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Carla, the chef with a big ‘ol heart and a sprinkling of love in the kitchen, felt honored to be part of the TOP CHEF finale. Hosea was equally happy to be there, but nervous and hungry for a big win. And then there was Stefan. He was, well, himself. Cocky as usual, Euro-ego Stefan not only expected an easy win, he was still whining about Hosea beating him in the last episode. Rivals Hosea and Stefan squared off in their corners, ready to spar again.
The three remaining chefs waited patiently to hear the details of the final challenge. When Chef Tom spoke the words, it sounded almost too simple: “Cook the best three-course meal of your life.” Glances were exchanged, sure there was an evil twist to follow, but Chef Tom continued the good news by announcing each finalist would get some help in the kitchen. Science geek Richard from season four, meticulous Casey from season three and Marcel, the hated guy from season two, joined the group and waited for their assignments.
Hosea chose to work with mild-mannered Richard. “I thought you should have won last year, so it would be a huge honor to have you on my team,” he said. Stefan felt a kinship with the unlikable Marcel. “He’s a bit of a twat,” Stefan mused, “but who’s not?” That left classy Casey to work along side Carla. Chefs hit the kitchen and prepped for a whole day. Tempers flared early when Hosea and Stefan argued over the foie gras and caviar. Boys will be boys!
EVIL TWIST ALERT: Of course the final episode wasn’t scheduled to be an easy challenge where each chef got to enjoy their time in the kitchen. What fun would that be? As Carla, Stefan and Hosea returned for the second day of cooking, they were greeted by chef Tom and a giant platter of Creole goodies: fresh crab, red fish, and one giant alligator. The three chefs’ jaws dropped in unison. Hosea won the chance to dole out who got what to work with for an additional dish, and giddily appointed Stefan the alligator king for the day.
Hosea’s well planned gator-trick backfired when judges fell in love with the alligator soup. Oooops! Then Carla won the second round with a great fish dish, but Stefan and Hosea out-cooked her overall and were the two left standing to battle it out for the title of TOP CHEF.
Angry glances, smug shrugs. Who would the winner be? “It’s my $100k, dude,” Stefan assured everyone. Hosea glared at his nemesis and reminded the judges that his meal was consistent and delicious. After a long and difficult foodie-huddle, judges were ready to announce the winner.
Stefan’s menu was good, but his dessert was unforgivable. In the end, Hosea had the winning meal of the night. His arc of courses and beautiful presentation were just plain delicious. CONGRATULATIONS Hosea! Oh, and to Stefan—loved your cooking, loved your bald head, you will be missed.
Wow, it was another great year of egos, chefs, and sauté pans, but with this season of TOP CHEF coming to an end, it’s time to obsess over AMERICAN IDOL! Meet me back here next week where we’ll meet the top twelve singers in depth—and dig for some dirt!
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