Topic: Top Chef Masters 3

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Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" returns with a brand new format and 12 new award-winning chefs hungry to compete for the title of "Top Chef Master" and win $100,000 for their charity. This season, the masters will no longer be judged on a scale, but in elimination style challenges just as the tried and true format of the original "Top Chef." In each episode, money will be at stake, with the winners of every quickfire challenge winning $5,000 and elimination challenges winning $10,000 for their designated charities. As previously announced, celebrity chef Curtis Stone will serve as the newly appointed host of the series along with returning judge and culinary expert, James Oseland, and new series judge, the legendary food critic and author, Ruth Reichl. The third season of "Top Chef Masters" premieres on Wednesday, April 6 at 11 p.m. ET/PT and will move to its regular time period on April 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Following are the 12 "Top Chef Masters" competing chefs:

- Hugh Acheson - Chef/ Partner: Five& Ten, The National, Gosford Wine - in Athens, GA and Empire State South, Atlanta, GA; Competing for Wholesome Wave Foundation

- Floyd Cardoz - Former Executive Chef/Partner- of Tabla and soon-to-be Executive Chef/Partner of a new Danny Meyer restaurant; Competing for Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund

- John Currence - City Grocery Restaurant Group, Oxford, MS Competing for No Kid Hungry

- Traci Des Jardins - Chef/Co-owner of Jardini�re, Mijita Cocina Mexicana and Public House and Manzanita, San Francisco, CA; Competing for La Cocina

- George Mendes - Chef/Co-Owner of ALDEA, Manhattan, NY; Competing for Charity: Water

- Mary Sue Milliken - Co-Chef/ Owner: Border Grill Restaurants and Truck, Los Angeles, CA; Competing for Share Our Strength

- Naomi Pomeroy - Owner: Beast in Portland, OR; Competing for Seed Savers Exchange

- Suvir Saran - Executive Chef: D�vi, New York, NY; Competing for Agricultural Stewardship Association

- John Rivera Sedlar - Owner: Playa, Los Angeles, CA; Competing for American Diabetes Association

- Alex Stratta - Executive Chef: Stratta, Las Vegas, NV; Competing for Faster Cures, part of the Milken Prostate Cancer Foundation

- Celina Tio - Chef/Owner: JULIAN Restaurant, Kansas City, MO, Competing for Harvesters

- Sue Zemanick - Executive Chef: Gautreau's, New Orleans, LA; Competing for the Louisiana SPCA

So, Curtis Stone replaces Kelly Choi ( a plus for viewers even though I liked her) and Ruth Reichl has repalced Jay Rayner and Gael Greene

some master entertainers and celebrity guest judges including: Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, pop/rock group Maroon 5 and pop sensation Kelis, among others. For a 30 second only sneak peek of the third season of "Top Chef Masters" go to: http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/season-3/videos/for-culinary-glory

 

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TCM3 begins in 6 nights at a special 11 pm EDT one-time time slot after the Top Chef 8 Reunion next Wednesday night. After next week it will drop into the TC8 time slot at 10pm.

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TCM3

The new top Chef Masters 3 is very different from TCM1 and TCM2. The main difference is related to the long season with no break, which world-class chefs used to keep up with their restaurants. In TCM3 the format is what Top Chef’s format is, starting with 12 chefs and eliminating one each week to get to the final 2 or 3, depending on whether the finale will be one-episode or two-episode. What got lost in the translation is that there are no world-class chefs competing in TCM3. The chefs are all first-class, but nobody is world-class. The closest to that in my opinion is Traci des Jardins, who has one Guest Judge appearance (TC6-12) in her background. None of the rest of the chefs are so high-profile that I have heard of them. Well, that is about to change.

Here were the chefs competing in TCM3:
- Hugh Acheson - Chef/ Partner: Five& Ten, The National, Gosford Wine - in Athens, GA and Empire State South, Atlanta, GA; Competing for Wholesome Wave Foundation

- Floyd Cardoz - Former Executive Chef/Partner- of Tabla and soon-to-be Executive Chef/Partner of a new Danny Meyer restaurant; Competing for Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund

- John Currence - City Grocery Restaurant Group, Oxford, MS Competing for No Kid Hungry

- Traci Des Jardins - Chef/Co-owner of Jardinire, Mijita Cocina Mexicana and Public House and Manzanita, San Francisco, CA; Competing for La Cocina

- George Mendes - Chef/Co-Owner of ALDEA, Manhattan, NY; Competing for Charity: Water

- Mary Sue Milliken - Co-Chef/ Owner: Border Grill Restaurants and Truck, Los Angeles, CA; Competing for Share Our Strength

- Naomi Pomeroy - Owner: Beast in Portland, OR; Competing for Seed Savers Exchange

- Suvir Saran - Executive Chef: Davi, New York, NY; Competing for Agricultural Stewardship Association

- John Rivera Sedlar - Owner: Playa, Los Angeles, CA; Competing for American Diabetes Association

- Alex Stratta - Executive Chef: Stratta, Las Vegas, NV; Competing for Faster Cures, part of the Milken Prostate Cancer Foundation

- Celina Tio - Chef/Owner: JULIAN Restaurant, Kansas City, MO, Competing for Harvesters

- Sue Zemanick - Executive Chef: Gautreau's, New Orleans, LA; Competing for the Louisiana SPCA

I must state that when I see the list of restaurant experience, I would have to elevate both Sue Zemanick (Gautreau’s) and Floyd Cardoz (formerly Tabla and soon to be at a new Danny Meyer Restaurant)

Curtis Stone replaces Kelly Choi (a plus for viewers even though I liked her) and Ruth Reichl has replaced Jay Rayner and Gael Greene. James Osener remains as a Judge. Quickfire wins would result in $5k prize for the charity and elimination Challenge wins $10K to the charity. Total prize money was $100K for finishing first for TCM3 and a total of $250K in prize money over the episodes (at $15K per episode and 8 episodes left before the Finale those numbers do not appear to add up).


