i think this week was harder than the past two as many dishes gave me a ‘culinary boner’.  so excited to hear of visits to the green city market from folks like dave, those carrots looked beautiful; multiple fun components from mary with a ‘shooter’ of pear that would add a refreshing twist to the dish; a no named pasta that made me want to dive right in from tommy; a crepe filled with pure deliciousness; and of course the roasted pork from carleen, words that speak to my heart.  so hard to make a decision yet here are my top three choices this week…

jared went all out this week with a multitude of flavors to excite the pallet.  spare ribs are perfect this time of year with a richness that is unmatchable.  top it off with some mushrooms filled with succulent crab and it is impossible to resist.

dave impressed me with his use of quail which many home cooks shy away from.  the photography really captured the warmth of the dish and made me want to rip that quail leg off my computer screen and dig in for the stuffing.

bill, you crack me up.  i love your whimsical approach to cooking because at the end of the day cooking is all about having fun!  i hope the boner has finally passed and you have had time to recuperate and will continue to cook delicious food for your friends even after the competition is over.  the use of asian ingredients along with classic french techniques really came together and made a harmonious dish.

in the end i had to make a decision and pick one winner as with the past two weeks.  this has been one of those things that i thought would be so fun and easy yet in the end, wound up being very difficult.  i guess i am just not as cut throat as some of those chefs that had to judge me.

this week’s win goes to dave… the photo made me want to jump right in and gnaw on that quail like there was no tomorrow.  stuffing it with the ingredients of the week and then showcasing them in other areas of the dish really caught my eye.  congrats dave, you are in the running to join me at the next wandering goat dinner.

to the rest of you… thank you so much for the hard work you put in over the past few weeks.  i was thoroughly impressed with the cooking skills, senses of humor, photography, and thought processes that went in to each and every dish.  would not ask any of you to pack your knives and go.

i am working on a celebration to thank each and every one of you for your participation.  stay tuned….

the winner of all three rounds will be announced wednesday morning on the redeye website!  good luck to the finalists and any input is greatly appreciated!