TV REVIEW: The Cheff Jeff Project Finale

On this final episode of the Chef Jeff Project, the chefs must cook for 7 top chefs at the Art Institute. One is the Vice President of the Culinary Institute, and the other six are all executive chefs. As their final, they must revamp the signature dish that they cooked for Chef Jeff on the first day of the show. They have an entire day to rework their recipes and perfect them.

Alonzo cooked chicken en papillote with vegetables. He decides to replace the protein to Alaskan salmon and add potatoes for a starch. He is very, very unhappy with his plating, however, and ends up retreating outside. His fellow chefs try to talk to him, but he's not having it. Chef Jeff realizes that for Alonzo, this is his chance to not only do this for himself, but for his younger siblings who are in foster care, which is a heavy burden for someone so young. He goes out to give Alonzo a pep talk. Alonzo doesn't seem to be completely convinced, but he does go back inside to work on his dish.

Shante originally cooked shrimp fettucine. As we noticed throughout the show, Shante's presentation has been the weakest. She decides to put her shrimp on skewers and add spinach and capers to the fettucine for a different flavor.

Brett cooked mashed potatoes as his signature dish because at the time, it was the only thing he knew how to cook. He decides, with a little help from Chef Jeff, to cook duck over whipped potatoes with a pineapple-orange sauce. He doesn't remember how to score the duck, and he gets a little lost. Chef Jeff steps in to give him a hand and lead him back in the right direction.

Kathy, whose cooking skills were also weak at the beginning, first made a summer salad. She wants to revamp it by making a lettuce wrap, but she feels that it's lacking something, flavor-wise. Chef Jeff encourages her to do a breaded chicken and put the salad on top.

Adam's original dish was South Central sushi. He wants to take his sushi recipe out of the ghetto and make it with Ahi tuna accompanied by a wonton soup. He doesn't seem to lack confidence in his ability to make it better.

Maria had first cooked a chorizo quesadilla, plain and quartered. Now she wants to enclose her chorizo with some new ingredients and deep fry it. She ends up scrapping that plan for a micro quesadilla, which will be a tower of corn tortillas, chorizo, beans, cheese, and her special hot sauce.

So far, so good for these aspiring chefs.

The next day, they are greeted by Paul Sallenbach, the director of Admissions for the Culinary Institute of America. In order to get into the school, they must first pass an admissions interview. The chefs all impress the officers with their passion for cooking. Now for the real test.

They meet the judges: Mark Lancia, Vice President of the CIA; Michael Shafer, owner and executive chef at Depot Restaurant; Robert Gadsby, owner and executive chef of Noe (which is his real first name; he was Chef Jeff's first boss); Sarah Bowman, executive chef at the Miramonte Spa and Resort; David Lefevre, executive chef at the Water Grill; and Akasha Richmond, owner and chef of Akasha restaurant. A very impressive retinue, overall.

Adam is up first. Chef Jeff seems to be riding him really hard, almost purposely trying to get a rise out of him. So Adam does get a little hot under the collar, but he manages to pull through. He gets high marks from the judges for plating and a surprise job offer from Robert Gadsby. He leaves the judges' table ebulliently, even clicking his heels together.

Kathy is feeling outclassed by her teammates. In addition, she doesn't bring a mallet, so she ends up having to use a saute pan to pound the chicken breasts. She is especially nervous about being judged by Michael Shafer because he gave her a hard time in his restaurant; but he pronounces her concoction delicious.

Alonzo is trying to keep his composure and get rid of the negative self-talk -- and for once, it works! He gets very good marks for his presentation, having solved his plating problem by presenting it in a steamed "envelop." He almost passes out when he gets back in the kitchen, but Chef Jeff just tosses him over his shoulder.

Brett starts getting frustrated because while he is happy that his teammates are doing so well, it puts even more pressure on him. Chef Jeff knows that Brett has a tendency to buckle sometimes, so he takes a step back, again, testing him. He, too, does well, and gets an invite from Michael Shafer, who tells him that he's going to be his worst nightmare in helping him to stay clean.

