01x04 - Food on the Fly

[bunniefuu]

Previously
on Top Chef: Just Desserts...

I'm sorry.
I wasn't able to complete it.

You're what?
I'm leaving.

Malika is having insecurities
about her skills.

The winner is Eric.

I actually wanted
to do something different.

Heather, you weren't forced
into anything.

I am not saying
that anyone forced me--

you're making people
on the team

who have supported you--

guys, can we just not argue
with each other

and just do this honorably?

Heather...

Your dessert
just didn't measure up.

You should go home,
because you are a d*ck.

But I am cooking better food
than you,

so I'm not gonna go home.

Now nine Pastry Chefs remain

to compete for a feature
in Food & Wine magazine,

a showcase at the annual

Pebble Beach
Food & Wine Festival,

a German-engineered,
sport-injected Buick Regal,

and $100,000,

furnished
by Godiva Chocolatier.

Who has the creativity,

the skill,
and the drive

to win
Top Chef: Just Desserts?

The stress for me
is just incredible.

I'm more stressed out than I've
ever been in my entire life.

I would describe my profession
as an artist, definitely.

You have to be crazy

to be a great artist,
so, I mean,

I'm a little bit crazy,
I guess.

Can I have a bagel
with cream cheese

and stubble, please?

Hey, man,
what do you want a cat to do?

You know, I haven't shaved
in, like, four days,

because I can never get
in the bathroom.

I think it looks very rugged
and handsome on you.

Oh, yeah, not
very professional.

There's two Seths.

Um, there's the Seth
that you want to talk to

that can be very warm
and very embracing.

And then
there's freak-out Seth.

I feel like Seth can't deal
with the pressure.

When he encounters difficulty,

that's when he flips out.

Guess what.
This competition isn't easy.

There's a lot
of talented Chefs, buddy.

Things aren't looking good
for him.

Naked guy over this way.

My biggest weakness
is psychological.

If I let the pressure
get to me

and I let my emotions
take effect,

it's definitely
gonna drag me down.

It's been a little bit
of up and downs,

but, like, thinking
about what I want,

the two things
that really drive me

in my life are my family
and cooking.

And when I'm here,
I'm hating cooking.

Pastry Chefs
are very detail-oriented

and very obsessive,

so to be put
in an environment like this,

working without your recipes
in a new kitchen,

it's very intense.

And cooking, for me,
is about love

and joy,
but in the past few weeks,

I've been feeling
a little uneasy

about what
I've been doing, unsure.

Where do I really fit
into this competition?

But I don't want to make
any decision out of emotion.

So for now,
I'm gonna stick it out.

We've been through a lot
in such a short time.

I know.
We really have.

I feel like I've been with
you guys for months.

We walk into
the Just Desserts kitchen,

and there's this table
full of ice cream.

We knew this was coming up.

We knew there was gonna be
an ice-cream challenge.

Hello, Chefs.

Hello, Gail.

Today's guest judge
is the Executive Chef

of Tru in Chicago,

my friend Gale Gand.

Gale Gand is known for taking
very American classics

and putting
her own little twist on them,

so this should be interesting.

I'm really excited
to tell you

about today's challenge.

It's a really fun one.

All right.

This dish
has been pleasing Americans

for over a century.

With the help of Breyers
all natural ice cream

and its variety
of flavors,

you're gonna be making
the ultimate ice-cream sundae.

Yes.
Yes.

Right off the top of my head,
I know

I can do this awesome ice cream
that I can put together

in 15 minutes,

and I'm gonna win
because of that.

This one's mine.

And I'm not talking

about just old bananas
and nuts.

We want to be amused.
We want to be overindulged.

We want to see sundaes like
we've never seen them before.

Do we make
our own ice cream?

You do not make
your own ice cream.

Weak sauce.

Weak sauce.

I really don't know
what Seth's problem is.

I absolutely love Breyers.
I'm excited.

I notice Seth
seems out of it

and is just shaking
and pacing,

and it's actually
really scary.

Yes, yes, yes.

I don't know.

It looked like he really
couldn't help his behavior.

Wow.

Yes.

As we're waiting
for the crew to set up

for the next part
of the quickfire challenge,

we go back to the stew room,

and Seth starts
causing problems again.

Does anybody else

have any questions
regarding to this challenge?

Does anyone else remember
hearing the items you don't use

in this challenge
will become part of the pantry?

Do you remember hearing that?
Yes, and then they changed it.

And then they told us
they won't.

But I threw away
something I brought from home

because of that,
and that's still not fair.

Something has happened in him
where he decided

that everybody was against him,

the competition
was against him.

It was definitely a moment
where he flipped.

Well, it's not gonna affect
this challenge.

How do you know?
Oh, lord, Jesus almighty.

I don't care.
I'm defending myself.

Seth thinks they took
some friggin' paper cups

that he brought from home

and feels as though
now he can't make anything

'cause he doesn't have
paper cups.

I just want the amount of cups
that I brought with me back.

I couldn't find my paper cups

that I needed for
the ice-cream-sundae challenge,

so I feel like it's not
a fair starting point, you know?

It's not fair.

Paper cups, paper cups
and grapefruit juice--

I mean,
these are Seth's breakdowns.

I was born at night,
but not last night.

I'm not gonna throw myself
on a cross and just go home

'cause you threw away
my equipment.

And I think
you guys are lying.

I mean, all of a sudden,

he just started screaming, like,
"I want my passport.

"I want my phone.
I want my wallet.

"Get me out of here.
Get me on the plane.

"Get me on the plane.
Get me on the plane.

Get me out of here."

And then he disappeared.

Does he do that
in the restaurant?

What he's going through
is no worse than any of us.

Absolutely.
You know?

It's no worse
than any of us.

He had no right
to lose control.

I think Seth has had such
an enormous emotional outbreak

that I think everyone feels
like a hurricane just erupted

out of nowhere,
and none of us want

to have anything
to do with it.

