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Next Food Network Star: Episode #504
Published on: June 28, 2009 – 11:36 pm by Jillian Madison 
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Before we start this week’s recap, I need to get something off my chest: I simply can not stand Katie Cavuto’s whiny, annoying voice. I just can’t. Her vocal intonations grate on my nerves in a way no human words could ever do justice to. In fact, every time she opens her mouth, a small piece of my soul blackens and dies.
Why the hell is she even on this show to begin with? Is she blowing one of the vegan producers or something? She’s boring, her food looks gross, and she acts like a goon in front of the camera. And by the way, SHE CAN’T EVEN COOK BASIC FOODS. Last week, she served raw lamb. This week, she served raw turkey burgers. And to make matters worse, she knew her turkey burgers were raw, but served them to the judges anyway. She could have sickened someone. Is there really an excuse for that?
Obviously, Katie’s disgusting, raw turkey slop didn’t win her any praise from the judges during the first challenge. It was Michael Proietti who wowed everyone with his burger, which will consequently be featured at Bobby’s Burger Palace when it opens at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. (Note: the restaurant opens July 1st, and FNH will be there covering the festivities and reviewing the food for those of you who can’t make it).
The most exciting thing to happen on tonight’s boring episode was Debbie getting accidentally hit in the face with one of Michael’s sheet pans. It was basically her fault. She snuck up on Michael without saying “behind,” the most basic restaurant practice that’s outlined in bold on page 1 of the “So Ya Wanna Work In A Kitchen” handbook.
Of course, Debbie milked the incident for all it was worth, and spent the rest of the episode walking around with a Texas-sized baggie of ice on her cheek. Unfortunately, the injury didn’t prevent her from mentioning she was Korean about 59 more times. Message received. You’re Korean. Do you want a cookie?
Okay, so can we talk about Susie Fogelson’s hideous USA flag outfit? I thought it looked like Garth Brooks’ shower curtain, while Twitter user @itsastitch asked, “Where does one find a dress like that? In Betsy Ross’s closet?”
Seriously, did Susie’s stylists fashion that thing from one of Sandra Lee’s old 4th of July Dollar Store tablecloths or what?
Forget raw turkey. Forget craniofacial injuries. Forget ugly flag dresses. The real story on tonight’s episode was TEDDY FOLKMAN’S PAINFULLY EMBARRASSING, TOTALLY CRINGE-WORTHY PRESENTATION to the servicemen and women. I’ve dubbed it the “Folk Choke” – and I’m quite sure it will go down in history as one of the most awkward speeches in Next Food Network Star history. He had a cheat sheet written on his hand! Totally speechless.
Melissa D’Arabian was named the winner of tonight’s challenge, and ultimately, TEDDY FOLKMAN was eliminated from the show. And might I say… FINALLY.
Next week, the final 6 contestants cook with Rachael Ray. And if there’s a God, Katie Cavuto will be eliminated. Until then!
Other posts on Food Network Humor:
---Next Food Network Star: Episode #502 Recap---Next Food Network Star #505: LIVE BLOG
---Next Food Network Star: Ten Thoughts On Episode #503
---Next Food Network Star #501 Episode Recap
---Katie Cavuto On NBC’s The Chopping Block
THIS WEEK: Ina Garten's "beginner" recipes, new Food Network shows starting in September, thumbing through an issue of Semi-Homemade magazine, Rachael Ray's daytime talk show, Aarti's "accountability group", Claire Robinson on Big Daddy's House, another sensual reading of Alex Guarnaschelli's tweets, sink or swim voicemail, and much more.
Great recap. Melissa totally deserved to win. Go mamma.
Anyone else think Fietti was on ‘ludes tonight? High maybe? or hangin’ over? Seriously jet lagged? Have you ever seen him more serious, mundane, subdued and ordinary? Except for the shirt. Can a straight man get away with a more gaudy shirt than that? yikes.
