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TED: They've made us laugh, cry, and cheer.
They've dazzled us on stage and screen.
Now 16 larger-than-life celebrities
battle it out for "Chopped" supremacy.
One the line -- $50,000 for their favorite charity.
This is "Chopped: Tournament of Stars."
-- Captions by VITAC --
These athletes work hard to stay in optimal shape,
but are they fit to battle it out here?
We welcome four sports stars to the premiere competition
of our first-ever $50,000 Tournament of Stars.
First up, Greg Louganis.
Long considered the sport of diving's leading man,
he has gold medals in the springboard and platform
in back-to-back Olympic games
and is the winner of 47 national titles.
When I dive into those mystery baskets, watch out!
Next up, Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Some have called this track-and-field legend
the single greatest female athlete of the 20th century.
Her excellence at the long jump and Heptathlon
earned her six Olympic medals.
"Chopped" kitchen, here I come.
And you know I'm fast.
Now we have this shining star of women's soccer,
Brandi Chastain.
She has three Olympic medals
and two World Cup wins to her name
and is famous for her revealing World Cup victory celebration
in 1999.
I'm taking my best shot...
at "Chopped."
And, finally, Charles Oakley.
This 6'9" former power forward
played an impressive 19 seasons in the NBA.
He is recognized as one of the best rebounders
to ever play the game.
There's no competitor here that can scare me.
Try to stop me now.
What a group -- Greg Louganis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
Brandi Chastain, Charles Oakley,
standing tall in the "Chopped" kitchen.
Welcome, all, to our $50,000 Tournament of Stars.
We love you, Ted.
I love you back. Thank you.
There are three rounds...
Each course comes with its own basket of mystery ingredients.
You must use every ingredient in the basket in some way.
Also available to you, our pantry and fridge.
When the clock runs out,
our judges will critique your work on...
If your dish doesn't cut it, you will be chopped.
But if you win, you'll earn a spot in the finale
of our celebrity competition where you'll have a chance
to get $50,000 for a favorite charity.
Oh, my God.
And...open them up!
And you must use...
[ Chuckles ]
[ Chuckles ]
You didn't think we were gonna take it easy on you, did you?
Oh, no. This is like everyday stuff.
20 minutes on the clock.
Time starts now.
Let's get sesame oil.
TED: So, judges, we're out of the starting gates
in our celebrity tournament,
and this first group is a competitive bunch
to say the least.
It's really a pleasure to see these athletes.
You know what's great is how excited they are.
GEOFFREY: They're all taking this seriously.
They want to win this $50,000 for their charity,
and that's so honorable.
Now it just comes down to strategy
and making good choices.
Okay. Let's see.
I have five world championship titles,
four Olympic gold medals, and 47 national titles.
But being on "Chopped," it's terrifying.
Does this just pop off? Okay.
It's like doing a dive blindfolded.
You don't know when the water's gonna hit.
But you just got to go for it.
With the marshmallows, there's something sweet there.
So, maybe I can make this into kind of a teriyaki
for the Alligator.
I grab soy, sesame oil, and onion and garlic.
I'm playing for Mending Kids International.
They help children with birth defects.
This charity is so important to me.
I was adopted when I was 9 months old from foster care.
I was given a second chance.
And that's what Mending Kids International is doing,
giving these kids a second chance.
I have six Olympic medals, three of them gold.
Time is something that I'm used to dealing with.
I know if I run 32 seconds, that's about 200 meters.
So, 20 minutes is really a lot of time.
But then you got alligator.
Alligator. [ Laughs ]
Are you serious?
But, hey, I decide to make sautéed alligator
with green juice and marshmallows
on top of the mushrooms and green peppers.
Being on "Chopped" is about my charity,
the Jackie Joyner-Kersee foundation.
We expose young people to life skills, health and wellness.
To come on "Chopped" is something
that is out of my comfort zone.
But it would be a blessing
if I'm able to walk away from here with that $50,000.
[ Sighs ]
I've competed at the highest level in soccer.
I've gone to the World Cup. I've been in the Olympic games.
