Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
TED: It's a battle of the ages.
Whoo-wee!
Uh-oh.
...because grandmas...
You're the naughty little grandson.
...are taking over the "Chopped" kitchen.
I love this game!
Four chefs, three courses...
...only one chance to win.
Good enough.
The challenge -- create an unforgettable meal...
...from the mystery items hidden in these baskets...
Aw, come on!
TED: ...before time runs out.
Who will win the $10,000 prize...
Bring it on!
...and who will be chopped?
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
With experience and expertise to spare,
nobody cooks like grandma.
Four groovy grannies are set to make their families proud
by rocking the "Chopped" kitchen.
First up -- grandma Elda Bielanski.
ELDA: I live in Thousand Oaks, California,
with my husband of almost 50 years.
To our upcoming 50 years.
I worked as a registered nurse
from the emergency room to the open-heart surgery area,
so I'm used to pressure.
Can you stir that for me, honey?
Cooking has become such a big part of my life
because I am so happy when I'm cooking.
But when I'm in the kitchen, I am fiercely competitive.
My five grandchildren want me to win,
and I'm not gonna let them down.
They'll remember me as a "Chopped" champion.
Next up -- grandma Mannee Soohoo.
MANNEE: Yummy, yummy.
I'm the grandmother of four.
Just want to play with them all the time,
tickle them all the time.
I'm done pretty soon, okay?
I born in Thailand really, really poor.
When I was 18, I come to United States,
get full-time job in restaurant.
Mm.
Now I see poor people, I feel sick.
I want to help.
So, I'm gonna win "Chopped."
The money go to help the children in Thailand.
Other people, I'm gonna chop them.
[ Laughs ]
Next, we welcome grandma Nancy Judd.
NANCY: I'm from Alpine, Utah.
I'm a wife, mother of eight, and grandmother of 35.
I'm making potato waffles.
I love to cook because it brings the family together.
You're doing good.
And I have won some cooking contests.
My husband and I love to travel.
And if I win the money,
we want to serve a mission for our church.
I think I can win because I've changed over 49,000 diapers,
and I figure anybody that can do that can do anything.
[ Laughs ]
Finally, we welcome grandma Wenona Moorer.
WENONA: I'm the owner of Grandmother's House in Alabama.
Can I get anything else for you?
Grandmother's House
was originally my grandmother's house,
but now it's a family-run restaurant.
My grandmother taught me how to cook,
and I try to pass that on to my grandchildren as a heritage.
My family has been on this farm since the 1800s.
When we decided to open a restaurant,
everybody doubted, but we proved them wrong.
And now, this southern girl
is gonna show everyone that I can win.
TED: Welcome.
This grandmas' competition is sure to be a grand time.
So, let's get to it.
[ Chuckles ]
There are three rounds -- appetizer, entrée and dessert.
Each course comes with its own basket of mystery ingredients,
and you must use every ingredient in the basket
in some way.
Also available to you -- our pantry and fridge.
Each round is timed.
When the clock runs out,
our judges will critique your dishes
on presentation, taste, and creativity.
If your dish doesn't cut it, you will be chopped.
All right, grandmas,
please open your baskets for the first round.
Ooh.
TED: And your appetizers must include...
Oh, my.
[ Laughing ] Grease?
Does that take you back?
[ Laughter ]
Sure does.
Only 30 minutes on the clock.
Time starts now.
Now you get to go.
Uh-oh.
Ugh, none of that.
TED: So, judges, are you ready to have your fill
of grandma's home cooking today?
Yes.
I don't think we're gonna see small portions today.
Yeah.
I feel like we're gonna get nurtured and fed today.
TED: Yeah, absolutely.
Hmm.
ELDA: Food is my life.
I feel like it's a gift of me to the people that I love.
When I see the popovers and the fish,
I know immediately I'm going to do
a popover and ginger-crusted fish.
Being a grandmother is unbelievable.
Grandchildren -- They're like little nuggets of heaven.
They know that food
is my expression of love for my family,
and they want me to win.
Okay. [ Sighs ]
Popovers.
Looking at these ingredients,
I'm thinking I want to do something like a crab cake
with a ginger mayonnaise.
