Tonight's chefs are hungry for money.
Before they can cook, they have to play our twisted budget game.
Your veggies are so cheap, guys.
- Hello. - [Catherine] Hi.
Oh, sorry, just come right back.
That is shopping.
[Guy] 'Cause if they can put their money
where their food is,
they'll win up to $20,000.
Hey, Hunter, I forgot my wallet.
Can you take a two-party out-of-state check?
[Guy] It's bigger, badder Budget Battle
right now on Guy's Grocery games.
- Is that a no? - So, what do we...
- It's a no. - What do we do with this now?
Run.
Let's meet our budget-conscious chefs.
Now, first up, we have Jennifer Evetushick,
executive chef cooking urban saloon cowboy food
in Phoenix while earning money on the side
with her own culinary business.
I'm an executive chef at a hotel,
so I'm used to spending other people's money.
We serve upscale saloon cowboy kind of food.
There's a fun way to stay stuff that sticks to your ribs.
But recently, I started my own side hustle.
The Lady Chef. Nothing will get you squared away on budgeting
like starting your own business.
- Yeah. - Where you...
There you go. That's... They...
Get... You're almost there.
Next, we have Noelle Huerta,
executive chef from Washington State
who grew up on a humble family farm
where everything they cooked came from their own land.
Growing up on a farm, I learned to use
every part of every single ingredient
so that nothing was wasteful
because that's what cooking on a budget is all about.
- Go get 'em, chef. - [laughs]
Then, here's Day Joseph, Atlanta chef
who has transformed the cost-conscious
Haitian recipes she grew up on
into elevated Afro-Caribbean dishes for celebrity clients.
With the Haitian food, we live on an island,
so we grow and eat everything that we have.
But for my celebrity clients, there's no budget.
I mean, with my Michelin Star training, better watch what about to do.
- Good. Better blonde than me. - Thank you.
And finally, Mike White,
chef owner who knows a thing or two
about operating on a budget
since he runs three New Mexico restaurants.
Being an owner of multiple successful restaurants,
I can tell you that if I don't watch the budget
and where my money goes, the restaurants won't stay open.
My cooking style is very just off-the-wall.
I did not go to school for culinary arts
and I grew up with Food Network
and watching shows forever and I just thought,
"You know what? I'm gonna do that."
[Guy] Big man, nice ink.
They're in for it.
Well, chefs, you were hand-picked
not only because you're rife with talent,
but also because you can cook on a budget,
which is good because tonight, oh, tonight,
you're gonna be playing two of our hardest budget games.
Our judges are gonna be scoring your dishes
based upon gameplay, taste, and plating.
And the chef, unfortunately, with the lowest score
after the first round will go home,
but the chef with the highest combined score
at the end of two rounds will get a chance
to shop Flavortown Market for up to $20,000.
- A lot of zeroes. - Nice.
[Guy] All right. First challenge.
I want you to show the judges
that you are money by making a hearty lunch.
I want a lunch that looks expensive
with a taste that is priceless,
but is working inside of a budget.
[Guy] Now, to help you, I've made you a price list.
Hold on a second. You're gonna love this.
Actually, chefs, it's not a price.
It's more of a grocery list with prices.
Which is a new game just for you that I'm calling,
"Price This List."
So, let's take a look at these fantastic opportunities.
Uh, a vegetable worth more than $3.50.
A protein between $4 and $5.
Something that costs less than $2.
And a frozen item for exactly $3.99.
Copy for you, chef.
You could shop for anything else
you want in the store.
But you must include those four items
on the list in your dish.
You have 30 minutes to shop, prepare,
and plate you hearty lunch.
Out of the four of you, the three of you have a...
The... At least three of you have a good idea
- of what a hearty lunch is. - Yeah.
Which two of you think you have the best idea?
I got it.
Out of the two of you, which one of you
you think you can go and make all the money?
There we go. They're sharp.
- Oh-ho. [laughs] - [Day] Whoopsies.
[laughs] Okay.
For my celebrity clients,
I don't shop with a grocery list.
For myself, I always shop with a grocery list.
Otherwise, I'm gonna go through the store
and I'm gonna buy everything.
Definitely need some pasta.
When Guy says, "Hearty lunch," I immediately think of pasta.
Yeah. his one right here.
I usually have pasta at least once or twice a week.
Maybe four or five times a week.
So, I'm thinking peasant pasta.
Basically, it's just all the scraps,
all the things that you have left over
and you just throw it all in a pot.
I'm gonna get some of these babies right here.
These canned smoked sardines to add a little bit more
of that sea flavor in there.
All right. Something that costs less than $2.
That's my tomato paste.
So, everything on Price This List,
I'm going to put in my peasant pasta.
It's hard to find protein between $4 and $5.
And so, I'm gonna get these beautiful spot prawns
and use fine dining techniques
that I've learned over the years.
I've been wanting...
I'm gonna grab these duck eggs
just to add a little bit of decadence
to this budget meal.
Frozen item for $3.99.
I see frozen cauliflower,
so I guess I'm gonna throw that in the pasta.