TCM3, Ep. 1

Osener and Reichl arrived to Judge the Quickfire. There were 15 mystery boxes and each chef would randomly pick one for pairing with the ingredient select by their adversary. It was one of those impossible challenges involving 2 very disparate main ingredients and 20 minutes was too much time pressure for some. Here were the dishes presented (or not) in competing pairings of 2 based on physical proximity(winner of each pair gets a *):

*Suvir – makes something out of corned beef with marshmallows
Tio – could not finish

*Traci – duet of salads with licorice and peanut butter
John – licorice, bacon and peanut butter hors d’oeuvres

*Mary Sue –cottage cheese and frogs’ legs
John – no cottage cheese sauce on the plate

*George - popcorn and chicken livers
Sue - unclear

*Floyd -cockles and marmite (vegetable spread from Australia)
Alex – marmite soup vs. cockles/leek soup

*Hugh - dragon fruit and sardines
Naomi - was not able to finish

Those considered for the Quickfire win were Mary sue vs. Traci. Traci won $5K for La Cocina.
The winners of these duos were Suvir, Traci, Mary Sue, George, Floyd and Hugh. Traci and Mary Sue were the two best. Traci’s salad duo won the $5K and immunity for the Elimination Challenge. All six of them were designated to be Team Red in Restaurant Wars, the first week Elimination Challenge. The three first-round non-presenters and other 3 losers were on Team Blue. Team Red named its restaurant Leela and Team Blue named its restaurant Mosaic. Both teams split their manpower 3/3 to Restaurant Depot and Whole Foods. Alex found some really large scallops but did not think they would pose a problem. Mary Sue decided to do cupcakes, but then back in the Top Chef Masters kitchen discovered that there was no unsweetened chocolate to use. She had to be extremely careful to prevent it from being overly sweet. There was then 2 hours to prep and 3 hours the next day to cook.

The dishes on the Mosaic menu were:
a sweet potato and peanut soup made by John C.
a vegetable fricassee made by Alex
John S. is making rack of lamb
Sue is making a halibut and scallops entrée.
a flourless chocolate cake by Naomi
a pistachio cake semi-freddo by Celina

The dishes on the Leela menu were:
Floyd is doing short ribs with oat risotto
George is doing a slow poached salmon
Traci is making a warm bread salad with Artichokes and burrata
Hugh is doing sea scallops.
Suvir is doing a berry and pear cobbler
Mary Sue is making chocolate cupcakes

One individual from each team had to serve as Front of House and typically they made a dessert. That would be Traci for Grey and Naomi for Blue. There were some issues regarding the FOH’s decisions on when and how quickly to sit the diners, who would be deciding the fate of each team, and whether to try a mass catering approach (Blue) or more of a normal restaurant approach (Grey). Curtis said that in his restaurant the FOH decision made by Naomi would have resulted in her being fired. Leela had serious problems in coordinating the flow of food to the kitchen, but it appears that Naomi was able to smooth those over with the diners, but not with the judges.

There were a number of comments about the food by the judges:
The lamb was beyond rare
Chocolate cupcakes were dry, too conservative and not innovative in any way
Split decision on oat risotto; some loved it and others did not
Sea scallops were beyond over-salted
Traci’s salad very good
berry cobbler excellent
Apple jicama salad still has store stickers left on some apples

The judges felt it was no contest for Grey, but the diners selected Blue instead. The winners for the episode were Naomi’s torte and Alex’s veal fricassee and Alex won the $10K.

That meant Red was going to have someone eliminated. The only two that the judges called back were Mary Sue (for conservative, boring, dry cupcakes and not trying anything innovative) and Hugh (dramatically oversalted scallops due to using Maldon, intense salt flakes that he did not think to make adjustments for. The body English on this decision made it seem that MarySue would be going home, but Hugh was eliminated instead. He had a sin of commission rather than omission (note – in regular Top Chef that normally carries the decision but not in TCM3). However, Mary Sue did win the Quickfire and I believe that created the decisive advantage for her to stay alive.
 

[franxaverian]

@apskip:

The person's eliminated was Hugh...Alex was the challenge's winner.

Quickfire dish: Create a dish head to head with ingredients in 2 mystery boxes 
Mary Sue v.s. John Currence - Frog legs & Cottage Cheese
*Mary Sue: Chilli cottage cheese cake  meuniere with frog legs
John C. : Buffalo Frog legs (Cottage cheese didn't make it to the plating)

Suvir v.s. Celina Tio: Corned beef and marshmallow
*Suvir: Corned Beef and marshmallow chaat
Celina Tio: Didn't make it to the plating

Hugh v.s. Naomi: Dragon fruit and Sardines
*Hugh: Pan-seared sardines with dragon fruit salad
Naomi: Didn't make it to the plating

George v.s. Sue : Popcorn and chicken livers
*George: not shown but got into winning group
Sue: not shown

Floyd v.s.: Cockles and Marmite
Alex: Cockles and leek soup with Marmite
*Floyd: Marmite Soup with cockles

Traci v.s. John S.: Peanut butter and Licorice
*Traci: Celery salad with peanut butter vinaigrette & Licorice and orange salad
John S.: Bacon licorice peanut butter Hors D'oeuvres

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franxvaerian,

You are quite right. I had a typo there. Also actually won the Elimination Challenge so it would be impossible for him to be eliminated. It was Hugh eliminated. Thanks for he good catch!

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Next Wednesday night's show will feature Pop Star and trained chef Kelis judging a very meaty quickfire challenge and then "Mad Men" actress Christina Hendricks and her husband actor Geoffry Arend, enlist the help of the chefs in a special 60s themed elimination challenge.

Remember that this is back in the 10pm to 11pm time slot on BRAVO for the rest of this season.

[coolio]

 Missed episode 1.Will see others. I remember Chef Tio! She was on the Next Iron Chef!

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It's not too late to see Ep. 1 on BRAVO full episodes.

[TexasLady]

I really enjoyed the opening of the newest Top Chef Masters. I like the changes especially with the new host Curtis Stone. This is going to be a really good season.

[franxaverian]

TL: I'd have to agree with you....the elimination format change is really awesome...We can see a lot of great chefs competing for 10 weeks at minimum...As for the host change, I found it unnecessary, actually. I like Curtis but the way he presented the quickfire challenge is quite robotic for me..

[TexasLady]

Hopefully Curtis will get more comfortable with his role on the show. 

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TL: I'd have to agree with you....the elimination format change is really awesome...We can see a lot of great chefs competing for 10 weeks at minimum...As for the host change, I found it unnecessary, actually. I like Curtis but the way he presented the quickfire challenge is quite robotic for me..

I have a different viewpoint on this. The move to the strict Top Chef elimination format has driven the most interesting, most senior master chefs out of the game. With continuous filming schedules, we are are not seeing a Rick Bayless, a Hubert Keller or a Susur Lee competing.  I think a lot was lost in this transition.