Can I get a raise of hands

for everyone
who's sick of it?

Thank you.
It's just exhausting.

You know, we already have
to have our minds

into the challenges,
and we want to enjoy ourselves

with the challenges.

But he takes the fun
out of it.

Honestly, I don't think
he has the maturity level

to handle
the amount of pressure.

We don't need that.
I mean, we were so ready

to start this challenge.

And I want us all to put it
behind us and move forward.

Seth has totally freaked out
in front of all of us

and just blew up
and, like, ran out the door.

Then suddenly we hear sirens,

and we're like,
"what the hell is going on?"

Just try to relax for me,
all right, buddy?

I want us all to put I it
behind us and move forward.

Seth has totally freaked out
in front of all of us

and just blew up
and, like, ran out the door.

Then suddenly we hear sirens,

and we're like,
"what the hell is going on?"

Just try to relax for me,
all right, buddy?

I just got very upset,
got into an argument,

and it just kind of spiraled
out of control

till I was not able
to catch my breath

and ended up having what
they call an anxiety attack

and fainted and had to have,
you know, 911 come

and everything.

Okay.
It's your breathing.

What you need to do is just slow
your breathing down.

And I didn't know
what it was,

'cause that's never happened,

but I feel
like a crazy person.

We're gonna have you sit up.

Please. Get up.
Sit up.

We're gonna have you sit
on this ice chest.

Just go ahead and lean up.

Just lean up against it.

At this point,
at Producers' discretion,

I am not cleared to compete
any further, and I'm done.

This is crushing.

This is the worst thing ever.

To have a dream
and to be, you know--

to achieve it and then--
not to have it taken away,

but to take it away
from yourself--

I wouldn't wish it
upon anybody.

Right.

With just the people
we have in here.

What's up, guys?

Well, Seth's no longer
going to be with us.

He's had an anxiety attack,

and he's not going to be able
to continue in the competition.

So we wish him the best.

I don't know
what to think.

I'm a little bit shocked.
I'm nervous.

I'm worried for him.

You know, I hope
that Seth is gonna be okay.

I'm here to e if I can get
you guys back on track.

I mean,
I feel bad for him,

like, in a human,
compassionate way.

On the other hand,
though,

to have him not there
is just...

It's like I can't even
put it into words.

It's like 900 tons
of pressure,

like, lifted off my chest.

You guys have anything
you want to ask me

or say to me?

I mean,
is there anything we can do?

I'm just ready
to eat some ice cream, man.

Yeah.
I'm ready to eat

some ice cream
and play with some sundaes.

All right, then,
on that note,

let's get back
to what the competition is.

We want to.

Thanks, guys.
All right.

Chefs, good luck.

Thank you, Chef.
Thank Chef.

Oh, holla.

I am more than okay
with Seth's leaving.

Head for the kitchen.

I think
there's an emotional pause

for about five minutes,

but after that,
I could just see a few people

feeling
so much more comfortable,

because now nobody
has to avoid

the enormous pink elephant
in the room.

So at this point, I think me
and most of the contestants,

we just want to focus
on the food

and just make beautiful food.

Then I guess
it's just the eight of you.

It's unfortunate, because
I really love Seth's ideas.

He would have been the one
that would have really pushed

all of us to do better.

Yet, on the other hand,
he's a mess,

and, you know, it's a relief
to have him gone.

So what do you say we get back
to making dessert?

Yes.
Absolutely.

I hope that Seth's able
to work out

his issues,

because I know there is
an amazing Chef in there,

and he just needs
to trust himself

and not get so worked up
about everything.

Let's get started.
You'll each pull

an ice-cream scoop
to determine which flavor

of Breyers
all natural ice cream

you'll be required to use.

Morgan, please pull out
an ice-cream scoop.

Mint chocolate chip.

I pull mint chocolate chip.

It's my son's
favorite ice cream.

I think I've got
a good dessert I can do.

Chocolate chip cookie dough.

Chocolate.
You know it.

Zac.
Cherry vanilla.

Danielle.
Rocky road.

Eric.
Natural vanilla.

Heather.
Vanilla fudge twirl.

And Malika.
Cookies & cream.

Just so we're clear,

the winner of this quickfire

will receive immunity
in the next elimination round.

You'll have 30 minutes to create
the ultimate ice-cream sundae.

Your time starts now.

I love ice-cream sundaes.

But I don't like them crazy
and turned upside down

and wacky,

'cause I don't think
that's interesting.

My style
is not overcomplicated.

That's how I won
the last challenge,

and if I can just focus
on what I do,

that simple kind
of traditional American baking,

then I do have a chance
to win this challenge.



My ice cream
is cookies & cream.

And I'm really looking forward
to getting in front

of Chef Gale Gand, and, you
know, showing off my sundae.

I'm so happy that I'm here
for this challenge.

You know, all the crazy things
going on with Seth

really reminded me
to just have fun.

Ahh.

My sundae
is mint chocolate chip,

cookies, and milk.

But instead of s-u-n-d-a-e,

I'm thinking s-u-n-d-a-y.

That's 'cause,
since splitting up with my wife,

Sunday is my day
with my boy.

My son loves oreo cookies.

And he loves mint chocolate chip
ice cream.

So this is going to be cooking
for my son,

and I would very much like
to win.

Nine minutes, guys.
Nine minutes.

What?

I pulled rocky road.

The sundae I'm gonna make
is kind of a takeoff

of neapolitan,

so it's chocolate,
strawberry, and vanilla.

My long-term goal
has always been

to have an old-fashioned
soda shop.

You know, I've made,
like, a bazillion sundaes,

so I totally know
good combinations and flavors,

so I feel
like I have an advantage.


Sorry, love.

Seth's leaving
was very emotionally draining.