Go get some fresh herbs over here.
We definitely have to have lots of herbs,
so parsley, cilantro, thyme.
And a vegetable worth $3.50.
Oyster mushrooms sauteed are gonna add
a really nice texture to my pasta.
Just because I'm on a budget,
doesn't mean I'm not bringing the flavors to Flavortown.
[Jennifer] Guy says we have to make a hearty lunch.
To me, hearty is big, bold, and beautiful, honey.
For my lunch, I'm gonna make shrimp ramen gnocchi.
I need ramen. Guy, where's the ramen at?
Ramen? You're on the right aisle.
- [Jennifer] Oh, yeah? - Down there to the left.
Hey, Susie Q, why are you sitting on your sofa back there?
Remember that ramen noodle stack you bought for $10.99?
Shrimp. One of those babies could make this gnocchi.
It's an awesome dish. Sorry.
So, onion rings are breaded and fried, heavy, hearty,
it's gonna bring all that to this dish.
A vegetable worth more than $3.50?
Trumpet mushrooms.
I got hearty, I got lunch, let's get it on.
[Noelle] For my hearty lunch, I'm making
California-inspired fish tacos.
So, this is Price This List and this is hard
because nobody reads and runs at the same time.
For my protein between $4 and $5, I'm using tilapia.
Tilapia is a really great fish and it's super cheap.
More than $3.50? It's the most expensive vegetable.
I'm grabbing a bell pepper.
Bell peppers bring a lot of freshness
and color in a taco.
For my thing that needs to cost less than $2,
I got an avocado.
Avocados are the best thing in the world.
[laughs]
For my frozen item at $3.99.
$3.99.
I chose frozen jackfruit.
Why not? I use a lot of it at home,
so I thought, "Hey, that'll be great in a taco."
So, for my fish taco,
I knew I needed fresh ingredients
and the best thing I could think of
was a nice corn salsa. And plantains
when they're double fried make the best accompaniment.
- Hello. - [Catherine] Hi.
Oh, sorry, just come right back.
[producer speaking]
- What's fun about budgeting? - [producer] Yeah.
Nothing's fun about budgeting. [laughs]
This is a real treat we've given them on the list.
I don't make the lists, by the way.
I will give you the names of the store managers
that make these lists, and their addresses.
As far as hearty goes, I don't know anything
that's more hearty than steak and potatoes.
Chef, would I find any beef for a cube steak around here?
I don't know about cube steak. Don't you work with tri tip?
I do, but that's not $4 to $5, sir.
- Yeah, $4 to $5 and beef. - Your-your-your-your fine gift that you gave us.
- Yeah, well, you know, the... - You know?
- Because I'm the giver. - [Mike] Steak is definitely overpriced,
so in this situation,
we went with ground beef, 80/20.
Let's do it.
I decided to make chicken fried beef
and mashed potatoes.
Your veggies are so cheap, guys.
I'm gonna make a real nice mushroom gravy
with shiitake mushrooms,
my item over $3.50.
Something that costs less than $2.
So, I head over to the dairy section and I grab milk,
and I grab half and half, which is my under $2 item.
$3.99. $3.99. $3.99.
Now, I need to find a frozen item that's $3.99.
-Hey, chef. Here's rainbow cauliflower. -[Mike] Sir?
- $3.99. - [Mike] Yes, chef. Please.
Just to lighten up the dish a touch.
Boom. Nailed it.
All right. Let's do this.
So, here to banter about
our bigger badder budget battle
is a band of baller judges.
Say that five times fast.
Acclaimed chef and cookbook author,
you know him as Ali's batter half.
The one and only Chef Jet Tila.
Cookbook author and founder of the meal kit service,
One Potato, she's an OG of Triple G,
the one and only Catherine McCord.
And six-time James Beard Award winner
- and fashion icon. - Yeah.
The one and only smooth criminal himself,
Sir Marcus Samuelsson.
- I mean... - What's on today, Chef?
- Listen, I'm in... - Let's see.
- See? - Let's see what it is.
We got a little... I thought... I brought today...
Come over here.
- The crater pants... - Um, I love it.
- Are, like, next level. - The socks. Yeah.
- There's a sock ensemble here. - Yeah. Yeah.
Do you have somebody get up in the morning
and lay out the eight different outfits
- that might be available? - I might.
- And then... - I might.
All right. Well, here we go. Let her rip.
[Guy] All right, chef. What's on the menu?
[Jennifer] Hey, there, handsome.
I'm gonna make gnocchi out of ramen.
- [Guy] Gnocchi out of ramen? - Yeah. Yes, sir.
- Yes, I am. - Um, for sure, that's a new one for me.
- Never heard that before. - [Jennifer] Oh, really?
So, I'mma do that for a nice hearty lunch.
- Let's see if you all like it. - Okay.
[Marcus] Wait a minute. Did she say, "ramen gnocchi"?
- What? - Whoa.
[Jennifer] This ramen is gonna make
the wildest gnocchi
these judges have ever had.
[Guy] 25 minutes.