So, walking into the "Chopped" kitchen, no problem.
I love a challenge, and I love pressure.
I wake up, and I eat it for breakfast!
I'm going to make a salad with a green juice vinaigrette
with alligator tenders.
I'm competing on "Chopped"
for the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative.
It's pronounced "bossy," so we are bossy girls.
We bring collegiate female athletes to the playground
to inspire and motivate young girls
to see their true potential.
$50,000 would be the most incredible gift for BAWSI.
[ Exhales slowly ]
CHARLES: I love cooking. I know how to cook.
No bad luck against the other athletes,
but I think I'm the best cook here.
I'm gonna make a breaded alligator.
I want there to be a little spice to it,
like a buffalo wing.
So, I use the cayenne pepper with the black pepper and salt.
I'm competing for Share Our Strength.
It's an organization that tries to provide meals for kids.
Kids shouldn't go to bed hungry.
If I can donate $50,000 to Share Our Strength, wow!
Big.
Ahh.
All right, folks. 15 minutes on the clock.
This meat is from the alligator tail.
Not really much flavor.
MARC: But get a nice sear on it.
You can also bread it to bring more flavor to it.
BRANDI: I see this alligator, and I think if I crisp it up,
it'll have a crunch
and it will add a little texture to my salad.
Now, I have never used a deep fryer before,
but no risk, no reward.
And that is why I'm gonna win "Chopped."
JACKIE: Mushrooms is something I do not eat,
but maybe I'll use the pepper to add some flavor to it.
And I'm looking at these marshmallows
thinking that I can melt them down,
but all they're doing is getting sticky.
Okay.
Let me just starting to put them
into where the alligator is cooking.
TED: All right, believe it or not, 10 minutes only on the clock.
BRANDI: Alligator down!
I wanted to use the juice and the marshmallow for a sauce.
I taste it, it has a good taste to it.
So, the green juice contains kale and ginger.
MARC: That is the kicker here.
That ginger really has that spice behind it.
TED: An Asian approach makes a lot of sense to me here.
GREG: I'm making my base for my teriyaki,
but I'm not satisfied with the consistency,
so I add more soy.
That's when I decided to add some of the green drink.
And, folks, here is the 5 minute mark.
Ay, yi.
I'm a little worried about Greg over there.
He's got so many things on his station.
There's so much to do, and I am freaking out!
Ay, yi, yi.
There's no time
to get everything that I wanted done, done!
I am in a frenzied state!
I'm in a panic.
What the heck am I doing?
[ Clock ticking ]
Greg Louganis looks very frenzied.
GEOFFREY: He really is so nervous.
[ Sighs ]
Things are moving so fast, it's hard to think.
Oh, my God.
So, I just got to focus on what's in that basket.
I'm cooking the hen-of-the-woods mushrooms
with onion and chili peppers.
I'm adding the teriyaki sauce to kind of fuse it all together.
CHARLES: I cooked the mushroom,
put them in a hot skillet with some olive oil,
and then I put a touch of red wine in it
to give it more of a taste.
I'm trying to get your mouth like, "Wow!
I can't wait for the next course."
All right, folks. Got to call the 2-minute warning.
I'm gonna steal this -- a lemon. Thank you.
You're a love. I love you.
I love you, too, Brandi.
You're so sweet.
So sweet.
BRANDI: I really enjoy Greg.
He's a competitor, he's a winner,
and he's got a positive outlook.
Can I borrow some of these little things?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Go for it.
For my vinaigrette, I throw the marshmallows
into the blender with some vinegar and green juice.
Come on, baby marshmallows!
Do the trick!
JACKIE: I get everything on the plate,
and I'm like, "I need to put some lime on this.
It's gonna bring all those flavors together.
Squeeze a little bit.
It's good to go.
One minute on the clock.
CHARLES: A minute left.
You can't make it cook no faster,
so you try to make sure everything's on the plate.
TED: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time is up! Please step back.
Oh, my God.
Man.
Come on, now!
There's plates! There's food!
There's smiles!