And I may be breaking down
on the inside,

but, you know,
you have to keep your cool

and calm together,
because in a kitchen,

things go wrong,
and this is when you,

you know,
bring in your professionalism.

Check his drama aside,

and we just have to make
the best of this.

You need
this heavy cream here?

Can I use it?
Go for it, honey.

It's all you.

I'm actually
kind of ice cream-obsessed.

In turkey,
we have ice-cream parlors,

but it's not as huge
as it is in America.

I moved to the U.S.
in 1992.

And now that I'm here,
I eat a ton of ice cream.

Chocolate chip cookie dough
is a very American flavor,

and it's not something
that I was brought up with.

I want to pull from all
the things I never had as a kid,

and I want to wow the judges.

One minute!
Oh, Jesus.

Chefs, time's up.
Utensils down.

All done.

Hello, Gails.

Hi.
It's the Gails.

Gail squared.

That's right.
Correct.

So today
I have what I call

the "Black Forest
is burning" sundae.

So I had the cherry vanilla
Breyers ice cream.

I panko-battered it
and deep-fried it.

Deep-fried ice cream.

Basically, if you can cook it,
I can fry it.

I like your style.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chef.
Thank you, Gail.

Hi, ladies.

Hi, Erika.
Wow.

I have
a chocolate banana

s'mores frangelico sundae.

Tell me about the chocolate
on the graham cr*cker.

I used a little bit
of the Godiva semisweet.

Thank you.
Thanks so much.

Hi, Morgan.
So this is a s-u-n-d-a-y.

And you're gonna have
to forgive me,

'cause I'm gonna cry,
and it's gonna suck,

but...
Just breathe.

I have my son
every Sunday, guaranteed.

That's my day with my boy.

And I have a "sunday" snack,
so it's cookies and milk.

So we have
an oreo mint chocolate chip

ice cream sandwich

and then some chocolate milk.

And to really accentuate
the mint,

I made a mint syrup.

That's really good.
Mmm.

Can I slurp this?
Yes.

The chocolate milk
is a bit foamy.

It's like a hot chocolate.
Exactly.

So we've got a mix
of the frozen and the warm.

Thank you, Morgan.
Thank you.

Hello, ladies.
Hi.

I had vanilla fudge twirl.

So what I did was
I made a sauce

with brown sugar, butter,
and I added a little bit of rum.

Then I fried
some bananas on top

with a little bit
of cinnamon cream.

Great.
Thank you.

Thanks so much, Heather.
Thanks.

Hi.

How are you?
Hi, Eric.

What I did today

was sauteed peaches
with a little bit

of Brandy and brown sugar
and butter.

And I also did a crisp
on top.

Good instincts,

all good instincts.

Thank you so much, Eric.
Thank you so much.

Hello.

I did
some chocolate caramel sauce

that has
some malted-milk powder,

and then I mixed that
into bananas.

Wow.
So the sauce is caramel

and chocolate?
Yes.

Thank you so much.
Thank you.

Thank you.
Hello.

Hi, Yigit.
How are you?

I had chocolate chip
cookie dough,

so I wanted to work very
decadent and luscious flavors.

So what I wanted to do
was work peanut butter

and kind of a concept of
a s'more with the cookie dough.

Thanks a lot.
Thank you.

Hello.
Hi, Danielle.

I did rocky road
meets neapolitan,

'cause when I was a kid,

my mom would take
those boxed ice creams

and cut a slice,
and I thought it was so cool.

I thought it was magic.
So I layered it.

I did rocky road
and toasted almonds.

I roasted strawberries with
a little honey and cinnamon

and then marshmallows.
Nice meringue.

They definitely seemed
to like it.

Like I said before,
I definitely want to have

an old-fashioned soda shop.

And to just have that
kind of validation of I am good,

it means everything
to me.

Chefs, you were each given
a specific ice-cream flavor

and challenged
to make sundaes.

Gale, why don't you tell them

who our
least favorite sundaes were?

Eric, I felt like if I had
had that sundae somewhere,

I wouldn't necessarily want
to meet the Chef that made that.

Come on,
was it really that bad?

Was it really that bad?
I don't think so.

Danielle,
with your sundae,

we felt like we didn't quite get
the neapolitan reference.

I heard it,
but I don't know

that I saw it
in the sundae itself.

I'm totally bummed.

They seemed to enjoy it,

and I'm just
a little confused.

But I know that I thought
it was delicious,

and that's--
that's all I can do.

Erika, with yours,
we were a little disappointed,

because Gail
specifically said

she didn't want
just nuts and bananas,

and that was kind
of what you gave us.

You gave us nuts and bananas
with a little twist.

So, Gale,
whose were our favorites?

Zac...I found yours
really interesting.

I liked the fact
that you used panko crumbs

to coat your ice cream.

I'd never seen that before.

Yigit, your combination
of chocolate ganache

and the sauce
was fun to eat.

So we enjoyed that one
very much.

Thank you very much.

Morgan, we really enjoyed
yours as well.

We liked the contrast
in texture

and temperature,
so the hot cocoa

along with the frozen
mint chocolate chip ice cream

in a sandwich,
which I just loved.

And, you know,
only one of you can win.

Our favorite was...

Morgan's.

Thanks, buddy.

Congratulations, Morgan.

That means you have immunity

in the next
elimination challenge.

That's
my first quickfire win.

It's my first win, period.

It feels good.

Cooking for my son

and having somebody

like it as much
as I hoped he would...

That's, uh--that's awesome.

For this next
elimination challenge,

you're going to be working
in three teams of three.

Because Seth left us,

as you can see, there aren't
enough of you to do so,

so we've decided
to bring someone back.

For this next
elimination challenge,

you're going to be working
in three teams of three.

Because Seth left us,

as you can see, there aren't
enough of you to do so,

so we've decided
to bring someone back.

Heather was
the last Chef eliminated,

so she's back
in the competition.

I do feel like I left
the competition a little early.

