Our favorite reality TV stars can't get enough of the spotlight during their regularly scheduled time slots, so they take to Twitter to share even more of their daily lives with us. And we love them for it! Here's a roundup of some of our favorite photos from the Twitterverse this week! Enjoy! 
 
Above: Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey shared, "Fun @Bravotv luncheon with Tabatha Coffey today."
 
Below you'll find Twitter pics from Ramona Singer, Lisa Hochstein, Snooki, Korie Robertson, Holly Madison, Yandy Smith, Rachel Zoe, and more.

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Duck Dynasty's Korie Robertson tweeted, "Willie's happy to be in DC."

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Snooki: Sunday family time

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Kandi Burruss shared, "Enjoying dinner with my fam, Riley & Mama Joyce!"

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Holly Madison shared, "So excited to announce my new special on E! Holly Has a Baby! Airs Sunday May 12th at 9pm!"

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Basketball Wives LA star Malaysia Pargo: Poolside mugging with @iambillygeorge

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Kyle Richards: With old friend & new Daddy @PerezHilton at the #GlaadAwards

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Lisa Vanderpump tweeted, "Having fun with Andy Cohen at SUR."

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Nicole Murphy: enjoying the moment #hollywoodexes #teamcabo #cabo 

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Brandi Glanville shared, "Getting friendly with the movers. @BravoAndy I'm down with the swirl."

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Real Housewives of Miami star Ana Quincoces: Hiking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

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Big Rich Atlanta star Kahdijiha Rowe tweeted, "Porsha Stewart is a beautiful person inside and out. It was great meeting her!!!"

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Lisa Hochstein: Wedding at viscaya gardens complete with @dirtysouth djs and fireworks. Amazing energy and group

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Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga tweeted, "Loving the new @sugarfactory in #NYC!!"

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Curtis Stone: #MostTalkative is even more jaw-dropping in paperback! @BravoAndy 

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Real Housewives of New York star Ramona Singer: @tamrabarney so much fun last nite just worked off the pizza!! 

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JWoww: #snooki&jwoww is back bitches! Season 3! Gonna start filming soon!

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Big Ang tweeted, "Check out the T cups on the G cups. Me and Dom Casale at Diamonds and Doggies in Fort Lauderdale FL."

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Missy Robertson: We actually did get Miss Kay out of the room for more than a massage. She and Si having fun @ the pool. #DuckDynasty 

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Lisa Hochstein tweeted, "Happy birthday Joanna! She stabbing her bday heart cake. She's such a great host at her LA home. I'm going to move in." 

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Harvin Eadon: Twirl. #stylenetwork #bravo #harvineadon #kenya #meyereadon #rhoa #bigrichatlanta #sheblamesme #eadonsisters

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Rachel Zoe shared, "With the beautiful Fergie!"

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Kevin Jonas: E! Upfronts on our way! 

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Brad Goreski shared, "Lazy Sunday afternoon."

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Teen Mom 2 star Chelsea Houska shared this picture of Aubree: She loves her Betsy

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Snooki tweeted, "I feel like Nicki Minaj."

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Cynthia Bailey: Tribecca Film Festival NYC 2013, wearing Phoebe Couture @KayUngerDesign

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Vinny Guadagnino: #sadbowtie #mtvupfronts

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Yandy Smith tweeted, "I look better than him in his fitted @mandeecees."

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Lisa Hochstein: #rhom #flowers dress by #aliceandolivia from @jessieboutique my shoes are #saintlaurent #ysl #tribtoo

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Leah Messer Simms Calvert: All of my babies! @RinglingBros 

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Check out our favorite reality TV stars celebrating birthdays in the month of November!

Bethenny Frankel  (November 4, 1970)
Kathy Griffin (November 4, 1960)
Curtis Stone (November 4, 1975)
Kris Jenner (November 5, 1955)
Vinny Guadagnino (November 11, 1987)
Mayte Garcia (November 12, 1973)
Dean McDermott (November 16, 1966)
Sheree Fletcher (November 16, 1967)
Brandi Glanville (November 16. 1972)
RuPaul (November 17, 1960)
Ramona Singer (November 18)
Snooki (November 23, 1987)
Golnesa Gharachedaghi (November 27, 1981)
Jill Zarin (November 30)

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Photo Credit: Fayes Vision/WENN

The final three contestants of Around the World in 80 Plates arrive in Uruguay and are ready to kick butt for the final challenges.  Chefs Nookie Postal, Avery Pursell and Liz Garrett are competing for the $150,000 grand prize plus a brand new Infinity.

The final 3 arrive via ferry and Nookie assures us that if it comes down to him and Liz Garrett, he’s confident that Avery will choose him.  Avery meanwhile lets us know that since she’s the sole provider for her kids, she’ll do whatever it takes to win this thing.

The team gets off the boat and is met with their first challenge – they have two hours to purchase ingredients (from the three shops listed) and prepare a traditional Uruguayan dish.  The contestant to impress the chef with their dish will earn the exceptional ingredient.   Liz thinks the two hour timeline is insanity.

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Avery hits the produce store first, deciding she’s going to do a seafood dish – until she arrives at the butcher shop and realizes there is no seafood to be had.  Since they’re not allowed to shop anywhere else, she reluctantly goes with chicken as it’s the only thing that will go well with what she’s already purchased.

