Who would have thought a homey PBS cooking show would be full of twist and turns? That's exactly what the great American recipe brought in the last week. Did any one pick Brad Mahlof as the winner? That was the surprise.
There were several favorites as we watched the eight episodes. I honestly thought Khela Brewer from Overland Park, Kansas would be in the top three. Her savory dishes were perfection along with her fudgey brownies topped with ganache for the "Bake Sale" Episode.The meats were seared as a seasoned chef would do them. Her gravies and sauces were again perfectly made. It was a shock when she didn't make the final three.I wasn't surprised though when Leaana Pierre of Norcross Georgia and Salmah Hack of Orlando Florida also made the final three. They also cooked and baked to perfection and opened a window into their individual heritages.As far as the others, maybe Hawaiian born and famed blogger Relle Lum from Maui or Abbe Odenwalder of Denver had a chance. They made a few small mistakes when it came to seasoning yet they did have dishes that sometimes outshone the others. As for Ted Pappas of Chicago and Maria Givens of Seattle, some of their creations were interesting. Ted relied on his Greek heritage for inspiration while Maria shed light on her indigenous ancestry and the native ingredients.
Yet it was Brad's unique Libyan -Jewish background that made him stand out. There was were many mistakes on his path to winning. The judges, including host Alejandra Ramo, along with Tiffany Derry,Leah Cohen and Graham Elliot were often critical of either his execution or flavorings.Personally I was sure he would never make the final three. It seemed he just wasn't that good despite the fact that his recipes brought light to Israeli and North African cuisine. Even his final three dishes brought about some sharp words from the judges. He won for his mafrum, meat stuffed veggies with couscous and side salads. His upside down fig cake which looked delicious also drew criticism. It seemed Leanna 's dishes , her salt cod ,a Jamaican favorite could have been a sure winner. Her baking always came out on top too. The same goes for Salma who created cassava pone for the finale. One of these great home chefs should have been the winner. I was sure they would be. Again it was a surprise that Brad won. yet he did bring a different spin and view on traditional recipes , although that could be said for all the chefs. it should be interesting what the future brings for him.
The Great American Recipe was a fun watch .Who knew this fun and sweet competition has as many twists and turns as any of the more cutting edge competitions. An unexpected star was born and what a surprise he was.
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