On ABC tonight THE TASTE returns another new episode called, “Good With Beer.” On tonight’s show episode beer is on tap for this week’s challenge. Chef Jonathan Waxman is guest judge as six remaining cooks enter the semi-finals. Did you watch last week’s premiere episode? We did and we recapped it for you right here for you.
On last week’s episode we brought out sweet tooth last week as the eight remaining competitors were given the challenge to create mouthwatering desserts highlighting ingredients like fruit and sweet & savory combinations. Chef Christina Tosi guest judged a delicious battle in which two competitors were sent home, and the remaining six headed to the semi-finals.
On tonight’s episode Beer is the featured ingredient of this week’s challenge. With six remaining cooks in the kitchen, the mentors and their teams get out of the studio and into some of their favorite Los Angeles-area restaurants for beer and food pairings. From salty animal flesh and shellfish to spicy and exotic foods, the competitors are feeling the pressure knowing that this week’s challenge will determine who will be sent home and who will move on to the finale. Chef Jonathan Waxman is the guest judge for this challenge and serves the remaining cooks a curve ball they never saw coming as time ticks down during the group challenge. Who will hit a homerun and who will strike out?
Don’t forget to join us for our live recap tonight at 8:00pm when The Taste Season Two episode 7 returns to ABC. While you wait for the recap, let us know what you think of The Taste?
RECAP: The mentors are at their trailers, there are kegs of beer and several plastic cups; Ludo is trying to get himself some beer from the keg and he’s having a hard time with getting it. The mentors decide to play beer pong, Ludo is extremely competitive even in a game of beer pong. This challenge is about food that goes well with beer and makes you want to drink more beer. The contestants arrive to find the mentors playing beer pong, the mentors tell them that the challenge will be based on beer. Nigella knows no one is in her kitchen, but she believes the pressure must be unbelievable for Ludo, Anthony and Marcus. Anthony is showing Lee a Japanese dish that compliments beer. Anthony tells Lee he’s made it through, but now he can’t lay back on the team challenges because he’s the only one left on his team. Ludo takes his team to a restaurant to show them food that goes good with beer in his opinion, muscles and fries is what he used to eat a lot with beer. Marcus takes his team to a restaurant also; he brings them to an authentic Ethiopian food that is eaten with your hands. The mentors don’t want to lose this challenge; they want their team to get through this. Anthony announces tonight’s challenge, Good With Beer. This challenge will be tasted by guest mentor Jonathan Waxman. The mentors have ingredients that will tailor to their chef’s dishes. Lee already knows what he’s going to make and he’s confident he will win this. Ludo brings his chefs seafood, Marcus brings his chefs sausage, pork belly and more meat. Anthony gives Lee weird chicken parts and more, it confuses Lee and he’s not sure what to do. Anthony doesn’t want take Lee in a direction he’s not comfortable with, because he doesn’t want him going home tonight.
The cooking will begin within one minute, Anthony says that Lee needs to try and get through this challenge and the challenge begins. The cooks now have one hour to cook a dish that compliments beer, at the end of this challenge someone will be going home. Lee is starting and he’ not sure of what he’s doing, Anthony tells him to make a meatball. Ludo wants his team to use sea food, Jeff is making shrimp scampi. Louise is going to be making a beer battered spot prawn taco; Marina is going to be making shrimp toast. Nigella checks out Marcus’s kitchen, Sarah is making a Lamb kidney and sweet breads. Shehu is going to be making a chicken apple sausage. Nigella gave his kitchen the challenge of making something exotic, though it looks like a spell making session. Lee is going to be making a French onion soup with blue cheese and a meatball. Lee looks like he’s having a hard time in the kitchen, he wants to win the kitchen in order to start his own place and not wait tables anymore. Anthony tells Lee to make his dish delicious and nothing else. Sarah hears Marcus helping Shehu, she feels like she’s not getting much help. Ludo is getting worried with Jeff’s dish after Anthony making a comment about it being the worse idea ever with this challenge. Ludo walks into Marcus’s kitchen, Shehu ends up cutting himself. Lee is extremely nervous with this competition; Nigella feels that the blue cheese is far too salty. Ludo won’t choose Jeff’s dish, he’s going to be choosing Louise’s or Marina’s dish. Marcus decides to choose Sarah’s dish over Shehu’s dish, Ludo tells his entire team to stop and help decide whose dish to put up.
