#2800 Top Chef S22E6 Part One: Underpassed Up

Summary

Watch What Crappens: Episode #2800 - Top Chef S22E6 Part One: Underpassed Up

In the milestone 2,800th episode of Watch What Crappens, hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam delve into the latest happenings of Top Chef Season 22, specifically focusing on Episode 6, titled "Underpassed Up." This detailed recap not only dissects the culinary challenges and eliminations but also showcases the hosts' signature humor and insightful commentary on the competitive cooking landscape.

---

1. Live Shows and Listener Engagement

Ronnie kicks off the episode with enthusiasm, reflecting on recent live shows in Boston, Detroit, and Chicago. She teases upcoming appearances in Dallas, Austin, and Las Vegas, urging listeners to stay tuned via their Instagram and Patreon for ticket links and exclusive content.

Ronnie [04:08]: "Thank you for coming out to Boston, Detroit and Chicago. What a great weekend we had."

2. Hosts' Perspectives on Top Chef Season 22

Ben shares his appreciation for the current cast and challenges, expressing support for contestants like Padma, whose presence remains impactful even after elimination.

Ben [05:00]: "I love it so far. I think this is a really good cast. I like the challenges."

Contrastingly, Ronnie voices concerns about the show becoming overly self-important, yearning for more fun and unpredictable personalities.

Ronnie [05:13]: "Top Chef is a little bit too much. It's up its own ass lately. I need more fun and crazy characters."

Their differing views set the stage for a nuanced discussion, blending critique with genuine enthusiasm for the competition.

3. Episode Recap: "Underpassed Up"

a. Challenge Overview: Line Cook for a Day

Episode 6 presents the "Line Cook for a Day" challenge, where contestants are paired to explore diverse culinary cultures across various neighborhoods in Toronto. The grand prize has been elevated to $250,000, alongside prestigious Delta Sky Miles and other travel perks, adding significant stakes to the competition.

Ben [05:40]: "The grand prize is a quarter of a million, which is pretty good."

b. Contestant Dynamics and Eliminations

The hosts highlight key moments and eliminations, notably the exit of Zubair, whose reliance on his famed chicken sandwich leads to his downfall.

Ronnie [07:08]: "He won that challenge, but he's done. Goodbye, Zubair."

Ben humorously attributes Zubair's elimination to the so-called "Ben Mandelker curse," adding a playful layer to the analysis.

Ben [14:34]: "Anytime I have that thought about literally anyone on Top Chef is the moment that they go home."

The elimination of Anna Gasteyer, known for her Nutella sandwich, is also dissected, with Ronnie predicting her short-lived success.

Ronnie [14:53]: "There's no way they're gonna keep a Nutella sandwich winner on forever. They got rid of her."

c. Double Elimination and Team Challenges

The episode introduces a double elimination, intensifying the pressure on remaining contestants. Contestants like Shuai and Henry grapple with their performances, while teamwork tensions surface, especially between Vinnie and Lana.

Ben [15:27]: "Henry says that he's just a bottom queen."

The challenge tasks chefs to create dishes inspired by their cultural explorations, leading to creative but sometimes flawed culinary attempts, such as Vinnie's ill-fated Indian hollandaise fusion.

Ben [40:08]: "Vinnie worked at the Nomad, which is a fancy ass restaurant in Europe, and he like worked at the sauce station... why are you doing that?"

d. Notable Contestant Highlights

Contestants like Bailey make a significant comeback, displaying newfound confidence and skill, much to Ronnie's amusement.

Ben [25:13]: "It's a new Bailey, one who's not going to be stupid enough to make risotto on Top Chef again."

Meanwhile, Katiana's meticulous approach to Thai cuisine garners praise, contrasting with some contestants' struggles with unfamiliar cuisines like Greek and Filipino dishes.

Ben [36:22]: "Cesar is like, oh, worked it. And then, you know, there's oil and smoking, and it, like, flares up."

---

4. Hosts' Humor and Banter

Throughout the recap, Ben and Ronnie infuse their analysis with witty remarks and playful jabs at contestants' quirks and mishaps. From mocking dish choices to poking fun at contestant personalities, their chemistry keeps the discussion engaging and entertaining.

Ronnie [05:40]: "He's the kind of person to be like, come and go. He's like, I came by."

Ben [21:04]: "He did look like Michael Cera with a puberty beard... he's an odd ager."

5. Insights on Culinary Techniques and Challenges

The hosts offer observations on the contestants' culinary techniques, highlighting both successes and failures. They discuss the importance of understanding cultural cuisines and the pitfalls of dish misinterpretation, emphasizing how these factors influence eliminations.

Ronnie [32:34]: "To make the chicken Karma Sutra super weird... you're being too literal about this idea of, like, cook who you are and what you're about."

Their critique underscores the delicate balance contestants must maintain between innovation and authenticity in their cooking.

---

6. Conclusion and Tease for Part Two

As the first part of the recap concludes, Ben and Ronnie wrap up with a summary of the day's events, leaving listeners eager for the continuation of the episode in the upcoming segment.

Ben [53:00]: "So at this point, there are some question marks like, will the octopus be ready tomorrow? And will Massimo and Paula's short ribs, will that be ready?"

Ronnie [53:32]: "So. So that's it for part one. Catch you on the second half."

---

Final Thoughts

In this comprehensive recap, Watch What Crappens effectively captures the drama, culinary creativity, and competitive tension of Top Chef Season 22. Through their engaging dialogue and sharp insights, Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam provide listeners with an entertaining and informative overview of Episode 6, "Underpassed Up," setting the stage for even more thrilling developments in Part Two.

Notable Quotes:

• Ronnie [05:13]: "I need more fun in my Top Chef, and I need more crazy characters."
• Ben [14:34]: "Anytime I have that thought about literally anyone on Top Chef is the moment that they go home."
• Ronnie [14:53]: "There's no way they're gonna keep a Nutella sandwich winner on forever. They got rid of her."
• Ben [40:08]: "Vinnie worked at the Nomad... why are you doing that?"

---

Stay tuned for the second part of this episode recap, where Ben and Ronnie continue their in-depth analysis and humorous take on Top Chef Season 22.

Transcript

[Ronnie Karam]

So I just redid a patio and my patio. Not just any patio, my patio. And I thought, this is going to be so hard to get all these different pieces. But it wasn't because I went to Wayfair. I got all of my tables, all of my chairs, space heaters. I mean, I got everything right from Wayfair and it's all top quality, fantastic stuff.

[Ben Mandelker]

That's because it's home project season, Ronnie. And Wayfair is the best kept secret for all things renovation and beautifying.

[Ronnie Karam]

And I really love a modern style and I can find that so easily on Wayfair. They've got every style there.

[Ben Mandelker]

You did your patio. I did my. I made my office into a podcasting studio and I did it with Wayfair as well.

[Ronnie Karam]

There's something for every style in every home, no matter your space or budget.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wayfair makes it easy to tackle your spring home goals with endless inspiration for every space and budget. Whether you need a light refresh or an organization overhaul.

[Ronnie Karam]

Free and easy delivery, even on the big stuff. They even help you set it up. Shop the best selection of home improvement online. Get renovating with wayfair. Head to wayfair.com right now. That's W A Y F A I R.com Wayfair Every style, every home.

[Ben Mandelker]

The days are getting longer. The sun is out more. I just went up to my garden box and she is blooming. And it made me realize spring produce is now here and I am so excited for cooking with fava beans and fresh herbs.

