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Private Notes
The five contestants for this week are: photographer David Hawe, who isn't looking forward to being "trapped" with five strangers for the week; media consultant James Marshall, a food snob who is especially critical of food aimed to impress and that doesn't; PR consultant Marsha Mowers, a black dress and shoes person; lawyer Holly Rasky, a single woman who hopes her television exposure might attract a potential partner; and Scotswoman Jennifer Reimer, a meat and potatoes kind of woman. Holly Rasky is the first to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of vodka spiked lemonade as the welcome drink, mango pockets and goats cheese balls as the appetizer, vanilla miso black cod as the main course, and cheesecake lollipops served on cat grass for dessert. She is hoping that her creativity will earn her some extra marks from her guests. Although she doesn't have any major disasters either in the kitchen or the dining room, her guests do comment on the creativity and effort of the meal. And Jennifer hopes to take something else home with her besides the memory of the evening.
All five diners at last night's party discuss their chances of winning in light of the quality of the first party. Holly herself, in hindsight, believes her night "bombed". David Hawe, the next to host the dinner party, plans to "wing it" for good or bad. In certain respects, he has to since he doesn't have a standard kitchen but rather just a hot plate, microwave and toaster oven. His hot plate, microwave and toaster oven menu consists of watermelon snappers as the welcome drink, pig and a pokie as the appetizer, gazpacho with cheesy crisps as the main course (yes, as the main course), and red velvet cake as the dessert. David is hoping to make magic in the kitchen with his limited equipment. He probably can't have a disaster in the kitchen since there's nothing with which to create one. Perhaps the biggest disaster of the evening is Marsha's hair. And Holly is surprised to see something familiar in David's house.
Jennifer Reimer is third on the list to host the dinner party. After eating many "foreign" and unknown foods over the first two parties, Jennifer wants to get back to her own roots and comfort. Her Highland inspired menu consists of blue lagoon as a welcome drink, heavenly prawns in rose-marie sauce as the appetizer, steak and mushroom pie as the main course, and tipsy trifle for dessert. She also mentions a surprise food item, about which most are not surprised but disgusted. As she is running a little behind schedule with the food, Jennifer lulls her guests with some soothing music and much liquor. But will the timing problems and the fact of some of the ingredients be her downfall?
James Marshall is the host for the evening. He has felt confident right from the start of the week about winning, and is feeling even more certain now after the first three dinner parties. Because of his superior attitude, his guests expect nothing but the best and if he doesn't deliver, he may feel their wrath. His menu consists of fish & chips (pretentious styled) as the appetizer, pork belly with braised cabbage and dumplings (and pan roasted duck breast for Jewish Holly) as the main course, and croissant custard brulée for dessert. James admits to feeling stressed and having a few disasters in the kitchen, but will these translate to what his guests see and taste in the dining room? By the end of the evening, his guests leave his house with a sense of satisfaction, but for an unexpected reason.
The five reflect on the disasters from the evening before, although James feels he still has a good chance of winning. Marsha Mowers is the last of this five to host. She believes that not only does the food need to be good to win, but that the conversation needs to be good and the booze needs to flow. Her New York City inspired menu consists of Mott Street martini as the welcome drink, Waldorf salad as the appetizer, Battery Park beef and Chelsea potato cake as the main course, and SoHo cheesecake as the dessert. In some respects, Marsha is winging it as she doesn't like to follow recipes, does as little work as possible, and if she does have to do work, complains about it. Like some of parties before, timing becomes an issue for Marsha. And being the last party of the week, the five are a little more candid about their thoughts not only of this party but of the other four, with James and Jennifer in particular having a special moment. Marsha finds out if her game plan and execution are enough as she announces the winner of the $1,000.
The five contestants for this week are: hypnotist Beth Bovaird, a glamor girl; recent college graduate Alex Bruvels, who people often see as being over confident; street performer and carny Jackson Mann, whose job requires him to speak quickly; DJ Tania Morano, a party girl with a penchant to use four letter words; and touring Broadway production company employee Simcha Snell, a bubbly person. Beth Bovaird is the first to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of lime margaritas as the welcome drink, tequila and lime scallops as the appetizer, smoked back ribs with beans, coleslaw and corn bread as the main course, and pendulum parfait for dessert. As Beth deals with an issue in the kitchen with what she ultimately coins her possessed ribs, Jackson takes over personality-wise in the dining room, which exhausts the others. Alex and Jackson each get something unexpected on their plate, which may hurt Beth's chances for winning. As the evening comes to a close, Beth hopes the one major disaster of which she is aware will not ruin her chances of success.