So, welcome to budget.
Besides the list, they could go
and get anything else they wanted.
I hope you guys are hungry for budget.
- [Jet] Yeah? - [Catherine] Uh...
You're gonna get some weird,
- weird stuff today. - [laughter]
For my hearty lunch,
I'm gonna make shrimp ramen gnocchi.
Traditionally, a gnocchi is made out of potato
that you hollowed out and just use the pulp for.
But I'm making mine today
with softened ramen noodles and eggs.
Let's see if I can pull it off y'all.
I get my mixture into the bag.
Pipe it over the hot water.
I did it once. Let's hope it works again.
This ramen is gonna make the wildest gnocchi
these judges have ever had.
- Whoa. - Whoa.
That's how you ball out on a budget.
This is the lunch. The addition of the shrimp, that's hearty.
-[Guy] Chef, what's on the menu? -I'm gonna do fish tacos.
What's going along with the fish tacos?
[Noelle] Uh, plantains and a corn salsa.
- That's hearty. - [Noelle] Yeah.
So, tilapia is a great protein to have on a budget
because any flavor that you add to it
is what it's going to soak up.
So, I add cumin, cayenne.
It's just gonna be so delicious.
So, for my taco filling,
I'm sauteing together onions and bell pepper,
which brings an extra earthiness to the dish.
Also, my family is part Mexican
and I knew this would be something
that would hit it out of the park.
Go ahead and put this pasta in right now
because I need that water for my sauce.
What's on the menu, chef?
So I'm gonna do my peasant pasta,
which is usually a pasta that you make
with all the herbs you have leftover in your fridge.
- [Guy] Right. - And some canned fish.
- I love the enthusiasm. - [Day] Okay.
Peasant pasta is a dish that I used to eat
when I was a child on Haiti.
All right. Got my herbs out there.
In Haiti, we use a lot of thyme. It has such a great robust flavor.
So, I'm gonna go ahead and use a lot of this right here.
I'm adding the tomato paste which is less than $2
because it's gonna have to bind the sauce for the pasta.
[sighs] The canned smoked sardines,
I'm gonna add those to the pasta
and that's gonna give it a nice smoked flavor.
What are you making, chef?
Uh, I'm gonna make a chicken fried cube steak.
Are you making, uh, French fries?
- Mashed potatoes. - Mashed potatoes.
- Yes, sir. - Get those potatoes working
- before you go do anything else. - Absolutely.
What is more hearty than steak and potatoes?
Next thing I need to do is get these beef patties formed.
I'm gonna coat this here, nice.
It's comfort food. It's a hug on a plate.
It's filling, it's warm, it's fried.
I own a couple of restaurants
out in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
I also operate two charities.
The 505 Food Fights, which is a nice
culinary competition for charity,
and the kitchen kids.
We teach culinary classes and recipes
to all abilities children in New Mexico.
I'm just happy to be here and shout 'em out.
What's up, kids?
[Guy] Sixteen minutes, sixteen left.
Where are onion rings coming into play on this?
It's gonna be in the brown butter sauce
for the gnocchi. What do you think?
I am standing by to see this come together.
This brown butter sauce says hearty lunch
because onion rings are breaded and fried,
heavy, hearty, it's gonna be absolutely perfect.
While I have my brown butter sauce going,
it's time to get started on the mushrooms.
Oyster mushroom say hearty lunch
because they're an essence to the state of mushrooms.
My vegetable worth more than $3.50.
Check that off the list.
Feeling good like I should.
Next, I know I need to work on my plantains.
I fried the plantains first,
and then I did salt, and cayenne, and cumin.
And then, I'm gonna refry them a second time.
And the last thing that goes with the fish taco is crema.
And I need to use my avocado and jackfruit.
So, I'm gonna make a avocado jackfruit crema.
Well, how cool is that to go for the jackfruit?
No one does that. You can use jackfruit in a lot of very cool ways.
But tilapia and jackfruit, I wanna see how this comes together.
[Guy] Nine minutes, nine to go.
[Day] These I wanna just add to my pasta.
So, now, I'm going to work on my spot prawns.
I wanna put in the heads
because that's where all that flavor is anyway.
For the mushrooms, I'm just gonna get them
into the pan and saute them with butter.
The next thing, I'm gonna grab my duck eggs,
and then separate the yolk and I'm gonna concede the yolk.
And what, it's gonna add a bit of decadence to my pasta.
Oh, it's kind of fried the egg a little bit.
So, that should work.
Frozen food has to thaw out. And I don't really have much time,
so I'm gonna throw it into my pot,
and then I'm gonna cover it with the lid.
How are we doing, chef? Give me an update here.
I got some, uh, beef country frying right there.
- [Guy] Okay. - And we're gonna have a shiitake,
uh, mushroom cream gravy.
[Guy] Looks great.
[Mike] I want this mushroom nuttiness
to come out into the cream.
So, we're gonna simmer that in the milk
for just a little bit and let the nuttiness
of those mushrooms come out.
The shiitake mushroom gravy is simmering up nicely.
