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I have $100,000
of cold hard cash in this case.
4 chefs get $25,000 each.
Yeah, baby!
If they want to leave this kitchen
with any of the cash,
they have to survive three culinary challenges
and each other.
Women stick together.
No, they don't.
In a game where sabotage is not only encouraged...
You'll be able to force one of your opponents
to do all of their cooking on a camp stove.
...it's for sale.
$5,000.
10 grand.
Ooh.
It's a game we like to call...
[ Laughs ]
..."Cutthroat Kitchen."
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
CHEF ZADI: My name is Farid Zadi.
I was a chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu.
No pressure.
I'm 6' tall, 180 pounds.
Not bad-looking.
French accent is always killer.
So that's intimidated a lot of people.
CHEF CUTTING: My name is Julie Cutting.
I look pretty on the outside, but I've got cuts, burns.
Running a kitchen is extremely tough.
I'm doing 10 things at once.
To get to the top,
you have to just dig in and do what it takes.
CHEF CHARLES: My name is Tanya Charles.
Before I became a chef, I worked for NASA.
Working for NASA, you get strategizing.
It's just another way to blow your competition out the water.
I really, really hope I win
because I've never done any kind of cooking competition.
I like your cleaver.
Thanks. It's my baby.
CHEF SCIPIONE: My name is Mike Scipione.
I'm gonna be great in this competition
'cause I kind of think outside the box.
What happened? You a little stressed out?
I'm not a classically-trained chef,
where a classically-trained chef
is gonna put "A," "B," and "C" on a plate.
With me, I put "A," "F," and "Y" on a plate
and make it taste good.
Greetings, chefs.
Welcome to "Cutthroat Kitchen."
You will cook your way through three challenges.
At the end of each of these, one person will be eliminated.
Now, for each round, I will assign a dish.
You will then have one minute
to shop for your ingredients in our pantry.
60 seconds isn't enough time for me to brush my hair,
let alone pick out what I'm going to do for a meal.
Then we're gonna hold an auction,
where you will have the opportunity
to bid on some devices that you can use
to block your opponents' efforts to win here.
Of course, if we're gonna have an auction,
you're gonna have to have some cash.
And I happen to have $100,000 here.
Each of you will take $25,000.
This will be yours to bid with throughout the completion.
But bid wisely, chefs, because the last of you standing
will only win the money
he or she has left in their possession.
Come get your $25,000. That'll be two bundles.
Having $25,000 in my pocket makes you feel like,
"Yeah, I'm gonna go and take that home."
Chef, two bundles -- one, two.
$25,000. Treat it well.
CHEF SCIPIONE: You're dangling $25,000 in my face.
How do you get better than that?
So...let's see.
For the first dish, I think we'll do something traditional.
Let's say a Philly cheesesteak.
CHEF SCIPIONE: Philly cheesesteak.
You know, I'm from South Philadelphia.
I grew up in the cheesesteak capital in the country.
I got this.
You'll have 30 minutes to give me your take on that dish.
And, of course, as I promised --
60 whole seconds to do the shopping.
And that shopping time begins, let's say, now.
CHEF CHARLES: Well, since we're making Philly cheesesteaks,
I'm gonna be shopping for basic things --
just bread, meat, cheese.
That's it. That's really all I need.
ALTON: 15 seconds.
So I'm reaching in for the cheese to grab my cheese,
and the next thing I know, Alton calls, "4 seconds left."
4, 3, 2, 1.
CHEF SCIPIONE: I look down at my basket. I'm feeling good.
And then I see everybody has rolls in their basket.
I forgot the bread. Now what?
I'm thinking, "How can I make something look like bread?"
I'm dead in the water right now.
Good. Everyone happy with their groceries, I hope?
'Cause now we're gonna have ourselves a little auction.
My instinct in the auction is to try to be a little bit frugal.
I want to see how far my skills can get me
before I start dishing it all out.
Let's take a look at the first item of the day.
Oh, I like this one very much.
We're gonna take away all your knives.
If you win this, you get to choose the one you want,
and then you get to assign the others to your opponents.
This, of course, is the blade from a deli slicer.
I've got here a paring knife, some kindergarten scissors,
and some plastic utensils.
CHEF CHARLES: Plasticware.
What are you gonna cut with a plastic knife or scissors?
You can't cut meat with scissors -- not dull ones.
Give you $3,000.
