I'm Bobby Flay.
Each week, one brave chef will try to take me down in my house.
This is my show.
Today, it is. Tomorrow, who knows?
-Ooh! -Trash talking.
This culinary battle is gonna shake down in two rounds.
Round one, to get to me,
two contenders have to go through each other
using an ingredient of my choice.
It's do or die, Bobby.
[Bobby] Two people that know me well will decide
who's got the skills to beat me.
Yeah!
[Bobby] Round two, I go head to head with the winning contender.
-[woman] Let's go! -[Bobby] It's their turn to surprise me
with their signature dish.
What?
-[woman screams] Ah! -Don't try this at home.
-[laughing] Oh, no, you didn't, Bobby! -[audience laughing]
-[Bobby] Bottom line... -You're gonna run out of time!
...everyone's out to beat me.
[bell rings]
I'm a little nervous to bring out my co-host tonight
because they love something that I just don't.
-Pastry. -[audience exclaiming] Ooh!
-[Bobby] Please welcome from Food Network, Duff Goldman. -Yeah!
[Bobby] And actress and TV host, Alyson Hannigen.
[audience cheering]
-Nice. -Alyson, you sat down so casually
in that cake outfit.
-Oh, what? This old thing? -[Bobby] Yes.
Very... That looks great on you.
I am a serious professional chef.
-And I demand respect. -[laughs] Exactly.
This proves that we will do anything
to beat Bobby Flay.
[Duff] I'm taking off my cookie.
I was kind of getting used to it. I liked it.
Alyson, we know you from all of your iconic roles, of course.
But you've also done a bunch of stuff on the Food Network.
It's been so much fun. I know. That's how I get my treats.
-And you like pastries and cakes and stuff. -I love pastries and cakes!
Me too.
I did warn people I'm gonna struggle being mean to you.
-'Cause I only... -Really?
-You know what happens... -Well, I feel like you need a hug at the end of the day.
[laughs] But here's what happens.
Very quickly, you'll be happy to...
-To abuse you? -...wanna take me down. Exactly. Yes.
The more I get to know you, the more I'll want
-to be mean to you? Okay. -Exactly.
-[Alyson] All right. Good to know.
Let's bring out some chefs.
-[Duff] All right. -[Alyson] Yeah!
Well, Bobby, you're in trouble tonight.
Our first contender is the ultimate mixer
of beats and batter.
[imitates record scratch]
From New York city, DJ turned pastry chef,
Katherine Sprung.
[audience cheering]
All right.
Our next contender knew she wanted to be a pastry chef
when she was eight years old.
From New York city, it's chef Jewel Johnson.
[audience cheering]
[laughing]
Lock 'em in.
-How you guys doing? -Scared slash nervous.
"Scared slash nervous"? What about you?
It's do or die, Bobby. I got this.
-[Duff laughs] -[audience exclaiming] Ooh!
I'm gonna give you 20 minutes on the clock
and you must make an ingredient of my choice
the star of your dish.
And that ingredient is... pistachios.
[audience exclaims, cheers]
You like pistachios?
-Go nuts for 'em. -Love 'em.
-[audience chuckles] -[Bobby] All right, perfect.
Yeah, thanks.
All right, chefs, make sure that your judges are green with envy.
-[rings bell] -[audience cheering]
All right, pistachios.
There's something about the texture,
-that buttery stickiness. -[Alyson] Mm-hm.
[Bobby] Yeah, you can go sweet or savory.
I would make, like, a pistachio chicken,
crusted with pistachios.
I mean, prove it.
-[laughs] "Show me". -Go on, make it for me.
I'll take it.
[Jewel] I'm very quick on my feet.
I have my butter, some hot water in a pot,
add in sugar, flour.
-[Bobby] What is she making there? -It's a choux!
-Like a pate a choux? -[Jewel] Yes, chef.
I'm gonna do pistachio churros
with a white chocolate pistachio sauce.
Growing up in Harlem, you get those churro ladies,
they sell the big churros for like, a dollar.
And I loved them.
Incorporating a little bit of my childhood into the dish is always fun.
Great! Get all those lumps out. I see 'em.
-I see 'em too, chef. -[laughing]
[Jewel] You know, Bobby might be an Iron chef,
but I'm a one-woman show.