[Ronnie Karam]

Whole Foods Market has what you're looking for with great everyday prices.

[Ben Mandelker]

At Whole Foods Market you can save every day. Look for the yellow low price signs that help you save money without compromising the quality you expect from Whole Foods.

[Ronnie Karam]

Find responsibly farmed Atlantic salmon, no antibiotics ever, ground beef and boneless skinless chicken breasts. Plus more throughout the store.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yellow really means savings at Whole Foods Market because their sales signs are also yellow. So basically, whenever you see yellow, you know you're saving money.

[Ronnie Karam]

I use Whole Foods all the time for little parties that I have to get, you know, little charcuterie plates put together. They have the best ingredients. I just love this place.

[Ben Mandelker]

Save on the best of spring with great everyday prices at Whole Foods Market.

[Ronnie Karam]

Ladies, we all dream of thicker fuller hair, right? But that's all it is, a dream until now. With her's hair, you can get thicker, fuller hair in just three to six months.

[Ben Mandelker]

Hers hair treatments are made with doctor trusted prescription ingredients that many other hair products out there just don't have.

[Ronnie Karam]

They come in a variety of options, including oral and topical solutions, so you can find the one that works for you. Getting started is simple with a quick online hair quiz. Just answer some questions and you'll be connected with a provider to discuss your personalized treatment plan through hers.

[Ben Mandelker]

Everything is 100% online, so no pharmacy trips, doctor office visits or insurance required. Plus treatments are at just $35 a month.

[Ronnie Karam]

The best part? You can start seeing regrowth as little as 3 to 6 months.

[Ben Mandelker]

Start your initial free online visit today.

[Ronnie Karam]

At 4 hers.com crappins that's F-O-R-H-E-R-S.com crappens for your personalized hair loss treatment options for hers.com crappins. Individual results may vary. Compounded products are not FDA approved or verified for safety, effectiveness or quality. Prescription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan. See website for full details, restrictions and important safety information.

[Ben Mandelker]

Who cares what happens when there's so much that happens? Who cares what happens when there's so much that happens?

[Ronnie Karam]

Oh, hello everybody and welcome to Watch what Crappens. I'm Ronnie and that's Ben over there. Hello, Ben.

[Ben Mandelker]

Hi darling, how are you?

[Ronnie Karam]

God, what's going on with you today?

[Ben Mandelker]

Not much, you know, I'm just here luxuriating in my childhood bedroom after enjoying a lovely Passover meal last night where there's plenty of delicious and wonderful food. What's going on with you?

[Ronnie Karam]

Nothing, just chilling after getting back, having fun. Bueller's sleeping behind me. Just getting ready to talk about a little Top Shepherds, everybody. Thank you for coming out to Boston, Detroit and Chicago. What a great weekend we had. We will be in Texas next, in Dallas and in Austin and then we're going to be in Vegas and we've got another couple shows, you know, later. But we have not signed any contracts yet so we can't announce them, but they're coming. So check our Instagram and our schedule over at watch what crappens.com where you find ticket links and also links to Patreon, which is where you find video recaps and bony episodes. Right now there's a two part White Lotus up, so go check that out. And today we are with Chopper Chef. How do you feel about Top Chef so far this season? We have not been covering this one. So how are you feeling?

[Ben Mandelker]

I love it so far. I think this is a really good cast. I like the challenges. I've been upset by some of the people who have gone home but you know, such as Life. I'm into it. How do you feel?

[Ronnie Karam]

I feel like Top Chef is a little bit too much. It's up its own ass lately. I think it's, like, too snotty. I don't think it's very fun. I need more fun in my Top Chef, and I need more crazy characters. Like, I get that. They're like, I work for so and so, and I worked for Balloon, and I. I got a Michelin B, B, B. I mean, I get it, but I need more than that. You know, I need, like, maybe half that and then half chili. Chefs.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah, I feel like I really like that it's up its own ass because I. I generally like things that are up its own ass. That's why, you know, the loss of Padma was so hard. Although she hasn't really left us because, as we all know, her. Her. Her ghost. Ha. Every episode of Top Chef, so she's always with us. But, like, the thing is, I've been so burned. I've been so traumatized by endless episodes of Chopped and whatever else is on, like, Fox that, like, I'm really happy to not watch, like, random line chefs at, like, the Holiday Inn compete over who can, like, turn a box of Cheerios and bubble gum into a gourmet meal. Like, give me the fine dining chefs who are up their own asses, because I like to make fun of that more.

[Ronnie Karam]

Okay, well, there you go. You win. You got it. You got what you wanted. The world gave you exactly what you wanted. So there's that. We did get a taste of pradma this week, or last week, rather, because she had a ticky talkie, I think, or an Instagram, I don't know, some video where she just ripped into these, like, TikTok reviewers, and she's like, well, I just wanted to say I've watched these two girls on tiki talkie. Little bitches coming for a Southeast Asian restaurant. That food isn't made for you. You. It's made for us. Sorry, you don't get it, dummies. It was. It was amazing. I'm rejecting you. Like, every man who's ever had an A prom invitation in his hand and seen Gail coming down the hallway.

[Ben Mandelker]

I'll also say, what other kind of food was not meant for you? The hubcap on the street gal not for you to eat. Doesn't stop her, though. Bless her heart.

[Ronnie Karam]

So here we go, Little Top Chef. This is season 22, episode 5, very important.

[Ben Mandelker]

Ronnie. Sorry to interrupt, as this is our first proper recap of a Top Chef Episode, we have to do our traditional disclaimer that we do once per season at the very top of it, which is we love Gail Simmons. We think she's absolutely beautiful. And our joke is that we. We think that Padma thinks that Gail is a monster, but we don't personally believe that. And so that is your disclaimer for the season that we do every single year.

[Ronnie Karam]

He's like, why are they so mean to Gail? We're not mean to Gail. Padma is mean to Gail. Ghost Padma is mean to ghost Padma. Okay.

[Ben Mandelker]

Because ghost Padma is with us.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yes. Which is why Daniel Boulud finally choked her with the chicken bone. And she's a ghost now.

[Ben Mandelker]

Okay, that's.

[Ronnie Karam]

So this is 22 episode 5, line cook for a Day. So we get Kristen doing her voiceover. There's 11 chefs left, 11 chefs remain. And it's the ultimate culinary show down. As we all know now, the grand prize is a quarter of a million, which is pretty good. Saratoga Springs, still don't know who you are, even though you've been doing this a few years. Never see you in the airport. So are you anything?

[Ben Mandelker]

They're having a moment right now, actually, on the Internet, believe it or not. I don't know.

[Ronnie Karam]

Are they?