CHEF SCIPIONE: I don't have bread.
There's no reason for me to even slice my steak down thin
and plate it like that.
So I'm thinking I don't care what they throw at me.
Let them give me whatever they can give me at the end.
$4,000.
$5,200.
Going once, going twice, sold.
CHEF CHARLES: I'm just gonna take my slow, sweet, precious time
so I can watch them sweat.
Scissors, scissors, scissors.
Get out of here.
CHEF ZADI: I always work with my knives.
It's like your best buddy, kind of.
Very hard to say goodbye to your knife kit.
Merci.
Since Chef Scipione is from Philly,
I had to give him the plasticware.
I'll give you that.
I prefer takeout. [ Laughs ]
I gave Chef Cutting the paring knife
'cause I really wasn't concerned.
She can have the knife.
I am keeping the deli slicer for myself
because the only thing I need to slice is bacon and steak.
ALTON: Our second item.
[ Laughs ]
Oh, I probably don't have to tell you.
You can recognize cottage cheese when you see it.
The winner of this will be able
to use it as a replacement for cheese in anyone's basket.
I mean, getting cottage cheese --
It's like the diet soda of cheeses.
Who will give me $500 for the cottage cheese?
Chef Zadi's gonna give me $500.
You'll give me $1,000.
$3,500.
I hate cottage cheese.
At least by itself like this, it's horrible,
and it has no flavor.
$3,600.
$3,600 from Chef Charles.
I'm getting this cottage cheese. Somebody else is gonna do this.
Going once, going twice. Sold for $3,600 to Chef Charles.
Come on over, ma'am. You're kind of bid-happy today.
I like your style.
So I'll count it out just as before,
and you decide who's gonna get the cottage cheese.
It's really not that bad. It's just curds.
Hmm...
I think you should have this.
That's very nice of you. After this, I'm getting that.
If you're a professor and you claim you can make anything,
you should be able to make something out of this cottage cheese.
Good luck with that.
Our third item up for auction...
[ Knocks ]
Ohh!
I don't even want to look at this.
The label reads "frozen mystery meat."
It's frozen meat, whatever the hell that is.
ALTON: Who will give me $500
to replace one of their opponents' meat with this?
Give you $2,000.
I'll give you $3,000.
$3,300.
$3,300 from Chef Scipione.
Who's gonna give me $3,400?
Going once, going twice.
Sold to Chef Scipione.
Bring it on over here, buddy. I want your money.
I'm thinking me and Chef Zadi -- We're at the same level.
I don't have bread. He don't have his cheese.
I'm like, "You know what?
I got to kind of knock this dude out of the box."
I'm gonna take that. I'm gonna take that steak.
ALTON: Wow, it's a first time in "Cutthroat Kitchen" history
where one person has had all of the auctions
inflicted upon them.
Whatever.
Scissors, cottage cheese, fake meat -- Let's go for it.
So the auction is finished.
As for the cooking, I think we should get it started.
30 minutes begins now.
CHEF CUTTING: I'm feeling pretty safe.
I didn't get any of the sabotage ingredients.
I have a knife.
I'm gonna try to make something very visually pleasing
with a lot of flavor.
I go ahead and grab my bread,
slice it open, start toasting that off,
salt and pepper my steak, get that grilled off
so I have enough time for it to cook.
You know what? Growing up in New England,
we ate a lot of hot-dog buns and lobster rolls,
and I am not ashamed of my game.
[ Sighs ]
Chef Zadi next to me is just --
I can feel the tension building.
He is pissed.
CHEF ZADI: I just have a pair of scissors in the kitchen.
Anything you have to work with, you have to make it happen.
CHEF CHARLES: You're so welcome.
I'm glad I could help. I'm here for you.
I'm planning to make kind of a European Philly-steak sandwich.
What I do is cut the bell pepper,
season, put them on the grill.
I take out the gills from the portobello mushroom.
I also mix a little bit of that cottage cheese
with the mushroom gills,
and that's gonna be my spread.
[ Sniffs ]
What do you think that meat is?
Oh, man.
I got a little bit of sabotage from Chef Scipione,
which I have the frozen meat.
[ Laughs ]
CHEF SCIPIONE: I see these three chefs --
They all have formal training, all from Le Cordon Bleu.
I'm not intimidated one bit.
Honestly, I am not impressed a little bit by French food.
Hey, Mike, you want to sharpen your plasticware
for this challenge?
