Alton Brown shares the scientific theory behind capturing meaty goodness in liquid form and why the pressure cooker makes a great Beefy Broth (Don't worry, they don't explode any more).
The recruits arrive at boot camp to find a county fair in full swing, and the day begins with a very messy pie-eating contest. Inspired by these pie flavors, the recruits enter their creations into a baking competition that will be judged by Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale in a blind tasting. In the main baking challenge, the recruits go nuts for doughnuts. Only the top four will move on to compete in the semifinals.
Boot Camp is transformed into "Cafe Worst Cooks" as the celebrities learn how to make classic crepes. The main challenge proves to be a lot scarier for these novice cooks when they have to butcher whole chickens, grill them, and create their own unique side dishes. The two least successful recruits go head-to-head in a chicken challenge, and one recruit is sent packing.
Roger Mooking is letting barbecue pork sandwiches hog the spotlight. He bites off as much as he can chew at Hoodoo Brown Barbeque in Ridgefield, Conn., where they serve a meaty masterpiece loaded with pork belly, pulled pork and shaved pork ribs. Then Roger heads to Bigmista's Barbecue and Sammich Shop in Long Beach, Calif., for succulent barbecue pork stuffed inside sweetened soft buns. At Pecan Lodge in Dallas, Roger gets a taste of The Pitmaster with brisket, pulled pork and chorizo sausages, and he finds Tex-Mex flavor in a pork burrito with fire-roasted green chile sauce at Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, S.C. Finally, Roger visits Top Hat Barbecue in Blount Springs, Ala., where they've been selling smoky pulled pork shoulder sandwiches with tangy barbecue sauce for 50 years.
Pikachu and the rest of the Pokemon inspire one of the most intense baking battles of all time! Four champion bakers battle for their cake to be the centerpiece of the party, but only one will remain undefeated and collect $10,000. Elvin Gee, marketing manager for Pokemon, joins the judging panel.
Emeril Lagasse returns to his favorite old haunts in his hometown, New Orleans. First on his tour of big tastes in the Big Easy is the very first Po boy shop in the uptown New Orleans area, Domilise. He'll sample their famous fried shrimp and roast beef sandwiches and pitch in behind the counter during the lunch rush. Then it's off to Angelo Brocato's Italian Ice Cream Parlor in Mid-town, for a trip back in time. He'll meet the third and fifth generations of confection makers and learn exactly what goes into their famous cannolis and famous ices. Finally, it's homecoming time for Emeril as he revisits the restaurant where he rose to prominence, the Commander's Palace in the Garden District. He'll check out their remodeling efforts for the first time and learn a few new tricks in their kitchen when he helps make their signature Turtle soup.
It's that ooey-gooey goodness in the middle that we just can't get enough of, so we're heading straight to the middle of things to see what greatness awaits. Jeff Mauro indulges in a 100-layer vanilla creme doughnut that's full of surprises. Antonia Lofaso cracks the yolk on ricotta and egg ravioli in Los Angeles, and Chef Lee Anne Wong heads to Hawaii for a unique and irresistible quesadilla that packs a powerful punch.
This week, Justine and Rev Run are treated like VIPs as Russy joins them in the kitchen to make a dinner inspired by a luxury hotel room service menu. Together, they design a savory gourmet club sandwich, crisp and golden onion rings, and end the night with a chocolate cake that dreams are made of. This hotel-worthy meal is one they'll want to enjoy over and over again.
With two spots left in the $50,000 Ultimate Champions Grand Finale, the Chopped Kitchen welcomes back four incredible cooking heroes -- two firefighters, a police officer and an army vet. In the appetizer round, the hero champs must get creative in order to make savory dishes with pineapple and fruit and nut bars. Then in the entree round, the champs find some lovely stalks of spring garlic in the basket, as well as some beautiful lamb chops. And an unpleasantly purple ingredient that the cooks must work into a dessert makes for a challenging last round.
Cake artists sculpt the tallest state fair icon out of chocolate for a Texas cake that proves bigger is better. Fairies come to life in an epic, Fantasyland-themed birthday cake. Then dumplings turn sweet in a cake stacked extra tall, and a giant Irish bear cake is almost too adorable to eat.