[Ben Mandelker]

Why, yes, they are. Because there's this fitness influencer named Ashton hall. He's about 3ft tall and he's like this muscle clad guy. And he posted this ridiculous video of him doing like, this is my daily routine. I wake up at 3:30 in the morning and I do push ups on my balcony. Like clearly like a rent penthouse somewhere. He does push ups and then he takes Sarah Saratoga water and he pours into a bowl and then he dunks his face in the bowl and he does this like five different times of the course of the video. And it's like everything's like a timestamp. It'll be like, then I go for a swim at 3:35am and then at 3:45am I duck my face in again. At one point, it takes like a banana peel and rubs it all over his face. It's just like one of the most ridiculous influencer things because it's like, like no one does this. And this guy doesn't even do this. It's like you clearly you rented a Penthouse for the evening. You shot your content and you created this ridiculous story of like filling. Filling a bowl of Saratoga spring water. And the thing is, though, is that everyone's doing parody videos of it. So everyone's buying Saratoga spring water for their parody Videos. And then people are also just genuinely trying this. Like, oh, maybe this is what I have to do. Fill my bowl. Fill a bowl up with Saratoga spring water and dunk my face into it. So it just goes to show, you can underwrite 25 seasons. Feels like 25 years of top Chef to get your promo. Or one fitness influencer can decide to put his face in a bowl of you, and you get really, all your values worth for free.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. God, no kidding. They really worked it out with that ticky talky. It's Delta Sky M. So now, look, I'm glad they upped the prize to 250 a few years ago because it. It was so long at 100. It was sad. So it was nice that they upped the prize, but, you know, I didn't realize it, I think, until I was watching this and paying attention, that now they also get Delta Sky Miles diamond medallion status. That's amazing. And 125,000 to spend on travel with Delta. That is amazing. So that's quite enough control.

[Ben Mandelker]

Can I tell you something? Okay. Ronnie knows this. This is my cross to bear. So the funniest thing happened over the weekend. Funny to me. Maybe. Maybe this will be a terrible story, but I am in the process of transferring my airplane loyalty from American Airlines to Delta Airlines. And, you know, last year we went to Europe and everything, so I got, like, a ton of. A ton of, like, status on American. Like, super high status, which was great. I've been feeling like Mr. Monopoly all year long, and I'm actually acting like it's a value judgment. Like, I'm like, well, I have this elite status now. But anyway, people have been telling me you can do, like, a status match on Delta, and if you tell them you have, like, you have the status on American Airlines, they'll give you the high status on Delta. I was like, great. I've decided I'm gonna switch over to Delta because also, American Airlines kind of shitty. Really shitty. It's like, you get to that nice status, and all they serve you is, like, cafeteria food. So I was like, I want to go to Delta. Because everyone says Delta is so nice. I want to go to Delta. So last week, before our travels to Boston and Detroit and everything, my friend is like, by the way, I can give you a gold status, which is like the number two tier on Delta. And I was like, cool. I'll take that. Like, well, that's cool. So I take it. I have it. I get it on Wednesday or Wednesday or Thursday, and then on Saturday, I was like, you know what? I'm going to finally do this Delta status match thing, because Delta is awesome. So I fill it out. I'm like, who I'm going to do this whole thing? I'm so excited. And then Delta responds back to me and is like, thank you so much for, like, wanting to be, like, a status match with us. But unfortunately, it appears that you've had a complimentary medallion status in the past three years, so you can't have your status. So basically, because I had this gold status for all of 48 hours, I completely invalidated having super fancy Delta status for the status match. And I am just here to tell you, I'm really frustrated by it. And hearing that the Top Chef people get to get this nice status, and I shot myself in the foot with it. It really hurts me.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, which status would you have gotten with your points?

[Ben Mandelker]

I think I might have gotten diamond. It was really high. Un American. I think I could have been, like, a Top Chef winner.

[Ronnie Karam]

I mean, no offense. I don't want to diss your points or anything, but I think diamond is like, you spend $1 million on there. Oh, well, that's. Whatever.

[Ben Mandelker]

That's whatever it is.

[Ronnie Karam]

Gold is only second. They've got so many things now.

[Ben Mandelker]

I just feel like I'm very fancy. I just. I just. I can't believe that my 48 hours of having gold status has now destroyed my chance to be, like, Padma Lakshmi level status on Delta Airlines.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, well, it's pretty good, right? Diamond medallions plus 125 grand.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's great. It's great. So have to get status so hard.

[Ronnie Karam]

Anyway, so they also now get to headline their own dinner at the historic James Beard house in New York.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. James Beard. Hope Gale doesn't eat the beard off of him. Get it? Sorry. Little rusty after being in the in heaven for so long.

[Ronnie Karam]

So now we're in the stew room because we're finding out who got kicked off last week. And Massimo's upset because he didn't do that great. And he's like, something I didn't do today. I worked hard. I didn't cook smart. Okay. And he's very intense. And we find out it was Zubair, which I knew it was going to be Zubair whenever he came out. Remember a couple weeks ago when he had that fried chicken sandwich, and he's like, this sandwich made me. They became. It was named the most popular sandwich in Boston. And I'm pulling out the big guns for this. And he won that challenge. But I Was like, he's done. Yeah. He's used up his only trick in his bag, which is that famous chicken sandwich, and now he's dead. And here he is, dead as a door now. Goodbye, Zubair. We hardly knew ye.

[Ben Mandelker]

He also, he also fell victim to the Ben Mandelker curse, which is when I see Zoo, like, at the. At the top of last episode, I was like, you know, Zubair, I really like him. I think he's gonna go to the finals. And anytime I have that thought about literally anyone on Top Chef is the moment that they go home, I have this amazing ability to, like, ruin their Top Chef careers.

[Ronnie Karam]

No, I'm pretty good, because spoiler alert, I'm gonna say, who gets kicked off? If you don't want to hear, fast forward a minute and a half. But when that chick, When Anna Gasteyer made that Nutella sandwich, that deep fried Nutella sandwich last week, I was like, I don't care what the judges say. She is gonna last an episode. There's no way they're gonna keep a Nutella sandwich winner on forever. And sure enough, they got rid of her. Yeah, you can't do that. And they love. They did love that. But I think at some point, the producers were like, a Nutella sandwich on white bread, deep fried. No. No.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Schwai Shai was in the bottom. He's also been really good. He was in the bottom. And so he's, you know, saying how, like, you know, he's very self aware of his downfalls and he's not gonna be. He's not gonna beat himself because he can only learn and be better for it. So then they're all just sitting there, and then Kristen.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, how do you learn from it if you don't beat yourself down about it?

[Ben Mandelker]

I don't know.

[Ronnie Karam]

I mean, what the hell? You need to beat yourself up. Talk about what a piece of shit you are, get addicted to something terrible, ruin a couple of years, then you come out of it, and then you have this whole, like, I ruined my life, I got hooked on heroin, but now I know how to make a good Nutella sandwich. Boom. Do I have to teach you how to do this? Have you just started watching this show?

[Ben Mandelker]

So Kristen comes in, she's like, hi, Chefs. Before we call it a night, we do have a little bit of business to handle. First and foremost, I hear there is a sale on formal vests. So I may be heading out early today because my wardrobe still needs some work. And there will be no quick fire challenge earlier challenge Tomorrow. Do you notice that she's always wearing, like, a. Like a suit vest? Like, that's kind of amazing.

[Ronnie Karam]

You don't like her wardrobe? Oh, my God. I'm surprised she wears anything. I'd literally walk in wearing a fork if I looked like that.

[Ben Mandelker]

She looks amazing. I just think it's funny that she always wears, like, a suit vest.

[Ronnie Karam]

So she's like, badass. She's got, like, badass. That's her personal style. She's like, I wanted to look like I rode a motorcycle in today. And they're like, okay, yeah. But also might have a job interview later.

[Ben Mandelker]

They're like, okay, yeah, I'm ready. So she's like, Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and neighborhoods like Greektown, Little Portugal, Little Jamaica, and several Chinatowns. And then she learned how she. She learned her on. On air Persona. She had media training with Tom Son.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's like Guy Fieri bringing his son to host that other cooking show. And his poor son still doesn't have the hang of it. He's just standing off the stage like, wow. Wow, Brooke. Huh? So you're on the show. Remember when you were on Top Chef? That was so cool. Oh, my God. Did you used to have brown hair? I knew it. I knew it.