And popovers are a bread, so I could use that for a binder.
Oh.
Getting ready for this "Chopped,"
one of my grandsons brought in this basket
of all these weird ingredients.
The worst was a cow tongue.
He said, "Okay. Now I give you 30 minutes."
They say it wasn't too bad. [ Laughs ]
MANNEE: I want my grandchildren to learn
you appreciate the food, what you've got,
because in Thailand, I used to be starved.
I'm gonna make fish cake.
I no want to put all the fish in there,
because I save for another day.
I put ginger, fish, bacon oil and the popovers.
My grandchildren say, "You the best cook, grandma."
What is this?
Got it.
My family, we love fish tacos,
so that's what I'm doing.
In the batter, I put onion powder
and garlic powder and chili powder,
oregano, flour, and some water.
Panko crumbs -- Where are those?
I admire the "Chopped" judges so much.
There they are.
I'm hoping that they might actually like what I cook,
like my family does.
You know, we talk a lot about the nostalgia
inherent in ingredients and stuff.
Well, how about the nostalgia for those foods
that your grandma used to cook for you?
My grandma Allen made banana pudding
that I can still taste to this day.
Awesome.
CHRIS: Yeah, some of my earliest food memories
are my grandmother cooking.
And right then and there,
I learned just the care that went into food.
AMANDA: Absolutely. So many chefs talk about
how they were influenced by their grandma.
SCOTT: Definitely that was the case for me.
I have these memories of my grandmother making pasta.
And it's just those great memories, I think,
that have inspired me to pursue food the way I have.
Sure.
TED: You know what?
I'm expecting some serious sabotage today,
a lot of trash-talking and cursing like sailors.
Ted, that's not the way it is.
No.
Grandmothers are wonderful people,
and these ladies are fabulous.
No sabotage? No dirty tricks?
Oh, shame on you.
You're the naughty little grandson.
I was ready to spank Ted.
As grandmothers, we should always help each other.
All right, grandmas, you're down to 15 minutes.
No way.
I realize I can't just serve a piece of fish.
So, I go to the refrigerator, and I see asparagus.
And I'm thinking, "This is perfect.
Those will just take a couple of minutes.
And I'll make some ginger shallot butter for my asparagus
to top it off."
Everything's better with a sauce.
All right, grandmas, you're down to 10 minutes.
Oh, my goodness.
WENONA: When I was little,
the only shortening that we had was bacon grease.
But, nowadays, everybody's health-conscious,
so I don't use it anymore.
But it's so much more flavorful than liquid vegetable oil.
MANNEE: The fish cake needs vegetables,
so I chop up mushroom, green pepper, red pepper.
I'm good with a knife.
Everything have to be quick-quick.
And egg.
Thailand -- People put whole egg on the top of the fish cake.
So, I make scrambled eggs.
All right, ladies. Five minutes on the clock.
NANCY: I'm cooking some jalapeño peppers in the bacon grease,
and I love it.
Reminds me of home.
I put bacon grease in a can.
A few calories there,
but doesn't bacon make everything better?
Ladies, be sure to use all four ingredients --
sole, popovers...
Oh, popovers!
Oh, my stars.
Oh, I forgot the popovers.
I'm just thinking to myself,
"I really don't want to get chopped."
[ Clock ticking ]
Gosh.
I have less than five minutes left,
and I realize I haven't used the popovers.
Excuse me. Behind, behind, behind.
I tear them up, put them in the oven.
They'll crisp up, and I'll put them over the top of the tacos
so it'll have a nice crunch.
But these tacos need sauce.
I'll use the ginger in the sauce with my jalapeños.
Got to have that spice in there.
ELDA: Oh, geez.
I realize this is a really big fish for an appetizer.
But I was a registered nurse, so I learned to think fast.
Maybe I'll use a little trick.
I'll go get a huge plate
and put it on there so they'll look smaller.
[ Laughs ]
Behind you.
MANNEE: I mix sour cream,
put a little salt, little pepper,
add a little sugar.
That's fast and quick.
I grab purple cabbage, some carrots, strawberry
and chop, chop, chop, chop, chop.
This grandma move fast.
TED: All right, grandmas, it's the two-minute warning.