I am a pastry chef and a restaurant pastry consultant,
owner of GreenJeansCake,
and I am a mom.
I do it all.
One of the things that I love is when you have a big event,
it's always associated with some kind of dessert.
I made that chocolate cake that you proposed over,
and your kid's first birthday smash cake, that was me.
I get to be a part of that for a lot of people.
Bobby, from one New Yorker to the other,
I think you know what I'm bringing to the table, so get ready.
Come on, little mixer!
I run over and grab heavy cream, milk,
sugar and eggs.
Katherine, what's on your culinary mind here?
We're gonna make some pistachio ice cream.
-Ooh! -She's making ice cream?
How will you make it in 15 minutes?
Well, maybe some scientifical magic.
-Ooh! -Ooh! Magic!
-I like magic. -[audience cheering]
[Duff] I'm intrigued.
[Katherine] Pistachio works really well with ice cream
because it's not too sweet,
and just gives it a little something special.
[humming]
So, I was a nightlife DJ,
but also, I was writing a food blog.
And that's where the marshmallows kind of came from
and something just really stuck.
I started Squish Marshmallows as a handcrafted marshmallow company
that really focusses on unique textural flavors.
I've been featured in Eater, Thrillist,
shows like Chopped Sweets.
But if I were to beat Bobby,
I mean, I'm done.
That's it.
I've made it. [chuckles]
-I'm gonna go see what's going on. -All right.
-Please, what is happening? -I don't even know.
-What are you making? -Right now, I'm making a pistachio churro, chef.
-Oh, a churro. -[gasps]
Did you toast those pistachios?
-Not as of yet. -Okay.
I'm just asking.
-You're just messing with me. -Don't let me give you a complex.
-Am I freaking you out? -A little bit.
-[laughing] -I might need you to take a break, chef.
[all laughing]
The pistachios are going to get folded into the ice cream
to give it lots of texture.
How are you gonna freeze that?
Liquid nitrogen? Interesting.
Chefs, you have just about 12 minutes.
The only way for me to achieve making ice cream in under 20 minutes,
is to pull out some liquid nitrogen.
-Oh, liquid nitrogen, here it goes. -[audience cheering]
[Alyson] Whoo!
Ah!
[Jewel] I hear this, like, roar from the other side of the room,
I'm like, "Dang, girl."
-[audience cheering] -That's amazing.
[Jewel] I grab my piping bag, get my paste inside,
and I'm ready to head to the fryer and make some churros.
[Katherine] When the fog has settled, I look at my bowl...
Oh, no.
-[Alyson] It looks chunky. -[Bobby] It's ice.
-She put too much in? -Way too much.
[Katherine] Yeah, that's not ice cream.
I'm freaking out.
Coming up on seven minutes.
[Jewel] I go back to the fryer, I see my churros,
golden brown, they smell amazing.
And then, I dust that stuff in a cardamom sugar.
-Cone? -Ooh!
-I get to-- Ha, ha, ha! Hey. -[audience laughing]
Oh? Oh! Mm-hm.
I like the crunch.
-Yeah, the texture in the pistachio... -Yeah.
...really gives it another sort of level.
-Behind. -[muffled] Okay.
[Katherine] So, my first instinct is to get the bowl onto hot, boiling water.
And I start to slowly see the ice-cream around the edges melting
just a little bit.
It just may work.
-Are you stressed? -Yeah!
[laughing] Obviously. That's the whole point of the show.
[laughs] "Are you stressed?"
Ooh, it seems like you've figured out the ice cream consistency.
[Katherine] Yeah, somewhat.
Is there anything else to go with it?
Um, I think I have time for something else.
-Really? -[Katherine] Let's hope.
-[Alyson] All right, good luck, guys. -[Katherine] Thank you.
[Jewel] I mix warm heavy cream into the bowl
with white chocolate and pistachios
to make a dipping sauce.
-I don't really like white chocolate. -Really?
[Alyson] It's just so sweet.
It's all fine.
I grab chocolate and coconut oil.
It's time to make a chocolate shell.
[Jewel] I've got my churros dusted.
-[Bobby] 25 seconds. -[Jewel] You want one?
What is going on here?
