Watching Rachael Ray

The final two are back to go head to head as we declare a winner! Like any good ‘reality stint’, there needs to be a full recap of the competition to date - then it’s time for Angie and Pete to go at it while the former contestants watch from the front row and cheer them on. Suzanne says she’s rooting for Pete, but hopes they both do well. Angie says she’s not done anything special to prepare, just ready to get to it. Sweet Pete says that he hopes nice guys don’t always finish last… He feels good and is ready.

First challenge - a memory test. They show them a picture of a finished kabob, and they have to recreate it from the ingredients in front of them. Pete finishes his first - but it’s wrong and has to keep working, and Angie sneaks in for the win with just a second to spare and gets the advantage for the big final challenge!

They’ll have 30 minutes to create a high end meal for a special Celebrity Chef - who demands the very best - Chef Gordon Ramsey from Hell’s Kitchen! Angie is star struck - it’s cute, and poor Pete is like quaking now, but still smiling - though he’s asking for a helmet and protective gear. Hahah! Rachael shows them examples of dishes Gordon Ramsey would want to see. HE wants presentation, but flavor is important. Imagination and excitement - he tells them to just let it roll, let it grow for the full half hour.

The catch? The main ingredient is HOT DOGS. Ramsey is like “….oh dear.” Angie gets to choose her dog of choice, since she won the first challenge. She takes the Deli Style - she wants all the fat, she says, and she assigns Pete, and she says he’s been good to her all along, so doesn’t give him the lowfat version - he gets the Angus dog. And they’re off to the test kitchen to get started!

Angie works on Angel Hair Pasta with “Hot-tie” dogs, and Pete works on Beef and Scallops Three Ways. While they do, Rachael talks with Gordon Ramsey about his new book, Fast Foods. He says his house is like a zoo, with four kids and a perfect wife. The book is accessible hands on easy recipes for busy families, and the book itself is beautiful too.

He has three girls and a boy at home - and he says that the bathroom is a nightmare, so he and Jack, his son, have decided there will be another boy. They just haven’t told the wife yet. He admits that he’s not the tough guy at home at all, they even have two kitchens, his and hers - saves the fighting for sure. His new restaurant is due to hope on Sunset soon. He loves to surprise his chefs, they don’t know when he’s coming, but they’re like partners and keep him on his toes as well, just as he does them. He always knows what’s going on.

He says the success of Hell’s Kitchen has helped him get through customs - the agent said he’d push him threw if he called him a donkey - so he did, and customs was a breeze. Gordon joins Rachael in the kitchen and teaches her hw to make Sticky Lemon Chicken, a kid-friendly recipe from the new book. He bribes his kids to eat their vegetables - he told his son if he doesn’t eat them his willy will shrink (”Jack eats while looking in his boxers - it’s working daddy!”), and for the girls, their boobies won’t grow either! There’s no problem eating veges in his house!

You know, I kinda like him a lot more then I did before after this interview. He’s FUNNY. Who knew?!

Next up, they check up on the contestants in the kitchen, with less then two minutes left. Angie says hers is where little Italy meets the Bronx. Pete is going more upscale, even finding some caviar in the pantry. Chef Gordon checks in to see if they’re tasting, if they’re happy with the finished products, and gets them to tell them what is in their dish, and they get it plated and time is up! Poor Pete broke a serious sweat, but they’re content! Chef will taste, as we go to the kitchen for Rachael to make dinner - her take on the hot dog challenge: Polish Pigs in a Blanket with Dill Slaw Salad.

And the champion is…. Chef Ramsay has made his decision! Cue Creepy Lighting! Godron loved Angie’s food, it was tasty, fast, well executed and she was spot on with the paprika. The lettuce was soggy and unneeded, the plate was a little big. Gordon loved Pete’s scallops, it was balanced, and tasted good. Down side - it was a little too greasy. And the winner is - SWEET PETE! His family is there and joins them all on stage to congratulate him, and the next time we see Pete - he’ll be cooking in Rachael’s kitchen. We’ll see ya when we see ya!