The Next Food Network Star #5: Mid-term Meltdown

Tonight's episode of The Next Food Network Star saw Katie (#6 and at the bottom of my list of contestants last week) finally being sent home by the judges. The health nut girl was pretty much bad from day one, having served raw meat TWICE on the show. The irony is that this week she actually wasn't the worst contestant. But since this was their "mid-term exam"--which took into account all her previous mistakes--Katie's number was definitely up. With her food usually not very good and her presentation skills sorely lacking, I'm still wondering how the hell she ended up as a finalist in the first place. At least she's finally gone. From now on it's going to be much tougher to eliminate someone, since all five of the remaining folks bring something special to the table.

My main criticism this week is of the show itself. Who thought up the stupid challenge of making them cook squid, brussels sprouts and tofu for kids? I would never serve any of that stuff to children--and I don't even know any adults who enjoy eating brussels sprouts. The second challenge of making kids' food for grown-ups worked far better.

Here are the remaining five contestants in order of my preference:

1) Melissa (#1 last week): She remains at the top of my list this week, even though she wasn't at the top of her game. However, the lovely lady does look smokin' hot in pink, which is a high compliment coming from a gay guy. You just have to like her, and her energy and enthusiasm on camera is quite appealing.

2) Debbie (#4 last week): This girl is definitely growing on me. I agree with Bobby that it would be nice--and unique for her--to show us more Korean-influenced dishes. But she nailed her Rachael Ray segment, and I do enjoy watching her cook. If she continues to do so well, I expect to see her as one of the final three.

3) Jamika (#2 last week): Last time I said Jamika couldn't afford to have two bad weeks in a row, but sadly she did not bounce back this week. In fact, the girl had a major meltdown on national television. She looked like a zombie with none of her usual warmth and humor--or any personality whatsoever. It was very sad to watch. She seemed to just give up, which was so out of character for her. Maybe Jamika suffers from very low self-esteem. I don't know what was going on with her, but it wasn't pretty.

4) Jeffrey (#3 last week): Rachael Ray liked him, but I'm getting kind of bored with his presentations. He and Jamika's gloomy dispositions were not fun to watch, and they made a terrible team. However, when Jamika shines, she lights up a room, and I enjoy watching her more than Jeffrey, which is why I'm still putting her ahead of him this week. If she doesn't improve, Jeffrey will be one of the final three instead of her.

5) Michael: (#5 last week): As much as I like Michael, I don't think hosting his own TV show is what he's meant to do in life. His camera-phobia has become a real problem, and I feel sorry for the guy, who just becomes too nervous and flustered to succeed. He's a good cook, but he doesn't seem to belong in TV Land at this point. The other four know how to "kiss the camera", but Michael just can't pucker up. Both he and Jamika need to step up next time or one of them is going home.

I'll be back next week with another review. Tune in below to learn more about Jamika.