‘The Taste’ recap: L.A.’s Khristianne Uy kicks off-cut butt

ABC’s “The Taste” is proving once again that L.A. chefs have some serious game. On Tuesday night’s episode, L.A. girl Khristianne Uy kicked some serious butt when she turned sweet breads, bone marrow, pork tongue and pig ears into a masterpiece.

The episode was all about off-cut ingredients, with chefs David McMillan and Frederic Morin of Joe Beef, Liverpool House and McKiernan Luncheonette in Montreal acting as guest judges. For the third week in a row Ludo Lefebvre picked annoying Gregg Drusinsky to represent the team with his spoonful of head cheese, royally annoying everyone. The dude blew up a pressure cooker full of pig face, in his own face and sliced some of his finger off. Way to go, pro. But the judges picked him anyway and he won immunity again! Diane “Cruella” DiMeo blurted out, “You’ve got to be *&%!ing kidding me.” I was thinking the same thing.

For the elimination challenge, each chef was given 2 hours to cook one spoonful using an off-cut ingredient of their choice. Lefebvre’s team had the advantage with McMillan and Morin as mentors but Paul Caravelli chose to ignore his mentors again. He did the same thing when Lefebvre tried to help him earlier in the episode. Come on, man, you’ve got a serious attitude problem. If you know everything, then why are you on the show?

L.A. boy Jeff Mahin and Uy from Brian Malarkey’s team really shined. Mahin made a rabbit galantine with pork and Uy made a crispy sweetbread and pig ear with caper beurre blanc. Drusinsky landed in the bottom, but because of his immunity, was saved again. Drusinsky, maybe if you concentrated more on your cooking and less on blurting “yes, chef” every chance you got, you’d actually make something decent.

I wasn’t suprised to see Lauren Scott from Nigella Lawson’s team, Ninamarie Bojekian from Bourdain’s team and Adam Pechal from Malarkey’s team in the bottom, but Uno Immanivong from Bourdain’s team was a surprise. Bourdain actually picked her as his best dish, but because she was one of Lefebvre’s worst she was up for elimination. The judges sent Pechal and Bojekian home but had a hard time deciding between keeping Scott or Immanivong. Seriously, guys? Scott’s dish looked terrible! In the end, they kept Scott and let Immanivong go. I got the same feeling I had when they let Kristen Kish go on “Top Chef.” Frustrated! This is the problem with them doing a blind tasting only until a certain point. If it were purely based on taste, I’ll bet money Scott would have gone home. Clearly it was a pity vote so that Lawson wouldn’t be out of the competition with no remaining team members.

Come on, judges. Do better.

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