Contestants
Hannah Howard & Luke Venner
Kori Chambers & Luca Manfe
Alison Morris & Joel Gamoran
Judges
Gail Simmons
Jennifer Beloz
Moonah Ellison
Sponsors
Fairway Market
Prisoner Wine Co
Sur La Table
Team 1
Hannah Howard: seriouseats.com
Chef Luke Venner:
BLT Steak
Hannah and Luke were the first team up so had the burden of breaking the ice for our challenge this year… but they did it with such enthusiasm! Choosing lamb, garlic, leeks, eggplant, lemon, and currants as their staples, they were able to create first a leek fondue with poached egg and gruyere cheese; second, a charred slice of eggplant on top of smoked paprika yogurt; and third, a dish of seared lamb chops with an orange, red wine sauce. The dishes’ presentation was immaculate, definitely professional plating. We asked Hannah, who is not a chef, where her passion for food came from, and… guess what, she got it from her momma (helped no doubt by working in several restaurants throughout college). Check out her blog at seriouseats.com and learn about cheese, restaurant etiquette, and more.
Team 2
Kori Chambers:
Anchor, Pix11 News
Chef Luca Manfe:
MasterChef 4 winner
Kori and Luca were the second up in the challenge – sourcing last minuteingredients alongside team three – but managed to do it with such charm and grace… despite a touch of kitchen chaos in the air.
They chose beef, garlic, corn, rice, mango, and raspberries to be their staple components, and made: a curry-cauliflower puree with roasted cauliflower and toasted walnuts; a pan-seared filet mignon and jasmine rice with mango, jalapeno, ginger, and corn in a raspberry, red wine sauce; and for desert some mulled wine poached pears, Luca says he has memories in the kitchen with his mother, but really got his “taste” for food from working in restaurants as a server. “After many years of bringing dishes to the tables, it was time to follow my passion, putting food to put on those plates.”
Team 3
Alison Morris:
Business Anchor, Fox 5
Chef Joel Gamoran:
Head Chef, Sur La Table
Alison and Joel were the other team competing alongside Kori and Luca, but their tolerance for heat in the kitchen and grace under pressure was admirable. Their staple requests consisted of shrimp, leeks, garlic, beans, blackberries, and melon, which came to create: an Israeli “street” salad with pickled dates and yogurt, a shrimp tajin with chermoula, and for desert some fresh fruit with zabaione and thyme. Their choice of culturally rich dishes was inspiring, pleasing, and good for the senses. We caught up with Joel and asked what sparked his interest in cooking, and got the ultimate true answer—to impress a girl. After this experience, he realized that cooking really just made people happy and proceeded to fall in love with doing it.