A Spoonful of Love

Ramos: Tonight, on "The Great American Recipe"...

There's about to be a whole lotta love in this kitchen.

Tim, voice-over: This dish was the first dish that I made for my wife, Ashley.

♪ Jon: Judges, you're gonna feel the love.

Ah!

Hollingsworth: For me, I think that something that's been cooking for a while, makes you feel like home.

Mae: My kids, when they come home, that's all they want.

Kim: Who doesn't love a giant bowl of pasta?

Marcella: I think the love is definitely gonna come through.

Ramos: Well, these are the best home cooks in the country, so who better to bring us perfection?

[Cooks cheer] Welcome back to "The Great American Recipe."

♪ [Birds chirping] ♪ Kim: Last week was kind of tough, you guys.

Mae: This is a new week, new beginning.

Doug: I thought last week was pretty good.

Jon: Yeah, for you, Doug.

Kim: Doug!

[Adjo chuckles] Jon: That makes sense.

Doug, voice-over: Last week, I kind of kept my head down and focused on all the details, and that worked out for me.

Doug, your farro and vegetable medley was one of the best farro salads I have ever had.

[Adjo gasps] Doug: Aw, that means a lot.

Wow.

Doug, voice-over: I need to keep doing that on every round, any time I can.

Ramos: Good morning, everyone.

Welcome back.

Hey, hello, everyone.

Ha ha ha!

Hello.

Cooks, welcome back to week 3 of "The Great American Recipe."

We're back with our fabulous judges, Tiffany Derry... Hello, everyone.

Tim Hollingsworth... Hi, everybody.

and last, but never least, Francis Lam.

Hey, y'all.

[Laughter] Last week, you served us dishes featuring some of your favorite ingredients, from your secret weapons to your go-to grains.

Unfortunately, your fellow home cook Ingrid had to leave the competition early, and she'll be missed dearly.

This week, we really want to get to the heart of why you cook and who you do it for.

There's a reason why so many of us have go-to recipes when you're feeling under the weather or a little bit blue.

For people all over the world, food can be a cure for what ails us.

Derry: That's what this week's theme is all about-- creating those dishes that feel like comfort for the people you love.

Ramos: For today's first round, you'll have 60 minutes to cook up a comforting recipe that always makes you and your loved ones feel like they're wrapped up in a big hug.

Call it a recipe remedy.

Awesome.

Hollingsworth: And remember, your dishes will be judged on taste, presentation, execution, and how well your dish achieved today's theme.

Ramos: And as always, each of your dishes will be considered by the judges to determine which 3 home cooks will make it to the finale for a chance to be named the winner of "The Great American Recipe."

Whoo-hoo!

Yes!

Ramos: I say this with all the love in my heart.

Your time starts now!

Whoo!

Yeah!

Come on, baby.

♪ Right.

Here we go.

Ramos: We asked the cooks to make us their recipe remedies.

What are you hoping to see come from these kitchens?

I think we're gonna have some super-tasty foods that provide comfort in different ways.

Hollingsworth: For me, I think that something that's been cooking for a while, makes you feel like home.

Lam: In my mind, something maybe a little bit heartier, that I can take on the world... Ramos: Ha ha!

Yeah.

or I could take on the couch.

[All chuckle] It's all about love and comfort.

Jon, voice-over: Last week, I had a bottom dish.

Lam: Jon, I think what got in your way was when you were cutting the corn off the cob, you actually nicked off some parts of the cob.

While we were eating it, we kept getting little bits stuck in our teeth.

Jon, voice-over: This week, I want redemption.

I'm gonna take all of the feedback that I got, and I'm gonna amp up my flavors and cook my very best.

I know exactly what I'm gonna make.

Let's do this.

Come on.

Jon, voice-over: My recipe remedy dish is Sopa Azteca, also known as tortilla soup.

♪ Tortilla soup is a remedy for having a bad day, but, I also believe, healing.

I make this dish when my wife isn't feeling so well, and my kids also love this.

Adjo: Oh, what's going on there, Jon?

Jon: I'm roasting some tomatoes, chicken thighs, and some onions to give it a sort of smoky flavor.

Oh, wow.

Jon, voice-over: The next step to amp up my flavors is to roast the chilies.

Whoo-hoo!

Jon, voice-over: It's really the smoky roastedness with the chilies that sort of contribute to the taste of the soup.

Need two more.

♪ Just gonna go for it.

♪ Kim, voice-over: This week, I just want to prove that I'm a good-enough cook to not end up in the bottom two.

So today, I'm going to make a scratch linguine pasta with a kind of kitchen-sink pesto sauce.

Homemade pasta is the ultimate way to cheer someone up.

I mean, who doesn't love a giant bowl of pasta?

Growing up, my mom would make homemade pasta, which is really hard, but we knew she put a lot of work into that pasta, so it was just one of our favorite dishes.

And now the fun begins.

Kim, voice-over: My favorite person to make this dish for is my daughter Maya.

She absolutely loves pesto.

I definitely put the same love into it that my mom did.

I just try to choose an easier method of making it.

Heh heh!

♪ Oh, gosh!

Kim, voice-over: My pasta dough is a little bit dry.

It's happened before at home, and usually, everything turns out fine.

Derry: Hello, Kim.

Hello!

We're twinning with our pink.

Hi!

We are twinning.

Pink girls.

So, the pasta is very dry.

It looks really dry.

I know.

Yeah.

Where's your oil?

Let's try to get a little bit more hydration.

Give yourself 5 more minutes.

5 more minutes.

So, after it's sit...

Right.

we can't go back and knead it.

Right, no.

It will be very tough.

Yeah.

We won't have that tender pasta.

Give it a second.

Thank you so much.

You're very welcome.

Kim, voice-over: I'm glad she came over and, like, slowed me down, and so the pasta can just be happy in its little place right now.

Derry: Oh, my goodness.

So, Kim's doing some fresh pasta.

Yeah.

She has the technique of rolling it out right, you know, she understands the steps into it.

I just think it was just too dry... Little too dry?

and she didn't recognize.

It needs to be how it feels, right?

Mm-hmm.

It's not just straight recipes, and I think that's hard... Yeah.

when you're only cooking from home, and then you go somewhere else and you make it.

