September 11, 2009

Guest Blogger Amanda Davenport Dishes on "Hell's Kitchen" -- Week 6

Hello all. I am back with my weekly rundown of the happenings on Hell's Kitchen. This week was a tough one to follow for a couple of reasons -- not the least of which being that yours truly was not on the show. I thought this week was pretty entertaining for the most part. My girls won another challenge and the boys were on the ropes this entire episode.

I will have to start by saying that watching this week was odd for me. Seeing that Suzanne was still there when everyone wanted her out and then watching her try to be uber-nice was rough. Luckily the girls did not buy it. When I say the challenge was crepes I couldn't believe that
I had the misfortune of being eliminated last week. Gordon mentioned that his time in France was a very important in his development as a chef and I can totally relate. I worked there and it is the best decision I ever made in relation to my culinary career. Crepes are not easy to make, and is not something you can teach in a couple of minutes. I would have been a big asset in the challenge. In the end the girls won the challenge and the guys were left to prep both kitchens for service.

I would not have wanted to be the guys after this loss. Prepping the kitchen is one thing, but doing it for both sides and having new ingredients that most of them have never dealt with is rough. The girls are off practicing their mime skills and dining on fois gras while the guys are trying to prep frogs legs. I think you can see the exhaustion and frustration start to set in on the guys’ faces and that leads to lack of concentration. As service went on you could start to see the wheels coming off on both teams. Suzanne and Sabrina were in way over their heads at this service. Ariel was the one that kept that service from going completely off track. She showed a lot in that service. In the end both Sabrina and Suzanne were booted out of the kitchen for the girls and Andy was booted for the guys. When it was all over neither team won the night and they were sent off to pick two to put up for elimination Ultimately poor Andy got the boot.

As for me during this time I was enjoying just relaxing and trying to recharge my body. I wish I was still competing, but my body was not hating the fact that it could sleep and exercise on my own schedule. I hope you all stay tuned because there are many surprises to come. You all keep watching and I will keep fighting. Below is another one of my favorite recipes for all of you to try out. So tell me ... what did you think of the episode?

Amanda


Amanda's Recipe: Grilled apricot glazed chicken with grilled pineapple and jalapeno salsa

2 chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil. Make sure the grill is hot enough and grill the chicken on each side for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Take off grill, and brush with apricot preserves. (heat that preserves in a sauce pan for easier glazing.)

Peel the pineapple and cut into thick slices. Oil the grill so the pineapple doesn't stick. Grill on each side until you have good grill marks and carmelization.

For the salsa:
  • 1 jalapeno. remove the seeds and dice.
  • 1 grilled pineapple diced
  • 1 red onion diced.
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro diced
  • Juice of 1 large lime
Combine all ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Place grilled chicken on plate and top with salsa.

Serves 2 - 3.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey Amanda,

I loved you on the show! So beautiful and great personality.

Hey, I like these commentaries you are doing here, please keep doing them.

I wish you well in your fight against lupus.

Kev

p.s. you were in my dream last night