[Ben Mandelker]

So Gail's like, and there are so many more cultures and cuisines that make up the mosaic that is Toronto. Well, there were so many. Unfortunately, Gail ate them all out of existence.

[Ronnie Karam]

So there's no quick fire tomorrow. But guess what? Two people are gonna get kicked off. Oh, I guess we don't find that out yet. So they each have to go. They team up and they go to different neighborhoods to learn cultures firsthand, because how better to learn things than through food? And so they're like, yay, we get to get in our BMWs.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. So they. They are all. They're all. They're all paired up into these. Into these different groups. They're going to go all these places and everything. And, yeah, like you said, it is a double elimination challenge, and whoever is paired with Tristan is going to be. I'm sorry, it's not whoever's paired with Tristan, but whoever went the. The winner of the last chance kitchen comes back, and it's. What's her face? What's her name again? I can't remember her name. Red haired girl.

[Ronnie Karam]

No, she's the girl with glasses. The goofy girl with glasses. Just call her goofy for now. We'll figure out a little while. Oh, no, Goofy. Goofy. Yeah.

[Ben Mandelker]

So she's back And Tristan, whoever is, she's. She's got immunity because she is. Oh, wait, that's ahead. I'm. I'm sorry. I just confused two scenes in this show. I apologize. We'll put a pin in that. Wow.

[Ronnie Karam]

Top Chef notes again. Because they're. They're always crazy. So Kat is like, oh, I'm so excited to try different flavors. That's why we're here to go to different restaurants and to celebrate. I have awkwardly cut my bangs unevenly, so spent my morning doing that. Bring it on, Portugal town.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. So now Bailey is. Oh, so Bailey. Bailey's back. Bailey is goofy. That's her name, right?

[Ronnie Karam]

I don't know. Who cares? We're not there yet. Are we? Where are we?

[Ben Mandelker]

Where are we? I think I got totally just turned around.

[Ronnie Karam]

I see them drawing knives is what I have next.

[Ben Mandelker]

That's what I thought, but then I thought maybe that happened later. So I was like, just. I don't know.

[Ronnie Karam]

No. So Tristan. Tristan won the elimination challenge, so they get to draw first, and the knives say their town that they're going to be working in or whatever. So Tristan gets Greek. So listen, they're going to get immunity, right, because they won the quick fire last week.

[Ben Mandelker]

Right? So Tristan has Greek, and he says that he doesn't really. Greek food does not really match his style very much, but he's going to try to make it work. And so then more people are drawing lives. Lana and Vincenzo draw Indian. Now, Vinnie, he was the one who in the first episode was, like, really domineering about coring apples and serving, like, a dish in the apple when no one else wanted to do it. And, like, we kind of clocked him in that first episode for being like, we thought he was going to be a villain. And then he kind of is sort of been on the sidelines in terms of villainy, but I feel like it's gonna start to come back this episode.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. I thought it was funny when Michael Cera was the guest host and he looked exactly like Michael Cera.

[Ben Mandelker]

I know. Wasn't he like.

[Ronnie Karam]

He's so proud of it, too. He's like, God, I think I look just like him, don't you guys? I was like, yeah, actually.

[Ben Mandelker]

And Michael Cera sort of had, like, a puberty beard. You know, he's like, doing that thing where he's like, he can't really grow a beard, but he really wants to grow a beard. So he, like, had, like, these patches all around. He was like, look, I look like an adult now. It's like, no, he's watch age, because.

[Ronnie Karam]

He does look older. I mean, I do. I do think he looks old. And, like, not old, but I mean, older for sure. But he's still like a baby. It's odd. And then he wears, like, those movie stars, like, just slightly tinted glasses and stuff, which make him look. He's an odd. He's an odd ager. I'll just say that. So then Vinnie wants to pick Lana because they've worked together before, and it worked out great. And basically, we see where Lana is just going to do whatever he wants, because that's how Lana is. Lana is definitely the sue in the room. You know, she's like, the. The one who's going to do whatever the chef tells her to do. And so I kind of feel bad for Lana, but, you know, that's how she is. Like, every time they have a challenge, she's like, okay, guys, we got this. Right, guys, High fives. High fives. Anybody? High fives. High fives. Anybody want to. Okay, I'm not gonna. No one's gonna high five myself. High five myself. It's gonna work out great, guys. We got this.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. And then we see Corwin and Cat, and they both are gonna. They both draw Portuguese. And, you know, Cat's like, you know, Corin is decisive, and he understands flavor. I understand bangs. So I think together, we are gonna be unstoppable.

[Ronnie Karam]

Okay, so Tristan, because he has immunity, whoever returns tomorrow is going to be his partner. Last Chance Kitchen. Winner will receive immunity. So Gail's like, well, neither one of you will be eliminated unless I get burnt, charred, rubbery. Gail, calm down. Gail. No one's serving eggs today.

[Ben Mandelker]

Chefs, this is very important because this will be a double elimination, and an entire team will be going home. And so Shuai is like, wow. That means out of 11, two of us are going home. Wow. Glad he was able to do that deduction. He was able to connect those dots with. A double elimination means that two people are going home. So he's off to a great start.

[Ronnie Karam]

But they're adding one, so wouldn't it be out of 12? Because I think there's 11 standing there. I was very confused by this part too.

[Ben Mandelker]

I think he meant that it's 12, right? But she's not going to go home since she has immunity. So he's like, oh, I see.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's like saying the out of 11 of us left, who have to go home. Okay, I get it.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

So for your elimination challenge, we want you to create a dish inspired by your Time on the line. You can make anything you want, but we want to taste some of the flavors and techniques that you learn. Tomorrow you'll have $1,000 to shop at the Whole Foods Market. Like, oh, my God, what NPC did they get to record all this style? Do you guys even have Kristen showing up? I feel like they're just putting. They put Kristen's image up there, and they have an AI Person doing all of these parts. I like when she judges, though.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. She's like. And the very next day, you'll serve the judges and 150 very hungry guests, and you'll be serving at the very vibrant Bentway Community Center. Good luck. So why do I feel like the Bentway Community center will not be vibrant at all? Just. Just saying. So now we go to the apartment, and we.

[Ronnie Karam]

Tomorrow, you're going to be serving under a freeway underpass. Everyone's going to enjoy it.

[Ben Mandelker]

A very vibrant freeway, I'd like to add, because that is literally what they serve.

[Ronnie Karam]

And I went riding on my freeway in my heart for the pink Cadillac.

[Ben Mandelker]

So now we're in the apartment, and Lana is like, so do you guys think is going to come today? The anticipation is killing me. And Vinnie's like, well, I think Zubair is our guy. Which as soon as he said that, we should have realized, well, you already knew because you had. You had a good. You had a very solid chicken theory. And I always forgot about my. About my curse. So as soon as he said that, though, I was like, oh, it's not going to be Zubair. They're never going to say it's going to Zubair. I thought it was. If it wasn't going to be Zubair, I thought it would literally be anyone but Bailey. And this is where Bailey enters. Okay. I'm finally rooted back in my timeline. Bailey has returned, which is like a ciao.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, guys, I made it back okay. And then we see clips of her winning and winning and winning and winning. And Top Chef just loved it. And so she's like, yeah, it's been a real opportunity to build myself up to the chef that I am. You know, I re centered myself, guys. I was a different person before. I did not have confidence, but here I am. I have confidence now, guys. I'm a confident chef. And they were like, oh, my God. It's a totally different person.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's a new Bailey, one who's not going to be stupid enough to make risotto on Top Chef again. So she's like.

