Alejandra Ramos, voice-over: Tonight on "The Great American Recipe"... We want to see more of the recipes you prepare for friends and family.

because it's holiday time.

Person: Yeah!

[Cheering and applause] Winner, winner, butternut squash dinner.

Coby, voice-over: When I make this at home, it's cooked for 2, 3 hours.

I think I can get it done in time.

[Sizzling] Fran: Oh, this looks good.

Rex, voice-over: It's festive.

I love the flavor combination.

This reminds me of the holidays.

This is bangin'.

Welcome back to "The Great American Recipe."

♪ I was in the bottom last week.

Carlos, your bison ribeye fell a little flat with not having enough seasoning.

But that's not going to stop me.

I'm going to do everything I can to impress the judges this week.

♪ Anika, voice-over: To win last week was an amazing feeling.

[Cheering and applause] Oh, my God!

I got to tell you, Anika, your phuchka was so perfect.

You nailed it on all counts.

Anika, voice-over: So, this week, I'm walking into the barn with a strong sense of confidence.

Woman: Good morning.

Ramos: Hey, good morning.

Man: Good morning.

How are you?

Woman: Morning.

Ramos: Welcome back to week two of "The Great American Recipe."

We're back with our fabulous judges-- Tiffany Derry... Good morning.

Tim Hollingsworth... Hi, guys.

and Francis Lam.

Hey, everyone.

Good morning.

Last week, you gave us a first taste of who you are and where you're from.

Derry: For the coming weeks, you'll be sharing your recipes and your stories with us.

But this season, there's only 4 weeks to earn your spot in the finale, and after today, two home cooks will be eliminated from the competition and you'll head back to your home kitchen.

Ramos: This is your opportunity to show the judges why you should stay in the competition, and ultimately, one of you will be named the winner of "The Great American Recipe."

Ramos: How's that sound?

I'm ready.

Sounds really good.

This week's theme is all about your tried and true dishes that serve up comfort and care.

For round one, you'll have 60 minutes to prepare your go-to recipes when you want to show support.

And as always, your dishes will be judged on taste, presentation, execution, and how well you deliver on the theme.

All right, everyone.

Your 60 minutes starts now.

[Cheering and applause] Man: Get it.

Get it, get it.

Let's go.

Get it.

Woman: You got this.

Carlos: Just want to make sure I move quickly today.

Ramos, voice-over: We asked the cooks to prepare a meal they make to show support.

What are you hoping to see?

I'm looking for the story and why this is the dish that they're making.

Why it should be comforting.

And I feel like that's the introduction to how I'm going to feel when I start to eat their food.

Derry: Yeah.

Lam: You know, when you want to comfort someone, you want to feed them something that doesn't ask much of the person eating, you know?

Derry: Yeah.

This meal is truly about doing something as an act of love that you feel that they would appreciate.

Ramos: Yes.

Lam: Yeah, 100%.

♪ Derry: There goes chicken juice.

Ramos: That chicken's gonna get on me.

[Laughs] Rex, don't get that on my dress.

Rex: OK. [Laughter] ♪ Waigal: Keep it blessed.

Never stressed.

♪ Waigal, voice-over: Last week, I think I did fairly well.

I'm proud of being on the top two.

[Speaking Farsi] Waigal, voice-over: And I just want to surround myself with good energy.

It's so important for me to do well in this round because someone is getting eliminated this week.

Ahh.

That's it.

Good energy.

Thinking of a dish I would make for someone in need or who is sick, I definitely want to make my chicken yakhni, which is just an Afghan chicken soup.

You're going to see turmeric, coriander.

Very simple, very classic.

I made this dish for my sister when my nephew was born, and it nursed her for a week.

Waigal, voice-over: And today, my sister's kids love this dish.

While the chicken is cooking in the pressure cooker, I'm going to add my carrots and my celery.

Celery is my American spin on it, and adding that bit of crunch, really, I feel like elevates the dish.

Smells amazing.

♪ Coby: Probably can cut my meat a little smaller.

I can get it tender enough.

Derry: Coby, what kind of pork is that?

Shoulder?

Coby: That is a Boston butt.

What are you going to be making with that?

I'm making jambalaya.

Derry: In 60 minutes?

Is it going in a pressure cooker?

It is not.

That's why I have cut these pieces a little smaller.

Derry: Smaller, yeah.

Coby: My only concern is really the tenderness of this meat.

This challenge takes me every bit of 59 minutes and 59 seconds to get it done.

[Laughter] I think I probably would have did at least 20 minutes in the pressure cooker.

Coby, voice-over: Jambalaya is a straight-up traditional Cajun dish.

This recipe was taught to me by a fireman.

I went and helped a fireman cook a massive pot of jambalaya at a fallen firefighter's funeral, and now that guy's retired and I'm that guy they kind of call that if we're having a fireman's funeral to make jambalaya.

Heavy seasoning on there.

All right.

We'll get this rolling.

[Sizzling] I also use some tasso.

It's kind of like a shoulder, almost like a ham-type meat.

It really kind of brings that smokiness into the rice when you eat it.

Things are looking so far, so good.

And I hope the judges love it, too.

Ramos: That is risky for 60 minutes, right?

Derry: Yeah.

He's using a pork shoulder.

There is some connective tissue in there that needs to break down, and cooking it with rice and vegetables, and it needs to boil.

You know what I mean?

You know, he's got a big cast iron pot.

He got a lot of steam.

Hopefully it has enough time to tenderize.

Derry: Yeah.

This pot is extremely special to me.

This pot was the first pot my mom bought me.

Coby, voice-over: It's not the prettiest pot, but it does cook very, very well.

This is going to take quite a bit of time.

♪ Suwanee: I want to bring a little bit of Thai comfort.

I am less nervous this week than last week because I know a little bit more what to expect.

I am making pad mee korat.

It's a noodle dish, so, noodles are always comforting to me.

I'm using pork belly today just because that is traditional meat that we use.

We eat a lot of pork in Thailand.

Suwanee, voice-over: Being a military spouse for 22 years, korat is a dish that I've made for my friends that have family members that were gone during deployments.

I have garlic, chiles, and shallot.

