Top Chef

Episode 1 - Melting Pot 11/12/2008 Edit details .
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An introduction to the 17 new chefs and their skills, demonstrated with challenges that send them into the ethnic districts of New York City. Guest Judge: Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Episode 2 - Show Your Craft 11/19/2008 Edit details This week, the chefs have to face some of the harshest judges possible: chefs who tried out for Top Chef and didn't make it.

Episode 1 - Anything You Can Cook I Can Cook Better 3/12/2008 Edit details The Quickfire Challenge had the chefs must create a signature deep dish pizza and serve it to Rocco DiSpirito and Padma Lakshmi. The winners of the Quickfire must cook head-to-head against the losers, using one dish from a list of classic dishes. The winners drew numbered knives and chose one of the losers as their opponent. The opponent then selected which dish the pair will each prepare. Both dishes will be served to the judges simultaneously, with decisions to follow immediately.

Episode 2 - Zoo Food 3/19/2008 Edit details For the Quickfire Challenge, each chef is to create a dish using no more than five ingredients (excluding salt, pepper, sugar, oil), either purchased at Chicago's Green City Market or from the Top Chef pantry. For the Elimination Challenge, five teams of three are selected by drawing knives, each assigned a specific animal (Bear, Gorilla, Lion, Penguin, and Vulture).

Episode 3 - Block Party 3/26/2008 Edit details Divided into two teams of seven, the chefs must cater a Chicago neighborhood's annual Block Party. The teams must only use ingredients that they can get from the residents of the block.

Episode 4 - Film Food 4/2/2008 Edit details The chefs must draw knives to pair up into six teams of two (with Dale having the privilege of selecting which pair he'll join to make one group of three). Then, create a 6-course meal, with each dish being inspired by the chefs' favorite film. The dinner will be for critic Richard Roeper, actress Aisha Tyler, and company.

Episode 5 - The Elements 4/9/2008 Edit details The chefs are split into four groups of three by drawing knives, each assigned to one of the classical elements: Earth, Water, Fire, or Air. Each team is to create a first-course meal based on that element for 80 people of Chicago's Celebrity Chef-Meals on Wheels Fundraiser, held at the old Marshall Field & Co. Building. Survey cards were filled out by the patrons of the dinner that evening and used as part of the judging process.

Episode 6 - Tailgating 4/16/2008 Edit details The contestants are asked to create meals for a tailgating party at Soldier Field prior to a Chicago Bears football game. The chefs are given preparation time both at the Top Chef kitchen and at the field, prior to serving, on grills.

Episode 7 - Improv 4/23/2008 Edit details The chefs attend a performance of the improvisational comedy troupe, Second City. During the performance, the Second City actors obtain combinations of a color, emotion, and ingredient from the audience, creating five descriptions for meals that the chefs are then to prepare. The chefs freely split into teams and select the order for the courses, and, as they discover during cooking, are unable to use electric mixers or food processors as they have been removed from the Top Chef kitchen for this challenge.

Episode 8 - Common Threads 4/30/2008 Edit details The contestants are told to make a healthy, simple and flavorful meal for a family of four, using only $10. Meal preparation would take place at the Washburn Culinary Institute. There, each chef is then paired with a child from the Common Threads program who will participate in preparing the dish and will be responsible for explaining the dish to fellow children from the program during the tasting.

Episode 9 - Wedding Wars 5/7/2008 Edit details The chefs must cater a 250-guest wedding (125 guests to be served per team) for a couple who own a restaurant and wedding facility. Each team will prepare a different menu, one team responsible for meeting the bride's requests, while the other for the groom.

Episode 11 - Casualty Of War, pt.2 5/20/2008 Edit details Dale shares who he feels should win it all and just in case you're wondering, he has friends.

Episode 12 - High Steaks 5/27/2008 Edit details One more chef needs to go home and the rest are in the finals!

Episode 13 - Puerto Rico 6/3/2008 Edit details The chefs are in Puerto Rico to determine who will be this season's Top Chef!

Episode 1 - 4-Star All Stars 6/6/2007 Edit details .

Episode 2 - First Impressions 6/13/2007 Edit details .

Episode 3 - Sunny Delights 6/20/2007 Edit details .

Episode 4 - Family Favorites 6/27/2007 Edit details .

Episode 5 - Cooking by Numbers 7/11/2007 Edit details .

Episode 6 - Latin Lunch 7/18/2007 Edit details .

Episode 7 - Watch What Happens 7/25/2007 Edit details .

Episode 8 - Freezer Burn 8/1/2007 Edit details .

Episode 9 - Guilty Pleasures 8/8/2007 Edit details .

Episode 10 - Restaurant Wars 8/15/2007 Edit details .

Episode 11 - Second Helping 8/22/2007 Edit details .

Episode 12 - Chef Overboard 9/5/2007 Edit details .

Episode 13 - Snacks on a Plane 9/12/2007 Edit details .

Episode 14 - Manhattan Project 9/19/2007 Edit details .

Episode 15 - Finale: Part 1 9/26/2007 Edit details .

Episode 16 - Finale: Part 2 10/2/2007 Edit details .

Episode 17 - Scar-y Accident 10/9/2007 Edit details Padma explains how she got her scar.

Episode 1 - Into the Fire 10/18/2006 Edit details .

Episode 2 - Eastern Promise 10/25/2006 Edit details .

Episode 3 - Food for the People 11/1/2006 Edit details .

Episode 4 - Less Is More 11/8/2006 Edit details .

Episode 5 - Social Service 11/15/2006 Edit details .

Episode 6 - Thanksgiving 11/22/2006 Edit details .

Episode 7 - The Raw and the Cooked 12/6/2006 Edit details .

Episode 8 - Holiday Spirit 12/13/2006 Edit details .

Episode 9 - Seven 1/3/2007 Edit details .

Episode 10 - Unhappy Customers 1/10/2007 Edit details .

Episode 11 - Sense and Sensuality 1/17/2007 Edit details .

Episode 12 - Finale: Part 1 1/24/2007 Edit details .

Episode 13 - Finale: Part 2 1/31/2007 Edit details .