That's true.

♪ ♪ Serrated ♪ Gonna cut some bread up, make some cubes, just like we're making stuffing at Thanksgiving.

Today, I'm making a fennel sausage stuffing frittata.

All right.

Come on, come on.

I'm making this particular dish when we kind of need some comfort in the house, specifically for my husband Greg.

Doug, voice-over: My husband keeps mostly vegetarian, but he loves this because this is a dish that Greg's mom made at Thanksgiving, and since her passing, these flavors evoke those memories, and they evoke that love.

The first thing I need to do is get my bread cubes toasted off.

And while that's going... Ah!

I like to take the sausage, break it off with my hands, because you can end up getting these really big chunks, and I don't think that's really palatable.

Break up and crank heat.

I find that if we have these just little knobs of meat, it just cooks up so much more nicely.

Ooh!

Let's get our bread cubes in there.

OK, I could just eat this.

We don't even need the eggs, but we're gonna do the eggs, too.

♪ Give it that one, final good whisk-through.

OK. Doug, voice-over: My secret ingredient here is a little bit of chicken stock in the eggs instead of just salt and pepper, so I'm bringing in a bit of a poultry flavor.

We're gonna do a little bit of cheese over top 'cause I think it just adds a little something extra.

It's so good--breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

You can eat a frittata anytime.

♪ Doing fantastic, baby.

♪ Making some goat meat today.

Goat is a big staple in African culture.

When I used to be little, anytime I'm sick, my mom or my grandma will make me a pepper soup.

Derry: Adjo, what you working on?

Adjo: It's gonna be a brothy, gingery stew, and on the stove here is some sweet potatoes.

Derry: Mm.

Pepper soup is one of those dishes that is ubiquitous to West Africa, but we all make it differently.

So I remember growing up making pepper soup with my grandma, and we would use proteins that we have leftover in the house, but it's really not the pepper that makes a pepper soup, but it's the ginger.

Ah.

Adjo: It's a very ginger-heavy dish, and I'm using my protein of choice, today being goat because goat is just my favorite protein of all time.

Very nice.

♪ Adjo, voice-over: So I'm splitting my goat into two pressure cookers to make sure my goat is tender.

An hour is, like, cutting it very close, so I have to keep an eye on my pressure cooker.

Derry: Adjo, are both pressure cookers going?

Both pressure cookers are going.

Some few weeks back, we had a pressure-cooker debacle... Ha ha ha!

with my oxtail, and I didn't want to risk putting it all in one this time.

I do think that your oxtails needed a few more minutes.

I appreciate the feedback.

I will definitely keep that in mind, for sure.

We're real excited to try this one, Adjo.

Thank you.

♪ Mae, voice-over: My recipe remedy dish is Chinese chicken congee.

I got to get this just right.

Mae, voice-over: It's rice porridge, and it doesn't look very attractive, but when you eat it, it's very comforting.

My kids, when they come home, that's all they want.

My kids love congee.

They had it as babies, and even though my daughter is beginning to be, like, a vegetarian, she ate my chicken congee.

That's how much she loves it.

Ramos: Mae's doing chicken congee, so we loved her savory oatmeal take last week.

What do you think about the more classic version?

Lam: I'm really excited to see it.

I mean, her control of the seasoning, the flavor; given what she put out last week with her savory porridge, like, I could have eaten a ton of that, so... Yeah.

I think she'll have that nice balance.

Whether I win or not, I always feel pressure 'cause I want to do-- give it my all.

Mae, voice-over: The first thing I do is cook the rice.

♪ While I'm waiting for that to cook, I start prepping chicken, marinating it.

Ginger.

I like to shred the ginger very finely.

I know my congee pretty well.

I've got it down to a science.

♪ I was going to Kentucky ♪ ♪ I was going to the fair ♪ Ha ha!

I know.

I'm just getting silly.

Ha!

♪ Doug: Tim, what's going on over there, buddy?

Tim: Doing great.

It's a little--just a little slippy.

Heh heh!

Tim, voice-over: To impress the judges this week, everything has to be perfectly diced, perfectly cut, and it has to have a lot of flavor.

I am making just a good old-fashioned, homemade chicken pot pie.

[Sizzles] I'm gonna make a chicken pot pie that I remember my grandmother making for me.

That's where I get my Southern roots, from Grandmama.

Like Grandma said, if you're sick, there's two things you need--you need rest and you need a full belly.

In my chicken pot pie, I like to use chicken thighs.

I think it adds a lot of flavor.

I also add celery, onion, and carrots.

The great part about this dish is the oven time is very minimal 'cause it's all gonna be cooked.

♪ Not my prettiest moment 'cause I am not a baker.

In this round, I'm making individual servings for the judges, so I'll go ahead and portion out my pastry dough that it'll fit nicely over the serving bowls.

[Distant chatter] I want to make sure they're all nice and hearty, 'cause I want the chefs to get a little bite of everything.

I'm feeling good because the only part that the oven needs to do is just get the pastry dough puffed.

Marcella: What you got going on over there?

Tim: Doing a little chicken pot pie.

Oh, yeah.

How 'bout yourself?

Ah, just making some duchess potatoes.

"Just making some duchess potatoes."

No-- She makes it sound like it's so easy.

No big deal.

Marcella, voice-over: My recipe remedy dish is a classic beef cutlet with duchess potatoes.

My kids love cutlets.

Whenever they ask me, "Hey, Mom, what's for dinner tonight?"

and I say, "Oh, we're having cutlets tonight," it's almost like you can see the sigh of relief.

Now for the meat.

Marcella, voice-over: I grew up eating cutlets.

It's just one of those dishes that feels like everything's gonna be all good... and now, my kids feel the same way about it.

There we go.

♪ Marcella, voice-over: The first thing I want to do is just get the potatoes out of the way because duchess potatoes can be a little bit challenging.

Depending on how well you cook the potatoes, they might be overcooked or overstirred...

It's the fun part.

Marcella, voice-over: and when you do that, you run the risk of them losing their shape with the piping.

Lam: So it looks like Marcella's doing duchess potatoes, which I gotta tell ya, not my fave.

