ginger, while Toby Young calls it "something I've never tasted before,." and not in a good way.

Stefan's baked lobster is very well received. Padma criticizes the sauce being too thick, but Ripert calls it "well seasoned" and says it's very close to the original.

Carla gets much needed help from her fellow chefs finishing her Escolar dish. Colicchio praises this, saying Carla did a "very good job." Ripert thinks it's not as crispy.

Hosea's Monkfish is up next and he's worried. Ripert describes the sauce as close, but not the fish. Tom complains that Hosea didn't let the fish before cutting it.

Jaime's Black Bass gets mixed reviews. Ripert calls the celery "hard core," while Colicchio deems the fish well-cooked. Young, however, just says it's "remarkably poor."

On to Judges Table:
The best are Carla, Stefan and Fabio. Carla's Hollandaise comes into question, Stefan's sauce was too thick and Fabio's bread is criticized. To which Fabio replies, "it's a honor to make this dish."

Sorry, Fabio, your sucking up didn't work -- Stefan easily wins again and gets a copy of Eric Ripert's new book "On The Line." http://www.amazon.com/Line-Eric-Ripert/dp/1579653693/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233936892&sr=8-1

Enter the worst -- Leah, Jamie and Hosea. Leah is immediately asked about her giving up during the QuickFire. Does she really want to be there?

Hosea was unlucky enough to have the least favorite dish. Colicchio brings up cutting the fish w/o letting it rest.

Padma tells Jaime she would have sent her dish back! Oh snap! Young claims that the burnt taste rendered the dish toxic. Jaime admits that the celery was oversalted.

Unbelievably, after all that was complained about Leah's dish and attitude -- Jaime's sent
packing!


Bye Bye Jaime :(

For more Top Chef visit http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef

Next week: It's Jacques Pepin and Lydia Bastianich (my sister's fave) stopping by the guest judge!

Sorry I'm so late, been a busy week for me and Eddie Idol -- he'll be posting Wednesday night's AI Update later today. Sometimes his real job gets in the way!

I checked in with Top Chef a few minutes late last night, because Lost went over 10 pm.



Anyway, they got to the Quick Fire right away! In honor of the upcoming Superbowl, the cheftestants were made to fill their names on a simulated football pool grid, knowing only the categories of "food groups" running down the side. Across the top their main ingredients were later revealed.



Everyone's main ingredients turned out to be oats, since Quaker was sponsoring the challenge.



Fabio made an egg plant fried roll out of oats and vegetables.

Stefan did a banana mousse with oats and dairy.

Carla went with pasta using oats, nuts and grains.

Jaime cooked up shrimp with a fruit sauce from her oats and fruit.

Leah made crusted fish out of oats and seafood.

Hosea whipped up schnitzel and potato salad from oats and meat.

Jeff went with chicken poillard from his oats and poultry.



I missed who the guest judge was, but he didn't look familiar, so it's no big deal. Leah, Fabio and Jeff were chosen as the bottom three, while Carla, Jaime and Stefan were tops. Stefan was chosen the winner -- again -- he's won 5 challenges now.



(I'm gonna go out on a limb now and bet on Stefan to win the whole thing. He pretty well seems like a lock, however, so did Richard last season, until he completely blew it in the finale... )



At this point in the game, the winner does not receive immunity from elimination, but Stefan did receive a "useful advantage" for the challenge.



On to the Elimination Challenge (which is what we've been waiting for since last week's preview)!

The Top Chef Bowl brought on contestants from prior seasons (called the All-Stars) to go head-to-head with the remaining seven cheftestants. Returning along with Spike and Andrew were Josie, Andrea, Camille, Nikki and Miguel. Other than Spike & Andrew, no one to get excited over.



For his "useful advantage" Stefan got to choose his competition. He picked the Dallas Cowboys and Andrea, thinking he would be safe because she wasn't nearly as skilled as he was (in his mind). The groups were given their choice of NFL Teams and five minutes to decide which player would be on which team. Teams were tasked to cook something native to that region.



According to which NFL Team they picked, that's how they were paired up with an All-Star.



Jeff-Josie each picked the Miami Dolphins, because that's where they're from.

Fabio-Spike each chose the Green Bay Packers, thinking the ingredients would provide for an easy win.

Hosea-Miguel went with Seattle Seahawks.

Leah-Nikki chose the New York Giants.

Jaime-Camille picked the San Francisco 49ers.

And Carla-Andrew got the New Orleans Saints, which delighted Carla because she's a huge fan of Andrew!



Each player was given two hours to plan their dish. Remember, each cheftestant is going up against the All-Star they were paired with.

Fabio, of course, was very confident -- "If they gonna give me monkey ass to fill, it's no problem!"

Back at the apartment on the day of the challenge, Hosea's stressing, while Fabio's musing about sleeping on the top "bunky bed." Fabio wants to win it for his Mama, while Carla's off getting "centered."

