Personal chef Carmine Guglielmino is a self-proclaimed “culinary witch” with an uncanny ability to identify food tastes, smells and characteristics as if it were magic! He wastes no time impressing host Kal Penn and chefs Eric Adjepong and Palak Patel. Carmine loves a challenge, but his sixth sense gets a bit blended when asked to taste a mysterious purple smoothie that Kal whips up, and he hopes his powerful palate can hold out long enough to win the grand prize.
Host Kal Penn kicks off the competition with Shani Porter, personal chef to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. She's an intense competitor, but a “sweet hairdo,” bacon bouquet and tricky beer situation keep her on her toes. A heartwarming message from her biggest little supporters helps, however. Then food and theater writer Ryan McPhee takes his turn, admitting he has cooked over 500 dishes in the last year! He faces an interesting array of cloches, from Queen Elizabeth’s chosen egg dish to a secret spice on roasted crickets. Chefs Eric Adjepong and Palak Patel are on hand to provide their culinary expertise.
A lack of culinary training didn’t stop food and theater writer Ryan McPhee from passing the first 11 of his 15 culinary taste tests, and he’s back to finish the job. He’s immediately caught in a sticky situation and hopes culinary expert Nilou Motamed can help him identify a mysterious Southern syrup. Then Navy vet and recipe tester Renae Wilson learns that there are no simple questions in this competition, and Kanchan Koya, the “Spice Mama,” steps up to the tasting table to impress host Kal Penn with her food knowledge and her Harvard doctorate in molecular science. But Kanchan’s degree can only take her so far as she gets stumped early on and considers using her Flavor Favors, tapping Nilou and Chef Esther Choi to keep her in the game.
Host Kal Penn welcomes back competitor Kanchan Koya, but with both of her Flavor Favors used up, she has a difficult road ahead and can’t call on Chef Esther Choi or culinary expert Nilou Motamed for help. Kanchan has her eyes on the $50,000 prize as the cloches reveal a traditional tea and a familiar but puzzling exotic meat, which she’s game for. Tensions are high as the “Spice Mama” faces some very expensive taste tests!
Food blogger Grace Vallo left corporate life to follow her dreams in food media, and she’s an energetic ace, but is she ready to face host Kal Penn’s pressure cooker questions? Grace’s hopes are pinned on winning the big money to fund her dream wedding in Tuscany, but Bruce tries to knock her off her game with a surprise ice sculpture, and Kal and company rattle her by sharing a round of shots. Grace turns to Chef Tiffani Faison for a Flavor Favor, and Chef Adrienne Cheatham is on call with her culinary expertise as Grace tries to prove she has the chops to make it to the end of the game.