So I'm using this traditional clay mortar and wooden pestle to create the aromatics.

Suwanee, voice-over: This is a special tool that I brought with me from Thailand when I first came to America.

I grew up in a small leprosy village.

Leprosy broke out in Thailand about 60 years ago and looking back, they had nothing.

But they gave so much to me.

Suwanee, how are you?

Hi!

How are you?

I'm well, thank you.

What are you making?

I am making pad mee korat.

Korat is a province near where I grew up.

Pad Thai is so well known around the world, Sure.

but this is more spicy and sassy.

So, it's like the spicy...

I like a spicy and sassy.

I'm using pork belly.

That pork fat is so good to stir-fry in because it coats the noodles and gives that nice, rich flavor.

Can I give you one piece of advice?

Yes, sir.

When you're stir-frying, do it in batches.

In batches.

Because when you do it all at once, it might suck the steam and clump up a little.

Yeah.

Thank you for that advice.

Yeah, sure.

I'll let you cook because I know you're getting eager to stir-fry.

OK.

Sounds good.

Thank you, Francis.

Take care.

♪ I'm just going to brown this first a little bit.

I like a lot of mushrooms, so I'm going to make some more.

We're going to put the sofrito in and we're going to let it do its magic.

So, today, I'm making asopao.

Some people call it sopon.

Puerto Rican cuisine staple.

Stews are very popular in Puerto Rico.

It's a very rich broth with some rice.

It comes with chicken.

It comes with ribs.

Corn, plantains, some potatoes.

[Sizzling] Oh, yeah.

That's the sound we want.

I need to be more generous with seasonings, right?

I'm not being careful anymore.

My strategy this week to make sure I'm not eliminated is to apply all the feedback the judges gave me to put myself in a safe spot.

I make this dish for servicemembers who are heading out for a deployment or a training exercise.

They're going to be saying farewell for their family for a while.

This is a way for me to prepare them a dish that they will appreciate.

Puerto Rican people are very communal, so it is my goal always to try to feed as many people as I can with one single cook.

Ramos: 45 minutes, everyone.

Anika: Oh, my God.

Brie: Let's go, let's go.

[Clattering] Brie: Sorry, guys.

Rex: Whoo!

Oh, my God, the kitchen is so loud today.

Ramos: Ooh, yeah.

Derry: Y'all are cooking.

Woo hoo!

First I'm going to make the puff pastry top and then I'm going to make the chicken filler.

So, today, I'm making chicken pot pie, a family favorite.

This is a dish that I made for my parents pretty often at the end of their lives.

Fran, voice-over: In 2020, my parents passed away.

My dad ended up dying of Alzheimer's, Mom from cancer.

But in the year and a half before that time, they both had these challenges that required they had rich, super-nutritious meals.

[Voice breaking] So I got to bring that same food to the table, but, you know, under different circumstances, it was nurturing and it brought lots of memories, too.

The beautiful thing about cooking, there's joy in all of those good memories around the table.

That's where all our life happens.

Fran, voice-over: I saute the chicken and then I'm using leeks along with onions, because I think they give a nice, kind of almost herby flavor.

♪ It needs salt.

Fran, voice-over: The thing that binds all these ingredients together is the bechamel.

It's flour and butter and then milk.

And then I'm going to use my favorite, and it was Mom and Dad's favorite, which was sherry, because it imparts a nice sweetness.

Let it cook out.

OK. You need to do your thing over here.

♪ Anika: My broth is boiling.

Yay!

Pish pash is a Bangladeshi comfort dish.

It's rice cooked in chicken broth.

Because ginger has so much curative properties, ginger is, like, one of the big parts of this dish.

Quite a bit gingery.

It's a dish that my mom used to make for us when we were little.

Anika, voice-over: There's nothing as great as something your mom has prepared for you when you're sick.

And now I make this dish for friends when they're sick because it's very comforting and nourishing.

This carrot is, like, an enormous carrot, so-- Hello, Anika.

Oh, hi, Derry.

Whoa.

[Laughs] How do you feel after your win last week?

It gave me so much more confidence.

Good.

And I feel a little bit better... All right.

about my own instincts.

Yes.

Yes.

And I'm trying to remember your advice from last week, which is the chicken breast meat, I overcooked it.

Yeah.

So I'm going to wait till a little bit later.

Till later.

Chicken breast does better simmered.

So when we boil it, it gets really, really tough.

Yeah.

All of the muscle.

When it's tender, it relaxes and it stays really tender.

Well, I'm excited.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Anika.

I'm going to reduce the heat at this point.

♪ Lam: 30 minutes.

We're halfway there.

Carlos: Whoa.

Rex: Wow.

That was quick.

So add some fish sauce.

Rex, voice-over: So, for my support dish, I'm making arroz caldo.

It's a Filipino rice porridge dish with chicken.

Add some of these onions.

Rex, voice-over: When we arrive from the Philippines to Columbus in 2005, it was kind of close to winter.

And I feel like, ah, when can we have some rice?

So this dish reminds me of back home.

There you go.

Rex, voice-over: We make this dish to welcome new Filipinos coming in Columbus because it's a comforting dish.

♪ Brie: You got this, Rex?

Rex: Yeah.

How's it going?

All right.

All right?

We're cooking.

Good, good.

Brie, voice-over: So, growing up, my biggest influence in cooking has absolutely been my Belizean grandmother.

I'm making a turkey, potato, and rice soup.

Ground turkey has always been a go-to for soups, and this was always one of my favorite ones that she would make, whether it was for us not feeling good or it was just cold outside.

I use a potato masher because it moves so much faster.

Brie, voice-over: My husband's been in the United States Air Force for almost 17 years now, so food trains are standard in the military.

We have to be our own community for each other because you're usually far away from home, far away from family.

There's something about soup, you know, being a comfort food that it just feels like somebody cares.

Ramos: We're seeing a lot of soups, a lot of stews, a lot of dishes that actually do require time, and that's the one thing they do not have here in this kitchen.

[Laughter] Lam: In terms of flavor development, some you really need to brown and simmer down, and other soups you can do really fast.

So it's really just about, like, were they strategic in what they chose?