Nookie grabs a jar of carmelized onion because the shop keeper assures him it’s standard in Uruguayan faire.

Avery is the first to arrive, followed by Nookie and then Liz coming in last.  They find that Curtis Stone and Cat Cora are going to be their special diners instead of locals.  They’re going to taste each dish without knowing which of the final three prepared it.

As Liz starts to prepare her steak, she realizes that she has not picked up any salt to season her meal.  She does ask Nookie, but he coldly tells her “I got salt”, but won’t give her any.  Liz doesn’t even bother to ask Avery.   She decides to crumble sausage on top of the steak to give it some salty flavor.

Curtis isn’t impressed at the lack of seasoning in Liz’s dish, but they did love her salad and the rest of her dish.  Cat and Curtis are both disappointed in Nookie’s simple dish of grilled chorizo and the “jam” (aka carmelized onions in a jar). It was more of a reheated meal rather than anything he “made”.  They both loved Avery’s chicken dish and she wins the exceptional ingredient.

The twist at the awarding of the exceptional ingredient is that the “ingredient” is a plane ticket to Los Angeles, where the finale will take place.  Avery has to choose between Liz and Nookie.  And she, shockingly, picks Liz!

Both are thrilled to be heading to L.A., thinking they’ll be more confident cooking back on their “home turf”.  They’ll have to prepare dishes from their travels for the locals in L.A. as the final challenge.

In what seems cruel to me, the ladies are given an Infinity to drive to the grocery stores and markets once they arrive home.  Nothing like falling in love with the car and then having to give it back!  Cold hearted, Bravo, cold hearted.

Avery chooses her three dishes from their adventures in Thailand, Morocco and Argentina.  Liz chooses to prepare her three dishes from Thailand, Argentina and Italy.

As Avery arrives at the first grocery store, she realizes former contestants Nick Lacasse and Nicole Lou are waiting out front with an envelope. She has to choose one chef at each location to help her with the meal.  She doesn’t even hesitate when she picks Nick because he can cook and communicate.

Liz arrives at Whole Foods and chooses Chaz Brown immediately (even though she sent him home) because she trusts him more than Jenna Johansen and Sai Pituk.  When Avery arrives at the same store, she picks Jenna because even though she annoys the pants off of everyone, she can cook.  At the next location, Liz picks John Vermiglio because he knows his Italian.  (That’s about all he knows/cooks, right?)

Avery is cooking first.  She has three hours to prepare food for forty people.   Both teams are furiously working away – at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant no less – when Avery hears her kids.  Not good timing as she’s under the gun for time and needs to focus, but she’s ecstatic to finally see them.   Liz gets a visit from her BFF and her boyfriend.

Avery let Nick take over the entire meat dish and she finds that it is very under seasoned and she’s worried it’ll cost her the competition.

Nookie (and the other booted contestants) is out in the dining room and he’s being sweet, telling Avery’s kids how much she loves them, especially after she sent him packing.  Then we find out he was really being crappy, telling them how she sent him home.  Keepin’ it classy.

The dining room is filled with chefs from the top restaurants around L.A., as well as Wolfgang Puck himself.  No pressure, ladies!  Avery comes out to explain her three dishes – a head-on shrimp and a traditional papaya salad for Thailand, a grilled beef filet from Argentina and a Moroccan mint tea with a special Moroccan dessert.

Wolfgang loves the look of dish #2, but said the first was a little one dimensional.  All of the chefs seemed to agree that her dessert was a hit.  Avery tries to relax and realize that the decision is in the hands of diners now. She leaves and lets Liz do her thing (hoping just a little that Liz will mess things up).

Liz’s dishes will be a Thai beef salad on coconut crispy rice, then mushroom braised chicken thighs for her Italian dish (really??!) and for dessert, a vanilla custard and orange empanada.

The diners are in love with Liz’s first dish, Wolfgang says he’d serve it for lunch in his restaurants.  He doesn’t love the second dish, saying that it was more slow roasted chicken than braised.  Some are questioning just how Italian this dish is.  The presentation was lacking in her dessert – it looked like a tiny little puff of pastry in some cream/soup.  Part of the problem was that ginormous bowl she served it in.  Cat wasn’t impressed.  Wolfgang did love the taste, though.

Wolfgang says overall Avery has more experience in the kitchen, better technique, but Liz has some great talent and sometimes that overcomes experience.  Cat and Curtis think the competition is close.  Wolfgang wants to hire them both.

After polling the diners, it’s time to get down to business and hand over the wad of cash and the keys to the Infinity.   Cat and Curtis share that the diners felt that Liz’s beef dish was the winner of the night.  After counting the votes, the judges and diners chose AVERY as the winner of the competition. Only FOUR votes separated Liz and Avery in the final challenge!

Liz was clearly disappointed, but optimistic about her future.  Avery was letting it all sink in and was excited to celebrate with her family.

I’ve loved the show this season and hope they’ll do a second.  It had a tinge of drama, but not the crazy, over-the-top kind that Bravo is so famous for.  I do wish they would’ve showed us a little more of each country, though!

TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE SHOW OVERALL? ARE YOU HAPPY THAT AVERY WON? 