My plan is to make a pomodoro New York strip steak.
So I want to get my sauce going.
I'm thinking, "I'm gonna cut this lid off.
I'm gonna use this lid as my knife."
Slice my tomato.
How's that work? Is that good?
By the time you get that done, I'll be done cooking.
Now, I got to make up for not having bread.
I really got to bring out some flavor in this steak.
I rub the duck fat on just one side of the steak
before I grill it with a little bit of salt and pepper.
You're taking a piece of heaven when you take a bite.
What's the time?
ALTON: Got 22:40.
Nobody has sabotaged me this round,
so my sandwich is looking pretty dang good right now.
First thing I need to do
is get this meat cut on this deli slicer.
Cutting steak, cutting bacon.
I season the meat with just salt and pepper.
And the bacon is in the pan cooking.
Hey, chefs, you remember how I said
I might have another item up for auction
in the middle of the challenge?
You can force any two of your opponents
to use this burner as their only means of heat delivery.
You've got to be kidding me. A little burner?
You might as well have given me a lighter and told me to use it.
I can make two people suffer if I buy it.
Somebody's definitely going home because of this.
Hey, chefs, you see this lovely butane burner?
You can force any two of your opponents
to use this burner as their only means of heat delivery.
The portable burner is good for me
because I can make two people suffer if I buy it.
$1,000.
Chef Zadi doesn't want to put up with my grief anymore.
He'll give me $1,000. Who will give me $1,100?
You'll give me $4,000.
Current bid to Chef Zadi for this burner.
$4,100.
CHEF ZADI: $5,000.
$5,000 to Chef Zadi.
Whoo!
Going once, going twice. Sold to Chef Zadi for $5,000.
Chef Zadi, you have to use this right now, sir,
and force any two of your opponents to share it.
Okay, Tanya and Michael, good luck.
Take this.
CHEF CUTTING: Whoa!
CHEF CHARLES: Chef Zadi is making Chef Scipione and I
share the burner.
Chef Scipione has, like, sauces bubbling
and like five skillets.
I have one.
And I have to share this with him?
We have to go back and forth and back and forth.
CHEF SCIPIONE: Yeah, this is the opportunity right now for me to be a cutthroat.
So every time Chef Charles turns her back,
I take her pan off the burner.
Her back turns around -- boop -- pan comes off.
She puts it back on -- boop -- one more time.
Hate the game, not the player.
[ Laughs ]
Payback is a mother!
I did enjoy giving them the burner after what they gave me.
The frozen meat --
I don't really know if this kind of meat is legal in France.
They will just take it and throw it at your face.
I actually seared the meat to give it a nice color
and add a little bit of the beef stock
in order for the meat not to dry out because it's so thin.
I've decided I'm going to go ahead
and make a nice stacked Napoleon sandwich.
It's gonna be a layer of thinly-sliced New York strip
with melted cheese layered with that crispy bread.
I definitely am concerned about the temperature of my meat.
I need to just let it sit
and let some heat actually get to it.
ALTON: 7 minutes remaining to have it on a plate.
CHEF CHARLES: Chef Scipione keeps moving my pan,
which is making my heat drop in my meat,
which is making me cranky.
I'm about to slap him with a skillet in a minute
if he doesn't back up off my burner.
CHEF SCIPIONE: I'm feeling good. I'm running around. I'm happy...
except for freaking bread.
I get the fresh buffalo mozzarella.
I get my warm pomodoro sauce,
and I put a little tablespoon over the top.
I'm basically making a breadless Philly cheesesteak at this point.
CHEF CHARLES: You don't think you're gonna get a lot of heat from Philly
about not having any bread?
Chef Scipione's plate looks like it tastes great,
but it doesn't resemble a Philly cheesesteak.
It looks like I'm the only one
that's really making a classic sandwich here.
Whole-grain mustard is the only little bit of flair
that I'm gonna put in this sandwich
and bacon 'cause I like bacon on everything.
Mustard isn't normally on a classic Philly cheesesteak,
but I've known people in Philly to ask for mustard.
CHEF CUTTING: My meat's still pretty rare.
And I've just got to be able
to put together a really nice-looking plate.
So I made the Philly-steak sandwich like a European version
because I'm using the French bread.
ALTON: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time is up. Step away. The challenge is over.
The food is finished, and, look, here comes a judge to taste it.
I'm very well.
