Shooting Stars With Bob Tuschman

OK, OK, we heard you! Despite Melissa’s win, there are still a lot of Jeffrey fans out there. As I’ve always said, Jeffrey is bursting with knowledge he wants to share. You wanted more and Jeffrey was game, so we produced web-exclusive videos based on Jeffrey’s pilot episode. Presenting: The Spice Smuggler.

Jeffrey Saad takes you on a journey with Anise seed spice, Paprika, Garam Masala and Five Spice powder. He takes spices off the rack and brings them center stage. And as always, Jeffrey makes you need to taste the food.

Enjoy a little more Jeffrey Saad, and let us know what you think.

So, there you have it, Melissa is our new Food Network star.

So, why Melissa and not Jeffrey?

In many respects, they’re flip sides of the same coin. Two warm, likeable, smart experts. Both parents; similar ages. Both great communicators, full of info, who became remarkably comfortable on camera. Either could have had a hit show.

I struggled with the decision.

Overall, Jeffrey’s food fascinated and delighted me. Except for a few notable flubs, most of his food had a spicy elegance to it. The ingredients that attracted him – and would have been the heart of his “Ingredient Smuggler” show – and the sophistication of his recipes wouldn’t have appealed to everyone. That’s OK; we do a range of shows.

Melissa’s bottomless trove of tips and tricks kept teaching me things, and I thought viewers would appreciate them too. But mostly, her food kept winning me over. It is exactly the kind of smart, sophisticated but accessible home cooking that viewers constantly tell me they want to learn from us. And her deep knowledge of budget and time-conscious recipes seemed perfect for these times.

In the end, Melissa’s personality “popped” more for me than Jeffrey’s did. When I referred to him as the “zen meister”, I worried that at times his “steady as she goes” demeanor could feel slightly flat and predictable in comparison to Melissa.

I can’t state this any more strongly: I’m a huge fan of Jeffrey’s. He’s a class act and has a huge fan base. He just got aced out ever so slightly on this final challenge.

Melissa never stopped surprising me. It’s the edges, quirks and unpredictability that make a star. And her bright energy, endless high spirits and determination definitely excited me. As Ina said, “She glows in the dark.”

So – by a point or two – the decision went to Melissa.

Oh, and for those who asked, Big Daddy’s House, the show of last year’s winner, Aaron McCargo, Jr., continues to be one of the top rated shows in our weekend cooking block.

Tune in next Sunday at 12:30pm/11:30c for Melissa’s show, Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian. Yes, Dinner for 4 for $10. What’s not to love?

This is it. The moment we’ve been waiting for all summer long. This Sunday is the final showdown between Jeffrey and Melissa in their toughest challenge yet. The winner will be headlining their own show on Food Network next weekend. Jeffrey or Melissa? See ya Sunday at 9pm/8c.

And, if you have missed any episodes, you can catch our all-day Star marathon starting Sunday at 1pm/12c.

Debbie
I’ve never met a more polarizing finalist, or, a more confusing one. She had so much going both for and against her. Some viewers were up in arms about her from episode 1. And yes, sometimes the truth seemed to shift underneath her feet like quicksand. Who can guess why she chose to slide into spin-mode on so many occasions? It was so counterproductive, unnecessary and, ultimately, a factor in the viewers and judges never totally trusting her.

On the other hand, she had innate TV skills, a unique culinary point-of-view and the cooking chops to pull it off. When Debbie auditioned in our kitchens for the very first time, I remember thinking that she could really have a shot at this: a natural on camera who could really cook.

So I was as puzzled as anybody by all of her misstatements and missteps. But, interestingly, every guest chef who met Debbie was as impressed by her as we were initially. The dream team of celeb chefs this week was all mesmerized by her natural communication gifts – even if her food fell short this week in almost everyone’s eyes (or mouths).

She admitted this week that she had “lapses in judgment” and learned from them. I’d like to think that’s true. She’ll have plenty of time to reflect on them now.