[Ronnie Karam]

She's A sister on Roseanne to me. I don't know why she looks like Becky on Roseanne to me, but she does. She looks like Becky with glasses.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. She's like Becky meets a little chapel roan. No, not chapel Ron. I take that back. I strike that from the record. So Bailey says the thing that everyone says on the show whenever they have a brush with going home. I was cooking for what I thought people wanted me to cook or what I thought I should cook. But now I'm ready to cook what I love. Like, okay, congratulations.

[Ronnie Karam]

Peanut butter sandwiches and Ben and Jerry's the rest of the season.

[Ben Mandelker]

This is almost as trite as cooking saved me. I was living in the gutter. Cooking saved me. Okay, you. You're cooking what you love. Okay, congratulations. You're doing exactly what every other person on this show has ever said.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. And Vinny's like, wow, Bailey's gone and now Bebe's here. Whatever that means. It's time for a commercial. It's time for a crappin's commercial.

[Ben Mandelker]

Claude is the go to AI assistant for millions of people and businesses around the world. Whether you're brainstorming alone, drafting a business plan for your next big idea, preparing for a crucial negotiation, or building with a team of thousands, Claude is here to help. By using Claude as your personal or business AI Assistant, you'll be in great company organizations like Salesforce, Figma and Coinbase all use Claude in their products. Try Claude for free at claude.com, that's.

[C]

Clash.Com south of Midnight is a third person action adventure game set in a version of the American Deep south you've never seen before. When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a magical Southern gothic world where reality and fantasy are intertwined. Learn the ancient powers of a weaver and face mythical creatures inspired by real folklore as you explore a beautifully handcrafted world featuring a soundtrack inspired by the American South. Unravel the past in south of Midnight. Play now on Xbox series X and S game Pass. Ultimate and PC and Steam terms apply. See xbox.com subscription terms rated M for mature.

[Ronnie Karam]

So they're like, wow, who is this person? I don't even know her. She's just so confident.

[Ben Mandelker]

Wow. From the 30 minutes that we knew her earlier in the season, she has completely changed. So they tell her what's going on and. And Bailey says Bailey announces that because she has immunity, so does Tristan because she is linked with Tristan. So they're gonna be.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, they both. He won and she won. Right? So she won last chance, and he won. So they both won in their own rights to get it, so.

[Ben Mandelker]

Oh, I see. I thought, oh, okay. Got it. I thought it was that her immunity spread onto him. It's that they both had. They both had immunity. That was like an umbrella, right? He had immunity.

[Ronnie Karam]

That's when they were paired. Yeah. So then shway is like, we're on the Asian sensation redemption tour. You know, God, being on the bottom last week was really rough, but I'm starting to feel like I'm just a bottom queen. Oh, no. Henry says that he's like, yeah, I was on the bottom for the second time, and at this point, I'm just a bottom queen.

[Ben Mandelker]

So I really like Henry, but I. I kind of have this feeling like he's just not very good. He's, like, really on the bottom every. Every episode. So they're driving, and then we see Vinnie and Lara, and they have, like, a very somber car. And I sort of get the feeling, like, I assume that they're going to get eliminated because in their confessionals, they're sitting so far apart that they're, like, not even in the frame together. Like, it's like half their heads. I was like, oh, they hate each other right now. Someone. Something went really bad.

[Ronnie Karam]

I think Vinnie just has a super weird robot energy, and he only respects people. Look, he hasn't been mean to anybody, so I'm not saying anything really against anything he's done. I just get kind of the impression that he reserves his, like, kindness for people who are, like, very in the upper echelons of who they've worked for, because he's really all.

[Ben Mandelker]

That's all he cares about. He loves just name dropping. And he's kind of like sock puppety also, too, which makes him kind of likable, which is hard if you're a villain. Right.

[Ronnie Karam]

He's like a sock puppet with teeth. And also, I was worried. I knew. Not worried, because I don't care, but when he said this, he's like, you know, I enjoy Indian food, but I'm not super familiar with it. I was like, you're dead.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. No, you're dead. They're actually lucky that if Padma were still on the show, like, they would 100 be eliminated because, you know, anyone who, like, dares touch cumin, she's like, wow. Did you think this actually tasted good? You piece of person. Get out of here.

[Ronnie Karam]

Do you really think that you understand human? I asked human what it thought of you, and it said going.

[Ben Mandelker]

Did you mean to attempt to Make Indian food for me. Padma Lakshmi, queen of Indian food. Wow.

[Ronnie Karam]

So then Shway and Henry are gonna embrace their Filipino flavor. And let's see. Let's see. So now they all go to the restaurant. Restaurants.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

And meet their people.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. And Bailey, they go. We see Bailey and Tristan at this Greek restaurant. And Bailey is. She's like, really? She really likes it. She's getting kind of like a family feeling around it. And I think it was around here somewhere where Tristan says, for the first of many times this episode, I'm starting to realize that Greek food is kissed with fire. He says it so many times. Just say it's charred. It's fine. Stop saying kissed by the flame. You're not Seal. Okay.

[Ronnie Karam]

He's after a while, it's like a Burger King commercial, because isn't that what they do? It's flame grilled. It's a filling. Grilled one by flames.

[Ben Mandelker]

I love Tristan, but enough with the kissed by flames bit. Okay?

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. Then over at the Portuguese restaurant, the chef there is like, codfish. We love a codfish here. It's very famous. And Corwin's like, salt code. That's what we're gonna go with. I'm Jamaican, and I'm going with salt cod. Salt called salt. God, thank God we're using salt cod. I can't wait to get to the store and find salt cod. God damn it. Salt cod is a gift. God, I love salt cod.

[Ben Mandelker]

Cat's like, you know what? I just consulted with my bangs, and then you know what? They're saying? Salt cod. We definitely gonna cook with salt cod. And this is gonna be the most salt cotty salt cod thing that salt cod has ever. Salt cotted.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. So then we go back to the Indian restaurant, and the Vinnie and Lana are being made chicken kamasutra, which they somehow changed to being karma sutra, which is very expensive.

[Ben Mandelker]

Thank you. That drove me nuts. Oh, my God. Every time they said crazy.

[Ronnie Karam]

Come on. Even if you don't know and you know the book from being in junior high, and that's the only thing you could go look up and see what looked like.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's. This was almost as bad as saying espresso. In fact, it was actually worse because they are chefs, and they should know the name of their dish, but they kept on saying karma Sutra so many times. They did. You know what? They actually received karma because of this.

[Ronnie Karam]

That was the thing. And actually, like, they should know their chefs. And to say, like, I don't know Indian, I'm like, I know we don't all live in the same kind of cities or whatever, but everywhere I've lived has had such a strong Indian food population. I mean, Austin, now la, obviously New York. So. And I know that everywhere's. Again, but they're chefs like. To say, like, I just don't get Indian food is weird. I don't.

[Ben Mandelker]

That's.

