Top Chef Week 7

Last week saw new judge Toby Young introduced. He's tough, he's sharp, and he makes good TV. This time, a couple of farm animals really made the contestants shake in their chef's jackets.

Padma revealed the Quickfire Challenge along with season three winner, Hung. Padma said that the chefs were used to making great food with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Thus for this challenge they wouldn't have that opportunity. They were instructed to make a dish using cupboard and pantry staples (canned, processed foods). In honor of Hung, who was the fastest chef the show ever had, the dishes had to be completed in 15 minutes.

Hosea made a sweet pea soup with Spam and pork rinds that Hung said was "well-balanced." Stefan's baked bean soup with Spam and a grilled Velveeta cheese sandwich had Hung saying he would "eat it at 3 a.m." Stefan actually asked Hosea for some of his Spam to use in his dish. Hosea reluctantly agreed. Leah decided on waffles with strawberries, Cool Whip and sausage. Hung thought the waffles were too crunchy. Fabio's roasted artichoke mac and cheese with chili pepper had Hung loving the hint of spice.

Radhika's red bean dip with grilled bread was "not complete." Jeff's fried conch with coconut sauce and pina colada had Hung saying that Jeff "used time wisely." Jamie's bruschetta with garbanzo beans and mussels had Hung wishing she had done more. Ariane's open faced turkey and Spam sandwich with cranberry and pineapple went over well. Carla created an Asian salmon cake with fried green beans and peanuts. Hosea's downfall was probably due to giving away his Spam. Stefan won the challenge.

The Elimination Challenge, Padma said, was about "going back to basics." The chefs drew knives that said "Pork," "Lamb," and "Chicken." The teams were split and were told to create dishes centered on their specific protein. They would be cooking for 16 people and needed to make dessert as well. Ariane, Leah, and Hosea were Team Lamb. Fabio, Radhika, and Jeff were on Team Pork. Carla, Jamie, and Stefan made up Team Chicken. Team Chicken had a problem with the menu. Stefan wanted to do a soup, but Jamie was adamant about not doing. Stefan thought, "It's so cute that she's pissed." Later on, Carla and Jamie decided to change the menu and show Stefan their choices. He disagreed and Jamie blew up. "You have immunity," she repeated to him. He said he didn't want to change anything. She told him to do whatever he wanted. And yet, he still has a crush on her even though she called him a "d-----bag."

Instead of shopping at Whole Foods like they always do for their Elimination Challenges, the chefs were driven to the Stone Barn Center for Food and Agriculture. They would be able to see the food they would use and how it is raised. They would then be cooking at chef Dan Barber's Blue Hill at Stone Barn restaurant to serve the meals. The workers at the facility as well as their families would eat the lunch. The chefs were overwhelmed at the quality of the food. The animals and produce had them thinking the challenge would be a cinch.

Team Lamb created lamb two ways. A roasted lamb loin and a seared lamb, served with rosemary and garlic potatoes and an heirloom tomato salad with fennel. Padma thought the potatoes were "lovely." However, Ariane's job of slicing the lamb didn't get raves. Tom dubbed it "a mess," while Toby equated it to "lamb dressed as mutton." Their summer berry trifle with Grand Marnier pound cake was, according to Dan, "unappealing."

Team Pork served up sausage, eggplant, and zucchini ravioli with pesto sauce, fried green tomatoes, and a seared pork accompanied by a grilled corn salad. Fabio's ravioli was light on the pork because Padma could only taste the pesto. Toby said that the pesto was "the Big Bad Wolf blowing this pig down." The fried green tomatoes were "the star." The vanilla-lavender cr?me brulee had Tom complaining about how thick the sugar crust was.

Team Chicken did a version of a fried chicken paillard with a grilled corn and baby tomato salad. Also, they prepared a lemon roasted chicken, a chicken consomme with homemade ravioli and Swiss chard. The chicken was "nicely roasted." Dan Butler thought the chicken cutlet with the salad was "a nice conception." However, Padma thought there was "no point in chicken soup on a hot day." Carla's nectarine and strawberry tart was the favorite. Tom raved about her tart crust.

Next week is going to be great for die-hard fans because it's the best time of the season. That's right, it's Restaurant Wars!