Rachael Ray and The American Idol Rival Ray Results: Sing While You Saute
I do adore the young people who make it to the top ten on American Idol and I often follow what they do, even when they get voted off one by one until there is but one single talented individual who gets the contract. These young people go on to have nice careers and make many appearances on TV.
I watched Rachael Ray and her Rival Ray challenge with three of the American Idol contestants. Stefano, Pia, and Paul were given a chance to prepare a dish and be judged by people who share the same name as our Idol judges.
Pia made a vegetable quesadilla with two dipping sauces. I wish that she had been given a chance to sing for her supper besides just being judged on the presentation and the taste of her dish. At least one of the judges found a growing fondness for veggies with her meal. There are so many fantastic combinations that you can put into a quesadilla. My favorite is still beans, scallions, peppers, and cheese with a bean dip and plenty of cilantro to add a green flair. One of my healthy ideas for making a novel quesadilla is to use a teff tortilla, instead of a whole wheat flour tortilla. Teff is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine and it is a great alternative.
Paul prepared a garlic bread grilled cheese sandwich for the contest. He told the audience the story about how he used his grilling skills to impress his new girlfriend, Nikki Reid. The grilled cheese sandwich did look inviting and with garlic…anything is possible! Grilled cheese sandwiches can be gussied up with artisan breads and gourmet cheeses. If anyone noticed the Next Great Restaurant competition that featured one of the contestants specializing in grilled cheese variety; then you can add anything to the interior of a cheese sandwich and make it unique. We like to play with heirloom tomatoes and avocaado with basil for our variation on the traditional theme. The judges loved Paul’s sandwich just as much for the presentation as for the flavor!
Lastly, and the winner, was Stefano who boldly built a pasta dish with a marinara sauce staying true to his Italian heritage. The judges voted his pasta dish the best and he was more than a little excited to receive the honor and the recognition. There are a million ways to vary pasta, so creativity is truly the ‘name of the game’ here.
All in all, it was fun to see the kids on stage again. I hope they keep singing and cooking while they start their tour.