The five contestants assess their chances of winning based on experiencing the first party hosted by Beth, who is reeling over the error she made with her ribs, which she blames on no one but herself. And the other four are still trying to understand Jackson's unusual style of engagement. Tania Morano is second on the list to host the dinner party. Hers Italian-inspired gangster menu, which mixes her own ethnic background with her DJ lifestyle, consists of espresso martinis as the welcome drink, gnocchi mafiosi as the appetizer, cottolette à la funghi as the main course, and tiramisu à la puntana for dessert. She is hoping that two of the three food courses will go well as she's never made them before. She uses the gangster theme to welcome her guests in an unusual way. And Alex and Beth find Tania's ultimate plan for winning in her bedroom.
After last night's party, Beth doesn't believe she has a chance of winning anymore, while the remaining three hosts still believe they have a chance but need to step up their game plan due to Tania's impressive party. Jackson Mann is third on the list to host the dinner party. Regardless of the food or the party, will Jackson's unapologetically loud and overbearing personality factor in on how he will be scored? Jackson's Asian-inspired menu consists of "tank car" agedashi tofu and lo mai gai as the appetizers, five-spice Crystal prawns with "we lost the dog" ramen as the main course, and mango mousse for dessert. This menu surprises his guests, who expected more down home cooking from Jackson. Jackson being the evening's entertainment doesn't surprise his guests, but some of the content of that entertainment and what follows his performance do catch his guests off guard.
Simcha Snell is the host for the evening. Although she states she's a confident person, she confesses that she doesn't want the expectation of her party to be too high and not live up to it. Her Mexican-inspired menu consists of basil infused shrimp over Tijuana salad as the appetizer, perrine chicken with coco rice as the main course, and Oaxacan chocolate cheesecake for dessert. A usually reserved Simcha surprises by being part of the evening's entertainment, but as usual, Jackson has the last word. But she's glad when the evening's over so that someone else can be in the spotlight instead of her.
Alex Bruvels is the last of this fivesome to host. A competitive person, Alex is still out to win and will be disappointed if he doesn't. His menu consists of shucked raw PEI oysters as the hors d'oeuvre, pan seared mahi-mahi as the appetizer, rabbit in Cabernet jus with risotto as the main course, and strawberry and sugar cookie parfait for dessert. He realizes that he is taking a risk by serving cute bunny rabbit in his meal about which he doesn't care, but he doesn't realize the equally risky maneuver in his dress code of white attire. Even after these knowns, his guests don't have high expectations for the evening due to his young age (twenty-three) and still "frat boy" mentality of life, so are surprised that Alex is going for the fine dining theme. But they're lucky that they don't spot Alex's food preparation, which would cause fine dining restaurants to close. He'll soon find out if his fine dining evening worked as he announces the winner of the $1,000.
The five contestants for this week are: blogger Dez Diaz, who hates boring things and people; Kathleen Douglass, a tai-chi enthusiast who loves food; jazz musician Carson Freeman, who likes the spotlight all to himself; IT manager Joe Guidarelli, a competitive person who isn't used to losing; and legal assistant Deborah Murphy, a self professed bitch, snob and flirt whose signature accessory is a pearl necklace. All five expect to win, with second place, in Carson's words, being first loser. Joe Guidarelli is the first to host the dinner party. His menu consists of spumante and grapefruit as the welcome drink, butternut squash risotto as the appetizer, julienned vegetable stuffed chicken breast as the main course, and tiramisu for dessert. He wants his food not only to taste good but look like works of art, just as he believes himself to be (he believes his good looks will wow the women). He risks having a wine tasting not knowing anything about wine and placing home made labels with photos of him on the wine bottles. Joe admits to having timing issues with the food coming out. By the end of the evening, the five have formed very strong and definite opinions of the other four.
Deborah Murphy is the next to host the dinner party. Her tequila infused menu consists of margaritas as the welcome drink, salad wedge with tequila bread as the appetizer, tequila lime chicken as the main course, and key lime pie as the dessert. She admits never having been to Mexico and not having a desire to go to Mexico, but she loves her tequila which accounts for the Mexican flavor to the meal. If it doesn't taste "right", she will hear the wrath of ethnic Mexican Dez. Throughout the cooking process, Debbie shows just how much she loves her tequila by the quantity she consumes, which makes her "happy" by the time her guests arrive. Beyond the Mexican theme, Debbie's guests are surprised by some of the unexpected things on their plates. After all is said and done, will Debbie's self-infused main ingredient help or hinder her?