It's coming up real velvety.
It's exactly what I'm hoping for.
Potatoes, perfect, ready to go.
Time to go into the food processer.
Now, I have to figure out what I'm doing
with this frozen cauliflower I got stuck with.
That is exactly $3.99.
I'm gonna puree it in the blender
with a little bit of potato water
just to loosen it up and add a little bit of saltiness.
And the potato water should help thicken up
and season the cauliflower.
It's pretty elaborate stuff going on right now.
We've got gnocchi made out of cheap ramen over here.
We've got fresh-made tortillas and fish tacos going here.
We've got a pasta with everything under the sun in it in three.
And then, over on four, mashed potatoes
and, a fried beef steak mushroom gravy.
I don't think you're tuning in going,
"Hey, it looks like a budget battle."
No, it's like budget.
People going nuts.
Two and a half minutes, chefs, two and a half.
All right.
[Jennifer] It's time to plate.
First, I get my gnocchi down.
I spoon five into each dish.
Then, I put down my shrimp three, three, three.
Then I put my mushrooms, layer, layer, layer.
Over the top of everything goes that
beautiful brown butter and onion ring jus.
Does this say hearty lunch?
I think so.
[Noelle] First, I put my tortilla down.
And then, I know I need to put my crispy fried plantains.
And then I do a side of my corn salsa.
Next, I fill my tortilla
with the bell pepper onion mixture.
I'm putting my fish down in my taco.
Then, I'm finishing with my avocado jackfruit crema.
[Guy] One minute.
Oh, I've never made this, this fast before.
There's not much of the plating. So, I just need to get
this pasta on the bowl and try to scoop
as much of the sauce on top as possible.
I'm trying to get my yolks onto my pasta.
Oh, no, no, no.
I'm moving way too fast and they break.
Oh no.
I'm upset with myself.
[Guy] Thirty seconds.
[Mike] First, mashed potatoes,
and then a little swipe of the cauliflower puree.
Next, my golden crispy chicken
fried beef's going right on top.
And then, I'm gonna hit that
with my velvety shiitake mushroom gravy.
There's no way I missed hearty.
[Guy] Five, four, three, two, one.
And that it, chefs. Stop working.
[Catherine] All right.
- Good job, guys. - Whoa.
I looked down and child-- I realized two of these pastas
don't have duck eggs.
[Guy] I got to tell you, chefs.
You look like big ballers on a budget.
Let's take it to the judges right this way.
All right, judges. Here we are.
This is game one of the bigger,
badder, budget battle.
Up first, Chef Noelle.
Today, for the hearty lunch,
I went straight back to my roots,
California fish taco. You can't go wrong, right?
I got the tilapia for my protein.
The expensive vegetable is bell peppers.
And then, I made some double fried plantains
and a corn salad on the side.
I got to say, hearty lunch, you nailed that.
-Yes. -[Jet] Right? The tilapia is big,
it's threaded beautifully, it's seasoned excellently.
The jackfruit, really smart frozen item.
Could have played up heat a little bit more
and also more acid to make the dish actually lighter.
Up next, Chef Mike.
Thank you guys for... So much for having me.
You said hearty lunch and the first thing
I think of is steak and potatoes.
So, what I did is for my protein $4 to $5,
I used some 80 to 20 chuck.
Uh, we did a country fry on that.
I used the half and half for the item under $2
to use into the gravy
and our whipped potatoes you have underneath.
I used rainbow cauliflower from the frozen section.
And on top of that, what you have
is a shiitake mushroom country gravy.
First of all, hearty, you nailed it.
I think that you played the game very, very well.
- The potatoes are a hearty ingredient. - Yes.
The cauliflower, you've made it into something hearty
- when it's usually not which is a really smart move. - Thank you, sir.
Country-fried steak. That's very classic,
- but I want color here. - Here's the mistake.
The cauliflower puree is not the right move there.
You want a different texture.
- So, fresh vegetable. - Okay.
- Thank you very much. - Up next, Chef Day.
Okay. So, I prepared for you guys
what I like to call peasant pasta.
So, I'm from Haiti and this is one of the meals
that my aunts would make for us
whenever we were running low on groceries.
I added the frozen cauliflower
that was my, um, item that was frozen.
I added the spot prawns, that was my protein.
And the tomato paste,
which gave it a little bit of color.
It's like a three-pound plate
with oyster mushrooms and duck eggs.
I mean, you basically have given me,
uh, a fine dining pasta.
Tomato paste, great.
You got that, you know, nice acid.
You got the frozen item in here.
[Marcus] I'm loving the smoked anchovies.
I'm loving that prawn head.
All of that stuff, it's very, very hearty, right?
But I'm mad at you.
How come they get duck eggs and I get nothing?
- Oh, you didn't get one. - This is delicious.
- I want my duck egg. - You're right.
You're absolutely right. Thank you, Chef.
Finally, Chef Jennifer.
I have a beautiful hearty gnocchi dish.
This time, I decided to make it out of ramen noodle.
It was my item that was under $2.