As a visitor at the Intrepid that day, what they failed to show was Teddy’s heartfelt and funny speech about his family members, including his grandfather who was at Pearl Harbor during the US invasion. Yes, he choked up for a few seconds, but the speech was about two minutes long and very entertaining – definitely not how it was portrayed. FYI – at the end he received a standing ovation and ALL THREE judges gave him high fives. Other than that, keep the great commentary up. Go Jeffery!!!
Katie just killed me today. She knew the burgers were raw and was just like “What? It’s not like I can just not serve them.” Uh, I think losing a quick challenge is a whole lot better than giving the judges salmonella. Of course you can just not serve them, you don’t serve unsafe food, I’m pretty sure that’s pretty obvious.
I forgot Guy was in this episode until now. I wish I was still forgetting.
Teddy’s speech did seem all that bad at least he was trying to do what the judges had asked and change his approach. Jeffery too also tried to change this and got lectured about how he needs to do more.
Now is it just me or is Debbie telling the EXACT same story every week? And again the judges seemed to fall over themselves to say how great (despite so so food) she is.
Teddy was annoying but getting kicked off for an awkward moment in a speech as opposed to serving raw inedible food two weeks in a row on a cooking show only make sense in FN’S world.
JT Price has a good story perhaps worth of being looked into by FNH’S investigative team.
And did anyone see any sort of mark on Debbie’s face from her serious injury?
I was pretty shocked that Katie stayed over Teddy. But then I remembered it was food network I was watching, and they love women with obnoxious voices.
I’m all for letting someone promoting natural and healthy food getting a FN show. But Katie-bugeye isn’t the one to do it.
I am almost positive the fix is in for Debbie. She’s gotten away with more crap than any contestant ever in the many seasons of this show. Damn Suzie of the ugly shirt and uglier hair probably chose her for some personal reason like Debbie’s got blackmail info on her. I would take almost anyone over Debbie except maybe Katie. Sheesh!
Something else I found odd.
The way that they referred to the troops as ‘coming back from the Middle East.’ They did it several times. No one mentioned Iraq or Afghanistan (although I don’t think Afghanistan is really in the Middle East) which would seem like it would be almost a subconscious thing to do. When service personnel are deployed to or return from these countries they are never reported as going to Iraq, or having been in Iraq, but never ‘The Middle East.’ FN was up to some thing.
No doubt these service men and women have served they country. But I get the feeling that FN was up to their tricks and taking advantage of the situation to make them selves seem like they were actually taking the time to honor the armed forces.
Actually, we drink everytime Debbie says Korean. I think we hit 7 times last night, which isn’t bad, but isn’t enough to cause any sort of drunken reaction.
Also, did anyone see Susies reaction when Bobby Flay had the nerve to call Debbies food bland? Priceless.
So, didn’t Debbie tell us in the first episode that she’s Korean (duh!), but doesn’t speak it? So WTH when she quotes her Grandmother *in Korean.* I’m guessing that qualifies as speaking the language, ’cause she sure as hell hasn’t cooked anything remotely like Soul Food. She’s bogus, she’s a liar, and she must have the goods on someone for them to keep her bland, store bought dessert ingredients self around.
How funny was watching the Service Personel react to Michael’s speech? Don’t ask!
The train wreck that is NFNS continues.
Either Tushie, Susie and Co. purposely choose the most inept crew of wannabes since, well last year, to make for “great” TV…
Or….
Tushie, Susie and Co. are unqualified to hold a candle, let alone run a Food Network.
Good god, as I was watching last night all I could say was OUT OF THE THOUSANDS OF CONTESTANTS… THESE PEOPLE WHERE THE BEST?
I am going with theory 1 BTW, Tushie and Susie picked 8 losers and a couple of potential winners they then plan to talk up over the course of the series.
Debbie. I am looking at you. And as I am looking at you please yell “behind” if you walk behind someone else in the kitchen idiot.
I agree with others that it was past time for T-Folk to head off into the sunset. Too many character issues and never quite “found” himself in front of the camera…ironically, I thought that this was his best episode, but that ain’t sayin’ much! Also, I agree that the Bush Baby has to go next…B-Flay foreshadowed as much when he dished about how “middle of the road” her food and personality were. Finally, “Lil” Debbie just annoys the hell out of me…what nationality is she again? I always forget. Maybe she could wear a T-shirt with a family bar-b-q’ing a dog next time with the caption “Fuck you, I’m Korean Beotch!”