[Ronnie Karam]

That struck me as odd, you know, because I think some things are further out. Like, there's not a Portuguese restaurant everywhere you go. You know what I mean? I would understand it if someone's like, maybe I'm not as familiar with some of the, you know, some of these. But, like, I feel like Indian there. Indian is pretty big cuisine.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's. Yeah. And it's. Yeah, I. I agree. I know what you're saying, which is that, like, Indian restaurants, like, their presence, I think, across the country, especially in these big urban areas, is. It's pretty undeniable. And I'm really technically, like, all these cuisines are everywhere, but, like, I feel like Indian cuisine has really started to permeate so much of, like we said, Trader Joe's. It's. It's. It's.

[Ronnie Karam]

That's pretty pervasive.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's become. It's very pervasive. And so to be like, I'm not really familiar with it. I mean, I think, like, it's like, yes, there are technique. There are techniques. There are definitely techniques that are used in Indian cooking that are different techniques in other. As with any cuisine. But I know what you're saying. It's surprising that a chef who'd be on the show is acting like, so.

[Ronnie Karam]

Especially 40, 41, you know, like, you would like. Right.

[Ben Mandelker]

Like just some niche, exotic cuisine.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. So then we go to the Philip. Oh. So anyway, he's saying it right first. So he says Chicken Kama Sutra, and he's like, you know, and it's very tasty. And I'm obviously familiar with the book Kamasutra, you know, and I haven't really had the opportunity to dive into that, but. Which doesn't shock me that you know what that book is and haven't even bothered to help your partner out by reading it. You know, Vinny's just that kind of person. Vinny's like the kind of person to be like, come and go. You know what I mean? He's like, I came by.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. I think that, like, maybe if his boss at, like, the Nomad had had read it, maybe he would have read it, you know, chapter to chapter. But, like, he hadn't. So. Yeah. So then Henry and Shuai are talking about Filipino food, and they just really like all the condiments that they're learning about there. And then over in the Portuguese restaurant, William and Cat are talking about how they just love the simplicity and about what they're eating. And, you know, salt cod, it's just the way to go, right? Undeniable.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. Untenant. Let's go, let's go. And of course, of course, of course Cat likes the simplicity. Nutella sandwich. I will never forget that, by the way. I will never forget it or forgive it. Even though she's kind of my favorite wackadoo, I complain about not having wackadoos. We get a wackadoo, and now I'm complaining about the wackadoo. You can't. Please.

[Ben Mandelker]

She's not even that wackadoo. She just has bangs. And, like, she is.

[Ronnie Karam]

Like, when she leaves, she's like, guys, I mean, I've done it all. I cut my bangs. I've been a burlesque dancer. I've been a stripper.

[Ben Mandelker]

That's true.

[Ronnie Karam]

I've been a bricklayer. I've been a clown circus performer. I've been a chef. I've been a truck. Truck driver. When she listed all our shit, I was like, yes, cats. My kind of wackadoo.

[Ben Mandelker]

So now all the chefs, part of this thing is that not only are they going to try all these cuisines, they're going to work the lines. So now they're all working it's and everything, and it's a lot of, like, cooking, cooking, cooking. And Cesar is saying how he's never worked a walk station before. Cesar is so cute. He always looks kind of like an adorable. Like a. Like an adorable little pet. Like a little baby. Like a little baby hamster or something that's sort of like trembling a bit, you know, and smiling and happy, but, like, scared. And so he. This is first time working a walk station, which is. I think that's surprising to me. I don't know why. I just assume, like, any professional chef has worked a wok at some point, you know, but he hasn't.

[Ronnie Karam]

He's like, oh, worked it. And then, you know, there's oil and smoking, and it, like, flares up. And I'm, oh, it's okay. I burned the noodles. I burned the noodles. So I burned the noodles.

[Ben Mandelker]

I'm so sorry.

[Ronnie Karam]

You burned the noodles. She's like, it's okay. We have more noodles. He's like, oh, they have more noodles.

[Ben Mandelker]

They have more noodles. So and then Lana's telling us, yeah, we're going to make the chicken Karma Sutra. Because it's, you know, it just seems like this is the dish that we're going to really understand the most because basically it's the only dish that they taught us how to make. So we're just going to make it. But we're gonna do. We're gonna make it, but I have a feeling we're gonna do something really strange to it also. Let's see.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. How can you make a Karma sutra super weird. It made me crazy that she kept saying karma Sutra so much that even Vinnie changed his mind. And he was like, it is comma. It is Karma Sutra. Now I'm gonna say it too. So now we go to the Caribbean restaurant and they're browning oxtail with brown sugar. And Massimo's like, I've heard of browning meat. And now we're browning. I can't wait to brown you. Brown things with sugar. It's amazing.

[Ben Mandelker]

Sir, you just broke three of our cutting boards. Sorry, I got excited like, sir, why.

[Ronnie Karam]

Did you get that soapy water into our. Oh, I'm so sorry. I couldn't dump it.

[Ben Mandelker]

So meanwhile, Cesar and Katiana are making flower dumplings, which was so cool. I could have sat there and watched 10 minutes. That lady make those cool dumplings. Like she was like crimping the dumplings and it made this awesome pattern. I was like really sad that it was.

[Ronnie Karam]

Those were gorgeous.

[Ben Mandelker]

I know.

[Ronnie Karam]

Little pump purple dumplings. I'd never seen that.

[Ben Mandelker]

Make those.

[Ronnie Karam]

Because this is Royal Thai cuisine. So this is a Thai cuisine. This is Royal Thai, which I guess is different. And I'm super pissed, like at all my plebeian Thai places that I go to around here. Like, where's the Royal Thai? Where's my purple flower?

[Ben Mandelker]

I know. I think it's so funny too because like there's like royal Thai cuisine and I think there's like, like there. I think they're just like various cultures have kind of like these royal versions where it's like the high end stuff that you serve to kings and queens. It's just funny that we just definitely don't have anything like that in America. It's kind of like biscuits.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, Hot dogs.

[Ben Mandelker]

Royal biscuits.

[Ronnie Karam]

We have Royal McDonald's, which is Chipotle.

[Ben Mandelker]

I think actually not anymore. I think, I think McDonald's. I think it's spun off Chipotle. I think Chipotle is no longer under McDonald's.

[Ronnie Karam]

Well, we have royal grocery stores. Like, Central Market is a Royal king Colin.

[Ben Mandelker]

There's big lots, which is more royal than just lots.

[Ronnie Karam]

Just a lot. That's true.

[Ben Mandelker]

Okay, so meanwhile, there's more. Just everyone just, like, cooking. That's really fun. And then Tristan is. Tristan's grilling meat, and he's like, most of Greek food is touched by fire. Thinking about our dish. Grilling is the way to go. So it could be touched by fire. And so they all do that, and it's fun. And then they leave. They're like, God, that was awful. And now they're. Now it's time for them to think about the dishes that they're going to make.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yes. So Lana's like, yeah, this is a smart dish for 150 people, because we could do chicken thighs. We can make chicken thighs in bulk. And Vinnie wants to do a Holland days. No.

[Ben Mandelker]

What?

[Ronnie Karam]

No, you're not doing a hollandes for Indian food, sir. Come on, man.

[Ben Mandelker]

I'm sure there is a world in which someone could do some funky fusion where they make, like, an Indian spiced hollandaise. I'm sure there's a world where that can happen, but that's gonna require some testing, and that's not what you're doing, Blake. This is not what we're doing right now. You're not gonna make. You're not gonna put a hollandaise onto your Indian food. I'm sorry. Stop this.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah. Stupid. And she's like, you know, I don't really get it, but he seems really strong about it. So, you know, I'm just like, okay, let's go with it. And you're gonna go home, you know, because this is your attitude all the time. You need to be more ballsy. Tell Vinnie no. Okay? I know that he already kind of smacked you down about the apple coring and all of that other stuff, but you don't have to listen to Vinnie.

