Houston reality show contestant, Alvin Schultz (recently appearing on Fox's MasterChef, Season 2) follows Houston chef Rebecca Masson as she competes in Top Chef Just Desserts. For the FULL recap, check out Eater National's run down, brought to you by NYC's Big Gay Ice Cream.
This week, Houston's Sugar Fairy competes in a challenge of pure imagination against 10 of the best pastry chefs in the country.
Masson is sporting a neon pink cast on her ninja-hand injury (which happened in the second episode) while the cheftestapants read their "Gail-Mail". All the remaining chefs enter a theater where an all time classic film is playing: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
At the end of the film, host Gail Simmons walks out and asks a few of the (non-chef) audience members to step up on stage with her.
Masson proves she's a smart cookie by first exclaiming, "They're the kids from the movie!" The chefs are SHOCKED to see they've been sitting amongst the original cast during the film. I can imagine how watching Wonka in his world of confection must have inspired these pastry chefs as children. They're clapping and cheering like kids in a candy store.
Enter the challenge...To help celebrate the 40th anniversary of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the chefs must transform the Top Chef dining room into Wonka's world of pure edible imagination.
The chefs work tirelessly over the next several hours to create a child's dreamscape, the Central Park of sugar. They divide into a creative team and a production team. The standard reality show idea negotiation ensues.
After the debate, the chefs get to work. For the first time in the season, the chefs seem overwhelmed with the task of creating a pastry play land. They go through over 120 kilos of chocolate and untold amounts of sugar and cream. This is one of those challenges that you have no way of preparing for as a contestant... you just keep your head down, stay focused and do the best you can.
Masson works on the production team. In addition to cranking out room decorations, she makes marshmallow moon pies and a modified cupcake from her Fluff Bake Bar signature collection. She bakes a chocolate cupcake in an egg shell, and serves it next to her "Veruca" salted caramel butter cream.
Masson fairs judging well, taking only a bit of criticism for not having painted her egg shells to match the golden eggs from Wonka's wonderland. Masson is almost giddy when she realizes she's feeding her Veruca Salt to the Veruca Salt. Her desserts are solid, but land her in the middle of the pack. But, this week, the "middle of the pack" means Masson has surpassed the Top 10. Our hometown hero is safe for another week as the judges pick this week's winner and send two chefs packing.
Chef Katzie Guy-Hamilton's honey dripping bee hive lands her the win. Next, the judges bite the head off chef Craig Poirier's giant gummy bears and sent him home along with chef Melissa Camacho for her sub-par green donuts.
Masson was very active on twitter during last night's episode (@Sugar_Fairy) commenting on her one-liners, comparing Snookie to an Oompa Loompa and chatting and other contestants. Next week, grab a fluffernutter, live tweet with her, and tune in to Bravo to cheer her on into the finals.
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Photo: [Bravo]
