Last week's challenge on Top Chef 5 was one that many home cooks could probably relate to. How do you serve a Thanksgiving dinner that will satisfy the need for traditional flavors while working with the restrictions of time, equipment and budget? Sure, the chefs were doubly challenged by not having an oven to cook in and only one burner, but most home chefs have a similar problem once they start cooking their bird and find their stovetop cluttered with sides cooking.

Some of the chefs were able to face the challenges and emerge with a solid dish, and some even brought some creativity to their offerings. Others didn't do so well, either for failing to nail a traditional recipe, or branching out with an innovation that didn't work.

So whose dishes would we head back to the fridge for a midnight snack when we woke up from the first coma? And whose wouldn't have made it into the Tupperware as leftovers in the first place?


Kudos to Ariane Duarte for pulling out a strong performance with her turkey. She needed to excel in this episode of Top Chef, and she took a big risk by taking on the high-profile task of cooking the central element of the meal. Considering the fact she did this without a real oven, it's even more impressive.


Radhika Desai's vegan stuffing was the favorite dish of the evening for one of the Foo Fighters, and that sealed the deal for me. Stuffing is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner, and there's nothing worse than getting a disappointing one. Stuffing is one of those dishes that leaves a lot of room for creativity, which can sometimes inspire people to take things a little too far. She kept it fairly simple with just veggies and familiar herbs like oregano, rosemary and thyme, and must have seasoned it very well to bring out all the best in the ingredients.


Fabio Viviani's Pumpkin Tiramisu won praise from the judges for taking a traditional favorite like pumpkin, and using it in a dish that the Italian chef knew he could do well. They appreciated that he capitalized on his strengths to meet the requirements of the challenge and came up with a tasty dessert.


Eugene Villiatora's pork dish impressed Tom Colicchio enough that he mentioned it in his blog as one of the top ones served. And of course, Eugene deserves extra kudos for having the resourcefulness to buy charcoal and rig up a way to smoke and cook his pork.



Pumpkin mousse with berries? Jeff McInnis's dish really confused me as it seemed to be two different things entirely. I know they filmed this in the summer, and I am sure there are always new unique flavor combinations just waiting to be done deliciously…but when I saw this dish, I couldn't help but think: there must be a reason why we don't often see berries and pumpkin together. Additionally, for a dinner like Thanksgiving, desserts need a little richness, to complement the season. A pumpkin foam with some kind of nutty or buttery counterpoint would be nice, or berries with the richness of a pastry crust could work. But berries and foam together just seem unsatisfying.


Richard Sweeney's S'mores got him sent home from Top Chef, and having an ingredient that looks like spittle isn't a good thing.


Danny Gagnon's undercooked mashed potatoes? Yuck. Nobody wants that on the Thanksgiving table.

What did you think?





- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Images courtesy of Bravo)