Mm-hmm.

Hollingsworth: There's lots of shortcuts you can take, right?

You use a wider pot, you can reduce something faster.

You can cook vegetables or meat in different ways and add them together at the end.

Lam: Yes.

So, hopefully, they've taken all that they can to adapt their recipe in the best time.

Ramos: Yeah.

15!

Final 15!

Suwanee: Oh, my gosh.

Let's clear some space here.

♪ Wow.

Waigal, voice-over: My chicken is cooked perfectly.

So, next I'm using Afghan naan to create my own croutons.

You want it to be rustic pieces because you get the crispy edges that way.

I season them with sumac, coriander, salt, and pepper.

Gonna really bring it together and give it that extra flavor.

♪ Potatoes.

Come on.

♪ [Whispers] All right, man.

Come on, man.

It's not getting there.

It's not getting to a temperature I want it and I don't know if it's the heat, I don't know if it's the bowl, I don't know if I overcrowded it.

You know, hopefully, it gets to, uh, at least to tenderize those potatoes and those carrots.

The trickiest part of this dish is getting all the contents inside the pot to a boil, to get those vegetables soft and allow the ribs to become tender.

♪ Don't give up on me ♪ Hollingsworth: Carlos, how we doing?

Doing fine.

We're just having some technical issues here with, uh, bringing this to a boil.

OK. Maybe we need a bigger pot that's wider, huh?

I feel like you need to concentrate that flavor a little bit more, too, right?

Yes.

A wider pot is going to reduce faster.

I trust Chef Tim, so, hopefully, he has enough time.

Let's put the lid back on so we make sure those vegetables steam.

Everything was crowded.

Feel like this is a little bit better technique.

That was great feedback, yeah.

Yeah, for sure.

Good luck.

Appreciate it.

Hey, you might have saved me today.

Who knows?

[Hollingsworth laughs] Thank you, Chef.

Appreciate it.

Best of luck, Carlos.

I'm not even going to look at this anymore, man.

Ramos: 7 minutes, everyone.

♪ Rex: It's a waiting game right now.

There's not much time left, but I really want to use all the parts of that chicken.

I'm going to try to make something out of this liver.

So adobo is a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, a lot of garlic.

And I am hoping this can elevate the dish.

Brie: It looks so pretty and I haven't even added any seasoning yet.

I do a little taste test on my turkey soup.

And just because the true Caribbean in me, I added some of my Jamaican meat seasoning because why not?

And at this point, I have to make sure this dish is perfect for the judges.

And I'm hoping that the flavor in my soup is what's going to keep me here, because two of us are going home at the end of this week.

Mm.

Spicy food's so good.

♪ We're down to the last 3 minutes.

Coby: Hurry up!

Fran: Okie-smokey.

Anika: Time just goes so fast.

It's crazy.

Fran: Here we go.

Fran, voice-over: All of my elements to this chicken pot pie are ready.

My puff pastries are nice and crisp.

The filling is beautiful and full of flavor.

At this point, I need to just assemble the dish and top it with the puff pastry.

♪ Suwanee: Pressure is on.

Ah!

Francis gave me some really good advice on not overcrowding the pan and frying things in batches.

I'm definitely going to take his advice because stir-frying will require some special technique, as he suggested.

Ready to plate.

Ramos: All right, everyone.

One minute left!

This is it.

Hollingsworth: One minute.

♪ Rex: Going to shred this for our judges.

♪ Carlos: Let's see where we at.

Yes.

We're there.

Carlos, voice-over: Everything is coming along.

I'm trying to get all the plates out, and I need to make sure everybody has some ribs, everybody has some chicken, some plantains, corn.

Ramos: Finishing touches.

Get it on the plate!

Waigal: Look at these beauties.

Oh, my God!

♪ Coby: It's tender.

Anika: Want a little bit of the ginger.

Make sure they have ginger.

Ramos: 10!

9!

8!

7!

6!

5!

Judges: 4!

3!

2!

1!

Ramos: Time's up!

[Applause] Man: Woo!

Man 2: Smells good.

Woman: There we go.

Derry: Ha ha ha!

Carlos, how you did, big dawg?

I got it out.

I got it out.

[Laughter] ♪ Ramos: We gave you an hour to prepare a dish you share with the people you care about the most.

First up, Rex.

Rex: Hi, Chefs.

Ramos: Hi, Rex.

What I made today is arroz caldo.

It's a Filipino rice porridge.

And we normally make it for people who are new Filipino immigrants here in the US.

Derry: Well, Rex, I love all of the different accoutrements on the top because every bite is a different experience, right?

Only thing I would say is, like, cook your chicken a little bit slower so that you don't have, like, dry chicken.

Lam: Yeah, I totally agree.

But the fact that you broke down the chicken, and then I loved that you made a little adobo, really respecting the whole animal.

I really appreciate that.

Thanks so much, Chef.

Fran, tell us what you made.

I made chicken pot pie.

It was inspired by the cooking that I did for my parents in the last year of their life.

Hollingsworth: Chicken pot pie is also something that I grew up with.

You were very smart separating the puff pastry, because a lot of times, it's baking for 45 minutes in an oven, just trying to get everything cooked on time.

I like the fact that you incorporated different vegetables, and I feel like the sherry is a nice note, but I feel like it comes through a little strong.

I was heavy-handed.

Fran just likes a little booze.

[Laughter] Lam: I actually like that nutty flavor of the sherry, so I don't mind it at all, but I thought it was very nice.

The chicken was nicely cooked, but it is quite sherry-forward.

Thank you.

Ramos: Waigal.

Waigal: The dish I made is chicken yakhni, and "yakhni" is just the word for broth, essentially.

We make this dish whenever someone's sick or it's very popular as a postpartum dish.

Derry: You made a delicious chicken soup.

The chicken itself is beautifully cooked.

I would love to see some golden brown color on the skin, but the crouton flavor, texture, everything that it gives to the soup is wonderful.

Thank you, Chef.

Lam: To me, the revelation is there's something about the way these carrots and the celery, which has absorbed that turmeric, that makes them feel like I've never eaten carrots and celery before.

It's really delicious.