[Ben Mandelker]

And this is what always happens on this show. It's always some, like, bro chef who just like, domineers. And then, like, the female chefs always have to be like, okay, well, I guess I'll go along with your plan. And then they're the ones who get burned in the end. I can't stand it. Every single season, this happens. Happens.

[Ronnie Karam]

So Bailey is just come back, they're shopping, and Bailey's like, oh, well, our octopus is going to be frozen, which sounds like a great idea. And I was like, oh, no, no. She explains that frozen octopus. And what I've heard about fish is that all fish is flash frozen now anyway, so it doesn't really matter where you're eating your seafood. But, yeah, I did hear a frozen octopus and think, oh, Bailey, not on your first time back.

[Ben Mandelker]

None of us. It's been like, 15 years, and none of us are over the frozen scallop incident. Okay. So, like, don't get the frozen octopus. You know, she's like, it'll keep it fresh and tenderize it. We're like, no, Bailey, no. But she does have immunity, so she can take her. She can roll the dice on some frozen octopus, I guess.

[Ronnie Karam]

Okay. So then we go over to Corwin and Cat, and they cannot find saltfish. So they're like, well, salt cod takes five to seven days. Maxim. So let's see. Do you have just regular cod? Why don't we do that? Let's just put. Let's just take regular cod, and then we'll add salt to it. Sound good?

[Ben Mandelker]

I'm like. Like, maybe. I kind of feel like salt cod. It's just. I've never tried to cook with salt cod, but I just have enough of, like, a spidey sense to know that salt cod is probably not going to be, like, a guarantee. That's not like salmon. We're not going to just find salt cod even at Whole Foods. So I feel like they should have had had a backup plan, and they were just totally caught off guard. So, like, okay, we'll use cod instead of salt cod. I'm like, if salt cod is going to be curing in salt for five to seven days, it's just going to be a radically different experience, and you guys are going to set yourself up for failure. But just because it has the same name, just because cod is there too, it's not going to be the same.

[Ronnie Karam]

Just get another tinned fish. You know what I mean? Another salted fish. It's so weird. And then he says, what makes salt cod great is instead of it being soft, it has a firmer texture, so it flakes better when you cook it. So we're just gonna get regular cod.

[Ben Mandelker]

What, sir?

[Ronnie Karam]

What. What are you doing, sir? Just go. I wish they just had a trap door, because there's too many chefs anyway for my taste. There's too many fucking people here. Just start dropping them through the door. So then Shway is talking about how he was. What's he saying? He wants to take some coconut flavor from coconut cream that they had from the tuna dish, and he just wants a big bowl of comfort.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah. And then Paula. I forgot about Paula. Paula, she's like, is she from Ecuador? But she's There she and Massimo are gonna do oxtail, but they don't have oxtail, so we're gonna do short ribs. So they'll do short ribs. Shouldn't be a problem, right? Commercials.

[Ronnie Karam]

Here comes one right now.

[C]

Have you ever wondered how a circus performer could become the most powerful woman in the Byzantine Empire? Even the Royals is a podcast from Wondery that pulls back the curtain on royal families from ancient empires to modern monarchs to show you the darker side of what it means to be royalty. Before she ruled an empire, Theodora was a teen sensation in circus shows featuring dancing bears, burlesque performers, and blood soaked chariot races. But when her star came crashing down, she clawed her way from rock bottom to the very top, using everything from comedy to espionage to get there. Empress Theodora didn't just survive, she revolutionized women's rights across the Byzantine Empire, like changing laws to let women divorce men own property and bring abusive men to justice. For all her work in pioneering, she's remembered as the most powerful Byzantine empress in history. Follow even the Royals on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to even the royals early and ad free by joining Wondery. At 24, I lost my narrative, or rather it was stolen from me. And the Monica Lewinsky that my friends and family knew was usurped by false narratives, callous jokes, and politics. I would define reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. So I think listeners can expect me to be chatting with folks both recognizable and unrecognizable now. Names about the way that people have navigated roads to triumph. My hope is that people will finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected with the people that I'm talking to and leave with maybe some nuggets that help them feel a little more hopeful. Follow Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Reclaiming early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Ben Mandelker]

So anyway, now everyone arrives at the kitchen. It's time to start cooking. So Tristan starts working on the on the octopus. And like, one of the, one of the issues with octopus is that it takes a really long time to cook it. So this is like an ongoing storyline with him which is seeing if that octopus is ready yet. And then while they're doing that, Massimo's just yelling. He's like, pola Pola and everyone in the ship, everyone in the kitchen is just like getting startled every time he does it. Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

Because they're just wacky. They're like. It's so funny to watch them work together. It is hilarious. And Massimo's really big into. Okay, guess what we're doing today? Browning meats. Yes, browning meats. You know how you do it? Sugar, then you cover it, then you put more sugar. Browning, browning. He's all over the place, this guy. And then Cat is talking about her fritter and having to bake in rice potatoes instead of boiling them because we're using fresh cod instead of salt cod. So hopefully the dryness of the baked potato will make up for the massive amounts of liquid we're going to have coming off the cod.

[Ben Mandelker]

What are the odds that Kat talks about fritters a lot? When you said Cat's talking about her fritter, why do I feel like if you meet up for like lunch with Kat at Tartine and she's like, sorry, I'm running late. I was making a fritter this morning. Didn't really come together. It's like, yes, Cat, we know you're always making a fritter. Sorry, it's just. It's just my life. I gotta share what's happening in my life.

[Ronnie Karam]

So Henry is talking about how him and Shway are going to do their comfort food because they both grew up poor. And so they're going to do arrocido as the base of their dish and then add some pork care, care on there. And then Lana is like, she's like, I'm going to take some inspiration from Chicken Karma Sutra. I'm not listening to you anymore.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's enough. The moment you add that R in there, we're not listening to anything else. And the fact there's an R and hollandaise. No, curry hollandaise and flatbread. And I know what you're going for. But like, the thing is this is. There's also an element of like, why. Why are you doing this? Because what. What we haven't mentioned is the reason why we're incorporating. They are we. I'm like, I'm joining the journey. The reason why they're doing curry hollandaise is because Vinnie worked at the Nomad, which is a fancy ass restaurant in Europe, and he like worked at the sauce station or something, and it was like a very special time in his life. So he wants to incorporate, like, his experience as making hollandaise sauce on Mass to this Indian thing, which is like, why? Like, you don't have to do that. Like, why are you doing that? Like, you're being too literal about this idea of, like, cook who you are and what you're about. Like, there's just no reason to add a hollandaise to this chicken. And it's. You're only doing it to basically name drop that you worked at the Nomad.

[Ronnie Karam]

Yeah, well, hope we have someone here to call him out on that today. Ding. So then we got go back to the apartment and Cesar and Katiana. Now, here's what I love. You watch everybody cooking. Everybody's freaking out, including Cesar, because that's just in his personality, like you said. But Katiana never is. She's just like, whatever. She's making the most beautiful food. She's using tweezers. She's just calm. She doesn't talk to anybody. She's just like, hi, guys. I'm just the one with perfect eyebrows out here, over out cooking every single one of you every time. So if anybody needs me, me just over here.