And then, I featured some shrimp in there because it is still lunch.
I've been here for every competition under the sun.
Seen it all.
I have never seen anything as whacked
as the ramen gnocchi game that you are playing.
- I gotta give you props. - Thank you.
Chef, I'm still reeling
by how amazing this gnocchi are.
They're creamy on the inside, their formed.
The onion rings brings a really beautiful texture
to them. You baked them right away.
It's a very cool dish.
I think you took hearty lunch and you made it something
very delicate.
Everything here is really, really smart cut out.
And then, where it falls is that there's no flavor.
[tense music playing]
Give me some heat. Give me just a little bit.
Okay. Thank you so much.
Dishes look great.
We're gonna leave the judges to deliberate this one.
We're gonna send you back to the kitchens
and we'll call you when we have a decision.
Thank you.
Who shopped the smartest and who cooked the heartiest?
Just remember, gameplay, you've got 20 points.
Taste is its own 20 points.
And plating is 10.
Chefs, let's take a look at the results.
Up first, we'll go to Chef Jennifer.
17 in gameplay, 16 on taste,
8 on plating for a 41. Nice score.
Noelle, 16 in gameplay, 16 in taste,
7 in plating, 39.
- Chef Day. - Oh, be still, my heart.
[Guy chuckles]
14 in gameplay, 17 in taste,
8 in plating, 39.
Two are tied to go home,
if chef Mike beats a 39.
14 in gameplay, 15 in taste.
Better be a 10 in plating, pal.
And a six in plating for a 35.
Okay.
One small component of getting something green,
of adding some color.
Anything would have done it for you.
Chef Mike, I know you're a really good chef.
We appreciate you being here.
- Thank you, chef. - Okay?
- Thank you, chef. - Well done. Good luck.
It was a surreal experience.
Nobody wants to go home, but somebody has to.
All right, chefs.
This round will determine who is going to shop
Flavortown for up to $20,000.
So, with the final challenge,
I want you to make the judges an upscale dinner.
A meal that taste like million bucks or at least...
[Hunter] Hello.
- No. - [Hunter] How is it going.
- See? I knew it. - [woman] Here comes Hunter.
[Guy] I'm in the...
I'm in the middle of giving them the challenge.
No, I know, but I kind of felt bad
'cause you were maybe, like,
a little hard on them last round.
- So, I wanted... - I was not hard on them at all.
I wanted to, like,
to do a free shopping for them, just a...
As a... I...
- [Guy] You can't... Hunter... - [Hunter] As a token for Flavortown Market.
[Guy] You can't go do shopping for them.
- This is... - But aren't we givers?
- We're givers, I thought. - We are givers.
- Okay. - So, you went and pre-shopped for them.
[Hunter] Just a little bit. Yeah. Some...
- Just some goodies. - Ridiculous. Go ahead, Hunter.
- Go give them the free gifts. - [Hunter] Okay. It's...
There's a lot of stuff in there.
And one for you, and one for you.
[Guy] Is it bad things or is it... It's...
[Hunter] What do you mean it's a bad thing?
[Guy] Is it, uh, upscale groceries?
Upscale?
That's what the whole competition was.
I said upscale dinner.
- Did you not hear that part? - I thought you said on sale.
- No, I didn't... - [Noelle] No.
- Say on sale, Hunter. - [Day] No, what?
I thought you said on sale.
Thank you very much, son.
Yeah. Okay. Well, sorry folks.
Uh, good luck.
Thanks.
Go ahead and open the bags, pour them in the cart,
and see what you got. I have no idea.
Let's take a look.
[Noelle] Premade quiche, if you would like.
Goat milk. Pork hock.
Who doesn't like a ham hock?
Lentils?
Let's just do this. You're playing budget bags.
Pick four items you want to use
in your upscale dinner.
The other items, I'm gonna have you return
over here to our friend, Wendy, and she will give you
the cash equivalent for the items you return.
Then, you could take that cash and go shopping here at
Flavortown Market, buy whatever you want,
and then make your upscale dinner.
You can only shop with the money that you get.
The three of you can tell me today,
which one of you should go to Wendy first?
I have to use four things out of this budget bag.
Whatever I don't want,
I have to return and get the old cash solo.
So, I'm going through my budget bag
and I'm seeing quiche.
Tomato paste, anchovy.
Canned queso.
Ham hocks don't belong in a fine dining dinner.
Like, no.
I don't want any of this stuff.
I decided I'm keeping ham hock,
goat milk, anchovies, and tomato paste.
I chose these ingredients because I knew
that I can make a upscale pasta.
-$17.65 -Thank you so much.
What I'm trying to do is give enough fat
so that I can actually afford a protein.
I'm going to keep the mustard,
the crushed pineapples,
the canned tomatoes and chilies,
and the goat's milk.
I'm gonna use the goat's milk to make a puree.
And I think I can use this crushed pineapple
and canned tomato and chilies as sauce.
$17.48.
That's a nice start.
So, I have to choose very carefully
what items I'm gonna use.