Ramos: Oh.

It's mashed potatoes, which--hey, great-- and then, when I had to make 'em... Derry: Pipe 'em.

[Laughing] you piped it out into, like, a little spiral... Uh-huh.

and then you baked it to get a crust, but here's the deal.

The crust is never really crusty, it's just dry.

Derry: Yeah.

I'm really excited for Marcella's potatoes to just, like, turn you around.

We're gonna be looking at you for that bite.

Whew!

♪ 35 minutes left.

Wow, that time's flying by.

Oh!

Yeah.

Marcella: I feel like I just started.

Kim: OK. Kim, voice-over: I'm making everything pesto.

My daughter absolutely loves pesto.

I call it "everything" because we'll go out into the garden together and find everything in there that could possibly go in a pesto.

We're talking basil, cilantro, dill, chives, and I'm adding walnuts to my pesto because they add a really nice texture.

♪ It's, like, better than I make at home.

Ha ha!

♪ So, I got to keep an eye on time here.

Marcella, voice-over: For the cutlets, one thing that my mom always taught me is to soak your cutlets in red wine vinegar.

That vinegar step is so critical to adding that-- [clicks teeth]--zing.

Heh!

I don't know that I needed that much flour.

So here we go.

Shake it off.

This is the assembly line.

The egg, dip it, and then breadcrumb and then cutlet.

[Sizzling] Mae, voice-over: Chinese chicken congee is not a super-involved dish, but it's the technique.

You don't want to burn it.

You don't want to make it too thick.

You're breaking the rice.

That's what you're doing.

Mae, voice-over: So, you know, from experience, you know what the texture should be like.

[Sighs] Ramos: 15 minutes left!

15 minutes.

Gotta hustle.

Whew!

Whew!

Don't really want to open it too much, but our eggs are nice and set, I can see some bubbling around the exterior.

All right.

♪ Into the oven ♪ ♪ [Chopping rapidly] Ooh.

Hey, Jon.

Yeah.

Hey, Francis.

How's it going?

I'm great.

What you got going on?

So I'm making Sopa Azteca.

Can I get a taste of it now?

Yeah, please.

I'll just taste the broth.

It's gonna be hot.

Yeah, just taste the broth.

You'll see a little bit of that smokiness.

It's nice.

You don't have a lot of time left... Yeah.

but I think you want a little more concentration of flavor.

Jon: OK. Francis: Looking at your giant pot... Jon: Yeah.

getting it in a nice, wide pot gives you more surface area so the moisture can evaporate quickly.

And then pour it back in when I'm done.

Thank you, sir.

Yeah, exactly.

That way, you just get some more reduction on both sides...

I love it.

so it doesn't take as long.

Jon: Appreciate it.

Francis: Good luck.

♪ Adjo: The steam, the steam.

Ramos: Adjo, how's it going?

It's going well.

My--I'm releasing my first pressure cooker.

When you see that steam, it's moment of truth.

Yeah, it is the moment of truth.

How'd it work out?

There is nothing you can do now.

You just... [Chuckling] hope and pray to the pressure-cooker gods, you know?

[Laughter] Adjo, voice-over: I'm incredibly nervous.

Come on, baby, come on baby.

Voice-over: I even did the dance and everything.

Ooh-ee!

Derry: Cooks, we have 7 minutes left.

Ramos: Get everything on the plate.

I'm short on time.

Yessss.

Oh, looking beautiful to me.

Seeing if I can actually get this out of my hot pan.

Pasta's done.

Kim, voice-over: The pasta tastes good, and it has the right kind of al-dente feel.

For garnish, I'm going to add some bacon to top it all off.

Jon: Remember the salt, Jon.

Tim: This thing is just all kinds of unfair.

Tim, voice-over: I noticed at times getting down a little bit and the pastry dough was not puffing like I wanted, so I decided to switch over to the broiler.

♪ Ramos: Tim is looking like he's worried about time.

Derry: Right.

Lam: He's starting to move with a little bit of...anxious energy.

Tim, voice-over: So I'm definitely monitoring 'cause the last thing I want to do is burn the pie crust.

Lam: The problem when you open your oven is you lose 5, 10 degrees every time you open that door.

Tim, voice-over: Keep looking at the oven.

They're gonna go straight from here to the plate.

Ramos: 30 seconds, everyone.

This is it.

Finishing touches.

30 seconds.

Oh, my goodness.

Kim: They're very long noodles, you guys.

[Giggles] ♪ Mae, voice-over: And I hope I have enough.

♪ Ramos: 10, 9, 8, 7... Ooh, looking good.

6, 5... [Judges join in] 4, 3, 2, 1.

Ramos: Time's up!

[Cooks cheer] Ramos: Hands up!

♪ [Clucking] ♪ Ramos: You had 60 minutes to make us your recipe remedy dish.

Lam: I'm feeling terrible.

I need a little something.

Who's gonna help me out here?

[All chuckle] [Laughter] Ramos: First up, Marcella, come join us.

Adjo, whispering: Marcy, you got this.

Hi, friends.

Judges: Hello.

I made for you today a classic beef cutlet with duchess potatoes, or, as my mother likes to call them, "duchessa."

It's synonymous with comfort.

Lam: You should have heard me talking so much trash about duchess potatoes.

Oh.

Heh!

And now I want to eat them all.

Oh, good.

They are so rich in potato flavor, but still moist and creamy, and they're just fabulous.

The cutlet itself, you've done a really nice job frying it.

It's crisp.

It's really nicely cooked.

It's well-seasoned.

Thank you.

Hollingsworth: I agree.

This is a dish that I would make for my kids.

They would really like it.

You know, I see the sentiment.

Thank you.

Ramos: Jon, come and join us.

Jon: My recipe remedy is Sopa Azteca, also known as tortilla soup.

It's one of those comfort dishes for my family to show them how much I care about them.

And you all are my family, these guys are my family, so I made it for you.

Lam: Now we can only say nice things about you.

Ramos: Yeah, I know.

Ha ha!

Oh, it worked.

Whew!

Hollingsworth: Chicken tortilla soup is one of my favorite soups.

I like the depth and flavor because I think you used some chilies that were blended up in there.