Wow.

Ramos: Coby.

Coby: I made pork jambalaya.

It is the ultimate comfort food in South Louisiana.

Every year, we cook for the Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

Firemen from all over the country gather.

It's really something when you hear those bagpipes.

Boy, they--I can kind of hear them now.

Yeah.

It's--it's touching, but it's a honor to go there and it was a honor for me to cook this for y'all today.

Coby, thank you for sharing that story.

The importance of remembering people.

You know, it's just a beautiful thing.

That's what food is all about for us.

Absolutely.

You know, I was worried about the pork, so I kept checking it, but it got just tender enough for me.

There's so much depth of flavor in this dish.

It's really, really good.

If I had to critique anything, I think jambalaya is a rice dish, and you put a lot of meat in there.

Ha ha ha ha!

But I'm not complaining.

Coby: Thank you, Chef.

Derry: Oh, Coby...

I love it.

Thank you.

You can tell that this is a dish that you've made many a times.

I agree.

I want a little bit more rice.

That being said, it's delicious.

Thank you.

Ramos: Anika.

Anika: Today, I made for you pish pash.

It's a Bangladeshi dish that my mom used to cook for us when we were sick.

Lam: I'm really enjoying seeing what constitutes comfort food in so many different parts of the world.

And this is really interesting because you really cook the rice down, almost like a polenta kind of texture.

The seasoning is really nice, and maybe this is just unlucky.

My first bite had, like, a big, old chunk of ginger and it kind of, like, [woof].

I don't know if that's intentional.

Anika: It is, actually.

Lam: OK. Ginger is supposed to be so curative that you put big chunks of ginger.

Derry: Yeah, there's definitely some chunks of things.

I think I had a black pepper or something with a little bit of numbing, but I also like the fried shallots that give it a little bit of sweetness.

Thank you.

Carlos.

Today, I made for you guys asopao.

This is the ultimate comfort food in Puerto Rico.

Derry: Carlos, I've been waiting for you to bring the flavor.

[Laughter] You brought the seasoning.

I taste the salt.

I love the squeeze of the lime.

Good.

All of those things are working.

My pork ribs are very tender, so I'm happy to see that.

You did a really good job.

Hollingsworth: There's a lot of flavor from the chicken and the pork.

The only thing I'll say is that the carrots are a little crunchy for me.

Yeah.

You want to cut them a little bit smaller.

That way, they have a little bit more time to cook.

Thank you.

That's great.

Ramos: Brie.

Brie: So I made a turkey, potatoes, and rice soup, a.k.a.

one of my grandma's soups.

Uh... [Laughter] Derry: I love the brothiness of the soup.

And having the turkey in there, like, all the little vegetables.

That being said, the soup itself needed more time to reduce because when things reduce, the concentration of the flavor comes through.

Lam: Yeah, I totally agree with Tiffany.

You have good flavor on the top end.

You get a little of that lime, you get a little bit of that spice, but then it kind of drops off after that.

You don't have the depth.

And I think that concentration is where that depth comes into play.

To help amp up that flavor more I think would have been really nice here.

Mm-hmm.

Ramos: Suwanee.

Suwanee: This dish is called pad mee korat.

It's more of a spicy, sassy cousin of pad Thai, so it's less well known.

Lam: Suwanee, last week, we talked about your salmon being under-seasoned.

And the seasoning here is...whoo!

I taste that tamarind.

I taste the sugar.

I taste the fish sauce.

Everything is, like, really, like, bing-bing-bing-bing bing-bing-bing, but it's still very balanced.

Suwanee: Perfect.

Lam: Beautiful job.

I love the chewiness of the noodles.

My critique, though, is the pork belly.

The skin didn't really render and tenderize, so when I'm eating it, the skin part is actually very, very hard.

OK.

But the flavor is really spot on.

Hollingsworth: Yeah, I agree with Francis.

I love the interactiveness and customization of being able to add as much lime or as much chili as you like, and I like the extra spice.

Overall, an amazing dish.

Thank you.

♪ Ramos: Cooks, thank you for sharing your dishes filled with love and comfort.

Judges, whose dishes were on top this round?

Our first top dish was... ♪ Coby.

[Cheering and applause] Your jambalaya was delicious.

I was so impressed with the amount of flavor that you had developed in such a short time.

That was one of the best jambalayas I've ever had.

Thank you.

I feel fantastic.

You got my first top two right there.

And I'm winning over the judges with a recipe passed down to me from a fireman.

It is absolutely amazing.

Our other favorite dish of the round was... ♪ Waigal.

[Cheering and applause] Waigal, your dish was delicious.

We love the flavor.

Who knew that carrots and celery could be the star of the dish?

And we could see why that dish comforts the souls of so many.

Thank you.

I'm so proud right now that this simple dish that I thought was so normal to me growing up seems to be extraordinary all of a sudden.

It's just a great feeling.

Ramos: Congratulations, you two.

But remember, no one is safe from elimination this week.

So, you all have to give your best in the next round.

♪ In the last round, we asked you to prepare your go-to recipes when you want to show support.

In the next round, we want to see more of the recipes you prepare for friends and family because it's holiday time.

[Cheering and applause] You have 60 minutes to prepare a favorite dish from a holiday that's special to you.

And we want you to prepare your dish family style so we can enjoy a multicultural spread on our holiday table.

And as always, your dishes will be judged on taste, execution, presentation, and how well you did with the holiday theme.

Make these dishes extra festive because at the end of this round, we will be saying good-bye to two of you.

All right.

Your time starts now!

[Cheering and applause] Hey, rock and roll, everyone!

We got this.

We got this.

Ramos: So we've asked our home cooks to create their favorite holiday dish.

I mean, that can mean so many different things because it can be any kind of holiday.

Yeah.

You know, it takes days sometimes to prepare for the holiday meals.

Mm-hmm.

We gave them 60 minutes.

The nerve of us.

Ha ha!

Ramos: I know.

♪ Winner, winner, butternut squash dinner.

Waigal, voice-over: Coming into round two, I need to keep the momentum going.

Getting eliminated is always possible.

We got to pray on that one.

Being in a Muslim household, we never celebrated Christmas.