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TCM3, Ep. 2

It’s a new day and some new challenge in the top Chef Masters Kitchen. Curtis announced that John Sedlar had to withdrew on short notice, so Top Chef Masters had reinstated Hugh back into the competition. The Quickfire is to make a meatball dish in 30 minutes, using only an old-fashioned meat grinder. The chefs chose these dishes to present:

Sue – spicy pork meatball, spicy tomato sauce
George – chicken/short rib meatball, spicy tomato broth
Alex – spicy lamb meatball, toasted fruit, almond couscous
Floyd – fried beef and bacon meatball sandwich w/ Asian slaw
Traci – tarragon chicken meatball w/ consommé
Mary Sue – turkey albondigas soup, toasted pumpkin seeds, Manchego cheese
John C. – Vietnamese chicken meatball
Suvir – Indian spiced meatball, tamarind glaze
Hugh – lamb merguez, shiitake slaw, yogurt  
Naomi - Lamb and pork meatball, pine nuts, ricotta
Celina - Lamb and pork meatball, tomato chutney, shaved fennel salad

Guest Judge for the Quickfire was Nelis, a recording artist. She made rapid and probably accurate assessments of the relative value of dishes. Her results were:
Least Favorite – George’s chicken/short ribs, Floyd’s beef and bacon and Hugh’s lamb
Most Favorite – John’s Viet chicken meatball, Suvir’s Indian spiced meatball.
The winner was John, who got $5K from Lexus for his charity.

Next the Elimination Challenge started. The Masters were invited to a cocktail party thrown by serious foodies “Mad Men” star Christina Hendrix and her husband Greg Arend. The catch was that they were the caterers. They had to draw numbers for a dish common in the 1960s and recreate it as-is, then improve it. There was a shopping period and 1.5 hours to cook on a staged basis at Jars restaurant.

A few of the master chef ran into problems from their choices. John, who had Oysters Rockefeller, had to start the finish cooking period without knowing that his oysters would open. Suvir, who drew Veal Oscar, was forced to use a deep fry technique by lack of stove space. Here are the chefs, dishes and ingredients theoretically in their dishes:
John- Oysters Rockefeller, Oysters Rockefeller and Mignonette Pickled Oyster, Horseradish Crème Fraîche, Collards and Spicy Bacon
MarySue – Deviled Eggs, Japanese style poached egg w/umeboshi, mustard miso mayo  
George – Chicken a la king, roasted chicken breast, lemon yogurt, vegetables
Tio – Beef Stroganoff, beef tartare, fried noodles
Suvir – Veal Oscar, fried veal, cilantro, tomato, asparagus salad    
Alex – Bread Pudding, Bread Pudding and Chai-Spiced Custard, Panettone and Roasted Apple Salad
Mary – Duck a l/O’range, spicy orange gastrique, pineapple mango salad
Hugh- Beef Wellington, beef filet mignon, mushroom espuma, crisp puff pastry
Traci – CoqAuVin, Coq Au Vin and Chicken Frisée Salad, Pickled Shallots and Carrots, Bacon Vinaigrette
Naomi - Grasshopper Pie and Chocolate Mint Soufflé Cake with Toasted Kirsch Marshmallow
Floyd - Ambrosia Salad and Grilled Peppered Pineapple with Mango, Coconut and Orange Custard

It looked like the Judges Table included Danyelle Freeman, the Restaurant Girl food critic of the New York Daily News, to help out with the judging.
The Winners’ group was Floyd, John and MarySue. MarySue was the overall winner, with $10K for her charity, Share Our Strength. The Losers’ group was Sue, Suvir and Alex for these reasons:
Sue – failed to finish plating due to helping other chefs too much and congestion in the kitchen, flavors not that impressive to start with
Alex – too dense and inedible
Suvir – used a tough, heavy hand, with inedible results
It was Sue eliminated and she took it well because she had been a factor in her own demise.

[kiki]

apskip
sorry to intervene, but could you correct your post? Sue was eliminated not Mary Sue who won the challenge as you yourself mentions correctly.

[apskip]

No problem, kikisak. I want the posting to be correct. In this case I made a transposition error between Sue and MarySue. It is fixed.

[franxaverian]

@Apskip: Kikisak was correct. There are no two 'Mary's but there are two 'Sue's. The 'Mary' that you have for creating Devilled eggs is actually Mary Sue who won the elimination and  the 'MarySue' who was eliminated is actually Sue Zefanick which we can say our farewell to...

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I discovered from tonight's episode that the critic last week and this is Danyelle Freeman, the Restaurant Girl food critic of the New York Daily News. I fixed the above recap of last week's episode to reflect that.

[TexasLady]

While awaiting apskip's recap, honestly, asking fine chefs to cook, serve various insects? Who thought that up? 

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TCM3 Ep. 3

Curtis Stone must have gotten a big kick out of his introduction of the Quickfire for this episode: create a 5-star dish using edible leaves, flowers, wild plants, crickets, beetles, night crawlers and/or scorpions. What yummy food those ingredients can make! The dishes developed by the competitors were:
Alex – Angel Hair with Beetles and Flowers
Celina – Soy Crickets with Salsify Salad
Floyd – Omelet of Nightcrawlers, Amaranth, Roasted Shiitakes and Bacon
George – Hornworm and Coconut Soup w/ Lime, Lemongrass, Ginger, Arugula Flowers
Hugh – Tempura Fried Crickets, Sunchoke and Carrot Purée, Blood Orange Vinaigrette
John C. – Grilled Scorpion w/ Smoked Poached Egg and Oyster Root
MarySue – Thai Sunchoke Salad w/ Toasted Beetle Vinaigrette
Naomi – Tempura Fried Nightcrawlers w/ Elderflower and Herb Salad
Suvir – Himalayan Jungle and Market Salad w/ Live Hornworms
Traci – Salad w/ Chipotle-Dusted Fried Scorpion, Aloe Vinaigrette

The judges for the Quickfire were Karen England and Michael Garth, recognized experts in the edible plants and bugs movement. Their assessments of the dishes were:

Least Attractive – Suvir, George
Most Attractive – Hugh, MarySue
Hugh won the $5K prize and immunity.

The Elimination Challenge was to divide up a 10 course tasting menu into one course for each competitor. Someone had to take charge of coordinating this and Naomi stepped up. Hugh later challenged her but had to back off. The winner would be selected by the votes of 50 diners paying $100 each for the privilege and get the usual $10K plus a bonus of $5K from the per head charge. There was 3 hours to cook and all ingredients were available in the pantry. The dishes created were:

Alex – Roasted Salmon, Gazpacho Vegetables w/ Roasted Chili, Tomatillo Sauce
Celina – Chocolate Puddin’ w/ Fleur de Sel, Ginger Cake Donut
Floyd – Rice Flaked Sole w/ Roasted Cauliflower, Apple, Sundried Ginger Broth
George – Shrimp Alhinho w/ Pickled Carrot, Red Beets, Vanilla Oil
Hugh – Buttermilk Strawberry Panna Cotta w/ Black Pepper, Champagne Berry Soup
John C. – Roasted Shiitake, Prosciutto Risotto w/ Pine Nuts, Paprika
MarySue – Tuna Ceviche w/ Peruvian Aji Amarillo on Plantain Chips
Naomi – Celery Velouté w/ Salsa Verde, Lemon Oil
Suvir – Chaat Salad of Chickpeas, Yogurt w/ Baby Spinach
Traci - Roasted Rib Eye, Slow Cooked Broccoli w/ Red Wine Sauce, Fried Shallots

The judges were James Oseland, Danyelle Freeman (the New York Daily News Restaurant Girl food critic) and Curtis Stone. They rated the best dishes as by Naomi and Suvir. Naomi won the prize. They rated the worst dishes as by MarySue, John and Celia:
MarySue – not a good ceviche
John – his risotto was just average and this occasion called for something special
Celina – pudding had an imbalance of cocoa, so taste was off

I thought that Celina was the worst offender, but the judges surprised me and eliminated John instead.

