The Recap-
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| Photo Credit: Food Network |
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| This product placement on AustHansWorld.com is not brought to you by Special K, but by the kindness in my heart. Photo Credit: Food Network |
The first challenge of the episode gives them basic, every day pantry ingredients. This is also the time that we get a lot of decent product placement from Special K. They are given a meal, either breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and will have to create a balanced meal using the pantry ingredients: including incorporation of a Special K product. Nikki tries to shoot for the stars by doing something creative with her Special K cereal, using it to make croutons for her salad. But sadly, the croutons get burnt to where they're no longer recognizable. With only seven minutes remaining, she has to scrap the idea and simply chop up the dried strawberries, throw them in the salad, and top it with the cereal. Ahh, too bad, so sad. Damaris crushed this competition, at least in my eyes, with her french toast - something very hard to pull off in the time allotted. But, based on the presentations, Stacey is given the win. Stacey made a chicken dish, which admittedly looked fantastic and Alton thought it would be a great dish for a family with kids, as well. For winning the challenge, Stacey would be given an advantage in this week's Star Challenge - one that will further test the remaining and their skills as culinary problem solvers.
So, what's the advantage, you wonder? Well, after announcing the challenge - a Restaurant Impossible type challenge - where they help a failing restaurant by renovating five of the dishes at that restaurant, Stacey finds out that her advantage is that, not only does she get to pick the dish that she will renovate, but she will assign all of the dishes. A HUGE advantage and a very important one to have at this point in the competition. The one highlight (or, depending on your view, lowlight) of this was when Stacey assigned the salmon dish to Nikki, after knowing that salmon was a dish that Nikki hated, so she neither cooked nor ate. A huge move, especially to pull against a close friend, but I actually really liked it. It shows that Stacey is competitive and in it to win it, and it also forces Nikki to leave her comfort zone - which is in this case, her comfort zone is avoiding salmon at all costs! Note: Although I was in favor of this move, if the tables had been turned and someone had assigned ME a dish/dessert involving whipped cream, I would disown them for life!
In the end, the five did some cool new takes on the dishes before presenting them to the owner of the restaurant, along with the judges and others. Russell was given the "dish of the day" and also was told that he had a great presentation to go along with it. While there were positives and negatives to all of the other four, the judges ultimately decided to cut Nikki for her lack of ownership and food authority. This was a decision that 100% SHOCKED me, but I'll wait a while longer to voice my opinion on that, below.
The Review-
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| Admit it. Russell's reaction to being told he was the best of the week was one of the best parts of the entire episode. Photo Credit: Food Network |
As always, I'll start off with "This week, on the Russell coaster!" It's back, folks! The Russell roller coaster is back! After an iffy couple of weeks near the bottom, Russell has regained his spot on the throne with the best showing of the week. The judges see Russell as the one with nine lives in the competition. I don't really understand a lot about the Russell edit, but I do realize - now that Nikki is out of the picture - that Russell may be the one with the REAL golden edit. It's nearly impossible to be anything BUT entertained when watching Russell fluctuate throughout the competition. Russell is improving over time and it's undeniable that his presence on film is an intriguing one - in a good way. I think Russell has a voice great for television (or radio!) and while his POV is still, at times, shaky, I feel like he maybe has one of the best out of the four remaining. At this point, I would hate to see the Russell coaster continue because, with so few left, and next week being the MAIN episode, it would terrible to be at the bottom, for great risk of leaving. We'll see though! You never know what you're going to get with this guy!
I'm really starting to see great potential with Damaris over these past few weeks/episodes. Her bubbly personality is very inviting and, given a show, I believe that she'd be able to connect very well with the already-existent Food Network viewers. And, I've said it before and I'll say it again, is it NOT the perfect timing to have Damaris join the Food Network? I mean, she is the perfect Paula Deen replacement. But dare I say, better! (Since I can actually put up with her! And not just that, but I love Damaris! She's hysterical and her food looks fabulous!)
Austin mentioned something completely golden in his #FoodNetworkStar live tweeting session, which was this: The idea of a show where Rodney travels the globe in search of great pies, titled Pie's the Limit! I mean, straight up, if you don't think this is the greatest idea in the history of ideas, you disappoint me GREATLY!!! I can picture Rodney dominating a show like this and I can see it being beyond successful. It would borderline a Guy Fieri Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and c'mon Guy came from this show.. he won this show! There is a great opportunity for something here.
Stacey is great. After the first episode, I pictured her going very far. She does great on camera and has produced consistently great food along the way. The only struggle for Stacey is her struggle to open up and show the real her. I personally don't think that Stacey is putting on a huge front, like the judges believe, but, from a television point of view, she needs to show something more that will help others connect to her. In the end, I think that she is Food Network quality. I could see her with her own show any day, but now I just need to see how her show would be different than the ones that are already on the Food Network. Also, I must reiterate huge props to Stacey for the salmon move!
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| Nikki's reaction to being sent home was comparable to my reaction while watching it happen. Photo Credit: Food Network |
Now..... Nikki. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME, FOOD NETWORK? I thought Nikki was our next Food Network Star! Meat on the Side was in pre-production!! Photoshoots were being done and buses were being prepared to be lined with advertisements featuring my girl Nikki and her fall show Meat on the Side!!! You were giving her the golden edit and pulled the wool over my eyes. I am truly hurt. On the real though, it did provide a truly shocking moment on the show, and I don't know, props to them for that, I guess. I personally cannot FATHOM why the decision was made to cut Nikki though. I thought that, out of the five remaining, she had the most solid POV and one that had a high chance of success on the channel. And though I loved the salmon move, I hate that it was eventually what caused her elimination. I believe that Nikki was starting to do well with owning her food and being proud of it, but it's hard to own something when you don't really care for the ingredients you had to use. Nikki's occasional lack of not knowing enough about what she's doing is, in my eyes, comparable to Rodney's lack of food vocabulary. It's something that can be improved over time and it's not like it would ever play a role on a show. I mean, don't they have people to make sure those types of situations don't exist/happen? On the plus side of Nikki's elimination, my vote(s) are officially up for the taking!
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| Nikki is eliminated from the competition, and now only four remain to compete for the title! Who do you want to see win their own show on the Food Network? Tell me in the comments below or on Twitter @theonlytrace! Original Photo Credit: Food Network |
In terms of the draft, three remain on #TeamHannah (Russell, Damaris, and Stacey.. although Russell continues to threaten to leave the team..) and Rodney is helping #TeamAustin survive. (I like you, Rodney, but stop that. I need to win this draft more than I need Reese's Cups in my daily life!) It's discovered that there will be a final three this year (as usual) and I hope that we, the viewers, are the ones choosing the winner - as in previous seasons of the show. If it does end up that the viewers vote, I will dedicate a post to who I believe should be the Next Food Network Star. The idea I've got cooking is pretty sweet and I swear I have no preconceived opinions going into it. Everything will be off-the-cuff after the next episode airs! On that note, only two episodes remain! Where, oh where, did this season go?!
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