Jon: Yes.

Derry: I agree.

It's a good spice, yeah, and having something like this would definitely, I feel, like, make me feel better instantly because it feels like someone prepared this with intention and love, with all of the textures.

A lot of times with the tortilla soup, we take and blend in tortillas... Oh!

and that way, you have some tortilla real flavor coming from the soup as well.

I love that.

Thank you.

Adjo.

Adjo: My recipe remedy is goat pepper soup.

I make this for my kids when they're sick.

Derry: Adjo, you have ginger, it's garlic.

There are so many flavors that are all hitting, but yet not overpowering, but the goat could have used a few more minutes... OK. because some of the pieces near the bone has a little bit of a chew.

That's the theme through my time here so far.

Ha ha!

Me and pressure-cooker drama.

Lam: Yeah, I agree that some of the bites were tougher.

but I will say, for the challenge, this very gingery, a little bit spicy, very earthy soup is magnificent.

Thank you.

Ramos: Doug, come join us.

Doug: I've made for you a fennel sausage stuffing frittata.

This recipe remedy is for my husband when we just want comfy food.

Hollingsworth: Doug, this is a very interesting take on a frittata.

I'm thinking about my family.

I'm thinking about the holidays.

The one thing I will say is that, you know, it's very rich, it's very heavy, but there's a lot of seasoning in the sausage, a lot of flavor going on.

Your cooking keeps getting better and better.

Thank you so much.

Derry: Yeah, there's a lot of flavor going on here, and I'm just happy to see that the salt and the seasoning and the herbs and the spices all play rather well together here.

Thank you, Chef.

Ramos: Tim.

Tim: I've chosen to do a chicken pot pie that I remember my grandmother making for me.

She always said remedy for anything is a full belly and some rest.

Lam: You have really nice browning on the puff pastry, but it didn't quite puff.

When puff pastry puffs, that's where you get all that nice flakiness.

I would just say cheat by baking the puff pastry as a lid, right?

OK. And then you have your really nice stew and then just drop the lid on top.

Derry: Ha ha!

He's like, "I never thought about that at all."

I never thought about that till just now.

[Laughter] Hollingsworth: I agree on the puff pastry.

When you're baking with puff pastry, you don't want to continue to open the oven.

You want to keep the heat in there, but I love the fact your vegetables are cooked great, your chicken's cooked nice.

You have a decent amount of seasoning in here.

You weren't shy on the black pepper.

I love black pepper.

You know, overall, I think you did a great job.

Thank you, Tim.

Thank you all.

Derry and Hollingsworth: Thank you.

Ramos: Mae.

Hello, Judges.

I made chicken congee.

I've always had this as a child.

Hollingsworth: It's very, very refreshing to be able to have something that's so simply made, but every single part of it, the execution is really, really good.

I mean, you have just enough ginger, just enough spice.

The chicken is beautifully tender, so clean.

It feels like a mom made it.

[All chuckling] That's what I am to my kids, yeah.

Derry: This is quite delicious.

The chicken is extremely tender, and there are these little hints of the slivered ginger.

It's just one of those dishes that you want to continue to eat.

Ramos: Thank you so much, Mae.

Thank you.

Ramos: Kim.

Kim: Today, I made for you a scratch linguine with what I call my everything pesto.

I love making this for my daughter Maya, and I feel like pasta just makes everyone feel better.

Derry: Well, Kim, today didn't come easy for you.

Your pasta needed more hydration, but we kneaded it a little bit more, added a touch of oil.

You made it work.

I love this silky pasta, and then the bacon pieces that you fried kind of give it a little crunch.

The flavors here are delicious from your everything pesto.

[Chuckles] Hollingsworth: I think the dish is great.

You making that pasta over there reminded me of a few times I saw my mom making pasta, brought back great memories.

Thank you for that.

Thank you.

Kim, voice-over: When someone says a dish reminds them of home, any of us home cooks should take that as a really good sign.

♪ Ramos: Cooks, we asked you to make a dish that always brightens your spirits, and your dishes certainly brightened ours.

Judges, who made your favorite dishes this round?

Our first favorite dish was... ♪ Doug's.

Oh, my goodness.

[Cheering] [Chuckling] Wow!

Mae: Congratulations!

Thank you.

Lam: Your fennel sausage stuffing frittata was hearty and meaty, but the eggs were still cooked delicately, and the crunchy bread was just a really terrific touch.

It was totally satisfying.

Doug: Thank you so much.

Doug, voice-over: I'm on cloud nine.

After having the farro vegetable medley win from last week, now I'm feeling pressure.

I need to keep this up.

Hollingsworth: And our second-favorite dish was... ♪ Mae's.

Marcella: Wow.

Kim: Oh, good job, Mae.

Mae: Thank you.

Hollingsworth: Mae, your chicken congee was warm.

I felt the love.

I really appreciate all of the delicate flavors and how everything is so subtle, and it has just the right amount of everything in there.

And I'm jealous that I didn't get to grow up in your household.

Ha ha ha ha!

Thank you.

Mae, voice-over: I'm so happy my congee was a top dish for this round because I knew in my heart I gave it everything I had.

Ramos: Thank you, cooks, for sharing those tasty and touching recipes with us.

Be sure to take what you've learned from the judges into the next round.

[Birds chirping] ♪ Ramos: From a memorable dinner date to your children's favorite heartwarming dish, these recipes are sure to make your loved one's heart skip a beat.

For this next round, we want you to create a special dish that always brings a smile to your loved one's face.

Derry: You'll have 60 minutes to prepare your love-filled dish.

We are still gonna judge them, though, so love and judgment always go hand in hand.

[Chuckling] And your dishes will be judged on taste, execution, presentation, and of course, how well you do with the theme, so we definitely want to feel the love in these dishes.

Ramos: There is about to be a whole lotta love in this kitchen because your 60 minutes starts now.

[Cooks cheer] Hollingsworth: Yeah.

[Judges clap and chuckle] OK. All right, lots of chopping.

Lots of chop, chop, chopping to do.

Need lemons.

Ramos: We asked the home cooks to prepare a love-filled dish that they make for their special someone.

What's important to see in a dish that you're making for someone special?