Chefs, let me introduce you to Simon Majumdar.
He has been sequestered away,
has no idea what hardships you have had to deal with.
He just cares about what is on the plate.
The subject is Philly cheesesteak.
One of the great sandwiches in America.
I bet you've eaten your fair share, and you're about to have a few more.
Come this way. Come this way.
Hi, Simon.
Please tell Simon what you have for him.
Okay, I call it the European Ricotta Steak Sandwich.
CHEF ZADI: I wish I can tell Simon
that I got sabotaged three times for that dish.
MAJUMDAR: First of all,
Thank you.
I think when you have a cheesesteak, though, it's usually soft.
Mm-hmm.
I actually do like the chopped meat.
I know there's a big difference in Philadelphia,
whether you have it sliced or you have it chopped.
I think it's a good sandwich.
Is it a cheesesteak?
Okay.
Thank you.
Let's move on.
Please tell him what you've done here.
CHEF CUTTING: I've done a grilled strip steak Napoleon
with melted Monterey jack cheese and crispy bread.
Chef, I like my beef rare.
Yep.
I think if this was any more undercooked,
it would still be mooing.
However, I actually do think that the bread is crisp,
so it has got a good texture,
and I do think that the seasoning is good.
But the main criticism I have
is that the beef is very, very undercooked.
Sure.
Thank you.
Chef Charles, please tell Simon what you've made.
CHEF CHARLES: This is a Big Bacon Cheesesteak.
I tried to keep it as close to the original as possible.
It's just meat and cheese.
First of all, chef, it looks like a cheesesteak.
And it is -- and I mean this as a compliment --
a good mess of meat and cheese.
Yes.
I am getting just an overpowering taste of mustard,
which is a shame
because I think, otherwise, it's a terrific sandwich.
Okay.
CHEF CUTTING: Why the heck would she put mustard in there?
Definitely not a good choice.
Thank you.
Let's move on.
Chef, please tell Simon what you've done here.
CHEF SCIPIONE: It's my version of a take on a Philly pizza steak.
I made a tomato bruschetta over the top
with some fresh buffalo mozzarella.
But, chef, it's not a sandwich.
This better be the grilled steak of my life at this point,
is what I'm thinking.
Thank you.
I like the cheese topping.
I like that kind of pizzaiolo effect
you've got going there.
But it ain't a Philly cheesesteak.
Sandwich.
Good answer.
CHEF SCIPIONE: If I go down this round,
it's definitely not because of my culinary skills.
It's because I forgot the damn bread.
So, Simon, pretty good cooks.
I need one of them to put their money back in this case.
And it is your job to decide who that eliminated person is.
In the end, I have to eliminate...
It is actually a really, really tough decision today.
But in the end, I have to eliminate the chef
who just didn't provide me with a dish
that reminded me of a Philly cheesesteak,
and I'm afraid that's Chef Scipione.
Ohh.
ALTON: Ah, Chef Scipione, I'm sorry, sir.
I hate to take that money from you.
I definitely do not think I should be going home right now.
$21,700.
CHEF SCIPIONE: I'm going back to South Philadelphia,
the cheesesteak capital of the country.
I'm gonna get crucified in the middle of the street,
right in the middle of the Italian market, for not using bread.
ALTON: Congratulations, chefs.
You've survived to the second round here
in Cutthroat Kitchen,
and this time, I want something sweet.
I want cupcakes.
Ahh, my mother told me,
"They're gonna give you cupcakes."
God, I wish I had gone through my recipes.
So cupcakes.
You're gonna have 60 seconds, as always, to do your shopping.
And that time begins now.
Cupcakes.
CHEF CHARLES: I'm gonna make an apple-pie cupcake.
What I'm gonna get is some green apples,
sugar, eggs, and butter.
Of course, can't make cake without those.
Oh, gosh, you've only got 25 seconds left, chefs.
I'm not really here to make cupcake.
It's not something that I excel.
At this point, I think I'm the one who's gonna go home.
ALTON: This gate closes in 10 seconds.
I want a traditional cupcake with a little bit of texture.
I see the pistachios. I see the white chocolate.
I grab them both.
3, 2, 1.
Out by the hair on your chinny-chin-chins.
CHEF CUTTING: I just want to start spending money. I want to play the game.
I mean, this is "Cutthroat Kitchen," not "Cupcake Kitchen."
Well, I trust everyone is happy with their groceries.