I feel like I haven't been able
to really show

what my strengths are.

You know,
I have another chance.

Hi

so they announce
that Heather C's coming back

Seth has left and I'm happy
to see her

but I mean seriously,, but anyone,

as long as it's not Seth.

Chefs,
the next elimination challenge

is gonna test the limits
of your imagination,

creativity,
and teamwork.

But before we get
to what it is,

you're gonna be divided
into three teams.

I'm not really happy to hear that

because the last elimination
was a team challenge.

And it was just awful

so I'm very nervous
that this is not gonna go well.

Morgan, Yigit, and Zac,

you were the top three
from our quickfire challenge,

so you will be
the three team captains.

Morgan, you pick first.

Chef Gand

Heather H, please.

Yigit, you're next.
Erika.

Zac, who would you like?

Malika.

Morgan.
Eric.

Danielle.

Heather C.
All right, go to your groups.

Because I don't know
what the challenge will be,

I want as balanced a team
as I can possibly get.

Heather H
is a great technician.

Eric is a man of flavor.
He's a great Baker.

He balances my team well.

You ready to kick some ass?
Yes.

We are so ready.
We better win this.

All right, we ready?

I nicknamed my team
Team Breakdown,

just because all three of us
are prone to crying.

Tonight you'll be lucky enough
to attend a performance

by the Lucent Dossier
experience.

They're a truly extraordinary
group of performance artists

that live
in the most whimsical world.

You'll take inspiration
from their performance

and translate what you see

into incredible desserts

that will be served at a party
of Lucent Dossier devotees.

I have no idea
who Lucent Dossier is,

but apparently they're
some swinging, fire-wielding,

aerialist troupe--
sounds fun.

In honor
of the Lucent Dossier group,

we want you to create
a flaming experience.

And we mean fire.

Each team must also make
a magnificent showpiece

that must be
the main attraction

at your service station.

A pastry showpiece
is an architectural structure

that represents

a certain theme of the room
which it stands in.

And it takes a lot of work
to get done.

I'm really, really nervous

about the showpiece,

because last time I did
a showpiece was six years ago

in culinary school.

And finally, each member

of your team
must put their own stamp

on an individual dessert

that echoes the concept

and theme
of your showpiece.

I am so overwhelmed
by this challenge.

I mean, three desserts
plus a flaming dessert.

I mean, it's just so mu--

it's so much.
It's crazy.

All right, Chefs,
enjoy the performance.

Good luck.

We arrive at Lucent Dossier
performance space.

It's very foggy,
very mystical.

Welcome
to mission control, Chefs.

I'm totally stoked
to see this performance.

Ladies and gentlemen,

for your culinary inspiration,

we bring you
a Lucent Dossier experience.

Ha!

♪ ♪

Ha!

It's just mayhem,

smoke everywhere,
all the crazy costumes

and all the different
crazy characters.

It's almost like Mad Max
meets Cirque du Soleil.

♪ ♪

Chefs, thank you so much
for coming.

We're really excited
to see what you create.

We should do a fruit dessert,
a chocolate dessert,

and then something

that's kind of crunchy
and yummy at the same time.

We have to get inspired
by the Lucent Dossier

to create a showpiece,

one dessert each,
and one flaming dessert.

What are you thinking?
Talk to me.

Cake.
What kind of cake?

I don't know--
chocolate.

Work with me, Danielle.
I know.

I'll do a mango panna cotta
with the passion stuff.

That way we have a fruit.
We've got exotic fruit.

And I'll work
on the centerpiece.

Towards the end
if I need help--

with you guys getting all
the centerpiece stuff, I will.

I volunteered
that I would do the showpiece.

I was very inspired
by the performance.

So I thought I would have
some really good ideas.

Do we have everything we need
for our showpiece?

Heather immediately said,
"I'm gonna do the showpiece."

I mean, I've done a lot
of showpieces,

but good luck to her,
because I have immunity.

There's only 15 minutes,

so we've got to--we got
to pick this up, okay?

Put lemon--
some zest into it.

You know what?
Whatev--

you figure out
your dish, okay?

Heather C
is always so frazzled,

so I'm really nervous
that she's on my team,

especially because she threw
people under the bus

the last challenge.

I'm definitely feeling, like,
a little excluded

from some of the planning,

and I just feel
like Zac doesn't like me.

Why don't you focus
on your dessert?

I'm feeling very nervous

about Heather,
because she's very unsure.

She's very emotional.

If you go in a challenge
nerve-racked to begin with,

it's just
a really bad formula.

Good luck, huh?
Yeah, you too.

Our theme is called exotic,

since the show's
got different colors.

It's vibrant.

It feels very surreal.

I'm working
on triple-chocolate torte.

Eric's making
a lemon roulade.

Oh, .
Come on.

And Morgan is doing
a mango panna cotta.

Come on, just stay.
Stay, stay, stay.

Oh, you're an angel.

Thank you.

How are you doing
on time and pace?

I'm fine. I'm starting
to do the chocolate cake.

Our team's theme
is naughty and nice.

My dessert
is homemade banana bread

topped with a spicy red curry.

Our flaming dessert
is a Black Forest cake

with flambeed cherries
on top.

How's the panna cotta?

I'm doing it now. I wanted to
get the cake in the oven first.

Malika is making
a saffron panna cotta

with candied ginger.

Heather C
has finally decided

on chocolate sorbet and meringue
with peppered pineapple.

How many orders do you think
I can get out of one slice?

Out of one slice
of pineapple?

Bank for two.

If this base is still liquid,
it's probably wrong, right?

Uh, yeah.

What do you think the highest
I can bake this meringue at is?

Huh?

Heather is very,
very, very unsure

and has a ton of questions

and can't function
as an independent individual.

And that's part of the reason

why she got eliminated
in the first place.

Heather.

Do you have a second,
or do you want me

to clean up these egg whites?