[franxaverian]

@Apskip:
The one eliminated in episode 2 is Sue, not Mary Sue
The one won the quickfire in episode 3 is Hugh, not Mary Sue

Overall, always a great recap and I agree with you....I thought Celia's going home but John went home instead.

Additional information:
The elimination challenge is not as easy as you guys think.
1. No running water. Some chef had to melt ice cubes
2. The event is started 30 minutes earlier than told by Curtis.
3. No waiters so the chefs have to be the waiters.

[apskip]

franxaverian,
You are right. My notes actually said Hugh won the Quickfire, but I did not transcribe them correctly.

I thought I had fixed the Ep. 2 Elimination Challenge loser to Mary, but obviously not.

I will make both corrections. Thank you for getting these right.

[franxaverian]

Oh wait....finally I noticed why I felt there was something wrong in my post....

The chef's name is Celina, not Celia....I've been typing her name using your post and I just feel something weird after I read my post again..hehehe.

[apskip]

TCM3, Ep. 4   

The Quickfire gave the master chefs 12 minutes to create a “masterful” cheese dish. It was judged by Beverly Hills Chees Shop owner Norbert Wabnig. The dishes created were:
Alex – Rocchetta and Prosciutto Quesadilla, Pickled Asparagus, and Fried Quail Egg
Celina – Manchego, Crispy Carrot, Fig, Golden Raisin and Sherry
Floyd – Cojita Elote: Corn on the Cob, Crème Fraiche, Cojita Cheese, and Cayenne Pepper
George – Onion and Grana Padano Gratin, Quail Egg, Grilled Bread, and Asparagus
Hugh - Crisp Camellia Goat Cheese, Fried Quail Egg, Pepper Salad, and Hazelnut Vinaigrette
MarySue – Cojita and Gouda Cheese Empanada with Tomatillo Salsa
Naomi – Chaumes Cheese Toast, Skirt Steak, Apples, Onions, and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Suvir – Cheese Pakora Two Ways: Mozzarella Di Bufala and Gouda, Tamarind Chutney
Traci – Colombier and Prosciutto Carpaccio, Arugula, and Croutons
He judged as least favorite the dishes of Floyd ( too heavy pepper) and George (onions too strong). His favorites were the skirt steak with chaumes by Naomi and colombiere by Traci. Traci won the $5K plus immunity for the Elimination Challenge.

Elimination Challenge

This took the theme of The Biggest Loser TV series and adapted it to top Chef Masters with the real host, trainers and competitors present. Each of the 9 remaining chefs was assigned one dish out of the huge-calorie before-Biggest-Loser favorites of 9 Biggest Losers (including Rulon Gardner, U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in 2000). Each Biggest Loser was to inspire their assigned chef to improve that dish to a low calorie version. They were put in teams of three (one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner) with the total calories to be less than 1500 as verified by a nutritionist. The judges included Danyelle Freeman and James Sytsma (editor of Grubstreet food blog) plus Curtis Stone and James Oseland.

These were the dishes presented:
Naomi – French Toast, Berries, Scrambled Eggs, and Turkey Bacon
MarySue – Turkey-Vegetable Hash and Poached Egg
Celina– Turkey Bacon and Egg Whites on Ezekiel Bagel with Vegetables
Floyd – Buffalo Meatball, Farro, Spinach, Cheese, Tomato Sauce, and Asparagus
Alex - Oven Fried Chicken, Sweet Potato Puree, Cream Corn, and Corn Bread
Traci – Beef and Broccoli, Cabbage Salad, Rice, and Wonton Soup
George – Whole Wheat Pizza with Tomato Coulis, Smoked Mozzarella, and Vegetables
Suvir – Veggie Burger and Asian Slaw
Hugh – Flank Steak, Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus Salad
The end result was that the Blue team (Naomi, Floyd, George) reduced the calories from 4500 to 1221. The Red team (Hugh, Celina, Traci) got to 1263. The Green team (Alex, MarySue, Suvir) got to 1368. All were well below their limit and Naomi even advised her teammates to use more olive oil with the deficit to improve taste. I have to say that the dishes presented by Suvir and Traci did not look tasty to me. I think they went too far in the direction of favoring lower calories and overlooking taste.

Comments while sampling by the judges included:
Floyd – meatball sub excellent
George – complicated but developed fine flavors
Naomi – berries were nice; sweetness just right
Suvir – he wanted to make a statement about vegetarianism as the solution to obesity
MarySue – yolk did not run over like it should
Hugh – fried chicken not quite right

The winning team was Blue and the overall winner of $10K was George for his meatball sub. The losing team was Green. The Critics’ Table focus was on:
Alex - leaden corn bread that should not have been served
Naomi – did not produce a juicy, succulent burger; took the safe middle road but did not try for excellence
Suvir – he wanted to give a lecture on the plate; not enough flavor

In the final decision, minor errors did not top the brazenness of a vegetarian zealot. Suvir was eliminated for wanting to publicize his cause more than stay alive on TCM3. I think that was an eminently fair decision.

[kiki]

Thank you apskip for the report but I must correct you at certain points.

