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Hmmm, "sunny delights," whatever could that title refer to? Could it be the demeanor of the aspiring top chefs as they start their day? Let's take a look.
As the post-Clay era dawns on Top Chef we are treated to the morning routines of some of the contestants. Tre and Hung do push ups. Advantage Tre as he does them with his feet on a windowsill not the plain on-the-floor variety Hung performs. Joey enjoys a cigarette for breakfast (between this show and Hell's Kitchen I am learning that apparently cigarettes are integral to developing the palate of a top chef) and Sandee busts out a martial arts routine of some sort. Micah informs her roommates that she is not a morning person and just in case her general lack of a sunny disposition doesn't prove her point she flips them all the double bird.
And with that we are off to the Quickfire challenge. Padma introduces our contestants to what she calls Florida's most important crop, citrus fruit. She instructs them to create a signature dish in 30 minutes using citrus.
Since Micah is not fully awake she has a hard time emerging from her fog to come up with an idea of what to make.
Tre and Hung still only have eyes and knives out for each other.
Sara N. is flustered when she discovers with 5 minutes to go in the challenge that her shrimp is neither shelled nor de-veined.
With that foreshadowing guest judge Norman Van Aken (who has an empire of restaurants across south Florida called "Norman's") chooses his bottom and top 3.
Quickfire Challenge
Bottom 3:
Sara N. - her shrimp and citrus salad is so lacking in focus she can't even figure out what to call it
Sandee - the sprig of mint in her mojito forced chef Norman to remove it before drinking it and therefore ruined his eating experience
Micah - her avocado pudding topped with caramelized grapefruit was supposed to be soup not guacamole
Top 3:
CJ - his fish dish had nice flavors
Tre - whose hot and cold salmon both looked and tasted like something from a top chef
Hung - who wins immunity with his innovative and well coordinated trio of tastes of roasted sea bass, citrus crumble and watercress and radish salad
The elimination challenge is then revealed to be that they will make high-end BBQ for a ultra glamorous champagne BBQ thrown by notorious party giver to the beautiful people, Lee Shrager.
With 30 minutes and $200 the aspiring top chefs hit the store. Most make a beeline for red meat and others plot counter strategies like Brian who goes for seafood. Micah is still grumpy in the afternoon, now because she misses her daughter. Wandering aimlessly she settles on lamb when she notices a sign touting it's sale price. Sara N. is still so frazzled Hung has to reminder her of basic math - i.e. if she buys 20 pounds of meat at $10 a pound she'll blow her entire $200 wad.
Brian decides to make something he calls "Chino-Latino" seafood sausage.
Tre decides to stick with his muse of salmon and feels that he must represent on the BBQ front since he is from Texas.
Sandee is making vanilla butter poached lobster (OK, what - this is the third or fourth time we've seen this preparation this season including the All Star prequel - mix it up people!) with pancetta
Sara N. is making Vietnamese beef. She decided to use scotch bonnet peppers and was shocked, shocked I tell you to find out that they are one of the hottest peppers known to mankind. Plus they are used in Caribbean cooking - why the use in a Vietnamese dish? At any rate what you don't know will burn your hands dear Sara N. After cooling down her hands Sara N. frets that her inclusion of the insanely hot peppers in her pickling juice will render her food inedible.
After prepping the Chefs return to the penthouse to prep themselves for their big day of grilling. Hung and Brian decide to rock a "front of the house" look and dress to impress. Sara N. remains a bundle of nerves.
Micah's mood is now indeed a sunny delight as she is renewed by cooking by the water. Unfortunately though she joins Sara N. and Sara M. in being befuddled by exactly how to actually setup and start the grill.
Tom pops by to judge not mentor. And