Oh, my God.
GREG: It's done!
And I feel...
[ Sighs ]
...relieved.
BRANDI: I'm the only one doing salad,
and I'm the only one doing alligator tenders.
I'm feeling I'm standing out here.
Greg Louganis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
Brandi Chastain, Charles Oakley.
You had the honor of opening the very first basket
in our Tournament of Stars.
You found organic green juice, alligator,
hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and mini rainbow marshmallows.
Greg.
This is the scariest thing I've ever done.
How is that possible?
You know, in diving and the things that we do,
I mean, we practice.
Practice, practice, practice, practice.
For this, you can't practice.
I made an Asian-inspired sautéed alligator.
I used soy, some sesame oil.
I like the meatiness of the alligator
and the meatiness of the mushrooms.
MARC: You know, alligator can be tough,
and I think it cooked pretty much a long time,
which I think was a good move here.
My only criticism would be that the salt level on this,
because of the soy, is off the charts.
I was afraid of that.
But overall, a good approach to this dish.
TED: I'm gonna indulge myself in a question.
When you're up on that platform and everything's on the line,
is there some exercise or something that you do
in that pressure?
Yeah.
What I always told myself in those situations
is no matter what happens, my mother's still gonna love me.
Thank you, Greg.
Next up, Jackie.
What I made for you is sautéed alligator
with marshmallow and green juice
on top of mushrooms and green pepper.
Who are you here competing for?
When I was younger, the community center provided
a lot of opportunities for me, and we opened up
the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in 2000.
So, we do after-school programs, life skills,
and health and wellness.
The mushroom, the peppers, and the alligator
are all cooked really well.
Did you put black pepper on the mushroom?
Yeah, I get that.
I like that a lot.
ALEX: I like these big pieces of mushroom
and big pieces of alligator.
But I'm not seeing any marshmallow in here myself,
and I would like to have more green juice in here somehow.
I really want to ask you something.
When did someone notice the first time
that you can run really fast?
I would say they don't say it.
They say "you have the potential."
When I first started running at 9, I finished last.
And I said, "If I could improve
"a tenth of a second if I'm running
"or half of an inch if I'm jumping,
then that meant that I was progressing."
I said, "I got to get on the podium",
and that was my goal.
Thank you, Jackie.
And next up, Brandi.
Today, chefs, I have made an arugula, romaine salad
with a marshmallow, organic green juice dressing
with some alligator tenders.
Enjoy.
I think you made an amazingly great choice
by deep-frying this alligator.
It's almost like croutons for my salad,
which I'm really liking this.
Yes! [ Chuckles ]
I saw you put a lot of marshmallows in there.
I was like, "Oh, my God. It's gonna be really sweet."
And it wasn't, but there were mistakes on the plate.
I would like some more seasoning in the nuggets
and in the dressing, as well.
What I don't like is that I can see flecks
of rainbow marshmallows in your dressing,
but this kind of vinegar and acidity level
makes me want to take my shirt off.
Yeah! I like it. Go for it.
TED: Go for it.
Maybe a little later.
So, do you watch "Chopped"?
Oh, are you kidding me?
Jaden, my 7-year-old,
is the hugest fan of "Chopped" ever.
He knows you all by name,
and he knows what you like and what you don't like.
[ Chuckles ]
Oh, my pleasure. Thank you.
And, finally, Charles.
I made a breaded alligator with sautéed mushroom
with marshmallow and sweet juice sauce.
You really didn't look particularly nervous in there.
You looked pretty confident.
I've been cooking for a while.
This summer, playing in the Michael Jordan Golf Tournament,
I cooked for like 150 people.
Did my school homecoming last year.
Casually cooking for 150?
Well, my school homecoming was like 500 people, so...
Yeah.
You guys scared of him?
Yeah. I am.
[ Laughter ]
I was a little worried when you were melting this sauce.
For me, it actually works.
But it does not look like something
you would want to have.
ALEX: True.
But my favorite part of the dish is the mushrooms.
The red wine really soaked into those mushrooms,
and it's really, for me, the center of the dish.