WENONA: I'm concerned that I put too much hot pepper
in my fish cakes.
[ Laughing ] tomatoes might cool their mouth off a little bit.
And I'm thinking, "Have I done everything right?"
because I still have a little bit of time left.
Oh, guys. You're so good, and I'm not.
Here I am.
Can you tell me what kind of plates,
and I'll go get them for you?
Yeah, get me, like, long ones.
Long ones?
TED: Wenona's... You're getting plates for Nancy?
Well, that's very sweet of you.
We're sweet grandmothers.
That's right, you are.
Let's see. Where are you gonna plate?
What a kind, good woman.
Oh, I burnt it.
All right, one minute left, grandmas. Got to wrap it up.
Okay. I'm done.
I can't find hot pads.
WENONA: Bless her heart.
She's just plating as fast as she can.
I just have to stand there
and hope that she gets everything plated.
Oh. [ Laughs ]
I do it a simple way.
TED: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time's up. Pleas step back.
[ All cheering ]
All right. You did it!
AMANDA: Yeah!
Oh, no.
Uh-oh. What did you forgot?
Popovers.
I'm just heartsick,
because I realize that I blew it.
I blew it. [ Sighs ]
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
WENONA: You'll be fine, honey.
MANNEE: I feel bad for her,
but if I make mistake, I'm not gonna be crying.
When I see the children no have food to eat, then I cry.
[ Dramatic music plays ]
Grandmas, you have arrived at the chopping block.
Were you able to make appetizers
from filet of sole, popovers, ginger,
and bacon grease from a can?
How about it, Elda? What do we have here?
Today, I made for you
a popover and ginger-crusted filet of sole.
And on the side, some fresh asparagus
with a sauce of ginger and shallots and lemon.
Wow. I definitely feel the love in this dish.
And the crust that you made for the fish is really great.
Thank you.
CHRIS: Let me say there's been a lot of chefs that come here
and try to make something that's breaded
and do not pull it off nearly as well as you did.
Thank you, Chris.
I just think that it's a very generous piece of fish.
Next, we have Mannee.
I make a fish cake and scrambled egg
and summer vegetable mix.
AMANDA: I love your presentation,
and I love the ginger in the fish cake.
CHRIS: If I have anything to say, it's that the cake, to me,
has too much of the popover and not enough fish.
I like it to be a little bit lighter and more about the fish.
Yes. I try to put a little scrambled egg there,
make it a little lighter.
I love that you decide you want to lighten something up
so you add scrambled eggs.
[ Laughter ]
I love Thai food.
MANNEE: That's what I like to do.
I'm not good at American food, honest.
No, make your food.
Well, my son-in-law say the same thing.
"Why you make the spaghetti for us?
I want Thai food," he says.
[ Laughter ]
I say, "Oops."
[ Laughter ]
Thank you, Mannee. And now we go to Nancy.
I made for you one of the things that grandkids will eat.
It's fish tacos.
There's chili powder, cayenne, and a lot of lime juice.
I know you were a little upset about leaving out the popovers.
Yeah. The thing is, at my age -- I hate to tell you this.
But when you get older, your mind just goes,
and you forget.
Well, that's not an automatic disqualification.
It's always possible
that somebody might do something that makes them more upset.
Oh, I don't think so. These ladies are fabulous.
Every one of their plates were incredible.
CHRIS: That's beautiful. You know what else is beautiful?
That fish taco.
Beautiful. Really good.
I mean, you're speaking to me.
This is the kind of food I like to eat.
And it was perfectly executed, too.
Chris, can I kiss you?
Oh, my gosh!
I agree with Chris. I mean, I love the spice of the jalapeño.
Yes. That spicy mayo that you made was delicious.
Nancy, why are you here today?
Well, my husband has stage IV cancer for the second time.
He is doing well, so I can't complain.
But we would like to be missionaries for our church.
And we'd be able to use that money
because you have to -- You have to support yourself.
TED: Thank you, Nancy.
And, finally, Wenona.
I made a mock crab cake with a ginger mayonnaise.
When you say mock crab cake, you could've fooled me.
This is definitely the feeling of a crab cake,
the flavor of a crab cake, the beautiful presentation.
This could be in a restaurant.