Therefore, my mom went all out for Thanksgiving.

When you think of Thanksgiving harvest, you think of pumpkin squash, so I decided to go with this classic Afghan dish.

I'm going to be making kadoo borani with a cranberry, walnut, and barberry topping.

[Sizzling] Borani is a type of dish and kadoo is the vegetable we are using.

It's pumpkin or squash.

The barberries are my own addition for the topping because it adds the sourness, so this dish is, like, battle of flavor profiles.

♪ Carlos: Well, the first thing I'm going to do, I'm going to get those ribs seasoned.

I'm going to render that fat and use that fat to cook rice.

Food is such a big part of so many holidays in Puerto Rico, and that's definitely true in my house as well.

Carlos, voice-over: My favorite holiday is Christmas, and there's no better dish for Christmas than arroz con gandules.

Rice with pigeon peas.

A pigeon pea is like the cousin of a bean.

I've been making this dish for at least 15 years.

Carlos, voice-over: When I think about Christmas, one of the core memories I have is my grandma cooking this and me helping her.

Now my kids wake up in the morning to the smell of arroz con gandules as well.

When I finish rendering the fat to my sofrito, I want to make sure those pigeon peas absorb all that flavor, so we're going to let that cook for a while.

Ramos: Carlos is rendering pork ribs to get that fat for his arroz con gandules, which is maybe not what you would always do, but it's not unheard of.

Like, my mom has made it.

You would say it's costillas, which are ribs, so we're definitely hoping he keeps the ribs in the pot.

Lam: Yeah, I was going to say, like, you're going to render the ribs just for the fat.

Carlos: Smells like Christmas here, man.

♪ Coby: Everybody!

Happy holiday!

Person: Whoo!

[Laughter] Coby, voice-over: First round, I was one of the top dishes, so that gives me a tremendous amount of confidence for this round.

Derry: Coby, what is that?

Coby: Seafood gumbo.

[Laughs] Coby, voice-over: I chose this dish because every year, Coby's house, December 25th, it's our Christmas meal.

But unfortunately for my wife, her parents died young, so me and her have taken on that tradition for our family.

This is a jar roux that I use.

I would not have time to make a traditional roux from scratch.

Derry: Wow.

That's risky.

I have not done a gumbo in a competition just because you cook it, and you're almost to the point where you're toasting that dark brown roux.

It's the basis of what makes gumbo gumbo.

You want to get as much flavor in your gumbo as you can.

So, to me, that one thing that really just jumps out and make this thing right is the claw meat over the lump crab meat.

It just has that extra oomph in it that just makes it even better.

Look at this beautiful gumbo right here.

There's no way a Cajun can come on here and not make gumbo.

♪ Anika: OK. Let's see.

Cinnamon sticks.

Anika, voice-over: Round one, I didn't make it into the top two, so there's a ton of pressure on me to do really well in this round.

Mm.

I can smell the fragrance of cinnamon, the cloves, and the cumin seeds.

Anika, voice-over: For me growing up, our biggest holiday celebration was Eid al-Fitr, which came at the end of Ramadan, and one of my all-time favorite dishes is Bangladeshi chicken roast.

It's a family-style chicken and rice dish.

I already toasted the spices.

I get the aroma and now I'm browning my chicken.

[Sizzling] Anika, voice-over: While that's frying, I'm going to start making short grain rice.

It cooks fast because it's short grain, but it also has a beautiful flavor and aroma.

It's going really well today.

♪ All right.

One of the favorite memories I have is during Fiesta.

In the Philippines, "Fiesta" in my language means a celebration of your patron saint of our town or city.

So, if you go to Bohol, my province, in the month of May, you won't get hungry.

For this challenge, I'm making pancit Bihon loaded with lumpia Shanghai, a Filipino rice noodle dish and our version of spring rolls.

So the pork needs to be in a pressure cooker for at least 20 minutes to tenderize the meat.

I'm really putting pressure on myself.

I should not have done this, but it's Fiesta.

This week, two home cooks are going home, so I really need to stand out and I know this is the strongest dish I have.

OK. Rex, voice-over: For my lumpia Shanghai, I'm adding some garlic, onions, and I'm going to mix it with ground pork.

Next, I'm going to get my rice paper wrapper and then roll my lumpia.

So you want to really push, and also make sure to tighten it up before rolling it.

♪ Brie: Get all my cheeses out.

Brie, voice-over: Going into this next round of holiday favorites, I'm making baked mac and cheese.

Brie, voice-over: Thanksgiving is the main holiday I make this for, but part of the military journey for military spouses, we move around every few years, and now we are the host house.

It's one of the reasons why the holiday season is so important to me now.

[Whirring] What makes my mac and cheese special is the use of two cheeses that most people would not think to use, and that is Asiago and Romano.

Asiago and Romano adds a sharpness.

It balances out the creaminess and sweetness of a lot of the other cheeses, like mild cheddar, the Colby jack, which is going to give the creamy.

Knowing two people are going to be eliminated changes the game.

So the pressure is definitely on because I absolutely do not want to go home, so that's why I'm bringing the A-game and going with a recipe that everybody in my family loves, including both my children.

They are my biggest supporters all day, every day, and it would mean so much for me to win today.

I'm confident it'll land well.

I have never seen so much duck in my whole life.

Fran, voice-over: This round, I chose a dish for Lughnasa, which is a Gaelic harvest festival.

These smell so good.

Fran, voice-over: This holiday resonates with me because my family are largely from the British Isles and Scotch-Irish Gaelic heritage.

One more for good luck.

Fran, voice-over: I'm making duck breast with an apple, bourbon, and rosemary glaze.

When my dad was first married to my mom, my grandmother always used to make this dish.

So the first thing I need to do is get the duck ready, and that means trimming it and scoring it, because the skin must be crisp.

Hi, Fran.

Hello, Tiffany.

I love duck.

I have a franchise based off of duck fat fried chicken.

I'm coming to visit and I want a good table.

Ha ha!

Oh, my gosh.

So, just one thing that I would suggest...

Thank you so much.

Make sure that this silver skin is off, because silver skin does not get tender when it's cooking.