The Final Two
I couldn’t be happier with our final two. Jeffrey and Melissa have both earned their spots at the very top. They’ve displayed integrity, talent, skill and heart. What I love most is how evenly matched they are. In fact, I’d use the exact same words to describe them both: Smart. Talented. Warm. Generous. Expert. Creative. Likeable.

What I’m going to be looking for:

Melissa: Can she maintain the calm, breezy air and expert authority she’s finally found? No doubt she’s bright, charismatic and warm. And she’s a fountain of recipes, tips, techniques, and practical info. But she’s doubted herself along the way, and came across early on as a “harried housewife”. Has Julia Child finally inspired her to be totally fearless? She seemed to truly believe, at last, that she belonged in a room with some of the nation’s top celeb chefs. Can she consistently radiate star confidence and command?

Jeffrey: Can he maintain the energy and passion that excited the table of star chefs in Miami? He has sometimes covered over his low key delivery with false energy. But in Miami he seemed to find just the right balance of sweet and heat, just like his cooking style. His food has been mostly outstanding, but when he failed, he failed big. (Will I ever forget Marcus Samuelsson’s rip that his risotto was “an insult to Italy?”). Missteps aside, I think the guy’s a talented cook, a great communicator, and is devoted to food. Can he exude the star quality I’m looking for?

I am very excited about the final challenge. This will determine once and for all who will join the likes of Paula, Giada, Ina, Rachael and Bobby on our air. Who are you rooting for?

Everyone, we’re nearing the end. Can you believe it? After Sunday’s episode, we head into the finale (airing Sunday, August 2, at 9pm/8c). Keep watching. Also, keep commenting on my blog entries. I enjoy reading your thoughts and opinions.

While you’re here, vote in the Star Sweepstakes. Every vote enters you for the chance to win a summer grilling suite.

Vote/Enter Now

Look for my next blog entry on Monday morning.

Jamika

Nobody loved her more than I. I’ve been one of her biggest supporters, giving her the benefit of every doubt – like when she froze on the Rachael Ray Show. But there was just no way around the fact that she performed the weakest of the final four this week by every measure, in every challenge.

During the rigged TV demos, Jamika retreated into a smaller, closed down mode. She called attention to every problem (“who sabotaged me?”) rather than, as Debbie did, being relaxed and flexible enough to let the problems roll off her back. When Jamika is in uncertain waters, she goes into lockdown mode. It may get her through the rough times, but it isn’t a whole lot of fun to watch on television.

I could have forgiven Jamika’s earlier mistakes if she had quickly recovered in the main challenge. Melissa – who reprised her hard-to-watch frenetic speed talking in the local TV challenge – quickly corrected her missteps and emerged in the main challenge as a calm and confident pro. Jamika actually got worse. When she became clearly irritated during the Red Lobster challenge, she said: “I guarantee everyone else is pissed off.” I’m sure she was right. But no one else showed it. Love it or not, that’s the job. The folks want to see a star, 100% of the time.

I still love this talented chef. But the others passed her by this week.

Debbie

I had wanted her to go last week. This week – man, oh, man, what is going on inside that brain? Once again, she slid into her slippery spin-mode: The capers are in the dressing. I mean I never had capers. I mean I forgot the capers. Are you kidding?

How to reconcile this infuriating behavior with the fact that this woman is a total pro on TV and an outstanding cook on top of that? She aced the rigged demo challenge with an impressive combo of quick thinking, humor, and charm. She was a model of how you handle a live morning appearance. Mike Symon thought Debbie had the most immediately TV-ready skills of all the finalists.

In the Red Lobster Challenge, she was unfazed by the last minute switch of ingredients. We threw her far outside of her comfort zone – into Mediterranean waters – and she sailed through it cheerfully, once again demonstrating strong culinary chops, and producing a first rate dish.

So, where does this all net out? No doubt, a lot of folks will be angry that we kept her and let Jamika go. Quite simply and objectively, she was far better than Jamika today in both food and performance, on both challenges. There was no way she could have gone home.