Someone's gonna, like, die.

Our theme is sassy, sexy,
and sultry.

My dessert is raspberry
with a lime cake,

creme fraiche,
and a sweet lime bavarian,

and it's paired with a savory
sort of sweet lime

and tonka Bean sorbet.

Erika's making
a sassy pineapple

with almond ice cream.

And Danielle's making
a sultry chocolate dish

with a basil ice cream.



Uh, what are you
working on next?

Being a leader kind of comes
naturally to me,

and it's something I've adopted
since I was at a young age.

Bring it to a boil,
put it into a bowl--that's it.

But if something goes wrong,
you get blamed.

That's part of the job. I just
have to deal with that now.

Hour and 15!

Come here
and just push my face in.

Just push, push, push.

I am completely
in charge of the showpiece.

My favorite technique is a brown
sugar molding technique.

We end up molding my face
and then making

a mask out of that,
which comes out awesome.

Oh, that's great.

I am looking around
at this point,

and I see Zac is putting
his face in chocolate,

and the other team

is, like, making different
weird sculptures,

and we're kind of being
very traditional.

God.

What worries me
is that Morgan has immunity,

and Heather has proven herself
to be a superstar.

So if this team goes down,

you know, like, I'll probably be
the one going home.

What's doing?
Man, I don't know

what Heather's doing.

Where is she?

This is not working out
for me.

I need a minute of your time,
because my meringue

is not coming off
of the silpats now.

They overdried.

You just have to get
through this.

They're all, like,
overbaked or whatever.

I need to do
something else now.

I'm about
to walk out the door.

Okay.
So I need something

that I can just handle...

Here's the cake.
Very manageable.

Heather is upset,
and I understand.

I still have my doubts
about being in the competition

and being away from my kids,
but in a team challenge,

you've got to get
yourself together

and do the best you can.

Guys, five minutes,
five minutes.

Beautiful.

That already came to a boil?

Oh, you just--
okay, hold on.

I boiled the water.
Just--let's focus.

Okay, I've never added
all this dry stuff to a sorbet.

I can--
okay, no, 'cause--

okay, I just need you
to listen to me,

'cause I'm about to freak out.

You're adding lemon juice.

We need to add
the sweet limes.

It's frustrating,
because I gave Danielle

a simple task--
prepare some sorbet.

But I'm not sure
she was paying attention.

All the dry ingredients
came to a full boil?

However, my main concern
for myself is,

because
I was helping Danielle...

Bring it to a quick boil and
let's throw it in the freezer.

I'm a little worried
that I didn't get to attend

to my desserts
as much as I wanted to.

If our team lost
and one of us had to go home,

being the team leader,
I think it's gonna be me.

You're letting
your teammates down.

What a brat.

Spoiled brat.

She needs to suck it up.

I call home
to talk to my three boys.

I miss them so much.

How are you,
sweetheart?

I'm gonna be home
before you know it.

Just one day
feels like a whole week.

I really miss you.

I have to do the best I can
in the challenge...

How are you?

Because if I'm not cooking
to win,

then there's no reason
for me to be here.

I'm doing okay, sweetie.

I'm really,
really busy working.

The opportunity to be
on Top Chef: Just Desserts

is the start
of a very positive direction.

I can't go home
after coming all this way.

I can't give up.

Okay, I love you guys.

Bye.

Was it?
Oh.

It's the morning
of our elimination challenge.

Obviously, somebody's got
to go home,

but I feel terrific,

'cause I have immunity,
and I'm not going home.

Yo.

Is there anything
we can get for you?

I can see
Heather C is really upset.

Going, coming back--
it's taken a big toll on her.

I think she's extremely
frustrated with her performance.

I hate to see you
lose something that you--

that you once saw
not so long ago as a dream

and an ideal of something that
you wanted to participate in.

I mean,
Morgan's right.

Top Chef: Just Desserts
is the best thing

that's ever happened to me.

But I feel like I'm making it
a very big disaster.

Heather...

You're letting
your teammates down.

You know, Heather C seems
to break down

at every turn
and every corner.

I know she wasn't really happy
with her dish,

but this is a competition.

Everyone's gonna go home,
except for one person.

Deal with it.

Heather,
how about your teammates?

This is a team competition.

I'm very upset
that she lashes out at me,

because I'm having a lot of
mixed emotions about being back.

You don't think
you're being selfish?

I hope
she's eliminated tonight.

Maybe she will understand
what I'm going through.

What a spoiled brat.

Heather C's got
a great opportunity

coming back.

So what is the problem?

Oh, I'm so fed up with her.

She needs to suck it up.

We head over
to the Lucent Dossier Studio.

It's gonna be really fun.
We're gonna be able to interact

with all the performers.

Our challenge
is a two-feet-tall showpiece,

three plated desserts--


and one flaming dessert--


Hey, babe, I like it.
I think so too.

Oh, it looks good.

I'm just trying to get
the flaming glasses ready.

And I can't see anything.

I have anise and cinnamon
that I have to take

out of my cherries,
and I can't find them.



Don't break it.

My showpiece
has nice shape and flow to it.

And the colors
are very vibrant

and very earthy.

I'm done. I'm gonna go back
to plating, okay?

Okay.
I think that the desserts

play very well
to Lucent Dossier.

I think the showpiece
has fallen a bit short

of its original design plan.

It just doesn't represent exotic
in my opinion.

Do you want to come take
a peek at the sculpture?

I see
the other team's showpieces,

and, I mean,
it's, like, balls and columns

and pulled sugar flowers.

I think ours is personal

and really
about this experience.

You do it
like that, right?

Whoa!
Wait, wait, wait, wait.

At this point,
we just want to make sure

that we put together
the showpiece

without it cracking
or without it falling through.

The other teams have taken
a very safe approach

with their showpieces,
and ours is definitely

much more delicate,
which could work in our favor.