[Gasp] OK, excellent.

Instead of trying to get it here, go underneath it.

Then you can just...yep.

Kind of pull it and peel it.

This is a duck master class.

You're going for, like, a medium rare, medium?

What are you going for?

Medium rare...

Perfect.

because I figure even if I do it slow, it'll still get crispy if I just leave it in there long enough.

You just need to let it do its thing.

Really concentrate on nailing the cook of the duck because we're doing a double elimination.

I am absolutely taking every tip.

Thank you, Tiffany, I appreciate it.

Fran, voice-over: But now the pressure's on because I have to execute it.

[Sizzling] Ramos: You have 30 minutes left!

[Cooks cheering] [Ramos laughs] Woman: Thank goodness.

Brie: I'm going to go ahead and pop these in the oven.

Suwanee: This is the tedious part, but it's important to get this out.

Suwanee, voice-over: With my American family, our holiday tradition is to have seafood for New Year's Eve.

I am making tiger prawns with tamarind sauce.

It's called goong nam makham.

Suwanee, voice-over: I'm preparing it with a very thick, sweet, tangy, sour, salty sauce.

So I'm going to be using fish sauce, a little bit of oyster sauce for the saltiness, and then for the tanginess, tamarind, to get that deep flavors in there.

Voice-over: For this round, I feel a little bit nervous because I know I could be sent home and I have so many recipes, so many more things I want to show the judges.

Ooh, my eyes are watering.

Heh heh!

♪ Rex: There you go, while waiting for my pork to just cool down a little bit before I slice it.

Voice-over: So I start to make the sauce for the pancit Bihon.

I'm going to add some calamansi juice.

Calamansi is like our lemon here in the US, but it's a little bit of a lighter taste.

And then I'm going to be putting some cabbage and broth from the pork that I use in the pressure cooker before I start adding the rice noodles.

♪ Coby: It's a little roux-y, but you know what it needs?

It needs some Cajun seasoning.

Shake the shake.

The shake.

Coby, voice-over: I know that shrimp doesn't cook that fast.

Chef Francis, can you come for one second?

OK.

I have a question.

How can I help you?

I know y'all really like y'all's shrimp a certain way.

So, what is the ideal time for me to put this shrimp?

Oh, you know what I'd say then?

I think 3 minutes is fine.

OK.

Perfect.

That's what I'll do then.

Yeah.

And then if it gets undercooked, then you'll be like, "It's Francis' fault."

Ha ha!

Sounds good to me.

Blame it on me.

Thank you, Chef.

♪ Waigal: I'm going to need a chili crisp with jalapenos, coriander, a lot of dried mint.

I want to top this kadoo borani with my own favorite signature chili oil.

Serrano chiles are a spicier cousin of a jalapeno.

This is Waigal's chili crisp.

Trademark that.

♪ 10 minutes, everyone!

10 minutes left.

10 minutes.

Oh, my God.

I got time in 10 minutes.

I got time in 10 minutes.

Fran, how's that skin looking?

Fran: Oh, this looks good.

Gentle heat on the breast side.

Thank you, Chef.

Ooh, that's purty.

Fran, voice-over: So, now, for my sauce, I'm going to put in the bourbon so that all of the alcohol can cook down.

I learned from the previous challenge with the sherry forward.

I'm going to make sure that the bourbon is prominent, but not overpowering.

So I'm just going to put the rosemary in to, like, infuse the liquid.

♪ I'm adding my alu bokhara.

Anika, voice-over: Alu bokhara is a relative of a plum, but it has a very unique taste.

It's just--adds that extra luxury to the dish.

OK, so my pulao is done in the rice cooker.

I'm going to just try to remove the whole spices because it's not, um, fun to bite into the spices.

Derry: 7 minutes left!

7 minutes?

Brie: A minute and a half to take it out the oven, so I'm going to let it cook.

Rex: OK. Rex, voice-over: Next, I'm going to be cutting the lumpia in half.

That way, I can cook it faster and crispier.

I don't have a lot of time left and I need to get those in the deep fryer.

All right.

Suwanee: OK.

Waiting for the flavors to work together.

Suwanee, voice-over: Once I have the sweet, tangy tamarind sauce all ready to go, I'm going to add everything into a wok.

Ooh.

Really good.

Suwanee, voice-over: So, at this point, I'm confident about my flavors.

I feel like I have a shot at winning the judges over.

OK. ♪ We're down to the last 3 minutes.

Carlos: Oh, my God.

I'm just going to cut some slices of peppers, which are going to give us a little Christmas color.

I'm feeling pretty good.

I'm very happy with the texture of the rice.

I'm feeling confident, but I'm thinking to myself, I'm not going to put the ribs on the dish because they might not be tender enough and I don't want to compromise the rest of my dish, because I want to make sure that I'm not one of the first ones to go home.

Ramos: One minute left!

Whoo!

It's almost time to set that table.

Ramos: Mac and cheese is coming out of the oven now.

Derry: Ohh.

Ramos: How's it looking, Brie?

Brie: It's looking good.

Especially for this time.

[Laughter] We are ready.

OK. Ramos: All right, everyone.

Time to celebrate.

Fran: Woo hoo!

Ramos: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

Judges: 4, 3, 2, 1.

Ramos: Time's up!

[Cheering and applause] Derry and Ramos: Happy holidays!

♪ Ramos: In this round, we asked you to prepare a dish from a holiday that's important to you.

Look at this feast!

Lam: It's incredible.

Derry: Everything here is so different and fun and it just looks delicious.

All right, Coby, come and join us.

Coby, voice-over: I made seafood gumbo.

We do seafood gumbo every Christmas.

Derry: I have never done gumbo in a competition just because I'm not sure that I could get the flavor, but I think you achieved a legit, real-deal gumbo in an hour.

Lam: It is just so deep.

This is the essence of Cajun food.

And this shrimp is beautifully cooked.

I would just say the amount of seasoning is so good, but if I were eating the whole bowl, it might start to feel like, wow, that's a lot of seasoning.

Derry: You know, Francis, I know what you mean by concentration, but I like a little spice in my gumbo.

Maybe just take it down just a little.