Yes.
I have a restaurant in my grandmother's home,
and we call it Grandmother's House.
I was born in the front bedroom. [ Laughs ]
Yes.
Well, I have to say, this is really delicious,
but I wish there was a little bit more ginger inside.
I think that spice from the ginger
would really put it over-the-top,
and that's what I think is missing.
Now, I don't know how our judges can be expected
to chop even one of you beautiful grandmas.
We'll call you back in a few minutes.
Well, I was really impressed with the judges.
They are very nice.
MANNEE: Yeah, they are nice.
Did you see?
They couldn't say anything bad about any of your food.
I know. They just kept eating. They kept picking it up.
And you didn't leave an ingredient off.
And that was so stupid of me.
But, you know...
So, judges, four appetizers from four grandmas.
Question is, did it taste like grandma's home cooking?
It did.
It definitely did.
I really felt that in Elda's plate.
She made this delicious fish filet
with this yummy vegetable.
SCOTT: And that popover crust was spectacular,
but that was a very nice-sized filet of fish
that was delicious, by the way,
but clearly a main course.
Well, Nancy has 35 grandchildren,
so she's used to pleasing people,
and that fish taco is a crowd-pleaser.
That explains a lot, because I'm basically an adult child,
and I loved that fish taco.
Yeah. The fish was cooked perfectly,
and then she made this really spicy mayo.
And that's why I am so bummed
that she completely forgot the popovers.
Wenona made this delicious mock crab cake.
It was perfectly seasoned,
but I think if there was any hint of ginger in that mayo,
the sugar really mellowed it out.
Grandma Mannee -- She just made
this incredibly energetic-looking plate.
And she had ginger-laden fish cake.
Unfortunately, it was just way too much popover.
TED: Okay, well, as cold-hearted as it is,
we have to show one grandma the door.
We have a decision.
All right.
I'm feeling a little nervous [chuckles]
because the other grandmothers are great.
NANCY: I'm feeling a lot better about things,
and I'm hoping that they can overlook the mistake,
because I really don't want to get chopped. [ Laughs ]
[ Clock ticking ]
So, whose dish is on the chopping block?
[ Dramatic music plays ]
Nancy, you've been chopped.
Judges?
CHRIS: Nancy, this was a very hard decision,
and it was made even harder by the fact
that we all thought that your taco
was the most delicious plate of food that we had today.
But when you leave an ingredient off
and your competitors also make really great plates of food,
it's hard to look past it and let you go on.
So, we did have to chop you today,
but thank you so much for coming.
Oh, this has been such a great opportunity,
and I thank you all.
TED: Thanks so much.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
Bye-bye. Be well.
NANCY: What I would like to say to my grandchildren is,
"I am sorry nan didn't get all the way,
but I did put my heart into it.
You are the most wonderful people on Earth,
and I want you to know that."
TED: Grandma Elda, grandma Mannee, grandma Wenona,
please open the second basket in our grandmothers' competition.
Ooh!
And you must use...
It's heavy.
Yes.
An old-fashioned what?
It's a cocktail.
[ Laughs ]
Now, I'm gonna tell you that the meat loaf mix
is a blend of veal, pork, and beef.
I have my own meat loaf recipe, but I don't share it.
[ Laughs ]
TED: 30 minutes on the clock, ladies.
Time starts now.
Oh, wow.
So, some Americans may not know that classic Italian meatball
is made with this combination of veal, pork, and beef.
AMANDA: Yeah, I mean, you can do anything.
You can sauté it, make some sort of a meat sauce for a pasta.
A ragout.
ELDA: I want to do something creative,
and I see four beautiful portobello mushrooms.
Oh, yes! This is perfect.
So, I grab those, and I know I am making stuffed mushrooms.
But somehow, I want to give the meat a little bit more texture,
and I'm thinking the sweet potato
might be just the best thing for it.
I'm a really strong lady
because my parents didn't really have a good education,
and we were at a poverty level.
So, my mother would say to me,
"When you grow up, I want you to have a really good education
so that you can have a better life."
Well, 70 years later, I'm living that life.
I would love to cook Thai food for everybody today,
but not enough time.
That's why I change my mind to do hamburger.
