Throwdown: This week’s episode, Bobby Flay challenges Shawna Lidsky and Katherine Hayward of the Vermont Brownie Co. to a brownie throwdown. The two partnered up in 2008 and work out of the small kitchen of Katherine’s cousin’s bagel shop. Wow, talk about small business!
Food Network describes the show: “Shawna Lidsky and Katherine Hayward started the Vermont Brownie Company on New Year’s Day 2008 after deciding they wanted to start their own business. Shawna and Katherine believe Food Network is bringing back the show “Recipe for Success” and they have been selected to feature their signature Dark Chocolate Chevre Brownie. Little do they know that as they prepare to do a demo for their loyal supporters, Bobby Flay will be showing up with his own brownie recipe. Stay tuned to see whose chocolate brownie melts the competition!” Bobby, who is 4-4 for the season, seeks to rebound from last week’s loss to the Wafel Guy.
Dishes: Shawna and Katherine made their signature goat cheese (chevre) brownie–which uses local Vermont ingredients, including a layer of goat cheese in the center of the brownie. The brownie also includes cocoa powder sprinkled in, as well chocolate chunks and a dash of salt on top. Yes, salt! By contrast, Bobby Flay made peanut butter, caramel sauce brownies. Bobby used three chocolates–unsweetened, semisweet, and bittersweet chocolate. The peanut butter was mixed into a reduced caramel sauce, and then added and mixed into the rest of the brownie mix. Yum, yum!
Judges: Gesine Bullock Prado (author of Confections of a Closet Master Baker) and Adrian West—. Judges tried the Vermont Brownie Co. goat cheese brownie first. Gesine seemed to like it more than Adrian, or at least did most of the talking, particularly liking the goat cheese and the salt on top. The judges noted that the goat cheese brownie was flaky and moist in texture, but the top of the brownie was not as brownie-like as expected. The judges then moved onto Bobby’s peanut butter brownie, which they noted was more dense like a traditional brownie. Judges liked the chocolate, but noted that it was really sweet.
Winner: Vermont Brownie Co. Shawna and Katherine win!
Bobby’s record: Bobby slips to 4-5 for the season.
Throwdown: This week, Bobby challenges NYC’s street vendor “waffles guy” to a Belgian waffle challenge. Food Network describes the challenge as follows, “Belgium native Thomas DeGeest is known as ‘the waffles guy’ to most New Yorkers. This IBM consultant turned waffle connoisseur traded in his briefcase for a waffle iron, and has been selling Belgian waffles like hot cakes ever since. He operates his biz from his now famous canary yellow Wafels and Dinges truck, which he’s been driving around NYC streets for the past two years. On Mondays he parks by Columbia University’s campus, to feed the throngs of hungry college students.”
This was a really great episode! Very educational. Thomas explained that in Belgium there are 2 kinds of wafels: (1) Brussels wafels, which are more light and airy, and (2) Liege wafels, which are denser and sweeter (Bobby said almost like a donut). Both Thomas and Bobby chose to make the Liege wafels. As Thomas touted, “It’s a pastry, it’s a piece of art.”
Dishes: Thomas made a classic Liege wafel with a special sauce (name forgotten) that looks like peanut butter, but tastes like a Graham cracker. Bobby made a Liege wafel with Marscapone, cinnamon sugar, and strawberries.
Judges: Pastry chef David Carmichael of Gilt and Chef Mathieu Palimbino were the judges. They didn’t like Bobby’s Liege wafel–thought it was not properly carmelized and maybe too dry. But they really liked his Marscapone topping. The judges thought Thomas’s Liege wafel was lighter and airer, and properly cooked. One judge criticized how Thomas’s sauce didn’t seem to hold together.
Winner: Thomas DeGeest. The judges liked the classic, authentic Liege wafel from Thomas, which was cooked to perfection. But, wow, the judging was closer than we expected. Bobby is now 4-4 for the season.
We’re a little tardy with this post–follow us on twitter (@residentfoodies) for up-to-date tweeting from us. But we couldn’t resist mentioning that Chef Garces’s restaurant in Chicago, Mercat a la Planxa, is fantastic. Here’s our 1st meal of 2010: pancakes! Yum, yum! Hope to do a full review soon.
Resident Foodies™ is a site for foodies. We review restaurants, discuss popular food shows on TV (including Bobby Flay Throwdown, Top Chef, Next Iron Chef), and provide interviews with chefs. Please send us tips on new restaurants to review: residentfoodies[at]gmail[dot]com