[Ben Mandelker]

If anyone needs me, I'll be getting into a puffy vest later this afternoon. She's always in a puffy vest. So just want you to know that I spread the vest shade amongst multiple people on this episode, not just Kristen, but Katiana is always in, like, a little vest as well. So, yeah, she's very. She's very stoic. And she's always making little flowers. That's kind of her thing. So they. When they. When. When. It's sort of like at the end of the day, there is some. This is a true. At the end of the day. At the end of the day, they. There are some question marks like, will the octopus be ready tomorrow? And will Massimo and Paula's short ribs, will that be ready?

[Ronnie Karam]

Right.

[Ben Mandelker]

Who knows?

[Ronnie Karam]

So Katyana tells us that tomorrow is her daughter's fifth birthday. And I was waiting for the deal. Oh, my daughter's having her birthday. I'm missing everything for my daughter. I just miss my daughter. But she's not. She's like. Like, it's my daughter's fifth birthday. That birthday party. Thank God I'm not there. I just want to do well so I can show my daughter. Like, your mom's kicking ass on her fifth birthday and you're sitting there without your mom at your birthday party on yours. So mom wins. Okay? That's all I ordered with this. I ordered a bouncy daughter section. No, I was never addicted to heroin. I'm sorry. Okay. Can I just go back to cooking? Well, thanks.

[Ben Mandelker]

My thing is, I live in la. I'm super cool. I've got celebrity friends, and that's it. My daughter will survive. So now it's the next day, and we arrive at the underpass and. Or the overpass, I should say. They're under the overpass. And they've got 90 minutes to get ready. So they've got all their different stations and everything. And Massimo's telling us that, like, 180 balls of dough need to be portioned, need to braise, need some time to cook. They're like, okay, bro, chill out. And Kat, meanwhile, is saying that she's really nervous about the double elimination and that they tested some of their, like, croquette or whatever they're making. They're like, they're balls, and it's still a little wet, so they're adding flour to bind it more. So we know this is gonna be a disaster because anytime someone's trying to do some last minute, like, textural adjustments, it's always going to go gummy and tough or just be.

[Ronnie Karam]

And they're doing it by adding panko, which is bread. They're adding bread, basically. It's basically breadcrumbs. Right?

[Ben Mandelker]

Right.

[Ronnie Karam]

So they're adding bread to a bunch of wet, which is gonna just make mush, guys. Okay.

[Ben Mandelker]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Karam]

Why are you doing that? Why, guys? So then Paula and Massimo are having trouble because he's having trouble getting his meat done right. He needs the zhou to be reduced, and she doesn't want to reduce it. She's like, the meat's not cooked all the way, and it needs to. The zhou needs to be covering it. It. So we have time. I don't know why he's freaking out. And he's like, do it, do it. We're going home. And so they start arguing, and she's not taking his, which I really like too. She stands up for herself very well.

[Ben Mandelker]

She does. They have a real Zhu argument about whether it should be covered or not. They never quite get to the bottom of it. They just keep like. Like, one person covers the pot, the other one takes it off. It just sort of goes back and forth like that. And she tells us, I'm not going to let anybody disrespect me. I mean, I'm sorry, but at the end of it all, in my mind, I'm also thinking I'm gonna get eliminated because my team is not working as a team. Like, he's in a whole other world, and we see him just, like, knocking over and just being a disaster.

[Ronnie Karam]

So then everyone's like, oh, trouble in paradise. Am I right? 18 minutes left. So Cesar's like, oh, my God. We're using butterfly pea flowers for pickled daikon flowers. Purple to royal color. She's amazing. Everything she's doing is amazing.

[Ben Mandelker]

So lucky to be here. But it's also the scariest color. Hey, everyone, this is the end of part one of this recap for part two. Keep an eye on your podcast feed. It is coming up in just a moment. Thanks so much for listening. Catch you on the second half. Watch what Crappens would like to thank its premium sponsors. Ain't no thing like Allison King Our ways the ambulance way it's the Foster and the Furious It's Amanda Foster it's always automatic with Ashley Otto.

[Ronnie Karam]

Ashley Savoni she don't take no baloney.

[Ben Mandelker]

Put your hands together for Carly Clapp. Catherine D. Bernardo has our hearto get.

[Ronnie Karam]

On the right foot with Chrissy Offutt. Dana C. Dana do she's not just a Sheila, she's a Daniella Etchells. We never miss her call It's Diane.

[Ben Mandelker]

Call Aaron mcnicholas she don't miss no Tricolus Hava Nagila Weber. You'll never hide from Heidi Eleanor Jones. I go, you go we all go for Hugo Jamie, she has no less namey we could all learn from Jennifer.

[Ronnie Karam]

Kearns she's our kind of mess It's Jennifer Messer Sip some scotch with Jessica.

[Ben Mandelker]

Trotch Knock, knock, knocking on Katie Manock's door She's our favorite streamer Caroline Peacock.

[Ronnie Karam]

Kristen the Piston Anderson Get a bee in your bonnet with Lacy B Ringing.

[Ben Mandelker]

The funk It's Leslie Plunkett she gets.

[Ronnie Karam]

A name from us It's Lindsey D. Let's give a kisserino to Lisa Leno Fresh as a daisy It's Maisie McHenry we love her on the rocks It's Melissa Cox Megan Berg. You can't have a burger without the.

[Ben Mandelker]

Berg this is living with Michelle Vivian.

[Ronnie Karam]

I love a ya Olivia Williamson Tastier than Flanderson. It's Rachel Manderson.

[Ben Mandelker]

She sure is swell.

[Ronnie Karam]

It's Raquel, yes we can.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's Savannah Cast a spell with Shannon Spellman. Let's share with Sharon Eldridge the Bay.

[Ronnie Karam]

Area and our super premium sponsors She's VVIP It's Amanda V. Can't lose when you're with Amy Baldwin.

[Ben Mandelker]

Somebody get us 10cc's of Betsy MD.

[Ronnie Karam]

We'Re taking the gold with Brenda Silva.

[Ben Mandelker]

Let's get real with Caitlin O'Neal.

[Ronnie Karam]

Don't get salty with Christine Pepper can't have a meal without the the Emily sides Let's go into the woods with.

[Ben Mandelker]

Guy Tubbs who, what, why, where?

[Ronnie Karam]

And Gwen Pentland it's our queen It's.

[Ben Mandelker]

Queen Laifa Nobody holds a candle to Jamie Kendall Know your words With Jason Kurth we got our wish It's Jen Plish she's not harsh She's Jill Hirsch She's a little bit loony Junie, my Favorite Murdo Karen McMurdo she gets an.

[Ronnie Karam]

A It's Kelly B We love him.

[Ben Mandelker]

Madly It's Kyle Pod Shadley we're ride or die for Lisa Ryder Baron she's a wiz It's Liz Sarthi always killing it It's Lola Alkalani the incredible edible.

[Ronnie Karam]

Matthew sisters she eases our woes it's Melissa St. Rose we're on the floor with Molly Dorset give him hell. Ms. Noel, there's a chance of meatballs.

[Ben Mandelker]

It's Rebecca Cloud, she's the queen bee It's Sarah Lemke Shannon out of a can and Anthony. Let's take off with Tamla playing It's.

[Ronnie Karam]

Always a good time when you're wasting time with Bravo. She ain't no shrinking violet Cootar. We love you guys. If you like, watch what crappens. You can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.