But first thing I have to do is boil sweet potato
because I was trying to be quick and fast.
I make hamburger for grandchildren.
They're beautiful kids.
They all say, "Grandma, I miss you.
I don't want you go back home.
Don't tell Mom."
[ Laughs ]
Gonna have to have that blender again.
I used to race horses and compete.
If you're gonna enter a contest, you need to win.
So, I have no intention of losing today.
I decide to make a meat patty
with French fried sweet potatoes and green beans.
I go easy on the seasoning because you can't take it out,
but you can put it in.
I hope that my grandchildren
will carry on the tradition of Grandmother's House,
but they can do anything they want to.
All right, ladies. We're looking at 15 minutes.
ELDA: Oh, gosh.
SCOTT: The thing that I love about watching women like this cook --
They have such experience in the kitchen.
They do everything by touch. They do it by feel.
And that's why so many of those recipes from grandmothers
don't work for their kids or for their daughter-in-laws.
TED: That's a really good point.
They know how the food is supposed to feel.
Darn bread.
The mushrooms are going to be mushy,
and I know those judges like to have crunch.
So, I grab some fresh bread and a food processor.
I'll crisp it up.
That's going to be the best topping
for my stuffed mushrooms.
An old-fashioned?
I have to do something with it to make it taste better.
And I think a sauce would be perfect.
The ingredients in an old-fashioned are...
Bourbon, sugar, soda, and bitters.
Geez, I could have used a little sip of that old-fashioned myself,
just to calm me down a bit, but it's all gone.
How much time left, please?
Only 10 minutes remaining on the clock.
MANNEE: Oh.
I have hamburger in a pan,
but I forgot to put old-fashioned.
Uh-oh.
I forgot the wine.
Have to back where it belong.
So, I put my drink in there, mix again,
and put back to the pan again.
Okay.
I love green beans the way I make.
Boil a little bit, stir-fry a little bit,
a little salt, a little pepper.
That's done.
TED: Okay, folks. Less than five minutes.
MANNEE: Uh-oh, no time left.
Whoo-wee!
[ Chuckling ] Golly.
[ Coughs ]
At Grandmother's House, we make gravy every morning.
So, I've got cream, mascarpone,
the old-fashioned, and a little bit of sugar.
We use a lot of sugar in the south.
All right. I've got to call a two-minute warning, folks.
Oh!
AMANDA: Elda, you got it, you got it. Just be calm.
I am really concerned that my meat is not cooking.
Oh, gosh.
So, I give it another minute,
hoping that some miraculous way, they'll cook.
MANNEE: What I got here?
I want to serve salad, no grain,
because I want to be a little healthier.
Salad dressing -- I put lemon juice, oil,
and salt and pepper, then mix.
And there's less than one minute on the clock.
This basket is very connected to my restaurant.
We grow green beans and boil them till they're tender.
We serve sweet potato fries with cinnamon and sugar over them
every day.
Oh!
30 minutes just flew by, didn't they?
10, 9, 8, 7, 6...
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
And time is up.
[ Applause ]
I love this game!
Oh, gosh.
MANNEE: I look my plate. I proud of myself.
I say, "I do a great job."
WENONA: I feel like I'm keeping a lot of my grandmother alive.
If she was here, she would be saying, "Go, girl, go!"
[ Laughs ]
[ Clock ticking ]
Round 2 of our grandmothers' competition
saw three very talented women making entrées
from meat loaf mix, sweet potatoes, green beans,
and an old-fashioned.
Chef Mannee?
Yes. I made a hamburger.
I put salad and bean and sweet potato baked.
AMANDA: Well, everything is seasoned really well.
The green beans are cooked really nicely.
CHRIS: The sweet potatoes simple baked I think are delicious,
but it's the meat that's the problem.
Right. The meat's a little dry.
I just want some kind of a sauce for the meat.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I wish you'd brought some of those Thai flavors here.
I know.
Do you ever go back to Thailand?
I go back every year to my village.
I volunteer to give all the kids food.
If I win, I give the money out to help a lot of children.
And next we have Wenona.
I made a meat patty, steamed green beans,
and sweet potato fries with sugar and cinnamon.
I have to say just right off the bat
that I like your presentation.