It's time to move to the auction.
And the first bearer up for auction is...
This is a grocery-store precut crudite.
Whoever gets stuck with this
will have to use a little bit of everything.
A crudite platter. Half the carrots are white.
The ends of the celery's all old and dry.
And there's ranch dressing in the center.
$700.
CHEF CHARLES: Do I spend the money now?
'Cause I have a tiny, tiny bit of a feeling
somebody's gonna give me that crudite platter.
ALTON: $1,100 is the current bid.
$1,500 current bid from Chef Zadi.
I want to make someone suffer a little.
Going once, going twice. Sold to Chef Zadi for $1,500.
Bring me my cash, sir.
Now it's time for one of you to suffer.
Tanya, it's gonna be you.
Thank you! I was hoping it was.
This bites right now. This really bites.
I am not going down for a cupcake.
And I think you're gonna like this one especially.
[ Laughs ]
This is a microwave oven, ladies and gentleman.
Whoever wins will be able to hand it, or cart it,
to one of their opponents and say,
"All of your cooking must be done with this."
Who will give me $1,300?
$1,500.
$2,000.
CHEF ZADI: $3,000.
CHEF CHARLES: $3,200.
$3,200.
$4,000 bid from Chef Zadi.
Who will give me $4,100?
Should I just save my money? Do I drive them up?
I feel this microwave coming to me.
$4,200. That's the way!
$4,300.
I'll do $5,000.
$5,100. $5,100.
Chef Zadi's got it going once, going twice...sold!
And I'll take my money.
And you can give that to whoever you want.
I doubt you could recover from this.
ALTON: I doubt you could recover from this.
Tanya, this is your present.
Thank you!
I've made a cupcake in a microwave before.
I am concerned, but that's okay.
I'm not gonna let them see me sweat.
Let your 40-minute cook time begin now.
This round, everything's against me.
Chef Zadi gave me a crudite platter with ranch dressing.
I have to make them in a microwave.
You got it tough, sweetheart.
Yes, I do, but it's okay. It's okay. I have a plan.
First thing -- cupcakes --
you got to cream the butter and the sugar.
Get it going while I'm creaming the butter over here,
grating carrots, and cutting broccoli and celery.
You don't think that celery is gonna be a little stringy?
Nope.
I'm gonna call it my Harvest Cupcake.
This is why I work at NASA. I'm so smart.
I'm counting on my plan "A," so...
At this point,
I'm gonna make a classic cupcake with a white-chocolate center.
I start creaming those eggs.
And I realize that I'm doing my method backwards.
I should have started my butter first
and creamed it into my sugar.
When a batter's that lumpy like that, what do you call that?
I am working out the clumps!
Baking is a science.
I mean, there's a lot of obstacles
in making a nice pastry.
My game plan is I'm gonna make one big batch,
and I'm gonna doctor it three different ways
and use the best product that turns out.
It has been a while since I've made cupcakes.
I'll tell you that.
I never make cupcake.
I know.
It gets kind of club-like, yeah.
I want to make a citrus chocolate cupcake,
so I use the orange zest and the orange juice.
Put them in the pan.
I add sugar to give them a little flavor.
ALTON: 20 minutes. 20 minutes remaining.
CHEF CUTTING: I've got the first batch with no egg whites in the convection.
I know in traditional baking,
you're not supposed to put any kind of aerated cupcake
or anything into a convection oven.
I'm just really trying to make sure
that one of these is going to work.
In the other oven, I'm going to put in
the cupcake batter studded with white chocolate.
If I have to make 16 batches,
one of them is gonna be the one that gets me to the third round.
Maybe now would be a good opportunity
to offer up one more auction item.
The winner of this item will be able to, say,
put the frosting on one of their opponents,
stopping all activities for five minutes.
Who will give me $500 for that? $500 is the opening bid.
Five minutes of pure nothing --
not even wiping off your knife -- is just pure torture.
ALTON: $900. I got a $900 bid from Chef Cutting.
I got a $1,000 bid from Chef Zadi in the back.
Chef Zadi's giving me $1,000. Who will give me $1,100?
Nobody? Fine.
Going once, going twice. Sold to Chef Zadi for $1,000.
Chef Zadi again wins the auction.
In an instant, it's over. This is not good.
You may stop either one of these people.
You can take it from the oven or not take it from the oven.
Me? Oh.