The chefs take center stage in a room filled with the other eliminated chefs and the Top Chef judges. Judges will award 7 points (touchdown) to the player whose dish they deem best, while 3 points (field goal) will be awarded by audience vote. Whichever "team" (Cheftestants or All-Stars) garners the most points wins. Any single cheftestant that doesn't beat their All-Star will be up for elimination.

Josie's hot shrimp and bean ceviche with mango glaze beats Jeff's rock shrimp ceviche with sangria sorbet.

Fabio's venison with salad and cheddar is defeated by Spike's venison w/cherries.

Hosea's salmon roll/salad triumphs over Miguel's cedar plank salmon.

Nikki's sauteed chicken livers are bested by Leah's seared steak and salad.

Jamie's crab plows over Camille's miso sweet potato mash.

Andrew's crawfish crudo with spicy lime is beaten by Carla's gumbo and grits.

And Stefan's salad, prime rib and pork is shut out by Andrea's Tex Mex chili, chips and guacamole.

The Cheftestants win! But that also leaves Stefan, Fabio and Jeff in the elimination round.

Stefan declared he was in love with Andrea, "call me", then called himself a "douche bag!"

Hosea, Carla, Leah and Jaime are called from the "Stew Room" to stand before Judges Table. Carla is declared the winner.

As for the "losers:"

Fabio defended his meat as being "medium rare," saying it sat too long.

Stefan apologized for his disappointment, while the judges criticized him for picking Andrea, thinking his win would be "easy." Padma declares Stefan's salad "abominable!"

Jeff is humiliated after judges emphasize that he was beaten by a hot bean ceviche. Oh the horror!

Jeff -- please pack your knives and go!!!

Up Next: The Elfman's favorite guest judge is back -- that friggin' tip-lipped Frenchmen Eric Ripert!! Set your DVR now Elfman!

For more info or to watch Top Chef visit http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/index.php

OK, it's Wednesday ... you know what that means ... LOST and Top Chef, two of my current favorite shows! And they're not on at the same time, BONUS!



Anyway, just a quick preview for any who are interested.

Tonight on ABC at 9 pm Lost continues with their 5th season, after coming back last week. Tonight's episode will center on Desmond's search for Daniel's mother (who I think is the same lady who's running the show for Ben, seen at the end of last week's episode). Oh no, I hope that doesn't lead Penny right to Ben, who vowed to her father, the evil Charles Widmore, that he will kill her.


Yeah, Desmond

Anyway, any episode featuring Desmond is just fine with me! I totally love him. And don't forget, last week Daniel, during a blast into the past on the island told Desmond that he's different from everyone else and the time travel "rules don't apply" to him.... hmmmm what the hell does that mean? Unfortunately, we still have two more seasons till we get "all" the answers ...

Last week's final hour of Lost repeats at 8 pm, just before the new episode.

For more info on LOST visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index



After Lost, I'll be clicking on over to Bravo for another rousing episode of their culinary giant Top Chef New York (10 pm). Tonight hijinx will feature former contestants playing against this season's hopefuls, including fan faves Spike and "I've got a culinary boner" Andrew. Yes, Top Chef's original Bromance will be hand to shake things up. Should prove to be very interesting, although I hope they're not just there for the QuickFire Challenge as has been the case with past contestants' cameos ...

For more on Top Chef visit http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/index.php

Elsewhere: Hoping to capitalize on Lost's good ratings, ABC is bringing back its new series Life On Mars at 10 pm, right after its Wednesday night behemoth ... Life follows the story of New York police detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara), who gets hit by a car in 2008 and finds himself unexpectedly catapulted into the year 1973, where he's working for a less-PC NYPD. It's based on a popular BBC series and has gotten pretty good reviews.

For more on Life on Mars visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/lifeonmars/index?pn=index

The Biography Channel offers up some sweet beefcake tonight with back-to-back episodes of, what else, Biography, from 8-11.
Up first, it's this year's Academy Awards' host and Wolverine Hugh Jackman at 8, followed by Batman himself, Christian Bale, at 9, and the late Heath Ledger at 10.

Enjoy!



In other news: What the hell is going on on Nip/Tuck? This show is becoming a hot mess -- and I don't mean that in a good way. During last night's episode it sunk to new lows, with newly "reformed" breast cancer survivor Christian Troy insulting women during a cancer survivors support group. He basically told them that any woman who doesn't get reconstructive surgery after losing their breasts is a victim, not a survivor. Then he quickly picked up the hottest looking broad there (who didn't even have cancer), took her back to his place and, well you know Christian ...
Then, when he refused to remove her breasts -- both her mother and sister had died of the disease, so she feared it was only a matter of time -- she went to their practice and used some of electric saw to cut them off herself!!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww.
Then the lovely Portia de Rossi, who plays Julia's lover, got a face lift from Sean, but didn't tell him she was on antidepressants, and later died!! Oh, you can bet Julia's not happy with Sean.
Christian decided to try a relationship with lesbian Liz ... eewww.
And, if all that's not ridiculous enough -- Portia's TV daughter Eden, showed up to collect her mothers ashes from Julia, who didn't want to part with them, and decided that her mother belonged with Julia afterall, throwing the ashes all over Julia and Sean!! Major Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!