It’s down to her, Jeffrey and Melissa. Debbie is just clever and talented enough to figure out how to beat out one of these two and make it into the finals. Which two will make it?

Jeffrey

The Zen-meister. Unflappable. He did a very strong job in the morning TV challenge. But he was most impressive in the Red Lobster challenge. Talk about rolling with the punches with grace, style and charm. We forced him into a new cooking palate, and he emerged a champ. His Grilled Barramundi a la nage was a standout dish – maybe the best of the competition so far. I’d pay a lot more to eat it a restaurant than Red Lobster will charge. I’m STILL longing for something more from him. A breakout moment. Something funny and unexpected. Guess that’s not how he rolls. Still, count me as a huge fan of this guy.

Melissa

Here is someone who has surprised me week after week. At the beginning, I honestly didn’t know if she’d be hanging around for long. She started off scattered, frenetic and lacking in authority. But her cooking prowess, fighting spirit, and quick learning curve, kept her moving up the ranks while others fell by the wayside. So it was disappointing to see the return of the harried housewife in the rigged demo challenge. Still, she was able to focus all of our comments quickly and coherently and emerge in the Red Lobster challenge as a breezily confident expert cook. Once again, her dish and Jeffrey’s were in close contention for the top spot from all five of the judges. Once again, she was edged out by Jeffrey. But there’s so much to love here if she can stay confident. I’m a big old fan.

Next week – we put the remaining three through hell in order to enter culinary heaven, pleasing the top celebrity chefs in the US. Which two will make it through? See ya next week in Miami!

I really believed Debbie should have gone home this week. I don’t care how excellent her food was, her behavior was appalling. So how did she stay and Michael leave?

With four of us voting (Bobby, Susie, Ted & I), we decided to each write down our top and bottom finalists on a slip of paper. Nearly everyone had Michael in the bottom. But both Bobby and Ted thought that Debbie’s food was so extraordinarily good (and it was), that it should save her for this week. That left Michael as having the most votes to go home. I argued my case against Debbie, but was outvoted. Again.

We purposely toughen the challenges each week, to bring out the best and the worst in each individual. Here’s where the final five stand for me:

Michael: He seemed like a wild child this week – untamed, funny, but almost out of control. And repetitive (“Who loves you mommy?”). Uncharacteristically, nearly all of his food underwhelmed this week. He told us yet again that he prefers the crowd to the camera. In the words of Michael: HELLOOO! This is about television. Despite his being a seriously talented chef, and a funny, creative guy, the camera skills just aren’t there. So even if Debbie had gone this week as I wanted, I bet he would’ve gone next. Sorry.

Debbie: Her scorecard: Food: 10, Behavior: 0.

I was really turned off by the selfish behavior and false martyrdom that she exhibited this week (“I did it all for the team”). I voted for her to go home, and I bet most of you felt the same way. She’s a caterer for goodness sake! More than any other person there, she actually had the skills to carry off this tough party challenge. But she only focused on her dishes. Then, once again, she didn’t own up to it. The bummer is she’s got the natural camera skills and the cooking chops to ace these challenges without resorting to bad behavior. Thin ice.

Jeffrey: His food didn’t please many palates this week – his dishes were the Nikki Beach Chef’s least favorite and also didn’t impress the crowd. In contrast, his personality was at its best: warm, welcoming, charming and generous. You can see why this guy was a successful restaurateur. Still a contender.

Melissa: I am loving Melissa’s resilient, sunny, fighter spirit. Good for her that she questioned Debbie in the elimination room and stood up for herself. Her food was mixed this week: the veggie asada won’t win any beauty contests, but everybody loved its perfectly grilled vegetables and sweet and spicy sauce. While nobody dug the chicken bite with grilled onion, the salmon shooters were a clever party idea. Still impresses.