But with the slightest stroke
of hand,

it could all go to pieces.

Go ahead
and just pull it back.

Okay.
Five minutes!

We need to hustle, 'cause we
don't have any desserts ready.

Oh, my God,
we are so behind.

The last five minutes
before service starts,

I'm definitely
a little panicked.

We're still putting together
our showpiece,

and the guests are starting
to come in.

I didn't realize
that other teams

had their desserts plated
and ready to go,

and we're still working on it.
Easy. Easy, baby.

I don't want to go down
in fire and flames on this one.

I need people
to listen to me, guys, please.

You don't tell me that.

God, we have to hustle.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we thank you for every delicious
morsel you have created.

So we are here to now present
to you the inspiration

we get from you--

the Lucent Dossier experience.

I can't even concentrate
in here.

It's toasty.
Wow.

So the show is starting,

and we're still setting up
our stations.

We got to have
three different sets.

This is getting flambeed?

Can you grab me
a tasting spoon, please?

Whoa.
My God.

I think we've really catered
to this crowd.

I think, like,
the mango panna cotta

that's on the other table,
I think is boring.

We're using saffron.
We're using smoked almonds.

We're using pepper.
We're using red curry.

So, I mean,
I think that we really made

these desserts
for this crowd.

So I'm totally excited.
Thank you for coming

and spending your time
with Lucent Dossier.

Enjoy your food.

Extra gloves.
Extra gloves.

Right here. Right here.
Nice work. Nice work.

Do we have more peaches
cooked, or is that it?

I think the other two teams

played it more safe
with their showpieces.

Nice and gentle.

We took more of a risk.

So in taking that risk,

you know,
it's like a 50/50 chance

either they'll love it,
or they may hate it.

What else do we need?
Nothing. Just...

We need the cake.
Is that the creme fraiche?

This is creme fraiche
with a little sugar.

I've got, like,


Hi, guys.
Hi.

You've already met
Gale Gand.

And joining us again at the
judges' table, Hubert Keller.

Hello, Chef.
Good to be here. Hello.

We'd love to hear
about your showpiece.

I was pretty much the one
that focused

on the centerpiece.

This is supposed to kind
of represent some of the shapes

from their "dresswear"
and also the room.

All right, well,
let's talk about the desserts

that you made and how
they relate to the showpiece.

My dish itself
is a mango panna cotta.

It is served
alongside an acai fluid gel

and a passion fruit sorbet.

And there's the crescent
that you find

in the middle of the room
that the aerialist performs on.

And that's represented in
the crescents of milk chocolate.

Heather.

This is a triple-chocolate

chai tea mousse torte.

Beautiful.
Eric.

I made a roulade.

Inside it has a caramel cream
and a lemon cream,

and on the side
is a pomegranate sauce

and candied kumquats.

For the flambe dish,

what we've done
is a almond cream.

And on top is, uh, cherries
that were cooked in star anise,

and then we have the flame
on top.

Basically, it's kind of like
a cherry pie all over the place.

All right.
Thanks a lot.

Thank you.
Please enjoy, Chef.

We put out
some beautiful product.

We did.
Yeah.

Yeah, the spoon is an issue.
Look at that.

Heather really was
in charge of the showpiece.

I think the other two
kind of gave her the freedom

to go with it.

So if the showpiece
comes out too small,

it basically disappears.

Here, it really made
an effect.

You cannot miss it.

You know, Morgan had immunity
on this challenge,

and he really takes
a lot of ownership.

Morgan really put a lot
of thought into this dish.

It's visually beautiful. There's
a lot of great colors here.

He didn't need to work hard
on this one, but he did anyway.

Tasting these desserts,
I was like,

"I wonder what I taste like?"

Absolutely. Well, you'll
pardon me if I don't taste you.

Yeah.

I haven't figured out

really what Eric
was going for,

'cause, visually,
it's not very sexy.

Though I bet,
for Eric, standing it

on its end, for him,
is kind of whimsical.

I totally agree.

I absolutely had this twice,

and I love it.

Gale, what did you think
of Heather H's dessert?

Flavor-wise and texture-wise,
it's very pleasant to eat.

I agree with you.
I really taste that chai flavor.

And it does feel
a little bit sultry

and a little bit exotic.

It was my first dessert
with chai, and I loved it.

I had never had
a chai dessert before,

and it was very lovely.

All right, let's try
their flaming dessert.

What is that?

Is it crunchy?

See if you guys get it.

No.
No.

Oh, I got it.
It's a star anise.

A piece of it?

They didn't take it out.
Yeah.

Well, that's sort
of unpleasant, Johnny.

Star anise is not meant
to be eaten.

I think it's licorice.

Hi, Chefs.
Hello, Chef.

Chef.
First of all, none of us

do showpieces.

So that was a challenge
from the get-go.

I used a technique

where I molded chocolate
pressed in brown sugar.

That's actually my face
down there.

We tried all the faces.
Apparently mine was the best.

All right, well, let's talk
about your individual desserts.

We have
a banana creme fraiche cake

with a red-curry frosting.

It's that naughty/nice,
sour/sweet, spicy/sweet.

I do hope you enjoy it.

Heather, tell us
what you made.

I did
a spiced black pepper pineapple

with a chocolate sherbert
and meringue.

Thank you.

I made
a saffron-infused panna cotta

with a feuilletine crunch.

And my sweet
is my saffron.

And then my naughty
is my spicy ginger.

For the quickfire,
I called my sundae

"The Black Forest is burning."

So we decided,
in the spirit of whimsy,

to do the Black Forest
is burning.

We're still
in the Black Forest.

We're still
in the Black Forest.

So what we have
is a dark-chocolate cake,

and then we have
some fresh cherries,

which we're gonna flambe.

Excellent.

Oh, we got a little,
nice flambe action.

Thank you guys so much.
Thank you, Chefs.