SCOTT: I love the moisture inside this meat patty,
and I love the natural sweetness of the sweet potato,
as well as the sugar and the cinnamon that you've put on top.
Really fantastic.
AMANDA: But I'm looking for a little more salt
just to bring out the flavors of the meat itself.
What do you remember about your grandmother's cooking?
My grandmother was a very good cook,
and my mother said I started cooking
when I could scoot a chair up to the stove.
SCOTT: My daughter's the same way --
pushes a stool up and watches me cook.
It's the best.
Now we go to Elda.
It is a portobello stuffed mushroom
with the reduced old-fashioned.
Lots of really tasty flavors in here
and very creative with the meat inside the mushroom cap.
Is that something maybe done for your grandchildren?
Oh, yes.
I create little memories for my grandchildren as far as cooking.
Like an astronomical, gastronomical dinner,
and every course had an astronomical name,
like a celestial salad and cookies shaped like a star
so that they learn something.
I think you created a great depth of flavor
in the meat itself,
but the beans, you can see all the black pepper.
There's way too much pepper on them.
I apologize for that.
What about money, should you win?
We have five grandchildren.
Our children have all moved, and it's been years and years
since we've all been together under one roof,
and for our 50th wedding anniversary,
I would like to put us all together for at least five days,
somewhere together.
Elda, thank you.
You're welcome.
There it is.
Please give them a few minutes.
That old-fashioned drink,
I didn't know what in the world to do with it,
and I tasted of it.
Oh, it was so strong.
I wanted to drink some [laughs]
just to calm me down a little bit.
I didn't get to do that, though.
MANNEE: Yeah.
I had a problem myself, so not win, it's okay.
[ Laughs ]
But I still want to win.
[ Laughter ]
Judges, grandma's home-style entrées --
AMANDA: It was a treat.
Elda just put flavor, flavor, flavor
into her stuffed mushroom,
and it was just something that was so satisfying.
CHRIS: Right. Just a simple thing of stuffing a mushroom
was just a creative step
that the other two chefs didn't, quite frankly, do.
That's true.
SCOTT: But I really found the pepper on Elda's green beans
Yeah.
Mannee -- You know, I really liked her green beans a lot.
She cooked them perfectly.
They were so tender with nice seasoning on top of them.
But her meat patty was pretty dry.
Right.
Wenona took some risks.
She made an-old fashioned cream sauce,
and she really worked on presentation.
But her patty suffered a little bit.
It was a little bland,
but I did definitely love the sweet potatoes.
The cinnamon sugar thing that she did with that --
simple but effective.
Okay. Who has to be chopped before dessert?
[ Sighs ] We know.
Okay.
[ Dramatic music plays ]
ELDA: I am fiercely competitive, and I love making desserts,
and this would be my finale.
It would be nice to win, honestly,
for the money, for to help the children.
Yes.
I know how they feel.
So, whose dish is on the chopping block?
Grandma Mannee, you have been chopped.
Judges?
SCOTT: Mannee, we loved having you here today.
We love your smile, we love your charitable efforts,
but, unfortunately, your meat patty was a little bit dry.
It didn't have a sauce.
But I'm warning you.
I'm coming to your house on Sunday,
and I'm gonna have you teach me how to cook some good Thai food.
Why not?
I love to come cook Thai food for you guys eat.
I would love that.
MANNEE: It's okay. I no feel bad.
I don't feel bad, dear.
TED: Thank you, Chef.
From now on, I'm gonna stick with Thai food all the way.
But my family very proud of me anyway.
That's all I need.
[ Laughs ]
TED: Grandma Elda, grandma Wenona,
are you ready to show us your competitive side?
My grandkids want their nonny to win.
I've got to take her down.
No, you're not.
We're gonna fight to the end.
Excellent.
Please open up these final baskets.
And you must use...
Oh, wow.
[ Laughs ]
30 minutes on the clock, ladies.
Time starts now.
Pop!
Yuzu -- I don't even know what it is.
Oh, my gracious.
It's terrible.
Like real sour lemons.
Oh!
But I know what the other ingredients taste like.
Grandmothers always make oatmeal cookies for their grandchildren,
so I decide to make oatmeal cookies.