Dez Diaz is third on the list to host the dinner party. After yesterday's Mexican themed menu by non-Mexican Debbie, Mexican Dez vows that she will show her guests what real Mexican food is supposed to be. She also doesn't get drunk while cooking like Debbie was when she cooked her meal. Dez's Mexican-inspired menu consists of arugula and watermelon salad with shrimp as the appetizer, pollo con mole as the main course, and pastel Maria for dessert. She is confident that her cooking skills and her menu are the week's winning ones even before she begins. As such, her guests have high expectations as she has been the most critical all week. In an effort to engage her guests, she has them prepare their own tortillas, but will they appreciate being part of the food prep or would they have preferred to be totally pampered? The guests leave satisfied, but not because of the meal itself.
After Debbie and Dez both served Mexican themed meals, the differences between the two, not only in their food, is apparent. As the next host, Kathleen Douglass is hoping to that her hosting is an extension of herself. Her menu consists of pink diamond fizz as the welcome drink, pear and peach curry soup as the appetizer, seared tuna as the main course, and mojito freeze for dessert. The evening ends up being one of extreme contrasts. Dez ends up being the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. Kathleen's overly positive demeanor, regardless of what is thrown at her, garnered mixed results. And her party favor, while touching some more than others, was also seen by some as being too positive in its approach to the night. Will all that combined result in a middling score?
By this, the last party of the week, two distinct factions have emerged, the line based on generation. Debbie was offended by the way Carson, Dez and Joe acted toward both herself and their host Kathleen at yesterday's party. Carson, Dez and Joe, conversely, were digging the knife into Kathleen whenever she was not present to hear. Carson Freeman is the last of the five to host. His 100-mile menu consists of handmade ravioli as the appetizer, braised veal chops as the main course, and warm peach cake as the dessert. The food takes a back seat to the issue of guest relations, with Debbie venting her feelings about some of her younger companions. Carson hopes that his entertainment, some jazz music, will soothe the atmosphere. He'll find out if his music is enough to overcome the animosity as he announces the winner of the $1,000. The eventual winner does a surprising thing despite the animosity that emerged between the five.
The five contestants for this week are: graphics designer Lynne Dalgleish, who doesn't like to be called eccentric or wacky even though she knows she is; marketer Santo Ligotti, who doesn't like anything plain; mover Walt Medeiros, an ex-biker who hates people who always need to be the center of attention; go-go and burlesque dancer Holly Van Drat, who doesn't like what society deems traditional; and homemaker Rosamund Witchel, an aerobics addict. Lynne Dalgleish is the first to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of beets, chevre, asparagus, olives and bread as the appetizer, seafood pastichio as the main course, and lemon tart for dessert. If first impressions hold true, one of the four is the obvious outsider amongst the group. As dinner progresses, that impression holds true to form. Lynne may not notice as she's mesmerized by something in the wine, and forgets a few things in the kitchen.
The five contestants assess their chances of winning based on experiencing the first party hosted by Lynne. Walt Medeiros is second on the list to host the dinner party. His menu consists of beet, honey and goat cheese ravioli as the appetizer, rainbow trout as the main course, and baked pears for dessert. The four guests are surprised by the menu as it doesn't seem to match Walt's personality. Beyond the issue of the food, his guests notice a few things missing from the dining room table. And Lynne and Rosamund may have lost their appetite by what they find in Walt's drawers.
After last night's party, both Lynne and Walt believe they are in the lead, with Santo, Holly and Rosamund believing they can beat whoever is currently in the lead. Holly Van Drat is third on the list to host the dinner party. Her cheesy 1960's beach party inspired menu consists of a flaming crouton topped fruit punch as the welcome drink, capsized cucumber soup as the appetizer, grilled mahi-mahi as the main course, and "all pineapples go to heaven" cake for dessert. Some go-go dancing before dinner turns up the heat, which is what Holly will need as her stove doesn't seem to be working as she tries to cook dinner. As Holly deals with the issues in the kitchen, the other four quietly muse about how much they don't have in common with the others, especially Rosamund, who considers Holly's spare room to be a "freak show".
Santo Ligotti is the host for the evening. He believes he has the perfect combination of skills to win this competition hands down. His "Mama's boy" Italian-inspired menu consists of eggplant Parmesan, stuffed artichokes and risotto balls as the appetizers, Neapolitan stuffed veal (stuffed pepper for vegetarian Holly) as the main course, and orange zeppole for dessert. Cooking food on which he grew up on has mixed reactions to his guests. The highlights for the evening seem to stem from the misfortunes of one of the diners, the first of which the others seems somewhat happy about, the second which sheds some new light for the previous reaction to that person.