Derry: I think we're gonna get a lot of different expressions of love today... Ramos: Yeah.

because some dishes are based on that first-time date... Hollingsworth: Mm-hmm.

and, like, a lot of times, what we've seen in the past-- there's normally, like, a steak or a chop.

Adding my, uh, lamb chops to the bowl.

Pasta dishes and things like that, because that's their go-tos a lot of times.

Mm-hmm.

Judges, you're gonna feel the love.

Oh.

Jon!

So excited.

Derry: Ha!

Jon, voice-over: When I hear the challenge of cooking for someone you love, I immediately go to seafood.

My wife loves seafood, so I'm making salmon and shrimp al moho de ajo, which is a garlic sauce and a green rice.

I have been married for 36 years, and that just reminds me how lucky I am.

Even though she's not here, I'm thinking about her as I'm making my dish.

♪ The first thing I've got to do is start my garlic cream sauce.

It's a heavy-cream, chopped-garlic mojo ajo, so it's the garlic with a little bit of butter.

I'm gonna add a lot of finishing touches.

It's gonna have both lemon juice in addition to the lemon rind.

I'm really listening to the judges to amp up my seasonings.

Little Bolivian pink salt for the end.

♪ Ramos: How you doing, Mae?

Oh, good.

Thank you.

[Chuckles] Mae, voice-over: The judges loved my congee.

I was kind of surprised, but I knew it was good.

When I'm cooking, I'm real serious.

Mae, voice-over: For this round, I'm making my Singapore noodles.

Singapore noodles is noodles with shrimp, vegetables, and curry powder.

My husband loves that very much.

Maybe it reminds him of home because it has curry in it.

Mae, voice-over: My husband is Sri Lankan, and he likes very spicy food, but good food to me is good food.

♪ I got to time this.

Mae, voice-over: To make the Singapore noodles, you have to first blanch the rice sticks to be softened.

This is sort of an involved dish, but I know my husband likes it very much, so I do go out of the way to make it for him.

♪ Then I sauté the shrimp separately and season with a little salt and cornstarch to make the texture just right.

This is kind of involved, you know.

I don't know why I choose these dishes.

Because they're so darn good.

That's why.

Ha ha!

♪ I don't usually measure, but with this one, I do because it's not Italian.

[Chuckles] Marcella, voice-over: This round, I'm gonna prepare my husband Joey's favorite-- crab cakes with a pineapple mango salsa.

Need a whisk.

Voice-over: These crab cakes consist of jumbo-lump crab meat, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, panko breadcrumbs, and an egg.

Think the love is definitely gonna come through because, I mean, when I make this dish, it's always for him.

The hardest thing about making these crab cakes is getting that mixture with the right consistency so they don't fall apart when I fry them.

Hello, Marcella.

How are you?

Hey, how's it going?

Doing well.

What are we making?

I'm making crab cakes for my babe.

Who are we talking about?

Who is this lucky guy?

Oh, my husband.

Oh.

My husband's name is Joe.

Joe.

He's just an all-around awesome guy, so I'm gonna try to do my best and honor him the best way I know how.

Aw, that's sweet.

Heh heh!

Yeah.

When I first started dating him, I kinda really wanted to win him over and, like... Yeah?

I called his mom and she was like, "Oh, he loves crab cakes.

It's, like, his favorite food."

So you made the dish that his mom made him?

Yes.

Ha ha!

That's dangerous.

Ha ha ha!

Yes, yeah.

Well, and make sure, when you're forming your crab cakes, especially since you don't have a breading... Yeah.

making sure that you have a nice, beautiful shape, you know?

Yep.

What are you gonna sauté it in?

Nonstick pan?

OK. Yeah, nonstick.

I think nonstick, yeah.

OK. [Both chuckling] Well, you would know.

Awesome.

Can't wait to try the finished dish.

[Chuckles] Thank you.

Good luck.

Thanks.

♪ All right, mise en place, mise en place, mise en place.

Doug, voice-over: For this heartfelt challenge, I am making lemon pasta, which is the dish I make for the love of my life, my husband Greg.

This dish represents love for us because, although it looks simple on the surface, it's actually pretty complicated.

Just like that there's a lot of depth to any good relationship, and the sweet story is, anytime he goes away for a long work trip, or I do, I make this dish, so it's sort of our "go away and come back," sort of good-bye kiss or "Hello again."

I start by zesting all of the lemons and then slicing all of our garlic, then I add our red-pepper flakes and our sun-dried tomatoes to allow them to bloom and rehydrate.

My food is straightforward, but there's a lot of depth in the flavor, and the judges notice that.

♪ Every last bit, get in there ♪ Ramos: Doug's got lemon pasta, so what do we want to see there?

That is daring, I got to say, like-- I mean, that-- Lemon pasta is very classic... Yeah, yeah.

And there's nothing to hide behind--like, lemon and pasta.

There is nothing, so it has to be right.

Heh heh!

Doug, voice-over: I actually still use a sieve because I don't want any seeds going into the sauce.

I think that would just sort of ruin the textural element of it.

You really want to take care making this dish, the kind of way I take care of the person I love.

♪ Adjo: This is going to be a marinade for the lamb.

We want to make sure all the flavors are in this marinade, or the lamb is not gonna get it.

For this challenge, I'm making lamb chops and green beans with a side of fried plantains.

All right.

In the marinade, we have rosemary, lemon zest, garlic, some bouillon cubes, and some salt.

This dish, I make for my kids, Olivia and Harrison, and they absolutely love it.

The most special people in my life are my kids.

Make sure we got enough.

And they are such picky eaters, but my lamb chops are one thing they won't complain about.

[Sizzling] Derry: Give yourself room.

Don't crowd the pans.

Lam: I'm gonna check out those lamb chops at Adjo's station.

Yeah.

Bring me one back.

Ramos: Ha ha ha!

Lam: Ooh!

Adjo.

Yes, sir.

Girl, that smells good.

I always joke around-- if you haven't had my lamb chops, we're not friends yet.

Heh heh!

What I'm looking for is a nice pink in the middle.

Yeah.

I like my meat medium, and I find out most people do, too.

What I would say to you, too, in terms of the cook... Yeah?

