Top Chef: Common Threads (Episode # 407)

The Zoi avenging tour came to a close last week when Jennifer was sent home for the use of an unnecessary phallic crouton. What's cooking this week?

Quick Fire Challenge: The contestants are introduced to Oprah's personal chef, Art Smith, who challenges them to make a healthy meal with Uncle Ben's rice in...15 minutes. Panic ensues as the kitchen is drowned in choruses of chefs on the go yelling "behind you! to your left! coming through!"

Immediately, Antonia starts talking up a rice and salad dish that her mom makes. No one thinks they'll like rice and salad, but she coverts them. Am I crazy? I've had rice and salad before, it's not THAT out of the box.

Nikki and Dale both think fried rice right away, with Dale doing a scallops version and Nikki keeping it veggie. The always top shelf Richard makes a tuna steak, struggling Stephanie (who I still love!) makes an out-there brown rice pancake and adorable Aussie Mark makes a miso-glazed turkey breast.

Unfortunately, two of MY top chefs, Mark and Steph, end up on the bottom of Art Smith's list. Newly confident Antonia takes the win and immunity. Rice and salad, you guys! It was revolutionary!

Elimination Challenge: The healthy theme of the episode continues, as the contestants are asked to make a nutritious and easy to cook dinner for four...on a $10 budget. AT WHOLE FOODS! Ok, that's crazy y'all. But a good, socially conscious task.

At the market, everyone's going for chicken, so Dale opts for turkey brats. He's from Chicago, he's got to do it. Somewhere else in the store, Lisa and Antonia are scandalized. "Bratwurst! That's almost as bad as Polish sausage! Somebody fetch my smelling salts!" Mark decides to make a vegetarian curry, because he and his girlfriend (sigh. I know, ladies.) cook it all the time.

When the chefs get to their kitchen, they find out they are not just cooking the dinner for kids -- they're getting help from them. The tasters and the helpers are all enrolled in Art's Common Threads cooking school. It's a charity that helps bring families together around the dinner table by teaching them how to cook good food on a budget.

As you could guess, the kids are a laugh riot in the kitchen. The best is the kid who tells Tom his favorite part of cooking is eating. Ha! Tom is a constant presence in the kitchen this challenge. He wants to see that the dishes really are so simple a child could make them.

I don't know if it's the kids, or what, but this is a pretty successful challenge all around. Spike, who has been a bit erratic, scores with his pasta. Andrew manages to get kids to eat fennel, while Richard introduces them to beets. Single mom Antonia feels like she's got the edge on this one and her stir fry with wheat noodles is scarfed down by kid and judge alike. Even Nikki, who often seems like she's on another planet, manages to impress with a one-pot wonder chicken dish.

Judge's Table: Nikki, Antonia and Andrew are the week's surprise top three, with Antonia (who has immunity) getting the final decision in her favor. They are asked to send in Mark, Lisa and Stephanie (oh no! Steph!). Mark's curry was too sweet, starchy and not all that good. Lisa's dish didn't have enough flavor (she, of course, hides behind having to use canned beans due to the budget). Stephanie mixed peanut butter and tomatoes, a choice which disgusts Tom just to talk about.

In the end, loveable Mark is sent packing -- but not before he brings up what he thinks is a personal issue between him and Tom. According to Mark, he's never been able to please the Craft chef. I'm pretty sure this is more of his incredibly dry humor, but everyone takes it seriously. Ah well!