Well, unfortunately, the chopping must begin soon.
I'm betting on you two.
I'm betting on you two.
I'm not betting on anything.
That game could change in a second.
Yeah. This is scarier than Olympic judges.
I mean, we all want to win, but you just never know.
Because right now it's subjective to the judges.
We all finished, though.
Yes.
So, judges, obviously these people
are all very accustomed to performing
in front of enormous crowds under great pressure,
and yet, many of them seemed nervous.
How is that even possible?
They did not seem nervous. They actually were nervous.
Mm.
But overall, they all cooked their alligator pretty well.
But I was really missing the marshmallow
and the green juice on Jackie's plate.
But I like that she left the mushrooms kind of big
and the alligator, too.
I thought it had a rustic quality that I really enjoyed.
Greg, unfortunately, put so much sesame and salt
in that stir fry, which was a great idea,
but it just overwhelmed the alligator.
Brandi, I think, overall, her dish was the most complete.
I also thought that it was kind of flat,
so I would have loved a little bit more zip on her plate.
Charles' alligator was very tasty,
and I really liked the fact that he put cayenne in it.
I think presentation wise,
that sauce was really unappealing.
Okay.
GREG: Who do I think is getting chopped?
I think it's me.
If I get by this round,
I think it'll be just be total luck.
JACKIE: If I make it to the next round,
my strategy is going to be
stay with what I know and not get overwhelmed.
[ Clock ticking ]
So, whose dish is on the chopping block?
Jackie, you've been chopped.
Judges?
Jackie, we felt you did a great job cooking the alligator,
unfortunately, we felt that the marshmallow and the green juice,
they weren't very well represented on your plate,
so we had to chop you.
I truly appreciate you asking me to be here, and thank you.
JACKIE: I'm disappointed.
It was a huge undertaking for me.
But "Chopped" has given me an opportunity
to talk about my charity
in hopes that others would see the work that I'm doing
and join in.
Chefs, please open up the entrée baskets.
And you must use...
30 minutes on the countdown clock.
Time starts now.
Cornstarch.
I have totally surprised myself.
I didn't expect to get through the first round.
But you know what? Game on.
When I see the double-yolked eggs, I'm thinking "Alfredo."
And maybe I can do the squash
with sweet potatoes and red potatoes,
then roast them.
I grab the linguini noodles
because I know those need to get going.
I'm playing for my charity,
but I'm also playing to honor my mom.
For me, cooking and the kitchen, that equals mom.
Growing up, we would share all of our stories and feelings
around the kitchen.
That's who my mom and I were.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.
There's a lot on the line.
For my son, I want him to see his mom doing well.
And $50,000 would mean hundreds of girls
would have a chance to participate in BAWSI.
I want to make seared turkey tenderloin
and deep-fried pattypan squash, and I want to do a starch.
What's more comforting than mashed potatoes?
So, I have my turkey butchered, and I think,
"What's the best way
to impart some spice and some flavor into it?"
Behind you.
And I think the Sous Vide.
MARC: Is Brandi cryovacing?
What?!
You're in the "Chopped" kitchen.
When else are you gonna get to do this?
CHARLES: Greg and Brandi, they're great competitors.
But I'm not a pushover.
On the basketball court,
I played power forward, I played center.
I was one of them guys who you don't mess with.
In the "Chopped" kitchen, it's basically the same thing.
I'm making grilled turkey tenderloin
with double-yolk eggs over easy
with green bell peppers and hashed potatoes.
TED: Charles is showing some pretty nice knife work.
My style on the basketball court is to get it done.
So, I'm gonna get it done.
Okay, folks. Already down to 20 minutes.
MARC: It's very quiet in here right now.
There's a lot of concentration going on.
I think once they got past that first round,
now they're like, "Okay,
I can start tasting this victory here."
TED: You really can't get much of any juice out of a finger lime.
The way to use them is to cut them open
and take out the segment, but that's a lot of handwork.
GREG: The finger limes.
I taste it, and I think maybe
I can work this kind of like as an herb.