I've never heard of making cookies
with vanilla ice cream before.
I may have invented a new recipe.
I look over at Elda.
She's frantic, running around.
I feel sorry for her.
[ Sighs ]
Wenona has a very calm demeanor about her,
which I admire, because I'm just like a cat on a hot tin roof,
but the cat wants to jump out, and I want to win so badly.
So, I am making a currant cream scone
with a reduced vanilla and yuzu glaze.
My scone is a sure thing, and it's really delicious,
so I'm thinking this is the way to go.
All right, grandmas, 20 minutes left on the clock.
SCOTT: How many times have we heard chefs
inside the "Chopped" kitchen say,
"Oh, I don't know anything about dessert"?
What grandmother doesn't know anything about dessert?
They should take away the grandma card from you immediately
if you don't make dessert.
While I'm waiting for these cookies to finish cooking,
I think maybe I need to drizzle something on the top,
and I thought, "Well..."
Here it is.
"...grandchildren love peanut butter."
AMANDA: Ooh, peanut butter.
TED: I love peanut butter.
Everything goes with peanut butter.
I mix the peanut butter and some of that Mexican cream,
vanilla flavoring.
Then I think, "Well, I would like some chocolate over it,"
because oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate
are a perfect match.
AMANDA: You know, I can't be more excited
to see the two of them making dessert in this kitchen.
CHRIS: It really is.
It's just incredible.
Wenona discovered she wanted to have a restaurant
at the age of 63. I don't know.
When I'm 63, the last thing I want to be thinking about
is opening another restaurant.
But, you know, Grandma Elda,
she cooks with her grandchildren to create memories
so they'll never forget her.
Huh. I've got oatmeal.
I had forgotten about my oatmeal.
I missed my opportunity to put it in the scone.
That would have been brilliant.
How about I make an oatmeal crumble?
I grab some butter, some sugar, and the currants.
I just want to take more and more risk.
I want to give it my all.
I don't want to look back and say,
"I could have done this," or "I could have done that."
All right, folks. Five minutes remaining.
ELDA: Five?
Okay.
Reduce, reduce, reduce.
WENONA: I pull my cookies out of the oven.
They look pretty good.
I'm surprised.
But I need some liquid in the chocolate,
so I put some of the yuzu in there.
TED: Yuzu is a Japanese fruit.
It's often described as sort of a cross
between a lemon and an orange.
SCOTT: You think of it the way
you think of any citrus juice that's highly acidic.
Lemon juice, for example.
The chocolate sauce is coming together,
so I immediately start plating.
TED: All right, folks. Two minutes remaining.
I'm thinking the scones need something more,
so I'm going to macerate some berries.
When my husband and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary,
this prize money will bring my children and my grandchildren
all together
so that we can re-celebrate us as a family.
TED: Think on your feet in these final seconds, grandmas.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6...
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
And time is up.
Oh, my God!
[ Laughs ] We did it.
[ Both laugh ]
Oh, my gosh.
What'd you make? Oh, it's beautiful.
Oh, gosh.
[ Laughs ]
ELDA: Of all the dishes that I have done,
this is the plate that I was the proudest of.
This is my home-run dish.
[ Sighs ]
WENONA: I feel very proud of myself.
Tried something different, and I think it worked,
so I think I have a good shot now.
[ Dramatic music plays ]
[ Clock ticking ]
TED: Oatmeal, dried currants,
yuzu juice, and vanilla ice cream.
Wenona?
When I opened the basket and I saw the oatmeal,
the first thing I thought of was grandchildren.
They always eat oatmeal cookies,
and they always eat peanut butter.
SCOTT: I love peanut butter, so I love this.
I get every single component.
It's so good.
Thank you for this chocolate right now.
And that's where you put the yuzu, right?
Yes.
It's really, really tasty.
My only comment is just the texture of the cookie.
You know, I would have maybe had some more butter.
Maybe even more of that ice cream in the cookie
to make it a little more crumbly.
[ Laughing ] Well, I've never made those like that before.
Could have fooled us.
Wenona, thank you.
Yes, sir.
And, finally, Elda.
I made a currant cream scone
topped with a reduced vanilla sauce
and oatmeal and nut topping.