Thank you very much.

Are you okay?

I'm trying, Zac.

What's wrong?
I'm just trying.

You're not happy
with your dish?

No.

I don't really feel that good
about this dish.

And I don't want to go home
for a second time.

I think it looks gorgeous.

But I'm feeling
a bit defeated.

As soon as I saw
the showpiece,

it reminded me
of their costumes--

you know, a lot of glam.

I think they really captured

the whole burlesque
essence really well.

That person said
my dessert was weird.

I'm weird.

We're all weird.

So guess what.
Our desserts can be weird.

I think what Heather C's did--
really, it's fairly simple.

I think, of the group, this
is the least playful visually.

I'm also not sure the elements
are really sort of intertwining.

So this is
Malika's saffron panna cotta.

For me, this represents
the delicate aspect of the show,

you know, the effeminate.

This is the best thing
Malika has made to date.

That was excellent.
No, absolutely.

Are these ones ready?
Yes. Yes. Please.

What are they?
Saffron panna cotta.

Okay, let's taste
Zac's banana and curry cake.

Visually, it's fun.
It's got movement too.

It's like a swish.
It's wild flavor.

And the curry
and the banana work.

Red curry.
Okay.

That's crazy talk.

That is.
Yeah.

But I like crazy.

And a Black Forest cake

is a very,
very traditional dessert,

and I'm glad to see they
kind of did their spin on it.

You know, set some trees
on fire.

They're taking the risk
and going out there, right?

It's kind of fun.

This is really, like,
sticky and rich and gooey.

It goes down easier
than a sword.

Hello, guys.

Hey.
Hello.

Our theme was sexy, sultry,
and sassy.

So we saw a lot
of the shapes,

like the different oval rings
from the back,

as well as a lot
of the feather textures.

I did the sultry
chocolate mousse cake,

and a lot of the angular leaves
and stuff--

that's what inspired mine.
Yigit.

Okay, so what we have
is a creme fraiche

and sweet lime bavarian.

And it's served with a tonka
bean and sweet lime sorbet.

It just kind of has
a little savory hint to it.

Great.
Erika.

I have
an almond ice-cream bar

with a little bit
of fresh pineapples roasted.

Now let's talk
about your flaming dessert.

We made almond
and citrus mirliton cakes,

flambeed it
with some bourbon.

We're not flaming
anything here?

We're not flaming.
We're flamed.

Were you doing it
in front of the customers

as they were coming through?
Yep.

You just didn't want
to do it for us?

Oh, well, we just didn't have
the time, I suppose.

Sorry.
I think we got nervous.

I really feel terrible

that they didn't see me
flambeing the desserts

right in front of them--
it's a big mistake.

So I'm hoping that's not going
to work to our disadvantage.

They were inspired
by a lot of different aspects,

as far as the structure,
the makeup,

the clothing.

So I think they've really
brought a lot

of the different elements
of the show

into their showpiece.

I think what Danielle
was trying to do--

I like the basil, but I think
the cake is too dense.

I like the fact
that she tried

to lighten the flavors
using basil.

I just wish
it had more basil.

But what I do like
about it--

it's a fudgy, silky texture
on your tongue.

Oh!

I'm really happy to see

that Erika was smart enough
to put a frozen dessert

on a frozen plate.

Pineapple has
a quite high acidity level.

And then you eat it
with the ice cream.

It really,
really comes well together.

This was made by Erika?
I want her child.

I think the first approach,

it's a very feminine dish
what Yigit made.

I think Yigit really did
a good job in capturing

the feminine qualities
of the aerialists.

If there's a flavor
that's Lucent Dossier,

it's this.
Ah!

So this is Yigit's team's
flaming dessert.

They had flambeed the peaches
in bourbon

before they plated it.

I must say,
I was a little bit disappointed,

because every other team
went to the trouble

that actually
we see the flames.

We wanted fire.
We wanted excitement.

You know,
that's why we were here.

I would recommend
you getting your own plate,

because I don't think
that I want to share anymore.

Are we breaking down
the station?

No, I'm just picking up
the trash.

Service ends.
Heather's acting strange.

Why are you so upset
all of a sudden?

I'm not upset.
Oh, okay.

I'm just being stoic.
Stoic.

She's really, really bitter
about something,

but I don't know
what it is.

Tough one to read you are.
Oh, am I?

Tough one to read.

She's very moody,

but I try not to take it
personally.

Okay, your dessert
looked really beautiful,

really elegant.

Oh, thank you.

I think you should glaze the
sauce over the ones you have.

Okay, I need to go
to the bathroom.

I feel bad that she's upset.
I know.

I don't know
what to do for her.

She brings on
her own misery.

This is the point
in which I go, "okay,

"will Zac throw me
under the bus,

you know, just like
the previous team challenge?"

I don't want to squander
this opportunity,

but I feel like I am.

What was the challenge...

In its entirety?

Him.

Never again.

Everybody else
is running around, panicking,

and the only way I feel
that I can get through this

is by just slowing down.

But you look so calm.
I know.

You're like the Zen Master.
I love it.

Eric doesn't push buttons,

so everyone loves Eric.

I call him the Zen Baker.
We all do.

I knew that
getting into this

that it would be
kind of...Crazy.

Hi.

We'd like to see...

Morgan, Eric, and Heather H.

Thanks.

We put so much more work
into that showpiece.

I'm sorry.
That's .

That's all I have to say.

Maybe they're taking us
all in.

Chefs,
we challenged you to take

the whimsical, magical
Lucent Dossier experience

and turn it
into a dessert.

You definitely took us
on a mystical journey.

You are the winning team.
Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Morgan, this dessert has been
the best you've shown us so far.

I thought the flavors
were spot on.

I thought the textures
were great.

The way you laid it
on the plate,

I think it was
a beautiful dessert,

and I'd be happy
to see that in a restaurant.

Thank you, Chef.