You see the burner?

Yeah.

If that's the big burner... Yeah.

and that's, like, the little, tiny burner... OK.

So you're not gonna get a lot of color on these ones.

On these ones?

OK.

So I might think about moving-- Moving them around a bit?

Or moving these to there when those are ready.

That will help melt that fat and render that fat.

OK, absolutely.

Thank you, Chef.

Heh!

Adjo, voice-over: Food is definitely my love language.

If I'm not cooking for you, I don't love you.

♪ Just like I want it ♪ ♪ Doug: All right.

I am gonna sear it, if I could ever get it cut.

Voice-over: I'm making yellow Thai curry, which I would make for date night with my husband Bruce, and it starts with browning the chicken thighs.

The main flavor component in this curry dish is the yellow curry paste.

This paste has things like lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and then, once that is cooked out a bit, I will add fish sauce, brown sugar, coconut milk, lime juice, and a little chicken stock.

On our very first date, he took me to a Thai restaurant, and I'd never had those flavors before and it blew my mind, so I learned how to make this dish because he loves Thai food so much.

We've seen a lot of range from Kim, and now she's making a yellow Thai curry.

One thing that's really interesting about Alaska, there is a really striking amount of cultural diversity, especially in the cities.

I don't know if that's what her influence is, but I think that is part of the story of Alaska that a lot of people do not realize.

Yeah, I think America is such a melting pot of different cultures, and I really enjoy the fact that she celebrates that... Ramos: Mm-hmm.

in her diverse cooking style, while yet still being very regional...

Yes.

and highlighting the cuisine of her origin.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Kim: Balance is huge with this dish, kind of a little bit like marriage--a little salty, a little sweet.

[Sizzling] ♪ This dish was the first dish that I made for my wife Ashley.

I'm making a lemon-grilled salmon over a couscous tabbouleh salad.

She loved it.

We're married now, so--heh!

I'm gonna start off with my couscous.

My wife Ashley, she's been such a great partner in crime, best friend, and I think the greatest part about her is, like, she pushes me when I may not be sure of myself.

I love cranberries, and I just thought this would give it a nice tart and sweet kick to it.

The couscous starts off with pearl couscous, a ton of chopped parsley, some English cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, red onions, and some dried cranberries.

I hope that the judges fall in love with it, like my wife fell in love with me after I made it.

Derry: 20 minutes left, guys.

Whoo!

Heard.

Jon: Thank you, ma'am.

Tim, voice-over: For the salmon, I'm gonna season it with some olive oil, some salt and pepper, put it on the griddle pan, and then keep brushing it with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice, kind of get that lemon-juice flavor in there.

♪ Derry: See that salmon fire.

Hollingsworth: Uh-oh, he's got fire.

Whoo!

I'm coming, Tim!

Tiffany's en route!

Ha ha ha ha!

She's fired up.

Heh heh!

Derry: Where there is smoke, there is fire.

I got to start fires for you to come check me out?

Whoo!

How you doing?

I'm good.

Now, is that how you season everything?

Yeah, I try to keep it up kind of high so it gets-- That wasn't enough.

That wasn't enough?

All right.

That was two fingers.

There we go.

OK, so what temp are we looking for here with your salmon?

I like it about a medium-rare.

Awesome.

So, Tim, we feel...

Yes, ma'am.

like you're right on the cusp.

You have made a few dishes that were just delicious, and then you had something on the plate that wasn't amazing, right?

Uh-huh.

So I really want to see you come through today with giving us some bold flavors, so keep working it.

You're almost there.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you very much.

OK?

Thank you.

Good luck.

Tim, voice-over: When Tiffany says that I've always just been right there, it makes me feel good.

You know, although I haven't been a top contender, I'm right there.

Think that's what she wants.

♪ [Sizzling] Marcella: When I cook crab cakes, I kind of just go by, like, the coloring 'cause crab is precooked, so it's not a matter of anything more than getting the right color and cooking the egg that's in the mixture inside.

♪ That is amazing.

All right.

Yay!

OK. Let's go.

15 minutes left, everyone.

15 minutes!

Doug: Whew!

Running out of time.

Jon: Ooh, plantains.

Adjo: Plantains.

♪ Plantain is life ♪ [Hums] Jon: You got to teach me how to use plantains.

It's just something that I'm not used to baking, but everything I taste and eat... Really?

Yes.

I absolutely love.

Oh, my goodness.

So plantains are very, very popular in African cuisine.

You can fry them, you can roast them, you can boil them 'cause the sweetness come through.

Yeah.

♪ Adjo: The secret to making a good plantain is picking the right plantain.

I like yellow with a little bit of brown spots.

I wish there's more to it, but there really isn't.

Ha ha ha ha!

Tastes great.

Just like I make it at home, baby.

♪ Mm.

Not enough salt.

Mae, voice-over: Now that I have prepped everything, I will add some Jaffna curry powder.

Jaffna is the northern part of Sri Lanka, where my husband comes from.

Oh, Lord.

Voice-over: Jaffna Curry powder is very known for its spiciness.

I have to put some sesame oil and green onions, OK?

Derry: Mae's going back to the shrimp again.

Lam: The shrimp is perfectly cooked.

I'm a little obsessed with this right now.

Aw.

Thank you.

Derry: But, you know, making sure that the rice noodles are properly cooked.

That is the star of the dish.

Mm-hmm.

♪ Lam: You really want them to have, like, a spring in your mouth.

Derry: Yes.

They should really be satisfying and chewy, almost like a snap.

Yeah, yeah.

Ramos: Yeah.

Mae: I hope the judges like spice.

Ha ha ha!

5 minutes, everyone!

Jon: 5 minutes!

Ooh!

Ramos: How is everyone feeling with just a few minutes left?

Do you need more?

Marcella: Yes!

No!

Sorry!

Can't have it!

Ha ha ha ha!

Jon: I'm good.

Voice-over: The trickiest part for my dish is to cook the salmon perfect.

If you overcook it, it's wrong.

If you undercook it, it doesn't make any sense.

We're in good shape.

I'm gonna let them sit in the oven for a little while while the other batch goes in.