TED: All right, folks. 15 minutes remaining.
Whoo!
I don't like squash.
I had to eat it as a kid, and it was always overdone.
It was nasty!
So, I'm thinking, "Don't cook it the way your mom cooked it."
I love you, Mom. Not good.
So, I take my double-yolk egg,
and I think, "Oh, you little beauty.
"You're gonna make these beautiful pattypan squash
nice and crispy."
TED: So, judges, double-yolked eggs.
They look like totally ordinary eggs,
but you crack them open,
and they have two yolks inside of them.
MARC: But it's just an egg.
There's nothing special about it. It's just has two yolks.
GREG: I start adding the double-yolked eggs
into the Alfredo sauce.
Look at Greg Louganis, stirring one pan with a spoon
and whisking another pan at the same time.
TED: Wow!
GREG: Oh, my gosh.
The pasta, it looks like it's not done.
Oh, my God! I'm in trouble.
Let's go back in.
If this pasta doesn't work, it's over for me.
And, believe it or not, down to five minutes.
BRANDI: I realize that I haven't used the finger lime.
Gaaah!
But I have no sauce. I need to make a sauce.
Throw in the butter, some sage, finger limes.
GREG: I have to go with the pasta,
try and get it all separated so I can dish it out.
Wow!
Greg is taking the pasta right out of the basket,
and then he's gonna put the sauce over it.
No salt, no olive oil, no nothing.
BRANDI: I need to get my turkey out of the oven,
but I'm fearful that it has not had enough time to cook.
Okay.
I don't want to serve undercooked poultry.
What's the time? Oh, my gosh!
CHARLES: I'm gonna take these double eggs and cook them over easy.
But I'm running a little behind, and I see Brandi has a hot pan.
Can I use your pot on the stove?
Charles just went over to Brandi's stove
and took a hot pan,
and now he's using that pan
and he's cracking eggs in it.
TED: Folks, you have one minute remaining.
CHARLES: I'm running out of time,
but I got to have them eggs on that plate.
So, do what you got to do.
TED: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time is up! Please step back.
ALEX: Wow!
MARC: That was like shooting from half-court right there.
Bam! [ Laughs ]
This was the craziest thing I have ever freakin' done.
I'm seeing this pasta,
I'm seeing those potatoes, I'm seeing the bread.
Oh, my God, this is like total carb loading.
I'm fairly convinced my turkey is not done.
Damn it!
[ Clock ticking ]
In the entrée round,
you got the outstanding combination
of turkey tenderloins, double-yolked eggs,
pattypan squash, and finger limes.
Brandi.
Chefs, I made for you a seared turkey tenderloin
with mashed potatoes, some fried pattypan squash,
with a white wine finger lime sauce.
[ Shudders ] I just hope that it's cooked all the way.
I know that poultry is tricky sometimes.
So do we.
My turkey's perfectly cooked.
Hey!
'Grats.
GEOFFREY: It's a beautiful medium pink.
The mashed potatoes, they're really nicely flavored,
but these limes, the husk has this dirty aromatic flavor
that it's just unfortunate that it's there.
I loved the potatoes, but the problem
is that I liked the potatoes so much more
than I liked the pattypans,
and that's not what was in the basket.
MARC: So, what charity are you here for?
I'm playing for the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative,
pronounced "bossy."
And it's for girls 3rd through 5th grade.
We try and teach them
how to understand that they're important.
[ Sighs ]
I get the distinct impression
that you're cooking for someone other than your charity
and yourself and your fear of disappointing him is huge.
[ Chuckling ] No.
My biggest critic and my biggest fan is my son.
[ Voice breaking ] He loves this show, and I want --
I want him to be proud.
Sorry.
This is not a crying show. It's a cooking show.
It's probably both.
Thank you so much.
Now, Charles, could you tell the judges the name of your dish?
I have a turkey and double egg over easy,
potatoes sliced with onions and green peppers.
I've never seen anybody get everything
on four plates in 43 seconds.
There you go.
The turkey is cooked properly.
The squash is well done.