Did anyone catch Michael’s comment about making out with Bobby Flay? Or Jeffery’s comment about punching Bob Tuschman?
I missed the raw turkey burger thing, did she not have a chance to cook it and served it anyway? Or did she just serve under-cooked turkey burgers?
@Sandra, she made these big, thick turkey burgers even though she knew turkey takes longer to cook than ground beef. Her griddle pan wasn’t hot enough, so she desperately threw them in the oven. When she took them out, they still weren’t cooked through. She knew they weren’t, but served them anyway.
OH PLEASE!!!!!! Debbie’s food was already in the oven when she got hit in the face. Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson must think we’re all morons.
FNH, with every week that passes, the more I think you are right with your prediction that Debbie is going to win the show. Talk about a pre-determined winner! I saw the way Susie scolded Bobby with her eyes after he had the audacity to say Debbie’s food was bland!
Guy Fieri wasn’t his usual obnoxious self on this episode. He was forgettable and boring!
The FN has to hire loud, annoying personalities to mask the fact that they can’t cook. Guy is the perfect example. What would he be without jewelry and volume and foods with stupid puns in their names? He’d be nothing. Just some desperate looking middle aged loser standing in a kitchen in oversized jean shorts and wristbands.
I caught Michael’s comment after he won the burger challenge. He said “I want to make out with Bobby; I’m so excited.”
His burger looked really good. It was an homage to Little Italy – a mozzarella stuffed burger on garlic bread.
Michael’s food looks the best week after week. Too bad he is just awful in front of the camera. He seems more like a restaurant star and not a Food Network star.
The one thing i cant get over is the fact that Katie has two strikes against her with serving the raw food, but yet didnt go home. I know in past seasons that they would send that person home after the second one. WTF FN? whiny or not they dont deserve to stay if they cant even cook food through.
Teddy Folkman had shit written down on his hand, people. Like he was trying to cheat on the SAT’s. I don’t care how much they liked him on Throwdown. He never should have made it to the finals of NFNS. Someone should have had the sense to say, wait a minute, this guy is horrible.
@Matt, Katie didn’t go home because as much as she sucks, people still suck MORE THAN SHE DOES. And that is really pathetic.
I can’t stand any of the contestants this year. send them all home and start over.
“Katie didn’t go home because as much as she sucks, people still suck MORE THAN SHE DOES.”
And that, my friends, is the NFNS in a nutshell.
Bug Eye Katie: you mean to tell me there wasn’t a MICROWAVE in that kitchen to at least nuke your burgers? Disgusting. Honestly, Teddy had to go because its painful to watch him speak but they should have let Salmonella Katie go this week. Gross!! She’s as unwatchable as he is.
I thought only Melissa (food and presentations) was good this week. Michael’s food looked good but that burger presentation where he ends by trailing off (literally). Ouch. Terrible.
Thought it was funny that Jamika also had a “college” story to tell around her burger.
Debbie Lee, what a drama milker. Flay actually called it out to her in his critique (as in, rise above the adversity and stop trying to win sympathy votes), heh!
@Shel, we could also have a drinking game every time Guy says “tender” on DDD or Aaron says “bad boys.”
I know it must be her culinary POV, but I cringe every time Debbie announces her dish, and it has some Asian twist to it. I would love to see a show promoting Americana and all the diversity within the good ole US of A.
Unless I missed something, was Jeffery the only one who, in his food package, was given ingredients that didn’t go together (lobster and blueberries??)? My immediate thought was “what a setup”. I felt like I was watching an episode of “Chopped”. The rest was a yawner. Just one drama after another with no relationship to being a great cook/chef. My only regret is that Michael didn’t accidentally push Debbie into the oven instead of just dash a pan at her. Hey, isn’t she the “Pan-Asian” cook anyway….