Let's talk
about Heather's dessert.

I loved the textures,
the supple smoothness,

the subtle flavors of it.

Overall, I thought
it ate very well.

I think,
when it came to the showpiece,

it definitely
brought in the theme

of Lucent Dossier
in that piece,

so I think it was pretty
spectacular the way you did it.

So, Eric,

I'm happy to see
that you're actually getting

to the point where you're
composing multi-flavored,

multi-textured desserts
and thinking outside of a plate.

And I thought
it was interesting

to kind of have a roulade
turned on its side.

You gave it to us in a way
we're not familiar seeing it.

I really have to thank
these guys for--

I mean, you know,
I don't plate.

So, I mean,
this to me was like,

I feel like I'm climbing.

So, Gale,

as our guest judge,
please announce the winner.

All three of you
really transported us,

but we have to pick one,

and we picked...

Morgan...

Again.

It always feels good
to win.

It's a great feeling
for 15 minutes,

but game's on tomorrow.

Congratulations
to all of you.

Great teamwork.
Thank you.

You can return
to the stew room.

Thank you.
Good night, judges.

Gail says we should go back
to the stew room,

but she doesn't say
who's gonna be in the bottom.

Hey.
Hey.

Who won?
I won.

Yay.

You're welcome, Morgan.

Pretty much
Morgan was a selfish jerk.

He worked on one dessert.

And as a result,
he won.

He did one dessert.

I did a centerpiece
and a dessert.

He did two desserts.

Him.

Never again.

No, I'm not gonna carry
anybody anymore.

Heather wanted to make
the showpiece.

If she's angry at anyone,
it should be with herself.

What, Heather?
I don't want to talk about it.

We won. What difference
does it make right now?

I know.
So just--

in hindsight,
I did a centerpiece

and a plated dessert.

And as a result, my plated
dessert was sacrificed.

And, honestly, I don't want to
have anything to do with Morgan.

He's about himself.
He's not a team player.

Hi, Chefs.

Hi.

There were actually some hits
and some misses on both

of the other teams tonight.

So we would like to ask
both of you some questions.

Let's start with Yigit,
Danielle, and Erika.

Yigit, what was
the challenge...

The challenge--
in its entirety?

Absolutely. The challenge
was to create a showpiece.

Phase two
was to translate desserts

that would tie
into the showpiece.

What's the third part?

The flaming dessert.

Flaming dessert.

Where was the fire?

You guys neglected

to present the judges
a flaming dessert.

When we did it for the guests,
we did flambe the desserts.

We didn't get to see that.

To be fair
to the two other teams,

I think we felt
like there was an issue here.

As you know, we still want
to speak to the other team,

so please send them out.

Thank you.

You know,
I am a team Captain,

so it was my fault that we,
you know, failed

to flambe our dessert
right in front of them.

Zac, Malika, Heather.

Good luck, girl.
What happened?

Chitchat?
Mm-hmm.

I'm very happy with that.

Let's talk about what
you guys did for us tonight.

Zac, the dessert
was well-balanced,

and I thought the banana curry
cake was k*ller.

Zac, I really liked the cake,
I must say,

and I think you tried really

going a direction,
shocking a little bit.

I think the use of the curry,

of pushing, a little bit,
the envelope there,

and so that was actually
really great.

I loved the banana bread.

What I did have
a little trouble with

was it looked
kind of punched out.

Like, it didn't look
like a finished dessert.

Malika.
I chose to bring saffron

into my dish.

I put it
into a panna cotta,

and under that, I had
the feuilletine crunch,

'cause I wanted creamy
and crunchy.

Malika,
I think your dessert

was one
of my favorites tonight

because of some of the elements
you're talking about.

The creaminess
of the panna cotta was spot on.

And some of that was--
Chef, um...

I think before we do go on,

I have to say
that I would perhaps like to ask

to be eliminated today.

I think before we do go on,

I have to say that I would
perhaps like to ask

to be eliminated today...

'Cause I just would not want
to see any of my fellow Chefs

eliminated tonight,
knowing how badly all of them

want to be Top Chef.

Are you sure
this is what you want to do?

You know,
I really am sure.

I'm happy about my decision,
and I am very sure.

I just want to reiterate
that your dessert

was exceptional tonight.

It was the best thing
we've had from you.

We've had some really great
flavors from you

since day one.
Thank you so much.

I'm honored,
but it's the right thing for me,

so--and that's what's important
right now.

You can return to the kitchen
and pack up your tools.

Thank you.
Thank you so much.

There are two things
that drive me in my life.

The first is my children,
and the second is cooking.

And I don't enjoy cooking
in a competitive environment.

And that's what I really learned
coming here.

How'd it go?

It went well.
I am leaving.

How do you mean?

I'm going home tonight.

I eliminated myself.

I think I'm the least
of the group

who wants to be Top Chef,
and it was unfair,

so it was the right time
to do it, so...

My decision about leaving--
it's not a sad one.

I just need to,
like, hug everyone.

I really enjoyed
the challenge,

and I really, really loved
working with my teammates.

Bye, guys.
Bye.

But my heart is really
with my kids and my kitchen.

That gives me a lot of thrill
and a lot of joy.

What's next for me
is to go back to my life

and keep moving forward
and challenging myself

in a way
that feels right for me.

Next time
on Top Chef: Just Desserts...

Go, diva.
Go, diva.

Heather, Zac, and I,

we've become team "Go, Diva."

Go, diva.
You're my diva.

People are a little bit
threatened by the three of us.

Tough .

Yes!

I love shoes,
especially women's shoes.

Sassy.
Rrrow.

Sassy.

I could take it
off the form

and have it on you
in ten minutes.

We'll save that
for later, Zac.

Okay.
The actual look of it

was amateurish.

This is a dangerous bonbon.

It's more like a b*mb-b*mb.

For more about the recipes
you've seen tonight,