[Photo credit: Bravo/NBC]

Last night in NYC Bravo celebrated the season finale of Around the World in 80 Plates with a party.

It drew in the attendance of contestants Avery Pursell, Nookie Postal, John Vermiglia, and Liz Garrett, as well as hosts Curtis Stone and Cat Cora.  Along with the show’s participants and crew, it also brought out a few of the Real Housewives of New York City – Aviva Drescher, LuAnn de Lesseps, and Heather Thomson.

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It has been a busy week for the ‘80 Plates‘ PR machine!  Aside from getting ready for the big finale party, they also had to deal with some damage control in the way of Cat Cora and her wee little problem of a recent DUI.

Cat was arrested last month after rear ending another car and admitting to police that she had drank 3 beers. Later she blew a .19 on a breathalyzer test (2x the California legal limit).  At the time, the celebrity chef released a statement apologize for actions, “I deeply regret my decision to drive that evening after my designated driver became unavailable. I learned a very important lesson from this experience and take full accountability for my actions.”

The driver of the car that Cat hit released a video to TMZ which shows Cat drunkenly insulting them as they waited for cops to show up. Hopefully she hailed a cab after the finale party last night.  She can be glad that her mug shot isn’t nearly as bad as some we’ve seen in the past, that’s for sure!  (Nick Nolte, anyone!?)

In much happier news, the show’s less scandalous host, Curtis Stone, has proposed to his longtime love, actress Lindsay Price.  The two just welcomed a baby boy named Hudson last November.  No word on a wedding date yet!

We’re down to the wire on Around the World in 80 Plates.  It was an episode with fewer “chefs” and fewer exotic locales the viewers don’t get to see enough of, in my opinion.  The contestants find themselves in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the next leg of their journey.

Before heading to Argentina, the chefs must break into two teams of two.  Avery Pursell, as the most valuable chef, gets to pick her partner, and she chooses her always ally Nookie Postal.  She knows just how strategic he can be.  That means that John Vermiglio and Liz Garrett will be paired together.  Nookie has an emotional phone call with his wife and kids before leaving Hong Kong.

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Upon arriving in Buenos Aires, all the players are tired after their thirty hour plane ride.  Once they get to the airport, the teams are met with their first clue.  They must make their way to the Rincon Norteno Empanada Shop.  Nookie and Avery are the red team, while Liz and John are the black team.  Avery is concerned that she put the two slowest runners on the same team.  Nookie is just thrilled to be in South America.  The black team arrives at the shop mere seconds before the red.  They are challenged with selling eighty empanadas to the locals.  John, being a calzone aficionado, feels like he’s got this in the bag.  However, Nookie and Avery are used to cooking for the masses, so they aren’t concerned.  The teams have the added stress of cooking in the same kitchen, so they quickly take to calling out each others’ cooking styles.

The teams are head to head until Liz burns a batch of empanadas.  John worries that his partner is choking on this challenge.  Avery and Nookie finish cooking first.  They must find Parque Rivadavia and sell 150 pesos worth of empanadas.  They are rolling their empanada cart as fast as the win, while the black team is 20+ empanadas behind.  Nookie fancies himself a salesman, but he’s striking out with the locals.  Liz devises a plan to sell their empanadas for less to beat the red team.  Nookie is trying to sell his team’s empanadas with a side of kissing from Avery.  No takers.  Liz and John are quite the sales force until a local inform the red team that the other team is selling their wares for much less. Nookie brokers a deal to sell the rest of their food for what they need to make the correct amount to win the challenge.  Avery is very lucky she chose Nookie.

The red team must now search for Puerto Madero to find Cat Cora and Curtis Stone.  John sees the vendor that took the remainder of Avery and Nookie’s empanadas.  The red team is trying to get to Cat and Curtis via the metro, while the black team cabs it.  Regardless of their decision to use public transportation, Nookie and Avery are first to meet the judges, earning the exceptional ingredient.  Curtis informs the chefs that the following day each team will be taking over a parrilla which is a specially designed grill usually constructed from bricks (don’t hate on me for reading every subtitle Bravo gives me…I had a Publix pizza for dinner.  I love different and exotic foods, but I’d never be able to spell “parrilla”–much less define it–without a little help from the network).

The teams must create a family style meal consisting of two appetizers and two meat dishes, with each chef creating one menu item.  One of the meat dishes must be prepared Asado style.  Yea!  I do know what that means…and how to spell it on my own!  The red team’s exceptional ingredient is the ability to work with a local grill master.  The teams head to restaurant La Tranqura to sample local fare.  Nookie reminds Avery that Liz should be the next to go home.  If there is anything I love more than meat, it’s shave meat.  Street food.  Yum.  The remaining contestants discuss what they will prepare for the judges.  Nookie is hoping to steer John in a horrible direction so that he takes the fall.  Nookie won’t send him home, but he wants the red team to win.

Nookie and Avery are learning how to cook meat on an iron cross Asado style.  They are soaking in everything they can possibly learn.  Nookie believes the title of most valuable chef is between him and Avery.  He thinks Liz is good but not experienced, and he’s banking on a dip in John’s self-confidence after Hong Kong.  Nookie is trying to psych out Liz in the kitchen, but she’s being risky by creating a pork and corn empanada.  Avery is concerned that Liz may be a dark horse who could be a thorn in the side of her alliance with John and Nookie.  John totally sees through Nookie’s compliments, and Liz realizes she’s the odd man out with this group.