@Byrdie: I think even the gastro-molecular geniuses at El Bulli would have a hard time pulling lobster and blueberries together ;)
@Byrdie
Yes, I agree that Jeff had the deck stacked against him this week. As I was watching it, my initial thought was to do a classic lobster tail presentation with a blueberry-butter gastrique with another savory component to help mute the overwhelming sweetness of the blueberry and so as not to overwhelm the lobster, but…I dunno…that was a tough draw…
I would have served the Lobster normally and then walked up to the judges and finger flicked the blueberries at them as a repsponse to their dumb-ass ingredient list.
;)
I keep waiting for one of Katie’s eyes to pop right out of the socket.
I hated Jamika’s New Orleans burger. Of all the things Creole-ish she could have done and she slipped a sausage link under the patty? I wonder if she’s even been to New Orleans, let alone went to school there.
And Harvey Fierstein, I mean Micheal, always looks like he needs a shower.
As for the outfit Suzie wore…
When did it become acceptable to make clothes that look like American flags? Abie Hoffman was nearly arrested for pants made out of a flag, and the Flag Code is still pretty clear on this. You don’t make clothes or draperies or anything else out of a flag or to look like it was made out of a flag. Red, white, and blue can be put together just fine (as in bunting for draperies!), but you don’t make it look like a flag unless it’s the flag being displayed properly.
I’m not as down on the show as some others on here…I think there are a few definite contenders (granted, none are on par with AB or the Iron Chefs, but most of them are still vastly better than the evil incarnate of Aunty Sandy). Here’s hoping they get better as the show progresses.
@HeWhose – I understand your concept, and blueberries aren’t necessarily sweet all the time. They can be quite tart. I just couldn’t imagine the lobster flavor with the blueberry flavor. gak….
@DesignerJeans – I like the way you think!
@Byrdie – you are correct, Blueberries present the challenge of sweet/tart/acidic and when paired with the subtle flavor of lobster…wow!…tough one! I think Jeff has SO owned this competition up to this point that the judges felt like they needed to “level the field” a bit.
Why not just dump the blueberries and lobster on a bowl of Special K with red berries and call it a day?? LOL
@Syd – Brilliant! Harvey Fierstein!! LMAO…can’t stop thinking of his performance in Mrs. Doubtfire
Excellent TV! Where else can you hear a male contestant tell Bobby Flay to his face he wants to “make out”? I want Katie to turn her uber-stare on Bob now and see if that flies :)
I thought it was hilarious when someone criticized Debbie’s performance and the camera panned to Susie F for a split-second, showing an expression of disdain and horror. Fogelson, at least, has already made up her mind that she’s going to win. I think her dress might be a Catherine Malandrino:
http://images.nymag.com/images/2/daily/2009/02/20090214_barbieflagdress_250×375.jpg
I also don’t understand what the big deal about Teddy was. Yeah, he was cartoonish and unpleasant, but has ANYONE watched Rachael Ray recently? Those two are cut from the same cloth.
-5 for the raw turkey, but then we already know the FN doesn’t care too much about the food.
Megan
http://www.adventuresofacarnivore.com
You guys are cracking me up, especially @DesignerJeans, @HeWhose and @Syd! Thanks for making me snarf my lunch out of my nostrils!
And @Syd – As Michael hugged Melissa at the end, I found myself expecting her to show some sign that he was smelling pretty ripe.
Re: Suze’s outfit.
I’m not overly zealous but I also thought that it was distasteful.
SYD, your comments about Jamika’s supposed New Orleans connection hit home with my husband and I. We are New Orleans natives, born and bred, and I’d venture to say that Jamika has not spent one minute there from the dishes she has prepared. We actually laughed out loud at her cringe-worthy pronunciation of New Orleans’ trademark expression:
“Laissez Le bon temp roulee”. Hilarious!!!!
On his blog today, Jeffrey posted an idea for lobster and blueberries that probably would have been brilliant. Broil the lobster, use the blueberries in a vinaigrette over a salad, etc. Too little too late, eh Jeff? They call that L’esprit d’escalier, I believe, inspiration on the stairway. Too bad. And yeah, totally a tough draw, there.