I think, "Maybe the audience would like some."
-Catch! [laughs] -[audience cheers]
[all] Ten, nine, eight...
[Katherine] Drizzle a little chocolate shell and pistachios.
-[all] ...four, three, two, one. -[bell rings]
[all cheering]
[Katherine] I feel pretty awesome
because I have made an ice cream in under 20 minutes.
I know that they're going to love the flavors that I put forward.
But also, nobody's gonna say no to ice cream.
Come on.
This is all gonna come down to what you did with the pistachios.
Katherine, please tell me what you made here.
I made a pistachio ice cream with a chocolate shell.
I'm amazed.
I cannot believe how creamy this is.
But I feel like it's a lot of pistachios in here.
It's really, really nutty.
I loved the creaminess of the ice cream.
Loved the texture of the pistachios.
I just wanted a little more ice cream than pistachio.
-Chef Jewel? -I have for you a pistachio churro,
dusted with cardamom sugar
and it's paired with a white chocolate pistachio sauce.
[audience laughing]
It's nice and sweet. I like the crunch of the sugar on the outside.
I'm getting a nice, sort of, even pistachio flavor.
I actually preferred it without the sauce
because this cardamom sugar with the pistachio was so excellent.
It's a nice little churro. Nice job.
Unfortunately, Alyson and I can only pick one chef
to move forward, so give us a second.
[Jewel] I am so ready to like, look him straight in the eye
and say, "We're doing this, Bobby."
And the chef moving forward to beat Bobby is...
-...chef Jewel. -[audience cheering]
[Bobby] Thanks for being here.
[Katherine] I'm proud of what I did here.
Even in the face of lots of turmoil,
I still turned it out okay.
-Good job. -Thank you.
Jewel, listen, you're a great cook.
You got great flavors. Keep it up.
I feel pretty good!
Bobby, how are you feeling?
I'll let you know after she tells us what we're doing.
[all laughing]
[Bobby] All right, Jewel, congratulations.
What are we cooking tonight? What is your signature dish?
My signature dish today, Bobby, is...
...tiramisu.
[audience exclaiming]
Whoa.
-[audience cheering] -I have a very good tiramisu recipe.
-Ooh! -But I'm gonna mess with it today.
-'Cause I can do that. -[both laugh]
So, Jewel, what would it mean to you to win tonight?
I think it'd be a really big deal for me to beat Bobby Flay.
I got a sitter, I missed work, I gotta bring something home.
[all laughing]
We're gonna put 45 minutes on the clock.
-[Duff] And your time starts... -[both] Now!
[audience cheering]
[Duff] Tiramisu is an Italian dessert.
-Yeah, the layers? -[Duff] You know?
Like a parfait, right?
It's mascarpone cream, some kind of coffee element, cocoa powder.
And then, there's a baked component,
-like a ladyfinger. -Oh, it's the best.
[Bobby] Tiramisu is one of the most classic Italian desserts.
I was inspired by the first round ingredient.
So, my strategy is, I'm gonna add some pistachio flavor to the mascarpone crema.
I've had pistachio tiramisu actually in Rome.
But it's not classic.
Jewel, why did you choose tiramisu?
Tiramisu is the only dessert that I'll never make for myself.
Why don't you make it for yourself?
Because I eat so much of it. I love it so much.
[all laughing]
My signature dish is an elevated classic tiramisu
with orange ladyfinger sponge and cocoa [indistinct].
First thing I need to get done is getting my ladyfinger sponge in the oven.
Which is eggs, sugar, orange zest, flour, little bit of cornstarch.
So, it looks like Jewel's making her ladyfingers.
Actually made the dough.
[Jewel] I get it spread out nicely and into the oven she goes.
-Bobby, are you making ladyfingers? -[Bobby] No way.
[audience and Duff laugh]
I don't wanna make my own ladyfingers
'cause I want my ladyfingers to have structure.
You kind of want firm ladyfingers for this.
Feel like it's a big element of the dessert.
-I don't think Ino makes her own ladyfingers every time. -Okay.
[Bobby] First thing I start working on is my mascarpone crema.
So, I separate eggs, just use the yolks with sugar,
whip it on very high speed till it gets very light.