Liz is working the front of the restaurant.  The judges are impressed with her greeting of the patrons.  Right off the bat, one of the restaurant’s guests wants Liz’s empanada recipe.  Curtis is in full agreement.  John’s salad isn’t receiving such rave reviews.  Meanwhile, Avery is having a difficult time smoking her goat Asado style.  Nookie’s skirt steak is cited as being too tough.  Avery is proud of her goat, but Nookie isn’t proud of how Liz is running the front of the restaurant.  The judges are very impressed with Avery’s goat.  They have never seen a woman conquer the Asado grill.

At the judges’ critique, John says he was willing to do a vegetarian option because everyone else would be cooking meat.  The locals didn’t find it to be a very Argentinian cuisine.  Curtis and Cora aren’t too keen on Nookie’s skirt steak.  While Avery’s goat was amazing, she didn’t plate it in a way in which the locals were accustomed.  Liz wins the title of most valuable chef for her empanadas, and her three aligned counterparts hang their heads.  Nookie, John, and Avery are in shock while deliberating.  Avery is quick to say that she shouldn’t be going home.  John hopes to convince Avery to vote for Nookie, and she may be biting.  John might be easier to beat moving forward.

John votes for Nookie, who in turn votes for John.  Avery, the deciding factor, maintains her alliance with Nookie and casts her vote for John. He high-fives his way out of the kitchen.

Next week, it’s the finale in Uruguay!  The final three are all over the place, and it’s every chef for his or herself.  The winner is decided by a mere four votes!

SHOULD JOHN HAVE GONE HOME LAST NIGHT?  WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WIN?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

Last night’s episode of Around the World in 80 Plates introduced the five remaining chefs to the Demon Chef in Hong Kong.  He had them eating condoms and dog food.  Think I’m kidding?  Read on!

The chefs arrive in Hong Kong and Liz Garrett reads the course clue.  They must find the Tian Tan Buddha to receive the next clue.  John Vermiglio and Nookie Postal are hoping to team up with Nicole Lou so they can throw her under the bus later.  The group rides on a giant gondola with a glass floor.  Nookie is terrified of heights.  Once they reach the Tian Tan Buddha, the chefs learn that the teams will remain the same, and Avery Pursell, as the only loner, will get to pick whether she wants to work with the boys or the girls.  Having been with Nookie every step of the competition, she chooses the ladies.  The teams must race to the top of what looks like a million stairs to find their next clue, so Nookie is clearly dead weight for John.

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The ladies have a major lead as they head to the Wah Hing Hong Shop.  The market is complete chaos, and the ladies are hard pressed to find anyone who speaks English to help them.  The guys arrive five minutes later, but they have a much easier time finding someone who will help them locate the booth they are trying to find.  Unfortunately, the men’s tour guide leads them right past the women who join in the caravan.  The next task is to bundle ten hairy crabs.  Nicole busts in, leaving Avery and Liz to watch helplessly and try to advise.  Nookie is wrapping for his team, and he’s getting pinched left and right.  Still, he manages to out bundle Nicole.

The next stop is the Peking Garden at the Alexandria House.  Nookie and John have quite a lead on the ladies.  Avery is beyond frustrated that she joined the girls’ team.  The challenge has the teams preparing seven steamer trays of delicate dumplings.  Only two can compete for each team.  Liz puts on an apron, and Nicole snags the other.  Avery is super peeved that she is left standing there doing nothing, and the men’s ribbing isn’t helping.  The men finish first and go to find Cat Cora and Curtis Stone.  The women arrive shortly after.  They learn that they will be competing in extreme Chinese cuisine with Demon Chef Leung’s exclusive restaurant Bo Innovation.  Avery is thrilled to learn that each player will be competing with his or her own dish.  For the exceptional ingredient, the men win an hour with one of the Demon Chef’s sous chefs to help create their menu.

The Demon Chef is no joke.  He is ordering his sous chefs and waitstaff around in a very scary manner.  He is immediately smitten with Avery.  The dishes he is serving is like a treat for the senses.  The colors, the steam, all of the liquid nitrogen…it’s like a science fair project or a movie special effect.  The Demon Chef cracks open a can of dog food and urges the chefs to try it.  While they are a tad freaked, they dig in to find a delicious treat of wagyu beef and truffles that would cost around $200 in America.  Nookie can’t get enough.  The next dish, entitled Sex on the Beach, is presented.  It looks like a plate of sand with a used condom littered on it.  When Avery eats the condom in one bite, the Demon Chef can’t wait to see her again.

Nookie and John meet with the sous chef, and Nookie is surprised that John isn’t utilizing their help more.  John is convinced he can make lime snow with no help.  Alrighty then!  Nookie thinks it’s hilarious that Liz’s innovative dish is a chicken pot pie.  While she’s putting an Asian twist on it with her use of ingredients, I want to see more pizazz.  Nicole is doing a duck breast on squid noodles.  She doesn’t think she needs fancy chemicals and bells and whistles to impress the judges.  Avery, on the other hand, loves molecular gastronomy, and she’s making a very innovative dessert with mango and coconut.  John volunteers to work the front of the restaurant.