Blue team: 1221calories Floyd, George, Naomi Winners
Red team: 1263calories Hugh, Traci, Celina
Green team: 1368calories Mary Sue, Suvir, Alex. Losing team

Winner: Floyd for the meat balls
Eliminated: Suvir for the veggie hamburger

[franxaverian]

Hi Apskip, great recap. There are some corrections needed though:

These are the elimination challenge dishes with the chef:
Alex Naomi – French Toast, Berries, Scrambled Eggs, and Turkey Bacon
Celina Mary Sue – Turkey-Vegetable Hash and Poached Egg
Floyd Celina – Turkey Bacon and Egg Whites on Ezekiel Bagel with Vegetables
George Floyd – Buffalo Meatball, Farro, Spinach, Cheese, Tomato Sauce, and Asparagus
Hugh Alex - Oven Fried Chicken, Sweet Potato Puree, Cream Corn, and Corn Bread
MarySue Traci – Beef and Broccoli, Cabbage Salad, Rice, and Wonton Soup
Naomi George – Whole Wheat Pizza with Tomato Coulis, Smoked Mozzarella, and Vegetables
Suvir – Veggie Burger and Asian Slaw
Traci Hugh – Flank Steak, Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus Salad

[apskip]

I accept the corrections franxaverian offered, but kiki your corrections were invalid except for the winner due to them being duplicates of what I had. The mistake I made was in using an alternate source which has always in the past put the master chefs in alphabetical order. I assumed that that was the way they were without actually double-checking. With the winner, I had Floyd circled as such in my notes but since I knew it was the meatball sub that won and I had George down as its creator, I changed it to an incorrect chef.

I appreciate the corrections, but I will go further. If any of you want to become the recapper for Top Chef Masters 3, please let me know by PM. It is not as task I must do. I will warn you that it is much more time consuming that you might imagine.

[TexasLady]

No... what would we do without your recaps apskip. We're just keeping you on the straight and narrow from time to time.

[franxaverian]

@Apskip:
I just re-read the correction Kiki gave you and it was actually valid because the team colour and the member of the team in your recap was mixed up between blue and green.

Blue team (Alex, MarySue and Suvir) (Floyd, George, Naomi)
The Red team (Hugh, Celina, Traci) --> correct
The Green team (Floyd, George, Naomi) (Alex, MarySue and Suvir)

[apskip]

franxaverian:

I regret to report that you are again right (making it timely that you will be doing these recaps TCM3 starting this week). The Blue team of George, Floyd and Naomi was the winner and the Green team of Suvir, MarySue and Alex was the loser.

I apologize to Kiki and am fixing that part of the ep. 4 recap.

[franxaverian]

Thanks to Apskip who helped me in making this recap

Top Chef Masters Episode 5 recap:

Quickfire challenge: Create one appetizer dish with less than one dollar. The ingredients have different price tags on it.
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Guest judge: Brendan Newnam & Rico Gagliano from “The Dinner Party Download”
Alex – Spiced Squid with Garlic, Olives and Almond
Celina – Spicy Carrot Soup with Lime-Pickled Shrimp,
Floyd – Fricassée of Shrimp, & Asparagus with Beef & Tomatoes
George – Grilled Calamari Salad with Cucumber, Tomatoes, & Almonds
Hugh – Lyonnaise Salad with Bacon, Frisée, Radicchio & Poached Egg
Mary Sue – Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Salad with Celery Seed Vinaigrette
Naomi – Asparagus & Bread Salad with Cherry Tomato & Lemon Vinaigrette
Traci – Chicken Paillard with Asparagus, Lemon & Brown Butter

Bottom 2: George (underwhelming flavours) & Mary Sue (too salty especially with bacon)
Top 3: Alex & Celina & Naomi
Winner: Naomi, Prize: Immunity & $5,000 to Seed Savers Exhange

Elimination Challenge: Create main and side dish for a mystery location, cooking for 100 guests. Utensils are not given to customers.
Mystery location: Farmer Boys (A fast food restaurant)
Judge: James Oseland & Alex Sytsma (1st - Dine-in, 2nd – Drive Thru), Curtis Stone & Danyelle Freeman (1st - Drive-Thru, 2nd – Dine-in)

The Chefs are divided into two shifts: One shift will be Front of House while the other shift cooks.
1st Shift of FOH: Naomi(Drive Thru), Floyd, George, Traci. 1st Shift of BOH: Celina, Alex, Hugh, Mary Sue
2nd Shift of FOH: Celina, Alex, Hugh, Mary Sue(Drive Thru). 2nd Shift of BOH: Naomi, Floyd, George, Traci
Chef with Main and Sides(in respective order):
Hugh - Bánh Mì of Pork, Liver Pâté, Pickles, and Chili. Watermelon with Serrano & Feta
Alex - Salmon Fish Taco with Fennel and Apple Slaw. Butternut Squash Fritters
Mary Sue - Skirt Steak Quesadilla Diablo. Quinoa Fritters & Sweet Pepper Garlic Mayo
Celina - Lamb, Pork, Garbanzo Wrap. Pickled Cauliflower
Naomi – Rib Eye Steak Sandwich on Ciabatta. Caesar Salad with Herbed Croutons
Traci – Chicken Chili Verde Burrito. Jicama Sticks and Tortilla Chips
George - Pork and Chorizo Skewer with Clam. Cucumber and Olive Side
Floyd – Chicken Frankie with Cucumber. Daikon & Grape Slaw

Top 3:
Floyd, Mary Sue, Traci
Winner: Mary Sue. Prize: $10,000 to Share Our Strength

Bottom 3:
Alex - Salmon's not great. Fritters are too sweet. Too much little elements & not coming together.
George - Clam was hard to eat. Cucumber was hard to be eaten by hand. No sauce. Not adapting to fast-food environment
Celina - Wrap was more like a pancake, not wrapped. Fillings are bland, underseasoned.

Out: George

[franxaverian]

Top Chef Masters 3 Ep. 6 recap (credit to Apskip for some corrections):

Quickfire challenge: Create a heavenly dish in 7 minutes for 2 plates. Heavenly dish --> cooked with all 'heavenly' ingredients such as Foie Gras, Caviar, Crab Claws, Scallops.

Mary Sue: Scallop with pink salt, lime & cilantro
Celina: Scallop crudo, blood orange, cumquat & lemon agrumato
Traci: Tenderloin Beef Carpaccio, truffle, maitake mushroom and balsamic
Alex: Prawn ceviche, cumquat, chili peppers, celery & blood orange vinaigrette
Floyd: Prawn with serrano chili, blood orange juice
Hugh: Tuna two ways: chopped with caviar & ventresca with chopped celery
Naomi: Foie gras, chanterelle mushrooms & fried lady apples

Judging: Rate each others' dishes. 1 being the best, 7 being the worst. The dish with lowest score win.