I decided to keep canned tomatoes and chili,
the diced pineapple, anchovies, and tomato paste.
I'm gonna juice up these items by making a bouillabaisse.
- Okay, good. - Thank you.
Okay. bye-bye.
[rock music playing]
I have 17 and some change and I got pork hocks,
goat milk, anchovies, tomato paste, bucatini.
I'm going to make a creamy goat milk pasta
with bucatini.
I have a background in working in fine dining
Italian restaurants, so I'd really like
to make sure that that comes through.
Italian food is one of the easiest things
to make upscale.
You can make something super great out
of something super cheap.
Hey.
Morel mushrooms are gonna bring a great
earthy flavor, and morels are the most fanciest mushroom
that you can possibly get.
In the end, it's gonna pay off.
- Hello. - [Wendy] Hello.
I need to make these budget ingredients
super upscale to impress these judges.
[Wendy] $14.46.
All right.
Looking for...
I wanna elevate this dish, so I'm gonna spend
all of my money on the protein.
Where it is, where it is, where it is.
For my upscale dinner, I'm going to make
a seared lamb loin because as a private chef,
that is one of my clients' favorites.
Lamb loin, let's see lamb loin.
And we got that.
Upscale dinner means using lots of techniques.
So, I'm going to make a puree.
I'm grabbing some frozen sweet potatoes
because I don't have to cook them
and I'm on a budget.
Okay.
This dish is Chef Day, all day.
[Wendy] $16.38.
There's your four items.
- Yes, ma'am. - [Wendy] Okay.
All right. Thank you.
[Guy] Upscale with $20.
Yeah. This is tough, bro.
I want to do a bouillabaisse, so...
[Guy] Bouillabaisse is... That's nice.
A quick one. Yup.
I'm grabbing calamari.
Calamari is kind of a buzzword for upscale.
You think calamari, you think penthouse, champagne.
And I'm grabbing mussels and some frozen scallops.
You got me.
And for a garnish and to bring that freshness in,
I'm adding parsley and lemon.
Garnish is a great way to make a dish feel
upscale and look upscale.
[Wendy] $15.81.
- Thank you, darling. - [Wendy] You're welcome.
You know, the more Hunter and I work together here
in Flavortown Market, the more we just start
to look alike and act alike.
- It's crazy. - Hey.
I'm at the Foodtown salad bar. Can I get you anything?
- What? - Want some chickpeas?
[Guy] 21 minutes, guys, 21.
Chef, what's on the menu?
[Noelle] I'm gonna do a bucatini pasta
with a smoked ham hock, goat milk sauce.
Oh, the old smoke ham hock goat milk sauce.
[Noelle] First, I use the smoked ham hock
inside of the goat milk
in order to steep the flavor out of it.
Now, I'm gonna start building flavors in my sauce.
So, I add my pre-purchased anchovies and tomato paste.
The sauce is gonna be the main flavor in my dish,
so I wanna make sure that everything about it
is perfect.
[producer speaking]
[Noelle] Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna add it in the saute.
[machine whirring]
[Noelle] I pour the goat milk that steeped
the ham hock straight into my sauce.
And I add my morel mushrooms to give that earthy flavor
and texture.
Then, I'm throwing the processed ham hock right
into my stock to make sure that my sauce
is gonna be flavored with it and you won't miss it.
Trying to get into the culinary field
as an executive chef and as a woman,
that really sets you up for working hard.
But I've been so blessed with the support
that I've had from my husband.
We both have Mexican and Italian background.
If I win today, my husband and I are gonna open up
a restaurant called Batsimole to celebrate our Mexican
and Italian heritage.
- Oh. - [clanging]
Ooh, that's good.
[tense music playing]
[Guy] All right, chef, what's on the menu?
[Day] I'm going with a seared lamb chop.
[Guy] So we got the lamb chop. And what else we got?
We're gonna go with a pineapple mostarda
and some sweet potato puree.
Okay.
While my lamb is resting,
I add my canned chilies and tomatoes
from the budget bag to my pan.
And that's gonna act as a sauce for my lamb.
Right there.
So, now, I'm gonna work on the pineapple mostarda.
One of the things that I've learned about budgeting
when it comes to food is to not waste anything.
The core of Haitian food and Afro Caribbean food
on its own is making something out of nothing.
I was born in Haiti and I moved here
when I was five years old with my family.
My Michelin Star training started about nine years ago
in New York City.
I walked into that kitchen extremely inexperienced.
Definitely had to cut my nails down a little shorter
and I had to learn a lot of discipline
and it's something that I really wouldn't change
for anything.
All right, Jennifer, is it bouillabaisse?
[Jennifer] Yes, sir, it is.
- [Catherine] Ooh. - [Guy] Yes.
Jennifer just said bouillabaisse.
I brought a bunch of, uh, shellfish.
So, I got mussels, calamari, scallops.
First, I get started on my pineapple reduction.
I add mussels.
These canned pineapple, I'm thinking,
will be a sweet treat to put on top of the green-lipped
mussels for a little surprise for the judges.