Cat, Curtis, Demon Chef, and the patrons are first treated to Nookie’s oyster dish.  The Demon chef instructs John on how to properly present the diners’ plates.  Curtis and Demon Chef really enjoy his dish, but Cat didn’t get a big enough oyster pearl to taste.  In the kitchen, Nookie chastises John for helping Liz.  Her take on the pot pie is a miss with the judges.  John’s scallops and lime snow aren’t as stellar as he had hoped either.  Nookie thinks Nicole’s dish is anything but innovative, and the diners think she went a little heavy on the green tea.  There is nothing but praise for Avery’s dessert.

In front of the judges, Nookie discusses how he utilized the sous chef.  Cat thinks that John didn’t do a great job in the front of the house and asks if he learned anything from the sous chef.  He admits that he didn’t really use the exceptional ingredient.  While the diners liked Nicole’s dish, they thought it was the least innovative.  Cat chastises her for playing it safe and she has a lot of excuses as to why she just stuck with what she knew.  Liz’s dish wasn’t too tasty according to the diners, but they did think it was extremely innovative.  Curtis, in a dig at Nicole, tells Liz he would much rather see someone push the boundaries and follow the challenge and fall short than play it safe.  Avery’s dessert is revered.  According to the diners’ votes, she wins the challenge and a guaranteed spot in the next country.

The remaining four deliberate with John raking Nicole over the coals about not having a passion for the food or the challenges.  He touts Liz for being just as passionate as he is about food, but I think she sort of sees through him.  Even Nookie thinks he’s going overboard.  John votes for Nicole who in turn votes for John.  Nookie votes for Nicole, as does Liz.

Next stop, Buenos Aires, Argentina!  Avery and Nookie are paired up, and they don’t work nearly as well together as they have in the past.  John is worried that Liz can’t cook under pressure.

SHOULD NICOLE HAVE GONE HOME LAST NIGHT?  WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE FOOD EACH CHEF PREPARED?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

On last night’s Around the World in 80 Plates, the chefs head to Chiang Mai Thailand.  While I am still not the biggest fan of the Suvivor-esque format (more food, less strategy!), at least the challenges are getting a bit more interesting.

Jenna Johansen is wary about heading some place where she isn’t as knowledgeable about the cuisine (or the language for that matter), and Nicole Lou is convinced that she would have been sent home had she not had immunity.  Nookie Postal couldn’t agree more.  He’s livid about having to send Nick Lacasse home, and he plans on getting back at Nicole.  John Vermiglio thinks Thailand is going to put everyone on an even playing field.

The contestants arrive in Thailand and begin the course at the airport.  They must first divide into three teams of two and find the Ton Phayom market where they must purchase two baskets of coconuts.  They learn that the winning team will get the exceptional ingredient and $10,000 while the losing team will be “left out in the cold.”  John and Nookie immediately pair up, followed by Liz Garrett and Nicole.  That leaves poor Avery Pursell with Jenna.  Liz is hoping that Nicole’s experience with Asian style cooking will be helpful.

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All the teams arrive at the market via taxis, and no one can read the signs.  Nookie and John, the black team, quickly find the coconuts and hope to sneak out before the other teams see them.  Too late.  All of the ladies arrive at that point and head straight for the booth they saw the black team leave.  Nookie opens the second clue and it’s written entirely in Thai.  The entire market is laughing at Nookie and John as they keep dropping their coconuts.  The dudes are the first to find someone to read their clue, but the women aren’t too far behind.

At the next stop, each team must grate five pounds of coconut before heading to the Mae Taeng rice paddy.  John is so excited because he actually learned how to do this in culinary school.  Liz and Nicole, the red team, catch up to the guys. They both start grating away, and Nicole realizes that Nookie is watching John do all the work.  Jenna and Avery, the white team, are totally lost.  Once they arrive, Avery is hoping to get as much coconut water in their bowl with the shavings to add more weight.

The black team is on its way to the rice paddy with the red team red four minutes behind.  The white team is right on their heels.  John has immunity, but he and Nookie talk strategy.  The guys deviate from the road that winds through the field and trip and stumble through the rice to get to the paddy.  The next challenge is to plant 20 rows of rice and then find the Wat Baan Den Temple.  Nookie can’t believe how hard this work is, and he vows never to waste rice again.  Nookie and John finish first, but Nookie is moving so slowly.  Liz and Nicole take off running.  Jenna and her bad ankles are still planting.  John and a panting Nookie are the first to meet Cat Cora and Curtis Stone.  The red team arrives right behind them, and Curtis wonders why the white team is slowly meandering up to the temple?  Are they giving up?  Jenna tries to explain about her ankles and Avery’s frustration.

Each team will be taking over a cart in the market to prepare Thai street food.  They will serve the patrons of the night market who will be purchasing the food with their own money.  Whichever team makes the most money is safe, and the other two teams will join together to decide who gets eliminated.  The black team learns that it will be allowed to prepare two dishes instead of one, so Nookie and John could potentially make more money.  They also receive twice the money to shop.  The losing white team is, in fact, left out in the cold.  Avery and Jenna will not be allowed to use heat…no flame, no burner, no gas.  The teams head to the market to soak up the culture and cuisine.  Nookie and John decide to do one dish and one traditional drink, which is actually a really good idea.  Avery and Jenna are invited into a kitchen when they ask about the restaurant’s green papaya salad.  Learning their lesson in Italy about not utilizing a chef due to a language barrier, they take notes and watch like champs–leaving with a complete recipe.