Hugh-Traci-Naomi-Celina-MarySue-Alex-Floyd
 
Score:
Hugh       (6th):       7+7+4+7+6+4+7 = 42 --> Lacks seasoning & caviar really bitter
Traci        (1st):       2+3+1+2+1+3+1 = 13
Naomi     (2nd):       1+1+2+3+2+2+6 = 17
Celina      (7th):       6+6+7+6+7+7+4 = 43 --> Underseasoned
Mary Sue (4th):       5+4+3+5+4+1+5 = 27
Alex:        (3rd):       3+2+5+1+5+6+2 = 24
Floyd:      (5th):       4+5+6+4+3+5+3 = 30--> Blood orange too powerful

Winner : Traci. Prize: $5000 for & Immunity for La Cocina

Elimination challenge: Cook a family style meal for Maroon 5, prepping & cooking in tour bus/RV
Alex-Celina-Floyd --> Red Team
Hugh-Traci-Mary Sue-Naomi --> Black team

Red Team (Served First):
1. Floyd - Winter Salad
2. Floyd - Soy & Rice Wine Vinegar Marinated Steak with Asian Slaw
3. Celina - Silky Corn Soup
4. Celina - Spanakopita with Couscous Salad
5. Alex - Penne with Broccolini, Tomato & Garlic
6. Alex - Enchiladas with Onion & Seitan
7. Alex - Coconut-Almond Tapioca with Grapes
8. Alex - Breaded Turkey Cutlets

Black Team:
1. Mary Sue - Chips with Salsa Diablo & Guacamole
2. Mary Sue - Tostadas with Black Beans, Chopped Salad & Crispy Fried Avocado Wedge
3. Hugh - Corn Soup with Vanilla, Pecans & Brussel Sprouts
4. Hugh - Fennel-Parmesan-Spinach Spanakopita, Dill Salad, Lemon Vinaigrette
5. Traci - Japanese Style Steak, Miso Braised Daikon & Pea Shoot Salad
6. Naomi - Breaded Turkey, Chanetrelle Smashed Potatoes & Sour Cherry-Cranberry Chutney
7. Naomi - Apple Crisps with Almonds, Coconuts & Oats
8. Margarita

Judge: Gail Simmons, Danyelle Freeman, James Oseland, Curtis Stone & Maroon 5

Winning team: Black Team

Overall Winner: Traci. Prize : $10,000 for La Cocina.

Losing team: Red Team

Critiques:
Celina: Combination of spinach and couscous not working. Spanakopita indistinctive & forgettable
Alex: Overcooked pastas, enchiladas not appetizing. Too ambitious menu with poor execution
Floyd: Unremarkable salad

OUT: ALEX

[apskip]

Franxaverian appears to be away, so I offer this recap for this week's episode:

TCM3, Ep. 7

The Quickfire Challenge was one dear to Tom Colicchio’s (Executive Producer) heart, testing the senses, and also would have been for Gordon Ramsay of the “Masterchef” series. The master chefs were given headphones, earplugs and a blindfold and used one or more for each of the following tests. One chef was eliminated for each of the first several rounds, then the last 2 chef competed to win $5,000 for his charity, but no immunity.

The first round had 5 ingredients tasted with sight, sound and smell blocked. The ingredients were water chestnuts, Worcestershire sauce, cashews, papaya and mustard greens. The Floyd got none right and was eliminated from the Quickfire. The second group was epoisses cheese, hot sauce, root beer, rice vinegar and mayonnaise with smell unblocked. Naomi could not believe she missed mayonnaise but it was Traci eliminated. The next one was testing the sense of touch and the ingredients were okra, gummy bears, blackberries, chayote/mirlaton and arborio rice. Celina and Naomi were knocked out. That left MarySue versus Hugh for a test of hearing. They both missed rice Krispies with milk but were almost simultaneous for celery breaking. Hugh was very slightly faster. The next one was eating a potato chip, which neither got. Hugh got shucking oysters and then won with buttering toast.

The Elimination Challenge was about food for love. A male named Chris came in to describe his romance and how he was planning to propose to his girlfriend at a special dinner that the master chefs would create based on the story of his romantic life with this woman. The chefs designed this 6 course menu, with each responsible for one course:

Floyd – Kama Sutra Black Pepper Shrimp with Watermelon, Lime, and Mint
Celina – Soft Pretzel with Pale Ale Cheese Sauce, Frisée Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
MarySue – Mussels and Clams Portuguese Style with Sausages and Wine Broth
Naomi – Porcini Braised Chicken Thigh with Sweet Potatoes Two Ways
Hugh – New York Strip Steak with Broccoli, Onion Ring, Celery Root Purée, and Bordelaise Sauce
Traci – Pink Lady Apple Galette, Whipped Crème Fraîche, and Caramel Sauce

The master chefs cooked this meal for 21 couples, including judges James Osener, Gael Greene (finally back and desperately missed), Gail Simmons and Curtis Stone. The mothers of the couple came to the kitchen to watch the action through a special window. The courses were designed to provide hints of what was to come, but the target of the proposal Victoria did not get the hints. After the dessert course, Chris went down on bended knee and proposed, which Victoria after a brief pause accepted. The mothers then rushed into the room as the betrothed couple was toasted with champagne.

One of the more fascinating exchanges ever took place when James Oseland asked his dinner partner Gael Greene about her sexual encounter with Elvis Presley (in 1956) which ash been documented in writing by Greene multiple times so it was not a revelation. She said she was left with him when there were no other females in the after-concert, so she was led into his bedroom. As she was departing, he asked her to place an egg sandwich order with room service for him.

OK, so who did well and who did less well. The food was generally simple, almost pedestrian, with only a few fine touches to indicate who had done better. The Winners’ Group was Naomi, MarySue and Floyd. Floyd had taken a risk on spiciness but the results were fruity, spicy and wonderful according to judges’ feedback. MarySue’s Portuguese stew (I would have loved to eat that) was cooked perfectly and the spiciness of the sausage was just right. Naomi did something to enhance the crispness of the skin and the judges loved it. The winner of the $10,000 prize for Seed Savers’ Exchange was Naomi.

The Losers’ Group was Traci (first time), Celina (almost all the time) and Hugh. Hugh’s meat was chewy and his exchange with the judges indicated that he prefers to cook down to his audience. Traci’s apple tart was missing moisture or sauce, probably because the apples she used are somewhat dry. Celina did a standard pretzel (part of the dating ritual with beer and a hockey game for the dating couple) and what appeared to be a decent salad, but was criticized for not doing anything special with the pretzel (such as turning it into a pot pie) and for two disparate elements in her dish that did not meld well.

Celina at Judges’ Table was told that a variation on the pretzel would have been preferred. Hugh was told he was banal and not ambitious. Traci was advised she should have considered applesauce for under the tart.

Final comments before the verdict was announced were:
Celina – good salad and pretzel but they did not go together
Hugh – it’s never a good idea to cook down
Traci – you missed an opportunity.
Celina, who had escaped numerous times before, was eliminated. I have to believe her poor showing on the Quickfire also contributed.