You can either take that out of the oven
It can burn.
You cannot do anything but stand at your station and think for a while.
I'm going to take some money from Chef Zadi.
CHEF CUTTING: I am in time-out.
I can't keep re-whisking my chocolate.
I am done.
So he decides to give it to Chef Cutting.
I think he figured I'd had enough for the day,
and I'm glad.
So all I can do now is focus.
This icing has to be heaven.
So I open this ranch dressing,
get some mascarpone, some sour cream.
Shockingly delicious.
I can see that my convection cupcakes are not gonna happen.
I am just -- I'm just frozen.
3, 2, 1, go.
After I'm un-frozen, I run right to the standard oven.
I'm a little nervous,
but I think I'm gonna be able to get it out of this silicone.
So my plan is to make a white-chocolate frosting.
Normally, that would have a little bit of cream
mixed into it to stabilize it.
I don't have any cream,
so I'm forced to whisk the white chocolate and butter
over my burner.
All right, chefs, you have five minutes from right now.
CHEF CHARLES: I'm freaking out a little bit right now.
Put it in the microwave, cook real fast.
Four minutes. It's done. Easy.
CHEF ZADI: When the cupcake come out, they look good,
but my frosting is a little too sweet.
But it looks good enough to me.
CHEF CHARLES: Get the cakes out, set it down.
I'm gonna try to cut it into the shape of a cupcake.
Then I remember, "You're cooking in a microwave.
You need to have way more moisture."
This cupcake feels dry. I can't do nothing about it now.
I know this frosting is great,
but I really hope it all goes together like I think it is.
Chefs, you have 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Put it down and step back.
Challenge is over, and, look,
Simon Majumdar returns from his sound-proof chamber.
The subject was cupcakes.
Who doesn't like a cupcake?
If it's made well.
Chef Zadi, please tell Simon about your cupcake.
CHEF ZADI: So I did a citrus cupcake.
So infused the citrus in a little bit of sugar and water.
And the frosting is basically chocolate confection and sugar.
Chef, the cake -- It's terrific.
It's moist, which is exactly what you need with a good cake.
The topping is incredibly sweet.
I think I might need a shot of insulin
Yeah, I know. I know.
That is very, very sweet.
I got you.
Chef Cutting, you remember Simon.
I sure do.
Please tell him what you've created here.
It's actually a white-chocolate and pistachio souffle cupcake
with a white-chocolate center,
and I leavened it with a little bit of egg whites
to kind of lift that up a little bit.
Chef, you say there's a white-chocolate center?
I don't really see the center.
I did make two batches,
and I may have plated one that didn't have that one.
It kind of reminds me of an Easy Bake Oven cake.
However...
...I like the use of the nuts.
I do think that gives a good texture.
But I'm afraid your chocolate sauce is split, as well.
Okay.
CHEF CUTTING: I really wish I could have told Simon
that I was frozen for five minutes
and I would have had the opportunity
to make a better batch.
Chef Charles, please tell Simon what you have done here.
This is a Harvest Cupcake.
It has carrots, celery, apples,
and there's a mascarpone ranch dressing.
MAJUMDAR: It's not terribly pretty.
This doesn't really remind me of what a cupcake could be.
It also has, shall we say, a lot of spoon resistance.
I'm having to work quite hard to cut through it.
Chef, the cake is very dry, however, I do like the topping.
I think that has got a nice balance.
I like the fact that you used some celery.
I think the sweetness of the topping is just right.
The cake is really quite dry.
Sir, you have feasted at the "Cutthroat Kitchen" buffet.
Who prepared your favorite cupcake today?
One chef really stood out for me, and that was Chef Zadi.
Chef Zadi, congratulations. You will be in the final round.
Cupcake American. I feel good, you know?
I'm not even from here,
but I can make better thing than they do here.
So the harder question --
Whose money will be returning home to daddy?
Well, again, a really tough decision,
but for me, Alton, a cupcake really has two elements.
It needs to have a great cake,
and it needs to have great frosting.
One chef really didn't deliver either.
MAJUMDAR: Well, again, a really tough decision,
but for me, Alton, it needs to have a great cake,
and it needs to have great frosting.
And for me, one chef really didn't deliver either,
and I'm afraid I have to eliminate...
Chef Cutting.
ALTON: Ah, Chef Cutting, I am sorry to see you go.
But before you leave,
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to have that money back.
