Andrew Zimmern heads to Hawaii's Big Island to take in its laid-back cuisine. From ancient traditions like lau lau and opakapaka fish to new traditions like the loco moco and huli chicken, he dives deep into the island's food culture.
The last season of Entourage wraps up and Debi Mazar is sharing one final toast to the successful run with her co-star Adrian Grenier. She decides on a menu of fresh, organic ingredients picked up from a local urban farm. The menu consists of homemade Ricotta served on crostini, Debi's Yellow Tomato Lumaconi, Insalata Di Fagiolini Verdi and finished off with Lemon Brule Tart. Adrian joins in by helping out in the kitchen stuffing Fried Squash Blossoms.
Guest judge Andrew Zimmern is on hand in this competition filled with bizarre surprises in all the baskets. The chefs have to contend with an offbeat ice cream flavor and an unusual meat in the appetizer round. In the entree round, a shocking-looking protein must be combined with a pink veggie. And the dessert basket contains some odd eggs and a peculiar Turkish treat.
In California, two hours north of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, lies the picturesque beach town of Santa Barbara. Offering up more than just good views, Santa Barbara's thriving farmers' markets provide fresh food to some of the delicious restaurants around the city. Due to its close proximity to Mexico, there's a strong Latin influence in the food scene. Chef Aaron Sanchez surfs in to taste everything from age-old, authentic Mexican recipes to tacos with a twist.
We discover classics desserts that have been pushed into uncharted territory. Pies and cakes turned into cookies, ice cream made from goat's milk, salt water taffy that stretches the rules and pies that are renowned -- and served raw.
One spot left! Four returning champs compete to see who can secure the very last place in the Grand Finale champions' contest. With their minds on the $50,000 grand prize, the chefs open the appetizer baskets to find something fishy and something fizzy. Approaching the Chopping Block, the competitors know that serious errors in execution could mean the difference between moving on and going home after just one course. Then, in the entree round, will a gamey meat be a game-changer for the three remaining competitors? And when the two finalists find a Tex-Mex staple and a Thai condiment in the dessert basket, the judges must ultimately decide if the sweet fusion creations are championship caliber.
Katie Lee's ready to crank it up a notch and that means it's time to bring the heat! Katie scours the beach searching for the spiciest dishes and isn't disappointed in San Diego where her heat index is tested after trying thirty-seven different levels of hot wings and a Spicy Grilled Rib Eye. Next, Katie has Chef Kardea Brown take her to a Cajun hot spot in Charleston to learn about the Gullah-inspired blackened trout called The Islander. Katie digs into a staple of Hawaii, the Spicy Poke Bowl. In Gulf Shores, Ala. Katie quenches her thirst with a Loaded Bloody Mary. And what's breakfast without a kick to it? In Arizona, Katie savors a bit of the Southwest with Sweet Daddy Hotcakes. Because there's nothing hotter than a spicy beach bite!
Debi Mazar has a few close friends that always talk about getting together for dinner, but it seldom happens. Debi finally gets together with her best friends, Drena De Niro, Kathrine Narducci and Aida Turturro, all of whom happen to be of Italian-American heritage. They meet up at Debi's house and hit the neighborhood for a little shopping. Meanwhile, Gabriele Corcos visits a local distillery and a neighborhood honey producer to pick up ingredients for a special cocktail for the girls. Then for dinner, it's all hands on deck as everyone takes turns helping Gabriele cook up some delicious Italian recipes.
Four teams with food truck concepts pitch their ideas to a panel of judges who deem two worthy enough to test their fare on the streets of Miami, Fla. The teams face a steep learning curve filled with missing flavor and chaotic service on day one while day two finds one team finding their groove while the other is barely holding on. Both will have to pull out all the stops and make every dollar count if they want Jesse Palmer to hand over the keys to their dream!