The black and red teams dine together and laugh when they think about how much Avery and Jenna must be grating on one another’s nerves.  Surprisingly, the excitement over their salad has at least slightly bonded the women.  The white team gets 6000 Baht with which to shop, meaning the other two teams have 3000.  Thirty Baht is about a dollar.  I will let y’all do the math.  A hundred dollars for the ladies and two hundred for the men?  I hate math.  So as not to horribly butcher the spelling of these delicious looking Thai dishes, I will tell you that John and Nookie are doing a ground pork lettuce wrap while Nicole hopes she and Liz can master a crispy pork belly.  Liz gets worried then Nicole doesn’t see the need to spend all of their money…she thinks they have plenty of food.  Uh oh.

Avery is much calmer while shopping.  We learn that her father died, and she got a divorce, leading her to “get caught up in addictive things.”  If she can handle all of that, she can handle this competition.  She and Jenna are working well together.  Curtis reveals that a famous Thai chef, Chef McDang, will also be casting his vote, with the team he chooses getting an additional 150 Baht ($50????  This is so sad).  I just saw “larb” on the guy’s sign…I do know I love some larb, whatever that is.  Nookie and John are loudly trying to attract locals to their cart.  Liz and Nicole have so many return customers they decide to raise the price.  Nookie selling a drink with every wrap is pretty ingenious.  Chef McDang may need his own show.  He’s got personality.  Both Chef McDang and Curtis agree the larb (pronounced “lahb” I learn) is bland.

The judges head to Avery and Jenna’s cart.  Yup, it’s settled.  Chef McDang definitely needs his own show.  “Pound it!”  Liz is really worried because she and Nicole are running low on pork.  Nicole is making the portions too large, and, as you recall, she didn’t want to spend all of their money.  Chef McDang touts the red teams’ meal as more Chinese inspired, not traditional Thai.  Liz and Nicole then run out of food, and they are forced to watch as their competitors continue to sell.  Chef McDang had a ball!  He also decides he liked the white team’s papaya salad best.  Liz knows that it’s Nicole’s fault they ran out of food, but she won’t vote for her as she wants to keep the people with whom she works well.  Nookie brags about watering down his beverage so they could sell more, and Jenna is appalled that he would serve something sub par just to make extra money.

The teams meet with the judges, and they learn there will be no immunity going forward.  However, the chef who they believe did the best with the challenge will win $5000.  The judges start with the black team, and they question whose idea it was to do a beverage.  Curtis is confused as to why some early patrons loved it, but others thought it tasted watery.  John admits that the pair watered down the juice to make it last longer.  Cat curtly asks if they would do that with alcohol in their restaurants…burn.  Without any prompting, Nicole admits that the lack of food was her fault.  Curtis says that while it wasn’t a true Thai dish, the diners really liked it.  Cat tells white team how much Chef McDang loved their salad.  It comes down to the white team and black team.  The black team almost made twice as much baht as the white team due to their beverage sales.  This is where I am not so thrilled with this format.  The best team clearly didn’t win.  John wins the challenge for cooking the entire time while Nookie watered down the drinks.

The women convene to talk about elimination.  Jenna is upset about how things have happened.  Nicole announces that since the white team’s dish was the clear favorite (as they did make more money and win McDang’s seal of approval), it should be her or Liz going home.  Liz does a double take.  Um, no!  She’s not on board with that plan, and Nicole reveals that while she isn’t quite willing to fall on her sword and vote for herself.  Jenna and Liz are now facing off with one another.  Avery is quiet…she knows Nicole consistently makes mistakes, but Jenna totally grates on her nerves.  Jenna and Liz both vote for each other.  Nicole then totally switches up the game by voting for Liz.  Instead of taking the easy way out, Avery votes for Jenna to create a tie.  As the winner, John is the tie breaker.  Catch you later, Jenna!

Next stop, Hong Kong!  Nookie’s inability to exert himself in any physical activity is an issue.  The remaining teams deal with angry crabs and mean local chefs.  John gets into it with Nicole.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S COMPETITION?  WHO DID YOU WANT TO SEE SENT HOME?

Last night’s Around the World in 80 Plates found the chefs in Bologna, Italy.  It’s a tad awkward because the teams remain on the same team.  That means Liz Garrett and Jenna Johansen are going to have issues.  After an immune Liz voted for Jenna in the last challenge, Jenna is confused.  Wasn’t she Liz’s biggest cheerleader in the kitchen?  Um, maybe Jenna is confusing “cheerleader” with “bitter Betty.”  John Vermiglio reminds his remaining teammates that they are all great chefs…although some might be clumsier than others.  #curseofthewhitebeans

The black team (Nookie Postal, Avery Purcell, Nick Lacasse, and the immune Nicole Lou) is riding the high of their win.  Both teams arrive at the Parmigiano Reggiano Creamery where they get their first clue.  They learn that the winner of this course will win $10,000.  Each team must find three wheels of cheese which are marked with a triangle, signifying that the cheese hasn’t aged properly.  No big deal, right?  Both teams enter the creamery where they are greeted by walls and walls and walls (and WALLS!) of cheese.  Right of the bat, the red team finds one marked wheel, then another.  They are leaving with their third wheel as the black team finds their second.  The members of the red team collect their next clue.  They must deliver one wheel of cheese to Tamburini Salumeria in the historic district of Bologna.  John is glad that Jenna and Liz have put aside their differences to work together.

