Back in the kitchen

The other day, we choose seven ingredients at random from our cupboards and made an amuse bouche in 15 minutes. Then we diced eight potatoes in a relay race around the kitchen island. And then we preserved everything in the fridge in GladWare. Yes, we were displaying all the symptoms of severe "Top Chef" withdrawal. Thank goodness the holiday break ended this week, before we attempted a five-course dinner using nothing but Twix bars, lemon zest, asparagus tips and an immersion blender.

First, our local chef update: Radhika wins immunity with what sounds like a pretty tasty dessert (whole wheat challah bread pudding with sauteed white peaches and honey-roasted cashews), then really makes the most of her immunity by serving a widely panned curried bisque, which appears to be a variation of the bisque she serves at Between Boutique Cafe and Lounge, in the elimination challenge.

And now, we’ve finally reached the point in the season where we start making predictions. In the order we think they’ll go:

Fabio: A suave accent and disarming good looks will only take you so far.
Jeff: He’ll get distracted by a mirror and slip up in due time. 
Radhika: We’d love to see another Chicago chef make it to the top, but so far we’ve seen a very mixed bag of hits and misses. Eventually, her inconsistency will catch up to her.
Carla: OK, maybe we just really really want Carla to make it this far because we find her so amusing. She may go earlier. But then who will give us moments of zen in the olive oil aisle?
Arianne: It sure ain’t pretty, but it must taste fabulous because the judges keep gushing over it.
Hosea: Still possibly the biggest sleeper of the season.

Final three (in no particular order):

Stefan: He’s this year’s version of Marcel/Hung/Stephen/insert-name-of-other-chef-you-love-to-hate here. Ergo, he has to stick around. 
Jamie: She’s the only one left who’s tough enough to fight with Stefan. (And as long as she cooks something other than scallops next week, she’s a shoe-in anyway.)
Leah: The quiet ones always surprise you in the end ...

For a closer look at Radhika's showing and more on new British bad boy judge Toby Young, check out The Stew.