Ludo goes with Marina’s Shrimp toast, Lee’s hand is shaking horrible due to his nerves. All the teams manage to get their dishes out on time; it was very close for Ludo’s team. Jonathan Waxman will taste the teams’ dishes; he’ll choose his most favorite and his least favorite dish of the night. Jonathan comes out, he will now taste them. Jonathan tastes Lee’s dish first, it seems that he really liked the dish, but didn’t like the garlic added to it and finds the sauce to be a little off. He then tastes Marina’s dish, he really likes the crunch and likes the taste. Jonathan now is going to be tasting Sarah’s dish, he seems to really enjoy it, but isn’t a big fan of the spice. His best dish of the night is Ludo’s kitchen, Ludo is extremely happy that he won. Lee doesn’t look too happy with Ludo’s team winning, Jonathan is going to announce his worst dish, and it turns out to be Marcus’s dish is the worst dish, Lee can’t believe it, but he’s happy that he’s saved. Marcus doesn’t know who to send home, Shehu or Sarah. Marcus wants to know why they both want to stay; Sarah and Shehu don’t want to go home at all. Marcus decides to send Shehu home this time; Sarah will be staying and is the last person in Marcus’s kitchen. Shehu takes his leave like a good sport. Five are left now, but there will only be four left at the end of the night. Jonathan Waxman will be giving a private class with Ludo’s team. Lee and Sarah talk about how they were nervous, Lee will now get court side tickets to a NIX game. Jonathan will be showing them how to make a rib dish; the chefs really loved his ribs. Louise is thinking of making stewed braised pork, Anthony feels that Marina is the deadliest cook in this competition. Marina is going to be extracting chicken broth, but with beer instead of water. Jeff is planning to make a brazed; he wants to use pork with oranges. Marcus feels like Jeff is taking two steps back now. Sarah feels that Lee is a fierce competitor, but she feels that she won’t lose to him.
Now the chefs are off to cook for the individual challenge, they’ve got two hours to cook tonight, giving them an extra hour than usual. Jeff is feeling nervous, because being in the semi-finals is stressful. Nigella talks to the mentors how it’s the semi-finals and that either of them could end up in the bottom. Louise is going to make pork and beef chili, Jeff is going to be making braised pork with cheddar biscuits. Jeff says that Marina owns eight pressure cookers. Marcus mentions how he’s got one chef left in the competition, but if she goes home there’s nothing he can do. Sarah is making a Merguez sausage with potatoes. Ludo feels like Sarah is going to be leaving the competition or someone on his team. Jeff doesn’t like pressure cookers, because you can’t open it and have to trust that it’s working. Nigella mentions how Marina is the only home cook in the competition left and she’s a strong competitor. Marina is making fried stuffed pastry balls. Lee is going to be making pork and blood sausage Sloppy Joes. Jeff wants to try and impress the chefs today; Lee and Jeff are rivals and want to beat each other. The chefs feel no pressure with that extra hour to cook; it gives them an easier time to get through. Jonathan Waxman comes out and announces there’s an hour left and that there’s a twist, they need to make a complimentary dish with their meal. Lee doesn’t know what can go with a Sloppy Joe. Anthony says that this will separate those who deserve to be here. Marina is going to be making a salad of some sort. Louise is going to try and make cornbread with her chili, but she’s not sure if she’s got time for it. Sarah is going to make smelt fries. Lee still doesn’t know what to make with Sloppy Joes; he’s getting very nervous and unsure of what to do.