Shante is worried that no one will like her food, that no one will want to eat it, but her fears are unfounded. Akasha Richmond pronounces it excellent.

Maria says that she is nervous, but she really sails through putting her dish together, even winking at the camera. All the chefs love her dish, especially the sauce, and Akasha Richmond offers her a card to look her up.

So it is no big surprise to anyone that they all get their scholarships, but Chef Jeff is not done with them yet.

When they exit the exam, their loved ones are all waiting for them. For Kathy and Brett, it is a reunion because they have been living at the Dream Center, which is a shelter in Los Angeles. Alonzo has a surprising amount of relatives who showed up for him. Adam's mother and father are there, which he is very happy to see. It gets a little sad because the only people who showed up for Shante are her children. Her mother, father, and husband were all invited to attend but elected not to show. Which just goes to show you what she's up against with 4 kids and no support. Only Maria's teachers showed up to support her. Her mother abandoned the family when she was 3, and Maria's father remarried. She did not get along with her stepmother, so when her father was sent off to Kuwait, Maria ran away from home at the age of 16 and has been living off the streets ever since then. Chef Jeff called her father, who wrote Maria a letter telling her how proud he is of her, and how he looks forward to being united with her one day.

So what have they been doing with their lives since then? Alonzo has moved to Las Vegas, where Chef Jeff is keeping an eye on him. He also shaved his head! Who knew that a cutie was hiding under those intricate braids?

Brett moved out of the Dream Center and is going to school at the Culinary Institute of America. He also has a part-time job as a line cook.

Kathy is back living with her parents and working as a waitress. She plans to attend culinary school early next year.

Shante is still fighting the good fight. She is attending culinary school part-time and trying to raise four kids at the same time (good luck to her!).

Maria is a full-time student at the Culinary Institute and has a part-time job working at Akasha.

And Adam, the one who Chef Jeff labeled as a natural talent? Adam still hasn't gotten his GED yet, so he cannot go to culinary school yet.

All in all, a good ending to a good season.

TV REVIEW: The Chef Jeff Project

Coming off of a bad episode last week that marginally ended on a positive note, the Chef Jeff Project took an upbeat turn this week. Jeff decides to give his six X factors a taste of what can happen on both the professional and home fronts when you never stop believing in yourself and when you surround yourself with people who support you.

The X's first stop is in fabulous Las Vegas, Jeff's hometown and where he got his start. They will be cooking for the Ka Show, which is put on by Cirque du Soleil. For the hierarchy, they must create something that the Cirque performers love: sushi, but with their own twists. Adam, who has experience in this, wins handily by acclamation of his fellow chefs. Jeff, in a surprising twist, also appoints Chante as a team leader. Not surprisingly, given their lack of maturity, each team leader is equally disgruntled by having to share the title.

As usual, there's a blow-up in the kitchen, and yes, it involves Adam. Adam, however, seems to have matured a little bit. Instead of popping off and earning himself a quick trip to the freezer for a cool-down, he collects himself and lets the negativity wash over him. The other crew members who were ready for battle seem to relax, denoting that one bad apple can indeed make or break the morale of the group.

The Ka presentation is a success, and in turnabout, the performers invite the X's to see their nighttime show. They seem awed by the experience, by the promise of wealth and luxury, but this isn't all Chef Jeff has in store for them.

Their next project is to cook for the birthday party of Chef Jeff's 64-year-old mother. In this way, they get to see what family and community look like. It gets very emotional, and even the stoic Brett is wiping his eyes by the end of the episode. I even shed a few tears, particularly for Adam, who REALLY gets into the emotional side of things.

Next week is the finale, when the X's learn if they have what it takes to get their scholarships. Will Chante's attitude bring her down? Will Adam's temper explode and take over? Will Alonzo's fear of failure bring him cowering in the corner? Will Brett's lack of emotion translate into a lack of passion for food? Will Maria's inexperience cause her make bad decisions? And will Kathy's sense of isolation cause her to pull away from her fellow crew members? We'll all be watching...