[franxaverian]

Sorry for not telling you earlier Apskip but I was overwhelmed by all my assignments that I have just had the chance to freely surfing around...anyway, nice recap...I'll continue next week

[franxaverian]

TCM 3 Ep. 8

Quickfire Challenge: Making breakfast using microwave in 10 minutes.
Mary Sue: Goat Cheese & Avocado on Baguette, Bacon Vinaigrette (and basil)
Floyd: Chanterelles, Bacon & Spinach Omelette with Grilled Tomatoes
Naomi: Egg, Bacon, Spinach & Chanterelles on biscuit with fruit salad
Hugh: Baked Egg, Chanterelles, Bacon, & Tomato
Traci: Oeuf en cocotte, Chanterelles, Bacon & Bananas with Lime
Bottom 2: Mary Sue – Microwaved bread became hard, will be quite messy to be eaten
                Traci - Bananas and egg don’t go well together. Too artistic for breakfast
Top 2: Hugh and Floyd
Winner: Hugh
Prize: $5,000. Hugh has accumulated $15,000 so far for Wholesome Wave Foundation

Elimination Challenge: Prepare Demo & Create Dish to Represent Scientific Principle to be presented in Edible Science Fair. The cooking utensils are replaced by laboratory equipments.
Chefs are helped by 5 scientists which represents 5 scientific principles with the products:
1. Carlin Hsueh (UCLA – Nano Technology) --> Elasticity/pizza dough. Working with Naomi
2. Heidi Bednar (UCLA –Physical Chemistry) --> Viscosity/liquidity. Working with Mary Sue
3. Carolyn Tepolt (Stanford – Evolutionary Biologist) --> Acidity/citrus. Working with Traci
4. Augustine Urbas (MIT – Polymer Physics) --> Emulsion/vinaigrette. Working with Hugh
5. Michael Klopfer (UC Irvine – Experimental Physics) --> Mailllard Reaction/beef. Working with Floyd
Trivia: Floyd has Masters in Biochemistry.

Dishes:
Mary Sue (Viscosity) – Dulce de leche Churros, Chocolate Mousse & Spiced Café de olla
Hugh (Emulsion) – Fried Okra Salad with Tomato, Fennel, Bacon & Green Goddess Dressing
Traci (Acidity) – Tuna Carpaccio + Ahi Tuna Tartare
Floyd (Maillard Reaction) – Spice-crusted beef, mushrooms, asparagus & Fried Potatoes + Beef Shabu-shabu
Naomi (Elasticity) – Fried Pizzetta with Mozzarella, Salumi & Green Olive Marinara + Calzone with Truffle, mozzarella, chanterelles & arugula, balsamic gelee

Judge: Ruth Reichl, James Oseland, Padma Lakshmi & Curtis Stone

Top 2: Floyd & Mary Sue

Winner: Mary Sue(3rd time in beating Floyd in Elimination Challenge)

Prize: $10,000 for Share Our Strength.

Bottom 3:
Naomi - Too complicated, using too many items for presentation. Calzone becomes soggy over time because of the gelee.
Hugh - Salad was messy. Mayonnaise was kind 'broken'. Overbreaded, chewy okra
Traci - Too simple as only using lemon + raw fish

OUT: Hugh

[franxaverian]

This is by far, one of the most interesting elimination challenge ever........

[kiki]

Great elimination challenge! Something completely different and very interesting.

[apskip]

With only 4 master chefs left, it's time for a fearless forecast. I like Floyd for the win despite the fact that he has yet to win any Quickfire or Elimination Challenge. For #2 I like Traci despite the fact that she has lost the luster of the first 6 episodes. Naomi and MarySue will be fighting it out for #3. I think Naomi has a slight edge.

In next week's TCM3 episode I expect the last of the eliminations to happen, then the finale will be the following week as a lead-in to the new Rocco's Dinner Party show, which will take over the 10pm time slot starting the following week.

[franxaverian]

@Apskip: Floyd has won 1 elimination challenge, The Biggest Loser one. I'm confused with the preview for the next episode where they show Floyd for half of it.

For the TCM first, finally women got into finale. I'm rooting for Naomi or Traci actually.
Naomi is like a beast that I actually predicted to go out 1st from the competition but she keeps surprising me with all her creations. Traci is really good in almost everything although she was in 'bottom 3' in the last two.

Here's a fun fact: Apart from the 1st elimination challenge which was won by Alex, all 4 are the only contestants who won the elimination challenge and even the top 5, with the exception of John C. are the only winners of Quickfire.

[apskip]

franxaverian,

"Floyd has won 1 elimination challenge, The Biggest Loser one."

"the 1st elimination challenge which was won by Alex"

Both of these cannot be correct. The first one is wrong, as Floyd according to his own statement in the most recent episode has never won either a Quickfire or an Elimination Challenge. Also, the first elimination challenge was won by Alex.

I have missed things before, so possibly I do not have the correct perspectives.

[franxaverian]

Apskip,

I stand by my own record. I downloaded the episode and I re-watched the episode before I write my fun fact. Well, I re-watch the episode after Floyd mentioned that he never won anything and I immediately remember that he won something. I distinctively remember Alex's win because the other person in the top 2 was Naomi and she was remembered with her unique style of seating yet still cooked that good

[kiki]

Franxaverian is right about Floyd. Floyd won the elimination challenge at episode 4 for his meat balls. It was the episode when they cooked for the people who lost weight.
Maybe Floyd referred to himself as has never won, in regard to the quickfires.

[franxaverian]

TCM 3 Ep. 9

Quickfire challenge: Cooking a dish in 20 minutes while at the same time instructing the chef's mystery teammate to create an identical dish.

The Mystery guests and the dish that they make are:
1. Chris Dewitt - Mary Sue's sister
Shredded chicken salad with toasted crumbs & sesame seeds

2. Mitch Des Jardins - Traci's brother
Halibut with asparagus in brown butter balsamic vinaigrette

3. Debra Furtado - Floyd's Sister
Shrimp, mushroom & asparagus stir-fry

4. Toby Pomeroy - Naomi's Dad
Fricassee of mushrooms, bacon & shallots with a poached egg & parsley

Judge: Curtis Stone

Least favorite:
Floyd - the asparagus in Debra's plate wasn't cut up
Mary Sue - salad was messy & too simple

Winner: Traci. Prize: $5,000 for her charity, La Cocina

Elimination challenge: Create a homecoming meal for military servicemen returning from overseas. Serving in buffet for friends and families. 400 people. 1 Main + 2 Dishes. Winner would be determined by the amount of votes.

