‘Hell’s Kitchen’ gets hotter, Gregorich avoids elimination
Click here to view episode No. 3, “15 Chefs Compete.”
Click here to view episode No. 4, “14 Chefs Compete.”
CREDIT: Fox.com
CARON COOPER
Contributing Writer
caron@lbknews.com
Euphemia Haye Sous Chef Jamie Gregorich survived the third and fourth episodes this week as a contestant on the hit FOX reality show “Hell’s Kitchen” with Chef Gordon Ramsay.
After the Blue Team’s second-consecutive pitiful performance at the end of the last episode, Chef Ramsay asked for a volunteer from the Red Team to join the men. He left the women to think it over for the evening. The men were mostly disgusted at the prospect of a female on their team, citing any future wins would be credited to her.
The women looked at the situation as a chance to break up the drama among two of their team members who refuse to get along, Carrie and Elise. But Gregorich and the other sous chef saw it is a chance to shine in front of Chef Ramsay.
“I really want to go. I see it as an opportunity for one of us to step up,” said Gregorich, 24.
The two valued chefs agreed to stay if one of the ‘troubled twosome’ would volunteer. But when Carrie volunteered as planned, Chef Ramsay rejected the choice and instead chose the other sous chef, Natalie, to join the Blue Team.
The “Mommy and Me” challenge required the teams to serve pasta and chicken quesadillas to 50 hungry children, and once completed, serve panini sandwiches to 50 mothers using naan bread. The first team to feed their diners wins.
Gregorich was called out during the challenge by Ramsay for trying to serve a burnt quesadilla.
“Jamie, stop sulking like a f***ing baby. The babies are out there, not in here! Start again!” screamed Ramsay.
Thirty minutes into the challenge, the teams were tied. The Red Team wasted time arguing while the Blue Team, with the help of the new female chef, finally learned to communicate. They took the lead and won the challenge. The men and Natalie enjoyed jousting and eating meat with their hands at Medieval Times, while the women were left to clean up the dining room left a disaster by the children.
Dinner service that evening was family night featuring the regular menu, a children’s menu and a welcoming Margherita Pizza appetizer. The Blue Team got off to a rocky start but managed to pull it together, while the Red Team continued to waste time blaming one another for undercooked food and forgotten entrées. Chef Ramsay was so angry, he sent the women into the dining room to apologize to the families, then promptly kicked them out of the kitchen.
The unsuccessful dinner service put the Red Team on the chopping block for the first time. Gregorich avoided being singled out; the two drama queens survived elimination; Amanda turned in her chef jacket.
Episode four
Episode four, “14 Chefs Compete,” had the chefs chasing chickens — each one captured earned them an ingredient, which would be used to prepare four chicken dishes later in the challenge. The Red Team wrangled nine chickens, and the Blue Team wrangled 11.
The second part of the challenge left each team with “one lonely chicken” to prepare four dishes with enough meat to amply show it off. The four dishes were prepared by pairs, each cooked differently — grilled, fried, roasted or sautéed — with only the ingredients chosen earlier, all in 30 minutes.
The dishes were presented to Chef Ramsay and guest judges Jen Garcia of People magazine and Dave Karger of Entertainment Weekly. The Blue Team took a point for its southern fried dish, while the women missed the point due to undercooked chicken. Once again, Carrie was blamed, and rightfully so at least this time.
Gregorich’s grilled chicken salad was presented. Even though the editors were thrown off by the flavor of the Bradenton native’s chicken salad, they were quite pleased that the chicken was cooked “really perfectly.” The Blue Team was missing most of its meat due to a floor mishap, and Chef Ramsay awarded a point to the Red Team.
Both teams earned a point for their sautéed dishes. Tied 3-3, it all came down to the roasted chicken. Both dishes were very well received, but the point went to the Red Team for their Succulent Roasted Chicken, a very close win over the Blue Team’s Curry Chicken Soup. The Red Team spent the day go-karting — Gregorich won the trophy for fastest time — while the Blue Team was banished to spend the day preparing chicken stock.
Dinner service that evening included VIP guests in both dining rooms. World champion volleyball players Misty May-Treanor and Jen Kessy were seated in the Red Team’s dining room; Olympic gold medalist swimmers Mark Spitz and Janet Evans were seated with Blue’s guests.
Both teams suffered from petty arguments, name-calling and mistimed tickets. The Blue Team was eventually booted from the kitchen, leaving the Red Team to serve both VIP tables. But when the lamb was presented undercooked, Chef Ramsay shut their kitchen down too. Ramsay summed up dinner service in one word — pathetic.
There was no winning team, and both were sent to choose two members for possible elimination. ‘Drama Queens No. 1 and 2,’ Elise and Carrie, were put on the chopping block, but it was Chino from the Blue Team who turned in his jacket.
Gregorich is competing on the reality show for head chef position at BLT Steak in New York City and a salary of $250,000. “Hell’s Kitchen” is scheduled to air Monday and Tuesday nights on FOX. Visit lbknews.com for a link to view show clips and full episodes.
