Continuing my overindulgence in reality television, last night was the finale of Food Network's The Next Iron Chef with the ultimate battle between the two remaining chefs. As any longtime reader of this blog knows I love to cook. I love to bake. I LOVE to eat. So this competition was the perfect trifecta of entertainment. We had drama, tons of creativity, lots of personality AND great food.
It was a battle between Philadelphia-based chef Jose Garces' and New York-based chef Jehangir Mehta's. Chef Garces' is a classically trained Latin chef where as Chef Mehta is a pastry chef most comfortable with Indian cuisine. Both had won three individual competitions over the course of the series so they were evenly matched.
Garces', known for his solid cooking technique and phenomenal flavor combinations, took the "Ribs and Racks" challenge to heart. He made the secret ingredient of beef and pork ribs shine. Mehta, known for his flashy and over the top presentations, did not disappoint in this final battle. His visual presentation of the food was stunning. However he stumbled a bit with a few basic cooking techniques which surprised the judges. In the end the strong flavors coupled with consistent techniques of Chef Garces' won the day! I can't wait to see him take on Bobby Flay. Oooh the peppers will be a flyin!
Bon Appetite!
Mary
Labels: My Crazy Life
