Next Food Network Star: Jamika is Eliminated
Jeffrey, Debbie, and Melissa are the final three on the “Next Food Network Star.” The judges threw all types of twists at them tonight and the decision to send Jamika home was not an easy one.
For their mini challenge, the contestants had to present live on a Miami morning show. What they didn’t know if that the judges planned to rig the demos for disaster. Debbie didn’t have the right utensils or meat, Jeffrey had microphone problems, Melissa had the host messing with her constantly, and Jamika got wrong cues and had the camera literally in her face. I thought they all recovered pretty well, but Debbie seemed to do the best. The judges even agreed that she did better than some veteran cooks.
Their challenge was also truly a challenge. They were cooking outside on a wood grill. They had to choose a fish and also a crustacean or shellfish. The winning recipe would be featured on the Red Lobster menu.
The only problem was halfway into their cooking, Iron Chef Michael Symon stopped them. Bobby Flay told him what to take away and replace. Debbie had her Asian ingredients taken away and was given Mediterranean ingredients. Jeffrey had his chilies taken away and was given Asian ingredients. Melissa had her citrus taken away and was given chilies. Jamika lost her pineapple and was given celery root.
Everyone seemed to take it in stride except Jamika. She told the judges she was pissed and her dish didn’t really come together until the last minute. They said it was painful to watch her go through that, although they liked her food. Bobby was afraid Melissa was going to overuse the chilies, but she tempered them well. Debbie cooked a good dish the judges liked, but forgot the capers. Jeffrey made the same broth he had originally intended, just with different ingredients, but it worked – he was named the winner.
Debbie got caught in a bit of a lie. When asked about the capers, she said they were in the dressing, and then said she forgot them. The judges didn’t like that and accused her of making excuses and not manning up when she made a mistake.
The judges chose to send Jamika home but told her afterward that she was “incredibly impressive.”
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