Jamika: She was overwhelmingly the crowd’s favorite personality. The clubbers also loved her Jerk Chicken. My biggest issues about Jamika are her inconsistency and her emotional transparency. Last week was as bad as this week was good. Of equal concern: Jamika has no filter – her performance shows 100% of whatever she’s feeling at the moment. A little of that is great and shows authenticity. But more often, no matter what’s really going on inside, this job is about consistently giving a bright, outgoing, star performance. Can she do this? Hope so. Because she still sparkles.

With only two weeks left before the finale, it’s do or die time. Next week, an Iron Chef challenge that pushes the cooking skills of all to the limits!

TV vs. Live
The camera lens sees things differently than a live audience does. While Katie’s kids demo charmed Bobby, Rachael and the kids in the room, it made Susie and me seriously uncomfortable to watch on tape. Exaggerated facial expressions, glacial speech, wild-eyed enthusiasm. In person, it seemed to work. But on camera – not at all.

Mid Terms
Katie: She was middle of the pack till the bottom dropped out. She could never translate her fun, spunky energy to the camera, or her food expertise to the plate. Though she showed her best work on The Rachael Ray Show, her erratic performances and questionable dishes sealed it for me. Shame, because I truly like her and we could have used a healthy expert.

Jamika: I felt like a parent watching their child drop the fly ball that loses the game. I’m heartbroken. What is going on? She’s giving up. Two weeks in a row. This will either be the wake up call she needed, or the end. I’m hoping for the former.

Melissa: She gave a solid performance in the kid’s challenge. But I was disappointed that Rushed Melissa re-emerged on Rachael’s show. She wasn’t having fun, so we weren’t either. Where is the calm, radiant Melissa of last week? Aargh.

Debbie: I was seriously impressed with her warm, casual, chatty delivery on Rachael. She could have been a long-time star plugging her latest cookbook. She worked it like a pro. But if she doesn’t deepen beyond her “I’m Korean” chant, we’re going to get worn out.

Jeffrey: Prince Charming was back in the kids challenge. Impressive. But not on Rachael’s show. In reaction to Jamika’s checking out, he could’ve acted like a star and used his energies to engage her: ask her questions, suggest she help him cook. Instead, he launched into a four minute non-stop monologue, ignored Jamika, and wouldn’t let go of the camera. Not the Jeffrey who has impressed us thus far.

Michael: The camera brings out the worst in him: rushed, nervous and repetitive. And there’s been little improvement. Frustrating because he’s proved he’s got wild cooking talent and personality to burn when performing live. But the ability to charm a crowd in person has little to do with our needs for a television star.

They all have their challenges, and precious little time to overcome them.

See ya next week in Miami! Oh, and hey, be sure to vote in Star’s Fan Vote Sweepstakes for the finalist you would have sent home!

It was a week of surprises and turnarounds. Jamika and Jeffrey tumble. Debbie gets whacked. Cameras scare Michael. Katie shows some spunk. Melissa shines through. Here’s where my mind is at after this week:

Melissa: Momma Mia! What a week – in both food and camera. In Bobby’s Burger Challenge, Chef Flay was torn between putting her burger and Michael’s on his menu. On the Intrepid Challenge, her Skirt Steak Tostada was my favorite and the crowd’s: richly flavored, tender steak with an expertly sweet/hot/ smoky mango salsa. Impressive. Equally, she finally found the right energy for TV: genuine, bright, and warm. The soldiers loved her. I’m hoping all that mommy mayhem stuff is a thing of the past.

Michael: Cameras and Crowds. They’re different. The crowds love Michael – the soldiers were tickled by his bold, funny personality. The camera – not so much. If he can’t make friends with the lens, this ain’t gonna work. No such issues with food. His culinary talent shines brightly. Bobby, Susie and I have loved feasting on his skillful and creative Asian-influenced dishes. But that makes a restaurant star, not a television star. If he can master the camera, he’s got the personality and the food chops to have a shot.