Assignment:
Mary Sue - Marine Corps --> Marlon Chajon
Naomi - Air Force --> Colonel Bruce Nelson
Traci - Navy --> Philip Dersham
Floyd - U.S. Army --> Eric Palicia

Judges: James Oseland, Curtis Stone, Danyelle Freeman, Ruth Reichl

Mary Sue: Tomatillo Barbecue Ribs & Avocado Corn Relish with Potato & Rajas. Apple & Cream Cheese Bread Pudding with Crema

Floyd: Clam Chowder. Roast Tenderloin with Mushroom Jus & Garlic Smashed Potatoes. Spinach Salad with Pomegranate, Broccoli, Walnuts & Bacon Vinaigrette.Tamarind Margarita

Traci: Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes & Caesar Salad. Peach Cobbler

Naomi: Barbecue Pork, Prawn & Cucumber Rice Salad, Iceberg Wedge with Tuna Poke. Panna Cotta with caramelized pineapple & Ginger Tuile

Winner (Most amount of votes): Mary Sue. $10,000 to Share Our Strength.

Non-winner(Automatic Bottom 3):
Naomi - The rice salad didn't work and Ruth's shrimp was undercooked
Traci - The plate wasn't attractive. The meatloaf was salty.
Floyd - Danyelle questioned the meat that was too plain. Salad was bizarre with spinach and pomegranate

OUT: Naomi

[apskip]

In next week's season finale on Wednesday, June 15 at 10 p.m ET/PT, the final three chefs must create a 4-course meal based on memory, inspiration and self-reflection (just like TCM1 and TCM2) . To stir up the pot, the fourth course is a blast from the past, as the chefs must remake their worst reviewed meal for the critics that dished out un-appetizing reviews. For a sneak peek go to: http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/season-3/videos/stress-builds-in-the-final-minutes.

[TexasLady]

Thanks to both of you for keeping me updated. I have the show DVR'd but haven't had time to catch up. 

[apskip]

It's time for a final forecast. I am sticking with Floyd for the win. MarySue and Traci have both won more challenges than Floyd, but I think he best embodies the culinary traits needed for a win.

[franxaverian]

Arghhhhh......I'm still devastated about Naomi's loss. The moment Ruth mentioned about the undercooked shrimp, I know that she's out.

I'm a bit surprised about Mary Sue as she was in the bottom a couple of times but in the last 5, she won 3 of them. I might be deceived by her looks. I thought up until last episode that she was young but last episode, the chefs mentioned that Naomi is the youngest one out of 4. Mary Sue might be in to win it....

[apskip]

I find the question of the ages of the TCM3 Final 4 interesting, so I have done some serious detective work to find out more about their ages. Somewhere over the past 2 months I discovered that Naomi Pomeroy is age 37, so let's start with that.

MarySue Milliken has been in partnership professionally and living with renowned chef Susan Feniger (a TCM2 competitor) since 1981 and they met working in a restaurant in 1978. MarySue was born in 1958, so that means she is either 53 or soon to turn 53.

Traci Des Jardins has left no specific information on the public record about her birthdate or age, but it can be inferred from her work history. She stated as a student at the University of Santa Cruz, but there is no indication that she finished there (if she did she's older), so assume that she was 20 when she left there. She started working at 7th St. Bistro in Los Angeles soon after it opened in 1981. Let's call it age 50 or 51 for her; she cannot be younger but she could be slightly older.

Floyd Cardoz also has left no specific information on the public record about his birthday or age. However, we know that he got a Masters Degree in Biochemistry in India. Let's assume he did so at an age of at least 23 (although it is possible to get a MS younger than that; I did). He then attended a culinary school in India, so say 24 minimum at graduation. He then moved to Europe and attended another culinary school there. He is on record of being trained at Lespinasse for 5 years, so that made him a minimum of 30. In 1998 he made it to the U.S., so that adds 13 years to determine his current age. I am calling it at at least 43.

So, Naomi was the youngest (and she looked it), Floyd was next youngest (and he looked it), Traci was next oldest and MarySue probably the oldest.    

[kiki]

Without questioning your findings apskip, I just wanted to say that judging solely by appearance Traci to me looks older than Mary Sue. When I first show her I thought she was around 55.

[franxaverian]

TCM 3 Finale:

Final Challenge -> Cook meal composed of 3 courses:
1. Food from the chef's first food memory
2. Food that inspires the person to become a chef
3. Critiques'(also the judge panel) choice which is also their favorite food memory:
    Gael Greene - Traci --> Fried Duck
    James Oseland -  Floyd --> Beef Rendang
    Ruth Reichl - Mary Sue --> Lemon Souffle

The chefs will be helped by their chef from their own restaurant:
Morgan Mueller for Traci
Ty Kotz for Floyd
Jaime Covarrubias for Mary Sue

Diners, along with the judges mentioned before:
Finalists of TCM 2(minus Carmen Gonzalez & Marcus Samuelsson) :Jonathan Waxman, Susur Lee, Susan Feniger, Rick Moonen, Jody Adams.
Tom Collichio, Danyelle Freeman, Alan Systma

Result:
Runner up, Traci
Course 1: Shrimp Creole
Course 2: Roasted Quail Salad with Sweetbreads, Mushroom and Pancetta
Course 3: Duo of Duck: Crisp Duck Bearnaise & Braised Duck Leg Salad

Runner up, Mary Sue
Course 1: Asian Steak Tartare
Course 2: Shrimp & Chervil Mousse Stuffed Rigatoni, Crab & Shrimp Salpicon
Course 3: Lemon Souffle with Rhubarb Compote, Lemon Hazelnut Meringue with Lemon Ice Cream

1st Place, WINNER, Floyd
Course 1: Wild Mushroom Upma Polenta with Kokum and Coconut Milk
Course 2: Rice Flaked Snapper Tomato-Fennel Broth with Carrots
Course 3: Rendang two ways: Oxtail & Short Ribs, Tapioca Pilaf with Diced Potato & Peanuts
Prize: Title of Top Chef Masters & $100,000 for Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund  + Top Masters Chef Jacket

[franxaverian]

And with this, Top Chef Masters 3 has been wrapped up beautifully.....

Oh how I am so surprised to hear that James' favorite food is rendang. For me, rendang is also a favorite dish and I love comparing how each restaurant cooks their rendang in their specialised way(being an Indonesian, if someone has never eaten rendang, he/she might as well become other country's resident). So happy to see that the dish is cooked perfectly by Floyd.

@Apskip: Great guessing for the winner. I was concerned that Floyd weren't gonna able to cook the rendang as it is usually cooked overnight and when it is shown that he lost a lot of time, I thought he's gone for good.

[kiki]

I finally got to see the finale. For me it was not as exciting and I missed not seeing a quickfire but I loved seeing Curtis cook. I must say I was surprised to see Floyd win but I guess it was logical since both the women had one dish that didn't appeal to the judges.