But I think this needs some salt,
both on the eggs and on the turkey itself.
Right.
Once again, I think we're not too crazy
about having the whole limes here on the plate,
'cause it's not something that I really want to eat.
Okay.
But I love that there's just
a straight-up egg on the plate.
That was a very simple thing,
but it really embraces the basket ingredients.
Thank you.
Last entrée, from Greg.
Well, it's a turkey Alfredo.
I used ricotta cheese and the squash
and potatoes with rosemary and olive oil.
My mother, when I was a kid,
she would sometimes stir ricotta into the pasta
at the last minute.
So, there's something about lightly warming the ricotta
and having it coat the pasta that I really love.
And unlike your two fellow competitors,
you really used the lime probably in the best way
by cutting these thinner rounds.
Fantastic.
The turkey's cooked well,
but I think adding the potatoes is too much.
And I really wish that you had taken that pasta out
and tossed it all in the sauce.
'Cause it's a little sticky.
Greg, tell us why on earth
you're putting yourself through this.
I'm playing for Mending Kids International.
They help kids with birth defects
so that young children have an opportunity for life.
That's tremendous.
Thank you, guys.
For me, I get emotional about whether I do well
or whether I don't feel I've performed up to snuff.
I mean, there's a sense of pride.
Absolutely.
I think cooking and playing ball,
I try to put the same effort.
You know. You used every second of that 30 minutes.
Way to bring the drama, man. You bring the drama.
GEOFFREY: They really want their charity to win.
These competitors are world-renowned athletes.
And this matters to them. I think that's just fantastic.
I think that Greg handled the finger limes the best.
Charles handled the egg the best.
And I thought Brandi handled the turkey the best.
But I really didn't like Brandi's pattypans.
She batter dipped them and fried them,
and I thought they actually were overcooked.
But she used two basket ingredients on the pattypan,
which was the egg and the pattypan itself.
What a good idea.
You didn't have an egg in the basket, Marc.
You had a double-yolked egg,
and I think Charles put that on display.
And Greg used the extra yolky-ness of the egg
to really bring that flavor to life in the pasta sauce.
Brandi just made a batter with it.
You can make a batter with any old egg.
Greg's dish, although it was a bit of a starch overload,
the turkey in it was very good.
But he made the mistake of not tossing the pasta in the sauce.
Charles did a sort of turkey hash.
Unfortunately, he left out salt and pepper
and the love that needed to be there.
I'm a competitor, but I'm also realistic, too.
I think it's gonna be Brandi and Charles.
CHARLES: I feel good.
I think my dish -- I put some heart into it.
I just hope I can move on so I can make this great dessert.
[ Clock ticking ]
So, whose dish is on the chopping block?
Charles, you've been chopped.
Judges?
Charles, sometimes our decisions boil down to the fundamentals.
When we took a look at your dish,
there simply was no salt to be found on any part of this plate.
So, you've been chopped.
No problem.
Will you tell us again
the charity you came here to fight for?
Share Our Strength.
It's about kids that can't get three square meals a day.
I think it's a great cause.
Well, you have helped shine a light on them today.
Thank you.
CHARLES: I'm mad at myself
because seasoning is one of my strengths,
and they said it wasn't enough season.
But being on "Chopped," it's great
because you get a chance to help some kids
and get a chance to show other people your talent.
I'm walking out with my head up.
Brandi Chastain and Greg Louganis.
Does winning matter much to you, Brandi?
Greg?
I'm in it to win it.
All right, please open your baskets.
And your desserts must include...
Liquid breakfast drink.
Pink wafer cookies.
30 minutes on the clock.
And it starts now.
Oh, my God.
Judges, this is it.
Only one round to go,
and one of these two world-famous athletes
is about to make it to the Tournament of Stars finale.
The ultimate prize, $50,000 for the winner's charity.
These two competitors are, like, so focused, so into this.
They're just here to win.
GREG: Whenever I'm in the kitchen,
I always think back to being in the kitchen with Mom.
Going into the third round,
I'm feeling like I have her on my shoulder.