Lam: So it looks like Jon is doing the sear on the stovetop and then finish in the oven with the salmon, which is a totally nice way to do that.

Derry: But one thing that a lot of cooks don't think about is that carryover cooking... Oh, yeah.

because I don't want to see well-done salmon.

Yeah.

Although, you know what?

I also don't like rare, so I guess we're looking for perfection.

Ha ha!

That's what we're looking for.

Is that too much?

Well, these are the best home cooks in the country, so who better to bring this perfection?

♪ Two minutes.

Jon: Two minutes.

We got time.

We can do it.

Voice-over: Time is almost up, but I think this is what they're looking for to get the winning dish for this challenge.

♪ 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5... Ramos and Judges: 4, 3, 2, 1.

Derry: Whoo-hoo!

Great job, everyone!

Whoo!

[Applause] ♪ Ramos: This week, we wanted you to prepare recipes that capture what it means to show love to someone through your food.

Lam: And as always, we're gonna be judging these dishes based on taste, execution, presentation, and how well you captured this love-filled theme.

Tim, come on up.

♪ Tell us what you made and who you usually make this for.

Tim: I have a skillet-seared lemon salmon over couscous tabbouleh.

When my wife and I were first dating, this was the first dish that I made for her on one of our first dates when she first came over.

Came to the house.

OK. [Scattered chuckling] Hollingsworth: The salmon itself, the caramelization that you have is beautiful, just the right amount of sear.

Lam: Yeah, I agree, and this pearl couscous is not very easy to cook.

You've got it just right, where it's still a little bit bouncy, and the cranberries is a new addition for me.

I haven't thought about that... All right.

but I really love that dried-fruit sweetness that it adds.

This is really, really nice.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Ramos: Mae, come join us.

OK.

This is called Singapore noodles, and my husband is from Sri Lanka, land of curry, so he loves this dish.

Lam: I love this dish.

Your shrimp are always perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked every single time.

But I would say I think the noodles start to break a little bit on you because when I'm eating it, the noodles are a bit shorter, and ideally, the texture of this noodle is almost a little bit snappy in the mouth, and here, I think they've overcooked, but this dish just makes me happy in sort of any form, so I'm a little bit biased.

Hollingsworth: I agree with Francis here.

For me, I feel like the spice is just, like, a nice, even spice that coats my mouth.

I just want to keep eating it.

It's like a craveable spice.

Thank you, Mae.

Lam: Thank you, Mae.

Ramos: Marcella.

I made for you today a traditional New England crab cake, and I made this dish because it really encompasses the love that I have for my husband.

He is my favorite person to cook for.

Ah, he's just the best.

Derry: Aw!

Ha ha!

I can't say enough about him.

Ramos: Oh, Marcella.

Ha ha ha!

I think the sear on your crab cake looks gorgeous.

I think you have a nice, golden brown.

Very, very nice, and crab with tropical fruit pairs really, really nicely together, but then you're getting a chunk of pineapple... Derry: Right, yeah.

a chunk of mango.

It's not, like, small dice.

Lam: Yeah, I agree, and I am a fan of the minimally seasoned crab cake.

I still taste the crab, but I just got a bite with, like, a little bit of celery seed, and that flavor is really beautiful, and that's going with the crab, and so kudos to you.

Thank you.

Adjo, come join us.

Hello, Chefs.

Today, I made for you guys my favorite lamb chops with some green beans and plantains on the side.

Derry: Adjo, the plate is beautiful, and one of my favorite things on a plate right now is these plantains.

They're so good.

Ah, thank you, Chef.

So good.

These plantains are addictive.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chef.

The lamb itself has incredible flavor.

I mean, rosemary and lamb is delicious, but in some areas, I have a little bit of pink, and then, some areas, I don't have any pink.

I oftentimes save those pieces that I know are perfect, and I put it off to the side as I keep cooking, and then I'll make the decision later on which one I put on the plate.

OK. Hollingsworth: I definitely agree.

I think that the sear could have been done a little bit better.

The way that you achieve that is by having a hotter pan... Adjo: Mm-hmm.

and using less lamb, because that lamb was gonna drop the temperature of the pan.

Thank you, Judges.

Thank you, Alejandra.

Doug.

Hello, Judges.

At home, we simply call it lemon pasta.

It's the dish that I always make for my husband Greg when he goes away and when he comes home.

[Voice trembling] I'm sorry.

Um, I love this person, and, uh, these are all the flavors that he loves.

We really just complete and balance one another.

That's beautiful.

Hollingsworth: The simplest things are always the hardest to prepare.

There's really nothing to hide behind, but I love the cracked black pepper.

The pasta has a decent amount of lemon, and when you bite into that sun-dried tomato, you get, like, this burst of sweet umami as well.

Derry: Yeah, absolutely agree.

Because it comes off simple, and there are so many complex flavors here, you want to try that next bite.

I love that you tore the basil because when we chiffonade, it gets black.

And this really speaks to my heart.

I enjoy it very much.

Thank you so much, Chef.

All right, Kim, come join us.

Kim: So, today, I made a yellow Thai curry with chicken.

I make it for my husband.

He's in love with Thai food, so I thought it would be kind of special to try and learn a Thai dish for him.

I think this is very tasty.

Everything in it is cooked nicely.

The only thing I would say, even though you used a prepared curry paste, there could have been a little more of that curry flavor; not heat, necessarily, but just more of that aroma.

And a lot of times, too, people will go a little bit overboard on the paste and, like, the coconut milk is kind of, like, fighting for its life, you know, It's like, here, curry paste is like, "Aah!"

and you're like, "Oh, we're here, too," but, like, sweet, it's mellow.

Kim: I actually totally agree with you.

He's sweet.

He likes it sweet, so-- Yeah.

Ha ha!

You know what?

I really appreciate it, actually.

I like the sauce, the fact that you kind of made it your own.

I think you did a great job on this dish.

Thank you, Judges.

Ramos: All right, Jon.

Come and join us.

♪ Jon, tell us what you made and who you make this recipe for.

Jon: This is salmon and shrimp in a mojo de ajo cream sauce.

My wife loves seafood.

The thing that I did and I hope that you'll see is she's more into sort of a medium-well salmon.