Thank you.

Ramos: Suwanee.

Suwanee: OK. Suwanee, voice-over: I made tiger prawn with tamarind sauce.

It's called goong nam makham.

We eat this for New Year's Eve.

This is incredible.

It's got the perfect amount of heat for me.

And you still taste the sweetness of the shrimp but also that tamarind.

It's really good.

Lam: This is bangin'.

[Laughs] Lam: Flavor of the shrimp shell is really imparted in there.

And I like the doneness of the shrimp.

I do think, though, it could have been maybe slightly less cooked.

Derry: Yeah.

Lam: I think it would be a little bit even, you know, at the next level.

OK.

I love it.

Thank you.

All right.

Brie.

Come join us.

Brie, voice-over: I made baked mac and cheese.

Thanksgiving is the go-to holiday for this particular dish.

Hollingsworth: I make mac and cheese at least once a week for my kids, so I'm a connoisseur.

I feel like there's a couple different kinds of cheese in there.

You get a different experience kind of with each bite.

There's, like, pockets of cheese, right, in little areas.

And the spice on there is really, really nice.

Brie: Thank you.

Hollingsworth: The only thing I can really say is that whenever you bake a mac and cheese, you know, you're continuing to cook it.

And, like, the noodles, you know, you could have maybe cooked them a little bit less.

Lam: I agree with Tim.

Would love a little more of a crust, too, so we're kind of saying cook it less, but cook it more.

[Laughter] Lam: But you know what I mean, right?

Like, maybe cook it a little less on stovetop, but bake it a little bit more so you have a little more crust.

Yes.

Thank you, judges.

Ramos: Anika.

Anika, voice-over: I made Bangladeshi chicken roast and we have it traditionally for Eid.

There's alu bokhara, which imparts, like, a sweet flavor to it.

I hope you didn't get the seeds.

Hollingsworth: Think it's a very good dish.

A lot of flavor in there, but it's also very, very homey.

I think the rice is cooked perfectly.

Unfortunately, I did get one of those seeds.

Anika: Oh, no.

It's, like, coated around the seed, so there's no way to take the seed out.

Yeah.

Hmm.

Lam: Anika, I love this dish.

The doneness of the chicken, I think is really, really good.

It's tender, but still has some chew and has some bite.

I really like that cinnamon, all those sweet spices.

I think it's very, very tasty.

Thank you.

Ramos: Rex, come join us.

Rex: Ooh.

Today, I made pancit Bihon, a rice noodle dish, with lumpia Shanghai.

Derry: The rice noodle has so much flavor.

Is it pork belly you used?

Rex: I did use pork belly.

Derry: Very tender.

Rex: Thank you, Chef.

The spring roll itself, the mixture inside is a delicious mixture, but I find it to be a little dry.

Lam: I wonder if it was fried whole, if the juice would have stayed inside.

Derry: Sure.

Lam: So, maybe that's the trade-off.

You have more of the brown flavor cutting in half, but keeping it whole, maybe the juice stays inside the filling a little bit.

I mean, mine's not-- mine's gone.

[Laughter] Ramos: Fran.

♪ Fran, voice-over: I made duck breast with an apple, bourbon, rosemary glaze, and this is in honor of the Gaelic harvest festival Lughnasa.

Oh.

Little sherry in the first round.

Little bourbon, second round.

I mean...

It's a theme.

Hollingsworth: I love the flavor combination.

Apples, onions, bourbon.

All of those things really go well together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I feel like the duck is something that reminds me of the holidays, but I wish that you would spend a little bit more time on the skin side because I have a piece here that's--beautiful skin.

Another one could have been rendered a little bit more.

Fran: OK. Derry: Yeah.

Rendering it a little slower, but I think to be able to do duck, very difficult.

I mean, the degree of difficulty is there, and so I think you did a really good job.

Fran: Thank you very much.

Hollingsworth: Thank you very much.

Carlos.

♪ Carlos, voice-over: I made arroz con gandules, which translates to rice with pigeon peas.

And it's for Christmas.

Lam: It's very, very, very tasty.

The amount of flavor that the bean has soaked is really, really, really terrific.

Oh, yes.

Lam: Yeah.

The rice is also perfectly cooked.

I can taste so much of your sofrito.

Boy, I'm so happy you said that.

Derry: This is really delicious.

I feel like you started with some pork.

Carlos: Right, right.

Derry: But I didn't see it now.

So I didn't want to add the pork in there, because I didn't want to distract from the main character of the story, which is the rice.

Derry: OK. Lam: So what happened to the ribs?

The ribs, uh... Ramos: Oh!

Carlos: We ate them.

[Laughter] No, I'm just kidding.

So they were good enough for you.

I--no, no, no.

I cannot disclose that.

[Laughter] Ramos: Waigal.

Waigal, voice-over: So this is kadoo borani.

This is for Thanksgiving.

♪ [Lam, Ramos, and Derry laugh] Ramos: Oh.

He's giggling.

Waigal: I love a giggle.

Ramos: He loves... Waigal: From him.

Ramos: A Francis Lam giggle.

Waigal: Yes.

[High-pitched] Ha ha!

This is so good, dude.

[Laughter] This is so good.

[Laughter] Lam, normal voice: The soft, sweet squash, but with, like, the pops of brightness from pomegranate, barberries, cranberries, the nuttiness of the walnut tying it all together.

And it just makes me feel so happy to eat it.

Thank you.

Derry: What I also love is the texture of the butternut squash.

It's cooked but not mushy.

You have the spice with the chili oil.

You have the sour notes.

If anything, I would love just a little finishing salt on the top.

Yes.

Would make the butternut squash sing even more.

It's a really delicious dish.

Thank you so much, Waigal.

Thank you.

Thank you.

♪ Ramos: This was a happy holiday indeed, but we have a lot to discuss today, and sadly, we will be saying good-bye to two of you.

♪ Usually, we get to take a nap after a big meal like that.

[Laughter] But, unfortunately, we have some work to do.

As you know, we're saying good-bye to two home cooks this week, so we have a lot to discuss.

Let's start with your favorite dishes of the round.

Derry: Waigal.