I'm trying to remember when my mom and I
would be preparing for our 4th of July,
making our homemade ice cream.
When I see the crystallized ginger,
I start thinking, "Well, maybe ginger ice cream."
Come on. Work.
Some time ago, I had the opportunity
to work on a charity with Brandi,
and I know that she is tough, tough, tough, tough.
So, to beat Brandi Chastain,
I mean, you really have to focus.
Greg, I'm coming for you.
I am relentless.
When I look at these ingredients,
I know that I'm going to make a cake.
My recipe calls for apples.
I see pears.
Switcheroo, here we go.
I would like to win "Chopped" for women's soccer
and every single girl out there
who has dreams and aspirations to go big.
And, also, I do love winning just a little bit.
[ Laughs ]
TED: Greg Louganis diving into the ice cream machine.
GREG: I know that I want to caramelize the pears,
but all of a sudden, I realize these pears
need to be chopped finer.
Ay, yi, yi!
So, I start cutting them up into smaller pieces.
Cake's in the oven. I'm feeling good.
Now onto the crystallized ginger.
I'm going to put that into a jam with berries.
IT's gonna be a little bit sweet with a little bit of tartness
and that ginger hopefully will peek right through.
Okay, folks. You are down to 10 minutes.
Oh, sorry!
So, judges, what do you think
is the uh-oh ingredient in this basket?
MARC: This drink, whatever it is.
I think the first thing you got to do is open it and taste it.
Oh, my God. It's a really chalky chocolate.
I'm adding this to my pear mixture.
Maybe that sweetness and those spices
might make it into something that'll be palatable.
BRANDI: When I saw the chocolate breakfast drink,
I thought "whipped cream."
I've never used a whippet canister,
but I'd like to try that.
Yeah!
Whoa!
Okay, five minutes left, folks.
BRANDI: I think it's time to get to the blast chiller,
because I know that when I put the whipped cream on,
if it's hot...
And now I'm thinking, "What do I need to complete this?"
A little dark chocolate sounds pretty good.
GREG: Doing an ice cream was really a leap of faith.
But I'm pretty pleased with the consistency,
and then I noticed that Brandi
was using the whipped cream thing.
Oh, maybe that'll be the touch that makes the pear thing,
kind of smooth it out.
Okay, you used the CO2 for whipped cream?
I have stuff in it.
Yeah.
So, that's out.
Sorry, Greg. [ Chuckles ] Not really.
GREG: So, I get mascarpone, almond extract,
and sour cream,
thinking, "Okay, I can make something creamy."
TED: One minute remaining, folks.
Greg, I'm gonna use your towel.
GREG: Yep, go for it.
BRANDI: I take my cakes out.
They're cool enough for the whipped cream,
and I know I'm gonna be all right.
TED: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time's up.
[ Applause ]
Oh, my God!
[ Chuckles ]
GREG: I'm pretty proud of myself.
You know, cross my fingers and wishing for the best.
Holy mackerel minoli.
It's over, and I look at my plate.
I'm very happy.
This cake is gonna get me to the finals.
[ Clock ticking ]
Brandi Chastain, Greg Louganis, that star-studded dessert round
saw some brilliant ingredient surprises --
liquid breakfast drink, pink wafer cookies,
crystallized ginger, and red Bosc pears.
Greg.
I used the crystallized ginger to make a ginger ice cream.
The pears, I caramelized with a hint of chocolate,
and then I used the cookies kind of like a crust.
I'm a sucker for a sweet dessert,
so this dessert's really up my alley.
The pears are caramelized perfectly.
The ice cream is really good. The consistency is great.
It's very smooth.
The one thing, with this mascarpone,
you added some almond extract to that, right?
You might have gone a little heavy handed on the extract.
My hand was shaking.
[ Laughs ]
But, I mean, I take my hat off to you.
I mean, this isn't your sport.
Yeah, I didn't expect to get this far,
and, you know, this has been really emotional for me
to get this far for my charity.
[ Voice breaking ] My mother always told me...
She taught me to make everywhere you go better
because you were there.