Jeffrey: The runner stumbles. No doubt Jeffrey is one of the strongest cooks in the crew. Mostly, his dishes have been beautifully executed. In presentations, he’s been Prince Charming. And yet, his Lobster Pot Pie with Blueberry Infusion is among the worst dishes I’ve eaten. The soldiers take on Jeffrey? “Bland.” Just an off week? No one can describe food poetically like Jeffrey. But no one is having a harder time sharing anything personal about himself, his life, his world. Plus there’s a predictable evenness I want him to break out of. It’s what will determine if he’s an outstanding cooking teacher or a true Food Network star.

Jamika: Breakin’ My Heart. So far, she’s been a standout in my book for her effervescence, sweet strength and cooking skills. But this week, her culinary savvy was nowhere in sight. Unimpressive burger. Inedibly gluey potatoes. It’s like some of the magic dust that coated both her and Jeffrey wore off this week. Still, her presentation on the Intrepid was funny, sassy and memorable. And she glows on camera. So I’m hoping it was just a bad week.

Katie: Signs of life. The soldiers enjoyed her personality – they found her “cute” “relatable” and “down-to-earth.” She’s been struggling to find her food voice and to translate her spunky personality to the screen. Best week so far for the latter. But once again, meat and heat are doing her in (more raw food). Her almond cornmeal catfish finally showed off some cooking skills. I feel for this lovely young pro. So I’m really hoping she can get it together, really fast.

Debbie: Rough Week. We covered her swollen purple bruise with makeup, and I wish you could have seen it. Painful just to look at, so I give her points for soldiering on (no pun intended). Still, her chicken dish was mediocre at best. Covered in long chives, it looked like she had just mown the grass. But her warmth and humor came through to the crowd. OK, the pity party is over. I hope she can quickly get past this incident and regain her footing.

That’s the view from where I sit. Why do I know you’re not going to be shy about disagreeing with me?

I was overruled this week by Bobby and Susie. Hate that. As you saw, my vote was for Teddy to go. My reasons were many, and I’m suspecting a lot of you would have voted my way.

Most importantly, I was appalled by, and could barely follow, Teddy’s soviet style re-writing of history. The events of the day were pretty well documented (that whole camera-rolling thing). Debbie made the pasta. He made the dessert. They both made the meatloaf. Not complicated. But once it was clear the dessert was despised and the meatloaf was marvelous, Teddy claimed the meatloaf as all his own and renounced the dessert as Debbie’s.

I know the man has serious cooking chops. But this dessert was junior high school lunch line. Did no one remember the angel food cake debacle from episode one?

As for his on-camera work, he is still struggling to find a natural, relaxed, appealing persona. Too much forced salesmanship. Who is he really when he’s not performing? No clue. I always liked his boyish enthusiasm, but he better figure out a way to get that on camera stat.

As for Eddie, he is still a ramblin’ man. He gets lost in non-stop thickets of words. And I think his cribbing Paula Deen’s recipes showed he just does not have enough culinary experience yet. He’s a smart guy with true food passion. But I feel like he’s learning on our dime – and we’re in a recession. His dismissive treatment of Melissa was not impressive (and by the way, Melissa out-cooked both Eddie and the last guy to try to throw her under the bus, Brett).

So, while they each had good reasons to go, Teddy was still my choice this week. Unfortunately, I think Eddie’s time was up, too, and refused to fall on the sword to save him. If not this week, he would’ve been the next to go in my book.

Since Bobby and Susie saved Teddy, I’m wondering if he can turn it around. He’s got the cooking skills. He’s got charm that hasn’t made it to the screen yet. But he’s got some major repair work to do to stay in the game. Can he do that?

Ina: Just two words: Love her. Funny, warm, gracious – she’s the real deal. After working with her for almost 8 years, I still get excited spending the day with her. Having a long, lazy lunch at Ina’s home – including cocktails in the gazebo – is one of the all time great foodie experiences. It’s like: “OMG, I’m in an episode of Barefoot Contessa!” I’m thrilled she wanted to be on the show this year.