Sarah can notice Lee is in panic mode and might go home today. Jeff opens the pressure cooker and finds out that his pork is cooked and looks perfect. Lee decides to go with Avocado fries. Everyone is feeling pressured, not sure if they can get done in time. Thirty seconds left and Lee is a little worried, because it’s not the best thing he’s made in this competition, but he believes it’s good enough to get him into the finals. The mentors will now taste the dishes blind, not knowing who cooked it then decide which is the best and worst for them. Lee’s dish is up first, the judges find it salty and greasy, that there’s no balance. Marina’s dish is up next, they liked it, but they found her dish to need more meat and it’s too doughy.
Jeff’s dish is up next now, the judges taste it and they seemed to be very pleased with the pairing and that the side dish had a lot of effort put into it. Sarah’s dish is now up, the judges taste her dish and they feel a little disappointed with the dish, except Marcus feels it’s not that bad. Louise’s dish is up now, the judges taste her dish and felt like it was only okay, nothing amazing. The judges must now decide which dish is their favorite or least favorite. The mentors feel very disappointed with the dishes, they’re not sure of what to choose for their dishes of the night. Lee doesn’t believe he’ll get a red star, Jeff tells him that there are four mentors and that means that there are four red stars. That Lee has a chance to get a red star and that if he gets one he’ll cry like a little girl.
The contestants come out and appear in front of the judges. Anthony is blunt and says that they were disappointed with the dishes they got; few of them actually followed what the challenge. Anthony’s best dish of the night was cooked by Jeff; Marcus’s best dish was made by Jeff as well. Nigella’s favorite dish was made by Jeff, Ludo’s favorite dish of the night was made by Lee and Ludo doesn’t look pleased to choose his dish. Anthony asks what Jeff made for his dish, he explains what he made. Marcus likes how Jeff wasn’t shy with the dish; Nigella feels that Jeff has a great palette. Anthony says good job to Jeff. Ludo asks what Lee made; Anthony isn’t pleased to find out that Lee made a Sloppy Joe as a semi-final challenge. Now the mentors have to reveal their worst dishes.
Anthony’s least favorite dish of the night was made by Marina; Marcus’s least favorite was Lee’s. Nigella’s red star goes to Lee also; Ludo’s red star goes to Sarah. Marcus is pissed with this situation now, Lee, Sarah or Marina will be going home tonight. Jeff and Louise are in the finals now. Anthony asks what Marina made; Anthony felt like her dish was bland and didn’t involve beer at all. Nigella felt there was a proportion problem with the dish; she felt the cheese ruined the entire thing. Anthony agrees with Nigella it needed more meat and less bread. Ludo now asks what Sarah made; he mentions how he didn’t understand the dish at all. Any of the three can go home; they both believe that they deserve to make it to the finals. Now they must decide who they would want to leave the competition, Marina believes Sarah should go home, Sarah believes that Marina should go home. Lee believes that Marina should go home tonight. Now the mentors must decide who’s going home tonight, it’s not going to be easy at all. Lee thought he was in the middle, no red or gold. Jeff is extremely happy that he’s going into the finale on a high note. Marina feels like her time could be up, Sarah will be pissed off if she’s sent home.
Marcus wants to give Sarah one more chance; Ludo believes the same with Marina. The decision has been made, now we will find out who’s going home tonight. Anthony says that Lee won’t be going home tonight and that he’ll be going into the finale. Sarah or Marina will be going home tonight, and it turns out that Sarah is going home tonight. Anthony believes it wasn’t a bad day; it was a fatal day for her. Marcus says it was a joy to work with her; he wants her to continue cooking. Sarah leaves and she doesn’t think she should be going home. She had great experience learning throughout the competition; it’s hard for her to go home without going as far as she wanted. Now we’ve got Jeff, Louise, Lee and Marina in the finals.