Ramos: Oh, ho!

Yeah.

I was giggling like a fool in that thing.

Derry: You were.

It was good, though.

The butternut squash, along with the cranberries and...oh, my God.

Hollingsworth: Barberries.

And then you top it off with that little chili.

And, like, to imagine that on a Thanksgiving table.

Derry: I did.

It's on my Thanksgiving table.

[Laughter] Another one of my favorite dishes from the round has got to be Coby.

Lam: Yeah.

That gumbo?

Ooh, hoo!

I mean, in one hour, he was able to create the depth of flavor, and we've seen that from him time after time, right?

Yeah.

All the different seafoods that he put in there, all coming together and, like, marrying nicely, but also cooked perfectly.

Yeah, yeah.

He's obviously made that a thousand times.

He was able to adapt his technique to get the depth of flavor he wanted.

Hollingsworth: Yeah.

Derry: And another one of my favorite dishes was Suwanee with the tiger prawns.

Ramos: Ooh!

Lam: Ooh, boy.

Derry; And that tamarind sauce?

Lam: Yeah, boy.

That sauce.

Are you kidding me?

It was very balanced.

Y'all, I wasn't ready for that.

Like, Suwanee, in the beginning was, like, a little timid with certain things, but now, like, the way she's cooked today, it's a glimpse of, like, who she is as a cook and where she's from.

Mm-hmm.

What were some of the least successful dishes of the round?

I really was looking forward to having Brie's mac and cheese, but even with all those different cheeses, which, you know, I think the flavor came through, having overcooked macaroni, for me, that was one of the dishes that didn't quite make the mark.

Another dish that I wanted to be so good was Fran's.

That apple and bourbon sauce, that was very, very good.

But the duck itself had some inconsistencies, so I just think she needs to settle in and concentrate on the techniques.

We know she can cook.

We know.

But the technique has to be there.

Derry: I agree.

Lam: Another dish that I felt mixed feelings about was Carlos' arroz con gandules.

The gandules were very well-seasoned.

I thought the rice was really well-cooked.

But to me, I kind of felt like you had a whole rack of ribs and you didn't give them to us.

Ramos: My mother always puts, like, chorizo or like, chunks of ham.

Yeah.

And I'm thinking, like, this is a festive dish.

Like, oh, man, if he had a beautiful pile of ribs to go with it, I'd feel like, hey, this is a party.

Yeah.

It's hard to say good-bye to anyone, but we're saying good-bye to two home cooks this week.

So, are you all in agreement on your decision?

Hollingsworth: Yeah, I think so.

Lam: Yeah.

I think so, yeah.

All right, let's bring back our home cooks.

♪ Ramos: In this round, you made us a favorite dish to share at a holiday celebration.

And I know I speak for all of us when I say the dishes were so good.

Yes, they were.

All right, let's start with the judges' top two dishes of the round.

The first dish that stood out today was... Coby.

[Cheering and applause] Lam: Coby, we loved your seafood gumbo.

It was not just the depth of flavor and how the seafood was perfectly cooked, but what really impressed us was seeing you cook a dish that you have made a thousand times before, but pivot to get to the same result you wanted, but in just 60 minutes.

Thank you.

Our other favorite dish of the round was... Waigal.

[Cheering and applause] Hollingsworth: Waigal, your kadoo borani with the cranberries, the barberry, the pomegranate.

I wouldn't take anything off of that dish.

Wow.

And I think it might be on a few of our Thanksgiving Day tables, just like it is yours.

Wow.

Thank you.

Derry: Both of your dishes would be a standout in any holiday table, but the winner of the round is... ♪ Waigal.

[Cheering and applause] Waigal: Thank you so much.

Thank you.

And again, Waigal, we just love the combination of the flavors.

I mean, you gave us something new and exciting to experience, and it was just a delight to enjoy.

Thank you, and as always, "Nooshe jan," "may it nourish your souls."

Waigal, voice-over: Winning means the world to me because I want to represent Afghan cuisine and be a culinary voice in this space for my country.

Ramos: Congrats, Waigal.

Well done.

And this means you're one step closer to earning your spot in the finale.

But as you know, today, two home cooks will not be continuing in the competition.

Judges, please tell us the two home cooks that will be leaving us today.

The first home cook leaving us today is... Carlos.

Your rice with pigeon peas overall was delicious.

The problem is that last week with your bison, we talked to you about doing a little bit more, bridging all of it together.

We feel like you could have done a little bit more in this round.

OK.

The other person who will not be continuing on in the competition is... Brie.

♪ Brie, your mac and cheese was super tasty, but there were little elements of it, like the macaroni was a little overcooked, and we hoped that we'd see you, like, rocket this week, but I think it just got away from you a little bit.

Thank you.

It was such a pleasure getting to know you and having you here with us on this journey.

Please say good-bye to your fellow home cooks and head back to your home kitchen.

Group hug?

Yes.

[Indistinct chatter] Carlos, voice-over: I'm feeling a lot of emotions.

I'm happy because some of these great cooks are going to stay, but one of my main goals was to leave here better than I came, right?

So I am doing exactly that.

Brie, voice-over: This experience was amazing.

I learned in this competition that cooking with love translates in so many different ways, and I'm taking away new friends.

To my fellow home cooks, I'm rooting for you guys and y'all can call me whenever.

♪ Suwanee: I lost my best friends.

Fran: I know, right?

Derry: It's hard for us, too, you know?

But I'll tell you what, we're very much looking forward to having more of your recipes and dinners and lunches and many other things from you all.

There's so much more cooking to do.

We'll see you back here next week for more of your great American recipes.

Ramos: Good night!

Anika: Bye.

Ramos: Good night.

Suwanee: Thank you.

♪ Ramos, voice-over: Next time on "The Great American Recipe"...

It's time for the "Great American Recipe" bake sale.

I would buy all of them.

I just want you to know.

Come on, dough.

We're going to work.

The cornbread pan.

This was my grandmother's.

Hey, puffed up!

Waigal: This is a bake sale, so we need it to be pretty.

I'm not a baker.

I don't like to be precise.

You have to cook with love.

Derry: Our favorite bake sale item was... ♪