I like it a little bit more rare, but I wanted to sort of stay in the middle.

Well, Jon, that is a perfectly... [Cooks cheering] executed... Look at Jon!

salmon, Jon.

That is pure perfection.

Thank you, ma'am.

The salmon is beautifully seasoned as well.

I can taste the lemon.

The shrimp is not overcooked.

Well done!

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Jon, I have one thing to say to you.

Yes?

The salt level is perfect.

Jon: Ah!

Ramos, clapping: Yes!

Ha ha ha ha!

Jon: I've been listening to you all.

Ramos: Thank you so much.

Jon, voice-over: Holy cow!

I feel really good, and more importantly, I feel like I did my wife proud.

♪ Ramos: All right, let's dive in.

What do you think about these plates presented this round?

I think one of the standouts for sure was Doug.

Not only was that bowl of pasta amazing, such good lemon and garlic, but, quite frankly, the story was beautiful.

Yeah.

He really poured that love into the pasta for us to feel it as well.

Lam: And I think we should talk about Jon as well.

Ramos: Yes.

The consistent note that we have had for Jon is more flavor and more salt.

Derry: Mm-hmm.

And you know what?

he nailed the salt.

He did.

Lam: And the cook on all the seafood was perfect.

Ramos: I feel like we just met Jon.

Derry: Jon, welcome.

Lam: Yeah.

Welcome to the "Great American Recipe."

Ha ha!

Hollingsworth: You know, one of my favorites for the round was Kim with her yellow Thai curry.

It was a unique version of a classic dish.

I thought Kim's curry was very good.

I mean, the coconut was there.

There was a little bit of spice, and the curry and that rice together.

Ramos: All right.

Which dishes need a little bit of extra love this round?

I hate to say it because I loved everything that she's made so far.

Heh heh!

Say it.

Yeah.

Mama Mae.

[Laughter] Lam: I--yeah, I hear you, man.

And I just think a couple of things got away from her.

You could see that the noodles were so short 'cause they were breaking on her in the wok.

Yeah.

I feel like it's one of those things where it's like she's cooking in a different environment, but the flavor was there.

Others: Yeah.

You know, the other dish that I felt could use a little bit of improvement was Marcella's crab cake.

Lam: I thought Marcella's crab cake was really nicely executed, really nicely seasoned.

But her pineapple mango salsa, I just didn't love the two together.

Hollingsworth: Yeah, I agree.

I think it's a little bit of execution for me.

I wish she could just, like, do it like a little brunoise or a small dice.

Mm-hmm.

Derry: Another dish lacking a little bit was Adjo's lamb chop with the green beans.

Lam: Yeah, the flavor of the lamb chops was also excellent.

Her biggest problem, honestly?

She tried to cook too many... Yeah.

at one time, and they just didn't get the heat to get that char and to get that doneness.

But those were the best plantains.

Derry: Those were the best-- They were so good.

It was the best part of the dish.

The best part of the dish was the plantains.

I ate all yours.

[Both laugh] OK, it seems like you've all come to the decision, so let's bring the cooks back in.

[Birds chirping] ♪ Ramos: We asked you to cook and present a favorite dish of someone you love.

It was a very difficult decision, but unfortunately, there were two dishes that weren't quite as successful.

The first dish that we felt needed a little bit of improvement was... Mae.

Your Singapore noodles lacked a little bit of flavor, but really, it came down to the noodles.

We think definitely having a hotter wok and not overworking the noodles in it would have definitely changed that dish.

OK. Lam: The other dish that we felt could have used a little bit of improvement was... ♪ Adjo, with your lamb chops and green beans.

There was so much to love about your dish, but the cook of the lamb needed a little tweak of not crowding the grill as much and getting a little more of that char and getting a little bit of that fat rendered.

Ramos: All right, now let's get to the real lovey-dovey stuff, shall we?

Doug: Oh.

Heh heh!

Judges, which are your top two dishes this round?

The first dish that stole our hearts was... ♪ Doug's.

Geez.

[Applause] Hollingsworth: Your lemon pasta was delicious.

We really noticed all the love and the details that you put in there.

The pasta was cooked perfectly.

You had nice garlic in there.

I think the tomatoes brought out that umami and really helped bring everything together and balance out that lemon.

Great work.

Thank you, Judges.

Thank you.

Oh, thanks, guys.

Thank you.

Our other favorite dish of the round was... ♪ Jon.

Jon: Oh!

Derry: Jon!

Yay!

Yes!

Yes!

Adjo: There you go.

Derry: Jon, your shrimp and salmon mojo de ajo.

It was a pleasure to eat your food today.

I just kept thinking, "Where has this Jon been?"

[Laughter] The cook on the salmon is what we just kept coming back to.

And the seasoning, all of it really tied very well together.

Jon: Thank you.

So both dishes were outstanding, but there can only be one winning dish, and that is... ♪ Lam: Doug.

Oh, my goodness!

Jon: Whoo!

Oh, my goodness!

[Sniffles] Thank you.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh!

This was meant for you.

You truly have been listening to all of the advice.

We see you adding more salt and tasting more, and all of those details that we keep talking to everyone about is going to be the difference.

Adjo: Yeah.

Doug: Thank you, Judges.

Voice-over: Knowing that they love this dish that my husband and I love the most, wow!

It's--I mean, it's kind of unbelievable, and in the back of my mind, it's lighting a fire that I've got to keep the intensity and bringing as much as I can every week.

Ramos: Great job, everyone.

You're all one step closer to the finale, where one of you will be named the winner.

Marcella: Yes.

Ramos: We're gonna see you all next week for more of your great American recipes.

Yes!

Whoo!

Derry: Bye, everyone.

Have a good night!

Thank you, Judges.

Great job done, Jon.

Bye.

Great job.

Jon: Thank you.

Ramos: Next time, on "The Great American Recipe"...

This week's theme is all about baking.

I was probably baking before I was cooking.

I love baking...

I have no idea how this is gonna turn out.

not.

It's very German over here.

Derry: I want to see people bake with their heart.

I also want to see some clear technique.

[Sighs] Derry: Mae, you're gonna make it?

I need more time.

Lam: So our favorite bake-sale item was... ♪