This week, the contestants struggled through both challenges, which is dangerous at a point in the competition where anyone could go home.
For the Camera Challenge, last year’s winner Melissa D’Arabian told the contestants they had to make a savory dish with breakfast cereal, specifically Kellogg’s cereals (really, product placement much?). Aarti reclaimed her place as front-runner since the judges loved her informative presentation, and her Quinoa All-Bran Pilaf. Serena’s awkward singing, Tom’s unusually bad presentation (yet delicious Corn Flake encrusted Pork Cutlet), and Aria’s awful Crispix pancake put them in the bottom three.
Most of the contestants’ presentations and dishes for the Star Challenge were even worse. Contestants had to cook and present a dish, representative of an ethnic neighborhood of LA, to a Secret Supper Club of forty LA chefs, “foodies” and the judging panel. Not one contestant gave a good presentation. Aarti’s was all right, but because everyone else’s was so terrible, and the foodies loved her dish, she won yet another challenge. Brad also did well, since his lamb was perfectly cooked.
Since we’re getting to the end, there aren’t really enough contestants to break into three categories. I’m going to rank them from first to last.
1st Place
Aarti Sequeira, the obvious winner. She has been through the whole competition. The judges love her, and crowds love her always-warm and upbeat personality. This week specifically, she was the clear winner for both challenges. At this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone else taking her down…
2nd Place
…besides Herb Mesa. He’s had his ups and downs, but hers enthusiastic personality seems to be back for good. His flan was overcooked this week, but as long as he makes his food consistently great from now on, he stands a real chance of winning.
3rd Place
Brad Sorenson. For a long time, he was the bland, forgettable contestant. The past couple a weeks, he’s been trying to show his personality more, and it’s making him a real contender. And his lamb was one of the best dishes at the Supper Club. If he keeps up his food quality, and embraces his personal history (like that story about touring the country he told during judging), he should have no trouble making third place.
4th Place
Aria Kagan. The judges have been less and less impressed with her during the last few weeks. They consider her personality one-dimensional and verging on boring, which is true if a little harsh. That, paired with her lacking culinary skills, like her horrible Camera Challenge dish, and her unbalanced carrot soup, are really hurting her.
And of course, her “accidental” interruption of Aarti during the Star Challenge this week, after saying how she wants Aarti to fail, isn’t going to help her. Really, how could she not tell that Aarti was still talking? The judges didn’t like when Dzintra interrupted Aria, so I’m sure they aren’t going to forget this either. It might even be one of the factors that sends her home next week, or the week after.
5th Place
Tom Pizzica. It’s really a shame that he did so badly this week, because I really like this guy. I’ve said before that his is the only show I would actually watch. But his presentation for the Camera Challenge and his dish for the Star Challenge were just disasters. If he doesn’t recoup next week, he could easily go home before Aria.
Who Went Home
Serena Palumbo, the logical contestant to go home this week. Honestly, I really liked her and her many stories at the start of the competition. But she hasn’t been able to make her presentations seem natural, and her dishes haven’t shown any creativity or pushed her limits. Her “rehearsed” presentations, and her inability to impress the judges with her lacking culinary knowledge sent her home.
