Hot Potato Heads

Finally it was here, an episode honoring the brave men and women who serve our country in the armed forces. It only took six seasons to get here. Half of me was happy that it was finally happening but half of me worried that the producers would twist the challenge into some sort of inedible disaster AND blame the chefs.

Good Sign No. 1 - Guest Judge Mark PeelFor those of you who don't remember, Mark was a contestant on Top Chef Masters. He thinks dealing with pressure and time restrictions is like this......hot lasers headed for your crotch. What's not to love? For the Quickfire he brought along an Iron Chef sized table of potatoes.Seems simple, 45 minutes to rock a potato dish. No golden money chip up for grabs but immunity is still in play. What is not in play is Team Rainbow.More like Team Dysfunction. What happened? The classic too many cooks in the kitchen and really no way to tell one boiling pot of water from another. My favorite part of this little mini drama? Imagining Preeti's punishment had it been Jennifer's boiling pot of water she had poached.When in Vegas...

Now for all the Ashley drama she still popped up in the top 3 of the Quickfire with a decent gnocci dish using Hen of the Woods mushrooms and homemade ricotta. I have to give props to anyone who makes their own cheese for a 45 minute Quickfire.But let's face it, Jennifer had them all beat with the trifecta of ingredients of butter, crème fraîche and duckfat. Bathe those luscious mussels in a three way use of potato sauce and the girl's back on top with the Quickfire win and immunity.
Immunity to Jennifer? It's nice but she still wants to be the winner. Always. Which apparently this does not sit well with this little piggy.

Don't mess with her, Mike, her knives are very, very sharp.

Next - a Ten HUT!