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The black team isn’t too far behind the red team.  Once in the city, John becomes increasingly frustrated with Jenna.  Even though she can speak Italian, she is having a hard time finding a local who will give her directions.  Couple that with the fact that John is the only one strong enough to carry the cheese wheel, and he is about over his teammate.  The black team quickly finds someone who points them in the direction of the local grocery.  Once they have delivered their cheese wheel, the black team is given a list of twelve items they must purchase and deliver to Ristorante Pappagallo.  The red team makes it to the grocery and begins shopping.  The black team learns that they must go to additional stores to find all the items.  They are the first to deliver all of their items to the restaurant, but unfortunately they got something wrong and must head back to the grocery store.  The red team delivers all the correct items, and they are given the location of Cat Cora and Curtis Stone.  They barely beat the black team, but the red team is rewarded with $10,000.

Curtis reveals that the teams will be taking over two restaurants in Bologna.  Each team will be preparing three different dishes, including a traditional tortellini.  The red team learns that their exceptional ingredient will be an extra hour of time to prepare.  They are also awarded dinner with the head chef of the restaurant which they will be taking over the following day.  The red team is given the opportunity to invite the black team to join them.  In a “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” mindset, they decide to extend an invitation to the black team.  At the dinner, Jenna is getting on everyone’s nerves (shocking!), including her teammates.  When the chef asks if anyone has any questions, she addresses him in Italian about the secret to his dishes, and she requests that he respond in kind.  Nick especially thinks her behavior is incredibly rude.  It’s something Liz would never do, but she’s happy to benefit from her teammate’s underhanded ways.

Nookie and Avery partner up to do the tortellini.  They have worked together on several challenges and seem to be forming an alliance.  How very Jeff Probst of them!  Avery is very confident in her pasta as she teaches pasta dough classes, while Nick beyond angry about the manner in which immune Nicole is cutting the beef tenderloin.  Avery shouldn’t be all that sure of her pasta making skills given the disaster that is occurring on my television screen.

When it’s time to serve the food, diners like Nick’s warm mushroom salad.  Avery’s pasta is too doughy and undercooked, but Nookie’s broth is good.  Nicole’s meat is gross.  Stellar showing, black team!  The judges and diners head next to the red team’s restaurant.  Jenna’s dish is beautifully presented but doesn’t taste nearly as good as it looks.  John’s tortellini is much better than Avery’s, but Nookie’s broth is more flavorful. Liz’s dish is a standout hit.

When the teams face the judges, Nick is told that his warm mushroom salad was wonderful.  While Nookie’s broth was great, Avery’s tortellini was too doughy and not uniform.  Nicole’s dish was just plain inedible.  Ouch!

As for the red team, John’s tortellini is praised as fabulous.  Jenna and John both wish Liz would have put forth a stronger dish.  Jenna reveals that she didn’t feel like it was her responsibility to guide her teammates in the right direction.  Curtis wonders if that’s bad teamwork or outright sabotage.  Jenna claims Liz’s dish was far too salty, and Liz can barely squeak out “but I fixed it” before Curtis touts Liz’s dish one of the favorites.  Jenna’s face is red!  When asked about John’s tortellini broth and filling, Jenna once again throws Liz under the bus, claiming Liz did the filling while she was only responsible for adding cheese to the broth.  Guess what, Jenna?  The judges’ only complaint was that the broth was too cheesy!

The judges declare the red team victorious, with John gaining immunity.  He’s over the moon given this is his first time on a winning team.  The black team deliberates about who should go, with Nick reaming Nicole for putting forth so little effort when she had immunity.  He hates being forced to choose between Nookie and Avery.  When it’s time to vote, Nicole votes for Nick, who in turn votes for Avery.  However, he gives an impassioned speech about how immunity is going to cause a good chef to go home.  Avery, who is aligned with Nookie votes for Nick, and Nookie does the same.  Aww, Nick certainly didn’t deserve to go home!

Next stop, Thailand!  Avery finds herself having to team up with Jenna, while John sees Nookie as dead weight.  Jenna wants to send Nookie packing.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE?  SHOULD NICK HAVE BEEN SENT HOME?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

This week on Around the World in 80 Plates, we’re down one chef with potential anger issues.  After Chaz Brown is voted off, his remaining teammates (Gary Walker and Nick Lacasse) are now the team captains for the two new groups before the group travels to Florence, Italy.  They each must choose the chefs for their competitor’s team.  Yikes!