I told you we need The Carver back stat!!

Yeah, I know it's not Chicago, but I liked this banner and decided to post it anyway!

Well, Top Chef presented it's most popular challenge last night -- Restaurant Wars -- and the episode was hot and heavy, and I'm not just talking about the Hosea/Leah hook-up!

Right at the beginning, we see Hosea in the cheftestants' apartment talking about his girlfriend (no, that wasn't foreshadowing or anything). A little musings about throwing Arianne under the bus followed, and then it was off to the Quickfire Challenge.

And, finally, a guest judge that I actually recognized! Philadelphia restauranteur Stephen Starr, owner and creator of Morimoto, El Vez, Parc and Butcher & Singer (his latest), as well as other successful dining digs in New York City and Atlantic City, was brought on by Padma to participate in a quickfire tasting.

Padma announced that the next challenge would be the revered Restaurant Wars and the Quickfire Challenge was about creating one dish to showcase a theme for your restaurant. And the chefs were off and running, eager to impress Starr. As Fabio put it, "In love and in war you are allowed to do anything!"

Leah chose Red Snapper and quickly declared that it "smelled like ass," while Fabio had trouble opening the freezer doors!

Restaurant Themes:
Carla - Homey, Rustic
Hosea - Seafood, Mediterrean
Leah -- Asian
Stefan - American
Jeff - also American
Rhadika - Latin
Jaime - Seasonal
Fabio - Meditterean (would we expect anything else from him?)

After sampling all, Starr chose Rhadika's pan-seared cod with corn, spinach and chorizo as the winner. Leah came in second, so both were deemed leaders in the "war" and got to pick their teams.

Rhadika chose Carla, Jeff and Jaime, reiterating how much she dislikes Stefan ...
Leah picked Hosea (obviously), Fabio and Stefan.

Back at the apartment, where teams were left to come up with menus and names for their restaurants -- Sahana for Rhadika's team/Sunset Lounge for Leah's -- Leah and Hosea got a little too close and made out on the couch (oh no they didn't -- oh yes they did!). The next morning both admitted to the camera that it was a mistake because they are both in relationships (hmmm wonder if they still are after last night's ep aired). Then they continued to whine about it throughout the rest of the challenge ... yawn!

Each team was given $3,000 to start their respective restaurants, with six hours to prep their dishes. They also got $5,000 to shop for linens, furniture, accessories, etc. at Pier One. While shopping, Fabio declared, "This is the feeling my wife have all the time!"

Keep it up Fabio -- I love the stuff that man says!

Rhadika took on the task of manager, supervising the front of the house and kitchen, for her Middle Eastern-themed restaurant. While Fabio, wearing a Team Fabio shirt (where can I get that?), eagerly stepped up to play host for the Asian-themed Sunset Lounge. Jaime decided to make scallops -- AGAIN!!

Teams got to work, cooking and decorating their restaurants. Fabio walked in all decked out in a suit, to the cheers of his teammates, and delivered his best line yet -- "I run the front of the House. We can serve monkey ass in empty clam shell! We're gonna win this one. I'm running the show in the front!"

And much to his credit -- they did!

I don't know if this was an oversight or on purpose, but apparently, no one checked to make sure that the freezer was working properly and it made for chaos among both teams. Carla's yogurt sorbet turned to soup and Stefan's desserts had problems as well.

Diners arrived in swift fashion to both restaurants and the service began ... people complained right away about Rhadika's lack of finesse out front. The judges were particularly disappointed, purposely getting up to leave to see if she would bid them a proper farewell (never knew this was soooo important!).

But it was quite the opposite at the Sunset Lounge, where Fabio absolutely shined!! Starr declared Fabio "Fabulous!"

Judges weren't too impressed with either team's dishes, but decided that Fabio's fabulous demeanor and Stefan's delicious desserts were enough to win the challenge for the Sunset Lounge, with Stefan taking the top prize.

Team Sahana was really called to the carpet for their disappointing dishes and service at Judges' Table. Leah's cod was a "disaster." Carla was called out on her soupy yogurt, which she defended, saying that she knew it wasn't good, but sent it out "with love" anyway. Head judge Chef Tom Colicchio wasn't buying it, saying her explanation was "nonsense" and asking Rhadika why she, as manager, didn't do something about it!

And then -- horror of horrors -- Tom announced to team Sahana that the judges "walked out without a goodbye!"

To no one's surprise, Rhadika was asked to pack her knives and go ...

Next week: Top Chef All-Stars Challenge! Several former cheftestants are being brought back to compete either with or against this season's players, including Spike and Andrew, who made the most popular Top Chef quote of all time --- "I have a Culinary B-ner!" and I know there's a T-shirt over on bravo.com with that on it!


Andrew


Spike

For more info or to watch Top Chef visit http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/index.php