I still have all my money -- $25,000.
Better luck with the cupcakes next time.
Thanks. Thank you.
Ah, I wish that I had been spending some money.
But, honestly, I never thought
something as simple as a cupcake could be so hard.
Chefs, congratulations.
You have survived to the final round.
What I've decided to do this time
is to, number one, shorten the cooking time,
and number two,
roll the auction completely into the cooking time.
You will shop for 60 seconds and immediately start cooking,
and then I will just start auctioning things off
as I feel appropriate.
Your cook time is going to be 20 minutes.
Ooh.
And what I want in 20 minutes is pizza.
And your shopping time begins now.
Thank goodness. The dough is already made!
I'm like, "Okay, I'm gonna make a pizza I want to eat."
I'm getting some hot Italian sausage,
get some pancetta,
get some spices, tomatoes, and that's it.
The kind of pizza I want to make --
I want to see a lot of color, so I grab some zucchini,
cherry tomato, portobello mushroom.
I'm not gonna give up, and I'm not gonna fail.
This gate closes in 4, 3, 2, 1.
The cooking begins now.
CHEF ZADI: The first thing I do --
the portobello mushroom, zucchini, the parmesan cheese,
and I'm ready to go.
Oh, chefs, lookee what I have here.
Ooh, this is not good.
It's a beautiful pizza cutter.
You'll be able to replace your opponent's entire knife kit
with it.
Who will give me $800 for this pizza cutter?
CHEF ZADI: $1,000.
$1,000. Fine, $1,000 going once.
$1,100.
$1,100. $1,100's the current bid.
$1,200.
$1,500.
$1,600.
$2,500.
I have a bid of $2,500. Do I have $2,600? Do I have $2,600?
Me and Chef Charles are bidding a lot.
It's the last round,
so the knife kit is really, really important.
I give you $5,000.
Bid of $5,000. You want to give me $5,100?
Going once for $5,000, twice for $,5000.
Sold to Chef Zadi for $5,000.
Give this to that young lady over there.
We're gonna take all her knives away.
There you go.
I will take care of these, ma'am, I assure you.
Pizza cutters aren't made to cut tomatoes.
They're not that kind of sharp.
Chef Zadi, you and I have a little matter of some money.
Thank you very much.
Like the French would say... [ Speaks French ]
Can you translate that for me?
It means, "I don't care" in French.
Ah, you should care. You should care a lot.
You're out of your comfort zone right now.
ALTON: So, chefs, I thought
that I might bring up another item for auction.
What's in there?
Behold! I have a pizza carrier.
Inside the pizza carrier [gasps] I've got a pizza box!
And inside the pizza box, I've got an apple pie.
Now, if you win this,
you'll be able to give this to your opponent
and have them replace their pizza crust with the pie crust.
They don't necessarily have to use the inside of the pie,
but they'll have to use the pie crust.
Apple pie?
That's crazy.
ALTON: So who will give me $500 for this apple pie?
Give you $1,000.
You'll give me $1,000 for this pie.
It's a fantastic-looking pie.
This is what I've been waiting for all day.
Now I'm bringing out the money.
$4,400.
$4,400.
$6,200.
$6,200.
I don't care at this point. I'm getting that pie.
$6,500.
$6,600.
$7,500.
$7,500.
Chef, I hate to tell you, you only have $7,400 left.
You can't bid $7,500.
So you top out at $7,400.
$7,500.
$7,500 will be the winning bid, chefs.
I want that money.
And here's your pie. Do with it as you wish.
If Chef Zadi uses it, he doesn't have to use the inside,
but he has to use the crust.
And you will be taking away his dough.
$7,500.
Isn't it?
First thing -- I have to take everything out of the apple pie.
All of the filling out.
What do they say, chef?
[ Laughs ]
I cannot take the pie dough out of the thing.
The dough start to fall apart on me.
So, chef, what's your strategy now?
I stick to the original topping.
The goat cheese, the parmesan -- same thing -- fresh.
Thyme, a little bit of rosemary, olive oil, black pepper.
Cannot go wrong with that.
How many time do we have, please?
10 minutes remaining.
CHEF CHARLES: I tried to use a rolling pin,
but it's just moving all over the place
'cause I didn't grab the flour or cornmeal
to make it grip so it does better.
So I just made it into a rustic, rough rectangle
of a size of pizza.
Just try to get it out.
I'm gonna grill my dough. It's a lot faster.
