Top Chef Season 5 Episode 3

For the QuickFire, Lee Anne made trays with the specific ingredients for each recipe for the contestants to use, as well as making available a multitude of other ingredients so they could put their own spin on it.

It was a seven hour drive from NYC, where the QuickFire took place, to Rochester, where the band was to perform.

Picking the winner was entirely up to the band. Tom actually tried to convince them to pick Team Cougar, since they had done best with the proteins, but though the Foo Fighters said it was pretty much a toss-up, they chose Team Sexy Pants. But Tom said he was reconciled to their choice because it allowed them to send home the chef who had made the worst dish, Richard.

Richard also made a couple of other dishes which were not seen in the episode. He made a caprese, which is a tomato and mozzarella salad tossed in basil pesto. According to Lee Anne it was fine, but was agreed by all to have been an odd choice for Thanksgiving. He also made Spicy Sweet Ginger Sweet Potatoes, which the Judges did like.

The band had been on the road for almost ten months when they taped the episode, and were nearing the end of the tour.