I get the crushed pineapple in a pan with some butter
and I dice up those serranos and fire
that in there as well.
It's time to get the tomato sauce started.
So, I got to fire up my canned tomatoes
with chili, the tomato paste,
and I throw my anchovies
into that pot as well because something's got
to help this canned tomato broth out.
You ever wanna learn how to budget,
start your own business, kids.
It's a hard job.
But I've had a lot of help.
Monica is my bestie.
Being my best friend is a really hard job
and she sticks by me all the time.
Monica believed in me so much that she wanted me
to start my own business.
She stood behind me every moment,
and now here I am, owning and operating the Lady Chef.
With the $20,000 I win today, I'm taking Monica
on a fabulous yacht vacation in the Mediterranean.
I think she deserves it.
[Guy] 15 minutes. 15 to go.
[tense music playing]
[Guy] How are we feeling, chef?
[Noelle] I'm feeling good.
I got my sauce reducing and going.
Morels are in there.
I got tomato paste, anchovies.
Well, you can't miss that there's ham hock in that.
[laughs]
I know the sauce of my dish
is gonna be really cooked heavy.
So, I wanted to make sure that I got something fresh
to put along with it.
I have a little money left over.
So, I run back and grab heirloom tomato and sprouts.
- That and that. - Thank you.
Last round, the judges said
I needed some more acidity and brightness in my dish.
So, I slice the heirloom tomato
and I add sprouts to my garnish.
Sweet potatoes in here.
Once my sweet potato's thawed out,
I'm gonna use the goat's milk to make a sweet potato puree.
[Jet] She's doing a puree with goat milk.
- She got the butternut squash. - That's fine.
[Jet] I wonder if she had enough time
to develop that butternut sweetness and creaminess?
[sighs]
I think I need some texture for my plate.
I have some change left.
So, I'm gonna go and get a white sweet potato.
- Thank you, ma'am. - There you go.
So, I'm gonna go ahead and shave these sweet potato chips
as thin as I can get them and pop them in the fryer.
Last round, I was in the weeds.
This time, I have a clear vision
and I know exactly what I'm doing.
[tense music playing]
[Guy] How are we looking, chef?
I'm looking good. How are you looking?
Great. Where's your seafood?
Yeah? Calamari, I'm gonna throw it on the grill.
You're gonna grill the calamari
before it goes in?
I like that little extra texture.
[Jennifer] I want the calamari to be a little bit under
because if I'm gonna heat it up in the broth,
it'll overcook if I take it all the way.
Cooking calamari takes a lot of precision, y'all.
But that's what you're paying for when you get upscale.
Precision, technique, high-end ingredients.
I gotta get these scallops thawed.
These scallops are an upscale dinner
because scallop equals money, honey.
[Guy] Three minutes. Three minutes, chefs.
[Noelle] So, first I'm gonna do my pasta
which is in that deliciously creamy sauce.
And I slice up some of the smoked ham hock
that had been simmering in the goat milk.
Next, I put on my fresh heirloom tomato,
and finally, my sprouts.
That looks like it's from a fine
dining restaurant.
[Day] This is where my Michelin Star
training comes in. When I'm about to plate.
The first thing I do is add a dollop of my puree
to my plate.
I placed my perfectly cooked lamb loin in there
and add some tomato and chili sauce.
Add my sweet potato chips.
Then, I give it a swoosh and I added
my pineapple mostarda.
Honey, this does not look like I was on a budget.
[Guy] 40 seconds.
[tense music playing]
[Jennifer] First, I get my mussels down in the pan.
Then, it's time to add calamari.
I finally get the pureed sauce onto each plate.
I dice up the parsley for garnish,
and then add the scallops.
This upscale dinner is making me think
of all the upscale dinners me and Moni are gonna have
when we travel the world in our yacht.
Finally, mussels with the crushed pineapple mixture.
[grunts]
[Guy] Five, four, three, two, one.
- Stop working, chefs. - [Day] Got it.
- [Catherine] Yes. - [Marcus] Yeah, yeah, bro.
- [Catherine] Crushed it. - Yeah.
[Guy] Now, I gotta tell you on a scale of one to ten,
those dinners look upscale.
Let's take it to the judges right this way.
All right, judges, this is game two
of our bigger, badder budget battle.
Up first, Chef Day.
What I've created for you all is a seared lamb loin
with a sweet potato puree, a pineapple mostarda,
and I topped it with some tomatoes
and chilies.
Aesthetically, great job.
Plating out this beautiful puree in the bottom.
Really good.
[Catherine] You have this gorgeous
well-developed tomato gameplay on the top.
Your lamb, cooked perfectly.
I would never think that this came out
of a budget battle.
It is a beautifully composed fine dining plate.
Thank you, chef.
[Jet] Your double use of sweet potato, really smart.
I wanted more out of the sweet potato puree, though.
It didn't have enough earthy sweet potato
sweetness for me.
Yes, chef. Thank you, chef.
All right. Thank you. Up next, chef, Noelle.
What I have for you here is a creamy goat milk
and smoked ham hock bucatini pasta dish.