So, that's what I try and do.
That's so nice.
[ Sighs ] Sorry.
When I was diagnosed with *** in '88,
it was six months prior to the Olympic games.
I didn't think I'd be here.
Now I'm married and so many things that I never dreamed
are coming true for me.
My life has really kind of come together.
Yeah, good for you.
Greg, thank you.
And last dessert, Brandi.
I've made you ice box cake.
The Bosc pears are in the cake.
And I have crystallized ginger-berry jam on the side.
I hope it's good.
You both crumbled up the cookie,
which we don't like at all, ever.
But in both of your desserts, it actually worked.
My only complaint is that chocolate breakfast drink,
I don't think it tastes very good,
and I think you needed to actually add
some other flavors in there.
The thing I like most is your use of the pears.
The pears fit perfectly into the cake.
Maybe I might have just left off the jam,
but this is a dish worthy of my time.
And I think if we were on a soccer field,
I don't think you'd say the same about me.
I do.
I'm pretty confident.
Okay. Thank you.
You know, the mental agility that is needed in that kitchen,
I feel it from my head to my toes right now.
Yeah, it's like you just finished the Olympic games.
Yeah. Honest to goodness.
I mean, I don't know if I've felt this spent in a long time.
These two people are so charming
and humble and generous and gracious.
The last course, Mr. Louganis brought it.
He did a ginger ice cream that I thought was perfect.
MARC: And I thought Greg did a great job
in using that chocolate drink and disguising it.
And then, well, Brandi, she did a great job with her cake,
but I thought that the chocolate drink in hers,
just putting it in the whipped cream,
it was sort of off-putting.
ALEX: But I loved that she crumbled the wafer cookies on top.
I mean, it wasn't the most creative, but it really worked.
I thought that Greg's main course was, you know,
just like him -- full, generous of heart, big flavors.
Unfortunately, he put too many starches on top of a starch.
Brandi made amazing mashed potatoes,
but that had nothing to do with the basket.
But the way she infused the flavors
into that turkey breast, just stupendous.
I really liked Greg's treatment of the first course.
I thought it was a very, very smart thing to try a stir fry.
Greg really put it all out there,
but he put a little bit too much salt, to say the least.
Brandi made that wonderful salad for an appetizer
with the alligator deep-fried bites.
But that sauce Brandi made,
I struggled a little bit with that visually.
You can just see they both want to win.
They don't want the silver medal. They want the gold.
But there's no real loser here.
They cooked their hearts out. They really did.
Okay. Let's do it.
I want to win for Jaden, BAWSI Girls, and women's soccer!
Yes!
I think that I might have a chance, but no matter what,
Mending Kids International has gotten a lot of exposure.
Win or lose, I win.
So, whose dish is on the chopping block?
Greg, you've been chopped.
Judges?
GEOFFREY: Greg, today, your first course, while delicious,
suffered from you know what -- a little too much salt.
The second course, adding potatoes just brought it down.
But it's been so delightful.
You're such an incredible human being.
Just keep up the great work.
You're an inspiration, man.
I just want to express
what an incredible experience this has been.
I just love you guys.
Oh, my God.
Represent us in the finals! Yes!
Thank you so much.
Very nice to meet you.
It was an honor.
GREG: Thank you so much.
Second normally sucks,
but I did a lot better than I was expecting to do.
And the things that I've learned about cooking,
the things I learned about myself,
it's just an amazing experience.
And that means, Brandi Chastain,
that you are the "Chopped" champion
and that we will see you back here again
for the Tournament of Stars Finale.
Can't wait to have you back.
In the meantime, savor the victory.
Oh, absolutely.
If this didn't have so many buttons,
maybe it wouldn't be on right now.
I didn't know I was gonna feel like this.
The emotion has been just this wave that I did not expect.
Can I hug?
Oh, winning "Chopped"
is pretty darn close to winning the World Cup.
It covers all the boundaries of emotions.
Relief, joy, elation, insanity.
Oh, my gosh.
All the way to the finals, baby!
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.