“I would love to see a show promoting Americana and all the diversity within the good ole US of A.”
Well … there was that Melting Pot show years back – Padma Lakshi, Cat Cora, others – sometime solo and sometimes in teams. I used to love Aaron Sanchez and Michael Symon together because of the food first of course, but also they looked like they were having a little too MUCH fun *wink* But it was great – they each talked about their own personal heritages. And you knew that it was NOT contrived, a la this Debbie person.
I loved Melting Pot!
Michael needs to wash his hands and watch his mouth. Can you imagine being in an interview and saying to a prospective co-worker, in front of your prospective boss something like, “Hearing how much you like my resume, makes me want to make out with you”?
Good grief.
The judges talked about how the whole room loved Michael. Well I saw several looks that said something totally different. He does look dirty and is always running his hands through his greasy hair. Disgusting. And his comment was way out of line. I hope he goes real soon.
I would think with Jamika’s (supposed) focus on Caribbean cuisine that she would have used Kingston or Havana or some other island city for her inspiration, not New Orleans.
For a show promoting Americana and all the diverse dishes across the U.S., I suggest Cook’s Country (same people behind America’s Test Kitchen) on PBS. They do the research behind the dish first (e.g., if they’re doing Kansas City barbecue, they research and make sure they don’t end up doing Memphis or Carolina barbecue, though it’s hard to mistake Carolina barbecue for anything else) and test recipes quite a few times so they get a recipe with the best flavor and that is easy for the at-home cook to make, without having to go buy some obscure ingredient that their local grocery store isn’t likely to have.
The final 6:
Katie: Is it just me, or does she remind me of Jennifer from last year, that young single mom who stayed longer than she should have because she was a pretty girl who could help with the male demographic?
Melissa: She may emerge as the dark horse of the whole competition, if only because her stay-at-home-mom persona is starting to become digestible.
Michael: He will probably do better because Rachel Ray’s show is a good vehicle for his mad-house persona, but I think when they try to put him in a more intimate setting, he will fall, and be voted out.
Jeffrey: He showed his Achilles’ Heel this week, and demonstrated a comfort zone that he is too afraid to leave. If he can’t come up with a dish that isn’t inspired by California produce that’s tasty, he will be gone.
Jamika: As a New Orleans native, that pathetic attempt at relating to Louisiana was insulting, but it’s hard to not like her. If she doesn’t rescue herself within 2 weeks, she’ll be gone by Episode 6.
Debbie: She tried to play the sympathy card to make up for a bland dish, and she lost that gamble. Now, if she is in an environment of no excuses for poor performance, and manages to trip up again, look for her to leave in the next few weeks.
Why Does Melissa annoy me…hhmm I know… she was horrible the first two episodes and now because the dregs are falling before her she starts to pat herself on the shoulder. She got lucky this week. Jamika had a bad week and better get herself together quick. I couldn’t eat from Michael, he looks unkempt. Katie is a wreck and would probably kill have of America with her bland, uncooked, good for digestion food. Yeah, can you say dysentary… Jeffrey can’t think on his feet . Debbie got hit in the face, so I suffered 2nd degree burns and still served over 40 a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner. I wondered why I didn’t watch this series… now its all clear.
@ Shadowy: Yes, I saw that comment about Michael making out with Bobby Flay and I felt queasy after he said that because even I won’t make out with Bobby Flay and I’m a woman.
haha! give that girl a FORTUNE cookie!!!
@Sandra As Well: No kidding! I felt bad for a team member I saw get a sugar burn on Food Network Challenge, but it sounds like Debbie was just milking it like a little kid with a scraped knee.
I really enjoy FNH, newcomer, but love it. I find Very interesting that a contestant on NFNS has an unopened restaurant featured in FN Magazine. Can anyone say FIX?
I wonder if Ms. Susie is a silent partner in Debbie’s Pan Asian Seoul food Dogs?
Did anyone see ANY injury on Debbie’s face? Or any evidence that she was hurt? AT ALL?