AMANDA: The scone is very well-executed.
Obviously you've made the scone before.
Yes, I have.
You could see the layers inside there.
It's really flaky and beautiful.
The glaze is perfect,
and the oatmeal crunch, I mean, that's my favorite part.
If you gave me a big bowl of it,
I would eat every single morsel of it.
Is it oatmeal in the scone?
No.
Okay.
I just think the oatmeal should be more present here.
I see.
Okay. We'll call you back in a few minutes.
Oh, your plate was so pretty.
Well, they loved your cookie.
You've got a lot of oatmeal in there. I didn't get that much.
I want to win this so badly.
My kids are, my grandchildren, especially,
are rooting, they're praying for me.
I really want to win, too,
because my family have been so supportive,
Yes.
'Cause he's been so good and...
...and helping.
Excuse me.
It is.
I want to win, and I know you want to win.
Yes.
[ Both laugh ]
Good luck.
I wish you all the best.
Same here.
Thank you.
This has been a really fun day.
I think we're just stuffed. We've eaten so much.
It's like taking a trip to grandma's house.
Right. That dessert that Wenona made was delicious.
The yuzu was pronounced, and it worked perfectly
with her little peanut butter crema that she made.
AMANDA: I really did like that peanut butter cream a lot,
although the texture of Wenona's cookie wasn't right.
I thought it needed more fat and more butter.
Right.
Elda with her dessert.
The scone was just beautiful,
and the glaze that Elda had created
out of that yuzu and ice cream --
unbelievable.
And the oatmeal crunch thing.
Seriously, I would have eaten a bowl of that.
I thought it was so delicious.
But, you know, I do think that Grandma Elda
didn't put enough oats in her dessert, though.
I kind of felt like that was missing.
I really loved Wenona's main course.
She took those sweet potatoes,
deep-fried them with that cinnamon sugar,
which was just really good.
But it just seemed like the patty itself
was a little bit on the bland side,
whereas Elda, her meat was incredibly flavorful.
It was such a creative idea to do a stuffed mushroom.
But those green beans, they were just so aggressively peppered.
But she really hit it out of the park in the appetizer round.
Absolutely.
The texture of that perfectly-cooked fish
with the beautiful popover crust, so delicious.
Really nice.
But it was a ginormous entrée portion in an appetizer round,
whereas Wenona, with that mock crab cake,
as she put it, she had so much flavor.
But, you know, she was really missing ginger flavor.
All right. Which grandma got the job done?
Okay.
My grandchildren really want their nonny to win.
Talk about the bragging rights for them.
"My nonny won 'Chopped.'
What's your nonny done?"
I think I might go home with the $10,000.
If I do, you can hear me all the way to the Empire State Building
hollering. [ Laughs ]
So, whose dish is on the chopping block?
[ Dramatic music plays ]
Oh.
Grandma Wenona, you've been chopped.
Judges?
Wenona [sighs] this was a rough decision.
Rarely, rarely is it this close for us.
In the first round, the use of the ginger wasn't enough,
and in the dessert,
the texture of the cookie was a little bit off,
but, honestly, just loved having you here today.
This has been a highlight of my life.
Thank you so much.
You deserve it, darling.
It's just an honor to work with you.
I know, and you're so kind. Bye-bye.
Bye-bye, dear.
WENONA: I wanted to win for my husband,
for my grandchildren,
for the customers that have been so nice to me.
I didn't win, but I did make it to the final round,
and I'm very proud of that.
TED: And that means, Elda Bielanski, that your grandkids' grandma
just became a "Chopped" champion.
[ Applause ]
I can't believe this. This is surreal.
I dreamed my plate would be not under there,
and I dreamed that I would win.
And there's a nice little prize of $10,000.
My husband, he's gonna be so happy.
Well, we have a little extra surprise.
There's somebody else here who would like to congratulate you,
so...
Here?
Oh, John!
Oh, my gosh!
Oh, my gosh!
Oh!
You did it, you did it, you did it, you did it.
I did it, I did it, I did it. Mwah!
I am so happy.
It's like a dream come true.
I can finally get all of us together
to celebrate us as a family for 50 years.
It's really beautiful.