'Food Network Star' recap: 'Ina Garten and Rachael Ray'

[Food Network Star season 7, episode 8]

After last week's double elimination, Whitney could see that Jyll was still frazzled. The contestants packed their bags and headed to New York. They arrived at Chelsea Piers and were greeted by Bobby Flay and the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten. She explained to the contestants that their camera challenge would be to create a cupcake that represented their point of view.

Each contestant made a rush trying to figure out what kind of cupcake they would use. Susie went the traditional Mexican route with a corn cupcake but wanted to make sure that it was fancy. Vic wanted to channel his New York family and make a tartufo with a twist. Jeff decided that adding five different forms of Italian cold cuts would be a genius idea. As time was up, the contestants prepared their demos for Bobby, Ina, and Bob.

Susie was first and she wanted to prove that her cupcake was elegant, trying to explain that her cupcake had "Elegancy." Ina thought that Susie connected really well with the audience. While the judges love the flavors, the topping of the cupcake didn't look fancy. Mary Beth had a story about her son and strawberry picking. Mary Beth finally got positive feedback from Bobby. Vic explained his family dinner and his tartufo. The presentation was intriguing, but the chocolate was too thick. Whitney had her Ina knockoff cupcake and Ina loved the taste. Bob thought that Whitney could teach, but was nervous if people would want to listen.

Before presenting, Jyll was nervous and hoped she wouldn't mess up. As she presented, Jyll explained her dish and mumbled through words. Bobby and Ina liked the two flavor components, but as her first impression, Ina doesn't think that Jyll was real. Jeff's sandwich cupcake was a bit odd, and none of the judges appreciated the cake. The judges thought the cupcakes were a bit too much and Jeff came off too aggressively.

Bobby and Ina told the judges their feelings about each of the cakes. Mary Beth and Jyll had great cakes, but Jeff's cupcake fumbled.

Bobby explained the Star Challenge by playing a video. Rachael Ray popped up and explained that the contestants will be on The Rachael Ray Show to do a presentation. Bobby placed the contestants in front of a mystery dish and found out that they had to make their personal twist on a classic family dinner.

Vic - Lasagna
Mary Beth - Shepherd’s Pie
Susie - Chicken Stir-Fry
Jyll - Meatloaf
Whitney - Chili
Jeff - Pork Chops and Applesauce

Bobby explained to the contestants that they had to have a strong intro, three-minute demo, and field questions from the audience. The contestants then started preparing their dishes. Whitney wanted to make a four-star chili and loved the fact that she had a story since her brother was a firefighter. Vic felt amazing with lasagna that he wanted to go to a new level. He decided to make "LaChonga," which was a lasagna meeting a chimichanga. Mary Beth wanted a modern Shepherd’s pie. One of her biggest changes was that she used a carrot puree that would be piped onto the top of the pie. Jeff made a simple sandwich, but he was worried more about his presentation. Susie looked up to Ray, so she decided to make a modernized chicken fajita for her upscale point of view. She decided to wrap the vegetables into the chicken. Jyll decided to make a meatloaf pie that fit her Midwestern cooking style.

The contestants wound down at the hotel. Vic was nervous about his over-the-top dish, whereas Jyll was starting to doubt herself. The next day, the contestants drove to The Rachael Ray Show. Ray met the contestants and explained that storytelling was key.

Whitney was first and was running on adrenaline. Ray explained everything and the audience applauded Whitney. She explained her four-star concept with a lot of confidence. Whitney wanted to explain her brother's background, but she spent more time instructing the audience. She managed to get her brother in with the audience member's question. Her chili was good and her personality was okay for the judges.

Mary Beth was second and she had a lot of energy in her 30-second introduction. The judges responded to the phrase of putting "your heart on your plate." Mary Beth's shepherd's pie was so basic that she had too many gaps in her explanation. She underestimated the amount of time she needed to use. Bobby liked the carrot piping.

Vic felt confident and was warm talking about his mother. Vic explained the "LaChonga," which made the judges squirm. Ray thought the concept was interesting because of the word itself. Vic forgot to explain that the lasagna was used as he continued to bumble along. He didn't have enough time to take the audience's question. There were no ingredients or real explanations. The judges agreed that the whole concept was too over the top.

Susie was nervous and shaky. Ray came back from the break and introduced Susie. Susie mumbled through the words and then denounced the Mexican culture. Susie lacked the energy that she normally did. She went too quickly through her presentation that she forgot her question as the audience member stood confused. The judges thought she flopped and Bobby hated the dish.

Jyll explained her concept of "Jyllicious Bites" and was somewhat more natural than her previous camera showing. She didn't explain what veggies she used in her meatloaf, but tried to put her personality in by using her hands. The judges criticized her in the background because Jyll didn't look into the audience. An audience member asked her about how she would differentiate herself from everyone else on Food Network. The question threw her off because it had nothing to do with the meatloaf. She fumbled through her question and introduced yet another point of view that the judges never heard of before. The judges didn't like her meal at all.

Jeff was last and was trying to make sure that his explanation was strong and warm to the audience. Jeff was pumped about explaining the food and had high fives from the audience. Unlike any of the other contestants, Jeff was feeding off of the crowd's energy. He managed to get the audience question in thoroughly. He explained that while braising needs time, things could be sped up by preparing all the other ingredients to save time. Jeff was the only contestant who managed to balance the audience, the camera, and Ray. The judges forgave the fact that he was lacking a bit of explanatory background because of his strong balancing act. They loved the food.

At the end of the challenge, Bob, Bobby, and Susie were discussing the food. Ray walked in and voiced her opinions, saying she loved "The Sandwich Guy" and was sadly disappointed by "The Momma's Boy." Both should have gotten points because of the fact that Ray immediately knew their point of view. The judges asked her about Jyll and she pointed out that Jyll's point of view was supposed to be about entertaining and she never did that.

The contestants stood in front of the judges and started with Mary Beth. Bobby loved how pretty the Shepherd's Pie was. Mary Beth had a strong introduction, but her trademark humor disappeared when she was explaining her food. Jeff followed and explained that he loved the whole experience. Bobby loved the food, but he kicked the food under the table. Jyll was next and her point of view was a big question for the judges. Jyll tried to explain her point of view and was just a mumble of words.

Vic had a great 30-second interview and went downhill. He missed the one sentence of context. His lasagna didn't work at all. Judge Susie thought that Susie was trying to make sure she wasn't demeaning her food. Judge Susie pointed out that Penny was so passionate about Middle Eastern food that Susie should have been more passionate with Mexican. The food wasn't good at all. Whitney's chili was more soup than chili. Bob suggested that Whitney needed to explain more about her personality. Jeff and Whitney were the top two, with Jeff being the clear winner.

The last four contestants represented the bottom. The judges conferred while the contestants nervously waited in the back. Susie failed in her explanation, but her camera challenge was good. Judge Susie liked Mary Beth, but she's only showing flashes of brilliance. Jyll never introduced her point of view. Judge Susie thought she was superficial. Vic didn't have a strong concept for his dish, but he has one of the strongest premises. The judges all agreed that Jyll would be eliminated. Jyll understood that she was going and she did a great job.

Next Week: The challengers roast meat. Then comedians roast the challengers.