Nick of the black team picks Liz Garrett for Gary’s first teammate, which is odd considering she won immunity in the most recent challenge.  In turn, the red team’s Gary gives Nick Nicole Lou.  John Vermiglio joins Gary’s team, and Nookie Postal is sent to Nick’s team.  Nick chooses Jenna Johansen for Gary’s final chef, and Gary is happy as she speaks Italian.  By default, Avery Pursell is Nick’s final addition.

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On the plane bound for Italy, Avery gets heated about what the game has become–the best chefs being voted off to soften the competition.  I have to agree with her.  The remaining chefs just have their eye on that cash prize.  They teams arrive in Florence (I am so, so jealous!), and their first challenge is…a bocce tournament?  Did I accidentally switch the channel to ESPN Classics?

Jenna is practicing her Italian accent on the way to the piazza where the teams will play.  Gary is so glad his team has someone who speaks the language…now if he could only get a muzzle.  At the piazza, each team gets a clue which reveals the following clues will be obtained at every stop on their scavenger hunt.  Also at each stop, the teams will sample local faire.  This food looks amazing!

Gary is thanking his lucky stars that Jenna is on his team, although both teams falter when they must figure out the common sweet treat that is often mistaken for cheese.  Who knew that ricotta isn’t a cheese?  Thanks to Nookie’s blind guesses, the black team pulls ahead.  They are directed to a map seller who gives them another clue.  The team must find their Infiniti (yea product placement!) and drive to a villa.  The red team is madly guessing cheese, and Jenna is upset that Liz isn’t contributing.  They seem just as shocked about ricotta as I do.

The black team is first to arrive, and they are touted with harvesting four large crates of olives from the trees.  The red team isn’t far behind, so the black team figures out a plan to incorporate a tarp into their collection process. The red team also figures out the short cut and leaves the vineyard mere minutes behind their counterparts.  However, the red team isn’t quite quick enough, so Nick and his gang win the $10,000 prize and the exceptional ingredient.

The kitchen challenge has the teams facing off in separate Tuscan villas, preparing a meal for the family and their guests.  Jenna is moved to tears by a combination of excitement and homesickness.  Cat Cora and Curtis Stone share the menus which must include a ribollita, and Curtis regales in the secrecy and tradition of Tuscan cooking.  The exceptional ingredient turns out to be Nonna Romanelli, an Italian grandmother and chef.  I would love to be a guest in Nonna’s kitchen.  Unfortunately for Nick, he didn’t want Jenna on his team, which could prove to be a disaster given that Nonna speaks no English.

On the red team, Gary offers to make the ribollita while Jenna yells out menu options.  Liz promises to make perfect pasta but gets bristly when Jenna keeps reiterating just how perfect it must be.  There is an emotional scene where Avery gets to talk to her daughters.

The following day, John accidentally topples a shelf sending all of Gary’s ribollita to the floor.  Gary tries very hard not hide his anger and frustration, as Liz helps him start again from scratch.  On the black team, Nookie tries to get Nick on his side to vote for Nicole in the event they lose.  In the red kitchen, Liz’s pasta is an epic failure, but she’s got immunity so it’s no skin off of her back.  Liz doesn’t like working with Jenna at all.  She is a bit overbearing, to put it nicely.

The red team is serving their dishes to mediocre reviews.  Gary’s ribollita is a favorite, which is good for John considering Gary has him on the chopping block due to his fumble.  John knows their offerings would be highly praised in any American restaurant.  Unfortunately for them, they are not back home.  Curtis questions Nonna about how her knowledge was utilized by the black team.  He and Cora are shocked to learn that they didn’t have her actually demonstrate how she would cook the dishes.  Curtis is gobsmacked.  I am going to start using that word all the time.  Why wouldn’t the black team use that opportunity?

Cat and Curtis enter the black team’s kitchen to share their disdain for not learning more from Nonna.  Cat is appalled that no one even thought to take notes. Curtis reveals that there is a universal language, and it’s called “cooking.”  Perhaps they should have allowed Nonna to do that.  The patrons are curious as to why there is prosciutto in the ribollita, a traditionally vegetarian dish.  Nicole’s meatballs are a hit though.

When the teams meet with Cat and Cora, Nookie is embarrassed to learn that ribollita is a vegetarian soup.  When questioned about her meatballs, Nicole admits that she was probably way off in her execution.  She is thrilled to learn it was a favorite.  John reveals that he ruined Gary’s initial ribollita by spilling it all over the floor.  Gary states that recreating the dish was a team effort, and Curtis relays that it was also a favorite.  Jenna throws Liz under the bus regarding her pasta debacle.  The black team wins, which I really didn’t see coming.  Nicole wins immunity in the next city.

The red team discusses who should be eliminated.  John can’t catch a break…he’s never been on the winning team.  Liz is chastised by Jenna, but again, she has immunity.  John wants his teammates to remember that the vote should be based on each chef’s showing in all of the cities thus far.  Liz votes for Jenna, and Gary votes for John.  John, in turn, votes for Gary, making Liz the deciding factor.  No!  Gary is heading home, which I think is a shame.  He is so likeable and funny…plus his soup got splattered from here to kingdom come, and he still did a great job.  Oh well.  Such is life on Bravo.

Next stop, Bologna, Italy!  Jenna continues to irritate her teammates, Avery wrestles with pasta.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE?  DO YOU FIND JENNA OVERBEARING?  WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD HAVE GONE HOME?