Rosamund Witchel is the last of this fivesome to host. The outsider from the start, she doesn't care if the others don't like her, but she still believes that will not hinder her chances of winning. Her menu consists of mixed greens with peaches and buffalo mozzarella as the appetizer, grilled sirloin steak (baked salmon for vegetarian Holly) as the main course, and flourless chocolate cake for dessert. She spares no expense on the meal, especially on the wine. One surprising aspect of the evening is Rosamund's directive of no snooping in the house. Her country club suburban activities for the evening include badminton, and her favorite activity: step aerobics. And as Rosamund tries to be a good host - regardless of it's an act or sincere - Walt is having none of it. She'll find out if her evening is enough to overcome the animosity as she announces the winner of the $1,000.
Tonight, five strangers meet for the first time at host Andrea’s house. A customer service rep who relishes in relaxation, Andrea finds time to hit the nail salon as part of her party prep.
It’s night two of a week long dinner party competition. Picky perfectionist Bill Minna is looking to outdo last night’s do with a fancy sounding foreign menu.
Five participants take turns hosting the perfect dinner party for their fellow amateur chefs. Each party host is given one night to impress their party attendees with scrumptious food, sparkling décor and stimulating conversation.
Five participants take turns hosting the perfect dinner party for their fellow amateur chefs. Each party host is given one night to impress their party attendees with scrumptious food, sparkling décor and stimulating conversation.
Thai kick boxer, Raj Dhillon is first to hit the kitchen in this five night dinner party competition. Five strangers will meet for the first time to compete to win a $1000 cash prize. Raj hopes to beat her competitors by serving a fusion meal that blends her Indian and Canadian cultures.
Raj starts by serving her guests a fusion samosa appetizer, but leaves out the fusion. Up next is her main course; saag stuffed chicken breast with rice, salad and daal, which has her guests asking for her to spice it up. Jerry, Duaina, Andrew and Tamar attempt to play a game of Crokinole. Then it’s time for dessert; “Raj Mahal” which is an apple crumble served with Indian rice pudding.
Will Raj be able to hold onto the top spot for the week? Or will these strangers smoke her?
It’s night two of a week long culinary competition and we’re at the home of boring Brit, Jerry Brown.
Jerry’s guests, Tamar, Andrew, Duaina and Raj take a peek around the house while Jerry plates his appetizer of crab cakes with aioli. He made is aioli from scratch, but his crab meat isn’t exactly fresh, which has his guests fishing for answers. Jerry enlists the help of one of his guests to help him host. Then, for the main course Jerry serves braised lamb shanks with potato cauliflower mash and vegetables. Then it’s time for Jerry’s idea of entertainment; reading limericks. Finally, it’s time for his dessert trio; caramelized oranges, meringue beds and chocolate logs.
Will Jerry’s tinned crab cripple his score? Or will his limericks make his score soar?
Tonight is the middle week long foodie fight where five strangers battle it out for bragging rights and a $1000 cash prize. Tonight, Tamar dons her apron and wants to prove to her guests that she’s the hostess with the mostess.
While Tamar preps her appetizer, Jerry, Duaina, Andrew and Raj take a peek around her pad. Then it’s time to eat! Tamar serves Ying-Yang soup with pull away buns for her starter. Her guests have issues with one soup being over seasoned and the other under seasoned. Up next, is Tamar’s main course of citrus-infused halibut, arugula and pear salad and basmati-quinoa pilaf. But her guests find the fish overcooked. Then moves onto her dessert; apple pie cheesecake with caramel sauce.
Will Tamar take the cake? Or struggle for top place?
It’s the fourth night of a menu marathon and Andrew Moniz is in the kitchen. Andrew hopes he has what it takes to win the thousand dollar cash prize.
Andrew kicks things of with a stiff saketini. Then his guests Jerry, Raj, Tamar and Duaina snoop around his space. For his appetizer he serves soup for a second night in a row, a very thick roasted butternut squash soup with fontina crostini. Also, for the second night in a row is fish. Andrew serves balsamic glazed halibut with roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus. Last but not least is his beautifully presented dessert; gooooorgeous fruit meringue with vanilla cream, hazelnuts and caramel.
Will Andrew’s fish blow his guests out of the water? Or, will his guests dock him marks for his thick soup?
It’s the final feast of a five day food fight and tonight’s host is tenacious Texan, Duaina Kirby. She plans to take the number one spot by showing her guests a little southern hospitality.
Duaina’s guests Raj, Jerry, Tamar and Andrew poke check out the notches on her bedposts, while Duaina she finishes the appetizer. To start, she serves Texas pecan crab cakes with mango salad and chipotle lime aioli. Which everyone seems to like. For the main course Duaina serves fried chicken with mashed potatoes and collard greens. But, one of her guests thinks the chicken is undercooked. Last but not least is dessert; Tennessee bread pudding with whiskey sauce.
Will the chicken ruin her chances of winning? Or will Duaina’s southern charm swing her into the top spot?