Then I add the mascarpone cheese,
which is like an Italian-style cream cheese.
And then, I add pistachio butter,
which is like peanut butter but pistachios.
Chefs, you guys got 38 minutes left.
-Heard, 38 minutes. -[Duff] 38 minutes.
You know, if Ino was here, she would say,
"Store bought's fine.
-It's okay" -[Bobby] Well, that's what I'm doing.
[Duff and Alyson laugh]
-Jewel, you're making sabayon. -Yes, I am.
I haven't made sabayon in a long time.
Sabayon is just egg yolks, some vanilla and granulated sugar
cooked over the double boiler.
So, what I want is a nice ribbon
and no more grainy texture.
-It should melt in your mouth. -[Duff] Right.
Why am I telling you? He could hear me.
-[audience laughing] -[Bobby] I love Jewel.
She's very talented, she's fun. She knows she's good.
-[laughs] -[Duff] Bobby, you might be in trouble.
[Bobby] But I still wanna win.
Alyson, Jewel is a pastry chef.
Oh, yeah. Hers looks like what you aspire to be.
And then, his looks like you need to take your dog to the vet.
[audience laughing]
It tastes good. It tastes very rich and buttery and silky.
-[timer rings] -Timer!
[Jewel] Heard!
My ladyfingers are nice golden-brown on top.
[Bobby] So, now I'm gonna build my tiramisu.
Tiramisu literally means, "pick-me-up".
And that's from the ladyfingers that I soak in espresso.
And then, I put some of the pistachio crema on top.
It's really about layering the textures and the flavors.
-I'm gonna go check in with Jewel. -[Duff] Okay.
Ooh! So, what are you doing now?
-I'm cutting out circles in my orange ladyfinger sponge. -[gasps] Thank you!
I like that whenever I come over, you give me a treat.
Oh, that is delicious!
-And it's subtle orange. -Yeah.
-I love it. -It's a little bit of brightness
when you're going into the coffee 'cause you don't want it to be way too bitter.
Yeah. Good luck.
Ooh! Pistachio?
You just couldn't get it out of your brain?
I do get inspired.
Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night like,
"I have to cook something right now."
-'Cause if so, can I be your neighbor? -[all laughing]
-[Bobby] You wanna taste the pistachios? -[Alyson] Yes, please.
-But you're hungry in general? I'm gonna make you something. -You're gonna make me a meal?
-I'm gonna make you something, yeah. -Tiramisu and a meal?
-Yeah, you can have both. -This is the best day ever.
Well, we'll see what happens. You might not like the food. So, we'll see what happens.
-Well, that's good. -You okay?
-[Alyson] I'm gonna get out of your way. -See you later.
-Coming up on 14 minutes, guys. 14 minutes! -[audience cheering]
[Bobby] And then, on top, some crunchy pistachios with sugar.
This is a pretty quick dessert and also,
I want the ladyfingers to kind of sit in the crema and the espresso
so that they're not crunchy.
Jewel's cake was so tasty. It was so light and fluffy.
Very pillowy.
I love a piping bag.
I'm not very good at it but I love it.
[laughs]
Tiramisu is sort of a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing.
Now, you soak your sponge, you get your sabayon, you make your layers.
What's your soak there, chef?
Very strong espresso.
In 45 minutes, it's a bit of a challenge to,
you know, make sure all those layers gel together.
-Okay, plot twist. -Plot twist.
I think Bobby's ladyfingers are going to accept more of his liquid.
Jewel's ladyfingers, they're fresh and they're still full of moisture.
So, they're not gonna take that much.
Like how slightly stale bread makes better French toast?
-[Duff] 100 percent. -[exclaims] Ugh.
-[audience laughing] -[Alyson] Is that bacon?
And I see pasta.
It's just a new version of the tiramisu.
It's gonna be for the topping.
Bacon pistachios.
It's gonna be killer.
He's gonna use pasta as a topping for tiramisu?
He said he was gonna make me a meal.
I'm close to done, so, I'm gonna make a little Roman lunch.
Pasta Carbonara.
-[Duff] Jewel, what's that? -[Jewel] I have a tuile paste.
-Oh! -What?
I wanna add a little bit of texture.
Tuile is a very simple, thin cookie.