Get my sausage in the pan.
Once the dough is done, I can focus more on the toppings.
Put the sausage on there, mozzarella cheese.
I know what I'm doing. I got this.
My very thin zucchini, the tomato --
They were kind of precooked in a pot.
I sauteed the mushroom, the garlic.
It's not gonna take that long for the cheeses to melt.
Part of me is gonna wait the last two minutes to take out the pizza,
put a little parmesan cheese on it.
Bye-bye.
ALTON: Three minutes, 30 seconds.
Of course. There's no comment on perfection.
It's gonna be heavy in your stomach.
It's like no finesse whatsoever.
ALTON: That's it. Got to be on the plate and ready to go.
I know I did a very good topping,
but still, it was put on the apple-pie-dough crust.
I just have to put that on the plate,
and we'll see.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Put it down and back away. The challenge is over.
CHEF CHARLES: He's going down. He's going down so hard.
Oh, I can just taste it.
Ooh, I can't wait.
Simon, you're here just as the pizza bell rang.
Chefs, please bring forward your offerings for Simon Majumdar,
if you would.
CHEF CHARLES: Frenchy and I have gone through a lot today.
We have battled it out,
but he is going to eat my chocolate kisses
as they rain a parade upon his head at the end.
It's gonna be over.
Chef Zadi, perhaps you can tell me about this, chef.
I made the pizza with actually sweet dough.
The filling is goat cheese, parmesan cheese,
fresh thyme, caramelized shallots,
little bit of garlic, portobello mushroom.
Chef Zadi, I'm having a bit of a trouble with the crust.
You have to really be able to pick pizza up and eat it,
do that classic fold,
and I'm afraid it's the classic disintegration here
rather than the fold.
So I think your crust is a bit of a disaster.
I never made a pizza out of a pie.
It's like mission impossible.
Having said that, I think your filling is really good.
Thank you.
It has really beautiful Mediterranean flavors.
I love the creaminess of the cheese,
the little sweetness from the tomatoes and the acid from them,
and also the earthiness from the mushrooms.
At this point, I still have hope.
My filling is very, very good.
Chef Charles' pizza doesn't look attractive.
Chef Charles, perhaps you could set Simon up
for what is the single largest piece of pizza
ever delivered to anyone anytime ever.
Well, it's a pizza shard.
And there's some hot Italian sausage on there,
some prosciutto.
I have some fresh tomatoes that I marinated in olive oil,
a little fennel, two kinds of cheese.
I grilled the dough.
Did you need someone to help you actually carry it over here?
Yes, my right and left hand and two spatulas and a sheet tray.
The dough is very, very clunky.
It's very chewy.
And it is very, very doughy.
It wasn't freaking cooked. That is sad.
However, this to me
has all the taste and textures of a really good pizza.
Cheese is nicely grilled.
It's got a little bit of spiciness to it.
There's a bit of heat in there, which I really, really like.
CHEF CHARLES: My pizza looks good!
Smells great, tastes great.
But then on the same hand,
Frenchy's toppings were delicious.
At this point, I'm on the fence if I won or not.
You have dined.
I have dined.
You have discerned.
I have discerned.
Now you must decide whose money goes back in the case
and who walks with their cash.
Both chefs really, really had a problem with their crusts.
So in the end, I had to go with the toppings,
and I really went for the topping
that reminded me of what really great pizzas taste like.
So on that basis alone, I'm afraid I have to eliminate...
...Chef Zadi.
Oh!
Chef Zadi, so sorry, sir.
I'm afraid I'll have to take your money back, sir.
It was certainly a pleasure to have you,
Thank you.
$7,400, I'm afraid, goes back in the case.
Well-played, sir.
CHEF ZADI: Thank you, Simon.
To me, it's not the food that failed me.
It's the way I managed the money.
It was good game. It was fair game.
There is a little sadness, but I wouldn't say it was difficult.
It was painful.
Let us go over and congratulate our winner
on her $8,700 that she has managed to retain.
You played the game very, very well.
Thank you.
I can't believe I won!
It's the first time I've ever put myself out there, and I won!
Simon said I won.
[ Laughs ] Whoo!
♪ $8,700 ♪
♪ $8,700 ♪
♪ Not them, just me ♪
Somebody's cooking for me now.
[ Laughs ]
ALTON: Hungry for more "Cutthroat Kitchen"? Go to...