I've got some heirloom tomato on top,
and then sprouts and Fresnos because my family's
also from California and Mexico.
There is so much soul happening in this plate.
There's depth of savoriness, and saltiness, and spice.
Is it upscale?
Yes, because you've hit morels, but you've balanced it
with ham hocks somehow.
I just wanna keep eating more.
The goat milk infusion,
it adds a creaminess without being overbearing
and it lends to that kind of upscale.
There is originality in your food,
but not necessarily sure you needed
all that watercress or the sprouts.
[Guy] Thank you, chef.
Finally, not to be outdone, Chef Jennifer.
I had a, uh, seafood bouillabaisse.
So, I used the anchovies to build on the broth
because I couldn't afford any stock
or anything like that.
And then, I melted the green-lipped mussels.
They were such a buy into that broth as well
to try to build on the seafood flavor.
This broth, it is developed.
The sweetness of the tomato.
It's also a very upscale...
You have three different, very expensive seafoods.
You took the scallop and seared them
really nice beautiful golden brown.
Love that.
The crushed pineapple's the one, though,
that I'm missing.
And you went with the grill move.
And I was like, "Oh, that's so smart.
Get some color, char."
But my calamari is, like, very undercooked.
- Okay. - [Guy] All right.
Thank you very much, judges. Thank you, chefs.
Uh, we're gonna send you back to the kitchens
and we will call you and we have a decision.
Thanks.
Was anyone's dinner just right on the money?
Chef Day landed like a fine dining meal.
That lamb was beautiful, medium rare.
I think she could have developed
a little more flavor in a few of those components.
Chef Jennifer, beautiful plating
for an upscale dish.
[Jet] She swung for the fences.
I think she might have overreached
on the execution of seafood.
Chef Noelle, I mean, like, she gave us an upscale dish.
I don't know if she needed, like, the sprouts on top.
For me, for the morels, that was the best note.
Okay. Score it up.
[tense music playing]
[Guy] I will tell you, it's been a pleasure.
Jen is leading.
Let's start down here in the bottom two tied at 39.
Chef Day, 15 in gameplay, 16 in taste,
9 in plating, for a 40,
giving you 79.
Well done.
[chuckles] Thank you.
[Guy] Noelle needs a 40 or better.
16 in gameplay, nice, 17 in taste,
eight in plating for a 41,
edges her out by one point.
- [Catherine] Whoa. - [Guy] 80.
[Catherine] Wow.
It is going to take a 39 or better for Jennifer.
14 in gameplay, 14 in taste,
7 in plating for a 35.
There you have it folks.
Chef Noelle is the winner.
[Catherine] Yeah.
[Guy] Congratulations.
- Wow. - Chef Day, Chef Jen,
it was awesome to see the two of you cook
and we really appreciate you being here.
Thank you very much, chefs.
Great to have you.
It was a close race. I couldn't quite pull it off.
But don't you worry, Moni.
We're gonna go on that yacht trip one day, girl.
We'll make Guy take us.
I lost by one point.
But, you know, can I at least get two points
for charisma and charm?
[laughs]
Bye. Thank you.
- [Catherine chuckles] - [Marcus] Aw.
Wow.
You ever have anything like this happen?
I've had to work for everything.
It's always been about love and community.
And that's what I want other people
to see with my food.
- [Catherine] Yes. - Well done.
You did all the hard work,
and now we get to go shopping for some money.
You know this part of the show, right?
Oh, yeah.
What do you wanna do with the money?
Uh, my husband and I wanna start a business
called Batsimole.
Italian and Mexican or just playing on the name?
- [Noelle] That, uh... - [Guy] Italian-Mexican.
- Italian-Mexican. - Ugh, I'll be there tomorrow.
[Noelle laughs]
[Guy] That's right up my alley.
Come over and say hi to the judges.
Let's go shopping.
You get 90 seconds.
I'll give you the... It's a clue.
- Okay. - Okay?
And you'd go and find that item.
You put it in the cart. It's $4,000.
- All right. - Then, I read you the next one.
Here we go. All right, chef.
Going for the type of squash that begins with a letter K,
and it starts now. Go get 'em.
[Catherine] Go Noelle, you got it.
All right. Kabocha.
[Guy] Here we go.
Twin pack of fish that starts with an S.
- S. Swordfish. - Swordfish it is.
[cheers and applause]
Variety of rice that starts with an A.
- Arborio. - [Guy] Arborio rice.
Frozen bean that starts with an I.
Bean.
[Guy] Frozen bean that starts with an I.
- Come on. - [Guy] Five, four...
It doesn't...
- three, two... - Lima beans, lima.
- [Guy] one. - Lima.
- [Guy] Stop. - [Marcus] Yeah, she got it.
- Yay. Whoo! - [Marcus] Yes.
I won $16,000.
So, now, my husband and I will be able
to create Batsimole.
She was down in the first round,
but came back for the big win on a budget battle.
$16,000, that's my kind of budget.
See you next week on Grocery Games.
Adios.