I'm putting cocoa nibs on it,
and I'm gonna give everybody shards like a garnish.
What is he making? You can see and I can't.
-[Duff] What's he making? -What is he making?
[Jewel and audience laugh]
-[Alyson] Seven minutes to go. -[audience cheering]
-Jewel, I love you. You're fantastic. -Aw!
-[Bobby] Really. -[all] Aw!
-[audience cheering] -She is.
Now, stop cooking so good.
[laughs] I don't think I can, chef.
-Is it cocoa in that? -[Jewel] Yes.
I really wanna have that complementary texture
with chocolate incorporated into the dish.
-Bobby? -[audience cheering]
-That is a fascinating tiramisu. -Oh, my word.
-[Bobby] Exactly. -[Duff laughing]
Why are people always so mean to you?
I don't know. They like doing it.
Duff might be eating your tiramisu.
-That pistachio mousse is really good. -[Bobby] Is it good?
-Wow. -I made you some lunch.
-Aw! -[audience exclaiming] Aw!
-[Duff] You're so nice. -[audience clapping]
-That is so nice. -That's so sweet!
Thanks, chef!
Bobby!
[audience cheering]
-[Alyson] Oh! -This is amazing.
-[Bobby] Is it? -[Duff] It's really good.
Oh, my God.
-[Jewel] It's so good. -[audience laughing]
-It's no good? -No, it's amazing. It's delicious.
[all laughing]
I'm just messing with you. I really adore you, Bobby.
-[audience cheering] -[Duff] One minute!
[Bobby] All right. Back to work.
On top, I finish it with cocoa powder,
chocolate shavings and some more pistachio crumbles.
[Jewel] I'm going half of the cocoa powder.
Almost like the classic New York Black and White cookie.
That looks really, really pretty.
[all] Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three,
-two, one! -[all cheering]
[Jewel] I feel really confident.
But if anybody's gonna think outside the box, it's Bobby.
And if anybody can win with that mindset,
it's Bobby.
Jewel, Bobby, it's time to meet your judges.
First up, executive pastry chef, Camari Mick.
Cookbook author and chef, Joe Sasto.
[Alyson] And cake artist, Paulette Goto!
-[audience cheering] -[indistinct]
Judges, please start with the first tiramisu in front of you.
[Jewel] If I don't beat Bobby Flay today,
I can't go back to work.
I'll be shunned.
-Paulette, your thoughts? -This is delicious.
The ladyfingers are soaked beautifully.
I really like the orange flavor, it's so nice.
I could've used a little bit more in it.
It's struggling to get though but I'm wildly in love.
You taste the liquor, you taste the coffee.
It's hard to believe that they did this in such a short amount of time.
What I don't really know about here is the little tuile on the side.
It just kind of takes away from the idea of tiramisu.
I love this. I love a classic tiramisu.
It's delicious.
Great flavor. I would've loved a little bit more salt.
Judges, please try the second tiramisu.
The pistachio just really sinks.
That just elevated it and added texture.
What really falls flat for me is I just don't think there is enough of that coffee punch
to really give me that pick-me-up that I'm looking for in a tiramisu.
I love the size of it. I love sharing desserts.
I love that sweet-salty aspect to it.
I do wish the nuts were toasted, though.
I was so excited to get this pistachio tiramisu.
I think it's such a clever take.
However, I would've liked more coffee taste.
A lot more.
Judges, thank you so much.
But there can only be one winner.
[Jewel] I feel like it is 50-50 right now. It's torture.
Like, I could have blood, sweat and tears in that glass
and I don't know if they tasted it.
And the winner is...
-...chef Jewel! -[audience cheering]
-Congratulations. -This is amazing. Thank you!
Yeah!
It was so sexy, so refreshing.
-Really, really well done. -Thank you, chef.
-Bobby, amazing effort. -Bobby.
-Amazing effort. -Oh.
You know what? You have so much potential.
[all laughing]
I beat Bobby Flay. I'm so excited.
-Victory! [laughs] -Yeah!
-[Alyson] He still needs a hug. -[Duff] He does.
[laughing]
I can die happy. Are you kidding me right now?
I'm Jewel Johnson and I just beat Bobby Flay!
[audience cheering]