Next Food Network Star 2010 - Episode 2

This week the contestants, minus the WOEFULLY AWFUL Alexis, were started out with a CAMERA CHALLENGE. I really got nothing for you on this one. Not making videos...this season...maybe if you y'all start COMMENTING, I will show my smiling face! HA!

Down to the cooking side...finally!

The STAR CHALLENGE this week was from Duff of Ace of Cakes fame. They closed down Santa Monica Pier and had the contestants make SAVORY variations on SWEET carnival food. Again, I asked my lovely wife to pick a number and BOY did she pick. The hardest one, #9.

Among the choices were caramel corn, candied apples, root beer floats....I get COTTON CANDY! Hot air and sugar....THAT IS IT! Air and SUGAR! COME ON! But, she picked it and I have to go for it.

Where do you even start? Shape, Flavor or do you just get obtuse and make a reference? UGH! Seriously, I was stumped.

What I ended up going with, after much blank staring, is:

Vermicelli Noodles with Sugar Snap Peas w/ a Sweet & Sour dressing and a Sweet Potato Tempura "Stick".
An hour to prep, an hour on the pier.

Prep:
- Break down all the veg. Starting with the pineapple, fruits, etc in the sweet & sour sauce.
- Tighten up the knife skills on the peas and potatoes, stir fry slicing SUPER FAST BLANCHE.
- Get sauce together and reducing.
- For prep, the last thing is to make sure my dry ingredients for the tempura is together.

At the pier:
- Boil that water! Get the noodles in ASAP, once done, little sesame oil to keep moist.
- HEAT THE OIL! Start battering and frying ASAP.
- Heat up the sauce.
- Get to plating!

I would form the noodles as a quick bite nest, tempura poking out like the stick and the noodles would be dressed with the sauce.

The failing I saw right away is that they might have tried to pick up the noodles with the tempura, but I would have forced a fork onto them.

So was it Cotton Candy enough for you? How would I have done? Looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks!